Firstly, thank you for the interest! I want to make a quick note that this story is not simply Protector of the Small in modern times. It's a modern day Tortall story and everyone's fates will not end up quite the same or a mere reflection of what happened in the books. This fic takes place about 600 years later than the original series. To be more exact, this story begins at about 1060 H.E. and takes place in a metropolis Corus, Tortall.

A big thank you to DevonianFossil (Deviantart) and Idleness (Fief Goldenlake Forums) for being betas for this chapter!

Disclaimer:I do not own any characters or settings related to Protector of the Small, Tortall or any work penned/created by Tamora Pierce in any way. All copyright goes to Tamora Pierce.

How To Start Your Morning

She was falling.

Looking up at the cloudless, blue sky, she couldn't understand where exactly she had fallen from. What's worse was that she couldn't tell where she was falling to either. Her body was limp. It wouldn't move, wouldn't even allow her to so much as turn her head just to see whether she was going to splat against a cemented pavement or an open field of grass. The only thing she could do was listen to the whistling in her ears and feel the pounding in her chest.

It wasn't a cemented pavement, field of grass or even hard ground that met her back. She was floating in a pool of water. For a moment, she thought this was pleasant and closed her eyes to enjoy the coolness against her skin.

An invisible force shattered that moment. It pulled her under. Her eyes widened. By the time she opened her mouth to take a gulp of air all she got was water rushing into her lungs. A cold, mocking voice rang in her ears.

I should have done this to you a long time ago, whore.

Her body still couldn't move. She couldn't fight. She couldn't breathe. The only thing she could do was let that invisible force pull her deeper and deeper into the blackness below.

Keladry of Mindelan woke with a gasp. Her eyes flicked back and forth across the ceiling. Taking inventory of her sore lungs and dry mouth, reality finally registered. Relief flooded her once she realized that she was, in fact, firmly in her own bed. After a moment, she sat up with a deep sigh, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with one hand. She looked at the clock and regarded it with a frown. It clearly read in big white characters 5:21 A.M. Kel rubbed the back of her neck as she climbed out of bed inch by inch. "Why do I even set that thing?" she groaned.

A lump half under her blankets at the foot of the bed grumbled. Kel lifted the blankets off of the lump. Her now cross black and white terrier lifted his head to look at her. Jump – pretty ugly in dog terms with his sloppily healed tail, torn ear and pink splotched nose – watched her with bleary tiny triangular eyes. "Sorry," she told him as if he understood. "I know you still want to sleep, but I need to leave early today. Mr. Ivor is giving an exam and I need to review before class."

Done listening to what she had to say, he laid his head back onto the bed. Kel patted his rump. "You'll get to see Lalalsa sooner."

Jump brought his head back up at the sound of his favorite dog-sitter. Now that she had his full, undivided attention, she told him, "If you want to see her sooner then we need to get moving. Come on. You know the drill. Bathroom, then breakfast."

On cue, Jump leaped off the bed then scurried over to the sliding door next to her desk. Kel stretched as she followed him. She pushed back the blinds and opened the sliding door to reveal a long balcony, elegantly framed by white colored railings and plexiglass. It was just last month that they had the plexiglass installed. Apparently, the owner of the complex got close to getting sued when a child got their head stuck through a gap in the railings. Kel hadn't minded. The glass may have been hideous, but it was safer for Jump's sake.

He waddled over to the tiny pot planted tree strategically placed between four dog training pads. The tree, half dead from ammonia, was just for him. Kel stood at the door frame inspecting the skyscrapers that soared into the dreary lit sky. She kept her focus firmly in the clouds while waiting for Jump to relieve himself. Of course, if she'd had a choice she wouldn't have chosen a flat that needed a balcony in the first place. Heights weren't exactly her most favorite thing in the world. This eighth story flat was the only one they had at the time.

