A/N: Guys, I was so angry because my computer crashed and took out a good 2,500 words of this chapter. I had to re-write it, and if you're anything like me, you'll understand me when I say my first work is always my best work. I don't mind going back and editing, but writing it over a second time just doesn't work. I'm still salty about it. I hope you can't tell which part is rewritten, because to me, it's blatantly obvious because it doesn't flow! UGH. Try to enjoy.

-whoosh19


The dress was absolutely perfect! It was Thursday the 5th, and Orihime had finished the greatest work she'd ever created in her life. Now, all that was left was to tell Cirucci she was going.

Well, ask her.

Yes, Orihime made an entire gown before asking her guardian for permission to go to the ball because she thought if she'd sewn one and had it ready to go, well, fate couldn't say no to that! It was with that hope that she ran downstairs to meet Cirucci reading a book and snacking on crackers.

"Um, Cirucci?" she called. The older woman looked up and narrowed her eyes.

"Do you not see me reading?! God, what do you want?!" she snarled.

"C-Can I um, go to the ball tomorrow?"

Cirucci blinked at her.

"Well, I don't see why not… as long as the house is clean and the laundry done. You have something to wear?" she asked, beginning to sound uninterested.

"I-I'll figure it out."

"Whatever; get lost," Cirucci snapped.

Orihime couldn't believe it. She was allowed to go!

The next morning the woman flew through the house, cleaning every inch and not missing a single spot. The laundry had been washed the night before and hung out to dry overnight, and now she was pressing every article of clothing as fast as humanely possible, the iron wheezing in protest. By the time the chores were done she had started on supper. Crushed tomatoes, chopped onions, ground beef, and spices flew into the pot. Spaghetti was the fastest meal she could think of making, and in thirty minutes she was done.

"Supper is ready!"

In almost an instant, the twins were in the kitchen.

"Wow, you actually do something right for once and make supper early! We need all the time we can get to prepare for tonight!"

Cirucci joined her sisters at the table. After serving them and herself, Orihime set to eating her food at a modestly fast pace, Loly and Menoly scarfing down their bowls and Cirucci taking her time. By the time the older woman finished her food, Loly and Menoly had been upstairs for ten minutes, occasionally shouting at each other, and Orihime had cleared the table. She was finishing the last few dishes and eagerly took Cirucci's own, hurriedly washing the bowl and heading upstairs.

After undressing, the young woman gingerly slid the sky blue dress off the hanger and pulled it over her head, throwing her arms through the sleeves and straightening out the wrinkles. Her fairies buttoned the back of the dress up as she admired herself from the mirror.

"Hime, you don't have all day," Shun'o pointed out from behind her, hitting her head. She flinched at the flick, but remembered it was a forty-five minute drive into Karakura.

"Okay, okay, I need you guys back into the hairpins," she commanded. When they obeyed she picked the blue hair accessories up and slid them into place, holding her bangs out of her face. Her best pair of shoes were the black flats she'd worn to Sora's funeral. Pushing the thought out of her head, she slipped them on and hurried downstairs to where Loly and Menoly stood by the open door in their extravagant dresses.

"Don't you look pretty, princess," Menoly complimented insincerely.

"Orihime, darling, where did you get that dress?" Cirucci questioned innocently. She was by the door, probably to see them off in the hired carriage waiting outside.

"Um… I… I made it," she answered. Cirucci frowned.

"You truly are a selfish girl, Orihime. You know that you aren't allowed to sew for personal use! Every one of us here contributes to the family income in our own unique ways, and for you, that's sewing! Now go take that dress off!"

"B-But Cirucci," Orihime panicked, "If I wear the dress out I could bring more customers to your shop!"

Cirucci laughed hatefully.

"Do you take me for a fool, Orihime? You are going to Karakura. Why would they travel an hour out for clothes when they can get it across the street?! You will take that dress off immediately."

"Aww, we'll bring you back a souvenir!" Menoly smirked.

"I'll bring you back a wedding invitation. 'You are cordially invited to the wedding of Prince Ichigo Kurosaki of Karakura and your future princess, L—'"

"Please, Loly, you are one ugly bitch. I'd be surprised if Prince Ichigo even spared you a second glance," Menoly spat.

"Yeah?! At least I weigh less than the rent on this house!"

Orihime couldn't even hear them as they stormed out of the house arguing. Cirucci shut the door and spun Orihime around, unbuttoning the dress and yanking it down her body, the blue cloth pooling around her feet.

"Step out of it. And go to your room. I'm going out for drinks."

The young woman obeyed, and Cirucci tucked the dress underneath her arm and walked out the door, probably to take it to her shop.

