"My name is Uzume Tennouboshi." The girl introduced herself in a way that translates to half-serious as she put a hand on her hip. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."
She seems nonchalant all of a sudden.
"Likewise, miss Uzume. I'm Nepgear, like I've stated before."
"Uzume is fine." She raised her hand. "So, Nepgear... you mentioned that you found me unconscious outside of Planeptune. Is that right?"
"Um, yes, I brought you to my Basilicom shortly after I found you unconscious while I was searching the area."
"Huh, I see..." Uzume pondered for a bit before she reverted her attention back. "Ahem, I suppose... I should... probably thank you for that, so... thanks." Uzume tried to sound genuine, but it came out a bit off. Although Nepgear didn't pay it any mind.
"Oh, no need to thank me. I only did what was right." Nepgear rubbed the back of her head.
"How noble... Anyway, if you don't mind, I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask, if that's acceptable."
"Uh, sure, I'll try to answer any questions you may have. But I do have my own share of questions as well."
"I guess that's only fair. Shall we do twenty-twenty?"
"Okay. You may go first, Uzume."
"Hmm, let's see..." The midnight hair girl took a moment to prepare her question. "You mentioned Planeptune, so I assume that's where we are currently?"
"Yes, that's correct." Nepgear nodded. "So, Uzume. Can you tell me what happened to you before I found you?"
"Hmm... I was in the middle of a fight with my... rival until we were suddenly attacked out of nowhere by an unknown being. Then I ended when you found me."
"Why were you two fighting?"
"Well, let's just say that we both had, uh... different goals in mind, to say the least."
"And those are?"
"It's nothing you should concern yourself with. It's just a trivial matter of who owns the deed to the land, and we both want it for different purposes, so we fought over it." Nepgear hummed and nodded.
"Your rival. Could you tell me more about them?" Uzume froze at that bit. Such a gesture didn't go unnoticed by the CPU.
"All you need to know is that she's both obnoxious and loud. I couldn't care less about what had befallen her. She has little significance, so how about we carry our focus on the one who caused all of this instead?" She totally dodged the question: Why is that? But she does have a point...
"Okay, could you recall what the attacker looked like then?"
"Nope." Nepgear's face turned blank.
"That's not a lot to go on, I'm afraid."
"Well, none of us had any time to react. All it took was a single blow, and then everything went dark. I couldn't even get a glimpse of the attacker. It was all a blur. And you know the rest." Uzume closed her eyes. Despite not showing it, Nepgear could tell that she was fuming inside.
It doesn't look like she's lying, but still... I feel like she's not exactly telling me everything.
"So, I presume you are the current CPU of this so-called nation, am I correct?"
"Um, yes, I'm the CPU of this nation and the other three as well, Lilac Heart." Okay, that made Nepgear believe that the girl got a serious hit on her head for her not to recognize the only CPU that currently governs the whole land; it was simply a known fact among the people of Gamindustari at this point.
Perhaps she simply didn't recognize me in my human form? Such cases aren't uncommon after all.
"Wait... what do you mean by "other three"?" Okay, that isn't definitely right. No one is that ignorant of the history of the deity of sin. She's either suffering from amnesia or she's really good at acting since she can't see through her. Even the younglings knew about the great battle and the current CPU.
"I govern all nations. The other CPUs unfortunately lost their lives in the great battle with the Deity of Sin eleven years ago, so the other nations were out under one flag as a result." Nepgear's voice was devoid of any emotion after having been reminded of her past, but she tried not to show it. "Did you by any chance lose your memories? I don't believe anyone doesn't know about that."
"No. I don't think so, or at least I still have some intact." What does she mean by some? That's an odd thing to say. "It's more accurate to say that I hadn't had any real contact with the outside world for a really long time, and now I woke up in an unfamiliar place. So, my knowledge isn't exactly up-to-date. So do excuse my ignorance."
"Oh, no, no, it's quite okay. That explains a lot, actually."
Well, it seems like Kei was right on that one, like she always is.
"So, where are you from then?"
"Hmm, I come from a very far place, away from the nations."
"Is that so?"
