Hyperdimension Neptunia is owned by Compile Heart, Idea Factory, Sega and whomever else worked on it.
And we're out of Leanbox finally!
Chapter 23
Purple Heart stood in front of the cameras of Leanbox and smiled at them as she stood in the courtyard. While there were a few hundred people in the courtyard, most everyone would be watching on the large screens that were scattered throughout Leanbox's interior. "People of Leanbox, as well as those who came from Lowee," she began as the camera started to broadcast her announcement, "I am CPU Purple Heart and I thank you for your hospitality for the past three months." Putting off going to the other nations hadn't been part of the plan, but after seeing how utterly and completely messed up Leanbox had been, she felt like she didn't have a choice in the matter. "While there is still a lot to do to help you out, I must announce that I plan on leaving today."
She could feel the confusion in the crowd and there was obviously other people watching who were confused.
"There are other nations in the world who still need help as they are ruled by Voids." Purple Heart continued, "I do not know if they are as bad as Green Void or if they are worse, but part of my mission is to help the CPU Candidates of all of the nations as well as their people." She turned and smiled at Peashy, who was in a striped bee outfit, before turning back to the cameras, "to that end, I will be taking CPU Candidate Peashy with me to help her learn to be a proper CPU, much like how I am helping CPU Candidate Rom and CPU Candidate Ram. I hope that I can guide your CPU Candidate to become a proper CPU."
She could feel the gratitude from the crowd and mentally sighed in relief. Personally she felt she wasn't good enough to teach Rom, Ram or Peashy how to be good CPUs. She knew that Nepgear was going to be a good CPU, but not because of her elder sister, but rather, in spite of her. 'Stop it, Neptune, criticize yourself later, you need to look strong here.' After waiting a moment, she continued, "I merely ask that you all put faith and trust in me moving forward. Thank you."
As the cameras shut off and Purple Heart walked off the stage, waving at everyone, she privately wondered just what it was like in the other nations.
(-)
Three minutes later...
"Nice speech." Chrome said to Neptune. "...You okay?" Neptune didn't seem as perky or cheerful like she usually was.
Neptune gave her a smile and nodded. "Just thinking of stuff. I need pudding and video games!" She giggled at Chrome's look of annoyance. "Is everything loaded?"
"Yes, including several pairs of fresh underwear for everyone." Chrome smirked as Neptune turned scarlet. "You're lucky that Chika had some pairs for you."
"...But they're almost as lewd as black panties." Neptune weakly protested, knowing that she couldn't really complain about that. 'After all, I was doing all sorts of lewd things with Chika and...'
"Hey!" Neptune was taken out of her thoughts as she heard Chika running towards her, the green-haired girl's chest was bouncing in very distracting ways and Neptune felt her face flushing as she knew exactly what Chika looked like without clothes on. "Lady Neptune! I have something to give you!" Chika said as she ran closer.
Neptune and Chrome both blinked as Chika stopped right in front of Neptune. "Oh?" Chrome asked, curious but she had an inkling of an idea in her head. "What did you want to give her?"
The next thing Neptune knew, Chika's hands were on the CPU's butt and their lips were pressed against each other. Chrome was almost amused by how Neptune seemed to melt into the kiss, even returning it. 'Well, I guess when you're intimate with someone for almost a month straight, it's hard not to be like this.'
"Wow!" Rom and Ram said at the same time as they poked their head out of the door of the ship, staring at Neptune and Chika. "That's hot!" They both exclaimed at the same time, causing Neptune to break the kiss and blush hard while Chika let go.
"That was for good luck." Chika winked at Neptune and looked at Rom and Ram. "Take care of Lady Neptune and Lady Peashy, okay?" They nodded at her. "I'd love to come with, but I can't do anything useful on the ship."
"Personally, I'd rather you stay here anyway," Chrome answered her and looked at the other people in the courtyard that had come to see them off, "I'm sure that you'll do fine. Just try to not have the place fall apart."
Chika nodded as Neptune and Chrome got on the ship. She waved them off as the door closed and the ship took off into the air. "Good luck, Lady Neptune!"
(-)
"Big sis Neptune?" Rom spoke up, "are you and big sis Chika going to..."
