ACT III: Solarius, The Monster Carver Chapter 1: A Castle Stormed

Jeshica Dragonfly-Spiderbite, Prime Minister of her family's kingdom, had been summoned to the castle for a special occasion. In a week's time, her younger brother, Solarius, would inherit the magic scepter and begin studying under Madame Indexia. But before his big day, she would be treating her favorite little boy to one last night of no responsibilities.

Although she was jealous at first, Solarius soon became Jeshica's most beloved relative. She knew better than anyone how much pressure came with the scepter, and although she was initially upset about having her family's heirloom taken from her, a part of her felt relieved to no longer worry about the crippling responsibility. So, in honor of the upcoming event, she would insure that her little brother had the time of his life.

Once she entered the dining hall, she placed her satchel on the table and took a seat. It wasn't long before the royal chef presented her with a plate of breakfast scones made just the way she liked them. She thanked the chef, asked him to inform her family of her arrival, and opened up her satchel. Despite her current mission, she still needed to handle a few minor issues back in the Spiderbite Kingdom. One of which happened to be creating a cure for poisonous spider bites.

But while she was busy enjoying her scones and double-checking her calculations, a shadowy figure watched her from the room's chandelier. The hunter observed his prey with a greedy look in his eyes as he slowly moved back up into the rafters. Without making a sound, he expertly slithered down the drapes and crept up behind the unsuspecting prime minister. Inhaling deeply, he prepared a mighty roar that would frighten his prey into submission before going in for the kill.

"Don't. Even. Think about it." Jeshica warned without even looking up.

Solarius slowly released the air from his cheeks, disappointed in his failure. "How'd you know it was me?" He asked, sitting next to her.

"I'm your big sister. I know everything." She snarked, playfully rubbing her brother's scarlet locks. "So, how've you been since my last visit?"

"Out of trouble." Solarius replied before swiping one of her scones. "So far. I still haven't got my Mewberty wings, yet." He sighed, pointing with his thumb towards his bare back.

"You will! You're just… a late bloomer! I mean, I see a little bit of stubble!" Jeshica cooed and pinched his cheeks. "Are you excited for next week? You're finally gonna get the scepter and magic book. That'll be cool, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Solarius shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't really given it much thought."

"What do you mean you haven't given it much thought?" His sister almost sounded insulted. "It's an incredible honor! And let me tell you, the first time you hold it?Oooh, it still gives me shivers just thinking about it. All that raw power at once. So intoxicating. What could possibly be more important to you?"

Solarius dropped his breakfast pastry and leaned back into his chair. "Promise not to tell dad?" A small nod encouraged Solarius to continue. "Hekapoe and Rhombulie have been teaching me how to fight. And I know what you're going to say; 'we have an army to protect us from the monsters. There's no need to focus on delusions of grandeur.' But ever since what happened to mom last year, I just can't sit on a throne and think about how scared are people are all the time."

"Solarius, darling…" Jeshica rubbed her temples in frustration. "We all miss mom. But there are some things that not even we can control."

"Well, my friends and I think differently." Solarius replied, confidently. "I've even talked Milo into joining my crusade. What do you think of that?"

"Milo Loveberry?" Jeshica questioned as she scribbled a few more calculations. "Isn't he the kid who got scared by a butterfly?"

"Well… yes." The prince rubbed his neck, embarrassed. "But he's working on it! Plus, if needed, I learned about a special potion to induce bravery from Alphys."

"Alphys?" Jeshica's ears perked up. Her attention was fully focused on her brother now, as she slid her paper, pen, ink, and breakfast away from her. "Who's Alphys? Where'd you meet? Have you two kissed yet? What's her job?"

"Aheh, I thought you knew everything." The prince remarked, slyly.

"Oh, come on!" Jeshica beamed. "I want to know all the details!"

"There are no details." He groaned, rolling his eyes. "We're just friends. I'm really not that interested in romance." Seeing his older sister pout, Solarius sighed in exasperation. "Alright, you can ask about three things. And that's all."

"Deal!" She agreed, and began her interrogation. "First item: what's she do for a living?"

"Well, she learned fishing from her parents, but after they were eaten by a sea monster, she lied about her age and joined the royal navy." Solarius' eyes widened upon realization. "Uh, don't tell Aunt Rosaline I said that."

