Wow. Just… Wow.

I did not expect this chapter to take this long to write, or BE this long. Hell, I actually planned this as a Halloween Chapter at one point, due to a certain bit before I missed the deadline by a LOOONG shot. I guess that you can read this as a Halloween chapter come next year… But for now it's a belated Thanksgiving Present. It's also worth nothing that a lot of this is a spearing tribute to one of my favourite games series. (If you haven't played the post Metal Slug 1 games, it may be lost on you…)

You've all waited long enough. Thanks for everyone who's helped, especially Rare Kuma, and leave a review if you can! I'd really appreciate it!


Over the colorful horizon of Negeos Park, the sun was already beginning to set as the land around was bathed in a golden glow, the setting sunlight dancing over the coast and all around the park. The night would turn that golden light into a rainbow aura dancing in the pitch black, as the true theme park experience started. However, in the main amusement area, one team's experience had already begun.

"Here comes Neptune, FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

The goddess collided her vehicle into another, the cart bounding off the walls as it turned the hapless rider's view into a spinning daze.

The green-eyed Maker of Planeptune didn't scream and shout, instead, she gripped onto her wheel tighter, watching the world spin around her. She managed to right her bumper, and once steadying it, she grinned, "Oh, that does it, Neptune!"

The other Maker, Compa, was squealing as she was bumped around by Neptune, or Nepgear (who at least apologized)... when she wasn't bumping into walls herself.

The Bumper Car Ride at Negeos was a much larger space than the Planeptune team were used to. It was styled to look like a city war zone, with the walls painted up to give a kind of background to it. Another facet was the bumper cars themselves, their casing made to look like a heavy duty tank, rather than just cars. The attendant called them 'Bumper Slugs'. It was certainly striking, even if it was painted plastic rather than metal. However, one notable asset was that they had twin guns on their side, with LED lights at the tip. And in the vehicle itself was a big red button in the center of the steering wheel labeled 'VULCAN'.

Naturally, such a button was irresistible in Neptune's eyes.

"The capital letters means it has to be super exciting!" Neptune said gleefully as she stamped down on the button, as the fake guns on her vehicle flashed red from their lights. "Huh? Like, what was that meant to do? Did you trick me with your caps button?" Neptune said accusingly as she pressed it again... when Compa was in front of her.

All of the sudden, Compa's vehicle emitted a grainy crashing noise, as it started spinning violently backwards. "AHHHH! AHHHHHH!" Compa screamed in terror as she got caught in a corner, and got stuck bouncing back and forth in a spinning daze. "Thisssss issssss maaaaking meeee siiiiiiick…" the nurse moaned getting greener and greener by the second.

Neptune simply looked on in shock, and then back at the button again. "This just got SUPER interesting!"

IF meanwhile, shot right at Neptune, full speed, as she started mashing the Vulcan button as she approached. Neptune decided to respond in kind as she also advanced. However, neither of them spun out as they both bumped right into each other, sending them speeding backwards.

"You can only make your opponent spin out if you hit them on the sides!" cried out the ride attendant.

Nepgear, who was driving behind her sister, had to quickly speed out of the way as Neptune slammed back into the wall where she was. Compa, meanwhile, simply bounced off IF's bumper as she rammed back against the wall.

"Sorry Compa!" IF cried out, cringing at her friend going spinning again, as she and Neptune squared off with each other, staring each other down.

"I'm not spending my time in Negeos losing Neptune! Only one of us walks out of this ride still able to walk!" bragged IF, as Compa spun past behind her.

"This Nepster was born to win IF!" said Neptune as they both drove at each other, swerving away before they hit each other. IF opened 'fire' but Neptune sped away as she made a quick turn and hit IF's bumper at an angle, sending her reeling back while slowly turning. Just as Neptune was about to shoot her on the side, IF jammed sideways on her wheel, and quickly turned to face Neptune nullifying her attack. The two started circling each other, as Neptune managed to slam into Nepgear spinning her back into one of the corners.

The two dazed girls looked at each other and then back to the others still dashing around each other, trying to spin the other out.

"Let's not let them have all the fun!" said Nepgear as she placed her hand onto Compa's. "We're gonna teach them a lesson together!"

Compa looked to her friend, and weekly nodded, as they both set their sights right at the other two, still dueling each other in their cars. "I've gotta be brave..." Compa said to herself, "I've gotta... I've gotta... AHHHHHH!"

The nurse closed her eyes as she and Nepgear shot right ahead at full throttle, Nepgear looking determined, while Compa started blindly mashing on the Vulcan button. Nepgear scored a direct hit on her sister's car, forcing it to spin backwards, bouncing off the wall a few times, before righting herself.

"So that's how you're gonna play Nep Jr?" Neptune declared as her eyes narrowed at her sibling. "Then I guess it's time for the duel of the ages! Sister vs Sister! Nep vs. Nep! Two siblings enter, one sibling leav-YAAAH!"

The standoff was broken when a spinning car belonging to IF crashed into Neptune, sending her spinning along for the ride. Compa, in her blind charge, hit her friend and sent her flying back, and was currently driving around in circles, still hitting the button with all her might.

"Compa! You can stop now! You're losing too much focuuuuwwaaaAAAAAHHHH!" screamed Nepgear as one of Compa's vulcan shots hit her in the side, spinning her right into the others, crashing into each other and bouncing each other along in a chaotic mess of flying fiberglass vehicles. In the mess, a stray vulcan blast hit Compa's cart on the side, sending them all spinning. Their cries filled the air as the spin cycle kept going, from both the crashes, and panicked vulcan shots.

At the controls, the attendant there figured it would be a good idea to cut the power pretty soon...


After the carnage of the ride, the Planeptune group staggered out onto the streets, having been robbed of the ability to walk straight. IF and Compa held each other as they trailed off back and forth, Nepgear staggered from side to side as they walked forwards. The exception to them all was Neptune, who was actually walking straight... vut also spinning around as she walked. The dizziness however, was unable to strip the smiles from their faces.

"This is such an awesome niiiiight~" chimed Neptune as she turned around and around.

"Maybe we should do something that doesn't involve so much... rotation..." moaned Compa against IF's shoulder.

"Good thing we got the carousel out of the way before we went to the bumper cars..." noted Nepgear.

"Or the Round Up..." moaned IF.

"Why do so many rides involve spinning..." mumbled Compa.

"Huh. Never thought about it like that..." said Nepgear, putting a finger on her chin in thought, "Goodness... I guess there really is alot of spinning involved in theme park rides... never thought about it like that..."

"Well, the Big Fall isn't a spinning ride..." said IF as she tried to think about the topic.

"But that's like, boring!" said Neptune as she twirled around. "Like, I fall from the sky so much that something like that is totally dullsville!"

"Not all of us are immune to falling Neptune..." muttered IF.

"But anyways, were gonna save the crowning achievement for last, gang! We're going..." Neptune looked right up, pausing for dramatic effect, as she pointed directly at the colossal tracks visible in the skyline. "To the top."

The others looked at her blankly, before Nepgear spoke up. "Sis... I think it'd be cooler if you weren't still spinning..."

"Can't quite stop Nep Jr..." Neptune said as she continued to spin on the spot. With a mild sigh, Nepgear walked over to her sister, pressed her finger on her head, as Neptune's rotation slowed down before stopping. "Ooooohhh... it's all getting dizzyrific... bright lights... colours all around..." mumbled the CPU as she fell backwards into her sister's arms, the two flashing a smile at each other in gratitude.

"It's time to reach for the stars!" declared Neptune as she was helped to her feet, the group grinning in approval, as they headed for the entrance.

The smiles faded somewhat when they saw a line that could only be described as 'Apocalyptic', stretching long into the distant horizon. And then curving back around. Neptune however, kept up her cheery demeanor. "No problemo gals! I think they can do a favor for the CPU pair that just swept today's fights."

Happily strolling right up to the very grim looking attendant, Neptune started posing for her. "HEYYYY THERE! CPU Neptune here! Y'know, today's champion? Soooo, I think you can do me and my pals a favor and give us a boost to that Rollercoaster goodness?" The groans of the people in front of her didn't deter Neptune in the slightest.

The attendant's expression did not change in the slightest. "The ride's not for you."

"HUH? B-But, but i'm-"

"Don't care. I just let people on. Go speak to management." droned the attendant. "Besides, you're too short."

She pointed towards a sign next to her with a hight measurement, labeled, 'You must be this tall to ride!' Neptune inched closer to it in dread, and found herself coming up short.

"Wha... Wha... WHAAAAAA?!" she yelped out in horror as she drooped back down.

"I'm sorry Nep Nep... maybe you could transform again to get in?" said Compa.

"Don't you remember the last time Neptune did that?..." muttered IF.

"Histoire really let sis have it after that one..." shuddered Nepgear.

"I don't want to do that! When I transform, everything just isn't as fun when i'm in my super mode! I want this moment to be pure Neptune!" declared the CPU, "Hmmm... that grumpy pants talked about management right? We can go find Playmore! She runs this joint right?"

"Playmore? But sis... Playmore seemed really busy when I saw her last night..." Nepgear noted.

"Psshh! We're guests in the park! She can totally make time for us! Come on!" Neptune said as she dashed off, as her companions followed with a sigh.


Back at the hotel, Vert was once again sitting back on her bed, sight and mind rooted solely on her Guild of Generations game as the time drew to a close. As the clock hit zero, a satisfied smirk grew on her face as she counted another victory for her team.

"I hope those fools learnt a lesson the power of good teamwork..." muttered Vert proudly as she took off her headset to let give her ears some relief. "Although *TLBraker* wasn't pulling his weight as much as I-What's that noise?"

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard a striking noise of clucking and scratching outside the door. She immediately knew the culprit as she worriedly dashed towards the door and unlocked it. She was met with Behemoth, as he strutted on the spot, clawing at the carpet with his talons and clucking distressingly. Two of the room service attendants were on each side, utterly terrified of what they saw before their eyes.

"L-Lady Vert? Can you d-do something? He's been here for almost an hour..." stuttered the terrified attendant, as Behemoth looked straight at the concerned Vert... and immediately went back into his dignified stance.

"Dear Miss Vert! My time of waiting was one of great, agonizing patience! My inner chicken was bursting at the seems and it just came gushing out!"

"I'm sorry for letting your instincts take you over Behemoth... It's okay, I've got it handled." Vert said to the attendants, who looked unconvinced, but quickly dashed off, not wanting to be in the presence of the crazy chicken man any longer. "Was there something you wanted to say to me?" said Vert as she closed the door behind her.

Behemoth paid no heed as he fluffed his jacket and eloquently spoke up. "Anyhoo, enough cluckery my lady! The night is young, potty trained, and screaming out for fun! I wish for you to accompany me on a stroll though its dark delights and dazzling lights! Which now that i think about it doesn't make it very dark at all BUT WE CAN MANAGE"

"You... you want to go out on a... a date? Behemoth, I don't know, I mean... Well, I have players expecting me on my game, s-so i'm not sure I can make tonig-"

"THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PLAYERS!" Behemoth bellowed as Vert jumped back a bit. "The wonderful web will always have people sailing it's waves, but the experience of an amusement park is eternal! That sounded convincing right?"

Vert was still blankly looking at her feathered friend, far from convinced. "W-Well, it did seem... appealingly phrased? It sounds nice, so-"

"THEN LET US BE OFF!" Behemoth declared happily as he grabbed a surprised Vert and dragged her down the hall excitedly.

"But... Wait... I-I wasn't quite... This is all a bit too fast..." Vert stuttered out awkwardly, taken aback. She wanted to object, but Behemoth's glowing enthusiasm was too much for her "Well, I guess I could get out a bit..." muttered Vert, resigning.


The last few beams of sunlight shot over the park, as the horizon turned a mix of purple and gold, dimming the surroundings before the lights took the surroundings. It was immediately striking to the Planeptune Team as they looked in front of the tower at the center of the park with sunlight peering around the edges, casting the structure in silhouette.

"Well, according to the guidebook, this is supposed to be where the main headquarters are... but guests aren't allowed in yet. Apparently it's still under construction..." said Nepgear, looking at the information off her handheld.

"But, we're like, super guests! If we run into her, she'll understand! Like, what could be in there that's so important if we get into crazy accidents? Probably just some boring business stuffy stuff!" Neptune said as she started walking across the plaza to the building.

"Nep Nep, trespassing could hurt our image!" Compa cried out in concern.

"And some people need that 'stuffy stuff' for what they do. Like you..." snarked IF.

"Hey, I've gone it over with Histoire all the time. I simply have my own philosophy when it comes to paperwork and all that boring stuff, but she just doesn't take anything from it!"

"Except a migrai-"

"Well, well, well. I figured the Planeptune fools would be off shooting water into each other's mouths at some dinky carnival booth," boomed an all too familiar voice that sent chills down Compa's spin. And sure enough, behind them was the suited, ebony black figure of Maker X.

"Oh here we go," said IF, unfazed by the figure's words. "So, you're gonna rag on my friends? I'm sure the victories of the sisters means nothing at all!" IF said with the most no nonsense snark she could muster.

"Ah yes. The sisters showed that the great goddess of centuries can barely defeat humans a fraction of their age. Truly impressive. A shame their Makers don't match up to such... skills." Maker X said, leering at Compa, who hid behind her Maker friend.

