Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds

Deceiver of Hearts

By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters aren't mine and the story is! This takes place post-series, when Kalin and Radley are extremely close, and are still dealing with trauma recovery from past disasters. It was going to be part of the short story collection, but it surprised me with a surprise twist that I felt was important enough that it needed to stand out more. This one gets dark again, but with some fluffy cuteness in between. I get inspiration in strange places, and this one was inspired by a Mannix episode, season 2's The Solid Gold Web. The dark is horrifying and a bit graphic, but things aren't quite what they seem. I'm using the prompt #55 - Shreds, from the abandoned 5Ds_100 comm. Title is from the Within Temptation song Deceiver of Fools.

Kalin never knew when the more distant past was going to come back and hit him hard. One night, instead of waking up from another dream of what had happened to Radley in the Duel Monsters world, he sprang awake with a choked gasp, memories of his own hysterical laughter still echoing around him before fading away into the night.

"I have you now, Yusei! It's all over! All you can do is helplessly succumb to the darkness as it drains away every last bit of your pathetic life! Now you'll finally know how I felt when you betrayed me, and I'll get to watch that in your eyes as their light goes out for the last time!"

He sat up in the bed, gripping the quilt as he tried to calm himself. It was all over. He wasn't a Dark Signer anymore; he was free and Yusei was alright. He had to focus on that. But at times like this, it wasn't easy. Those memories and What Ifs had haunted him almost every night following his second revival from the dead, but they had gradually tapered off after so much healing had come thanks to Yusei, the kids, and Jordan—and also due to Radley and the Bunch. Once Kalin had opened his heart to them, they had proved themselves loyal and protective friends to him, and he felt like now he was part of a huge family. He was much more likely to dream about the terrible things he and Radley had been through over the past months, but tonight proved the older memories were still right ready to torment him too. He couldn't escape.

Radley rolled over on the other side of the bed. "Kalin?" he mumbled. "What is it?"

Kalin reached over and gripped his hand. ". . . Sometimes I wonder if the memories of what I did will ever fully stop haunting me," he said quietly. This was only one of the first times they had tried sharing a bed instead of the couch in case they needed reassurance from each other's presence. A twin bed wasn't large, but compared to the width of the couch it was spacious. It certainly afforded better sleep and less pain upon awakening.

Radley frowned. "You're remembering being a Dark Signer?"

"Yes. It was a nightmare about killing Yusei." Kalin dug his other hand into his hair. "Those don't come as frequently anymore, but they still come."

Radley sat up. "I'm so sorry, Kalin. . . ."

"It figures it would have to come now, when we've been dealing with that mysterious nutcase running across the rooftops in town every night," Kalin said in annoyance. "I just thought we were going to be able to sleep."

Radley sighed. He definitely looked tired. The problem in town had been wearing on both of them over the past days. "Maybe we can go back to sleep." He laid back down and gestured to Kalin. "Come on, let's try."

Kalin sighed too, not thinking it a very likely possibility. But he laid back down. "I should just go back to my room," he lamented. "I'm keeping you awake."

"It's okay." Radley drew an arm around Kalin. "We're both going to go back to sleep. The past is over. You've moved beyond it now. So has Yusei."

Kalin sleepily moved closer, relaxing as Radley stroked his hair and whispered comforting words of truth. There would be no end to the talk in town if they knew about this. Radley couldn't say he'd care that much if people did misinterpret it, and he doubted Kalin would either, but ironically, the truth was worlds away from the gossip the townspeople would come up with. They were not lovers. They didn't have romantic feelings for each other in the least. But their relationship was definitely deep and unique. They wouldn't have ever attempted such an arrangement otherwise.

Kalin rested against Radley, drawing an arm around him as he peacefully dozed. Radley eventually fell silent, his hand resting on Kalin's hair, when he fell asleep as well.

xxxx

The bizarre prowler continued to torment the residents of Satisfaction Town over the next days. He always ran across the rooftops and disappeared with no reasonable explanation, no matter how Kalin, Radley, and the Bunch tried to corner him. It was stretching all of their nerves and patience to the utmost limit. Hoping to help bring the problem to a close, Yusei finally rode out from the City one evening to assist in catching the practical joker.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, this time the prowler was seen coming down from the rooftops. He grabbed a motorcycle and sped off down the street.

