~*Exposed Truth: The Breaking Point*~
By sunrise, most of the village square gathered in the church. Most of the seats have been occupied. Shadi, Yami and Tea sat in front of the court, while the circle sat at the other side. Seated in the front facing everyone from left to right is Reverend Duke, who ran things in Boston, and Reverend Kaiba, who seemed to have run Salem for quite a while.
"Well," Kaiba pounded his mallet on the table in hopes of settling everyone down. "Since we have two separate cases, and since Shadi has confessed to studying the Dark Arts, and by his request, he will be hanged and stoned. Joey, escort Shadi outside."
Shadi stood up willingly, his wrists and ankles were replaced with iron shackles that could have been weighing him down but he didn't complain. He followed Joey silently but stopped when he noticed Tea staring at him, watching a tear streaking down her face. He held out a hand to Joey, signaling for him to stop.
Tea's eyes gazed at the floor, her face already distraught. Shadi slowly approached her, his face a bit too calm, as if he was ready to face death once more. Watching her tears, he stretched out his hand, wiping her tears away with a single finger. He then leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "I can promise you will return to your own world soon enough." He then kissed her softly on the cheek.
"He's innocent I tell you!" Tea shrieked, glaring at Kaiba, then at Duke. "You people wouldn't give a damn if he told you his side of the story now would you?"
"Young lady," Duke cleared his throat. Shadi has confessed of belonging to the dark. We even looked into his cabin the night you three were arrested. It is far too late to speak out for him."
Tea looked up at Shadi for a long moment. Shadi gazed down at her, the same hypnotic gaze like Yami's lingered within his own eyes.
Soon, the most unexpected thing happened. Tea broke down in tears, leaning against Shadi's stomach. The shackles on her wrists made it impossible for her to wrap her arms around him. She couldn't take it anymore. Too many of her friends have died already. Yugi… Ishizu… and now Shadi. She called out in her mind.
Shadi looked down at her silently. His gaze shifted towards Yami, noticing that he was unusually silent. Yami looked up at the two, noticing Shadi's eyes were questioning him. All Yami did was give a slight nod. And at that instant, Shadi ran his hand over the back of Tea's head, trying to calm her down.
"All right," Kaiba sneered. "That's enough showing off how much you two love each other. Joey, escort Shadi out this instant."
Shadi released his hold on Tea, stepping back. "Everything will be all right my child." He spoke in a low voice before Joey came by, grabbing Shadi by the arm, taking him outside.
Kaiba watched the two leave before turning his gaze back to Yami and Tea. "Look Yami, I have enough evidence to send you both to your death."
"So there forth," Duke added. "With the confirmation from the girls, you two are sentenced to…"
"Hold it reverend!" a loud voice sounded off. Many of the villagers turned around, seeing Marik standing in the doorway.
"High priest Marik?!?" Kaiba and Duke were stunned to see Marik arrive. Murmured voices rose as Marik quietly walked down the aisle, a very strange object in his hand.
"What are you doing here?" Duke stammered.
"Why ask such to a high ranking priest?" Marik glared at Duke. "I can ask you the same thing, seeing that you have been out of Boston for a while. It is violation of the religious code. Anyway, I have excellent proof that this whole witchcraft was nothing more than a hoax, that the only thing the girls have been doing is sporting."
Kaiba's icy stare went to the girls, beckoning all of them to stand up and to come forward, which they did. "Now girls, before Marik shows me the evidence, I want ye all to tell me the truth. Was it all for a sport? To get attention?"
"Nay father," the girls lied to him. "We have been telling the truth the whole time."
All remained silent before Kaiba spoke once again. "You girls may sit down." He watched them retreat back to their seats before turning to Marik. "So where is this proof you claim to have?"
"Aye, I have it." Marik took out Tea's video camera, setting it on the table, popping out the screen and turning it on.
"What in the holy name is that?" Duke looked over the object curiously.
"Video camera." Marik replied.
Kaiba and Duke looked at each other strangely. Man, Kaiba thought to himself, Boston gets more and more stranger.
Salem gets more and more stranger. Duke thought to himself.
Marik pressed the play button and there it showed scenes of when they danced in the forests, and when Chibi-Usa came up with the idea of sporting.
"You may turn it off Marik." Kaiba looked down at the girls, then to Yami and Tea. "I have made my decision."
