I grabbed Zak's arm and yanked him back as the tiger thing pounced to attack him. Jade pulled us along and we ran to the bus stop, trying to outrun this thing. Problem was that tigers are typically faster than humans. Solution was, I am not a human. So, I led them to the bus stop, running one metre in front of the tiger thing.

The bus stop wasn't far, but the bus wasn't going to miraculously appear as soon as we arrived. Which was unfortunate. So, instead I ran into the park behind the bus stop, dragging Zak and Jade along with me.

"Flora, what is it!?" Jade asked.

"I don't know!" I replied. "Some creature with a tiger's body and human head!"

"Shit," Jade cursed under her breath. "It's a Daoshou!"

"A what!?" I asked.

"Daoshou!" Jade repeated. "It's from China! I told you, we have a bunch of Chinese monsters here because of the trade agreement between Australia and China! Kinda working against us right now!"

"That cat looks like a tiger with a human head to you!?" Zak exclaimed, sounding scared.

"You can relax a little," Jade said. "The Daoshou isn't nearly as dangerous as the Archaeopteryx."

"That makes me feel so much better!" I exclaimed sardonically. "Not like it's still trying to kill us!"

"The dosha looks so cute though," Zak said.

"Daoshou!" Jade corrected.

"That's what I said!" Zak replied.

"No, you idiot!" I yelled. "Doh-show!"

"Oh!" Zak nodded. "So, like a shower of dough?"

"Yes!" Jade and I screamed in unison.

I stopped and turned to see the Daoshou had stopped in its tracks, a look of hatred on its human face as it lowered its body to pounce. I took the switchblade from my shoe again, but I figured it would do little to help me against this thing. Especially since it was nearly twice my size.

It launched itself towards us, and I misjudged how quickly it could move, but much like any other time I had to fight, it came instinctually, I threw myself out of its path and brought Zak with me. He had a very quizzical expression on his face, clearly not being able to comprehend how terrifying the situation was. Maybe human eyes worked the same with monsters as they did with colours?

Jade couldn't see the monster either, but she seemed to understand a lot better than Zak. Understandable, Mum did teach her everything. The beast however was concentrated on Zak and me, seeing as Zak offended it by calling it harmless and I was the only non-human around. I was starting to understand Flare's frustration at me from when I provoked the Malingee, although this was supposedly not as difficult to fight.

I stood in front of Zak protectively, but he towered above me in height, so it would just take a high jump to get to him. Zak took a few steps back, because while he was confused, he knew it was better to not be within reach.

The Daoshou lunged at us, and I shoved Zak backwards, taking the full force of the impact. I fell to the ground, claws in my upper arms, and definite bruises forming where the paws touched. It made a humanoid growling sound, and nearly spat in my face.

I threw the switchblade to Jade, hoping to God that she'd understand the message.

"One each from Heaven and Hell must rise," the Daoshou growled.

"What?" I furrowed my brows and the Daoshou pounced onto Zak.

"Argh!" He wailed as it scratched him. He couldn't see it but he sure as Hell could feel the Daoshou attacking him. Jade made a sound like an angry cry and sliced the Daoshou's abdomen. It wailed and backed away, crumpling to the ground.

"You have only delayed the inevitable," came the final words of the Chinese beast.

I looked at Zak to see he was disoriented, and steely grey particles healed his scratches. I had no such luxury. Jade looked at me expectantly, before sighing and speaking up.

"Wounds to humans disappear when the monster dies," she explained. "Yours will after a good night's sleep."

"Did you hear it?" I asked.

"All I heard were a bunch of angry cat noises," Zak said, getting up and dusting himself off. "But I couldn't see what you could."

"What did the Daoshou say?" Jade asked.

I gulped. "One each from Heaven and Hell must rise," I answered.

Zak looked confused, and Jade wore a grim expression on her face.

"What does it mean?" I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"You don't need to worry about it," Jade said, glancing at Zak worriedly.

