Part 1
The sun burned down upon the skin when she grabbed the loose ground below and shot up like lightning struck her to large blue vast area in front of her. Turning to either side was the two colleagues with her hand reached upon the dry skin when she turned over with the red marks along the corner of her lips. Turning to the other side was the sand-covered hair when she groaned upon the touch of the woman.
“Where are we?” The first one sat up, pulling her legs into her chest.
“I’m not sure, Moriyasu. Motomura, you okay?” She glanced at the other two.
“Matsuoka-san, we failed.” Motomura sighed.
“I don’t think so.” Matsuoka reported.
Matsuoka Natsumi was right about not failing the mission but what she had expected was the black smoke around them rather than the bright sun and blue skies. The smell of salt tickled her nose as she took to the soft ground below and stood with the joint pain echoing back into her body, falling to the ground when Motomura scurried over to note the bruise. Moriyasu took to standing, wiping the lips of the red liquid when she scanned the area around them.
“Where’s everybody else?” Moriyasu pondered.
“Good question.” Natsumi spat. “It looks like we took the grunt of the damage.”
“We have to take you somewhere to heal up.” Motomura reported. “Moriyasu there’s a branch and some leaves, can you please get it?”
“Sure.”
Natsumi watched the two casually walked around her, forming a crutch to brace upon the shooting pain in her knee. They lifted her onto the feet and assisted her into a paved path of dirt and old leaves forming up to the huts around them. Natsumi bounced upon her good leg with her eyes scanning around before Moriyasu took to the middle. The scent of flesh radiated in her mind when she turned to first hut and instantly swung her eyes back. The sight discouraged the two when she walked up to the front with a person staring back at her. It stood braced up when she saw the items from the floor mixed together.
“What is that?” Motomura asked.
“Something like a sacrifice but it doesn’t seem this tribe does it. The huts all have this and now our problem will come if they will return.” Moriyasu analyzed the grim situation.
“We have to figure that they were attacked.” Natsumi growled. “Aoi and Madoka, do your best to find something to protect ourselves.”
The two nodded when Natsumi took to the seat by the flayed person. She felt the pain and pushed it when a thunderous sound escape out into the room with her growl before standing up with the discomfort leading down to a two in her mind. Natsumi didn’t want to sit around for anything when she was offered a pipe made of something soft that dusted her hand. Aoi stood with the blade out and Madoka took the piece of clay that fit in her hand.
“This may do but we can’t protect ourselves as much with these.” Natsumi thought.
“There’s a pit in the other hut… we may have to figure to stay warm there.” Aoi reported.
“I’m wondering what else is out there.” Madoka spoke when she followed Aoi into the shelter.
Motomura Aoi and Moriyasu Madoka had stood by the decision to follow through after the surprise attack on the base. The last stand became the option when they infiltrated the core of their base. They slid underground after the attempt with a few others following before the force reached them and blasted them like a cannon to the arrival. Natsumi stood outside to the warmed environment. The stinging effects lingered but with the breeze blowing in her face the stench carried over from the huts around them.
“We have to find food.” Natsumi thought. “I can see what else is around.”
“Not on that bad knee.” Madoka spat. “You just did your little tricks for the discomfort but it won’t be fully healed.”
“It’s either we go or not. I’m not sure what else we can do.” Natsumi demanded when Aoi struck the flint in her pocket and turned to them.
“At least some leaves and branches.” Aoi nodded.
The two left the hut with Madoka picking up the items around the hut while Natsumi hobbled straight to the hut where the stench was strongest and observed the bodies stacked upon each other. It was cleanly done and to remember the main area of the person disemboweled had shocked her before seeing a blue orb to the side of them.
“Mado. Aoitan. Come here.” Natsumi yelled.
“Really? It would be stink in there.” Mado called out when she felt the hand of Aoi up to the back.
“Madoka, you should see this.” Aoi added when the third head popped in with the blue orb by the stacked bodies.
Natsu dropped to her knees when she reached out for it before tumbling back to her behind. Madoka had been correct, hating to admit such petty injuries from the previous adventures. The three glanced on as Natsumi reached out again when she managed to touch it. It glowed in her hands as she presented it to them when they all stared at it when a face popped up from the orb.
“Help me.”
“Eh? This is asking us for help.” Natsumi mumbled.
“You can help me save our world.” The voice called out.
“You’re not hearing things, Matsuoka.” Madoka informed her. “What are we going to do?”
“Helpers you’ll be transported.”
