*Toshiro's POV*

"Damn it…" Toshiro crouched on the ground in the Soul Society. The captain was in front of a large mansion that must have belonged to one of the head clans in the Seireitei. He struggled to get up when a small voice came from in front of him. "Are you alright?" He looked up and saw a small girl with long bright crimson hair pulled back into a tight ponytail with a black bow. "Yeah, I'm fine." The white haired captain shook off her concerned question and finally gains strength to stand. When he stood, it seemed as the two were the same height as they faced each other. The girl's eyes were a darker shade of red than her hair, and they showed little concern in contrast of her voice. "Shi…ro…" the young girl whispered in the silence around them. Toshiro looked at the girl with complete shock. "Who are you?" How does she know that name? Only Momo and Ukitake called me that… There was a short paused in the girl's reaction, and Toshiro saw emotions in her eyes that showed pain. He was curious to why that was. The girl replied with a sad smile, "It's okay that you don't remember me, it's probably better that way." Then she turned and walked away, her kimono blowing in the sweet breeze of the fallen leaves. Something about this girl interested Toshiro, but he wasn't really sure why yet.

A few days pass from the meeting of the red haired girl and Toshiro decided to go pass that house again, he hopped to be able to speak to her again. Something interested the small captain and he wanted to know more about her and how she knew his name, let alone him nickname.

When he walked past the gates of the large mansion, he heard little things, listening to them all; the sound of the wind, the birds singing, and instructions being said beyond the gates.

"Machiko, you mustn't talk to strangers or give anything without one of your guards beside you."

"Machiko, you have to sit up straight and act very lady like."

"Machiko, you mustn't argue with those above your position."

Machiko… That name was repeated behind the gates, and nothing replied to any of those that were speaking. Toshiro continued to walk until he ran into a fellow soul reaper, Shuhei Hisagi. "Captain Hitsugaya, what are you doing over here? Aren't your barracks in the East region?" They were in the West region, a long ways from Squad 10's headquarters. "I was just out for a stroll, nothing more." The small captain gave a firm reply to the lieutenant who just nodded and continued to walk. Toshiro's eyes followed the soul reaper as he stopped in front of the gates to the mansion as someone in a hooded cloak walked out to him and they began walking in the opposite direction. Toshiro, again being curious, began to follow them.

As he followed, he notice them talking, but couldn't hear anything. Once in a while, the hooded figure would turn its head to look at lieutenant Hisagi, but Toshiro could only see from the nose down, the eyes were shadowed by the hood. Finally, the wind blew and the unknown figure's hood fell. The first thing Toshiro noticed was the bright red hair that blew in the wind as the girl pulled her hair from her face.

It was her, the girl from before.

"Lady Hajime!" Shuhei shouted shocked, but the girl just chuckled. "Shuhei, you don't have to be formal with me, it's still me." She gave him a friendly smile that even made the cold captain's heat stop. Shuhei didn't smile, he just replied to her firmly, "But, I might get in trouble for being so casual with you! You're still a princess after all…" he sounded disappointed as he looked at her. The young girl reached up a hand and touched his face "It's fine, whenever it's just us you can be as casual as you want, if someone is to get in trouble, it should be me, not you." her smile was not wavered by his remark. He finally smiled back, "Alright… Machiko" The girl dropped her hand to her side and pulled her hood back up and turned. "Well, let's get going, I have a meeting to attend." "Yes ma'am!" "Didn't I just tell you to stop being so formal!"

As they walked away, Toshiro stood there thinking of things he just witness. Her name is… Machiko Hajime? A princess?... He looked up, still able to see her back in the hooded cloak. But, what is this spiritual pressure she resonates? It's too familiar… With that thought, he began heading to his barracks to look for some answers.