Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a proud kingdom of Sun People. The Sun People were strong and beautiful. They ruled over the brilliant blue skies of their realm on winged steeds, providing protection from above for themselves and their allies; the Forest Archers and Mountain Mages.

The Sun King had died, leaving his throne to his only child, Orihime. The Sun Princess was without a mother and far too young to rule, and over the years her other relatives squabbled over the right to the crown. Despite Orihime's lineage, she showed no interest in power and politics. She was overjoyed the day her distant cousin, Ichigo, was crowned the new Sun King.

She was still called the Sun Princess. Orihime didn't mind. She felt it was a term of endearment from her people, whom she loved in return. So much did she love them, in fact, that she took to the skies with the new Sun King and his soldiers everyday, despite her great fear of conflict and refusal to strike, except when one of her beloved subjects faced grave danger.

And her people did, indeed, face dangers. The Mages, Archers, and Sun People alike took to their dwellings at nightfall. All knew that while the day was guarded by the Sun King, the night was ruled by the wicked Lord Aizen. His feared army of Hollow hordes and skilled Arrancar scoured the black heavens on the backs of terrible beasts; some of them transforming their own bodies into even more horrific monsters.

The Sun People raised their children on tales of the evils in the night skies, and Orihime was no exception. Her nursery maids warned her from a tender age about how the Sun People never, ever, went out at night. If she ever dared to try, surely a Hollow would find her and feast on her deliciously pure soul.

But the young Sun Princess was curious, and would often sneak from her chambers, down the secret corridors, and up the spiral staircase that led to the tower observatory of the Sun Palace after dusk. She would find a dark corner and watch out the window at the dark beings in the night sky with wonder.

There was one story her nursemaids told that seemed to capture her imagination more than the rest; a story she would request time and again; the story of The Moonshield. The Moonshield was told to be Lord Aizen's most faithful subject, a member of his elite force of Arrancar called the Espada. He was a ferocious beast, with pure white skin made of hollow bone and unnaturally green eyes that would turn anyone who beheld them to dust. The Moonshield could transform into a demon swifter than the fastest Sun Realm Charger. He was merciless, blotting out the moonlight to allow the lesser hollows to sneak around undetected and gobble up the souls of naughty children who snuck out at night.

The Sun Princess was fascinated with The Moonshield. She imagined him to be powerful and majestic. She would fall asleep in the observatory while waiting for a glimpse of him, but after her coming-of-age ceremony, fantasies of a winged demon guarding the moon were pushed aside for more pressing concerns, such as being married off. The Sun Princess would be a prestigious addition to any family, even if she no longer held direct claim to the throne. Her days were increasingly spent meeting all manner of eligible suitors to find a potential match.

But these meetings did not worry the Sun Princess as much as the rumors of what her actual destiny would likely be: the bride of the new Sun King.

She understood the politics of the situation. As the daughter of the former sovereign, her marriage to the Sun King would provide legitimacy to his claim. Their children would be the rightful heirs to the throne. Their union would all but guarantee peace amongst the Sun People as long as they lived.

She sighed as she snuck away one night, back to her beloved observatory. Yes, Ichigo the Sun King was a just ruler. She admired him and trusted him to protect their people at all costs.

But that was the problem. All costs included the cost of his soul. The Sun King had revealed his secret to her as they patrolled the skies together. He had traded the purity of his soul for more strength, and allowed himself to be tainted by a powerful hollow.

Orihime shivered at the thought. Although the Sun King swore to her that he was able to control the beast within, he frightened her.

The Moonshield. What a ridiculous title. Ulquiorra Cifer cared not for the moon nor the Hollows that fed under it. In fact, he cared for nothing. He was nothing.

Lord Aizen prized him for this very reason, and Ulquiorra was promoted to fourth ranked Espada in recognition of his contributions to Aizen's regime. The so-called Moonshield carried out his orders with frightening efficiency. He cast no judgment and asked no questions. He was a perfect soldier.

