A/N:
Me: Welcome one and all to Nepstation...Celestial Sky Dragon here, along with my co-host Neptune.
Neptune: Howdy everyone. Thanks to your patronage during the last Wallet Crusher, we made just enough to pay for Tiara's medical bills..poor thing, she'll be out soon enough.
Me: Yeah...I also had to pay a buttload of insurance on the studio..the collateral was pretty bad too..but Plutia apologized and its all good..now, let us welcome today's guests.
Neptune: Joining us today on Neptstation, straight from Zelwinds City, Ethel and Karin everyone.
Ethel and Karin made their way down to the anchors desk, waving at the cameras that focused on them. Ethel took a seat next to Neptune while Karin remained standing next to Me.
Karin: Thanks for having us. Please excuse Ethel, she's a little nervous..she's never been on television before.
Me: Oh its fine..if she's nervous we can do our best to welcome here into the fold. There are cookies near the buffet table if you want, though I doubt their as good as Bahus's cookies..that man is a god.
Neptune: Actually Celestial, he's a Fairy.
Me: Neptune, I will slap you.
Neptune: Ew...I don't do violence...more importantly, Karin can you say something real quick?
Karin: What do you want me to say?
Neptune: Ha, I was right?
Me: About what exactly?
Neptune: Karin totally stole my little sister's voice.
Karin: Do you understand how incredulous this sounds? I cannot simply steal a voice.
Me: If I may, could Nepgear come down here for a second?
Nepgear made her way down to the desk, feeling a bit awkward that the camera was focusing on her. She stood next to Karin, looking at the Kitsune Fairy rather oddly.
Nepgear: Its nice to meet you, I suppose.
Karin: Its nice to meet you too.
Ethel: They sound the same.
Neptune: Wow, the bunny girl speaks.
Me: That's not nice Neptune...anyway, there is probably a logical reason why Karin and Nepgear sound the same..I mean, there are billions of people out in the world. Some voices are bound to be similar.
Neptune: I understand that, but its really lazy to have two girls share the same voice...what are you thinking up there writers? Hire a difference voice actress for Karin.
Ethel: Maybe she should meet Emily.
Me: I don't think that's a good idea there Ethel...anyway...today we bring you Chapter Four of Saviors of Gamarket. Scarlet Heart, the ominous CPU of Eden will finally be introduced, but she may not be who people say she is? Who is she? Why does Eden rejoice in the destruction of the nations? Will there be a Season two of Highschool of the Dead? these questions and more will be answered here today folks, so set your DVRs, its gonna be a long one.
Nepgear: I like your Kimono, its really adorable. I think Blanc would love seeing this, seeing as she likes traditional clothing.
Karin: Thanks Nepgear...I like your ascot, it brings out your eyes more.
Neptune: Come on, are we gonna graze over the fact that they look the same too? Aside from the ears, Karin is the spitting image of Nep Jr. Come on Artists, do a better job drawing us.
Ethel: Better job!
Me: Ugh...this is gonna be a long one.
Nick: Clench your butts, because I have Ice Cream.
Me: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Hyperdimension Neptunia
Saviors of Gamarket
Chapter 4
Scarlet Heart
(Eden Hall, Valkyrie Dimension)
The Nation of Eden in full celebration, their take over of the main continents was coming along smoothly, and their CPUs were slowly falling to the might of the new nation. Holding 60% of the world shares made them the most powerful nation in the world at the moment, nothing could stand in their way.
The floating nation was created by humans instead of any governing CPUs. The city was grand, being made of the finest materials. Graviton cores kept it aloft. The streets and sidewalks were made of thick translucent glass, allowing the citizens to glance down at the ocean below them. Glass tubes connected sidewalks through the entire central city, most of them leading to Siren Square and the Race Track that held weekly Light Cycle races. The buildings were tall, mighty and imposing and the residential districts were beautifully crafted. The parks were built with the greenest trees and the lushest grass they could find. Large holographic screens displayed the current standings of the war between them and the four nations of Gamarket. Live feed from Planeptune was being broadcast, everyone watching with bated breath was PlanepTower crumbled to nothing, the frames and girders that held the once tall building now reduced to nothing but twisted metal. While most were enjoying this, seeing as they detested CPUs in general, most were also saddened to see this, as they had immigrated from the cities on the land below.
