=Forgotten Thoughts=

The furious winds blasted Neptune and Nepgear as they lead their remaining citizens through a massive snowstorm across the northern mountains beyond the Lowee northern border. Snow shards felt like sand scraping against their bodies, Neptune and Nepgear weakened to the point of Humanity as their shares were used to keep everyone warm. The citizens, about two thousand strong, followed their CPU and Candidate almost blindly as they didn't like the thought of integration to the other nations. The winds of cold blasted them almost relentlessly as they trekked through the frigid weather. Nepgear could barely see Neptune in front of her, the candidate feeling like she was lagging behind as Neptune seemed to slowly become further and further away. Her sister's determination was almost unmatched, her decision to leave their home was heartrending. The only home they ever knew turn uninhabitable as people abandoned them, turning to the other nations for save refuge, their belief in Neptune seemingly a lie. Nepgear watched Neptune trudge through thick snow, her sister gave off a blaze of courage and hope, her vision set forwards wherever that may lie, and a little of something she couldn't quite place, a small blaze slowly building inside. Nepgear was happy, but equally overcome with worry for her sister, but not about her safety, for she feared for her sister's mental health, such motivations and actions can lead to unwanted thoughts as Histoire had taught them some time back before this whole spiral of collapse occurred. Maybe, just maybe, if she believes enough in Neptune, her sister would make the right decisions…

They did this to me… To us… They have to pay…

Neptune could hear nothing as her mind was consumed with thoughts she found almost foreign. The blaring storm around was almost drowned out by the inner feelings which seemed to come in from some sort of mental flood gate. Corruption and Hatred fueled the words which burned themselves into her thought process, not able to quite pinpoint their origin. Unable to control her own thoughts anymore, her feet unconsciously dragged her through the snow towards who knows where. For all she knew, she were leading them in circles towards their inevitable deaths, or maybe they were going somewhere.Almost there… She felt her vision darken before she froze, her hand seemed to be grabbed and guided in a direction for an instant before the feeling vanishing. Everyone behind the CPU stopped, confused by their hope's sudden cease of movement. Neptune stared off into the thick haze of snow and wind, a feeling of warmth seemed to fill her feet as she began to run forwards, everyone behind calling out to her but she couldn't hear. The winds slowly died down as she could make out a large structure about one hundred meters out. As the people behind her caught up, panting as they followed her gaze to this mysterious building ahead. Neptune looked to Nepgear who greeted her gaze with a glance of hope. The two only nodded to each other before they lead everyone to the newfound refuge ahead, hope burned inside them even greater than ever as their determination finally produced some results…

Make them pay… With blood...

Neptune and Nepgear got to the entrance of what looked like a massive bunker, leading everyone inside where it was safe from the now weakening winds of the storm. Once everyone was inside, Neptune and Nepgear looked around and called to everyone asking for anyone not present. After confirming everyone was in the bunker, they closed the blast doors behind them, the massive metal doors took the two of them to close putting everything they had into it, leaving the entire lobby in darkness. You know what to do… Neptune froze for a moment, leaning against the wall as the side of her head seemed to become overrun with a searing headache, her vision dominated with this static like effect for the time her head was in pain. As the pain subsided it left her with a light headed affect for a moment as she gathered herself slowly. For a moment, Neptune felt like she knew where she was. An uncanny familiarity overcame her senses as she guided herself through the darkness to a panel which was activated via touch. The lights suddenly flickered to life, darkened slightly from age, but was enough to be able to see. Everyone around Neptune cheered for her, Nepgear hugged Neptune to which the CPU was completely lost in her thoughts. Memories began flooding her head from an age long before Nepgear, when she was alone. Everything was coming at her quickly. Thoughts and experiences consumed her mind. Everything was coming too fast! Everything she started to remember began shooting by her mental view like lightning. A static hum dominated her hearing as the images she saw became more and more radical. Stop… People screamed as the reality of the console war played out in her mind. Explosions and gore filled her mind as she remembered those times where real warfare was the norm. Blood and body parts of people she felt she had once maybe known splashed around her, the grass turned red. STOP… the imagery slowly backtracked as it overtook the time where she had once been a CPU candidate. The face of the leading CPU seems corrupted, the voices and cheering she received seemed to be smothered and distorted. A sickening feeling began to form as she felt like she knew what was coming. Her preceding CPU and mentor was bathed in glory and happiness from her people before visions of this beautiful figure becoming bathed and distorted in blood as Neptune remembered standing over her disfigured body. STO-

"Neptune?". Everything was gone. Nepgear seemed to have pulled her sister out of the mental abyss she was being slowly consumed by.

