Disclaimer: I don't own Neptunia, it belongs to Idea Factory, Compile Heart and Sega.

This chapter is about half Interlude, half-story.

Chapter 30/Interlude: Savior's Sorrow

"Why? Why does this keep happening to me?" Nepgear asked herself as she bashed her head against the wall of the Basilicom with immense frustration.

She and the oracles were currently residing in the Basilicom, figuring plans in order to deal with the current apocalypse.

"Nepgear, please calm down..."

"How the hell am I supposed to calm down when the people that I tried protecting are opposing me?! AFTER EVERYTHING I DID FOR THEM!?" Nepgear raised her voice, sounding more erratic and frustrated before she broke down on the table with anger.

"Why? Why am I not able to do any of this? WHY AM I SO USELESS?" Nepgear continously beat herself down, thinking of herself as useless in the face of this sudden rebellion.

"Nepgear, please..."

"Don't try making this seem any more simple, Histoire. The rebellion's taken too much territory already, they got half of Leanbox and Lowee under control and Lastation is down by quarter already. If you're going to try easing up the situation even more, then where are we even going to go at this point?" Kei reminded her.

"I won't stand for waiting any longer. You are well aware that the nations are threatened, all the Makers have already been hospitalized for fighting while you flailed around in fear, searching for a better solution. Harsh as it may be, it's the truth." Mina told her.

"Please, give her some time...I'm sure that if we give her a little more time, then we could find a solution..."

"And what do you think we can do and prepare with this little time? Histoire, I am starting to believe you are trying to be nice to her for something you've done, were you perhaps too forceful during Gamindustri's initial rule?" Kei asked of her.

"What?! Well...I just think that we really do need more time to prepare."

"There's no solution, there won't be...There's no way..." Nepgear became hesitant in even trying anymore after all this trouble. After all those times she tried to prevent what the Deity of Sin told her and yet, she was once again finding herself at a point where there was no solution.

"Nepgear, please get some rest first. You need to clear your mind, you need to think clearly." Histoire asked of her and guided her to the plateau of the Nep Tower, she stepped outside and cleared her mind. Looking at the state of Planeptune, only to see how decrepit it looked compared to what it used to be.

"Was I always this much of a jerk? I feel so different from what I used to be, I guess that's just my stress problems." Nepgear thought to herself, things have changed so much ever since she took over.

"If you truly seek an answer, then come and talk with me..." A mysterious voice whispered into her ears as the world felt like it stopped. A cold wind blew through the air as Nepgear felt breath in her ear.

"I offer you a potential way to defeat that renegade CPU, but if you truly want that solution, then come to the deepest part of Virtua Forest and meet me. I assure you that with my knowledge, you won't have any problems in defeating her." They kept whispering.

"Who are you?" Nepgear asked as she questioned the sudden voice in her head.

"Why, I'm someone who knows you very well, I am or...was a CPU too after all." Nepgear's vision started fading as she saw a shadowy individual forming within her sight, the first detail that pierced into her eyes was their dark-blue hair as they formed.

"You wouldn't be aware of who I am for a reason, but I have knowledge of any CPU before you and let me tell you that out of any CPU you received a terrible fate to deal with."

"A terrible fate...? You don't need to remind me enough of how miserable I am." Nepgear reminded herself.

"I believe the two of us are quite alike, aren't we? I expect you there to give you a solution and one more thing..." The dark atmosphere that Nepgear was inside tensed up, she felt the darkness creeping on her and grasp her by the heart.

"...bring the sword."

The grip on her heart vanished and she felt a sense of relieve, but that sense of dread wouldn't leave her. Who was that person and why did she seem so...honest?

"Nepgear, are you fine? Do you need some rest?" Histoire asked her, Nepgear's sight returned as the darkness vanished and she saw the oracles staring at her.

"Histoire, stop trying to spoil her." Mina told her.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you. We need to move, so I'll go and see the situation for myself. All of you can evacuate the citizten and make sure that nothing happens anymore." Nepgear commanded them.

"Nepgear?"

"I told you to move, didn't I? Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Nepgear told them before she left the room and made her way to confront this mysterious individual.

