Save 1: (Re)Starting a Journey
I... must have messed up somehow. Last thing I remember was laying my pretty little head down on a tree trunk in Virtua Forest to take a nap and now... oh no. Don't tell me I died?! When I opened my eyes, instead of the usual forest that I expected to see when I woke up, instead I was in a strange white void. Nah, void would be the wrong way to say it. Everything around me had a distinct shape, even the floor. But the problem was... it was like everything was shrouded in a strange fog. Sort of like when they're announcing new fighting game characters for a game but only show their silhouette. It's sorta like that.
"Hey hey~" A strange, glitchy voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Looking towards where the voice was resounding from, I saw a large, golden throne with a strange man sitting on it. I couldn't tell much from him, seeing as he was also shrouded in the strange fog as everything else, though this time he was covered in a golden one. But even without seeing what he looked like, he seemed like a cocky asshole. First off, anyone sitting in a throne is bound to be a dickhead, one way or another. Secondly, the fact that he was resting his chin on his fist and had his leg crossed over his other just exudes asshole energy. "It's been a while since I've had a visitor. Thanks for visiting, kid." And why does his voice sound like that?
"Hey, um. Are you like the big god or something? If you are, please let me back into the world of the living! I didn't mean to die! I promise!" It's definitely weird that there is another sort of God after the four Goddesses, but I'm not really here to question. I just want to live again!
"Huh, uhhhhh. You're not dead dude."
"Oh thank the goddesses!" A huge sigh of relief escaped my mouth as I almost fell over. "I'd really hate to be the guy to die by a Dogoo when he's asleep." Wait, so where am I? Am I dreaming? That... actually might make sense. This place is a little too fantastical, even for Gamindustri. "So... who are you exactly?" If I'm dreaming, I might as well see it through.
"Hmph. Finlay you asked! I am _! Opps! That was a spoiler! Gotta hide that real quick. Only those of you at home who read the first part will get that~" Huh? Dude you can't just break the fourth wall like that! On the first page?! "Anyway, I'm no one. Just a story teller."
"Okay... can I go then?"
"You don't even want to hear the beginning? I swear it's really good. Like so much so that I could make a movie out of it!"
This is getting a little sad now. "Dude, you're just a weird guy in my head. I must have eaten some bad grass to end up having a dream like this."
The strange silhouette man seemed to pout and huffed as he turned his head away from me. "Fine. Go, and leave me alone. I swear, kids these days." I really hope this isn't going to end up being like a weird recurring thing. That would be annoying. I was about to give the man a piece of my mind, however the world seemed to strangely begin to lose its luster. The bright white room began to slowly become dimmer. "Looks like we're out of time anyway. Welp, see you, Arc."
"Wait, how do you-"
Nep-Nep!
The sound of crickets being way too close lulled me out of my sleep. What a... weird dream. I let out a yawn before standing up and stretching. "Alright, let's get this quest done with. I really need to eat some real food soon." My name is Arc. Arc S.W and I am a citizen of this world. Of Gamindustri. Unfortunately, I'm not a very wealthy one though. I suppose that's what happens when you're dealt such a horrible set of cards as I have. My first shitty card, I'm an orphan. At least I think I am. I have no real memories before I was about seven years old. Now, usually that in itself would suck. However, when added with the fact that I don't seem to be a citizen of any of the four nations of Gamindustri, it sucks even more! You see, Gamindustri is split into four nations, each governed and led by a CPU. Planeptune, the nation of purple progress, the nation on the west of the continent and governed by Lady Purple Heart. Lastation, land of Black Regality and on the east of the continent, governed by Lady Black Heart. Lowee, Nation of White Serenity and it sits on the northmost point of the world, ruled by lady White Heart. Finally, Leanbox. Land of green Pastures, sitting on a gigantic island just a little far from the continent, governed by Lady Green Heart.
