A/N:
So… I finish a story, something I haven't done for a long time. It've been 2 years since I first publish this story. I shouldn't have taken that long, I have all the ideas down with a concrete plot (based on the play of course :)), but I did take that long and I'm sorry all the readers of this story for that.
Thank you, jylener22for your immerse help on this story. I'm sorry that it took me 2 months to edit this chapter, lol, mostly because I'm lazy. Big thanks for all the reviewers, because of you that I finally put my ass down, proofreading and finishing this story.
Notes on this chapter: There are some lines from the play that I love too much to rephrase them in normal language, therefore, at the first few paragraphs, if you find the lines are difficult to understand, please scroll down to the last page where I have my explanation/translation for them
Orihime shooked her head in defeat, "Stay away, I pray you. Follow me no more. For the sake of our friendship, please stop your cruel mocking."
Desperate in a rejected love, Renji felt his cheeks wet with ferocious waves of passion. He couldn't understand why Orihime didn't understand his love for her? Why couldn't she believe his love for her was true, and that he couldn't love anyone but her and her alone."Why should you think that I should woo in scorn? Scorn and derision never come in tears: Look, when I vow I weep; and vows so born, in their nativity all truth appears. How can these things in me seem scorn to you, bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?" (1)
Orihime put her hands on her chest. Renji was sincere. His tears told her so. Oh, but so wicked was a man's heart. One moment he claimed his undying love for Rukia, willing
to give up everything and run away with her (oh, how she had so admired his courage and resented her own cowardice!), yet the next moment, he said his vow to her, his love's best friend, as sincere and true as when he said it to Rukia. Was this in even in the frame of reasoning? No, there was no other explanation but a vicious joke to destroy her. Her friends, like the rest of the world, had turned their backs against her.
Orihime turned her head to the man she once admired and respected, the man she once thought as her friend. It was ironic, but the more he claimed to love her, the more she began to hate him now.
"You do advance your cunning more and more, When truth kills truth, oh devilish-holy fray! These vows are Rukia's: will you give her o'er? Weight oath with oath, and you will nothing weight: your vows to her and me, put in two scales, will even weight, and both as light as tales." (2)
"I had no judgment when to her I swore." (3)
"Nor none, in my mind when you give her o'er." (4)
"Ichigo loves her, and he loves not you." (5)
Orihime felt like she had just got slapped across the face. What she knew all this time. What Ichigo had told her himself. All that was so surreal until this man front of her said it again. He was waking her from her dream, but what could she do? Could she stop loving Ichigo and turn to love Renji? Renji could, but could she?
"No, I do love her."
Orihime turned her head and, in her horror, faced Ichigo who was breathing heavily.
Ichigo tried to gain his breath. How could he say it? How could he face her after all those terrible things he did to her, yet he had to say it. He had the feeling that he had to say it or it would be too late. "Orihime, I love thee."
His heart wrenched as tears began to roll down her pale cheeks. "It's you, you too, are conspiring against me? Oh, I know that you don't love me. I know that you hate me even, but this is so cruel, Kurosaki-kun, even if you despise me so, to mock me upon my love."
"You are unkind, Ichigo," Renji snapped, "be not so, for you love Rukia, this you know I know: and here with all good will and with all my heart, in Rukia's love I yield you up my part, and yours of Orihime to me bequeath, whom I do love and will do till my death." (6)
Did this world go insane the moment he entered this forest? First, Orihime claimed that she loved him, an outrageous thing to him at that time, and he rejected her, a thing that he regretted dearly now. Then, beyond his worst nightmare, he discovered that Orihime was the girl on the bank of river and the girl he truly loved, not Rukia. But now, now he faced a terrible mess when Renji declared to give up on Rukia and go for Orihime's love instead. Were Gods in this forest, playing with him, with his love, punishing him for disrupting their sleep?
Ichigo took a deep breath. This was not a time to believe in fairy tales but to beat some sense into Renji.
"Renji, I don't love Rukia. My love for her was a mistake. Orihime is my real love."
Renji turned to Orihime, "it's not so, don't believe him, Orihime."