"You big bully!" said Nepgear, stepping forwards. "I don't want you saying those awful, awful things about Compa, IF or my big sis!"

"Yeah, nobody smack talks my peeps, and especially not my little Nep Jr!" Neptune said, stepping alongside her sister.

"It seems that you'll always be there to be your brainless sister's Yes Lady. So I'm sorry if your threats doesn't phase me, creampuff and airhead." Maker X said with a deep chuckle, as the sisters got all the more madder. "Just remember, your little Nurse will be all alone when she steps into the ring. Don't worry. If she meets me, i'll gladly send what's left of her back to Planeptune..."

"Eeeeeeek!" Compa shrieked, cowering behind IF further as the Maker grabbed onto her shoulder in support, IF looking at the masked Maker with utter fury.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to." Maker X turned and walked away, cape blowing in the air.

"Bet you she's just gonna trash talk some more Makers to make her feel good..." IF bitterly remarked.

"Hey don't be all scardy Compa!" Neptune said, walking up to her shaking friend, "We don't want somebody who is pure jerk! We want somebody who's pure Compa!" Compa stood up straight and smiled back at her, as IF gave a happy look towards her CPU.

"Hey look!" shouted Nepgear, drawing their attention. "Playmore's here!" The group looked towards the entrance to see Playmore walking towards the entrance to the tower. "Hey Playmore!" cried out Nepgear as the rest of the group waved to her. Playmore turned around quickly, and seemed to jump a bit at the sight as she hurried over.

"T-Team Planeptune? Heyyyy!" said Playmore with a happy, albit awkward and surprised look. "What are you all doing here? I mean, I figured that you would all be on the rides!"

"That's totally why we're all here! See, we were gonna cap off our victory day with traveling on that awesome coaster, but they kept saying some bunk about how I was too short!"

"What? Aww man! Nobody should get denied rides like that!" Playmore shouted out, making Neptune go starry eyed and her philosophy. "Don't worry about it, I'll drop the attendants a line, and make sure you can ride on that no problemo!"

"YAHOOOOO! You are the best Miss Playmore!" Neptune bellowed out in utter joy, causing Playmore to blush. "Heyy... Why don't you go on your own rides? Don't tell me you have that dumb business stuff as well?"

"W-Well, y'know, there's stuff to run in the parks, and well... I... I wanna focus on it I guess... like, I'd really like to and all, but, work and stuff..." Playmore stuttered out.

Neptune got up close to Playmore and stared directly into her face, checking out her terrified, sweat covered expression, before she backed up a bit. "Yep. It's official. You have all the signs of All Work and No Play! In the Neptune book, that's like, the WORST disorder!"

"I-I-I W-Well..."

"But I guess you can't escape it yet..." Neptune sighed. "My peeps and I have gotta go, but thanks so much for letting us ride that Rollercoaster up to the sky!" The CPU turned and joined up with her companions as they started to walk away.

"I don't think All Work and No Play counts as a real disorder Nep Nep..." said Compa.

"What? But it totally is! It sucks to do nothing but work! You get all cranky and lonely and stressed! Like, you need fun in your life! Sis, I've seen you get all sad when you do loads of work, right?"

"Well... rhat's because I kinda need to..." muttered Nepgear.

"Well, yeah, but I always find you like, all about work! You're at your best when you're having fun with us!" chimed Neptune, as her sister blushed.

"That kinda does make sense in a way when you think about it Neptune..." said IF after giving the matter thought. "Though I think you may have a bit of an issue of All Play and No Work..."

"Trust me Ify, one day, i'll find a way to combine the two, and then we'll enter a new age of joy!" Neptune said proudly.

"Either way, it's data for my medical journals! Thanks Nep Nep! I'll start looking into your disorders right away!" Compa happily said in complete honesty, as they started leaving the plaza.

"WAIT!"

The group turned and looked at Playmore, smiling with a giddy look on her face. "Y'know, I kinda thought it over... And I think I have a way to fix both our disorders Neptune..."

Elsewhere in the park, Behemoth was happily strolling down the road, with a somewhat awkward Goddess by her side.

"With the sun tucking into it's soft, celestial bed, this night can really get into it's jazzy swing!" said Behemoth.

"Well, what should we do Behemoth? I suppose my dear gentleman has such wonderful ideas in mind..." Vert said

"We shall do..." Behemoth said, pausing in thought, looking lost for a moment. "STUFF!"

"Stuff?" Asked Vert, puzzled. "When you say, 'stuff', what do yo-"

"FUN STUFF!" Behemoth promptly answered. "We could... go to that store and look at things and possibly buy things! That CLOTHING store! Which I can't get things, because of Chicken related issues." Vert looked at the Maker blankly. "Or RIDES! Yes! Rides! Because amusement parks have rides I am certain of!"

"I... See... Well, I guess rides could-Oh?"

Vert felt her phone vibrating, as she took it out and saw she got a message on it. "It's from... Neptune?"

-VT THRS TTLY AWSM AWSM TNG OMG OMG OMG SO COOLLLLLLLL!1!11!1!111 CM TO TRP PLCE, EVRYONE'S GNNA CME.-

"Well, here's something we can do... She attached a map and everything..." Vert said while looking at the directions.

"Oh thank goodness that we have something! Now, let's go to the Neptune! Who will do... Things, I don't kno-ONWARDS!"


Following the directions, Vert made it to a more seculuded area of the entertainment district, where Neptune awaited her, bouncing on the spot, surrounded by her team awkwardly looking at their leader's immense joy.

"Vert, Vert VEEEEEEERT!" Neptune cheerfully said. "This is gonna be the super awesome experience to end all experiences! It's gonna be so great an experience, we'll level up like, a hundred times!"

"That's alot of hitting things!" Behemoth chimed in. Neptune took notice of him.

"Hey Behemey! I see you got Vert on her fun train!" Neptune said, while very conspicuously winking at him.

"Yes I did! WINK WINK!" said in a tone that reeked of hiding something. Vert took notice almost immediately.

"Neptune... Behemoth... Is there something you're not telling me? Are you to in cahoots with each other! Upon hearing Vert's words, the Planeptune CPU and the Westerlands Maker looked directly at each other.


"Neptune? Sis? Are... Are you gonna wake up?"

The Candidate nudged her snoring sister as she lay on her hospital bed, nestled into the mattress for full comfort and not budging an inch.

"ZZZZZZ... No Histoire you don't understand... ZZZZZZ... It's like... Games are art, you know?... ZZZZZ So tired..."

"Oh Sis... You..." Nepgear groggily let out a big yawn as she struggled to stay on her feet. "I am kinda feeling pretty pooped though... guess I know who I got it from..." Nepgear said affectionately. "I'll meet up with IF and Compa, they should know about our plans, and I can walk off this drowziness... Ahhhh... Have a good sleep Sis..." Nepgear kindly remarked as she exited the room, as Neptune dug into her bed further.

"ZZZZ... A musical would be... The best... ZZZZ... Ideaaaa..."

Neptune didn't know how long she was sleeping until she felt the slight heat from someone standing very, very close to her. Upon feeling the sensation, her eyes started to flutter open.

"Hello Miss Purple!"

Her sight was immediately filled with a feathered face, a beak and two large beady eyes, staring right into hers.

"YYYYYAAAA-HRMMM!" Neptune's scream of anguish was cut off as Behemoth clamped a winged hand over her mouth.

"Please be quiet! I want my presence to be known only to you! Other people tend to be cramping my style at this time!" Behemoth muttered as he released Neptune's mouth.

"AH! I don't like super creepy things Mr Chicken! And your Chicken Wishes! They suck!"

"Oh I'm sorry, have you ever made wishes!? Probably, because people say you're a goddess, and that would imply wishes, glowing praise, immunity to snarky clothing comments, and all the pu-MEN in the world!"

"Uhhh, trust me, we can't grant wishes. And plus, people said my hoodie was too urban girl and, I was all like, 'But the cuteness!' and they were all lik-"

"AND FURTHERMORE" Behemoth bellowed out, cutting Neptune off, "what's with the Mr Chicken crack?"

"Crack? But, you're a Mister, and like, a chicken, so-"

"Bitch that be racist! Birdist! Animalis- BIG JERK!"

"Hey, says the big jerk who called me Miss Purple! That's like, colourist!"

"Colours don't have feelings! They just stay there, giving you emotions!"

"Yeah well, you couldn't even get me a doll, Chicken WASHOUT Princess!"

"Your doll is dumb! Like you!"

"WHY YOU- Wait, you're friends with Vert, right?" said Neptune, completely forgetting the previous animosity.

"Fo sho!" Behemoth replied, as Neptune cracked a smile.

"Behemy, I think I have a super important job for you?"

"How super are we talking?"

"SUPER."

"That's capital Super! Alright, hit me bro!"

"Okay, so Vert's been all lonely and holed up, cause she thinks her MMOs are better than having once in a lifetime fun. If we don't do something, she'll be like, Noire times two! So what I want you to do is to get her out into that wonderful theme park air!"

"I like the sprit of your ideas Miss Neptune! It is settle! I shall peruse Miss Vert and her cushions of love from her cushions of comfort and open her mind to countless wonders, so she can't be Noire!"

"Yahoo! You know, maybe I got you all wrong Behemoth... Anyway, you better get on that."

"That I shall! Farewell Neptune! I SHALL MAKE YOU PROUD!" Behemoth declared as he started to exit the door.

"Oh BTW, how were you a Chicken Wish Princess in my dreams?"

"... what's a Chicken Wish Princess?" Behemoth said, puzzled.

Neptune had no idea how to respond to that.

She was still staring blankly as her friends entered the room.

"Sis? Did you see someone?

"I think." Neptune muttered blankly.


"Lady Vert, I wish to keep Lady Neptune's plans of getting you outdoors to my fine mind!" Behemoth said, proudly and nobly.

Vert narrowed her eyes at the chicken, as his expression faded. "Wait, I just said the... thing didn't I?"

"He's... crazy?" Neptune awkwardly muttered to Vert, in a lame attempt to cover their tracks.

A few moments of awkward silence followed, before Behemoth decided to make a move.

"... BAWWWWKKKK!" The Maker immediately ran off clucking down the street, causing the people in his path to leap out of the way or even run in terror from the crazy chicken.

Vert turned around, and shot a cross look towards her fellow CPU. "Awwww, you can't blame me for wanting to get you out of your MMO shell!" Neptune said shrugging.

"I would have gotten out eventually Neptune, you didn't have to put Behemoth up to tricking me!" Vert snapped.

"I dunno... you seemed like you had a nasty case of Shut In-ism coming along! Just look at what it did to Noire!"

"Shut In-ism... I never knew you were so insightful about medical conditions Nep Nep!" Compa happily said, as IF and Nepgear blushed in embarrassment.

"I think of myself as a bit more social than Noire, Neptune..." Vert grumbled.

"Well, you can prove it when the other two get here, and so we can have the time of our lives." Neptune paused for a moment as she caught five figures moving towards her. Ooooh! Look! They're here now! You're gonna see what real enthusiasm looks like Vert!"

Noire and Blanc, accompanied by their respective sisters, were less enthusiastic, and more bitterly disgruntled than anything else as they walked up to Neptune. "So you girls got my message?"

"Enthusiam does not look like something enjoyable..." snarked Vert wryly. Neptune paid no attention to it.

"Oh yes Neptune," Noire said patiently, with barely contained rage. "I did get your message. I got it both times, and then I got it the next six times after that. Your barely literate, frothing message."

"Huh? Well, yeah, but I needed to make SUPER sure you got it, cause this is something YOU needed to come here for!"

"I came here to stop the beeping from your endless messages..." Blanc said, the wrath of a thousand winters seeping through her voice. "I don't like when you annoy me like this..."

Neptune felt a slight shiver from her fellow CPU's infamous rage, but kept up her sunny disposition regardless. "But, you're all about socializing Blanny! What's wrong with my messaging storm?"

"My socializing is with things that are worthwhile... unlike you..." Blanc grunted.

"Yeah! Every Walkpass is a fun experience!" chimed in Ram. Behind her, Uni rolled her eyes, while Noire snorted.

"Psh. Yeah, getting messages to your friends that you rolled into a sign post, or that they need to health to stay live sure is some meaningful socialization Blanc. Great feature there by the way!" Noire said in a massively smug voice.

"Says the person who's replacing their start button on their controller with a video share button. Tell me Noire... how much filtering and censorship are you planning to do?"

"W-Why you! You tried to make a surveillance system over all our countries! And don't give me that peace crap!"

"I was doing it for everyone... unlike you..."

"Sounds like you two seem to be on rocky ground with your new consoles... I think mine will be something that will change Gamindustri forever." Vert announced with a thin smile of confidence on her face.

"Oh, I've heard things about yours Vert..." A wicked smile grew on Noire's face as she talked. "And I think it might not change things in the way you want..." the Lastation CPU cackled.

"You don't know anything Noire..." Vert fumed. Neptune saw all the other goddesses starting to fume, before trying to intervene.

"Aw man, we can't go through our Console Wars now, cause Playmo-"

"This doesn't concern you Neptune!" Noire shouted as the Candidates along with IF and Compa began to cringe, knowing what was about to come when...

"HEY Y'ALL!"

The tense atmosphere was broken when Playmore emerged out of the tarp covered building, "Glad you all could make it!" The Maker looked around at the CPU's, their eyes on her, still in their arguing stances, but looking blank instead of angry. "You folks were doing something?"

