The Doexis Shelter. That was all Jonouchi could think about as he sat awake in bed. It was a shelter for families too poor to provide for themselves. It was a lonesome place, much like the Leper Colonies he had heard all about in world history classes. Even the thought of some one he had shared his life with once before being there horrified him. Some one who he had spent so long, yelling and screaming at as well as cursing at and fighting with. None of it made sense to him but he was pretty sure he had done the right thing in buying the deck off the son.

Jonouchi sighed as he moved the cover off the box and stared at the deck as he delicately removed it. Right on top was the Fang of Critias, followed by what made this particular deck so memorable, the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragons. He silently slid Critias out of the deck and crossed over to a small safe. He carefully spun the combination between placing it in the hard plastic case between Hermos and Timaeus.

As soon as Jonouchi heard the door crack open he slammed the top of the safe down and hid the newly acquired deck in a small opening where he always hid his own. He had managed to shove it away just as Yugi's well-worn face peeked through.

"Jonouchi," Yugi said as he pushed the rest of the way through the doorway. He smiled gently as he pushed a steaming mug into Jonouchi's hands and made a face as he sipped at his own.

"How's it taste?"

"Better than some natural cures," Yugi commented as he sighed, moving to sit on the bed beside his husband.

Jonouchi frowned for a moment at the liquid and then quickly swallowed as much as he could. "Maybe we could just take a vacation," Jonouchi murmured as he stared at the liquid once again. He hated Yugi going for these natural cures. The taste alone made him cringe. "Or forget the whole thing," he said half to himself.

"But Jou-kun!" Yugi exclaimed as his purple eyes widened in shock. "I thought you wanted this."

"I do Yugi, but just maybe we're trying too hard, or we're too old. I'm not as young as I used to be, Yugi. It worries me. What if something happens? We can't just leave Anpu alone."

"What did the doctor tell you," Yugi instantly demanded as his eyes flickered to the soft brown of his husband. There had to be some reason why Jonouchi was behaving this way and he demanded to know why.

"It hasn't relapsed," Jonouchi said as his lips twitched slightly.

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Yugi whispered as he sprawled on the bed and pulled his fingers through Jonouchi's hair.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, Jonouchi, I love you and I won't let anything take you away from me. We'll make it through this, just like we did before." Before Yugi could stop him the tall blond heaved himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the window. The cool perspiration that clung to the pane rubbed against his skin.

"Why did I survive Yugi? Why me when everyone else is dying?"

"Because, there is no god that would dare curse me to raise Anpu on my own," Yugi commented and forced a laugh. "What did that boy say to you?"

A distant look past over Jonouchi's eyes which caused Yugi to shiver. "He needed money. His father was dying from the Shadow Virus."

Yugi sighed as he turned on his side away from his husband. The Shadow Virus. He had remembered it well. He remembered every day the doctors telling him that there was no hope; that his beloved husband was going to die. No one knew how it had been passed to Jonouchi or how anyone contracted it. They just told him that it would be a matter of a few years before he was gone. That was ten years ago. But now the good news had come. The illness was in remission and not coming back. Every one had thought it was a miracle, including him but Jonouchi had changed since those days. But he was extremely wary that night for reasons Yugi couldn't quite place but everything seemed to point to the visit from the redhead.

"Come to bed Jonouchi," Yugi said as he crossed over and wrapped his arms around Jonouchi's waist.

The elder just nodded his head as he sidled into bed beside his husband and quickly fell into a fitful sleep.


Anpu waited until he was sure his parents were asleep before sneaking out of the small room. He would find the legendary dragon cards if it was the last thing he did. With them in his deck he was certain to be unbeatable in the games, the underground dueling. But that would only be if he could find them.

He winced physically as he heard the floorboards creak under his bare feet. It would all be for nothing if his parents caught him up at such hours especially if they discovered what he was up to.

After long minutes of searching to no avail he silently crept out the door. So many nights had been like that and nothing had turned up. He was starting to wonder if the legendary dragon cards had been a myth.

He walked the dark streets in silence as his mind mulled over the facts he knew, never seeing the shadow behind him that watched every move he made. It was a long while before he approached the familiar hang out, nodding to the rest of the Steel Fangs before one of the enforcers grabbed his arm and yanked him over to the corner.

"You bastard," the large man hissed. "You got a shadow."

Anpu's eyes widened suddenly at the realization. How could anyone stalk him? It was unheard of. But there in the corner stood a tall figure wrapped in a dark cloak. The figure stretched out his arm as an old model duel disk sprang to life, the holographic projectors shooting to the sides as the person stood there, the cowls of their robe hiding their face.

"So, you're the great dragon master," a mature deep voice said from inside the robe.

Anpu recognized the voice from somewhere but couldn't quite place it. "Yeah, I am," Anpu sneered as he threw his bag down and removed his own duel disk from it.

"They used to call me Red Eyes Knight," the man sneered. "Let's see how your dragons fair against mine."

Anpu snorted but the rest of the gang gasped. They knew of the old time shadow duelists. They were the ones that could control the shadow realm but they were thought to be all extinct, replaced by younger, more inexperienced ones. But perhaps, they weren't.

"What's the stakes, old man," Anpu snorted as he stood there.

"My deck, verses yours," Red Eyes Knight said and he pulled several cards from inside his robe. "And these to the victor."

Anpu's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the cards. They were six cards, the three legendary dragons and even more to his shock three cards that he had never seen whole. The Blue Eyes White Dragon.