Hello, everyone! Welcome to chapter two of Hyperdimension Multiverser!

Voice Cast (how I envision characters being voiced, will likely remain the same for canon characters)

IF = Kate Higgins

Arfoire = Laura Post

[Mystery Character] = Rebecca Riedy

BGMs

[Your Lie in April] Hikaru Nara (English Cover by S.B.R.M.P.N.Y) by Sapphire (on YouTube)

Reach Out to the Truth (Persona 4 OST)

Mass Destruction (Persona 3 OST)

Crisis (Persona 3 OST)

(You'll probably have to have "Crisis" on repeat, because it's not that long.)

Chapter Two: Some Unexpected Effects

Dexter Verser's POV

Compa's House, Mid-Afternoon

"Oh my God, that was awesome, Dexy!" Nep exclaimed. She had a wide smile on her face and stars in her eyes. "I mean, I wore it down for you, of course, but you really finished that thing off amazingly!"

We were back in Compa's house. It hadn't been much trouble getting back here. After facing off against that Guard Vermin, going back through Virtua Forest had been little more than child's play. There hadn't been very much talk, as most of us were full of adrenaline after the battle against the Guard Vermin (though I'm not really sure where mine came from, as I hadn't had to do much of anything), and Nep and Compa were busy defending themselves from the things in the forest that I could kill with my pinkie finger if it came down to it.

"Hey, don't forget who did the cutting," said Chieko, back in her human form. She was leaning against my shoulder in a casual manner.

"Well, yeah, it's cool that you can turn into a sword, but Dexy was the one wielding you."

"A dick-measuring contest in which the only male present is not involved," I mused aloud. "Shall wonders never cease?"

"It was a close call, though," said Compa. "I can't believe Nep-Nep's attack didn't kill it."

[Indeed] said Histoire. [I can't believe it was still alive after all the damage it took. It was very quick of you to kill it so soon after it got back up, Dexter.]

"Oh, Histy?" said Nep, holding up the disc – which I knew to be a Key Fragment – she'd found in the cave. "Can you take a look at this? Do you know what it is?"

[That's a Key Fragment] said Histoire. [It's a piece needed to release me from my seal.]

"You're sealed, Histy?" asked Compa.

"The use of the word 'seal' would certainly imply so," I said.

[Yes, I am sealed. I must ask your help in order to release me. There is one of those Key Fragments in each of the four lands.]

"I could, but I have to fight monsters, right?" asked Nep. "Isn't it … dangerous?"

"Because nothing we've done so far has been in any way dangerous," Chieko muttered.

I grinned slightly at her cheek. "Nep," I said, "there are monsters all over the place these days. It's bound to be dangerous no matter what we're doing. At least this way we'd be doing something."

[Dexter is correct. And, in addition, Neptune, if you can help lift my seal, I can in turn help get your memory back.]

Nep's expression brightened up instantly. "Really!?"

[Really, really.] I smirked, unable to stop myself from hearing that in Shrek's voice. [And anyway, I do need you to get your memory back.]

"Well then!" said Nep. "Let good old Neptune search far and wide for those fragments!"

"I'll help, too," said Compa. "After all, I can't leave Nep-Nep alone with her brain loss."

"That is an entirely different phenomenon from amnesia," I pointed out. Then I grinned in amusement. "Though based on her behaviour, I think Nep might have that, too."

"Bite me!"

"Kinky."

"Not in that way!" Nep huffed to herself and turned back to Compa, clearly exasperated with me. "Thanks, Compa, but are you okay being away from nursing school?"

"It's closed because of the monsters, so I'm okay," said Compa.

"We're in, too," said Chieko.

"Yeah, I was never gonna leave you lot by yourselves," I added.

[Thank you … ve … ry … mu … ch …] Histoire's voice was distant and barely even there.

"What?" asked Nep. "I'm having trouble hearing you, Histy. Is the static there bad?"

[I … using … Fragment … I … ou … t … of time … Pl … eas … lo … ok … for … Key … Fragm—] We heard no more of what she said.

Or at least the others didn't.

[Who are you?] Histoire's voice resounded in my head. I couldn't imagine just how much effort it was taking to speak to just me. [I have been here since the very beginning, I know what is meant to be in this world and what isn't. You are new and powerful. Who are you? What are you?]

"A friend," I whispered so the others couldn't hear me, but I knew Histoire could.

[Anyone's friend in particular, or are you just generally well-disposed to people?]

"Was … was that a joke?"

[No, it was a genuine inquiry. Your answer was very vague.]

"I'm here to stop the Console War. I want to stop Arfoire's plan and bring about peace."

[… You know things, don't you? Things others don't know, things that you really shouldn't be able to know.]

"I know a lot and for good reason. Listen, I know how much effort and energy it must be taking to talk to me like this, so I'll be quick as I can. I'm not from Gaminustri, I'm not from Celestia – which you probably know since you're from there – and I'm not even from this particular universe. I'm here to help, that is all."

[… All right, then.] She hummed. [There's something about you, some energy that feels familiar …] She released a little gasp. [No, that can't be right. Forget I said anything. I'll speak with you when I next speak with the others. I can't keep this up any longer. Goodbye until next time, Dexter.]

"O … kay …" I had no idea what that last bit was about, but I figured that I'd find out soon.

The others were staring at me in varying degrees of concern by now. Well, Nep and Compa were, Chieko was just looking a little exasperated. She probably thought I was chatting to one of my mental roommates out loud, which is a habit I had when I first started but grew out of rather quickly. I really only talk aloud to them now either if I'm alone or they say something particularly shocking. I stood up straighter than I had been before and cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Don't worry about him, girls," Chieko said with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "He's a tad schizophrenic, has all these voices in his head."

You truly have no idea how right you are about the schizophrenia, I thought, turning my mind to another universe I was currently inhabiting that was very heavy on vampires. Oh, what irony! I like to think of myself as a therapist, yet I'm the one with a genuine mental condition. And I thought it was Mike who has all the shitty luck.

{They think us mad, mad, mad!} cackled the insane voice that had only recently made its home in my head.

Well you are mad, mad, mad. Shut the fuck up.

"Pay no attention to her," I said to Nep and Compa, trying to take this whole conversation away from what had just happened. "She likes to make me look crazy to distract people from how mental she is."

"Personally, I think you're both crazy," said Nep, shrugging. Her face turned slightly worried. "I think we lost contact. I hope Histy is all right."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," I said casually.

"At least we know how to get your memory back," Compa said to Nep. "Let's go, everyone!"

"Sounds like a plan!" said Nep. "Let's do this!"

"And so the adventure commences," I said as we left the house again. "How much d'you wanna bet that this shit's gonna get crazy?"

No one wanted to bet. They all had a feeling they'd lose.

