UPDATE: Made some corrections in grammar and added some extra dialogue, as well as an extra scene that was supposed to be added before.
Oh boy, a new chapter for your eyes to feast upon.
Recap: While Noire, Uni and Dracomon fought Devidramon in Lastation, Neptune, IF, and Dorumon had problems of their own against BlackGrowlmon. The Lastation CPUs and Coredramon had a tough time with Devidramon, but managed to beat him, but the four eyed dragon would rather take his own life than surrender. Meanwhile, Ryudamon shows up out of nowhere in Planeptune and gets accidentally Digivolved into Ginryumon when Neptune was about to make Dorumon become Dorugamon. After the beaten BlackGrowlmon, they were about to get him to spill the beans on SkullSatamon, until the fiend in question shows up and destroys the weakened Digimon. On top of it all, he managed to steal Planeptune's Sharicite crystal.
Talk about a bad day for Nep and the gang! Let's hope they get their Sharicite back soon. Not much more to say, so enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Both franchises belong to their respective companies.
Chapter 16: A Nep In The Gears
Neptune, Dorumon, and IF had returned to the Basilicom with Nepgear to explain to Histoire and Uzume what had happened in the shopping district. The group told her that a Digimon named BlackGrowlmon was smashing up everything in sight and how another Digimon called Ryudamon had Digivolved into Ginryumon with Dorugamon via the power of Neptune's Digivice.
"I see", Histoire said as she nodded with every word that she heard. "And where is Ryudamon now?"
"He went splitsville when the battle was over. We wanted to get answers from BlackGrowlmon, but then Skully shows up and was all like 'ZAP!' and turned him into digi-dust", Neptune explained.
"Digi-dust? I'm allergic to digi-dust", said Dorumon.
"That must've been after he broke his way into the Sharicite chamber. Nepgear and Uzume tried to stop him, but he was too much for them", Histoire said.
Neptune was shocked to hear this. She didn't think anyone would have the guts to do something as stealing a Sharicite crystal.
"How did this even happen? The Sharicite was supposed to be tightly secured, wasn't it?", IF inquired.
"Well, you see-", Nepgear said before she was interrupted by her sister.
"Hey uh, can we get a flashback going here? Otherwise I'll fall asleep halfway through", said Neptune.
"Oh, alright...", said the CPU Candidate as she began her explanation.
Moments Ago...
In the Planeptune Basilicom, both Nepgear and Uzume were trying to keep busy by preforming some chores around the building, ranging from cleaning to managing some documents. Histoire also helped them out for a bit. She was happy to have at least two extra pairs of hands to help around the Basilicom, which made her wonder if Neptune would ever be able to do the same thing without having to be either persuaded into doing it or threaten to take away some of her privileges if she didn't.
As they continued to preform their daily duties, a sudden disturbance was about to break the piece. An explosion rang throughout the building, the vibrations shaking the foundation for a few seconds. The three were left surprised, unaware of what was happening. Uzume even wondered if the explosion was another one of Nepgear's experiments gone horribly awry.
"What was that?!", the red haired girl asked.
"I don't know. It can't be the fireworks festival coming early, is it?", replied Nepgear.
Histoire stared out to where the sound of the explosion had came from, her face showing an expression of dread on her face. She knew the Basilicom inside and out, and from the look of horror showing on her face, she knew exactly where the source of the noise had originated at.
"That sounded like it came from the Sharicite chamber!", the Oracle exclaimed.
"What?!", both Nepgear and Uzume yelled out.
"Whatever's happening, it came from our Share crystal chamber! We need to check on it immediately!", the Oracle stated frantically.
"Okay! Let's go, Gearsy!", the red haired girl barked as she followed Histoire.
"Goodness. I have a bad feeling about this", said the lilac haired Candidate.
They all started rushing out of the room, wanting to get to the Sharicite chamber as fast as possible. Planeptune's Share crystal was the most important item of the nation, as were the other Share crystals of the other countries. It was what stored the energies of the people's faith in the CPUs, which in turn gave the Goddesses their power. If anything were to happen to the Sharicite, the CPUs would not be able to transform, and they would be just as vulnerable as an ordinary human. As such, the chamber was heavily guarded, but if there was an explosion, it would stand to reason that something had gone wrong.