"Yup. I don't exactly have a place to call home. I'm sort of like a wandering spirit. Anyway, last question, and this one is very important. By any chance, have you stumbled on a particular game console? Square and has an orange swirl mark like this one." She brought her neckwear up.
"I can't say I have... Sorry."
"That's a shame." She clicked her tongue.
"I'll ask my scouts to search the area to see if they can find that console of yours. Can you tell me what purpose you need it for? From what you've described to me, it doesn't sound like any game console I'm familiar with."
"Nothing really. It's just, uh... an old family heritage that was passed on to me, and I would like it back, that's all. Also, do you have my weapon?"
"Um, what weapon?"
"The megaphone."
"Oh, that. I didn't know it was a weapon. Um, we're going to temporarily confiscate it for security measures. I hope you don't mind."
"Eh, that's fine. I mostly rely on my fists." She cracked her knuckles. "Don't worry, I'll keep them to myself."
"So, while I still have more questions I want to ask, I think I should probably cut it here. Seeing how you've only just woken up, I don't want to overwhelm you with questions. We'll continue later, if that's okay with you. In the meantime, I bought some food for you on the table. You must be feeling a bit hungry after waking up."
"Hm, how considerate of you. And sure, I don't mind."
"I'm going to retire for the night. Do you require anything before I make my departure?"
"Hmm... Yes, a place where I can find some books so I can educate myself would be a good start."
"There's a library in the basilicom. I'll ask Histoire to escort you there. Don't hesitate to ask for anything else. The staff would be most happy to help. With that said, I'll take my leave now. Have a good night." Nepgear made her way out of the room and closed the door behind her. She bumped into Histoire on her way to her room.
"Nepgear, there you are."
"Ah, Histoire, great timing."
"I heard that the girl you bought had just woken up."
"Yes, I've gone and spoken with her just a few moments ago."
"I see. And what did you manage to learn?"
"Not as much as I hoped, unfortunately. We only talked for a bit since she had just woken up. I told her we'd continue later. But here's what I've learned so far..." She began telling her more details about what she learned while they were slowly walking in the hallway.
"Uzume, hmmm... why do I feel like I know this name?" Histoire began rubbing her tiny chin.
"Apparently, she seems to live outside the nations, as she didn't know about the nations being ruled under one flag."
"That's interesting. While there are places that exist outside the nations, most still remain in contact with the other nations, like via export provisions, for instance. She might be camping and traveling from place to place all the time. Maybe there is a possibility that she might be a bandit. While they aren't that common, there are, however, a few who still lingered."
"No, it's highly unlikely. She doesn't look or act like a bandit. In fact, I would argue that she behaves like someone who lived in a civilization before. And she also can't be a member of ASIC, as she didn't seem to react badly when she first saw me, and I'm pretty sure an ASIC member not recognizing a CPU is simply unheard of, so we can check both off."
"Furthermore, it seems that she didn't tell me everything, or rather, she used half-truths. And there's a time when she dodged one of my questions. She's definitely hiding something, and I bet it has to do with the negative energy you mentioned." Nepgear turned to look at the flying tome.
"Hmm... She might not trust us all that much to reveal her secrets. Which is understandable and also concerning at the same time. Try to find a way to learn more about her."
"I'll try. It doesn't seem that she has any ill intentions, as far as I can tell. but it would be for the best if she remained in the Basilicom until we figured things out to keep an eye on her. We can't risk it. In the meantime, I told Uzume that I'd have you escort her to the library. I hope you don't mind."
"Consider it done." The flying tomb nodded.
"Thank you, Histoire. I'm going to call it a day here. Good night."
"Good night, Nepgear. Sweet dreams." Histoire smiled before she left in the opposite direction.
Sweet dreams, huh? I guess we'll see about that...
Nepgear made her way inside her room and began unbottling her jacket before tucking herself into bed while wearing nothing but a white dress. Unfortunately, after countless attempts to sleep, she found herself unable to. She tried shutting her eyes, but all she saw was darkness. After a few minutes, she switched positions to get rid of the uncomfortableness. This continued for a while until she gave up and buried her head under the pillow while letting out a groan before she shifted on her right side.
Ugh, this isn't working. I just can't bring myself to sleep. Sigh... I remember how Neptune used to know how to make sleep when I was young... Eureka!