(Play "[Your Lie in April] Hikaru Nara (English Cover by S.B.R.M.P.N.Y)" by Sapphire (on YouTube))

Opening Instrumentals

The camera sweeps over the four nations of Gamindustri, Planeptune, Lastation, Leanbox, and Lowee. The landscape is breathtaking, the very image of utopia for the people living in each.

Hyperdimension Multiverser

The scene changes to an image of Dexter Verser's smiling face.

Just like a rainbow, bright and warm

After a hazy summer storm

Flowers blooming fresh with drops of dew

Chieko, Neptune, Compa, and IF are standing together behind him with equally large smiles on their faces. Neptune throws an arm over IF's shoulder, who angrily shoves her off. Chieko and Compa laugh happily.

Watching you stare into the sky

In the crimson sunlight

That's when I fell in love with you

The scene changes to the Basilicom for Lastation. Noire is standing in her office with an irritated look on her face. Her Black Heart persona is superimposed over the top of her.

Each moment in a picture frame

I'm holding on

No single shot will ever fade

The scene changes to the Leanbox Basilicom. Vert is in her office, smiling happily as she stares, transfixed, at a computer screen. Her Green Heart persona is superimposed over the top of her.

The movie of this love

Every part deep within my soul

The scene changes to the Lowee Basilicom. Blanc is sitting her her chair, a book in her lap, smiling contentedly. Her White Heart persona is superimposed over the top of her.

The scene changes to all the characters seen so far doing battle against a large robotic creature.

You are the spark, my light in the dark

Brilliant and bold through the night

Bright as the sun, no matter what comes

We can be stars if we shine

The grinning image of Arfoire watches on as the fight continues. Behind her is another unmistakeable female figure, shrouded in shadows, but with red eyes glaring out at all the females involved in the fight.

Don't ever hide those feelings inside

Whenever you're sad or you're blue

When you can't cope, don't ever lose hope

The stars shine their light over you

The scene changes to a lone woman with long, dark blue hair, red eyes with power symbols in them that are covered over by a red visor, plenty of curves, and bright blue armour. She grins at the camera with a determined expression on her face.

Every wish we've made has brought us here together

Till forever

Underneath the stars and the moon and sun, we look to the future as one

The camera zooms out, revealing that the woman is accompanied by Purple Heart, Black Heart, White Heart, and Green Heart, all of them standing in a line and smiling.

The scene fades to black. The woman's red eyes linger for a moment, then vanish.

(End "[Your Lie in April] Hikaru Nara (English Cover by S.B.R.M.P.N.Y)" by Sapphire (on YouTube))

"I was thinking about going shopping for the journey," Compa said a couple of minutes after we left her house. "I was thinking that maybe we could eat out, too."

"Sounds like a plan," I said.

"That sounds fun!" said Nep. "We'll follow along like colourful miniature alien fairies!"

"Compa, you don't keep any LSD in the house, do you?" asked Chieko. "Because I'm worried Neptune may have taken some."

"I don't keep those kinds of drugs in the house," said Compa. "All the drugs in my house are purely for medicinal purposes. And even then I don't use them myself. Anyway, it's entirely possible Nep-Nep may just have minor brain damage. It really wouldn't surprise me at this stage."

"When you say medicinal drugs, does that include medicinal marijuana?" I asked out of the blue.

"N-No!" Compa denied, shaking her head fervently. "I … I don't keep that kind of thing in the house! Why would you wanna know that, anyway!?"

"I had this brother who I've picked up some habits from."

"What do you mean you 'had' a brother?"

Shit, didn't mean to let that slip. "I'd … rather not talk about it, if it's all the same to you." The brother I mentioned was from my original family, my human family, the family I would never see again. Thinking about them was always hard, but it was also hard to avoid. Occasionally things like that just slip out.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Chieko. She was looking at me with concern, so I just shook my head to tell her I was fine. I gave her a smile and put my hand over hers, lifting it up and kissing the back of it. She smiled at me and wrapped her arms around my arm, resting her head on my shoulder as we walked. I looked to Nep and Compa and saw that they were both smiling at the tender moment and there was a hint of concern in both their eyes. There was also something else, something slightly more negative, but it wasn't very strong so it was difficult to identify. Though it was more present on Compa's face than it was on Nep's.

We continued the walk in silence.

Planeptune, Mid-Afternoon

Even though we'd already been through the city once – hell, twice, considering we rushed through it on the way back to Compa's house – Nep couldn't stop marvelling at the place. She looked around with stars in her eyes and her mouth wide open. It made the fact that she was the goddess who ran the place rather funny to think about.

"Now that I had a good chance to look, this is a really huge city!" said Nep.

"Planeptune is the most advanced city out of the four Lands," said Compa.

"Ah, so that's why you have that super yummy pudding."

"Neptune, Compa made that, it would've tasted the same no matter where in Gamindustri she lived," said Chieko.

"Hey, did you hear about that rumour?" a random man near us asked another random man.

"You mean the one about the newly discovered cave under the forest?" asked man #2.

"Well, that's not all. I heard that place is infested with monsters."

"Everyone's saying that the place must be a breeding place for the monsters."

"You've gotta be kidding!? Breeding … That sounds kind of cool!"

Breeding sounds cool to every man, my friend, I thought. I wasn't joking, either. I was quite a fan of the process, myself.

"Yeah, and the Guild is looking for people to check that place out now," said man #2.

"Seriously?" asked man #1. "I thought the CPU would do something about it."

After plot conveniences #1 and 2 had finished talking and left, we stood in silence for a few moments. Compa looked a bit put out for some reason.

"Compa?" Nep said in concern.

"Do you guys mind if we do something before we leave?" Compa asked us.

"We haven't even done what we came here to do yet, Compa," I said. "We can stay as long as we need to."

"Is this about the cave?" asked Nep.

"Yes," said Compa. "Even old klutzy me wants to help Planeptune and the goddess."

"Oh, I think you're already helping her out," Chieko said. Her grin looked like it could've split her face apart. "Just a gut feeling, you know?"

"Well, I guess we're going to the Guild instead of shopping, then!" said Nep.

"Are you sure?" asked Compa.

"What kind of people would we be if we didn't help the place out?" I asked. "Leaving the place to rot as monsters come pouring out of the forest is something only a complete psychopath or a coward would do."

"You've stuck with me this far, so it's my turn to follow you," said Nep.

"And this should be fun," added Chieko. "Going to the Guild and grabbing up a mission. It'll be just like one of those adventure stories."

"Lead the way, Compa," I said to her.

Compa smiled at us with a slightly red face. She turned and started walking, and we all followed her. Eventually we entered a very large building, though not as large as the massive building I presumed was the Basilicom, and inside it looked a lot less pristine than the rest of Planeptune but more militarised. The walls were grey metal, on them were what appeared to be computer screens, and there were a number of holographic screens scattered about the place, some of which were in use. All the other people in there looked like they were ready for a fight, which gave the place a very serious atmosphere.

"So, is this the Guild?" asked Nep.

