Promises

You promised.

Sometimes, that would be the only thing that kept him going. The simple knowledge that he promised he would always be there when he was needed. That he would always be there to fight away the monsters that tried to get him. That he would always love him.

And he was a man of his word.

Now, sitting here at one in the morning, feeling more dizzy by the passing moment; was Seto. Seto Kaiba. The light that shone down upon the sole inhabitant of this vast room seemed dull and dim in his eyes. The room had no windows, to prevent distractions. All that was in there was a big oak desk, a wooden chair, a pile of books, some bookshelves and Seto himself. The door had been locked from the outside to keep him in the room until his work was done to his father's satisfaction. The bare, brown wooden floor to look brand new and the bookshelves were quite large in size, filled with a large variety of books so Seto would be able to research easily.

Sighing, the brown haired boy allowed himself a moment of rest and let his head fall onto the hard desk. It was just too much. At times, he doubted his own ability to complete the work. His body was sore all over from the 'lessons' Gozaburo - his father, put him through. There were deep, dark circles under his eyes, showing that he hadn't gotten a decent amount of sleep in some time. And, his body was thin and bony; for Gozaburo had with held food from him; again.

Forcing his body upward, he began his work once more, letting his mind get trapped within the many questions on the page. Gozaburo had gave him until breakfast to finish all his work Looking up for a moment, he saw the empty packages stacked neatly to the left corner of his desk. Quickly looking back down, he started working slightly quicker, fear settling into his mind with the threat of punishment for unfinished work lingering in the air and in his memories.

Was it all really worth it?

Was it worth getting hurt and pushed to his wits end? Was it worth having to force himself into new patterns and let go of his past? Was this worth anything at all?

Maybe he should stop. He didn't need the money or corporation; he would get to the top in some other way! The orphanage wasn't that bad -

Suddenly, a picture of a young boy entered his mind. A young boy with long black hair and large violet eyes. Those eyes...They were so innocent, so trusting. And they trusted him. They trusted him to help. To protect. To love. The idea of leaving soon left him and he felt ashamed for even considering such a thing.

Mokuba, his younger brother, looked up to him. He was the only friend Seto had ever had; the only person he ever trusted.

He couldn't let him down.

He couldn't let his only family, go back to the orphanage and suffer. He was the older brother, and so, it was his responsibility to make sure that his younger brother would be okay. That he would have a good life. No matter what the cost, what the sacrifice. Even if it meant leaving everything he knew behind. He wouldn't just give up and let Mokuba get hurt. He work until death if he had to, become Gozaburo if it was necessary.

Just as long as Mokuba was happy.

With a tired, but determined smile coming onto his face, Seto worked with a new drive.

He ended up finishing his work two hours early. The huge grin on Mokuba's face when he saw his 'big brother' at breakfast made all the hunger, all the lack of sleep and all the pain seem worthwhile.

Because Mokuba was happy, and nothing else mattered.