Traverse Town – Waterway
"Ah, there he is!"
From the figure's sights, she sees a man dressed in black practicing swings with his Gunblade.
"Off training by yourself?"
Leon stopped for a moment to see Aerith, sporting her usual toothy smile.
"Obviously" Leon got back to swinging his blade. "News from the front?"
"Got to two more worlds" the woman in pink answered. "Met a Drifter in one and sealed a Keyhole while getting another gummi in the other."
The man stopped for a breather. "I see. They're making good progress."
"Well, when you got people like those and a drive like theirs, it seems nothing can get in their way" Aerith remarked, bringing out a water bottle. "The Keyblades can only get them so far. Catch."
Grabbing the water bottle, Leon takes a drink from it. "Even so, things will get more difficult for them as they proceed. From what we saw, the worlds ahead are closer to where the Realm of Darkness is. Or to be more precise..."
"Where our home was, huh?" Aerith's expression became forlorn.
Leon looked at her. "Are you still doing alright? I know we still haven't made any progress looking for them since they disappeared, but..."
The woman in pink shook her head. "Don't worry, I'm still..." She sighed. "Okay, I'm still worried, even though it's been years since I last saw them. What about you?"
Leon closed his eyes and sighed heavily at the remark.
"You too, huh?" Aerith winced in sympathy. "Last we heard, she was running back to evacuate some folks. Next we heard, the world's fallen to darkness and an evil fairy went and made it her lair of doom." She sighed. "Oh, joy."
"All the more reason we need to build up our strength." Leon said, getting back to training. "We can't let Sora and Neptune bear the burden on their own forever, especially in a matter that directly concerns us."
"Hear, hear." Aerith cheered, then a lightbulb lit up on top of her head. "Say, I got an idea. One of the worlds they traveled to has a Coliseum in it that hosts tournaments."
Leon stopped again. "I think I know what you're getting at."
"Think about it, Squall!" the woman in pink kept going. "A free-for-all tournament, no-holds-barred against trained warriors and mystical creatures. No better place to get stronger than there!"
"It's Leon" The man sighed again, pinching his nose. "I'll think about it. Last thing we need is getting in trouble with Merlin or Donald about 'World Order' again..."
Aerith brushed the complaint off. "It'll be fine! A little break here and there won't be TOO much trouble. Besides, the Heartless broke the Order when they swarmed into our home, so I say why can't we do the same, even if only a little?"
"Whatever" Before Leon got back to training, he had one last question. "Speaking of trouble..."
Aerith turned to Leon with a loud hum.
"What do you think about Neptune?"
The woman in pink thought for a moment. "That amnesiac girl wearing the parka, right?"
Leon nodded. "You've heard her story, right? Regarding this 'Histy' and her search for her. Neptune believes that she holds the answers to her identity"
"Well..." Aerith started. "To be honest, by itself, it sounded too good to be true, but then she mentioned that 'Histy' was being held by an evil witch."
"Think she's being held by the same one?"
"Maybe. Or she could have other witches in her employ" Aerith's head lit another lightbulb. "Actually, that may be the case"
Leon stopped his swinging. "How so?"
"Arty told me something when she was called by IF recently" the woman in pink replied. "Apparently, Neptune got poisoned by a purple hag"
The man groaned. "Another one of her cohorts, then"
"Most likely..."
Leon sighed as he facepalmed. "Just when things couldn't get more complicated..."
Traverse Town – Empty House
"Hello~?" Neptune cried out into the house.
"Who in the worlds would be living in a place like this?" IF wondered.
"But Cid said we had to deliver the book here" Goofy said, showing said book, which has no cover page on it.
"Well, what else are we supposed to do while waiting for him to finish modifying the gummi parts we found?" Donald questioned.
"Good question..." Compa wondered as she held the blue blob they found from the Deep Jungle. "I was wondering what we're going to do with this little one here..."
She gently poked it's cheeks, earning excited panting from the dog-faced creature.
"Well, take him to someone else!" the duck complained. "That's the last time I'm taking in a pet that isn't Pluto in our ship!"
"Oh, come on, ducky!" the nurse fought back. "Mr. Dogoo wasn't that bad! He only broke a couple of plates and glasses from the kitchen!"
"Tell that to our broken sink!" the royal wizard shouted.
Goofy is doing all he could to keep the angry duck restrained, lest he squash the dogoo for it's wild nature.
"That reminds me" the guild agent said, turning her attention to the blob. "That old hag called him a do-goo, right?"
The walking dog nodded. "She said something about their kind bein' extinct or somethin'..."
IF then stared at it further, as if inspecting it like a priceless artifact.
"Something the matter, Iffy?" the nurse asked her friend.
"Hmmm" IF thought aloud. "I feel like I've seen this type of creature before. Maybe it used to live in our world."
Compa started to think too. "Maybe we should ask Arty about it later. And if she's got space for a pet like this one."
"And fast!" Donald agreed. "What do you think, Sora?"
But Sora was busy staring at space...
"There's something about this musty place..."
Or at least, what everyone else believed to be empty space.
"Woah, who's the cutie pie over there, Sora?" Neptune asked, noticing the girl walking around the empty hut.
"It reminds me of the secret place back home, where we used to scribble on the walls. Remember?"
Sora reached out to the girl, with red hair, blue eyes, a white shirt and a purple skirt, talking to him.
"Kairi?"
"Huh?" Neptune stared at the girl in front of them. "This is one of your BFF's, Sora?"
"Sora?"
"Nep-Nep?"
The two Keyblade wielders turned to their companions (plus the dogoo), who looked at them with worried expressions, then they looked back again to find the girl gone, as if she vanished from plain sight.
"What were you two doing?" the duck asked.
"DId you see her?" Sora asked the group, still feeling stupefied.
"See who?" the nurse tilted her head.
"You know?" the girl in the parka raised her hands in protest. "That cute red-haired chick that was walking in here just now?"
IF raised an eyebrow. "There wasn't anyone else here. If there was, I would've heard them already."
The boy turned to Neptune with a worried expression. "But you saw her, right!?"
The girl nodded furiously. "Heard her too!"
"You sure you two didn't see a ghost or something?" IF wondered.
"She's not a ghost!" Sora protested quite loudly, causing the guild agent to yelp.
"I may joke a lot, but my eyes and ears don't lie" Neptune protested as well.
"Okay, okay. Sorry for assuming..." IF apologized.
"But, then, who was it they just saw?" Goofy wondered. "Was it really Kairi?"
"Who knows?" Donald shrugged. "But staying here won't find us our answers."
Sora sighed in exasperation, but then felt a hand on his shoulder.
"You heard them, buck-o! We gotta keep moving. Besides, if I was able to see her a bit too, that means she's still gotta be out there, right?"
The boy turned to Neptune again. "You really think so?"
She nodded. "You just gotta believe!"
He nodded with a chuckle. "Yeah. Just...believe..."
