The Gate - A New Green Man Appears

"And when do you think that will happen?"

"Never sir."

"Why not?"

"They'll be dead before that happens." When Itami looked shocked at her words, Lelei continued. "Like I said, they're bonded, but you're taking him away to another world, they will completely lose contact with each other. What would happen if someone cut away half of your brain and tear out half of your heart? You die."

"Could it possibly get worse?" groaned Itami rhetorically.

"Oh yes," nodded Lelei. "A lot worse. This is a cornerstone of elvish theology, when word gets out that you tore apart a bonded couple and killed them, there will be an elf uprising this land hasn't seen in four hundred years."

"Oh, damn it," groaned the lieutenant. Now he knows why Ambassador Kōji Sugawara called for him. Yoshi Itami has made a career of solving the unsolvable and covering the asses of those that are bound in place by regulations.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

The helicopter sat down on the Alnus Hill Helipad and idled while the passengers disembarked. As usual, Stefan and Lelu had to be roused from their slumber. And as usual, they were roused just as they were starting to make love. Nearly weeping with frustration, they struggled awake while their guards tried not to watch them.

First Lieutenant Yoshi Itami finished his phone call, slid his phone into his breast pocket and addressed the small crowd at the edge of the helipad. "Ok, we're going to travel to the far end of the gate and deliver..." He gulped and looked again at the orders that he held in his hand, his stomach felt like he just swallowed a large, heavy rock... he continued "Gunnery Sergeant Stefan Hanover, United States Marine Corps retired, to Japan where he will be met by United States Embassy Personnel. We will return forthwith upon delivery. In case of accident, combat, or collision call the Gate Control Center at extension 1121. Are there any questions?" Then without waiting for questions he pointed to the Humvee waiting for them and said, "Fall out."

"We're going to walk," said Stefan as he carried Lelu on his back. The poor elf clung to her human, shuddering as the tears would not stop coming.

The assigned driver, JSDF Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi, carried Stefan's backpack and rifle. She handed them to Itami with a look of utter disgust on her normally cute face, then followed Stefan and Lelu leaving Itami to carry Stefan's gear and to drive the Humvee to the Gate portal.

Itami looked for Ambassador Kōji Sugawara, he and Shelly were sitting far forward in the Chinook during the flight and now they were gone, but he did see Sergeant First Class Tomita. "You didn't tell me he is a marine!" he snarled at a man who has been under his command for years. Military men and women are rare breeds taking up a tiny percentage of a country's population. Regardless of national origin they consider each other as brothers, as friends they haven't met yet. And they do this right up to the minute they're told they have to start killing each other.

Akira went white, "I didn't know, if I knew I wouldn't have had Lelei knock him out."

"I have more calls to make," sputtered Itami as he threw Stefan's backpack and gun in the back of the Humvee. When Itami finally reached The Gate portal he found Stefan and Lelu kneeling by the side of the road, their foreheads touching, tears streaking down their cheeks. They were surrounded by warrior bunnies. He sought out Shino Kuribayashi and asked, "What's with all the rabbits?"

Shino shrugged. "I dunno. On the way up here Gabrielle, the bunny that works at the PX saw us and said they have the mark of the queen, I don't see anything, but word got out and they all come a' running. They all insist that their queen has put her mark on them"

Itami didn't have time for an elf uprising and mass hysteria in the local bunny hutch too. "Come on gunny, it's time to go."

"Be right with you El Tee," said Stefan, and he gave Lelu a long, gentle, passionate kiss that said so much, then, like he did a thousand times before, he followed orders and walked away. Like he told Lelu, "I've been following orders so long, I don't know how not to." He climbed into the Humvee and sat staring forward at the back of Sergeant Kuribayashi's head. Don't let them see the pain, keep the tears inside, but the tears did start to leak out as the Humvee pulled away and headed into the Gate.

On the side of the road Lelu shrieked in despair and reached out with her bent, crippled hand, the hand that he loved to hold so much. She was surrounded by supporters, including Lelei, fellow High Elf Tuka Luna Marceau, Dark Elf Yao Ro Dushi, and Arch mage Kato El Altestan. Kato is Lelei's mentor, a magician's magician. Together they surrounded Lelu and tried to calm her as Lelei, and Kato began to work their healing magic on her.

