AN: Well well well, would you look at that! This story is back from the dead! Again! Hopefully I'll be able to finish it this time lol.

Chapter 26 Aries's World

Solar had this weird itch that he just couldn't scratch no matter how hard he tried. It wasn't a literal itch so much as a metaphorical one, but even then, it was still annoying. As he followed Aries through the universe that he had long since abandoned, he felt as though there was something he was supposed to know. One piece of information regarding this universe was locked up tight in his memory. He HAD to unlock it; it would drive him bonkers if he didn't. But alas, every time he tried to jog his memory, the thoughts eluded him. He felt lost, he honestly did. He was forgetting something important, something fundamental. Would he ever remember it? He didn't have much need for memories when he was in the void, but… could he remember what he was missing?

"Solar?"

"Huh, what, huh?" Solar did a double take as Aries gave him a raised eyebrow. It was then that Solar realized that he had been cringing, wincing in pain as a matter of fact. Clearing his throat, Solar told himself to keep it together. He would remember what he wanted to remember in due time. Even if he didn't… well, if he forgot about it so easily, surely that meant it wasn't important, right?

"Sorry Aries, just thinking about things." He flashed his older brother a smile. "I haven't done a lot of thinking in the void, so having to actually do so now is kinda strange."

Aries smirked. "I see. Well, I suppose I can't blame you for that." He ran his hand through his silver hair. "Still though, I can sense that you are feeling distressed. I can tell you that you have no reason to."

"Oh believe me, I'm well aware. I mean, I met you, didn't I? There's no reason to feel distressed when you have a… brother with you." Solar paused. For some reason, saying that word now was a little strange. It was still sweet, and the fact that Solar was able to use it in a context like this made him feel happy. Still, it felt like a word from an alien language he never took the time to study.

Oh well, he would get use to it.

"Thank you, Solar." Aries let out a breath as he turned back around. "I admit I feel some level of pleasure having met you too." Aries chuckled. "In fact, I can say I haven't felt this excited in what's felt like twenty centuries. I almost don't know what to do with this feeling."

Solar chuckled. "Well, I don't think I'll be able to help you much with that, Aries." His face fell. "There wasn't much use for feelings in the void."

"Indeed."

The two stayed silent for a few hours, with Solar drawing back into his thoughts. He needed to find himself, didn't he? He needed to rediscover who he was and build up his life from the ground up. He had more or less been dead in the void or at the very least as good as dead. No one knew where he was, no one could talk to him, and goodness knows that he was as lonely as a corpse. For a being who would potentially never taste biological death, the metaphorical death he had gone through made him feel strange. And now that he had been brought back to life, he didn't know for certain if he could make use of himself.

Maybe that was why meeting Aries was so fortunate. Aries had lived a longer life than virtually every other creature in the universe. He had been around the bend, and considering Solar was happy to refer to him as his brother… well it only made sense. It was thematically appropriate, wasn't it?

After a little more flying through the vastness of space, Aries came to a halt. He turned back to Solar and gestured up ahead. Solar, with his eyes growing wide, observed the planet that Aries was showing him. It had to be the biggest rock planet ever, easily comparing to the size of the largest gas giants. The surface was red for the most part, with what looked to be cracks in its surfaces. Underneath the cracks, just below the planet's surface, was a glowing, silver liquid, flowing through like water would flow through other rock planets. Solar's jaw dropped when he saw it, and a new feeling overcame him. It went beyond awe. It went beyond being impressed. This… this was…

"This is my planet," Aries said. He looked down at the planet with an expression that resembled pride. "I found out how to hone my powers a long time ago, and with my powers, I was able to create this world."

Solar gasped. "You did?" Solar looked down at his own hand. He wiggled his milky white fingers, seeing them in an entirely new light. "We're… prankster children are capable of that?"

"Considering that we are gods, Solar… anything is possible.'

"Anything is possible…" Solar's mind was spinning around in circles. "We are gods…"

Before Solar could adequately decide how he was feeling, Aries grabbed him by the hand. Together they floated down to the surface of the planet, and Solar's heart pumped as they did. It was partly due to nervousness but was mostly caused by excitement. This was Aries's world, after all; it was a world made by his brother's own hands. What would he find there? What would he see on the surface of this divine place? What kind of people? What kind of civilization? Considering that Solar had gone so long without ever talking with someone real, he was especially looking forward to seeing the people who might live in Aries's world.

And so, the two of them descended. When they reached the surface, Solar looked around. This place very clearly had an atmosphere, but what was interesting about this atmosphere was that it didn't change the way the sky looked. Normally, places would have skies that were one continuous color, like blue or red. This? The sky still looked like space. Nay, looked like space on the clearest possible night. The stars shone down and the colors in the nebulas were just as breathtaking as ever. It was… it was interesting.

