Yuugiou: Capsule Monsters - Beyond Legends

AU. In a world where humans and creatures live alongside each other, many legends have been formed. Now a young male, Yugi Mutou, plans to make himself known. One difference sets him apart: The Millennium Puzzle and the spirit of a Pharaoh on his side.


Chapter 1 - Tale

The world, a vast sphere of life, the heart of time, home to the human race. Throughout the history of the planet, countless legends and legacies had been created, running through time until fading away or the torch of that story had been passed to another being, to continue that tale with a new instalment. Several of the countries divided from the rest of the land through the sea, large continents united through their structures, no two places the same. The same was for the people of the world, the souls drifting along the planet's surface throughout the lives of their human bodies.

In India alone, a historian had made his own presence in the world known when he discovered a pyramid, surprised by such a revelation. Research had led him to believe that the pyramid origin laid in the era of Alexander the Great. At the same time, another twist in the world's fate unfolded. The lowest level of the structure had been found with a massive map upon the titles of the floor, reaching out to the opposite edge of the room, which in itself looked enormous. When the team that had reached the level laid their feet against the floor before the map, a twinkle emerged in the centre of the map, raising the curiosity of the young men. The twinkle faded as quickly as it was spotted, the room almost completely black with the exception of the lanterns several of the men held high, the flames burning brightly against the cover of darkness, torches in their other hands for insurance, if the flames were to die on them, they could still escape the darkness' blanket. One of the younger men, just nineteen years of age, stepped ahead of the man at the head of the group, raising his lantern higher, hanging higher his head, staring at the spot where he had seen the small glimmer of light, his expression displaying his curiosity.

Another sparkle emerged, a golden spark that didn't fade like the earlier white one had; his eyes remained on it, praying that it wouldn't fade before he could reach it, to learn what it was. He brushed his shaggy hazel fringe from his eyes, observing the light as it floated in the same place, the others behind him gasping in awe, their eyes widening at the sight of it. His eyes pulled themselves away from it, lying onto the torch in his left hand. The light of his lantern was falling short of the sparkle; however, he was confident in the torch's range. With a single flick of his thumb, the bulb lit up, the short beam of light extending to the ground by his left boot. Without even watching it, he lifted his left hand at the same time lowering the lantern, allowing the torch to continue the lantern's position, running along the images engraved in the map. Mountains, forests, stretches of plain fields, lakes, he had never seen anything like it, it was like gazing down at a small portion of the world's land, all elements combining to create such a landscape. His eyes landed on the light, a second later, the beam of his light followed, there was nothing beneath the sparkle, only the map, what seemed to be the image of a town on the edge of the circle of brightness. The man narrowed his eyes; his curiosity peaked, if there was anything he wanted to know about throughout the entire expedition, it was that light.

His answer was realized, his wish about to be granted when the golden light shot from its spot, racing around the opposite end of the room. The sudden rush shocked the men, cries and more gasps - ones of surprise and panic rather than awe, they had no idea what was happening, what was going to follow. The nineteen-year old brought his arm back in a defensive position before his chest, he had heard so many myths and legends of curses amongst the ruins of the past world, yet for a simple light to be rushing around the room, it wasn't what he had imagined for a command of death. Luckily for him he didn't believe in such superstitions, part of his desire as an archaeologist was to uncover the truth, to risk the chance that maybe a curse could exist, to risk his life exploring tombs with the feeling that said curses could claim him, the thrill alone was what he loved, let alone what he could find. Just when he returned from his thoughts focusing on what the light could be, he noticed it had just reflected from the wall directly opposite him, lunging for him. He gasped; his body unable to move while the men behind him were yelling out in fear and trembling like an earthquake rocked the room. The man standing closest to him, the one that led the men through the expedition into the room; stepped back, witnessing the angle of the light's path, his eyes landing on the man ahead of him.

The journey of the light was mere seconds; everything seemed to be happening in slow motion compared to its rush. It slammed into the young man's left arm, causing him to yell out as he was almost forced back, dropping his lantern, the glass shattering and landing as fragments while the small flame died instantly. The leader close to him closed his eyes, the light that emitted from the impact was blinding, forcing the rest of the men to freeze and close their own eyes, shrieks of terror echoing throughout the room. From all but the leader beside his young apprentice.

