Dark Moon Pt 2: What You Leave Behind (Zenke)

Deep in the Seireitei, in the quarters of the Captain-Commander, a young lady awoke with a start. She shook her head as she realized she had just had a bad dream. In it, her love had been extinguished cruelly by a faceless horror. She sighed and decided to get a glass of water. The young lady was Gráinne Xios, Captain-Commander of the Gotei. She got dressed and retrieved a glass of water from the mess hall and headed into her office. Once inside, she was puzzled by the lack of a report from Scott Rollins' patrol. Scott was her love, and he had been patrolling the area near Bogota, Colombia. He had not reported in yet. She decided to call Jensen.

"Captain, sorry to disturb you. Do you know if Scott has returned from his patrol yet?" The deep voice of Jensen Reinhart, one of her most trusted counsels and Captain of Scott's division, responded to her. He stated that Scott reported he was investigating Hollow activity in Bogota. "I see. Will you let me know when he arrives back?" The Captain confirmed the order and the call ended. Gráinne sighed. She hoped he was okay.

Then, Gráinne received a message via kidou. It was from Scott. He had found a Hollow presence in Bogota, but the battle had not gone well. Scott was about to use his final technique. The message ended with Scott saying goodbye, that he was happy to have shared his life with her. The message ended, and Gráinne was stunned. Not for the first time, she had no words for her shock. She Shunpo'd out through her wall and headed to the Senkaimon and opened a portal to Scott's location, which he had provided in the message. She hurled herself into the mouth of the portal and drew her Zanpakuto. But she arrived too late.

Gráinne arrived in downtown Bogota. She quickly surveyed the scene and saw a body lying on the ground. She heard a noise and saw a tentacled and hooded Hollow leaving through a Gargantua. She tried to follow but it closed before she got there. She cursed and headed over to the body. She was filled with dread. When she got to it, she was horrified. It was Scott. The young man lay with a hole punched right through his body. He opened his eyes barely and saw his love standing over him. "N-n-no..." She fell to her knees and began to try and heal his wound with kidou. Scott grabbed her hand weakly. "Stop, my love. It's too late. I will join the Soul Stream now. I'm sorry I failed you." Scott coughed up blood, and Gráinne began to cry. "But... it's not f-f-fair. I-I-I... failed you." Scott smiled weakly. "No. This is not your fault. There's nothing you could have done. I am proud... to have been the recipient of your love. Thank you... Gráinne Xios. My Captain... my friend... my..."

Scott's grip loosened, and his body dissolved into nothing. Gráinne did not move immediately. She simply stared at the spot where Scott had lain, a torrent of tears streaming from her eyes. "No....n-n-no." Her hands balled into fists, and the air began to surge with reiatsu as anger took over from reason. She cried out to the ether. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Gráinne drove her fists into the ground, creating a fissure that extended for a yards. The young girl stood up. Her face was a mask of anger. Gráinne Xios entered her Toukai and began to level the surrounding buildings. Luckily, the city had been mostly abandoned from the first fight, because Gráinne was blinded by rage and fury and sadness. The city... was about to pay the price.

Arngrim was in his throne room, when a scout burst in, approaching the throne he dropped to one knee. "My king i bring news." the young arrancar said. "Based on your haste, its important, rise and tell me quickly." Arngrim said, standing. The man began to quickly explain. "Sir, I was tracking the Adjuchas Kain Lasdren as you requested when he got into a fight with a shinigami. After a short time the Vasto Lorde Sen showed up and tried to kill both. He exceeded in killing the shinigami, but died to Kain who ate him." He said. Arngrim nodded. "That is good. I'm glad to know that pest is no longer alive." He said. He waited for the man to leave, but the scout stayed. Arngrim asked if he was done.