Neptune shook her head, her face red. "Uhm... No, I don't..." She put her hands on her cheeks. "I mean, I don't live here normally... I mean..."
"Neptune has a home she has to go back to." Chrome answered for Neptune, getting a nod from the CPU, "as amusing as it is for her to have someone who will do things like that, she has to return home sooner or later."
"Yeah! That!" Neptune pointed out and sighed at the look Rom gave her. "Hey..." She walked up to Rom and hugged her. "Don't be sad, I'm trying to help you." She sighed when Rom sniffled and hugged her tightly. "Rom..."
"Why?" Rom sobbed. "Why can't you stay here? I want you to stay here."
Chrome gave her a sad look and walked off as Neptune tried to help Rom calm down. She saw Ram sitting on some steps nearby and nodded to her, watching as she ran to where Rom was, followed by Peashy, who had been behind Ram and they all hugged Neptune tightly. "It really is unfair." She sighed softly. "I wish that you could stay too," Chrome walked off, muttering softly, "you're what this world needs more than anything."
(-)
Hours later...
Neptune sank into her bed and closed her eyes, trying to fight off the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Rom, Ram and Peashy had eventually walked off and went to their own rooms, leaving Neptune alone. "I..." She sniffled and rolled over to bury her face into her pillow. "I'm not the person you girls need."
She knew she would screw up, after all, she did nothing but screw up with her own sister. 'Dang it, I'm so mopey.' Neptune reached into her parka hoodie pocket and found her phone before wiping her eyes and making a call.
"Hello?"
"Hey! It's mini-Noire." Neptune tried to smile as she heard Uni's voice.
"Ack! It's Neptune!"
Neptune pouted at hearing that. "Come on! Do you dislike me that much?"
"Well you just run off on any sort of adventure you want to, leaving Nepgear behind and alone."
Neptune winced, that much was true. "Ah... How is Nep Jr.?"
"Oh, NOW you care? I bet you only care because there's no one to make you pudding."
"...Why are you..?"
"Nepgear woke me up last night with her crying because you were gone!" Uni yelled at Neptune, who winced on the phone. "Maybe you should just stay there?"
"...Maybe."
"What the goodness?!" Nepgear's voice was heard. "Uni?! Why are you talking to Neptune like that?!"
"She needs to hear it! She runs off again and..."
"But it's my fault!" Nepgear interrupted and there was a sound of struggling. "Neptune! Don't listen to Uni, she's just been in a bad mood today."
"It's okay," Neptune said softly, "I kind of deserve it."
"Dang it! Uni! Bad! Go sit in the corner!" There was a groaning sound and some shuffling off. "Listen, Neptune, Uni just has been in a bad mood because I had a bad dream and she didn't get enough sleep. When you get back, I'll have her apologize, okay?"
"...Nepgear..." Neptune began, sniffling softly, "I really miss you."
"...Neptune, are you okay?"
"Nepgear, I..." Neptune had tears falling out of her eyes at this point, "it hurts... I'm seeing people that look like our friends and... Some of them are bad guys and..."
"Neptune, what's going..."
There was a beeping sound and Neptune sighed as the call dropped. "...I miss you so much, Nep Jr., you and Histy."
Neptune wondered if maybe Gamworld was affecting her more than she thought, she normally wasn't this mopey and bummed out. 'Well, other than when I found out P-Ko was Yellow Heart and we had been fighting her for years.'
Her time in the Ultradimension had been easy by comparison. She had her friends, three little girls, Histiore and Plutia there to help her feel good about her time and not think about things. "Heh, Plutie wouldn't like this world either." She didn't know what her friend would do, but she knew that even though Plutia could be a bully, she hated seeing other people being bullied.
Closing her eyes, she drifted off to a dreamless sleep, but the tears didn't stop flowing.
(-)
Filyn sat in the cockpit with Gust and Linda. "So where are we heading next?"
"Lastation," Linda answered her as she pulled up some maps on the screen, "it'll take us about six or seven days to get there from Leanbox."
"If we're heading North, why don't we head to that last nation?" Filyn asked them in confusion.
"Last nation is very far away, would take two weeks from Lastation to get there." Gust answered her.
"Plus I'm not the one who made the plans, that would be your sister and Neptune." Linda answered her and got up. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on IF."