"Tsukasa!" he yelled blindly.

Silence fell about the room, a couple of the men behind him whimpering when they had registered the lack of sound. The leader opened his eyes slowly, the light having faded, his vision clearing slowly. He could still make out someone standing ahead of him, their back to him, to the others.

"Tsukasa?" he asked meekly, worried that he could just collapse in a dead heap.

The young man - Tsukasa - glanced at him over his shoulder, he didn't seem to be injured or have registered any pain, which made him wonder even more what the light had done, why it had raced for him.

"Professor" Tsukasa replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I think I understand what that light was".

"What?" he asked back hurriedly, he had to know the answer.

Tsukasa turned to face him, the others also able to see what Tsukasa had been referring to. A large machine sat on Tsukasa's forearm, shining with the same golden colour as the light had, a single metallic strap wrapped around his arm, joining him and the device together. The end appeared like a cannon, a silver opening which appeared to be the exit of a tunnel. Along the edges of the tunnel ran two crimson lines, ending at a cut in the metal, another element slightly higher than the upper level which the cannon ran inside of. The highest level four slight dips of a turquoise colour, two each side, a crimson oval bump, looking similar some form of alarm. The end consisted of a thin strip of the golden metal continuing to the end where the lower level became the highest level, either side of the strip were two larger dips of a triangular shape when the end curved in order for the end to come together. Beyond the end of the highest level, the lower two levels ended with a sharper point, a narrow slit cutting into it halfway down.

"What on earth is that?" the professor asked, pointing to the machine.

"It's what the light gave me, there must be some purpose to it, something that links it to this pyramid" Tsukasa answered, setting his chocolate eyes on it.

"What about that belt? You weren't wearing that before!" one of the other men behind them both called, pointing to Tsukasa's waist.

Both lowered their eyes, surprised to see the man had been telling the truth, it was different. Six hallow circles, appearing to have the use of holding something, one already filled. It was enough to convince Tsukasa of his suspicions, the machine on his arm and the belt were linked; he had to test it, to prove it, so he knew what they were. He placed his fingers over the holder, pressing down on the lock, the capsule inside shooting up against his palm; his eyes widened marginally feeling the cold metal. The device on his arm opened up, showing slots for the small capsules, Tsukasa stared at the skeleton of the device's internal that was visible through the opening, laying the capsule in the right-hand side, watching it slip in perfectly. The opening slammed shut, a rainbow of flashes running along the edges of the device, running along several paths at once, gathering at the mouth of the small cannon.

The men gathered behind Tsukasa, watching it all in awe once again, their fear sunk beneath their thirst for knowledge. A moment passed where time seemed to stand still, nothing happened, waiting for the device's use of the small capsule that Tsukasa had just inserted. The silence was shattered in an instant, a white light shooting out of the cannon, provoking several gasps of surprise, Tsukasa stared at the light, travelling in a straight beam from the cannon, halting in mid-air; a shape was being formed. The men remained frozen, concern as to what the light was creating, what would happen, yet their curiosity had heightened yet again; they had to know what was happening. The light slowly began to fade, what appeared to be a small mage became clearer, the white glowing around it. Sky blue hair flowing to its shoulders, large sapphire eyes setting themselves on him, a soft face much like a young child, its body covered in small snow-white attire. It seemed like a human, despite the feeling it was from another plain, Tsukasa could almost recognize it, somewhere misty in his memory.

"Who has brought me from my plain?" the mage asked its voice discreet, echoing slightly.

Tsukasa paused, inhaling as he did so, calming himself before he stepped forward, almost at the edge of the map, a couple of those behind him dropping their eyes to him.

"I did. Tsukasa Nishimura" he answered confidently.

"'Tsukasa'…" the mage repeated slowly.

"What's going on? What is this machine on my arm? Who are you? There's so much about this I don't understand" Tsukasa asked, his eyes locked onto the sparkling sapphire eyes of the mage.

