Rejecting Coming Corruption (Bankai training)

[Miranda Frost]

The weight was unbearable. Her wound throbbed, its thorns of pain gripping at core and spread out throughout her body. Her stubburnness would peek through the cloud of pain every few, pathetic steps as she attempted to walk on her own and each time failed, falling against the poor shinobi girl that held her up "Hey, there's no shame in letting me help you. If you keep trying to go it alone you're going to get yourself hurt. Its getting a bit difficult to catch you, you know?", the shinobi chastised, grasping at Miranda's uniform tightly. Miranda forced a smile and nodded. It would be for the best.

The road before them was unkept, the once laid cobble stone crumbled into the mud beneath from centuries of travel. Her shuffles would catch occasionally on the stone, nearly taking her off her feet if it weren't for the shinobi to assist. "We're almost there, damnit. Hold on a bit longer." The words were reassuring, but her vision darkened. "Put me down... over there", Miranda struggled out, pointing a claw to a small clearing of grass. "I am slipping, please" Miranda's body grew weak, slumping more and more over her assistant. "Fine, we'll rest for a time."

The Onmitsukido member carried her along off the uneven, feet-breaking road to the soft grass, laying her down upon the field. She'd groan as she layed out, her head turning towards the nearby town, seeing the squad 4 medics do their work. They ran to and fro from building to building, no doubt utilizing them as makeshift hospitals. "How were they when you found them?", she'd inquire, her strained look reflecting a sense of concern. The Shinobi sighed and averted her eyes from the third seat. "They were in critical condition when I got to them. Some died on the way to the medical site."

"We should have gotten here sooner, we could have prevented this...", miranda groaned, her hand clenching at her chest. "You think their condition was due to any recent abuse? They were starving, Miranda. They were beaten and mutilated. Even worse, their spiritual pressure his almost non-existant compare to normal soul levels, according the the medics. Whether we were here a few days ago or years ago, it likely wouldn't have made a damn difference. There's a chance their condition would have been worse.", the shinobi answered with a frustrated tone overlaying her voice.

Miranda shook her head, but she knew the woman was right. She didn't want them to end up like those who finished their "Trials". They would have been reduced to mere fragments of what they were before. A piece of flesh there, a limb here, and various other bits scattered about. It was an unsightly scene that plagued her dreams. Miranda knew she couldn't save them all, even with her current strength, but something deep down yearned for this to be true. So many times she couldn't be there. Whether it be her parents, her comrades, or now these maidens. Each death weighed heavily on her heart.

"Save what you can.", she'd respond, her hopes defeated.

[Miranda Frost]

"Thee haven't cometh this far, not in a longeth while"

Miranda stirred, her hands clenching on the stone cave flooring. Her eyes slowly drifted open and she picked herself up, though a bit easier than she had expected. Before her was the stone dragon. The cave she had awoken on was wide and she'd find herself dwarfed by the dragon, its crystal blue eyes staring down upon her, its claw resting upon a thick crystal bound book. "Towairaito", she'd confirm, her eyes of steel dropping the dragon's gaze to the book, theorizing that this is how it kept tabs on her soul.

"Young Shinigami, of feareth conquered, what drives thee so?", The dragon chuckled and exhaled deeply blowing a cloud of cold, crystal dust over her form. Its claw flipped open the front cover of the book, its eyes shining down upon the translucent pages. "What drives thee so to overcometh this supposed execration?" The questions, though posed to her were not for Miranda to answer with her words but by the etchings of her soul. Perhaps that was what the dragon read in that book as it flipped page after page. "Thy life is brilliant, inspiring. It enchants those close to thee."

"Thy mother lost the use of her strength and lingered on as a cripple. Your father, resigned himself to your mothers stead, chasing her love, however elusive. What is it that drives thee?", the dragon huffed in mock frustration, its mighty tail slamming against the cave wall, shaking its structure. She could feel the vibrations particularly in her hands, or rather the gloves she wore. Could it be that her zanpakuto whisked her conciousness away here? For whatever purpose it seemed as if she was put on trial, but there had to be a deeper meaning, a reflection behind the reflection.

