Chapter 8 – The Truth of the Zodiac Stones
Resta's POV
"Let's see…according to this map, I should be in a place called Virtua Forest. This is where the problem is, right?"
…
"*sigh* I hope I'm not lost again…"
Not long ago, I woke up in this same strange forest not knowing where I am. My memories of what happened are kinda vague. Only remembering two girls using one of the Zodiac Stones to kill me and the others.
But…for some reason, I'm not sure how…I didn't die and actually ended up in yet ANOTHER new world. Which kinda sucks, honestly. I actually liked Primp despite its weirdness. Maybe I can get the others to come see what it's like.
…
O-Once I figure out what happened to them, of course.
In the meantime, though…I found a small town here that was dealing with some kind of problem. And so, with nothing else to do, I offered to help them out. Which explains why I'm back walking in this forest again.
But there was one problem with it all…
"Just what in the hell is a Dogoo? I was so eager to do such a job that I truly forgot to ask. *sigh* Guess I just have to get lucky with it."
"Bowooze."
"H-Huh? Wh-Who…"
"Bowooze."
I looked down at my feet to see…a light-blue blob of jelly with what looked like a dog's face on it looking back at me. It was really weird to look at it. And it felt kinda gross, for some reason.
But at the same time, it was also intriguing.
"Uh…hey there." I spoke to it. "Are you a Dogoo?"
"Bowooze."
Wh-What?
"Uh…are you the one causing trouble for the people?"
"Bowooze."
…
…
…
What's with this sudden feeling of déjà vu?
"Uh…okay then. I'm just gonna look somewhere else. See you around, dog…blob thing." I then tried to walk away from the thing and continue my search for whatever this Dogoo thing was.
The reason I said "try" was because…
"Bowooze!"
"Huh? H-Hey! Let go! You weird dog blob!" I yelled as this thing had suddenly engulfed my left leg with its whole body.
"Bowooze!"
"Get off! You're freaking gross! Antares!"
*BOOM*
"Bowooooooze…!" Using the Citrine, I powered up my leg enough to fling the slime thing off my leg and across the grassy field we were on. It then disappeared in a digital-like fog never to be seen again.
…
…
…
"O…kay. Not sure what happened just now. But at least it's ove-"
"Bowooze! Bowooze!"
"Wh-What?"
"Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze!"
"Th-There's MORE of them?!" I shouted in a panic as I saw a whole bunch of those bobby dog things heading towards me. The only instinct I had in me right now was to run like hell.
"Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze!"
"O-Okay! I'm definitely starting to believe that these things are the Dogoos they were talking about! BUT HOW THE HELL DO I TAKE THEM DOWN?!"
"Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze! Bowooze!"
"Gah! Somebody help me! Get me out of this crazy world!"
"Bowooze! Bowooze! B-Bowooooooooooooooo!"
*BOOM*
…
"Wh…What?" I sat there in shock as I had witnessed one of these Dogoos suddenly expand itself and explode in a violent manner. Its existence nothing more than a gooey puddle on the grassy field.
H-Holy crap. Wh-What was that?
"B-Bowooze? Bow…B-Bow Bow Bowoooooooooooooze!"
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
And then soon after, more of them started to explode violently. One by one, their deaths were quick and looked extremely painful. Meanwhile, I just sat in horror of the sudden massacre of these creatures that I just met not that long ago.
"Wh-What the hell…"
"Ah~. The sweet sudden deaths of all those worthless Dogoos was a satisfaction to my soul. Their screams of total pain before they all died was like music to my ears. I want more people to suffer! Suffer under the pain and misery that I'll soon spread all across Gamindustri! It'll all feel so nepping good to my goddamn soul! Hahahaha~!"
"Wh-Who are you?" I asked the lilac-haired girl who had suddenly showed up.
"Oh? You don't look familiar. Ya new here?"
"Uh…y-yeah."
"*demented giggle* Oh, boy! Fresh meat! I get to inflict torturous never-ending pain to someone I don't know! Such a thrill to my burning soul! Hahahaha~!"
"T-Torturous…n-never-ending pain?" I was starting to get rather scared of this girl. Not because of her creepy demented-like behavior. But because of the sheer power I was feeling thanks to the citrine reacting to it.
Th-This power…it feels just like the Sagittarius Topaz! Why the hell is it coming from this girl?! Did she do something to Sagey and even the others?!
"*demented giggle* Time to die, newbie!Ascella!"
"Gah! Antares!"
*BOOM*
I countered the sudden barrage of blue light arrows with my own spell just in time. Leading me to become face-to-face with this psycho girl. Ready for a fight.
