Author's Note: There's one part I was debating whether to put or not… to put it would probably please the readers, but would upset me because I didn't want this to be the typical 'happily ever after story', but because of the demand for a epilogue, and me having rounded thing up last chapter a bit TOO well meaning I have nothing to write now, I have decided to put the sappy 'happily ever after' part after all.

)Sakura( - I'm sorry I made you so sad… and no, not all my stories are like this… but I soar above as a writer when I'm either writing something extremely tragic or funny…

)neutralgal( - aw, you don't know what that means to me to say you like my writing so much… :) Don't worry, I'm posting I Dare You 2 along with the last chapter of Last Minute of Life and Reality's Difference. Hope that makes you happy :)

)Manuca( - Lol yeah, you've just summarized everything better than I could've… I don't know how to say this, just that when I thought about this story I was suddenly plunged into this darkness with only a glimpse of light that's slowly fading, and I was locked into that atmosphere for almost days when I finally decided I couldn't take it anymore, and that's how I wrote this story down… I can honestly say for myself that this is probably one of my best works… probably because it meant so much to me… I would have Orubia go talk to Eric again, but I kinda already put 'that was the last she ever saw of him'. :P so it wouldn't really work out, now would it? ;)

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Epilogue

The Ending

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A year has passed since Orubia's last encounter with all those revolved around Sakura's journal. Since then, she had travelled the world to many places she has yet to see, and now, she feels no regrets. Although she finds herself almost always alone unless with parents, she felt that she really was not, perhaps because the story of Sakura still surrounds her, perhaps the people from the past still haunts her—either way, she knew she was not living fully in the future.

She had no idea why she was walking towards the hospital right now—certainly hoping to heaven it's not because her body is trying to tell her the AIDS virus is finally acting up—except that she had nowhere else to go.

Orubia felt the gentle breeze from the autumn wind and smiled to herself. She was at peace with herself. She had no more regrets. Though she does not want to, she feels she is ready—or at least more ready than before—to move on… to another place… a new realm…

The hospital door stands in front of her. She struck out her hand and pulled it open. Walking inside, she was engulfed by the warmth from the furnace in the hospital. She walked towards the front desk and stopped there. Hello Marie, I am here for a check up… you know, to see how the virus is doing…

"Yes, dear, may I help you?"

Orubia opened her mouth, but found that the words would not come out. After a while, she stood there, confused. "Actually, no, not really…" She could not fully understand why she had just said that, except she began walking deeper in the hospital. Marie didn't stop her.

Orubia walked on and on, passing doors at a time, until she stopped in front of a certain one. She pushed the door open without knocking.

A figure on the bed looked up.

She stared back at him; surprised she ended up here of all places. "Hi." She said, equally as shocked as him.

"Hello. Long time no see. Please, come in." Kevin invited.

Orubia walked in timidly, not knowing why she was approaching him at all. She sat on the bed beside him and began fidgeting.

He looked at her for a bit, then he too, looked down and played with his fingers. A few uncomfortable minutes passed just like that, when he finally said, "So, did she see him?"

Orubia looked up. "Who?"

Kevin was ashamed of himself for being interested. But he just couldn't help it. Still looking down at his hands and avoiding Orubia's piecing pale blue eyes that doesn't make confessing any easier, he repeated, "Did she see him?"

"I don't understand…" Orubia whispered softly, though she knew deep inside what he was referring to. This is why she's here. She's here to answer his questions this time.

"Sakura." He breathed, closing his eyes. "You'll never let me alone will you…" Then in a louder voice, he repeated. "Did Sakura see Syaoran in the end as her final wish? Was it fulfilled?"

"I thought you said he was a bastard. I thought you didn't care for neither of them." Orubia shot back.

"I don't…" Kevin defended. Then he sighed. "I've never quite seen things in her point of view, I suppose I had no right to judge… I guess I was a bastard after all. But now I know everything, her deepest feelings, her time spent with him, and I know that they truly deserve each other, and I do worry for her, and I want to know… did she at least die happy? Was her last wish granted? Even I gave her her final wish when she asked me to kiss her."

"Don't you dare compare her final wish with that fucking kiss she begged from you!" Orubia hissed threateningly. "Don't you fucking dare! That kiss meant nothing to her; she was just desperate for the moment… but her final wish… that was different. That was different! Do you hear me? That was a real wish! A real wish she would've traded her soul for! Not just some nastiness from you!"

Kevin hid his face lower. "I'm sorry. I know, I shouldn't have said that…"

"Damn right."

