Chapter 2: Indecisive Heart (Ultra Story)
Ultra Lastation, a nation that had gone through some changes after it had unexpectedly received its second CPU when their goddess had announced her union to Purple Heart.
Over time, Purple Heart, who was also casually called Neptune- it being a personal preference of hers- had won the hearts of the people of Lastation.
She did this by showing them how amazing of a CPU she was by creating good small ideas for games and exquisite ideas for quality of life for the nation.
It was a regular weekday in Ultra Lastation as Neptune sat in her office chair in the joint office of her and her wife. Croire was floating above her on her book, while ironically enough, she was reading a magazine.
Neptune pressed her pen against her cheek while she looked at a dry erase board across the room. "Let's see, let's see, the people are all into shooting games. And Noire is also a big fan of them..." She stood to get a better feel of things; even angling her head at the board.
"More action shooting games? Yeah, that's going to get your new game to be noticed from the sea of others," mocked Croire as she turned the page of her magazine.
"You're right, that's why I'm not going that route. No, what I'm seeing is... a fighting game. Or maybe beat-em-up, oh... a beat-em-up set in a crime world where family, loyalty, and funny shenanigans take place."
Croire stopped reading to look at Neptune with interest. "Sounds intriguing. Please elaborate."
"It will be a fighting game of types, but also an action-adventure type, too. The main guy will be called... um... well, the name's not important right now. The story will be that this gang member gets ten years in the slammer for a crime he didn't commit. When he gets out he learns that a whole huge amount of money was stolen from his respective crime family. Everyone is in an uproar to find it, which leads them to find out that... an orphan girl is somehow tied to the money being stolen. While she could be the key to finding where the money went, the main protagonist takes it upon himself protect her from all who would want to hurt her for the information." She took a stance and did some wild kicks and air punches to further get her point across. "The main guy is to be totally awesome and know how to kick super butt. HYAA! Like a dragon!" She laughed at herself with triumph at her idea.
"An orphan girl, huh? Well, write what you know, hey?" Croire tried to halt the last of her words when her brain had kicked in last minute, and she now wished she didn't say that.
Neptune had every right to feel offended or get mad, but she merely gave that some thought with a finger to her lip, then she smiled at Croire. "I wouldn't know that much of it since I had you from the beginning, " said Neptune that froze Croire in place, regardless of the two allowing themselves to further express what the other meant to them.
Neptune spent the next few hours further ironing out her new game idea with Croire. This game was to be her first fully conceptualized solo idea, and she wanted to get this right not just for Noire, but herself. Croire actually provided different takes on concepts like how the main protagonist should have lots of tattoos on his back, his overall personality, and the type of suit he would wear.
Later on, Croire stretched her arms after Neptune had finalized her last details. "Ah!" Shouted Neptune.
"What now?" Asked Croire.
"Noire and I were going to have our night on the town dinner date today at the Sly Raccoon," said Neptune as she raced to her room to put on some fancier clothes than just a black and purple hoodie.
Neptune rummaged through her other clothes in which she pushed aside about five black dress hoodies until she got to some variety.
"You're going out to have dinner? What's wrong with making food here?" Asked Croire.
"Crostie, you know that Noire and I like to mix it up and go out to eat. "
"You're already married. She doesn't need to keep trying or is this part to butter you up for you twos' late night activities?"
"I... I don't know what you are talking about?" Said Neptune with a shy stare. She hid her head with the pale purple long sleeve shirt she was putting on.
"Really? You two have been awfully active these past few nights alone..."
"Okay. Crostie. I won't lie to you. Noire and I are trying to have a baby."
"B-Baby?! Why? Babies are loud, smelly, and drooling messes. Plus there's no try, you either want a baby or you don't."
Neptune looked down with a hint of depression. "Don't tell that to Noire. Maybe she's figured it out and is hoping that our romantic dates can help bridge that into reality or maybe she believes that her heart is truly not in line with her brain and is second-guessing herself of having a baby-"
"-but it's really you, right? You don't really want a baby do you?" Asked the small fairy.
