There were only a few instances that Nepgear saw her older sister angry. So few, in fact, that she could count the instances all on one hand.
But maybe, it was the first time for her to actually see her truly angry.
It wasn’t a drunken rampage, nor was it anger for a loved one. It was hateful, sinful and downright violent. Unadulterated rage directed at a singular person. Her shoulder is evidence of that.
Maybe it was true, what they say about happy people or quiet people. When they get angry, it comes deep and unexpectedly like a volcano. Slowly gathering strength for days, months, or years. And erupting with all the punishment that the Goddesses from Celestia could muster.
Everybody was broken in their own ways, varying in degree, angle, length, and depth.
The question was then. How deeply broken was Neptune?
“Thank you for coming, please come again!” Nepgear said to a customer that was leaving the shop.
As soon as the doors closed, Nepgear let out a sigh and mumbled to herself as she sat down on the chair, “Another no-buy huh…?”
It’s not like they both needed the shop to survive anyway. Nepgear was making more money than she could ever spend or do with. With a bored look on her face, she looked around the shop, thinking about what she could add to make it a bit more appealing.
The shop was as clean as ever, sparkling in cleanliness as if everything was a display. Save a floor on the aisle, there was almost no dust and scratches. The shelves are full, with very few, to none at all, occasions where they needed refilling. Every customer that came in, left as soon as they saw what kind of shop it was.
“No one buys physical copies anymore”
Convenience is a strong marketing term. If you said to someone that they’ll conveniently get money. You sound like a scammer. However, if you say to someone that they’ll conveniently get their goods on the same day that they ordered it at 500 credits per month. You’re a genius.
Nepgear stood up from her seat and walked towards the kitchen at the back. A light snack in the form of toast is what her stomach was telling her.
She walked past her older sister’s room, who hadn’t left since two days ago.
Her mind couldn’t leave the words Vert left on her.
What could she have done? What other option did she have?
When someone takes something precious, you take it back. When someone is about to take something precious, you prevent it. When someone takes something from you, you never forgive.
Vert took it. No, all three of them did. They took it. They took it. They took it. They took it all. Everything. The years of suffering alone. The years wondering. She knew. She knew very well. They lived. While she slowly rotted. They shined. While she slowly grayed. She’s being left behind.
Of course, she knows. They were talented. But most of all, effortful. Talent can only go so far. But what about her? What was her talent? To make friends? To make allies? To bring smiles? Useless. Look at the result. Even her own talents failed to bring her joy. Look at the results. Her own talents drove her down to wasted years. Look at the result. She hurt her Little Sister all over again.
“I wish they would just-!”
“They would just what, Sis?”
“Junior…”
When she came to, a girl with very large lilac eyes stared right back at her. Neptune’s eyes darted away, resting on the sight of her younger sister’s sling and bandage.
When did she come in here? How long had she been here for?
“I’m just sulking, Junior…” Neptune mumbled under her breath, her gaze avoiding Nepgear’s at all cost
“Mhm. But you look fine to me now”
Neptune blinked, looking up at Nepgear now. “...I look fine?”
Said lilac-haired woman nodded. “If you weren’t fine. You would’ve started drinking and gone on a rampage again…”
She’s right.
Neptune stood up and walked over to the light switch. She flicked it up, and the LED light in her room immediately lit up, revealing her Sister’s circumstance in detail.
“Sorry for the shoulder, Sis. I couldn’t control it…”
“...” Nepgear didn’t answer back.
Then suddenly the atmosphere grew cold and restless.
“W-Was that…?”
Instead, she opted to ask her a question.
“What made Iffy…?”
She couldn’t bring herself to finish said question.
Neptune nodded sadly, “Yeah… It’s a side of me that I don’t know about…”
“Should we get that checked?” Nepgear asked, worry sewn all over her face
“Maybe not for now. Sorry, sis…” Neptune said with a pained smile and a shake of her head.
