One important thing before we begin: I know Peril is not the daughter of Scarlet and that Soar is not Scarlet's husband, but for the purposes of this story and plotline, it will be. So please don't comment and harass me about it, k thanks. :)

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Kinkajou

"But I don't care what x is!" Kinkajou said, falling back onto the couch, her hand resting on her forehead as if she'd been out in the fields instead of working on Ms. Kestrel's math homework. There was no response from Moon. The perky little teen blinked her eyes open, peering out from between the gaps in her fingers. "Moon?" she said. Still nothing. The emerald green eyes of her friend stared off into space, but behind them, you could tell her mind was whizzing, trying to fit pieces into the places they belonged. The raven-haired girl slowly blinked as if someone had hit her unexpectedly, then turned to face Kinkajou.

"Hmm?" she hummed in question, her head cocked to the side as she waited for an answer.

"What do you mean, 'hmm'?" Kinkajou asked, her eyebrow cocked. "You totally blanked out for a second." She could start to see a faint color appear on Moon's cheeks.

"N-no. I was just, you know, solving for x." Moon quickly looked back down at her notes. 

"Suuure," Kinkajou said as used her arms to hoist her tiny frame back up into a sitting position. Her blond hair highlighted with streaks of pale pink fell around her shoulders in a messy, disheveled kind of way. "So what's up?"

Moon took a strand of her hair and began to intertwine it with her fingers. "It's nothing, really." Kinkajou nodded slowly.

"So it's a guessing game, then. Alright, this will be fun! Does it have to do with someone in particular? No? Yes?" Moon paused, then slowly nodded her head, deciding to play along in the game after all. "Ok, so yes. I'm assuming it's a he unless there's something you're not telling me." A laughed escaped Moon's lips, and Kinkajou continued. "Does his name start with a Q?"

Moon opened her mouth to speak, but closed it slowly, a slight sadness overcoming her features. That's... odd, Kinkajou thought before continuing. "Ok, so a W then." She couldn't contain the grin that followed. "Oh my gosh, Moon! Did something happen between you and Winter?!" Moon just shrugged, but the blush that tainted her cheeks told her she had guessed right.

"I guess."

"You guess? This is great! I mean, different, cause I didn't really expect you guys to become a thing, but I'm so excited!" Kinkajou leaned forward, wanting to know all of the details. "So was it like a feeling, a kiss, or more than that?" she said, pushing for more answers. 

Moon shrugged sheepishly, then said, "No, it wasn't anything more than that. It was a lot, a lot less. We... We just held hands. But it felt like more, you know?"

"Of course! Ok, not really," Kinkajou admitted. "I don't know anymore then you do. Never been a genuine relationship before, remember? Just a fantasizing fangirl." Moon laughed. "But I am so happy for you. And SO EXCITED. I super mega promise not to embarrass you in front of him... probably." Kinkajou grinned.

Moon chuckled before saying, "Thank you." The question that followed would come off as intrusive, she was sure, but Kinkajou couldn't contain herself.

"But what about Qibli?" Now only the sound of the TV could be heard during the silence.

"Oh," was all Moon said.  "I-I don't know. I really don't. And I feel so terrible that I don't. I can't just go out for ice cream with one, act like we had a spark between us, then just change my mind and hold hands with another. I don't wanna be like all those back-stabbing book characters who think that it's ok." Moon buried her face in her hands. "Maybe I should just give up on both of them and pretend it never happened. That's probably what Winter is going to do anyways." 

As much as Kinkajou wanted disagree, she knew it was probably true. Winter had never really seemed like the reliable type. But before she could answer, something caught her eye on the TV screen. 

"Kinkajou, could you at least give me some advice here? I need help! How am I-" she slowly trailed off when she saw her friend no longer focusing on her, but on the news. "What is it?" she asked, turning her eyes to watch and ears to listen. 

It showed the headshot of a middle-aged woman. Her matted hair was an unnatural shade of deep red, cut off at the shoulders. Her face contained strong features; you could even have once called her pretty, in an unsettling, stab you in the back kind of way. But the left side of her face appeared almost melted, her cruel and unfriendly golden eye glowing against the scarred skin. 

"Scarlet Reine, age 41, was accused of the murder of Soar Reine, her ex-husband," explained the news anchor. Kinkajou clasped her hands over her mouth, but it hadn't exactly come as a surprise. You could tell right away that this woman had done something terrible just by the maniacal look on her face.

"I don't know why they would think I would do such a thing...," said a new slithering voice. But it sounded displaced as if the owner no longer truly cared. They had snapped to some footage of Scarlet, the owner of the voice. She was surprisingly small for what Kinkajou had imagined a murderer to be.

The anchor continued: "She is currently within the custody of the Jade City police force, and her trial will be held December 17." 1 month away. "People have begun to call her 'Queen Scarlet' because of her last name. Her daughter, Peril Reine, was taken by social services early this week and will remain in their custody until further notice."

"Peril...? Like, our Peril?" Moon struggled to say. But Kinkajou wasn't there. "Kinkajou?" she called.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go find her!" she said from the front door, tossing Moon her coat and slipping on her own.

Before long they were out the door and racing under the stars. Through the window of the house, the TV still flashed and the silhouette of Silver the cat could be seen, swishing her tail back and forth, back and forth.

Author's Note

PLOT TWIST. 

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