ACT III: Solarius, the Monster Carver Chapter 3: Alliances and Family

Two days after the mission to the isles of the Waterfolk freed from monster oppression, Solarius quickly set about taking on the rest of the kingdom outside the protective barrier. His first order of business was to reassemble the delegates in the war room. Now with the help of the Underworld's army, Mewni had a chance to fight against the monsters.

While Alphys was busy with her crew, preparing for the next assignment, Solarius had gone ahead to meet with his council. On his way there, he stopped to speak with Milo to make sure that his best friend was not overwhelmed by the crippling responsibilities of being a general. Thankfully, the spell that had increased his squire's strength had also greatly increased his confidence. Milo had whipped his own brigade into shape while his friend was away, and bravely kept Mewni's border safe.

With a proud pat on the back, the king left his general back to his work. At last, he entered the war room and got to work, immediately. "Thank you all for coming, ladies and gentlemen." He greeted. "Now, thanks to our victory at the Waterfolk isles, and my sister's alliance with the Underworld, we may look forward to the future. Our next assignment will be to send a scouting brigade into the Jaggy Mountains to patrol for monster raids. Afterwards, we will focus on the smaller villages just outside the border, starting with Hirsch Falls. If we can push the monsters back, the people will gain easy access to better food and water. I will personally choose the soldiers and we will leave within two days. Any questions?"

"Uh, actually yes, your majesty…" Rhombulie, the youngest member of the Commission replied. "Why did you bring your son to the meeting?"

Solarius looked down at the slumbering infant, securely strapped to his chest. The king smiled and gently brushed his hand over his son's head before turning back to the crystalline being. "Well, he needed a nap, and I've found that he sleeps better while he listens to my heartbeat."

"AAAAWWWW!" Jeshica, Rhombulie, Lekmat, Indexia, and Duchess Onyx gushed at the adorable scene before them.

"If there are no further questions, I declare this meeting adjourned." Solarius declared and made his way back to his son's nursery. He gingerly removed the infant from his harness and rocked him in his arms as he sang. "~ Leaves from the vine, falling so slow ~ like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam ~ little soldier boy, come marching home ~ brave soldier boy, comes marching home ~"

He set the innocent boy down in his crib, and quietly closed the door. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he came face-to-face with his sister, who had been standing right behind him. "Can I help you?"

"Please, let me see him!" She begged. "Just one little peak!"

"He's sleeping."

"Then I'll stay and watch over him!" She offered. "Go talk things out with his mother! I'll look after him!"

"What's there to talk about?"

"I don't know, just go!" The prime minister pushed him out the door, eager to spend time with her nephew. "Now, go!"

Realizing that there was no point in arguing with his sister, Solarius reluctantly left the castle and marched down to the docks. On his way, he spotted the training camps he had established one year ago, pleased to see how many people had volunteered to join the Royal Mewman Military.

Once he arrived at the docks, he approached Alphys' ship and knocked on the hull. The green-haired captain poked her head over the side with a smile on her face. "Permission to come aboard?" The king asked, politely.

She nodded and watched as he made his way up to the deck. "Where's our boy?" She asked, lighting up her tobacco pipe.

"He's back at the castle. He's safe." He promised. "My sister insisted on spending a few hours alone with him. I can't say I blame her, though. You know she can't have kids of her own? Did I ever tell you that?"

"That's horrible." Alphys' face fell. "Maybe… maybe we ought to give her a little bit more than just a few hours." The sea captain stifled a small laugh.

"What?" Her lover's eyebrow arched. "What's so funny?"

"Well, I was just wondering…" She giggled. "Maybe the good prime minister could use a laugh. How do you think she'd react if I told her about your first reaction to learning that you were going to be a father?"

"Don't even think about it!" He blushed, bright red. "I was… you just took me by surprise, that's all!"

"Hey, I'm just saying it's kinda funny." She chuckled and puffed a ring of smoke. "To think; the 'Monster Carver' fearlessly leaps into battle with a smile on his face. But when a delicate, young woman tells him that she's carrying his child, he just faints dead away!"

Solarius rolled his eyes as his lover buckled over, laughing. However, his eyes scanned over the ship, noticing how bare it was. "So… where's your crew?"

"Oh, I gave them the night off." She replied; her laughter quieting down as a coy smirk appeared on her lips. "Why?"

"Well, Jeshica has Eclipsine… your ship is empty… and I'm not needed back with the military for another two days."

Alphys emptied her pipe and wrapped her arms around his neck. As he lifted her up to kiss her, her legs snaked their way around his waist for support as he carried her into the bedroom. But as he laid her down on the comforter, he hesitated.

"Is any of this strange to you?" He asked. "I mean, here we are; two people who don't want to get married, yet obviously we feel an attraction towards one another that is more than platonic. And now, we have a child together."

"It's only as strange as we allow it to be, love." Alphys replied, brushing his cheek, gently. "Does this love mean something to you?"

"Yes, of course it does."

"Well, there you go." She smiled. "I don't know about you, but I don't need traditions to tell myself what I feel. I love you. I love our child. So, how about we just do whatever feels natural and see where it goes?"