Neptune stared forwards into nothingness before pulling Nepgear into another room. The candidate was confused as she was dragged along with her sister who seemed to know where she was going. After a few moments of leading, Neptune brought her sister into an office like room. Her grip faded as Nepgear was allowed to look around. Nepgear looked at the photos and papers to which were dominated by a time before her own, fascinated by the history this room held. She was suddenly stopped as her sister had begun to sob, tears falling uncontrollably from her eyes as she fell to her knees. Nepgear rushed to Neptune's side, Neptune's instinct were to hold Nepgear like a final ray of sunshine in the darkness around her. Her emotions and thoughts were jumbled to the point of randomness, unable to think straight at all. Nepgear's instinct was to console her sister, holding her close like she would fade away if her hug lessened. "I need…" Neptune's sentence was consumed by fear to the point she couldn't verbally convey herself. Her mind full of fear and confusion to which she could hardly remember who was holding her. This person was obviously someone who cared about her, but her eyes didn't seem to want to look. Like she had no control over herself anymore. Help me…

Nepgear's Journal

Ever since we arrived here Neptune has been more focused on her citizens and their wellbeing more than I had known she could muster, though they're only seeing half the picture. I'm worried for Neptune, she's been sitting and staring at a weird looking wall and talking to herself, I don't know what I'm supposed to make of that or if I should check that out but she comes out after a while like nothing happened. Neptune found rations and seemed to know what she was doing, like she was prepared for this or had been here before, but I've never heard her or Histoire say anything about this place so I'm not too sure. She's sorted all the citizens into groups and even made order out of the chaos that has formed from this, it's like she knows the way out of this tunnel we've entered. She passed out in my arms the other day which worries me, she never does that. If her mental state is unstable than I think I should try to help her, though… for the first time in my life I actually hope it's just something like her being without games for so long- which brings up another thing. I haven't heard sis complain about pudding or games ever since we got here which worries me more. I hope sis is ok…

Neptune speed walked down the corridor, not sure where she was going but the fire in her chest seemed to know, following it endlessly for fearing she would lose this sparkle of hope and be left with nothing. As she neared the end of the corridor a picture made her freeze. Looking to her left, a frame on the wall made her heart beat faster, racing as she came to remember what this place was, what ALL of this was. A picture of her as a candidate, Histoire and young Neptune posing next to someon- The woman was distorted and bloody before she blinked and it was gone leaving someone who looked very familiar but she couldn't place the identity. Neptune stared for a moment, who the woman was was stuck on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't figure it. After a moment she gave up and kept going, reaching what looked like another important door since it had a handprint console. Neptune hesitantly placed her hand on the console, a beep sounded before the door rushed open revealing a massive room. Neptune knew she was on the lower areas of the bunker but she never thought anything like this could've been hiding here. Entering the area, the door closing behind her, leaving her in awe as she looked around. "What is this place…" Neptune walking into what seemed to be a command console area where she decided to press a few buttons. The huge area roared to life, creaking of ancient metal echoed in the massive room as mechanical arms swung around and begun to continue constructing what seemed to be some sort of rocket. Neptune was taken aback, not sure what to make of this, some sort of weapon, a weapon not used often anymore, but something seemed different about it. Neptune looked around some more, walking along some walkways going around the construction into another area, a dark lit room which seemed to have blueprints laid out around a desk against the wall. She picked up a blueprint that had the rocket design but it didn't have any details on what it did so she kept looking around. As she checked the desk she found a file which seemed important.

"Operation Playing Field…" Neptune opened up the file, reading over some of the papers inside before freezing, the purpose of the rocket very clear now, and for the bunker.

"In the event of Planeptune's possible loss, Operation Playing Field is to be activated. Anti-Share Energy Ballistic Rockets will be set to destroy any target within the face of the planet, each yielding enough force to level a major city and incapacitate CPUs- i… If they survive…" Neptune dropped the file on the floor before falling to her knees.

