~*Mistrials*~
"Reverend Kaiba, I certainly must insist that you carry on with the mass. These past few weeks, we've had nothing but trials and we've already hung and burned five people, including Joey's sister."
"Yes but what really irritates me are those damn girls."
Kaiba and his brother Mokuba sat on the altar. The candles have been lit, the sun shining through the window.
"You just be glad Joey isn't pressing charges on your sorry ass." Mokuba started to sweep the floor. "That guy nearly went ballistic when he found out Serenity died. He couldn't eat or sleep for three days straight."
"I find that hard to believe."
Mokuba stopped sweeping the floor, looking up at Kaiba in disbelief. "What does that s'posed to mean?"
"Don't you remember a while back? Joey had some serious anger problems and often took it out on his little sister. So one night, she ran off and somehow ended up in Yugi's home."
"Well, we might as well get ready for another trial." Mokuba took his broom and left the church.
"How long does the mass usually last?"
"Crowds of people piled into the church. Yami, Yugi, and Tea sat in the back row.
"A very, very long time," Yami gazed at the crowd. "But when you end up in the witch trials, they end up longer nonetheless irritating."
"Did you guys hear?" the three looked up seeing a blonde woman wearing a blue skirt and a bonnet. "They're setting up a trial for both Michiru and Haruka."
"Those two?" Yugi looked up at the young woman.
"Yep! They both were charged for adultery and the black arts. The circle claims that they were dancing naked in the woods, trying to raise their sister Setsuna from the dead."
"Where did you hear that Mai?" Yami looked up at Mai.
Mai squeezed through their row, taking a seat beside Yugi. "They had a preliminary hearing late last night."
"The only reason the circle is naming those two is because Michiru and Haruka are lesbians."
Reverend Kaiba stepped forward to the altar. Haruka ran her fingers through her short blond hair while Michiru started to ponytail her aqua hair. Both sat in the front, their feet shackled.
Kaiba looked to the people before speaking. "People, live by these words for they will effect you later in life." He then pointed a finger in the air. "Ask not what Salem can do for you but what you can do for Salem." Villagers started to talk excitedly, nodding in agreement.
"Wait a minute," Tea eyed the reverend quizzically, muttering to herself. "That's John F. Kennedy's line."
"Who's John F. Kennedy?" Yami looked down at Tea strangely.
"Oh…" she smiled nervously. "Uh…never mind."
"And now we will start the trial."
"I swear by the holy name reverend!" Michiru fell to her knees. "Please, you've got to believe us! We both love God! We know not what a witch is!"
"Young lady," Kaiba pointed his finger at Michiru. "We're in a trial here. Address me as 'Your Honor'"
"They ride on sticks!" Chibi-Usa cried out, breathing heavily. "Dear God, they're coming to attack me!"
"They're coming to attack me!" the girls chanted. Soon enough, wild pitch screams broke the silence, as they sounded like Indians ready to attack, running wildly from one side of the room to another.
"You see us riding on fucking sticks you twit?" Michiru slowly got up, ready to attack them but Haruka held her back.
"Take it easy Michi."
"Do you deny these charges?" Kaiba was obviously getting ticked off."
"Of course your honor!" Michiru's eyes showed some sign of fear as she gazed up at Kaiba.
"So why don't you explain the reason the girls are being afflicted?"
"Wake up your honor," Haruka was getting pissed. "Can't you see the girls are faking it. They're nuts I tell you!"
"They're nuts I tell you!" the girls chanted.
"What the?" Haruka looked back at the circle.
"What the?"
"Shutup!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Shutup!"
"So why are these girls repeating everything you say?" Kaiba glared down at the two women.
"Wait a second…" Haruka started to say but the girls interrupted her, repeating what Haruka said.
"Will you girls knock it off!" Michiru started to sob.
"Will you girls knock it off!" the girls repeated.
"That's it, I've heard enough." Kaiba slowly stood up. "I sentence you two to a stoning death.
Michiru had let out a torturing scream. Haruka just stood there, stunned in silence.
"Stoning death." Yugi's eyes widened, the two girls face showed nothing more than horror. "That's a new one."
"I heard they throw stones at you until they die." Said Mai.
"That's horrible." Tea looked up at her as they watched the priest leave.
"Any of you want to come along?" Yami stood up. "I plan to visit the reverend's daughter."
