All right, people. It's time for the official first chapter of Tales of Neptunia: Hyperdimensional Mythology. I know it may be late, but hey, at least I updated it. Anyway, like I said in the previous chapter(Prologue 3), this chapter will feature some cameos that you might or might not know. Before we get started, let's go to the reviews that I received here in the third prologue.
To Prinny Overlord's review : Yes, I actually listened to your suggestions, dood. I promise you, you'll like this chapter.
To Vision Rebirth's review : Yeah, about that scene, I actually thought it won't be well received. I'm glad you liked it. And for this episode, a bunch of Tales characters will be debuting.
To Legion's review : Well, thanks. I'll be sure to entertain you with this one. (I hope.)
And now for the disclaimer.
The following is a non-profit, fan-made fanfiction. Hyperdimension Neptunia is a property of Idea Factory and Compile Heart while Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 is a property of Namco Bandai Games and former sub-company, Namco Tales Studio. Please support the official release. And of course, please enjoy this fanfic.
And now, let the chapter start.
Dear Diary, this is three days since our first arrival in Luminasia. So far, things are looking nice here. Although I want to spend some more time here, I wanted to return home as soon as possible. I don't want my friends there(especially Uni) to worry about me.
We were lucky to have been taken in by the Van Eltia crews for shelter. The crews here are really nice people. Me and Neptune are getting along with them pretty well. Well, except for that one guy, but I'm sure he's a pretty good guy. He could just be shy. Who knows?
And as for Neptune, she's having a blast of her time here. She's acting like as if she doesn't have a care about our home world anymore. But I'm sure, deep inside, she's still anxious about going home.
That'll be it for today. I'll keep track of everything that has happened here. I might skip a few days for the next update, but when I do update, I'll try to cover about our adventures as much as I could. 'Cause right now, we'll be going for our entrance test. This is Nepgear, signing off.
+xxXxx+
*knock knock knock*
"Hey, Neppy Jr., you ready for our test?" Neptune's voice can be heard outside of the door of the room Neptune and Nepgear is sharing and staying in.
"Just a minute, I'm getting ready." Nepgear replied as she quickly closed her diary and stored her diary in a drawer of her desk.
*vacuum huffs, door slides open*
"Well, hurry up. It's almost time." said Neptune as she peered into their room, only to see Nepgear picking up her weapon.
"Come on, you know the captain doesn't like people being late on a quest, do you?" Kanonno, who is standing Neptune, said. "And you do NOT want to be late on your first quest. Well do you, Nepgear?"
"Of course not. You two just go ahead. I'll be there in a sec." Nepgear replied, now putting her socks on.
"Okay, be there on time." said Neptune and Kanonno before they left the room.
While Nepgear was walking out of her room, she suddenly stopped just outside her room to look at the window beside her. "Wow. Nice weather. I can't believe we are already in this place for three days, yet it felt so like five hours ago we arrived here." she said quietly to herself. (It must be nice if Uni was here to see this, beautiful scenery here.) she thought as she looked out the window. She then turned to her watch. (Oh my goodness, I'm late!) She then ran off to the main hall, while shouting in her minds, (I'm late! I'm late! I'M LATE!)
It seems that this will be their first ever assignment, or rather, quest, from the captain. Just what adventures will this quest bring them? Let's find out...
...right after the opening sequence. Hahaha! Nah, I'm just kidding. There is no opening sequence. I don't think it would be such a good idea to have an opening sequence in a fanfic anyways. Hehe... Enough with the chit-chats, let's start the chapter.
+xxXxx+
*Opening Sequence* |Song on cue : Butterfly by Kouji Wada(Digimon Adventure opening)|
As the music starts, we can see Neptune falling from in front of the camera(us) into God-knows-where while the background is all messed up. And then was followed by Nepgear, then followed by Plutia. And then followed by IF, then Compa, then Noire, then Uni, then lastly Vert, all falling into a hole, which gets nearer and nearer towards the camera until the camera itself goes into the hole. And then the title appeared on the screen.
Gokigen na chou ni natte kirameku kaze ni notte (I'll become a happy butterfly, and ride on the glittering wind)
All the eight are seen "flying" into a world, where they would land.
Ima sugu kimi ni ai ni yukou (I'll come to see you soon)
And then, a dark figure appeared behind that world just as they land, its hands are covering the top of that world.
Yokei na koto nante wasureta hou ga mashi sa (It's best to forget the unnecessary things)
A few scenes featuring a bunch of Tales characters, starting with Kanonno and Rocks, posing in groups.
Kore ijou shareteru jikan wa nai (There's no more time to be fooling around)
Shows the eight girls now being surrounded by monsters.
Nani ga wow wow wow wow wow kono sora ni todoku no darou (What do you mean, wow wow wow wow wow? I wonder if we'll reach the skies)
A light shoots out from a disk to the sky, creating some kind of a "Big Bang" effect in the sky.
Dakedo wow wow wow wow wow ashita no yotei mo wakaranai (But, wow wow wow wow wow I don't even know what my plans are for tomorrow)
Shows Neptune, Nepgear, Plutia, Noire, Uni and Vert, spiraling into the light and in the next scene, they come out in their Goddess forms, posing while showing off their moves until a mysterious pink Goddess appears after them.
Mugendai na yume no ato no nanimo nai yo no naka ja (After an endless dream, in this world of nothingness)
Reid, Farah, Marone, Ruca, Yuri, Peashy, Jude and Milla are seen blowing up a large boulder that blocks their way before running off towards a direction while Iria, Ricardo and Compa are seen shooting some faraway enemies with their guns, and in the next scene, Cress and Mint is seen flying on a pegasus while Arche, alongside with Chester, are riding Arche's flying broom beside him.
Sou sa itoshii omoi mo makesou ni naru kedo (It seems as if our beloved dreams will lose)
Colette is seen flying beside Lloyd alongside Spada who are running at high speed, followed by IF, Suzu and Caius. They run towards a cliff then jump off the cliff where the moon is shining behind them.
Stay shigachi na imeeji darake no tayorinai tsubasa demo (Even with these unreliable wings, covered in images that tend to stay)
Shows Chat riding on her Van Eltia where it came out of a lake, while in another scene, 5pb. and Coreena are playing their guitar(5pb.) and banjo(Coreena) while Meredy dances to the music they're making, Rubia is humming to the tune and Keele is reading a book while walking.
Kitto toberu sa, on my love (I'm sure we can fly, on my love)
RED is then seen smiling in awe at something. It is revealed that she is staring at all the other Goddesses with a mysterious pink Goddess in the middle who are posing for the camera, from behind.
Then the Goddesses are seen showing off their moves and attacks within the next few seconds. And then all the participating Tales and Neptunia characters make a final pose before the music ends, ending the opening sequence.
+xxXxx+
Wow. O...K... The author never told me anything about an opening sequence. Seriously, he didn't. Now we have just wasted a few minutes just by trying to imagine how the opening would be like. Oh well, I guess I should give the author a piece of my mind after this. Well then, let's get started with the actual chapter, or rather, episode then.
Episode 1 : A New Adventure Awaits
"All right, mateys. For your first quest, it will be an Elimination Quest. For this quest, I'll need you two to eliminate at least 8 polwiggles in Mt. Rhubarb. And the time of completion is 1 hour." said Chat, the captain as she gave instructions to Neptune and Nepgear. She is a dark-skinned girl with a strange gem on her forehead(not sure if accessory or born with it). She wears a red clothing with white sleeves, orange pants, long white stockings, black shoes and a big hat with white feathers on it that usually seems to cover her left eye.
"Aw, that again? Sure, those guys are piece of cake." said Neptune who then shows a thumbs up to Chat.
"But it doesn't hurt if you..."
While they were talking about the first quest, Nepgear is already deep into her thoughts as she recalls the events during their time here.
