Dog Days of Summer

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

Chapter 5 (War and Peace)

"You've been really quiet, Tori." She looked back to Beck and Jade with a shrug. "What are you thinking about?"

"What our friends said about us." There was no way of knowing how long they'd been walking aimlessly around the ranch. It was nice to see all the different animals, and on occasion they saw another dog or cat that was either part of the kennels. Most of the animals said there were two main dogs that lived on camp, an old Golden Retriever that belonged to Clarence, and the Doberman. "Cat, of all people, really just tore into us."

"Who would have thought they'd think so little of us," Jade replied, "But then I'm not surprised." They did treat the two like lesser parts of the group, so there was no disagreement that they might have said some things that were less than appropriate. "Anyway, you heard what Trina said about the veterinarian? Do you think she's going to take us there?"

"Well I know a thing or two about rescue workers-not much, but I know the first thing they do is give the dog a check-up." She didn't like the thought of vaccinations, but the more she thought about it, the more she grew fearful of a much different task. "What do you think would happen if they chose to spay and neuter?"

Beck stumbled towards the right, and Jade stopped moving for a long moment. Tori watched as the shock and realization settled over them like a cloud of rain. "W-We have different body parts as dogs. If they spay and neuter, how will that affect us when we're human again?" Jade cleared her throat and took a slow step backwards. "I understand the importance of it…dear god, Beck may need to be neutered!"

"What!" Beck choked on his saliva and nearly fell onto the ground. "I don't want to be snipped, man. I'm too young for that!"

"Well, if we go into heat, like most female pups do. That could be a problem." Jade smirked at Beck while Tori shook her head. She watched his eyes grow large and he quickly sat down, gazing at his paws.

"If dogs could sweat, you'd see me sweating."

"Relax, I'm sure that won't happen," Tori remarked. She wasn't truthfully certain, but it would be better for them not to think about it. Unless they heard Trina or Clarence say it had to happen, then there was no reason to stress over it. "If it does, then we'll worry about it."

"If it does? I don't want to lose my baby-maker!" Tori laughed as Jade rolled her eyes and walked off. "Maybe we won't have to worry about it because we're human. We won't act on impulse, right?"

"I don't know, Beck. I've had a lot of strong urges that dogs have. If I find a piece of leather, god help me if it's Grandpa's shoe." She looked around for Jade and saw the girl squatting behind a bush. "And look, Jade's already taking in her canine urges!"

Jade snapped her gaze over and let out a loud exclamation. "Don't watch!" The girl moved over to a nearby tree and sniffed it. "Hey, someone urinated her-why do I care?" Her nose twitched and she slowly lifted her head, blinking at something in a nearby brush. "There's someone, or something over here guys."

"Be careful."

"What is it?" Jade crouched low and started to crawl towards the brush. Tori was amused by the sight, but couldn't help the feeling that Jade ought to back away. "Smells like another dog." Not surprising considering they'd ran into most of the kennel puppies already.

An enormous bark shattered the silence around them and made the hair on Trina's back stand on end. Jade rolled back and yelped as a tall, black Doberman stepped out of the brush. Tori's heart stopped suddenly as she met the dog's golden eyes. "Do you mutts always approach things without caution?" The Doberman slammed his paw on the ground and ripped out another loud bark. "Stand at attention! Straight line. About face!"

"We'd better do as he says," Tori hissed and stood straight. Beck and Jade followed suit. This had to be Ares, but he was more intimidating than she expected him to be. "You must be Ares."

"I am the dog that runs this farm, and you three are simply passing by." This was a hardened and seasoned dog, from what Tori could tell. His age far exceeded the young age of the animals the group had transformed into. "State your purpose."

"Our, um, purpose?"

"Yes. I watch over these lands. I protect this farm and the owners, so I must investigate all new recruits." He leaned his head towards her, poking his snout within an inch of her face. She pulled her head back and lifted her front left paw. "I have been watching you three. Arriving so neatly tucked in the bed of the owners' truck. I would be skeptical they would put three rescue animals in the back without having put up a net or something to protect you. They did not know you were back there!'

"That's true, we did sneak on."

"Aha!" He pulled his head up and narrowed his eyes, growling lowly at them. Tori stepped forward, her body trembled and her heart's racing intensified.

"We mean no harm. You see, this woman…she turned us into dogs. Trina-Trina is my sister. We have to find a way back to-"

"A likely story if I've heard one!" A lump formed in her throat as Ares's lips pulled back into a scowl. "Three interlopers intruding on the farm during a time when shrewd human businessmen are trying to purchase these lands. Could you be spies?"

She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the right. "Er-could we be what?"

"Ares, relax." A calm and shakier voice surrounded them, comforting the ears. Ares rolled his eyes and Tori turned her head to see a golden retriever walking slowly towards the group. His head was low to the ground and he moved as though his bones were riddled with arthritis. His eyes were gentle and soft, and his lips were curled into a pleasant smile. "Can't you see they're just pups? You cannot accuse every new pup of being a threat, or trying to scare them into not causing havoc on the farm."

"Someone has to make sure pups stay in order and don't get out of line. You remember Chester incident, Shadow. Damn pup broke out of the kennel and got the other pups to break out, then they ran amuck on the farm! We need order and control, old timer."

"Yes but you forget this is not war, they are children who do not know any better." Tori shifted her eyes between the two dogs and then looked towards her friends. They made no attempt to speak and were still shaking before Ares. The old dog turned to them and sat on his hind quarters. "Good afternoon pups, I am Shadow. I've lived on this farm for many years."