"Oh! Just... discussing things..." Noire hastily said in an attempt to save face.

"We just got into a slight debate..." Blanc mumbled.

"S-So anyway, what did you want to show us?" Vert stuttered out, trying to change the subject.

"Don't mind our arguing Playmore!" Neptune proudly said as her fellow CPU's shot her an angry look, "Tell us about this super awesome special exclusive ride you got planned for us."

"OKAY! So, this ride is one of the most pulse pounding, blood chilling, and all around crazy intense rides that we had planned! Buuuuuut, thanks to the completely insane schedule in putting the tournament together, we couldn't get it finished in time. But y'know, Neptune showed me that I've been stressin' out so much over everything, and I thought the best way to K.O two birds with one stone, was to take her and the other CPU's on a test run!"

"Huh? Test run? What's so special about this ride in particular?" asked Noire.

"Well, it's an old Negeos classic! I wanted to recreate one of the most popular rides of the old park! Like, I've spent years researching the old rides, and it would be my dream come true to actually bring back the magic!"

"So, I guess you couldn't get any stuff left over from the old Negeos, right?" asked Uni. "Y'know, before they had their share crash?" Playmore raised an eyebrow at Uni's comment.

"Yeah, it, didn't quite work like that..." said Playmore, trailing off before Noire spoke up.

"So anyway, maybe we should try the ride!" said Noire. "I mean, I don't want to let down my guest after all..." the CPU's voice turned smug as Blanc grunted in annoyance.

"... Very well. I'll go too." Blanc said. However, she felt Ram and Rom tug at her dress.

"But sis, what about us?"

"Oh... Sorry kids but... I'm 'fraid only your big sisters can come." Playmore caught the looks of disappointment, sadness and frustration on their faces as she said it.

"Why not! I was gonna hang out with my sis, so why can't we come in?" shouted Uni.

"Yeah, we wanna be with sis!" Ram said defiantly.

"L-Look, I'm really sorry folks! Really! I know what it must be like... B-But you gotta trust me, this kinda ride is something only your sisters could face! And it is kinda beta testing, when you get down to it, cause we haven't... quite finished it yet... hey look, after today, the moment the ride gets finished, you'll be the first people to get the full experience!"

The Candidates looked at themselves, unsure, before Nepgear spoke up. "But sis, what about our victory night?"

Neptune got a saddened look on her face. "Ohhhh... I didn't think of that... I wanna have victory night... And I wanna go on the ride... Ahhhhhh! It's so hard to choose!"

"Hey Neptune..." IF said, walking in between the sisters. "We've had a long victory night all together, and I know you want to keep at it, but how about we all do our own things, and then we meet back up at the rollercoaster to cap it all off?"

Neptune and Nepgear went starry-eyed at their friend's suggestion. "Wowee Ify! That was a tubular idea!"

"Alright then... sis, let's all promise to meet back up here, so we can end the day on the rollercoaster!" Neptune, IF and Compa nodded in response as Nepgear turned to her fellow Candidates. "Uni, Ram, Rom, you all wanna come with me?" The three of them nodded.

"Anywhere with you Nepgear!" chimed Uni.

"Make sure you take good care of my sisters Nepgear..." muttered Blanc, free of rage or concern.

"After that whole mess with ASIC, I think she's definitely more than capable." said Vert proudly.

"We Nep's are the finest when it comes to taking care of sisters big and small!" Neptune said in a triumphant tone.

"Nepgear maybe~" mumbled Vert.

"I'd hate to see Neptune raise a child..." whispered Noire to herself.

"Anyway, enough talk! Lets go in!" Neptune said as she and the other Goddesses waved goodbye to their sisters as they walked into the tarp.

"We'll see you at the coaster Gee Gee!" said Compa as she and IF waved goodbye as the Candidates walked off.

"So Compa," said IF "What do you want to do in the meantime?" Compa put a finger below her mouth as she thought. And then something came to her.

"...Ify? I think it's time I went back to training..."


The sun had finally set over Negeos, as the lights started coming on, bathing the park in their rainbow glow. Walking down the street the Candidates saw the illumination as they walked.

"What are we gonna do to make up for not going on that super awesome ride?" asked Ram towards Nepgear.

"Well, we have an entire theme park ahead of us, there's gotta be something we can do!" said Nepgear happily.

"Yeah... our sisters must be having so much fun though... like, super fun! Arrrghh, why can't we get to play like that?!" Ram complained.

"M-Maybe something bad might happen to them..." muttered Rom fearfully.

"Yeah... like maybe, some ancient demon will kidnap our sisters, wrap them up into mummies and perform some ritual to turn them into, like, super mummy zombies?" said Ram, looking worried. But she regained her composure quickly. "Nah! Like, even if there was a demon, it's not like anyone could even beat our si-"

Ram stopped as she saw the fearful and bitter faces of her fellow Candidates, realizing she had hit a bit too close to the events of the previous year. "Oh yeah..." Ram frowned, remembering the unpleasant moments herself. "I guess we can't joke about that stuff anymore, huh? But... It's not like there's a demon in the ride right?"

The younger sisters all looked at each other. "I... guess we could totally take an ancient demon if it came to it..." muttered Uni, thinking about how such a fight would go...

"I don't want sis to become a mummy zombie..." Rom shivered. Nepgear, taking note of the mood, decided to get things back on track.

"W-Well, let's not think about stuff like that! Lets think about more positive stuff! My sis would bonk us on the head if we weren't having fun together, so lets make the most of the park!" Nepgear declared to the smiles of her friends. "And we're on a winning streak after all, right Ram and Rom?" The twins nodded in happiness.

"That's right! We're gonna kick more ass for Lowee!" declared Ram, hugging Rom close to her with a sly grin on her face. Rom shyly nodded, smiling like a gentle snow angel. However, the one Candidate who was yet to win a match, stood tall, and triumphantly put her hand on her chest.

"So, everything thinks they're gonna breeze through? Hah! When I win, I will prove why I'm the next to rule Lastation, and that my sister will need to respect me!"

"Huh? What makes you say that Uni? How do you know you won't be the one to crash and burn?" said Ram wryly.

"I mean, it's obvious, isn't it? We're the Candidates, we're as strong as our sisters, when you get down to it!" Uni boasted, "I mean, I think I could beat my own sister when it comes down to it!"

"Girls! Remember? Positive thinking? We shouldn't keep fighting like this! We're all teammates remember!" Uni and Ram's enraged faces faded as Nepgear continued. "We're all supposed have fun together instead of arguing!"

"You couldn't beat a turtle, dummy!" Ram shot back.

"Oh yeah?! Says who?! The little girl who got sick from a chicken?!"

"WHY YO-"

At Nepgear's request, Uni indeed stopped, calming down. She nodded, and smirked at Nepgear, "Oh, don't worry, I'm not the one who started it..."

Ram stuck her tongue out at Uni, who did the same. Nepgear gave them both a solemn look, and silently, the two stopped making faces at each other, as they went off into the park...


The place inside the tarp was a dark, dusty place with the strong scent of sawdust and paint in the air.

"Alright... So what is this ride all about?" asked Noire.

"I'm glad you asked!" Playmore shouted as she lowered her head, "For few in Gamindustri have experienced such chilling horrors in countless years... You will be exploring into the deepest depths of an age long forgotten... The lost secrets of a civilization lost to the mists of time... And what lies beneath may have been better left buried..." Playmore muttered, trying to sound as spooky as possible.

"Sounds positively chilling..." said Vert as a shiver went down her spine.

"This is super spooky..." whispered Neptune.

"Prepare yourselves CPU's..." as she talked Playmore flipped something in the darkness with an audible click, as light filled the room, "As you enter, THE PREHISTOR- Oh, dangit, wait..." Playmore said as she fumbled with the switches in front of what looked like an ancient Egyptian tomb entrance above a Sphinx head... with most of it obscured by darkness thanks to the poor lights.

After some more fumbling, the full spectacle soon lit up. "THE PREHISTORIC TOMBS!" Playmore hastily declared, trying to save face.

"Whoahhhhhhh~" said Neptune in awe. Blanc, however, looked slightly let down.

"Your entrance seems to be unfinished." She plainly said, and indeed, the face was only partly painted, with the rightmost side still having scaffolding surrounding it.

"Work in progress!" Playmore said defensively.

"Hmmmm... Y'know... This whole premise sounds familiar..." said Neptune, deep in thought.

"Looks like you have a keen eye for details Miss Neptune! Indeed, this ride was based on-"

"-Oooh! That arcade game! T-The side scrolly shooter one with all the wacky army guys and the, bearded prisoners, and... and the Rawket Lawnchair!" Neptune gleefully said in a wave of nostalgia.

"Rawket Lawnchair?" Vert said, puzzled. "What use would a Rocket Lawn Chair be?"

"A-Actually it's not what it sounds like, it's actually kind of a slur by the announcer when he said, 'Rocket Launcher', the first and second games didn't even have that..."

"I dunno, I think a Rocket Lawn Chair sounds cooler~" Neptune said with a smirk, cutting off Playmore's explanation.

"I once read a book about people who made things like Rocket Lawn Chairs or Rocket Cars... they didn't end well..." muttered Blanc with a foreboding tone.

"But you could like, relax and get to places at the same time!" said Neptune defensively.

"It's a dumb joke Neptune! Only an idiot like you could think a Rocket Lawn Chair would be a good idea!" shouted Noire.

"Y-Yeah..." Playmore said while rubbing the back of her head. "A-Anyway guys, you wanna go in?"

"Yes please!" Neptune gleefully declared as they started to go through the Sphinx head, and into what looked like a mine shaft, with chain mesh fences, warning signs attached, painted wood made to look like stone walls with gems sticking out of them, and wooden cutouts of Miners scattered about the place, a handful of them operated by animatronics to show them using their pickaxes.

"I'm going to guess they dug too deep in to things they shouldn't have..." Said Blanc, as they passed through a gate and were met with walls covered in miners fleeing for their lives as the lights took on a redder tone. And then at an opening with a staircase at the side, they saw a shadow of something seemingly breathing on a cowering shadow, before something came out of the opening.

"W-What is that thing?" said Neptune fearfully.

It was a somewhat goofy looking mummy, with red LED eyes, arms outstretched and moving in a very stilted, robotic way, before pausing and breathing out a plume of purple smoke from it's mouth. On it's chest, was a target on it's chest.

"There's the challenge ladies! You must get through the tricks and traps of the Prehistoric Tombs, while taking down the mummies by their weak spots! But don't get hit by the gas! Or you may be in for an unpleasant time..." Playmore cackled. "Oh, you can hit them with your fists, or by tapping them with your weapons. Try to restrain from going full force!"

"Sorry, what?" Blanc said as she stood with her hammer outstretched and the mummy in front of her now missing it's upper half, which was now embedded into one of the walls.

"Yeah... I was trying to avoid that happening..." said Playmore with a slight hint of despair as the Lowee CPU blushed. "No sweat though! Stuff like this happens! Besides, these mummies have barely anything in em!" The CPU's saw the collapsed legs of Blanc's victim and saw that it was noting more than foam chunks attached together with plastic poles, and some piping.

"Smooth move Blanc~" Noire said smirkingly, as Blanc's blush turned redder with anger.

"It was an instinctive reaction..." Blanc gritted as Noire happily went up the stairs with the others. The next part was an upwards slope, as mummies started emerging from the walls and breathing in their paths. The CPU's were prepared, as Neptune ducked under the first and poked it in the target, as it's eyes went black and the outstretched limbs fell down limp, as it emitted an "ARWOO!" howl. Vert weaved around another's breath and instantly jabbed it in the target.

"Gonna need to try harder than that!" Neptune said as she continued up the slope and poked another mummy in the target the moment it popped up.

"HYAAA!" Blanc said, as she knocked a Mummy in it's target after sidestepping the breath, but not quite light enough to stop it's head from falling right off, dangling from it's wood and foam body by a plastic tube, as the goddess growled in frustration.

Noire caught up to where Neptune was and was met with a mummy on a rail, moving from right to left in front of the path and taking periodic breaths. Noire simply ducked underneath as every puff of smoke from the dummy missed her. "Sheesh, all you have to do is duck and they can't do anything to you!" Said Noire as she pierced it's target and advanced.

"Don't be too sure of that, Lady Noire..." Playmore muttered ominously as four round, all too familiar figures suddenly came out of the sides and puffed out ring shaped purple wafts at the Lastation CPU.

"Mummy Dogoos?" Noire said in surprise as she quickly jumped over the smoke rings and delivered a descending poke to one of the bandaged slimes.

"Psssh! That's totally inaccurate! Dogoos would try to get into your rear before they blow smoke at you, mummy or no mummy!" Neptune said as she weaved around the smoke before scratching the target on the head, making it's cute eyes go dark, Vert doing the same. Blanc however, despite her best efforts, was unable to restrain herself enough. The impact splintered the target, and ripped the Dogoo open in a burst of fluff.

"Yeah, real Dogoos get problematic, so we used plushies instead!" said Playmore, which fell on Blanc's deaf ears as Neptune and Noire giggled at their fellow Goddesses' embarrassment.