"Once, the King of Souls sundered the world and all that stemmed from humanity. It was then that humans recieved a fleeting form. These are the roots of thy world. Men are props on this stage of fools, unaware of its purpose. Could thee be such a fool? What drives thee so?", the dragon read deeper and deeper, traveling quite far into this book of hers. Its eyes widened and a claw pierced a page, gaining a blinding brightness to its test. "Young Miranda, do thee desire peace? Shackled by falsehoods, mankind yearned for love, unaware of the world's grand illusion. Miranda Frost, Do thee knowest what drives thee? Thee can't say thyself!"

The light blue hue of the cave dimmened and darkened. Dragon leaned foreward, its maw inches from her head. It creaked open, the crunching of stone and rock sounding as it beared its teeth of crystal to her. "Truth is concealed to all, until the curse toucheth their flesh.", it'd warn a flash of light blasting her from the depths of the dragon's throat. She'd shield her eyes but it did little to block the blast. She'd cry out, but none would hear her. She fell to her knees pulled by something yanking at her chest. Miranda coughed and wheezed, hands clenching upon sand, sand?


Miranda's vision returned and her head raised, guided by a steel hand. Her eyes met one of great familiarity, herself. It was striking how similar this figure looked like her. She looked taller, though, with slightly tanner skin and scars littering her face. Her silver hear was cut short just above the jawline and her eyes shone a blood red rather than the steel grey her own did. If her innerworld was a reflection upon a reflection, than this being was perhaps a reflection of herself? Miranda reached out with her senses and the discovery chilled her. She felt the presence of Yogure in her.

Miranda's eyes widened at the truth and her mind thought back on the peculiar sight she witnessed with Tima-sama. Flesh had began growing at an incredibly slow rate upon the skeleton king, Yogure. What was even more disturbing was that she felt the presence of the cursed blade in Yogure. One cut, and that was all that was necesary to facilitate his return, or perhaps she could say "she" now given her form.

"Don't you see what that means? To be alive, to travel the soul cycle, that's the real curse right there. A soul within the cycle never truly dies, and that's quite a predicement really.", Yogure laughed, releasing Miranda's chin. Miranda gripped the sand beneath her and lunched up at her, claws beared, but would be pulled back down to the ground. Her hands gripped at her chest, finding a familiar chain connected to a plate interwoven with her flesh. "The soul chain?", she'd wonder aloud under her breath, tugging along it. She'd find that it'd connect her to the ground of the colloseum, not unlike how she had bound Yogure for so long.

"It will all be over soon, don't you worry, Master", She'd growl her boot pressing Miranda's skull to the sand, heel digging into her scalp. "Residual energy from the cursed blade shattered my chains, a gift you once gave me. I figured I'd repay your kindness and return it to you. In the ruins of your burning village you were so attached to your soul chain that it tore you up inside, hollowed you. Aye, that was the moment I was born, in your despair and newfound sense of nihilism. If only the Shinigami didn't come and ruin what you deserved so dearly."

"So close to being a hollow, you were. As strong as you possibly could be, in that mindset you'd let yourself starve and dissipate. You wouldn't have had to suffer in the Soul Society the way you did, nor would you have been humiliated time and time again by strength too far out of your grasp to handle.", Yogure laughed and stomped upon Miranda's skull, burying her further and further into the stale sand. She cried out only to recieve a mouthful of the stuff, muffling her. she'd push back against the boot, but like the weight on her heart, Yogure's strength was too great for her.

"In life you saved noone. In death you couldn't even save yourself."

[Miranda Frost]

Miranda's hand grasped the sand lining the colloseum. Her eyes opened and brow furrowed. Strong as this being may be, the shinigami had grown tiresome of this act of domination. She certainly wasn't into it, not here, not now, and certainly not with the darkest side of herself. Her feet dug into the sand, bracing herself as she pressed her self up against the boot that ground against her skull. Her soul chain stressed but would be stretched and extended, tearing from the ground as her claw sliced upwards at the doppleganger, long crystal claws growing from the tips of her gloves.

That would have been it, but Yogure was no longer there. She was gone as if she were never there. Not even footprints were left behind. Strange as it were, Miranda never dropped her guard. Her chest began to throb, but it was bearable enough to act on her own. Still, it was concerning that this chain was disconnected from where it held her. For a plus it was symbolic of early hollowing, here it could be a sign of a loss of control of her innerworld. If she no longer had control here, she could only imagine who did.


