A/N: So ummm, I've been stalking this pairing section for a few years, feeding on entries like a parasite. I figured I should contribute something eventually. I just have this glaring fear of writing about Aizen as he's such a complicated character. I've been juggling this idea for a long time—ever since I've seen a particular Aihime sketch. And I just need to write a multi-chapter fic again—we'll see how this goes! So with all said and done, an AU, sorta / kinda fairytale.

Universal Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and not me.

Lay Your Dreams Upon These Wings

Chapter One: To Dream of Fairytales

Humans feel a sense of comfort when they are amongst their fellow kin.

However, when coming across something they do not understand—the first instinct is apprehension—fear.

Shun what cannot be understood.

Isolate it to preserve the false sense of security.

Humans are truly primitive beings…

"Oh what a beautiful day," Orihime exclaimed as she pushed open her large windows and took in a breath of fresh air and the sound of chirping birds. She hummed and gazed at the warm spring day scenery. The girl resided atop a tall tower that was completely secluded from her kingdom. Her eyes rested upon the palace that sat along rolling greenery across the horizon and her smile softened into a solemn one. She turned away from her window and crossed the wooden floor to her kitchenette.

She consumed her breakfast of bean paste covered banana bread and a pickle before starting on her morning chores. Orihime performed like clockwork—sweep the floor, dust the shelves, wash the clothes, make the bed, clean the kitchenette, picking up random assortments she threw on the floor from the previous day, and organize said assortments to be thrown around again.

At the end of her daily 'work,' the girl stepped over to her bookshelf and traced her finger across the spines—deciding her tale of the day. She read and reread every book she owned countless times; books on cooking, books on history, books on sciences, books on classic literature—her favorite being folklore and especially fairytales. Often choosing a fairytale as a means of escape, her quiet reading was how Princess Orihime Inoue spent her usually quiet days. Orihime hummed as she scanned the titles before. Her index finger settled on a fairly worn book and hooked onto the top edge, pulling it toward her.

"This'll do," Orihime nodded in contentment as she stared at the old cover. With an extra skip to her step, the girl crossed her tower—her brightly colored hair swayed behind her—and settled on a plush sofa. She propped herself against cushions and dangled her legs over the armrest as Orihime flipped open her book. The pages were yellowed and barely hanging onto the binding. With care, she skimmed through its pages, pausing to admire the beautiful illustrations. It was a tale of a princess who was constrained to a tall tower. The princess had long, flowing hair that was used as a climbing rope for the witch who confined her and a prince she fell in love with. And at the end of the story, the princess left the tower and lived happily ever after with the prince.

This was Orihime's favorite tale—for she felt like she could relate to the confined princess. Yet she envied the character because she experienced something Orihime longed to experience—falling in love. Orihime released a dreamy sigh and held the novel against her chest, dreaming of fairytale princes on white horses that slay dragons and witches while rescuing the princesses with a kiss. This princess often dreamt of the same scenario. She dreamt of a prince she met so long ago—before being locked away in her high prison. A prince with bright hair like hers and a confident smile that would make anyone feel safe and secure. The first and last time she met him, he was but a young boy. She often wondered what he was like now that he has grown. That prince was in the running to be her second most important person.

The princess's dreamy state fell somber then when the reality struck her. She was probably never going to see this prince again. A prince whose name she has forgotten and image which was frozen in the past and fading. Orihime sighed and slowly and carefully closed her book. She rose and slumped over to her bookshelf again, setting the old thing where it belonged.

"I shouldn't be reading these anyway," she mumbled and drooped her head. She stood there for a few moments—her fingers lingering on the top edge of the fairytale book. Just then, a grunting sound came from the open window. Orihime nearly jumped from her spot and swerved around to the window and saw a hand rise and latch onto the windowsill. The stream of curses and complaints settled the surprised princess's nerves. The edges of her lips naturally curved upward and walked over to the window—her skip somewhat returning.

"Tatsuki, you should really be more careful," Orihime playfully warned as she leaned over the window and smiled at the girl below her.

"Humph, and maybe you should have your servants build shorter towers," Tatsuki retorted with a snarky grin as she hoisted herself up onto the windowsill and was at Orihime's eye level.

