[Chapter posted 12/27/2016]

NOTE: Forgive me, but I'm going to break my own usual rule and write a direct Author's Note, just this once (well, twice). I feel it's necessary to clear the air, considering the circumstances that brought about this chapter's existence. It will be included at the end of this chapter if you so choose to read it.

Also, before I began, please allow me to shamelessly shill my other fan creation, hosted on a site other than this one: Measure for Measure: Cave Vs IF. It would mean the world to me if you played it, or at least checked it out one day. You can find more info in my profile, or simply use a search engine and type "itch kurtiszhev", and you'll most likely find an acceptable link.

Anyway, enough of that blatant self-promotion... and onto THIS one: AWTEW Chapter "6-1"! On that note, I'll be splitting this Chapter up into two parts, mainly for convenience; I don't want the first new chapter in over two years being over 18k words long, essentially. These may still be longer than your average fic's chapters, but hopefully this makes readability a tad bit more accessible. The second half will be released tomorrow.

However, although this will be two unique updates... from a story perspective, both are meant to be taken in as ONE whole entity. One episode, not a two-parter. It just happens to be a LONG one episode, as a result of the long time gap.

Thank you for your time.

"I'm here... Give me the rundown."

"... What took you so long?"

"I prefer my tactical missions like PC elitists like their strategy games: slow."

"A...huhm... Well, I don't need to tell you twice: get this job done, and make it quick. For once."

"Infiltrate the Basilicom, eh? It's crazy."

"I know, and you're exactly the man crazy enough for the job... Well, I hope; I can't recall if we've ever met face-to-face, but..."

"Say no more: I'll get it done. Always do."

"... Godspeed then."

...

The clouds rolled in, light snow began to fall, and the continent of Lowee grew eerily quiet as a cold front chilled the atmosphere. The Basilicom stood tall against the dark billows, with only a few unaware Avenir guards surrounding its perimeter. Oh, but let's not forget the mighty gray wall, built almost as tall as the building itself, keeping out any and all (airborne?) invaders! That, too, began to be stained with white. Nothing was safe.

A gusty wind began to blow, kicking up the frozen precipitation into the dark air, bringing on a fog that would make even a mutant's glowing hand invisible. A feeling of caution began to enter each soldier-for-hire's mind, and many guns were prepped for good measure. This was certainly going to be a long night. If only they were enlightened enough to know that the structure they were guarding had already been seized by villains... but maybe that's just not covered in their paychecks.

With the cool haze shrouding their vision, not one 'guard' managed to see the older man walking along the top of the dragon-proof wall. Clad in a heavy cloak and walking hunched, he looked down to the yard below, watching a few guards huddled together around a nice little barrel fire. The weather was inconvenient for almost everyone, but ESPECIALLY foreign Lastation men; that place only sees this much snow during whimsical Christmas tales!

There was a small clearing within a darker part of the lawn; the perfect landing zone! With a cigarette in his mouth, the man grunted, and flexed his muscles. As the snow continued to pour more and more, and the fog thickened and froze over, the pathway to his destination became clear. He blew one more puff of smoke... and with a solemn expression, he made his move.

Like an eagle in flight, the man jumped from the roof, his cloak providing makeshift wings as he glided his way to a safe touch-down. The heavy current muffled his sounds, and before any wandering eye could possibly see him, he was already safely on the ground, far away from their sights.

Did he really need to sneak by people who were on his side? No; in fact, it'd be more convenient to converse with these guys and strategize about the possible hostile invaders, or even inform them of that potential fact in the first place... but you see, this man doesn't play like that.

The wind grew fiercer, and soon the cloak blew off from his body, revealing the skin-tight-outfit-wearing, box-loving, perfect counter-spy known as...

David Sneak. A pro at tactics, espionage, action, and everything in between. His objective was clear, his job was easy; all he had to do was get in, gather the intel he needed, and report back quickly. The Candidates went silent, Jade wasn't returning any calls... Something was going down. Most likely another band of rebels, just like in Planeptune. So many unknown factors, all fraught with danger...

Was this too risky a job? Heh, maybe for space mercenaries... but for him, this'd be a cakewalk. There wouldn't even be nukes involved this time, so what COULD go wrong?!

... No, wait, that didn't sound exciting to him. Hmm, let's try that again... Any wrong move, and he'd be nothing but a distant memory! He had to act fast.

Watching the movements of a few faraway generals, he pressed a button on his glove, producing a big box from seemingly nowhere. Smiling at his 'little buddy', he quickly dove in, feeling completely content within his personal sanctuary. "Oh, sweet soothing box of unknown contents... You're still the only one who underst—"

"Sneak, focus!" the voyeuristic Kei, the voice directing the mission, shouted over the line. Hmm, must be some... transponder in his ear.

"Oh, uh... sorry."

Opening one end for his appendages to break through, the professional began to crawl along the whitening grass, watching the world around him through a small peephole. Guards, guards, and more guards... as one would expect for such a high-ranking place. Why must they all be from Avenir? What, did ALL the Lowee lookouts head to Planeptune? Oh well, at least these men were more predictable; Sneak was well-versed in Lastation troops' patrol patterns. A bit disappointing that he couldn't face a more... original (fabricated) challenge, but beggars can't be choosers. Not that he was a beggar...

The front door would be suicide, so obviously he wouldn't go there. Basic tip for infiltrating Basilicoms of any kind: try to avoid the front AND back doors, unless you want an arrow to the forearm.

Hmm... but in that case, he'd need another avenue for entry. Lowee's castle sadly didn't have any side doors, which made traversal very difficult, but luckily there WAS still one major opening to be found...

Near the back door was a secret entrance that only he and Lady White Heart knew about... er, and at least Kei as well, for she was the one to inform him of it in the first place. Dave didn't know exactly why it existed, and he didn't care enough to find out... but what he gathered was that Lady White Heart got angry one day, and punched a big hole in the wall! Rather than fix it, they just made it another window, even if it only led to the inside of the wall and thus served no visual purpose. Pretty... crafty. That's the CPU way, though, isn't it: slap a quick solution on a problem and hope it went away... or at least got to the point where people forget about it entirely.

Huddling against the side of the Basilicom, he felt for the jutted opening to the inside... and bam, gotcha this time! Feeling a nice sense of pride, he immediately removed his box disguise, getting ready for phase 2 of this espionage mission.

However, pro as he was, even rookies could point out his mistakes: every agent should, under all circumstances, ALWAYS personally look for every possible opening, just to make sure that both the coast was clear AND the intel wasn't wrong in any way. Also, with his disguise off, he became an easy and open target; in fact, he should ONLY ever leave the comfort of his box when he needed to make a quick escape.

