A/N: I just realized that there was literally NO punctuation or proofreading done after I posted this, so I am really sorry about that. Any errors should be fixed now!

~ Talk To Me ~

A light knock at the door jolted the young Paladin from his thoughts one morning, and he glanced around the small room, momentarily forgetting what he had been doing. Tools lay scattered across the floor, and parts of his Destroyer were littered here and there as well. Small cups full of screws sat on the bedside table, and notebooks taken from his father's study were piled high in one corner of the room. Chung himself looked worse for wear; dark rings encircled his eyes, and he groggily croaked, "In a minute!"

Whoever was waiting for him on the other side of the door made no comment, and he wondered who it could've been. Had it been Elsword, the boy would've barged in regardless, so it couldn't have been him. Raven would've grunted his understanding, Elesis would've shouted for him to hurry up, and Eve would have told him to find her. The only people it could have been were Aisha and Ara, though he honestly hoped it wasn't the latter.

Things had been tense between them since Hamel, and for good reason. Chung could find no words to say to the girl, and just thinking about what she did brought a quiet rage into his chest that rendered him speechless for some time. Only the fires of his anger that reflected in his eyes would tell the girl his thoughts, and since then, she refused to approach him. It wasn t like he tried to approach her either, really. Still, what's done is done. If they should meet on the battlefield, then she would simply be a comrade first. His personal feelings held no meaning where life and death quarreled.

Sighing and standing up, Chung dusted himself off and made his way across the room, pulling the door open. As he had feared, Ara stood there, the guilt on her face being the first thing he noticed. He soon took note of her stance. It was far from the quiet confidence he had observed when they first met. In fact she looked subdued, somehow. Cowed, if you will. As if her anxiety was slowly eating at her and she did nothing to resist. "May we...talk?" She asked. Chung considered slamming the door in her face there and then, but realized that if she took the time to come here, then perhaps it was worth hearing her out after all. He stepped aside and let her in.

For a few long minutes, it was quiet. Tense, too, but that much was a given, Chung mused. He went back to his spot earlier and picked up the scattered pieces of his Destroyer, while Ara sat on his bed, facing away from him. At least if he had something to distract himself, his emotions wouldn't flare up and make him say something that he d regret.

"I-" Ara began, but cut herself off. She sighed heavily. "I won t apologize for what I did." She finished finally. Chung froze momentarily, fighting back the shock and anger that threatened to rise. He held his tongue and focused even harder on his task. "But that doesn t mean I don t feel guilty about it. My goal has been, and always will be getting my brother back. I understand your feelings, but he's my only family. He's all that I have left."

"Ara-"

"I know." She cut him off. Chung sighed. "I know he's done terrible things. He's killed people, kidnapped your priestess. Made the people of Hamel suffer. But he's still my brother. I still have to try."

"And what if he doesn't want to be saved? What if you never bring him back?" He asked, his voice surprisingly calm. "What if the only thing you can grant him is death?"

"Can I not ask the same of your father?" Ara countered. Chung was quiet for a very long time. "I-I'm sorry, that was "

"Correct, actually." Chung cut her off this time. Ara was silent now, as she glanced at Chung. A wry smile fixed itself on his face as he stared at nothing in particular. "My father willingly thrust himself into the darkness to save his people. He thought that he could master it, and use it as a tool to protect us. But as a result, he nearly killed me, and let the demons raid Hamel. My father was a courageous fool, but I can t be mad at him for it." He sighed, and slumped his shoulders. "I can t say I forgive him much either, really. These past years were filled with nothing but pain and anxiety. Wondering if I can truly banish the darkness from him once and for all, or if I must kill him to give him peace. It's not something I like to consider."

"Then you see why I acted the way I did. I don't condone of the things my brother did, whether from the influence of the Dark El, or by choice. Even I must weigh the possibilities of killing my brother. But if I have the chance to reach him, then I will take it. I can't let anyone kill him before I have my chance. Not even you."

"I understand." He said finally. Chung sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. When he glanced at Ara again, she still looked quite upset. "But that doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you, you know."

" I understand." Ara replied quietly.

What happened next, completely surprised the girl. Chung sat on the bed beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a light hug. He leaned his head on hers and smiled lightly. "Don't try to do something like this on your own anymore. All you had to do was say something. We all have our burdens, but everything becomes easier, if we share them with our friends." He said softly. Despite herself, Ara began to tear up.

"I'm sorry." She replied.