TWs: Feelings of anger/resentment, brief kidnapping, pushover tendencies. Stay safe :)
21 HOURS 31 MINUTES 46 SECONDS...
...
"Regulus? Where are y- ah!" Spica gasped upon feeling something tap her on her shoulder. She turned, breathing a sigh of relief when she realized it was her friend, "Regulus, you can't scare me like that!"
"Hehah, sorry 'bout that, mate!" The Star laughed, twirling around to get a good look at the other, "My, my- it's been a long time since I've seen you, you haven't changed one bit!"
"And I see you haven't gotten any bigger." Spica smiled.
Regulus huffed, "Give me a break, Spica. There's more to me than just my size!"
"Is that why they call you Little King...?"
"Mmh... it's not funny, mate. I'm not laughing, see my face? Not laughing." Regulus crossed their arms, "I get your message telling me to come here and all I get is harassed- how daft of you."
"Sorry, I just haven't spoken to you in so long." Spica spoke, then frowned, "It's about Helios."
"Let me guess, it's about the others teaming up with some planet to attack Helios and his planets." Regulus rolled his eyes.
"How'd you-?"
"Toliman approached me and asked if I wanted to join them... I said no, 'cause what they're doing is complete bollocks."
"Even when Proxima went with them? And is partly leading the attack?"
"Er... I try to separate my personal feelings from... drama." Regulus averted their gaze.
Spica frowned, stance tensing, "Regulus."
"I don't want to hear it, ay?" Regulus shook their head, "You should return to the others."
Spica sighed, tapping her fingers against her arm one by one, "At least... think about it, okay?"
Regulus bowed their head, "Of course."
"Thank you, Reg." Spica gave her friend one last smile before turning away towards the Oort Cloud. She looked over her shoulder, "We miss you, y'know?"
"Same 'ere, mate." Regulus spoke, "Tell Helios I said 'ello."
Spica let out a small laugh, waving as she started the return. "Will do."
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19 HOURS 45 MINUTES 15 SECONDS...
...
'How did I end up here again...?' Triton thought as he stared at the radiant moon before him.
"S-So..." Io looked between them, "I u-understand something h-happened between you, and I want to h-help fix it!"
'Ah, that's right.' Triton adjusted his sunglasses.
"There's nothing for you to fix, Io." Callisto spoke, "Nothing is going on..."
Triton frowned, looking away.
"Except for my stupidity."
Then he looked up, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Triton, instead of running away, I should've heard you out." Callisto sighed, "When you were taken, I realized that I may never see you again, or that we would never hang out again, and that... also made me realize how much you matter to me."
Triton felt heat rising to his surface, which didn't usually happen unless he was facing directly to the Sun.
"Callisto, I..." Triton averted his gaze to the void below, "It's not your fault. I should've been clearer about what I meant. The truth is, you're... more than a moon to me."
Callisto froze, her mouth opened, "Wha-"
"That sounded way cornier when I say it out loud," Triton spoke, a small smile rising on his sphere.
The darker moon smirked, letting out a chuckle, "Hah, you're right, it was very corny..."
"Yeah, yeah..." Triton rolled his eyes, looking away.
The two looked at each other, feeling a sense of serenity and a weight lifted from their cores as they smiled at each other.
Io looked between them, a smile growing on his face, "W-Well, looks like y-y-you two patched things up!"
Callisto and Triton looked at the yellow moon, having forgotten he was there even though he was the one who had gathered them together. The two smaller moons shared a look, having the same idea.
"Thanks, Io," Callisto spoke.
"Yeah- without you, we probably wouldn't have faced each other again." Triton nodded.
Io grinned, "W-What are friends for?"
"Triton!" A voice called.
"Proteus?" Triton turned around, seeing the biggest of the irregular moons flying up to him, "You know Neptune doesn't want you wandering off by yourself."
"But I'm not by myself." Proteus spoke, "Nereid and Larissa are right- huh?"
Proteus turned, his eyes wide with confusion as he didn't see the others.
"Wha- but they were right behind me." The smaller moon frowned, turning back toward Triton, "Th-They must've gotten lost on the way here."