(start battle theme)

"Look at you. And you wish to be a shinigami. A liberator. A Purifier. You want to be somebody you're not. Be something you can't. You are not strong enough.... not on your own...." Miranda's eyes shifted to her left and blinked. The voice was familiar, but rather than the faint echoes of a long worn memory, the voice was clear backed with substance. Though the voice was clear, its physical appearance was not quite so. Clad in shifting shadow, with mummification wraps spilling from the hollowed void, the image of Jyuria stepped forth. Miranda wasn't fond of this memory, not because of what it contained, but of the errattic nature of it.

Whatever Jyuria did to her, the memory would forever be tarnished. Still, There were lessons to be learned. The shade of Jyuria outstretched its arms in a welcoming manner, eyes of crimson piercing forth from the darkness. The dry, raspy voice would speak once more. "He is gone now....and for that I grieve every day. But....Miranda. I am never going to forget him. And just like he to me.....I am going to give you an opportunity. I can give you power. I can make you my own. And your weakness.....will persist. But with my guidance. I will give you not only the care to survive and strengthen. But the will to do so. Wether you like it or not. I will become your everything. And for me.....you will become strong."

Ah, there it was. This creature once found itself attached to another who, either by discarding her or simply leaving, dissapeared from her life. When Jyuria hollowfied she strove to collect followers that would love and look up to her much like she did this man she referred to in this memory. Miranda turned to face her, claws outstretched. "I remember now. My first mission out of the Academy. Oh how fresh I was, clinging to this instilled sense of honor. How else could I deal with the pain of abandoning those I could have saved. Through honor I could save others, that is what I believed." Miranda sighed, her image blurring as she shunpoed in close claws bared to strike "It was only by sheer luck that my own strict adherence to my self-imposed code failed to kill me."

Such a statement brought another thought within her mind as her claws blades swung down upon the shade, hoping to banish it from this realm for a time. ”Hadou Number Four: Byakurai", another familiar voice called out before a bolt of lightning rocketed into her claws, doing just enough to knock them off course, The shade reached for her with those tentrils, wrapping them tightly around her hips before sending her careening to the ground with impressive strength. Miranda cried out and called a disc of crystal to farm just beneath her back to catch her as she fell, ensuring this lil attack would do no damage. Miranda turned her head towards who fired it and found a shinigami standing there scratching at his head. ”Shinigami are you? Kamikawa Hibiki, best tailor in all of Squad Four at your service.”

Of course. This was from another memory she considered a lesson on not following a strict code. As she could recall, she broke her code of honor in a friendly spar by utilizing lethal force that could have broken his neck if her positioning wasn't slightly off. Had the man not been of Squad 4, it was likely he could have been experiencing lasting effects from being suplexed in such a manner. Miranda had felt so guilty that she purposely let her guard down and allowed another move that could have killed, and would have had HIbiki not been of Squad 4 and quite proficient in healing. She still bore the scar upon her stommach, a result of being impaled through and through.

The shade of Jyuria crouched low as if to pounce upon Miranda while the memory of Hibiki drew his blade. The results of meeting these two nearly killed her and for similar reasons. Her twisted sense of honor would convince her to easily give her life up in order to right a wrong. Miranda shook her head. The third seat had learned better through experience and by hearing the experiences of others. No longer was she the naive little maiden fleeing from her home district. If sending memories to fight her woud convince her to allow her soul to degrade and perish, Yogure was sorely mistaken.

[Miranda Frost]

“Don’t move. If you as much as touch that Zanpakutou, I’ll tear you apart”

And that would be Mariposa, the most outwordly coldblooded opponent she'd had ever faced, and those were the first words A fraccion of sorts belonging to the Espada, she would defeat Miranda, slaughter the back-up team sent for her, and whisk her away to Hueco Mundo. Up to this point, Miranda had held her idiotic code of honor in high regard, harming herself with her own conditions. She wasn't strong, not in mind nor body, so where did she have the right to put herself through what she did?

