A/N: Don't own YGO or references belonging to Fire Emblem. Thank you to Caorann fridh Bronach for beta reading.
Another joined him, one who had also seen the horrors of war. Together, they stared at the rows and rows of graves, each one representing a soldier, a general, a civilian…
"How did it come to this?" the second one asked.
The first one replied, "We did it. We're the ones to blame."
"I miss him," the second one spoke in a wavering voice. "I miss him…so much."
"I know," the first one said, a hand on the second person's shoulder. "I know."
The dragons flew through the air swiftly, each rider bending towards the neck of the beasts, lessening the chances of watery eyes. One could not be handicapped in any way when headed to do combat, especially combat in the skies.
'The Pegasus Knights will be formidable fighters,' Seto thought, trying to get his mind off of his worries. Mokuba had been forced to stay and fight on the ground, much to Seto's displeasure and reluctance. The teen had even considered declining his chance of riding the Blue-Eyes, but Mokuba had insisted otherwise.
Mokuba was now in the care of two other young soldiers, both of whom were a year younger than Seto. They said they would watch out for the boy. Seto trusted their words, but not their actions. War could do anything to a man's sanity and mustered courage.
Following Tsukasa, who was a riding on a purple-colored dragon, Seto pulled the reins to the left. However, to his bewilderment, Seto found that pieces of rope would not confine and control the great beast. Roaring, the Blue Eyes went to the right instead and flew ahead of Tsukasa.
'What's it doing?' Seto wondered, suddenly nervous. 'This isn't supposed to be happening…'
A series of "neighs" alerted him of the presence of the Pegasus Knights. 'So,' Seto thought, thinking of the white dragon. 'You knew all along where they would be coming from.' All other things vanished from his mind and he let the dragon guide him into the incoming onslaught.
Down below, Mokuba held his sword out in front of him. He was a good distance away from the frontlines, but the enemy was closing in on them fast. Remembering his brother's display of fearlessness, Mokuba kept a firm grip on his sword and stood his ground as a few soldiers turned his direction. The young soldiers beside him had already moved forward to counter them. 'I just have to stay close to them,' Mokuba thought, 'and strike when I'm sure.'
"I still have his sword," the first one said. "Even though it symbolizes warfare, I still have it at the side of my bed. It will always remind me of his determination and wit."
"I have this," the second one said, pointing to something on him. "I never take it off. I never will."
Readying his spear, Bakura and Syren took flight behind Tristan and Setsuna. Setsuna, a daring soldier, was the son of a general and took pride in that fact. 'He will not go down without a good fight,' Bakura thought. 'He will even battle his foes to the very end, taking one after another, never tiring. Is he an example of who I should be like?'
Tristan let out a war cry and charged into the mighty scaled beasts ahead. Lance in hand, Tristan guided Nia to the nearest one, a man on a green dragon.
Spying his first victim, Setsuna zeroed in on Tsukasa, waving his scythe menacingly. Tsukasa brought an arrow to his bow and aimed.
Fleeing would be dishonorable, humiliating even, but that was what he wanted to do the most. 'I don't like this.' Bakura narrowed his eyes, anyway, and went for a rider on a red dragon.
Meanwhile, Dragon Knight Seto fought a sense of vertigo and held on to the Blue-Eyes as they flew heavenward and then swooped earthward towards unsuspecting Pegasus Knights. 'The Blue-Eyes is quick, cunning…unnerving.' As though it were just another day, the white dragon let loose blue fire, killing a winged horse and rider. Seto guessed he wouldn't have to use his sword as much, save to deflect arrows or Pegasus Knights who happened to get overhead, the dragon's only weakness.
Mokuba dropped to his knees, throwing up. He had watched as his sword plunged into the chest of the enemy soldier. He had watched blood, red blood like his own, flow. He had killed.
'What have I done?'
"Kid, get up!" one of the young soldiers shouted. "Don't just sit there! Be on your guard!"
"I…I can't-" Mokuba was hauled to his feet by the other boy.
"Stand up!" the second soldier yelled. "This is no place to waste time! Make defending yourself top priority!"
"I…I don't want to fight…"
All around him, bodies fell, life seeping out of them. Cries of terror and anger cluttered his ears. Smoke, dust, and a cold wind mixed together were an awful combination. Above, Dragon and Pegasus Knights clashed, Seto among them. 'Brother…'
The strangling grip of the reality of real war got hold of Mokuba. Without another word, Mokuba spun around and tried to run through the mass of battling men. He had to get out of there; he couldn't take it anymore!
The dragons were powerful, but the Pegasii were known for their speed.
Driving his Pegasus forward, Setsuna swung his scythe at Tsukasa. The man on the dragon fired another arrow and pierced Setsuna on the shoulder. The scythe left a nasty gash in Tsukasa's side.
Both men continued to attack each other viciously, each knowing their lives depended on it. There was no other option. Fight…or die, and to choose death was to escape, to run from the battle and neither wanted such dishonor written upon their graves. They would smash, swing, and stab at the last remaining bit of life until life plunged to the surface asunder, lost in the remains of the living hell below the veiling clouds.
Bakura thrust his spear into the scaled skin of a dragon, having avoided being the dragon's teeth that tried to snatch him off Syren. "That was too close…" Bakura whispered to himself, glad his helmet was there to halt most of the wind's bitter sting. Leaving behind the injured beast and perturbed rider, Bakura and Syren took off towards Tristan who was holding his own.
Tristan saw his friend, relieved that he was all right…then… "Bakura!" he called out as loud as his strength could muster above the sounds of battle.
Hearing his name, Bakura saw Tristan point at him. Glancing behind, Bakura saw a nightmare on wings, clothed in white, and his throat ran dry.
