Me: "Hello, and welcome to another chapter up this… eh, you what kind of story this is by now. Anyway, now that Neptune has gotten her memories back, we can move on to the part where the party recruits the other goddesses."
Heero and Neptune: (Enter IC) "Just so we're clear, they can join the party, but they can't have Heero. He's my lover, and off-limits to everyone else!"
Heero: "Why are you doing this? You know this is going to start an argument."
Neptune: "Because everyone needs to know how amazing we are together… and that I'm not sharing you."
Me: "You'll have to take that up with the others.
Lady Black Heart: (Enters IC from Lounge) "You can't act like Heero belongs to you, Neptune! Besides, nobody thinks you're amazing together. I'm sure the readers would rather see Heero paired with someone else."
Neptune, "Oh, yeah? Like who? You're not gonna say you, are ya?"
Lady Black Heart: (Face turns red) "No! But, I'm sure our readers would rather it be me instead of you that gets paired with him."
Neptune: "So you admit to wanting my Heero! I knew it… I can't trust nobody around here!"
Compa and IF: (Enter IC from Break Room) "Nep-Nep, what's wrong? You're shouting a lot again, and the chapter hasn't even started."
Neptune: (Points at Lady Black Heart) "She wants to steal Heero from me! She totally admitted it!"
IF: "What is it with you and thinking every girl we meet is trying to steal Heero? I'd be able to tell if they were."
Zero: (Suddenly Appears in IC) "Perhaps you are just being paranoid, Neptune. You should know that Heero is quite faithful."
Me: (Starts clapping hands to get cast's attention) "People, please! I know you're having fun, but we gotta wrap this up. The sooner we do, the sooner we can start working on the next chapter.
Heero, Neptune, Compa, IF, Zero, and Lady Black Heart: "HeeroUzuki does not own Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Hyperdimension Neptunia, Super Robot Wars, or any work pertaining to any of the franchises."
Me: "Enjoy this chapter, while we toil away at putting together the next one."
Me, Heero, Neptune, Compa, IF, Zero, and Lady Black Heart: (Leave IC)
Ch. 43 Recruiting a Tsundere Goddess
After the events of the previous day, Neptune had regained her memories, though not without some hardship for those involved. The party's first stop was the hotel to retrieve their equipment and plan their next move. There were only two options available to the party at that point: either try to recruit the three CPUs again, or face Arfoire as they were now… and Neptune was pushing for the former.
Both the CPU and the Gundam pilot were standing in the hallway outside their hotel room when Neptune proposed her Gundam pilot couldn't help but voice his concerns on the matter. There was still the possibility that the other CPUs would hold Neptune in contempt after the lies Arfoire had told them, and there was a good chance that a fight would ensue between Neptune and the other goddesses now that she had her memories back. Heero didn't want Neptune getting into a battle when he couldn't be there to help her, "Are you sure about this?"
Neptune knew why the Gundam pilot was worried. Even though they knew the truth about what was going on, the other goddesses didn't, and now that Neptune had gotten her memories back they would start to view her as a threat to their lands. Despite that, the CPU of Planeptune knew it was still the best option available to them, "Now that I've got my memories back, the other CPUs might listen to me. We need their help if we're gonna beat Arfoire!"
Heero could see the determination in Neptune's eyes as she stated her intent to convince the goddesses to aid the party once more. For a moment, the purplenette's face changed to reflect remorse as she thought about the second, and in her mind most important reason why the party should try to recruit the goddesses. "Besides… you're injured. If we try to fight her now..."
Clearly the purple haired CPU was still blaming herself for injury Heero. There was no reason for her to think that way, not the way Heero saw it. At the end of the day, it had been Heero's decision to endure the stab wound so that he could bring Neptune back, "Neptune, I'm not mad about that. Stop blaming yourself for my decision. Instead, focus on moving forward. That's all we can really do now."
Neptune found solace in the boy's words, feeling some of the emotional weight vanish from off of her heart. Heero focused on the main issue of their conversation; the potential fighting that the CPU of Planeptune might end up getting into, "As long as you are certain that you are making the right decision, I will not object."
Truth be told, Neptune had felt somewhat uneasy about the decision, but then remembered the words of wisdom Heero had given her that morning. To act on her emotions and to do as her heart tells her so that she wouldn't regret her choice later. If it came down to it, she would fight the other CPUs in order to get them on their side. She would do it for Heero, "Until you're all healed up I'll fight extra hard for the both of us. I'll make the other goddesses joins us, even if I gotta beat 'em up to do it!"
Her violent answer aside, Neptune was sincere in her response. Heero was not going to try and dissuade the CPU of Planeptune. Opening the door to their room, the two found the rest of the party packing up their equipment, knowing that they were undoubtedly moving to another landmass.
Looking up from her medical supplies, Compa saw Neptune and Heero enter the room. The nurse in training was curious about what the group's plans were regarding their inevitable battle against Arfoire, "Now that you have your memories back, what are we gonna do about Arfoire?"
IF's bravado from the day before had gone out the window now that Heero was injured and unable to fight at his best, "If we try to fight Arfoire now, we might be in trouble. I don't think I need to remind anyone here how much we rely on Heero."
It was no secret that Heero was the strongest member in the party, surpassed only by Neptune. Not having the Gundam pilot's help when they finally went up against Arfoire would put them in a bad position. Lyrica saw waiting until the lone male party member had healed as a possible course of action for the party, "Well… we could just wait until Compa has finished healing Heero's injury. Then we could go to Celestia."
That might have been possible, were it not for the looming threat of doomsday. No one really knew how close Arfoire was to enacting her plan, so simply waiting around might make things worse, a fact that Nisa pointed out for the songstress, "But if we just sit around and wait, Arfoire will get closer to destroying the world. We really can't afford to waste any time."
The group was already speculating what their next move was, and Neptune hadn't even told them of her decision, "Uh, hello? Your super cute and awesome leader hasn't even told you guys her plan yet."
IF still couldn't understand how it was that Neptune was supposed to be the leader of the party, but the girls waited to her about the plan she was going on about. "So, I was thinking I would try and get the goddesses to join us again."
The plan didn't inspire much confidence. Given how the three CPUs had refused them earlier, no one in the party saw the goddesses changing their minds any time soon. Gust was under the assumption that the CPU of Planeptune had somehow forgot the biting remarks she had received from the other CPUs, and didn't want to see her go through that again, "Gust does not want Neptune to get yelled at again. Even if goddesses are saying these things, Gust does not like it."
Red was in the same boat as the business savvy alchemist, not wanting there to be any more misgivings between the party's leader or the CPUs, "Gust is right. And I'm not so sure they'll listen to us."
While the other members of the group weren't certain about their chances, Neptune was confident she could win over the other goddesses this time, "We've got nothing to worry about. I've got my memory back, so things have gotta go better this time!"
If nothing else, Neptune's enthusiasm was infectious. It wasn't long before the girls decided to go along with her proposed idea of trying to recruit the goddesses once more. Once she was sure she had the entire group behind her, the purplenette grabbed her belongings before asking about their next destination. "So, we're all wanting to go and get the other CPUs to party up with us. Where are we gonna go first?"
