The world could be very... mysterious sometimes.

Although she was young, Nepgear felt like this was something she was becoming able to understand very well.

Things were bad for Planeptune right now. Things were really, terribly bad for them. Nepgear knew this. In fact, Nepgear wondered if she understood how bad they were more than even her supposed airhead of a sister did. She had never known things for Planeptune to be this bad before. Histoire was a nervous wreck and even Neptune was acting less and less like her bright and cheery self. Certainly, it seemed like everyone understood how bad it was, with how upset they were acting, especially when Nepgear was able to catch them when they thought no one was around to see, but that was the thing... Nepgear...

Nepgear wasn't all that upset about it.

Oh, no, she wasn't celebrating, certainly not, but...

Despite how their shares were plummeting, despite how their nation was facing a crisis like it never had before, and despite how not even Histoire seemed like she could think of anything they could do to fix this situation...

Nepgear just wasn't as upset as the situation seemed like it called for her to be.

She should have been upset, but she just wasn't. She had ample reason to be upset, but as horrible as it made her feel for feeling this way...

She was actually... enjoying herself a little.

But only a little!

Really!


"Hey, Nepgear! What are you doing?"

The CPU Candidate perked up at the sound of her sister's voice calling her name. She had been dozing off at the table, in the middle of filling out some kind of paperwork... Now that it was being asked, she had to wonder it herself. What had she been doing again? Oh... Oh well, she supposed it didn't matter. She could get back to it later. Neptune needed her for something, and that always came first, now didn't it?

"Sorry sis, I..."

Nepgear frowned as her treasured older sister came into view. She trailed off, her words falling to the wayside as she took in the sight. The bags under Neptune's eyes were worse than they had been, and despite Nepgear's best efforts with packing their meals, it looked like she was still losing weight. Was her skin starting to pale as well, or was that the lighting of the room...? Come to think of it, Nepgear had been feeling like she needed glasses lately, but... Oh, never mind that, just look at her sister! Look! At! Neptune! If her hair started falling out or something horrible like that... Nepgear wouldn't be able to control herself! She'd do whatever she had to to fix this!

She knew she wasn't much better off, but this was her sister — this was their nation's, no, Nepgear's goddess! Neptune was the one that needed to be at the top of her game, yet look at her... It was heartbreaking for Nepgear to see the person she loved above all else in such a condition.

"Um... I actually... Goodness..." When it dawned on her that Neptune was honestly watching her and waiting for an answer, Nepgear found herself at a loss. She felt stricken. She was denying Neptune. "I don't remember, hahaha..." Nepgear scratched her cheek awkwardly and offered her sister a small smile as the CPU joined her, standing next to the seated Nepgear to look over whatever the CPU Candidate had been doing. Rather than join her sister at looking at the papers on the table, Nepgear chose instead to gaze at her sister. "How was... Oh, I... Dear, what was it? What were you doing again?"

Her words a jumbled mess, Nepgear settled for just looking at her sister.

Neptune... Her big sister... She was so misunderstood... She knew it so well. Neptune could do just as much as anyone else when the situation called for it. Yes, she could be a bit overbearing, and she was most certainly a little lazy at times, and it had been often that Nepgear had had to pick up the slack for her in the past, but... Just look at how she was handling this situation...!

Now she had to do this for her sister. She had to do her best. She had to do better than her best.

"What was I doing? Ummm, nothing super important... If it was super anything, then it was super boring, Nep Jr., nothing you want to know about. I had half a mind to sneak out of there, you know? Well, if you really wanna know, you'll hear about it later anyways." Neptune smiled at her sister, but this smile wasn't nearly as genuine as the ones Nepgear was used to. Nepgear could tell. Even when she talked about work, in the past, Neptune would make faces and make fun of it, but... But this wasn't the kind of face she was making at all. And to make that smile real again... Nepgear knew...

Still wearing that smile, Neptune looked from Nepgear to the items on the table once more. It looked almost like she was dreading what she'd see... But then?

