They aren't fire and ice as much as they are stone and steel - both hard, both unyielding, both desperately, beautifully stubborn. They are two sides of the same coin, but that doesn't mean they have to see eye to eye all of the time.

The black dragon looks positively murderous, and in turn the red ruffles his scales and shrieks into the frigid air. It takes a blast of mental strength from the behemoth to wrest his bonded back from the brink of attack - he cannot let the two dragons come to blows. Brothers cannot fight. With a snort of disagreement, the crimson beast submits to his bonded's wishes and continues to circle high above, his thoughts a roiling tide of displeasure. A wry smile twists the colt's lips. He should have known his relationship with his sister's black would not be harmonious from the moment the little bastard bit him on the nose - he still has the scar, a faded white line against the obsidian of his muzzle.

His sister mutters petulantly, and Volterra fights the urge to go to her, embrace her and giggle at her for her desire to have the last word. But he doesn't. "Don't give me reason to," is his icy retort, his tones dripping with as much frost as Vérzés' breath.

She continues, and the giant paws the ground with a heavy hoof, troubled by her words. They do not belong to one another? But they do, in body and mind. Or is it just Volterra's imagination? In all relationships, there's always one who loves more - is that him? Is it only he that loves his sister to the point of smothering her, that would lock her away in a cave from the rest of the world so he could have her to himself? Or is it simply his all-consuming greed masquerading as affection? He doesn't know, and it concerns him.

But there are more pressing matters at hand - freeing mother. Nymeria suggests sending in her own dragon only, and Vérzés releases another disgusted rumble at the thought. "Fine, but Vérzés will be close at hand, to help if Lilómiel gets into difficulties." The red could fly high whilst the black flew low, a tandem effort to locate the kitsune and pass a message along.

Volterra begins to move, unslicking his ears from his scalp and forcing his voice into civility. "Tonight. No time like the present." And, like that, he begins to walk, expecting his twin will follow, that they will wait for the night together, like this argument had never happened. That is how it had always been, after all.