UPDATE: Made some corrections in grammar and added some extra dialogue.
Welcome back everyone! I've been gone for a while, mostly because of the holidays, and of course holidays means spending time with families and friends. I still try to work on my story from time to time whenever I get the chance, but life also takes up my time with problems and other stuff. I also hope everyone had a very nice holiday as well. If not, then hopefully you'll have a wonderful new year. Now, let us recap.
After finding her sisters and a creature named Blucomon, they rested up at the Basilicom, where the icy Digimon explained how he came to Gameindustri. Turns out a big bully named Hyogamon was causing trouble for him and his friends back home. And as ill fortune would have it, he had followed Blucomon into the world of Gameindustri. They tried to fight him off, but his powers over cold were proving difficult for them. That's when Blanc used a Digivice given to her by Financier, allowing Blucomon to Digivolve into Paledramon, who managed to turn up the cold and send Hyogamon packing. Now Nep and Dorumon are off to Leanbox, where they'll meet the last of the four main Goddesses.
With that out of the way, let's begin the next chapter, shall we?
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Both franchises belong to their respective companies.
Chapter 7: A Ghost In The Machine
In Planeptune's Basilicom, Histoire was keeping busy with the daily activities for the nation's wellbeing. She had trying every possible method and had searched through numerous networks and connections in order to find the source of the mysterious voice that had contacted her and Neptune a couple of days ago. She was met with zero success, however, and she was at a loss at what else to do. Nepgear was busy filling out paperwork, while Uzume was hunting monsters again. The Oracle still had little to no luck on finding out the source of the voice from Neptune's purple Digivice. She sighed as she looked out the balcony of the Basilicom, the afternoon sun shining down on the deck.
"Whoever that voice is either doesn't want to be found or it might not be from anywhere or anything I recognize", she said to herself.
As she thought to herself on what to do next, Nepgear had entered the balcony.
"Histoire, I've finished up the paperwork for today", she said tiredly.
"Ah, I see. Good work Nepgear", the Oracle said as she smiled at the Candidate.
Her smile, however, seemed a bit forced to the lilac haired girl. Needless to say, she began to grow concerned for her friend.
"Is there something wrong, Histoire?", she asked the Oracle.
"Well, truth be told, I still have not been able to contact that voice again. I have a feeling this person, whoever they may be, is being rather elusive", Histoire replied.
"Elusive? What do you mean by that?", Nepgear asked.
"I feel like that the owner of said voice wants to speak to me but also does not want to be found at the same time. I can't help but grow suspicious because of this", said Histoire.
"Well, they definitely knew who we are and what our names were without us knowing, so I guess it would make sense to be suspicious", the lilac haired girl stated.
"I suppose that's true. However, despite all of this, I detect no ill intent from that voice", the Oracle said.
"Do you think whoever talked to you is really on our side?", Nepgear inquired.
"I'm not sure. I just wish I knew who or what it is and what their intentions are", said Histoire.
They stood there at the balcony for another minute, wondering if they would ever figure out the mystery behind whoever it was that had contacted them, before deciding to go back inside and resume their duties. The Oracle still couldn't help but be concerned on who's side the voice really is. At the very least, she hoped for the best and prayed that Neptune will come back to Planeptune with the other CPUs so that they may all solve this mystery together.
When they had reached Leanbox, Neptune and Dorumon could see the Land of Green Pastures in all of its beauty. While the nation was not as futuristic as Planetune's city or as modern as Lastion, Leanbox is still fairly large in terms of both people and technological innovation. It had taken them quite a while to reach the country due to it being further south than where Lowee was. It took the pair a few minutes before they reached the Basilicom of the nation.
"Whew. Boy, this sure beats the cold air in Lowee", Dorumon said as they walked up to the doors.
"Yeah, I'll say. I'll settle for a nice hot and sunny day with my friends any time", Neptune said in agreement.
She then opened the Basilicom doors and went inside with her Digimon partner. As they entered the building, they saw what appeared to be a woman with purple hair, eye glass, a white long sleeve shirt, and black long pants. She was at a desk and was talking with one of the Basilicom staff.
