I was alone.

Nobody wanted me; the Academia proved it by expelling me over something I can't control, something that I despise.

So I had to care for myself.

Often, if I wanted to eat, I would have to either go to various convenience stores and steal, or go to various cafes and walk out on the bill, avoiding security all the while. Unless I could get money in some way, I would be fated to eat as Aki and walk different streets every night.

And then, I became an urban legend. Something people knew existed, but could never prove. I was feared, almost as if I were an angel of death: it didn't take long before my unfortunate opponents started offering me things in hopes of me sparing them. This was the power of the newly-named Black Rose Witch.

I was nearly sixteen; I made a show of considering each offer for them, if only to increase their fear - and my amusement. If it was an offering of money, or food, or water, I would take it – eventually – and watch the futile hope glisten in their eyes. I would take the offering...

...And I would defeat them, although I had promised not to.

It was a game I played, an increasingly fulfilling game. There was a new Duel King recently, who strived to make every duel of his entertaining. I simply followed suit, but in my own, cruel way.

Never again would they trust a Witch, a monster. It took me a few weeks to figure how many appearances I needed to make in order to get a steady (but livable) flow of offerings. Before being expelled, I had been called a bright girl; it's no surprise, as studying constantly kept me from remembering things I'd rather not have to. Without books or classes to study, the only thing left to distract me was dueling and survival. I would study the habits of my opponents – now, possibly, victims – instead.

On the eve of my sixteenth birthday, something changed.

It was somewhat ironic, given my last name; written with the kanji for "sixteen" and "night." Izayoi: it was the only thing that tied me back to my parents.

The year of irony; my sixteenth. My sixteenth cursed year on this wretched planet, in this vile city.

But someone came to me who would challenge my view of the world every time I saw him. He was determined, not unlike my unlucky victims, but less concerned about his own survival. He was reckless but cautious, and it fascinated me.

He would wait in the area that I had come to inhabit regularly and watch me duel, never flinching. He would never challenge me, he would just stand there and watch me defeat duelist after duelist, without fail.

There was no reason for him to, I thought. He was just risking his life for the sake of petty observation.

The Daimon Area had cleared out after my final duel for the day, leaving the ground torn up and hazardous. It was a wonder that the city still had money to repair it, after how many times I graced it with my terrible and horrific presence. I lingered, gathering what stray coins I could find. Word had recently begun spreading that I never spared opponents – I couldn't – and my income was slowly dwindling because of it. I needed all I could get my hands on, or go hungry for days.

It was then that he approached me. He offered me dinner, or at least the money to get some. I was wary of this stranger – he was older, and a man who had been watching me for at least a month now. There was no telling what he was capable of. I hesitated so I could watch him before reaching out and snatching the bills and coins he held out to me. I held them close and shrunk away, never taking my eyes from him.

He didn't move. I took the opportunity to count out what he had given me – it was enough for two weeks, at the very least. It was more money than I had seen in three times that. I stared at him.

After a few moments of watching each other, being still as statues, he spoke again. "My name is Divine," he began, "I lead a group known as the Arcadia Movement. We're like you and know your pain, your bitterness at society for rejecting you. Come with me and you will find a home, and you will never have to scavenge again."

He had called me a scavenger, yet claimed to understand me. It was a lie, a well-planned lie, one I refused to believe no matter how oddly tempting it was. "The web you weave is pretty, but I am smarter than a fly!" I spat back, the mask on my face not hiding the anger in my voice as it usually did. "I refuse to entangle myself in such an obvious trap." And I disappeared with the placement of a single card.

With the money he had given me, I was careless. I bought new clothes, hoping to make it easier on myself when my former school's uniform needed washing at the nearby Laundromat. Just a simple shirt and skirt; I kept the same shoes. I bought more underwear, having been careless in the past month, and needed to remember to buy things to remedy that for this one. I was a girl, first and foremost, though it was hard to remember when labeled as nothing more than a monster.

It was better than standing there under a torn blanket or the rumpled Witch's cloak as I waited for my clothes to dry.

The owners didn't know who I was; they merely saw me as a girl who lived on the street. They let me shower there sometimes and took pity on me. Not enough to take me in, of course. I was too distant for their liking. I was always too distant.

