Slowly, Amaya became aware of voices. After a few moments she identified them as Renji, Unohana, Hitsugaya, Byakuya, and Matsumoto. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. Tried, and failed.
"Owwwww…" she groaned.
"Stay still." Unohana ordered, holding Amaya down.
"L-Let me up so I can kill Renji!" Amaya yelled.
"No. You can barely move, let alone fight." Unohana answered.
"At least let go of me." Amaya muttered. Unohana hesitantly removed her hands from Amaya's shoulders.
"Wha-What on Earth did you DO to us?!" Amaya growled.
"Us?" Renji asked, confused.
"Arashi and me!" Amaya yelled. "What did you do?!"
The shinigami in the room all fell silent.
"You… you mean that Renji's attack on Arashi affected you?" Matsumoto gasped.
"Of course it did!!" Amaya screamed.
"Wh-who's Arashi?" Unohana enquired.
Hitsugaya placed Amaya's zanpakutō on to the bed next to her. The metal around the scratch had turned black. Amaya realised that the gash in her face had been stitched up. Putting her hand on Arashi's blade, Amaya felt true fear. The metal, usually icy cold, was room temperature. Amaya pulled her hand away and examined her fingers. The familiar dusting of ice crystals that Arashi usually left on them was absent. She began to panic.
"Unohana, help! We're dying!" Amaya gasped as her strength ebbed. The edges of her vision were turning black.
Unohana turned pale, and then placed one glowing hand on Amaya's gash, the other on Arashi's. Amaya gasped in pain, struggling feebly.
"Shhhh…" Unohana soothed, pushing her glowing hands hard against the twin wounds. Amaya screamed and blacked out again.
She came around to the sound of Renji, Matsumoto and Unohana arguing.
"We need to know!"
"She's still unconscious!"
When she's awake, we'll-"
"I will not have you interrogating my patient!"
Amaya opened her eyes. Moving her hand across the blankets, her fingers met Arashi's blade. She gently slid them along him, grinning at the temperature as ice crystals dusted her fingers. She sat up shakily, and Unohana placed a hand in the middle of her back.
"Careful. Not too fast." She ordered, leaning Amaya against the bedhead.
"Owwww…" Amaya groaned.
"How're you feeling?" Unohana asked.
"Rotten." Amaya muttered.
"Drink this." Unohana pressed a cup to Amaya's lips. The liquid was extremely bitter, making Amaya cough and splutter, but it did get rid of her headache.
"How's Arashi?"
"He's okay. Whatever you did, it worked."
"That's good." Unohana handed her a glass of water, which Amaya drank.
"Amaya…" Renji began.
"No." Unohana's voice was stern. "Renji, I will not have you interrogating my patient!"
Renji's face hardened. "Unohana-taichou, we need to know!"
Unohana sighed.
"Amaya, why did my attack on Arashi affect you?" Renji asked.
"Huh? Well, I guess it's because Arashi's my zanpakutō, so I'm linked to him. My injuries hurt him, and his hurt me. Doesn't that happen to everyone?"
The shinigami were silent.
"Doesn't it?" Amaya demanded.
Unohana's answer was halting. "No. your link with Arashi… it's extremely rare, but not unheard of. Right now… right now there are no known shinigami who have it."
"You make it sound like some sort of disease." Amaya muttered.
"Not a disease, but a valuable gift."
Amaya sighed. "Could you please open the window?"
"But… but it's snowing outside!"
Amaya's eyes were cold as ice. "Exactly."
