Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series or the Halo series in this story as they belong to Microsoft, Compile and Idea Factory…
The Rookie
Location: Lowee
Three days after drop...
After a mishap with the Lowee's Candidate Twins and a bit of information from the Oracle that doesn't link up to the Mascot and its mission, Rookie and the girls walked out of the Basilicom and went to town then saw Linda, the Underling they call her who was helping a few people, very soft heart, huh? But no, she just only to get people to put their faith to the ASIC instead of the CPUs. She even got new ASIC follower which is a kitten... A FUCKING KITTEN?! Rookie even doesn't even know how to react to this random moment as they let this one slide...
Meanwhile as they still following Linda, they started thinking that she's not even finding the Mascot.
BGM: Lite Light - Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2
"It doesn't look like Miss Underling is looking for the Mascot at all..." Compa stated.
"Maybe she doesn't know where it is... I mean, she just an underling" RED stated as well.
'You maybe got a good point, RED' Rookie agreed.
"I didn't expect this plan to work perfectly. Anyway, maybe we should think up a new strategy" IF suggested as Nepgear started to hopped around.
'Nepgear? Why are y- Oh... I see...' Rookie figured that Nepgear needs a moment of privacy...
"U-um... Please excuse me for a moment..." Nepgear nervously smiled, still trembling.
"What's up? Oh, I bet its tinkle time, isn't it? The cold makes me pee a lot so go for it" RED shoo her off, doesn't care of getting embarrassed.
"P-please don't shout out stuff like that!" Nepgear felt embarrassed as she went away for some privacy, the others waited for her, not knowing that Rookie wasn't with them.
Meanwhile with Nepgear...
As there were no bathrooms on the streets for Nepgear, she have to find some place to have privacy as she found an alley that will cover her. It was a bad idea to have privacy in an alley but she was lucky, Nepgear walked out, relieved.
"Phew. Took a while to find a place"
"You know there a portable toilet right over there..."
"Huh?" As she turns around and saw Rookie standing next to the alley. "R-R-ROOKIE?!" She shouted. "What are you doing here?" She blushy asked.
"Well just checking you're safe in that alley and also there was a portable toilet right over there..." Rookie repeated, pointed her to the portable toilets at her left, a few meters away from the alley.
"Oh..." Nepgear then shouted in her mind. 'Goodness! Why did I miss that?!' And she took a deep breath and glared at him.
"Relax... I'm not a pervert" Rookie waved his hands, being honest.
Nepgear nodded but she noticed that he was talking to her, quietly. "Hmm... Why don't you talk a lot?" Nepgear asked.
"*Sigh* I'm not a social person... I've been a soldier since I was 22 years old..."
"Goodness... Really?" Nepgear was surprised.
"Yeah... I can talk but I really don't want to..."
"Why is that?" Nepgear curiously asked.
"There is a reason... But... I don't want to talk about it..." Rookie looked away, feeling shy.
"It's okay to not talk about it. I didn't mean to enter your personal life" Nepgear apologized.
"It's alright, Nepgear. Come on, let's get to the others" Rookie suggested as Nepgear nodded and walked away.
Ten minutes later...
"Hmm... Is this the place?" Nepgear asked as they saw nothing around that are familiar to them.
"No. Do you?" Rookie asked then she shook her head and began panicking.
BGM: Minicar - Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2
"D-did we get lost, just like that? IF? C-Compa? W-what should we do?" Nepgear asked Rookie.
"I don't know. I've never had any experience of leadership" Rookie stated.
END BGM
"*Sob* *Sob* Where is it? Wh-where is it?" Then Both noticed Rom who is walking around, crying and having a panic.
"Rom? Is that you?" Nepgear asked her.
"Huh? *Gasp*" Rom gasped as she jumped back from them and started shaking. "T-the m-me-meanie CPU"
"No, no. I'm not that mean. Please don't be scared, okay?" Nepgear stated as Rom started to calm herself.
"You're... Not gonna bully me?" Rom asked.
"I would never. Are you lost?" Nepgear asked. "We got separated from our friends"
Rom shook her head. "N-no. I'm not lost... I'm looking. For my. Pen..." She explained.
"Your Pen?" Nepgear tilted her head.
"It was half of a set. Mine match Ram's. It's important, but... I drop it somewhere..." Rom started looking around for her pen.
'A pen?' Rookie then got reminded that he got a pen from the Expo. "Excuse, Miss Rom"
"Huh? You must be Mister Rookie and... You can talk?" Rom surprisingly asked and he nodded as he took out a pen from his pocket.
"Is this yours?" Rookie quietly asked.
