Juddy here again, and I'm back with the project I teased at the end of Nepvania! Surprised?
I am, too.

This right here is a special case; this should eventually become an actual playable game, if I can gather the motivation to work on it.
I have made character portraits and stuff, so there's that, at least.

Got lots of bits and pieces planned for this written up since last year, and I hope to put them to use.

Now, without further ado, roll the disclaimer!

The following is a non-profit, fan-based creation.

Hyperdimension Neptunia is owned by Idea Factory and Compile Heart and includes characters owned by Nippon Ichi Software and Gust Corporation, now of Koei-Tecmo Games.

Please support the original titles, and have fun.

"Ugh..."

Juddy threw open the door to his room, glad - or relieved, at the very least - to finally be home.

It had been a particular busy day, running around doing things he didn't really care for.

"At least now I can unwind a bit, I guess."

Closing the door, he switched on his computer and waited for it to boot up.

Once it finished, Juddy consciously opened up Steam. It was a bad habit of his; forgetting that it didn't start up on its own.

"I should probably fix that... maybe," he told himself.

Shrugging, he brought up his games library, only to find something was downloading.

"An update? What could it be for?" he thought.

The download completed as it normally would, showing a message in the bottom-right corner of the screen; "Steam has finished downloading: Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1".

"Oh, it was a Re;Birth1 update, huh...?"

Curious, Juddy went to check out the change logs...

...only to be greeted by a pixelated mess that resembled a chibi Neptune, with a text box and the words "UPLOADING SOUL..."

"The hell? Is Steam acting up again?"

He reloaded the page a few times. The same image appeared.

"Okay, this is some serious creepypasta shit right here," Juddy thought, a little freaked out.

He had to verify.

Deciding to forgo Skype for the time being, he messaged Jeremy through Steam.

Juddy [Cold as Ice]: got a weird update from Steam

Juddy [Cold as Ice]: it said that Re;Birth1 updated but what's with that change log?

Major Crackhead: I got that too

Major Crackhead: Steam probably fucked itself again

Major Crackhead: what's the bet a bunch of hackers got into the change log

Juddy [Cold as Ice]: likely

Juddy [Cold as Ice]: but just in case I'm gonna boot up the game

Juddy [Cold as Ice]: start up a voice chat

Major Crackhead: okay

Major Crackhead started a voice chat.

"Okay, booting up the game now," Juddy stated, starting up Re;Birth1 for the umpteenth time.

Usually, he'd skip through the splash screens and the opening, but he sat through them this time, just in case.

"Anything yet?" Jeremy asked.

"Nope, nothing's amiss in the opening stuff."

The title screen also popped up as normal. Juddy's save games were even still present.

"Nothing in the title screen or saves, either."

Jeremy let out a 'tch'. "Probably Steam fucking up again."

Juddy sighed. "At this point, it's probable."

Then, out of a bout of sudden curiosity, he highlighted the "New Game" option.

"I'm gonna start up a new game," Juddy told Jeremy. "If I go missing, assume I've been abducted by ghosts, or something."

Jeremy laughed. "Yeah, sure."

"Alright, new game... start!" Juddy proclaimed, hitting the A button on his controller.

Instead of the usual world map and opening narration, though, a lone text box appeared.

"System transfer complete...?" he repeated aloud.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "The hell does that mean?"

"No idea," Juddy replied, advancing the text.

This time, a voice accompanied the text that popped up.

A voice that sounded rather familiar...

"Welcome to Gamindustri, Juddy; the First of the Chosen Four."

"Wait, wha-?!" Juddy began.

Before he could finish the thought, a blinding light shot forth from the monitor, causing him to flinch.

"Agh, holy shit, I think I'm blind!"

"Why? What the fuck happened?" Jeremy asked.

"Really bright light. God, I do not wanna have to replace shit now..."

A snort from the other side.

"...What?"

Jeremy cleared his throat, still chuckling. "Still not over that 'UPLOADING SOUL' thing. It's so ridiculous."

Juddy rolled his eyes, which were still closed.

Carefully opening one eye, then the other, he was met with the same text box as before, only this time on a canvas of white.

"...I'm kind of scared to advance the text..." he remarked.

"Well, I'm still connected, so that flash didn't disable everything," Jeremy replied. "Just do it."

