Yugioh: The Hope of Six

Chapter 60: Arcadia Arc - Part 15

Salazar blinked his eyes, now suddenly standing on soft grass in a huge clearing. "What the? Where am I?" The last thing he knew was that Yusei Fudo had just defeated him in their Duel. He looked around and, with a shock, realized where he was. He was just outside his family's cabin. The boy couldn't understand why he was back at his old home, where his previous life had ended. No, where his family's lives have ended... by his hand. Salazar may have miraculously survived by being burned alive by his own fire abilities, but both his parents and younger sister were not so lucky. "Why? Why am I back here?" Just as he asked himself that question, it happened. The words that made him lose control.

"Xander... you betrayed me! You betrayed my family! How could you? HOW... COULD YOU?!"

Right before his eyes, the cabin erupted into flames. Through another vantage point, Salazar could actually see how huge the fire was. It looked as if the cabin was being consumed by a large beast from Hell. It was more horrible than he imagined.

"No... Salazar.... What have I done?" Salazar turned to see Xander sitting just far enough away to not get burned by the enormous flames. The boy was crying, to the shock of Salazar himself, who happened to be standing next to him.

Salazar then recalled those strange visions when the Crimson Dragon appeared during the Duel, and that one of them was Xander crying. He didn't understand why his former best friend was weeping. Xander had betrayed Salazar and his family. He shouldn't be feeling any kind of regret for that unforgivable act. Why was Salazar seeing this? Xander spoke again.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. It shouldn't have..."

"Do not despair, my son." Salazar saw Father Dane approach Xander and placed both hands on the boy's shoulders. He seemed to be trying to comfort him. "The Arcadia family has suffered a tragic end and it brings me great sorrow that this had fallen upon them. What has occurred was the devil's work. His demonic servant on Earth tried to drag us to Hell with him, but you and I were most fortunate to avoid that dreadful fate. We are truly blessed to have survived."

The next thing that happened shocked both Salazar and Father Dane: Xander shot to his feet and punched the priest in the face. It was not that all that different from Salazar's own punch. The old man was so caught off guard that he actually fell on his behind. After spitting out a tooth that got loose from the blow, Father Dane stared back at the boy with a look of upmost fury. "Xander Stanton! How DARE you strike a holy man?! Pure sacrilege that was!" Xander appeared just as upset. The flames consuming the cabin seemed to magnify the intensity of the situation.

"A "holy man"?! Are you joking?! What holy man makes someone sell out their best friend under threat of eviction?!"

"Eviction?!" Salazar exclaimed in shock. Surely he misheard that.

Father Dane sneered. "Don't you speak to me in such a tone! You did what was required of you!"

"You were going to have me and my mom kicked out of our home if I didn't help you!" Xander shot back. "Salazar Arcadia was the best friend I ever had! I never wanted to betray him! Never!"

"You yourself admitted that demons frighten you! You told me of the boy's demon fire after witnessing it with your own eyes! You aided me out of fear of his unnatural abilities!" Father Dane reminded the distraught boy.

"I am terrified of demons, because they deceive and harm innocent people! Salazar has done neither one to anybody!" Xander pointed a finger at the old man. "You followed me the day Salazar showed me his powers! You tried to get me to talk so you could cover your involvement! When I refused, you forced me to confess after you gave my mom that black eye! A real holy man would not do any of the things you did! You accused Salazar of being a demon, but you're the one that's actually hurting others! And for what?! Just so that you feel good, knowing that you did your "holy work"?! What a joke! You're no high priest! YOU are the real demon, not Salazar!" With that, the fiercely upset Xander turned and ran away.