Petshop Of Horrors, fic: Dragon Child
“Really? He told you that?” Chris was wide-eyed as his older brother, his only real brother, told him the story about the night that Junrei, Kanan, and Shuko were ‘born’, as Count D had explained.
Leon nodded, not really looking at Chris, but straight ahead, through the blankets that were covering Chris’ legs, and seeing the firery image in the sky above him of a magnificent three-headed dragon.
The aunt and uncle who’d been raising Chris as their own child had convinced Leon to accept a paid flight to their home for Christmas, if only for the sake of honoring his mother’s memory.
Now, for the second Christmas since Honlon’s birth, Leon was telling his younger brother what he remembered of his first Christmas with D, after tucking Chris in for the night.
“Leon?” Chris’ voice was urgent, but thoughtful.
When Leon looked up, he saw that deeply, wondrous expression on Chris’ young face that said his brain had gears turning at phenomenal speed. “Uh-oh,” he answered teasingly. “What’d I set off now?” The smile on his face was warm and encouraging.
Chris blinked a few times, as he seemed to process details and come up with a formula. “Does that mean I’m really Juurai, Shuko, and Kanan’s uncle?” He looked up at Leon now with wide-eyed expectation.
For a moment, it felt to Leon as though every atom in his body had halted all activity. He blinked in disbelieving realization. “Uh…um, I guess, yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” Great. He’d made his little brother the uncle of a three headed dragon that could destroy cities. He smiled before he could catch himself, and then, he was laughing softly. “If that bothers you, kiddo, I’m real sorry, but there’s nothin’ I can do about it.”
Chris’ face lit up with a renewed level of happiness. “If I’m their uncle, then they’re part of me, and I’m part of them, and we’ll always be together that way, no matter where they are, or where I am.” He sighed with a deep satisfaction, and squirmed down under his bedding as his eyelids began to droop heavily.
Leon’s eyes widened in surprise at his younger brother’s ability to come to such a conclusion, and one that should have been obvious at that. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, kiddo.” He laughed softly, and patted his shoulder.
Chris’ eyes were shutting, but his mind was still working. “If you really are their father, or mother, like D said, do you miss seeing your children, especially now, on their birthday?”
Leon felt like he’d been he’d been hit with a hundred tons of bricks just then. Until now, he’d succeeded in burying that thought, that feeling. It meant all the world to him, not having any children of his own, not sure he ever would, now that D was gone. He’d fought the idea in the beginning, but every time he saw anything that made him think about dragons, it made him feel like that might be the only solid connection to D that he could rely on, if only in his mind.
If Honlon was still with D, then a part of him would still be too. He tried to swallow the aching lump that had formed in his throat, grateful that Chris’ was drifting off to sleep quickly. “Yeah, kiddo, I do. I really do. If there was some way that I could, I’d be wishing them Happy Birthday today, and letting them know that I actually do think about and care about them.” The words came out of Leon in a soft croak.
“Wish there was some way I could give that to you, bro.” Chris murmured with closed eyes before sleep took him.
Leon was grateful that Chris couldn’t see the tear that spilled down his face before he wiped it away with the back of his hand. “Thanks, kiddo,” he whispered sadly, and pulled the blanket over Chris’ shoulders. More tears spilled, blurring the sight of his sleeping brother, and it was the first time he’d allowed them. That was the least he could do on their behalf, if he was their father, or mother…if they were his children…
***
*...Wish there was some way I could give that to you, bro…*
The words traveled from Honlon’s rightful master over the miles, over the waters, over D’s magical, protective safeguards…
***
D had joined the others that had come to the Crystal Chamber to celebrate and console Honlon on this rather dispirited Christmas day. They all tried to keep a festive mood aloft, but it was obviously forced.
Just when it seemed the day was finally going to mercifully end, Shoku, Kanan, and Junrei all suddenly raised their heads in unison, as though hearing something that only they could. The others watched as the three sisters closed their eyes, listening to their master’s call.
D stiffened and watched guardedly. He’d actually expected something like this, and wondered what young Chris could have possibly...
*AS OUR MASTER DESIRES, IT SHALL BE GRANTED--* Shuko, Kanan, and Junrei opened their eyes and looked at the doors that led to the Crystal Chamber.
***
At the corner of his eye, Leon saw a flash of light from behind him. He turned his head slowly, wishing he still had his police issued handgun.
Bright light that shouldn’t have been, was coming through the spaces around Chris’ bedroom door. For some reason, Leon knew that there was nothing to be worried about. He stood, looking at the door with indecision at first, then moved to kiss his sleeping brother goodbye…
***
The others turned to look in the direction Honlon was staring at fixedly.