"I'm sorry, but the CPU of Leanbox is busy with other matters. You may have to come back at a later date", the staff worker said.
"Oh, that's okay. My request isn't that important. I'll just come back some other time. Have a good day", the woman said.
As she turned to exit the Basilicom, she then saw both Neptune and her Digimon partner standing at the door. When the lilac haired girl caught the woman staring at her, she perked up.
"Hey, nice hair! Is it a natural color?", Neptune said to the woman.
"Oh? Well, thank you. Although it's not exactly a natural color", the woman said.
"I see. Still, with hair like that, someone would think you're from Planeptune", the lilac haired girl said.
"Planeptune, you say? As a matter of fact, I happen to live there. Although I'm not from there, as I have just moved there recently", the purple haired woman stated.
"Really? Well then, any reason as to why you're at Leanbox of all places?", Neptune asked.
"Oh, no real reason. I just felt like exploring somewhere else for once", the woman replied.
"I can get behind that. I love to explore myself, see new places, meet new people. Oh, kind of like you!", Neptune said.
The purple haired woman giggled a bit at the Planeptune CPU's last comment, causing the girl in question to smile back.
"Well, as much as I like to talk, I'm afraid I must head back to Planeptune. I'm actually supposed to meet someone there", she said as she adjusted her glasses.
"Oh, well don't let me hold you up then", the lilac haired girl said, letting the woman pass her by.
As she made her way out the door, the woman turned back to look at Neptune.
"Ah, before I forget. What is your name, if I may ask?", the woman asked her.
"Oh, that's right! My name's Neptune! Pleasure to meet you!", she said.
"Neptune? That's a nice name. As for mine, it's... Well, it's actually not that important right now", the woman said as she made a cryptic smile.
"Huh? Why can't you just tell me?", Neptune inquired.
"Let's just say that I want to keep it as a surprise. See you later, perhaps?", the purple haired woman said as she walked away.
As she started to walk away, she took one look at Dorumon and just smiled ominously. This made the purple Digimon tilt his head in confusion. Neptune scratched her head as she watched the mysterious woman walk further away until she was out of sight. She was pretty puzzled by her behavior. It was as if she was purposefully being elusive for some reason. Suffice to say, it was quite a strange encounter to her.
"Boy, she was acting strangely, don't you think, Dorumon?", the lilac haired girl said to her Digimon partner.
"Hmmm...", Dorumon said as he stared off towards the distance at where the purple haired woman had walked off to.
"Hey, something wrong, buddy?", Neptune asked him.
"I don't know why, but I get the feeling that she's important. I don't know why, though", said the purple Digimon
"Well don't let it bother you too much. Now come on, we got a green CPU to see", Neptune said.
The Planeptune CPU then continued on her way inside the Basilicom, with Dorumon following behind. Reaching the front desk, she waved to the staff worker, getting his attention.
"Heya! Is there a Lady Green Heart in the house?", Neptune asked the staff worker.
"Yes, however she's currently busy at the moment, so you'll have to come back at another time", the worker said.
"Whatever she's doing, I'm pretty sure it's more gaming than work. I'm one of her friends, and I have to see her now", Neptune insisted.
"Hmm... Come to think of it, I haven't heard a peep from Lady Green Heart in a while. Perhaps someone should check up on her...", said the staff worker.
"Then Imma do just that, thank you!", Neptune said as she and her partner Digimon rushed past the staff worker.
"Wait, I didn't give clearance to- Ugh...", the worker sighed as he tried to stop them, but the pair were already out of earshot.
Just then, he noticed the purple creature behind Neptune as they walked away. At first he thought he was imagining things, but when he did a double take, he could see that he was not.
"Wait... Was that purple thing behind her a dog?", he pondered as he looked on in confusion. "Why does it have little black wings?"
When Neptune and Dorumon reached Vert's room, they could see that there was nobody inside. All they could see where fancy objects, stacks of games on a few shelves and tables, and some figurines and other collectible merchandise on a dresser.
