Last chapter, guys.

*tears up* I honestly love this story so much- it's hard to see it end. Remember that I love all of you- even those who threatened me with death XD

I'm listening to Sacred Grove on YouTube, you know- Legend of Zelda? Guys, beautiful music makes these chapters. Anyone who liked this story- You have soundtracks upon soundtracks of video game music to thank:) I think I might start crying or something.

So what's next? Possibly another fairytale, maybe... I don't know. We'll see. With exams coming up, I'm dead busy. That's why it's all taking so long.

Oh! Check out my other stories if you don't want to wait... Rebel is in crisis of lack-of-reviews. *is killed for being greedy* Aaaand... Well. Guys, I love you. I guess I don't want to start because I'm afraid of the end. Aren't we all? But... *sigh* I hope this ending doesn't break hearts. Well, you're all strong- In fact, by getting the aid of many friends, I think I know you guys will like it:)

Without further ado, I present to you the final chapter of One Rose for Another.

Gratias vobis ago.

"Oliver, Rin, come on." A very exasperated Len made his way up the grassy slopes of the hill, climbing towards his destination. "I'm going to leave you two behind." Rin had chosen Oliver as the name of their firstborn after her friend, who had died months later.

Len sped up slightly but Rin somehow managed to catch up, her smaller fingers wrapping around his. She flashed him an adorable smile, even managing to outrun him. He rolled his eyes and allowed her to drag him further. He allowed Rin to do many things for him, like get her way at home and melt his heart with those eyes.

"Father," Oliver complained. "One of the roses is losing its petals." Len flashed his oldest an exasperated look and finally reached his destination. He knelt and lay the roses down on a patch of land, his heart skipping a beat as he held Rin's hand tighter. Oliver finally walked up alongside them, his twig-woven basket overflowing with bright red roses whose petals trailed the path behind them.

"Daddy?" His second child looked up, her eyes as bright blue as the spring sky above them. Rin lay her own rose down on her mother's grave and grinned- another heart-meltingly sweet smile that mirrored her smile exactly. "Are you going to say som'n for Mommy?"

Len just looked at her unseeingly for a few moments, but then nodded his head quickly. Looking at the beautiful child, for a moment, overwhelmed him with memories that he never tried to forget. "I miss you so much, Rin," he whispered, holding hid hand in a fist to his heart. "More than I can describe..."

~One Rose~

The wedding had been splendid, despite both Rin and Len knowing Rin's fate. Len knew the Enchantress was not kind, merely businesslike. She had standards, she had bargains, and something had to go her way. If anything, this was a big step for her to make.

Rin had looked magical, draped in freshwater pearls and a gauzy veil that lay gently over her face. The crown of white roses formed a wreath around her head, and her dress's train was long, held by a very enthusiastic Yuki. She had laughed and smiled that day, more than she ever had before- that day, she had been brilliant. Perhaps, even though she had known, she had managed to pull herself together and beam with the radiance she'd always harbored within herself.

He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her, not for one second- despite Luka constantly smacking his head to preserve the surprise of how pretty she looked. Not that it mattered to Len- Every time he looked at her, she looked even more radiant than she had the previous time.

Miku had even shown up as Rin's personal wedding and dress planner, working efficiently with Gakupo to force Len into several ill-fitting wedding suits, before Rin shyly picked out a very dark blue suit that she appeared to fancy, and it was immediately chosen.

Len's hair had been ruffled, combed, violently messed up, smoothed down, watered down, spiked, and combed again. Now he was bored, annoyed, and restless- the sooner this was over, the better. Looking back on it, Len had to smile the tiniest bit- He'd been quite the immature unmarried man. Now he would kill for a moment, a moment just to hold her hand and gaze at her, lovestruck.

Meiko and Gumi, it seemed, had gone crazy with the roses. Everywhere Len turned, he saw the flower- in Rin's hair, in her bouquet, even decorating the arch that Rin was to walk through. Everyone was near tears. Even the Enchantress seemed slightly misty-eyed, although Len was positive the woman was incapable of sadness. He also wondered whether this was all a joke, the roses, or whether it was a display of their beauty and symbolism- A tribute to both him and the Enchantress.

She had promised Rin this much: She would get married, and have two children- however, the birth of her second would be her own death. Rin had readily agreed in exchange for two things: Len's life and the spell's reversal. After sealing the pact, Len's life was spared, and the spell immediately lifted.

Now, as music began to play- not "Here Comes the Bride," to Len's dismay, but an odd collection of randomly played instruments (oh well. He knew his entire kingdom was crazy) -Rin, accompanied by Oliver, who was alive at the time, floated down the aisle.

All would have went well if Rin, who was her usual clumsy self, hadn't tripped over a wayward ribbon and fell straight into his arms. She, of course, blushed immediately and stammered apologies, but everyone else thought she just couldn't wait to jump into his arms.

"Rin," Len murmured, unable to keep that small grin off of his face. He lifted the veil, but before he could spring his surprise kiss on her, she was yanked back by Gumi, who was scowling.

"Not. Before. The. Vows," she hissed, dragging Rin back by the arm. Len shot her a glare and groaned, throwing his head back. This was torture. But he'd promised Rin that he'd be on his absolute best behavior, so he was going to have to shut up and put up with whatever was thrown his way. And that meant, even if Rin herself was thrown his way, he had to man up and go through the vows.

