A steady rain of water pelted down on blue hair and bare shoulders. The waterfall thundered next to the barefoot warrior who ducked his head under the spray just long enough to blast the dirt and sweat that had accumulated along his scalp.
"Why don't you come for a swim?" An overly cheery voice called him. He glanced out to the basin of cold, fresh water and the bobbing pink head at the center of it.
"I don't do, swimming."
"He means he doesn't know how," Toshiro corrected from the side of the pool. He was just drawing his shirt up over thin shoulders. Like Grimmjow, however, he didn't remove the sword on his back.
"Fuck you, Toshiro."
"It's true though, isn't it?" he asked, stepping out of his pants and tossing them with the rest of their combined clothing on the shore. He stepped into the frigid water as if it was a warm bath. The cold never bothered him.
"Weren't no water in Hueco Mundo, idiot."
"No grammar either, huh?"
Grimmjow bristled. The white haired teen didn't smirk at him, but that only made it worse. Toshiro could piss him off like no one else.
"Just try it!" Yachiru suggested as she splashed around.
"No thanks." Grimmjow continued his shower at the edge of the waterfall and ignored the teens splashing around at ease in the water. He had gotten through that swamp with Ichigo, but that hadn't really been swimming. He couldn't even see the bottom of this catch-basin where Toshiro and Yachiru were swimming. It was eerie and unnatural to him. Besides, one of them should stay out and keep watch over their belongings.
It had been a challenging week in mainland China. Ichigo's message of good will clearly hadn't spread beyond the islands of Japan. The three quickly realized their mission to reunite the lost soldiers of the war might be eclipsed by a greater mission: survival. Grimmjow knew Toshiro would want to spread the word about Ichigo, the end of the post-clash world—all of it. He supposed it didn't make much difference, it would just cause them more trouble—and that, he didn't really mind.
"Whoa, Toshiro!" He turned back to the teens at the awe-filled words. He saw the pair staring at the water's surface where Toshiro held a finger just barely touching down on the water. His face was creased in concentration, and surrounding his finger was white, solid matter: ice.
"Hey!" Grimmjow called and moved away from the waterfall at once. "Stop it!"
Toshiro withdrew his finger at once and shook himself, as if he'd forgotten what he was doing.
"You know playing around with your spiritual pressure is costly," Grimmjow reprimanded. Though the children had successfully regained the ability to perform flashstep, it wasn't without consequence. They were often tired and excessively hungry following any use of spiritual energy.
"You're just jealous," Yachiru argued.
"No, he's right," Toshiro said. "I apologize." He withdrew from the water, dried and changed.
Grimmjow let his back and pants dry off for a while and sat back on a flat rock in the sun. Yachiru continued to play in the water for quite some time. It didn't matter. They had supplies for the night and had already decided to make camp in an overgrown shrine just a few hundred meters from the waterfall.
While he was sitting he heard a chime come from his discarded jacket. He reached into the pocket and drew out the soul pager.
"Yo," he greeted when he flipped it on.
A light voice answered him. "Hi Grimmjow."
"Oh hey, Yuzu."
"I just wanted to check on you, see how you were doing."
"Fine," he watched Yachiru climb up on a protruding rock and proceed to do a cannon ball into the water. "Well, as fine as I can be babysitting these guys."
"Grimmjow…"
"Yeah yeah, I know, be nice, but you know me Yuzu."
"Yes, I do."
He scowled, but with her, he couldn't use his usual retorts. "You know what I mean, kid."
"I do. You'll like them more when you get to know them."
"Toshiro's like a walking dictionary and Yachiru's like six years old."
"More like twelve, Grimmjow. There's a big difference."
"Whatever."
He heard her conceal a chuckle. He rolled his eyes. "Well what's up with you an' the reapers?"
"I wish you wouldn't say that like it's a bad word."
"It is a bad word." A sigh. "Yeah, yeah, save the lecture, you're right," he conceded quickly. He escaped the lecture and got an update about a sudden swell of souls from Northern China and an investigation into what was going on there. Grimmjow returned his gaze to the children. If he could just learn to tap into his spiritual pressure like them, he could go up North and find out for himself what was going on.
"I know what you're thinking, Grimmjow, and just give it time. Your spiritual pressure was depleted at the Restoration. It will take longer for you to be able to draw on your spiritual pressure than other people."
"And it might never happen," he grumbled. Rukia hadn't even shown signs of being able to use hers yet.
"I'd tell you to be patient, but I know you too well."
"Yeah." He leaned back and stared up at the bright blue sky. "You don't got any tips or anything?"
"No."
"Shit."
"You'll be fine."
"Of course I will, but I'd be better if I could fucking sonido. Wipe that smirk off Toshiro's face at least."
He heard her laugh. There wasn't much else to say. After a quick goodbye, they disconnected. He put the soul pager back in his jacket and returned his gaze to the pool of water, now empty. In start, he realized Yachiru was nowhere in sight.
"Where is she?" He stood up and followed Toshiro's gaze. The boy was calmly staring right back at Grimmjow.
Two hands slammed into his lower back, harder than a normal child could deliver. He staggered off the edge of the bank and got a brief glimpse of Yachiru's bright smile before he plunged beneath the ice cold surface of the water.