Orihime hugged her head with her hands in pain, "No, no more of this horrid jokes. Why are you all so determined to gang up on me for a few laughs? If you are gentleman as you pretend to be, please don't use me in such an unscrupulous way: to make vows and promises and praising my feature when I know you are both really disgusted by me. You are rivals for Rukia's love, and now you are competing to mock upon me. If you want to see my tears, hear they are, laugh at them, be content, your jokes are well done."
"No, Orihime." Ichigo grabbed at Orihime's wrist. His head felt like to burst at any moment. What now? How could Orihime think that he was making fun of her when his heart was shattering in regret. He had never been more serious in his life. "I love thee." He looked at her deep in her eyes, remembering the time he couldn't say it face to face to her. He could feel her hand tremble and her eyes told him she remembered it too.
Suddenly, his hand left hers as Renji came between them, full of rage, "Don't listen to him, Orihime. He loves you not, yet I love you more than the whole universe combined. Could he die for you? No, he could not, yet I could go to hell a hundred times and come back just for you. Could he give everything up for you? No, he couldn't not; as for me, nothing in this world has meaning if I could not see your face. I can dump everything into the garbage just to be your servant. Did he ever even say a kind word to you? No, he didn't, yet I could spend my whole life praising your godly feature."
Urahara aside (chuckled): He sure talks big for the one who is under a love potion
"Don't insult a deep love that you don't understand, or you'll pay for it." Ichigo said in equal vexation. Renji went over the line. Friends they are no more. His mood lit up as he saw a small figure making her way through the grove. "But look, here comes your true love."
"Oh, Renji." She pulled Renji into a deep hug. "I cannot see in the dark, but I can hear your voices which led me here." She nuzzled her head into his chest in pure happiness. "How I have worried for you. How I have missed you, though we just parted for less than an hour." She blushed, "But bad Renji, why did you leave me so unkindly?"
Renji pushed Rukia away in aversion, "Why should I stay while my love pressed me to go?"(7)
"What love could press my Renji from my side?" (8)
Renji went to Orihime and took her hand, which made the auburn girl angrily take her hand back and Ichigo draw his sword out, "Orihime's love. Whose else? But stay away from me. You are the reason my love is rejecting me."
Rukia shook her head furiously, "You speak not as you think; it cannot be" (9)
Orihime, now completely in distraught, had interpreted the situation quite differently. Please forgive her since she had spent her childhood in betrayal and distrust. She was used to be wronged and humiliated than to be cared genuinely and treated with respect, so it was easier for her to believe that the two men were making fun of her than to actually believe that they were in love with her. Moreover, Ichigo had just rejected her and Renji was deeply in love Rukia before, so to Orihime, it was as clear as day that they were using her for their own entertainment. Now, with Rukia appearance, the missing puzzle was solved.
"Oh, I get it now. Rukia, are you in this confederacy too?" Her world shattered at the thought, and she couldn't stop her tears from running. What is so fun about making me miserable that you three have to conspire and woven such dedicated webs of lies. And you, Rukia, you are the only person on earth that I have faith to. Have you forgotten those vows that we shared in this holy forest? The tokens that we exchanged? The hours we had spent, reading under the trees, sleeping on each other shoulders? The secrets that no one could know? All of those forgotten? Oh, I thought that we loved each other. I thought that we are sisters. 'And will you rent our ancient love asunder, to join with men in scorning your poor friend? It' is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly: our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it, though I alone do feel the injury.'' (10)
"I'm amazed at your passionate words, I scorn you not, it seems that you scorn me." (11)
"Did you or did you not, send Renji, as an insult, to praise my face and eyes and then make your other love, Ichigo, who just kicked me with his foot not long ago, to claim that he loves me too? Kurosaki-kun hates me, so why did he claim to love the one he hates? And what could make the noble and gentle Renji to set me up in his false love if not for you, the one whom he loves deeply in his soul?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
Orihime wiped her tears. "I know I was at fault. I know you have every right to hate me because I followed you here with Kurosaki-kun. Fare you well, be it leaving or death, I shall pay for my sins."
But Renji grabbed her wrist before she could leave, "Orihime, don't leave. Please listen to me, my love, my sweet Orihime."
Rukia, sympathized for her friend's situation, scolded Renji, "My dear Renji, do not scorn her so."