"*Gasp!* Oh! My pen!" Rom quickly took her pen off his hand and cuddle it like a teddy bear.
"Aww~ That's so nice of you, Rookie" Nepgear smiled.
"Thank you, Mister Rookie" Rom smiled, quietly thanked him as Rookie giggled.
'No problem, kid' Rookie stood up next to Nepgear.
"Um... Miss..." Rom called.
"Huh? Miss? Is that me?" Nepgear confusingly asked.
"Uh-huh" Rom nodded.
"O-oh... Um... Thank you and all but... It's a bit embarrassing to be called that by my age..." Nepgear blushed, playing with her fingers then she shook her head. "No, no. I can't let you call me something so mature and flattering. Just please call me, Nepgear"
"Then... M-miss Nepgear?"
"...Um... Okay, that works" Nepgear gave up and asks her. "What is it, Rom?"
BGM: Tear Drop - Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2
"Do you two know my big sister?" Rom asked as they were surprised.
"Oh, Blanc? Yes, but we didn't talk a lot or anything. She seemed smart with a air of mystery and-" Then Nepgear was cut off.
"She never came home... Where is she?" Rom asked with a worried face as Rookie and Nepgear look at each other as Rookie nodded. Nepgear took a deep breath and answered.
"Well... Blanc is still stuck in the Gamindustri Graveyard with the other CPUs so-"
"*Sob* *Sob* I really miss her... *Sniff*" Rom began to cry as Nepgear went in a panic again and Rookie walk up to Rom as he crouched down to her height level.
"Don't cry, Rom. I'm sure we can save your big sister and the others" Rookie said as Rom looked up to Rookie with tears on her eyes.
"*Sniff* *Sob* R-re-really?" Rom asked.
"I promised we'll save them"
"*Sniff* P-pinky promise?" Rom stretches her hand with her pinky finger out to him as he rolls his head around.
"Pinky promise" Rookie stretches his hand and they both pinky promised as Rom hugged him and quietly cried.
"*Sob* Th-thank you... *Sob* *Sob*" Rom thanked him as he smiled and hugged her back.
"Shhhhh... Don't cry, Rom" After a few seconds, they let go as Rookie wipe her tears away, she chuckled, lightly blushed and smiled.
'Wow. I'm feeling... Warm...' Nepgear deeply thought as she smiled at this lovely moment.
"Okay, we shall get going. See you later, Rom" Rookie patted her head and looked at Nepgear as she nodded then they walked away, waving their goodbyes to Rom as she waved back and went back to the Basilicom. 'Rom is a soft little kid unlike her sister...' Rookie muttered.
END BGM
"Rookie..." Nepgear called as he looked at her, she smiled at him. "That's was so kind of you... I didn't know you have a soft heart in you" Rookie chuckled and he nodded. 'Huh. Guess he went to silent now...' Then she forgotten about their friends, waiting for them. "Goodness! I completely forgot! They probably started looking for us. Awww~ We're gonna yell at..." She whined.
Fifteen minutes later...
BGM: Lite Light - Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2
After walking around, finding their friends, they found them on the sidewalk as they saw them, IF wasn't happy, folded her arms and tapping her foot as they caught up with them then Nepgear quickly apologized.
"I... I'm so sorry we're late!" Nepgear shouted as IF rolled her eyes.
"*Sigh* Well there's an understatement. How long did you plan to putz around in the bathroom?!" IF glared at Nepgear then to Rookie. "And what were you doing with her?!"
"Uuuuh, Rookie was just checking on me in case I was in danger" Nepgear reasoned.
"...Fair enough..." IF simply agreed.
'Huh? I expected more from her...' Rookie surprisingly said.
"So, hey. I hate to interrupt the wifey spat but aren't we in a pretty huge hurry?" RED asked.
"Ugh... Yeah, you're right. There's no time to scold each other..." IF put an end of the argument as Nepgear raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Did something happen?" Nepgear asked.
"We overheard Miss Underling on her cellular telephone" Compa answered.
'Cellular? You mean those phones that uses number of short-range radio stations?' Rookie wondered.
"She was saying things like 'Mascot' and 'Block Dungeon' and other nifty keywords..." She described.
'Block Dungeon, huh...'
"My money is that she went to the dungeon she mentioned on the phone. So let's get ahead of her!" RED shouted.
"So now you know. It will be a facepalm moment for me if we lost because of you so let's move" Everyone nodded and traveled out of Lowee to the Block Dungeon.
Meanwhile in Lowee's Basilicom
As Rookie and the girls left Lowee to a Block Dungeon, Rom arrived back to the Basilicom and walks inside both Rom and Ram's bedroom as Ram was in there and a bit upset.
