Onii-chan's absence

"...It's been so long already..."

Nepgear woke up, tired because of the last night. It's been days, if not months, she couldn't sleep correctly, due to a presence missing.

His presence.

---

"May I call you Onii-chan ?"

It may have been a simple question for him, but something important for her. He was the very first man who truly was interested in being friends with her, not because of her divine status nor to ask her any favors later. She was the very first person he met on this world, and thus they bonded easilyn which led to that.

He smiled and accepted, not really understanding the reason behind this and thinking she considered him as an older figure she could relate to, accepting the role of a big brother to her. Her own older sister, Neptune, spent so much time playing the dumb role that Nepgear had to make herself the girl she is today, but that doesn't mean she can't enjoy an older shoulder to rest on, and he accepted that role without hesitations.

But the reason wasn't only that. She didn't noticed it at that moment, but, slowly yet surely, she fell in love with that big brother of hers.

---

Nepgear went to the bathroom, trying to hide the traces of her bad sleep, but nothing could be done against such traces of the last nights. She ended up hiding part of her face with her hair, knowing it couldn't fool anyone but doing it for the sake of Planeptune. Her older sister was missing again for days, thus she had to rule the entire nation by herself, but it was harder to do these days.

"Never give up. For him."

These words straighten her resolve, and after a little bit of fresh water on her face, she got out, ready to begin working.

Even though the pain was still there.

---

"Huh, you want to taste my coffee ?"

The question surprised her, but she accepted after a little bit of teasing. It has been weeks since she started to close the distance between herself and her Onii-chan, and it started to show. Nothing spectacular, but an indirect kiss is already a beginning, isn't it ?

Still, it wasn't enough. Nepgear knew that Histoire went to ask the other Oracles for help in reopening the way for her Onii-chan to go back to his home, stating that "His place is at home", something he accepted after a bit of hesitation. Yet she couldn't resolve herself to let him go before being as close as him as possible, and at that moment, she understood fully what she couldn't pin her mind on.

She knew she loved him. And she knew she wanted him to love her. Even though they might be separated at any moment.

---

"Nepgear ? It's me, Compa"
"Ah, come in !"

Compa entered the room where Nepgear was working, If by her side.

"How are you ?"
"I'm fine, just a little bit of work these days. You know how it is when Onee-chan isn't here, right ?"
"Of course, if only Nep-Nep was doing her work instead of slacking all day, you wouldn't be so full of work, isn't it ?"
"I think so, but I don't want to force Onee-chan to work. And her efforts in accumulating Shares by going on the field by herself work in our favor by increasing morale."

If took the parole with a worrying tone.

"Gear, you know why we're here, right ?"
"Uhh... Why ?"
"...It's been three months since he's gone, right ?"
"Yes..."
"And since then, you missed more than half your sleep. It shows, you know ?"
"I know."
"...How are you dealing with it, outside of that ?"
"...Don't worry. People of Planeptune won't see it. I can-"
"You can't hide it forever, Nepgear !"

Compa raised her voice, tears in her eyes.

"Do you think he'd appreciate seeing you like this, after all these months ? Do you think he'd be happy knowing you were in such state because of his absence ?"

Without a word, Nepgear started crying, not holding back her feelings anymore.

"I... I CAN'T ! I CAN'T WAIT FOR ONII-CHAN ANYMORE !"

---

"Here !"

He gave the Dogoo plush he won to Nepgear. It was just a plush won at an attraction to him, but it was a precious gift to her.

"Thanks !"
"So, what do you want to see next ?"
"I'm a little tired, can we sit somewhere ?"
"Sure."

They went to this fair together with Neptune, If, Compa and several other people, but were quickly separated to others by the sheer amount of people present there. And Nepgear had something in mind she wanted to say that day, so she seized the opportunity to stay with him alone.

"...Aren't you a little lonely, with only me as your company ?"
"N-Not at all, Onii-chan ! Honestly, I'm glad you're here with me !"
"Really ? Thanks."

