Disclaimer: I do not own Petshop of Horrors, only my OCs here.

Note/Acknowledgement: There could be some grammatical/typo-spelling errors (since I'm too lazy to proof-read, some OOC, lots of OCs…I wrote this out of boredom XP. Though I often imagine that if Count D was real and actually had a pet shop and if he chooses to set his shop in our country, he might set the shop in Binondo. Oh well, hope you emjoy reading this fic XP. So technically, this is set in an AU.

Adarna

Chapter 1

My home, present day, around 9:00am.

I woke up with a grumpy face and a grumpy mood.

"Damn! I can't remember it again. It's been almost 3 months that this is happening! I CAN'T REMEMBER EVERYTHING! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Hey keep it down! What's with you! Why are you shouting in the middle of the afternoon?" My mom yelled angrily at me from the kitchen.

"I can't remember my dream!" I whined.

"Well, dreams are like that! Deal with it!"

My eyes rolled in exasperation.

"Emz? Are your eyes rolling? Don't let me see your eyes rolling or you're so gonna get it!"

My eyes grew wide in surprise. How the hell did she know? Tsk! Mothers.

I swung my feet off my bed and walked directly to my aquarium without even combing my messy black hair. I crouched and leveled my face in front of it to get a good view of my guppies. Oh look, my guppies are so happy to see me! They were swimming towards my direction only to be blocked by the transparent glass panel of the fish tank.

"Master, we're hungry! Feed us! Feed us!" I heard their voices in my head.

"I know right," I answered thoughtfully, "Here you go." I poured the fish food into the aquarium.

After that, they became so quiet.

"Delicious huh?" I asked them thoughtfully. None of them bothered to answer. They're too busy with their dinner.

Suddenly, a female guppy swam towards me and looked at me straight in the eyes. She was just staring in fact.

"What's the matter? Full already?" I asked her thoughtfully.

"Master, I see that you are troubled with your dreams," it said suddenly which had taken me aback.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Well, I just heard you yelling," it answered.

"Riiiigghhhhttt.." I declared loudly with a facep-alm, that sounded like a 'duh!'.

"I know someone who could help you?"

"Who?"

I knew being able to communicate with animals through telepathy is abnormal. I was like Dr. Dolittle or something. Is my spelling of Dr. Dolittle right? Oh well, like anyone cares. Anyway, this gift, or at least I called it a "gift" (like Anne Rice uses the term on her vampires' extra powers), I consider it as quite an advantage. Maybe you already have an idea why. But it doesn't mean that you can communicate with animals means the animals that you talk to are always cooperative…Most of them are as stingy and as uncooperative as we humans, too.

Several awkward consequences were inevitable though. If other people saw me making conspicuous reactions towards my pets, of course, they would look at you funny, think of you funny. I already knew that I was a weirdo to them. Probably, my mother also thought of me that way, only that she was already used to it. I did not bother making confessions though, about this animal telepathy and, this being able to enter a different word through dreams. Those dreams were very important to me, really; especially, being able to remember them. I don't want to elaborate about it, because that was already a completely different story. I also did not bother telling it to anyone or to my mom. I feared that she might actually send me to the nut house if I did. So I chose to just shut up about it.

Hours later, I groomed myself for a long trip to find a person called Count D whom I was told, has settled in Binondo, Manila almost a year ago. He's the only one who can help me find a certain mythical bird that can solve my problem. Mythical-and just a minute ago I was arguing with my guppy that that bird was just a legend. My reasoning, however, was defeated when she told me, "Isn't it proof enough that you have the ability to communicate with us through your mind? That you are able to reach other worlds through your dreams? How come there is still a place for impossibility in your conviction if these are all happening?"

Yep, she's right. Cute, clever, little fishy she is, isn't she? You won't find a guppy like that in any stream so easily. Guess I'm doomed to have her. And yes, you can imagine me wearing an awkward smile when I think about it.

All ready, geared up with everything I need for this journey, I walked out from our home. I was already a couple of meters away from our gate when I noticed two of my male cats walking along with me side by side. I stopped immediately; whirled and walked back towards our gate. My cats walked back, too. Then after reaching our gate, I whirled again and walked away. Still they followed. I stopped again and whirled to face them.

"WHAT THE HELL do you think the two of you are doing? Alce! Vampi!" I railed at them, a nerve swelling on my temple. Then, realizing that I railed too loud, I looked around warily to see if someone saw me. Fortunately, there's no one. Our street was not always full of people in such hour.

