DISCLAIMER: Hyperdimension Neptunia belongs to Compile Heart and Idea Factory.
KuletXCore: Thank you so much for your reviews and support, I really appreciate it. And what you guessed about this story is mostly right. : )
I really hope you enjoy.
Chapter 30
"Gah!" pulling out the two katars that stuck on her back, the brunette panting heavily, blood continously dripping from her back. She threw the weapons away to a random direction as she fell to her kness, shivering in pain and cold of the snow that rained down upon her.
She let herself fell into the snow below her, ignoring the cold sensation it gives to her aching body. Seconds passed, and the girl finally calmed down.
"I screwed up..." she muttered softly, closing her eyes to let her body relaxed more. "How...?" her hand tightly gripped the snow under her palm in frustration. "How the hell am I screwed up?" her body heated in anger, making the snow in her palm melted to water. "I, the goddess of Lowee, defeated by a mere mortal in a battle?"
She punched the snow under her, again and again until she felt enough. Standing up, the brown-haired girl took a deep long breath. The wound on her back has already healed, good as new.
Grabbing her white hat, she shook off the snow that covered it, before putting it back on her head.
"Just you wait, Neptune. I'll be back." with a huff she slowly walked back to her Basilicom.
~o~0~o~
Opening the door of the room where they stayed at, Compa and IF entered the room and placed down the still unconscious Neptune on her bed.
"Iffy, could you get me my bag, please?" IF nodded and went to get Compa's bag, while her friend take off Neptune's bloodied and tattered clothes, to get a better look for her injuries.
"Here you go." IF said, handing over the bag.
"Thank you." Nodding, Compa opens her bag and pulls out some sterile gauze and bandages.
As her peach-haired friend do her work, IF took a seat on her bed, looking at Neptune's sleeping face, which was calm and peaceful.
Sighing IF shook her head, and looked at the red sky of Lowee which at was at dawn and it's raining snow again. 'Who the hell is this girl?' IF mentally asked herself. 'Not only one, now there are two people coming after her.'
IF heard a grunt coming from the sleeping Neptune, and she quickly looked back at the purple-haired who was gritting her teeth as Compa treated her bruised face.
"Please hold it Nep-Nep, it won't take long." Compa muttered softly before continuing her work.
'Not only that...' IF looked up to the ceiling. 'That stalker from earlier are also have a great resemblance with that woman from Lastation.' she lets out another sigh again. 'I wonder if the two are connected somehow.'
"There, all done." brushing her hands together, Compa sighed in relief, now that Neptune is far from danger. "Phew, I'm beat." Rubbing her forehead, Compa stand up from her seat. "I'm gonna take a bath real quick. Can you please watch over Nep-Nep, Iffy?" Compa asked.
"Sure." IF answered with a nod.
As Compa grabbed a towel and heads to the bathroom, IF heard another grunt coming from Neptune, not only that she also heard soft murmurs escaped her lips.
"...nior..."
IF looked at her sleeping friend and listened to the soft gentle murmur that came out from her mouth.
"Nep... Junior... Please... No..."
"I wonder what kind of dream she's having." IF asked in curiosity.
~o~0~o~
Somewhere else unknown...
"Congratulations, sir, madam. Your child is... a girl."
A tall man, dressed in a white coat, who was probably a doctor, said to a married couple. With the wife laying on a hospital bed, while the husband sitting right beside her, their hands are holding with each other. And oddly enough, both of their faces are blurry.
After the information was given, it didn't take long for the two to looked at each other, and smiles slowly crept on their faces.
"Please, excuse me."
The doctor bowed to the couple before he walked out of the room.
After the doctor leaved the two alone, the couple embraced each other in a tight hug. Tears of joy running down their face.
"We are going to have another beautiful princess in our family. Soon, both of them will grow to become a kind hearted individuals, like me. And also a brave person, like you."
"I'm happy for you. I assure you, some day, our child shall bring changes into this world. I can feel it."
The two broke the hug, and just sit there in silence for the next few seconds.
"Hey, darling."
The woman caled her husband while looking at her belly.
"Have you come up with a name for our second child yet?"
The husband chuckled upon hearing her question.
"You've asked me the same thing when our first daughter was born. I hadn't come up with a proper name that time, and now, you're going to ask me to name our daughter again?"
The mother smiled as she rubs her belly, remembering the past.
"Well, It's only fair that I named our first daughter and you named our second, right?"
"I guess so."
The husband put his hand on his chin, and closed his eyes as he trying to come up with a name. A name for his second daughter that will become the little sister of his first.