He turned away to hid the fact she made him blush, and she was too obsessed by her own feelings to be even able to notice it. It was a good moment and she knew it.

"...Onii-chan ?"
"Yes ?"
"...May I tell you something ?"
"Of course, you can tell me everything."
"Y-You won't laugh, promise ?"
"I promise."

He understood at that time, yet didn't want to believe it. However, her insistence to tell him was way too obvious.

"I... I... Onii-chan... I..."

She loved him more than a big brother.

"...You don't need to tell it if you're not prepared."

She loved him more than anyone else.

"I am prepared ! It's just... It's too hard to say it..."

She loved him as a lover, as a man, as the man who she wanted more than anything.

"Fine. How about showing it to me instead ?"

And he loved her too.

"Show it to y..."

She couldn't end her phrase, as he planted a kiss on her lips.

"Like this, I guess ?"
"...Yes..."
"I see. So, let me see... How could I answer to this ? I wonder..."
"..."
"Ah, I have an idea !"

And without her having the time to answer, he kissed her again.

---

She spent the next four hours crying in her bed, the Dogoo plush in her arms, with Compa and If near her. Compa apologized profusely for the first hour, but even her knew she couldn't do anything else.

"Waaaaah... Onii-chan..."
"Don't hold your tears, Ge-Ge. They'll hurt you way more if you hold them, you know ?"

She now acted as her mother, keeping Nepgear hold in her arms and cuddling her how she could.

"I'm going off, Nep is gonna be back soon."
"Go ahead, I'm staying here."
"Fine."

If went down the stairs, leaving Compa alone with a completely messed up Nepgear.

"He won't... He won't come back... Even though... He promised me..."
"Don't say that. You know how much he loves you, right ?"
"Yes... But it's so long now... He must have..."
"He doesn't have forgotten you."
"How do you..."
"I shouldn't tell you... But Neptune's recent absences are related to him."
"...Tell me everything, Compa. Right now."

A light appeared in Nepgear's eyes. Hope wasn't lost.

---

"You... You are leaving ?"

Since her declaration, Nepgear spent as many time as possible with her Onii-chan. She ate with him, she bathed with him, and she spent her nights with him. Yet, all the time they spent didn't let the avoid the unavoidable, and Histoire asked him to tell the news to Nepgear, as he was "the one who had to announce her".

"Histoire finally found a way to bring me back home."
"...I don't want it."
"I know. That's why we talked a long time about it. And we may have found a solution."
"A solution ?"
"There might be a way for me to travel at will between dimensions. More precisely, between yours and mine."
"So... If you're going off, you'll be back ?"
"Of course. I wouldn't be able to go off without that."
"...You won't abandon me ?"
"I won't. I promise."

He kissed her tenderly before wiping the tears that started to flow from her eyes.

"I will come back to you."
"Really ?"
"Really. And in case you're doubting, Histoire and the other Oracles will keep an eye on the dimensional portal to ensure I'll be able to come back at any time."
"I see... You'll come fast, you're sure ?"
"I have been absent from my world for months, I need to reassure people before I'll be coming back. And while I won't be able to bring people back, or to go with anyone else, I can at least grab some of my belongings back to here, right ?"
"...Be as fast as you can, okay ?"
"I will."

---

Quickly, Nepgear went to her wardrobe and began changing herself.

"Let me recap - Arfoire took the opportunity to interfere with the dimensional portal in order to gain power via her alternate other selves, and this is meddling with Onii-chan's return ?"
"True, but there are also traps to lure you, so you sh-"
"I will go. And you won't stop me."
"Ge-Ge..."
"Will you ?"

Compa put herself in front of the door leading to outside.

"Nep-Nep already went to fight in order to solve the problem. She asked us to keep an eye on you and to stop you by any means should you want to join her."
"Onee-chan..."
"She knew the risks and went fighting with a smile. She also asked us to tell you something."
"...What is it ?"

If entered the room at that very moment.

