"I'm telling you Compa, I'm fine, I had a potion earlier," I repeated.
Compa struggled against me powerfully, keeping me down while she thorougly searched my body for scars, bruises, and just about anything she would remotely consider an injury.
"You need to be looked over, you were hurt really really badly! Jacket off! Now!" She innocently commanded.
I struggled about in her girlish medical lab that was on the eastern wing of the Basilicom. Nepgear and Histoire worked patiently in the meeting room while I was tended to by Compa in this pink room with an interesting half-couch half-examination table in the middle.
Compa struggled but eventually got my jacket off, plopping it on a nearby couch as she examined the bare skin that wasn't hidden by my shirt. Scars and bruises scattered amongst occasional acne spots kept few parts of my arms a perfect peach color. She gasped at the horrific sight then searched about her cabinets for jars of strange liquids. Most of what she sorted through smelled like simple rubbing alcohol, but I wasn't about to judge what it was from that.
"Just hold on for a moment and I'll have all of those healed up, good as new," Compa said with pride in herself.
"It's fine! They're healed, not bleeding, see?"
I pointed to a red tooth mark that was still red from the battle earlier. It was healing, but not quite done covering the wound with scabs. I hoped that a nurse with such 'knowledge' would shrug off the scar, but such hopes were futile.
"Now hold still, this'll heal it right up!" Compa had a washrag soaked in a strange vibrant fluid, aimed for the wounds and scars of my arms.
She thoroughly doused my wounds in the dripping liquid and a painful sensation worse than any blade or bullet filled my heart to the brim.
"Son of a bitch!" I shouted.
No longer did I smell rubbing alcohol, no, I there was only the thick stench of burning flesh.
"Oh no! What happened? Was that the wrong solvent?" Compa questioned herself as she flipped through the pages of her medical textbook. I held my mouth open in pain, my eyes bugging out and breath absent from my lungs. I couldn't breathe, couldn't shout, and now couldn't even move, paralyzed by the pain.
"Can't...feel...arms..." I gasped still trying hard to draw breath.
I finally fell back at peace on the cushioned examination table, the ceiling light shining brightly above me, staring at me with it's white light. My arms were completely numb, the solvent slowly numbing my shoulders and neck. I leaned my head forward to see my arms bubbling and vibrating rapidly, sending themselves into a frenzy. Compa dug around for another fluid and filled a syringe with it.
"This is it, I'm absolutely 100% sure!" She declared happily, shooting me up with the pink liquid.
My vision faded in and out now, overdosed with chemicals. I started seeing the world in reversed colors, thermal vision, x-ray vision, monochrome, and several other visual filters that made just looking around a vivid hell.
"Pretty lights...strange lights..." I looked about with widened eyes, my arms appearing blue to me and Compa's pink hair appearing black.
It was like being at a rave party, just without the music. Vision returning, I could see parts of my skin giving in to translucency. The flesh was there but what was seen was bone and tendon, some perfect and some chipped or torn. Compa panicked even more, rapidly shooting through her book in frustration and concern. She went to reach for another one of her books, clumsily knocking over a vial of green liquid on my legs, melting my jeans into near-nothingness and splashing over my skin. I quickly lost feeling in my legs just as I had with my arms.
Compa bent over to pick up one of her medical books she had on the floor and accidentally knocked over the examination table. I couldn't feel anything, but I could see my world spin as I was dropped onto the carpeted floor. I channeled what little sense I had left and crawled my way to the closed door. It felt like I had been put in a dryer for two hours, my brain unable to remember what was up and down. The door I crawled desperately to with my clawed hands swung open quickly, slamming into the side of my head and blurring my vision.
"Ooohhh..." I groaned as my head danced around slowly on my neck. I looked up to see Nepgear staring in horror at my head, skin still translucent.
"Zombie!" She screamed, running off in fear. I gave up being conscious and just plopped my head on the floor, falling asleep peacefully on the carpeted floor.
(+_*_+)
I looked solemnly around, standing at the edge of a cloud, drifting along a sea of sky. I sat down, the fluffy cloud zooming along this cloudfield like a dream. Well, I guessed it was a dream, but whatever. The path was peaceful and the gentle breeze calmed me as I waited without a word said. Not even Grindrix accompanied me on my celestial journey. In the distance, I saw a castle-like ruin, waiting for my arrival. I felt at home as I stepped onto the rugged rock that hadn't felt the fleet of foot for ages upon ages. Walking forward, I felt a hand on my shoulder, firm but soft. I turned around but saw no-one. Looking back, I caught a glimpse of a close blur dash around me. I pretended to turn around then dashed my head back to catch a young girl watching me with a cheery smile. She looked like Nepgear, but with shorter hair and a different outfit.