This quality was consistently true, and would have probably remained true into perpetuity, had it not been for his most recent set of orders: to follow the Sun Princess, study her, and report.

To his surprise, it was not difficult to find her huddled away in a dark corner of the palace observatory. Her cinnamon hair glinted softly in the moonlight that filtered through the panes of glass, and the slow rise and fall of her chest as she took steady, sleeping breaths entranced the Espada. How soothing. How calming. She appeared a delicate creature with her soft, dewy skin and fine-boned features. Despite being known as a sometimes fierce protector, she looked so innocent.

The monster's eyes drifted across the slumbering woman's form. What would she think if she saw him? Surely she would be frightened. A rare smirk settled on his features as he imagined her peaceful face morphing into a grimace of horror. It would only be fitting.

Uquiorra required no sleep. He was proficient at hiding himself. Aizen had ordered him to follow the woman constantly except when providing his daily report, which he did without question. But what peace he experienced while watching Orihime at night was not present during the day. What a life this Sun Princess led! Being bathed by servants; her perfectly ripe form glistening with white foaming suds and rinsed clean with fresh water by women who told her stories of the suitors who would meet her each day.

Initially these stories bore no importance to The Moonshield; he passively recorded the conversations and images in his eye, and each evening he reported his findings by plucking the eyeball from its socket and crushing to dust, allowing Aizen to see and hear these things as if he had been there himself. Before he was dismissed, a new eye had generated in place of the one he had destroyed.

In time, however, Ulquiorra began to form opinions. He grew curious. Why would she allow others to touch her perfect form? Why would the Sun Princess refuse all of these esteemed champions and men of great fortune? Why would she mount her charger each day and chase the Sun King across the skies to fight errant Hollows when she was clearly terrified to do so? And why would she persist in going to that tower each night and watch the skies until she could no longer keep her eyes open?

It vexed the Arrancar. Surely, this woman's daily life had no meaning, just as everything else under the heavens had. He had nothing. He was void. So was Aizen. So was she.

But…

But something about this Orihime, Princess of the Sun people, made him think. Made him notice. Made him question his presumption of the meaninglessness of this world and all of its occupants.

She fascinated him.

It was a day like any other. Orihime had followed Ichigo out on her charger to soar over the kingdoms. She saw a streak of blue shoot from the forest of the Archers; there was trouble below the canopy. Ichigo and his men swooped down below it while Orihime stayed above. Something felt wrong, as if a powerful being was creeping in the periphery. She circled her charger and scanned the horizon. She perceived nothing that warranted her uneasy feeling.

Then, she saw it. A flash of black in the distance.

"Hup!" she called to her charger as she chased the black shape over the Archer's Forest, toward Mage Mountain. Her heart pounded as she saw it turn around the summit, and she guided her charger right to cut off its movement. But then, one of the magefolk, having also spotted the dark invader, blasted a white kido spell toward it.

She knew not what prompted her. Instinct? Curiosity? Pity? Guilt? She knew not as she urged her charger on, racing to stop the descent of the black figure.

Her progress was stopped suddenly, and with a shrieked whinny, her charger fell out from under her. One of the mages must have mistaken her as an enemy. Orihime looked down, watching the jagged rocks below rush up to meet her, and closed her eyes.

"Woman. Wake up," a deep voice commanded. "Open your eyes, Woman."

The Sun Princess slowly obeyed, her thick lashes pulling open slowly. Her pupils expanded, straining to see in the low light of this darkened, barren landscape. Her face was turned to the side, and she was able to see the black sky meeting the white sand below her at the horizon.

It was night, and she was outside .

Panic shot through her body and she sat up with a sharp inhale. "Where am I?" she demanded, her head whipping around until it stopped short.

Brilliant green eyes. Bone white skin. The Moonshield.

He was looking right at her; directly into her eyes. Her hands came up to check that her arms were still made of flesh and had not burnt to ashes without permission, but she could not look away from his eyes. "I'm still here. I knew it. I knew they were lying," she said to herself.

