Notes: Hello all! This is the first chapter fic I'm doing (and actually feel I can finish cough) so any and all feedback is welcome! (though flames may/will be snerked at - com'on, there's concrit and then there's just being an arsehole) The characters of Kingdom Hearts/Squaresoft/SquareEnix are not mine, sadly, though this story is :P I have most of this part (yes, depending on how I end this there -may- be a second fic continuing on with them) already thought up, if not banged out, and am working on splitting the loooooong single-fic I have into shorter, separate chapters. Comments are loved, as always, as well as requests and the like 3 Please enojy!

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The chilled room of the courthouse was buzzing with noise from folks of the town, speaking in hushed voices amongst themselves. There had been a Hunt earlier that day and had caught an accused witch just on the outskirts. Mothers clutched their children close as the men spoke of hexes that they had seen - or at least, the stories had been told and retold so many times it was just the same - turning women inside-out, snatching the still-beating hearts out of their children. Scattered throughout were hushed gasps and harsh barks of laughter coupled with the scraping of boots on the ground, people huddling together for warmth.

"Order in the court!"

Almost instantly the noise died down into a tense silence, occupants of the room seeming to hold their breath. The judge, somewhat young for his positions being in his mid 30's though aged from his younger fighting years, leveled a steady eye on the room in case someone wanted to speak up. No one did. "Now then - bring the witch."

Hushed mummers went up as the side door of the court opened, revealing two guards flanked at either side of what appeared to be a teenage boy. Heavy shackles locked on his arms as well as his ankles he was practically dragged into the courthouse before being pushed down, stumbling onto his knees before the court.

A girl, clutching her mother's skirts near the front of the crowd gasped as the boy looked up, tugging quickly at the fabric grasped between her fingers. "Mama mama! He's pretty!"

It was true; a shock of silver hair hung down to his shoulders as ocean-green eyes scowled back at the crowd, who cowered in fear. "Don't look!" The mother hissed, slapping a hand over the girl's eyes. "He'll fix you with a hex!"

Riku would have rolled his eyes, if he had the strength. It was hard enough remaining sitting up on his knees - especially when the guards grasped each of his shoulders roughly to turn him around the face the judge, pulling weight on him in warning. Another hand grasped the hair at the nape of his neck sharply and jerked his head back as he started to bow forward, forcing a grimace out of him.

"Witch," the judge spoke low but his voice carried throughout the room, single word causing a hush to fall over the crowd once again. "You are being sentenced with collecting herbs in which to brew your potions, hexing the elderly woman into drowning herself-" Another round of shocked gasps went around at the news. "-and tampering in the Dark Arts against our Lord. How do you plead?"

"I didn't do anything!" Somehow Riku found enough energy within him to shout the words, glaring daggers at the stern face before him. "They were herbs! For my dinner! The old hag probably -slipped- into that stupid lake an-"

Cut off by a sharp punch to the side of the head the boy groaned, dazed. The crowd was in an uproar, yelling and hissing.

"She did not!"

"You see? You can't trust the likes of-"

"I bet he was going to work his way through each of us, pick us off one by one-"

Drumming his fingers against the top of his desk Judge Auron listened to the cries of outrage for a few moments before having his fill. "SILENCE!" As quickly as it had started the room fell silent once again, tension tinged with anger. "You have one chance," he started, fixing his eyes on the silver-haired boy before him. "To redeem yourself. If you admit to the charges put against you you will be imprisoned until your life draws to an end. If not.." There was a pause in which one could hear a feather drop. "It's death by the stake."

A round of grumbles and grunts went around at that, some agreeing that the terms were fair enough while others were saying 'they should have killed him on sight'. "What is your answer now?"

The answer became clear when Riku looked up, glaring through one darkening eye, and spat. There wasn't nearly enough strength behind it to reach Auron where he sat but the message was clear enough. "Go to hell."

"-Blasphemy-!"

"Oh sweet mother-"

"Cover your ears, children!-"

"It is done, then!" Over the frightened voices of the court Auron spoke, unable to regain the complete silence he had twice before gotten but settling them down enough to be heard without shouting. "The witch will not admit to his crimes so in three days time his sentence shall be carried out - burning at the stake!" The gavel coming down hard on its wooden counterpart wasn't loud enough to be heard over the cheers from the villagers, women hugging their children as men pounded on the floor.

If it was shock or simply fatigue of the day Riku didn't react to the news, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet and dragged out of the room with cheers and jeers going on behind him. Unceremoniously thrown into the back of a wagon and locked in he stared blankly at the closed door as its driver clicked the horses into motion, pale form swaying from his spot on the floor of the coach.