However, Renji didn't seem to listen as he was too busy trying pull Orihime close to him. "I love you, dearly so, so please don't leave me."
Ichigo's heart skipped a beat as Orihime's eyes moved to meet Renji's. Even at this distance, he could hear the rhythm of her heart, the way her lips trembled against each other, unable to form a word. She didn't need to form a word, the way they looked at each other was enough to kill him. In one moment, she was still in love with him, and claimed so with all her heart, yet the next moment she looked into another man's eyes, asking if his words were true, if he was truly in love with her. One second, if Ichigo was one second late, he was afraid that Orihime might truly fall for Renji. Was one second enough time for one person to change her heart? Wasn't he the same? Wasn't he not long before thought that he loved Rukia deeply only to realize later that he couldn't live seeing Orihime being with Renji?
If so, he shouldn't waste any more time to think. He couldn't afford to allow another second pass or he would lose Orihime for real. One hand grabbed her arm, he realized how light she really was as he pulled her over and pressed his lips on hers. Could a kiss release the charm Renji was placing on her? He knew not, yet he knew that it felt right, the way his lips were on hers.
Yet the kiss was nothing more than a light contact, for she immediately pulled away, and covered her lips with her hands, her eyes looked at him terrifying.
He heard the sound of heavy metal sliding, and as he turned his back, he faced an enraging Renji he had never seen before with his sword withdrawing from his sheath. His eyes darkened, and there was a huge black aura around him.
"Unforgivable," he said in low voice but it seemed to resonate through the whole forest, "how dare you dishonor her like that." His sword was shaking in his hand, "Though you were my best friend, today you will not go without answering my rage."
Ichigo placed his hand on his hilt. He looked at Renji sadly. Renji was the only true friend he had, they had such good time together until Rukia came between them. Even then, when he was jealous of Renji and Rukia, deep inside he still liked and admired Renji, a man who was freed out of social obligation. He never once hated Renji even when he held his lover's heart, but tonight, tonight was different. The way Renji looked at Orihime, and the way Orihime looked back at him. Now he had truly understand the devastating side of love, he would never accept that. He would not let Orihime fall for Renji, and for that… Renji had to die.
"Let's settle it out there. I don't want my love to see me dirty my sword." Renji jerked his head over, signalling Ichigo to go deeper into the forest.
Ichigo just nodded and walked silently behind Renji, but suddenly Rukia ran over and wrapped her arms around Renji's waist, tears damping her cheeks, "Renji, where are you going with all this?"
Rukia held Renji tighter with her arms. She saw that look on Ichigo's face, and that was the look when he was ready to kill someone. During the course when Ichigo was courting her, she had tried many ways to avoid the two men from clashing, for she knew Renji was not Ichigo's opponent. Renji was a good fighter but he was too emotional for his own good. Moreover, he was borned a street fighter with little training. Ichigo, on the other hand, was a skilled trained fighter since he was a little. He was calm, determined and fought with strong resolution. And when he was determined to kill someone... Rukia shivered and begged, "please, sweet Renji, don't go, don't leave me."
Renji tried to break free and yelled, "Get away from me, you Ethiope."
Ethiope? Her heart stopped, and the world stood still. Did he just call her an Ethiope? The tears on her cheeks were now nothing compare to the tears in her heart. It was the biggest insult to call a woman black. How could Renji scorn her with such hateful and vermourious words? "Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing let loose or I will shake thee from me like a serpent"(12)
Did he truly loathe her that much?
But though he hated her, she could hate him not. She couldn't see him die. She held him tighter, "Why have you changed so much? Why have you been so cruel to me, my love?"
"Your love? Get out, you dark skinned gypsy! Get out, you horrible poison, get out!"
"Are you joking?" Ruki said to her disillusioned self rather than to the raging Renji, really hoping it was just a horrible joke or a bad nightmare.
"Yes, he is and so are you." Orihime just couldn't stop saying what was in her mind.
Ichigo placed the tip of his sword on the ground. "Will you go or not?" He was impatient. How could he not impatient now that he had been fully aware of the fragile nature of love? He was dreaded of each second passing that Orihime would change her heart.
