Let The Chaos Continue

The Protective Fathers Are Here.

A few days later, two dragons arrived in the rainforest for a visit. One of them warm, the other cold. One of them kind, the other cold. One of them sandy, the other cold. 

I bet you can guess who they are.

"Qibli! Winter!" Moon exclaimed, hugging the familiar dragons. 

"Hey Moon," Qibli grinned. Winter's mouth twitched, fighting back any sign of a smile.

"What's new?" The frosty Icewing prince asked. 

"Oh you're not going to believe this." Moon insisted. "Do you remember that Icewing girl Stardust introduced you to at Sunny's wedding?"

"No." Winter offered.

"Of course!" Qibli replied. "Permafrost, right?"

"That's her." Moon confirmed. "Well apparently, she and Stardust eloped."

"He WHAT?!" Winter exploded. Qibli's eyes widened.

"Where can we find this Permafrost?" Qibli demanded.

*~*~*~*~*

Permafrost sat awkwardly in a room, Winter and Qibli glaring and staring at her like she was some prisoner they were about to interrogate. Stardust stood beside her defiantly, glaring back at his fathers.

"This is highly unnecessary." He declared.

"Stardust, this girl is your WIFE," Qibli began. "And the only time I've ever seen her is when she ran up, said hi, then bolted away and kissed another girl. Not exactly the best first impression." Permafrost laughed anxiously.

"Yeaaaah, my bad..." She offered, immediately regretting every one of her life choices. Stardust entwined their tails together.

"Well, my first impression of you two wasn't that great either." Stardust shot back. "So maybe we could skip the interrogation?"

"No can do." Winter shook his head. He pointed to the door. "Out you go." Stardust narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere." Permafrost sighed.

"Stardust, it's fine." She insisted, smiling at him. "They just want to talk." Qibli nodded in agreement, but Stardust still eyed Winter skeptically.

"I promise you'll still have a wife when this is over." The Icewing prince promised. 

"Uh huh." Stardust offered. He turned to Qibli. "Watch him." And then he walked out, leaving Permafrost alone with the pair.

"So......" She said awkwardly. "Hi."

"Hey," Qibli replied. "Sup."

"Oh, nothing much." She insisted. "Just being creepily interrogated by my husband's fathers."

"You're an Icewing." Winter started, his voice like steel. "What circle?"

"I was fourth circle when I left." She insisted. Winter snorted.

"Fourth circle?" Winter scoffed. "That's barely above peasants."

"And yet someone I'm more dignified then you." Permafrost shot back. Winter glared at her.

"Not everything is about rank, Winter." Qibli reminded him. "So, Permafrost, I hear you're close with Joy's kids?" 

"Oh yeah." Permafrost insisted. "I'm friends with all of them, but I'm especially close with Rin."

"Close enough to kiss her when you're dating someone else." Winter chimed in.

"She was dating someone else too, for your information, and neither Stardust, nor Rin's boyfriend minded." 

"Well then that's just stupid on Stardust's part." Permafrost crossed her arms.

"Rin and I have a very complicated relationship. I thought you might be able to understand that, given your current relationship with Stardust's other parents." She shot back.

"Who are your parents?" Winter demanded.

"Vast and Aurora." Winter snorted.

"Aurora? She was always in a daze- never cared about the rankings. And Vast? The guy's head was so filled with impossible dreams it made it hard for him to walk through a door. He always seemed like one of those dragons who'd run off." Permafrost stood up, glowering at Winter.

"Don't. You. DARE." She growled. "Speak of them like that." Qibli glanced between the two of them, unsure how to intervene.

"Why not?" Winter questioned.

"My mother was perfect. And my father wanted to run off, but he stayed because he loved my mother."

"That's a cowardly excuse."

"More cowardly then faking your death to avoid your whole tribe?" 

"OKAY!" Qibli interrupted. "No more Icewing talk!"

"The only competent one in Aurora's family was her sister." Winter declared.

"Her sister stabbed her to death in front of my very eyes less then a year ago." Permafrost announced. Winter didn't seem to have a retort for that one.

A silence fell over the trio as Permafrost settled back into her seat. Qibli shot a meaningful look at Winter, staring at him until the Icewing finally let out a long suffering sigh.

"I'm sorry." Winter offered.

"I'm sure you are." 

"Do you love Stardust?" Qibli questioned suddenly, expertly changing the subject.

"Of course I do." Permafrost declared. "I married him, after all."

"Marriage doesn't mean you love someone." Winter said quietly.

"Well, it does to me." She insisted. Qibli sighed.

"Permafrost, this conversation hasn't exactly gone as I imagined." The Sandwing began. "But it's just.... This whole relationship between me and Winter and Moon and Stardust- it's a disaster. And I don't honestly think Stardust really wants either of us," He gestured to him and Winter. "In his life. But he wants you. So, I just want to know that you really care about him, and that you're going to take care of him, no matter how messed up the rest of his family gets."

"I understand." Permafrost responded. "And I promise you, he's in good talons. I'm not gonna hurt him. I love him."

"Then that's all I needed to hear." Qibli announced. "Winter? Any last stupid comments you want to make?" Winter rolled his eyes.

"You hurt my son," The Icewing offered. "I'll rip you apart." 

"You hurt my husband," Permafrost shot back. "I'll kill you."