VISITORS
hmmm. Just enjoy. I had a dream twice today...
After the death of his father, Ichigo took the habit of getting up in the early morning before Yuzu and Karin were awake and driving to the grave yard by himself, just to talk to the old man.
He was happy to say that Isshin had died of natural causes. He went painlessly, but he'd known he was going to die. When you've been touched by death like that, in more ways than one, you just know those kinds of things.
"There's a shinigami right here beside me Ichigo. Or maybe I'm hallucinating, because I know you can't see her. They are going to give me a welcome, back home." he laughed a little. He'd closed his eyes moments later. And stopped breathing.
That was the worst death Ichigo had ever witnessed.
Here in the grave yard, the sun was peeking over the horizon, painting everything a light yellow. The mists still had yet to dry. He stopped when he noticed someone standing in front of a grave.
"Grimmjow?" the war had been won a long time ago. Almost too long ago to remember. He'd almost forgotten that some of the espada and arrancar had survived that day...or week, however you wanted to look at it.
Grimmjow glanced up at him. Eyes turning back to the grave. "I thought I had forgotten...I did forget. I wonder how I remembered..."
"What are you talking about?" he lit incense on his father's grave and prayed. And then his mother's. Grimmjow stood in front of an old grave, one that had been beside his mother's since it had been placed there.
"This is my grave... sometimes I forget I'm dead." he smiled a little. He was too strong for tears. But Ichigo didn't think he'd ever seen such a sorry expression, there in the sunlight, sun still trying to dry the mists that hung over the mountains like spider webs to a tree. "My mother gave me such a pretty name. And what do I do? I forget it." he laughed hard. It grated Ichigo's ears. Such a hollow laugh.
"I guess that means praying here is useless." Ichigo said slowly, lighting a stick of incense anyway. Grimmjow shook his head.
"Sometimes we still hear prayers. If we're lucky, we still have loved ones we can watch over and protect. I don't hear those prayers anymore, Ichigo. I've gotten deaf, I've forgotten. Look at me, visiting my own grave just so I can remember the things I shouldn't have forgotten."
"Sometimes we all need reminders." Ichigo crouched down, leaning against the cold stone of Masaki's grave. He stared up at the espada...no ex-espada. They were friends now, because it didn't really matter. Aizen was gone. Grimmjow turned to his side, piercing blue eyes scanning the rolls of trees and hills.
"You know how we try to keep from going hollow?" Ichigo shook his head, but he knew Grimmjow wasn't looking at him. " we try to remember all the things about life that we loved. We try to hang onto our names. But slowly. We forget. And we try to hold onto that precious last piece. But even that's torn away from us." Ichigo nodded, not really understanding, but still feeling the pain. He smiled suddenly.
"Well. You remember your name now, don't you?" he asked, heaving himself off the ground. "And if nothing else, I'll be the loved one that still offers you prayers." Grimmjow smirked at him. He turned his back, waving over his shoulder. He snapped and opened up a portal. "I'll see you later then Grimm– no. Chitose!"
Grimmjow turned to him, and gave him the happiest grin he'd ever seen. "Sure, Shinigami." He snapped again and the portal began to close.
"You still have friends here." Ichigo told him quietly. He wasn't sure if Grimmjow had heard him, but he was still grinning when the portal closed. That smile was the last thing he saw.
OWARI
I tried to make this a little Grimm x ichi, considering I'm in that mood. I don't think it worked. Yes, I named grimmy chitose, which is 'one thousand years' I like it... hollows seem like the kind of things that try so hard to be human, but fail so completely.