Broken Chains

                                    

                                          
The young female sat at the table with her hands cuffed in front of her. Her purple eyes glared at the two adults. Ukitake sat down. "Why did you attack?"
                          
"There was a tainted one there."
                          
"What is..."
                          
"They're a child whose mother was tainted and they were born afterward."
                          
"Fullbringer then."
                          
"No... tainted ones."
                          
Kyoraku let out a sigh. "Do you remember when we first introduced you to Hitsugaya Taicho?"
                          
"I don't know what you're talking about."
                          
Ukitake watched as the girl turned her head away. He tried smiling at her to make her feel more comfortable. "We asked you if you recognized your companion."
                          
The girl turned her head back to look at them, her purple eyes suddenly filled with disgust. "It is none of your buisness."
                          
"I think it is. The Gotei Thirteen is after all the legal guardian of both you children." Kyoraku's words caused the girl to flinch. The head taicho leaned back and looked at his companion.
                          
The white man let out a deep sigh. "We probably should have started off with introductions. This is the head taicho Kyoraku Shunsui. I'm Ukitake Jushiro."
                          
"Jushiro?" The girls eyes brightened up. The glee she suddenly felt left her face as she twisted her head and folded her arms across her chest. "Not that I care."
                          
"Well... I guess I should bring up the fact we know you and he are siblings."
                          
A look of horror crept over her face. They watched as the girl slunk down into her chair. "I know you Shinigami brainwashed him. I'm going to find someway to break that."
                          
Kyoraku shook his head. "We didn't..."
                          
Ukitake held up his head. "Let's say we did brainwash him. Do you really think he is going to trust you if he thinks you're attacking him."
                          
"He wouldn't..." The girl looked away.
                          
The white haired taicho let out a sigh. "Look... give it time. I'm sure he'll come around."
                          
"You don't know what you're talking about."
                          
Ukitake reached over and removed the cuffs.. "Perhaps not. We're going to let you go now. Only use your powers when you absolutely need to use them. They are a gift you know."
                          
"A gift... yeah right." The girl stood up and didn't give them another look.
                          
M
                          
"Taicho... what was going through your head?" Rangiku sat in the office watching her small taicho stare out the door. The boy didn't seem to hear her and instead seemed preoccupied with other things. "Taicho..."
                          
A white head of hair snapped towards her. A look of happiness appeared on his face, and yet she knew he shouldn't have anything to be happy about. "Yes Matsumoto. Will I be able to go back to my quarters soon?"
                          
"They have to repair the floorboards just inside your doorway before you go back. I don't know how I'm going to get you back... all things considered. What though is going on in your head?"
                          
"What's going on in my head?" The corners of Toshiro's mouth twisted up. His finger pointed at the door to the office. "I think... I can leave."
                          
"What?" Rangiku blinked a couple of times in confusion."
                          
"I can leave the office, I can leave my room. I think I can leave and go outside."
                          
"Taicho... we don't know that."
                          
"What do you mean you don't know? I just did."
                          
"And were you thinking straight?" The woman watched as the boy's smile fell and he scowled at her. A rather determined look came over his face and he headed to the door and paused. "See?"
                          
She watched then as the boy stepped with both feet outside, then stepped back in. He held her hands out as his facial features twisted up with an expression of definite 'I told you so'. When she didn't acknowledge what had occurred he went to stepping in and out of the room. She watched as he continued with this pattern only to find herself quite annoyed. "Taicho!"
                          
"Yes..." The tone of voice the young taicho used made it clear that he didn't like being snapped at.
                          
"Come over here. We need to talk. Sit in the chair across from me."
                          
The boy nervously sat down as any child would when they were going to receive punishment. "What do we need to talk about? I can take on paperwork and other duties now, right?"
                          
"Taicho..." The woman looked at her desk. "What were you thinking?"
                          
"What do you mean? I told you what I was thinking."
                          
"I mean when you chased after that girl. And don't you need some first aid and a change of clothes."
                          
"What..." Toshiro's bright teal eyes blinked a couple of times. The adreniline began to leave his body and his skin began to pale. A hand clapped over the first degree burns on his shoulder, arm and neck. "I'm all right. I mean... I'm not saying I don't need treatment for my injuries, but I'll live."
                          
She watched as his cheeks flushed up. "You aren't though very comfortable with your state of clothing."
                          
Toshiro glanced away. "Not especially..." He looked at her with a smile and twinkle in his eyes. "Can I go? To go change now?"
                          
"Taicho... you still haven't answered what you were thinking when Ukitake, the head taicho and I found you."
                          
Toshiro blinked a couple of times. Words came out of his mouth without realizing it. "I was having fun." His face paled even more upon realizing what he had said. His hand slapped over his mouth for a few seconds before being lowered. "I'm sorry Matsumoto... I don't feel that was the wrong thing to say... but the look on your face says otherwise."
                          
"Taicho... did you really enjoy trying to kill her?"
                          
She watched as the boy looked at the ceiling. "Kill her... no... I guess the word for it was... play?" Toshiro looked down with a rather shocked look. "I was enjoying playing?"
                          
Rangiku stared at him. "Taicho... that wasn't playing."
                          
"Well..." The boy looked away as his left hand clutched the injuries on his right arm tighter despite the pain it caused. "Isn't that the only way she'd want to play with me? She doesn't really like me."
                          
"Taicho... why are you so worried about her liking you?"
                          
"I don't know." The boy looked at the ground. "The fact she hate me really bothers me. I thought I'd gotten used to people hating me, but this... it really hurts."
                          
Rangiku watched as he pulled his legs up so that he could wrap his arms around them. "Taicho..." The woman took a deep breath. "Don't you think that your head is a bit messed up from all that happened. Why don't you focus on this Shinigami Kids Society and hold back to coming back to work."
                          
Toshiro blinked a couple of times. "Do I? I don't really get along with those my age range. Except for Kurosaki's sisters. And Yamada I guess."
                          
"You've got to."
                          
"Why?" The boy took a deep breath. "Never mind. Madarame and Ayasegawa told me about the protests."
                          
"What protests?"
                          
"Dealing with the Quincy children. Why do adults like to treat children like monsters? It's not as if the children can help who they are."
                          
Rangiku took a deep breath. "Well... sometimes children act like monsters despite the fact they should know better."
                          
"Yes... but am I like that? Are all children like that?"
                          
"No. Adults can be cruel taicho."