Huh, perhaps even legends such as he have big egos that seriously need to be worked out... ASAP.

... Teh, well... what do I know? He's a pro; what are the odds that the worst case scenario—people walking his way the second he abandoned his safety net—would happen?

Of course, the worst case scenario immediately came true, as he heard two soldiers coming by at top-notch speed from the outside way behind him. "Great, they're sending the cavalry," he remarked to make himself laugh, still taking the time to smoke a cigar as he quickly opened the secret entrance, hiding within while the guards went by.

"You see that... thing?"

"What thing? Can you, y'know, stop being so vague, man?"

"Vague? Dude, with what we just saw, there's no WAY you can think I'm being VAGUE! He's huge, fat, and... well, ugly is just redundant, but he's that, too! He's like every male in a poorly-translated doujin, man! The ones you'd find on a train!"

"On a train? The male, or the doujin?"

The two guys walked on by through the cold, not noticing that David accidentally left the door open. "Tch, some guards we got here. They don't make 'em like they used to," he grunted to himself, finishing off his second cigarette of the night and discarding it before proceeding. You may think he paid any attention at all to what those doods were saying... and if so, you're, uh, half right. He heard the comment, alright... but figured they were discussing something innocuous, rather than anything relevant to the mission at hand. Something innocuous, like hentai.

Thus, he discarded their words entirely and carried on.

The path was completely dark, and he started questioning moreso just how on Gamindustri did Lady White Heart manage to make a hole here; it's inside the freaking walls, for crying out loud! Must've been a hell of a punch! He shimmied his way through, listening for anything on the other side, though it was strangely mute for such a heavily-fortified location. Though, to be fair, everything going silent was the reason he was here, eh? It'd be such a ripoff if he finds out everyone's just sleeping, and there ARE no evil fiends taking over...

... Oh yeah, he has to maintain constant communication with his (temporary) boss! Ugh, higher-ups can go stuff it! Oh well, it can't be helped: time to use his JAVAC™! Scratching his inner ear, he began to feel his eardrums vibrating violently as the sounds of the Oracle returned to him.

"Sneak, what's your status?"

"I've infiltrated the hot zone, though it's 'cooler' than the outside. Not literally; the cold out there can castrate a man if he's not careful. Saw it once, wasn't pretty. Guards seem to have no idea of... anything. And it sounds too quiet in here. Something's up, I can feel it."

"Strange... Keep your guard up, okay? If Yellow Bandanas have indeed compromised the Basilicom, they may be hiding anywhere... but then again, they are not the most loyal or expert soldiers in the world, so you shouldn't be in that much risk."

"Heh, you think this veteran will get himself in danger? By mere idiots? You need to think more highly of me. You saw my file: I did take out that tank with just grenades."

"And I'm still concerned about that. Look, just keep your guard up, okay? Kei out."

"... Teh, they never say 'Over' anymore... I really must be an old dog."

With that, he was left completely alone... and that, honestly, was now getting to him. Somebody *BIG* had to be around in this big base! Friend, foe, anyone! Are untrained idiots camping to ambush him really the best this place had to offer?! Where were the security cameras? The traps? The plastic explosives?! Ugh... This wasn't any fun; he wanted challenging stealth tasks, not... boring reconnaissance because some broad forgot to check her text messages! If this was the true nature of the first mission he'd had in months, he should've just stayed home and tried out some more VR missions!

"Better just get this over with. God help me if I run out of 'smokes' before I'm home." He found his way to an opening INSIDE the unconventional opening, where he was brought into some sort of library. Bookshelves lined the walls, stretching for what looked like an eternity. Once again, the echoing sound of silence said hello, and though the Basilicom was outfitted with the latest in technology, only scented candles lit his path. Hey, at least they smelled nice, and must aid in reducing what had to be an outstanding energy bill!

He held his gun up high like live-action actors in hammy survival-horror intros, trailing about the room as he looked at each book that seemed out of place. Over the years of dealing with 'all kinds of stuff', it became common knowledge that anything popping out usually meant danger; then again, those things were usually just red herrings that were meant to dissuade him, but once he caught onto that, they became actual traps again, which then turned to fakes, which then...

Okay, okay... He didn't want to waste a ration because of some booby trap. Don't need a headache this early.

He grabbed a random book, and held up one of the candles to read the title. Gawking at it, he immediately contacted base again.

"How's it going, Sneak? Need to save your progress? Need a Lastation Proverb?"

"No... I found a book here. Interesting stuff, need to learn more."

"Oh, what is it? Does it contain plans of any sort?"

"No... It's apparently a vacation book starring Lady White Heart and... hmm, you."

The Oracle went silent on the other end, before she abruptly ceased the transmission.

"Hm? Kei? Kei? Dammit, I need answers on this..." As he looked through the book, seeing images that would make even Nepgeo blush, the surprise sounds of a murmuring voice danced in from the hallway nearby. "Shit... Things were finally getting good..." Shoot, and he had wanted to light another cigarette to celebrate the occasion! But, perhaps that could wait.

He found the door at the corner of the room, and he readied his Mk.2-II handgun, getting ready to defend himself if need be... though truthfully he'd probably end up melee-attacking the assailants to the ground instead of blasting 'em. Whatever the case, he slouched against the frame, hoping to hear just a little more.

He heard a set of disgruntled footsteps slowly making their way towards him... before they suddenly took a sharp turn. Funny. Not wanting to lose them, he quickly took a peak down the hall. What seemed like a T-shaped crossroad appeared before him, though it was impossible to tell much more thanks to everything being so dark. Gah, forget about them saving money on electricity; did someone already FORGET to pay the bill?!

If he squinted just enough, however, he could barely make out a lone figure standing in a doorway straight down the way. A somewhat-feminine figure in a dark hoody. "Not a very well-endowed feminine figure, that's for sure." Ah, what he said. Anywho, the presumed woman's head appeared to be slightly shifting, suggesting she was speaking to someone out-of-view. "Well, well... time to see what's up," David whispered. He clicked his outfit again, this time producing a nifty invention that made spy-work a breeze: a voice-enhancing directional microphone he personally dubbed the 'Laughing OctoMic'... Alright, so he's not too good with names either. Pointing it for the hooded being would permit him to hear whatever it was that they were saying!

A female, snarky voice and all, began to speak. "So why the heck are ya staring at the wall? Creepin' me out... What, you regretting inviting... HIM?"