"Aww, drat, you caught me!" She gave a sour look, her voice a lot more high-pitched than Nepgear. I gave the young girl a raised eyebrow to show her my confusion.
"Nepgear?" I asked.
"Close, but nopers! Wanna guess again? Maybe buy a vowel?" She asked in a friendly jest.
"Sorry, kid, I ain't got time for games," I replied, walking forward to enjoy my dream again.
"Hey, hey, hey! You apparently don't know who you're talking to!" She shouted back, following me by my side.
"Don't need to know your name to know I'm not talking to you."
"Well, just rip my heart out, why doncha?" She gave me shocked eyes that didn't ring any vivid emotions for me.
I could tell she sure liked to joke alot, but sadly I'm not much of one for kiddy stuff.
"Look, kid, is there something you want?" I asked, trying to keep a grip on my patience.
"Yeah! That's what I've been tryin' to get to all this time, but you keep bein' a jerk-face!" She shouted back with a voice that could pierce the high-heavens.
"Then speak now if you ever intend to speak at all," I shot back, walking along the straight path of peaceful brickwork.
"I wanted to tell you sumthin' important. Something very very important."
"Yeah? You wanna say it already?"
The girl took a smiling breath and said, "I wanted to tell you to watch out for my sister, little Nepgear, or Ge-Ge, or whatever you know her as."
"She's your sister, huh?" I asked, surprised that such a polite and graceful girl could ever be related to such a loudmouth.
"Yuppers! She's my pride-n'-joy! I haven't been able to watch out for her much, but I digress or some word like that." She said cryptically.
I had a gut feeling that she's just screwing with me, but I knew she wasn't just going to leave me alone anyways.
"I want you to watch out for her. Now, I don't want you kissin' her or doing things to her body, or..."
"Don't know whether this is something good or bad for you, but I'm not so primal as to aim for intercourse with someone as holy and respected as the CPU," I interrupted her to get closer to the point.
"Lemme' finish!"
"As long as you don't go prattling on about what not to do."
"Alright! Anyways, I can't really take care of her or pamper her or anything, so I'm leaving that up to you. She doesn't have anyone other than Histy, and she's all alone in the Basilicom like a sad trapped princess. I want you to make her happy again, I miss seeing her happy. Think you can be her family while I'm gone?" She explained.
I started slowly interpretting her words as true the more she spoke. If this really was her sister, I could understand how even her childish phrases could carry along meaning.
"I can do that. I haven't anyone's back to protect besides my own," I replied, chuckling silently to myself to look back on when I spent each and every day to myself.
"Yay!" She shouted, leaping onto me and grasping on like a lost child or something.
I stopped moving for a minute, weirded out to an extent, but returning her hug happily. It felt so warm, enlightening to the touch. Then I remembered, remembered Nepgear talking about what happened to her sister, when the last generation of CPU's were lost in the fight against Arfoire. Or at least, they were assumed lost. Never did they come out. For the first time in years, I shed a small tear to see what poor Nepgear had lost.
"If I may, can I ask you something?" I asked, letting her go from our warm hug. She dropped to the floor and asked what I wanted.
"What's your name?"
"My name's Neptune, and I'm the former CPU of Planeptune," Neptune replied with her cheery delight.
In retrospect, I should've anticipated that sort of response. Still, I knew I was in a dream and didn't feel any need to harbor respect for her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Neptune. I'm Code."
"Cut the formalities, we're family now! Let's see, what nickname should I give ya?" She pondered aloud, much to my dismay.
"How about you just call me Code and say that's my nickname?" I offered, hoping she wouldn't try calling me anything rediculous.
"Okey-Dokey!"
"Thank goodness," I whispered to myself.
"Well, 'bout time for the dream sequence to end, but before I go, I wanna give ya somethin'," Neptune announced.
"Hmm?" I mumbled before being blinded by a flashing light.
I looked over to see a more mature woman standing next to me, apparently being Neptune's HDD form. She smiled the gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I was shocked a little, but still relaxed, even smiling back to her.
"Please, protect her. She's all I have left and I want her to stay happy as long as possible. I may not be able to be there for her, but you can at least. I want you to be her loving brother, willing to watch over her at any time. Can you promise me that?" She asked, voice deeper and no longer breaking my ears.
"I can't promise anything. I'm sorry," I said, with a fake grim expression that Neptune now shared with me. "but rather, I can swear it on my life that she'll be in good hands from here on out."