Done relieving himself, Jump scurried inside. Kel locked the sliding door and pulled the blinds closed after him. The dog sat patiently next to Kel's bedroom door, waiting for her to let him out. When she did, he trotted straight across the apartment, past the tiny dining table and into the kitchen. His claws clicked across the hard tiles of the kitchen floor as he veered right and parked himself in front of his food and water bowls that sat beside the kitchen counters.

After feeding Jump, it only took her half an hour to get ready. She took a quick shower and brushed her teeth. Next, she grabbed her school uniform – a pale blue buttoned up shirt, white sleeveless v-neck sweater and a pair of dark trousers – that hung over the bathroom door. Technically, she was allowed to alternate between the trousers and a pencil skirt of the same color. She did sometimes, just to remind her fellow classmates that she was a girl and had absolutely no shame in being one. However, it was well into October and unless she wanted the cold to bite at her legs, the skirt would have to stay in her closet until at least Spring.

Kel took one last look in the mirror. It reflected a broad-shouldered girl about five foot ten in height. The reflection looked back at her with dreamy hazel eyes rimmed by thick, ridiculously long lashes. Her delicate nose had yet to be broken and her lips were full. She inspected herself, brushing down mouse brown hair with her fingers. It was straight and just barely chin-length.

She sipped green tea and watched the morning news as her ham sandwich toasted. Kel shook her head. In central Corus, a mage had tried to use their powers to rob a bank late last night, the executive of a centaur trading company was discovered to have been embezzling money and just early this morning a poacher had been caught and arrested for trespassing onto griffin reservations somewhere in the south. Some days she wondered what the world was coming to.

After rinsing her mouth out, Kel hooked Jump up to his harness, grabbed on her jacket and swung her book bag over her shoulder. Normally, she might have waited for her best friend, Nealan of Queenscove, but time was of the essence. There were days where she and Jump were almost asleep again by the time he was ready to go. She didn't have time or energy to waste this morning. Instead, she headed straight for the stairs. If Neal was still the Neal she knew yesterday then he would take his sweet time getting ready.

Kel left the building and walked to the next street over. She walked up about four blocks from there until she got to a two-story house situated between a pair of townhouses. It was a place she knew well. Her former roommate, Lalasa Isran, lived there. For five years, she and Lalasa had roomed together on Lalasa's campus flat when she was still only the seamstress at Kel's school. However, eventually they both realized that Lalasa's booming dressmaking business required more space and had moved out to places of their own.

When she rang the doorbell, the door opened to a dark girl in a long, grey skirt and red sweater. She was pretty, short and plump with large brown eyes and neatly pinned black hair.

"Lady Kel, Jump. Good morning," Lalasa greeted the pair with a smile. Jump whuffed his own greeting."All ready for your exam?"

"Morning, Lalasa," Kel smiled at her friend. Getting Lalasa to stop calling her by "Lady" was an uphill battle. It was such a formal title, Kel didn't want her forever addressing her with it. "Hopefully. I've been studying all week. Thank you for taking Jump earlier than usual. Also, here's food for the birds. I promise I'll come see them after school." She handed over Jump's harness and a bag of bird feed.

Kel knelt down to Jump's level, scratching behind his ears and under his harness. "You be good for Lalasa, alright?" she laughed when he licked her cheek in reply. "Alright, I'll see both soon."

Lalasa waved as they went inside. Kel walked back the way she came. She looked at her watch and smiled. It read 6:19 A.M. Her timing was great. School started in an hour and if she walked quickly then she could get there in about fifteen minutes. Seventeen blocks wouldn't be that bad as long as traffic wasn't too heavy.

That optimism faded shortly thereafter. I'm spoiled, she thought, exasperated. It's all those rides Neal gives me nowadays. Time was that she could walk an entire twenty blocks without so much as a step out of her path. She was obviously out of practice. In the four blocks she'd walked, Kel had managed to step on someone's foot, have her own foot stepped on and nearly gotten run over by a driver who obviously didn't understand what a red light meant. I should have just waited for Neal, she scolded herself as she stepped around a slow moving couple.

