CHAPTER 9: SUDDENLY A WILD GUST… OF WIND APPEARS!
"YO! Shorty, wake up," yells a booming voice outside of Ayden's room, which knocks Ayden right out of his sleep and onto the floor.
"Oww," Ayden mutters as he picks himself off the floor and rubs his head. He didn't want to get up at all, because first the bed was warm, and second, he was still trying to let his body rest after nearly being frozen to death by Rom and Ram.
Ayden marches over to his hotel room door and yanks it open to see Rados standing outside with a huge grin on his face, standing with his chest puffed out.
"Can I help you Rados," Ayden asks with annoyance written all over his face. He hates waking up, hell he hates to be disturbed right out of his sleep.
"Are you ready yet? We are heading out today to the Basilicom here in Lowee to talk to the Oracle about the disc," Rados says relaxing his chest. Ayden sighs and walks back into the room to get himself ready. Just one more day, that's all he wanted… one more day to relax and recover more.
"Ugh! Give me a minute," he responds as he goes back to Rados and shuts the door in his face. He just couldn't stomach the fact of what happened previously. Nepgear kissing him… It must have been a dream, but it felt so real to him.
He threw on his clothes, equipment and other miscellaneous gear on and reopened the door to see Rados still standing in the same position that he last found him.
"Well shall we," asks Ayden as he steps out of the room, taking one last glance around the room to make sure he hasn't left anything of importance behind. He wasn't the ideal morning person, but usually he could stomach a morning. Today was different because he had a dream… a dream he wished never happened, plus the newest member kind of annoyed him.
They both walk down the hallway, keeping a wall of silence between the two until they reached the elevator.
"Hey Shorty, are you alright? You look as though you were pissed off in your sleep," asks a curious Rados, as they stepped inside the elevator.
"Well… I-It's nothing really. And stop calling me 'Shorty', because it seems pretty like you're talking down to me," mutters Ayden under his voice. He really wasn't in the mood for any smartass nicknames today, and he certainly wasn't in the mood to bring up what he dreamt about.
"I am not talking down to you. I give everyone nicknames, and once I get to know them, then i call them by their first name," explains Rados while scratching his head, trying to comprehend the grumpy Ayden and why he's acting out in such a way.
"Fine," says Ayden after exhaling angrily and out of frustration. This elevator trip down seems to be going on and on for Ayden, even though they were on the fifth floor. Once the doors open in the lobby, Ayden marches out of the elevator, with Anger written all over himself, metaphorically.
"Good morning Ayden," says Nepgear with a smile, but upon seeing his expression, she drops her smile and quietly looks down.
"The hell is his deal," asks IF to Compa as they both observe Ayden and his peculiar attitude. They have never seen him act this way before, so why was he acting like this.
"Maybe Ay-Ay didn't get enough sleep," responds Compa as she then turns her head to look upon Nepgear, who lost her cheerful attitude upon seeing Ayden in his pissed-off mode.
"Heroic morning huh Defender of Justice? Why did evil try to take your sleep away," asks Nisa with her hero smile, but loses her smile too upon looking to see Ayden give her the evil eye. She looks away, trying to hide the fact that it kind of scared her.
Without taking a second glance at anyone's face, Ayden turns around and walks right out of the building, leaving everyone else dumfounded and confused, as if this was never supposed to happen to them.
"Ayden wait," yells Nepgear as she runs right after him, out the building and into the bustling, snowy streets of Lowee. She looks around for a bit before seeing Ayden walking down the sidewalk, a good distance from her. "Just what is wrong with him" she mutters to herself as she pushes past the citizens, in order to catch up to him.
"Ayden stop," she finally yells as she stops right behind him, breathing a bit faster than she did only moments ago. "Where are you going? We need your help." She cries in between breaths.
"Just leave me alone Nepgear," he says after a bit of silence, keeping his back to her, trying to keep his face out of her sight.
"Ayden, if it was something that I said or the others said then…"
"JUST STOP!"
Nepgear gasps before letting the silence fall back upon the two, letting the sea of people past by the two of them, and hearing the sounds of everything around them take them in.
"I-I'm sorry…alright…It is nothing," he says after many minutes of dead silence. The sounds from all over Lowee seem not to penetrate the little world that only Nepgear and Ayden stand within. Nepgear runs up to Ayden and full on hugs him, which definitely catches him off guard.