They started with her face, Lelei and Kato placed their hands on her face and as Lelei murmured spells to ease the pain, Kato re-arranged the broken bones and fused them back where they were decades ago when she was a young elf hoping to meet an elf as nice as a man like Stefan. They removed their hands and the elves Luna and Yao gasped, her face which previously looked like a half-melted wax sculpture was as perfect as Stefan's dreams.

"Let me see!" Lelu cried as she heard the gasps.

Lelei fumbled through her bag looking for a mirror, she knew that they were going to lose Lelu and she wanted Lelu to see her that her face was fixed before she died... Lelei sobbed in frustration at the unfairness of it all when Rory stepped up.

"I have a wedding gift," whispered the demigoddess. Kato moved to the side as Rory crouched and placed her hand on Lelu's eye patch. Lelu cried out at the sudden pain, and while Rory held her hand in place Lelu cried in agony. Finally the pain went away and Lelu relaxed and shuddered at the memory of the pain that drilled from her eye socket to the core of her brain.

When Rory removed her hand, the pain and the eyepatch were gone. The empty eye socket now held a beautiful eye in there, but where her right eye was gold, her new left eye was a beautiful, radiant emerald green. "That will help you find a place to go," smiled Rory with evil glee. While Lelu started to fade out of consciousness Rory turned to Kato and put the blade of her massive weapon under the wizen old magician's chin. "Keep her alive old man," she said with icy anger, "Or all our work will be wasted, along with you." She walked away and muttered, "I have to go collect her other half..." and disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

As the Humvee drove further through the tunnel Itami noticed that Stefan was not looking well, he was pale and shaking, his face was covered in a cold sweat. He suddenly roared in pain and clutched his left eye. "Gunny, are you ok?" Itami asked. When Stefan didn't answer, Itami mentioned, "Gunny, it's winter in Japan, you're going to need your coat."

"Don't care," Stefan mumbled. For the first time in days, he couldn't communicate with Lelu. She was in pain for some reason, but she couldn't communicate what was causing that pain, then she began to fade away... He was sure she wasn't dead, but that's the only thing he was sure of.

"You're really doing this sir?" asked the driver Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi.

"You too Shino?" Itami was disgusted with this whole thing.

"Just sayin' Captain. If he was one of us there's no way we'd be making this drive.

"Thank you for your input sergeant," Itami rolled his eyes.

"Us enlisted; we stick up for each other sir." She glared at him out of the corner of her eyes, "and we remember."

"I've noticed that." Just then there was a groan from the back seat, Itami looked, and Stefan was bent over, holding his head, and most disturbing, Rory was back there comforting him. "Rory? What are you doing here?"

"I'm always here when a warrior passes, and he's sent so many to me! He sent me slavers from all over Africa and the Middle East and now here, it's only fitting I be here to welcome him home."

Itami shook his head, maybe she can help carry Stefan's backpack. They finally broke into daylight and Shino made a three-point turn and backed the Humvee right up to the pylons that marked the line between Japan and the Special Region. It was frigid and a slushy rain was falling from the sky, the guards at the pylons were especially angry that they had to step out from their warm shack for a lieutenant.

"Sergeant Kuribayashi, can you help with the backpack?"

"Is that an order sir?" she asked.

"No, of course not."

In response Shino Kuribayashi sat at attention behind the wheel motionless staring straight ahead and made no move to help.

Feeling like utter garbage, Itami hopped out and came around to the driver's side and opened Stefan's rear door. He looked like hell, he was pale, shaking, drenched in sweat, and aching everywhere. He got out of the Humvee and began shaking terribly. Itami led Stefan to the back of the Humvee and showed him the line. "Ok, one more step and you're in Japan and the mission is complete. But remember, if you're feeling sick, fall back toward me, it's five klicks to a hospital in the Special Region, eight klicks forward in Japan, got that?

Stefan mumbled something unintelligible, then stepped into Japan where a couple of men in suits and long coats waited for him. One of the men stepped forward and said, "Are you Stefan Hanover?" Stefan nodded and began to wobble. "We want to thank you for what you did back there, Crown Princess Co Lada has taken special interest in you and demands your presence as soon as possible." They handed him a thick packet of papers and shook his hand. "We'll be in touch," then they turned and left.

Stefan stood shuddering in the cold, he was going to go down, a blind man could see that his life was coming to an end. Rory moved closer to Stefan in anticipation of guiding his soul to the afterlife. "I'm sorry Lelu," he whispered.

