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In a universe, not entirely unlike our own, celestial bodies truly lived. Sentient planets, stars, and even asteroids grew and played, their forms bright and variable, not bound in spheres and other typical geometric shapes. They were known as the Celestials. Each system had its own culture, but all were united in their love of meeting others as their universe expanded into infinity. For eons, planets learnt from planetoids that joined their orbit, while suns learnt from the stars blinking in the distance. But all that changed in what felt like a single, terrifying moment. Hal remembered it all too clearly. He was a very small planetoid, enjoying being pulled to and fro by his parents’ gravitational fields, and ultimately flying into the fields of the other planets in his system. Until one day, the oldest planet in his home system of Chadra, Abin Sur lost his brilliant sparkle. He began to shift, soundlessly, until he ended in the shape of a sphere, the brilliant red of orb the only remainder of a once great being. If only that had been the end of it. But, alas, Fate had other plans. All those who passed into Abin Sur’s orbit soon succumbed to the same fate. And so the mysterious plague passed from being to being, planet to planet, star to star, leaving behind only vague hints at the shining lives that once existed. To protect him from this cruel mystery, Hal’s parents used all their strength to free him from them and send him far from their system. At first, he desperately fought to return to them, but he was too weak to close the distance. After he grieved, and promised to return one day, he began to explore the space around him. Everywhere he went, each Celestial that should have been there to greet him with their beautiful songs and stunning lights was instead a dull, matte orb. Stars no longer winked, but stood stagnant and shone their now dulled light until their time to return to the void arrived. And so Hal grew, surrounded by the eerie silence and emptiness of a universe so permanently altered.
Hal Jordan was a large planetoid now, having just passed his three thousandth year, and yet he continued to aimlessly travel the universe. In his many years of travel, he had yet to find any other Celestial. He had found some fakes, experiments left over by the former inhabitants of the region, who could mimic Celestials to a point. But they were far from perfect, and not very good company. And so Hal continued to wander, hoping against hope that he would find some Celestials, isolated and free, to join in and have a family once more.
Suddenly, in the darkness, there was a thrum of light. Curious, Hal carefully maneuvered around the decaying asteroids and made his way towards the light. He wished he could fly faster, as every millimeter felt like a lightyear, yet the light seemed to stay far beyond his reach. After an eternity, the light finally grew larger and brighter, as Hal found himself entering a brand new solar system. At the centre of it, brighter than any star he had ever seen, was a brilliant sun in the shape of a man. He had found it. After all these years, Hal had found a system with a Celestial! Hal moved as swiftly as he could towards the planets surrounding the stunning star, trying to find any signs of life. But it was in vain, as each proved to be just an orb of dust and dirt, much like his home system had become. Yet that star gave him hope. He felt a warmth in his heart, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He had no name for this emotion, this warmth, but he knew he needed to get closer. Carefully, he made his way up through each orbital ring, narrowly avoiding being pulled into the gravitational pull of each planet and moon in the system, until finally he found himself in the orbital path closest to the brilliant star. It was then he heard it, the soothing siren song of the sun. The man was singing something Hal couldn’t understand, but it was so touching and soothing, he felt the warmth within him grow.
‘He’s beautiful!’ Hal thought to himself. ‘And that voice! Not even Twila herself could have such a magical voice or even find the proper words to describe it!’
He dared not interrupt. After all, who was he to deprive the system, or the universe, of this incredible song? Instead, he watched in awe, until the star turned and, noticing him, gasped in surprise.
“I’m sorry.” Hal said, holding out his hands placatingly. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just didn’t want to interrupt your song. You have a beautiful voice, by the way.”
He grinned as the sun blushed. “Oh, uh, thank you.” The other man said, fidgeting with his hands.
“I’m Hal, Hal Jordan.”
“Barry Allen. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to meet another person out here!” Barry’s smile was so brilliant, Hal thought he might die then and there. A worthy death, he thought to himself, before shaking himself out of his thoughts.
