Notes: The discussion on horror films was inspired by conversations with Azalea542. Biff's recounting of a Sesame Street nightmare is real. I had the nightmare many years ago and reacted as Biff did.

Bring Me Sunshine

Setting up the CD player was indeed as simple as plugging it in and adjusting the volume. Soon they were both listening to one of the albums.

Kalin was intrigued. He wasn't so familiar with older rock. He hadn't even realized older songs could have deep lyrics. He listened with complete enjoyment to the first CD and immediately went for another.

"You like them, huh?" Radley looked pleased.

"How did I not know about any of these artists before?" Kalin wondered. "I thought old music was just about getting someone to fall in love with you or being bent out of shape at someone falling out of love with you."

Radley laughed. "There was a lot more to hear, especially by the 1960s and the 1970s. Of course, you're not wrong that a lot of popular music was mushy. Some of it got pretty cheesy. And I'll be honest, I don't really mind that, especially if the song could be talking about any kind of loving relationship and not just romance. But I focused on other topics for you. I was pretty sure you wouldn't be into the mushy stuff."

"I wouldn't be," Kalin agreed.

The rest of the music was just as enjoyable. Kalin was soon wondering how to get more of the artists he liked the best.

"Is there a place in town that sells music?" he asked.

Radley smirked in amusement. "I sell some," he said.

Kalin gave him a blank look. "I never noticed."

"It's just a little alcove in the diner," Radley said. "There's also some at the general store. I feel like I have the better selection, though." He winked. "And now that Malcolm's not in my way, maybe I can go ahead with some of my other projects for the town, like a department store."

"A department store?" Kalin said in surprise. "Do you have the money for something like that? I'm sure it's expensive."

"I'm rich, so it's fine," Radley said.

". . . Just how rich are you?" Kalin asked.

"Well, you know how much I paid you for each win," Radley said. "To comfortably afford that, and building the fancy diner, and keeping the mine running well, and buying Harleys and Smartphones for each member of the Bunch . . . I'm loaded."

"I get the point," Kalin grunted.

Radley's pride faded and he suddenly looked very lost. "Was it right, though?" he asked softly. "I got rich largely because of the dyne. So many suffered and died because of the mine. . . . I treated my miners well, but Malcolm wouldn't have had so many to mistreat if it hadn't been for the dusk duels."

"The town was locked down and you were trying to keep Malcolm from taking over," Kalin said. "What could you do except agree to the duels and then follow through? I couldn't see clearly when I was drowning in self-hate and I saw you as a menace like I became, but now I see that wasn't true. You couldn't let Malcolm have the town. He and Lawton almost decimated it in one day! Because of you, it held on for years."

"It was war, really," Radley said softly. "There were so many casualties. . . . Do you think military leaders feel anything like I do now? Or am I disrespecting them and their sacrifices to even think that?"

Kalin had no idea how to even answer that. He had no personal point of reference for such sorrows.

". . . I think any feeling person would feel devastated to send others into battle knowing not everyone will survive," he said at last. "I was never like that myself. I always believed the Enforcers would come through anything."

"Maybe that's how you led them to victory so much," Radley said. "Like I said, believing you'll win actually works."

"Sometimes," Kalin reminded him. "Not all the time."

". . . Yeah," Radley mused. "That's true."

He looked away. "All the spirits of the miners . . . they're restless and they're still here. I saw them standing by their graves when I . . ." He shook his head. "They all blame me. They pointed at me without skipping a beat."

Kalin's eyes flashed. "They blame you over Malcolm?!"

Radley gave a helpless shrug. "I was there and Malcolm wasn't. I tried to talk to them, but they wouldn't answer. They just kept pointing. Finally I ran away back to my body. I mostly just stayed with it until I was allowed back."

"You didn't deserve such an experience," Kalin said angrily.

"I wish I hadn't had it," Radley admitted. "Only . . . if I hadn't . . . I wouldn't have realized I'm actually needed and wanted. I felt so lost and alone in the hours before I died."

"If even one person had shown you kindness, you probably wouldn't have," Kalin said with sadness.

"It would have meant everything to me," Radley said. "And it did." He smiled at Kalin. "I came back because of you. Never forget that."

"It's still hard to believe sometimes," Kalin said. "Especially since you say it was me specifically and not just that it was someone, anyone. When I was so cold to you, how could you possibly care about me that much?"

"I thought I was really loco and stupid," Radley said. "But when you showed you really are loving and kind, and I understood what was wrong, I realized I was just sensing your true nature."

"You and Yusei have given me so much more than I deserve," Kalin said.

"You deserve it," Radley insisted. He started to get up. "You wanna see what music's available in town?"

Kalin started. "Should you get up?!"

"Well . . . I'm probably not well enough to ride solo, but if I ride with you, I should be fine," Radley smiled.

