Vile: Hey guys, Vile here. Yeah, I am terrible at making promises when it comes to my stories. It's about time I came clean: I have A LOT of trouble focusing. A combination of ADHD, OCD, Tourette's, and Asperger's make a creative clusterf**k that is my mind: I get so many ideas for stories, resulting in my head becoming extremely cluttered, making focusing a difficult task. This is made even more difficult due to school and, as of recent, my new seasonal job. The way I cope is by getting these ideas out on paper when they come, so unfortunately for you all, I will not be focusing solely on ZEXAL anymore. I can't work like that. I can only work by getting ideas that hit me done when they work.

But enough of any negative shtuff, this is the first idea from my new mindset. This little thing is a preview of another YGO series I plan to do, giving a brief glimpse into the new plot. Enjoy!

The Mage and Devil in Indigo

They say the world can be cruel. I don't really think that's true, but I will admit that it can be rather dickish.

Three years ago, I lived in Crosset Town. I was a normal girl, kinda nerdy, but not too freakish. Then they came along. One by one, teenagers started vanishing from the town. I had no clue what I was in for until I was approached by one of them. They offered me the ability to see the "true power of Duel Monsters" if I joined them, and they held out a card. I was nervous, I admit, but at my point in life, I wanted to fit in, so I took the card. Darkness filled my head, and before I knew it, the memories of my past were gone, sealed away by the shroud. They took me with them, and since I couldn't even remember my own name, they gave me one: Valaka.

For three years, I was one of their ranks. Our entire reason for existing was to recruit more to our cause, like a virus spreading to other cells. None of us even knew what the true goals of the higher-ups, our "Lords", were. We were just followers. I admit, they kept me fed, clean, and housed, but looking back on it now, it was a pathetic life.

Then one day, I wandered into an area I wasn't supposed to, one that no one was even supposed to know existed: The Sanctum of the Knight. The room was bathed in the glow of indigo flames, and in the center, a small pedestal stood. I knew I would be in trouble if I was found, so I immediately tried to leave, but something stopped me. "Wait…" That deep male voice commanded authority and made me stop, yet did not seem harsh or terrifying. "Come closer, young one."

As the only one around, I knew it was talking to me. Slowly turning around, I faced the pedestal, which was the source of the voice. "Who… Who are you?" I hesitantly asked as I approached.

"I… am the one who wields the Runesword." The voice stated.

I gasped. "The Runesword…" I immediately fell to my knees in a bow. "Lord Forcross… Forgive me for trespassing upon your sanctum. I knew not where I was."

"Rise, Valaka." Forcross told me, and I listened. "You face no punishment from me. I lead you here, after all." I was confused. "Your fate is not in the service of us. I called you here to set a plan I have harbored for a long time into action…" I watched in awe as, atop the pedestal, blue lights converged in one spot before morphing into a new form: A Ritual Monster card with the name "Forcross of the Runesword" emblazoned upon it.

"Lord Forcross… You are… a card?" I asked.

"Not merely one." Forcross replied. "Place your hand atop my image, Valaka. See the truth that was concealed by your clouded mind." There was no way I wasn't going to listen to Forcross at that time, so I slowly placed my right index and middle fingers on the picture of the indigo-clad demon knight. Immediately, my vision was blinded by a bright flash of light, and in the span of seconds, my memories returned to me. I remembered my name, my home, my family, my friends… and I could now see those people who took me for the pieces of slime that they were. But I forgot one thing: Who exactly was showing me this again?

Shaking my head from the shook, I was so angry at them. "Those lowlifes…" I growled. It was then that I remembered that Forcross was right in front of me, and my anger gave me a smile that I would've loved to see in a mirror. "Well, if they wanna take something of mine…" I quickly swiped Forcross from the pedestal, looking at it. "…I'll take something of theirs. Thanks for the free card, scumbags."

