Leanbox's season of rain had started, so keeping an umbrella or wearing a raincoat was advised when visiting the green nation this time of year. IF had something of a coat herself, but it wasn't particularly water-resistant so she opted to hold an umbrella over her head to protect herself from getting soaked. A few years had already passed since Arfoire's defeat and with that ceased hostile intentions between the four nations of Gamindustri. The world still had monsters to deal with, but they weren't so rampant as they had been under the influence of Arfoire's actions. Life in Gamindustri was stabilizing and becoming normal as it can get in a world where monsters roam the lands that were either abandoned or devoid of human life. There was still much adventure and fighting to be had, so IF wasn't putting down the adventurer's life anytime soon. Yet it didn't hurt to relax from time to time, which lead IF down the path to Leanbox's Basilicom.
"Hello, IF. Here to see Lady Green Heart again?"
One of two Basilicom sentries greeted IF as she handed over her Leanbox residential license to them. It took a few years, but IF had finally become a resident of the nation of her favorite goddess. Though the discrimination of heretics had decreased since the return of the goddesses, IF had to eventually pick a nation to call home. In another time and life, maybe she would have chosen Neptune's nation. Neptune and Compa, in the short time they had adventured together, proved to be the best friends she always wanted. Yet despite that, IF still wanted something more and she found that in the Leanbox goddess Green Heart, also known as Vert.
"Yeah, I was called over by her." IF nodded in response to the man's question. "She said she had something she wanted to show me."
"Probably a new game and needs a second player." The man chuckled in response before handing back the license to IF. "I'll see you around, IF. Enjoy your stay here."
"Thanks. See you when I see you."
The large doors opened for IF and she stepped inside to a busy reception area after closing up her umbrella. All Basilicom main hub areas were like this, so it wasn't an odd sight. A woman with long red hair in pigtails approached IF with a smile. This was Cave, leader of the recently formed Leanbox Regal Regiment of Defense. She had created her military division after the debate of creating a task force dedicated to keeping the monster threat under control. Completely eradicating the monster population would take several centuries and even more, so there had to be plans in place for the next generations to continue the fight in reclaiming the lands. Cave had pushed the idea forward to her superiors and was rewarded with being appointed the founding leader.
"Cave, it's good to see you." IF offered her hand out to Cave, which the redhead took and shook firmly. "How have you been?"
"I'm doing well. The rain has put a stop on any ongoing operations, so the RRoD units are currently on standby and keeping watch on any activities from monsters." Cave answered before releasing IF's hand and motioning IF to follow. "Lady Vert is expecting you as well as MAGES. in her quarters. Please follow me."
"Even MAGES. is here? Thought she had gone off with the other folks that helped us in the past." IF raised an eyebrow at another name she had not heard in a long while.
MAGES. was one of several other wandering individuals shrouded in mystery that appeared and aided Neptune, Compa, and IF during the fight against Arfoire. Most of them had eventually vanished without a trace and MAGES. was one who had chosen to linger because she believed there were matters she still had to attend to in this world. IF couldn't say for sure she believed MAGES. came from some faraway land or world, but that mattered little to IF. All that IF knew was that MAGES. was an ally and friend that could be trusted, even if she proved to be odd in her obsession to find 'Doc P'.
"It was MAGES. who discovered what Lady Vert is so interested in." Cave answered.
IF walked by Cave's side as they moved from the main area into the several corridors of the Basilicom. One could get lost in the hallways if it weren't for the fact that several maps were placed along areas on the walls that gave a person indication where they were. IF heard from a few Basilicom staff members that they were due for renovations soon which would involve moving walkways and elevators for the upper floors. One's legs could definitely get tired from walking around the Basilicom, so IF could see why the staff members would want those in the building. Several minutes of walking eventually lead them to a set of large pristine doors that were decorated in gold and an emblem of a spear was etched into the door handles. Cave knocked on the door several times until a voice responded to her action.
