After Kei's departure, Uni resumed her depressing nature. Considering how long it was taking, she decided to play the waiting game by messing with the wrinkled black dress she always wore during the day. Usually, she would've worn something different during bedtime, but the candidate didn't bother taking it off after the incident. Her mind was emotionally unstable for the past days, change of clothing was the least of her concerns. Its a shame her favorite dress had garnered many wet stains from the excessive crying since then, but it wasn't her fault, right? No, not her own fault, instead It was her fault.
"Nepgear…"
Her eyes widen, the sudden thought of the accursed name of the purple candidate who ruined her life was a mistake as it prompted a new wave of tears to emerge. The CPU candidate brought back the hidden tissues she kept Kei from seeing as she wiped away the incoming tears and tried focusing on anything else other than the dreaded purple hair candidate.
Nothing worked.
Uni covered her face with her hands; she couldn't bear this pain any longer. This intense feeling... She hated this. She hated this so much… why does love to have to be so painful? A question which may never be answered as a sigh escaped her tired lips. Her hands fell on the bed, and her eyes only stared at the floor. The young girl had calmed down a little bit, although her sniffing persisted to her dismay.
After a while, Uni's thoughts stray away from Nepgear, and now they were on her older sister, another massive problem in her life.
She couldn't help but think, would her elder sister cheer her up for once? Will Noire finally understand Uni's feelings instead of pushing her away? The candidate wanted to believe so, but doubts were still clouding her mind. Her trust in Kei was great, yet Uni didn't fully believe Kei would be successful at getting her stubborn sister out of her workaholic state to see her. It just seems impossible to the young girl's mind.
Noire and work went hand to hand rather than Noire and Uni…That much was obvious. The sadden little sister tried recalling a time when her older sibling had ever talked to her ordinarily without having the whole bossy attitude; she regularly did around her.
But no matter how hard she tried to remember there were only a few and far between, only once had Noire ever comforted her and it was during the time she came back from the ASIC situation.
Uni smiled as she cherished the fond memory. She remembered the bright happiness wielding up inside when she finally saved her sister from ASIC. Seeing her sister's face again made her cry tears of joy, especially when Noire even admired at Uni's new-found strength which the younger sister worked her best to achieve. It was such a major accomplishment Uni's heart wanted to run in circles from the praised. The candidate had thought now with her new power, she and her sister would be closer, it felt like their sister bond increased at the time.
I mean the candidate had finally earned praised from her sister after having tried for so long. They must have gotten closer from this event, right? Wrong. To Uni's disappointment, it was short-lived.
Uni's smile turned into a frown as she rested her forehead on her knee. Unfortunately, Noire went back to her usual self and worked even more after the incident, trying to rebuild her nation from the ashes after ASIC's destruction but in doing so left her own little sister to suffer deep solitude.
Uni groaned as she wiped away the last tears before retrieving a photograph from under her blanket. Her red eyes stared intently at the picture; her mouth was trembling at the sight of her and Nepgear leaning on to each other sides, holding hands and both laughing to what seems to be a tremendous time together.
The young girl began sobbing uncontrollably as she so desperately wanted to crumble the photograph but didn't. Something was stopping her, and it aggravated the candidate to the core. Instead, she folded it, and settle it down on the bed; she hoped she would never have to look at it again for a long time.
Nepgear, the once love of her life, the person who brought her joy when her sister didn't. The lastation candidate was harsh at her first, but surprisingly Nepgear never minded the hostility. The purple candidate never stopped caring, and quickly the Lastation Candidate grew to like her kind and humble personality. Her heroism and humbleness was something Uni grew fond of as nobody really bothered to interact with her in such away. Unlike her sister who had always treated her as a minion, and not someone on equal footing. Kei was the only other person who seemed to try to connect with her on a personal level which she did at times, but even she had faults which Uni was glad the robotic-like Kei at least gave it her all to understand her feelings.
She couldn't forget Rom and Ram, the youngsters from Lowee were fun and silly. They were the embodiment of innocence, so much so Uni wanted to protect them from the harsh realities of the real world. The two younger candidates practically cared about her immensely and would always have Uni's back on any matter.
