The Misadventures of Hyperdimension Peashy

Episode 8

by Derald Snyder

*Planeptune Basilicom- A few hours later*

Histoire watched as Noire walked into the room. "Well, it seems everyone is here now..." Indeed, the CPUs were gathered in a semicircle, with little Peashy sitting in Vert's lap.

"This had better be important!" The Lastation CPU protested. "I've got tons of work back home, you know!"

"Like the rest of us don't?" Blanc stated.

"Take it easy, Lonely Heart," Neptune sighed. "This won't be a waste of time, OK?"

"That's debatable!" Noire scoffed.

"Did you get up on the wrong side of bed this morning?" Blanc sighed.

"Like you would care!" the twin-tailed brunette retorted.

"Hey, that's enough fighting," Plutia spoke up. "I might get angry..."

"Urk!" The two quibbling CPUs immediately fell deathly silent.

"...Wow. Remind me never to get you angry, Plutia," muttered Peach, who had the purple-haired CPU sitting in her lap.

"Hehehe..." Plutia giggled, unnerving almost everyone present.

"M-maybe you should get on with your story now," Neptune muttered.

"Y-yes, please," Nepgear concurred.

"Alright," Peach nodded, biting her lip as she pondered where to begin. "...well, as most of you know, I was born right here in Planeptune, and spent my preteen years here. And my best friend at the time was a sickly girl named... Plutia."

"W-what?!" Noire gasped. "S-so Plutia exists here, too?!"

"That doesn't surprise me in the least," said Blanc. "If there's a Peashy that exists both here and there, why not the same for her, too?"

"Wait, you said your friend was... sickly?" Nepgear inquired curiously.

Peach nodded. "Yeah, something about a weak immune system... she was inside a lot, and- from what I remember, anyway- the only times she went outside was when I dragged her out myself. She never complained, though- honestly, I think she was secretly glad I did that. Even if she ended up catching something and was bedridden for weeks... her parents would get mad at me for that, but Plutia never blamed me..."

"Still, it's kinda hinky..." Neptune interrupted. "Plutie, were you ever sick a lot, before you became a CPU?"

"Noooo... I don't think so..." Plutia pondered with a finger to her chin. "I mean, I got the chicken pox like everyone else, and I ended up getting Noire sick, too... we had to share a bed together..." She then smiled. "Looking back, that was kinda fun..."

"I highly doubt the other me would agree with that," Noire objected. "I know *I* wouldn't..."

"You know what they say, 'misery loves company'..." Blanc muttered.

"Probably why Chika pretends to be sick so often," Vert put in her two cents.

"*A-hem!*" Peach cleared her throat loudly. "If I could return to my story...?" Vert nodded and gestured 'go ahead' to her, the other CPUs quieting down. "So anyway, things pretty much kept going on like that, until one day, when I was 10 going on 11... Plutia had gotten sick again, and was admitted to the hospital, so I went to go see her..."

"Oh, boy, I see where this is going," sighed Neptune. "Aaaaand cue scene change..."

*Planeptune City Hospital, 18 years ago*

10-year-old Peach walked into Plutia's room, dressed in a yellow and black striped shirt and black shorts. "Ploot? Are you awake?" She pulled up a chair and stood on it to get a look at her friend.

Plutia's eyes opened as she smiled at her, though said eyes showed a hint of sadness. "Hi, Peashy..."

"Hi!" Peashy beamed back. "So, how long you gonna be sick this time? You gonna come home soon?"

Plutia's smile faded. "I... I'm afraid not, Peashy... not this time..."

"Huh? What do ya mean?" the blonde asked confusedly.

"Listen, Peashy..." Plutia shifted up on her pillow a bit so she could look friend in the eye better. "I'm going to be leaving soon... I'm going far away... to a beautiful city in the clouds..."

"Really?" Peashy gasped. "Wow, that sounds amazing! So when you coming back?"

"I'm not coming back," the sickly girl shook her head. "It's a one way trip, I'm afraid..."

"Huh...? N-not coming back?!" Peashy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Why not?!"