The three raced their way though the Basilicom, hoping that they would reach the chamber in time. All three had a very bad feeling about what was happening, with Histoire the most fearful of all. She was hoping that the explosion was the result of a simple accident, but something in her gut told her that this was not the case. The area where the sound originated from was too close to the Share crystal chamber. If there was someone or something looking to either steal or destroy the crystal, it would be bad news for Planeptune and its Goddesses.
As the group neared the Share crystal chamber, they saw some of the guards that were tasked with securing the chamber had been knocked out, There was also a huge hole in a wall nearby. This was definitely no accident, which only confirmed Histoire's fears. The group now had reason to believe that someone was going after the nation's Sharicite. They hurried on their way towards the direction of the chamber, following the trail of destruction that was left behind. Whoever was responsible for attacking the Basilicom had to be stopped at all costs.
When they finally approached the Sharicite chamber, they could see that the entrance had been blown open by some sort of extreme force. Histoire, Nepgear, and Uzume entered inside, only to find that there was someone else in the room. The illuminating light of the Share crystal in the center of the chamber revealed the figure's shape and form. It was a red skeletal figure with black wings, metal hands and boots, a bone-like staff with a yellow orb attached, and a black skull for a head. It was SkullSatamon! He turned around to see the group coming.
"Well, it would appear that the main attraction has arrived", he said.
"SkullSatamon! What are you doing here?", Nepgear demanded.
"Is it not obvious? I'm here for the Share crystal, and I will stop at nothing to get it", said the skeletal Digimon.
"Not if we can help it!", shouted Uzume.
She rushed towards the Ultimate level, hoping to get a punch in on the fiend. But she would never get the chance, as SkullSatamon aimed his staff at the red haired girl.
"Nail Bone!", he exclaimed.
He then blasted a dark ray of light at Uzume, the beam hitting her directly. She screamed as she was blasted back towards both Nepgear and Histoire, who watched on in horror. The Oracle knew about how he had nearly destroyed the CPUs in their first engagement, but she never knew how ferocious he was. She took cover behind the lilac haired Candidate, who helped pick her friend back up.
"Are you okay, Uzume?", she said worriedly.
"Ugggh... That knocked the wind right out of me...", the CPU of orange replied.
Nepgear pulled out her saber, ready to stop SkullSatamon herself. She ran towards him and readied her attack.
"Mirage Dance!", she yelled.
But before she could slice away at the skeletal Digimon, he quickly reached out with his free hand and grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm and making the CPU Candidate drop her saber. She cried out in pain as SkullSatamon gripped her arm tightly.
"Too slow, you foolish brat!", he said.
"Agggh!", yelled Nepgear.
Both Uzume and Histoire looked on in horror as they watched Nepgear struggle to free herself from the fiend's grip, but he held her down tightly, not wanting to let her go so easily.
"Nepgear!", exclaimed Histoire.
"He's got her!", added Uzume.
"And if you want her back alive, you will hand over the Share crystal immediately. Otherwise I will destroy her along with it!", SkullSatamon demanded.
"You wouldn't dare! Give her back, you creep!", the red haired girl snarled.
The skeletal Digimon then pointed his staff directly at Nepgear's body, the yellow orb starting to glow again. Both Histoire and Uzume now hesitated to do anything rash. The lilac haired girl was at the mercy of SkullSatamon, and at the angle she was positioned in, not only would the fiend's attack mortally wound her, but his Nail Bone attack would hit the Share crystal as well. Nepgear did not dare to move a muscle, in fear of retaliation from her captor. A tense standoff was now taking place in the chamber.
"Now then, let's try that again: Hand over the Share crystal", SkullSatamon said.
Uzume looked on angrily, unsure of what to do. She wanted to help Nepgear, but she knew that she would never reach her friend before the skeletal Digimon could waste her. As the red haired girl tried to think of a way to save her friend, Histoire slowly approached, a pained look forming on her face.
"If we let you have the Sharicite, you'll release Nepgear?", she asked.
"You have my word. So, what will it be?", said SkullSatamon.
Uzume could not believe what Histoire was purposing. She was willing to just give him Planeptune's Share crystal in order to save Nepgear? It was unthinkable. The red haired girl was about to object until the Oracle turned to her, her face showing a sorrowful expression.
