Author's Note
Hey, guys! I'm back with another update! I hope 2021 is treating everyone kindly so far. 2021 has been treating me okay, though I can't say the same for the political people. Anyway, school has started back up for me and work is just as tiresome. I just have this inking feeling that 2021 won't be as great as some people hoped it to be. Enough about me, your here for the story so I'll let you guys get to it! Enjoy!
Leanbox, Gamindustri
Place: Hospital
Date: September 4, 2019
Time: 5:31 P.M
Noire dropped down against the cold tile floor as she heavily breathed. Her entire body was covered in a layer of sweat as her head spun. The bright lights on the ceiling weren't helping as she began to feel nauseous.
"Lady Noire, I think it's best that you stop now," advised the nurse as she handed the goddess a bottle of water.
Noire swallowed and slowly sat up. Her lungs burned and her muscles ached. She had been running the treadmill since this morning with breaks in between, but she would run out of stamina way too quickly.
"No… another hour…" Noire rasped out as she took the water and gulped it down.
The nurse sighed, "Alright, but this is the last hour. We want to stimulate your muscles, not destroy them any further."
Noire nodded, understanding. She turned her head to the other side of the room to see Blanc struggling to stand. She had both hands on a metal bar on each side as she tried to make her way to the nurses at the other end. She was also covered in sweat and her eyes narrowed in frustration as she tried to get her legs to move.
Blanc has been working and so has Noire. They both were struggling, so they could stand again to fight. Two days of working their muscles have left them fatigued and exhausted, but they refused to rest. Their burning desire to restore their homes, to protect their loved ones, and to defeat Rei Ryghts were enough to keep them both going.
"Okay…" Noire stood up and got back on the treadmill.
They both will recover. With each passing day, Noire can feel her shares increasing, and Blanc was healing. They can do this. The two fallen goddesses will stand back in the battlefield once more. They will defeat Rei once and for all!
Lastation, Gamindustri, Ultradimension
Place: Basilicom
Date: April 14, 2009
Time: 11:44 A.M
Noire scribbled her name on the papers and placed them in the finished bin. Her eyes would glance over to the pudding cup sitting on the edge of her desk with a spoon on top. Neptune had stopped by earlier with Nepgear to share some pudding. They were both heading over to Lowee to help Blanc, and Noire would have joined if it weren't for the pile of work that had formed.
Eden really had a run for her credits. They have caused so many problems that her shares began to drop! This was a no no in her book and she will bring it back up if it's the last thing she does!
A knock suddenly came from her door. Noire looked up in confusion. Who could that be? I don't recall anyone I should be meeting. "Come in!"
The doors opened and someone peaked their head in. "Hi!"
Noire immediately recognized that braided purple hair and sparkling magenta eyes. "Plutia? I uh… I wasn't expecting you…"
"Sorry, are you busy?" questioned the Planeptune CPU.
Noire shook her head. "Not at all. Come on in. I could use a break."
Plutia smiled and opened the door full way entering the office. She closed the door behind her before sitting down on Noire's black leather couch.
Noire took hold of the pudding and sat down across from Plutia. "So what brings you to Lastation?" she asked as she opened the pudding cup.
Plutia shrugged, "I just wanted to see you. Is that bad?"
"Uh…" Noire looked up at Plutia, not expecting that answer. "No, it's not bad, it's just, I never saw you go out unless it was with Neptune."
"I don't go out with Neppy aaaaaall the time," Plutia pouted.
Noire giggled, "Well, you do like your naps."
"Naps are good. They keep you energized. You should do it more often, Noire."
The black CPU rolled her eyes as she scooped a piece of pudding with her spoon. "I'll end up being like you then."
"Hey, I get my work done!"
"Suuuuuure. So is there something you need, since you came looking for me," asked Noire.
Plutia leaned back against the couch as she shook her head, "Nope. Nothing. I finished my work so I just came to visit."
Noire blinked. Then she laughed.
Plutia gave her a confused look. "What's so funny?"
"You? Finished your work." Noire snickered, "That's a really funny joke."
Plutia frowned as she felt somewhat hurt.
Noire noticed that Plutia wasn't smiling anymore and stopped her laughs. "Wait, you're not joking?"
"Nope. I finished aaaaaaall my work," proudly stated the purple goddess.
"Wow, in all my years. I never expected you to finish your work," said Noire.
"That's so mean, Noire!"
"Sorry. It's just hard to imagine that you finished your work before me and I'm still not done." Noire hummed as she ate her pudding.
Plutia turned her attention to Noire's work desk to see the papers. "Need some help?"
Noire almost choked on her spoon. "You… You wanna help? With paperwork?"
Plutia beamed, "Yeah!"
