Shipwrecked
By: XBlue-PhoenixX
"Master, equipment request granted. You will receive one parachute, a high powered emergency signal transponder, one fully loaded survival packet, and a your escort will be Flight Sergeant Yumi in a model TS-19 helicopter transport."
"Thanks. Now all we have to do is wait two more days to reach the planet, that is when things will getting tough."
"Till then let's continue to go over the data. I have this strange feeling I can't shake."
"Master?"
"Yes, Cross Mirage?"
"I think you should be honest with yourself..."
Tia glared at her device. "I am honest with myself!"
"Really?" It asked, in an almost teasing tone.
"Gah, I am going to go get something to eat!" Tia huffed, throwing her chair back. She glared at the two flight deck crewmembers. "What are you looking at!"
"N-nothing, ma'am!" they answered in unison, shrinking away from the anger enforcer.
Storming down to the canteen she grabbed a plate and loaded it high with noodles. Flinging it onto the table, she slammed herself down with a huff. Luckily no one else was in there, then again it was three a.m.
Tia put her face into her hands and sighed. "This has to stop. I can't keep this up." she stabbed her noodles uselessly. "Everyone seems to know how I feel but her..." she twirled some noodles onto her fork. "But what if she doesn't feel that same way?" she took a bite, chewed and swallowed. "I could lose my best friend." Tia placed her fork on her plate and pushed it away, staring at the plain blue table.
"Though..." she mused, "Subaru would probably be her stupidly kind self and try to fix everything. Sure things would be VERY awkward for a while but Subaru would be too stubborn to let our friendship end there."
She drummed her fingers on the table. "No!" She slammed her hand down. "I couldn't do that to her. Subaru...Subaru is too good for that; for me."
Picking up her plate she scraped all of the left overs into the trash and made her silent march back to her temporary room.
"Subaru? Hey Subaru open the door!" Lily slurred through her painful jaw.
Quickly running over to the door Subaru swung it open, and Lily pushed her way inside before slamming the door shut with her back. Leaning against the door she looked around nervously.
"What in the world...?" Subaru cast a blank look at her friend. Lily's light blue hair was styled in intricate braids that fell down her back and she dressed in a long, purple, sleeveless robe that had a golden belt with matching golden gloves and boots.
"Don't say a word!" Lily she mouthed, sluggishly.
"Lily you can talk!" Subaru pointed out, same clueless stare on her face.
Grunting Lily replied, "They gave me this seaweed face mask last night that healed me right up. Never mind that we need a plan!" she peeked out the window cautiously. "I think that they are up to something..."
Subaru slinked over next to her. "Why do you think that?"
Lily slide down to the ground as a group of armored elves walked past. "They seem to be decorating the town for a celebration or something like that. I haven't seen so many of the elves out at one time before, there also seem to be a lot of small cooking fires."
Subaru nodded in agreement, "So you think they are having a festival or something like that?"
"Maybe. Whatever it is, I have a bad feeling about it. It can't to happy a celebration if it requires this many guards..."
Subaru whispered dramatically, "You don't think that they would...you know."
"Know what?" Lily asked leaning in.
"Sacrifice the captives!" Subaru hissed dramatically, contorting her face.
BAM! "Don't even joke about things like that! For we know they could very well be preparing side dishes to go along with us!" Lily rubbed her knuckles that she had just smashed against Subaru's head.
"Owww," Subaru rubbed the welt on her head. "I was just kidding, geez."
"Kidding or not that is a possibility. In primitive tribes like this one human sacrifice is more common than uncommon. Be on your toes none the less." Lily whispered pulling out a piece of charcoal she hid in her robe. Moving aside a pillow she made a crude drawing, "This is the village, or at least what I have seen of it. Here," she pointed near the house labeled with an S, "starts the forest. I would say that our best bet is sneaking under the cover of the night a tomorrow evening."
"Whoa hold on there!" Subaru held up a hand, "Why are you in such a rush?"
Lily blushed and looked away, "The elves here are starting to really creep me out...but I have a valid reason!" she stated defensively.
"And what is that?" Subaru asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Ah, I'll tell you later..." Lily said dismissively.
"No, tell me now or I call off any plans." Subaru said, crossing her arms in a pout.
Hanging her head defeat Lily spoke barely audible, "Some of my...ah...caretakers...um...have been...wooing me! There I said it!"
Subaru repeated what she heard slower to get decipher the words, "Woo, to woo? Oh crap," she paled looking at her friend. "Still that doesn't mean we should just up and go..."
"Subaru," Lily sighed blushing bright red, "The reason I think we should leave is more complicated than that. They also...they did something to save Haruka, but it she seems different. It is kind of hard to explain. When they found out that she and I had snuck out, well, a portal swallowed her up."
"Can't be, how on Mid-Childa could they do that? What did they do to her?" Subaru asked in surprise.
Lily scratched her cheek shyly, "They did stuff."
"Stuff?"
"You know stuff..."