(I can't believe it. We're actually here for three days, yet it felt like it was just a few hours ago we arrived. And Neptune doesn't seem to care about what's happening at Planeptune right now. It's like, she really wanted to be here forever. Have she really decided to live in this place and never come back?) Shaking those thoughts away, she then thought, (Nah. Of course she won't do that. But for now, I wanna enjoy this as much as I can. But still, they let us in free of charge. They're really nice people.)
*flashback, 3 days ago*
[1]"So you two are going to join Ad Libitum, I see? Well, do you think you got what it takes?" asked Chat.
"Yessir!" said Neptune as she gave her the salute thing.
"My, my, you sure have the spirit. I like it." Chat said while giggling for a bit. "Well then, how about you?" asked Chat as she turned to Nepgear.
"Huh? Me? Well, we have worked for a guild before, so I guess I have what it takes. I guess." said Nepgear nervously.
"Don't worry, Chat. They can be trusted, although..." said Kanonno before she walked closer to Chat to whisper. "...I'd be careful around the short-haired one. She's a bit... um... energetic."
"Hey, hey, don't forget that if they make lots of trouble, you're to be kept responsible for now until they get an official membership because it was YOU who brought them here." said Chat, giving her a warning.
"Don't worry. I got them under control."
Little did they know, Neptune and Nepgear were eavesdropping on their conversation.
"So you got us under control, huh? So is that how it is?" said Neptune.
"UARGH?!" Kanonno and Chat are both startled by Neptune.
"Don't worry, Captain. We promise we'll behave." said Nepgear, looking worried.
"Now, now, you two are guests in the Van Eltia for now. Until you have earned an official membership, Kanonno will be held responsible for you two until then." said Chat with a chuckle.
"We won't let you down, sir!" said Neptune, still doing that salute thing.
"I'm a girl, Neptune. So it's supposed to be "ma'am"..." Chat said in disbelief.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Neptune said, still doing her thing.
Chat facepalmed. "Wow, Kanonno's right. This girl's WAY too energetic." she said silently.
*flashback ends*
(...And wow. Just like that, we're actually becoming members of this guild.) Nepgear were still in her thoughts until Chat hit her head with a Pow Hammer. "Ow!"
"Phew, finally. I thought your soul has drifted elsewhere while your body remains here." said Chat sarcastically.
"I'm sorry. I really am." apologized Nepgear as she continuously bowed to Chat.
"So you heard anything I said just now?" asked Chat.
"Well... You did told us to eliminate some polwiggles..." said Nepgear while holding her finger up her chin.
"And then...?"
"Well... I wasn't listening..."
"I knew it."
"I'm sorry! I'm very, very sorry!" said Nepgear as she once again continuously bowed to Chat.
"Haha. That's okay 'cause this is why I let Kanonno tag along with you two."
"Huh?" Neptune and Nepgear asked.
"Yes. For now, I will be your guide, Neptune, Nepgear. So if you don't remember what to do, you can just ask me."
"Says the one who fails on the Collecting Quest many times before..." Chat said with a smirk.
"I thought I told you not to bring that up again!" Kanonno scolded Chat, embarrassed at her comment.
"So our Mrs. Guide here actually has failed quests before she became a member, huh?" said Neptune. "Interesting."
"Neptune! Hush!" Nepgear said as she hushed Neptune.
Kanonno, who is unable to hold her anger any longer, used both her hands to drill Chat's head. "Now look at what you've done! Now they've got the wrong idea about me!" Kanonno's eyes are red and horns suddenly grew on her head while a fiery background is projected behind her.
"Ow ow ow! I was only joking~!" said Chat as tears fell down her eyes.
"Now, who ever said about us getting the wrong idea about you?" said Nepgear, a bit scared at Kanonno.
+xxXxx+
IF and Compa are discussing about the disappearance of Neptune and Nepgear with Histoire. They are currently discussing whether to tell or to not tell the public about this.
"I don't think we should let the public know. I mean, Planeptune will be in a disaster." said IF.
"Iffy's right. They may be gone right now, but who knows? They might return a few days later." Compa sided with IF.
"But it's been a day they've been missing."
"I know that. But if we don't find the source of this disappearance, we might have to let the public know." said Histoire, looking depressed.
"But still..."
"I'm sorry, IF. But there's nothing I can do right now. Although I might find the source right away..."
"Yeah, yeah. Three days. I get it?" IF said while she rolled her eyes. "And then what? Three weeks? Three months? Three years? Three DECADES? THREE CENTURIES? THREE MILLENNIUM?! THREE-" She began to lose control of herself.
"Calm down, Iffy! You're just making things worse." Compa said as she slapped IF to the face.
"Calm down?! I made Neptune and Nepgear disappear! How can I calm down after all that?" IF began to cry. "And what's with you and the number "3", anyways?" she shouted at Histoire.
"I know this has been a tragedy for you, IF. But we need to calm down and figure out what to do now. It's not like we know of a way to save them anyway." said Histoire, looking depressed despite her calm tone.
"And you're calling herself "The Oracle of Planeptune"?! You sound like you don't even-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Compa then hit the back of IF's head with the back of her giant syringe a bit too hard which instantly knocked her out. "Oh no, Iffy. I-I didn't mean to do that!" said Compa while she looked at IF whose head is bleeding.
"Actually, just bandage her head, Compa. Now we can discuss in peace."
"But, but..."
"Just let her rest, Compa. You know her short-temper. She must have used a lot of energy worrying about them. I'm worried too. But you don't see me complaining."
"Yeah..."
"I don't blame her for what had happened. It wasn't her fault, but she chose to blame it on herself."
"Yeah, I know... Iffy just need to learn to calm down." Compa began to look sad. "I wonder how are they doing right now? Where have they been taken?"
"I'll go search for them using my tome later. But right now, let's discuss about this problem."
"Okay." Compa then proceeds to bandage IF's bleeding head. "You know, I kinda feel sorry for her."
"Why's that?"
"Well, it's just that... Well... I mean, who wouldn't act like that when she was the one who drove Neptune out of the Basilicom."
"Hmm... You do have a point, Compa."
"Yeah, she must've thought that if she hadn't drove Neptune out of the Basilicom, none of these would've happen. And she must've felt guilty and responsible for causing all these to happen."
"Yes, but like I said, she's not at fault here."
"Yeah. I wonder how much more of this she can take?"
"Anyway, we have a big matter at hand. We must discuss about it."
"Sure."
+xxXxx+
"Hey, Kanonno. You know, everyone at the Van Eltia is really nice, you know. Maybe except for that one guy, but everyone else is nice." Nepgear finally said, breaking out the silence during their journey in Mt. Rhubarb to hunt polwiggles.
"Especially Cressy and her nurse girlfriend. They, I think, are the nicest." said Neptune.
"So, Neptune. Am I not nice enough for you?" said Kanonno while giving Neptune a glare that she's too happy to notice anyways.
"If I excluded you out of the group. I mean, you took us in and took responsibility over us when the others couldn't. I think you're number one here, Kan."
"Um... uh... Thanks." She then noticed the nickname Neptune used to call her. "Oh? So I'm "Kan" now, eh? Whatever happened to "pinkie", or just being "Kanonno"?" Kanonno asked.
"Well... "Pinkie" is just... too typical, you know, and Kanonno is just a mouthful to say, so I'll just go with Kan, if that's alright with you."
"Well... It's hard to say, considering I've never had a nickname before... But I'll try to get used to it."
Nepgear then noticed a sketchbook Kanonno was always holding the entire time, which she has noticed until now, but didn't have the time to ask her about it. "Say, Kanonno?"
"Yes?"
"Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"What is it, Nepgear?"
"Well, I see you always bring out your sketchbook and draw the entire time on this journey so far. You like drawing?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Why?"
"Can I see what you're drawing?"
