DISCLAIMER - see chapter one

Just a little fact here - most of my fanfics are inspired by music and by the title of this chapter many of you must have already guess that the dreams were inspired by Taylor Swift's Love Story


"Ulorran? Sir? Lieutenant?" A young voice called from below. Ulorran sighed as he leaned his bare back against the rough trunk of the tree he was sitting in, watching the sun beaming down to the forest floor. "Ulorran Sir!" The young boy called again, Ulorran giving a quiet chuckle as a young boy in black hakama and haori came into view.

"Yama!" Ulorran called as he got to his feet, looking down as the youth looked up with his bight hazel eyes, his long hair kept in a high ponytail. "You're late!" Ulorran added as he hopped down. Yama gasped as he took in his superior's appearance. He was so excited about finally being the subordinate of his idol, one of the last true Shinigami, his huge white wings stretched out in the shade of the trees, his black hair framing his pale face, his green eyes peering down at him in amusement. "Hey! No spacing out boy!" Ulorran teased as he ruffled Yama's hair, the younger boy laughing as he knocked Ulorran's hands away,

"I was looking all over for you!" Yama replied as he and the tall winged man slowly began walking through the forest. As they walked Yama's eyes were often drawn to the older man, the four gold bands on both of his arms glittering in the sunlight, his bare chest well toned and pale but for a black number four.

"Do you like what you see?" Ulorran asked teasingly as they left the trees and found themselves in an open space of grass, the ground uneven beneath their feet, some of the grass worn away from years of training going on in this space. Yama blushed a little as he looked at his superior, whose hand rested lightly on the dark green hilt of his Soul Slayer, the delicate katana tied securely round his waist.

"What? Uh…well…" Yama stammered, Ulorran raising an eyebrow at his subordinate, who reached down to fiddle with the red and black hilt of his Soul Slayer.

"Well, if you want to be picked for Lieutenant one day you'll have to practise…You can barely control your Shikai…" Ulorran added as he turned to the younger boy, who looked about sixteen. He was so young and fresh. When Ulorran had been his age almost everyone had had wings, but now, as bloodlines thinned out and normal human souls developed potential and moved into Seireitei to be trained and fight; there were very few 'Winged Ones' left. Ordinarily human souls would be unacceptable within the Shinigami ranks, however the rise in Hollows as time wore on, and the loss of brave Shinigami, had made it necessary to accept those of less pure descent.

Now Ulorran was seen as something rare and especially beautiful, in fact he had been raised in rank because of it. He had been a normal sergeant before, however since the King had reorganised his army, the last of the winged ones had become of higher rank. Ulorran was fourth of The Ten Lieutenants now, all ten of them serving under a singular captain, the King of Soul Society. The King himself was wingless, his family lines having diverged many years ago, and of The Ten Lieutenants only the first four had wings. Times truly have changed…Ulorran thought with a small smile as he looked down at his young subordinate, so full of potential.

"Shall we begin Sir?" Yama asked, trying to hide his enthusiasm as he drew his katana, holding it somewhat clumsily. Ulorran's soft smile turned to a grin as he approached the young boy and took his hands gently, repositioning them on the hilt carefully,

"I told you, when we're off duty it's Ulorran, and watch your hands! Your hold is terrible!" The older man scolded lightly, looking only a few of years older even though it had been many centuries since his birth. He leaned down closer to the boy and adjusted his hold once more, "See? Much better." He added as he pulled back and looked down at his subordinate, remembering all the other young boys he had watched over and trained, a lot of them long since dead.