"Oh, this is about that thing Histy wanted for!" Her sister lit up, vibrant and beautiful, just like she used to look all the time. She gave Nepgear a brief hug before she pulled away to kiss her briefly on the cheek, her eyes shining. Nepgear wished they could have been shining with more than relief — relief that Neptune didn't have to come home just to do this herself — but it was a start. "You're amazing, Nep Jr., seriously...! I thought I was gonna have to dig into this dumb old thing now... I might actually have enough time to do some quests tonight! You really saved your big sister's tush here!"

To bring back her sister's smile...

To make her not have to work and go questing so much...

Nepgear would do it...

No... She had to do it. It had to be her. No one else could do this. This was something that Nepgear... had to... no one else... had the...

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hey, c'mere, kiddo, you don't look so good. Wanna take a nap or something?" Nepgear was pulled away from her thoughts as an arm wrapped around her shoulders, shaking her ever so slightly. Neptune was gently holding her... Had she been falling asleep again? That was no good — she needed to be strong for Neptune! And she needed to be awake to be there for her most of all! "We're gonna be all good again soon, okay? Just hang in there a little more, then we can go right back to kicking everybody's butts like usual, you'll see."

The Candidate's expression softened at the display. Neptune was smiling at her, just like she always did. This was right. This was how it should be. One would think she should be calling Neptune "kiddo" rather than the other way around, but this was how it was. And it was moments like this that she treasured more than any other. These brief moments she got to feel like the little sister to Neptune when Neptune was still Neptune.

And it was during times like these, as she drifted off to sleep in her older sister's arms, that she couldn't help but think... she couldn't help but want...

Maybe she didn't have to do it that quickly... Maybe... Maybe if things stayed like this a little longer...

Then Neptune would be like this with her... that much longer too...

What was the worst that could happen?


More and more, most of Neptune's time, free and otherwise, was spent with Nepgear now.

Nepgear's stomach churned thinking about it, but the fact was... She had spent more time with her sister, bonding with her sister, growing closer to her sister, in these past few months than she had in what must have been years. All they were doing was working hard, trying to repair things, trying to fill in every hole that popped up in the balloon that was Planeptune... but the fact of the matter was that three more followed in the place of the ones they managed to seal. It was never ending now.

Still... She was sure things would get better eventually. Things would eventually go back to normal, as they always did. Just... eventually was all. They didn't have to rush it or anything yet... It wasn't like the whole world was in trouble... The two of them could tough it out if it meant they could be together like this more, right...?

Neptune would be back to running around with the other CPUs and goofing off with them in no time at all, and she would be able to go play with the other Candidates again like normal as well. Soon enough, the world would go back to the way it was before all of this. Beach parties and thoughts of mishaps with sun tan lotion... It all just seemed like a dream now, a very happy dream, but they'd get back there eventually. Nepgear had to get Neptune back there — if only for Neptune's own sake.

There weren't any other real alternatives, were there? She just couldn't even imagine there being any.

It just was going to happen eventually. That was all.

Things always worked out. It wasn't as though there was anything threatening them... They had just... They had just let things get ahead of them, without them being there to keep up, that was all it was. They had just hit something of a rough patch, that was all this was. Her sister or Histoire would figure something out, maybe she might even be able to do it, and then everything would be right as rain again.

She would be lying if she said that it didn't get lonely in a different way sometimes... She hadn't seen Uni or Rom or Ram or Vert or IF or Compa or Blanc or Noire or Nisa or Gust or just about any of the others all that much in a long time, or so it felt like. They were all busy themselves, she understood, and she was so wrapped up in Planeptune's business — and Nep-Neptune's business — that it wasn't as though she was in a position to go seeking anyone out, for that matter... And you know, it seemed like there were a lot less people around these days too...

But that ever growing void had been filled up by Neptune. Nepgear had always wanted this much attention from someone, and her sister most of all.

She wished they could have been doing something more enjoyable like playing games or eating out or just watching television, even, but just being with her sister like this... It was something unlike anything she had experienced before.

She was seeing what it was like to be a CPU in her own right. She really felt like she felt the weight of her sister's responsibilities — she was sharing in her sister's responsibilities, just as her sister must feel like she had a share in hers too...!

So...

So with all of that in mind...

Was it really so wrong of her to be enjoying this?

... Even just a little...?


Nepgear was feeling good today.