Referencing the schedule he had made, the Gundam pilot saw two options, though the Sky Harbor was about to close, so really it would have been best to wait for the Sky Harbor to connect with the next landmass, "If you are willing to wait, Leanbox will pass by within the next twelve hours."
Even though it was only half a day's wait, Neptune wasn't willing to spare the time. The party's leader vehemently opposed the idea, wanting to get to another landmass as soon as possible. "We can't wait that long! The longer we wait, the closer that hag Arfoire comes to blowing up the world!"
The only alternative to waiting on Leanbox to pass by Planeptune was to try and cross the Sky Harbor now before it closed. "If you're that insistent, then the only other option is Lastation. However, the Sky Harbor will close in ten minutes."
Deafening silence filled the air as Neptune allowed the Gundam pilot's words to sink in. It wasn't long before the purple haired girl was shouting and ushering the party out of the room, "Let's get going, people! We're never gonna get there just standing around here!"
As they were being pushed out the door, IF couldn't help but question how Neptune planned on getting to the Sky Harbor and into Lastation in under ten minutes, "So how exactly are we going to get to the Sky Harbor in time?! It's gonna take ten minutes to get there!"
Compa didn't want to leave when she only saw themselves getting stuck in the Sky Harbor and having to wait for another landmass to pass over, "Shouldn't we wait instead, Nep-Nep? What if we get stuck?!"
Neptune refused to hear any remarks on the contrary, her efforts focused solely on moving the party forward, "We'll get there a lot sooner once you guys shut your yappers and start moving!"
After some pushing, shoving and a lot of running, the party miraculously made it across the Sky Harbor and into Lastation. It was only once they were outside the Basilicom that the girls were able to catch their breath.
Upon looking at the structure before them, Compa's uncertainty returned. She was still somewhat unconvinced that Neptune would be able to persuade Lady Black Heart to help them, "Are you sure you can convince Lady Black Heart now that you've regained your memory?"
While she didn't know if she would be able to convince the CPU of Lastation with words alone, Neptune was determined not to leave until they had recruited Lady Black Heart… even if that meant resorting to force in order to do so, "I dunno, but we gotta try. If it still doesn't work, then we'll just bop her on the head like you did to me!"
Hearing the CPU of Planeptune include the possibility of violence in order to persuade the goddess was somewhat disturbing, and the way she said it led IF to believe that the goddess hadn't quite gotten over the party beating up on her last night, "Are you still sour about that?"
It was no secret that Neptune's pride had taken a hit when she was defeated by the party. While she knew they had no choice but to do it, the purplenette was still upset over her loss. "I know it was kinda my bad, but… Ugh, I can't believe I lost!"
Lyrica wasn't going to pity Neptune, not when it was more than 'kinda' her fault things turned out the way they did, "You can't say you didn't deserve it. Who runs off on their own to try and fight an evil goddess?"
The songstress wasn't the only one that thought that way. Nisa gave her two cents on the matter, "Instead of talking to us, your party, you decided to act like a child and have a tantrum."
Gust sided with the two blue haired girls, thinking it irresponsible of the party leader to try and face Arfoire on her own, "Gust does not approve of how Neptune tried to face evil goddess alone."
While her reasoning wasn't the same as that of the other party members, Red was also upset with Neptune, "How am I supposed to make you my wifey if you go and do something reckless like that?
Even though she deserved it, Neptune didn't want to listen to anymore of the party's ranting on her misbehavior, "Hey, lay off! I was already beat up by you guys, I don't need this!"
Heero changed the subject back to the matter of recruiting Lastation's CPU, knowing that sending Neptune into the Basilicom while she was in a bad mood could affect their chances of success, "Are you sure you will be fine on your own?"
When Neptune had decided on her idea of trying to recruit the goddesses once more to Histoire, the tome had suggested that she meet with them alone. While Heero's presences would be reassuring, Neptune knew that the other CPUs would be less likely to listen if she was still in her comfort zone, "Histy said it was for the best… even if I don't believe her. Besides, if I don't do this you'll just put yourself in danger for me again. I don't want that, and I'm sure the others wouldn't want that either. That's why I'll do whatever I have to get the goddesses to join us. For your sake."
It was a very heartfelt sentiment from the CPU of Planeptune. It may have been Heero's job to protect her from danger, but hearing Neptune say that she was going through the effort of recruiting the other goddesses for him was moving. Even Compa and the others found it a rather mature thing for their leader to say, "Nep-Nep… that's so thoughtful of you."
The response was thoughtful… so thoughtful that IF jokingly questioned whether or not this Neptune was the real deal or just a fake, "Are you sure you're Neptune? That's way too mature and considerate a thing to hear from you."
Despite it being a good natured ribbing, Neptune took some offense to the brunettes comment, "I can be mature when I wanna be! I am a goddess, y'know." As she walked toward the Basilicom, Neptune stopped once to flash a thumbs-up back to the party. "You guys just watch, I'll be back with a new party member before you know it!"
Xxx
Within the audience chamber of Lastation's Basilicom, Lady Black Heart was seated on the foot of her bed. While she had told the Sanctuary that she was relinquishing her position as Lastation's CPU, it wasn't as if it was something that would happen over night. There were still some things to finalize before the goddess could say that she really was no longer the CPU of the Land of Black Regality.
As she sat in silence, Lady Black Heart found herself growing bored and lonely. Acting on a whim, the goddess of Lastation decided to try and speak to Heero's disembodied helper, who she had not heard from since her last visit to Planeptune, "Hey… are you there, Z?"
The CPU was met with silence. Just as the raven haired girl was about to sink back in to a lump of loneliness and boredom, Zero's voice suddenly reached her, "I'm sorry, I was busy sorting through data. Did you need something?"
Lady Black Heart was momentarily startled by the voice, calming down once she realized that she was in fact the only one in the room and communicating with Zero. "(At least I know I'm not going crazy.) N-Nothing in particular. I was just wondering if you were there."
Zero was convinced that the goddess of Lastation did have an actual reason. Either she was lonely and needed someone to talk to, or she had something to ask about Heero, "Are we feeling lonely? I don't know if I'll be adequate, but I will try to facilitate your need for communication as best as I can."
While she was happy to have someone to talk to, Lady Black Heart clearly wasn't good at expressing how she really felt as she went into a tirade over how she wasn't lonely, "L-Lonely?! Me?! Of course not! I was just thinking that YOU might be lonely, so I thought I would spare some time and chat."
Although she wasn't convinced, the ZERO System decided to humor the goddess. "Very well. What would you like to discuss?"
It was then that Lady Black Heart found herself at a loss. She didn't really expect anything to come out of calling Zero, so she hadn't thought about what to ask or say. Before long, the goddess was looking out the window rather bashfully as she thought about a certain Gundam pilot. "Out of curiosity… what does Heero… think of me? Not that I really care or anything. I'm just… curious."
"Wanting to know where you stand with your love interest? That's understandable. If you must know, Heero happens to hold you in high regard."