"S-Shut up! I'm trying to hold back, okay! I'm not this clu-AHHH!" Blanc's defense was cut short as two mummies came down from the ceiling, one of which Blanc immediately shattered with an instinctive upwards swing, sending foam and loose bandages flying everywhere. Blanc, several wrappings draped over her face, turned around to Neptune and Noire howled with laughter, with Vert joining in giggling. Even Playmore looked like she was holding in the desire to laugh with all her willpower.

"Stop it! That thing surprised me, okay!" Blanc roared out, her face flushed with red from anger and embarrassment.

"Hate to see if one of us surprised you Blanc! We'd be in space by the time you realized what you did!" Noire chuckled out, as Blanc growled even louder. "And I thought Neptune was the clumsy one..."

"Okay y'all... hehe... we're almost at the end of the first section... Hehehe..." said Playmore, trying to fight back the urge to burst into laughter. Suddenly, a mummy came up from her flank. "Whoa!" Playmore yelped out as she instantly kicked it in the target, cratering the painted sign upon impact. "Heh... Guess I got a little bit of that excess might in me as well... Alright, everyone, up the steps, and once we take out all the mummies, the door will unlock!"

Noire snorted with a smug look plastered all over her face. "This ride has been easy peasy for me! Then again, maybe I am just that good..."

"Oh oh! Double Mummy alert!" Playmore shouted as she dashed to Noire's position to deliver a punch right into one of mummies behind her.

"Hey! Be careful where you... Whoa!" Noire said, as Playmore's quick action caused the Maker to bump into her, causing Noire to stumble backwards... Right into one of the other mummies' gas breath, getting a face full of it.

"Noire!" Yelled Neptune as she saw her fellow goddess, stand there, dazed for a second as she seemed to flicker purple...

"I... Feel... Funn-YAAAH!" Noire screamed out as her entire body erupted into a plume of purple smoke, to the horror of her fellow goddesses. As it subsided, they saw Noire standing there... With her entire body wrapped up in bandages, top to bottom, all tight around her body, with only her eyes and mouth exposed . The only distinctive features to her were her long black pigtails poking out of her bandaged head.

"Zoinks! Noire's been mummified!" Neptune said in shock.

"W-What's happened to me? I feel so... Stiff..." Noire groaned out as she tried to move, but her arms and legs moved much slower and more rigid, as she struggled to walk forwards. "Feels like i'm wearing a suit of armor..."

"Behold the curse of the Mummy Gas brave explorers! This magical smoke immediately curses it's victim to become one of the undead! If you get hit by it, you'll have to endure the curse for the rest of the ride... Or find one of the cure bottles we have around!"

"This seems like an interesting gimmick to a theme park ride..." Vert said with curiosity, cracking a smile at her mummified rival staggering around.

"Why are her pigtails exposed?" Asked Blanc.

"The mummy gas always leaves an aspect of their victim revealed! Y'know, so you can tell them apart!" Playmore said with pride in her voice.

"Why would you do this... How am I supposed to fight the mummies now?!" Moaned Noire, as she tried to move her sword around, but only managing light stabs and frail swipes. "I hear laughing!" She said, snapping at the others. "It's not funny!"

"So Noire... What was that about me being the clumsy one?" Blanc said, her voice dripping with sadistic delight. "I notice that i'm not the one wrapped in bandages..."

"S-Shut up... This couldn't get any worse..." Noire mumbled... And then she realized how.

"Hahahaha! Noire... I guess it's... pshhh... ironic that you thought that you had this ride... WRAPPED UP?!" Neptune cackled, almost doubling over with laughter.

"NEPTUNEEEEEE!" Noire growled out, seething with rage, as the others groaned at the pun.

"Ahahaha! Sorry Noire, but with you like that, the jokes write themselves!" Laughed Neptune. "And I thought Blanc was the clumsy on-WAHH!"

Neptune was suddenly blind-sighted by a mummy coming up from behind and breathing into her, as she erupted into smoke, which faded to reveal her mummfied just like Noire, only with her hairpins on the outside, and a few tufts of purple hair sticking out of the bandages.

"S-S-Sooo tight..." moaned the Planeptune mummy as her fellow CPU's giggled at her, their giggles echoing through the air.

"Hehehe... You know, it is pretty funny Neptune!" Noire said, giggling the loudest of all.

"I guess I can only walk in a straight... LINEN, eh?" The giggling immediately ceased as everyone, including Playmore, bitterly cringed at Neptune's pun.

"Urgghhh... I hate how you have no shame..." Noire mumbled in despair.

Vert rushed up to the mummy that gassed Neptune and disabled it, as the doors in front of front of them proceeded to open. "Nice work Miss Vert! C'mon guys, lets go, we're getting sloppy in this place... But that attitude won't hold up for long in the depths of the tombs, where the true horror lives..." Said Playmore in her ominous voice, as the other followed her through the door... Or in the case of Neptune and Noire, shuffled.

Unknown to them all, the laughter was still continuing from up in the vents... Coming from a very familiar hooded figure, and her mouse friend.

"Pshahahaha... That was too good..." chuckled Linda.

"Shame that dumbass CPU ruined it with that crack... 'Straight linen'?! No wonder the hag wants to kill her so badly..." muttered Pirachu "Anyway, I think that gas looks reeeeal interesting, huh Underling?"

"I think a certain Maker could put it to very good use..." said Linda, rubbing her hands together in glee.

"Think we should go off and see if we can get out hands on it?" asked Pirachu.

"What, and miss the chance to see those dumbass CPUs turning into mummies? That can wait! I think we need some relief after all this tunnel crawling… haven't even got a proper bed after all…" Pirachu cackled back as they moved further through the vents...


Elsewhere, Compa stood in a large field, surrounded by three Dogoos, squaring off with them, as a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. And then one of them immediately leapt towards her... Only to be dispersed on her syringe, as she thrusted it out, popping the Dogoo like a bubble.

She saw the second jump at her from the side and eliminated that with a swipe, splattering it across the grass, before finally the last of them shot at her from behind, hoping to get under her... Only for Compa to jump at the last second, and stamp down on it's head.

"Dogoos will never get under my dress again!" Compa said triumphantly... But the squished remains of her slimy adversaries started to crawl together into one spot, forming together. Compa watched in horror as they began to form in the shape of something bigger than before, as the new being stood up, casting a Shadow over Compa...

It was a pure blue, muscular, humanoid figure with a Dogoo for a head, staring down at Compa, with it's goofy, smiling expression, before it cracked it's knuckles, and then it's second set of muscles from another pair of arms.

"EEEEEEK!" squealed out Compa as held out her syringe, shaking with pure fear as her face went white. "N-No... I have to expect this... It's just a Dogoo... It's Just a Dogoo..." She tightened the grip on her weapon, before she finally thrusted forwards.

"YAAAAAAHHHH!" Compa yelled in fury as her stab went right into the hulking slime... And did no visible damage. Compa look there, looking vacant, blinking a few times, as the Dogoo gently pulled out the Syringe and planted it in the ground.

"MERCYYYYYYYY~" Compa pleaded as she dropped her knees and started begging at the hulk in front of her. The massive Dogoo responded by picking her up around the waist with his lower arms, pinned her arms together with his upper arms, before giving her a crushing hug. "H-Help... Heeeeelp... I don't like this hug... Ify... I give up... I give uppppppp~" Compa moaned as she sunk into the creature, floating it it's jelly body in the fetal position...

And then it faded away digitally as IF walked up to the nurse, still cowering on the floor. "You know, I kinda expected you to do better against Dogoro after you took out the ones that formed him." Said IF as she extended a hand towards Compa. "I figured that you would be more comfortable fighting something that transitioned between a monster and a fighter. You know, for familiarity..."

"That was too far..." Compa mumbled as she took IF's hand and was brought to her feet. "When they became that... Thing... I just lost all composure..." IF gave a pitying look towards her fellow make. "I mean, we've fought other people... That Underling... The other ASIC members... Even the other Candidates sometimes... But it was never me fighting them... I always wanted to support everyone. That's what comes with being a nurse." Compa looked down as she thought about her issue. "Maybe... Maybe it's because i'm a nurse that I don't want to fight people in a tournament? I mean, i'm supposed to care for people, not hurt them..." IF put a hand on Compa's shoulder, and smiled at her as Compa responding in kind.

"S-Sometimes we like to play rough. Getting hurt is part of the experience." The two Maker's had their attention draw towards the entrance, where Tekken stood, still wearing our bandages from her stay in the hospital.

"Tekken? Aren't you worn out? Why are you in the training room?" Asked Compa.

"Well, I am a bit tired, but I don't mind the soreness at all..." said Tekken, as IF and Compa looked at each other. "But, I wanted to help you out. It's something that both me and you would enjoy! So... How are you approaching your training?"

"I've been using the VR Systems to make things for Compa to fight." Said IF as she led Tekken over to a computer system near the entrance. "It's actually running off Vert's Manect system... Okay, so I created this monster program, Dogoro, but it didn't work out. So what do you have in mind?

"Well, perhaps we need something that combines the best of both sides... Wait, I have it! A bear!" exclaimed Tekken while Compa looked on at the two in the distance.

"Ummm... What are you two talking about?" asked Compa, which fell on deaf ears.

"I dunno... Think a bear could teach her the right thing when it comes to tournament fighting?" said IF, not quite convinced.

"Oh you would be surprised... Bears can teach you many things. Kuma taught me a lot about fighting after all!"

"Well..."

"Oh by the way, I think your rival is looking at you," said Tekken nonchalantly as IF immediately turned towards the entrance and saw someone with a blue eye and blonde looking at her from around the side of the entrance.

"Arc?!" IF said in confusion as the figure's eye widened and retreated behind the doorway. "No, Arc wait!" IF cried out as she rushed to the Maker, catching up and grabbing her by the hand. Arc stood there for a moment, her back turned to IF. "I'm fine with you staying Arc... You don't need to run..." Arc brought her other hand up to her forehead and adjusted her headband, before turning around to IF, her eyes shadowed by the band.

"I was... curious." Arc said blankly.

"... Right..." IF muttered, her voice full of doubt as Arc looked to her side. "Anyway, i'm helping my friend Compa with training, and you don't need to tell me how strong you are! So could you help us out?"

"... Sure. I guess I could do that. She's the nurse, right?" said Arc as IF led her to the computer.

"Oh yeah. Tekken here was trying to come up with a VR Monster Compa could fight, that's kind of a mix between a monster and a person to get her slowly working up. She came up with a bear!"

"You've ever sparred with a bear?" Asked Tekken.

"... Maybe," said Arc. She strolled on over to the computer, looked at it for a moment, before she inputted something. "How about this?" IF and Tekken came over to the terminal and looked at what Arc had made.

"Is that a cat?" Asked Tekken.

"It looks like it's wearing a hoodie... So what, is it an... Urban... Rapping cat?" said IF in confusion.

"No. That's silly. Trust me, it'll get the job done. It'll teach your friend all about speed..." Arc said, voice full of confidence as a smile came over her face.

"But... Compa needs endurance! That's where my bear will come in!" retorted Tekken.

"I have a better idea!" Said another voice, as Nisa bounded into the room, to the surprise of everyone there.

"... Were... were you spying on me again?" asked Arc, sounding unsettled.

"I still have my doubts about you... Especially how you were spying on IF back there..." Hearing that, Arc immediately turned away. "But regardless, I overheard your desires to help Compa, and i'm here to help out!" Nisa bellowed triumphantly while posing.

"You know sunshine, for somebody who decries others for spying, you were quick to admit it yourself..." Nisa turned around to see Platinum standing at the entrance, hands on her hips, as she slowly walked in.

"Well, you're one to talk about crimes! How about the fact that you totally stole the signature move from one of the greatest heroes of all time!" Nisa pointed and yelled at Plat.

"... Come again?" Said Platinum, confused.

"Clover! The Viewtiful Hero Clover! How could you not know her?!" shouted Nisa.

"I don't know this... Clover... I've never heard of... Urggghhh..." Plat started clutching her head in pain as Nisa's anger turned to surprise.

"A-Are you okay?" Nisa asked.

"Just... Just a bit of a sleep headache I bet... I have been feeling tired... Whooo..."

"You seemed pretty concerned for someone you were trashing for being a move plagiarist Nisa..." Said IF.

"H-Hey, just because I have issues with her disrespect, doesn't mean I want her to be in pain! A hero doesn't take delight in the suffering of others!" Said Nisa.

"Huh. Guess you aren't as jealous as I thought..." IF said with a wry smile.

"I-I'm not jealous of her!" Nisa quickly said defensively. "But anyway, onto helping Compa! Here's the ultimate opponent for her!" The vigilante went over to the computer and inputted her program, which looked like a penguin with small demon wings, wearing a ninja outfit . "Ta dahhh! Behold the Prinja! A force of swift movement and deadly force from the Netherworld! It's a perfect sparring partner for Compa! Against a Prinja, she'll be forced to develop her Speed and Hit!"

"I remember hearing about those things... I've heard stories about the exploding if you so much as tip them over..." said Platinum, unconvinced by Nisa's Prinja support.

"Well, if Compa can tip one of those over, then the fireworks show will send her sprits soaring!" Nisa proclaimed, placing a fist on her chest.

"Points for a dazzling finale, but I think she needs something else to get her ready..." Plat inputted her monster program, what looked like a gilded, porcelain angel. "This will teach her that sometimes even the most beautiful looking thing holds true horror on the inside!"

"Plat, we were trying to get her to fight things that aren't QUITE human looking..." said IF, but Plat waved a finger at her.