Traverse Town – Third District
"Man, when I heard the name 'Merlin', I thought I was gonna meet a flighty pretty boy who can grow a garden of flowers wherever he goes..." Neptune said aloud, walking with her hands behind her head.
"Geez, what brought that on?" IF quipped, earning a shrug from the girl with the key.
"Still, it's a relief that we have someone who we can seek magic advice to!" Compa said with a smile as the dogoo in her hands barked.
"Not to mention that new gem we just got!" Goofy declared. "Right, Sora?"
The boy nodded, bringing out the gem.
"Leon gave us that gem and now thanks to the Fairy Godmother, we can use it's power now!" Compa recalled.
"A powerful ally will come out if you call upon them..." Donald recalled. "I wonder who will come out of this one?"
The guild agent turned to the square. "One way to find out..."
Upon saying that, two Soldier Heartless spawned.
"Oh-ho!" Neptune cheered as she summoned her Keyblade. "Convenient enemy spawns!"
"Time to try out our new friend, Sora!" Compa cheered, allowing the dogoo to jump away while she brought out her syringe.
"Okay..." The boy began to channel energy into the gem "Give me stre-"
When all of a sudden, the Soldiers were wiped out in a single slash!
"Woah!" the girl with the key gasped. "I didn't know we get someone that OP!"
"Uh..." the boy with the key stopped channeling. "I didn't even get to finish yet..."
"Then who was that?" the nurse asked as the dogoo jumped back into her hands.
"There you are, Sora! What's going on?"
The attacker was a young boy with silver hair, wearing a yellow tank top and blue pants. He was wielding a strange sword with a bat's wing for a blade and a mysterious blue eye near the handle.
"Riku!"
Sora, overjoyed to see his best friend, goes and stretches his cheeks playfully.
"Hey, hey! Cut it out!" Riku lightly pushed his friend's arm away.
"I'm not dreaming this time, right?" Sora asked.
"Well, we're all seeing him right now, so..." Compa wondered as she stared at the newcomer.
"Yeah, he's definitely not a mirage this time" IF said.
"I hope not. Took forever to find you, you know?" Riku said, fixing his hair.
"Well, I'd say we're already making good progress!" Neptune chirped. "We found one of our pals and he's NOT a trick of the eyes this time!"
Riku then looked at the girl in the parka standing next to his best friend. "And you are?"
"I'm glad you asked, stranger! I am Neptune, a fellow Drifter like yourselves! I am here to help him reunite with you and the apple of both your eyes while searching for someone myself!"
Riku rolled his eyes. "Really?"
"It's true!" Sora nodded. "Neptune and these guys have been helping me look for you and Kairi. Have you seen her?"
Riku shook his head. "Haven't found her since we left the islands. Isn't she with you?"
Sora groaned. "No..."
"Well, don't worry" Riku said, trying to make him feel better. "I'm sure she made it off the island, too."
He then walked past the party and looked up with his arms raised. "We're finally free. Hey, she might even be looking for us now."
As Riku kept talking, a Shadow Heartless spawned behind them, ready to strike!
"We'll all be together again soon. Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this-"
He stopped when he heard a strike behind him. Sora, with Keyblade in hand, has taken out the Shadow behind them.
"Leave it to who?" the boy with the key boasted, slinging his weapon to his shoulder.
"Sora, what did you-"
"I've been looking for you and Kairi, too. I wasn't gonna sit around and twiddle my thumbs while you guys were out there, too!"
Neptune nodded furiously.
"So then" Riku crossed his arms. "What have you been doing?"
Neptune cleared her throat. "If you'll allow me..."
"We've been visiting so many places and worlds, looking for you!"
Neptune deflated. "Hey! Don't steal my thunder, buck-o!"
IF sighed. "Just shut up, Nep"
Compa sweatdropped. "Though we haven't visited too many worlds as of yet..."
"Really? Well, what do you know? I never would've guessed..." Riku's reply came out...stilted, almost forced, really. Something IF took notice.
"Oh, and guess what? Sora and Neptune here are Keyblade wielders!" Goofy boasted, patting said wielders on their shoulders.
"Who would've thought it?" Donald stomped, crossing his arms.
"With someone like those two, definitely not me." the guild agent shook her head.
"Hey!" Neptune shouted in offense.
"What's that mean?" Sora followed suit.
"So, this is called a Keyblade?" Riku asked, somehow managing to snatch his best friend's Keyblade.
"Huh?" Sora checked to see that his Keyblade was indeed out of his hand! "Hey, give it back."
But Riku hopped back, causing Sora to stumble as he continued to inspect the weapon.
"Jealous, huh?" Neptune boasted. "That weapon is legendary. It's thanks to them we can fight off the Heartless as we did."
"Really?" Riku said offhandly, then tossed the weapon back to its owner. "Catch"
"Whoa" Sora caught it. "Okay, so you're coming with us, right? We've got this awesome rocket! Wait 'til you see it!"
Riku thought for a moment. But before he could give an answer, a loud sound resonated throughout the district.
"Nep-wha!?" Neptune yelped as she and everyone covered their ears.
"That sounded like a bell!" Goofy said as he ducked, feeling the ringing from his sensitive ears.
"Where did it come from!?" Donald looked around frantically for the source, but couldn't find it.
After a good ten seconds, the sounds stopped, and everyone recovered their bearings.
"It stopped..." Compa looked around as she unplugged her ears.
"I heard there was a bell tower in this town..." IF said. "But I didn't think it'd be THIS loud..."
"Riku!"
Upon hearing Sora call his best friend, they noticed that he was gone!
"Where'd he go?" Goofy wondered.
Neptune groaned. "Don't tell HE was a ghost too!?"
Donald shook his head. "Nuh-uh. We all saw him and he replied to us. Riku was real, all right."
"And we just met up with him too..." Compa said, the dogoo on her arms whined with her comment.
"Well, at least I know he's okay" Sora said, putting his hands on his back.
"Will he be alright against the Heartless, though?" Goofy asked.
"Did you see that slash he did?" Neptune said with confidence. "I'm pretty sure he's quite tough"
"Yup" Sora nodded. "Toughest among us in the islands."
IF was humming aloud, as if absorbed into her thoughts.
"What's the matter, IF?" Donald asked the guild agent.
She sighed. "It's nothing. I'm just wondering about the bell that just rung a while ago."
"Why don't we ask Arty?" Compa suggested as the dogoo jumped excitedly. "She might know something."
IF nodded. "Yeah. We were gonna ask her about this little guy here anyway. May as well. Besides, I need someone to confide to about Riku, more precisely the jitters I felt around him..."
And so, the group headed off to the nearby empty house where Artisan is sheltered. All the while, Riku hides in a nearby corner watching them leave.
"You've got some company there, Sora...And I thought the three of us were inseparable..."
Traverse Town – Second District
Meanwhile, in the ever dark streets of the Second District, a lone girl, wearing a blue dress, with red eyes and black hair tied in twintails, looked around the place.
