"My name is Uzume Tennouboshi." The girl introduced herself in a more relaxed manner with a more assertive tone. She put a hand on her hip with a smirk printed on her face. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

Woah. Her demeanor suddenly changed all of a sudden.

"Um, likewise, Miss Tennouboshi." She extended her hand for a handshake. The girl eyed her hand with caution and suspicion for a moment, as though she pointed a dagger at her chest. "I'm Nepgear, like I've stated before."

"Just Uzume is fine." She firmly grabbed her hand while tightening her grip, most likely to convey a bit of her strength and dominance to her. "No need for formalities."

Ow, quite a strong grip she got.

"So, Nepgear..." She started as she let go of her hand while Nepgear began messaging the pain in her hand. "You've mentioned that you found me unconscious outside of Planeptune. Is that right?"

"Um, yes, that's what I said." She nodded. "I found you lying unconscious in the wilderness after I took care of most of the monsters in the area and had to face a large Fenrir before I sent a call for help. Thankfully, the two of us were brought back to the Basilicom safely."

"Hmmm, I see..." She let out a hum. "Well, I suppose... I should... probably thank you for what you did, so... thanks." She struggled to get the most simple word out of her mouth that was alien to her.

"Oh, no, no. There's no need to thank me, really. "Nepgear shook her head and waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "It's my duty as a CPU to help those in need."

"A CPU...?" The sudden revelation took Uzume by surprise but not for the reason Nepgear expected. She simply wrote it off as someone who was not used to being in the presence of a CPU, which wasn't uncommon.

"Anyway, I hope you don't mind, seeing as you just woke up but can you tell me what happened, Miss Uzume?"

"Well... to simply put it, I got myself into a nasty fight and... L-Lost." For some reason, she was having difficulty uttering the last word, and when she did, it left a very bad taste in Uzume's mouth and her ego took a huge battering.

It was a hard pill to swallow for her.

"Are you an adventurer by any chance?" Nepgear asked.

"I guess you could say that, though I like to see myself as a lone wanderer. I like to travel from place to place and don't really have a place to call home."

Hmm, it doesn't seem like she's lying, but at the same time, she's not telling me everything.

"I see... Well, at least you managed to get out live. Try being more careful and consider having a party with you. Otherwise, you might not be so lucky next time."

Uzume let out a sneer. "Hmph, I prefer working alone."

Nepgear shook her head but didn't press any further. She knows a lot of people didn't feel comfortable sharing everything with the literal CPU and took caution, which is understandable.

"My turn now. I have a couple of questions myself I'd like to ask, if that's acceptable."

"Sure, go ahead. I'll try to answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability."

"Hmm, let's see..." The blue-haired girl took a moment to prepare her question. "How long was I out exactly?"

"You were out for a few days, I think." Then something dawned on Nepgear as she slapped a hand on her cheek. "Oh, goodness! You must be starving after not eating for days. I'll have someone fix something for you in no time. My apologies for not realizing sooner."

"That won't be—" Uzume was about to decline, but her stomach didn't seem to share her feelings and conveyed it by making a loud rumbling noise, which made Nepgear let out a small chortle behind her hand. Uzume let out a sigh and gave her stomach an annoyed look, as if it had betrayed her. "On second thoughts, food does sound nice. Anyway, back to my questions. So, am I to presume that you are the current CPU of this so-called nation?"

"Yes, I'm the CPU of this nation and the other three as well, Lilac Heart."

"Is that so? Well, it is truly an honor to meet the CPU herself in all her glory in person." Her flattery attempt resulted in a nervous chuckle from Nepgear. "Don't worry too much about it. Most people tend to get nervous when they get to meet and talk to a CPU, but I'm not really that special, honest."

"You're too kind. Now, last question, and this one is very important." Uzume's face turned serious. "By any chance, have you stumbled on a particular game console? Square and has an orange swirl mark like this one." She pointed at her tie.

Nepgear stared at it for a bit before shaking her head. "No, I can't say I have... Sorry."