"Oh seriously?!" Scotch exclaimed.

Instead of speaking, Kalin revved his motorcycle's engine and zipped around the corner in pursuit of their enemy. He couldn't be that far ahead, and he couldn't be allowed to get away this time. He was speeding off like lightning. Kalin would have to speed up too to keep up. He was beyond fed-up with this lunacy.

With the increased speed, however, it was much more difficult to slow down. When a figure stumbled out of the nearby brush and into Kalin's path right as he approached, there was absolutely no time to slow down or swerve.

He would never forget the sound or the impact when he struck the body.

Immediately he slammed on the brakes and jumped down, removing his helmet. "Are you alright?!" Then his blood ran cold. It couldn't be. It couldn't. ". . . Oh. Oh no. Oh God, no. Radley?!" Shaking, he dropped to his knees next to the lifeless form. It was dark, but he would recognize the black leather and matching hair anywhere.

He laid a hand on Radley's neck and felt down his spine. He couldn't feel that anything was broken, but he also couldn't feel the gentle rise and fall of breath. His hands trembling harder, he gently turned Radley onto his side.

Blood was everywhere. Radley's shirt was torn, revealing that the wounds were horrific and grotesque. His ribcage had been shattered. No doubt both lungs had been punctured, and who knew what else. He had been killed instantly. There was no coming back from what Kalin had accidentally done to him.

Kalin choked. As a Dark Signer he had thirsted for blood, specifically Yusei's. He had laughed when Yusei had been gravely injured in their first duel. But somewhere deep down, his true self—the part of him that hadn't been able to stay mad—hadn't wanted Yusei hurt. Now, fully in his right mind, he certainly didn't want any of his loved ones hurt . . . or dead . . . and especially not by his own hand.

"Radley . . . no. . . ." He reached down, lifting his friend's body into his arms. "Please wake up. . . . Please be alright. . . ."

He could feel the blood traveling down his hands and arms. Radley definitely wouldn't be alright. His body was broken. Kalin sobbed, clutching the empty shell close to him.

Yusei was horrified when he drove up to the scene and parked. "Kalin?! What happened?!"

"I killed him!" Kalin screamed. "He was suddenly there and I couldn't stop and . . . !"

Yusei dropped his helmet and fell to his knees in horror. "Are you sure he's dead?!"

"YES!" Kalin cried. "He was already hurt and came stumbling out and . . . I hit him! I hit him!"

Yusei couldn't see the extent of the injuries when Kalin was hugging the body to him, but he could see the blood on the ground, and the blood on Kalin's hands, and he shuddered to think of how fast Kalin must have been going to result in this horrific outcome. There were no words of comfort he could give for this. All he could do was grip his dear friend's shoulders from behind and be there for him.

"I'm so sorry, Kalin," he said quietly.

Kalin shook his head. "I don't know what happened to him," he rasped. "Why was he coming out of the bushes? That prowler must have knocked him out. He looked so dazed, and hurt . . . but he was alive! And I . . . I just ran him down, just like that, and now he's gone!"

"Kalin, it was an accident," Yusei told him. But he knew that wouldn't help. Yusei wasn't sure he could deal with it if their positions were reversed and it was Yusei who had struck and killed someone, even by accident.

"I killed him," Kalin whispered.

Yusei's thoughts raced. It was horrible enough for Radley to be dead at all. He had deserved to live. And Yusei had liked him, even though they weren't close. He had certainly had a soft spot for him as Kalin's friend, but Yusei had liked him on his own merits as well. Radley had been friendly and kind and always welcoming to Yusei as someone else dear to Kalin. And Kalin had thrived with Radley and the Bunch when Yusei had gone back to the City. For him to be responsible for Radley's death, no matter how accidental, Yusei really was afraid Kalin wouldn't be able to take it. This might be what would cause Kalin to take his own life, without anyone being able to stop him.

"I'm so sorry," Kalin rasped. "Radley . . . I'll never forgive myself for this. . . ." He rested his head on Radley's, feeling the stubborn wisps of hair that stood up tickling his chin. How could this have happened? How could Radley have been alive one minute and dead the next, and how could Kalin have really been responsible?! This was some kind of a nightmare. But just like the other nightmares in Kalin's life, it was real. He couldn't wake up from this. Would he always be doomed to have his happiness cut short, and to take it away from others as well, even when he didn't want to hurt anyone?