"You're wrong. I do want one. A little girl running around that resembles Noire- I could just die from the sweetness of it. After seeing little me and her Noire in the clouds about their baby, it put a lot of thoughts for both of us. Every time we have dinner, every time we watch a movie, every time we laugh, and every time we are together, it feels like there is a void with something missing now."
"Then why haven't one of you gotten pregnant yet? This isn't rocket science, Neptune. The shares will resonate with the passion that both of you have once it realizes that you both want it."
"Ah! Look, Crostie, I appreciate the talk but I need to go fast before I'm late for our date!" Shouted Neptune after putting on her jeans. In her thoughts, Croire made all the sense in the world. She was, after all, the one who had all this CPU knowledge, and the purple-haired girl understood that there was an error somewhere that was keeping them from having a baby.
"Neptune!"
Neptune dashed out of the door. "I'll bring you back a plate, Crostie, bye!"
"Ugh, another Nep in my life." She covered her tone with a distaste of the concept, but then her true feelings melted away her front that she had always put before all else. "Oh, well. If anything, it's my job that the little runt doesn't turn out like Neptun's black-haired wife," she said with a muffled laugh that warmed her heart, but she wouldn't admit to that.
(Sly Raccoon)
Around the same time, Ultra Noire had sneezed loudly that made a few people give her a quick look. She grabbed some tissue and tried her best to sink into the restaurant chair booth that she was at. She checked her phone with urgency at where her wife was at. After that, she checked that her twin tails were perfect and that her clothes didn't look too bad. Her choice of attire for tonight was a blue jacket with a light blue striped shirt. She also had a black skirt with black stockings and white shoes.
A fair-skinned lady with short black hair that ended to her neck walked up to Noire's table. "Lady Noire, dining with us today by yourself?" She asked politely.
"Hello, Martha. N-No! Come on... it would be pretty sad if I were, haha. Umm, I'm waiting for Neppy to come. We have a date tonight," she said the last part with timid reservations.
"And she isn't here yet? I might as well give her a mouthful and an ear pull for making you wait," said Martha.
"She was probably held up with office work."
"How's she fairing with that?" Asked Martha.
"Really great. She has been mostly working on nation related tasks, but for the first time, she wanted to try her hand at making a game from the ground up."
"A game? She has me interested in what the idea could be."
'You and me both, but I have faith in her that she'll make a spectacular job. While I wait for her, I'll have a rootbeer and for her... a blueberry milkshake!"
"A blueberry milkshake?" Asked Martha with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll know she will get a kick out of that, plus she earned it for being on top of things," responded Noire.
A few minutes later, Martha and Neptune almost collided with each other when they reached Noire at the booth.
"Sorry I'm late- ah!" Cried Neptune who halted her speed to avoid Martha who had lifted her arm to protect the drinks.
"Calm down there, Miss CPU. You're going to ruin your tasty drink your wife ordered," said Martha with a sigh.
"That's a blueberry milkshake!" Said Neptune with stars in her eyes.
"You were awfully late. Was there a problem with the Basilicom?" Asked Noire as a means to pull her wife out of her frantic demeanor or was it a star-struck gaze after seeing the milkshake?
"I guess I was. Sorry, about that."
"It can't be helped. You're here now and that's all that matters." Noire tilted her head at the seat across from her with her body language giving off the ever so uninterested Tsun act that she subconsciously always did.
Neptune smiled and took her seat while she picked up the menu.
"Alright, let's get down to business. What can I get for the both of you?" Asked Martha when she pulled out her notepad with the quickness of a thief and placed her pen mere centimeters away from the paper.
"Hmm, I'll get a small salad, steak, and loaded potatoes," said Noire.
"I'll have a piece of this weeks featured pie, a hamburger with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce- the whole works. And... a plate of dumplings and... and... cheese fries, but don't replace them with the side order of fries that come with the burger- I like to combine them." Neptune looked at Noire who had somewhat wide eyes, and remained silent, then she looked at Martha who stopped writing down on her notepad.
Neptune grew sheepish and cleared her throat. "Throw in a salad too," she said thinking that it might make the situation better.
Both Noire and Martha exploded with joyful laughter at Neptune.
"Neppy, it's fine. This is our date, so order what you'll like."