"Well, that's a shame." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"If you want, I could ask my scouts to search the area to see if they can find that console of yours. From what you've described to me, it doesn't sound like any game console I'm familiar with now that I think about it."

"Well, that's because... it's an old family heritage that was passed on to me. And another thing, do you have my weapon as well?" Uzume asked upon realizing she couldn't feel it anywhere within her.

"Oh, you mean the megaphone?"

"Yes, that." Uzume nodded.

"Oh, right, I think the staff here stored it in a safe place. I'll be sure to send someone to hand you your weapon later."

"That would be much appreciated. And can I ask for the food to be delivered to my room, if possible? I'm not in a social mood at the moment."

"Oh, no, I completely understand. Don't hesitate to ask for anything; the staff here would be happy to accommodate your needs. I also have a friend here who is a nurse, if you ever feel sick. Anyway, I'll take my leave now so as not to disturb you any further. Have a good night, Miss Uzume." The girl responded by nodding. Nepgear then got out of the girl's room and made her way back to her bedroom. On her way, she bumped into the oracle.

"Nepgear, there you are."

"Ah, Histoire, good evening."

"Yes, good evening to you as well. So, I heard that the girl had just woken up."

"Yes, she's fine. I've gone and spoken with her just a few moments ago."

"I see, that's a relief." Histoire nodded. "What did you manage to learn from her?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. She told me that her name is Uzume and she's also apparently a wanderer who travels constantly."

"Did you inquire about the negative energy that she possesses yet?" Histoire asked. "Such a thing is unnatural, and there's still no record of her that I could find anywhere. This raises so many red flags, not to mention that there might be a possibility that she could be working with ASIC."

"No... that seems unlikely." Nepgear shook her head. "She doesn't seem to act or look like ASIC, as far as I'm aware." She'd be able to spot one from a mile away from having to deal with them on a daily basis that she could instantly tell. "I'll try directly asking about the negative energy tomorrow so we can have a solid answer. Oh, can you send someone to deliver her a tray of food to her room?"

"Consider it done, dear."

"Thank you. I'm going to call it a day. Good night, Histoire." She took her tiny hand and gave it a quick peck.

"Good night, Nepgear. Sweet dreams." Histoire smiled before she left in the opposite direction.

Nepgear made her way inside her room and began taking off her shoes and unbuttoning her sailor dress to her white night dress underneath before tucking herself into bed. Unfortunately, after countless attempts to sleep, she found herself unable to. She tried shutting her eyes, but they felt heavy. She tried switching 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 stared at the ceiling, still restless.

Ugh, I just can't bring myself to sleep for some reason.

Nepgear's mind went back and recalled her memories when she was still a newborn CPU. Everything was still new and foreign to her at the time, and her sister was her guide. She taught her everything she knew and gave her all the love in the world.

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 let out a sigh as she recalled when her sister used to sing her lullaby until she fell asleep.

I remember how Neptune knew how to make sleep when I was still young...

Nepgear felt herself hugging her pillow, trying to hold on to her past memories of her dear sister. She longed for her warm hugs, 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 it vividly. She let her sister's melodic and heavenly tone drift her as though the ocean was gently carrying her as if it were its own child.

Soon, Nepgear fell asleep unconsciously as she let her sister's humming overtake her, with a few tears dropping from her eyes.

(N)

Nepgear found herself yet again in an unfamiliar place, or so she thought. A quick glance told her all she needed to know, as she recognized this place all too well, like the back of her hand.

Planeptune.

It was her own nation and home, except it wasn't. This Planeptune was in complete ruin, with nature claiming the destroyed building as its own. The sky was a shade of purple instead of the usual blue, and it was filled with so many cracks running throughout the earth and sky as though she were staring at a broken TV.

To say it had seen better days would be the understatement of the century.

Nepgear knew by now that she was dreaming, and she had a way to confirm it. She did a quick test by pinching herself and felt no pain.

"Yup, definitely dreaming right now."