"That's what... the doctors said," Plutia explained. "Once you go there, you can never come back ever..."

"Then let me go with you!" Peashy insisted, throwing her arms up. "I don't want to leave you...!"

"Peashy. Listen to me." Plutia said with a stern voice. "Are you listening?"

"What?" the other girl demanded, trying not to cry.

"You need to stay here," Plutia insisted. "I want you to live your life... to the fullest. To put in 100% effort, everyday. And I want you... to make new friends. Don't ever forget me, though..."

"I could never forget you!" Peashy cut in. "Never ever!"

"That's good," the purple-haired girl nodded, smiling. "But did you hear what I said...?"

"Make new friends, and put 100% effort into every day," the blonde recited.

"Good... good girl, Peashy. And when I get to that beautiful city in the clouds, I'll tell everyone I can about you... about the best friend I had in Gamindustri..." Plutia smiled again.

"That's right!" Peashy nodded. "You're my bestest best friend in the whole wide world, Plutia!" Climbing up onto the bed, she grabbed the other girl in a big hug. "I'm gonna miss you..."

"I'll miss you too, Peashy," Plutia sighed, as tears streamed down her cheeks...

*Planeptune Basilicom, Present Day*

"...that was the last time I saw her," Peach sighed, wiping a tear from her eye. "Her mom and dad said it was all my fault, and my dad ran out on Mom and me not long after, and we ended up moving to Leanbox..." She looked up, and saw that there was nary a dry eye among the CPUs, save for little Peashy, who looked more confused than anything.

"She... she had a terminal illness?" Noire grunted.

"That... that's so sad...!" Nepgear sniffled.

"Are you saying I... I died?" Plutia asked.

"You're not dead, Ploot!" Little Peashy protested. "You're right here!"

"She's talking about another Plutia, Peashy..." Vert explained. "That Plutia was your big sister's best friend... And that city in the clouds she was talking about was heaven..."

Peashy blinked for a few moments before everything clicked. "W-wait, big sis... your Ploot died and went to heaven?!" Tears began to well up in her eyes... "No... NO! NO! NO NO NO! THAT'S NOT FAIR! UWAAAAAAHHHH!" The little CPU threw herself to the ground, pounding her fists and feet on the floor as she wailed. "It's not fair! It's not fair...!"

Immediately Vert and Neptune were on their feet, but Vert was faster, scooping up Peashy and holding her in her bosom... "Shhh, don't cry, Peashy..."

"It's not fair... it's not fair...!" the five-year-old wailed as she lightly pounded on Vert's shoulder. Just then, the door opened, Compa walking in.

"What happened? Did Peashy get hurt, Nep-Nep?" the nurse inquired.

"No, she's just really upset," Neptune sighed. "Why don't you get P-ko some pudding? Maybe that'll calm her down..."

"OK," Compa agreed as she walked up to Vert and Peashy. "Do you want some pudding, Peashy?"

"Pudding...?" Peashy sniffled a bit. "I guess so... but it's not fair..."

"You're right, it's not fair," Peach spoke up. "But that's just the way things are sometimes... but at least I have this Plutia now..." She gave the CPU sitting on her lap a little squeeze.

"It'll be fine, Peashy. Go with Compa, OK?" Plutia reassured her.

"*snif* OK..." Peashy sighed as Vert set her down, before Compa took her hand and escorted her out of the room.

"So..." Plutia turned to look at Peach. "Do you have any friends now?"

"Well, I have my boyfriend Adrian," the blonde answered. "And my fellow soldiers in Adrian's unit... I guess you could kinda count Lady Vert, too..." She bit her lip slightly. "I know you're a CPU and you've got important stuff to do back home, but... can you be my friend as well?"

"Of course!" Plutia closed her eyes and smiled. "I don't mind having another friend! Just... don't hug me too tight again, OK?"

"Deal," Peach chuckled, lightly embracing her newest friend.

And all the other CPUs in the room smiled, with tears in their eyes...

*Episode 8- End*