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant Ulorran!" An urgent voice shouted, Ulorran sighing in annoyance as he turned to face the young teen running towards them through the trees, something in his voice telling him it was urgent,

"I am with a student boy! This had better be good!" Ulorran shouted authoritively just as the young Shinigami came into speaking distance, bending over to catch his breath, but not waiting before he replied,

"It's the Princess! She's missing! Prince Syaoran requests your help to find her…She has gone into the human realm." The young Shinigami said breathlessly, Ulorran's eyes widening as he turned to Yama,

"We'll continue later; go back to the barracks." Ulorran ordered before running through the trees, leaving Yama before he could voice any objections. He ran down the grassy path, his eyes looking up for an opening in the trees above. Seeing a gap he jumped, his wings opening, branches whipping across them painfully as he broke through the trees and flew, heading to the huge white castle at the centre of the huge wooden town that spilled out around it.

"Ulorran!" A familiar voice cried, Ulorran looking down to see his friend of many years, Syaoran, the Prince of Soul Society. They were born hundreds of years apart, but being a lieutenant Ulorran had always been around the palace and had always taken the time to speak to Syaoran, in fact, Syaoran was one of his few surviving students, and his closest friend.

"What happened?" Ulorran asked as he landed in a delicate crouch on the edge of the roof, his wings elegantly sloping down to his shoulders. Syaoran walked to his friend, his expression plagued with worry, his dark brown eyes frantic as he looked at Ulorran, the wind tossing his shoulder length brown hair.

"I don't know! She just disappeared! Units have reported strong Hollow activity around Karakura Village in the Human realm; that's where the last doorway opened to; that has to be where she is! Please Ulorran, help me find my sister!" Syaoran said pleadingly as he gripped Ulorran's bare shoulders. Ulorran reached out with a smile and laid a firm hand on the prince's shoulder,

"Old friend, did you ever doubt I would?" He asked with an assuring smile, standing once again. Syaoran smiled as Ulorran turned his back, leaning over a little as Syaoran gripped his shoulders. "Hold on tight!" Ulorran warned as he fell forward, spreading his huge white wings to their full twelve foot span, allowing the updrafts to carry him across the town, many Shinigami already mobilising below, ready to travel through the doorway.

"Fourth Lieutenant!" An authoritive voice shouted. Ulorran glided down and landed amongst the crowd on the hilltop, where the King stood. He was taller than Ulorran, who was around six foot two himself and was amongst the tallest of the Shinigami.

The King had long greying hair spun into a bun and clipped up, he wore an intricately make grey kimono with golden vines sewn into it, the kimono matching his deep grey eyes beautifully. If it hadn't been for the neatly trimmed beard, and the grey flecks in his hair, he would have looked like a young man. As it is, he looked middle aged, just as he believed a good King should, an age that seems wise enough to make good decisions, but young enough to be a strong king.

"Your Majesty!" Ulorran replied as Syaoran released his shoulders and followed him to the Senkai Gate that led to the human realm, where the King waited. Ulorran fell to one knee, his wings elegantly sloped on either side and his head bowed.

"Ulorran, Fourth Lieutenant, I charge you and your men to venture into the human realm and find my daughter at all costs!" The King ordered as he looked down at Ulorran, who got to his feet and bowed, Syaoran remaining at his side. Syaoran was his Second Lieutenant, the position that Yama hoped to attain before long since Syaoran would inevitably become King.

"Of course your Majesty." Ulorran replied as he turned to the prince and nodded before walking to his men, who had assembled on Syaoran's orders. Syaoran looked up at his father silently, his father looking back,

"I will bring her back father." Syaoran swore, his father nodding once,

"I know…you are progressing well in your training, my son." The King said, Syaoran bowing in thanks for the compliment, something that was rare from his father. The King had entered his son in the army as a normal Shinigami, expecting him to quickly rise to the rank of Lieutenant. He was close, in fact it was well known that, thanks to Ulorran's training, Syaoran was already Lieutenant level.

"Syaoran! We're moving out!" Ulorran shouted over the chatter of the men as they split into three groups of ten, Syaoran leading one while the other two were left independent. Ulorran intended to fly out and take a look around as soon as he was on the other side. "Alright! Let's move out!" He shouted as he stepped through the large wooden doorway of the Senkai Gate, finding himself in a long dark tunnel, a black hell butterfly fluttering around him. "I'm going ahead! We'll meet back on this side in two hours!" Ulorran shouted as he opened his wings and took to the air.