"What? So what should I do?" Renji said irritatedly, unable to break free of the persistent Rukia, "Should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead? Although I hate her, I will not harm her so."(13)
"Is there any greater harm than saying you hate me?" Rukia cried, "Why? Why? What happened to you my love? Are you not Renji? Am I not Rukia? You still love me when we were asleep." Rukia sobbed harder, turning Renji around so she could face him, "but when I woke up, you left me, and now you said you hate me. Oh my god," she buried her head in his chest, "will you leave, will you really leave me, Renji?"
"Certainly," Renji said as he tried to push her away, "and I never want you see you again. Let me spell it out clear and clean to you: the truth is I hate you and I love Orihime."
This was no joke. This was the truth, yet this truth was simply too much for Rukia to handle; it was clouding her ability to reason. How could she accept that her best friend was taking her lover away from her? She felt so betrayed. She had been loving Orihime like a sister and sharing with her every last piece of her secrets.
Oh, she got it now. Now everything was making sense. Orihime was secretly in love with Renji, and she was the one who told her brother about the relationship between her and Renji. Otherwise, how could her brother know? She had this suspicion long time ago that the one who whispered the news was someone close to her or Renji. At first she thought that it was Ichigo, but he was too much of a prideful man to do something so low. Moreover, if it was him, he could have done so long ago.
The only sound explanation was that recently Orihime began to take a liking to Renji, so she did everything in her power to have him. When Orihime saw that her brother couldn't break her and Renji up, she told Ichigo about the elopement and made him chase after them into the forest. That explained why Ichigo was here. Orihime was the only one knew about the elopement.
Rukia placed her hand over her mouth. She was such a fool to trust Orihime so much. Using Ichigo as a bait and distraction, Orihime finally got some time with Renji and seduced him use….Rukia's heart wretched at the thought….using her body. Orihime was truly a beautiful girl...woman. Her beauty was out of the world, and her smile alone could melt even the hardest heart.
Rukia grabbed at her chest, and she was just a rude short little girl. Of course Renji would choose Orihime over her. Renji didn't even desire her. Her tears fell as she stepped closer and closer to Orihime. She was overwhelmed with her newfound emotion that she didn't notice that Renji and Ichigo had walked to the other grove to settle their fight
Renji had rejected to sleep with her tonight. He had chosen Orihime over her. He loved Orihime and he hated her. Orihime was the one who made him hate her. Orihime was the one who was taking Renji away from her. Orihime was no longer her sister. She was a betrayer, an enemy.
And before Rukia knew it, she had knocked Orihime on the ground and sat on her stomach, her hands pulling Orihime's hair, "you trickster, you snake, you thief. Did you sneak in at night and steal my love's heart from him?"
Orihime, at first, was completely stunned at the turn of the events, she didn't know what to do about Rukia's sudden attack that she let her friend have the advantage, but then anger began to seep into her slowly and strongly. She was tired; she was dead tired of always being the defensive, always being at a disadvantage. She was tired of being unable to express herself.
Rukia was so strong, and Orihime's head hurt dearly. She was always looking up to Rukia, the girl who always fought for her course; the one who was brave enough to express herself by whatever means she saw fit. Why couldn't she do the same? Why couldn't she fight for herself and express her anger right now, right here?
Orihime reached her hands to Rukia's hair. If she hadn't done so, she wouldn't realize how easy it was to reach for Rukia's hair, to hurt her, to make her feel the same pain she was feeling right now, and how easy it was to express herself, her feelings, "Are you
not ashame of yourself? I am the one who should be mad. Damn you," she pulled Rukia's hair hard, "you faker, you puppet."
Rukia said in pure rage, "Puppet? Why so? Oh, I see where you are going. You are talking about our differences in height. You are showing off to him how tall you are." Tears wet her eyes again as she looked at Orihime, "You win him over because of your height. Does he have such high opinion about you because I'm short? Is that it?" She pulled Orihime head closer by the hair, "so how short am I you painted maypole? Speak." She yelled, her other hand scratching Orihime's forehead, her nails were dangerously close to the wide gray eyes, "how short am I ? I'm not too short to gouge your eyes out with my fingernails."
