A/N: This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic, and is loosely based on the 10th Anniversary. Very loosely based.

-The Paradox Abyss-

Chapter 1

Yugi blinked open his eyes and kept blinking until his vision focused. Of course, it was very hard to tell if his eyesight was indeed clear, as all he could see for what could possibly be miles was white. With a slight huff of breath he sat up and checked his surroundings once again. Still a vast emptiness loomed around him.

For anyone else, this would definitely be a deeply disturbing and impossible occurrence. But he was Yugi Mutou: the King of Games, owner of the ancient Millennium Puzzle, and the world's greatest (and possibly shortest) duelist. For him, things like this happened on a regular basis. At least he wasn't alone.

"Pharaoh? Are you there? Do you know what's going on?" Yugi clutched the Puzzle around his neck, and then shook it for good measure.

No answer.

"Pharaoh? Pharaoh! Pharaoh?!"

Still nothing. A tear welled up in one of Yugi's wide puppy eyes. "Pharaoh..." It trickled down his cheek. He sniffed and looked around again. Knowing that he had to be strong, that his Yami would want him to be strong, he wiped the tear away with his sleeve and stood up.

'I have to find the Pharaoh,' he thought. 'And the first thing I have to do in order to find him, is find out where I am.'

And with that, he set of into the white.

-

A similar set of eyes blinked open and stared out into the vast emptiness that surrounded them also. Strong hands reached up and brushed through the spiky, multicoloured hair atop their head. A deep groan escaped their lips as they slid into a sitting position.

"Where... where am I?" Dark eyes flickered around their sockets, taking in the emptiness. "Yugi? Where are you, Yugi?"

The Pharaoh's hand automatically reached down for his Puzzle, but closed on empty air. "Huh?" He looked down and saw that his Millennium Item was not there. "My Puzzle!"

Yami Yugi stood up and once again looked around at the nothing. He ventured a shout. "Yugi?!" A pause, and no reply. "YUGI?!" Still no response. He sighed and tried a different approach.

"HELLO?! ANYONE?!"

Silence. No sound greeted him except the gentle sigh of his own breath, and the pounding beat of his own heart.

The knife of loneliness and grief pierced him deep, followed by a sharp slice of anger. "I will find my friends!"

He took a few swift strides forwards, still calling out to anyone who might be listening.

"YUGI?! JOEY?! TEA?! TRISTAN?! ... ANYONE?!"

His jaw tight, he carried on into the bright abyss.

-

After what felt like an hour, Yugi finally saw a change up ahead. A bright red dot appeared on the horizon; small and tiny but also a beacon of hope. A pulse of excitement burst through Yugi, and he broke into one of the fastest runs of his entire life, except for maybe the time Joey and Tristan had thought it would be funny to chase him on the latter's motorcycle. There was something out there, perhaps it was even the Pharaoh. Or one of his friends. He could do with some company right now.

And even if it was another evil villain out to steal his Puzzle or send him to the Shadow Realm, at least they might be able to explain what was going on.

"HELLO?! HEY! YOU THERE! HEY!"

A tiny flicker of movement from the dot indicated that his cry had been received. A faint voice called back.

"Hello?! Over here! Here!"

Yugi grinned and sprinted onwards.

-

The first thing that Yami noticed was not right was the annoying buzzing that had begun to drone around him. It reminded him somewhat of the sound of an angry bee. He sincerely hoped that that wasn't the case. The last thing he needed was being stung while he was searching for his friends. Not that he would let some miniscule insect get in his way.

The second thing that Yami noticed was that the buzz was getting louder, and was no longer so much a buzz as a hum. For some inexplicable reason he was reminded of the time that Joey and Tristan had decided to chase down Yugi on a motorcycle. It seemed like that whatever was making the noise was drawing closer. And it seemed to be coming from up ahead.

"Hmm. What is that?"

A tiny dot appeared on the horizon up ahead, rapidly getting bigger. The Pharaoh stopped and watched as it approached. He tensed and folded his arms, ready to stare whoever was approaching into submission. He'd often found intimidation an effective tactic before.

A few seconds later, the shape became recognisable as a person riding a motorcycle. Well, that would explain why he'd happened to remember the Joey and Tristan incident. Light glinted off of the vehicle as the rider swerved to a stop before him. A fairly shortish young man stepped off and stood up straight, brushing down his rugged blue jacket. He raised his arms up and lifted a gleaming red helmet off of his head. Glossy dark hair streaked with gold sprung up from underneath.

"At least I've found somebody," the stranger said. "The name's Yusei. Yusei Fudo. Do you mind telling me where the hell I am? And you on earth you are?"