I am SO SORRY, my dear readers! I was drowning in university work previously and it kept distracting me from this chapter. Hopefully, the wait will have been worth it!

Anyway, review responses:

Saturn56: That's exactly right. I first promoted this story on the NIS America forums and the usual yuri-loving backlash ensued. I will forever remember Alura's cries of "There will be no sausages in my flower garden" and I have immortalised his personality in Red. Or taken inspiration from.

Eisenfaust: I know. It's been a long while, huh? I wonder how much longer this whole thing is going to take me... Anyway, thanks. Yeah, working with someone who's not listening to you can be exhausting. You'll find out about that last point later.

SS7x3: Good to know I'm keeping you all on your toes. And I haven't a clue; there's so much more here than we'll ever know...

SVK9: Ah, thank you very much. And so many questions... Oh, how I wish I could join in these discussions from the perspective of a reader and not spoil anything! Rest assured that your concerns will be addressed in due time! Also, if possible, could you break up your review into paragraphs, please? It's a bit hard to read in massive chunks...

Guest: Well, that's a very blunt way of asking that. Anyway, as per my usual no spoilers policy, can't tell. Terribly sorry.

ALSO, because I should, here are the review responses for the updated first chapter:

Saturn56: No, I just wanted to change the first chapter. I don't even have a Vita and I don't really have any cause to get it.

SVK9: Really? Huh... Perhaps the problem is in the writing itself? Maybe you didn't like the new voice I had grown into in the two years of the fanfic's writing? What impression did you get from the original first chapter and how did you get it?

So here we go. Neptune's state post-antidote and the new Jacob-Red-IF party will be (partly) explored here in...

Chapter 32: The Morning After

John was walking through the household at three in the morning. This might have been normal for some people but it was not for him. At three in the morning, John would normally be asleep in his bed. John would not normally be walking up the stairs with a scowl bored so deeply into his face that it could have lead to some ancient treasure. This could possibly explain why he didn't look very pleased at all.

Acting on the instinct of doing something a hundred times before, John brought up his hand to knock on the wall.

"He's not here."

John's knuckles didn't make contact. His scowl became more of a general expression of displeasure as he sighed. Still, he was awake for a reason so he traversed the rest of the stairs and opened the door at the top. He saw that the TV in the corner of the room was turned on and someone was sitting on the rocking chair about a metre away with a PS3 controller in their hand.

"Zac, it's..." The father couldn't stop himself from yawning, not that he was awake enough to try, "... one in the morning..."

"Ugh..." Zac removed his right hand from the controller and used it to rub his forehead. "I know... Sorry, I forgot to turn the volume down..."

"Why are you up this early...?" John inquired as he made his way to a beanbag and sat down in it. "And why did you have to turn the PS3 on? Couldn't you read a book or something?"

Zac didn't look away from the TV as he resumed playing the game. "Sorry. Couldn't sleep. I'm up to a bit in this game that I really want to get past."

John shot Zac a flat look, which was an impressive feat given how tired he was. "And you haven't gotten past it at one AM."

"Really wanted to see what happened next."

John sighed but he looked at the TV. "... Hang on, is this Jacob's game?"

Zac nodded.

"Alright then. I guess I'll watch." John shuffled around in the beanbag to get comfortable. "Just turn it down a bit."

"Got it."

While Zac reached for the remote and turned the volume down, John took a closer look at the screen. Facing forward was a young purple-haired girl wearing a white hoodie and she was in a snowy forest. There was one path ahead and another path to the right. "So what's this about?"

"I'm playing as Neptune. I'm trying to find four Key Fragments to save the world from monsters." Zac picked up the controller again and made Neptune run down the right path in what had to be the most stereotypically girly run John had seen to this day. All of a sudden, the screen froze and blurred outward with a sharp sound.

John picked up on Zac's groan. "What happened?"

"It's a fight."

The screen changed to a... 'room' in the snowy forest that was much wider than what Zac walked in before. Some red rooster thing stood on one side while Neptune stood on the other along with a girl with a blue jacket and long brown hair and a girl wearing a white cotton shirt and had long pinkish hair. The purple-haired girl had a sword, the brunette had knives and the girl with pinkish hair had, of all things, a massive syringe.