As his mind went to think about his first daughter, he finally able to find a suitable name for his future daughter.
"How about... Nepgear?"
The husband asked his wife, who was titling her head upon hearing the name.
"Nepgear?"
The father chuckled as he rubs the back of his head.
"I apologize, but it seems like I couldn't think of any other name except for that."
"But why 'Nepgear?'"
"Well, I have a feeling that our youngest daughter would become exactly like her sister, but with a few differences."
The father, looked at the starry night outside through the hospital window, his smile widened.
"If Neptune wants to be a hero like she said, then I want our youngest daughter to become an intelegent person that would aid her older sister on her quest."
The man explained, he then turned to looked at his wife.
"What do you think? Do you like it?"
The mother shook her head, then smiled.
"I didn't like it. I love it!"
The couple then turned their heads to looked at a certain purple-haired little girl that sleep peacefuly on a nearby couch, with warm blanket covering her body.
"We're waiting for your arrival, Nep Jr. Your sister will be so happy to meet you."
~o~0~o~
Neptune gasped as she woke up from her dream. As she sat up on her bed, she instantly felt a severe pain on her face, especially on her jaw area.
"Oh, you wake up." a voice coming from her side, so Neptune looked to the right to find IF sitting on her own bed, playing with her phone. "I thought you wouldn't wake up until the next day." she said, closing her phone.
"Iffy?" Neptune asked, looking around the room she was in. "We're are in the inn, correct?" she asked again.
"Yes." IF answered with a nod. "After you fell unconscious from your battle with that mysterious girl, I carried you all the way from the tower to here. Compa had then treated your wounds so it won't be life threatening again, so everything is fine for now." IF explained in detail.
"I see..." Neptune muttered softly, looking down at the warm blanket that covered her body, which for some reason reminds her of the dream she's having earlier. And speaking of it...
"What are you dreaming?" IF asked in curiosity.
"Huh?" Titling her head, Neptune looked at IF in confusion.
"You were constantly murmurs something that I can't understand in your sleep. I was just curious about it." IF explained.
"I..." Looking at the starry night sky of Lowee through the window. Neptune tried to recall the dream she's having earlier, but her memories are hazzy, and she could not remember at all. "I... don't remember..." Neptune said in all honesty. "Sorry, I can't tell you anything. My mind is a bit blurry."
"It's fine." IF said, closing her eyes. "It's not like I care about it or anything." she then opens her phone again. "More importantly, we need to try to talk with the goddess of Lowee again." IF said, looking at her phone. "We failed to talk again with her last time because she was out on business. So we should try it out again for one more time."
"I see." Neptune sighed. "I just hope she won't yell at me again or kicked us out of her Basilicom like the first time we meet her." Neptune muttered softly.
"Yeah." IF nodded in agreement.
"Oh, by the way, did you by any chance pick up my sword?" Neptune asked as she remembered her weapon.
"I did." IF nodded, taking out a broken mechanichal hilt from her pocket. "Unfortunately, it's broken, and it can't be used anymore. I'm afraid you'll have to buy another weapon, so do I."
"Aw, dang it!" Neptune yelled, punching her bed in anger. "I had made a promised to Chian to take a good care for that weapon, and I failed!" Groaning, Neptune took a deep breath to calm herself down before held her hand to IF. "Give me that."
"What are you going to do about it?" IF asked as she hendled the broken hilt to Neptune.
"I'm going to keep it. Just as a reminder that when we ever see Chian again, I want to thank her and apologize for giving me this weapon and destroy it." Neptune explained while putting the hilt into her bed drawer.
"By the way, where's Compa?" Neptune asked again.
"She's in the bathroom, taking a bath." IF answered.
"Well, I guess you could tell her later then." pulling off the covers, Neptune hopped down from her bed, grimaced at the feeling of how stiff her legs are. And walked to the table where her clothes was and put it on.
"Where are you going?" IF asked in confusion as Neptune walked to the exit.
"I'm going to take a small walk outside, please tell Compa once she's out." Neptune answered as she put on her shoes.
"But it's night time now, and besides you just woke up, and your injuries aren't fully healed yet." IF protested.
"It'll be fine, I promise I won't get myself to any trouble." Neptune replied before walking out of the room.
As she watched her friend go, IF sighed and shook her head. "That girl sure is always giving me troubles."
~o~0~o~
The door of Lowee's main Basilicom slowly opened, and when it's fully opened, a certain short brown-haired girl walks into the room.
"Lady White Heart! You've come back." the brunette looked up to see her Chamberlain approaches her. "I was starting to get worried when it's getting late and you haven't returned yet."
"Financier..." White Heart muttered softly before continuing her walk, followed by her loyal maid.
"Oh, by the way, dinner is ready." the maid informed.
"I see. Could you please bring them to my room? I'm a bit tired right now."
"As you wish." Financier was about to leave to get the diner, but White Heart stops her.
"Oh, and one more thing..." Financier turned around to looked at her lady. "I'm going to take a day off tomorow. So if there's any more travelers coming to seek my audience, I want you to turn them away. Got it?"
Financier paused for a second, before nodding. "As you wish my lady."
"Good." White Heart nodded, before continue to walk to her room
As she watched her lady go, Financier sighed, and shook her head. "What is wrong with her?"
~o~0~o~
The night in Lowee is really beautiful. The full moon is out on the sky, the streets was covered in light from road lamp. And several people are having fun outside like it was still daytime.
Neptune calmly walked down the street, her minds are thinking about a lot of stuff, starting from her mysterious attacker, the dream that she couldn't remember, and her next meeting with the goddess of Lowee, White Heart tomorow.
'Why does I have a feeling they're all connected somehow?' Neptune mentally asked herself.
Sighing, she continue to walk aimlessly, unsure where she was heading to, since her only intention was just to clear up her mind.
Minutes passed, and it's starting to get late. Neptune stopped walking to looked up and see the moon position. "It's almost midnight. I better go back before Iffy and Compa starting to get worried sick."
Turning around, Neptune was about to head back to the inn the party stayed at, when suddenly, she heard a scream from a distance. The voice of the scream sounds coarse and dry, perhaps an eldery man?
Once she heard the scream, Neptune wasted no time to ran towards the direction where the scream come from. After a few seconds passed, she finally arrived at the place to find a giant dragon assaulting the outskirt of the Lowee capital city.
Other people has already running away in fear, while a poor old man with a cane was cornered by the dragon to a wall of a building.
"Eeek! Help! Someone! Anyone!" the old man cried out helplessly.
Neptune was about to act when she remembered something fatal. Rubbing her pockets, she clicked her tongue in annoyance when she found out she didn't bring any weapons with her.
The dragon opens it's mouth, and it twisting it's tongue.
Looking around, Neptune found a ladder and she gets an idea. She quickly climbed the ladders and get on top of the building the ladder was leaning against to.
"S-Someone! P-Please! H-He's going to eat me!" the old man closed his eyes and braced himself as the dragon leaned closer, ready to devour it's meal.
"Nep Kick!" the old man slowly opens his eyes to see the dragon fell to the ground as Neptune kicked it's head with all of her might.
"Run! I'll distract the dragon!" Neptune yelled to the old man who was still standing there shocked.
"Y-Yes! P-Please be careful, young lady!" the old man said before hurriedly walked away.
Standing up, the dragon looked at it's attacker, and declared her to be it's new prey. The dragon lets out a loud roar, before swing it's hand trying to hit Neptune with it's sharp claws. But Neptune quickly dodge it by rolling to the side.
With nothing to attack or defend herself from the monster. Neptune ran to forest with the dragon following her from behind. The dragon then continuously lets out fire breath, trying to burn Neptune with it, and despite Neptune always managed to get away from the attack, her movements are limited due to the tight space of the forest, as well as the fact that her body haven't been fully healed yet.
After a few minutes of running, Neptune arrived to a snow covered clearing with one single giant rock in the middle of it.
"Perfect." feeling the dragon was far enough behind her, Neptune quickly went to hide behind the giant rock.
As the dragon arrived at the clearing, it looked around at it's surrounding, confused at where it's prey gone. The dragon lets out a roar of frustration, then used it's fire breath to burn the surroundings trees, trying to lure it's pray out.
'Okay, now all I have to do, is stealthily get back to town without the dragon following me.' nodding to herself for reassurance, and began to silently walk.
Just as she took the first step however, her feet stepped on something hard. Something hard that replied with a pained hiss.
"EEEK!"
Jumping back in surprise, Neptune watched as a snow white serpent with two meters long, rose up from the snow layers, it turns it's head towards Neptune and sticks out it's split tongue while lets out a hiss.
'God! I HATE these snakes!' Neptune mentally screamed.
Neptune is now stuck in a dead end with no way to escape from the two deadly beasts. The only thing she could do now is to wait for a miracle to happen.