"To think I lost him here..." she said to herself. "I worry about what that witch would tell him. Probably more lies of the sort"
She then paced back and forth as she expressed her thoughts aloud...
"Still, this Refuge World is thriving, far more than the others did. I heard that the people who used to live in..."
...Unaware of her growing audience of six approaching her...
"...Then there's the Keyholes that lead to the hearts of each world. If left open, the Heartless will enter them and consume the world, casting them to the darkness..."
"Um..."
"...But then there are the Drifters who arrived in other worlds, potentially upsetting the balance. This is troubling..."
"Hello?"
"...But THEN there's the fact that there are people like me out there, and the first one I found turned out to be such a complete buffoon! She doesn't even recognize her own power or mine! I thought for sure something must've sparked in her mind when she..."
"Should we...bug her?"
"...Anyway! At this rate, the worlds will be consumed, and I still don't know if gathering the..."
"I dunno. She seems busy..."
"...would even help return things back to the way they were. Should I take matters into my own hands, when I don't even know much about myself or the worlds around me?"
"I got just the thing..."
The black-haired girl sighed. "Perhaps I should just keep a low profile for now. Who knows if I'll ever bump into-"
"Gotcha!"
The girl yelped as she felt two hands hugging her from behind.
"Gotta catch 'em all!"
"What the!? How? I don't even...!"
"Geez, you were out here, chatting yourself up, you didn't even catch on that you have an audience here! Are you, by chance, a loner?"
Her eyes widened at that proclamation. "A loner!? Who are you to call strangers you just met a loner!?"
She turned to see the accused and noticed a purple-haired girl in a parka. The sight caused her no great deal of surprise...
"N-N-N-N-"
"Hi there, beautiful!"
She jumped back at the sight of the small girl. "What are you doing here!?"
The other girl flashed a smile, pointing to the area above the gizmo shop. "Well, we're here to go check out that fancy bell tower up over yonder. You heard the bell rang a while ago, right?"
"O-Oh, yes! Absolutely!" The black-haired girl nodded furiously. "My ears were still ringing after the noises stopped. It was disorienting..."
Another girl, wearing a sweater, approached them. "Do you need some medicine for that?"
The black-haired girl shook her head. "Oh no! That won't be necessary. I'll live"
The sweater girl hummed. "If you're sure..."
"C'mon, guys!" the duck, who can talk, apparently, shouted. "What's the holdup?"
"That bell's not waiting for us, y'know?" the human boy in the group followed.
"Wait!" the girl in the parka said. "I got me a brilliant idea!"
The girl in the blue coat sighed, already knowing her idea is going to be dumb. "Well, get on with it."
"You gotta have faith, my friend!" she then turned to the black-haired girl. "Why don't you come with us, stranger? You'll be much safer with us!"
Needless to say, this threw the black-haired girl out of a loop. "Huh?"
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Nep?" the girl in the blue coat complained. "There's bound to be dangerous Heartless on the way, and we can't afford to bring a defenseless civilian with us"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that"
The black-haired girl revealed a rapier sheathed on her left hip.
"I know how to defend myself. Besides, I am curious about this world I ended up in."
The parka girl nodded approvingly. "See? Ms. Loner here can defend herself."
"And would you stop calling me a loner!? I get the feeling that's what you're gonna keep calling me from now on..." the black-haired girl complained.
"Okay, then" the parka girl chirped, looking at her with her hands behind her back. "What's your name, then? Mine's Neptune, by the way!"
"Couldn't we just have the introductions instead of this banter?" the black-haired girl sighed, before introducing herself in earnest. "Call me Noire."
"Hi there!" the sweater girl greeted. "I am Compa. I can tend to your injuries!"
"Are we really going through with this?" the girl in the blue coat complained, and then sighed. "Fine. Call me IF"
"I'm Sora!" the boy called himself.
"Donald Duck" the duck in blue introduced himself.
"And I'm Goofy!" the walking...dog(?) chuckled.
"Neptune. Compa. IF. Sora. Donald. Goofy" Noire went through each of their names. "A pleasure to meet you all!"
"Same here!" Sora cheered. "Now let's get going!"
"YEAH!"
As the group headed out, IF tapped Neptune's shoulder.
"What's up?" the female Keyblade wielder asked.
The guild agent shushed her. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring her with us? We don't know a lot about her..."
Neptune chuckled. "It'll be fine, Iffy! Besides, my Nep Senses are telling me that this gal's someone special. I just know it!"
"Special, how?"
Nep just shrugged. "I dunno, but I can feel it in my heart, y'know?"
The two looked to the newcomer, seeing her mingling with their party members.
"Besides, she looks fun to tease!"
IF sighed. "You better not let her hear that. Fine, just make sure she's well-adjusted with our group, okay?"
Neptune bounced. "You got it! I'll train her, feed her, pet her and everything! Noire~"
As she bounced after her new friend, IF was left alone to her thoughts. "Still, the fact that Riku just...vanished out of thin air and now this lady who seems to recognize Nep somewhat, judging by the expressions she made when she saw her. Not to mention her specific choice of words..."
The guild agent looked to Noire, who is currently trying to get Neptune off her arm as she clings to her. "Still, she might know something we don't. It may be worth to prod her mind on something."
She then catches up with the rest of the party on their destination...
Traverse Town – Gizmo Shop
"Wow! Look at all the tech in this place!"
The group enters the Gizmo Shop within the bell tower in order to find the passageway onto the bell.
"The gears here are making my head swirl..." Compa said, trying to shake the dizziness off.
Noire hummed. "This place seems...how do you call it, retro?"
"Doesn't seem much different from our world's Gummi Garage" Goofy stated as he rubbed his nose.
"You guys mentioned a ladder leading to the bell tower here, right?" IF asked the Disney Royal Guard.
Donald nodded. "It's just at the other side of this place. We placed it down, so we just have to climb up there."
"Alright, but stay on your toes" the guild agent warned the group. "You'll never know when Heartless will show up"
"In a place this small?"
As if to answer Sora's question, a small group of Shadows appeared in front of him, causing the party to bring out their weapons.
"Dude!" Neptune shouted. "What did I say about jinxing!?"
"Uh..." Sora stammered, feeling stupid. "Sorry?"
"Never mind that!" Donald quacked. "Let's get them!"
Meanwhile, a group of Soldiers appeared behind Compa!
"There's more over here, too!"
"I got'em!" Goofy charged over, tackling the ambushing Soldiers.
"Get back, Compa!" IF urged the nurse, readying a spell.
While the party split into two to deal with the surrounding Heartless...
"Of course, leave the defenseless civilian all by her lonesome here..."
...Noire is left in the middle of the shop to deal with an emerging Large Body, who is readying to jump!
"Noire, jump!"
The girl smirked. Despite Neptune's declarations, Noire already thought ahead and leapt up to avoid the Large Body's shockwave...
"Woah..."
