I've finished! Yay! But I'm sad that it's over. Maybe I'll write another Naruto styled fairy tale.

Don't own Naruto.

Part Five – A Love Set Free

The days passed, and Sakura was having an absolute ball with her family. Her time was divided between her parents and Ino, Tenten and her husband and Hinata and her family. Now that she was back, her father was receiving renewed requests for her hand, and Sakura knew that he was seriously considering them. But she didn't want to marry any of these wannabe husbands.

There was only one man for her, even though it was a sad fact that he was only a figment of her imagination. It was weird, though, that she hadn't dreamed of Prince Gaara since she was at the demon's castle. In a sudden start of remembrance, his words came back to her, "It's just that... you're going away, and I won't see you for awhile."

How had he known? If he really was just a figment of her imagination, then how could something she didn't know until the next day affect what he said? It was a mystery, and one she would figure out, just not right now.

At that moment, Sakura was sitting in the garden behind their house. It was in no way as grand as the garden at the demon's castle, but it was still very nice. Her parents were off to one side, chatting happily about stuff, and Ino was sitting to her left, laying back in the incline of her seat, relaxing. For awhile there, she'd been anxious, like she'd expected Sakura to suddenly vanish on them. Now she was more relaxed, and enjoying her younger sisters company.

"This is the life, isn't it?" Ino asked with a content sigh. "Just laying back and enjoying the day!"

Sakura smiled. "It won't last forever, though," she told her.

Ino's gaze snapped to hers. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I just meant that when you get married, life is going to change for you," Sakura said, missing the slight panic in her sister's eyes a moment before. "When you marry Lord Kiba, you're gonna have your hands full with all the social appointments you'll have to keep up."

Ino visibly relaxed and smiled wryly. "I suppose that's true," she agreed, still slightly unnerved.

Ever since she'd swapped Sakura's ring for a fake, she'd been a little on edge, dreading the moment when her sister discovered that it was a fake. That day was fast approaching, as Sakura had said she would be going back to the demon soon. She'd promised to come back again, but Ino was still scared for her sister's life, no matter how nice she said the demon was. So she lived in a constant state of fear of discovery, but had long since decided it was worth it if Sakura never returned to that monster.

And now, Sakura was starting to fiddle with the ring. The day Ino dreaded was closer than she wanted.

"So," Sakura said, distracting her. "I was thinking of going to see Hinata this afternoon. Will you be alright here with Mother and Father?"

Ino smiled. "I'll be fine, Sakura," she reassured her.

So, later that day, Sakura went to see her best friend. Hinata had invited company over, though, so they didn't really get to talk much, since the other girls there, all Hyuuga's as well, were more interested in talking about jewels and dresses and who they were going to end up marrying one day. That was all really boring to Sakura, who'd never been overly interested in those things, only going along with Tenten and Ino's little make over sessions throughout the years because she adored her sisters.

The day finally came when Sakura knew that it was time for her to leave. She said good-bye to her friends and to her family, then drew apart from everyone. Lifting the ring to her finger, she took one last look around her childhood home before slipping it on. Slowly she closed her eyes, count to ten, then opened them. But instead of seeing the grand castle in the middle of the desert, she was still in her parent's home.

Her heart started to beat faster as she came dangerously close to hyperventilating. Why wasn't it working? The ring had brought her home, why wasn't it taking her back? Sakura was panicking. She needed to get back, she'd promised him! Lifting her hand, she stared at the ring for a moment, boring the image into her brain. Something was not right...

A moment later it hit her like a ton of bricks. This wasn't her ring! But how had this one ended up with her? More importantly, where was her ring? She racked her brain, trying to think of how she could have ended up with a phoney ring, and there was only one explanation. Someone had switched it. At some point, someone had managed to get to her ring and swap it with this fake. But who? As she thought about it, she knew there were only a few possibilities; her mother, father, Ino or Tenten.

"No!" she cried, and instantly there was the sound of feet rushing towards her.

"Sakura!" Tsunade shouted when she saw the girl was still here. "What's wrong? Why are you still here?"

Sakura was in tears now, sobbing helplessly into the arms that immediately engulfed her in a hug. "Sshh," Tsunade soothed. "It's okay, baby. What's wrong?"

It took her awhile to stop crying, even then she still sniffled a lot. But finally Sakura managed to get herself under control enough to answer her.

"M-my r-ring!" she said, a slight stutter in her words, caused by her tears. "I-it's the wrong one! S-someone took my ring!"

Her family tried to be there for her, but she was inconsolable. Her only way back to the demon and her Prince was gone from her, and she had no idea where it was. She fell into a melancholy, and took to sleeping during the day, not eating when her mother or sister brought her food. Not even a visit from Tenten cheered her up.

