After thanking Hyorinmaru, the dragon disappeared. Toshiro didn't know what had happened and where he had gone to, since he had called the monstrous beast over and over again. A couple of seconds later, it was hopeless and he stopped. Had he left him for good? Was this the last time that he would see the ice creature? Toshiro thought even his questions couldn't be answered, because he wasn't sure of the answer. Actually, he didn't have an answer for them and it had annoyed him. From when he was in the Shinigami School, he somehow could always answer the questions. Even if he wasn't sure they were right, he had an answer. This time, he didn't and it frustrated him to no end.

He was left alone. He was alone in this cold ice land and it gave him a shiver. Rubbing his hands against his arms for warmth, Hitsugaya thought of no option but to walk across the ice. Maybe there were answers on the other side of this land. Who knew? Maybe Hyorinmaru was testing him to see if he was worthy enough to be helped. No, that couldn't be right, because the dragon just said he would follow him no matter what. Then why would he try to test him?

Toshiro was losing it, and strange enough he knew it. The boy rubbed his fingers on his temples to ease the headache that had just started a few moments ago. Great, a headache at a time like this. Perfect. With a sigh, he took his fingers away and stared into the field. He should start moving right now.

Before Hitsugaya managed to take his first step, he felt like someone had tightly grabbed onto his back and pulled him with a strong force. As soon as that had happen, a white blinding light was followed by it.

--

Ugh. His head was worse than it had been when it first started. It was  probably because of the light that blinded him.

Stupid white light.

His eyes were shut, he had a migraine and his body ached a bit. Perfect.

With enough self will, Toshiro managed to open his eyes, expecting to be lying on his back on the cold field and staring at its white sky. Only, he found himself lying on something warm and was looking at a fuzzy figure. The figure spoke in tongues at first, but as his ears adjusted he realized it was speaking about him. Who was this person? And why did he feel his right hand being raised? Blinking, Toshiro's vision began to focus and then he saw her.

It couldn't be, but it seemed that it had been her as their eyes met, his teal ones with her brown ones. Both very confused.

"Unohana-Taicho?"

His voice was scratchy, low and dry. It was quite obvious that it hadn't been used in a very long time, and when used, it was only for shouting in pain. He swallowed as to clear his voice and try to get rid of the itching feeling it had.

He didn't get his reply as he expected to, but instead she stared at him. So this was one of his strange dreams, wasn't it? He figured since he had missed Seireitei so much, he imagined everything. Being rescued from his prison in Hueco Mundo, being taken back to Seireitei, and getting to see Hyorinmaru in that strange ice land. All of these had been dreams, he thought. It was an escape from the horrific reality he was facing. He was trying to escape his death, even when it wasn't possible. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted to go away in a good way. A way he'd love. He would get to see everyone for the last time, even though they weren't truly there.

"Taicho," whispered a voice. It was too familiar.

Taking his eyes off of Retsu's, Toshiro looked on his other side and was taken by surprise.

It was Matsumoto.

"M—Matsu—Matsumoto," he whispered back, not believing his eyes. She was the same as before, she hadn't changed one bit. Her dirty blonde hair was just as he remembered it. Long, wavy and it still had that smell. It smelled of roses since it had been her favorite flower. The only difference was that she had been wearing a white haori. Was she a Taicho in this dream? Hitsugaya wondered which division, but he quickly figured it out that it had been the 10^th. She took over his division in this dream.

Tears rolled down her rosy cheeks, making him frown. Why was she crying? Matsumoto never cried like this, unless it had been something very serious. Turning his gaze back to Unohana-Taicho, he saw that she instead had teary eyes.

"Oh Taicho!" cried out Matsumoto as she bent down and crushed the boy into a huge hug. A wince escaped him, but she didn't care. He was here and he was alive. That was enough for her. "I thought you were gone for good, Taicho!"

Getting crushed by the bigger woman, Toshiro pulled away from her with a confused look. Gone for good? What had she meant by that? He was dead already. Maybe in his dream, he was still alive. That would make sense.

"Matsumoto, pull yourself together." Hitsugaya coldly said, his eyes staring at her.  "I'm well enough as you can see. You don't need to go bawling over it." What was with women and crying over some stupid things?  "Now, stop it and let me go," he said with a frown. Honestly.  

She was surprised by how cold he was. So, he hasn't changed one bit.  He was still the Hitsugaya Toshiro she knew and cared for in one life time. With a sigh, she looked over at the 4^th division Taicho, expecting her to say something to the small Taicho.  Maybe he forgot what happened to him? Could've what they done caused him memory loss? No, it couldn't. Or he wouldn't remember her name and be so cold with her.

