Yin & Yang

“Why have you brought her here!? You have no idea who she is! She could be dangerous!” The queen of Everfree castle roared at her son. “She came from a war! Dressed in armor! What are you thinking, Solaris!?”

“Umbra is lonely and hurt! I am doing what’s right! Be happy I appologised for how I acted before and leave her alone!” Solaris roared back. He was even more enraged than the last time he faced his mother. His heart raced as his blood boiled.

The queen rose from her throne. “How dare you speak to me that way!? I should singe your tail for such insubordination!”

Solaris stood his ground. “Are you saying I shouldn’t help the weak? What kind of sadist would turn away a homeless mare that her son has given kindness to? Have you no soul, mother?”

The queen gasped at the accusation. She narrowed her eyes and stormed down from her pedestal toward the prince, before backhanding him. The young alicorn’s head snapped to the side from the impact.

He slowly turned his head back to look his mother dead in the eye, the bruise forming on his face from where he had been struck, but seemed to have no effect on his glare. “Just as I thought. You resort to striking me when you can’t have your way.”

“Be silent! I will get rid of her myself if I must.”

Solaris took a threatening step toward the queen. His glare was cold and hard, almost evil. “You touch her and I’ll turn the hand you dared to touch her with to nothing but ash!”

The queen stumbled back a step from the threat. She stared at her son wide-eyed. The old mare knew that she wouldn’t last long in a fight against Solaris if one were to break out. Sure she was stronger than him, but the younger alicorn was more sporadic and unpredictable. He would catch her off guard for sure. And now that her influence wasn’t effecting her son anymore, she was almost afraid of him.

Solaris snorted. “Princess Umbra is my guest. If even one of the servants simply look at her wrong, I will throw them off a cliff. If you say a word that isn’t a compliment or a welcome, I’ll burn every valuable item you own. My kindness goes to the weak and thankful, not to the narcissistic and greedy.”

The queen was dumbfounded at hearing her own son speak to her that way, but the truth was there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

Solaris turned and walked away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a mare to tend to. If you have any problem with that, you can shove it up your royal posterior.”

She regained enough courage to shake off her shock. “Just wait until your father hears of this!”

Solaris froze with his hand grasping the handle of the door. He didn't even bother to look back at the mare. “My father would see my decision as just and kind. You are very in the wrong, mother.” He spat before throwing the door open and leaving.

The queen was left there speechless.

“I told you he would turn on you if you kept treating him like a possession, Comet Tail.” A strong male voice chuckled.

The queen turned to see a tall red alicorn stallion with a bright orange mane and tail that floated like any other alicorn, seeming to take the likeness of a solar flare. He wore a long red kings robe that draped down to the floor behind him. His face structure was like looking at the face of her son, but his kind eyes held so much more wisdom.

Comet looked away in shame. “Let me be, Star Flare.”

Star chuckled as he approached the fellow alicorn and wrapped his arms around her. “You have to be gentle with such young life, Comet Tail. Solaris is like a cornered animal. He will strike. And it appears he already has. You cannot treat our children so cruelly. We want them to live more modestly than that. I want them to rule with kindness. Already Lunar is starting to mimic your habits. I ask you time and time again to be kind, but you do not listen.”

Comet teared up, but looked further away from Star.

The king narrowed his eyes at his wife. “Fine… If you will still ignore me, then I shall treat you the same as you treat them and, on occasion, me.” He shoved Comet away, making her stumble and fall to the floor. “I have had enough of dealing with Solaris and Lunar coming to me about problems you cause them.”

Comet looked up at Star with teary eyes. “S-Star… please…”

“Please what? Stop? Is that what I am supposed to do now? What did you do when Solaris accidentally hurt Lunar that one day and he even helped bandage the poor young one? You beat him over the head with their wooden sword! He cried and begged you to stop, but what did you do!?”

Comet whimpered, but didn’t reply.

“You continued beating him!” He roared. “Until you learn how to treat my sons, you are restricted to minimal contact with either one. You will be sleeping in a guest room until I say otherwise. I do not want to sleep next to an abusive queen. I have had enough of you taking advantage of my kind nature.”

“S-star! Please no! I-I am sorry! I will not do it again! Forgive me!” Comet wailed and crawled toward the king with tears running down her face.

“I… am not the one who you need to be begging forgiveness from.”

Comet’s eyes widened. “I-if not you… Th-then who?”

Star’s gaze was as cold as his son’s. “You know exactly who.”

“S-Solaris?”

Star turned and walked up the ramp to the throne, before sitting in it. “Leave me.”

The queen bowed her head in shame and pushed herself up off the floor, before she left the throne room.

Solaris strolled down the corridor like nothing had even happened. He felt strangely calm about what he had just done. He may have even felt better about it. It was like all of his stress was suddenly gone, leaving him with a clearer head than he’s had in years.

He walked up to the door of the room he had given to Umbra. It was near his chambers in the sun wing and was not much smaller than his own room. The bed was soft and warm and the clothing was comfortable. He had shown Umbra where the clothing was before he left. Hopefully she had already changed out of her armor into something comfortable.

The alicorn lightly knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Umbra’s voice called from inside.

Solaris turned the handle and opened the door. It was pretty dark inside, save for a few candles that were lit on a nearby workbench that was covered by parchments for writing letters. He turned his attention to the bed, where the black unicorn princess sat in a white night gown. “Hay… How are you feeling?” Solaris asked as he shut the door behind him.

“Alright, I guess…” Umbra replied in a quiet voice.

Solaris smiled and sat down at the foot of the bed next to Umbra. “You’re fine to stay here for as long as you like. My mother shouldn’t have a problem with you taking up one of the guest rooms.”

Umbra’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

The alicorn smiled and nodded.