"... Hah, regret?" a booming voice chuckled, and Mr. Sneak immediately imagined that the words belonged to some cool giant robot. He... LIKES giant robot-thingys. Or at least taking them down. Should I remind you of that tank he took down with just hand grenades? "My Dear, I feel regret for many of life's due strifes, but HE is not one of them! No, I am simply... reflecting. I fear that, should the stars ring true, I may be... leaving you for a spell. Sooner than expected."

"Leaving... me? Er, hate to break it to ya, but it's still daytime; the stars aren't even out yet! Looks dark as hell out, though."

The hidden figure inside the room took a step back... and the ground trembled! Yep, definitely a robot-thingy! "'Tis an expression! Haha, you fret over the most trifling matters! But alas, it is true: I may not be able to physically help achieve our goal all the way through to the end... It shall be up to you and you alone, I fear."

David continued listening, hoping to get... well, something he could actually work with. "Come on, come on... Damn, I need another smoke." Don't do that here, though, lest you want to be caught!

The woman began to stomp her feet. "Oh, no no no! You are NOT leaving me with... ugh, HIM! Why do ya have to go THIS time?! And what does *HE* have to do with reviving Ma—"

"Here," the absurdly-loud male-esque voice interrupted, though Sneak could not see what was actually being brought to focus. "Take this... You must correctly use this to *bring* her back."

"...This is her ey—...?! Wh-Where da hell'd you get this?!"

"If you must know, our GUEST in the THRONE ROOM delivered it to me. He is as crucial to this plan as you or I, my Dear."

The stealth-practitioner's ears perked up like a ruffian cat's. Throne room...

Oh, but crap, they're still conversing! "... Okay, stop calling me that! Wh-What do I even do with this, WEAR it?!"

"'Rebirth through the Grave'... 'Rebirth through the Grave'..."

"Ugh, now you've given up... Goddammit, give me an answer!"

The rest of their words were irrelevant... Well, to Dave, at least. All he knew... was that he had the perfect intel on a destination! "All right, the throne room... Sounds like a key suspect is staying there. I apprehend him, I castrate these creeps' entire scheme! You're a genius, Sneak!" With that grammatically-seductive sentence, and yet ANOTHER use of 'castration' in the past 14-hundred-ish words, the grizzled man straightened himself out and set off! He opted not to confront those two strangers, for he wanted to keep the element of surprise as long as he could! He still had to locate the Candidates' whereabouts... and they didn't seem to be with them, but maybe the throne room would write a different story...

Looking around just in case of another major member showing up (no one wants to be crushed by some giant robot-mic-bob), he quickly ran down the opposite direction of where the girl had appeared from. Lowee's Basilicom was nothing like the complexity that was Leanbox's, so navigation wasn't so bad, though he still wished for some more light. He ran and ran, finding it a rather easy and alarmingly-relaxing trek; where the heck was everybody?

In no time at all, the grand doors to the Basilicom's throne room were soon before him, and once more the lack of guards, sounds, or... well, anything of note began to throw him off his game. In other words, the worst thing that could pop up in a soldier's mind did just that in his: doubt. David Sneak was beginning to doubt the mission. "Okay, so this must be a trap... but, grr, what if it isn't? Do I dare check inside?" He didn't know what the best answer was... but ultimately the job, his DUTY, won out. He needed to get all the answers he could get... and the only way to answer that call was to find out what lurked within the throne.

... Okay, really, he just wanted an A rank by the end of this.

"Screw it... Things get bad, my box will protect me like it always does." Didn't he leave that by the secret passage? I don't remember.

With a mighty shove, he opened the door, being greeted by a pure darkness he hadn't seen in a long time. This was... advanced darkness. Not a good first impression... and to make matters more off-setting, his pupils quickly fixated on a small light visible at the far end of the hall. A light... highlighting the throne chair itself, making it, of course, the very center of attention. Not suspicious at all; it was literally inviting him in.

"Hm, a throne fit for a king. Shame the Goddess has to look like a child." He gripped his handgun tight, and darted his strained eyes everywhere, but the darkness was simply too much. "Alright, I'll play your game; I'm getting to that chair."

Slow walk, or mad dash; what would be his best course of acti— Oh, he's already mad dashing. The hall was deceptively long, the distance between the door and the far end feeling like a five-mile journey! But soon, his hands were able to rest against the seat's grips, and the man let out a cold breath from the exertion. He was no longer the spry young buck he used to be, that much was becoming clear. Take in some air, relish it... and exhaaaaaaaaale! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIn, and oooooooooooouuuuuuuuuut! A few more iterations... and viola, he was good to go!

"Heeeeeeeeh... Hyeeeeeeeeeeh..." Yeah, that's what his breaths sounded... like...?

David Sneak, air intake back under control, felt his spine freeze; feeling someone else blow on the back of your neck does that to you!

"Sh-Shit! Kei, KEI! RESPOND!"

But it was too late! A large mass with the strength of a speeding freight train pushed the spy forward, bashing him roughly into the throne... but also directly into the spotlight! He expertly rolled sideways in order to face his new opponent... and the sight wiped all thoughts from his overloaded brain. Looking up in sheer *awe*, he could only count the many saves he made in previous missions... and how he failed to record his data once tonight.

"You're no tender maiden! I was promised delectable treats! Now, I've got a *treat* for YOU! Akekekekekekekekeke!"

Thus, David Sneak helplessly watched his illustrious career end... under the great weight of a massive, bulbous, robotic behind; a metallic posterior; a mechanized gluteous maximus.

A— "G-Giant ass! M-Metal Rear!"

Game over.

"Eh, Metal... Rear? Sneak, what's wrong? Sneak?! SNEEEEEEEEAK!"

...

"And that's the situation. What do you think?"

Neptune stared at her fiancee, eyeing her like she was a bright pudding cup in a dark rain forest. Yep, you waited over two whole years for a stupid simile. "Woah. That's, like, pretty weird."

Noire sighed, realizing too late that she didn't need to go over Kei's report with her ditz of a lover in such detail. "... Yes, pretty weird."

...

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Clouds... So many clouds...! Woah, look! That one's shaped like a... oh, just a triangle, never mind. It looked like a dragon for a second. Either that, or a freaky sword... Could it still be a sword?

... Nah, no sword. Just a... stupid shape. A triangle. Three sides. Three corners. Three.

Gamindustri. Four nations. Four sides. Four CPUs. Four goddesses. Four allies. Four friends. Four.

A madman... who one of the CPUs tried to call a friend. Four goddesses versus this madman. Four... nearly became three. Could've became three.

... Could STILL become three. Three.

