"The Captain sure looks troubled these days, huh?" Hanataro asked, drily. "She hasn't been herself lately. Isane-san, what do you think is the problem?"

Isane looked at him doubtfully for a second and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. When I ask her what's wrong, she simply shakes her head and tells me everything's fine. But I sure am worried."

"Same here." He paused working for a while and stretched his arms. "I wonder what's wrong..."

"Well, I guess it isn't our problem anymore. We better get back to work."

The tone in Isane's voice suggested complete obedience. His reply was quick. "Oh, yes, of course."

Both of them stood up from where they sat, preparing some medical tools. Lately, the percentage of injured shinigamis have sky-rocketed. No one knows why. Rumors going around Soul Society say that someone powerful could be pulling the strings from behind the curtain. It could mean only one thing: more work for the 4th Division. Hanataro inwardly sighed. Working over-time never added anything to their salary.

"Isane." Unohana called out suddenly from outside. "Will you please sit here for a minute?"

Isane looked back. "Oh, yes." The vice-captain walked up to her and sat down. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Isane," The Captain said after a long pause. "Do you think memories are important?"

"Oh, well..." The other replied, blushing. "Well, maybe they are since memories are a part of our past life. And we ought to cherish and remember once in a while, right?"

She smiled. "Of course they are... What was I thinking?" She gazed ahead of her, to the far, far blue horizon of listless white clouds. Her eyes were cloudy, as if she was in the state of a daze, a dream of some sort. Isane could not determine what kind of dream it was: whether it was a happy or a sad one.

"Umm... Captain, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, what is it?" The Captain replied without looking at her.

"Is there... something wrong?"

Unohana looked at her and smiled wanly. "No, no, there's no need to worry. Nothing's wrong."

"Oh, okay..."

Unohana resumed her far-away gaze and Isane, seeing that she was no longer needed, rushed off to her assigned work: tending to the sick and wounded. Upon noticing that she was alone, the Captain sighed and looked at the shiny, wooden floor.

Will those ever come back?

She closed her eyes for a moment and memories, little by little, came back.

Years and years ago...

"Unohana-san! Let's take a walk! You know even smart students need a break once in a while."

Unohana looked up and sighed. She proceeded to close her book as she realized who the person was. She looked up at her friend's familiar face and smiled. "Sure."

"Well, it's almost sun down! We'd better get going now!"

"Alright."

Unohana left her books on the bench and joined up with her female friend, Ayame. The sky was like a vast sea of orange, dotted here and there by pink, wispy clouds. The yellow daffodils on every hill bobbed their bright heads up and down, in time with the music of a far-away flute. A few butterflies flitted in and out of the tall blades of grass. Insects buzzed in the air. A few people were hanging lighted lamps outside their homes to prepare for the dusk that was coming in qiuck.

"See? Didn't I tell you? It's great in here when it's sun down!" Ayame laughed, gaily. Her laughter sounded like a thousand silver bells struck all at the same time. "Come on! Or you'll have to chase me!"

"Wait, Ayame-san! You know it's dangerous at night. Please slow down a bit! I can't keep up with you."

But Ayame wouldn't wait. She ran and ran towards the forest where it was dark. Unohana tried her best to catch up with her but can't. Soon, though, after a few wounds from brambles and thorns, she finally managed to catch up because Ayame, for some reason, had stopped running. She was standing in front of a huge boulder, perhaps ten or fifteen feet in height. Or so it seemed. Ayame bade her to come closer.

"Look!" She whispered. "It's a huge something! I don't know what it is yet but... Come and see!"

Unohana came closer and Ayame once more pointed at the huge thing.

"Whatever it is, it really makes me curious so..." The girl walked towards it and extended her hand. "I'm going to find out for myself."

Unohana grasped her friend's hand. "Ayame, wait! You shouldn't! We don't know what it is!"

Ayame, though, had already touched the thing's outer layer. It was not that hard as she had imagined. It was rather soft or slimy or a mixture of the two. She ran her hand over it once more and could feel something hard on its right side. She grinned.

"It feels like a giant frog!" She exclaimed, walking back to Unohana. "Touch it for yourself!"

