Dragon Emblem
bijoukaiba: It's been nearly two years... now at last, my first fanfic is coming full-circle to a close. As you can tell, my writing has greatly improved from the past. I actually feel a lump forming in my throat as I type this... it may also be because I'm listening to "A World Without Danger", the theme from Code Lyoko. Aahhh... the end is finally here. Speaking of Code Lyoko, I should write a fanfic for it... Aelita x Jeremie 4evah! MWAH! -blows a kiss- Here's to you, Dragon Emblem! -raises a can of Pepsi-
Disclaimer: I would put it here, but I'm gonna put it at the end, because it would be sort of a spoiler if I had it here.
Recap:
Seto has overcome many obstacles with the help of Kenshin and Marth later on. He also has Mokuba by his side to stand up to the greatest challenges. It started out as a mission for money, but as time progressed, it changed to a mission for the dying children in Africa and for the love of Serenity. He finally believes in miracles and in the power of friendship, and Seto has become a master of Hiten Mitsurugi Style. In the very end, a battle to decide the fate of the universe rested on Seto's shoulders, but he overcame darkness to bring light to all. In the very end, he had to bid farewell to his dearest friends Kenshin and Marth, but Seto Kaiba knows they will live in his heart as long as he does. Now, it is time for Seto to complete the mission he started so long ago. It is time to travel to Africa.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Chapter 11: Reach for the Light! The Mission is Complete!
Mokuba felt a tap on his shoulder. Moaning, he lifted his head groggily, his vision clearing to see the face of his brother.
"Good morning?" Mokuba asked sleepily. "What time is it?" He sat up slowly, still exhausted from the late night partying. The smell of coffee was fairly heavy on Seto's breath.
"Five fifty-eight."
Mokuba fell over with his face against the netting from the party two hours ago.
"I guess if you don't wanna say good-bye..." Seto said with a sigh. Mokuba shot back up again.
"You're JOKING, right? You've hardly had any sleep."
"None whatsoever." Seto corrected. "But that's what triple shot espresso is for!"
Mokuba sat up and climbed out of the net with his older brother, who led him outside to where the rest of the Dragon Emblem team and General Espa were waiting. The Blue Eyes had a harness strapped around its collarbone area that had the medicine (packed inside a crate that read "FRAGILE") tucked inside. Serenity was sitting between the wings of the dragon.
"Hey, where's Kenshin? And Marth?" Mokuba asked sleepily, looking around. Seto looked at the ground sadly, before mounting his dragon.
"It is time." He declared.
Espa saluted.
"Right then! I'll make sure your team is well kept!"
Seto returned the salute and Serenity waved as the Blue Eyes White Dragon flew into the sky, the rising sun behind them. The remainder of Dragon Emblem waved back.
"Good luck!" Yugi and Mokuba shouted.
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Three hours passed and the dragon was still flying over the Indian Ocean. From the sky, Seto and Serenity had seen India, Indonesia, and parts of southeastern Asia.
"It's finally come full circle!" Serenity said.
Seto smiled, gazing out at the shimmering waters and the clouds below them.
I still kinda wish Kenshin and Marth could have seen this as well...
"You okay?" Serenity asked, looking at Seto.
"Hm? Oh yeah..."
She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Just four more hours."
Seto blushed.
"Let's hope we're still in time."
"Don't worry!" Serenity said, with a slight chuckle. "I'm an eternal optimist! Even if you have doubts... I'll keep enough hope for the both of us!"
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
The nurse paced the floor inside the makeshift hospital in Kenya.
"Oh dear..." She glanced outside the window of the wooden building at the dark gray skies and the torrential downpour of rain.
She called General Espa on the communicator.
"IDA, General Espa speaking..."
"Espa, are you sure-"
"Hayume! I've told you for the fourth time, Seto and Serenity will arrive at one in the afternoon!"
"But it's one-thirty, and I'm just so worried... what if they don't make it through this storm?"
"Relax, Hayume. I've sent one of my best agents and one of our rookie agents, who's still very impressive. This storm will be nothing for them."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me. They'll be there any minute now... Hayume? Are you there?"
On the other end of the phone, Espa heard a small thud sound.
"Hayume?"
Hayume stared out the window at a faint light growing closer to the hospital. As the light got closer, it got larger, and it illuminated a teenaged boy and girl running towards the hospital, one carrying a package and one carrying the lantern over them.
