Decision Made

"Don't you get it Hayate!" Goh shouted as Atarashi slipped back into the room unnoticed, "She's not ready! Ata may have the power but that doesn't mean she can control it! Without that there is no way she can fight Hidoi!"

Atarashi watched in silence as her father abruptly stood and grabbed Goh by the shirt. He lifted him several feet into the air making sure that Goh could not fight back. Anger flashed across his features. Goh had crossed into forbidden territory.

Hayate pushed his face close to Goh's, "If you ever say that about my daughter ever again I swear that you will live to regret it. You have not prétted with her, Goh. I have. There is power inside of her that you cannot imagine. When needed she will be able to control it. However you will not by any means underestimate her."

His daughter hid in the shadows shocked. So many times before Atarashi had assumed that her father didn't care. Yet here he stood defending her. Tears slipped down her cheek. How could she have doubted him?

"You're being biased! Naturally you would say that about her since you're her father!"

"That's enough!" Atarashi cried out and everyone froze, "I have made my choice. With or without your help I am going to stop Hidoi. I will find her and when I do this war will end."

Shin walked forward, "Are you sure about this Ashi?"

"I am sure."

"Alright then I will follow you."

Mannen snorted, "Well if you think that you're leaving me and Hajime out of this you got another thing coming."

"Your father and I will stay by you side," Sasame smiled, "And I'm sure that Kei will as well."

Atarashi smiled through her tears as she turned to Goh. She could not understand why he would act this way. But the look in his eyes told her a story that surprised her. He was in love. Slowly she moved forward and pulled the fire knight out of the room. In the hallway she smiled again.

"Who is she?"

"A girl I work with."

"Goh why don't you want me to do this?"

The Knight of Fire hesitated before saying in a whisper, "To tell you the truth I don't even want to be a knight anymore. All I want is to be a normal guy. I want to tell her who I really am but I can't. Therefore I can't even tell her how I feel. It hurts so badly but there's nothing I can do."

Atarashi nodded, "I know how you feel. I remember when Shin showed me that I was a Prétear. More than anything I wanted to rush in and show my mom and dad. But then I remembered that this was a power that they wouldn't understand."

"Yeah but he's a knight and she's a former Prétear."

"And she's a woman you love. If she returns your feels as strongly as you then she won't care what you are. All she will see is the wonderful man that you are."

Goh dropped his head to stare at the ground. Perhaps she was right. Slowly a smile crept onto his face. After this battle was over he had something he had to do. Instantly he was dragging her back into the room.

"What are doing Goh?"

He grinned, "Simple, we've got to get the others so that way we can go!"

Hidoi smiled. So the Prétear was going to come with every single knight. This would make her plans much more fun. Slowly she turned on her three remaining knights.

"When they get here take your time with them. Here all of you have power. You can defeat them if you really try."

"Yes mistress."

"Hi, you will be in the Room of Reflection. Koe, you will handle the music room. Kaze, I give you the courtyard."

"Yes mistress."

She smiled again, "Good, now leave me! I have preparations to make for when our guests arrive."

As the knights vanished from sight, she turned back to the window. The moon was washing the land with its radiance just barely silhouetted eight figures through the mists. Hidoi laughed at the sight before bringing out a chained woman.

"It looks like you won't be alone for long Himeno," she whispered to the unconscious woman, "Soon you will have former knights and your family to join you in your prison."