Disclaimer:
I do not own Gate: Jieitai Kano or any of its assorted characters or universe. They belong exclusively to Takumi Yanai, who wrote the darn thing.

Summary:
The Gate opens. Then it closes. Rated PG for Drama.

Thirty Days to Gate Closure

It was really only random luck that they had even had any warning at all.

Purely thanks to Tuka's and Yao's efforts they had even discovered the buried sanctuary of Hardy, where the tablet had been discovered. Apparently it had once been an elven shrine, from a time so ancient there had been no distinction between the light and dark elven peoples. Interred within had been a great deal of ancient history, and amongst them, the tablet. And it was only through Lelei's efforts they even had a translation of the script written across the tablet. A greater contribution from her colleagues had been necessary to fully understand its meaning, as well as reference the appropriate star charts to determine the stellar alignment. Lelei had a great active role in this as well, thanks to her visitation to Japan and her keen understanding of modern sciences and astrology.

The results, while conclusive, had not been promising.

As they'd long since realized, the Gate opened seemingly every one hundred thousand years as the Empire measured time, then after a period closed, trapping whomever had come through on their respective sides, never again to come into contact with the other. It was the origin of countless species of the realm, including the elves and goblins and even the Empire itself. And now it was the origin of the JSDF, or as they were more locally known, the 'Green Men.'

And now... it was closing.

Or rather, their time was limited until it closed. Lelei had translated the discovered tablet as quickly as she was able, and with the help of her mentor and the best scholars of the Lindon University. No finer minds could be found this side of the Gate. It had been pure luck they'd discovered it when they had, and been able to translate it quickly enough for it to matter. Any slower and they might have risked being trapped in the Special Region forever. Because when Lelei broke the news to Itami, it wasn't very good.

Thirty Days.

Less than a full month, and the Gate would close forever.

Naturally, he quickly relayed the information up his chain-of-command. And they in turn relayed it to the DIET. To say the Japanese Government took it hard was an understatement, but it seemed that, only a few days later, they were already in full agreement on what needed to be done. Nothing like a good crisis to convince people to put aside their petty disagreements and work towards the common good.

Twenty-Seven Days to Gate Closure

Three days later, Captain Itami was roused from his early morning routine and instructed, along with everyone else in his unit, to report into the central courtyard of the Alnus fort in formation. Soldiers formed at least semi-straight lines, chatting somewhat about the announcement. Per instructions, the Captain hadn't released his findings to anyone, and suspected he knew the topic about to be announced, but the rest were completely in the dark until their commander took the podium and brought them all to attention. He wasted no time spelling out the situation, as soon as the social niceties were out of the way.

"We're pulling out," General Hazama explained.

There was some murmuring amongst the soldiers. From his podium at the end of the square, the General cut an imposing figure despite his receding hairline, his mustache bristling and proud as his hard gaze swept over the soldiers of the JSDF.

"Information has reached us that the Gate that connects the Special Region to Japan will be closing in the near future. An exact timetable will be distributed to your commanders."

There was some brief murmuring, but he silenced it with a look, carrying on.

"The DIET has taken into account all possible outcomes and has decided there is nothing that can be done regarding the closing of the Gate. It is still as of yet a science well beyond our understanding. As a result, we have twenty days with which to pull out and return to the homeland. So you will begin tearing down everything, gather up what we can take, abandon what we cannot. And I expect to see each and every one of you giving it your all. We have a lot to do and very little time to do it in. So let's see some spirit out there!"

Itami joined the others in chorusing a reply of affirmation, but inwardly he was reeling.

After almost two full years in the Special Region, the JSDF were pulling out.

Twenty-Six Days to Gate Closure

The logistics of such a withdrawl were staggering. For having just arrived with only a small force, the JSDF had certainly grown significant roots in the region. In the end, they had been forced to abandon a lot of their equipment rather than go through the hassle of bringing it back through the Gate, prioritizing military vehicles and weaponry, along with personnel, over just about anything else. They were also making a point to quickly trade away their hard-earned currency for any mineral goods they could transport with them. Japan's economy was going to go through some turbulent times thanks to the vast influx of wealth, but in the end, the country would be the richer for it.