“I have been searching far and wide for any sign of another Celestial.” He said, frowning at the memory, “You are the first I’ve found.”
Barry frowned in thought, puzzling over something before finally asking “What is a Celestial?”
“You… You really don’t know? But you are clearly one of us! Did your parents or system never teach you about our history?” Hal was dumbfounded. How could any Celestial not know what they are? Barry smiled a bittersweet smile as the silence stretched on.
“Well, you see,” Barry said, fidgeting with his hands, “I don’t have a family. At least, not anymore.” A sad smile filled his face, his glow dimming yet retaining a distinct warmth. Hal found himself unable to look away, stunned into silence by the sheer beauty of that smile and the subtle pain in the star’s voice.
“They’re here, around us now.” Barry said with a gesture, his arms sweeping over the empty space. “Though, not as they used to be. They had life… once. But I was still very young then. I barely knew them. Then the darkness filled their eyes, they collapsed in upon themselves, and I was left alone.”
The silence engulfed the pair as Hal tried to find the right words to say. Up until now, he had felt as if his existence was the loneliest in the universe. But he at least remembered his family, his people, and their stories. Hal made himself comfortable, floating in orbit around the great star, and grinned that self assured grin his friends and family had known so well.
“I’ll tell you all about them. The Celestials have existed as long as the great void of space. They once worshiped that void! But I’m getting ahead of myself.” He felt a rush of pride as he saw Barry’s eyes light up, his interest peaked, before he continued his story. “It all started many eons ago. There was nothing but the Great Void. Then, the first brilliant spark of light appeared in the darkness. The first star had been born. My people called her Twila, but she had many names across the various groups. I remember meeting some traveling Celestials who knew her as Dara, Helios, Sirius, Sorin, Tarik, Langa, Rashmi, Shemesh, and Najima. We met a lot of travelers in my system, now that I think about it. I wonder what happened to them…” Hal trailed off, his mind swimming in the memories.
‘Those travelers were incredible. Always going from system to system. And yet, I haven’t seen them in all my journeys. Unless… did they become like these husks around me? Or were they able to find a new system, free from plague? I hope they survived… and I hope we’ll meet again.’ Hal thought, blinking away the afterimages of memory, only to find Barry staring at him, eyes sparkling with intrigue.
“Sorry, where was I?” Hal laughed before continuing. “Oh, right, Twila. Twila was the mother of our people. According to the legend, after her birth, she looked around into the Great Void and found it lacking. It was beautiful, vast, and serene, but it could use a touch of life. And so, she summoned the light within her, creating great ribbons that stretched out into eternity, and sent them in all directions. From these ribbons of light all the stars in every system were born. But this was not the end of the creation. The newly created stars left behind a vast sea of sparkling dust. This stardust spiraled together, compacting tighter and tighter, until a new being was born. As with Twila, this being had many names: Adalland, Avani, Danu, Delkii, Enki, Kun, Lurra, Mahi. My people called her Sahira. She pulled life from the dust around her, creating the planets and planetoids. Together with Twila, Sahira helped create the Celestials, using her power over the stardust and Twila’s gift of light to bring life to the stars and planets they had just created. They taught the first Celestials all about their creation and the history of the universe, guiding them with knowledge before allowing them to drift into new areas, and watching over their new children. As the Celestials grew, forming families and systems to live in, Twila and Sahira watched over them, protecting them from any danger the void could produce. One day, after countless years of watching over their children, Twila and Sahira left. The stories of how and why vary depending on which system you find yourself in. According to my people, Twila and Sahira appeared before the elders of the system, a pair of planets and a sun that had been among the first created by the great mothers, and said they would be leaving. There was a great danger coming, and the only way to stop it was for both Twila and Sahira to leave and face it together. They promised to return one day, if they were able, and made the elders promise to watch over their system and keep the tale of their history alive.”
