No one seemed to realize how quickly ten minutes passes by. Orihime and Ulquiorra had caught up to the rest of the group before anyone even realized they were gone, and had helped evacuate all of Los Noches, going through and directing people to the grand gates that marked the entrance and exit of the palace.

The castle was slowly falling apart, rumbling under them as if caught in the waves of an earthquake. Little chunks of the walls broke off bits at a time, dust almost constantly falling from the ceiling.

They decided to split into groups- as Ulquiorra estimated that they only had four minutes left.

There wasn't even a discussion about the pairings.

"We would be able to cover more ground if we were to split up." Ulquiorra suddenly said.

There was a shared glance that the whole group shared, and then a couple of nods. Stark, Tia, and Lillinette were the only trio. Everyone else seemed to instantly break off in a different direction with their significant other at their side.

Orihime had gone with Ulquiorra, her heart pounding. She had four minutes left with him, and they were spending it looking for others. They didn't have time for one another- they had to help. For the first time in her life Orihime wondered if maybe everyone else could wait. She really wanted a moment to herself. Well, herself and Ulquiorra.

Then she shook her head. She would get nowhere being selfish; and besides that, it wasn't really in her nature. She would feel horrible about it later on; no matter how good it felt in the present.

She was especially glad she hadn't decided to be selfish when she came to a group of arranncar children that had become trapped when a huge beam had fallen in front of the door to their room. They had died at such a young age… if she had been selfish enough to forget about helping others than they would have deid young a second time, too.

"Come on." She helped a tiny crying girl with pink hair to her feet, and then picked the child up when she fell down again. She couldn't have been older than four years. She held the crying child and stroked her hair, calming her down, and gratefully passing her to an older arrancar girl after they got everyone out into the safty of the hallway.

"Run to the gates." She had told them, giving a big smile. "Don't look back."

"My mommy! I need my mommy!" A boy with navy blue hair- one she swore she had seen before- wailed. "Mommy, mommy!" He called.

Orihime had let go of Ulquiorra's hand and crouched before the boy. "Go on," She said with a sad smile, "She's waiting for you at the gate."

The boy had stopped crying, looking at her for a moment, and then had nodded. He got up and ran off to follow his friends.

They made it to a part of the palace Orihime didn't know, somewhere she had never once gone because it was so far back. She had always lived in the very front of the castle. Ulquiorra had never had the time to take her so far away from her room.

They came to a high wall; smooth with no windows. It looked like it hadn't ever been damaged- like it had slept right through Ichigo and her other friend's attack on Los Noches back during the winter war.

"That is everyone." Ulquiorra told her.

She nodded, biting her lip, looking down when she felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Yeah… I guess it is."

He gently held her chin, turning her head up to give her what was almost a smile. Almost. "Do not cry, Onna."

"I'm sorry." She blubbered, using her forearm to wipe away her tears. "I don't want to cry- but I'm just so sad they keep spilling over." She looked up at him, her lips trembling. "Won't you please come with me?"

He swooped down, giving her a long wet kiss that made her forget everything for just a second. When he drew back, her cheeks had been stained pink with her blush. His eyes were dark and alive- the eyes of a hungry man taking in his last bite of food before he had to starve once more.

"They will never let me be with you," He murmured. "And you would follow me to the Soul Society."

She nodded.

"If I were even able to stand being some sort of idle research item, Onna, I still would not stand for it. As I have told you, I will not take you away from your life." He looked away from her, his next words just a bit quieter. "Not again."

She shook her head. "I don't care about that! I would figure something out, no, we would figure something out. It doesn't have to be this way, I just-"

He kissed her again, shutting her up. "No." He breathed to her lips. "This is how it will be."

"But-"

He looked away from her, sharply, telling her that their conversation was over and that there was nothing she could do about it. "Come. We have barely a minute left. We must hurry if you are to make it out in time."

"No, I-"

He grabbed her hand, and when she opened her eyes she was back with everyone else, Ulquiorra still clutching her hand tightly in his. Everyone was running for the door, somehow knowing it was time to go.

The whole palace lurched, everyone fumbling for a second. And then… it was as if it were moving- being drug back by some incredible force.

She could see just ahead that someone had opened up a portal strait into the world of the living- a pick up zone, she assumed, for everyone who would be going to Soul Soceity. After all, she didn't see any regular arrancar outside.

There was the sun…

Ulquiorra suddenly stopped, letting go of her hand.

When she looked back again to beg him to come with her, she could see it in his eyes. Nothing she would say could make him believe he was wrong.

"Godobye."

She choked on a cry, but kept running. "Goodbye!"

From behind her, she could hear him, faint as he spoke. "I love you."

She stopped, even though she was running out of time. Tears coursing down her face she spun around. "I love you!" She yelled right back to him.

"Now go."

And she did.

Orihime looked up at the walls crashing down around her, the déjà vu of the situation finally sinking in. She had been here before, with these walls tumbling down around her, tears coursing down her face as she ran.

Los Noches was falling apart. But this time, it wasn't coming back.

Soul Society had put the balance back- long gone would the hollow palace soon be. No more powerful beings on that side that were not natural. The spiritual pressure would be put back together again, and anyone who could manage an escape route would be allowed to hang up their white robes and put on the black ones, welcomed into Soul Society with all the grandeur of a freak show.

She hated to think that was happening. She hated to think that Ulquiorra, her beloved Ulquiorra, knew it, too. And if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was to be made a mockery of. He was a captain at sea, and he would go down with his ship before ever stepping onto the land to become some sort of horse rider. No. He had too much dignity for his own good.

At least, she thought as she ran, I understand now.

They were close to the exit, the doors of the palace open before her. Ichigo and Rukia were yelling, screaming for her to run, to hurry. Los Noches was being pulled into the nothingness between worlds, and who was to know if even the walls of the great palace could keep out the drowning atmosphere there.