"I'm so sorry if it seemed as I was trying to force you to talk. I wasn't, I just want you to be okay," she says, and Ayden could hear the distress in her voice as if she fights back a quivering voice and tears.
"Nepgear…"
Suddenly he throws his arms around her and finishes the ritual of what one calls a hug, and rests his head on her shoulder.
"I should be apologizing to you and everyone. I had a dream that hurt me emotional and mentally, and instead of talking it out, I showed you guys a side of me I never want to show," Ayden says finally reaching the equilibrium of calmness. He didn't understand why Nepgear hugging him calmed and soothed him, but it was something that he didn't feel like questioning it.
"We all get like this Ayden, so it's nothing to be ashamed of. I had my share of bad mornings," says Nepgear, trying to hide her sadness with a laugh, but it was still written in her expressions.
He then explains his dream to her which went along like this: Ayden saw what looked like a cloaked figure, standing over him laughing as he looks around to see all his comrades on the floor, unresponsive, swimming in pools of their own crimson red blood. He looks up then to see Gamindustri in flames and hears the howling laughter of what sounded like demons to him, all laughing at his failure, and at how he could not keep his promise to Nepgear. His promise...to her…. He looked over at her to see her face, and he noticed that she died with a frown on her face, and tear stained cheeks. He failed her… the person he wanted to help the most. He became angry at himself…
He must have taken 15-20 minutes explaining every little detail of his dream, except for the last part, since he is too embarrassed to bring that up to her.
"Wow, Ayden… It was only a dream. But that's why we must make sure to defeat ASIC and to save the CPUs," she says with a smile on her face as they finally break from their hug which leaves both of them blushing.
"Y-Yeah, we need to defeat ASIC," Ayden says letting his spirits lift up a bit. ASIC was the one at fault here and they are the ones who deserve to see him like this; to see his rage.
"Besides, remember your promise to me," Nepgear responds, still blushing a bit, as she links her hands behind her back and sways from side to side.
Ayden backs up a bit, as if Nepgear read the part of his dream that he didn't disclose with her, and nervously laughs. "Of course I remember, and I will make sure that I follow through with it, until the very end."
Nepgear finds herself to be blushing even more, and as she tries to hide her face from his view but that didn't happen.
"A-Are you blushing?"
"N-No I am not! Come on let's head back to the hotel, the others are waiting."
Nepgear walks ahead of Ayden, which Ayden has to catch up to her which didn't take him very long. Once they got back to the hotel, Ayden mutters out his apology which the others accept.
"We all have bad dreams Shorty, just don't let them bother you," says Rados as he nods and walks out the entrance of the hotel.
"Yeah, and don't take it out on us, because that ruins our mornings too," sighs IF as she follows behind Rados.
"Oh Ay-Ay, don't be too hard on yourself," says Compa with a perky smile as she follows the others out as well.
"Dreams like that are works of evil, but don't worry because I, the Heroine of Justice will stop all evil, both in dreamland and in reality," screams Nisa with passionate fire in her eyes. She struts out victoriously.
Ayden sighs and shakes his head, "What a bunch of clowns." He then starts to laugh and it brings his spirits all the way up. If this many people cared about him, then he must show them respect just as they do to him. With that being said, Ayden and the others made their way up to Lowee's Basilicom in order to talk to the Oracle about the White Disc.
The group approaches the Basilicom after about a two mile walk in Lowee, and they are awestruck by the beauty of the building. "Wow, this is just majestic," says Nepgear with sparkles in her eyes.
As they enter the building, they automatically run into the woman who is the said Oracle of Lowee.
"Oh my, travellers welcome to Lowee's Basilicom," says the light-blue haired woman with a smile. She is dressed as a scholar, which leads the gang to assume the fact that she was the Oracle.
"Excuse me, but are you the Oracle of Lowee," asks Nepgear as she steps in front of the group to face the kind-looking woman face-to-face.
"That's me! I'm Mina Nishizawa, at your service," she yells with joy in her voice. She curtseys and adjusts her glasses.
"I'm Nepgear, the CPU Candidate of Planeptune and I-"
"My goodness, the CPU Candidate of Planeptune?! This is a special occasion!"
