It's fascinating how much of a difference the inclusion of a single OC can make in a story. Good writers in particular have a knack for figuring out how much of a difference it can make. I hope to be able to achieve that kind of excellence, hence an inclusion of an OC in this Aldnoah Zero fanfic.
"Are you sure I can't come with you?" The young girl asked.
"Asseylum, we've been over this before. In case something happens to me, you're to be heir to the throne. The title of crown princess practically belongs to you already. After all, only the Orbital Knights are aware of my existence at the moment." The slightly older boy said.
"I really wish I could go also, though. Slaine has told us so much about Earth. And you're only a year older than me! It's not fair!"
"Who knows, maybe you'll be able to visit in the future. You'd definitely make a much better ambassador than me, after all. After all, you've already got Slaine wrapped around your finger."
"That is NOT true. Besides, you've been doing so much more studying than I have. You'd definitely be the better diplomat." Asseylum pouted.
"Knowledge isn't everything, you know. Being an ambassador isn't always about just being able to talk. It's about being able to inspire people to listen to what you have to say."
"You could do that. It's why I look up to you."
"Despite being only a year younger than me? My goodness, I must have made quite the impression." The boy chuckled.
"How could you not make an impression? Older siblings are supposed to do that, aren't they?"
"I suppose they are. I should get going now. The shuttle leaves in a couple minutes."
The girl looked wistfully at him. "Japan, huh? I sure would like to visit there. Stay safe, would you? "
The boy turned around, smiling at his younger sister. "I will. You take care as well, little sister."
With that, Aleksander Vers Allusia left for the shuttle, which would take him to a new life on Earth.
Seven Years Later…
"Hey, did you hear? The princess of Vers is supposed to visit us tomorrow! Wouldn't it be cool to get to see her in person?" Okisuke asked.
Alek Audet glanced over from the book he was reading to look at the biggest pervert in their little group of friends. "You know, you could just watch it from a television. I don't think it's really worth all that trouble. The only reason I'm going is because the student council is helping with traffic."
"Alek! She's a princess! This is like a once in a lifetime chance! I mean, how often are we going to be able to see some kind of royalty?"
You see one every single day when you go to school with me. But I guess you don't know that. Alek thought, remembering that no one knew of his identity as Aleksander Vers Allusia, prince of Vers, grandson to Emperor Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, as well as older brother of Asseylum Vers Allusia.
Granted, no one knew that, thanks to the power of Aldnoah, which had a ridiculous number of practical uses, from being an energy source to being able to change appearances through a hologram of sorts. At the moment, Alek had currently used it to disguise himself so that his normally short, cropped blond hair was a longer, light shade of brown that covered his forehead. He had left his eyes the color that they were, seeing as it wasn't too uncommon to see purple eyes around.
Deep down though, Alek wanted to go to the parade. It had been forever since he had last spoken to his sister in person, and video chats just weren't the same. It didn't help that he lived by himself. He figured that it would be better to go talk to her afterwards at the embassy, as it was much easier to avoid the crowd that way and it would preserve his secrecy. Seven years was a long time to wait before reuniting with family and friends.
Alek had made a request to his grandfather in order to go to Earth seven years ago in order to learn more about them. After all, Slaine wasn't necessarily the greatest source of information regarding Earth, even if he was from there. The emperor agreed, on the condition that he would take the throne once he returned to Vers. In the situation where Alek was unable to rule, Asseylum would take the throne.
A few moments later, Inko and Nina got on the bus. "Hey everyone, what's going on?" Inko asked.
"Okojo's being his regular pervert self and playing video games." Calm said.
"O-oi!"
Alek sighed. "You guys are a lively bunch, as always."
"True, true. Hey, don't we have that quiz on the history of the establishment of the Vers Empire?"
"Wha- really?" Okisuke asked.
"You know, you would probably know that if you had paid attention in class instead of trying to sneak playing your video games." Alek said with a sigh.
"Well excuse me, Mr. Perfect-Scores-on-Every-Test."
"That would be Inaho. That guy's a monster when it comes to intellectual stuff. Sure I get straight A's, but Inaho's been breaking the records that I set when I was in your grade. It's almost ridiculous how he pulls it off."
"It shouldn't be that surprising that you get high scores. You're one of the top students after all. And the president of the Student Council! You must spend lots of time studying, right?" Calm asked.