"Jeez, there you are! Where the heck did you go?" Ram angrily asked.
"Sorry, I dropped my pen so I was looking for it" Rom explained.
"Your pen?" Then she shook her head. "Don't do that alone, you dummy. I could have helped you look for it" She suggested.
"I wasn't alone" Rom told her. "Miss Nepgear was with me and Mister Rookie got my pen and gave it to me" She explained.
"'Miss' Nepgear? Blech... And 'Mister' Rookie? Hehehe" Ram giggled as she can't stand of his name.
"Hey. She was nice to me and Mister Rookie..." Rom then started to lightly blush. "He's very kind to me... He felt like our big brother, he pinky promised that they'll save our big sister"
"Wh-what's gotten into you?!" Ram shouted. "You know those two is our enemies! Big, bad, meanies!"
"Um... I think you're wrong" Rom disagreed.
"I'm... WHAT?!" Ram was caught off guard, surprised. "Seriously, what's your deal? Oh, I know! They're brainwashed you to think those two are on our side!" She guessed as Rom shook her head.
"Uh-uh..."
"What?! Then why are you talking back at me" Ram questioned, upsetting Rom.
"Ram... When you're a meanie... I don't like it!" Then she ran out of their room.
"Hey, Rom! Wait! Jeez, I can't believe she mouth off me like that..." Ram then cursed them. "All because of those two. Those big. Dumb. MEANIES!" She lost her temper as she kick a stuff animal in anger and fell on her bed.
END BGM
With Rookie and the girls...
After a few miles walking away from Lowee, Rookie and the girls have to climb up a huge hill, IF gave them some climbing tools to climb over the hill as they start climbing. Meanwhile... They got third quarter up the hill as it was almost sunset, they were climbing in order, IF goes first, then Rookie, Compa, Nepgear and RED for somehow she doesn't care about climbing so she just being carried... And why that order? Well... It's for an embarrassment and perverted reason. Rookie got a rope tied around his waist that connects the ones below him to make sure that the three girls don't fall to their death.
'Oh my god, they're so heavy...' Rookie complained. 'Why am I doing the heavy lifting... Damn you IF' He cursed as he was groaning, lifting the three girls, not knowing that RED was the one who is doing nothing but getting pulled up on her own weight with a cat look on her face.
"Hey! Are you guys okay down there?!" IF shouted.
"We're okay!" Nepgear shouted.
"But RED is not even climbing!" Compa added.
'So that's why they're so damn heavy!' Rookie figured as IF yelled.
"Hey RED! Don't be a lazy ass and climb! You're pulling down the others!"
"Jeez, fine..." RED stopped being lazy and climbed with her climbing equipments that IF gave her.
Ten minutes later...
As Rookie and the girls are almost at the top of the mountain as IF stated.
"Keep it up, guys! We are almost ther-*Gasp*" Suddenly IF loss her balance as a rock collapses, she started falling.
"AHHHHHH!" IF screamed as Rookie reacted quickly and grabbed IF's hand.
'Gotcha!' After he caught IF, everyone was shocked as IF was breathing fast.
"*Pat* *Pat* *Pat* *Pat* *Sigh* Thanks, Rookie..." IF thanked him then asked him.
"Ummm... Can I have a piggy back?" IF blushed as she reasons. "I kinda lost my climbing equipment while I was falling..." Rookie then moaned as IF hugged his back tightly.
'OH MY... *Moan* You girls are the death of me...' Rookie scolded and RED acted seductive to IF.
"Ooooo~ First step of Love relationship, huh~"
"SHUT UP, RED!" IF snapped, blushing more and they continued climbing to the top with IF having a piggyback on Rookie which he is NOT having a good time in his life.
Two minutes later...
After climbing a one metre tall hill, they finally reached the top as everyone had a break... Well, Rookie done all the lifting, he probably need a rest the most as he lying on the soft grass.
"*Pat* *Pat* Goodness... That was... A bit scary..." Nepgear commented.
"I think we should go around the big hill instead of climbing it..." Compa replied.
"Hey! You guys know that there was a hill elevator over there..." RED said as she pointed them to a hill elevator which was meters away from them and everyone shouted at her.
"WHAT?! AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US?!" Everyone except for Rookie which he was still lying on the ground shouted as RED covered her ears from the sudden shouting and she reasoned with the girls.
"Jeez, I told you guys about it before we went rock climbing..."
"..."
"..."
Flashback...
At the bottom of the hill, IF was giving them some climbing equipment and a rope for Rookie as she explained.
"Ok. I'm gonna go first and Rookie will go second with the rope that is tie up to you three" IF explained.