"Planeptune… we… developed this?" Her gaze shifting back out to see the arms moving around as it constructed another city killing missile, her heart almost stopping as she got up and rushed to the control panel. Almost tripping on the stairs on the way down, she quickly turned off the machine, the arms creaking to a halt. "Why…"

Where is she? Nepgear walked down one of the many corridors looking around for her sister, passing many doors and ornaments on the walls which were unfamiliar to her. As she made her way deeper into the maze of halls, Neptune slowly dragged herself around the corner ahead of where Nepgear stood, the candidate realising her sis's stature and rushed to her side, her sister's exhausted look made Nepgear worry as she looked around. "What's wrong? Is everything ok?" Neptune didn't respond so Nepgear took it in herself to take Neptune to her room. The candidate put the dazed CPU on her back and walked back up to their rooms. "I was so worried Neptu-" "Why did we… come here…" Neptune whispered cutting off her little sister's worried words. Nepgear's head filled with confusion and worry as she trudged up the stairs back to the main hall.

"E-Everything's alright, its a good thing we came here, everyone is safe! Maybe… Maybe we can start anew here, right Neptune?" Neptune stared blankly at the wall, her vision bouncing up and down to her sister's steps as her head rested against her shoulder.

Start anew? I- Think that's a- Think that's not a- Great- Good Idea…

Neptune sat on her bed, her hands against her ears, staring at the metal plated flooring of the bunker. Her eyes wide, a loud hum ringing in her ears, her head not able to cease the noise, feeling herself fading away on the inside. It won't stop… why wont it stop… Neptune stood up and walked over to the mirror, the image reflected back at her didn't feel like her, as she stared at her reflection it distorted and twisted, Neptune's heart filling with anxiety and fear as she wasn't sure what was going on. Almost on cue her head filled with pain, her ears ringing louder than ever. She cupped her eyes in pain as the sounds overcame her thoughts, her eyes shaking as she couldn't look straight. "STOP!" Neptune screamed as she slammed her fist into her mirror, glass shards flying everywhere as her hand left a bloody crater in the mirror, her hand fell back down as she walked back to her bed, the sounds and pain vanishing as she trailed blood back over the floor and onto her sheets. Taking a moment, she lifted her hand to inspect, pulling out glass shards and eyeing the now familiar scarlet liquid flowing out her gashes. Tears fell down her cheeks, her hands covering her eyes, blood dripping down onto the skirt of her sweater dress. I… Want this to e-

"Neptune, the citizens are getting restle- oh my goodness Neptune are you ok?!" Nepgear rushed over to Neptune seeing the blood gushing out her hand, Neptune's tired eyes looked back to her younger sister, unaware of how much blood was flowing out. "Don't move! I'll get some bandages!" Nepgear rushed out of the room leaving Neptune to herself again.

The people are going to get angry, we have to reassure them. What's out next move hm? Neptune ignored the voice in her head, looking to her hand before covering up the cuts, the blood slowly making its way through the parts she couldn't fully cover. Nepgear arrived back in the room with a roll of bandages, kneeling down in front of her sister and quickly wrapping up the wound. "As I was saying, the people in the main lobby are getting a little restless. They're being quite vocal about not wanting to stay in the mountains. You should probably go out and see them or the situation may get worse if you don't. They want to hear from you directly instead of me passing on messages".

Let me take control, rest your mind some.Neptune didn't argue with the voice, she was too exhausted to think straight and the blood loss made her dizzy. Taking a deep breath, Neptune stood up from her bed, Nepgear looking to her with a hint of optimism. "Alright".

Arriving at the main hall, the people were sat in chairs all talking amongst themselves as Neptune walked to the front of the room and stood on a makeshift stage.

"Miss Purpleheart! What are we going to do now? We can't stay here forever. The place has no materials for farming and the rations are running low-" "Doesn't help that some of us are stress eating". Neptune lifted her hand to respond- "Our energy may be long lasting but we're still quite cold! We can barely keep ourselves warm here since the ventilation is only bringing in cold air!" Neptune closed her eyes for a moment, the ringing had started to return, the people's troubles made thunder in her head as their voices turned to rumbles of distortion. Neptune held her head for a moment, the pain piercing into her right side, the noise building like an orchestra of disruption.

"Miss Purplehea-" "STOP!" Neptune slammed her wounded hand down on the makeshift podium. The bang echoing through the now silenced room. That's it~

"I understand that things aren't great at the moment, but we cant do any better than what we have! One at a time, and no interruptions, tell me the COLLECTIVE problems we face at this moment". The people stared at their leader, her fierce tone slamming their stature into the ground along with their fear having never heard such anger from their kind ruler.

"U-uhm.. We need to fix our food source, the rations are going to run out soon". Neptune thought for a moment. Parts of her head that she hadn't known were there roared to life as she was able to think of possibly solutions.

