Stronger, Weaker
Solaris considered himself quite accustomed to being looked at, being watched.
How could he not be? Surrounded by his little ponies, be they the ficklest of nobles or the usually awe-struck commonality, Solaris knew his presence drew attention. Knew he struck wonder and commanded respect and tried his best to handle himself in a way so that his ponies might always look upon him with the same amount of love and admiration that he feels for them in kind.
The piercing gaze he felt now was different, though.
It was persistent and unwavering, like that of a pony with either great prestige or simply great ego- assured that whoever he stands before is an equal, and deserving of his focus.
But.
There was no respect in this look. It was more akin to a leer. Hostile and... Solaris' wings twitched involuntarily.
Hostile and not entirely unfamiliar.
Solaris kicked himself inwardly, holding back a sigh. 'It couldn't be.' Solaris thought. 'He's somewhere far, far away, licking his wounds. Not here. Not after-
"Your Highness?"
Solaris blinked and tilted his head toward his ever capable aide, Sable Inkpot. Gave an apologetic smile at Inkpot's look of worry and slightly raised brow. "My apologies, Inkpot." It can wait, Solaris figured. Dawn Court was nearing its closure but that was no excuse to offer any less of his attention. No matter who decided to stare. "Who's scheduled next?"
"Up next is Lady Willow, your Highness. There seems to have been some new developments regarding the land she was supposed to receive from Amber Meadows." The barest hint of annoyance flashed across Inkpot's face, and Solaris couldn't hold back his chuckle. This is the third time Lady Willow had come in, seeking some sort of assistance in her dealings with the ornery old stallion.
"It wouldn't be a true Meadows land dispute if we don't see the poor pony he's harassing at least five times within the week, hmm?"
"I think Shore v Meadows set the record to nine, your Majesty."
Solaris shuddered. "I'd rather you not remind me. Please, send Lady Willow in."
Inkpot dipped his head and trotted down the steps that rose to Solaris' and Artemis' thrones. Solaris repositioned himself, gave an apologetic smile to Lady Willow as she stalked in with a look of pure exasperation, flavored with rage.
Dawn Court was Solaris' focus. He had ponies to attend to and that's what he would do. Whoever was watching- if it were even a pony and not just some unfounded sense of anxiety- would have to wait. They didn't matter.
Certainly didn't matter that Solaris felt that piercing gaze until Dawn Court drew to a close.
----------
"Good evening, brother."
Solaris turns his head towards his younger brother, rising from his throne with a light smile and quiet sigh as he stretches his wings. "Good evening, Artemis. I hope you were able to rest well?"
Artemis gave a curt nod, shifting on his hooves. "Indeed, I am rested and refreshed. Prepared for all the revelry the Elites shall provide, I feel." He adopts a wry smirk and Solaris laughs open and loud. "That's good. I, personally, have seen enough of these walls for today and believe I'll be retiring to my chambers for now. Do you need anything before I go?"
Artemis seems to consider himself for a moment, only to quickly step forward to wrap an arm around Solaris, encasing him in a hug that Solaris returns near instantly. "I believe I shall be fine. Thank you, and rest well." Artemis steps back first, giving Solaris another nod before rising the steps toward his throne, speaking quietly with one of the night guards at his side.
Solaris, happy with his brother and even happier to be free of the Court, flexed his wings once more and let himself fall into a leisurely trot, spirits high. The path he took towards his room was ingrained, basically second nature. It took him through the wide, open hallways so that he might look through the painted glass as his day shifted to his brother's night. Took him past the kitchens so he could sample whatever new dish the staff had made for him that night while he looked over letters. Took him-
"Your Majesty."
Solaris stopped. Turned around to find one of his guards looking at him.
"How may I help you? Is something wrong?"
"No, your Highness. I was just wondering if you'd let me accompany you to your chambers."
Solaris flashed the guard pony a kind smile but shook his head. "No need, my good pony. I should be fine. Your time would be better spent back in the throne room, Dusk Court is just starting." Solaris gave the stallion another smile before turning back around, settling back into his trot.