Another motorcycle pulled up and the driver got off, removing his helmet. "What happened?!"

Yusei jumped a mile as he spun around to look. "Radley?!" He looked from the body in Kalin's arms to the very much alive man who was running over to them. What was going on?!

Radley stopped short when he drew close enough to really see the scene. "What the . . . ?!" He could only stare in utter disbelief at the lifeless body in Kalin's arms.

Yusei still wasn't sure what to think. "Radley, Kalin thinks he ran you down," he said slowly. Was he talking to Radley? Was the body Radley's? How could there be two?

Radley knelt down by Kalin. "Kalin, what on Earth?!" He gripped Kalin's shoulder. "I'm right here! I'm not dead! I'm not even hurt!"

Kalin just shook his head. "Of course you're dead! I killed you! Aren't you even aware yet that you're dead?!"

"Kalin, I'm alive!" Radley insisted. "A ghost couldn't touch you! Can't you feel this?!"

"It's my imagination because I want it to be true," Kalin replied.

Radley looked to Yusei in dismay and bewilderment. Yusei reached and touched his arm and then looked to Kalin. "Kalin, I don't know what's going on here, but . . ." He trailed off. This Radley felt solid, but Kalin was clearly holding a solid dead body. One way or another it was a sickening trick. Which one really was the real Radley?

Radley mulled over the problem before looking back to Kalin and walking around to see into his face. "I really am okay, Kalin," he said. "What can I do to prove that to you?"

"I don't know," Kalin said. "How can I really believe it? I think you're really here, alright, but you must be a spirit."

"I'm not," Radley said.

Kalin shakily reached up, touching Radley's face. Utterly confounded, he looked back at the body in his arms. "What . . ."

Radley took Kalin's hand between his. "I don't know what kind of sick joke is being played here, but that . . . that husk in your arms isn't me! I'm alive!"

Kalin gripped Radley's hand. ". . . How can I believe that?" he rasped.

"I don't know," Radley admitted in distress.

Yusei pondered. "This whole thing just feels wrong," he said. "Too pat, like someone's doing this to torture us."

Kalin looked up at him, stunned. "But who would do that?!"

". . . What about that guy Yami Marik?" Radley suddenly asked. "He thrives on torturing people! We know he's tormented our friends through the portal, sometimes in exactly this kind of way! He saw all of us when we met him on that adventure together. He could have easily thought he'd get his kicks by trying something new and cruel on us!"

Kalin hugged the body, still unsure. Could he really allow himself to believe that the real Radley was the live one? What if they were wrong and he was just setting himself up for more heartbreak? If he believed Radley was alive and then it turned out that the nightmare was real instead, it would be more crushing than to just accept the nightmare now.

"Kalin . . ."

He looked up. Radley was holding out a hand to him.

"Come on, you need to believe I'm alive," Radley told him. "I know it's hard when you're holding what seems to be me, but you know I'm right here too, and you felt I'm solid! It's not your imagination. Please . . . you've gotta take this leap of faith."

Kalin still hesitated. "But is it really faith when it's just what I want with all my heart to be true? If it's not true, I . . ." He swallowed hard and shook his head.

Radley kept holding out his hand. "Trust me, Kalin."

Finally Kalin drew a shuddering breath and took Radley's hand. As he gripped it, the body in his arms and the blood began to dissolve and disappear. "What the . . . ?!" He stared in disbelief.

Yusei was a mixture of stunned, angry, and relief. "So that was the illusion," he said. "You didn't kill him, Kalin! He's okay!"

Now overcome with the realization, Kalin stood and pulled Radley into a tight hug. "I'd never forgive myself if I'd really done it," he whispered.

Radley hugged back. "I know."

Yusei smiled, finally able to fully accept the truth. "I'm glad you're alright, Radley," he said, laying a hand on Radley's shoulder.

Radley looked to him in surprise, but smiled too. "Thank you, Yusei." From his eyes, he looked like he wondered if Yusei was glad mainly because Kalin was happy or if Yusei cared specifically because of Radley too.

Yusei sought to put that very idea at ease. "You're my friend too," he said.