"Uh... Sure. It's still not finished by the way." Kanonno then handed over her sketchbook to Nepgear. Nepgear took a look at it alongside with Neptune, who is also curious what is Kanonno drawing all the time.
"Huh? What's this?" asked Nepgear.
"I must say that you do have a wide imagination, Kan, but this doesn't seem to be related to any of Mt. Rhubarb. What is this thing?" asked Neptune.
"Well... I guess I should tell you then."
"Huh?"
"You see, I don't know why, but I think I'm the only one who is seeing this structure thing that floats in the sky. I mean, it's still there right now, but I don't think you can see it."
"You can see it?"
"In the sky?"
Neptune and Nepgear then proceed to look at the sky... and saw nothing but the blue sky.
"There's nothing there." said Neptune.
"Are you sure you're not seeing things?" asked Nepgear.
"And that's why I decided to join the Van Eltia. To look for this structure. I mean, the Van Eltia has travelled around the world already, but I still can't find this thing." Kanonno then looked like she was about to cry. "And everyone said I was going insane. That I was seeing things others do not."
"So when or where do you usually see it, Kanonno?" asked Nepgear.
"Well, usually during dawn, dusk and at night. Sometimes, I see this structure in my dreams. Other times, I see this in my visions. But I just can't explain why is this happening to me. Mint said I might be weak-hearted."
"Oooh! Interesting."
"I've seen a psychologist before. He said nothing is wrong with me. He said that maybe I was imagining things I shouldn't have. Everyone said that." She then started to cry.
"Oh no, don't cry." said Nepgear.
"Yeah, this better not be one of your jokes, Kan." teased Neptune. She then walked closer towards Kanonno. "Don't worry. I'm sure what you see is actually real and maybe, you're a special person that can see invisible things."
"I don't think I'm special though. I've actually... I'm not much of a help to Ad Libitum anyway. I mean, since the time I've started to have visions of this structure, I've never been able to get quests finished in time." said Kanonno as she let out a sigh.
"Wow, that is sad."
"Hmm... [2]Hey, you know what, Kan?"
"What?"
"Whatever that you're seeing right now, I'm sure that one day, you will find it. And prove everyone that you're not crazy, but they are!" Neptune said.
"You mean, you believe in me?" asked Kanonno.
"Well, you believed us when we said that we came from another world." claimed Nepgear.
"We had faith in you, Kan. They just don't know anything about you, that's all. They looked down on you just because you're a kiddo. Just like when they looked down on me back in Planeptune a few years ago when they said I can't beat up a golem, which I did. And that surprised them. So why don't you show them how right you are?"
"Neptune..."
"Wow, for once Neptune, you can do the right thing. You lifted her spirits."
Neptune then whispered to Nepgear. "Actually, I didn't think it worked myself."
"Oh..."
Kanonno then got up, ready to go on. "Thanks, Nep. Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go. Oh, and from now, you're "Nep". Got it?"
"I specifically don't care what nickname you use on me as long as it's not embarrassing. Nep's my official nickname by the way."
"Oh? Well, let's get going, you two."
"Right." replied Nepgear.
"Now let's kick some polwiggle butt!" said Neptune, who raised her fist to the air.
"You know what, Neptune. I'm actually glad to have you as a friend. Thank you." Kanonno said to Neptune as she patted her head.
Neptune giggled at her comment.
+xxXxx+
"Well, that didn't take long." said Nepgear.
"Wow. It went better than expected." said Neptune. "I mean, this is, like, no challenge at all."
"Well, at least the sooner the better I guess." said Kanonno.
They almost couldn't believe they had finished that quest in just under ten minutes, in which the given time is one hour. Luck must have been on their side this time around.
"Well, time to call the crew to pick us up." Kanonno said as she reached for her cellphone.
"Well, good call. I'm already getting hungry, you know." said Neptune.
"I hate to say this, but... I'm getting hungry too." said Nepgear in embarrassment.
"For someone small, you two sure eat a lot, huh?" said Kanonno with a smirk.
"Sorry..." both replied.
"But I can't wait to get my hands on Rocks's delicious cinnamon rolls." Neptune's mouth began to water as she started to imagine Rocks's cinnamon rolls.
"Ehehe... Sorry to inform you this, Nep, but today is Farah's turn to cook. So no cinnamon rolls for today."
"Aw..."
"And because it's Farah's turn today, I suggest you two to not expect anything much from her."
"Why's that?"
"You'll find out."
Kanonno then proceeds to call the crew to pick them up at their usual pick-up point. While Kanonno is talking on her phone, Nepgear thought she saw a movement in the nearby bushes. She first chose to ignore it, but then she saw it again, which made her to check up on the bushes. Neptune saw what Nepgear is up to, so she also decided to check up on her.
"Hey, Neppy Jr.. Whatchu up to?" asked Neptune.
"I dunno. I thought I saw some movement from these bushes. Maybe my eyes are just playing tricks on me." replied Neptune.
"Nah, I'm sure you were just ti-" Before she could finish her sentence, she heard some rustlings and saw movements on the bushes. "Whoa. Didja see that?"
"Yes. So you're seeing it too?"
"I was wondering what you two are up to, but I guess my question is already answered." said Kanonno from behind.
"Oh hey, Kan. Did you see some movements from these bushes?" asked Neptune.
"What movements? I just got here, so-"
And then some rustlings are heard. But this time it was louder.
"Wow. I hear it too."
"Well well, looks like some monsters are trying to play sneaky-sneaky with us. It was a bad attempt though." Neptune joked about the rustlings.
They readied their weapons and prepared themselves for any monsters that might come out to attack them. They've waited long until they heard rustlings from the other side of the bushes. But much to their surprise, a girl came out of the bushes. She has light-purple hair with a pink ribbon tied at the ends, indigo(?) eyes, wears a dress in a mix of green, white and pink. She also wears long stockings with pink, white and yellow stripes, and pink teddy bear boots. She holds a doll which looks like Neptune in her left hand.
"Hey, girl. You okay over there?" Kanonno called out to her.
But instead of answering her, the girl collapsed. But somehow, within a flash, Neptune slid herself under the girl to break her fall. Wow. That was fast. Yeah, even though you can't see me, you know that I've sweatdropped just now.
"Hey, girl, Wake up. You okay?" asked a concerned Neptune. Now now, it's rare to see Neptune so concerned like this. So let her have her moment.
"Ugh... So... tired... hungry..." the girl said.
"Just hold on, girl. We'll take you to safety." She then turned her attention to Nepgear. "Nepgear, can you help me get her onto my back?"
"Huh? Sure." Nepgear rushed to help Kanonno to lift the girl on her back.
"Man, you're heavy. Just what have you been eating before coming here anyway?" Kanonno said as she struggled to properly lift her.
"Hehe..." the girl chuckled nervously. [3]"Wah~~~! Your back~, so soft~~! Ehehe~~..."
Kanonno blushed at her comment about her back. "You do know it hurts a lot now, right?"
"Ehehe~~... I could sleep on this all day~..."
"Looks like someone has found her sleeping partner." Neptune playfully teased Kanonno.
"*snore* ZZZZZZZZZZZZ"
"Well, that was fast..." All the three girls sweatdropped.
"Well, in any case, she's injured. Well, sort of. But she's vulnerable to danger here."
"So let's take her back to the Van Eltia."
"Yeah, and fast. My back is starting to hurt a lot."
"Don't worry. I'll heal your back while we wait for them to came here."
"Thanks." She almost fell on her knees, had Neptune not surprise her from the front so that the adrenaline rushes within her. This gave Nepgear some time to heal her body. "Ow! I'm gonna need to have Farah massage me or something. My back..."
+xxXxx+
"Thank goodness I made it in time. Ow, my back's killing me..." Kanonno said as she lay down on one of the patient beds in the nursery. "Ow... I can't even lie properly."
"Now now, Kanonno-san. Don't move so much or you'll make it worse." a nurse said.