Plutia has been acting strange lately. It started last year. Noire wasn't paying much attention to her until she realized how much Plutia was hanging around her. It's not that Noire was bothered by it, she was just confused by it. She knew that the purple goddess was always nice, but this felt different somehow. It was like Plutia started paying more attention to her. It made her feel… special…
Noire quickly shook her head. No! You already know that Plutia doesn't feel that way towards you. She only sees you as her best friend. Stop fooling yourself!
Noire wanted to cry. Why does her love life have to be so complicated? She falls in love with a girl that doesn't even know what love is and now she's falling for a girl that's already in a relationship! Why not just have her fall in love with a rock instead?! That sounds so much easier to Noire.
"Noire? Are you okaaaaay? You look distressed," voiced Plutia.
"N-No, sorry, just shocked that you would want to do paperwork."
"You really don't have much faith in me when it comes to paperwork, do you?" Plutia asked.
Noire blushed and hesitantly giggled, "Not that much."
Plutia sighed, "Well, I don't blame you. I know I tend to sleep a lot."
"At least you acknowledge your problem," said the black CPU.
"It's not a problem," Plutia whined. "I'm just being healthy."
"Too much sleep can also be unhealthy," Noire claimed. She stood up and tossed her finished pudding into the trash before making her way around her desk. She took half the stack of papers and dropped them in front of Plutia. "Are you sure you want to help?"
Plutia started at the papers and hesitantly nodded, "U-Uh huh! Yeeeeep! Leave everything to me!" Plutia voiced.
Noire was a little bit worried, but she trusts her friend. "If something confuses you, just ask."
"Nooooooire, I'm a CPU too! I know how to run a nation."
"Lastation and Planeptune are two very different nations, Plutia."
Plutia playfully stuck her tongue out at Noire before getting to work. The two worked in silence with only the sounds of pens. It wasn't weird, it was nice. Peaceful. Noire liked the other girl's presence, it wasn't so distracting like another purple-hair goddess she knew.
And just like that, their peacefulness was ruined when Noire's office door slammed open, causing both girls to jerk in surprise.
"Hey, Plutie! Mini Histy told me you were here so we came to hang out as well!"
"Neptune! Don't you know how to knock!?" Noire scolded.
"Sorry, Noire," Nepgear apologized in her sister's place.
"Hello," Blanc greeted.
"It seems everyone is here. Hello," Vert voiced.
Noire groaned as she leaned back against her chair. "I thought you were in Lowee helping Blanc?"
"We were," answered the white goddess. "With Neptune's and Nepgear's help, we're able to stop whatever Eden was doing."
Noire then glanced towards Vert. "Then why are you here?"
"I merely wanted a chat with Plutia, but she was here, so I tagged along," replied the green goddess.
"So everyone is here because of me?" Plutia asked.
Nepgear hesitantly chuckled, "Um, yeah…"
Noire grumbled, "Great, my peaceful evening gone."
Neptune skipped over to Noire's side and smiled, "Awe, come on. I know you're happy to see all of us."
"N-No I'm not," denied the other CPU.
Neptune closed in on Noire and chuckled, "Don't be such a tsundere, I know you love us."
Noire's face turned a deep red and she shouted, "I-I don't!" She jumped out of her seat so she can put some distance between herself and Neptune. She could feel her own heart exploding in fireworks.
Plutia sadly sighed as she saw the way Noire reacted to Neptune. She has never seen the other girl blush like that around her. She knew that Noire had a crush on Neptune, but she wasn't gonna lose hope. Neptune wasn't single and Plutia hoped that Noire could move on.
"Plutia, you seem a little down," voiced Blanc. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm alright," assured Plutia.
Blanc glanced over to Noire and Neptune and then back to Plutia. The white CPU took a seat next to Plutia and said, "Noire can be a bit dense."
"Huh?" Plutia gave Blanc a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"
Blanc rolled her eyes as she smiled, "I've been a CPU for a very long time, Plutia. I know that look."
Plutia blushed as she looked down at her hands. "Am I that obvious?"
"I wasn't so sure at first, but suddenly, you became very obvious. Did you just realize your feelings or something?"
Plutia giggled, "I had a bit of a reality check."
"If it makes you feel better, I don't think Noire likes Neptune like that."
"But she has a crush on her," Plutia said.
"And it's just a crush," Blanc voiced. "Noire's not stupid enough to fall in love with someone who's already in love with someone else."
"But that doesn't mean she will like me…" Plutia whispered.
Blanc leaned against Plutia's side to show some comfort. "Love is a very complicated thing. Trust me. I would know…"
"You loved someone, Blanc?"
Blanc frowned as she thought back to the days when she was just a beginner CPU. "I did, but it didn't work out."