While she had received the answer to her question, Lady Black Heart hadn't quite expected to Heero's helper to make it seem as though she was romantically interested in the Perfect Soldier. The goddess' face took on a bright red hue as she tried to deny the assertion,' "L-L-Love interest?! Heero may be a great guy, but he's not THAT great! Besides, he's a human and I'm a goddess. There's no way it would work out."
Having seen the way Neptune interacted with Heero throughout their journey, and even now after regaining her memories, Zero wasn't convinced that being a goddess was really an obstacle in having a relationship, "You think so? Neptune is a goddess, and she seems quite adamant about having a relationship with Heero."
Being reminded of the CPU of Planeptune irritated Lady Black Heart. "Well, Neptune's an idiot. She's lost her memory, so she doesn't know what she's doing. If Neptune wants to get herself hurt with a relationship that won't work, that's her problem."
Much like Heero, Lady Black Heart had a problem with expressing how she really felt. Zero knew what the goddess really wanted to say, but decided not to tease her anymore, "(She's just as bad as Heero.) Well, if you change your mind, you have my best wishes on furthering your relationship with him. I do think the two of you would make for an amazing couple."
The CPU's face took on an even darker shade of red than it did before as Zero insinuated that she and Heero would be a couple, "I-I already said that Heero isn't THAT great! Just because we would be a good couple doesn't mean we ARE going to be one!"
There was no response to the CPU's ranting, and after a few seconds of silence Lady Black Heart assumed that the disembodied voice was just being silent, or had gone away. Regardless, it left the goddess somewhat annoyed. "She's either ignoring me, or ran off to do something else. I'm the one that looks crazy if I keep talking to thin air now. It's not fair."
Once she was alone again, Lady Black Heart allowed herself to dwell on what the ZERO System had said to her. Apparently Heero thought highly of her, and Zero herself had said that the two of them would make an amazing couple. It was an unbiased, outside opinion, so there was some merit to it, "(So… Heero thinks highly of me, huh? And Z said we would make a good couple...)"
Lady Black Heart thought on the matter of herself and the Gundam pilot being a couple for a moment before trying to dispel the notion. "I shouldn't be thinking about that! As I said, Heero is a human and I'm a goddess, I'm above him. And besides, I already said I was going to retire and return to Celestia, I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings..."
The door to the audience chamber suddenly opened, and Neptune entered the room. While the sudden appearance of Planeptune's CPU helped to take Lady Black Heart's mind off of what she had just been thinking about, she was now mildly annoyed now that she had to deal with the girl she presumed to still have amnesia, "You're back again? Ugh, I should have left faster. Not that I'm kinda happy to see you or anything." It was then that the goddess of Lastation noticed that Neptune was without her entourage, which was somewhat surprising. "You alone? What is it?"
Despite her claims to the contrary, Neptune could tell that the goddess of Lastation was somewhat happy to see her, brushing off Lady Black Heart's cold shoulder routine like it was nothing, "Y'know, I can tell you actually are happy to see me. Histy told me it's best to come talk with you alone."
Not wanting to deal with the purplenette any longer than she needed to, Lady Black Heart tried to hurry the conversation along, "Don't waste my time. Just answer the question I asked. What is it? What do you want?"
Neptune took on a more serious tone of voice, deciding to just get straight to the point instead of making small talk to cozy up to the CPU of Lastation. "I wanna defeat Arfoire. I need your help! This isn't the time for us to be all 'grr!' at each other. It's bigger than us!"
It wasn't surprising to hear Neptune asking for help again, the much Lady Black Heart had guessed. What was surprising was the way she had phrased it, specifically how she had referred to the two of them as 'us.' "Us…? You remember now? This is surprising. I thought you'd be more depressed and whiny."
The CPU of Lastation wasn't exactly wrong, Neptune had been both depressed and whiny when she got her memories back, she had just waited until she tried to go to Celestia by herself to let those traits show. And while the party did help her in overcoming the ensuing depression and overall whiny behavior, they didn't handle it quite the way she had hoped, "I'm over it."
Lady Black Heart was smiling now, either because she was genuinely happy for the CPU of Planeptune or because since she no longer had to deal with an amnesiac Neptune, "That's nice. I'm still not gonna help. I'll get her on my own, if it comes down to it." Taking on a more serious tone of voice, the guardian goddess of Lastation restated her earlier refusal to joining the party in fighting Arfoire. "I don't have any desire to help you, nor do I need to. Next time you come here, I'll be in Celestia. I hope."
Seeing that trying to be serious wasn't getting her anywhere, Neptune decided to go with her usual manner of speaking to people, which involved acting buddy-buddy and playing off a serious situation like it was a game. "We should buddy up and help each other! Let's go get Arfoire arm-in-arm. It'll be really fun."
The way Planeptune's CPU had expressed them joining forced was sending the wrong messages to Lady Black Heart and it was annoying the goddess, "Don't make it sound like it's some panty-flashing picnic. You've no sense of urgency." Neptune's carefree attitude was fast becoming more than Lady Black Heart could bear. She really didn't want to deal with the goddess of Planeptune any more. "I like aiming for future-proof perfection. We're not the same. I'll do this my way. Go ask someone dumb enough to agree!"
Given what was at stake and what would happen if Arfoire was allowed to have her way, Neptune was not about to take no for an answer, "I heard you're resigning as a goddess. So what's the rush? You got some spare time since you're unemployed, right? Don't you think you're the one lacking a sense of urgency, quittin' like this?"
For Lady Black Heart, it was embarrassing to be tripped up by Neptune of all people. Even though Planeptune's CPU was technically right, the raven haired goddess refused to change her mind, "I've made my decision. I'm not stepping down because I want to 'quit!'"
The CPU of Lastation continued to blame herself for being unable to stop Avenir, which had very nearly pushed the landmass she was meant to protect over the brink. As such, Lady Black Heart believed the only way to protect the land she loved was to leave. "...It's best not to interfere with the imperfect human world. For Lastation… and myself."
As Lastation's CPU began to act more somber, Neptune was running out of ideas to try and convince her to join the party in stopping the root of all their problems. The goddess of Planeptune had finally gotten her relationship with Heero off the ground, and she was not about to endanger her lover because Lady Black Heart was feeling sorry for herself. With no other idea readily available, Neptune threw it to the goddess in front of her to give her something to work with. "Ugh. You're pretty committed, huh? Look, just gimme a chance. What can I do to convince you?"
Lady Black Heart was silent as she deliberated how she would respond. It was obvious Neptune wasn't going to stop pestering her, but the goddess of Planeptune had at least given her the choice of deciding on some way to convince her.
Although the silence had only lasted a few seconds, Neptune was already growing concerned that Lady Black Heart wasn't even going to consider giving her a chance. The purplenette decided to try pressuring her by bringing Heero into the conversation, "C'mon, give me something, anything! I messed up last night and Heero got hurt because of it. If we try to fight Arfoire now, he'll be in trouble!"
The corner of the goddess' mouth twitched as she heard Neptune mention the Perfect Soldier having been injured because of something she did. It was then that the CPU of Lastation had determined just how Neptune was going to 'convince' her to help the party, "(So, Neptune screwed up and Heero ended up paying for it. That settles it…) Okay, I guess I can give you a chance. I'll help you if you can defeat me. If I win, this talk is over. I'll go to Celestia as planned. Whaddaya say?"