"We'll find them, Proteus." Triton knitted his eyebrows as he looked at the smaller, "They can't have gotten far."
"What will Neptune say once he finds out I lost them...?"
Triton shook his head, sighing, "He won't be upset at you."
"But-"
"Trust me, kid."
"We'll help look for them," Callisto spoke.
"Y-Yeah!" Io grinned, "We'll search a-all eternity if we have to!"
Triton smiled, mouthing a silent thank you to Callisto, who returned the gesture by nodding. Triton turned to Proteus, adjusting his sunglasses, "Well, what are we waiting for? Lead the way, kid."
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17 HOURS 38 MINUTES 46 SECONDS...
...
"Let go of us, you rude... dwarf!" Nereid yelled, struggling against the orbit of the dwarf planet.
"Wow, I'm so offended," Quaoar spoke, rolling his eyes before glaring at the other dwarf planet who lagged behind, "Orcus, why are you dragging your orbit!? Hurry up before X gets mad at us!"
"S-Sorry..." Orcus apologized, "I'm just not used to holding this much mass in my orbit."
"Me neither, but do you see me complaining about it?"
Orcus sighed, watching as the other dwarf planet went ahead. The moon in his hold looked at him, her eyes softening.
"Why do you let him treat you like that?" Larissa asked.
"Because he's bigger than me...?" Orcus spoke almost as if it was obvious.
"So? Just because someone is bigger doesn't mean they get to treat you like a bully." Larissa frowned.
"Doesn't it...?" Orcus raised an eyebrow.
"No! Come on, there's got to be a smaller dwarf planet that nobody, not even Quaoar messes with."
"Well, there is Salacia..."
"See?"
"But Salacia is tough inside and out. She means what she says, she goes through with things, and she's like a neverending flame of pure spite- no one messes with her..."
"No one?" Larissa uttered.
"No one." Orcus shook his head.
"Not even that big, mean, and mysterious planet?"
"Are you talking about X? I mean, Salacia does as he says without a word."
Larissa hummed, the gears turning in her core.
"X, we're back!" Quaoar called out as he got to the middle of the Kuiper belt, "And we got the presents."
"That's gre-" X froze once he saw what the dwarf planets were holding, "Are those...?"
"Yep! Two Saturnian moons right here!" Quaoar nodded.
Nereid stopped struggling, her expression turning confused. She looked to her sister to meet the same puzzlement.
X face-palmed, taking a slow breath, in and out, before speaking slowly, "Those... are not Saturn's moons, you idiot."
"What...?" Quaoar's face fell, "But they were in Saturn's orbit-"
"They are Neptune's moons, you fool!" X shouted, "Ugh, this is exactly why I don't trust dwarf planets with a simple mission. Do you even realize how hard it is to make Neptune mad? Just imagine the consequences once he finds out two of his precious kids were stolen!"
Quaoar looked down, "I-"
"I don't want to hear it! Release them, at once!" X ordered.
Before Nereid and Larissa knew what was happening, they were set free from the dwarf planets' holds.
X glared at the small moons, "Return to Neptune. I don't care what you say to him, just make sure to watch your back."
Nereid and Larissa nodded shakily before flying off.
"As for you two," X turned to the dwarf planets, his glare hardening, "Do you even want to find your moons?"
"M-More than anything!" Orcus looked at the planet, pleadingly.
"Then prove it." X turned away from them, flying deeper into the depths of the Kuiper belt.
Orcus felt tears welling in his eyes as he avoided looking at Quaoar, 'Vanth... I wonder how he's doing right now... if they're still-'
He cut off the thought, shaking his sphere.
"Well, see you later," Quaoar mumbled, turning to fly in a different direction.
"Th-That's not the way to the hideout..." Orcus uttered.
Quaoar scoffed, "I know, idiot."
"Wh-Where are you going?" Orcus asked.
"None of your business." The brown-ish grey dwarf planet scowled, "Why do you even care?"
Quaoar flew away before Orcus could think of an answer.
« NOTE »
Regulus is also bri'ish :)
As you can tell by the countdown, we're heading into Endgame territory (heheh), and I just wanted to say thank you so much for the support, it means a lot to me 3
Comments are appreciated 3