Eden Hall stood proud in the center of Eden City, the large glass and stone castle towering over the rest of the city. It looked like something out of a fairy tale. With large spires and towers made of glass and gray stone bricks. The large windows were made out of the finest stained glass, bearing portraits of several important people in the city. Their flag a red banner with a large styled E on it blew brightly in the wind.
Many thought the moniker of Scarlet Heart, the patron CPU of Eden had been given to a random woman, seeing as Eden was an Anti CPU nation, but the citizens couldn't have been more wrong. Scarlet Heart very much existed, but almost no one believed she was real. In the main room of Eden hall, sat a beautiful woman, with scarlet hair, which fell down her shoulders. Her fair skin was covered by her usual battle gear, a tight red plug suit, which left her chest and shoulders bare. Her impressive chest was all but exposed, as it was only covered by thin black cloth. The area around her navel was left exposed, the area around her hips was black in color, with her styled E on them. Her long smooth legs were covered by black armored boots, resembling those worn by knights. The knee guards were polished to a glossy shine. She was wearing similarly styled gauntlets on her arms, which reached down to her elbows, leaving the rest of her arms exposed. Her red eyes scanned the empty room, well it was empty for her. The workers currently shouting battle strategies to each other didn't really count as company. Several high tech computers were set up in the room, depicting the current standings for every nation. It pained her to see this going on, she didn't want war, and she didn't want people to die.
Scarlet Heart was once a normal young woman, a person who loved to fight people stronger than her, who had a fiery drive to fight and right the wrongs in the world. But when she was defeated by a rough neck weeks before Eden was finished, she was forced to do things she never thought she'd have to do. Ingesting a CPU memory had been the worse of them all, being turned into a CPU against your will was something she'd never forget. The imaginable pain, the agony she faced as she writhed in pain and no one helped her was something she didn't wish on anyone.
When the pain subsided, she was shoved into another room where extensive tests were performed on her, finally the let her go when they were done. After her Sharicite had been created, she had been placed in charge of Eden, as its patron CPU. That all went south when she actually found out she was just a face everyone feared. No one knew what she looked like or what she sounded like, it was all a ploy, used to instill fear into the citizens of Gamarket. Her old friends had been murdered in her name, and even the CPUs of Lowee and Leanbox paid the ultimate price. She didn't know what to do, she felt like vomiting, starving herself, anything to make herself sick. Nothing would matter, she was immortal after all.
"Its falling, PlanepTower is falling." one of the workers shouted. She tore her eyes from the screen, unable to see the destruction that had been caused in her homeland. It had been the third time they had played that video in the last twenty minutes. As if it were some sick joke. She only hoped Neptune and Nepgear weren't inside when it came down.
Neptune...her best friend. They had grown up together, and once he had been turned into a CPU by Histoire, they had seen each other less and less. He had only been the patron god of Planeptune for about a year before all of this happened. She hoped he was doing well. Hope...such a fleeting dream.
"Madam Scarlet Heart, the reports coming in from the flight crew state that two CPUs were seen flying away from the wreckage of PlanepTower. They were identified as Lady Purple Sister of Planeptune and Lady Orange Heart of Leanbox. Shall we give chase?" he asked. The red haired woman shook her head.
"Let them run, we will hunt them down soon enough." she said.
"Yes ma'am."
"I'm sorry, this is the only thing I can do to help you two. I'm sure if I leave, I will be chased down as well."
She had been planning to ditch Eden for a while now, but she was being heavily watched. Everywhere she went, there was always a guard with her. Even in her sleeping quarters. There was no window in her bathroom either, and if she used any of her CPU powers, it would draw the energy from her Sharicite and alert them that way. She was utterly stuck and there was nothing she could do. Finally, she stood up, running her fingers through her red locks. Her hair, normally around mid length grew out past her waist while in HDD mode.
"Gentlemen, I shall be retreating to my quarters for the rest of the evening." she said in a firm voice. All of the workers in the room wished her well and congratulated her on destroying PlanepTower before she left the main room. As expected, she was accompanied by her two guards.
The young man on the right was wearing his normal attire, though it looked a bit poofy today and she didn't know why. Her had messy brown hair and bright green eyes, hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses. He was wearing a black suit, with a white shirt and matching tie. His pants were regular slacks, and he was wearing formal shoes. He had a regular sword sheathed to his waist.
The man to her left was a usual guard, a man of thirty six, with a bald head. He was wearing the same suit the younger man was wearing, down to the same detail, except this man had a war hammer strapped to his back instead of a sword.
"Lady Scarlet Heart, how are you this evening?" the man to her left asked.