"Is she gonna be okay, Mint?" asked Nepgear.
"Don't worry. With enough rest and healing, she'll be better in no time." said Mint, the nurse. She has long, golden hair and grey eyes. She wears a typical nurse uniform and a nurse hat.
"But I still can't believe how heavy she was." said Cress, a blonde swordsman who wears a red bandana on his head. He wears a typical knight armor with a red cape and a pair of black leggings.
"Cress-san, that's rude." Mint scolded Cress.
"I'm sorry, but it's true. My back... is starting to hurt too, you know, after having to carry her to a guest room from the main entrance after Kanonno almost collapsed there just now." said a tired Cress.
"So, uh... Minty. Will Kanonno be able to recover today? I mean, there's still some quests to complete today. And she's our guide." Neptune asked Mint, whom she addressed as "Minty".
"We'll try, Neptune-san. For now, you two should take a break." replied Mint.
"Say, I haven't actually caught her name yet. What's her name?" asked Cress.
"Well, we didn't catch her name either." answered Kanonno.
"Yeah, she just fell asleep as soon as she got on her back." explained Nepgear.
"And she stayed like that until now." Kanonno said while trying to get herself comfy on the bed.
*vacuum huffs, door slides open*
[4]"So, what do you call me here for?" said a green-haired girl as she entered the infirmary. She wears an orange-colored, long-sleeved dress with green linings on it.
"Oh, Farah-san. You're here?" said Mint as she saw her entering the infirmary. "Thanks for coming all the way here."
"Glad to help, Mint. So, what's the problem?" asked Farah.
*vacuum huffs, door slides close*
"It's Kan. Her back's hurting like hell." Neptune explained the situation.
"Thanks for the description, Nep. You saved me time to explain." said Kanonno sarcastically.
"Backache, huh?" Farah then pulled up her sleeves and clenched her fists, making a martial-artist pose. "Alright. No problem! This might hurt a bit, but I guarantee it that you'll feel better in no time!" said an excited Farah.
"Um... Guys, I think it's better if we go outside now..." said a nervous Cress.
"Why's that, Cressy?" Neptune asked Cress, whom she addressed as "Cressy".
"Yeah, I wanna see how she does it." said Nepgear.
"You'll find out. Now, come on. Let the healers do the work." said Cress as he pulled Neptune and Nepgear out of the nursery along with him.
And as soon as they left... "Alright. With those guys out of the way, this will be easier to be done." said Farah.
Meanwhile, outside the infirmary...
"Hey, Cress. What happened here?" asked a floating, blue animal in a tuxedo. He(?) has wings on its tail and has short, claw-less legs.(Sorry for the lack of description guys. It's been a long time since I've played it. So I might have forgotten a bit about the characters in the game.)
"Oh, Rocks? It's Kanonno." replied Cress.
"Kanonno-sama? What happened to her?" asked Rocks. Okay, so it was a "he".
Before any of them could answer, some shouts can be heard from the nursery.
"Just sit tight, Kanonno. I promise you this won't hurt much."
"But I don't want you to massage me."
"Then why did you called me here for?"
"Calm down, Kanonno-san. You'll need to endure the pain a bit. Healing while applying the massage will only make it worse."
"Isn't there any other not-painful way?"
"*sigh* Well, Mint. Looks like we have to resort to that."
"*sigh* So it seems."
*clang clang, lock*
"Uh... Cress?" asked a nervous Nepgear.
"Shh..."
They continued to listen.
"No, you can't do this. No! NO!"
"Cover your ears, everyone." warned Cress. Surprisingly, everyone obeyed him.
[5]"UWAAAAARGH!"
"Just... calm down, you! I've only started!"
"Just let her do her thing. She knows what she's doing."
"NNGGAAAAAAHHHH! STOP IT! IT HURTS!"
"Can you just stop being such a baby and shut up?!"
*crack* "AAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAA!"
And sounds of medical apparatus falling from the table are heard.
"Please, just calm down, Kanonno-san."
*crack* *quopangkh* "AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
"Just a little more. You can do this!"
"Just bear with it for just a little longer, Kanonno-san."
"NO! NO!" *crack* "AAAAARRRGGHHH!" *crack*
And then there was silence. A long one. (Even the music stopped) Everyone outside the infirmary sweatdropped.
"Uh... What just happened?" they asked each other in unison.
And they waited and waited and waited until... some unlocking sounds are heard.
*ching, clang clang, schpop*
"Wow. *heavy breathing* I made it. *pant* *pant*"
"I knew you can do it, Kanonno-san."
"Hey, you know, *pant* it's actually not that bad once it's over."
"Yeah, it would be better if you stopped being such a baby, Kanonno."
"Hehe... Sorry..."
Meanwhile, outside the infirmary... The onlookers were still confused at what they have witnessed(or rather, heard) just now.
[6]"You know... Is it just me or is there some drama going on in there?" asked Rocks.
"You better not be serious about this..." said Cress with a scared look.
"I know, right? I mean, it's like... like... They're acting as if Kan is giving birth or something." said Neptune.
*awkward silence* *music paused* *cricket chirps*
"I'm joking..."
*music resumes* "And I thought I'm the only one who thinks about the same thing..." said Nepgear, her face is red hot. So hot that steam started coming out of her head.
"You two are such an airhead, aren't you?" Cress said in a low voice.
"What's all this ruckus about?" asked a female voice from behind them.
When they turned around, a girl with green hair with braids in a priest clothing stood behind them. She wears a pair of round glasses.
"Ah, Philia-sama. Don't worry. Everything is fine now." said Rocks.
"Yeah, you totally just missed it, Philia." said Neptune, trying to convince her that it was a waste for not being here for the scene just now.
"Missed what exactly?" asked Philia.
"Ooh... That feels nice..." Kanonno's voice can be heard from outside the infirmary. "Ah, yes... Haaaaahh..."
Everyone outside is shocked to hear that the "drama" didn't end there. There's still more to it.
"See? I told you it'll feel good in the end."
"Farah-san always knows what she's doing. Right, Farah-san?"
"Oh my... What are they doing in there?" asked Philia.
"I'd like to find it out myself too." Cress said before he let out a sigh.
"Now I'm starting to feel a lot better, thanks to you." *crack, crock* "Wow, I can move my body again."
"Don't try to make it sound like you've been paralyzed this whole time, Kanonno."
"P-P-Paralyzed?!" shouted Philia in shock. "Why didn't they tell me about this?"
"Philia, i-i-it's not what you think." said Cress.
"Philia-sama, you need to calm down." said Rocks.
"Calm down? How can I calm down when I got to know that one of our members are-"
*vacuum huffs, door slides open*
"Hey, guys. Could you please keep it down? We're trying to work here." said Farah when she came out of the door. Kanonno also came out of the door, recovered from the backache.
But seeing the awkward situation the onlookers are in, they are puzzled. "Huh? What are you guys doing?"
Philia then rushed towards Kanonno and began inspecting every aspect of her body, in a non-erotic way that is.
"Philia, what is this all about?"
"Kanonno, did it hurt somewhere? Are you all right? You can move? How were you cured from paralysis?" Philia asked those questions without ever stopping to catch a breath, too fast for some of them to catch what she had said.
"Easy, calm down." Farah said, trying to push Philia away from Kanonno. "Paralysis? What are you talking about, Philia?"
"I heard you said Kanonno was paralyzed. So I tried to come in and help. How did you cure it anyway?" asked Philia, still too fast for some to catch what she had said.
Farah then giggled at Philia's questions.
"This is not funny, Farah."
"Oh, Philia, you're such a worrywart. She was never paralyzed in the first place. She only had a backache, is all. So, I massaged her back to make her feel better."
"Oh, really? Thank God. You sure know how to make me worry." Philia pouted.
"If you're just massaging, then what's with all those screaming?" asked Neptune.
