A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to chapter one of Saviors of Gamarket. If you were reading my previous story, Saviors of Gamindustri, then you should be familiar with my writing style...I suppose..anyway...this story is based a little bit on the beginning of Megadimension Neptunua Victory II, as well as the location of Hyperdevotion Noire, which happens to be the alternate world of Gamarket. There will be characters from that game, including Lee-Fi, Lid and Tsunemi who are my absolute favorites from that dimension. Uzume also snuck her way into this story, but not as the CPU of Planeptune in the Zero Dimension, but as someone else entirely. There will also be some Oc's in there, including a few OCs for a few other games and franchisees. This takes place in the Valkyrie Dimension, which is the setting of my previous story. there will also be a side trip to the Zen Dimension, a new dimension where Tari never fell and only two CPUs are alive, aside from Cyan Heart. I hope you stick with this story, though I might take breaks from time to time.
Several characters will be used in this story, so if you haven't played Hyperdevotion Noire, Fairy Fencer F, or Omega Quintet, then you might not know who those characters are and will most likely have to do a little research, though I am very descriptive when it comes to characters. Its going to be a colorful cast and I will try to incorporate characters from Compile Heart's line up. I hope you enjoy, and here's the first chapter...
Hyperdimension Neptunia
Saviors of Gamarket
Chapter 1
The end of an Era
Gunshots filled the air as another round of gunfire was unleashed on the robotic menace that had over taken the world. The sounds of fighter jets above and the loud footsteps of the soldiers signified that the war had yet to cease. All around them, fire and smoke could be seen, their nation falling apart by the second. The citizens had been evacuated to a nearby city where the military was guarding them, but it wouldn't be long before an attack was sent their way. At the center of it all, was the one who was supposed to be protecting the nation, glancing as his city was falling apart.
A loud explosion filled his ears, and the ground shook from the intensity of it. A large building tumbled, covering what streets remained in rubble. Soldiers were most likely killed in that, or injured but at this rate, no one would be able to save them. Metal Dogoos made their way through the city, along with R-4's and Bits, each launching an attack at a nearby civilian, soldier or building. The young man glanced back at his home, or what used to be his home, PlanepTower, the only tall structure to remain, though it was heavily damaged from the repeated bombings and monster attacks, the glass windows were all but gone, and the front doors lay in a heap near the main entrance, the metal frames strewn across the courtyard proper, the once majestic fountain with the statue of the patron god, lay in a pile of nothing more than dust and debris.
He was wearing a purple jacket, with a white undershirt and circle shaped buttons. The jacket strings were thick and resembled USB ports. He was wearing black pants with purple highlights running down them, along with matching white and purple boots. His zipper held his personal crest, a purple N. His short and spiky purple hair was a bit mustled from fighting, and he had a few scrapes and cuts on his skin. His once happy purple eyes now filled with nothing but sadness. He was wearing a necklace, with a white D-Pad charm on it, a gift from his little sister.
This young man's name is Neptune, and he is the patron god of the nation of Planeptune, the first to be ransacked in a chain of terrorist attacks to the nations of Gamarket. What had started out as a normal work week for some, had ended in a violent display of battles and firepower. The leaders of the newest nation, Eden, had spared no expense in their attacks. Lastation was the second nation to be attacked, subsequently, Lowee and Leanbox suffered the same fate. Even now, the world wasn't doing well. The patron gods and goddesses of the other nations had fallen, leaving only Neptune, and the neighboring CPU of Lastation Noire with him. The young man and his sister were currently trying to find a way for them to save their world, but were struggling to find an answer.
It had been nearly two months now, and the attacks hadn't slowed down, while the main city was being attacked, other cities in the nation were also being targeted. Neptune had amassed his army, as well as split what remained of Leanbox's army between himself and Lastation to wage the final attack and push Eden out of Gamarket. Vert's fighter pilots were doing their best, in the honor of their fallen Goddess and their lost nation. The same could be said for Lowee, who's goddesses were also killed in action.
What remained of the Shares that had once belonged to them, were now being used to give the main settlements their power. Without their sharicites, neither Planeptune nor Lastation would survive the war. That's why he was here, standing outside his once proud basilicom, waiting for another attack on PlanepTower to happen. He held his Katana tightly in his hand, staring down at the Metal Dogoo that were slowly approaching him.