Neptune was beaming over the proposition. While it wasn't the option she had in mind, if fighting and defeating Lady Black Heart meant she would aid the party in their quest to defeat Arfoire, then the goddess of Planeptune would do just that, "All righty, deal!"
Planeptune's CPU was preparing to fight when Lady Black Heart walked past her toward the door. Neptune quickly turned toward the goddess that had just said they would settle the matter of her recruitment into the party with a fight, and was now walking away from her. "I thought you said we were gonna fight. Are you running away already?"
Lady Black Heart couldn't believe Neptune was asking that question. The two goddesses were going to fight, that much was certain. What the CPU of Lastation didn't want was for anyone to see or interfere, "Not here, you idiot! If someone sees us fighting, it'll cause problems for Lastation. Besides, if we're going to fight, it's gonna be one-on-one. You're not getting outside help this time."
The two goddesses exited the audience chamber, passed through the Basilicom, and came out the front to see the still waiting party. Compa ran up to the two CPUs to see if Neptune had somehow accomplished what they had not been able to during their previous visit, "Nep-Nep and Lady Black Heart! So does this mean…?"
Neptune rubbed the back of her head as she tried to keep the party in the dark about the battle she was about to have with the goddess next to her, "We're still working that out."
Looking between the two goddesses, Heero could tell that the talk was only partially successful just by the looks on their faces, and that something else had… or was about to go down as a result. Lady Black Heart knew the Gundam pilot was watching her, but couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. Wanting to get away as soon as possible to deal with Neptune, the CPU of Lastation went along with her line of thought, "Yes… I'll hear Neptune out and decide whether or not to join your little party."
It was hard to get a read on whether the goddess was seriously considering joining the party, but given that he was unable to provide Neptune with assistance, Heero had to believe the CPU of Planeptune could handle herself. "We apologize for taking up your time. We will try to keep our stay as brief as possible."
Although she was still unable to meet the Perfect Soldier's gaze, Lady Black Heart was still able to engage in conversation with the boy. "I heard that you were injured recently. Is that true?"
Obviously Neptune brought him up during their talk in the Basilicom, otherwise the CPU wouldn't have known about that. Heero played off his injury as if it was a minor inconvenience, "I made a mistake, nothing more. It's not enough to inhibit my performance too much."
Lady Black Heart didn't buy the act for a second, believing Heero to be lying to cover up for Neptune, "(Right, YOU made the mistake. I'll bet Neptune told you to lie so she wouldn't get in any trouble.)"
Even though Heero wanted to know what was really going on, he knew better than to try and pry for answers when it meant the difference between getting Lady Black Heart on their side. The Gundam pilot then directed his attention to Neptune. "I ask that you keep in mind that I will be unable to help you if something happens. Don't take any risks if you can avoid it."
The goddess of Planeptune responded with a nod, knowing that she wasn't trying to recruit Lady Black Heart just to have a new member in the party. She was doing it so Heero wouldn't stick his neck out for them when they battled Arfoire, "Don't worry. I got this. I'll be back with our newest party member before y'know it!"
Lady Black Heart mentally jeered at Neptune as she walked away from the party with the purplenette in tow, "(You got this? Yeah, I'm sure you said the same thing before you screwed up and got Heero injured.)"
As much as he wanted to believe that the two CPUs were just going to discuss a few details, Heero was under the impression that Neptune and Lady Black Heart had just been acting, and that they were really going to decide on the matter with a fight.
He may not be able to help Neptune, but he could at least watch the battle from a safe distance… provided no one knew he was there. Heero turned a walked away in the opposite direction, garnering Lyrica's attention, "Where are you going? I thought we were going to wait her for Neptune and Lady Black Heart to get back."
It would have been pointless to sit around and wait for the two goddesses to return, even if they were really just going somewhere to talk. No, what they had in mind to settle the dispute over whether or not Lady Black Heart would join the group would take some time, "I don't see them returning quite so soon. We should focus on doing something productive with our time while we wait. I have an errand I need to take care of. The rest of you are free to use your time as you see fit."
Xxx
Neptune followed Lady Black Heart to an abandoned parking lot just outside of the city limits. There were no monsters around and more importantly, there were no people around to get in the way.
Both goddesses stood a few feet apart from one another, each one confident enough in their own abilities that they believed they would be the victor of the battle. With no one to interfere or inhibit their fight, Lady Black Heart saw no reason to pull any punches against Neptune and decided to go all-out from the beginning, "Don't be surprised, Neptune. I've fought you before in my other form many times!"
Closing her eyes, the goddess of Lastation was enveloped in a bright, blinding light. When it subsided, a familiar snow haired girl was standing in her place. Under normal circumstances it would have been surprising to see the white haired swordstress, but Neptune just smiled, unfazed by her appearance since she already knew that the girl in front of her and Lady Black Heart were one in the same, "I'm not. I realized that girl with the cleavage and plug suit was you when I got my memory back."
Black Heart gave the purplenette her undivided attention. The fact that Neptune was aware that this was her goddess form was proof that she wasn't lying and had truly regained her memory. "That's right. You remember now. Then… I won't have to go easy on you, right?"
The fact that Lady Black Heart had already transformed into her goddess form was a clear enough indication to Neptune that she hadn't really planned on holding back to begin with. "Not like you would if you could, but you should!"
Black Heart pointed the tip of her large blade at the CPU of Planeptune, preparing to face off against her 'Destined Rival,' "I forgot to mention, there's one more caveat to this battle… If you lose, you must give up Heero."
Neptune hadn't expected the CPU of Lastation to setting other terms for their battle, and the one she was including was a bit too much for Planeptune's goddess, "Whoa, hold on a sec! You can't start setting more rules! And give up Heero if I lose? Are you on drugs or something?!"
A frown formed on the sword maiden's face at both Neptune's accusation and her unwillingness to accept the added condition. "First, I'm in my right mind, thank you. Second, you're the one that came here asking me to join your party when I don't want to. I'm free to set any terms I want. If you refuse to accept them, we won't fight and I'll just go back to Celestia."
It was infuriating, but it wasn't as if Neptune had any other choice. If she went along with the new condition, she would lose Heero if she lost the battle. If she just decided not to go along with it, Lady Black Heart would just turn and leave.
Instead of mincing words any longer, the purplenette engaged HDD to face her opponent on equal ground. Once her transformation was complete, Purple Heart pointed her sword at the goddess of Lastation, "Very well. I don't like it, but I will accept the conditions for this match." The sword maiden's eyes narrowed as she looked at Black Heart. "I will warn you now. You made a fatal mistake in placing my love for Heero on the line. You will not win this battle."
With the conditions set and both combatants ready, but goddesses prepared for battle with Black Heart throwing out one more retort, "You're all talk. If you're really so powerful, then prove it!"
Almost immediately after Black Heart's statement, both goddess seemingly vanished into thin air before the loud, reverberating sound of clashing metal ensued. The two CPUs had engaged in a fierce melee, using the full extent of their strength to best their rival.
