It was late Fall again in Cold-Fur City and, usual to the city, it was snowing. The students at Young Minds Academy were preparing themselves for their annual Winter Science and Technologies Fair. All of the students were to work in pairs to create an astounding project. Today they had received their requirements and due date packets and left to choose their partners.

Alone in her corner, was an orange and white tabby named Taijey, reviewing over the packet. As usual she didn't have a partner, but she was fine with that; she preferred to work alone anyway. She looked off in the lab at the other pairs; the Alaskan Husky guy and the German Shepherd girl, the short Panther boy and the scruffy Coyote boy, the Silver Fox girl and the Gray Wolf boy, both adopted by the mayor...

Tai snapped out of her wandering and looked back at the packet. No sooner than she had begun to read, a shadow loomed over her.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence, Snizard?” Tai snidely asked. The Snake-Frilled Lizard hybrid smiled.

“What, I can't freely fraternize with our competition? I mean Uni and I would love to know what you have planned for this year's fair.”

“That's for you to find out when everyone else does at the fair and how fitting it is that you're working with Uni Xerxes.” Tai smirked. The small Lizard boy walked out from behind Snizard.

“I sense snobbery from the kitty? You felines are always walking around with your noses in the air, but I guess you cant help that since your father was Russian Blue, eh Okale?” Uni spat the words in scorn. Tai stood up and prepared to put Uni in his place but Snizard pushed her back down.

“And theres your mother, a common cat; from those two came you: years later a sad and pathetic 'stray' whose father left her and mother died.” Snizard grinned, knowing he hit a weak point. Tai was about to drive her claws into Snizard's throat when a tall Red Wolf walked up to them.

“Is there an issue with my instructions?”

“No, Mr. Louis. Just a friendly chat with the cat.” Snizard and Uni walked off.

“How goes your project, Ms. Okale? Working alone again?”

“I'm used to it. Should be able to handle this on my own.”

“Well, it would seem that we have a new student enrolled and I hope that you don't mind that I paired her with you.”

“Its fine.”

“And please don't comment or ask about her fur or her goggles; she's required to wear them.”

“Mr. Louis, have I ever been rude to a student before?”

“You did almost slash out Snizard's throat, but then again its Snizard.” The teacher winked. Soon, the new student walked in. The blue Kinkajou walked in slowly, hoping that the students wouldn't look her way. Luckily they were too focused on their projects. “There she is now.” Mr. Louis walked the Kinkajou over to Tai. “Taijey this is Jezero. Jezero this is Taijey. Now you two get acquainted and work on your project.” Jezero looked at Tai and nodded her head in Tai's direction.

"Hello..."

Tai nodded back and replied with a nice "Hi. Do you want to know what I have in mind for the project?"

Jezero sat down next to her and put her things down. "Sure..." Tai handed her the packet and started talking about what she had in mind. Just then Snizard made his way back to Tai's table and was about to say something to her till he eyed Jezero.

"Well hello there!" he smiled, coyly.

Jezero looked up in confusion and Tai stood up. "Oh, no you don't!!"

Snizard smiled and ignored Tai. "Its not everyday you see a blue Kinkajou!" Tai was left with her mouth gawked open and looked over at Jezero who's mouth was also open in shock. She stood up and made her way over to the other side of the table and pointed a sharp claw on Snizard's chest.

"Oh? Well its not everyday I see a over scaled lizard with an ugly neck frill to where he cant even wear cloths like a normal animal..." Snizard scowled and walked away, not having a good comeback at the moment. Tai snickered.

“Ok, I'll bite. What's your secret? I couldn't get him to shut his trap ever.”

“Well, you just have to out-insult the insulter, I guess.” Jezero laughed. Tai laughed too as the continued to brainstorm on their project and began to bond.

The bell rang and the students quickly left the building and headed home. Luckily, Tai and Jezero lived in the same general direction from the school and had a little more time from school to work on their project. They didn't get far from the school before a snowball nailed Jezero right in the back of the head. They turned to see a snickering Snizard and Uni leaning against the building. “Isn't the rock you crawled out from under back in the other direction?” Tai snapped.

