Chapter Text
Despite the fact that Earth may not have the best memory, there are some things he’s always considered facts. Unchangeable.
His Earthlings are constantly changing. Even before the current period of humanity there was extinction after extinction after extinction. Changes in oxygen and ocean levels and climate that drastically impacted the Earth and its lifeforms.
Cambrian to Ordovician to Devonian to Permian to Triassic to Jurassic to Cretaceous to… the impact that killed the dinosaurs.
Most of it is a fuzzy blur, but one thing the Earth has always taken comfort in is the rigidity of the Solar System. The fact that despite all the changes his surface may endure, there are so many things that would never change.
It’s why the idea of the Sun becoming a Red Giant scared him so much– that idea that in a few billion years the whole solar system would eventually end. That Mercury and Venus would be consumed and the Sun would expand before dying out and everyone else would be left in the darkness and cold-
The first time his core facts were shaken were in 2006, when the solar system went from nine planets to eight (something that he struggled to think too deeply about).
But even then, there were some things he could still take comfort in.
- He lives in a solar system where planets orbit their star: the Sun, who is in charge.
- There are outer planets and inner planets.
- The four inner planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Mercury is the smallest who can be a bit of a scaredy-cat and is picked on by Venus, who is the hot-head. And Mars is Earth’s best friend.
- There are four outer planets: responsible Jupiter, sensitive Saturn, and then the weird ice giants Uranus and Neptune.
- Some planets are orbited by moons.
- Earth is special as he’s the only planet with life.
More of these facts got shaken recently. The knowledge that he’s not the only planet capable of sustaining life being a big one. As is the fact that having life isn’t what makes him special.
There was also a time Earth worried that Mars wouldn’t be his best friend. That he lost him.
Lost him and Venus and Luna.
Because the fact Earth learned earliest on, moments after he woke up from what he could remember was this: he had one moon.
Luna.
And that was something that would never change.
It was something he took advantage of for a while. Something he shaken to find out may change since the moon was slowly drifting away. But even then he didn’t realize how much he was hurting his sibling until Titan. Until the Moon Revolution.
Because before that Earth had taken simple comfort in his understanding of the world and how everything made sense. The Sun was in charge of everyone because they orbited him (to the point he would shoot solar flares at them and could make them change orbits even if it could kill all his Earthlings and-), so wouldn’t it stand to reason that the planets were in charge of their moons because the moons orbited them?
(Stars! Earth remembers a long time ago a more sane (weirdly guilty-looking) version of Neptune explaining how moons are created. How left overs of space junk from their creation condensed down due to gravity to form moons. Doesn’t that mean planets are responsible for their moons’ existence? Shouldn’t the moons be thanking them?)
So, planets should hold some power over their moons, right? Especially in the case of the Earth. Where Luna was one of the foundational things keeping his life… alive? None of the other planets had life, so the changes to their axises didn’t matter as much as it did to the Earth’s. It’s simple math!
Except it isn’t. Because the reason the Earth has life is in part due to Luna and everyone else. Not just him. Because the other planets not having life doesn’t take away their value. Because moons are still people who deserve respect. Because–
Because in reality the Earth had been hurting those all around him for a long time and never even realized it.
Luna. Titan. Mars. Venus. Even Mercury.
And he had tried to be better. Stars know Luna and Mercury helped him with that. Venus and Mars and Titan were gracious enough to forgive him. To defend him.
Void, even Mars’ moons ended up trying to defend him! And all he had done in the past was make fun of them and call them “pebbles.”
But, even after all that. Things continued to happen and change that shook the Earth to his core. The orbit switch. The trial.
“ You shoot solar flares at everyone in the Solar System! You run things like a dictator because you are the biggest celestial body [...] And after everything you made the planets go through, I promise you this story will repeat itself: a planet revolution against you. Maybe in a day, or a year, or several decades. But before you become unstable and begin to turn into a red giant, mark my words. We will all turn our backs on you.”
The banishment.
