As mentioned in the description, this is based on the anime movie "Grave of the Fireflies". It is a sad but amazing movie, and I highly recommend it. A few things to point out: While I know Mordecai and Rigby are the same age, but for the sake of this story, Rigby is a couple years younger than Mordecai, who is nineteen. 2nd, this is a totally different storyline than Regular Show, so there's going to be quite a few differences. 3rd, I will mostly try to keep the characters in character, but because this is a dramatic and tragic story, there will probably be moments where they seem a little OOC. And finally, like the movie, I'm not going to say who exactly is the enemy of this war, I will just refer to them as 'The Enemy'.

Warning: This story will have main character deaths. Please no flaming. I do not own Regular Show, or Grave of the Fireflies. Okay, now lets get started.

()()()()()()

September 21st, 2010.

That was the night I died.

At an old subway station, there are many people walking around. Subway riders, travelers and janitors for the station are what make up most of the crowd. But throughout the crowd, you can see about a dozen people sitting on the ground, wearing rags and looking more dead than alive.

Leaning against an old brick pillar, there is a tall, thin bluejay. His legs and wings are spread out, and his feathers are covered in dirt and ash. Next to him is an old grey sack, with barely anything in it. His breathing is shallow, and his eyes are glassy, as if he is staring out into space.

"Hey! Dude!" The bird hears in his head.

"What...day is it?" he asks softly, before falling onto the floor. He knows these are his final moments.

"How disgraceful," comments a man as he walks by the bird. "Poor dear," says another person, a woman who stops and places a piece of fruit by the bird, hoping it will give him just a little more strength, but he doesn't have the strength to eat it.

"Mordecai!" the voice says, now with more of a happy tone. The bird almost gives a smile. "...Rigby..." he whispers before he finally falls into a peaceful sleep. As the bird lays there, a janitor walks by.

"Hey," he says, before giving him a couple pokes with his broom handle. He sighs. "He's already too far gone," he says, "Nothing we can do." The janitor picks the sack, and opens it. There's only one thing in there.

"A video game?" the janitor says, curious. It was one of those old handheld video games. It was filthy, but the janitor was able to read the title 'Strong Johns' on the game system. The screen was cracked, and when the janitor shook the game, he discovered there weren't any batteries.

"Just toss it," says one of his fellow janitors, "it's just junk." So, the janitor stands up, and takes one last look at the avian. He then walks out of the subway station, and stands in the back doorway. He throws the game system across the abandoned road and into the tall grass behind the station, and then walks back inside.

After hitting the ground two or three times, the battery cover pops off the game system and lands only a couple inches away from it. Just like the janitor had suspected, there were no batteries inside the game, but it wasn't empty either. Inside, there was a small pile of ashes and a couple of small pieces of bone.

Fireflies begin appear in the field, and the once darkened field now has a redish, yellowish hue. Then, coming up from the tall grass, a spirit, in the form of a small raccoon with a red and yellow glow, appears.

The raccoon looks across the road, and can see the body of the bird from the open doorway. "Oh no," he says to himself. He begins to start walking forward, but stops when he feels a soft hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he sees the bluejay, with the same redish glow on his body.

"Mordecai!" the raccoon shouts happily, "You're here!"

"What, did you think I would leave you behind?" Mordecai says with a friendly smile. Rigby smiles back. "C'mon bro, we better get going." Mordecai begins walking forward, with Rigby following him, stoping only to pick up the now clean and crack free Strong Johns game.

Once they are at the subway station, they climb aboard a red subway, and leave the station. Mordecai sits in his seat, with Rigby next to him playing the game. After only a few minutes, the raccoon loses the game.

"Aw man," he says, but quickly gets over it and offers it to Mordecai, who happily accepts. After a few more minutes, Mordecai gives back the game, and turns to face the window. Firebombs are falling onto the city. He's seeing a memory, the first memory.

I still remember the day everything changed...