"I'm doing fine young man. Thank you for asking." she replied politely. The bald man scoffed, ignoring her like usual. She didn't know why, but he had never really liked her. Then again, he was always a pervert, especially to the other women of the Basilicom staff. They walked through many empty halls and up a stairwell, reaching the sleeping chambers. She stopped in front of a set of red doors and turned their handles, pushing the doors open.
The bedroom was rather lavish, with beautiful marble floors and soft red walls. The windows were large and overlooked the entirety of Eden City, though they were covered with red drapes. Off to the right was a large canopy bed, cleanly made with red bed sheets and crimson comforters. There was a large walk in closet on the other side of the room. She also had nice oak furniture, with the best tapestry in the world. She took a few steps into the room, clearing her throat.
"I think I'll be fine from here on out gentlemen." she said, looking back at her two guards.
"You know the rules Lady Scarlet Heart, we must be with you at all times. Whether you want us too or not." the bald man said, a smirk on his face. The younger teen scoffed and looked away.
"So, are you gonna try and "guard" her while she takes a piss again?" he asked.
"Why don't you keep your mouth shut you little bloke?" the other man asked. Scarlet Heart sighed. It was like this every time she requested privacy. She couldn't even take a bath without being "Guarded". It really annoyed her to no end.
"I don't have to keep my mouth shut asshat. I have the free will to do whatever I want." the brown haired teen said, a smirk on his face. The CPU shook her head and decided to gather her bathing materials. Maybe a nice long bath would make her forget what was going on around her, if not for the moment. She walked into her walk in closet, browsing the clothes she had, and while fancy, she missed her more traditional clothes. Her favorite qipao had been taken from her when she had been captured, so now she was forced to wear more girly clothes. She settled on a red tee shirt, and some jean shorts. She grabbed a pair of clean underwear and some socks, along with her soaps and towels and headed to the bathroom, ignoring the two bickering men. She at least had the chance to lock the door this time.
"Hey, you can't lock that. We have to keep our eyes on you." the bald man said.
"Eat me." she called out, letting out a girlish laugh. She took a deep breath, allowing herself to power down and return to human form. Her hair returned to its normal shade of auburn, and its normal braids. Her eyes were no longer scarlet, now being a bright blue in color. While her facial features as Scarlet Heart were those of a poised woman, her normal look was that of a spunky yet beautiful girl. She was wearing a light red shirt, and a matching black skirt, with white socks and black shoes. She hastily started taking them off, tossing them into her hamper.
Before she was a CPU, she was known as Lee-Fi, a young woman who loved nothing more than facing strong opponents, and while she enjoyed winning, she also liked losing. It showed that she had a lot of room left for improvement, and it served to knock her down a few pegs if she got too cocky. She glanced at herself in the mirror, her red lacy underwear was giving her a headache. She had been seeing way too much red lately, and it was really annoying the hell out of her, and red was her favorite color as well. She walked over to the bathtub and started running the water, getting it to the right temperature. Once it had risen to a sufficient enough level, she poured some vanilla bath soap in the water and hastily removed her underwear, tossing them aside. She sighed contently as she lowered herself into the tub.
"Even with this crappy way of living, there are some nice things I can still enjoy." she muttered, rubbing some of the suds onto her arms. She undid her long braids, soaking her hair in the soapy water. She was starting to get relaxed, settling into the warm water, until she heard a loud thump outside of the bathroom. She heard sounds of struggle, along with some shouts and a loud slam. She yelped a bit when something hit the bathroom door. She quickly finished her bath and got out, wrapping herself in a towel.
"Um...guys is everything alright out there?" she asked timidly. She could handle herself sure, but she really didn't want to fight in nothing more than a towel.
"Everything is fine milady. Though it would be wise to get dressed. I'll explain everything soon."
That sounded like the brown haired guard. She had never bothered learning their names, mostly because she didn't want to get attached to anyone and then have them die. She followed his instructions and hastily got dressed. She dried off her hair and started braiding it. She missed her hair caps, but she could do without them at the moment. After she had braided her hair, she combed her bangs, before finally leaving the bathroom. Her eyes widened when she saw the bald guard on the ground, a knife sticking out of his chest. His eyes were glassy and lifeless. The marble floors were pooling with thick red blood. She looked up at the brown haired teen, who no longer was wearing his suit. He was now wearing a white shirt, large plaid green jacket over it, which had a feathery hood. He was wearing black jeans, which were a bit faded in some parts. He was wearing leg armor, similar to her own in HDD. It was polished to a shine, and was tinged slightly green. He looked up from his spot near the bed, a little smirk on his face.