Radley smiled more. "I'm glad to know that. I also think of you as a friend."

Kalin smiled and put his hands on their shoulders. It was good that his two best friends got along so well, unlike what happened with some people's friends being jealous or clashing.

A cruel laugh echoed all around them, an evil, twisted, familiar laugh they had heard before.

"Yami Marik," Kalin snarled. "So it was you!"

"Of course," Yami Marik cackled. "I know Kalin has always been haunted by the memories of what he tried to do as a Dark Signer, so I decided to make his horror start to come true!"

Radley snarled. "You monster!"

Yami Marik just laughed.

"Why don't you show yourself?!" Yusei demanded in disgust.

"I don't feel like it," Yami Marik replied. "But you can rest assured I'll be back later!"

Radley's eyes darkened. He approached the trees where the laughter seemed to be the strongest, his fists clenched at his sides. "Come out," he demanded.

Kalin watched him, stunned. He only saw Radley angry on rare occasions. The deep outrage he could feel emanating from him now was something new.

"Oh? Why should I?" Yami Marik sounded amused.

Radley was not. "Come out." To everyone's shock, his pendant started to glow. The wind picked up, swirling around him as it blew his hair and the trees about.

Kalin shielded his eyes from flying leaves and twigs. "Radley?!"

The wind kept swirling until Yami Marik was pulled from one of the trees and tumbled unceremoniously to the ground. Radley stood over him, the fury in his eyes. "Kalin has been hurt enough," he snarled. "You are not going to add to that!"

Yami Marik looked up at him. "And just what are you going to do about it?"

The wind picked up again and finally swirled a portal open underneath Yami Marik. He fell through with a shocked cry.

"You are going back where you came from and you're not going to get out again," Radley vowed.

The portal to the Shadow Realm snapped closed. The wind settled down and Radley's pendant ceased its glow. He stumbled back, holding a hand to his forehead.

Kalin ran to him and reached to steady him. "Are you alright?!"

". . . Yeah." Radley gave him a bewildered smile. "Did I really . . . ?"

"You sure did," Yusei said, shaking his head. "How?"

"I don't know," Radley admitted. "I wasn't consciously trying to do it. I was just so outraged at what he did to Kalin and I wanted with all my heart to lock him away again. . . . And . . . I guess my pendant reacted to that?"

"Your pendant has always been able to open dimensional portals, but somehow I never thought of it being able to do that," Kalin said. "And using it has always drained you. You need to rest!"

"Rest sounds like a good idea," Radley said. "What do you want to bet that our troubles with the mysterious prowler stop now? I almost wonder if he was the bad guy we were after to begin with. Maybe he lured us all out here just to set that up."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Yusei said, anger sparking in his eyes.

Kalin looked haunted by the thought. "Maybe he came out night after night to get us all so frustrated that he knew eventually I would take off after him fast enough to throw that sick illusion at me."

"What a sick creep," Radley spat. He looked to Kalin. "To do that to you when he knew it would crush you . . . !"

"That's exactly why he did it," Kalin growled. He was still holding onto Radley, and not only to steady him. Even knowing he was alive, Kalin needed to feel him breathing and moving after holding the body for those agonizing moments.

Radley didn't mind. He still felt lightheaded from tapping into his pendant's powers, and he knew Kalin also needed to reassure himself that Radley was alive. Most likely, this was another night when they would need to rest in the same location.

"At least he's gone for now," Yusei said. "I'm glad you were able to do something about him, Radley. If you hadn't, I probably would have tried even though I don't have the Crimson Dragon's powers anymore."

Kalin looked to him in alarm. "What could you have done, Yusei?!"

"At least I could have challenged him to a duel," Yusei said. "He likes to duel with conditions attached, according to what our friends have said. The condition could have been that the loser got sent to the Shadow Realm or whatever that place is. But things worked out for the best as it is."

"Yeah. It's better that you didn't have to risk your life doing something like that," Radley said in concern. He would have been worried for Yusei in general, and it certainly would have added more stress on Kalin too. That was the last thing he needed right now.

Kalin nodded in complete agreement. "I'm glad you didn't try that, Yusei."

Yusei's attention was going elsewhere. "Look at that," he said. "The motorcycle's back. . . ."

They looked. Indeed, the stolen motorcycle was now parked just up ahead, as though it had never been taken.