"Heh"
...and landed right behind the bulking Heartless, taking a few stabs at its exposed back with her rapier.
"Now for the coup de grace..."
The twin-tailed girl wreathed her rapier in a purplish-glow and readied her killing blow...
"POISON FENCER! HA!"
...and stabbed the Large Body with her technique, leaving it disoriented as it's life slowly ebbed away.
"We're just about done here!" Donald declared.
"Same here!" IF called. "Someone, take it out!"
"I got it!"
Sora rushed to the downed Large Body...
"HAAAAAAAHHH!"
...and took it down with a leaping strike!
"Alright!" Sora cheered. "Nice work, Noire!"
Noire flipped her hair in thanks. "Naturally."
Her attention is then turned to the girl in the parka, who is just...gawking at her in suspense...
"...!"
...which caused her to respond by dashing towards...
"Nep-wha!?"
...the group of Soldiers that were about to attack her from behind!
"What are you doing!?" Noire scolded the girl. "Stop gawking and fight, Neptune!"
Neptune only laughed as she rubbed her head. "Sorry. I...uh...just couldn't help but gawk at how cool you were back there, y'know?"
The twin-tailed girl's cheeks flushed at the girl's remark, keeping her face in front of her foes'. "J-Just stay focused, won't you!?"
"Oki-doki!"
And look at that! A group of Blue Rhapsodies and Yellow Operas (yellow bell Heartless that produces lightning) appeared right behind Noire!
"In fact, watch this!"
Noire turned around to see Neptune charging against the appearing Heartless with her Keyblade wreathed in flames!
"BLAZE BREAK!"
Down goes the Blue Rhapsodies! "And now, for another!"
She unleashed a slash of frost against the Yellow Operas!
"FROST CRUSHER!"
And then, a group of Red Nocturnes appeared!
"THUNDER BLITZ!"
And Neptune fried them with a Thunder-enhanced attack!
"He-he!" She snickered. "How's that? I can be creative with my magic too!"
Noire snorted with a smile. "So, you can pay attention after all..."
Neptune turned her attention to the group of Shadows emerging in front of her.
"C'mon!" Noire urged her new companion. "Let's take it to 'em!"
The girl with the key nodded. "Okay!"
"Will those two be okay?" Sora wondered.
"I admit I'm a little worried..." IF said. "But with skills like that, I think they'll be just fine"
"If anything, Noire seems more reliable than Neptune in a fight" Donald snarked.
"Now, now, Donald..."
Before Compa could scold the duck for his comment, more Heartless surrounded the party.
"Let's make this quick" IF ordered. "We still got a Keyhole to lock here."
"Right!"
Once the party made short work of the Heartless, they proceeded forward to the bell tower...
Traverse Town – Second District (Gizmo Shop Bell Tower)
"Say, Noire" IF approached the newcomer.
"Oh, IF, right?" Noire asked. "What is it?"
"I need to ask you something. Do you remember anything about your home world?"
"My...home world?" Noire thought for a moment, but it seems nothing came to her mind. "No, I don't think so"
"Nothing faint?" the guild agent pressed her for answers. "Like an image or what life you had there or anything?"
The black-haired girl shook her head. "Not a thing."
IF sighed, facepalming. "So that makes you the same as us, then"
"The same?" Noire raised an eyebrow.
"She means that we might share the same home world." Compa cut in the conversation. "There are Drifters out there who don't remember a lot of their home world."
"Drifters?" Noire asked.
"Basically, people who lost their home worlds and washed up elsewhere" IF summed up. "Me and Compa and even Nep there are Drifters"
The three looked to the aforementioned girl, who was cheering the boys on as they formed up a line to smash through the wooden barrier in front of the bell tower.
"What makes you three different from other Drifters?" the black-haired girl asked.
"The common thread being that we don't remember anything about our home world" the guild agent answered. "Sora over there remembers his home world well enough, but us? Not much"
"So that's why you're asking me about my home world..." Noire muttered. "Does that make me a similar case to the three of you?"
IF and Compa looked at each other for a while, and then the bell rang again.
"Gah!" IF groaned.
"Owie!" Compa protested.
"Sheesh!" Noire turned her attention to the four remaining party members, one of them in particular has her hands on a string. "Warn us when you're going to do that!"
"Sorry!" Sora yelled at them. "We're gonna ring again in a bit!"
"How long is a bit?" IF wondered as she regained her bearings. "Anyway, that makes you the same as us and a couple of others, Noire."
"You think so?" Noire asked, bracing herself for another bell ringing. "Just because we all don't remember our home world doesn't exactly mean we share the same one."
The bell rung a second as Noire finished her sentence.
"True" IF nodded as the bell finished ringing. "But a collective case of amnesia like that is clearly uncommon. I can understand forgetting due to trauma, but this is clearly out of the ordinary."
Compa nodded. "We've met some Drifters around the worlds just like us. They seem fine for the most part, but if you ask them about where they once lived, they cannot recall a thing."
"Really?" Noire raised both her eyebrows.
The nurse nodded. "Really"
"That's part of the reason why we're travelling with Nep there" the guild agent continued. "Artisan, a fellow Drifter like us, confided to us that the person she's looking for may have some answers for our dilemma too."
"Neptune's looking for someone?" Noire said a bit aloud.
"Yesiree!" Neptune answered suddenly, causing the twin-tailed girl to yelp. "I'm on a quest to look for the one who saved me, somewhat"
"Somewhat?" Noire raised an eyebrow at that.
"You see, when I first woke up, I was in a vast void of blackness, with nothing and nowhere found in every corner of my eye. As I wandered around, wondering what I should do, a heavenly voice called out to me and guided me out of that empty place!"
Noire continued to be doubtful towards Neptune's narration.
"However, she told me that she was held captive by an evil witch, and so, to repay her for letting me experience the world outside, I promised I'd save her. That's why I'm here travelling across worlds with Sora and the others."
"Hmmmmm..." Noire took the time to process everything the parka girl said. "...I see"
"What about you, my twin-tailed friend?" Neptune looked to her new companion. "What's your story?"
"Honestly, not much" Noire answered curtly. "I don't think it's worth telling you..."
"C'mon, what's the harm?" the parka girl brushed off. "If we're going to know each other, we'd at least learn a bit of each other's background, y'know?"
"Huh..." Noire looked at Neptune with a bit of surprise. "That's unusually smart, coming from you."
"D'awwwwww, you talk as if you know me so well!" Neptune said cheerily despite the choice of words. "That's rather adorbs of you!"
"Sheesh, you're going to be the end of me one day..." Noire sighed, letting her flushed cheeks settle down.
However, the bell rung a third time before Noire gets to entertain Neptune's question.
"...That makes three, huh?" IF said, opening her ears.
"Wonder what changed?" Compa wondered.
"Look there!"
Noire pointed to the fountain located below the district. As it turned, it revealed the world's Keyhole!
