*Disclaimer is the same as the first chapter. Elizabeth and Sherry are mine.
**Warnings: Nothing really. Just the usual.
Cerberus froze in shock as she landed quite literally into a world of noise and sound, and people. Loud wailing and screeching noises assaulted her ears and she turned to see a great black beast stopped in front of her, eyes glowing, growling at her, it's human passenger looking quiet angry himself and the wailing noise came again.
"Move that dog out of the road!" He yelled and she started quickly dashed to the side of the black pavement, dodging more of the growling beasts as she went. She paused once she reached an apparently safe section that had people walking, some of which who were casting concerned glances her way. She stood quietly in a shadowed corner and tried to calm her racing heart. Once she had a bit more perspective of the beasts she realized they weren't beasts at all just a much advanced and faster form of the automobiles she had encountered on her last brief visit to the surface.
People seemed to dress differently too, none of the nicer clothing, dresses and suits that she had seen much of before. Women were also wearing more so some kind of blue pants and the sleeves on shirts seemed to be cut what used to be scandalously short. She had known fashion had changed but to see so much of it, and to see so much color all at once was rather startling after so long spent down below in the dark.
Buildings were tall enough to remind her of the stories of giants that her mother had always told her of as a child. They had been a few tall buildings the last time she was here but these made those seem like ants. How much could the world have changed since she last saw it, the answer was apparently quite a lot. At least the language for the most part hadn't changed though she couldn't quite make out what some people meant by some of the words, didn't cool mean cold? It certainly was not cold out it was almost unbearably hot. A pair of colorful sandals stopping in front of her and a hand tentatively held in front of her nose had her thoughts shattering into a million pieces and she warily pressed herself up against the wall behind her, a confused whine slipping out.
"Elizabeth! You cannot just go around introducing yourself to random animals! What if she was inclined to bite or had rabies? Or both?!" A harried voice asked and an older woman's hand drew the younger's back from her face. Cerberus relaxed a bit, so the girl had meant to be friendly.
She looked up at the duo. The older woman was dressed very nicely, hair pulled up into a complicated hair style. But her face contained mostly smile lines. The girl seemed to be in her early teens and wore a very short version of the same blue pants that she had seen on those around her as well as a beautiful purple shirt. She too didn't seem threatening and Cerberus extended her senses beyond what she could physically see to glimpse their souls. She relaxed completely at seeing the kindness and willingness to help there. She perked up her ears as the younger female, Elizabeth, began to speak.
"But Mom, look at her! She's so thin, and it looks like someone hasn't been to kind to her, you can see the scars even through her fur. Maybe she just needs someone to be nice to her? Can we keep her please? Even just for a night? I know daddy has service in the morning but surely she would be fine in the house by herself?! Please Mom?" The girl pleaded and Cerberus was a bit amused to see she didn't seem to breathe until she had said her piece. The mother looked down at Cerberus in concern.
Cerberus wagged her tail and smiled, tongue lolling out in the heat as she panted, trying to look friendly. The mother sighed and threw up her hands slightly,
"Fine, but first we are taking her to the vet, I won't bring her inside and have her giving us all fleas. Then we will see what your father says." Cerberus flattened her ears back slightly at the mention of fleas. As if she would ever have such mangy little pests crawling through her fur and biting her! Elizabeth smiled brightly,
"Come on then Shadow," she paused and then nodded to herself, "Yup, Shadow is what I am going to call you. A quick trip to the vet and when you get home you can have all the hot dogs and pizza you want!" Cerberus wasn't quite sure what hot dogs and pizza were but the mother seemed quite against the idea.
"Hot dogs and Pizza? Certainly not, dog food will suit her just fine Elizabeth." She said as the three of them started to walk down the street towards an area where a lot of the automobiles were parked.
Once they'd arrived at a particularly large blue automobile a back door was opened and Elizabeth tried to motion her to jump inside. Cerberus looked up nervously, actually ride in one of these death traps? They had to be kidding right? Right?! Elizabeth motioned again slightly impatient and Cerberus balked again before looking at the area around her and knowing she would have no idea how to survive in this new advanced world without some help. With a slight grumble she leapt up into the car her feet scrabbling for purchase on the slippery seats. Once inside she sequestered herself down in a corner on the floor figuring that was safest, even if it meant she couldn't see out the window.
Elizabeth smiled in at her from the still open backdoor,
"Don't worry Shadow, it's a quick trip to the vet, and then an even shorter one home."
Cerberus looked at her skeptically as she shut the door and the automobile started with a rumble that vibrated up through her paws and made her clench her eyes shut for a moment in fear. Why did this world have to be so complicated?
Cerberus certainly did not enjoy the ride to the vet, the constant movement, speeding up, slowing down, a couple of screeching halts. She did not like this mode of travel at all. Eventually they stopped for a longer period of time and the engine was turned off. Elizabeth and her mother climbed out and the backdoor was soon opened and Elizabeth appeared in the opening holding a collar and a leash.
