So thesleepless asked for an IchiGrimm in my 'To My Blue Kitten' series even though I was already planning to follow up with a GinGrimm. But lately I've been obsessed with samurais and the Edo/Tokugawa period of Japan (to be honest, I'm in love with the anime "Samurai Champloo". Samurais and Hip Hop music. Need I say more?)and the story I have in mind for the GinGrimm doesn't fit in. Hence I decided to make a separate IchiGrimm story :D
It won't be long. Just around 5 chapters but less than 10 chappies for sure.
So this story actually came to me during one of my history classes when we were studying pre-WWII and how Japan stormed China, devastating the place. They burnt down villages, killed many civilians and raped the women before killing them too. The number of Chinese who were murdered went into millions. It sounded so brutal and cruel that just reading about it made me shiver in horror.
However, in this story, the Japanese are the victims and the ones invading are the Americans. The year is 1853, towards the end of the Edo period. I made up the town but I'll use actual Japanese places otherwise. Inspirational songs I listened to while writing this:
Obokuri Eeumi by Ikue Asazaki
Mystline from the Samurai Champloo Soundtrack
Counting Stars by Nujabes
All songs are from that soundtrack. As you all can see, Samurai Champloo was a MAJOR inspiration for this piece XD I do urge samurai-obsessed people like me to watch it. It is so nostalgic of how anime used to be PLUS the soundtrack is A-MAZINGGG
*end of rant*
'Oi,' Grimmjow growled, trying to push the heavy man off him who was still thrusting hard and fast inside him. He winced at a particular thrust. Shit, that hurt. 'Oi, your time is up. Get the fuck off me and pay up.'
'Dirty little mouth you got there, huh, street rat? Thought your job was to satisfy me,' the fat man panted, sniffing so loud that the sound of phlegm travelling down his throat echoed in the dark and dingy little room. Grimmjow felt himself throw up a little inside his mouth. 'Well, I ain't satisfied yet. Just think of it as an extra bit of money earned, ne?'
Grimmjow gritted his teeth and returned his gaze to the floor as the man continued to pound into him from behind. That disgusting lecher should be done by now.
When Grimmjow had spotted him eying his young frame, it had made his skin crawl. But Grimmjow knew it was the easiest way to earn big numbers instead of the measly amounts he tended to get serving food in restaurants. Fat, disgusting men like this one enjoyed young, lithe boys for bedmates, if only for a night, and paid handsomely when they truly enjoyed themselves. And if Grimmjow wanted to keep food on the table for his family, he was going to have to suck it up and just deal with it. And besides, he rather it be him than Nel.
When the man was finally done, he heaved a big sigh. Grimmjow prayed that the big oaf wouldn't fall on top of his tiny frame and thankfully, the man fell to one side.
Legs shaking a little, Grimmjow stood up, wincing at the pain lancing up his spine, and tied the thin strip of cloth that served to keep his yukata in place.
'My pay?' he said coldly. He could barely see the man's face. Not that he cared. It was better that he didn't know what the man looked like in case Grimmjow might have nightmares about him.
The man grunted and pulled a bag out from his pile of clothes strewn on one side. He pulled out a few coins and dropped them into Grimmjow's hand. Grimmjow counted the sum. He then looked up to glare at the fat pervert.
'Bastard! This is less than you owe me!' Grimmjow snarled, clenching his hands into fists.
'You complained,' the man answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 'I didn't like that.'
'Don't be a miser, you miserable cheat! You should owe me the amount you promised!'
Apparently, the man didn't like being spoken to like that. He suddenly got up, with some difficulty though, and grabbed the front of Grimmjow's robes.
'I should cut your tongue out for that insult, street rat,' he spat out, literally spitting out flecks of saliva at Grimmjow who turned his face away in disgust.
Then, as if one second thought, the chubby man threw Grimmjow across the room. Grimmjow stumbled a bit before getting his balance and glared at the man. He knew better than to ignore that threat. Men like this one probably had tough bodyguards to do their biddings. And Grimmjow didn't want to wait around for that.