"I would say you're a growing girl, but an ever-growing appetite is more accurate," said Martha with a smile.
Their food arrived a while later as both of them dug at their orders.
Neptune sipped her blueberry milkshake and sliced herself a piece of her pie that had been topped with whip cream.
Noire couldn't help but softly stare at her wife for a few seconds until she was caught by her wife. "Kyaa, I'm staring, I know. It's just nice to see you kicking back. I know that we haven't had any luck with trying to have a baby and work has been piling up lately."
"Noire... sure we had no luck, but that means we can keep trying," said Neptune with a cheeky smile.
Noire blushed and took a bite of her potatoes to try and hide it. "Always positive, honey. Let's put work, and the baby issue away for now and focus on just us."
Neptune didn't hesitate to agree, however, she knew the deep yearning of how much her wife wanted a baby that she would dare say it exceeded her own. She didn't mean to think this way, but after all the failed attempts and Croire's question directed to her. Could she really not want a baby?
After their wonderful meal, they stepped out of the Sly Raccoon and into the wonderful night air. The activity that surrounded them was the frantic life of Lastation's citizens coupled with the allure of bright lights from shops that created a glittering path to the downtown district.
Noire and Neptune laughed cutely together letting themselves be lost in the moment thanks to the atmosphere that felt very holiday-like, mostly because of large groups of people buying things and enjoying the night air.
They clearly weren't the only couple partaking in the night air, but for them, they were the only ones in their world. After looking into shops, getting their picture taken in a photo booth, and taking a peek at the movie line-up from the posters outside the local movie theater, the night was getting deeper into its cycle that they made their way to Lastation's central park.
"Two big pretzels!" Declared Neptune to the park food vendor who handed her two big soft pretzels. She turned around to face her wife with a beaming smile that resulted in Noire doing a reluctant sigh.
"Didn't we eat just a short while ago?" Declared Noire with a small pout.
"It's a little late-night snack, Noire. Plus we've been working up a sweat from our walk."
Noire laughed at her wife's lazy logic and rested her head on her shoulder. "You big foodie. Just so you know, being a CPU doesn't keep you from getting fat. You'll gain weight and it will go away when you transform, but you'll still have it when you revert. Unless..." Noire pushed her self away and ran to a park bridge that had a river underneath it.
"Unless what?" Said Neptune who looked panicked.
Noire giggled and turned around to face her wife with the faint light of the bridge lantern hitting her face. "Unless you work it out or spend vital share energy transforming again and again," she stared down at Neptune sternly to tell her that the latter wasn't an option.
The purple-haired girl hunched over in regret to show that she was ready to accept going on a diet if she did gain weight.
Noire hugged her for all she was worth because, in the end, she found Neptune's actions cute.
They made themselves comfortable as they watched Lastation's sky glitter with night stars. Neptune tapped on her wife's shoulder to point at the river that had a group of ducks gliding across the water.
"Today was amazing. I'm happy that we had this moment to help us get away from stress," said Noire as she rested her head on her soulmate's shoulder.
Neptune's heart raced with a blush that had formed across her face. She wasted no second when she laid her head to recline on her wife.
"Just imagine, it's going to be hard to get these moments when the baby shows up," said Noire with a dream-like sigh to her words.
Neptune looked at her wife with a saddened face. The conversation with Croire that had been left behind had caught up and taken over her consciousness. "Noire, I need to talk to you about something. I think I know why we haven't had success with having a baby." She removed herself from her wife's warmth that made Noire feel cold inside.
"What do you mean, Neppy?" Asked Noire with concern.
Neptune leaned over the bridge with downcast eyes. "You might think that your love for a baby isn't enough but it is. Your heart wants it, and that's enough."
"Neppy, you sound so detached from these feelings. Neppy... are you saying that you don't want a baby?"
Neptune searched her heart again for an answer that could respond to her inner turmoil. "I don't know. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I don't but look at us. We've been trying and no luck. Hearing you earlier when you said that it would be hard to have our moments together because of the baby, you had this understanding tone in your voice that you knew it wouldn't be a bad thing. We would essentially be trading a good moment for another good moment with our baby being with us."
"Neppy..."