"Yes but anything but a special occasion. Please listen to what we have to say," Nepgear says as she bows a bit in respect.
Mina nods happily and in an instant Nepgear starts to explain their dilemma and everything that has happened up to that point.
"The Mascot Disc huh? Well, I will be willing to lend it to you only…."
"Only what?" Ayden says as he folds his arms across his chest.
"Only if I could remember where it was located," laughs Mina with a nervous giggle. She blushes a bit in embarrassment since the Oracle should not forget where the Mascot Disc was located.
"You mean to tell us that you, the Oracle of Lowee, forgets where the Mascot Disc of Lowee is located," asks IF as if she just read the previous statement of this story.
Rados and Ayden sigh in frustration and disappointment, while Compa and Nisa look towards Nepgear who doesn't seem to show any sign of disappointment.
"Well will you be able to find out its location," Nepgear asks, still not showing any signs of disappointment or frustration.
"Of course! I will have to check in the archives for the location so that may take a bit of time," says Mina with a gentle smile.
"Yes! We are willing to wait," says Nepgear before anyone could have a chance to object or put their two-cents out there.
"Alright then, you are welcomed to wait here in the Basil-"
"Mina! Are the treats ready? We are starving!"
"Y-Yes..starving.."
Two familiar little girls walk in, holding each other's hands and the gang already knows who these two are.
"What is she doing in here," yells Ram as she stops in her tracks, while she observes Nepgear and the others standing there.
"Ram...I'm scared…" Rom says as she cowers behind her twin sister in pink.
"Rom and Ram knock off that behavior. They are our guests and-"
"And nothing! That's the evil goddess that attacked me and Rom!" yells Ram with her cheeks puffed out.
"Evil goddess? Goodness Ram, don't call Nepgear that," says Mina with a stern look on her face. Rom and Ram look at Mina with a bit of anger and betrayal in their little faces. They both then dash towards the front doors and out into Lowee.
"Rom and Ram," Mina yells a bit frantically as they run out the building. Mina shakes her head and adjusts her glasses again. "I'm sorry for their behavior right now and for your previous encounter with them. Since Blanc has not returned home, they have been acting more rebellious than previously." She says with a sad smile in her face.
"Don't worry about a thing Ms. Nishizawa , we will save Blanc and the other CPUs," says Rados as he punches his left fist into his right hand and sports a heroic smile.
"We," everyone questions as they look at the now heroically inspired Rados. He then turns to them and scratches his head. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No it's just… are you for sure that you want to get yourself permanently involved with us," asks Ayden with a serious expression. He knows that he is already too involved with Nepgear and the others to just drop out, plus this may also provide some way of him getting home.
"Yeah I am. The bar is completely destroyed, plus I always wanted to travel Gamindustri. My grandfather use to tell me larger than life stories of his travels and it always made me want to travel, and well I am a mediocre bartender so I won't miss the job," Rados states with a smile.
"Well it's another addition to the fight against ASIC," says IF with a smirk.
"Welcome to the team Raddy," Compa yells with excitement.
"Yes another Defender of Justice to help me, the Heroine of Gamindustri, defeat the evils of ASIC," Nisa says while she holds her signature pose.
Rados nods with all the attention he is receiving and laughs, "Just happy to be a part of this team."
The group heads outside and stands on the sidewalk, "Mina says she will give us a call when she finds the location of the Mascot Disc," says IF as she shows one of her many cellphones off to the group, indicating that she will be the one to receive the call.
"What should we do until then Iffy," asks Compa as she shivers a bit from the cold weather. Lowee was not a proper place to wear short skirts or dresses but no one really cares I assume.
"Yeah your assumption is pretty much correct," Ayden says with a shrug of his shoulders. He looks around at the group and sheepishly smiles.
"Does he always break the fourth wall," Rados whispers in IF's ear.
"This isn't the first time," reassures IF with an annoyed smirk at Ayden who clears his throat to break the awkwardness.
"Anyways, we should explore Lo-" Ayden stops in mid-sentence as he looks past the group to see the young man he encountered just yesterday watching him. The young man flashes an evil smile before disappearing into the crowd of pedestrians walking on the sidewalk.
"Ayden, are you alright," asks Nepgear as she turns to look in the direction that Ayden was looking.