"Thank you. Farewell for now."
"Goodbye...Neptune..."
(+_*_+)
I woke up with a ringing in my ear and a blurry vision. Faintly I could make out Nepgear and Compa looming over me and speaking. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but my hearing was slowly coming back to me. I could see faintly that my skin was cleared of obstructions now.
"Are you alright? If you feel nauseous, that's a normal side effect of the antidote," said Compa in a hazy sound.
"By the Nine, what did you pump into me this time?" I shouted, looking again at my bare arms to make sure they weren't growing spikes or tentacles or bone scythes.
"Do not worry, I guided Compa through the proceedure and your body is pristine again." Histoire confirmed me as I looked about.
My muscles relaxed and my mind was soothed hearing that the clutzy nurse didn't poison me again. I let my head droop onto the cushiony examination.
"I don't know if I can take anymore of all this excitement...so tiring..." I moaned.
"I'm really really really sorry about the mess. I promise, I didn't mean to, I'm still learning after all!" Compa said, repeating her apologies five times over before I had to stop her.
"Relax, I've been in worse," I started, sighing a deep breath, "But if you wanna make it up a little, fetch me my jacket. I feel naked without it."
"Right away m'lord!" Compa replied.
I couldn't hardly tell if she was joking about the m'lord part or if she was actually serious about that label. I slipped my jacket back on and relaxed even more, most of the pain from before gone and the rest quickly dissapating. Stretching my legs, I got up off the examination table and readjusted to walking around without my body being numb or in pain.
"So, now what?" I asked, puffing my chest out to pop my back. Histoire and Compa gave me a shrug and Nepgear looked down at the floor like she was sad about something.
"Miss Nepgear? Is there something on your mind?" I asked politely.
She perked her head up, still saddened, but replied, "I'm really sorry to ask for your company again, but would you like to follow me to the Guild?"
"The Guild, huh? Feelin' like fighting or something?" I asked while I retrieved Grindrix from her distant perch.
"I really want to help the land I'm supposed to protect. I haven't had a lot of hope to do anything. Ever since I lost my sister, I've felt even more helpless than before. I really wanna get back out and help put my nation right," said Nepgear in a hopeful, earnest voice.
I hoped that hope could back up her battle prowess.
"Then let's hop to it," I led her out of Compa's torture chamber and down the hall with Histoire helping Compa clean up all the mess she had and properly sort out her medicine jars.
Nepgear was quiet on the way out but once she hit sunlight she flourished. Her eyes opened and she wore a cheery smile as we walked.
"You seem pretty perky. You photosynthetic or something?"
She chuckled and said, "I'm just a little excited. It's been so long since I've taken up a quest at the Guild."
"You think you're up to it or something?" I teased.
I made sure to watch the streets carefully to make sure there weren't any crazy taxis running amuck, ready to run over a civilian or two.
"I-I think I can hold my own. I need to be protecting the people of my land."
Speaking with little emotion as usual, I said, "Then I'll be honored to serve you on this mission to serve Planeptune."
"I-I promise to make this worth your while, anything we find is all yours!" She said, layered with a finicky voice.
"You need to relax some. I protect you out of charity, Miss Nepgear, you needn't worry so much about pleasing me. I'm just fine with having the honors of serving you and this world," I replied, sighing as we turned another corner, closing in fast on the Guild.
Nepgear nodded and we entered the golden colored walls of the Guild. One could already smell the fresh ink and monster blood lingering in the glossy halls of gold and silver. A few desks littered the expansive room, but the rest of the room was mainly bulletin boards and benches.
"So, were there any missions in particular you had in mind?" I asked, looking at the bulletin board, plastered with many requests, stacked up into three layers of paper. So few people fought the monsters anymore, it was amazing Planeptune hadn't been conquered yet.
Looking at a slaying mission, Nepgear asked, "How about this one?"
"Recent studies in a desolate cave were ceased when an abnormally strong monster started eliminating scientists and soldiers. An important artifact was said to be near that location and we need it cleared out soon so we can continue searching. Any assistance would be appreciated."
"Clearing mission, huh? I think we've got this," I smiled to Nepgear. She nodded with a cheery smile, then went stowed away the request in her little pouch she had on her leg.
We exited the Guild and were greeted by a familiar face, at least one for me.
"Kick any ass lately? You still owe me a rematch." Davis the Fisherman greeted me semi-casually, tipping his sailor's cap.
"Depends on if you actually did your homework or not," I chuckled.
"Ah, reading's for whinnies! Real fighters fight on board the ship, not sittin' at home reading bout them," He replied, following us as we headed to our destination.