"Isn't it obvious? We want to go with you!" Alce answered.

"We'll accompany you in finding the Adarna!" Vampi said. I could sense him wearing a smirk. And you can imagine me having back my grumpy mood.

"Have the two of you been eavesdropping on me and my guppies?" I asked with a scowl and akimbo.

"Always," Alce and Vampi answered enthusiastically in unison.

"NO. You're not coming with me," I declared firmly and exasperatedly. I could sense my pets pouting.

"Why not?" Vampi inquired, saddened.

"Because pets are not allowed in this journey!" I declared firmly with a swing of an arm as if cutting the air in front of me in half, "You'll just get in my way and will trouble me by watching the two of you not getting lost or not getting hit by some vehicles. I demand you to turn back and go home now!"

"Is that what you're so anxious about?" Alce inquired. Then he and Vampi looked at each other and nodded.

Suddenly, the two of them magically transformed into gorgeous human guys. I stumbled clumsily upon seeing this happen for finding it lame. Vampi transformed into a young handsome man with short black hair and golden eyes. His eyes still have that feline features on them. He was wearing a leather black vest which, thank god, was buttoned up. He was wearing black trousers and black boots. Seeing the whole of him, he emits that fierce aura around him.

Alce, on the other hand, transformed into that of a mild-mannered looking young man. Handsome even, but he did not look as conceited as Vampi. His hair was silver with some thin streak of black on each tips. His eyes were silver. He was wearing a black and gray, tiger-patterned long-sleeve shirt, a pair of white jeans and black leather shoes.

"Tadaa!" They declared with a post-arms spread wide open and knees bent. I'm so embarrassed for them I wish the earth would gape open and swallowed me now.

"What do you think master?" Alce asked me with a smile, "We won't be much of a burden now, would we?"

I answered him with a smack on his head. Vampi received it, too.

"Ow! What did we do?" They whined in unison while rubbing their aching crown.

"Transforming like that in the open. What if people saw you?" I glared at them. Vampi and Alce looked around warily.

The truth was, I really don't care anymore if someone actually saw them transformed. Like anyone would actually believe the witnesses if they tell others what they saw. And like anyone would bother to investigate. Eventually, Vampi and Alce would transform back into their cat form and they were somehow reliable on hiding the evidence. I trust them.

In the end, they went with me in my journey. Besides, even if I told them not to go, they would follow me eventually. Even if I hide from them, their noses were too keen to trace my scent. They were cats after all.

One of the things that I hate having them with me in a journey was the amount of attention we receive from people who see us. I already described what my cats look like in their human form didn't I? Imagine yourself seeing Bill Kaulitz and Chris Evans accompanying a nerd girl in a jeepney. I bet you'll go staring incredulously at them with wide eyes, gaping or murmuring even. Not to mention turning into some green-eyed monster. But you can also imagine me cringing from those stares and attention.

It took us almost 3 hours to reach Bonondo, Manila from our home. Binondo is the Manila Chinatown, and is the oldest Chinatown in the world. And as expected from the Chinatown you'll see Chinese restaurants, groceries, noodle houses and herbal stores, vendors selling fruits and Chinese delis.

"Master, I'm hungry," Alce whined as he pulled the sleeve of my shirt, which actually annoyed me because I was as hungry as him, too. Vampi, on the other hand, just snorted, but I know he felt the same.

Finally we decided to stop by the noodle house. Of course I ordered a noodle for myself. For Alce and Vampi however, I gathered all my courage to order a can of sardines for each of them. I tried hard to forget the vendor's reaction when he saw my cats in their human form eating just sardines, not to mention using only bare hands to pick the fishes and put them into their mouth. I made a nervous laugh, telling the vendor that my friends were foreigners and that the sardines and their behavior were in their culture. Apparently, the vendor was a bit stupid to accept my explanation. Fortunately, we also learned from him where we can find Count D's pet shop. After we finished our dinner, we headed straight to the pet shop based on the direction the noodle vendor had given to us. We found it in the farthest side of a certain alley along other Chinese stores. Well, we saw the sign "Count D's Petshop."

"I wonder if the store owner is actually a count?" I asked in no one in particular.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Vampi insinuated.

Since the store had the sign "OPEN" we entered without knocking, because I think knocking was no longer necessary. But then, a noise of people bickering, erupted in our ears the moment we had ourselves inside the store.

I saw two gorgeous women in intricate French outfit, like those worn by Marie Antoinette, lashing out on each other. The two seemed to be fighting over something, and a Chinese man with raven hair and womanly face was trying to stop the two.

