Disclaimer: I do NOT own HyperDimension Neptunia or any of the characters. I only own my own character, Chris MacDuncan/Sage Heart, and this story.

A/N: Alright, sorry about the wait, people. I swear to the True Goddess that school is out to get me. First off, thank you all so much for the positive feedback and ideas. I have to say, I am amazed that I even reached 10 views and 1 follower, let alone 5.5k views and 34 followers. Seriously, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Anyways, the story from now on is going to change a decent amount, so it will not be completely based off the game anymore. Reason for that is a new permanent party member, who should become obvious due to the updated characters. Also, I plan to add the Lily Rank system from now on, and the ranks will appear at the end of the chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and prepare for... Ugh, without further delay, let's start Chapter 10!


Chapter 10: The Return to Planeptune

"So wait, you're coming with us, Noire?" I ask, sounding surprised. I had believed she was going to stay to oversee the reconstruction. She smiles as she nods at me.

"That's correct, Chris. Normally, I'd stay behind to help rebuild, but… well… you and Neptune happened. Not like that is the only reason though! I just don't trust you and Neptune alone together, so there!" She says while blushing, causing Neptune to laugh.

"Oh Nowa, you know you just don't want to be away from us, you adorable tsundere." She says, causing Noire to stutter.

"It's Noire, not Nowa, Neptune! Besides, I figured you needed my help, so I'm going with you." She says, and I sigh while chuckling.

"Whatever you say, Noire. Never the less, it's great to have you aboard. Now that we have three CPUs on our side, this journey has gotten a lot easier." I say, and she smiles again.

"Good to be aboard, Chris. Though, I don't think I asked, but how did you become a CPU?" Noire asks, and I sigh.

"I think I told you already, but honestly, I don't know how it happened. Me and Histoire have been discussing it for the past week or so, but have no genuine leads so far. We believe it may have been the stone that was forced down my throat when I recovered my sword and the ground collapsed from under me, Neptune, and Compa." I explain, and she nods.

"I see… It's strange, though. I've never heard of a human becoming a CPU, because as far as I know, me and the other goddesses were actually born as CPUs, and there has never been a male CPU." Noire explains, causing me to frown.

"That reminds me, Histoire had said it was possibly an item from an alternate Gamindustri that this one lost contact with. That could be why." I say, and this time Noire frowns.

"Hmm, strange, that's the first I've heard of another Gamindustri… Oh well, no point in creating theories about it right now. So where are we heading now?" She asks, to which Compa speaks up.

"We're heading back to Planeptune. Once we get back to my home, we can see if we can talk to Histy with the fragment!" She says cheerfully, and I nod.

"Yeah, after we got the first of the Key Fragments, Histoire was able to talk to all of us. So, hopefully, the same thing will happen again." I explain, and Noire nods in understanding.

"I understand, but I just feel the need to say this, for Neptune's sake at the very least. We cannot tell anyone that we are CPUs. The nations are having their own troubles, and we don't need them thinking we are invading." Noire says, and I nod.

"Agreed, we only tell people we are CPUs if absolutely needed. We don't need it even harder to find the Key Fragments." I say.

"Alright, so, for now, we head back to Compa's place, then, depending on the time, we either attempt to contact Histoire, or we sleep and try it tomorrow." IF says, and we nod. We then all head towards the sky harbor and leave for Planeptune.

*Lily Rank Up*


By time we reach Compa's place, it is already night time. We decide to put off contacting Histoire until the morning, and all decide to sleep for the night. That normally wouldn't be such a big deal. However, both Neptune and Noire decided that they wanted to sleep with me. So now I'm laying in bed with the two girls on either side of me, both fast asleep. What, did you think I meant the other version of sleep with me? Come on, I've only been in a relationship with them for one full day. That would be way too fast to do that. Anyways, as I finally doze off, I hear Histoire's voice speaking to me.

"I'm not one to brag about being right, but I told you so." She says, and I laugh.