She watched as Halibel made her leap out the door, turning and opening her eyes as Stark picked up Lillenet and threw her, tossing the girl out the open doors and into Halibel's arms. He jumped next, flying out of the opening and landing in a crouch.

Toshiro and Momo went flying past, hand in hand, and hurled themselves through the portal at the last moment.

They were all yelling.

"Run, Inoue, run!"

"Jump! Hurry!"

"Come on!"

"Run!"

But for some reason, everything seemed so quiet, so serine, almost like the world had lost its sound for just a moment. She stopped, just before the doors, and in what seemed like slow motion to her she turned.

He was standing there, hands in his pockets, looking at her as he stood back so far away. He wore his usual frown, green eyes full of pain, but made no move to stop her. He didn't speak, he simply watched her, almost like he was fascinated with the act of her running.

He was completely alone.

She waited, for just a fraction of a second, for just a moment of a breath. And in the silence, the complete still, she watched as his lips slowly moved to form words.

Through the silence, she could hear his whisper.

"Be happy," He blinked, slowly, opening his eyes again to reveal all the agony and pain there. "Orihime." Her name rolled off of his lips like it was the most valuable and beautiful thing in the world, though delicate as if made of glass, and sensual like it burned with fire.

Her feet shifted beneath her, the whole castle giving a lurch as it was pulled further into the void. She stumbled, the moment shattered, as suddenly all sounds came rushing back to her ears.

"Orihime!"

"RUN!"

"Jump!"

"Hurry, Orihime!"

"Come on!"

She looked over her friends, and watched as a bright orange bird flew past the rip in reality they had opened. It soared through the wind, it's feathers gleaming and just barely catching the light of the sun. The golden sun and that blue, blue sky.

All the color in the world.

She longed for color. All there, in that world, right at her fingertips. She had wanted it for so long. She had craved any color. Anything. A gentle blue, a light shade of yellow, a tiny dash of purple. Anything that would keep her from going crazy as she lived amongst the black and white.

That's all there was behind her. Black and white, black and white, black and white. That's all there ever had been. It was driving her mad.

Could she ever go back to it? Could she even bear another day?

She turned back, one more time, to look at him.

He was the color. Brilliant, dazzling, beautiful green eyes...

And she smiled.

Her eyes full of tears, she turned to her friends, and the world full of color, her eyes greedily drinking it all in one last time. "Goodbye!" She called, her smile sweat despite the tears of sorrow coursing down her face. "I'll miss you all!"

There was a moment were they all took in what she had said, and then their desperate pleas started up, begging her to come back.

"Orihime! What are you doing?! Jump!"

"Don't be stupid! Hurry!"

"Run, Inoue-san! There's not any time left!"

"Orihime!"

"Come on, come on! Don't give up! Come on!"

Her tears fell to the ground, trembling as the whole palace shuddered in what may have been its final moments. Quietly, almost to herself, she whispered, "Goodbye." And for the last time she waved to her friends, like she was just skipping out of the school lot, and took in those brilliant golden sunbeams for one last breath.

She turned then, just as the darkness finally shuddered up and over the tear between the worlds, and slowly the light faded. Los Noches remained lit inside, the light white and harsh. Black on white, just as it should be.

She picked up her pace, sobbing as she felt the sun on her back gradually fading, its touch moving from her body and slowly creeping up towards her head. Her nerves reached out, grapping at the retreating warmth, her body aching for the familiar ghost of the summer.

She slammed into his open arms as he held them open for her; despite his wide and surprised eyes giving away the fact he had not thought that she would turn and run to him. He accepted her into an embrace, smoothing his hands down her back.

"Why?" He rasped. "You foolish, stupid girl. Why would you…" He trailed off, for the first time ever seemingly at a loss for words.

"Because." She said simply, clutching to him as her cries escalated. "I love you so, so much, Ulquiorra!" She screamed as her knees gave out then, the feel of the sun's heat vanishing for good, and sobbed.

He picked her up, carefully, scooping her up in his arms with a single hand under her knees. He stood, carefully balancing her in his arms, and kissed her forehead.

"Cinnamon." He whispered to her, his voice much more full of emotion than the last time he had done it.

She bit her lip, looking up into his eyes and giving him a tortured smile. She lifted her hand, running it down his face as the palace stopped moving, his feet carrying them to their room. "Viridian." She managed through her tears. "It's not jade. It's viridian."

They passed a window, and for a moment she forced herself to look out.

Blackness.

"Viridian." She repeated, faintly, looking back at him. She blinked, and then murmured, "The only color in the world."

When he kissed her, it was bittersweet and full of longing. They were both trapped, they knew, and would someday wither away.

But through the kiss, she did not close her eyes, even as she cried, and neither did he.

If only to keep those colorful eyes watching her from the sea of black and white.

FIN

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who stuck with me until the end! I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

I will hopefully be able to go back through and edit this- clean it up a bit and correct names and such- soon.

Anyway. I have no idea how many reviews I may get in the future, so I'm going to say this- the hundredth reviewer (700, 800, ect.) if I get another, will receive a reward just like all the last ones did! I will let them know their options when it happens. Speaking of 100th reviewers! If you are a hundredth reviewer who has not gotten their prize yet (basically everyone) then please PM your request again Things got really crazy and my email went crazy and just... yeah. I don't know if I have everyone's requests right now.

ALSO! There IS a continuation fic! It's called "Hues" and has already begun.

Please tell me what you thought of the whole thing- I will be going back and changing some things, so input would be awesome as always.

Thank you again everyone! This has been the best!

~Darksknight

Final word count: 103,096

Pages: 243 (not including author's notes.)