Eventually, one of the women caught sight of me.

"What are you staring at you puny human!" She snarled at me. I blanched from her glare.

"Hey! How dare you talk to my master like that! Do you want me to bite off your head you arrogant birdie!" Vampi snarled back.

"Vampi stop it!" I demanded, blocking him with my arm as he attempted to advance. His golden feline eyes flaring.

"Che! You are not worth my time you mere street cat," she declared condescendingly, covering her smirk by her fan beautifully ornate with peacock feathers.

"Feh! Arrogant as always eh, Linda, no wonder he rejected you!" The other woman chuckled mockingly.

"Speak for your self, Calandra!" Linda bit back.

"Ladies please, stop this bickering already. I have a costumer," the Chinese man pleaded.

"Count, if you give him to me, I will fulfill your heart's greatest desire," the two women declared at the Chinese man in unison, drawing their faces close to him with intimidating eyes, which made the said man move a step backward, cringing from both of them. Then after the two women immediately realized that they had said the same line, they glared and growled at each other face to face.

"For a moment," I whispered to my cats, "I thought that the Chinese man was a woman.

"Well, he looks more womanly than you," Vampi said sarcastically. Annoyed, I nudged his side with my elbow.

"Count, I have great expectations from you. I shall come back and claim him once you have him here in your shop!" Linda announced as she stretched one slender arm, spreading the silk, translucent cloak attached on it like a bird wing. She darted one last sharp glare at me before she finally swayed her arm forward that made her silk cloak almost cover her, then magically, she transferred into a beautiful bird literally. If I had not mistaken, I saw a peacock hovering in the mid air before it vanished completely in thin air.

The count that seemed to be having a major headache, pressing some fingers against his temple, shook his head in dismay.

"Count, please don't listen to that conceited woman. Just because she thought she is the most beautiful in our race she thought she could claim everything and anyone so easily," Calandra said. I'm not sure if the count was even listening to her though, "Anyhow, I shall return, too and see him once you have him. I'll try to convince him to choose me over her myself. I bet Linda cannot do anything if she is rejected by him too." Calandra laughed and soon she, too, transformed into a bird, literally. She flew in circles for a short moment above us. If I'm not mistaken, she transformed into that of a Bird's of Paradise before she finally vanished in thin air like Linda.

Then I heard the Chinese man heaved a long disappointed sigh.

"Those ladies…," he said, barely in a whisper, "…don't listen even if I explained it to them so many times."

Finally, he took notice of me who was utterly flabbergasted by everything I've seen recently.

"Oh no! It means you have seen everything. I'm sorry for the recent commotion, really," he said with a nervous smile, pressing his palm against his cheek as he walked towards me. I noted those incredibly smooth milky white skin of his that almost made the green-eyed monster in me growl, but I slightly cringe seeing those long pointy nails on each of his slender fingers.

"Oh no, it's fine," I answered reassuringly, swaying my hand to wave off the uneasiness, "It's not like it's new to me, you know-animals transforming into their human form and vice …"

"Hmmm….I can see that," the count's eyes narrowed a bit, curling his finger under his chin as he stared at my two companions.

"In any case, welcome to Count D's petshop," he continued with a grin, raising his claw..er.. I mean his hand to introduce his shop, "This shop carries everything from domestic dogs and cats to wild beasts which just barely make it past the Washington treaty and all the fall in between. Although..." He stopped for a short moment as he stared at my two companions again, "Apparently, you already have a couple of cats with you."

"Actually, I have 6 of them," I corrected him shyly, rubbing my nape in nervousness, laughing slightly, "I also have more or less 40 guppies back at home and three dogs."

"Oh! You're quite the pet lover, aren't you?" The count commented with a faint chuckle, "So I take it that you're looking for something you wanted to add to your line of pet dogs, cats or do you want a new breed of fish to rear."

"Hahahahahaha!" I continued to laugh nervously, "Well, I know this sounds ridiculous, but I'm looking for a certain bird. I'm looking for Adarna. Now I know it sounds ridiculous since Adarna is just a bird in lege-."

"The Adarna. I see." The count said, "Actually, you are the third person who has come here looking for it."

This has utterly surprised me. If I'm the 3rd one who was searching for Adarna, could it be that the mythical bird is real?

"How about we sit for a while and have some tea with me," the count smiled at me as he invited me to sit on the couch, "Let's talk about this mythical bird you have come a long way away to search for."

…to be continued.