A/N:

Yes, I could not believe that I did it! I mean, posting this chapter :). I was in such a bad mood and there were a lot of things happened that I barely have time and motivation to update any of my stories. So my apologies for late update to this story and many of my other stories. Unfortunately, this might not improve in the future, so my apologies again for the future.

Anyway, about this chapter. jylener22 is the beta. My apologies to you, jylener22, for taking too long to correct my mistakes base on your awesome note.

Disclamers: Characters in this story belong to Tite Kubo, the plot of this story belong to William Shakespeare. I copied a lot of the lines from the play and cited them accordingly at the end of the story.

Thanks for reading.

(6/19/12)

Shuuhei Hisagi dusted his small wings and sat his tiny body on a big leaf. His whole presence was cloaked in the darkness. His short black hair and his little black garment were too easily ignored in the night, and he hid himself in the most remote corner of the forest, under layers and layers of flowers and leaves, so if someone wanted to find him they might need to demolish the whole forest and suck him out of his comfort place. The only thing noticeable about him was his shining wings that kept emitting fairy dust all around him, making the dull and gloomy part of the forest sparkle with lively and magical light. However, it was the only part of his body that he hated the most. Why did it have to get so much attention? It did not fit him at all, for he was a very shy and clumsy fairy, but his wings were the shiniest wings in the whole fairy kingdom, which he completely did not understand why.

Despite his rather rough and calm face, he actually had a phobia of humans. He got scared whenever he was near to one. Worse, human was not the only thing he was afraid of. He always got nervous when he was in a crowd and often found himself unable to form a legitimate and coherent sentence. The weirdest thing was that despite all of his serious shortage, he was the favorite fairy of the Fairy King, Kitsuke Urahara.

A fairy ran into him in panic, "Hisagi, Hisagi, the sweetest and kindest fairy of us all, please help us. The King is very angry for some reason and none of us can calm his rage. You are the only one who knows how to smooth his temper and water down his fury with your witty words." Hisagi immediately rushed to the King's little palace, forgetting to correct the other fairy that he actually didn't know how to calm the King's rage and that his words were not witty or something like that; but he was the only one to have enough courage to be showered in the King's wrath while the other fairies ran for their lives, more than happy to have a scapegoat to bear their misfortunes. Hisagi found out that his silence was what the King really wanted, so he was with the King the whole time he vented out his irritation, sharing in quiet the King's unhappiness, giving him the companion he needed.

The King was a very weird fairy. He didn't want to live in his palace but rather resided in his candy shop. Yes, a candy shop was where the King spent his days experimenting with magic and fooling around. The store was made of elfwood and decorated outside with pumpkins and white amaryllis. Yes, a weird combination, and yes, he was a weirdo. The King loved to be in a high place but not too high so that light would not hurt his eyes every morning he went to sleep. Because of this preference, the shop hung in the middle of the air with the support of a mossy green rope to connect the two biggest oak trees in the wood. The tiny shop was perfectly protected against the sun by the huge shadow that the trees provided. This was the holy ground of the fairy that only few could step inside.

Hisagi flew into the shop, tripped on the pumpkin strings that crawled every where on the floor. He stood up and looked around, grateful that there was no one nearby to witness his fiftieth trip of the day. He was then startled by a call from his beloved King,

"Hey, Shuuhei. You're late. Where have you been, huh?"

The drunken King, in his dark green shirt and pants topped with a black coat with a white diamond pattern along its bottom half, raised his wine bottle up, walking unsteadily toward the outwardly calm inwardly scared fairy. The King then suddenly lifted his wings, releasing a mountain of fairy dust on the poor Hisagi's eyes. "Hee hee, surprise, surprise. Shuuhei, are you surprised?"

Hisagi shook his head and sighed, even he was unsure how to deal with a half drunken half angry King. He let the King lean on his slender body, help the King back into the house and went to the couch at the middle of the room to put the King down. The slumberous older man muttered, "Woman is the most troublesome creature in this world. We would be much much better off without any of them, right Shuuhei?"

Hisagi gently laid his King down the giant white couch and tried to put a blanket on him. The King must have quarreled with the Queen again. If Hisagi didn't know any better, he would think they were enemies not husband and wife. They could fight over the most trivial matter like where to put the bed, what to eat for dinner, or whether should they have a pet. Hisagi shook his head again; if marriage was that much of a hassle, he would be very happy living alone for the rest of his life. He wondered what the problem was this time. Hopefully it was not whether they should fire him or not. On a second though, it was very possible. Now he would have to go and pack his clothes, ready for a beggar's life on the street.

