Ferris Wheel Fate
It was one winter night when I met a human child. From that moment, the wheel of fate started to turn.
Like the Ferris wheel we once rode, our fate seems to circulate. Our meeting, our departure next time I will save you.
Maybe then, we will be free from this cruel fate of ours. Kokoro…
Walking down a road in the human world I grumbled to myself angry as Ulquiorra had once again gotten in my way during a battle. "I swear I'll kill that guy." I cursed him as it started to snow. Looking up at the dark sky, I watch the little frozen droplets of water falling down to the ground. "It's pretty isn't it?" A voice called as I saw a human child looking up at the sky from her window. I had thought for a second that she could see me but that thought quickly disappeared. How could a human child see me? But to prove me wrong she looked at me smiling as I felt a slight wave of reiatsu from her. "Aren't you cold mister?" She asked able to see me clearly. I didn't know how to react as a human child had seen me. Should I just kill her or leave her since she was no threat? "You look weird mister." She called giggling before she left closing her window. 'She dare to insult me?' I thought just when the front door opened. The child ran out wearing a jacket holding a black scarf in her hand. She motioned me to come down in eye level with her, which I did for some odd reason. "There. Now you won't be cold now mister." She said wrapping the scarf around my bare neck. The thought of killing the child quickly left my mind as she smiled at me. Was this what they called innocent or was it stupidity? "You're one strange kid." I told her standing up. "I guess I am. I see things other people don't." She said looking down. It didn't surprised me having such ability for a human child at her age would only lead to trouble. "What's your name?" I asked not knowing why I was getting myself involved with the child. She looked up surprised as if I asked something wrong. "Kokoro." She whispered as a soft smile spread on her lips. "Nakashima Kokoro, mister was the first one who asked for my name." Kokoro said happy. I felt pity for the girl just because she could see spirits the child was left alone just because she was a little different she was excluded from the world. The bitterness for the humans raised inside me those low creatures. However, one day they will cease to exist by the plan of Aizen Sousuke but that also meant that the girl in front of me would also die. That one thought I did not like. "You're also one of them right mister? Other people can't see you right?" Kokoro asked looking up at me with her large brown eyes. "I guess." I told her looking away, the child did not seem to fear me and I did not felt like shooing the girl away either. Why was that? She was getting attach to me and I didn't mind. "Take care then Mr. Spirit. Don't stay out in the cold for too long or you'll catch a cold." Kokoro said before running back inside where it was warm. She smiled waving at me before she closed the door. I stood there for couple of more seconds before chuckling to myself. I, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques the number 6th of the Espada was just treated like a weak human by a child who talked with him without fear. "Ah, the real world is too cold." I said as I walked on with the scarf wrapped around my neck keeping me warm.
I stayed for a couple of more days in the real world just letting the time past by as I had nothing to do even if I return to Hueco Mundo. Just sitting in the three overlooking the humans who would walk by normally not able to see me. It was boring in the real world, as everyday seem to be of the same. A loud scream of a Hollow caught my attention as there was something different finally happening from the boring cold day. I felt the Hollow coming closer as the child I met couple of nights ago ran by. I only watched as the Hollow went past me chasing after the girl. 'It was meant to be.' I told myself many times closing my eyes. Humans would die turning into spirits and couple of them will turn into Hollows. Those Hollows would eat other humans with high reiatsu such as the girl. And those shinigamis would kill those Hollows and us Arrancar tries to kill them. It was always like that so why did I feel uneasy? Why did it feel wrong for her to lose her life that way? Opening my eyes I looked to the direction they had went, would I regret this? I did not know…
Kokoro ran, as it was nothing new that she was being chase. Those monsters would always chase her and all she could do was run, as she has no power to protect herself from them. No one would save her as no one could see the monster that chase after her. People will only watch the 8-year-old zoom by not knowing what was wrong. To those who could feel bit of the Hollow's presence would talk among themselves saying 'a curse'. Tears rolled down Kokoro's cheeks as she was losing hope. Feeling alone in the world Kokoro let out her tears that held all her pain and loneliness. "Save me." She called ever so quietly wanting to be free from not the Hollow that was chasing her but from the cruel fate that bound her to be alone. Tripping over her own tired feet Kokoro only embraced herself as the Hollow caught up to her. "You're such a troublesome kid." I said scratching the back of my head standing between the two. Kokoro looked up at me with her brown eyes filled with tears. "Mr. Spirit." She called crying as if I was her hero who came to save her. "Mr. Spirit?" I asked not liking the nickname. "Don't get me wrong kid I'm not here to save you I'm only here to kill some time." I told her facing the Hollow in front of me. "Also my name is not