On top of which, Solar was able to get a glance of the silver liquid up close, as he and Aries stood next to a ravine. It flowed like magma, having a similar consistency as well as appearance. It even bubbled, looking like it would burn Solar's finger off if he accidentally touched it. Even with that said though, it was so pretty. The way it sparkled, the way it shined… The people on this planet didn't even need a sun, as this liquid provided both light and heat to everyone.

"Solar, come with me!"

Snapping out of his trance, Solar let out a breath. "Right. Sorry, Aries." He rose into the air, and together they flew across the surface of the planet. Solar had his eyes on Aries's back, wondering what in the world could be in store for them. He wanted to ask, but something was stopping him. It was one little voice in his head that told him that maybe he should keep his questions and curiosities to himself.

Luckily, Solar's curiosities were eventually satisfied when the two of them came across a city. Solar gawked at it, his face rising into a smile. It almost looked like the buildings were made out of the silver liquid cooled into its solid form, as they glowed and shone in the exact same way. People bustled down the streets in between the buildings, and… wow. They looked like they were made out of space itself. Their entire bodies were made out of snippets of the voids of space, with stars making their bodies glimmer. They… they looked familiar. Where had Solar seen creatures like this before…?

"Impressive. Isn't it?" Aries asked.

"Very." Solar floated closer to his brother. "You made all this?"

"Every single last thing you see here is mine, Solar. I created these people, and I rule over them. They are extensions of my person, they are servants whose primary objective is to love me."

Solar felt chills. "Love… it must feel amazing to have so many people who love you."

"It is beyond amazing, young one. It is satisfying." He laughed. Was his laugh a little odd… no, no, it wasn't; Solar was worried about nothing. "Now, come on. We must go to my palace."

"You have a palace?" Solar asked.

"All kings have palaces, Solar. All gods have places where their glory can be appreciated."

Solar smiled. He followed Aries as he flew over the city. Little lights floated in between the buildings, providing a type of illumination that was different (but no less appreciated) from the light of the buildings. Solar reached out and touched one of the lights as he flew past it. It… it kinda felt like water. Oh, Solar hadn't felt water flowing over his hands in so long; he didn't realize how much he missed it.

"Lord Aries!"

Solar looked down as Aries wore a smirk. The people who had been wandering the streets of the city looked upon Aries and cheered. They cheered like they had just learned how to, they cheered for Aries in a way that did interesting things to Solar's heart. These beings, these people, they sounded like they owed their lives to Aries. Which, on some level had to be the case, considering that he was their creator and ruler. But this went beyond just that; they sounded like they loved him. LOVED him; they were obsessed with him and everything he stood for. They sounded like they wanted to do whatever Aries told them to do. Was… Aries had been right to call him and Solar gods, hadn't he?

"All hail Lord Aries!" The people cheered.

Aries chortled, the smirk nowhere close to falling off of his face. He turned to give Solar another glance, this one containing pleasure and dignity. "This is what the future can hold for you, Solar. Imagine a world where everyone loves you. Wants you. NEEDS you. Can you imagine waking up and knowing that there will always be someone there, someone ready to put their life on the line for you? Someone who will go to colossal lengths just to prove how devoted to you they are?"

Solar paused. Those words… why did they strike such a chord with him? That reality that Aries described, that picture that he had painted with his words… it sounded familiar. Not to mention that it also caused Solar pain. He couldn't put his finger on why though. That metaphorical itch from earlier was raging now, covering his entire being to the point of making him shake. He wanted to find the answer as to why he was feeling this way, but what would happen if he did? Would he be satisfied, or would he just feel an even stronger, sharper form of pain?

"That would be nice," Solar said as he put his hand on his heart. Perhaps he shouldn't worry too much about what was going to happen. If it caused him pain, it wasn't worth worrying about. That was what made sense, right? He had this feeling in his gut telling him that thought process was wrong, but… that really was what made the most sense to do, right?

"Well, that reality will be yours soon enough, dear Solar." Aries came to a halt. He grinned, the expression more dazzling than the brightest moon. "Ah, there is my palace."

Solar looked forward, and when he saw the palace, he gasped. "Wow." So many colors met his eye. The towers glittered in a rainbow collision. The turrets glowed like miniature suns, with flags waving up ahead in ways that made Solar think about the lights that they had encountered when they had been flying over the city.

"Wow indeed." Aries gestured to Solar. "Come on, there is so much to learn."

Nodding, Solar followed.