One of the doors to the Crystal Chamber was opening slowly, and a tall, familiar, human form stepped from behind it.
Anyone who wasn’t kami, or dragon gasped.
Kanan closed her eyes, let out an agonized wail, and dropped her head to the floor.
Leon broke into a run, and was cradling Kanan’s head in his arms. “It’s okay, baby, I’m here. I’d never forget my girls,” he murmured sincerely.
Kanan whimpered shamelessly in her father’s arms, tears spilling freely from her eyes. “…thought you didn’t care about us…Dad…”
“Shit! Y’haven’t hit your teenage years already, have ya?” He laughed softly and kissed the opalescent fluid streaming down from Kanan’s eye without thought…
“LEON!!!” D suddenly exclaimed, and began running towards the human.
Leon didn’t look. He held Kanan even tighter, expecting D to try and pull him away and force him out of their lives again. In another moment, he gasped, and felt himself being held against another body as his body start to burn, and his stomach heave…
D held Leon, as the others watched in confusion while the human cried out between spells of vomiting on the floor.
“Drinking the tears of a dragon, such as ourselves, will cause a human to cease aging for a thousand years…” Shuko informed the others, “…after the process of change takes place.”
The others began cheering raucously.
Leon felt a tongue the size of a cow’s licking the side of his face as Kanan kissed him over and over. “I’m okay, baby…” he tried to reassure his daughter with a caress of his hand on her neck. “Heaven help us if you see me with a cold,” he tried to joke feebly.
“I’m afraid that will never happen…in the next thousand years,” D announced with deep amusement.
Despite the coughing fits in between vomiting spells, Leon grinned. “No complaints from me.” His arm clenched around Kanan’s neck to punctuate his statement. “Missed you, beautiful,” he whispered to Kanan.
“Y-you think I’m beautiful?” Kanan asked in disbelief.
Leon chuckled weakly, “I’m a biased father, sweetheart. I’d try and punch out anyone that said anything otherwise.” After D gave him a wet cloth and a drink of tea, he reached over to kiss Kanan’s nose tenderly.
“Will you tell me about our grandmother?” Kanan asked eager.
“You damn well better believe I will, sweetheart,” Leon told Kanan with another kiss.
“Language, Leon,” D admonished softly.
“Yes, dear,” Leon answered with a satisfied smirk.
“Your grandmother was one of the most exquisite creatures in the world…” Leon began telling Kanan, and her sisters, after the nausea had passed.
D didn’t correct. If anything, he couldn’t believe there was anything more right…
Leon nodded, not really looking at Chris, but straight ahead, through the blankets that were covering Chris’ legs, and seeing the firery image in the sky above him of a magnificent three-headed dragon.
The aunt and uncle who’d been raising Chris as their own child had convinced Leon to accept a paid flight to their home for Christmas, if only for the sake of honoring his mother’s memory.
Now, for the second Christmas since Honlon’s birth, Leon was telling his younger brother what he remembered of his first Christmas with D, after tucking Chris in for the night.
“Leon?” Chris’ voice was urgent, but thoughtful.
When Leon looked up, he saw that deeply, wondrous expression on Chris’ young face that said his brain had gears turning at phenomenal speed. “Uh-oh,” he answered teasingly. “What’d I set off now?” The smile on his face was warm and encouraging.
Chris blinked a few times, as he seemed to process details and come up with a formula. “Does that mean I’m really Juurai, Shuko, and Kanan’s uncle?” He looked up at Leon now with wide-eyed expectation.
For a moment, it felt to Leon as though every atom in his body had halted all activity. He blinked in disbelieving realization. “Uh…um, I guess, yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” Great. He’d made his little brother the uncle of a three headed dragon that could destroy cities. He smiled before he could catch himself, and then, he was laughing softly. “If that bothers you, kiddo, I’m real sorry, but there’s nothin’ I can do about it.”
Chris’ face lit up with a renewed level of happiness. “If I’m their uncle, then they’re part of me, and I’m part of them, and we’ll always be together that way, no matter where they are, or where I am.” He sighed with a deep satisfaction, and squirmed down under his bedding as his eyelids began to droop heavily.
Leon’s eyes widened in surprise at his younger brother’s ability to come to such a conclusion, and one that should have been obvious at that. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, kiddo.” He laughed softly, and patted his shoulder.
Chris’ eyes were shutting, but his mind was still working. “If you really are their father, or mother, like D said, do you miss seeing your children, especially now, on their birthday?”
Leon felt like he’d been he’d been hit with a hundred tons of bricks just then. Until now, he’d succeeded in burying that thought, that feeling. It meant all the world to him, not having any children of his own, not sure he ever would, now that D was gone. He’d fought the idea in the beginning, but every time he saw anything that made him think about dragons, it made him feel like that might be the only solid connection to D that he could rely on, if only in his mind.