Nepgear's mind went back and recalled her memories when she was still a newborn CPU. Everything was still new to her at the time.
She remembered when she was still afraid of sleeping by herself and often would sneak to her sister's bed to seek comfort. Her sister's embrace was the safest place she felt, and it also provided her with warmth and peace. She remembered when her sister used to sing her lullaby until she fell asleep.
Nepgear felt herself hugging her pillow, trying to hold on to her past memories of her dear sister, as she began imagining her pillow as if it were her sister, which made her tighten her hold even further. She began reciting in her head the lullaby that her sister used to sing in her head. She remembered vividly her sister's melodic and heavenly tone, which made her feel as if the ocean was gently carrying her as if it were its own child.
Gradually, Nepgear began falling asleep unconsciously as she let her sister's humming overtake her. Shortly after, she went into a deep slumber with ease, this time.
(N)
Nepgear once again found herself in a bizarre place. She immediately recognized the place. It was her nation and home, Planeptune, except it's not. What she means by that is that the place was in complete ruin. To say it had seen better days would be an understatement. Nature took over instead.
This must be yet another nightmare.
Nepgear knew by now that she was dreaming. But it seems that the dreams keep getting more and more vivid, as she was able to make out most of the details with ease. While this was still all a dream, it still made her unsettled. Mainly, seeing her nation in a crumbling state and possibly everyone she knew being dead except her made her experience the worst feeling she had.
If this was truly what became of Planeptune, and she was forced to walk the earth while witnessing her nation turn into ashes before her eyes, to Nepgear, this surely was fate worse than death. It made her feel sick in her stomach just thinking about it. She knew she wouldn't be a CPU forever, and she might live a handrand, if not thousands of years. Maybe this was the aftermath of her nation falling after ruling for so long.
Dream or not, this is just messed up. It seems it wasn't enough to torture me with my past, but now with my future?
With nothing left to do, she began slowly walking to see where the dream would eventually lead her. Every step she took, no matter where she went, had the same unchanging image. Many buildings were destroyed, chunks of which have fallen apart and now cover the roads. The roads themselves are a mess too, being cracked and unearthed from the occasional earthquakes. The sky was violet, filled with cracks running throughout the earth and sky.
Her footsteps echoed the street, and with each step she took, she heard her footsteps getting louder and louder. The silence was deafening and made her more uncomfortable. She tried looking to see if she could find someone, but so far, there were none who came or heeded her call. And she felt like she wasn't getting anywhere, as if she'd been stuck in a loop.
"H-Hello? Anyone there? Hellooooo?"
"Anyone? Please, someone answer me..."
She tried calling to see if anyone would answer her. She only went with more silence, with the exception of the sound of the wind. It suddenly got cold and chilly, and the wind began gradually increasing in force. She continued walking as she began fighting against the wind.
"N-Neptune? A-Are you there?" She tried calling for her sister in the hope that she might find her. "Where are you, sis?"
"Neptune? Sis?"
The silence was killing her. She hated the feeling of being left alone in a dead city. She even reached the point where she began to believe that not even ghosts and spirits seemed to inhabit the place and roam around.
Suddenly, the earth began violently shaking. Nepgear tried her best to balance herself. Then there was a blinding white light coming from above, before she heard explosions in every direction. Nepgear's eyes widen as she sees what seems like four giant robots in the sky who began wrecking the place. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough to dodge an upcoming projectile at her.
Nepgear shielded herself and braced for impact.
(N)
Nepgear found her face planted on the ground—not the best way to start the day. It was a rude awakening for her, literally.
"Ow... Seriously, what is up with those dreams?" She picked herself up from the ground and began rubbing her red nose. She then checked her clock on her N-gear and saw it was early in the morning. A bit too early for her to wake up, she let out another groan but did not complain, as she doubted she could return to sleeping after getting a first taste of the cold floor.
I seriously need to get my hands on some sleeping pills later. Side effects, be damned.
She stretched herself and made her way to get her first meal of the day—not before she made up her bed, of course. Nepgear washed herself with cold water and stopped in the kitchen to make herself something quick.