"What is it that you knew?" The Moonshield asked her.

"You..." she murmurerd. "I've been waiting years to find you."

Preposterous. This Sun Princess must be suffering from confusion, Ulquiorra thought to himself. It was of no importance, he realized, as he turned his face away from her prone body. He had disobeyed his orders to simply observe and report. He had brought this woman to his homeland. For what purpose? What possessed him to take such action? He looked back down on her with a confused frown. What would he do now? He could not return to the Palace of Las Noches after failing Lord Aizen. Not now. Not with this woman.

Although Ulquiorra suspected Lord Aizen's plan to take the Sun Princess as his own bride, he had no confirmation. He had not been ordered to bring her to him. And even if he had… As he imagined it now his pulse began to race and he felt short of breath. He did not want to relinquish her. He had gone against his orders for her. He had brought her here. She was his responsibility now. For better or for worse.

"Well, you found me. Stand, Woman. We must leave this place," the Espada said to her, peering off into the horizon for threats unknown.

Orihime got to her feet and stumbled forward; her footing unsure on the shifting desert sands of Hueco Mundo. Ulquiorra's arms darted out to stop her fall, then carefully righted her posture.

Orihime's lungs expanded and her heart pounded. Feeling his lean, fur-covered arms and claw-tipped fingers hold her up was thrilling. She looked up into his face as he glanced at her. Her head tilted to the side. "You are beautiful," she observed.

The Espada's posture stiffened. What did she say to him? How was that possible? "Are you afraid of me, Woman?" he asked, his own voice quietly laced with fear.

A soft smile pulled at her lips. "No, I'm not. I'm not afraid." How could she be? He stopped her body from being battered on the rocks of Mage Mountain. She had seen those black claws reach out to stop her descent before she lost consciousness.

Ulquiorra was disturbed by the woman's answer. "Why do you not fear me? You should. I could rip the heart from your chest. I am the sworn subject of Lord Aizen. I am your enemy."

Orihime shook her head. "No, you saved me."

The Espada could say nothing to that. It was true. He had gotten too close and attracted her attention. It was his fault that her charger fell. The Sun People were likely to wage war against the Mountain Mages in response.

He frowned again. His need to sate his curiosity had caused him to betray his master. His clawed finger slowly faded to one resembling a human hand. It slowly rose toward the woman's cheek. "Do you know what your people call me? Of what stories they tell their children?" The hand he had raised froze before he made contact.

The woman's eyes were earnest. "Yes. I grew up with stories of The Moonshield. Every night I looked for you in the night sky. I never expected…" her breath caught in her throat as his fingertips brushed the surface of her cheek.

"Lord Aizen intends to make use of you. Will you come willingly?" he asked her. He never expected for these words to cause him such a feeling of dread. If she answered affirmatively, he would deliver her to Aizen and face the consequences for his failures.

"No. No, I can't, I-"

"Would you rather be wed to that abomination of a Sun King?" Ulquiorra's voice interrupted, the sharp tone taking him by surprise.

Orihime stomped a foot into the sand. "No!"

Ulquiorra retracted his hand from her impossibly soft skin and watched her for a moment. "What would you have me do?" he asked softly. He found it difficult to speak, a pull in his chest making it feel tight and drawn toward her. "What do you want?"

The Sun Princess' life had always been one of duty. "I want- I want to be free," she finally said, the realization surprising her.

"Freedom? At what cost? Surely you know that your people will come for you. You are an invaluable asset," he replied.

"Let them come," she said, not realizing that he had reached for her again until she felt his hands on her waist and heard the snap of his wings unfurling.

"We must leave this place. Hollows will come for you. Aizen will know." With that he raised a finger to the dark night sky, snapped his wrist, and opened a tear in the space before them.

She had no choice but to trust him and nodded as she wrapped her hands around his neck. A moment later, they were gone.

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