Chunks of pavement were sent flying as large scars were left in their place, and a few of the abandoned vehicles were overturned or destroyed. The fighting between the goddesses came to an abrupt stop, both of them standing a few yards apart from one another. Neither one showed any sign of exhaustion, indicating that they had yet to start fighting in earnest.
Purple Heart didn't like how her opponent had brought her lover into this battle and wanted to know why, "Before we continue, tell me. Why are you expecting me to give up Heero if I lose? What do you hope to gain from it?"
Lastation's CPU was caught off guard by the sudden inquiry. Not wanting to sound as though she had an interest in the Gundam pilot, Black Heart tried to avoid the question, "No special reason… I just think he shouldn't have to follow YOU around everywhere."
The twin braided swordstress would not accept that for an answer. No, Black Heart obviously had an agenda, otherwise why include parting with Heero as one of the conditions for losing? Purple Heart wanted the truth. "Don't give me that. What's the real reason? Why are you trying to come between me and Heero?"
Black Heart really didn't want to have this conversation, but clearly her rival wasn't going to just drop the subject. "W-Well… I just don't like how Heero is constantly subjected to your whims. For all I know, you might have put him in danger more times than necessary."
While Black Heart's verbal answer wasn't exactly the truth, Purple Heart could see the real reason between the lines, "So… THAT'S the reason."
The CPU of Lastation flinched as Purple Heart spoke as though she understood why she had included Heero leaving Neptune as one of the conditions if the swordstress lost, "Wh-What are getting at?! Don't act like there's some hidden meaning in what I said! Even if there was, it doesn't matter. Heero has nothing to do with our battle!"
To Purple Heart it DID matter. Being faced with the prospected of breaking off her relationship with Heero if she lost was not something she would take lightly. The CPU of Planeptune placed a hand against her chest as she laid out the real reason why Black Heart wanted her to leave Heero if she won. "Yes, it does matter. Like me, you have fallen for Heero… and you're jealous. Jealous that I'm the one by his side. Jealous that I'M the one who is now in a relationship with him."
A wave of rage washed over Black Heart as she listened to Purple Heart. Not only had she hit the nail on the head, it was infuriating to hear it from her of all people. "Shut up! Don't act like you know everything!"
Once more, the goddess of Planeptune brandished her sword at her rival, "I know that unlike you, I'm not a tsundere. I love Heero, and have told him how I felt. You love Heero, but hide how you actually feel. I will not allow someone like you to take my place as his lover."
As the two goddess continued to bicker and argue, Heero arrived at the abandoned parking lot. The Gundam pilot quickly ducked into a row of bushes and observed the two CPUs, "As I thought, the talks were bound to result in fighting."
Just then, Lady Black Heart raised her voice high enough for the Perfect Soldier to hear, "Enough! I won't listen to whatever else you have to say!"
Purple Heart prepared herself for the next round, her calm demeanor slowly giving way to an anger she didn't realize she had, "So be it. I will let my sword do the talking instead!"
The two sword wielding goddesses resumed their fierce battle, both exhibiting a degree of malice toward the other that made Purple Heart and Black Heart seem more like bitter enemies than destined rivals.
For the better part of ten minutes the sound of clashing metal filled the air as the two women tried to best one another, destroying anything that happened to be in the way. In addition to the parking lot receiving a few more gashes, several light posts were severed, some of the bushes and trees were uprooted, and more of the abandoned vehicles were demolished. One such vehicle had been right between the warring goddess and been viciously carved up. Heero had made count of at least twelve strikes to the car, but obviously it had been struck many more times than that. The end result was that the car looked as though it had been put though a shredder.
Heero continued to observe Purple Heart and Black Heart as they fought with a level of ferocity he had not seen from them before, "Both of them are much stronger than I had originally thought. Even if I wanted to help Neptune, I seriously doubt I could get closer."
"You certainly know how to cause problems, don't you?"
The Gundam pilot tried to discern what exactly his partner meant, but was finding it rather difficult when she spoke in a rather playful tone of voice. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. It's just that I can't help but think you're something of a womanizer at times. Playing with the hearts of these two girls and having them fight over you, as if you get some perverse pleasure from it."
Now Heero was lost. He wasn't sure what was going on, or how he was responsible for it. Ignoring his helper, the Gundam pilot returned his attention to the battle just in time to see the two goddesses come to a stalemate in the middle of the parking lot.
Black Heart tried to force her way through Purple Heart's sword, but the CPU of Planeptune was proving to be too strong for that to work. As she tried to overpower her enemy, the growing sense of loathing Lastation's CPU had for Purple Heart bubbled to the surface once more, "You… I can't stand you!"
Purple Heart wasn't surprised or fazed by the declaration made by her rival, "You already made that quite clear. Did you have something else to say? Or was that it? After all, weren't you the one who said you wouldn't listen to anything else I have to say?"
It seemed as though every word that came out of Purple Heart's mouth infuriated Black Heart even more. While somewhat surprised with her own capacity for anger, the goddess of Lastation kept her attention focused on the CPU in front of her. "Tell me! How many times has Heero had to stick his neck out for you?! How many times have you put him in danger because of how self-centered you are?!"
For a brief moment Purple Heart's strength wavered. Black Heart used the opportunity to force the goddess back before continuing, "I'm willing to bet you were the reason Heero was injured. It's your fault he's hurt!"
The CPU of Planeptune flinched as Black Heart blamed her for Heero's injury. She wasn't wrong, in fact she was the direct cause of it. Even though Heero had already forgiven her, the fact that she was responsible continued to eat away at Purple Heart's conscience.
Black Heart continued to interrogate the distraught goddess, barely able to contain her rage. "I want to know what it is you're going to do for him. What are you going to give Heero to repay him for all the crap you've put him through?"
In all honesty, Purple Heart didn't know how she was supposed to repay the Gundam pilot. As far as she knew, Heero wasn't getting anything out of helping her, "I… don't know. I don't even think I could adequately repay Heero for everything he's done for me."
Lastation's CPU refused to accept that for an answer. That after all he's done for her, Neptune wasn't going to give him anything in return, "You're despicable! The worst! Someone like you isn't good enough for him!"
Planeptune's CPU returned her attention to the goddess that had berated her, her eyes sharpening into a glare. "That's not to say I won't do some thing for him. How I choose to show Heero my appreciation is none of your business. More importantly, I'm not just going to stand here and listen to a tsundere lecture me on my relationship with Heero."
Black Heart was steamed that Purple Heart was still calling her a tsundere, despite the fact that it was true, "Stop calling me that! I am not a tsundere!"
Ignoring the rants of her rival, the goddess of Planeptune's readied her sword once more, intent on finishing the battle with her next attack, "I don't know whether to commend you, or to admonish you for pushing me like this. Either way, you have earned the wrath of Planeptune's CPU; Lady Purple Heart. I suggest you brace yourself."
Believing it to be a bluff, Black Heart prepared herself for what was to be their final clash. "Big talk from someone that needed a party just to beat me before! You're the one who should brace herself!"