"No sir, I just didn't think it was important. There is more. The captain commander showed herself in Bogeta. She seemed distressed by the death of the shinigami, and has started destroying the city." Arngrim cursed, loudly. "Of course that is important! She'll start a war with the humans." He bellowed. He started walking for the door. "Bring a message to the soul society, tell them they need to get to Bogota immediately. And dispatch more scouts there, keep the humans away." He said. He would not let a friend do something she would regret, or let the humans catch her doing it. He didn't wait, he ripped open a gargantua and went straigth to the human world.

Arngrim burst out of the gargantua and locked onto the girl. He sonido'd right infront of her, slamming aside an energy attack. The destruction around was vast.. This was bad, for her."Grainne Xios! Have you lost your mind girl?! What in all hell has possessed you!" He shouted. "I will not stand by and let you blacken your soul with mindless slaughter, stand down or so help me I will make you!" He growled, hands on his weapons.

Rage. Destruction. Gráinne was oblivious to her surroundings. All she knew was that everything around her must feel her pain. Her loss. And it was. She fired energy attacks at anything standing with reckless abandon. She cut a car in half and sent the pieces hurtling through a gas station, causing a massive explosion. All she saw was flames. There were flames all around her from the demolished buildings and from her own Toukai form. Her irises and pupils had disappeared and left her eyes an eerie white. Not that anyone could see though.

Suddenly, a Gargantua opened nearby. Gráinne did not even bother checking to see who emerged, she just fired a blast at whoever it was. The blast was turned aside. Then she heard a deep and authoritative voice calling to her. She paused for but a moment, fixing her haunting white gaze on the source of the voice. It was Arngrim Wolfcloak, leader of the Espada, and a friend of sorts. Her reply was curt and laced with uncharacteristic malice. "Begone!" Before he knew it, Gráinne was right in front of him. She threw a punch with such velocity that it sent the massive Arrancar through the remains of a building, collapsing the burnt out shell on him as well. Gráinne then turned back to her task. Seeing that she had utterly destroyed everything in the immediate area, she headed off at Shunpo speed to a new area, leaving a trail of fire behind her.

Arngrims attempts to bring Grainne to her senses resulted in him being punched hard enough to be sent flying. He crashed into the building and the rubble collapsed on him. The king began to growl, and his energy exploded outwards creating a crater around him. Seconds later, a 17ft stone and fire dragon burst from the dust, roaring. "So be it, we will do this the hard way!" He shouted, charging across the battlefield. Even for his size he closed the distance quickly and brought a mighty clawed arm around, swipping at Grainne with enough force to knock her halfway across the city into a building, though he tried to not actually stab into her with his claws.

If that actually hit, he fired a gran rey cero into the building after her, and rushed after her. If not he instead fired a beam of concetrated fire from his eyes at her, at the same time as slamming a fist into the ground, causing a massive stone replica to explode from below her, throwing her up into the air and allowing him to sweep the beam of fire over her.

Gráinne knew that wouldn't be the last she heard from Arngrim, but she was in no mood to talk. There were no words that could help her now. She cut a building in two and blasted another one with a Blue Fire Crash Down kidou. She was then struck from behind with a swipe from a large claw and sent careening through not one but several buildings. She stood up angrily, only to be engulfed in the blast of a Gran Rey Cero. Not thinking clearly, Gráinne attempted to simply cut it with her sword. The result was she simply took the hit. She coughed slightly from the dust of the wreckage around her, then looked up to see Arngrim hurtling towards her.

Gráinne Xios, her outfit torn and ragged and her hair smoking and badly tousled, picked up a large piece of debris, a bit of rubble weighing roughly a ton and a half, and hurled it with all of her strength towards the advancing Cero King. She then shot up into the air and yelled out her spell. "Hado #91, Senjū Kōten Taihō!" The Kidou summoned several spears of light that all fired towards the same focal point where the intended target, Arngrim, resided. The culminating explosion was exceedingly devastating. She didn't even care if she hit him or not.

