Snyderverse Neptunia Snippets

by Derald Snyder

Snippet 57- iPhone's Confession

*At the hospital...*

"How is she, doctor?" Vert inquired, standing by her Oracle's hospital bed.

"She's pretty banged up, but nothing's outright broken," the NPC doctor replied. "That being said, her pelvis is cracked, So I would strongly advise against any 'hip-shaking' or similar activities for a while once she's discharged..."

"Nooo..." Chika whimpered. "How will I be able to satisfy Lady Vert..."

"Well, you should still be able to give me my massages, the old-fashioned way," Vert pointed out. "Just as long as we don't go overboard, so to speak."

"Oh... yes, that's true..." Chika managed a small smile.

"No comment," the doctor muttered. "Anyway, Lady Vert, you shouldn't be moving around too much yourself, with that concussion..."

"Good thing I have a backlog of games to work on, then," Vert chuckled knowingly. "So what about the others?"

"Well, thankfully nothing seems to be broken, but a lot of bumps and bruises, maybe a concussion or two," the doctor reported. "So I would advise no strenous activity for at least a week after they're discharged..."

"I'M SORRRRYYY! IT WAS ALL MY FAAAUUUULT!" a child's voice wailed down the hallway.

"That sounds like little iPhone!" Vert recognized the voice. "Excuse me, doctor..."

*Peach and Nisa's Hospital Room*

"Okay, okay, could you two please start from the beginning?!" Peach exclaimed to the sobbing iPhone, iPad and Peach's mother Lisa standing with her.

"Well, it's like this," iPad began. "During that first Demon Lord's invasion, that Mad Magician MAGES. expressed interest in iPhone becoming her apprentice someday, to which both Arthur and I said 'no way'. But MAGES. hoped that iPhone would make the decision to join her when she came of age..."

"I'm sorry, what does this have to do with this current Demon Lord?" Lisa cut in.

"I'm getting to that, Miss Lisa. So a few weeks ago, MAGES.' cousin 5pb. came by with a gift to iPhone from her crazy cousin. It was one of those dimensional anchors like she used at the Basilicom before... anyway, 5pb. had done some fiddling and managed to turn it into an inter-dimensional antenna of sorts; in other words, it could pick up radio shows and streams from other dimensions. So iPhone and I managed to connect it to her computer, and she was able to watch shows and streams on the monitor from all kinds of worlds! And one in particular that she liked was a Vtuber named... Ironmouse."

"Oh no," Nisa grunted from the other hospital bed. "I already see where this is going..."

"I don't," Lisa shook her head.

"Mom, that's the name of one of the Demon Lords we had to fight this time around!" Peach explained.

"Ohhhh... so iPhone managed to tune into a Vtuber program from hell?!" Lisa put her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

"I didn't know!" iPhone insisted, pulling off her glasses to try and wipe her tears. "I thought she was just a human behind a cartoon demon model...!"

"So how did Ironmouse come here then?" Lisa asked.

"...Well, as much as Big Sister hates going meta, I think a flashback would be best at explaining," iPad suggested...

*Flashback*

"Ahahahahaha! She may curse a lot, but this girl's so funny!" iPhone laughed as Ironmouse's antics on her monitor, thumping the desk- which caused the dimensional anchor nearby to wobble slightly, cutting off the broadcast. "Wha- HEY! Why did it cut out! You stupid thing!" the little girl grabbed the anchor and smacked it a few times to try to bring back the stream, to no avail. "Arrrrgh, this isn't fair! I WANT IRONMOUSE!" She hurled the anchor to the ground in frustration-

-and the anchor broke apart upon impact with the wood floor, only to suddenly manifest a portal of darkness, beyond which the outline of a small young girl materialized... "Who calls upon the name of SATAN?!"

"Oh, NO! What have I done?!" iPhone clapped her hands to her cheeks in distress. "I regret everythiiiiiiiing!"

*End Flashback*

"Wait a minute! Are you saying that Mousey was hiding in your room the whole time?!" Peashy gasped.

"Uh-huh... she said she'd burn Mom and Dad and the whole house to the ground if I didn't keep quiet," iPhone sniffled, looking down in shame. "But iPad heard us talking from the other side of the door, and put two and two together..."

"That's how I knew her weakness," iPad took over. "After all, the Ironmouse here is just a digital avatar, but I hypothesized that what ever she hated, the real Demon Lord would dislike as well. But I knew my Mom would never agree to drive us into danger, so I called Miss Lisa here and told her your life was in danger if I didn't get over there A-SAP, as you and Mr. Adrian would say..."

"For what it's worth, I didn't like the idea myself," Lisa spoke up, "but seeing that desperate look in iPad's eyes convinced me she wasn't bluffing... I just hope her mother doesn't get too upset with me."

"Well, you did the right thing as far as I'm concerned," Vert said as she stepped into the room. "Sorry for eavesdropping, but there was no graceful way for me to enter the conversation until now."

(sniff)"Are you gonna p-punish me for causing th-that D-Demon Lord to c-come here...?" iPhone whimpered.

"Oh no, no, of course not," Vert said, walking up and lifting iPhone in her arms, looking her in the eye. "You said it yourself, it was an unfortunate accident... I can't speak for your parents, but I'm certainly not going to condemn you for that..."

"I think at worst, she'll be grounded for a couple of days for not saying anything sooner," iPad theorized. "And she's clearly sorry for what happened, so..."

"Well, I'm not gonna fault her either," Nisa spoke up again. "Demons are both dangerous and unpredictable; I'm not surprised iPhone was too scared to say anything... but maybe next time that MAGES. gives you a gift, you should return to sender straight away!"

"I can agree with that!" Peach nodded. "Next time tell her 'thanks but no thanks', okay iPhone?"

"O... okay," iPhone nodded, before burying her face in Vert's ample bosom.

*Somewhere underground...*

Ironmouse was sitting in a mechanical chamber filled with fluid, her eyes closed and an oxygen mask over her face, Bubi looking upon her with concern. "So," he turned to the other man in the room, "you're sure this will heal her wounds?"

"It will take some time, but it should," Ghetsis nodded. "But you realize our services don't come for free..."

"Is that right? Well, be careful what you ask for in return," Bubi cautioned. "I am the Prince of Suffering, and believe me, I can make you suffer like never before if you make an unreasonable demand..."

"Oh no, perish the thought," Ghetsis shook his head. "But the CPU Vert was responsible for your friend's defeat, was she not?"

"Partially. Our main adversaries were the Super Sentai-wannabe team calling themselves the Mighty Mecha Armored Rangers," Bubi pointed out. Though our plan to repurpose that giant robot to conquer Leanbox would have succeeded if not for her interference..."

"Well, today is your lucky day, for our interests happen to overlap," Ghetsis smiled sinisterly. "We can help you get revenge on that Green Heart and her Armored Rangers, if you would help us with defeating the other CPUs as well..." He lifted one hand from his cane, offering it in a handshake. "What do you say, Prince of Suffering?"

Bubi hesitated as he eyed the outstretched hand... before lifting his own and grasping it. "Fine, for the time being. But Mouse and I reserve the right to renege if we feel your efforts are inadequate, got it?"

"So be it," Ghetsis nodded. "It's a contract, then."

*Snippet 57- End*

A/N: And so ends this story arc. But what does the future hold with this unholy alliance...?