TWs: Impending doom, panic attack/intrusive thoughts/crying/self-blame, yearning/longing, amnesia. Stay safe :)
"Tell me, Mage, why is Kepler not with you?" Sagittarius A*'s voice rumbled through the void.
"I tried to warn you, your supremacy, Kepler is too weak for their own good. Their emotions got the better of them." Mage responded as calmly as she could.
Sagittarius was quiet for a moment before huffing, "This is just great... now I'll need to find a replacement-"
"No!" Mage yelled, prompting Sagittarius to glare down at her, anger flashing in its eyes.
"What did I say about speaking out of turn?" It fumed.
"Sorry, your providence, it won't happen again..." Mage bowed her head.
Sagittarius eyed her, "Now what do you mean 'no'...? Having two AetherStars is less time-consuming than having just one."
"I know, but... I believe I can do this myself."
Sagittarius scoffed, "Oh, really? What makes you think that?"
"I'm the only one who can do it efficiently and effectively... after all, I was the one who destroyed almost every Celestial body with intelligent lifeforms," Mage puffed her chest out proudly, smirking, "And Earth is the last one standing..."
Sagittarius took in the words, "Impressive... and do you think you can handle this all by yourself?"
Mage furrowed her eyebrows, a wild look settling in her eyes, "I know I can."
It hummed, "You have... 48 hours."
"What...? But that's barely any time at all!"
"Well then, you better hurry."
Mage grumbled under her breath, beginning to exit the space.
"And Mage?"
She looked at the black hole, "Yes, your sovereignty?"
Sagittarius glared down at her, its eyes burning holes into Mage's head, "Do. Not. Fail. Me."
« 48 HOURS »
Earth woke with a gasp, his chest heaving as he pushed himself off the ground quickly and shakily, out of breath as he muttered to himself, "Remem-member... I-I remember... c-can't..."
Sun pushed his arms out, preventing anyone from touching Earth, "Wait, give him space."
Earth had his back to everyone as he rushed his hands through his hair, "Kepler... AetherStar... darkness... void..."
"Earth...?" Luna spoke, making Earth whip around.
"You," He pointed before gesturing to Mercury, "Went to talk to him, leaving me alone."
They both glanced at each other, "Uh...?"
"I noticed something in the void below, so I went to check it out, turns out it was the... the, uhm..." Earth snapped his fingers, "Two Star thingies..."
"AetherStars." Sun corrected.
"Yeah, that. One was dark purple and the other was deep blue. The blue one was Kepler, while the other one was... I don't know exactly, but she seemed to be the one pulling the strings, and I'm pretty sure she..." Earth paused, his hand covering his mouth, and fingers inspecting his lower lips, "I-I'm pretty sure she..."
"She...?" Luna encouraged him to go on, but Earth said nothing.
He shook his head, "No, it's nothing. Anyway, where are we?"
Earth looked around at the abyss, frowning.
"If you could go anywhere on your surface, where would you go?" Nine asked.
Earth blinked, and before everyone knew it, the atmosphere had changed into a vibrant city with abstract architecture. He gasped, running toward a river that seemed to split the city in half.
Nine squinted his eyes, 'I knew it...'
"Woah, where are we?" Venus asked.
Earth bounced in place, grinning from ear to ear as he turned to face everyone with stars in his eyes, "Norway!"
"No way...?" Saturn uttered.
"No- it's Norway! I've always admired their handiwork and style-"
"Earth," the Sun spoke.
"Although, if we're talking about technological advancements, then Japan is the best example." Earth smiled upon seeing the atmosphere change into an intricate city that bustled with life, gazing at the multitude of billboard screens showcasing the latest products and the upcoming cherry blossom viewing known as Hanami.
"Earth." Sun placed a hand on Earth's shoulder, "This is cool and all, but how much do you remember?"
"Bits and pieces... I remember what happened before I ended up here, but... it's still fuzzy."
"What about Theia...?"
Earth raised his eyebrows, "How do you know I met her?"
"Because we heard-" Sun clasped a hand over Mercury's mouth.
"About your car's extended warranty!" Sun yelled.
Earth blinked, and nearly everyone gave the Guardian a deadpan stare.
"O...kay?" Earth uttered, seemingly forgetting his previous question as he started to look around.