The screen focused on the brunette, apparently named 'IF' from the box at the bottom of the screen with her face on it. Zac pressed a button and IF dashed towards the rooster that was called 'Bird of Paradise'. However, the dash was very short lived; immediately after IF moved, she was back right in her battle stance again and a red number floated upwards from the Bird of Paradise.

"Wait, what happened?" John asked as the process happened again. "Is the disc skipping?"

"No, I am," Zac answered. "The attacks take too long so I'm skipping them."

"You can do that?"

"Yeah, the attacks take ages and I'm in a hurry."

Ten more seconds passed. A green AP gauge was gradually decreasing on the side of the screen as IF kept dashing and not-dashing and inflicting damage.

"So what else do you do in this game?" asked John.

Zac took a moment to think. "Uh, run around, get items and... that's kind of it, really."

John turned to look at Zac. "Really?"

"Really."

IF had finally defeated the Bird of Paradise. The screen then changed again, showing IF retract her knives and put her hands on her hips. After another screen change, Neptune was running along the path again.

"It looks kind of boring," John commented.

"It kind of is," Zac answered. "Still, I want to know what happens next."

Yawning once more, John stood up and walked to the stairs. "Well, I'm going to bed. Make sure you finish up soon."

"After this dungeon."

Before he walked down, John turned to look at his son one more time. "G'night."

"Good night, Dad," Zac answered without looking away from the TV to see his father descend down the stairs.

IF awoke in the middle of the night. She held herself back from getting out of bed right away. First, she listened to all the sounds of the room... She could hear Red's soft snoring, the dragon's loud snoring and Jacob's quietness in his sleep while snug in his sleeping bag. Yup; all of her party was asleep and wouldn't mind her leaving for a short bit.

She turned her head to the window. The edge of the moon was touching the top of the forest's tallest tree. Smiling with restrained glee, IF took off her sheets slowly and softly before she lifted her feet out of the bed and onto the floor. She put on her jacket and did up her shoes before, with careful and gentle steps, walking around her bed and past Jacob's sleeping bag on her way to the door.

"Mmmmph!"

IF stopped. She looked at Jacob's bag and saw it squirm with constant "mmmmph"s coming from it. The brunette bent down and pulled down the bag and found Jacob bound in rope and his mouth obstructed with a cloth. He continued with his "mmmmph"s while struggling against his restraints to the best of his ability and keeping his wide eyes focused on IF. The Moderatist mouthed a "the hell?" to herself before she took off the cloth gag.

Jacob gasped for air. "That girl is a psycho!" he wheezed.

"Jacob, keep it down," IF whispered. "It's three in the morning."

"I know!" Jacob hissed. "I've been keeping count! It was really boring!"

"How'd you end up like this, anyway?" IF asked as she untied the rope that restrained Jacob's arms and legs.

"Red did it." Jacob stretched and sat up. "Right after you fell asleep, she knocked me out cold after yelling at me about not trusting wifey-snatching aliens or whatever. I woke up like this and I haven't been able to get back to sleep."

"... She yelled? How did I not wake up from that?"

"I was about to ask you."

IF glanced over at Red. The young girl had her back towards the two of them and she remained still as if in sleep. "So... she knows?"

"About what?"

"About you being from another world?"

Jacob grunted as he stood up. "I guess."

"Did you tell her the details?"

"Gagged."

"Ah."

Jacob rolled his shoulders. "I can probably do it now but I don't want her to attack me."

"Just wait until morning," IF suggested. "We'll all be ready by then."

"Alright," Jacob responded. "Where are you going, by the way?"

"Just an early morning walk."

"Oh. Can I come with you? I don't feel slee—"

"Noooo!" screamed a flying red blur that tackled Jacob into the wall and created a 'BANG!' loud enough to wake the dead. "I won't let you do your mind wobblies on my wifey!"

"Red! What the hell?" IF shouted without regard for keeping it down.

