Snyderverse Neptunia Snippets
by Derald Snyder
Snippet 61- Neptune Nativity
Timeline- Irrelevant.
"Where the nep did I end up this time...?"
So said Neptune as she trudged though an empty field at night, hugging herself tightly to preserve some body heat from the cold air. "Don't think I'm in Gamindustri anymore, otherwise I'd be able to transform..."
A sudden braying made her jump, moving to draw a sword that wasn't there. "Wait, I don't even have a sword...?!" Then she saw the source of the noise- a sheep standing nearby. "Oh, that was you. Okay, you don't look like a sheep monster, at least..." Neptune shivered from a sudden cold breeze. "Sure wish I could swipe some of your wool..." She reached a hand out to try and pet it, but the sheep suddenly trotted off, apparently spooked. "Wha- hey! I wasn't gonna shear your wool! I was just thinking out loud! Come back!"
But as she ran after it, Neptune suddenly saw a human figure nearby... "Halt, you!" cried the man, holding out a shepherd's crook. "What intentions have you for my sheep?!"
"Whoa, whoa, easy! I wasn't gonna chop off its wool, I swear!" Neptune waved her hands frantically. "I just wanted to cuddle with it to stay warm!"
"Stay warm, is it?" the shepherd said, clearly not convinced. "...You are clearly not from around here. What brings you to the city of Bethlehem? I doubt it's the census, if you are a foreigner..."
"Nope, totally know nothing about censors or whatever!" Neptune shook her head. "So... Bethlehem? I'm guessing that's a city. Could ya maybe point me in that direction so I can find a place to stay 'til morning?"
"Tis no use!" another shepherd spoke up from nearby. "Because of the census declared by the Roman Emperor," he spat the last two words, "all the inns are full up! You would be better off trying to sleep in a manger with the livestock!"
Though Neptune wasn't quite sure what a manger was, she knew what livestock meant. "Wait... you mean, like, sleeping with the cows and horses?! Ugh, that'd be mega stinky! I pity anyone who's gotta do that...!"
"Well, you may not have a choice in the matter," the first shepherd shook his head... but suddenly, there was a bright light from the skies above! "What the...?!"
"What the nep? What's going on?!" Neptune gasped, her eyes shrunk to white circles.
"I know not!" the second shepherd cried in distress. Neptune then saw another shepherd running up to join them. "Do you know what this is?!"
"I was about to ask you!" the third shepherd replied.
"Look there!" the first pointed, all turning to see something humanoid and dressed in white robes descending toward them!
"What is that?!" the second shepherd cried in fear.
"Holy nep, is that an angel?!" Neptune gasped. "It's huge!"
"Do not be afraid!" the angel spoke with it's hand raised. "For I bring thee good tidings of great joy, which will be to all peoples! For today in the city of David a Savior is born to thee, tis Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to thee: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger."
And suddenly Neptune and the shepherds saw many more angels behind the first, standing together like a choir and singing: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace to those on whom his favor rests!"
"Whoa! This scene, like, went from 'cold and grim' to 'trippy' in no time!" Neptune gasped. "And what the heck is a 'Christ', anyway? Is that related to Christmas or something?!"
"The Messiah is born?!" the first shepherd gasped. "Does that mean... the prophecy of old has finally come to pass?!" As he said this, the first angel and the choir ascended back to the skies, soon fading away completely.
"...Okay, tell me I wasn't the only one who saw that," Neptune grunted, shaking her head. "Tell me I'm not crazy!"
"If you are crazed, then surely I am as well!" the second shepherd replied, the others speaking similarly.
The third then spoke, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us!"
"Yes, let us go with haste!" the first nodded, he and the others promptly jogging off toward the city proper.
"Hey, wait for me!" Neptune cried as she dashed after them, dodging around a few sheep...
*And so...*
"Have you found anything?" the first shepherd inquired.
"Nothin but goats, donkeys and doo-doo in that one!" Neptune grunted, holding her nose from the smell.