Looking upon the moth-girl's expression of cold, calculating indifference reminded her of her time in Hueco Mundo, hidden away in a cave among the Forest of the Menos, hoping that the thousands of Hollows roaming nearby wouldn't take notice. It was a unique terror that a rat may have when living in a house full of cats. There was nowhere to run so she let herself be toyed with by that witch. Miranda had never hated anyone, not even Jyuria. Mariposa was another story. Miranda had convinced her through her foolish compassion and adherence to her code to kidnap and keep around as a pet to terrorize in more ways than one

”Listen to me and do what I say, and you’ll be fine. When you return to Soul Society to give your report, you’ll tell them you pursued the Hollow. But as you fought you encountered a Vandenreich scout.” Miranda would turn to see the face of that Vandenreich scum that would make a play on her vulnerabilities. To think she still carried his fur coat and pendent was telling of the man's Charisma. The fact that she actually enjoyed their one night stand and conversation made her sick to her stomach. The fact that in their little bout, she actually tried to put up a fight only to be put down terrorised her. Had she had learned from her faulty code of honor at this point.

She'd spit upon the ground. Three of the four here were beings who would take advantage of her vulnerabilities and would stand to gain from it. The fourth, Hibiki, would only highlight it, only to rub it in with his healing. A good man, but attached to resentments fitting to be exploited. "So that's what you're doing, Yogure? A former skeleton lord fallen to wear my flesh and use the skeletons in my closet against me?You must know what you're doing, because this is really.... really getting to me.", She'd call out, admitting that being an embodiment and collection of every shackle and weight upon her shoulders truly knew her like no other.

He knew her weaknesses, desires, and fears. These four happened to be one of her most defining conflicts that gave her physical and mental strength, yet never letting her leave behind those worries. She'd never truly learn her lesson time after time. She'd look in the mirror and now her reflection was staring back. Miranda took a deep breath and composed herself. Though most of these people she could take care of now with her current strength, fighting four of them would be an issue. This faulty code had no place here.

Bloodshed or no, she would have to fight to win. These rebellious memories needed to be put in their place and wrenched away from the control of Yogure. The three major players: Jyuria, Alexander, and Mariposa would surround her, flaring their reiatsu around her, blocking her senses from locating the weakest one, Hibiki. "So, are you three are ingrained in my memory to the point I remember your capabilities? Or is Yogure filling in the blanks?"

A feint signature would be detected, a crystal shield materializing behind her back to block what she assumed was an offensive maneuver. The bolt of lightnight would bounce from the rough looking, haphazardly contructed shield without giving it as much as a scratch. Using this lapse in attention the three would leap into action. Jyuria sent a torrent of wrappings to immobilize her. Alexander would send a flurry of arrows flying at her flank at breakneck speeds. As if hoping to catch Miranda in the crossfire, Mariposa sonidoed in close.

"What are you up--", she started to wonder aloud, seeing the charged ball of energy belonging to that of a premature cero forming in her palm. She cursed under her breath, a double-sided sword materializing to deal with the wrappings, a shield forming to protect from the arrows. She'd laden her glove with cristal and thrust it out with a bit of shunpo karin to slap the arrancar's hand away to send the cero flying into the colosseum walls. "Your power cannot hurt me, not as you are now, but."

The double sided blade spun, cutting the wraps to ribbons while the shields diflected kido and arrowfire, the tools moving as the beings moved to get better shots at her. "Don't think i'll give you the chance to release on me again.", Miranda growled, flickining a crystal blade along her thumb into the moth girl's neck. Miranda would feel it's hierro show its slight resistance, but third seat had grown since the last time they met. The moth girl sonido'd back, a surprised expression painted upon her face as she struggled to tug the blade out, but it would be no use. The girl's strength wasn't the best. A few summoned blades materializing just inches from her neck would seal the deal before she could release. Miranda did not want to deal with that again. To this day she couldn't figure out how to not be knocked out by them.

Another bolt of Byakurai would bounce off the shield along her back, leading Miranda to believe she needed to take another course of action. The obvious play here was to flick away the fly that diverted her attention, but Miranda couldn't bring herself to do it. It wasn't about Honor with Hibiki, it was about tarnishing one's good memory by committing such an act. Nay, she would save him for last and she would make it quick and as painless as possible. Alexander would have to be the next to go. Unlike the memory of Jyuria, his was more complete.

[Miranda Frost]

The barrage kept coming and the two assailants had begun inching closer to her. Black smoke, darker than shadow ebbed from the countless wrappins Miranda had shorn away from Jyuria. It would obscure her vision and disturb her breathing. She could last like this for a time, continuously resummoning her shields to block the ranged assault by the remaining trio. Only Alexander seemed to be consistently breaking through her constructs, but perhaps that was to be expect.