"Let him have it, Uzume", she said.
"But-", Uzume interjected but was interrupted by Histoire.
"We have no choice. We can't risk losing any of our CPUs. Not even our own Share crystal is worth losing a life", said the Oracle.
Now left with a difficult choice, Uzume wanted to keep the Share crystal safe, but Nepgear's life was at stake, and it seemed that SkullSatamon had nothing to lose. In the end, the red haired girl sighed heavily, seeing that there was no other option. She walked over to the Share crystal, all while the skeletal Digimon watched her like a hawk.
"Don't even think about trying anything. I can flash fry your friend before she ever reaches you", he threatened.
Uzume slowly reached out to the Sharicite, holding the heavy item in her hands. She then walked over to SkullSatamon, who grinned with a satisfied look on his face. As soon as the CPU got close, he stopped her with his staff aimed at Nepgear again.
"Lay it down there, and back away", he ordered.
"You're pay for this big time, creep", grumbled Uzume.
SkullSatamon simply chuckled at this idle threat as the red haired girl placed the Share crystal on to the floor. She then backed away from the item and went over to Histoire, who placed a comforting hand on the CPU's shoulder. Despite her attempts to comfort her friend, she knew that it would not fix the pain of losing the very thing that allowed the Goddesses to transform. SkullSatamon walked over to the Sharicite, then tossed Nepgear over to the pair, who yelped in pain as she hit the floor. She coughed as her frind and the Oracle helped her back up. The skeletal Digimon grabbed the Share crystal in his hand and then aimed his staff at the ceiling of the chamber.
"Nail Bone!", he exclaimed.
Blasting a dark ray of light from the orb on his staff, he fired at the ceiling and tore open a large hole in the roof, revealing a way outside. He smiled fiendishly at the group.
"Until next time, everyone! Hahahahahaha!", he laughed.
The skeletal Digimon then flew up and went through the escape hole that he had made, taking to the sky and flying off to parts unknown. As he got further away, both Nepgear and Uzume could feel their connection to their Share energy fading, and soon enough, it was cut off completely. The CPU Candidate just stared at the hole in the roof for a few seconds and then collapsed to her knees, feeling like she had lost the will to stand up. The red haired girl clentched her fist in frustration and sighed heavily.
"I'm sorry, Gearsy...", she said.
They all stood there for a few moments before they decided that mopping about the loss of their Share crystal was not going to help anything. They had to warn Neptune about the theft and quickly. Nepgear volunteered to find her sister and inform her of what had happened. She could only hope that her sister was not in trouble herself...
Present Time
After Nepgear had finished explaining to her sister and her Digimon partner what had happened, the Planeptune CPU had a look of utter shock on her face. She had never seen or heard of anyone that was so brazzen enough to steal her nation's most important item. Without the Shareicite crystal, her connection to her Share energy would be cut off from her, rendering her unable to transform into her Goddess form.
"Jeez, no wonder I couldn't transform during that fight", said Neptune.
Nepgear looked at her sister and hung her head in sadness, not knowing what else to say other than the bad news she shared with Neptune.
"I'm sorry... I tried to keep him away", Nepgear apologized.
"I couldn't even lay a dent in him. And he held Gearsy hostage... Man, I felt useless", added the red haired girl.
The CPUs sighed in disappointment. IF placed a hand on both Uzume and Nepgear's shoulders and smiled, trying to comfort them.
"Hey, cheer up guys. At least you did your best", IF soothed.
"Yeah, but now that our Sharicite is gone, we can't transform", Neptune pointed out.
"Damnit. I knew I should've packed some emergency Share crystals like in Zero Dimension", Uzume grumbled.
"Do you have any idea where SkullSatamon took the Sharicite or why he wanted it?", asked IF.
"I'm afraid not. Even I was afraid for my life, so I have no idea where he went", said Histoire sadly.
The CPUs frowned. Without the Sharicite crystal, there was no way that they could transform and fight properly. They had hoped that the other CPUs in the other nations didn't suffer the same problem. Dorumon looked up at the group and jumped.
"Hey, so you lost your Share-thingy. So what? Just because you guys don't have your powers doesn't mean you can't put up a fight", the purple Digimon said.
Neptune looked down at Dorumon and smiled.
