Somewhere in the battlefield

Wufei charged madly through a group of Virgos blocking his way to Treize. "Get out of my way!" He yelled.

Treize, seeing the Altron, approached the Gundam slowly. The Tallgeese II paused in its tracks as it waited for the Altron to finish battling the mobile dolls.

Wufei glanced at his viewscreen, noticing the Tallgeese II waiting patiently. He quickly dispatched the remaining mobile dolls with a blast from his Dragon Fang.

Treize aimed his weapon at Wufei's Gundam. Altron leaped backwards, fired back, and missed by a mile.

Treize chuckled. "What are you shooting at? I'm over here."

"Shut up!" Wufei growled.

Treize hardly did that. "Once there was a time when fights were finished with the touch of a button. The embodiment of that blasphemy is the mobile dolls and their directors aboard the Libra. If you take humanity out of the equation, victory and defeat will become something deplorable. God will not reach out his hand to either side."

The Altron swung its beam trident at the Tallgeese, but the Gundam ducked underneath the staff weapon.

Wufei was in a rage. "How dare you use your pretty speeches on me! The battles have spread because of you and many have died! I alone should be a satisfactory opponent!"

Treize nodded as he released the Tallgeese's gun from his Gundam's hand. "You're right." The Tallgeese pulled out its beam saber.

"Are you ready for me, Treize?" Wufei yelled loudly.

"Of course, but I won't make any allowances this time!" Treize replied as the Tallgeese raised its beam saber to attack position.

__________

Libra

Duo stopped in one of the Libra's airlocks. He glanced back at the professors trailing him. "What now?"

Doctor J came up beside Duo. "First off, conduct us to Peacemillion."

Duo looked surprised. "Peacemillion?"

Professor G spoke up. "Everything is going just as Zechs has planned. We have to reach the Peacemillion and alter its course."

Duo could not have looked more shocked. "As Zechs planned...? He can't."

Doctor J shook his head. "He's dead set on targeting the earth. The remuneration of our sins will be accomplished if we can stop this."

Duo nodded, finally understanding what they wanted to do. "I gotcha. Follow me."

The Gundam pilot and the five professors continued down the hall. Duo was going to need his Deathscythe.

_________

Quinze was beginning to look edgy. He kept walking over to the crewman monitoring the Libra's approach to Earth.

"Is the wave course prognosis ready?" He asked.

"Yes. We will hit the earth on our present course. There is a 69% probability that we'll hit one of the northern hemisphere continents. The energy that will be discharged is approximated at around 6,000 megatons."

"Does that satisfy you, Zechs?" Quinze asked the image on the main viewscreen.

"That's more than enough, Quinze. If Peacemillion and Libra are dropped on that blue planet, the seasons will terminate and a long winter will descend." Zechs did not look one bit happy about what he was saying.

Even Quinze had no idea what was going through Zechs' head right now. And it frightened Quinze in a way.

"But this calculation is based on the fact that the Peacemillion's engines are completely inoperative."

"The Peacemillion was once my ship, Quinze. She'll understand what I want her to do." Zechs' image disappeared.

"Yes..." Quinze muttered under his breath.

On the hull of the Libra, the Eypon and a white Taurus suit stood together.

"Can we expect the Gundams to understand as well?" Noin asked.

"Idiot. Of course, they'll get in the way." Zechs gave her an irritated look, but it hardly fazed Noin.

"Are you waiting for them?"

"They follow a different course than justice or appearances. They are professional soldiers... just as I, Zechs Marquise, am."

___________

Peacemillion

Heero was about to close the hatch when two slender forms appeared in the hatchway. Both Arys and Relena peeked their heads in. Heero momentarily ignored both of them until Relena spoke.

"Wait, Heero! Why do you have to go? The Libra will sink. There's no longer a reason to fight! My brother and the White Fang have lost!" Relena stepped into the light and Heero could see her face through her helmet's faceplate.