"Um... screaming?" asked Philia.
"Oh, those? Well, let's just say..." Farah's line was cut off.
"Don't... say it!" Kanonno said while giving her a deadly glare.
"...I did it a bit too hard on Kanonno. Hehehe..." said Farah nervously.
"Uh-huh..." Everyone didn't seem to buy it though.
+xxXxx+
"Oh, come on! Here, again?" Neptune complained about the location of their second quest.
"I'm getting tired of this place already..." said Nepgear.
"Yes, I know. I'm kinda getting tired of this place too, considering most of the quests we take always take place here." said Kanonno. "Yeah, but for this quest, it's a Collecting Quest. And what we need now is 3 bags of wheat."
"Okay. So where to find some wheat?" asked Neptune.
"Yeah, I don't even know what wheat looks like." said Nepgear.
"And that's what I'm here for. And speaking of the devil, there's some wheat." said Kanonno as she pointed out to a direction.
"Well, lucky us."
And as they came nearer to the wheat farm(?), some stupid polwiggle ate some. And Neptune just shot it with her gun. It's a good thing that the force of the shot blasted the polwiggle a few yards away from where it stood before. And the remaining is saved. Well, sort of, as some of the blood fell on some wheat and ruining it completely. "Well, that sucks."
"So, where else do these "wheat" grow?" asked Nepgear.
"Let's just search anywhere. Wheat grow pretty much everywhere here." replied Kanonno.
"Well, that's good to hear."
"And we only have two more bags to fill anyways."
"And that's why I love conveniences."
*a few minutes later*
"Well, that's the last of it." said Kanonno as she tied up the last bag of wheat.
"Phew. So this is what it feels like to be a farmer." said Nepgear while wiping off the sweat from her forehead.
"So now with this out of the way, what quests are left?" asked Neptune as she sat on the ground. "Man, I'm tired."
"Wow, look at the time." said Kanonno as she looked at her watch.
"What is it, Kanonno?"
"I can't believe we still have some twenty minutes left before the time runs out."
"So, what you're saying is, we still managed to clear the quest a lot earlier than the expected time? Is that what you're trying to say, Kan?" asked Neptune.
"Yeah... That's pretty much about it."
"Sorry to interrupt you, but can you help me?" said a calm female voice from behind them.
"Huh?" They turn around to see a violet-haired girl in a purple kimono standing behind them. "Who are you?" the three adventurers asked in unison.
"My name is Isumi Saginomiya. I seem to have gotten myself lost again. Do you know where I am?" Issumi asked politely in a calm voice.
"Why, we're at the summit of Mt. Rhubarb." answered Kanonno.
"You're lost, you say? Where were you before coming here?" Nepgear asked Issumi while she offered her to sit down with them.
"Well, it all started like this. I was at my home, drawing. And then my brush fell off the table. I don't know how, but it disappeared out of sight."
"Uh-huh. Mother Nature sure has some ways to troll us." said Neptune. "And then?"
"Then, I searched for it high and low in my house, in my garden, everywhere. I must've been so deep into the searching because the next thing I knew when I came to, I was here. I mean, I don't even remember how I even got here."
Neptune, Nepgear and Kanonno sweatdropped at her story. "Wow! She sure has some original ways to get lost, huh?" the three said to each other in unison.
"Oh yeah, by the way, Miss Isumi, where do you live?" asked Kanonno.
"Well, I live at *beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*." (Censored for no reason) Wait, I didn't order for any censors. Ah, whatever. Even I don't know where she lives. It can't be helped.
"Hmm... I don't know any place of that name. Are you sure you're not making this up?" asked Kanonno, the supposedly more experienced traveler.
"So, am I in a different country then? Wow, I never thought I'd get lost that far."
"Well... In any case, you're lost, right? How about we take you in the Van Eltia for now?" suggested Neptune.
"That's a great idea. Until then, if you remember or have a clue to where your house is, you can stay there." said Nepgear.
"Wow, for once you knew how to use your brain, Nep." praised Kanonno.
Neptune, however, didn't seem to believe it. "Hmm... Not sure if praise, or insult..."
"Hey, now what's with that look?"
While they were arguing, maybe, Nepgear proceeded to ask Isumi some questions, but then she noticed something was wrong. "Huh? EEEHHH!?"
"Um... you two... We have a big problem in our hands right now."
"Huh? Big problem?"
"What do you mean, Nepg- WAAAA!?" Kanonno said before she screamed in shock.
"WHAT THE!?" The same goes for Neptune.
"WHERE THE HELL IS ISUMI!?" all shouted in shock simultaneously.
Well, they looked away just for a couple of seconds, aaand she's gone. Literally, we can even see her outline at the place where she was before disappearing.
"We just looked away for a while..."
"...And she's already gone?"
"How in the world..."
"...IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?"
Well, let's just say it's a running gag from wherever she's from.
"Hey, you know about her, didn't you? So where is she now?"
I'm sorry, but even with my knowledge, I still can't find her. She's really good at this thing. And just as I was about to find her...
"We... interrupted you?"
That's right. Now I've lost her again.
"Sorry..."
No matter. We can always find her later.
"But Nate-"
Trust me, I've known her longer than you. So just continue. I'm sure we'll meet her again some time later. She's bound to appear just about anywhere.
"Okay, then..."
+xxXxx+
"We're back." shouted Neptune as they entered the Van Eltia.
"Oh, hey. You guys did a good job. Well done." praised Chat. "You two managed to somehow complete both quests earlier than expected."
"Aw, it's nothing." Neptune blushed while receiving the praise.
"Maybe we were just lucky." said Nepgear.
"Hehe... But I tell you what, this next quest won't be as easy as the other two, hence the three hour time given."
"Ooh, sounds interesting." said Neptune.
"Yep. You'll just see it for yourself." Chat said before chuckling for a bit. "So, it seems we got another guest, huh?"
"A... guest?" asked Nepgear.
"But we didn't bring anyone in this time." exclaimed Kanonno.
"Then who's that?" said Chat, pointing towards a direction behind them.
They turned around to see... A girl in a purple kimono. "ISUMI!?" Their lower jaws met the floor. Literally.
"So, this is the Van Eltia you're talking about?" she said as she began to touch the walls of the Van Eltia. "So cold."
The three then rushed towards Isumi.
"Where were you just now?"
"You suddenly disappeared on us."
"And now you showed up?"
"We were worried about you!"
"How can you just disappear in a flash, Isumi?"
"I don't know. I wanted to find my way home, but somehow I ended up here." said Isumi.
"That again, huh?" The three girls felt some really large droplet of sweat running down their necks.
"You know her?" asked Chat.
"No, we just met, is all." said Nepgear.
"And she suddenly disappeared on us when we looked away for a few seconds." explained Neptune.
"I'm sorry for making you worry. It's just... I just happen to have no sense of direction, that's all." Isumi said.
"What?" the others asked.
"I always forget where I was heading midway. So, I always end up lost somewhere else, if not, native."
"You sure has some weird way of getting lost, don't you Isumi?" asked Chat sarcastically. "*sigh* Well, anyway we need to give her a room to stay."
"Do we even have some free spaces?" asked Neptune.
"Sure we have, but not much. But hey, it's only one person, right? So it's no problem for now."
"You hear that, Isumi? You're staying here for a while."
"Well, thank you. But can I have something to eat? All these walking and trying-to-find-my-way-home are making me hungry."
"Sure, just head to the kitchen. It's at the door after the stairs, to the left. Then go straight into the hallway until you reached the kitchen door." Chat gave her instruction to the kitchen.
"Okay, I'll be going then." And then Isumi(alongside with Neptune) went ahead to the path to the kitchen.
Chat then pulled Neptune away. "Oh no, you don't."
"But I'm only showing her the path. I mean, the ship is pretty big for someone to get lost in it."