Oh yeah, I definitely have plenty of time for studying, especially with Asseylum pestering me with questions almost every single day after I get home. Not to mention the extra exercises I do on top of that. Alek thought to himself. "I just study the same amount as everyone else. Nothing special to it."
Alek watched as Inko and Nina began scrolling through the material they would need to know for the history quiz. He couldn't help but let his eyes rest on Inko. He knew it was pointless, but he was infatuated with the girl. She had a great mindset for success, as well as a nice figure. To top things off, she could get people to work, something he could value in an empress.
Get real, Alek. She's a Terran and you're the crown prince of Vers. There's no way things can work out between the two of you.
"Oh, hey Inaho!" Okisuke said, as the bus stopped and let on another passenger.
The group looked up to see their (practically) emotionless friend raise his hand in greeting. The surprise was that only Inaho was there. Not his sister.
"Eh? Yuki's not with you?" Inko asked.
"Aneki overslept. But if she picks up her pace, she should be able to make it in time for drills." Inaho said.
"Oh yeah, I'm helping to supervise for that also." Alek remembered.
"How could you shirk your duty to escort our Goddess of Tuesdays?" Calm said with a slightly joking manner.
"Maybe she's Penivia." Inaho mused.
"Who's that?"
"The goddess of laziness."
Alek couldn't help but laugh. It certainly did fit the style of Yuki Kaizuka, the local lazy warrant officer.
"Laziness is fine. Folks who plan to go to college don't need to worry about drills!" Okojo said. A few moments later, the bus entered a tunnel and he lost focus on his game.
"Oh? You're going to go to college? You might want to brush up on your studies more, then. I don't know if schools are going to accept people who flunk their midterms." Alek jested.
"Hey! How about Calm? He got a C minus on the last tactical exercises!" Okojo retorted.
"At least I didn't flunk the midterms!"
"I've been taking notes on every little thing. I'm taking back my title as top of the class."
"You sure are psyched to take down Inaho, Inko." Nina smiled at her best friend.
Alek found it adorable. Of course, he didn't say anything. Even when he wasn't being tracked, a prince like him had to have standards.
As the bus exited the tunnel, everyone turned to look at the area that was still under construction.
"Disaster relief, huh? I guess even after all these years, things are still being rebuilt." Calm said.
"It's been fifteen years since Heaven's Fall. The martian bastards really went crazy, huh?"
Alek was silent as he bore witness to the fruits of his father's warmongering. It really was something, seeing the results of something set in motion by a greedy father.
"Japan's in a much better condition than the place Nina and I come from."
"Aren't things getting better now? We have a cooperative policy with Mars, after all. And there's even a goodwill ambassador that's coming in a couple days." Inko pointed out.
"Oh, you mean that Vers princess! What's her name again? Assay? Easy?"
Alek sighed. "Asseylum Vers Allusia. That's her name." It would be rather awkward if I forgot my sister's name.
"Wow, Okisuke. It's no wonder you flunked your midterms."
"Bite me!"
After Alek got home, he went over to his display, where he kept a small screen that he used in video conferences. Turning it on, he connected it to the Landing Castle that was in orbit above Japan.
A few moments later, the screen buzzed as the face of a blond man who blinked in surprise when he saw him.
"Who are you? And how did you get in contact with a Landing Castle?"
Ah, right. The disguise. Alek took a moment to dissolve the disguise. "My apologies, Count Cruhteo. I just came back from school."
A few seconds later, the count took a knee in respect. "It is I who should apologize, Prince Aleksander. I did not consider the possibility that you were still in your disguise. I will take any punishment you see fit."
Alek laughed lightly. "Count Cruhteo, you should know by now that my sister and I care little for the formalities given to us by our progeny as royalty. This is hardly the first time that you have restrained yourself from a scolding that I most definitely deserved."
He could still remember all the times that he, Asseylum, and Slaine had gotten into trouble while playing around on Vers. While Slaine could have gotten off with a heavier sentence than the two royals, it never came to that because both Alek and Asseylum would claim that they were of equal guilt to Slaine. No one was willing to punish a member of royalty to the same degree that they would a Terran, after all. While it didn't completely stop the beatings that Slaine would receive from time to time, it certainly reduced the number of beatings he received.