"I-It's nothing, just thought I saw someone I knew in the crowd...but it wasn't them," he nervously laughs as he averts his attention back to the group. Just who...or what was that man and why was he watching Ayden. He pushes the thought out of his head and blinks a few times to get himself back into his normal state of mind.
"Well we could always just roam the city. I'm pretty sure there aren't many places that you have visited yet in Lowee since you came for business," Rados says. "I could show you around the city a bit, while we wait."
Everyone nods in agreement and start to make the trek through the crowded sidewalks of Lowee until…
"Oh…" mutters Nepgear as she clinches her legs together.
"Are you okay Nepgear," asks Ayden while noticing her strange behavior.
"Oh! N-Nothing…Nothing at all," Nepgear says in panicked excitement. She starts to nervously laugh and blushes another shade of red past crimson.
"Gear, if you have to make a pit stop all you have to do is just say so," sighs IF as she folds her arms across her chest.
Nepgear blushes even more and nods. Everyone stops moving as Nepgear walks off to find a restroom.
Many minutes past before everyone decides that they are done waiting. "Geez, Gears is taking a long time.." says Rados with a bored look on his face.
"While we wait for her, can we look in that store," asks Compa as she points at a little hobby shop that must be a five minute walk away.
"We have to stay out in the open so Nepgear can see us," says Ayden as he looks upon the others in disappointment. It pissed him off a bit that everyone would rather abandon Nepgear for a stupid little hobby shop.
"Ayden is right; we need to wait for Nepgear. What if she runs into ASIC on her way and we can't hear her cries of help from the shop," says Nisa as she shivers a bit more than what Compa did earlier.
Everyone agrees and waits outside for Nepgear to come back. At least twenty minutes pass before Nepgear runs back to them.
"Sorry I took so long, you see I-"
"Let me guess, you fell in didn't you," asks IF with a laugh. Everyone afterwards bursts out laughing which causes some heads to avert to their direction.
Nepgear blushes that shade of red past crimson again. "I-I-I did not fall in! I was sidetracked and.." She just couldn't find any words to explain her situation, even though it would be as simple as implying that she helped Rom look for her pen and they bonded a little.
The laughter dies down after the gang hears IF's cellphone go off. She quickly answers and has a brief conversation with Mina.
"Okay, so Mina located the Mascot Disc. She wasn't speaking very slowly so I don't know the name of the place but she said it is a type of block dimension zone. So I guess that it isn't that hard to find." IF explains after putting her phone away.
"I know that place. It was always closed off to the public due to the monsters that reside there. I can lead you there." Rados says as he adjusts his gauntlets. He then heads past the others and heads northwest. Everyone follows behind him without objecting to anything, and after a while of walking, they enter the block space.
"So the Mascot Disc resides here," says Rados as he observes the different type of monsters wandering around the dungeon.
"And we aren't the only one looking for it are we," asks Compa when she points to a familiar figure in the distance. Everyone glances to the figure and sighs in disgust and annoyance.
"Can't Underling just understand that she won't win," asks Ayden.
"I think her skull is too damn thick," says Rados. "Come on, let's cut through these monsters and go beat Underling up." He takes off again, knocking monsters out of his path and heads towards Underling. The others follow behind him, defeating any monsters left on the path.
"Okay you bitch, if you don't release those Killachines to my control, I will crush you," yells Underling at the White Disc as she holds her signature pipe in one hand and a control in the other hand.
"Please, you do not understand how destructive those machines are," says the White Disc.
"That's why I need them. To enslave Gamindustri and stop any further interruptions to the Deity of Sin's revival," says Underling as she points the controller at the Disc. "Now give me the power in this controller and I won't smash you!"
"Wow someone is very demanding," says IF as the group runs up behind Underling and readies their weapons.
"Can't I just have one damn day where I win and I don't run into you guys again," yells underling as she turns around to face the others.
"Whatever blah blah blah, let us just fight and whoop you again as usual," says Ayden as he points his rapier right at her.
"I won't be the one doing the fighting because.." she looks down at her controller which lights up. "I got someone to do that for me!" She presses the button and the ground starts to rumble. Out of thin air, a fearsome machine appears holding a huge mace.
"I'm so sorry," utters the White Disc as the Killachine lights up and turns its sights to the gang.