"Jeez, took ya long enough...so this is what you look like in human form? You look really cute." he said.
"What...what did you do? You just killed this man." she said firmly, getting into a fighting stance when he got near her.
"Well, I did that because he was a dickhead. That and he was trying to open the door to ravish you or whatever. Now, are you ready? Because if we want to get out of here, we have to do it now." he said firmly, heading toward the door.
"Whoa...wait a minute..what the hell do you mean get out of here?" she asked firmly. He sighed.
"Listen, I'm an Elite Agent from Planeptune. S-class Guild Member Nicholas Berubi McFay, at your service." he said, giving her a salute.
"An...agent from Planeptune? Were you sent here by Neptune?" she asked.
"Yes, I was told to infiltrate this place back when it was still being built. I learned a lot of things while being here, the worst of all knowing that their patron goddess was a human girl who was turned into a CPU against her will. Now if you want to get out of here, its time to go." he said firmly. He tossed her something that resembled a watch, which she swiftly caught. She looked at it, noticing it was a Sharicite. She nodded to herself and strapped it to her wrist. She slipped her boots on and followed the teen toward the doors.
"Whats the plan? This place is heavily guarded you know." she said.
"I know most of the exits in this place. The thing is, we're gonna have to be fast, and once we get to the edge of Eden we'll have to jump. Sadly, my base in Planeptune was recently destroyed, so we're gonna have to double it to Lastation and hope my backup base is still standing." he said. He opened the door, peering into the empty hallway. Once he made sure it was truly empty, he lead Lee-Fi toward the back stairs.
"I'm sorry. PlanepTower was destroyed because I was forced to send an attack there. Executive order and all." she said sadly.
"I don't blame you sweetheart. Eden is a rotten nation, lead by some fucked up people. The citizens here don't even know even know you exist. They think Scarlet Heart is just a ploy used to make the other CPUs submit." he said. They moved slowly down the stairs, just in case there was someone walking up them. He had his sword in hand, while Lee-Fi summoned her armored gauntlets. They were black in color, and covered most of her hands. The knuckles were covered in sharp spikes made of the strongest gems and metal around. Nick leaned against the railing, looking down at the lower flights.
"Okay, we're clear. At the bottom of this stairwell is a door, which leads down to the sub-basement. We'll take a lift from there and be brought to the area behind the Basilicom. From there, we'll have to run for it. If I can't make it to the edge, then you have to run for it. They'll hunt you relentlessly, but if you make it to Lastation, then you'll be safe." he said.
"How do you know? Lord Black Heart will most likely kill me on sight."
"They don't know what Scarlet Heart looks like..besides don't you know Lord Black Heart? You were a General in his army before being taken here by Eden." he said.
"How did you know that?" she asked firmly.
"I'm a guild agent. I know a lot of information...and trust me, I have an ace in the hole as well. Now lets move." he said, leading her down the rest of the way. Lee-Fi's heart was thumping wildly in her chest. She knew that if she was caught, she would get beaten most likely near death before being allowed to heal. Sure, now that she was a CPU, she was immortal, in the sense that she didn't age anymore, nor was she killed by disease, that didn't stop a sword from going through her heart though.
Just like Nick had said, they appeared in a sub-basement. The room was large, and filled with several robots and other cybernetic soldiers. Nick walked briskly to the other side of the room while she looked around the room. She stopped in front of a large Cyborg, looking at it closely.
"Lady Lee-Fi, now is not the time to be taking in the sights." Nick said.
"Sorry...are these seriously the Cybernetic monsters being sent to the battlefield?" she asked.
"Yeah, their orders are programmed by those douche bags in the main room. Eden hall is filled with them...but right now we have to go." he said, taking her hand. She nodded and followed along, never letting go of his hand. She actually felt a bit happy to hold it, knowing she wasn't alone.
It took them a while to make it to the lift, which was rather small. It was big enough for a couple crates, maybe a cyborg or two. They got on it and Nick pressed the red button, the metallic doors above them opened and the lift started moving up, bringing them outside. It was way past sundown now, since Eden was floating in the sky, it was darker than usual. While the City was well lit, especially with the florescent lighting in the entire nation, it was still dark in some areas. The area behind Eden hall being a prime example. Nick looked around, scanning the area.