"The door is unlocked, Cave."
That was the voice of Lady Vert, one that always made IF's heart beat just a little quicker. Cave opened the doors and the duo entered to see the blonde goddess Vert herself standing next to a box-like contraption on a table in front of a large flat screen television. Leaning over the strange device was MAGES., a girl with long blue hair and a slanted witch hat on top of her head. Vert and MAGES. looked away from the machine to the new occupants and Vert's eyes lit up with glee upon locking eyes with IF. The blonde wasted no time hurrying over to IF and enveloped the adventurer into a tight embrace that IF happily accepted with a laugh and blush on her own face.
"Iffy, it's so good to see you again! Goodness, you really should make it a habit of visiting me more often." Vert said as she sighed happily, nuzzling IF's cheek with her own. "Depriving me of hugging you is quite cruel."
"I'm sorry, Lady-" IF started to apologize but a single finger on her lips silenced her.
"No, I'll not have you call me so formally." Vert chided IF with a shake of her head. "You should know that by now, Iffy."
"Sorry, Vert." IF's laugh became more bashful as she reciprocated the hug. "I missed you too."
"IF, it's good to see you." MAGES. spoke as she returned her gaze back to the device and started physically inspecting the box with her hands. "Though I imagine how I feel pales in comparison to Lady Green Heart's feelings."
Vert eventually released her hold on IF as Cave moved to close the doors. IF took a few seconds to compose herself after receiving such affections from Vert. In the past, IF sometimes felt so overwhelmed from Vert's fondness for close contact that IF would temporarily pass out for few minutes. IF was happy to be building up enough resistance to enjoy Vert's affection. Pushing away her adoration for the goddess aside, IF approached MAGES. and the mysterious dark box.
"A very peculiar device, don't you think?" MAGES. asked as she took a step back. "I found it in an underground facility. The place is still being searched by Basilicom research teams, but this is what I had found first."
"Definitely feels like it belongs in Leanbox, that's for sure. This thing looks older than all of us, yet doesn't look like it rusted at all." IF nodded her head as she knelt down to inspect the square object herself. "The creator certainly made it in mind to outlast even themselves."
The box had an onyx black paint look to it with dark green strips on its sides. There was a glowing round circle on the top that pulsed consistently. At what IF assumed to be its in front were four holes. Two holes were on its left and right with one big button between the holes and a smaller button underneath the bigger push switch. Above the top of the left two holes were glowing symbols that could have been a different language. IF lifted the box off the table and there was some weight to it, but it didn't feel like the box contained anything physical. Setting the object back down, IF turned to Vert who had moved to her right side.
"The technology that created this box and where it came from far surpasses our nation." Vert spoke as she looked down at it. "Were it not for the colors adorned on it or the energy it emanates, I could easily mistake it for something that would belong to Planeptune."
"Energy?" IF raised a brow at what Vert meant. "Like magical energy?"
"No, not the kind that regular people are capable of detecting if one were adept at using skills or spells." Vert shook her head and motioned IF's attention back to the box. "Whatever this object is, it's related to me as a goddess."
"Despite Lady Green Heart's claim, she is unable to interact with the box like us." MAGES. spoke as she moved to place her hand on the green pulsing circle on the machine. "When she attempted to touch the device as we have, Lady Green Heart was shocked by the box. Although the injury was not serious, I advised against Lady Green Heart from trying any further."
"So why call me here to see this?" IF said before looking at Vert. "Not that I didn't want to see you or anything, Vert. Just wondering why me in particular?"
"The box named you, IF." MAGES. answered, earning a surprised look from IF.
MAGES. knelt down and held the large button at the front. Pressing the smaller button underneath it, MAGES. touched one of the holes on the left side as it lit up and revealed another strange glyph symbol in front of it. MAGES. resumed pressing the smaller button as it started changing to different images until one in particular was brighter than the others. The blue haired girl repeated the process again for the other hole and then stepped back and motioned to Vert.
