Cinnamon Blues: An IchiRuki Story

AKA: "Good Morning. I Love You. Who Are You?"

Chapter 2

M.C.: Hey there everyone. We apologize so much for keeping you waiting for so long. We just got caught up in the hustle and bustle of ending school and...well...rp-ing like crazy. I think Lendra might hate me now...hehe. But anyways. This story will probably be in several...parts. We've pretty much finished the first part of the story, and are continuing on with a slightly different plot line. Maybe we'll come up with more and this will just be a really long collection of amazing drabbles. I don't know. Just a forewarning, hehe, we decided that we were going to take the M-rating seriously. Nothing will happen for like 50 million chapters, but it will be there, so be aware of that. Oh and also, it's rated for Ichigo's terrible pottymouth. So...I guess that's it for my rambling. Hope you enjoy it!

Lendra-chan: Um... Yo. Wasssap meh homies. Yeah, so our rp is really...wow, it's out there. We're just kinda meshing every idea we have all together and hoping it comes out well! I do agree with Britney-dearest, though. This will probably develop into drabbles of stuff. I do hope that we'll come up with an rp soon that has a really thick plot line and won't stray so much. Yey. Oh and yeah -- Ichigo's pretty...dirty...-snickers-

Rukia walked home that night, feeling as though she was being watched the entire time. It was an eerie feeling that caused her to become quite paranoid, avoiding her, what she assumed to be her usual route home, through the darkened alleys. To be completely honest, she didn't ever remember walking home, or even the exact location of where "home" was.

“Nee-san!” A shrill voice sounded from the nearest alley.

Looking around, Rukia couldn't spot the source of the voice.

“Huh?”

Were they talking to me?

“Nee-san!”

The voice repeatedly called out the name. It sounded insistent and urgent, causing Rukia to panic a bit. Was a child in trouble somewhere? Was someone calling for help?

“NEE-SAN!” The voice sounded once again, very close.

Rukia froze as she felt herself step on something soft.

“ACK! OW!”

Rukia leapt back, staring down at the ground in amazement. A small stuffed animal was laying where her foot had been only moments before. The true shock set in, when she saw the little thing move it's arm.

Kon grunted as the girl he had been calling out to abruptly stepped on him, before finally taking notice of him and staring down at him curiously. He grinned brightly and waved at her fondly.

“YO, Nee-san! I've missed you so!” He quickly stood up, taking note that no one else was around and hopped up to cling onto her. “It's been so looong!!”

Rukia was surprised at the creature's forward actions, however, she still couldn't seem to wrap her head around the idea that this stuffed animal was talking to her. He even seemed to know who she was.

“I-I think you've mistaken me with someone else.” She told him awkwardly, still wondering why he was clinging to her shoulder.

He stared at her. “N-Nee-san?”

Rukia shook her head. The creature blinked in disbelief.

“Nee-san! It's me! Don't tease me like this Nee-san...” His eyes got huge and almost teary as he stared at her. “N-Nee san?”

He gaped momentarily before bursting out into spontaneous laughter.

“It’s a joke, right?! Funny, Nee-san!” He scuttled up to her shoulder and tapped her cheek with his paw, attempting to be cheery. “It's me! Kon!”

“I'm sorry...” Rukia shook her head once more. “I'm afraid that I've never seen you bef-...” She paused, as something seemed to click in the back of her mind. “What did you say your name was?”

Kon's heart had stopped mometarily, fearing that the rumor that had drifted from Urahara Shoten was indeed true.

“I-It's me... Kon...” His voice seemed to crack a little at her disregard of her memory of him. Something that truly hurt.

“Kon...”

The name seemed to roll off her tongue quite easily, as though she'd said it many a time before. Staring back at the creature, she wondered where she'd seen him before, if indeed she had. Perhaps he was an old toy of hers coming back to haunt her. Or her imagination or the dark playing mind tricks on her. Or...

“Or perhaps it's because I haven't eaten. I'm hallucinating.”

However, the look on the creature's face was one of great disappointment. Part of her felt almost obligated to bring him home with her. And judging by his actions, he would not take much convincing.

“Kon...” she nodded. “Of course. Now I remember.”

He brightened immediately and stood on her shoulder on all fours.

“Really?!” He grinned and gave a laugh as he wiped his brow. “Phew! Geez, Nee-san, you sure put up a good act! You had me worried that the rumors were actually true! But of course you couldn't forget your dear Kon, now could you?” He laughed jovially and stayed perched quite merrily on her shoulder.

As the two continued down the street, 'Kon' happily sitting on her shoulder, Rukia became curious about the rumors he'd mentioned twice so far.

“Kon...” She said awkwardly, trying to sound as though she truly knew who he was. “What rumors are you talking about?” She asked.

Kon shifted himself into a more comfortable position before answering. Rukia braced herself for news that may well answer many of the questions that had been plaguing her mind throughout the day.

He sat so his back was rested against the side of her head; tapping at his cheek in thought before shrugging nonchalantly as though the fact that she had admitted to knowing him was good enough to bypass such rumors.