"Trust me, when she sees what it looks like underneath... She'll forget all about those concerns~" Plat said with a smirk.

"I-I think that my bear would be a better choice..." Said Tekken, with a hint of defiance in her voice.

"A bear can't compete with a Prinja!" Nisa declared.

"A Prinja won't get the job done as well as my choice..."

"Uh, everyone? I think we need to make a decision... Compa's been waiting for a while now..." Said IF awkwardly.

"Ify? Tekken? I've been waiting here for a while... When are you going to get my training monster ready?" Compa cried out in the field, but the Maker's were too busy with their budding arguments to take notice. And then things got more chaotic, as a familiar feathered Maker burst through the doors.

"BAWWWWWWWKKKKK!" Yelled Behemoth as everyone recoiled in horror. "Oh, sorry dear friends! I simply stumbled across this fine place while doing my retreat of shame!"

"Wait, you were running all that time since we left?!" asked the flabbergasted IF.

"Why yes, my immense grief sent me into a whirlwind of fleeing!" Behemoth announced. "But my everlasting shame must come to an end someday..."

"Wait, that doesn't make any sen-" IF stopped her comment when she realized who she was talking to.

"So I must redeem myself my helping your efforts!"

"Behemoth, look, I know you want to help us, but i've already got four suggestions for what to use as Compa's VR Training monster, and we're still nowhere close to deciding!" sighed IF, closing her eyes in thought.

"Well, this is a terrible predicament... For I would say that it needs copious amounts of gentlemanity! Whatever it is." said Behemoth.

"Gahhh... We can't put all of them in... Unless..." IF's eyes suddenly shot open. "I got it! If we can't pick one, we'll combine them all into one super monster that has all the right qualities to properly train Compa!" The other Makes all perked up at hearing IF's suggestion.

"That sounds wonderful!" Said Tekken.

"... Nice work IF." Muttered Arc, with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.

"We'll create the ultimate partner!" bellowed Nisa.

"Let's get this show on the road!" announced Platinum, as they all gathered around the computer and got to work...

"Wait... Why are the other Makers all here? Ify? What's going on?" cried out Compa.

"It's okay Compa! We finally have something for you! The perfect sparring partner!" yelled out IF as she pressed the 'Spawn' command on the console. A looming shadow formed behind Compa, as she turned around.

Standing in front of her, was a bear, twice the high of the Maker, with a hood covering it's face, only showing two red eyes, a grin, a scarlet curly mustache with a monocle covering one of his eyes, and a steel headband around his forehead with a paw print logo. His body was covered in an armored Ninja outfit with a white colour scheme and gold trim, with two solid looking angel wings protruding from it's back. Topping it all off, it had webbed feet that looked like a cross between bird feet and bear paws.

"HELLO DEAR MAIDEN. MY NAME IS SIR BEARINGTON K. McNINJAGUIN THE FIRST, BLESSER OF LIGHT. I AM HERE TO GIVE YOU A FINE GENTLEMAN'S DUEL THROUGH HONORABLE FISTICUFFS AND MYSTICAL SORCERY." Compa simply stood there, her eye twitching as Sir Bearington's eyes began to glow. "I CAN ALSO EMIT DAZZLING FOCUSED LIGHT FROM MY OPTICS, DOOD!" Compa had only one response.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Back at the console, the enthusiastic looks of all the Makers all dropped down into looks of concern.

"I don't think we thought this though." Said IF, staring blankly.


Back in the Prehistoric Tombs ride, the CPU's found themselves in a darker area, this one designed to look more like a tomb, with everything around them more of a dark green pallet rather than the sandy brown of before. The few light sources were in the form of flame braziers... Or rather plastic flame lamps. The walls contained a series of hieroglyphs of nonsense symbols and pictures, but it was obviously papered on, as the same set was repeated all along the walls.

"More 'beta elements' I suppose..." noted Blanc as Playmore awkwardly smiled towards her.

"Too spooky for me..." shuddered Neptune, still waddling along as a mummy.

"Too spooky for a toddler..." muttered Noire, bitter about her current condition.

"We've reached the final stretch folks! The terrors within are gonna pull out all the stops! One wrong move, and you will never be seen agaiiiin~" Playmore said spookily, as Noire rolled her eyes.

"Alright, let's get this-WHOA!" Noire said as something dropped from the ceiling, and burst open in a plume of smoke right in front of her feet. "Sheesh... Hey Playmore, what happens if you get gassed twice?" Asked Noire.

"Let me think..." Playmore said, holding a finger up to her mouth. "Well, this gas is a bit different than the stuff they had in the old ride. For one, it would sorta zombify the victim to stiffen them up, it would curse them in such a way that they would be able to crumpled into a pile, they would burst into flames upon second gassing, their heads would be able to be used as an explosive project-"

"Wait, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Exclaimed Noire in shock.

"The crumpling thing? Oh yeah, I requested the modified gas be unable to do that or the stiffening. Would have had some nasty side effects if it wore off..."

"No, I mean the bursting into flames thing!"

"Oh yeah!" Playmore said with a smile. "See, when you get gassed twice, it causes a reaction to make the victim burst into flames! That's why the old ride was so intense! It was for the hardcore of the hardcore! But since I had it changed, I guess that isn't a problem anymore..."

"You guess? How do you know that they haven't changed the bursting into flames issue? Or if it will do something worse?" asked Blanc. "If you said it's a curse, then it must mean it's magic. So how was it changed?"

"W-Well... I don't know how a lot of this magic stuff works, so I-I just trusted the people experienced with it to do so..." Playmore's confident look quickly disappeared, as she began to turn white. "But they said it may not be fully ready, so... Oh no... Oh man... This is bad. This is really bad!"

"You mean that anyone of us could be doomed if we get hit by gas twice?!" Said Vert in horror.

"Yikes! I don't want to become extra crispy! Nep Jr and my friends are counting on me tonight!" Neptune said in horror.

"Gah! I don't wanna die because of a theme park ride! I wanna get out of this crazy place!" yelled Noire. "Wait, if it sets mummies aflame, we just gotta get these bandages off! Somebody? Please don't put me through the whole 'Beg if you want help!' routine..."

Blanc smirked at her fellow CPU. "And yet you give me so many reasons to do just that Noire..."

"Look, i'll do it..." , Playmore walked up to Noire, grabbed onto the wrappings on her arm, and pulled, tearing them off, revealing Noire's fully human, if pale, hand underneath. "But..."

"What's wrong? Hey!" Noire felt funny as the bandages in Playmore's hand disappeared in a puff of purple, and reappeared on Noire's hand, wrapping it up again like nothing had touched it.

"Yeah... It wasn't meant to be that easy in the old ride either..." said Playmore, her voice shaking with fear.

"You mean I'm STUCK like this?!" shouted Noire in horror. "How can I survive the rest of the ride like this?!"

"I-It's okay... we can just go the other way out... It's not going through the rest of the ride if you're all in this much danger..." Playmore and the others turned around... Only for the door they entered though to erupt in a blast of purple smoke, as the others immediately jumped back.

"What the hell is this?!" Said Blanc.

"I-It must have been the pipes... We mustn't h-have... Oh, I'm sorry! Oh no... Why didn't I think this through... Ohhhh, this was a mistake, I screwed up bad..." Panicked Playmore, sweat pouring from her brow as she turned white.

"Playmore, you're not helping!" shouted Vert as she went up to Playmore and tried to hold her still. "Look, you mentioned that there were cure potions right? So if we can get to them, we'll be able to cure the others in time!"

"Y-You're right Lady Vert..." stuttered Playmore, cracking a week smile. "C'mon everyone, we gotta press on! I mean, you're all CPUs, right? You can do it!" The Maker's voice grew heated to motivate everyone as she thrusted her fist into the air, as they started moving forwards, Playmore, Vert and Blanc taking point.

"You both may be a pain in the ass, but hell if i'm letting you die!" Blanc roared out as two mummies came up in front of her, and were immediately blasted in half with a single hammer swipe, as they went up a slope. From the top of it, a pure white mummy popped out from a spinning wall, which it seemed to be embedded in. It's red eyes flashed as a clear ball rolled out of it's mouth, and down the slope.

"Watch out!" cried out Playmore, "Those balls will burst into the gas when hit!" Seeing them, Vert and Blanc quickly side-stepped the first, which started rolling towards the two mummified CPU's.

"We gotta jump Noire!" said Neptune as with a bit of straining, she quickly hopped over the ball, Noire following up. "Ooooh, i'm feeling even lighter than usual..."

"Neptune, there's another ball!" Yelled Noire as more balls rolled down at them. "We can't keep jumping like this!" All of the sudden, Noire felt something lift her up. The familiar Boing sound she heard immediately tipped her off who.

"Your sisters would never forgive me if I let you two get cooked on my watch!" said the Leanbox CPU as she caught Neptune under her arm (Noire's eyes narrowing in the process), and taking another leap as she kicked the target on the wall mummy in mid air. As it went dark and drooped down, she placed down the two on their feet, Neptune swaying back and forth like an upright plank.

"Nice to know that you have our sisters in mind..." Noire said in a voice laced with bitter sarcasm.

"Thanks for the save Vert!" Neptune chimed happily before her voice darkened. "But Nep Jr's still mine! Still, at least you didn't leave us hanging so you could take her!"

"I bet she only saved us because she knows she can't get away with it here. If she had the chance... She'd turn Nepgear and Uni into her Green Sisters after an 'accident' we'd have..." whispered Noire to Neptune, whose eyes widened.

"You can never trust a D-Cup, huh..." Whispered Neptune back. Before they continued on, as more mummies came up, two from the sides, and one mummy dogoo from the ground. The side ones got poked and obliterated respectively, with Playmore leaping over the plushie's smoke breath and punting like a ball into the distance.

The group advanced, but were halted in their tracks by a quick burst of smoke from the ground. They looked down to see a series of holes in the ground in five rows, as they emitted a puff of smoke one row at a time. "We have be careful guys! This requires focus and timing..." Noire looked at Neptune with a look of pity as the Planeptune CPU blushed.

"I'll show you how it's done!" Said Noire, walking onto the first row the moment the first burst came out then following up when it burst from the second, and the fourth. "See, just a pattern! I can do this even as a mummy!" She prepared to walk from the third row... And then saw plumes burst out of the first and fifth tows. "What?!"

"Hmf. I thought you would have learnt that cockiness won't do you any favor in this place..." Said Vert, disapprovingly.

"N-No no... I can get through this..." stuttered Noire as the second and fourth rows blasted out smoke, "wait... that would mean... YAH!" Noire quickly (and clumsily, thanks to her wrapped state) jumped out of the way of the holes as the gas went through the rows she was standing on.

"S-See, I told you I could do it..." Noire tried to say proudly to her fellow, less than impressed (expect Neptune) CPU's. She turned around, and was immediately met with the red LED eyes of a mummy... which instantly turned off when Noire instantly summoned her rapier in front of it's target and stiffly thrusted before it could breathe. The Lastation Goddess stood there, the exposed bits of her face whiter than her bandages.

"Even in the face of death, she wants to stroke her ego..." Mumbled Blanc under her breath. "So what about you Neptune?"

"Hmmm... Well, if I go on the first, the the second goes, and then the third... But then the first and the fifth go... Awww, this maths stuff is HAAAARD! I'll just wing it!" Neptune said as she prpared to cross the lines...

"Enough of this bullshit!" roared Blanc as she hoisted up Neptune, jumped up against the wall, and bounded right over the wall jets and onto the other side.

"Well, that's one way to get around..." Said Playmore, wide eyed, as she saw Vert leap over and do the same. The Maker shrugged as she dashed across the entire expanse, getting to the others as they saw a pit fall ahead, beyond which was a series of blocks leading upwards, with Dogoo Mummies on each step, puffing out their rings. "Look out everyone! You'll need to make a leap of faith, or you'll fall to your doom! Or onto a pile of soft cushions below. Now, with what happened before, maybe you should let-"

"I can do this!" Yelled Noire, as the first Dogoo on the step puffed out a ring that floated over the crevass, Noire, with all the might she could muster in her mummified legs, bounded right over the fall, and landed on her stomach on the other side, staring into the Dogoo's face, as she brought forth her blade, and tried to thrust forward at it's target. But she wound up barely missing it with her stiff arm.

"That wasn't suposed to-" she saw the Dogoo's eyes glow red. "happen? Oh oh!" Noire said as she clumsily rolled to the side as the another smoke ring wafted out of the Dogoo. The CPU tried to get to her feet, but could only manage to flail on the spot. "It's... It's too stiff... Stupid mummification!" Noire yelled, grunting and struggling to get to her feet.

"Do I have to do everything?" Grunted Blanc as she picked up Neptune.

"B-Blanny?! What are you gonna do to m-"

"MY NAME'S NOT BLANNYYYYYYY!" The Goddess of Lowee yelled as she hurled her fellow screaming Mummy CPU right up to the top of the steps, where she landed right ontop of the Dogoo at the top, making it pop with a burst of fluff.

"I don't like being ammo..." Neptune moaned, her eyes swirling in dizziness as she slipped down the next step, disabling the Dogoo below her. She limply rolled to the right as she fell down the last step, her wrapped head landing on the Dogoo, and the rest of her body landing on Noire as she grunted in pain.