The cold was bone deep. How had she been swimming carelessly in it? His breath escaped him in a multitude of white bubbles. He waved his hands frantically, trying to claw his way back to the surface.
"You're dead!" he screamed the moment he refilled his lungs upon breaking the surface. He kicked frantically to keep his head above water and worked his arms awkwardly back and forth.
"You need to know how to swim!" She smiled down on him. Toshiro had now come to join her.
"Yachiru, you shouldn't have pushed him in," he reprimanded. "He could have drowned."
"He'd just go to Soul Society."
"You're psychotic!" Grimmjow was slowly working his way toward shallow water.
"You're doing it wrong!" She ignored his comment and followed him along the shore, shouting instructions on how to better tread his way through water. He ignored them all until he was on all fours, panting on the shore.
"You better start running," he threatened as he regained his breath.
"You'll never catch either of us," Toshiro reminded. "Besides, she wasn't wrong, you really should learn how to swim."
"Fuck the both of you."
"You're choice," Toshiro shrugged. "If you want to drown next time we need to cross a pond, be my guest."
Grimmjow bristled. Why the fuck had he ever agreed to join these two?
"I'm going to start a fire for supper," Toshiro said after a moment. The pair went off toward the shrine and left Grimmjow in his soaked pants on the water's edge.
"I can't believe you didn't strangle her."
He didn't even look up at the new voice. "You wanna take her place, Kurosaki?"
"Well, you'd be hard put to kill me, since I'm already dead."
"Yeah, don't remind me." He sat back on the sparse grass. "If you were still alive, you'd be the one travelling with me and not them."
"True." Ichigo unstrapped the sword from his shoulder and set it on the shore. Next he removed his haori. "But they weren't wrong. You really should learn how to swim."
"Not you too…" Ichigo stripped to his underwear and stepped out into the water. Grimmjow didn't join him right away. "Were you up North?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Yuzu called. What's going on up there?"
"Trouble." Ichigo was up to his waist but went no further. His face betrayed his worry.
"What? Shouldn't be anything you can't handle."
"That's the thing, Grimmjow. I can handle anything. But should I?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not, God. Just how much should I interfere in things in the world of the living?"
"Well you are the one who said he was going to restore order."
"No, I didn't. I said you should—the people still alive here. Soul Reapers were never supposed to rule over this world."
"So tell me about up North. What's got your panties in a twist?"
"Just the violence—gangs that have formed and are fighting one another for control. I think they plan on trying to rule China, almost like the old rulers."
"Just crush them with your spiritual pressure."
"Again, not really what Soul Reapers are supposed to do."
"Well, then that's where we'll head next. I don't mind kicking some ass."
"I know you don't, but I'm pretty sure the situation is bigger than the three of you can handle."
"Fuck that." Grimmjow stood up now and undid his pants. He rung them out with annoyance and spread them over a rock. "What the hell's the point of this mission if we don't get to fight some people?" He stepped back into the water and tried not to let Ichigo see him cringe in the cold.
"There will be plenty of people to fight everywhere else you go."
"Yeah, but then who'll solve your moral dilemma for you?"
"Grimmjow, the day you solve anything moral for me is the day I retire and hand over Soul Society to you."
"Yeah, and the day I'm a reaper really will be the end of existence. Just fucking show me what to do."
They swam until the sun began to sink and Toshiro called that food was prepared.
"I should get back," Ichigo said before they joined the others. Grimmjow rolled his shirt over his shoulders and Ichigo strapped his sword back on. "I just thought I'd stop by, since I was already over here."
"You don't have to babysit me, if that's what you're doing."
"I know, that's Toshiro's job."
Grimmjow's shoulders bunched and he cursed him out while Ichigo laughed.
"Seriously though, I'm glad you're with them. They don't think they need help, but some adult supervision is required in this world."
"Don't patronize me. I know I'm the weak link here."
"Trust me, you aren't, Grimmjow." When he said it, Grimmjow couldn't detect the lie.
"Fine. I'll keep them out of trouble as much as I can."
"Good, because there is a lot of trouble out there. Keep your pager close. If things ever get too much—"
"I'll handle it."
"Don't be stubborn."
"Me? I don't know the meaning of the word," he smirked, Ichigo did too. They left it at that.
"See you later, Grimmjow."
He crossed back into his realm. Grimmjow turned back to the fire and the children who'd already started eating without him.
"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Toshiro asked when Grimmjow joined them.
"Tomorrow, we head North."
I just couldn't let go! I don't want to write another epic saga, but I wouldn't mind having a few snapshots of Grimmjow's journey with the "twerps." And Ichigo will be making frequent appearances. I'll update as inspiration strikes, please "follow" if you are interested.
Also, I have a question: does anyone know if it's ever been mentioned in the canon if Soul Reapers can speak multiple languages? As I write about them travelling the world, I am wondering if Soul Reapers are able to communicate in all languages or if the ones from Seireitei just correspond to Japan...? I am just trying to figure out if Yachiru and Toshiro might be able to speak other languages or if Ichigo, now that he is a full-fledged soul reaper, might have some ability to understand all languages.
Thanks,
Riza.