Heero glanced at Arys. "I thought I told you both to leave... now."

Arys shrugged, and Heero caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. He wondered what had put it there.

"Answer me, Heero!" Relena stamped her foot impatiently.

"Zechs believes otherwise, and it seems that Zechs and Treize have no intentions of calling a halt to this war. I have to go."

"Do you mean that the war will end if you go out?" Relena asked, daring him to reply with a yes.

"I will eradicate Zechs, then Treize. The war will end, and if you survive, peace will come. This is the only thing I can do for you, Relena."

Relena started at his last statement. The only thing he could do for her... The only thing... Only... Relena bowed her head. She looked at Arys, who stood beside her, looked at the pale face, saw that the gray eyes were cold and blank, saw the concerned glances Heero kept giving her. Something broke within Relena's heart and she fought to keep back the tears.

"I understand now. Goodbye, Heero." She pushed off from the cockpit hatch and drifted to the ground.

Arys made a move to follow Relena.

"Arys."

The sixth pilot turned around to see that Heero was gazing at her with something unfamiliar in his eyes. She could not tell what it was. She had never seen that look there before. He stepped into the hatch opening. Arys met him there, looking down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes.

"Arys... say something."

She shook her head.

Heero sighed in exasperation and put his arms around her as best he could in the space suit he was wearing. Arys looked up into Heero's eyes. Even through the faceplate of his helmet she could see their brilliance. They were intensely blue and there was a sternness in them she wasn't used to.

"What's wrong with you, Arys?" Heero asked, his voice lowered to a whisper.

"Please, don't let it be you who must die, Heero," Arys said softly. "I couldn't bear it. I've been trying to bear the idea for the past two hours, but I couldn't, I just couldn't..." Her voice trailed off as it grew hoarse with emotion.

Heero wished he could pull off her helmet and touch her face, but the lack of atmosphere in the hangar bay prevented that. He smiled at her instead. "I promise to come back to you."

She gave him a trembling smile in return. "You'd better." She shrugged out of his grasp and stepped back. "Now, go. Zechs is waiting for you."

Arys jumped off the platform and drifted to the ground. Heero watched as she joined Relena on the ground and the two girls walked out of the hangar bay. He backed into his cockpit, put his helmet back on, and triggered the hatch closed. Soon, he was heading for outer space, and his duel with Zechs.

__________

Libra

Dorothy placed a helmet over her head. The mobile doll control room lit up yellow around them. Quatre glanced around him in surprise. He recognized the golden glow of the screens.

"This room..." He began.

"...is the Mobile Doll Control Room." Dorothy finished for him with a smug grin.

Quatre shook his head. "No, that's not it. This room feels like the Zero System."

"That's correct. The Zero system and the Mobile Doll controls are directly connected. You should know then that the Mobile Dolls are under the control of my fighting will now." Dorothy tossed him a fencing foil.

Quatre caught the foil in his hand and faced Dorothy warily. "What are you saying?"

"Duel with me, Quatre Winner. In a straight Zero-System fight, I lost; but I wonder about this time. You decided to fight of your own free will, didn't you?" Dorothy asked, tipping her head to the side curiously.

"I'd rather not, if it's at all possible. But if I don't, you won't surrender and this war won't end." Quatre positioned himself in a swordsman's stance.

"Let's see which is superior, unenhanced human reflexes or Zero System optimized." Dorothy lunged toward him, but Quatre dodged the attack and grabbed Dorothy's sword.

He gazed at her sadly. "Why do you love war? Why are you going so far as to do this?" He let go of her foil.

Dorothy smirked at him as she stepped forward, her fencing foil raised. "Gentle Quatre, why do you fight?" She jabbed her sword at him.

"My family! I fight to protect my family, to keep them from getting hurt!" Quatre parried her thrust with one of his own.

Dorothy danced back. "My father also fought and died to protect me, so I will

die fighting beautifully as well!" She attacked again, and Quatre copied her last move, dancing backwards.