"Yeah, yeah, make my dreams come true. I get it."

Juddy reached for his controller again.

"But if something happens, test your own copy, just to see if you can replicate it."

This comment made Jeremy roll his eyes. "Fine, fine. You worry too much, Juddy."

Juddy shrugged in response. "It's just how I am."

Not wanting to stall any longer, he finally pressed the A button once more.

The text disappeared, and a blank white screen was left in its place.

He instinctively pressed all of the buttons on the controller at least once.

Nothing happened.

"Well, shit. Looks like there isn't any more text."

Stepping away from the computer for a second, controller still in hand, he stared at the blank white screen, pondering.

As he was pondering, the light from the screen intensified again, stretching out in a projector-like fashion.

Finally noticing this, Juddy looked up, and dropped his controller in shock.

"Is that a doorway made of light? Ugh, I have so many questions..."

Juddy paused, expecting a response from Jeremy.

Instead, he was met with silence.

"Jeremy?"

Still nothing.

Peering to the right of the newly-created door, Juddy discovered the source of the problem, and rolled his eyes, heaving an annoyed sigh.

The modem was blank, as well.

"Brilliant time for this, Australian Internet," he said sarcastically.

"Juddy? What happened?! Juddy?!"

Receiving no response, Jeremy leaned back in his own chair, sighing.

"That flash of light, the weird text, and now this..."

He sighed again.

"He could be fucking with me, but that really doesn't sound like something he'd do.
Besides, something like this is way too elaborate..."

Bringing up his own Steam library, he stared at the change log.
"What the hell does this mean, I wonder...?"

"What in the hell am I supposed to do about this?"

Juddy stood, still staring at the door of light before him.

"This is something out of a fantasy game."

At that moment, a voice echoed from the doorway.
"I sense you have many questions, First Chosen."

Juddy's eyes widened in recognition. "That voice... Histoire?!"

"Correct," the voice confirmed. "I am Histoire, the Tome that records the history of Gamindustri."

Juddy nodded. "Hm. Good. Okay. So, first question; how?!"

"It is a phenomenon that is difficult to explain at length, as I do not have much time."

Sighing, Juddy relented. "Okay, later, then. Second question; why?"

"I have called upon four people from this world to lend their aid to Gamindustri in its time of need."

Juddy raised an eyebrow at this. "And since I'm talking to you, and judging by what you called me, I'm not only one of these 'chosen', but the first?"

"Yes. The three others should also be familiar to you, as well."

Juddy shot the door a suspicious glare. "Familiar how, exactly?"

"That will be for you to find out," Histoire replied.

Juddy averted his gaze in a sarcastic fashion. "Hm. So all I have to do is walk into this doorway?"

"That is correct, but I cannot keep this gate open for long. Please do so quickly."

He sighed in response.

"If this really is happening, and I'm not just gonna bump into my desk like a moron, then I'm in," Juddy stated, stepping towards the 'gate'.

"There is one more thing, however."

He paused. "What is it?"

"To ensure your safe passage to Gamindustri, I must temporarily block any memory you have of our world."

"Ugh," he spat. 'There's always a catch... but...'

"I don't exactly agree with that, but I suppose it's better than freaking them all out with 'Hey, I'm from another world and I know exactly what's gonna happen to you and when!'"

Histoire... giggled at that phrasing. "Well said."

Filled with a renewed sense of determination, Juddy stepped through the gate, which began to disappear behind him.

"And, once again, welcome to Gamindustri, Juddy; the First of the Chosen Four."

Juddy McLupo is online.

Jeremy immediately clicked on the Skype prompt and started a chat.

'net troubles again?'

A few minutes passed, which turned into half an hour.

No response.

'Juddy?'
'what's going on?'

'Juddy, respond!'

'Juddy?!'

'JUUUUUUUUUDDDDDYYY!'

Still no response.

"Okay, something's seriously wrong. That usually gets him."

Jeremy turned his attention to the change log from earlier as the gears began to click away in his head.

What was it that Juddy said again?

"But if something happens, test your own copy, just to see if you can replicate it."

And so, Jeremy did just that; accessing his library, he enabled his controller and started up the game for the first time in a while.

Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four
a Hyperdimension Neptunia fan-fiction adaptation

The gate Juddy had entered led to a sea of blackness.

