Goddess in the Echo
By MidniteBleuCrusader
Summary: (AU) A lost Planeptune, a Goddess denounced. Neptune seeks to find out the truth behind her lost landmass, as well as who was behind all this. With the help of Compa and IF, Neptune hopes to find all the answers, by any means necessary.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hyperdimension Neptunia or any of its characters.
Author's Notes: If you happen to have any sort of questions about what's going on and are confused, please don't be. It's an AU.
Chapter 2: Anti-Goddess
Everything had happened so fast.
Planeptune, once a land filled with hi-technology, clean environments and a bustling business, was completely destroyed by the monsters. Neptune did whatever she could to help any citizens in peril, but she couldn't stop her own landmass from being reduced to ashes.
There were, however, a few things that didn't make sense; the black demons that appeared temporarily, the city just moving on its own and trying to kill her, and of course, her own Nightmare showing up in Planeptune. Histoire managed to rush her search for such a monster and managed to gain information on it. Neptune remembered her words as it constantly played in her head.
Nightmares – The dark manifestation of one's negative power and energy. Its only purpose is to rid the original and take his or her place. It wasn't something to trifle with, Histoire said to her. Back on Planeptune, the Nightmare was absolutely way too powerful for Neptune and was close to killing her on more than one occasion.
The only question that Neptune had in her head was 'Why couldn't I even put a scratch on her?' The Nightmare matched her slash for slash and bullet to bullet. If it was a manifestation of negativity, she certainly couldn't remember any time where she was TOO negative.
Whatever the case, she knew she had to be better prepared the next time she had to fight her.
As for figuring out who was behind the attack, Neptune confirmed with Histoire again, but the tome reiterated that it would take at least 3 days to a maximum of 3 months of searching to find out. Neptune certainly wasn't going to wait that long for an answer.
When she got to Lastation, the other Planeptune refugees were quickly sheltered in the refugee camps that the Lastation Military Force had set up for them. Neptune, however, didn't want to go there. She sheltered herself in a quiet, non-exquisite hotel. The owners themselves were surprised to have the CPU of Planeptune stay in their hotel, but nevertheless were happy to house her. She couldn't get a wink of sleep that night. Too much had happened, too much for her to think about, too much for her to even get any sleep. She took a look at Histoire, who was sleeping on the tabletop. She could sleep easy. She didn't have to deal with any of this at all. Neptune decided to go over to her and wake her up. The Oracle for Planeptune's Guild stirred, rubbing her eyes.
"Ah, good morning, Neptune." She greeted.
"Morning, Histy… gosh, I just wanna forget about yesterday. It was just way too rough on my body. She spoke as she looked out the window. The industrial smell was in the air. This was definitely Lastation all right.
All these things that had happened to her were beginning to take its toll on her brain. Therefore, in order to get it off her chest, she needed for some way to make a statement. The people of Planeptune, and of course the other landmasses, would love to hear from Purple Heart herself. She just knew how to do that in Lastation.
With Histoire floating by her side, Neptune went down the stairs to the main lobby of the hotel, headed into the dining room for a spot of breakfast. It was but a small dining room, but the people there didn't mind, especially when Neptune walked in. She took her breakfast and sat on the seat nearest to the television on the wall. Thankfully, the LCD screens in Lastation were imported from Planeptune. 'At least Lady Noire did something right.' Neptune thought.
The morning show that played on TV was the Hi-Five News Show, a 2-hour news show in the morning slot. It was hosted by Neptune's old friend, Lyrica, but she was more commonly known as 5pb. They had travelled a lot together as a group and as such, she constantly kept in touch with her. It was nice to see her finally get over her anxiety issues and to appear on TV, instead of her usual radio show.
That's not to say she's stopped doing her radio show. She has a night slot on certain days for her radio shows and she still has random idol shows everywhere she goes.
The hotel owner, a slender young male, had come up to Neptune to share a few words with her, mostly saying that he too was devastated by what happened to Planeptune and sympathized with her."Thanks, it's nothing, really." "I'll be fine." She kept repeating these words to the people who kept coming up to her. She turned her attention to the television, where 5pb was presenting another report.
"In other news, a viral video has spread across the internet and has garnered over a million views on youtube and has been shared on social networking sites like facebook and twitter. There has been no source yet known of this video, but we do believe that it is from a rogue anti-goddess organization known as the Heretics Unit."
"Pfft… more crazies on the internet trying to get noticed." Neptune blew off as she chewed on her eggs.
"People will do anything to gain attention on the internet nowadays. It's more something you should get used to." Histoire agreed.
The screen switched from 5pb immediately to the mentioned video. It showed an image of what looked like a slender young woman, with long hair. However, two things, at least to Neptune and Histoire, immediately gave the identity of the woman away. Neptune nearly choked on her food when she saw.