"Yes, yes you did. And I have to say, I'm glad you were right. I was scared that I was going to be beaten to death by the two of them when I told them my feelings." I say, causing Histoire to giggle.

"Well, I'm contacting you tonight because I have a few things I wanted to talk to you about." She says.

"I had a feeling that was the case. Are any of those things about my CPU abilities by any chance?" I ask. I hear her let out a sigh.

"Yes, I finally figured out what gave you the powers you have now. However I will leave that for last. First off, about the Key Fragment you found." She says, and I frown.

"What's wrong? Is it a fake fragment?" I ask, and I hear her laugh lightly.

"No, nothing like that. It's a genuine fragment, but the problem is that it's only half of the fragment. It would seem that someone cut it in two or more pieces, so you will have to go back to Lastation later." She explains, and I sigh.

"Figures. If it was powering that huge robot, it makes sense that Avenir would want to try to make it power more than one of them…" I say, and Histoire sighs.

"Indeed, and I fear the next one may be stronger since they will have time to make upgrades on it before you return. But enough of that. The second thing is where I want you to go next." She says, and I nod. I get the feeling she can see me, even though I can't see her.

"Alright, so who am I visiting next? Lady Green Heart, or that rude Lady White Heart?" I ask, and Histoire laughs at that.

"She isn't that bad, she is just angered easily. But this time you will be going to Leanbox, and visiting Lady Green Heart while hunting for the Fragment there." She says, and I sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness, Green Heart seemed to be the nicer of the goddesses when I was up in Celestia, considering how she offered me a chance to surrender." I say, and hear Histoire giggle again.

"Yes, she is one of the kinder goddesses. Just a heads up though, she is what people in your world would call an otaku and a hardcore gamer." She explains, and I perk up at that.

"A gamer and otaku, you say? Sounds like someone I would get along with very well. I'm looking forward to meeting her on better terms than last time." I say, and Histoire giggles again.

"Just be careful you don't make Neptune and Noire jealous. Those two can be vicious when they want." Histoire warns, and I chuckle and nod.

"Understood. Besides, I'm not sure I could handle another girl in my life. I really don't need a harem to deal with…" I say, and Histoire sighs softly, just barely loud enough for me to hear.

"Well, things will get interesting for you, then… Anyways, the third thing I want to speak to you about is the Lily Rank system." She says, causing me to acquire a confused look on my face.

"Lily Rank system? What is that?" I ask.

"Basically, it shows the level of your relationship with anyone who is in or was in your party, for example, the Lily Rank you and Neptune have is at 8, which is close to being maxed out, followed by Noire being at 7. Not only does it show how strong your friendship, but the higher it is, the better you work together in a fight, giving you new combo skills and stat boosts." Histoire explains, causing me to frown again.

"Stat boosts? What are you talking about? I don't remember this being a full RPG game." I say, causing her to laugh.

"What, did you not notice the bracelet on your arm?" Histoire asks, causing my frown to deepen.

"Bracelet? What brace- Oh… that bracelet." I say as I lift my arm and see what looks like a bracelet made of emeralds on my wrist. I try to spin it around, but notice it seems to be stuck. I look at the top of my arm and notice a button on it, which I press. When I do, a menu opens up , and I see the list of the entire party, starting with me at the top, our HP, SP, EXP, and something called the EXE Drive. I also notice a list of different options, including items, party setup, and other things. I look over at everyones levels, and notice that all the girls are around level thirty. "Hm, interesting… so the higher the level we reach, the more skills and stats we gain… So that's why Neptune called it EXP grinding… wait, why the hell am I level fifty!?" I think to myself in surprise. Not only is it going by RPG rules, but I'm almost double the level of the girls. I check my equipment, and sigh as I notice my normal outfit give me terrible defense. I'm about to close it when I notice a tab in my equipment labeled "Familiar's Stats and Equipment." Curious, I tap it and see Faolan appear onscreen. He has no equipment, considering there wasn't really a way for a Dogoo to use equipment, it made sense. I look at his level and notice he is level twenty-five, half my level. I look through his information and notice a skill that was labeled as ?. I tapped it, and it the skill information came up saying "When the familiar is used in battle, it gains five times the normal experience. However, if it is not used in battle, it only gains one-fifth of the normal experience." "Hm, seems like I need to use him in battle, and if I do he could become even stronger than I am…" I think to myself as I tap the button on the bracelet again, closing the menu. "Well, I didn't expect all that… I learned more about Faolan in that menu as well as how strong everyone is." I say, and Histoire giggles again.