"Women are all stupid. Stupid." The King snorted, "We are fairies, right?"

Hisagi nodded, wondering what the King wanted to lead the conversation to.

"Cat is too big for us, right?" The King grabbed a wine bottle that was nearby and continued, "we cannot play with a cat that ten times bigger than us even it's a new born cat, right?"

Hisagi nodded again, a little annoyed at the way the King drank too much wine into his system.

"So what's wrong when I told her to let me do a little experiment and shrink the cat into our size so that it'll be safer for her to play with it." The King shook his hands irritatedly, hurling the wine bottle away, crashing it into the opposite wall. "I'm only thinking for her safety, but she told me to stay away from her cat and not put a finger on her favorite pet. She even told me that she will protect her little kitty cat at all cost against my stupid experiment." The King sat up, his fingers curled into a fist, "Stupid experiment! I'll let her know the real meaning of stupid experiment, and show her who is the real idiot here."

He unclenched his fists and signal Hisagi to come closer and whispered into his ears, "Go into my lab and look inside the seventh draw of my seventh shelf block, you'll find some red vials. Grab one and bring it back here."

It took Hisagi a while until he found the said vial, wondering what the King was up to this time. He didn't want to upset the King any further, but he thought that the Queen was right. None of the King's experiments that he knew had been successful. All of them were crazy and caused a lot of problem. One time, the King had blown up the whole northern area of the forest, making all of the fairies work ceaselessly to restore everything back to its original state.

The King smirked and pulled his bucket hat that he always wore a little bit down his head, a sign showing that he was very excited about something, which meant that it could not be something good. "Good, Shuuhei. Now listen to me. This is what we call a love potion. A drop of it on sleeping eyelids will make a man or woman madly fall in love with the first living creature that they see. You go and put it in her eyes. Whether a lion, a butterfly, or even better, that damn cat, she will pursue it with her loving soul. I'll go and witness her madness and make an adequate humiliation out of her after the effect of the love potion wears off. Then she will know how much better I am as a lover than the dumb cat, and she'll be begging me for my forgiveness."

'This is not going to end well,' Hisagi thought, but the King looked so excited that he did not dare to stop him, so he just nodded and took his leave to the Queen's whereabouts.

XxXxXxXxXx

Urahara yawned and decided to go to sleep. The Queen recently had developed an abnormal habit that she tended to take naps even during the night so that she could be more awake in the morning, playing with her cat. Therefore, he might have to wait until midnight when the Queen woke up from her nap to see how his experiment turned out . As he laid his back on the couch, however, he heard strange noises that drew his attention outside. Humans, in the wood, at this time of the day. That was strange. He went to the balcony to see what happen. Human, of course, could not see fairies, or know about their existence, but to step into this holy ground and disturb his sleep... these humans deserved to be punished severely. Good, he needed someone to vent his frustration out, and they came just in time for that.

XxXxXxXx

Ichigo looked back at Orihime, frowned, "Follow me not, fair Inoue. I'm grateful that you let me know about my beloved Rukia and the reckless Renji, but please leave at once, out of this forest. This is no place for a lady like you."

Orihime swallowed her saliva, her body trembled in fear at the uncertainty that this meeting could lead her to. This was the first time for the last nine years that she was this close to him, being able to see his face this clearly, to hear his sweet voice sweep through her longing ears, so she got scared again and wanted to run away the same way she did nine year ago. She mentally shook her head. She could not leave now. He had kept his promise and had become a strong and mighty man, she had to keep her promise too. She had to become stronger. She could not return to the coward Orihime who could not say what was in her heart anymore. She had always regretted not answering him when he confessed, always regretted not being able to state her feelings during all those years, regretted that she was weak and unworthy of him, but tonight, she would regret no more. She could not be strong like this, regretting all the time and did not have the courage to do what she really wanted to do. She would grab her happiness with her own hands. So be it if he detested and be disgusted by her after this. At least, when she left this world, she could close her eyes in content, having no regrets, and be proud of herself for being able to keep her word.

XxXxXxXxXx

"I love thee."

Her trembling voice flowed into his unwelcoming ears, causing several waves of excitement to run through his body. Somehow, there was a familiar feel about her voice, like he was longing to hear these words from her long long ago.

