Sol and Titan made a very strange pair of siblings, but quickly became known as one of the most capable pair of adventurers ever to have lived. Sol had never feared either numbers or strength, always confident that her cruel strategies and peerless magic would see her through any adversity. What she did fear was that an ally would slow her down, force to to relinquish some of her advantages in order to protect and include her unwanted 'brother.'
She didn't believe Titan had the makings of a warrior, in spite of his size and strength: he was too kind, too gentle, and he was a sloppy brawler, relying mostly on his strength in combat. He was quick on his hooves, but Sol was always left far from impressed: fast or not, he relied too heavily on direct attacks and forcing the enemy into grappling.
Titan, however, seemed determined to tag along with her all the same... even more, he seemed determined to earn her respect, one way or another. Even as days passed into weeks, weeks became months, months became years of Sol treating him like nothing more than baggage, Titan never faltered, never stopped smiling, never stopped working to impress her. And more, he never seemed to grow bitter or tired, either. He never seemed to become frustrated, or angry with her, or show anything but his endless patience and kindness.
It was that quality most of all that annoyed Sol. Sol was passion and anger, never hesitating to display her emotions, all her decisions based off her own desires and doing whatever it took to get what she was after. She would never settle for anything less than what she wanted... while Titan would give more to others than he would take for himself. He would chatter away about discipline while wasting their gold on silly pleasures that were of no interest to her: why did he pay for prostitutes when he could just take what he wanted from them:? Why did he insist on buying alcohol for everyone in every bar they came across when he could just walk out with all their supplies, if he so pleased?
It was maddening to her. She hated him... or at least, she wanted to. But she couldn't. Her emotions wouldn't let her, and neither would logic: he never failed her, after all, and even as the years passed, even as she treated him like nothing but a pack mule, he remained loyal and true. He frustrated her at times, and he wasted their resources... but it wasn't as if money meant a great deal to Sol. That was only a bargaining chip for the rare time when it would be imprudent for her to use her strength. It just irritated her, for some reason she couldn't entirely put into words herself, that this strong stallion who seemed to be second only to herself refused to actually harness his great strength.
When she asked him, though, Titan would only smile and answer her, as if it made all the sense in the world instead of none at all: "Why, because it is not right, of course. Honor above all."
And one day, Sol could not help but ask: "And if I decided to kill and maim them, for no reason but my amusement? Would you turn against me?"
Titan looked at her... and then he smiled and replied kindly: "No, I would not turn against you."
Sol smiled at this in triumph, thinking that perhaps he was nothing but a loyal dog after all... but before she could turn away, he continued in that same gentle voice: "I love you very much, sister. So I would not turn against you. But that does not mean I would not stop you. You think your heart is cold iron, but I know that it is not: you would not act this way if you did not hurt. I may have never seen you go out of your way to save the lives of ponies when it did not suit you, but neither does it suit you to kill and maim without reason. I know, Sol, that you suffer over some long-remembered sin. I know that you do not raise your blades without cause or thought. And I know, deep inside you, honor's roots still cling tenaciously on. I will not let you furrow that great tree; I will not turn against you. I will save you from yourself."
Sol spat at Titan's hooves, then left in anger at his words... but it was a false anger, hiding what was almost fear. She did not understand him. She did not understand how he could be so good, so kind, so gentle and well-meaning. She did not understand how or why he bothered, in this world where good was foolishness, and evil ate evil.
But when they settled down for the night, and Titan fell asleep on the dirt by the waning fire, Sol studied him thoughtfully from beneath the shadows of the trees. Through that long night she did not just keep watch on their camp, but thought deeply about her strange little brother as well, and it was not until the morning that she realized she had started to accept him as a sibling.
It would be many days yet before she would openly start to see him as a brother, however: but the seeds had been planted, and their journey together had truly begun.
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