"Yep, this is Vert's room alright", Neptune remarked.
"How do you know that, Neptune?", Dorumon asked.
"She always has at least some games lying around here. And I bet she's still playing one right now", she said as she walked to one of the doors in the room.
She could see a little light underneath it. Opening the door, she could see that her hunch was right. Inside the small room was a tall woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes sitting on a computer chair. Her hair also had an emerald green bow attached to the back. She wore an emerald green dress with gold marking and gloves with the same colors with the addition of a white coloring. The top part of her skirt had a big peach colored bow wrapped around it. Around her neck was a white collar with a green lining on the bottom. A very thin white cloth is seen connecting her dress and neck piece together. At the center was a gold piece with a red and gold ribbon attached and a small blue gem in the middle. She could also be seen wearing emerald green leggings and fancy white shoes.
This was Vert, the CPU of Leanbox. Whenever she wasn't busy with her duties as a Goddess of her nation, she would spend her time with playing mostly MMORPG games. She was a gamer at heart, and a hardcore one at that. This, however, would sometimes lead to her losing track of time whenever she's immersed in such activities. Though she looked the most mature of the CPUs, she was known to tease Blanc every now and then about her lack of bust size. She was also the only CPU of the four nations to not have a CPU Candidate to help her maintain Leanbox. This has even lead to the blonde haired woman dotting on Neptune's sister sometimes, much to the Planeptune CPU's dismay at times.
Right now, the Leanbox CPU was seen playing what appears to be another MMORPG game on her computer, and was wearing a pair of headphones with a small microphone attached. She was so immersed into the game that she did not even notice that Neptune had opened her door, though it was no surprise to the lilac haired girl.
"Yes! My Guild and I are victorious. That's one step closer to getting the rare drop I've been setting my eyes on for weeks now", the blonde haired woman said to herself.
"Hey, Vert! Still grinding through 4GO as always, I see", Neptune remarked.
Vert thought she heard something, so she turned around to see what it was. When she saw Neptune behind her, she took her headphones off of her ears and smiled.
"Oh, Neptune! What a delight to see you! When did you get here? I didn't hear you come in", said Vert.
"Well, we just got here, and we were hoping to come chat with ya, Vert", the Planeptune CPU stated.
"'We?' But I only see yo-", Vert said before stopping.
She was about to say before she looked down to the lilac haired girl's legs, seeing the purple Digimon standing next to her. Dorumon stared back at the blonde haired woman for a moment before she smiled at him.
"Well this is an unexpected surprise. I didn't know you adopted a dog. When did this happen?", Vert remarked, not knowing about Dorumon's actual race.
"Why does everyone keep calling me a dog?! I'm a Digimon, damnit!", he snapped.
"Oh my?!", Vert gasped in surprise.
"Yeah, he doesn't like it when he's called that", Neptune said.
"Uh... perhaps you can explain what is going on then? I'll have some tea and sandwiches made as we chat", Vert offered as she got up from her computer chair.
"That sounds great!", said the lilac haired girl excitedly as she walked over to a couch in Vert's room.
"Sheesh, it's like nobody has seen a Digimon before in their life", Dorumon grumbled as he walked with his partner to the couch.
A few minutes later, Neptune, Dorumon, and Vert were seated as they were munching away at their sandwiches.
"So, Neptune, may I ask how you encountered this... Digimon, was it?", Vert asked.
"Yep, his name is Dorumon, and he's my Digimon partner and stuff!", Neptune explained.
"Dorumon? What a very nice name", the blonde girl said.
"Thank you. Vert, was it? Nice to meet you!", Dorumon said.
"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance as well", Vert says as she shakes the purple Digimon's paw.
"So, how did you two meet exactly? I'm very curious to hear about it," she inquired.
"Well, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah", Neptune blabbered out in a nonsensical manner.
"Yes, I see... These Digimon are appearing in Gamindustri, and you think there may be some appearing in Leanbox as well. And the other CPUs also have received Digimon partners themselves", Vert summarized, somehow understanding the situation.