Once they were within ten feet of her, the most opportune moment would present itself. Alexander and Hibiki would fire their attacks nearly simultaneously. Miranda would angle the shields in the way that both the arrow and lightning would deflect into the ground, tossing up the colosseum sand. The dust cloud mixed with Jyuria’s black smoke, concealing her. She’d draw her shields in to her position and duck beneath them, shunpo’ing out to meet Alexander.

He would try to adjust his aim seeing Miranda fly out towards her at such a high speed, but realizing he wouldn’t be able to as her crystal claws fell upon him, looking to pierce through his flesh. One of his hands would release the bow he fired from and extend it out to meet Miranda. Sparks of blue arced between his fingertips before thrusting forth its energy. Though sharing the element, Byakurai was much faster and a direct beam, this attack spread out in a narrow arc.

At this range, it may not be making use of the arc, but its power more than made up for it. The instant the arc would meet miranda, a small buckler would appear on her raised off arm, tilted to deflect much of the blast, though it did produce cracks in the crystal. Her claws would come down unopposed, its blades piercing through the man’s collarbone and sliced downward, cutting through bone and meat. Alexander would fall to his knees.

His hands covered the vicious gash inflected and looked up upon her, a smile painted upon his face. “Ayayay...so worried about your job.”, he’d struggle to say before falling over. Miranda didn’t feel the same bit of satisfaction she did while slaying Mariposa. Alexander seduced Miranda and intended to use her to assist his cause, but he was altogether harmless when it came to their interactions. The amount of times Miranda could have killed him when they met was countless, despite his overwhelming strength over her at the time.

He was a jerk and what they had was equivalent to a one night stand, but knowing this didn’t take the image of her ripping his insides out with her bare hands. Alexander didnt deserve this treatment, niether by her or Yogure. Miranda turned to meet the others, who had noticed that she was missing. Miranda had let the three shields she had been using be buried by the sand, intending to use them for later just in case.

Miranda let the buckler on her arm fly a bit ahead of her, angling just slightly towards the shadowy hollow ahead of her. She’d get a running start and leap onto the buckler, using the angling to launch herself with a shunpo. Jyurian would plant its hands to colosseum sands, the shadow bandages around its mask unravelling as its maw cracked open. A ball of bloodred crimson grew in power as it charged.

Miranda cursed under her breath as she rocketed overhead. The buckler construct would follow her, seating itself beneath her feet as she came down not unlike a rocket. The dark hollow finished charging its cero and fired, a beam of crimson colliding with her buckler. It’d crack but would hold its integrity as it split the beam around her, scorching the night sky of her inner world. Her momentum peaked and the hollow ran out of cero to fire.

The cold hard truth of her construct would smack itself into Jyuria’s face, cracking its amorphous mask and shattering the buckler. Miranda would be thrown off by the impact but would land on a kite shield materialized beneath her feet. The hollow crashed down but before She could get close enough to the creature, Hibiki would leap through the growing smog. Surprised, Miranda barely caught the blade arcing down upon her hand.

The hard part wasn’t catching the blade, but preventing the boy’s arms from shredding from the sheer difference in strength from the attempt. Miranda sighed and dropped down to the sand and dropped the blade, stepping to Hibiki. “Yogure, Won’t you come out? Stop hiding in these false shells. If you’d see me die then do it with your own hands,” Miranda spoke to what lay within the memory of Hibiki. It was yogure’s essence, that was a fact.

The weak shinigami cried out and swung his blade at miranda, who let it strike her. The edge would meet the uniform covering her shoulder but that would be it. The edge was too dull to cut her. Just as predicted, the boy’s arms would split and crack, its tissues damaged from trying to strike someone so spiritually dense. Miranda’s eyes looked away, unable to gaze upon the gore that oozed from the boy’s arms. Miranda reached out, grabbing a hold of him and pulling him in.

Miranda’s arms wrapped around him tightly and she’d bury her face into the man’s shoulder. It really wasn’t fair to be subjected to this torture. Though they never met again, Hibiki had done Miranda a kindness as well as the innocents suffering in her home district. The healer had a kind soul and didnt deserve his memory to be tarnished in a certain way. “If I ever see you again, Hibiki-san, I’ll be sure to treat you to a drink and apologize for what i've done to you here in this land of twisted memories. Until then, rest here within my mind for a time.”, Miranda spoke softly, a point of her claw pressing to the side of Hibiki’s head.

