Ok, this is my 'redone' version of the story 'the wandering path through deep red snow'. As I read through it again I realised that the chapters really were too long so I cut them down and added a few extras to it (e.g. changing the ' to ")

I hope you like this story as much as I do and decide to read and review it. I think I've gained some inspiration back from watching bleach again… also I'd like to add that it's set just before the Muramasa arc and will probably be focusing on the manifested Zampacto's and what Aizen might decide to do with them…

Animeloveramy

oxo…oxo

Hetta Goodwin looked around the large, high walled captain's meeting room with a slight smile. She was the head captain of the English soul society and today, some guests from their Japanese counterparts had joined the meeting. Her welcoming blue eyes scanned the 14 captains in the room, watching in amusement as several looked around in confusion, noting the increased amount of people with increasing curiosity. Her long blonde hair twitched slightly as she turned her head and beamed at the newcomers, holding her hands out before her in a welcoming gesture that made the two smile slightly. She was a woman you liked, no matter who you were or where you were from. She inspired confidence and her word was taken in everything, from weapon strategies to love and everything in between.

"Welcome friends." She greeted, her voice warm and open as she continued to smile at the two visitors. The pair nodded. The shorter of them, a boy with short, snow white hair and cold, aqua blue eyes, was watching the others out of the corner of his eyes, his gaze cold and calculating; as if wondering what each may be planning and thinking up a strategy to counter it. The taller had long black hair, pulled back into identical, fabric covered plats, each with golden rings hanging from the end. Her deep blue eyes were fixed on the head captain, a slight look of marvel almost hidden upon her face. Both wore the uniform of the Japanese and white haori's of captain's.

"Thank you head captain." She said graciously, bowing her head to the woman in front of her. "But I believe introductions and explanations may be in order; your captains look confused." She stated soundly, her English only slightly accented. Hetta nodded her head and moved her eyes so that they where looking at the two rows of men and women standing, waiting for the said explanation with a blatant curiosity burning in their eyes.

"You may be right there." The head admitted thoughtfully before smiling again. "Everyone, the people you see before you are visitors from the Japanese soul society and they have come for a special reason that I shall get to in a moment. First, this lovely lady is Soi Fon; their second squad's captain, and her companion is Hitsugaya Toushiro; their tenth squad captain." She told the English captains, the smile never leaving her flawless face. The captain's nodded in greeting before turning back to Hetta. "I won't go through our captain's names just yet; you can learn them as we go along for I really must explain the situation. You see the Japanese soul society have…lost a few captains recently and their head captain decided it could be a good time to gain new alliances. This means that there is to be a captain's exam of sorts. We shall be entering all our eligible candidates and they will enter all of theirs. They shall face a trial and the winning three will become captains of either squad 3, 5 or 9 in the Japanese soul society." She explained and suddenly, the atmosphere had changed. No longer was it confused; it was excitable and many of the captains where finding it hard to concentrate.

What a load of idiots… Toushiro thought to himself as he watched the tapping feet and twitching hands of the English captain's. No self control. And really; it's not that exciting.

"The exam will be in a week. You have the time from then till now to submit your subordinates if you see fit; thank you. Oh, and can I speak with Katie and Toni please." Hetta continued before absently dismissing the rest with a nod of her head. The two captains she called and the two Japanese ones walked up to her desk, standing in a line facing her with light in their eyes.

Hetta smiled sweetly before turning to the English captains. Both where wearing the English uniform of flared, black trousers and long sleeved, black shirts and both had the captain's haori with the roman numerals of their squads on the back.

"I would like the pair of you to look after our guests please. I'm sure that they would be more comfortable in their own squads so treat them accordingly." She said and the pair nodded. Turning back to the Japanese, Hetta smiled wider. "Ok then? This is Katie Jones and Antonia Luxe. Katie is our 2nd squad captain and Antonia is our 10th. I hope you find their hosting skills to be satisfactory." She told them with a wry smile before dismissing them and watching as they walked smoothly from her office.

Katie was a fairly tall girl with straight, light brown hair, blonde highlights and green eyes. Her features where flawless as she smiled at the two guests politely, turning to look at Soi Fon who was watching her intently. "Please, follow me." Katie told the girl, who looked a few years her elder. Soi Fon watched her intently as she watched the English girl begin to walk fairly quickly down one of the corridors. Nodding silently to Toushiro, she flash stepped to catch up before following at a slowed pace.

The other girl, Antonia, smiled as the white haired boy turned to look at her. She was slightly taller than him and had long brown hair that came to her shoulders and deep brown eyes. "Hello." She said nicely as she watched him scrutinise her. "Your name is Hitsugaya Toushiro, right?" she asked as she started to walk down the corridor in the opposite way from Katie. Toushiro nodded quietly before following, still not saying a word. "Hmmm." Antonio mused.

"Captain Antonia?" he asked finally, his voice hesitating just slightly as he worked to make his voice speak in English. She looked down at him with a strange look on her face that he failed to identify.

"You can call me Toni if you like." She told him.