He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets.

"So... now what?"

"Now, we simply wait for the transfer to complete."

"You sound like you've done this before."

"Indeed, though it was a time long since passed in Gamindustri."

Juddy racked his brain, trying to think of who she was talking about, when he was hit with a sudden headache.

"Ah- ow."

"It seems the memory block is in place."

Juddy, frustrated, clutched at the side of his head. "Why does it hurt?"

Histoire's voice echoed through the void, concerned. "Is it too much?"

"Well, no, but it's just enough to be annoying- huh. It let up."

"The pain will only occur if you try to circumvent the memory block."

Juddy blinked. "Then why do I still remember you?"

"Recent memories are not blocked."

"Convenient. Well, as long as the pain isn't constant, I can deal."

Histoire smiled - or at least, that's what Juddy assumed she was doing.
"I am relieved to hear that."

Then, she continued in a serious tone.
"Now, I feel as if my power is weakening, so I will get to the point. Please, find Neptune, and assist her in any way you can.
Help her to find the Key Fragments and stop Arfoire."

Juddy stepped back. "Whoa, that's a lot of info dump at once. Who, exactly, is Nep-"

Before he could finish, a bright flash caused Juddy to wince.
"Gah! What is it with flashing lights today?!"

"Transfer... complete... my time has run out..." Histoire said, her voice cutting in and out.

"I didn't quite catch that, Histoire!"

Cracks of light began to form in the ground.

"Remember... find Neptune... and help her..."

"I still don't know who that is!" Juddy yelled in frustration.

As he finished his sentence, a silhouette of a girl appeared on the other side of the void-room.

'Is that her?' he thought, even as the darkness began to give way to the light.

"End... the Console War..."

"Well, no time like the present...!" he said to himself, before breaking into a run, black shards falling around him.

He cried out just as everything was engulfed in white.

"Neptune...!"

Meanwhile, in a forest...

The purple-haired girl stopped in her tracks. "Compa, did you hear that?"

The girl's travelling companion stopped and turned to her. "Huh? Hear what, Nep-Nep?"

"I heard a voice just now. It was calling my name."

Compa tilted her head. "A voice? Have you heard it before?"

"Hmm... Nah, I don't think so," 'Nep-Nep' replied. "Though I probably wouldn't know, what with the whole memory loss thing."

Compa merely smiled at her in response.

'Nep-Nep sure says some strange things...'

Elsewhere, in the same forest...

Juddy slowly opened his eyes, so as not to blind himself for the third time that day.

Taking in the view, he proceeded to blink twice, adjusting to the light level.

"Where...?"

He sat up slowly, making sure he was in one piece, and so his head didn't spin.

"So... I've been dropped into a forest, right under a tree," he said aloud to no-one in particular.
"I've written about it before, but I didn't think it'd actually happen..."

Sighing, he stood up and dusted himself off, taking the time to stretch as he did so.

"'Kay, so everything works..."

First order of business; complete.

"Second order of business; find out what's on my head, here."

He grabbed onto the headgear and pulled it off, inspecting it. "A hat? Since when did I have a hat?"

The hat in question, when looked at from a certain angle, had a shape that Juddy found all too familiar.

"Heh, and red, too."

The wing pins on either side made him think of something entirely different, and yet, they seemed to fit the look.

He took a moment to switch the pins around, then put the hat on in reverse.

"Much better. And by the looks of things, it's not just that that's different," he noted, giving his new clothes the once-over.

A red bomber-jacket, reminiscent of something from his school days.

Black SOAP-style shoes, with neon-blue lines. Lines that he was sure emitted a faint light as he stood in the shade.

Juddy tapped the caps of his new footwear a couple of times on the ground, as if to test them.

The plain black shirt and blue denim jeans he was wearing were about the same as he was used to, so there wasn't much of note there.

"Inspection complete. All set."

Dusting himself off one final time, he left the shade of the tree, his goal fresh in his mind.

"Now to find out where I am, and then find this Neptune girl."

Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four
Prologue

-fin-

And with that, the first pieces are in place, and the new game begins.

...I really need to learn when and how to end chapters.

Next time on Hyperdivinity Neptunia: The Chosen Four, Juddy has his first enemy encounter, and hides from a couple of girls.