"Come here Shadow, I promise this won't hurt a bit, but we can't take you into the vet without a leash and collar, it's just not allowed." She said holding the collar out towards Cerberus. Cerberus glared at the contraption, it reminded her too much of the chains that had held her captive in hell. Still it was made of fabric, that should be easy enough to chew through especially considering her naturally stronger senses, body, and thus teeth. She flickered her vision again and looked once more at the souls of the two in front of her, nothing had changed, they didn't mean her any harm. With that in mind she moved warily forward and Elizabeth slipped the collar around her neck.
The leash was quickly clipped to it and Cerberus clambered down out of the car and allowed herself to be lead along the side of a building until they came upon a glass door through which they entered into a room that contained many animals, and smelled of many more. First sniff brought the scents of at least 10 different cats and 30 different dogs to her nose, as well as various small rodents and even one goat. Most of them though had already passed through and the only other animals in the waiting room were a tired looking tabby cat and energetic Saint Bernard puppy.
Both looked up with their owners at the arrival of their small group. The cat looked at her in vague interest as if knowing that she was looking at something beyond the ordinary dog. Even the Saint Bernard Puppy despite its clear urge to run up and greet this new strange canine held back nervously not quite sure of what to think of her. Cerberus rolled her eyes and making sure she only spoke in the common tongue of animals tried to reassure them,
"I don't bite if that's what you're wondering. I've even been told I'm quite friendly." The cat just nodded and laid her head back down and watched the proceedings with interest. The puppy ran up to her barking out a greeting tail wagging furiously, which earned a protest from her owner,
"I am so sorry, she's really friendly I promise!" the man said trying desperately to contain the wriggling excited pup. Elizabeth just laughed,
"That's okay I'm pretty sure Shadow here is friendly too. How old is your puppy?" She asked and while the two humans started their conversation, Cerberus and the puppy became acquainted. After a liberal round of sniffing and licking in greeting that involved much wagging of tails the pup finally asked,
"So what are you?" Cerberus looked down at it and chuckled and answered,
"I am Cerberus, guardian to the gates of hell, older than you could probably imagine too." The puppy tilted it's head in confusion,
"So are you a dog then?" Cerberus huffed in amusement,
"As much of a dog as you are just a bit bigger, more durable, intelligent, not offense, and I do also have a human form." The pup stared at her for a long while thinking,
"Then why are you being lead around on a leash like one of us? Especially if you have a human form?" Cerberus sighed, she wasn't quite sure of the answer to this one herself but,
"I have been trapped in hell for a long time and the world has changed greatly in the time I have been gone, I need a few days to get used to everything and what better way to learn than to live with humans for that time?" The pup nodded slightly,
"Makes sense to me." He turned slightly as his owner called to him and tugged on his leash,
"Looks like it's time for me to go, I just hope I don't have to get shots this time, those things hurt!" He said cheerfully as he walked away. Cerberus noticed that Elizabeth's mother had sat down in a chair next to her and was filling out some kind of paperwork. After much debate back and forth between mother and daughter as to what breed she was, how old she was, etc. Which Cerberus found very amusing considering some of their guesses, they were taken back into a small room with a shiny table that Elizabeth had her hop up onto.
Cerberus turned her head as the doctor entered, quickly reading her soul, relaxing when she found much the same she had with Elizabeth and her mother. Though the poor woman had an interesting childhood and past that had lead her to where she had been today. Nothing that had left to bad of a stain on her soul though there were some grey areas that didn't shine quite as bright.
Cerberus shook herself as she realized that the three humans had been talking and the doctor had slipped gloves on and was now examining her. The woman's aura got sadder and sadder as she took in her condition, Cerberus supposed she really must look a fright, she hadn't needed food in hell, but it had still taken it's toll, leaving her fairly thin. The scars adorning her from the battle out and her time spent at the gate probably couldn't look to good either. As the vet relayed her results to the family Elizabeth started crying and both of their aura's dimmed in grief. Cerberus stared at them all in wonder, they were saddened by what happened to her? It appeared not all of humanity was as bad as those who had entered the gate, she had known this, but she was grateful for the proof to be standing around her in that small examination room.
She was given an almost clean bill of health with orders to feed her plenty and be careful around some of the older wounds in case they were still sore, they left after the mother had filled out the rest of the paperwork and paid the bill. Cerberus happily crunched on a bacon flavored treat as they left with the receptionist calling a goodbye to Sherry after them. Shadow paused in her chewing, Sherry? The mother returned the friendly goodbye and Cerberus would have blushed had she been human, she hadn't even bothered to learn the lady's name! So it was Sherry and Elizabeth who had taken her in, and she still had yet to meet this mysterious father, who she had gathered worked at the local church.
As they climbed in the car for the journey home, Cerberus watched the other cars driving by and wondered what had happened to Dean Winchester and to Castiel. She hoped they had gotten out okay and back to Earth with no problems. She also hoped that she would be able to sleep when they reached the house, she was tired, she hadn't had a chance to rest since Castiel had first appeared in hell. Life was finally looking up after almost 60,000 years in hell, 500 earth years. Hopefully things would stay that way, but when had she ever been that lucky?
AN:/ Well here's the second chapter for today. The next few chapters don't have a lot really happening in them, but the events that occur will be very important later on in the story and are important for Cerberus's entrance into our time. Thanks for reading! -Robin