Arngrim let out a vicious roar in response to her attack and launched a barrage of rock and stone into the path of the attacks, causing them to detonate in the air. A second roar sounded, calling forth two massive monsters covered in red plates and scales. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but spread out and protect whats left of the city. Shoot down anything that comes your way and Do not let the human's interfere in this." He said, and the two might beasts stomped off to do as he said.

Arngrim turned his attention back to Grainne Xios. Oh if his ex seen her doing this, Clara would have a fit. He had to do something to stop her, and if it meant beating her into the ground to do it he would. So arngrim launched forward, tearing up the ground as he smashed his way towards her and pounced, aiming to land on her. If she dodged he would drive his fist into the ground and throw up a spew of molten rock at her, which would stick to her and burn until it was removed. He slammed his first into the ground a few times, spraying cero powered bursts of molten rock from a few different angles.

Then, while her attention was on that he fired a molten combustion beam from his mouth, the beam exploding as he shot towards her. It wouldn't be enough to kill her but hopefully it would knock a bit of sense into her and stop this madness. He didn't care about the humans that would die, but what the humans would do when they found out about this.

Gráinne watched, her rage building even more, as Arngrim nullified all of her attacks before they could damage the city more. Why does he care? Why is he trying to stop me?, she thought, [i]He has no idea of my loss![i] Gráinne watched Arngrim leap into the air and attempt to pounce on her. She rushed out of the way, glancing over her shoulder to see the massive being smash the ground, sending large globs of magma spewing out of the ground in all directions. She just about got out of the way of that particular attack. The Cero King smashed the ground a few more times for good measure, sending even more molten rock everywhere. Gráinne ducked and weaved around the molten liquid. A small bit stuck to her shirt and began to burn, so she tore the remains of the shirt off, leaving her tattered and smoldering vest.

Arngrim then launched a massive beam of molten energy towards her. Gráinne almost dodged, but she decided to take it. Maybe she could join Scott now. The blast hit her full force and sent her careening through several buildings that collapsed as the explosion claimed them too. But she did not die. She pushed her way out of the wreckage and devastation. Her body ached, her clothes were torn and tattered to the point that there was not much left to protect her modesty. Gráinne fixed her gaze on Arngrim. "What's the use? If you won't put me out of my misery and help me join my love, then I will force you to!"

Gráinne charged straight at Arngrim, getting roughly halfway before suddenly changing direction, leaving Afterimages behind to throw his aim as she approached him from a bizarre angle. Upon approach, she yelled the words, "This is the end! By the flames that fuel me, the flames of justice, and the beauty that exists in this world! I shall bring some color to this field of battle! I shall strike you down! MAAAASENKOOOOO, HA!" A full incantation Hyper Masenko kidou launched at Arngrim from close to point-blank range.

"Your not allowed give up. You can't take on responsibility for your entire race's future then try to throw your life away for some BOY!" He shouted the last part. In response, the girl fired her hyper masenko at him. Angrim didn't move, knowing he could take it. indeed it hit him, and his rock armor took have the damage before shattering and he was hit with what was left. The cero king slid back only a few feet, teeth clenched. He lowered his head, letting smoke billow out of his mouth.

"You think your the only person who's ever lost somebody they loved? You thing your the only one who knows that pain, that your the only one who should be allowed throw a hissy fit because you lost some boy, that you can throw away your life at a whim! Get over it, Grainne Xios! I thought you were stronger than this, but all I see right now is a pitiful child with a lot of power throwing a tantrum! I wont be around for ever, girl! One day someone will beat me, they'll kill me and take my throne, and what are the chances that they'll be so lenient on the world as i have been?! These humans need you to stop people like me! Not become someone like me!"

Gráinne's attack impacted with devastating force. The blast consumed the two combatants, but Arngrim had armor to lessen the blow. The small black-haired girl did not. When the smoke and dust cleared, Arngrim was several feet further back then he was before, and a bit more damaged. Gráinne was standing a few feet back as well with her arms crossed in front of her face. She was now damaged massively now. Gasping for air, she fixed her shaky gaze on Arngrim. Her voice trembled when she spoke, a combination of physical and emotional pain. "How...do you... make the pain s-s-stop..."

