Itadakimasu!

The next time my eyes opened, I found that my fortunes had vastly improved.

For one thing, I was lying in an actual bed, not the dirty wreckage of a wooden building, and I seemed to be wearing actual clothes; namely, a loose-fitting shirt and matching pants the colour of custard.

Ooh, custard. I suddenly remembered how hungry I was.

By the calm and predominantly beige-coloured room, I surmised that this was a hospital. My theory was confirmed seconds later as the sliding door to the room opened and kind-looking woman with long black hair braided down her front entered the room. She beamed when she saw I was awake, then turned and pulled a trolley into the room after her. It was laden with plates of food.

I instantly sat bolt-upright, only just stopping myself from swan-diving out of bed and physically attacking the trolley.

"How do you feel?" she asked serenely, wheeling the trolley tantalisingly closer.

"I'm fine," I said distractedly, focussed on not drooling too obviously.

"That's good." she said, and pulled up a chair to my bedside. She graciously handed me the first item, a bowl of soup. I instantly started demolishing it, foregoing the spoon entirely as I drank from the bowl.

Once finished, I wiped my mouth sheepishly on the back of my hand before belatedly blurting out, "Thanks."

I eyed the next plate - what looked like steak and assorted vegetables - and she obligingly exchanged it for the empty soup bowl.

"I imagine you have many questions," she started, after a moment of observing my expert knife skills slicing up the steak into the biggest pieces I thought was humanly possible to swallow.

Talking would have been counter-productive to the task at hand, so I merely nodded, trying to show my interest in the conversation by the curiosity in my eyes. Answers were very welcome.

"My name is Unohana Retsu," she started, speaking in a calm, slow voice. I decided that she was probably my favourite person in the world so far. I couldn't help but be relaxed in her presence. And she'd brought food. "I'm the captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13." seeing my confusion, she added, "The Gotei 13 are the protectors of Soul Society. The Fourth Division is the healing squad."

I nodded slowly, and swallowed a chunk of steak. "I met another captain, didn't I?" it took me a moment to recall the name, but seeing as I didn't have many memories, it surfaced quickly, "Captain... Soifon?"

She nodded. "Captain Soifon is the head of the second division, and the Military Corps. She was tasked with bringing you in." She paused, but I just nodded at her to continue. If she expected me to be angry about getting knocked out, she was going to be disappointed. I had food, and that's what mattered most at the moment.

She coughed delicately. "Ahem. Well, though I certainly don't agree with the... roughness of her methods, all's well that ends well. Due to recent... events," she began explaining, "Soul Society has been taking its security very seriously. We have orders to investigate anyone who has abnormal or significant reiatsu - spiritual energy."

"Reiatsu." I tried out the unfamiliar word. So that was what the weird energy surge was called. "I see."

"However," she continued cheerfully, "The technology division - that's the Twelfth Division - ran some tests and confirmed that there is nothing to be concerned about. When you first appeared in Soul Society, your spiritual power was released and ran wild. However, it seems you've managed to exert some control over it already, which is quite impressive. So, no harm done."

I handed her the empty plate - she gave me a bowl of stew. "Thanks - I guess?" I shrugged. "But all I did was tell him to stop."

Her eyes widened, her cheerful expression momentarily frozen. "Him?" she asked after a beat of silence.

I chewed slower, wondering if I'd made a mistake by saying that. Suddenly I remembered my sword, hidden in the rubble, and felt a wave of dismay. I could have kicked myself, leaving it there.

She saw that I wasn't going to answer. "You heard a voice... from inside?" she guessed.

I nodded, eyes wide. "Is that bad?"

"No, no, of course not," she hastened to assure me, and I felt a wave of relief, "It's just unusual." There was that word again... unusual. "Most shinigami take years to communicate with that part of themselves, and only after being issued a zanpakutou."

"Shinigami?" I questioned, scraping the bottom of the stew bowl, "Zanpakutou?"

"The Gotei 13 are made up of shinigami - Soul Reapers, who serve and protect Soul Society and the human world using their spiritual power. They do this with a zanpaktou - a unique blade forged by the materialisation of their souls."

It was a lot to take in. I nodded again. "I think I understand."

"So, tell me, have you attained a zanpakutou yet? Do you know its name?" her gaze was kind, but sharp.

I felt like I could trust her, but decided to play this close to the chest. I didn't know anything about this world, after all. "No," I replied easily, "He wouldn't tell me his name. I don't have a sword." Not here, anyway, I thought sadly.

She nodded. "Well, although it's unusual, it's not without precedent. When souls manifest particularly strongly, often the strength of their reiatsu results in accelerated communion with the source of their power."

It all sounded a little over my head. "So, what happens now?" I asked, putting the spoon down in the stew bowl.

She smiled. "Pudding?" she offered, gesturing at the trolley.

I nodded eagerly and got a thick slice of cake.

"After that... well..." she thought for a moment, "I recommend you join the Gotei 13. Of course, there's lots of training to get through first, and a selection process you must pass, but I think you'll do well."

I frowned, thinking of Soifon's rigid posture, the crisp way the men at her command had spoken to her. It just didn't seem like a comfortable working environment. "I'm not sure I'd be good at following orders," I admitted truthfully, "Or fighting, for that matter." I shoved more cake in my mouth. Perhaps I could get a job in a cake shop instead.

Captain Unohana smiled. "Of course," she said sweetly, "It's your decision."

Perhaps it was for the best that I'd lost my pretty sword.

"Another thing you should know," she said after a moment, "Is that most souls don't have any reiatsu. And because of this, they don't need to eat... So, food outside of the Seireitei - the Court of Pure Souls - is rather expensive."

I stopped chewing.

"Shinigami, on the other hand, get a sizeable allowance for just this very reason."

I swallowed. "Sign me up." I said weakly.

I needed to get my sword back soon, after all.

Author's note:

Tongue twister: Soul Society's serious security :P try saying that 5 times fast.