Sakura walked along the empty road, trying her best to clear her mind. Trying her best to realize what was it she really wanted? She had no choice now, she had to live her life in this curse until she at least learned how to transfer it like Usagi had.

Ulquirra was walking behind her silently, he followed her wherever she went and it was comforting in a way. She hadn't gone back to Sasuke since Byakuya had left. And it was all well she hadn't, she didn't need more confusion. She had already said bye, there was no more need to.

"Tell me," Ulquirra suddenly spoke up startling her

"Yeah?"

"How do you love?"

Sakura froze and turned back confused ,"What?"

"How," he repeated ,"do you love?"

She blinked ,"Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"That man," he referred to Byakuya ,"loves you, and you miss him. How can I love you so you miss me too?"

Sakura couldn't believe her ears, was this really Ulquirra. Since when was he so frank? But her confusion was because she had no idea how long he had spent collecting the words for this short sentence, and how much effort had been taken to say it.

"Well..I...Hmm..," she stuttered ,"don't deserve love."

He stared blankly ,"How do you know whether you deserve or not?"

She gave him a bitter smile ,"Cause I don't know how to love anymore it seems, all I know is how to live in past."

With that she turned around and resumed her walk, Ulquirra still walked behind her trying to find his answer in everything she had said. He could find none.

Sakura's heart was strangely very calm, it was almost like it was loosing it's ability to feel now. Or was that it? No, she knew that Ulquirra didn't love her. He never had. He always had seen someone else in her. He had always seen his woman. She had also never loved him, she had also seen someone else in him. And she knew that someone wasn't Sasuke.

–

Usagi sighed and laid back comfortably. The pond was so calming, he hummed softly and played a little with the water. As he played with the water his eyes caught their reflection in the water. And there he saw what he hadn't seen for a long time.

He smiled softly at seeing the face he had almost forgotten. It was back, finally back. He got out slowly and began to dress. It was time to tell Sakura-chan to say her goodbyes.

–

Byakuya looked over the large gate. The mission hadn't taken long. There were some problems along the way but none he couldn't handle easily. And now he was finally back, as much as he hated to admit it he wanted to see her. He had left in anger but he didn't care anymore he wanted to see her, and talk to her. The thought that she probably didn't miss him, as she did have company did annoy him. But he tried to avoid it and entered the gate.

–

"How long do I have?" Sakura asked

"Probably not more than five or six hours," Usagi said

She sat down ,"I see. Well then I will just wait here until I see where I am thrown."

Usagi looked at her ,"You know I was thinking of how lucky you were that there was at least a chance you will have company, not like me who lost everyone he loved."

She smirked ,"And what if I don't get him?"

"Well then," he shrugged ,"your luck. Don't you want to say goodbye?"

"Fine," she said ,"but I won't write a letter, and you as hell won't either. Got it?"

"Yeah yeah," he grinned, "where do you want to go?"

Ulquirra had now returned from outside, he gave Sakura a look when he saw Usagi but kept his mouth shut.

"He says I leave soon," she answered his question getting up ,"I guess I will see my house. That's one thing I want to."

They left the shack and walked silently. Sakura was in another world now, there was a growing fear in her wondering where she was going to be thrown? With who, or alone?

"Sakura?" a deep voice came from above. Sakura looked up to the familiar face.

"Byakuya.." she whispered ,"your back.."

"Where are you going?" he asked. Sakura just looked at him, then she broke down into sobs. Byakuya startled leaned over and Sakura pressed herself against him. To the people around them, it was almost like he was holding some animal inside his robes, but he didn't even give a thought to what others were thinking. He held her quietly.

"Please," she whispered ,"please..please.."

"Sakura?" he looked up worried at the two spectators

"Come with me..."

–

Naruto had decided to go to Sakura's house. They still kept it in good shape, despite the owner being missing. Being there somehow made him feel closer to her. On the way he had found Sai and he had tagged along and they made their way to Sakura's house.

When Naruto entered it, he felt a strange feeling of a presence but he avoided it.

–

Sakura, Byakuya, Ulquirra and Usagi were in Sakura's old room. She was looking around it as though trying to absorb as much as she could in her last visit. She was holding onto Byakuya's hand. They heard the door opening, and her grip on his hand tightened.