"Stefan, please come here," implored Itami over and over. "I can't help you if you stand on that side of the line."

Now everything was black, Stefan searched desperately for Lelu, but their connection was fading. He heard Itami begging him, but he couldn't move. "Please Stefan, you're going to die out here!" shouted Itami and Stefan thought that it sounded like a good idea. "Thank you for your love, Lelu..." he muttered his final words on earth.

Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi stepped up next to Itami and shouted at the top of her lungs in perfect English, "GUNNY!" Her voice boomed, it echoed off the walls built around the gate and shocked the tourists and natives who came to see the day-to-day activity at The Gate. But Shino was far from done. "Get your stupid fucking ass in my fucking truck RIGHT FUCKING NOW MARINE!"

Stefan slowly turned to obey; he couldn't not obey. He attempted to take a step and collapsed onto the Special Region side of the line. Itami jumped to catch Stefan, but Kuribayashi held him back. "GOD DAMN IT GUNNY, IF YOU HAVE TO CRAWL BACK TO YOUR WOMAN, YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT LIKE A MARINE!!!"

Itami watched in shock as the dying man crawled on hand and knees to the Humvee then Shino looked at Itami and said, "You're welcome."

Tears welled up in Itami's eyes as Gunnery Sergeant Hanover reached up and placed his hand on the door of the Humvee then collapsed. Itami and Kuribayashi leapt to Stefan's side, Itami muttering "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..." They rolled Stefan over and checked for a pulse.

"He's still alive," said Kuribayashi as they tugged him into a sitting up position in preparation to lift him into the truck. "I can make it to the dispensary in four minutes."

"I didn't know you spoke English," groaned Itami as they lifted Stefan into the Humvee with a strangely silent Rory's help.

"I don't," the feisty little combat veteran said. "I speak Marine." Itami had failed to tell her about all his special forces training in Texas, so she didn't see a need to tell him about her hand-to-hand combat training at Parris Island Marine Corps Training Depot.

~~*~~

Stefan awoke and found himself propped up against one of those orange-leafed palm trees near their beach. It was beautiful, the sun was setting behind the warm Blue Sea, turning the sky a multitude of shades of orange, red, crimson... the glory of the sun was reflected in the calm waters. A breeze from the jungle behind him wafted the perfumes of a million jungle flowers and fruits towards them, but most of all he smelled Lelu. She was curled up next to him and when he moved, she gasped and sat up with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. She was dressed in a half t-shirt that provided an enticing amount of underboob, and a pair of short shorts that would be illegal to wear in fourteen states back in Stefan's home world. "Am I dead?" Stefan asked. This is a good place to die.

"No silly, we're on our beach!" Lelu's joy was infectious. She was kneeling on the sand in front of him with a smile of beautiful expectation. She dove forward and they kissed a beautiful reunion kiss, the joy of actually being on this beach with her was overshadowed by the resurgence of their bonding connection.

"What happened?" he groaned; he still hurts everywhere. "The last thing I remember is some guy telling me something about princess Co Lada."

She curled up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder and gently touched his chest hair with her poor injured hand. "Rory Mercury told me that you collapsed, and Shino told you to crawl like aquatic sea life, and you did. Why would she say that?"

Stefan tried to remember those horrible events. Crawl like aquatic sea life? Then he remembered an old Marine saying, "I may get so drunk I have to crawl home, but I'm going to crawl home like a Marine." Marine, that can only be what Shino said that would make sense. "I think Shino was trying to encourage me," he said as he pulled Lelu close. "What happened?"

"I think maybe we almost died," said Lelu softly. "I remember the pain, and a long dark tunnel that I was being pulled down but Kato and Lelei kept pulling me back, then I felt you again and I was able to come back to you."

"I don't remember anything but the pain in my head, my back, my leg... and the tunnel, I remember being in a tunnel and I had to crawl, I was looking for you..." Stefan was still feeling the pain, especially in his eye.

"We slept at the JSDF hospital and Kato worked on us trying to fix the damage, then we came here," Lelu said as she snuggled close and kissed his cheek.

"How long was I out?"

"A week," she said. "You woke up yesterday, ate everything I gave you, then you went back to sleep. We didn't want to wake you, but Princess Pina wants to see us right away." She then pushed herself up to her knees then stood. She held her arms out and swung her hips like she saw Queen Mary Atchi do when she addressed the crowd in Nangda. "Like what you see?" she grinned.