"Yes," said Compa. "You can get all sorts of work and missions here."

We walked up to one of the holographic computer screens. These seemed to take the place of the traditional guild notice boards from other fantasy worlds. It was easy to tell why Planeptune was considered the most advanced of all the Lands.

"Let's see …" Nep said, looking over the jobs listed on the screen. "Cave … cave … Ah, this must be it."

"If you want to take care of an order, just enter it like so …" Compa selected the job and typed in a few things. "Done!"

"Quick and efficient," I said. "I like it."

"You're used to this, aren't you?" Nep asked Compa. "Do you use the Guild often?"

"Yup!" said Compa. "More for volunteering and things. This type is a first time for me."

"Well, they say you never forget your first time," said Chieko.

Compa's face turned slightly red at the very slight innuendo.

"Well then, let's make this dungeon expedition a success!" said Nep.

"Yes!" said Compa. "Let's do our best, everyone!"

"Assuming they're the same monsters from the forest, this should be a piece of piss," I said. But I knew full well that the end of this little expedition would hold something of a surprise for the others. It would be the first fight with Arfoire, and I was determined not to let her get what she wants.

"Dexter, darling, that's something you should know by now," said Chieko. "Nothing's ever easy when you're involved."

She did have a point. But it was a point that was true of all the Multiversers.

We ended up taking a few more quests while we were there, too, as they seemed to be things that would coincide with our already accepted task. We now had to bring back a Boxer-X Soul, kill three Super Otakus, five Dogoos, five Tulips, five Clydes and Mrs Clydes, and five Pixelvaders. We already had the Boxer-X Soul, so we handed that in to the Guild and were rewarded with an SP Charger.

Once that was done, we left.

Monster Cave, Evening

If finding the crater where Nep landed face-first was easy, then finding the massive cave that had opened up beneath us before took about as little effort as sitting down. Upon really thinking about it, I realised that it reminded me of the caves in Minecraft, except for the obvious fact that this one was real and not made of blocks. I think it was the way that the ground just seemed to open up in the middle of the forest that drew the comparison from me. And, much like the caves in Minecraft, this one was full of monsters. Monsters that were a piece of piss to fight, yes, but still monsters.

"Say, guys?" said Nep. "What are we supposed to do here?"

"Nep-Nep …" said Compa. "You didn't read the fine print, did you?"

"It's a remarkably good thing you weren't signing a contract with the Devil, in that case," I said.

"Oh, come on!" Nep said, smiling. "No one reads the fine print! Never have, never will!"

"How do you know that you never have?" I asked.

She blinked a couple of times. "I dunno." She shrugged.

"Either way, that's nothing to brag about …" Compa said in disappointment. "It looks like we have to check on the monsters and what they're doing."

"Speaking of monsters," said Nep. "There was that huge monster down here last time … Do you think there are more of those things hanging around?"

"It was called a Guard Vermin," I said, "and I wouldn't put money on it. There's a chance, yes, but finding two of those things in the same place doesn't generally happen. And even if there is another one, I'll just kill that, too."

"Plus, a lot of other people came here already," said Compa. "If there were more of them down here, I'm sure we would've heard about it."

[Are we going to stand around yapping all day?] asked Chieko, who was in her sword form in my right hand. [Or are we going to go and fight some monsters?]

As we made our way through the cave, I couldn't help but marvel at its beauty. It was dark, as one would expect, but it was lit up by these crystals that jutted out of the rock every now and then. The crystals were purple in colour and glowed brightly. Then there were the blatantly man-made bridges which were built of stone but seemed to have these crystals built in, too; they were arranged in patterns that reminded me of wires criss-crossing each other on a circuit-board. I didn't know who had been down here to build those bridges, but they'd done a damn fine job of it.

But eventually even the lights from the crystals started to dwindle.

"It's getting darker the deeper we go …" said Nep.

I had noticed that, too. I didn't actually respond to her words, though. I was caught up humming "In the Dark of the Night" from that expensive Disney knock-off, Anastasia.

"You guys, where are you?" Compa called from somewhere behind us. "It's so dark, I can't see you."

"Oh, right, I'm the only one of us who can see in the dark," I said suddenly. "It's so easy to forget that sometimes. Other people are so fragile and adorable … Anyway, hold on, Compa, I'm coming back for ya. Nep, do try not to cause any trouble for yourself, okay?" I turned around and walked back a little. Compa wasn't actually that far away. I reached out a hand and grasped hers. She gasped in surprised and started a little. "It's all right," I soothed. "It's just me. Come on, we're just a little way ahead."

"Th-Thanks, Dexter," she said. She couldn't see, I knew, but I could, and the bright red flush on her face was clear as day to me. It made her look cute.

"Wha—!?" two voices cried up ahead. One of them was Nep's, the other was someone new.

"Nep-Nep?" Compa called out. She grasped my hand tighter in her worry. "Are you okay? If you fall into a pit, it could be game over …"

[Nice to know everyone's an optimist] said Chieko.

"I think something ran into me …" Nep groaned out. "Hey, it's dark, so be careful!"

"Ow …" said the girl Nep had bumped into. It was IF. The fact that both Compile Heart and Idea Factory inserted characters into their game to represent their companies has amused me since I first played them when I was human. "Watch it, girl!"

IF is a fair-skinned girl who is somehow even shorter than Nep, standing at 4'11, despite the fact that both appeared to be in their late teens. Her hair, which was a deep brown with a pale brown hue, reached right the way down to her waist. Her eyes were sharp and green. She wore a bow on the left side of her head that had the appearance of two leaves. She wore a loose, large blue coat with silver buttons and trimming that she kept open and was clearly too large for her; it was so large, in fact, that her sleeves completely obscured her hands. There was the symbol of an orange lightning bolt on each sleeve. Beneath the open coat, she wore a matching tank top and shorts combo, both being black with silver trimming. The belt around her waist had this design, also; the belt buckle had her name engraved on it in a stylised manner. She wore blue boots with silver trimming that matched her coat.

And at this moment she was on the floor rubbing her head after Nep had bumped into her and knocked her down.

Must've come round a corner, I reasoned to myself. It was the only way to explain why I hadn't seen her coming.

"Wait. What are kids like you doing here?" IF asked us.

I couldn't help but smirk at that. She hadn't the slightest idea of how old I am. Then again, the only one here that did was Chieko.

"Me?" Nep asked in sudden hostility. "A kid? Speak for yourself! You're a kid, too! Who are you!?"

"Girls, girls, girls," I said as Compa and I reached them. "Neither of you are kids, you're both just short-arses. Can we please have a civil conversation now?"

They both glared at me menacingly then looked at each other without the hostility. Hey, if they bond over their irritation with me, then that still does what I want it to. Of course, short girls do have much easier access to the more sensitive parts of the body when they decide to get violent … well, I'm scared shitless now.