Orihime happily moved aside to allow her friend entrance into her small home. Tatsuki crossed the open space, hauling a large sack behind her. She approached the wooden dining table and tossed the over her shoulder—landing on the hard surface with a good thump. The auburn haired princess joined her and marveled at Tatsuki working her way with the insane knot that kept the sack's contents hidden. Orihime smiled brightly when Tatsuki released the tie. "Thanks so much for coming all the way out here every week Tatsuki! What would I ever do without you?"

The girl laughed and scratched the back of her black, tousled hair. "It's no trouble really. After being cooped up in the palace for the past week without seeing the light of day, it's nice to finally get some fresh air. Plus, the walk down here is very relaxing. Not to mention the security around here is practically nonexistent," she gave a playful wink at that last remark.

Orihime giggled and rummaged through the sack's contents. There were her weekly groceries and some candles that she had requested the week's prior. She started to put away her spoils at their proper locations. "You must be so busy being a knight though," she struggled with her speech a bit when she got on her tippy toes to place things in cupboards above her. "And you're even serving the royal family too! I just don't know how you find the time to see me at all!"

"Nahh," Tatsuki leaned against the table and crossed her arms. Her eyes followed Orihime's movements—taking notice of that small skip in her step. "I only serve to protect one of your cousins. It's not technically one of direct royal blood so I can afford time when I need it."

Once done putting away the last thing, Orihime swung around, her long hair gliding around her. "But still, I am very grateful to you, Tatsuki."

The two stared in silence for an extra moment before Tatsuki snapped back to her sense. "Oh! That reminds me," she pulled out her personal pack from around her and lifted the cover. The knight pulled out an old, worn out book. It looked much older than Orihime's other books. Orihime noticed the intricate design along the spine and a small part of the back cover and immediately recognized it. She gasped and found herself gravitating toward the thing.

"A grimoire…" Orihime breathed in amazement. Her slender fingers reached out for the tome and latched onto it. She pulled it close to her and admired the golden lining on the dark hard leather cover. It felt so delicate in her hands and she feared that it might break if dropped. "Where did you…"

"From the old man who lives at the edge of town. I happened upon him while getting your candles. He was concerned about how you were and insisted I give that to you," she cut Orihime off.

Orihime kept her eyes locked on the old book. In her trance, she glided past Tatsuki and to her bookshelf. Kneeling down, she placed her hand on the side of the shelf and revealed a hidden door down at the bottom. Unlatching it, there was a secret compartment containing a few other grimoires. Orihime blew into the compartment—scattering dust everywhere—and oh-so-carefully slid the new book in between two other ones. "He should be careful too. Practicing magic is strictly forbidden…did anyone else see this book?" Her worried filled eyes turned back to her friend.

"No, he's fine," she brushed off Orihime's concern, "that old man is more resilient than you give him credit for." Tatsuki approached her friend and crouched down beside her.

"I know. But ever since the war, sorcerers are automatically put to death if they are ever caught. I don't want him risking himself for me." Orihime mumbled to her floor. Tatsuki rubbed her friend's back in comfort. There was another short silence. The princess finally asked, "How is my mother doing?"

Tatsuki ceased her motions and her expression hardened. "That woman has been pretty much the same since you last saw her—a paranoid, self-centered bitch."

Orihime giggled softly. Tatsuki's crude honesty—especially concerning the Queen of their kingdom—always made her feel lighter. She knew very well how Tatsuki felt about Her Royal Highness, as she is the one responsible for her isolation and confinement in her tower for the past twelve years. Before then, she had a happy childhood along with her precious older brother, Sora. Yet when Orihime was locked away at the young age of six, her mother visited her often—along with other chambermaids and tutors. However, those visits decreased through the years. Time continued to flow for those people, while hers stood still. Tatsuki was the only one who hasn't forgotten about the lone princess. She was one of the only reasons Orihime has not been driven completely insane from the solitude. She owed everything to the only human friend she had left.

Standing up, Orihime brushed off any dust from her dress and recomposed herself. Her smile returned—albeit a mellow one. "I'm fine now. Thank you."