"Just admit that you're trying to sneak in and wipe out the food, right?"
"Fine... I'm not that hungry anyway." Neptune gave in.
"So, what's the next quest?"
+xxXxx+
"Woah!" Neptune shouted in amazement when they entered the cave with her voice echoing in the cave walls. "Cool! Echo!" *Echo! Echo! Echo!*
"Remind me why I even agreed to guide you, Nep." Kanonno said while putting her hand on her forehead. "You're such a kid."
"Oh, come on. Life is short anyways, so why not enjoy the most of it while you're at it?" said Neptune.
"More like "enjoy all of it"." Kanonno said sarcastically.
But Neptune misunderstood her sarcasm and took it as a correction instead. "Yeah, why not just enjoy all of it? Yeah. Kan, you're a genius." Neptune said before running off on her own.
Kanonno then called out to Nepgear and gave her a baseball bat(which came out of nowhere). She then tilted her head slightly towards Nepgear and pointed at upper-side of her head. "Here. Please hit me as hard as you can."
"Oh my, Kanonno what are you doing?" said Nepgear in surprise.
"YAAHOOOO!" *YAAHOOOO! YAAHOOOO! YAAHOOOO!*
Kanonno then switched the bat with her sword. "Just do it. I regret nothing." she said with a blank expression.
"Kanonno!? Why would you want me to do that?" Nepgear said nervously.
"Just do it." Then Kanonno felt someone hugging her from behind. "UAH!?"
"Oh, don't just stop now. Come one, let's enjoy our moment here, Kan." said Neptune.
"You! Why you!" Kanonno began to clench her fists tightly. "Get out of here!" Kanonno did a flaming uppercut on Neptune and sent her flying towards the cave ceiling, and got her head stuck there. "Man, you're annoying! Can you at least try to act a little bit matured? I'm sick of your childish attitudes!" Kanonno shouted at Neptune whose head was stuck at the ceiling, which was 10 meters high.
"Neppy Jr., Kan, anyone. Help me. I'm stuck!" Neptune's voice was barely audible from the ceiling.
"I'm sorry, what did you say? I can't quite catch it." Kanonno said with a smirk. "Maybe you should take off the rock that is on your face."
"Kanonno..." Nepgear was now worried about Kanonno's sudden change.
"Come on, Nepgear. We're going. Let's leave her here." said Kanonno as she pulled Nepgear's hand and started walking.
"EH!?" Nepgear shouted in surprise.
"It's about time I get some peace and quiet."
"Hey, guys. Don't leave me here. There are spiders over here!" said Neptune, now showing some fear in her tone.
"Yeah, and we might as well leave you as a meal to the spiders."
"Kanonno, what are you doing? Don't you think you're being a little harsh on her?"
"She deserved it."
"We should go save her. She might be in a real trouble."
"Yeah, you're right. I don't want to have to carry the guilt of a murderer anyways."
But when they returned to wherever Neptune was, she wasn't there anymore. And her sword is seen under the hole where Neptune's head was.
"No. What have I done?" Kanonno said as she reached for Neptune's sword.
"No... She really has been... No..."
"GERONIMO!"
*thump*
"Neptune! You're okay." said Nepgear, relieved to see Neptune is still alive.
"Ow. Can you please stop using me as a cushion?" said Kanonno. "I've had enough of it."
"Payback, Kan. Payback."
*later*
The girls have covered a large area of the whole floor of the cave until they came to a halt as the path to the next floor is locked by a gate.
"Okay, now there's a gate blocking our way." said Neptune while sitting down on a nearby rock to rest.
"We have searched far but still haven't found any copper yet." said Nepgear as she looked at her stopwatch. According to it, they still have around 1 hour and 13 minutes left to find 1 kg of copper.
"It's no wonder Chat said this one is harder than the rest." said Neptune, pointing out Chat's statement about the quest.
"Yeah. No kidding, Sherlock." said Kanonno with a smirk.
"Who's Sherlock?" asked Nepgear.
"Anyways... so, uh... I guess we should just call this quest quits, huh?" Kanonno asked the Nep sisters.
"Nuh-uh! No way!" pouted Neptune.
"Now why is that?" asked Kanonno, curious to hear what Neptune has to say.
"What do you mean, "Why is that"? We went here to complete our quest and join Ad Libitum. If we don't prove ourselves worthy, how can we become a member?"
"Huh? I don't quite get it."
"I mean, we've already went this far, so why turn back now when we're so close to our goal?" said Neptune.
"Yeah, Neptune's right. We've worked so hard for this. So why give up now?" said Nepgear.
"And besides, we still have plenty of time left. So forfeiting now won't do us any good."
"*giggle* You're right. Sorry for my low-spirited nature, I guess."
"Now, that's the Kan I know, although we've only known each other for three days." Neptune said as she patted Kanonno's head.
"Neptune, you're doing it again..."
"Hehehe..."
*later*
"So it looks like we DID missed a few paths here and there, but this one seems to go on longer than the others." stated Kanonno.
"Told you we might've missed some." teased Neptune.
"Um... you two, bad news. We've only got around 30 minutes left to complete our quest." Nepgear said as she looked at her stopwatch.
"Well, that ain't good."
"So what do we do now?" asked Neptune.
"Well, unless we stumble upon a miracle or such, that'll be fantastic." said Kanonno before stumbling upon something.
"Or that." said Neptune.
"Hey, isn't that a..." Nepgear said as she pointed at the object Kanonno stumbled upon.
"A... pickaxe?" said Neptune. "But a weird one too."
When Kanonno stood up, she saw a weird-shaped pickaxe. It's shape is blocky. I mean, like, blocks arranged to shape like a pickaxe that's been tilted 45 degrees. The pick itself is colored white.
"Seriously? You call this a pickaxe?" Neptune joked as she picked up the pickaxe. "I mean, look at this. Its edges aren't even pointy, so how do you expect to break rocks with this?"
"Yeah. Who would've been so dumb as to make a such pickaxes." Kanonno joked along.
"Although I kinda feel sorry for whoever that's been using this, only to find out it can't break rocks." said Nepgear.
Neptune then, while carrying the pickaxe, walked over to a large boulder. "I mean, really? This thing can't even break-" she said while swinging the pickaxe towards the boulder, which was smashed to small pieces. "-ROCKS!?"
"WAAA!?" All three girls just stood there frozen, speechless, unable to process the event that just happened. Their mouths gaped wide open. Well, let's just say they're so shocked at the event that a fly even managed to land on one of Neptune's eyes before flying away.
"Is it just me for being too strong, or is it this pickaxe doing its job?" asked Neptune, still shocked at the turn of events.
"I... really can't say..." answered Kanonno.
"I'm speechless..." said Nepgear.
But as they stood there, still frozen, an arrow swiftly passed by their heads, which snapped them back into reality. They turned around to see a brown-haired man in green tops and blue trousers holding a bow and arrows. He is pointing the bow towards them.
"Hey, you... monsters..." said the man while cowering.
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, we're not monsters." Kanonno tried to calm the man down by assuring him that they're not monsters. "We're humans, like you."
"But how..."
"Uh... sir?"
"HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU MANAGED TO BREAK THAT LARGE BOULDER IN ONE FREAKING SWING!?" shouted the man.
"Uh... I don't know?" answered an unsure Neptune.
"But whatever you do, don't break my pickaxe! You must've used a lot of its durability in that strike, so give it back. Please!" said the man.
"O...K... Here." Neptune then handed over the pickaxe.
The man then tapped the pick a few times to make sure its still intact. "Phew, I'm glad this baby is still usable." he said in relief as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. "And this is the last one I had too."
"So, who are you anyway? And what are you doing here? And how come you look familiar? Have we met before?" Neptune then blasted the man with her questions.
"Calm down, Nep. Let him calm himself down for a little bit first." said Kanonno.