As Earth turned away, the Sun sighed and whispered to the Celestials, "He can't know that we know."
Jupiter winced, "Remember the last time we kept secrets from him? You know he's just going to run off and hurt himself again somehow."
"I know, Jupiter, but you heard the past moons- not only has Earth been hallucinating, but he's also half-dead! Like, wha, ah- how is that even possible!? When did it even happen!?"
"I might have an idea." Nine spoke.
Everyone waited for him to continue.
Nine sighed, speaking as if it was obvious, "His impact with Theia long ago."
"...That does make sense." Jupiter raised a hand to his chin, "They were both destroyed, yet Theia was the one who... passed on. It seems like a part of Theia's core lives on within Earth."
"If that's the case, then..." Mars turned to Luna, "Can't you also go there? Y'know, considering you came from both Earth and Theia?"
Luna gawked at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"Yes... I don't see why Luna shouldn't also have an easier time visiting this 'in-between.'" Jupiter responded, so Luna didn't have to.
Could it be? Was it actually possible? Luna could see Theia anytime he wanted...?
How, though? Why hasn't he seen her again? Why hasn't he been there yet?
How could he see his mother one more time?
Earth frowned once he saw Luna's distressed expression, opting to do something about it.
He forced the atmosphere to shift once more, yet nothing changed except the time of day.
The silver moon was high in the navy blue sky as trillions of stars twinkled and shimmered in the endless void.
Everyone stared up at it in wonder and awe, yet Luna slowly glanced over to where Earth was standing, surprised to see him staring back at him with a small smile on his face. Luna returned the smile.
Earth guided them to a nearby park so everyone could enjoy a bit of stargazing. As soon as they got there, they dispersed into smaller groups.
Earth decided to take a walk around so he could stretch his legs. Sun told him to stay in sight at all times, which Earth chose to abide by this time.
Five minutes went by and he took in a breath, stopping under a streetlight for a short break. His eyes wandered around, noticing a few couples out and about. Some were holding hands, and some were cuddling on picnic blankets while stargazing. Earth subconsciously linked his hands together, rubbing them slightly.
He huffed, his heart yearning for something just like that. He sighed, knowing that it would never happen anytime soon, given his mental state.
After all, who would want to be with someone as conceited and arrogant as he was?
He sighed, sitting down beside the streetlight as it flickered above him.
...
"Just go talk to him!" Sun pushed his friend forward, or tried to, as Mercury planted his feet in the ground, refusing to take another step.
"No! What do I even say to him?" Mercury hissed out, trying to get the Sun to stop.
"Uh, hi? Hello? Wonderful weather we're having? There are a million ways to start a conversation, Mercury, if you'd just stop being such a wimp about it!" The sun finally stopped pushing Mercury around, prompting the other to nearly fall into him.
Mercury glared, "I am not a wimp!"
"Debatable," Venus uttered.
"No one asked you, Venus!" Mercury snapped.
Sun crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow as he smirked, "Oh? Then if you're not a wimp, why don't you prove it by going over there and talking to him?"
Mercury faltered, "Uh- wha- mmh... fine! I will!"
"Good," Sun pushed him forward, "Now go, you're wasting daylight."
Mercury tilted his head, pointing a finger to the moonlit sky.
"By 'daylight,' I mean me. I'm going to try to meditate by the pink tree over there..." Sun uttered, walking off with a slouch as he began processing everything that happened, 'I'm gonna need a century-long nap when this is over...'
Mercury took a deep breath, 'Alright, you can do it... just go up, talk to him, and hope he doesn't bring up the conversation before everything went to shit.'
He continued hyping himself up, fueled with confidence, as he walked over to where Luna was sitting, staring at the moon. However, his adrenaline rush quickly faded once he saw the other's expression.
The moon seemed to cast a beam of light on Luna, making him appear angelic. His silver-grey hair reflected the light like a flowing river, and his eyes shone with millions of stars dancing and twinkling as they peered at the Celestials above.
Mercury felt his face flushing and his head reeling. He breathed in and out slowly, mumbling, "Beautiful..."
Luna happened to hear him, his head whipping around, "What was that...?"
Mercury jolted, his eyes going everywhere, "Uh- uhm- the sky! It sure is beautiful, isn't it?"