No doubt about it. That was one of Sagey's spells. This girl did something to her and I'm gonna make her spill it all.
"Gah! You're putting up a fight?! Don't make this any harder than it should! I want my soul to feel good, damnit!"
"I don't know who you are or what your problem is. But you did something to my friends and I'm gonna make you pay for it! Let's go, crazy girl! You and me! Right now!"
"*demented giggle* Fine then. No shame in a little challenge. My shattered soul will feel more satisfaction from the extra work I made from giving so much fear and pain to you! Let's nepping go, newbie! Hahahaha~!"
With my first actual fight in this world underway, I was ready to take this psycho girl down and figure out what happened to my friends on that day.
When they potentially risked their lives to save my own.
Sagey…Neva…Spille…Raum…don't worry. I'll soon return the favor to you all! I promise!
Amitie's POV
"Woah…this place is actually pretty beautiful." I said as I looked around this place. To which they call Virtua Forest. It really was a sight to behold. Mountains with waterfalls, tall green trees & healthy-looking plants, futuristic structures like purple rings over the path we were on, and metal bridges to cross the super clean river.
The sheer beauty of this place completely puts Nahe Forest to shame. And I don't feel bad for saying that, either.
"Now's not the time for sightseeing, Am." IF said to me. "We need to hurry up and find Nep before she seriously hurts herself or someone else."
"Right, right. So, uh…where do we start? This forest seems rather big."
"Well, the Dogoo problem is not that far from here. Maybe Nep went over there."
"I see…" I then thought for a moment. "You know, you never did explain what this Dogoo thing is."
"Oh, that." Nepgear said. "Dogoos are these slime monsters with a dog's face on them."
…
…
…
"What?" I said in disbelief.
"It may sound ridiculous. But they can get really dangerous. Especially in groups."
"Plus the slime they leave behind is super icky and gross." Compa added.
"Right…" Was all I said.
So, I guess this world has its fair share of weird-looking creatures, too…
"Anyway." IF said. "Now that you know, let's go look for…"
*BOOM*
"Woah! Wh-What was that?!" I shouted once we heard a huge explosion out of nowhere.
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
"It sounds like it's coming from up ahead." Compa said. "Could that be Nep-Nep?"
"If that's the case, then we took too damn long. Come on! No more dilly-dallying!"
"Right!" We all agreed with IF as we made a mad dash for the sight of the explosions.
We followed the loud explosions to a deeper section of the forest. As we did, the explosions grew louder and louder. So, it was clear that we were getting closer.
Which made me think in the back of my mind of the current situation.
What's gonna happen once we find Neptune? Are we really going to fight her? If it truly comes to blows…
…
I might just have to use…that.
"The explosions seemed to stop here…" IF said.
"Neptune! Are you here?! Say something!" Nepgear yelled out.
It was then that we heard rustling coming from the nearby bushes. Startling us all for a bit.
"Neptune?! Is that you?! Please come out already!"
"Neptune? Who's that?" A voice responded.
"Huh?"
"Wait, I know that voice!" I cheered.
After more rustling happened, the owner of the voice stepped out from the bushes and made herself visible. Brushing off the extra leaves that were still stuck to her long braided dark maroon hair.
"Resta!"
"Huh? Amitie? You're here, too?"
"Yep! Glad to see you're safe."
"So, you're Resta." IF said. "Thank God you were easy to find."
"Uh…what? Easy to find? You were looking for me specifically?"
"I'm IF. That's Compa and the other girl is Nepgear. Long story short, we have a problem on our hands and Amitie said finding you would be a big help."
"A problem, huh? Well, I guess that makes sense. So, what's this problem?"
"We're looking for this girl named Neptune." Nepgear said. "She's my sister and Amitie's cousin."
"Neptune?" Resta thought for a bit. "Is she this purple-ish haired girl wearing a black jacket of some kind?"
"Y-Yes, that's her! You saw her?!"
"Saw her? I almost had to fight her if I weren't so lucky at the last minute."
"Almost fight her?" We all asked.
"Follow me and I'll show you."
And so, we followed Resta through the bushes until we reached a dead-end of sorts. And there, on the grassy ground in front of us…was Neptune. Fast asleep in the exposed sunlight above her.
"N-Neptune?" Nepgear said in shock.
"What happened to her?" Compa asked Resta.
"I encountered her while I was taking on this Dogoo-thing mission for the town I ended up in. She completely annihilated the group that was attacking me. And she was gonna do the same to me. All to "satisfy her shattered soul". Whatever that means."
"So, you fought her?" I asked.
