Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ex Machina ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

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 VI

 

The shop settled in Japan. The likelihood that Leon would find him here was very minimal. After all, this was Neo-Chinatown in the Kabukicho district of Shinjuku. If Leon did come to Tokyo, he'd visit the more traditional Chinatown districts - like the one in Yokohama. And the chances were very high that he'd miss this one entirely, as few Tokyo residents not from Shinjuku had even heard of it.

 

He was sure of it. There would be no way for Leon to find him here. He was safe. He could sleep soundly at night.

 

Finally, a chance to rest and get back to business.

 

It was a relief of sorts, to get back to what he'd been doing for most of his life. With the shop open, people would find him, he'd write up contracts, the good would be rewarded and the evil would be punished. He could feel their very nature as they spoke to him. Those who were warped, self-indulgent, or otherwise inclined toward destructive behavior would cause the very air around him to feel tainted, poisoned. And the few innocent souls who came in were like tiny plants that had failed to receive enough water and sunlight. In both cases, he provided the cure. It was what his grandfather had trained him to do.

 

(Although his grandfather was less inclined to dole out assistance. But it didn't do to think about that too much. Nor about his father: what the possible reasons could be that his grandfather had separated the two, why someone who purported to hate humans so much would be resurrected as one - neither of which had never fully been elucidated, and if he allowed himself to become curious would prove quite distracting.)

 

Japan was no different than any other place he'd settled in that regard. There were people good and bad.

 

When he stopped to consider it, the good people often tended to come from the “darker” side of life - he'd made friends with the drag queens at a nearby nail salon, even gone to see them perform their second job in a seedy bar It was as if seeing the difficulties in life made the more important things - friendship and kindness - that much more important.

 

Those who had life too easy seemed to get distracted by money, status, lust. It was as if people thrived in hardship.

 

As if his thoughts had been a summons, the bell over the door rang, indicating and entrance into the shop. Turning to face the door, he readied himself to bow and give the standard greeting - and then, he noticed who had entered.

 

“Taizuu. How kind of you to drop by. Again.”

 

The man who had entered was immaculately groomed. His perfectly trimmed hair was slicked back neatly, matching his custom-tailored suit to a T. He nodded his head toward the Count. “You know it's my job to check in on my tenants, Count D. And how many times do I have to ask you to not call me Taizuu? My name is Woo Fei Rau.”

 

“But you are the son of the landlord,” he responded lightly, “and all the other tenants call you Taizuu.”

 

The man gave a grimace and said, “If you were to pick one thing that all the other tenants do, I'd prefer it were to open and close according to the official business hours of Neo-Chinatown. Just why is it, again, that you were not open this morning at 9am like all the other shops?”

 

Busying himself, he began to pour some tea, “I believe I've mentioned before, dear Taizuu, the local pastiserrie opens at 10. Only the first customers are able to select the finest delicacies. OH! And this morning, they had baklava.” He placed the small pastry onto a plate, “You simply must try it - it's absolutely divine!”

 

Tersely he stood, cutting D off. “I'm a busy man. I didn't come here to sample baked goods from the bakery around the corner.”

 

“Then why did you come here, may I ask?” The Count nibbled daintily on his treat, apparently unaffected by the landlord's tone.

 

His expression grew into a smirk. “I was looking for a special girl - one of the blondes that you sell to your special clients, preferably with very large breasts-”

 

The clink of the teacup in the saucer as he laid it on the table interrupted the man's speech. “Really, Taizuu. We run an honest pet shop here. Some of the animals just barely pass the C.I.T.E.S. list, but every one of them is legal. I would suggest, if you're interested in that type of thing, to visit the red light district.”

 

Growling, the man strode out of the shop. “I swear I'll catch you one of these days.”

 

Sighing, the Count watched Woo Fei's retreating form. The man could try all he wanted - he wasn't equipped to deal with the truth of the shop. After all, he'd seen a dragon and a kappa and still was hung up on the idea that D was doing something illicit. Always barging in like he owned the place and swearing that he would take him down. Just like…

 

He shook his head slightly, as if to throw that thought out. It didn't bear thinking about. After all, the two really were only alike in that they somehow could sense that there was more to D and the shop than met the eye. Everything else was practically a textbook case of contrasts. Immaculately dressed versus shaggy slob. Polite and cultured versus rude and crass.

 

Self-serving and pompous versus self-sacrificing and humble.

 

He shook his head harder that time. Well, they were alike in one other facet: relentless drive.

 

No matter. He'd managed to finally find a place where there was no way that Le- the detective would be able to find him.

 

He walked into the kitchen to brew some tea.

 

From the corner a pair of green eyes watched him leave, contemplating the furrow between the kami's eyes.