In her delirium, Gráinne tried to attack the dragon in front of her, partially in an attempt to defeat it, but also attempting to provoke it to kill her. She charged forward, but halfway there, her energy ran out. She reverted back to her normal form, but continued running. Gráinne Xios threw a punch as hard as her critically damaged body could muster. It didn't even reach him. She missed by some distance before she fell into unconsciousness, her Zanpakuto falling to the floor. She hit the ground and there was only blackness.

The girl caught herself in the blast too, but survived. She looked severely weakened though. Arngrim wasn't much better himself. It was safe to say he'd be recovering from that for a while. Grainne ran towards him in a futile attempt to attack him Arngrim didn't even have to move as she fell halfway to him. He tranformed back to his normal self with a blast of energy, and caught her in his arms. "The pain never stops." He said to her, even though she was clearly unconcious.

Arngrim felt a sudden surge of power from nearby and a shinigami in silver-platinum armor rushed towards him, sword drawn a shield raised. "What is the meaning of this?!" A familiar voice said from beneath his helm. Arngrim took note of Jensen Reinhart's Toukai form. "Its exactly as it appears, Captain. I ambushed your captain commander after having her lover killed. Then, after a fierce battle where I destroyed half the city by causing her to go into a rage, she wore herself out. You arrived in the nick of time to stop me landing the killing blow, and drove me off." He said.

"What? I don't understand." Jensen replied. "Its better you never know the truth. Stick to what I told you, for her sake. Now take her. She needs you right now." Arngrim said, then he offered the girl to Jensen and stepped into a Gargantua, leaving a confused Jensen behind.


Jensen held his young captain commander carefully, watching the Cero king go. He understood nothing of what happened here, however he would get the truth eventually. All he gleamed from Arngrims words were that Scott was dead, but the loss wasn't what concerned him. The condition of the girl in his arms was his most pressing concern. Jensen could Honor the dead later. He opened a Senkaimon and jumped through into the Seireitei.

He was met by the gate guards, two of his own men. "Send for Vice Comander Xios Imediately, tell her to meet me in the hospital." He said, then shunpo'd away, rushing the child who ment the world to him to his wife for help.

Gráinne faded in and out of consciousness. She saw images and partial scenes, but it was impossible to tell reality from delusion. She went through a portal of some kind. She was being carried by someone, but she could not see who. Then she blacked out again.

(sometime later)

Gráinne Xios awoke with a start again. This time though, there was no waking up from the nightmare. It was all too real. Trying to sit up too fast, she groaned in pain as her still-healing body rebelled. She looked around at the scene before her. She recognized the room as an intensive care ward of the hospital in Soul Society. Looking down at her body, she saw that she was heavily bandaged and taped up. Gráinne cast her mind back to what had happened, what she had lost and what she had done. Tears started to flow again from her yellow eyes. Not only had she lost Scott, but she had failed to control her emotions, and she had caused untold devastation. It would have been worse but for Arngrim. The Cero King had arrived to stop her. Stop her from becoming like him. Gráinne sank back into the soft pillows that propped her up and sighed, wishing she could just sink into non-existence.

Gráinne wondered if the whole of Soul Society knew about her failure. She decided to wait in the room, giving herself time to think. She looked to her bedside locker. There were flowers there from some well-wishers, but what drew her gaze was the pencil and paper that lay there. She took them, and began to draw. Gráinne used to draw and paint all of the time. At one stage, it was her preferred form of communication, having difficulty talking to people. But since taking up the position of Captain-Commander, she was forced to improve her verbal skills, and she had not had the time to paint as much anymore. She drew for a while before the door opened.