Tatsuki rose onto her feet, "you sure?"

"Yeah! I'm okay now! I promise. Anyway, thank you for the grimoire, even though I'm not entirely proficient in the art as of yet," she giggled at herself.

Tatsuki cocked her head to the side, her upbeat demeanor returned with a smirk. "You'll put it to good use though. I'm sure of it."

The two laughed a bit. They spent a few hours chattering about any relevant events and gossip from the week. It was when the sun started to set that Tatsuki actually noticed the time. Cursing to herself about how she'll be late and that her superior would bitch her out to no end, Tatsuki bid farewell. When she approached the windowsill, the knight paused. "Tatsuki…?" Orihime questioned, putting a concerned hand on her shoulder.

Tatsuki took a deep breath and turned to face her best friend. Her bright eyes pierced right through Orihime. "Let's run away together," she suddenly proclaimed.

"W-What?" Orihime was definitely taken aback. The one thing she least suspected was for Tatsuki to make such a proposal.

The startled look on the princess's face was exactly how Tatsuki expected her to react. She snickered. "I bet that came off too strong. Sorry." Orihime wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. Tatsuki's eyes softened and she smiled. "Forget it."

Tatsuki turned toward the window again and hoisted a leg over. There was another pause then. A gust of the cool springtime air blew into the room. "I will come back for you though," she said almost inaudibly. "I consider myself to be your knight first and foremost." And with that, Tatsuki almost jumped from the window and began her rather fast descent from the tower.

Orihime stood frozen in place. The air continued to breeze on by as Tatsuki's words sank in. Was leaving ever really an option? Orihime never really thought about it. She spent more than half her life confined to that small space. It became her world. And that which lied out of her window was just an unattainable fantasy. That was what she embedded into her subconscious throughout these twelve years.

It brought another question to mind. Why now? Why was the option to leave presented now? Maybe somewhere and her mind and in Tatsuki's, they wanted to wait it out until the palace changed its mind and wanted to take Orihime back. Tatsuki was more determined than Orihime— and therefore had the stronger will. So, for her to single handedly break that resolve led to only one conclusion.

"They finally abandoned you."

Orihime did not respond.

A black, spikey haired fairy flew past her and settled on the windowsill, leaning against the side and crossed his arms, gazing at the palace on the horizon. Another fairy flew by and landed beside the black fairy. "Geez Tsubaki, is it really necessary to be so blunt?" The blonde haired fairy scolded.

"Pfft, it's pointless to sugar-coat things Shun'o," Tsubaki spat back.

The princess tuned out the two fairies. Her eyes focused at the scenery outside her window. The sky with its gentle fiery glow, the gray silhouette of the palace she longed to call home, and the birds flying in the sky—embracing the freedom that she kept herself from having.

"Hey! Are you listening?"

"Oh! Ow, ow, owwww!" Orihime was yanked back into reality due to Tsubaki pulling at her hair. She winced and rubbed her scalp.

"Aw, leave her alone!" Shun'o cried.

"I'm sorry Tsubaki," the princess grinned sheepishly at the black fairy that glared down at her. He scoffed and returned to his place at the windowsill. Her focus shifted to the fairies in front of her. She watched Shun'o chastised Tsubaki. And before she knew it, four more fairies joined the mix. The six of them were very animated as a pointy headed fairy seemed to egg on Tsubaki; a hefty fairy and a swimsuit clad fairy tried to alleviate the situation; and a meek, cloaked fairy watched from the sidelines.

These fairies served as the other reason that Orihime had not succumbed to insanity through the years. Yet, they were also the very reason she was casted out of her home in the first place. She unintentionally summoned the fairies in the presence of the queen and the royal court. The court was horrified to witness such high level sorcery from a child. In order to save face, the queen mandated the isolation of the princess so that she could not become a potential threat to the kingdom. By this time, Sora had been long gone so there was no one of influence to defend her. But even then, the princess never regretted summoning her fairies—her familiars—to be a part of her life. Having her familiars by her side were enough for her these twelve. She would be able to survive on her own with only them.

And with that, Princess Orihime Inoue rebuilt her resolve.

