This time when Toshiro woke he was on a bed in a small room. He sat up tiredly and discovered he was not alone.
"Uryu Ishida."
"Captain Hitsugaya."
The teen had been siting in the single chair in the room lost deep in thought, desperately trying to think his way out of the situation. He stood and came and put a hand on the shoulder of the captain who was attempting to stand.
"You should rest, while you can. You nearly died."
Toshiro shot him a look but said nothing.
"I know. I'm sorry." Uryu began. "I didn't realized until after what you were trying to do. Had I known–"
"Had you known you still would have saved me because you know they would never have let her live."
Uryu took his hand of the other's shoulder but Toshiro remained sitting.
"I don't blame you." The little captain said after a pause but not meeting his eyes.
"What is going on? What does Aizen want from you?"
"My memories."
"What memories?"
"Actually, not my memories, but the Head Captain's memories. There was an accident, and now I have them all."
"And they contain secrets that could jeopardize the Soul Society I'm guessing."
Toshiro looked Uryu hard in the eyes. "There's no way for me to tell if you are really Uryu Ishida or just Aizen in disguise. I can say nothing."
"I understand." Uryu sat on the other edge of the bed, seemingly defeated. Toshiro had little to offer in the way of comfort so he didn't try.
"So what now?"
"Aizen will try to get the information from me." The quincy already knew that answer, he was just waiting for Toshiro to acknowledge another truth.
"If it was just me," Ishida began, "I would tell you to do what is necessary to stop Aizen. But it isn't just me."
"I know. Aizen played it perfectly. You understand then, why we were put in the same cell."
"Yes." Uryu did not look at him but at the door, as if seeing beyond it. "So we could have this exact conversation and whether you think I'm real or not it doesn't change anything. He has Orihime. He doesn't need to torture you to get what he wants, he knows you're strong. But he has us to torture instead. Like I said, if it was just me–"
"I'm sorry. You two were involved in Soul Reaper affairs yet again, and this time, because of my decision."
"What do you mean?"
"The Head Captain tried to take back his memories but I did not let him. If I had, we'd never be in this situation."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because of all the sins he committed and never paid for. I wanted to expose the truth, to change the way the Soul Society is run in order to prevent the same mistakes. My anger blinded me from seeing the danger."
"And if you don't give up those secrets Orihime and I are dead. What will you do?"
"I can't let Aizen have those memories."
Uryu jumped off the bed in anger. "But what about Orihime?"
The captain just stared back at him, his expression blank.
"You can't! You're job is to protect humans, you can't let Aizen kill Orihime."
"She's dead either way. If Aizen gets those secrets..."
His voice was toneless, Uryu could see he was trying to cut off his emotions and accept what was necessary the quincy wouldn't allow it.
"She won't just be killed she'll be tortured. You can't let that happen to Orihime!"
"Then kill me." Toshiro jumped off the bed and faced the taller man. "I can't guarantee you won't still be tortured but Aizen will most likely just kill you out of anger. It will be quick, maybe even painless. It's the best you can do for her! So if you really want to protect her then kill me!"
Uryu was speechless. He stared down at the little captain who was fighting hard not
not show his true emotions but failing. He relented and sat back on the bed, covering his hands in his face.
"I'm sorry Uryu."
Uryu was still angry but sat back down too and gave the captian a moment before trying again.
"There must be something we can do."
Toshiro sat back and sighed. He stared at Uryu for a moment, seemingly coming to a decision. "I guess even if you are Aizen, I'm sure you've already thought of what I'm about to say.
"Then tell me."
"The Soul Society will have sent someone by now, probably Captain Soifon, our stealthiest warrior. If she reaches me, I have no doubt her orders will be to execute me on sight."
"To prevent Aizen from getting the information."
"Yes."
"But there is another option you must have thought of."
"Ichigo."
"Exactly. As soon as he hears– and I'm sure Rukia and lieutenant Abarai have already told him if not joined him– he'll be here to try save Orihime. He did it once before, after all."
"And we barely made it out. Plus is took us weeks to penetrate the palace."
"Yes. In any case, relying on outside help is no good. If Soifon and her team makes it through, don't argue, just go with them. She has no reason to kill you too. She'll take you to safety."
Uryu did not argue, he knew there was no point.
"And if Ichigo gets here."
"He should still kill me, but he won't. But if Ichigo gets here and he rescues Orihime first, she can put an end to all of this."
"What do you mean?"
