CH 1: Enter Darkness

Our story starts off as stories often do. A young man with dreams and ambitions is suddenly struck with a tragedy that sets him off on a quest that will be filled with obstacles, danger, vengeance, and magic. Dark deeds and great evil will fill this story; however, heroes and the power of light and good shall face these dark enemies. It will end, as all great stories do, with a climactic battle between the forces of light and dark as they vie for dominance and control in a chaotic world unaware of the great struggle taking place. That, however, is the ending and one must always begin with the beginning. Thus the story begins in a small house in a remote Egyptian village, the kind of place no one ever expects great things to occur.

PRESENT DAY- EGYPT

The sun was just rising; the gleam off the dew on the sand was astounding to the few souls that were awake at the time. One such person was rising in the small house on the outskirts of town. He stared out of his window in awe at the beautiful sight of the rising sun. He never took such things for granted. Instead, he lived loving each moment he spent alive and free to live his life. The young man must have only been 19 maybe 20 at the most. He pulled a sweatshirt over his regular shirt and headed down the stairs.

Oh….I seemed to have made a slight mistake. That is not where our story begins. No, our story truly begins about 5000 years ago. The location does not change at all, only the time period. While that small town seemed untouched by time, time had indeed touched it. It touched it in the healing way only time can.


5000 YEARS AGO

The sun has not risen yet. Perhaps it has already set. Anyone who had stumbled upon this land would surly think these things when they first opened their eyes. However, anyone who had lived here knew the sad truth. The sun had not risen for days. Perpetual darkness covered the lands of Egypt. Here events that would one day be replayed were occurring; events that would shape the world in unforeseen ways.

"This is where it ends Akhenaden, your treachery will stop here!" a young man screamed at the dark figure in front of him. The young man is dressed in regal garb, however he seems to have been fighting and his tired look betrays his strong words.

"Heheheheh I think not Pharaoh….the only thing that shall end here is your life and the world as you know it! I am Zorc Necrophades, darkness incarnate. No mere child shall stop me," the dark figure bellowed, its voice far deeper and more powerful than any human's should be. He slowly raised his hand within which a golden ring glimmered in the Sun.

"No…..I…we cannot let this happen. We cannot allow him to completely release Zorc. Mahado we must stop him!" cried the Pharaoh his resilience and power fading with each word. He desperately searched for a solution in the eyes of the magician that stood next to him.

"My Pharaoh…..I do not see a way. The Gods of Egypt have fallen…..your servants are all….even Lord Seto has abandoned us as joined with the enemy. You had to silence him yourself. Pharaoh….all seems lost. But, I will help till I myself am nothing," the magician declared.

"No, Mahado you have sacrificed enough. It is I who must now sacrifice something," the Pharaoh said as a single tear fell from his eye. His face was again filled with determination. He mounted his horse and dashed forward toward the disfigured figure before him. He had begun to grow and a dark aura rose around him, especially around his single golden eye. The young man swung his hand downward as he grabbed a small golden puzzle on the floor.

"No, NO, Pharaoh you cannot….I SHALL NOT LET YOU," the magician screamed as he flew towards his master.

"Zorc, this is where your ambition halts. If I cannot kill you I shall make sure you never kill again!" the Pharaoh declared as he held the puzzle over his head. He quickly turned his head and mouthed the words "thank you" to Mahado, as Zorc's screams echoed through the desert. The young Pharaoh released the puzzle as he chanted a small series of words in a long forgotten language. The puzzle shattered and with it Zorc and the savior of Egypt.

This was how the young Pharaoh Atem saved his country and the world by sacrificing himself and his memories. However, something occurred that the Pharaoh had not foreseen. In Zorc's last moments he used the power of the final item within his grasp, the Millennium Ring, to split his physical body and his spirit. While his body was destroyed and his power sealed within the Puzzle, his spirit was sealed within the Millennium Ring. Zorc hoped that one day destiny would guide a person suitable for his possession to the Ring and then he could begin his quest for reanimation. His appetite for power would never be quenched. His desire for vengeance and his hatred of the Pharaoh would only grow in this exile. Zorc would return, and he would return in an unexpected place, far from the pyramids of Egypt.

One last thing, you see Zorc was a crafty being. He would not chance that his body, while joined with Akhenaden, might be destroyed. When Akhenaden took control of Seto and had him face the Pharaoh Atem, Zorc saw that Seto was too weak to claim the power of the Pharaoh. Zorc only allowed this battle to take place so he could ensure his ultimate survival. He wished to place part of him within an item to preserve his power forever. Without the power of the Millennium Ring, he was unable to split his spirit; however he was able to pour his ambition and love of destruction into the Millennium Rod and seal it there. His anger and hatred of the Pharaoh and of all life he placed within the Rod hoping that one day if anything were to happen he could be reborn through it. Although with time this power would fade, it would one day find itself empowering and fueling the dark entity known as Yami Marik. It would lead this crazed soul to seek the same destruction and power Zorc once did. It would allow for the events of the past to occur once again in a city called Domino.