"Your Majesty."
Solaris stopped, turned around once more only to find the stallion was closer. Close enough for Solaris to realize he had not once seen this stallion amongst any of his or his brothers' guards. Realized he wasn't in an area where he'd begin to pass any guards. Solaris' mouth twisted into a grim line, wings spreading as he bore down on the intruder. "I'm not sure who you are, but you are playing a dangerous game. Explain your presence here at once."
The stallion didn't even flinch. Continued to bore into Solaris with those flinty eyes, even quirked the corner of his mouth into a smirk. He said nothing. He stared.
He leered.
Solaris barely held back a snarl. "You've been watching me all day. Whatever your plan may be-"
"Your Majesty. I'd like to accompany you to your chambers."
Solaris froze. 'No.' He thought. "Impossible." He locks his eyes with the stallion's own, keeps his expression carefully blank as he sees them flicker green.
"We have much to talk about, I'm sure."
Solaris remained still. Eventually pulled back from the pony- the creature in front of him. Tucked his wings back to his sides and let his face remain blank. He considers tossing the fake guard out the window, the breaking of one of the murals he adores preferable to dealing with Him.
Solaris settled on stiffly nodding, turning sharply, and began towards his room, restraining himself from stomping all the way there. He didn't acknowledge the inequine chuckle that came from behind him.
Didn't falter under that all-consuming stare.
----------
The walk to his room was a true test on Solaris' patience. His 'companion' said nothing. Solaris said nothing. The only sound was the tapping of the stallion's steps against the polished marble and Solaris' admittedly harsher ones. Solaris halted to a stop, fixing the 'guard' with a flat gaze.
"Stay here. I need to dismiss my guards. If you attempt anything-"
The stallion rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. I'll be scorched by divine sun fire. Go. Handle your rabble."
Solaris grunted and turned, schooling his features into something more gentle as he approached the guards stationed outside his room.
"Good evening, your Highness!" The two spoke in unison, breaking into salutes as Solaris stopped in front of them.
"Good evening my loyal guards. Are you well?" Both stallions nodded, and Solaris couldn't stop the smile that graced his features. "Good. I will most likely be in my chambers for the rest of today."
"We'll make sure nothing happens, your Majesty!"
Solaris' smile faltered the tiniest bit but held. "I appreciate that. That will not be required of you two tonight, though. You are dismissed."
There's a moment of silence between the two guards, expressions confused and somewhat nervous. The light gray stallion on the right spoke up first. "Of... course, your Majesty. Do we need to notify our replacements of anything? They take our places around three or so hours from now."
Solaris considered it, then shook his head. "No, no. You two are simply allowed an early leave. I should be fine by the time they take their stations." He brightened his smile when he noticed the two stallions still looked unsure. "You've done no wrong. I just wish to be entirely by myself for a little while, is all."
There's a brief bout of silence until both stallions finally nod, adjusting their armor before sending two quiet goodbyes Solaris' way, murmuring amongst each other as they disappeared down the opposite direction of the hallway.
Solaris' smile fell as soon as they were out of sight.
He takes a deep breath and slowly releases it as the gentle clip-clopping of hooves grew louder behind him, only to stop at his side. Solaris didn't afford the creature a glance.
"Surely we aren't going to just stand out here?"
Solaris doesn't even try and stop his eye roll. With a little more force than necessary he pushed his room door open, holding it ajar so that the other stallion could trot in, Solaris following his lead as he quickly used his magic to push the door shut.
The stallion casually swept his eyes around the room, expression oddly blank as he turns and tilts his head. "You've changed quite a few things around. A little more... grandiose than I remember. Is that bed as comfortable as the last-"
"Change."
"Mmm?"
"Change. At once. I'll not have you wearing the form of a pony."
"Oh, Solaris." There's a fire in the stallion's eyes as he steps closer. "I rather like looking like this, what's the harm in letting me be?"