She turned her back on the energetic group, crossed the large room and grabbed the sack Tatsuki left behind from her delivery. Orihime made her way across the room again, approaching her bookshelf. She kneeled down and opened the secret compartment, gathering her collection of grimoires and stashing them in her sack. Shun'o flew down behind her.

"What are you doing, Orihime?" he asked.

Orihime rose and made her way back into the kitchenette to retrieve another bag and began to stock up on food. "I've made up my mind. If the palace has forsaken me, then I will do the same."

"You idiot," Tsubaki flew over her, "where are you going to go?"

The princess stuffed an apple into the bag, "it doesn't matter." Orihime gazed up at her familiar with a determined expression, "as long as I have you guys with me, I'll be fine."

Tsubaki was taken off guard by her newfound sense of spirit and Orihime continued to pack. The meek fairy flew up beside Orihime. "What about Tatsuki?" she mumbled.

Orihime paused and turned to the bright pink fairy, poking her little cheek while smiling solemnly. "Tatsuki has a duty to the palace. It is not my place to involve her, Ayame."

The fairy in the swimsuit came up on Orihime's other side. "But she offered to take you away—even declaring herself as your knight!" the fairy exclaimed.

Orihime slowly twisted her head toward the other fairy, her smile faded. "Even so Lily, I don't want to single-handedly destroy everything she has worked so hard for. And…this is something I need to do for myself."

The princess resumed her packing. She quickly changed into a more casual dress and grabbed a pair of travelling boots she never thought she would ever get the chance to wear. After packing what she deemed essential, Orihime did a once over around her small home. Walking over to the windowsill, Orihime secured her packs around her body and gazed around one more time. The tiny world she grew up in was finally being cast aside. She turned her gaze away before any glimpse of doubt could form. Sitting upon the ledge, she observed the countryside enveloped by the evening's darkness—how it made the palace off along the horizon seem menacing and uninviting. It felt like she was starting to wake up from a dream, viewing a new reality for the first time. She inhaled the evening spring air, and then glimpsed down, really getting a good look at what was below her.

And that was when she realized how high up she really was.

Gulping, Orihime slowly began to bring a leg over the edge. She must not hesitate. Must not let the obscene distance from her window to the hard, hard ground keep her from this. Biting her lower lip, Orihime frowned and shook away her petty fears. After a few more deep breaths and avoiding eye-contact with the abyss below her, Orihime concentrated on her leg work.

"Why don't you use us?" the pointy-headed fairy questioned.

Orihime chuckled with some confidence—which she felt she was channeling from Tatsuki, "Nonsense, Hinagiku! Tatsuki scales this tower all the time. There's got to be some indents in the stone wall. It'll be like reverse rock climbing. Plus, don't you think it would be against the point to 'run away' when a large, conspicuous familiar is flying about?"

She could have sworn she heard Tsubaki muttering about how much of an idiot she was.

Another deep breath and she brought her other leg around, peeking below her a little to find the first indent. She let out a bit of a nervous chuckle, feeling that confidence slipping a little when she caught the inevitable glimpse of the painfully hard ground so far below her. "It's kind of a shame," she felt her voice raise an octave and crack slightly, "that I don't have long, flowing hair like the princess from that one story. It would certainly make this kind of easier!"

And she could have sworn she heard Tsubaki grunt with a tone of deep irritation.

Spotting the first indent below her, she repositioned herself for her descent. Gradually lowering her right foot around the general area she spotted, Orihime felt a release of tension when her foot slipped into the indent. Her confidence returning as she brought down her left foot, tapping it against the stone blindly searching for the next hole.

Her left foot latched into it. Good.

She continued this slow descent and she felt herself getting giddier at this success. "See?" she called to her familiars who were watching from above. "This isn't so bad!"

Unfortunately, karma decided to punish her for her over-confidence.

Orihime brought a leg down too fast and it failed to catch an indent—instead sliding against the stone wall. Her concentration shattered and she lost her grasp. She started to fall.

