Archive of Our Own ^beta

Earth loved his earthlings.

He loved them so much that it was as painful for him...

But some part, a small part, also despised them a lot.

He worked so much, suffered so much for the sake of life on him, and in the end this same life took advantage of him and...

Began to slowly kill him.

What a cruel irony, isn't it?

His own "children" are killing him...

But Earth had already gotten used to it.

Getting used to this cruel fact, because despite everything, he still loved them.

He still clung to the hope that one day everything would be fine.

That all the people on him would be able to treat him better..

That's why he simply allowed himself to turn a blind eye to the tricks of his earthlings.

But one day this hope was almost shattered like fragile glass.

And all the love for them almost evaporated for a moment...

---

Earth groaned as his eyes began to itch a little painfully again.

This happened a lot lately.

Usually it would pass quickly too, but now...

"Earth, are you...alright?" The voice of his little brother, who was sitting next to him, made him tear his hands away from his sore eyes...

"I'm...okay Luna, don't worry. I just got something in my eye." Earth tried to smile, not wanting to impose his problems on anyone else.

"I can handle my earthlings." He thought to himself.

"I can take it."

"Dude, there's definitely something wrong with you!" Mars has already intervened, sitting opposite, "You've become... I don't know.. strangely quiet."

"And also pale." Mercury added.

"And it's definitely not like you, who can't keep your mouth shut." Venus said in his grumpy manner.

"Guys, everything is really fine. It's just... Earthlings are doing something as usual. Nothing much." Earth waved it off but the pain in his eyes didn't diminish, but rather it seemed to become stronger, which made him wince.

"Earth we have already talked about this, you shouldn't hide your problems from us if we can help." Mercury reminded him.

"I know but..." Earth didn't finish.

The sharp pain that came from his eyes now reached his head, from which the habitable planet let out a painful groan, clasping his hands to his head.

"It hurts..."

"Earth?!?" Luna and his friends squealed and immediately rushed to him.

"I...I need a moment..." Earth muttered and jumped up abruptly, quickly running in the opposite direction.

He heard his friends and younger brother shouting to him from behind, but their voices were soon distorted by the pain in his head and eyes.

It felt like he was burning alive.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much..."

"Please stop it.."

"Please!..."

Earth felt like his head was being torn apart, and something hot with an unpleasant smell poured out of his eye.

Having reached the liquid even with his blurred vision, Earth saw something black on his fingers...

Or at least he thought he saw something black because then it seemed his body couldn't take it anymore and his consciousness turned off.

---

...

...

"E-...

"Ea-!"

"Earth, can you h-...?!"

"What happe-?!"

"Do you think I kno-?"

"Guys, don't start it!"

Earth at first did not understand where he was because everything he saw...

It was strangely black.

Wasn't... wasn't it brighter in their system?

Wasn't the Sun shining anymore?

Wait...!

He still felt the warm of his star.

But he didn't see him.

He didn't see anything.

Not his hands, not his friends, just...

Nothing.

Why didn't he see anything?!

"G-guys?" He asked quietly.

"Earth, you are awake!" Luna screamed hugging him by the neck.

"Oh you Idiot, what were you thinking about, running away like that?! I almost jumped out of my crust from your-!" Venus began to swear and then also broke off mid-word when Earth said:

"I can't see..."

"What?" All three rocky planets and the gray satellite asked in shock.

"I..I can't see anything!" The Earth howled and opened his eyes, from which he heard sighs of horror, and Mercury and Luna covered their mouths with their hands.

They had already noticed that the Earth's cheeks were covered with something, but his eyes...

The beautiful heterochromic eyes of the Earth were no longer there.

Instead of them there was like a black film that covered them.

"I-I can't see..." Earth whispered in a trembling voice.

And then he began to cry.

---

A few hours later.

Earth sat silently in its orbit, looking into nowhere.

Although he couldn't look, since his eyes were blindfolded.

As soon as the inhabited planet had more or less calmed down, he was returned to his orbit (it turned out that he had somehow reached almost the Asteroid belt).

And it didn't take long for Earth or anyone else to figure out what had happened.

The black liquid turned out to be oil.

That flammable liquid that earthlings were so thirsty for that they built an oil platform to extract it.

Only one of them apparently got out of control and exploded in the Earth's ocean, causing him severe pain... and blindness.

His own earthlings caused his blindness.

All for the sake of a stupid resource.

"How could these little bastards do this?!"

"They didn't know, they didn't know that their planet was alive.."

"But they still continue to build these platforms for this stupid oil..."

From these thoughts, Earth's hand himself clenched into a fist in anger, which was naturally noticed by Luna, who pressed himself against his older brother for all this time.

"Earth?" Luna asked tensely.

Did he do something wrong?

Did he hurt him?

Earth, hearing the voice of his companion, forced himself to take a deep breath and exhale.

"Yes, Luna?"

"Is everything okay?" Luna asked again.

Of course it was a stupid question.

His planet was blind, how could everything be okay for him?

