Author's Note: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor any of its associations. I thought this would be a fun idea, and I wanted some input from the readers. I figured this would be a good way to do it.


What I Let Loose – A Series of Drabbles Featuring the YGO Cast and Their Inner Most Demons

Introduction: The Myth of Pandora's Box

So, in the Greek legend of Pandora's Box, the two brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus thought up the plan to steal the gift of fire from the sun god, Helios. Fire would allow mankind to live without the assistance of the Gods. The thinker of the brothers, Epimetheus, believed that his brother would have the strength to steal fire from the heavens, and so it was Prometheus who went to retrieve the flames from Helios. In the dark of night, Prometheus managed to steal the flames of Helios, and returned safely to earth; the brothers rejoiced, as did the people of the earth.

Zeus, the ruler of the Gods, was angered by Prometheus' actions. He determined that the world should not be able to live on without the help of the power of the Gods. In a fit of rage, he consulted the other Gods. They determined what would be appropriate for revenge, and using their powers, created a beautiful female human: Pandora. Pandora was given the gift of beauty from Aphrodite, the gift of artistry from Athena, and gift of language from Hermes. She was the perfect woman to seek revenge for the Gods. Zeus himself took human form, and led the beauteous Pandora to the home of Epimetheus.

Zeus presented Pandora to Epimetheus as a gift, for outsmarting the Gods. Epimetheus, amazed by the beauty and talent which Pandora possessed, took the lady as his own. However, Zeus presented a second item with Pandora: a mystical box (in the original mythology, it was a covered pot). He told Epimetheus that the box must be taken along with Pandora, but that it should never be opened; Epimetheus agreed to keep the box sealed.

When Epimetheus went on a voyage to see his brother Prometheus, he left Pandora alone with the box. The Gods had given her an extreme curiosity, and so staring at the sealed box for days was a great challenge for her. Eventually, she gave into her desire, and opened the box – it had contained all of the ills of the world which Prometheus and Epimetheus had thought they eliminated.

The horrors escaped the box once by one: Crime, Poverty, Pain, Famine, Disease, Sorrow, and Corruption. They flew about the world, torturing the souls which inhabited earth. The only thing which remained trapped inside the box was Hope, which was sealed by Pandora trying to correct her wrong, and closing the box. When Hope eventually was released by the suffering Prometheus, the world's balance returned – Gods providing for the earth as they had before fire was stolen by the two brothers. Things were not exactly the same though, as Epimetheus had died.

In this series of drabbles, I will attempt to assign each of the vices contained within Pandora's Box to a different YGO character. They will have their own "opening of the box" moment, metaphorical or otherwise. I do want your suggestions – which vice to which character. And who shall free hope in the end? There will be eight drabbles, seven for the vices, and one for hope. (Please leave any ideas or requests in review form, or message me.) The release of the vices does not have to follow their order of release in the actual myth. The vices are listed here and in the story above:

Crime
Poverty
Pain
Famine
Disease
Sorrow
Corruption