"Although I cannot read what those symbols mean, Lady Green Heart seems capable of translating it herself." MAGES. spoke and shrugged her arms. "If you could do what I did, we can proceed and make some progress on the mystery of this box."
"The fact that I am able to read those 'symbols' as regular letters while you all are unable to proves my assumptions about this box relating to me as a goddess." Vert said as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Yet I grow more curious as to why I'm allowed to read, but not directly touch it myself. The creators of this box clearly made a security system intended for a goddess to understand and see, but not touch."
"Which is where I come in now..." IF sighed as she knelt down and started going through the motions that MAGES. had shown her. "A part of me really hopes there's nothing more than data, but I have a feeling we're in for a really bad surprise when we open this."
"Considering our line of work, bad surprises comes with the territory." MAGES. laughed softly before deciding to sit down on a sofa.
"Still we must press on." Cave spoke up, earning a nod of agreement from MAGES..
"True enough." IF couldn't disagree and focused on changing the glyph on the mystery box. "Whoa!"
The glowing green circle on top flashed brightly at the first new correct symbol, forming a transparent image above the box. Everyone in the room had immediately entered a cautious stance with Vert catching a startled IF before her bottom hit the ground. MAGES. was the first to act after the box's new reaction and moved from her seat to touch the new floating object. Though the image was transparent, MAGES. fingers did not go through hologram. Once IF regained her composure, she looked back at Vert, silently asking the question if they should really continue. Vert looked apprehensive, but she nodded her head despite the apparent worry on her face. IF resumed her work on changing the glyph symbols on the box.
"IF, you'll need to work on the other hieroglyphic holes on the other side." MAGES. said as she continued inspecting the fragmented image from various angles in an attempt to figure out what it was. "I was only able to work on two holes before I suffered the same shock injury as Lady Green Heart."
"You think it will not shock me just like you two?" IF asked, feeling skeptical about continuing under the risk of getting hurt like them.
"Its reaction to you compared to ours makes that unlikely." Cave responded as she walked closer to the other three.
"Unlikely, but not impossible either." Vert spoke before patting IF on the shoulder. "It does not hurt too much. If I had to describe the shock, it was like dealing with a minor static electricity discharge."
"Do be aware that's her comparison feeling it as a goddess." MAGES. lowered her hat to hide her face. "For me, it felt like I was being attacked by a taser."
"I think I would have preferred the static electricity over getting shocked by a defense weapon, thanks." IF responded dryly before sighing.
Despite IF's anxiety at the possible risk of getting hurt, she resumed moving the symbols in the other remaining holes. Each one completed added another piece to the incomplete image until all four ciphers were completed. What floated in front of them appeared to be a giant ring, but the level of detail the hologram was showing meant it was not the kind that would be put on their fingers. On the inner section of the floating ring looked like actual landscapes with various weathers on them and several bodies of ocean. It was almost like a planet, but ring-shaped instead.
"Vert, can you read what the glyph says?" IF asked, snapping Vert out of her stunned state.
"It says...Halo?"
The moment that final word left Vert's mouth, a raging vortex instantly replaced the ring hologram. IF was the first to be lifted off the ground and dragged towards the newly created portal, but Vert managed to grab IF's wrist in time with both hands while attempting to keep her own feet from leaving the ground. MAGES. followed next, but unlike IF, she had no one to catch her as she flew into the portal. While Vert and IF were trying to stay out of the portal, Cave dived headfirst into the vortex, following MAGES. into wherever she had gone. IF and Vert looked at each other before IF sighed and gave Vert a smile.
"Not how I pictured today's adventure to go, but..." IF didn't finish her sentence, letting Vert figure out the implications.
"...I'll see you on the other side then, Iffy."