I, being the super lucky guy I am, seem to have not only no familial connections to any of the nations. I also don't have a birth certificate with any of them. Trust me, I checked. A million times. So, I'm stuck being a wandering ronin. At least, I would be cool enough to be one if I wasn't stuck with my final card dealt by fate. That card was the reason why I was currently hiding from weak monsters like Dogoos and weird rabbits. I am... the weakest person known to man! And I'm not exaggerating. Every single stat I have feels like they have a negative growth rate! No matter how much I tried to train my strength, my magic, hell even my speed. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Because of my weakness, I am stuck being one of the worst Guild members in the entire world. You'd think after over ten years of work with the guild I'd finally get out of E rank. But no. It is because of this that I'm also always broke. Because I'm not a member of any of the nations, I'm not eligible for any help from the governments, meaning I'm all on my own.
But, I seemed to hit the jackpot! For some reason, everyone at the guild shied away from the current job I'm doing. The quest sent me to Planeptune's Virtua forest in search of a key fragment, whatever that is, and offered to pay 100 mil credits! I'll be set for at least two years! Anyway, focus! Don't mess this opportunity up. I made it a fair distance into the dungeon before I was faced with my biggest problem yet. A small, suspicious clearing was being guarded by a group of three small Dogoos. Shit. If I get their attention, I'm dead. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I was weak.
So, I hatched a plan. Getting closer to the group from behind bushes, I finally got close enough to put it into motion. "Printing: Head Hunter '' Small blue pixels began to slowly appear in my hand before it slowly took shape in my , a gold knife with a purple handle appeared in my hand. This is my one and only playing card in life. I seem to have a talent for Projection Magic, the kind of magic where you can create an item from memory as long as you understand all of the item's components. But, of course, I can't do it very often due to my shit MP bar. So, I have to use it on small items like knives to use it a decent amount of times.
Anyway, with the knife in hand, I calmed my heart, gripped the knife with the blade and aimed. Just as the three Dogoos were lined up from my position, I threw the knife with more precision than power and was thankful that I struck true. The projected, though I prefer to call it printed, knife flew straight through the enemies. "Gotta love it!" Smirking to myself, I ran out into the path and walked into the clearing. When I did, I saw it. Sitting on the ground was a small key-like item. "Well it's obvious what that is. Pork Katsu here I come~" Walking closer to the object I was about to pick up. However, just as I was about to, I heard a strange hum coming from the sky. "Huh?"
Looking up, I noticed a strange white light that seemed to be falling from the sky. A meteor? Oh well doesn't- wait. It's... it's super close, isn't it. OH NO, IT'S LANDING HERE! Looking at the trajectory of the projectile and its speed, I knew for a fact that I had no chance of running away. So instead, I just sighed at my rotten luck. "*sigh* I don't-"
Neptune!
"Well, well, well! Look who comes crawling back! If it isn't Shitty-Dude!" That's a horrible nickname. Waking up here made two things obvious to me. First off, it seems like I didn't die from that crash. Man, I'm just getting lucky with these close calls today, eh? Secondly, this isn't just a dream. It'd be one thing if I just had the same dream over and over, but for the golden man to react to my reappearance and the fact that I can't seem to control this dream in any way, means this is something else. Ugh, just my luck. Out of everyone in Gamindustri to run into a supernatural dream, it has to be the mysterious orphan that's down on his luck. Wait... that makes it sound like it makes sense, from a story point of view. NO! I don't want to be an MC! Let me go back to my shitty life! "You alright there, Arc?
"Just having an existential crisis. Nothing big." The strange man uncomfortably laughed at my statement. Okay, just calm down. Everything'll be fine. Just relax. Look on the bright side, at least I'm not dead...YET! "Hey, can you tell whatever story it was you were going to say? Maybe that'll calm me down a bit."
The golden man somehow conveyed that he was smirking and rubbed his chin. "Hehehe, I knew you'd come around! Alright! Where to begin... oh! How about the start!" I already hate this guy. "Now then, this is the story of a King. The KIng of Gamindustri." Huh?
"But there was never-"
"SHHHH! As I was saying, it all started when he was born. You see, unlike you, the Game Industry that the King was born in was not separated into four nations. No, it was all just one large country. The name escapes me for some reason right now... anyway! The only similarity to these times is that the country was being ruled by a CPU. That woman... she was unlike any other CPU that had ever come before or after. She ruled with an iron fist and only cared for power. Even the King called her nothing but living trash."