She deserved all of it. It was her reality check. Fate made sure she was put right back in her place. It was her punishment for believing Mr. Urahara and his hopeful words. She tried stopping the tears that were welling up in her eyes, but it was no use. Sitting on the bottom stair, Orihime cried into her hands. She wished she could go to the ball. She wished she'd never met Cirucci and her stupid twin siblings. And she wished Sora hadn't died.

A cool breeze chilled her bones, which was weird, because the door was closed. She raised her head from her hands and screamed.

"Shh, baby, calm down!" A winged, full-sized woman with wavy strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes stood before her, horrified.

"'Calm down?!' Who are you and how did you get in here?" Orihime demanded, afraid.

"You wished me here," she stated bluntly.

"What? N-no I didn't," she corrected, confused. The woman laughed, a tinkling melody.

"You're right, you wished a bunch of other things. And while I can't make you un-meet your sisters or bring Sora back, I can get you to the ball!" she exclaimed. Orihime stared at her oddly.

"Who are you?" she asked finally. The woman shrieked in embarrassment.

"Oh my, I haven't even introduced myself!" She continued to chatter about her lack of manners, though Orihime wasn't listening. She was in awe at the winged woman's beauty and her impressive chest.

Orihime thought she was bad.

"I am Rangiku Matsumoto, your fairy godmother. Though I am much too young to be any kind of mother! So I will just be your fairy godsister. You're used to the sibling-guardian thing anyway. Yep, your fairy godsister, Rangiku."

"Well thanks for the offer to help, Rangiku, but I don't have a dress anymore," Orihime voiced dejectedly. Rangiku rolled her eyes.

"That's an easy problem to fix!" At the snap of her fingers, gray ash circled around Orihime's body, and when it cleared, she was wearing the most grandiose green gown she'd ever laid eyes on. Her mouth dropped.

"I had to take into consideration your sizeable knockers there, darling. Trust me, I know the struggle." She flipped her hair as Orihime's face flushed red. The young woman side-stepped the comment.

"Rangiku! It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, spinning around. Her feet felt foreign as she moved.

"Did you see the shoes? I love this combo!" Rangiku replied dramatically. Orihime looked down to see she was wearing strappy sandals.

"Thank you so much!" she gushed, laughing with joy. She was gonna look great at the ball!

If she could get there.

When it sunk in that she had no means of getting to Karakura, she looked down dismally.

"Hime, what is wrong?" Rangiku questioned.

"I don't know how I'm gonna get to Karakura. I'm already late."

Rangiku paused, concentrating.

"Hmm, that is a problem." She looked into Orihime's eyes. "Darling, I can get you there, but you'll be a little tardy. But being fashionably late is an actual thing, trust me.

She snapped her fingers and then opened the door, showing Orihime there was a carriage outside waiting for her.

"Whoa, for me?!" she cried.

"Yeah! It flies too! Though, that will only take off fifteen minutes of travel time."

"Everything is perfect, Rangiku, thank you!"

The winged woman's eyes widened.

"Your face! And hair! How could I forget?!" She snapped, and the gray ash tickled Orihime's face and flew through her hair. When it cleared, her fairy godsister whistled.

"The prince will definitely have a hard time taking his eyes off you! I knew you'd rock a smoky eye. And that side updo is the perfect finishing touch!"

Orihime didn't have a mirror by her, so she just had to trust in the oversized fairy, though that wasn't hard considering she'd done such a great job with her wardrobe.

Rangiku ushered her out of the house and into the carriage. As Orihime was getting seated, the winged woman opened her mouth.

"Ah! Forgot another thing." She laughed nervously. "See, all this? I kinda borrowed it from a friend…? When I say borrow, I mean I stole it…? Yeah, I'll need it back by midnight. As in, it's gonna disappear. Got it? Okay! Have fun!" Rangiku rushed her speech, clearly not wanting to hear Orihime complain about her curfew, but the young woman was too grateful to even think about uttering a complaint. The carriage took off.


Orihime had heard legends about the western side of the world and even some parts of Japan and how they had air travel. She was glad that she was part of the older, empire-style world that didn't include such terrifying things. Because right now, her stomach churned nauseously.

After what seemed like endless hours, the carriage descended and rolled on solid ground for five minutes until it stopped. Orihime caught her breath and calmed her erratic heart, pushing the carriage door open and stepping out into the warm air. The Karakura Castle stood mightily in front of her, lit up with a rainbow of colors, conspicuous to the entire kingdom and probably the neighboring villages as well. Actually, she wouldn't be surprised if Gotei could see them with a telescope. And they were a good three hours away.

She began to climb the stairs to the front of the castle. Two guards stood in front of the wooden door.

"Welcome," one of them greeted. "Do you have your invitation?"

She panicked. Oh no!

"M-my sisters! They ran in without me!" she exclaimed nervously. The two guards looked at each other before shrugging.

"It's not that big of a concern, miss," the guard said with a kind smile, opening the doors for her to walk in.