“...They were mentioning on how Soul Society had wiped your memory slate clean. Along with Ichigo...” He shook his head and became rather sullen again, noticing the true weight of the matter. “...Ichigo surely didn't recognize me...So I was afraid you wouldn’t either...” He smiled against and perked up once more. “I'm so glad you do though! I was so worried!”

Though his face was all grins and his pose was all cheery, something in his demeanor suggested a deep sullen sadness at Ichigo's loss of memory and her hesitance in answering to him before.

Rukia started a bit at the mention of the orange-haired boy again. “Ichigo?“ She asked, looking confused. “How do you know-”

“Oh, Nee-san. I'm just so glad the rumors weren't true. You know, that Urahara makes me wonder sometimes, when he says-”

Rukia could feel her head spinning. Nothing was coming together at all. “Who?!”

Kon turned to stare at her, his happy expression fading quickly. Rukia knew he was figuring it out. She could tell by the fading glint in his eye, that he knew the truth.

Kon stared a moment before slowly inching up to stand.

“...Rukia...” For the first time addressed her. “...Do you know me...?”

Rukia wasn't sure how to answer. This Kon, this stuffed animal, this...thing, certainly did know who she was. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps her mind had been erased by the...Soul Scraper-whatever.

Frowning, she decided to answer honestly. “No. I might have at one point in my life, but I can honestly say that I have no idea who you are, why you look like you do, or why you're resting on my shoulder. Or how you know who Ichigo is. I...I really don't know anything right now, and I...I'm scared.” She pulled him off her shoulder to stare at him in her hands. “But I think you can help me. You knew the me that I don't. You can help me remember. Do you think you can do it?”

Kon's heart hat sunken in to the point he could feel his own pulse, if he truly had one. That was brought into question that very moment. If he had proper hands, he knew that they'd be fisted. and if he had proper eyes, he knew they'd be crying. But instead of showing her a face he knew she didn't need, he managed to hold her gaze; the gaze he had come to be so familiar with.

“The Rukia I knew could do anything...”

“Anything?” Rukia didn't know what he meant by that. She was certain she'd never had anyone look at her as he did in that very moment. “What do you mean by anything? Was I some kind of hero?”

She had asked this question as a joke, but as Kon nodded, she froze. At the moment, Rukia had been frightened by what she didn't know. Mere memories that no one really cared if she could remember or not, save for the creature in front of her. But the Rukia before, the Rukia she couldn't remember, she was different. She wouldn't have been bothered by this. She was...someone entirely different.

“Nee-san?” Kon looked up at her, suddenly looking very concerned. Her expression had grown dark.

“Look at me...” She thought to herself, seeing her reflection in a nearby window. “I am nothing but a school girl. I am weak. I am no hero...” In the reflection, her appearance was small, reflecting how she felt on the inside. “Look how far I've fallen...”

Kon squirmed in her hold, attempting to catch her attention. “Rukia...?”

“Kon...” She said quietly. “Can we talk about this later? I'm...I think I need to sit down.”

He blinked a few times, rather confused by her reaction. “Y-Yeah sure... Anything, Nee-san..”

They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they returned to the motel, Rukia sat Kon down on her bed and began pacing back and forth, trying to put together the pieces she'd already learned.

“Alright. Let's start with the things I do know. My name is Rukia Kuchiki. I am...” She froze, staring at Kon. “How old am I?!”

Kon gulped and cleared his throat. “W-well...your gigai is supposed to be the match age sixteen!”

He evaded easily but spit out the truth when Rukia gave him a harsh glare.

“G-Gomen, Nee-san! Ah.. I-If I remember right, you once mentioned you being around.. 200 or so...” He made sure the last part was a mere whisper.

“200!?” Rukia fell back onto her bed, suddenly feeling very lightheaded. Kon hurried to her side, patting her forehead lightly. “Okay, so to everyone else, I'm 16. I was once this hero. And now I'm a normal everyday teenager. How the hell does Ichigo come into this? Is he my boyfriend or something?”

Kon faltered and growled. “T'hell if I can help it! That bastard wouldn't notice his own damn feelings if they came and bit him in the ass!”

He ranted off, momentarily angered by her presumption of Ichigo.

Rukia sat up, staring at him. “So...he is my boyfriend?”

Kon became aghast and shook his head multiple times. “He most certainly is not!”

“Oh.” Rukia frowned.

“Don't look so disappointed!” Kon shouted, sounding angrier by the minute.

“I'm not!” Rukia insisted. She was, but not for the reasons he was thinking. She thought that, for a moment, they might have hit on another breakthrough. Kon didn't seem to believe her. He continued to mutter angrily to himself.

Kon gave a large sigh as he attempted to cool his angry demeanor down and sighed loudly. “Ichigo isn't your boyfriend Nee-san, though you two have an interesting enough relationship...”

Rukia found herself suddenly very interested. “Really? What do you mean? He seemed to hate me this morning...”

