Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the characters therein, are the property of Kazuki Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or 4Kids Ent., FUNimation, TV Tokyo/NAS/Studio Gallop

A quick thank you to my pal sonata hirano for all her help and Ireina Kurotsukifor their help and BETAing and stuff!

Boredom; an odd thing that leaves little but ideas to play with, there are going to be four of these 'history logs' one for Seto, one for Ryou and one for Yugi and Marik.

Touch the Darkness, Claim the Light

Part 1: Seto

Every light needs a darkness and sometimes in the darkest of places one can find the purest of that illusive innocence.

Earliest memory

The feeling of safety fled as his mother place him into the arms of this stranger, he didn't like this man, his aura was evil and it was all the infant, only weeks old could do not to cry out for its parents, its beloved mother and father. For some reason he knew that crying would get him no where, his parents trusted this man and as he was gently rocked he opened his eyes blinking at the brightness around him to look up at this creature who cradled him. The man was handsome, though the baby didn't truly comprehend the meaning of the word, with thick dark hair and grey eyes.

"He's beautiful Lily, he has your eyes," the man said, his voice rumbling out of his chest, his voice carrying ill hidden obsession behind a warm facade. "He looks just like little Seth did," he commented and his mother murmured something his still weak hearing could not pick up but what ever it was made the man holding him laugh, "Hello little Seto," the man murmured looking down at him, staring into his alien blue eyes.

"My name is Uncle Yomi, and I'll always be there for you…"

Age 5

"MAMMA! Don't hurt Mamma! Daddy please!" the young boy cried holding a small infant to his chest, huddled in the far corner as he watched his stepfather repeatedly hit his mother, the woman's thick brown hair hiding her bruised face from her sons' view. Fear flooded his small fragile form as he clutched to the months old child looking away as a shadow fell over them. Another child, older, wiser stepping into the room his blue-blue eyes tired as they took in the scene and looked over to the other blue eyed boy.

Seto…

"Seto…run, take Mokie and get out of here!" Seth snapped stepping in front of his younger brother his small face-hardened with the truth of their stepfathers' abuse. He'd been watching this from the start, only a year ago when the man had married their weak willed, submissive mother; he knew what their 'daddy' did to Seto late at night. "But-" Seto started only to be glared at by his older sibling and stood sobbing at the pain in his rear end and legs and limped through the doorway. Looking back he whispered, "We'll get help…yes we'll get help."

"Don't you step one foot out side the front fucking door boy. I swear to god, I will kill the bitch and then make you rue the day you were born!" 'Daddy' shouted and he sobbed falling into a jog as the child in his arms woke and began to wail.

"Hush Mokie, big brother will make daddy stop," he whispered reaching the bottom of the stairs and looking back as he opened the door he whimpered watching Seth fly back his back smacking into the wall. Shivering Seto looked toward the door to the room he had just fled through and he whined as he felt it.

The same feeling he'd gotten when Grandfather had died. The same feeling he'd gotten when he'd watched his 'daddy' push his father, 'daddy's' best friend down a flight of wooden stairs just before mamma married him, before Mokie had come into both of his older brothers lives.

The only welcomed thing that man had ever done to the blue eyed brothers.

"HELP!" Seto sobbed running across the court to Mr and Mrs Potters, a lovely old couple who watched over them when their mother was 'ill'.

Wrapping on the door as hard as he could Seto looked back at his house and whimpered, watching the shadows of death cover the two story building, "Seto…Seto honey what's wrong?" Mrs Potter asked and Seto looked up tears streaming down his face.

"Daddy's angry, he's hurting mamma! He threw Seth into a wall!" Seto sobbed as Mr Potter came to the door and nodded, "Come in, we'll call help okay little one," he said and the boy shook his head, "Seth's still there! I-I have to help big brother," Seto said handing the elderly woman his infant brother. Turning before either could protest he sprinted back to his house and his brother, who lay much like a broken toy at the foot of the stairs.

