Follow me into the endless night.
I CAN BRING YOUR FEARS TO LIFE.
Show me yours, and I'll show you mine.
Meet me in the woods tonight.

(Meet Me in the Woods - Lord Huron)

Chapter Twenty-Five

that flower was meant for you, i think

A rather large, red dragon sauntered towards me. He rose onto his hind legs. Curls of gold sailed across the scarlet sea of his hide. We stood upon a plane of infinite darkness. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and said, "You interrupted my dreams."

This is important. The words echoed throughout my mind as though mimicking my own thoughts. His voice was deep and resounding – the opposite of mine. He said, The war will repeat soon. I have selected five humans to bear my power and fight on my behalf.

I laughed. "You woke me up to waste my time with jokes?"

I do not joke, he said. Five humans wear my marks, and five humans will dispel the wicked gods.

I grinned and tossed up a hand. "I wonder if your chosen humans bleed crimson, too."

His set of ruby-red teeth snapped down an inch from my nose. You will not harm them. Your duty is to protect them.

"You have no right to define my duty. There was no agreement to protect humans."

The dragon's growl rumbled the very atmosphere. You shall not. Harm. Them.

"As if you have any power to decide! Symbiosis means you need me. You don't have the leverage to make demands. You're just a desperate dragon putting up a front of intimidation. I think I'll take you up on your offer and discover how crimson your marked humans can be."

He roared in my face, tossing my hair. I should have left you in hell!

The memory drifted away like sands in the tide. My present self remained in empty darkness stretching on to infinity. I was on my knees, and my arms were stuck behind me at an awkward angle. I attempted to shift them, but they wouldn't budge.

"Have you accepted the truth?" Roman said. He stood several feet from me, and the four Signers were scattered in the distance. "The Vessel you so relied on and believed in was wicked from the start."

Jack's eyes were wide. "You planned on killing us from the beginning."

I sniffed. "You wretches take it so personally. Who you are makes no difference to me. Humans are the planet's walking plague. I'll go to any lengths to see you erased."

Akiza's stare bore into me. "I understand why you asked. You're beyond evil. You're genocidal."

"No, don't say that!" Luna cried. "It's Rain you're talking about! We need to get you out of here so we can stop the world from ending!"

My laughter lacked mirth. "Welcome to your deserved ending. The world is better off in the hands of the dark gods than with humanity."

Yusei Fudo gazed at me. He said, "I thought our bonds could overcome anything, including your past. I was wrong. You don't care. You're just like a Dark Signer. No, worse. We're all going to die because of you."

The four humans faded like the memory had, leaving me alone with the Dark Signer. The disappearance of the humans widened his grin. I said, "Uru. Because of you, my Master suffered. You shall pay tenfold."

"Is that so?" he said. "I'm waiting."

Blood roared in my ears. I kicked off the ground towards him. Chains jangled. Handcuffs locked me in place. I yanked on them anyway, evoking the power of the Blue Flame. They held strong, and the skin of my wrists tore. I roared, "You'll choke on that laugh when I break out of here and drain you of every pint of blood left in your slave's body!"

"I'm afraid not." A smirk slashed his face. "Your consciousness is falling deeper into the depths of your own heart, where no one will be able to reach you. This will be good-by for all of us. I appreciate your aid, Soul Reaper."

Cracks formed in the Dark Signer's body. He drifted away in a thousand grains like sand caught in a desert wind. Fury blazed in me. "Goddammit! You can't run forever! I'll find you. I'll hunt you to the ends of eternity!"

Click.

I froze. The soft sound came from behind me. My heavy breaths echoed. I paced them to slow my heart rate. The individual behind me was silent as a burglar. The swift work of his hands held no hesitation in working on my handcuffs. The hood of his black-and-blue cloak barely clung to the crown of his head.

The Anomaly had arrived. My staring at him did nothing to stall his task. Odd. The other times, he appeared…

"Is this you repaying your debt?" At my question, his brow lifted. I clarified: "For saving your life."

"Hi to you, too."

A corner of my mouth jolted downward.

"Sooo. Your name?"

"My question."

"No goddamn idea what you're talking about," he said. "I've lost count on how many times you've saved my life."

"We've met," I said. "My name is still Rain, and we've met twice before."

"Ohhh! You talkin' about when you blacked out the first time?" the Anomaly said. I nodded. His hands never slowed. "Mm. I sorta wondered if you were the real Rain or what was going on there. Nice to finally have an answer."

My empty laugh echoed unto eternity. "'Nice?' You must have missed what I just did."