Firstly, the blue nine-brand coat that was all too familiar and secondly, the green leafy bow tied on her hair.
"I-Iffy?" Neptune whispered under her breath. She didn't want the whole room to know who it was. She doubted anyone could know, considering that she was wearing a white mask to cover her face.
"Citizens of the landmasses," IF started to speak. Her voice, however, was unrecognizable. The audio was doctored enough such that it was veiled in static and rendered down to a more low-pitch and computerized voice. "It has begun. The attack on Planeptune was only the beginning. The enemy moves quickly into the night… or even in the day. This, citizens, marks the beginning of the end of all humans. I quote, 'All war is based on deception', and as of right now, you are being deceived. The demons may be walking amongst you and you may not know it. My message is simple, clear and just. Trust absolutely no one. You would not know whether the person standing beside you, the person you sit next to on the next cable car ride or the person you are ordering food form, may just be a demon." The picture immediately cut out with static before returning to 5pb.
Neptune sat at her dining chair, mixed emotions running in. She felt a bit flabbergasted, a bit perplexed but at the same time amused. Of course, the video was edited quite superbly, in the way the camera constantly pans in the video. 'She sure knows how to make a speech all right.' She thought. However, her words were meant to be taken seriously, as the reactions in the dining room could tell. She talked about these so-called demons and she had definitely experienced this first hand.
Now all that she needed to do was to find her.
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Neptune started walking down a long road after breakfast. She cited it would be a good way to work off a big breakfast. Neptune wanted to head to 5pb News Network's Broadcast Station, where the Hi-Five News Show was being broadcasted from.
Neptune had talked about making an announcement to all the landmasses with Histoire, about what decisions she was going to make that day.
Histoire, however, wasn't so approving about what Neptune had planned at first, but after hearing the Goddess out, she agreed to it, albeit reluctantly. The aftershock of Planeptune's attack was a definite talking point amongst people everywhere. Journalists had been writing about it, politicians were staging mass debates of the current situation and were thinking of ways to learn from this attack, and even punters were putting up odds on which landmass would be the next one to go.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Neptune? This will make your own people upset and lose faith in you."
"What I'm planning on doing next, I don't need faith. Besides, what good will it be to be a Goddess of a landmass that's uninhabitable now?" Neptune said as she kept walking towards the broadcast tower. Ever since the cable car ride, all the way to her sleepless nights in Lastation, she had been thinking about what she was planning to do. What better way to tell the masses now than to the media?
IF would've probably said the same thing to Neptune.
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Another tiring day of work done, thought the staff of the morning show in 5pb News Network. Everyone was about to clock off, and the director had told them they did an excellent job once again. 5pb on the other hand was arranging her papers, papers filled with all sorts of information, and putting them away in a docket. Smartly dressed in a red office blouse and skirt, she looked at her laptop and started to search the news for it.
"IF, I knew that was you in that video…" She murmured to herself. 5pb was part of the travelling group that also consisted of both IF and Neptune, so she knew that IF was behind the video. She just didn't want to reveal it. Reporters never reveal their sources, as the old saying goes, and that meant she couldn't just rat out one of her former colleagues to the masses just like that. Her concentration was interrupted when her cell phone rang. She quickly fished into her bag and pulled it out, answering it. "Hello?"
"Ms. Lyrica, there someone to see you now and you will not believe who it is!" The ever-cheery voice belonged to the young, business-savvy Gust. She had to find work as a part-time secretary for 5pb, but she still does alchemy from time to time.
"Heh, okay, Gust. I'll come down now. Would you mind leading her into my office for me?" She said. Gust agreed to do so, as she hung up the phone and quickly collected her things, packing it into her briefcase and quickly heading back to her office. Taking the direct elevator to the staff offices and being the only one in, she reached her destination quite quickly, heading straight to her office where her secretary, Gust, greeted her. She took a few steps to open her office door.
Lo and behold, there sat Neptune, not on the visitor's chair, but on her own chair, feet on the table, munching on a sweet that was on the table. "Yo, 5pb! Been a while, eh?"
"Yes, it has, Lady Neptune. Though, would you be so kind as to get off my chair?" She asked politely.
"Listen, I need a favor from you. So I need you to listen and listen good."
"You know, when I asked Gust to let you in here, I specifically told her NOT to let you sit in my chair." 5pb pointed out again.
"So if I got off, would you listen?"
"Yes, Lady Neptune, I would." Promptly, Neptune got off 5pb's chair and sat at the visitor's chair, whereas 5pb made her way around the table to sit on her own chair, but not before fluffing up the soft pillow that Neptune had been sitting on. She took her seat and spoke. "First of all, it's good to hear you're still okay. What I heard about Planeptune was absolutely disastrous."
