ARFOIRE
After leaving Nepgear's, she had continued down the trail for almost an hour. However, as the Goddess's palace became closer and closer, she came to a fork in the road. before arriving at the Goddess's palace. The place was built out of marble and had this glow around it that seemed that it could welcome anyone to it. Unlike the other houses, the Goddess's home had been built in an area where the forest and meadows stopped. Behind it lied that of a mountain range. The wind blew for the first time Uzume recalled since she had gotten there. It was cold, but not biting.
As she walked forward, she couldn't help but notice a rather large stone slab next to the home of Gamindustri's deity. On it where four items: an axe, a spear, a staff, and a rifle. As her eyes traveled towards the center of the memorial, she noticed a label which read: To Those We've Lost.
Uzume sighed. These must've been the weapons of the fallen CPUs. She wasn't sure if this was a burial site, but it was clearly a memorial. Perhaps they had made it as a way so that the Goddess would be always watching over them. As she gave the area one last look, a wind blew once again. This time, it chilled her right to her bone. She suddenly felt that she shouldn't be here. In contrast to the rest of the environment, she could feel something almost telling her to back off. Deciding to follow her gut, she backed away from the CPU Memorial.
The moment she returned back to her path, she felt the force back off. Despite appearances, even this place wanted her to leave some things alone.
She continued forward until she read the palace door. She took a breath. This was it. This was the moment she had traveled for. The moment when everything would become worth it. The moment when she could fulfill everyone's dreams.
Uzume knocked.
The Goddess was nothing like Uzume thought she would have been. The deity had grey hair and wore a rather simple dress. Rather than sit on a throne, she seemed to be lying in a bed. However, Uzume could feel the power she radiated from where she stood a few feet away. If Noire had been a challenge for her, the Goddess would have been an impossibility. It was nothing like Nepsy's and the others, though maybe if they all worked together they might have been able to at least get some jabs in on her.
The red haired girl bowed respectfully, "True Goddess."
A few moments passed.
Uzume lifted her head up. She should've suspected not to get an answer. After all, the deity was probably in a bed for a reason. However, this was its own dilemma. Could you wake up a goddess and live to tell the tale? She knew people back at the base who might actually kill someone when they were woken up before their shift. Having lived this far and no idea how the Goddess would react to her movements, Uzume decided it might be best to wait a moment before trying anything.
Luckily for her, it didn't take long before she received a response.
"I'm sorry, human. I use quite a bit of power to keep this border around Celestia and even then it is less than perfect. Normally I talk through my chronicler, but she appears preoccupied at the moment. I would wake myself, but I don't wish to disrupt my barrier again." A voice said, speaking from inside the room, "My name is Arfoire, though you know me as the True Goddess. Why have you come here?"
"Oh right..." Uzume said as she glanced at the Goddess's sleeping form. She was honestly shocked that she got a response. That and the fact that she was talking to a disembodied voice was throwing her for a loop, "I wanted to ask if you could come back to Gamindustri to rule over it, like you used to. I know we messed up, but please. Give us another chance." She took in a breath before continuing, "The ones in power now...they're destroying our world and soon we won't be able to save it from them. We've been trying so hard to stop them and there's a lot of us who just want to see peace. But, we can't do it without your help."
There was a pause, as if the Goddess was considering her words. "...Three years ago, four humans came here to request the same thing for me. However, shortly after they were guided here by Histoire, my land...my safe haven for the CPUs was invaded. While I do not sense any other humans coming through the barrier, I wonder if you plan to misguide me. I am well aware of Gamindustri's anti-share weapons. I know you possess the means to kill the CPUs. So, why should I believe you?"
Uzume could feel her blood run cold. The Goddess didn't trust her. Not that she didn't expect that, but her hopes were raised after talking to Gearsy. The red haired girl's eyes widened. She promised Gearsy she'd convince Arfoire to return back Gamindustri. She said she would help her find that human's parents. And her fellow comrades, she promised them that she wouldn't return unless the Goddess was with her.
She steeled herself as an idea formed, "Before I answer your question, let me ask one. What's an anti-share weapon?"
"It's an item specifically designed to kill CPUs; it's like poison to them. When I first told the humans about them, they mistakenly called them Central Persecution Units. I hadn't believed that the humans had distrusted me so deeply. The fact that this definition existed showed it." The voice sighed, "I thought letting the Console Patron Units live with them would change their minds. They're beings born to help humanity; after all they are created from their faith in me. Instead, they created those weapons to kill them."