"Hey, isnt that..." Neptune started.
"Yep. No mistaking it" IF nodded.
"It's the Keyhole!" Compa cheered.
"Well, yeah..." Noire said. "That's what it looks like. Is there something different about this keyhole?"
Neptune chuckled. "Quite special, my not-so-lonely friend. For you see, that there leads to the heart of this very world!"
"The heart?" Noire asked. "Worlds have hearts?"
"Apparently, they do" IF answered. "According to Leon, these Keyholes are a passageway into a world's core."
"And because they are left open and exposed, the Heartless can get in there and destroy it!" Compa continued.
"Which is why Sora and I have to lock these holes shut to keep the worlds safe from further harm or something!" Neptune finished.
"...Interesting" was all Noire was able to say. "And how do you two do it?"
Neptune chuckled. "Watch and see!"
Traverse Town – Second District (Near the Keyhole)
"Keyhole AHOY!" Neptune yelled happily as the party nears the aforementioned Keyhole.
"Oh boy!" Donald exclaimed excitedly.
"Let's get this thing locked up!" Goofy looked to the two Keyblade wielders. "You two ready?"
Neptune brought out her Keyblade. "Ready as we'll ever be!"
"Hopefully, this will be done quick and easy..." Noire hoped.
"Um, Noire..." Sora scratched his cheek. "I don't think you should say that..."
The black-haired girl raised her eyebrow. "And why is that?"
"Because..."
Before he could finish, a familiar set of purple armor suddenly dropped in unannounced in between the party and the Keyhole!
"...that tends to happen..." the boy finished.
"Darn it, Noire!" Neptune yelled at the newcomer. "Did'ya have to jinx us!?"
"H-How is this my fault!?" Noire panicked, drawing out her rapier.
"Worry about that later!" IF drew her qatars. "Get ready!"
"Hold on!" Sora brought out a familiar gem. "I got an idea!"
Seeing the gem, Neptune's eye glinted. "Ooooohhhh! Is it finally time!?"
"Time for what?" Noire asked.
"Summon it! Summon it!" Compa cheered.
"You can do it!" Donald also cheered.
"Summon what?" Noire asked.
IF sighed. "Just keep your guard up while you watch, okay?"
Sora then channeled his magic into the gem. "Give me strength!"
As he twirls his Keyblade around and released a stream of energy, a proud lion was summoned forth to his side. His name is Simba.
"A lion?" Neptune deflated a bit. "Really?"
"Ooooohhhhhh~" Compa, on the other hand, cooed at the majestic sight. "Isn't he so fluflly?"
"Hold on!" the court wizard exclaimed. "He seems to be empowered by the gem. Sora, help him out!"
Sora nodded. "Got it!"
Channeling his energy into his Keyblade, the lion also readied himself, hunching back slightly as he readies an attack.
"TOGETHER!"
Just as the familiar Guard Armor finished assembling itself, Sora released the stored energy, which along with Simba's Proud Roar, dealt monstrous damage to the Heartless and caused all its parts to disassemble immediately.
"Woah!" Neptune was now amazed. "That's one powerful roar! Are lion howls usually this strong?"
"Dunno" Goofy shrugged. "But it sure helped out a lot there!"
"Should we charge now?" Compa asked her guild friend.
IF furrowed her eyes at their prey, noticing something unusual. "Hold on..."
The downed Guard Armor immediately got up and reassembled itself!
"Oh, come the nep on!" Neptune complained.
Suddenly, the Guard Armor started to shake again.
"It's going to attack again!" Noire warned. "Sora, can you do that thing again?"
"Uh..." Sora started. "About that..."
The party then noticed that the summoned lion is gone!
"Where did Mr. Lion go!?" Compa whined.
"Guess you couldn't keep him around for long after that big attack, huh?" Neptune guessed.
Noire groaned. "We'll just do this ourselves! Let's get him!"
"Wait!" IF urged everyone, halting everyone in their tracks.
The shaking armor began to shift. Its metallic feet folded their calves while they changed positions with the hands. At the same time, the torso inverted, causing its larger underside to hold the head, which now unveiled its armor, revealing a set of yellow eyes.
No longer were they facing the Guard Armor, now, they are facing the inverted and more powerful Opposite Armor!
"Geez!" the parka girl complained once more. "And I thought we left all the topsy-turvy stuff in Wonderland!"
"This thing's seems tougher than the last one. But if it's anything like the last one..." IF then warned everyone. "Remember, team! Aim for the hands and feet first! Isolate the torso and we got this in the bag!"
"But..." Compa moaned, recalling a bad memory. "What if the chest starts spinning crazily again? I don't want a repeat of what happened last time..."
"I could try to catch for cues. Just keep your distance in the meantime." the guild agent insisted. "Alright then, guys. Let's do this!"
Charging forth, the team of seven proceeded to do battle against the menacing armor.
"So, how tough is this thing?" Noire asked Donald and Compa, who are attacking the inverted hands.
"It was quite tough when we last fought it" Compa said as she blocked an incoming attack.
"Not to mention we just met each other back then..." Donald replied, channeling magic into his staff. "But now..."
Compa's syringe was now charged with powerful magic thanks to Donald. "We're an official party! That means our teamwork is better than ever!"
"TREATMENT BLASTER!"
Combining Fire, Blizzard and Thunder magic into the contents of the syringe, their Combination Skill allowed Compa to fire a huge blast of condensed magic power, taking out one of the feet and almost taking out the other one.
"I got it!"
Noire immediately rushed in and struck down the remaining foot with her own attack.
"PARALYZE FENCER!"
Not letting up, the twin-tailed girl launched a barrage of strikes against the torso, ending it with her technique, leaving the armor stunned.
"That should keep it busy for a bit..." Noire then looked to the rest of the party dealing with the hands. "How are you all doing?"
Neptune was flailing around as she keeps jumping up to attack one of the hands. "So-so, I think! How about you, buck-o?"
Sora, on the other hand, was busy blocking hits from the other hand. "Same here!"
"Then we better step things up a notch!" IF hopped back, charging up her magic. "FURIOUS LIGHTNING!"
The lightning spell jolted the hands, inflicting them with Stun!
"Now, boys!"
Hearing her call, Sora and Goofy jumped up and struck down the weakened hands, taking them out of the fight!
"Just one left! I got this!" Neptune then dashed for the exposed torso. "CROSS COMBI-"
But then, the Opposite Armor's remaining body part began to glow red, emitting a powerful aura that pushed the party back!
"What in the...!?" Sora cried, bracing himself.
"That's not nepping fair!" Neptune complained at her technique being interrupted again.
"It's definitely getting desperate now!" IF warned everyone.
"This aura..." Noire looked around and above. "This must be her doing...But where is she!?"
The Opposite Armor turned around vertically, aiming its larger end against the ground as a swell of energy was gathering on it.
"What's it doin'?" Goofy asked, covering behind his shield.
"Is Mr. Heartless charging up?" Compa wondered.