"That's what I came to you to talk about, Lyrica." She slowly eased in, her face closer to the idol's face. "I want to make a formal announcement to everyone in the landmasses. I'm sure the people and the media would LOVE to know what Lady Neptune thinks about the Planeptune attack." A smile quickly beamed on 5pb's face, as she quickly knew the answer.
"Well, I do have a working afternoon timeslot for you. I could definitely ask the director to add in a special interview with Planeptune's CPU to get her views and any updates on the current situation, as well as your aforementioned announcement… What's it going to be, anyway?"
"I can't tell you now." Neptune answered, taking another sweet from Lyrica's bowl of sweets. "It's something that's going to definitely shock the world, that's for sure."
"Then I'll be looking forward to it, Lady Neptune."
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Advertisements spread like wildfire. The word was out rather quickly to the masses. The day after Neptune's meeting with Lyrica, the word had gotten out that there would be an exclusive interview with Planeptune's CPU.
It definitely gave reason for the landmasses to start buzzing again.
It became the talk of all the landmasses. They were skeptical at first, but now everyone wanted to hear what Neptune had to say on that exclusive interview.
The 5pb Exclusive Hour aired only once in a blue moon. There, she would have only the most prestigious of guests to arrive and speak to her on the latest happenings with their guest. Today's guest was Neptune, and Lyrica was sure she would prepare a lengthy amount of questions for her guest, all linking up to Planeptune's attack. Of course, she would have to end the show with Neptune's announcement to the world.
Lyrica was quickly dressed up in her usual presenter's clothing, dark blue office top and grey inner-shirt accompanied with grey pants and high heels, whereas Neptune, just arriving on the set, was in her usual outfit. She didn't mind not being too pretty under the lights. She didn't want to play dress-up on a serious occasion like this.
Backstage, she looked at Histoire, thinking about this decision she was going to make. It was definitely too late to back out now, Histoire reminded her, and her decision was definitely going to cause a stir in the landmasses.
This was a personal one-to-one interview, but it would be broadcasted live to every television in all the landmasses.
The director gave the okay once everyone was in position, the cameraman signaled that the tape was rolling, and the Exclusive Hour began.
"Good afternoon, everyone." 5pb greeted, calmly. "As you all have learnt from the terrible attacks on Planeptune, things have turned for the worst. Not to mention, the anti-goddess group, the Heretics Unit, is out at large as well. Today, we speak to someone we truly have needed to hear from. Ladies and gentlemen, Lady Purple Heart." The light shone brightly above Neptune's head, spotlighting her. She remained silent until 5pb asked a question. "Now, Lady Purple Heart, I think we all definitely need to hear from you. What really happened on Planeptune?"
"Well," Neptune started speaking. "It would be a bit too grim to just go out and say what happened in my eyes… but I'll only say this. Planeptune was ravaged when I was walking through. I helped get the civilians out as fast as I could while I stood back to keep the monsters away."
"That's very noble of you, Lady Purple Heart. I'm sure you will do whatever it takes to fight back for your landmass."
"Exactly, I'll do whatever I can to get Planeptune back where it belongs, even if I have to build it from the ground up again with my own two hands." Neptune said confidently.
"I see. Now, let's get into some pressing matters for a second here. What do you think about the Heretics Unit?" Neptune took a breather to think about this question. She, and most likely 5pb, knew that the masked person on the Heretic Unit's videos were IF, but she didn't want to rat out her friend at all. Instead, she tried to make a more 3rd-person opinion, acting as if she didn't know IF at all.
"All I can say about the Heretics Unit and their videos on the internet is that, they're just a bunch of crazies on the internet trying to seek attention and spread propaganda on the internet. It'll never get through to the people." Neptune said, almost purposely sounding mean.
"I would have to agree with that, Lady Purple Heart." 5pb said, adding to Neptune's sentiments. "Now I hear that you have an announcement to make to the people of the landmasses, Lady Purple Heart. The floor is all yours."
This was it. Neptune took another breath of air, her heart pounding because she was absolutely nervous about announcing her decision to the world. She did, however, remain resolute. It was way too late to chicken out now. She knew the consequences of her decision, but it doesn't matter to her.
"Yes, that's right…" She looked directly at the camera for this. "Ladies and gentlemen of all the landmasses… Planeptune may be gone for now, but I assure you, I will do whatever it takes to get Planeptune back to where it belongs." She paused for a bit before continuing. "However… there is no point for there to be a person like me to be a Goddess of a landmass that's been destroyed. I will get Planeptune back… but not as your Goddess. As of today… I'm officially tendering my resignation as Goddess of Planeptune."
Neptune, right after she said that, took any microphone off her body, and simply walked out of the place.
It left the entire room at a standstill. It was official.
Neptune quite certainly had left the whole world shell-shocked.
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To Be Continued
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