Rukia was seriously angry. Orihime had never seen her this angry before. Orihime shivered, Rukia even threatened to gouge her eyes out. It didn't seem to be a joke if Rukia went that far. She even talked about her height. Orihime never knew that Rukia was so self-conscious about her height. Orihime didn't even notice it, that Rukia was short. She was petite, but she was so elegant and noble in her own way, so confident and kind that people just seemed to be drawn to her.
Rukia's tears continued to fall, and it made Orihime's heart ache. "Good Rukia, please don't cry. I swear that I mean you no harm. I always love you, I really do." Orihime burst into tear, "but I have to admit, I have betrayed you, once, when I let Kurosaki know that you were sneaking off into this forest with Renji." Orihime sobbed harder, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry"
Rukia stood up and grabbed Orihime by the chest, "And what is your purpose, you wickedest traitor?"
Orihime buried her head in her hands, unable to stop sobbing, "I did that because I love Kurosaki-kun. He followed you, and for love, I followed him. But he loves me not. He scolded me, rejected me, abandoned me" Her hands left her face and fell down in defeat, "Now just let me go back quietly. I'll carry my mistakes with me. I won't follow you anymore." Though she said so, her body made no move; like she was glued to the ground. Her body didn't listen to her anymore, or did it?….
"Then get you gone! Who's it that hinders you?"(14)
"A foolish heart, that I leave here behind."(15)
"What, with Renji?"(16) Rukia's voice was shaking in jealousy.
"With Ichigo…"(17)
XxXxXxXxXx
"Though it was entertaining, Shuihei, I'm afraid that your mistake has led to a severe chaos that threatens to destroy the tranquility of our forest. Or…" the King said, looking at Hisagi teasingly, "did you do it on purpose? I guess you are getting bored recently…"
But before he could continue, a hand had grabbed his ear and pulled it hard, "Could you stop this madness at once?" a sharp voice piercing through the air.
His ear soring, he looked at the beautiful yellow eyed fairy with a frown, "What's the matter with you, you stupid woman?"
The queen said, her yellow eyes glowing in the night, "The matter is that my husband is a fool who doesn't even know what he is doing, who is absolutely irresponsible, shameless, and selfish."
"Oh ha," the King claimed, "what's a wise woman to marry with such a fool!"
Put her hands on her hips, the Queen raised her eyes, "Maybe you poisoned me, giving me a potion that blinded my eyes and judgment."
"Ha," the King said irritatedly, "like any potions would work on you. Last time that I remember a love potion one didn't work."
"That's because you're stupid enough to give me a potion that was made from a human recipe which obviously only works on humans."
The King blushed, remembering how humiliating tonight was when he sneaked into the Queen's castle and triumphantly put the love potion on her eyelids only to realize later that it was totally useless on her. The Queen later demanded him to tell her the whole story about the love potion which including the accident regarding the humans. And of course, she pulled his ears all the way from the castle to here until they met the four lovers in the middle of their dilemma. It was an enjoyable watch actually, and he was glad he was in time for it.
"Should we do something about this, your highnesses?" Hisagi asked anxiously.
"Of course, we should," the Queen said, putting her chin between her thumb and her index, "like always, we have to clean up after your mess." His wife looked at him scornfully, raising her hand toward him, "Give me the antidote."
two made it look like they were the most righteous fairies on earth. Come on, they were enjoying it too. That he was sure of. The two watched the whole thing with their eyes opening wide and intensively and with their ears pointing up like cats' , too absorbed to notice anything else. Proof was, they didn't intervene until now.
The King was about to open his mouth and tell his wife that he didn't have the antidote and that the potion would go off on its own, but he shut his mouth up just in time before taking out two vials from his pockets. Why not use this opportunity for another fun game, he thought.
"There is the antidote, enough for four. Hisagi, you just wave the substance to their faces and they should go into a deep sleep. Then," he said slowly, carefully to arrange his words, "you put the two pair into different parts of the wood, separately, the long auburn hair girl with the orange boy, and the black hair with the red boy. Try not to mess them up this time ok?
"I'll be more careful, your Highness." Hisagi said with his utmost diligence.
