Brothers of the Eclipse

The wind blew softly through his long, sun dyed hair as his golden eyes peered over the cascading waters that brushed the shore line.
He had been sitting on the rocky beach for hours, waiting for when the boat carrying his twin brother would arrive.
His stomach lurched at the thought of seeing his twin after ten years of tormenting separation, being that he was the only family he had left since their father's death and mother's abduction.
With a sigh of stress, he laid back down on the flat rock he was perched on, and stared up at the sky.
Slowly, beginning to relax, he closed his eyes despite the sun's rays beating down on them, but suddenly the harsh rays were shaded by something now looming over him, and upon opening his eyes, there stood his twin.
At least they use to be twins- the face he was looking into was the same as his, but everything else like his silver hair was the reflection of everything he wasn't.
Shaking off that thought he gave his brother a wry grin, “So how long was I asleep because I never saw your boat come in?”
“Actually you had just closed your eyes when I came.....We docked at sunrise port this time around.”His brother informed him, then, after a moments silence, brought up the very thing he tried not to think about, “I can't believe how much you've changed since we'd parted Solar.”
“How's that? And you're one to speak, you've changed a lot too.”Solar pointed out, still unease about how his own twin looked like a complete stranger to him.
“I know......,”Lunar started, a smirk quickly taking over his lips, “You've got the beach bum look sown perfectly now.”
“And you've got down the old man look I see! The lack of sun really did you an injustice.”Solar quipped proudly at having ousted his brother.
That pride went as soon as it came though, when he watched Lunar's features turn crestfallen at the mention of what life on the dark side of Crescent Island had done to him, and it had probably done far worse than just change the color of his hair.
“I'm sorry.”Solar apologized, knowing full well that probably wouldn't help much.
“Don't worry about it....You can ask about it if you want, you deserve to know seeing you're planning to join me in looking for mom there anyway.”Lunar admitted sadly, his midnight blue eyes gazing intently into hidden worlds only he could see. Paradises where he could hide from reality and the piercing cold is stabbed in his already fragile heart everyday.
Solar wished so much that Lunar would share such things with him, that he could realize he wasn't alone in being affected so harshly by life, but when it came to such things Lunar stood alone and just shut out the world, even his only family, Solar.
This made Solar bite his lip before asking anything despite his brother's permission, he just wasn't sure how to word it to lesson the pain it caused for the both of them.
“How's the search for mom going?”He asked in a soft voice, as if in a whisper of an unpleasant thought.
Lunar quickly snapped from his paradise, as if a hand had just reached in and grabbed him away by the throat- chocking him as it did- and turned to face Solar eye to eye.
Those midnight blue eyes cut down to Solar's soul, in them he read the answer he was about to receive and that it wasn't the one he was wanting to hear.
“The search is going nowhere! Despites all the infiltrations and shut downs of several slave camps there's still no sign of her!!”Lunar exclaimed angrily, unclenching a fist he had made in an attempt to withhold his anger, blood marks where his nails had dug too deeply into his clenched hands.
Solar looked down apologetically, knowing he shouldn't have asked despite what his brother had said, he could only now just sympathize with his brother's pain despite the fact they had both lost their mother to those beasts....
Lunar alone had watched her being taken, and Lunar alone had had the last word with her.

It was said many years ago a dark King had ruled the Kingdom of Illumination and had the power to control the celestial lights after having absorbed the powers of an ancient staff, and with his powers he joined in an alliance with the Dark ones in order to enslave the whole Kingdom.
The Dark ones being put in charge of the people, treated them unkindly, believing themselves the superior race.
Thankfully though their sensitive albino skin only aloud them to roam under the moon since the sun's rays burned their skin.
When the King noticed this though, he made it so the sun never rose again and the Dark one's reign could not be hindered.
Tired and disgusted over how the King treated his people, the Queen, the first Lady Celestia, managed to over throw the King and kill him.
The Dark ones were exiled to the Dark side of Eclipse Island where eternal moonlight reigned.
Despite the people of Sunrise village's reluctance, the Queen promised them safety as long as they remained on the sunny side of the island.
This proved true until the Solar eclipse came.
The whole village was swept into darkness, enough that the Dark ones came and attacked.
The mutilated beings abducted many in order to take them back to Night City and enslave them for revenge of having been out casted by the human race.
Yes, Lunar remembered that night all to well.
Screams for help and of hopelessness sounded throughout the dismal air outside their small home.
Out of desperation and protection for her children, his mother quickly grabbed Lunar by the shoulders and gave him instructions as Solar slept soundly in a corner.
“I'm going to have to leave my dear, but I want you to stay and watch over your brother.”She informed, shaking violently in fear of what she would next do to save her little ones.
