The Exia hovered over the North Korean capital, absorbing everything that has taken place. The country was in ruins, the people were suffering, and yet they continued to fight against the South.

With a shaky voice, Ailee said, "Let's just go, Setsuna."

He nodded and brought her to what was once the capital's center of governance.

Setsuna sneaked her into the capital, leaving a haro to man the machine.

Ailee walked calmly, or as calmly as she could. Her heart was pounding furiously, and Setsuna's efforts to making sure that she didn't get killed before she got to try what she was planning to do didn't help a bit.

A pair of guards who were going on a break were the first ones to see them. Neither of them recognized Ailee, and were about to shoot the two of them. However, Ailee's voice carried a tone of authority that they could not deny. Instead, she was brought to the high general while Setsuna slinked off, heading back to his machine. He couldn't stay any longer, or they might be inclined to think that Celestial Being was on their side. They weren't--they were just helping a nation's leader home to call for peace.

~°~

Ailee followed the two soldiers to see the high general. She wondered who he was, and wondered briefly if he knew who she was. Would it still matter?

One of the two announced her presence, and she heard a voice reply that she could be brought in.

At first, she didn't recognize who it was. All she knew was that the general was the man standing with such strength in his back although he, too, wanted to just close his eyes and forget everything. When he turned however, the face that greeted her was more or less the same face that had saved her all those years ago. It was just that he'd grown so much older due to the stress.

His facial expression told her that he recognized her. What he did next was not what she would have expected--he knelt before her and called her by her title.

"General Chou," she spoke softly.

He stood up after greeting her and smiled. "It is wonderful to see that you are alive, and that you are back."

She smiled, though it contained a bit of bitterness. "I wanted to come back and correct everything that I've done wrong."

"You've done nothing wrong," he insisted.

She shook her head. "I have spilled blood, the wrong blood. And I have allowed the innocents to suffer. Will you allow me to come back and make ammends to you and the people?"

"Now might not be the opportune moment for such a thing, my Princess," he said. "The country is in turmoil, I don't know what it is that you can do at the moment."

"Now is the best time," she told him. "I might not be as experienced as you, but there have been a few things that I learned while I was away. They might prove useful."

He dipped his head in a nod and said, "If that is what you say. We will follow your orders."

"Thank you, General Chou," she said gratefully.

~°~

"Please, Hyung," Dongwoo pleaded, bouncing around his brother as he tried to convince the elder to set up talks instead of continuously bombarding the North. It costed more lives than either of them wanted. "Please, Hyung."

"I can't, not unless Dad approves of it," he replied.

"Convince Dad, then," Dongwoo said.

"You try doing that," was Yunho's reply.

"Please, Hyung?" Dongwoo asked again. "I'll make Myungsoo do aegyo for you."

"That kid has no aegyo, and no, I do not want that," Yunho said as he continued to make his way into the base. He headed towards the hangar with Dongwoo jumping and buzzing around him.

When they entered the hangar, Yunho saw his knights and Dongwoo's knight and friends busily discussing something that seemed to be quite important. When he approached, Jaejoong broke off the conversation and turned his full attention to him.

Yunho threw them a suspicious look. When no one made a move to explain anything, he went on to ask one of the mechanics about the machines' progress.

"The unfortunate thing, sir, is that we really do not understand Mr. Sunggyu's design. So the only thing that we can do for his machines are replace the physical parts, but we can't tune them," the head mechanic replied.

"He didn't tell you about the design?" he asked.

The mechanic shook his head. "His design is out of this world, and he hasn't had the time to tell us. He's been too busy modifying them and upgrading the systems to move in the way the pilots would want that he hasn't had the time to tell us about anything. With designs like this, we can't mass produce these, either."

"But how did he produce so many machines in such a short time, then?" Yunho asked, more to himself than to the mechanic.

"It would be quite possible that his mastery of the design is already well enough for him to be able to replicate them over and over again. Some designs are easier to describe than others," he offered.

"Someone bring Sunggyu to me," he barked. Now was not the time for all of these to converge!

Dongwoo watched his brother scurry to and fro, wondering if Yunho had actually wanted to fight. Was that the reason why he was avoiding Dongwoo's attempts at persuasion? Or was he really just that busy that he could no longer think?

"Were you able to talk to them?" he asked as Myungsoo moved to stand by him.

Myungsoo nodded and said, "They're quite willing to do that, surprisingly, even without Yunho's consent."

"Isn't that shocking?" Dongwoo asked.

"There's nothing shocking about it," he shrugged. "They think Yunho's too busy doing the things he needs to do in the way that he's been asked to do it that he forgets that there might be other ways around it. According to Jaejoong-hyung, the Crowned Prince is prone to having a one-track mind like a bull."

"That would be my brother, all right," Dongwoo commented.

"Why aren't you like that?" Myungsoo asked.

"Should I be?" Dongwoo asked, his intonation going up a few notches.

Myungsoo shrugged.

~°~

Dongwoo called Ailee that evening, telling her of things that happened to them and asking her of progress on her part. Much to his delight, her response was positive enough. The man that had been controlling the country so far had been someone she knew and had surprisingly been quite easy to persuade. He was loyal to the country itself.

After a few more progress reports, they soon found themselves talking about personal things. Although they were in different places, both of them sat under the same night sky as they properly told each other the feelings that they'd come to have.

"I've never lied to you about how I felt," she confessed. "Although it seems that I may have done that for the sake of Celestial Being."

He laughed. "I understand. But it's amazing, really, that they allowed you to leave."

"I didn't leave," she told him. "But it wasn't part of the plan. Because I willingly presented myself as a Gundam meister to you and to Myungsoo, they decided to keep me in the backburner just in case you used me as a way to find the others. A lot of people have been after them even though they'd had very noble actions."

"Not always," Dongwoo commented, but felt a twinge of guilt when he realized what he'd said.

She laughed. "No need to worry, I understand. It's very easy to misunderstand our actions. We're fighting as a third party against two countries that have been trying to destroy each other--it's quite foolish if you think about it well."

"Yet you joined?"

"I had nowhere else to go at first. They'd saved my life, and I was quite eager to help them in any way I could. But by then, my country was out of my grasp and the only thing that I could offer them was my services."

"I see. I understand; I'm in quite a similar situation, too. Since I'm my father's son, I need to be at a position where the people can see me and see that I'm doing my duty just like every other son in South Korea. But since I'm the second born son, I'm not quite as valuable as my Hyung."

"I guess we're the children that could have been easily thrown away by our parents," she commented. "But look where we are now."

"I know. I really hope that this turns out well," he said.

"Me, too."

"I really do like you, Ailee," he said. "I'm just sorry that we haven't had enough time to get to know each other better so that I can honestly tell you if I love you or not."

She chuckled. "Me too. But if all works well, Dongwoo, then we can both try and see how it will go."

"You're right. I hope it turns out well."

"You said that already."

"I'm saying it again because I have more reason to now than before," he confessed.

"I know, me too."