MALE OUT!
By: silverbeam


“Tray, Tray! Stop spacing out. You’re the one who wanted to go on this trip ya know?”
“What? Oh sorry, guess I was just staring off into the scenery.”
“Well the class is going to leave us behind if you don’t start moving.” The girl pouted in frustration at the beginning of the nature trail. Other students where already disappearing into the thick green foliage. The trees swayed slightly in the breeze and it tugged at Trays long and spiky dark brown hair. Its color matched the deep brown of the bark around him. Tray looked around with his blue green eyes. He turned back to the path to see that the girl had already begun without him.

“Ah wait! I’m coming!” he ran to catch up and was soon in the shade of the trees. Light beams escaping the foliage to dance in little specks around him. It was true that he had wanted to come on the trip. In fact he had suggested this particular spot for their field trip in the student council. For a while now he had a strong desire to visit the place. He wasn’t normally into nature and parks like this, but somehow it seemed to tug at him. Even now a tug seemed to pull him onward further into the woods as he walked along the path. Everyone was excited to get out of school on this field trip. It had been a while since they had been able to take such trips outside the safety of the cities walls. But things had been quiet for the past ten years or so. Not that he remembered much pouf the war. He was only fourteen years old and the fighting had died down only a few years after his birth.

The teachers had explained that both sides were at a standstill. Not having enough man power to continue, and neither side willing to give up. The aliens, or Elvens as they were called, had come some thirty years ago. They had landed and began settling themselves like a parasite on a host, trying to take over bit by bit. At first it seemed like earth would lose quickly. For they had brought with them a superior fighting force. The Large armored robotic units. They were practically a race among themselves, for they were born, not built. Luckily for earth the mechs souls not only were born into the Elvens, but soon were born into human children as well. The mechs soul was divided at birth with the heart being born into its destined pilot while the other half became the frame of the unit. The crucial parts of the troops were that there were few males born among them. For every ten mechs, there was only one male. Both sides used this as their strategic plan for annihilation of the others forces. Any males were targeted so that the numbers of mechs would be depleted. It went on too far however and soon both sides were without the means to produce more units. Thus the current stalemate. Until a male was found, neither side could afford to risk what units were left. Most people in trays town found it a pleasant change from war. The military were however still very much on edge, waiting for their chance or for the enemy to strike from behind their shielded territory. Occasionally a rumor of a male pilot occurred and the military would pounce, mostly due from tension. There was however an old tale that a male had been born and hidden away for its pilot to mature and come to save the human race. Tray found it however likely that if a male pilot existed, it was just as likely if not more so that it would be on the Elven side as theirs.

Tray blinked, he had been so lost in his thoughts he lost all trace of his classmates. The area seemed so peaceful around him that he decided to take his time and just wander. Again he felt the tug calling him off into the woods. It seemed to call to him like an anxious beckoning of mother to child. Before he knew it his feet had left eh path and he began to traverse his way through the trees. He walked onward up into the hills and through the underbrush. The area became rockier as he came closer to the mountain cliffs. It began to be quite difficult until he was able to find a path. It was old and beaten down. It seemed like it had been unused for a long time, and yet was once very well laid. Stone was cut to add sure footing and stairs were cut into the rock itself. His curiosity grew was he wondered what could be at the end of this path. He followed it into the cliffs, immersing within them. Walls appeared before him at the top of the rise. Old and slightly crumbly, but built strong.

“Some old temple ruins”, he thought gazing among the layout. It seemed the building was built into the cliff using the natural rock, instead of building upon it. He entered carefully watching his footsteps for loose debris. Cobwebs and dust clung to him as he walked onward into the old room. The way began to darken as the hallway led on into the mountainside. He fished out his cell phone and used it as a flashlight to light his way. It wasn’t as good but it gave light for his feet to go on. He wandered along looking in on rooms as he past. He seemed led on and only briefly took in the carvings and articles around him. The way began to descend into a spiral stone staircase. Anticipation began to fill him. He sensed that his destiny was just ahead of him. He came to the bottom and was surprised to find a cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites. Near the center of room was a large group of rocks that filled the room from floor to ceiling. At first he thought it might be just one giant stalactite but realized it was much too large and not quite the right shape. He came closer. A light seemed to glow softly from the large object. He gasped as he peered closer his eyes starting to make out what was there. A large egg lay in a nest of stone and vines. The stone pooled around its base like bubbling mud that spiraled around as a ramp. Vines grew from the top of the cave to dangle around the top giving it added security. The glow seemed to brighten as he stepped closer. It was much better than his phone so he put that back into his pocket.