"Bah... Chasing clouds again, Neptune? At least try to stay focused; we still have to be strong enough to save our sisters!"

The non-transformed Lady Purple Heart snapped her face away from the airship's circular window, looking like an eggplant plucked from the garden far earlier than it was ready. "Oh, haha, sorry Noirey! Just thought I saw yer... butt in the sky! Just a big 'ol cloud, though. Like, that mistake is SO easy to make, yepperoni!"

The black-haired tsundere raised a dust-collecting eyebrow, sensing hesitation in her fiancee's voice... and immediately came to the wrong conclusion about what was ailing her. "... Nepgear is going to be fine, okay? Everyone will be. I doubt our sisters would go down without a fight... a-and since the Basilicom is still standing, they clearly didn't 'go down' yet!"

"..." Neptune smiled, her goofy face looking as naturally-exaggerated as ever! However, in an atypical twist... it was taking everything in her to keep up the facade. "Yo, I'm not worried, babe! M-Muahaha, I saw your butt, honest! It, uh, just... made me homesick for a moment! We need to e-end this and get to our bedroom soon, sugar cookie!"

Well, eh... did YOU buy it? Yeah, neither did Noire... but the stubborn woman was too busy pretending to not be throwing up on the inside over Uni's current unknown state to pry much further, so she simply rolled her eyes and left it alone. "Geez... Just fought regenerating zombies and you're already back to being a perverted old man."

"A-Always, Noirey!"

...

An hour had passed since all contact with "professional espionage expert" David Sneak was lost... and our heroines could only fear the worst. Understandable; a man had just gotten crushed by a large ass within the supposedly-safe confines of the Lowee Basilicom. For those who don't remember superfluous details over the span of two years, this was—of course—the same Basilicom where the CPU Candidates were hiding to be kept SAFE from any and all harm. That ass-crushing was quite possibly a worse sign than the massive rebellion against the goddesses that had just been quelled.

Now, all our assortment of heroic individuals could do was wait until they arrived in the Land of White Serenity... and hopefully deal with whatever threat was endangering the CPUs' little sisters.

... This long wait was not the best morale-booster... but I don't think you need to be told that.

"I take it that Jade creep shouldn't have been entrusted with Gear and the others, eh? Man, if only we weren't all scramblin' like headless chickens... Geez, I'm so stupid..." the battle-hardened veteran, IF, groaned. She was sharing this particular ship with Nep and Noire, if you couldn't guess. To be more precise, she currently sat on a wall-mounted bench across from the two technical-non-humans, one foot stretched and the other situated on the seat with her bottom. No more 'butts'!

Hmm... Okay, I can already tell this is gonna get confusing real fast, so let's coin this flying vehicle the 'Nepstation' ship! Thus, everyone in here counts as a current 'Nepstation' airship dweller!

Either way, a flock of light creamy-pink hair besides the brunette tossed to and fro... Wait, that's not disembodied hair! That's Compa! "Oh, don't be like that, Iffy! I'm sure this Mr... Jade? I'm sure this Mr. Jade person tried his very best; anyone can get caught by surprise! What if he was resting and got attacked in his sleep? In that case, I hope he's alright... and alive." Such a caring angel, isn't she? Huh... but upon finishing that statement, a certain cold chill ran down the medic's soft spine. Er, 'soft' is not to be taken literally here. But forget that: the nurse-in-training had no idea why, but speaking the aristocrat's name... made her feel uneasy. Almost as if something in the back of her head was trying to... warn her. Something in her head that was whacked into a misshapen form, never to be remembered easily again. Something like a karate chop to the neck. Compa's neck. Jade's karate chop.

... Nah, she's got nothing. Must still be reeling from her prior kidnapped status. Hm, speaking of...

Madame IF dropped a few of her throwing knives from her sleeves into her fingers, and she observed them for any faults on the blades. "Neh, I guess you're right. Helpful or not, I don't want the guy to be a blood stain on the floor. He's probably another damsel in distress..." Her eyes suddenly widened. "U-Uhm, n-no offense Comps! I-I didn't mean—"

"Iffy, you're so funny!" Compa smiled, flashing a smile before turning back to her syringe. Hmm, she's stuffing some kind of green liquid into its center. "I... was scared, I can't lie... but I knew you and Nep-Nep would save me!"

"... You really aren't hurt, right? Man, when I heard you were in trouble, I swear I nearly..." The tomboy bit her lip. "... lost it. Like, completely."

"I can vouch for that!" Oh? A third voice from this bench... Well, Neptune and Noire are in their own world, so who can this... ah, of course: Lyrica! "Even tickling IF's tummy wouldn't calm her down!"

Compa's eyes widened in surprised joy. "Aww, you're going to make me blush... Wait, your tummy is still ticklish, Iffy?!"

"W-Wha?! F-Fivey, d-don't spread fake r-rumors like that! H-Ha...haha...ha..."

Astute readers may be asking one thing: huhmm... is Lady Green Heart here? It's a fair query: IF has been living with Vert for years now! Add to the fact that Vert nearly died today, and you'd think that the brunette would be buried in the blonde goddess by now! I'll... leave you with that mental image.

Well, as for the answer... No. Lady Vert is on a separate airship, one I'll call 'Lugubriousness, Learning Lasses, and Leanboxians' for future reference... Okay, maybe just the 'Leanbox-ish' ship. We'll get there soon enough.

The explanation lies in a scene such as this, during the exact moment everyone was splitting up into their preferred vessels:

"I-I'm going with YOU, L-Lady Vert! C-Compa and Lyree too! We gotta—"

"Fear not, IF; Cave and Chika will watch over me, and I do believe Histoire and Mina are to make company with us as well... but I am feeling better than ever, so it is merely an overly-dramatic precaution. Thank you for your concern, though. You are a... true friend."

"Lady Vert..."

"Please, do spend time with Neptune; she's your 'sworn sister' now, isn't she? I'm sure you've seen enough of me after all this time, and I do not want her or Compa to become jealous!"

"B-But—"

"You are always so adorable, Miss IF... I'll be fine! You'll see me in Lowee; it'll only be an hour or two. I'm planning to... rest my eyes anyway."

"... Alright, if you... say so..."

Have you ever noticed how IF is kinda sorta maybe a dweeb?

So yeah, the battle-hardened veteran was still very much concerned about her secret favorite CPU... but she DID miss the company of Neptune—in a sick and twisted sort of way—and her childhood friend had just been rescued from tyrannous abductors... so she didn't put up much of a fight.

... So, this is a bit of a tangent, but... Iffy ultimately has a big-breasted goddess and a well-endowed buddy vying for her presence. That's also not mentioning her ACTUAL lover, a blue-haired beauty who is good with her hands and plays guitar.

