Lastation Ghost Game

A Hyperdimension Neptunia & Digimon Crossover Fan Fiction

by Derald Snyder

Episode 8: Cosplay Convention

*Outside Lastation Basilicom*

Sistermon Noir panted heavily, down on one knee, her hands trying to keep a grip on her guns despite her exhaustion... before her stood Sistermon Ciel, who only looked mildly fatigued in comparison as she sheathed her White Clover Blade. "Well, we've made progress," she sighed. "At least now we know it's possible for you to achieve the Awakened state..."

"Only when... I'm about to die..." Noir grunted, dismissing her guns before lightly punching the ground in frustration. "If only... I could hold on to it..."

"Well, that's what we'll work on next," Ciel stated. "If I can access that state at will, surely you will be able to... you are my twin sister, after all." She held out her hand, Noir accepting it and being pulled back to her feet.

"Do you think I could do that someday, too?" Sistermon Blanc spoke up, having watched from the sidelines. "Or will I have to digivolve to Champion first?"

"Well, I'm sure it would be possible in some way," Ciel pondered... then her gaze was drawn to a new arrival. "Oh hello, Oracle. We were just finishing up."

"Excellent. I just came to tell you that Lady Noire would like a word with you all at your earliest convenience," Kei said.

"Has something happened?" Blanc asked.

"It's nothing urgent," Kei shook her head. "But it would be better to hear it from Lady Noire herself..."

"All right, we'll be there as soon as Noir here catches her breath," Ciel nodded in assent.

*Noire's Office*

"So, what did you need us for, Lady Noire?" Ciel asked as she and her sisters entered the office, the door shutting behind them.

"Well, it's like this," Noire stood up from her seat. "There's a cosplay convention in two days not far from here, and I would like one or more of you to come with me to investigate..."

"Um, what's cosplay?" Blanc spoke up.

"Oh, uh... basically it's people dressing up as their favorite anime or video game characters for fun," Noire replied. "See, the thing is, you guys look human enough to pass, but what if a Digimon that didn't quite look human decided to mingle with that crowd, mistaking them for their own kind or something?"

"Oh, I see now," Ciel nodded. "I suppose that would be a reasonable concern, especially as most of the human-looking Digimon tend to be Ultimate-level or higher... that being said, large crowds aren't really my thing. I think my twin should go with you in my place... who knows, maybe someone there will actually find her jokes funny."

"Ha ha ha, Ciel," Noir deadpanned.

"Um, can I come too?" Blanc requested. "I'm not quite in fighting shape yet, but I can still use my healing magic in case innocents get hurt..."

"...All right, you can come. But only as healing support," Noire said sternly. "Anyway, I don't think there will be any need for you to dress up, because you'll blend right in as you are..."

"But what about you, Lady Noire?" Ciel asked. "Will you be able to make a costume in time?"

At this, a knowing smile crept onto the goddess' face. "Wrong, Ciel. it's not 'can I make a costume', it's 'which costume should I take'. Look and be amazed, for only Uni and K-Sha have seen this with my permission..." She pressed a button hidden under her desk, the back wall of her office suddenly opening up to reveal rows and rows of cosplay costumes!

"Oh my... I didn't know you had so many," Ciel gasped. Meanwhile, her sisters' jaws had about dropped to the floor in disbelief.

"Is... is this why she called us two days in advance...?" Sistermon Noir realized.

"Hmm, now let's see..." Noire muttered to herself as she began searching through the racks. "Need to find a costume that I can still move around and fight in, if necessary... This one? No, that exposes too much... No, that's one's got too many extra parts... Hmmm..."

*And so, two days later...*

"Oh, wow..." Sistermon Blanc looked around in awe at all the costumed people walking around. "I had no idea human clothing could be so... elaborate..."

"I know what you mean," Sistermon Noir nodded. "It's no surprise Lady- (ahem) I mean, our friend thinks there might be a Digimon hiding among them..."

"Way to not blow my cover, Sister," Noire growled under her breath. She had let her hair down, dressed in an outfit reminiscent of Sailor Mars from the Sailor Moon series. She didn't like how short the skirt was, however, so she wore black modesty shorts underneath, even though they clashed with the rest of the outfit- she wasn't a slut like Vert could be sometimes.

"I'm sorry!" Noir ducked her head. "Um, maybe we should split up to cover more ground?"

"All right, you go with your sister," Noire agreed. "We'll meet back up at the front gate in a half-hour. Sound good?"