"You have?" Duke was surprised.
Kaiba nodded as Marik went to sit on the empty chair beside Yami and Tea. "I deem that Yami and Tea are innocent by all cause and I declare the accusations and files charged against them be dropped." He pounded his mallet on the stand.
Excited voices rose within the crowd. The circle was shocked at what Kaiba had just said. "Reverend Kaiba," Usagi stood up. "How could you let these two demons," she pointed to Yami and Tea. "Get away with such evil? They killed my sister for crying out loud!"
"First of all, you girls were sporting. Chibi-Usa had given you names of people she wanted revenge on. And by the way, your demons did not kill your sister. My servant Ryou had told me everything. Chibi-Usa had asked him to create a potentially lethal drug to make her death seem like witches have done their job."
"But…but…" Usagi screeched.
"You girls will have a whipping and a death sentence coming your way. And since Joey and Tristan are busy dealing with Shadi…" he snapped his fingers twice and all of a sudden, the villagers stood up going after the girls. The only people left in the church were Marik, Kaiba, Duke, Yami and Tea.
Duke came down with a key, unlocking the iron shackles from both Yami and Tea. Wordlessly, he left the church.
Marik handed Tea back her camera. "Perhaps a certain peace can finally uphold in Salem after all." He then stood up, making his way down the aisle.
"Wait, Marik!" Tea called out.
Marik stopped in his tracks, looking up at Tea. "Yes?"
"Well, I just wanted to say thanks." She smiled that sweet smile she had given him before.
"I don't think you should be thanking me for anything…friend." He smiled as he walked out of the church. "Goodbye Tea."
Disgusted, Kaiba exited the church using the back door. His eyes widened as he came face to face with Shadi's bleeding body. His face covered with his blood. A pool of blood formed right beneath him. Reaching inside of his pocket, he took out a gun, pointing it straight to his head and shot himself. Collapsing on the ground, he laid in his own blood.
"What now Yami?"
The two were still sitting in the now empty courtroom in the church. Tea's head rested against Yami's shoulder.
"I'm not sure." Yami whispered, kissing her hair. "It's like what Marik said. A certain peace will finally uphold Salem."
Tea smiled. That's nice." She then drifted off to sleep.
"Hey, she's alive! She's alive after all!"
Tea opened her eyes finding herself in the hospital room. Nurses and doctors scrambled in her room. Everything around her was white. Even what the doctors and nurses were wearing is white. An IV had been attached to her arm. Her fingers slowly reached to her head, feeling a bandage covering the bump on her forehead where she had been hit.
"I…I'm back in Tokyo?" she said aloud.
One of the doctors looked at her. "You have been in a coma for a few days. Lucky thing it did not do any damage to your brain but it did cause your head to swell." They then left the room, leaving Tea all by herself.
Tea looked out at the window, at the high rise buildings and busy crowds. "I'm no longer in Salem. I'm back. I'm back in Tokyo."
She heard the door open. Assuming it was a doctor or nurse, she did not look up. The minutes ticked on as she felt a rose brushing against her cheek. Curiously, she looked up, her eyes widened as the face seemed all too familiar. Her lips parted, trying to say something that would make a sentence. Finally, all she could say was, "Oh God…Yami?!?"
Yami smiled. He was the same though his clothes were the ones that guys would use in Domino High. "Aye, it is I."
"How…how did you…." Suddenly, she threw her arms around him in which Yami returned the favor by hugging her back.
"My love…a sweet love…" he whispered in her ear.
"How were you able to come into this world?"
To this, Yami smiled. "Let's just say Ishizu and Shadi helped me."
"Oh Yami," she whispered. "I'm so glad you're here."
"There is one thing I want to ask." Yami released himself from Tea. "Do you remember the time when you, me, and Shadi were in the caves and you have asked me something?"
"I…I'm not sure I remember."
Smiling, Yami fell to one knee, taking out a ring from his pocket while using his free hand to hold out her hand in his. "My love Tea, will you marry me?"
Tea was completely shocked at what was asked. "Of course!" she smiled, nodding, nearly in the verge of tears. "Of course I will!"
Smiling softly, Yami slid the ring onto her finger, pulling her close to him into a soft embrace. Pulling her away for a moment, he used this opportunity to lean forward and kiss her softly on the lips.
~*The End*~