Scars of Saigon
by ninja hampster
Author's notes: this story is an AU, which means that the characters are set in a different time frame (after and during the Vietnam War)
Legal Mumbo Jumbo: Bleach and all related subjects and characters are property of Tite Kubo
Note on the text: No disrespect is intended to those who served in Vietnam, any similarities to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Though the author (me) has researched the subject at length it is possible that this story contains historical inaccuracies.
Enjoy
It was mid-morning and the sun shone down on the cemetary, its golden rays reflecting off the polished wooden surface of a coffin. The green grass was wafting in the gentle breeze. Gathered around the coffin were five people.
One was a tall man, about thirty years old, with dark skin, dark hair, and an overall muscular physiqe. His face was slightly wrinkled and tears were coming from his brown eyes. He was dressed in a blue army dress uniform that was a little too small, around his neck was a chain holding what could only be described as a gold coin. on his left breast hung a weapons qualification cross and a distinguished service cross. His name was Chad Yasutora.
To the right of Chad, leaning heavily on a crutch was another man, his neck-long brown hair was combed and straightened. Signs of stress that were clearly visible on his white face made him look older than he really was. On the left breast of his slightly faded army dress uniform hung a qualification cross and a purple heart. The left pant leg of the dress uniform was sewed shut at the knee and it was obvious that this loss of limb was what earned him the medal. The man was known as Ganju Shiba.
To the right of Ganju, stood another man who looked slightly younger. Like the other men he was wearing in a slightly faded dress uniform, on his left breast hung a cross similar to Chad's, but the cross was smaller and flanked by laurels. His face was covered partially by his long, black hair and his rectangular glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. His name was Ishida Uryu.
Straight across from the three of them stood a man and a woman the man appeared to be in his lower-thirties and the woman looked to be in her upper-twenties. The woman was sobbing while the man took her in his arms. The man wore a blue army dress uniform which made his bright orange hair stand out. Like the other three men he had a qualification cross hanging on his left breast. Tears could be seen coming from his brown eyes. This man was Ichigo Kurosaki.
The woman he was holding had jet black hair, which perfectly matched the dress she wore. Tears were coming out of her deep blue eyes and flowing down her face and onto Ichigo's shirt as he gently held her in his arms. She was shorter than he was, and her slim form looked very delicate. Her name was Rukia Kurosaki.
As Ichigo held his wife tenderly in his arms; his thoughts drifted back, back to the terrible conflict that had brought them all together. Vietnam. Time could not cloud the memories that the drums of war had pounded into his head.
It all started fourteen years ago...