Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or 'At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum'

Chapter 6

Moonlight

"So they took them off on the cart, and we haven't heard anything about funerals so I'm guessing there won't be any. They'll just get tossed any which way into graves, not even on their own."

"Graves? Plague pits, you mean."

"Plague pits?"

"Great holes in the ground made by the authorities in the city. They hold forty, eighty bodies. I've heard that the biggest of them can hold two hundred."

"Two hundred!?"

"In just one pit. And all of them together, with no care whatsoever."

All was silent for a few minutes as the two youths looked overhead and noticed that the sun would soon be setting. Without consulting the other, they both turned and began to walk back the way they came, for they'd walked a very long distance and had little time to get back before darkness fell. The smaller of the two, the one wearing red, turned sadly to his bluenette friend.

"You think Bastian might have been thrown into one of the plague pits, then?" Jaden asked sorrowfully, for he hadn't known about the pits made to take the corpses of plague victims. "And his wife and son, too?"

"Probably" Jesse said sadly. "How long ago were they taken on the death cart?"

"Almost a week ago."

"Plague pit" the bluenette concluded, walking on. He then stopped and turned around, noticing that the brunette hadn't followed. "What's wrong, Jay?"

"Nothing. It's just … there are so many … so many people dying, Jess. What if you die, too? Or me? Or Aster?" Jaden was becoming more and more scared. "I saw the Bills Of Mortality today and they … there are almost fourth thousand dead of the plague! It's getting worse and worse. A few of the houses in my lane were enclosed. Jim - one of my neighbours - he says that if they don't stop imprisoning the dead with the living, the whole population could fall!"

"It won't be so, Jaden. London always finds a way to survive. Besides, most of the quality have already gone of the city to their homes in the country" Jesse reassured his 'friend', putting one arm around the brunette's shoulders. "The master's brother left for the country two days ago."

"His brother?"

"Syrus Truesdale. He's gone already, but we have to stay a while longer. Only two in a house can get Certificates Of Health and leave the city, so they're still deciding who should go to join him." Jesse sighed softly. "And they can't leave yet, anyway. The mistress is still sick."

"Still?"

"Yup. She's no worse but no better."

"I feel sorry for her."

"Don't we all?" Jesse said gently. "And for every other poor person left here in London. People are dying left and right."

"How do we know we won't die, too?" Jaden said quietly, hiding his eyes under his hair, not wanting to show Jesse his tears. "We're not immune. Nobody is."

"We're strong, though, Jaden. We'll survive."

"Jess, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"We were wondering earlier - me and Aster, I mean - if it was possible to catch the plague and survive?"

Jesse was quiet for a moment and then he shrugged.

"It is possible. But only if the buboes burst and discharge their poison. And even then, only if the tokens have not appeared."

"Tokens? What are they?"

"They're like little marks under the skin. Like pink blotches, I've heard. And if they show up, then that person is dead, even if the buboes have burst."

"So if a person has only buboes, and they burst, that person can live. But if they have tokens, they will surely die?"

"That's what I've heard, anyway."

The two kept on walking, but not fast enough - it was dark by the time they reached where they had to be in the city. They stood outside the bakery and glanced at each other. Jesse would keep walking on to Mapleside Manor and sneak inside - servants weren't allowed out after a certain time and he had missed that time - but he paused and took both Jaden's hands in his.

Jaden gulped and looked into the green eyes of his friend. His friend who he wanted in more ways than one. He felt himself blushing.

"Jaden … I know this is sudden, but with the sickness spreading so quickly, we have to do what we want while we are still alive." Jesse closed his eyes as if in pain. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I don't want anything to happen to either of us" Jaden whispered.

"Well" Jesse sighed. "I hope I'll see you again soon, then."

"Let's go out tomorrow, Jesse."

"I won't be able to. The mistress has a high fever and the baby isn't well. I have to stay and look after her while Blair takes care of the mistress."

"When, then?"

"As soon as possible. I'll come for you soon, and we'll go out to the meadows where the herbs grow. They'd be beneficial for your cakes and breads and things, and I know of some that have healing properties - perhaps the mistress would benefit from them. We can go there as soon as I have the time."

"Okay, Jess."

"Well, goodnight, then."

Jaden was about to reply but he didn't get a chance to. Jesse kissed his cheek and then grinned at him, before walking off quickly in the direction of Mapleside Manor. Jaden stood, flushed and motionless, for several minutes before a smile crept to his face and he went inside.

Aster was waiting for him inside, kneading dough that had traveled all the way to his elbows. He turned around when he heard footsteps and smiled at his blushing cousin. Jesse had come by a few hours earlier and asked Jaden to take a walk with him. Aster couldn't remember the last time Jaden had been so excited about something.

"So, how was your walk?"

"It was … nice" Jaden said quietly, smiling to himself as he began mixing some ingredients. "He told me about the plague pits. Have you heard of them?"

"Yes. That doesn't sound like nice conversation, though."

"No, that was the horrible bit. He told me about these meadows, though, where herbs grow. He said we could probably use them in baking."

"And I suppose you will be going with him to visit there?"

"If that's okay."

"You'll go whether I say it's okay or not."

"Probably" Jaden grinned.

The two talked for a few hours before going to bed, and Jaden was all too aware that he hadn't told Aster that Jesse had kissed him - okay, it was only a peck on the cheek, but that was still a kiss, and that proved that Jesse had the same feelings for him as he had for the bluenette - but he decided that he shouldn't. It could be embarrassing for both of them, and that small kiss should be a secret until he was sure - absolutely sure - that Jesse cared that way for him.

As he was slowly falling asleep, the other thing dawned on him - while he was with Jesse, unless it was directly mentioned, he had been able to forget about the plague entirely.

Please R&R