The princess let out a sharp cry as gravity took over and she heard the shouts of her familiars. She dug her fingers along the wall as she plummeted, hoping she would grasp onto one of the nooks to catch herself. Fortunately, she was able to latch onto one and prevented a fate of becoming a pancake. However, she found that she was about a foot from an orange, glowing platform. Letting go of the small ledge, her boots landed with a thump on the platform her familiars made.

"Thank you," she muttered as the platform made the rest of the descent. Orihime then felt a sharp pain from her fingers. The once soft, delicate hands that suited royalty were now scraped and blistered almost beyond recognition. The princess sighed. Trial one: failed; she couldn't even travel down a tower by herself.

When the platform connected with the ground, the orange glow vanished and three fairies flew up beside her.

"Please don't be reckless like that again," the hefty fairy, Baigon pleaded.

"You really are a huge idiot!" Tsubaki appeared and tugged on a lock of Orihime's hair. Once again, her mind was pulled back from space.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I won't waver to summon you guys next time! Please stop pulling my hair now—oww!"

"Hmph, as long as you understand," Tsubaki dropped the lock of hair and turned away with a stubborn grunt.

Orihime focused her attention back to her torn up, bloody fingers. "Sōten Kisshun, I reject," she muttered. Her hands were enveloped in a little glowing, orange dome and the layers of skin started to rebuild itself. When her fingers finished healing, Orihime patted the packs around her and was relieved that her cargo was unharmed.

"Now that that is over," she inhaled, "we continue onward!"

The princess walked around to the other side of the tower and noticed a forest in the distance. "We go that way," she pointed to said forest.

"Why that way?" Shun'o asked as he flew up beside her face.

"Simple," Orihime could feel her spirits coming back to her again, "It is in the opposite direction of the castle. And I want to get as far away from that place as possible."

She began her stroll—her bouncy step kicked in and the choosh, choosh sounds from stepping on the grass became sweet music to her. It was a sound she hadn't heard in so long. Happy memories of ignorant childhood days flowed through her with every step, every sound.

And before she knew it, Orihime took off in a sprint, laughing in a way she hadn't since those days past. Her familiars relished in this sense of joy they had never seen their master express and flew jovially alongside her as Princess Orihime made her dash into the night—never once looking back.

She was the forsaken bird who finally escaped her cage.

Orihime was too drunk on the freedom juice from earlier that she did not really consider how much darker a forest was at night. She wandered blindly through the thickets, occasionally bumping into a tree or almost tripping on uplifted roots. That burst of confidence and resolve was really wearing thin—fear and apprehension taking its course. It wasn't so much the darkness that bothered her but the feeling of being helpless fresh meat to whatever dwelled in the woods. The fact that she couldn't really see her familiars even embedded that dreaded feeling of loneliness.

"If only your magic skills didn't suck so much, you could generate a fireball to use as light." Lily chirped.

"Yeah, don't remind me," Orihime laughed slightly as a way to convince herself that she was alright. Extending an arm, she glided her hand across whatever rough surface it touched. "Can't you guys do something?"

"Not when it comes to practical uses, unfortunately," Shun'o responded. "In these forms, we are almost as blind as you are."

Orihime stopped by what she felt was a large tree and sighed. "I'd suggest waiting it out until morning but I have a bad feeling that we've got to continue on."

"A bad feeling, eh?" Tsubaki closed in. "I didn't know premonitions were amongst your list of abilities, lady sorceress."

The princess ignored the sarcasm that dripped from her familiar's statement. "It's not premonition, Tsubaki. Call it 'woman's intuition.'" And she ignored her familiar's burst of laughter from her response.

"Shall we scout ahead for you then? That way you can take a break," Hinagiku suggested. Orihime nodded.

"That's a good idea. Could you, Baigon, and Lily see how much farther this forest extends then?"

Without a moment's haste, the three were off. Orihime leaned against the tree and slid down, the fabric from her dress trailed behind her; and her bottom hit the ground with a good thump. She spent rather little time resting and more time waiting for the return of her fairies. Either she was just very impatient or the forest was a whole lot larger than she anticipated. Either way, it wasn't long before she got worried about them.

"They'll be back soon…" Ayame spoke softly, attempting to comfort her master.