“Why, yes it is. Yet, we have plenty of time to put our project together, which we've been planning in advance. But since the snow is fresh it was just ripe for the throwing.”

“Especially when the targets are 'The Stray' and 'Goggle Girl'.” Uni added as they turned and walked away laughing. Tai could take no more. As soon as they were a little further away, she charged at them, claws bared. Snizard and Uni began to walk slower.

“Tai! Wait!” but Jezero was too late to stop her. Right as Tai leaped, Snizard and Uni stepped aside to reveal a fire hydrant between them. Tai was unable to react as she flew past them and hit the cold metal face first. Jezero winced as she ran towards her new friend.

“Looks like the kitty was just a tad bit off.” Uni laughed as Snizard grabbed Tai by the back of her neck. Her left eye was swollen from hitting the corner of the hydrant and blood dripped down her nose. “C'mon, kitty. Fight ba-ACK!” Uni hacked. Jezero had grabbed him by his throat.

“Put her down, now!” she held Uni in the air due to his small stature.

“Come to rescue your little kitten, I see.” Snizard smiled. Jezero tightened her grip on Uni's neck; small specks of blood were now appearing on his neck.

“Drop her, or your friend here may need a new neck.” she growled.

“If you insist.” He threw Tai into the snow. Jezero dropped Uni to the ground. Unlike Tai, Uni was quick to recover. “I think your pet cat may need something for her eye!” Snizard walked away.

“And an ice pack for her tail.” Uni stomped on Tai's tail, jutting her out of her dazed state. She hissed loudly at Uni, making him run off to join Snizard. Jezero ran to Tai.

“Are you ok?” Jezero sat her up.

“I'll be fine. Lets just get back to my place.” she smirked. With Jezero's help, she managed to navigate the way back to her home.

“Maybe I should get some ice for your eye...and tail.” she noticed that part of Tai's tail was still writhing in pain while the rest just sat limp.

“Just get some snow and it'll be fine.” she let her tail drag in the snow while Jezero put some snow over her eye. Her nose still trickled a bit of blood into the snow.

“So why do they...”

“Have an issue with me? Well, from Uni's stand point its a deal with my breeding. To him, me being even the slightest bit Russian Blue means that I'm directly royal even with my other breeding...and for some reason he just hates Russian Blues. As for Snizard...well I've always placed ahead of him when it came to any science kind of competition. Plus he's got a problem with the fact that my mother, well late mother, was a tabby and gave birth to another female orange tabby. So both of the scaled buffoons joined together in a common hate.” Tai finished. “I just hope that being around me hasn't put you into any trouble.”

“I can hold my own, and I guess you may need me to make this a fair fight.” Jezero smiled. Tai laughed.

“If you don't mind my asking...”

“About my goggles? Well...can I show you when we get to your place?”

“Sure, if thats alright with you?” A fair distance later, they arrived at Tai's house; a decent sized home on the outskirts of the city. “It may not be the best, but its gotten me by. So shall we get started?” Tai wrapped her injured tail and nose and placed an ice pack on her eye. After a few hours of getting things for their project, they finally decided to break for the day. “Its getting late. Won't your folks be worried about you?”

“Well, I moved here alone but never really thought about where I'd be staying. I don't have much outside of what I have in my backpack.”

“Well, I won't make you stay outside.”

“Oh, no I couldn't.”

“I insist. After all, you saved my tail and helped me home. The least I could do is give you a place to stay.” Tai smiled. The blue kinkajou smiled. “Now about your goggles.”

“Oh, yeah. Um...promise not to laugh?” Tai regarded the question as odd.

“Why would I laugh?”

“Do you promise?”

“Ok. Ok. I promise.” the cat assured. Jezero tentatively pulled off her goggles. As she opened her eyes, she revealed that one eye was a golden yellow like Tai's but the other one was blue like her fur. Tai's reaction wasn't one that she expected.

“Oh! That's so adorable!”

“You don't find it odd?”

“I'm female orange tabby from a litter of one. Define odd.” The two smiled, knowing that they had each found a friend and someone that they could trust.