Both goddesses had proven to be equally matched, and one strike was all it would take to determine the outcome. Seconds passed with the two CPUs staring each other down, daring the other to make the first move.
After almost thirty seconds of no movement, Purple Heart and Black Heart charged at one another. Lastation's CPU swung her large blade at her rival, putting all of her strength and fury behind it. At the last second, Purple Heart ducked underneath Black Heart's sword before striking her in the abdomen with her own.
As Black Heart regained her senses, the goddess of Planeptune held her sword horizontally in front of her face as she gathered all of her strength for her strongest attack. "I didn't get a chance to use this during our battle in Celestia. This is my special. I'm going all-out. Be prepared!"
Purple Heart closed in on her opponent once more, striking her in the side with enough force to send her flying before giving chase once more. After her initial attack, the goddess of Planeptune was little more than a purple blur as she assailed the swordmaiden of Lastation with a barrage of attacks, and Black Heart was powerless to stop them.
Just when it seemed like the attack was over, Purple Heart struck her rival hard enough to send her into the sky before tossing her sword up into the air, "I've saved the best for last." As soon as her sword dropped back into her hand, the CPU took off into the air after her opponent. The goddess of Planeptune shot past Black Heart before coming back down, driving the flat side of her sword into the snow haired girl's stomach.
From Heero's perspective, the two goddesses looked like a purple comet as they descended back toward the ground. Upon making contact with the parking lot below, two massive columns of purple energy in the form of an X erupted from the ground, with Purple Heart at the center. The power behind the CPU's attack had obliterated what little was left of the parking lot, showing just how powerful a goddess was.
Purple Heart emerged from the crater unscathed, though the same could not be said for Black Heart. The goddess of Lastation struggled to get back on her feet, using her sword to try and help her stand, but ultimately failing to do so. Mere seconds after her failed attempt to stand, Black Heart reverted to her human form while staring at the ground in disbelief.
With the battle over, Neptune reverted to her human form and was beaming over her victory, "Now, as promised! You'll come with me and fight Arfoire, right? You can't be an Indian-giver, pigtails."
Lady Black Heart couldn't believe that she had lost to Neptune again, and that her rival was trying to make her out to be as irresponsible as herself, "I'm not that irresponsible, unlike you." Part of her mind was still stuck on the conversation that occurred in the middle of their battle. It was because of it that the goddess of Lastation had been unable to concentrate, or so she claimed. "...I don't accept this outcome. You tried to confuse me with all this talk about me being in love with Heero!"
Neptune didn't want to hear any excuses from the goddess that had said that she had to break up with Heero if she lost, and had just defeated. "Don't be a sore loser! We agreed that if I won, you'd help us. You can't go back on it now!"
The goddess could not… would not accept the results of the match. She didn't want to be second best to Neptune, especially when it came to Heero. Before Neptune could try any further to get Lady Black Heart to stop being unreasonable, a voice from behind her prompted her to stop, "It would be best not to try and pressure her, Neptune."
Turning around, the CPU of Planeptune found the object of her affections standing behind her, "Heero? When did you get here?"
Heero had his attention focused on Lady Black Heart while addressing Neptune's question, "I was watching the battle between the two of you. I was concerned how you would handle the situation, but I can see it was misplaced."
Lady Black Heart felt her heart stop when she heard the boy say that he had been watching their fight. That meant he knew about her true form, had seen her be defeated again, and that she had lied to him earlier. The goddess of Lastation felt as if she had just hit rock bottom, "(Well… that's it. My life is officially over. I was just beaten by Neptune, and Heero knows I lied. He won't forgive me… I just know it.)"
She wanted to run away. Lady Black Heart wanted to say 'screw everything' and just run away to parts unknown. Heero walked past Neptune and knelt down in front of the sulking Black Heart. "Is this really how Lastation's CPU should be acting after one defeat?"
The goddess continued to hang her head, not wanting to show Heero her face. "What does it matter? I've lost… beaten by an idiot... and now you know the truth."
He may not have known her on a personal level, but Heero still didn't enjoy seeing the CPU of Lastation look so defeated. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're too proud to allow a single defeat to shatter your will."
Even if she liked the boy, Lady Black Heart still didn't want to hear this. The CPU unconsciously snapped at the Gundam pilot, "You don't know what it's like to lose! Don't act like you know me! You don't know anything about me!"
That was where she was wrong. Heero knew exactly how it felt to lose… and it hadn't been a pleasant feeling. And although he didn't know Black Heart, for some reason he found himself wanting to know her, "I know how it feels to lose. Even though I fought with everything I had, and put so much time and effort into planning the mission… I still failed."
The CPU lifted her head to look at the Gundam pilot. She didn't believe Heero when he said that he had been defeated. The mere idea was unthinkable to Lastation's goddess. "Losing is never a pleasant feeling. But even so… I'm still alive. I can still better myself to ensure that I never lose again. And you can as well."
As she thought about it, Lady Black Heart realized that she couldn't beat herself up over the loss. She may have been beaten by Neptune this time, but it wasn't as if this would be the last time the two goddesses fought. She just had to improve herself so she would win the next time that had a match against one another, "...I guess. I don't want to lose to Neptune again. Just losing to her once is embarrassing."
Before Neptune had a chance to complain to her fellow CPU, Heero kept his attention focused on the goddess in front of him, "While it's true that I know nothing about you, I wouldn't mind getting to know you."
Lady Black Heart's face took on a brilliant shade upon hearing the Perfect Soldier say how he wanted to get to know her. The CPU looked away while trying to calm herself down. "H-How can you say that so easily? Are you a playboy or something?"
Heero was nothing of the sort, but instead decided to use the goddess' improving mood to try and convince her to help them. "While we're on the subject, I believe now is as good a time as any to use that favor you owe me."
The raven haired CPU questioned just what favor she owed him. Hadn't she already paid him back? Then Lady Black Heart realized that she had in fact told the boy that she would grant him any one thing he wanted for saving the civilians at the Tech Expo, "...So what exactly do you want?
"I realize that the conditions for your match may have been rendered null and void, but we do still need help against Arfoire. Even with our strength, it might not be enough to stop her. We need the power of you and the other CPUs if we are defeat Arfoire."
Lady Black Heart wasn't quite sure what the Gundam pilot meant by what he said, or what it had to do with the favor she still owed him. "So what are you saying exactly?"
Heero's eyes took on an intensity that made the CPU of Lastation shiver as he stated just what he wanted from the goddess, "As I understand it, you will give me any one thing I need. I need your help. I NEED you, Lady Black Heart."
Almost instantly Lady Black Heart's face was blood red. While it was meant to be Heero's way of asking for help, the goddess saw it as some kind of confession. The CPU shoved the Gundam pilot back while turning her back to him, "I-I-Idiot! If you need my help, then just say so! Jeez!"
The goddess' heart was throbbing wildly in her chest as she thought about Heero's 'favor' and how it pertained to her. "(Still… when Heero says it like that… it sounds really romantic.)"
Xxx
Lady Black Heart and Heero were standing in a vast white void with only a single cherry blossom tree nearby to keep the ambiance from being depressing. The Gundam pilot held one hand out to the goddess, his eyes seemed to be pleading with her, "I can't go any further without you, Black Heart. I need you."
