Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ The Gift ❯ The Gift ( Chapter 15 )

The Gift 15 by Kaialicious

Disclaimer: I make no profit from the characters of The Pet Shop of Horrors. They belong to Matsuri Akino. Li, Shang, and Lynn, however, are of my own creation and do belong to me…, D…, and no one else...for now.

Warnings: This story contains suggestions of a Yaoi relationship, possibly a spoiler or two. If you don't like Yaoi, then you're not even supposed to be reading this warning because I previously warned you about it in the description!

Author's Note: Okay, this is the moment of decision. Will I or won't I kill the blue dragon prince? What say you Leon?

"Kill the bastard!"

Let's not be too hasty, detective…^_^

*****

"I know what you did with Li's body," D told him.

Shang's turquoise eyes narrowed. His features remained cold and hard. "I did what I had to do to avenge his death."

"You did not do it for Li. You did it for your own personal gain," D accused him. "Now, because of you, he cannot find peace."

"He has the detective's body, what more could he want?" Shang replied. "He is alive again. He should be pleased."

"How did you acquire the spells?"

Shang laughed and told him, "Shouldn't a kami know these things? I find it very interesting that you exiled yourself from all that you are just to be with this mortal. Do you think that it makes you appear more human like? It does not. You are far too unusual, my lord."

"I did not shun all of my talents. I have seen enough to know that this will go badly for you," D said.

"Is that a prediction?"

D remained silent.

"Your American will come rushing in to save you from my clutches," Shang spat out the words with repugnance. "I think not."

"Why do you want me?' D asked him. "We do not even like each other."

"Apart from doubling my fortune, I enjoy collecting rare things -much like how you collect your pets," Shang explained.

"You are collecting me."

"No, I am collecting a kami," he corrected, "my second one in fact."

D was surprised by his confession. Shang had just confirmed what he had known all along. "Lynn is a kami."

"Half kami," Shang said, "not very powerful, but very energetic when it comes to pleasing his master."

"Why does he not know that he is a kami?"

"He does not want to know. Besides, he is so much better at being a dragon. If he uses any of his kami powers, he goes into a trance, sometimes for weeks," he said distastefully. "He is like a child when he is that way."

Realization struck the count. "You made him go into the temple to retrieve the jade bottle."

Shang frowned. His secret had been discovered. Only a kami could enter the temple. The ancient spells that covered the majestic edifice would have taken hundreds of centuries for even one of the spells to be broken. The timing of his brother's death and his association to Lynn had been right. He wanted to possess Chaos and he had done what he had to do to get it.

"I did," he admitted, "but with great difficulty. Lynn nearly did not make it out of the temple. He wandered around. I was furious that he kept me waiting. When he finally came to me, I punished him."

D imagined that Shang abused Lynn often in that way. His brow furrowed in anger. "I saw Lynn's body. You used it on him… How could you? He is your lover!"

"Lynn likes pain," Shang answered, "didn't he tell you that? He should have. He told you everything else."

D saw that the fingers on Shang's left hand were twitching. He was eager to use the bottle. D had to keep him talking to take his attention away from the temptation.

"How did you learn how to control it?"

Shang stared at the count's mouth. His gaze lowered to D's long, graceful neck. "I knew that only the strongest of sacrifices could bend the will of Chaos to me. The bottle itself helped a great deal. Once I spoke the words that were written on it, I slit our flesh and let our blood run into the bottle."

That was why his dragon had been so ill. It had lost too much blood. Its health had slowly deteriorated after that.

"I knew that our blood was not enough," Shang continued, "so I poured Li's ashes into it as well. It was just the right amount of power that I needed."

Dragon blood, dragon ashes, fire and earth -it was a strong combination. Who would have thought that it would have been enough to tame the darkness?

"Is it not amazing?" Shang asked him. "I control Chaos." He smiled as he thought of what he had said. "I am Chaos."

"You are insane," D told him.

The smile slipped from his face. "I am not the one who pretends that he can live among mortals and live happily ever after with them."

Q-Chan hissed at Shang. His back was arched. He could feel D's anger towards Shang and was ready to spring.

"Come," Shang said and took a step towards D. "I am most eager to make you mine."

"You will never have me! Never!"