()()()()()()()()

Several months earlier (Mordecai's Pov)

"Phew! Done!" I wiped the sweat off my forehead and stick the shovel in the ground. Now at least we'll be able to save some food the next time there's a raid. Last time we were lucky, the town next to us got attacked the most and only a few buildings here burned down. I live in a small town, but that doesn't mean it won't get attacked.

"Dude, are you done yet?" I hear a voice from behind me say.

"Yes Rigby, I'm done," I said, "You know, it wouldn't have taken as long if you would've helped a little bit more."

"Hey, I helped at the beginning! But I had to take a break, digging with your paws isn't as easy as it looks you know," said Rigby.

"Whatever Dude," I replied, leaning against the shovel and rolling my eyes at my best friend and practically my little brother. I had known Rigby nearly all my life, and he hasn't changed a bit. He was still the lazy, slacking, fun loving raccoon I knew. Even though he's only two years younger than me, he still acts like he's twelve.

But that's not really a bad thing, at least not all the time. It makes him really fun, and he makes my life interesting. He may not be the easiest person to deal with, but he's still my best friend.

"Are you two done?" another voice, from inside the house, asked. The voice is high and happy, so I recognize it right away.

"Yep, all done Pops," I said. Two people, Pops and Don, walk out into the backyard. Pops is the old man who owns the house and the town's only park. He's really nice, but a little strange. He gave jobs to the three of us a year ago, and even offered us a place to stay without rent.

"Hey bros!" said Don happily. He walked over to Rigby and opened his arms. "Hey Rigbone, how 'bout some sugar?"

"Oh come on Don," said Rigby, "I don't want any sugar!"

"Please bro?" Rigby sighs dramatically before giving in. While Rigby and I may be close enough to be brothers, Rigby and Don are brothers. But they aren't exactly close. Rigby gets annoyed by him easily, and he hates that despite being his younger brother, Don is about three feet taller than Rigby. Don is almost the opposite of Rigby, he's hard working, mature and is always offering people hugs (What he calls "Sugar")

"Hey Mordo," said Don as soon as he's done hugging Rigby, "I've already got all the food we need in the kitchen."

"Cool," I replied.

"Hey Mordecai," said Rigby, smiling and swishing his tail back and forth, "Now that we're done for the day, wanna head down to the arcade?"

"Yeah!" I replied. Going to the arcade was always fun, and it always took my mind off things. "Let me just go get my..." I stop midsentence. There's something in the distance. It sounds like, a siren.

The sound is getting louder now. We all know what it means: An air raid.

"Oh my," Pops said to himself, "Not again."

"Don't worry Pops," Don said, trying to comfort him, "I'm sure it's just a drill or something. But in case it's not, we better get going." He then turned to me and Rigby. "Will you guys be alright on your own?"

"Yeah yeah," said Rigby, "We can find the shelters just fine." I give Don a nod to let him know we would be fine.

"Well alright, be safe you two," said Don. He then escorted Pops back into the house and out the door.

"Come on dude," I said, "help me get some of this food into the hole." Rigby stands up, and we both run into the house, grab food, and quickly put it in the hole. When almost all of it is outside, I take one last look in the kitchen cabinets. The only good thing I can find is a box of chocolate cake mix. There was no way I was going to pass something so delicious up. I also grabbed a couple blankets and clothes for Pops.

When I went back outside, I saw Rigby pouting by the hole. "What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he replied, "Just it sucks having to go to the shelters." The war had started three months ago, and we had already had to go into the shelters five times. They were hot, crowded, and full of scared people.

"Dude, it's either that or getting blown up by a bomb," I replied, "Now help me cover this hole." We both started pouring dirt into the hole, and didn't stop until it was completely covered. "Okay, now lets go!"

We both go inside the house, grab our wallets and i.d's and run out the door. As soon as we do, we hear small explosions. "Dude!" Rigby shouts. "Look up!"

I look up, and gasp. The sky was filled with firebombs, coming right towards us! "Back inside! Hurry!" I shout. We dive through the doorway, and cover our heads. After just a few moments, everything is quiet.