His men didn't argue about his orders; Ulorran's orders hadn't led them astray yet, and he always had a good reason for anything he said. Ulorran had complete confidence in his men. His most trusted were left to their own devises, while the less experienced were placed under Syaoran's supervision. None were untrustworthy, he had hand picked and trained them himself. They'll be fine…

Ulorran flew as fast as he could through the long restrictive tunnel, his wings occasionally catching on the stone walls, scattering a few of his white feathers behind. Finally at the exit he glided through and opened his huge wings, flapping them a few times to lift him higher. If I were a little girl, what would I do? He wondered as he flew over the countryside, the small town of wooden buildings stretching out below.

He glided down a little lower until he was just sweeping over the rooftops, but the streets were mostly deserted, and even if she was outside none of the people below would see her, but that doesn't mean she's safe…He added as he swept up higher, looking around for any Hollow activity.

At first he found nothing. There was definitely nothing in the small town to draw his attention, but a little further out in the forest he could feel it. Hollow! A lot of them! He thought as he flew in that direction, hearing a high pitched scream as he swept his wings back and dived down into the trees just in time to see a small girl in a red kimono fall backward to the ground in fear.

"Get away from her!" Ulorran shouted viciously as he drew his Soul Slayer and readied to strike, his face contorted in anger as he pulled the blade down. The Hollow turned its huge white head, opening its grotesque jaws to snap at the attacking Shinigami. Ulorran's katana swept down and slashed the beasts jaw, dark purple blood dripping from the long gash. Ulorran deftly landed in a crouch, shielding the small girl from view, "Are you alright?" He asked as he looked at the small five year old, her orange hair sweeping into her eyes as she sat on the ground shaking, "Don't worry, I'll protect you." The Shinigami assured as he looked up at the huge Hollow.

The Hollow was ten times bigger than the trees around them; it had a long delicate tail, sharp talon-like claws and huge piercing amber eyes. Each tooth in its mouth was the size of Ulorran's torso, maybe larger. Purple blood dripped in pools to the forest floor as it glared at Ulorran.

"Get out of my way Shinigami, if you want to live…" The deep gravely voice of the monster ordered, a thin condensation billowing out of its mouth, a trail of drool joining the puddle of blood. Ulorran smirked as he held his katana defensively across his body, crouching down ready to attack or defend.

"You challenged the wrong Lieutenant." Ulorran retorted, his voice low and dangerous, the sound sending a shiver down the Hollow's back while the small girl remained frozen to her place on the ground, too terrified to make a sound. "Cry out to the Heavens…Makishizu!" He cried, the katana in his hand seeming to draw the wind as it slowly changed and shifted. A small whirlwind seemed to obscure the Shinigami from the Hollow's eyes for a moment and then the katana was gone and a long delicate golden spear with a sharp silver tip appeared in its place. Ulorran got to his feet holding the long golden weapon in one hand.

The Hollow roared and lunged with its jaws open wide, Ulorran not moving from the spot as he readied the spear to thrust it into the Hollow's throat, the giant beast snapping its jaws. Normally Ulorran would have moved, but if he moved the girl behind him would be helpless. He dropped to his knees, the Hollows jaws just brushing his scalp as he plunged the spear into its throat, the huge beast roaring and pulling back.

"Are you alright?" Ulorran asked as he turned to look down at the small girl, the huge Hollow fading to dust behind him. The girl looked up at him with terrified grey eyes, yelping as he crouched down and smiled at her, "It's okay, your Father sent me to come and bring you home." He assured as he held a hand out to her, the small girl taking his hand hesitantly, allowing him to help her to her feet. "What are you doing out here?" Ulorran asked kindly as he leaned down with a soft smile.