"Wait, but how? CPUs only gain and keep their power through shares. And the only way to have shares is for your citizens to believe and love you." It's the reason why the four CPUs, even though they've been gone for at least a century, still have such loving fans.
"That's true... but what's to say you can't force people to believe in you. Fear is just as good a motivator to obey a ruler as love." That's...
"That's disgusting. Treating her own citizens like shit, just for more power?"
"Indeed! Oh, you wouldn't believe the things she did! Burnt down villages, carelessly punished innocents. Even public executions. She truly was-"
"Nothing more than trash in Goddess form."
The golden man sat on his throne in silence for a few moments before chuckling to himself. "Hmm. Maybe you do have potential." Before I could ask what that really weird comment meant, the world began to dim again. "Welp! Looks like we're coming to a close. Shame, because we just got started! Ah well, next time, I'll give you something more to chew on. Well, see you later!"
NEPU!
"Ugh, my head..." Waking up, it felt like someone dropped a fridge filled with energy drinks right on top of my head. May not be too far off. After recovering from the pain, I noticed that I'm not still in the forest. Instead, I seemed to wake up in a honestly large and SUPER pink room. Like insanely pink, and it was morning. It's amazing that someone could even fall asleep here. Wait, that's not the important thing. Where am I exactly?
"W-Wah! Don't make it so tiiiiight!" I heard a strange voice complaining from somewhere behind me. Deciding to investigate, I stand up from the couch I was apparently sleeping on and try to take a look around.
"Don't move around too much!" And it seemed that the person the first girl complained to was also a young woman. Finally, I found the source and- woah! In the bedroom, a pink haired girl seemed to be putting bandages on another purple haired one. As the gentleman that I am, I quickly covered my eyes and turned away from the girls.
"SORRY! BUT WHERE AM I?!
"Oh, you're awake!" The voice of who I deduced to be the pink haired girl called out to me. Pushing me out of the room, she gently pulled my hands away from my eyes. Finally seeing her, I was a little surprised by how cute the girl was. She had long, rose pink hair being held in place by a brown headband with a white C on it. She was wearing a very light pink sweater with detached sleeves that went well with her black and red plaid shirt and black thigh-highs. "Hmmm, wow you really are okay! I thought I made some sort of mistake."
"O-Oh, you saved me then? Thank you. About my injuries, you don't have to worry. I have a habit of healing quite quickly." Another one of the only good points I have. As I thought that, i heard the sounds of clothes being put on and foot steps. Turning around, I was faced with a strange looking girl. She was quite short, her head only reaching to my chin. She had short lilac hair with two D-pad pins symmetrically placed. She was wearing a syringe Parka-like dress that looked more like just an white and purple oversized hoodie. Not to mention, it barely even dropped past her waist. I hope you're wearing shorts, young lady. Though she was wearing blue and white thigh-highs if that saved any of her privacy.
"Heya there, my dude!" Giving me a strangely lazy, but also serious salute she introduced herself. "Neptune's the name, crashing into people's my game! What's yours?" Well she's friendly for a girl that I just saw practically nude. Ah well, I won't look a gift horse in the- did she just say crash into people?
Ignoring that for a moment, gave the strange girl a nod. "Hello, my name is Arc. Now, if it's okay for me to ask... where am I, exactly?"
"Oh, you're at my house!" The pink haired girl said with a smile. "You and Nep were both unconscious after a really big explosion! So I carried you two here to treat you!" Did this girl just say she carried both of us here?! On her own?! What amazing strength!
"Is that so... that's strange. I don't remember there being anyone else near me when I was in the forest. I was handling a quest and all of a sudden something fell from the sky. Was it like a meteor?" Or a fridge filled with energy drinks?! Goddess, that discovery would save me so much money.
A small snicker began to ring out from Neptune. Slowly, her laughter became louder and louder! "Silly goose! That was me! I maybe kinda sorta fell from the sky and lost all my memory. Meh, another Monday I guess."
"Um... it's Wednesday."