"Riiight. You tossing that card was as missable as you asking me point-blank if I'd rather you kill a room full of Securities. I know you, remember? And I'm here with you."

A grin stretched my lips. "I happen to believe in a thing called honesty. I doubt you've heard of it. Freeing me won't help the fate of your world. I'll have my vengeance on Uru. That's it."

"Sure," he said, still focused on the handcuffs. "I just care about you being free."

My eyes thinned. A second click sounded. The handcuffs popped off of my wrists. I held my hands in front of me and observed the deep wounds I'd inflicted in my animalistic rage.

"Damn. Looks bad. We'll need to wrap those up or somethin.'"

"As if it matters."

He whispered, "It matters to me."

My grip tightened on my torn wrist. Blood dribbled down my forearm. Annoying. He was too annoying. The song of my saber leaving its sheath filled the dark realm.

The sound didn't alarm him. He was staring at the bobby pin pinched between his fingers and patting down his cloak as though attempting to find a pocket. What a dunce. They weren't supposed to have pockets.

Ugh. He wasn't worth the effort. I spun on my heel and faced the blackness. My cape hugged my shoulders. I angled the tip of my blade towards whatever floor I stood upon and jabbed. The saber dinked off. I grit my teeth. I wrapped both hands around the hilt and lifted the sword above my right shoulder. I screamed and slashed and screamed and slashed.

No visible scratches remained from my onslaught. My saber hit the ground. I clutched my temples and shouted, "How the hell am I supposed to get out of here in time?"

"You'll hurt yourself if you keep that up."

The relaxed, lounging position the Anomaly took on the ground irked me. "Don't tell me what to do."

He spun his finger in the air. "You might cause yourself some serious pain if you attack the floor, so maybe, just maybe, consider not doing that."

I snarled. "How are you not bothered? We're trapped here!"

"Yeah, well, I thought about what you said. Doesn't matter what's happening so long as we're together. You were right. So. I'm content."

"To die here?"

"Sure."

"Stupid," I murmured. "You're stupid."

"A total dumbass," he agreed. "Hey. Least your heart's roomy. Lotta space in here."

My mouth curled downward. "This is not my heart. Wicked gods such as Uru are not trustworthy. Besides, the heart is- well, you know. Anatomically, we are too big, and it is just- not possible!"

I moved my fingers to form a circle over the left side of my chest. He burst out laughing. "Anatomically! You're funny."

"Stop it," I said.

"Stop what?"

My mouth settled in a thin line. I bit down. Blood roared in my ears. I shouted, "Stop treating me like her. No matter what you want or what you try, she's not coming back."

He sat up and draped his forearm over his knee. His hazel eyes held mine unflinching. "Y'know, I'm honored."

"To not be dead?" I growled.

"Well, there's that," he said, "and the fact that I'm here. This's your heart and nobody was supposed to be here. But, guess what? I broke in. So. I'm honored you reserve a place just for me."

He watched my increasing shock with a growing smile. I said, "Th-that's not what- I didn't-"

"Crazy," he said. "You've got the same blush as my Rain, stranger."

Covering my face with my forearm didn't hide anything. He lay on his back before springing to his feet. Kalin took a couple steps toward me and said, "I know you're still Rain. Let me in your head a bit, 'kay? What happened? Why'd you do this?"

At his third step towards me, I backed away. His eyes searched mine. He whispered, "What's the matter? Why are you afraid?"

I rearranged my expression into fury. "I'm not afraid! Why should someone like me fear anything or any-"

A hand clamped over my mouth and yanked me back. My body hit another behind me, one much taller and broader than mine. A strong arm wrapped around my midsection. Pain pulsed in my cracked ribs. The thick leather of the glove covering my mouth was as fine as the scent of lavender filling the air. A whisper crept into my ear: promises I knew I was helpless from preventing.

The shade disappeared, and I crumpled. I hugged myself and murmured, "I'm sorry. P-please don't hurt me."

"There you go apologizing again."

The concerned whisper sounded from ahead instead of behind. The Anomaly hadn't moved an inch. He observed me with that pitying tilt in his eyes. I went to look behind me and hesitated. "Is he gone?"

"The ghost? Yup."

"G-ghost?"

He waved over himself as he described the being: "Thing had, like, black smoke 'n' shit all around it. You're one brave gal. If that happened to me, I'd be running without stopping."

I clasped my hands together to mask their shaking. "I see. You not only believe in ghosts. You're also afraid of them."

His arms folded over his chest. "Now, I didn't say that."

The clenching of my heart squeezed tighter. My voice was less than a whisper. "That g-ghost is nothing less than my greatest fear."