"Killachine…Kill…" laughs Underling as she presses a button on the controller. The machine activates and speeds up towards the group. Everyone jumps out of the way and the Killachine turns around quickly to face them.
Nepgear transforms to her HDD form and everyone uses that as an indication to attack the hunk of metal, but in a few seconds, everyone ends up being thrown against a wall.
"Damn, that machine is strong," mutters Rados as he attempts to stand. He places a hand over his wound that was given to him by Zero and grunts in pain "I think it's opening again."
Ayden helps Nepgear up but he slumps back to the ground. His whole body was in pain and it was not fully recovered from being frozen by Rom and Ram.
"What do we do Ge-Ge," asks Compa as she helps IF and Nisa up.
Nepgear descends to her human form and fights back tears, "I think we need to run, we just…aren't strong enough to fight it off…"
Ayden looks at her with wide eyes and grinds his teeth, "Well I am not running! We can't lose at all!" He grabbed his rapier and ran towards the machine again.
"Ayden No!" yells Nepgear as she watches him running towards what seems complete suicide.
Rados takes a few deep breaths before running towards the machine, once he catches up with Ayden, he and Ayden look at each other and nod in understanding. "Twin Fangs: Cobra Strike!" they yell as they synchronize they movements and attacks into one fashion. The Killachine fell and shut down once the pair finished their combo attack.
"We…we did…it," Ayden says in-between heavy breaths as he falls to his knees and drops his rapier.
"Hell…yeah we…did," responds Rados as he too falls to his knees as attempts to catch his breath.
The girls start to cheer but it didn't last long as they witness Underling break out into a manic laugh. "Did you really think that was the end? You merely destroyed one Killachine out of hundreds," she laughs as she steps on the White Disc and shatters it. A bright light flashes through the dungeon and soon the sounds of Killachines activating rang through the place.
"N-No! We need the disc!" yells Nepgear in pain and in panic.
"We need to get the hell out of here now!" yells IF as she grabs Compa's and Nisa's arms and pulls them away from the Killachine sites. Rados stands up and runs after them and Ayden stands up and grabs Nepgear's hand. "Let's go."
Nepgear nods and they all run out of the zone and find themselves in the outskirts of Lowee.
"I can't believe we…lost," says Ayden as he lets go of Nepgear's hand. Everyone looks down in defeat and sighs.
"What do we do now?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Everyone remains silent, before they all sluggishly move towards the city limits again. Once they reenter Lowee, they all sit on the sidewalk and watch the people walk on by.
"How are we going to save my sister and the other CPUs now," asks Nepgear, breaking the silence with her question and her tears falling down her cheeks.
"Hey we will find a way. Remember what I told you," Ayden says as he wipes Nepgear's tears away with his hand. Nepgear smiles a bit before looking back down.
"But how does one fix the Mascot Disc," asks Nisa as she rests her head in her hands.
"Excuse me but I couldn't help but hear you mention that the Mascot Disc needs fixing," says a young voice. The gang turns around to see a younger looking girl wearing an alchemist get up. She had big rabbit gloves and a rabbit hat on her head.
"Y-Yes, but it may be impossible to fix," utters Nepgear in a whisper of despair and sadness.
"Well I can fix it, with the right ingredients," says the girl.
"We can't just trust what this little girl who appears out of nowhere and says she can fix the disc," says IF as she looks at the girl annoyingly.
"I have a name, It's Gust! And I am not a little girl," says Gust as she puffs out her cheeks in anger.
"We have no other choice but to trust her IF. She maybe out only chance to fix the White Disc," Ayden says as he stands to his feet to face Gust. "Gust, can you please help us?"
"Of course Gust can. Gust is willing to help you out," she says with a smirk on her face.
"Great…she switches from First person to Third person. She's going to be a hard person to read," says Ayden as he sighs. The gang all stand to face Gust and start discussing their game plan to fix the White Disc and to defeat Underling and her Killachines.
The only question that remains is… Will they succeed in their plan and methods or will they all be blown away by a strong gust (Pun intended)?
CHAPTER 9 END.
(Note: I'm so sorry that it took so long to finish and upload this chapter. I have been so busy with college that I pushed this story to the deepest corners of my mind. I will work twice as hard and upload Chapter 10 and 11 at the same time. Again Sorry for the super long wait. – DragoonAssassin1)