"But please, just tell me… did her wish come true?"

Orubia studied the side of his cowering face for a long time. They were so pale, so yellow, so old, and so lifeless… it's been too long… the disease is eating him, as it ate many of its victims. He has lost his handsomeness, he style, his looks, everything he was originally proud of. Now he had none of it left, and he was a coward. He cannot show his face without shame any longer. "You wonder for the truth, yet at the same time you're embarrassed that you care because of all the horrible things you've said about Sakura. Kevin, I want you to look at me. I want you to look at me in the eyes and tell you what you want to know. I respond to no cowards."

Kevin swallowed. Okay, just look at her in the eyes, pretend you're watching TV… and then that one sentence, just one, so say it… Kevin gathered up his last guts and turned around abruptly, ready to spit the sentence out as quickly as possible, but one glance at Orubia's icy poles froze him solid. Those eyes… why? Why are they so chilling? Kevin felt exposed, and again, he let his head fall without meaning to.

A hand touched his chin. The hand was cold just like the eyes of the owner. The hand lifted his head up until once again, he was staring into those soul-piercing eyes. "I understand that you're afraid… and my eyes aren't making it any better, but please don't be. They're just a different colour, there really is nothing different… erase your fear. Now tell me your question."

Kevin shuddered, but in a small, quivering voice, he asked, while staring into those ice spheres as best as he could, "Did Sakura see Syaoran on his birthday?"

Orubia smiled slightly. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" She dropped her hand and sighed. He had conquered his fear, admitted it, and now it's my turn, and I will tell him nothing but the truth. Orubia opened her mouth. "To tell you the whole truth… I honestly don't kn—" She suddenly froze. Again it's that feeling like when she was walking towards the hospital, like when she walked into Kevin's room. It's that feeling of unknown. Déjà vu. "Yes." She found herself saying. "Yes she did. Her final wish was fulfilled, she did see him."

Kevin gave a small smile. "Yeah?"

Orubia smiled back reassuringly. "Yeah."

After the talk with Kevin, she left the hospital and without waiting a second, she walked straight to Syaoran and Sakura's grave. She couldn't understand why she had lied to Kevin except that she felt like she couldn't tell him the truth, no matter how much she wanted. It's like she was possessed or something.

She knelt down in front of the two gravestones and touched one hand to each. "Tell me, if you're there. What is death? Please, tell me. Is there life after death, or is there only the cold oblivion that I so fear?"

There was a moment of silence, not that Orubia expected a reply. Her hands clawed at the cement as she bent down forward towards the ground and cried. She gritted her teeth and she bit her lips, but she still cried. I still fear death… I fear it so… I don't want to die!

A suddenly powerful gust of wind blew by. So powerful Orubia winced as she covered her face with her hands and nearly fell to the ground. The chill left as subtly as it came, and when it was gone, Orubia opened her eyes, and was surprised to find something red lying in between the two gravestones.

She took a closer look.

A rose pedal.

She picked it up with wide eyes. I could've sworn that wasn't there before… She held the rose pedal to her heart and smiled at the endless sky. Her tears have not dried yet, but the feeling was suddenly different. There was a sincere smile on her face. So there is life after death after all… a much more beautiful life…

To Orubia, her days left on earth were timed but nowhere near the end. She must use whatever she has left to help people, which is why, for this afternoon, she has decided to volunteer at the local kindergarten. The teacher wanted her to just play and talk with them, and to try to make them feel close and comfortable around each other.

It wasn't something Orubia normally would've done. But being sentenced to death, she no longer cared if hot guys would think that it's uncool. All that mattered was the fact that she's helping people in need out.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Orubia smiled brightly as she walked into the class, where wondering little eyes were staring up at her.

"Good afternoon Ms. Bellena!" The kids replied obediently.

She smiled. They sat together on the ground in a circle where Orubia began telling stories, and talking and sharing her past experiences with the children, at the same time listening to theirs. She found one little girl rather quiet though, and she wondered why. She didn't want to ask the girl directly, so she came up with another plan.

"Okay, let's try something a bit different now… let's get a bit more personal to each other… let's understand what's deep within all of us, because the point of this, I'm hoping at least, is that you will all bond with each other and maybe make new friends once I am gone. Okay, let's see… how about this time, we go around the circle so everyone has to speak about… the one thing in their past that scared them the most."

A shudder went through the circle. Orubia smiled at them. "Hey, don't be afraid, remember, the best way is to let it out… Okay, I'll start."