“No mom, don't leave!”Lunar sobbed, clenching tightly in reluctance his mother's hand.
“Don't be sad my dear for I promise when your older you'll find me and we can all be together again and safe.”She smiled through tear stained eyes ,and kissed Lunar's forehead before quickly leaving and locking the door behind her.
With a child's sense of helplessness, Lunar ran to the window petrified in fear, and watched as his mother lead the Dark ones away from them by sacrificing her freedom for her children's safety.

That had been twelve years ago, and in that day Lunar lost the young innocence a cheerful nine year old had, to a scarred and lost heart.
Words could never describe what half of his heart was lost that day, or the feelings that he would never again experience.
No.
He couldn't allow those feelings to seep through to him, he couldn't afford to be weak if he wanted to succeed.
Turning swiftly around, he headed back toward where he had came, but stopped before disappearing from his brother's line of sight.
“So you coming or not?”He asked, and started to walk again, knowing full well his brother would be right behind him.
“Wait, you actually want me to come this time?! You think I'm ready?!”Solar exclaimed joyfully, thinking he was finally going to join his brother in looking for his mother.
Lunar stopped again ,and just bluntly shook his head in a no.
“Than why do you want me to follow you?”Solar asked, a bit disappointed that it wasn't what he thought.
“Oh you'll be going to Night City alright, but not to free slaves and look for mom, but for something much more important.”Lunar started, than faced his brother with a small smile before continuing, “The Queen has given the strongest of the guards of Night City, or better known as yours truly, a quest for the staffs of sun and moon.”
“Outside of your all so humble arrogance, that's great, but aren't those the very staffs that threatened the Kingdom long ago under King Solarus and the Dark ones?”Solar wondered, with an arched brow, a bit skeptical about the sound of it.
“The very ones.”Lunar nodded, as they approached the road that would take them to Sunrise port where Lunar's boat was docked.
“Why would our Queen need the staffs when she holds the powers in her own blood?”
“Because the Dark ones are getting closer every moment to the Lunar Temple and if they find it they can control the twilight than easily set a destination to retrieve the finale staff which is somewhere on a neighboring island. We need to go and make sure they don't get the moon staff ,for only then can we be sure of the safety of the second staff.”
“So where exactly in Night City is the Lunar Temple located?”
“Right in the heart of Night City, underneath twilight rock, that is the location of the Lunar Temple. At that point the only was in is with the blood of a Dark one upon the twilight rock.”
“Great, now how do you suggest we get that when there will be just the two of us against a troop of Dark ones, and I doubt they're stupid enough to be lured away from their strict buddy system?”
They came to a stop in front of the docked boat who's decks were covered with tents, allowing shade to keep the sun from beating on it.
“Let's just say you'll be intrigued at the meeting of our third party member.”Lunar finished, untying them from the pier once aboard.
Solar just rolled his eyes at his brother's sense of dramatics and headed towards the nearest covered area, and took a seat on a nearby lounge chair.
A white glint from the nearby dark corner passed by the side of his vision, Solar's hand slowly reaching for his dagger that he had hidden on his person, as he kept and eye on the form that kept getting closer and clearer in appearance.
Yellow shone from the figure's eyes, and that was all it took to have Solar throw his dagger, and by a fraction, nearly missed the figure's throat.
Jumping up, Solar grabbed a sword from a nearby weapons storage unit and yelled for Lunar to come quick.
“What is it?!”Lunar exclaimed annoyed, than cocked an amused brow at seeing his brother so worked up.
“There's a Dark on on board your ship!”Solar gestured, wondering why his brother was acting so calm about it.
“I know...He's out third party member, Vexus, and you nearly killed him it seems.”Lunar informed, walking up to the pale skinned Vexus, and pulled out the dagger that had landed near his throat.
“Good throw Solar, but I hope you don't greet all your new friends this way, cause it's not exactly a good first impression.”Lunar smirked, than turned to Vexus, “This Dark one, unlike his brethren respects the humans believe it or not. It'll be his blood we'll be using to get into the Temple.”
“You actually believe him? What if he's a spy?”Solar argued, not able to comprehend is brother, one whom despised the Dark ones so much, to be able to trust one, let alone take it on his ship to Sunrise City.
“Well, if he is a spy, I'll just have to kill him won't I?”Lunar said, a hint of bitterness to his voice, and a cold look to his features.
So there he was, the Lunar Solar knew well, the one who would rather see the whole race of Dark ones dead right now.
Vexus' yellow eyes scanned Solar up and down with a blank expression that made the hairs of his neck stand on end.
“Now that all are present I shall hoist the anchor so we can be on out way.”Vexus informed with a silky voice that would send chills up anyone's spine.