"Oh, thank you so much!"

She hurriedly strode into a ballroom more elegant than her imagination could've ever drew up. Majestic chandeliers hung from the immense ceiling, decorated with the most glorious of designs and patterns that Orihime wish could be reproduced on cloth. The walls were full of color, deep oranges and wine reds and rich gold in an array of tesselations.

The sound of a trumpet fanfare drew Orihime's attention to the ballroom stage, where the Royal Family stood with their associates. The King of Karakura moved toward the center of the platform, and began to speak.

"Maidens of Karakura, Sakurabashi, Yumisawa, Hueco Mundo, and Mitsumiya, I'd like to welcome you all to tonight's Royal Summer Ball!" King Isshin boomed. "You have left the comfort of your homes and villages and have traveled to the Karakura Castle for this event. Your presence is held in high regard. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to ask a servant nearby. And now, a word from your royal Prince Ichigo of Karakura!"

The female crowd applauded and Orihime could hear the high pitched shrills of the dedicated fans.

"Welcome, everyone," Prince Ichigo spoke in a soft, yet articulate voice. "I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to attend this ball. For the record, I had nothing to do with this; your princesses of Karakura were the planners, or from my point of view, the schemers." He threw them a playful glare before addressing the chuckling crowd. "But I do appreciate their assistance in finding Karakura its next queen, and I hope everyone here feels the same. I cannot wait to meet you all. Enjoy the evening."


Orihime had met and laughed with quite a few ladies that evening. Being around so many pleasant young women her age was really refreshing, and she started to consider that maybe she came only for that purpose. It was much later in the night, probably ten o'clock, because her self-appointed curfew was at ten o'clock, she always used the bathroom right before going to bed, and she needed to use it now.

"Where is the Ladies' Room?" she asked a servant nearby.

"Oh dear, I believe the downstairs restrooms all have lines. Take the steps to the third floor, you see that door? Three doors past it is the restroom, darling."

Orihime thanked her and began her walk to the bathroom, which was actually pleasant despite climbing two flights of stairs in heels. She didn't even own a pair of heels. Rangiku must've given her some balance magic or something.

She reached the door to the bathroom and walked inside, flipping the lights on, locking the door and doing her business. When she was finished, she faced the sink to wash her hands and looked in the mirror.

Orihime shrieked. Who was that?!

The stared at the foreign girl—no, she was definitely a woman—blinking a shocked expression back at her. Slowly she began to recognize her narrow nose and the round shape of her gray eyes and her small lips underneath the deception of makeup. Oh, it was just her. Wow, she looked good. Her eyes went to her hair, delicately styled in a side updo, her hairpins holding her bangs out of her face. If someone ever told her she could look this pretty, she would've said they were lying.

Orihime giggled at the thought of being so unrecognizable that she scared herself. She washed her hands and left the bathroom, walking the wrong way down the curved hall. It wasn't until she reached the dead end that she realized she wasn't anywhere near the staircase to the ballroom.

At the end of the curved hallway were two glass doors and she could see they opened to a balcony. Curious, she opened the doors and stepped outside. It was an evening in July, which meant the wind was warm and the air a little humid, but she didn't mind one bit. The view of Karakura was breathtaking. The lights of the kingdom twinkled brilliantly, mimicking the stars above her head. Oh, it was magical! Hueco Mundo could never reach this level of majesty.

A sudden draft froze her blood. She stood, unmoving, paralyzed, entranced. Yeah, the wind was blowing. But this time it was different. Different like the draft that blew before Rangiku appeared, but… stronger.

With slow, deliberate movements, Orihime turned her entire form around to face whatever being was calling out to her body.

He stood there, hands at his sides, the lights of his kingdom reflecting off his eyes, his lips parted slightly.

"Hi," he breathed.

"…Hi," she whispered.

Prince Ichigo broke out of his trance and stepped closer to her, simply stunned. His eyes were wide with surprise.

"You… you are supernatural," he softly observed.

And then she understood the reaction of her body.

"…You as well," she replied quietly. She could feel his power singing in her blood.

A small smile graced the prince's face. "All royal families practice magic." He stepped closer to Orihime. "Are you royalty?"

"N-no, I'm not," she answered, her breath still caught in her throat. She could now see his eyes for how beautiful they were. Deep, warm, chocolate brown softly reflecting the lights of Karakura. They were calm, but she could feel the power laying behind them.

"You are not royalty… but I could sense you from across the castle," he murmured, taking another step.

"O-Oh, really?" she breathed, feeling faint.

He was right in front of her, searching her eyes deeply, reading her soul.

"You're full of power," he spoke quietly. She just stared up at him, enchanted.

"Ichigo!"

A girl's voice broke the pair out of their trance.

"I… I have to go. Please," he begged, "don't leave. I will find you later tonight." With that promise, the prince ran back into the hall, leaving Orihime to gather her thoroughly scattered wits.

