Vert's POV
It was a grim moment for us all, I readied myself for what might happen next, but one of us was too hasty in his actions...
Grun: "Let her go!"
He charged forward with winds raging behind his back, his mask falls to the ground as he shows his merciless expression to the world.
Nothing could describe what he felt... It was something more than fear... More than rage... more than sorrow... he was lost in a blind march to battle.
Grun: "Blow away! Strike air!"
He summons a burst of wind to blast his opponent, but his enemy stood still and simply swung her dagger at the wind...
The blast of air dispersed leaving the enemy unharmed...
EnCodex: "Typical... Men are so simple... they see something they don't like, and they rush to get rid of it... Think of it lord... I am actually doing you a favor here... if the beast disappears, then all of your worries will be gone."
Grun: "What?"
EnCodex: "You can let all the monsters leave the nation and have them live their lives away from humans... You don't need to chain yourself down from the burden of that fantasy that this beast showed you... And as far as I know, humans have more numbers here in your nation... Leave the few and save the many right?"
Vert: "What are you saying!?"
Grun: "...No...She's right... That's how I've always seen things... For the better of the many, I choose to leave the few..."
Vert: "Grun, don't let him manipulate you!"
Is he falling for this ploy!?
Grun: "Don't worry... I am a Lord of Ideals... I have more than one ideal..."
suddenly... the pendant around Emerald's neck shined... It's brilliant light enveloped the dark void...
Grun: "I keep my word, and I always DO!"
Vert: "Grun..."
Grun: "On that night I made a promise to the world... but most importantly, I made a promise... To her...So I'm sorry to burst your bubble I can't have her disappear!"
With a loud roar he goes for the kill.
Grun: (She's the one who showed me that possibility!)
Vert: "!!!"
...His thoughts were flooding into me, I could feel the weight of his words, the very core of his ideals and the very drive that keeps him going... Even after that battle, he still has this much power... Ah!... Ahaha... I see... It's still twisted... he's being blinded by it... But it's that promise... he made... That's why he won't let go of that fantasy...
Vert: "Oh my~ Ahaha... I see how it is..."
With every strike the white reaper's dagger shakes, she swings at the blasts of air that the lord is blowing at her... with a sudden gust of wind enveloping the lord, he disappeared from view...
EnCodex: "Agh! This is-!?"
...The White Reaper was taken by surprise... The lord reappeared beside her, he blasts her away with swift swing of his staff, he then proceeds to unbind Emerald and brings her to me...
Vert: "Is she okay?"
Grun: "Yes, will you please keep her safe for me?"
Vert: "Of course... She means that much to you I see."
Grun: "Ah..."
...He was a bit puzzled from what I said, he then proceeds to pick up his mask...
Grun: "Now that I noticed... You don't seem affected by seeing my face... Why is that?"
Vert: "Oh please you give yourself too much credit, you don't look that handsome to me."
Grun: "I see... You must one of those females I've heard about."
Vert: "Oho~? And what kind of females might those be~?"
Grun: "Well, some people say that they are Rotten to the Core and are known as fujoshi... and that they... well..."
Vert: "G-good heavens I certainly am not one of such, and I certainly haven't thought about matching you with a certain someone from Lowee... AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Not at all ahahahahahahaaha!"
Grun: "Riiiiiighhhttttt...." (Yeah nice try...)
Vert: "Mumu!? Mumumumumumu~~~"
-SHING!-
Grun and Vert: "Ah!?"
From within the void a sound of metal scraping on the ground could be heard... It had this chill that not even Blanc's cold stare could give...
EnCodex: "Hmmm...? Well this is certainly surprising... First the little one's sudden increase in confidence and now the Lord's unprecedented rise of power and that new move actually got me off guard... Maybe... Just maybe... This will soon end this cycle...No... I can't go chasing that dream... I know the end is the same... Like they always do... We all return to nothingness after everything!!!"
...Her voice carried weight... it carried anger like nothing else, she raised her dagger into the air and it shined as bright as day... and then from out of nowhere... Countless whirling winds appeared and came rushing towards us... These were Grun's previous attacks! Did she really use her power to turn projectiles against us!?
EnCodex: "I think you dropped these..."
Grun: "Nope."