In the back of his mind, Hal remembered his parents telling him this story. He remembered how excited he had been, and how often he had asked them to tell it again and again.
“With Twila and Sahira gone, the Celestials were left to the mercy of the Great Void. But not all feared it. In fact, many worshiped the Void as the father of the Celestials. After all, without the Void Twila would not have given the Celestials that vital spark of life! Nor would Sahira have gathered the stardust to create the bodies that would become the Celestials!” Hal gestured animatedly as he spoke, which made Barry laugh. Hal flushed with pride as Barry remained fully engaged in his story. “Then, over time, the followers of the Void dwindled. Most opted to follow Twila and Sahira instead, relegating the Void to a lesser god or a secondary force. Some remained true to their roots and held all three in great regard, celebrating them all and offering acts of devotion to each in equal measure. And some, very few but still active, turned their backs on Twila and Sahira and chose instead to follow the Void as their only god. They were called Void’an or Shunyakasha, after the names they gave the Great Void. I don’t know too much about them, they were very reclusive and none existed among my people, but there’s something so interesting about them going against everyone else and following their own path.” Hal finished with a shrug and a lopsided grin.
“Woah…” Barry muttered, eyes aglow with intense interest.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Hal laughed, inching himself closer towards Barry’s orbit. “Alright, your turn. Tell me all about you and your people.”
Barry glanced down, a bit embarrassed, and said “Well, I don’t know too much, but I suppose I can tell you a few things. I was born, not in this system, but in one a great ways away. You see, my parents were very large stars. According to my uncles, the planetoids that raised me before all of this happened,” He gestured around him to the lifeless planets and silence of space. “My parents were the centre of a binary star system. They danced in orbit forever, surrounded by their loved ones, until one day they went supernova. Together, they exploded into a brilliant sparkle of stardust, while the force of the explosion forced my uncles and I out to this empty patch of space, far from the site of the explosion.” At Hal’s shocked expression, Barry frantically waved his hands and spoke again. “It’s okay! Really! I mean, I would have loved to know my parents, sure, but at least they were allowed to live and die together. Apparently, stars can’t really embrace the way others can. If we get too close, or if a planetoid gets too close to us, the force of our gravitational pull can crush them.” He smiled a sad smile. “I hope I can experience what my parents had, but it’s rather unlikely. My uncles may not have had time to teach me much, but they made sure I knew just how lucky my parents were, and how lucky I was. After all, if my parents had not balanced each other out and become a binary star, I wouldn’t exist!”
Barry laughed and tried to shrug it off, but Hal could see he was still hurting.
‘He never knew his parents. And he couldn’t even find comfort in the touch of a loved one? His uncles couldn’t hold him and help him and now… he may never know just how soothing a gentle touch or weighty hug can be?’ Hal thought to himself, amazed, as he watched Barry hug himself, rubbing his arms. ‘There’s got to be some way to fix this.’ More determined than ever, Hal decided he would make it to Barry’s side, no matter the cost.
Some time passed as Hal remained in orbit around Barry. The pair shared stories and hopes and dreams. Hal thought back to all he had learnt.
“Alright. What’s your favourite star?” Hal asked, floating past some crushed planetoid that was barely the size of a series of pebbles instead of its proper form.
“Favourite star?” Barry thought about it, hand on his chin and humming to himself. “Hmmmmm I’d have to say that one!” He pointed off towards the distance where one star burned much brighter than any of the others surrounding it. “I don’t know its name, or even how far away it is, but I’ve always loved how brilliantly it shines.” Barry’s luminescent smile filled Hal’s heart with a pleasant warmth. “How about you?”
‘You.’ Hal thought to himself, before flushing and turning to look around, desperately trying to hide the reddening of his cheeks. “Well, if I’m being honest, I don’t really have a favourite. I like the different clusters, the ones that form constellations, but I’m more fond of the star in front of me.” Barry blinked in surprise and Hal quickly fumbled for words. “Yes, I mean you, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable! Oy, I’m just making a fool of myself now. Ignore that! Or don’t! Whatever works for you!”
