Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Doom ❯ One-Shot

Title: Doom

Summary: Another look at the events of volume 7, chapter 1. Songfic, very vague one-sided Leon/D. Butterfly death. But then, we all knew that was part of it anyway. =D

 

This story is dedicated to my friend, Autumn Ruby, who influenced me a lot. She helped me develop the skills necessary to write the paragraphs you'll see soon, and also gave me much needed insight and inspiration, without which this story would never have even come to fruition.

Thanks!

 

 

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut

My weakness is that I care too much

 

As soon as the blond detective left Count D's pet shop that night, the count knew that he would never see his human `pet' again. Alive, at least. It was D's duty, this thing he had just done. Fulfill the desires of the human race. D had done it countless times before without batting an eyelash. But then...why was it so difficult this time? As the androgynous nature demigod had watched Leon walk out, carrying the small cage whose contents would bring about his death, D had fought back the desire to take the cage back and tell Leon to just go home. But D was bound to his duty first and foremost. And so, he merely put on another mask, a cryptic smile, and watched Leon walk out of the door, carrying the small cage.

 

And my scars remind me that the past is real

I tear my heart open just to feel

 

Leon had been so distraught over the death of his partner, so sure it had been his fault because he had hesitated, and D had felt somewhat honored that the detective would come to him in this moment of weakness. The honor quickly faded, however, as D knew what he must do. Leon, in his moment of weakness, had come to D seeking a listening ear. D's duty demanded that he pass judgment on the young detective. The moment the cage had left D's hands, the Chinese count had known that this was the last time he would ever see his detective alive. The butterfly would kill Leon that very night. And for the slightest moment after Leon had left, D's resolve wavered.

 

I'm drunk and I'm feeling down

And I just wanna be alone

 

The butterfly. Nothing special about it in appearance, but a very deadly creature nonetheless. Leon's desire had been to die in the place of his best friend, the thief who had shot his partner. They hadn't spoken in years; Leon had no idea that his best friend had become a bank robber. The butterfly contained in the cage that D had presented to Leon would fulfill Leon's desire. Of course, that meant that Leon would die. D was entirely aware of this fact. It was the duty of his race to pass judgment on humans. He knew that Leon would die. But whatever had drawn him to the human could not come before his duty. Leon was going to die. He had to die. Like so many others who came into D's shop mourning someone's death, Leon had received his judgment. Then why could D not think of anything else? Leon had left and was probably in the butterfly's control by now. D could do nothing now; it was too late for the detective, even if D would decide to go against his duty to save him.

 

I'm pissed 'cuz you came around

Why don't you just go home?

 

No, that wasn't true. There was still one way left to save Leon. But D couldn't do it. Even if D was willing to go against his duty and prevent Leon's death, he could not do it. To save Leon at this point would be asking D to do the unthinkable. For once the detective is in the grip of the butterfly, the only way to save him is for the butterfly to die. And because Leon would be completely unaware of the butterfly's manipulation, it was left up to whoever was going to save him. Which at this point looked like D. D sighed as he sat on the couch in the pet shop, setting his cup of tea down in front of him. Why did Leon have to stop by the pet shop when he was so distraught? No, to be fair, Leon hadn't known he was going to be judged when he stopped by. He was merely seeking solace. But the detective could just as easily gone back to his apartment and not stopped by. All of this would be so much simpler if Leon had simply gone home and gone to bed.

 

'Cuz you channeled all your pain

And I can't help you fix yourself

 

But Leon hadn't done so, and now, like it or not, D was presented with an impossible choice. To do what he should, would have serious repercussions. Not for himself, certainly. When he went to retrieve the butterfly, he wouldn't be seen. And the detective's body would hold no evidence of foul play. It would merely appear as if Leon had passed away in his sleep. There would be no investigation, and as always no evidence with which to incriminate the pet shop.

Deaths attributed to the butterfly always were rather clean. No, all repercussions would fall to young Chris, the detective's younger brother. Yes, the boy, who as of now slept peacefully in the back, unaware of all that had transpired this night, would be most affected if Leon were to die. He would have to move back East with his aunt and uncle, and quite possibly would never regain his voice.

 

You're making me insane

All I can say is...

 

If you were to ask D once why he would consider saving Leon's life, he would say that his actions were for Chris' sake. If you were to ask D a second time, he would say that it was because in truth, he deeply cared for Leon. But, no one was there to ask him, and even he could not pin down a reason when not faced with the question. The agitation of the animals was apparent. They didn't want their Master to do anything foolish. Tet-chan, in particular, could not see why D would want to save Leon's life. D merely stood from the couch, kindly evicting the white Persian that had taken residence on his lap. He must rescue Leon from the butterfly, at all costs.