PRESENT DAY

The young man ran out of his house and stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. He looked out at the vast desert that stretched out in front of him. He turned his back on it and mounted his motorcycle. He smiled as he hit the gas speeding away from the desert and into the town. He silently rode through his neighborhood his mind obviously elsewhere. The last few stars were glimmered faintly before the rays of the sun overshadowed their weak lights.

The young man parked his bike outside a small store. He began picking up crates and bringing them into the shop. The store was empty but the young man didn't seem to mind. He continued his work and began arranging the items on the open-air counter. He had done the same thing everyday, and thus he allowed his mind to drift as he stacked a series of tablets. Although the tablets were simply reproductions of true Egyptian works, they still set the young man's mind off.

'The Pharaoh…..this is all thanks to him and Yugi. Thanks to all of them….I am finally free' he thought to himself, smiling slightly as he continued to stack the tablets. He had every reason to smile. In the last two years he had become the owner of several profitable stores in the local bazaar, while he had also become the African Continental Champion in Duel Monsters. His successes, however, were topped, in his mind at least, by a single loss one year ago. This loss would be one of the happiest moments in his life, second only to another loss at the hands of the same opponent.

ONE YEAR AGO- THE CITY OF CAIRO

The stadium was filled with to the brim with spectators from all across Africa. Every country was represented and heard as two young men stood glaring at each other on the dueling platform. Both participants stood panting as the thick cloud that had covered the field began to dissipate. Each seemed to be exhausted; however, one seemed to have a slight smile on his face. This one is our young man. The other was a rather short fellow; however, his determined eyes betrayed his true inner strength.

"Heheheh……phew. I can't believe it actually worked. I am sorry Yugi, but your last attack allowed me to use my Malevolent Catastrophe to obliterate the field. You may have a 1000 more life points than I, but it is now my turn and you don't have a single car din play. I am glad you didn't play this badly back in Battle City," the young man said with a chuckle. He closed his eyes and after shouting Draw! drew a single card from his dueldisk.

"Well you seem happy with your move. Let's hope that the card you drew will let you follow it up," Yugi said with a grin.

"Oh it will, and you will regret sending all of my monsters to the graveyard. I summon Neo Angelos- Envoy of Discord," he declared triumphantly as an Angel half white and half black with an angel and demon wing respectively. In its hands she held a black spear and a white shield.

"Impressive, you really have come a great distance since we first met….in more ways than one," Yugi said with a small tear in his eye.

"Yugi, I wanted to defeat you with this card because it represents what I am. I will never be able to totally erase the darkness within me but I have learned that it can live in harmony as long as my light shines just as bright. I only know this…..because of you….Anyway…I now activate her effect: I can remove dark monsters from my grave to increase her attack and light monsters to increase her defense. Therefore, I remove my three Shining Angels and 2 Dark Mimics as well as my Newdoria from play," the young man declared grinning through the small trickle of tears that streamed down his face. Suddenly the images of three glowing angels appeared in a pillar of light as two demonic treasure chests and a zombie-like monster appeared in pillars of darkness. The six pillars slowly joined around Neo Angelos until a single twisted beam of both dark and light engulfed her.

"Incredible!" Yugi exclaimed. As the light receded showing Neo Angelos unchanged from the light show. However, her attack and defense points suddenly climbed to 2100.

"The best is still to come, Yugi, now I will show you how far I really have come. Go Neo Angelos direct attack with SPEAR OF DISCORD!" the young man ordered as his creature took to the sky. It concentrated a dark energy around its spear before throwing it directly at Yugi. Suddenly…..a strange canister appeared on the field, the dark spear flying directly into it.

"I am sorry, my friend…..but a hasty attack made through emotion will only backfire in the end….. I play my Magical Cylinder trap card," Yugi said wiping his eye. When his eyes rose again, they were filled with a joyful determination. "Reflect his attack!" he ordered as a second canister appeared and out of it flew the redirected spear.

The young man only smiled as the spear flew past his creature and into him. His eyes were filled with that joyful determination present in the world champion. It seemed he was even happier than if he had won. Thus, our young man joined the many powerful opponents to be bested by this Yugi Mutou; a list that contained, not the least of which, the embodiment of darkness itself. One year before this joyful duel, the participants joined together under very different circumstances. One year before, Yugi together with the Pharaoh would finally destroy Zorc.

TWO YEARS AGO: EGYPT-MILLENIUM WORLD

People ran screaming everywhere as the city began to burn around them. Children separated from their parents hide in alleys and under doorways too shocked or tired to cry any longer. The flaming buildings provided the only light to the desolate desert that surrounded it. The sun could not be seen; instead, the sky was unnaturally dark and brooding. There was enough light, however, to see the looming figure of a great demon. It was unimaginably large, yet it moved with destructive ferocity. Bellowing as it crushed, blasted, and burned the city and its unfortunate inhabitants.

