Just as Seto reached out to untie his horse, he heard.
"Did you mean that or are you just saying that to make me come back?" Yami asked.
Seto sighed. "If you have to ask then I guess we don't know each other as well as we thought we did."
"Seto I just wanted to be sure you were serious, I don't hate you I could never hate you! I love you too little brother."
Seto turned to look at him. "I'm sorry I didn't come to convince you to come home sooner. I…well first I didn't know where you were and second I didn't think you would if I did."
"Seto I know I shouldn't have left but I wasn't sure…I don't know it just seemed like Mokuba pulled us together and truly made us a family, then when he was gone it was like our world was torn apart! I love him and miss him as much as you do Seto, but he's happy now."
"What! You, you've seen him?"
"Yes, he was with other children and it looked a little like a lady was teaching some of them to read."
"Why would Ryo put Mokuba in a school for kids to learn to read?"
"Well we know nothing about that country Seto. Perhaps that was meant only for children of people who work in the castle."
"True it's hard to know since Mokuba was the only kid that ever actually lived in the castle and we always had tutors."
"I know you'll want to see him Seto but maybe it's for the best if we don't. I mean he's happy there. Do we really want to take that from him?"
"I have to know he's at least alright. I trust you and I know what you're telling me is true but please big brother I want to at least see him."
"Very well, Seto. If that's how you feel."
"You're not mad at me anymore are you?"
"No, Seto. You're right, it's time to go home."
Seto and Yami were riding into the town. They knew no one would know them but they did their best to maintain a low profile anyway.
Nosaka always felt lessons came before play. Mokuba rarely went outside to play with the other kids when she did allow it. He'd stay inside and she'd usually help him work on his stuttering. This day was different. Nosaka had gotten a new student and wanted to work with her a bit more during recess. She made Mokuba go outside. He was scared he'd never really been around that many kids before younger or older. Since he kept mostly to himself and just watched, it never bothered him before today.
"Come now Mokuba. It won't be that bad. You need to learn to play with the other kids." Nosaka said, pushing him outside. She decided to stay and wait to see how the other kid's responded to him. The oldest was 7, not counting Mokuba. She was a touch concerned from what Ryo had told her; it was clear that Mokuba had always been a slave, never a kid. It was going to take him time to learn to be a kid and to be able to play with other kids.
"Hey come on, let's play tag. You can be it." A boy said, grabbing Mokuba's hand.
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
"There it is Seto. That's the house." Yami said.
"Look there's Mokuba!" Seto said.
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
"Come on!" the little boy yelled at Mokuba "Do you want to play with us or not?"
"I-I d-d-don't k-know h-how." Mokuba said.
"What do you mean, you don't know how? Are you stupid? I mean that much is clear seeing you can't read any better than I can. I can at least write my name, you can't even do that much!"
"Rex, that's enough." Nosaka said walking out this is exactly what she'd been afraid of. "Rex, you know how your father rarely lets your brother come to school during planting season?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well Mokuba here is from a home where he had to do all the chores on the farm. Did you farm Mokuba?"
"N-not s-since m-my f-father d-died w-when I w-was 5." Mokuba said.
"Well Rex, now imagine you having to do all of your daily chores, your brothers and your parents."
"No way I'm not doing all of that!" Rex said.
"No but Mokuba here did all of that and more."
"Man, did you ever get time to play or play with anyone?"
Mokuba shook his head no. "N-not much, a-and n-no o-one t-to t-talk t-to o-or p-play w-with. I o-only I m-met R-Ryo a f-few m-months a-ago."
"Yeah, who's Ryo?" Rex asked.
"M-my b-big b-brother." Mokuba said.
"So Rex, do you think you're up to the job of trying to teach Mokuba here how to be a kid?"
"Doesn't sound all that hard no problem."
"Good." Nosaka said going back inside.
It didn't take long for Mokuba to understand the game and soon they started playing.
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
Yami looked over at Seto. They wanted to get closer to actually hear what was being said but were afraid if they got any closer, Mokuba might see them. At the moment, they weren't sure they wanted him to see them.
"What's wrong you wanted him to be happy and to learn to be a normal happy kid didn't you?"
"Yes but…"
"But you wanted to be the one to teach him."
Seto gave a faint smile. "Yeah, but I guess this is better. He's really happy; he's learning and growing. I just wished we were the ones that were going to see him grow up."
"I know Seto, I know. Let's go home."
"Yeah it's going to be so quiet and lonely without him."
"Yeah, it'll be so strange not having him around. We should send a messenger with some salve so Ryo can continue treating him. Even if we can't be with him he should still get his back treated. He shouldn't have to live with physical reminders of what those bastards did to him." Yami said.
