Find Those Puppies!

Job:

It had only been a day since she had joined Fairy Tail and already Ashaiya was heading for her first job. It sounded easy enough although for some reason, the redhead doubted it. Maybe it was because of the 1000 Jewels reward or perhaps it was her past history with animals. Puppies were energetic little mites who tended to end up everywhere if left alone for too long. She was looking forward to it though and not only would it give her some much needed cash but it would let her explore the town as well, something she would of got around to doing anyway, sooner or later. She was in good spirits and the teenager was looking forward to helping out the owner of the puppies with his dilemma. Ashaiya soon started to quicken her pace, not wanting to waste any time this morning, she needed to keep focused on the job at hand and try to avoid getting distracted.

Not getting distracted was easier said then done with all of the stores that Magnolia Town had to offer and Ashaiya was soon feeling tempted to visit them as she passed, her green eyes constantly being drawn from one shop window to the next. She chuckled as she walked, well aware of her own weaknesses and struggling inside to keep focused. Her year spent wandering the region had left her quite scatterbrained, although if you asked anyone who knew her as a child, they would say she had been that way since birth. Either way, it was a challenge for her to overcome but thankfully, she managed to keep control and soon found herself approaching the shop where the puppies had escaped from. A smile crossed her face as she opened the door and made her way inside, her eyes were drawn to the figure behind the till, who looked like he was about to faint.

"Hello, my name is Ashaiya and I come from the guild Fairy Tail. I have come about the job to find your lost puppies," she said politely with a smile, as she approached him. The owner quickly came around and started speaking in a panic, his face as white as a sheet, "Thank you so much for coming, if we don't find those puppies soon then I'm going to get a rollicking from the wife. I didn't mean to leave the pen open and now they are all over the place. Please mage, find them quickly, I beg of you." He was in an absolute state and Ashaiya reassuringly patted him on the shoulder, trying to help him relax a bit. She just could not help herself, hating seeing anyone upset or miserable. "I will find them before she gets back, there is no need to worry. I promise you that I will find them." As she was about to get started, the owner walked back to the till and rummaged around the counter for a moment, before walking back and handing the mage a box of puppy food. "Here, they love this and should come running. Hurry mage." With that he turned away as a customer entered the shop and Ashaiya left the shop quickly, picking up the puppies basket on the way out.

Placing the puppy food in to her back pack and carrying the basket under one arm, Ashaiya began her search, uncertain as to where the puppies could be hiding. The town was large and the little monsters could be anywhere and for the first ten minutes or so, she was at some what of a loss. It was only when she almost walked in to a pile of dog mess that she got her first clue and with a chuckle, Ashaiya began to follow the trail, which led her down an alleyway. It was darker here but the redhead's eyesight was superior to that of most humans and she made her way quite easily, her green orbs searching for more clues. She felt slightly impatient, given the fact she had to be quick with her task but forced herself to patience and she was soon rewarded, as she heard a soft puppy whine coming from in front of her.

Just as Ashaiya reached the source of the whining, she caught sight of the reason why the puppy was whining. Not only had she found the puppy but three large rats as well, scuttling towards the frightened pup, who was doing its best to stand its ground. The rats swiftly bailed when they caught sight of the mage though and quickly darted back in to the darkness, vanishing in an instant. Smiling, Ashaiya took out the dog food from her backpack and sprinkled some on to the ground. The puppy wasted no time and quickly gobbled up the food, its tail wagging as fast as it could, before the red headed mage bent down and picked it up. The puppy did not resist and instead gave the mage a lick on the face as she brought it to her eye level. Ashaiya chuckled and said to it, "I wonder where your brothers and sisters are?" She did not expect an answer of course but the puppy started sniffing and before Ashaiya knew what was happening, the puppy leaped out of her arms and started to lead the way, its nose to the ground, leaving the bewildered mage to follow.

As she followed the eager puppy, Ashaiya lightly slapped a hand to her forehead, wondering why she had been bewildered. Her brothers would have teased her endlessly for that, one of the first things she had learned as a child about dogs was their sense of smell. Anyway, she allowed the little tyke to lead the way, keeping an eye out for any rats or other animals which could put the pup in danger. Not that there was anything truly to fear, as any creatures would no doubt run at the sight of her. The puppy was oblivious to it all, lost in the trail of its brothers and sisters, its tail wagging so fast that Ashaiya thought it would come off, it was almost like a helicopter's rotor blade. She could not help but smile as it went about its work and after a few minutes, it turned to Ashaiya and barked before sprinting as fast as its little legs could carry it.

With another happy bark, the puppy turned a corner and disappeared and after a moment or two, a second happy bark could be heard. Grinning, Ashaiya followed and found herself with two identical looking puppies, both wagging their tails at her. Taking her backpack off again, the mage tipped some food on to the floor for the both of the and they quickly devoured it, causing the redhead to raise an eyebrow in surprise. She then placed the basket on the ground for them but neither of them seemed interested and both started to sniff the ground, trying to catch the scent of the other pups. All Ashaiya could do at this point was laugh and let them lead her to the others, trusting in their judgement. They were behaving perfectly for her and she could not be happier. The pups led her out of the alleys and began to lead her towards the park.

