The last chapter for this story =) Enjoy…

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Life pushed away the board in disbelief. This couldn't be happening again… She didn't mind much when she was playing with the cards of older souls… But this girl…She was only 18...

"Give me back my card" she wailed at Death.

He grinned and flipped the card between his fingers. "No way, I won it fair and square."

She wiped her face. "I want a break" said Life quietly, and left the game.

Time stopped in the world.

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Ishida didn't think his brain was functioning anymore. What was that…? Some stupid prank of the heavens? Maybe his vision was blurring up… Pathetic joke, really, messing with his eyes.

And yet, inside himself, he knew he was lying to himself. He had seen it happening, in all its vividness.

His eyes strayed back to the body. The contents of her purse were strewn across the grass, and in the dying sunlight, he noticed his Rose.

His mind still hadn't processed it, he hadn't even begin to think. His insides were burning and his lungs seemed to be choking him.

He succumbed to the welcoming arms of darkness, relieving him of his shocked state.

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When Ishida opened his eyes, he wondered where he was. Pearly white fog (or was it smoke) enveloped him.

Maybe in a dream, maybe in heaven. With a jolt, he remembered the horrible night at the park. When was that…ten years ago? Or was it a week? A minute ago…?

He sat up and looked around.

Two beings were sitting at a table, occupied in what seemed to be a board-game.

He walked over slowly, noticing the contrast of black and white glows between the two of them.

Life looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry" she whispered.

Somehow it made sense to him. It was like being in a dream, where even nonsense seems completely logical. Here was some fairy-like being, apologizing for taking away Inoue. Did they kidnap her…? No… she wasn't sorry about that. She was sorry for Inoue….dy…dyi…

He wasn't even able to think it.

Ishida looked at them blankly. "Give back Inoue-san" he said. He wasn't pleading for them to give her back. He wasn't requesting them either. It was like stating a fact. Inoue was his. As long as he was alive, she had to be alive. It didn't matter who pulled the strings, they weren't going to mess with his soul.

Life bit her lip nervously. "I…I can't… I don't know what to do…He won it" she whispered.

"I LOVE her!" cried out Ishida. "I love her with every fibre of my being, and I will continue to do so. She's a part of me! Give her BACK, you JERK", he said, grabbing Death's cloak.

Death sneered. "Love? Why do you waste your precious souls loving, when I can snatch them away from you in a second? What is love, anyways? Silly emotions…"

Ishida released him. He was shaken, the pain was starting to grow, numbing his brain.

Think, Think, he furiously told himself. There's a way out. There's always a way out…

"Love…is…her. She's my form of love…She…She took my heart. Conquered it. Love conquers all..." He knew he was muttering gibberish, who cared what love was? It was what bound them, he just had to find -

"That's it! My Conquest Card" exclaimed Life, slamming her hand on the table.

She got up and disappeared into the mist. She returned in a moment, an orange card in her hand. Ishida stared at it in confusion, but Death's eyes widened.

"D'you remember when I received this card?" she asked him, a smile playing on her lips. She continued, not waiting for a response, "It was when I first played with the Inoue card. 18 years ago…"

She faced Ishida. "The conquest card is like…a wild card. A joker. Whatever you want to call it, it has a greater power over the other cards. Inoue has special powers, that's why I got this card when I picked out her card."

Ishida's confusing cleared up a little. Inoue's powers…The ability to reject events…

"This card…Does it have Inoue's rejection powers?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

Life shook her head. "Not exactly. But they are something similar to her powers. You can turn back time with this."

Hope flooded Ishida. This was it, the Ace card!

Death cleared his throat. "Surely, you haven't forgotten the price of using such a card?" he asked Life.

The smile left her face, but she looked back at him steadily. "Rolling a dice six times, descending, and a priced possession of the other souls involved in the particular round."

Death grinned one of his gumless grins. "Alright, here are the dice. Go ahead, let's see you roll a six, a five, a four…Oh wait, you won't even get that far. You always have trouble rolling a six…What are the "priced possessions gonna be anyways?" He laughed.

Ishida whispered into Life's ears. She nodded and placed the Conquest card in the middle of the board. Her hands shaking, she picked up the dice.

Ishida took hold of her hands. "I want to roll the dice too. Can I?" he whispered looking at the dice in her hand.