"That's a good idea." Seto said. 'Especially seeing how at least a few of the beating were due to me. I still remember asking him to stay with me only to have him come back later beaten because of it. Not to mention the day we met. He stayed to make sure I'd stay quiet and he got beaten for it.'
"Seto, are you okay?"
"Fine, it's nothing. I'll see if the doctor has some spare salve fixed up so that we can give it to them. I think I'll send the mutt to deliver it."
"Why him? I thought you hated him."
"Well I got a new respect you might say for him."
"How did he manage that?"
"He showed me just how much I care and missed you. He also convinced me to come get you."
"So he may make it as a knight?"
"I don't know so much about that. But you never know."
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
Mokuba was chasing one of the boy's and just missed when he looked up, his eyes went wide when he saw Seto and Yami turning and leaving.
Mokuba walked several feet towards where they were. 'What-what are they doing here?'
"Mokuba come on." One of the kids yelled.
Mokuba looked back at them then turned and walked a few more feet seeing them leave. A part of him wanted to run and jump into their arms and beg them to take him home. But the rational part of his brain told him he couldn't do that. This was his home now.
'I don't understand. I thought they didn't love me; they didn't care about me anymore. But-but if that were true then, then why were they here now? Could it be that I-I was wrong? That they care about me after all? But it's too late now.' Mokuba thought holding his necklace. 'I can't abandon Ryo. He's always been there for me when I needed him! Even when Seto and Yami turned against me he was still there. He needs me now, as much as I want to question why Seto and Yami were here, I can't do it. They may ask me to go home with them and I'd be too tempted to say yes. I wish life wasn't so complicated. At least at home, I knew what to expect. You do your job right, keep them happy, you get fed and you don't get beaten. One false move, you get beaten and extra chores and no food. Then I met Ryo. The rules changed slightly. Be extra careful not to get beaten or Ryo would insist on treating you. I still remember the first time Ryo ever found out I had been beaten.'
{Flashback}
Mokuba had been cleaning out the stalls so he had to hurry. It was about time to meet Ryo. He had just finished when Marine walked in.
"JJ I thought I told you to groom my horse?" Marine said. "I specifically told you I was going riding later and that I wanted my horse to look its best. It was supposed to have been done before you started any of the other stalls! You were supposed to do hers then groom her then take her outside and tie her near the pasture. I was supposed to meet Crawford in half an hour and I wanted my horse to look as perfect as I am! I rarely even see my husband nowadays; he's always off somewhere looking for work. Now it's going to take you that half hour to groom him perfectly!"
Mokuba worked as fast as he could but it still took over half an hour.
Marine walked in with Noah. "Do be sure he gets punished properly, dear Noah. I'd do it myself but you know how I dislike the violence of actually striking him."
"You're such a wimp, Marine."
Marine said nothing and just rode off.
"Now it's play time." Noah said getting a three strip whip down.
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
Ten minutes later Mokuba went to meet Ryo who was waiting for him.
"Hey kid, what's wrong?"
Mokuba shook his head. But Ryo could clearly see he'd been crying, his hair was a lot more of a mess than normal and there was just something not quite right about him. He pulled him close and gently hugged him. He felt a little weird at first; he'd barely known the kid for two weeks. He placed his hand on his back and Mokuba whined.
Ryo pulled him back, against Mokuba's will turned him around and couldn't believe what he saw, then turned him back around to face him. "Do they do this often, kid?"
Mokuba nodded.
"Well I should have guessed that from the looks of your back. Come on, let's go back to my place and I'll patch you up a little. I can't understand how people like them are allowed to live. You're just a little kid, they shouldn't beat you. But I'll look after you the best I can from now on." Ryo said.
{End Flashback}
'No Ryo kept his promise. I promised myself I'd make an everlasting bond with Ryo and I'm going to do it!'
Just then, Nosaka walked up to him. "Mokuba, what are you doing? Where are you going?"
Mokuba sighed. "N-nowhere."
"Then what are you doing way over here? The others said you stopped playing and were just standing here. Is everything all right?"
Mokuba nodded and walked back to the house.
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Seto and Yami finally arrived back home only to be greeted by Gansley.
"What do you want here, Gansley? If you've come to plead for Johnson's release you're wasting your breath."
"No sir. We just got a new letter and it's been solidly confirmed this time. Your brother will be here sometime next month. His family's bringing him here and they moved far away and it'll take them a while to get here."
"Whatever." Seto said. He paid a high price for believing one letter. He lost Mokuba and nearly lost Yami too. He wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice.