Hyperdimension Neptunia is owned by Sega, Idea Factory and Compile Heart and whomever else worked on it.
Welp, here it is. The chapter that reveals why Neptune did what she did. I hope I do it justice.
Chapter 41
"So, to understand the context," Purple Heart began before looking at Nepgear, Ram and K-Sha, who was walking in front of Noire. "Where were you three?"
"I was making sure that Noire was okay," K-Sha told her.
"Ram's leg was still hurting." Nepgear explained, "so I was healing it to help her with the pain."
"Yeah, those swords really hurt!" Ram protested and Purple Heart winced.
"My apologies." Purple Heart told her. Ram pouted at her, but didn't say anything else. "Very well, you wanted to know when I got back together with King Sobar?" Purple Heart asked Stadia and she sighed. "It wasn't like you think, in fact, to understand the full story..." Purple Heart frowned, confusing everyone. "...Author, I'm waiting for the flashback to begin." Several people face-faulted upon hearing that.
*Flash*
Over 500 Years Ago, Ultra Dimension...
Stadia, in a formal dress, glowered as she saw the train that would have the Mole Kings on it arrive at the station. "I can't believe you're going through with this, mother."
Purple Heart, who was standing next to her and in a modest black dress that hugged her body, pinched Stadia's arm. "You promised me you would behave. And we need to meet with the Mole Kings to normalize relations between the surface and under cities." Seeing Stadia look away, she sighed softly. "Stadia, I understand your anger, but please, do not let it get the better of you."
Stadia huffed and Purple Heart knew that was the best she would get out of her daughter. She looked at Black Heart, who was wearing a modest, though short dress that was deep blue in color with black trim and showed off her legs. Her normally twin-tailed hair was loosely hanging behind her. White Heart was wearing a gray dress with red trim that didn't reveal anything while Green Heart was wearing a tan dress that was not only short to show off her legs, but was cut in such a way that it showed off her large breasts.
"Where are Plutia and Peashy?" Black Heart asked.
"I thought it was best if they stayed back at the Basilicom." Purple Heart told her. "Should tensions get too extreme, I do not trust my ability to control them."
Green Heart watched the train coming in, various emotions running through her mind at that moment to such an extreme that she had to close her eyes and take a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Neptune," the Leanbox CPU spoke up, causing Purple Heart to stand up and look at her curiously, "I understand why we're doing this, but, are you prepared?"
Purple Heart was silent for a little bit with her eyes closed before she sighed softly. "If I said that I'm fine and that I know that everything will be fine, I would be lying." All of them knew why, they all felt the same way. "But it needs to be done, Vert." She turned to face the train as the doors to the side opened up. "No matter our personal feelings on what happened to us, the hybrid children do not deserve what's been happening to them."
Stadia didn't say anything as she watched several Mole People walk out of the train that she knew were royal bodyguards. She visibly tensed up as a large man with ashen-colored skin, short, dark blue hair and amber eyes. He was wearing a tan suit that covered his muscular frame. A short, well trimmed beard covered his face. As he walked into the sunlight, he showed visible discomfort, enough that he had to reach into his pockets and put dark shades on over his eyes. "Him..." Stadia hissed with venom in her voice.
"Stadia." Purple Heart said softly as she pinched Stadia's arm again, getting a wince from her daughter before letting go. "Behave." She then walked forward with the other CPUs following after her. "King Sobar," Purple Heart said curtly when she got close to the Mole King, "I trust the trip was comfortable?"
The man was taller than the other CPUs and while Purple Heart was one of the tallest of the group, King Sobar stood over twelve centimeters taller than she was. "Relatively," Sobar nodded as he looked at Purple Heart and the other CPUs, "please, if you do not mind, I would like to get out of the sun."
"Of course." Purple Heart nodded and motioned for him to follow her. "Before we go, where are the rest of the Mole Kings? Did you come alone?"
Sobar had a smirk on his face. "They fell asleep on the way here and are getting their stuff right now."
Stadia scoffed at him. "I'm surprised that they bothered to show up at all." Purple Heart gave her a stern look, which she ignored while Sobar looked at her. "Don't you have other women chained up in a dungeon somewhere that you can brainwash and rape into being your wife or something?"
"Stadia!" Purple Heart gasped. "That was uncalled for, young lady!"
"No," Sobar shook his head, "Lady Purple Heart, I do not mind." He took a step towards Stadia, who stared up at him, which wasn't hard to do as he was thirty centimeters taller than her, with anger and distrust in her eyes, "I have much to answer for, I know this."