Plutia frowned, "I'm sorry."
Blanc sat up straight and assured, "It was a long time ago. So don't pity me. But I'll give you some advice. You just have to tell her. It's better than keeping it bottled up."
"But I'm afraid…" Plutia whimpered.
"Everyone's afraid. Love can bring fear to the strongest of people."
"So what about fear?"
"Gah!" Both Blanc and Plutia jumped off the couch and turned around to see Vert who had a smug look on her face.
"Vert! What the hell?!" Blanc screamed.
"You two were whispering and being all cozy with each other, I just wanted to join," said Vert as she fluttered her eyelashes innocently.
"Veeeeeert…"
The green CPU shivered as a slight chill crawled down her back. She looked at Plutia to see the girl's head tilted down so she couldn't see her eyes. "P-Plutia?"
"What did you hear, Vert…"
"N-Nothing…" Vert moves back, feeling a little bit threatened. "I heard nothing…"
"I don't like liars, Veeeeeert…"
Light covered around Plutia catching everyone's attention in the room. Vert and Blanc scrambled back to get as far away as possible when Iris Heart appeared.
"Oh Verty pooh~! Come here so I can punish you for lying!" Iris Heart laughed as she summoned out a whip.
"Nooooo!" Vert screeched as she ran.
"Don't run from me you slutty eavesdropper!"
Noire watched as Iris Heart tackled Vert to the ground. She groaned as she dropped her head to her hands. Her office had just become a mess.
"Yikes! What did Vert do to get on Plutie's bad side?" Neptune voiced.
Nepgear was behind Neptune as she didn't want to see. "Please tell me she isn't coming this way…"
"This is all your fault, Neptune," Noire blamed.
"Awe, come on. You were so sad all by yourself that Plutie had to come cheer you up."
"Weren't you not being all sad just months ago when you thought the other me died?"
Neptune pouted as she wrapped her arms around Noire. "Don't remind me! I don't want to think about my sweetheart dying!"
Noire felt her stomach flip as her body began to heat up. Her face became flustered as her heart tingled. This was bad. Every second she spends with Neptune spelled trouble for her. She can't possibly be falling for Neptune. Glancing towards Iris Heart, who was now straddling Vert, Noire couldn't help but cringe. She definitely doesn't want to be in Vert's position.
Sighing, Noire gently pried Neptune arms off of her. "Don't just suddenly hug people."
Neptune smirked, "What? You jelly that I hug everyone?"
Noire bit her lower lip and glared. She had to resist.
Neptune's smirk dropped to a frown as she backed off. "Okay, sheesh, no need to glare. I was just teasing. You're no fun. Come on, Nep Jr. let's help Vert out."
"O-Okay…" Nepgear voiced as she followed Neptune towards their other friends.
Noire huffed as she gripped her hands. Stop beating… Stop beating… STOP BEATING! She took a deep breath to try and calm her beating heart. She can't fall for Neptune. She can't…
Looking over at Neptune who was trying to pull Iris Heart away, Noire could feel her heart speeding up again. Crap…
Planeptune, Gamindustri, Ultradimension
Place: Basilicom
Date: April 14, 2009
Time: 7:58 P.M
Plutia hugged her pillow as she pouted. Neptune and Nepgear looked at her with worried eyes. Ever since they came back from Lastation, Plutia has been making a sad and sour face.
"Hey, Plutie, cheer up. I'm sure Vert wouldn't hold anything against you," said Neptune.
"Yeah, Vert is a very understanding person," Nepgear added.
Plutia sighed, "It's not about, Vert. Can you two give me some space? I just want to be alone for a while."
"Oh, okay. Come on, Nep Jr." Neptune gave Plutia a concerning look but didn't press on. She closed the door behind to give the other goddess some space.
"I wonder what happened," Nepgear wondered.
"I never saw Plutie this sad," Neptune whispered.
"Do you think it's something we did?" Nepgear asked.
"If anything, it's probably, Vert. You saw how she went all Sadie on her," said the older CPU.
"I-I guess that's true…"
"Let's just give her some time to cool down and then we can ask what's bothering her," suggested Neptune.
"Good idea, sis! Let's help Histy with dinner for now."
"Yeah, I'm starving."
Nepgear walked back to the living and Neptune followed after looking back at the closed door of Plutia's room. She tried to figure out Plutia's behavior, she had been acting strange and they have been barely spending time together. Neptune just didn't understand. "Oh Plutie, you could just talk to me…"
Author's Note
Man, drama is really brewing for the Ultra gang isn't it? I'll get into more about Blanc's love life in the future chapters.
Well, that's it for now! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see ya later! Bye!
-Shiena