Another wave of gunfire filled his ears, as one of Vert's jets flew down, their gunfire tearing the jelly like creatures apart. The pilot gave Neptune a salute before returning to the sky, no doubt going to fight another round of Eden Fighters. He sighed, looking around the courtyard. Large chunks of earth were missing here and there, and water mains were broken, spilling hundreds of gallons of the precious liquid into the streets. The once moving sidewalks were now destroyed, their glass housings broken and metal workings laying over the streets. The metal frames of cars could be seen in the rubble, along with a few corpses, which he didn't want to see any longer. The sky above him, once a beautiful blue, was now red and smokey. The fires raging across the city had yet to be quelled, and the sounds of sirens in the distance only meant that rescue efforts weren't through with their work.
He heard a buzz coming from his ear piece and brought his hand to it, pressing the small button. His eyes never left the street in front of him.
"I'm here." he said, voice filled with no emotion.
"Glad to hear your voice Neptune. How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine Noire. Planeptune is still getting attacked, but with the last of Vert's forces, I can safely say that Eden was pushed back. If only for a few hours. I don't know how long this little time of peace will last." he said.
"Its the same for us here in Lastation. We've refrained from going HDD for the time being. Every bit of share energy counts at this point...our Sharicite isn't looking to good either."
"I figured as much. Not a lot of people left for us to get their faith, and the ones that are left are in constant fear of death. How is everything going on in Lowee?"
"The last of Blanc's forces have merged with our own and have pushed back the northern Army back into Lowee. Their keeping them away from Lastation at the moment, while the Citizenry has been successfully evacuated to our nation. Most of the northern cities in Lowee were lost however. We still haven't...we still haven't located Blanc's body. The same can be said for Rom and Ram."
"Dear Goddesses." Neptune muttered, holding the tears back. Hearing this about three of his closest friends was tearing him apart.
"What about Leanbox?"
"Everything is fine in Leanbox. I've managed to collect a bit of faith from the last of Vert's people. 5PB is doing her best to keep them motivated. I sent Uzume over there not too long ago, I figured her cheerful personality would calm them down a bit. I had to give her the last of Leanbox's shares though."
"That's fine. We still have plenty..and I found another source...I was calling to see if you could possibly come to Lastation. I need you to bring your Sharicite with you, as well as Histoire. She plays a major role in this scheme of mine."
"Noire are you crazy? I can't leave Planeptune alone. If they realize I'm gone, they will attack again." Neptune snapped. A nearby Metal Dogoo tried to attack him, only to end up being sliced in half. A stream of pixels filled his vision.
"I understand this..but with this plan I came up with, it will not only help me, but it will help you as well. We'll be able to fully push Eden back out of Gamarket. Not only that, but we'll be able to wage a full on attack on their land. We'll be able to take them out of existence...for Blanc and Vert's sake..please just come to Lastation."
"Big brother, there was an attack in the northern part of Lastation, one of the Military bases was ransacked." another voice, that of a young girl called out. Neptune heard the growl that Noire mustered. He could almost feel his anger.
"I gotta go Neptune. I expect you here soon, I'm about to whoop some ass."
With that, the line went dead. Neptune didn't know what to think at the moment, on one hand, he really wanted to know what Noire was cooking up. If he said that he had a plan then he had a plan. On the other side, he didn't want to abandon Planeptune. If he did, the last of his people would be in danger. He didn't know what to do at this point. He sighed, placing his finger on his earpiece.
"Uzume, do you copy?"
Static filled his ear, before a familiar voice replied.
"Uzume is here, what do you need Nepsy?"
"I need you back in Planeptune. I have to leave for Lastation and I could use a CPU to keep an eye on things. I don't want to leave Nepgear alone...she's still getting over losing Rom and Ram."
"Okay. I'll be there lickity split, see you soon."
Neptune turned heel and headed toward the main doors of PlanepTower. The once glossy tile was now dirty with glass and rubble. The Basilicom's main room was almost pitch black, with the exception of a few emergency lights and the glow of a few vending machines. The once holographic request screens were cracked and broken, with the S-class screen flicking on and off every few seconds, the quests posted on it still left unanswered. He pressed the elevator button and the doors slid open. Sure, he didn't want to use the elevator, especially in a time like this, but it was better than walking up several flights of stairs. He hit the top button and the metal lift slowly started its ascension into PlanepTower.
He leaned back against the bare walls. He thought back to why Eden had attacked. It had all started when the new nation had appeared, it worried the CPUs at first, because they didn't know what intentions they had. Eventually, since they didn't say or do anything, they figured they'd let them be. However, Eden started making demands with the four nations, saying that they wanted to export their goods into Gamarket. When talk about a negotiation treaty arose, Eden had been for the idea. That soon turned sour when they realized the kind of stuff Eden wanted to Import, mostly Adult rated content, firearms and several other unmentionable things. Planeptune was the first nation to reject their proposal, and even input an Embargo on their trades. Lowee followed suit, with Lastation and Leanbox coming after. They thought it would be the end of it, until their attacks on their four nations the week prior.