Spurred by the count's heated outburst, Q-Chan flew towards Shang's face and tried to attack him. Shang's quick reflexes stopped him. The dragon prince caught Q-Chan and with one sharp wrench, broke both of Q-Chan's wings. Q-Chan let out a shriek of pain.

D paled. "Q-Chan!"

Shang threw the twitching creature into the bathtub.

"No! He will drown!" D ran to save him, but Shang grabbed him around the waist and pulled him against him.

"That is the intention."

The count pulled free of his grasp. "I will kill you!"

"You may try…" He reached his hand beneath his hand beneath his tailored jacket and withdrew the jade bottle.

D tried to knock it from his hand, but Shang had already removed the seal. Ink black darkness flowed from the narrow mouth of the bottle.

D stepped back. Shang laughed at his sudden trepidation.

"You should have obeyed me when I told you to come back to China." He dipped two fingers in the black matter, and then swung his hand in an arc towards the count. The darkness flew off Shang and was on D in an instant.

D gasped as it coiled around his wrist and began pulling him towards Shang. He could feel it burning through his flesh. His forehead furrowed as he tried to resist. He set his feet into the floor, and bit back a cry as he heard his shoulder pop. He stumbled. Shang saw that he had the advantage and moved in to grab him. D swung his fingers up like talons and tore at Shang's face.

"Too afraid to rely on your predictions I see," Shang said and evaded another fatal blow from the count. D changed the direction of his attack, and aimed for his throat instead. The wound there was deep. It bled heavily. Shang cried out in rage and used the full force of his body to throw the count to the floor.

D could hear the ominous emptiness of Chaos swirling around them. It hurt his ears. He desperately tried to hurt Shang any way he could, but his efforts were all for naught. The dragon warrior would feel little or no pain, because his spirit animal was downstairs in its cage -not on his body. Already, Shang's wounds were closing. If his animal spirit had been one with him, the wounds would have remained and D would have been able to kill him.

"Did you think that I would not have you?" Shang asked him through clenched teeth. "Do you see that you were wrong?"

He raked his fingers through the inky void that surrounded them. Dark ribbons clung to his hand and settled where he wanted them to settle -over D's shoulders and arms, across his chest and waist.

"I have been practicing on Lynn," he said. "I know just how much pain one can take before they break."

He passed his hands over D's legs. The ribbons entwined over one then the other.

"It disappointed me to see Lynn give in so easily."

He drew his hand over D's throat. The dark ribbon immediately coiled around the count's neck.

"I had high hopes for him."

The ribbons continued to creep up his body, burning a trail of pain over D's pale flesh. Tears spilled from the count's eyes. He was useless against the dark void.

"You look extraordinary like this," Shang said, mesmerized by the dark bands crisscrossing over the count's pale flesh. Chaos had the appearance of leather.

The pain was unbearable for D. The black ribbons tightened each time he struggled.

"Fight all you want," Shang told him, and tore D's silken garment. "In fact, I insist that you do."

"Release me!" The count pleaded. His eyes were wide with fear and anguish.

"I told you that you would be mine." He shoved D's slender legs apart.

D whimpered as he made another effort to free himself. The darkness crept further into his flesh. He screamed. The mirrors in the bathroom rattled.

Shang passed his hand over D's mouth. The void appeared there like paint on canvas. It got between his lips, and prevented more of his screams from escaping.

Shang undid his pants. He was hard, the head of his cock wet from seeing D in pain.

He would have the beautiful little kami, and there was no one to stop him. He laughed. Who could stop Chaos? Certainly not any mortal.

"Where is your American now," Shang inquired and pressed himself to D's entrance.

He heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

What now? he thought irritably.

Shang growled out his rage as the detective Orcot entered the room. The American looked at the ribbon bound D, and saw Shang was about to do to him. His features hardened. "You fucking bastard!"

"Not yet," Shang taunted.

"I warned you," it was not the American's voice that came forth, but his brother's.

"Li," Shang sat back on his heels. "You are lucky. I had forgotten that you occupy this…mortal's body. I was going to kill him for disturbing me."

"How dare you molest my consort!?!" Li fumed. His eyes flashed yellow.

"Your consort?" He was abusing D with his hands -touching him while he argued with Li. "You are dead, Li, and what was yours is now mine. We have been over this."

"Not enough it seems! Now I will have to kill you!"