"Haaa!" Neptune suddenly heard a yell coming from above. So she immediately looked up to see a black blur flying towards the dragon in high speed.
"JUSTICE KICK!"
The flying black blur hit the dragon right on it's mouth, breaking it's jaw and sending it falling to the snow below. The blur then jumped away from the dragon and landed right on top of the snow serpent's head right in time before it lunge itself to Neptune, the landing crushed the serpent's skull killing it.
The black blur was revealed to be a blue-haired girl in a black jumpsuit, with red scarf around her neck and orange-lensed google on her head. "Justice keeper of Gamindustri, Nisa, has saved the day!" the bluenette exclaimed while holding up her hand high into the air.
Neptune just stared at the newcomer in wide eyes. She knew this girl, this girl was the one who helped her and her friends when they were fighting a formidable foe back in Lastation several days ago. The self-proclaimed hero of Gamindustri, Nisa.
Nisa looked down towards Neptune, and the two stared at each other for the next few seconds, before Nisa broke the silence.
"Hey! I know you!" Nisa exclaimed while pointing a finger towards Neptune. "You are one of those three girls that's trying to protect the town of Lastation from a monster attack, I believe your name was Neptune, right?" Nisa asked as she jumped down from the serpent's corpse.
"Yes, I am." Neptune answered with a nod. "Can't believe we're going to meet here of all places. But thanks for coming though, you really saved my life there." Neptune said with a smile.
"Heh, no problem."
Their conversation was then interrupted when the dragon who was still alive lets out a roar while slowly standing up.
"Oh? So you're still alive, huh? Well, for not too long!" Nisa jumped to the top of the giant rock, her hands covered in a bright yellow glow.
"Justice... Punch!" With a yell, Nisa launch herself towards the dragon in high speed, then punched the dragon right on it's face, killing it in an instant.
As the dragon corpse disappeared. Nisa softly landed on the ground, then brushed her hands together. "By the way," Nisa began, slowly turning around. "What are you doing here in such time and places?" she asked.
"Oh well, you see, I was having some trouble in Lowee recently. And it's really giving me a lot of stress. So, I decided to take a small night walk ro ease off my mind." Neptune explained then sighed. "I never expect I would run into a dragon though." she giggled rubbing the back of her head. "How about you? What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was just patroling around the outskirts of the city hunting for monsters." Nisa said with a proud smile. "It's a hero's job to prevent anythings bad happening to people, you know?" Neptune nodded in understandment.
The two of them have a small conversation as they walked back to town, asking each other about their beliefs of being a hero and whatnot. However, something kept bothering Neptune's mind the entire time they talked with each other.
Despite the fact that the two only known with each other for a short period of time, Neptune have a feeling that the way the two converse felt so... familiar.
"Hey," Neptune began, taking a deep breath. "Do you remember the thing that I asked you before we part ways, back in Lastation?" she asked, hoping deeply that the bluenette have the answer she wanted to know.
"Oh, you mean about 'have we ever met before?'" Nisa asked, and Neptune nodded. "Hmm... how should I answer this?" Nisa closed her eyes and put her hand on her chin.
"It's okay if don't know." Neptune said, looking down a little.
"You see," Nisa began. "I haven't met that many people in my life. I only acquainted with a few people. However, there is a certain one person that I knew since I was just a little kid." Neptune nodded, gesturing for her to continue the story. "She lives in Planeptune, and we used to play a lot back then. But of course, we have to part ways since me and my family have to go back to our home in Lastation. I never met her again since then, and before I knew it, I already forgot her name and how she looked like."
"I see." Neptune nodded. "That's really sad."
"Indeed." Nisa nodded. "However," Nisa stopped in her tracks. "When I met you, I suddenly get reminded of her for some reason." Nisa explained.
"Me?"
"Yes. It was really strange indeed. Perhaps it's the same feeling you felt too." Nisa said, as the two finally arrived back to the city. "I have to go back to my inn now. It's really late, and a hero need to sleep properly in order to get ready to fight the bad guys the next day."
"Yeah, me too." Neptune nodded, she turned to looked at Nisa and held her hand. "Let's meet again sometime, and maybe we could fight the bad guys together as a party."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it." Nisa smiled, taking Neptune's hand and shook it. "Well then, see ya."
As Nisa walked away. Neptune sighed, and looked up to see the full moon, a smile slowly crept on her face. "Well, at least my mind are at ease now."
To be Continued...
Happy New Year Everyone!
May the God be with you through the New Year, and fill your life with comfort, love, and cheer. May this day and the days ahead, hold many blessings for you and yours.