The goddess of Lastation looked away with woeful eyes, wanting nothing more than to be with the boy in front of her, "But we can't. The world won't accept us being together."
Before she knew it, Lady Black Heart found herself in Heero's embrace, his arms wrapped tightly around her frame. "I don't care about the world. All I care about is you. I love you, Black Heart."
After hearing the boy's heartfelt confession, Lady Black Heart met his gaze while confessing her own feelings to the boy. "I love you too, Heero. I want to be with you forever."
The two began to close what little distance there was between their face and share a passionate kiss.
Xxx
Lady Black Heart was blushing heavily as she thought about how the daydream she had just had reminded her of a book she had read once, "(I remember reading a manga about a human and a goddess that were deeply in love. The world didn't accept them being together at first... But then with the power of their love they defeat the evil overlord. Could Heero and I be that couple? Are we destined to be together just like the human and goddess from that story?)"
Neptune and Heero had been watching the goddess, and the way she was squirming and giggling to herself was somewhat unsettling. The CPU of Planeptune was hoping that Lady Black Heart wasn't too far gone that she couldn't be brought back to reality, "So, you gonna help us? You won't say no to Heero, right?"
The goddess of Lastation flinched when she realized that Heero and Neptune were still there watching her. Dusting off her skirt, Lady Black Heart stood back up and faced the duo, "...Fine, I guess it can't be helped. I'll assist you, but only until we stop Arfoire. And don't get the wrong idea! I'm not joining because you beat me, Neptune! I still don't except the results of our match. I'm only helping you because Heero asked me."
Frankly, Neptune didn't care what the reason was. All that mattered was that the CPU of Lastation had joined their party. "Fine, whatever dips your chip, Noire."
Lady Black Heart paused for a moment before realizing that the purplenette had been referring to her when she called her 'Noire.' "Who said you could start naming me? My name is Black Heart."
The CPU of Planeptune wasn't sure what the raven haired girl in front of her was complaining about. If anything, the name seemed appropriate for two reasons, "Well, sure… but that's your goddess name. Purple Heart is my goddess name, and I also have a name for my human form. And besides, Noire is a great fit for you, don't you think?"
It wasn't that she didn't like the name, Lady Black Heart was just rather annoyed that she hadn't thought of it first, "I don't see why you should be the one that gets to decide that… But I'll humor you for now."
Heero found the name to be a good fit for the goddess. At least for her human form, "It suits you. I'm sure the others would agree as well."
Neptune walked up behind the newest member of the party, giving her a pat on the back as she thought about the future of the group. "See? You're already fitting in just fine. You'll have a whole lotta fun in our party. Just wait and see."
Although it was meant to be a friendly gesture, Neptune pat Noire on the back with a little too much force, as the CPU ended up falling forward… and onto the Gundam pilot below.
The party's leader was smiling as she looked at the scene before her, but there was no joy behind her smile. Rather, something dark and malevolent. What she was looking at was Noire kissing Heero. She had only gotten to kiss the boy that morning, and already someone else was moving in on him.
Heero was looking at the girl in front of him with wide eyes, and Noire in turn was looking back at him with a similar expression. It wasn't the first time they had been in a compromising position, but this was the first time something intimate came of it that didn't involve the Perfect Soldier groping her chest.
There was no denying that the soft, warm sensation against her lips was pleasant, but that didn't stop the CPU from behaving how she normally would… which was to act as though what had just occurred wasn't supposed to have happened. Noire pushed herself off of Heero while covering her mouth with her hands, turning into a stuttering mess as the kiss continued to replay in her mind, "Th-Th-That was my first k-k-kiss…!"
Noire suddenly sensed something malicious behind her. Looking over her shoulder, the goddess found Neptune standing over her with a wooden sword in hand and a dark smile on her face, "I let you join our party and this is how you repay me? By kissing my lover? Why I oughta..."
She couldn't explain why, but Noire found something genuinely terrifying about Neptune as she was at that moment. Heero stopped Neptune before she could go through with her act of violence, "Neptune, she just agreed to join us. The last thing we need is to give her a reason to leave."
Neptune didn't like the idea of letting Noire get away with kissing the boy without at least some kind of reprimand. "But Heero! We finally became real lovers this morning with our totally romantic kiss. I can't let some other girl kiss you and not beat her up a little."
Lastation's CPU winced when she heard the purplenette say she had kissed the boy already, and THAT morning no less, "(You mean she got Heero's first kiss?! I don't believe this!)"
Heero stood up while shaking off his daze from what had transpired just seconds ago, "Be that as it may, we need her help to stop Arfoire. The same goes for the other two CPUs as well."
The party leader let out a huff before casting the evil eye at Noire, "You get off this time. But don't think I won't nep your face next time."
Noire shot her own threat back at her rival, not backing down from what she saw as a challenge, "Bring it on! I'll beat you black and blue just like when we fought in Celestia!"
Heero helped Noire to her feet as he tried to diffuse the situation, "We're fighting for a common cause, so can you put your rivalry aside for the time being? You're free to settle your dispute once Arfoire has been dealt with."
Both goddesses let out a huff as they looked away from one another. With their argument settled for the time being, Heero, Neptune and the newest addition to the party Noire began the walk to the party's place of residence.
Xxx
Upon their arrival at the party's safe house, Neptune, Heero and Noire were greeted with the sight of the rest of the party standing in the living room with a banner hanging from the ceiling that read 'Welcome to the party, Lady Black Heart!'
Compa was ecstatic to see Heero and Neptune return with the CPU of Lastation, "You're back! And Lady Black Heart is here, too. Does that mean she's decided to join our party?"
Neptune wasn't quite as enthusiastic as the nurse in training, but she was still glad they had accomplished their goal, "Yup. Noire here has agreed to help us beat Arfoire."
It was confusing at first to hear Neptune refer to Lastation's CPU by another name, but the rest of the group got use to it rather quickly. IF was willing to admit that she hadn't expected the party's leader to pull through in recruiting the goddess, "I'll admit that I was unsure about whether you could get Lady Black Heart to join us. Guess I was wrong this time."
Noire looked away as she shot down the idea that Neptune was the one responsible for enlisting her aid, "I only joined your party because Heero asked for my help. Neptune's just lucky he was around to ask, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed in the first place."
Compa wasn't concerned with what had convinced the CPU to join them, instead focusing on the fact that the preparations she had made for a celebratory party wouldn't go to waste, "It's a good thing you decided to join us. If you didn't, all of this would have been meaningless."
Gust approached Noire with a plate that held a slice of chocolate cake, a broad smile on her face, "Lady Black Heart is now a friend of the party."
Much like the young alchemist, Nisa voiced her approval of the new party member, "A friend of justice is a friend of mine. We're happy to have you."
The goddess of Lastation began to feel bashful with the girls coming up to her and saying that she was now their friend. In an attempt to maintain her pride, the CPU tried to act as though they weren't the only friends she had, "I have a lot of friends already… but I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a few more."