"I'm sorry, guys. It doesn't look like I'll be able to keep Gamindustri safe after all." Nepgear thought to herself as she made her way to Virtua Forest, despite her anger she felt sad that she wouldn't be able to keep Gamindustri safe after all. She wouldn't normally think about this, but when she's all alone, she can't help it.

"I mean it's all messy here now. There's constantly concerts in Leanbox to compensate for the lack of faith, Lastation turned into a trade center, Lowee is basically unloyal and Planeptune became favored by me a bit too much." She thought to herself, thinking about her mistakes.

"I really am a useless CPU if I can't even properly manage a single nation." Nepgear stepped into the Forest and waited.

"You actually came, how pleasant of you to actually accept my invitation. I am truly flattered." In front of Nepgear appeared a mysterious person, simply standing before her. Her appearance was strangely comforting, yet incredibly unpleasant at the same time, but Nepgear recognized her.

"Who exactly are you? And more importantly, do you really have a way to defeat that ancient CPU for sure?" Nepgear asked her.

"Firstly, my name...refer to me as Uzume. Uzume Tennouboshi." The girl introduced herself, despite that Nepgear was still heavily intimidated by her.

"And there is for a fact a way to defeat that ancient CPU, but what's more important is a certain question I have for you first." She walked up to Nepgear and held her hand underneath her head.

"Aren't you tired of being the citizen's lapdog and slave?"

"What?"

"You are forced to work and do anything that the citizen want, and all you get in return are the shares you need to live and exist. For everything that the CPU have to do, don't you feel that this is a rather disgusting fate for the CPU?"

"Perhaps it is, but I'm not one who cares about my own well-being. I made a promise to those dear to me and I don't intend to disappont them by putting my selfish desires before them."

"But aren't you just a slave to your friend's desires then? Aren't you letting yourself be controlled by others instead of yourself?" Uzume kept telling her.

"I don't know what you're implying, but if you continue to speak so badly of them, then I'll quickly tire of having to work with you. So, tell me!" Nepgear pushed her hand away, summoned forth her Gehaburn and held it against her.

"Unable to make choices by yourself, you let yourself be controlled."

"You seek a way to defeat the ancient CPU and I have one, but it will be quite tedious to deal with. I did only offer a solution, not a perfect deus ex machina." Nepgear slowly felt her sight and senses leave her again.

"Let's see what will happen."

A giant portal opened and passed through the two of them, sending them to a dark and abandoned area.

"Here we are." Uzume showed her a unknown dimension that was covered in darkness and ominous. Everything about it gave the impression of some decrepit dimension, Nepgear was even more intimidated by it.

"Where are we? What the heck is this place?" She wondered and asked Uzume.

"Doesn't matter where we are, only thing that matters is that you will have to proceed until the end of this way and reach for the abyss you will find at the end of it." She told her.

"An abyss? And you expect me to travel to it? Without any initial information?" Nepgear questioned her.

"Solutions and answers come in many bizarre forms and shapes, you have experienced things like that before in your life, so why question it now?" Uzume told her, pointing at Nepgear's sword.

"I guess you're right, but this ominous atmosphere is making me uncomfortable, what is this place or where even is this area located?" Nepgear stepped forward, walking through the corridor to reach the end.

"You'll inevitably see." Uzume told her as she slowly vanished again. Seeing no other choice, Nepgear decided to follow her advice.

As she kept walking, she started hearing voices echoing in her mind and saw people within the walls of the corridor.

"To think that we left the fate of Gamindustri to you, just how pathetic are you?"

"For the sake of Gamindustri we should have killed you instead."

"I can't believe I died by your hands in the end, even your sister was more powerful and better as a CPU."

"A CPU should always be strong, not weak like you are."

"If you were brave, you'd die instead of disappointed us any further."

The voices of her long deceased friends started to talk down on her. Noire, Uni, Blanc, Rom, Ram and Vert's voices were talking to her, trying to bring her down and make her fail.

But she refused to listen to it and kept going.

"I know this isn't the truth, it isn't real. If Neptune were here, she would tell this is just some scene to demoralize me, but I'm not willing to stop in my track any longer." Nepgear declared and laughed a bit.