"Uh… okay. I guess." Jeshica shrugged. "Okay, second topic of discussion; Is she the same age as you?"

"No, not exactly."

"Oh, so she's younger?"

"No."

Jeshica let out a gasp of surprise. "Older! How much older?!"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does~!" She pressed on in a sing-songy tone. "Does my baby brother have his eyes set on a mature, silver fox?"

"Ew, no!" He laughed. "She's only five years older than me, okay?"

"Eh, that's not too bad." The older sibling shrugged once more. "Third; where's she live?"

"She inherited her parent's boat and she's been building up on it ever since. It's very nice. A full kitchen, five bedrooms, even a bathroom." He concluded. "And that concludes our discussion on the matter."

"Fine. But I expect to meet her in the future." Jeshica conceded. The Prime Minister stood up from her seat and straightened her outfit. "Anyway, I came to show you a fun time before your big day, and we Spiderbites always keep our promises. So, what would you like to do?"

"Well, I would like that, Jeshica, but…" Solarius sighed and rose from his seat. "Dad wants me to spend this whole week brushing up on the ceremony."

"Seriously? He won't give you one day off?"

"So, thanks anyway, but… I have a study session with Indexia." The prince wandered down the hall with a somber expression. On the way to his room, Solarius stopped in front of a suit of armor and removed the helmet. He placed it over his head and admired his reflection in a nearby vanity. But when he tried to remove it, his hair was caught in the seams.

"Ow! Dammit!" Once he was finally freed, he angrily threw the headgear away. "Maybe I should consider a haircut." He thought to himself.

"Ah, there you are." Skywind called out to his son, holding a change of clothes under his arms. "Get changed and meet me in the ceremonial chambers. We'll begin the rehearsal in twenty minutes."

"Do I have to wear this?" The son groaned.

"Yes. By order of King Hymnal before me, when inheriting the royal scepter, one must be dressed appropriately."

"Since when do you care about what grandpa wanted?" He muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Solarius ran to his room to change, trying to escape his father's glare. Later, the prince was still tugging at his collar by the time he stepped inside the chamber. The tie was nearly choking him, the jacket was restricting, his shoes were too small, and his pants were too itchy.

"Quit messing around with your clothes and get up here!" Skywind barked. Solarius rolled his eyes and made his way to the podium. "And straighten your back! A king never slouches!"

Begrudgingly, Solarius obeyed his father and corrected his posture. Once he and his father were face to face, he respectfully kneeled before his king. Skywind balanced the scepter with his palms, reciting an ancient code passed down from previous generations. Then, he looked down at his son. "Prince Solarius Dragonfly. Son of Skywind. You are the twenty-ninth person to inherit the scepter of King Brian Dragonfly. Recite your vows of honor, as tribute to your forefathers."

Solarius licked his lips and cleared his throat. "Uh… this is an honor and a privilege. With the scepter in my hands… I will… perfect?" He looked down at the markings on his palm. "Sorry, protect Mewni, from-"

Skywind grabbed his son's hand and irritably reviewed the writing. "What the hell is this?"

"Notes." The prince replied, sheepishly. "Just in case I get lost."

"I told you to memorize them!" The king pulled the boy back to his feet so he could look into his eyes. "You were supposed to schedule in enough time along with your regular studies!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" The prince countered. "I was busy. I guess I forgot."

"Oh, did you? Or did you just ignore my instructions?" The patriarch crossed his arms as he continued. "You forget that Indexia still serves me as well. She's told me that you hardly pay attention to the lessons I've assigned you."

"But dad, it's so boring! Most of it doesn't even have anything to do with being a king! Where's the battle strategies? The defense protocols? I haven't even learned how we're going to expand the kingdom!"

"That's what your squire s for! Which you still haven't decided! And the lessons are important. By studying previous spells, you'll learn to create your own. Why are you being so difficult? I never gave your grandfather this much grief when I inherited the scepter-"

"Oh, for the love of Stump!" Solarius tore off his bow tie and threw it to the ground. "Here we go again! 'You, you, you, you, you!' Get it through your thick, intellectual skull, dad! I'm never gonna be like you!" With his rage subsiding, Solarius rubbed his forehead in exhaustion. "I mean… I don't get it, dad… can't you just love me for who I am? Not… for who you want me to be?"

