Hyperdimension Neptunia: the Flame Guardianes
A/N: Jeebus, it's been a while… Don't worry, I'm still chugging!
Chapter 4:
Eggplant warfare…
Previously, on HDN: TFG…
"It's best you listen, I'm going to tell you why I'm REALLY here… what I'm actually after…"
Ranger's story seemed… farfetched… at best. Nepgear had a hard time believing anything that came out of his mouth, yet he made it sound as if it was the truth.
"Basically, I am here looking for what I call a 'Flame', essentially parts of the spirit of the First Hero. These Flames grant extraordinary abilities, like speed, strength, intelligence, excreta. I, however, possess the 'Guardian Flame', the most powerful one. I can sense other flames, and even awaken them, should I choose. But that takes WAY too much energy, and is only a last resort. I only did that once… Anyways, I can sense the presence of a flame inside one of the CPUs, yet I can tell it resonates from all four. This hunt will be tricky, for sure…" Ranger said this in a professional manner, as if this wasn't the first time he had told this story.
"So… any one of the four goddesses could have one of these 'Flames', and that's the reason you agreed to save us?" Nepgear asked. Vert, Noire, and Blanc had begun to stir as Ranger told his story. Neptune was slowly regaining her senses, and, like her younger sister, was listening to Ranger's tale. Continuing, Ranger added:
"It's also a possibility that all four CPU's have a fragment of this flame. Hell, it might be the source of your powers. Or it's at least enhancing them. Then there's the factor of the CPU candates, they can also have flame fragments. If that's the case… may God have mercy on our souls…" Ranger's thought train was interrupted by a sudden fit of coughing from Neptune, who grabbed her throat as she hacked. "Shit! Where is it…come on…" Ranger fumbled through a pouch on his waist, Yelling "Gotcha!" as he protruded a syringe, and said, "Hold still, Nep, this'll take care of that…" Injecting the liquid into Neptune's left arm, and moments later, her coughing subsided, and she seemed to get better too, which Nepgear found shocking. Before she could ask, Ranger stated: "While experimenting, Neptune was tested for immunity to poisons, and worse yet, psycidellic drugs… powerful stuff, but that…" he pointed to the syringe, "is a cure-all."
Roughly an hour later, the Swifte Flame landed next to Planeptune's Basilicom. Ranger, Nepgear, the four CPUs, who had fully recovered, and Hana, headed to the top to inform Histore of the good news, but none of them were prepared for what they saw… The room looked like a bomb had exploded right in the center, tables broken, the TV smashed, the game consoles were in a pile, and the computers were destroyed.
"What the hell happened!? This place looks like a disaster! wait… where's Histore?" Ranger shouted in surprise. At first, silence, then the wreck that was the sofa shifted, causing the group to rush over to the pile of rubble, overturning a chunk of coffee table, a wounded Histore was found, panting, and her book that she normally sat on was just above her. Panicking, Nepgear asked the tome,
"Histy! What the goodness happened? Are you hurt?" Histore, who thankfully, the girl wasn't injured, just shaken, replied,
"No, I'm alright… Neptune! You're alright! Ranger, I give you my thanks." Ranger chuckled, yet didn't say anything. His gaze darted around the room, and after a short moment, found what he was looking for. In the corner, a small camera, which had been there unknown to Neptune and the others, lay surprisingly undamaged.
"Something you want to say, Vert?" Ranger said, smirking and turning his gaze towards the blonde goddess. Noire asked, braking the silence
"Wait… How do YOU know it was Vert? It could have been anybody!" Everyone looked at Noire, whose face turned bright red, quickly shouting "W-well, I didn't do it! Stop staring at me! It was Vert!" Laughing, Ranger replied calmly,
"No. It was Vert. This camera is a new product of Leanbox tech. It's a spy camera. I've been in this Dimension for only a month, but I know my stuff." Examining the spy camera, Ranger opened a panel, where a plug and button were located. Taking a small cord, he plugged the device to the gauntlet on his left arm. On it, a screen appeared, showing the camera's footage.
After playing back the footage from the last ten minutes, Ranger showed the group the horrendous scene that had unfolded about a half hour ago. It started off bland, IF had returned, and was drinking tea, while chatting with Histore and Compa, when, out of nowhere, a large blast from the huge glass window behind the trio caused the couch to flip over, hitting and burying Histore in it. IF drew her twin blades, and prepared to fight her foe. Dramatically stepping through the smoke, Arfore and the mysterious figure from before appeared, IF tried to attack Arfore, but was subdued by a chain that the other figure summoned with a flick of her styhe, Arfore threw a gas canister, causing IF and Compa to fall unconscious. They were both tied up and taken out of the building. About 15 seconds later, the battery died.
"So… anybody know where that old hag's base is? It will make all our lives easier." Ranger said, unplugging the camera from his gauntlet, and turning the screen off. "We're going to have to find them. Which won't be an easy task." He sighed, glanced around the room, and turned to Hana, who was picking up a magenta pouch, then asked
"Whose is this? It looks like it fell off someone." Two seconds later, Nepgear exclaimed
"That IF's! Oh no… I do hope she's OK…" The group stood there, for a while, and Ranger took the cell phone from the pouch, opened it, and started to look through the contact list.