"I'll come along." Yugi stood up. "C'mon Mai, c'mon Tea." The four then stood u, making their way outside the church.
"Hey," Mai started to say as they were outside the church. "I never seen you around here before. Where are you from?"
"I…" Tea started off.
"She's our cousin Mai." Yami glanced down at Tea. "She just moved here from merry old Boston."
"Boston?" Mai's eyes widened with surprise. "All the nice stuff comes from there." She then shook Tea playfully. "You've got to let me borrow some of your clothes. I just love their silk shirts. You can never find them here. And here I am looking like a common peasant."
"You are a common peasant Mai." Yugi and Yami stared at her in unison.
"I'm just a beautiful blonde stuck in a common world." Mai tossed her hair to the side, letting out a sigh. "It's a hard life." They finally reached the reverend's home. Yugi knocked on the door. Instantly, the door opened and there stood an exhausted Ishizu.
"Yami," Ishizu smiled nervously. She looked at the others that came along with him. "I didn't expect you to come at this hour. What gives?"
"I…um…got your message."
"Oh? Yes, yes that message. Right." She then turned around, heading up the stairs. "You must come quickly. Hotaru has somewhat turned for the worse. A bit of a rat bite. Come." She then ran up the stairs, heading towards Hotaru's room. They gathered around Hotaru's bed. Yugi tilted Hotaru's head to the side only to find two holes punctured on her neck.
"Oh my word," Yugi shook Hotaru slightly.
"Will she be all right?" Tea looked up at Ishizu.
"She will. She just needs some rest. Yami, we need to talk in the living room."
Yami nodded in reply as he followed Ishizu out of the room, heading down the stairs. "What of the reverend?"
"He will come home late." Ishizu leaned against the wall, looking up at him. "I fear Ryou's true instincts are awakening. I thought he could control himself."
"If this keeps happening, the whole village will soon turn to chaos."
"Just like the cards have predicted," she looked up at Yami for a moment. "I see you have claimed your next victim."
"She is not my victim," he circled around Ishizu. "I know my true instinct Ishizu and I believe I can handle it much better than Ryou."
"Do you know exactly what you are Yami?" Ishizu's eyes gazed to the floor.
"I know what I am. I know my instincts quite well."
"It could put you in trial not only because you are named the helper of the devil but for numerous accounts of adultery if you're not careful."
"I tend to quench my thirst from Tea." He smirked darkly.
"I see you have read The Empress card," she looked up at him, smiling. 'The relationship you two will have is a rather dark one."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Certainly not." Ishizu grinned. "A rather twisted one indeed. Usually mortals have a hidden desire to love the dark but they don't tend on showing it."
"You think Tea is like that?"
"I'm not quite sure. The cards and her palm indicate that you two were meant for each other. Relationship-wise that is. But what she is seems unclear to me."
"What have you meant by 'Darkness will fall over Salem' ever since Tea arrived?"
"Chaos will soon come plaguing Salem." Ishizu took out a rag, wiping the table. "Some very close to us will embrace death.
"You don't mean…"
"It is fate. It's destiny," she closed her eyes. "We can not stop the hand that we are dealt with."
"Do you know who the victims are?"
"It only seems unclear. But they will perish one by one." They soon heard footsteps. Looking up, they only saw Mai and Tea coming down.
"Where's Yugi?" Ishizu looked at the two.
"He insisted on staying with Hotaru for the night." Mai shrugged.
"Ah yes." Yami nodded, smiling. "I guess that's quite normal. After all, he seemed quite fascinated with the reverend's daughter."
"It's a bit sad." Mai sat on the steps.
"What do you mean?" Tea looked up.
"Not a lot of people know this but Reverend Kaiba is actually Hotaru's brother."
"What?" Tea and Yami looked at Mai.
"Yes," Ishizu nodded, sitting on the chair. "Kaiba has been raising both Mokuba and Hotaru ever since their parents died right after Hotaru was born.
"No wonder people think Kaiba's the father."
Ishizu nodded once more. "Kaiba started raising the two when he was only eight."
"That explains how Kaiba's so young. "Yami traced the lines on the wall.
"It's quite unusual for him to be the father." Tea took a glance up at Yami.
"C'mon Tea," Mai started to pull Tea out the door. "Come, let's go to your house and try on clothes.
"I shall take my leave as well Ishizu." Yami turned around and headed towards the door.
~*To Be Continued*~