"You're damn right." Stadia growled at him. "You raped mom! Your people forced me to do so many things!" Tears filled her eyes as years of frustration started to just come pouring out. "I've dealt with nothing but disdain and hatred for the past thirty years because of you!"
Sobar nodded and knelt down so he could look her in the eyes before taking his shades off and grimacing at the sunlight. "There is nothing I can do to change the grave mistakes I made in the past, little one." His voice, normally deep and booming, was soft and gentle, "what I did to your mother, what you and your sister were forced to do to the people of the surface was horrible." He mentally sighed at the look of pure, unbridled rage and anger on Stadia's face. "I do not ask for you to forgive me or the other Mole People rulers, I merely ask that you do not take your rage out on any who do not deserve it."
Stadia snorted and turned away, walking off as she trembled.
Sobar sighed as he stood up and put his shades back on. "I'm surprised she didn't try to rip my eyes out." He chuckled, though there was no humor in his voice.
"I apologize, King Sobar." Purple Heart sighed softly, "I should have seen this coming."
He waved her off, "no, it's fine. I deserve this much hatred at least." He visibly started to grimace. "Please, forgive me, I do not do well in natural sunlight."
"Of course." Purple Heart nodded and looked at Black Heart. "Can you get him and the rest of the Mole People taken care of? I need to have a word with Stadia."
"Of course." Black Heart nodded and motioned for Sobar to follow after her.
"Neptune," White Heart spoke up as she looked at the other CPU, "don't be too hard on her."
"I won't." Purple Heart said and walked off in the direction that Stadia had gone off in. After walking for a minute, she found her daughter sitting on a bench, rocking back and forth while muttering to herself. "Stadia." She sighed as Stadia looked up at her with tears falling from her eyes. "Had I known you would react like that, I would have left you at home with Plutie, young lady."
"How..?" Stadia asked, though Purple Heart looked confused, "how can you just... Be so calm?!"
Purple Heart sighed and sat down next to Stadia and was silent for several moments. "...I'm not." She admitted and Stadia jerked in surprise. "It's been over thirty years, Stadia." She looked at her daughter, "and I still remember all those years I was brainwashed and married to him."
"But..." Stadia gasped in surprise. "How..?"
"Do you remember Rei Ryghts?" Purple Heart asked and Stadia nodded. "She's an ancient CPU who's even older than Blanc is."
"I know, she's the Ancient Goddess of Tari, a nation that disappeared hundreds of years before aunt Blanc was even born." Stadia said, confusion on her face. "Why are you bringing this up?"
"Because Rei allowed herself to be controlled by her emotions and her psychosis," Purple Heart told her, "it lead to the downfall of Tari."
"...So we're supposed to be unfeeling robots?" Stadia asked and Purple Heart smiled and shook her head.
"Not at all," Purple Heart reached over and pulled Stadia against her chest. "In fact, if you want to cry and rage, feel free to let it out into my chest." She rubbed her daughter's back gently. 'For someone who's so independent, you really are such a needy child.' Purple Heart thought to herself. "Besides, Stadia, do you really think I don't think you shouldn't be allowed to feel emotions?"
"But, you just..."
"You shouldn't let yourself be controlled by them and you certainly shouldn't allow your negative feelings to overwhelm you." Purple Heart said softly, "if you do, you'll end up like Rei, a fallen Goddess who lost everything, her nation, her people, her powers."
Stadia sniffled and nodded against Purple Heart's boobs. "Mom, I..."
"I'm not mad at you, Stadia." Purple Heart said softly, "a little disappointed, but not mad." She ran her hands up her daughter's back until she cupped Stadia's face and smiled while rubbing the tears out of her daughter's eyes and off of her cheeks. "Now, no more of that, okay? Promise to be a good girl the rest of the day." Stadia nodded and Purple Heart's smile increased while the two of them stood up. "If you keep it in today, I'll spend the rest of the week gaming with you."
"...Just the two of us?" Stadia asked and Purple Heart nodded. Stadia smiled and nodded. "I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask."
*End Flashback*
"Wait, I thought you were telling us how you got back together with him?" IF asked and Purple Heart gave her friend a flat stare.
"It's called setting the stage, because you need to know a few things before everything gets revealed."
"How about we skip ahead to the next day?" Iris Heart asked and Purple Heart nodded. "Very well, the next day was a large announcement that we held in Planeptune..."