"He's right. We've been through tougher situations than this", she said.
The group looked at the lilac haired girl as if she were crazy. On the other hand, they knew that Neptune was right. They survived being captured by ASIC for 3 years, sent to different dimensions, fought against giant Dark CPUs, sealed away a dark version of Uzume, and even defeated the Deity of Sin. Losing their connection to their Sharicite was no different. They knew that they would get it back, no matter how hard it may be.
"Yeah, you're right. We'll get back our Sharicite", said Nepgear.
"Even if we can't transform, we won't give up!", added Uzume.
Histoire smiled at the group, who were now determined on finding their Sharicite crystal and bringing it back. IF smiled too, hoping that the Planeptune CPUs will succeed in their mission.
"Well, I wish I could help out, but I've got to report all of what transpired today to the Guild. We'll try to find out where SkullSatamon went", the brown haired girl said.
"I will contact Mirei about this as well. She may have some answers as to why SkullSatamon would want our Sharicite", said Histoire.
"In the meantime, we'll also keep an eye open for any more signs of wild Digis or Skully!", said Neptune.
"I'll also have to contact the other CPUs and inform them of our situation. Their Sharicite may also be at risk", the Oracle said.
The group nodded, knowing that their friends will also have to be ready. IF then walked out of the room, waving off the group as she left. While Neptune, Dorumon and Uzume pondered on their next move, Nepgear got up and started to walk out of the room.
"I'm going to take my mind off of things here for a while. I'll be taking a walk if anyone needs me...", the CPU Candidate said.
"Okay, Nep Jr.! Be careful out there!", said Neptune.
"See ya later, Nepgear!", added Dorumon.
Nepgear waved them off and walked out of the room. As she shut the door behind her, the lilac haired Candidate sighed.
"I hope we'll get our Sharicite soon... I won't feel better without it", she thought.
She then walked away, hoping that the city view would help her relax and make her feel better.
Inside a large sewer tunnel, Linda was moving knee deep through a river of sludge at a slow and steady pace. She had her nose covered, not wanting to take in the stench of the filthy water and stuff that floated around her.
"Damnit. Nobody told me that the cave tunnel would take me into a sewer system", grumbled Linda.
She didn't like the idea of wading through the sewage. It was bad enough that she had to go through a long cave tunnel. Now she had to crawl through a dirty sewer like a rat who escaped from a dumpster, except now Warechu was not with her. The grey skinned girl scoffed, thinking that she made a mistake working with her new masters after all.
"When I get out of here, I'm taking a hot shower for a week", said Linda.
She then wondered if she should decide to cut ties with her new employ as an Underling for SkullSatamon and his leader, but then considered the consequences in the long run. In the end, the former ASIC member ventured on, her priority set on completing the task given to her. A few minutes later, she noticed that the nasty smell of the sewers started to get even worse. Even covering her nose wasn't working.
"Ugh! You'd think they'd at least clean this place up every now and then. What am I even smelling? Actually, scratch that, I do NOT want to know", she said.
Suddenly, Linda heard a garbled growling noise inside the tunnel. She tensed up, not knowing what was making the sound. She didn't think there would be something else done in the sewer with her.
"Oh great, what now? I'm not in the mood for more crap!", she said.
Then she looked up ahead and saw something coming. It was almost as big as the tunnel itself. It looked like a giant grey blob with clawed arms, eyes looking in different directions, and a large mouth with rows of teeth. The grey blob looked like it also had metal parts on it everywhere, from metal plates to cables and wires. On the sides looked like bones sticking out. The creature roared at Linda, it's breath stinking up the air.
"Holy crap! What is that thing?!", the grey skinned girl exclaimed.
"Raaaaaagggghhhh!", the creature roared again as it suddenly moved towards her.
Linda backed away nervously, trying to distance herself from the creature. The monster kept on making its way, making inhuman sloshing sounds as it used it's arms to move itself forward. Linda pulled out her iron club.
"Get away from me, ugly!", she exclaimed as she swung her club at the creature.
When the club hit the monster, however, it became stuck to its body. Linda tried to pry it loose, but it would not budge. She pulled as hard as he could, but her hands slipped off, causing her to fall down. The monster growled at the girl again, causing her to shiver nervously. Then the creature raised one of its claws at her. It looked like it was about to attack.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!", Linda screamed as she started to run away.
