"It's...fine," Kaiba says tightly. He forces himself to remember to breathe, fighting back a tidal wave of emotion he can't entirely keep under control. He can't lose it here.

"I believed you the first time, so I should have expected it. I'm not...usually so irrational. It'll pass."

Anything to keep from breaking. He fights back the quiver in his voice and continues. "But that's a fine dragon. It protected him proudly...the same way the memory of Blue Eyes kept me going when I stumbled. I should have been there to see it."