Soul-Dimension Neptunia

Chapter 39: The Green Revival

As the secret was laid bare, the truth of Tenma's and Makoto's origins, Tenma decided it was his turn to bare his own secret...which he did but with notable reluctance or hesitation in his voice "Well compared to what secrets we were told...what I have is not so...long. The reason I wanted to fight...to ensure the CPU's didn't outright vanish was to ensure. She's been trapped in a hospital bed since then, never getting any better...if anything getting marginally worse"

"What is the ailment that afflicts your Mom?" asked Blanc 

"According to the doctors...she has Share-Dark Toxicosis, where her body has taken in too much energy...and is unable to purge it. She...became ill two years after you had all gone"

"Mom...had a job at a game factory company" Makoto said this time "Helping with packaging and stuff like that, one day she was asked to deliver a package to someone in the engine room...on the day she...wasn't feeling well"

"The engine room...had an active exposed sharacite core, which powered the factory. Apparently the higher-ups left it exposed so it could pump out more energy for them to work with. When Mom went by there...she collapsed to the ground, and was there for some time bathed in the light of the crystal. The close proximity meant her body took in the share-energy...crippling her strength and leaving her bedbound"

Tenma sighed "originally the prognosis was more positive, the share energy just had to be siphoned but...then came the full scope of her problem. It turns out...since the CPU's were gone, the Sharacite Core was no longer as pure as it could be, Mom...had actually partially took in Nega-Share energy - thanks to Arfoire I'll add - and as the energy of the world grew more corrupted...as did the energy trapped in her body" 

"Mom...was now fully bed-bound" Makoto added with some torment "She...couldn't be cured at all. At best her health could only be merely...maintained"

"Removing the energy forcefully from her body...would've crippled her physically thus the only means of a cure...was...was..." Tenma sighed, eyes closed and head hung "The positive power of Green Heart, our nation's Goddess. We were told perhaps another CPU could do, but the chances weren't guaranteed. In-fact...we were outright told...to not have much hope. If the CPU's were to vanish entirely...the positive energy of the world would go with it...then...then..." he struggled to bring himself to finish 

"Mom...would be entirely corrupted...and...eventually perish from this world" Makoto finished.

Nepgear looked up "So...that's why you...didn't want us gone. It was because you...wanted to help your Mother"

"I...can't blame that reasoning...or your great hesitation either" Uni said to them "Its not that you didn't believe we could do it...but with your Mom been so sick...you just wanted to be sure"

"There's that...but there's another reason for my actions and thoughts" Tenma said to them "and its not something I'm proud of either. Growing up...there was always one thing I was afraid of, it was...been useless, inadequate and no good to anyone. Its not that I was afraid of weakness, somewhat, it was more...I wanted to be useful in someway. This was emphasised more so...a year or so after Mom's illness"

Tenma looked up to the ceiling "It was...a rainy day in Leanbox, the sky covered in murky cloud...me and MAkoto, roughly about 11/12, were coming back from this store with some food but it didn't end well. Makoto wasn't feeling too good that day, I told her to stay at home but she insisted on coming...and I wasn't feeling terrific myself. I remember feeling warm, tired...heavy and as we made it back, Makoto collapsed in the street"