"You really think this isn't the truth?" Nepgear stopped as she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Neptune...?"

Before her stood Neptune in a shadowy form and incorporeal, looking at her without the smile and cheery personality Nepgear is used to.

"You are thinking too lightly of all of this, you think this is a game? No, I've realized you shouldn't have been the one to stay and protect Gamindustri." She told Nepgear in a concerning tone, unlike the others it sounded more genuine and friendly.

"I know I shouldn't listen to anything you say, but you would be right. I am not a perfect CPU, nor would I be as good as all of you."

"You truly loathe your own abillities, Nepgear. Maybe we left you alone, so you could suffer or perhaps we did trust you for a fact. No matter, what the reason was...I don't believe that the fate you chose for yourself is right. After all, who would like a CPU who fails her own nations and more importantly can't make her own decisions?"

"Say what you want, I don't care what the reason was. I carry their real wishes with me, so you'd do best to fade away now." She pulled her Gehaburn and slashed the shadow of Neptune away before just walking to the end of the corridor, but she kept hearing the voice.

"This is the end?" Nepgear saw a large strange abyss ranging into the dimension's ground as far as one could see.

"I don't know what you were expecting, but this here is what you'll have to start with. Grasp into it and don't let yourself be consumed by it. If you manage to do that, then you should be on the road of victory." Uzume explained and showed that she can control the powers that resided here.

"If you say so, but what even is that?" She asked her.

"Do you really think you have the means to be bothered about that? " Uzume gave her a malefic stare before quickly retracting it. Nepgear wagered her options and made her choice.

"Tsk, here goes nothing." Nepgear lowered her hand into the abyss and felt a crippling pain flow through her body, it felt like she was slowly being torn apart.

"WHAT...the hell is this?!" She thought to hetself as she started trying to pull her hand out again.

"Did you trick me?!"

"I did no such thing, you are simply not trying." Uzume answered. "Simply let it flow and you won't particularly feel anything, if you seek power to defeat that CPU."

"Do you really think that something this stupid actually works?!" Nepgear responded with great anger, but then she suddenly felt the grip loosen.

"CPU draw energy from the people and their beliefs and faith, but when that source is negative and hate-filled, then the effect on the CPU will change in a unique way." She told her.

"So what the hell are you trying to tell me? That my people secretly hate me? That I am useless as a CPU despite devoting my damn life to it!?" Nepgear enraged and felt more and more of the energy slowly loosening and weakening as it was slowly being directed and controlled by her.

"How pleasant, you managed to free yourself from that." Uzume responded as she witnessed Nepgear absorb the energies and sensed her growing strength, but she was also sensing the dread rising within her.

"What the hell was that?" Nepgear thought to herself as she pulled her arm out of it.

"With what you've just done, you've managed to harness and overwhelm these negative energies, you will be able to harness it aswell very soon. Just like me or Arfoire."

"I'll never be like Arfoire and if you really are like her, then I suggest that we never meet again." She declared.

"I assure you, I have no ill intent, that ancient CPU is just as uncaring for me as she is for you." Uzume told her. "You on the other hand still have to learn to finally let go from this forced title as CPU and make your own free choices."

"That sword you wield is the inevitable direction your future will lead to, even now you're just a slave to everyone's whim whether you believe that or not. In fact, you're a slave to the citizen, the desires of the fallen CPUs and yourself." Uzume told her.

"But if you choose to forge your own fate, then it will serve as the catalyst for a new era of Gamindustri. One where the people will accept a singular CPU, one who is capable of making free choices and isn't limited by their lofty beliefs." She proudly stated.

"The way you speak makes me doubt that what you're saying is true, but we'll see. And what will happen now?" Nepgear asked.

"Now...I will see for myself if you're truly capable of controlling these powers. I will come when you require my aid." Uzume said before she disappeared and Nepgear found herself back at where she was before, the entirety of that shadowy dimension returning to nothingness.

"I don't know what all this was about, but I hope it wasn't a waste of time in the end." Nepgear thought as she walked back to the Basilicom.

