Title: I Wanna Keep Your Memory
By: BloodyTears87
Paring: Byakuya/Ichigo
Warning: Spoilers for Memories of nobody, Bleach movie. If you haven't seen it you won't really know what's going on.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach unless we're talking about the DVD box sets…
Summery: Takes place towards the end of Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody. Ichigo takes Senna to the cemetery but it's Byakuya who finds him there not Rukia. No lemon this time.
One-shot could be come a 2 shot
They all stood on the bridge silently celebrating a job well done. They had just rescued Senna from Valley of Screams and stopped the real world from colliding with the soul society. Everyone was there Uryu, Urahara, Tessai, Ururu, Jinta, Rukia, Renji, Chad, Orihime, Captain Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Captain Zaraki, Yachiru, Soi Fon, Yumichika, Hisagi, Byakuya, Ikkaku and Izuru.
"You actually did it Ichigo," Uryu said softly with a smile on his face.
"Job well done," Urahara agreed. Ichigo save a small smile before turning to Senna. "You're all to be congratulated."
"You're alright we were so worried," Orihime told him. The carrot-top turned to Rukia and Renji.
"Rukia, Renji thank you," he told them sincerely.
"You idiot It's not like we did it for you," Renji said blowing it off as nothing.
"Yea I didn't think the big moocher had it in him," Jinta jibbed. Senna walked over to the rail of the bridge and looked down at the Valley of Screams in the water with worry.
"What are you talking about," Renji said lazily.
"Don't worry we'll feed ya," Jinta assured mockingly. Ichigo looked on with a smile before turning to Senna and reaching into his shirt.
"Senna! I almost forgot, I still have your ribbon," he said pulling out a long red hair ribbon. She didn't say anything just looked on at the river.
"Ichigo…" she said softly. The wind came up then and blew the ribbon out of Ichigo's hand.
The ground began to shake and the wind came up and got faster from the gravity pulling the soul society and the real world together on a collision course. Rukia was brought to her knees as the earth began to move.
"What's this all about?" she asked.
"It isn't stopping," Renji confirmed.
"Then what's going to happen?" Orihime asked with worry.
"This isn't good," Urahara commented. Senna jumped out into the middle of the river, then standing just above the valley of screams.
"Senna!" The substitute soul reaper leapt out after her. They both stood above the Valley of Screams.
"Tst why's this happening?" Ichigo asked frustrated.
"This is bad," Kenpachi said in his usual gruff voice.
"Damn it!" Toshiro cursed turning to the others. "Isn't there anything we can do?"
The wind picked up and waves began to crash on the shore. Senna's eyes got big before she closed them and began to smile. She opened them and reached for Ichigo's sleeve. He looked at her with a scowl but his eyes were filled with concern.
"Ichigo… I'm scared…" she told him.
"Senna…"
"I wont do it, I just can't. I can't allow it," she said looking up at him with determination in her eyes. "Not when this is such a wonderful world. With so many beautiful people living in it. Not where you live Ichigo! I can't let that happen!" she let go of her grip on his shirt and backed up.
"It's ok," she said bringing her hand to her heart. "The blanks are still near me and I'm not afraid of them now. If I return their memories to them then they'll be at peace and the barrier between the two worlds will be strong again." She started to glow.
"But Senna…" Ichigo said with a frown.
"If the world were destroyed, then there would be no Ichigo." she turned to him again and smiled. "I can't imagine a world without you." The glowing got stronger then.
"Stop! You can't do this!" the substitute soul reaper yelled. She looked up at him again with tears in her eyes.
"No Ichigo! I can never allow you to die instead of me!" Senna yelled. She was surrounded by swirling wind then and Ichigo tried to reach her but it was no use.
"No! Senna! Senna!" he yelled running towards her. They were both engulfed in the wind. A glowing green light came off the river.
The two worlds became stable again.
Ichigo… I have a favor to ask…
The carrot top walked slowly along the river bank carrying Senna piggyback with a sad look on his face. His hair bounced slightly with each step he took. Silently he walked across the street. They walked slowly still in silence as they reached a grave yard where Ichigo stopped just outside for a moment before walking in. Ichigo took them down the rows of graves.