The monster swiped its limb at the grey skinned girl, but she was running so fast it missed her by inches. Linda ran past the monster, hoping that she can outrun the creature before it catches her. It turned back towards her and followed her at a steady pace.
"Keep away from me you freak! I don't taste very good!", she said.
But the metal-covered blob did not listen and kept chasing her, roaring as it started to catch up with the girl.
"Man, why does this kind of stuff have to happen to me?!", Linda cried.
Suddenly she saw something else up ahead. It looked like a ladder leading up. The grey skinned girl felt relieved to see something that could help in her escape.
"I'm saved!", she said.
Linda reached the ladder and quickly started to climb up. She saw a large lid up above. When she reached it, she tried to move it out of the way, but it wouldn't budge. She looked closer at the lid and she felt like her heart had sank. The lid was bolted shut from the outside. She then turned and saw the creature coming.
"Acid Sludge!", it said as an acidic ball launched from its mouth.
Linda ducked as the acid hit the top of the ladder. Then the ladder started to corrode and dissolve, the hinges also dissolving. The ladder then started to creek and move. Linda's own weight was now becoming too much for the corroding ladder.
"I'm doomed...", she said as the grey skinned girl held on for dear life.
At last the ladder could not take the strain anymore and fell off of it's hinges, taking Linda down with it. She hit the ground with a thud. The girl then looked up and saw the monster getting closer. It growled as it got ready to attack again.
"Man, I never thought it would end like this...", said Linda sorrowfully.
She then shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable. The metal-covered blob monster raised its limb and was about to to strike down at the grey skinned girl, but then...
"Multi-Junk Attack!", shouted a voice.
Suddenly, multiple piles of pink sludge were being tossed at the giant creature. The monster growled in annoyance, disliking the continuous of pink sludge being sent to his direction. Linda opened her eyes and saw what was happening.
"Huh?", the grey skinned girl said.
After a few more seconds of being pelted by pink sludge, the blob-like monster growled and turned away, not wanting to be around the area. It turned around and moved away, eventually moving out of sight.
Just then, something jumped in front of Linda. It looked like a lime green blob-like creature with indigo spots on its body, two large eyes supported by two eyestalks, and a large mouth with teeth and a tongue sticking out.
"That's right, Raremon! You better run!", the lime green creature said.
Linda was shocked at the sight of this creature's appearance. She didn't know what to think. One minute she was being chased by a horrific looking monster, and the next thing she knew, she was saved by an equally disturbing creature. The creature then turned to look at her.
"Hey there, hot stuff! The name's Numemon! What's your name?", the creature asked.
But all Linda could say were mumbles. Then suddenly her eyes rolled up and she fell backwards. Unable to conceive what had just transpired, Linda had fainted, hitting her head on the ground with a thud. The lime green creature tilted it's eyestalks in confusion.
"Was it something I said?", it asked.
In the Digi-Lab, Mirei was still trying to figure out how the Machinedramon both Neptune and Dorumon fought long ago had appeared in Gameindustri. So far the only theory that she had was that whatever caused the mechanical monstrosity to enter the CPU's world may have involved using a large amount of data.
"Hmmm... What could have brought him to their world?", Mirei wondered.
Just then, she heard a beeping sound. She was receiving a call from someone. She activated a holographic projection. When it turned on, she could see it was Histoire, Neptune, and Dorumon.
"Greetings. I take it you need something from me?", she asked.
"Yes. We must speak to you immediately. Something disturbing has just happened today, and it involves SkullSatamon", said Histoire.
"That creepy bonehead just jacked our Sharicite and made a break for it! And now I can't transform!", exclaimed Neptune.
"Um... I'm afraid I don't follow. Perhaps you should explain it to me", said Mirei.
They then explained to her what had transpired in their nation, from the BlackGrowlmon attack to how Ryudamon had accidentally Digivolved with Dorumon during the battle. They also told her about SkullSatamon and how he stole their Share crystal.
"I see. And you say that this... Ryudamon, was it? You said he became Ginryumon when you tried to make Dorumon Digivolve into Dorugamon?", she asked.
"Yeah. They were all like 'Pow!' and 'Bam!' and 'Take this!' and all that! I say they worked like a team!", Neptune rambled.