In essence, IF is a lucky bastard who really gets around.

"But ANYWAY!" she exclaimed, raising her voice to stave off the incoming bashfulness. "Be serious for a second, guys! Comps, I... was real worried. The thought of those creeps holding you hostage... Ugh, it still tastes worse than crummy cough medicine." Blushing, the brunette scratched her cheek as she looked into the nurse's eyes. "... I'm glad you're safe. I'd be nothin' without my... b-best friend."

Compa's own eyes quivered, and tears threatened to swell up... except, unlike how the Yellow Bandanas ultimately turned out, this threat actually came to full fruition! "I-Iffy! I-I'm glad you're safe, too!"

"I-I won't ever let you out of my sight again, ya hear me!"

"Th-That's a bit excessive... b-but ME TOO!"

The two friends began openly weeping, drawing the weary look of Noire, the bemused stare of Neptune, the thrilled grin of Lyrica... and, finally, the cold, virtually-dead eyes of a restrained boy in the back of the airship.

The same boy who had been responsible for Compa's abduction, Neptune's feeling of unease... and the entire situation at hand.

Staying oddly subdued, especially when her own 'sisters' were hamming the scene up, Lady Purple Heart smiled silently... before taking a moment to lock eyes with Adrian on the far end of the enclosed space. The brown-haired rebellion leader stared right back... but Neptune might as well have not existed. In fact, she was merely in his way; it seems he was trying to watch the clouds as well...

Meanwhile...

"'Infinite Fury'... Interesting. Seeing from the description, I take it this is how Adrian was able to... *transform*..."

Ooh, hey, we're not waiting long; it's the 'Leanbox-ish' ship! The scholarly woman, Mina, mumbled to herself as her eyes fixated on the mysterious cheat tome. A book capable of bending reality; taking a mere human and... MORPHING him into something godlike! A book capable of igniting a Gamindustri-wide rebellion... and nearly taking down a CPU with a single strike...

Lowee's Oracle had to admit, the idea of discovering this tome's secrets... *EXCITED* her, in a way she hadn't felt invigorated for quite some time. Since discovering Blanc's and Kei's unlikely and nearly-illicit affair, anyway. "Fascinating... Hmm? Hey, Histoire?"

The tome fairy, busy watching the HDD-enabled Green Heart chatting quietly with Chika and—on the other bench—Cave, took about three seconds to hear her buddy's soft voice. Once she did, her small head turned to her, face blank but clearly... unsettled by something. "Oh... Yes, Mina?"

"Look at the inscription beneath this 'game controller'... 'The Ghost- Pale Heart'... Pale Heart? What do you make of this?"

The name perked up Histy's ears, but more out of uncertainty than recognition. "That is a peculiar name to find in a book... but I have no records of any Pale Heart ever existing. Hmm, and that 'The Ghost' part sounds more to me like some fanfic author's online handle than anything else. It could simply be a failed attempt at copyright, Mina dear."

Mina simply shook her head. "No, it MUST be more than that. We all saw what those boys could do with this! *MAGIC*, Histoire! To our party, sure, that is nothing to blink at... but three unknown boys, leading a mass of rebels against the CPUs? This tome holds more than insignificant tricks."

"..." Truthfully, the tome fairy already suspected as much... but what scared her the most was that she had not a single clue about WHAT this other tome really was. Without another word, she hovered a tad bit closer to Mina's lap—something she's been tending to do a lot more of recently—and pressed her palm against the pseudo-2D controller. "... I... Ngh?!" Just like that, her hand felt as if it had been scalded by boiling shower water! She quickly retracted her small limb and held it to her chest. No visible burns, thankfully. "It... holds far more energy than I anticipated! I can't get an accurate reading on it, however... It is almost as if its power is... hmm, counteracting my own in a way." Like a supernatural mirror, she'd say if she was trying to be more 'hip'. "I have no reason to believe that... something sentient within this tome is familiar with my existence or life-force, but I do not trust it, that much is for certain."

The glasses-wearing woman nodded, but she continued analyzing the controller rather than see the growing concern on her tiny friend's face. "This picture even responds to contact... What are you hiding?" This was a puzzle, more complicated than ANY situation an Oracle could ever deal with! A tough challenge... but a fun one. Mina couldn't help but smile as she gently flicked her finger and turned the page. "I will... study this some more, Histoire. You keep watch on Vert."

"Um..." The Planeptune fairy's right eyebrow lifted... but seeing the apparent joy on Ms. Nishizawa's face made her drop whatever question she had. Mina hadn't been in the most... cheerful mood for awhile now, so anything was better than all those nights at bars. "Alright... but if you come across anything suspect, do let me know."

Another quick nod, like a teenager desperate to get a book report done among a house full of rowdy distractions. "Of course, of course... Perhaps I should ask those two rebels over there—" Her thumb jabbed to the far end of the airship, and she left her thought hanging, not quite devoting enough energy to finish her sentence. The floating book audibly exhaled and took a quick glimpse over at the final two (important, heehee) denizens sharing this airship compartment's space: Almaz and Rei Ryghts. Oh yeah, it feels like it's been years, but aren't those two technically Leanbox soldiers now? You know, in place of going to prison for that whole REBELLION thing? A man got crushed by a giant boulder, guys!

The silver-haired girl caught the fairy watching her, and shrunk behind the equally-meek brown-haired young man. Yeah, I don't think Vert's going to get much use from these 'soldiers'... but what do I know? I've only ever BEEN a soldier. Well, kinda. Oh, and a narrator. And a... chained fool...

... Wait a minute, that reminds me: Adrian was in the 'Nepstation' ship, correct? Why... isn't he in this one? He's Vert's prisoner... Did she demand he go on the other one, or did someone... make a special request?

Unbeknownst to my internal despair and confusion, the Oracle of Planeptune bowed her head for the two 'reformed' 'villains'—who cowered even more as a result—before noticing a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. Her... hair is sticking up! What the...?

Histoire, Histoire, Histoire? Histoire... Histoire... Do you feel ill?

"What on Gamindustri...?" Someone... speaking her name? A distant voice, sounds like... No, wait, not distant...? Seems too close, almost as if it's coming from right behind her... yet miles and miles away. Miles don't even cover the distance, actually.

You had us worried there for a moment, Histoire!

The lights dimmed around the tome fairy, and a low-pitched humming filled the tight compartment, echoing off the enclosed gray metal walls. A gasp... and she could see her breath float up like smoke from a burning cabin. "W-What is... this?"