"This ride needs to be sturdier..." noted Playmore, seeing that Neptune's impact had cracked the steps where she landed.

"T-This... This usually doesn't happen when I'm around." Remarked Blanc shyly, trying to save face. Vert snorted and giggled, causing Blanc to shoot her an angry look. They leaped over the edge, Vert grabbing the dazed Noire around the waist, and Blanc hoisting the dizzy Neptune along by the leg, as they both hopped up the steps. Reaching the top, two mummies descended from the ceiling. The first got poked out by Vert. The other was blasted in half down the middle as Blanc swung Neptune upwards as a bludgeoning weapon.

They heard another "Whirrrrr..." as they turned to see a much larger Mummy Dogoo in their path, it's huge eyes flashing a bright red. "You wanna get a CPU to face?!" dangling the bruised Neptune in front of it, with and blood running down her nose through her bandages.

"I guess this is what it's like to be a blunt weapon..." mumbled Neptune.

"NO PROBLEM gals! I got it!" The CPU's looked to see Playmore, dribbling what looked like one of the dismembered mummy heads lying about, jumped over the puff of smoke from the large mummy Dogoo, and dunked the head right onto it's target, shutting it down, as it was wheeled back into the passage it came out of.

Playmore turned back to the other CPU's as she landed, all of them looking impressed. "Hey, if you're gonna take out something that big, you gotta make it epic!"

Noire's attention was drawn to an opening in the walls behind the Dogoo spawn, spotting two bottles, the liquid shifting from red and blue. "Hey, are those... The cure potions?! Finally!"

"Yep, those are the cure potions! We'll get em for-"

"No time for that! I gotta get to them! I'm sick of being a mummy!" Noire said as she shuffled towards the passage.

"Hey Noire, I wanna some of that cure too!" Said Neptune as she staggered after Noire, but the Lastation CPU held the lead... And then Neptune saw two big red lights above the opening, coming from a large stone face from above that started to open it's mouth. Neptune saw Noire in front of it. She knew what was about to happen, and acted immediately.

"NOIRE! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" The Planeptune goddess yelled as she made a clumsy, yet effective dive right at the other mummified CPU, who looked at her in shock.

"Neptune?! What the heck are you- OOF!" She got hit with a thud as she went tumbling back and falling on her ass. "You moron, what did you do that fo-" And then she saw the plume of smoke erupt from the statue face, directly hitting the goddess. She yelped in fear as she erupting into a purple blast.

"Nep... NEPTUNEEEEEE!" Noire yelled out in utter horror, as the CPU landed on the ground in front of her smoldering with the purple gas all around her.

"NO!" screamed Vert, her hands clasped over her mouth, speechless. Blanc meanwhile, stood, there, frozen in shock, finding it hard to even say anything "I-I... I can't believe Neptune's... gone." Playmore looked like she was about to have a heart attack, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Noire blinked a few times in disbelief. Her heart started beating rapidly as her eyes began to well up in tears. "She saved me. She could have let me burn... and yet she still sacrificed herself for me... Neptune... I... I..."

"Mrrrfff..."

"I never realized how much of a... Oh Neptun-Wait, what was that mumble?" noted Noire, pausing her grief and looking around for the source.

"Mrrrrrfff..."

"What are we going to tell Nepgea-Hey, I heard it too..." Said Vert, as she looked around as well, along with Playmore and Blanc... And then they found the source.

"N-Neptune?!" Noire said in shock.

She wasn't smoldering anymore... And was instead wrapped even tighter, this time with her arms and legs bound together, with her mouth covered as well, wriggling on the ground in her bindings like a worm.

"Y-You... You... NEPTUNE YOU BIG DUMMY! You got me worried for nothing!" Screamed Noire, her face flushed with red in anger. She couldn't mask the tears coming out of her eyes though. The other people however, were more dumbfounded.

"She just... became more of a mummy." Muttered Playmore, slack jawed.

"So... I guess there was no danger..." Said Vert, eyes wide.

"Now that I think about it... We're goddesses. We don't really have to worry about permanent death... And we tend to survive this stuff anyway..." Blanc noted with an emotionless voice.

"So I guess we went through all this for nothing, huh?" said Noire, still on the ground. All of them went silent, the atmosphere going tense as none of them knew what to say. Until Vert made a noise.

"Psh... He he... Ha... Ha ha ha..." Vert sputtered out, gigglinging. "HAHAHAHAHA!" The Goddess burst into howling laughter, having to hold her self. Blanc looked mad for a second... And then cracked a smile as she started laughing as well. Playmore joined in immediately after, and with a sigh, Noire giggled before she went onto full on laughter as well. Even Neptune joined in with a muffled laugh through her bandages.

"HAHAHA... Oh... We were such idiots weren't we..." Said Vert, struggling to speak through her laughter.

"We... We actually believed we would die..." Noire chuckled out awkwardly, as she awkwardly maneuvered herself to her feet.

"I... I thought for a moment that I got a CPU killed... Hehe..." Playmore sighed in relief, regaining composure.

Blanc grabbed Neptune, and pulled her out from under the opening, holding her up this time. "I guess I didn't need to hurl you around so much Neptune... Although it was fun."

"Mrf!" Neptune made a noise through her wrappings, one that sounded surprisingly happy.

"Alright, may as well put an end to this..." Noire said as she carefully reached around the wall and into the opening, picking up one of the bottles, and pouring it on herself. All the wrappings around her dissolved away with a spray of blue smoke. She started stretching out her body and moving around her limbs in relief. "Ahhh... Feels so good to move again... Now for you Neptune..."

"I almost wish I had felt what it was like to get hit with the smoke..." Vert said, wondering...

As Blanc spied something lighting up at her feet. "Vert... You may wanna..."

"AHHH!" Vert shrieked as she caught a whiff of smoke from the object at her feet... That being another of the severed mummy heads from Blanc's rampage. The Leanbox Goddess was consumed in smoke, emerging as a mummy, just like Neptune and Noire when they got gassed, with her bow and her ends of her long hair sticking out. However, Vert managed to have another problem, with the wrappings around her chest making it look smaller...

"Ahhhh... It's too tight... It hurts..." Vert moaned in pain as she started staggering about, clutching her chest area. Blanc looking bemused at what was happening. The mummy that was Neptune in her arms started giggling. Vert continued to stagger back... And then went right into the statue's breath as she went up in smoke again.

"That stupid thing!" Blanc roared as she hurled her hammer right at it, smashing it in the face as it's eyes turned off. "Vert?"

"MRRRRFFFF! MRRR... MRRRRRRRFFFFFFFF!" Vert screamed through her bandages, violently thrashing on the ground from the pain of her bust being pushed back downwards thanks to the tightness of the wrappings. The other CPU's couldn't help but laugh once again.

"So maybe there are downsides to your size..." chuckled Blanc.

"Bet you never thought your pride and joy would hurt you so much!" Laughed Noire.

"Mrrrfff mrf mrf mrf mrrrfff!" cackled Neptune.

"Hey, girls? She really doesn't look too good!" said Playmore, worried about the writhing CPU. And indeed, as the others looked down at her, she was clearly in pain. Her teary eyes were filled with agony as her muffled shrieks grew more agonized. Everyone's laughter immediately died down, replaced with worry.

"This looks really bad..." Blanc muttered, looking at the Leanbox Goddess with pity. "We have to cure her!"

"Yeah, this may be irony, but nobody deserves this! She needs get out of those things!" Noire said, getting the other bottle. She looked back when she heard Neptune trying to valiantly say something, but to no avail. "Oh what is it?" Noire quickly summoned her sword in one hand, and then sliced open the wrappings around Neptune's mouth.

"USE IT ON HER! VERT DOESN'T DESERVE THAT KINDA PAI-MRRRFF!" Neptune belted out before the wrappings reformed, muffling her again.

"You really do care about us, huh Neptune..." Noire said as she dumped the other potion on Vert, turning her back to normal as she started breathing in and out.

"That was... that was..." Vert breathlessly repeated as she looked down at her boobs, with a look of betrayal.

"Come on," said Blanc, extending a hand to Vert, pulling her up. "Let's get out of this place." Vert smiled as Blanc let her lean on her shoulder, as the Lowee CPU turned to Neptune. "You deserve a lift. Want one?" Neptune shook her head, as she tried to bounce forward. It proved impractical, as she fell over on her fourth bounce. Blanc sighed as she walked by the fallen goddess, picking her up and holding her under her arm, as they all moved on.


"Well, Compa seems to be... learning?" Said Nisa as Sir Bearington hurled Compa across the ground again, following up with laser eyes. Compa rolled out of the way and got to her feet, before running for it, the laser eyes chasing the screaming Maker across the field.

"YOU MUST EXTERT MUCH MORE SUFFICIENT RETALIATORY FORCE MISS NURSE," roared the monstrous bear as he made a hand sign, and disappeared into thin air. Compa looked around for a moment, her body tense. And then she saw a shadow gather below her.

"EEEEEEK!" shrieked Compa as she barely got out of the way of an airborne claw swipe from above, rolling to safety as she continued to run.

"YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T GLIDE!" Bearington's wings started flapping as she started flying after Compa, dive bombing her as she desperately ran for her life.

Back at the console, IF let out a sigh. "This isn't working guys. We went too far. May as well just end it here..."

"I just don't get it!" Remarked Nisa. "Compa's held her own on our adventures! She may have been support, but she went with our team through thick and thin! Nothing was too big or small for her to stick her neck out for!"

"I know but... I guess her problems with fighting on her own are just too problematic. I wish she could be as brave by herself..." Said IF sadly. She reached for the console to terminate Sir Bearington...

Back on the field Compa was hiding behind a tree, shaking with fear as she prayed that she wasn't found. Her prayers were unanswered, as she felt a mass of heat and light right at her back. She hesitantly looked to see the tree reduced to ashes, and the monster staring right at her.

"FEAR IS MY HONEY!" Shouted the Bear. Compa immediately curled up into the fetal position, blocking her eyes. As heard his laser eyes charging up, she expected the worst... Before she heard a THUD sound.

"Huh?" She opened her eyes to see Bearington nailed right in the face with a flying kick. "Nisa?!" She exclaimed, as Bearington turned around to catch the sight of the source, he was met with three figures rushing right at him.

IF, Nisa and Arc all dashed at Bearington and began to fight, ducking and waving around his swipes and lasers. "W-What are you all here for?" Said Compa in surprise.

"Compa! Bearington's gone out of control! We tried to shut him down but he ignored commands! We came in to help you!" IF shouted out as she deflected one of his laser shots with her blades, as she charged in and made a slash on his chest. Bearington simply tanked the hit, and knocked IF away with a swipe.

"FOOLISH MAKERS! YOU SHALL NEVER ESCAPE! I HAVE USED THE SCIENCE OF BEARS TO SEAL THE ENTRYWAY IN! NO-ONE CAN HELP YOU! THIS PLACE SHALL BECOME YOUR MAUSOLEUM, DOODS!" Roared the creature, voice filled with malevolence.

"Ha! You can't crush our sprits with that! When our friends are in danger, our burning will shall win the day!" Announced Nisa valiantly as she got into a fighting pose. IF and Arc following up with their own combat stances.

"YOU MAY THINK YOU'RE GOLDEN ON THE INSIDE, BUT HOW ABOUT THE OUTSIDE?" The Ninja Angel Cat Bear smiled wickedly as he made another hand sign. "HONEY PRISON!"

"Oh no! Not the Honey Prison!" Yelled Nisa as she, IF and Arc all saw yellow glyphs forming underneath their feet, before they were all engulfed in golden pillars of light as Compa looked away. When she opened her eyes again, she gasped, seeing her friends all coated in thick golden shells, making them look like smooth, featureless statues. "W-What have you done to them?!"

"THEY HAVE FALLEN PREY TO MY POWERS! SOON, THE ENZYMES WITHIN THEIR SHELLS SHALL TURN THEM INTO WHAT COVERS THEM!" Shouted the Bear with an evil grin.

"W-Wait. Enzymes? Then that means that... You're going to turn them into solid honey!" Shuddered Compa, looking over in horror at her imprisoned friends.

"YOUR RUNNING IS FUTILE, FOR I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED... FOR DINNER!"

Compa shook on the spot as she clenched her fists. "... Let them go..."

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"I-I said l-let them go!" Compa said, holding out her syringe in her shaking hands, and holding her position.

The monster, grinned, not phased in the slightest by Compa's threat. "HOW IS A FOOL WHO HAS DONE NOTHING BUT RUN SUPPOSED TO MAKE SUCH A DEMAND?"

"By not running anymore!" The nurse yelled out as she charged straight ahead and stabbed her needle right into his chest. "TOXIC BOOSTER!" The bear howled in pain as he swung down at Compa, who just barely stepped back out of the way.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"I just inflicted poison on you! My recommendation is to get plenty of rest, don't do anything physical, and release my friends!" Said Compa, doing her best to sound brave.

"YOU THINK HEALTH LOSS WILL STOP ME? TIME FOR LASERS!" Despite feeling queasy, the hulking bear flew up into the air and started firing lasers from the sky, causing Compa to dash away again as she started dodging the blasts.

"How am I gonna get a clean attack on him..." fretted the Maker. She looked at her syringe as she got an idea. She stopped right in place, holding up her syringe above her head. "CURE!" The Bear smiled as it shot it's laser beams right at her, scoring a direct hit the moment the spell was cast, enveloping the Maker in smoke... But as it cleared, Bearington's expression turned to surprise as she saw Compa, covered in a green Aura, pointing her weapon right at him.