Hal sighed in relief as Barry laughed.
“I don’t really want to forget. But I don’t know how to respond. Will you give me some time to sort through my thoughts and give you a proper response?”
Hal’s lopsided grin held the most warmth Barry had ever seen in another being. “Of course, Sunshine. Take as long as you need.”
The next day they turned the conversation towards what each of them had learnt growing up.
“Well you didn’t learn history or mythology… What about astronomy?” Hal had asked.
Barry shook his head, a bit embarrassed. “No, unfortunately. I love to learn, but my uncles were busy with their own families, so I didn’t learn much beyond the history of my family and how we ended up out here. Though I did get to learn about the family history for each of my uncles!”
Hal laughed. “Very interesting, I’m sure.” He glanced around the starlit sky and pointed towards a familiar constellation. “Do you see those stars over there? The group of 12 shaped like a solar system in motion?”
Barry moved a bit closer towards the stars Hal was indicating, or at least as close as he could without drawing in the nearest planetoid, and hummed to himself. “Oh! Yes! I see it!”
“That’s the Galaxia constellation. At least, that’s what my people called it. It represents the very first system of Celestials created by Twila and Sahira. And over there, there is a cluster of stars in the shape of an adult Celestial. The one with the shimmering nebula near its head. You see it?” When Barry nodded, Hal continued. “That’s Twilias, it represents Twila. And by her side, with the nebula at her waist, is Sa’hria’la which represents Sahira. There’s no constellation for the Void, since the Void is all around us, but there are plenty out there in the shapes of the symbols the followers of the Void use!”
Hal had happily prattled on and on about every constellation he could think of, even those he could not find so far from home, and even made up some just to see Barry smile and laugh. He was sure Barry had figured out that he had made some up, but he didn’t seem to mind.
A few days later they had discussed their histories a bit more in depth. Hal finally learnt the full story of Barry’s many uncles, all of whom now floated around them as lifeless husks, and how his parents had met and found the balance to stay together forever. He had told Barry all about the traveler he had met in his home system, all the stories and subjects he had been taught by the elders and his parents, and even told Barry all about the vast emptiness of space he had traveled through before he arrived here in Barry’s system. Ever so slowly, Hal started moving closer and closer to Barry’s orbit.
After learning that two stars can balance each other and not be crushed or thrown out of orbit, Hal had hoped that there was some way for a planetoid and a star to do the same. After all, as long as he was willing to try, and as long as Barry was willing to agree, there was bound to be a way to succeed. With that determination in mind, Hal called out to Barry.
“Hey, Barry?”
“Yes?”
“I have an idea I’d like to try out. Would you be willing to hear me out?”
Barry’s smile was so brilliant, even with his confusion, that Hal was momentarily stunned into silence.
“Of course! What is it?”
Hal shook himself from his stupor and grinned. “I want to try to reach you.” At Barry’s confused look, he raised a hand and said “Hear me out! You said your parents formed a binary star. That they were able to balance together in the centre of a star system with no troubles, right? Well, what if it was also possible with a planetoid and a star?”
Hal let the silence fill the space between and around them, letting Barry take his time and consider the question.
“Could… could it actually be possible?” Barry finally said, awestruck at the idea.
“There’s really only one way to find out!” Hal smirked.
“But–” Barry’s voice caused Hal to hesitate. “If it doesn’t work, if anything goes wrong, you could die!”
“For you, Sunshine, that’s a risk I’m more than willing to take.”
Hal happily noted the flush on Barry’s face.
“Alright.” Barry said, nodding his head determinedly. “We’ll try it your way. But we’ll take it slow. If anything goes wrong, if you are having any trouble or if you are in pain, please stop.”
“Alright, Sunshine. You have a deal.”
