Orihime's legs often became sore from standing or sitting for the long periods of time she took to stare up at the never changing moon, her only source of entertainment in her captivity. Continuously straining her neck upwards to stare blankly, for minutes and hours and days, and it must have been weeks now. Maybe months? How could she know if the moon never set or rose and only its cold light spilled into her room, casting the same set of shadows every day.

Her only sense of time was when Ulquiorra brought her meals and her nights of sleep, her inner clock working. She felt her energy slowly drain from her both emotionally and physically, interesting theories and questions and dreams no longer piled up in her head waiting to be told and answered but instead she pined for a day where she was free. More like she wished herself away to a time where she was free and sunlight warmed her skin and the sound of friends laughter haunted her.

Orihime sighed, closing her eyes and finally leaning against the wall to rub her ever aching legs and neck instead of pacing the room in agitation. There was no use since this was a daily occurrence, one that never went away.

"I'm coming in," said a light voice from nowhere.

Orihime looked up, not surprised, never surprised since it was the same emotionless face and monotone voice owned by the very predictable Ulquiorra.

He stared her down meeting her own tired eyes with his dark evergreen ones before motioning the servant to push in the squeaky cart with her meal. She cringed slightly at the noise, her ears too used to silence until it stopped. The frail creature quickly bowed and scurried out in fear of Ulquiorra, it was the same every day. She held back another sigh.

"Eat," Ulquiorra ordered.

Orihime slowly looked at her food, then at the cement ground, "I'm not hungry."

Ulquiorra didn't react, never reacts, instead he kept his hands shoved in his pockets and his slouched composure but he took a step closer,

"Do not make me repeat myself."

Orihime looked up, her eyes almost half closed and pushed herself off the wall and past Ulquiorra to the couch, where she crawled into a ball,

"I told you I'm not hungry."

She didn't hear his voice but she didn't hear him move either, so she closed her eyes, finding herself to be much more tired than she expected. She started to drift into an almost comforting sleep away but her heart jumped when she was quickly lifted into Ulquiorra's arms. She gasped,

"Ulquiorra!"

He didn't respond nor did he look at her, but in an instant they were down the large halls of the castle and in front of large, white stone doors. Orihime stared up in awe, as he pushed through the doors, but the higher she looked her neck sent shocks of pain through her. She bit her lip and looked back down. Ulquiorra noticed and sent her a stare which she didn't return.

She found they entered a living area with hallways leading to different doors. Down one hallway illuminated an eerie green light that sent shivers up her spine. Ulquiorra followed it but suddenly she felt a heavy pressure crushing her body, she cried out and Ulquiorra stumbled,

"Would you like to kill her and face Aizen's wrath, Szayel?" spoke Ulquiorra calmly.

The pressure immediately stopped and a pink head peered around the corner, "Well there is such a thing called knocking."

Ulquiorra made no remark but followed the pink haired man with bone glasses through what appeared to be a lab, chemicals neatly lined up on a counter and many cages surrounded the walls, making Orihime uneasy in Ulquiorra's arms. A microscope in the far right corner looked at a slab that glowed a bright neon green, Orihime shook the thought of wanting to know why it was neon green.

"What can I do you for, Ulquiorra?" said Szayel , smirking that the higher ranked espada brought the very interesting human with him. His brain racked with experiments and theories about her if only she wasn't for Aizen.

Ulquiorra sat her down on a high cold metal table, too close to a jar with a bubbling blue liquid inside for comfort and she scooted away.

"Something's wrong with her."

"Gee, thanks for being specific," Szayel mocked Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra shoved his hands back in his pockets and looked away, "I am not the doctor here."

Szayel rolled his eyes and faced Orihime who quickly looked away, causing Szayel to smile at the beautiful opportunity at hand. He had a chance to inspect the only human around for miles. He stuck his hand out,

"Nice to meet you Miss Inoue, Szayel at your service."

Orihime slowly took his hand, "Oh.." was all she could muster. Szayel immediately found her the most interesting person, and that's when the snake first set his eyes on the mouse.