The duo of pups seemed to have an endless supply of energy and the pace quickened as they reached the entrance of the park. When they reached the park gates, they swiftly turned and barked towards Ashaiya, who quickly opened the gate for them, letting them continue with their important work. The pace quickened again but to Ashaiya's surprise, they began to growl, baring their tiny teeth, before running as fast as their legs could carry them. Worried, the redhead mage started to jog and soon saw just why the pups were growling. They had certainly been following the right track but their brothers and sisters were in the hands of a pair of thugs, who turned to face her as she approached them. Each of the thugs was carrying two puppies, who were whining in fear. Ashaiya walked forwards, her footsteps deliberately slow and her green eyes filled with distaste as she eyed them.

"Put the puppies down lads, they do not belong to you," Ashaiya stated, her tone of voice calm but firm, "If you just hand them over to me then this can all be settled peacefully." The thugs just laughed and tightened their grip around the puppies, causing them to whine once more. The two pups with Ashaiya began to growl, their baby fur bristling but the mage stood in front of them and they relented, lying down quietly. The thugs did not say a word and started to walk away, snickering to themselves and starting to talk about how many Jewels that the puppies would sell for. Sighing, the redhead mage spoke again, her voice rising slightly in volume, "You are not walking away with them either way, now hand them over, thieves. I am Ashaiya of Fairy Tail and you will not turn your back on me when I am speaking to you."

The thugs stopped and turned to each other, their words too quiet for Ashaiya to hear. They then dropped the puppies, who quickly rushed over to Ashaiya, who placed the basket for them all to climb in to, which they did instantly. Her green eyed gaze never left the faces of the two bullies though who started to move towards her, each pulling out a knife. It was then that the redhead mage swiped her hands in front of her and said, "Sharpshooter Pistols," summoning a pair of red pistols to her hands, one pointed at each of the thugs. "You might want to turn around and leave now, before you do something you will regret," she said, her tone containing just a touch of excitement, enough to put them off. Without a word, they turned and fled, like the horrible punks they were. With a faint smile, the pistols vanished as the mage deactivated the spell.

Turning around, Ashaiya grinned, her eyes drawn to the basket which now carried the six puppies. Five of them sleeping with only the first one she had found still awake, it climbed out of the basket and happily wagged its tail. Taking a moment to pause, the redhead sat down beside the sleeping litter, with the awake pup jumping in to her lap and licking her on the face. The mage coughed and spluttered before starting to stroke the ball of fur, running her hand against its beautiful fur and then scratching it behind the ears. The brown eyes of the puppy filled with pleasure and it began to rub its head against her hand, enjoying every moment of it. There was still one more to find, somewhere in the town and as though it could understand what she was thinking, the pup clambered out of Ashaiya's hands and began to sniff once more, ready to aid her again.

"Last one, you up for this?" she asked the eager looking pup with a smirk, the pup looked up at her and twitched its ear before setting off once more. Ashaiya picked up the basket of puppies carefully and slowly began to follow, taking her time as to not wake the sleeping litter. She could not keep her eyes off of them, they were so adorable and she just wanted to hug them. A voice in the back of her head told her that she was becoming too attached but she pushed it aside and kept her green gaze on the sleeping horde. The puppy in front of her was having a whale of a time and took a sense of pride in what it was doing, wanting to prove itself to the redhead woman who had come to help them. It had the scent and was closing in on the last member of its family like Ashaiya did when she was aiming her Sniper Rifle.

Soon enough, the puppy became excited and started to waddle faster, leading the lumbering mage towards the last pup. It led her out of the park and back towards where they had started, although rather than head for the shop, the puppy went in the other direction. Ashaiya was led through the busy streets before they reached their destination. It was not a pretty sight and the redhead had to wonder just how a puppy could of got this far. Her eyes turned to saucers as she stared at the sight in front of her. The puppy had led her to a junk yard at the edge of town and Ashaiya could not help but frown slightly. Yet, she trusted her loyal guide puppy who instantly got to work again, as it slowly moved through the scrap to find its relative. Ashaiya could not help but feel anxious about this, a junk yard was no place for something so fragile.

It was slow going and Ashaiya had to be incredibly careful with her precious load. Every footstep was slow and deliberate and the mage tried her best not to awaken the litter. A test of her patience as well as her balance but she managed to pull through it. Her plucky young companion eventually approached an old dismantled car and rubbed its head against Ashaiya's leg. She softly lowered the basket of puppies and then opened the back seat of the car. Inside, huddled under a blanket was the last puppy, its shivering clear to see. Ashaiya lightly took off the blanket, to find herself looking at the last little ball of fur. It blinked twice and then waddled over to the mage and let itself be lifted out of the car. Before putting it with the others, Ashaiya grasped the box of puppy food and quickly fed the starving pup, before placing it with the others. To her surprise, her guide pup had fallen asleep too, an odd kind of grin on its face, knowing it had done a good job. With a silent chuckle, Ashaiya picked up the basket and headed back to the shop.

"Thank you so much!" the owner gushed as Ashaiya entered the shop again, with the seven sleeping puppies dozing quietly in the basket. He came around and quietly took them from her, before returning them to their pen. After a minute or so, he returned and handed Ashaiya a bag of Jewels, "A well deserved reward mage....no Ashaiya," he said with a grin, relief written all over his face, "You've saved me a lot of trouble, let me tell you." "It was my pleasure, you have a lovely group of puppies. Especially the biggest one, it did a great job of helping me find the others," Ashaiya replied with a small smile, before turning to the door. Just as she was about to leave she turned and added, "If you or anyone else you know needs aid again, please contact my guild first, I am sure we will be able to help you," before quietly leaving the store.

Completed.