'Grimmjow! How's the family?' yelled a broad man while he dusted the entrance to his shop. Grimmjow grinned at the smiling man as he sprinted by with a package under his arm.
'Same as usual! Watch out for Jinta, Ganju-san!' he yelled before disappearing around the corner, his dark blue yukata with the faded white leaves and branches print riding up to his knees as he ran.
It was going to take forever to reach home at this rate. He was going to have to use his shortcut instead.
Running into an alley, he jumped atop a few boxes and scrambled onto the roof. Keeping to the roof's tip, he thudded across before leaping to the next, barely making it, and almost hit his chin on the tiles. When he reached the end of his third roof, he slid down before using the rain gutter as a ladder to reach the ground. In another 2 minutes, he was panting before a tiny shack with a cloth for a door. He braved a smile and walked in while lifting the package high in the air.
'Neeeeliellll!' he called out. 'I brought food!'
A head of shocking sea-green hair popped out from the only other room in the so-called house. The young girl's gray eyes widened and she smiled widely to reveal a gap between her two front teeth.
'Arigato, oniisan!' she giggled and ran in to give Grimmjow a hug around the middle. She buried her face in his chest. 'Arigato…'
Grimmjow laughed and ruffled Nel's hair before guiding her to the low table in the middle. He unwrapped the package to reveal a lumpy load of bread along with a few slightly dry fishcakes.
'Why are you thanking me? It's my job to feed us!' Grimmjow teased and broke a piece for both of them, leaving a large chunk as well as two fishcakes. That was for someone else.
Nel quietly took her share, murmuring the usual Japanese thanks before a meal and took a bite. Then, she put her piece down and folded her hands in her lap.
'Every day, when oniisan goes out to work, I'm always afraid that it might be the last time I'll see oniisan,' she said softly. 'And when you come home, I want to cry because I'm so happy I'm not dreaming. I always fear dreaming because if I see you there, then it might mean…that you no longer exist. Just like…just like the time…I dreamed about…otosan…'
Nel was crying. Great, thick tears were pouring down her face and she hiccupped loudly. Grimmjow tutted and crawled around the table to cradle her head against his chest once more, running his fingers through her soft tresses.
Nel was probably the most beautiful girl Grimmjow had ever seen in Yonu. With her large, innocent gray eyes, cute button nose, heart-shaped lips and lovely green hair that looked like sea foam, men would flock to any brothel if she worked there.
But that was why Grimmjow refused to let her work in one. He wouldn't dare let anyone touch his little sister. She was too innocent and pure to be subjected to such disgusting acts. But when otosan died, and that okasan was probably heading down the same path, Grimmjow feared that might be their only way of raking in any money to support their family.
Still, he refused to even ask his 15-year old sister of such a thing. He just couldn't. So instead, if anyone was going to sell themselves, it was going to be him. He was aware of disgusting perverts who preferred little boys to women. Though he was only 19, he was small enough to pass as 16. And apparently, men liked his shoulder-length sky blue hair and sharp cerulean eyes. It was what caught their attention and piqued their interest. He might not be as breathtaking as Nel, but he was decent-looking enough to earn plenty to bring food home.
'I dreamed about okasan, oniisan,' Nel sobbed. 'I dreamed about her standing on a hill and waving to me. I tried to call her back but she just smiled and began to walk away. She just…she just walked away…and didn't even look back…'
'Hush, Nel,' Grimmjow murmured. 'It was really hot today so I'm not surprised that you fell asleep and dreamed such a horrible thing. Next time, I'll be here to wake you up so you don't have such nasty dreams. Hm? How does that sound?'
Nel sniffled as she nodded and wiped her face on the sleeve of her tea-pink kimono with jade leaves embroidered on them. It was something she had made in her spare time and although the leaves were wonky, Grimmjow had still praised her for her work. She had beamed so proudly Grimmjow had joked that the sun was probably jealous of her.