"I am not getting where this is going..."
"They had...ah...intimate contact!"
"So they talked to each other?" Subaru asked innocently.
"God Subaru are you really that dense. They kissed! Spell it with me k-i-s-s-e-d!"
"Oh..."
"Of course what did you think I meant?" Lily asked, peering at her friend.
"Ahahaha, n-nothing at all. But, Haruka just went along with it?
"Yeah...She knew that she wasn't going to make it without proper medical attention and when the told her about this 'god cure' she took them up on it...They brought in one of the older elves, she looked to be in twenties. She was wearing a crown of sorts," she rubbed her eyes. Settling down she looked downcast, "Then this morning Haruka was up and about again, not totally healed mind you but certainly alive. She also has this odd mark on the palm of her hand..."
"You think that the elf is the one that made the portal?" Subaru asked. "But how did she known where Haruka was, unless the mark is actually some really advance form of tracing magic?"
"Could be but I doubt it. Sir James didn't pick up anything any signs that the mark was magical in any way," she referred to the device that was wrapped her wrist.
The two froze as they heard more people calling out Lily's name. "I had better sneak back, meet in the forest just behind your hut at midnight our time tomorrow night alright," she crawled over to another window stepping out of it.
That night during a dinner Subaru started talking to Gilos, asking her general questions that she could easily answer.
Taking another swallow of broth, glad to be feeding herself for a change, Subaru turned her attention to Gilos. "So are you getting ready for a party?" she asked vaguely.
"Pah-ty? Yes! We have week pah-ty start day after now." Gilos affirmed slurping down her own bowl of broth.
"What is the party for?" Subaru inquired, inconspicuously.
"Pah-ty for Galla's to make life bond," she answered slowly while forming the right words.
"Life bonds..." Subaru looked into her bowl. "Like marriage?" she asked to see if Gilos knew of the word.
"The word! Yes like the word," Gilos smiled happily. "Galla's mother moon give people of Fungala choice to bond one time a year. Pah-ty!"
Subaru felt a bead of sweat gather on her brow, 'Thought so, oh man this isn't good at all!' she mentally cried.
"How do they um...bond?" she ducked her face down.
"A, um. Haha No know word." she laughed before puckering her lips and making a smacking sound. "Also..." Gilos had the good graces to only blush and look away.
"Oh CRAP!" Subaru wailed in her mind. "Lily, come on Lily answer me!" she called out telepathically.
"What now Subaru?" Came the tired response.
"Whatever you do don't kiss anyone!" she practically screamed over the link.
"What, why the hell would I do that, you pervert!" Lily sputtered angrily.
"Hey why do you have to always call me names?" Subaru whined, "I think that Haruka is in more trouble than we thought...she's bound to that elf lady!"
"Bound, what the hell?" Lily asked sitting up.
"Um, haha," Subaru spoke meekly. "This party-thing they are setting up for, its find life partners!"
"WHAT?" Lily looked around wildly and covered her mouth with a pillow. 'So that is why they tried to seduce me...' she gasped in horror in her mind.
"Guys I can hear you, ya' know?" entered Haruka into the conversation. "And I think that well, I am going to stay here."
"No way, we can't leave you behind." Lily immediately barked.
"Look I don't expect you to understand this but trust me, I think my place is here." Haruka solemnly spoke. "Fila has taught me a lot and I think I can really help the people here. Saving a whole race instead of just one person/animal at a time. I can really help these people out."
"Is that what you really want?" Subaru asked.
"Yes, it is. These people gave me my life back, it's only fair I spend it helping them..."
Lily choked back a sniffle, "Fine. Subaru the plan is still up for tomorrow."
"Nee Haruka." Subaru sighed, "I'm going to miss you..."
"Me too! It won't be the same without you," Lily teared up again.
Haruka interrupted her, "Awe guys I am going to miss you both as well, but you're right, you should leave as early as possible. Be careful you two. The reason so many people are armed right now it because you have to 'prove' that you are strong enough to live on your own to avoid being marked. Haul some serious ass out of here tomorrow. The people here are very kind but very suspicious, if they catch you running away they won't be as nice." Haruka commanded firmly.
"Thanks for the heads up," Subaru cut the link, blinking tears out of her own eyes.
"Eat?" Gilos asked, pointing at the still half full bowl of broth.
"I'm not that hunger," Subaru stated blandly before laying down on her bed.
Tia sat in the helicopters cargo bay, trying her best to not be thrown into a wall. "Sorry about, the atmosphere here has more magical debris than normal. Tighten your seat belt! This is going to be bumpy ride!"
"Good thing I don't get motion sick easily..." she groaned as the ship lurked again, sending her stomach into her throat.
"It will be alright Master!" Cross Mirage encouraged, "We are almost there!"
Tia nodded, readjusting her parachutes straps. "Have you confirmed the unknown magical signatures?" she asked.
"Yes Master, large quantities are present, we cannot use magic at this time."