She was familiar with those so-called lucid dreams that come once in a blue moon, and it's been a while since she had one of those. People who are suddenly aware that they're dreaming can control their dreams and do a lot of things, like visit any place, meet any people, or gain superpowers, just by thinking. Or at least that's what Nepgear read anyway. She never got the hang of controlling her dreams like some people, and when she finally does, it just ends abruptly.

She read that there are ways to practice it, but she had neither the time nor energy to try.

While this was still all a dream, it still made her feel unsettled. Seeing her nation in a crumbling state and possibly everyone she knew dead brought her all kinds of negative emotions. She tried closing her eyes and imagining that she was somewhere else. She opened one eye and saw that the scenery remained the same.

Figured as much.

Well, with nothing left to do, she started walking aimlessly to see where the dream would eventually lead her. Every step she took had the same unchanging scenery, as if she'd been stuck in a looping film. Many buildings were destroyed, and chunks of rock scattered all over and covered the roads, which were filled with cracks and bumps. Out of all dreams, this must have been the weirdest one yet.

Her footsteps echoed through, and there was still no sign of life anywhere.

"H-Hello? Anyone there? Hellooooo?"

The only answer that she got was the sound of the whizzing wind. It suddenly got cold and chilly, and the wind began gradually getting more violent. She continued walking as she began fighting against the wind.

"N-Neptune? Sis? A-Are you there?" Her voice began to shake. She called for her sister, but all she was met with was more dreadful silence.

Suddenly, the earth began violently shaking, and Nepgear tried her best to balance herself. Then came 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 from the bright light 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.

She let out a muffled grumble before taking her head out. "Ow... Seriously, what is up with those dreams? Did they get transported into reality?"

She picked herself up from the ground and began rubbing her red nose. She then checked her time 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 any further, as she doubted she could return to sleeping after getting a first taste of the cold floor.

Nepgear went and washed her with cold water. She then dressed up and made her bed before making her way to the kitchen to have what most would consider the most "important" meal of the day, but for her, it's just a luxury, and some of the days she'd just opted to fast until launch, when she would finish all of her work by then.

It's quite healthy, thank you very much.

Her nose picked up a pleasant smell coming from the kitchen that attracted her like a fly. She was her friend, cooking eggs on the frying pan. Upon noticing her, she smiled. "Good morning, Ge-Ge."

"Good morning, Compa. My, it smells lovely in here."

"Yo, sleeping beauty. Come sit down." IF called out from the dinner table with a plate already sitting in front of her. "Compa is cooking omelettes for today. Better hurry or you'll miss out on them."

Compa let out a giggle. "Please wait while I'll make yours, Ge-Ge."

"Thank you, Compa." Nepgear nodded before sitting down across from her friend. "And good morning to you, IF."

"Mornin'. So, feeling all better?"

"Yeah, I think I'm good to go now."

"Good, since you and I will be hitting the town today to do the investigation mission we've talked about earlier."

"Sure. I can't wait to get back to work. I kinda feel bad seeing you do all the work while I sit here."

"Eh, don't sweat it. Kei got my work cut out for me and besides, you got your CPU businesses to worry about."

"Yeah, but it still doesn't feel right."

"Here you go, Ge-Ge." Compa set her egg plate in front of her. Nepgear muttered a quick thank you before digging in. Her mouth filled with delight at the taste as she began savoring the favour. The omelet texture was soft, and the cheese inside melted in her mouth. Mix with the vegetables that each completed each other. She felt like she could melt at any moment from the pure bliss. She never had anything this tasty for ages.

Compa's food was filled with so much love. "Hmm, these are sho good, Compa."

"Hehehe, I'm glad to hear that. Ge-Ge." Compa beamed at the compliment. "I'm thinking of shopping for groceries so I can prepare my specialty later."

"I can hardly wait." IF's mouth watered at the thought. "I haven't tasted your home cooking in what feels like ages. Those Lastation's rations suck big time."

"So, Compa. How's your job as a nurse so far?" Nepgear asked.