"Don't let him fool you, Iffy!" Red shouted at IF while she sat on Jacob's back, keeping him down while holding his arms crossed behind him. "He'll get you alone on your walk and then he'll try to suck out your life force!"

"Red, please relinquish me at once before I render you incapacitated for the duration of tomorrow..." Jacob warned with language that was at stark odds with his growling and expression that could melt mountains.

"Red, what are you talking about?" IF asked.

"SHUT UP!" cried someone from the next room. "I've got an appointment at nine o'clock and I'll beat you all to death with your own door if I'm late!"

Red quickly hopped off Jacob and joined IF in her slight hunch of embarrassment. Jacob didn't use this opportunity to have his revenge as he too was slightly hunching.

IF sighed. "Okay," she whispered. "Why was that necessary?"

"Iffy, boys are evil," Red answered. "He'd take you to a nice stroll in the park, then he'd turn against you and steal your energy, then I'd have to come in and save the day when he transforms into a monster."

"Red, I am not a monster," Jacob asserted.

"Oh sure you're not," Red remarked with a level of sarcasm higher than her eyes rolled up. "Only a monster would say that, you know."

"What about you?" Jacob bent down, scowling.

"I know I'm not a monster so I'm not a monster!" Red crossed her arms.

"Well, I know I'm not a monster. What does that make me?"

"A liar with his pants on fire! Soon to be literally!"

The dragon let out what might have been a sigh as it puffed some smoke from its nostrils.

"Okay, look, I've had enough of this," IF cut in without bothering to keep her voice at a whisper. "Ever since yesterday, you two have been fighting pretty much non-stop. This ends now."

"He started it!" Red whined.

"She started it," Jacob complained.

"Please stop it..." IF rubbed her forehead. "I am going for a walk. If you're not asleep, please don't be at each other's throats."

"But—"

"Red, I am really tired right now."

Red groaned. "Fine..."

Jacob simply nodded.

"Good. See you both later." IF walked quickly to the door and saw herself out without looking back.

Jacob exhaled. "Red, there's something I—"

A quick whack to the back of his head from a giant kendama quickly knocked him out. "Not on my watch, bucko," Red declared before dismissing her weapon.

Once again, IF walked through the forest shining blue in the moonlight. Unlike before, when the atmosphere was about as dead as IF was, it was much more lively despite being just as bereft of activity. The serenity in the air felt drinkable and IF's lungs and throat felt more and more rejuvenated with every step she took. She listened as attentively as she could for the one sound of 5pb's singing.

"Na..." sang the idol from a short distance away.

IF smiled and made her way to the river. As she predicted, 5pb was also there. She wasn't singing any particular rhythm; she was saying "na" at varying pitches, getting steadily higher and steadily lower.

"You should really use this as a backdrop for one of your performances," IF commented as her eyes traced along the river's edge.

"Ah!" cried the startled 5pb as she whirled around, her wavelength eyes spiking viciously. When she saw IF, she calmed down almost instantly. "Oh... it's you, Iffy..."

IF's eyes shot open. "I-Iffy?"

"O-Oh!" 5pb's wavelength eyes returned and she took a step back. "So sorry, I was thinking about it and I got a bit too too tootootootoo—"

"Hey, calm down!" IF held up her hands and smiled at 5pb as warmly as she could manage with her surprise. "It's okay! It's okay! I was just... not expecting it."

5pb's heavy panting gradually slowed down, as did the thumping of IF's heart. "Okay... okay..."

"So, uh... yeah, you can call me I-Iffy."

The idol smiled a bit. "T-That's good..."

A cricket chirped.

"So, um, what are you up to?" IF asked.

"Oh, j-just practising my vocals... Not much else." 5pb tapped her fingers together. "Um... h-how are things with your friends...?"

IF flinched. "It's... complicated."

The idol hesitated. IF's reluctance seemed to have latched onto her. "Did... you talk to them?"

