6/5/12

Dear Readers,

I was informed today that FF is removing all M rated fics and cancelling accounts with stories depicting sex or violence. For that reason I have edited the first chapter in this story. I will not be continuing this fic here, until later notice, as I do not wish to have my account terminated or lose all the lovely reviews you have sent me.

It is a little hard to write FF for a fic that has these element (well, not so much violence as sex) as its heart.

Please write support at FF and ask them to reinstate the MA rating so that authors can have the freedom to write what they want to. In the meantime, I will be looking for another place to post my stories. Until then I will miss you all.

Hopefully FF will reinstate the MA rating. If they do and I know my stories will be free from censure, I will happily repost the missing chapters. In the meantime, please PM me if you would like notification when and where my stories new home will be.

Sincerely,

Don't Preach

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Togainu no Chi, nor Madman Dog Show, nor Milk Milk, nor Black Milk

Reigning Cats and Dogs

Chapter One

Shiki was wandering through the castle, enjoying the malignant click of his boot heels on the polished wood floors. He brought his foot down a little harder and listened to it echo throughout the vaulted corridor.

This morning he had killed enough to thoroughly drench his katana in blood. Now he had twenty minutes to kill, which was ironically much harder on him, as Shiki wasn't the kind to just stand still… ever.

One of Arbitro's minions had recently informed him that the master was running late. Shiki was incensed with this, as he was not a man who expected to have to wait for anyone. If anything in fact, it was meant to be the other way around.

Normally, he would have left, but Arbitro was already in deep shit because his last payment had ended up short. This new breach in protocol was something else to add to the masked man's offenses. Shiki would just tack this to the impending punishment. The assassin's red eyes gleamed at the prospect.

Shiki had been so bored lately that making his distributor squirm promised him at least some measure of enjoyment in an otherwise lackluster week.

The assassin whirled suddenly when he heard a soft noise behind him. His hand had his sword half out of its scabbard until he realized it was Arbitro's lapdog Kau.

The dog-boy hesitated, catching Shiki's blood spiced scent. A low whine burred in the creature's broken throat and Shiki watched in amusement as the boy pressed his body against the paneled wall as he scuttled by on all fours.

Shiki smirked at this. It was no secret that Kau was frightened of him. "As he should be," Shiki thought with a smile.

He was surprised to see the youth on his own and wondered how he'd managed to get off the short leash his master usually kept him on. Watching the leather clad pup travel down the hall with such determination, Shiki decided to follow.

He found himself hoping for the off chance the boy would lead him to his master and Shiki could begin berating Arbitro for whatever nonsense the man was engaged in and they could get down to the brass tacks of their business arrangements.

"So we're on an adventure are we Kau?" Shiki muttered under his breath as the dog-boy wended his way through parts of the palace the assassin hadn't previously ventured into.

Shiki picked up his pace and if Kau was aware that he was being followed, the youth didn't show it. The dog's red eyed shadow paused when Kau suddenly veered and darted through an open door. Cautiously Shiki stepped up to the threshold. Before he saw inside the room he heard a familiar voice's unstable and teasing tones.

"Come on, Kitty! You're just being stubborn now. You're just going to make it harder on yourself if you don't be good." An insane chuckle sounded, "Naughty Kitty is already making things hard for its master, heh heh."

Shiki stepped forward, but the smell of blood hung so heavy in the air, his step faltered for just a split second. Crimson eyes took in the filth and general disarray of the room before they fell on the tattooed back of one of Arbitro's favored enforcers.

The buffed, blond, Gunji, had both hands wrapped in a chain. One end was bolted to the wall. The man was in the act of trying to pull something, obviously very reluctant, on the other end of the chain out from under the western style bed that occupied the middle of his disheveled room.

The executioner was so intent on his activities; he didn't notice Shiki in the door or Kau for that matter, until the dog-boy had crawled right up alongside him.

Gunji felt the pressure, when Kau rubbed up against his leg. The blond looked down and used the side of his calf to move the boy aside. His first inclination was to kick the lad, but he restrained himself, knowing how upset that would make Papa Arbitro. Daddy didn't like it when people were too rough with his pet.

This was just one reason Gunji was so delighted to have a pet of his own at last. One he could treat however he wanted. Plus, the executioner just loved the faces his "Pochi" kitty made when he was lavished with all his master's cruel attentions.

Despite the fact he'd been brushed off, Kau persisted and moved back again next to Gunji and began to try and wiggle under the bed.

"Come on, Tama, out!" Gunji growled. He laughed when a low rumble was heard from beneath the bed, when Kau's head disappeared under it. "See!" The executioner chuckled as he reached a tattooed arm out to grab the back of Kau's tight leather pants and pull the youth out. "Pochi doesn't want you bothering him either!"

Kau whined deep in his throat at being thwarted and Gunji laughed outright. He'd let the pup fuck his kitten a while back and ever since then, anytime he could, the dog-boy was back now begging for more.

Gunji's laughter died in his throat, however, when he heard a voice purr behind him. "So blondie, what do you have there? I'm curious."

The enforcerer turned and his crazy eyes narrowed for just a moment before they dropped. Gunji cursed himself: he had taken off his claws upon returning to his room and was now standing before Shiki weaponless, never a good idea.

Truthfully, there were few things the crazy blond was afraid of, but even Gunji was not so insane as to ignore the threat that Shiki's appearance carried. "He's my pet!" Gunji declared defensively. "Papa said I could have one and I'm not sharing!" He growled this second part of his statement, but under Shiki's bloody gaze the last bit of this trailed off rather uncertainly.

"Of course," Shiki crooned and inside he smirked at the confusion this tone brought into the blond's expression. "I just want to see what you have there, sport."

The raven-haired assassin was curious as to what sort of pathetic creature it was the madman was harboring. Looking at the weight of the chain held in Gunji's black nail polished fingers it was obviously no real cat, the links were far too heavy.

"Okay, Shikitty." Gunji just gave the assassin a crazed smile and turned back to the bed. "Come on. Pochi!" Gunji coaxed with false sweetness, just before he gave the chain a ferocious yank.

Obviously what was under the bed had dropped its guard while the two men were talking and the vicious tug caught it by surprise.

Shiki heard a rough bark of pain as a pale body was hauled halfway out from beneath the bed.

The assassin's eyes widened at the young male who lay gasping amidst the garbage on Gunji's filthy floor. The pale, silvered hair was severely matted with filth and old blood. The chain was connected to his manacled hands and these attached by another chain to the steel collar around his neck.

All of this was a sight to behold, but what caused Shiki to snort with surprise, was when Gunji grabbed the boy's matted mop and lifted his head and sparkless turquoise eyes stared up at him.

"Akira?" Shiki breathed.