"I'm IF," the girl in question introduced herself to Nep. "Let's just say I'm the Wind Walker of Gamindustri."

Nep had no real reaction to this.

"Ah, huh?" said IF in confusion.

"You're the Wild Talker of Gamindustri?" asked Nep.

IF ground her teeth in irritation. "Wind Walker. I travel the world, making a living working with the Guild. Enough about me, what are you three doing down here?"

[Four, thank you very much] Chieko corrected her in annoyance.

"The sword is alive and also a person," I explained briefly before IF could get the opportunity to ask questions. "That's about the only explanation you're getting while we're still in this cave … Actually, I have a better question: how come you can all see now? This plot's about as inconsistent as one of M. Night Shyamalan's plot twists …"

"… What the hell are you talking about?" asked IF.

"Dexter says a lot of things like that," said Compa. "You'll get used to it."

"We came for the Guild, too," Nep explained. "Oh, and I'm Neptune, she's Compa, he's Dexy, and the sword is Chieko."

"My name is Dexter," I said. "You don't have to say it like Nep does. If you're gonna shorten it, then Dex is fine."

"Nice to meet you," Compa said to IF. "I'm Compa."

"You've got to be kidding," said IF. "You thre— four are working for the Guild, too?"

"Ah, sure, nice to meet you, too …" Nep muttered sarcastically. "Well, we can handle ourselves, you know!"

"Really? Even with all the monsters running around here?"

"Uh …"

"Don't tell me. You didn't look at the fine print before taking the work."

"Got it in one," I said. "But don't worry, the rest of us did, and we know what we're getting into."

Suddenly, a very familiar roar resounded throughout the cave.

"… Well shit, there really is another one in here." Because they encountered the same Guard Vermin twice in canon, I suppose I had simply assumed that killing it before the second encounter would make the first encounter with Arfoire slightly easier for everyone. Apparently I was wrong.

"What!?" IF gasped out. "You mean you know what that was!?"

"Guard Vermin," I said. "Big, ugly, and definitely vermin. Pretty easy to kill, though, at least for me. So yeah, I'll be dealing with it if it turns up."

IF sighed. "Hard to believe, especially with the ego, but if you can fight, I'm going to need all of you to help."

"We need to beat Mr Monster for the sake of Planeptune!" said Compa.

"Okay!" said Nep. "Let me go super-mode from the beginning, then!" One flash of light followed, then we were once again joined by Purple Heart. "Hah … I'm ready now."

"Wha—!?" IF gasped. She looked Purple Heart up and down, staring enviously at her large breasts (IF was an A-cup). "What just happened!? You're huge! Like, all over!"

"Yes, she is …" I muttered out.

[Mind out of the gutter, Dexter, this is serious] Chieko scolded me.

"Surprise!" said Compa. "Nep-Nep can change forms! Nep-Nep is really strong like this."

"She kicked the tom out of the Guard Vermin before I finished it off last time, too," I said.

IF looked surprised and about to say something but paused. "… Tom?"

"It's rhyming slang. The full phrase is 'tom tit.' It means shit."

"Ah."

The Guard Vermin's roars filled the cave again.

"So, want to get it on, do you?" Purple Heart asked. "Well, the feelings are mutual."

"Phrasing, Nep," I said. "Anyway, should we go kill it now?"

"Yes. We're going to have to take it down to prevent any more casualties!"

(Play "Reach Out to the Truth" (Persona 4 OST))

It turned out to be significantly closer than we had initially thought. The second we rounded the nearest corner, the Guard Vermin was there … and it was a lot bigger than the last one.

The second we caught sight of it, IF used her magic skills to nail the fucker with a flurry of fireballs, ending in one moderately sized explosion that staggered the beast but did not appear to harm it.

Purple Heart followed her up with that same five-hit combo she used before, culminating in the Guard Vermin being hurled to the ground. It got up again with no real trouble.

Compa rushed forward and jabbed her needle into one of its legs. It roared out in pain at the action and took a swipe at her, knocking her away but otherwise not harming her in the slightest. It would appear that monsters had just as averse a reaction to needles as humans do.

I rushed forward with Chieko and slashed at the Guard Vermin twice, once with either blade. The slashes, which hit its chest, appeared to do nothing, but then I spun her around in a tornado-like move, and the Guard Vermin staggered backward.

IF slashed it a few times with her sword.

Purple Heart did the same.

Then the Guard Vermin fought back. It lifted up its massive sword – which, due to the change in proportions, was also a lot bigger than that of the first Guard Vermin – and brought it down on us. Compa, IF, and I managed to get clear of it completely, but Purple Heart caught the blunt edge of it and was knocked back as a result. She wasn't overly damaged, being a goddess and all, but due to her currently low compared to usual power she still seemed to feel the pain. She cried out as she was sent skidding back. She looked at the Guard Vermin and scowled.

IF used the opportunity to stab her sword into the Guard Vermin's behind. And I mean right in there. The Guard Vermin roared out in very understandable pain, but in doing so it left itself open for an attack.

"Sorry, Dexter!" Compa yelled as she suddenly jumped onto my shoulders only to jump off again. She flew at the Guard Vermin with her needle held high above her head. When she reached her target, she stabbed her needle downwards, impaling it right in the top of the monster's head. The Guard Vermin stopped roaring instantly. It went suddenly very still, then vanished completely.

(End "Reach Out to the Truth" (Persona 4 OST))

"… Why do people consider those things a threat, again?" I asked. "Seriously, people are always talking about those things like they're shit-scary, but even without me here, I think that thing would've gone down insanely easily. They're about as threatening as that CGI Dwayne Johnson monster from The Mummy Returns." I noticed everyone looking at me. I waved them off. "Another movie reference you won't understand."

"Well, I agree with the point you're making, anyway," said Purple Heart. "That was almost unfair."

[Says the only one of us who took a hit] Chieko pointed out cheekily.

It was a good thing that Purple Heart is more mature than Nep, because otherwise this likely would have become an argument.

"Not bad," said IF. "Honestly, I'm not sure I could've handled it myself, but in a group it was really easy. Thanks." She looked at Purple Heart. "And that's some transformation. You're like a different person."

"I was surprised the first time I saw it, too," said Compa.

That feeling I had experienced when Nep first became Purple Heart suddenly took hold of me again. I felt a strange flow of power within me and a slight burning behind my eyes. I recognised the feel of the power well enough, it was something that happened whenever I gained a power I had to let my body adapt to. One big difference between inserting myself into someone's place and simply popping into the world is that if I'm taking someone's place, I get all their abilities with no problem; but when it came to gaining abilities that had to be integrated into my body, it sometimes took a little time for my body to adapt. That was the feeling I was getting.

And it felt like it was pretty much done.

"Dexy, are you all right?" Purple Heart asked me.

"I'm fine," I said. I tried my best to ignore how slightly ridiculous the name "Dexy" sounded coming from a much more mature-sounding voice. "Just thinking. There ain't much else to do, that fight was a piece of piss."