Cruhteo allowed himself to stand up before returning Alek's smile with a smile of your own. "Regardless of the past, your highness, I will not allow myself to be beaten in a competition of decorum."
"All decorum aside, is my sister there?" Alek asked.
"You actually just missed her. The shuttle left the Landing Castle a few minutes ago. She'll be arriving on the surface in a couple hours." Cruhteo said.
Alek sighed in disappointment. "I'll remember to visit her after the parade. I just hope she stays safe while she's here."
"As do I. Prince Aleksander, this may be unnecessary, but—"
"I know. I must maintain my anonymity on Earth in order to keep people from knowing who I am. I'll be careful. In the meantime, how is Klancain doing?"
The count's expression brightened upon mention of his son. "He's doing well for himself. When the time comes, I believe he will be a worthy successor."
"You think well of him." Alek smiled.
"Well, a father's pride is his son, after all."
Alek remained silent for a while as Count Cruhteo took a moment to realize what he said. "Forgive me, my lord. I did not mean to open old wounds."
Said prince shook his head. "It's alright, Count Cruhteo. While I never really got to know my father, it does not stop me from appreciating what I have now. If anything, you are just as much of a father to both me and my sister."
The count blinked before bowing. "I am honored, your highness, that you would think of me as such."
A moment later, Alek's doorbell rang. "I'm sorry, to cut this short, but I need to answer the door. Hopefully, we'll get to talk again soon."
"I understand. I will talk to you later, your highness." With that, the channel was shut off.
"He's never going to stop with the formalities, is he?" Alek muttered under his breath.
"Hey, Alek, are you there?" Inko's voice rang out from the door.
Alek took a moment to reapply his disguise before going to the door, heartbeat quickening a bit at the sight of the girl he was slowly becoming infatuated with. "Hey Inko, what's up?"
"I need to go over the plans for tomorrow's parade with you. We don't necessarily have enough personnel to help out with keeping the parade orderly."
"Just ask some more people for help. They'd probably listen to you. Just don't get desperate and mention that you would even use trained monkeys and you'll be fine."
"How did you know I was going to say that?" Inko was a bit red.
Alek smiled. "You've done similar things since middle school."
As Count Cruhteo closed off the connection, he couldn't help but feel respect for the man he had helped raise. Aleksander Vers Allusia was an exceptional man. While he wasn't as well known to the people of Vers as his sister was, there was no doubt in the count's mind that Aleksander would be a fine emperor when he ascended the throne.
"Count Cruhteo, Count Saazbaum wishes to speak with you."
"Patch him through."
Count Saazbaum's face appeared onscreen. "I hear that Princess Asseylum has just left?"
Cruhteo nodded. "Prince Aleksander just contacted me, wishing for her safety. If something happens to her, it will be my fault for failing to dissuade her."
"You should not be so concerned, Cruhteo. Prince Aleksander has spent years on the planet without anything happening to him. Besides, the Orbital Knights will not take an attack on our princess sitting down. Surely the Terrans know that."
It was no secret to the Orbital Knights that Alek had wanted to travel to Earth for a long time, even pestering his own grandfather for the longest time until he caved in. Not all the Orbital Knights approved, though. Some even considered him a traitor to the people, though those were few and spread out.
"No one on Earth knows of Prince Aleksander's identity. The princess does not have such luxury. One can only hope that the Terrans know better than to interact with the princess with harmful intention."
"Unless it was the Terrans plan to provoke a fight all along. Who knows, it may be a blessing in disguise for the Orbital Knights." Count Saazbaum mused.
Cruhteo was disgusted. "Count Saazbaum, such a thought disgusts me. Never mention it to me again."
"My apologies, Count Cruhteo. You must remember though, the Orbital Knights have longed to touch the surface of the blue planet for a long time, and would gladly take an opportunity to do so."
It really is a beautiful day today. Alek thought as he directed traffic away from the parade. Though he was essentially stuck with crowd control for the parade, the weather was nice. Maybe he could see his sister today.
It was a tad bit disappointing when he realized that the limo that Asseylum was riding had tinted 200 mm bulletproof glass. In retrospect, it made sense. After all, it was meant to keep the princess safe.
Looking up at the bridge, he noticed Inko trying to get Calm, Okisuke, and Inaho to help out. Only problem was, it wasn't working.