". . . Well, I guess that proves it was that crumb who took it," Radley said slowly.

"Yeah," Kalin said. "I think the show's over for tonight. Let's just take it and go back."

The others were very willing.

xxxx

Radley was deep in thought later that night, laying on his bed with his hands interlaced behind his head. He stared off at the opposite wall without really seeing it.

"Radley?"

He looked up. Kalin was standing in the doorway in his pajamas, ready for bed. He was still drying at his hair after a brief shower.

"Yeah?" Radley asked.

"Are you . . . doing alright?" Kalin folded the towel in his hands and toyed with it.

"Sure. I'm not dizzy now," Radley said.

Kalin sighed. "That's great, but that's not really what I meant."

Radley smiled a bit. "If you're worried how I'm handling my pendant activating, I'm great with it. I sent that creep packing, literally. I feel like my pendant finally did something really useful again, instead of being a pain sending me to places I'd rather not go."

Kalin smiled too. "He definitely deserved it." He hesitated. "I wonder if you might eventually get the hang of using your pendant enough that you'll be able to command it without getting dizzy or without it having a mind of its own sometimes."

"Maybe," Radley said. "It seems like I can only activate it by either forcing my will on it or by strong emotions. Usually when I try to make it work, I just can't. And usually that's okay with me. I don't really wanna be a magical being."

A faint smirk tugged on Kalin's mouth. "I know the feeling." He stepped back. "Well, I was just going to bed. . . ."

"Kalin . . ." Radley looked at him. "It's okay if you want to be here tonight, you know. I figured you would."

Kalin hesitated. "I don't like keeping you awake with my nightmares. . . ."

"That was why we started hanging out on the couch in the first place," Radley reminded him. "We wanted to be there for each other. I still want to be there for you. I know tonight must still be shaking you up."

Kalin drew a shaking breath. ". . . I dreamed last night about killing Yusei when I was a Dark Signer. Tonight I thought I killed you. If it hadn't been an illusion . . . if I really had . . ." He shook his head. "I don't think I could go on. . . ."

"It would have been an accident," Radley said quietly. He wasn't surprised by these statements, but they definitely chilled his blood. He couldn't stand thinking about Kalin in such a state.

"I know, but I still couldn't have stood it," Kalin said. "Honestly, I was going so fast that I really could have killed you if you'd been there. Maybe that thing actually did me a favor. Because of this incident, I'm certainly going to be more careful in the future."

"There'll probably be times where you'll need to drive fast, though," Radley said. "Tonight you thought you were chasing the jerk who's been causing so much trouble around here. Well, you probably were," he muttered.

"I needed to catch him, but honestly, I should have prioritized better," Kalin said. "I never should have gone that fast through the town streets, especially not when the guy was just annoying but hadn't done anything dangerous."

"He stole a motorcycle," Radley said. "He could have run people down."

"And instead I'm the one who did that," Kalin said, the bitterness filling his voice. He shut his eyes tightly. "I can never forget the horror of hitting someone . . . of realizing it was someone I love and cherish. And I'll never forget the feel of holding that broken body in my arms." He stared down at his hands. "There was so much blood. . . ."

"It was pretty surreal, since I could see it too," Radley said softly. "You were hurting so bad. I never wanna see something like that again."

"I never want you to," Kalin said. "Of course . . . if anything like that really happened, you wouldn't see it because you'd be . . ." His voice cracked and he shook his head.

"I probably would see it, just like I saw Billy grieving over me," Radley said, his voice still quiet. "Death isn't the end. We both know that. But we also know we don't wanna say Goodbye like that."

Kalin nodded. "Never."

"Come on, Kalin." Radley patted the mattress next to him. "It's okay, really. Just come to bed and I'll watch over you. I'd like to make sure you're okay myself."

Finally Kalin set the towel on the clothes hamper and came over, climbing into the bed. "I'm alright," he said. "Or I will be."

Radley smiled. "Yeah. You will be. We'll both be."

They both settled down on the soft pillows. Kalin moved closer to Radley and draped an arm over him. Nothing was shattered. He could feel Radley's ribcage was strong and whole. Maybe that would keep him at peace enough to sleep. Finally he smiled and started to doze.

Radley smiled too, hugging him close as he drifted off to sleep.