"Hmm... Interesting", said Mirei as she placed a hand on her chin.
"You seem awfully calm about this", stated Histoire.
"Well, quite frankly, I'm just as surprised to hear this just as much as you. Normally a Digivice is meant to be used for one Digimon", the purple haired woman said.
"Yeah, but we were both next to each other when the beam hit us. And I don't know why, but when we Digivolved together, I felt a connection with him for a second or two", Dorumon exclaimed.
"A connection, eh? Hmm... I wonder...", said Mirei.
"What is it, Mirei?", asked Histoire.
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that this reminds me of when I met someone who also had two partners before", said Mirei before adjusting her glasses.
Histoire and Neptune looked at each other, puzzled by what she meant before turning back to Mirei. She then cleared her throat and continued.
"Two Digimon Digivolving from one Digivice is rare, but not uncommon either. And if I had to guess, I'd say that this Ryudamon's appearance and Digivolution may not be a coincidence", she said.
"So do you think that Dorumon and Ryudamon have a thing going on with each other? Oh! Were they once long lost brothers in a previous life of sorts?!", Neptune inquired.
Mirei raised an eyebrow before looking at Histoire.
"What Neptune means is do Dorumon and Ryudamon really have a sort of connection?", the Oracle asked.
"If there is, then maybe it's best if you try to find Ryudamon. I have a feeling that your destinies may be intertwined in a way. Call it a hunch", Mirei replied.
"Awesomeness! But uh, we don't even know where Ryudamon went. He gave us the cold shoulder after the battle was over", the lilac haired CPU stated.
"Well, I'm sure you'll cross paths again soon. I just know it", said Mirei as she smiled ominously.
She then adjusted her glasses again before continuing.
"Now, you also said that SkullSatamon had stolen your... Sharicite, was it?", she asked.
"Yes, Sharicite. The Share crystal is the manifestation of the people's belief in their Goddesses. Without it, a CPU cannot transform. They could even become more vulnerable as a result", Histoire explained.
"I see. But now the real question is why would SkullSatamon want to steal your Sharicite crystal in the first place?", Mirei inquired.
"I do not know. I see no reason as to why someone would even want to take it in the first place, other than to take away a CPU's powers", the Oracle stated.
"Hmmm... Could it be that...?", Mirei pondered.
Histoire and Neptune looked at the purple haired woman inquisitively.
"Hey, are you on to something? Spill the beans on us, will ya?!", inquired Neptune.
"Remember how you said that you fought a Machinedramon? And how it appeared out of nowhere?", Mirei asked.
"That's the gist of it and stuff. Why do you ask?", the lilac haired girl replied.
"I think I'm beginning to piece it all together now... But I will need to conduct a few simulations in the Digi-Lab just to be sure", Mirei stated.
"Please, let us know if you find anything. I would appreciate it very much", said Histoire.
"I will. In the meantime, I suggest you find that Ryudamon and see if you can make nice with him", said the purple haired woman.
"You bet! Dorumon and I won't rest until we make him our friend! I'll stuff him in a ball if I have to!", exclaimed Neptune.
"I'm not sure that's how it works, Neptune...", said Dorumon.
"Well then, we'll be going now. Goodbye for now", said Histoire.
"Alright then. See you later", Mirei replied as she waved them off.
As the holographic projection faded, Mirei opened a new program on her laptop, typing away at her keyboard. She had a stern look on her face.
"If SkullSatamon is planning on using the Share crystal for something... But how does that fit with the portals?... Unless..."
She continued to ponder as she worked through her laptop, trying to find out if there was a connection with the Sharicite in Gameindustri and the portals from the Digital World.
Downtown in Planeptune, Nepgear walked along the sidewalk, taking in the views of the city. She smiled as she looked around.
"This is nice. I wonder what new stuff the shops have around here? It's been a while since I been in this part of Planeptune", the lilac haired girl said.
It wasn't long though before Nepgear sighed, her thoughts turning back to how she couldn't stop SkullSatamon. She kept thinking about how helpless she was she fought against the skeletal Digimon the first time, and later when she and Uzume tried to stop him from taking Planeptune's Share crystal. She couldn't help but feel down and ashamed. The CPU Candidate felt completely useless when she was held hostage, and she felt even worse for allowing such a thing to happen, and having her nation's Share crystal get stolen as a result. Suffice to say, it was not looking to be one of Nepgear's best days.
