Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ex Machina ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Dragon Ex Machina

 

DISC: I do not own Pet Shop of Horrors or its characters. These are the property of mangaka Matsuki Akino and publishing house Tokyopop (in the U.S., anyway). I make no profit from this story. Please don't sue.

 

 

Chapter V

 

Control.

 

It was something she was becoming rather adept at. Not by choice, but by necessity. If she didn't exert control round the clock, she'd be as emotional and weepy as Junrei.

 

Germany had been a surprise. They'd been moving from place to place for almost a year. No sign of anyone following them. In honesty, there was no reason for them to continue running.

 

Except the Count's own conscience - his own memories and the fear of attachment. He'd meet people and find one or two in a town that spoke with him kindly, were willing to exert an effort to befriend the new neighbor. And when he couldn't bring himself to loathe them, when they would do something to remind him of his own lumbering detective, off they went again.

 

And then Germany.

 

Leon had been looking for D there. Had shown up a day before D had arrived. D took off again, immediately, this time with a sense of panic.

 

And underlying that, hope.

 

The giddy excitement that Shuuko felt in Germany made her giggle. Kanan and Junrei kept bugging her about why she was laughing and crying at the same time, but it was too much and it took 15 minutes before she could calm down enough to tell them what was going on.

 

Leon was looking for D.

 

“Well, d'uh!” Kanan had replied. “I told you that six months ago!”

 

“But he was here! In Germany!” Shuuko had replied, and then narrowed her eyes as Kanan looked away nonchalantly. “Kanan, what did you do?”

 

“What?” Kanan never was one who could effectively pull off innocence.

 

“Kanan…”

 

“Fine! I… kinda whispered in Leon's dreams that there was a Chinatown in Berlin he might want to check out. But he never knew it was me! It was just a thought. `Sides, I didn't really expect he'd even remember it when he woke up.”

 

With an exasperated sigh, Shuuko replied, “Great. But he got here a day early and now we're on the run again.”

 

“It's not my fault Mom's got shitty timing!”

 

“Language!”

 

“Yeah, language,” Junrei copied cutely. “But… it was almost a good thing right? That's why you were laughing, right?”

 

Shuuko took a deep breath and released it slowly before answering. “Yes. However, now our Father is panicked. We'll be running faster and farther away. I can't even imagine where we'll go next.”

 

“Crap.”

 

“Indeed. Kanan, the next time you feel the need to speak to someone in their sleep, could you maybe speak to us first, so that we can help out? That way, we can work things on both ends.”

 

A tiny voice said softly, “Um, guys? I have an idea.”

 

“You think you're so perfect, Shuuko? At least I tried something. And I did tell you as soon as I knew that Mom was looking for us, so get off it!”

 

“Yes, Kanan, you did tell us that Leon was looking. But you need to be aware, he's not looking for us. He doesn't even know we're here. He's looking for D.”

 

“Guys?”

 

“Same fucking difference! He finds D, he finds us!”

 

“Yes,” Shuuko replied in an overly patient tone, “but we need to realize that although Leon did carry us, he does not necessarily view us as his daughter. I don't want you to be disappointed.”

 

“Guys, I have an idea.”

 

“Like I'm not fuckin' disappointed every damned day?! Shit! Father's acting like a spoiled idiot and you're here lecturing me. Get off your goddamned high horse and-”

 

“GUYS!” Junrei finally had to scream to make herself heard and the shock of the little one raising her voice brought the two fighting dragons to a stop. As they turned to look at her, she blushed and said, “I have an idea.”

 

They waited and she cleared her throat softly before saying, “If Kanan can make a suggestion in Leon's dream, couldn't Shuuko maybe try to convince Father when he's sleeping, too? Like… maybe not to leave the next place so soon? Or something?”

 

Both of the other dragons blinked their eyes.

 

They stared at the youngest of the three heads. And then, they both blinked at her again. Junrei started to fidget nervously.

 

And then Shuuko bent over to kiss the little one on the forehead.

 

All three smiled as they made their plan for how to start setting the stones in place. With as stubborn as those two were, it might take a while - in human terms. But they were a dragon. They had all the time in the world.