"Works for me," Blanc nodded, she and Noir promptly splitting off and disappearing into the crowd.

"...Right. So, how would I find a Digimon?" Noire pondered aloud. "Probably someone who doesn't quite act human..." So she set off, her head on a swivel as she scanned the various costumed citizens... (Oh wow, that's a good one-) "OOF!" She grunted as she collided with someone, the other person falling on their rump as a result. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

The person in question was a female clad in silver armor with yellow highlights that covered her arms and body like a leotard, with matching silver boots that had yellow 'kneepads' of a sort. Her head was clad in a helmet with large yellow compound eyes and insect antennae, a yellow fur collar, and two blue butterfly wings extending from her back, a blue skirt extending from the armored leotard with the same design. "That'll teach me to keep my eyes in front," she grunted, accepting Noire's hand and getting pulled back to her feet.

"Yeah, same here. I got caught up in all the good costumes..." Noire sighed. "Speaking of which, yours is really well-done! Did you make it yourself?"

"...well, kind of, but I had a little assistance," the butterfly woman replied, clearly uncomfortable. "Sorry, I'm not used to large gatherings like this..."

"Oh, right. Sorry," Noire stepped back a little. "Um, I'm Nellie. Is this your first time doing cosplay?"

"Erika. And yes, you could say that," the woman nodded. "Um, I've actually had this costume for a while, but this is the first time I've been able to come out in public like this... I was kind of sickly in my younger years, you see."

"Oh... that's too bad," 'Nellie' lamented. "But, it's good that your health's improved. Anyway, I've been doing this for a while, so maybe I can show you around?"

"...Sure, why not," Erika smiled and nodded. She let 'Nellie' take her hand as they went off together...

*Meanwhile...*

"Ugh, this is so confusing..." Blanc lamented as she and her sister slowly walked through the crowds. "Do you see anyone that looks like a Digimon?"

"Not yet... but this is quite a crowd," Noir mused. "Still, you would think we'd be able to sense a Digimon's presence if they were close by..."

"But we weren't able to sense Lilithmon until she was right on top of us," Blanc pointed out. "Maybe it has something to do with this world in general...?"

"Possibly... I guess we'll just have to use our eyes instead," Noir said. "But you're right, all these costumes are quite confusing... wait, is that- oh, no, that's all wrong from the front..."

"Oh wow, that looks like a princess!" Blanc pointed to a long-haired blonde woman with red eyes, wearing an off-the-shoulders white ball gown with matching gloves and a blue underskirt. She had a few costumed men kneeling before her, looking quite bemused at the display.

"Pretty, but not what we're looking for," Noir said. "Come along, Blanc, we need to keep looking."

"Right..." Blanc grunted as she followed her sister. "Wait, is that a dragon?" she pointed.

It looked like a large Chinese dragon with blue scales, slowly crawling along the ground. Many people were staring at it curiously, but made no further action. "Odd... is that also cosplay?" Noir mused. "The people aren't panicking..."

"Maybe there's a bunch of people underneath, making it walk," Blanc suggested. But suddenly, the dragon's head and upper body rose up, letting loose with a roar! "Eep! Maybe not!"

"What in the world?!" Noir gasped as she summoned her guns. It didn't look like any Digimon she'd seen, but... "Everyone, stand back!" she called out as she cautiously walked up to the giant lizard. "Who are you, and what are you doing?!"

"Gwaarrr! I am... the Dragon of Blue!" the creature said in a growling, yet high-pitched male voice. "And I do what any dragon does... terrify humans, and breathe fire!" With that, its jaws opened slightly, unleashing a jet of flames that passed high over the heads of the other cosplayers, many of whom began screaming and running for their lives! "That's right, you fools, run away, gwoooaarrr!"

"Your terror ends here, dragon!" Sistermon Noir exclaimed as she took aim. "Bless Fire!" She fired twin shots that nailed the dragon in the lower jaw, yet it did not recoil in pain, or react at all.

"Let me help!" Sistermon Blanc cried as she brought her staff to bear. "Divine Pierce!" The ray of light shot up and hit the dragon in the snout, leaving a mild burn!

"Grrr! You dare to strike the Dragon of Blue?!" the dragon hissed, his head tilting downward before emitting another jet of flames, Noir and Blanc rolling to the side to dodge!

*Back with Noire...*

"What's going on?!" Erika gasped as she saw the dragon in the distance, several patrons attempting to flee around her and Noire.

"Good question!" Noire grunted as she saw Blanc's attack hit home, yet fail to do significant damage. (Crap, I've got no choice but to blow my cover...!) "Erika, stand back! This call for drastic measures!"