Vert and EnCodex: "Huh?"
EnCodex: "Didn't you blast these at me earlier."
Grun: "Doesn't look familiar to me..."
Vert: "What? We just saw you blast these."
Grun: "Nope it's not mine."
EnCodex: "These are yours, and now I'm going to return it to you."
Grun: "Return what to who?"
EnCodex: "Aghh..."
...Is he trying to act stupid?
Grun: (I've... got a plan...)
Vert: "Oh?"
EnCodex: "Aren't you the Green Lord of Gale?"
Grun: "Yup."
EnCodex: "And you use air and wind to fight."
Grun: "Yup."
EnCodex: "We saw you fire these blasts of air earlier, so if that's the case these must be yours."
Grun: "That makes sense to me."
EnCodex: "Then take this!"
Grun: "Those aren't mine!"
EnCodex: "Enough of this!"
...She fires the blasts of air with no restraint, raging winds came towards us, they were coming in a very alarming rate...
Grun: "Heh."
...Grun nonchalantly raised his hand forward and took the blasts of air head on... He kept his composure and with his signal...
Grun: (Now then... Let me show you how a lord fights...)
Vert: "Huh?"
...The blasts of air didn't even got close, only 3 meters away and it completely submits to the lord's will...
EnCodex: "Ahh... Impossible... It should have ended already... Why...? Why is this different?"
Grun: "Like I said before, this air doesn't belong to just me... It belongs to the whole world and all the people who breathes it... Even you... But also... Like you said, I am the Green Lord of Gale... And now you will witness the fury of my power..."
...The flowing air then enveloped the Lord's staff and refracted lighted making it invisible, he takes a stance and lunged forward.
Grun: "Let's see you survive this..."
EnCodex: "Tch!"
...The white reaper raised her guard, she then watched the lord lunge, keeping her eyes on his hands, she imagined the staff's shape...
Grun: "Take this!"
EnCodex: "I see it!"
...She swings her weapon... at the Lord's hand, just like what happened to Vert, the dagger phased through the lord's hand... but...
EnCodex: "What!?"
Grun: "hehe...Gotcha."
EnCodex: "Eh..!? AGHHH!!!"
...The white reaper suddenly jerks forward, it's as if her body was hit from behind...
Vert: "Ah!!"
EnCodex: "...Y-you bastard...!"
Grun: "Hehe... I prefer to be called.. the Wise Sage. Now... Disappear!"
...With a large burst of energy the Reaper took a direct hit... She is flung far away and out of sight...
The dark void began to disperse, and we were greeted by the starry sky... With a warm gentle breeze enveloping us, we felt the warm silence of peace.
Rom: "Miss Vert~! Mr. Grun~!"
Adult Neptune: "Hey! Are you okay!?"
Vert: "We're fine, Emerald is too."
Rom: "Thank goodness~!"
Adult Neptune: "Whoah! Grun, you look beat up!"
Grun: "What? These are just a few scratches, they'll heal soon enough... More importantly..."
...Grun Knelt down to my level...
Grun: "May I?"
Vert: "Of course..."
He took Emerald from me, he carried her to the basilicom... His thoughts carrying unparalleled joy and relief...
Adult Neptune: "Hey! You need some help?"
Vert: "Let's leave them be for now."
Rom: "*hic!*...I'm so happy... I'm so happy that nothing bad happened... Fu-Fuwaaaaaaahhhh~!"
Vert: "Oh no! Please don't cry!"
Adult Neptune: "AH!! Vert made her cry! I'm telling the teacher!"
...My oh my, does it really have to end like this? Either way, I too was pleased, now I know what's deep inside Grun's heart, what's causing him to be the way he is... Now how do I make him realize his mistakes?
His goals and ideals were noble, however, his actions are twisted and needs to be addressed... how though...?
That night
Emerald's POV
...I hear something... It was a soft song echoing in the room, what had happened? I remember someone taking me away... That's right... someone kidnapped me... I was still groggy after taking a direct punch, but I knew that someone came into the clinic and took me somewhere dark and cold... I couldn't hear a thing, but images flickered before me...