"Yep, that's the gist of it", Neptune said professionally.
"She understood all of that?!", Dorumon said in shock.
"Well, how else was I supposed to explain it quickly without taking up a lot of word space in this story? She understands, so it's no skin off my bones", Neptune said to her partner.
"At any rate, this all sounds like another fascinating adventure is starting to take place", said Vert, sipping her tea afterwards.
"It sure is starting to look that way. We haven't had a good one since the Zero Dimension adventure", the lilac haired girl stated.
"Zero Dimension? What is that?" Dorumon asked.
"Oh, that was another world me and the other CPUs went to. We had to save one of our buddies from there, and now they live in Gameindustri with us. But that's another story for another day", Neptune explained.
"Yes, it is quite a long story", added in Vert.
"Okay then... Oh, wait!", Dorumon said suddenly.
"What is it, oh purple buddy of mine?", Neptune asked.
"There was something else I've been meaning to ask, but I kept forgetting", the purple Digimon said.
"Well, ask away then", Neptune insisted.
"Every time we battled a Digimon or a monster in this world, you can transform yourself into something else. Is that a form of Digivolution?", Dorumon inquired.
"Oh, you mean my Hard Drive Divinity (HDD)? It's a little different than what you do", the Planeptune CPU said.
"Really? It looks like Digivolution to me", said Dorumon.
"Allow me to explain", Vert said. "Hard Drive Divinity is when we enter our Goddess forms, our true selves, if you will. We receive our power from the beliefs and faiths of our people as 'Shares' and turn it into Share Energy. We then use that Share Energy to strengthen ourselves and access our Goddess forms should the need arise."
"I see... Go on", the purple Digimon nodded as he listened on.
"The faith from our people is also what keeps us CPUs alive", Vert continued. "The less faith we receive, the weaker we become. And if we lose faith from the people completely..."
She paused for a moment, making Dorumon feel uneasy. He wondered why she trailed off like that, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a bit of dread. After a few tense seconds, the Leanbox CPU continued.
"Well, to put it simply, we'll be as helpless as an ordinary human. We'll age, grow weak, and eventually we may cease to exist...", she said grimly.
"Cease to exist? You don't mean...?", Dorumon started to say, but he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.
Vert didn't answer back, only nodding in silence. The purple Digimon now had a worried expression on his face. He knew that Neptune and her friends seemed pretty powerful whenever they transformed, but he could now see that even they had their own weaknesses. Because of the Share Energy keeping them alive, the CPUs could live for a very long time. However, if they were to be ever cut off from their source of power and life, it would be disastrous.
"Don't worry, Dorumon. We won't kick the bucket as long as we have people believing in us", Neptune reassured her partner, patting the purple Digimon on the head.
"Really?" Dorumon replied, cheering up a little.
"Of course", Vert said, getting up from her seat. "We won't lose our people's faith in us so easily. As long as even one person still believes in us, we will continue to thrive and exist in Gameindustri."
Dorumon smiled at the CPUs reassurance, feeling better after hearing them out. Vert then walked up to Neptune.
"Neptune, I have some errands to run in Leanbox. Perhaps you and your friend can accompany me?", she asked.
"Sure, I'm all for it. How about you, Dorumon?", the lilac haired girl said to her partner Digimon.
"Yeah! Wherever you go, I go too", Dorumon replied.
"Splendid! Well then, shall we get going?", the blonde haired woman said.
"Onwards, to boldly go where no one has gone before!", Neptune sputtered, making a reference to something that Dorumon didn't understand.
As they left the room to head out to the city area of Leanbox, inside the small space where Vert was playing her MMORPG game, a strange light had appeared inside the room. A few seconds later, the light vanishes without a trace. However, there was something new inside. On the computer desk was a green rectangular device. Where it came from was unknown...
Later, at a shopping district in Leanbox, Vert and Neptune were both carrying a large stack of games that looked too big for a single person to lift. The Planeptune CPU was struggling to keep her balance while holding on to her stack, while Vert had no trouble carrying her pile.