"One of the reasons I didn't want the Head Captain to erase my memories is because there is little control over the extent to which one's memories are erased. I could be wiped out completely, start over, a child. But Orhime has the unique ability not just to heal, but to take things back to their original state, as if the event that changed them never happened. Temporal displacement if you will. She could take my mind back to before I took on the Head Captain's memories. I'd be confused, but I'd still be me and I'd still be able to help you escape."
"That is why he didn't put Orihime in a cell with us."
"Yes. He knows already."
"But the chances of Ichigo getting here and getting Orihime first–"
"I know. We must think of something else."
"Can't you still use kido?"
Toshiro shook his head. "Yes, but not right now. My powers were drained extremely low. I might have the strength for one kido, but it would never be enough."
"Unless one kido was all you needed. There must be something."
Toshiro closed his eyes momentarily and Uryu could see he already had something in mind.
"Nothing that can save you. I cannot take the risk in saying it aloud, but if you really are Uryu Ishida, know that the only thing I can think to do would not stop Aizen from killing you."
"But it would stop him from getting the information he wants? And give him no reason to kill Orihime?"
"I can't say."
"You don't need to. I don't know you well, but it doesn't take much to realize the kind of person you are. I understand."
"You are very brave Quincy. Be proud."
"Pride does me no good."
"Indeed."
Uryu looked at his wrist where his quicny cross normally hung. He felt its loss like Toshiro felt Hyorinmaru's.
Then the door opened and they both looked up. A small espada with green stipes down his face stared in at them. He said nothing as he raised his hand and darkness immediately took them.
...
"Girl. Time to go."
Orihime jumped off her bed when the door opened. She was in a room smaller than last time she'd been a prisoner here. But this time it was different. She didn't just have herself to worry about, but Uryu and Toshiro too. She couldn't stop thinking about what might be happening to them.
"Orihime."
She stood rooted in the centre of her room, staring at the espada.
"Grimmjow. You survived."
The tall, blue haired arrancar absently ran a finger over a large crescent scar that ran up his side and chest but mostly hidden by his jacket. He frowned slightly.
"Nnoitra that bastard. But one of your captain's finished him off. Can't say I minded."
"Captain Zaraki did. I'm sorry."
His frown suddenly opened into a gape of shock then he smiled.
"You never cease to amaze me. You really should stop worrying about others and think a little more about your own predicament. Besides, I'd never mourn that son of a bitch."
"But he was one of you."
"Come on let's go." He grabbed her by the arm and tugged her forward but surprisingly he was gentle. "I can't believe you got yourself captured again. Now we're going to have to deal with your idiot boyfriend again."
"What are they going to do?"
He looked back over his shoulder at her.
"What do you mean?"
"You said I should be more concerned for myself. What's going to happen to me?"
He suddenly broke her gaze, almost looking guilty. She stopped in her tracks and he did too when he felt the resistence.
"Keep moving!"
"They need information from Toshiro right? But he's a captain and he'd never give in to torture. Their going to torture Uryu and I aren't they, to try to force him?"
Grimmjow could not answer. There were already tears in her eyes, her voice was breaking and it seemed to be affecting him. She didn't know if he felt guilty or angry or what but she pursued the subject.
"Are you going to take me to them and let it happen? Are you going to let them torture me Grimmjow? Or is it going to be you? Will you torture me?"
She was shaking in his grasp now and still he was frozen by emotions.
"Answer me!" the girl screamed and it seemed to break him from his trance.
"Shut up!" Orihime suddenly found herself between him and the wall. "What do you want me to do? I barely got my place back after losing to your boyfriend. You have no idea the ways Aizen took his rage out on me then. You expect me to let you go, to suffer for you, die for you, just because you think we got to know each other last time you were here? Well apparently you don't know me at all. I look out for one person and one person only, now come on."
"Grimmjow..." Her tears burst forth and before he could move she'd collapsed against him, clinging to the edge of his jacket for support.
Again the girl made him freeze. He didn't know what to do, how to react. His anger failed him, he stepped back from the girl and looked down on her tear stained face. She wasn't weak, he knew from before. She was not being pathetic but being strong, trying with all her power to turn an enemy into her friend. He had to admire her efforts. And he had to admit that despite everything, he'd come to feel something for her– he was protective of her from the other arrnacar, but there was something else, some small piece of him that knew she would give him a chance if he ever wanted it. But he was an espada, and one girl's faith in his potential good was not enough.
"I'm sorry Orihime. Let's go." His fist clamped around her wrist and he tugged her down the hallway.