AUTHOR NOTE: I have decided to change this to just a 100 Oneshots thing for Ichiruki! Too hard doing random couples . . . ==' (I swapped this chappie with the first one because technically I wrote this one first.)

Anyways, ENJOY!

DISCLAIMER: kekekekekekekeke, I love being the author! All the characters are like putty in my hands, ohohohohohoho!

MAYURI: . . . You are quite a creepy girl.

ME: ~jawdrop~ Like you have any to say for yourself! You're just as bad and creepy and etc.

MAYURI: I see, this a classic case of what I call "Defensive Bleach Fan girl Mode".

ME: O_o, excuse me?

MAYURI: Let's see your list shall we?

ME: My list?

MAYURI: Of people you fan girl over of course! The longer the list, usually the heavier and longer the symptoms are. ~Brings out several sheets of paper~ Hmm, your list exceeds more than one page, I think that alone is worthy of experimentation.

ME: Um, well, heheh, I'll just be um, going now! BYE!

MAYURI: HOLD IT! You are quite an interesting specimen, there's no way I'm letting you go! Nemu!

NEMU: Hai, Mayuri-sama.

ME: ~runs as fast as she can~ Well, enjoy the story while I get my brain dissected my Mayuri!

Caught in my inner world,

Filled with despair, pain and darkness.

Nothing could break through.

All trying to see me,

They saw me.

But they didn't see me.

Nothing will ever go back to what it once was.

But the future can heal the past.

A single meeting,

A chance of fate.

Sealed our tomorrow forever.

2. Omoide

"Sode No Shirayuki?"

There was no answer. A bitterly cold breeze blew across the field of lightly frosted snowdrops. The flowers swayed lightly, little crystal flecks of ice dropping off in the process. There was no sound except for the crunching of the ice underneath her waraji as she walked. After walking for a long time, the scenery hadn't changed and the spirit still didn't appear. Time in the inner world seemed frozen like ice all around; so harsh, empty, and cold. It was unbelievably lonely, and without the spirit, it seemed even more so.

Could this really be her inner world? Could it really have changed so much?

The last time she was here, the breeze had felt refreshingly cool; the grass wasn't frosted and there was only a little shower of snowflakes that hadn't even felt cold. Everything had felt so beautiful then; so stunning and alive. The iciness wasn't vicious but rather comforting and familiar. And most of all, Sode No Shirayuki was there.

All in Soul Society called her zanpakuto the most beautiful; the most elegant. Even her attacks were done in a flowing manner and were named as dances.

But she didn't think so.

Zanpakutos were a part of the owner; truthfully, they were the owner. It was as if they were showering her with those useless compliments.

The great Kuchiki family and the great Kuchiki Byakuya; that was all she ever heard when she got adopted.

He has a little sister who looks very similar to deceased wife, and who had the most beautiful zanpakuto.

All they saw was that. They didn't bother finding out what she was truly like, and how she truly acted.

She closed her eyes and remembered.

All except one.

But he was gone. Long gone.

For a while she was plunged into a world of despair, drowning in her own thoughts. Suicide was briefly considered for a while. Nothing helped, nothing distracted her. Then, an order came from Ukitake. She was to head to the world of living to check and help with the hollows. She didn't tell Byakuya. He wouldn't have let her go of course. Non-stop hollow hunting for 24 hours, it had helped distract her some.

Then she had met him.

He had a shock of electric orange hair as well as a foul mouth and a horrible attitude. Towering high above her, he stared her down with that condescending scowl of his. But his warm chocolate eyes always betrayed his true feelings, no matter what he said or did. His features and his personality were similar to him. Maybe that's why she decided to save him. Or maybe she just wanted to do something to prove that she hadn't become a solider that just killed when told to.

She felt alive again.

After so many years, she felt more alive than she ever had in death. And before she knew it, she had fallen in love with the world of the living and its inhabitants.

"Please. Sode No Shirayuki."

So much had changed since that night she met him. The whole of Seireitei had been turned upside down twice; once by the ryoka and the other by Aizen. All that time, she had no-one to turn to. They kept Shirayuki away from her, leaving her isolated and depressed.

"Rukia-dono."

She whirled around to find her Zanpakuto spirit floating behind her.

"Shirayuki. . ."

Her zanpakuto looked tired, defeated, and not so beautiful anymore. There were heavy bags under her eyes, and her skin took on a pale, unhealthy glow. The delicate arms and hands were bony thin and fragile.

"Rukia-dono. I'm sorry to appear before you like this, but your thoughts and mind reflect this inner world and no matter how hard I try I have no control over it."