Shang stiffened at Li's outburst. He stood, tucked his erection back into his trousers.

"I am your brother," Shang told him.

"No…you are my enemy. If I had not come here you would have taken D."

"What makes you think that I haven't?" Shang smirked.

Li's eyes flashed yellow. White mist surrounded the detective's feet and tumbled in on itself. It rose before him in a column. The thick smoke turned crimson. A gust of wind ruffled Leon's hair and clothing and sent the red column hurtling towards Shang. The smoke glowed so brightly that it almost pushed back the darkness. A massive dragon appeared out of the light before Leon. Its wide jaws opened and let out an ear-shattering roar. Steam billowed forth from the dragon's nostrils.

"Do not come any closer," Shang said, and collected more darkness into his hand. He held the black pool and let it drip on to the count's trembling body. It crawled up towards D's already gagged mouth and joined the strip of darkness there.

D's eyes began rolling back into his head. The dark matter was forcing its way down his throat and it was suffocating him.

"He will die…" Shang grinned evilly. "Do you hear me?"

The glint of the detective's gun flashed in the mirror. "You bastard!" Leon had regained his wits now that Li had left his body.

Shang tilted his head. "What are you doing?"

Distracted by the detective's action, he was not prepared for his brother's assault.

The red dragon flew at Shang and smashed into his body. Shang cried out and fell to the floor. The red dragon roared and suddenly vanished. A few seconds later, Shang sat up. He looked dazed.

Leon held his gun trained on him.

Shang snapped out of his stupor and fixed his gaze on the jade bottle. He began to mutter something in Chinese.

"What the hell are you doing now?" Leon asked, and moved forward, wanting to get to D. The darkness was slowly rolling off him.

When all of it had finally returned to the bottle, Shang closed the seal and moved towards the count.

Leon rushed to D's side, and shoved Shang. "Get away from him!"

The bastard barely moved. Leon was about to punch his lights out when Shang caught his fist and said, "You idiot! Did you think that you could kill him with your weapon? Did I not tell you before that mortal weapons are useless against us?"

"Shut the hell up, before I break your jaw!" Leon yelled at him. He raised his gun to cram it right into his mouth.

"If you dare do it, do not expect any compensation for your disgusting food and beer!"

Leon lowered his weapon and studied the dragon prince. That attitude, the overly expressive features, they belonged to one individual -Li.

"You're inside of Shang," he stated.

"Yes."

"You keep that bastard under lock and key."

"I will."

Leon turned his attention to D. The count lay still on the marble floor, naked. His pale body was covered with cruel cuts and bruises. Blood seeped from his lips. Much of it was pooled beneath him.

"D…oh God." He knew that he shouldn't move him, but he had to touch him -he had to cradle him in his arms.

"Le…on…" D's voice sounded hoarse -scratchy. It looked painful for him to whisper his name.

"Don't talk, D," Leon told him and kissed his temple.

The count raised his hand along Leon's arm and pointed at the tub. "Q-Chan…"

"Li check the tub," Leon said.

Li did and ended up wrapping a wilted looking Q-Chan in one of D's bath cloths.

D tried to sit up to see him. "Is he…"

"It is all right, beloved," Li assured him. "He was floating on his back."

"His…wings…are…broken…" he shivered and clenched Leon's arm.

Leon's shirt was quickly becoming saturated with the count's blood. He had to stop D's bleeding. "Damn it, Li, get me a towel!"

D managed a small frown and told him, "Language…detective..."

*****

Q-Chan was sleeping in the middle of a pillow beside him. His wings bandaged and splinted.

D was staring at the jade bottle. It was sitting across the room on one of D's small tables.

"You will have it returned to the temple?"

"Of course, beloved," Li answered.

There were kamis who would enter the sacred temple on the count's behalf.

"I want you to take care of Lynn," D said.

Li knew what was expected of him. Take care of Lynn meant more than it seemed. "I do not love him."

"You will learn to love him. You must. He is still so young. He needs someone to guide him."

"I do not think I want to," Li said. "He was Shang's pet. His idea of intimacy disgusts me."

"Then teach him how to please you. He will do as you say. Do not lose your patience with him," D said. "He is half kami…kin to me."

Li was surprised by this revelation.

"His fascination with pain is only a phase. You will see."

