Finding Friendship
Shinigami Thieves

The feeling of death and coldness wouldn't escape the young Shinigami's mind. The battle left no scars on his young body, but the emotional scars kept digging themselves in deeper and deeper. The young child found himself trying to wrap his mind around the memories that flashed past his mind. Toshiro felt he could deal with the physical pain that Mayuri put him through as well as the torture of repeating a scenario over and over in his mind.

He couldn't though deal with the memories of inflicting injuries on his comrades. Toshiro also couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that deep down he enjoyed hurting people. The very thought made his stomach nauseated and caused the smell of bile to reach his nose. He felt like he was caged like a monster both physically and mentally. On top of the unsettling thought that he enjoyed hurting others there was also the unsettling thought that he was simply a weapon.

Mentally things were fuzzy in regards to what happened after Mayuri gave him the antidote. The first solid memory was sitting in one of the medical tents for a physical examination as he watched Isane and the other forth division members bustle about. He found himself ignored for the most part. He saw for a brief moment the shadow of his captor... the one who had turned him into a zombie... being taken into another tent with another person much shorter. Eventually the two were separated.

Isane bustled in and examined him by carefully removing the clothing. She carefully placed the clothing back on him and shook her head. "I don't see any injuries on your body. Still... they're having us confine you inside the building."

"Why?" The young taicho felt his stomach lurch at this question and suddenly the realization that he feared the answer seeped into his thoughts. Isane led him away to a small room that was ten by ten. A rather large bed was on the side.

Isane placed her hands on his shoulders. "Get some rest. Those clothes don't look comfortable for sleeping in, so place them to the side."

Two teal eyes examined the room before slinking back into the corner of the bed. He didn't even bother to remove the boots on his feet and simply pulled in to himself. "Who am I?" A bony hand rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Why am I so worried about who I am? Don't I know..." A dreadful thought crossed his mind then. "... no, I've never known. I don't think I want to know."

Ukitake and others came and went. Toshiro honestly wasn't sure how to react towards them. His hands tightened their grip on his legs whenever someone came into the room as all his thoughts began to race. Towards the end of the day a new person was brought in by Ukitake and Kyoraku. He didn't pay said person any mind as he wasn't interested in interacting with anyone.

This person presented a presence that felt warm and comforting, and yet he knew this person wasn't Matsumoto Rangiku. Their reiatsu seemed to pull at his in a manner that seemed familiar, and yet he also knew he didn't know the person. Something Ukitake said caught his attention slightly. "Something the matter? You're acting like you recognize him."

"No... you did after all say that both of us ended up being zombied after all."

After awhile the older taicho left. Hyorinmaru finally began to speak in the back of his mind. "You should talk to her. She may know what you're going through."

Toshiro peeked a bright teal eye out from other his arms. The girl had turned her head so she was sleeping which meant he couldn't only see her violet head of hair. Despite the fact he knew his companion was female, the usual panic that set in when he shared a room with any female other then Rangiku didn't set in. The young taicho lowered his arms as he realized the nasty thoughts that rattled his brain simply weren't charging through anymore.

He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and removed the boots. He thought at first to remove the jacket, but shook his head. Despite the warmth in the room there was still the feeling of coldness that he didn't like. He stood up and pulled back the covers before sliding into the bed to sleep.

M

She couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease a Shinigami when she found out that her companion had issues with females much how a female would normally have issues with a male sharing the same space. Despite the fact she didn't like the idiotic chatter of the girls, she also didn't like being left alone. This companion promised to be a quiet companion as well, which in itself was promising. The two captains stepped into the room.

The first thing she felt was a familiar reiatsu that her mind brushed off as coincidence. She walked into the room with a smile and plopped herself down onto the bed and prepared herself for the first teasing remark. What her bright violet eyes startled her. What she saw in front of her was a young man not dressed in a Shinigami uniform, but the tight fitting uniform of a Sternritter. She chalked that up as one of Gigi's sick pranks.

Examining the other child in the room caused her to see the white shoots of hair sticking out. Her mind mentally froze. Ukitake spoke up in a kind manner then... though she was sure he was trying to irk things out of her. "Something the matter? You're acting like you recognize him."

"No... you did after all say that both of us ended up being zombied after all." The two captains left.

"Are you surprised to see him of all people?"

"Him? It can't be him. This is some sick joke of those Shinigami to rile me up."

"How did they find out though? "

"How should I know?"

"If it isn't him and a trick, perhaps you should kill him?" Bambietta opened her mouth to say something to the voice in her head. "You can't kill someone that reminds you of him, can you."

"Those cruel Shinigami! I'll make them pay!" Bambietta turned over onto her back and fell asleep.

As she slept she dreamed Liltotto climbed into bed with her. A frown creased her face as she knew she never let anyone do such a thing and it was so out of character for the younger girl. Her eyes snapped open and her breath tightened as she startled awake. The mattress next to her was dented slightly and she felt a warm breath on the back of her neck. There was a cooling sensation as if the presence was cooling down her usual flare. The fact someone sneaked into bed with her bothered her and she slowly turned over.