Trying to swallow his chuckle back, the King continued, "then, uhm," he waved his hand, signaling for Hisagi to come closer.
The Queen raised her eyebrows, "If you want to say something, you better say it loud and clear, right here, right now."
"Well," the King said reluctantly, "it's kind of sensitive..." he sighed as his wife looked at him sharply, "and you have to take off all their clothes, burning it and chanting a series of spells in order for it to work."
"Now," the Queen raised her eyebrows again, crossing her arms "I don't see the part where you have to take off their clothes."
"Well," the King rubbed his hands together, "it's an essential part of the ritual for the antidote spell to work." He bit his lower lips and tried to look at his wife in the eyes, trying his best to say it wittily, "And since when do you care so much about humans, with or without clothes?"
His wife blinked her eyes, "yes, I guess you are right. Humans and their clothes are really not our business. Here I'm just trying to fix your mistakes as always, so as long as it works, I wouldn't care less."
Smiling in inside, the King quickly gave the antidote to Hisagi. How fun it is to play with humans especially when there is a nagging wife watching behind your neck.
XxXxXxXxXx
"Your Highness, it's a serious crime." Byakuya said, pressing every single words like he was afraid the Duke was going to miss them, "He is stealing my sister right under my nose; and she is under my protection, which means your protection, Athens's protection. What he is doing is a crime of high treason."
Hitsugaya swiftly wrapped his blue cloak around his body and fastened the belt before heading straight to the main door, "And do you think I'm not aware of the seriousness of this situation. I'm about to lose one of my best men." He scowled, "moreover, just think about the scandal it will cause in our society if the news break out that one of our noble ran off with one of our best fighters is enough to give me a headache."
"You aren't seriously thinking about letting him live after this incident, are you?" The stoic noble closed the door loudly with his hands before the Duke could pass through it.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Duke stared at his noble angrily, "Are you threatening me?"
"I want him dead, out of my sister's life forever"
"Like I said," the Duke pressed his words, "he is one of my best fighters. In the best case, I want him alive."
"Certainly, this is not the best case, Your Grace."
"My dear, what are you doing this early in the morning?" the two nobles startled as a small figure passed through one of the doors and entered the room. "For godsake, it's only three in the morning." The small figure yawned.
"My dearest Momo," the Duke came to her side and gave her chaste kiss on her cheek, "did I wake you up?"
"Are you going somewhere, your Highness?" Momo said behind her heavy eyelids.
"It's an emergency. I'll be back before it lights"
"Is it going to be fun?" Momo asked, suddenly her sleepiness seemed to disappear.
"With all due this respect, your Highness…." Byakuya said in irritation.
But before he could continue the to-be-Duchess had flashed a brightening smile at the Duke and said in her sweetest voice, knowing that the Duke couldn't refuse her puppy eyes and the way she said his nickname, "I want to go too, please, Toro."
XxXxXxXxXx
"I love it when it's cold in the morning. It's so refreshing, especially, when we are riding in the woods like this." The Duchess said cheerfully and the Duke just nodded at whatever she said, totally ignoring the pissed of Byakuya riding behind them.
"Oh my goodness, look at that. Are those angels that just fell from the sky, your Highness?" Momo said in surprise, showing her future husband what seemed to be two pairs of four creatures not lying too far away from each other. "It must be, for they are naked. So it is true that people from heaven need no clothes at all. Oh, such beautiful creatures in the light of early morning. I could even see the morning dews on their holy bodies."
The Duke tried to cover her eyes, but it was already too late.
"What are you doing, your Highness?" Momo shook off the hands off her face. "It is a bless that we are seeing angels. You should not cover me so."
Byakuya drew his sword out, ready to get off his horse, "I'll kill him with my own sword."
But the Duke was faster than him, his sword was already at Byakuya's neck before he could take of, "Think, gentleman. Think, about you and your family honor."
"I'm saving our honor with his death."
"You are tainting it with his blood. Think of your sister. If he's dead now, who is going to protect her virtue with a marriage?"
"I don't need a thief to protect our honor. Ichigo will do it. He loves her enough to look over this little flaw."
"That, we have to see. Give me your cloak." He then threw his cloak and Byakuya's over the bodies of the two ladies. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, riding his horse around the four sleeping creatures. "It's time to get up and explain this little dilemma."