"Okay. I like the sound of that." For a while, the lovers sat in complete silence, unsure of what to do next. "Magic Mirror and chill?" He suggested with a smile.

"Hell, yeah!" She replied, and eagerly kissed him.

One Year Later…

"Try it again…" Solarius commanded.

"My lord, you shouldn't push yourself too hard." Rhombulie suggested.

"Try it again!" He demanded. The king had been trying to unlock his body's natural magic by practicing simple spells without the scepter. Currently, he was practicing the crystal pulverizing spell that would free Mewman soldiers caught in the crossfire of Rhombulie's magic crystals. Reluctantly, the magic warden froze her king's arm in an unbreakable crystal. Solarius spoke the incantation and moved his fingers over the crystal encasing his arm.

But nothing happened. "Damn it!" He cursed and shattered it with his scepter. "I am thirty years old! Why haven't my mewberty powers activated?!"

"Solarius, it's fine." Indexia soothed.

"No, it's not fine!" He snapped. "I can't be any help to the people like this! Last week the monsters took Nefcy Valley! They're getting bolder! And I still can't unlock my full potential! Can this day get any worse?!"

"Knock, knock…"

Solarius turned around to see an older man standing behind him. "I had to ask." He grumbled.

"Well, hello to you, too." Skywind scoffed.

"What do you want, Skywind?"

"Well, it's the strangest -" The former king shook his head in disbelief. "Did you just call me 'Skywind?' Nevermind. I was in the marketplace the other day, and Rosaline told me the strangest thing. Apparently, I have a grandson almost two years old."

"Yeah, what of it?"

"What of it?" Skywind pointed to his head. "Look at me, boy! I'm turning gray! I don't know how much time I have left!"

"Well, why don't you spend it in an observatory?!" His son grunted. "Or maybe in a library?! That seemed to be the only place that made you happy! Or how about you go to another dimension? Like you did on the day mom died!"

"Oh, for the love of-!" Skywind punched the wall, angrily. "How long are you going to blame me for that?! You don't think it tore me apart when I came home that night?! You don't think I wish that I could just say a magic word and bring her back?!You don't think I wanted revenge?!"

"I guess not." Solarius sneered. "You were too weak to do anything about it! Well, I'm not! I will carve up every monster if I have to, but I will see to it that mom is avenged!"

"Solarius… my boy…" The King of Hours pleaded. "All I want is to see my grandchild. Don't I deserve that? Didn't I take care of you? I taught you how to use the scepter! I taught you how to lead! I taught you to be a king, didn't I?!"

"Yes, you did, Skywind. You did all of that and more. But let me tell you what you didn't do! You didn't let me think for myself! You didn't ask me what I enjoyed! You didn't comfort me when mom died! And now, you have the gall to come into my kingdom and judge me?!" Skywind opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Solarius turned to walk away, only to stop at the doorway. After a brief pause, the king sighed and turned back to his father. "... do you really want to meet your grandson?"

Skywind smiled, happily. "Yes… I'd like that."

Suddenly, a scream rang out through the castle, alarming the past and current kings. "That's Alphys!" Solarius cried. He drew his scepter and rushed upstairs with his father close behind. Solarius was practically foaming at the mouth at the thought of his loved ones being harmed by a disgusting monster. At last, he kicked down the door to his child's nursery and pointed his scepter, charging it with a lethal spell.

"What's wrong?! Where's the monster?! Is Eclipsine okay?!"

"Solarius! Get over here!" Alphys beckoned, her voice still hysterical.

Solarius examined the room for monsters; checking under the crib, inside the closet, and outside the window. But there were no threats whatsoever. The king turned back to his lover, "What's the problem?"

"Listen to this!" The sea captain picked up her child, and held him up to his father. "Okay, Eclipsine! Who is this? Who is this?"

Eclipsine giggled, reaching out as far as his arms would stretch. "Da-da! Da-da!"

The king dropped his weapons as tears trickled over his smile. "This is the happiest day of my life!" He sobbed, joyfully.

"Da-da! Da-da! Da-da!" Eclipsine repeated as his father took him in his arms. Then, the baby looked past his father's shoulder and pointed. "Buh?"

"Uh…" Solarius bit his lip. It was an awkward situation for both of them, but he finally introduced the boy to the old man. "Eclipsine, my boy, this… this is your grandfather."

"Hello, little one." Skywind smiled, wagging a finger at the giggling infant. "My, my, you are quite a sight! I'll bet my bottom dollar that you'll make a big impact on Mewni when your time comes!"

Ten Years Later...

It was a dark night when Solarius returned from battle with the slimemen. The liquid-like creatures had an uncanny ability to infect Mewman's with a nearly fatal sickness just with one touch. The military had only been able to defeat this special breed by burning them alive with torches. Those who were unfortunate enough to be afflicted by this sickness were being treated but no cure had yet been discovered.

