An Alternate History

"It's not been terribly easy since the fae fell. Are you sure you can actually provide us with the security you promise?" The old farmer asked.

Solaris smiled, the soft, warm smile he'd been practicing in the mirror for the last few weeks. It had been a month since they took ownership of the castle, which they were calling their home; Canterlot. The food stores within had lasted them, and would continue to do so for a time, but Lunaris had made a fair point. They could not simply reside in their hall, they had to find a way to create a hold, an area of land for themselves, if they were to truly survive in the new world.

So, after a few weeks of reading and practice, the pair had struck out to the farms around Canterlot to convince them to join, to contribute to the new Equestria and help lay the foundation for what was to come. In return, Solaris and Lunaris would have to, at some stage, dispatch with the bandits that had made easy ploy in these reaches, now that the Fae were not around to peacekeep.

"We are plenty capable. My brother and I are new in this world, making our own way as you are. To not use the strength gifted to us to protect those less able seems a waste. We seek to establish a kingdom, a new society with ponykind at the reins." Solaris said softly, trying to speak in a calm, and relaxed way. Inwardly... he was actually rather anxious about all this.

Not weeks ago he was a teenager, now to the best of their knowledge now, he was the closest thing to god in this world, and it fell to him and his brother to create a kingdom, to rule the world, to protect all within. It was quite a tall ask.

The farmer seemed to think for a time, taking a deep breath and staring at his modest farm, within a short walks’ distance from the small town they were starting. Solaris briefly looked back at Canterlot, dotted with tents and campfire smoke stacks around the pristine white marble of the castle, followers were slowly travelling to join the burgeoning settlement as word spread.

The farmer finally spoke. "Aye... reckon I've little choice, c'nsider m'farm yours Solaris. I'll talk t'yer scribe and sort rates and all." he said, slouching a little, as if removing a weight from his shoulders.

Solaris smiled that warm smile again, and reached down to plant a hand on the farmers’ shoulders. "I thank you, as small a gesture as you might think this is, it will help us build trust in others. Once we prove we can protect you, we can more easily swing more to this realm. Your crop will go well used." he said, before nodding for the small pegasus he'd kept behind him to proceed forward with their proposals.

His role done here, he turned and went to move to the next farm, he had three more to visit.

Once he was out of earshot of the farmer, he let out a huge sigh, shaking himself as he let the pent up nervous energy be worked from his body. His heart was in his ears, thundering with nervous energy. It was going to be a long day. He hoped Lunaris was faring better.

It was evening by the time the brothers met again. Lunaris had raided the castle armoury and found them both some plate that had, just barely, fit on the massive stallions. Even then they looked a little silly, mismatched plate and strap covering them, they looked more like barbarians than the noble warriors they'd hoped.

"This is dangerous and foolish." Lunaris groused, adjusting one of the mismatched sections around his midriff. Solaris stood beside him, feeling at a massive longsword that he suspected might have been one of Oberon's guard’s weapons. To most of the ponies, it'd have been a massive two handed affair. To him, he held it like it was a mere dagger, barely a weight, despite its length.

"We need to prove ourselves, the ponies worship will not last forever." Solaris said, turning to meet his brother’s eyes. Solaris saw the worry in those eyes. Unlike his brother, he had been training to be a guard as the Fae fell. Lunaris had been looking to apprentice under an astrologist, a great irony that was considering where they stood now. "I'll do most of the work, you just need to watch and learn. I'll keep you safe." Solaris said, putting a hand on Lunaris' shoulder.

The star stallion nodded, turning to look out at the campfire that they could make out from atop the hill they had agreed to meet on. There was a soft glint of iron reflecting in the light of that fire around the camp. The bandits, for the last few weeks they'd been making a fuss, stealing and killing around Canterlots outside, no doubt convinced they could make off with riches.

It ended tonight.

Solaris moved, simply choosing to walk to the camp rather than use their wings. The two rather stood out in the air, so the bandits may yet disperse. Walking, they were barely noticeable, for the trees and bushes hid any glint from their armour as they approached.

"Dunno who you great glinty fucks think you are, but you should turn around." A voice grunted from behind a tree.

The pair stopped as an older stallion stepped free, holding a shortbow, trained at Solaris' chest. Lunaris froze in place, while Solaris... somehow, kept his composure and spoke.

"We are Solaris and Lunaris, of the sun and moon. You have been pillaging from our lands and we are here to bring an end to that, we wish to speak to your leader," he said resting a hand on the pommel of the sword he had sheathed at his side. He did not draw it, instead simply held the old stallion’s gaze.

He was grizzled, a soft scar on one of his arms, mane greying in patches. He stood for a long moment, silent, watching the pair. Eventually, he lowered his bow and nodded. "Fine, follow me, any funny business and the boys will give a new meanin' to 'holy'," he huffed, returning the arrow to his quiver and thumbing over his shoulder, he clearly did not mean to turn his back on the two.