"NO!" Skywind bellowed, harshly. Solarius took a step back out of shock. "I need you to be more like me! Our people need you to be more like me! Look at the way your grandfather ran this kingdom! If you don't wise up, you'll end up just like him: despised and unwanted! I didn't let it happen to me or Jeshica, and I won't let you ruin yourself like that!"

Solarius' heart ached at his father's statement. His eyebrows knitted together as he looked away. "I hate you." He muttered.

"What?!"

"I said I hate you!" Solarius snapped. "I never asked to be a prince! I never asked for this… this pampered life! All you ever do is push all your expectations onto me! You never ask me what I want!"

"That's it! Go to your room!" Skywind pointed to the staircase. "You can come down when you've come to your senses!"

"Fine!" As he was just entering the doorway, Solarius turned around for one last remark before slamming the door. "Oh, and if you're not too busy, could you just go to Hell?!"

Three hours went by, and Solarius hadn't heard any more from his father. A tiny pebble tapped his window, earning his attention. Just as he opened the window sill, another pebble hit him in the eye. "Ow!"

"Solarius! Hurry! Let me in!" Once his vision cleared, the prince saw a scrawny peasant boy close to his age, dressed in humble garbs. It was Milo Loveberry; Solarius' best friend from a smaller settlement near the kingdom's defensive wall. "Let me in! Solarius, let me in, please!"

"Milo? Okay, hang on!" The prince wondered which of his friend's absurd phobia had been triggered this time, but he knew that panic attacks were no joking matter. After digging around in his closet, he found the rope, tied it to his bed post, and tossed the other end out the window. And just like countless times before, Milo climbed fifty feet into the prince's room.

"Solarius!" The poor boy struggled to catch his breath. "Solarius, there's… th-there's a… a muh… muh-muh… there's a mon…"

"For pity's sake, Milo, speak the king's Mewman!"

"I-I-I-I-I-!"

"Eye-eye-eye? 'Eyeball?' Are you trying to say 'eyeball'"

"I saw a monster!" Milo said, at last. "I saw a big, scary monster!"

"You saw a big, scary monster?" Solarius cocked a curious eyebrow. "What's the big deal? I mean, I hate them as much as the next guy, but they can't do any harm outside the walls."

"No! No, this one was inside the walls! And it was big! I mean, bigger than my house! Bigger than twenty houses! And it had these ugly, yellow fangs! And tentacles! Long, slimy tentacles! I swear to Stump, I was so scared, Solarius, I just-!"

A strong hand clasped over the peasant's mouth, and Solarius leaned in closer. "... show me."

But before anything else could be said, the duo heard screaming coming from downstairs. The castle floor nearly shook apart, causing both of them to fall. "Oh, no! It's here!"

"You stay here! Hide under the bed! I'll come back for you!" The prince lifted his pillow to grab his scabbard and shield before rushing out the door. Following the sound of screams, he jumped over collapsed pillars and maneuvered around piles of rubble. By the time he reached the main hall, he spotted the monster feasting on a group of delegates from the smaller towns. He was just about to engage when Skywind blasted the creature with a simple attack spell.

The monster retaliated with a powerful blow that slammed the king's head against the stone wall, rendering him unconscious. Luckily, Jeshica had been with her father before the attack, and activated her Mewberty form to protect him. Unfortunately, it had been so long since she used her body's natural reserves that she had forgotten how to properly distribute it. The monster was pushed into a load bearing wall, causing the ceiling to collapse. Solarius pressed his back against the wall as the monster retreated down another hallway.

"Jeshica?!" He called. "Can you hear me?! Jeshica!"

The rubble was too thick. No one could hear him no matter how loud he screamed. He starting digging away at the debris when he came across the familiar sight of his family heirloom. Fearing the worst, the prince tucked the scepter into his belt and started digging faster. "No, please…" He thought. "Please, don't let that be the last thing I ever said to him! I didn't mean it!"

Just then, another scream drew his attention. "Milo…?" Abandoning the blockade, Solarius ran down the hallway, following the screams. His pace soon quickened as he realized he was following the monster's path. "Milo?! Milo?! MILOOOOOOOOOOO?!"