He inwardly shook his head. No, Rukia was the only one he longed to hear these words from. He had waited for her for nine years, and during those nine years never had he stopped thinking about her, about her smiles, her warming eyes, her soft voice, her fragile body under the wind. He had thought he lost her and could never see her again, but luckily three years ago, by a touch of fate, he met her again through Renji. He never clearly saw the face of the girl he met that day on the river bank, but Rukia had it with her, the scarf. It could not be wrong. It must be her, for it was not a normal scarf. It was made by the finest silk in the world, and more it had the blue flake snow embroidered at the end corner. When he first touched it nine years ago, he had craved it deep into his mind. He memorised everything about it, from the material, to the pattern, to the white color, and when he touched it again three years ago it excited him the same way it did on that day. He could feel it. It was the same scarf.

But she had forgotten him.

His heart sank in deep depression. He was naive to think that she would remember him the same way he did. He was naive to think that that date was as important to her the same way it was to him. He was naive to hope that she would hold some feelings toward him the same way he did.

But he could never forget her.

He could not forget her, for his heart had been captured and locked by her when they first met. It was a crime to hold someone's heart that long and then completely forget about them. Now not only his heart was caged by her, it was tortured and stabbed again and again by her. He was so suffocated that day, he thought he lost his ability to breathe when he learned that Rukia and Renji were in love and had been meeting in secret for some time now. His heart wrenched so badly every time he saw them look at each other lovingly or when she poured sweetness into his rival's ears, or when she smiled at Renji every time he said something that made her happy.

Oh, tears were running back into his heart now. He thought that her smile was reserved for him and him only. It was her smile that kept him going and becoming what he was now. She had changed though. Her smile was not like before. It had not touched him the same way it did before. It was not the same kind, gently, lovely, and sincere smile that could heal any broken hearts it swept its magic through. Sometimes he asked himself if it was all a dream, and the girl he knew did not exist, but the scarf was there and it could not be a mistake. The girl he met back then surely would not throw such an important and expensive scarf away or leave it around unattended, would she? Furthermore, Rukia was a wealthy noble; she had no need to use an old scarf from someone else. It must be her; she had just changed a lot, but then he had as well. He could see that she had become much stronger, so she had kept her promise. Ichigo smiled. Somewhere in her heart, she must remember him. Maybe, just maybe, if he reminded her about the day they met nine years ago and told her with all his heart how he had waited for her all this time she would remember him and reconsider him against Renji. But he had to find her first before he could tell her anything.

However, to do so, the utmost important thing now was to send this girl, Orihime, away. He had no heart to deal with her right now. She, must be like countless girls in the town, throwing herself at him for his look and good fortune as well as frame and social standing. Love? She would not understand such a thing because if she did, she would not confess to him when she knew full well that he was deeply in love with her best friend. Such a shameless creature, sneaking around, looking for every opportunities that presented itself and even betraying her own friend for her personal benefits. She might hope to earn his favor through her treacherous act but he was not a fool to fall for such ill-masked trap.

However, as much as he was disgusted by her, he could not leave her in the woods like this at this time of the night. He must send her back, but he could not return to Athens with her, for he might lose track of Rukia and Renji; so she had to go home alone and stop following him. As a man who had no experiences in dealing with girls whatsoever, he said the first thing that came to his mind with the hope that she would give up and do as he pleased.

"I love thee not, and therefore pursue me not. I only have my eyes for Rukia and my body is itching with apprehension each second that I cannot find her. Hence, get thee gone and follow me no more". (1)

He could see her fingers curl into the fists and the shame had kicked in on her face. That was good. She should keep the last of her dignity and be gone. However, she raised her head up again and spoke to him with such sincerity in her voice that it ached his heart.

"You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; but yet you draw not iron, for my heart is true as steel: leave you your power to draw, and I shall have no power to follow you (2). Nothing you said could change my love for you since it was buried too deep in my heart that I have no way to get it out. My legs are not my own, for they follow what is in my heart, my heart is not my own, for it was long stolen by you."

Ichigo shook his head in frustration. Now was not a time to talk about love. He needed to get to Rukia before the untamed Renji took the opportunity of the night to advance on his love. Maybe if he spelled out clean and clear to Orihime that he loved her not, she would leave, but he had to choose the harshest words for a stubborn like her to give up.

"Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit, for I am sick when I do look on thee." (3)

It was totally a lie. He could in no way get sick, looking at such a beautiful girl. Her pale peach skin illuminated under the moon framed by her golden hair that made her look foreign, like she was not a human, but a goddess. And the mysterious feel of the forest at this time of the night added to her divine beauty and made her ten times more attractive.