"What are you doing, Ranger?" Neptune asked, peering over his shoulder, Ranger turned away, and after a few seconds, said
"Looking for one of IF's other phones, when we call it, I'll be able to track it, therefore locating it and, by extension, IF and hopefully Compa too. But I don't know which ones are hers…" Eventually, He came to a list reading: Phone-blue, Phone-Green Etc., and sighed, muttering, "I should have known. I'll call… Blue!" pressing the "Call" button, and put the phone to the side of his head. All were silent, waiting for the ringing to stop. Ranger motioned to Hana, who protruded a cord and tablet, hooked it up to the magenta phone, which Ranger put on speaker-phone. After a moment, the phone clicked, and Arfore was heard saying:
"Who is this?! The girl isn't available, so just call back later!" Before she was able to hang up, Ranger said:
"Oh? You don't want to discuss ransom? I do make a lot of money, ya'know. And I just wanna chat. You and me have a lot in common." Hana's tablet hooked in to the satellite signal, and it began tracking a live image feed, going down to in between Lowee and Planeptune, eventually landing on an eggplant field, Neptune making an "Urk" noise in surprise, Hana shushing her. Continuing the "Conversation" he was having, Ranger finished with
"Yeah, see ya reeeeaaal soon, k? Thanks for the talk. Bye." And hung up. Everyone else was staring at Ranger intently, waiting for someone to speak. Breaking the silence, Ranger said, "Hana, you get some people down here, and get the place fixed up. Repair what you can, and if it's too broken to fix, replace it. Ok?" Hana nodded, and headed down the elevator, Ranger turned to the crowd that was gathered, and said:
"We can't just stand here, Neptune, Nepgear, you two come with me. Noire, Blanc, Vert, you three go to your countries, and get to work. It's been a week, and you were all missed. Especially your sisters." Noire, Blanc, and Vert nodded, and headed down the elevator. Ranger turned to the two CPUs, and said: "Transform. We need to get there, pronto." Neptune went first, glowing, then as Purple Heart, said
"Let's go save Iffy, and slice some eggplants!" Nepgear did the same, and shouted, with a lot of enthusiasm:
"Yeah!" Ranger pressed a button on his gauntlet, and a backpack, with wings and jets, flew into the window. Strapping it on, he said,
"Let's go. We've got no time to waste!" and took off, the two CPUs following him. Histore, who was left, sighed and looked around the rubble. Whispering to herself, she swiftly flew towards another room, saying:
"I do hope the Sharicite isn't damaged…. That would be bad." And opened the door.
Arriving at the plantation, Neptune, Nepgear, and Ranger prepared themselves for battle.
"The likelihood of this being a trap is skyrocketing, yet I don't expect Arfore to account of my presence. I also wonder if Pirachu is flirting with Compa… Again." Ranger stated, slowing down. When they arrived, Ranger pulled a tab, and the pack ejected from his back, automatically landing itself in a tree nearby. Rolling when he hit the ground, Ranger drew his sword, and charged into the maze of eggplant. Neptune and Nepgear flew into battle, noticing IF on the same stake as the first time, except she was chained, not tied. Arfore, noticing the two goddesses, shouted:
"Well well well. Look who showed up. Came for your friend? TOO BAD! She's MY hostage, if you want her back, come and get her!" Arfore tossed a basket of eggplants, which transformed into horseback riding eggplant lancers. Ranger, on the other hand, simply snuck up towards the hill where Arfore stood. The only person who didn't see him coming was Arfore, who Ranger was waiting to turn away from him, so he could move in. After the old hag turned away, Ranger swiftly rushed up the hill without making a sound. He tapped IF on the shoulder, and quickly put his hand over her mouth when she opened her mouth. Putting a finger to his lips, he handed the girl her cell phone, and stood behind Arfore, deciding how to kill her. Before he had a chance to decide, IF shouted,
"Come on, Nep! It's just some vegetable that this old hag summoned up. Kick their asses!" to which Arfore responded
"Oh… you haven't learned your lesson huh!? I'll shove so many eggplants into your mouth that you'll choke!" Grabbing an eggplant, Arfore quickly turned, and shoved the eggplant into what she THOUGHT was IF's. but it wasn't, IF gasped, and at that moment, Arfore realized just how badly she had messed up. Ranger stood there, the eggplant half in his mouth. He bit the vegetable in half, and spat the part that was in his mouth out. Arfore gulped, Ranger laughing, saying
"Well… NOW you've done it. I do hate veggies, after all. So instead of letting you choose how you wish to die…" His voice turned from calm, yet violent, to pure sadistic, screaming: "I'LL GUT YOU!" and took the sword in his hand, and attacked Arfore, screaming bloody murder as he delivered several nasty blows, his whole body seemed to burn, his blade burned with a blue flame, and the rest of his body burned red. Nepgear was shocked that Arfore was still alive, Ranger dealing out this much damage. As he cut Arfore down to size, the whole eggplant field burned down. IF gaped in amazement, and Neptune, who had found Compa, headed back. Compa was, surprise, surprise, being hit on by Pirachu, of whom was sent flying by one blow by Neptune. On Neptune's back, Compa said, in pure awe:
"Whoa… Ranger is burning the place up! We should save Iffy, Nep-Nep!" Nodding, Neptune flew down to IF, and after some effort, Nepgear and even Compa had to help, were successful at breaking the bonds. IF, shaken by Ranger's sudden outburst, said, quite quickly:
"We… should go. Before we meet the same fate as Arfore…" As she said that, the screaming stopped, all eyes turned to Ranger, who had dropped his sword, staring, motionless, at the burning eggplant field, he turned to the hill, saw the four staring back at him, then did the unexpected. He pressed a button on his Gauntlet, picked up and sheathed his sword, and ran. Away from the hill, and the jetpack shot towards him, he put it on, and flew away at what Nepgear could only assume was top speed. After about 30 seconds, Neptune finally said:
"Let's go. Iffy, Compa, we'll give you two a ride home. I swear…" Picking up If, Nepgear picking up Compa, Neptune said to her little sister: "This guy's on the same level as Sadie. I at least hope that's the only time he does that."
"Yeah" Nepgear responded, and the two CPUs flew towards their homes, carrying the two others on their backs.
That took longer than expected…
I am testing Double-spaced paragraphs, to see if I like it better.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!