The next thing Espa heard was a loud whoop of joy as Hayume picked the phone up again from the floor.
"Oh, Espa, it's them! I can see them! Out the window! Hey! Hey, you two! Come here! In here!"
Espa laughed on the other end.
"I told you! Don't shout too loud, or you'll wake the kids!"
"Thank you so much! The IDA are truly wonderful people! Oh! I should keep my voice down, shouldn't I? But still, thank you so much! Bye!"
"Bye!"
Back at the IDA, Espa jumped up onto his desk and kicked a small stack of paperwork off.
"IT IS DONE!"
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Before their very eyes, a young African nurse came running up to Seto and Serenity, happiness in her eyes.
"Oh! The IDA! It's really you!"
Serenity handed her the crate.
"This is for you."
Hayume took it in her arms gratefully.
"I'll see to it that the young ones get this medicine immediately! Thank you so much! I cannot express my gratitude!"
A beam of sunlight peeked out from between clouds and seemed to fall on the IDA agents, Hayume, and the crate.
"That's definitely a good sign." Seto commented.
Hayume turned around and began walking back to the hospital. Serenity and Seto began following her, but she stopped them when she spoke to them over her shoulder.
"Don't worry about the kids, they'll be okay. It might take a little while for the medicine to take effect anyway. As our honored guests from Japan, you should go exploring!"
Seto looked at Serenity.
"You heard the lady. Let's go see Kenya!"
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Seto and Serenity hardly knew where to start.
First off, they took the Blue Eyes on a flight to Kilimanjaro. By the base of the mountain, they took a picture of them with the snowy mountaintop in the background. They also snagged several snapshots of lions, zebras, elephants, and hippos.
Deciding that the Blue Eyes deserved a chance to rest its wings before the return flight home, Seto and Serenity traveled around Kenya by elephant back for local adventures.
They explored the city of Nairobi, Kenya's capital, and later (not too far from the hospital) met a Masai tribe of warriors. One of the warriors, who spoke English, heard Serenity and Seto explain the story of the medicine and their rescue mission. He explained the story to the rest of the tribe, and Seto watched as they gazed at him in honor and awe.
"I... am... great... swordsman!" He said, pointing at himself. One warrior pointed at him with a spear, remarked something to a tall male beside him in their tribal dialect, then laughed.
Seto laughed too.
Just go along with it... even it was an insult!
Instead, a warrior came forward carrying two of the beautifully hand-crafted bead necklaces the Masai were known for.
"For... you..." He said, speaking slowly, unsure of the foreign English tongue. He glanced at the 'translator', who nodded.
Seto and Serenity placed the necklaces around their necks then bowed to the warriors. There was a little bit more laughter, when a young man came running up to the village.
"You work for the IDA?" He asked, panting between words.
Seto and Serenity nodded.
"Hayume... wants to see you... the children..."
They gasped.
"We're there!" Seto cried, jumping onto the back of his elephant, pulling Serenity and the man up with him.
He waved to the Masai, as they rambled off towards the hospital.
ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
Hayume stood outside the hospital, tears in her eyes.
Seto could feel the same icy claws in his heart again.
No... we weren't in time... damn it!
Serenity and Seto leapt off and ran towards her.
"Hayume... what's wrong?" She asked.
The nurse pointed inside, a sob rising from her.
"The... children..."
Seto was first to step inside the room, fear that all that he had worked for had gone down the drain. He was fearful for the sight he might see. Instead, the sight was a joyful one.
The children that had been sick were now sitting up straight in their beds, some talking with their parents, others, who were too young to speak, were merely being hugged by their mother or father with tears in their eyes.
One mother, especially emotional, came running up to Seto bawling.
"Oh, my baby! Come see him!" She dragged Seto along before he could reply, and he found himself standing at the foot of the bed of a boy who looked to be about four.
The little boy made a squeezing gesture with his hands at Seto, who looked awkwardly at the little boy, before picking him up gently in his stronger arms.
"You wanted up, little man?"
"I wanna say thanks you!" Said the little boy, his deep chocolate eyes gazing back into Seto's blue eyes. He hugged him tightly, and Seto couldn't help but return the hug.
Soon, Serenity was hugging him, and even the boy's mother and Hayume joined in the hug.