"Huh? What are you doing, Nellie?" Erika grunted, as she did as told.

"...I apologize in advance for lying to you," Noire said somberly. "Access!" She was engulfed in a pillar of light, causing her fellow cosplayer to flinch away and raise an arm to block the brightness... only to gape as the light faded to reveal HDD Black Heart!

"It's Lady Noire!" one of the cosplayers gasped in recognition. "She'll stop that dragon!" Immediately the crowd burst into cheers as the goddess lifted off, summoning her zweihander sword as she zeroed in on the Dragon of Blue...

"Lady... B-Black Heart...?!" Erika gasped in disbelief. (She was the goddess of this nation all along?!)

Meanwhile, Noir and Blanc's repeated attacks had chipped off some scales from the dragon, but it was still coming on strong! "Gwoooaaarr! Your puny attacks cannot stop the Dragon of Blue!"

"Then how about this attack?!" cried a voice from above, Black Heart swinging her sword down and crushing the dragon head into pieces- pieces of wood and metal, an oxygen tank falling out of said head with an igniter attached to the nozzle. "Huh...?!"

"Wait, it's... a machine?!" Sister Noir gasped in realization.

"A machine? Then who's controlling it?" Sister Blanc questioned.

"That's a very good question!" Black Heart said as she touched down before the headless 'dragon'. "All right, come out now or I'll chop the rest of this dragon to pieces and you along with it!"

"No, don't! We're coming out!" cried the high-pitched voice from earlier, but without the growling undertone. A door on the side of the dragon's lower body opened, two young NPC men wearing glasses exiting with their hands raised. "Please have mercy! It was just an elaborate prank! We weren't really gonna hurt anyone...!"

"Oh, for... a couple of college kids?!" Black Heart sighed in mild exasperation as she lowered her sword, then dismissed it entirely. "Well you sure had me fooled! Just be glad you didn't burn my employees here, or you'd be in REALLY big trouble! But as things are, I think we'll let the organizers of this event deal with you!" Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, she turned to see a mature woman with short purple hair and glasses over matching eyes, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a purple bow on the collar, a black skirt held up with straps over her shoulders, and black pantyhose and white laced-up boots just under knee-height. "Oh, good timing. Are you one of the staff here?"

"I'm afraid not, Lady Noire," the woman shook her head. "But I've been looking for you, regardless."

"Ah! M-Miss Mikagura...?!" Blanc called out in recognition. "What are you doing here?!"

"Eh?! Wait, you know her?!" Black Heart gasped.

"She's the one who pointed us to the portal to begin with!" Blanc exclaimed.

"Hssst! Blanc, not here!" Noir shushed her. "We're supposed to be pretending to be human, remember?!"

"Wait, wait, wait a minute!" Black Heart interrupted. "Are you... a Digimon?!"

"No, Lady Noire, I'm human," the woman shook her head. "Actually, could we go and talk in private somewhere, once these young men have been dealt with?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Noire nodded as she reverted to normal. "There's a secluded corner outside the venue, would that work?"

"That's fine," Mikagura nodded with a slight smile. "Nice costume, by the way."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Noire stammered as her face went red...

*A short while later...*

Noire and the Sistermons had regrouped with the purple-haired woman at aforementioned secluded corner. "Now, allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Mirei Mikagura, a human who resides in the Digital World. I used to live in another human world, but an accident cost me my physical body, so I had no choice but to remain in the Digital World. Thankfully, it seems this world is similar enough to the Digital World that I can substantiate here with no issues."

"You lost your human body?! You never told us that!" Blanc gasped. "That's terrible...!"

"It's fine; I've come to terms with it," Mirei shook her head with a smile. "Anyway, yes, it was I who directed these two through the portal here, after seeing Sistermon Ciel doing the same a while before. I had set up camp nearby that portal, realizing the potential danger to the Digital World. But after seeing several Digimon go through said portal, then suddenly return, I decided it was time to take the risk and see what was going on for myself, along with a companion of mine..."

"A companion...?" Noire repeated.

"That would be me," a familiar voice spoke, Noire whirling around to see Erika standing there. "You weren't the only one who lied... my actual designation is Hudiemon."

A low piano chord sound as Noire went white with shock. "Y-you... you?! A Digimon...?!"

"I can see how you would mistake this one for a cosplayer," Sister Noir interjected. "She would have fooled me as well; I've never seen this Digimon species before..."