It was him... he saved me... The melody turns into a despondent tone, each note signalling a sorrowful wave of emotion, it was heavy and felt like it would tear my heart apart... I feel a single tear fall from my eye... it felt warm and... what is this feeling? This fuzzy feeling that I feel... The melody went into an upbeat part and now it uplifts my spirit, it reached the peak and then slowly goes soft as the time went by... It then proceeds into a longing sound, as if searching for something or someone... It cried out and it spoke in words I could not understand, but I could feel the loneliness in it... My body felt like floating as the music suddenly reached an overwhelming chorus, I could feel every cell in my boy resonate to the beautiful song that echoed here in this very room, and it opened a whole new view to everything I knew... This part was full of joy, hope and love... I slowly open my eyes and found myself, not in the clinic, but in someone's room... Wait, haven't I seen this room before?
This is Grun's room... Right?
I got up as slowly as possible and there I saw him sitting by the window his eyes were sharp and his demeanor was powerful as ever, he was looking outside the window and didn't notice me, he just continued to play that song...
For a moment I was stuck there looking at him intently, the moon shined down on him as if a spotlight shining down on a performer... Without even realizing it I had moved closer to him...
Emerald: "H-hey..."
Grun: "Hm?"
...When he turned to face me, I saw his concerned expression, tear stained cheeks, and blood shot eyes...
Emerald: "You haven't slept at all have you?"
Grun: "Ahh... Yeah... I just couldn't sleep... I have a lot on my mind..."
Emerald: "I see... hey... Thank you... for saving me."
Grun: "Hehe... more like you saved us actually."
Emerald: "What?"
Grun: "When that pendant of yours shined I noticed my blasts of air were made stagnant, my winds could refract light, so the unusual scene made plan ahead, add the information I received from the two girls you brought here, and I had victory in my hands..."
Emerald: "Wow... You can't be seriously thinking that far ahead."
Grun: "I guess I am."
Emerald: "Alright brainiac, that's really awesome and all, but you seriously need to get some sleep."
Grun: "Before that..."
Emerald: "Huh...? W-What are you doing!!??"
...H-he just pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me! one of his arms was on my waist while the other one was on my back with his hand holding the back of my head making me sink into his chest... I placed my hand on his chest to push him away but the strength in his arms grew and it held me tighter...
Grun: "Please... just for a moment... a few minutes... a few Seconds! Please..."
Emerald: "W-what's wrong with you? Hey, lemme go!"
...I struggled but nothing happened, he clung to me like a child holding on to his parent, I could feel his breath on my neck, it tickled, it was warm and had this moist feeling to it... his heart was beating like a drum... and so was mine...
Emerald: "Hey, that should be enough right?"
Grun: "..."
No response... Instead, he did something I did not expect...
Emerald: "Mm-mh!!?"
...I had lost control of my senses, I felt numb from my head to my toes... my eyes were wide open, but before me was only pure white... I held my breath, my hands shudder in anxiety, my thoughts jumbled in the current situation...
What is this...? Why is he doing this..?
he placed his lips unto mine, I could feel the connection clearly... It was...
I could not explain what it was...
the unknown scared me... I feared it! it was the same feeling that I felt when my siblings and I met face to face with the Rendering light...
My heart beat raced... but soon, as we continued this connection I felt a sense of assurance and...
Passion burned within me... curious... Was this the first time, we've engaged in this activity..? I feel like we've done this many times already...
He runs his fingers through my hair... It felt good... But then I noticed his other hand slowly crawling upward towards my chest and-
Emerald: "No!"
-SLAP!-
Grun: "Oof!"
Emerald: "What do you think you're doing!?"
Grun: "I'm sorry! I got carried away by the moment and well... you didn't seem like you hated it so..."
Emerald: "I-It didn't feel bad... and well, it felt kinda... Good? But still you're moving way too fast! I need...umm... I need to be prepared for this...Idiot..."
Grun: "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to force myself unto you..."
...I turned around to hide my reddened face...
Emerald: "But... why though...? I'm a monster... You can't possibly fall for me... let alone that I'm a beast of Sin..."
Grun: "I don't care what you are! I will accept all of you if I have to."
...He held me close once again... the same heat from before rose up from deep within my soul...
Emerald: "...O-okay... I see, now can you let me go?"
Grun: "R-right... sorry..."
