I think my drabbles are already making me want to write more. So, I did, even though I should be in bed, sleeping, since I have to be up in about 4 hours to train for my new job. I just couldn't not start writing this somehow. This is probably the only part of the story that will be in soul society. The rest will be in the human world, and definitely has some semi-AU. Hope you all enjoy this!

Prologue

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

This wasn't the ending.

Gin's greatest fear had always been death. Now, he looked forward to it. Twenty-nine days had passed by slowly as he counted the minutes that would erase him from existence. He hated that he had been given the customary grace period.

The final battle had begun, and even so, he was still jovial enough to be glad his old lieutenant was doing well. Captains and lieutenants began to fight the espadas as he was enshrined in Ryuujin Jakka along with Tousen and Aizen. They all stood idly, Gin was a little bored, looking forward to the victory he was sure would soon happen.

Then the fire faded, and Gin looked for his lieutenant to see how he fared. A dark, cold ripple ran through him when he saw Izuru bent over Rangiku. Half her side was missing, just below her ribcage. But Izuru was a capable young man when it came down to it; Gin knew his childhood friend would be all right. However, they caught his attention, and he neglected the rest of the battlefield.

As the fight moved towards Aizen, Gin's gaze remained towards his childhood friend, and he did not come to Aizen's aid. Gin saw the scene replay in his head a hundred times. Aizen gave a single, short order to an espada, "Kill them."

The espada's sword went though Izuru's back to pierce Rangiku's heart. Izuru had lived.

Rangiku died.

Gin could feel it the moment she died; her reiatsu blinking out.

He hadn't known he loved her until then. He hadn't known she had his heart.

Shinsou shot out into Aizen, Gin couldn't remember releasing the zanpakutou. Aizen gave him such a look, not believing the betrayal at first. Such a man should have known better, after his betrayal of soul society, of Hinamori. He had made it possible for soul society to win, but none of it mattered to him by then.

The girl he had given a birthday to was no more. If he had never let Aizen convince him, persuade him that Aizen was something akin to god, she might still live. And Gin realized, too, how his betrayal must have hurt Rangiku, and he hated himself for it.

The day Gin finally left the repentance cell and to the Soukyoku hill, he was relieved. The great soukyoku had been destroyed, but there was more than one way to destroy a soul forever. Gin knelt over a stone slab, and the executioner raised a mighty axe.

Gin's smile was gone, and he was glad he wouldn't be able to hurt Rangiku in her next life, or any others.

The axe fell.

Yeah, it starts off sad, doesn't it? But maybe if I get all the sadness out of the way now, I'll get to write lots of happiness later, I hope.

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