Aldnoah Zero: Repentance

Chapter 1: Life of Guilty

(Somewhere in Northern Germany) (Four months since the fall of U.E.F Headquarters)

Beautiful…

That was perhaps the millionth time Princess Asseylum thought about it as she gazed deeply at the setting sun from the comfort of her new home by the beach of an unknown land. Her feet dipped in the sand, only to be curled up by the waves from the sea. No matter how many times she looked at it, the view of that simple orange ball takes her breath away. Perhaps it was because there was nothing like it in the world she came from. The natural beauty of nature taking its course was far superior to the bright neon lights of the palace or the artificial sun of the cities. She could easily say that neither of which could hold its own to the splendor of the sun.

It seemed so easy to understand why the people of Vers would want to conquer such a place. To live in a place with such abundance of air, water and natural life and rich with history and culture, would simply be called paradise. What the Vers called Heaven, the Terrans called it 'Mediocre'.

Envy and greed would probably play a heavy role in what the Orbital Knights do today.

"Princess?" The girl's nostalgic moment was interrupted by the voice of her near-lifelong companion.

"Slaine…" She muttered much to the boy's surprise.

"Your Highness! Please. You shouldn't be out here in the cold. Your wounds haven't healed yet." Slaine rushed to the girl's side placing an old worn-out military shirt over her shoulders.

The girl bowed apologetically but remained in place. "Forgive me. I was looking at the sun again and I guess I lost track of time. I didn't mean to upset you." The Princess placed her hand over her chest where bandages were wrapped around to cover the bullet-hole that was inflicted. She also had a wound over her left eye which left a brutal scar on her face. "The bandages you placed are soak again… aren't they?"

It was only thanks to Slaine's medical skills and the sturdiness of her protective gear that she was able to survive the two attacks that were directed to take her life.

"I keep telling you that you shouldn't move around too much. The stitching has barely healed."

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled back hinting the boy to stop.

Slaine knew well what the Princess was going through. Despite her strong demeanor and peaceful smile, he knew that deep down she was probably resenting every waking moment of her life.

For she was the reason of the war that was occurring now. To know deeply that millions of lives all over the world were suffering because of her actions was simply… too much for one soul to take. And to pour salt to that wound, she was enjoying herself here. Enjoying her stay in this isolated beach where no one could reach you.

A guilty soul, trying to enjoy a bit of paradise…

Slaine tried his best to make the Princess forget, to ease her pain. It was a stroke of fortune that he was able to find this refuge away from the war after the battle that took place a few months back.

Riding on the captured Kataphrakt, he flew the Princess as far as his bones could take him. Eventually he decided to settle here, away from it all. Away from conflict, from battle, from all the painful memories the Princess had to go through. A part of him wishing, hoping that their days could remain like this forever.

"I'll have dinner ready. Please don't exert yourself too much." The boy pleaded earning a nod from the Princess before returning to the small lodge by the beach.

Once he was out of sight, Asseylum resumed her gaze at the setting sun as it sank deeper into the ocean. Such a beautiful moment, she wished for it to go on just a little bit longer.

…

…

…

Dinner was uneventful at best. Slaine wasn't exactly the best cook in the house but his meals were edible at the very least. He had to make sure that the plants and mushrooms he picked out weren't dangerous and the fish he catches by the sea were fresh. There were times where the boy would go to the nearby woods and set small traps catching a rabbit or two for a small feast.

All the utensils and furniture were provided by the lodge. Slaine thought at one point in time, this place might've served as a home for a family evident by the few portraits that were still in good condition. The Princess was worried that they might've become uninvited guests, but after living here for some time, the family was never to be seen. She could only pray for their well being and hope that they managed to escape the chaos.

After cleaning the dishes and putting away the tables, Asseylum returned to her room. Thankfully the house itself had two bedrooms which gave them some manner of privacy in this isolated place.

But the Princess could not sleep. No… it was more that she didn't want to sleep.

Though the Princess would admit that the clear blue sky and the sun were beautiful to watch all day long, she would privately say that the immense brightness held no candle to the romantic feel of the moon and her twinkling stars. If she had to compare which time of day she liked the most, her fingers will instantly point at the direction of the night.

There was just something about the clear night sky and the soft glow of the moon that made her feel cool. Perhaps it was a quiet reminder of home, or perhaps she was just afflicted by the stars that danced in her eyes. She didn't really bother to care. All that she knew that she loved it and that was really all that mattered. The Princess even thought that she was living in an entirely two separate worlds. It made her laugh how foolishly naïve she was to the natural order of Earth.

(The next morning)

Slaine was one to busy himself when the sun was at its peak. It has become a daily chore but his stamina and endurance were up to par. Though it would be ironic to say it out loud, the boy had to say that his rough life within the Martian Nobility had some part to play in his constitution.

Taking in stock of the provisions they had, the boy noted that they had more than enough food to last them the whole week. A month if rationed correctly. Seeing as there was plenty for them to go by, the boy decided to take it easy and fish by the nearby pier. The fish often bites this time of day.

The gentle wind and calming waves were a welcome treatment to the boy's health. The war took much of his childhood and his innocence. All the bloodshed, the conspiracy, and the hatred outlook of conflict… he needed to get away from it all. In fact… he never wanted to be part of such a thing ever again. A quiet slice of the world was all that he desired for him and the Princess.

