A Dog's Lives

A/N: birthday gift to my cousin, @princessainsleyy! I got the time-traveling cats from Lloyd Alexander's Time Cat (great book, you should read it) and the reincarnated dogs from A Dog's Purpose (also good books). This probably isn't quite what you expected, but I hope you like it!

Bowser is a good dog. His master tells him that every day, before she leaves for work. She is good to him.

Bowser lacks the ability of speech, or of higher brain functions, but were he able, the stories he could tell...

Cats have nine lives, as is known. These nine lives take the form of time-travel - the intelligent buggers can disappear to take a jaunt to Egypt, and pop right back to steal the milk.

Dogs reincarnate, until they have made their first true master(s), and their descendants in some cases, happy.

No one knows what fish do, but Bowser is very suspicious of his master's betta. It knows something.

Now, Bowser is only on his third life, and this is his first master (though this is not the first time they have met).

His first life did not last long. He was part of a family pet's litter, and given to a friend. This friend was rather irresponsible, and let the puppy into the garage while working on his car. There was a puddle of interesting liquid - and that was that for the young Champion.

His second life was when Bowser met his master, though he wasn't a he at the time. Fluffer's beginnings were inauspicious - she was born in a dirty alley, and raised a street dog. Luckily for her, she was picked up by the local shelter and soon adopted by a young girl.

This young girl grew up to be a fine master, but always retained her awful sense of naming. It was alright, though - Bowser, formerly Fluffer Sundance McPuppy, didn't mind.

All dogs go to heaven, but they have a roundabout form of getting there.

And Bowser wouldn't have it any other way.