Even though they would pull off pranks which would anger her, Uni still loved those two. Unfortunately, they were always stuck at Lowee after the ASIC situation, blanc being a protective older sister was understandable. If it were her, she wouldn't want her younger sisters to go out after such a horrible event. Still, Uni was sadden the three couldn't hang out as they used too.
And last but not least Nepgear. The purple candidate was the only other person she had left… and now she's gone as well, leaving her to be distraught and all alone. Her heart was aching, and she desperately needed someone's love and affection.
The young girl jumped a little after hearing an unexpected knock on her door. The candidate quickly wiped the tears and hid the tissue box back under the blankets.
She had a feeling it was the silver hair oracle revisiting after her failed attempt at retrieving her sister.
"Kei just g-go away! I know you failed already! No need to apologize! And don't barge in this time!" she yelled.
Uni was fully expecting the oracle to reply with a snarky remark. However, the response she got wasn't Kei's voice. And it shook her to the core after realizing who it was.
"It's uh me, Noire. Can I come in?" she said with hesitation. At the receiving end, Uni blinked a few times, questioning the entire situation in her mind. She couldn't believe it. Her sister actually came to visit her!? Kei succeeded?! This realization left Uni in a daze, but quickly she shook her head.
"O-oh, u-uh s-sorry! I didn't know it was you Noire! You can come in…" she said. All of a sudden, her mouth was dry, and sweat was forming on her face, hearing her own sisters voice after three long days was worrying, to be honest. Was Noire going to listen to her finally? It troubled the lastation candidate enough; it caused her to tighten her knuckles.
Uni held her breath as the door opened to reveal her elder sister dressed in her usual attire. Noire's red eyes scanned the room before her sights landed on her younger sister, her eyes widen slightly at Uni's current state.
Noire's piercing gaze only cause Uni to shyly face away from Noire's general direction, not wanting to look at her sister for too long.
"S-so what do you want!?" Uni's voice sounded harsher than what she attended, but she couldn't help feeling a little animosity towards Noire. "If you need me to do work then forget about it."
Ignoring the harsh tone her sister was outputting, Noire replied, "No, no its nothing like that." She sighed before continuing, "Listen, Kei told me everything about your whole situation, so I came to check up on you. If you want to talk, then I'm here for you now, and I'll listen to everything you have to say."
The younger girl only grunted in response.
Noire rubbed her temple in minor annoyance, "Uni c'mon now, don't give me the silent treatment. I know you feel depressed about your break up with Nepgear and I want to help you recover from it. Depression doesn't suit you Uni. You have to deal with this breakup and grow for the better."
Another grunt response from the candidate as she rolled her eyes.
"Look I understand you're mad at me since I didn't visit you in the first place, but you have to realize I was busy doing my work for the country. After what ASIC had done, I have nothing but work to do, so forgive me. And I'm, not the only one with papers to sign, Kei is doing it, and so are you. This depression is nothing more than a small phase, resolve it quickly so you can do your duties as the Lastations CPU Candidate.
Uni's knuckles turned white from tightening her fist as she gritted her teeth at each comment the CPU made. The constant mentioned of work and only caring for her self was only the tip of the iceberg. The number one thing that aggravated Uni the most was for her sister to say her depression was just a phase. A phase? Really? Did her big sister she had admired really just said that? Just break out of it and do work she said... The rage she kept bottled up inside finally broke out.
"SO, THIS WAS ABOUT WORK!" In the first time in years, she yelled at her older sister, her gaze still avoided her general direction, but the candidate in the corner of her eye could see the surprise reaction the CPU had made.
"Uni do not raise your voice at me!" Noire shot back, not proud of her sister's attitude.
"You don't understand! You don't understand at all! It's always about work, work, work! Every damn time!" The candidate pulled her hair in frustration, "And how the hell can you say my depression is a phase if you've never experienced it in your life! You don't know how it feels like!"
"Uni calm down! You're right I've never experienced it before, I only see it in tv shows and movies and guess what it'll go away like a phase! Grow up already! It's not a big of a deal."
