Lowee, Noire's retreat facility, 3:30pm

Noire's reaction to the news was... less than pleasant. Three years. Three years without Noire and it seems like the world had all but forgotten she even existed. Here she was, staring out a window in a dingy Lowee facility.
It wasn't even a window. It was a webcam hooked up to a tree on top of a hill. The facility was underground, for security reasons. The panel on Noire's wall was just a digital interface to simulate a window.

When Mina broke the news to Noire, the former Goddess became catatonic. Sat in front of a window with a blanket over her, Noire was simply wishing to wither away and die. She believed the world had left her behind, and her only option was to give up.

Fate had other plans, however.

Behind her, Noire heard the already familiar creak of the door opening. Great she thought, Mina's come to beg me to speak again

"...Noire?" Huh? That voice wasn't Mina. It was a lot higher in pitch, a lot more familiar, it was-

"Noire, is it really you?" It was... Uni?

Out of the corner of her eye, Noire could see Uni pull up a chair beside her. Turning to face her, Noire could already see that the Uni before her wasn't the same Uni she taught to fire a rifle five years ago. Those scars still remained, and her leg was still covered in bionics.

"Uni? Are you really here?" Noire was verging on paranoia, she was well aware that she could face hallucinations after waking up from a coma.

Uni delayed her response, instead leaning closer into Noire and taking one of her hands.
"Yes, Noire, it's me." she said, a familiar softness in her voice.

The same softness that was present long ago.

Noire let out a weak smile. It was all she was capable of, as she was still too groggy from waking up to do much else.

Uni knew, of course. The Lastation sisters always had a strange, almost telepathic bond with the other. Perhaps it's a Goddess System thing and nobody else knew. Perhaps it's a sister thing. The former candidate nudged her chair directly against Noire's, and leaned in for a hug. Noire raised a hand over Uni's arm and gave it a gentle stroke. In truth, she was shocked that Uni even cared. After all, Noire did kill her girlfriend.

"Uni, I thought you'd hate me?"
"I did, sis, but three years is a long time, even for me." Uni gave a weak, warm smile, which quickly faded to sadness "It's... just not the same without you or Neptune in the world."

Noire didn't even think about the rest of the world.

"How's Lastation? How are you and Kei doing?"

Uni let out a weak, embittered laugh "Things are... not good. The rebuilding efforts from Plutia's attack are still underway, and lots of citizens in affected areas are very angry. We've reason to believe that the twin Orange Hearts are sending agents in to incite anti-Goddess attitudes too. Not to mention the fact that they're still trying to push us into releasing the sword. Thankfully, though, they bought that you and Neptune are dead, so you're at little risk."

Noire's ears perked up upon mention of the sword. "What about the sword?"

Uni sighed, as if she expected that question. "Lowee, Lastation and Leanbox are all engaged in a smokescreen campaign to misdirect the attention of the twin Orange Hearts. Leanbox is sending fake transmissions to its outposts that imply the sword is within its borders, which Lastation and Lowee are reinforcing with similarly falsified transmissions... except it's not in Leanbox at all. It's here, where you are, about 50 floors down. Nobody knows this except you, me, Cave, Rei, Blanc, Kei and Mina-"

"Wait, Uni... you said Cave and Rei?" Noire was puzzled. Last she remembered, they were just two advisors, How did they become THAT important?

Uni folded her arms and looked out the faux-window. "Chika was in no state to rule Leanbox, so we took her under her wing to keep her safe and had Cave run a campaign to raise support for a new Goddess. Naturally, Rei stepped in. The nation has pretty much stabilized, though the nation still mourns Vert. Rei mostly follows Vert's old policies, with a few deviations. She keeps Planeptune occupied with naval skirmishes that won't amount to much, and if the twin Orange Hearts appear she's enough of a match for them."

Leanbox ruled by a million year old Goddess and a deep voiced security specialist... the surprises just keep coming.

"What of Planeptune, Neptune's old stomping ground?"

Uni's posture fell, as if she was suddenly defeated just by the mention of that place.

"It's... not really good. It's basically become a surveillance state. From the outside it looks fine, but that's because they're heavily monitoring what gets OUT. Citizens of other lands think it's unchanged, but we see it for what it is. People just... disappear if they criticize the twin Orange Hearts. Histy is still their mouthpiece, but it's obvious that she has no choice. We even heard rumours that Nepgear's grave has been... has been desecrated." Uni slumped down on the chair beside her sister, 3 years of pent up emotions coming to the forefront.

Noire leaned over and cuddled her sister, caressing her hair as she did so many years ago.

"I love you, Uni, and we can do this together, alright?" Noire looked down at Uni, a proud big sister once again. Uni looked up, tears in her eye, as if she was the same girl that Noire taught to style her hair.

But another question was on Noire's mind, a most important one.

"Neptune... Where's Neptune?"

Uni went pale. This was the question she absolutely did not want to answer.

"She's in Lastation, deep within the industrial sector. Nobody would suspect that the nation that killed my- that killed her sister would harbor her safely. But... you can't visit her."

A subtle anger began to appear in Noire's eyes. "Why not?" she asked sharply.

"Noire... everyone thinks you're dead. If you come back, do you have any idea what that'll do to the state of the world? Lastation is being monitored, if the twin Orange Hearts see that you're alive, Goddess knows what they'd do to you, or to Neptune."

Uni was, admittedly, right. For Neptune's sake, Noire couldn't go out into the open like that. Not yet, anyway.

"So, what can I do, Uni?" Noire said, her words tinged with irritance.

Uni looked to the faux-window, then to Noire, then to the door.

"We can get you out of here, but there's a catch; You need to stay in Lowee for a week, in their Basilicom. We'll move the sword and maybe begin operations against Planeptune. But you absolutely CAN NOT be discovered, understood?"

Uni was more assertive now. She had that leaderly tone in her voice, though she tried to suppress it.

"Understood. When can I leave?"

"Right now, in fact." Mina's voice came from the doorway. There stood the oracle, suitcase in hand. Had she been listening this whole time? It mattered not.

Noire stood up, and almost immediately her legs gave out under her. Falling onto Uni, the former candidate acted as a crutch for Noire as she exited the facility. For once, Uni supported Noire, and not vice versa.

The two had been talking for hours, and the sun had begun to set. For the first time in years, Noire got to see the sun set, to feel the wind on her face. It was a beautiful feeling.

One that wouldn't last.