"It will not be easy, beloved," he said, "letting you go."

"But you must," D told him and covered his hand with his own.

Li's now turquoise gaze filled with emotion. D did not think that Shang had ever looked so disheartened in all of his life.

*****

Leon tapped his foot. The Asian carpet beneath it muted the sound. Just what the hell was Li doing up there with D? It wasn't enough that he had spent hours tending to D's wounds. He had to be alone with him and talk too.

"He is very weak detective. Only I can take care of him," Li had said and had remained in D's room for a full night. Leon had pressed his ear to the door. He had heard nothing other than Li and the count's voices. It was morning now, and Li was still up there…with D…in his bedroom.

Leon clenched his teeth. He had better be talking.

Leon didn't trust the dragon prince. Not after everything that had happened. He was as conniving as his twin was, only saner.

Leon looked across from him. The young dragon known as Lynn was sitting in D's chair. He was dressed in a black turtleneck and dark jeans. To hide his scars, Leon supposed.

He hadn't moved an inch since Shang's men brought him to the shop.

His amber eyes seemed haunted. He was still in shock. Shang had really worked a number over the kid.

Leon still couldn't believe that Lynn was well enough to sit. His wounds had been serious. By all logic, Lynn was supposed to be holed up in some intensive unit somewhere being looked at by the top surgeons in the country. All that blood that he had lost…wasn't he dizzy, weak, anything? He looked pale, but it was a healthy type of paleness, like D's, as if his skin glowed.

When Li came down from D's room, the kid became animated. He rushed into Li's arms and clung to him. Li kissed the top of his red-orange mane and muttered something to him in Chinese. Lynn's face filled with disbelief, sorrow, and then despair. He tried to pull away from Li, but Li wouldn't release him. The tall Asian rubbed Lynn's back -whispered something to him. Lynn nodded shakily.

Now that they were not connected, Leon no longer possessed the talent to understand what Li was saying. He wondered what was going on between the two of them.

Maybe I should let D teach me Chinese, he mused.

It was then that he saw two small, red spots on Li's collar. They looked like blood. Was it his or D's?

The dragon prince turned to him. Leon could see the stains better. The top button of his white shirt was undone. Shang's tie was missing. There, on the right side of Li's neck were two distinctive little marks.

"It has been interesting, detective," Li said, drawing Leon's attention away from the marks.

"Hmm, likewise," Leon replied.

"Take care of D."

"Yeah, I will."

Li went to Shang's caged dragon while Lynn waited patiently for him. Once the blue dragon was released, it crawled up Li's body and attached itself to him. The red dragon prince was now one with the blue dragon.

The two dragons left the shop, Lynn clinging to Li's arm.

Leon locked the door and turned his attention to upstairs. He could hardly wait to be with D.

When he entered the count's bedroom, D was propped up against a bunch of pillows, the bed covers pulled up to his waist. D's slender hands were demurely folded in his lap. Q-Chan was sleeping next to him on a pillow.

"Detective," he said and smiled at him.

It appeared that Li had dressed him too. He was wearing a white silk robe. Leon was a bit peeved at the thought of the Chinaman looking at and touching D's naked body.

"He's gone for good this time, right?"

"Well, yes, that was the agreement. We even sealed it with a kiss."

"You kissed him!"

"There is no need to shout, detective," D told him. "Are you not happy that we can be together now?"

Leon frowned. D smiled at him. Leon grumbled out a curt response.

"Oh detective, do not be such a grouch," D pouted.

Leon slumped in the chair beside the count's bed. It was too close, he noted. His knees grazed the mattress.

Li's lucky that he's not here!

D touched his fingertips to Leon's unshaved jaw. The blond detective's features finally softened. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes."

"You gave me a scare. I thought I was going to lose you." He turned his head and kissed D's palm.

He was surprised to see that the ugly scars that had marred the count's wrist had nearly faded away. Leon held D's hand and pushed up the sleeve of his robe. His other scars were pink as well. The vicious crimson color was gone.

Fast healer, Leon thought. He really didn't want to know how D had recovered so quickly from his injuries. He had a feeling that it had something to do with the puncture marks on Li's neck.

Q-Chan stirred. D stroked his little head and he and Leon watched as the animal went back to sleep.

*****

Next chapter: Li and D finally get intimate. Yay! ^_^