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The molten nickel and iron that made up his core swirled in anticipation and anxiety. Titan moved in front of him the second-largest satellite in the solar system hoping to protect him from the meteor barrage of the revolution. He reached out grabbing the moon and dragging him into his orbit unconsciously calculating a temporary orbit for him behind him.
“Get out of the way! No one is dying for me today!” he shouted Titan looked as if he had been struck.
“I'm trying to help-” Titan was cut off as he disappeared behind him, his focus now on the barrage.
He reached out with his gravity crushing the asteroids sent at him, redirecting others. He could see the hesitation in the faces of the moons throwing asteroids but it was quickly fading each throw becoming less hesitant and more dangerous as they grew frustrated. He'd already told the Titan exactly what he wanted to hear that he was wrong and that he was on his level and that moons and planets could live equally and the admiration lit up in him like it had never left. Realistically he understood that his fellow planets didn't feel the same even if they claimed to but still. He wasn't going to use him as a meatshield to fix his mistakes.
He felt disgust at himself stir in his core all that talk of change and redemption but he still felt his crown. He felt it when he looked at the bland one-tone colours of his fellow planets compared to him. He felt it when the northern lights sat atop his head like a crown and the other planets came to awe at him. He felt it when the most advanced life in existence thrived on his surface and praised him as their “Mother”.
He didn't blame Mars and Venus for abandoning him because of his narcissism. Because if he could look at something so irregular and ugly then think it was perfect. He must really be crazy.
“Earth what are you doing? Let us protect you!” Luna cried out moving to cover him, Callisto and Io followed him trying to protect him from the barrage. He smiled, Luna was still trying to protect him after his monumental fuck up as always.
It looked like he'd made friends as well, Calisto and Io followed him without hesitation. He'd meant to introduce Luna to Callisto once upon a time when there were few Moon that had yet gained consciousness and let them have a play date while he visited Jupiter. But he'd gotten sidetracked by his life… Luna might really be better off without his fuck up of a brother. At least he'd found his way on his own.
The barrage intensified as hesitancy faded from their attacks now as well as Europa and Ganymede joining in. He dragged all three of them behind him the orbit pattern becoming a convoluted mess to the point where he felt he was juggling them behind his back.
“Hey we are here to help too!” a squeaky voice called out it was Phobos, Deimos right beside him squeaking at his sibling to shut up, he hadn't noticed them due to their size and now both of them were in the firing line that was no longer holding back. An asteroid was on target to hit Deimos it would shatter him.
He'd messed up and Earth did the only thing he could rely on his brother. Having no time to add them to his orbit plan he threw them blindly behind him aiming vaguely at Luna praying his moon would catch them in his orbit. He made convoluted movements but he was limited by the effects on his Earthlings he batted away and crushed what he could but he was distracted trying to protect his new satellites.
The barrage had reached peak intensity as he'd predicted, harsh enough to shatter a moon or wipe his surface life. He didn't know what to do. He dashed behind a patch asteroid for cover as he predicted it would last for less than 45 seconds.
Yanking the moons forward he set them infront of him. They stared wide eyed and horrified at the quick increase in viciousness of the skirmish.
“Listen to me now all of you it’s dangerous for you here if you guys get hit you’ll shatter. I’m sorry caused this but I need you to listen to me I’m going to throw you out of the asteroid belt. Titan I need you to speak to Saturn tell him I need his help. Luna get Jupiter he will listen to you.“ Earth began to sharply explain
“But we can help!” Luna pleaded to his planet
“Even with your size Earth if you get hit your surface will be wiped.” Callisto spoke shakily shocked at the intensity of the attack as Io hovered close to her unsure what to do
“I know. But I can’t protect you and fight simultaneously please this is the best way. Io, Callisto I’m going to throw you towards the ice giants tell them the same, Neptune will listen if you mention my name so will Uranus. These asteroid will shatter in a moment that’s when I’ll throw you all.”
“Okay.” Was mumbled by the horrified Titan, shaky nods came from the rest.
As he predicted the asteroid cover shattered under the barrage providing a dust cover, Earth expanded their orbits spinning them rapidly before launching them towards their targets, they shot like comets towards their goals exiting the asteroid belt before they could be targeted.
Glancing at Luna he noticed Deimos and Phobos safely tucked in his orbit as he flew towards Jupiter, he smiled it was the least he could do for Mars after everything he did.
Focusing back on the fight his gravity lashed out like invisible waves, shattering asteroids and flinging rocky material like shrapnel. Lashing out at the moons he began to attempt to break up their formation a difficult task considering he didn’t want to kill anyone.