"Oh, it's been great, if a bit tiring. My grandpa recently passed away, which is the reason why I took a week off from work."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that and for your loss."

"Thank you, Ge-Ge. I'm sure he's in a happy place now. At least I was able to spend some time with him before that."

Silence hung over the room for a while until IF decided to be the one to break it first. "Sure has been a while since we hung out like this, huh?"

"Yuppy, it sure does." Compa nodded. "I bet Nep-Nep would be happy to see us together like this."

"Yeah, I still miss my sister to this very day." Nepgear let out a sigh and formed a sad smile on her face. "And her every attempt to evade work and laze around."

IF let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, it sure did get a lot quieter here without her, didn't it? Considering she was the one who brought us together in the first place."

"Hey, now, let's not get all mopey. Nep-Nep wouldn't want to see us like this; she'd rather see us happy together."

"Yeah... you're right. " Nepgear shook her head to clear those unwanted thoughts away. "For now, let's enjoy our time while we can. For Neptune's sake and our fallen friends."

"Aye!"

The room was filled with chattering noises as the three friends began reminiscing about the good times and their adventures, letting out a few laughs in between. But all good things must have come to an end, as they hadn't noticed the time slipping past them when they were having fun. All three had work to attend to, but instead of going right away, they sat there silently for a bit, heads facing the ceiling.

"Though, I wonder..." Compa put a hand on her cheek. "Whatever happened to Nisa and Gust? I've never seen them at all after we all went our separate ways."

"Nobody knows, sadly." IF shook her head. "I can take a wild guess and say that Gust went back to her homeland, but Nisa? She completely vanished. Nobody heard from her. Who knows? Maybe she quit. Well, this has been fun, but..." She was the first to stand up from her chair. "Ah, I'm going to town and drop by the guild now. You're coming, Gear?"

"Nah, I still have work here. I'll finish up here and meet you there."

"Sounds good. I'll see you there." She took a quick glance at her phone before she turned to her other friend. "Bye, Compa, and thanks for the food as well."

"Your welcome, Iffy. Bye now!"

The brunette made her way out, leaving the two by themselves. Compa began picking up the plate from the table. Nepgear rushed to help. "Oh, here, let me help you with the dishes. It's the least I could do."

"Sure, two hands are better than one."

After finishing with cleaning the dishes, Nepgear went to her office to do the same mundane task of handling the paperwork, while Compa helped around the Basilicom with a simple task and offered to treat anyone who was feeling unwell. But today she was both motivated and energized, and she started clearing out her task at an incredible speed. She was going through the papers and signing them, almost matching the speed of a machine, so much so that she felt her hand could burst on fire at any moment. Thankfully, she was done with her work before noon. Something that would have taken her the whole day, she finished it in half.

Phew, that's gotta be a new record.

Nepgear let out a breath before she leaned back on her chair before deciding to take a short nap but it was cut short by a small knock at the door.

"Excuse me, Lady Nepgear?"

Nepgear straightened herself before clearing her throat and calling them to enter.

"Sorry to disturb you, but there's someone who wishes to see you."

Another visiter? Who could that be this time?

"She said it's an urgent matter."

"Alright. I'll be there in a moment. Thank you."

She got up and hurried her way to the lobby, where she found a woman dressed in a semi-revealing maid outfit. Her hair was red as flames and her eyes were green as emeralds.

"Cave?" Nepgear couldn't help but voice her surprise. 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 as of recently, it seems that 5pb is taking a break from being an idol, as she hasn't performed in a while and instead does radio talks and podcasts, which left Cave to go back to the defense force once again as the SMD is out of commission due to Leanbox's current state.

The woman didn't bother wasting any time with introductions and went straight into it. "Nepgear, I've found her."

"Huh, found who?" Nepgear was lost. "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. And yes, I'm calling Kurome Uzume (sue me), and it'll stay that way for the whole story, so don't get the two characters confused.

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 or HEN 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.

It's kinda funny how I'm playing a game centered around themes of fighting piracy, and here I am just basically committing it. 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 after receiving an anonymous tip.