It went on and on, most of it were the pretty typical average stuff you would expect, the monster in my closet, the beast under my bed, the alien in the dark, the vampire outside my window, and so on and so forth. Most of them are just childish fears that will one day go away when the kids are grown up, and they'll probably laugh at how pathetic they were when they were little. Soon, after about 14 kids have gone, it reached the quiet little girl.

"Okay, it's your turn now sweeties, what was your worst experience?"

The girl stayed silent.

Orubia frowned. There's a deep, dark fear inside of her. Orubia stood up and knelt in front of the girl. She was rather adorable looking, certainly didn't fit this sour mood she has right now. "What's your name, dear?"

The girl looked up at Orubia with large, beautiful eyes. "Cayleigh." She whispered.

"That's a beautiful name…"

"Thank you…" she muttered.

"So tell me, what are you most afraid of? You know, it's nothing to be ashamed of… I may be able to help you if you tell me, but if you don't, I certainly I cannot…"

The girl frowned and fidgeted. "My worst experience… was when… was when…" She began to weep.

Orubia hugged the girl close to her. "Don't worry, tell me…"

"I was playing ball one day… then I kicked it into this yard… then I went to go get it because I wanted to play ball… then there was this scary lady there… she was really freaky… she took the ball from me, and she said bad things to me and my mommy… then she… she told me about death… sh-she said, she said I would die one day… she said I would die one day… But, but I don't want to die!"

Orubia did a double take. She couldn't believe it. This is actually the Cayleigh that Sakura had loved. The little girl she was so sorry to have hurt… except she didn't have the opportunity to repair what she had done. Orubia will do that for her. "Cayleigh, dear, tell me. Do you know what death is?"

The girl shook her head vigorously. "No, no I don't… but I know it's something dark and horrible and scary and bad… death is bad… I don't like death and I don't want to die!"

Orubia laughed lightly. "No, you're wrong… death isn't bad… death is… it's beautiful."

Cayleigh looked at her with her tear-filled eyes. "It is? But, what is death?"

Orubia continued to smile. She reached into her pocket and took out the rose pedal she had gotten earlier, and she held it in front of Cayleigh. "This, is death."

Cayleigh stared at it for the longest time, then her face blossomed into the sweetest smile Orubia has ever seen.

Maybe, someday, when the sweet darling was mature enough to not overreact when hearing the truth, she will understand the proper meaning of death. But for now, this is all she has to know.

…………………………………

I couldn't understand what was happening, except that there was awareness. One moment I was on my bed, and the next, I was floating, just floating. My eyes are closed so I can't be sure, but I feel bright light surrounding me. Tthere's a luminous glow that gave me strength and hope. Here, I knew everything will be beautiful, and every ending will be happy. The warmth enveloped me and I was in bliss.

Slowly, I could feel myself merging with that brilliance, the white light washed over my face, my limps, down to my toes. Every speck of sin I have collected throughout my life was washed away. I was forgiven. There was no heaven or hell, there was only a happy ending, a place where everyone will live, a place where sadness did not exist, a place where harmony was the only word known.

Even without seeing with flesh eyes, I know there is nothing here but the light, yet nevertheless, I wanted to see a world through the eyes of a mortal, and slowly, I opened my eyes.

Yet to my surprise, nothing had changed. Everything around me was the same! It was the same light, except the light was not seen, but only felt, only enjoyed… because… because I was the light…

I realize at once; I have become the light… I am now part of a bigger creation, a place where all who are born came from, I am now back to where I belong… I am part of everybody, and everyone is me… a concept only one who has returned can understand… but still, why didn't anything change? Am I blind? I raised my hands to touch my eyes.

But nothing happened. Again, nothing moved, and I felt nothing. There would be a cold fear in the pit of my stomach right now, but fear and coldness did not exist in this world, therefore I did not feel them. There was only the mystery and curiosity.

Yet it wasn't hard to figure out. Even if I didn't want to figure it out, the answer is there in front me; it's too hard looking past it. I am part of a larger creation, both mentally, and physical. I am the light. I am light! I am on longer a recognizable being, I exist, yes, but you will not see me, because I am a beaming ray, a bright sparkle, a gentle breeze in the wind, and a twinkle on the stars. I am here, but at the same time I am not. I have my individuality yet I am the same as everyone.

It's difficult to describe to a person who is not personally experiencing this, but I feel peace, happiness, joy… because that is all that this place allows. I have no control over what I do, and that does not bother me because I do not need to control myself to adjust to my surroundings anymore like I did when I was alive… I am my surroundings… I am part of everything, there's nothing to avoid, because I would just be avoiding me.