-:-:-:-

Kel looked at her watch again, frowning when the light changed to green at an intersection she walked up to. It was true what they said about Corus traffic: it was never ending. She was mentally going over some of the equations from last night's homework when a clopping sound interrupted her. Normally, she wouldn't have paid it any mind. Centaurs walked the streets all the time. But these ones sounded like they were coming up directly behind her.

"Keladry of Mindelan, is that you?" If Kel had been a less restrained person she would have thrown her head back and whined at the sky.

Kel turned towards the centaur, clutching her book bag. His grey and black hair was pulled back from his face. The human half of him was dressed in a tidy business suit and he wore glasses. She regarded him with a polite smile, "Mr. Greystreak. Good morning."

"It's so good to see you dear. What a coincidence." The seemingly middle-aged centaur smiled at her. His sleek voice sent a shiver right up her spine in the most unpleasant way. "I was just thinking about you."

"Is that so?" she dearly hoped it wasn't. Kel turned her body towards the crosswalk, hoping to come up with an excuse and make a quick escape.

"Indeed," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder and holding her where she stood. She made a mental note to burn that particular uniform later. "I have an offer for you. Unfortunately, my secretary was forced to quit recently and I'm in need of a new one. As you can imagine, us CEO's have a hard time keeping our work together all by ourselves."

Kel nodded absently, still the picture of courtesy. The light had just turned red and people on foot were now streaming around them to cross the street. If only he would let her go!

"I don't think I'm old enough for that type of job, sir."

"No? You're eighteen aren't you?"

"Fifteen, sir. Forgive me, but I don't think I have the credentials for it either."

Greystreak shrugged dismissively, "No matter, I can make exceptions. From what we discussed at that career fair and what your teachers told me, you sound like you're exactly what I'm looking for." The way he said that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Cars started up again. Kel mentally screamed in frustration. The light had once again turned green.

"I thank you for thinking of me, sir, but no thank you. I have other prospects lined up," she lied, still smiling.

He looked somewhat taken aback. "Oh? Well, how much are they willing to pay you? I'll double it. Maybe even a little more if the wage is right."

Kel wanted to run away from this man. More than anything she wanted him to take his hand off her shoulder. She swallowed. "Sir, I-"

HONK

Startled, Kel turned. Driving up into the parking lane beside them was a sleek black car. It was a 1060 model she was very familiar with. Neal rolled down the window and greeted them with a toothy grin. "Good morning, Mr. Greystreak!" he waved. "Forgive my rudeness. I didn't mean to interrupt you two."

"It's quite alright," Greystreak told him mildy. Neal had obviously interrupted his operations. "If I remember correctly, you are Keladry's friend from school."

Neal nodded. "Yes, sir. Again, I apologize for the interruption, but Kel and I have some pre-exam preparations we can't be late for. School problems. If you'll be so kind as to excuse us?"

"Yes, of course. School is important."

To Kel's private and utter relief, the centaur let go of her shoulder. He smiled at her once more and produced a business card out of his suit pocket, handing it over to her. "If you ever need to get a hold of me."

Kel murmured a thanks. She fought off the urge to jump headfirst into the passenger seat of Neal's car. When she shut the door, protected by the tinted windows, she sat back with a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Neal."

When he didn't respond or drive off she looked over at him. Neal was smirking at her. There was an immense sense of mischief in his green eyes as he brushed back a stray lock of brown hair from his widow's peak. For the thousandth time she reminded herself that he was her friend. Patiently, she inquired, "What is it?"

"You sure you don't want to stick around and chat with him some more?" He asked her wickedly. "I'm sure there's nothing like getting hit on by a geezer centaur to start your morning."

"Just drive." Kel ordered.

Neal shrugged nonchalantly, still smug as he merged back into traffic. "Hey, I had half a mind to leave you there. That's what you get for not waiting for me. How many times have I told you just to wait in the lobby until I come down?"

"You take forever to brew your coffee." Kel told him. "I wanted to leave early today."

He raised a pointed finger. "Aha, but you've forgotten! I got that new espresso machine in the mail the other day. I can now caffinate myself with efficiency."