Luna blinked, his gaze returning to the moon as he chuckled lightly, "That is technically me up there, so... thanks?"
Mercury bit his lip, contemplating what to say or do next. He felt Luna's glance back at him.
"You can sit down if you want. It's nice to relax once and a while... after everything that's happened."
Mercury nodded, taking a seat on the luscious green grass beside Luna. His left hand glided through the strands, eliciting a tickling sensation on his palm. He smiled.
"I wonder if Earth feels any of this..." Luna muttered, gaze cast down as he poked at the dirt beneath the grass, "Or if it's all numb to him since we're in an illusion..."
Mercury listened to the other, eyes focused on the Celestite as he let out an exhausted sigh.
"I just want him to be okay- to be happy, for once." He spoke, eyes twisting shut as he bowed and shook his head, "I don't want it to happen again..."
"'It'...?" Mercury furrowed his brows.
Luna made a disgruntled noise as he thought more about it, "The Moon Revolution, Earth's mental state, and how he tried to- mmh, I can't let it happen again."
Tears slowly fell from behind Luna's eyelids as he tried so hard to keep them from spilling out.
Mercury's eyes widened, his arms immediately wrapping around Luna.
For a moment, they stayed like that. Luna cried into Mercury's shoulder, the weight of everything happening finally crashing down on him. He sputtered out quiet apologies, continuing to sob as tears stained Mercury's crop top. Mercury knew the uttered apols weren't for him as he tugged Luna closer to his chest.
"I sh-should've been there... I should've p-protected him..." The Celestite sniffled, burying his head into the crook of the other's neck.
"Shhh... it's not your fault, Luna." Mercury spoke, his hand sweeping through Luna's silver locks, "The AetherStars would've found another way to get to Earth sooner or later..."
Luna sat up, departing from the hug as he gestured wildly, "That's just it! Why Earth? Out of all the planets in the galaxy, why did it have to be him!? Is it just because he has life...? N-None of it makes sense..."
'Luna...' Mercury could feel his heart breaking with each stuttered breath Luna took.
The Celestite wiped the remaining tears away, hiccuping a bit while sniffling. He breathed in the crisp early-spring air, slowly relaxing his limbs as he peered at the moonlit sky.
"I'm so used to looking down at the Earthlings that I never once thought about how the Earthlings perceived me..." Luna whispered, "It really is beautiful..."
Feeling the need to make Luna smile, Mercury spoke without thinking, "Yeah, you really are."
Luna whipped around, eyes wide, "Huh...?"
"I-I mean, that is technically you up there, am I right?"
Luna blinked, body relaxing as a shy smile made its way onto his face, "Right..."
They were both silent for a moment as they stared up at the sky. Silently, Mercury wondered what to do next, biting his lip in contemplation. He leaned back on his hands, crossing one leg while keeping the other straight.
Luna sighed, deciding to lie back on the grass. Thoughts filled his head, passing through like a freight train. He felt suffocated as the intrusive notions swarmed his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to think of things that made him happy.
Earth,
His friends,
Being included in the others' card game,
The Moon Club...
The Moon Revolution-
He vehemently shook his head, 'No, stop it...'
Earth throwing himself into the Sun,
Luna covered his ears as the voice got louder, 'Stop it, stop it, stop it...'
Theia...
He whimpered, his ears ringing and reverberating. He curled into himself, feeling lightheaded, and his throat suffocating him slowly-
"Days seems sometimes as if they'll never end..."
A faraway voice pierced through the ringing.
"Sun digs its heels to taunt you... but after sunlit days, one thing stays the same- rises the moon..."
The ringing gradually faded as Luna let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. He heaved heavily, shaking with every uneven breath.
Someone took his wrist, the touch feather-light. Luna felt their steady heartbeat through their chest, "Days fade into a watercolor blur, memories swim and haunt you, but look into the lake, shimmering like smoke- rises the moon..."
Slowly, but surely, Luna found his rhythm, breathing in and out.
"Oh-oh, close your weary eyes, I promise you that soon the autumn comes to darken fading summer skies- breathe, breathe, breathe..."
Luna smiled, opening his eyes to peer at Mercury with a curious glint, "Where'd you learn that song?"
Mercury blushed, "I, uh... heard you sing it..."
With a light laugh, Luna pushed himself closer, resting his head underneath the other's chin, "Thank you, Mercury..."