It was times like that when the two needed to support each other no matter how much they wanted to break down as well. They needed to be strong especially when things were at their worst.
Because as their mother would say, when she was at least able to get out of bed by herself, 'If the sun was to turn off its brightness and the moon did the same, then the world would never know what it truly means to see.'
'Let's finish up so we can feed okasan,' Grimmjow added.
Nel nodded.
'Hey, Jinta! Up for a little game?' Grimmjow yelled from atop a tree. The redhead looked about into the dark night in confusion before looking up to scowl at Grimmjow.
'Fuck off, blue boy!' he snapped and stomped off down the village dirt path.
Grimmjow barked a laugh before jumping to the ground to catch up to the simmering boy. Guess he was still pissed at Grimmjow for stealing his apples the other day.
'Calm down, Jinta! That was only a joke!' he tried to reason but Jinta continued to scowl in anger. 'Tell you what? You play a game with me and if I lose I'll pay back for those apples! How does that sound?'
Jinta didn't stop walking but Grimmjow could tell from his expression that he was thinking about it. Grimmjow grinned.
'Last one to get to the Shiba store has to buy the winner whatever he wants!' Grimmjow stated. Jinta stopped a few paces in front of Grimmjow. Then…
'You're on!' he said as he turned around with a grin. Suddenly, he was off before Grimmjow could get a word in. Grimmjow blinked in surprise.
'Cheater!' he yelled and took off after the laughing redhead.
'You're not going to win this time!' Jinta yelled back at him.
'We'll see about that,' Grimmjow muttered.
He spotted a man-powered rickshaw standing idly against a building. Grinning, he made a beeline for that, using it to climb to the roof without slowing down the slightest. If it had been anyone else, they would have broken their neck in the process. But not Grimmjow. He was used to getting his way around Yonu like this. It was as natural to him as breathing.
Jinta was too busy running to notice Grimmjow gaining on him from the rooftops. Still, it was going to be a miracle for Grimmjow to win this one. That is, if he hadn't seen the ladder casually propped against the building he was running over.
Quickly grabbing it, Grimmjow used it as a catapult to project himself across the street, over Jinta and right in front of the Shiba store. Jinta stared at him with his mouth open, frozen in place. Grimmjow pushed his hair off his face and grinned wickedly.
'I'd like some anmitsu, please,' he remarked teasingly. Jinta saw red.
'Fuck you,' he muttered but stomped into the shop to get the sweet for Grimmjow. As soon as he disappeared inside, Grimmjow started laughing like crazy. But he stopped when he saw Ganju pushing Jinta out, a look of fear clear across Ganju's face.
'You boys have to leave!' he hissed. Grimmjow stepped back, his eyes wide. He had never seen Ganju look this scared. It frightened him a bit. 'One of our watchers spotted a group of invaders heading this way! And they did not look friendly! You must hurry home and warn your family to leave at once! It is no longer safe to be in Yonu!'
'Hey! Wait! Ganju-san!' Jinta yelped. 'Who're these invaders? Why are they coming to Yonu? Our town is too poor to be worth invading!'
'They are wearing the coats of the Americas,' Ganju whispered fearfully. Grimmjow and Jinta's eyes widened.
They had heard about the Americans. The brutes used force to get their way. They were not to be trusted. They were nothing but savages and delighted in spilling blood. All of a sudden, both boys' blood ran cold and they felt like they had already died.
'When will they get here?' Grimmjow demanded. His thoughts were already wandering to the sleeping figure of Nel and his sick mother.
'I do not know. Now. Soon. A day. But they will come, Grimmjow. You just have to worry about leaving. We are all heading North,' Ganju replied before retreating into his shop.
'Ganju-san! If I bring my okasan and imoutosan, may you please take them with you? I have to help the other villagers escape so please swear you will take care of them!' Grimmjow pleaded to the empty doorway. A pause. Then Ganju returned, his look grave.
