Part 43: Remembrance

Last time on Hyperdimension Neptunia, we were rejected by the other goddesses. This led Neptune to an inescapable conclusion.

Anyway, since we were feeling somewhat unwelcome in the other lands we returned to Planeptune.

Video- “Gust Scene”

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Compa, where you going?!
…I knew it.
Mr. Shopkeeper, did you invent this here wireless charger?
Shop Keeper: Yeah, I sure did. You can charge it by placing the battery on it. Isn’t that swell?
Lies!
This is a phony. A copy. I know who originally created this.
Shop Keeper: …So? Whoever makes it more widely known gets the credit.
I assume the original isn’t selling too well at its price.
I’m selling it now for less. I mean, it’s not as high-quality, but…
The customers seem happy, I’m happy… It’s win-win, understand?
You didn’t invent this item. Aren’t you concerned about the person who first made it?
Shop Keeper: I paid when I bought one off of her, so technically she didn’t lose any money.
Plus, the customers are already convinced I’m the inventor.
They’re spreading the word, and more people are coming to me to get my item that I invented.
H-How could you…?

Given her business acumen, I suspect Gust has some sort of plan to take advantage of this situation that she is not sharing.



…Gust.
Shop Keeper: You’re interfering with my business. Go somewhere else!
That guy was mean.
Compa, let it go.
Why? He’s selling the item you invented and taking all the credit.
Gust is okay with it. He paid me what I asked.
Plus, even if no money made, my idea bring happiness to people.
Gust is satisfied.
…Well, everyone’s unique and we all think differently.
What the guy’s doing is unacceptable, but if Gust’s okay with it, there’s no reason for us to care.
We’ll just teach him a lesson or two if Gust has a change of heart.
I mean, I wouldn’t forgive him if it were me.

Anyway, as I was saying Neptune was bothered by her inability to remember her past.

Video- “Memories”

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They’re not gonna listen to me until I can remember my past… as a goddess.
Oh well. We can do this alone, without the other goddesses. Cheer up!
If you really wanna remember… This is our last resort. Let’s shake you like when you smacked into the ground from the sky!
Put down the syringe! Only old TVs get fixed when you smack them.
…Haven’t you seen Nep-Nep when she uses her special skill? She might be kind of similar to household appliances.
…
D-Don’t lookit me like that! It’s not gonna work! I’ll just get a headache.
Then, how about some medical treatment? Planeptune’s medical technology is very effective, but very pricey.
How much? This is a worldwide crisis. If this’ll turn things around, I’d consider it.
Well… psshsshshhh…
Hell no. Advanced technology is bad! Let’s stick to the old-fashioned way. Get ready for my backhand, Nep!
No hitting cute little girls! Don’t gimme a shot, don’t shoot me, don’t cut me, gut me, slap me, clap me, or pinch me!
…Once more. Let us return to the goddesses. I will convince them, no matter what.

We did have an option, though.



Worry not, buddies. We’ll find a way to get my memory back and then we can go ask the CPUs to join us again!
…If you truly insist, I can repair your missing records using the tome.
What? How?! I thought you didn’t have the power to write in the tome without a goddess.
Repairing is an exception. We have had facts disappear before… like UFOs.
Are you sure? Once your memory is regained, there is no forgetting it again.
Yeah, yeah. I’m a CPU, right? A goddess has gotta protect her land and stuff.
It’s my job to convince the other chicks to fight Arfoire and protect Gamindustri!
That is not the-
C’mon, let’s hurry! Monsters are still out there attacking peeps!

So, I repaired her records. I believe she began experiencing some past events again as the old and new information was reconciled.



Someone’s a-comin’… Oh, I guess I don’t gotta hide. I need to ask where this is.
Excuse me! Do you know wh-…Whoaaaa! Arfoire? I finally gotcha! This’ll be our final battle!
…
Don’t ignore me! What’s up?! Are you totally not gonna say hi?
Oh, she’s coming back.
I can’t rule the human world anymore. This must be the time…
Arfoire, what is the matter? You appear tense.
Wha-?! Wh-Where did Histy come from? …U-Uh, hellooooo?
Am I like, invisible? Or are they just ignoring me? Fine, whatever. I’ll just be a voyeur like I always wanted.
I can’t stand it any more, Histoire. We must create a new, more competent CPU.
The next goddess may need another to share in the responsibility. Celestia is far too quiet for one person, after all…

She probably didn’t even really remember most of this when she had her memories, since she’d basically just been born.



…Histoire. I’ve rewritten each land’s records for the four goddesses.
By the time the new CPUs are born, billions of years will have passed in the human world.
No sign of my rule will remain by then.
They are ready. Look. These are your children. They have your eyes.
…That’s not funny.
You are giving them your knowledge, your experiences, your wisdom… That is how things are passed on in history.
And my responsibilities. This detestable ritual may end someday.
End? Sure… I hope these new goddesses will be able to change the future.

I should have seen it then already, Arfoire’s plan. But I was far too trusting…



Wha-?! Are you talkin’ to me, now? Well, why’d you ignore me all this time, you big-boobed meanie?
Celestia is in a very unstable state right now. Each CPU is changing their planet as they see fit!
The people below are getting dragged around by their goddesses’ selfish acts…
This sounds… familiar.
Take the other goddesses down. Bring them down and unify both the human world and Celestia!
That is the only way to save the people from the impending apocalypse.
Once you defeat the other CPUs, Celestia will be forced to accept you as the True Goddess and let you protect the world.
…
The world will end unless you bring order to the human world. You are the only one who can save Gamindustri!
I remember that. I was told I’m the only one who can save the world. That’s why I wanted to help the folks in need.
I was fighting the other goddesses to protect my own land…
Why didn’t we notice? Everyone else was probably told the same poppycock…!
We were being lied to. By that meanie hag… Arfoire!