"Jeez, Vert. When you said you had errands, I should've known you meant you wanted to buy more games to play", Neptune muttered.
"Well, what did you expect? I just couldn't pass up on the sale going on today, and Chika isn't around to help me right now", Vert replied.
"I don't know about you, but my poor wallet is going to be screaming at me from beyond the grave for a while, that's for sure", the lilac haired girl said.
As the group continued to walk their way back to the Basilicom, Dorumon suddenly stopped as he sniffed the air. Neptune and Vert saw this and stopped as well.
"What's the matter, partner?", Neptune asked.
"I smell a Digimon nearby", Dorumon said as he suddenly ran off towards an alleyway.
"Woah, wait up! I'm holding a truckload here!", Neptune exclaimed as she tried to give chase to her partner.
"Ah, wait! Where are you two going?!", Vert called out as she followed the pair.
At a nearby factory, software and hardware for Leanbox's consoles were being made, ranging from motherboards to programming and many other things. Today, however, there was a problem with some of the machines used to make such consoles. The machines used to make most of the hardware had mysteriously stopped working. Some of the workers had caught wind of this and got a repair team to check it out, but they could not find anything wrong. Even the manager was stumped as to what was going on?
"I don't know what's going on. Everything seems to be in working order, but the machines just don't seem to want to work", the lead repairman said to the factory manager.
"Well there's got to be some explanation. Maybe there are gremlins running around?", the manager said.
"Not gremlins. Ghosts! Hahaha!", said a voice in a ghastly way.
This alarmed both the repairman and his manager. They looked around to see who it was, but could find no one else next to them.
"W-What was that?!", said the repairman.
"I don't know! Who's there?!", demanded the manager.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and the machinery in front of the two began to move. Then pieces of equipment and parts began to float around them. The two were horrified, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"I am the one who's going to haunt you for eternity, unless you leave now or suffer my wrath! Mwahahaha!", the ghostly voice laughed.
The objects then hurled towards the manager and the repairman. They ducked just in time as the pieces of equipment and parts hit a wall. Despite the close call, however, they were now terrified for their lives. Both the repairman and manager yelled in fear as they ran as fast as they could. Suddenly, crates and other stuff started to float in the air and then chase the two around.
While the repairman ran away to find help, the manager hit a nearby alarm button, alerting all the workers present at the factory that something was wrong Everyone who heard the alarm stopped what they were doing. Most of the workers started making their way to leave the building, while others checked to see what was the matter, only to find floating objects hurdling towards their direction. Unsure of what was going on, most of the workers fled the scene to escape with their lives.
Meanwhile, outside the factory, Neptune and Vert were still following Dorumon. They were nearing the building when they heard the alarm go off. It was definitely not a coincidence.
"That doesn't sound good", Neptune commented as the group stopped.
"And neither does that. Look!", added Vert, pointing to the direction of the entrance.
Just then, they could see dozens of workers running away from the factory in a panic, with the manager among them. Vert stopped the hysterical man, hoping she could get some answers.
"Excuse me, but what's going on?", the Leanbox CPU asked.
"There's a ghost inside! It's haunting us and possessing our equipment! We need help!", he explained.
"Not to worry good sir. The main character of main characters and the CPU of Leanbox are here to help!", Neptune said to the manager.
"You sure you can take care of that thing?", he asked the pair.
"Do not worry. Defeating monsters is our specialty", Vert reassured.
The manager then nodded as he ran to safety. The CPUs and the purple Digimon then headed their way inside the building, curious about the extent of the damage. When they entered inside, all they could see were assembly lines and other types of mechanisms used for making parts, while parts, tools, and other miscellaneous objects were scattered about. The whole building was clear of human activity, and it looked as if it was now a ghost town.
"Let's split up. Neptune, take Dorumon down to the east wing of the factory. I'll go check the west wing", Vert said to the two as she went towards the west side of the building.