Nepgear shook her head instead. “It’s fine Sis, you can take your time…”
“Mhm…” Neptune nodded awkwardly, “Let’s go have lunch…”
“Yeah…” Nepgear stood up and walked out of her Sister’s room.Neptune followed behind her, and took one last look at her room.
How did it feel to say those things to her? How did it feel to lose control? How did it feel to imagine nothing than to *SQZZZZ!* and to *SQZZZZZ!*? If only *SQZZZZ!* *SQZZZ!* *SQZZZZZZ*, she would’ve finished it. She could’ve justified it. She would have felt saved. She could’ve felt reprieve.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
If only she was just 2 steps closer.
“I…”
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“I apologize that this happened. I won’t let it happen again” Vert said to the person on the other end of the phone call
“YOU BETTER BITCH! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IT IS TO SHUT THE NEWS UP?!”
“Again, I apologize. I’ll be more careful next time”
Vert ended the call abruptly. Not letting another word in as she let out a heavy sigh and put her phone to the side.
The moment she closed her eyes to blink. She remembered the chilling memory in that hospital room.
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FUCKING LIFE YOU FUCKING TRAITOR!”
Words that were as violent as the oncoming swing. It wasn’t like that Loweean Goddess who spouted angry remarks with little intent.
It was much more nasty than that. It was ugly. It was gross. Like a feeling that you’ve been tainted the moment it sticks to you.
It was simply violence.
Was Neptune capable of such an emotion? How long ago was it since she was truly pissed off?
Anger that was so hateful, that the body didn’t even have the time to feel it's cold effects. Anger that was so palpable, that it felt like it was pressing against your body.
Vert stood up from her chair, and raised her hand in front of her. She concentrated.
She imagined a long pole arm, light and smooth to the touch, but enough friction to give a firm grip. Weight that matched her arm strength, balance as if specifically made for her. Sharpness that could cut anything in two, pointedness that could pierce even the strongest hide.
But of course nothing happened. Nothing appeared.
She put her hand down and sat on her chair once more.
“...What happened to you Neptune?”
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“Nep-Nep” Compa said suddenly
“Hmm?” Neptune leaned and gave an ear to the congo-haired woman while she read the new legislation that had been passed down.
“I wanna go somewhere”
“Where?” Neptune asked.
“...Leanbox” Neptune froze and immediately stopped reading, putting all her nerve endings on her eardrums.
“O…kay? Why specifically?” she asked once more.
“Vacation” Compa said bluntly and without hesitation
“Va—...”
Neptune stopped herself. She couldn't raise a big stink about the situation since Compa did work as a nurse. The hospital where she worked was always super busy and had massive amounts of people in and out of it every single day. Even if someone did love to take care of people, that person would eventually burn out doing a nurse's job, because they would have to care for such a large amount of people.
“What’s this about Leanbox?” Nepgear interjected, as she walked in carrying a tray of iced tea in 3 glasses and a pitcher. She gave the other two iced teas to their respective owners and set the tray on a small table nearby, before grabbing her own iced tea and sitting down on the sofa with the intent to watch TV.
"I'm thinking we should go on vacation." Compa explained simply to the lilac-ette before sipping on her own iced tea.
“Oh that’s a great idea!” Nepgear exclaimed excitedly, turning around to face both Compa and Neptune now. It seemed that TV could wait.
“Oh no…” Neptune bemoaned, a hand to her face as it seemed she dreaded the idea of vacation entirely.
“Okay, then let’s head out soon. I already bought the tickets” Compa said, flashing three tickets in front of the sisters with a smile.
“I’m going to pack Sis’ and mine’s stuff!” Nepgear shouted, scampering off before Neptune could say anything in retort..
“W-Wait just a minute!” Neptune exclaimed in surprise, “ Who said I was coming? And what do you mean we’re leaving today?! When did you even book the plane flight?!”