Purple Heart nodded and transformed back into Nep. "Phew …" she said, wiping sweat from her brow. "I'm beat …"

"Nice fight, Nep-Nep," said Compa. "You were really cool."

"Give yourself some credit, too, Compa," I cut in. "You're the one who jammed your needle down that thing's skull. That was brilliant."

"Don't interrupt the flattery, Dexy!" Nep snapped.

"Really, it's hard to believe you're the same person," said IF.

[Tell me about it] said Chieko.

"Oh yeah, Iffy, how about joining our party while we're at it?" Nep suggested to IF.

"Iffy?" asked IF, raising an eyebrow. "Me? Iffy?"

"Yup," said Nep. "IF = Iffy! Sounds a lot cuter, too, don't you think?"

I made a point of looking at IF's choice of clothing. "I think she was going for badass over cute, Nep," I said.

"Iffy …" said IF.

"Wait, you don't like it?" asked Nep. "Oh, were you teased by kids with that name?"

"No, I was never teased with my name before. Just call me anything you want."

"Okay, then I'll call you Iffy, too," said Compa.

"I think I'll stick with your full name," I said. "Iffy just sounds so … undignified. Like calling a big-ass wolf Shaggydog … Damn you, Rickon Stark, you should not have been trusted with the responsibility of naming your own pet …"

"Now then, do you want to come with us?" Nep asked IF, completely ignoring my potentially insane ramblings. "Having a pro like you would be cool!"

[I completely resent the implication that we aren't pros] said Chieko.

"Don't worry," said Compa. "I think you and Dexter are pros."

"Well, why not?" said IF. "As they say, the more the merrier."

"Great!" said Nep. "Well, hope we become bestest friends, Iffy!"

"Sure, looking forward to it."

We continued to go through the cave. It wasn't anywhere near eventful, I regret to say, so there's no point going into detail about it. What few monsters we did encounter were dealt with so quickly that it couldn't even be called fighting.

Eventually Nep spoke up again. "Well, now that I have the chance to look around, this place is huge."

"We're lucky we didn't get lost running around," said Compa.

"What running around?" I asked. "We haven't had to run since we got in here. It's actually pretty boring."

[I never thought I'd say this, but would some eldritch abomination please come out and try to eat the planet or something?] asked Chieko. She sounded just as bored as I was.

"You guys came down here before, right?" asked IF. "Mind filling me in with some details?"

And that's how Nep got into a long-winded story about the first time we came down here.

"… and that's that!" she finished after awhile.

"Nep falls, loses memory, Histoire, Key Fragments …" said IF. "That's all so random."

"Hey, well shoot, thanks," said Nep.

"Nep, please learn to distinguish between compliments and other statements," I said. "I think you saying that has actually killed a few of my brain cells."

The fact that I'm only telling you of the parts where we stopped to have a conversation should be more than enough to tell you just how uneventful the rest of our trip through the caves was. The only truly memorable part was near the end of our little trip down there.

"Hey, Iffy," said Nep when we were a bit further in. "I picked this up, but …" She was holding a disc. Not like the Key Fragment, which seemed more like part of a disc, but a full disc.

"It looks like a disc …" said IF.

No shit, Sherlock, I thought.

{Yes?} said the Jonny Lee Miller-played Sherlock Holmes of the show Elementary, who I am in another universe.

Not you.

"Wait, I noticed just now, but is Nep … me?" asked Nep.

"You name me Iffy, so why not?" asked IF. "Plus, Dex calls you that, too, so what's so wrong with me saying it?"

Nep grumbled, "I thought we were all supposed to give each other unique nicknames … These games need unique character development, damn it …"

"… Going back," IF said, apparently wanting to ignore that weirdness (not knowing that there would be much more to come if she continued to hang out with us), "where'd you get the disc from?"

"I dunno." She shrugged. "It was hanging on that wall over there."

"Hanging on the wall? This disc? You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"It does seem an odd place to keep a disc," I said.

"What!?" Nep exclaimed. "You don't believe me!? Dexy, after all we've been through …"

"Oh, no, I believe you," I corrected her. "I'm just saying that this is a bloody weird place to keep a disc. All these jagged rocks and shit scattered about, it's a wonder the bloody thing isn't scratched to all-hell."

"You do have a good point," said Compa. "Whoever left that down here left it for a reason."

"Seems like Nep managed to find something interesting," said IF.

"Now that's my Iffy!" exclaimed Nep. "'Iffy' has got to mean 'I Feel For You!' That's love!"

"How about we call you AI instead?" Compa suggested to IF. "That's Japanese for 'love!'"

Wait … they only have four countries, but they have a concept of Japanese? I thought incredulously. Is nothing in this world ever going to make any kind of sense?

I got a resounding {Probably not} from every single one of my mental roommates.

"Why not spell it lower case, like, 'ai?'" Nep suggested. "It's cuter, too!"

"All right, enough insulting IF's name," I said. "We're here to do a job, need I remind you? Or would you rather we stand about until something that actually poses a threat turns up?" Just as I said that, the disc started shining. "Of fucking course …"

"Wha—!?" cried out Nep. "Wait. The disc … It's shining!"

"What's going on?" Compa asked fearfully.

"H-How would I know!?" asked IF. "I've never seen anything like this before, either!"

"You'll thank me for this later," I said. Then I snatched the disc from Nep's hand just as a monster materialised out of its glow. I then threw the disc to the ground, swung Chieko, and smashed it into tiny little pieces.

(Play "Mass Destruction" (Persona 3 OST))

"Monsters!?" IF exclaimed. "They came from the disc!"

There were only four of them, and they didn't look to be that big of a threat. One, the biggest, was a Super Otaku, which basically looked like a cartoonishly fat teenager with round glasses that obscured his eyes in white. It was accompanied by three Clydes, who were literally just barely-hidden rip-offs of the Pacman ghosts.

I immediately swung Chieko at the Super Otaku's neck, but it was so fat that the blade didn't go all the way through. The incredibly insulting stereotype let out quite the cry of pain, though. It then flung its belly out in front of it and battered it against my chest. This would have likely pushed any normal person back, but I am far from normal. I swung Chieko again, this time at the other side of its neck, and dug in deep again, but not quite severing its head from its body. I pulled Chieko back and jammed one of her blades into his throat like a spear, completely severing it from its body and causing it to vanish from the world.

[Never shove me into something as disgusting as that thing's fat folds ever again] Chieko said in an unamused deadpan.

"No promises," I said.

I saw that IF was making fireballs rain down on the three Clydes with no real effort whatsoever. Only one of them died in the onslaught, however.

One of the Clydes got out of the cascade and head – body? – butted Nep, knocking her back a little.

Nep retaliated by whacking it with her wooden sword a number of times. It died very quickly, having been damaged quite a lot by IF's fireballs.