 

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut

And my weakness is that I care too much

 

My grandson, have you forgotten? A strong voice in D's head asked. It sounded much like his own, although possessed with a stern-ness that D's voice rarely carried.

“No, Grandfather, I have not forgotten.” D said aloud. His grandfather wasn't in the room, and yet D knew that his Sofu had heard him. The voice remained silent, but the presence was still prevalent, as D draped a cloak around his shoulders and ran off into the night. This thing that he was doing was wrong. It went against everything his Sofu had ever taught him. And yet, for the sake of the two humans in his life, D could not allow the full consequence of Leon's judgment to come to fruition. At the expense of the innocent butterfly's life.

 

And our scars remind us that the past is real

I tear my heart open just to feel

 

D soon arrived at the blond detective's apartment, his breath slightly labored. Perhaps he had hurried a bit too much. Resting against the back of the building, he broke through the subconscious barrier to Leon. No, D was just in time. He had to act quickly. With his martial arts prowess, it took D no time or effort to scale the fire escape. He stood in front of the window to Leon's bedroom, momentarily unable to stop staring at the detective's sleeping form. He was just in time. Creeping into the room (did Detective Orcot leave his bedroom window unlocked often?), D saw the butterfly in its cage by Leon's bedside. The air of confusion, obviously from Leon, suddenly faded away. D reached into the cage and took out the butterfly, cupping it gently in his hands. Leon was dead.

 

I tried to help you once

Against my own advice

 

Now was the true moment of decision. If D didn't act quickly, there was no hope for Leon. He essentially had two options. One, he could put the butterfly back in its cage and take it to the pet shop, leaving Leon dead and plunging Chris into a chaotic world that would have nothing but detrimental effects on his health, both mental and physical. Or he could exchange the butterfly's life for Leon's. This second option would seem better from many points of view, and even D's, partially. But it went against all that his Sofu had ever taught him to kill the butterfly. The air gained a particular chill. Time was of the essence, and it was now or never.

 

I saw you going down

But you never realized

 

“This is what you wanted, wasn't it?” D asked softly, not even realizing he'd said it aloud. The butterfly's wings flapped inside his hand, tickling his palm. He was holding it gently enough that none of the powder would rub off of its wings.

“You wanted things to be different. You wanted to have a normal, quiet job. You wanted to avoid being asked to kill.” D was still unaware that he was speaking out loud. He was thinking exactly what he was saying, but somewhere it didn't register that his mouth was repeating his thoughts. The cold spread. A slightly sad smile came to D's lips, raising one side and one side only.

“And most importantly...you wanted to die instead of your old friend.”

 

That you're drowning in the water

So I offered you my hand

 

D's hands began to close around the butterfly. It fluttered frantically. It begged for mercy, but there was no mercy to be received. If butterflies could cry, this one certainly would have. It had been betrayed by its Master. Over a human. Master was supposed to hate humans. Master was supposed to love nature, love animals. Why was Master doing this? The butterfly appealed frantically, pitifully, to D as the pale, slender hands that had so recently cupped it lovingly were now tightening like a vise. The butterfly found it painful to beat its wings now. It felt so betrayed. This made no sense. It had only done what Master had asked it to do. Why had Master given it to the human, if Master didn't want the human to die?

 

Compassion's in my nature

Tonight is our last stand

 

“Such a foolish desire...” D whispered. His hand clenched into a fist, the other hand curling around it for extra pressure. Between them, a small spray of butterfly blood, and a few stray particles of the powder from its wings spurted suddenly. The butterfly was dead, and its hold over Leon was broken. The cold in the room, the icy cold of death, seceded into the shadows. The detective's chest rose and fell with deep breaths. He was still in a deep slumber, and probably wouldn't awake until morning. D gently placed the crushed form of the butterfly back into its cage, leaving the small door standing open. The butterfly's final pleas had almost crushed D's resolve, had almost made him leave Leon dead and take the butterfly back to the pet shop. D looked down at his hands, the residue from the butterfly staining his palm like a brand. Traitor, it hissed as D stared blankly at it.

 

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut

And my weakness is that I care too much

 

D sat down on the bed beside Leon lightly, his unstained hand brushing the blond bangs from the detective's angular face. Leon was unaware of everything outside of his dreams, unaware of the moral dilemma D had just faced. Leon would never know, either, D resolved. Never, indeed. He would awaken in the morning, and see the butterfly dead in its cage. But D would no longer be there, would be back at the pet shop preparing breakfast. Perhaps, thought D as he stood, he would send Chris, Pon-chan, and Tet-chan to greet Leon as he woke up tomorrow morning. Or rather, this morning, D sighed, looking out the open window. A faint tinge of light lit the far horizon. Then again, that may be nothing more than the lights of Los Angeles. Although D wouldn't be surprised if that was the sunrise.

