Chapter 11

Decisions

Kat peered over the cliff and saw about five giant robots and about a thousand men working in the valley.

"So those are Guymeluf's?"

"Yes" said Dilandau who was eyeing them with an insane grin on his face.

"So…what happens now?"

"I steal one"

"Oh…ok….YOU WHAT!" said Kat suddenly realizing what he had said.

"I will steal one and I will use it to get to the flying fortress."

"Hey you are not leaving me here when there are all those dam dragons around, where ever you go I'm coming with" Dilandau studied her

"You want to stay with me?"

"I want to not be eaten by a dragon…and the only way I can see to prevent being eaten by a dragon is to stay with you." She replied looking hard at the Guymeluf's before her.

'Oh come on that is so a lie, you like him and you know it. He's cute, fit and fights dragons, he's also crazy and probably homicidal but you'll just have to work through that' muttered the voice in her head.

Allen was faced with a hard decision; he wanted to protect Celena with every ounce of his being. But taking her to fight an improved Zaibach fortress was likely to get her killed.

"Celena"

"Yes"

"I would like you to stay here, with Princess Eries"

"But why brother?"

"Because it will be dangerous and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you" said Allen softly

"I understand" she replied as they hugged.

"Folkon are you alright to stay here and protect Princess Eries and Celena?" asked Van.

"Due to my lack of memory I wouldn't recognize who was an enemy and who was a friend. Even though I know how to fight, so I feel I will be more useful protecting the Princess and Allen's sister."

"Thank you" said Van, he had tried to convince Hitomi to stay behind, and she had refused immediately.

They boarded the airship and looked out the windows until Austauria had disappeared from view. Van had gone to check the Guymeluf's as Hitomi got something to eat from the chef. She had been sat with Dryden but he had been called to take care of something and when Allen arrived for his meal she was sat alone.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked her

"Oh. Hi Allen. No, no its not." Allen sat down and they sat in silence for a time before Hitomi said
"So how've you been? I mean six years is a long time for stuff to happen in"

"It is a long time" he paused looking directly into her eyes "Very little has happened since you left. I think I will go as far to say that it has been almost dull." He continued with a smile. Hitomi smiled back as she looked into Allen's eyes, they were still hypnotic.

"So Hitomi how have you been?" he asked her.

"I've been ok…I missed this place more than I thought I would, and the people even more…all I thought about when I got home was getting back, and now I'm here its like a dream."

"So dreams really do come true then" Allen said. They had both finished their meal and Allen offered to escort Hitomi until she found Van, and she was quietly glad of his company as the airship was large and she didn't know her way about.

"So who is Kat?" Allen asked

"Kat, she had a pendant…that's how we got here. Only it was strange, it was purple until Falkon touched it, then it glowed pink and we were here again."

"Why was it purple?"

"I don't know, she said it turned purple about a year ago, which was when I returned home from here" Allen said nothing for a time.

"Something must have happened when you left, I'm certain that the rumors of a new power rising started about 6 months after you left, but that's all they were, rumors."

They reached the Guymeluf bay and found Van giving out some instructions to Yuki, while Merle was tinkering with her Guymeluf. Van caught sight of her and smiled, then saw Allen and his face dropped.

"I will see you later Hitomi" said Allen "I have some business to take care of"

"Oh…ok good bye" she replied and then walked over to Van as Allen left the bay.

"Hi Van"
"You two catch up then?" he said almost coldly. Hitomi suddenly realized what Van must think, after all she and Allen had…

"Van, there is nothing between me and Allen anymore, except that we are still good friends" she dropped her voice slightly

"My heart belongs to you and no one else"

"I know…I'm sorry, it's just…" Vans voice trailed off as he wrapped his arms round Hitomi as though he would never let her go.

Kat followed Dilandau down into the valley, both of them staying low as they could. They stopped behind a large boulder for a time while Dilandau watched the activity going on below them.

"Not since Zaibach has anything this big been organized" he muttered before darting out again and getting closer to the nearest Guymeluf. Kat followed suit and soon they were both about 200 yards away crouched behind a crate of supplies; with nothing but open space between them and the Guymeluf.

"What now?" Kat whispered. Dilandau just looked at her and stood up and confidently walked towards the Guymeluf.

"And he says I'm unpredictable…." Kat watched as he got within a meter of the Guymeluf before being challenged. Dilandau drew his sword and with a flash of metal the man was dead. Dilandau climbed into the Guymeluf and Kat watched in awe as the front closed on him and it stood up. Then walked towards her, she backed away as the giant robot approached, only to be scooped up by a giant metallic hand.

"Stay still" said Dilandau's voice from inside the Guymeluf. She nodded and watched as the rest of the camp seemed to realize that something was wrong.

They surged toward Dilandau and Kat raising weapons. Some of them also climbed into other Guymelufs. Dilandau drew a sword from the back of his Guymeluf and slashed with it, cutting men in half, Kat could maniacal laughter coming from Dilandau and it unnerved her slightly as she clung to the hand of the giant metal robot that carried her.

Soon the enemy Guymelufs were upon them and Dilandau cut them down one at a time. Kat turned just in time to see one sneaking up behind them.

"BEHIND YOU!" she screamed and Dilandau turned round just in time to parry with his sword then disable it. The fighting went on for some time, and by the time Dilandau had finished there was little left of the camp.

The smoldering remains seemed to drop away when the Guymeluf surged off the ground. Kat whimpered and she clung on to whatever she could. Heights didn't bother her, what so ever, however being kept alive at the whim of a maniac miles above the ground did. They flew toward the fortress eventually landing on it in a massive bay that housed at lease 20 Guymelufs. Kat didn't even notice that Dilandau had set her down and climbed out. She just stood staring only to be jerked out of it when Dilandau grabbed her arm and pulled her down the center of the bay.