"I love what I see," Stefan said.

"No, look at me. With your eyes." She swung her hips and shook her shoulders which made her boobs sway along with the rhythm of her motions.

Stefan concentrated on Lelu with his eyes and not his heart and was startled to find that she looked better than what his heart told him, her spine was straight, her hips were level, her left leg was straight, her right elbow was working, her left ear that was bitten off was back... and her face! The sad broken disaster that was her face was now perfect, high perfect cheekbones, a sweet, pointed chin, broken teeth replaced, she looked like a beautiful young woman slipping gracefully from her teens to her twenties! Her beautiful chrome hair glittered in the moonlight as she danced and swayed to a melody that played in her mind. "Oh my God! What happened? You're beautiful on the outside now!"

"Kato fixed me while Lelei eased the pain." She lifted her t-shirt to expose her breasts, all the damage that the captors did to her beautiful breasts was gone, her nipples were proud and hard, and both were there.

"I'm so happy for you," Stefan was almost in tears of joy for his beautiful, beautiful elf. Previously she was so hideous to look at and no one could see the real Lelu Nikto De Sebat beneath all the scars and damage. "They fixed you!"

She nodded, "See anything else different?" She smiled and opened her eyes wide.

Stefan knew that smile, human or elf that smile meant one thing, there was something different and she was daring him to find it. Her body now looked like the way he saw her the moment their pheromones mingled... but there was a difference... her eye! "Come here, let me see that eye," and as she got closer, he grabbed her and pulled her close and they shared a kiss that both had thought would never happen again.

When their lips parted, she sighed, "I take it that means you like it?"

"It's beautiful," he said, and he meant it. The emerald color almost glowed in the gathering dark of early evening.

"Rory gave it to me, it helped us get here."

"How does it work?" he asked.

"I can see other places," Lelu said. "Concentrate on what I'm seeing..." Suddenly the vision of a large throne room filled Stefan's mind. On the throne sat an older gentleman, tall but frail, gray hair and neatly trimmed gray beard and mustache. Next to him stood a beautiful redhaired woman in full battle armor and in front of them a trio of merchants plead their case. It was the woman that was doing the talking to the merchants, the gray-haired man simply nodded on occasion.

"That's the throne room and that's princess Pina Co Lada and her father Emperor Molt Sol Augustus," said Lelu as the vision faded. "We could go there now if you want."

"How?"

"Same way we used to come here; we use my eye to look at the place we want to be, and our souls go there, once our souls get there, we just bring our bodies."

"No, not right now," he said. So many things are coming at him, his head is spinning!

"I'm sorry," her honest apology rang in his head, "Let's just concentrate on us, right here. Don't worry about anything else." With that she sat up, grinding her cloth covered pussy on his growing erection. "Like my outfit?" she grinned.

"It's not exactly elvish," he smiled.

"Elvish? You ain't nothin' but a hound dog," she grinned.

"Where did that come from?" asked a very surprised Stefan as she peeled off her top allowing her glorious breasts to bounce free.

She tapped his forehead with her right hand which was still bent and broken. "I've been taking inventory while you've been sleeping." Stefan chuckled. While he is afraid to look in her mind and see her memories of her captivity, he gave her free reign to run rampant in his head, hoping that she won't die of boredom.

"Do you know what it means?" He gently caressed her hand. The bones of the hand are small and numerous, Kato and Lelei are fixing it slowly, a little bit at a time, letting their fixes heal before moving on to the next round of fixes.

"No," she grinned, then she changed the subject by tugging at his shirt.

He leaned forward to take off his shirt then paused. "Somebody is not going to wake us again, are they? I'm really not sitting in a Humvee reeking of ramen and miso?"

"No! We're actually here! On the beach where daddy used to bring my sister and I almost every weekend for like a hundred years!" Humans are prone to exaggeration. If a human says "like a hundred years" they mean several years, or quite often. But for an elf "like a hundred years" is an actual century, if there were 52 weekends in a year like back stateside, she meant 5,200 trips to this beach. Elves do not exaggerate. "Speaking of daddy, he's in the cabin back in the woods, let's see if we can embarrass him." She gave Stefan a saucy grin and began moving her hips back and forth, rubbing her pussy on his hard cock dampening their shorts with her fluids. "He's got excellent hearing for his age."