She didn't pull her hand away. She closed her eyes, hoping against hope for a six. She felt Ishida's hand close her palm, and when he released her hand, she let go of the dice.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Ishida smiling.

It was a six.

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Inoue didn't know where she was. It was a murky, yet colorful place. She lay on her back and watched the world flow by. "Ishida-kun" she whispered, "Where are you now…?"

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Ishida closed her hand across the dice again. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, he let go. Life opened the hands, feeling the dice roll along.

It was a five.

The next dice rolled into a four.

The next rolled into a three.

Two followed it.

Death looked displeased.

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"I think I'm in love with you, Ishida-kun" whispered Inoue to the murky colour around her. "I don't know when, I don't know how… I'm glad I got to meet you, Ishida-kun. I'm glad I grew in your comfort, basked in your love…I wanted to hold you tight, Ishida-kun, I wanted to heal your soul, I wanted to kiss away your pain…I wanted to do so much for you, Ishida-kun. The fears you kept locked away inside, I wanted to take them away…

I want to see you again, Ishida-kun. Will you come for me? Will you save me from myself? Ichigo always came to save me, but for him, I was just one of those in a mountain of people. He wants to protect the world. I want my knight, Ishida-kun, I'm not strong alone. I want you because you want to protect me for me and you, not because it's your duty as a hero...

Will you take me back, Ishida-kun?"

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The last dice rolled into a one.

"I'll definitely take you back, Inoue-san" whispered Ishida, looking at the dice.

Death frowned, and grudgingly placed Inoue's card back on the board.

Life couldn't believe she had managed to win back a card. She grinned at Ishida, and even as he saw her smile, they began to fade away.

He smiled himself. It had been so easy. He had placed the dice on her palm in such a manner, that when it rolled it would have turned exactly four times for it to hit the board. The first three times, it would have crossed her fingers. The fourth turn would have caused it to fall on the board, the number he had chosen face-up. A 360 degree turn…

He wondered if it was cheating. Didn't matter, the Higher-Ups didn't seem to think so… All's fair in love and war, right?

The world turned a pearly white as he walked back in time.

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Ishida found himself standing in the park. It was twilight, and the wind was whistling around him. Inoue was nowhere in sight.

His mobile rang in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out. Inoue was shouting on the other end of the line. "Yes, Inoue-san, I'm right here. Where are you?" he asked.

"Just a min" she said " I have a call on the other line"

The clouds above were rumbling with thunder. He waited till she came back on his line. "That was Ichigo" she said, "I tripped while talking though…Ow, my knee feels raw…"

He saw her come into view, giggling and waving her arms, still talking into the phone.

"Ishida-kun, can you see me!?" she asked.

He laughed, and walked towards her, still talking into his phone. "Yes, Inoue-san, be careful, don't run so recklessly…" A slight nervousness clawed at him.

The sudden bolt of lightning which shot down crashed a metre ahead of Inoue. She shrieked and dropped her phone. Ishida ran towards her, thanking the heavens above. Ichigo's call had delayed her. It was over, he had done it…

When he knelt down next to her, he pulled her close to him before she could say anything. There was no need for words, silence was always louder. Tears pricking her eyes, she hugged him back, relishing the warmth of his body.

When they pulled away, she opened her purse. . "I found your rose, Ishida-kun," she said as she searched for it, "You should have just given it to me, instead of…" she trailed away as confusion crossed her face.

"I know I put it in here." she said, her damp eyes looking at him. "Where'd it go?"

Ishida smiled. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you are back" he said.

The rain began to shower lightly.

Back? What'd he mean, thought Inoue. She didn't have time to delve on his words though; Ishida was pulling her face towards his.

The price he paid was his Rose. It would be harder trying to explain to Ichigo where his prized possession had gone to, he thought. His lips touched Inoue's and in that moment of sheer bliss, he shed all of his thoughts. He would worry later…

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Death looked away in disgust.

"Stop crying already" he told Life. "Let's start the new round"

Wiping away tears of happiness, she reached down to pull out the next set of cards.

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Ichigo was perplexed. "Rukia!", he called out, "did you find it!?"

"No" replied Rukia. "I can't believe you are so carelss, Ichigo" she said, doodling a rabbit on Ichigo's desk.

"Darn it. Where'd it go….?" he said, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

This was how, a week later, Rukia was on her way to Soul Society, carrying a letter which requested a replacement for Ichigo's Substitue Shinigami badge.

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Hope you liked it =D