He didn't know that it would lead to a grand scale war. He didn't know it would lead to an attack so devastating that Planeptune's central city would be declared ground zero. He didn't think that this war would take away several of this closest friends. He had lost hope that this would end peacefully, he had to fight and kill if he wanted this war to end. He blinked the tears back as the doors to the main room opened up.
The lights were off, the once clean purple carpets filled with nothing but glass and destroyed furniture. His video game collection was strewn all over the room. The glass doors leading to the deck were gone, and half of said deck had been destroyed and sent down to the ground below. He made his way across the room, heading toward the back part of it. He walked through some doors, heading toward the bedroom area.
He stopped by his sister's room, Nepgear was asleep, though he knew it wasn't peaceful. The scars deep within her mind must have taken a toll on her. He hadn't seen her fight like that in a long time, and he guessed she passed out from sheer exhaustion. She was younger than him, with him looking like an eighteen year old, and her looking fourteen. Her long lilac hair was stuck to her sweat riddled face. Her arms were bandaged with gauze, and her shirt was a bit torn. He stepped inside, being quiet enough not to disturb her. He sighed, clearing the hair out of her face. She groaned a bit, but didn't wake.
"Sleep tight Nep Jr, this will all be over soon." he whispered, kissing her forehead. She smiled a bit in her sleep, and he hoped she was having good dreams. He left the room, closing the door after himself. He continued down the hall, stepping into the sharicite room. Inside were several computers and other devices, used to record the information that PlanepTower would get on a daily basis. Whether quests sent down to the guild, Shares from the people, Census results, it would all come here. The Sharicite was in the center of the room, floating in side a special device that constantly read its energy output. Beside it was a machine with Planeptune's map on it. It was the map where every power plant was located on his nation. Normally, that board would be lit up with several blinking dots, but at the moment, half of those dots were off, meaning power had been cut off to those areas. All of Planeptune's central city was on reserve power, but most areas were still dark due to power lines being down.
Near the glass tube that contained the sharicite was his oracle. A small tome fairy by the name of Histoire. She was a rather tiny woman, sitting on a small book. She was wearing a lilac colored gown, with frilly sleeves. Her long blonde hair was tied back into pigtails and held back with a white headpiece that bore Planeptune's crest on it. She wore small white shoes with lilac colored tongues. She had florescent colored wings on her back, which were glowing rather brightly. Her normal bright blue eyes were a bit dull. She looked up from her work a small smile on her face.
"Hello Neptune. How is everything outside?" she asked, voice sounding rather mellow. He almost wished she was her normal lecture giving self, but he knew she was grieving the loss of several close friends.
"We managed to push back Eden's army, but for how long is up for debate. How's Nep Jr doing? She was asleep just now."
"Yes, she was awake up until a few moments ago. She finally passed out from sheer exhaustion. She wouldn't stop crying, the loss of the twins is still affecting her, as is all of us." she said.
"Yeah, they haven't found their bodies. The Loweean army is still looking." he muttered.
"Vert's nation was going to hold her eulogy before her funeral. They asked to keep the Eden army at bay while they do."
"That's going to be a bit difficult. I understand that they want to bury their fallen goddess, and trust me, its hurts when I say this but I can't guarantee they wont be attack. Hell, I would attack them during her funeral, if it meant being able to rid myself of another thorn in my side." he said.
"Neptune, don't speak that way. Its rather rude to do so, especially when it comes to a fallen comrade." She snapped. Neptune chuckled a bit.
"Sorry, I did that just for you to snap at me. I missed those times Histy..but there is a reason why I have come up here. I need the Sharicite." he said.
"And for what, might I inquire?"
"Noire seems to have found a solution to our problem. He wouldn't elaborate on what it was, but he said he wanted me to head to Lastation with our sharicite as well as you. He said you play an important part in all of this. I called Uzume back to Planeptune to watch things over while we're gone." he said.
"Neptune, I can't say whether this is a good idea or not. Taking the sharicite will leave Planeptune powerless. The Mascot Discs aren't here to offer their protection at the moment. Do you think its a rather safe idea to just leave with it?" Histoire asked, a firm look on her face.
"I don't know. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm not entirely here anymore Histoire. I truly am not, but I am here enough to see that our nation is fucked no matter what I do. Half of Planeptune is destroyed, half of our people are dead and our friends are dropping like flies. If there's a chance to stop this war, then I'll take it." he shouted.
"I understand we're facing a time of dire need. But taking the Sharicite and leaving the nation is not the best course of action. Planeptune needs their patron god to be out there protecting them. Noire may have found a solution, but that will only go so far, especially if we lose Planeptune to a possibly failed mission." she replied.