'You have an hour, Grimmjow. I will leave then with my family. Do not waste time,' he answered.
Bowing, Grimmjow left, followed closely by Jinta.
'I wish you the best, Jinta! It was nice to know you!' Grimmjow yelled as they parted ways at a fork. Jinta nodded and smiled before the houses blocked him from Grimmjow's view.
'Nel!' Grimmjow hissed as he shook her awake from the futon. 'Nel! Wake up! We have to leave!'
'Huh? Why?' she whined and got up sleepily, her eyes almost glued together. Grimmjow licked his lips.
'We just have to, Nel,' he murmured. Now she was wide awake. She could sense the unease in his voice.
'Oniisan, what is it?' she murmured and touched his arm.
'Yonu is going to be attacked.'
Her eyes widened in horror.
'Pack whatever you can. I'll carry okasan. Hurry! We don't have much time!'
Nodding, she scrambled out of bed as Grimmjow tiptoed to their okasan's room. He gulped as he saw her. She was pale and frail as this morning. If light shone on her skin, it would be so translucent you could see her veins as clear as day. It made him sick knowing that every day she was dying a little and there was nothing he could do to save her. He felt so helpless when he looked at her.
Right now, he knew he couldn't abandon her. Even though she was just as good as dead, he knew she was fighting to stay alive for them. So if she wasn't going to give up on them, Grimmjow wasn't going to give up on her.
'Okasan,' he whispered softly as he wrapped his mother in all the blankets on her futon to keep her warm. It seemed no matter how many blankets she had, she was always as cold as ice. 'We have to leave.'
'Is it time already?' she said feebly, her eyes still closed. She smiled lightly. 'I was waiting for this day.'
Grimmjow swallowed miserably. She was probably thinking he was Death here to take her away.
'Yes, today is that day,' he whispered as he carried her bridal style out of their shack. He looked back at it. It was a pitiful place to live in but it was also good and sturdy, even on the worst of days. He was sad to see it go.
Nel emerged with a huge bundle of their belongings and a few scraps of food leftover from this afternoon like the loaf of bread and fishcakes their mother couldn't finish. Her appetite was diminishing every week.
'Where are we going, oniisan?' Nel queried once their house was a good way behind them.
'To the Shibas,' Grimmjow explained. 'They are going to take care of you so don't forget your manners and be a good girl, okay?'
Nel stopped in her tracks. Grimmjow stopped walking when he realized she wasn't following. He turned around and was shocked to see tears in her eyes.
'Nel! Nel, what's the matter? Don't cry, Nel! Please don't cry!' he coaxed, anxiety rising. He needed to be calm. He couldn't lose it.
'Are you not coming with us?' she cried, tears pouring like a monsoon storm. 'Please don't leave me, oniisan! I don't want to go without you! I don't! I don't!'
'Nel, I'm coming with you! But first, I want to make sure everyone else gets out too!' Grimmjow explained frantically. 'There are some families, less fortunate than us if you can believe, who need help leaving Yonu! I can't just abandon them, Nel! You must understand!'
'B-B-But then I'll never see you again! I know it! I just know it!'
'Nel! I promise I will come back to you! You know when I promise I never break my promises! Especially to you! So please, I need you to be strong and take care of okasan! Can you do that for me? Can you be strong for me?'
Nel tried to control her tears as she nodded but all the way she was sniffling. Grimmjow felt a fist clench around his heart and he bowed his head.
He wasn't trying to be a hero. He was just doing what he thought was right and helping the villagers who had been so kind to him and his poor family. He hoped Nel understood that. He hoped Nel knew that even he couldn't live without her and that he was going to come back no matter what.
Suddenly, he heard Nel scream. He quickly looked up and gasped, almost dropping his mother in the process.