What is the matter?

"I-I'm..." Why is she so... *cold*?! Shivering, teeth chattering... and her stomach in knots.

Are you alright, Histoire?

Walls... closing in!

Histoire?

Not an airship, but a prison! A prison! A PRISO—

"Histoire? Are you alright, Histoire? What is the matter?"

The book sprite's eyes slammed open, and the first image her sight laid claim to was Green Heart, Chika, and Cave scanning her with perturbed looks. Histy's palms felt clammy, like she had just run a marathon with the flu, and her forehead was sweating too intense to be safe. Did she... black out? What happened just now?

Lady Vert, responsible for the voice that had snapped the Oracle out of whatever trance that was, cleared her throat. Chika immediately pulled out a handkerchief, but the goddess waved her away. "You had us worried there for a moment, Histoire! Do you feel ill?"

Cave, oddly enough, piped in next. "You should sit; it's been a stressful few hours, so rest up, Histoire."

"Ahum!" Chika Hakozaki grunted in the affirmative. "Gonna need all of your brainpower come another hour or two, so don't go nuts yet! Er, completely!"

Histoire, head dazed, still found the power to smile at the Leanbox women's reassurance. Just because they were separated by borders didn't mean they couldn't be there for each other. Chika herself was a great Oracle, and could probably lead the party to victory with her own strategies... but she never looked at things like that. She always wanted to keep the lands together; make Gamindustri about the whole, and not just the individual parts...

... Wow, not even Histoire's thoughts get that sappy out of nowhere! She really must be bothered by whatever the heck was going wrong with her noggin. "Thank you, you three. Maybe I am... stressed out, ashamed as I am to admit such a thing." Realizing that she should be using this time to rest, rather than worry about factors that'd be beyond her control until the Candidates were rescued, the tiny (non-)dancer refilled the spot beside the heavily-distracted Mina, smiling kindly at the two Makers and the transformed CP— "Wait, Vert, why... do you still have HDD enabled?" Ah, yes, a familiar question from the last chapter, remember? Only, at least that was simply a few minutes after a heated battle; it had been over an HOUR now, and there was literally no threat to be found! Well, apart from airborne bacteria.

Chika's ears perked up at the casual question, and stunned herself silly when it sunk in that she had been cuddling with the transformed goddess, and NOT her fluffy human form. "Verty?! Woah, how'd I miss that?! Did you notice, Cave?"

"H-Huh? Oh, um... sorry," the redhead chirped, looking away with a mix of meekness and shame. "I... hadn't noticed either. My apologies, my Lady." That's code for 'Cave has been beating herself up over something'.

Vert seemed somewhat lost, almost as if the three interrogators were speaking another language. I'm betting Italian. "Eh?" She lifted her hands, and cocked her head at her spiked gauntlets; certainly not the tranquil frilled gloves her 'standard' form wore. "Hmm..." Still at a loss? It's almost as if she's... trying to convince herself of something before answering. "... I-I am deeply sorry, all of you!" Dear lord, ANOTHER apology in so few paragraphs? That's gotta be a record by now! "I just..." The green-haired goddess quickly gripped her left arm, as if she had been horribly threatened by a dire wolf in a virtual-reality game. "I-I'm still shaking over... my horrid display earlier. I made a single misstep... and it nearly cost me my life. No, from what I've heard, I DID die today... so maybe you can understand why my beating heart refuses to abate. M-My HDD... helps me calm down; I do hope you understand."

"V-Verty, don't you DARE apologize!" Chika cried, pulling her 'sister' in for a hug titans would fear. "If it helps you calm down, then do it, and do it HARD!"

"Watch yourself..." Cave sighed, though making a poor attempt at hiding a sneaking smirk on the left side of her lips.

The goddess closed her eyes and smiled into the warm embrace. "Thank you, Chika... In fact, I feel I should take some of the advice we instilled on Histoire... and rest my eyes for what little reprieve we have. If you'll all pardon me..." Just like that, Green Heart leaned back, resting her scalp against the cold wall.

Histoire tossed the excuse around her brain... and for now, she felt it would be remiss to press her further. "Alright, I understand... Rest well, Vert, please." Maybe... Maybe this concerning sensation was... nothing but... sick, twisted paranoia. Maybe Vert was... fine... and her HDD status WAS just a coping mechanism for experiencing death for but a minute...

... Even so, the tome fairy would keep a watchful eye on her. Perhaps not as watchful an eye as Mina had on 'The Crucial Codes', but still...

Thus, Lady Vert fell asleep, with Chika caressing her hair like she were a newborn infant. Or a black cat who spoke with chirps. Humming softly to herself, the Oracle slyly looked over at the SMD soldier sitting across the way... and nudged her eyebrows suggestively. Cave, who had tried to resume cogitating about everything that had ever gone wrong in her life, shook her head like an unimpressed father in response... and gah, there's that smirk again! She can't hide it from me!

But... perhaps more importantly, she can't hide it from Lady Chika.

Speaking of hiding things...

"If a freakin' hair on their heads is scruffled, I'm gonna KILL someone!" Good morning to you, Lady Blanc. Well, actually, it's more like 'good late afternoon' by this point... Lady Blanc.

Hark! We doth arrive at a THIRD airship... and the last one of such sincere importance, we must focus in on for a spell. Hmm... codename? Well, eh, 'Blawney Shrugged'...

As you can see, Lowee's (non-transformed) CPU was not taking the candidates' kidnapping too well. "There's a pervert probably licking my pillows—" Please don't over-analyze that. "—giant fat-asses are crushing people in MY throne room AND probably locking my sisters in guest rooms..." She shook her head. "Hell, that pervert's most likely a bloodstain by now, spilled all over the carpet... and if he's not, I'LL make him one... Shit, the only way for this to get worse is if my dragon-proof wall gets destroyed!"

A soft grunt beside her, calm in nature yet no doubt hiding some similar sense of anger, filled the air of the gray interior. "Try to calm down, Blanc. I trust Jade hasn't... done anything to your pillows, and whomever is responsible for seizing the castle didn't sound like the most... formidable terrorist faction. They wouldn't know how to kill a Candidate... and Ram and Rom are too energetic to be caught by a bloated ass anyway." In spite of the situation, you just know she had fun saying that.

"Indeed, fair Blanc, there is nothing to fear!" a surprise voice hollered from the top of the proverbial mountain (please, can we have at least one chapter where we don't have to talk about mountains?)! Huh? That voice... Why, yes, I KNEW it! The fair Nisa is here with the Lastation Oracle and Lowee goddess, along with her 'cronies' Gust and Nepgeo! "Lady Nepgear and the others must simply be biding their time before they turn the tides against these vile fiends!"