 

And our scars remind us that the past is real

I tear my heart open just to feel

 

D leapt out the window and down the fire escape, walking calmly back to the pet shop. He had been in a hurry to save Leon when he had come in this direction. But he was in no hurry to get back to the pet shop. Was he ashamed of his decision? Definitely. Although the blood would wash off of his hand, the sensation of the butterfly's tickling wingbeats, and the memory of its final heartwrenching pleas would remain branded on D's mind for all time. He had killed a butterfly, an animal, for the sake of a human. His race was supposed to hate humans. How had all of this transpired? How had this evening, which had begun so nicely, taken such a drastic turn? Why had all of this transpired? What was the purpose of presenting D with the impossible dilemma he had just been faced with?

 

I'm drunk and I'm feeling down

And I just wanna be alone

 

No reason to dwell on what had passed. D had been faced with the dilemma, and he had made the decision to save Leon at the butterfly's expense. Although it would haunt D's conscience for the rest of his immortal existence, it was the right thing to do. By human standards, D would be a miracle-worker, a hero. By the standards of his race, he was the lowest of traitors. His race was supposed to protect nature in all of its forms, and kill humans. But were humans not a form of nature? No! At this rate, D would fall the next time Leon was shot near-fatally. Then again, had D not already done almost the same thing? To save Leon's life at the expense of nature...was that not the reason he had given the detective Gattolotto? But unlike that instance, in which Gattolotto had willingly given its life to save Leon's, the butterfly had been killed.

 

You shouldn't never come around

Why don't you just go home?

 

Yes, the butterfly had been killed, and at D's hands. The Chinese count had killed an animal to save a human. The world had begun spinning in reverse. D walked in the door of the pet shop, hanging his cloak up and sitting down on the couch. The animals could sense his guilty conscience. The emotions amongst them ranged from anger and betrayal, to disbelief, and even fear among the other insects. If he could kill the butterfly with such ease, they thought, then what's to stop him from turning on them if they did wrong? And what was wrong in the Master's eyes? The butterfly had only done what had been asked of it. It had only done what was necessary to remove another human from the world. But Master had sacrificed the butterfly to keep the human alive.

 

'Cuz you're drowning in the water

And I tried to grab your hand

 

Tet-chan's emotions were much more complex. How could D have killed the butterfly with such ease? Why sacrifice the life of a beautiful butterfly to save the life of that stupid detective? Despite the fact that Tet-chan was mature in behaviors, he was still nothing more than a child in Toutetsu years. He didn't understand, for multiple reasons, the repercussions of letting Leon die. He had no idea that to let Leon die would be to condemn Chris to a torturous, yet privileged, existence, where he would never regain his voice, and no one would be able to hear him. Tet-chan didn't understand the fact that if Leon were to die, Chris would move away. All that he understood about Leon was left over from his existence as Mr. Wong. He hated Leon. He hated Leon, and he couldn't understand why D had sacrificed the butterfly to save the stupid detective.

 

I left my heart open

But you didn't understand

 

D reclaimed his spot on the couch, only for a moment. It was getting late, he realized as he looked over at the clock. And aside from the few moments of sleep that D had managed to capture before Leon's unannounced arrival earlier, D had not slept. D stood from his spot on the couch, setting aside the Abyssinian kitten that had climbed up into his lap. It mewed in protest before its mother carried it away. Sighing, D walked to the back room, his posture unusually slumped from the heavy burden weighing on his mind, and his heart. The animals looked between one another with dismay. Q-chan, the horned Valvertinger rabbit, refused its sleeping perch in D's bedroom. It too had a heavy heart.

 

But you didn't understand

Go fix yourself

 

D's grandfather was saddened. So that was it. Their great race had toiled for years to exact revenge, and for what? So that the youngest D could just toss away all that he had ever been taught, all that their race held sacred, for the sake of a human detective. Count D sighed. The dilemma had stressed his grandson greatly. Perhaps he would come around in the morning. There was no way to bring the butterfly back, of course, but there was more than one way to kill a human. As long as the human died, the butterfly's death would not be in vain. Consider yourself lucky, human. You have escaped this time because of my foolish grandson, but who will save you next time? You have caused my grandson pain, anguish, and suffering. He will not help you again.

