Title: Why Not?
Author: Higure-kun
Pairing: light HichixIchi and one-sided IchiRuki

Rating/Warning: PG-13
Words: 1729

Author's Note: Wrote this thinking about a picture I found on DeviantArt. It simply captivated me. The art can be found here: Not?

She could already feel her body slowly shutting down. Her wound was fatal and she knew there wouldn't be anyone to save her from this. No one would be able to. Not against him. The girl choked and swallowed the bile trying to rise in her throat, pushing the feeling of betrayal down in her gut. She opened her eyes, a tear that had been threatening to fall finally treading down the side of her face. Her vision was already failing, but this was not the last thing she wanted to see.

Those eyes bore into her, grinning. It made her grip on the bone-like item in her hand, not understanding why it was ending like this. That grin and those bright eyes… They couldn't, no, shouldn't be looking down at her like this. It should have changed…

"W-why?" she rasped.

Chocolate colored eyes gazed half-heartily down at the trolleys moving along the rolling hills of the city. The wind from the ocean was spraying salt into his eyes and hair but he couldn't care less. He often rested on this particular windowsill, just simply watching everyone go about their lives, oblivious to his presence. The name Kurosaki Ichigo was foreign to their ears and not a single soul here knew of him. That's just how he wanted it. Ichigo wanted to live his life with no one knowing his name or where he had come from. It made it that much easier if one day he decided to leave this place.

Not even the shinigami that had been posted here had greeted him. Though the teen had seen the guy, he made sure not to get caught. Ichigo would have to applaud the guy if he had even been able to detect his presence at the time or even now. The hybrid had learned long ago to hide his pressure from those who could detect any spiritual pressure. It also helped that he gave up slaying hollows. He no longer cared or wanted any part of Soul Society in his life. It was their fault…

Ichigo closed his eyes, blocking everything out. It had happened too fast for his liking. No one even saw this coming. Urahara and Shinji didn't. Even his own father didn't think that Soul Society could sink this low. Not even four months after the war and Soul Society had passed their sentence on all the Vaizards. They were a danger to the balance and were seen as a possible threat. The Vaizards, even though they had helped defeat Aizen and his army, were to be executed…

\\\\\\\\\(FLASHBACK)////////

I can't feel them anymore, King, his Hollow said in a serious tone.

"Who?" Ichigo asked, locking the doors to the classroom. He had been on cleaning duty and was just finishing up. The teen was ready to go home and get some much needed sleep. Exams were killing his sleeping schedule.

Che… Who else? The Hollow snorted. The Vaizard clan.

"I'm sure they just put up another layer on their barrier," he said dismissively, reaching the gate, bag slug over his shoulder.

I ain't so sure… I have a bad feelin' 'bout all of this…

"I'm telling you, you're imagining things."

"Speaking to yourself, Kurosaki Ichigo?" a cool voice asked.

The orange head of hair spun around, tensing every muscle in his body. Brown eyes locked onto grey. Leaning against the wall was a man with long black hair, staring at him without any emotion in his features whatsoever. Those eyes narrowed slightly. "Or are you speaking with that abomination in your soul?"

Che… Bastard…

"What're you doing here, Byakuya?" Ichigo asked, relaxing.

Kuchiki Byakuya took a step closer. "I am merely carrying out orders from Soul Society."

"What's it got to do with me?"

Before he knew it, Ichigo felt a sharp and sudden pain. He coughed up blood. His eyes trailed down to seek out the source, hands following his eyes to his gut. Fingers gingerly touched the cool blade sticking out and traced it back to the wound, his whole being numb. Ichigo was brought back to reality as the blade was withdrawn, falling to his knees and coughing some more. His hand clutched at his stomach, teeth gritting in frustration. The last thing he heard before he blackened out was the voice of his attacker, still as monotone as ever.

"May your soul find peace, Kurosaki Ichigo."

\\\\\\\\\( END FLASHBACK)////////

He knew he hadn't died when he came to. Apparently the sudden drop in his spiritual pressure was enough to bring out his father and Urahara, who had both been informed of Soul Society's movements by Shinji, the only survivor of the attack on the Vaizard's warehouse. Ichigo was given a choice. Either stay and always be on the look out for assassins or move away with Shinji. The Vaizard was going to make a run for it. Ichigo was going to protest, but his father supported the decision whole-heartily. The man even made the ticket purchase for a flight out of the country that very night.