"Huh. Well, yeah, okay. That kinda shit totally freaks me out," he said. "Er, you look like you could use a hug. From what I know about you at least. I'd go ahead and do it, but I feel like offering is safer. So I don't get stabbed."

My jaw jumped. He noticed, of course, and beamed at his accomplishment. The normalcy of the interaction slowed my racing pulse. He… did that for me. He stayed here and reached out to me and helped despite everything.

I scanned him as he tapped the toe of his shoe against the blank, dark ground. The criminal mark breaking his skin electrified his hazel eyes beneath his blue-embroidered hood. His red shirt was ripped for the bandage on my forearm, and a horrid gash he'd taken for me marred his midriff.

The way he rubbed the back of his neck and wouldn't meet my stare reminded me of a day in the Satellite – the only other moment I'd seen him bashful. I'd ruined his future, and he was standing here acting the same towards me as back then.

Kalin Kessler was truly anomalous. I couldn't figure out what made him so different. I mean, those other humans – their names meant nothing. I kept coming horrifically close to uttering his. For all the risks he'd taken, I figured it only fair to return the favor.

So I said, "Kalin."

"Present!"

"You shouldn't be here."

A gasp escaped him, and his hand flew to his chest. "After having a place in your heart and everything? And here I was feeling all special."

Strife turned my tone weary. "Look, I- even if the King of the Underworld wasn't a thing, I couldn't live. I've lost everything about myself. I'm hardly a person."

"Weeell, I don't agree." He threaded his fingers behind his head as though relaxed in the situation we'd been trapped in. "I'm fine spending the end of the world right here."

I slowly shook my head. "If you knew what kind of person I really was, you wouldn't say so."

"What kind?"

"Huh?"

"I wanna know what kind of person," he said. "That's what I was trying to ask from the start. It's all I've wondered since we met. Rain dives headfirst alone into an enemy gang to save a kid. Same Rain slices two dudes' jugulars with pretty obvious experience. What're you like, really?"

The fabric of his borrowed headband was soft on my index finger. "Well, I was like that as a kid. All nice and never angry. But, I- um. This is going to be hard to explain. I'll sound crazy."

He plopped down cross-legged. "I know crazy."

Despite the reassurance, I couldn't hold his stare as I spoke. I picked at my pants and said, "I lived, like, a long time ago. Over five thousand years ago in this place called Atlantis. I'm here because the Crimson Dragon resurrected me. Guess I'm a ghost, too."

"Hey!" he shouted as though offended. "Zombies. Not ghosts. Very important distinction."

I covered my smile with my fist. "Mkay. Zombies. Back then, the world was a lot different. For one, Duel Monsters – all the things on the cards – walked the earth alongside humans. My grandfather died because of a monster, and my father swore vengeance on Duel Monsters ever since. He made Atlantis into this floating island city just to get away from them and hunted them whenever possible.

"Me, though, I didn't get it. When I saw a Blue-Eyes White Dragon cornered and dying, I just saw someone who needed help. I saved his life. The dragon repaid me by changing me into a half-human, half-monster."

"Oh!" He fanned his fingers out. "Which means you can, like, grow wings."

"Huh? No."

"Breathe fire?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Pffft. Then what's the point?"

"I- I can do some neat things! Mostly it just, well, made me look like a sick old person." I gestured towards my skin and hair. "Oh, and it got me outcast. My father hated monsters, remember, so he put two and two together the instant he saw my changed looks. He outcast me, which meant I couldn't come into contact with other Atlantians unless theirs was for the purpose of punishing me. My friends became my bullies, and everyone I knew turned their backs on me."

Kalin leaned back on the heels of his hands. "I'd say your time was pretty messed up, but I'm a Satellite."

I winced. If only time's passage could always mean change. Kalin said, "That's it, huh? Messed up life lead to taking vengeance?"

"It's… not quite that simple." He leaned closer. "I said everyone turned on me, but I lied a little bit. My brother kept with me. I made it for years because of him. That day, though, he was angry and frustrated and he took it out on me. I thought it made him no different from everyone else. I know it was a mistake now, but the way everything compiled- look. On that same day, the ghost you saw – my greatest fear – he drowned my pet cat just to hurt me."

"Shit," he breathed. "Your cat? Seriously? And you love cats. That's fucked up."

"I totally lost it after that," I muttered. "I don't think I would've recovered if my patron didn't save me. He's a Duel Monster, and he has the power to hear emotions. He sensed my despair and gave me hope instead."