In a show of force he simply grabbed a significant amount of asteroids and hurled them back at them slowing them to not kill but to be something you wouldn’t want to get hit by anyway. The moons broke up formation the intensity dying down but the randomness of the projectiles increasing as the began to manner around him.
In a incredible display of coordination and trust Europa launched and asteroid that went wide causing him to ignore it as he shattered and redirected others, however it sailed right to Ganymede curving with his orbit towards his blind spot. It seemed like would be getting out of this unscathed, suddenly another asteroid hit it shattering it to fragments that burnt up in his atmosphere.
Releasing a wave of gravity he blasted the moons back harmlessly, as he turned to see his ally.
“Heya Earth seems like you got yourself into some trouble, huh? Triton came to Me and Charon to try and talk things out with the Moons but it seems we’re way past talking.” Pluto entered the asteroid belt Charon was absent, he grinned at him juggling a few asteroids
“Hey it’s uhh been a while…” Earth began slightly awkwardly to the former ninth planet who hit unintentionally demoted to a dwarf planet
“Don’t worry about that right now. Everything comes second on the battlefield so focus. Now let’s recreate a scene from the days of the early solar system, ‘Pluto and Earth subjugate the maddened celestials!’ ” he exclaims as he threw an asteroid to him Earth knew what do instinctively as if they practiced it a million times he accelerated it in his orbit and hurled it at Ganymede knocking him away as he tried to reorganize the moons.
They worked without words but it felt all to familiar Pluto covered him and he covered Pluto, they could comfortably accelerate asteroid of each other without risk, the small dwarf planet made up for his size with his perfect positioning and judgment always ready to support his movements and attacks.
He felt a shift in the asteroid belt, him and Pluto senses attuned sharply to the presence of the Jovian planets quickly made space to avoid them.
It was good timing that they did as Saturn descended on the moons like an angry god, snatching moons into his orbit and locking them in place.
Jupiter arrived second just as furious followed by Uranus then Neptune, he approached the Jovian planets as they sorted through the moons. Jupiter noticed him first.
“Earth their you are are! And Pluto! It’s good to see you both.” The largest gas giant exclaimed relieved at his safety
“Hey guys, I’m sorry for the trouble did my messengers arrive safely?” Earth enquired
“Yeah we all got your message mate. I came as soon as those moons explained everything.” Uranus confirmed
“I just had to help especially since you found Titan for me, but what exactly happened?” Questions Saturn slightly nervously
“I think I accidentally started a moon revolution because I was rude to Titan, I’m not sure if that was the exact cause but they wanted to wipe my surface life to get acknowledgment or something I’m not sure exactly, thing got out of hand and honestly someone could have been killed.“ Earth tried to explain but he honestly wasn’t sure himself what caused it he knew he was rude to Titan and insulted moons in general but surely that wasn’t enough to rile up every moon in the solar system
“I think they feel we have been mistreating them in general or something I’m not sure, but Luna, Titan, Callisto, Phobos and Deimos, Io and Triton tried to stop it.” Earth explained trying to clear the names of some moons
“Tritons here?” Neptune asked inserting himself into the conversation suddenly appearing lucid
“Yeah he’s hiding in the asteroid belt with Charon, Pluto told them too when he came to help me. Ask Pluto,” Earth said
“Thank you Earth.” Neptune left going to talk to Pluto
“So what do we do?” Asked Saturn none of his moons dared interrupt the conversation between the planets fearing their demise
“I’m not sure.” Earth replied honestly he wanted to check on Luna, Mars and Venus before anything
“I mean your the one that was attacked Earth, rude comments or not it’s still unacceptable.”Jupiter insisted that Earth choose
“Keep the moons in their orbits, I’m going to check on Venus and Mars they got roughed up earlier, after that we can have a meeting try to satisfy their needs.” Earth offered
“Sounds good, I’m curious to see what this revolutions all about anyway.” Jupiter narrowed his eyes
“Bye Earth.” Saturn and Jupiter dragged away the cowed moons as they returned to their orbits. Uranus followed shortly after saying his own farewell to Earth,
Earth turned to Pluto speaking earnestly “Thank you, I wouldn’t have made it out unscathed without you. I needed someone to tell me to focus.” Earth nodded at the smaller planet
“No need to thank me just paying you back. Anyway, I need to be getting back to Charon. She's probably worried.” he explained.
“See you then.” Pluto left with a small with a small upturn of his lips
“You too.” Earth wore a matching smirk as he made his way to check on his friends. Maybe sometime he would visit him ask him about the early days he referenced, he still found his memory significantly lacking. But right now that didn’t matter.