"Shadow?" Tori hesitated before taking a step towards him and getting a closer look. She remembered a golden retriever from when she was a child. It was nearly ten years ago, though. "Same golden retriever that was here when Trina and I were kids?"

"Possibly." Shadow laughed and stood up once more. He circled the trio and hummed gently. "So, you say you are Trina's sister, Tori? How is this possible?"

"We were cursed by some woman at a magic shop." Ares huffed and looked away while Shadow studied her. The dog nodded and tilted his head. "She had this orb and it was glowing, or humming, or something…we touched it and the next thing we know, we're dogs."

"Fascinating."

Ares raised an eyebrow at Shadow and huffed. "You don't honestly believe them? It doesn't even sound possible!" Shadow turned his tired eyes to Ares. Tori remained silent, so as not to interrupt or disrespect either as both clearly were considered to be treated with respect. That, and she didn't really want to anger them.

"Magic exists in many forms, Ares. To understand the unknown we must first learn to rationalize it, to study it, to embrace it and learn. Not everything is a constant state of combat."

"Not everything is peaceful, either."

"I know. These old bones have seen much and learned much. Being slower and much older, I'm no longer swift as you are. It has allowed me more time to stop and think, whereas you are in a constant state of motion and do not stop to think before you act or jump to conclusions. If you wish to question the sincerity of these pups, you must do so in a way that allows them to see you as an equal but an authority as well."

Shadow cleared his throat and looked towards the trio. "They are clearly frightened and confused. If they say a woman did something to them, whether it was turning them from human to dog, then we should consider the very real likelihood that they suffered a traumatic experience one way or another. They are not here to cause trouble, Ares. They are here because they have nowhere else to go. I assume that to be correct?"

"Yes sir," Tori replied. "Even my parents don't know what's going on, they think we're on a field trip. It's not that we lied about not going, but that we hadn't yet left. I don't think mom and dad would keep us around either."

"Your parents are busy people, true. Your father especially is likely under a lot of stress. He's had the unfortunate task of going against the owners because of a legal dispute over this land."

"Yeah, I've heard there's something going on, but not much. What's happening that Grandpa and Trina are worrying about?"

"They can't find the deed to the property," Ares sat down and spoke quietly. "Some people would like to buy this land and turn it into an extension of the city-maybe create a mall out here or something. As long as the owners can't locate the deed, and nobody purchases a new deed when or before Clarence passes, then they'll lose the farm."

Tori's blood ran cold and a gasp drifted from her lips. "That can't happen!" It sounded like there wasn't anything that could be done, but it still wasn't fair. "Well, it can't be anytime soon, right? Grandpa's doing just fine."

Shadow's eyes flickered with a glimpse of sorrow and Tori's heart was swallowed by a feeling of despair. "Unfortunately, Clarence's health has been failing him." Shadow walked off a few paces and turned his head to the sky. "Trina has been trying to get him to stop smoking so much, but he is a proud man and a fighter. I can feel it though, that smoke is getting to him." Tori whimpered and Shadow looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, life ends for us all eventually. My master and I both are old, and we've lived long, full lives. I hope we would be able to stick around long enough to see this farm preserved, but I fear our time will come."

"Grandpa, and you, will be just fine."

Clarence was eighty-five and still in good physical shape. The thought of losing her grandfather was too much to think about, especially since she saw him still walking around like he was in his fifties.

"It is nothing to fear, pup." No. He was wrong, death was something to fear because it was so final. She may not have ever lost anyone close to her, but she understood what came with death since her father worked his entire life in a career where some nights she honestly worried about whether he'd come back home.

"How can you talk about dying without fear?"

"When you've lived a full life you're not afraid," Ares remarked while walking past the group. Tori furrowed her brow and turned her head down as the Doberman breathed a heavy sigh. "Death is final, but it's a natural part of life. Spending your entire life fearing it keeps you from doing much of anything or accomplishing goals you have."

Shadow turned around with a smile and closed his eyes. "He is right." Her heart pulled forward within her. This was not a subject she wished to think too much on, especially since she understood so little of it. "I have lived a long and full life. I've seen things that have made me laugh and cry, I've gone adventures that I shall never forget. I truly have lived the fullest life, and when my time comes, I will gladly accept it without regret."

"I wonder…I wonder what Trina thinks about death, actually." She heard Beck and Jade gasp and shook her head at them. Shadow and Ares looked over, waiting for her to explain. "It must be hard for her. I can't think of Grandpa passing away, but…like you say it's natural, and when someone gets old…"

"Don't forget that Trina is very much in love with a man that is in the military, serving in another country. Every day she must think about whether or not he is coming home."

"Yeah…and then our dad's always been in the police force. Now she lives with Grandpa, I guess she's known death more and longer than I have, or at least thought about it."

Tori could hear the sound of horses galloping closer and looked to her right, smiling when she saw Trina racing back to the pens, laughing as Cat and Robbie trailed behind her. "You two are about to lose the bet!" Trina called out.

"You've been doing this longer!" Cat screamed in defense. "Plus your horse actually runs better. Not fair!" Tori smiled as the group passed them and ran into the pen. Sam's horse was in a small walk, with the girl shaking her head at the racers.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to get to know her sister and her friends a little more. Sure, it was still important they find a way to free themselves of the curse, but as a human she'd never get a chance to interact with her sister. Or at least that was what she thought.

Two of the "moral compass" that our main characters may need. A good talk they had, we probably won't see too much of Shadow or Ares since they're not the major players here, but they'll be around. Shadow's inspired by my favorite dog of my favorite movie growing up "Homeward Bound". The wise 'granddad' of the group in that movie. I'm sure my older readers have at least heard of the Homeward Bound movies, haha