"This is bad!" Donald cried, covering his head. "Take cover!"
The Armor then started blasting several large blasts of energy around the whole area.
"How is that thing charging up so fast!?" IF wondered, taking cover behind the nearby staircase.
"Boss design like that should only exist in the end or post-game!" Neptune complained. "Hacks! I call hacks!"
"...That's pretty much her MO, alright..." Noire mumbled to herself. "But where is she?"
"Shouldn't we do somethin' about that?" Goofy shouted.
"And get blasted into oblivion?" IF argued back. "No frickin' thanks!"
"But if we don't get out there, Mr. Heartless will destroy the whole district!" Compa yelled, noticing the damage around the Second District, judging from the broken walls, shattered windows and the presence of debris.
"But what do we do?" Donald cried.
Sora tightened the grip of his Keyblade. "I'll go"
"Huh?"
"I'll stop it!"
Before the rest of the party could respond, Sora already left and charged straight at the enraged Armor.
"Sora!" Goofy called out.
"That idiot!" IF shouted. "Shouldn't he wait until we have a plan!?"
Two of the shots missed the Keyblade wielder, but a third shot was able to hit him square in the face.
"SORA!"
He was severely pushed back, but he got back up again, and readied another charge.
"No...Not yet..." Sora told himself loudly. "I can't let everyone down...I can't let this town be destroyed, just like with my island!"
He charged again, but another shot hit him again, causing him to fall.
"Sora..." Donald said, his face evident with worry over the reckless boy.
"Oh Sora..." Compa said, her face also filled with worry.
"This is too much..." Noire couldn't bare to keep waiting. "I swear, when I get her, I will..."
Despite being knocked back again, Sora, who was clearly beat from facing numerous blasts from the empowered Opposite Armor, got back up again.
"Gotta...keep fighting..."
As he got up, he was about to stumble down!
"Gotcha"
But he felt someone grabbing his arm and slung it over their shoulder.
"C'mon, buck-o! You don't have to fight this OP thing all alone, y'know?"
Sora looked up to see his fellow Keyblade wielder, with her ever-bright smile plastered over her features.
"Sorry about that, Neptune"
The Armor fired another blast straight at them!
"SHOOT!" IF screamed.
"SORA!" Donald shouted.
"NEP-NEP!" Goofy called out.
"GET OUTTA THERE!" Compa cried.
...but seconds before it hit them, it was slashed off, causing the projectile to split off into different directions.
"Giving up already?" a familiar voice said. "C'mon, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that!"
The duo couldn't believe their eyes! In front of them are two familiar figures, one who even came back at the last moment!
"Riku!?"
"Noire!"
Before they could celebrate this reunion, the enraged Armor prepares another shot.
"There's no time!" Noire beckoned them. "Neptune, are you with me?"
Neptune grinned. "Got a plan?"
Noire grinned back. "Only the best one!"
The girl with the key then stepped forward. "Then I'll follow your lead, Noire!"
The black-haired girl then turned to the boys. "You two follow up after us. Got it?"
The two boys nodded.
Sensing that the Armor is about to fire, Noire gave the signal.
"GO!"
The four of them charged right into the incoming blast!
"Three...Two...One! NOW!"
Just seconds away before the blast hits them, Neptune and Noire swung their blades against the shot...
"Time to taste...your own...MEDICINE!"
...and deflected it right back at it, disorienting it!
"YES!" Neptune cheered.
"Now, boys!" Noire shouted.
"Ready, Sora?" Riku called out.
"You bet!"
At Sora's response, the two boys jumped up...
"HAAAAAAAHHHH!"
...and sliced down the Heartless, causing it to fizzle out...
"Look out!"
...and explode in a blast of light, releasing it's captive heart in the process.
"The noises stopped..." Donald said.
"Is it over?" Compa wondered.
Goofy and IF peeked out to see Sora and Neptune, looking exhausted from the fighting.
"Yup! They're okay!" the royal captain cheered.
"Those two, I swear..." the guild agent sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, Neptune approached Sora, who was holding on to a Spell Orb with a twister etched onto it. It was an Aero Spell Orb.
"Man!" the girl shouted. "That was totally awesome! Nice job, No-"
But upon looking around, she noticed two people missing from their little group.
"Oh c'mon!" Neptune grumbled. "Not only did Riku show up and vanished at the last second, but now Noire's gone too!"
Despite the situation, Sora smiled. "They'll be alright. Like I said, Riku's tough, and I'm sure Noire's tough too"
Neptune noticed that Sora's smile was strained. Still, she responded. "Just gotta believe, right?"
Sora nodded, and together, they sealed away the world's Keyhole.
"We did great today, right buck-o?" Neptune asked the boy.
"Yeah..." Sora said as his sight began to blur. "We did...great..."
And then, after the fierce battle had ended, he passed out...
Traverse Town – Third District – Vacant House
"...Ugh..."
Slowly opening his eyes, Sora found himself lying in a lone bed in a strange house.
"...Where am i?"
"Look who's awake!"
He turned to see Yuffie waiting by his bedside.
"Yuffie?" Sora asked the ninja. "What are you doing here?"
"Watching over you, duh!" the ninja responded. "Leon and Arty are here too!"
She jerked her thumb to the two, the latter holding on to the stray dogoo, who were near the door.
"You're awake" Leon said as he and Artisan approached him.
"That fight must've taken a lot out of you, huh?" Artisan wondered, letting the dogoo out as it bounced to Sora.
"Guess it did" Sora chuckled. "Where's the others?"
"Off shopping for supplies" the woman with horns answered. "No doubt buying food to celebrate your brave victory today!"
"More like this kid's being a reckless idiot" Yuffie shook her head. "He literally went all 'YAAAAAAAHHH' against that armor and keep getting blown back like a moron. If those guys haven't shown up, you might not be even BE here right now..."
Sora chuckled weakly, petting the dogoo. "Sorry about that. I just...didn't know what to do. I just knew I had to do something to defend the town."
"And we're grateful for that" Aerith said as she entered the house. "But that doesn't mean you have to be so reckless like that."
"Yeah! What she said!" Yuffie nodded. "Besides, who's gonna save your friends if you're gone?"
"My friends..." Sora's eyes widened. "That's right! Riku! Where is he?"
"Gone" Yuffie replied curtly.
"What do you mean, gone!?" Sora replied vehemently. "He was right there with me!"
"Precisely that" Artisan tried to smooth over. "According to Yuffie, your friend indeed showed up and helped you. Then, while the Heartless was exploding, he took that twin-tailed girl with her and vanished."
The ninja nodded furiously.
"Gone again..."
Sora laid down again, covering his eyes with his arm.
"Wasn't he just peachy a while ago?" Yuffie wondered.
Leon hmph'ed in response. "Guess he must have held it in for a while now..."