With the withdrawl in mind, most troops had been re-tasked to assignments that kept them off the front lines, and the Recon Force was not an exception. Itami was busy overseeing the transport of munitions, which was quite the daunting task. It was an inexhaustible workload, requests and forms piling up on his desk.

Fortunately, Yao was assisting with the paperwork.

The dark elven woman, whom had willingly put herself in his service for a debt she felt she owed him, was proving to be an excellent secretary. Once she'd been taught how to read and write Japanese, as well as speak it, she found an excellent use for her talents managing his paperwork. It helped tread the fine line between the slavery she'd insisted upon and the SDF's rules about such things. Itami, for his part, ensured she was treated well, respectfully even. And he had to admit, he was grateful for the help.

The day had worn on late, but eventually he'd had to clock out a short while before sunset. Yao glanced up from her desk on the other side of the room, stacking some papers in her hands and tapping them straight.

"Quitting time already?"

Itami shook his head. "I'm going out for tonight then," he said, tugging on his cap as he stood in the doorway. "I may not be back until late tomorrow but just call Major Higaki if you have any questions, alright?"

"Hai," she replied in the affirmative. Her Japanese was getting better all the time, there was barely even an accent anymore.

He stepped out of the office and climbed into the chopper being provided. With good time they'd make it to the Capital by sundown. Stay the night, come back sometime tomorrow.

Captain Itami (promoted almost a year ago to the day) had been selected to break the news to the new Imperial government, which thanks to the efforts of the JSDF was well on its way to re-establishing itself through more peaceful means across the length and breadth of the Empire's borders. To say Empress Pina Co Lada was distraught was an understatement, but the proof offered by Lelei and her magus colleagues was irrefutable. In just under a month, the Gate would close. The JSDF had to go, one way or another.

Accepting the will of the Gods for what it was, she'd at least requested a final celebration with the heroes who'd saved her life many times over. She absolutely refused to hear any other response from Captain Itami and the Third Recon Team. And once she had an idea in her head, it was hard to dissuade Empress Pina from just about any course of action she set herself to.

Twenty-Four Days to Gate Closure

So they pulled out their formal attire and prepared for a final farewell.

Two days seemed hardly enough time for a celebration worthy of heroes, but it was the best that could be done on short notice.

The affair was held at the manor in Ithaca, on the Empire's border, and Itami and his company brought by humvee convey into the courtyard. The riderless wagons of steel were still held in awe even after all this time by the locals, but to the JSDF, it was business was usual as they piled out.

Standing tall and unafraid, Empress Pina greeted Itami in the courtyard. Both were dressed for the occasion in formal robes. She wore them with a practiced grace, he felt ridiculous and out of place, though he cut an impressive figure regardless.

"Empress Pina," he greeted, with a wave. "We're honored to accept your invitation to dinner."

And in the case of some of his team, the words were true, for many had been hoping to see old friends again, one last time, before they had to go. It also freed up the Third Recon Team from the withdrawl efforts, giving them some much needed downtime. For the Captain himself, it was a bit much he felt. He did want to see them all before they left... but surely they didn't need to go to all this sort of effort to accomplish it.

"We welcome you to our home, brave heroes of the Empire," Pina said, with a practiced curtsey. "Come, please join us in the Grand Hall... a feast worthy of kings and queens has been prepared."

Escorted into the hall by an assortment of soldiers, guards and knights, the Third Recon Unit and its associates were guided to their seats. A grand feast had been laid out on a trio of tables, including some fine fare that you simply couldn't find on the other side of the Gate. Not unless leg of wyvern had suddenly become a delicacy in downtown Tokyo.

Naturally, Empress Pina sat at the head of the table. As was her right. To her right was Dame Bozes co Palista, her most trusted and most loyal of childhood friends, and to her left was Captain Youji Itami, her honored guest of the evening. His side of the table supported his friends and subordinates, from Tuka, Lelei and Rory, to Furuta Hitoshi, Akira Tomita, and Mari Kurokaw. Down Bozes side were the Knights of the Rose, including Hamilton, Shandy and Gray, and also a number of the Senators who had wisely sided with her during her ascension to the throne. The ones who savored peace over war.

They were fewer now than they had once been, but in due time, the Senate would be strong and plentiful again. Pina had promised to truly listen to them, unlike any Emperor before her, and it was making an impression on the people.

It was possible to rule with respect as much as fear.