"Really? Hmmm, I don't feel like it." Tilting her head to the side, the strange girl didn't seem bothered at all from the fact that she's an amnesiac. Wait... did she just say she fell from the sky?! My survival is one thing, but how the hell is she even in human form?!
"U-Um, Neptune. Are you sure you're fine?"
"Well, I am hungry." She's fine. Wow, talk about luck. "I was reeeeeaaaallly lucky you were there though! You're a really soft cushion Arcy!" Arcy? Wait, more importantly, did she call me a cushion?!
"Okay then. Well, if it's alright with you Miss..."
"Compa!" Compa gave me her name with a smile.
"Compa, if you could point me to the bathroom?"
"Sure! Down the hall and it's the third door on the left." Giving her a thankful nod, I follow her instructions and am greeted by... a pink ass bathroom. Well if I didn't know her favorite color before, I do now. Sighing to myself, I empty my bladder and go to wash my hands. As I do, I look up in the mirror and inspect myself.
Sure enough, there didn't seem to be any visible wounds on me. "Who's a handsome devil? Not me..." Looking at myself, I couldn't help but think of myself as average. I have a decently mature face for a nineteen year old, but that's about all I could give myself. My messy long blond hair seemed to still be tied into the ponytail I had it in before but needed a bit of fixing. While I'd like to say that I grew it out as a fashion statement, in reality I'm just too broke to get a haircut. Those things are expensive these days. Next, I made sure my outfit was fine. Just a simple black open hoodie with a gray t-shirt underneath and dark blue pants. Hm, they're a little singed but all around no damage. Good. Finally, I grasped at the only expensive thing I owned. A necklace hung around my neck that was just a simple butterfly. Its colorful wings have four colors separated by black. Green, Purple, White and Blue. I don't know where I got it but... it's something I make sure to never take off. "It's fine. Good."
After giving myself one last check in the mirror, I exit the bathroom to find Compa and Neptune still speaking. "Thank you for saving me, Miss Compa. Now I'll be on my-"
"Alright! We're we going, Arcy?"
"Huh?" The purple haired girl's question confuses me for a moment. "Um, I'm going back to Virtua forest to continue my search."
"Okay! I'll pack my syringe!" Compa was the next person to surprise me. Before I could ask why they were following me, she explained. "Well, we need to investigate Nep's landing site, right?" You make it sound like she's an alien. But I suppose it makes sense.
"Alright then. I'll be counting on you." With excited nods, both Compa and Neptune follow me out of the apartment.
Hmmmm, Nep!
"Hiya!" With a powerful swing that moved the very air around her, Neptune destroyed another group of Dogoo. All of this with a simple wooden stick she found lying on the ground. "Hehehe! Fighting is fun! Who knew I was so strong!" Strong was an understatement. Dogoo are shit mobs that even a child could beat. Except for me of course. Neptune was obliterating them. The small blue slimy balls couldn't even get within five feet of her before being killed. She's insane! Is she an SSR or even an LR?! She's got to be a five star AT LEAST! Probably a limited unit! "Oh, sorry Arcy! I guess I haven't let you have any fun."
"I-I'm good. I'm not very strong anyway." Even as I said that, she killed another fifteen enemies. Simply with a flick of her wrist.
"Arc. You're selling yourself short." Compa's sweet voice and smile almost makes me forget the fact that she's holding a gigantic syringe. Glancing at her reminded me of her poking it into a Dogoo earlier and popping it like a balloon. Poor guy didn't deserve that. "You survived Nep's landing. I'm sure you're super strong!"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence but... nope. I'm super super weak. Just last week I was almost killed by a baby Dogoo." My two party mates stared at me, seemingly looking for a tell that I was joking. They did not find one. "Sure, I'm a member of the Guild but... I'm just an Item quester. If I ever run into trouble, I either have to stealth my way through or I just run."
Surprisingly though, neither of them seem to judge me. Instead, Compa just gives me a motherly smile. "Don't worry Arc. If you ever get hurt, I'll heal you right up!" That's reassuring to hear. While yes, I seem to have a healing factor of sorts. It only works if I'm relaxed for a long period of time. So having a dedicated healer is definitely a plus. "Let's do our best!"