"Technically, no. Because after a few seconds into it, she collapsed and fell asleep. I had no idea what was going on…but I decided to stay and watch over her until she either woke up or the few explosions that were made attracted someone. Whichever came first."
"Wowie…"
"*sigh* That sounds just like something Nep would do." IF said with an exasperated look.
"Well, at least we found her…" Nepgear said. "Thank you for watching over my sister, Resta. We were really worried about her."
"Don't mention it. At the end of it all, she was just a defenseless girl sleeping in the middle of a forest." Resta then went silent for a bit. "D-Despite mass-murdering a bunch of blobby dog-faced creatures with little to no remorse. That was creepy as hell."
"I-I see…" Nepgear said as we all gained a sweatdrop.
Just what the hell did my cousin do while in that state of mind?
"Hey, by the way…where exactly am I? I remember being sucked into this portal back in Primp and…that's about it."
"We'll explain once we get back." IF said. "For now, let's just get Nep back home so that she could rest."
"Mmm~. Pudding…sweet delicious pudding…come into my mouth, you delectable creamy goodness~. I'll snarf you all down~. Hahahaha~."
…
…
…
"Uh…I think Nep-Nep's resting just fine, Iffy." Compa said after we all had heard Neptune talk in her sleep.
So, she really is a pudding-obsessed freak…
Neptune's POV
"So, I went crazy again, huh? Sorry about that." I said in shame after I had woken up and Nepgear was telling me what had happened yesterday.
"Don't worry about it, Nep-Nep. We're just glad you're safe." Compa said.
"Yeah, same here." Uzume added. "But, man…you really do pack a punch when you're not right in the head. Ow…"
"S-Sorry, Uzume." Was all I could say.
"Now, then." Histy spoke. "Since Neptune is back to her normal self, let us get to business. Miss Resta…have you understood the current situation?"
"I guess…" I was introduced to Amitie's friend Resta. A princess from a different world who is actually very knowledgeable about these Zodiac Stone things. If that's the case, then maybe she can figure out how to restore my soul and make me completely normal.
I mean…the main protag can't be a psycho girl lusting for blood. That'll raise the current age rating.
"…Although, it's still rather insane to comprehend. So, this girl named Kurome A-An…ko…ku…wh-whatever…teamed up with Ridel to get revenge. And that Arfoire witch is from this world…and she destroyed Neptune's soul with a Zodiac Stone?"
"That's the gist of it." Iffy said.
"We were hoping if you knew a way to restore my sister's soul, Resta. Since they came from your world and all." Nepgear added.
"Well…I can see how you believe that a Zodiac Stone is the cause of it. Considering that Arfoire lady had two of them. But the thing is…Zodiac Stones don't destroy souls."
"Huh?!" We all yelled in shock.
"W-Wait, seriously?! They don't?!" Amitie asked.
"Nope. And come to think about it, they don't open portals to either kill people or send them to different worlds. All they really do is give you astrological power. So, what happened thus far is because of Arfoire and Kurome's own powers."
"Aw, you gotta be nepping kidding me…" I whined in disappointment.
"Sorry to disappoint. But that's the truth. To be quite frank, I'm not sure why they came after the stones. Or what they did to my friends…"
"You're friends?"
"A-Aw, crap. Did I say that out loud? Damnit…"
"Are you friends in danger, Resty?" Compa asked.
"Resty?" Resta questioned the nickname Compa suddenly gave her. But then brushed it off for now. "A-Anyway, I shouldn't be bringing this up now. It doesn't seem all that important…"
"You might as well." Iffy said. "If the Zodiac Stones don't destroy souls, as you said, then learning more about them could help us in restoring Nep's soul."
"Miss Resta. If you know of more information, please do share it with us." Histy added.
"Uhh…well, okay. It looks like I don't really have a choice, anyway." Resta then made a quick sigh before continuing on. "As I've stated before, the Zodiac Stones are from my own world. Along with myself, there are four other girls who each guard a Zodiac Stone of their own.
The Sagittarius Topaz…guarded by the Sagittarius Princess Sagey.
The Capricorn Emerald…guarded by the Capricorn Princess Neva.
The Virgo Zircon…guarded by the Virgo Princess Spille.
The Libra Opal…guarded by the Libra Princess Raum.
And finally, the one that I have now. The Scorpio Citrine. These stones give us power originating from the constellations themselves. Alongside the multiple Scorpios, Sagittarii, Capricorns, Virgos, and Libras scattered across the universe."
"Woah…" Compa, Amitie, and I said in amazement.
"So, then why would Kurome, Ridel, and Arfoire want those stones?" Umio asked.
