Neptune let out a grunt as planted hard, flipping her eyes to meet the scaly dragon she was currently engaged with. As her and Uzume were taking a relaxing walk so Neptune could hunt some bugs, they were, rudely, interrupted by a pair of ancient dragons.
"Pudding~!" Neptune yelled as she summoned two giant spoons from (somewhere?) finishing the enchanting as a frankly sillily huge mound of pudding crushed the giant lizard, draining him of the last of his HP, as he dissipated into pixels. Letting out a sigh, Neptune looked to see how her partner was dealing her her stupid lizard, only to see,
"Woah!" She yelled as she saw Uzume getting overpowered, clearly ragged, Uzume was taking deep breaths as she held her arm, which was clearly dislocated. Immediately rushing to the scene, Neptune used one of her dual swords as she slashed at the back of the beast's neck, before flipping over, now standing in front of her partner, as she withdrew her sidearm, "Eat lead!" She declared as she emptied a clip into the dragon, who soon joined his friend in lizard heaven (their morals are far different than ours, their God actually thinks it's perfectly ok to attack humans!)
"Thanks… Nepsy… bastard caught me off guard n' messed up my arm" Uzume, still catching her breath, thanked her friend, as she explained why she needed assistance in the first place, "Totally uncool…"
"It's fine Uzume. What're friends for? Hmm~" Neptune waved off her apology as she soon withdrew some of her limited medical supplies, "Now, let's see here…" She focused as she looked at the extent of Uzume's injury, "This may sting a lil-"
"Youch! Ya couldn't have been more gentle!?" Uzume complained as Neptune pulled her arm out, before forcing it back into its original orientation
"Sorry~ Now let's get you bandaged up" The far more experienced of the Neptune's cooed, before she continued her wrapping of Uzume's arm, a comfortable sort of silence established between the two, giving Neptune ample time to consider the events that had transpired, leaving her with but a single question:
"Hey Uzume? Why didn't you transform? Turning into Orange Heart would have fixed you up right?" She asked, she wasn't particularly well versed in how the goddesses' worked, but she was pretty confident the infusion of share energy would have healed her wound,
"..." but Uzume was silent, not wanting to disclose her reasoning,
"Uzume? C'mon. You just forgor?" She asked again, as she tied off her wrap, biting the end to tear it,
"I don't like transforming…" Uzume delicately added, as Neptune gave her a confused look
"Whaddya mean? Why?" She didn't get it. If she had an absolutely adorable, and totally hot transformation, she would spam the hell out of it,
"..." Uzume was silent once more as she bit her lip, before realizing she was being looked at, Neptune imploring her to answer her question, "I hate Orange Heart" She finally revealed as Neptune was taken aback,
"Uzume. What are you talking about?" Neptune asked again, her tone much more serious than it ever was, in response, Uzume gritted her teeth, clenching her eyes shut,
"I… hate her… she's everything I hate about myself. She… failed her nation. She… her dumb ass personality, I wish I could change it. I wish I wasn't Orange Heart anymore. I just want to be Uzume, I hate-" Uzume couldn't even finish before a firm sting rang out from her face, opening her eyes, she was met with Neptune, her hand inches away from her face, further evidence of how she had just slapped her friend, she glared at Uzume with frustrated tears beading in her eyes,
"Nepsy…" Uzume didn't even know what to say, as the said bug hunter shot her the poutiest look she had ever seen from the mature woman,
"I'll slap you again! Uzume! I… Ugh! I don't even want to talk to you right now!" She yelled, before turning around in a huff storming off into the woods, as Uzume was left behind in disbelief, after a few moments, the event accumulate in her mind, and she quickly took off in the direction her friend had stormed off in, she couldn't remember a time in their journeys where Neptune had looked so… upset with her.
What was her deal?
So what if Uzume hated Orange Heart? Wasn't that her decision to make? And really, why should she like her!? All Orange Heart did was drag up everything she wanted to forget. She didn't want to be Orange Heart anymore! She was Uzume! Uzume was the cool, reliable, strong tomboy that was always there for her friends! Not the weak, silly, reject goddess history forgot.
Eventually, after searching around in the woods, Uzume spotted a high cliff, where at its edge she saw a black hoodie adorned bug hunter… Uzume's best friend.
"Nepsy…" She started as she caught her breath, unaware of even where to start, yet, in response to her friends arrival, Neptune simply crossed her arms, as she let out the firecest 'Hph' that ever was,
"I don't want to talk to you" She simply declared, Uzume biting her lip, as she walked up to her, sitting down to her, Neptune made a noted effort to turn away from her, "I said you're not who I want to talk to" She reupped, as Uzume stared at the ground, it was approaching sundown, and the sun was starting to set in this nameless woods they were in,
And as the minutes turned to an hour, and by now the sun had fully set, cloaking the women in darkness, Neptune was yet to turn to face her friend,
"Nepsy-"
"Do I have to repeat myself? You're not the one I want to talk to!" She yelled, as Uzume balled her fists, an embarrassed hue covering her features, as she gritted her teeth, knowing full well what Neptune meant, she forced her body into action as a blinding light covered the dark cliff area, all of Neptune's sass drained from her body as she turned around to look at… "There she is" She smiled as she looked as Uzume's red hair was replaced with orange, as always accompanied by her fitting white processor, and stylish hat,
"Nepsy…" Orange Heart sounded like she was on the verge of tears, but soon she was grabbed as Neptune brought her into a tight hug,
"You dummy!" She lectured(?) as she gripped the CPU to her, "Why would you say you hate her!? Why would you risk your own safety! You DUMMY! Dummy! Dummy!" Neptune could feel the goddess in her hold start to shake from her words,
"Nepsy… I…" She sobbed,
"Never say you hate her. I know. To you it must seem like she represents all of your past failures. But do you know what Orange Heart means to me?"
"Nuhuh..?" Orange Heart quietly asked, as Neptune ran her hands through her hair,
"Orange Heart is one of the two most amazingest women I've ever met. She's saved my life on more occasions than I can remember. She's the one who gave me a place to belong. Whenever I see her; I know everything is going to be ok, because she's going to protect me. I love Uzume. Which means I love everything about her, including her adorable, and yet still cool goddess form. I love Orange Heart" Neptune explained,
"Nepsy…" Hearing this the floodgates opened as Orange Heart began sobbing, burying her face in Neptune's shoulder, as she let out all the sadness she had been holding onto for so long,
"So don't say you hate her. Ok? And even if you do. I'll love her enough for the two of us~" She quietly whispered in Orange Heart's ear, as she took deep comforting breaths, eventually transforming back into Uzume, as Neptune lied back, Uzume gently resting on her chest, embarrassedly she looked at her partner as she tried to formulate her words,
"N-Nepsy…?"
"What is it, Uzubae~?"
"C-can I stay l-like this tonight?" She meekly asked, as Neptune soon beamed,
"Of course! Neptune pillow is certified quality!" She smiled as Uzume soon buried herself further into her chest, as she gently fell asleep, as Neptune could only softly look down at her resting form, "I love you Uzume, and I love you too… Orange Heart"
She didn't know what she would do if she could no longer see her favorite bundle of energy.