“Hado #4, Byakurai”, she’d mutter, drilling a hole through the memory’s head with a bolt of lightning. The body went limp and slumped against Miranda’s embrace. The third seat let the body lie and stepped over to the recovering Hollow. “You’re the last piece, and I tire of these tedious games.”

(end battle theme)

[Miranda Frost]

The body of Hibiki would begin to dissipate into black smoke and drift to where Jyuria’s body lay. Looking over the battlefield, Miranda bore witness to Mariposa and Alexander’s dissipating as well into the same mist, each piece of the puzzle rejoining with Jyuria’s unnatural form. The body twitched and appeared to struggle to stand but would soon follow suit, collapsing into shadow and then nothingness, leaving only the stone katana embedded into the sands.

The winds of battle stilled and the clouds above dissipated, the moon’s light shining bleakly overhead. Miranda turned her head to and fro, searching for all her mind and spirit for Yogure’s presence, but for the first time felt nothing. Miranda’s fist clenched in disbelief. There was no way this could be the end. She still felt the aching in her chest, ever gnawing and ever consuming. She could feel herself weakening, though a bit slower than before. Yugure yet lived but was hiding.

Her mind turned to the cursed blade. “There?”, she’d wonder, turning to its imposing form standing resolute at the center of the colosseum. She took a step until a mighty roar shook the sands and arena alike. Her steel eyes turned to the source. In the stands the mighty dragon Towairaito revealed herself, her wings of crystal unveiling herself, her eyes of sapphire gazing victoriously down upon her.

She’d take to the air and land near the blade, disturbing the sands further as her landing blew back the top layer. Miranda raised her arm to shield herself from the sand, her eyes catching something rather odd near her feet. The displaced sand uncovered what appeared to be iron chains just beneath the surface. She’d look frantically around her seeing other signs of the buried artifact leading to the center where the cursed blade was embedded.

“Thee hath labored enough, child.”, the dragon spoke softly, wings stretched wide with pride. “But know this: by the stone scales bestowedeth upon mine own back, I need not witness thy valorous struggles any longer. Thee art of worth, child.” The dragon would raise its front leg, claws stretching wide before balling into a powerful fist. “I would bestoweth mine own heart of crystal upon thee, and cloth thee in the darkness of mine own stone. Thy final trial awaits thee.”

“Wait! Stop! Towairaito!”, She’d call out, outstretching an pleading hand. The signs all clicked in her head. This colosseum was utilized as a prison not for Miranda’s memories, but for Yogure’s presence. The cursed blade had struck Miranda, its dark power latching onto the darkness within her heart. The shard of its power weakened the chains that bound Yogure. Miranda defeating the shades of her past would weaken the chains further, and Towairaito was to release him fully.

“Existence came to be, and with it disparity. Heat and cold. Life and death. Light and dark”, Her Zanpakuto spoke, mirroring what Yogure had spoke to her when she draw him out through the power of the zanpakuto. She spoke in the same manner, riddles with as deep a meaning as Miranda allowed herself to delve. It was set up, planned. The dragon had been pulling the strings, allowing her enough suffering to grow, but never enough to end her. The dragon had kept her darkness in check and now it saw no reason to keep it chained any longer. “Thee hath seen dark as a curse, but shadow is not born of dark, but cast by light, and brighter the brilliance, the deeper the shadow. Inherit light and harness the dark, such is the calling of a true captain, but is this our only choice?”



The dragon’s fist came crashing down, shattering the stone blade under claw and cracking the dust covered arena flooring. The colosseum structure groaned and warped. The floor cracked, the thick iron chain whipping creating great fissures. Miranda stumbled, but kept her footing. “Seeker of life, converter of thy throne, seek strength. The rest will follow”.

The abyss stirred and poured from the fissures in the earth, devouring all. Towairaito was the first to be consumed, the ancient light of her eyes not mighty enough to pierce the great cloud of darkness. The ground was shorn away and the stone stands of the arena crumbled to dust and blasted out. Miranda was sent skyward, or maybe she sank. It was hard to say as her body was consumed by the never-ending darkness.

She’d feel something tug at her chest. She’d look down to see the familiar soul chain dangling in the empty wind. Her eyes widened in horror as she witnessed it rapidly devour itself, dissipating in the darkness. Her hands clenched the chain in panic, only for the chain to start devouring her hands as well. She’d yank her hands free of the chain, wincing as an ever aching pain consumed her. ”I’ll fight”

“Abandon!”