"Hey..." Aerith approached the boy. "...I know what's it's like, losing friends out there. I had three friends back in my childhood. Two guys and a girl. One day, we were out and about, doing business as usual, when suddenly, one of my guy friends found something weird and wanted to check it out, bringing the other guy friend along. When they didn't come back for the night, me and the other friend got worried, so we went around looking for them. Next thing I knew, I woke up, and they told me that other friend of mine have disappeared too."
"Aerith..." Yuffie said with a sad expression. Artisan closed her eyes as well.
"And of course, shortly after that, the Heartless came to our world and terrorized it. We then fled in Cid's Gummi Ship and landed in this town, where we stayed for almost a decade." the flower girl sighed. "And the rest is history..."
Sora looked up to the ribbon-wearing woman. "Did you ever find them?"
Aerith shook her head. "We tried and tried, but there have been no sightings of them, so far. Still, I don't want to give up. I want to believe that they're still out there, Drifted into other worlds, waiting for someone they know to come pick them up."
"For that long?" the boy muttered. "You must really believe in them, huh?"
Aerith giggled. "Someone's gotta do it. Though among the four of us, one of the guys was always the optimist. I try to be that too among us here."
"Hey!" Yuffie complained. "What does that make me!?"
"You're...more of a greedy fingers kind of gal" the flower girl responded, waving her fingers. "Always keeping an ear out for rare treasures and the like."
"T-That doesn't explain everything!" Yuffie complained as her cheeks reddened, which caught the dogoo's attention. "Ahhhhh! Down, boy, down!"
"You get what's she trying to say, don't you?" Artisan asked the Keyblade wielder, who nodded.
"Yeah. Riku and Kairi are still out there. I know Riku will be alright. But now, I just need to find out about Kairi and Donald and Goofy's King and Histy too. If they're okay, then they'll be out there in another world or two. I just gotta believe that they'll do fine before I get to them, right?"
"That's the spirit!" Aerith cheered, drowning out the noises of the ninja and the dogoo.
Traverse Town – Third District (Outside)
"Look at him, my dear..." Maleficent spoke to Riku. "Surrounded and cared for by strangers he just met. Your 'friend' certainly has found better company these days, hasn't he?"
She then loomed closer to the silver-haired boy. "You see now, plain as day. He cares for that new company far more than you..."
Riku scoffed off at that. "Why do I care about this?"
"You need confirmation, do you not?" the evil witch asked. "It's rather fortunate that Arfoire requested a favor from you, allowing you to probe further into his state of being. Mutual benefits, no?"
Riku scoffed again. "He can keep that company. As far as I know now, Kairi's the only one I can rely on now"
"And we're looking into her state of being right now" Maleficent reminded. "Remember, we're doing something for you in exchange for doing some favors for us as well."
"And I prefer to keep the distance between us that way" he said coolly. "Last thing I need is someone to betray me like he did..."
The evil witch chuckled sinisterly. "Did Arfoire's little spy approach you one day? I'm certain that is something she would say, though given that I have yet to actually meet her, I could be wrong."
For a third time, the silver-haired boy scoffed.
"I don't care"
Traverse Town – Third District – Vacant House
"Don't forget about the Keyholes" Leon reminded the boy. "The more Keyholes you seal, the less worlds the Heartless will take. That, in turn will ensure that Maleficent's web of influence won't spread further than it already did."
Sora rubbed his head. "No pressure there"
"Hey, if it helps" Artisan suddenly said. "It may even lead you closer to that witch who poisoned Neptune"
"Witch?" Sora asked.
"Oh yeah!" Yuffie, who now has the dogoo held in her arms, suddenly remembered. "You mentioned a purple witch before, right?"
"Yeah" the woman in the white cloak nodded. "IF told me about that over the phone."
"I think I saw someone like her in the Second District a while ago!"
Everyone looked at the ninja in surprise.
"When was that!?" Sora demanded.
"That was when you were fighting that Heartless protecting the Keyhole" Yuffie answered. "Purple lady? Big hat? Large tome? Very old? Yup, definitely looks like a witch!"
"Then I guess she's gone after the fight, huh?" Sora said, crossing his arms in thought.
The Great Ninja sighed. "Unfortunately..."
"Wonder where she went..." Aerith wondered. "And what her aim even is with all this?"
"Considering that she targeted Neptune before" Artisan thought aloud. "I can guess nothing good..."
"Regardless" Leon smoothed over. "Just keep looking around and do what you do best, Sora. You will find what you seek as you go."
Sora slapped his fist in agreement. "Yeah. We got this!"
Traverse Town – Third District (Watch Tower)
"What is the meaning of this!?" Noire shouted to the old lady in front of her. "Why did you make that Heartless go berserk like that!?"
"Whatever do you mean, Noire?" Arfoire looked away with nary a shame. "And I even made sure that boy of Maleficent's would stick around a bit more to bail you out, too..."
"And guess what? He bailed on us after the fact! Besides, I noticed the aura around it." the black-haired girl said with a growl. "Heartless usually never gives out auras like that. I knew for myself since I defeat them around the castle for training."
"And at one point, I ended 'upgrading' one of them during your patrols, which caused you to unleash your true power, the Hard Drive Divinity, isn't that right?" the old witch sneered.
The girl furrowed her eyes at her. "So that's your game, then? You were hoping to make me transform in front of them."
Arfoire chuckled. "Not quite. It is your own fault for concealing your power from them."
"Shut up!"
Noire pointed her weapon, which transformed from a rapier to a black-and-blue Keyblade with medium-length blade and a logo named 'LS' as it's edge. It's keychain is similar to that of Neptune's Keyblade, except the crystal's color is black.
Sensing the empty threat, the witch chuckled again. "To be quite frank, I was hoping to draw Neptune to the edge with this stunt, but those buffoons accompanying her would prove quite the problem. Not to mention, that dull boy whom the Keyblade has chosen..."
"You're still gauging if she's a CPU!?" Noire yelled at her. "I already tested her before. She's too weak to be a CPU!"
"That's what you think" Arfoire replied back. "But tell me this. Why would she be able to wield a Keyblade just like yours?"
"Like...mine?" She looked to her Keyblade.
"You noticed the keychain attached to it, right?" the witch pointed to the tiny power symbol on her Keyblade. "It is a symbol of a Keyblade's identity. In your case, it is the proof of your identity as one of the CPU's of the lost world of Gamindustri"
"And...Neptune has something like it, too..." Noire pondered on it. "Still, that doesn't prove that she's one like me, too!"
"Feel free not to believe me on that, if you so please" Arfoire waved off. "If you want, you can probe her strength some more. I care not how you proceed with your life. Just remember that you still owe me for allowing you sanctuary in Maleficent's charge. Otherwise, she would have left you to the Heartless."
As the witch left in a puff of smoke, Noire looked to her own Keyblade again. "My proof as a CPU...Is Neptune really one, too?"
She shook her head. "How could I trust her on her word when she has repeatedly toyed with me for her own sick amusement since then? How can I face Neptune after how welcoming she and her friends were of me? Not to mention, this...tugging feeling in my heart when I'm near her."