"We're good. Lets go, and step lightly, we may trip some alarms or something. If we do, hall ass, I know those pretty legs of yours can handle a long sprint." he said with a smirk. She huffed, punching his arm. He bit his tongue, trying not to scream.
"Talk to me like that again and I will hit you with my full strength."
"That was half strength?" he asked.
"Quarter actually." she mused, a finger on her chin.
"Jebus..I really don't want to know how hard you can truly punch." he said, rubbing his arm. She giggled, clenching her hand. She missed this witty banter among friends. She could say, she finally felt like her old self. That is until an alarm was tripped. The entire area lit up, pointing directly at them. She looked at the ground, but saw nothing near her feet.
"Oops. Here I am warning you about the alarm traps and I'm the one that sets it off." he said, tilting his head.
"You idiot, run for it." she cried, breaking into a dead sprint. Nick sheathed his sword and ran after her, easily keeping up with the young Goddess. Loud shouts could be heard behind them, as well as gunshots. He grit his teeth and quickened his step.
"Damn it. I wasn't expecting them to go this far with their security measures. I suppose three months of kissing ass in this place wasn't enough to warrant an easy escape."
"Crap, they sent monsters. Bits and Pixel Vaders." Lee-Fi cried, forcing herself to stop. Nick however propelled himself forward, drawing his sword. It glowed a bright green in color.
"Howling Spike." he chanted, slashing through the Pixel Vaders. The creatures burst into pink and blue pixels. Relatively weak monsters like these were easy pickings for him. He stopped mid stride, holding his sword loosely in his hand. Lee-Fi tightened her fists and ran forward, throwing a flaming punch at the nearest Bit. The creature gave a guttural robotic groan, its side dented.
"Lightning Flurry." she called out, throwing several blindingly fast kicks at the metallic creature. Nick had a hard time following the attack, all he saw was sparks raining down onto the ground from it. It finally burst into pixels, a few spare parts falling to the ground.
"Damn, I didn't even see that." he said. Lee-Fi smirked.
"I'm the fastest kicker in all of Gamarket. My hands and feet are my weapons." she said proudly.
"Good to know, lets take care of these bozos and move it." Nick said, angling his sword.
"Alright then, let me help you out. Enfire." she chanted, sending an orange ball of energy at him. It melted into his chest and his sword burst into flames, startling him a bit.
"The hell is this?" he asked.
"One of my special skills. I can bestow fire energy to my teammates, so their attacks do fire damage. Now lets finish them off." she said, dashing forward. She pulled her fist back, performing an uppercut on the nearest bit. She sent it flying several feet into the air. Nick took his chance and jumped into the air, throwing several quick slashes at it. Lee-Fi finished the combo, slamming the creature to the ground with a Side Kick.
"Nice combination. Lets keep it up." Nick said, stabbing the last Bit through the glowing eye. He kicked it off his sword allowing Lee-Fi to finish it off with a flaming Drop Kick.
"No more enemies in the area. Lets go before they send soldiers." She called out, earning a nod from him. Both broke into another dead sprint, running through the thicket that had been behind the Basilicom. For a nation that had been built instead of constructed on natural land, she had to wonder how it was that they had incorporated a forest. They easily lost the foot soldiers in the darkness of the forest, slowing down for a breather. Lee-Fi wiped the sweat from her brow, her shirt clinging to her frame. Short runs like this used to be cakewalk for her, was not doing anything for three months straight really harming her stamina that much? Nick was in much the same state, but he shook it off and kept walking.
"Were a couple blocks away from the edge. Be ready to use that Sharicite I gave you." he said.
"Let me guess, you want me to carry you all the way to Lastation?" she asked.
"Hehe, you'd think so but that isn't the case. I never exactly said I would be carried by you did I?" he asked, flashing his own Sharicite. It was a little bigger than her own, but it was glowing just as bright. Her eyes nearly bulged from her skull.
"You...are you a CPU?" she asked.
"Mhmm, the one and only CPU Jade Heart, at your service." he said, bowing to her. He chuckled a bit, since he had already introduced himself as his human from, then did it again.
"Jade Heart? I haven't even heard of you. Are you from Leanbox?" she asked.
"In a way. I'm not from this dimension, I'm the CPU of Leanbox in a place called the Zen Dimension. I was sucked through a portal one day and landed here, I haven't been back there since, but I'm sure my nation is doing well on its own. How are you doing? I know the transformation into a CPU is hard when its induced and not natural." He said.