I want you to take me back… and check my family grave… Remember yesterday when I told you it was here. I was alive once and I lived in this town I know it…
"Yeah…" he breathed. Senna smiled over his shoulder.
"I don't remember everything, but I did have a family. I'm certain of it." she said softly. "I was in this world and I was alive. So there had to be a name on the grave." He stopped walking.
"It was right around here," he said softly.
"It was just down this row," she confirmed. "Fourth from the end." he turned down the row until he reached the right gave. "Is there a name?" Senna asked. Ichigo kneeled down to look. "My vision is blurred. I can't see very well."
Ichigo leaned in and looked at it. He stayed silent for a while not saying anything with a sad look still on his face.
"Is it there?" she asked. Ichigo didn't answer for a moment then he closed his eyes.
"It's there… clear as day," he lied perfectly before standing back up. "You used to live in this town, you had a family." Senna started to cry with happiness.
"I'm so happy," she said as tears fell down her face. She started to glow orange as she began to fade away. "I feel warm, Ichigo… will we ever meet again?"
"Whatca talkin' about? Of course we will," he told her looking like he was about to cry himself. She slowly faded away till there was nothing left. He dropped to his knees and cried, unaware of the person walking up to him who had been watching the whole time.
"The energy from the blanks is slowly dissipating," Byakuya said in his cool calm voice as he watched the teen struggling not to let tears fall. "Soon it will all be gone. Once that happens everything about Senna will fade from our memories. She was never alive." Ichigo stood up and turned to the Kuchiki noble then.
"I know she'll be gone soon, but right now I can still hear her voice," Ichigo told him with eyes full of pain. "I want to keep her memory."
Byakuya understood it well. Ichigo had fallen in love with that girl or at least cared deeply for her. Just as he had fallen in love with Hisana so many years ago but Ichigo was never given the chance to show her. They stood there looking at each other in silence. Byakuya didn't understand what it was about this human that made him want to comfort him. However being the noble that he was he didn't act on it.
"Why…" Ichigo's soft voice broke the noble out of his thoughts. It had been barely above a whisper but he still heard it. Byakuya wasn't sure what he was asking.
"Kurosaki?" he asked unsure but he didn't show it.
"Why does everyone I care about keep disappearing?… It's not… it's not fair," he struggled with himself to say those words. Afraid that voicing it out loud would make him selfish.
"How could I possibly know," Byakuya stated though he knew Ichigo wasn't really looking for an answer.
"Why does everyone around me think it's okay to sacrifice themselves for me?" Ichigo ask again this time a tear escaping from his eye. "My mother, Rukia, Orihime, Chad, Renji… Senna… why do these people think I'm worth more then their lives?" he was getting frustrated now.
"My mother died to save me and that was all my fault. Rukia was going to let herself get executed so that I would live! Orihime, Chad, Renji… they're always coming to my rescue when I need them, always saving me…" the tears were falling freely now. Byakuya said nothing, just letting Ichigo let it all out. "Senna, do you know what she said to me?"
"No," Byakuya said simply.
"She said that she couldn't allow it… that she could never let me die instead of her. She said she couldn't see a world without me in it… how stupid is that? Like I could ever be that special. I always try to protect the people that I care about, but in the end it always seems that they're the ones protecting me."
"You have nothing to be ashamed of Ichigo Kurosaki," Byakuya finally said unable to suppress the need to ease some of this boy's pain. "There is something about you that causes those close to you to have an unwavering loyalty. They respect you and care for you just as deeply as you care for them. They could never do anything to betray you because you are just as important to those you hold dear."
Ichigo didn't respond or even look up. He just sniffled and tried to stop his tears. He was embarrassed to have the captain of the 6th Division try to console him.
"To Senna you are someone worth dying for. Do not dishonor her memory by belittling yourself." the noble said sternly. He walked over to Ichigo and place a red ribbon into the young soul reaper's hands. Ichigo recognized it as the one he had given to Senna. He was surprised at first but gave a warm smile for the first time in a while.
"Thank you, Byakuya." he said softly.
AN: Well I know it was short and probably dumb but I couldn't get it out of my head after watching the movie. If enough people like it I'll post another chapter and this is probably gonna be a little bit of bya/ichi shonen-ai/yaoi