The bodies of the dead littered the ground. This creature showed no mercy to the aged or noble. In fact, among these bodies lay the stone remains of the once great Egyptian Gods. The servants of the Pharaoh these creatures easily fell to the power of this demon. Great as this demon was, however, fear still shown in its massive eyes. On the great desert plain that stretched out in front of the city's gate a small group of heroic souls still believed that they could stop the demon. Their eyes gleamed with determination and hope. One stepped forward his face was tired, his appearance beaten, yet his eyes told a different story.

"Zorc, this will end here. You have killed my friends, tortured my people, and angered my gods……you cannot be forgiven. TODAY ZORC YOU DIE!" the Pharaoh shouted. His hand grasped around a necklace that hung from his neck.

"NOOOOO THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, YOU CANNOT, I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO…" the great demon Zorc threatened his body shaking with fury. His eyes darted as he witnessed his worst fears come to pass. The Egyptian Gods rose slowly from their premature graves. Their power shook the heavens and once more light began to creep through the clouds.

"ZORC, THIS HAS GONE ON FOR LONG ENOUGH!…..My friends, I could not have done this without you…..Yugi, thank you," the Pharaoh said turning to his beloved friends. "NOW MY EGYPTIAN GODS I URGE YOU TO FIGHT ONCE MORE BY MY SIDE! I SHALL COMBINE YOUR POWERS TO CALL UPON THE CREATOR OF LIGHT! I FUSE YOU WITH MY NAME: ATEM!!" he screamed holding the necklace above his head. Suddenly the three creatures came together and in a massive nova of light the dark clouds were swept away.

Zork stood cowering and cursing the gods as even the radiant glow of the Creator of Light Harakhti burn his skin. No words were said, everyone stood silent as the Harakhti rose his hands incinerating Zorc instantly and wiping the world clean of his darkness forever.

Or so they believed….you see, history has a nasty habit of repeating itself…..

The world has always been a balance of Ying and Yang, Good and Evil, Light….and Dark. Without darkness, light would have no meaning. Without the pain evil brings, good can hold no hope. Whether it was this cosmic order of balance, or the last remaining will power of Zorc, something escaped.

Long ago, Zorc learned that he could concentrate his anger and lust for power and destruction. His will and emotions could be concentrated and removed.

5000 years ago he separated his will and contained it within the Millennium Rod.

Two years ago, moments before Harakhti's light engulfed and obliterated his body and soul, Zorc released his will to the real world to seek a suitable host. Weak and defeated as it was, his will contained his hatred of the Pharaoh, of Egypt, of the world. However, the strongest feeling was envy, envy of the Egyptian Gods.

Unfortunately….or maybe inevitably, his will found a host where it stayed dormant. It grew in power, yet, without Zorc's soul to guide it….it could not take control. Thus it waited, biding its time till the one day events would allow it to be released.

That day is today.


PRESENT DAY

The young man had finally closed his shop as the last rays of the sun set behind the sand dunes. The night was especially dark; the clouds covered the moon and most of the stars. The cloud cover only got worse as he drove on. He pulled his jacket tightly around his shoulders as cold rain began to fall. He seemed to be growing tired, his eyes opening and shutting as he sped forward. Suddenly he was awoken completely by a sharp and penetrating sound that echoed through the sandy cliffs.

'A gun shot?' he thought to himself. His eyes suddenly fully opened as he slammed onto the gas. He couldn't see very much but his fear somehow kept him on course. He saw a single light on in his home as he slammed his bike into the ground and ran past the swinging door and into his home. He could not take a step past the threshold.

"M-M-M-Marik…..I am….sorry…." sputtered a pony tailed man slightly older than the broken figure at the door. Rishid lay there holding his bleeding gun shot wound in his chest with his left hand as his right hand grasped the air trying to once more touch the only friend….no brother he had ever had.

Marik couldn't move….his eyes stared glazed over at the body of his dead brother. No thoughts entered his mind, no words formed on his lips. He fell to his knees, shaking from head to foot. His mind was blank, when he first thought he heard it.

'HEHEHEHEHHAHAHAHAHHAHA' echoed through his ears….no…..it echoed through his mind. Marik's glazed eyes suddenly snapped back to life; this time, filled with terror and tears.

"no…no…not again…he can't….be…"

END

New Cards: 1

Marik Ishtar

Neo Angelos
Angel/4 Stars/Dark
Effect: When you summon or flip summon this monster you can activate its effect. Remove from play, from your graveyard, the any number of Light-Angel and Dark-Demon attribute monsters. Increase this card's attack by 600 for every Dark monster removed with this effect and increase this card's defense by 600 for every Light monster removed with this effect. In addition, if the same number of Light and Dark monsters were removed from play when this card was summoned you can return a Light-Angel monster and a Dark-Demon monster to your graveyard that are removed from play to negate the destruction of this card.
Atk: 0 Def: 0
Image: The creature of duality from Change of Heart stands holding a glowing Spear and Shield as dark and light spirits circle her.