"Well what else can I do dammit? Its only a matter of time before they send another wave of soldiers up here and take it by force. That's what they want. They want our shares, and for what I don't know, but I can't just stand here and see my nation fall to the likes of them. Goddamn it, I'm tired of seeing people die...I'm tired of losing my friends, I just want all this to end."
"I get that, but its not the best idea to just..."
"PLEASE, JUST STOP ARGUING."
Neptune and Histoire both looked toward the doorway, seeing a crying Nepgear there, clutching a plush doll in her hands. Her hair was mattered and her clothes were disheveled. She no longer looked like the peppy girl she used to be. Neptune closed the distance between them, pulling her in for a tight hug.
"I'm sorry little sis. We shouldn't have been arguing..we're just stressed is all." she said.
"I know, but please don't fight with Histoire. She's the last oracle and our closest friend, we can't let her down now." she said, though it came out muffled. Her rubbed her back gently, brushing her hair a bit.
"We won't argue again Nep Jr. Why don't you go back to bed okay? Uzume will be here soon to keep you company." he said. She nodded and left the room. Neptune stood up, sighing a bit.
"Listen Histy, I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just..not here right now." he said.
"I apologize as well. It may have been a bit rash on my part to lash out at you Neptune." she said, bowing her head in shame. He chuckled, flicking her forehead.
"Now now, no shameful looks from you today Mini Histy. But seriously, we need to head to Lastation. I don't know what it is that Noire has cooked up, but he sounded serious when he was talking about it. He also said he found another large source of shares. He couldn't explain though, since another city in northern Lastation was attacked."
"If...if you are sure about this, then we can take the Sharicite. I suppose I can engage the emergency power supply to keep the city running while we're using it. If not, I could always crystallize a bit of the energy left in the area." she said, floating back toward the machine. How she could operate it was a mystery to even him. As long as he had been around, he had known Histoire. Though he didn't know how it was that she did things. She was only a palm sized little fairy and yet she was able to do things like brew tea and type on a large computer. With a few keystrokes, she willed the glass tube to open. She reached her tiny hand inside, grabby the medium sized crystal from within.
"This is the last of our nations shares Neptune. Combining them with Leanbox's shares would have given us a bit more power but."
"I know, it would have been bigger, but I had to let Uzume go HDD. The presence of a CPU in Leanbox was needed to calm the masses. Even if it wasn't Green Heart, they were able to relax a bit, and she has a bit of their faith now. So its A-okay." he said with a smile. She put the Sharicite in a small rectangular device. It resembled a wrist watch of sorts, with purple straps on it. The case was in the shape of an N, somehow, the Share crystal fit inside. She handed it to Neptune.
"Put this around your wrist. It will safely keep the sharicite from losing power. If you must go HDD, its best to have a direct source near you so you can use your full potential." she said.
"Right. Alright Histy, lets wait for Uzume to return before going to Lastation. Its going to be a bit of a bumpy flight though, so you'll have to hold on tight." he said. They both left the room.
"As long as I don't fly off my tome, I think I'll be fine." she joked. It was good to have her smiling a bit. They entered the living room, minding the once again sleeping Nepgear. They glanced around at their destroyed surroundings, missing the once joyful laughter of their friends who frequently stopped by for random occasions. Neptune walked over to the fridge, somehow it had survived the whole crisis. He pulled out the last pudding cup from within, looking at it sadly. It had the name Nep on it, meaning it was his. He looked at Histoire who was glancing out the destroyed deck.
"I miss Compa's pudding. This is the last one." he said, closing the fridge.
"I miss IF's usual rant about you not doing work. It was always good to have someone support me rather than ignore me all the time." Histoire said.
"Yeah, their both out there on the Front lines..with Iffy being the last S-class Guild agent alive, and Compa being a field medic, I doubt we'll be seeing them again for a while. I hope their safe."
"They know how to fight Neptune. Have faith in them, and they'll have faith in you."
"Of course. I have faith in my friends, and I know they have faith in me." he said, tearing the pudding cup open. He dug the spoon into it, shoving the creamy confection into his mouth. The creamy taste nearly brought tears to his mouth. He wanted to shovel the whole thing into his mouth, but he decided against it. He ate half of it, and handed the rest off to Histoire, who looked at him weird.
"I want you to smile Histy. I know you like these just as much as you do. I gave the other one to Nep Jr his morning before I left so you can have the rest."
"Thank you Neptune."