"Then you ought to hate war!"

"No! Catastrophe and murder can't be blamed on war! We must overpower the enemy that lies within our hearts!" Each word was punctuated by a jab into Quatre's defense. He blocked every one expertly.

"I believe peace is more powerful than war! I believe in those who want peace!" Quatre stated indignantly as he moved forward, testing out Dorothy's defense.

"I ask you; you say that you fight for the people... What have they done for you in return?"

"I'm not in this war for the gain, Dorothy." Quatre's usually gentle blue eyes were filled with a righteous anger.

"That's why you're so stupid!"

Quatre leaped forwards, shoving Dorothy right into the wall. He glared at her. She only stared back at him. Then, the anger drained from his eyes and he let go of her, stepping back with his sword lowered.

"Please stop, Dorothy," Quatre said softly.

His quiet voice only made Dorothy more angry. She realized that she hated this boy with the loving heart, the forgiving heart. He had the heart of a noble, and she, Dorothy Catalonia, had a black heart that lived for war. For a moment, she wished she had a heart like Quatre's, but it quickly passed.

Dorothy covered up her pain with a cynical laugh. "The colonies betrayed the Gundams. The colonists killed your father! And, understanding nothing, they declared their independence! Everything that you've fought for has been for nothing! The consequences of worrying for others, the result of too much consideration for others, that has led to this horrible state of affairs!"

Quatre remained silent. He shook his head, choosing not to listen to her words.

__________

Peacemillion

The air was silent as the two girls walked down the hallway toward one of the shuttle bays. Heero had called in to Sally before he left, and she had relayed that they were evacuating through bay number four. They had said they would wait for Relena.

"What is it like, Arys?" Relena's question caught Arys off-guard.

The pilot's head tipped up, and Arys glanced at Relena in confusion. "What is what like?"

Relena continued staring into the darkness ahead of them. "What is it like to be loved by him?"

Arys hesitated and would not answer. Relena stopped walking and put a hand on Arys' shoulder. "Arys, please, I want to know."

"Are you sure?" Arys' voice was uncertain.

Relena nodded.

Arys looked down at the ground. "It's like a dream, Relena. A dream I never thought would happen." Her head tilted up again. "I...I'm sorry. That's all I can think of..." Arys' eyes widened, and she whirled around, drawing her gun as she did so. Her eyes darted about nervously, trying to see into the darkness.

"Arys, what?"

"Get down!" Arys dove on top of Relena, knocking her behind a pillar attached to the wall.

Bullets began flying by the pillar, scraping parts of it off onto the floor. Arys covered Relena with her body. The bullets suddenly stopped. Relena pushed herself up, but Arys motioned for her to get back down.

"They're reloading..." Arys whispered. "When I say go, run, Relena, as fast as you can. Get to the shuttle bay."

The raven-haired pilot leaped out from behind the pillar and began firing blindly in the direction of their assailants. "Go, Relena!"

Relena jumped to her feet and ran down the hallway toward the shuttle bay they were looking for. She heard more shots behind her, heard the thud of two bodies hitting the ground. Then, a third. After that, it was silent. Relena's ears registered that third thud. She turned around.

"Arys?" She said under her breath.

She went back the way she had come. Two men lay on the ground at the intersection of two hallways. They were completely still. Arys was sitting against the pillar they had hidden behind to avoid the bullets. She was holding her shoulder with one hand and breathing hard.

Relena bent down and put a hand on Arys' uninjured shoulder. "Arys?"

Arys started slightly when she heard Relena's voice. She glared up at the girl. "I thought I told you to run!"

"You've been shot." Relena eyed the blood seeping out between Arys' fingers.

Arys shook her head. "It doesn't hurt. I just need to stop the blood."

Relena took a handkerchief from her pocket. "Here. Will this help?"

Arys took the lacy cloth and studied it thoughtfully. She looked ashamed as she handed it back to Relena. "No... I'll ruin it."