"I honestly have no idea. When that Arfoire lady attacked my world, she was after me specifically. I tried fighting her off, but I was losing badly. That's when the other Zodiac Princesses dealt with her while giving me a chance to escape. And that's how I ended up in Primp and met Amitie and friends."
"And then just days later, we encountered Ridel and Kurome and got sent here." Amitie added.
"I see." Histy said. "So, the Zodiac Stones are not the cause of Neptune's soul being shattered. But at the same time, we do not know the trio's true intentions with them."
"In other words…we have zero leads." Iffy said with an exasperated look.
"Sorry if I wasn't much help…" Resta said.
"Actually, you were a huge help, Resta. Because of you, we now know what these Zodiac Stones really are. And that some of them might be here in Gamindustri."
"Yeah, but the problem still is to find them." Uzume said. "Who knows where those three can be. Especially with the other me's ability to hide in the shadows so freaking well."
"Right. There is that."
"Oh, no…"
"What's wrong, Nepgear?" I asked as she made a worried noise.
"I got messages from Uni. They're…not good in the slightest."
"Not good?"
"That same person who filmed Neptune's first instance of going insane filmed her murdering all those Dogoos and posted it online. And like the last one, it's gone viral."
"Wh-What?! Are you nepping kidding me?! Who the hell is trying to…Gah!" I then nearly fell to the floor while holding my chest in pain.
"N-Neptune?! What's wrong?!"
"M-My chest…i-it's burning again. It hurts…but damn, does it feel good. Who would've thought that your shattered soul burning in an internal flame would feel so nepping amazing?! I never want this pleasurable sense of pain to end! I wanna feel this much suffering for all nepping eternity! Hahahaha!"
"Aw, crap! Not again!" Uzume yelled.
"Nep-Nep! Snap out of it!"
*SLAP*
"Ow! Compa, why'd you slap me?!" I whined after Compa had slapped me rather hard.
"You were losing you sanity again, Nep. We didn't really have a choice." Iffy said.
"Really? Again? Aw, man…"
I can't believe I went insane again. And in front of Amitie, too. I can only imagine her thoughts of me have changed completely now.
"Hmm…so it seems that there is a trigger to the loss of sanity."
"A trigger? What do you mean, Umio?" Uzume asked her fish friend.
"Before Nepsy's personality changed, she was feeling a specific emotion, correct?"
"Well, yeah." I said. "I was angry that someone keeps videotaping me while in that state of mind. That's like…invasion of privacy, y'know."
"I think you have worse things to think about than invasion of privacy, Sis…" Nepgear said with a sweatdrop.
"Wait, so…the trigger is anger?" Amitie asked.
"Come to think of it, the last thing Nepsy was thinking about before going insane at the Guild was how so many people were staring at her and making baseless rumors." Uzume said. "She got rather angry because of that. And that was when said her chest was hurting."
"Oh, yeah…I kinda remember that happening…" I said with guilt.
"So, with all of that, you must learn to control your anger, Nepsy." Umio said. "Otherwise, your soul will continue to dwindle in size until it completely shatters. And it that were to happen…"
"Aw, geez! I don't even want to imagine what that would be like!" Nepgear yelled in fear.
"Got it, Nep? Keep your anger in check." Iffy said to me.
"I get it…but for some reason, I feel like doing that is easier said than done."
"Don't worry, Nep-Nep." Compa said. "If you go crazy again, I'll just slap you silly until you're back to normal."
"Pl-Please don't." I gained a little fear.
"Still, though…we must find out who is posting those videos and starting these baseless rumors about Neptune." Histy said.
"It has to be someone who's willing to work with Arfoire." Nepgear said. "Or at least is used to dealing with her."
"Used to dealing with her, huh?" Iffy said. "I think I have a good idea of who it is."
"You do?"
"Yep. Let's go. Time to do some interrogating."
"IF sure looks determined…" Amitie said to me.
"Almost like a real leader…" Resta added.
"Yeah, she is. But get this. If you take Iffy's phone away from her, she turns into a total…"
*PINCH*
"Ow! Ow, ow, ow!"
"Let's go, you." Iffy said as she had grabbed me by the ear and started dragging me out the door.
"Ow! Iffy, stop! That's my ear! Iffyyyyyy~!"
This is NOT how you treat the Protag!
Author's Note: With the Scorpio Princess relocated, Neptune and friends learn that the Zodiac Stones are not the cause of her shattered soul. And that the villainous trio's true intentions with them might be bigger than just simple revenge.
An important note to make. Starting next chapter, the whole story will be in Resta's POV only. I stated back in chapter 1 that she is the main character. And having other characters have a POV is defeating that purpose. So, I'm making this now.
Thanks for reading. Later.