“But Nep-Nep, you’ve been working all this time right?” Compa asked as she cocked her head.
“Yeah?”
“Then let’s go on a vacation then! Don’t worry about the cost. I’ll pay for everything!” the nurse reassured her, clasping her hands together with a sweet smile on her face.
“Why Leanbox though?”
“The resorts are nice there, much nicer than Planeptune’s.” Compa stated, so sure of herself. “...I think?”
Neptune gave a nervous sweat, but didn’t immediately respond, as Compa wasn’t wrong in what she had said.
“But! I can’t just close the store! There’s deliveries arriving tomorrow, and I have to read the new tax legislation for small businesses!” Neptune argued, clearly trying to get away from the all-expenses paid for vacation that Compa was so gracefully offering.
How rude of you, Neptune. Very rude.
“I asked them to reschedule the next delivery, and starting next month our taxes are reduced, since we don’t get many customers.” Nepgear explained as she quite literally popped out of Neptune’s room just to explain this, “The tax law applies to the year. So what we paid in the past four months are considered overpaid, and they’ll return them to us at the end of the year”
“...” Neptune froze and blinked twice, while Compa just smiled at her expectantly. “But—!”
Suddenly, Neptune would see a fire light underneath Compa’s sun-filled smile. The congo-haired woman’s veins popped out of her forehead as she walked closer to the purplette that was trying to avoid taking her well deserved break.
She’d break into a cold sweat as a strand of said sweat would run down her cheek, her legs shaking violently as Compa inched closer to her. Each step increased her blood pressure just from the sheer aura emitted from the good-natured nurse in front of her.
For the first time in a long time, she felt fear towards the congo-haired woman who was as soft as could be, and wouldn’t even hurt a fly.
“You’re coming to Leanbox with us, right Nep-Nep~?”
Neptune gulped and nodded sheepishly, fear running through her veins as she had backed herself into a wall. “Y-Yes…”
Compa’s violent aura would fade and she clasped her hands together once more, that friendly smile appearing once more as she nodded, “Alrighty then! Leanbox it is! I hope you have enough things, because we’ll be there for a while!”
“Wait… WHAT?!”
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The only thought that was on Neptune’s mind as they landed in Leanbox late into the night was…
Why were they even staying in Leanbox for… TWO WEEKS?! WHAT THE HELL WAS THERE TO DO IN LEANBOX THAT COULDN’T BE DONE IN ONE?!
Neptune sighed and shook her head, staring out of her window while she waited for everyone else in the plane to file themselves out of it.
From what she could see, Leanbox was still the same as ever. Still the same old mix of both old and new. Architecture that reminded you of the medieval times, (wait how did she even know what the medieval times were?), but mixed with technology that was only a generation behind Planeptune’s, or was Leanbox ahead of her nation now?
Neptune didn’t know the answer, as she had thought to herself long enough that there were very few in the plane, and she was able to grab her luggage from the overhead compartment and head out.
Once at the lobby area of the airport, Compa and Nepgear waved her down, the congo-haired woman in particular showing herself to not be too happy about something.
“What’s up, Compa?”
Compa crossed her arms, “Almost everyone left the plane around fourteen minutes ago! Why did you take so long?!”
Neptune blinked, “Wait… everyone was out of the plane that fast?”
“There’s tons of space! What do you mean?!”
“I’ve never been in a plane before. Let alone in uh…”
“Business class.” Nepgear said, finishing her older sister’s sentence for her.
Neptune nodded, “Thanks, Junior. But yeah, I’ve never been in business class. Let alone a plane, since I just flew there with my CPU form or stayed in Planeptune.”
Compa bemoaned her position and sighed, “Anyway! Our hotel is waiting! We’re gonna have a great and fun time tomorrow, right Nep-Nep~?”
Neptune gulped and nodded, sighing once Compa turned around to guide the three to their hotel.
“Do I really even deserve a break…?” was all that Neptune could think to herself as she walked.