“Ganymede and Europa...while I understand your intentions, I cannot allow you to stay in my Solar System. From now on, you two are banished!”
Venus.
The hidden atmosphere. The axis. The fact that Venus and Mars used to go by different names. Used to have the potential for life. Used to-
Theia.
Terra.
Questions about those names had been floating around since the past two times he really talked to Neptune, since:
“Anything the matter, Terra?”
“ Where is who, Terra?”
“Bye Terra! Bye Theia! Hope everything turns out well for you and your friends!”
Friends. Friends who apparently knew all along that Earth used to be- that he came from- that Luna was-
Mars and Venus knew this whole time. Neptune of all planets knew! Did everyone else? Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and—
All that time he thought he was special. Was it really nothing to do with him at all? Was the only reason people kept him around, put up with him, because of their old friends?
Was that why Mars continued to be his friends despite all the messes Earth made? Is that why Venus was so eager to be friends with him?
Is the collision the only reason Luna is around him at all?
(The collision is the only reason Luna is alive. So, by questioning the collision and Luna’s bond to you, aren’t you questioning Luna’s existence?)
No! No! Bad Earth! Luna looked just as surprised as he was! He was just as much in the dark about this-
Dark.
“It- it’s a surprise. But… it makes sense? (…) It just explains some things. Me being formed from two planets? Makes since why there’s dark-“
"Dark" what? What was he going to say? How does this make sense? What does Luna know?
Why won’t anyone tell him anything?
What else doesn’t he know?
The Conversation finished several Earth days ago, and since then things have simultaneously changed a lot and stayed the same.
Venus has gone back to resting in his orbit on his natural axis with his atmosphere present. Which makes Earth happy after everything he now knows, seeing his friend not actively trying to change himself. Maybe it’s a temporary thing with Venus still not having the energy to do so but maybe…
Either way, Earth understands. The admittance that Venus used to have the potential for life was shocking. Hard to even believe. But… it made sense.
Made sense why Venus hid his atmosphere, because for all Earth jokes about it Venus never seemed to be one to care much about cosmetics. Made sense why Venus reacted as strongly as he did. Why he has always made little comments about his Earthlings. Not because he hated them but…
Because he was jealous.
And Earth remembers the grief he felt after the dinosaurs. After he had worked so hard for life to flourish and it–
And he felt–
And even if Venus didn’t necessarily have life yet, hadn't been able to feel all those lives painfully flickering out of existence, he still must have had water. Still must have felt it all evaporating and Earth knows how painful that in itself can be, especially when it's tied to the possibility of such a fate.
So, Venus hiding his atmosphere all the time made sense. And as much as Earth, and surely Mercury and Mars, want Venus to be comfortable enough to share his true self, his own comfort comes first. And if that makes the other planet more comfortable–
Beyond Venus’ appearance, the only change Earth has really seen is that of Mercury, who has been spending a lot more time in Venus’ orbit doing… well, Earth doesn’t even really know. That comment he made a while back about Mercury being Venus’ long lost moon suddenly seems a lot more probable, even if he knows it isn’t actually true, because a good portion of the time they seem to just be hanging out, sometimes not even talking to each other.
It’s funny. The idea that Venus and Mercury could have ever been close in a way beyond just their orbits would have been laughable in the past, but now… now it just makes sense.
Then there’s Mars, who beyond checking on Venus a couple of times has stayed in his own orbit. And as much as Earth wants to talk to him…
“ Well… that’s what happened. Theia and Terra- they got caught in each other’s gravity. Theia was smaller so it wiped her out completely. Parts of her landed on Terra that would become… Earth. Other parts of her and Terra were expelled into the space that would form Earth’s Moon: Luna.”
“I just caused problems for my own amusement. Lived up to my title and all.”
“I was Ares, Planet of War.”
Mars had always been Earth’s best friend. From the first he can remember Mars had been there for him, offering him answers when Earth was confused about something. Keeping him company. Listening to him when everything was hurting and things were too much and–
Earth meant what he said. He agreed with the others when they tried to convince Mars to forgive himself. He doesn’t hold a grudge for anything Mars, or Ares or whoever, had done in the past but…
But the fact it was kept from him. The fact all of this was kept from him. For so long. For billions of years.