*Flash...*
The skies were over-cast and dim, though no one thought it would rain, as the clouds were being generated by advanced technology to help with the special guests that were there that day. On a large platform were several people. Purple Heart stood with the other CPUs to her right and the Mole Kings to her left. "People of Gamindustri, humans, aliens, Mole People, hear me now." She spoke clearly and with purpose. "In the past, the Mole People did those of us on the surface a great disservice for many years. However, as we learned upon our liberation that it was not, as we had thought, the current rulers of the Mole People, but hardliners who sought to avenge the past and, in doing so, caused greater harm to everyone for both the citizens of the surface and the citizens of the under city."
The others standing behind her were silent as they listened.
"The time of pain and suffering is in the past, we must move forward together, as one world, or more tragedies such as what happened a mere thirty years ago will occur again as those who were wronged seek revenge for their ancestors." She stopped and closed her eyes for a moment. "I am a Goddess, protector of this world, but not just of the people who live in my nation, but anyone on this world." She gestured out to the crowd. "I know that the trauma, pain and suffering of the past can never be undone, but in order for us to move forward, we must be willing to set aside our differences. It will not be easy nor quick, I merely ask that as we are all inhabitants of Gamindustri that we can learn to live together and move forward."
The large man that was next to her took a step forward. "I am King Sobar, as the chosen representative of the Mole People, I promise to make amends for what I and the rest of my people did to those of you on the surface. I merely ask that you forgive those who were born while the surface was occupied, for they did nothing wrong."
"WHY?!" A loud person yelled, though none on the stage could figure out who it was. Suddenly a man in his thirties ran forward and was stopped by security, the rage and pain on his face was easy to see. "YOU ABANDONED US! ALLOWED THEM TO CONTROL US! ALLOWED THEM TO HURT US HOWEVER THEY WANTED!"
Purple Heart mentally cringed, but outwardly, she showed no emotion. "I understand your frustration, but..."
"YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!" The man yelled as he struggled against security. "WHAT THOSE BASTARDS DID! HOW MY MOTHER KILLED HERSELF BECAUSE OF THEM!"
Purple Heart said nothing as she noticed the crowd was becoming more and more agitated. "We're going to have to end it here." She whispered and Black Heart, who had gotten close to her, nodded.
Iris Heart, who was standing with Stadia in front of her, frowned and felt herself getting twitchy, but she managed to hold herself back, just barely. When Purple Heart declared the event over and everyone turned to leave, when she saw someone throw a glass bottle that hit Purple Heart in the back of the head, causing her to stumble forward and fall on her knees. The next thing anyone knew, Iris Heart was moving forward and was in the crowd, grabbing the person who threw the bottle. "There was no need for that."
"Sadie!" Purple Heart yelled, ignoring the hit and the liquid that was running down her head. "I'm fine." She said and stood up. "There's no need for anything else."
Iris Heart scoffed and handed the offender over to security. "You're lucky she's forgiving, but you're still under arrest for assault." She turned and left the crowd, who gave her a wide berth as no one wanted to mess with an angry CPU.
As they walked back to the Basilicom, there was a heavy tension in the air.
Stadia and Ouya gave the Mole Kings a dirty look and walked off.
Green Heart looked at King Weonez, who was a toned, though thin man with pale skin, red hair and red eyes. "I apologize you had to see that, King Weonez."
"It's fine." The King reassured her. "I suspect that things will take time to fully normalize."
"Probably." Green Heart nodded at him. "I wish we could have at least announced that we intended to have a treaty made soon."
"Let's take some time on that." Black Heart said to Green Heart and sighed softly. "I'm getting tired," the others nodded and released their HDD states, returning them to their human forms.
"Well," Neptune smiled, though now that she was next to King Sobar, he towered over her, "I think it could have gone worse."
"We'll take our leave." Sobar said and Neptune and the others nodded as they left."
*End Flashback*
"We would meet with either the Mole Kings or their representatives over the next year." Yellow Heart said as that ended.
"So when did you..?" Stadia asked Purple Heart, who sighed. "Well?!"
"...About a year later was when it happened, Stadia." Purple Heart told her. "I'm sorry about all the build-up, but I felt that you needed to get a full picture before things were fully explained." The others nodded.
*Flash*
Purple Heart sat on a chair in the Basilicom as she and King Sobar idly chatted and made plans for improving relations between their people.
"Neptune?" King Sobar asked as he saw her giving him a small smile. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Purple Heart said as she sighed softly. "How are our children?"
"They miss you." He told her, his eyes looking at her softly. "I miss you."
"Please, don't." Purple Heart shook her head. "Please don't make this harder than it has to be."
"...Neptune," Sobar gave her a soft look, "how have you been doing?" Purple Heart gave him a confused look. "I can't imagine it's been easy."