"Can't argue with that one. So what brings you up an' about?" I asked.
It was refreshing to see a fellow rival that wasn't sputtering trash-talk like a broken garbage truck. I wondered if he'd lost his mind completely or if he finally found the rest of it.
"Lookin to get some fishin' done. Gotta feed the kids at home," He replied, tipping his hat to another one of his passing friends.
"Fishing level?" Nepgear asked, finally piping in from a long period of silence.
"Ninety-seven. Can't wait to get my skill cape!" He replied. "Well, time for me to catch some sharks from the pond. Have fun with whatever you're doin'," Davis departed, waving goodbye.
I returned his wave then looked back to Nepgear, humming to herself a merry little tune.
"You ready for some action?" I asked, looking over to her. I made sure to watch my path though, I knew the way to the cave wasn't a simple one.
"Yeah! I think this is going to go out really well." She replied with a truthful confidence.
I smiled to see her regaining her hope. Things would be easy with her increased power too. Activating her HDD made her even more powerful than me, and that was saying something considering Grindrix's stats. We weaved in and out of many paths, forests, and past a few lakes, eventually nearing a blackened cave leading into the depths of the underground. I stepped close to the blackness and a holographic message displayed from an unknown source.
"Warning: Some monsters may be stronger than what they appear." The holographic message read. I pushed the thing away and worked down a steep slope of dirt and rock. Nepgear struggled to keep up, her legs only going half the speed.
"If-if it's not too much trouble, could you wait up for a moment?" Nepgear asked politely.
"I'm getting down faster so that if you do fall down, I can be down here to catch you," I shot back.
"Well, okay. Just stay in sight okay? I don't know this place very well," She said with an echo in her voice as she crawled down cautiously, her legs and arms hesitant to move down the steep cliff.
My feet hit the cavern floor and I looked up to watch Nepgear climb down, saying to her, "Don't worry kid. I'm here for a reason right?"
She struggled, but made it down without a scratch. I motioned for her to follow, slung Grindrix over my shoulder, then made way into the cave. Distant droplets of water dripped loudly and the air was cold and damp, smelling of a salty breeze and a hint of rotting flesh. Occasionally as we walked, we found crystals poking out from the walls and sometimes we'd see pieces of excavation equipment ready to pluck them from their rightful homes.
"Come look at this crystal Code!" Nepgear shouted.
Her voice bounced amongst the cavern, likely awakening some slumbering beasts if there are any nearby. I walked over to a prolific cluster of crystals, purple and glowing, Nepgear observing them closely. Her hands slid gently along the sides of the flawless crystal. The gem broke off from its cluster, causing Nepgear to grow shocked and worried.
"Nice one, next thing you know we're gonna have an orange marsupial crashing into us for the damn thing." I jested with her, assuming that she wasn't going to understand that I'm joking.
"I-I didn't mean to! What the goodness..." She panicked even more, just as I predicted.
"Give it here, I'll hold onto it," I snatched it from her hands and stowed it away inside a pouch attached to my cargo jeans.
It was well protected inside of there, but if it gave off any 'mystical powers' and started shocking or burning me, I was more than ready to chuck the thing. A sound of distant buzzing caught my ear, disturbing me from my thoughts. I looked around, gazing as far as I could see down the dark caves, but caught no sight of a monster. Nepgear shrieked and I turned my head to see that same cluster of crystal now crawling along the wall. It left a deep hole where it used to be, and it was clearly angered from losing one of it's crystals. I prepped Grindrix and Nepgear had a hold on her Beam Sabre, both of us ready for a fight.
"Get ready!" I shouted to her, hoping she could maintain her courage this fight. There wasn't any crowd to cheer her on in here. Nepgear nodded her head and readied herself for battle. Quickly, a group of numbers appeared on the sides of our vision. Having the preemptive strike, the spider attacked first, piercing its fangs into Nepgear. The damage wasn't too bad, but she still winced in pain, slashing down on its abdomen, slicing a deep cut into it. It didn't bleed, but it was clearly in pain.
I had next go, gripping Grindrix happily and slicing off it's crystaline legs, one by one. It fell to pieces, signalling it's demise. Our XP meters raised some and dissappeared. I took a close gander at Nepgear's leg, a little bitten up but otherwise fine. I dug around in my pockets, retrieving a snack stowed away from earlier.
"Eat up, it'll restore a little HP." I handed the snack to her. She stored away her sword then took the snack, eating as we walked along.
I kept my eyes open for more crystal spiders and any other monsters wanting to attack us.
"Are you alright?" Nepgear asked as I spaced out.