"Me neither!" Blanc added.

"I'm something of a unique existence," Hudiemon smiled wryly. "You could say that I'm a new digivolution of Wormmon..."

"Oh, I know what a Wormmon is!" Blanc nodded. "Though I think they're kinda gross... uh, but you're really pretty!" she quickly appended.

"Thanks, I guess," Hudiemon put a hand behind her head.

"Lady Noire, please get a hold of yourself," Mirei requested politely. "Now, while it seems like the Digimon that came through before haven't wreaked too much havoc in this city, I would still like your assessment of the current situation..."

"Actually, I can tell you the gist of what's been happening here," Sister Noir offered. So she and Blanc recounted what had happened so far...

"...I see," Mirei nodded once they were finished. "That poor detective, becoming Lilithmon's plaything... I'm relieved that she was rescued from her. But you say a human mage is helping her?"

"Yeah, he's a wanted criminal from the nation of Planeptune to the west," Noire spoke up, having recovered from her earlier shock. "And they've managed to recruit a DinoBeemon as well... but that detective's rescue forced the mage Merlin to flee, so they're likely trying to find a new spot to set up base..."

"But that Kyoko's detective skills are nothing to sneeze at," Noir interjected. "Thing is, we failed miserably as her bodyguards..." She glanced over at Hudiemon. "But maybe this one could do a better job...?"

"I doubt it. Combat isn't my forte," Hudiemon shook her head. "I'm more support, like hacking and stuff like that."

"Well, that could be a boon for Kyoko as well," Noire mused. "But it might be hard for you to keep a low profile, looking like that..."

"Not necessarily," Mirei disagreed. "Hudiemon, why don't you show them."

"...As you wish," the Digimon sighed, suddenly being engulfed in light... when it faded, in her place was a slightly smaller human girl, with shoulder-length cobalt blue hair and golden eyes, wearing a yellow dress with a blue jacket draped over her shoulders.

"...Huh?!" Noire and the Sistermons gasped, the former's eyes shrunk to white circles.

"Surprised? This is an ability unique to myself, at least to my knowledge," the former Hudiemon said. "My data is partly based off that of a young human girl who perished from a terminal illness, so I'm able to take her form. You can just call me Erika in this form."

"A-a terminal illness? That's so tragic...!" Blanc lamented.

"I agree, but you can't change the past... well, under most circumstances, anyway," Erika sighed. "But enough about that. Given my hacking skills, I can serve as an assistant to this detective, at least, and help with any further Digimon incidents..."

"That could work," Mirei nodded in agreement. "Once we've got Erika set up with her, I will return to the Digital World, and see if we can establish a communication line between here and there, so I can hopefully warn you in advance if another Digimon comes through the portal, so you can intercept it before it causes too much damage, or gets recruited by that Demon Lord Digimon..."

"That would be a great help," Noire nodded. "All right, let's head to the Basilicom, so I can get changed back into my normal clothes, and then we can contact Kyoko..."

*Elsewhere...*

The blonde princess from earlier sighed as she walked down the street from the cosplay venue, turning into an alley and pulling out a cigarette. But instead of a lighter, she conjured a small flame from her finger, which she used to light up, puffing a little to ensure the cancer stick was properly lit before pulling it from between her lips with a puff of smoke. "Well, that didn't go as planned," she sighed in disappointment. She then closed her eyes, concentrating... (My lord, are you there?) she called telepathically.

(I hear you, AB,) a refined male voice responded. (Given your tone of voice, it sounds like you failed...)

(More along the lines of 'I never had the opportunity',) AB replied, taking a drag from her cigarette and blowing a cloud of smoke. (A couple of kids barely past puberty decided to scare everyone with a construct resembling a dragon, which forced that so-called goddess into her battle mode to deal with it.)

(...I see,) the male voice replied after a moment. (Well, I can't really fault you for the actions of a third party... did that goddess see you?)

(No, but her subordinates did, a pair of nuns,) the blonde elaborated. (But there's no reason to think they realized my true nature...)

(Good. Then we'll just chalk this up as a missed opportunity due to bad luck,) the voice concluded. (You may as well return to the factory for now, so we can plan our next move...)

(As you wish, my lord,) AB agreed, ending the conversation. Taking another pull from her cigarette, she exhaled while flicking off some ash, before going on her way... "Still, from what I've seen of that Black Heart's performance, I doubt she or her nuns will pose much of a threat to us..." A sinister smile crept onto her face. "I will show her what a true goddess is capable of."

*Episode 8- End*