Hello, y'all! I've had this idea for a while now and finally, decided to put up the first chapter. I wanted to make sure that my plans for the story itself planned out before I posted it on FFnet, and so far, it's going great! I hope to update at least every two weeks? We'll see how it pans out since I'm still in the middle of college and its annoying workload.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first chapter and I'll try to post the next one two weeks from Friday!

~Delyth

Prologue

Living On

Snowy strands fell to her mid-back in wet ringlets and would have blended in with her silvery coat if it wasn't for the dark leopard print sprinkling along her fur. She wrapped her tail around her left leg, hunching her shoulders to appear smaller, and tried to keep the rest of the cafeteria from keeping their focus on her. Maybe if she just accepted defeat and humiliation then they would get bored. Thick lashes caught the tears from escaping their emerald confines and she stared resolutely at her tray of food.

Behind her and slapping high fives were two boys that often took great pleasure in making her life miserable. The snow leopardess knew that while it was abnormal for someone of her species to live in such a warm climate, she didn't think that they would treat her as an unwanted peasant. She was meant to be a ghost amongst the snow and mountains, silent as the bare whispers of the wind, and nearly invisible to all eyes; however, Jazlyn had caught the eyes of more people than she would have liked to have focus on her.

While on the shorter side of her species' genetic make-up, Jazlyn still had the elegance and beauty her breed were known for. Her limbs were perfect lines that ended with slim fingers and toes, the contours of her face were smooth and sharp, and the slight curve of her waist and hips were appealing to the eye. Most males saw her as a white fence board and tended to jeer at the long, fluffy tail that trailed behind her whenever she walked. It wasn't her fault that her species needed the appendage for extra balance when running about, but what could the lions or tigers say to her anyway? They had just as much tail as she did, maybe a little less than hers by a few inches, but Jazlyn sneered at them for being such hypocrites. At least she didn't try to act like something she obviously wasn't.

Slowly, the teenager stood up from the table and picked up her tray to head out the cafeteria. Mentally, she was envisioning the scene playing much differently than her just walking away without a fight. The image of Jazlyn turning around and landing a kick on the cackling wolf's jaw was so clear that she could taste it. Her tail twitched, the only sign that she was truly irritated over the entire situation, and the minute her tray was placed atop the garbage can, Jazlyn could already hear the second bout of snickers as another paw peered in her vision. Before she could move out the way, a glob of mashed potatoes slammed into her snout and nearly sent her reeling backwards. Roaring laughter erupted within the food court as she fumbled with her paws to clear her nostrils.

A soft growl parted from her lips before she could stop it and the bull paused to raise an eyebrow at her. His horns weren't nearly as big as a full-grown bull yet, but they were large enough that Jazlyn should worry for her safety if he decided to use her body as a sharpening tool. She darted around him just as his fist came down on the floor where she'd been and rushed out the door with all the speed she could muster. Her legs were stronger than some of the best athletes in their school and, while she ran every morning before school with the dance team, Jazlyn couldn't sprint for long periods of time. She chanced a glance back to see that the bull had gathered some of his friends to help chase her, and the snow leopardess felt her heart sink when the cheetah caught her eye. It would be a miracle if she could outrun him, but at the very least she could maneuver her body better thanks to her tail.

Jazlyn swerved around a corner, sliding underneath a few janitors carrying a teacher's desk down the hall at the last second. She didn't bother to release a sigh of relief when she saw it in time, but continued on her way in the search of a perfect hiding spot. Already her breathing was becoming labored as she constantly switched directions and climbed stairs in the hopes of the boys getting tired. They were far more persistent than she initially hoped as she passed an open window.

Her sneakers squealed against the tile as a brilliant idea quite literally smacked her in the head. Turning on her heel, Jazlyn darted to the windowsill and glanced down. They were only on the second floor but even with her strong legs she risked snapping them in half at this height. She bit her lip in thought as a tree branch caught her attention. Jade eyes brightened in excitement as she hopped on the window frame and braced her paws, her tail swaying in anticipation. Pounding steps and breathing harshly, her pursuers took one look at her and skidded to a halt. They shuffled into a semicircle around her, their grunts and wheezing making her ears twitch, and the same bull took a slow step forward, unsure if she would immediately jump.

"C'mon, Snowe, we're only going to roughen you up a little. There's no need to do that." Tyler, the bull, indicated her current position with a hoof as he continued to make his way forward. His voice was like coaxing a crazed animal from a corner that didn't at all match the eagerness in his burning eyes.