"Yes, that bracelet is useful for a lot of stuff, including item storage. I still find it amusing you never noticed it before. Anyways, as I said, the Lily Rank system is very useful, and it could save your life with the stat boosts, like back when Black Heart hit you with her unique skill. If it weren't for your rank with Neptune, you would have been critically injured." She explains, and I nod in response.

"I see. I still find it odd that I am almost double the level of the girls, though…. I mean, I didn't fight as much as Neptune and Compa have because of when I lost Rakari…" I say, and Histoire sighs.

"Well, when you wake up, you can check your skills and stats more, and maybe then you will understand. Anyways, I think it's time for me to talk about your CPU powers." Histoire says, and I smile and nod.

"Yes, please! I'd like to know how I got these powers." I say, and Histoire laughs.

"I see that you are very eager to learn what gave you your powers. Very well, please examine the display in front of you." She says, and a screen showing a body, my body, presumeably, and it shows the activities inside. At first I don't notice anything wrong, but then I notice what seems to be a diamond shaped object inside my body, close to my heart.

"Histoire, what is that object near my heart? Is it safe?" I ask, then gasp as I notice a power symbol on it, similar to the symbol in a CPU's eyes.

"That is the stone you swallowed two weeks ago. Turns out, it is from an alternate dimension as I thought originally. It is called a CPU Memory, and it's what makes people become a CPU in that dimension. And considering how you didn't become a horrifying monster when you swallowed it and absorbed its power, it should be perfectly safe now." Histoire explains, and I sway on my feet, feeling lightheaded.

"So, that thing is what made me a CPU? That's… very strange… It's almost like learning you have a new organ that was never discovered before…" I say, and I can hear Histoire sigh.

"I can understand. There are a couple things I should inform you due to this circumstance. First of all, you won't age anymore, similar to the goddesses. Second, and possibily the worst of it for you, you will not be able to return to your own world after this." She tells me, and I sigh.

"I had a feeling that would be the case. Still, it's a shame that I won't be able to see my friends again… Or my step parents in that case…" I say, and Histoire laughs dryly.

"I know, and I'm sorry Chris. Had I known that this would happen, I wouldn't have requested your help. I am truly sorry, Chris." She says, causing me to laugh. "Pardon? I didn't realize I had said something amusing." She says, sounding annoyed.

"Histoire, don't worry. You bringing me here is quite possibly the greatest thing to happen. I mean, if it weren't for you, I never would have met Neptune and Norie. So for that, you have my thanks, and you do not need to apologize for anything, Histoire." I say, and then I hear what sounds like soft crying. "Histoire?! What's wrong?" I ask.

"N-Nothing… I… I'm just happy that you are not angry with me. I was worried that you would hate me for bringing you here." She says, and I feel my heart drop.

"Histoire, I'm sorry that you thought that. But please, just know that I could never hate you. If it weren't for you, I would have died many times over. So please, don't cry. I feel terrible when I hear you cry." I say, trying to sound comforting.

"Thank you, Chris. It means a lot to hear you say that… Heh, I can't believe I actually thought you would hate me… Anyways, the timer for using your CPU form seems to have increased to three hours a day, so that's a good thing." She says, changing the subject and sounding happier.

"Yeah, that is a very good thing. I still don't know why my HDD deactivated when Noire had fled after the fight, but that doesn't really matter. Anyways, is there anything else you need to tell me before I go, Histoire?" I ask.