I felt a pit form in my stomach. Heaven and Hell were concepts I was far too familiar with. Heaven was a land of angel's and saints, Hell was a land for sinner's to face punishment. But there was something else. They were Biblical forms of the afterlife. The inevitable was delayed, meaning Zak was going to die, and it had something to do with Heaven and Hell.

After everything I'd forced Zak to go through, I hoped he at least ended up in Heaven. I didn't know if that whole thing about gay people going to Hell was true, but I really hoped it wasn't. But who knows? Maybe it was a message about how I was immortal, and he wasn't?

"Well," Zak tried to cut the tension, "the bus is on its way, and I don't want to miss it. So, I'll race you there!"

Zak won. Only because I let him win though. I couldn't get what the Daoshou had said out of my head. One each from Heaven and Hell must rise. That implied two. I was trying to think of who else might face this. Maybe the polar opposite of Zak? So, straight, white, privileged, mean, female, and angry. Sounded like me if I was honest, but I was going to guess they had to be human.

I tried not to let myself think Zak would end up in Hell. But being gay, biracial, and atheist were some major factors that played against him. Unless God really was just and did base things off of character because that's something someone who isn't a dick would do.

Jade was also hiding something. She knew what it meant, but she refused to tell me. I tried to wrack my brain for what it might mean, and why no one wanted to explain it, and I could only come up with one answer. Kassandra's prophecy.

Before I could think too much more, I was pulled out of my thoughts by someone yelling my name.

"Flora Bitchface Fickle!" Ciara shouted. When had she gotten there?

"Sorry," I sat up straighter. "What did you say?"

"Red or blue?" Zak asked, giving me no context whatsoever.

"Zak," Ciara narrowed her eyes.

"Fine," Zak groaned. "Red wiggle or blue wiggle?"

"I would like to know what I'm choosing them for as well?" I said.

"Who's hotter, in your opinion?" Ciara asked.

I groaned. "They're from a children's show."

"Doesn't change the fact that they're hot," Zak said.

"Correction, the red wiggle is hot," Ciara crossed her arms and lent against the yellow bus pole.

"Okay, but the blue wiggle used to be hot," Zak explained. "He was my gay awakening."

"He's an old man!" Ciara shouted.

"Not important," Zak waved her off. "So, Flora, who would you be more likely to have sex with. Anthony when he was younger, or Simon?"

"Well, seeing as they're both grown men—"

"Ignore that part," Ciara interrupted. "Just pick one."

"I've never meet them—"

"Flora now is not the time to be realistic," Zak said through gritted teeth. "I'm trying to prove that I am right."

"You aren't" Ciara said.

"Look, can I have more information?" I asked. "Are we in a long-term relationship, did we just meet after a few drinks, or are we only two weeks into a friendship?"

"That's not important," Zak shook his head. "Just, which one would you fuck?"

"Can I skip the sex and go on a date first?" I asked.

"No," Ciara shook her head.

I swallowed the bad taste in my mouth. Was this really normal for people, or just Zak and Ciara? I hadn't realised people were actually worried about sex at fifteen. It was something I'd never thought about at least. Well, I'd only thought about it in the sense that private schools taught you almost nothing about it. Still, was this due to education, or was there just something wrong with me?

I decided it was better to give them an answer. Still, I felt weird. Relationships were something I hadn't particularly minded, but the sex side of things? I felt sort of ambivalent towards it. Was that normal?

"Simon," I said.

"Hah!" Ciara fist pumped. "I told you more people would want to fuck Simon!"

Zak pouted. "Yeah whatever," he pretended to not care. "Flora's just one person anyway."

"Two to one," Ciara smirked, "that's a pretty good ratio in my opinion."

Zak and Ciara continued to bicker over which wiggle was hotter and I rolled my eyes at them. I hoped this was a human thing, and not an everything that's alive thing. But then, why wasn't Jade suspicious she wasn't immortal if she had those sorts of feelings?

I pushed the thoughts aside, it was probably best I focus on the problems at hand. Figuring out what I was, finding the other four like Flare and I, solving this prophecy thing, getting the Clark Corporation off my back, and defeating him. All in all, I had much more important things to worry about than a lack of interest in sex.