Diath stepped into the room, after stepping out to use the bathroom. She was shocked to see Grainnè awake. Diath ran across the room and snatched her sister in an agressive hug, ignoring the fact that it probably hurt. She deserved it. "Don't you ever, ever take on the strongest arrancar in existance again without back up!" She loosened the hug, "I'm... I'm really sorry about Scott.." She said.

There was a knock at the door and Jensen stepped into the room. He looked... Unhappy, to say the least. He carried a second sword, one she recognized as Scotts. That explained where he went after leaving grainnè with her and marie. The shinigami lay the sword down gently, then looked at Grainnè. "Diath can I talk to her alone?" He asked. She looked at the look in his eyes, and nodded. She left them alone, but before she got far she cast a kido and vanished into thin air, then slipped back. Spying was a bad habbit of hers but she wanted to know what that look in his eyes was about.


Jensen watched Grainnè carefully as Diath left the room. Then, when he was sure the place was clear, he shut the door and leaned against it. He tried to smile but all he achieved was a deeper frown. "I am... I am sorry about Scott." He managed to say. He wasn't good with dealing with grief. She'd probably know that, considering how he'd acted after Ashen died. Scott was a good kid, and Jensen felt terrible because he hadn't been able to do a thing to help him.

But there were bigger things to talk about right now.. Like Bogata. "Arngrim Wolfcloak told me what happened in Bogata. atleast what he wanted everyone else to know. I'm worried about the coalition though, words out that you're the cause of the destruction in bogata. I want to know the truth of what really happened though."

Gráinne did not have time to respond to the voice before a dark-haired blur rushed her and wrapped her up in a hug. Gráinne ignored the pain of her rebelling body and simply immersed herself in the comfort of her sister, Diath. The elder Xios scolded her for engaging the strongest Arrancar currently in existence. Diath released the hug and became somber, offering commiserations over the death of Scott Rollins. Gráinne simply bowed her head appreciatively, just about managing to hide her tears. She was about to respond when the door opened again.

This time, Captain Jensen Reinhart, Gráinne's most trusted Captain and one of her advisor's and closest friends, stepped through. He lay Scott's sword down on the table, then asked for Diath to leave as he wished to talk to her alone. Diath nodded and stepped out, but Gráinne thought she heard a kido incantation being whispered outside in the hall. Jensen did not look pleased, a serious expression etched into his rugged features. He too offered his commiserations over Scott's death. Gráinne nodded, noticing Jensen's discomfort. She did not comment, knowing that Jensen was not known for his mastery of sorrow.

Jensen then explained that Arngrim had informed Jensen of what had happened. Or at least, what Arngrim wanted everyone to think happened. He asked Gráinne what really happened, explaining that the word had gotten out already of her involvement. She lowered her gaze to the sword on the table. "Of course. I received a message from Scott, informing me that the battle with the Hollow he had found in Bogota had not gone well. He was about to use his Ascended Bankai. He knew he wouldn't survive. Ascended Bankai was Scott's attempt to draw more power out of his Bankai form. He had not yet learned to use Toukai like you or I. The form he was able to draw was impressive, multiplying his strength and power output to Toukai-level. But the form had a weakness. Due to all of the power that was being generated to increase his strength, his speed suffered greatly. It was clear he was intending to sacrifice himself to stop his enemy." Gráinne took a deep breath, trying to suppress the emotional pain and remember only the events, not the emotions that went with them.

"I arrived too late. Scott lay on the ground, and a Hollow escaped through a Gargantua. As Scott died in my arms, I lost control of my emotions. I had lost him once, when Chicago was occupied, but I had gotten him back, only to lose him again, for good this time. I was unable to control myself. I was fueled by anger and sorrow. Arngrim arrived soon after, and tried to stop me peacefully, but I responded by punching him through a building. He then summoned some creatures and ordered them to protect the city. He then engaged me in battle, trying to stop me without killing me. I attacked him with unthinking rage. He fired an attack, that I took head on. I was trying to get myself killed. When his attack didn't kill me, I charged and fired my Hyper Masenko kido at point-blank range. That failed also to kill me. I was about to attempt again to bait him into killing me. He wouldn't. Then I tried to attack again, but I had lost too much power and taken too much damage. I lost consciousness." Gráinne looked at her hands. Tears began to flow again.

