They were standing in a long hall. The old man was at their head. The other twelve stood in two rows facing each other. Toshiro was staring at Kenpachi. Soifon was there too, and the white haired man. Then he noticed one with glasses. He had a kind smile but there was something about him Toshiro hated....

Toshiro woke with a start. He was in a white room in a soft bed. He and Kenpachi had travelled all their lives, never stopping anywhere long enough to have a home. He had never slept in a bed before. He had also never not been able sense Kenpachi.

"Where is he?" he said to himself, leaping out bed and running to the door. It was locked of course, but he pressed his ear against it. He couldn't hear anything. "Damn soul reapers." He muttered. The door shifted and he leapt back. It slid open and a tall woman with a black braid down the front of her robes greeted him. He took a stance.

"Do you intend to fight me, Toshiro?" she said in a calm voice, entering the room. He looked at the open door behind her and tried to flash step past her. Nothing happened. He looked at her in shock but he still had ten years of fighting behind him. He made to simply trip her up and slip past but she was faster than him. He fell down, not even sure where she'd hit him, and then she was kneeling over him, whispering something. She withdrew and he stood but he felt sleepy. The door was shut, he was locked in with her but she made no move. He stumbled back to the bed and collapsed. He didn't pass out, he simply felt like all the energy had drained from him. He knew she was watching, he tried to look strong but knew he'd never get back up to his feet so instead he propped himself up against the wall and sat glaring at her.

"What did you do?"

"Its an advanced Kido spell. You know what Kido is, don't you?" He didn't answer. She advanced and sat on the edge of his bed.

"My name is Captian Unohana. We were friends, before you were taken by Aizen." Toshiro remained silent, pushed as far back against the wall as he could get. "I want to help you understand us, and yourself."

"Where is Kenpachi?"

"He's being treated nearby."

"I can't feel him. I can always feel him."

"It's the seki seki stone, dear. It blocks your spiritual power. It will actually help you heal."

He gave her a puzzled look.

"The reason your wounds haven't healed recently is because your body has been expending so much spiritual energy it doesn't have enough left to heal. When you learn to control your spiritual pressure you heal normally, even faster than normal. And you'll feel much stronger. For now, however, let me help."

"She gently pulled the dirty bandage away from his neck. It was plastered there by a combination of ointment, blood, dirt and sweat. She took a clean cloth and cleared away the dried blood and dirt and then let her kido fill the wound. It was an amazing sensation and with relief he felt the wound being to heal, finally. He relaxed enough for her to pull his shirt off and undo the bandages Kenpachi had tied so tightly around his ribs. He exhaled in pain when they loosened.

"Its okay." She guided him to a horizontal position on the bed. He still eyed her suspiciously but when the healing began he couldn't help but let the tension drain from him.

Her smile broadened.

"It must have been very uncomfortable."

"Hmm..." He suddenly felt his exhaustion increase.

"You've still lost a lot of blood over the past little while since you got the wound on your neck. And you're very dehydrated and malnourished. Go to sleep and when you wake up, I'm going to have all sorts of goodies for you." He felt bitter anger at her patronizing tones but sleep was winning out. His body relaxed as she continued her kido and nothing he could do would prevent sleep from coming. He closed his eyes and passed out.

Toshiro woke alone in the room. There was a red bag suspended above him with its contents slowly leaking into him through a narrow tube.

"Gha!" he yelled in disgust when he realized it was blood. He ripped it free of his arm.

"Toshiro!" it was Unohana again. She picked up the tube and hung it next to the bag.

"You were putting someone else's blood into me!" he cried horrified. His face turned pale and she grabbed the bucket just in time.

"Toshiro, it is a common practice, even in the Rukon districts. Have you never heard of it before?"

"Of course not, that's disgusting!" he said, wiping his mouth when he'd finished. She took the bucket from him and whispered a few words over his bleeding arm. The vein stopped leaking but he still shook with rage and disgust.

"I'm sorry you are so upset. I had quite a feast prepared. Maybe later then?" she said and handed him glass of water instead. As angry as he was he took it.

"What do you want with us?" he said at last.

"You were our friends, you were taken from us. We just want to help you get your memories back."

"Our memories? I remember everything, ever since I woke up in the soul society for the first time."

"I don't know what happened to you, but the day you remember was not the day you died."

"Of course it was."

"Then how do you explain your hiori? We found them with your things. You must have been wearing them when you arrived."

"So?"

"So, you know those are the captain's robes. You and Kenpachi were soul reaper captains."

He said nothing. The dreams haunted him.

"Do you remember Hyorinmaru?" his eyes narrowed but he stayed silent. "So you do. He is your zampakuto, one of the most powerful in centuries."

Toshiro looked into her eyes. "Where is he?"

"With the traitor Aizen, in Heuco Mundo."

"And Aizen is?"

"He is the one who took us. He attacked one day. Many of the captains were taken, including the two of you. We got most of them back. Some appeared in the Rukon district with no memories, like yourselves, but we found them easily. Some how, you two escaped on your own and wound up so far away we couldn't sense your spiritual pressure."

"I see."

"Do you believe me?" he looked away from her and rolled into the bed, his back to her. She lay her hand on his back for just a moment. "I'll bring you some food a little later then." Then he heard her walk to the door and leave. He shut his eyes. It had to be a lie, but somehow, he couldn't quite believe that.