"I did promise to bring the medicine back," Seto said, his gaze turning to the sight of leaves with water droplets clinging to the tips of them outside.
Through the colors of the setting sun, he could see two clouds that were shaped distinctly like his friends Kenshin and Marth.
"Reach for the light..." Seto whispered.
He closed his eyes.
Seto had promised to bring the medicine back, and to see his friends again, but...
There's only one promise I'm going to have to break...
Tears of joy finally found their way down Seto's face.
He still had the promise of friendship eternally.
Deep in the night
The winds blow cold
And in a heartbeat
The fear takes hold
Deep in the storm
There's a place that's soft and still
Where the road waits to be taken
If you only will
The voices inside you
Can lead your soul astray
Believe in what you dream
Don't turn away
Don't you turn away
Reach for the light
You might touch the sky
Stand on the mountaintop
And see yourself flying
Reach for the light
To capture a star
Come out of the darkness
And find out who you are
Somewhere in time
The truth shines through
And the spirit knows
What it has to do
Somewhere in you
There's a power with no name
It can rise to meet the moment
And burn like a flame
And you can be stronger
Than any fear you know
Hold onto what you see
Don't let it go
Don't you let it go
Reach for the light
You might touch the sky
Stand on the mountaintop
And see yourself flying
Reach for the light
To capture a star
Come out of the darkness
And find out who you are
There's no turning back
When your destiny is calling
Listen to the thunder roll
And let your heart break free
Reach for the light
Reach for the light
You might touch the sky
Stand on the mountaintop
And see yourself flying
Reach for the light
To capture a star
Come out of the darkness
And find out who you-
Reach for the light
You might touch the sky
Stand on the mountaintop
And see yourself flying
Reach for the light
To capture a star
Come out of the darkness
And find out who you are
Just reach for the light
FINAL DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Rurouni Kenshin, Fire Emblem, or "Reach for the Light". Yu-Gi-Oh!© Kazuki Takahashi, Rurouni Kenshin© Nobuhiro Watsuki, Fire Emblem© Nintendo, and "Reach for the Light"© Steve Winwood/Balto
WAAAAAAHOOOOOOO! It is done! That's the end of Dragon Emblem! I am planning a possible sequel to this... anyways, in the footsteps of a few of my fellow authors, it's time for a thank-you to my reviewers!
Bijoukaiba's THANK-U LIST:
SuperhumanChichi: You were one of my more loyal reviewers early on, and your reviews made me laugh so much! Thank you. The graphic romance stuff kinda freaked me out a little (oo), but also were laughable.
dmg-duelist16: You were one of the first official friends I made on You also became one of the authors who added me to favorites/alerts pdq (pretty darn quick). I still remember the joy I had when I saw your review on Dragon Emblem! Thanks!
setoobsessive: Pretty devoted for a while! I appreciated your reviews very much! They helped contribute to Dragon Emblem's newfound success.
kurayami24: Thanks for the compliment! And thanks for the spelling correction early on. After learning Japanese, I now have a better idea of how to spell things. I was really Americanized back when I was thirteen and early fourteen! But now I won't have to wurry abowt anny morr misteaks in speeling! (LOL)
BlackNinjagirl: Well, your conversations with Kaya and Seto were... interesting... lol. You also were a big help in writing my story! Gracias! And I was an avid Seto/Shizuka shipper back then... I still do sorta like Seto/Shizuka, but now I'm more of a Seto/Ryou type.
rexraptorluvspopcorn: POPCORN! (stuffs face full) YUM! Thanks for the popcorn and that last review there! I should have updated more often. And if you thought Chapter 10 was tear-jerking, how did this one make you feel?
BUT MY BIGGEST THANK-YOU GOES OUT TO...
beriath: We've been friends for about two years. You were the first author-friend I made on and I consider you one of my best friends overall as well. You never criticized too heavily, and reading your reviews taught me a lot about trivia, Meiji era Japan, and Japanese spellings. You helped teach me not to have everyone talking about the scenery, but let the author describe the image instead. And I'm glad you got a few laughs out of everything here or there (I gotta admit, back when I was starting out, the only good chapter that wasn't as heavily OOC was the Oracle chapter... the Morpho chapter pisses me off now! ). You even went and read a few of my other fanfics as well. I hope I see you more often in the future! I'll speak to you on Yahoo! Messenger sometime! (gives her a big hug)