"And I am sick when I look not on you." (4)

Completely stunned by her answer, he was drawn to her even more as tears that shone like pearls began to cascade her lovely cheeks, melting his hardened heart completely, threatening to dissolve his resolve for Rukia. Then he remembered it. The girl he met at the river had cried too, and she was weeping so gracefully that he thought it was the most beautiful scene he had ever seen, but it was nothing compared to this. This girl... who was crying in front of him made him feel so helpless that all he wanted to do was to go over and hold her tight in his arms, to wash her unhappiness away.

His heart skipped a beat. It was the same feeling nine years ago. He was so confused now. He did not know what to do, for he knew he loved Rukia, the girl from nine years ago but now his heart was beating so fast against his chest for another girl who was not her. Was it because of her goddess beauty? Her gentle and elegant manner that reminded him of the girl on the river bank? Or was it because he had been longing for that girl for too long that he mistook Orihime for her? No, Rukia was the girl. She was the destined one. Everything would be fine if he could find Rukia and make her remember him again.

He had to reason with Orihime and made her go before she confused his heart any further.

"Fair Inoue, You do impeach your modesty too much, to leave the city and commit yourself into the hands of one that loves you not; to trust the opportunity of night and the ill counsel of a desert place with the rich worth of your virginity." (5)

That should do the work. Chastity was a girl's greatest treasure, especially to a girl of a noble birth like her. People looked upon her with due respect because of her virtue, but if her reputation was tainted in anyway, even if it was just a rumor and not true, she might lose her privilege to get herself a husband and would become an outcast for the rest of her life. He nervously watched the young girl in front of him, praying for her to consider the consequences and leave him for good. However, much to his surprise, she stopped crying, and smiled at her, a smile that took his breath away.

"Your virtue is my privilege," She said those words with so much trust in her eyes that it darkened his heart with guilt. Could it truly be that she put her honor in his hands, and trust him completely at the expense of her future? Her eyes told him that, 'I believe that you will protect me. With you by my side, nothing could happen to me'. She continued, "for that it is not night when I do see your face, therefore I think I am not in the night; nor doth this wood lack worlds of company," her eyes suddenly brightened with a hint of mischievous adventure, (don't tell him that she actually had fun, wandering around the wood) "for you in my respect are all the world: then how can it be said I am alone, when all the world is here to look on me?" (6)

Then a thought struck him so hard that it paralyzed his whole body. She must be serious. She must be dead serious about loving him. It was so suffocated, so hard to breath. Her eyes were so intense that they sucked his soul away. He was afraid that if he looked into those deep gray eyes any longer, he would crumble completely in front of her. He would dig his heart out and give it to her. He would go to the sky and take the moon down for her. He would...No, he could not. He shook his head ferociously. Why was he such an inconstant bastard? Why could he not love one person and one person alone? Why did he have this infatuation toward his lover's best friend? Why did his heart fluctuate again and again? Why didn't it listen to his mind? Why did it keep beating so fast against his chest that it made he felt like it just wanted to jump out immediately to join hers? No, he had to get away from her. He could not stay any longer, or his heart and his mind would not listen to him anymore.

He was such a coward, but he could not help it.

His legs moved before he could think any longer, before his mind would be polluted by her image any longer.

He ran and ran, as far away from her as possible.

A/N:

I will use two name for Shuuhei Hisagi. Shuuhei is the name that Urahara will usually use, for it's his first name, and I think it reflects better the relationship between those two. I personally like the name Hisagi more (because it's easier to spell *stuck my tongue out*), therefore, in narration, I will call him Hisagi. So please do not confuse, both Shuuhei and Hisagi is one person who names "Shuuhei Hisagi".

(1) The line "I love thee not, therefore pursue me not." and the line "Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more." were taken directly from the play.

(2) The line "You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; but yet you draw not iron, for my heart is true as steel: leave you your power to draw, and I shall have no power to follow you" is taken directly from the play, but the next two lines are mine *blush in embarrassment*.

(3) The line "Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit, for I am sick when I do look on thee." is taken directly from the play.

(4) The line "And I am sick when I look not on you" is taken directly from the play

(5) The line "You do impeach your modesty too much, to leave the city and commit yourself into the hands of one that loves you not; to trust the opportunity of night and the ill counsel of a desert place with the rich worth of your virginity" is from the play.

(6) The line "Your virtue is my privilege: for that

It is not night when I do see your face,

Therefore I think I am not in the night;

Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company,

For you in my respect are all the world:

Then how can it be said I am alone,

When all the world is here to look on me?" is from the play.