"What's this?" Manfred demanded, his eyes were at Franziska. She quivered as she felt his gaze, her long for freedom now seemed worthless after her small act of rebellion. Her hair was now blue thanks to a bottle of dye Qilin had in her room. There was a warning in that dye, that it was permanent and irreversible. She had been put in that special program for gifted children, but she didn't want to, never wanted to stay there.

"Do that Papa, and I'll dye my hair blue!" She screamed at him, it was a bluff back then, a bluff that her Papa knew.

"Oh really now?" He asked. His eyes indicated challenge, and he left her in the manor for a few minutes, returning with a tube of dye. He threw it at her feet. "Well?" He asked," Aren't you going to use that?"

Franziska just looked down on the floor, she cried but didn't say anything anymore. She had a spanking that night. She saw Qilin and Miles spying on them before they turned themselves away.

Now here she was, in the same living room, she was taller and older, and her bluff was no longer a bluff. Her hair had the same hue of the sky. They stood where they had stood in the other time, but she was older now, and more experienced.

"Was it worth it?" she thought to herself as she readied herself for verbal beatings that would turn physical. A spank on the derriere or a backhand slap on the face? She steeled herself and hoped her little act of rebellion was worth it, the shame and humiliation that would be the price to pay.

"I told you didn't I, Papa?" She said, with arrogance and flatness that hid her shakiness," you sent me to that school, so I dyed my hair."

"How dare you –" He slapped Franziska.

Franziska's eyes widened, it wasn't Franziska he slapped, so did Manfred.

Qilin was between them, and when she smiled, there was some blood on her teeth.

"Cool it Unca, I tricked Franziska to dye her hair," Qilin said. She said it in an arrogant pose, her nose was lifted higher, and her left arm was on her hip. The cursed blood was in her too, she thought with a satisfied smirk. All that blood inside her was cursed, her father and her mother always regarded their own blood as cursed, but they used their curse, their darkness to their advantage and they would use it as a weapon against evil. Such was the power of blood.

She threw a bottle of shampoo at his feet. "Look at the inside, you'll see."

Manfred look at the shampoo bottle suspiciously. He opened it and saw that the shampoo was in a rich blue color. His grip on the shampoo tightened until the shampoo burst. "YOU! YOU CAUSED THIS?"

"I did," Qilin said with a sneer.

Before Manfred could slap her, she blocked it with her arm. "I gave you one blow, Manfred, I don't care who you are but I gave you one blow."

"To call me Manfred, you impertinent little brat!" Manfred shouted. He was going to punch her, but she countered with an uppercut that caught his jaw. Manfred fell back, his hand nursing his jaw that might be broken.

"I've always hated you, Manfred," Qilin replied coolly and she left him there.

Ziz had been the spectator of the impromptu fight.

"Franziska!" Manfred shouted.

"Yes father, I'll get the ice bag," Franziska replied.

"Franziska," Manfred said.

"Father?"

"Franziska."

"Uhm, hmmm," Franziska moaned as she woke up.

"We're almost in Zhengfa," Miles said calmly.

Franziska then realized she had used Miles's shoulder as a pillow. She blushed crimson red that turned into embarrassed fury. "Miles, you disgusting –"

"Wait, Franziska – !"

It was too late for poor Miles, she was smothering him with a pillow.

"Agent Lang! Arrest this-this thing!" Franziska demanded.

Shi Long didn't answer, he was pre-occupied with Qilin's true fate, and how he would share the news to Franziska and Miles.

Liuxang stopped playing the erhu, and sighed. Gone was the days of fun he had, gone was his innocence, and gone was the only person who understood him. His eyes fell on the person he had been with. A tear fell, and that was all, he had stopped crying, and now? He felt empty, hollow inside like a ceramic statue. Speck popped out of his shirt and licked his nose, he wondered what his master was thinking about. Liuxang petted him and rested his aching arms. Fiona came in and when Liuxang's and Fiona's eyes met, no words were said. Fiona held Liuxang's hand and squeezed it and her other hand, she stroked Speck's chin, in the serpent's delight.

Knock!

Knock! Knock! Rap!

Snap!

Bang!

After the signal, three boxes's lids popped open and three figures jumped out.

"And what d'ya say, cheap and comfortable," Luna said with a smirk.

"This is so cool," Kay said," my first time as a stowaway."

"Who used the party popper?" Ralos demanded," we could have been caught, jeez."

Just then the door opened, a stewardess came in and saw the three.

"Funny, I don't remember any statues in the cargo," she said, she looked at Ralos closely, their nose almost touching. Luna and Kay almost laughed but they were stood rooted to the spot.

"Rhoda! Help the other stewardess, you already inspected the cargo, haven't you?" a voice boomed.

Rhoda, startled, bumped her head against Ralos.

"Ow!" Rhoda moaned as she nursed her forehead.

"Rhoda, if you break another statue, you're going to be fired!" the voice boomed again.

"Coming," Rhoda replied, she rubbed her forehead as she walked out.

When Rhoda was out of earshot, Ralos screamed," That hurt, dammit!"

Her head must have been hard and it left a bump on Ralos's head.

"Aw, pooh baby Walos, huht you tiny winny head?" Luna teased.

"It's not funny."

"Let's see it Ral," Kay said, she inched her face close to Ralos's to examine his head. Ralos tried to stop himself from blushing.

Luna had other plans in mind though, she planted herself near Kay and gave the unsuspecting girl a push. Kay's and Ralos's lips touched and stayed like that. They were too stunned to move, to get out of the way and stood there frozen. Until they saw a flash of light, Luna held a camera and she was grinning like a naughty imp.

"SIS!"
"LUNA!"

"Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." And Luna ran with Ralos and Kay at her tail. They ran, jumped over luggages, evaded art sculptures, and avoided ledges. Luna was nimble, Luna was quick, Luna ran out of the room. Kay and Ralos didn't stop, they were too pissed to feel tired, they followed her.

Voices. Screaming. Shouting. What were those people shouting about? Shi Long pulled the pillow to his head to silence them. For some reason, the voices had become louder, he looked at where the noises were coming from, and he saw three people running, dashing. One person was chased by two other people. He removed his seatbelt and charged at the three pinning the three people down.

Luna gasped, she was sandwiched by her brother, Kay, and the Shi Long. Ralos tried to squirm his way out and Kay struggled to get out.

"So what do we have here?" Shi Long asked.

"Oh, Wolfy, ah ha ha," Kay said sheepishly.

Shi Long merely glared at them.

Dear Diary,

My parents died. Huoniao disappeared. What am I going to do? I know who killed them, I thought he was a good person, but he's not. I hate him. I'll kill him, even if I'll die with him, he will pay for killing them. DIE!

(Last entry)

Exams are finally over and I am finally back to updating. So sorry for the long wait. Tnx for your patience.