"I'm fine. The pain was unbearable, but I dealt with it the best way I could, keeping my friends near my heart. That was until they started murdering them all. I can't face Neptune or Noire ever again, knowing full well that I'm responsible for the deaths of all our friends." She said.
"You are not responsible for that. I'll talk to Neptune, he's an understanding guy. I'm sure he can accept the fact that one of his close friends was forced into being a CPU. Besides, you weren't the one calling the shots, I was there by your side for those three months, studying your every move. This war has been going on for too long, its time we end it no?" he asked. She gave him a firm nod.
"Yes, its time we end it. And when it does end, I promise to lead Eden into a greater tomorrow, one free of war." she said.
"And if you can't?" he asked firmly. She took a deep breath, looking at him with a sure look in her heart.
"Then I'll bring it to the ground." she said.
They remained quiet after that, heading steadily toward the edge. Nick glanced at his watch every so often, judging how much time had passed since their initial break out. She finally let her curiosity get the better of her and took a hold of his wrist.
"Why do you keep staring at this? Is it some special watch? How much time has passed?" she asked.
"Jeez, let go. I'll explain what I'm doing in a second. The reason why I'm checking my watch is because I need to check in with Neptune. I haven't spoken to him in a while, so I have to inform him that I'm bringing you with me." he said.
"Wait...does he know I'm Scarlet Heart?"
"No, he doesn't. He knows you were being held captive here, he thought Tsunemi was being held here too, but that wasn't the case. He saw her execution on television." he said.
"Yeah...I miss her. She was like a little sister to me..I'm sure he misses her too."
"Even though he had Vert, I'm sure he loved Tsunemi too. Besides, I heard that they did things together a couple of times before." he said with a wink.
"I bet you they did. And now he's lost both of them...thanks to me." she said, looking down at the ground.
"Its not your fault Lee-Fi. I see the edge, lets hurry up and get out of here." he said, closing the distance to the edge of the floating nation. He took a peek over the railing, seeing nothing but ocean below them.
"Okay, our positioning isn't that far from one of Planeptune's settlements. We can rest there and then head to Lastation in the morning. Its a little too late for us to make the flight there." he said.
"Alright, that works for me." she said. Suddenly they were caught in two bright search lights. Nick hissed and looked up, using his arm to shield his eyes. It seemed they were found by two military choppers.
"Lady Lee-Fi, stop where you are. If you attempt to leave Eden, you will be fired upon. I repeat, you will be fired upon."
"Ignore them, they're trying to get you to stay here. We can take them on in HDD form. Go ahead and transform." he called out, his sharicite started glowing brightly, enveloping his form in a bright green light.
"Right, I'm not taking orders from these idiots ever again." she said, allowing herself to transform.
Nick's form changed drastically, his hair grew out a bit, becoming a long spiky jade mess. His outfit was replaced by a tight green plug suit, that accented his muscles. He wore tight black and green pants, with a black leather belt, with a large steel colored buckle. His collar bore a bright green X on it, made from two crossing lances. He wore bright green armored boots, along with matching gloves. His wings flashed onto his back, a large pair of red rhombus shaped wings. He snapped his fingers, and a large green and black saxophone appeared in his hands.
"CPU Jade Heart is here to soothe your hearts." he said, voice deep and smooth.
"Well then, I wasn't expecting this." Scarlet Heart said, floating next to her new partner. Her outfit had remained the same, with the exception of scarlet red shoulder guards appearing over her shoulders. Matching processors appeared neared her hips, glowing bright scarlet. Her wings were wide and bright red, the insides being black in color. They resembled bat wings, having pointed spikes at the ends of them. Her gauntlets had grown to twice their size, having sharp jagged spikes on them. The same happened to her boots, now having sharp points on them, along with sharp heels.
"Well damn, I wasn't expecting you to be a dragon." Nick said firmly.
"I'm not a dragon, these are the latest processors here in Eden, their suppose to increase my physical attacks and flight speed. Regardless, now is not the time to question it, we have to attack them." Lee-Fi said firmly. Nick smirked, bringing his saxophone close to his lips.
"I'll take care of them." he said, blowing into his instrument. Green sound waves flew from it, slamming into the choppers tail. It spun out of control, slamming into the one next to it. Nick took Lee-Fi's hand and pulled her over the edge of Eden, speeding away from the floating nation.