"No, that should be all. I'll be sure to contact you again if something comes up, Chris." She says, and I nod.

"Alright, after some time to relax, we will head to Leanbox. Are you going to be able to communicate to the others through the partial Fragment though?" I ask, and I hear her giggle again.

"Yes, don't worry, they will hear from me soon. Anyways, it's time for you to wake up." Histoire says, and everything goes white.


As I wake up, I notice that both Noire and Neptune have already left the room. I smile, then activate the menu with my bracelet. I scroll down my skills, and notice two I didn't know about. The first one is called Elemental Protection. Apparently, it raises my defense stats, plus my resistance to elemental attacks. The other is… familiar… but also different. It is labeled Limit Breaker, and is says it increases the experience I gain a huge amount, but doesn't say the multiplier or anything. As I close the menu to think, I hear a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"I'll give you a hint, who is the main character here?" A voice responds cheerfully, and I laugh.

"Come in, Neptune. The door is open." I call out, and she enters the room looking cheerful as always. "So what's up?" I ask her.

"Oh, nothing. We just talked to Histy, who told us about the fragment being just half of one, along with our next location to go is Leanbox." She says, and I nod.

"Yeah, she told me that last night. However, for now, I think we should be taking a couple weeks break before we go." I say, and she nods happily.

"Awesome! We had been talking about taking a break as well, so it's nice you agree." She says, and I smile.

"Well, that's good to know. Let's try to have some fun, then." I say, and we both walk out of the room.


A couple days later, I got a message from Noire to meet her somewhere in the city, so I went out find her. I arrived at the location she said to meet at, and looked around. I noticed a lot of people around, and can't help but wonder what was going on. As I was thinking this, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see Noire standing there in a… is that a magical girl costume?! Yep, Noire was dressed up as a magical girl. As I look at her in surprise, she blushes and looks away.

"Stop staring, you're embarrassing me…" She says, and I shake my head to clear it.

"Sorry, Noire, I was just surprised to see you dressed up like that. You're into cosplay, I take it?" I ask her, and she nods nervously.

"Y-Yes, it's one of my main hobbies for when I am alone. I figured that since you, me, and Neptune are… together… I should show you. So… what do you think?" She asks, and I smile at her while wrapping her up in a hug.

"You look beautiful, Noire. I admit, I was surprised to see you dressed like that after knowing how serious you are most of the time. Personally, I think it's awesome that you like cosplay. It suits you." I say, and her blush grows bigger.

"T-Thanks… I'm happy that you are okay with it. N-Not that it really matters what you think… idiot…" Noire says, and I smile.

"So… What did you invite me here for?" I ask her, and she perks up immediately.

"Oh, right! You see, there's a cosplay convention going on today, and I was wondering if you would perhaps like to join me?" She asks, and I smile again.

"I would love to, Noire. I guess this is technically our first date then, huh?" I say, and she blushes again.

"Y-Yeah! That's right! Our… first date…" She says, a small smile forming on her face.

"So, that's why there are so many people… Well, shall we head on over, Noire?" I ask, holding my hand out to her.

"Y-yeah! Let's go, Chris!" She says, taking my hand and guiding me over to the convention area.


A few hours later, we are leaving the area. Noire is holding an Ancient Dragon plushie that I managed to win her in a ball throw game. She seems to have enjoyed herself. I had bought myself a costume of a legendary tactician, complete with a tan undershirt, and a dark violet coat.

"H-Hey, Chris? Thank you for today… I had a lot of fun." Noire says, smiling at me. I smile back at her.

"I had a lot of fun as well. Thank you for inviting me today, Noire. We should do this again sometime." I say, and she blushes again and nods.

"Yes! I would love to do this again!" She says happily, and I smile again.