It was as if she had thrust her hands into the sun itself, its heat searing away her flesh and blood only to be caressed by the absolute zero of space which froze her bones only for the dark nothingness to crush the crystalized bone to dust. She’d cry out in pain, call out for anyone to help her, to save her from this despair. None but herself existed in this place however, this place where souls dissipated and lost their identity. “No, I won’t flee”

“Abandon all hope”

Her legs began to be consumed. Her body began to fall endlessly to the void. The stars, even the bleak moon above faded away as she fell. The chain reached her chest, boring away at her insides piece by piece. Tears streamed and crystallized over her cheeks, now flushed completely of color. Was she to die here? After all she fought for and suffered for? “I’m falling”

“Your soul ache with the memories of fate”

It was because of her weakness that her parents were killed. Had she had been stronger, they’d be alive and they would have been granted the ability to see her grow up such a strong and dependable woman. Without her death, there would be no futile attempts to save her from those such as Jyuria and Mariposa, leading to so many deaths. Had she been strong enough to endure, she wouldn’t have had to suffer in Hueco Mundo, or witness so many horrors. “I can’t stop."

“Only emptiness remains.”

Her eyes were sealed shut by the crystal that caked over her eyes. Only her head remained, left to fall endlessly and tumble. It was so scary here in the dark. Her thoughts and memories haunted her, the voices never ceasing. Something told her to give in, just let herself be taken by the dark and know peace, for in nothingness is true bliss found. However, she just couldn’t. How could she? Despite this, she was losing the strength to resist. Her body wavered and her mind clouded. She couldn’t die. She couldn’t die alone. If only Father were here to console with her, If only Mother were here to comfort her. “This descent never ceases”

“You know what, my first arrow knocked me on my ass to, you know.”, a familiar voice echoed in the silent emptiness. A strong hand reached out to her and scooped around her back, pulling her to her feet. Her eyes opened and her head glanced up, her father chuckling as he guided her left hand out. “Take only what you need. Visualize the target and the distance between.”, he’d say guiding her right hand back as if pulling back a bow.

“Now drink deep of the darkness beneath the void..”

A bow of crystal would materialize in her hand and as she pulled back the string a solid jewel of brilliance formed. The darkness erupted finding resistance in the nothingness. It swarmed around her attempted to smother the light she had held on to. “To fend off a hollow, your arrow must be strong enough to pierce its mask. Imagine a hammer smashing a mask. Imagine the strength it must take and draw upon the air for what you need”, another voice spoke. Her eyes glanced beside her and saw her mother, hands folded before her and beaming down upon her with pride. The cold receded and her hair fluttered with the warm breeze of home.

“..Where all the proud gods drink to their wages of sin”

The crystal concentrated. Her eyes narrowed as if aiming for her target. The light of her eye split the darkness, revealing her twisted mirror that was veiled within. Darkness poured from Yogures body from every conceivable orifice and more as if unable to hold back the flood of dark housed and contained within for so long. Every sorrow, misery, and despair poured forth and struck at her shield of light, but the target was now clear. “Breath deep and calm your heart until the right moment. Spread your feet and brace yourself, lest you fall over again, child.”

“Your tales, twisted and torn, into dreams this world is spun”

Her brow furrowed. Her heart pumped with strength once more. Her body regained itself. How could she repay her memories if she were to let herself fade away? Who would be there to remember the fallen she witnessed if she herself were to fall. To die a second death like that is to fade away forever. All of them, she would remember it all. Her parents, the soldiers who died before her, her comrades and friends who parted ways to fates unknown. To those with her and those who left the path she walked, each memory of them weighs heavily upon her shoulders. She need not bear this weight alone. Her comrades and friends help her bear this weight and carry this burden into the future. A captain’s haori is heavy, but the captain is held up by the division she leads. This is the mountain she swore to climb. As she climbs ever closer, the air gets ever thinner, but there is strength to be found her. The fire inside will keep her warm. The memories of the past will keep her steady and the dreams of the future will pull her up. “Yet, I still stand strong, Yogure. Invincible, and Forever!”

“Father, Mother, they say that weapons gain strength from being named, Does yours have a name?”, she’d turn her head, a faint smile playing upon her lips. The pair laughed and looked upon themselves and held out their wrists, their semi-shattered quincy crosses dangling from their wrists. “Our bows lost their names long ago.”, her father stated with only mild disappointment, an emotion overshadowed by the pride blazing in their eyes.