Compa slashed the final Clyde across with her giant needle. It died instantly.

(End "Mass Destruction" (Persona 3 OST))

"That was a surprise," said Nep. She turned to me with an accusatory stare. "You should've told us that monsters come from discs."

"Not all of them do," I said. "The only reason they normally do that is if someone needed them here for a purpose. Believe me, if it was this easy to get rid of all the world's monsters, I would've brought it up a lot sooner. I don't know what the point of filling up a cave with monsters is, though. Maybe they really are trying to recreate Minecraft?"

"Doubtful," said IF. "I don't think anybody with an agenda that childish would be able to pull this off. I wonder who's responsible …"

"I think this is a super discovery!" Compa exclaimed. "Now that we know what's causing so many monsters to gather around Gamindustri, we might be able to stop it!"

(Play "Crisis" (Persona 3 OST))

"Hahahahahaha!" rang out the distinctly mature, feminine laughter that I knew belonged to Arfoire. "I came for my Guardian, but I didn't expect to meet you here, Neptune!"

"Who's there?" asked Nep, looking around nervously. "What's with that old, melodramatic laugh …?"

"Who are you calling old!?" The lady herself, Arfoire, stepped out of the shadows she had somehow been concealing herself perfectly in (God, these games love clichés). She looked like some kind of pale elven witch, to be honest. Her skin was a purple so pale that it looked white. Her hair was an ever-so-slightly darker shade of purple that was hard to notice; it was cut short with one long bang on the right side. Her ears were pointed, not unlike my own (though mine were less noticeable). She wore a stereotypical black witch's hat with a ring of thorns wrapped around the base which connected to big purple roses and leaves. Her outfit was a black one-piece with purple stripes along the cuffs and torso area. She wore black lipstick and eyeshadow, presumably to contrast with the paleness of her skin. Her breasts were a pleasing to look at E-cup.

She, like all the important characters, represented something involving gaming. In Arfoire's case, she was the physical representation of video game piracy.

"Mocking people as usual," Arfoire continued, glaring hatefully at Nep. "You've not changed a bit."

"Is this a friend of yours?" Compa asked Nep.

"She doesn't sound like a friend," I pointed out. I gripped Chieko tightly, ready for a fight. Arfoire was meant to be an extremely powerful goddess, so as simple as it may have been to fight her in a video game, I had no way of knowing how powerful she was going to be in reality. I even found myself considering the option of taking this seriously. The thought then occurred to me to try and activate this new power that had been building up in me since the first time we entered this cave. Well, it's as good a time as any.

"Dexy's right," said Nep. "I don't know any old ladies who wear this much goth makeup."

"That's good to hear," said Compa. "I was about to doubt your choice of people."

"Yeah," said IF. "If you were friends with her, I would've put in my resignation."

[And apparently she thinks it's Halloween] said Chieko. [I know there are people who dress like that, even actual wizards, witches, and such, but the key difference is that they don't do it in a failed attempt to look intimidating.]

"Sooooo," said Nep, focusing on Arfoire, "who are you, Missus?"

Arfoire gritted her teeth in anger. "How dare you! Saying what you want in front of me … I'll get rid of you all!"

"Look what you've done, Nep," said IF. "Now you made the lady mad."

"Wait?" said Nep. "It's my fault!?"

Arfoire started making her way toward us, that spear of hers with the overly large and intricate head held out in an aggressive posture. I could feel the physical strength behind that posture, behind that hostility. She was a powerful one, no doubt about that, but still nowhere near as powerful as some other enemies the Multiversers have to contend with semi-regularly.

This would make a good experiment.

"Now, before you go and get too aggressive," I said, stepping in front of the others, who could clearly feel Arfoire's strength and killing intent just as much as I could if their shuddering was anything to go by. "I think I'd like to go a round with you, Ms E-Cups." I paused. "Okay, that sounded much less dirty in my head. Can we just get to fighting?"

Before anyone could respond, I focused on the power that had only recently made itself known in me … and released.

A bright light took over my vision and when it was gone I wasn't myself any more.

Third Person POV

"I-Impossible!" Arfoire exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the light emanating from Dexter. "That's … that's Hard Drive Divinity … But no male has the ability to become a CPU! How is this possible!?"

She got her answer when the light died down.

"Well, this is unexpected," said the new, distinctly female, voice from where Dexter had been standing. "I don't think I'll complain, though."

The person standing where Dexter had once been was definitely a woman, no doubt about it. Her skin was flawlessly pale. Her hair was long and dark blue, reaching down all the way to the plump, shapely ass that was her rear. Her eyes were crimson red and glowing, red power symbols taking the place of the pupil found in normal people's eyes. Covering her body – a thing that was clearly meant for sex appeal: G-cup breasts, an hourglass figure, wide hips, toned thighs, and one plump ass – was a plain, skin-tight suit of light blue armour that covered every inch of her body below the neck yet left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

And right now she was looking down at her tits.

"Very nice," she complimented herself. "Never thought I'd have a female form – my luck isn't quite what Mike's is – but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth." She looked around at everyone. "Sorry if I'm rambling on, but part of me's always wanted to be able to genderbend myself at will. It takes a bit of energy to do, but hey, apparently my wish was granted."

"Who are you!?" shouted Arfoire.

"Not really sure, to be honest," said the woman Dexter had become. "These CPU forms always come with a personality change, don't they? I haven't really tested the waters yet. Am I … funny? Sarcastic? Sexy?" She looked down at herself and smirked. "Oh yes, definitely sexy. But, then again, I'm pretty fit as a bloke, too." She hummed, then clicked her fingers. "Oh! I know! Blue Heart, that's my name. Call me Blue Heart. Now!" She looked at Arfoire with a smirk, licking her lips. "Didn't we have some business to get down to?"

Whereas Dexter had been apologetic and awkward about making it sound sexual, Blue Heart apparently had no qualms about sounding like she was coming on to somebody.

She had just discovered a personality trait. She was a very sexual person.

Arfoire stared in shock for a moment, then chuckled. "So this is what happens when a man becomes a CPU: he becomes a woman. Now, isn't that interesting? And very convenient for me. I was only here for Neptune's power, but if I can get two for the price of one, then what is there to complain about?"

"Probably quite a lot, as you'll learn in a few minutes," said Blue Heart. "And what else did you expect? Men can't be CPUs – I'm not even a hundred percent sure how this happened to me – but if it were to happen, as it clearly has, why would the power change in order to fit the person? Surely the power would instead change the person to fit it. I think that's what happened to me: I couldn't use this at first, so my body adapted to it." A dirty grin worked its way onto her face. "I wonder what a body like this could be used for outside of the battlefield …"

"Great, he— Er, she's a pervert," IF deadpanned.

"I can't believe this!" cried Neptune. "Dexy can transform, too! And into a super hot blue-haired lady! We can be transformer buddies!"

