Never Coming Home
By: Chibi Ra Chan
Rating: T
Pairing: Bittersweet Ren x Anna
Inspired by the song "Ghost of You" By My Chemical Romance
In honor of Veteran's Day
Notes: Get the tissues ready you'll need them. I cried and I wrote the story.
♥♥♥
July 21th, 1945
Hiroshima, Japan
From one, Miss Tao Anna
Dear Ren,
How are things going? You must be tired of seeing battle and death so much. I would like to say that things will get better but I am almost certain it won't. Dark, Yes but you know that I would rather be realistic and cruel then optimistic and stupid. There is talk of Japan surrendering, but all rumors seems false. Your father is nervous that we'll take it too far, and end up losing our Providences to the U.S. Many of us are worried that the Emperor, will not admit defeat until all of our troops are dead. It pains me to have to tell you such harsh news, but you need to know these things.
I know it will sound so cliche to say this but, I miss you. I truly do.Things have been scary without out you. Jun is driving me up the wall with all her worrying and what not. One would think that as your wife, I, Would be the one sick with worry. But your sister is down right Paranoid. I guess that's to be expected since your her only baby brother (I know you'll be scowling as you read that portion, Honestly your so predictable.) But I know she has good intentions. Although I believe that she's going a bit over board with sending to so many batches of brownies.
After threatening to throw out that damn oven if she didn't quit baking, I manged to make something off my own. Yes, that would be those pitiful burnt cookie like things that are coming with this letter. But don't get used to it. Once this war is over you'll be cooking again. I'm starting to get tired of the same noodles and rice over and over again. I want you to come back and cook for us again.
Ren II and Cho-Lynn miss you very much.(1) They can no longer go to school because of this stupid war. I can barely afford to keep food on the table, and you know I do not like admitting things like that. You better hurry up and come home soon.. Conditions are getting worse, even for people like your Father.(2) Money is tight, but we'll manage. Poor Lian is always sick. You've never seen Lian have you? No, you where shipped off before she was born.
You better not die. I swear Tao Ren, I'll bring you back and kill you again if you do. I'm too young to be a widow. (Don't glare like that.) Your children are too young to go fatherless. Plus how will explain to them what a Stubborn, Arrogant, Wise ass, good hearted person you where? It will take too long to brake in a new rich husband (...You know I'm kidding, Right? How odd, I never joke...Well not while the Children are still around...) We need you. I need you. That sounds so mushy, so un-me, but it true. I can only wait until you return, which I pray is soon.
Forever Yours...No...Love,
Anna
P.s. (If that Asakura boy even looks at my cookies then tell him that I'll rip out his eyesballs from their sockets.)
♥
Tao Ren sat on his cot reading the letter over again, glaring and blushing every now and then. He took a quick glace at the calender pinned to the tent wall. August 4th, 1945. Anna had written this 2 weeks ago. Around him, his fellow solider, well friends, where teasing him.
"Hey Ren," Came the loud voice of Horo Horo. "When is Jun-Chan sending more brownies for me?" Yoh snickered as Ren punched the Ainu boy and began to yell.
"Don't talk about my sister like that! And her brownies are mine!" Horo laughed as Ren's hair seemingly grew and throbbed when he was angered. Yoh looked over at his friends and smiled. Noticing a package of weird charred stuff that was seated by Ren's other things, Yoh did the only logical thing. He started to poke them.
Ren rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't do that if I where you..."
Yoh poked the strange burnt things again before turning to the violet haired boy, "Why not? And what are they anyway?"
"They're Anna's cookies and she says that if you mess with them then she'll rip out your eyes." Needless to say this was enough to make him stop prying. Ren turned his attention back to the letter read some parts over and over again.
Things have been scary without out you
I want you to come back
Conditions are getting worse...
We need you
I need you...
"Hey Tao, is that from your sweetheart?" Came the voice of Hao, their squad officer and Yoh's twin brother, who had just returned to their tent. Ren nodded.
"You miss her?"
He took a deep breath, remembering all the years of torture that Anna gave him, Her horrible demands and dry humor. "Yes, I do." Yes he definitely missed her. He looked at a the picture that he kept next to his cot. Anna stood outside their home with a three year old Ren II tugging at her sleeve and A baby Cho-Lynn in her arms. Despite the children that where tiring her she still wore a ghost of a smile.
He sighed.
"I miss her very much."
♥
On August 6, 1945 at 8:15 A.M. The Atomic bomb as dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. 75,000 where declared dead or missing, 70,000 were wounded. Tao Jun and Tao Lian where found amongst the rubble, wounded, but still alive. Tao Cho-Lynn, Tao Ren II and Tao Anna. Where found dead in their apartment 12 days after the bomb was dropped.
Anna's worried letter was the last time Ren heard of her. He returned to Hiroshima in December of 1945 to find his home in shambles, his beloved wife and two children dead, and to raise a daughter that would never know what a her mother had gone so that she could have a better life.
Their story is one of Tragedy and Love, yet it was only one out of the millions of Tragedies caused by World War Two.
Never Forget.
♥
Owari
♥
(1)- I named their children the same names as I did in my other Ren x Anna fic, Dreaming
(2)- Ren's father works for the Emperor, and at the end of the war everyone had a hard time with money, even those high up on the food chain.
A/N: Wow I didn't intend for it to turn out so sad. The facts are all true. Hiroshima was bombed on August 6th 2005 and then Nagasaki only three days later. Countless where killed. This is in honor of Veterans day, a usually over looked holiday. Please remember those who died in the line of duty this Veterans day. It's the least we can do.
Forever and Eternally,
--Anna