"I insist. You saved my life."

Arys staggered to her feet as she accepted the handkerchief. "And your brother saved mine." Arys smiled as she gave the handkerchief back to Relena. "Take it, Relena. It wouldn't wrap around my shoulder anyway. I have a first-aid kit back in my Gundam."

"You should go now, then."

Arys walked forward. "No, I'm taking you to that shuttle. I need to make sure that you get aboard."

"Well, why don't you come with us?" Relena fell into step beside Arys.

"I can't leave my Gundam here. We've been through too much together."

"You Gundam pilots are really close to your Gundams, aren't you?"

Arys nodded. They reached the shuttle bay. "Here it is..." Arys punched the lock and the door slid open.

She peered into the bay to see Sally waiting by the shuttle. Arys waved Relena into the room. "Go on. I'll be fine."

Relena hesitated as she walked through the door. "I can't just leave you here."

Arys remained in the shadows of the hallway, hoping Sally would not see her. Sally would join Relena in convincing her to leave with them instead of going back for her Gundam. She sighed.

"Please, Relena..."

"At least let me get you a bandage."

Arys backed away. "There's no time. I must go." She began to sprint down the hallway, back to the main hangar bay. Relena looked down at the ground. Arys had lost a lot of blood and some of it was puddled on the ground at her feet. She looked at the handkerchief she still had in her hand. It was still pure white.

Sally came up beside her.

"Who was that?" Sally peered down the hallway, hearing the running footsteps, but not seeing anyone.

"Arys Walker."

Sally made a move to run after the girl and drag her back to the shuttle. "Is she crazy?"

Relena placed a hand on Sally's arm. "No. She's gone back for her Gundam."

Sally sighed. "I hope she gets out all right."

"She will. She's too much like Heero to let this defeat her."

___________

The Gundam Heavyarms stopped in its tracks as a group of Virgos appeared in front of it. Trowa took a few seconds to ascertain how he could destroy these dolls without using all his ammunition.

"Wait for me, Quatre."

Just as he was about to fire his double gatling gun. A familiar figure shimmered into existence behind the Virgos. It was the Deathscythe. With a few swipes from his scythe, Duo chopped the Virgos to pieces.

"Yo, Trowa! Sorry I was so violent. I can't stay and help you." As usual, Duo's voice sounded cheerful in spite of the battles going on around them.

"No... that was more than enough." Trowa said, a grateful tone coloring his voice.

Trowa had the Heavyarms continue forward. Duo watched from the cockpit of his Deathscythe.

"Is that so? Well, then, don't die, Trowa."

"You too, Duo..."

The Deathscythe flew down the hallway, away from the Heavyarms. Trowa ran into a dead end and popped open his cockpit hatch. He would have to find Quatre on foot from here.

________

Outside the Libra

"Hmm..." Duo surveyed the cluster of mobile dolls in his path to the Peacemillion. "You psyched up yet?" Duo asked the five professors he had protected underneath his Gundam's wings.

"Only one of us has to succeed in reaching Peacemillion! If one of us is thrown off, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, I won't, 'cause I don't have that kind of time." Duo flicked up his faceplate with one hand and glared at the mobile dolls in his way. "Here goes!"

He throttled forward in a mad rush, barrelling through the mobile dolls. He knocked aside any dolls in his way with his scythe. A few attempted to shoot him, but he was going so fast, the beams missed him completely.

"No idiot would want to smash through this! I shouldn't have found them..." Duo noticed that there were three Virgos directly in his way. His voice was taunting as he raced through them. "Hey! Death and Pestilence, coming through!"

Duo shaded his eyes as explosions flared ahead of him.

"What?"

Duo looked closer at the mobile suits hovering near him and realized that they were the Maguanac Corps. Quatre's army.

"Leave this to us!" One of the soldiers said with a saucy grin.

Duo smiled as he flew by. "Take 'em with my permission!"