"You don't need to worry about your brain not being in tuned with your heart; it's already in sync. But for me... I don't know, " said Neptune with shame.
"You don't know? That's not a good answer, Neppy. What is it that you are afraid of? I know that you will be a fantastic mother," said Noire.
That word staggered Neptune with a profound sense of understanding to her turmoil. It was as if a song on a radio station had static because it was one channel off. "Mother... wow, that word hit me hard. When I've thought about the baby, I've never really focused on that word that goes with it."
"Neppy..." Asked Noire with confusion.
"Noire, I'm an orphan. You know this already and... and... I don't know what mother really means for me. I never knew my mother at all- heck, a mother's love is something that I don't know what it feels like. It makes me wonder if I'll even be a good mother." She then heard a soft pretzel fall to the ground and felt two arms wrapped around her waist.
"You're wrong, Neppy. A mother's love is... unneeded to be a good mother yourself. You extrude a powerful warmth of friendship, kindness, and playful energy. You also have patience, deep caring, and unrelenting love."
"Is that really enough?"
"Yes, any child would be happy to call you mom. You're so easy to connect with, and you have such a happy radiance that made me fall for you. If those two dorks from the other world feel like they are ready, then I know you and I are. Just know that you won't be alone when you take this path and both of us will be great parents."
Even though she was still afraid, she wanted to match her wife's feelings all the same. "I do, Noire. I still want a kid, and... I'll show her the love of a mother that I never had."
They both kissed under the lantern light of the bridge, and a huge burden that had unknowingly plagued Neptune had been lifted.
A week later, when work had subsided, and Neptune's new game idea had started the development process, they spent a world-shattering night like none they experienced.
Neptune sat on the couch as she waited for her wife who had suddenly run to the bathroom when they awoke in the morning. Neptune twiddled her thumbs in nervousness and she looked at Croire who looked like she didn't get any sleep last night. "So.. how was your night?"
"Bite me, but I'm sure you did enough of that last night," she said with words that Neptune knew she didn't mean.
She then heard her bedroom door open and her wife emerged in her HDD.
"Ah crap," said Croire in a low voice.
"Noire... are you really pregnant?" Said Neptune with tears in her eyes.
"I think so. My stomach feels like it was pushed off a hill." Black Heart looked at Croire as if once she confirmed it, it would all be real.
"Why are you both looking at me? You know the answer already if she puked her guts out and can't revert," proclaimed Croire.
Neptune shouted with joy at the top of her lungs as she charged at her wife and held her by her sides, as she spun her around. "We're are going to be parents!"
"Kyaa! Don't spin me or I might hurl again," urged Black Heart as her face turned a little green.
"Ah! My bad. Are you okay?"
"Yeah... just give me a second. I'm pretty sure I have nothing else to throw up, but I fear that my guts might come out instead. "
"You gotta love that baby nausea," said Croire who smiled at the sight of Black Heart in disarray.
"I can't believe it." Neptune let her tears out because she knew that the share energy had deemed them ready.
"Believe it, honey. We're going to have a little Neppy running around soon," said Black Heart.
"I would like to think it will be a little Noire. The share energy... maybe this is for the best that you would be the one to be pregnant."
"The fact that we were allowed this means that your desire in your heart outweighs your fears. Neppy... no mother becomes the perfect mother when their baby is born. It takes patience and time with a great deal of love. I know that both of us have all three of those."
"Yeah... you're right."
"Pfft, Neptune is more like the dad in this situation now, so you got nothing to worry about being a mom, " said Croire.
"I'm so happy right now that I won't knock you out for that joke," said Black Heart.
"Let's all go out for pancakes," shouted Neptune.
"That might be a landmine for me but I need food in my stomach regardless. Come, Croire. If you don't then, I'll know that you don't care about this family," said Black Heart.
Neptune curiously gazed at her life long fairy friend to see her response.
"W-what?! I... I... feel like I'm losing with any answer I give. Grr, I'll go but only for the pancakes!" Shouted Croire but her statement wasn't taken seriously.
I wasn't sure if I would be able to get this one done but the ending started to fall into place. I hope you all enjoy this second upload and now I need to get going with the rest of the day. Happy Thanksgiving and a happy day for everyone!