"Yuppers! And I'll have your back!" More like you're going to carry me, Neptune. Nonetheless, as long as we both get what we want, that's fine. After a bit more walking and Dogoo murder, we got to the clearing that I was at last night.
"Okay, this is where I found Nep speared into the ground." If you pulled her out, you must be the true king of Britain. Wait, does that make Compa a Saber class? Pointing at a brush of brunt shrubs, the pink haired nurse smiled at me. "And that's where I found you!"
"I'm surprised I survived." While that fact disturbed me like nothing else, I noticed something strange. The key-fragment that I saw last night was missing. Did the explosion send it flying? Ugh, I hope a Dogoo didn't eat it or something. However, my musings were immediately interrupted when the ground started shaking. "W-What the hell?!"
"Uh oh! I knew pulling Neptune out would destroy the world!" Then why did you do it?!
"What am I, a demon?! That's actually kinda cool thoooooooooooooooooooooo!" Neptune shouted as the ground below us finally gave out. JUST MY LUCK!
Thankfully, the fall wasn't too far. In fact, I surprisingly didn't break my legs. Shaking my head to get my bearings, I looked around to make sure the Neptune and Compa were alright. It was then, that I heard a shriek. "Get off! Get off! EW EW EW!"
"Oh no! Arcy, Compa's being *censored*!
"Now's not the time for jokes Neptune!" Compa was grabbed by a large black spider who seemed very eager to wrap her in silk. "Dammit! Printing: Heat Hunter!" A bright red knife with a black handle appears in my hand. After completing the magic, I adjusted my grip to hold it back handed. "Dammit!" I just met this girl and I'm already risking my life for her! Damn my sense of justice! "I'm coming Compa!"
Running closer to the monster had it turn its attention to me. It seemed I was wrong. While yes, it was a giant spider, it was also a weird humanoid. Its bottom half being that of a spider while its tops looked like a man who hits the gym everyday while carrying a gigantic sword twice its size. OH, COME ON! I turn my head to yell at Neptune to help but- "Oh, Heya Histy! What's up?" She was talking to the air. It's just one thing after another, huh? But that didn't matter at the moment. I had to help Compa. She saved me, so I have to protect her!
Luckly for me, the monster was slow as shit. Every swing it made I was easily able to dodge. While I should normally use the opportunities to counter, instead, I tried to run past it to get to Compa. I was almost there, until it suddenly sped up. Dammit! I won't be able to dodge in time! Unless... Just as it's sword was about to hit, I jumped off the ground and twisted my body around the blade. It came so close that it took a small lock of my hair. "You asked for it! Counter Shock!" With enough time and precision, I throw the knife directly into the monster's right eye. Alrig- "OUGH!" But I didn't expect the monster to being seining wildly in pain and anger. It's fist punching me into the wall a bit away from him. Even if I get a hit in... ugh.
Looking up at the monster, it was glaring at me with its single eye and raised its sword up threateningly. "Well, at least it wasn't a low level enemy that got me..."
"No, I'll protect you!" An unfamiliar voice rang out before the monster's attack was blocked. In front of me, a tall woman wearing some sort of skin tight black suit. Her long purple hair reached all the way down to her knees and she even had large detached wings floating behind her. Oh yeah, she also had a big fuck off sword in her hands. "Arcy, are you alright? Sorry I'm late."
"Neptune?" Pulling myself up, I clutch my stomach in pain. "Y-You sure know how to make a dramatic entrance."
"Hmph. How else will I make the fans fall for me? Now then, just give me a moment. I'll be just one second." Without effort, Neptune pushes her sword up and throws the monster into the air. "Now then... Cross Combination!" Flying into the air, Neptune strikes at the enemy once... twice, no. Fifteen times! Once she had enough, she landed gracefully on the ground and gave me an honestly beautiful smile.
AND THEN THE MONSTER FUCKING EXPLODED! "What the fuck?!" Out of the explosion, a small key-like item fell onto the ground. Oh, there it is! But I ignored it for a moment, and decided to walk over to Neptune and Compa. Compa seemed to have gotten out of the web herself and didn't need any saving. Ah, I feel so useless! "Are you two alright?"