Vert released IF before jumping into the portal herself. The vortex disappeared and the room was quickly breached into by Basilicom security teams. They poured into the room with weapons raised, but there was nobody around except the box. A woman with long light green hair and red eyes dressed in a black dress with bows on the sides pushed through the armed forces with another female by her side.
"This is the area where the large anomaly signal showed up, Lady Chika." The female spoke to the light green haired woman. "It's gone now."
"It must have been from that box, but where is Vert and her company?" Chika asked as she looked around the room. "Are there any reports of them having left the Basilicom?"
"No, ma'am." One of the soldiers spoke up as they approached the box. "Their last known location was here."
"Take that box to the eggheads in the science department and have them put that box under lock-down and surveillance!" Chika barked out the order. "If they hadn't left the Basilicom, then this box may have possibly been responsible for their disappearance! Everyone here is not allowed to speak about our goddess missing to the public, is that understood!?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Chika watched the box be taken away as she crossed her arms, worry and unease on her face.
"Lady Vert...Please be okay." Chika whispered quietly to herself. "I've only just started managing the Basilicom. Don't make me take care of your nation too."
One second, Vert was being pulled into a portal of darkness and then she found herself falling towards cold concrete ground. Though she stuck the landing on one knee, Vert still grunted from the impact of hitting the ground. Vert stood back up on her feet and looked around, coming to the quick realization she was no longer in Leanbox or possibly even Gamindustri. There were large buildings that reached the sky that could put even Planeptune's buildings to shame from their sheer size alone. But floating above those skyscrapers were strange looking ships and Vert couldn't help but feel frightened by them. Returning her focus back to the area around her, she recognized the signs that this city was under attack.
My duty as a goddess calls to me. I must do what I can to help this city. Vert thought to herself as she attempted to channel the power within her to grant her goddess form.
What Vert achieved instead was activating a series of strange readouts in her vision as a gauge bar filled up the middle top sector of her field of visions. To the bottom left, there was a round circle which showed nothing at the moment. As a gamer, Vert recognized these kinds of images as something from a first person shooting game. People would call them helmet mounted displays, but that still didn't answer the question on why that happened instead of activating her Hard Drive Divinity.
Something is very different about this place and very wrong.Vert started jogging down the sloped path in front of her. It's a world that doesn't allow me to transform. That is concerning-oh my gods...all these people...
Vert came across a disturbing sight of human corpses that started littering the streets. Among the bodies were also various creatures of different shapes and sizes. Some were small with pointy backs, others were thin and looked avian, while there were large beasts that appeared simian in nature but with lots of fur on its body and very bulky. Walking over to the corpse of a human soldier, she picked up the weapon by their side. The moment she touched the weapon and held it in her hand, a new image on her display appeared on the top right corner. It was the weapon itself along with what Vert assumed to be an ammunition counter for the firearm in her hand.
M392 DMR? A brief window screen appeared before disappearing as she looked down at the weapon. It must be the name of the weapon. That's useful...I'll just call it the DMR to keep it simple.
Vert stripped the soldier of their ammo pouches, wearing them on her dress. Though it wasn't fashionable, a place like this hardly called for looking presentable. Minutes passed as she fired the weapon a few times and figured out how to reload the weapon in case she needed to defend herself. Suddenly, a searing pain hit her in the back and a small amount of the bar above her field of view disappeared. A weird yellow glow flared around her body, but Vert turned around and saw a pack of six fast running creatures unleashing a volley of green bolts at her. Vert took aim and returned fire, taking down two with body shots before one got in close with an attempt at attacking her with their talon. Dodging the blow was trivial for a close quarters fighter like her to the point she saw the swipe coming in slow motion.
"Be gone from my sight!" She bashed the butt end of her weapon on its head, knocking it down on the ground before stomping down on its neck.