"But her words have some truth, is it right that I am slave to the citizen's whims? Heck, maybe you can say that about all CPUs. Nonetheless...That CPU won't show any mercy, nor am I willing to show any at this point." She said to herself as her eyes and the Gehaburn started shining in a bright purple, her face slowly growing a deformed smile as she turned around.

"Let them come."

"What the?"

Nepgear suddenly awoke in a bed, ridden with fear and confusion from a dream.

"What...what did I just see?" She thought to herself, just a moment ago she saw what seemed to be her other self and Kurome working together.

"This is really odd...were those Big Me's memories?" She figured and stood up, trying to recollect what just happened and what she saw.

"Nepgear, are you okay? Do you have after-injuries or something?" Uni asked through the door.

"Don't worry, I'm going to come soon. I just need a moment to prepare for a bit!" She told her before she stood up and readied herself.

"That was very ominous. I tried to take a rest, but then I didn't feel in control anymore and then all these memories..." She thought to herself as she looked at her bigger self's N-Gear.

"I'm not sure if I feel comfortable, staying in her room like it's mine. We have some time to prepare and Histoire opted that we go and try dealing with any of the issues in the other nations."

"I should check if there's anything useful left too." Nepgear took the N-Gear with her as replacement for her original one and walked through the halls, opening the gates to Histoire's room.

"Greetings, Nepgear. I see you have recovered from your battle and refreshed yourself." Histoire responded, behind her was a blade attached to various cables that supplied it with shares and energies while it was being reinforced with powerful metals.

"Took some time, what happened?" Uni asked.

"I just didn't have that good of a rest, it won't matter. How are the others?"

"Considering the situation, each of them went out to deal with issues in their respective nations. They are helping out in fixing the damages and interacting with the oracles to better their relationships. I also had Big Neptune go back to the Hyperdimension to bring the members of AffimaX back to their dimension, I will try convincing them with what I heard."

"I see, how much time do we have left before we move out?" Nepgear asked of them.

"You have an hour left before we need to call the other CPUs in to help." Histoire remarked before she refocused on constructing the Share Blade.

"The holy sword has been linked to each of the share crystals already, but the blade itself is still being strengthened and enhanced to make it comparable to Gehaburn not just in power, but in abillity too." Histoire explained.

"I see, then I'll go and look somewhere. I think we need more information, so I'll seek some out." Nepgear figured as she prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" Uni asked.

"LAN Castle. I want to see if I can figure the gaps in the story by myself by checking that place, I need to confirm some ideas I have." Nepgear told them.

"Then let me come with you, and while we're at it, let's call up the others too." Uni suggested and followed Nepgear.

"We needn't bother them with this, Uni. It's just a little investigation to safely get some answers." She responded.

"Then let's just call up Rom and Ram too and report to our sisters once we're done." Uni suggested.

"I know I won't be able to convince you, so I'll let it go. But only Rom and Ram, none of our sisters are necessary to come."

"Alright, let's go!"

Meanwhile in Lowee...

"Lady Blanc, we have finished collecting the materials from the remnants of Azna=Leb's mansion. What should we do now?" A group of workers walked up to her and asked.

"You can go ahead and repair the nearby buidings, also deactivate the turrets on them and fix the damages on the roads." Blanc ordered them.

"Thank you, Lady Blanc!" The workers left.

"These workers are quite a handful, but they seem devout to their job." Blanc thought to herself as she looked at the current state of Lowee.

"But that's kinda a requisite to being a worker here in Lowee nowadays, so that's that." Mina was sitting by her side and talking with her peacefully.

"It looks much more peaceful around here again, but it's too shallow and white here. The peace doesn't feel genuine." Blanc thought as she looked at Lowee, the citizen and the people were binding together and supportive.

"They are making progress though, I've tried my best at calming the atmosphere here to back where they peacefully worked together under yours or Nepgear's rule." Mina explained. "Things are getting better again, the people have grown to understand and relate to Nepgear again, but the shares are still low."

"I wanted to ask you about something, Mina. Do you perhaps know something about the first rebellion and whatever happened?" Blanc brought up.

"What brings this question?"

