A New Home - Prologue

So you know those times where you sometimes think to yourself, 'I wonder how the canon characters would react to this AU?'

...No? Just me? Well, anyway, I made a kind of AU and instead of actually writing for the AU itself I decided to write about the AU and canon mashing together... Magic is involved, yes... This chapter is gonna introduce you to the AU though, so readers can get a feel of how it works.

The full summary: In an alternate universe, the pets are of a race that are half-human, half-animal. This race, including the pets, are treated with utmost disrespect by the full-blooded humans. There are very few who treat them kindly, one of those including Blythe Baxter. This story involves that universe merging with the canon-verse we all know and love. Read and watch as the half-pets are treated with respect for the first time as they enter the canon-verse, and as the two versions of Blythe uncover a prophecy that could bring the half-pets to a new age of equality among the humans.

I do not own LPS, thank you! (I want a talking dog, though. Anyone got one?)

"Zoe, are you okay? Hold still, I've got you..." Blythe Baxter, full-bred human, helped her half-animal friend from the ground, giving a glare to the other humans who'd put her there in the first place. Zoe took the help gratefully, clinging to her savior like a lifeline.

"Thank you, Blythe," she murmured. The other humans had lost interest in her suffering, and had gone off to their own classes, reminding her that she'd need to get to her next period, as well. Zoe attempted to take a step and do just that, but a pain shot up her leg and she let out a cry, alerting Blythe that she was hurt.

"Oh my gosh! What's wrong?!" Blythe asked, panic clear in her voice. She saw how Zoe cradled her right leg, and noticed the bruise on her knee. She reached over, holding Zoe up and supporting her as she helped her to walk down the hall.

"Blythe, my class is the other way..."

"I'm taking you to the nurse, Zoe."

Others in the hall watched them. Other humans, like Blythe, looked upon them in disgust, occasional whispers reaching their ears about 'the disgraceful child' and 'that horrid half-beast'. There were also other half-animals, half-dogs such as Zoe, or half-cats, half-geckos, half-hedgehogs, or any other half-creature. Those looked at Blythe in wonder and amazement, and at Zoe in sympathy and pity.

They arrived at the nurse's office, but Zoe knew that she'd be of no help. She'd only ever known three humans in her life that cared about the half-breeds. Blythe Baxter, Blythe's father, and Mrs. Twombly. This nurse was none of them.

The nurse turned to look at them, frowning disapprovingly when she saw that Blythe was helping Zoe.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice cold as ice.

"Zoe's hurt her leg. Some other kids pushed her and-"

"Aren't you late for class?"

The nurse's eyes rested completely on Zoe as she cut off Blythe, indicating that she was speaking completely to her, regardless of any injury. Blythe glared at her.

"Yes, we both are. But as I was saying, she's been hurt. I think she needs-"

"She needs to get to class. If some kids pushed her, then they pushed her for a reason."

"She's injured! She needs help!"

But the nurse ignored Blythe's pleas, and turned back around to what she was doing. Blythe clenched her jaw, tears of anger welling up in her eyes. Seeing that the nurse would be no help, she and Zoe walked back into the hallway. The bell rang as they did, causing Zoe to flinch. Blythe wouldn't be in any trouble, so long as she got to her class before the second bell, but she'd be in for a lot of trouble if she didn't hurry. She attempted to disconnect herself from Blythe's grip, trying to ignore the pain in her leg as she started off to her class.

"Zoe, let me help you-"

"I'll be fine, Blythe. Don't worry."

Still, Blythe followed, disregarding the fact that her own class was in the opposite direction of Zoe's. Zoe felt a bit of happiness that came with having someone care about her wellbeing, so she didn't protest anymore.

"You want me to get your homework from your locker?" Blythe asked, and Zoe nodded pitifully. Blythe stopped in front of the wall of old lockers, the ones that were hard to get open that the school gave to the half-breeds. Zoe's was easy to find, since hers was covered in sparkly stickers and magnets, while the others were mostly bare. She opened her friend's locker, knowing all of her half-breed friends' combinations by heart, since this sort of thing happened often enough. She yanked the door open, with a bit of a struggle, and got out Zoe's homework and some extra pencils for her too.