Umbra leaped at Solaris and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Solaris stiffened. He wasn’t used to Umbra having much physical contact with him. She had even avoided his hand shake from before, as if she was afraid of getting dirt on her hands from his.

“Thank you…” Umbra whispered. “I don’t know what I would have done without you…”

The prince smiled and hugged the mare back. “My father taught me that everypony deserves kindness, unless they take advantage of it and hurt you.”

“I won’t do that… I promise. You saved me from being alone. I owe you everything.”

“You owe nothing. Your gratitude is enough for me, but seeing you smile would be even better. That will be my goal.”

Umbra blushed lightly. “You’re sweet.”

“Anyway… I will go a little off topic here and ask… Why is it you like the dark so much?” Solaris asked.

Umbra tightened her grip on Solaris. “I’m… the princess of shadow… I use shadow magic…

Its easier to control when its dark. I can feel the entire room then.”

“Interesting…” He pulled away from the mare. “I’d like to know more.”

Umbra sighed and looked away. “Of course you would. The problem is… I’m not giving out information like that.”

Solaris’ heart sunk. “Oh… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m a stranger living in your castle. You have a right to be curious of me, but my secrets stay just that; a secret. At least until I know I can trust you fully.”

Solaris sighed and stood from the bed. “Okay… Sorry to bother you. I’ll just be leaving now.” He said as he started toward the door, but was stopped when Umbra grabbed his wrist. He looked back to see her worried and hopeful face as she gazed up at him.

“Please don’t go. I… don’t want to be alone.” Umbra begged.

Solaris blushed, but didn’t argue as he sat back down on the bed and let Umbra cling to him again. He gently rubbed her back to help calm her nerves and smiled at how beautiful and cute she looked.

Umbra nuzzled into his shoulder. “Thank you again, Solaris. If only my parents were alive to meet you. They would have loved to meet a stallion as compassionate as you.”

The stallion blushed deeper. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. “I think your parents would have tried to marry you off to me.”

Umbra smiled. “Do you really think so?”

“I do.”

“Do you think your mother would have married you off to me as well?”

Solaris sighed. “No… No I don’t…”

Umbra pulled away and looked up at Solaris with a frown. “Why wouldn’t she?”

“She didn’t even want you here from the start. I had to threaten her to let you stay. I don’t know what her issues are. I don’t know why she acts like she does, but let me tell you this… She wasn’t even much of a mother from the beginning. To make matters worse, my brother takes after her.”

“Oh… That’s terrible…”

“Indeed… But father should be happy to have you stay. So don’t worry. You have two alicorns on your side.”

Umbra hugged Solaris again. “I’m sorry about your mother. No child should have to live with a narcissist.”

Solaris blushed again. He couldn’t seem to form the words to reply. It made his heart warm slightly to know that there was somepony that felt compassion toward his pain and anger.

“Maybe I could be the mare that takes the place of what love your mother never gave you.” Umbra suggested before she even realize what had come out of her mouth. She gasped and blushed deeply.

Solaris froze up, his blush growing deeper as his eyes widened.

Umbra quickly let go of the stallion and snatched herself away from him. “Oh Gods! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for that to slip out! I-I wasn’t ev-” She was shushed by a finger to her lips.

Solaris smiled. “Hay… It’s alright, Umbra. Your secrets are safe with me. So long as you don’t tell either.”

Umbra lifted an eyebrow. “T-tell about what?”

“About this.” Solaris grabbed Umbra, pulled her against him, and gently pressed his lips to her’s.

Umbra’s heart heart suddenly exploded with emotion from the contact. Her eyes grew wide as her cheeks burned red with a deep blush. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut and her arms gently wrapped around his shoulders as she began to enjoy the kiss.

Solaris held it for a moment, before breaking the kiss, leaving the black unicorn mare in a blissful daze. He chuckled. “Enjoyed that, did we?”

The mare slowly nodded. “Y-yes… Can… Can you do it again?”

Solaris smiled and leaned in to kiss Umbra again, holding her closer to him. His heart thumped against his chest as he held the mare in his arms, gently kissing her.

Umbra kissed back this time, pressing her lips against Solaris’ in a passionate touch. Her whole body heated up from the contact and left her feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Fireworks exploded in her mind, flashing and filling her head with deffonning eruptions of emotion.”

The kiss lasted longer than last time, but like all good things, it came to an end soon enough when Solaris pulled away again. “How was that?” He asked in a loving tone.

“Wonderful…” Umbra whispered as she gazed at Solaris with half lidded eyes.

Solaris chuckled. “I won’t rush you to trust me. Just know that I can be trusted.” He made to get up again, but he was pulled back down.

“Wait… My magic was a gift from my mother when she was queen of the Crystal Empire. She said that the shadows are not something to fear. That they are something to embrace. Shadows will protect and hold strong. They’ll form to any shape and can be molded to fit others. I like the dark so much because the shadow protects me, but I seen now that light wishes to protect me as well.”

Solaris smiled. “Now was it so hard to trust your savior?”

Umbra blushed and looked away embarrassed. “I-I guess not.”

“Go ahead and get some sleep. You need it. If you need anything, I’m just down the corridor to the left. You can’t miss it. My door is golden.”

Umbra nodded and let go of Solaris.

“Here. Let me help you get comfortable.” Solaris offered and pulled back the covers to let Umbra lay down on the sheets, before he covered her to her shoulders with the comforter. “Good night, Umbra.”

“Good night, Solaris.”

Solaris smiled again and made his way out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. He then made for his own chambers. He stopped in front of his golden door and glared at it. His mother had ordered the door be plated with gold and he hated it. But at least the gold was enchanted with a defence spell.

The stallion sighed and pushed the door open as he walked inside, closing it behind him.