And so began the trials of Hal Jordan, as he worked to reach Barry no matter the cost.
At first, he took things super slow, as he had been since he arrived in this system. But as time wore on, his patience grew thin. He found a good hold on one of the shattered planetoids that were floating as debris in the system and propelled himself closer to Barry at a swift speed.
“Wait!” Barry called out to him. “You’re going too fast! If–”
“Make way!” Hal interrupted, flying past yet more debris. The closer he got, however, the worse he felt. The gravitational field around Barry began to pull him in. At first, that had seemed like a blessing, like fate was on their side. But then the weight of the field began to crush Hal, like a giant hand wrapped around him, squeezing mercilessly. Hal struggled to move, his breathing becoming more laboured as he neared. Noticing, Barry gasped. Before Hal could try to reassure him, he spoke.
“Stop! Don’t get any closer!” Barry called out, golden tears gliding down his beautiful face. “You’ll die!”
Hal shook his head defiantly, a tender smile on his face as he reached out his hand towards Barry. “If I die after reaching you, then it’ll be a worthy death. I love you Barry, more than I can ever hope to express, so I hope you’ll believe me when I say–” A cough racked his body as the gravitational pressure pulling him closer towards Barry began to crush him. “I’d rather die now, here, than continue to live in a universe without you by my side.”
Barry’s shock was clear. He seemed to be struggling between drawing Hal closer and pushing him away to safety.
“I–” He stuttered. “I just want you to be okay. I don’t want to lose you, especially if I’m the cause of your loss, and I can’t believe just how much I care. You are amazing, Hal Jordan, and I… I love you too. So much so I can hardly find the right words to say. I can only hope you’ll understand. So please, rather than die to be even closer to me, live for me. Just live. We’ll find a solution! Somehow, someway we’ll find a way to be close without killing you. But I can’t bear the thought of your light being extinguished. Please.”
Hal looked into Barry’s eyes, feeling the warmth of his soul soothing Hal’s pain, and nodded decisively.
“Alright,” He said, holding his hands up in surrender. “We’ll try. But!” Here he held up one finger, hoping to really emphasize his point. “If it looks like something is going wrong, or that I’ll be taken away from this beautiful system of yours, please, please let me embrace you.”
He smiled as Barry nodded and said. “Okay, but only as a last resort. I don’t want our first embrace to be our last.”
“Deal!” With a great effort, Hal pushed against the debris around him and slowly moved away from Barry. Every inch felt like a lightyear, and already Hal found himself missing their closeness as the pressure was finally removed. Sure, he had nearly died in the process, but he had been so close to finally being able to hold the love of his life in his arms.
‘The pain of that gravity was nothing compared to the pain of being so close and yet so far away.’ Hal thought to himself, clenching his hands into fists in frustration. ‘I can see him. I can speak with him. But I can’t touch him. I just–’ He sighed, settling himself into place in orbit around Barry. ‘I just wish I could hold him. I want to take him into my arms and show him all the love I have to give. Or, rather, show him all the love he deserves. He… He deserves so much more than I can give him, but he loves me for me, so maybe I can grow into what he deserves.’ Hal thought to himself with a smile. That’s right, he and Barry deserved love, and they deserved each other, and Hal was determined to make this work.