Some new software was set to release for the Nepcast tomorrow. It wasn't anything spectacular, but Histoire had projected at least a moderate share increase, even if "moderate" in the numbers they were talking didn't really mean all that much in the grand scene of things... It still should at least give the two sisters a little more pep, or so Histoire predicted, and Nepgear was looking forward to that. She was even going to ask Neptune to play it with her! Just for a little, just the first stage... They could afford that much, she thought.

It... It had been a long time since they'd really played anything...

But but but but but...!

"W-We've done other things... So..." Yawning, the CPU Candidate glanced down at the bundle in her arms, a smile creeping its way onto her face. It was a large grocery bag. Most of the nearby stores had been closed today, but she had walked down to the supermarket, the really big one that was part of a chain from Leanbox — Vert-Mart — that the goddess had fixed up after learning about some unsavory practices the former owners had been pushing. Naturally, this meant she had gone shopping while there had been pictures of Vert all over the place... It was odd, but it wasn't hurting shares any having it around, so Nepgear was okay with it. "I wonder... Goodness, it feels like it's been so long. I wonder how Vert is doing...?"

Nepgear could only imagine what the blonde goddess might say if she knew what was going on in Planeptune. Surely, she must have known some of the details, but she doubted anyone on the outside really knew. Not even IF and Compa had been privy to the details as of late.

The young goddess bit her lip at the thought.

"Maybe I'll give IF a call once the launch is done with..." Nepgear told herself. Her words were shallow. Her intentions... half-hearted. She probably wasn't going to do it. Not if it meant a third wheel in her time with Neptune. Was she normally so desperate for her sister? In the back of her mind, it felt strange for her to be this way, but she quickly brushed it off as the Basilicom came into view. She picked up her pace, or at least as much as she could, in the hopes of seeing her sister's face that much sooner. "Heehee! I can't wait to show her what I got her... She's going to be so surprised!"

Naturally, it was pudding. All her and her sister's favorites.

The Basilicom was as quiet as ever, or at least as ever as of the past few months, but it didn't bother Nepgear. It meant she could hear Neptune coming that much sooner, without any of the background noise getting in the way. Humming a tune as she went, the CPU Candidate made her way to the kitchen to drop off the goods — it wouldn't do them any good if the food spoiled before Neptune got home from work.

"Maybe I should make dinner early...?" Just the thought of not eating now... And spending the energy to cook... Normally, this would be fine, but these days... Today in particular... Well, Nepgear was feeling positively famished. Just thinking about food made her tummy rumble. Flushing, she shot looks around to make sure she hadn't been overheard in such a compromising position!

The CPU Candidate sighed in relief.

Thankfully, she hadn't, not that that would have been so terrible... But it was good to keep up the best appearances, especially now, wasn't it? It was important for helping her sister repair things, after all...!

"Goodness... Maybe... Maybe I should go find Neptune and see if she wants to go get some lunch instead." Thoughts of Neptune would naturally take Nepgear to thoughts of seeing her now. Why wouldn't they? "It's still early, isn't it?"

Nepgear shot a look towards the clock. She could probably make it to the office nearby the Guild where Neptune was going to be for the next few hours. If she hurried, she could either grab them both some food, or if she really hurried, get Neptune out of there and take her somewhere nice! Their favorite mom-and-pop diner, And Cankles, was having a special today if Nepgear remembered right.

"Yes... W... Wait for me, Sis!" Smiling brightly, Nepgear let out a loud yawn and made her way out of the kitchen. They were going out for lunch!

At least... that had been the plan. While Nepgear had intended to seek out her sister, for some reason, her body just... felt this... need to find somewhere comfortable. Like a wave of tiredness had washed over her, as if she'd been standing in the ocean of sleepiness and the tides had suddenly changed on her.

Well... She had been up late, hadn't she...?

Maybe a nap was in order. She could look pretty for Neptune when she got home later...?

"Goodness... It's not even noon yet..." Yawning again, the CPU Candidate wondered if maybe she shouldn't have gone shopping. Had such a small task really taken that much out of her...? If that was the case... Should she tell someone...? No... No it must have been nothing. She had just stayed up too late, that was all. Dismissing the thought, she sat down. She supposed a nap wouldn't, couldn't hurt much... Settling down, she sighed to herself. "Oh well... It's okay. I... I should get some rest for now. That's all I need to do to feel better, right...?"