"If only there was something I could've done", the CPU Candidate said sadly.
Nepgear had hoped that a walk in the downtown area would cheer her up, but the thoughts of SkullSatamon still lingered. The lilac haired girl then decided to head back home, hoping that Neptune would share some of her pudding to make her feel better. But as Nepgear starts to walk back the way she came, she heard a strange grinding sound from a nearby alley. She looked over her shoulder to see where the sound was coming from.
"H-Hello? Is anyone out there?", she called out.
The grinding sound kept echoing from the alley. The lilac haired Candidate walked into the narrow pathway to find the source of the grinding sound. She saw a large dumpster and noticed that the sound seemed to be coming from inside.
"Is there anyone in there?", Nepgear asked.
"G-G-G-Go aw-w-wa-a-a-ay!", said a strained voice.
Nepgear was surprised to hear the voice. Now curious, she decided to peak inside the dumpster. She lifted the large lid, but suddenly something popped out, causing the Candidate to shriek in fright. But when she looked at what came out, she saw something familiar about the figure. It had a metallic that was attached to a yellow gear, and two smaller gears on both sides. It's red eyes looked at the girl cautiously. It was then and there that she recognized the gear-like creature.
"Hey, wait a minute. I've seen you before. You were in the fields outside of Planeptune", said Nepgear.
"P-P-Ple-e-e-ea-a-ase le-e-e-ea-a-a-ve m-m-me al-l-lon-n-ne", the gear said.
It seemed to Nepgear that there was something wrong with the gear creature. It was almost as if it was malfunctioning. She lowered down to its height, but it backed away nervously. She could understand why it would be fearful of her, but she pressed on.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you", the CPU Candidate said calmly.
The gear looked at her, getting a few inches closer. Nepgear smiled at this, hoping to gain its trust.
"You don't look good well. Is something wrong?", she asked.
"M-M-My v-v-voi-i-ice b-b-b-box is g-g-glit-t-t-tchin-n-n-ng ou-u-u-t! I t-t-think-k-k s-s-somet-t-t-thing-ing-ing-ing-g-g is st-t-t-tuck-k-k!", the gear stuttered.
"Something stuck? Hold on a moment", said Nepgear.
She pulled something out of her pocket. It was a screwdriver, one of many emergency tools that she kept with her at all times.
"It's a good thing I carry an emergency screwdriver for my N-Gear. Try not to move, okay?", said Nepgear.
She placed the screwdriver on the screws on the gears's faceplate, then she slowly twisted them out one by one.
"W-W-Wait-t-t-t! Wha-a-a-at ar-r-r-re you-u-u d-d-d-doin-n-n-ng?!", the stuttering gear exclaimed.
"Don't worry. This won't hurt a bit", the lilac haired girl said.
Once she removed the last screw, she removed the living gear's face, revealing the inside. It looked like many small gears with other bits of machinery.
"I f-f-fee-e-el n-n-n-nak-k-k-ked-d-d", the gear stuttered.
Nepgear looked closely inside the living gear and saw something unusual. It was a pebble stuck in between two small gears.
"Aha! I think I found the problem", she said.
She carefully reached her hand to the pebble and removed it from the gears. Then the gears started moving again, along with the rest of the small gears and machinery. Nepgear nodded and placed the gear's face back in its proper place. Then she took her screwdriver again and tightened the screws back in place. The living gear blinked its red eyes as the lilac haired Candidate place her screwdriver back in her pocket.
"Turns out that there was a pebble inside you. It caused your machinery to seize up. It would've gotten much worse if it stayed any longer. I managed to take out. Do you feel any better now?", asked Nepgear.
"I think so... Yes. Yes, I feel all better now! My voice is fully functional again!", the living gear said happily.
"Glad to hear it", said Nepgear, smiling at the sight.
"I am in your debt now. If you hadn't come along when you did, I would ceased functioning for good. I thank you!", the gear said.
"Your welcome! Oh, I almost forgot, but do you have a name?", the lilac haired Candidate asked.
"I am Hagurumon, a machine type Digimon. It is a pleasure to meet you", the living gear introduced.