Mr. Spirit it's Grimmjow." I called killing the Hollow by one powerful punch to the mask. I watched the Hollow disappeared before looking over my shoulder where Kokoro wiped her tears away. Sighing to myself I didn't know why I saved the kid but I felt no regret from it. I helped her up wiping away the last tear from her face. "Thank you." She said grabbing the sleeve of my jacket. Humans where such fragile being and for Kokoro standing in front of me seem even more fragile. "Come on let's get you home." I said shoving my hands in my hakama pockets. Kokoro nodded walking by my side holding onto the sleeve. Why did I go out of the way for the child? What was the warm feelings bubbling inside me? Why do I feel sad when I think of leaving her? Moreover, why did the child attach herself to me was it because she doesn't know how dangerous I am or was it by her loneliness? Questions raised in my mind as we walked up the road to her home. Stopping in front of her house, I waited for her to let go of my sleeve and run inside. "Will I see you again?" Kokoro asked hopefully. "Probably not." I told her crushing that little hope she had. "I guess that's true, I don't know what will happen to me." Kokoro said knowing that there will be more Hollows chasing her as she grows up. "That look doesn't suit you." I told her, as she didn't smile once. Kokoro looked up as I lean down gently brushing my lips on her forehead. "You won't be getting chased by those Hollows anymore." I told her leaving my reiatsu on her that would protect her from the Hollows. "Grow up into a fine woman Kokoro." I told her as she let go of my sleeve stun. I turned away walking away as a smile returned to the girl. "Thank you, I hope we'll meet again. I won't give up I'll keep fighting, Mr. Spirit." Kokoro called waving. "It's Grimmjow." I yelled back at her but she just laughed before running into her home. I could not help but to smile myself. I met a strange child one winter night who could see me. I had saved her from a Hollow when she was going to be killed. And she smiled at me having the punk to call me Mr. Spirit even when knowing my name. If only I had known then that, the wheel of fate entangled our lives together that day.
I forgot how many years past after I returned to Hueco Mundo. During that time, I had forgotten mostly about the girl I met that one winter night in the real world. However, a black scarf lay folded in my room since the day I had returned keeping me from completely forgetting her. "Grimmjow I need you to go get some information down at the human world." Aizen Sousuke ordered, as I knew that time was coming closer. "Fine." I replied going back to the real world as the faint memories rose in my mind. Arriving in the real world, it wasn't long before I completed my mission. However, I found myself standing in front of a playground than returning to Hueco Mundo. Things change that's also part of life. I looked at the space that once was the place where that child's home stood. "Mr. Spirit?" A voiced called pulling me back out of my thoughts, as I knew that reiatsu. I turned to see not the small child who smiled at me and cling to my sleeve but a young woman. Her lips formed a smile that was still the same. "You're still calling me that?" I asked sighing scratching the back of my head. Time had indeed past and Kokoro was now in her late teens. She grabbed the end of my sleeve as she did as a child. "I knew that I could see you once more." She said as I noticed her eyes that once showed her loneliness now held warmth. She had indeed kept fighting as she said. "Just like you had said then I was never attacked by the Hollows again. Thank you for protecting me" Kokoro said, as I felt something different inside of me. It was different from the feeling I had before when she was a child. I didn't know what it was as it was something of the human emotion I had forgotten. I didn't answer her as I felt the little reiatsu I left on her has been fading during all the past years. 'It won't be long until it completely disappears.' I thought then there won't be anything protecting her. "Can you come with me for a while?" Kokoro asked taking my hand pulling me somewhere. "What?" I asked as I was dragged away from my thought. "I told myself that if I met you again I must go on that with you." Kokoro said pointing to the large Ferris wheel that was not far from where we were. I let out a sigh as I walked by her side while she held onto the sleeve of my jacket. Why did I let her drag me on to the Ferris wheel? Inside the small car why did my eyes only stay on her while, she looked out to the sky. "I have a feeling I might never get to tell you if I don't say it now." Kokoro said as her eyes reflected the color of the setting sun. "You were my very first crush." Kokoro said turning to me as what she told me seem to take a while to set in. She smiled laughing at my surprised face. "Did I grow up to be a fine woman?" She asked as I held my head with my hand. "What woman? You're still a kid." I told her smirking as she laughed. It seem childish -no foolish- of the time we spend talking, laughing, walking together with her holding the sleeve of my jacket. But I knew I was even more foolish as I finally understood this new emotion that Kokoro brought out of me. I had fallen in love with a human girl that I had met one winter night. The child I had saved when a Hollow attacked her, the child I protected with my reiatsu for the past years. The girl who now grew up and brought this new emotion onto me. Still the time seem blissful as I wished tomorrow would never come but how stupid it was. The magic will disappear after midnight and tomorrow will be a new day.