"Arngrim stopped me from causing further damage. Not only that, but he saved me from myself. I could not control my emotions. I've lost too many people lately. Akira Tanaka, Kazama, Sato Miyuki, Garanzo, Asuma Tyrranus... and now Scott. It wore down my emotional stability until I broke. I have become a liability to the Shinigami as a whole. I has brought dishonor and shame to myself. I request to be relieved of my position and sent to the Living World to receive just punishment for my crimes."

Jensen frowned. The death toll was almost none existant, atleast after Grainnè arrived. The Hollow and Scott had done most of that damage, and Arngrim certainly had controlled the situation well. What did the cero king have to gain by stopping Grainnè though? Stopping a potential war, was that really the kings style? Jensen didn't understand Arngrim's motives.

Jensen let her finish, before he crossed his arms. "You will do no such thing." He said to her. "Believe it or not, by the time you arrived the area scott and that hollow were fighting in had been cleared out. You didn't actually kill anyone, I checked the records. The worst you did was destroy some buildings. Arngrim's pets drove anyone watching away from the scene." He explained.

"You've been asleep a while. Gave me plenty of time to check all of this up. Besides, what ever you did, the hollow that attacked Scott, it started all this. Now listen to me Grainnè. What happened, I understand.. I've been there.. I've felt that rage. I've seen others fall to it, but what matters is, I conquered my anger. You can too. I believe in you, no matter how bad you slip, I believe in you because this place wouldn't be here without you. I'm proud of you. Your mother would be too...."

Gráinne finished her recounting her tale and lowered her head, awaiting Jensen's decision. When he spoke, what he said was not what Gráinne expected. A wave of relief swept over her when Jensen informed her of the fact that no-one was killed during her rampage. She listened as Jensen told her that he too had endured loss like this before and that she could overcome it like he did. She blushed when the Captain explained how important she was to Soul Society, and that he was proud of her, and that her mother would be too.

Gráinne nodded, tears trickling from her eyes. "Thank you Captain, uh... Jensen. I promise I will not let you down again. I will honor Scott, not with anger and sorrow, but with determination and peace. I will the best I can be, for you, for him, and for everybody who depends on me."

Jensen smiled slightly. "I know you will. Why do you think I stood behind you when we chose a new commander? Many people thought I was perfect for the job, because of my abilities as a commanding officer, But the soul society doesn't need a general, they need a real leader. They needed you. with central 46 gone we need you even more now." He said smiling. "I'll let you get some rest now. Oh and you can come out Diath." Jensen said, rolling his eyes to grainne as the snake girl popped back into vision. "How the hell did you-"

Jensen laughed and shook his head. "You don't get to my age without being very aware of your surroundings." He said and walked for the door. But he stopped and looked at Grainne. "I just remembered something concerning central 46. During the fall they fled, but someone tracked them down across rukongai and killed them all, along with their elite bodyguards. I found a few leads on this person, I'll have a report for you as soon as your well."


When Arngrim finally returned to hueco mundo, he was met by Liv and clara who helped him into the throne room. He was pretty beat up. Who knew saving people was so much work? He collapsed into his chair to relax and heal which could take several days. The peace didn't last long though, when someone burst in to the room. "My lord there is an intruder in the for-"

a hand burst through the mans chest, sprawing blood across the room, and the servant was tossed aside like a rag. A figure cloaked in black mist stepped forward, grinning diabolically. Arngrim frowned in confusion, since it felt  like that was Sen, only his power was closer to Arngrim's now. The cero king stood and drew his sword. The creature lunged...