"Hold up! If there really is a ghost, then splitting up is the last thing we should do", Neptune argued.
"Don't tell me you'd been watching those horror movies from last month again, have you?", asked the blonde haired woman.
"I'm tell ya, the ghost will pick us off one by one. Starting with the cute one and her pet!", the Planeptune CPU replied, referring to herself and Dorumon.
"Who's a pet?! And I ain't afraid of no ghost. Bring it on!", the purple Digimon retorted.
"Neptune, we battle monsters on a daily basis. A ghost is no different", said Vert.
"And look how well that turned out when we visited the Neplunker Caves the first time", said Neptune.
"I thought we all agreed to never talk about that...", said the Leanbox CPU.
"Okay then! Guess there's no point in arguing about it. Let's split up, gang!", the lilac haired girl said
She and her partner Digimon then splintered off to the east side, while Vert ventured off to check out the west end. As the group split up to different directions, a pair of eyes belonging to a ghostly creature watched from a dark corner. It quietly giggled in delight.
"Hehehe. More victims to scare", the creature said as it disappears into a wall.
Neptune and Dorumon searched throughout the east area of the factory. From wooden crates and metal cylinders to tools and other work equipment, they couldn't find any signs of a ghost in the area. The pair started to wonder if the alleged "ghost" was all part of a strange fire drill.
"Hey, ghost! Where are you? Don't make me bring an exorcist!", Neptune called out.
"Do you really think a ghost will respond to that, assuming there is one?", Dorumon asked.
"Well how else do you call for one?", the lilac haired girl replied.
"Maybe lure it out with some food? I'm actually getting kind of hungry myself", stated the purple Digimon.
"Didn't you have a sandwich earlier?", Neptune inquired.
Suddenly, the pair both stopped as they heard a strange sound. It sounded like the movement of objects being pushed around.
"Did you hear that?", Neptune asked her partner.
"Yeah, but where's it coming from?", Dorumon replied.
Then they heard another sound in the area. This time it was closer, and it sounded like a metal pipe hitting the ground.
"Okay, who's out there?! Just so you know, I'm a purple belt at Nep-fu!", Neptune called out.
She then raised her hands in a pose of sorts that resembled something from a martial arts film. Dorumon raised his nose and then started to sniff the air. He then paused and looked towards where the sound of the metal pipe had came from.
"Hey, Neptune. I think I smell a Digimon again", he said.
"Really? Where is it?", Neptune inquired.
"I don't know. It must be hiding somewhere really well", said the purple Digimon.
"Huh? Hey, look!", Neptune exclaimed as she pointed towards a corner.
They saw one of the wooden crates floating in the air. They saw nothing lifting it up, no human being or attachments. The crate was floating all by itself.
"Woah! A flying box! Do you think it has an extra life inside?", Neptune quipped.
"Nep, I don't think that's normal", Dorumon pointed out.
The wooden crate suddenly starts to fly towards them at rapid speeds. The Planeptune CPU and the purple Digimon were surprised, but they quickly reacted as they ducked out of the way. The crate then slammed into a wall and broke into piece.
"I don't remember boxes attacking people in any of the games I played!", Neptune commented.
"Uh oh! Here comes more of them!", Dorumon exclaimed.
They looked to see more crates and other objects started floating quickly towards the pair. They moved and ducked out of the way, but there were too many objects to dodge.
"We can't stay here, Dorumon! Let's go go go!", said Neptune as she made a break for the other direction.
"Nep, wait for me!", said the purple Digimon, racing after her.
Peering out of a dark spot, the same pair of eyes belonging to the ghostly figure watched them running away.
"Hehehehe, that's right. Run away like cowards! Hahahaha!", the figure giggled.
At the west wing, Vert was still looking around for any signs of a ghost or any other monster around the vicinity. She had checked multiple spots, from a few rooms to equipment and machines. Nothing had seemed out of place to her. She started to think that the workers had just imagined it all and had overreacted. Still finding nothing, the Leanbox CPU sighed as she finally decided to stop her search.