 

 

X

 

 

Vulpecula was especially clear tonight. A toothy grin split Ten-chan's face, making him truly appear vulpine as he looked up. The constellation was so close, he almost felt like he could reach up and embrace his celestial brother.

 

All the stars were so brilliant here, in this “room” of the shop, atop the beautiful green-covered cliffs, overlooking the sea, the woods at his back. Off to his right and behind him, he could hear the hesitant movements of two hares as they fed under the stars. Normally, they would never remain while he was present. But, he supposed, he was upwind of them, and it was a beautiful night for dining under the moonlight. Perhaps they also sensed that he had no appetite this fine evening.

 

The smile faded as he fell into his own thoughts and remembrances.

 

He stayed with the Count out of loyalty alone. He was not a pet to be sold and D had never treated him as such. He never would, either. It wasn't in his character. Which was good because the fox spirit rather liked it here. He had no other family, so this adopted family meant much to him. Even if it had gotten smaller than he would have liked just over two years previously.

 

His family. What an odd, eclectic assortment of characters they were. And the missing members just as much so. Except D, carnivores and predators every last one, too.

 

It was pretty clear that this designation fit with Leon as well. Ten-chan laughed to himself, `He wasn't that great of a detective if he never noticed that, now was he? Then again, I'm pretty sure D never realized it either.'

 

All those D cared most for had a basic nature that some would designate as “violent.” Because D understood that nature is a part of every animal, he accepted each one as they were, without trying to change them. He just helped them channel their nature so they could better survive - sometimes saving them from themselves in the process.

 

Sighing, he gazed back up at the stars overhead, naming each constellation as he did.

 

`Cygnus.'

 

Sure, D accepted animals' natures - all except for one. And it was eating him away inside. Most of the other animals in the shop didn't see it - or if they did, they explained it away. But D was no longer the same as he'd been. He was trying a little too hard. His “normal” behavior was just a touch off.

 

`Cepheus.'

 

If Ten wasn't the master of illusion, he wouldn't be able to see through it, he supposed. But he was and he did and he did not know how to fix the situation.

 

`Draco,'

 

Ten-chan called in his head as he looked at the constellation that revolved around the North Star. Just as he was about to move onto the next one in the sky, a shooting star shot from the mouth of the sky-dragon, moving toward his own sky-brother. As it hit the head of Vulpecula, the fox heard a woman's voice in his head.

 

++Ten-chan. I have need of your assistance.++

 

Grinning, he replied to the wind, watching the ghost of his words carry through the night sky, “Do you now, doll-face? Well, I'm up for the challenge if you are - but can you keep the other two asleep through all the fun? I don't much care for the foul language Kanan's likely to use in the act - and I'm no pedophile.”

 

He could practically feel Shuuko rolling her eyes at his innuendo. Another shooting star from the mouth of Draco came toward the fox in the sky and he heard:

 

++Keep that levity in mind as you visit me. As soon as possible, please. We have only a short while to plan while D sleeps, lest he become aware of our machinations and all our efforts come to naught.++

 

Well, he should have known the cunning dragon would have also seen what he had. Standing up, he stretched fully like a cat before sauntering toward the door that would lead him out of the moonlit cliffs of Ireland and into the shop proper. The rabbits, alerted to his presence, bolted into a hedge. He chuckled. If nothing else, this excursion should prove entertaining.

 

 

X

 

 

The shop lay still. Even in the rooms where dwelled the nocturnal, there was a sense of quiet. It wasn't exactly a quiet that comes with peace, but more that of waiting - a pause, something would come, it was just a matter of when.

 

In the master's bedroom, a kami slept. Dreams filled his vision, matching the tone of the shop. A pause, something coming.

 

He poured the tea and picked up a slice of chocolate torte. It was decadent and rich. The first bite just melted away like sin in his mouth and he moaned slightly. Oh, the quality of his treats had gone down since California. But there was no help for that.

 

Jeez, D. I knew you'd like it, but I didn't think you'd like it THAT much.

 

The kami's head snapped to attention, looking for the owner of that voice. That voice.

 

But there was no one there. He looked down at his plate. No. It wasn't chocolate torte. It was the baklava he'd purchased that morning. Delicious, but… not the same.

 

Nonsense. It was fine. Delicious.

 

It's always teatime in this shop, isn't it? It's amazing that you ever conduct any business at all.

 

“What exactly are you implying, Taizuu?” D responded to the taunt and looked up again, gasped at seeing the tall blonde in front of him. But when he blinked rapidly, there was no one there at all.

 

He sighed before he could stop himself - before he even realized he was doing it.

 

It was ridiculous to even imagine the detective here. This was obviously due to his earlier absurd comparison.

 

Honestly, the places his mind would travel if left unattended. He would simply not allow himself to even think of the man from California ever again. He'd left and he was done.

 

Somehow, though, he didn't believe that.