IDN own Bleach.

Musical Accompaniment: "Everybody's Changing" by Keane

A day of reckoning, all you thought you knew and all you thought you were,

Crashes lovely.

Tis a day of reckoning, an epic triumph to pale the many others you thought defined you.

If only you would let yourself succeed.

"I have finished my examination," Unohana-taicho informs me placidly, "There can be no question of her condition."

Standing in the corridor of the female ward in the 4th Division, I lift a hand to pull my hat down over my eyes. But the hat isn't there. One does not wear a hat in the presence of Unohana-taicho, a lady in the truest sense of the word. It's rude. And ultimately useless because the healer seems to know what you are thinking.

All the same, I miss my hat.

"Are you sure?" I ask inanely.

A barely perceptible crease appears between her elegant brows, a questioning look in her clear blue eyes. "I've never been mistaken before," Unohana-taicho assures me coolly, a hint of steel cloaked in feathers. Eying the data in the file in her hand nonetheless, she notes, "A clear diagnosis. No inconsistency. No margin of error. Your question is an odd one."

Oh, she is catering to me, using the lexicon of a scientist—a doubly effective tactic inspiring comfort with familiar terms and reminding me of the infallibility of quantifiable facts. "I… am aware of that," I reply eventually, emotion naked and unusually honest. In my own ears, I'd call my tone tentatively resentful. Resentful of what, I'm not sure. Yet.

Unohana-taicho's gaze flickers from me to the passersby I hardly notice, stepping closer to me, entering my personal space literally and metaphorically. She inquires in a hushed voice, "Forgive me for prying, but… I am sure you recognized her symptoms, that you knew what they meant. You're an inquisitive and bright man. My assessment should be nothing more than an unnecessary confirmation."

I straighten, subtly leaning away and conceding blandly, "I had my suspicions, but it's always nice to have corroboration from an expert, Unohana-taicho." I incline my head, base flattery she ignores.

"Hmm," she murmurs, scrutinizing my face with her head slightly tilted. "I do not believe you."

I laugh. "Yes, they rarely do believe me." The word 'they,' thereby excluding her, is merely a rhetorical courtesy; in the past—the most painful rejection I have experienced—she did not believe me either.

"Kindness," Unohana-taicho smiles, never missing a masked remark, "A rare quality when coupled with genius." Abandoning the digression, she advises, "Though I do not understand your state of mind—'they rarely do'—you should change it before you see her. Shihouin-taicho is very excited. Your grim expression would anger and confuse her. I don't want her to strain herself; I will not allow you to ruin this moment for her." A vaguely threatening stress on the last words, she adds, "And, of course, I will know if you upset her, Urahara-taicho, so behave yourself."

Smiling brightly, I object, "Yoruichi is often angry with me; it's hobby we both enjoy. As for confusion, she is never confused by me—something else we enjoy."

Unohana-taicho raises a brow, inclined to doubt me but allowing that I am the expert on this. "I suppose you have a point. Two souls are infrequently bound as tightly as the two of you, both uncommonly talented and sensitive to each other's moods. Your spirit ribbons are knotted at the moment, but I suspect they are never far apart. Nevertheless… please, do not cause her pain. Empathy will not protect her from hurt. You are unhappy. Get happy, preferably now." She turns away gracefully, her waist-length braid fluttering.

I call after her, not caring who hears me, "Happiness? You're mistaken. Why would my feelings matter? We both know I've done nothing to deserve this." Ambiguity.

Unohana-taicho pauses, angling her chin over her shoulder, "If you are undeserving of this gift, then none of us are deserving. Welcome back and congratulations, Urahara Kisuke. This is the world we live in. Let go of the past." All the while, she wears a bittersweet expression, a fermented smile. She remembers all too well.

I am pinioned to my post beside Yoruichi's door by the weight of Unohana-taicho's stare, acutely aware of her overwhelming power, the faintest stirring of fear and joy in my belly. For the first time since I was a child, I acknowledge the burden her immortality—the extent of her memory. She has witnessed more beauty and ugliness than I ever will; to her, I am an infant.

I raise my hand to pull my hat which isn't there down over my eyes, knowing they are shining too intensely.

magnum opus

Note: This fic follows two story lines which alternate. One is the present (written in present tense) and the other is the past (written in past tense). Basically, the present events are matched with the past events which reflects a similar theme, connecting them more directly than a linear time-line.

~Mare