Red was eying up her new prospective wifey, and she liked what she saw, "As expected of my number one hubby. He brought back an amazing catch!"
Worried that the red head's eccentric nature might scare off the goddess, Lyrica tried to rein in the wifey hunter, "Don't say weird things like that, Red. You might scare her."
The party was made up of some colorful characters, that much Lady Black Heart could tell. It wasn't until she remembered that the nut job responsible for recruiting them was Neptune that she understood that what she was witnessing was in fact the norm amongst the group, "Well… they're interesting, I'll give them that."
With the initial pleasantries out of the way the group began their welcoming party for the goddess, and by the party was over it was dark outside. While the others were still having fun with the after party, Heero immediately returned to his room in preparation for bed. As he began to wind down, the Gundam pilot heard a knock at his door. Thinking it to be Neptune, Heero spoke through the door, "...It's open."
When the door opened it was not Neptune on the other side, but Noire. The Perfect Soldier had not expected the CPU to pay him a visit at this time of night. "Did you need something?"
The goddess fidgeted in the doorway as she looked away from the boy. Clearing her throat, Noire stated her reason for being in front of his room… in her own way, "So… I've heard from the others that you've shared a bed with them..."
While it was true, Heero wasn't sure why the CPU was bringing that up. Seeing the confused look on Heero's face prompted Noire to walk past the boy and into the room and state that her reason for being their was for them to start bonding. "I realize that I'm the newest member of this party, so… I should at least try a few things to improve my standing with everyone here. One of those things being… sleeping with you..."
Heero wasn't sure why Noire wanted her first act of 'improving her standing' with the party to be sharing a bed with him, "Is there some special reason you want to sleep in my room? I imagine you would be better off getting to know the others first."
Not wanting to sound weird, the CPU tried to make it seem as though she was just trying to fit in, "W-Well, you've slept with the rest of them, so I figured that we could sleep together." Realizing what she said, Noire's face turned red as she tried to reassure the boy that sleeping was all they would be doing. "J-Just so we're clear, we're only sleeping together! Sleeping! So don't get any funny ideas!"
The Perfect Soldier wasn't sure what else they would be doing other than sleeping. Ultimately, the boy saw no reason to refuse the goddess and allowed her to spend the night with him. "You're free to do what you want. Just be mindful of Neptune's… habits."
Noire didn't need Heero to explain what her rival's 'habits' were. She had a pretty good idea what that entailed. The goddess of Lastation waited until Heero was in bed before making herself comfortable… which meant sleeping on the edge of the mattress.
Even though she was the one that suggested the idea, Noire was still nervous about her current situation. The goddess wasn't sure what to do now that she was in the same bed as the Gundam pilot, "(I-I'm just sleeping with him… just… sleeping. That's all we're doing, nothing out of the ordinary. There's nothing wrong with that, right?)"
Because she had been so caught up with her mental tangent, the goddess didn't notice Heero slip his arm around her waist until she was looking at his chest. The sudden close contact reduced Noire to a stuttering mess as she tried figure out what was going on. "I-I-I said no funny ideas! What are you doing grabbing me all of a sudden?!"
Heero remained calm despite the unsettled goddess lying on top of him, "You were about to fall off. It gives me reason to be concerned that you are being too mindful of my personal space."
Given that it was Heero saying this, Noire had no reason to doubt he was telling the truth… though it didn't make the situation any less embarrassing for her, "W-Well… at least give me a little more warning next time..."
After a minute the CPU finally calmed down and was about to go to sleep when the bedroom door opened, and the voice of the other CPU in the party filled the air, "Ah ha! I knew it! My Destined Lover senses are never wrong!"
Noire quickly sat up to see the source of the shouting, which was Neptune. The CPU of Planeptune stomped over to the bed, and Heero could already see the ensuing argument, "(And I didn't even get to fall asleep first.)"
Neptune looked down at the raven haired girl that was lying on top of Heero, a scornful look on her face. "I take my eyes off you for a minute, and you're already trying to put the moves on my lover. You have no shame, Noirey."
The goddess of Lastation couldn't believe Neptune had assumed she was trying to 'sleep' with the Gundam pilot, "We're not doing anything! All we're doing is sleeping, nothing else!"
Suffice it to say, Neptune didn't trust Noire. All she saw was her rival trying to swoop in and steal Heero's heart, "I'm not buyin' it. I think you're lying. You probably wanted to get Heero in the mood to do the thing and smoother his face between your tits!"
The idea that she was there just to try and get intimate with Heero was shocking, and more than a little embarrassing. With a very red face, Noire quickly tried to dismiss the idea that she had some kind of hidden agenda with the Perfect Soldier. "N-No I'm not! Where do you even get the idea that we were going to do anything like that?! You're delusional!"
Neptune quickly got into the bed and started clinging to Heero while still arguing with Noire, "And you're a hussy! If it weren't for the fact we need your help to beat Arfoire, I wouldn't have let you join our party! Now get lost! You're taking up space, Noire!"
Infuriated by Neptune's claims and assertions, Noire clung to Heero while denying the purplenette what she had demanded of her, "Why don't you get lost, fatso?! We were about to go to sleep before you showed your chubby face!"
Heero lamented his situation as the two goddesses continued to spit insultsat each other, "(I'm not getting any sleep tonight, am I?)"
Xxx
Me: "I'm sure there are a number of people that were looking forward to this chapter. One goddess down, two more to go."
Heero and Neptune: (Enter ACCC from Lounge) "Did Noire have to kiss Heero? She's supposed to be a supporting character, she's not allowed to put the moves on my lover!"
Heero: "Can we not start an argument here?
Noire: (Enters ACCC from Bream Room) "Excuse me? I'm not some supporting character! And besides, I'm quite certain I have more fans than you, Neptune."
Me: "You had to have know this was gonna happen, Nep. Anyway, with Noire's inclusion into the party, she'll appear a bit more often that she did during previous chapters." (Looks at watch) "Since this chapter was more or less focused Noire, I think it's only appropriate that she be the one to wrap up this chapter."
Noire: "Naturally. It's only fitting that I get to close this chapter." (Looks away) "...And I want Heero to help me. Not that I couldn't do it on my own. I just think it would be more appropriate."
Neptune: "No way! Heero's not helping you! He's only supposed to help me!"
Me: (Grabs Neptune by the back of her hoodie and begins to walk away) "Come on, let her have this. We got work to do, anyway." (Leaves ACCC through Left Entrance with a struggling Neptune)
Heero and Noire: (Faces readers) "Please read and review this chapter and look forward to the next update."
Noire: "Of course the readers will be looking forward to the next update. Why wouldn't they? I'll be appearing in the story more often."
Heero: "As I understand it, the next chapter will focus on one of the other goddesses."
Noire (Face darkens) "...What? I finally join the party, and now we're going to focus on someone else?"
Heero: "It is necessary to advance the story. Speaking of which, we should leave. We have to help with the writing process."
Noire: "I still don't see why we need one of the other CPUs, I'm powerful enough to defeat Arfoire on my own. Whatever, not like anyone is gonna listen to me."
Heero and Noire: (Leave ACCC through Left Entrance)