"You will change or be removed from my presence, Exuvium."
Solaris spat the name with nothing but venom and is pleased to see the eyes of the creature in front of him narrow the slightest bit.
"Fine." With that, the stallion bursts into a blazing mess of emerald fire that rises into a pillar, nearly overtaking Solaris in height. Solaris watched impassively.
Just as quickly as it appeared, the fire dwindled to nothing and died. Where once stood an earth-pony stallion now stood Exuvium.
King Exuvium.
----------
"Better?"
"No. But it's preferable to hear whatever nonsense you've come to peddle from your mouth and not a guard stallion's."
Exuvium scoffed. "You're rather snippy, Solaris. I don't expect much from your kind but even basic manners are beyond you, now?"
Solaris laughed. It was rough, humorless, and short-lived. "I have no time for your games." Solaris levels Exuvium with a glare. "I will be blunt. What do you want, Exuvium?"
"Am I not allowed to wish to see someone I share such storied history with? Haven't you missed me, Solaris? Missed the fun we used to have?" There's a charged undercurrent in the way Exuvium hisses out 'fun' in that warbling baritone of his.
Solaris doesn't move. Stays silent as Exuvium starts to circle him. "How long has it been, Solaris?" Exuvium stops when he faces opposite of Solaris. Solaris doesn't flinch as he feels the gentle caress of Exuvium's thin wing as it sweeps across his flank. "It's been more than just a few years at this point, hasn't it?" Exuvium murmured.
Solaris barks out another laugh. Keeps laughing as he turns around and keeps laughing even as Exuvium flashes his fangs. "So that's what all this is, then?"
It's only now that Solaris takes an honest look at Exuvium. How he seems to be keeping pressure off his back right hoof. How his crown is missing. His usually bright carapace is duller, too. Even with the light mania in his eyes Solaris looks him over and can't help the brief pang of pity that flares within him.
The reaction is instantaneous. Exuvium snarls, horn flaring as he crowds Solaris against his bed. "I don't need your pity, Solaris." He spits the word pity like its ashes on his tongue. "I don't need anything from somepony as weak as you."
"Just a moment ago it seemed you were hoping I'd lie back and let you try and mend that wounded pride of yours."
Exuvium lets out another snarl and raises a hoof, only to stumble backward as Solaris shoves his own into Exuvium's chest. Solaris feels another twinge of pity because he knows that if he were healthier, he wouldn't've gone so far from such a weak push. That pity sends Exuvium into another rage, but his lunge is slow, letting Solaris step to the side. He lands on the bed and readies another lunge when he feels the pressure of magic beginning to snake around his form.
"Release me at once!"
"This is foolishness, Exuvium."
"You are the fool, Solaris! Foolish and weak, resorting to cheap tricks because you're afraid of losing to me once more."
Solaris can't even force a laugh at that. He wears his pity openly, now, eyeing Exuvium as he snaps and growls as if he were some sort of violent animal.
"Just stop, Exuvium." Solaris sighs as the changeling king only seems to struggle even more. "Please. For once, acknowledge when you no longer have the upper hoof." Exuvium's horn flares but just as quickly sputters out, Solaris having pulled his magical bonds tighter. Exuvium lets out a quiet, pitiful croak and Solaris loosens his bonds instantly, remorseful. They fall into silence, Solaris watching Exuvium as he shakes in rage. Exuvium glaring at Solaris as he wears his practiced, perfectly calm expression.
For a long while, they both simply stared.
----------
"I haven't forgiven you, you know."
"What."
"I said," Solaris spoke as he turned away from his desk, having decided to look through his papers when it became apparent Exuvium had no intention of doing anything but try and glare him to death. "...that I haven't forgiven you."
"Forgiven me for what, you foal?"
"Enough. You've been a true drain on my spirits as is. I have no desire to play to your bull-headedness. You know what you've done."
"I'm the bull-headed one? Even though you refuse to tell me whatever it is I did to anger you?"