"Tone it down," Gust grumbled...

... But the spoilsport didn't faze the heroine of justice one bit! "By the time we're there, in fact, I know they will be waiting for us at the front door, safe and sound!"

The purple-haired impostor, sitting beside her with her chin against her right fist, puffed out a cheek. "Lindy better be too..."

"I-I'm sure she is doing well too, Nepgeo! N-No, I know!" These three together? That's one wacky bench.

The other bench, though? Yeah, not so wacky. The boyish Oracle listened closely as the three friends said their pieces... and she couldn't help but fixate on the girl dressed up as one of the kidnapped little sisters. On closer inspection, their facial features were quite different... but from afar, it'd be easy to confuse the two, no doubt! Hell, the only major distinction from a distance is the ASIC hairclip... "Hmm... Excuse me," Kei Jinguji began, singling out the girl in question. "I apologize, but have we... met?"

"Hm?" Nepgeo turned at once, chin still breaking bread with her balled hand. "Oh, uh... Hi! Don't, uh, don't think we... have. H-Haha, sorry 'bout that. Did you think I was Nepgear? Well, no; I'm actually Nepugia, the Queen of Fake News!"

"Name is Nepgeo. She is idiot." Thanks, our trustworthy alchemist-friend.

Kei raised an eyebrow, clearly channeling her inner Cave. "'Nepgeo'? Yes, I believe I recognize the name... er, beyond the obvious parody." ParoDIES. "During our battle with ASIC, you distracted our agents through Chirper... albeit, unintentionally. It... WAS unintentional, wasn't it?"

The fake Nepgear suddenly looked like she was staring down a flaming automobile that roared like a mountain... Oh dear lord, what does that even mea— "A-Ah, y-yeah! I, uh, d-didn't mean no harm, honestly! J-Just messin' with my online, er, peeps!" Confidence, confidence, confidence... Crap, confidence fading! Her hand darted up towards the identifying hair-clip and covered it, the girl masking the motion as if she was scratching at lice. "O-Oh, and ah, th-this ASIC thingy-ma-bob is just for show! I-I don't endorse 'em at all now! E-Er, EVER! I-I'm just a rowdy hip youth-type... eheh?"

"... I see. Well, nice to make your acquaintance. Just don't get in the way of our official business, and there will be no issues."

"O-Okay, s-sounds good!" Interesting... Kei intimidated the flirtatious lass so much that the idea TO flirt didn't even cross her mind!

As that wrapped up, the stewing Blanc—steam filing out from her ears like haze from a burning cabin—also noticed the false Candidate for perhaps the very first time. Unfortunately, our dear White Heart was in no mood to make new friends. "... Why the hell do you look like Nepgear? Is your hair even purple? What, tryin' to rebel against your mom?"

Neh! A sharp pain spiked through Nepgeo's heart... and while she didn't believe in thinking ANY ill thoughts about other women, she at least had to vent by clenching her left fist. Still, she had the wherewithal to hide it behind her back, so as not to appear rude. "... I just like Nepgear, is all... If more people were like her, maybe... maybe all this bad stuff wouldn't be happening right now." A frown. "Maybe Lindy would be home with us, too..."

"... Feh, yeah... Nepgear's..." Is this... nostalgia? Warm memories of the Planeptune CPU Candidate spending the evening on Lowee, reading Blanc's stories to Ram and Rom at night. The moonlight shone through the tilted blinds, and her innocent face lit up like a throne filled with Sharicite. Even on the coldest nights, and through the heaviest of blizzards, Nepgear could warm the nation. Nay, ANY nation!

White Heart... had never allowed herself to make many friends; in fact, when her top five friends includes VERT... Well, do I really need to spell it out for you? But, Nepgear, believe it or not, was the first real friend she had. Not that this would EVER leave her head; NO ONE could ever hear this drivel, ESPECIALLY the Candidate in question!

Basic matter was, Purple Sister and—after the events of last year—Kei... became the CPU's dearest non-sibling allies. As such, Blanc knew she could always trust them. Nepgear was always a voice she could rely on... She was someone who could NEVER lead her astray!

... Shit, what the HELL was she thinkin' all this for?! Nepgeo's givin' her a weird look now! "... A-Ah! A-Ahum... Yeah, Nepgear's a pretty damn good role model... I guess..." Man, if you ever thought that Noire had a hard time letting people into her heart, really take a good look at this chick. Determined to leave this conversation chain before it got *weird*, the goddess replayed the sentence that had incidentally set her off... and aha, there it was! The perfect detail that would steer this thing away from actual emotion! "... Wait, 'Lindy'?" Blanc tasted the foreign word... and stuck out her tongue once the flavor surfaced. "Waitaminute... You mean Underling? That bitch? You're a friend of hers?"

Gust scoffed, and Nisa bonked the back of her large-hatted head. Unrelated, Geo blushed a faint shade of pink, crossing her arms in reflection. "Heehee... Yeah, we're... friends."

"Friends...? You bangin' her? Tell me, is she actually a dude? I always had that suspicion."

"W-Woah, you move in fast!" NOW the flirt was beginning to have some fun. Sticking her tongue out like the tease she is, she stole the ball and roundhouse-kicked it back into White Heart's court! "Well first of all, Lindy is NO dude; far from it! Second of all... hehe, what about YOU and—" Her hands began waving towards the boyish Oracle, trying to clench answers that didn't even make it to the results sheet. "—uh, the short-haired cutie. YOU!"

Kei looked... as impressed as Kei always looks. "Me? Kei Jinguji, Oracle of Lastation."

"Yeah, Kei! Are you and Kei *lovey-dovey*?! I have a radar for this stuff, and you're both *bleep-bleepin'* like crazy!"

Mark it down, fellow Gamindustri scholars, for this is a rare sight none have lived to see: the human form of Lady White Heart... is BLUSHING! Blushing like a reporter who just had her clothes explode on contact with a visual novel dialogue box. "C-Crap, what the hell?!"

Kei didn't quite have as juicy a reaction... but her insides were melting down at the easygoing question. For a woman who had to keep tabs on everything and calculated even how much drops of orange juice she consumed each morning, she hadn't actually planned for a situation where... someone comes close to discovering that she and the Lowee goddess were, as the 'rowdy hip youth-types' would say, 'an item'...