But tonight they weren't here for such things. The Empress stood in her chair and tapped her golden goblet with her spoon once all of her guests had been seated, drawing all attention to her.

"A toast," she proclaimed, cup of wine upraised. "In honor of the brave warriors who have helped right many wrongs across our Empire. May they have a safe journey back to their homeland of Japan."

Goblets and cups were raised as the others toasted, but it seemed as if both sides of the table were only half-heartedly agreeing with her. Nobody was truly happy with the withdrawl or the closing of the Gate. They were simply facts that had to be accepted and dealt with. Perhaps realizing this, Pina signaled the minstrels in the corner to start up a melody to cover her gaff, sinking back into her chair and picking at her meal half-heartedly.

For his own part, Itami wasn't sure how he felt about any of it.

He hadn't really let himself think about it. He'd buried himself in his work like he always had, overseeing logistics and getting shipments in order. But here, now, he didn't have much choice but to think. Amidst the merriness of the gathering... he suddenly felt very morose. He sipped at his wine, even as one of the serving girls refilled his cup. A snake-haired medusa... a familiar one, he remembered... from a previous stay. One he'd not see again, for her kind did not exist in Japan.

A voice roused him from his thoughts, as he caught sight of a familiar face settling in beside him at the table. The blonde elf Tuka shifted her chair closer to his so they could speak.

"Itami-san," Tuka said softly, not wishing to draw attention to their conversation. "When you leave for the other world... Tuka would like to come with you. Will you take her in?"

She was asking to come live in Japan? "Are you sure?" he asked.

The blonde elf nodded, ears drooping, eyes big and watery, as if trying to brace herself for a rejection. Or perhaps trying to play on his sympathies. Feeling uncomfortable, he tugged on the collar of his tunic, feeling it about twenty degrees warmer than it had been a little while ago.

"I'll uh... I'll have to think about it," he said evasively.

Tuka looked at least somewhat relieved by this, scooting her seat back and sipping at her wine. Meanwhile, another made their opinion known, and Itami felt a chill run down his spine as he felt their gaze settle across him.

"I would rather you stayed here with us," Rory said, her eyes stern, her expression cross.

She had already explained, as an envoy, there was no way she could leave her world behind forever. Visiting Japan had been a welcome break from her life of solemn duty, but it was not one she could abandon. She was an apostle until Emloy saw fit to release her from service, not something she was ready for.

"Rory, you know..."

"It is impossible," she cut him off, laying her halberd against the wall and folding her arms across her chest. "Yes, yes... our duties are to our worlds, we cannot break away from such things. And I respect your decision to uphold your duty. But I still don't want you to go."

"Hic. I don't wanna Itami-sama to go either," Lelei said, obviously more than a bit tipsy. She completely missed her seat two down, collapsing against Itami's side. He caught her shoulder gently, grimacing as the simple motion brought glares from the other girls.

Honestly, he was surprised things had gone on this long, but none of them seemed willing to give up their single-minded obsession with him. By now they should've had killed one another, yet always Rory, Tuka and Lelei had maintained some sort of strange equilibrium with one another for Itami's sake, and never let harm come to him or one another.

Only an endless series of misfortune and suffering.

Itami paused, glancing into his cup, finding it half empty. His reflection peered up at him from the dark wine. Well, that wasn't true, he mused. His life had been richer here than it ever could have been back home in Japan. Back there, he had done his fair share, but he'd been an otaku. Not a shameful fact, one he was proud of, but back in Japan it had been a fantasy he'd been living. Now he was living in another sort of fantasy world, a very real one. One that was shaping his character into something more... active than he had been back home.

And these girls had contributed a large part of that. An elven archer, a teenaged sorceress, and a demigoddess of battle. And none of them wanted to be parted from his side. And that wasn't all of it either. The JSDF had done a lot in the Special Region, in Alnus, ever since they'd arrived. From deposing Zorzal to defeating the Fire Dragon to challenging a veritable God of the Underworld. When they left...

He did not care to think of what would become of the World Beyond the Gate.

Really, there was only one decision he could make under such circumstances.

Authors Notes:
Please review if enjoyed.

Originally intended as a cute little one-shot, this story has blossomed into something greater, in no small part to promptings from my beta's to explore a few other things that such an event would include. More to come soon.