A flash of green summoned my duel disk to my arm. A card popped out. I placed the Field Spell on the ground. Verdant light drew a six-pointed star beneath us. Words in my language filled the outer circle.

"My patron taught me how to make this," I explained. "The Seal of Orichalcos. If I were to kill enough humans after trapping them in the Seal, he explained, the souls the Orichalcos captured would go towards a beast able to wipe humanity off the planet. I followed my patron's instructions and reaped one hundred and seventy-eight souls on my first day."

Kalin whistled. "So how long'd it take?"

"Huh?"

"For the big monster or whatever to show up," he said. "You're no slacker, so it couldn't have been long."

I blinked. He, he took it all in so easily. "I'm not sure. I didn't keep track of time after Ranue died."

"Who?"

"My brother. He- I didn't kill him. My patron did. I thought he was evil like everyone else. Turns out it was the Orichalcos." I lifted my necklace. A sliver of green stone was attached to a small, metal plate. "The stuff is incredible technology-wise, but it's actually a living thing that feeds off negative emotions for humans. That's why he wasn't acting anything like himself. Anyway, before he died, he asked me to save everybody instead of killing, so I did."

Kalin did a double take. "You what?"

"The beast showed up like my patron wanted. I destroyed it with, er, lots of help, but I died doing it."

"And everybody didn't die." I nodded. Kalin sighed. "Damn. Your time sounds a lot cooler than mine."

"Cooler? No. You don't know how lucky you are. Air conditioning is a very important technology we lacked."

He broke down in a laughing fit and slapped his thigh. Kalin scanned my bemused expression and calmed himself. "Alright, so you changed your mind from wanting people gone. What changed it back?"

"My mind never changed. Ranue had a dying wish, which I promised to accomplish. My honor and duty bind me to fulfill promises I make. I personally wanted to continue following my patron. What I did – throwing away the Crimson Dragon card – is sort of just finishing what I started."

He uncrossed his legs and shrugged. "Makes sense to me. You only meet shitty people, assume everyone is the same, and try to fix it. I get what happened, but you haven't told me much to answer my question."

"I haven't?"

"Here's what I got." Kalin counted on his fingers. "You're crazy about your brother, you've always loved animals, and you do a good job of following orders. I already knew the last two! I was hoping to learn some new things about you."

"The fact that I slaughtered hundreds of people?"

Kalin waved my point away. "Mild temper's on there already."

"Mild?"

The way he snickered made it all out to be some sort of joke. He said, "Personal stuff. Like what you do with your spare time. Y'know, hobbies and whatnot? When I asked what kind of person you are, I meant stuff like that."

The aspects he asked for were so small and simple. I returned the Seal of Orichalcos to my deck and placed my hands on my knees. The joints were beginning to ache.

I breathed in deep. "I… like gardening. I like watching the flowers grow and bloom, and I like dancing, as in the formal way with flow and rhythm. I like dueling, but not in the sense of beating someone else as much as I like learning and spending time playing a game with people I care for. I pretty much expect to lose, anyway. I like playing the pianoforte. I like sewing, too, though I'm not very good at that, either. I enjoy those things, though. I do."

Kalin snorted. "You failed the easiest question!"

"F-failed?"

"You've been trying to convince me you're some irredeemable, insane serial killer," he said, "and you didn't even answer the hobby question with 'murder.'"

I choked on a laugh I tried to hide. He scooted the slightest bit closer and sat on his knees, matching my position. "You're still the same Rain you were an hour ago when you beat me in a life-or-death duel to save me. We are more than what they made of us. No one can take away who you are at your core. Er, not that it makes what we did any better. But it does mean we don't have to let it own us."

"Own me."

The words rode on my exhale. I kept thinking about how my experiences in the Satellite and New Domino City were a darker repeat of Atlantis because of Sector Security chasing me, Kalin dying, Sayer enslaving me, and the Dark Signers targeting me.

There were important parts I passed over: Martha welcoming me into her home and risking her life to free me from spider silk. Bolt in the Facility telling me he'd protect me and keep the peace. Blister taking in a fugitive and being sad, sad when I relieved him of the burden of my presence.

The chance encounters I'd had weren't as bad as I first thought.

Then there were the Signers, those I met because of the Crimson Dragon's destiny – the ones I swore I'd kill on principle.

The kind warmth of Yusei's lent coat when I returned home, Jack's support when I reunited with my partner, Luna's hand when mourning threatened to end me, and Aki's arm when fear struck me was crystal clear as every memory. That warmth was precious still.

"I… messed up, didn't I?" I mumbled.