She went back to walking alongside Zoe. At this point, the halls were pretty much empty, so it was just them. Zoe flinched again as the second bell went off, reminding her that now Blythe would be in trouble, too. They got to her class, and Blythe walked her in, getting her to her desk before going to explain to the teacher.

"Some kids pushed her, and her leg got hurt-"

"She's late, so she'll have detention," the teacher said simply, and he went back to his lesson, ignoring Blythe just as the nurse had. Blythe sighed in defeat, giving Zoe an apologetic look, though not sure if she saw from where she sat in the back of the room. She headed back out into the hallway, going to her next class.

At lunchtime, Blythe went through her normal routine of hiding her packed lunch in her backpack and buying large portions of the school lunch. The lunch ladies and teachers supervising the lunch period all knew what she did, but none of them had any means to prove it or get her in trouble for it. So she bought the food and walked over to the isolated corner in the back where all of her friends sat, nibbling on their stale bread and apples.

"Hi, guys. How are you all today?" she asked as she approached, their gazes brightening as they saw her.

"No worse than any other day," Pepper said with a light smile. Blythe returned the expression as she placed the tray down in the middle of the table. They all reached and grabbed for the food, the fresh salad, the warm buttered rolls, the fresh pizza and creamy chocolate pudding cups. Blythe felt her smile grow as they all ate, the food like a temporary paradise compared to what they normally received.

She brought out her own lunch, a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a juice box. Watching as they all savored each and every bite of what would be a normal meal for herself, though hers would not be in such large portions, it simply reminded her yet again how awfully they were treated. As if the normal, everyday occurrences where at least one of them would be physically harmed simply for being born as what they were wasn't enough of a reminder.

"How's your knee, Zoe?" she asked. Zoe swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking.

"I'm fine, honest. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Blythe nodded, though part of her didn't fully believe her friend. She turned to Pepper and Penny Ling, who sat to her right.

"Has detention been... Okay?" she asked, knowing how odd it sounded but feeling like it needed to be asked anyway. Penny Ling didn't respond, just looked at the food with wide eyes, and Pepper just shrugged dismissively.

"The Biskit twins only have one day left, so as long as that doesn't get extended, we should be fine for the week after that."

Blythe stared at them, her eyes wide, just picturing what the twins could do in that hour and a half when her friends were trapped with them. She felt grateful that she'd gotten detention herself earlier, so she could keep a watchful eye on them.

The final bell of the day rang, and Blythe gathered her books from her desk. She intended to put away her homework before going to the room where detention would be held. She knew that as a full human, she had the right to do her homework during that period, but if her friends weren't allowed to do it (for whatever odd reason, she mused) she wouldn't do it either.

She put away all her textbooks and papers into her locker, pulling out one single novel that she was reading before closing the metal door with a clang, before turning and going towards room 665.

People moved all around her, humans politely moving out of her way and saying 'excuse me' to each other, then bumping into half-breeds and snapping at them not two seconds later. It caused a stone to drop in her stomach and bile to rise in her throat, but she held it back. As the people in the hallway thinned out, she spotted someone coming out of the bathroom ahead of her.

"Pepper? Is that you?"

The half-skunk's head whirled to face Blythe, not having seen her approach.

"Yeah, it's me. What's up, Blythe?" she asked, smiling and attempting to discreetly hide her arms behind her back. It didn't work.

"Pepper, what happened to your arms?" Blythe asked, her voice an odd mixture of suspicion and concern. Pepper just looked at the ground, and after a moment, held out her right arm.

Blythe's jaw dropped. Pepper's arm was covered in bruises, fresh ones it seemed. She reached out to touch one, but yanked her hand back when Pepper gave a hiss of pain.

"I- How did this... When?"

"Eh, it's fine! Not as bad as it could be, right?" Pepper said, giving Blythe a carefree smile as she dropped her arm back to her side. Blythe just stared at her with widened eyes, not understanding how Pepper could just be acting as if this was no big deal.

"Come on... We should get to detention," she said in a small voice, unable to be any louder. Pepper simply shrugged and started in the direction Blythe had been going. It took a moment but the human soon followed, her eyes never leaving the bruises on her friend's arms.