"Tsukasa…I am known as Silent Magician. The earliest of my stages, overtime I would become much larger and stronger" the mage replied solemnly. "I thought you would have recognized me".

"What?" Tsukasa asked, a gasp bringing in unneeded air into his mouth. "I've never seen anything like you before, how could I recognize you if we've never met?"

"I am a being of the card game you humans play 'Duel Monsters'" the mage answered calmly. "The truth is, it isn't a card game as you are led to believe, we simply live in an alternative world, separate from you, however; both worlds co-exist with each other. As long as one world remains safe, the other cannot be harmed".

"I don't understand. If you exist in another world, why surface here? Now?" Tsukasa inquired, desperate to know as much as he could, he was fascinated by the mage's words.

"Two thousand years ago, during the time of the Roman Era, your world was largely dominated by one man. His name lived on as 'Alexander the Great'. At one time he emerged here, wielding an artefact that even during the time was a thousand years old" the mage explained, keeping its eyes focused on Tsukasa calmly. "The guardian of the item and its brothers emerged, challenging him to a trial of our world, challenging how well a king he was, his strength outside the reality of the largely dominated world he lived in. As he expected, he was able to surpass the trials, however, they came at a cost. The item he had been holding possessed a dark aura, the greed in him was surfacing. When he reached the top of the pyramid's internals, he found himself at the doorway to claim his prize, however, he ignored his servants words and the key he had obtained from our world vanished, his desire for power through greed had completely taken over him. As a result, his spirit was split into two halves, one being locked away in our world".

"Are you telling me that Alexander the Great's spirit had been weakened since then because he failed overall?" Tsukasa asked, shuffling forward a fraction, the story reeling him in.

"Indeed" the mage answered with a nod. "His spirit was able to live peacefully in our world, so fate decided that perhaps our worlds didn't have to separate, perhaps we could co-exist in one world, perhaps drawing in both worlds together. That's why I was sent, after Alexander's spirit had been able to find peace in our world and passed away in your world, the artefact having abandoned him after the disaster he encountered here, fate could see that we could live together outside of the bond of the card game that the humans play to call us to this plain. So, I waited here with that machine that allows us to survive in this world in a new way, that's what the capsule was, it held my spirit much like a card would, however, after being released in that way, I can survive in a completely different way. I am here in this world, not a hologram baring a portion of my spirit. I have waited here for much of the two-thousand years since the time of Alexander the Great, waiting. When someone arrived recently, we believed our prayers had been answered, however, he never discovered this room. So fate and I waited longer. Then you arrived and having recognized the map upon the ground as a world - our world - I was able to see through that light, that was me. You discovered me Tsukasa. You are the first to wield that device that some call a 'Capsule Shooter', you are the first of a new world".

"What are you saying? Is everyone going to receive these devices?" the professor beside Tsukasa inquired.

"Thousands of the machines to bare our souls will be spread across the world, however, only those that are destined to become those that hold them will be the ones to discover them. The ones fate has chosen. No-one knows if this experiment will succeed or fail, nor for how long" the mage continued. "We hope that together, we can all live in your plain; then perhaps humans can live in our world also".

"Sounds like a science fiction story" one of the men behind Tsukasa muttered, excited by the prospect being laid before them.

"Fate entrusted me to you, Tsukasa. You and I shall observe this new world unfold together" the mage claimed.

"We shall" Tsukasa replied with a nod, for the first time since entering the room, he was smiling; he was no longer curious but rather excited and proud of his position. "Shall we go then, Silent Magician?"

The young mage smiled joyfully when Tsukasa spoke its name, already there was an invisible bond forming between the two of them, Tsukasa could see a complete transformation in personality, no longer was the small mage speaking formally as the messenger of fate rather more like a young child. It descended towards the ground, remaining in the air, only inches above the ground, smiling up at Tsukasa who now towered over it.

"My, this is a revelation. We should tell the team outside" the professor suggested with a chuckle.