"My name is Steve. I'm a miner and also a craftsman. So you might say I'm a "minecrafter"." the man introduced himself.
""Minecrafter", huh? No wonder I feel like I've seen you before. You're one of the most famous gaming icons in all of Gamindustri, Kleve. What are you doing here? Were you abducted here too?"
"Calm down, Neptune. But he does look like Kleve, right?" said Nepgear.
"But he already told us his name is Steve, not Kleve." said Kanonno.
"But really, he looked a lot like him."
"So, there's someone who looks a lot like me from wherever you're from?" asked Steve.
"And he has pretty much the same job as you." said Nepgear.
"Really? Was it called a "Minecrafter" too?"
"Nope, it's "Quarrybuilder" from where we came from."
"I... see..." he said while he felt a large sweat running down his neck. "So anyways, you four are travelers or something?" asked Steve.
"Four? But there's only- Wait a minute, don't tell me..." they said in unison before turning their heads, only to see... A girl in a purple kimono standing behind them. "ISUMI!? Not you again."
"I'm sorry, but I seemed to have lost my way again." said Isumi.
"Again?" asked Neptune.
"Just how did you kept losing your way, Isumi?" asked Nepgear.
"All right, just tell me, how did you get lost this time?" Kanonno asked in disbelief.
"So she's lost, huh?" Steve said quietly to himself.
"Well, remember when I said I wanted to go to the kitchen?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, I got distracted by something on the way there, and again, I don''t know how but somehow, I ended up here. But oh my, how I got here still remained a question though." Isumi said while trying to remember how she got there.
Everyone(including Steve) then suddenly flipped themselves upside-down upon hearing her explanation, their legs twitching.
"Just how do you even got here, Isumi? I mean, you were in the ship for God's sake." shouted Kanonno in disbelief.
"I told you, that too left me puzzled." said Isumi in her ever-so-calm voice.
"And you're not even worried about it?" asked Nepgear.
"My, my. That girl sure has some ways to get lost, huh?" said Steve sarcastically to Neptune.
"Believe me, she sure has a long way to go, if you know what I mean. And this is the first day we met too." said Neptune.
"Uh-huh..." Even Steve sweatdropped.
Finally, after managing to calm herself down, Kanonno then asked Steve about his job. "So, Steve. You said it yourself that you're a "mincrafter" or so you called it, right?"
"Yes..."
"Well, can you help us with something?"
"Sure, anything that I may help you with."
"Well, you see... We need 1 kg of copper for our quest. And we wa-"
"So you work in a guild, I presume?"
"Yes, that's right. Anyway, we need your help to find that much copper, if that's not too hard for you."
"Too hard for me? Copper is the most common ore around here. I've even already had a bunch of them back at my cabin."
"Really?" both Neptune and Nepgear said with their eyes sparkling with stars. "Show it to us then."
"Well then, just follow me back to my cabin."
And so, after 5 minutes of walking, they finally arrived at Steve's cabin.
"Well, here we are folks. My cabin."
Inside the cabin, there are a few furniture lying about, a shelf full of books, a bed and a kitchen. It's almost like a small house.
"Woah! You made this all by yourself?" asked an excited Neptune.
"Yep, it's hard work, you know. So no touching."
"Okay..."
"So uh, where is this copper that you said to have owned?" asked Kanonno.
"Just wait, alright? I'm gonna go get some copper. You girls go sit on the couch there."
"But I thought you said-" Neptune said before she was cut off.
"That applies to my all of my belongings. I mean, I made them after all. The couch and bed are exceptions though."
"So you really do make these all by yourself. Cool." said Neptune.
"Make yourselves at home." said Steve before leaving for the ore storage room.
"Oh, and while you're at it, why not serve us some drinks? We're feeling thirsty here." shouted Neptune.
"Neptune, that's rude." said Nepgear as she elbowed Neptune's arm.
"Hmph. Sure, why not?"
And after a while, Steve returned with some drinks.
"Enjoy your drinks. I brought you some biscuits too if you want."
"Thanks." everyone thanked him and starts to drink, although hesitatingly.
Steve then left the room for the storage room. And after a while, he returned with some copper. But the copper are smelted in some way that it was shaped to be a cube.
"Woah, cubes? You turn the coppers you obtained into cubes?" asked an amazed Kanonno.
"Yeah. And each cube weighs roughly about 100 grams so it's ten of these cubes then." Steve said as he carefully placed the cubes of copper into the bag.
"Thank you very much, Steve. We really appreciate your help." all the girls bowed to Steve, thanking him.
"Aw... It's nothing much, really. I had tons of them from where it came from." said Steve with a laugh.
"Well, sorry if we troubled you or something, Steve." said Nepgear.
"Nah, it's nothing. Hey, why don't you get going now? I suppose you have some little time left for a stay?"
"Wait, hold on. Nepgear, what did the timer say now?" asked Kanonno.
"Uh... let's see..." said Nepgear as she pulled out her stopwatch. "Oh my goodness, we only have ten minutes left!"
"It's already been that long?" shouted Neptune.
"We should hurry. The captain's gonna be angry at us." Isumi finally said after being silent for a very long time.
"Oh, Isumi? I almost forgot you were here with us." joked Neptune.
"Yeah, I know. I mean, I don't have much friends after all." Isumi stood with her hands on the ground, hurt by Neptune's joke while a dark aura emanated around her.
"No, no. I didn't mean it that way, Isumi..."
"Well, come on girls. We don't have much time." said Kanonno as she rushed out of the cabin while pulling Isumi's arm.
"Well, gotta go. Bye. Thanks for the tea and the biscuits and stuff." Neptune said as she too rushed out of the cabin.
Nepgear stopped by the door and bowed to Steve, thanking him at the same time. "Thank you for the stay, Steve. And for the copper, of course. We appreciate it. Well, I'll be going now." She then rushed off to catch up with the others. And can hear her screaming, "Hey, guys. Wait up..."
"Take care!" Steve said while waving at them. (Wow, it's been a long time since the last time I had guests.) he thought to himself.
*later*
[7] The girls quickly rushed towards the cave entrance, which they have difficulty in finding them, given with their panic and fear of being late and all that. They ran here, made a turn there, took some paths on their way before they even realized they were going around in circles. And that they were actually close to the cave entrance the entire time.
"Whew. *pant* *pant* *spit* Man, we were actually close to the exit the whole time." said Neptune, panting from all the running.
"Yeah, *pant* you tell me, Nep." said Kanonno.
"So... tired... *pant* *pant*" Isumi said while she dropped on the ground.
"Just hang on, Miss Isumi. *pant* We're almost there..." Nepgear said while trying to get Isumi back on her feet.
And when they were just about to go out, they heard some loud screeching sounds.
*~SCREEEEEEEEEEECH~* *~NYAAAAYAYAYAYAYA~*
And before they even knew it, they were surrounded by a large amount of bats.
"Oh, now that's just great!" Neptune said while she readied her weapon.
"Oh, not now. We don't have time for this." Kanonno said as she dashed towards the cave entrance, or rather for this case, exit. But before she even got close to the exit, the bats have blocked the exit with themselves. "Great, now what?"
"I don't know, but if we don't hurry up, we're gonna be late." Nepgear said while readying her weapon. "We need to find a way fast."
And then all the bats screeched at the loudest they can. The girls are forced to cover their ears to keep them from going deaf. The bats stopped screeching, but the girls can still hear the screeching, with their ears filled with loud, ringing sounds. And when they came to, they saw all the bats flew, charging towards them. Kanonno and the Nep sisters prepared themselves for the inevitable when...
Something seemed to have snapped inside of Isumi. She then looked at the bats, asking questions with an innocent tone. "Now now, who's making the noise?"
But as the bats saw her face, they suddenly stopped in their tracks, and hearts began replacing their eyes as they circle around Isumi.
"Isumi!"