"Aw shucks, its nothing Histy." he said, rubbing his neck. The blonde haired oracle quietly ate her snack. It wasn't long after she finished it off that a familiar girly voice filled their ears. Histoire's eyes widened a bit as she ducked to the side, avoiding the orange and white blur that whizzed by her.
"Incoming."
A loud crash resounded through the quiet room, the last of the the entertainment center breaking apart from the sheer force of it. The already cracked wall cracked further and the television set fell to the ground, screen shattering into a million pieces. Laying in a heap on the ground was CPU Orange Heart. Her blue eyes were a bit glassy and she was groaning in pain, most likely from the force of the impact.
The young girl was wearing a white sleeveless leotard, that hugged her curves nicely. The area around the breasts was a bright blue in color, and the collar of the outfit was a bit ruffled. It bore the familiar N symbol on it, in the center of a small patch of orange cloth. She was wearing detached armored sleeves, along with white and orange gauntlets. On her left arm was a circular shield like object, with an orange disc on it, that controlled radio waves. Her legs were bare, with the exception of her footwear, white and orange armored boots, with blue colored tongues. Her leg processors were in the shape of skates, with bright orange wheels on them, which let her zoom around on the field, though she was mostly hovering with her bright orange wings, which were circular in shape, resembling Nepgear's wings a bit. The last thing beside her was her weapon, a large bullhorn, which was white in color, with an orange ring near the end of it, which was glowing rather brightly. The area where one spoke into was bright blue in color, and was also glowing a bit. The side of her bullhorn had the purple N emblazoned on it, along with an orange swirl, her personal symbol. Neptune sighed, shaking his head.
"Now Uzume, how many times have I told you not to go full speed ahead when flying?" he asked.
"Only once Nepsy, but Uzume had to get to Planeptune in a hurry. You called her after all." she replied. He shook his head and held his hand out to her, getting her back on her feet. He brushed the rubble out of her clothes and hair. Her orange locks had come undone from its usual bun like style, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment.
"Regardless, how is everything in Leanbox? I didn't have the time to ask you earlier."
"Everything is fine in Leanbox. Uzume and 5PB were handling it well. The last of the Guild is also doing their part, and the army is protecting the town now. So Uzume can stay here in Planeptune for as long as she's needed." she said, a bright smile on her face.
"Wonderful, why don't you go ahead and power down? You need to rest a bit too. I need you to be at your best, especially if there's an attack." he said. She nodded, and a bright swirling energy covered her entire body, returning her to her normal form.
Her human form was that of a fair skinned young woman, with bright red hair tied into slim pig tails. She was wearing a white shirt, which she left mostly unbuttoned, along with short blue shorts which had bright orange overalls. She wore black shoes with several clips on them. Around her neck was an red tie, with a bright orange swirl on it. Her light orange eyes scanned him over.
"Are you okay Nepsy? You look tired yourself."
"I'm fine Uzume. I just have to step out for a few hours, and will be taking Histy with me. Just make sure Nep Jr is alright? She's still taking this rather hard."
"Alright, I'll take care of Gearsy, don't worry alright?" she asked.
"I won't, I trust you. Keep me informed if anything changes here in Planeptune. The Air Force is still doing their rounds so if they request for assistance, make sure to guide them."
"Sir yes Sir." she saluted, a bright smile on her face. He chuckled and turned back to Histoire, who gave him a nod.
"I'm ready for travel. I decided to lock myself in my tome for the time being. That way, if the need to fight arises, you can fight without worrying for my safety." she said.
"If you say so. I'll protect you regardless Histy." he said. She nodded, allowing herself to disappear into her small purple tome. Neptune grabbed it before it fell to the ground. The small book mark on it now had a picture of Histoire on it, which started moving a bit.
"Okay. Let us hurry to Lastation." she said.
"Transform." he chanted, holding his Sharicite close to his chest. A bright blue glow enveloped his form, allowing him to enter his HDD form. His hair grew down past his waist, and was tied back into a long ponytail with a lilac colored ribbon. His bangs were pinned back by black D-pad clips. He was now wearing a tight fitting purple and black plug suit, that hugged his muscled nicely. Black and purple gauntlets appeared over his hands, each having an N symbol on them. His legs were covered in heavily armored boots, almost resembling robotic legs. Triangle shaped processors appeared around his waist, glowing a bright purple in color. The final thing that appeared on him were his wings, large butterfly like lilac wings, bearing his name on the edges of them. The discs near his back were pulsing with energy, keeping him aloft. His eyes were now a bright blue, with the power symbol in the center. He looked back at Uzume, a firm look on his face.
"Don't worry...I'm sure Noire and I will end this war soon. No one else will have to die." he said, and with that, he took off into the skies of Planeptune, heading toward the nearby nation of Lastation.