"Great! We'll have to keep an eye out for more conventions." I say, then stop after noticing Noire had stopped walking. "Noire? What's wrong, are you al- Mmph!" I'm cut off by her pressing her lips against mine. I'm surprised at first, but I then press into the kiss. After about a minute, we separate, and she looks up at me happily.

"Chris… I… I love you…" She says, and I smile at her.

"And I love you, too, Noire." I say, and we then start kissing again. I get the feeling that we will be here for awhile…

*Lily Rank Up*


At the start of our second week of relaxing, I get a message from Neptune this time. It says to meet her by the pudding shop that was down the street. Laughing at the fact that pudding is still the main thing on her mind, I make my way to the shop. Once I arrive at the shop, I see Neptune waving at me happily as ever. I walk over and sit down next to her.

"Heya, Chrissie! Glad you could make it!" She says cheerfully, and I smile.

"Hey there, Neptune. May I ask why you asked me to come out here to meet you?" I ask, and she gives me a silly smile.

"Well, I wanted to enjoy pudding with you! Is it wrong for a girl to want to spend time with her boyfriend?" She asks and I just laugh.

"No, no it's not wrong at all. So you wanted to go on a date with me in other words?" I ask, and she nods.

"That's right! See, I knew you could understand me!" Neptune says happily, and I just smile at her.

"Well, what is it you have planned?" I ask, and she thinks for a moment.

"Well… First we could eat pudding, then we could maybe go see a movie?" Neptune suggests, and I nod.

"Alright, that sounds good." I say, and we both stand and enter the shop.


A few hours later, we are leaving the movie theater. It was pretty good, reminding me of a movie from my world. Both of us were crying at the end, but hey, you try watching something get put to sleep without crying. As we walk back to Compa's place, Neptune looks up and smiles at me.

"I had a lot of fun, Chrissie! Sure, the movie was rather sad at the end, but it was a great day still!" She says happily, causing me to smile.

"Well, I'm glad you had such a good time. We should do this again sometime." I say, and she nods.

"Oh, don't you worry Chrissie, we will be doing something like this again." Neptune says, and I laugh.

"Well, since we are almost back, I'm just going to do this…!" I say as I lift her up off the ground, surprising her.

"Whoa, hey, what are you doi- Mmph…" She is cut off by me pressing my lips against hers. She quickly presses in, obviously enjoying it. About a minute has passed before our lips part. Neptune has a silly smile on her face and is blushing.

"Darn it, Chrissie… Why do you have to be so easy to love?" She asks me, and I smile at her.

"I couldn't tell you. I still wonder the same about you, my dear Neptune." I say, and she laughs shortly before we press our lips together again. After a few minutes we finally separate, and I put her back on the ground. We walk back home, hand in hand.

*Lily Rank Up*


Near the end of the last week we took to relax, I'm standing in my room while examining Faolan's stats and level. I whistle when I see that his level has reached double what mine is. I had taken him to a few dungeons to train him, and it seems his experience boost skill really helps.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to all get together and head for Leanbox…" I say to myself as I leave the room.

*Current Lily Ranks*

Neptune: 9 (Lover)

Noire: 8 (Lover)

Compa: 5 (Good friends)

IF: 5 (Good friends)


A/N: Annnnnd that's a wrap! Chapter 10 is now complete! Jeeze, this was longer than I originally planned. I really get carried away while writing. Anyways, yay, Noire joins the party permanently before they head to Leanbox! Also, it is finally confirmed that the stone he swallowed was in fact a CPU Memory! How did it get there, you ask? Well, that would be a pointless backstory to explain, so I'm not going to bother. Anyways, I figured that since there had been two weeks between their return to Planeptune and their departure for Leanbox that I would have some events take place in that time frame. Chris has gone on first dates with both Neptune and Noire now, so yeah, that happened. And yes, the cosplay Chris did was of Robin from Fire Emblem Awakening. I can't help it, it's my favorite Nintendo game so far. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. Also feel free to PM me any predictions you may have, or even ideas you may have as well. Again, thank you so much for reading, and I will see you in the next Chapter.