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A/N: Hey guys this is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy and please if your reading this story, be nice and leave a review. It helps my co-writer and I to know if any of you are interested in this story.

"Backstreet Tails"

**~Where The Wish Leads~**

A.J. sniffs the air as screaming children race pass him to board on some rides. He feels his leash tug as A.J. grumbles and looks up at Richard yanking it. "Come on little dude. We gotta keep moving. You just can't sit here and waste time."

'Trust me blondie, time is all I got to waste.' A.J. mumbles to himself as a familiar smell passes his nose again. "It's Howie! I smell him. He's around here somewhere. I just gotta track him down!" A.J. states excited, as he sniffs the air, recognizing the scent of his friend the water dog. A.J. pulls on the leash he's on and starts walking down the crowded pathway. The smell was growing stronger, Howie has to near by him somewhere. "D! Man where you at?" A.J. yells, his barks rattling loudly in the air.

Richard concerned, lifts A.J. up into his arms, "Dude relax man. I know it's a bit loud here, but it can't be that bad now, can it?" His asks confused, scratching his chin.

A.J. grumbles, he can not let Richard get to him, he has to talk to Howie and his weird owner will not stop him. Nipping at Richard's hands, Richard yells out and drops A.J. on to the grassy ground. Unfortunately for A.J., dogs don't land on their feet and he just learned that the hard way. His furry stomach slams hard onto the rocky grass as he yelps out in pain. He was only mere inches from the stupid tree that started this whole adventure on him and his friends. Richard horrified, quickly comes to the aid of A.J. who lies on the grass in a daze as pain flooded his entire little body.

"Oh Barry! Dude man. I'm so sorry. I wasn't being careful, but you shouldn't have bitten, man." Richard states, gently stroking A.J. on the head.

A.J. snorts and rolls his eyes, "You lucky that was all I bit dufus. Now if you don't mind I have business to attend to." And with that, in a bit of pain, he stands up and wobbles over to two elderly women who were sitting nearby the large tree at a picnic table. Barking, A.J's eyes lit up, "It's that crazy old woman. Man, what's her name? Mrs. Tapestry or something like that. Yo, lady over here!" He barks angrily, making his way over to the two women, the other woman sitting across from Mrs. Tapestry was dealing some cards out and looks over at him.

"Well you're rude doggy!" The other woman, a short, pale skinned with salt and pepper hair pulled up into a braided bun stared at rudely. "You must be the other dog, your friend Howie talked about." She states after hearing A.J. insult her dear friend.

"Whoa, you can hear me?!" A.J. blurts out as Gladys smirks and nods her head.

"Then you have to help me! Howie! You've seen him?! Where is he? You've talked with him just now?" A.J. blurts out question after question hoping that maybe he can find any of his band mates.

"Yeah, cute dog, he is. His family came and he left about a minute ago. Really nice dog, well trained. Unlike some I know." The woman mumbles, looking at her deck of cards.

"Hey what's that suppose to mean?" A.J. cries out as he hears an echo coming from none other than his owner Richard. He peers up and sees Richard grumbling that A.J. or as he's called, Barry was an obedient dog when he needed to be. Just seemed to have had a rough life when he was going to get adopted.

"I mean you should see what the past owners did to him, look at all the colors on his fur. This wasn't my idea to have him this color, though he looks kinda cool man." Richard explains.

A.J. laughs softly to himself and shakes his head, "Oh man Rich, stop before you make any more of fool of yourself. Rough life? Yeah, living in a mansion and having women throw themselves on you gets tedious I'm sure." A.J. smirks as the elderly woman sitting across from Mrs. Tapestry spoke up.

"A.J. right?" The woman whispers.

A.J. nods his furry multicolored head and barks.

"Hmmmmm…You're that bad boy in the group. I'm not fond of you." The woman whispers peering at him.

A.J. feeling uncomfortable shrugs his little shoulders and sighs, wagging his tail behind him, he speaks up, "Sorry lady if I'm a disappointment to you but I'm not in the music business for you."

The woman shakes her head, "I can't believe this! Phyllis, you know this rude dog?"

"Hey, he's not rude ma'am!" Richard states, tugging on A.J.'s leash, "Come on Barry let's leave these ladies alone. I think we caused enough trouble as it is." Tugging unsuccessfully on A.J.'s leash, A.J watches the woman intensely.

"Ohhh, hold on. Yo, you can understand me, can't you?" A.J whispers, his heart racing a mile a minute. This woman can be the link he needs to find his friends.

The woman nods her head and fixes her eyes on the dog, "Yes, surprising now, isn't it?"

"Gladys what's going on with you? It's your turn, and here you are bickering to a dog. Ohhh, wait this is one of the boys now isn't it?" Phyllis whispers happily calling to A.J.

A.J. smiles and wags his tail ready to head over to her when his leash was pulled on by Richard again, "Dude we have to go. Lets leave the women alone."

A.J. barks and walks over to Gladys who was staring at him wearily.

"Wait sir. Is it ok if you sit next to us? I think we need to tell you something about your dog." Gladys finally states, placing her cards face down on the table.