Indeed the magic disappeared and I could never be prepared for the sight I saw that morning. All I could feel was the numbness of my body by the sight in front of me that I could not take in. No, I didn't want to take it in. Emotionless I look down at the girl who had talked with me just hours ago on the ground lifeless. It was not by a Hollow as even so faintly my reiatsu still linger on the girl's body. It was by another human who had cut the white string of Kokoro. A single tear rolled down my face as I turned away. "I knew this will happen sooner or later." I said leaving heading back to Hueco Mundo. Humans were to die in their own time maybe it was fate that Kokoro was attacked by the Hollow years ago but I had only interfere with that and let her live a little longer since her fate seem to be the same. However, I do not regret saving her that day but not being able to protect her this day. Just as the newfound emotion had appeared last night, it shattered as the sun rose. How fragile life was and how even more fragile was the heart of emotions…
Time had finally come to attack Soul Society head on and I could not wait to go wild. To fill that emptiness inside me I had killed many Hollows and Shinigamis not caring who they were. It was the only way for me to take out the anger of emptiness inside me that she had left behind. I didn't blame her how could I? I had locked away all of my memories of her deep inside my mind and broken heart. Charging through the lines of the shinigamis who tried to hold their ground it was not even pathetic. Chaos was the only word as the battle with the Soul Society raged on. I was surrounded by rage completely blinded as the blood lust gotten better of me I destroyed everything around me not caring if it was shinigami or an Arrancar. I had turned into a monster but I didn't care I lost every meaning. Breaking through the low-level shinigamis, I made it deeper into the enemy's force where the other Espadas were battling with either the captains or the Lieutenants. Taking down couple of Lieutenants weren't hard as I was stronger than them. I would have killed them there but I froze when I felt that reiatsu. Blood lust and rage dissolved, as I was completely lost. My eyes searched for the source of the reiatsu as my mind denied who it belonged it but there she was in a black shinigami uniform holding a Zanpakuto. "Kokoro." I called seeing the brown hair girl I thought I had lost. Her brown eyes meet mine as it seems time froze for us. All those time I spend burring her memories deep inside me where I couldn't reach them seems like a waste as all the emotions from then came back crystal clear. "Mr. Spirit." Kokoro called surprised herself. However, our meeting shorten by a Hollow's scream. "Kokoro!" I yelled as I tried to reach for her as she looked over her shoulder at the incoming Hollow. Blood hit my cheek as my eyes widen. "Nakashima-fukutaicho!" The close by lieutenants called also seeing the nightmare in front of me. Blood painted the sky and the ground as the Hollow's claw had gone through her chest. "Kokoro!" I cried out as her body fell to the ground. Ah… It was the same image again… I stood over her body emotionless, numb just like that day. Kokoro's lips moved as she tried to speak. "We met again Mr. Spirit." She said smiling. "Idiot how many time did I told you my name already?" I told her kneeling down by her side. Kokoro grabbed the sleeve of my torn jacket. "This isn't fair just when we meet again…" She said as life faded from her eyes slowly. "Next time when we meet again let's go on the Ferris wheel again. Next time I'll become a fine woman, a woman who you would fall in love with Grimmjow." Kokoro said as her grip loosen on my sleeve. "Idiot." I called as my tears fell on her face. "Why do you have to call my name for the first time when you're dying?" I asked hold her close to me.
Did fate enjoy tearing us apart? Making us to meet that winter night our lives became like the Ferris wheel we once rode circulating from the strange meeting and the painful departing. How many times more will this repeat? Is it truly Kokoro's fate to die in each life like so? Bound to be alone… It was too cruel. I had fallen in love with the girl who's fate was too cruel. Next time… I swear… Next time I will save you. I'll break that lonely chain even if it means to go against fate I will not let you die. I will not lose to anyone for you. The next life I'll surely save you and we'll ride that Ferris wheel once more. But this time I'll be the one confessing my love to you. Kokoro…
Fin