(Valkyrie Dimension: Lastation)
After a long flight, twice as long as it would have normally taken them, Uzume and Nepgear had made it to Lastation. The city was no longer as they remembered, with most of the notable landmarks being destroyed or set ablaze. Somehow, Lastation's Basilicom had been spared most of the attacks, mostly because of the heavy military presence. Nepgear caught the sight of a few mortars and missile launchers in front of the building. The hurried into the building, powering down when they got inside.
"Man, that was rougher than I expected." Uzume said, running a hand through her hair.
"I didn't think they would have their fighters follow us all the way here. Good thing we got help from Vert's Fleet." Nepgear said. They heard a door opening and jolted a bit, each summoning their weapons. Uzume had her bullhorn in her hand while Nepgear had summoned a Photon Saber.
"Jeez, its just me girls, no need to draw arms." Uni said, shining a flashlight into the empty lobby. The lilac haired Planeptune goddess breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sorry Uni, with how everything is, who can blame us on being a little cautious." she said.
"That's true. What's with the Kimono? That's so unlike you."
"Oh this? I got it in Lowee before all of this started. I decided to wear it in honor of Blanc and her sisters." She said.
"That's sweet of you. Come on, I made some food earlier. Histoire is here and she's going to explain where our brothers ended up going to." she said, leading them toward the office. Once they got there, they had to avoid several fallen ceiling tiles, along with a few other things that were on the floor. Uni had set up an extra table with a few folding chairs on it. They saw Histoire, looking over some documents. The Oracle smiled a bit, seeing the two CPUs were unharmed.
"I heard about what happened in Planeptune. How is everything?" she asked.
"Not good. They were able to bring down the tower. We didn't even see the missiles coming, if it wasn't for Gearsy's good hearing, we would have been caught in that."
"Its safe to say that the two of you are no longer safe in this dimension. I received intel from IF a few minutes ago, she intercepted a message, stating that Scarlet Heart was seen leaving Eden with another CPU, a male one by the looks of it. They also issued an order to search and destroy any important buildings in all of the nations. This one seems to be on their targets list as well. We might not be able to use the teleporter if they attack the Basilicom directly." She said.
"Well, what do you want us to do?" Uzume said.
"I want the three of you to head to the dimension Noire and Neptune went to and stay there for the time being. I've already made a plan on how to get enough shares to run the teleporter again, but if you stay here, there's no telling what can happen. At least this way, we can protect the last of the CPUs and the machine from damage." Histoire said firmly.
"So you want us to run away? Is that what you are implying?" Uni asked.
"I'm not telling you to run away, I'm telling you to survive. I can't stand here and watch the three of you die at the hands of Eden. I've seen to many good people and to many of my friends die already and I am not looking forward to see three more die. So do as I say and get out of here." Histoire said firmly, shocking the three CPUs.
"I...what do you think Nepgear?" Uni asked, glancing at her remaining friend. The CPU Candidate looked down, her hair covering her eyes.
"I don't know...I don't want to leave, but I don't have a home to go back too. And I've lost too many of my friends already. If there's a way we can save this world, then we have to be alive to do it. If this is what it takes, then I'm all for it." she said.
"As much as I hate it, I have to agree with Gearsy on this one. Its better to run and live than stay and die. I want to at least get revenge for my sister before I leave this world. So I'm going with you Gearsy...we can make a plan when we find Neptune." she said firmly. Uni sighed.
"Fine...lets leave this place..the faster we do the better." she said firmly.
"Alright then, the preparations have been made already..all I have to do is..bababababa."
The three CPUs watched awkwardly as the Oracle started shaking profusely. Nepgear stood up, walking to her side.
"What's wrong Histoire?"
"I'm getting a call...it seems he has finally made contact with her. I'll put him through. I require your N-gear to connect the call." She said. Nepgear nodded handing her the black and purple device. After a few seconds of toying with it, she got the screen on. A holographic video call was established, and it showed the image of an unknown green haired young man.
"Finally, you had me waiting Histoire...thats not nice."
"I'm sorry Nick, I needed a conduit to finish the call. Why are you calling now? Have you made contact with Eden's CPU?" she asked.
"Something like that. Listen, I'm heading to Lastation right now, we're going as fast as we can, but we sort of have a tail on us. We might be bringing some unwanted guests." he said.
"Alright then, we have made preparations to get the CPUs out of here. Is She with you?"
"Scarlet Heart is with me yes, but like I said we're being chased at the moment."
"Whoa wait a minute. Who the hell is he? And why is he bringing that monster here?" Uni shouted.
