Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Countdown to Armageddon ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Hi everybody and welcome to my new fic. Like my last one it's also about the past, but I like this one a lot better so far. Please bear with me as I plan on taking a lot of liberties with the history and religion. I tried really hard to work with or around it, but I gave up on that after everything became a major pain in the… you know where. I also mix a little Biblical stuff in the prologue, but go along with it. So just read and enjoy, and don't be frightened by the voice that likes to pop up every now and then. She lives in my head and you can just ignore her if you want.

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"words" - speech

'words' - thought

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Blue September.

Warnings: This fic contains Yaoi and some amounts of graphic violence. If you have a problem with any of these criteria I suggest you turn back NOW! You may also notice some OOCness in some of the characters.

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Prologue:

Long ago, in a forgotten time and place, there existed a beautiful garden. In it man, woman, bird and beast lived in peace. Life was good and despite their never-ending struggle for dominance over one another, light and dark were in balance. But every war has its battles. Some are won and some are lost. Unfortunately, darkness was the victor of this particular battle.

"Curiosity killed the cat," or so the old saying goes, but this time it nearly doomed all of humanity.

An apple. That was all it took for the darkness to be released into this realm. A fruit. The forbidden fruit.

Or… maybe… maybe it wasn't… a garden or even a fruit. Maybe it was a beautiful kingdom… and not an apple, but a box. The forbidden box. Pandora's box. Who knows? There are many tales as to how it came about and perhaps they all have some air of truth, but that doesn't matter now. What matters it what came of it, this mingling of light and dark. It can be described in one word: chaos. This was to be man's greatest discovery and most costly. They were… the Heba.w-qubu[1].

It isn't easy to say exactly what the Shadow Games are, but I suppose a fight is as good a word as any; a fight between opposing sides, each controlling some beast or other from the 'other side.' They were powerful creatures, with minds, hearts and wills of their own; something that man carelessly overlooked. For people to think that they could be tamed as easily as cattle was, when simply put, stupid. Soon the creatures turned on the ones they had called masters and gained their freedom. More and more powerful beings were foolishly brought into the world to help control their brethren, but they too only did as they pleased and the planet was brought to the brink of destruction.

The once stunning vistas were transformed. They became mere echoes of their former selves. The beautiful flora that once covered the grounds came to exist in only a few small patches of earth. The rest became barren clusters of rock or sand. Pain and pestilence spread casting a dark shadow across the land. Creatures, once foreign to this place, were able to roam freely, some simply existing, others wreaking havoc.

The gods looked down upon the people and their hearts filled with anger. Most wished to smite the peoples of Earth for their foolishness. Pride cometh before the fall: another old saying and a lesson that human beings would learn all too soon, for it was their pride that led them to believe that they could control the creatures of the Shadow Realm and now they roamed the countryside wild, annihilating all within their paths.

However, Horus the falcon-headed Lord of the Living felt pity for his people. He pleaded with the Great One to allow them another chance and his request was granted. He created a magical gate at the opening between the two worlds, preventing more creatures from entering the human realm and seven magical items infusing each with its own unique powers. Then he sent them to Earth, soaring through the skies like beacons of hope, to allow the people to lock the creatures away.

But, human hearts are easily corrupted by power and like the shadow beings the items also had their own wills. The weaker the mind the easier it was to manipulate and before the Dark Realm itself could be sealed away there erupted a great war between the nations. Each one wanted to gain control of all the items and the power they held and destruction once again reigned supreme.

Ra was truly ready to wipe the human race from existence this time but once again Horus intervened.

"We may sit here and judge, Greatness, but being higher beings than they, there may be things that we ourselves may not understand about human nature. Please, I beg of thee, give them one more chance."

Ra considered the argument and agreed, but this time things would be done his way. He summoned forth, Khnum and the seven Hathors and said unto them, "Forge me a being of human form, that I may bestow upon him power to control the darkness. When fifteen years have passed he shall be called upon as a judge and witness for all humanity. Should he find them worthy they will be delivered, but should mankind choose a path of evil they will perish at their own hands and be a plague unto the Earth no more."

As it was commanded so it was done. Khnum crafted the vessel, though it was not an easy task. There would be some differences for a mere human body would find it difficult to contain the powers of the gods themselves. He did his best, and though there were some tell-tale signs the child could easily pass for a human being. His fate was written by the Hathors; one that would allow him to experience mankind in the fullest. And, finally, he was granted the breath of life. The newly created being, bound to darkness and light alike, was sent to Earth, like the items before him, to pass judgment upon all of humanity.

Seasons would pass and fifteen rains would come and go in the land of Egypt until that day when the seven Makaoa-kha-renput[2] would be reunited and the fate of all humanity would be decided.

To Be Continued…

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Authoress' Notes:

[1] Shadow games. Shonen Jump, February 2003 issue, p.312.

[2] Millennium/Sennen Items (basically). Shonen Jump, February 2003 issue, p.312.

So please review and tell me what you think (point out any sp. and grammatical errors). I know that it's kind of short, but remember this is just the prologue it only sets the scene for what happens with the rest of the story. The rest of the chapters should be longer and chapter one will be up soon, so don't judge it by this, okay?!

Ja ne!