Of course that was two years ago. He and Shinji had parted ways over fourteen months now. Ichigo sometimes gets a letter here and there from wherever the blonde was last. The only ones who knew where he was located were Yoruichi and Shinji. Yoruichi would come with some money from home every once and a while. She was the only one who could not be detected by Soul Society…

Ichigo opened his eyes, the scenery changed to that of his warped inner world. The sky was in deep shades of crimson and orange, the buildings taking on a different hue. It had been like this for the past two years. Something inside of him had changed. Something had died and something new had been born from it.

A chin rested itself on his shoulder. "Whatchya thinkin' 'bout, aibou?"

"As if you don't know, Shirosaki."

The Hollow giggled at the usage of his partner's given name for him. "They'll find us eventually. Ya know that, right?"

"I know."

"What are we goin' to do?"

"We'll think of something when it happens," Ichigo replied, his tone relaxed as he leaned back into his other half's embrace.

"Ya are goin' to have to come up with somethin' quick then, cause someone is here, Ichigo. Che… Can ya feel it?" Shirosaki giggled. "Of all the people to send for ya, they chose that one?"

The former shinigami paused a moment and shifted his body around to look his partner in the eyes. Deadened brown searched through sharp silver eyes in almost an attempt to see if he had an answer. When there was none, he sighed. "I can't fight her."

"That's why they did it," the white one snorted, pressing his lips to the other's forehead. "But that's why I'm here, ain't I? Unless ya are thinkin' that ya don't want me to cause ya know if I fight…"

"I said I don't care anymore," Ichigo said, jerking his head up to once again lock gazes. "Do what you want. I just don't want her to see me"

"Very well, aibou. I'll be the very last thing she remembers," Shirosaki stated, removing himself from his king's body, fading into the background.

Ichigo sighed as he sat there alone. Laying down, he looked at what clouds he could. He wondered for a split second if it had suddenly become darker in his inner world.

"I want to speak to Ichigo!" Kuchiki Rukia demanded, glaring daggers at who she knew was not her friend.

Shirosaki grinned, his intent looking more malicious with the partial mask forming. He laughed, that high pitched giggle making her shudder. "I don't think so, Rukia-chan. Ichigo ain't here right now. Leave a message and maybe he'll get back to ya."

Rukia pulled out her soul slayer. "Ichigo please listen to me! We can get you help! Soul Society is willing to help cure you!"

"He ain't goin' to come with you, Shinigami!" the hollow sneered, pulling out his own blade and stepping out on to the air, focusing his reiatsu on his feet. "Bankai!"

"Dance Sode no Shirayuki!"

The two blade immediately clashed in the sky. Black blade versus wide blade sent sparks flying. It was apparent Rukia didn't stand a chance. It was taking all she had to block his initial attack. She wasn't about to give up though. The girl glared. "Give back control you stole to Ichigo!"

"I didn't steal anythin'! He told me to take the reigns for once!" Shirosaki growled.

"Wh-what?" Rukia whispered breathlessly, eyes wide in shock.

Shirosaki took the opportunity to build the reiatsu in his blade. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

The blast knocked Rukia back onto a rooftop, the hollow using shunpo to meet her fall. She staggered to her feet, but was pushed back down by a foot. He loomed over her form, a maniac grin plastered to his face, yellow eyes gleaming with excitement. Rukia hated that look. It was nothing like the Ichigo she knew and had come to care for. She knew of one way to wipe that look off of his face. With the last bit of resistance she had, her arm shot up, fingers fastening around the bone-like mask and ripping it off his face. There was no cry but her own as steal came into contact with her stomach.

She felt the mask in her hand, but nothing had changed. Rukia didn't understand. Her nii-sama had faced this foe and told her if she was to remove it… Another tear escaped and she coughed, feeling the warm fluid run down the corner of her mouth. "Wh-why?"

Her free hand reached up to stroke orange locks gently. "Why… are y-you… doing this?"

Shirosaki smirked, ripping her hand and tossing it aside. He got off of her and laughed. The hollow twirled Zangetsu by the chain around his finger as he walked away, almost strutting. "Why not?"

This time he had found himself in Las Vegas, staring out over the main street, Shinji beside him, asking him tons of questions and trying to get him to talk about why he had suddenly decided to seek the blonde out. None of it ever worked. However, none of that mattered. Ichigo was going to leave soon again anyway.

Ya ready for this, Ichigo?

Author's Note: Should I write more on this or not? I have another in mind but I kind of want an opinion. I haven't written anything in a long time, so I appologize for the suckiness of it right now. .