"Not a big deal!" The candidate was fuming and shaking violently from her sister's idiotic claims, "I swear you don't even care about me at all! I'm just a tool for you to use so you can get your stupid work done quicker!"
"I so do care about you, Uni! Don't say that! It may not look like it in your own eyes, but I do care!"
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"Oh yeah?! Well, where were you in those three damn days? Huh? While I was sulking alone in my room, my beloved big sister was in her workroom only typing papers and never gave a second thought on her own flesh and blood!"
"I already told you why! And I'm sorry about that! I understand I should've came here sooner, but I'm here, now right?! So, tone down your rage!"
"You only came here because Kei made you! If she had never spoken to you about me, you would've been in that room for ages!"
"T-that's not true! I m-mean I probably would have, but that isn't my fault you should've talked to me in the first place about your circumstance!"
A brisk of silence enveloped the room. Uni moved her head to Noire's direction, her teary eyes staring straight into Noire's with a pained expression. Staring into her little sister's soul-crushing eyes felt like her heart was stab multiple times.
With such a heart-wrenching voice her little sister whispered the following sentence, "You're hurting me Noire…" The CPU remained quiet. She didn't know how to approach this. Her brain was scampering, and her mouth was trembling, she was desperately trying to think of a coherent response but failing.
Not waiting any longer, Uni whispered again, "Honestly be truthful…Do you actually care about me? Or am I just a burden?"
Her mouth let up, and she managed a reply "Why the ridiculous question?! Of course, I care about you!"
"Because your actions speak louder than words Noire! Even before this situation, you were never there for me when I needed you the most. We never even done simple things like playing video games together or going out! You know as an actual big sister would do!"
"Uni! Wha-"
"SHUT IT NOIRE!" She yelled with such ferocity the elder sister clamped her mouth shut and took a couple of steps back at her sister's tone. Noire never expected her to be this furious.
"Let me talk for once in your damn life!" Her tears were practically free-falling down her cheeks, her voice wavered as she choked," I l-love you Noire, and I always tried my best to get your a-attention, I tried working my hardest, I tried to be a respectful, o-obedient little sister! I even tried to get stronger to save you from that stupid organization!"
Her sisters' words were penetrating Noire's heart, her eyes began to water seeing her sister, so hurt was tormenting her own being.
"But no matter how much I try to impress you, you always wave me off without even looking at me… We've done nothing together in such a long time that I now believed it was a dream. You made me feel so alone… It just seems like you only care about working, and nothing else! You neglected me! You loved working more than you love me!"
"U-uni I'm sorry, but I didn't have a choice! I'm the CPU of Lastation! Working is more import- I mean no Uni! I didn't mean that!"
The lastation CPU candidate looked away in distraught. "I KNEW IT!" She screeched.
Noired waved her hands around in a frantic manner, "Uni you have to understand if I don't work then lastation wouldn't exist! Everything we worked for would disappear! I'm sorry for neglecting you I know I have been a horrible sister so let me try to be better on-"
"No."
"Wha-"
Uni looks back at Noire with a halfhearted smile on her face, tears still streaming down her cheek.
"It's fine... I don't have a sister anymore." Noire's eyes widen, her mouth was quivering, "It's apparent that you don't want me here anymore, so I'm leaving Lastation."
"N-no Uni!"
"I'm no longer the CPU candidate of lastation anymore. I quit."'
Noire's heart shattered at that moment; she trembled at her sister's declaration of ending their sister bond. She couldn't believe this. Her own little sister was now leaving her in the dust, and it was all her fault for being such a disgrace of an older sibling. Her stupid dumb pride ruined everything. The now sister less Noire tried to walk closer to the broken Uni, but the candidate raised her palm out towards Noire in a defensive manner.
"Don't come any closer to me! You're a stranger to me now!" Uni rushed out of her bed with her hand still outstretched towards Noire, warning her to stay away.
A bright light enveloped around her, brightening the entire room, Noire, however, endured the pain her eyes were experiencing since it wasn't remotely comparable to the pain her heart was undergoing.