Security usually only took one week to repair the Daimon Area (Another reason why I had been careless with that man's money), a week and a half at most, and I planned all of my – the Witch's – appearances around that. I tried to keep that schedule irregular while staying in a routine otherwise, to further my attempt at keeping her as an alias. She could take more scorn than I could, but I was determined to make it so Security couldn't touch us.

Apparently, that's what the man wanted as well.

He had come again that week to watch, just watch.

He came again the week after that.

And the week after that.

And each time, he offered me a home or money. I always took the money and left. He never stopped me, though sometimes I had to move his hands off my shoulders to do so.

The next time I went to the Daimon Area, he wasn't there. Some small part of me wondered why, and I wondered why I even really cared. Was it because I got used to his constant presence, or because he was my new main source of income?

It was probably the latter.

The day seemed normal; I dueled someone who thought they could defeat an urban legend and ended up face-down on the torn up concrete. But as I was about to leave, I saw something move through the dust of demolition that just wasn't right. I stood where I was and waited for the dust to clear, watching the few stragglers left scramble out of there as fast as they could. They must have thought I was scoping out another victim for the day.

I was wrong. The second that all the others were out of the way, bright lights clicked on all around me, blindingly bright. Security; it had to be. Nobody else had lights that bright. I scanned ahead of me, all exits were blocked. I swung around to look behind me, and all exits were blocked there, as well. There was nowhere to run this time...but hell if I wouldn't try.

"Black Rose Witch, you are wanted for multiple counts of assault and battery. Unmask yourself and come quietly, or we will use force."

I bolted to one side, the one that went further into the street dueling areas, with my Duel Disk at the ready and a card in my hand. I didn't know which one it was, I just knew that if they knew me, they would know what I could do with a simple card and run.

As if I had expected them to have riot shields. The guard I was running straight toward simply lifted his and braced for impact, and soon had two others backing him up.

That was when it all made sense: they were trying to cage me like the monster I was. I refused to let that happen, absolutely refused. One quick glance at my hand – the four cards left from my duel – and I activated a spell that sent me at least a block away. I had never stopped running, and I wouldn't stop for a good while longer, until I was sure Security wouldn't find me for a while. My final refuge ended up being an alleyway from a street duel arena to the city itself as I slumped back against the wall to catch my breath.

All was silent, save for my breathing. This calmed me somewhat.

My head snapped up when my mask was lifted from my face, making me gasp in surprise and look up at..that man again, with my eyes wide. He was smiling.

He had gotten close to me and was smiling.

It was mind-boggling.

I raised my defenses as best I could, which wasn't much thanks to that running from earlier. My glare was diluted and weak, and I knew it. It didn't stop me from trying.

His eyes softened – was that amusement flickering through for a second? – and he held my mask with more care than even I did. "You're safe now; I won't hurt you."

I remained suspicious, but my breathing was slowing. He took this as a sign to continue.

"Come with me, Aki," he said, and I wondered when he'd learned my name; he'd never seen my face before this... "Arcadia – I will protect you, from security; your past. Aki, you're fine the way you are, you will have a home, but only if you trust me."

I stared. This was the first time he said he would protect me in all the times he'd approached. After what happened today, it sounded even nicer.

"Will you come with me?"

Still staring, searching for any signs that he may be lying – any at all. And for once, I found...none.

"You won't have to remember any more than you want to,"

Damn this tugging feeling!

"I'll remember for you,"

Stop tempting me!

"You have a place with us,"

No-!

"Please,"

"...Fine."

I aggressively took the hand presented to me, trying to say that I am a force to be reckoned with, and nobody will take me down. He smiled knowingly, as if he'd been in this exact situation himself. How was I to know that he had?

"Welcome to the Arcadia Movement, Aki."

So. How's that for my first fanfic in quite literally years? Unbeta'd, self-edited, willing to continue if asked. You don't need to leave a review, though it would be awfully kind of you to do so. I would love some concrit. C:

This came to mind when I realized that I don't think Aki could cook past "just add water" and has the ability to fail miserably at toast. Also, I don't think she would have accepted Divine's offer right off the bat (even if I kinda-sorta ship them) because it just doesn't sound right to me. Really - if she didn't trust her own parents, why would she trust a total stranger? Anyway.

Thanks for readin'~