"More importantly," Tsubaki began, his voice tensing up, "we are not alone."

Orihime practically jumped to her feet, adrenaline bursting through her body. She sensed it now too. Whatever was approaching, it was huge.

And it definitely wasn't friendly.

It certainly wasn't long until the thing crashed its way in front of them. The beast eyed its target and snarled viciously. The mask it bore on its face did not conceal the razor sharp fangs or the killer intent showing on its glowing yellow eyes. The behemoth dug its humungous claws into the ground and positioned its firm body into a crouching pose—ready to pounce.

The princess flinched back. She wasn't really expecting a beast of that caliber. Nor was she really combat-ready.

"Orihime…" she heard Tsubaki growl.

Right. She could not falter. She had her familiars—her pillars of survival in the harsh wilderness. Orihime nodded and prepared herself. "I beseech the power of Tsubaki, behemoth of the heavenly night," she extended her arm toward her target, "clear the path before me!"

Tsubaki rocketed past her extended arm—transforming into his true form. Settling between Orihime and the beast, Tsubaki revealed himself to resemble a large dragon beast. He stretched his wings out—taking down some trees with it. Tsubaki snarled and got into a challenging crouch in front of his enemy. Orihime was taken aback. It was the first time she really summoned one of her familiars for battle purposes. Not to mention, if she really did fly off on top of such huge creatures, she would not get that far while undetected.

She back away from Tsubaki as he shot forward. His fangs shot into the other beast's throat while his claw pierced right through the enemy's shoulder. The behemoth released a high-pitched scream as it was slammed into the ground. Tsubaki shot his clawed arm straight through the beast's skull—shattering its mask. The behemoth started to disintegrate, its dust blowing away with the gently breeze.

Tsubaki transformed back to his fairy form and turned to Orihime—proud of his victory. "And that is how a familiar is properly used," he cheered arrogantly.

The princess was relieved that the conflict had been settled as quickly as it had. However, Shun'o did not share the same relief.

"Usually nocturnal monsters like that travel in groups though…" Shun'o contemplated.

This contemplation came too late, unfortunately, as a piercing scream came from behind. Spinning around, Orihime gaped in horror at the second beast that leapt out toward her.

And that was when the princess thought it would be a good time to black out.

The princess came to and groaned. Trial two: failed; she couldn't even utilize her familiars properly in combat. This terrible start made her subconsciously wish she was dead. She was certainly too inept to be able to survive on her own. Maybe she should have dragged Tatsuki with her after all…

"Well now, I am glad you are not dead."

An unknown voice.

Orihime ever-so-slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw were the trees that seemed to be extending toward the sky above her. And that her head wasn't resting on anything particularly hard either. She also noticed how the area was lit with a gentle orange glow. Tracing the glow to its source, her head slowly turned to a moderate sized campfire. And on the other side of that fire was a man. A man who was grinning a little ominously. Her eyes locked onto his.

And she refused to move.

There was an uncomfortable pause between the two before she finally choked something out. "Thank you for saving my life," she said almost inaudibly.

"Nonsense," the man broke eye contact and chuckled. His eyes softened as he returned his gaze to her, "I was merely intrigued by your power, young lady."

Orihime felt herself tense up. Did he see her summon Tsubaki? Was he going to kill her for using a form of magic? She wasn't really in the condition to just jump up and run—and even then, she was pretty positive he'd catch her. Yet running was her best option at the moment. She slowly sat herself up—never once looking away from his dark eyes. The man, of course, took notice of her cautious movements. "I will not harm you. You have my word," he said in a rather amused tone. "What is your name?"

And again, the princess froze. She failed to consider the option of her identity while on these travels. Using her real name could possibly prove to backfire on her in the future. But the possibility of using multiple aliases would be confusing and she would most likely mix herself up—especially while in a sticky situation like this one.

She prompted herself to calm down. Think. She would have to go with a single new identity. But what would be a good name to choose for herself—and under such a time constraint. She skimmed through her memories. Maybe she'll take the name of one of her past maids.

Finally it hit her. The perfect new name for herself.

"I am…"

The name of her most important person.

"I am Sora."

To Be Continued.