Mercury placed his chin on Luna's head, his face flushing pink as he smiled, "Anytime, Luna..."
As Luna closed his eyes, he could've sworn he heard faint humming and a hand threading through his hair.
"Days pull you down just like a sinking ship, floating is getting harder... but tread the water, child, and know that meanwhile- rises the moon..."
It continued as he began to succumb to the darkness of sleep.
"Days pull you up just like a daffodil uprooted from its garden. They'll tell you what you owe, but know even so- rises the moon..."
His consciousness faded, and the voice became clear, echoing from somewhere above him.
"You'll be visited by sleep; I promise you that soon the autumn comes to steal away each dream you keep- breathe, breathe, breathe..."
« 47 HOURS, 45 MINUTES »
Mage growled to herself upon noticing her plan to use the silver moon had failed.
"Emotions..." She uttered, "Pathetic..."
She moved her Novae around, inspecting every single one of the Celestial bodies. She raised an eyebrow upon spotting the blue Celestial trio.
She hummed, a devilish smirk rising on her surface, "Perfect..."
« 47 HOURS, 30 MINUTES »
Triton looked at Neptune and Proteus, watching them talk to each other as if nothing was wrong.
Everything was wrong.
Triton had remembered a few months ago when he had snapped at Neptune about destroying his past moons. Triton claimed that he was to blame, yet Neptune vehemently disagreed, saying that he was the one to blame.
So, how did Neptune and Proteus not remember?
Triton shook his head with a huff, raising an eyebrow upon seeing Nine staring at Neptune, or more like glaring, since he always stared so... intensely. Triton chose to ignore him in favor of walking up to Neptune.
"Neptune," Triton called out, prompting the blue-haired figure to turn towards him, "Do you remember... our talk?"
Neptune raised an eyebrow, "What talk?"
Triton pursed his lips before looking at Proteus, "C'mon, you were also there, Proteus, I know you remember."
The small Celestite tilted his head, "If it was some sort of lecture about not wandering into the Kuiper Belt, I probably zoned out..."
"What- no- that's not..." Triton scrunched his nose, giving Neptune a hard glare, "Your past moons, Neptune- Acis, Venilia, Canens! I asked if you blamed me for their deaths, and you said you didn't!"
Neptune blinked, yet his confused expression remained the same.
"Come on, this happened a few months ago! You have to remember!" Triton yelled, almost desperately.
Neptune knitted his brows, "I'm... I'm sorry, Triton, but I still don't know what you're talking about..."
"What's happening again...?" Proteus asked.
Triton clenched his hands into fists before giving up, letting out a disgruntled noise, "Eh, it-it's nothing... just go back to what you were doing..."
"Okie dokie, Tri-" Neptune's eyes widened in amazement as he pointed to the sky, "Oh, look, Proteus! A shooting Star!"
"Ooh!" Proteus awed.
They dashed away, leaving Triton by himself.
"It's not that they don't remember, it's the atmosphere that's truly affecting them." A voice spoke.
Triton turned to look at Nine, raising an eyebrow, "What do you mean...?"
"Dark matter brings out the worst in all of us. Those with... weaker minds are more susceptible to it. Neptune's worst trait is forgetfulness, while Proteus' worst trait is cluelessness. Negative feelings are more enhanced when dark matter is involved."
"But doesn't the Sun reflect light matter?"
Nine glanced over to where the Guardian stood, "Yes, but... in that form, he's barely casting out any matter, if any. Dark matter is powerful, so even if there's light matter around, it wouldn't do anything to stop the negative forces from taking over." He turned, gazing at Neptune with trepidation swarming his eyes, "I won't be surprised if Neptune will soon forget about everyone... again. Proteus, too."
Triton bit his lip, feeling his heart pounding within his chest, anxiety riddling his body, "How... how do you know all of this?"
Nine sighed, brows twitching as he continued to stare at Neptune, "Experience..."
« NOTE »
Hopefully, I fixed that little plot hole that I accidentally made...
We also have the countdown again (throwback to the second book, HWCIB) :D
These chapters are becoming so long- soon they'll be 5k words (jk, I highly doubt it lol)
Also, I'm back to my regular work schedule of 1-day a week, so... more chapters lol
Comments are appreciated 3