Was it crucial to keep this info locked away, you ask? Well... maybe, yeah. The second Neptune and Noire 'came out' to the public, dissent rocked the streets... and a massive swarm of hard-pressed citizens were brainwashed into taking part in a rebellion. With tensions already high, perhaps now was not the best time for people to know that the goddess of one nation and the Oracle of another were... together.

So, in typical Kei fashion, the question needed to be sniped down. Immediately. "*First of all*, watch your mouth." A satisfied smirk. "Anyway, this is inappropriate to discuss..." She snuck an aside glance towards her actual secret lover. "... but for the record, Lady White Heart would have no interest in someone of my stature." ... Screw it... Kei had changed a bit over this past year. "Besides, if she was dating me or anyone else, she'd have less time to fantasize about Lady Green Heart." Yeah, even she could find enjoyment with screwing around with the girl of her dreams. 'Screwing' is an all-encompassing term.

"I-I HEARD THAT! Say that again!"

"Fine: if you were dating me or anyone else, you'd have less time to fantasi—" We'll let them go at it in peace.

Nepgeo, calming down a slight bit thanks to the obviously-dating cute women bickering, sank back into the airship's bench, before tilting her neck and playing with Gust's hat's right ear. "Stop," was all the smaller girl grunted.

Nisa as well relaxed, readjusting herself to sit cross-legged on the seat. Ouch, I don't even have bone joints and I'm feeling that. "Paaaaaaaaaaah... This airship moves too slow! Our dear comrades face an uncertain foe, yet all we can do is wait around!"

"Gust not so sure... Foe may be more certain than Nisa realizes."

"... Hm?" If only the heroine of justice was a cat, because her ears perked up like a calico hearing a can pop open! Ah, yes, that's the only reason the internet would want her to be a cat. "You... claim to know the threat we face, fair sidekick?"

"Gust not sidekick!" The business-savvy alchemist pulled out a tiny plastic ladle and flung it at her (non-)mentor. (Non-)Guardian? (Non-)Mainkick? "Silly bumpkin! Think about it: giant Lowee ass crushes idiot? Creepy molester laugh? Abducted children? Gust knows CFW Trick behind it all."

"That's... certainly a good way to describe it..." The blue-haired crime-fighter mulled this over. CFW Trick? One of four component... thingies that made up the Deity of Sin.

Back in the days of ASIC, she had helped face the Four Felons, and one by one the fiends fell. However, accomplishing that only served to revive the dark goddess, since defeating the CFWs sent their soul fragments back into the slumbering Arfoire... Or, was she remembering that wrong? Neh, truth be told, Nisa never got the full skinny on the adventure's logistics; she was just there to enact justice, whatever the cryptic plot was!

... Last year, it was made exceptionally clear that Arfoire still walked among the world... or at least somewhere in the dimension, and the heroine already knew of TWO former CFWs currently alive in some regard... but hearing Trick's name was still unexpected. "... You... sincerely suppose that it's... one of the Felons? But what would they...?"

Nepgeo played with the orange-haired-girl necklace, half paying attention to the brewing discussion, as the wearer of massive gloves matter-of-factly answered the flat-chested vigilante. "No doubt; Gust is certain! But... highly doubtful Trick acting alone. Would take more than one person or monster to seize Basilicom with four Candidates."

"Wh-Who is he working with, then?! I-It can't be... Brave, and ESPECIALLY can not be Judge! That I know to be a fact!" Sh-She's... s-sticking up for...!

... L-Let's hear what Gust is about to say, o-okay?! "No... Well, Gust can't say one way or another. But, someone else, for sure..." Hmm? For a second, but ONLY a second, a look resembling... sadness sparkled in the alchemist's irises. In fact, the instantaneous shine must've finally snatched Nepgeo's attention, for she looked up just in time for the dramatic continuation.

"G-Gusty...?"

"... Underling."

Alright, that's it for Part 1. The, er, "dramatic continuation" of this exact conversation will resume next time.

Now comes the promised note.

...

I won't bore you with the details of my sob story, but basic gist is, things haven't been well. The past four—hell, more than that—years have been a mess and, try as I might to constantly look on the bright side of things, I simply couldn't keep up after awhile. Once things you thought you loved suddenly turn into not only sources of immense stress, but outright BURDENS... well, there's a certain spark for living that flies straight out the window. Somewhere along the way, writing unfortunately became one of those burdens.

Every day, I wake up and reflect on the same exact things: my life going nowhere fast; no apparent skills I feel confident in; feeling like there's no one to confide in; having no PURPOSE... I can't lie, there were times I honestly considered completely giving up. To stop fighting, to stop living. To silence all the negative voices screaming at me within my own head. Give up on finding my purpose. Just end it all. Hell, I'd also be lying if I said the thought still didn't cross my mind, even right now. In a world I more and more realize I don't belong in nor ever will, dying would be the easiest course of action. With no one to tell me otherwise, what else can I think?

... Well, I'm still here, for what it's worth. I... still haven't gotten any closer to finding what my purpose in this world truly is, nor what I'm even good at or can dedicate my life to... and maybe I never will. But, call it being stubborn or even selfish, I don't want to call it quits. Not yet, anyway.

In terms of fanfiction writing, however... up until a month ago, I swore I was done. Done with it all. Hell, maybe I'd just never write ANYTHING again. However, this fic still nags me to this day; a loose end I have a deep urge to tie up. But, in a cruel twist of fate, I fear I don't have it in me to write anymore. No confidence, no skill, nothing. In fact, I can't help but wonder if I ever had any skill to begin with. Was there ever a time I COULD have finished this? Am I the worst writer there is? Have I ever made anything worth a shit? Am I a laughingstock, a joke of the community? Have I always been, and I just desperately tried not to see it? Is my legacy doomed to be less than a footnote; a forgotten sack of something less than a human being that has no worth to anyone? All the time, care, and hair-pulling effort I put out there, destined to be cast aside? Have the screaming voices in my mind been correct this whole time, from the very first word I wrote in March 2012? Should I have even tried? Did I accomplish shit?!

I just... don't know. My head is more muddled now than it's ever been... and frankly I don't have a clue what to think. Is it even worth continuing past this point? Can I even pull it off? And, perhaps, most importantly, do any of YOU care? Would any of you bat an eyelash if I were to disappear from the face of the earth? Hell, if this account just vanished one day? Should I push on through, or officially end this? If I know the interest is there, then I will keep fighting on and keep this going. If not, then I at least have confirmation on something.

Maybe soon I'll at least have that answer. Either way, if you took the time to read this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Hopefully I'll see you next time too. Whether it's the beginning of the rest of this fic, or the last official chapter I upload, there'll at least be the (shorter) Part 2 of this fic on its way. See ya there.