Neptune knew the truth now, whether that was better for her or not.



Are you awake? I figured it was about time.
I believe your lost memories and current memories were merging, causing you to fall into a confused state of mind.
…
Are you all right? Do you recall anything now? About your time as a goddess?
Yeah, thanks to you. I found out a whole lotta stuff. About you, the other goddesses, and Arfoire…
…If and Compa have left to go shopping.
They figured you would be hungry upon regaining consciousness. It has been six hours.
…

She… did what I’d expected she’d do after she regained her memories.



She just went through a big information dump. I’m sure she’d want some time alone. She’s probably out stuffing her face.
No! All her stuff, including her wallet and antacids, are here. No way she’s gorging. She left a note and disappeared.
Histy, can you find out where she is? Please, hurry!
…It will take some time, but it is possible. Is this not an invasion of privacy, though?
It says ‘thanks for all the fun times’ in very neat, curly girly writing! This is nothing like Nep-Nep!
This is true. It is just that… the information I contain is quite large. This may take up to three days…
Three days?! It’d be faster for us to look around on our own. We must look for some witnesses!
Leave that to me. I can finally put my cell phones to use!

And I could have predicted where she went.



What is she doing here by herself?
She is probably going to face Arfoire. There is an area over there for goddesses to ascend to Celestia.

She… wasn’t handling what she’d learned very well.

Video- “CPU Neptune Returns”

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Nep-Nep!
…Stay back! I remember all my stuff now! How Arfoire lied… What she’s done up until now!
So… So… Why are you trying to do this alone?
Nep-Nep… You’re not the only one who wants to stop Arfoire.
That’s not the point! I just… can’t stand knowing a part of her is inside me and I can’t get rid of it!
You don’t even know if all four of the CPUs could do this. Why would you think going alone is enough? You’ll die!
I wanna end this craziness! Arfoire… myself… and everything else!
We’re a party. We share the same fate!
That’s right. You aren’t coming off as cool at all by trying to beat her alone.
H-Hey! It’s not like I’m trying to look cool…!
There she is. The Nep we know. If you really want to go, then we’re going to stop you.
F-Fine! If you think you got the stones or whatever!

We were lucky she wasn’t really serious and fought us as Neptune.



Boss Battle: Neptune
Nep has a lot of health but isn’t that hard, because she’s balanced like we might only have IF and Compa. She uses real Neptune attacks but like a normal enemy just attacks twice per action.

She realized something she hadn’t considered after the battle.



But this isn’t the same. Is that… us?



Whatwhatwhat? Helping Avenir again? I dunno aobut helping out our sworn nemesis!
Besides, don’t their employees carry giant boomsticks they make at their factories?
Chian said Avenir doesn’t make weaponry for human use, due to their president’s motto.
Plus, the employees themselves aren’t bad people. You shouldn’t be picky about what lives deserve saving, Nep-Nep!
I remember that. I wanted to save people… but not the people I didn’t like… I’m such a selfish little girl.



Iffy is out getting us food. Let’s just be patient and wait for her. Do you want to call her and ask where she is?
Iffy went to buy me some yummies… but I got sick from some poison sandwich. I wonder if she ever found tuna-mayo?



If you’re busy, we can come back later. When’re you free? Tomorrow? The day after? The day after that? After that? That?
…You’re really pissing me off. I said to ask the Basilicom. I don’t care anymore.
Would that other chick know? What’s her name? …Wait, one more! Have you heard of anyone named Histy? Her full name is-
Holy crap, shut up! I said I don’t know! Such nerve, showing yourself in front of me like this. Enough! Don’t ever return!

Namely that she was sort of a jerk.



That is not true. You did not ignore my voice. You were the only one who believed in me…
…Get some sleep? I feel like someone asked me to do something while I was unconscious.
Yeah, someone was crying out for help… in my dream!
In your dream? Then it’s not real.
Oh, you never know. It was so weird. I betcha someone far away was like pa-choo and sent me a telepathic message, y’know?
Noticing the shortcomings of yourself or others is natural, but everyone has both good and bad traits.
Try focusing on the positives, or you will be consumed by hatred.
…I think I can understand why Arfoire is trying to destroy the world.
She is trying to commit the biggest taboo for goddesses… although, it will not solve anything.
…Please, stop Arfoire. No matter what!

But now that she knows, she might just be able to talk some sense into the others.



This is… Are we at your house?
We were closer to here than the Basilicom. This was the second time I had to carry you in like this. You’re heavier now.
Are you up? I guess we were a bit too hard on you. Sorry, but it’s kind of your fault, too.
I know, I know. Sorry-dorry. I was just being all stubborn and stuff…
You should get some more rest. We’ll leave you alone for now.
No, no. I’m getting up now.
I’m okay. I was kinda a failure as a leader, huh? I brought down the whole party.
When were you a leader? Well, we are a party, though.
Don’t try to leave us again. You’re the one who told me that, you know.
And I said it to Nep-Nep before that. Seriously though, don’t disappear like that.
Yupitty-yup-yup! I won’t try to go anywhere alone anymore except the bathroom. Histy taught me a lot.
Where is she, anyway?
She’s been researching ways to defeat Arfoire.
She knew you’d regain your motivation after you got enough sleep!
Oh yeah? I need to go talk to her! Is she next door? She is, right? Histy!
They’re like sisters. A smart one, and… the other one.

That’s the plan! Assuming we can find them. They’re all hanging out somewhere without me like jerks, even that narrator guy. Can you find them?
Looking. Just be aware, this could take…
Three days. Yeah. Well, Next Time on Hyperdimension Neptunia: CPU Black Heart.