Title: 100 Days
Rating: PG
Warnings: Non-canon compliance, alternate
Genre: General
Word Count: 1311
Main Character(s): Yuki, mentions of Lt. Marito, Inaho, Asseylum, and others
Pairing(s): None
Summary: Yuki held onto the dwindling hope until the day they meet again. Oneshot.
Disclaimer: is copyright to Urobuchi Gen, Olympus Knights and A-1 Pictures.
AN: A follow up to Boys of Earth. You have to read that part before reading this part. Once again, this is non-canon compliance. I apologize for the off timeline here.
After the battle had been won, after everything was over, after what remained of the Martians soldiers had grudgingly surrendered, Yuki had tried to make her way back to the Aldnoah chamber only to be blocked by twisted pieces of steel and metal and the door had been jammed shut. There was a large hole at the wall but that way into the chamber was a long drop down. The walkway was twisted and bent, broken pieces of metal hanging in midair. She could see Inaho's Sleipiner inside, crumpled like a crushed can. Aside from that, she could barely see anything at all. No amount of calling Inaho's name resulting in any replies. Dread rose from the pit of her belly to her heart.
When the Sleipiner was retrieved from the chamber, Yuki was finally allowed in. She darted in as soon as possible, roughly pushing past some of the crew, ignoring the loud protesting "Hey" at her. The chamber was devoid of any person or bodies. She didn't know whether she should be relieved or horrified. No bodies meant that the princess and Inaho could be alive but it could meant they're dead and someone had removed them. There were blood stains on the floor and walls. More than a person had been shot here. She turned away from the view, not wanting to see more.
There was some bloody boot prints but she couldn't tell where it was headed or whose it was and it scuffed out near a spot. The chamber smelled of smoke, oil and blood. She pressed her lips in a thin line, leaving the chamber with a sinking heart. There were no clues in here that would lead her to Inaho's whereabouts. She wouldn't even know where to find him at this point.
They left the headquarters and Novosibirsk after burying the dead and salvaging whatever's left. Somehow or other, they managed to get the Deucalion down from the landing castle by some unknown feat and sheer logistics. The vessel was loaded onto a long trailer, shielded with tarpaulins. The still alive Martian soldiers were taken by the Russian military. She held no sympathy for them. She had made at least two more attempts to locate Inaho in the now empty and dead landing castle and the areas around it. She'd been accompanied by Lt. Marito the second time. The man said nothing for which she was glad. She wouldn't have wanted to listen to anything at all.
Yuki wouldn't miss the cold or the place. The country was foreign, so far away from her own home with its different language and culture. The memories were bitter, tinged with worry that gnawed at her and fear. Fear that Inaho would never return to her. She missed the concerns in Lt. Martio and Dr. Yagarai's eyes as she rode in the truck with them. Outside of the warm cabin, the wind continued to howl, sending flurries everywhere. Her mind was as chaotic as the storm outside. She started counting down to the days.
Omsk was near to where Novosibirks but they didn't dare to stopover there. It was too near and they were not out of danger yet. They traveled on until they finally reached Moscow. There, they refueled and resupplied before continuing on. To where, Yuki didn't know and she couldn't quite bring herself to care. They ended up at Stavanger. So far, there had yet to be any strikes by the Martians at Norway.
Not yet anyway. It would be a matter of time. The Versian army was bent on destroying them and claiming every inch of earth as their own.
It had been weeks and there was still no news on Princess Asseylum or even Inaho. Everyday, she listened to the news without fail, straining to hear of anything about a boy out there. The only news were of the ongoing war. Five more Martian orbital stations had landed during that time. Cities like Sydney, Singapore, Taipei, Istanbul and Brazil had been wiped out by the Martian forces. Numbers of the dead and injured rose each day. Yuki turned off the news, heartsick and not wanting to hear more of the devastation.
The princess's little maid in waiting, Eddelritto, Yuki recalled, had been distraught and heartbroken since that day. The girl had cried and refused to talk to anyone. Yuki could understand but at the same time, she couldn't. She wasn't giving up on Inaho being alive and that made her able to get up each morning.
While the soldiers on the base were on alert for any possible attack, the pace was still sedate. The Deucalion was in one of the hangars, undergoing repairs. Yuki felt her lip curled in displeasure. Not like the ship was ever going to fly. Without the princess to power the drive, it was as good as useless. Repairing it would be a waste of resources and labour. Still, she said nothing. She knew how important the ship was. It was the only flying vessel that earth's military forces have and their advantage.
Captain Magbaredge had mentioned in passing whether will the Martian ship can be used as a sea vessel instead.
Days passed into weeks. Cities were destroyed, people dead or injured. The Martians marched on, arrogant in their prowess and victory. Nothing in the UFE's forces could withstand their Kataphratcs. Victories by the UFE were few and far in between. Yuki knew that they won in their encounters only because of Inaho's quick wit and insight and sound strategy. Most of the time, they had barely made it out by the skin of their teeth.
She ignored the concern looks she got, ignored that Lt. Marito told her to just let go and ignored that her hope was slowly being chipped down each day. Inaho wasn't gone. Tried as she might to hold onto that hope, it was dwindling and she was just tired. Tired of the looks she got and tired of hanging onto that thin thread.
It was three months and three days counting when she was finally reunited with Inaho.
It didn't happen like she had imagined or even pictured. Instead, it happened in the town in broad day light. She had turned her head just a fraction when she saw him.
His hair was a little longer, the ends curling against the nape of his neck and falling into his eyes. He wore a light winter jacket of a dark brown colour and was talking to a fair-headed boy beside him. The boy was carrying a paper bag filled with groceries. The scene was so domestic and so normal that she was startled to see him. It wasn't until they rounded the corner of a shop, disappearing from her sight that she found her feet were moving.
"Nao-kun!" she cried out, desperate and hoping against all hope. Her heart was beating hard against her ribs.
When he turned, it was him. Right down that non-expression on his face. Save for the slight widening of his eyes, he didn't react at all when she skidded to a stop before him. Instead, he tilted his head to one side and said, "Hello, Yuki-nee." as if he saw her everyday in this town.
Yuki wanted to slap him for that. A hundred days of not seeing each other, not knowing if he was still alive or not and this was what he said to her. Then, sheer relief crashed down onto her and she pulled him into a tight embrace, probably crushing his ribs but she didn't care. She burst into tears. He was here, he was alive and breathing and whole in her arms. Her baby brother was here. She could care less of the spectacle she was making or the looks she was getting.
Inaho was alive. That was all that matters.
Fin.