That’s the part he can’t move away from. Because how can he? Mars could have told him at any time. The fact Mars used to be someone totally different and Earth never knew.
Never knew about Theia.
Or what had happened to Venus (he had laughed when Venus told him he used to have the capacity for life. Laughed. And- and Venus stayed anyways. Why would he even–)
It’s just hard to even look at either of them right now. Mars especially. Because as much as Earth and Venus are friends now… Mars was always his best friend.
And the fact that someone he had been close to for so long could have kept something from him–
“...Luna?” He asks, before remembering the other recently left for a Moon Club meeting. Without someone to stabilize his axis Luna can’t be gone for too long, but they can handle a bit of time apart and the other clearly needed it after it.
After everything.
Luna deserved time with Titan. And the others.
Maybe it would help. Because since The Conversation there has been little actual talking between the Earth and Luna. Like they don’t even know what to talk about and…
And Earth is scared. Because he and Luna finally got to a good place again and what if that’s all ruined?
The fact that the Earth may have been someone else. May have the pieces of another planet (Venus and Mars and Mercury’s friend) in him is hard to think about. And for Luna…
He can’t even imagine what the other must be thinking. And the worst thing is he doesn’t even know who to talk to because–
Wait…
Is that Neptune?
Why is he so far out of his orbit again so soon? He knows the other planet tends to have a bad memory but from what he’s heard that tends to make the other stay in his orbit more often than not.
And, near Venus’ orbit, Earth can see…
Uranus?
Okay, what is going on?
“Uranus, Earth.”
Ur-in-us.
Venus has never once corrected anyone on their pronunciation of Uranus’ name before. Stars, the planet’s weak spot for humor has always been joke surrounding the ice giants’ name and now–
Now he corrects Earth?
Something must have happened when Venus was away. Between the time he left and the ice giants returned him to his orbit. And as weird as it is to have the ice giants over here, it’s also kind of nice to see them.
Maybe he could talk to–
But Uranus and Venus seem busy. Talking about… well, he can’t really tell but it seems serious. Mercury has even returned to his own orbit.
“Anything the matter, Terra?”
Neptune had used that name. Neptune might know something more. Stars, even if he didn’t, Neptune can be… weirdly introspective at times.
And Earth really needs someone to talk to.
He heads towards the asteroid belt, where Neptune seems to be hanging around talking to…
Asteroids?
No. Wait. Moons. Those are moons.
There were a lot of them. And they were small (although even the smallest still looked bigger than Mars’ moons.) And as Earth could get closer he could hear their happy, childlike voices and high-pitched chatter.
It sort of makes sense they would be Neptune’s moons.
The planet himself seems to just be floating with a content smile on his face, love obviously pouring out of him for his satellites. And for a moment Earth feels bad. Because why couldn’t he have been like this for Luna?
One of the small moons finally seems to take notice of Earth’s approach and he hears them ask Neptune: “Who’s that?”
And before Neptune can answer or Earth can call out to them they all start heading towards him.
“Hi! Are you a moon?”
“He looks kind of big for a moon, Neso!”
“Maybe he’s a dwarf planet like Triton’s friends!”
They keep coming closer.
“I thought Triton’s friends lived in the Kuiper Belt?”
“Wasn’t there that one who lived near here though?”
“Oooh the giggly one who likes to play with asteroids?!”
And closer.
“Yeah! Do you think he wants to play?!”
And closer.
Visions of the moon revolution. Of the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs. Of someone screaming before blinding light and nothing, pass through him.
He braces for impact.
But…
“No, guys! It’s a planet… I think. And maybeeee we should give him a bit of space.” The large, blue planet cheerfully says, drawing the moons gently away with his gravity before they can get any closer—
“Aww,” they all sigh sadly. “But we wanted to play!”