"I'm so happy for you."

He ignored that comment. "So, what was he talking to you about anyhow? You looked like you were ready to jump into traffic."

"He wants me to be his secretary. Apparently, the one he had quit."

"I can't imagine why," he drawled. "I highly doubt he really needs a new secretary, Kel."

She shrugged. "Who knows? But he offered to pay me well. Even said he'd double the wage of any other jobs I had lined up."

"You didn't actually take the job did you!?" he cried, mouth agape. Kel clutched her seat belt as he started swerving into the other lane.

"Neal, the road!"

He returned his attention back to the road and straightened out the car. "Sorry, sorry! But you didn't? Did you?"

She scowled at him fiercely. "Of course not."

"Good," he told her as they took a right on Dominion Street. "Because I honestly think going on a date with Zahir would be a better idea."

Kel grimaced. "If it ever gets to that point, please just throw me off a cliff."

"But of course." Neal grinned. "What are friends for?"

-:-:-:-

Odds were that no more than a hundred girls had ever stepped foot on the Jassonian Royal Academy's campus. Or at least Kel felt that way sometimes. As the first girl to openly be a student at JRA in more than half a century, she was usually the lone minor female population there. The only time other females her age loitered the campus was during school dances or on a game night perhaps. Most days JRA was like a boy's sanctuary, a sanctuary Kel had apparently "somehow infiltrated" on her arrival five years ago.

Back in Tortall after six years living in the Yamani Islands, her tenth birthday had marked the minimum age requirement for the Jassonian Royal Academy's admittance procedures. The procedure had been rougher than Kel imagined it would've been. She had been subjected to more interviews, tests and background checks than she was sure any boy had ever been. JRA may have been a conservative private school, but boys of noble blood were almost always admitted in hopes that their parents would look upon the school in favor. Kel's father, Baron Piers of Mindelan, held a seat in Parliament. If she had been a boy they would have been trying to lasso her into the doors.

Neal loftily gestured to the vast brick buildings as he parked the car. "Can't you just feel the glory?"

"Do you have to do that every morning?"

"Please don't take this away from me. It's the only thing that keeps me from driving straight into a pole."

She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. The campus was practically deserted at six thirty in the morning. Most students didn't start coming out of their dorms until seven. Most students get to live on campus, she thought bitterly then mentally sighed for the umpteenth time that morning. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. It would have just been a bigger headache anyway.

"Are you ready for the exam?" she inquired as they walked up the wide paved path to the upperclassman's building.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I used that method you showed me last night and it made things easier," he grinned. "Did you get my text last night?"

"Yes, thank you for that by the way," she smiled. "I was ready to go to bed and forgot to read the chapter."

Neal swung an arm around her shoulders. "Today should be a good day, Mindelan. I don't foresee our spirits being crushed just yet."

That made her chuckle. "Just yet anyway."

They entered the large double doors and were met by a wide opening where all the main halls seemed to converge. On the back wall was a glass case where two red and gold jerseys were pinned up, surrounded by photos, trophies and newspaper clippings. There were also benches, water fountains and bathrooms set up for students who would be commuting through from class to class. They'd barely taken two steps into the school when Neal immediately veered to the left.

"Where are you going? Class is this way." Kel pointed right.

He didn't look back. "Can't do much of anything without my textbooks, dear. Go on, I'll meet you there."

Kel shook her head and climbed the stairs to the second floor. There she went and settled into the class they shared for Calculus. She greeted Mr. Ivor who was grading papers at his desk. Neal joined her five minutes later. They studied and quizzed each other as students trickled in over the next half hour. Neal was quizzing her on vocabulary when a large curly red-head waded into the room.

Cleon of Kennan planted himself in the seat next to Kel's. He grinned at her. "Miracle of academia, how do you always manage to get here so early when you don't even live on campus anymore? I feel like the sun rises with you and not the other way around."

Kel glanced at him, amused. "Don't be silly. I'm just used to getting up really early. That's all."

