Left Out

Chapter 1 |Lonely|

Arai silently sat on the ground. The soft sound of gunfire sketched into her mind though it was dead silent. This war, why was it still being fought again? The Princess is fine, the Martins know it too. They sent a message. No. The Princess herself sent one and yet there is still a war. War. Fighting. Pain. Sadness. It was all for nothing, nothing. Nothing...

"Arai Yagarai." A voice sounded from the silence of her thoughts. She swiftly turned around to see a student about her age. He had black hair and seemingly a blank face.

"Yes?" She asked, wondering what the sudden interruption was for.

"You are Dr. Soma Yagarai's sister aren't you?" The boy asked, walking into Arai's space. Arai rolled her eyes.

"You came in here, into my, space," She said making circular gestures as if she had a bubble around her, "Just to ask me if Soma was my broher?" The boy nodded, like she had ask a normal question. "What do you want?"

"Dr. Yagarai said you could be of some help." He said, strangely staring into her eyes like he could see something she couldn't.

"And you are..?" She asked as she inspected the boy as he was her.

"Inaho Kaizuka." The boy responded as he waited for her to lift herself from the ground and follow him. She paused for a moment, thinking.

"Do you have a machine in your eye?" She asked after a few moments of silence. Inaho's eyes slightly widened though his face was still giving a boring tone to it.

"How'd you know?" He asked as Arai began to wrapped her feet in white bandage.

"Easy. You stare too long, your eye movement isn't normal, your other eye seems neglected because it's normal, there are small stitches around the edge near your eye, and you just look at me like your understanding ever little aspect of my resolve. Good enough explanation?" She asked, half-joking.

"You noticed all that about me? Well you definitely seem rather useful." Inaho admitted as he focused on her hands that were continuing to wrap her feet. "Why are you wrapping your feet in bandages?" He observed curiously. Arai shrugged looking up at the black-haired boy.

"I don't wear shoes. They don't feel... natural to me." She said as she finished, standing onto her feet, her long brown hair- which had been all parted to one side- fell back into place. Inaho silently watched her from his sholder.

"Do you know what's been happening?" He asked as Arai walked over to the taller boy.

"D-Do I know what's happening? Really.. no, I have no idea what's happened to the Earth. I haven't seen my friends die in front of me, I didn't see my parents cry for their lives, I didn't notice my brother working hours and hours without sleep. No. I don't know what's going on Inaho." She growled, almost yelling at him now.

"No, I'm asking if your up to date with the battle." He said flatly as Arai slightly shook her head.

"I know that the Martin Princess sent a message to the Knights and they are still attacking us." She said, remembering how long ago she had received that news. Months and months ago.

"So you don't know what's going on." Inaho sighed, "The Martins have already taken the Princess. She isn't even wih us anymore."

Arai shrugged, "I don't even care. The whole entire Earth population could be gone and I wouldn't care at all." She said honestly as the two students began to walk.

"Well that just might happen." Inaho said, walking past all of the heavy equipped war machines. A bright orange practice machine was in the middle of them, and that was the one Inaho had his eyes on.

"What might happen again?" She asked, forgetting what they were even talking about.

"Earth's population. It could be here one day, and gone the next." He answered as he climbed into the machine.

"What are you doing?" She asked, "This is obviously a test machine, you practice in it, you don't fight a war with it." She said, studying the orange test machine. "Wait.."

"You're good at observations, you tell me." Inaho said as he waited for Arai to speak.

"Orange.. testing, heavy gear.." She whispered to herself, not only observing, but understanding Inaho's thoughts on the situation as well. "You must have the orange color for attention." She assumed.

"Yes I do." Inaho responded as his sister came into view, looking over at Arai- who was leaned over the metal exterior of the machine and near Inaho's face. Which most likely gave her a different impression on their friendship. Well, maybe not even friends, friendship.

"You use the test machine because it's lightweight, attracts attention to you, and easy to use." She said as a laugh came from her mouth. "Your opponents would do the same amount of damage no matter how much armor you have on you anyways, so their isn't a reason for it anyway..."

"Exactly." Inaho stated, slightly happy that someone on Earth understood him and how he operated. "You know how to operate-" Arai quickly cut him off.

"Am I human or am I human!? Of course I do!" She grinned as she rushed over to one of the armored machines. "This is number A4 asking for permission to launch with Inaho Kaizuka. I repeat, this is A4, asking permission to launch with Inaho Kaizuka." She said as she placed a headset onto her head.

This sure beat staying inside her room, staring at all the nothingness and the loneliness that consumed her. Inaho Kaizuka huh, he seems like a pretty normal student...