The sparkling white kimono drooped and Sode No Shirayuki stood on the grass. It reminded Rukia of that time she lost to that Hollow which had nearly killed his family. She had been too distracted and depressed about Kaien-dono, thus her zanpakuto failed her in battle.

"I too grieve with you, Rukia-dono. I too miss the companionship of Zangetsu-sama."

Rukia's eyes widened.

"Shirayuki, I-"

"Rukia-dono. You have to take care of this inner world, already it is fading. If it fades away, I too shall vanish with it."

Suddenly Rukia was jerked out of her inner world. She opened her eyes to find Ukitake-taicho leaning concernedly over her. As soon as he saw he open her eyes, he gave a sigh of relief and sat back on his legs.

"Thank goodness. You were unconscious and no matter what I did I couldn't wake you up. Are you alright?" He smiled gently at her before collapsing into a massive fit of coughs.

"Ukitake-taicho!"

The Captain had leaned back and was frantically patting his chest to quiet down the fit.

"No, no. I'm quite alright!" He managed to choke out.

"Maybe you should go for a walk Kuchiki-san, clear your head?"

Rukia stared at her Captain. Even when he was under a constant illness he never considered spending his time helping himself, only to help others. It reminded her of how he acted; protecting everyone, not even thinking about his wounds in battle. She thought she would have lost him forever that day at the Soukyoku. But naturally, he being the stupid idiot he was, had come at the last minute and saved her.

"Ah. Yes, um, perhaps I'll go back home."

A gentle, understanding smile appeared on Ukitake's face.

"Yes, that would be good for you I think Kuchiki-san. The zanpakuto training area is about to close soon anyway."

Rukia nodded and stood up.

Rukia felt a bit bad for lying to Ukitake; after all, he was her Captain and he did really want her to get better. But, she had did part of the truth. She had gone home, and then she took the Kuchiki private senkaimon to the Living World.

She breathed in the freshness that came with wind from the river.

It felt good to be back in Karakura again.

The sun was just beginning to set and cast an orangey yellow over the town. Rukia flash stepped high into the air, until all of Karakura was visible.

"Kuchiki-san! Yaho! Kuchiki-san!"

She looked down at the bridge and saw a flash of orange hair waving furiously at her. Her heart started beating extra hard and fast for a couple of moments before she realised it was Orihime Inoue who was calling her.

She raised a hand to acknowledge that she had heard her but didn't move.

The other girl seemed to get the message that Rukia didn't really want to talk. She gave one last wave and then walked off, oblivious to the looks that the other people gave her. To other people, she would have just been waving at thin air; nothing.

Rukia slowly walked around Karakura Town, visiting the places that she often went with him; the shops, the park, etc. Nothing much had changed.

It was dark midnight when she finally stopped walking, her feet starting to give her some pain. She looked around and was greeted by a familiar sign.

Kurosaki Clinic

The lights were off downstairs and upstairs meaning everyone must have been asleep. Rukia let herself grin a little, of course, it was midnight. Who wouldn't be asleep?

Unable to control her curiosity, she leapt up through the open window of his room and landed softly on his desk. Her feet ruffled some papers that were on it, but it didn't wake the orange haired teen on the bed next to it.

It still surprised Rukia how calm she felt when she saw his sleeping face.

His usual scowl was gone and he so much more peaceful.

She could just stare at his face forever. The way his hair fell just a little imperfectly past his face made her want to reach out and brush it back.

"Mmm."

She froze; but then relaxed a second later. He sleeps talks now?

"Mmm . . . R . . . Rukia . . ."

Ba-bump.

After all this time, the way he spoke her name still managed to set her heart off.

The aching pains in her chest made her want to fall to the ground and weep with frustration and anger.

It wasn't fair.

They were so close.

Never had the words "So close, yet so far" been truer to describe the situation.

"Ichigo."

She whispered his name. The name she had not dared to think about or say in over a year.

Her voice sounded funny; like she was going to cry any second. It was filled with such despair and longing, something she had thought she would never sound like.

Rubbing her eyes which had gotten a little blurry, she forced herself to be reasonable and jumped out the window.

That's all she'll ever be to him. And he'll ever be to her.

Just a blurred memory from the past to be forgotten.

AUTHOR NOTE: sobs I feel so sad now after writing this. I miss ichiruki action! DAMN YOU KUBO! BRING HER BACK DAMMIT; BRING HER BACK TO ICHI WHERE SHE BELONGS! sobs

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