Disclaimer for the whole story: nada, nothing, zilch.

The canvas has been wiped clean;

the colors are the same, the roles are different,

painting an identity, and the world anew.

Prologue- Brave new world:

It's cold; winter leaving its mark in a landscape of white.

Sweat beads her brow, pain lacing through every part of her body, she stops panting to appreciate the beauty outside of the window pane.

In the twilight of December 10th a blizzard roars through Karakura town.

A befitting introduction to the world.

On her back, biting her lip, muffling screams in sheer-

Get your head out of the gutter—in sheer agony, besides contrary to popular belief Matsumoto Rangiku has only ever had one lover and he is nowhere in sight, and besides this whole damn thing is his fault, not that he would know.

Crap now she feels guilty ow…and ow! Hello contractions! Guilt psh, she feels pain that trumps guilt any day as far she's concerned.

"Rangiku-san, on the count of three please push!"

"That's Matsumoto fukutaicho to you, and what the hell do you think I'm doing!?"

Her lip is bleeding, why did she want a natural birth?

Her insides feel as if they're being torn to shreds, when this is over she fears she may never look down there again.

"He's crowning, one more push and he'll be here soon!"

Fifteen hours of labor, and finally a wail pierces the air, it's the most beautiful sound she's ever heard.

Upon her swollen stomach he is laid for the briefest of moments: bloodied, pinched face, and crying to the heavens.

Then he is taken away and cleaned, and brought back to his rightful place—her arms.

She's exhausted, there are bags beneath her eyes, and her limbs are weary. All of this is overcome by the intense joy she feels at seeing and holding her son at long last.

He's quiet now; the lights are dim and his eyes are open wide dashing about curiously, before he stares at her.

He has his father's coloring she realizes faintly, then he's nudging his face at her breast, searching. And he appears to also be a breast man, she thinks dryly.

She gives into his quest when he begins to whimper, and after a few tries he is successful.

He tries and fails to stay awake as he feeds, watching her.

Toushiro, she decides as he blinks sluggishly once more, "Toushiro, my shiro-chan. My little winter prince."

The future is bright, she thinks perhaps she'll go to college, open a bar, and live in a concrete jungle. Hell travel the world, the sky's the limit.

But when she thinks of the trails she had to go through to get to this very moment, she knows it was worth it.