What was that?! She'd never been one to be awestruck by another person. She was rational when it came down to things like these. So why was the prince of Karakura so different? It unnerved her and made her very anxious, but she'd be lying if she didn't admit she couldn't wait to see him again.

The night had went on and she hadn't seen a glimpse of the Karakura prince once. Of course there were hundreds of women here that he had to meet, but she had reckoned she'd see him pass by even for a second. She shrugged, forcing down the panicky feeling she suddenly got. Stay rational.

She busied her mind with the woman in front of her making small talk. Oh, what was her name? Ryo. From Yumisawa. It was a village owned by Karakura so she came to the kingdom often. She had a younger brother who was the most adorable brat, she claimed, and she didn't really fancy Prince Ichigo all that much, but her parents forced her to show up to the ball.

Orihime tried to ignore the way her subconscious relaxed at Ryo's opinion of the young prince.

What time was it? Orihime wanted to be careful she made it back home to Hueco Mundo tonight. It would be a long walk in the middle of the night back to the village if her carriage disappeared. She excused herself from the group of girls she wasn't paying any attention to, in search of the time. It had to have been eleven o'clock already. She was just beginning to wander around the castle absentmindedly again when she felt that cool, oppressive, somewhat suffocating presence creep up on her once more. She turned in excited anticipation.

"Hey, there you are," Prince Ichigo proclaimed, smiling as he neared the young woman.

"It's easier for me to find you when you're out of the crowd. I can sense you better that way." He was silent for a moment, thinking. "Are you sure you're not from a noble family?" he asked. Orihime laughed.

"No, not at all. I just… I don't know…" she trailed off.

"It's just incredible how simple it is to feel your magic. I don't even have to try."

She felt self-conscious. "Is that a bad thing?" she questioned. The prince's eyes widened, and he shook his head.

"Absolutely not! I find it fascinating." He smiled. "Will you walk with me?"

*#*#*

Orihime's expression displayed awe at the prince as he shot another burst of blue magic from his palm into the sky.

"That's amazing," she complimented.

"It looks better when I shoot it out of the tip of my fencing sabre. I tried learning alchemy two years ago," he remarked, laughing. "It was a failure. That was the closest I got. But at least I discovered a new attack from it." He paused, smiling at her, and then turned his gaze outward and sighed deeply, staring at Karakura's nightlife with blank, emotionless eyes.

"I'm sorry if this sounds ignorant on my part, but sometimes I just get tired of all this. Being the son of a king. Being confined to this kingdom for the rest of my life. I don't have any other choice but to be a royal. I won't ever know what it's like to choose your destiny," he spoke quietly.

Orihime wasn't going to condemn him. "To live in Karakura is an honor, and I'm speaking from experience," she responded. "Being confined to this kingdom and having no other choice but to be its next king…" Orihime faltered. She turned her gaze from the realm in front of her to stare at the prince. He locked eyes with her own.

"You have the security of a great, powerful life. Choosing your destiny is a fairytale. You just waltz around in existence, lost, one day hoping to find yourself and find your future and praying that misery will decide to give you a small break… but you never actually get to choose…"

He stared at her with the weight of the entire world in his eyes as she'd spoken these words.

"I won't believe you," he whispered. "Destiny and fate and misery… they'd bow down to such a brilliant young woman like you."

The cool, suffocating feeling washed over her. She couldn't breathe. His hand reached out to caress her cheek and at his touch her senses seemed to die to the outside world. She could only perceive the man standing before her, bringing his face closer to her own. His lips captured hers in a soft, gentle kiss, and then she'd understood his fascination toward her magic.

Orihime could feel his heart in her own. It was as if their supernatural abilities flowed in unison. She felt his hands in her hair, pressing their faces as closely together as the laws of physics would allow. It was as if she was frozen in time.

Time.

Oh my God.

Orihime jerked backwards, her hair catching onto Prince Ichigo's fingers and loosening the updo. It made her panic even more; seeing her hair in disarray meant the dress was soon bound to fade away as well!

The prince stared at her, confused.

"I-I really have to go, I must be home before midnight! Oh, I am in so much trouble…" Orihime continued to chatter restlessly as she pulled entirely out of his grasp and briskly walked down the path to the front of the castle. She was so afraid of her predicament she couldn't hear the prince calling after her, asking her name and then yelling something else as she hurried into her carriage and sped away. It wasn't until she was safe at home in Hueco Mundo, in her pajamas, dreamily recalling the night as she untangled her hair, that she realized there was something utterly wrong.

She was missing a hairpin.


Now I'm starting to think I'll need four chapters. Idk. Hope you enjoyed! :) Next chapter will probably be up in a week or two; I am way too busy right now to even think about finishing it this weekend. Sorry y'all.