It's been a few days since the ASIC base raid and the monster attack.

Thankfully, I've managed to stop it before things escalate. Not after nearly escaping with my life, of course. ( ￣~￣;)

The doctor forbade me from working or leaving the Basilicom until I recovered from my injuries. (Which won't be long since I'm a CPU.)

Guess I'm going to spend the next few days bedridden. Probably the closest thing I'll have as a vacation.

I can move a little, except for my left hand, which sucks. So I won't be doing any of the paperwork for a while.

I got Histoire tending to me. I'm so lucky to have her. (＾ｖ＾)*

They also brought the girl with me. They haven't found anything serious but she hasn't woken up yet.

They're unsure when she'd wake up.

I wonder what happened to the poor girl and how she ended up like this.

Guess I'll ask her later. If she ever wakes up, that is.

Sigh, I still have those nightmares whenever I sleep.

Nepgear closed her Nep-Note after she was done mentally narrating the entry she had written earlier. She set the book aside and tried to get some rest as she felt the tiredness finally catch up to her. She then closed the light lamp and lay back on the bed before she was out cold in the blink of an eye.

(N)

Nepgear was lying on a medical bed in one of the patient rooms in the Basilicom. The doctor was done wrapping the plaster cast on her left arm before Histoire came and gently knocked on the door.

"Pardon my intrusion but how is she, doctor?"

"Well, I managed to treat most of the wounds." The doctor packed his tools into his bag. "Such injuries would normally be fatal for most people but... due to her unique circumstances, shall we say, I expected her to make a full recovery very soon. She just needs plenty of rest and let the body do the rest."

The doctor then placed the medicine on the table. "Here's an antibiotic for the infection and some painkillers. Make sure she takes it three times a day for the rest of the week. I can't stress enough how important it is that she take it easy and not do any heavy work in the meantime."

"I will make sure she sees through it." The tome nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

I'm still here you know...

The doctor nodded and was about to make his leave but he turned to the CPU lying on the bed. "And my lady, do be more careful in the future. You might not be so lucky next time."

"I had no choice." She let out a gruff groan as she tried to sit up.

"Oh, dear. Please do not move too much." Histoire went to her side and gently pushed her to lie back.

"It's... my duty to as a CPU to—"

"To protect others I know." The doctor interjected. "I understand that your duty sometimes involves risking your own life, but you must know your limits. You are not absolute and you won't be able to protect people if you end up dead. Please understand that."

"Fine, I get it." She winced and inhaled through her teeth. "I'll try to be more careful in the future."

"It's not the first time I heard that." The doctor sighed and made his way to the door and stood there. "In any case, try not to overexert yourself and make sure to get plenty of rest and drink lots of water."

The two watched the doctor gently close the door as the two stood silent for a bit before Histoire grabbed the two medicines and a glass of water. "Let's get you to take the medicine that the doctor prescribed. Here, I will assist you."

"Oh, you don't need to do that. I got it."

Despite her refusal, Histoire still helped her by holding the glass of water for Nepgear to drink from after she took her medication dose. After she was done gulping the water, she let out a soft sigh. "Ahhh... Thank you."

"You're most welcome, dear." Histoire gently set the empty glass aside. "Just try to get more rest. You need it."

"Say..." Nepgear began as she turned to look at the tiny fairy-like girl. "Where's Rei.? I haven't seen here for a while."

"Oh, she said that she's feeling a little under the weather. She might not come to work for some time."

"Ah, okay..." Nepgear began looking around the room for anything to distract her mind.

The room fell into silence, with the only noise being the sound of the beeping heart monitor and ventilation. The place smelt clean and sanitized, which is expected if you're in a hospital. She saw the various cards, balloons, and flowers that she received from both the staff here and her friends. She spotted one that belonged to IF, which had a picture of a cat hanging on a rope with the caption, 'Hang in there!'

Nepgear couldn't help but crack a small smile at the card.

Heh, that's so like her.

For a while, the two hadn't spoken a word. The two began shifting and looking around before breaking the silence by letting out a deep sigh.

"You almost scared me half to death, you know?" The tiny Oracle gently grasped her hand, as if she was afraid she'd disappear if she let go. "I thought I had lost you forever."

Her soft and whispered voice made Nepgear's heart drop. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."