Compa remained silent, like she was having trouble comprehending this sudden change of gender.

"Enough talking," said Arfoire, swinging her spear out in front of her. "Let's see how that Hard Drive Divinity of yours compares to me!"

Blue Heart smirked and raised Chieko in her hands. "Gladly."

The two women charged at each other and clashed their weapons against one another.

[It's not even close to being able to break me, but her attack power's no joke] said Chieko.

I'd noticed, Blue Heart said through their mental link. They kept their weapons against each other in a stalemate for a few seconds. Time for a little Unrelenting Force to get the ball rolling. "Fus Ro Dah!"

The shout sent Arfoire flinging back, though she was able to stop her movements without any trouble.

"So, we're using magic now, are we?" said Arfoire with a grin. "Then how about a little lightning?"

She thrust one hand forward and a stream of purple lightning shot out of it. Blue Heart raised Chieko in front of her to block it, which worked, but she could still feel the pure, unadulterated power that Arfoire was putting into that lightning. The thought that she wasn't even at full power yet was genuinely scary to consider.

Blue Heart, with some strain, pushed forward whilst blocking the lightning. When she got close enough, she dropped and attempted to leg-sweep Arfoire, who simply somersaulted over her head like it was nothing.

Blue Heart stood up, turned around, and the two stared each other in the eyes for a little while, like either one was sizing the other up.

They began to walk in circles around each other, like lions about to fight to the death.

Arfoire was the first to attack again. She lunged forward with her spear, yelling, attempting to impale Blue Heart on the end of it.

Blue Heart dodged to the side and brought Chieko round for a swing, with Arfoire narrowly managed to duck away from. A few strands of her hair fell out from where Chieko's blade just about slashed at a few of them.

Arfoire swung her spear, and Blue Heart swung Chieko, the blade of the spear meeting the blade of the sword and clashing against it. Blue Heart immediately took advantage of Chieko's double-ended nature and, using the momentum created by the sudden stop of one end of the sword, swung the other round. Arfoire ducked back, but the blade just skimmed her nose, causing a small amount of blood to leak out.

It was then that Blue Heart started to let certain aspects of her Dumner blood slip through. Specifically, Ancestor's Wrath, which meant her enemies sustained minor burn damage when they came too close to her. It wouldn't be enough to really hurt a goddess like Arfoire, but even miniscule damage was better than doing no damage at all.

It did so little damage, however, that Arfoire didn't even seem to notice. She glared at Blue Heart, gritting her teeth, and wiped away the blood that was dripping from the cut on her nose. She raised her spear up and slammed the base into the ground, causing a circle of flames to erupt around her.

Blue Heart jumped out of range of the fire with ease … only to find it was exactly what Arfoire had expected her to do.

While it was nowhere near enough to kill her, the strike Arfoire delivered with her spear threw Blue Heart across the room. She managed to keep herself from falling down completely by going on one knee and digging her hand into the ground, but she knew that the hit was going to smart for awhile.

"I'll take that Key Fragment back, if you don't mind," said Arfoire once she thought she'd gotten the upper hand.

"Sorry, but no," said Blue Heart. She still had that cocky look on her face, and it was pissing Arfoire off to no end.

"You act as if you have a choice." Arfoire smirked. "And I think I'll be taking your power, too. You seem like a strong one."

Blue Heart could have told her that she'd been holding back to ensure that the cave didn't collapse on Neptune, Compa, and IF (it may have also had something to do with the fact that Arfoire needed to be alive for anything to go the way Blue Heart/Dexter wanted it), but she kept her mouth shut. There was no need to make Arfoire even more excited about the prospect of gaining a fifth CPU's powers. That being said, she couldn't afford to let Arfoire get anywhere near the amount of power she had, or the consequences would be disastrous for Gamindustri and even Celestia itself.

Arfoire laughed her insane laughter. "Finally! The first step to my ambition has finally begun!"

Seeing Arfoire laugh that much, Blue Heart smirked. A rather odd way to defeat an enemy, but she won't be expecting it and it won't do any damage to the surroundings. I'd say it'll work just fine. With that in mind, she whispered, "Hysteria," and one of her eyes went blue for a fraction of a second.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Arfoire cackled. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She doubled over, clutching at her stomach, now looking immensely confused and even slightly pained. "W-Why – hahahahahahahaha! – c-can't I st-stop – HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! – l-laughing!?" She interrupted herself with even more laughter.

(End "Crisis" (Persona 3 OST))

Blue Heart smirked. "Just a little trick I picked up elsewhere." She thought to the world were she – er, Dexter – was currently an insane vampire in Los Angeles. The mind tricks he/she could now play were pretty minor, as things went, but they could be damn useful at times, too. Like right now for instance. "That's gonna last you at least a few hours, and I sincerely doubt you'll be able to fight with that laughter basically obstructing your every move, so why don't you just run along? You can give more evil villain speeches next time."

"You b-bitch!" Arfoire roared … with laughter. She looked like she was going to take the advice and retreat. "I'll … I'll get you – hahahahahaha! – n-next time!"

"Wait!" Neptune yelled out at Arfoire. "Hey, old lady! You said my name … do you know me?"

Arfoire would have looked irritated and slightly confused if it weren't for the laugher. "Of c-course I do! I know you like the p-palm – hahahahahahaha! – of my hand!"

"Then tell me who the heck I am!"

"What – hahahahahaha! – are you t-talking a – hehehehehehe! – about?"

"Nep-Nep lost her memory," said Compa. "If you know anything about Nep-Nep, can you tell us?"

The laughter Arfoire released upon hearing that was the only laughter she'd released those past few minutes that was genuinely her own. "Y-You? Neptune? Lose your – hahahahahahaha! – memory? This i-is golden! I was w-worried when I lost sight of you, b-but – hahahahahahahahahaha! – I see that luck is no my side! I'll let you hold onto the Key Fragment for now. Until next time!"

"Wait!" Neptune called out. Arfoire had teleported away. "She's … gone?"

"She got away …" said IF. "Who was that? It seems like she was going after you, Nep."

"That was Arfoire," said Blue Heart. "She's a goddess – not like the CPUs, that's an entirely different kind of goddess – and she used to be an insanely powerful one, but that's not important at the moment. I'll explain everything when I can. For now, though …" There was a flash and Dexter was back. "You know, that wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience. Give me some time to adjust, and I might start switching up outside of battle just to add a little more variety into my life."

[Not that you need much more variety] said Chieko.

"True enough. Anyway, she was after Nep for her power, that much you could probably figure out from the way she was yapping on. I wish I could tell you more than that, but I can't; there are rules about this sort of thing."

"How do you even know all this?" asked IF.

"I'll tell you sometime, but not now. It's not that I don't want to, it's simply that I know for a fact we'll be picking up more companions over the course of this little adventure, and I would rather not repeat the same story more than necessary. Call it my own unique brand of laziness."