__________

Libra

"I don't want to kill you, Dorothy." Quatre blocked yet another one of Dorothy's savage jabs.

"You can't or won't? But I won't hold back! That compassion! That sweetness! That consideration! They will cause your ruin!" With a battle cry, Dorothy lunged forward, knocking Quatre's sword from his hand.

The foil hit the wall behind Quatre and clattered to the ground. Quatre stood defenseless in front of Dorothy. He was no longer angry. The only emotion he felt for the girl standing in front of him was pity.

"That may be true but this is the only way I can fight. Even in losing the battle, I'm satisfied that the colonies weren't drawn into it!" Quatre wished he could see Dorothy's face. The helmet blocked all view of her expressions except for her mouth. And that was most often pulled into a smirk.

"Nothing will change!" Dorothy said almost triumphantly.

"What else should I have done then?"

Dorothy raised her sword in a sort of salute. It was then that Quatre knew Dorothy was going to kill him. His father's face flashed briefly before his eyes. I'm sorry, Father. I've failed you after all. Then, he saw his sister Iria's face. I've failed all of you.

"You should have become the leader of the colonies and fought on equal terms, like Mister Milliardo!"

"Dorothy! That's not..." Quatre's voice cracked as Dorothy thrust forward, running her sword through Quatre's side.

The blond pilot stood upright for a few seconds before he collapsed to his knees, clutching his side. Immediately, Dorothy felt regret as he turned his blue eyes upon her. They were full of pain, and confusion. Dorothy pushed the regret away and stared down at the wounded boy dispassionately.

"Show humanity a war so lamentable that they would have no wish to see its like ever again!" She waved her sword around, the point still red with Quatre's blood.

"Is that..." Quatre paused, closing his eyes as a jolt of pain assaulted him, "what this battle is about?"

"That's right! Taking away all the weapons won't stop wars. You have to change the hearts of the people, otherwise they'll be destroyed like my father."

Dorothy could tell Quatre was beginning to lose consciousness. He was struggling to stay in his sitting position. It took all his strength just to gaze up at her without keeling over. Blood was gathering in a pool at his feet.

Quatre's voice was weaker, softer, when he spoke again. "You're... more kind... than me...." He bent over, a muffled groan escaping his lips.

That groan pierced Dorothy's heart, but she refused to show it. "It doesn't make me any happier just because you say that! Compassion is just a deterrant to living! People should only have to worry about staying alive."

"Dorothy.... You're like me.... hating fighting... but never able to exonerate yourself for your gentleness.... but... you can't deny your gentle nature.... Trowa has taught me that.... you have to accept everything.... humanity needs that quality... or else... there is no reason to exist.... isn't that so? The remaining humans... would be no better than animals." The long speech had taken all his remaining strength, but he had to help her understand. He knew that Dorothy's harsh exterior hid a gentler, kinder heart. She just needed to be shown that it existed.

The world faded from Quatre's vision, and he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Dorothy gazed at the boy floating lifelessly in front of her. She wondered why she felt no remorse at what she had just done. Or perhaps she did, but refused to acknowledge it.

_________

Somewhere on the battlefield

"What's the matter? Why don't you use your dragon?" Treize asked tauntingly as he backed the Tallgeese away from the Altron's beam glaive.

"I just want to fight you fair and square!" Wufei said.

"That isn't like you at all! Are you holding back?" Treize looked almost curious and that angered Wufei even more.

The Altron swung its beam trident again, aiming for the Tallgeese's head. The other Gundam sidestepped, avoiding the killing blow easily.

"And you? Why didn't you kill me back then?" Wufei demanded.

"I couldn't kill one of the few who could understand me."

Wufei had the Altron raise its beam trident again. His face contorted with anger. "Don't mock me! I hate you!"

"Then don't hold back!" Treize urged him on. It was almost as if he wanted Wufei to kill him.

"You just look down on other people! You're only here to fight for your ego! How many people do you think have died for your sake?" Wufei asked, not thinking that Treize would be able to answer such a question.