"I know... But it's hard for me." Her voice dropped even more as she shook her head. "Whenever you go, I can't help but think if you will come back or if it will be the last time that I'll ever see you."

"I'm still here, aren't I?" She placed her hand on top of her tiny hand. "I promise I won't leave. Everything will be fine, Histoire."

"I hope so. I really hope so."

(N)

A few days had passed since then.

Nepgear was now able to walk around the building and do small tasks.

Currently, she was sitting in a conference room on a long table that was surrounded by parliament members. She wore a black suit and still had the plaster cast, which now had been signed by a lot of people.

They were having a meeting and discussing the current economic crisis that the nation was facing.

Nepgear wasn't paying attention to her surroundings as it all faded from her mind like white noise. She stared at the table without saying a word for a while and felt the scent of wood coming from it.

Smack.

She clenched her eyes shut as the sound of punches reverberated in her head.

Smack.

Her face grimaced and twitched and her ears began to ring. She then began blinking as her vision turned in and out of focus and her mouth felt dry and had a bitter taste in her tongue.

L...

La...

She could hear her heartbeats and she suddenly felt as if she had somehow forgotten how to for a second. She saw images of herself beating the man quickly flashing in her head as it relayed over and over again.

Smack.

She rested her arms on the table and began to rub her temples to alleviate the headache. It felt like someone was slamming a hammer on her head.

ear...?

eart..?

She then accidentally knocked a pen off the table with her elbow and it created a loud thudding noise that made her gasp and jump from her seat.

"Lady Lilac Heart?" A voice then snapped her back.

She turned and saw eyes were on her. She took a few seconds to fully process before she shook her head. "O-Oh, um..." She cleared her throat. "S-Sorry. What were you saying again?"

Histoire looked at the Nepgear, then back at the parliament. "Um, I think it's best if we end the meeting here. We will resume this matter later."

"Very well then." One of them said before all of them stood up and made their way out without a word, leaving the room empty with only her and the Oracle.

"Are you alright, Nepgear?" The tomb asked after a few moments passed.

"Yeah." The CPU nodded. "Just zoned out a bit. Sorry."

"No, no, it is okay. You have a lot on your mind. I understand." She then let out a deep sigh. "This economic crisis is getting worse. There is no sign of it improving, and inflation is at an all-time high."

"I have faith in you, Histoire. You helped this nation get out of so many crises before. It's why you were elected as the Oracle."

"Thank you, Nepgear. I am trying my very best but it is one of the worst ones that Planeptune has ever seen."

"We'll pull through, I hope."

"Excuse me, my lady but you have visitors." One of the staff called out from the doorway.

"Huh?" Nepgear tilted her head. "Who?"

"It's Miss Compa and IF."

(N)

"Ge-Ge!" Her friend beamed and rushed to engulf her in the most bear-crushing hug. The girl wore a white semi-maid outfit with detachable sleeves. She wore a red plaid skirt with an apron on it and long black socks. She had light, creamy hair and wore a nurse cap with a heart on it.

"Compa? Is that you?" Nepgear returned the hug buried her head into her hair and inhaled her strawberry scent. "Wow, it's been a while since we saw each other."

"I missed you soooo... much. We have so much to catch up on."

"Hey, careful. Gear's still hurt, y'know." Her brunette friend called out from behind.

"Oh, oops. Sorry." The clumsy nurse chuckled before she broke away from the hug. Her smile was enough to fill a dark place with light and cure all sadness.

"No worries. I'm almost done recovering." She waved her hand, shrugging it off.

"Well, if you need me to treat you, just let me know, okay?" She held her med kit up. "I'm an officially licensed nurse, after all."

"I know." Nepgear's curved up. "Thanks, Compa."

"You're welcome, Ge-Ge. I took a week off so we could hang out. We'll do sleepovers like we used to!"

"That's wonderful. I missed having you here."

"Sup, Gear." IF gestured with her head. "How're you holdin' up?"

"Hey, IF. I'm holding up okay. And you?"

"Great. Me too." IF checked her phone, then went back to her. "Oh, yeah, listen... I need you to come by my apartment once you're done healing. I need to show you something."

"Um, yeah sure. I will."

"Cool, I'm heading out to take a call. Compa, make sure our sick friend here is well looked after in the meantime." She put a hand on her shoulder. Nepgear couldn't help but roll her eyes and crack a small smile.

"You can count on me." The ditzy girl saluted.