Emerald: "You really should rest for now Grun. You look like you could fall any moment...Ah!?"
...I feel his full weight fall unto me, I brace myself.
Emerald: "Geez! Come on! I said no! And no! means no!"
...He was still pushing his whole weight against me, I was about to push him away when...
Grun: "Zzzz....Zzzz...."
Emerald: "Wha-? Seriously..."
He's fallen asleep... come to think of it, he could have easily blocked my slap from earlier... just goes to show how tired he is I guess...
I decided to carry him to the bed... luckily I've regained most of my strength, because I would have been crushed by his weight.
Emerald: "Ooof! There we go... Ahh...?"
...I saw his sleeping face under the moon light, it was... breath taking to say the least... I remembered what happened earlier... and then a thought came to me...
Emerald: "Well... it wouldn't hurt to do it one last time..."
...Gently and slowly... I placed my lips unto his, it was a gentle connection, the same feeling resurfaced and I was lost in the sensation... oh yeah this is what they called...
A good night kiss...
A few days later
Vert's POV
Ram: "Rom!!!!"
Rom: "Ram~!"
From the ocean came our friends along with the leaders of Lowee and Lastation... Both of which were awfully close to Noire and Blanc...
Vert: "Everyone, I'm glad we finally got together."
Blanc: "Hello Vert, was Rom behaving?"
Vert: "Of course, the little angel had gone through some trouble though, but has since recovered and-"
Blanc: "What!?"
...As usual the paranoid sister rushed to her sister's side and inspected with so much worry.
Blanc: "What happened? Are you okay? Do you feel funny?"
Weiz: "If you squishing her face is what's making her feel funny, then yes."
Blanc: "Don't be a smartass you jerk I'm just worried for her well-being!"
Luna: "Now, now you two, we finally reunited let's not fight right at the start."
Rom: "Uuuuu~! Sis, my cheeks hurt~"
Ram: "Sis, let her go! I wanna play with Rom!"
Meanwhile...
Noire: "Haah... Can't you people be any more rowdy? Sorry for this Vert."
Vert: "Oh I don't mind at all, I missed the rowdy atmosphere."
Uni: "So this is Leanbox? It's so different from the one I knew."
Memoire: "Yes it is, I can tell from what I saw in your memories."
Vert: "Oh? and who might this be?"
Memoire: "Oops, where are my manners... Nice to meet you, my name is Memoire, I'm Lord Schwarz's daughter."
Vert: "Oh my... You had a daughter Schwarz? Then what of Noire?"
Schwarz: "I...uhh... No comment..."
Noire: "Y-y-y-y-Yeah! What are you even talking about Vert!?"
And on the other side...
Adult Neptune: "Hey P-ko! Look!"
Peashy: "Ploot! Over here!"
Plutia: "Peashy! Big Neppy!"
The three meet in a warm embrace, with the Adult Neptune holding on to the smaller ones...
Plutia: "Ahahahahahahaha! I'm sooooo glad~ You're alright~!"
Adult Neptune: "Ahahahaha, yeah We all kinda fell out here for some reason, where did you end up anyway?"
Plutia: "Well~ I fell in Lowee~ After that..."
...The three went into a leisurely banter while someone, approached me from behind...
Vert: "Oh my!"
Nepgear: "...Vert... It's you..."
Vert: "Oh? Why if it isn't Nepgear! Aww~! Have you finally chosen me to be your big sister!?"
...She didn't answer but just went for a tighter embrace...
Vert: "Kyaaa!!!! Oh my! I will take this as a yes! Finally! I have won over Nepgear's affection! Uhh... Umm... Oh dear, are you alright?"
...She looked up and I saw her tear stained face... and that goofy looking hat...
Vert: "Now that I got a closer look, you look very different from what you used to look..."
Nepgear: "R-really? How so?"
Vert: "For one thing, you look a lot more mature, and if I may say so myself..."
Nepgear: "yes?"
Vert: "You look quite Edgy too."
Nepgear: "*whimper* UWAHHHHHHHHH~!!!!"
Vert: "Oh my don't cry! I didn't mean it in a bad way! Look, you are far more cooler than you used to... though a little less cuter..."
Nepgear: "Hmm!? Hu~ Huwaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!"