"She said "If Nepgear wants to follow me, tell her I'm not sure of coming back, and that while Planeptune can do without a leader, it'll fall to ruins quickly if both their Goddess and their Candidate disappears.", simply. She also added that "For once, Nepgear wanted something important. And for once, I will fight for her sake. So I can't stay my silly old self.", and honestly, I saw more of her true personality than ever before at that moment."
"...It has been four days, right ? Where did she go ?"
"The Gamindustri Graveyard."
"Three days to go there outside of portals, so she must have fought since then."
"Probably. But you will have to wait."

As Nepgear was about to answer, a highly pitched alarm raised up.

"The front door !"
"Compa, I'm going ! Both of you, stay there !"

If rushed outside, for a moment that felt like an eternity.

---

"So... It is time, I guess."
"Yeah..."

Nepgear held her Onii-chan tightly, with him not saying a word.

"I will miss you."
"Same here."

Both holding back their tears, he took a glance at the dimensional portal that was about to be open.

"It's funny, in a sense."
"Huh ?"
"Would you have guessed that one day, a dimensional traveller would fell on you ? And would you guess you'd end up in love with that dimensional traveller ?"
"Honestly, I wouldn't. I remember Onee-chan's reaction to your landing, though."
"Ahem... "Wait, Noire isn't the dimensional cushion this time ?", isn't it ?"
"Exactly !"
"She immediately got it that I wasn't from here, though, she's way more observant than she seems so."
"Of course."
"You're like her, in a sense."
"How ?"
"Both of you are hiding your true colors. Neptune is a brillant mind hiding herself under a lazy facade to give herself more time to the things she enjoys, while you hide a strong and unalterable will behind that lack of confidence and shyness of yours."
"I'm not that strong, you know."
"I know you are, because I learned to know you. And I don't regret any minute of it."
"Me neither. Spending time with you was the best moments of my life."
"And I'll add more of them when I'll be back, don't worry."
"I don't worry. I'll wait for you."

One last kiss. One last hand held, as both of them were walking toward the portal.

"I love you, Onii-chan."
"I love you too, Nepgear."
"Take care of you."
"You too."

And with one last smile, he left her hand and walked in the portal, not walking back.

---

If came back, with an injured Purple Heart.

"Onee-chan ! What happened ?"
"As expected, it was a trap. Arfoire summoned many of her other selves, and the battle was intense. But we had help."
"Help ?"
"When things went bad for me, I was saved by many others. Many alternative Planeptune Goddesses and Candidates, many people coming at our help because they feared Arfoire's rise in power, or in some cases, because they wanted to help us. And among the faces who went to help, I noticed someone familliar. Someone I didn't expect."
"...Who ?"
"I can't tell you. But that person asked me to give you this."

A simple letter. Nepgear hold it, trembling at the thought of whoever could direct her a letter.

"Can I... Open it ?"
"It's for you, of course you can open it."
"Fine..."

Her fingers were hardly reaching the opening of the letter, and she needed one full minute to make it. But she managed to overcome her fear and open it, revealing a blue-ish paper, with a black ink and a writing she recognized instantly.

"O...Onii-chan..."
"Please read it loud. That was his request."
"Fine..."

She tried to calm herself down and took a big breath before starting to read.

"Dear Nepgear,

If you're reading this letter, it's because my intent of coming back has been hindered by something. Histoire told me the week after I left you that there were disturbances in the dimensional portal and that I should come back as soon as possible if I wanted it to be done, but something blocked me on my way back and I was left with no way to come back to you."

She started to sob, while continuing to read.

"However, don't worry for me... It isn't like I have never found a wall in front of me... And I always found a way... To break it down to pieces... This event won't stop me... Reaching you again... Even if it takes me... Months to come back..."

Tears were flowing, but she didn't end.

"...One last thing... Before I'll end this letter... Remember... Remember..."

One familiar voice came from behind her.

"Remember I'll always love you, Nepgear."