She slapped her own face with her hands. "Calm down, Noire. Remember, in this vast space, you can only rely on yourself. You must keep everyone at a distance. That way, your heart will never falter..."
A bright light erupted around her, transforming her into the Newtype that the party encountered in Wonderland!
"It won't...It won't"
NEPSTATION
Neptune: We're back in Nepstation, and this time, we're bringing another guest. Say hello to them!
Artisan: Hello, everyone. It's great to be here!
Neptune: Man, imagine my surprise that this is the first time you showed up in a Neptunia fanfic, and it's in a crossover of all things!
Artisan: I admit, I really didn't do much to stand out in my only game. Not to mention, it's so different some people got turned off by it!
Neptune: Psh! Don't listen to those nay-sayers! There's nothing wrong with the classics! I mean, look! Indie games are pretty much rising in popularity nowadays since the gaming scene is changing! In this time and age, us classic gamers gotta stand together and support these indie developers to enrich their talents and opportunities.
Artisan: True. I did have fun making that game, so there's that. If you all have the time to see it, give Super Neptunia RPG a try! You might like it!
Neptune: Alright, now that self-promotion is out of the way, let's get to the news!
*an image of the Gizmo Shop appears onscreen*
Artisan: Recently, the town has seen an increase in their productivity thanks to the reactivation of the local Gizmo Shop, said to be inactive for a few years.
Neptune: Really? How bad was it?
Artisan: Well, some of the houses has reported electric cuts for a good number of hours before the lights went back on. Nowadays, the lights have always been on for as long as the people want it to.
Neptune: That must be quite the load off of people's back, huh?
*an image of a certain engineer shows onscreen, but his eyes are crossed out*
Artisan: Hm-hm! Even Engineer C here states that he can go back into his old work and has been working non-stop ever since. He must be really beside himself now that the power's here to stay!
Neptune: A hero's work is never done, right?
Artisan: Indeed. Now, let's move to the next article.
*an image of a dogoo chasing after a ninja girl appears onscreen. The ninja's eyes are crossed out*
Neptune: A recent report stated that a new animal has been sighted around town, causing a ruckus and disturbance to the general public. Great Ninja YK had this to say.
Ninja YK: This thing is just too excited! Someone, please neuter this thing before it goes too wild! AH! Please don't lick me! I'll get rabies!
Artisan: Authorities are already handling the situation as we speak. Rest assured that the wild animal will be tamed and caged before the day is over.
Neptune: And another remind that you should train your pets and keep them tamed! We wouldn't wanna cause a lot of ruckus in this quiet neighborhood, ya hear?
Artisan: Quite, and now for the last segment...
*an image of a black-twintailed haired girl being hugged from behind is shown onscreen. The girl's eyes are crossed out*
Neptune: This is actually a sponsor! Have you ever wanted to talk to that new friend of yours but find their expressions hard to read? Do they look like they are always angry for whatever reason or not? Well, look no further, because this Nep's got the solution!
*an image saying School of Transcribing Tsunderes with a chibi Neptune on the left raising her arm to the logo appears onscreen*
Neptune: Starting today, you can sign up to the School of Transcribing Tsunderes. Ever wanted to get closer to that hard-to-approach gal or guy? Ever wanted to understand what they're saying or trying to say? Well, worry no longer! With my lessons, you'll be getting that Rank 10 Bond Level with that tsundere in no time! In fact, I have a student who's already excelling pretty well in our test run!
Artisan: Really now? How is their progress?
Neptune: Why don't we ask him? Student S?
*an image of a spiky-haired boy appeared onscreen*
Student S: The lessons are going well! I feel like I can understand these people now! You should give these a try!
Neptune: Well?
Artisan: *chuckles* Alright, you've piqued my interest! I may consider signing up myself!
Neptune: He-he-he! That's the spirit!
*the previous image of the School of Transcribing Tsunderes reappeared*
Neptune: So, what are you all waiting for!? Sign up for the School of Transcribing Tsunderes today and become better friends (or even more) with that hard to approach person in no time, guaranteed! It's Nep-tastic!
Artisan: And that's all for the news corner today!
Neptune: Which means it's review time! Since my usual co-host is doing some homework today, why don't you read these with me, Arty?
Artisan: My pleasure!
Neptune: Let's see here...Huh?
Artisan: What's wrong?
Neptune: There's...only one here, and it's from keybladelight, one of our frequent reviewers.
Artisan: Oh dear...This must be quite the conundrum.
Neptune: Eh, everyone else must be busy celebrating the Chinese New Year or whatever. Year of the Snake and all that.
Artisan: I...see. Well, what do they say?
Neptune: *reads through long review* Hoo boy, this is quite the long one. Honestly, I feel like my brain turned to mush upon reading this...
Artisan: That much, huh?
Neptune: Anyway, I'll list down our answers succinctly! Like so.
Paragraph 1. The author's got plans for that. The state of that place will be revealed in this story. Stay tuned.
Paragraph 2. Not happening.
Paragraph 3. There's a costume already for me there, so keep an eye out for that!
Paragraph 4. You're really big on this shipping material, huh?
Paragraph 5. The author's got a good idea for that in a much-later title. Hope you stick around for that.
Paragraph 6. Character interactions are a big part of why these stories exist, but it may take a while to reach that point.
Paragraph 7. The author's heard you and he'll keep that one in mind.
Paragraph 8. The author's going to have to wait on that. Cross your fingers the next game reveals the rest of them before that happens.
Neptune: And there we go! The singular review from last chapter...*sighs*
Artisan: Hey, at least we still have readers here. It's honestly amazing people are coming here to read this story at all, given how real life works.
Neptune: Honestly, I feel like the author's partially to blame. He posted his advertisement on BlueSky a little too late than usual.
Artisan: It happens to the worst of us. The important thing here is that we keep trucking on!
Neptune: Yeah! You're right. Anywho, that's all we got for you today!
Artisan: And from us all here at Nepstation...*a paper plane flew to them* Hm? What's this?
Neptune: Lemme see that *opens paper plane, and then gasps loudly* It can't be...Can this really be!?
Artisan: What did it say?
Neptune: It's finally happening...
Artisan: What is?
Neptune: OUR NEXT MAINLINE TITLE IS CONFIRMED TO BE IN THE WORKS! HALLEJUJAH, BABY!
*the words New Neptunia Title Confirmed appears onscreen as confetti drops into the studio*
Artisan: That's incredible! Congratulations!
Neptune: Aw, shucks! Thanks! Now, I gotta go and tell everyone about this! Gotta jet! *runs off*
Artisan: *giggles* Well, there it is! The next Neptunia game is confirmed to be in the works! We hope you'll look forward to our franchise making a comeback and for all Kingdom Hearts fans, stay strong! You're time will come, I'm sure of it! Anyway, see you all next time!