Richard chuckles and moves towards them, "Look, I heard about the whole how dangerous it is to have dye on a dog's fur and stuff and I'm trying to get it off him and stuff, but come on, he's a trouble maker and he almost took my arm off for doing it. I think he kinda likes the color on him." He whispers softly, a bit embarrassed as his cheeks flush a light pink.

Phyllis chuckles and shakes her head, "Oh goodness no. It had nothing to do with that, but maybe if we told you what we know. Sort of give you a rather small history behind your furry friend here maybe things will begin to make sense."

"Huh? A history behind Barry?" Richard asks, scratching the side of his head in utter confusion.

"His real name is A.J." Gladys speaks with un interest as Richard asks who would call their animal that.

"A.J. is a rather unusual animal." Gladys giggles as Phyllis join in the laughter.

"You must be the lucky owner to this dog right?" Gladys continues as Richard simply nods his head now at a complete lost to what was going on.

"Oh yeah, the name's Richard." And he sticks out his sweaty head to shake the two women sitting on the benches of the picnic table. Both women shake his hand and smiles at each other before Gladys talks.

"This pet of yours had quite a life before you met him…" Gladys begins to state but was interrupted by A.J's barking.

"Alright, the guy doesn't have a clue, just tell him already!" A.J. barks loudly as Phyllis mutters what he saying to them.

Gladys with a smug look on her face continues, "Anyways, this dog was once or is like us. Human."

Richard smiles and breaks into a laugh, "Oh man you old ladies are funny. Human? Like so you're saying that this A.J. dude was a human before and he changed into my dog?"

Gladys nods her head surprised, "My, and you figured that out all by yourself."

Richard stands proudly with a huge grin plastered on his face, "Yeah, yeah I did!"

"Well good then. It's a simple problem. See that tree over there?" Gladys points as Richard follows her direction.

"That particular tree tends to grant wishes and its said to be haunted by five friendly ghosts, who grants wishes to only those they prefer." Gladys states as she picks a card from the deck.

"Go Fish." Phyllis states smiling as Richard looks at A.J. curiously.

"Ok so what you're both saying is that my dog is human and his name is A.J.?"

"Yes." Gladys states.

"Exactly." Phyllis whispers.

"Well gee. Look at that little buddy. Do you hear these old ladies? They say you're human. But you're just a cute little doggie, oh yes you are!" Richard talks in baby voice, rubbing A.J's head playfully.

Gladys laughs, "My, you'll get a surprise soon. He along with four other animals fell into the trap of the Wishing Tree."

"Now, this is the Wishing Tree and it has a history of granting wishes. Your dog is one of them that wished for freedom, a little relaxation from his hectic busy life." Phyllis adds on as poor Richard seemed lost beyond thought at this point.

"Whoa, Barry. That's crazy huh? So what should I call ya? A.J. then? Look ladies, I gotta go. Your story kinda creeps me out now." Richard whispers, picking up the small Jack Russell Terrier into his arms and walking away.

Phyllis sticks her lower lip out, "We didn't even answer the dog's question."

"Your friend Howie wanted to know how to break the wish." Gladys yells at Richard who walked about a few inches away before stopping as his dog begins barking and struggling from his grip again.

"Alright, alright, geez, Barry. Fine you wanna hang out with the ladies. Go ahead." Richard mutters as A.J. scrambles over to Gladys.

Chuckling, Gladys pets A.J. and shakes her head, "My apology. I thought you seemed alittle rude before hand."

A.J. snorts and shakes his head, "Oh don't be. I tend to leave a bad taste in some people's mouth."

"So you're A.J. What's with the multicolored fur?" Gladys asks as Phyllis smiles at him.

"My hair was dyed before I changed and this is what happened when I changed to a dog. So listen I'm gonna wish now to be human on the tree. It was nice meeting ya but I…"A.J. states mid-sentence as Phyllis was informed of the conversation from Gladys.

"And he thinks that wishing on the tree will make it better?" Phyllis asks to Gladys as Gladys tells her what A.J. wanted to do.

"Oh silly boy, just like your friend Howie! He's doing well by the way. But you all need to be together to break the wish. It doesn't work for one like that." Phyllis states.

"No! I can't hang around Richard any more. If I hear 'whoa' or 'Barry' any more, I'll lose my mind. I don't wanna be a dog!" A.J. whines, thumping his tail in frustration on the ground.

"Well The Five don't think so. I mean what's so bad being animals? You guys have all the personal attention and people that truly care for you. What's with the whining? Enjoy it for now. Its your break. And when the time is right, The Five will bring you guys back together here and change you back." Gladys states with a sprinkle in her eyes.

A.J. lets her ideas sink into him and he sighs, "You're right! I guess I just lucked out and I don't even notice it. Thanks, well I guess I should go, Richard might lose himself if he turns in a circle more than once looking for me."

At that remark, Gladys smiles and fills in Phyllis on the joke as well. Happily, A.J prances off feeling lucky with the wish he was given a chance to experience.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**