Uni's HDD form stood with her eyes coldly staring down a teary Noire. "Don't come after me or I'll have no choice but to engage in a fight with you Noire." she readied her giant gun at the ceiling and blasted it with a large beam, successfully creating a sizable hole for her to fit.
'N-no p-please! Don't leave me Uni!" With one last glared at her no longer big sister she flew up and out of the basilicom, the place she used to call home and flew high into the clouds with tears filling up her eyes as Noire screamed her name in a shattering voice towards the heavens.
"UNIIIII!"
Soaring high above the sky was the candidate of lastation, or well used to be. Not wanting to be associated with her nation any longer, black sister flew across lands, such as rocky deserts and even across a large body of water she presumed was the ocean, she didn't really pay attention to the environment around her.
The young homeless candidate didn't have a clue on where to go or where she was heading too, but what she did know was she wanted to get as far from Lastation as possible.
To her dismay, no matter how far she traveled, the traumatizing scream her older sister let out from hours ago was still audible from behind, playing endlessly in her mind. It was beginning to drive her insane, the sheer emotion felt behind the scream was questioning Uni's decision. Did Noire actually care for her this whole time? Maybe but it was far too late now.
Her mouth was dry as a rock, the candidate's thirst for water was apparent. Another problem arose when Uni's body shivered like crazy from the cold air hitting her skin, cursing the HDD form for not providing more warmth. Without anything to keep her warm, she may very well get a fever as suggested by the rapid coughing and sneezing symptoms she was displaying.
The young girl rested a hand over her stomach feeling her hunger growing as time passes.
"I-I need food… I-I need warmth…" A tired sigh left her lips, "I'm feeling way too exhausted. So exhausted that I might not be able to hold on to this form much longer."
True to her words her flying was slowing down, as hours go by, the girl noticed the warm Sun was no longer in the sky. The cold, gloomy moon now rested high above her, shinning its moonlight down upon her saddened face.
The young CPU candidate couldn't help but stop in midflight and admired the beauty of the moon. A small smile embraced her face as her dry eyes squeezed out the remaining tears to fall. The moon in all its glory was just alone as herself.
Her heart was broken and crushed into tiny dust, is there anything left of her that can be salvaged? Maybe not, maybe this world doesn't want her to feel happy ever again.
A deep daunting thought appeared in her head. It settled in now... She had nowhere to go, no one to love, no one to laugh with and no one to care for…
The young candidate released the rest of her tears, sobbing, desperately wanting the aching pain in her soul to go away as she tried to wipe away the endless tears off. "W-why am I on this planet only to suffer pain!" she screamed at the shining moon, her voice containing all of the pain and misery, "W-why c-cant I-I just find p-peace and t-true happiness!" She pleaded to the heavens as dark clouds were forming, hiding away the moon from her view. Thunder and lightning boomed across the sky's as prickled of rain slid down her face, mixing with her tears.
"Why does everyone hate me..."
Unfortunately for the candidate her body had reached its limit and retransformed back to her normal state. Without her transformation, Uni couldn't sustain flight resulting her screaming her lungs out as she fell into the dense forest below. The candidate closed her eyes and braced for impact as the trees soften her fall on the ground, landing on her back, "AGH!" a cry of pain left her mouth.
Her eyes reopen to see the moon had disappeared, "Even… t-the moon doesn't want to s-see me…" Uni choked on her words as she tried to stand with difficulty, she moved both of her arms before flinching from a shock of pain on her right shoulder.
The candidate softly gripped her shoulder, "E-everything hurts… I-it hurts so much…"
The exhausted girl limped her way through the forest; the rainfall had only gotten worse as winds intensified. She was shivering like crazy, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth as she desperately tried to find shelter.
"I guess I'll just live in this forest for the rest of my life. Then I can be alone forever… and I won't have to see Nepgear and Noire ever again." To her horror, a loud howl sounded from behind which instantly froze her tracks. With widen eyes she turned around to see two large red eyes beaming at her behind a large bush, only a few meters across from her.
"F-Fenrir!" The girl screamed in terror as she ran for her life through the wilderness with a large ferocious wolf tailing her. The candidate tried outsmarting it with sharp turns to slow the beast, the method work but it also ate away Uni's stamina as well.