If Honlon was still with D, then a part of him would still be too. He tried to swallow the aching lump that had formed in his throat, grateful that Chris’ was drifting off to sleep quickly. “Yeah, kiddo, I do. I really do. If there was some way that I could, I’d be wishing them Happy Birthday today, and letting them know that I actually do think about and care about them.” The words came out of Leon in a soft croak.
“Wish there was some way I could give that to you, bro.” Chris murmured with closed eyes before sleep took him.
Leon was grateful that Chris couldn’t see the tear that spilled down his face before he wiped it away with the back of his hand. “Thanks, kiddo,” he whispered sadly, and pulled the blanket over Chris’ shoulders. More tears spilled, blurring the sight of his sleeping brother, and it was the first time he’d allowed them. That was the least he could do on their behalf, if he was their father, or mother…if they were his children…
***
*...Wish there was some way I could give that to you, bro…*
The words traveled from Honlon’s rightful master over the miles, over the waters, over D’s magical, protective safeguards…
***
D had joined the others that had come to the Crystal Chamber to celebrate and console Honlon on this rather dispirited Christmas day. They all tried to keep a festive mood aloft, but it was obviously forced.
Just when it seemed the day was finally going to mercifully end, Shoku, Kanan, and Junrei all suddenly raised their heads in unison, as though hearing something that only they could. The others watched as the three sisters closed their eyes, listening to their master’s call.
D stiffened and watched guardedly. He’d actually expected something like this, and wondered what young Chris could have possibly...
*AS OUR MASTER DESIRES, IT SHALL BE GRANTED--* Shuko, Kanan, and Junrei opened their eyes and looked at the doors that led to the Crystal Chamber.
***
At the corner of his eye, Leon saw a flash of light from behind him. He turned his head slowly, wishing he still had his police issued handgun.
Bright light that shouldn’t have been, was coming through the spaces around Chris’ bedroom door. For some reason, Leon knew that there was nothing to be worried about. He stood, looking at the door with indecision at first, then moved to kiss his sleeping brother goodbye…
***
The others turned to look in the direction Honlon was staring at fixedly.
One of the doors to the Crystal Chamber was opening slowly, and a tall, familiar, human form stepped from behind it.
Anyone who wasn’t kami, or dragon gasped.
Kanan closed her eyes, let out an agonized wail, and dropped her head to the floor.
Leon broke into a run, and was cradling Kanan’s head in his arms. “It’s okay, baby, I’m here. I’d never forget my girls,” he murmured sincerely.
Kanan whimpered shamelessly in her father’s arms, tears spilling freely from her eyes. “…thought you didn’t care about us…Dad…”
“Shit! Y’haven’t hit your teenage years already, have ya?” He laughed softly and kissed the opalescent fluid streaming down from Kanan’s eye without thought…
“LEON!!!” D suddenly exclaimed, and began running towards the human.
Leon didn’t look. He held Kanan even tighter, expecting D to try and pull him away and force him out of their lives again. In another moment, he gasped, and felt himself being held against another body as his body start to burn, and his stomach heave…
D held Leon, as the others watched in confusion while the human cried out between spells of vomiting on the floor.
“Drinking the tears of a dragon, such as ourselves, will cause a human to cease aging for a thousand years…” Shuko informed the others, “…after the process of change takes place.”
The others began cheering raucously.
Leon felt a tongue the size of a cow’s licking the side of his face as Kanan kissed him over and over. “I’m okay, baby…” he tried to reassure his daughter with a caress of his hand on her neck. “Heaven help us if you see me with a cold,” he tried to joke feebly.
“I’m afraid that will never happen…in the next thousand years,” D announced with deep amusement.
Despite the coughing fits in between vomiting spells, Leon grinned. “No complaints from me.” His arm clenched around Kanan’s neck to punctuate his statement. “Missed you, beautiful,” he whispered to Kanan.
“Y-you think I’m beautiful?” Kanan asked in disbelief.
Leon chuckled weakly, “I’m a biased father, sweetheart. I’d try and punch out anyone that said anything otherwise.” After D gave him a wet cloth and a drink of tea, he reached over to kiss Kanan’s nose tenderly.
“Will you tell me about our grandmother?” Kanan asked eager.
“You damn well better believe I will, sweetheart,” Leon told Kanan with another kiss.
“Language, Leon,” D admonished softly.
“Yes, dear,” Leon answered with a satisfied smirk.
“Your grandmother was one of the most exquisite creatures in the world…” Leon began telling Kanan, and her sisters, after the nausea had passed.
D didn’t correct. If anything, he couldn’t believe there was anything more right…