"I told you boy!" Daddy thundered at the child, glancing up, away from his brothers broken form Seto let out a sob and then with the smack of flesh on flesh and a heavy thud the child's world went black.

Age 6

"Seto," a voice called and the child looked up away from his folded hands, blue eyes flashing fear as he met the unfamiliar face of the police officer. "Seto, can you tell us why you went to the Potter house?" he asked and Seto blinked looking over to his 'daddy' who was glaring at him with hate filled eyes and he thought of his big brother, who lay in a coma in the hospital, the older boy yet to wake months after his fall. Of little Mokuba who would now have to live his life never knowing their beloved mothers' warmth.

Seto knew he understood things others his age didn't, he knew he was special, that all of them, Seth, Mokuba and he where smarter than others their age and some who weren't. But that didn't mean that adults took them seriously. It didn't mean that they would believe him over his 'daddy'.

But he would try to make them understand.

"Daddy was hurting Mamma, he kept hitting her, and she was crying and big brother told me to run, to get away. I wanted to help but I…" he said looking over to the sympathising faces of the jury and knew that he looked pitiful. "I wasn't sure I could help them so I went to Mr and Mrs Potter. They're nice and take care of us when Mamma gets sick," he said looking back to the cop.

"Have you witnessed him hurting your Mamma before or your brother?" the man asked and Seto blinked and nodded, "When he gets angry with us or if he's had too much to drink. Mamma didn't like alcohol in the house, it made her nervous."

"Did Mr Oita, your 'daddy' ever do anything that made you…uncomfortable?" the cop asked and Seto frowned, "What's your name?"

"I'm Aito Ehime, I'm a police officer," the man said with a small smile and Seto nodded, "And what do you mean by uncomfortable, do you mean putting me in his lap? Pretending to have spiders in his hands and faking to throw them at me? Or the other stuff?"

"What other stuff Seto?" the man beside him asked looking down at the blue eyed child whom showed a surprising maturity and intelligence and the child looked up at him and said, "Daddy didn't always stay in his bed with Mamma. He liked to come and play with me at night. I didn't like it. It hurt."

Gasps filled the court room and Seto's eyes darted to Mr Yomi Oita, the man he had called daddy for almost two years now and watched in horror as he stood his chair fell to the floor his face a mask of unveiled rage and hate. "You little bitch! You filthy little whore! How dare you!" he snarled and Seto looked down at his hands, shoulders rounding as the blood left his face and he whimpered. Tears falling onto his folded hands.

"Mr O'Connor control your client, or I will have the charges of contempt added to his already lengthily list!" the judge snapped before looking at the boy and asked quietly "Are you alright son?"

"I want my brothers," Seto said softly looking up at the chubby old man and blinked tear filled eyes, "Can I go now? I want Mokie and Seth. I don't wanna be here any more." The sudden show of his real age broke the judges' heart, along with the fact that at such a young tender age he already understood that his mother was no longer there for him and he nodded, "sure, would it be alright if later we asked some more questions?"

"…Only if Seth's there…I…I don't wanna be alone," Seto mumbled and the judge smiled, looking back to the room his face falling into grim lines as he shouted, "We're going for a short break, I expect everyone back here at 2:30!"

Standing timidly as the counsellor lady, Mrs Judas-Nightingale, a tall American woman, walked over to him Seto looked back at the judge, "I tried to say no. I did," he said and the judge nodded. "Good, son, you're allow to tell people no if you really don't want to," he said and Seto nodded looking back at the woman saying, "I want Seth, I want my big brother."

Age 8

Meeting Mr Kaiba dark eyes Seto looked back down at the bored, he had to win, had to, Seth, Mokuba and he wouldn't last much longer here, Seth already 11 and they had overheard that there was little chance that he would ever get adopted. Wheel chair and all, little chance of Seto getting adopted because of his sketchy past and submissive nature. He listened to few but those he did he was completely subservient to. Only Mokuba had a real chance at a real home, and they were impeding that by not wanting to let him go. By his refusal to leave his big brothers.

