Everything smelled awful, it was hard to move. Everything was dark, she couldn't see. Her body was in pain, like she was beaten over and over into a pulp. She hated this isolation, she hated the dark. She didn't know why. Suddenly, the bright light of the sun shone down on her. Her eyes were adjusting to the silhouette reaching a hand towards her.

Her first memories were blinding darkness then blinding light with her new friend holding the light up for her.

A girl with dark blue hair, set in twintails. Wearing a dark button up with a blue tie. Black leggings with leg warmers. Her bangs parted by a gold hair clip. Watery, dark purple eyes that scan the bustling streets of Planeptune.

This girl may look intimidating, and dangerous. That is immediately dismissed with her shy demeanor. Her arms clutched to her chest, like she's holding something close, or more likely, wanting to curl up, but has to keep walking. She bumped into a man and nearly knocked him over.

"Hey! Watch where you're going punk!" The man yelled in the girl's face. She flinched and shrunk away. Whimpering as tears pricked her eyes. "Uzume is sorry! She didn't mean it!" Uzume squeaked out in high pitched, very girly voice. The man grabbed her by the collar.

"Well empty your wallets and I might let you off with a warning!" The man snarled at the shivering girl. "Uzume doesn't have any money! She is sorry! Please let her go!" Uzume begged. "Why're you talking in third person?! Are you some loony?!" He asked Uzume.

"Damn it! Just looking at you pisses me off!" The man socked Uzume in the jaw. Knocking her to the sidewalk. The people walking by, guards, Guild Agents, nobody cared. This was Planeptune, it's goddess and people are apathetic to the plights of others. The goddess, Iris Heart, only coming out when it's necessary. Other than that, she's cooped up in the Basilicom.

Back to Uzume, the man was kicking the girl. Uzume coughed up saliva as her stomach was assaulted with vicious strikes from the man's foot. Eventually, the man put his foot on Uzume's hair. Before grinding the sole of his shoe on her head. Then he roughly took his foot off her. Before stomping off, and Uzume curled up on the sidewalk, sobbing.

No one came to help her. They just walked over or past her. Despite a girl being assaulted in bright daylight. Nobody wants to waste their time on some stranger. If the goddess doesn't care, why should they?

Uzume forced herself to get up and eventually she made it to her home. Which is an abandoned apartment building everyone was too lazy to tear down. Filled with squatters and criminals. Uzume made it up to the twelfth floor, and into one of the rooms. Which she shared with some guy.

The guy is named EXE, his body is always covered in a brown tattered cloak. His crimson eyes looked at Uzume with concern. Wild orange hair, and purple tattoed lines that trail from his eyes to his cheeks. Like a ghost, he silently slipped to Uzume's side.

"Uzume, why didn't you ask me to come along?" EXE asked, sounding cold and sharp. Not out of malicious intent. It's just how he is, a cold and sharp person. Uzume's left cheek was bruised, her clothes were dirty and scuffed up. Uzume sniffled and shuffled her feet.

"Uzume knew you would be taken away from her by the meanie guards. She wanted you to be safe," Uzume explained and EXE sighed. He was a criminal, and Planeptune is his prison. He can't try to escape or else he'll be spotted and detained instantly.

He's strong, but there is no way he can defeat the entire nation of Planeptune. If he tries to leave, the CPU, Guild Agents, and guards will be on his ass. "What did you do Exsy?" Uzume asked him. It's a question that EXE never answered. He shook his head and sat down in the corner.

"Lie down Uzume, you deserve a rest for putting up with this nation again," EXE gestured to a winter coat that is a makeshift mattress. Uzume sat down on it, and EXE gave her a child's blanket too small for her, but it's all they had.

"Thanks Exsy, you've always been nice to Uzume. She doesn't know why the nation wants to take you away from her," Uzume said with a cheerful smile. "Do you hate this nation?" EXE asked. Uzume clutched the blanket close to her heart.

"Uzume doesn't know, she feels this burny feeling that's all yucky and gross. At the same time, a warm feeling that makes Uzume feel good. Maybe Uzume feels both hate and love?" Uzume pondered for the first time in the few months since she woke up in a dumpster in Planeptune without remembering her past.

"Huh, I understand that feeling all too well. This nation is a place I despise, but I owe it so much that I can't fully bring myself to hate it," EXE replied as Uzume giggled. "What's so funny?" EXE asked. "Uzume is happy that Exsy and her share so much in common. It's like a dream come true, to have a friend!" Uzume chirped.

Folding her fingers under her chin and closing her eyes. "Uzume can imagine it now. Exsy opening up all his deep dark secrets to Uzume. He then confesses that he wuvs Uzume and wants to be her friend forever and ever. Then Uzume will totally accept his feelings and they leave this building. Buy a house and grow old together! It will totally happen because Uzume believes in Exsy!" Uzume fantasized.

She opened her eyes and EXE was silent for a minute. "I am not your friend, we are homeless roommates. Associating with me will have you hunted down by this nation alongside me. You are lucky the rest of this prison doesn't know we live together. Or else a beating on the street will be a foot massage compared to whatever Iris Heart does," EXE warned bitterly and Uzume looked down, dejected.

She laid down on the coat, and tried her best to fit in the blanket. The adrenaline of the day, fully leaving her. As she entered the realm of dreams.

Her dreams, are strange, chaotic even. Muffled voices, the feeling of disgust and hatred. This feeling of something being torn away, like something is missing. Four giants, and some blurry orange crystal that shatters. An orange swirl mark that turns blue before fading away.

That's how it always is. Uzume goes out for whatever reason. Gets assaulted, no one helps her, she goes home and tries to bond with her roomie. She gets shut out. It happens again and again and again. This frigid hand squeezes her heart. This sense of, that everyone hates her.

Then, Uzume woke up, and saw that the moon is up. She slept through the whole day. EXE is obscured by shadows, unmoving and silent. Uzume has no idea if he's awake or asleep. She looks out the window. Lights from various businesses pour out onto the street below. Reflecting against the window.

Uzume looks to see the glowing tower that is the Basilicom. 'Uzume could do a better job than Iris Heart!' Uzume pouted, but doubt creeps in. 'What if Uzume fails again? Again? Why again? Who is Uzume?' She ponders. Before laying down, hoping, dreaming even that this endless cycle of pain ends.

Maybe she's just deluding herself.

Hobo Kurome everybody!

When writing Kurome in this little fanfic. I made her personality Orange Heart's as an inverse to what happened with Uzume. Her personality shifts as a coping mechanism. The ditzy Orange Heart becomes the tomboy Uzume as a way to survive. While the callous and spiteful Kurome becomes the ditzy Orange Heart due memory loss.

Iris Heart isn't a good CPU, huh, go figure. I definitely thought it was interesting to change how Planeptune feels from the Hyperdimension.

Hyperdimension Planeptune is a haven, a place of progress and beauty. While Ultradimension Planeptune is a prison, a place of stagnation and malignancy.