"I was looking for this…" The small girl replied innocently, holding up a sprig of small yellow flowers. They were small star shaped flowers, the light scent reaching his nose and he leaned down for a closer look, cute…

"What are they?" He asked as he look the long green stem from her, the yellow flowers only growing near the very top. The small girl broke out into a pretty smile as she looked up at the Shinigami, all her fears forgotten.

"It's a type of Star Lilly called 'Himeyuri,' the Princess Lilly…Papa said it was my flower, but it doesn't grow in Seireitei, so I came to find it…The flowers only bloom around this time of year!" She explained enthusiastically as Ulorran handed the flower back to her, his eyes shifting around warily. He kept his spear in his hand as he leaned down and lifted the small girl into his arms securely, her long orange locks tickling his arm,

"Well then, Himeyuri-dono, how about this? From now on every time I come to this world I'll bring you back flowers. Any flowers you like…I'll bring you Himeyuris every summer…I'll leave them on the pedestal in the hidden gardens of the palace, and each time I come you can leave me a list of what you want. In return I want you stay out of trouble." Ulorran instructed, the small girl smiling and nodding as he began to walk further into a small clearing, his grip on her tightening as he looked up and opened his huge wings, "Alright, it's a promise then…hold on tight." He instructed as he jumped, taking to the air quickly as he felt more Hollow closing in.Ulquiorra woke up with a start. The last thing he remembered was a grotesque Hollow's head shooting up through the trees with its jaws open wide, its amber eyes glaring. He remembered the small girl screaming and the way he had plunged his spear into the Hollow's eye, what a strange…what's the word? Dream? Yes…dream…


Ulquiorra shifted his tired green eyes to the window above his head, seeing that it was still dark. His curtains were drawn back as he had left them to show nothing but black. What time is it? The Espada wondered as he shifted his head to look at the clock on the floor beside him, the hands reading ten to four. With a sigh he turned on his side and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would claim him once again since he had only been asleep for four hours. The girls in his class had been calling him most of the night for help on their homework, invariable keeping him on the line for around half an hour, so getting some more sleep was his priority, however his impatience got the better of him.

After only a few minutes he decided to get up, peeling off his T-shirt as he stood to turn on the light. He stretched, raising his arms above his head and arching his back, enjoying the feeling of relief. One of the few things he liked about having emotions was the ability to enjoy the small bodily actions. He changed into his tracksuit before heading down to the living area, being quiet so that he didn't wake Renji.

Once in the living area he slipped into his trainers and stepped outside, shivering in the cold as he began stretching out, deciding to give his bicycle a try. He had seen students at school riding them, and it didn't look too hard. He quickly unlocked the bike from the gutter, where Yoruichi had chained it for him and got on. He raised his foot to one of the pedals and pushed, the bike moving forward shakily, but Ulquiorra couldn't get it steady enough to pick up his other foot.

He continued trying for a while, gradually gaining confidence with his feet on the pedals. He was soon able to take four turns on the pedals before he lost balance, riding the bike around the yard unsteadily. By the time Yoruichi appeared to warm up Ulquiorra no longer needed to stop, though he wasn't steady, not by far.

"When did you wake up?" Yoruichi asked as she stretched, Ulquiorra stopping the bike and putting one foot on the ground as he watched her. She was wearing her usual orange jumper and tight black leggings that clung to her figure as she bent down to touch her toes.

"Ten to four. I woke up and was unable to sleep." He replied simply as she walked over to him with a grin and looked down at the bike with her hands on her hips,

"So you came out here to practise…Well, why don't you ride for today?" The cat-like woman suggested as she patted the handlebars. Ulquiorra nodded in reply and they set off. On the path outside the yard Ulquiorra climbed onto the bike and slowly set off, the bike weaving around quite badly at first, "Pedal faster." Yoruichi advised, watching as Ulquiorra put on a little more speed, the bike straightening a little.