"Hmm... Perhaps it's time to find Neptune now", she said to herself as she started to walk back the way she came.
As she went back the way she came, however, Vert noticed something strange in her path. Up ahead was a small black silhouette. It seemed to Vert that there was something strange about the silhouette. She slowly approached the small figure, taking care not to make any sudden moves.
"Hello? Who's over there?", Vert asked after a few seconds went by.
The silhouette zipped behind a crate, possibly either hiding behind it or running away from Vert the moment she spoke out.
"Are you the ghost in this factory? If so, I must ask you to stop scaring the people who work here", the blonde haired Goddess said.
The silhouette peaked it's head out from behind the crate a bit to look at Vert. Then it started to speak.
"I'm not a ghost... I don't even like scaring people", the figure said.
Vert was surprised by this statement, but remained cautious. She didn't know what to expect from the figure.
"Are you a monster? Come on out so I can see you", Vert said. "If you mean no harm then please come out. I promise nothing will happen to you."
"..."
The figure remained silent, but it seemed to Vert that it was deciding on what to do. Finally, the small silhouette moved from behind the crate and into the light where its form was revealed. It looked like a flower bud that had a green body with tiny arms and legs, a pink head with a yellow leaf on the top of it, and a pair of eyes and a mouth which resemble three black dots. It also appeared to be hovering above the ground a little by lightly spinning its head leaf.
"Who or what are you?", the blonde haired woman inquired, now curious about the creature that was in front of her.
"M-My name is Lalamon. I'm a Digimon", it introduced itself nervously.
"A Digimon? What are you doing here?", Vert asked.
"I don't know... I'm afraid I'm lost", Lalamon said sadly.
"Oh, you poor thing...", said the Leanbox CPU. "Don't worry. I'm Vert, the Goddess of this land. I can help you if you'd like."
She walked up to Lalamon, but the plant-like Digimon backed away nervously. The blonde haired woman stopped, not wanting to spook the Digimon.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you", she reassured.
Lalamon, still a bit nervous, got closer to her. At first glance, the plant-like Digimon looked cute, but another look revealed that it was shaking all over.
"Are you okay? Are you afraid of me?", Vert asked.
"No... A ghost... A ghost was chasing me", Lalamon whimpered.
"A ghost? You mean there really is a ghost here?", the blonde haired woman inquired.
Suddenly they heard a noise across the building, like objects hitting one another. They also hear voices coming from the same area the sounds were made.
"That sounds like Neptune and Dorumon", Vert said.
"Are they your friends?", Lalamon asked.
"Yes, they are. And judging by the sounds being made, they might be in trouble", the Leanbox CPU said worriedly.
She looked at the direction where the east wing was and then looked back at Lalamon. It was clear she had to do something.
"Lalamon, do you wish to come with me? I think my friends need help", she asked.
"Uh... S-Sure!", the plant-like Digimon said quickly.
"Okay, let's go. This way!", Vert said as she quickly moved towards the direction to the eastern part of the factory.
"Oh! Wait for me!", Lalamon said as she tried to catch up to the blonde haired woman.
Back in the east section, Neptune and Dorumon were still being chased by floating objects. They tried to outpace the possessed obstacles as best as they could. But the more they ran, more objects would appear behind the pair.
"Jeez, how many of these things are there?!", Neptune said.
Suddenly, Dorumon looked behind at the floating objects and equipment. He had a thought enter his mind before looking back at Neptune.
"Neptune, remember that Digimon I smelled? I think I have an idea of what's going on here", Dorumon said.
"What do you mean?", the lilac haired girl asked.
Dorumon didn't reply as he suddenly stopped and turned towards the floating debris heading for them.
"Metal Cannon!", the purple Digimon exclaimed.
He fired multiple iron balls at the objects, either smashing them to pieces or knocking them out of the way. Then, one of the spheres hit thin air, and a pained grunt could be heard.
"What was that sound? Sounded like someone got hurt", Neptune commented.
"I think it's that ghost. It was making those objects chase us", Dorumon informed her.