Kalin shook his head. "If I feel you start to fall, I'm pulling over no matter where we are," he said.

"I wouldn't be likely to fall," Radley said. "Not when I'd have my arms around you." He winked.

Kalin grunted. Radley still loved his playful teases.

. . . Although there might be some level of truth behind them, instead of them just being empty nonsense.

Kalin pushed that thought away. He had never asked, but since he knew now how much Radley cared about him, it seemed very possible.

Soon they were outside and climbing on Kalin's motorcycle. Once Radley was hugging him close, Kalin rode off, making sure not to go overly fast. It was a swift ride from the residential section to the town's main street, and within five minutes they were pulling up at the diner.

"Oh, we're going straight here, huh?" Radley smirked.

"You said you've got the best selection," Kalin replied. "Let's find out."

He waited for Radley to climb off before following suit. Then, walking alongside him, he headed for the steps. Radley held fast to the railing and then let go at the top, resolutely walking towards the door without holding on to anything.

"Is that really a good idea?" Kalin asked.

"I hope so," Radley said. "I don't want everyone to worry about me."

He thankfully managed, but Kalin stayed close by in case he was needed. Inside, various townspeople were settled in for lunch and looked up as they entered, happily greeting their heroes. Radley smiled and easily returned the greetings, coming off as fine as much as he could. Kalin, who was still unused to such praise and people being delighted to see him, just awkwardly nodded and managed a "Hello" or two.

Radley led him around the tables and over near a corner of the main room out of the way of the food. Several racks of CDs and vinyl records greeted them, arranged by artist name.

Kalin stared at the display in amazement. "I never noticed this was here."

"You had other things on your mind," Radley said.

Kalin started going through the albums. Everything was neatly organized and it was easy to find what he wanted. "Don't these ever get mixed up?" he wondered.

"Oh sure. But Scotch usually fixes them right up," Radley chuckled. "He likes it."

"He doesn't seem like someone who'd care that much about organization," Kalin said.

"He does when it's music," Radley said.

Soon Kalin was holding several CDs. "I don't need to go to the general store, but out of curiosity, what do they have?"

"An itty-bitty postcard rack," Radley said, "mostly of various Greatest Hits albums for specific artists and occasionally some other albums. Their best selection is at Christmastime. They bring out one of those big cardboard racks decorated for Christmas and have lots of additional music."

"And Scotch probably buys it all," Kalin intoned. Someone who was so gung-ho about National Sock Day no doubt loved actual holidays.

Radley laughed. "Some, anyway. We get a lot of Christmas music too, and Scotch makes sure we stock all his favorites."

That finally brought a smirk. "Of course he would."

"Hey, it's the logical thing to do when your buddy is a businessman," Radley smirked back.

"I'm surprised he hasn't tried to turn the diner into Chuck-E-Cheese's," Kalin said.

Radley giggled. "Don't think he hasn't asked! I'm not so crazy about the animatronics idea, but the arcade room is kind of a compromise."

Passing by, Biff said, "No way am I gonna get anywhere near animatronics after Five Nights at Freddy's!"

"I wouldn't think you'd get anywhere near that game, either," Kalin grunted.

"No, but Scotch loves it!" Biff said.

Kalin gave him a long look. "Why am I not surprised."

"I don't like stuff like that," Radley said. "And you wouldn't think Scotch would when it kinda wrecks the fun of animatronics. But he loves spooky things so much that he gets a kick out of it anyway and still loves Chuck-E-Cheese too."

"What about Bendy and the Ink Machine?" Kalin wondered.

"He loves it," Radley said.

"As if those ancient cartoon styles weren't freaky enough without making a whole game about them being bad guys!" Biff sighed.

"Not to mention Bendy is a devil," Radley remarked. "I kinda don't think they could've got away with that back in the actual 1920s. It's like it's suddenly popular to pick apart everybody's childhoods and make twisted versions of everything they might have enjoyed."

Scotch suddenly popped up beside them. He draped an arm over Radley's shoulders, and to Kalin's shock, Scotch put his other arm around him. "It's so good to see you guys!" he gushed.

Radley grinned, returning the hug. "I'm sure happy to be here, and I think Kalin is too."

"I am," Kalin said.

Scotch hugged them both. "And on the subject of weird and creepy things that twist up childhood stuff, now there's Welcome Home too!"

Kalin gave him a blank look. "What is that?"

"It's an Internet website that pretends there was a kids' show in the 1970s called Welcome Home," Scotch said. "It's like a Sesame Street-Mister Rogers combo, but it's more like Sesame Street. The lore is that there was something wrong with the show and that's why it's gone and they've tried to get rid of all traces of it, and now this restoration committee is digging into things and finding out about the show and will probably dig up what went so wrong with it!"