"Okay," I say as I stand up, "I think the coast is clear." We both walk back outside. The sky is black, and while there aren't any houses next door to ours, all the buildings across the street from ours were on fire. It looked bad, but I somehow I knew it was going to get worse. "Lets move!"

We begin running through the streets. Everywhere there are small flames and smoke. As we got into the busier areas of the town, we see more people.

Everyone is running and screaming. If a person falls, they just stay there and nearly get trampled. More fire bombs were falling and exploding around us. We had to run even faster now just to try and escape the crowds. Rigby had to run on all fours just to keep up.

"Rigby!" I shouted, hoping he can hear me, "The other shelters are going to be packed! Follow me, I know where we can find some empty ones!"

"Right behind you, Man!" Rigby shouted back. We turn down an alley, and run past a group of empty buildings. With each step, we get farther away from the crowds and firebombs. Pretty soon, we're near the outside of the town, by the river. As we walk along the brown river, we find the empty shelter.

As soon as we get inside, we collapse on the concrete ground. We're both breathing heavily. "Dude," said Rigby in between breaths, "That was intense! I didn't think we were going to make it!"

"I know," I replied, "We'll stay here for a few minutes, and then we can head back and see if we can find Don and Pops."

"I'm sure they're fine," said Rigby, trying to act like he isn't worried at all.

"Yeah, they're probably at one of the shelters," I replied. We both sigh. Even though it was very likely, we never thought our town would get attacked.

"I wonder if any buildings survived," Rigby asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know," I replied back, "You want to go find out?"

"Is it safe?" Rigby asked. I step out of the shelter and look up at the sky. The planes are flying away from the town.

"Yeah dude," I replied, "It's over." Rigby steps out of the shelter, and I notice that he had some fur missing from his arm, with a small pink burn in its place. "You okay?"

"Yeah," said Rigby, looking at his arm, "I think it's just burned." He touches it, and yelps in pain.

"Don't touch it," I said, "Look, there's probably a place set up for injuries at the hospital or something. We'll go there and get your arm bandaged."

"Okay," said Rigby. Walking on two legs now, Rigby walks in front of me and we both climb the hill to get to the town.

"Wow," Rigby says, looking over the horizon. Nearly all the buildings are burning or have been burned down. There are a few blackened buildings and just a couple of them are actually still standing. The grass has been replaced by miles of dirt, smoke and flames. "Dude, everythings gone."

"I know," I said, looking down at the ground. I can't believe it. Just a few minutes ago this place was a town, and now...

"Mordecai? Mordecai!"

"Huh?" I looked down at Rigby.

"Come on dude, let's go," he said.

"Right." We both continued walking into town. Everything was such a mess. There were groups of people everywhere. Some were helping the firemen put out the fires, others were pulling bodies out of the rubble. Most people though were just sitting around talking. What else can you do after your home gets destroyed.

"Attention residents of East City and East Counties!" We looked up and saw someone on a bicycle with a megaphone. "Attention residents of East City and East Counties! All residents are to report to the elementary school for medical needs and rations! Repeat, all residents are to report to the elementary school for medical needs and rations!"

"Well," I said, "Guess we're going to school. I'm sure Don and Pops are already there." By the time Rigby and I got there, the place was packed, but the line for medical attention moved quickly. Most of the people in serious condition were already being taken care of. While Rigby was getting his arm bandaged, a doctor came up to us.

"Excuse me," he said, "Are you two Mordecai and Rigby?"

"Yeah," I replied, "Why?"

"I've been looking for you," the doctor said, "Your friend wants to see you. I'm afraid both of your friends are hurt, and pretty badly at that." Rigby and I both look at each other.

"Where are they?" Rigby asks. The doctor tells us to follow him. We walk into the school, and past several rooms with badly hurt people in them, most of them burned or bleeding a lot. After what seemed like forever, we stopped at a room.

"Mordecai, Rigby, thank goodness you're alright." We walked into the room and saw Pops laying in a hospital bed, with several other people in beds around him. His clothes are ripped, and his arms are a little burned, but other than that he looks fine.