Solar noted a strange way about his features as he spoke to Lunar, as if to look for approval from him as one would a leader, this Dark one was definitely unlike the rest of his kind.
Lunar nodded, his midnight blue eyes glistening with the thrill of their mission, as he turned with his brother to hoist the sails.

Though Night City was on the same Island as Sunrise City , a protective wall divided the two places making land travel impossible.
Even by boat, travel was near impossible unless you knew the way.
With heavy fog and sharp rocks, it made even some veteran boaters wary.
“Vexus! We're about to enter the fog, I need your eyes at the bow!”Lunar called, gritting his teeth, he hated this part of the journey where the idea of being destroyed amongst the sharp rocks and treacherous waves was a constant thought in the back of your mind.
From a distance Solar watched Vexus comply in shock that his brother was willing to put their lives in that creature's hands!
“Hey Lunar, how about letting me keep an eye out for rocks?”Solar suggested, hoping his brother would agree to it.
“No, Vexus is better suited for this. As a Dark one his eyes can see twice as good as a human's....Asides, I like my ship in one piece.”Lunar smirked, knowing full well why Solar wanted to do it, but he'd have to learn to trust Vexus if they were to succeed.
“Sorry that I'd like us alive.”Solar muttered to himself, walking back to his chair.
Twenty minutes later a shout of “All clear!” from Vexus woke Solar up after he had dozed off in the chair.
“Thank you Vexus, go ahead and ready the weapons,”Lunar commended, then added, “Solar, you can get our travel kits if you want something to do.”He informed, than returned to heading them into the port.
“As if it wasn't enough giving it the chance to kill us with the boat, now he's giving him our weapons too! Very intelligent!”Solar spat sarcastically to himself, making sure to remain out of Lunar's earshot.
This was not what he had in mind when he awaited the day to travel with his brother.
They were suppose to be killing Dark ones and saving their mother, not teaming up with a Dark one and ignoring their mother.
This was becoming like some kind of warped reality.
“Why do you not trust me? Did I not prove myself with navigating us through the fog and rocks?”Vexus silky voice inquired, snapping Solar out of his disdain.
Solar just glared, thinking he didn't owe him any explanations, than noting an opportunity, dashed for the weapons.
“I'll get these, and you can get the travel kits.”Solar said smugly, shielding the weapons with his body to keep Vexus away.
Vexus just shook his head, than gathered the kits together, trying to make sure that Lunar's orders were fulfilled no matter who did what.
Having arrived at port, Lunar headed from the helm to where Vexus and Solar would, confused by the sight of them doing the other's orders.
“Vexus, didn't I tell you to get the weapons? Why are you getting the travel kits?”Lunar asked, wondering if his instructions had been somehow unclear.
“You did sir, but your brother insisted that he should be in charge of the weapons.”Vexus informed, annoyed with Solar for almost getting him in trouble with Lunar who'd willing kill him at any sign of revolt he saw fit, even something this minor.
“Should have saw that coming...Sometimes Solar makes it easy to tell which of us is the eldest despite being twins.”Lunar said with a sigh of long suffering, slowly walking over to his twin with disappointment strewn across his features.
“I don't care how upset you are, you're going a little to far with your trust in that beast! Remember he's of the same species as the monsters that took our mother, or have you forgotten?!”Solar exclaimed, his golden eyes wild in anger.
That was all Lunar needed to hear in order to smack his brother upside the face.
Solar just stared dumbfounded that Lunar would strike him like that, as he rubbed the now redden mark on his cheek.
“How dare you say I don't remember, when that very day is branded into my brain like an inferno in my thoughts constantly! I would never trust a Dark one unless there was unfailing proof he was safe, or do you think I'd allow a chance to have something kill you and me, breaking the promise I made mom those many years ago?! Never question my devotion Solar or you'll find me hit a point I pray I never go!”Lunar shouted, causing Solar to flinch in fear of being struck again.
The fear that Solar showed caused Lunar to stand back, and he began to shake in fear at himself for his reaction.
Never in his life had he yelled at Solar like that, not to mention strike him, and on doing so it left a nasty cut on his mind.
“Solar, I should never have......”Lunar began to apologize, only to be cut off by Solar's raised hand.
“Don't....I should be the one to say sorry. You're right, it was wrong of me to doubt you, and I, your own brother, just had to push you off the edge of a cliff you were already about to fall off of.”Solar said, looking down in shame.
Earlier he had worried about upsetting Lunar, and here he had done it.
Lunar, having calmed down some, placed a hand on Solar's shoulder.
“Look you can carry the weapons for us now, but in the future you're gonna have to trust my judgment if we're gonna make it out alive, even if that means trusting Vexus.”He informed softly.
Solar nodded, than quietly gathered the rest of the weapons.