"A Digimon? Amazing! I'm Nepgear, the CPU Candidate of Planeptune! It's nice to meet you too!", said Nepgear excitedly.
Both the gear Digimon and the lilac haired girl smiled at each other. Just then, Nepgear felt something ringing and vibrating in her pocket.
"Oh? One moment please", she said.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her N-Gear. The lilac Candidate flipped it open and answered.
"Hello?", she asked.
"Hey, Nepgear! How's it going?", said a child-like voice.
"Hello, Miss Nepgear", squeaked another voice.
"Hi Rom! Hi Ram! I'm doing fine. How are you two doing?", Nepgear asked.
"We're getting pretty bored here. Blanc and Blucomon are busy. Wanna come by Lowee?", said Ram.
"We want to play", added Rom.
"Sure! I'd love to come over. I'll be there soon, okay?", said the lilac haired girl.
"Okay! Don't keep us waiting!", said Ram excitedly.
"See you later", said Rom happily.
The N-Gear then turned off as Nepgear placed it back into her pocket. She looked back at Hagurumon and smiled.
"Well, it looks like I'll be going now. Try not to get anything stuck again, okay?", she said.
But as the CPU Candidate was about to turn away, the machine Digimon got back in front of her. She stared at the gear Digimon, puzzled by his action.
"Excuse me, but um... May I come with you? In case I break down again", he asked.
Nepgear was surprised to hear this, but still smiled anyway.
"Sure! I don't mind bit", she said.
"Thank you! Please, lead the way!", exclaimed Hagurumon.
Nepgear walked out of the alley way with the Digimon. She would pull out her N-Gear again to text Histoire that she would be on her way to Lowee to play with Ram and Rom. She was not only excited that the Lowee Candidates want to see her, but she now has a Digimon following her around.
"Oh my goodness, I have a Digimon!", Nepgear thought.
Far away from Planeptune, a small armored creature looked at the city from a hillside area. Ryudamon was still contemplating on the battle that he was in when he met both Dorumon and Neptune. In one moment, he was fighting against another Digimon who was one level higher than him, and the next thing he knew, he had become something different in the blink of an eye, all due to the effects of a strange device that both the human and the other Digimon had used.
"Just what exactly did they do to me? Was that really what Digivolution feels like?", Ryudamon asked himself.
He just could not get the idea of him Digivolving via someone else's assistance out of his head. It bothered him to no end. He was more accustomed to fighting on his own. There was no way he could accept the idea of Digivolving via the assistance of a human.
"It feels like I wasn't really using my own strength, and at the same time, my power was amplified", the armored Digimon said.
He looked up to the sky as he continued to ponder on the events that had transpired.
"And that other Digimon...", said Ryudamon, his thoughts now turning to Dorumon.
He thought about how the purple Digimon had fought against BlackGrowlmon with him when they became both Dorugamon and Ginryumon. He then thought on how he protected the armored Digimon from an attack from SkullSatamon. Although he could hold his own in a fight, he could not understand why someone else would help him. It was something different to him.
"Dorumon...", Ryudamon said aloud.
As he thought more about the purple Digimon, he couldn't help but feel as though the two Digimon were connected in some way. Ever since he Digivolved with Dorumon, fought alongside him, and had even been saved by him, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about him that rubbed Ryudamon in a way.
"Hmm... Could he be the challenge I was seeking? Someone who can match me in battle?", the armored Digimon pondered aloud.
He then looked back towards the city of Planeptune. After a few seconds of thinking, he decided that he would want to see the purple Digimon again.
"I must face him. I will challenge him to battle. I must see for myself what he is made of", said Ryudamon with a determined look on his face.
He walked away towards the direction of the city, planning a way to make contact with Dorumon.
And that's all for this chapter.
Now, I've been looking back at the first few chapters of this story, and I noticed a few grammar errors and other things that may require some edits or correcting. I'll have to get to fixing that eventually. I was going to wait until I get a computer, but I'm not sure.
Also, I think there could be a few other things I could add to the chapters, such as a little extra dialogue, longer scenes, etc. I will probably get around to doing just that, but not anytime soon. At least not until this story gets bigger.
Anyway, that concludes the little news drop. As always, leave a review and follow for more chapters, and I will see you later in the next one. See you later!