"So the reports were true..." she hummed.
"Yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaa! Drop off it three minutes ma'am, be ready for the hatch to open!" The over zealous female pilot blared over the speakers.
Tia gulped nervously. She hadn't parachuted since the days in the magical academy.
"Okay here we are, good hunting ma'am!"
"Thanks..." she trailed off before jumping out of the open hatch. She swallowed a nervous chuckle as doubts about not being able to use her magic set in full force. Wind whistled through her hair and her black uniform hugged her body as she fell lower and lower and the lush green ground became more and more focused, defining into large trees.
Tugging hard on her cord, Tia's whole body jolted as the chute launched and drastically slowed her descent. Now if only there was a place to land. Unfortunately, all Tia could see for miles around were large, bulky trees shooting up from the ground.
"Perfect..." She pulled her legs in and tucked her chin down, preparing for a crash landing. Sliding into the trees her parachute was immediately snagged, jerking her to halt twenty feet in the air. "Stupid trees..." she tugged on the quick release on the harness and landed gracefully on the ground.
"Time to get searching, there should be a village about twelve kilometers due north of here." Tia smiled, "I am coming Subaru."
The day went relatively quite compared to what Subaru had been expecting. Sure a few people had been slung through the windows of her temporary home, and fighting could be heard at all hours of the day, but so far she had been able to sit back and just enjoy watching elves duke it out with each. It seemed that a lot of elves wished to remain independent, or, that several people wanted to bond with the same person and fought it out. In the end it reminded of her wrestling she used to watch with Vita, with just a bit more blood.
That was until night began to fall.
All hell broke as people fell to the ground in passionate embraces, or in vivid pain after being struck down. Gilos hadn't mentioned that people preferred to cement it with the more mature option. The most out of place thing however, was the casual courting that sprung up amidst the chaos. The smell of blood, flowers, and sex filled the air.
"Ah Lily I think we should go now..." Subaru chuckled nervously, watching the mayhem.
"For once we agree on something, damn it make for the forest!" Lily did her best to not sound panicked.
Subaru stood up and slowly snuck back into the house.
"Subaru..." Gilos stepped forth timidly, holding a large bouquet of red flowers. A large dinner had been set out, and candles light the room creating a nice romantic atmosphere. Gilos blushed heavily, extending the flowers.
Subaru froze to the floor in shock. All the color drained from her face as Gilos shyly approached her and placed the flowers into Subaru's stiff arms then backed up a bit. 'MOVE!' Subaru screamed at her body mentally, but it seemed like all cognoscente function had been disabled. She watched in horror as purple eyes glided closer and closer. Subaru's vision blurred, purple eyes flashing blue for a moment. 'Tia...'
"No!" Subaru pushed Gilos face away from hers roughly. "I can't...Gilos, I already have someone." Subaru asserted with a small smile, "I would wait till the end of time for her. I'm sorry."
The bashful look evaporated immediately, replaced by a murderous glare. "No. Gilos fight for Subaru!" she growled menacingly.
Subaru stepped back nervously, "Hold a second-"
Gilos pulled a long spear off the wall, and stepped forward. "Fight!" she barked, Subaru barely had time enough to dodge the attack.
"Now wait- Hey you could seriously hurt some- Are you serious?!" Subaru panted, dodging wings and gabs. She crashed backwards through the door to avoid a strike to the head. Scampering up quickly she made a mad dash towards the forest.
"Ahhhhhh!" she screamed, blazing through the circus of elves like a lunatic. Ducking and waving through the masses of people she cast a look over her shoulder and picked up speed, seeing as Gilos was chasing her.
"No no no no no no this cannot be happening!" she hurdled over a small brick wall with small tears in her eyes.
Maneuvering was easy, seeing as Subaru had chosen to continue to wear the lengthy shirt she first awoke in, but it provided little to no protection again trees, flying debris, and barreling people. Leaping over a couple that had found their way to ground, Subaru finally entered the dark sanctum of the forest. Subaru could hear the sounds of a pursuit, and did not take the time to look back as she redoubled her efforts to run through the tangled forest floor.
Tree limbs cut through the thin material of the shirt, creating fresh cuts along Subaru's body. Blinded by the sudden drop in light, Subaru ran without direction using her arms to feel her way through. Making a quick right Subaru ran head on into a slanted log. She gritted her teeth through the pain, she licked the blood that pooled on her lips that flowed down from her forehead.
"Hurry, partner!" Mach Caliber flashed, picking up vibrations. Staggering to her feet once more, eyes adjusted enough to make out general outlines, Subaru continued to flee.
Scurrying behind a large tree Subaru crouched down low and listened. Not more than a few seconds later did the sounds of Gilos cutting through the forest reach her ears. As the sounds grew louder she held her breath, and only after they had totally disappeared did she exhale.
She looked at her surrounds. "Mach Caliber...Where are we?" she sighed.
"I do not know, partner."
"Mou. We are soooo lost."