The next day, or was it the day after that? Hal was finally rested from that wild first attempt. Okay, it had been rather foolhardy, and Hal’s impatience had nearly gotten him killed, but he had at least learnt the truth of Barry’s feelings! His Sunshine loved him, and that had made the whole ordeal worth it. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to reach him without being crushed. He had never really considered something like becoming a binary system with a star before. He had assumed he would fall in love with a fellow planetoid, just as everyone else in his family had. His sole idea had been to reach Barry. Barry himself knew of binary systems, since his parents had been one, but he had never heard of a star and a planetoid forming one. And so, for a time, Hal and Barry researched the problem together. Barry used his light to communicate with distant active stars, asking for any hints they could give him, while Hal used his skill with planetoids to try to glean answers from the husks around him. His was a rather strange ability. In the legends of his people, they were called lleferydd daear, or the Earth Speakers. These select, gifted few were able to communicate with the remains of those that had passed, and with the star dust itself, to see their memories and learn from them. This was said to be a gift passed from Sahira to the Celestials just before she left. Hal had been one of the few of his people to be found with this gift. And now, he had a chance to put it to good use. Unfortunately, no matter how far he drifted, or how many planetoids he asked, he could find no way for a planetoid and a star to safely come together. Barry had received no good answers either, and so the duo found themselves at an impasse. Hal, frustrated, made his way back to Barry with a request.
“Barry? Please, hear me out.” Before Barry could respond with more than a nod, Hal continued. “It seems we can’t find the answers from anyone out there. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for us to close this gap. We just have to try again.”
“But–”
“Please, Sunshine, just let me try. Sure, it was difficult, and it seemed like I might die, but I believe we can make it. You give me hope, something I thought was long lost, buried beneath the loss of all those I loved before. Please give me a chance to reach you. Fate brought us together for a reason, and I believe Fate will let me finally hold you.”
The silence was deafening as Barry debated the decision in his mind. Hal waited, oddly patient and still, and watched. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Barry nodded his ascent.
“Alright.” He said. “I’ll believe in you, and Fate. If somehow you’re wrong, then I’ll cherish the one moment I’ll have with you in my arms and hold it in my heart for the rest of my days.”
Touched, Hal nodded, tears forming in his eyes, and began moving closer towards Barry. The gap between them narrowed, first slowly then more rapidly as Hal found debris to help propel himself forward. He tried not to show his own worries, as Barry was obviously distressed by the most likely, yet worst possible, outcome. So instead, he smiled, a brilliant smile that he hoped matched the likes of Barry’s own, and kept moving, never stopping. Inch by inch, metre by metre, until he could feel the gravitational pull pulling him in. This time, he didn’t try to fight it, even as his breathing became more laboured. Instead, he let the gravity pull him closer, and closer, until he could see Barry more clearly than he had before.
“You’re beautiful.” He breathed, in awe, reaching out towards Barry’s face. Suddenly, he felt the deathly grip around him relax. He blinked in surprise, trying to puzzle it out, as Barry reached out towards him in shock. It was then he remembered what his parents had always told him.
“Remember Hal, dear.” They said as he played with the stardust around him. “One day, you will likely find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, just as your father and I found each other. When that happens, you will need to join their orbit. But don’t fight the gravitational pull. It may hurt, but that pain is only temporary. In the end, you will find yourself in a buffer area, the area they call home. There, you will be free to be with them, as close as you like!” Then they had scooped him up in their arms as proof, laughing with him as he urged them to make him fly.
“Of course!” He shouted. “The Buffer Zone!” Barry blinked in confusion, but Hal just shook his head and propelled himself closer and closer to Barry, getting further into the Buffer Zone.
“There you are, Sunshine!” He cooed, one hand cupping Barry’s cheek as the other hooked around his back. “I’ve waited so long for this moment.”
With a pleading glance, he leaned in towards Barry. At Barry’s nod of assent, he closed the gap between them and kissed the man in earnest. Pulling back, he leaned his forehead against Barry.
“Wha– how— That was amazing, honestly, please do it again, but first! How did you–”
“I remembered something I should have thought of a long time ago. They–” Hal gestured towards the husks around them. “-weren’t able, or weren’t willing to risk themselves to find your Buffer Zone. But that’s okay. They were there for you as best they could be. And now I’ll be here for you, forever. I love you, my Sunshine.”
And the two kissed once more, the warmth of the star bringing a forgotten life to the planetoid, while the planetoid’s cool and gentle touch grounded the star in the moment. Finally they were together, and now no one could tear them apart.