"It's been... A trial." Purple Heart admitted as she thought about all the spite and disdain she had been getting over the past year as more details about the normalization of relations between the citizens of the under city and surface became known. While a large amount of people were in favor of what was happening, there were enough that were unhappy and it was making things harder on all of the CPUs. "And I'm not just talking about how the people have hated the thought of our peoples putting the past behind us." She stood up and walked to the window. "...We owe so much money and shares to Celestia for what they did for us centuries ago, Sobar. Right now there's barely enough Shares for any of us to fight in combat. We have to work so hard and we get so much disdain." She put her head on the window and closed her eyes. "I can understand Rei... How she became a fallen goddess, with how the people have turned..." She felt herself shuddering and tears falling from her eyes as she finally allowed her emotions to run free. "I try so hard! What more do they want?! I just want to be the best CPU for them."
"Neptune." Sobar said as he walked over to the distraught CPU. He hesitated for a moment before he gently put his hand on her shoulder. His eyes widened as she turned around and hugged him tightly, sobbing into his chest. "I'm so sorry." He whispered and hugged her back. He could only imagine how much she was suffering for what she was doing for his people, for her people. "If I could just undo what happened in the past."
The two stayed like that for nearly half an hour before Purple Heart finally lifted her head up to look at him. "Sobar..." She whispered to him, tears still falling down her face.
The next thing that either of them knew, her lips were on his and their hands were roaming all over each other's bodies as their clothes quickly became discarded and flung around the office as they shared a passionate embrace that quickly turned into an intense love-making session.
(-)
"...And that's how Sobar and I... Kind of stayed married?" Neptune, who transformed back during the story, smiled nervously.
"...It really was Stockholm Syndrome!" Compa gasped in surprise.
"It kind of feels more like desperation than anything else." C-Sha muttered as she thought about what she was just told.
"Or an arranged marriage." Blanc said as she added her two cents in.
"You... You..." Stadia trembled as she looked at Neptune. "After all that time you spent lecturing me and Ouya and... GAH!" She screamed and suddenly turned before running out with Ouya frowning at Neptune and running after Stadia.
"...This is why I never told you." Neptune said softly, a pained look on her face. She jerked as she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Yellow Heart smiling at her.
"I'll go talk to them." Yellow Heart smiled and flew after them when Neptune nodded.
"I..." Nepgear gave Neptune a look that was full of conflicting emotions. "...I don't know what to think."
"...Do you hate me?" Neptune asked, "for giving in like that?"
Nepgear shook her head. "Nah uh," she smiled at Neptune, "you're my big sister, I could never hate you."
"I'm not sure what to think about all of this, myself." Vert muttered and looked at Iris Heart. "Was it the same for all of you?"
Iris Heart shrugged at the question. "I can only answer for myself, but most of the people in my nation had forgotten about me by that time." She sighed at the confused looks she was getting. "By that point in time, Neppy was the face of Planeptune, a nation that I founded. Personally, I wasn't too upset about that, I was never very good at running a nation." She narrowed her eyes at Neptune, "at least, that's what I thought for the longest time." She huffed and walked off. "...I probably could have forgiven you, Neppy, for stealing my nation from me..." She gave Neptune a glowering look over her shoulder, "had you not sealed me into my human form and forced me to become a secretary."
"...You know why I did that, Plutie."
Iris Heart huffed and said nothing as she walked off.
"...You turned her into a secretary?" Noire openly gawked at Neptune, who nodded. "...That's impressive."
"Only after she was sealed in human form." Neptune told Noire.
(-)
As she left the room, Iris Heart's eyes shimmered with tears threatening to come out before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as a memory came to her.
*Flashback*
Plutia walked across the Basilicom before stopping at Neptune's door, which was open slightly. She peeked in and saw Neptune, laying face down on the bed, crying softly. "...Neppy."
Part of her wanted to go in, to hold and comfort Neptune, to let her know it would be alright. But she knew that if she went in that she wouldn't be able to hold herself back and she'd end up doing much more than comforting Neptune.
'...She'd be with me forever, wouldn't she?' Plutia smiled as she trembled. "...But that wouldn't be real..." She whispered and lowered her arms.
As much as Plutia would love it, part of her knew that she'd be resentful towards Neptune for only being with her because she was grateful and not because she really loved Plutia.
*End Flash*
"...Damn you, Sobar, you did what I didn't have the courage to do." Iris Heart said to no one in particular as she closed her eyes and transformed back into her human form. "...Why do I still love you, Neppy? Why?"
Just to be clear, there's more than one under city, they are big though, but not "entire planet" sized.
Well, there you go, I hope it was a satisfying answer. Or at least, not a cop-out on my part.
