Untitled, a pet shop of horrors fanfic

Incense and oolong tea could be smelled trough the shop. Every animal became chipper at the thought of a new arrival. As the bell rang, Count D lifted himself from his chair and glided toward the door. An old wizard with a tattered cotton cape and staff held a golden cage containing a large red bird. D reached out to accept it as the man walked into the shop.

"Beautiful place you have…" He said with his voice raspy from the journey.

"Thank you. What type of bird is this? You didn't say much over the phone." D inquired.

"Ah yes…this is special type of Phoenix. One of the last in existence. I bought him from a fellow who was moving to a shall we say a…colder climate." The man's eyes glowed yellow then returned to their normal deep gray. "I hope the lad doesn't harm anyone…" His eyes flashed again.

"Well, as always, I'm exited to receive a new addition to our shop… what does he eat?" D peeked inside the cage searching for the food dish.

"Ah, I almost forgot…" The man lifted his hand to the cage. His finger glowed as a dish of regular bird food appeared inside the cage. The wizard put his hood up, warned D of what not to do with the bird, said goodbye and vanished. D smiled then walked to the back room.

He opened the cage and let him fly free with the other birds. They quickly accepted the phoenix and began to chat away. Just as the count had become comfortable upon the couch with his tea, the door slammed open. Orcot stormed in.

"What came this time count! I saw a strange man! What did he bring?"

"Ah, detective. Wonderful to see you again. He only brought a rare phoenix…no need to be alarmed. Oolong?" D held out his cup to Orcot. The cop grumbled then stormed out. D smiled as he looked down at the little kitten pawing his leg. The bell rang once again and he scooped up the kitten with his hand. "Shall we go see who's there?" D asked. The kitten licked his cheek as she purred. D opened the door.

"I wanna pet!" A chipper little blond girl with bright blue eyes bounced in front of the count. He nodded.

"What are you looking for?" D continued to pet the kitten sitting in his hand. The phoenix flew from the other room to sit upon D's shoulder. The girl pointed at the bird with her eyes wide.

"0o0o0o….I want that…"

"Alright. I'm glad Kirito will have a home. Fill out this contract, and bring your parents here." D gave her the birdcage with the contract. Kirito flew inside the cage as she handed the contract back to D after signing it.

"Marilee…I thought I told you to wait for me." Her mother took the cage from Marilee. "Oh, wonderful choice. Thank you Count."

"Be sure to follow the contract:

Feed and love him

Keep him in a warm room in your own home

Never remove his feathers.

Please enjoy you new pet, Marilee." D's lips curled into a smile.

Marilee had violated the rules by giving Kirito to a friend for the weekend. The friend pulled out a few of Kirito's feathers to sell for high prices inside a random shop. Weeks passed as the people of China town grew angry.

Kirito became mischievous and insane, terrorized the town and injured people in the process. Little children went missing as the bird became carnivorous. The people went to D begging him to remove the beast from the town.

The shop turned in to protesting grounds as a riot started. D became disorientated while mob swarmed him. He backed into a table. Tea spilled, dishes shattered, ash from the incense flew everywhere and clogged the air.

In the corner, Kirito squawked loudly, flapping and squirming to break the chain around his ankles. Suddenly the crowd was terrified of the bird. They immediately grew silent. Orcot came barging in to scream at D once again.

"You accepted an animal from a wizard? What's wrong with you Count!"

Orcot tried to usher the people out of the shop, but they stood there terrified.

"I didn't see a problem with it!" D defended himself.

Marilee was so enthralled by the beast she was drawn to it like a magnate. Her arm extended up to his beak.

"Don't touch it!" Orcot shouted vainly. The little girl already disobeyed. Orcot continued screaming at her to move away from the beast, yet it had already devoured her. The man-eating phoenix glowed, revealing the child's silhouette in his stomach. He burst into flames along with the whole shop.

Smoke polluted the air. Screams of children and parents from days ago still echoed in his mind. Reduced to a pitiful creature wandering the streets, the famous count had become hated by all. His clothing dirty, torn and wet, he had tried to find a place to live.

For days, D lacked food and shelter. No one in China town wanted him in their homes. They had spit in his face, cursing him, damning him and expressing their hate for him. Not only did one little girl die, half the town was in ruins with numerous children and people dead, hurt or missing.

Each night all he could do was return to the same place.

Count D slumped against the steps of what was once his beloved pet shop. The building still smoldering behind him was no more than mounds of ash. During the cold October night, rain poured upon him as he thought about what had gone wrong.

- - - - - - - -

"You accepted an animal from a wizard? What's wrong with you Count!"

Orcot tried to usher the people out of the shop, but they stood there terrified.

"I didn't see a problem with it!" D defended himself.

The little girl was so enthralled by the beast she was drawn to it like a magnate. Her arm extended up to his beak.

- - - - - - - -

A dark clocked figure appeared before the count. Looking up, he saw Orcot under the hood. No sympathy radiated from Orcot. Instead, he was viciously glaring.

"China Town isn't what it used to be…" D whispered. His voice was groggy and monotone from the crying he had done. The cold weather didn't help either.

"That's all you can say…? After THAT?" Orcot spat. D sat silent with blank, lifeless eyes. In a fit of rage, Orcot lifted D by his collar. "Say something!" D's eyes slowly looked to the dark, gloomy sky.

"For the first time…I regret accepting an animal…." A single tear slipped down D's face. Shocked, Orcot dropped D then stumbled back down a step.

"You lie…you never have cared for the innocents hurt by these beasts! I warned you once the phoenix came here! I warned you that if anything happened I would bring you down!" Orcot's hands balled into fists until his knuckles turned white. "Still nothing to say?" His fist rose to swing at D. Before contact, D spoke.

"Before…judging me…listen…" D slowly rose to his feet. Back arched and head down he wobbled toward Orcot. Slowly, he stretched his arms out and wrapped them around the cop.

"Honestly…I'm sorry for… all of it." D whispered in Orcot's ear. Then, he fell unconscious. Orcot's eyes grew wide once he realized how cold and pale D's skin was against his cheek.

D's arms fell as he slumped against Orcot.

"Count! Wake up!" Immediately, he caught D and shook him. The weight of the count made him fall to his knees. As he sat there holding D, he felt horrible for what he had said. Sacrificing himself to the cold, he ripped his cloak off and wrapped D in it. He noticed a gash in D's chest with piece of metal inside. Blood quickly soaked through the cloak.

"The explosion…he had this in him the past few days…" Orcot grew anxious. He put as much pressure as possible on the wound. "Damn! No wonder he wasn't moving much!" Blood ran down Orcot's hands. Orcot kissed D's cold lips in hopes to return life to him.

A pile of ash rustled. A little girl emerged and shook her head. Soot flew from her golden locks.

"Mommy?" she asked innocently. Her bright blue eyes were wide with curiosity. As she spotted the two men, her head tilted to the side. Orcot stared at her confused. A pair of red phoenix wings emerged from her back.

His eyes grew wide as the girl floated over and laid her head on D's chest. With a glowing tear, the wound was healed. Color returned to D's face.

Yes, I know.
I'm evil.