"HEART SNIPE!" Compa yelled out as a pink shot blasted out of the needle's tip and hit the Bear right in the wings, causing him to lose balance, as he started violently swaying in the air, before crashing right into the ground. As he tried to get up, he was met with a shaking needle in his face, Compa holding it as close as she could.

"A-Alright Bear!" Compa said through gritted teeth. "Y-You better release my friends, or you're gonna get really sick!"

"HMM! SO YOU HEALED YOURSELF TO ABSORB THE IMPACT AND THEN USED THAT TO GET AN OPENING! YOU HAVE A STRONGER SPIRIT THAN I THOUGHT SUNSHINE!" Growled the Bear with a satisfied grin, as Compa waved the needle around.

"NOT YET! LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS!" Said Bearington as he quickly got up and pounced on Compa before she could even retaliate, pinning her to the ground. Compa was shaking in fear as she wordlessly looked at the beast towering right over her, as he primed his claws. "I SHALL KNOCK THE EXCREMENT OUT OF THAU!"

Compa primed her 'weapon' as the bear bombarded her with a flurry of swipes, Compa responding by rapidly and desperately stabbing her needle into the air, clashing with the claw flurry and creating a massive storm of sparks as the two tried to get the better of each other...

Back at the console, the remaining Makers looked at the clash happily. "I never knew she has it in her!" said Tekken.

"That nurse has got one feisty heart underneath that cotton shell of hers!" Platinum said with a satisfied smirk.

"And all it took to winch her out of that shell was the soft embrace of friendship and honey! The solution to all problems!" Behemoth proudly declared, manning the console.

"Think we should finish it up now?" asked Platinum.

"I think Compa could do with a bit more strain... She needs to feel the burn, the sting, and get sore all over before she becomes super strong!" Said Tekken, shuddering at the idea.

"You want her to embrace the pain eh?" Platinum said, while looking over at Tekken. "You seem awfully excited about the idea..." Tekken gulped and stepped back as Platinum loomed over her. "... I like that~" Tekken flashed a smile back.

Their bonding was interrupted by the sounds of somebody else entering. "What's going on over here?" said a very condescending voice, that the Makers knew too well.

"Cappy? What are you doing here?" asked Tekken, backing up a bit. Platinum rolled her eyes upon seeing the Maker.

"Ye gads Miss Cappy! If you are inquiring about Miss Vert, then I can explain why people need fun! You see it all dates back to-"

"I don't care about your nonsense, bird!" Cappy yelled, cutting off Behemoth But tell me, where is Vert. And while i'm at it..." The sneering Maker's eyes looked over to Compa still fighting Sir Bearington. "What is that nonsense over there?"

"Miss Compa is dueling with our Virtual Creation, Sir Bearington K. McNinjaguin, for the lives of her noble friends!" Behemoth said happily.

"So she's trapped there? I'll take care of this..." Cappy said as she walked into the VR Space...

"No!" Tekken shouted. "C-Compa is doing this as training, so don't disturb her!"

Cappy's look of death shot right through Tekken, who felt her blood go cold. "So you seem to have grown a spine..."

"Oh I have had enough of you!" Yelled Plat, walking in front of Cappy. "I'm sick and tired of you flaunting around your air of superiority over everyone as if they were grubs! Tell me, what gives a stuffy business type like you such high ground?"

Everyone in the close vicinity felt a prickle in the air, as Cappy took two steps forward. "You. Want to know why everyone here is below me? A worthless flash in the pan, Has-Been like you?"

"There's another thing sunshine! What do you get at with calling me a 'has-been'? What the hell do you know about me?"

A bitter smile came over Cappy's face. "You don't remember, do you? All Style, no Substance... That phrase sounds like it was made for you." Platinum clenched her teeth as she got madder and madder. "If you can't even remember what you were, 'Queen of Stylish Combat', what makes you think you deserve to know?" Cappy sneered as she walked away.

"You BITCH!" Platinum yelled out, Cappy showing no signs of being bothered by it.

"I'll show you why you're all below me. And I want you to stamp every bit of this lesson into your minds till the day you die..." Cappy's voice was ice cold as she continued to walk.

"But this was for Compa!" Yelled Tekken.

"And why should I care?"

Back on the field, Compa stood panting, squaring off against her furry opponent, looking at her frozen friends and then back to Bearington, hands ready on her syringe. The tension was broken when they heard somebody walk from behind her.

"WHO THE DEVIL ARE YOU?!"

"So this is what you fools made? Seems I have to give more credit to Miss Vert's system than I thought." Said Cappy, barely paying attention to the beast.

"H-Huh? What are you doing here, I thought that-"

Cappy immediately thrusted a palm in front of Compa's face, silencing her. "Watch. Just watch."

Bearington immediately charged at the Maker, claws at the ready as he prepared to swipe. "TIME FOR A GRIZZY DEMIS-"

He stopped dead with a look of shock etched on his face. Staring down, he saw Cappy with a palm shoved right into his stomach. "Y-YOU-"

"HIYA!" Cappy roared as she pulled her first out and kicked Bearington right in the chest making him stagger backwards. Bearington regained his footing, and tried to swipe again. Cappy ducked under the shot and delivered an underhanded punch back into his gut before bring back her hands and forming an orb of energy within them. "HADOUKEN!" She yelled as she fired it into his chest, causing the Bear to howl in pain.

The bear made a hand sign and reppeared behind Cappy, trying to do a flying punch. Cappy barely moved as he went screaming towards her...

"SHORYUKEN!" In the spit second before the impact, Cappy delivered a mighty uppercut to her opponent's jaw, making him twirl around in midair, as the Maker followed up with a flurry of kicks to him, ending with one solid one that sent him crashing into the ground.

"What's that jerk doing here! She's ruining everything!" Yelled the voice of... IF. As Compa looked back in confusion, she saw IF, completely uncovered by honey, looking furious. And expression that died the moment she saw Compa looking at her.

"IFY?! But... I saw you... How are..." Compa stuttered out, trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

"C-Compa, I-I can explain..."

Bakc at the fight, the monster bear started shooting it's laser eyes right at Cappy, who gracefully swerved and ducked around them without losing speed. She walked right up into his face smirking at him. The bear panted on the spot, looking at Cappy, eyes full of fury. The smriking Maker made a beckoning movement with her hands, as Bearington wound up one massive punch and threw it right at Cappy.

She stopped it with an outstretched hand.

The bear had a moment of disbelief before receiving another harsh punch, and then Cappy, glowing with a blue Aura charged up another Hadouken, but biggest and burning more ferociously than before.

"SHINKU... HADOUKENNNNNN!"

She blasted the massive ball right into the creature's chest, causing a blast of energy for out of it's back, as she walked away. Bearington had a dead eyed look on his face, as he limply fell forwards and exploded in a massive fireball, the pyrotechnics highlighting Cappy as she walked away.

"SIR BEARINGTON NOOOOOOOO!" cried Behemoth as he ran across the field to the crater, looking down into the smoldering remains, as a single tear dropped from his eye. "I CAN'T BELIEVE SIR BEARINGTON IS FU-FLIPPING DEAD! Rest in flipping pieces..."

All the other Makers, rather than mourning Bearington, were staring at Cappy as she walked away, more angry than impressed.

As she walked back Tekken, the Maker suddenly spoke. "... The Shoto style, right?"

"Oh it seems that way... But my newest style is more than it seems." Cappy continued to walk.

"And what about the risks?" Said Tekken, blankly. Cappy turned around and shot a death glare right at the Martial Artist.

"You have no right to point fingers. You devil..." Tekken's mouth quivered before she looked down, leaving Cappy to simply walk away.

"That big JERK!" IF screamed out after she left. "I can't believe she would pull this crap! That self absorbed egotistical little-"

"Ify? You didn't say why you or the others weren't frozen in honey..." Compa said, in a concerned, almost betrayed voice.

"Compa, I-I'm sorry, I-"

"It was my idea," said Arc walking forwards, "I can explain."

"I know but... I guess her problems with fighting on her own are just too problematic. I wish she could be as brave by herself..." Said IF sadly. She reached for the console to terminate Sir Bearington...

But hand was grabbed and held back before she could do it. IF looked up and saw Arc holding her hand, her lowered headband covering her eyes, making the Maker look emotionless. "What if you forced her to be brave?" Said Arc.

"Huh? What do you have in mind Arc?"

"I came up with the idea to make it look like the simulation malfunctioned. I thought that you would do your absolute best if your friends were in trouble. I mean, even before that, you were doing pretty well at dodging, kid."

"The Honey Prison was my idea!" Nisa said proudly. "The biggest stakes for a hero is when their loved ones are trapped, and are counting down to their demise!"

"They sure were big for us and Nepgear when Neptune was captured..." IF said, reminiscing.

cYou may have thought we were encased in honey, but that was just another VR trick!" Chimed Nisa.

"So... all that stuff I did to that beast... it was all... fake?" Said Compa.

"No it wasn't Compa!" IF told her as she put her hands on her shoulders. "We may have pretended to get caught, but everything you did was real! You can be a good fighter!"

"But... that was only because I thought you were in trouble!" Compa said, shaking her head.

"I know, but you know you can do that kinda stuff now right?" IF smiled at her friend, as she continued to speak. "I'm sorry that Cappy ruined it... We had more planned for you..."

"Cappy... I don't wanna fight her... I really was nothing compared to her..." moaned Compa, tears starting to swell in her eyes.

"So what!" Said Nisa "Cappy's just a big crook! You're the real winner! Success means nothing to me if it doesn't make others happy!"

"You got a heart of fire nurse! That soft outside just makes it burn hotter!" said Plat.

"I'd have a fighter like you over jerks like Maker X and Cappy any day Compa!" IF reached in and embraced her fellow Maker, who broke into a weak smile. "C'mon. Neptune and Nepgear must be waiting for us." IF released Compa as she nodded and they started moving off. "Thanks for the help everyone!" IF happily said to her fellow Makers, as they started waving back. Arc however, walked forwards.

"Hey, you two. Mind if I tag along for a bit?" She said with a strong smile.

Compa blinked a few times. "Arc? Sure, but, why's that? I mean, you don't seem like the type to-"

"I've... taken a bit of a shine to you." Arc said as she started walking off with the Planeptune Makers. The others waved goodbye in turn.

"Hey Behemoth, wanna do something else in this place?" Asked Nisa. Behemoth was too busy mourning at the crater site to notice.

"And you were my best friend, you were my-"

"Bearington~"

"Beary, Bearington~"

The other Makers looked at each other and decided to leave the chicken to his own devices.


Nepgear and the other Candidates were walking back down to the meeting place all chatting about their experiences.

"So how many Walkpasses did you get you two?" Asked Nepgear.

Ram and Rom happily flipped opened their handhelds to check their amounts... And Ram proceeded to frown. "18?! Just 18?! How did we get even less than yesterday?!"

"I thought almost everyone would get us a Walkpass..." Said Rom sadly.

"Oh Goodness... Well, don't give up hope! I'm sure you'll have a load of Walkpasses soon!" Nepgear happily told them, as they both lit up with smiles.

"Thanks Nepgear!" They said, Uni quietly snorting. She didn't feel right ruining Nepgear's attempt to make Rom happy (Ram, not so much). Nepgear looked to somewhere else, and saw her Maker friends waving at her from the distance.

"IF! Compa!" She happily said, waving at them. "You ready to get Nepgear and ride up the coaster?" The two of them nodded back as the Candidate cracked into an even wider grin. She then noticed Arc. "Oh hello Arc! You making friends with IF and Compa?"

"Just... Getting to know them is all..." Arc said with a firm voice. IF looked at her with a wry smile. The group finally reached the tarp covered area, as they waited for their CPU friends. And sure enough, people started coming out of the tarp.

"Sis! We're all here! How wa-AHHH!" Nepgear's jovial attitude was cut short when she saw Blanc carrying out a figured completely bandaged up tightly, who Nepgear immediately knew from her wide, purple eyes. "SIS! What happened to you!" Screamed out Nepgear as the other CPU's and Playmore started looking at each other.

"Heya Nep Jr! I got a little wrapped up during the ride..." Neptune said, sounding as if what happened to her was no big deal.

"She looks like she came out of Compa's clinic!" Exclaimed IF.

"Thank goodness you managed to apply proper medical procedure!" Compa said, not at all insulted by IF's comment.

"She didn't get injured." Blanc said. "She got hit with a mummy curse."

"A mummy curse? Oh no! Don't tell me you got attacked by-"

"AN ANCIENT DEMON!" shouted out Ram and Rom in terror!

"I'm sorry I let you down sis!" Cried the Candidate as she rushed over and embraced her mummified sister. "I'll make sure to undo whatever horrible magic that demon had done to you!"

"Awww, silly Nepster! Your sis will be fine!" Neptune muffled out through the bandages, as Nepgear looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"If it makes you feel any better, Neptune did a lot to help us Nepgear." Said Vert, strolling over and stroking the Candidate's cheek. "You would have been so proud of her..." The other CPU's rolled their eyes at Vert's favoritism, Neptune herself mumbling to herself.

"Your sister is a true hero Lady Nepgear!" Playmore declared.