Uzume looked back at the Dream Megaphone. The design had been based off of technology in the Six Sages' database and not Avenir's. Since they were the ones who sponsored the Gold Third, they were probably the ones in control of this anti-share weapon.
"Arfoire..." Uzume said seriously. "Please...as a sign of good faith, allow the Rebirth movement to take down Avenir. I believe they're the ones who have these weapons. They don't talk to the other nations and out of all the aggressors, they're the most dangerous to both the CPUs and us." It was a gamble and a rather large one. However, if she didn't give Arfoire something, she might not agree to come back.
Avenir held Lastation in a constant state of military rule. Out of all the ruling factors, they were the most war invested. From their reports, Uzume knew they spent much of their time advancing their weaponry. They had been coming up with different ways of taking out their political structure so the whole machine fell down on itself, but hadn't made a move out of concern that the other powers would quickly take advantage of the situation. If the Goddess came back after their plan, they would be able to take back Gamindustri in one swoop.
Arfoire seemed to think about this proposition for a while, "This was war has taken much from us hasn't it? I was surprised when more CPUs were born after Orange Heart and Blue Heart. I...I never truly handled the situation during that time correctly. I foolishly believed that by ignoring the rebellion's cries would silence them. I thought showing them the good that was being down myself would only prove their point. The same greed for power that rules now if the same entity I didn't stop years ago. And for that, I have created more chaos and harmed more people than I ever thought I could.
"I've wanted to return to Gamindustri. To fix my wrongs and to help those who called for me. However, I could not abandon the CPUs. I could not allow them to suffer once again. So I stayed away. When those four humans appeared, I thought that perhaps now the world was ready. But then...well...that day should me that they still did not want the CPUs."
Uzume held her breath. She didn't know much about the popular opinion of the CPUs. She knew that there was still little data on them, but she didn't know how people outside the ruling factions felt about them.
How did she feel about them? She had barely met them. Did she really care about them or were they just a means to an end?
Arfoire seemed to chuckle, "Do not worry, human. I do not sense any misgivings in your heart. In fact...you seem to possess something even the Gold Third didn't have."
A soft purple glow surround Uzume before leaving her body and gathering itself into the form of a purple sphere.
"This is share energy. It can only be created by belief in me. However, this is the same power that gives birth to the CPUs." Arfoire explained as the orb began to hover up into the ceiling. As it touch it, lights of blue, green, purple, orange, black, and white began to dance across the room, "When the Gold Third came to my palace, all four members were unable to produce a single share. Despite their want for me to return, they did not believe. You, however, well...I believe whatever experiences you have made you quite certain in your faith."
"But what does this have to do with Nepsy and the others?" Uzume asked, though she was being somewhat distracted by the lights coming from the ceiling.
"The CPUs are beings created out of this energy. If you hated them, you would've stopped believing in me. This is why I was surprised when Neptune and the others were born. After Orange Heart and Blue Heart were killed, the Sharacite went dead. I thought the whole world had completely turned its back on me. At the time, I suppose it had. I thought I would never see the crystal's light ever again." Arfoire said, her voice seemed to hitch for a moment before continuing, "And though your shares, I can feel those who believe in you. You have quite the fanbase. If you were a CPU, I believe you would be very powerful."
Arfoire let out a breath, "I will amend your deal. If you can destroy the all of anti-share weapons, regardless of whether you destroying this faction, I will return back to Gamindustri."
"...You're serious?" Uzume asked, completely surprised at just how easily the request had been fulfilled.
"Of course. I'm not that cruel." She responded.
There was a silence in the room before the red haired girl broke it with laughter. She pumped her arms in the air, "Alright! I'm so freaking psyched! Thank you so much!" She was going to be able to help Gearsy. The world was going to be okay. Everything was finally going to be okay! She looked up into the celing as the lights continued to move, "I have to return back, but I promise I'll come back when the job is done. I can't thank you enough for this, Arfoire."
"There is no reason to thank me. I am to blame for some of this. It's time I actually start to deal with these problems." She said, "Well, I imagine that you have some work ahead of you. I believe this will be farewell for now."
Uzume nodded, "Yeah. I'll come back. That's a promise."
She turned around and heading out for the exit. As she pushed the door open, she looked back at the lights. She'd come back here...she'd make sure of it.
AN: And that's Uzume's story all wrapped up in a bow...for now. There is someone else's story that still is left open in this "True Pacifist" run. However, we're going to move on from those two for the time being and move to a different group.
Though, I wonder...how do you get a group of CPUs to tell you about their past? After all, if they trusted Uzume enough the would've told her. So I guess the only thing left to do is switch perspectives. XD
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:)
Update: Wednesday