At last, he found his best friend in the clutches of the beast. Milo squirmed and struggled, but the monster was too hungry to let him go. The boy's face turned blue just as the disgusting monster slowly lowered him towards its mouth.

Without hesitating, Solarius rushed towards the hideous beast with the weapon firmly held in his grasp. A mighty bellow rumbled from his throat, startling the monster into dropping Milo to the cold floor. The prince of Mewni used his momentum to propel himself into the air, and soon felt liquid warmth splash over his face. The monster recoiled in agony, furious over the loss of its limb. The beast eyed its attacker with a wrathful glare.

Solarius and Milo covered their ears to spare themselves from the deafening roar that echoed through the castle. Nevertheless, the future king stood his ground; he would let no harm come to his best friend. The hulking monster's tendrils shot forward, trying to corner its prey. But much to its dismay, the Mewman boy would not be taken easily.

Solarius blocked each attack with his wooden shield, while the cold steel of his blade tore green flesh asunder. But as the battle carried on, his muscles grew weary, his vision blurred, his joints ached, and eventually his sword and shield slipped from his hands. Milo watched in horror as one last green tendril snaked around Solarius' ankle and lifted him over the monster's head, feeling powerless to do anything. But just as all hope seemed lost, the peasant boy spotted the magic scepter lying next to him.

"SOLARIUS!"

The prince looked towards his best friend just in time to see him throw his family heirloom at him. He had to admit; for a weakling, Milo could throw better than anyone else he knew. Just as his fingers wrapped around the scepter's hilt, Solarius was dropped into the monster's mouth.

Milo screamed at the top of his lungs, mourning the loss of his friend. The monster swallowed its bounty with a sinister cackle before crawling towards the other Mewman. The peasant cowered before the beast, waiting for the inevitable. But just as the monster was about to feed again, its face contorted in pain. Milo was confused as it wrapped what was left of its tendrils around its stomach. Without warning, a dark red flame burst through the monster's stomach, and Solarius let out a violent, primal scream as he pushed his way through the cut.

The prince fell to his knees, coughing and vomiting up the monster's blood. The rancid taste was almost enough to keep him down, but the monster wasn't finished yet. Solarius gazed down at his family's most prized possession, which now resembled a battle axe, and tightened his grip. Jeshica was right; the power did feel intoxicating. Looking back at his opponent, Solarius twirled his scepter before confidently strolling towards the bleeding behemoth. Both Milo and the monster shuddered as the prince's eyes twinkled in delight.

Hours later, Rosaline and the royal guard had driven off the rest of the monster horde while Jeshica and her husband tended to the injured. Skywind, on the other hand, was desperately searching through the rubble for a particular red-haired boy.

"Solarius?!" He called. "Solarius, where are you?! Son!"

"Dad, calm down! We're gonna find Solarius!" Jeshica tried her best to soothe her father's nerves, but deep down she was just as fearful for her brother's life. "He's got the scepter, right?" She thought to herself, nervously. "He should be fine… right?"

"Your majesty!" One of the guards raced into the room, struggling to catch his breath. "I found a trail of blood leading into the foyer!"

Skywind and Jeshica raced down the hallway with their hearts pounding against their chests. Rosaline led a barrage of soldiers right behind them, armed to the teeth and ready to fight. But to their surprise, all they found was Solarius and Milo resting against a giant green corpse.

It didn't take long for the king to notice that the blood caked over his son's skin did not belong to him. "Solarius…? You killed a monster? On your own?"

"No, your majesty…" Milo breathed heavily in amazement. "He didn't just kill it. He carved it!"

Nobody said a word; they were too scared to do anything. At last, Jeshica helped her brother up to his feet before kneeling before him. "Well done, Prince Solarius… the monster carver!"

Solarius gawked as the denizens all followed in the prime minister's example and kneeled before the prince. As for the boy, himself, his eyes fell upon his father, who slowly marched towards him. But instead of contempt or disappointment, Skywind's expression was that of pride. "Well, you heard the woman, people!" He exclaimed, raising his son's hand into the air. "All hail Solarius! The Monster Carver!"

"HAIL SOLARIUS! THE MONSTER CARVER!"

To Be Continued!