Tormented by fear for his friend's life, Tristan flew towards Bakura and aimed his lance at the heart of the rider. "Bakura!" he cried and threw the lance as forcefully as he could.
Seto, the rider of the blue-white vision, drove straight at Tristan instead, knowing the warrior was coming to the white-haired Knight's rescue. However, Blue Eyes beat him to the punch. It released fire again and struck Nia. The horse jerked ferociously in response, throwing Tristan into open air. However, Blue Eyes turned at the last second with the intention of protecting its rider, taking the lance just below its long neck. Rocking to and fro with the sudden sting of the lance, the dragon accidentally dismounted Seto.
Seto and Tristan plummeted towards the battle below…to their inevitable deaths.
Bakura gave a strangled cry of helplessness, helplessness for Tristan and for the enemy soldier, as well: "Noooo!"
Tristan's body fell into an unstoppable spin as he saw the sky and the earth flash before him. 'This isn't happening,' Tristan thought numbly, comprehending the intensity of the situation. Dizziness overtook him as he continued to fall. Any moment, he knew, the ground would suddenly come straight at him, promising the end. 'What a way to go…but at least I saved Bakura…I hope he's all right.' Tristan closed his eyes, succumbing to acceptance, acceptance of his approaching demise.
"Our right to live? How can you be sure? Are they not fighting for the very same thing?"
The memory tumbled into his head. He knew there was another dropping into blackness beside him. 'So, in the end, we'll bleed the same way,' Tristan concluded, finally realizing the true extent of his best friend's words. 'We're falling to the same earth, fighting for the same cause, dying the same way…I'm certain…I'm certain he was doing the very same thing I was doing…following orders.'
Blue-Eyes ripped the lance out of its skin and swooped earthward in search of its rider. Catching sight of him, the dragon flew swiftly and plucked Seto out of the air, careful to keep its teeth from hurting the teenager.
Not too far away, an obedient Syren flew under Tristan and Bakura grabbed his friend and pulled the captain into safety.
"Thank…you…" Seto muttered, barely aware of how dire his circumstances had been before the dragon had whisked him away, thwarting death not a moment too soon. Ironically, his body had been thrown at death's door and all he could think about was Mokuba. 'I've got to find him,' he thought, feeling himself placed upon the ground. Though he had miraculously eluded the sudden expiration of his life, Seto knew that the relief that coursed through his veins would not last long. A change of environment, from the sky to the earth, did not change the fact that a war was being fought.
Dazed, Seto groaned as he forced himself to sit up and plan his next move. A low growl at his side reminded him that the dragon was still there. "Blue-Eyes…" Slightly surprised that the dragon had stayed nearby, Seto reached out cautiously and gave the beast a small rub on its flaring nostril. "You rescued me. All the words in the world cannot adequately express my gratitude," the teenager said softly, receiving a low murmur in response that informed Seto that the dragon understood.
Knowing there was not a moment to lose, Seto gathered his composure and the soldier within resurfaced. Unsheathing his sword, Seto brought his gaze to the area of combat: ground zero.
"I have to find Mokuba; I made a promise."
Guiding Syren to a safe distance from the fighting, Bakura held onto Tristan tightly, tears already streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry, Tristan!" Bakura braced himself for the slight impact of the landing and then slid off of Syren, lowering Tristan to the ground. "I'm sorry – I should have been looking out for myself!"
"No…" The captain pushed himself to a sitting position. "It's not your fault, Bakura. It…isn't anyone's fault." Tristan sighed heavily, recuperating from the brush with death. "We're in a war, you know. It can't be helped."
"But-"
"Duck!"
Bakura threw himself to the dirt instinctively as an arrow whizzed overhead. "W-Wha…"
"This is not good. We're…" Tristan's voice trailed off momentarily, face turning pale. "We're behind enemy lines, Bakura," he whispered hoarsely.
Realizing the extent of the situation, Bakura instantly called for Syren. "Come on, Tristan! We have to-"
"You go on without me!" Tristan ordered. "I'll hold them back while you make your escape!"
"What?" An incredulous Bakura paused before climbing onto Syren. "No, I won't leave without you!"
"You're wasting time – go, now!" the captain shouted angrily and pulled out a short sword, that being the only back-up weapon.
Hearing "go," Syren neighed wildly and took to the air, Bakura barely on its back. The Pegasus tore through the air with a tormented rider.
'There's no way out!' Mokuba gasped for breath as he looked all around him, men fighting each other and not seeing the boy. 'W-What do I do?'
"Oh-ho, a baby in the middle of a war zone!" A large, burly man of the enemy's side appeared out of nowhere with a bloody sword in his gloved hands. "This is gonna be fun!"
'H-He's mad!' Mokuba thought, 'Mad to be thinking of "fun!"' Trembling, Mokuba tightened his grip on his own sword.
With a war cry, the man brought his sword down upon the boy. Mokuba barely managed to bring his blade up in front, preventing the man's sword from slicing him in half. 'I-I'm going to die!' Mokuba gulped as the man lifted the sword up and prepared to attack again. There was just no way Mokuba could handle another blow like that…
"Mokuba!"
Seto jumped in front of his brother, halting the blade between his armored wrists in a cross-arm formation.
"Seto!"
Grunting from the pressure of the other man's blade, Seto glanced at Mokuba with one open eye. "Mokuba, run! Get out of here and get away from here – run as fast as you possibly can!"
"Seto!" Fresh tears flowed from his eyes. Mokuba wailed again, "Seto, no! No!"
Finally shoving the man away, Seto gave Mokuba one last look. "I love you, Mokuba," he said, a rare smile finally taking its place on Seto's face.
A roar sounded and Mokuba was being taken away from the battlefield in the mouth of a magnificent blue-eyed white dragon.
End Part II.