Even if Neptune doesn’t seem to know who the Earth is, the look he gives the Earth shows he notices the fear on the other’s face before he turns back to his moons with a silly grin and spins around.
“You can play with each other! Or the other moons! But this planet really can’t get hurt. I think.”
Huh. So, Neptune doesn’t seem to know that the Earth has life. Just that it is a bad idea for him to get hit.
“We can be gentle Neptune!”
“Yeah! We just want to play!”
For a second Earth is worried the moons don’t leave. Or worse they’ll get upset but then…
“Hey kids, why don’t we give the Earth and Neptune some space. I think Io might want to play another round.”
And their attention is completely taken by another moon exiting the asteroid belt:
“TRITON!!!”
And the small moons swarm the larger one, who the Earth can assume is Triton, Neptune’s largest and oldest moon (and also friends with the dwarf planets according to the other moons? What’s the story there?)
“I might take these guys back for a bit, let them have some fun in the asteroid belt if that’s okay with you Neptune?”
“Yeah! Have fun Triton! And Proteus, Nereid, Larissa, Galatea, Neso, Psamathe, Laomedeia, Sao, Halimede, Despina, Thalassa, Naiad, Hippocamp, S/2002 N5 and S/2021 N1!”
The way Neptune rattles off the names makes Earth think this is nowhere near the first time he’s done it. And Neptune clearly wasn’t the planet the Europa mentioned in the trial when she talked about planets “forgetting their moons’ names.”
Which makes the Earth feel worse because for a long time he didn’t even call Luna by his name! And he only has ONE moon! And unlike Neptune he doesn’t have memory issues (at least in regards to general stuff, Earth clearly some memory or amnesia like thing with past events but…)
Before Earth can sink any deeper into this feeling of self-loathing, he’s interrupted by a cheery voice.
“Hi, Earth! What are you doing out here?”
Out here?
“Uh… this is the inner solar system, Neptune? What are you doing out here?”
“Ohhhh! Right!” The icy planet nods, seeming to have only just realized where he is. “I just came with Uranus cause he wanted to drop off a thing!”
…huh?
“A thing?” Earth repeats, confused (although maybe he shouldn’t be) by the limited amount of clarity the other planet is giving him.
“Yeah! Uranus painted this really pretty picture and wanted to give it to his new friend!”
Painting? Uranus painted something and is giving it to Venus?
Okay… seriously. What happened when Venus was gone?
Also… did Neptune greet him by his name? His actual name?
“Wh- Neptune. Do you know who I am?”
“Not really!” Neptune answers with a smile. “But I heard Triton call you that and he tends to be right about these things! You’re a planet right?”
“Ye-”
“Didn’t you used to have a different name? Or was that someone else? Do you have a twin planet who looks like you?”
Okay. So, Neptune does remember some things…
(And he isn’t exactly wrong about the twin thing if his Earthlings are to be believed regarding him and Venus-)
“Sorta? That- that’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. If you have the time–”
“Sure!”
Okay, okay. Earth doesn’t know how much Neptune knows or will be able to help, but at this point he really needs to talk to someone. And everyone else is too close to this in some way. So maybe…
“I found out that someone– or multiple someones I guess– have been keeping things from me. That I may have been someone totally different and just forgot and that who I am today was born out of…” Fire. Death. Destruction. “...something really bad. And… I just don’t know what to do. They kept this from me and… who even am I now? Was anything I knew real?”
He speaks until he runs out of fuel and then just stops, thinking about everything he just said. Because how can he move forward? And maybe he shouldn’t even be upset? It’s not like Mars and Venus kept this from him maliciously, they were hurting too and–
“Sometimes people keep important things from others because they fear it will hurt them.”
Wh- Neptune?
Earth glances back up to the ice giant to see the open, smiley expression gone. Replaced with something more introspective and pained. Something he can vaguely recall in his past memories but unable to actually label.
“...yeah.” Earth softly says, continuing to search the other planet’s expression for any hints. “But it still hurts. ”
“And it’s allowed to,” the other planet nods. “You’re allowed to feel however you’re feeling about it. But it’s important to also remember that they care about you. Because knowing some things... or not knowing the full story… can make it easy to forget.”