"Let him bring her here, that way we can kill her ourselves." Uzume said.
"Hold it you two..we haven't even explained anything yet. The young man we're speaking too right now is Jade Heart, the CPU of Leanbox in the Zen Dimension. He's one of Neptune's best guild agents and has been in a secret mission in Eden since before this war started. He's been getting information on Scarlet Heart since she surfaced several months ago. Do you three remember a young woman by the name of Lee-Fi?" Histoire asked.
"Lee-Fi? Of course I remember her, we used to fight all the time just to test our strength." Uzume said.
"I remember arm wrestling her, almost broke my arm." Uni said, rubbing her shoulder.
"She was one of Neptune's closest friends, and a General in his nation before she left for Lastation. Is she alright?" Nepgear asked.
"Yeah, she's alright." a female voice said, the picture shifted a bit, now showing the face of a beautiful scarlet haired woman.
"Who are you? You aren't Lee-Fi."
"Uzume, that is Lee-Fi. She was turned into a CPU by the ones who truly run Eden. Nick explained it to me in detail a few hours ago, before he got her out of there. Everything that's going on is because of another person, one who's pulling the strings from the shadows and letting her take the blame for it. Do you really think she'd actually kill her friends? Lid and Tsunemi were in that list of people, as well as Resta and of course the Lowee and Leanbox CPUs." Histoire said.
"Even so, I still don't trust Scarlet Heart. As Lee-Fi she may have been our friend, but now that she's a CPU especially one that comes from Eden, I can hardly forgive her for what they've done." Uzume said.
"But it wasn't my fault." Lee-Fi cried out. Nick took his device back, looking at Histoire.
"We're almost there, whatever the plan is I'm for it. I can't stay in this dimension anymore." He said.
"Right. The transfer device is ready and waiting...I shall send the CPU and the remaining candidates to the Hyperdimension. I shall see you soon." Histoire said, ending the call. She started floating toward the doors, stopping only to look back at the three.
"Come along now. Its time for you to leave." she said. Nepgear nodded, following the oracle out of the room. Uni shared a look with Uzume, before following her friend. The red haired girl sighed.
"This isn't going to end well for us." she muttered.
A/N:
Me: And scene..that's about it Ladies and Gentlemen..I hope you all learned more about Scarlet Heart, seeing as she's not the true leader of Eden, just a person who is there for the sole purpose of being a scapegoat. We'll be able to see a little more of Eden in the future.
Nick: Finally, I was waiting in that Green room forever. I know I'm in everyone of your stories, but damn this one takes the cake..a CPU, really?
Me: Ugh...people aren't supposed to know that.
Ethel: Nick is weird.
Me: Yes he is sweetheart, yes he is.
Nick: What the hell is that fox thing doing with Nepgear?
Ethel: Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill
Neptune: Whoa there little one. I understand Nick gets on everyones nerves, but he doesn't deserve to die yet.
Me: He ate all of your pudding.
Neptune & Ethel: Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill
Me: Moving on, Nick get off the damn table ugh...anyway...next time, we return to the Hyperdimension, this time seeing snippets of Nepgear's, Uni's and Uzume's arrivals in Planeptune, Lastation and Leanbox respectively. We also get to see a little bit more of Uni's character, seeing as she has changed after being scarred. Chapter Five: Welcome to the Hyperdimension. Coming soon.
Neptune: Also coming soon is Nepstation Afterhours, where us the cast will discuss your questions about the story and give shout outs to the reviewers, of course it would help if more people commented but it is what it is..after all, my adorable face won't sell this story alone.
Me: Joining us as the co-host of Nepstation after hours is the Pop Idol of Leanbox herself, 5Pb, so make sure to give her a warm welcome when that show starts. Our first guests for the season will be the Lastation sisters, along with and Compa...Karin and Ethel will also be joining us for that special, so stay tuned for more.
Marissa: Oh Galdy-kins, are you here? You can't hide from me forever.
Me: Um...Marissa...we're kinda Live right now.
Marissa: Oh, I'm so sorry Mr Celestial..I'll leave right away, just tell my Galdy-kins to come see me, if you find him that is.
Me: Sure thing, I'll go find him if you want me too.
Marissa: Would you? please.
Me: Alright, cut, that's it. Until Next time.*I race off out of my chair, starting my long search for Galdo.
Ethel: Mr. Celestial is whipped.
Neptune: That he is kid, that he is.