Blahhh, this took me too long, and it isn't even a very long chapter. I think I'll just stop apologizing and let you all stone me to death like in the ancient times, or feed me to the lions like a crazed Spartan.

Disclaimer: But, actually, please don't kill me. Oh, and I don't own Bleach. It most definitely would not be a consistent story if I did own it.

Chapter Seven: Misconception

It was a shrill, excruciating to the ears type of scream. Something that very well could have torn through the dreary clouds hanging with gloom in the dark sky. Soi Fon felt her knees buckle beneath her, dragging the rest of her limp body to the hard ground as her hands gripped her head, and the screaming did not stop. It continued, seemingly endless, tearing through the pain she'd been through, ripping through the shreds of guilt, as if being some sort of twisted way to make up for her mere existence. A few words here and there were added to the shattering scream emitting from the overwhelmed captain, though she was the only one who could possibly understand what they were.

She wheezed, trying to bring air back into her collapsing lungs. Her heart ached to rip itself apart, pleading to bleed itself to its own demise, split down the seam to cease the throbbing agony. She wanted nothing more than to give her heart exactly what it wanted, relief by demolition.

The wind whirled about with a certain sadness that made it seem like the Earth was grieving for another blood stained patch of itself, as if it were mourning for the premature loss of Yoruichi Shihouin.

She felt her shoulders shake in tremors, rocking her fragile body with remorse.

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"…" Unohana pursed her lips in confusion, taking a step back and placing a hand on her chin, a routine part of her thought process.

"I don't understand." she said plainly, creasing her eyebrows in bewilderment. "He's…breathing. That isn't possible. Kisuke Urahara was dead."

The subordinate smiled, scratching the back of his head, and held his hand up a few inches from his superior. She tilted her head down slightly, lifting her left eyebrow in further puzzlement.

"He used this." he handed her a very small contraption, smiling with relief. "It's a chip, he had it injected in his right arm."

She stared back at him, obviously still confused.

"It completely disguises heart beat, breathing, any signs of life at all. He used it to trick the enemy into thinking he was dead, when he was still alive." the young squad member smiled again, shaking his head. "The man's a genius."

Unohana smiled back at him, silently telling him he had just freed her from years worth of anxiety. Her calm composure remained as she walked slowly into Kisuke's room and to his bedside, glancing at the monitors beside it to make sure things were running as they were supposed to be. The other shinigami left the room with a nod, quickly making his way down the hall to other patients who needed tending to.

He coughed slightly, cracking open an eye as he smiled reassuringly at her.

"Well, hello there." he said rather chirpily, opening his other eye. She nodded to him in response and opened her mouth to reply, but he continued. "I can't believe you were about to sentence me dead already. I don't give up that easy, now, c'mon, Unohana."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes at his nauseating confidence and broadened her smile instead, considering he was dead to her just a few minutes ago.

"I suppose I shouldn't have underestimated you." she said simply.

"I concur." he replied with a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice before he ended his sentence with a string of unhealthy coughs.

Unohana's smile faded as she realized that although he was still alive, his body was still coated with injuries, and his lungs were very near collapsing.

"You should rest." she paused, looking distantly out of the window. "You must be well for when you return to Yoruichi."

He missed hearing that name. And he missed hearing her voice. A sharp, hollow pain radiated like an atomic bomb had went off in the core of his heart, and he sighed in response.

"Yeah." was all he said.

'I'm coming home.'

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Yoruichi's eyes flickered, glancing at her surroundings. She knew exactly whose voice she heard, and the shrill had brought a sick feeling to the very pit of her stomach. It sounded like Soi was either dying or she had seen someone else reach the end of their chain.

In the least selfish of ways, she hoped with sincere intensity that it was the second.

Her feet pounded hard on the stiff, rigid ground as she bit down solidly on her bottom lip, tasting her own blood on her tongue. 'Soi Fon' and 'dead' never were to be in the same sentence. She thought it bitterly in her mind, and it rolled sickeningly off of her tongue, she knew it just was not right. It was completely and utterly wrong.

But, what didn't seem to be going wrong these days?

Her racing heart caused the anxiety to worsen, and her feet couldn't seem to move fast enough. One terrible thought to the treacherous next coiled around in her mind, all optimism had left her completely. The lack of concentration on her movement caused her foot to hook underneath something on the ground, bringing her plummeting to the dirt beneath her.

The blend of dirt and blood tasted dreadful in her mouth as she lifted her body from the ground, turning her head to glare daggers at whatever she had tripped over. Her golden eyes stared with disbelief as she took in a repressed breath, shaking with frustration. The figure remained motionless, soiled with a pool of her own blood. Yoruichi kicked angrily at the shameful imitation, yelling unintelligible words of pure hatred.

The bloody mess of a synthetic Yoruichi lay on the ground with a lifeless smirk. Whoever had decided to impersonate her looks had done it without regret, knowing exactly what chaos it would cause.

Soi Fon looked up, drowning in her misery as she breathed heavily, rising and dropping her shoulders with each inhale. Just as she wanted the wind to sweep her away like the dust, she saw a blur standing over Yoruichi's body and she could feel wrath broiling underneath her skin. The mere thought of someone violating her lifeless body with their unwanted presence sent Soi Fon beyond over the edge.

She clutched her Suzumebachi at her waist and her strained eyes flooded with her grief and anger. Her feet managed to pick up from the ground as she lunged toward Yoruichi, not knowing she was about to ambush the real Goddess of Flash.

Her eyes were cloaked from the truth for a matter of minutes, and it was enough to rip down every good thing she had left. It was enough for her to think her love was dead. Enough to drive her mad, uncertain of any particular emotion at all.

It was enough to ruin so much more than she was ever meant to cause.