As if on cue, a ghostly white creature appeared before the two. The ghost had a big mouth with large teeth and soulless black eyes. He stared down the purple pair as they looked at him in surprise.
"Wow, you're right!", Neptune awed in amazement.
Just then, her Digivice had started to beep. She pulled it out and then a holographic photo of the creature appeared on the screen, revealing the creature's identity.
"He's called Bakemon. A ghost Digimon who loves to haunt dark places and scare people. His Dark Claw will give you a fright", Neptune said as she read the description of the ghost Digimon.
"You're no fun! You're supposed to be frightened!", Bakemon said.
"No way we'd be afraid of something like you. Now how's about you quit scaring people here?", Neptune demanded.
"That's no fun! I want to haunt people! Don't get in my way!", Bakemon replied.
Suddenly, everyone heard footsteps heading their way. Neptune and Dorumon turned around to see Vert with a pink and green creature moving alongside her.
"Neptune, Dorumon! There you two are!", the blonde haired girl called out to the pair.
"Vert! Perfect timing! We found the ghost! It's another Digimon!", Neptune said to her.
The Leanbox CPU looked up at the ghost Digimon and it looked back at her and the others. Now it seemed to be nervous with so many people in one spot.
"I suggest you surrender yourself. Otherwise we'll have to make you stand down", Vert ordered the ghost Digimon.
"Hahaha, as if! I won't stop scaring people just because you tell me to!", Bakemon said.
Then he began to move his arms as they were covered in a dark aura. The group tensed up when they saw this.
"Dark Claw!", the ghost Digimon exclaimed.
He extended a large black hand of darkness at the group. They moved out of the way and began to counter attack.
"Metal Cannon!", Dorumon exclaimed, firing multiple iron balls from his mouth.
"Cross Combination!", Neptune yelled as she summoned her sword and leapt towards the ghost Digimon.
"Not today guys! Hahahahaha!", Bakemon cackled as he started to vanish into thin air.
The pair's attacks missed, phasing through his body. Then the ghost Digimon disappeared completely. Everyone looked all around for any sign of the ghost Digimon, but they couldn't find a single trace.
"He's gone. I can't smell him anymore", Dorumon stated.
"Dang. We couldn't even hit him and he got away", Neptune said in disappointment.
"Well, at least the factory is clear of trouble for now", said Vert.
Neptune and Dorumon then looked at the creature next to Vert and then looked back at the blonde haired woman and just smiled.
"I see you made a friend, Vert", Neptune remarked.
"Indeed. Her name is Lalamon. Apparently she's lost", Vert explained to the pair.
"W-Will you help me?", the plant-like Digimon said nervously.
"Of course we'll help. That's what Goddesses are here for", Neptune said happily.
"Well then it's settled. Let's get back to my Basilicom. We'll discuss more there", Vert said.
Everyone nodded as they followed her to the way out of the factory and towards the direction of the Basilicom. Vert suddenly stopped, a look of shock showing on her face.
"Oh dear, I just realized something!", the Leanbox CPU said.
"Something wrong, Vert?", Neptune asked her.
"In all the commotion, I forgot that we left our new games behind!", the blond haired woman exclaimed.
"Oh fudge-cicles, you're right! Let's look for them!", the Planeptune CPU replied, suddenly remembering the pile of games she had to set down earlier.
They then started to look for the games they left behind. Both Dorumon and Lalamon looked on in befuddlement, now thinking that the trip back to the Basilicom was going to take a while...
And that's about it for this chapter. I do like to apologize for the long wait, but I was not sure what to do here, but the break with the holidays gave me time to come up with a few ideas.
As for what Digimon to use next, I could not decide on which one Vert would be partnered with, as I had felt I had the most difficulty with her. In the end, I decided to go with Lalamon and her Digivolution line.
Wanted to get this chapter out before New Year's Day came around, but I couldn't find enough time. Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought about it. I'll try to not take as long making another chapter as this one did. Until then, have a good rest of your day and a Happy New Year to you all!