"Iffy, why are you not tied with the rope?" Compa asked.
"Because I have been a traveler since I was little, I am sure that nothing goes wrong... Any questions?" IF asked and only RED's hand raised.
"Yeah. There's a hill elevator meters away at our right so-"
"Okay! Let's climb!" IF wasn't even listening at all as RED frowned and they all climb up the huge hill.
Present...
After that awkward silence, they all facepalmed.
"Why didn't I listen to you in the first place" IF groaned.
"Iffy. It's getting dark, what should we do?" Comps asked as the sun was setting, IF decided to camp here for the night.
"Well it's getting darker now so we camp here for the night" IF confirmed.
"Yeah! Camping time!" RED fistpumped as they girls got to work, Nepgear and IF were clearing up monsters around the area, Compa and RED were setting up the tent and Rookie was still on the ground, probably napping again.
Five minutes later...
The sun was gone and a full moon rose from the night with bright stars. Compa and RED finished with the tent and the girls were around the campfire, roasting marshmallows, play around and tell spooky, scary stories which Compa was very afraid to scary stories.
"I-If-Iffy~ Y-you're scary m-me" Compa was shaking, almost having a heart attack.
"Goodness... I didn't know your stories are... That scary" Nepgear commented.
"Hey, my grandfather told me lots of scary stories, well I was scared when I was little but I gotten over it" IF explained.
"Whatever, *Yawn* I'm so tired now..." RED soon got a glare from IF as she walks away to their tent. "I'm going to sleep..."
"Yeah *Yawn* lets get some sleep before we head to that dungeon" IF yawned as everyone was tired and nodded as they went in the tent, IF stopped and forgotten about Rookie. "Rookie?" She looks around and saw him, lying on the grass next to a lone tree, IF decided to lay next to him even though she's bit shy, getting close to him, she done it anyway.
BGM: Main Theme - Ori and the Blind Forest
"It's a beautiful night isn't it, Rookie" He nodded as she continued. "You know... I always wanted what's beyond our world, exploring planets, discover new stuff outer space... Do you?" IF asked.
"Yes..." Rookie spoke. "We actually did go beyond our world..." He answered.
"Wait... First off, you can talk? And second, you went to outer space?" IF questions him twice.
"Okay. To answer your first question, yes. I can talk... Well... Not that much..." Rookie honestly answered. "And to answer your second question, we did go to outer space"
"How?" IF asked.
"Well... I'm not really a historian but long story short, Earth which is our world that was overpopulating so we use huge ships to discover new planets that are liveable for humanity" Rookie explained.
"How many planets did you guys discovered?" IF questioned.
"To be honest, we discovered lots of planets, don't know how many..." He honestly explained. "But I know that I wasn't born on Earth but the Moon" He finishes which she shocked IF.
"Wait... You were born from the Moon?!"
"Yeah... Luna was my home..." Then silence...
"..."
"..."
"...Do you miss your home..." IF asked.
"...I... I don't know..." Rookie then had a deep thought. 'I can't remember the last time I saw my parents...'
'Should I... Tell him...' IF had a deep thought as well as she took a deep breath. "Rookie..."
"Hmm?" Both stare at each other, face to face.
"You know about RED teasing me of falling in love with you?"
"...What are you trying to say?"
"Well... I like you more than a friend..."
"Uhhh..."
"I... I... L-l-lo-love you..." It was a bit difficult to say those words for IF.
"Oh, good to know"
"No, really... I actually l-lo-love you..."
"...Are. You. Really serious?" Rookie asked and she nodded, both blushed like a red tomato.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Well... This is awkward..."
"Mhmm..."
'What. Did I just. Witnessing...' Rookie has no clue what the hell is going on as IF yawned and instead of heading to the tent, she fell fast asleep on Rookie, still speechless but he fell asleep a few minutes later and they both calmly slept together, outside a beautiful night with a full moon.
END BGM
Author's notes:
Well that was a calm moment for Rookie and IF, hope that RED doesn't ruin it.
?: Nepu~ You want Iffy to love him, don't you, Ace~"
What the- WTF, Neptune?! How the hell did you get here?
Neptune: "Why I have a ability that can break the forth wall you know"
...You just... Broke the forth wall...
Neptune: "Yep! Now excuse me, I'm gonna borrow your pudding, hehehehe..."
HEY! Don't you steal my- *Neptune slams the door* Damn it...
Okay! I also updated the Mascot text so it's more like this: "Greetings"
Now if you excuse me I'm gonna deal with a loose Neppy... *Runs to the kitchen to catch Neptune*