Neptune is looking back towards the asteroid belt now, a pained expression on his face. And maybe it’s not Earth’s place to ask but…
“Did someone do that to you? Keep something really important from you?”
To his surprise the other just gives a shrug, “Eh. My memory isn’t all that good so… I’m sure there are a lot of things others know that I don’t!”
Oh, true. Earth hadn’t really considered that before. He and Mercury’s recollection of the past may be foggy but Neptune’s… he still struggles with remembering things from present day. He seems to forget things told to him recently. And maybe the outer planets have the patience for it, but Earth can also see them just get exhausted about explaining everything repeatedly to the other planet.
But if this issue bothers the icy planet, it isn’t present on his face. This doesn’t seem to be what he’s upset about. In fact, the expression looks more like…
Guilt?
Oh.
“Did you keep something from someone then?” Who’s in that direction? “The outer planets?” Or… “Your moons?”
There’s a dip in Neptune’s expression which seems for a second will be replaced with one of Neptune’s empty smiles. An action Earth is long familiar with. For so long he has worn mask after mask. Projecting confidence and bravado and friendliness while dumbing himself down to cover what was happening beneath. And in that moment Earth understands why everyone around him was so frustrated at him because it’s–
But the smile isn’t like it usually is. It isn’t empty or welcoming. It’s… thoughtful. Remorseful. Full of pain but also full of… love?
Neptune’s light blue eyes seem to shift from the asteroid belt back towards the direction of the Sun for a moment before…
“My moons found something out recently. Something I kept hidden from them.”
Oh.
Earth wants to ask the other what happened but that seems too personal, especially given how little they’ve talked in the past and how big this secret may be. Neptune has been with his moons for billions of years. So the fact that it took him this long to tell them…
“Triton always suspected something was off, I think. He’s always been smart like that.” Oh, Neptune is actually speaking about– “His composition and size and orbit… it differed a lot from my other moons.”
Huh, yeah. Triton definitely seemed larger than the rest of Neptune’s moons. Seemed less childlike as well. But given the variety Earth had heard Saturn and Jupiter’s moons had he hadn’t expected it to mean much.
“Not that is mattered!” Neptune continued, “He was still one of my ba– one of my moons. I love them all no matter what.” Yeah, Earth can certainly see that. The way Neptune is speaking about them all, there’s no doubt in his mind how Neptune feels about them. Stars, the fact that Neptune remembered all their names when he doesn’t even seem to remember the other planets’ shows that.
“But, not telling him made it worse. He thought my other moons would hate him. He thought I didn’t think of him as one of them… then when we finally talked, I wouldn’t tell him and he left. But then he started to remember and… and I wasn’t there when he did.”
Oh, wow.
When he thought about the drama with the moons on the other side of the asteroid belt, he never considered Neptune’s as having any. Not when compared to the vast amount of moons Jupiter and Saturn had.
But that’s not the main question on Earth’s mind…
“What happened to you guys? You seem… okay now?”
The interaction he’d witnessed between Triton and Neptune was short, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of tension during the handoff of the younger moons.
“We’re doing better! But all of us needed to talk first. But with that and all the new friends they have and me forgetting less since I’m less lonely… things are a lot better! Especially compared to when I lost all of them and Triton had to take care of them all in the Kuiper Belt.”
Oh… that… that tracks. And he really doesn’t want to unpack all that.
Nor does it seem like they have the time, with the figure of the other ice giant approaching from Venus’ orbit.
“Hey mates! You good to head back now Neptune? The Sun said we can’t stay out of our orbits much longer and I really don’t want to get hit by a solar flare.”
There’s a flicker of that similar guilt on Neptune’s face as soon as he sees the ringed planet, making Earth wonder if Triton is the only person Neptune had kept a secret from.
But it’s gone as quickly as it came, replaced with a much more familiar goofy grin as Neptune spins around Uranus in a way that seems physically impossible (and would surely make his Earthlings question reality.)