"How ya holding up, Pops?" Rigby asked.

"Oh I'm fine," said Pops, "I'm just glad you two are alri..." Pops suddenly started coughing. He coughed for what seemed like forever, each cough sounding worse than the last. By the time he was done, he could barely talk, but he assured us he was fine.

"Where's Don?" Rigby asked. The doctor didn't answer right away. "Follow me," said the doctor. He led us to the back of the room, and pulled the curtains opened. Our eyes widened, and I heard myself gasp. "That's Don?" Rigby asked.

"I'm afraid so," replied the doctor. Don was laying in the bed, his body red and burned. Nearly all of his body was wrapped in bandages and those were covered with splotches of blood. Even his face was covered in bandages, leaving holes only for his eyes, mouth and nose. There was no way that was the same Don I had seen just half an hour ago, the tall, up-beat and healthy raccoon that I live in the same house with (or at least used to).

"He finally fell asleep a few minutes ago," said the doctor, "he is in very critical condition. There was an explosion, and Don was caught in the impact. Pops was far enough away not to get too badly hurt, but he inhaled a lot of smoke, which is dangerous for a man his age."

I look down at Rigby. He just staring at Don's body, not saying a word or moving a muscle. "Rigby?" I ask him, "Dude, it'll be okay." Finally, I see a little bit of movement from him.

"I..." Rigby took a couple steps back. "I have to go." With that, Rigby ran out the door.

"Don't worry," I say to the doctor, "I'll make sure he's okay." I glance over to the front of the room. Pops had fallen asleep while we were with Don. "So, are they going to make it?"

The doctor looked down at the floor. "There's no easy way to say this," he said, "But Don, most likely won't survive the night. As for Pops, we can send to a hospital in the next city over, but with the smoke intake combined with his age... I give him about two and a half weeks."

I couldn't believe it. How could so much change in so little time? I thanked the doctor and then sat down next to Pops. After about fifteen minutes, I was about to leave when I felt a hand tug on my arm. "Pops?"

"Mordecai," Pops said, his voice raspy, "I know what happened to our house, but do not fret. I have a friend in Northbrook City that would be happy to take you three boys in."

"Pops," I said, "thanks, but..."

"No buts," said Pops, "I'm not going to have my friends living on the street."

I couldn't help but smile. "Okay Pops," I said, "thanks."

"No trouble at all," he said with a smile. I sighed silently. 'I really hope you make it Pops,' I thought to myself. But some things in life just weren't fair.

()()()()()()()

"Rigby? Rigby, there you are!"

Rigby was sitting outside the school on a bench that was a few feet away from an apple tree. "Huh?" he said, "Oh, h-hey Mordecai." We both sat in silence for a few moments before Rigby spoke up again. "So, what did the doctor say?"

"Pops is going to go to the hospital in Northbrook City, that's only about a hundred miles from here. We're going to Northbrook too, Pops has this friend who says he can give us a place to stay. His name is Benson."

"Oh," said Rigby. He was quiet again, until he asked that big question. "What about Don?"

"The doctors said he, he doesn't have much time left," I said. I waited for a response, but got only silence. Even though Rigby and Don weren't as close as Rigby and me, I could tell he was hurting. He turned away from me, and I could've sworn I heard a sniffle.

"Dude?" I asked, putting my hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, he jumped up and sprinted towards the apple tree. "Hey Mordecai," he shouted, "Watch this! I was always the best at climbing these!"

At first, I couldn't believe it. Both of his friend and his brother were seriously hurt and he was climbing trees? But then I realized, he was doing this to keep himself busy, so he wouldn't cry in front of me.

So, I just laid back and watched him climb the tree. It was his way of dealing with it, so I wasn't going to butt in. I sighed, and turned to look at the city. As bad as this day has been, I had a feeling this was only the beginning.

I told you it was sad. Please review, and again, no flames. Next chapter, expect more characters and a longer chapter. This story will probably be four to five chapters long, but there's going to be a lot of content. So if this chapter was boring or repetitive to you, the next one should be better. See you in the next chapter.