It was on one of these visits that Ino confessed to Tenten that she'd taken the ring. "Well, you should give it back to her!" she commanded.

"Why?" Ino asked. "If she gets the ring back, she'll leave us!"

"She's already leaving us!" Tenten chastised. "Her heart is broken, and she's dying without him!"

"Him? Him who?"

Tenten sighed. "I finally figured out where I'd heard the name Prince Gaara," she told her sister. "Trust me, if you want Sakura to be alive and happy, you'll give the ring back."

"But why!?"

"Just do it, Ino!" Tenten snapped. "And it had better not be too late for them, you know how these things go."

"What things?"

"I'll explain later!"

"You'd better," Ino grouched, and made her way to Sakura's room.

Sakura still hadn't moved from her place in her bed, and Ino's heart broke. It was a multiple break, caused by her concern for her sister, and her desire for her to stay safe from the demon. And yet, Tenten had seemed suer that Sakura would be fine if she went back. She was so confused. She had no idea what was going on, but she was so used to doing what her older sister told her that she just went with the flow.

"Sakura?" Ino whispered as she approached the bed.

"What?"

Sakura's voice was so quiet that Ino barely heard her. "I have something for you."

"I don't want it."

"But it'll make you happy," Ino promised her. "It's your ring."

Sakura shot up in her bed. "What!?"

Tears fell down Ino's cheek as she held the ring out. "I'm so sorry, Sakura!" she cried. "I didn't want you to go away again, so I swapped the rings! Please forgive me!"

Sakura looked down at her sister, and her heart strings were pulled. She smiled and took the ring from her. Standing up, she quickly changed what she was wearing, since there was no way she was going to return in her nightdress. Then she turned to her sister.

"I understand why you did it," she told her. "I forgive you. Tell mother and father I love them. Tenten too."

Ino nodded, then Sakura put her ring on, closed her eyes, then opened them again.

It worked! She now stood in the same place she had when the demon had first given her the ring. Looking around, Sakura smiled happily at the sight of the castle, and began searching through the place, calling to the demon as she went. But there was no answer. Where could he be? The sun was starting to set, and as the last rays filtered down, Sakura made her way out into the garden. It was the last place he needed to check.

"Beast!? Where are you?" Sakura called, but there was no answer.

She was about to give up when the scent of roses hit her and, with a slight smile on her face, she ran in the direction of the roses. The sight that met her eyes, however, had her stopping in her tracks. A look of horror crossed her features and she propelled herself forward. The demon lay on the ground as if he was dead, and Sakura flung herself upon him, tears falling freely.

"No!" she cried. "You can't be dead! I came back to you! Please don't be dead!"

He wasn't dead, though, and he cracked one of his great eyes open. The sight of his golden, diamond shaped irises made her heart swell and she hugged him anew.

"Sakura," he whispered. "I'm so glad I got to see you one last time before I die."

His eye closed and she let out a wail. "No!" she cried again. "Don't die on me! Please I love you, I really do!"

She really did, she realised. Losing him wasn't something she wanted to happen to her. Leaning into him, she sobbed wretchedly into his sandy fur, the coarseness of it scratching her skin slightly. But she didn't care. Someone she loved so much was dying, and there was nothing she could do to save him.

As the sun finally set, the demon breathed his last and his body vanished from underneath Sakura's hold. Falling forward a little, Sakura hugged herself close, letting her grief overwhelm her, but then a voice spoke, one she knew well. One she knew was impossible to hear outside of her dreams.

"Sakura."

Looking up, her jaw dropped in shock at the sight of Prince Gaara standing before her. He was smiling, and she felt like screaming at him because this was not a happy moment. The beast was dead, for Kami's sake! He held out his hand to her, and she couldn't help it. She went straight to him.

"There's no need to grieve, Sakura," he told her. "I am the beast."

"W-what?"

"A wicked enchantress cast a spell on me, turning me into a beast when I refused to marry her," he explained. "But you broke the spell when you told me you loved me while I was a demon."

"Why didn't you tell me!?" she wailed, hugging him tightly.

"It was the curse," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "I'll ask you again, Sakura, this time as myself. Will you marry me?"

She mumbled something against his neck that he couldn't quite hear, but then she moved slightly and repeated, "Yes."

The wedding was a magnificent affair, and all her family and friends were invited. The invisible servants had become visible and the castle was once again filled with sounds of laughter and joy, and a clichéd as it is, Prince Gaara and the now Princess Sakura lived happily ever after until the end of their days

The End

So, hope you liked it and everything, and don't forget to review!