Vert: "Oh heavens! Please don't cry~"
Adult Neptune: "Ahh! What are you doing to my other me's kid sister you busty blonde!?"
Nepgear: "This voice!"
...The adult Neptune grabs hold of Nepgear from behind and gives her an embrace...
Nepgear: "Big Sis...? Is that you?"
Adult Neptune: "Hm? Well not entirely but yeah, It's me, Neptune."
Nepgear: "Big Sis...BIG SIS!"
Adult Neptune: "Whoah girl! easy! Easy! I know I'm the cutest of them all but you're way too thirsty!"
Nepgear: "It's Neptune... It's the real and RAW NEPTUNE!! Oh goodness! I can't stop myself!"
Adult Neptune: "Geez! Nep jr! Settle down! Whoa! hey! Don't touch there! Not there either! Hey!"
Nepgear: "Haah... Haah... I miss the way you call me! your smell! your voice! AHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Adult Neptune: "Uh oh... I feel like my chastity is in danger here! Help! Someone get me a pudding and help!"
Nepgear: "Haah..! Yes! Haah!!!!"
...boing..?
Nepgear: "Mm? wait... this is..."
Adult Neptune: "...Uhh..."
boing boing?
Adult Neptune: "Kyaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!"
Nepgear: "MY SISTER GREW UP!!??"
Back into the Basilicom...
The little ones were taken by Plutia and Luna to play somewhere else while we discussed some matters, Weiz and Schwarz also went to Grun's office to inform him and Emerald of what is happening.
Vert: "I see, so this Nepgear is different from the one we know."
Nepgear: "I'm sorry I was just so happy I couldn't control myself..."
Vert: "I don't mind, from what I've heard, you've been through a lot... You are more than welcome to come to my side whenever you feel lonely again."
Nepgear: "Thank you Vert... I'm really glad I could see you again."
Adult Neptune: "You were more than happy to see me though, you went ahead and felt me all over, Whew, if you weren't my other me's kid sister, then you could have been sued for harassment girl. "
Nepgear: "Ahahaha..."
Uni: "You even reached under her parka... You could be more of a pervert than I can imagine."
Nepgear: "Sorry..."
Noire: "Well at least we almost have everyone here, it seems like only the Planeptune CPUs are missing, Other Neptune, Other Nepgear, and Uzume. "
Blanc: "Yeah, and if my hunch is correct, then they will appear on Planeptune."
Vert: "Yes, I believe so too...Hm?"
...I noticed something in the vicinity, there was a crackle... Electricity?
CRACKLE!
Everyone: "Whoa!"
...Out of nowhere, a sudden spark opened some sort of gate... Beyond the gate... there was nothing but darkness... a few moments later someone emerged from the gate...
Blanc: "It's him."
Noire: "..."
...The air around us turned cold all of a sudden...
Neptunio: "Heya."
Vert: "Neptunio?"
Nepgear: "It's you."
Neptunio: "How are you feeling Nepgear?"
Nepgear: "Better. How about you? We didn't get to see you after you told us about Weiz."
Neptunio: "I'm doing fine, I just came here to get the Sharicites."
Vert: "You mean these?"
...I present to him the Sharicites...
Neptunio: "Yes, can I have those back?"
Vert: "Emerald did say that you gave her these... Why though, and how did you get them?"
Neptunio: "It's not really important, can I have those back now?"
...I noticed Blanc and Noire's uneasiness, what should I do here?
-------CHOICES-------
a. Surrender the Sharicites.
b. Ask for more information first.
-------------------------
Vert Chose to ask for information.
Vert: "Before that Neptunio, mind if ask some questions?"
Neptunio: "Very well... Ask."
Vert: "This world... It's neither a world within one's mind nor is it the world we lived on, is it?"
Neptunio: "It's both a yes and a no..."
Vert: "Can you elaborate?"
Neptunio: "As you already know, this world was created from our memories, however, something happened... and now it is not connected to any timeline anymore, in simpler terms, it's a lose dimension..."
Noire: "What's a lose dimension?"
Neptunio: "In this world, many events can be changed, as you may have noticed, Memoire, was not suppose to exist this long... Luna should have stayed trapped as a part of Amon... but things are changing here. You've made the changes... But..."