I snapped out of my trance and said, "I'm fine, just wondering something..."
"Whatcha wondering?" She asked, still munching on her snack.
"You always see people getting attacked by monster but why? Why do they attack in the first place? And what of docile monsters? Surely not ALL of the monsters in the world of Gamindustry are out to kill us." I pondered aloud.
"Maybe we're trespassing in their territory, or maybe their hungry?" Nepgear reasoned.
"Sure that's reasonable for some cases, but all of them?" I responded.
"Hmm...well maybe it's the effect competitiveness has had on the monsters," Nepgear filled my satisfaction of having a reasonable explaination.
"That...I suppose makes sense. Anyways, I think I see another spider ahead, brace yourself..." I noted, grabbing Grindrix from her perch on my shoulder.
A whole band of six spiders came charging as soon as we were in sight. Nepgear prepared her weapon and we both braced for carnage. Nepgear, being the fastest with her weapon, had the first strike, chopping away at one of the spiders.
She had their attention now, killing one of their brothers was a fatal crime in their world. One of the spiders to her left leapt at her, but met it's doom at the hands of Grindrix. Sliced in half, it fell flat on the floor, a small amount of XP gained from its death. I rested my back against Nepgears, both our weapons out and ready. A flood of more spiders now completely encompassed us, all of the strangely not making a move yet, just skittering about.
"Well this just got interesting," I whispered to myself in disdain, watching the horde of spiders circle around us.
They all made their moves all at once, jumping and leaping with fangs extended. In a flurry of defense and dance, Nepgear and I kept out of harms way until my AP stored up for one of my skills. I instructed Nepgear to brief safety, then made my move. I leapt in the air, close to the ceiling, then pushed a button on Grindrix. I threw my battle axe to the floor horozontally, starting it's 'spin-cycle'.
Once it hit the floor, the blade extended in size and reach then rapidly spun on the floor, grinding rocks to dust and spider legs into oblivion. I racked up a lengthy number of kills and XP and once I hit the floor, Grindrix was done with its attack, I scooped it up and plopped it on my shoulder. We walked away from the disappearing graveyard of dead spiders, acting like nothing happened. Slaughter had never felt so right in the world before. We neared the end of the cavern, the area littered with excavation material. I could hear a massive beast moving around in the back, rocks mumbling silent notes of movement.
"Boss Fight!" A red hologram appeared as we entered a massive arena-like chamber.
A large sandworm appeared before us, massive in size, so massive that only a part of it could be out at a time.
"Here we go!" I shouted happily, priming Grindrix.
The worm made the first move, attacking me with its tail. I leaped out of the way but it smashed its tail again on my legs. I gritted my teeth in pain then leapt back up, ready to show this beast who was boss. Nepgear channeled her inner power then transformed into her HDD form. Her sniper-blade armed, she dashed forward to the beast, slicing into its hardened skin. It snapped at her constantly, missing its quick target. While it was busy, I began assaulting it from another side, carving up it's tail efficiently.
It grew smart and gripped onto Nepgear with that cut-up appendage. I sliced at its abdomen but it refused to release it's grip. Staring into her eyes, the worm used its petrifying gaze to lower Nepgear's speed. I jumped highest I could then slashed a mighty gash down it's neck, forcing it to let go of Nepgear and flee into the floor.
"Yeah, I think I just pissed it off," I mumbled, keeping my guard up.
"It was already angry to begin with!" Nepgear shot back.
The ground shook terribly then in the blink of an eye, Nepgear was gone, swallowed by the sandworm.
"You killed Nepgear, you bastard!" I shouted in horror. My fears faded when I saw into Nepgear's plan. The worm was cut right in half from the inside as Nepgear sliced a perfect 360 degree cut into its skin. The top half of the worm grew gray and slid off from its lower half, revealing young Nepgear covered in digestive slime.
"You alright?" I asked, helping wipe herself off.
"I'm fine, I'm just thankful to see that problem taken care of. Now we can return back to the Guild and claim our reward," She smiled to me then reverted back to her normal form.
I heard a distant clank and clutter come from the top half of the worm.
Calling for Nepgear to hold on, I retrieved a stonework relic from the depths of the worms upper half. The slime poured off of it, revealing three geometric holes in it.
"What is it?" Nepgear asked, looking at it with interest.
Runes of strange lore were etched onto the surface and grooves covered the holes in it. The stone triangle had three handles on it's three sides. I couldn't quite make out what was inside the depths of its middle, but it had a fourth slot in the middle.
"I honestly couldn't tell you...I've never come across anything like this before..."