Muscles tensed tightly in her thighs as she gathered her legs for the jump, and her brows furrowed in concentration as she judged the distance. It was maybe five feet from the window, but Jazlyn was confident that she could make it without much trouble. Her only worry was the possibility of Tyler grabbing her tail as she leapt. Not wanting to waste any more time and giving the bull more of a chance to close the distance, the snow leopardess jerked her head toward the branch and pushed off the windowsill. Startled cries followed after her as she flew through the air, the soft breeze combing its fingers through her fur and sending a jolt of delight through her system. Reaching out with her paws, she grabbed the tree limb and dug her claws into the bark for traction. She breathed deeply as she dangled a few seconds before hoisting herself up.

One leg hung off the side while the other rested underneath her body as she gave a feral grin at the gawking males. Hell, Tyler and the rest of his crew looked like they were about to fall out the building themselves. She gave a two-finger salute and began to climb her way down. That was one way to avoid conflict with a bunch of idiots.

Unfortunately, the teenager wasn't counting on the dean of their school to be walking around the courtyard at that moment. She landed in front of the old fox sheepishly, lacing her paws behind her back and wrapping her tail around her ankle.

"Enjoying an afternoon climb, are we, Miss Jazlyn?" Unamused by her attempt to appear innocent, Dr. Jun motioned for her to walk with him, and she lowered head in submission as the stout old dean led the way to his office. From the window, she heard more snickers but they quickly stopped the minute Dr. Jun called out, "I better not see any of you wandering about the halls by the time that tardy bell rings, boys. Otherwise, I can assure all of you will find a summons to my office."

They scattered, their voices raising a little in mild panic before fading away. Jazlyn resisted the urge to chuckle at how ironic the situation was. Even though Dr. Jun was a fox, he had most of the top tier predators under his authority and had no problems dealing with their even scarier parents. She couldn't imagine what he had to do in order to gain that respect, but she definitely admired him for it.

But even so, they wouldn't get in trouble when it had been their fault to begin with. Jazlyn rubbed her arm nervously, amusement completely gone now, as they made it into the fox's large office, and she sat in the leather chair in front of the large, wooden desk.

"Miss Jazlyn, this is the third time I have caught you climbing down from a tree. Not to mention your abhor behavior with the other students has reached dangerous levels." Dr. Jun sighed, rubbing his graying temples. "I'll have to call Ms. Fowle about this."

"Yeah, I know," Jazlyn mumbled, turning her head and staring out the lone window. She heard the landline being pulled from its bed and the fox's fingers quickly dialed her family's lawyer. While Ms. Fowle wasn't able to take her in, the lawyer made it her personal duty to ensure that Jazlyn was given fair treatment in the orphanage and nominated herself as the teenager's guardian in all things related to the outside world. Hence why the school's dean dialed her personal cell phone rather than the director of Happy Campers. Jazlyn already knew that it was going to be a rather long trip back to the orphanage and began to prepare herself mentally for the strict lecture.

I should've just let them beat me up. She steeled her spine at the exasperated sound of Ms. Fowle's voice coming through the phone.

~o~

"Jaz, just what am I going to do with you?" Ms. Fowle sighed as she drove them back to her office.

Deciding that it was probably best if she kept the sarcastic retort to herself, Jazlyn resigned to looking out the window as Paris's middle-working class neighborhood flied passed. The grandmotherly stern voice of Ms. Fowle's exasperation and mild frustration at having to pick her up from school once again faded into the background. It wasn't that the teenager didn't want to listen the old owl who was the last connection to the happier times of her childhood, but it was just the same scolding over and over again. The barn owl had been her family's immediate lawyer ever since they started their own business long before Jazlyn had been born. She was there when no one else with family ties came to claim Jazlyn when she was five-years-old, and Ms. Fowle had done her best to replace her parents as best she could. It wasn't her fault that she wasn't able to take her in, but she always made it a point to check up on Jazlyn as much as possible and take her out for special occasions.

Even so, Jazlyn was beginning to tire of constantly being brought back from school with warnings that she'd be expelled if she didn't straighten out. In reality, she wasn't the one who needed to be warned about misdemeanors and starting fights when she never did in the first place. As much as she liked Dr. Jun, she hated how much he allowed Tyler and his little pack take advantage of the quiet students.

God, Jazlyn really just wanted to escape it all—to get away from high school, the bullies, and everyone who looked down on her with pity. She would be eighteen in three years and that meant she'd be kicked out of the orphanage soon no matter how she looked at it. Ms. Fowle could take her in for a while, but with the barn owl about to retire soon and having to pay her own children's tuitions, there was no way she could take in another mouth to feed. Besides, Jazlyn would never encroach on Ms. Fowle's kindness and willingness to help her like that.

In the end, she'd just have to figure out a way to survive on her own. Just like she always did—whether that meant fighting or fleeing, she'd survive and live for her parents. It's what they'd want her to do.