After finishing her meal, the next thing that was on Nepgear's list was to check up on Uzume. She checked the facility rooms but didn't have any luck. She then asked around, but none of the staff saw her. She went to the last place she hadn't looked yet, which was the library. She entered inside, and to her surprise, she found Uzume sitting on a table reading with a stack of books next to her.
"Uzume?"
"Ah, Nepgear." She put the book down, still maintaining that smug smile of hers from yesterday. "Lovely morning, don't you agree?"
"Uhhh... Did you... spend all night reading?"
"Why yes, of course. I had to be cultured about the history of the nations, after all. And there were simply a lot of interesting things in here that I found myself lost in." She pointed at the many history books.
"I see... That's... good, I suppose."
"In fact, they were so interesting that I couldn't help but think that there were some holes in some of them. Notably, the one about the deity of sin." Nepgear felt her heart fall. She began sweating as she felt Uzume's eyes staring at her. Did she... No, she must be bluffing. She took a moment to compose herself.
"W-What do you mean by that?"
"Well, for starters, the text here mentions that the other CPUs gave their lives away in battle to slay the deity of sin, and only one CPU survived. That's what it says here, after all." Nepgear felt herself getting more tensed up the more she went on. "However..."
"Prior to the battle, the other three nations were in disagreement and threatened to wage a war on Planeptune. Suddenly, all the CPU went missing on the same day, without giving an announcement to their citizens. And would you know it, the one who announced that all of the CPUs were decreased was the CPU candidate of Planeptune at that time. She was the only one who mysteriously was able to survive and tell the tale from her fellow CPU."
How did she...?
"Add to the fact that the humans who accompanied the CPU candidate to the battle all came unscathed. And when the public asked them about the battle and the fate of their CPUs, they refused to comment; even one oracle went missing later. It seems so weird to me that all of the other CPU's power wasn't enough, but a bunch of humans and a CPU candidate somehow, by a miracle, won unscathed where the other CPUs failed." Nepgear was beginning to shake uncontrollably.
"You see, it simply does not add up unless, of course..." Uzume turned to fix her eyes on her to deliver the finishing blow. "It wasn't what really happened, and someone who had all the power and authority to choose what part of history went on and what not, and maybe make up a new story in place so the public wouldn't ask too many questions and revolt as a result." Uzume maintained her smile the whole time. Nepgear could not hide her shock anymore; her eyes were widening like it until it was like an owl's. Just like that, her secret was out, and it was frightening how she was able to piece out the truth with ease.
She was extremely sharp.
How... How did she figure all this out? Shit, what do I do?
No, no, no, I can't let all my effort go in vain. This is bad.
"So, did I manage to get all that right?" Nepgear was speechless. Her mind was a jumbled mess at the moment. "Hm, judging from your reaction, I can confidently say I have. It makes me wonder how much is also true about what was said in our talk yesterday."
Nepgear was panicking internally. This was bad—really bad! She was thinking of permanently silencing the girl in front, insuring she wouldn't be able to spill the secret to the world. of her, as she simply poses too much of a threat to her. She could easily destroy everything she worked on with that single piece of information that Nepgear tried her best to conceal for the last decades. Or even try to blackmail her. Either way, it's not looking good.
She shook her head and averted her thoughts. This wasn't the ideal situation. If it comes to pushing and shoveling, Nepgear still has her trump card. She was going to save it for later, but now's the best time to use it.
Well, two can play that game.
"Funny, I could say the same thing about you, Uzume." Nepgear crossed her arms and hardened her stare at the girl, who switched to neutral before she leaned in. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Do enlighten me."
"I'm talking about the negative energy that you possess. Care to explain that?" Uzume's face remained stoic for a while before she let out a dry chuckle.
"I guess we both have our own little secrets that we would like to keep from others. Rest assured. I have no intention of using this information against you in any way, as I have nothing to gain. Don't worry; everyone has a skeleton in their closet. But in return... I would politely ask that you keep mine a secret. Is that fine?"
"I guess that's fair. Aside from Histoire, since she was the one who discovered it and informed me about it, you still need to tell me about it regardless, or I'd have no choice but to be forced into using extreme measures."