Alek sighed before pressing his finger to his earpiece to call Inko. Infatuated as he may be, he was not about to let it get in the way of getting the job done.
Inko tapped her earpiece. "Hello?"
"Inko, I know we're understaffed, but unsuccessfully convincing people to help is not going to improve our situation. We're another man down because you're not helping."
"H-hey, I'll come back with someone in a couple minutes at most, alright?"
"…try to be quick."
Inko closed the call for a moment before sighing.
"Was that Alek?" Calm asked.
Inko nodded. "He wants me to get back to helping direct the traffic. I think he's kind of mad that I made him take my spot so I could get you guys to help. So how about? Can any of you help? How about you, Inaho?"
"We should leave now. A missile's coming this way."
Inaho's statement was met with confused stares. A few seconds later, Alek's voice popped up on Inko's earpiece. "Did you get any help yet—"
A sudden explosion cut off Alek, as missiles began raining down on the parade in quick succession. Three missiles came through, cutting through the limousine's escort. The limo managed to make it away from the explosions, though it tumbled over after avoiding the next two missiles.
As everyone got up again to see the upturned limo, they saw the princess slowly crawl out of the wreckage before getting up.
Inko suddenly heard Alek's voice cry out through her earpiece. "Asseylu—"
The last missile cut off his voice, as the explosion consumed both the vehicle and the princess.
The crown prince of Vers could only stare in horror as the wreckage went up in flames. As he slowly recovered, he realized that Inko was pestering him through the earpiece.
"Alek! Are you alright?"
Alek shook his head before replying through the mic. "I'm not hurt."
"What WAS that though?"
"…That was a declaration of war."
"Alek… are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine." He lied.
He had just watched his sister die with his very own eyes. How could he be fine?
As Count Cruhteo listened to Count Saazbaum's speech without much thought, he tried to get in contact with Prince Aleksander. After a couple minutes of worry, he finally got through.
"Prince Aleksander! Are you alright?" He asked, relieved to see him.
"I just watched my sister go up in flames. How do you think I feel?" He asked with almost a dead expression.
Cruhteo's face dropped. "I'm sorry, my prince. This was my fault. Had I convinced the princess not to go on this mission, she would still be here."
"It's not your fault. It's the fault of the assassins." Alek replied, still feeling dead on the inside.
"My lord, we'll send in an extraction team for you before the war gets too out-of-control."
"No." Alek's answer was short.
"My lord?" Cruhteo was confused.
"Two reasons. First off, there's no guarantee that the military forces on Earth would not hold me hostage if they pieced together that I was to be extracted. Secondly, there's a good chance that there would be a firefight if the extraction team came for me. I could get involved in the explosions if the team isn't careful. It will be safer for me to go with the ongoing evacuation. Just remember to avoid any vehicles that look like they travelled from Shinawara, whether it be by ground or sea."
"I understand, my lord."
"Connection will probably be cut off the moment the first Landing Castles enter the ground. I won't be able to talk to you for a while. I also can't take this display with me. It would be too suspicious. If I find an opportunity, I'll try to get a message to you. Otherwise, expect no communication from me. Is that clear?" Alek's voice left no room for argument.
"Y-yes, my lord." Cruhteo was shocked.
"If you think I might be among a group of faces, have Slaine Troyard identify them. He knows what my disguise looks like. Aside from that, I will try to make my way to the UFE embassy in order to get a message out."
The count was somewhat put off by having to use the Terran for such an important task, but he complied. Troyard was loyal, after all. "I will do so. Stay safe, Prince Aleksander."
As the communication channel went dark, Alek stood up. He knew he was going to be late for the ferry, but the best he could do at the moment was to try and catch one of the vehicles still picking up stragglers. From there, he could probably make an eventual path to the UFE embassy to make contact with
However, he had a very different goal in mind.
"I don't care who they are." Alek muttered to himself. "I don't care how many of them there are either. I will avenge my sister."
And scene.
I just started (and finished) Aldnoah Zero less than a week ago, and couldn't help but try my hand at making a change in the story through the introduction of an OC (because unfortunately enough, that is the only way I know how to make a change in the story).
So yeah, there's that. I'm planning to have a total of 24 chapters for this story, probably an epilogue as well. Basically follow the same number of episodes. No idea as to how frequent updates will be as of yet. College will probably be the determining factor.