Let The Chaos Continue

Joy, Kelp, Rainkeeper, and Pear

Joy was lounging on her throne, and Kelp thought that lounging was the accurate word for how Joy sprawled out on the chair like she owned it.

Well, now that he thought about it, she did technically own the chair. And the room...And probably a lot of other stuff. No wonder so many Queens went mad with power. But Joy wasn't like that- she was more likely to act like she'd gone mad with power, then laugh when everybody panicked. She had a weird sense of humor like that sometimes.

Joy loved her throne. Glory had hardly used the chair as Queen, but Joy used it all the time. It was official, she said. It gave her a feeling of authority, like she was someone worth bowing before. Kelp had always thought that about Joy, but never about himself. He still found it strange some days that she had gotten a second, equally sized throne made for him. He hardly used it. He didn't like the feeling of power on his shoulders, even if Joy had gotten the throne to show him that they were equals. He didn't belong in a throne, and he never would. He was content to stand beside one, and watch Joy be the beautiful queen she was.

He wondered, though, why Deathbringer had never requested a throne. It certainly seemed like something he'd do.

But just as Kelp and Joy were starting to get bored sitting around the throne room, a paint covered dragon came running into the room.

"Have you seen Tree-Bud?!!?" Pear yelled, looking slightly panicked.

"What?" Kelp frowned. 

"No....?" Joy said.

"I completely forget who that is," Kelp admitted.

"Well right now," Pear explained. "It's a sloth with blue war paint on its face brandishing a paint brush and potentially on an angry murderous rampage. So, like, WE KINDA NEED TO FIND HIM." Joy and Kelp's eyes widened.

"I'll help you look," Kelp offered, shooting Joy a glance.

"Thanks," Pear breathed a sigh of relief and bolted out the door, Kelp following close behind.

Not a minute later, Rainkeeper ran in, also paint covered, only he was brandishing a spear.

"What the hell-" Joy started.

"Have you seen Tree-Bud?" He demanded.

"No. Pear just ran in here a minute ago asking the same thing. What the hell is going on?" Rainkeeper sighed.

"Pear and I made a bet to see who could paint a better portrait of the stupid sloth," He explained. "And today we showed them off to get his approval. Apparently, Tree-Bud doesn't like being painted. So he attacked us, smashed our paintings, got one of the brushes, and ran off towards the village screeching. Given his history of fruit related injuries, Pear and I are very concerned about what he'll do with a paintbrush with a pointed end." 

"Makes sense....And the spear?" Joy glanced at the weapon. Rainkeeper paused.

"....That's for..." He tucked the spear behind his back. "Other purposes...." Joy grinned.

"Pear, Apple, and Prism will KILL you if you hurt that sloth."

"Well THIS WAR'S BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES, JOY, AND I'M NOT LETTING A FREAKING SLOTH WIN."

"So you thought," She said back, amused, "that out of all the weapons in the world, that a SPEAR would be the best choice to kill a sloth?"

"....Don't judge me; it was the first thing I found."

"If you say so." She grinned. "Remember when we tried to pair up Tree-Bud with Silver? That was a fun day."

"We still have the claw marks scars- they both hate us now."

"Not true! Tree-Bud's ALWAYS hated you." Rainkeeper scowled.

"Sometimes I miss when you were little and innocent." He sighed. 

"I don't." She smiled. "Although I did have a lot of fun. Remember the food fight?"

"How could I forget?" He snorted. He glanced at the throne. "You know sometimes it's still weird to me that you're Queen now. Mother had the throne for so long... it's strange to see you ruling now."

"I know what you mean," Joy agreed. "Sometimes I still expect Mother to charge in here, Dad on her heels, and to tell me that I can't sit in the throne until I'm Queen."

"We've had a lot of fun in this forest," Rainkeeper smiled.

"You say that like we're not going to have more fun. Well, I've got news for you, Rainkeeper. The fun NEVER stops here."

"Oh trust me, I know."

*****

"TREEEEEE BUUUUUDDDDD," Pear called. "Come out, come out wherever you are! But please don't kill us when you do!"

"Okay, I have to ask." Kelp declared. "After so many years, why the heck do you still put up with this sloth?"

"....Do you want the honest answer to that?" Pear made a face.

"Yes." She shrugged.

"Because without Tree-Bud, I never would've met Rainkeeper." She smiled. "He threw an apple, and my whole life changed. I probably would've died a long time ago if it weren't for Rainy, and I never would've had him if it wasn't for Tree-Bud. So no matter how IRRITATING AND UTTERLY ANNOYING HE IS, we're stuck with each other." 

"I know how that feels," Kelp insisted. "I can think of at least two times in my life where I would've died if I hadn't had Joy."

"You ever stop and wonder how we fell in love with a family of psychopaths?" Kelp thought for a moment.

"....Nope." He said. "Although sometimes I wonder how we managed to get psychopaths to fall in love with us."

"No idea."

"Me neither."

"...Any regrets though?"

"NOPE."