IF's mind flickered back to the previous day. She had to admit, Vert alarmed her when she came into her room completely uninvited and brought up the 'incident' the day before. However, when Vert comforted her rather than punished her for it, IF... IF had no words for it. It was simply wonderful. That wonder was then ruined when Jacob entered the room, most likely to pound the crap out of her. It surprised her when he told her he wasn't there for that; Jacob, like Vert, offered her his support and didn't hate her for what happened. He even offered to stay with her and help her out with the fractured party.

IF couldn't help but smile. "Actually, I did. Well, one of them, anyway. He's a nice guy if a bit blunt."

"Oh... how'd that go?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. My other friends... are still a bit on the fence but we're working on that. Hopefully..." IF's smile faded. "Well, I don't really know if we can fix everything. But I guess we're gonna try."

"Well, you're getting somewhere," 5pb commented with a smile. "That's good."

"Thanks."

The conversation lulled into a silence. As IF patiently waited for 5pb to say something, a small breeze blew in the area and it picked up a leaf and carried it to a tree with a small 'crick'.

"Um, 5pb?" IF asked.

"Oh, yes?"

"I'm just curious but what are your friends like?"

5pb's smile fell. She took her eyes away from IF and to the ground.

IF was quick to regret asking her curious question. "Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to, sorry... um..."

The idol sighed. "I don't actually have any friends... Being an idol, I don't have time to meet any new people..."

Cheeks glowing from embarrassment, IF looked away. "S-Sorry... shouldn't have asked that."

5pb looked back up at the Moderatist and smiled. "B-But I'm happy that things with your friends are going better... I... I think..." The idol quickly turned her head away from the brunette. "I-I consider you my... f-first friend..."

Silence set in again but much more suddenly this time. IF could feel the faint warmth rise to her face and push back the night's cold air that was clinging to it. "Really? I-I'm honoured, 5pb, really. Well, I consider you a friend, too... and I never thought I'd say that to an idol."

Her face was still turned elsewhere but IF could see the corners of her mouth turn up regardless. "Thank you... That makes me happy..."

IF suddenly found herself at a loss for words. The moon's light fell behind 5pb onto the river, creating a sparkling shadow of water for the idol. At that moment, the Moderatist felt a connection to the idol. Perhaps it was the inner fan crying out but IF found herself wanting to get closer to 5pb. She said she was her first friend, they met in the middle of the night at a lake just to talk...

IF made her decision. "Hey, 5pb..."

The idol's eyes returned to meet the Moderatist's. "... Yes?"

IF, remaining as still as she could to not upset the moment, breathed in through her nose and out again. "I was wondering... would you like to join my party?"

The idol's eyes briefly widened. "Wh... Really?"

The brunette rubbed the back of her head. "Well, you don't have to if you don't want to. It's just, we're friends and I'd like to have you come along with us. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind you a—"

"O-Others...?" Just as IF really should have seen coming, wavelengths formed in 5pb's eyes again. Her curled hands moved up to her mouth as she took a step back. "I-I-I'm not g-good with others... M-Meeting new people..."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry I asked!"

"N-No! I want to, it's just..." The idol lowered her head. "I'm..."

IF smiled. "Hey, it's a bit late for you to meet my party anyway. Maybe we can make some other kind of arrangement?"

5pb lifted her head, looking at IF with curious eyes. "Um... W-What do you have in mind?"

Quietly, IF opened the door to her room and took the utmost care with her steps as she walked in, closing the door behind her. Red was definitely in her bed and Jacob's sleeping bag was closed and full of a human-sized sleeper, who was most likely Jacob himself.

"Jacob, did everything go alright?" IF asked as she opened up Jacob's sleeping bag.

"Mm hmhm hm," Jacob mumbled through his gag.

IF sighed.

Neptune gasped. She was roughly five metres deep in a hole surrounded by the hardest rock she'd ever seen and felt and she was struggling with all her might to prevent herself from drowning in the syrupy purple water. All she could see that was above the hole was a dark red sky that sent down stinging violet rain onto her face. She fought without pause but none of her endeavours could stop her glacially slow descent into the waters.

