Everyone had been surprised when Hunter had settled. I'd always been a quiet girl, not up in your face, sticking with a close group of friends, that sort of thing. That's not to say I was always well behaved, I wasn't, but I wasn't a loud, brash person, I preferred to blend in with the crowd. So when my crass, immature, incorrigibly sarcastic dæmon settled as a Siberian Tiger, I guess we where all a little bit surprised.

It had been a day like any other, a boring class with my inept and foolish teacher, another excuse as to why I hadn't done my homework, another half assed promise of punishment for my lack of homework. The boys in class being loud and rowdy, the girls talking about the newest romance book and what they where doing after school, me and my friends laughing at rude jokes and making fun of the superior attitude of the "cool kids" who thought they where so much better than us. Kid's dæmons running around in small forms, playing around, or sitting in bird forms perched on the strings strung across the room to hang work. While Hunter was often a smaller animal at school, he preferred to be larger animals, dogs, badgers, cats, that sort of thing, but in class he usually took the form of a rat or a ferret. At that time we was in the form of a Peregrine Falcon on the strings above our desk, having a chat with Mitch's dæmon Kathy, a small Bluejay.

The bell rang for recess as we all piled out of the class room into the playground. I'd just returned from the canteen with some food when I heard the yelling. Me and Hunter followed the sounds until we walked into the music room area of the school and saw a friend of mine, Sofia, accompanied by her twin sister and one other friend, being yelled at by Zoe and her friend Shauna.

Shauna had been a friend of mine for a few years before she met Zoe. Zoe was the new kid, and as we always did when new kids came we invited her into our group and tried to make her feel welcome. It didn't take to long before she started to act a bit odd, she was always acting like she was some how superior to us, and she kept herself pretty distant, except with Shauna. She drew Shauna closer and closer to her and further from us, they where still our friends, but Shauna's naive, kind nature had drawn her further and further into her trap.

It hadn't taken long for Zoe to start causing trouble. She had started claiming that a friend of our, Gillian and her dæmon Kyle, a small chestnut headed bee-eater bird was his preferred form, had been bullying her. Gillian and Kyle where the sweetest, nicest people on earth would never hurt a fly, in fact, if they saw a hurt fly they'd probably take it home and nurse it back to health. So the suggestion that she was bullying Zoe was preposterous, and in fact Zoe had used this excuse to bully Gillian. Many of us where outraged and demanded to know why Zoe was being allowed to get away with this, apart from the fact that the school was shit, we soon found out why when we had taken a stand against her. Zoe's mother was a complete psychopath, she lived in this false reality where Zoe was some infallible being that could do no wrong, and if there was ever any issue where she was involved she was clearly the victim. Any time we or the school tried to do something mummy would rush in to the rescue and turn it around on us. Zoe learned quite quickly that Gillian wasn't a good target as almost no one belived she'd ever do anything bad, so Zoe had picked an easier target. Sofia wasn't mean by any means, she was just more blunt than Gillian and didn't take shit from anyone, so at least Zoe's "She's bullying me." story seemed a little more believable.

But today was the first time I'd ever seen Sofia cry. She had shrunk back somewhat, holding her dæmon Andrew in her arms, the usually bouncy large dæmon had shrunk into the form of a small rabbit and buried himself in Sofia's arms. Andrea and Bret stood slightly in front of her and where attempting to get Zoe to fuck off and leave them alone. As the yelling got louder they started to attract quite the audience, most of the year was stood there watching them face off. We moved closer in an attempt to get Zoe to piss off.

"Leave her alone Zoe!" Andrea yelled "She didn't do anything to you, why can you just leave us alone!" Andrea's dæmon Harry shifted into a large cat form and snarled at Zoe's dæmon, a blue green peacock by the name of William. William glared at Harry for a moment, before looking away uninterestedly, cockily ruffling his feathers.

Zoe scoffed at Andrea "She hasn't done anything to me? She's been relentlessly bullying me." she looked down at Harry "Even now you continue to threaten and harass me. You're both lucky that the school is to incompetent to prevent bullying from worthless little nothings like you." she took a threatening step forward and William cawed loudly at Harry, who shrank behind Andrea's legs.

I growled at hearing this, it was always the same with Zoe, she was always the victim, being abused by those lesser than her, to her everyone was worthless. And if there's one thing I hate it's being told I'm lesser and worthless.

I strode angrily over to Zoe, Hunter stalking behind me in the form of a large dog. I walked past Andrea and got right up in Zoe's face before yelling "What is your problem! Why do you do this!" I stared right into her eyes as I spoke "How are you so desperate for attention! You don't fool anyone with your little 'victim' act, the only people who believe that are the teachers and your mum, and the teachers only believe it because your mum makes them! Do you get some sort of enjoyment out of upsetting others? Do you get off on it or something? Does it make you feel like you're better than we are?" I took a step forward and Hunter towered over William "We're sick of you and all your bullshit! So could you please piss off and LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, and Hunter let out the loudest roar I'd ever heard as he shifted from his dog form into a huge Siberian Tiger. He stood threateningly over William, who shrunk from a peacock into a tiny mouse and ran back to Zoe. I shot her one last glare and stormed off.

As I walked further away I began to calm somewhat until I cam to the concreted area behind the school building and we sat down on the concreted power box.

Hunter began to twitch nervously beside me and I looked over at him quizzically. He was still in the form of the large Siberian Tiger, which surprised me, though it didn't feel strange or uncomfortable at all.

"Are you ok Hunter?" I asked gently.

He gave a small nod before saying quietly "I think I've settled."

I blinked at him, shocked "As a tiger?" he nodded.

We didn't really say anything for a while, just sat there in shock. It was Hunter who broke the silence "Shit, how am I going to fit in the car?" I burst out laughing and wrapped my arms around his shaggy neck. He nuzzled into me and we sat there for a few moments.

"I love your settled form." I smiled at him "You look badass." he chuckled and I smiled, standing "come on you, the bell's about to go, we should head back." eh nodded hapily as we returned to the classroom.

-Bonnefeta-

The looks we got when we walked back into class where priceless. Zoe when completley pale and Sofia and Bret's eyebrows shot up. My teacher looked even more flustered and confused than she normally did. The room was silent as we walked back to our seats, Hunter lying down just in front of my desk.

When my teacher regained her composure she glared at me and said "Sophie, could your dæmon please take on a smaller form in the classroom?" her voice patronising and impatient.

I smiled and raised one eyebrow before replying "I would Miss, but Hunter has settled like this." There was a resounding gasp from my class mates and a few chuckled and congratulations on how 'awesome' Hunters settled form was. Zoe looked like she might pass out and my teacher looked almost as terrified.

She cleared her throat awkwardly "Very well then."

Me and Hunter both grinned, this was going to be awesome.

While this story is most definitely not fact the story is based on something that really happened in my life, though I dramatised it to make the story more interesting. I didn't change the names either because I'm lazy, and though I doubt it will happen but if anyone what was there reads this, it's not completely accurate although I did once have a massive blow up at her somewhat similar to this.

Don't be mad.

I think this might become a series although I don't know.

ps. a Siberian tiger is a type of tiger that lives in the frozen north, they look similar to bengal tigers but their fur is slightly lighter and much longer and shaggier than a bengal tiger to allow it to live in colder climates. They are also bigger than bengal tigers and are, in fact, the biggest pure blood big cat in the world.