I glanced at Zak, pondering the fate that might await him. Heaven or Hell. Kassandra and the Daoshou said it themselves. Zak would die, and he'd either face eternal damnation, or centuries on fluffy clouds playing the harp.

On second thought, eternal damnation didn't sound so bad.

"Time for Hell," Zak said, startling me.

"What?" I asked, swallowing the bile in my throat.

"You know, school," Zak answered. "School is Hell."

I tried to smile in agreement, but it was weird to have Zak say that when he was predicted to end up in either Heaven or Hell.

"Anyway, I overheard some people talking about new students," Ciara tagged off and jumped out of the bus. "Apparently we're getting three in our year. Two boys and a girl."

"How do you find out all of this stuff?" Zak asked. I'd take it she had been like this for years.

"Let's just say I can turn invisible," Ciara winked.

Zak rolled his eyes, and I shook my head fondly.

Three new students, I thought. It was fairly common to have twenty odd students either join or leave the school in one school year per year group. For year ten, I was one, and these three would make four. Only about six new students and ten leaving students to go.

"Right well," Zak sighed, "I've got to go to, elch, home room."

"With Mrs Eldiron no less," I smirked.

"Shut up!" Zak whined. "Just because you two have Ms Boroong, doesn't mean you can pick on me."

"You pick on us for being short!" Ciara pointed out.

"Yeah, that's because midgets depend on tall people," Zak proclaimed proudly.

Ciara and I locked eyes, coming to a silent agreement. We were almost at the top of the hill, and we knocked him over, forcing him to roll down the hill. No one spared him a glance, because apparently this was normal, but I wasn't really surprised by that.

"Hey!" Zak called out. "Not cool!"

I rolled my eyes and Ciara giggled. We started walking towards our home room class, and I came to the silent decision that I would look for Gladiare in between Woodwork and Science. For now, I had Ms Boroong to worry about. Supposedly, she was like Gladiare. I didn't know if that made her a Kentauros or if she was just here protecting someone else, but I wasn't going to confront her about it. It was better I spoke to Gladiare.

"One of the new students is in our home room," Ciara explained. "I don't know which, but I'm hoping it's the girl. Unless she turns out to be a bitch."

"If it's a boy, he better not be a footyfuck," I shook my head. "God knows we've got enough of those in our class."

"Yeah, but that's helpful during the faction carnival," Ciara shrugged. "We always win."

"What faction are we?" I asked.

"Blue," Ciara said. "We're the Kookaburra's."

"What about the other's?" I wanted-to-know.

"Red is home rooms one and five," Ciara started, "that's Zak. They're the Emu's. Two and six are yellow, the Dingo's. Three and seven are green, the Quokka's. And we're with eight."

I nodded. "Didn't we have a war against emu's in 1932?"

"Yeah...," Ciara pouted. "It's a dark stain in Australian history."

"It is?" I raised an eyebrow and saw the classroom a few metres away.

"Put it this way," Ciara sighed, "only Australia would have the audacity to start a war against a bird, and then lose."

I nodded. "Sounds about right. Should we try again? Fighting off the flying rats?"

"Pigeons are bad," Ciara groaned, "but magpies are worse."

"I go for the Magpies!" I complained, crossing my arms, and glaring like a small child.

"Really?" Ciara raised an eyebrow. "Collingwood? Okay, you deserve whatever comes to you if you're that stupid."

"Hey!" I whined. "You're right, but still!"

"Collingwood is one of the worst teams!"

"Well, who do you go for?" I asked.

"The Swans," Ciara replied nonchalantly.

I shook my head. "Collingwood is better."

"Then how come they always lose?" Ciara folded her arms. "At least the Swans have won a few times."

"That's it," I started, "you've lost friendship privileges."

Ciara rolled her eyes, and we laughed a little at the stupidity of it. But come on, AFL may be something stupid to argue over, but it was still AFL. It was better than arguing over which wiggle was the hottest. In my personal opinion at least.