As soon as the poor creatures woke, they looked at each other in absolute terror, and the ladies immediately covered themselves with the cloaks. They were too shocked to say anything, so the Duke had to raise his voice with a commanding tone for them to talk. "Gentlemen, speak and explain yourselves."
"I…" Renji said first, "I don't know what happened. It's like I've been walking in my own dream. My mind is a hazy mess. I don't remember how and when I get here. All I remember is that I love my dear Rukia deeply, and I have asked her run away with me into this forest."
"See, my Highness. He has confessed his crime. Give him his deserved punishment. Death sentence for treason again the reign." Byakuya said coldly.
"Then kill me too brother if you desire his head so much.'
Byakuya seemed to be softened by the determination of his beloved sister, so willingly to die for her love, but then he rode closer to Ichigo, "Ichigo, this man has stolen your wife and my sister. As a gentleman, should you fight for our honor?"
Ichigo looked at Byakuya, "My lord, with all due respect, I have no desire for his head. He is my friend and will be remaining so. My heart now belongs to my dear Orihime who had told me about the elope and had courageously gone into this forest with me just for sake of her affection to me." He then turned his head to the Duke, "Your Highness, please do me a favor and bless me with a marriage to Orihime Inoue."
"Toro," Momo said affectionately to her husband-to-be, "how could you deny those devoted lovers. Look, they are so much in love with one another so much. Renji and Rukia, Ichigo and Orihime. I would be glad if we can have the three weddings together. The more the merrier, isn't it so Toro?"
The Duke kissed his bride's hand, "Of course, my love, you are always right." He turned to the four lovers, "Ladies and gentlemen, try to get dressed and be ready. I wish to have the wedding tonight. So make sure you'll be ready at the temple for it."
"Your Highness…"
But before Byakuya could protest, the Duke had rode close to spoke to him in a low voice, "My Lord, please stop to be so stubborn. Renji is a worthy suitor. You are lucky that we are the only persons here now. Think. Think of what'd happen if others see this. Have the weddings as soon as possible for the sake of Athens! I'm not gonna lose my two best fighters and the honor of Athen for the sake of your selfishness."
XxXxXxXx
"Am I dreaming, my dear." Renji asked Rukia, after the three people had left. "Is that your brother... and the Duke…. and his bride? Did the Duke just say something about a wedding, our wedding, my love?"
"My love?" Rukia said sarcastically, "so I'm your love now, not the gentle and utmost beautiful Orihime anymore?"
"What are you saying, my silly?" He touched his forehead with hers. "Did you have a bad dream my love?"
Rukia blinked. He was right. It must be a nightmare, what happened last night. There was no way he could change his heart in just a second for her best friend.
"Do you still love me, Renji?"
"Of course, my love. You are my life." Renji rubbed his nose with hers. "I'll love you until the day I die."
XxXxXxXx
As soon as Rukia and Renji left, Orihime tightened the collar of the cloak around her neck, making sure that it would cover her completely before standing up, making her way out of the forest.
"Where are you going, Inoue?"
"To my home." Orihime said, giving Ichigo her back.
"I...We...We need to talk, Inoue."
"Sorry, I want to go home."
"Please," Ichigo turned her back only to see her face was dampened in tears. "I, I'm sorry," was all what he could manage to say.
"Sorry for what," Orihime raised her voice, tears still rolling on her cheeks, "for not loving me, for saying cruel things to me, for abandoning me in the dark, or for teasing me and my love for you with lies?" Orihime wiped her tears with her arm, "Do you know what hurt the most, Kurosaki-kun, that is the way you make it sound so real saying 'I love you' when I know it was a joke?"
"I am not joking." Ichigo came closer to Orihime, which unexpectedly causing her to step backward, "Inoue, I did not joke when I said I love you, nor ever my mind was as clear." He gave her his hand, hoping she would take it, but she continued to back away.
"Then to say what you just said is true, then the way your heart falls (in love) is faster than an autumn leaf. Now you say you love me, but once a wind pass through you're going to fall for another."
"Rukia was a mistake."
"Oh, then I'll be another mistake when you talk to another girl."