She began to panic. She thrashed and tossed her body every way she could but she only sunk faster. Streams of abnormal gas rose from the liquid and she could feel them enter her ears like threats of murder delivered in whispers. Like the water and the rain, the gases were cold, acidic and devoid of any meaning she could take away for herself.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Her struggling began to wane and her descent slowed down. Neptune panted in exertion as she waited for the footsteps to get closer. Finally, at the edge of the hole, a silhouette showed itself. Neptune recognised who it was immediately; the long hair, the jacket and the leaf ribbon could only belong to IF.

"I-Iffy!" Neptune struggled to call out, extending her hand to her only hope at the same time. "Help me! Please!"

IF did not answer. Her gaze did not change. She stood there silently, looking down at the purple-haired CPU with eyes as cold and empty as glass. Without breaking eye contact with the girl below her, IF pulled out of her pocket a black vial with a skull and crossbones printed on it in white. She tossed it into the body of water without a second thought.

Neptune looked at the water around her. It began to bubble. It began to rise. "Iffy!" Neptune cried. "Wait! Please don't leave me here!"

IF did not respond. She continued looking down at Neptune as the water actively began to drag Neptune in. "Iffy! IFFY!" Neptune continued crying, never looking away from the human void that stared at her as the liquid finally dragged Neptune down far enough to cover her mou—

"Ah!" Neptune screamed as she shot up from her bed. "Ha... ha... ha..."

"Huh?" Compa grunted as she quickly lifted herself up off Neptune's bed and sat up straight. She blinked several times as her sight adjusted to the gentle orange illumination that the morning cast in the room. She turned her head to the right, still blinking, and faced a sweaty and panting CPU. "Hm... Nep-Nep, you're awake..."

"C-Compa...?" Neptune breathed.

The tired nurse was a bit slow that morning. She brought up her hands to rub her eyes before looking back at who she was talking to. Her eyes began to focus and the blurry shape of a purple-haired girl became clearer...

Compa's eyes shot open.

"Nep-Nep!" Compa cheered as she tackled the Neptune fully healed. "You're awake! Y-You're really awake!" As she yelled like the happiest girl on the planet and her arms held her close to the CPU's chest, many tears flowed onto Neptune's pyjama top.

Fatigued but smiling at Compa's affection, Neptune smiled and gave her a tight hug of her own. "Hey, Compa. Did ya miss me?"

"Yes! So much!" Compa released her friend and looked at her with teary eyes. "Nep-Nep, so much happened while you were unconscious! First, the Archbishop kicked us out of our room and tried to arrest us, then we were saved by an Aristocrat, then we got you the antidote and, and, and..." Tears dribbled down the nurse's face as she sobbed. "It was really not fun! I always sat by you every chance I could, Nep-Nep! I missed you so much and everything's going bad..."

"Aw! You're the bestest friend ever!" said Neptune as she captured Compa in another big hug, making the nurse blush. "How long did you wait for me?"

"Ages! Hold on, I'll get the others." Compa quickly shot off the bed and dashed out the door. "Nisa! Gust! Nep-Nep's awake! Nep-Nep's awake!"

"What?!" called back the heroine.

In no time at all, Compa, Nisa, Gust and the dogs flooded into Neptune's room and surrounded her bed from all sides, filling the room with many excited barks. Two of the dogs even jumped high enough to get onto Neptune's bed and... 'lick' her face with their tongue-less snouts.

Grinning, Neptune reached up and patted the toys. "Wow, I feel loved! I wonder if this is what having a harem feels like?"

"I'm so happy, my dear sister!" Nisa lunged forward and caught the CPU in the biggest hug she could give. "Your conscious presence is like the sun's bright rays shining through storm clouds!"

"That's... great... Nisa..." Neptune wheezed. "Please... let go..."

"Oh, sorry." The heroine quickly released Neptune, allowing her the space to get her breath back.

Gust wasn't as enthusiastic as the others. Narrowing her eyes like the observant little character she was, she leaned in. "Neptune, you are very sweaty. Did you have nightmare?"

"Eh?!" Neptune suddenly back jumped.

"Gust, Nep-Nep just woke up," said Compa. "Did you really need to ask that?"

"Patient was poisoned. Post-treatment checkup needed to assess health," the alchemist reasoned.