"Histoire recently brought it up and I desire some answers too, I simply feel safer when I'm aware of things than if I'm not." Blanc explained.

"Well, if you've heard of it, then you're likely well aware that they led the charge alongside an ancient CPU. She was extremely powerful, effortlessly undermining any of our work with her obscene power that rivaled even Arfoire." Mina explained, that time was quite terrible.

"What about Nepgear? What kind of plans did she prepare for this threatening situation?"

"At first, she wanted to face that CPU head-on, but she was easily overwhelmed because that person threatened the citizen and directly sapped our shares away with her allies." Mina told her. "Nepgear was easily defeated at first and that became the first sign of the citizen's faith wavering. She later confronted her, but that first loss was hurtful to her reputation before she was victorious."

"This CPU must have been very powerful, your Nepgear is very powerful in her own right in combination with the Gehaburn."

"Don't remind me of that sword, it's still a big mystery because she never allowed anyone to even touch it. That blade not only killed the CPUs, but the Deity of Sin aswell. I heard from IF that it only took a single stab to end the Deity, that seemed suspicious if you ask me." Mina had always been extremely wary of it.

"I see, that was all useful information." Blanc answered.

"Where did Rom and Ram go off to?" Mina asked.

"I'm had them stay at the Basilicom and revover for a short moment, we only have one big battle left and they should take some time."

"One last big battle, huh?"

"But we will need people to protect the nations in the meantime, like you oracles or people who are willing to let themselves be pardoned in exchange for risking their lifes. Well Noire is dealing with that..."

In Lastation...

"Are these really all the goons you could find here?" Noire thought as she looked at a bunch of criminals and jerks that were willing to guard Lastation in exchange for money and a pardon, they were all sleek criminals or brutes that looekd straight out of a game.

"These were the only ones willing to work under these conditions and the only ones who actually have the strength to be useful." Kei responded, taking the average level of the monsters into account, there was a very high base level required.

"Oh well, have them work. We only need people to guard it once and that's it." Noire figured and waved them away to said work.

"We do have two other people that we could employ, but I'm not sure if you'd want them or if they're trustable." Kei mentioned and showed Noire a message on her phone she had received earlier during the war at Leanbox.

"Hello, is this thing on? Ahem, I offer my help to protect Lastation, my dear Noire!" On the screen was Anonydeath, his location was unknown because his background was completely pink and plastered with chibis of Noire.

"Oh god, fuck no."

"As you know, I am still at large and I was going to spend some time living quietly, maybe pick up some hobbies like collecting hands, but I'll head straight to the point!" He rambled on about, Noire could barely keep a straight face during any of it.

"If you're willing to pardon me and my little friend's crimes and give us a diffrent reward, then I am perfectly willing to help guard Lastation and maybe even more. After all, I also have Copypaste and a slew of robots to offer!" Anonydeath responded and showed them Warechu, sitting next to a scrappy and damaged Copypaste all bandaged up.

"My demands are that I, Anonydeath, simply want to live a quiet life and that me and my little rattie be pardoned from all crimes or at least only receive a silly punishment that's not brutal. I usually like those too." Anonydeath declared.

"HEY, you forgot my demand, chu." Warechu yelled at him.

"Yeez, calm down rattie. So, if possible, perhaps you could get this guy a bit attention from that little air-headed nurse. Alright, see you soon, I love you, bye!" Anonydeath turned off, this is where the message ended.

"As much as I want to say no, I can't resist that offer. It's for the best of Gamindustri...that's what I'll have to keep telling me."

"Good thinking on your part, Noire. I will send him the confirmation and call Compa to come to Lastation...for this agreement." Kei answered and quickly picked up the phone and got ready.

"I wonder how Vert is doing with her bonding attempt with Chika."

Meanwhile...

"So this is LAN Castle in this world?" Nepgear thought to herself as she saw it and the huge hole left by Big Nepgear alongside the other CPU Candidates.

"Well, hopefully I can find what I was looking for and get some answers." She pulled out her N-Gear and wrote a short message to the others before she and the others jumped down to the depths of the castle.

"I hope that she is actually here just like in our world."

Backstory comes around.