"Damn, we need to help her."
"Oh my goodness, are they trying to devour her?"
Inside the circling bats, Isumi stood there calmly and slowly pulled out a sealing card. "Evil spirits, begone!" she said in a calm voice while a fiery aura formed around her.
The bats saw the sudden change and fled away from her almost instantly. This left the other girls in shock, their jaws met the ground.
"D-D-D-"
"Didja see that?!"
"Oh my goodness, now why does that feel so scary?"
Storing away her card in her kimono, she then rushed towards the others. "Well now that that's settled, how about we keep going?" she asked calmly.
The girls are still too dazed and surprised at what just happened before their eyes just now to even reply.
*later*
The main entrance door of the Van Eltia opened and Chat was standing there at the door.
"Hey, welcome back, crews. How did everything go?" she said before looking at the front, only to see the four girls panting, looking like they can barely even stand. "Uh... Why are you girls panting like that?"
"We *pant* barely *pant* made it back *pant* in time." Neptune said before collapsing.
And the alarm from the stopwatch went off, signaling them that time is over. Neptune, who just collapsed, got up and looked at the stopwatch.
"Are we... late?" asked Nepgear.
"But... we already got the copper we needed." said Kanonno. "Here, look."
Chat then picked up the bag containing copper.
"Well, you DID completed the quest." said Chat.
"So... are we late or not?" asked Kanonno.
"Well, technically you are."
*GASP* Kanonno, Neptune, Nepgear and Isumi gasped in unison. "No... way..."
"But, since this is only a test and not a real quest, there is an overtime of 15 minutes if you didn't return and report within the given time."
"So does that mean..."
"Yep, you two have just passed the third test."
"Really?" Neptune and Nepgear said. "YAY! WE DID IT! WE DID IT! HOORAY!" [8] *victory fanfare* They both jumped up and down and span around, joined by Isumi, although they had no idea why Isumi is even joining them in their victory celebration in the first place.
[9]Chat then noticed Isumi alongside with them. "Hey, Isumi. Where the heck have you been this whole time? I've already dispatched a search party to find you and bring you back. So why are you with them now?" Chat worriedly shouted at Isumi for being missing.
"Well..."
They then explained her situation to Chat.
Chat's jaw met the floor. "What? You didn't just lose your way on the ship, you even somehow, magically appeared at where they were? Oh come on, you can't be THAT bad at losing your way, can you?"
"Well, believe it or not, it's true."
"And how is that even possible?!"
"I don't know. I mean, this is a pretty common thing for me."
Chat's jaw met the floor, again. She was left speechless for a while before regaining her composure. "Ahem. Well then, at the very least, we've found you and you're safe and sound." she said while fixing her hat's position. "Looks like I'll have to call in the team now to report Isumi's discovery then."
"Sorry for making you worry." Isumi apologized.
"Yeah, you better be!" Chat shouted back.
And the other girls laughed at the scene that is happening right now.
And so, this marks the new beginning of Neptune's and Nepgear's lives in Luminasia. They were all smiles and laughs, instead of just being worried all the time. And looks like they have completed the third test already. So, what other tests are there to be given to them? How will they do in the next upcoming tests? And just how will the folks back in Gamindustri handle the situation if they learn about the disappearances? Find out in the next episode of Tales of Neptunia: Hyperdimensional Mythology.
But man... That Isumi girl sure is a mystery. I'd give you that, she's not your average teenage girl. Now that we have a permanent(?) cameo, who else should I put in? Hmm...
+xxXxx+
"Iffy. Wake up, Iffy. Wake up!" Compa shouted to her unconscious friend who is lying on a bed.
"Ugh... Aow..." She began to stir into reality. And when she woke up, she saw her best friend standing beside her. She then got up, but as she got up, she felt a sharp sting in her head. And she clutched her head with her hand. "Ow... My head..."
"I'm so sorry, Iffy. I didn't mean to do that." Compa apologized.
"Com...pa?" the brunette said as she looked at Compa at her eyes, giving her a deep glare.
"Iffy, I'm really, really so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard. I mean, I was furious just now, and I lost control and- I'm sorry." She began crying.
(Compa...) IF thought. She looked depressed with her stinging head and all that, more depressed to see her best friend crying beside her. "Compa, I'm the one who should apologize. So stop crying."
"?!" Compa gasped.
"You were right, I totally lost it there. I should've kept calm and try to figure this out. I can't believe I let myself go out of control just now. I'm sorry." IF said as she hugged Compa, and she too began crying.
[10]"Iffy... Don't worry, Iffy. I know how you feel, but if we kept being impatient, we won't go anywhere with our search." Compa said while she dried her eyes off.
"Compa..."
"I too wanted them to return as soon as possible, but you can't blame yourself for all that has happened. You're not at fault."
"Compa... You're right. I shouldn't have worried so much about it. And I really shouldn't blame myself for causing all of this. Thanks, Compa."
"I'll always be there for you, Iffy."
And then they embraced each other for a while.
"Say, Compa. How long was I out?" asked IF when she looked out the window. The sun was already high. So she assumed that she's been out for a long time.
"Well, around three hours?" said an unsure Compa.
"That long, huh? Well, today, I don't feel like going out anyways. I mean, my head still hurts, you know."
"I'm really sorry about that, Iffy. Please don't hit me."
"*chuckle* Don't worry, I won't. This will be a memo of everything that just happened today."
She then got herself out of bed, but even though her legs are fine, she couldn't keep herself balanced. So Compa assisted her and was about to walk out of the room when suddenly Histoire opened the door.
"Compa- Oh, IF. you're awake?" Histoire asked.
"Yes, Histoire. Sorry for all the trouble I caused earlier." IF said.
"Well, it wasn't your fault, but anyways. Compa, IF."
"Yes, Histy?"
"It looks like the Oracle of Leanbox has requested an audience with you two."
"Leanbox? Now why is that?" asked IF.
"Did something bad happened at Leanbox?" asked Compa.
"That, I do not know. But she did say it was urgent. And she wants anyone here, which as of now, you two are the only ones available here. So you two need to go meet her. Then report me of what she has to say."
"Right!"
"We'll be on our way then."
"But IF. Will you be alright in that condition?" asked Histoire, worried at IF's current condition.
"Well, with Compa around, I'm sure I'll be fine." IF assured Histoire.
"Well, that's good to hear. Now, you may leave for Leanbox. She DOES need you two to come as fast as possible after all." Histoire said before leaving the room.
"So, what do you think Lady Chika called us there for?"
"Who knows? Maybe we'll find out when we're there."
[The End]
{Next time on Tales of Neptunia: Hyperdimensional Mythology - Episode 2 : Another Planeptunian?}
So, what do you think of my new layout? Is it good, or is it just as bad as the other? And what do you think of the opening sequence? Should it stay, or should it be removed? Let me know in the review section. And as always, if you find some mistakes(Do I really need to repeat that?), feel free to tell me about it. Thank you for your support. Man, a lot of what I've had planned for this episode didn't make it. At least, some of it made it. And for the opening, just try to imagine it however you want.
Oh, and for the cameos, here is the list for the ones appearing in this episode.
Isumi Saginomiya - Hayate the Combat Butler
Steve - Minecraft
+xxXxx+
And feel free to listen to these musics. Although I didn't say you can't listen to your favorite musics that might fit in the scenery. So the choice is up to you.
[1] Farah - Tales of Eternia
[2] White Time - Hyperdimension Neptunia
[3] Pleasantness - Tales of the Abyss
[4] My Brave Smile - Little Busters
[5] Oooh, C'mon! - Tales of Legendia
[6] Konata's theme - Lucky Star
[7] Rising Fighting Spirit - Naruto
[8] Final Fantasy VII Victory Fanfare
[9] The Birds Chirp, I sing - Tales of Legendia
[10] Two Sugars - Little Busters