This Gozabura was their ticket out of the orphanage, out and together, safe from those who would tear then apart. "So boy if you win I have to adopt you and your little brother is that it?" Kaiba asked his voice patronising and Seto didn't even bother to look up as he answered, "My big brother, Seth, and little brother Mokuba and I yes." Small fingers went to a chess piece then away, the child's thumb nail ending up pressed to the child's mouth, small white teeth scrapping against the cells of living tissue.

"Come on boy, we don't have all day," Kaiba snipped as reporters took photo after photo of him playing a chess match against the orphan as other rich folk looked around the orphanage in boredom, some looking at the children others watching slow game. "If you rush you lose," Seto murmured before reaching out to the piece he had almost touched and moved it before saying "Check mate."

Dark eyes of the older man rushed to the table and he had to bite his tongue to keep from swearing like a sailor, the boy was right, he was in Check mate. Bitter rage filled him and he looked at the small, fragile child and said "Very well, good game, get your' brothers ready, I'll be taking you home tomorrow."

Nodding Seto stood then paused, "My older brother is in a wheeler chair, bring the right vehicle," he said then slipped through the crowd as someone patted his shoulder tusking at him. "Beaten by a child. Why I heard that boy is no older than eight my friend," a smooth voice came. Spinning around ready to do some real damage to who ever had just said that Mr Kaiba stopped when face with Mr and Mrs Crawford and their son Maximillion J with his fiancee, Cyndia.

"Indeed, well it's a good thing I went easy on him, I need a new heir since Noa passed on," he said cockily and Mr Crawford nodded, "True, very true. You'll have three by the end of tomorrow, what joy. You must bring them to our summer island this year!"

Nodding Kaiba noticed the sons eyes where on him and he had the feeling the boy knew he had been lying through his teeth, he didn't want a new heir, if he felt in need of one he'd go fuck some bitch and impregnate her with his seed.

Age 9

"Hush Seto…shush," Mokuba whispered as Seth cleaned his brothers' wounds, the bloodied scraps looking very angry. Tears stream down his face as he whispered "I'm sorry big brother. I didn't mean to knock it over."

"I know Mokie," Seto said his voice strained as he glanced up, blue eyes shinning through his hair, "Its okay little brother, it doesn't hurt all that much, honest." Looking at Seth Seto met his older brothers bitter, rage filled eyes and mouthed 'Love you' bringing a small smile to the 12 year olds lips.

"Listen to Seto Mokuba, he knows what he's talking about," Seth said washing the cloth in the bowl of warm water that sat on his legs, having been paralysed from the waist down since his fall some four years ago. It was a bitter thing to go from the protector to the protected, especially when it was your younger brother who was weaker than you, who was, for all accounts, already partially broken from previous treatment.

"Seto…if he ever hurts you, like what 'daddy' did, you'll tell me right?" he asked later that night as Seto lay beside him on the bed the three had shared since they had moved in six months ago. "Sure…do you think he'll take no as an answer Seth? Daddy never did but Judge-man said its okay to say no if you really don't want it," Seto asked his voice small and Seth looked over at his brother and smiled. A tight lipped, pained, bitter smile full of self-loathing and disapproval, as he said, "no, I don't think he will If he tries, say no, but if he doesn't stop just…just let it happen, don't make him hurt you."

"Okay,"

Age 12

Seto lay limply, dead blue eyes staring up at the white wash ceiling as the man, his adoptive father, Gozaburo Kaiba, thrust harshly into his already abused channel, he was numb to the pain of this now. The monster had started over a year ago and it had hurt, just as it had with his 'daddy'. And he had never for filled his promise to Seth, had never breathed a word to either of his brothers about what the man did to him almost nightly now. He'd been banned from sleeping with his brothers, as they had for years now, only a few weeks before the abuse had begun.