"Would you like me to tell you?"

Wufei stopped his beam glaive in mid-swing.

"As of yesterday, 99,822 people." Treize leaned back in his seat.

"What?"

"Lady.... what is the current death toll?" Treize asked.

"Confirmed presently, 82 on the White Fang side and 105 on our side."

Treize's face was almost sad. It was an expression Treize did not often wear. "Is that so. You must tell me their names later."

"Yes. Understood."

"You...!" Wufei could not believe what he was hearing.

"The people whose lives have been forfeited are all imprinted in my mind." Treize closed his eyes and began reciting. "Noventa, Septem.. Bente, Dorian, Walker. Otto, Bunto... I can't forget them."

"People like you..." Wufei was completely stunned.

"I can do nothing by exalting the dead. But I want you to know this much: they did not die in vain. And now...!!" Treize flew forward, beam saber raised for an attack.

Wufei acted on instinct and brought his beam trident to bear on the approaching Tallgeese. The Gundam was impaled on his weapon, sparks flying as Wufei held the trident in place, disbelief written all over his face.

"That was glorious, Wufei...." Treize sounded awed.

"Treize! You..." Wufei stuttered in anguish as the Tallgeese slid off his blades.

"Everyone must compensate for their sins. Even my death is not devoid of meaning. Wufei... my eternal friend.... I'm honoured to have fought you at all..."

"This..." Wufei shook his head, wishing that this was all a bad dream, "this... I won't accept this!"

"Milliardo... I'm going on ahead of you...."

The Tallgeese exploded in a shower of flame and shrapnel. Wufei shaded his eyes. When he looked at his viewscreen, the Tallgeese was nothing more than a piece of debris. He slammed his hand down on his console, seething. Tears ran down his cheeks. He was crying! Crying because he had defeated his enemy! But the enemy had allowed him to win! It was not his idea of justice. It had not been an honorable victory.

"How could he? He could have defeated me!"

__________

Resource Satellite MO-II

Lady Une watched as the Tallgeese exploded. She felt as if the fireball had taken a part of her heart with her. And in a sense, it had. Treize Kushrenada had been her whole world. Everything she did revolved around him. And now, he was gone. She bowed her head in respectful silence.

"Colonel Une... Colonel... your orders?"

Lady Une turned her head to look at the crewman. "Inform White Fang of the Earth's Nations surrender."

"Colonel?!"

Lady Une's voice was deep with anguish when she replied. "Don't make me repeat those disgraceful words again. Hurry and compose the message!"

"You were glorious, Mister Treize," She whispered to the image of the battered Tallgeese II on the viewscreen.

___________

Libra

Dorothy removed her helmet. "This is fine... this..."

"There you are, Dorothy," Quinze's voice came over the ship's intercom.

"Huh?!" Dorothy quickly glanced at the still form drifting near her and then at the comm screen located on the Zero System console.

"We just received word. The earth has surrendered."

"Surrendered?!" Dorothy repeated incredulously.

"Also a message that Treize has died in combat at the hands of a cunning opponent."

"T-that's inconceivable!"

"Victory is ours but we won't cancel the drop. Those are Commander Milliardo's orders." Quinze almost sounded glad that they were still going to destroy the Earth.

"Initializing final thrust. Evacuate under your own judgment. I pray for your safety." Quinze's voice filled the entire fortress.

Trowa appeared in the doorway suddenly. "Looks as though your desires were overcome."

"I..." Dorothy was at a loss for words.

Trowa shook his head as he stepped into the room. "That's so sad... a woman who can't cry."

____________

Libra

Zechs scanned his radar screen. He was waiting, patiently, for his opponent to come. The Eypon stood with its feet spread apart, facing outer space. His warning system beeped at him, and Zechs raised his head to see a sparkle of light in the distance. The light resolved itself into the form of Wing Zero.

"He's finally here..."