"Ok, Toni, is all of this place so…enclosed?" he asked, looking around at the stone walls and low roofs. Toni looked at him thoughtfully before answering, pondering on the words to say.

"Well, this is the main office building so I suppose this part is. We're on the second floor too, but the gardens and the barracks are pretty open. They have to be really, to make sure we can get out quicker. The barracks are pretty much identical to yours. We where created after you after all, so some of it stayed the same." she explained. Her voice was soft and she didn't look at him as she spoke, keeping her eyes in front of her as if looking for someone. "Where is that girl?" she murmured irritably as she waked and Toushiro looked at her thoughtfully before he saw her eyes light up and she flash stepped a couple of meters to where a girl was walking around the corner with a large stack of paper.

The girl jumped as Toni appeared in front of her, but somehow managed to keep hold of the papers. "Would you not do that please captain?" She asked slowly, clearly controlling her annoyance. She had long brown hair with white tips that stopped at her waist and steel blue eyes. She had a bell around her neck; fastened by a red ribbon and she too wore the uniform, only that she had a vice captain's badge on her arm instead of a captain's haori and her shirt was more open than Toni's. Her features were pretty and her skin was flawless except for the slight frown that wrinkled her brow as her captain grinned at her.

"I'm sorry Amy. We have a guest!" she said, overweighing her apology with the news of Toushiro.

"Oh yes?" Amy asked with a sigh. "Who?"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro." He told her as he walked over to the pair, his emotionless expression fixed on his face. "10th squad captain of the Japanese soul society." He explained at her puzzled expression and she nodded, a small smile coming to her face as she looked him over.

"Cool. I like your hair." She said with a grin. Toushiro's lips twitched upwards slightly before he nodded.

"Thanks."

"I'm Amelia Jones by the way, but you can call me Amy; everybody does. I'm Toni's vice captain." She explained, pointing a thumb at the bright eyed captain behind her. Toushiro nodded again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need t get this paperwork to Het- uh, the head captain before noon so…"

"Of course." Toushiro replied, stepping aside to let the girl through. She smiled at him gratefully before walking past him and down the corridor.

"Toushiro?" Toni's voice asked from where she was standing and he resisted the urge to correct her before he turned his eyes on her.

"Yes?" he asked, voice slightly colder after her informality on his name that he knew he would need to get used to while with the English.

"Are you coming?"

Toushiro looked at her for a moment before nodding and following her further down the hallway.

xxx…xxx

Soi Fon and Katie walked in silence as they made their way towards the 2nd squad barracks. It was quite a comfortable silence and they made better time arriving at their barracks than Toni and Toushiro due to no distractions. When they arrived, they where met by a tall, good looking boy who had straight, purple hair that ended at his shoulders, and open, golden eyes. He was the most exotic person she had met in this place yet.

"Hello Miss." He said softly, bowing his head slightly as he saw Soi Fon walk through the door. He was abruptly hit over the head by Katie's hand. Straightening up, he shuffled his feet nervously, sending a few glares at Katie.

"This is Thomas Darkshade. He's my vice captain and a womaniser. Not the biggest we have, sure, but a womaniser. He likes to be called by his middle name, Aiedail, but you can call him what you wish. Aiedail, this is Soi Fon. She is the 2nd squad captain from Japan and will be staying with us." She explained to both parties. Aiedail was looking at his captain in a mixed expression boarding on being excited, curious and insulted.

"Japan hu? Amy will be pleased." He said thoughtfully.

"Yes, I suppose she will." Katie answered, thinking about her sister a moment before coming out of her reverie and turning back to a curious looking Soi Fon. "Amy is my sister and she loves Japan. She's one of the only people who can speak Japanese as if she spoke no other language. Also, she, Aiedail and Hetta are they only ones with Japanese Zampacto's I believe." She told her and the Shimigami nodded slowly, taking on board the information. "In fact, she's the 10th squad vice captain so she's got Toushiro…"

"May I ask, captain, why you are here?" Aiedail cut smoothly into Katie's new reverie.

"I suppose you may. We are here to hold a captains exam. You see, we need three new captains and your soul society has many more captain level shinigami. We will, however, be entering our legitimate candidates as well, to give them a Fair chance at what is really, rightfully theirs." Soi Fon explained, watching as Aiedail's eyes widened slightly at the prospect.

"And I will be entering you." Katie cut in. "you had best get training. Maybe Soi Fon will let you train with her if you ask nice enough." She said slyly, looking at the shinigami out the corner of her eyes. Soi Fon's face was black but her eyes where hard and cold. Or not…

Aiedail shook his head lightly. "I have to deliver this paperwork. I'll find someone to train with after." He told his captain with a smile. She nodded before looking back up at Soi Fon's dark features. This is going to be fun…

oxo…oxo

This is the first chapter of the new and improved version of this story. To those of you who read it before you will know that all I've really done is shortened it down some… anyway, I hoped you enjoyed it and I hope you will stick around for the rest!

Please REVIEW!