The only thing that could be heard in the room was the scratching of a pen and the rustle of paper. If anyone bothered to investigate this sound they would find a white-haired child (or so he appeared) hidden behind stack upon stack of paperwork.

This white-haired "child" was Hitsugaya Toshiro, genuis, prodigy, Heavenly Guardian (according to that traitor) and Taichou of tenth division of the Gotei thirteen.

Really, when you thought about it, this scene wasn't too unusual. Granted it was supposed to be his Fukataichou doing this work, but considering who she was this was a very normal day, in the (after)life of a normal Shinigami Taichou.

The only person this wasn't normal for was Hitsugaya himself. As he signed the papers automatically (the only ones that actually required reading the forms were the cream coloured ones, as apposed to the starch wight of the others) he had thoughts running through his head that shouldn't be there.

After being dead for just under three-hundred years (Kami, was he really that young?) he thought he had eradicated those thoughts -- memories -- from his mind.

This is the most delicious bread I've ever tasted, don't you think Zed?

The young prodigy closed his eyes and put down his pen when he heard words in a voice he had tried to forget. He heard the voice again but couldn't make out the words. Heh, what kind of person can remember a voice but not the words it spoke?

He places his head in his hands as images -- memories -- started flowing through his head.

A place where the wind doesn't blow.

Saving a boy his age from bullies, Noa was his name.

The dark skinned woman he knows to be his mother staring at a jellyfish as though it's the most interesting thing in the world, which for her it probably was.

The feeling of freedom, of being in control every time he smashed a door.

The time when he finally went through the door he'd been searching for his whole life.

The first time he felt wind, real wind.

The feeling of being free, finally.

The first time he was betrayed.

The first time he saw him, Amil Gaoul.

But those are just the bearable and pleasant memories.

He also remembers his mother trying to kill him.

Trying to poison him, wrapping her hands around his neck.

All the time's Roia scared him by doing stupid things. Like going to Task on her own.

The thing he remembers most is being a part of Tasker. He imagines that is what it feels like to be a Hollow.

Roia, Mikki, Noa, Jiko-jiji, Sagiri, Ginga, Robesu, Rebecca, Elda, Herrick.

All the people he used to know.

He knows he can never be a normal Shinigami. Not with these memories.

He had been in four different worlds, whereas other Shinigami had only ever been in two. The 'real world' and seretei.

He wished he could just go back to those days, with Roia and everyone else. Either that or be able to forget all these memories.

Just throw them away to the wind.

To give them to the wind, and never have to worry about them again.

&

When Matsumoto got back to the office in the middle of the night, after a whole day of dodging anyone who would get on her about doing paperwork, what she saw is not what she expected.

It wasn't to out of the ordinary to see her Taichou passed out on the couch, especially considering the increasing amount of paperwork lately. But it was very out of the ordinary for only half the paperwork to be done. especially considering someone had, apparently, folded every single piece of paperwork (finished and complete) into a perfect paper airplane and then thrown it across the room.

"Roia..."

Okay, now she was scared. Her Taichou never talked in his sleep, particularly when that talking was a girls name.

Looking at the sad look on her beloved Taichou's face her expression softened and she set about unfolding and completing all the paperwork that littered the floor.

She couldn't help but sigh sadly and confusedly as she erased three words from one of the airplanes.

Kazefuku basho he

'To the place where the wind blows...'


Key:

Thoughts/memories

"spoken words"

'written words'


A/N Well that's it... But I don't think this is the last you've seen of this...

In case it confused you I'm basically saying Hitsugaya is Zed... Please don't ask where it came from...

Already have ideas for at least two more (un)connected one-shots (with Shiro being Zed) so gonna leave this story's status as In-Progress (but don't get your hopes up).

'Kazefuku basho he' is the name of the last Kiba episode.

Please if you are gonna fav/alert this story at least leave a review. It's nice to know that people like your story even if it's a simple 'Hey great story!'.