Using what memories of my holding area, I ran as fast as I could until I came to the main exit, flanked by two guards. Normally I would've been terrified of them, but now that I was back to normal, I didn't care how tough they were: They weren't going to stop me. Boldly, I stepped out from the corner I was hiding behind, approaching them. One of them noticed me, stepping forward. "Halt. What is your business here?"

I didn't even break my stride. "I'm leaving. Out of my way, you two."

The other guard stepped forward when I said that. "You must be mistaken. I recognize you now. Return to your station, Valaka."

"Not happening." I said, producing a Duel Disk. "You want to do this the easy way or the hard way?" The two of them produced their own Duel Disks, giving me my answer. "I guess it's gonna be the hard way."

"You are aware of how powerful we are compared to you. You would still choose to face us?" One of the guards asked.

I pulled out my trusted Deck, one that I was kept from using while I was their puppet. "…You're facing a whole new league of Duelist now."

*Time Skip*

"GISHIKI SHOUKAN (RITUAL SUMMON)!"

With the swipe of a large sword, the two guards were sent flying to the sides, their Life Points having both been reduced to zero. "I think you understand the situation now. I'm leaving, and you can't stop me." With my way clear, I grabbed hold of the handle of the main door and opened it, causing the doors to fly open and reveal the moonlit night.

One of the guards slowly lifted his head up to growl at me. "Valaka... You will pay for attempting to run away. You belong to the Lords. The Infantry will hunt you down… Blood in... blood out!"

I chuckled. "I never cared much for your rules. And by the way, it's not Valaka. Not anymore." I pulled down my hood, revealing my face: A girl of 19 years old, with fair skin, gold eyes, and lilac-colored hair that came down to my lower back, tied up in two spiky ponytails, with three zigzagging dark blue bangs on my forehead. "The name is Miyu. Miyu Maho! And if you want to take the fight to me... then bring it on!" With that, I rushed out of the base and into the city night. I don't know how long I ran, but when I finished, I found myself at a bus station where the buses ran at night. "Maybe… I can get out like this…" Trying not to seem suspicious, I mingled my way into the crowd of passengers awaiting the next bus. "Is this group headed to Crosset Town?" I asked, getting a positive response from one of them. Thank whatever deity exists.

As luck would have it, after a few minutes that thankfully didn't involve the Infantry coming after me, a bus pulled up to the station, the driver opening up the doors. The group of passengers, myself included, boarded the bus, me flashing my bus pass (every Infantry member had one) and taking my seat. When everyone was on, the doors shut, and the bus went on its way.

Relief washed over me. I was out. I escaped the Lords, at least for now, and I even stole one of them for myself. But I knew. I knew that they'd come after me. Taking out Forcross of the Runesword, I glared at the fiendish monster. These things caused so much pain to families, so much evil by using us as pawns. But I'll be ready. I'll take them out with their own monster. For now, though… I've got bigger things to worry about.

Mom, Dad, Natsumi… I'm coming home.

Vile: And there you have it: A Ritual-focused series with a female protagonist. I am such a rebel, aren't I? XD JK, I respect ARC-V for taking risks, too. I feel like this series could also be something worthwhile, so leave a review telling me your thoughts on the concept. Related to my above announcement, please keep in mind that this is NOT me giving up on anything. I WILL finish these stories. But my updates will, from now on, be erratic and infrequent so I can cope with my problem. To help me with this problem, though, I have an announcement:

I am opening a Fictionpress account.

Yes, I have ideas for original stories as well as fanfictions, and I plan to share them all with you. At the moment, my Fictionpress account is not up and running, but when it is, I will link you all to it in whichever update comes after this one. Believe me, I am extremely thankful for all your support over the years, and I hate that I've been disappointing you all recently. I might not be on as much as I used to, but trust me: I have no intention of letting myself be deleted. But for now, if you guys liked this story and can still support me, leave a review for me. Ja ne for now, my faithful audience! *salutes*

Computer Voice: Vile, logging out.