Silent Magician's sapphire eyes closed unhurriedly, another golden glimmer emerging where it had come from, catching the eyes of the humans. Hovering a moment much like the first golden sparkle, it paused before what sounded like an explosion, the small glimmer transformed into an immense horizontal tower of radiance, pouring over the entire room. The men ducked as the sound rang out, the beam shooting over their heads and out of the room, travelling upwards to the ground level and out the mouth of the pyramid, shining upwards into the sky just as bright as the sun itself. The men outside who the professor had referred to cried out in panic and terror, one yelling that it was a rumoured curse bringing the Apocalypse. The beam evaporated from the pyramid, the dissolving running along its path, up towards the sky where ash-coloured clouds were gathering. Silence fell about the area, the men cowering and whimpering, waiting for that chaos, the growling of destruction. The same invisible explosion rang out, the men screaming and praying when the light appeared as a second sun. From inside the pyramid, the archaeologists returned to their full height, gazing around curiously to where the light had vanished to.

"It must have travelled outside" the professor called. "Let's go, we must watch what happens. This gift of the other world".

The group rushed for the staircase beyond the exit to the large room, Tsukasa halted as he passed through the gap, looking back over his shoulder, his eyes falling on Silent Magician who remained behind.

"Silent Magician" he muttered. "Come on, the others won't mind you, I promise. You said it yourself; we will watch this new world unfold together. Let's join the others and watch it being born before we miss the biggest discovery for a lengthy time".

Silent Magician's smile surfaced once again, nodding brightly before floating towards Tsukasa, he smiled back, envying its ability to float in mid-air. Outside the pyramid, the professor and the other archaeologists emerged, witnessing the light hovering in the immense orb close to the sun, they raced to their comrades.

"Professor, what's going on?" a man in his early twenties asked; fear evident in his voice.

"It's nothing to fear" the professor replied. "It's just the dawn of a new age".

"I knew it, we're all going to die!" the man shrieked, tears sliding down his cheeks, pressing his hands against the sides of his head.

"No we're not, you'll see" the professor snapped, laying his hands upon the man's shoulders.

Tsukasa and Silent Magician emerged just as the others had, bathed in the light of the impostor sun, Silent Magician's attention diverted to it, gazing thoughtfully up at the second sun hanging brightly in the sky. Tsukasa followed its line of sight, noticing the orb, gazing up at it in awe while the terror around remained at its peak. Seconds after Tsukasa laid his eyes on the orb, the sound of a massive explosion rang out, provoking cries and yells of terror, the orb split apart, racing in all directions in beam of light that quickly faded into nothing as they continued their path out of sight. Hearing the sounds fading away to silence, the archaeologists were left in silence. One of the senior archaeologists that had remained outside found his eyes laying themselves upon Tsukasa and Silent Magician, widening when he registered Silent Magician's presence.

"What is that?" he called, pointing at the small mage.

"This is a Duel Monster, it came from the same kind of light as that one just now" Tsukasa replied.

"So it brought about that. That light was surely destructive, it's probably tearing the planet up as we speak" the man protested harshly.

"No, we can trust that mage" the professor intervened. "It speaks of a utopia, a desire to unite our world with their world - the world of Duel Monsters. It's carrying out the wishes of fate".

"'Wishes of fate'?" the man retorted, almost spitting at the wording.

"That's what we were told, and I believe Silent Magician. Fate chose us to come here and start that wish" Tsukasa bellowed.

"Tsukasa…" the mage muttered, its eyes rising to him.

"We're partners; we'll see this world grow. We'll carry out fate's wish" Tsukasa replied with a gentle smile.


8 years later - Domino City, Japan

The sun blazed just like that day eight years earlier. The short boy brushed the blonde bangs hanging by the side of his face away, fortunately only those on his right fell as far as to hang beside his face. It had been some time since he had ventured out in search of an adventure, but the time was drawing near, he had found a convenient slope overlooking a portion of his home town from which he would gaze at the twinkling lights in the night hours. The city was just as beautiful in the day, seeing the light of the sun pouring over it, shining much like the joy in his large amethyst eyes. He reached into the backpack beside him, pulling out a canteen and opening it, as stunning as a sunny day was, there was the downside of the temperature rising. After taking a swig of the water inside, he replaced the bottle in the bag, his eyes turning back to the city below.