Blanc: "But what? Spit it out."
Neptunio: "Nothing, can I please have the sharicites now."
...I don't think he's going to tell us more... What should I do?
-------CHOICES-------
a. Surrender the Sharicites.
b. Keep the Sharicites.
-------------------------
Vert decided to surrender the Sharicites.
Neptunio: "Thank you... Oh Also... Neptune's in Planeptune... though she isn't like the one you used to know."
Vert: "What?"
Neptunio: "Don't worry, if worst comes to worst, I'll take care of her."
...With those words, Neptunio opened another gate and disappeared into it...
Noire: "he'll take care of her... What did he mean by that?"
Blanc: "I don't know but I didn't like the sound of that."
Nepgear: "Well, you could say that he will take care of her in a good way."
~~~~SILENCE~~~~~
Vert: "Oh dear... could this version of Nepgear be naughty as well? I like it."
Uni: "Geez, Nepgear... Could you stop making these cringey quotes."
Nepgear: "Eh? Did I say something wrong?"
Noire: "S-she was just making a positive outlook right?"
Blanc: "..."
Adult Neptune: "Ahaha... After what she did to me... I'm kinda inclined to think otherwise..."
Nepgear: "Wait! What are you talking about...? Oh no... This treatment... Is this the one that they've been talking about this whole time? The bad treatment that the other me is constantly getting!?"
----EDGE GEAR HAS LEARNED THE ABILITY "EPIPHANY OF IDIOCY"------
Nepgear: "What the Goodness!? It even has that idiotic face of mine! And it's Nepgear! not Edge Gear!"
And so Edge Gear received the abuse that Nepgear should have normally received...
Nepgear: "HEY! LISTEN TO ME"
In Grun's Office
Grun: "I see, so you're saying our brother has got something to do with this?"
Weiz: "That's what we think at least."
Luna: "We're not completely sure though, so I think it's best if we hold pointing fingers for now."
Schwarz: "Be that as it may, it's no question that he knows something that we don't... Also from what Uni has told me, that DeVian guy, mentioned something about him having parents... We Lord's don't have parents! So why would that guy say something like that?"
Weiz: "Every single being has an Origin he said... We lord's came from the call of the humans who were under the abuse of monsters."
Emerald: "What...?"
Weiz: "Hm?"
Luna: "Emerald!?"
...Emerald lands on the center of the room and confronts Weiz...
Emerald: "You humans... being abused by monsters!?"
Weiz: "W-Why are you so angry?"
Schwarz: "Well... from how we see things that's what we believe."
Emerald: "Bull crap! Humans were the ones hunting us down! Using our skins for clothes... our homes for their industries! You were the one's taking away everything from us!"
Grun: "Enough everyone... I have come to a conclusion..."
Luna: "What is that?"
Grun: "I believe that... we were made to believe a false history..."
Schwarz: "How is that even possible?"
Grun: "Just like you said we need to ask our brother... that is..."
...Grun took a deep breath...
Grun: "...If he even is our brother..."
Histy's Notes:
Spongebob Reference - Apparently there was a reference to a cartoon series in one of Grun and EnCodex's exchange of dialogs.
Negative abilities - Taken from Generation V, Nepgear was treated poorly in the said game, gaining useless abilities that FORTUNATELY - DID NOT AFFECT THE GAMEPLAY.
Nepgya - Nepgya is an artificial human who is based on Nepgear . She has debuted as a playable DLC character in Megadimension Neptunia VII. Nepgya possesses the same skills as her original, but she lacks the access to HDD. (wiki source)
Sparkle (Radwimps) - A song from the Anime film "Kimi no Na wa" (Your name)
Author's Notes:
Whew! Got this one out earlier than I expected! Well... I am currently job hunting so yeah... I've got a lot of time for now... I NEED A JOB STILL THOUGH O_O...
But anyway, I know things are going crazy! But I still hope you're all having fun and enjoying the fanfic and if you did why not give it a vote? And hey maybe even share it to our NEP LOVERS!
also PC RELEASE OF CYBERDIMENSION IS SOOOOOO CLOSEEEE!!!! HYPE!!!!
ahem... Anyway, I will see you guys in the next chapter!
Whoohooo!!!