Then, as I am enjoying this overwhelming love flowing from everywhere, from inside me, I hear a voice… a subtle voice that I know cannot be heard, a subtle voice that I know is only in my head… but I know it's not just an imagination.

'I've been waiting for you.'

This voice… this whisper… this echo in my head, it surrounds me… it rings with love, with adorable that I feed on. 'Who are you?'

'You know.'

I know nothing; I continue to flow, to be part of everything. Light is only light. It's bright to the point of nothingness and that's what'll never change. Even though my surrounding stays the same, I know that he is approaching. More love is pouring out to me. ' You have waited for me.'

'Yes. I have always waited for you. I love you.'

What is love?

You are love.

I realize the truth of his statement. It is true. I am love. But so is he. We are all love. But the love he also feels for me, and love I feel for him, it stretches deeper, not just in this creation where everyone loves everyone. We have encountered long before… in a time where life was not so perfect, at a time where I take place and shape and size… We have met long before… I took a sudden sharp intake of breath if that's even possible, as I remember.

'Syaoran…'

'Yes. You have remembered.'

That moment of recognition was all that was needed. All of a sudden, he was in front of me, and I was in front of him. We didn't kiss or hug or do any of the physical things an earthling would do. Instead, he was inside me. I was inside him. We… we merged. Two lights pouring onto each other, drinking each other, at the same time being stirred by a blender. I became him.

We are one.

We are love.

We are nothing, and everything.

My final wish came true.

I saw him on his birthday, after all.

…………………………………

Another year has passed and this time, there was no question about it. Orubia's AIDS has finally woken up from its long, deep slumber.

Orubia walks into the hospital room as she settled on her bed. The 'good room' was now full. Even though Kevin has already passed on, another patient replaced his spot. Yet she was not complaining. It was fine wherever she was. Before Kevin had left though, he had given her back Sakura's diary. Orubia had thanked him, but instead of keeping it, she secretly dropped it on the floor in the position she had found it in. She hoped the next person who came in would read it. She hoped that the story would be passed on, and bring a new hope to all those who were unfortunate.

The hospital certainly was no fun, but there was nowhere else she could stay. Orubia sat on her bed and observed the seven other people that were in the room with her. None spoke—they were all miserable.

The minutes ticked by and one by one, the patients fell asleep. But not Orubia. There was something missing. That feeling of déjà vu again. She's missing something.

Quietly, she got out of bed, wrapped a blanket around her and left her room. She walked down the empty, dark halls, passing door after door, until she heard crying. She kept walking, and the crying was getting loud, and louder, and louder, until—

She turned the doorknob and walked in. "Hello."

The crying suddenly stopped. There was a sharp intake of breath.

Orubia walked around in the dark until she found a girl around the age of 14 sitting on the bed next to the window. Throughout the moonlight, she could see the heavy tear streaks on her face.

"What's the matter?" Orubia asked.

"Why do you care?" The girl growled, wiping furiously at her face.

"Because I hate to see sadness, and I want to help you… I want to help you enjoy your life, without letting this death bother you."

"Hah." The girl laughed bitterly. "That's not happening. And no one, can help me."

Orubia grabbed her hands and kissed them gently. "Please, just trust me. I really do want to help."

The girl was so surprised she turned and look at Orubia in the eyes.

After the disease has finally begun to spread, Orubia's pale blue eyes have only gotten paler. By now, they were practically white. But under the brilliant moonlight, along with her ocean blue pupil, they seemed almost mystical.

The girl widened her eyes as a new hope filled them. She's starting to believe. "Who are you?"

Orubia paused. "I'm no one important really, just, a volunteer worker." She smiled. "I'm Orubia, nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand.

THE END
Author's Note: And that, my friends, is the FINAL ENDING. No Epilogue II, or III or IV, I assure you.

Well, let's party. All's well ends well, huh. And besides I'm now officially done this story (I know I'm going to miss it) and Reality's Different (can't say the same) and most of all…

:drum roll:

I have also posted I Dare You 2! So, if you want, and I know a lot of you have been anticipating it, go to my bio, and you'll see it there. Have fun reading it, and thanks to everybody who's read this fic. I know it was probably difficult to read since it was so tragic, but thanks.

And as I always say at the end of a fic. All the e-mail on my e-mailing list WILL be deleted, unless you're on my list for another story. Well, till next time (if there even is next time)!

My last word count… 4030 words… DAMN! Just over 4000…