Sitting on his left arm was another of those machine, it had for the majority of the eight years since he had discovered it, laying discarded in the same area, just days after media reports of a massive discovery in India, despite the few details given out, everyone had held the suspicion the researchers had been hiding something. Something big. He had spoken to his grandfather about the item; together they had come to the conclusion that it appeared similar to some other-worldly artefact. But that wasn't the only diverse item in his possession, a chain around his neck led to the other, a golden upturned pyramid, made of hundreds of small golden pieces. He had been told legends about it, although there were any legends, the only factor that set it apart was the fact that he had seen the proof with his own eyes. The Millennium Puzzle; entrusted by fate to him - Yugi Mutou - baring the soul of someone; a nameless Pharaoh looking much like his twin. The purpose of the Pharaoh's return to the world remained unknown to them both, he simply referred to him as his 'Other Half'.

In Yugi's belt sat two capsule beside each other, in the time since gaining the device, he had unlocked a monster from the strange stones that had been appearing around the areas where people with the same objects had been located, learning quickly how it worked. Another came a couple of years before the sunny day of the present, a fragile monster, but one that had been entrusted to him nonetheless. A rustle from the bushes lining the forest a short distance behind him caught his attention, glancing over his shoulder without giving any clue that he had caught onto the sound. A creature shot out, a large alligator monster towering over him.

"Damn it, you can't give me a day of peace when I really desire one" Yugi growled, glaring at the beast.

Without hesitation, he leapt to his feet, scooping up his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. Another swift movement and he ejected one of the capsules from his belt, laying it into the skeleton of the device, it slammed shut instantly. Pressing his right hand against it, he aimed it at the beast, watching silently as a beam of white shot out, forming a creature in the air between him and the monster opposite. A tall elfin warrior appeared, short blonde hair falling to his shoulders similar to his amber eyes, his metallic helmet, shoulder pads and chest plate an emerald green colour. Beneath that, a copper brown shirt reaching to his waist. In addition, his attire also consisted of baggy cream trousers reaching down to where they were tucked into the large chestnut boots, a large sword in his hand visible past his blue cape.

"Celtic Guardian, attack" Yugi ordered bluntly, pointing at the opponent.

The swordsman lunged forward, swinging his sword across the skin of the creature, provoking it to wave its large claws blindly, missing him completely. Yugi watched the battle sternly, he couldn't get cocky; professionals were never cocky when they were up against a weak creature much like the one before him. The guardian thrust his sword forward, driving it into the creature's arm, the reaction a screeching erupting from the creature's large mouth. Yugi wasn't one for fighting, especially when he could understand the pain that both the humans and monsters could endure through the violence, but he wasn't prepared to sacrifice himself in the name of peace, no-one could be remembered positively with such an end, not in this world, perhaps in the world he had been born into, but there had been too many changes to determine the world as the same anymore. The swordsman withdrew his sword, gripping its end with both hands before lowering it; the creature was damaged, but not yet defeated, it was best to simply put it out of its misery, to light the path to the other world for it. Yugi said nothing as the guardian slashed across the creature's abdomen, another shriek the only reply, slowly dying away as the creature burst into thousands of bright fragments of white light, glowing like stars floating before him, dissolving into the air.

The warrior faded away, reverting back to the same white glow that had shot out from Yugi's Capsule Shooter, reversing the process and returning into the cannon, forcing the machine open and throwing the capsule into Yugi's hand. His eyes set themselves on the symbol similar to an eye engraved on the capsule, the same symbol that he had found on the Puzzle around his neck.

"What was fate's intention making us play this game? It doesn't end and it never will. There has to be something to it" Yugi mused, the entire world around him unimportant in that moment he stared at the capsule's mark. "There was something I was told. That this was the 'Wish of Fate'…what wish?"


Next time

Yugi parts from the city of his childhood in a new attempt to journey into the world that had delivered to him the device on his arm. During the evening hours, he finds himself staring down a blonde man with the same creation resting upon his arm. Chapter 2 - "Journey".