"Not Compa?" Gust asked and Linda turned to her.
"The rat's looking after her." Linda answered and left the cockpit.
Gust hoped that things were okay.
(-)
In Compa's room...
"Mister Mouse..." Compa looked at Warechu, who looked up from the book he was reading through, "can you help me? My back itches."
"Sure." Warechu smiled and pushed up her shirt and started scratching her bare back, getting a moan of pleasure from Compa. After a minute, he stopped scratching her back. "Is that better?"
"Huh?" Compa blinked, before nodding. "Yeah, thank you, Mister Mouse." She sighed as he lowered her shirt. "Mister Mouse... Why do you like me?" She asked him and he blushed hard. "I know that we're not the same species and I know that you have... um... Feelings for me," she blushed softly as she tapped her metal hooks together, "so why? Wouldn't it be better to go after someone of your species?"
Warechu bit his lower lip and sighed. "I... I can't help it, chu... You're so pretty and kind and even though the CPU did such a bad thing to you, you never hated her."
Compa sighed softly. She couldn't bring herself to hate the CPUs of the world. She had been told about how White Void had been treated as a CPU Candidate and after hearing about how a CPU Candidate had to feel nothing but bad feelings to be able to become a Void, it only made her pity them. "Because White Void was a victim too. I don't like what Miss Void did as a CPU, but she was suffering too."
"See? There you go again!" Warechu pointed out. "I... I love you, chu! You're so kind and pretty and you smell so nice!"
Compa blushed hard at hearing that. "Mister Mouse..." Even if he was a dirty mouse, it was still really nice to hear those words spoken to her. "I'm sorry, but..."
"I know," Warechu sighed softly, "we're not the same species and you don't really feel that way about me." He looked down and slumped, "I'm sorry."
"So am I." Compa said before scooting close to him and wrapping her arm around him, causing him to stiffen up. "If you were a human, I'd gladly be your girlfriend."
Warechu blushed hard and buried his face on her side. "Thank you."
Compa smiled at him.
(-)
Two days later...
"THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" IF screamed as the ship thrashed from side to side. Things were going smooth, she had just gotten dressed after being rubbed down by Linda an hour ago, Neptune was with Rom, Ram and Peashy. Gust was near them and IF winced when she saw Gust fall over and Ram stumble backwards, only to get her butt on Gust's face. "Yeesh, poor Gust."
"Iffy!" Compa called out as she and Warechu came around a corner. "What's going on?"
"I don't, waaagh!" IF yelled as the ship lurched and she flew, face first, into Compa's boobs, sending them both crashing into the far wall. "DAMMIT, LINDA! STOP THE RIDE! I WANT TO GET OFF!" IF yelled as she pushed herself up from Compa to yell and hope that someone could hear her.
"Um, Iffy..." Compa spoke up and IF looked, her eyes wide as she realized that one, her hands were on Compa's boobs and two, she was giving them a good squeeze.
"Hey! Off! Those boobs are mine to fondle!" Warechu glared at IF, much to Compa's embarrassment
"Fine!" IF pulled her hands off of Compa's chest. "You know I didn't mean..."
"Listen up, everyone!" Linda's voice was heard over the speaker, "a sudden storm formed around us and lightning blasted the ship. We're down an engine and our navigation is out. I'm making an emergency landing."
"At least the ship is designed for that." IF muttered as the ship descended to the water below.
"Unusual," Chrome muttered as she and Filyn came out of their room, "the storm just formed out of nowhere?" Suddenly Chrome's eyes widened and she ran for the cockpit. "No way... It can't be..."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
(-)
In the cockpit...
Chrome stared, her face pale as she saw where the ship was heading. "It... Can't be..." She stared in shock. Even though the storm was making it hard to see, even though the land looked twisted and warped...
Chrome knew that land very well...
"Eden..." She whispered as the ship descended towards the land mass.
Chrome said nothing as she just stared out the window. A cold feeling of dread, anger and a bit of fear filled her insides. "I guess running away from my past ends now, huh?"
After all, twisted or not... She had finally come home.
To be continued...
And they say you can't go home. Shows what they know, HA!
And I'll get back to Uni in a future chapter, promise!