Ichigo swept his hand over his face, "Inoue, are you seriously questioning my fidelity? Is that what you think of me, an inconstant bastard?"
"No, I'm not questioning your fidelity. I have known for the past three years that you only have Rukia in your eyes. That is why I'm questioning the validity of your claim."
"You still don't believe that I love you?"
"I have no proof to believe so."
"Then I'll give you a proof." He grabbed her head and pressed his lips against hers. Her body was trembling in his arms, but she closed her eyes soon after the contact, and he decided to close his eyes too. He felt like he was ten again, crying in the arms of a stranger, with the wind blowing in his hair and the sound of water rippling in his ears. The world calmed down again. He was home again, in the arms of Orihime Inoue. With this he knew, and he knew she knew it too, that they were right for one another, and they were standing right where they belonged, in each other arms.
As they soon broke the contact, he whispered against her ears, "It's good to be in your arms again."
Orihime widened her eyes, "I… I what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about this," Ichigo hugged his love tightly in his arms, "it's just like nine years ago. I'm at peace again in your arms, so please keep your arms open for me. Please keep me safe in your arms, from now until the end of our days."
He knew he got the answer the moment his shoulders were burned with tears.
"But Kurosaki-kun….I am the one who is safe in your arms." Orihime sniffed in his chest.
"So I take it as a yes."
"A yes for what?"
"For agreeing to take my hand in marriage and be my bribe in tonight wedding."
"Tonight!" Orihime exclaimed, "But I haven't prepared anything, I didn't even have a dress yet."
"Come on, look at me." He laughed, gesturing at himself, "I'm still totally naked, but I'm so ready for tonight's wedding."
Orihime blushed and covered her eyes. "Do you want to share my cloak?"
"No, I'm utterly happy with my wife being covered completely and safely in that cloak, so please don't do anything to change it." Ichigo scowled, "but who in the world could have taken our clothes away? Is this a stupid joke from some stupid fairies?"
"Shhh," Orihime placed her fingers on Ichigo's mouth, "you shouldn't defy the fairies of this forest. Maybe they are punishing us for being too loud in their forest."
"By taking our clothes off? They must have hidden them somewhere. Do you want to find our clothes with me, Inoue?"
"No, I think we should just go home quickly and prepare for our wedding tonight."
Ichigo pulled Orihime playfully into his body, "you are so right my dear. But promise me that we will pay them back. Next time, we'll go to this forest again, just the two of us. We won't be as loud as last night , but we'll make sure they wouldn't be able to forget all the sounds we are going to make," he kissed her, "for a while."
A/N:
(1) "Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
Scorn and derision never come in tears:
Look, when I vow, I weep; and vows so born,
In their nativity all truth appears.
How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
Bearing the badge of faith, to prove them true?"
This means: "Why do you think I'm making fun of you when I tell you I love you? People don't cry when they're mocking do you think I'm making fun of you when I tell you I love you? People don't cry when they're mocking someone." Quote from No Fear Shakespeare.
(2) "You do advance your cunning more and more.
When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!
These vows are Hermia's: will you give her o'er?
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh:
Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,
Will even weigh, and both as light as tales."
means: "You get trickier and trickier. You've made the same promises to me and to Hermia—they can't both be true! They must both be false. The promises you're making to me belong to Hermia. Will you abandon her? If you weighed the promises you made to me against the promises you made to her, they'd come out the same—they both weigh nothing. They're lies." Quoted from No Fear Shakespeare.
(3), (4) and (5) are from the play.
(6) "You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so;
For you love Hermia; this you know I know:
And here, with all good will, with all my heart,
In Hermia's love I yield you up my part;
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love and will do till my death."
means: "Don't be cruel, Demetrius. I know you love Hermia, and you know I know it. Right here, right now, I swear I'm giving up all my claims on her and handing her to you. In exchange, give up your claim to love Helena, since I love her and will love her until I die."
(7) light translation from the play
(8), (9) from the play
(10) 'And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly:
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
Though I alone do feel the injury.' is from the play
(11), (12), (13) from the play
(14) The original:"Why, get you gone! Who is 't that hinders you?"
(15)-(17) from the play