Scarlet Love: Unforgettable Memories of Nobody

The Finale

Ichigo POV:

We were walking on the bank near the river. Senna, Orihime, and one of her friends, Touka, were in a group ahead of us soul reapers while Chad, Uryu, and Tatsuki lagged behind.

What caught my attention first was Senna's abrupt stop. Second, I followed her eyes to the figure of a woman standing in the middle of the road. Third, I heard the screeching of tires. At the last moment before my heart dropped to the ground, the woman turned, and I saw a silvery chain hanging from her chest.

It looked like the car went straight for Senna, but that wasn't true, was it? No, she noticed the spirit first, saw the car coming, and pushed her friend and Orihime out of the way.

I heard a sickening smack and then high-pitched squealing.

I know I yelled her name, but I couldn't hear myself. I barreled down the incline to the river and leaped over the car's hood to get to her. I fell to my knees, my hands hesitating just a moment before rolling her over to her back.

"Senna?! Senna?!" Her eyes were closed, and blood trickled from her nose and beneath her hairline. Red did not suit her paled visage now.

"Go! Take her to the hospital! We'll deal with the hollow." It was Rukia, already in soul reaper form.

I didn't even sense a hollow right now. I was too numb. I could follow her instructions though. I fumbled through my jacket that was still wrapped around Senna, whipped out my combat pass, and left my body without a second thought. It was true I could get her to the hospital faster than any ambulance. I'd deal with the fact that I was invisible to most humans when I got there.

...

The worst part was leaving her there with the doctors. I made sure they had her before I left the waiting room. It wasn't until the cool night air hit my skin that I realized how awfully I was trembling.

I don't know how long I sat on the lawn crying. I don't know when Rukia and Renji came to collect and bring me back to my body. It was all a blur, but sometime later, I found myself sitting at Senna's bedside in the hospital. She hadn't woken up yet, but as soon as I was told she was stable enough for visitors I was there.

She had a broken collarbone and stitches in her head. There was green bruising underneath her left eye and across her cheek that would develop into a more noticeable wound soon. Monitors beeped, IVs pumped, oxygen flowed, and in the middle of it all was my Senna.

I'd give anything to see her smile again. I had her hand in mine, but her touch wasn't the same like this. It was... cold. I heard crying.

Crying?

It wasn't me this time. It was coming from behind.

"S—Senna?" She was standing there with her very own chain anchored to her chest, head in her hands, and sobbing.

"Huh?" Her eyes snapped up. "I—Ichigo?"

"I'm here," I tried to reassure.

"Y—You can see me?" Her voice was so fragile it cracked my heart. Truth was that she was transparent even to me, but it was her no doubt. She was wrapped in a white robe, and while I was happy it wasn't blood red, white just didn't seem to suit her either.

I stood and tried to reach out to her, but my hand passed right through.

"Does this mean I'm dying?" She sniffed. I instinctively looked to her monitors. I didn't know what I was looking at, but nothing was beeping any different than earlier.

"I—I don't know," I answered honestly.

"If I did die though, I could be a soul reaper like you..."

"No Senna! Don't talk like that..." Bile rose at the thought. "Maybe... Maybe you'd be able to become a soul reaper, but there's no guarantee. I don't know how long it'd take, or if you'd even remember who I was..."

Her eyes turned to the floor again and I thought I saw a glimmer of tears on her pale cheeks.

"I thought... I thought you wanted to stay with me Senna?" I croaked out, cheeks already soaked.

She gasped, finding my eyes again.

"I will... I will..." She took a step up beside me, looking down at her body. There was sadness in her eyes, but I couldn't blame her. There was a long road to recovery ahead.

She placed a hand over her physical body's chest and faded away. The monitors jumped for a moment, but they settled far faster than my own heart.

What the hell was that?

With how scattered I'd been since the accident, I wondered if I imagined it. I'd never heard of souls being in between like that, much less seen it myself. I didn't know if I could see her because I was a soul reaper, or if it had something to do with her strange abilities.

What I did know was that it took 3 minutes and 37 seconds for her eyes to open. After fading back to her body she took a deep breath almost immediately, and soon after I felt her fingers start to twitch under my palm.

I was ready, but in the moments before her eyes opened, I felt the strange twinge of guilt in my gut. I persuaded her to stay; to endure this broken body and the process of healing. My words were selfish ones, and she was going to have to pay the price.

"Senna?" Her eyes would focus on me for a moment, then roll back. "Senna, I'm here."

"Mmhh," she hummed, squeezing my hand. "I—Ichigo?"

"Yea, I'm here."

Her face scrunched as she attempted to move her other hand to wipe her eyes.

"Hey, be careful. You're hurt."

"There was... a woman... and the car," her voice creaked out.

"Yea, it was a spirit. The driver must've been able to see her."

"No one was hurt?" She looked right at me.

"You're the one in the hospital Senna." An exasperated chuckle escaped my lips. Of course she'd be thinking about others at a time like this. "You got Orihime and Touka out of the way."

"Good," she closed her eyes, nodding.

"Senna, do you remember anything from when you were sleeping?"

Her eyes opened and she looked around.

"I remember... being here. Were you there? I heard your voice."

"Yea, I was here." I nodded, tears suddenly pricking at my eyes again.

"I'll stay," she nodded again, her eyes finding mine.

"Good. I'm so glad Senna."

It wasn't long after that her parents got to the hospital. They were thankful I'd been there and was able to get Senna the help she needed. The next day, the whole friend group showed up with flowers, snacks, and nice gifts. Senna was doing great and still smiling despite everything. She didn't appreciate when the news got ahold of the story, but that was just because she didn't want anyone fussing over her.

Two days later she got discharged from the hospital complete with a dark blue sling and a black eye. Her parents made her stay home from school the rest of the week, but I was over every day I was allowed. Rukia and Renji even offered to take care of the hollows while I kept her company.

And that was it. After that, Senna and I were labeled as a couple. We followed our usual routine with a date here and there, and she started to open up more about her encounters with spirits. She was even able to help us soul reapers out sometimes with the way she could sense them.

I asked her to the spring dance, and she said yes as long as it wasn't quite as memorable as homecoming. I made sure it wasn't. She wasn't allowed anywhere but under my arm and away from the roadside whenever we walked anywhere from that point forward.

It was crazy to believe the girl who I happened to catch a ribbon for all those months ago was such a permanent fixture in my life now. Almost as crazy as becoming a soul reaper, and definitely just as lifechanging. 

THE END

I hope you all enjoyed the story! Please let me know what you'd like to see next! :)