Her running was slowing down as the wolf quicken its pace to claim its prize. Uni felt her legs straining, her red eyes filled with tears and her face full of fear, death was quickly approaching her.
"N-NO N-NO NO I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" her legs were now walking, exhausted she tried to push her body to the absolute limits, "N-NOIRE, N-NEPGEAR SAVE ME PLEASE!" the beast from behind growled as its nearly at its target, "BIG SISTER, PLEASE SAVE ME IM SOR-"
A coughing fit broke her concentration resulting in her tripping on a rock; she raised her hands to soften her blow and quickly look behind her. Everything was in slow motion as Uni gasped with wide eyes to see the giant wolf with its powerful jaws opened fully and aimed at her face.
Death was staring at her face as her heart race, was she going to die? After accomplishing nothing? She's going to die a failure with no one in the world caring about her… Maybe this is for the best. Her very being was broken anyway so might as well go along with it… Or so she thought when a strikingly similar voice boom across the land.
"SYLHET SPEAR!
A giant spear penetrated the wolf's side in the nick of time, sending it across large trees, disappearing without a trace afterward. Uni was still frozen in place after the near-death experience, not fully grasping what had happened. Her eyes regain back into focus as she reacted to the familiar voice call out her name.
"Uni?! Uni are you okay!?" the candidate looked to her right to see Vert in her Green Heart form running towards her.
"H-huh? L-lady V-vert…" Her body finally gave up as she laid back down her head resting on the soft patch of grass. Uni hadn't noticed, but the rain had stopped, and the sun was hovering above the sky, the moonlight from before replaced with the warm rays of the sun hitting softly against her face. She squinted her eyes from its brightness, but nonetheless, she enjoyed the warmth the sun had brought, especially from the cold rain and the lonely and atmospheric sad tone the moon held.
The worried look of Lady Green Heart came into view, replacing the sun itself but the light rays were still present, making Vert look more like an angel or the actual definition of a goddess.
"Uni are you injured anywhere?!" Her voice showed such sincerity and concerned the candidate couldn't help but respond.
"M-my shoulder hurts, and I'm freezing." She said before a barrage of coughs took her. Green Heart's face frown, her eyes narrowed, examining for any signs of injuries on the young candidate.
"She's shivering like crazy, just how long was she in this forest? And why for that matter?" The CPU shook her head; she can ask questions later, right now she needed to take Uni back to her basilicom and treat her before the young girl captures an illness.
"Uni just relaxed, I'll take you back to my place and treat you there until I can get in touch with Noire." Saying Noire's name caused Uni to widen her eyes.
"N-no, please, Vert don't call for her…" the heartbroken candidate stared into the CPUs soul with her teary worried eyes. Green Heart could see the brokenness in those red eyes, the eyes of a lonely child in need of warmth and love.
Green Heart decided and whispered in a warm voice to ease the candidate, "Okay, I won't, I'll take you back to my basilicom for the time being then." Uni nodded in thanks as Green Heart lifted her body, bridal style. The Green CPU was careful as to not hurt the younger one in any way as she ascended into the sky and headed North towards Leanbox.
During her flight, Uni had fallen asleep; the trembling candidate cuddled up against the warm body of Green Heart, which made her smile a little. On occasion, however, the CPU would catch Uni's face contorted into one of fear. This made the Leanbox goddess frown, "I never seen Uni so… Broken and lost before… What did Noire do to her that would cause her little sister to run away in such a state?" She sighed as she held the petite girl closer to her large chest. "Heavens if I had a little sister, I would cherish her for the rest of my life."
The green CPU noticed small tears flowing down Uni's cheek, carefully green heart wiped away the tears as best she could, but it kept going like Uni had infinite reserves.
"Such an emotional and delicate little candidate, not to worry Uni, I'm here for you now." She whispered near her ears to make sure her voice can get through her nightmares; just for extra power, she rested her hand onto her cheek. Causing the CPU candidate tears to go away but the fear on her face was still present.
"One step at a time I supposed." She said as Green Heart sped across the sky arriving into the familiar city of Leanbox and Uni's new home.