"Do you mind if I join you?" The boy's attention was startled by the beautiful Princess that called to him.

Slaine paused, marveling at the Princess's soft gaze before he realized that he had to answer. "N… no, of course not. Please go ahead." The girl gladly joined him by the pier, dipping her feet in the shallow water. She was close… so incredibly close that he could almost feel her skin at his shoulder. It made him blush, flustered to their proximity. The boy was so nervous that he didn't even notice his fishing lure bobbing its head.

"Ah! Slaine look! You got a catch!" Asseylum announced making the boy pull with all his strength, and to his luck, his catch wasn't exactly what he expected. "Uwa! Amazing! I've never seen a fish like this one before."

"Uh… that's not a fish…" Slaine replied pulling the big thing to his net. "It's a crab—and a big one too." The Princess tilted her head in question. "They usually stay in shallow areas so it's normal to catch one or two and they're delicacy in some countries."

"Incredible. A different animal every day." The Princess held the little thing in her hand and looked directly into its eyes. "How can you even eat something so hard?" She then dropped it to the water when the little critter snapped one of its claws at her. "Uwa! Oh no."

Slaine simply laughed. "They can be a bit shy and defensive when threatened."

And just like that, the tension between the two died down. For the rest of the morning, the Princess remained ever by the boy's side, pulling one fish to the net at a time. The soothing wind, the calm waves. It was a peaceful life. A pointless yet, fortunate existence.

If only this life would go on forever…

And just before the peaceful silence lulled the Princess to sleep, a sudden gust of wind startled both of them apart. Immediately she bolted upward from the pier, the fish scattered, the calm waves raged.

"What the?" Slaine, sensing the same feeling of dread quickly jolted from his seat darting his eyes towards the rising sun. And from there, he could see in the distance a flotilla of ships sailing in their direction.

"Those are… Terran ships." Asseylum recognized their design for she spent many days in one such ship herself. But these were larger, faster and many of them had barrels of weapons that she had never seen before.

Another gust of wind came and following it were flocks of jets and helicopters that flew overhead.

Slaine returned to her side and covered her head. "Princess, please get down! It's dangerous!" The girl followed and the two quickly abandoned the pier leaving their morning catch back into the sea.

Soon after the planes and ships came into sight, explosions followed afterward coming in the direction of where the jets headed. Gunfire and whistling missiles were joined, blackening the sky with large puffs of smoke.

It was all just a memory. A bad nightmare. The Princess wanted to say that it was, but there was no denying it. She wanted to forget it, the war, the deaths, all of it. But life wasn't about to let her do that. Just when she thought she could stay here. Live an ordinary peaceful life with someone she cared for, perhaps… that would be enough.

But no matter how much she tried to bury it, the world seemed to have a way of reminding her of it.

The explosions and gunfire in the distance was an answer that the boy wasn't hoping for. As they exited the lodge and gaze southward towards a long ruin of structures, they could make out the mortar shells and fire in the distance. A fierce battle was raging and it seemed obvious that the Martian Knights were involved in it.

The booming sounds of rockets came forward, followed by roaring engines of fighter planes and helicopters. The Terrans were launching a massive counterattack with what little power they had in hand, and it was plain to see… they weren't winning. Without Aldnoah, the power that the Martian Knights possessed, the gap between their strength became immeasurable. Like unconscious lambs, these soldiers were sent to the slaughterhouse, only to have their hopes shattered by the cold reality.

Every spark that shot through the air made the Princess gasp and flinch. Though she could not see it, she was well aware that people were dying. They were literally throwing themselves at their enemies, fighting in the name of survival. Quite a pointless effort.

"Princess. Please return to the house." Slaine advised but his voice only reached deaf ears. Asseylum continued to look at the blackened sky watching the fires of war erupting once again. His words were drowned by the gun barrels exploding in the distance.

"No…" Asseylum begged as she muffled her tears. "Please… no more." Weakened and knowing well what was occurring on the other side of their little paradise, the Princess' legs unbuckled and she fell on her knees.

"Princess Asseylum!" The blonde boy rushed to her side in panic, grabbing her just as she fell. The girl buried herself on his chest sobbing. She cried fully in despair, only to find her voice muffled in Slaine's clothes. She pleaded to the knights, her grandfather, to Slaine, even to the gods above for it to stop. For the senseless slaughter to end. She couldn't take it anymore. All the deaths, the burden she had to bear, the sins of her crimes weighed on her shoulder. They were too much.

Slaine could do nothing but embrace the Princess in return. He could only ease her pain, not erase it. Only he could do that…

Asseylum wondered if this was the price she had to pay for her selfishness. The price for the world to pay for her coming here.

'Is there no one left who can put an end to the Knights' Folly?'

Only one face came to the Princess' mind.

"Inaho… san…"

(Somewhere in Siberia)

In a quiet room deep within the caves of a hidden base, a lonesome boy awoke from his slumber as if answering the pleas of the Princess.

"Welcome back to the land of the living… or at least that's what I'd like to say."

A/N: Someone told me to watch Aldnoah Zero. He said, 'Yeah, this will totally get your MVLV feel again' TOTAL BS man! It just got me pissed and annoyed to no end and forced me to write this fanfic cuz there's no way I can hold it in until January!