"How about constructing a hydroponics farm in one of the rundown bunker rooms?" The people looked to each other before nodding, coming to like the solution.

"But we don't have the resources to make that nor anything else. This place doesn't have large amounts of advanced tech that we had in Planeptune". Neptune closed her eyes, thinking for a moment.

"When the winter snow clears, I want to send resource parties back to Planeptune then. You can gather whatever you may need and return here". The people relaxed for a moment having accepted that solution.

"Miss Purple Heart, what about Planeptune? Our future? What're we going to do once we build a sustaining home here? Will we never return home?" The entire room began to rise in worry as people began talking about what may happen if they dont leave.

"I see… so you're worried for the future.." Neptune looked to her hand, the blood had stopped gushing and her cut had begun to heal. That's right… Neptune looked to her citizens and their worrisome expressions as they chatted.

"Wounds don't last forever". The people turned back to Neptune, keen on hearing what she had to say.

"The people of gamindustry, of Planeptune, the people who left us to rot, they inflicted a wound on us that is deep and painful, leaving us to our current situation, but we mustn't let this bring us down. Wounds don't last forever, and they may form scars, but those scars are what will drive us to return. Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox. They let us drown but we didn't die, we're still here. Our own friends and family betrayed us, left us to the ruin they caused! They shall know.. Our Vengeance!" "Vengeance?" the people looked to one another confused at what Neptune was getting at.

"We shall make them feel the anguish, the peril, the pain and suffering they left us to! Planeptune- no Gamindustry will fly the flag of the new Planeptune! The scar they left upon us!" "Yeah let those wretched traitors pay!" A man yelled, the crowd slowing but steadily followed. Neptune looked upon her increasingly fanatical peoples with a smirk. We have their support now, bring it home. "We shall being back Planeptune! Those who left us, if they return, shall pay the price! Let us return to the global stage and take what's rightfully ours! What we should have taken all those years ago! Stain the name of Planeptune and the blood of our enemies upon our lands! Take what's ours! Hail the new Planeptunian Union!" The people rose out of their seats chanting their new branding, the banner of a new age that would soon fall upon gamindustry and send it into a new turmoil that shouted the Planeptune of tomorrow.

Nepgear sat near Neptune, looking to her sister with a heavy sense of fear on her chest. Neptune… What're you doing… This isn't right…

Lastation

"Are you sure you don't know where they went?" Noire asked a former Planeptune citizen who shook his head in response. After a moment more she dismissed the person who left the room. Noire sat back at her desk in thought, worried at to the location Neptune may be. Oh Neptune... Where did you go… "Sis, I'm back from the search party". Uni announced, Noire quickly shooting up eager to hear something from her younger sister. "Anything?" Uni shook her head. "Not a trace, it's like they vanished off the face of gamindustry. Though one of the scouts noted that they think parts and materials they'd seen from scouting missions had been missing". Noire slumped down, her arms folded as she rested her head down on her desk. "We've been searching for weeks now, you're saying you haven't seen a single person?" "Not even traces of share energy. Nothing". "Ough…" Noire called Blanc and Vert hoping they had something to report. Some sort of hint as to Neptune's whereabouts. Vert and Blanc appeared on screen, Noire stared at them for a moment before speaking up. "Did you find anything? ANYTHING?" "I'm afraid not, our search parties are searching under every nook and cranny of the remnants of Planeptune. It's hard to find anything in that rundown place nowadays." Vert reported. "Same here, though we've been noticing some materials have been missing now and again. I think the changing terrain in the city may be causing that". "I got that sort of report as well, though I suspected maybe scavengers". Noire sighed, her heart growing heavy with worry. "Alright". Before Noire turned off the feed Blanc replied. "Maybe.. They're-" Noire slammed her desk making Uni jump in surprise. "WE CAN'T THINK THAT! WE CAN'T GIVE UP!" "But if they weren't then we would have found something by now. Not even the satellite has picked anything up". Noire froze, her heart unable to take anymore. "Thanks for the report…" Noire shut off the feed before Vert or Blanc could respond, tears forming in her eyes as she thought about what Blanc said.

Uni came up to Noire, rubbing her back as her older sister tried to hold back her tears. They can't… Not Neptune… Anything but that…

A/N:

I'm sorry this took so long to come out, i just had things to do and I wanted to take my time writing this since I didn't want to half ass some of the parts. It may have been a bit short but the next coming chapters should be longer! Thanks for being so patient!

-NeptuneCPU