Yonu was ablaze with flames. He could hear the crackling of those fiery tongues and how the wooden houses were splintering under it. And also, he could hear screams of terror…
'Oniisan!' Nel sobbed and her knees buckled under her. 'I don't want to go! I don't want to!'
Grimmjow gulped. He looked behind and saw that the fire was spreading. They were trapped. The only way out was going straight to the Shiba store.
'Nel, please,' he said pleaded. 'We have to go on. We need to reach the Shibas. Do you understand?'
She kept crying as she got up and her hands shook as they treaded through the burning village, avoiding fallen burning timber and screaming villagers. They even spotted some men in coats with harsh looks. They had guns which they used to shoot terrified villagers. Grimmjow recognized some of the villagers. One of the women had been a mother of two. He wondered where the children were.
'Heartless bastards,' he muttered as they rounded a corner. He sighed in relief when he spotted the Shiba store, undamaged.
'Ganju-san!' he cried out when he saw the store-owner standing outside anxiously. The man looked relieved when he saw Grimmjow.
'You're lucky I hadn't left yet!' he snapped and took Grimmjow's mother from his arms. 'My oneesan was telling me we should leave but I told her I promised you I would wait! She called me a soft fool! You better pay me back for that, Grimmjow!'
'I will! I will! Just hurry now!'
'Where's Nel?' Ganju asked.
'She's right he-!'
Grimmjow turned around and froze. Nel was gone.
His heart leaped into his throat. Where was she? She had been right there behind him! Where could she have disappeared to?
'Grimmjow! We have to leave now! Where is Nel?' Ganju yelled as a group of screaming villagers ran past. The fire had now reached the store and was starting to burn it.
'I can't find her!' Grimmjow shouted, panic creeping into his voice. Ganju noticed and his face creased in worry. 'I-I need to find her, Ganju-san! Please don't leave without her! Leave me but please don't leave her! I'll find her! I'll find and bring her back! If she isn't here in five minutes you can leave! I promise you that!'
'Grimmjow!' Ganju called but Grimmjow was already off, panic making his heart palpitate like a wild horse.
'Please let her be alright! Please let her be alright!' he chanted in his head, each time the phrase making his heart skip a beat. Every corner spoke false promises of her presence. And every time, the flames in that dead end would hiss and laugh at his despairing situation.
'NEL! WHERE ARE YOU?' he suddenly stopped and screamed to the burning village. A boy scrambled past him, bumping his shoulder as he ran away.
Grimmjow's face was sweaty, his yukata and hair smudged with soot. But he didn't care. He needed to find Nel. He wasn't going to give up until he found her.
Heart sinking, he rounded a corner and almost immediately, his heart took a leap. Green hair. It was just a flurry before it disappeared but he noticed it. It was Nel. Nobody in the village had hair like hers.
'Nel!' he whispered in joy and stumbled forward. He found her! He found her! Now all he had to do was-
Grimmjow froze as he saw a tall, lanky mane with pin-straight black hair grab his little sister by the elbow and shook her. That man said something rather harshly he couldn't understand but the way Nel was crying out in pain indicated that he was gripping her cruelly and didn't care. The man was dressed in a green coat and blue trousers. He was an American.
Fear flooded Grimmjow's system. He had to save Nel. Before this man hurt her horribly.
The man suddenly shouted. Nel had just bitten his hand, making him retract it but only to bring it back to slap her harshly across the face. She tumbled to the ground, whimpering. She was never the strongest. She always relied on Grimmjow.
He quickly swooped down on her, spreading her legs to accommodate him. His hand slithered to the front of her robes.
At that moment, he must have been shocked when Grimmjow charged in with a battle cry, shoving the American off Nel and onto the dirt floor. Breathing hard, Grimmjow didn't waste time in picking Nel up and pushing her out of the alley.
'Go! Get away! Go to Ganju-san!' he called out. She turned around with teary eyes.
'Oniisan!' she cried out, trying to grab his hand. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the back of Grimmjow's collar and threw him back. Nel screamed.
'GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, NEL!' Grimmjow roared.
He heard the scampering of feet and stood up to face the sneering American man, who he noticed had an eye-patch over one eye. Grimmjow glared angrily, as if daring the man to try something.
He hated this man for touching Nel like that. He wanted to beat the shit out of him. But this man was not worth it. He promised Nel he would get out alive and that was what he was going to do.
His eyes flickered about, trying to find a way to escape. Then, his eyes landed on a pole leaning over a box. He could catapult himself out of here. But he had to act quickly. This man did not look like he moved slowly.
Grimmjow took a step to the right. The American did the same. Then, Grimmjow stepped to the left. His opponent copied him again. The lanky man smirked. He probably thought he had Grimmjow all figured out. Well, he had another thing coming.
Grimmjow feinted going left and quickly changed courses to scramble to the right, reaching for the pole. The man, however, didn't fall for the trick. Within the blink of an eye, he had yanked the pole out of Grimmjow's hands and used it to force the boy to the floor.
Grimmjow groaned from the impact. Shit, this man wasn't as idiotic as he looked!
The American laughed, like it was some kind of sport to him. Then, he got down on his haunches, his smile widening in a frightening way. Grimmjow leaned back on his elbows, the man's very face sending chills up his spine.
Suddenly, the man whipped out a hand and Grimmjow thought he was going to slap him. Instead, he grabbed Grimmjow's chin in a vice-like grip. Then, his eyes travelled all over, taking everything in. Grimmjow tried to muster as much hatred as he could from his eyes. That only made the man grin more wickedly.
He barked a laugh, leaning in so close Grimmjow could see the sweat and soot streaks mixing together before disappearing down his collar. Grimmjow froze as he felt his belt loosen. He looked down quickly and saw his belt completely untied. His heart beat frantically. He wasn't stupid. He knew what was going on.
He began to struggle, trying to push the man off. The man laughed even louder before pulling Grimmjow's legs so that he was between them and Grimmjow couldn't kick him away. Grimmjow's yukata slid further apart and he desperately tried to keep it closed and away from the man's lecherous gaze. But the man pushed Grimmjow's hands away, holding them over his head while using his body to stop Grimmjow from closing his legs.
Grimmjow gulped in fear. It didn't matter what he did. This man was going to rape him. Right here. Right now. Amidst all the burning buildings. And then kill him.
He could see it in the man's eyes. Those cold, hard eyes that spoke of death and destruction.
Grimmjow wanted to scream, to call for help. But he knew nobody was going to come. And his throat was so dry he'd probably get no more than a whimper out.
He was trapped. So utterly trapped and helpless. He couldn't believe he was going to break a promise to Nel. She was going to cry again. And this time…this time he wouldn't be there to calm her.
He suddenly stilled. A loud, commanding voice had just echoed in the tiny alley.
The American suddenly stopped sliding his hands over Grimmjow's bare torso. Grimmjow breathed heavily, the smoke now clogging his lungs and making him dizzy. He tried to see who had just made his attacker pause but his sight was too blurry to see anything. All he could see was a strange, unfocused figure with...fire on his head?
The lanky man got off Grimmjow and Grimmjow watched as the man stood before this blurry stranger. In fact, now everything was out of focus for Grimmjow. He could barely make out the flames around him. All he wanted to do now was sleep. His eyes fluttered. Why was this stranger so much closer to him now? And why did it look like he was smiling at Grimmjow?
'Hello, there,' a soft voice whispered from the strange blurry figure. 'Are you hurt?'
Was it just Grimmjow, or did the strange man with the fire hair just speak Japanese to him?
Before Grimmjow knew it, he had blacked out.
So, what do you guys think? :3
Oh! And Anmitsu is chilled gelatinous cubes with pieces of fruit! Hey! I don't eat 'em so don't go green and think, 'what the hell is she writing about?' hehehehehe