IF sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm not mentally equipped to deal with this shit. How about we head out and take a rest?"

"Good idea," said Compa.

"Yeah," said Neptune. "I could use some time chillin' out like a balla."

"… Never speak like that again," said IF.

[I don't even have ears at the moment and that was painful to listen to] said Chieko.

"Agreed," said Dexter. "Right, you lot, let's move on out."

Dexter Verser's POV

Compa's House, Night

We were gathered around the dining room table in Compa's house to discuss all that had occurred that day. While I felt that I needed to give out as much information as I could in order to save on confusion, I was severely beginning to regret saying as much as I had due to the fact that IF could barely take her eyes off me, and not in the good way. Nep and Compa seemed relatively trusting of me, which was a comfort, but having only met IF an hour or so before, I knew I was going to have to work hard for her trust.

Eventually, I thought to myself. Better take all this one step at a time.

"I couldn't have imagined the monsters coming from the disc," said IF.

"Yes," Compa agreed. "But Dexter smashed it, so monsters won't be coming out any more. If we beat all the other monsters, everything will be back to normal again."

"About the disc …" said IF. She levelled a light glare at me. "I do expect an explanation as to how you knew about that, by the way. Anyway, how about we call it the 'Enemy Disc?' As long as these are around, we're going to keep getting monsters."

"That's not good …" said Compa.

"But it does make things easier for us," I said. "We just have to find the Enemy Discs and smash 'em to bits. If all goes well, Gamindustri should be basically monster-free in no time. Like some kinda weird, monster-based pest control."

I'm sure you're wondering why Nep wasn't getting involved in the conversation. Well …

"Mmm!" Nep hummed in delight. "Pudding after work really hits the spot! Um, you got any more, Compa?"

IF and Compa both sighed.

"Hmm?" Nep looked confused. "What's the matter? Why so serious?"

"Please don't got all Heath Ledger on us," I said to her.

"Neptune, you are by far the most absent-minded person I've ever met," said Chieko.

"Thanks!"

"That wasn't a compliment …"

"Are you kidding …?" IF sighed out. Then she looked at me. "Going back on the subject, I'm more interested in that lady. Who was she?"

"Arfoire," I said. "Not someone to be messed with, as you saw today, and she isn't even at full power. I can't say much, so for now please settle with knowing that she used to be a good guy but now she's a bad guy. I'm hoping we can reverse that, but there's a very specific point we have to wait for in order for that to happen."

"Is that really all you can tell us?"

"Yes, it is. Sorry. I'll at least tell you how I know eventually, but until we're in a situation where I can tell everyone who'll be working with us, I'm keeping it to myself."

IF sighed. "Okay … How did you do the transformation into a girl thing?"

"That is an excellent question. I don't actually know yet, myself, but I'm hoping to ask Histoire. She knows a lot about this sort of thing, so maybe she can explain it to me."

"Who's Histoire?"

"Oh! Oh! I know this one!" Nep exclaimed, raising her hand in the air like a kid in a school. "Histy is the little voice that spoke to us out of thin air and told us about seals and stuff! She mentioned the Key Fragments, too. Sounded like she was reciting important plot points."

"It looked like that Arfoire lady was after the Key Fragments, too," said Compa.

"If that's the case, then we better act quickly before she gets them."

"Yes. Let's get ready to go right away."

"Iffy, wanna come with us to collect the fragments?"

"Yeah, c'mon, IF," I said. "We get to save the world~"

IF shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Really?" said Nep. "Yay!"

"Are you sure, Iffy?" asked Compa.

"Not like I have an agenda, so I may as well tag along for the ride," said IF. "I'm not sure leaving you guys alone is a good idea, anyway."

"It'll be nice to have more people around when shit inevitably hits the fan, anyway," said Chieko. "Dexter has that effect on his surroundings."

"Come on, I'm not that bad!" I protested.

The others laughed while we argued.

Third Person POV

Unknown Location, Night

"Who the hell was that?" Arfoire muttered to herself angrily. The laughter had indeed stopped after a little while, but that didn't remove the humiliation she felt at letting such a trick effect her to begin with. "Tch. If I'd seen the damn thing coming ..." She could've stopped it if she'd suspected it, but it had slipped by and affected her and embarrassed her. "That bastard ... bitch ... whatever, is going to pay for this!"

"Oh, calm down," said a new voice, a woman's voice. "It's not like you ever stood a chance against my lovely Dexter. But to think he now has a female form ... tch, knowing him that just means he'll give me even more competition to slice my way through." The woman laughed derangedly. "Should be fun."

"Who's that!?" Arfoire yelled. "Show yourself!"

"If you insist." In the shadows, a pair of eyes with hearts for pupils illuminated the dark. "But don't get all hostile, now. I'm here to help."

I, admittedly, use the soundtracks of the Persona games rather a lot. But hey, can you blame me? They're super convenient, they have a song for basically EVERY possible situation!

So, we had a significantly more challenging fight than any I've written thus far (though the fact that I'm only used to writing small-scale fights is showing, isn't it?), and I've gone with the whole "OC becomes a CPU" thing, except Dexter changes gender when he activates it. My logic there was rather simple: in the event of a new power directly related to the world he's in suddenly appearing within him, Dexter would have to adapt to it, not the other way around. All the CPUs are female for a reason, and Dexter's body adapted so that it could use the power to its full potential. Make sense?

(And yes, the mystery character I picture Rebecca Riedy voice acting for is Blue Heart. I'll probably add her to the credits during her next appearance, just to be thorough.)

What do you guys think of Blue Heart, by the way? I put a lot of thought into the design, as simple as it turned out, and I'd love the feedback.

And yes, Arfoire does seem to have a bigger skillset than she did in the game, but to be fair, she's meant to be a freaking GODDESS! The fact that all she really did during this fight in the game was swing her spear at shit was just disappointing, no matter how OP her attacks were. I just thought she'd be a more intimidating threat if she could do other things, is all.

Yes, that was a Dragon Shout Dexter used. He's the Dragonborn in another universe.

And, as you can tell from that ending, things aren't going to be quite as simple from here on in as they have been so far. That was kind of a given, anyway. This is a Multiverser story. If you don't throw a spanner in the works, there's little to no actual threat from anyone. The mystery figure at the end will become more prominent as the story goes on, just be patient.

Oh, before I go, some review responses.

GreenDo: Such eloquently thought-out words. (- Sarcasm!)

Hero of the Multiverse: Thanks, mate. Glad to know I'm not disappointing.

hetjagrr: Oh HELL no!

ARSLOTHES: If you think this is interesting, you should read the other Multiverser stories. They've been at this a lot longer than I have, so theirs are much better.

See you next time.

(I'm probably going to be working on uploading the first chapter of my Persona 3 Multiverser story now that I've finished the first two chapters of this and Vampire the Masquerade: Multiverser. So you can expect that relatively soon.)