Solaris tsked and with a spark of his horn and a bright, golden light the chains around Exuvium vanished. Exuvium hastily rose off the bed, stalking towards Solaris with a baleful gaze. "I have half a mind to-"
Solaris holds out a hoof, stopping Exuvium in his tracks. "No. If you won't even acknowledge your wrongs I have nothing else to say to you." Solaris turned back to his desk, preparing to pick up Dusk's most recent letter.
"You are free to leave, Exuvium."
Solaris doesn't even twitch as Exuvium's hoof slams onto his desk, papers flying about as Exuvium pushes his face into Solaris', eyes a cocktail of mania and hate.
So much hate.
"You are much too bold, Solaris. You seem keen on forgetting your place." Solaris' mouth twitches as Exuvium continues to hiss. "I've beaten you before. I've beaten you just recently. I had you laid out and utterly broken in front of all your pitiful little ponies. Do not act as if you have the ability to dismiss me as if I'm," Exuvium drew back, body all but vibrating as he shivered and shook, entirely at the whims of his turbulent emotions. "Less. I let you keep your little chains on me because I figured you were still bitter and compensating after what transpired. After I showed your ponies that you weren't anywhere near as capable as I am."
Solaris says nothing, expression blank and unreadable. He looks at Exuvium as his chest heaves and his body quakes, shivers, and shakes. Solaris stays still, and again all they do is stare at each other. There's something in Solaris' expression that causes Exuvium to bristle, something about the emptiness of his features but the deep, searching look in his eyes. Right as Exuvium prepares to snap out something rude Solaris shifts, his expression still flat but somewhat softer, now.
"Come."
"What-"
Solaris abruptly rises from his desk, causing Exuvium to jerk backward. He walks over to his favored floor mat, and unceremoniously lies down. Solaris tilts his head towards Exuvium, motions with a hoof towards the bit of space on the mat in front of him. Solaris rolls his eyes as he sees the expression on Exuvium's face shift from angry and somewhat confused to less angry and smug. "You've finally come to your senses, then?"
"A sensible pony would've sent you on your way as soon as they realized who you were. Sit. We will talk." Exuvium grumbled and swore something Solaris carefully chose to ignore, but stepped forward and sat down.
"Now what?"
"I would like to know why."
"Why what, Solaris? You keep speaking of something that I know nothing-"
Solaris places a hoof on Exuvium's.
Exuvium freezes. Locks his green eyes with Solaris' magenta ones.
"For all that has happened, we've still known each other a long time. Give me this, Exuvium. Why?"
Exuvium stays stock still. The silence stretches on and for a moment, Solaris figures his attempt to call upon something, anything at all gentle within Exuvium has been wasted. He shifts his hoof back a bit, but that only causes Exuvium to jerk his own hoof forward, keeping them connected. Solaris opens his mouth to speak, only for Exuvium to quietly say,
"You love so openly. Your embarrassment of a kingdom radiates it."
Solaris said nothing, waiting for Exuvium to continue. After another brief silence, he did.
"Nowhere else compares. Nothing else compares. You wretched ponies are the perfect prey for my hive."
Solaris lifts himself up, now sitting as he continues to stare at Exuvium. Solaris couldn't truthfully say what expression he wore. Whatever it was, it rattled something in Exuvium. He jerked his hoof away and shifted backward on the mat. Solaris gave him a gentle frown.
"You've been around ponies long before this, Exuvium. Long enough, I'd say, to have a general understanding of how we are. There must be more to this."
Exuvium turns his head, looks off at something only he can see.
"Exuvium... You could've come to us."
"...What?"
"If your hive was truly hungry, hungry enough to warrant such a massive attempt on Canterlot and the..." Solaris can't stop his mouth from twisting into a hard line. "Imprisonment of my nephew and assault on his wife's mind, you could've come to Artemis and I before you even had to consider something on that scale. We could've-"
"You would've done what, Solaris? Made some royal decree to all your little sheep to let us feed off of them freely? Present us as feeble, misguided souls that need the helping hoof of ponies to truly prosper?" Exuvium scoffed. "We'd drain you and your simpering little hoard for all you're worth."