"Uhmm... I don't think so..."

Because at that moment, the 'thing' stood up and growled. The sound startled the two girls. It seemed to come from the deepest of caves. There was a loud rumbling in the earth as the 'thing' growled over and over. Finally, it faced the two girls. It had a skull for a head and a huge slimy body. A white, bony claw was on its right hand. Unohana need not tell Ayame what it was. They both knew: they were looking at a Hollow. Immobilized by the strange sight, the two girls just stood there, mouths gaping open, looking at the enormous monster before them. It immediately sensed their presence and walked closer to them. Unohana, having overcome her fright, tugged at Ayame's sleeve.

"Ayame! We must run!"

The girl did not budge. The Hollow moved forward.

"Ayame!"

Still nothing. Another step towards them.

"Ayame!"

Nothing. Only three steps away.

"Ayame!"

Still no movement. Closer.

"Ayame!"

It was so close she could feel it breathing. Ayame would not budge, she just stood there, rooted on the spot... And then, with one quick movement of its hands, Ayame was gone. Unohana stood there in utter shock. She looked at the spot where Ayame once stood. Only drops of blood lay there. She looked frantically around her and spotted the girl on one corner of the forest. She ran towards her. Ayame's face was half-hidden by crimson-matted hair and thick, coagulating blood. Unohana ran her hands through her friend's face and laid her head on her chest. She felt nothing. Ayame was dead. Dead... Unohana's eyes felt watery and tears spilled out. She was unaware of the Hollow moving closer. She was not even aware of two pairs of eyes looking at her. The Hollow moved closer. The two figures in the dark also moved closer. She noticed none of these things and was only aware of her friend. Schwing! Zanpakutos unsheathed, one of them jumped out of the darkness and slashed the Hollow in half. It disappeared like glitters in the air after just a few seconds. The figure moved to Unohana and touched her arm.

"Are you alright?" A kind voice said. "Is she alright?"

The figure knelt down beside her. Unohana looked at him. The person beside her was unknown to her, although she could tell by the white robe he wore that he was also a student. An A-ranking student, for that matter.

"Who are you?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"My name is not important... What's important is..." His words were cut short by a fit of coughing. He resumed after a few moments. "Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?" Unohana replied, returning the question to him.

Another figure stepped out of the shadows. He knelt beside the first man. He also wore the familiar white robe. Although he looked quite slovenly, she was sure that he too was an A-ranking student.

"Hey, keep it low..." He lit the lamp he was bringing. "Hey there... So what really happened here and why are you girls here anyway?"

Unohana explained to him everything that had happened. She wrung her hands nervously as she did, tears streaming down her face every once in a while. He nodded as she spoke.

"I think that Hollow you met hypnotized her or something so she didn't move no matter how many times you nudge her. So is she alright?"

"I don't think so..." Unohana replied uneasily. "She's not breathing... I can't her a beat."

The second guy placed his head on Ayame's chest and shook his head sadly. His face was grave and morose. He threw a look at his companion. The first guy also frowned and sighed.

"Well, she's not breathing."

There was a long pause. A very long pause.

"What's your name?" The first guy asked.

"Unohana Retsu."

"A student?"

"Yes... And you?"

"Kyoraku Shunsui..." The second one said. "And this here is Jushiro Ukitake. We're also students but I guess we're more advanced by two or three years."

Unohana looked at Ayame. Kyoraku shook his head once more. He took out a wine gourd from his enormous sleeve and proceeded to drink from it. He sat down on a nearby rock.

"No point in looking at her now that she's gone. We'd have to bring her back now."

She just nodded sadly and followed them.

Back to the present...

"Captain!" Isane shook her shoulder. "Captain! Are you alright?"

"What?" Unohana asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"You've been sleeping, I guess... Your're sitting out here and it's terribly cold so I woke you up. Night's almost falling."

The Captain regained her composure and smiled at Isane. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is that so?"

"Yes and... Here are some papers you need to sign."

"Thank you, Isane. You may now leave."

Isane bowed and left. Unohana absentmindedly signed the papers, all the while thinking of those far-away precious days...

Author's Note: (01-09-09) Edited this chapter. Added a few things.