"If you two are done flirting," Neal said with a hint of disgust. "We still have studying to do."

"You? Study? I thought you didn't need to study. Last time I checked you just ate books for dinner." joked Cleon. Neal murmured something about people and their pain-in-the-butt greetings then went back to his textbook.

After Cleon, their black-haired, black eyed Bazhir friend, Seaver of Tasride, arrived. Almost half an hour later, Merric of Hollyrose, with his straight red hair still damp, came rushing into class. Together, the four of them studied until the seven-thirty bell that marked the beginning of the school day.

Kel was done with her exam in twenty minutes time. After reviewing her answers, she'd be willing to bet that she earned at least a B on it. When she was able to take a look around, she saw that the light tapping sound she'd been hearing was coming from Cleon hitting his hand with the eraser side of his pencil. In front of her, the way Neal was bent over his paper probably meant that he was concentrating on one of the harder problems. Merric clutched his hair in a nervous hand as he started chewing on his pencil's eraser. Seaver's expression was calm as he scribbled away.

She was almost asleep about another half hour later when the bell rang again. First period was over. Kel handed in her exam and waited for her friends outside the door. Merric was the first to come out, shamefaced. "Don't be so down," She told him gently. "I'm sure you did just fine."

"I didn't remember anything. I'll be lucky if I get a C on it." He groaned.

"There's always test corrections. Mr. Ivor's pretty generous about those sort of things. Once he's done grading I'm sure he'll give you the chance to make up some points."

He smiled weakly. "Yeah, I suppose. I just hope my mother doesn't hear about it. She threatened to fly down here if I don't pick up my math and science marks. Kel, I really don't want her flying down here. She'll be so embarrassing."

Kel patted him on the back sympathetically. Seaver came out after that with Neal and Cleon close behind.

"I think I did okay," Seaver began. "Except on the vocabulary. I'm pretty sure I messed that up."

"I was the opposite. I think I did fine on the vocabulary, but that last page of problems was pretty hard," Neal added, shifting his book bag onto his shoulder.

Cleon slapped him on the back. "You? Prefect of brilliance? I thought such an experience was only for us lesser learned folk."

Neal made a face at him. "Don't call me a prefect. Besides, I just don't like numbers very much. They're so rigid and uncreative. What about you? Or did you spend the entire time trying to figure out how to be even more of a clown?"

"I think I was pretty solid," Cleon shrugged, ignoring that last comment. "I ran into some trouble, but not much."

"Lucky you. Now I've got Oakbridge next," Merric said at last. "If I'm late he might decide to make me write papers on etiquette until I die."

"Your hand will cramp up before then," Kel pointed out.

He smiled at her. "I'd count on it. Well, I'm off. See you all at lunch."

As Merric left, Neal gestured for them to start walking in the other direction. "We should go too, my lovelies. I don't want to be late for Gallan and none of you want to be late for history, now do you?"

"I'd love to be late for history if I wouldn't get detention," Cleon commented. "In fact, I feel like that about every class."

"And that's why you have a C in Common," Neal said.

"No, I have a C in Common because I don't understand that tragedy they've got us reading. If you're going to fake your death so you can elope with your lover then you probably should let your lover know you're going to fake your death in the first place. You know. In person. Not through a letter that could get lost in the mail. "

Kel agreed. Though she'd never say as much around Neal.

"That is one of literature's greatest tragedies. It's a story of tempting fate, young love and-"

"Stupidity. It's a story about stupidity, Neal."

Neal shook his head. "Completely uncultured. You're like a city bumpkin."

So, there we are. Chapter one for Modern!Tortall. I actually had this finished last September, but I wanted a few of the chapters written up and beta'd before I started posting (and then at that point it started to feel too much like procrastination). But alas, I wanted this out before summer's end so people could get a chance to read it before school, work and the general busy season started up again.

Again thank you for reading and I hope you tune in for next chapter! I appreciate any and all reviews/critiques as they encourage me to keep on writing this fic!