They took their usual route, stopping on the beach as usual to spar. Yoruichi ran at Ulquiorra's side while he rode the bike, explaining what the gears were for and setting him on a comfortable three. She was pleased with his progress, he was barely shaking anymore. He really picks things up quickly!Once they returned Ulquiorra hurried upstairs to use the shower, everyone else in the house already up and about. He pulled off his track suit and began washing himself, only using the shower head on his back, lower half and hair to avoid getting his chest wet. It took him longer than usual, but he only had another two days until he could take off the cling film, though it had started to peel away on its own already. Having finished washing he pulled on his uniform and painted his tear tracks on, fighting down the urge to attack the mirror. What a strange reaction…


"Ulquiorra! You're going to be late!" Yoruichi's voice called, distracting the Espada from his thoughts. With a quick brush of his hair the teen hurried out of the bathroom, grabbing his backpack and heading downstairs, where Ururu waited by the back door. As he approached she put his lunch in his open backpack and handed him his violin as he slipped into his shoes, his mobile ringing just as he stepped out the door,

"Hello?" He said questioningly as he waved at Ururu, who stood by the door to see him off with a wave of her own. Ulquiorra looked up at the still clouded sky, the clouds far darker than he had seen since his…change to human life.

"Ano…Ulquiorra-san?" A hesitant girl's voice said on the other end, Ulquiorra surprised as he realised it to be Orihime. He paused in his walk and stood by the wall of a house, watching as a student rode by on a bike.

"Hai, is everything alright Inoue?" He asked, fairly concerned that she had called him. He hadn't expected to hear from her at all, not after all he had done to her. He was surprised she had been so civil to him the day before too,

"Oh! I'm fine! It's nothing like that, but…would you come over? I really need help with a bit of the homework and I couldn't get through last night!" She said pleadingly, get through what? Ulquiorra wondered in confusion, telling her that he would be there as soon as possible before snapping his phone shut and running in the direction of Orihime's apartment. He was fortunate to have his eyes, his photographic memory keeping a record of the directions to anywhere he went, so ten minutes of running later he was at Orihime's door. The only problem was that he wasn't the only one there.

"What are you doing here?" Tatsuki asked in a mixture of surprise and suspicion as she met him on the stairs leading up to Orihime's door. Ulquiorra paused to catch his breath, silently cursing the fact that Gigai required a high oxygen intake after exercise.

"Inoue asked me to come." He replied breathlessly as he started walking up the cement steps, Tatsuki not leaving his side on the narrow stairway. At the top he raised his hand to knock, only to be beaten by Tatsuki, who rapped harshly on the wooden door, eyeing Ulquiorra from the corner of her eye.

"Ulquiorra-san! Thank you so much for coming!" Orihime greeted as she opened the door with a bright smile, spotting Tatsuki slightly later, "Oh! Tatsuki-chan! Gomenasai, I'm going to be a little late, do you think you could go on without me?" The redhead asked as she turned her attention to the sporty girl, who hid her scowl behind a bright false smile as she stepped into the small flat,

"Don't be so worried Orihime, I can afford to be late." She replied, walking to one of the cushions at the table and sitting down on the centre one. Orihime invited Ulquiorra in, the teen slipping his shoes off and leaving his bags by the door as Orihime led him to the table, the grey eyed girl looking down at Tatsuki awkwardly,

"Ano, Tatsuki-chan, could you shift over a little? I need Ulquiorra-san's help with this." Orihime said uncomfortably, knowing she was putting a strain on Tatsuki's temper, which had flared last night when Orihime revealed that she had spent the afternoon with Ulquiorra. She knew Tatsuki was being protective, and it was appreciated, however Orihime was finding that, since she had been to Soul Society, fought Hollows and been prisoner in Hueco Mundo she didn't need to be coddled.

"You could have asked me you know." Tatsuki said with a hint of bitterness as she shifted over, eyeing Ulquiorra as he knelt on the cushion beside her, Orihime taking the other side and pulling her books towards her.