Solaris simply nodded, calmer now than he had been chatting to farmers. Lunaris by contrast, stuck close to his brother’s side, ears pinned back in obvious concern. The pair moved, walking past the cautious ranger, who fell in behind them as they stepped towards the camp.

The border guard didn't give them trouble, parting to allow them between a pair of tents and up to the main campfire. There sat a hulking lump of a... lady? Dishevelled armour, a great axe at her side, resting on the floor.

She peered up, deep red eyes fixing on Solaris. Under her armour, they could see patches of deep grey fur and muscle; she clearly earned her post as the leader of this band of brigands.

"What the fuck are they doing here, Dust?" She growled, eyes fixing on the ranger who had brought them in.

"Said they wanted to talk, boss, figured it couldn't hurt," he admitted, shuffling uncomfortably under that angered gaze.

Solaris did not wait to be prompted. "Indeed. We've come to talk, not fight. Leave these lands and we will forgive your transgressions, or you may lay down this life and take up arms with us. We will have need of strong sword arms." He said, confident, steady, serious. His bright orange eyes fixed on their leader as she turned back to stare at him.

She did not stand, she sat still, uncaring, holding a stick with which she occasionally prodded at the flames. "That’s it? ‘Please leave or maybe work for me?’ That’s your plan?" she asked, a faint hint of mirth in her voice.

Solaris did not share that mirth, he stood still, hand on the pommel of his blade. "It is that, or we will be forced to remove you. There are bigger problems in our lives than a minor band of renegades." he said, a faint spit of bitterness in his words.

Lunaris had perked up, calming his nerves at the confidence Solaris had put on display here. He'd never so much as held a weapon... he didn't even bring one. Solaris was that confident?

The bandit leader rolled her eyes at that. "What're you gonna do? Swing that great useless blade of yours around? You'd get a bolt to the head before you fell so much as a single idiot." She sneered, thumbing over her shoulder at one of the tents, outside of which sat another stallion under a hood, cradling a menacing looking crossbow.

Solaris' brow dipped lightly, the faint outline of a frown forming. "So you will not leave, and you intend not to join us?" he asked, voice not full of the sting Lunaris had expected, but… was that pity? Sadness, even?

"Nah, don't think we will, kindly fuck o-" they started, before their words were cut off by a cry of agony.

The brigand leaders’ head shot up from the campfire, and Lunaris spun to see the ranger that had brought them to the camp, clutching his head, enveloped in a soft orange glow.

Solaris' magical grip.

The pair had been experimenting with their new power, and so far had little control over it yet. Still, it seemed Solaris was intending on that effect.

The poor rangers’ eyes burst into flame, black smoke pouring from his mouth, nose, and ears as the stench of cooked flesh filled the air. It was but a moment or two, but Lunaris felt it took too long regardless. The smell hit his nose, and he wretched.

Solaris remained imperious, staring at the body as whatever he did came to an end, the body crumpling on the floor, mind burned out, dead without but a motion from the sun stallion. The brigands had, as anypony else, not been prepared for magic like that.

It was still barely a month or so new to this world, after all. He turned and re-fixed his gaze on the commander, who was staring wide eyed at the corpse.

"You didn't even move... w-what did..." she started, only for Solaris to cut her off.

"We are not without power all on our own. I make one final offer. Leave, join, or be destroyed. Should you choose the latter, I will douse this entire camp in my fire, and you will be forgotten." he said, cold, steady.

Something had gone to his head, the power perhaps, the responsibility. Lunaris barely recognised the stallion before him now, his supposed brother. An answer was long in coming, but eventually, the bandit camp leader stood, tossing their stick onto the fire with a shaky hand.

"Pack up body, we're goin' north. Now." she said, before she shot Solaris a single, long glare, and moved into the camp proper, barking hurried orders at bandits who had only bore witness to Solaris murdering one of their own.

Nobody stopped them as they left the camp, nobody followed them. Lunaris hadn't known what to expect, but this had not been it.

Once they were a distance away from the camp, Lunaris asked to stop, he had to speak. "You just... you just murdered that pony. The scream, that pain. Could you have not done it more gently?" he asked, surprised at how energetic he was, and the brutality Solaris displayed.

"Anything less and they'd not have gotten the message. I had to make it clear, it would not have been a fight, it would have been a slaughter." he said, still cold.

"I'm sorry. I should've warned you but... I got there, I saw danger in every set of eyes, I worried I could not so easily protect you and I went too far. Come, let us go home. We should sleep, make use of your night," he spoke, wrapping an arm around his brother to bring him into an affectionate hug.

Lunaris was still unsettled, but it was reassuring to hear that Solaris still retained some humility and control, for now. He would have to watch him carefully.