Kalin shrugged. "It happens."

"W-what do you mean," I said. Unbearable weight slumped my shoulders. "I became everything we both hated. I'm the real traitor. That's why the Crimson Dragon isn't here anymore. He knows I- I'm really evil, and he shouldn't have resurrected me. I was just a liability to the real heroes the whole time. I should've stayed dead."

Kalin flopped his hand in the air. "Come on, Rain. We don't deserve to live, sure, but that doesn't mean we lie down and die. It means we earn back our right to exist."

"How can that be possible? I- I betrayed my friends, the only people who cared for me and stood up for me no matter what. I can't believe I was dumb enough to think they were like my old 'friends.' I can't go back and face them knowing I…"

I bit my lip. Kalin searched my face. I stared at my own bare feet. He whispered, "Could you do it for me?"

My eyes widened. "W-what?"

Kalin held a hand out to me. "I didn't want to live, either. What I did haunts me every second, but I won't let that stop me from staying with you. Er, if you want me to, partner."

I couldn't breathe. He'd called me his partner despite the burden on my back, despite the blood on my hands, despite the world I'd ruined. "Y-you could keep being partners with someone like me?"

"Yeah, well, I've been kinda expecting something like this ever since I saw you kill two guys," he said. "I know you, though. You're more the gal who crouches and confides in some flowers, right?"

His laughter at the pink touching my cheeks must've been him getting his answer. I said, "I guess I could… spend more time with you, partner."

The grin he flashed put the constellations to shame. "So. What're you gonna do?"

"Um. What should I do?"

He threw up his hands. "It's up to you."

Eh?

People always told me what to do, from Sayer at the Arcadia Movement to Martha at her orphanage to Kalin as my leader.

No. No, he was different. Before I joined, he urged me to think it through and make the decision for myself on my own grounds. He was constantly trying to push me to be my own person and always, always wanted me to have freedom. Throughout our time in my "heart" together, he'd been inspiring me to not let my past actions dictate my future and live on despite them.

I said, "Do you respect me?"

He staggered back a step and ran his hand through his icy blue locks. "Jesus. I must've really messed up if you have to ask. Yes. Hell yes. You more than anyone. I mean, I love you. Rain, you, you decide what needs to be done, and that thing gets accomplished against all odds. Of course I respect you."

I linked my quaking fingers together. That didn't make sense. Those two things didn't go together, not based on what my greatest fear told me. Kalin said, "You… don't have to look so surprised."

The hurt in his stance got to me. "It's not because of you. I'm really not used to it. At all. I- can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead," he whispered.

"When someone says, 'I love you,' what do they mean?"

"Uh. Uhhh." He scratched his temple. "It's, like, you want to give them everything. Every single moment, every word, every wish, every dream. I want you to have everything, and it's all I want."

My heartstrings pricked. A chill crawled over my skin. Giving. It was giving, not taking or owning. Had to be another of his lies. But he was just a ghost. He was in my past, and I had-

The Blue Flame sparked in my palm. I formed and shaped the fire into an outline. Azure flames crystallized. I reached forward. Bashfulness got the best of me, so my hand fell and I stared at the blank floor. I then held my creation, a bright blue flower of glass with a fluffed blossom, out to my partner.

I had a future.

Kalin accepted the gift with intrigue. "You totally lied. You said you can do 'some neat things' with the superpowers. Underselling as usual. This right here is goddamned breathtaking. It's the color of your eyes, too – my favorite."

He gazed at me, and I wondered if he could tell my heart was bursting. A single tear traveled down my cheek. He wiped it away with his typical, tender touch. Heat flushed my face. I said, "I'll t-take it now."

"Huh?"

I wrapped my arms around him and lay my head against his beating heart. He laughed and hugged me back. The warmth in my chest spread. When I backed away, the nasty wound on his abdomen had healed. My shivering lips spread into a smile.

I could still do good.

Cracks formed at my feet. Hidden light burst from below, destroyed the spider's trap, and swallowed us whole. The luminescence carried me back to reality.

End of Chapter Twenty-Five

A/N: this is THE chapter that's been thru the most rewrites. As-in entirely rewritten. About twenty times.

cover art is back to the og by the amazing yura, this time w/ edits by the lovely overthemoonday. Thanks fam (ᵔᴥᵔ)

Since we're at a pivotal moment and winding down to the end, I wanna thank everybody's who's read this far. Whether you've left a comment or are following along quietly, whether you have sent me a message or are too anxious for interaction(relatable), I super appreciate u reading! (◕‿◕✿) this chapter is dedicated to all y'all