"That's okay. I was planning to tell you anyway since, in some way, it relates to you. But I can't at the moment, as I lack a piece of equipment of mine."
"Are you referring to your game console? How is that going to prove anything?" Nepgear tilted her head.
"You'll see. Look, we might have gotten on the wrong foot, but how about we start over?" Uzume got up and extended her hand to her. Nepgear eyed it for a bit before reluctantly accepting it. "Seeing that I know your little secret now, I think it's fair that I tell you mine. But first, I believe we should find a place where no one will be able to eavesdrop, if that's okay."
"I have a place already in mind, and we can do it at night for good measure. Until then, be warned that you are not allowed to leave this Basilicom for any reason. Any attempt to escape will result in a bounty being placed on you. Are we clear on that?"
"Yeah, yeah... Not like I have anywhere to go in the first place." She waved her hand, clearly not unfazed by the threat.
"Excuse me, Lady Nepgear?" A voice suddenly broke the tension in the air around them. "Sorry for imposing, but there's someone who wishes to see you."
"Okay, I'll head there right away." Nepgear replied back without looking back, as her gaze was still fixated on the girl standing before her.
"You should probably go. It's rude to keep guests waiting, you know~" Uzume began teasing her before she sat back down, rested her feet on the table, and waved her hand. "I'll wait here and resume with my reading. Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to talk later, toodles."
Nepgear took a few steps back slowly while keeping eye contact before she finally turned around and left the room. She made her way to the lobby, where the visitor was most likely waiting for her. She wondered who was seeking her, and at this hour, no less. It must be urgent if that's the case. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait, as the answer came in the form of a red-haired girl dressed in a semi-revealing maid outfit.
"Cave?" Nepgear couldn't help but voice her surprise. It was not often she would get a visit from one of her old friends, especially from Cave, as she was the last person she thought would visit her unless it was strictly just a business between them. She recalled that Cave was serving as a 5pb personal bodyguard in her tours around the nations, as she became quite the popular idol. But nowadays, it seems that 5pb is taking a break from being an idol as she hasn't performed in a while. And now she heard that she went missing yesterday.
As it turns out, she was right. Cave didn't bother wasting any time with introductions and went straight into business. "Nepgear, I've found her."
"Huh, found who? Who are you talking about, Cave?"
"I found Chika."
Author's Notes
A shorter chapter than usual, I know. As I mentioned in the beginning, I spent quite some time doing a rewrite of the chapters since I wasn't quite satisfied with how they turned out, from things not making sense to the stiff and awkward dialogue. So, I tried my best to fix them and do some general polishing on the story. So, to make up for the time gap, I uploaded a short chapter. It's basically Uzume and Nepgear just talking and getting to know each other. And yes, I'm calling Kurome Uzume since that's her real name and she's the original, which won't be changed until much, much later. Probably the next in the installment.
So, I'm replaying Victory at the moment, and it's not for me liking the game; I still hate it. But since I acquired all of the paid DLCs for the game, approximately 50% of the game content is blocked behind the paid wall. And before anyone asks, no, I didn't pay a single dime for the DLCs; I simply installed a HFW on my PS3 so I could install game libraries where I could download games and DLCs for free.
One of the pros of owning a PS3 right now is that Sony will probably overlook people cracking down on the old system since they stopped their support for PS3 console manufacturing to focus on the PS5. From what I've heard, the same is true for the Vita. So, I recommend getting the two since it's the best time, but always take your precautions; the chances of getting a ban might be low, but you never know. You don't want your account to be completely wiped out, so it's best to set up an alternative one when you crack down on the system. It's kinda funny how I'm playing a game centered around themes of fighting piracy, and here I am just basically committing it, haha. While I don't like to pirate stuff and I bought the games legitimately, I won't spend money on overpriced DLCs that basically add nothing and are pretty much worthless. It seems MK2 has fewer DLCs compared to Victory, so I'm curious what they have in store once I finish Victory. Anyway, the next chapter will be longer, I promise.
Until next time, have a blessed day!
Next Chapter: A Quick Favor
Cave seeks Nepgear's help to assist her on a mission to save Chika. She got an anonymous tip that she's being held captive in one of the ASIC hideouts in Leanbox.