AS he came up to the egg he noticed it was slightly transparent and he peered in to discern its inhabitant. His eyes grew wide as he recognized the armor frame that lay curled within, an armored mech sat, its knees pressed up against its chest with arms around them. He climbed the stone ramp in order to get a better view inside. When he at the top of the stone base he reached a hand to feel the surface of the egg. It was cold and hard and yet seemed to warm at his touch. He out both hands on the surface and pressed his face almost against the surface as well. The mech inside was Beautiful, he thought, if boys think anything is beautiful at that age. The base was dark silver while the armored plating was a deep red. Fins seem to grow out from the arms, knees and head. The eyes had their own glow and they seem to pierce into Tray as if it was in fact looking at him. The light suddenly grew brighter and he felt his hand slipping. He tried pulling back only to realize, it was in fact sinking into the eggs surface. Its pull quickly drew him inside and he stumbled forwar

((Quick sheet for my OC)

Look:
name: Tray
Name: Tray Darson
Age: 17
occupation: Knight (mech pilot)
Background: Tray grew up as an only child. Smart, bright and energetic. He was always exploring and climbing trees. He made the student council as president, and enjoyed the bit of leadership it gave him. A part of him felt like it was missing. When he saw a park advertisement on a few hours boat ride form his school he had an urge to go there. He brought it up as a suggestion to go to as the next school trip.
Description:

Mech bio
description:
Main weapon: Lightning Laser
Sub weapon #1: Beam Saber
Sub weapon #2: small missiles
Special ability: Wing shield. Uses his wings as a shield.
Main color: Maroon
sub color: Dark gray
Size: about 6 stories...

He yelled as he stumbled into the interior. He slipped sideways and began falling back toward the surface of the Mech. At the heart of the breastplate a panel swirled open, and he fell into it with a thud. At first he started to panic, but then a calm feeling washed over him. His eyes were bewildered by his new surroundings, but his heart seem to be at peace. He closed his eyes and let himself relax a little. The feeling felt so good, and his body relaxed and leaned back upon the interior walls. It was spongy and warm, but not moist. Like skin, or sleeping on another's shoulder. the walls seemed to respond to his atmosphere and the temperature of the walls began to warm up.

There was a strange sort of harness hung from the ceiling. It was both mechanical and organic at the same time. It lowered itself and came to a stop at Tray's chest level.
“Am I suppose to get into it?” He wondered. Curiosity overcame him and with a smile he reached for the harness. It responded to his touch. It practically flew onto him, en wrapping himself, and supporting him. “Woah! Ah....Uhm.” Not sure to struggle or just go along with it, his hesitation was little spent as it was quickly finished at the process of strapping him in. A pull at his shoulders, and it raised him gently up about four feet. A pari of goggles filliped over his head and suddenly it was all dark. “Hey!” he shouted. Suddenly he felt a spark at the sides of his face and the goggles flashed a light. He blinked and gasped. He no longer saw the inside of the cockpit, but outside at the membrane of the egg.

He reached up for the goggles, and saw the mech'a hand come into his line of sight. He stopped. The arm also stopped. Experimentally he clenched his hand into a fist. The mech's hand did likewise.

“I'm controlling the mech! Wait...Does that mean...I'm, I'm a....” Again that overwhelming feeling of peace and of being whole. He felt complete. He hadn't known that that little bit of restlessness in the back of his mind was because of what he was missing. He was missing his other self. The other aprt of his soul. A mechanical part of him, just as his hand and toes were a part of him. So was this large metal being.

Excitement, worry and all sorts of feelings washed over him. He felt dizzy with all the sudden change. His life as he knew it was now on a new path. He shrugged it off. He'd worry about all that later. Right now he had a new body to get used to.

He brought both arms forward flexing and trying different stretches and movements. There wasn't much room in the egg thing though. He put a large hand up to it and tried to push through.

“Time for the chick to hatch..”

The egg shattered into dust as soon as he tried to push through.

“Well, that was easy.” he muttered, Slowly he tried standing up straight. He almost over balanced and fell. Catching himself he grabbed a stalactite.

“Woah, this must be how a toddler feels...” He had to relearn everything. Walking and moving around. His balance was different, but he was surprised at the flexibility and speed. It wasn't as different from his little body as he would have thought.

“Okay I just need to step forward more carefully.” slowly he took a step, his arms outstretched....He took another....and another. He let out a sigh of relief. So far so good. Step step step....He walked around the small cave room. When he was just by himself, the room had looked huge, now it was small in comparison. Funny how putting on a giant robot made you feel bigger. He had enough of walking. He wanted to try stretching his legs a bit more. But how to get out? Looking around he noticed that there was a fair amount of light coming in from the corner of the ceiling. He walked over the few steps and looked up. Sure enough there was a large hole or tunnel through the rock. If he worked at it, he might get it big enough for hims to crawl out. Carefully he reached up and tried to dig at the walls of the crack.