"Wrong, how?" Kalin grunted. Did he really want to know?

"That's the mystery!" Scotch said. "But it's a psychological horror thing, so it'll probably be something supernatural and freaky!"

Radley shook his head. "And wreck everybody's memories of childhood again."

"Yeah! I mean, how are you gonna look at Sesame Street the same way again, especially when the Welcome Home characters look like their cousins?!" Biff moaned.

"Sesame Street could be spooky too," Scotch said. "Remember the triangle cows?!"

"I'd rather not," Radley said.

"And the You Really Got a Hold On Me segment?" Scotch said. "And Bert's nose . . ."

Biff shook his head. "I had a nightmare about his eyes being gone and him having to wear buttons and being excited about it," he groaned. "I wouldn't even watch their segments for ages after that, even though I really knew that wouldn't happen. Part of me was so freaked out, I wondered if it would."

"That sounds like something Welcome Home might do, honestly," Radley said.

Scotch patted Biff's shoulder. "That really is nightmare fuel," he said.

Kalin just listened. He didn't have anything to contribute to this conversation, so he stood there with folded arms, holding his CDs in one hand.

Radley soon noticed. "Did you ever watch kids' shows, Kalin?" he asked.

Kalin shrugged. "We had a TV, but my dad always claimed it. It doesn't sound like I missed much."

"Sesame Street was usually nice," Radley said. "At least it was educational and nowhere as demented as The Muppet Show. I have good memories of it in general."

"I still watch Christmas Eve on Sesame Street every year!" Scotch cheerfully announced. "We should have a group watch this year and Kalin can join us!"

Radley chuckled. "It's pretty cute. Christmas is a ways off, but what do you say, Kalin?"

Kalin could hardly believe they were even having this discussion. "Watch a kids' special designed for preschoolers?" he said.

"It's cheesy, but some of it is actually really clever," Radley said. "We still find some of the jokes funny."

Finally Kalin shrugged. If everyone was going to do it, somehow he doubted he'd stay out of it. It would be his first Christmas with all of them, and he wanted to integrate into the celebration as much as possible. "I'll probably be there," he said at last.

"Yes!" Scotch exclaimed, pumping the air with his fist.

Kalin just stared. So much excitement over him. . . . It was still hard to comprehend.

". . . So now I'm curious," Kalin said. "What do you think of the recent trend of making children's franchises into horror films?"

"Like that Winnie-the-Pooh one? That's sick!" Scotch exclaimed. "At least these other things make up their own characters instead of using the real ones!"

"There's a Heidi one now too," Radley remarked.

Kalin stared at him. "You're serious."

"Yeah, unfortunately," Radley said. "I've also heard about a Bambi one."

"I only knew about the Winnie-the-Pooh one and that one about the . . . banana animals," Kalin grunted.

"Banana animals?" Radley blinked. "Oh, the Banana Splits?"

"That's it," Kalin said. "I saw that one when I was a Dark Signer. I laughed." He looked ashamed.

Radley gave him a kind look. "And how do you feel now?"

"I don't like it or that I laughed," Kalin said with a tired sigh.

"The Banana Splits one is freaky," Scotch said. "I never saw the originals, so I've got nothing to compare it to. I watched it because of Five Nights at Freddy's!"

"Why doesn't this surprise me," Kalin grunted.

"I'll never be able to look at the originals again," Biff groaned.

"I never saw the originals either," Kalin said. "I only know anything else existed because of the promotional material."

"It does get a little creepy seeing the originals after that sick movie," Radley said. "Part of me keeps expecting them to suddenly attack somebody."

It was only then that Scotch finally noticed the objects in Kalin's hand. "You liked the music, Kalin?!" he demanded.

"I did," Kalin said, chagrined now that he hadn't thought to pause their discussion to thank them again. "Thank you."

"He wanted more right away," Radley grinned.

"That's epic!" Scotch gushed.

Biff smiled a bit. "We're glad you liked it."

By now, more of the Bunch was coming over to join them. They sobered as Billy said, "Yeah, we . . . we wanted to do something nice for you, Kalin. . . . We know you've still been mad at us, and you have every right to be. There was no excuse for what we did."

"There was no excuse for what I did either," Kalin rasped. "It's not right of me to be angry with you considering my own sins."

"You were all depressed and stuff, though," Biff said. "We weren't. We already knew we loved Radley. We never should have left him behind."

Radley smiled sadly. "It really hurt," he admitted. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me, but . . ."

"There's no way it wouldn't hurt!" Scotch said.

"And if we'd been brave like you were, we would have saved you and you wouldn't have suffered so much," Clint said. He blinked back tears. "I said I'd never betray you, but then I went and did!"