“Mine has one, this I know with all my heart.”, Miranda chuckled and turned her gaze to the target ahead. Something stirred within her, compelled to to draw upon this newfound thread of strength. She pulled and pulled, following it to the core of her being. Through out the pain and the suffering, beneath it all was a heart of crystal, radiating with blinding light. “Darkness is born of light. For as deep of void as this to exist, an even brighter radiance must exist. I have found it, Yogure. These memories are not a burden, but a strength and with it I call upon the Moon’s crystal light!”

Miranda drew the bow ever tighter, bending the unnatural crystal back to its breaking point. “Bankai! Accept the Moon’s embrace, Yoru!”, She’d fire the arrow into the never ending cloud splitting the darkness. The crystal spike collided with Yogure sending her flying back, ceasing the expansion of dark mist. Crystal formed at the base of her heels and expanded ever further, rebuilding that which was lost.

The colosseum was rebuild of pure crystal, twinkling in the overhead moon’s light. Miranda stepped forward towards the struggling Yogure, spend and depleted. Its bleeding fingers scratched at the smooth floor but all was for naught. Miranda stopped to admire her new clothing, a black greatcoat, not unlike what her parent’s old uniforms used to look like, though lacking the symbolism of their old allegiences and was black as a shinigami uniform should be instead of a Quincy white. A shinigami born of quincy blood, tis only fitting her powers should take this form. She’d smile and brush her messy hair to the side, shifting her eyes from the reflection to the struggling Yogure before her.

“I’ve suffered your pain, long enough.”, she’d state coldly, her hand gripping the empty air before her, lifting Yogure up by the spike in her chest. “Through you, i’ve touched the brink more than I’d like, but through this I have found strength and resolve. As thanks, I’ll give you the sundering you desire so much. From my soul you shall be separated. Without my energy to feed you, you will fade and become what you desire most, nothing.”

“Y-you can’t do this. You cant split your soul apart! You need me, otherwise you’ll not be whole.”

Miranda shook her head, imbuing the crystal with power. Like a cancer it’d grow covering the bloodied body of her adversary. “My soul has been etched into, shattered, hollowed, and cut, and yet it has recovered every time. I stand here today, bearing evidence that I can survive, that I can live if I so choose.”, she’d sigh and raise the dying shade up a bit farther, her hand clenching to a fist. “It is said that if an eye causes one to stumble, it is better to gouge it out and toss it away, for it is preferable to live with one eye than fall into the fires of Hell.”

“Goodbye, Yielder of thrones” Miranda bid as Yogure’s desperate pleas were silenced by the ever growing crystal. She’d let it fall to the ground and shatter beneath the pressure of her being. She breathed a sight of relief. She’d look to the moon above. “It was a good game, Puppetmaster Yoru. It seems I cheated. I’ve had plenty of help to overcome this challenge.”

“None can live a full life alone, child. Though hath won before I revealeth myself to thee”


-----

“Miranda, Miranda!”

Miranda’s eyes blinked and glanced to her side. The sun Beamed down upon her hard and alarms could be heard sounding. They were familiar sounds. She would hear them at least once a weak during their drill exercises. She scanned the area. Medical shinigami were scrambled about in the colosseum stands and flooring. Traces of rubble could be found strewn about. She blinked and looked at her hands then at the greatcoat she wore. “Oh. OH”

“Miranda you have to turn it off, you’ve set the alarm! Squads ten and seven are in route to contain you. Please, whatever this is, turn it off. You’re hurting the wounded!” Miranda turned towards the voice. It was the young Shinobi who help carry her out from the district. Miranda relaxed, the greatcoat fading and the crystal colosseum dissipating to the air around them in a flurry of sparkling reishi. The stress on her body kicked in , knocking her to her knees “Im sorry, how long was I out?”

“Its been a week, Miranda…”

“A week!?”, Miranda turned her head all around her. The devastation she cause had wiped out at least a quarter of the Squad 4 medical facilities. It would seem that everyone caught up in it was picking themselves up and retreating. “Captain Celes and Vice Captain Tima are going to kill me!”

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74 paragraphs counted, so that'll be 370 TP gained~! Looking forward to Miranda getting Bankai~ ^-^