It blinded them when they reached out to the vacuum sucking them into a black world. Floating out, they gripped onto each other along a line before a small white hole came into sight. The next moment was the three seeing a white room and the door opening to the amber haired figure standing in front of the three. It reached out to Natsumi first and graze the thigh down to the injured area. Natsumi felt frozen upon the touch when something cold came into her leg before a slight tinge ran through her body.
“You should be healed.” The being smiled.
“What did you do?” Natsumi asked as she stood upon the ground. “It feels normal.”
“It was all in your heart. The pure being came out and healed you.” The being smiled. “You guys don’t need a physical touch as much as a hug.”
The being lifted Aoi first to her feet and wrapped her arms around her before turning to Madoka in doing the same, gathering their attentions. Natsumi walked up and bowed her head when the being bowed back.
“What is this?” Aoi asked.
“The interchange of light. It has transported you from one place to here for the time being.” The even toned voice reported. “By the way, you can call me Chii.”
“Chii, this interchange of light… why are we here?” Natsumi questioned.
“You’ve responded to my plea, Natsumi.” Chii snickered. “Aoi and Madoka, nice to meet you too.”
The three glared upon Chii when it turned back. Chii walked around them with the space slowly filling up with green blades of grass beneath them and installing a tree to the side, creating an environment like a park before Chii glanced back.
“I’m the holder of this interchange and reporting to you as a human woman. The weirdest part maybe is to change into the form.” Chii informed them as her blank face turned into the figure with the three glaring upon the appearance of the person familiar. Natsumi was the first to mouth the name instead of Chii when Aoi and Madoka turned towards her.
Natsumi fell to her knees when she saw the figure turn like clay into the one she had loved before. The explosion was the start of the war when she had to report out to the service. Not seeing her had tortured her before implementing the last stand on the fort. Viewing her as the person in her life that cherished her brought her face into the hands.
“Don’t play with her feelings!” Aoi yelled, running to her.
“Natsu… you did the right thing. I’m alright.” Chii spoke when she glanced up. “Chihiro was everything to you and she is fine. We managed to save her for the moment. It won’t be long before the chaos strikes again.”
“Chii… you cannot do that to her.” Madoka groaned.
“If she is alright… when can I see her?” Natsumi wiped her eyes.
“I won’t hold you to it but in the present situation… I can’t simply let you go out into the world.” Chii informed them. “You have to trust me that she is safe.”
“If you want Natsu to help you, tell her the truth.” Aoi snarled and standing up to the woman.
“Truth is… I need your help. In the end, she’ll be safe. The problem has to be solved before I can let Natsu see her.” Chii breathed.
“What is our job?” Madoka exhaled.
“Save the timeline. It may not be easy but what you guys saw from before was on the same timeline as the explosion when enemy troops attacked your fortress. Everything has been on the same line but this is the reprieve to recover the main aspects before the war. Chihiro had her memory saved from the day we saved her so the only issue is to fix what had caused your timeline to be thrown into chaos.” Chii explained with the three nodding to it.
“How?” Natsumi asked.
“The portal will take you to the year before the overthrow of the government. You guys were in the military school for training but were kept away from the news of it. The point is to seek out the moment where the indication of a coup could start. Killing won’t be done instead a redirect of resources are in order. You will have weapons anyway however it is not needed for this mission.” Chii laid out the plan.
“What will happen though?” Madoka pointed out.
“That’ll be me to figure out and guys to accomplish.” Chii smirked. “Any fixes can be accomplished easily if done swiftly.”
“I’m in.” Natsumi stood.
“Same.” Aoi added.
“I can’t say no if it’ll avoid our fate from before.” Madoka nodded her head.
“Use it wisely and don’t plan to kill a person unless needed to be done. The person to take out is her.” Chii pointed to the picture.
“General Sashihara?” The three sang.
“Yes. In short, she caused the chaos beforehand but under wraps of the new regime.” Chii answered. “Do the job and you’ll come back upon the blue orb to get to the next part.”
The three instantly glared at each other upon the knowledge. She was the one to strategically place them into the fort away from the action while the front lines had suffered heavy losses along the way. It wasn’t until the final hours where the reports came through about the defenses breaking down from the front lines. Sashihara had been the rock for the battle but upon the decision, she was out of the defensive building before the attack. Natsumi swayed her eyes over when she bowed her head.
“We’ll do it.” Natsumi answered.
“Here’s the weapons. Don’t kill unless the last option is to do so.” Chii informed them one last time when the bright light came again and they jumped into the portal to the street they had lived at for the months before the first assignment.