"Over here!" the second shepherd called. "I think I found it! This way!" And so Neptune and the two shepherds followed him to another manger nearby... Immediately the CPU saw that there was a man and woman inside, the latter wearing a blue veil over her hair and shoulders. And there was the unmistakable sounds of a baby within... As they got closer, said baby slowly came into view...
"Swaddling clothes..." the first shepherd spoke, his voice just above a whisper. "Tis just as the angel said to us...!"
"The angel?" the father spoke. And so the shepherds recounted what the angel had made known to them. "Incredible... then the dream I had when my wife was found with child... 'twas not madness, but the Lord!" The wife, however, did not speak, but seemed to be in deep contemplation.
"We must spread the word of what we have found!" the second shepherd exclaimed. "To proclaim the good news to everyone!"
"I concur; let us make haste to those who are still awake at this hour!" the third one responded, heading off at once.
"Yeah, you do that," Neptune nodded, stepping into the manger proper. Though there was still a musty smell, it wasn't nearly as bad as elsewhere. "Um, so anyway, I'm Neptune, and as you can kinda tell, I'm not from around here. So what's your names?"
"I am Joseph, a humble carpenter from Nazareth to the north," the husband introduced himself. "And this is my wife, Mary." The wife simply smiled and nodded.
"Right... and this must be little Savior-baby," Neptune observed, squatting down to get a closer look. "Aww, he's so cute! You have a name for him yet?"
"When His circumcision is complete, He shall be named Yeshua," Mary replied.
"Yeshua? Is that related to Joshua?" Neptune asked in mild perplexment.
"...Yes, you could call Him that as well," Mary nodded. "Another way to say His name would be..."
"NEPTUNE!"
"Wahhhhh!" Neptune shot up in bed, her eyes shrunk to circles. And floating just above was a familiar face dressed in purple and sitting on an open book, a scowl on her face. "H-Histy...? Oh, so it was just a dream..."
"You were dreaming?" Histoire raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah... but it was so real! I thought for sure I'd been nepped away to another world again!" Neptune said, shaking her head a bit.
"I see... it's not usually like you to sleep in on this day of all days," the fairy mused. "Normally, you can't wait to get up and open presents..."
"Oh, is Neptune awake?" Nepgear said as she walked in, already dressed for the day.
"Yes, apparently she was having a very realistic dream of sorts," Histoire recounted.
"Really? What was it about?" Nepgear tilted her head curiously.
"Eh... how 'bout I tell ya over breakfast, Nep Jr?" Neptune grunted as she whipped off her sheets, before standing up and stretching.
"Wait... breakfast?!" the CPU Candidate briefly made a Nepgya-face. "But you always want to open presents first! Are you feeling okay...?"
"Yeah. I feel... what's the word... peaceful, I guess?" Neptune mused. "I dunno, somethin' 'bout that dream..."
"A peaceful Neptune... that almost seems like an oxymoron, but perhaps I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," Histoire noted.
"Oh come on, Histy! It's not like I'm constantly stirring up chaos! You make me sound like a villain!" Neptune complained.
"Okay, there's the big sister I know," Nepgear giggled. "Okay, breakfast first, then presents. Um, I hope you're okay with cereal..."
"No prob!" Neptune nodded, linking her arm with Nepgear's as they went off together... As they went, however, Neptune swore she saw the baby from earlier in a nearby window, before suddenly shifting to a grown man with long hair, mustache and goatee, smiling serenely at her...
"Is there something outside?" Nepgear, asked, looking in the same direction and seeing nothing.
"Huh? Oh, uh..." Neptune blinked and shook her head- the man was gone. "Nothin'... probably just haven't woke up yet. Come on, let's go eat!"
"Okay," Nepgear nodded as they went off to the kitchen, Histoire floating after them.
*Snippet 61- End*
Merry Christmas, everyone. And a Happy New Year as well.
PS- Fun fact: 'Jesus' is actually a shortened form of 'Joshua', which means that growing up, everyone in Nazareth likely assumed he was named after Moses' successor in the Old Testament. Probably one reason they didn't believe him when he later said he was the Christ!