 

I can't help you fix yourself

But at least I can say I tried

 

Leon's sleep was deep, dreamless, and restful. It was one of those sleeps where you wake up seemingly moments after you fall asleep. But really, Leon was asleep for hours after D left, unaware of the butterfly's manipulation, unaware of D's decision, unaware of how precariously close he had come to dying. When he had raised the gun to his own head in the dream, when he had asked himself why he was doing this, he hadn't made a decision on his own. When he had pulled the trigger, the butterfly had been there, if not physically, ensuring that Leon did what was expected. Leon didn't know if he'd wake up in the morning, nor was he aware that he had almost died. All he knew was blissful blackness, sweet and forgiving after a nightmarish dream. In the morning, he'd remember his dreams and the events of today, and learn a lesson from them, along with find the prophetic silver lining. But the morning was still hours away.

 

I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life

I can't help you fix yourself

 

D lay in bed, his mind running from thoughts. The cries of the kingdom, calling him a traitor. He finally fell into a fitful sleep, riddled with images that only served to heighten his guilt. This guilt that would never leave him. He had made his decision. Made his proverbial bed, as the cliché dictated, and now he must lie in it. He had chosen Leon over the butterfly. That was that, pure and simple. And yet he knew this couldn't be pure and simple. There were so many other options, so many alternatives. He didn't have to give Leon the butterfly. No, that was wrong. He did. The duty of his race had dictated that Leon had come with a secret desire, one that it was D's duty to fulfill. But it hadn't been fulfilled. Perhaps Leon would awaken all the wiser in the morning. Perhaps Leon would be able to see the proverbial silver lining that eluded D all through the night. And if he could, perhaps he'd share it with D, and then some of this guilt that pressed down on the Chinese count, suffocating him from all sides, would be relieved.

 

But at least I can say I tried

I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life

 

Young Christopher Orcot, six years of age, lay in the back of the pet shop, blissfully wrapped up in his own happy dreams. He wouldn't awaken for a few more hours yet, and when he would, it would herald the beginning of a happier day even than the one before it. To a child, every day was an improvement on the last. To a child, nothing was better than a new day. And Chris was no different in those views. He would awaken, and enjoy a fun-filled day with his friends, Tet-chan and Pon-chan. Maybe Honlon would join in their adventures too. Junrei loved to play with Chris. And there was no end to the adventures possible when Honlon joined their band. The possibilities for the new day were endless. It would be a wonderful day.

 

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut

And my weakness is that I care too much

 

D awoke the next morning due to the sunlight filtering in. With an undignified mutter, he pulled the blanket closer around him and turned away from the light. Q-chan fluttered in to wake D up, pulling at the blanket, its wings flapping frantically. Traitors of the Kingdom didn't get to sleep in. D sighed and got out of bed, Q-chan giving a chirruping “hmph!” and flying from the room. It was apparently still very mad at D. D gave a saddened glance out of the room before shutting the door quietly and getting ready for the day. When Chris woke up later, D resolved, he'd send the boy (along with Tet-chan and Pon-chan) to wake up Leon. And perhaps take with them an impersonal message.

 

And our scars remind us that the past is real

I tear my heart open just to feel

 

“YEOUCH!!!” Leon awoke with a yell to Tet-chan gnawing on his calf. Chris greeted him cheerfully. Leon, who remembered the realistic dreams created by the butterfly (not that he knew they were created by the butterfly), immediately pulled up his shirt and examined the scars littering his abdomen. “They're there! All of `em!” He cried joyously. He hugged Chris painfully close. “Chris! Oh my God, it's so good to see you!” He was in rare form, so exuberant.

::The Count said to call you over for breakfast if you're still alive, whatever that means. I mean, you'd think he'd say `If your brother's awake.' Are you and Count D in another fight?:: The six-year-old asked. At the mention of D, Leon looked over at the small wire cage that now held the crushed form of the butterfly. When had that happened?

 

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut

And my weakness is that I care too much

 

D sighed, bustling about the kitchen in the midst of preparing breakfast. Instead of grief over the butterfly, D's thoughts had now turned angry and cynical. What if D had been too late after all? No, D had sacrificed the butterfly's life for Leon, and by God that human was going to live, whether he liked it or not. When D saw Leon, awake and unaffected by the butterfly's influence, he couldn't help the relief that flooded through him. To have gone through all that, to have made that decision only to be too late...D wouldn't have been able to handle it. Yes, he cared for the human detective quite a lot. And in time, the grief and guilt over the butterfly would fade.

And for the first time, the thought crossed D's mind that maybe he had made the right choice.

 

And our scars remind us that the past is real

I tear my heart open just to feel