"See you both in a bit." The tomboy waved goodbye to the two before she departed.

"So..." Nepgear turned to her bubbly friend. "What do you want to do now?"

"Hmmm... Oh! I'll brew us some hot water so we can chat over a cup of tea. I brought in snacks as well."

"Sounds wonderful. I'll see if Histoire can join us as well."

(N)

"Alright and... done." IF finished setting up the makeshift bed fort by placing the last pillow. The fort wasn't spacious but it was big enough to hold three people. Inside the fort were three sleeping bags and a bunch of pillows and plushies.

All three were changed into their comfy pajamas. The three girls spent time chatting and playing video games before finally deciding to build a bed fort.

"Yay, our first sleepover in a long time." Compa gently flopped on her white, orange-shaped heart sleeping that was filled with stuffed plushies. "Ahhhhh~"

"Yeah, the bed fort looks awesome." Nepgear went next and lay on her pink, purple-shaped gear sleeping bag. "Remember how we used to build them with Neptune all the time when you two came for a sleepover?"

"Yeah, I remember our first one when Compa and I first met you and Neptune all those years ago." IF scooted next to her childhood friend in her green, leafy sleeping bag and sat at the electric lamp. "Man, I was 14 and Compa was 15 at that time."

"Yeah, feels so long ago." The CPU nodded before she stared at the ceiling for some time. "You know... Being in my sister's place, I finally understood all those years why Neptune was so lazy."

"Hm?" Compa tilted her head at her while IF leaned on her arm and cocked her head toward her. "How so?"

"It's been so stressful since I became the CPU and I think Neptune knew that. That's why she would always skip work to hang out with me. She would take me to all kinds of places." Nepgear's lips curved slightly up at the memory.

"Yeah, Nep-Nep sure did spoil you a lot, hehe."

She nodded, then let out a deep sigh. "I just can't help but feel like she somehow knew that I'd take over as the CPU a lot sooner. She dedicated so much to make sure I didn't experience any of the stress of being a CPU like she did."

"I don't think that anyone likes work." The brunette let out a small yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Mmm... Neptune was the only one who was openly transparent about it, unlike the others. Gotta respect that."

"I'm so grateful for everything she's done for me." The purple-haired girl then followed after her, covering her yawn with her hand.

"It's getting late." Compa let out a yawn, having caught it from the two. "We should sleep."

"Just to warn you, Gear. Compa here snores like a grandpa."

"I-I do not!" Her friend's face heated up and a slight pink shade appeared on her cheeks.

"Oh yeah, you do."

"Iffyyyyy..." She pouted and began hitting her friend's back with her fists while IF sniggered.

Nepgear let out a chuckle before she wrapped the blanket over her body and placed her head on the soft pillow. "It's okay. I'm sure it won't be a problem. Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight, Ge-Ge, Iffy." Compa grabbed one of the stuffed animal plushies and held it tight.

"Night..." IF slurried, already fell asleep before the two.

(N)

The next morning came as sunlight shone through the curtains and tickled Nepgear's skin. She slowly opened her eyes and let out a mumble before she pushed the blanket off her. She noticed that her two friends were nowhere to be seen.

She then sat up and let out a loud yawn and rubbed her eyes.

Man, IF wasn't lying when she said that she snores like a grandpa.

It's no wonder why she hadn't woken up early. She slowly got up and changed into her usual sailor suit dress. Her nose then picked up a pleasant smell coming from the kitchen that attracted her like a fly and caused her stomach to growl.

Once she entered the kitchen, she spotted her friend cooking eggs with a frying pan.

Upon noticing her entering, Compa smiled. "Good morning, Ge-Ge."

"Good morning, Compa. Wow, it smells lovely in here."

"Yo," IF called out from the dinner table with a plate already sitting in front of her. "Better hurry or there won't be any left. Compa's cooking is the best."

"Aw, stop it, you." The nurse's cheeks turned pink as she waved her hand. "Please sit while I'll make yours, Ge-Ge."

Nepgear nodded and sat down on the table across from her friend, who was on her phone.

"So, how'd you sleep?" The brunette asked with a smirk already printed on her face.

The CPU let out a groan. "You weren't lying about her snoring."

"Told you so." IF snorted.

"How are you not tired?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I'm just used to it. Compa and I used to sleep together a lot when we were kids."