Her bright violet eyes widened as she saw that the companion from the other bed had moved to be lying next to her. The boy was fast asleep and didn't seem to notice that she was awake. A white lock of hair fell in front of his face and she found herself tempted to brush back the lock gently. Instead she raised her foot up and kicked the unsuspecting youth in the stomach and knocked him to the ground. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She moved to the edge of the bed and noticed that the young child was rubbing his head. He didn't at first respond due to the fact he was still groggy from sleep. One hand reached up to rub his eyes only for realization to hit him. He looked up at her and she saw the bright teal eyes. Bambietta's breath drew in deep as the boy's cheeks suddenly flushed red. The bright teal eyes quickly disappeared from sight as the boy bowed his head to the ground.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, very, very sorry! I really didn't mean to do that!"

"Didn't mean to?" Bambietta swung her legs over the edge. The comment rattled her. "How can you not mean to?"

"I'm sorry. I have nightmares if I don't sleep with someone at night. I just... I didn't realize." The boy titled his head slightly as he came up, only to go back into groveling on the ground. "I am so sorry! I've only ever done this with Matsumoto. And Ichimaru when he was there too I guess. I always assumed it was because she was my legal guardian in the Gotei Thirteen. I don't know why I did what I did."

Bambietta swallowed. "It really is him. I don't know how it could be him, as I very well remember..." She looked away from the boy. "I hate seeing him like this." Her legs crossed. "You're such a wuss."

Her violet eyes looked down to see that the boy had stopped groveling and was now looking at her with a rather hurt expression on his face. He sat up into the traditional kneeling position with his hands on his knees. "I really am sorry."

Bambietta took a deep breath. "Sorry? You're supposed to be dead."

She watched as the color drained from the boy's face. His voice strained as he spoke with her. "You want me dead?"

"I didn't say that you moron."

"Yes you did." The boy pushed himself up from the ground. "Why wouldn't you want me dead? You are a Quincy and I am a Shinigami. We're enemies, so of course you would want me dead."

Bambietta watched as he proceeded back to his own bed and curled up in a bawl facing the wall. She took a deep breath. "It really is him, wuss personality and all. Why is he acting like he doesn't remember me? I mean... I remember him. And what does he mean, 'he's a Shinigami'. He's a Quincy just like I am."

"The taicho called him a Shinigami."

"They're lying. They have got to be lying. There is no way my..." Bambietta closed her eyes. "I hate the Shinigami! They always take away what is important! If he could just remember. But he can't because he's been brainwashed. If they think they can brain wash me too, then they have another thing coming. I'm going to find some way to break that brain washing on him if it is the last thing I do. I'll get something back from them."

"What about dying?"

"I don't..." Bambietta felt a shiver run through her spin despite feeling quite warm. She wrapped her arms around her sides. She closed her violet eyes to try to push back the memory. The thought of not dying played over and over in her head as flashed spread across her mind. She stopped suddenly and opened her eyes. "No. Things are different. I don't want to die. But I'd do anything to make sure that he lives. I don't want to lose him again."

The violet haired girl leaned back and looked at the ceiling while she pulled her knees to her chest. Her head hurt from the injury Gigi gave her. Making sense of the situation wasn't a task she felt up to. "I have to protect him. I can't lose him again. If I lose him again... that is the same as dying."

M

Pain shot through Toshiro's body as he hit the ground. The young taicho sat up as his body began to wake up wondering why he ended up falling out of the bed. His bright teal eyes stared at the bed in front of him. "Matsumoto's tossing in her sleep again." One hand reached up to rub his eyes. "I must have been sleep walking again. I hate waking up in her bed."

"Young master... this isn't your fukutaicho's room."

Toshiro looked up then to see the violet haired female looking down at him. The female looked quite familiar to him despite the fact he couldn't place where he remembered from. He remembered her saying she too had been turned into a zombie and brushed it off as a familiarity for that reason. A sudden realization that he had crawled into bed with a strange female washed over him and his cheeks flushed deep red. "I'm sorry! I'm so, very, very sorry! I really didn't mean to do that!"

"Didn't mean to? How can you not mean to?"

"I'm sorry. I have nightmares if I don't sleep with someone at night. I just... I didn't realize."

"Young master... that isn't exactly something you should share with a complete stranger."

"What else am I supposed to do? I made a complete fool of myself."

"This is just making an even bigger fool of yourself."

"I am so sorry! I've only ever done this with Matsumoto."

"Excuse me? You also did it when Ichimaru was around."

"And Ichimaru when he was there too I guess."

"Do you realize how you're making yourself look?"

"I always assumed it was because she was my legal guardian in the Gotei Thirteen. I don't know why I did what I did." He continued to grovel. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're supposed to be dead."

Toshiro felt as if the girl shot him in the heart with her comment. "Why do I feel bad about what she said? Why am I concerned with what she's said." His cheeks felt cold. "You want me dead?"

"Young master... please calm down."

"I didn't say that you moron."

"Yes you did." Toshiro stood up. "You hate me because I am a Shinigami. I don't know why I should be worried about what she thinks. The Quincy are... I'm not found of them."

"Well... there must be a reason."

"Why wouldn't you want me dead? You are a Quincy and I am a Shinigami. We're enemies, so of course you would want me dead."

"That wasn't a smart thing to say. Honestly young master. Think before you act."

Toshiro ignored the zampaktuo and instead went over to his bed to curl up into a ball. He soon drifted back to sleep.