Solarius was tired. All he wanted was to draw a hot bath, prepare a nice meal, and spend a few hours with his son before drifting off to sleep. He climbed up the stairwell towards his boy's room and knocked on the door. "Eclipsine?" He called. "Eclipsine, are you still up? I was thinking we could have a few minutes to talk." Silence. There was no response. "Son? Eclipsine, are you…?" He entered the room and found that his boy was not there. He was just about to suggest to himself that perhaps he had fallen asleep in the library again when he spotted the rope hanging out the window.

"Oh, no! Eclipsine!" In his frustration, he vaporized the rope with his scepter and ran back downstairs. He gave a sharp whistle and his trained warnicorn came galloping around the corner. The king jumped up onto the saddle and rode off into the forest, yelling his child's name at the top of his lungs.

After a few hours, he heard a faint scream coming from the north. He unmounted his steed and quietly peered through the trees. Much to his horror, he saw his son in the clutches of a terrible size-shifter while a hideous bat-monster readied a throwing dagger. "Poor little Mewman boy…" The beast snarled. "Let this be a lesson to you for wandering into monster territory!"

But before the blade left the monster's leathery hand, he was painfully tackled to the ground by the mighty king. "YOU! WILL! NOT! TOUCH! MY! SON!" Solarius screamed with every crushing blow to the bat's face.

"Dad!"

Solarius ceased his attack and turned just in time to see the size-shifter running off with the prince still in its grasp. He sliced off the bat's head, whistled for his steed again, and began his pursuit. The monster kidnapper was a crafty being; knocking over trees and throwing rocks in an attempt to hinder him, but with the power of the scepter, he sliced away any and all obstructions. Nothing would keep him from saving his boy.

Slowly but surely, the king soon caught up with the monster and prepared to strike it down in a single blow. But Eclipsine had managed to break free from its hold and stumbled down a steep hill. "No!" Solarius cried and jumped after him, forgetting about the monster. "Hang on, Eclipsine, I'm coming!"

"Dad! Help me!" Eclipsine screamed in terror. He tried to grab on to something to stop his fall, but there was nothing to help. At last, his father grabbed him by his jacket and dug the scepter's magic blade deep into the ground. The king hugged his boy tight to his chest as he carefully pulled them both back up the hill.

"Are you okay? Did that thing hurt you?" Solarius brushed the tears from his son's eyes, examining him for any serious injuries. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, dad. I'm fine. Really, I'm fine." His son replied, calming down.

"Okay…" Solarius sighed in relief. He then proceeded to slap his son upside the head. "THEN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"Ow! Dad, calm down!" Eclipsine stammered before being dragged towards the warnicorn by the ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

Since the size-shifter had disappeared, Solarius decided it would be pointless to risk his son's life any further by trying to chase after it. The prince was lifted up onto the trained steed, then his father joined him and took the reins and they began their long journey back to the castle. The king was livid as he reprimanded his son's foolish behavior. "You could have gotten yourself killed! I told you - how many times - it's dangerous to go outside the barrier without me! When your grandmother was eaten alive by a lizardman, I was the one who found her! That image is seared into my mind! Did you want me to have you in a similar memory?!"

By the time they passed through the magic barrier, the king was still ranting and Eclipsine just listened, quietly.

"Why would you do this to me?!" Solarius continued his scolding as he led the boy inside the castle. "For thirteen years, I have tried my best to raise you while taking care of the kingdom and leading an army. Have I been perfect? No! Do I know anything about being a single father? No! Should I have read a book about parenting? Probably! Where was I going with this? I had a point."

"I love you, dad." The prince smiled, sheepishly.

"WELL, I LOVE YOU, TOO!" Solarius bellowed, hysterically. "So, you march up to your bedroom and think about what you've done!"

"Yes, sir." Eclipsine nodded and walked upstairs in shame.

As he watched his child make the climb, the Monster Carver felt a slight ache in his chest. Perhaps he was too hard on the boy. A while later, after checking the barrier and his wounded men, he went up to check on the prince. Since the door was opened, slightly, Solarius peaked inside first. Eclipsine was scribbling his thoughts down in the Great Book of Magic like a personal diary. The king knocked on the door, and his son quickly slammed the book shut.

"Uh, c-come in!"

"Son? Are you alright?" Solarius asked, concerned. "You look a little spooked."

"Well, it's… it's been a long day." Eclipsine smiled, putting the book away and headed over to his bed. "Uh, dad? I-I'm sorry that I made you worry. It's just that, I've been so cooped up in this castle, lately. I tried to make some friends but… nobody really likes me. Still, I shouldn't have wandered so far. I'm sorry, I-"

"No, I'm sorry." Solarius sat down on the bed and stroked his son's forehead. "I shouldn't have been so hard on you… I know that things aren't very easy with you, being so isolated all the time, but I really do just want to keep you safe. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know, dad." Eclipsine smiled. "And I love you for it."

Solarius kissed his son on the cheek and blew out the candle on his nightstand. "Goodnight, Eclipsine."

"Goodnight, dad."

To Be Continued!

Author's notes: So, from reading the official book, I pretty much assume that Solaria and Alphonse were secretly in a casual monogamous relationship, so that's how I've decided to portray the relationship between Solarius and Alphys.