"I thought about it, but you were supposed to be training for you upcoming match, and Ulquiorra-san did offer to help…" Orihime trailed off as she leaned a little closer to Ulquiorra, who knelt elegantly with his back straight. Tatsuki leaned in on his other side and looked down at the book as well, making sure her presence was well known.

"Where are you having difficulty Inoue?" Ulquiorra asked as he looked over the girls' shoulders, the redhead pointing to the book. Ulquiorra read through the passage and began to talk her through it while Tatsuki watched and listened carefully. From what she could gauge from his actions he was genuinely trying to help. He made no other movements towards her and the they didn't go off topic in their conversations either, in fact there was very little talking at all.

"Orihime, we're going to be late for first class." Tatsuki warned as she looked at the clock on the wall, idly flipping through a magazine, having decided to trust Ulquiorra with her friend for now. Orihime looked up blankly and turned to the clock, looking at her books guiltily,

"Gomen Tatsuki-chan, you really should go on without me…I'll be alright! Honestly! I have Tsubaki-kun if anything happens." She assured the sporty girl, who was looking at her sceptically. Tatsuki shifted her gaze to Ulquiorra, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him away from the table. The Espada seemed innocently perplexed as he was dragged across the room like a rag doll,

"If you try anything…" Tatsuki warned quietly, Ulquiorra giving her an assuring nod and holding up an elegant hand to stop her going further,

"I understand." He replied in his usual monotone, Tatsuki giving him one more look before returning to grab her bag and say goodbye to Orihime, giving her a 'be careful' look before leaving. "Problem seven." Ulquiorra began as he returned to the table, his elbow resting against Orihime's as she leaned across the table, her delightful scent filling his senses. It was a scent that was so familiar, but he couldn't place it, a flower of some sort…it's so light…

"Ano…Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime's voice asked nervously, Ulquiorra blushing a little as he realised what he was doing. His head was leaning on hers, her soft hair brushing his cheek, as he softly inhaled her delicate scent. He pulled back and looked away to one of the walls, Orihime blushing a little as she looked down at the table,

"Gomenasai…I was lost in thought." Ulquiorra apologised as he sat up straight and looked at the book. Orihime listened carefully as he continued his explanation, working quickly so that they could leave. Finally she finished and packed her bag, Ulquiorra helping her pack away the pens and pencils, both looking away as their hands brushed occasionally.

"We'll make it in time for second period if we hurry." Ulquiorra said as he grabbed his bags and slipped on his shoes, Orihime hurrying after him as they left the apartment,

"Gomenasai, Ulquiorra-san. You missed class because of me." She apologised as they walked down the street quickly. Ulquiorra looked at the girl beside him, her grey eyes looking up at him as they hurried on their way,

"There is no need. I do not require tutelage." Ulquiorra replied as the school came into view. The couple hurried through the main doors, almost jogging through the corridor to the classroom. As they walked in Sensei looked up, along with most of the class who fell into a flurry of murmurs, many of the girls scowling at Orihime, while Ulquiorra found Ishida shooting glares at him. Sado, Rukia and Ichigo looked at him with expressions of worry mixed with surprise as they shifted their gazes to Orihime.

"Alright class! Settle down! Inoue, Schiffer, you're lucky Arisawa told me where you were. Don't let it happen again or it'll be going on your report." Sensei warned as she looked back to the pile of essays in front of her, "Ano, Schiffer, we're on page sixty five of Meiji history. Help out with the class." She ordered, Ulquiorra raising a quiet eyebrow but not arguing. That had been his intention all along.

"Oh good! Ulquiorra-san! Please help me!" Miaka said pleadingly, Ulquiorra dumping his bags before leaning down over her shoulder, remaining on his feet to make it easier to move about. "So, what were you doing with Orihime?" The girl asked, somewhat sulkily,

"She required help on her homework." He replied simply, the girl looking unconvinced, but letting it slide. She and her friends would speak to Orihime about it later.