“Maybe the solar flare would be fun though Uranus! We could warm up a bit!”
Neptune seems completely serious, and Earth is a bit concerned that someone wants to be hit by a solar flare. Earth personally has a strong magnetosphere that protects him from most of the damage, but he had seen the damage the Sun has done to Mercury and Venus (the two closest and thus two most regular targets) and no thanks.
From what he recalls from one of Jupiter’s lectures, all the gas and ice giants have a magnetosphere, so they would be relatively protected but even then he knows it’s still not exactly a walk in the park…
Then again, Earth’s time in Mars’ orbit was unbearably cold. He can’t imagine what it would feel to be in Uranus or Neptune’s. Maybe at a certain point a solar flare would be preferred.
…Uranus doesn’t seem to see it like that though.
“Neptune! We’re ice giants !” The other yells, shocked at the very idea.
Oh. Yeah. That might put a damper on the whole “getting warm” thing.
“Oh, right… gotcha, gotcha…” Neptune says, trailing off before going to stare at seemingly nothing.
Uh… should Earth say something?
“Hey, uh, Earth. Nice to see you, mate.” Uranus awkwardly says, looking at the smaller planet before turning back to Neptune and inches towards the asteroid belt. “Neptune, mate, we should really head out. See if our moons are ready to come with us.”
The other ice giant blinks for a moment before a grin fills his face. “Riiiight! Okay, cous! Byeee Earth! Hope you work everything out with your friends!”
Right… okay. Well, this conversation was oddly helpful. Although maybe he shouldn’t be surprised given the intelligence Neptune displayed back when he switched orbits with Jupiter. It kind of sucks they never really get to talk. Seeing the other planet now, the impact the outermost orbit has on Neptune seems obvious, and Earth can see why Uranus was so surprised when they saw each other after the orbit switch.
Old Earth might not have given it much thought, but New Earth is working to think of the others more. Especially those he never gave much thought before.
“Bye Neptune! Bye Uranus!” He says, Venus’ correction to Uranus’ name ringing in his mind as he pronounces it the same way. “It was good to see you guys.” And… as awkward as this was, he liked it. And he’s happy Venus seemed to have made a friend too. “If the Sun isn’t too strict, maybe you guys could come around again! We never see each other!”
Uranus seems surprised by the correct pronunciation of his name, which makes Earth feel something he really doesn’t want to think about, and the surprise only grows as Earth continues to speak. Before it’s joined by a soft, albeit awkward smile.
“Yeah, mate. That- that sounds good. Come on now, Neptune.”
And they both turn to look for the smaller ice giant who is… not where they last saw him.
Where- where did he go?
“Cousin?! What are you looking for?!” They hear called out, and quickly look towards the asteroid belt where Neptune is already on the other side with a large group of moons.
When did he have time to–
This teleportation (?) of Neptune must not be out of the norm though, because his cousin (?) just gives a sigh when he notices the other, not seeming surprised at all.
“Right, see ya mate.” The ringed planet says with a nod, before turning to the asteroid belt and going towards his bluer cousin (how exactly does that work? Is it like how his Earthlings call him and Venus sister planets? Maybe he can talk to Astrodude about getting that changed to sibling or brother planets? Earth never gave much care either way and previously thought it was hilarious at Venus’ expense (even if he hadn’t had the chance to tell the other) but now… maybe it would be a good way to make up for things. Earth struggles with a lot of the stuff he was told about the past, but Venus coming out as trans? That was something he could easily accept, especially after seeing the good and bad reactions Earthlings have had.)
Wait. Wait. That’s not what he should be focusing on right now.
“Bye guys!” He yells out, as he watches the two large, blue planets drift further away with their entourage of moons.
Moons… maybe it is time he and Luna talked.
As if summoned by Earth’s thoughts, he sees Luna leave the asteroid belt and approach him, lacking the disconnected but troubled, anxious look that has been on his face The Conversation.
Huh… looks like they’re doing this now.