"What if someone finds us here?" Byakuya asked, then he looked at her face and said ,"it doesn't matter does it?"

She smiled and held her old headband close to her heart.

Usagi looked closely at the three figures slowly becoming more and more transparent and sighed.

"Well then," he reached out and kissed Sakura on the forehead ,"This is goodbye Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked at him confused, and in a split second the three of them vanished into thin air. Usagi retracted his hand slowly. He looked around, he wasn't allowed to write letters but..

He picked up the headband and slashed through it using his knife. They deserved to know their beloved was never returning. He jumped out the window leaving the headband on the floor.

A few minutes later Naruto cried over the goodbye.

–

Orihime looked around confused. There was all darkness around her, where was she? Was she not in Ichigo-kun's room some time ago? Slowly a strange sight came into view, she saw her own body and Hitsugaya's body laying down. Hitsugaya slowly came into his sense and looked up.

"Innuoe?" he whispered

She looked back wide eyed, her own body slowly began to flow up and she felt a strange pain as it it seemed to merge into her.

She reached out her hand to Hitsugaya, he held her and felt his body becoming lighter. With a small pull Hitsugaya was fully above the ground level, and was attracted automatically to a large light coming from somewhere far.

Orihime turned around to follow him, but then she felt anotther presence behind her. It was Sakura!

Orihime tried to call out but Sakura seemed fainted, and there with her was also Byakuya. He was holding her hand, but they both seemed fainted, or asleep.

She looked around and caught a pair of blank eyes staring at her. It was him. That man...

"Ulquirra..." she whispered.

He was staring at her blankly, he wasn't moving like the others. He was on ground and fixed. Orihime felt a sudden strong feeling in herself, so strong that she found herself petrified to the spot. Ulquirra raised his hand towards her slowly, her heart was about to burst and her hand automatically reached out towards him. Just as their fingers touched she hesitated and moved them back. A single tear rolled down Ulquirra's cheek. Orihime's eyes widened and she reached over and held his hand firmly, as though it was the most normal thing to have done.

–

How it all ended?

- Back in konoha

After a few years, everyone had finally moved on. Sasuke had finally managed to voice out everything, after a considerable time. No one understood it like expected, but he had no reason to lie. And slowly they returned to their lives. For Sasuke, Naruto and perhaps even Sai Sakura remained a sweet memory. And she forever they all knew would remain a part of this village, forever. No matter where she was.

Hitsugaya →

He was found in his own room in Soul Society later. He didn't know how he had got there from the fight. He had a vague memory of waking up somewhere else but he couldn't remember it. He regarded it as a dream. Later he found that Byakuya, Sakura, Orihime hadn't returned. He got the letter from Kurosaki and wondered why his name was also there.

Usagi would have said that he had returned because he was not really alive, and normal rules didn't apply to him. And as the door to his time opened he had returned.

Sakura/ Byakuya →

They found themselves in a a modern looking city. When they had woke they had found themselves still holding hands. Byakuya had held her, and she had cried out of relief, that her most important person was still with her. Places after places had been rolled for them, they met people lots of people, seen lots of places and were always always together.

Once they had also been in a city that was famous for its old mountain with faces on it, which was about to be torn down due to it's corrosion. They had one chance to see it before it was destroyed, and there she saw it. Naruto's face on the mountain, she finally saw it. With her own eyes.

Usagi would have had no problem explaining this. After all she was cursed, and since he was not normal either, it was no surprise. Ofcourse someone who had been away from humans wouldn't have understood the real reason why they were together, how was it they were able to go slightly against ''the rules.''

Orihime-

Orihime after the fight, her spirit had remained with her loved one, while her body was thrown somewhere else. How she had reunited with it she didn't know. When she had grabbed Ulquirra's hand she was thrown into this real world as a complete person, her complete self. Ulquirra's hole had filled up, how again she didn't know. But then again she also didn't know how he had been made into that thing to start, had time reversed for his body? Or was he at this current time normal and his body caught up with it, she didn't know and she didn't care. How surprising was it she had decided to hold his hand, but in her heart she had felt that his hand would never leave hers, and she had decided to be loved rather than just love.

How this had happened, Usagi would have had no answer to it. But then again he was too busy flirting around finding a lover, making friends and returning to being a human to actually really care.

-fin