The vows seemed to fly as Rin straightened next to him. Before, Len had wanted the wedding to just end so he could pounce on Rin. Now he wasn't sure.

He looked Rin next to him; her face was tilted upwards. Her eyes were bright, very bright- like there were tiny stars in them that kept them alight.

God, but he loved her and he was going to lose her- and he couldn't believe it.

Then Rin was saying "I do," and Len was saying "I do." Then they were kissing again, as seemed to be what Len was doing a majority of the time in the months preceding the wedding.

But then, it became worse.

With the wedding over, Len seemed to realize, with horrible clarity, how much of Rin's time was actually flying away. They were afraid to have children, both knowing very well what two children meant. And with the danger of twins, or careless midnight endeavours, Rin would leave him forever.

They couldn't help it. The first night they'd lay together, surrounded by the soft warmth of a bedside lamp and overwhelming love for the other, they found themselves entwined together by morning's light.

Oliver. Len loved him as soon as he saw him, and even before. Despite the fact that Rin's pregnancy both shocked and worried them, it didn't stop Len from reading the unborn child bedtime stories and talking to him like he was already a young boy. Len still remembered kneeling next to Rin's standing form, comforting her about her newly gained weight by pressing his ear to her stomach and humming lullabies for both her and Oliver.

Rin was distraught by Oliver's death. She had not healed from the guilt of her father's death, and Oliver's was worse. Racked by Mikuo's injuries upon him and a condition he hadn't known he had, Oliver had passed away days later. Rin locked herself up in her room, and when Len joined her to comfort her, they'd gone far past the boundaries of speech.

So then there was Rin. His daughter, Rin.

The second pregnancy caused a wedge between Rin and Len that neither knew existed. Len wanted Rin to avoid having the child at all, for fear of losing her, and Rin refused to kill her unborn baby. The resulting fights had Len constantly teetering on the edge of blinded worry and unwavering loyalty to his wife's wishes. He did not want death. He hated death. He hated to have to choose between his wife, his light, his rock. The one woman who had pushed past his barrier and shattered it to pieces with her brilliant smile, gentle actions, and tender kisses.

But to him, Rin was the most important. That meant that what she wanted, Len wanted to give to her. And she wanted this baby girl so badly that he was overwhelmed by the way she would talk about a little golden-haired girl with blue eyes. Finally, with the heaviest heart, and a sadness that had hounded him months after Rin's death, Len had accepted Rin's wishes.

And seven months later, their beautiful, healthy, chubby baby girl was born. Light had filled the baby's eyes, but the same light had left Rin's.

Within twenty-one minutes of the birth of their daughter, Rin was gone.

-;-

The next five years had blurred by wildly. Rin was now a beautiful young girl, with soulful blue eyes, pin-straight blonde hair and a knack for talking to random animals. She was Rin's little golden-haired girl with blue eyes. Oliver was an eight year old copy of his father, with wildly tousled blond hair, a certain arrogance that drew every young lady around just a bit closer, and a very protective flair regarding his younger sister.

Len rose from the grave and sighed, taking both Rin and Oliver's hands. Leading them down towards the castle, he found himself attuning to Rin's absent questions.

"Daddy," she said, "was Mommy pretty?"

Len found it hard to speak all of a sudden, so he nodded, feeling a familiar catch in his throat. "She was the most beautiful woman I ever knew.

"Will you tell me about her?"

Len thought about everything- He thought about the Enchantress, the entire curse placed upon him. He remembered Kaito plucking the rose, staying with them, making an unfortunate deal to hand over his most precious belonging. He remembered Rin coming to the castle, frightened and frail, and how she soon managed to ease her way into his life and become his most precious belonging. Mikuo, and how Rin had managed to take the upper hand on the balcony, finally freeing him from the curse that plagued his life. Her, her beautiful smile as she kissed him before she uttered her last words.

"To me, Len, you'll always be both the sweet, awkward Beast that I fell for and the strong, handsome Prince you always were. I love you."

He looked down at Rin's earnest, wide eyes and then back up at the sky, now grinning slightly.

"Yes, sweetheart." He led them down to the doors that were waiting oh-so-familiarly for them, where Luka would be waiting with her tea and Gakupo would be whipping up something delicious for Rin and Oliver, where Teto would be standing with new clothes and Gumi would be cleaning the castle till it polished. Where a now experienced Yuki would grin, standing with Rin and Oliver's favorite teacups, and Meiko would be taking their coats as they walked in.

Where Rin lingered everywhere, her soft smile in his head, as she watched over her family from wherever she was.

"I'll tell you everything." he promised, knowing all the while that this was not the end.

~Fin~

annnd, the end. I hope you were all satisfied. YES, I ADMIT I TRICKED YOU AT THE BEGINNING. SORRY. I assumed Rin really wanted kids, and if she didn't I did. Well... I didn't want Rin to have a sappy end, but I really wanted children (just saying again for fun LOL)... XD please review one last time, even if you hated it... My friends all helped me out and I owe them heaps of thanks!

And please, suggestions for new stories are greatly welcome, appreciated, and thought about.

Thank you, guys, and check out my other stories if you will:)

~AliasStars, out.

P.S. OH WAIT. Listen, I have another chapter of... Alternate, goofy endings. If you'd like to see that, please tell me in your reviews! :D