With a sudden movement, Retsu placed her hand on Hitsugaya's forehead and smiled.  "Shiro-chan," she started with a name she knew he disliked. So she had used to it grab his attention.  "It's nice to have you back amongst the living.  You made us all worry. We thought we almost lost you, but thank the heavens we didn't."

What was with these women?! What were they blabbing about?! Was this part of his dream? Putting his hand on top of Unohana-Taicho's, he pulled it off of his forehead and glared at her. "Have me back amongst the living?  Aren't… aren't I dead?" Hitsugaya asked,  lying back on his back again and staring at the ceiling, expecting to be awakened by one of the Espadas.

"Shiro-chan, do you know where you are right now?" Retsu calmly asked, a reassuring smile on her face.

Toshiro twitched a bit when she called him by that name again, but he didn't move. Instead, he shut his eyes and expected all of this would go away at this moment. It pained him to see these two women again and get pulled away from them again. He wanted to get out of this dream right now, before he gets too attached.  Toshiro was sure that if he kept talking to them, he would surely become weak when pulled back into reality. He needed to stay strong.

Seeing as the young Taicho had not answered her question, Retsu started to run her fingers through his hair again, hoping he would react to it. But to her surprise, he sat as stiff as a board. "Hitsugaya-kun. It's alright. You're in Seireitei now."

"You're lying," were the words that he said, not wanting to open his eyes to see her face again. "You're just an illusion. A dream, a memory I'm having before I die."

"Taicho!" Matsumoto cried, grabbing onto Toshiro's arms and pulling him up from his current position. "You listen to me good, Taicho," Rangiku angrily said, tears rolling down her cheeks as Toshiro finally opened his eyes to see. "You are not dying, you're in Seireitei and you've been here for a month, Taicho. And when you wake up you have the nerve to tell me to back off and pull myself together when all this time I thought you were dead?! Don't you open your mouth when I'm talking, Taicho!" Matsumoto furiously said, as Hitsugaya tried to speak. "Three years, Taicho. Three years since you were taken from us. And now you expect us to act like everything is back to normal?! I wi—"

"Matsumoto-Taicho," spoke up Retsu, her face expressionless.

Staring at the other Taicho, she gave her a nod and let go of Hitsugaya, who seemed to be in shock about Rangiku's action. So it was real. The day he was saved by Kurosaki. It wasn't a dream then. He had been saved. 

"Hitsugaya-kun, just as Matsumoto-Taicho had said. You are safe now. You don't need to worry about anything. Please rest,  Shiro-chan.  You will need your energy," smiled the older woman.

Eying them both as he was sitting, he felt something painful on his right side, making him wince a bit. Damn those Espadas.

As she had suspected when she heard Toshiro wince and his face slowly paling, the wound hadn't fully healed. Due to the torture he had went to and due to the amount demon magic it had contained.

"Rest, Hitsugaya-kun. It is needed in your state."

"Please, Taicho."

With the two women asking him to rest, and with the pain that wouldn't stop on his side, Toshiro finally decided to listen to them both. And with that, he lied back down, shut his eyes and wished that this was no illusion.

--

It didn't take him long before he had drifted into what seemed to be a deep sleep. Rangiku was satisfied, but still worried at the Taicho's condition. He had gone through so much, and he still survived. That proved that the Taicho had a very strong will to live. 

Looking back at Unohana-Taicho, Rangiku weakly smiled. "Thank you, Taicho. I don't know what I would've done if he…" she drifted off, not knowing what exactly to say.

"I know, Matsumoto-Taich. I know what you mean. I wouldn't know what to do as well. Let us be thankful that he is here right now and make the best of it by not letting what happened happen again." Retsu said with a serious look. The twinkle she had in her eyes gone and replaced with a frightening glare.

Rangiku merely nodded her head at the Taicho and looked back at Toshiro.  She'll never let what happened to him happen again.

"Taicho, should we tell the others?" The blonde suddenly asked, not taking her eyes off of Toshiro.

Thinking for a few moments, Retsu stood up and walked towards the door. Standing there for a couple of seconds, she looked back at Rangiku and smiled. "I shall only tell Ukitake-Taicho and Kyoraku-Taicho. They would be thrilled to know that he is up," Retsu smiled as she took a few steps forward. But then, she stopped and looked over her shoulder with a smile. "Until Hitsugaya-kun fully recovers, we shall tell no one. Understood, Taicho?"

Rangiku looked up at the Taicho and saw her smile. That smile had always made her feel safe somehow. Maybe because Unohana-Taicho had that motherly feeling which made her feel safe? None the less, she was happy that the older woman was here to help her Taicho. Looking down at the Taicho, she tidied his hair and gave a weak smile, then looked back up at the older woman.

  "Understood."

---