"We should be asking you that, Arc." Compa chants something under her breath and all of a sudden I feel the pain fade away. "There! You should feel better now."
"T-Thanks. By the way... That thing." Pointing over to the small key on the ground, Neptune and Compa followed me to the item. "Alright, 100 mill here I-"
"Thank you for finding the key fragment." A strange disembodied voice filled my brain as we got closer to the item. It was at that moment that I saw Neptune become shrouded in purple pixels before turning back to her normal self. Huh.
"W-What's going on? Oh no, did I eat something bad again?" What kind of diet do you have, Compa?!
"Hm. Oh, I apologize. It slipped my mind that only Neptune could hear me before. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Histoire and I am in need of your help." The voice sounded strangely small and cute in my head, almost making me want to say yes immediately. Almost.
"U-Um, I don't exactly know what's going on. But I was tasked with finding this item for a guild quest. I'll hazard a guess and say it wasn't you." I was starting to get more and more nervous as I thought about the fact that I won't be living it up easy for a while. My easy life! Noooo!
"Oh, no. I apologize sir, but I don't have the means to do that at the moment. I... I'm currently trapped and the only way to escape is with the use of the Key Fragments. Without them... I'm afraid something very horrible may happen. Not just to me, but also to all of Gamindustri." Course the world is in danger! I turn to look at my party and they already seem to have made up their minds.
"Don't worry your pretty little head, Histy! I'll save you faster than you can say Neptune!" Well, at least someone's confident.
"Oh! It'll be fun to travel the world! I should pack!" Compa already seemed to be ready to pause her daily life for a world saving quest.
I on the other hand... "I suppose I should just let you all do this then. I'm not exactly the best guy to count on with something like-" Before I could finish, Neptune suddenly wrapped me in a hug. "Wha- Hey, what is it?"
"You're coming!"
"Wha... what?"
"Come on, Arcy! Think about it! You and I were meant to do this! It's fate! You and I literally crashed into each other! We're meant to do this!" It's... it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Neptune and I just met at a coincidence. But... To be honest, what do I have to lose? It's not like I enjoy my current life and shit. Plus, it'd be fun to actually be around people who tolerate me for once.
"Fine. You convinced me."
"Yay! Let's save Histy!"
"That's great. Ve... we..."
"Histy? Hey, Histy! You're breaking up! Go next to a window!" With that, a strange nose echoed through our head. Did... was that the sound of a phone call dropping?! "Oh well! Let's go find these fragment thingies! Arcy, where to next!"
"Why am I not surprised that I'm the one having to plan this? Fine, but let's get a bite first. I'm starving."
"Yay! Pudding, pudding pudding~" Neptune skips off first, leaving Compa and I behind.
"So, it seems like we're going to be spending a lot of time together, Compa. Let's get along." Putting out my hand, I try to be friendly.
However, instead of taking my hand, Compa wraps her arms around me. "Yes, let's!" Wow, these girls are friendly.
AN: Hello everyone. It's been about three years since I last posted in this fandom, and honestly that's something I feel really bad about. I love Neptunia and the fact that I never continued Reborn really made me feel like shit. After hearing that Sisters Vs Sisters is actually an actual continuation of the main storyline of Nep, I got inspired to come back to Reborn. So, I went back and was about to continue, until I just couldn't. I have a million ideas for Reborn, but I realized something. There were a lot of mistakes I made in part 1 that was holding me back. So, I've decided to rewrite it. A Rebirth if you will. Or Reverse.
Basically, this is Reborn 1 remade from the ground up. There will be a lot of differences. Characterization, powers, relationships, as well as more things added. Either way, I'll be redoing everything with the hope to continue Reborn (In a timely matter this time too. I won't make you guys wait months for an update again. Really sorry about that by the way.) My update schedule for this will be once every two weeks, as I'll also be rotating updates with this story and ACQB. Next week is chapter two! Hope you guys are looking forward to it and I'm happy to be coming back to this story. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.