Radley hugged him. "Nothing can take away what happened," he said. "But I'm alive and we have a second chance to make it right. Most people don't get that kind of miracle." He reached to hug others of the Bunch too.

"They sure don't," Billy said. From his expression, he didn't feel worthy of a hug at all, but he didn't want to make a scene or hurt Radley worse. He let Radley hug him and then clutched him close, wanting to literally embrace their miracle.

"How can you even ever trust us again?!" Scotch wondered.

Radley looked to Kalin and they exchanged a silent message. Kalin remembered what Radley had told him before.

"I probably can't just yet," Radley admitted, speaking kindly but with sadness. "But I forgive you and am going to be working on that trust."

"Billy, Clint, and I'm the worst," Virgil said. "We're the ones who saw you in the mines."

"Yeah," Radley said, his voice quiet as he remembered. And Kalin had told Radley how he and Yusei had found Billy trying to duel Marty when Barbara had pitted them against each other. Despite Marty's pleas, Billy had cared only for his own self-preservation. Marty was having trouble trusting Billy now too, most understandably.

Scotch drew back. "I can't think I would have left you there if I'd actually seen you," he said. "But . . . I don't know. None of us thought we'd join Lawton at all."

Radley wasn't sure either, but he had to admit he couldn't picture Scotch abandoning him in the mines as the other three had. Scotch adored him too much. He didn't want to encourage the rifts between the Bunch, however, so he said, "There's no point wondering what might have been. Dealing with what is, is more than enough."

"What if we never prove your trust?" Clint worried.

"I think you will," Radley said. "I don't wanna think about the alternative."

By now the mood was solemn. They had mostly tuned out the presence of the customers, and the customers thankfully were occupied with their own conversations with each other. Most of the Bunch began to gradually move back towards the kitchen, the arcade, and the lounge, eventually leaving Scotch, Biff, and Marty with Kalin and Radley.

Radley sighed. "How are you doing, Marty?"

Marty looked away. "I'm still trying to live with Billy, but it's harder now. How do I live with a guy who was willing to throw me away to save himself? I begged him to help me, to not do what Barbara wanted, but he didn't listen. And on the other hand, all of us joined Lawton when you fell, and then I got mad at Billy and went ahead with the duel when he insisted, so I've got no right to speak." He stared at the floor. "Billy offered to move out, but it's his place too. He shouldn't leave, should he?"

From Radley's eyes, he found the question conflicting and difficult to answer. "Do you think one of you should leave?" he asked.

"No. . . . I mean, I don't know. . . . I . . . I don't want to go. . . . It doesn't seem right to make Billy go, but maybe he deserves it. Only we probably all deserve it, and you're letting us stay, Radley." Marty's eyes only looked more conflicted. "If you can do that for us, I should be able to live with Billy, shouldn't I?"

"That's up to you," Radley said kindly. "Maybe you can and maybe you can't. I don't think there's one right answer in this situation. Billy betrayed me too, but I'm not actually living with him. If you don't feel comfortable, that's completely natural."

Marty sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. I'll probably keep trying, though. . . ."

"I'm sure Billy appreciates your kindness," Radley said.

". . . He might feel he doesn't deserve it, if he truly regrets what he did," Kalin spoke up.

"He definitely regrets it," Marty said. From his firm tone, there was no room for doubt.

"He should," Kalin said.

Marty hesitated, half looking like he wanted to say more. But instead, he moved to walk past them. "I'd better get back to the kitchen. . . . It's really great to see you, Radley." He gave a genuine smile and slipped past.

". . . We should probably do stuff too," Scotch said. "Are you guys staying?"

Radley pondered. "It is lunchtime, isn't it? We might as well." He smiled.

"As long as you're up for it," Kalin said. "Don't push yourself."

"I'm not pushing," Radley promised.

Kalin made sure Radley was settled at a table before straightening. "I'll just purchase these CDs and come back," he said.

"Okay," Radley smiled.

Kalin headed for the cashier's counter, glancing around for Marty as he went. What had Marty wanted to say, he wondered. Had he not said it because of the customers, or because Kalin was there?

He scowled a bit. It didn't matter, of course. Naturally Marty might not want to talk about the topic here. He would probably contact Radley later.

Scotch came around to ring him up. "How's Radley doing?" he asked. The worry in his eyes was very visible.

"He's fine," Kalin said. "I should probably get him home after lunch, though."

Home. . . . What an amazing word. It was really his to use. He hadn't had a real home in so long.

Scotch nodded. "Yeah, you probably should. Radley always tries to do too much. And right now he just . . . he just shouldn't."

"I agree," Kalin said. "I'll look after him well." He handed Scotch the money.

"I know you will." Scotch bagged the CDs. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Kalin took them and turned away.

He didn't miss that Scotch still looked worried, but he brushed it aside. It was no doubt because of Radley, after all.