"That explains it."

"So, how's your left arm?"

"It's fine. Today they'll finally remove the plaster cast and I can finally get back to working again. Usually, it takes at least a month before they remove it but mine healed up in just a week."

"That's good." She nodded.

After a few minutes passed, Compa set her egg plate in front of her. "Here you go, Ge-Ge."

Nepgear muttered a quick thank you before she began to devour her food like a hungry wolf.

Her mouth filled with delight at the taste as she began savoring the flavor. The omelet texture was soft, and the cheese inside melted in her mouth. Mix with the vegetables that each complemented the other. She felt like she could melt at any moment from the pure bliss.

She never had anything this tasty for ages. Compa's food was made with so much love. "Hmm, shese ah sho go'h, Compa."

"Hehehe, I'm glad to hear that. Ge-Ge. But try not to eat with your mouth full."

Nepgear swallowed her foot and chuckled. "Ah, sorry."

"The food isn't going anywhere." She shook her head and chuckled. "Anyway, I'm going shopping for ingredients so I can prepare my specialty later."

"I can hardly wait." IF's mouth watered at the thought. "I haven't tasted your home cooking in ages."

"So, Compa. How's your job as a nurse so far?" Nepgear asked as she took another bite with her fork.

"Oh, it's been great, if a bit tiring. My grandpa recently passed away. It's why I took a week off from work."

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Ge-Ge. I'm sure he's in a happy place now. I'm glad I was able to spend time with him before his final moments."

Silence hung over the room for a while until IF decided to be the one to break it first. "It sure has been a while since we hung out like this, huh?"

"Yup, it sure does." Compa nodded. "I bet Nep-Nep is watching over us now."

"Yeah, I still miss her every day." Nepgear set the fork aside and sighed.

"Yeah, it sure did get a lot quieter here without her, huh?" IF added

"Hey, now, let's not get all mopey. Nep-Nep wouldn't want to see us like this."

"Yeah... you're right." Nepgear shook her head to drive those thoughts away.

The room was then filled with chattering noises as the three friends began reminiscing about the good times and their adventures, letting out a few laughs in between. They were having so much fun that they hadn't noticed the time slipping past them.

"Though, I wonder..." Compa put a hand on her cheek. "Whatever happened to Nisa and Gust? I've never seen or heard from them at all after we all went our separate ways."

"Nobody for sure." IF leaned on her chair. "But if I were to guess, Gust probably went back to her homeland island, and Nisa might quit being a heroine altogether." She took a glance at the clock before she pushed the table to push herself back. "Well, this has been nice, but... I gotta run now. Thanks for the food, Compa."

"You're welcome, Iffy. Bye and take care!"

The brunette stood up and made her way out, leaving the two by themselves. Compa began picking up the plate from the table before Nepgear joined her. "Oh, here, let me help you with this. It's the least I could do."

"Sure, two hands are better than one, like my grandpa, rest his soul, used to say."

Nepgear let out a hum. "Your grandpa sounds like he was a great man. I wish I had met him."

"Yeah, me too." Compa nodded before the two began to wash the dirty dishes in the sink, with Nepgear setting the dishes aside to dry.

She was about to place the last plate but it slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor with a loud crack. "Ah, crap..."

"Oh, no worries, I got it." Compa dropped down and picked up the broken shards from the floor. "I'll get a broom and swipe the rest—"

The girl stopped when she turned to look at her. "Ge-Ge, are you okay? Your hand's...?"

Nepgear looked down and saw her hand was shaking once again. "Oh, I..."

Compa went and gently grabbed her hand. "What's wrong, Ge-Ge?"

She felt her warm hand against hers. She then let out a sniff and turned her head up to stop the tears from pouring out. She wiped a single tear from her eyes. She let out another sniff and shook her head.

"I... messed up." Her voice was hoarse as she turned to look at her friend with red eyes and let out a hic. "I missed up big time. I'm... a failure as CPU..."

Compa was quiet but kept holding her hands and tightened her hold as the two stood there.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I'm done with Victory and have moved on to MK2. So far, I'm in love with this game and the story. I also managed to get my hands on a PS Vita so I could play the other Neptunia games on it.

I will be replaying Victory since I got (pirated) all of the paid DLCs for the game.

Next Chapter: In Plain Sights

Nepgear visits IF as she shares her findings after doing some investigation.