"That's a good little whore!" the beast purred above him after a particularly hard thrust that had pulled a soft grunt from his throat, pain tearing up his spine under the constant assault. It would end soon, though, he had it all planed out. Seth had to turn eighteen, first though otherwise it wouldn't work. Let the man think he had it all under his control, it was only a matter of time before he would realise he was just another pawn in the chess game.

Age 14

"Seto! How long has this been going on?" Seth demanded the bedridden teen he was tending, Gozaburo never called in doctors for his heir, and no one was allowed to care for his wounds except Mokuba and himself. The beast of a businessman said that they had to earn their keep. His bright, focused blue eyes met his brothers cold, almost deadened ones and silence reined as Mokuba bustled in carrying a tray of goods to clean up the elder boy.

"Answer me!" Seth hissed, long fingers curling around the arm rests of his wheelchair, "…since I was eleven, about three weeks after he stopped allowing me to sleep with you two," came a nearly broken murmur and the sixteen year old swore. "I'll kill him!" he raged as Mokuba washed some of the blood from Seto's angular face.

"No," Seto whispered harshly, his throat swollen after Gozaburo had decided to choke him as he raped him, this after beating the living hell out of him, all in front of his beloved brothers. They had to hate him now, he was dirty but then he had always been dirty. "No, Seth, if we get rid of him now, while your still under age we could be split up! Just wait! Please big brother, you know I will never survive without the two of you!" Seto sobbed feeling pathetic and weak and dirty and vile.

Flinching away from his brothers out stretched hand Seto turned on his side, away from the pair who were watching him with equally sad, disappointed gazes, curling his lengthy frame up, he was so tall now that he towered over his brothers, almost six feet. Hugging himself he let the tears that had burned inside for so long now it seem like forever slide, silently from his eyes.

They knew.

They knew and soon they would be free to leave and live in peace.

'Maybe I should just off him now. It would be so easy and then Seth and Mokuba could leave and be rid of me,'he thought miserably as the matrass dipped behind him and he felt Seth pull his unresponsive lower half upon the large bed. Moments after the sensation hit him he was surrounded by his bid brothers arms, pulled into a hug he wanted desperately yet shrank away from and Mokuba slid up on his other side hugging him that way as well.

Sleep beaconed sweetly, and safe in the cocoon of his brothers' warmth and feeling their love Seto allowed it to over come him sweep him under and into the caressing oblivion of sleep.

Age 16

Now at six foot two Seto glared across the room at his stepfather, trembling with rage, he had gone too far this time. Had threatened to 'off load the extra baggage' that was Mokuba and Seth Kaiba. Walking quickly towards the man who had his back turned Seto did the first irrational thing of his life. He rammed as hard as he could into the other man sending him hard into the safety glass of the twenty third-story window, causing the small, metallic latch to crack under the pressure.

"You'll not touch my brothers!" Seto cried before shoving him again as the window latch broke and the mammoth of a man fell as Seto quickly righted himself and turned to the computer. He'd just killed his stepfather and had to act quickly, Gozubora had no cameras in the office, as he liked to 'play' with Seto and others in there so he'd had them removed so being caught murdering his step-father on tape wasn't an issue. Pulling up several files he left them displayed on the screen before curling up in the far corner tears of relief falling from his eyes as he shook.

The police would think it shock and leave him be, he'd sob and shack his way through an interview. He knew how to lie and lie well so they would believe him if he claimed he and his step father had had an argument and the man had lost his temper. He already had a bruises from were the man had hit him before making that comment on his brothers so he could claim that the man had struck him then turned to the window and smacked himself against it in a fit of rage, before accidentally falling to his death.

Seth would be turning eighteen that weekend, the courts would surly allow him to be their guardian so Gozubora had died a little a head of schedule, a little hiccup nothing more. The far door burst open police storming in and he let out a small sob curling up on his self, "Mr Kaiba, Seto is that you?" a voice he remembered asked and Seto looked up to see Aito Ehime from when…

"I…" he tried looking down and away hiding his face the adrenaline had worn off and he was tired and wanted to sleep, he'd just killed a man…he was no better than his daddy now.