Solaris dips his head, expression stern. "I know your eating habits are not as violently strenuous as you are making them out to be. Something could have been worked out."
Solaris lifts his head and locks eyes with Exuvium once more.
"We could've helped your hive, and you."
Exuvium stamps a hoof, wings buzzing at his sides.
"I don't need your help. My hive is strong. Grows stronger every day! Bigger, and bigger, and bigger and- and I- they continue to maintain. I don't need your pity or your damnable help. I came here for one thing," Solaris keeps his face stern as Exuvium gives a truly lecherous sweep of his eyes over Solaris' form. "And it seems I'm being denied of it." Exuvium stands, turns around, and begins to stalk towards Solaris' balcony. Readies a change into a pegasi stallion only to stop when he feels a hoof placed on his shoulder. Exuvium doesn't turn, but he doesn't make any attempt to move, either.
"Exuvium. No matter what you may think, I do not look down on you."
"I know. It would be unnatural for the lesser to look down on the greater."
Solaris sighs, stepping forward and placing himself between Exuvium and the balcony edge.
"Listen fully, please. What I said earlier still holds true. I can not rightfully forgive you for what you've done, not when you refuse to even acknowledge your wrongdoing beyond the parts that suit you."
"I've done nothing-"
"You've done a cruel misdeed, Exuvium."
Exuvium shakes, a bundle of angry, nervous energy as his expression remains cruel, but his eyes reflect a multitude of emotions Solaris couldn't even begin to place.
"I told you why it had to eventually happen. You are but prey to me and my hive."
"You told me precious little, but I think I understand. I understand the pressure that bears down on you."
"The pressure that bears down on you and your moody little brother, perhaps. I do not waver under my duties."
"Say what you must, but I know how hard it is to rule, Exuvium. I know how it's even harder to rule alone. To have so many depend on you. It's a heavy, heavy weight."
Exuvium opens his mouth, only to snap it shut when he sees the deep, imploring look in Solaris' eyes.
Exuvium's chest aches and tightens.
"You've wronged my ponies, my family. I want to help you right those wrongs."
Solaris' body is moving forward on its own, his expression softening even more when he notices Exuvium's tight, tormented one.
"You don't have to stay down this dark path, Exuvium. There need not be such a schism between the world of ponies and changelings."
Solaris steps forward again, and before Exuvium can jerk back he's pulled into a warm hug.
"There doesn't need to be such a schism between you and I,'Vium."
Exuvium stays still. Doesn't even breathe as he feels that soft coat press into him. He doesn't want to breathe, because he knows all he'll smell is Solaris. He knows that if he breathes in he'll smell all the infuriatingly gentle and sugary scents that cling to him.
Exuvium knows that if he breathes it in, he wouldn't be able to escape that scent for weeks.
----------
Solaris clamps down on his surprised cry as he's shoved backward. He fails to hide his expression of hurt as he looks toward Exuvium, only to find Exuvium is gone. The pegasi stallion that has taken his place hovers in the air, hate etched into his every feature.
"You are pathetic."
"It doesn't have to be like this, Exuvium."
"Changelings are strong. Stronger than you'll ever be able to comprehend. We have persevered and will continue to thrive. Changelings don't need your help. They have me to guide and lead them. You are nothing in comparison."
Solaris said nothing. He let his sad, disappointed expression say what words couldn't.
"You'll see," Exuvium spat. "You and all of your idiot herd. You'll see."
Exuvium took off, rocketing across the night sky. Flew quickly away from those pitiful, shining magenta eyes. Flew even faster from the profound sadness that filled them, that seeped into his very being and burned like acid.
It didn't matter.
It didn't matter even as he felt the weight of those eyes long after he was out of Canterlot.