More green bolts hit Vert, nearly draining the bar of what she assumed to be some sort of shielding technology on her. The remaining creatures surrounded her in a triangular position and were still firing at her, but now that Vert was focused in on the projectiles, she could dodge them better and returned fire, killing another two before finishing the last one with a head-shot. She panted heavily as her shield gauge started to refill and the yellow light surrounding her body returned briefly, but it did not flare brightly like when she was being shot at. After that firefight, Vert could only deduce that anything that wasn't human would be automatically hostile and were the invaders of this city.
"The Skirmishers fell back this way! On them now!"
"Form up, people! Don't lag behind."
"Keep up the pace!"
Vert heard the sound of people shouting from the path the 'Skirmishers' came from as human soldiers were sprinting towards her. One was outfitted differently from the rest of them in darker metal armor with shades of green. They all moved in formation like a proper military squad, approaching Vert and scanning the area constantly. The one in the darker uniform had their helmet visor depolarize, revealing the face behind the helmet. He lowered his weapon as he approached Vert, glancing at the dead Skirmishers on the ground and the one beside Vert whose neck was broken by her foot.
"Civilian, you do all this?" He asked and received a nod from Vert to his question. "Well, it's a good thing you can defend yourself. We're trying to evacuate all the citizens from New Alexandria as fast as we can before the Covenant get into position to glass the area. We need all the able bodies we can get in this fight, so stick with us until we can get you out of here."
"I understand. I will do all that I can to help." Vert spoke, picking up from this soldier's talking that this place was called 'New Alexandria' and the 'Skirmishers' she fought were a part of the 'Covenant'.
"You've got guts for a civilian, I'll give you that."
"I do have a name." Vert couldn't help but be peeved at being constantly referred to as a civilian when she was much more than that. She didn't think calling herself Green Heart would be appropriate, so she had to settle on her actual name. "It's Vert."
"Victor Ramos." The man introduced himself. "Now that we got that out of the way, let's move!"
There were still a lot of questions that Vert needed answers to, but now wasn't the time to ask soldiers who were fulfilling their duties to protect people. She would aid these soldiers in their fight against the Covenant and maybe find her friends somewhere along the way. IF, Cave, and MAGES. were all capable combatants in their own way, so she had no doubt they were alive somewhere in this city. At least, Vert hoped they all ended up in the same place when they all jumped through the portal.
Iffy, MAGES., Cave...I hope you're all okay.
Hi there, fellow Neps and Halo fans. I'm bringing you a little AU crossover of Neptunia and Halo. You'll notice I did quite a bit of altering for the characters of the Nep universe since they are the Nep counterparts from Re;Birth 1.
IF: Following her adoration and love for Lady Green Heart, she strayed from staying with Planeptune and instead focused her efforts on becoming a resident of Leanbox.
Cave: This dimension's counterpart still retains her involvement with the Leanbox Regal Regiment of Defense and is a true actual military unit devoted to the monster threat in comparison to the other version of itself. She does not serve as 5PB's bodyguard however.
MAGES.: She is still the same MAGES. as from the canon Re;Birth 1, but continued staying in this dimension.
Chika: An Oracle in the other dimension, but still in training to be one since Vert forced Yvoire to step down due to his previous malicious actions against Neptune, IF, and Compa in the proper timeline. This is probably her first and only appearance until this story is over.
Now for the character introduced inside the Halo timeline.
Victor Ramos: An ODST part of Fireteam Raven. Since this is an AU already enough as it is with Neps, I figured I would add in Fireteam Raven from the ODST spin-off. To better help the Neps along their way, you'll be seeing other members of Fireteam Raven later on.
It wouldn't make sense to drop the Neps in and interacting with Noble Team from start to finish in the campaign. Especially since all missions prior to Exodus were all UNSC front-line operations. However, there will be appearances and references to Noble Six though. Maybe.
Then again, here I am trying to make sense of an anime JRPG colliding with a sci-fi FPS game.
Anyways, I'll see you all next time if you care to leave a review or read this even. I'm really having fun writing this, so if you enjoyed it so far to leave a review and favorite, then that would make me happy.
Later!