"She was noble. I'll give her that." Noted Blanc, seeing her sisters walk over to the mummified CPU and poking her, making Neptune giggle in response.

"Neptune... Yeah I guess she really helped me out..." Noire said awkwardly, as Uni looked at her with her eyes raised.

"Anything for you girls!" Neptune said happily.

"So... I'm real sorry about what happened back there. Maybe I shouldn't have let you all in the ride..." Muttered Playmore regretfully.

"Don't sweat it Playmore!" Neptune said to her. "You promised us one of the coolest and most exciting rides ever, and that's what we got! I'm proud to be a mummy right now!"

"Despite some... Pains" Vert said as she rubbed her chest. "It was a lot of fun getting through those obstacles. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you Neptune. I should get out more often!" Even under her bandages, everyone could see Neptune crack into a big smile.

"Yeah, it was pretty enjoyable! Of course, if I go through it again, i'd definitely be able to bring my A Game!" Noire stood up proudly with her arms crossed, as Blanc scoffed.

"It was certainly a unique experience..." Muttered Blanc. "And I learnt that sometimes, the things you envy can hurt people in ways they never imagined..." As she said those words, her eyes trailed over to Vert's boobs...

"Wow sis! That seems like a really touching message..." Said Ram.

"How did you learn it?" Asked Rom. Blanc stood there, silently. "Sis?"

"... Nothing. Come on you. Lets see if we can do something together..." Blanc said to her siblings as they walked away.

"I should be off myself... I think I could find something else to do around here..." Said Vert as she walked away.

"C'mon Uni, we'll find something as well." Noire told her sister as they started to leave, but she stopped when she passed Neptune. "Hey Neptune, I... I just wanted to say that... Back there I..."

"Sis, what's wrong?" Asked Uni, seeing her sister trying to awkwardly tell Neptune something.

"I just wanted to... Never mind." Noire turned away and left with Uni, the Lastation Candidate looking puzzled before she left.

"So what kinda ride was this?" Asked Arc after the other CPU's left.

"It was based on that arcade game!" Said Neptune through her wrappings. "Y'know, the one with the Rawket Lawnchair!"

"What's a Rawket Lawnchair?" Asked IF, confused.

"It's a mistranslation. The announcer said it funny. The first and second games didn't even have it-" Arc stopped as she saw the others all looking at her, shocked at her knowledge, causing Arc to blush. "I... Saw it in a book... Somewhere."

"Just like how you were fascinated with those dolls, huh?" Said IF, with a smile.

"Oh hey! I didn't know you were a Negeos fan! And a Lady Asamiya one at that!" Playmore said happily.

"I-I... W-Well..." Arc stood there, stuttering, not knowing what to say. "... I-I need to go." She quickly dash away down the streets.

"Arc! Wait!" Compa cried out. IF looked at the Maker, her suspicions about her getting stronger than ever...

"So what are we gonna do about the Rollercoaster now sis?" Asked Nepgear, still holding her sister up. "I mean, we can't exactly ride something like that with you as a mummy..."

"Sure we can! What can't a Mummy Nep do that normal Nep can't?" Neptune chimed.

"Use hands for one. Walking is another." IF snarked.

"We can find a way!" Neptune said, unswayed by IF's logic.

"She couldn't even talk at first until she managed to move her mouth under the bandages in such a way that it would allow speech!" Said Playmore, Neptune making a happy sound in response.

"Hey Playmore, is there any way to turn Neptune back to normal?" Asked Nepgear.

"Well, for one, i'll try to get in contact with people who can make more... But it's gonna take a while, and probably won't be done by tonight." Playmore said sadly. "And... There's another problem. I contacted the Coaster attendant, and it turns out I can't wave Neptune's height."

"WHAT?!" Said the Planeptune group.

"I know! I thought I could change it, but apparently it's a flat rule, and I would, in the attendant's words, 'Incur the wrath of the Ride Union'. I'm real sorry all of you..."

All of the group frowned, Neptune moaning in sadness.

"I was really looking forward to going on the ride with you sis..." Nepgear mumbled.

"We wouldn't think of going on without you..." Said Compa.

"I guess we've had good enough fun tonight..." Moaned Neptune. "But it's not victory fun... If only I was differ-WAIT!" The others were drawn to Neptune's shout. "Team Neptune, i've just come up with a Neptastic idea!"

Deep below the park, in the lower, grimy basements of the Prehistoric Tombs ride, Pirachu and Linda walked through the dust corridors, before finally reaching a large gas tank mechanism.

"Nice work with the pipes back there Pirachu." Linda said to her rodent friend.

"It was nice to see them freak out... Although I can't believe that brainless chump didn't burst into flames!" Said the mouth, gritting his teeth in disapointment.

"Well if she did, Arfoire would have been pissed as hell! You know she want to crush the Planeptune CPU herself for ruining everything!" Said Linda defensively.

"Yeah yeah... Think what we've got in that hanger is planned for her, chump?"

"It's either her or that worthless Candidate..." The underling fumed as she remembered all the beatdowns she had suffered at the hands of Nepgear and her friends... "Okay, i'll get the gas out!" Linda said as she picked up one of the canisters and attached it to one of the pumping mechanisms.

"Be careful alright! You know what'll happen if you screw this up chump!" Pirachu told the underling as he proceeded to keep his distance.

"Oh come on, i'm better than that!" Linda turned the faucet on the machine with a loud creek with every turn that made Pirachu shudder. Linda held the bottle still, and... Nothing happened as she successfully capped it. Pirachu, surprised, walked back up to Linda.

"So what was that about me screwing it up?" Linda said with a tone dripping with smugness.

"Yeah yeah... I guess even you have moments when you aren't a total chump..." Pirachu begrudgingly said.

"Dang straight" Linda went into a relaxed pose against the machine. She didn't notice that she rested her elbow onto the fauchet... Until she felt herself falling as the weight pushed the knob down and started spinning it.

The two looked at each other for a brief moment before they realised what would happen, as a jetlike blast of purple smoke erupted from the machine.

"YOU MOR-"


"Those idiots are late!" Cursed Arfoire. The leader of ASIC was waiting in one of the tunnels for her two subordinates to return. "One day i'll be rid of those obnoxious morons... Damn those worthless Candidates for disposing of my best minions..."

"Hey, what about me?!" yelled Trick "I'm one of the CFW's right? And you've been starving me dry! All those sweet little cupcakes above and you won't even let me have a taste!"

"Shut it you idiot! I don't want your disgusting habit blowing our cover before it's time!" Arfoire snapped at the Lizard, fuming once again about her current help.

"But I gotta have them! I can't wait any longer! You're killing me here! This place has gotta be a paradise for little maidens," Trick continued licking his lips at the idea. Arfoire shuddered as he went on.

"Eh?" Her bitterness was distracted by hearing a sound getting closer and closer. "What's that?" She stepped forward and looked into the tunnel, seeing a growing white mass get closer and closer. "What the hell is that thin-GAH!" Arfoire screamed out as she was run over by a massive white spinning ball, that headed full speed towards Trick... And came to a stop as it polished him into a wall, being cushioned by his thick, fat gut.

"WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!" Arfoire snapped as she got to her feet, and looked at the ball. On closer inspection, it seemed to be entirely comprised of linen. And there was muffled sounds from within. She grabbed where the source of the noise was coming from, ripped it open... And then saw the faces of her two minions inside.

"You two?! What the hell happened to you?!"

"MUMMY GAS! MUMMY GAS DID THIS TO US! I GOT SOME RIGHT HE-" Linda screamed out before she was sealed up again as the bandages with a puff of purple smoke. Arfoire raised an eyebrow, as she tore it open again. "THIS STUFF WORKED ON THE CPU'S! THAT IDIOT NEPTUNE GOT SUBJECTED TO IT! IT'S IN MY HAN-MRFFF!" She was resealed up again, as a wicked smile came over Arfoire's face.

"Interesting..." Arfoire said as she tore open the ball, and retrieved the gas tank from within. "I think a certain Maker would be very interested to get such a weapon..." The witch started to walk away before she heard loud mumbling from the ball. Sighing, she turned around and ripped it open again. "Oh what is it?"

"Can you get us out boss?" Asked Linda, trying to suck up as much as she could.

"Yeah hag! Don't leave us hanging!" Yelled Pirachu.

"You two were complaining about not having beds, so I think this should suit you just fine!" Arfoire said with a smile, ignoring their protests as they got wrapped up again.

"Hey, you should be happy you get a comfy bed. I haven't gotten anything I want!" Whined Trick, still up against the wall, as moans came out of the bandage ball...


"Alright, i've gotten the go ahead to let you though, Miss Nepgear for you, your two companions, and your... What is that?"

The Planeptune Team had finally returned to the rollercoaster, all standing in front of the attendant with very awkward smiles, due to Nepgear holding her mummified sister right beside her... But now with a bow ribbon on top.

"T-This is my very special carnival prize!" Said Nepgear, sweating. "I-It's very precious to me, a-and I couldn't bear to leave it behind! So, I want to take it with me on the rollercoaster, because it's just that important to me!"

"Mrff!"

The attendant looked closer at the wrapped figure. "I heard it make a sound."

"I-It's a talking doll!" Nepgear quickly said. "A very special talking doll! It's super advanced and everything! Cause I love that stuff! Ha ha ha..." The attendant looked at Nepgear and the others, all of them flashing a weak thumbs up at her. She raised her eyebrow, not entirely convinced by their cover story... but shrugged and waved them through.

As they got in their seats on the coaster, Nepgear placed her bound sister on the other seat beside her, and snapped the harness over the small package, Neptune muffling out excitedly as best as she could.

"I know, it's gonna be so much fun!" grinned the Candidate, Neptune hopping up in joy as well, "Even if you're... not exactly all there."

Nepgear was interrupted by the siren, indicating that the harnesses were to be locked in place, and that the coaster was starting. Nepgear leaned back, checking one last time that her sister was safely attached... then, the train began to slowly crawl up. The coaster slowly rose up further and further, being pulled up by the chain link, Nepgear starting to get a little wound up.

"Kinda exciting, the calm before the storm, right sis?" Nepgear whispered to her sister. "Sorry that you slipped up with your mouth position, Neptune…"

"Mmmmm mrpf!"

"You'll be fine sis…"

The coaster continued to be pulled up towards the peak of the track, high up into the sky, pulling ever so closer to the end. Nepgear, indeed, gasped at the sight she saw: the moon shining bright, down on the coast of Negeos, with everything, the skyline, the theme park, everything, illuminated by lights. Then, just as the sight had really pierced into Nepgear's (and probably not Neptune's) memories... their vision fell downward, and the roar of wind came rushing past their ears as the coaster accelerated, reaching its breaking point of speed.

It was such a rush for Nepgear, she couldn't even look over to her sister. She was too busy enjoying the speed, the momentum, the sheer velocity, that she just forgot it all...

And then, three minutes later, it was all over. Nepgear panted in her seat, and when the harnesses came loose, Nepgear slowly snaked her arms out, and pushed it over her head, her eyes wide with excitement and adrenaline. The Candidate breathed once more, and smiled.

"Sis, that was amazing! What did you-"

And instead of a mummified package, there was empty space.

"... Sis?" Nepgear wordlessly looked behind her, seeing IF and Compa staring at the empty spot, mouths wide open in wordless horror. Behind them, one of the people spoke up.

"Hey girl, your toy went flying away on that last drop."

Nepgear took a few moments to let it sink in. And then she responded the only way she could.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


It had been a long night for Noire. After spending time with her sister, the two of them headed back to their hotel room. Before they could go through the doors to the building, Uni spoke up.

"Hey sis? What were you going to say to Neptune back there?" Uni asked her sister.

"Oh... I was just... Gonna tell her that she was... Nice in the ride..." Noire mumbled, trying to hide her true thoughts.

"... You think she's a real friend, don't you?" Uni said with a small smile. Noire's eyes widened at that.

"W-Who told you?!" Noire shouted out.

"You don't think I can see through you like that sis? I know when you're trying to hide something..."

The CPU of Lastation sighed as she spoke again. "Well... She... She tried to save me back there. Sure it turned out we weren't in danger, but I appreciated the effort..." Noire looked away, up to the sky. "Y'know, I know Neptune's an obnoxious pain almost all the time, and dumb as a post, but... I guess I admit the heart she has for us, y'know?"

"I guess Nepgear had to get from somewhere..." Uni said happily, thinking of her best friend.

"So... I guess when you get down to it... Neptune's... A real... What's that?"

Noire's attention was grabbed by a lightly colored object getting bigger and bigger, hearing what sounded like a muffled scream as it hurled right for her...

And then the second before the moment of truth, it hit her. In more ways than one.

"NEPTUN-"


And that's a wrap! I don't think i'll have a chapter thing long again for a while… Or sooner. I don't know what to expect anymore…

And before I go, one last note. I've kinda set it up as I was developing the fic, but Nep Arena takes place in another alt timeline. It's kind of a fusion of the Mk2/Victory continuity and the Anime continuity. For example, the CPU's were captured by the full forces of ASIC, like Mk2 but they were imprisoned similar to the Anime, with the whole Anti Liquid creeping up on them. There's more, but i'll go into it another time. I wanted to go this route because I wanted to fit in elements from the Anime that I liked, while keeping the scope of Mk2/Victory. Plus, the games themselves have had so many alt timelines/universes, what harm is another?

But anyway, seeya next time!