She felt... Heavy... She was really tired, wasn't she? If she wanted to be at her best for Neptune, she really should probably just take a little nap. They could have some food... later on, right?

Nepgear closed her eyes, a soft smile on her face. Tomorrow was going to be a big day... a good day... She had to go to sleep early so she could be... wide... awa...

ke... fo...r...

i...

...t...


Neptune had been staring at the wall for longer than she had stared at just about anything. A goddess as quick and hyper as her, even these days, rarely stayed in place for long, but now she felt like she had been turned to stone. Histoire had left her some time ago... probably. Maybe it was only a little while ago that the fairy woman had left her to her own devices. Neptune wasn't sure. As soon as her Oracle had explained to Neptune what was happening to Nepgear, after her rejecting the idea and her denial of it finally stopped, it seemed like everything else had stopped soon after.

Neptune had just stopped.

She just couldn't get that image out of her mind.

Thinning hair. Skin starting to lose its luster. A body slowly falling apart. A story told through breaths that should have been far more full and peaceful, yet...

Neptune closed her eyes. She shuddered at the thought. Just the description had been more than enough, yet the proof was here right in front of her.

And who could she turn to and blame for it...?

Could it be... her fault?

This wasn't like the other times.

There wasn't a fun adventure she could fall back on for a distraction.

There was no villain here she could conveniently give the blame.

Oh, she had certainly tried to look for one for a little while. It was in her nature.

Avoid the blame. Duck away from responsibility. Push it off onto someone else. Get Nep Jr. to do it. Hope Histy has a shortcut. Go bother Noire until someone else does it while she's gone. There was nothing wrong with any of that, was there?

That was how she had lived up her life — it was only these past few weeks, growing ever so slowly on months now, she had been forced to do some things differently... but even then, she still was able to be herself, for the most part. In the end, the bad guys would always be the one that would be the cause of the real problems, and she, the main character, the heroine, would be the one to fix everything. These were the simple rules of the world.

... So...

Where was the villain this time?

Where was the out now?

Was there just... not one?

That wasn't how these things worked. There had to be something. Something that Neptune could point to. Something that Neptune could raise up her sword against and slash away at until it was dead and the day was saved. Just like always!

So... So why wasn't that like that now...? What was going on? Why wasn't it...

No... No... No, Neptune knew that she was still avoiding one possibility. Avoidance was one of her specialties.

Because, oh yes, there was still one very obvious possibility.

There was no one else to point to. Hadn't she just thought it herself?

The only direction she could point her finger was towards a mirror.

It was her.

This was her fault.

This was her fault.

Neptune was the villain.

Neptune was the problem.

Neptune had done this.

Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune Neptune.

The goddess rose. Her tired body felt a thousand times more tired without Nepgear at her side... but she knew she couldn't rest now.

She wouldn't. She refused.

She reached out for her sister. She begged with her heart for the bedridden girl to respond — to reach back and take her hand, to open her eyes and smile, to reveal this was all just a really convincing makeup job, a prank to motivate her even more, to congratulate her on the work she'd done so far but to remind her that if she'd been any later, this is what would happen, but definitely not what had- Nepgear would wake up any second now and tell her that this was nothing more than a CG too depressing for anyone to ever have to see and that it would be left out of the final release...! Surely, that was what was going to happen...!

Nothing happened.

Nepgear didn't open her eyes. Nepgear didn't take Neptune's hand. Nepgear didn't... anything.

As this finally sunk in, Planeptune's goddess sunk to her knees in turn. Months of failures and a body getting more and more tired, and less and less able to keep up with it all, finally couldn't take it anymore.

Clutching her sister's bed sheets, Neptune began to sob.

"Why... Why couldn't it have been me instead?! Why...? Why? Why!? I can't do this! She's the one who's good at this! I don't save people, I sit on my fat lazy butt and get saved by people like her! That's all I'm good for, isn't it?!"

Nothing.

"So bring her back! Bring her back right now! Give me my Nepgear back...!"

There was no reaction.

"Bring her... back...!"

There was no answer.

"... Please..."

She might as well have been yelling into an empty room.