Relenting, the CPU sighed. "Yeah, I had a bad dream... I don't wanna talk about it..." Suddenly, the CPU noticed an absence in the room. She lifted her head and looked around. "Hey, where's Jacob?"

The three party members flinched and looked away from Neptune. Compa and Gust looked at Nisa, making her sigh quietly before reluctantly turning back to Neptune. "Sister, after you were poisoned, Yvoire and his men barged into the room in an attempt to arrest us. We escaped but you were very ill and we were virtually out of options. We were rescued but Jacob..." The heroine sighed. "He sought to find IF. He succeeded but now... he's staying with her. He's going to try and convince her to rejoin the party. He's not going to be around for a while."

Even the dogs remained quiet.

"Wait, wait..." Neptune's smile faded slowly. "Iffy's gone, too?"

Compa placed a hand on Neptune's shoulder. "It's complicated, Nep-Nep. I'm sorry..."

Neptune lowered her head, refusing to look at anyone. The dogs on the bed whimpered and sat down on either side of the CPU.

Suddenly, Neptune once again felt another absence in the room. She looked at the two dogs on her bed. Feeling more concerned, she looked over the sides of her beds to look at the dogs. "Hey, where's ArfArf? You'd think he'd be here before all of you."

"Ugh..." groaned Nisa as she turned away and her hands went to her head.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Neptune moved towards Nisa, almost getting out of bed. "Is ArfArf okay?"

Compa took a deep breath, preparing herself for the perilous role as the bearer of bad news, and spoke. "Nep-Nep, he's—"

"Ah, she is awake," said Jade as he walked into the room, surprising everyone else already in it. "I have to admit, though, I was expecting a more cheerful atmosphere."

"Well, it was like that for a bit," Neptune claimed. "Anyway, who the hey are you?"

"Nep-Nep, that's Jade. He took us in when you were sick," Compa explained.

"Oh, really? Thanks. I guess." With a sigh, the CPU flopped back on the pillow behind her that released a little 'whump'. A moment after that 'whump', Neptune rocketed up and looked at Jade. "Wait, you're an Aristocrat? So you're like a noble dude?" No longer tired, Neptune looked around her room for the first time. "Does that mean we're in a mansion?"

"... As a matter of fact, yes you are," answered Jade.

Neptune smiled at the Aristocrat. "In that case, can I get a really big breakfast? I'm running low here and I need a good refilling."

"I had a feeling you would say that," Jade muttered. "In any event, I had the servants prepare a large breakfast this morning, both for you to refill your energy and as a celebration for your swift recovery. I trust your party members know how to find the dining hall?"

"Yes," responded Gust in her usual succinct manner.

"Splendid. I shall see you all there, then." Jade then left the room as smoothly as he entered.

The dogs moved out of Neptune's way as she moved to get out of the bed. She rolled her shoulders, causing them to make satisfying crick noises, before she pushed herself off her bed and onto the ground. She took one step forward and immediately stumbled.

"Whoa!" shouted Nisa as she deftly caught the CPU. "Careful, sister!"

Neptune's stomach rumbled. She forced out a chuckle. "Man, I'm really low on juice..."

"And you've been bedridden for ages," added Compa. "Don't worry. Just walk a bit and you'll be back to your old self in no time."

Neptune turned and smiled at the nurse. "Yeah, I'm definitely taking that advice."

"Oh, I've also got your clothes here." Compa laid her disc on Neptune's bed and used both of her hands to take out a pile of the CPU's clothes. "We'll let you be so you can get dressed, okay? We'll be right outside when you're done."

Compa rested the clothing bundle on the mattress and moved to leave the room with Nisa, Gust and the dogs.

"Hey, Compa..." Neptune spoke with such hesitation that made everyone stop, "... where's ArfArf?"

The nurse looked back at Neptune. The CPU looked at her with no frown or sparkles in her eyes or raised eyebrows of curiosity. All Compa could see in Neptune at that moment were fear and concern. She knew something bad befell ArfArf but she didn't want to know what.

