1 Hello, all of you Yu-Gi-Oh! Fans...this story is going to be geared more to fans of the TCG. I intend to give a backstory to the entire card game, so that the world has a history. Each chapter will cover one set of the TCG...except this opening prologue.
I hope you enjoy it!
:::The History of Duel Monsters:::
Prologue
In the beginning, there was nothingness. A dark dimension where senses were bound, and there was no light. For eons, this realm stayed as it was...but it wasn't destined to last.
Earth, 6000 years ago
In our ancient Egypt, over 6000 years ago, Egyptian civilization as we now know it was only beginning to form. Their pharaoh, Menes, worked towards unifying Upper and Lower Egypt, and succeeded, creating a society of unrivaled power in the world. Even so, after this was done, he felt unsatisfied. Pharaoh Menes had grown restless...his kingdom didn't give him enough power; he was filled with a constant longing for more. He looked to the respect and obedience the people offered to the gods and coveted that kind of power for himself.
This Pharaoh kept taxing and conquering neighboring lands, demanding that he be given more power, but the his people, weary from the constant warring, could take it no longer. They expelled him from his kingdom and banished him to the desert sands.
Menes wandered the desert for over twenty years, going from oasis to oasis. His thirst for water was quenched, but his desire for absolute power drove him on. At last, at the foot of the statue of Osiris, he collapsed, and waited for the god of death to take him.
"Giving up so easily? It is no shock your dream went undone."
Menes looked up. The previously inanimate statue had turned into a living, breathing giant.
"It...can't be...you are..."
"Yes. I am Osiris, god of death."
"Then...you are here to take me...to the underworld."
"Normally, yes. But I have far grander plans for you."
"What are...you talking about?"
"I have a proposition for you. If you agree, you'll become more powerful than any human has ever dared to imagine. If you turn me down, then death awaits you."
Menes didn't respond, so Osiris continued.
"I'm willing to make you into a god, with your own universe to control. You'll gain all of my powers. All I ask in return is your aid when the time comes."
By this time, Menes was so weakened by thirst and hunger that he didn't care if there were drawbacks or not.
"Yes, my God...I will accept your offer. Please, give me your power."
Osiris snickered to himself.
'Foolish human...soon you will discover that coveting the powers of the gods will lead you to a far greater punishment than death could ever be.'
A great darkness then overtook the hot desert sun. Thunder and lightning echoed over the continent. Earthquakes began creating cracks in the pyramids. It was as if the earth itself was protesting the power.
Five bolts of lighting struck Menes simultaneously, hitting each of his arms, both legs, and his head. The light from the strikes were blinding, and it was not until the light faded that the changes could be seen. Instead of the peasant's rags he'd been in, a grand suit of golden pharaonic armor.
The rush of power was mind-shattering. In one short instant, he saw all of human history and human civilization, from the creation of the universe to the apocalypse. He now knew all of history.
"Such incredible power! Truly, I must be greater than all of the people in this world combined!"
"You are no longer the banished Pharaoh Menes; you are now a god- Exodia." proclaimed Osiris.
"Now, for the other part of the deal."
With a motion of Osiris's hand, a strange rift opened up in front of Exodia, exuding strange waves of dark light.
"This is the Shadow Realm. It is another dimension without any matter or any light. With your powers, you can sculpt and shape the universe to your smallest whim."
"Thank you, Osiris. What do you ask of me in return?"
"You needn't ask. I will come for you when the time is right."
With that, Exodia entered the rift and it closed behind him, leaving the Earth once again in peace. A thousand years passed, and the former Pharaoh Menes passed into history, and then into legend. No one knew what ever happened to him, but his workings would have dire consequences for future generations.
Shadow Realm- Exodia's Arrival
Exodia arrived in the Shadow Realm, and wasted no time in his actions. He knew that he needed matter in order to make anything else, so he created five different kinds.
Earth, to make up his planets.
Light, for the sun and stars.
Fire, to make his planet active and to provide heat.
Wind, to spread energy and life.
And finally, he created Water, so that his planet's creatures could survive.
This new planet was a marvelous one, with all types of varied terrain, but it still lacked one thing...life. Utilizing all of his power, Exodia immersed the planet in an incredible wave of energy. This energy manifested itself into all sorts of beings- men, animals, plants, and all sorts of supernatural beings. The remaining energy entered the planet itself, becoming Magic, the lifeblood of the planet. Magic was divided into two groups- proactive Magic that could be used normally, and reactive Magic usually referred to as Traps.
Exodia's power, unfortunately, proved to be his downfall. For his planet was literally a living one. The planet sensed the great destructive abilities and decided that it was too dangerous to let a being with that much power have dominion. It revolted against it's creator, sending a beam of power from each of the energies Exodia had endowed the planet with at each of his limbs and his head.
Water removed his right leg.
Fire removed his left leg.
Wind removed his right arm.
Earth removed his left arm.
Light overcame the head.
"What is this treachery?! My own creation would rise against me? Why am I being separated?!"
All of a sudden, a vision of Osiris appeared before him, speaking to him.
"Foolish human...when you gained my powers, you also gained my weaknesses. As you might recall, my body was destroyed by mere mortals when my limbs were removed from my torso. This destroyed my body, but my spirit stayed intact, along with my power."
"But...why aren't you stopping them?! I need help!"
"Haven't you figured it out yet? After you committed the grave sin of coveting your gods, I decided that a quick death was too good for you. I wanted you to suffer for all eternity, for your rage to consume your sanity; for when you become separated, you're doomed to an eternity of waiting in Purgatory...waiting for the day when your body is reunited. And on that day, your beloved creation will end. Goodbye, Exodia...I'll see you if you ever return."
As his body's final energies faded, Exodia couldn't help but laugh to himself.
"So it was all a lie...I'll make that planet pay for its error...for when I return...no one shall stand before me!"
From his body's remnants, dark energy seeped out over the planet. As his last act, Exodia had created one last kind of matter- Dark, to corrupt and torment the inhabitants of the planet. Each part of his body was hidden in different parts of the world, in the hopes that they'd never rejoin; for if they did, it would surely mean Armageddeon.
Centuries passed, and Exodia's role in the creation of the planet passed from legend into mere myth. It is at this time that our story begins.
:::Next time: The Legend of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!:::