Kon tapped his head in thought much like Pooh Bear though there was obviously no relation as he attempted to discern such behavior. “Ah, Ichigo's always like that, really.”

“He is?” Rukia looked down at her hands. She was twisting them in a nervous manner, though she could hardly think of what was making her feel that way. “W-Why?”

Kon tilted his head as he looked up at her curiously. “Something wrong, Nee-san?”

Rukia shook her head, trying to convince herself more than Kon. “No. No, I'm just curious that's all. Why is he so angry toward everyone? Does he have any friends?”

Kon snuffed and folded his arms, waving his paw in the air as if to shake off any feelings of remorse. “T'hell if I know! You and I were one of the closest! And perhaps some of those kids form school.”

“That Inoue girl seems pretty close to him...” Rukia's head shot up, suddenly very curious. “Are they close?”

Kon held his tongue before he went off on another rampage. “Aahh, Perhaps on Orihime-chan's side. Ichigo sees her as more of a ... close classmate, sort of...” He twitched and sighed. “I suppose they could be considered close...”

Rukia wasn't sure why that bothered her so much. If she and Ichigo were supposed to be close, why was he suddenly, possibly, even closer to another girl, who obviously saw him as something more than a friend? The pieces of her past didn't seem to be fitting together as well as she'd been hoping. Instead of pressing on, she decided to change the subject.

“Explain to me everything.” She sat herself in a comfortable position, facing Kon. “Tell me everything I need to know. About this Soul thing, about Ichigo and about you. I want to know.”

Kon stared at her; something in his heart couldn't possibly resist that request. Not from Rukia. He sighed and gave a smile as he nodded.

“Right... Though, I'll need to get more comfy...” He added slyly as he pawed over to plop himself gently into her lap; attempting to make the atmosphere as little tense as possible before delving into a story that would dredge up something he could barely even amount to comprehensible. “...It starts...with Ichigo...”

Rukia listened to Kon's story, drinking in every word that uttered from his stitched mouth. When he finished, she was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, Kon tucked comfortably under her arm. It was a pose he was certainly not used to, but welcomed greatly at such a time as this. He hadn't been this close to his Nee-san in what seemed like ages.

“Is that everything?” She asked, sounding very tired, though her eyes were wide and attentive.

“Yes...” Kon answered, though there was a tone of doubt in his voice.

Rukia sighed deeply. “Very well. I think that's enough for tonight. I'm rather tired actually.” Reaching out, she pulled the small chain on her bedside lamp. “Good night, Kon...”

Kon gave a small sigh; the gentle drum of her heart beat rather soothing but the pain within it so hard to ignore. Kon shook his head, nuzzling deeper into the warmth of the woman he admired; trying to forget today's worries in the slumber for tomorrow.

“...Goodnight... Rukia...”

A/N: So there we are. The next chapter will be up soon...hopefully. Except...Alendra has to send me (Britney speaking, btw) part of the next chapter, cause I lost the conversation...(-smacks computer-). Oh, we also decided that we were going to end each chapter with a funny little excerpt of something we talked about while rp-ing this story. So, once you're done reading it, please review! We'd greatly appreciate it!

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http://s29(dot)photobucket (dot)com/albums/c298/Lendra-chan/?actionview¤tBUNNYINVASION (dot)gif

Replace the (dots) with actual periods and check out the picture to know how the following conversation came about.

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Britney: ..."fuzzy bunnies"...

Britney::ANYWAYS

Alendra:LMFAO

Alendra:SICKO!

Britney: I didn't say anything!!!

Britney: I DID NOTHING BUT SAY FUZZY BUNNIES

Alendra: YOU INFERED TO SOMETHING SEXUAL

Britney: YOU IMPLIED BAD STUFF

Britney: YOU INFERRED IT!

Alendra: I DID NOT

Alendra: I WAS SIMPLY REFERING TO THE ACTUAL BUNNIES THAT BASICALLY MOLSTED RUKI

Alendra: IT WAS IN QUOTES

Britney: I KNOW!!

Alendra: YOU CAN'T PUT THINGS IN QUOTES

Britney: ...I WAS QUOTING YOU!!

Alendra: LIES

Britney: HENCE THE QUOTES

Alendra: MORE LIES

Britney: YOU KNOW WHAT...YOU KNOW WHAT

Britney: GO DRINK POISON

Alendra: GO DRINK POISON

Britney: OH I BEAT YOU!

Alendra: I totally came up with that! You unoriginal whore!

Alendra: FRIGGEN PROSTITUTE NUCLEUS!

Britney: AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

Britney: MAYBE I'LL JUST DRIVE BY YOUR HOUSE!

Britney: Oh, so now I'm a whore? You know what? I'm gonna drive by...

Britney: And point and laugh...

Britney: And drive by again.

Britney: cause I think your road's a dead end...

Alendra: I have a shot gun.

Britney:...

Alendra: -snickers-

Britney: O.O

Britney: YOU HORRIBLE PERSON!