Compa and Nisa glanced at each other. After a moment, the nurse nodded at the heroine. Although she didn't want to, Nisa reached into her disc and pulled out ArfArf so delicately as if the slightest movement would break the toy in two.

Neptune stood still. She gazed at her beloved pet mangled so horribly that it was almost unrecognisable. For a moment, she almost refused to believe it was ArfArf. No one could have possibly done this to her dog.

ArfArf's eyes flickered to life. They shined more faintly than before but, when it saw Neptune, every reserve of energy it had rushed to the optics. It lifted its head rather quickly for the neck it had, prompting Nisa to lift it towards Neptune. "Arf..." it barked, attempting to sound excited despite its damaged components. "A-A-Arf..." Its head sunk again and the eyes died. The eyes then came on again and the head lifted to meet Neptune's gaze once more. It didn't bark this time; it merely looked at Neptune.

"A... ArfArf...?" Neptune struggled to say. She reached out so slowly with both hands towards the dog's head. She used the fingertips of her right index and middle fingers to pet the top of ArfArf's head. It let out a quiet whimper of pleasure. "Who... did this...?"

"Yvoire," answered Gust.

Neptune slowly took her hands away. ArfArf, sensing Nisa's intentions, went into sleep mode as the heroine placed it back inside the disc.

Compa looked at Neptune. Her head was hanging, making her eyes hidden behind her purple bangs, and her fists shook at her sides. "N-Nep-Nep?" Compa asked. "Are you okay?"

Neptune released her fists. She stopped gritting her teeth. She didn't raise her head. "... I don't think so."

The dogs whimpered.

Nisa, Gust and Compa looked at each other again. They all looked towards the door and made their way to it, deciding to give Neptune some privacy.

One getting-dressed and hearty breakfast later, the four girls returned to the common room. As they approached the door, they heard two voices conversing from the other side, one of which belonged to Jade. Confused, the party entered the room and found him talking with another silhouette. This silhouette was very distinguishable by his odd choice in hatwear, a sideways-worn cocked hat with pointed ends. He had a moustache separated into two parts long enough that the ends curled inwards. He had a slightly wide frame although whether that was the fault of his body or a coat was hard to tell. Also, like Jade, he carried a glass in his right hand.

"I am proud of you, Jade. Immensely so," congratulated the other silhouette enthusiastically as he laid a hand on Jade's shoulder. "Saving beautiful little girls from the Basilicom's crutches... it is like looking at a past of myself!"

"Hey, uh, are we interrupting something?" asked Neptune.

"Oh, absolutely not," Jade responded. "We were just waiting for you. Ladies, this is my adoptive father, Sir Turquoise. He is the leader of the Aristocrats."

Compa gave a slight bow to the moustached silhouette. "Nice to meet you, Mister Turkwa."

"The pleasure is all mine, little girl!" Turquoise responded cheerfully, raising his glass into the air.

At that moment, the dogs in the room barked repeatedly as they scurried to the legs of the girls. While Compa, Gust and Nisa got the attention of maybe one or two, every other dog was jumping up and down at Neptune's feet.

"Hey, hey, easy!" Neptune said to the dogs before looking back at Jade. "So you're the pretty boy that helped us out, right?"

The young aristocrat nodded. "That is correct. Your party was carrying you through Leanbox's alleyways and I came across you by chance. I offered your party asylum in my house while we worked to get you a cure for your poison."

Nisa crossed her arms. "Why did you help us?"

"Hm?" Jade and Turquoise looked towards the heroine.

Just in case she felt she wasn't intimidating enough, she narrowed her eyes at the silhouettes. "Neptune's awake now. There's no need to hide anything from us so just tell us now what you want. Why, exactly, would you go so far out of your way to hel—"

Knock knock knock

Everyone looked towards the door.

"Oh, uh... come in," invited Jade, confused.

The door opened and Jacob stepped inside. When he saw Neptune, his eyes shone. "Hey, Neptune. You feeling better?"

Again, sorry for the wait. I really do hope this chapter will sate your appetites for now. Trust me, though; more chapters are on the way.

Oh, in case your wondering, "Mm hmhm hm" translates to "Not really, no".