But he didn't know what else to ask.

"I'm...I'm holding on, I guess?..." The planet with Life answered, trying to make sure his voice wasn't rude.

Luna was innocent and yet..

The Earth wanted most of all to yell at someone right now..

At himself, at the Sun, at Earthlings, at anyone.

"No, you can't! Do you remember what worked best when you were rude to Titan?"

"Yes, but..."

"Be quiet and endure. You have to be above this!"

"I know you're still in pain..." Luna began, to which Earth frowned under his blindfold.

"Really Luna!? No, I'm fine, I just lost one of my senses, but I'm still as fresh as a cucumber!" Earth thought sarcastically to himself.

"Don't you dare say that!"

"But I'm here for you, you know?" Luna finished hugging his planet.

...

Earth felt his anger gradually disappear, and his frown softened under the bandage.

"Calm down, your little brother only wants to help you."

"I..I know thank you Luna.." Earth replied, joining in the small hugs.

"Everything will be fine Earth, keep yourself in hand.."

"I can handle all this, I have to do it.."

"I.."

"I can do it, I'm sure..."

---

He couldn't.

Despite all his strength, he couldn't..

He snapped.

Not at his friends, at his younger brother, but at someone else...

Astrodude.

At first, the Earth was surprised to see hear his fellow Earthling again, but then the little man said something that made Earth's emotions had accumulated, heated up to the limit, and the last crumbs of sanity leave him and his patience crack like fragile glass.

But it all started quite calmly.

Luna, Mars, Venus and Mercury were playing cards while Earth was just relaxing on the sidelines.

Although his younger brother begged him to come alone (as did the others) he politely refused, because he couldn't see his cards anyway, and he didn't want to constantly ask for them to be read out loud.

He didn't want to be a burden.

Although maybe he was.

And then instead of indignation, it was Mercury or Luna that won again, the Earth heard his friends greeting their old acquaintance.

Astrodude.

It turned out that he had been out of commission for a long time on the surface of the Moon due to a catastrophe with his spaceship.

And only now he managed to leave the surface of the satellite.

The Earth's first reaction was joy.

His dear earthling finally appeared.

But then a bitter and angry thought appeared.

His earthling.

One of those who blinded him..

To whom he gave all his love..

And in return he received only pain..

"Astrodude is not like that! He is good!"

"You know him so well? What if he's like the others?"

...

"I...I don't know..."

"Earth?" The planet with life heard the voice of his earthling.

Even without his sight, he felt that he was in front of him.

"Astrodude. You finally showed up.." Earth replied and there was a hint of dryness in his voice.

"I don't want to talk to you now. Please leave me."

"Um... yes I finally did it Earth..." Astrodude began hesitantly but naturally he had a question when he saw...  that something was wrapped around his planet's eye."

"Earth why... why are you blindfolded? Did something happen to you?" He asked.

And then immediately regretted it.

Because no one expected what happened next.

At first the Earth didn't answer but then...

He just smiled.

But not with his friendly one.

This smile was... more mocking.

"Oh don't worry Astrodude, I'm fine, I'm just blinded maybe forever from the oil spill which your kind caused, but that's okay isn't it? You earthlings will hurt me forever..." Earth said, and his voice was filled with cruel self-irony and malice.

The man froze in surprise, even afraid to move.

He had seen his planet's discontent before.

But it was the first time he sounded so cruel.

And he wasn't the only one who thought so.

Just a couple of meters away from them, the other rocky planets and Luna froze in shock, looking at their friend, and the gray satellite seemed to turn pale with horror.

"Oh stars how ironic is this situation isn't it?" Earth continued, disappointment and pain were already heard in his voice, "I worked so hard for you humans, and you just... repaid me with this?! Constant pollution, other trash, extermination of animals and plants and wars that I have to constantly face... and now this?!" He pointed at his bandages in anger.

"Earth..." Luna tried to calm his brother down but didn't have time to finish.

At that moment, Earth gave full rein to his emotions that were buried so deep in his core.

"I've been trying for so long, enduring all this for so long, desperately clinging to the hope that everything will be okay and that you people can be a little grateful ...but you know what?! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" The habitable planet suddenly screamed, causing everyone present (and even the Sun in the background) to jump in fear.

"Earth!" Now Mercury was trying to reach the Earth, but it was useless.

"I can't do this anymore! I'm tired, I'm so tired of you all, earthlings! Even more... I hate you all! Starting with you, Astrodude and your family!" The Earth practically roared, which made the man shrink even more, afraid to even breathe, "First you'll destroy me, then maybe you'll do the same thing to Mars, and then even further, bringing only destruction in this universe..."

"Earth stop it!" Mars screamed desperately in the background but as with Luna and Mercury nothing helped.

Eventually the face of the Earth suddenly froze like a mask, and his next words were drenched in cold hatred.

"It would have been better if you had died from the asteroid, and not my dinosaurs. At least they didn't hurt me like you all did..." 

Then there was silence as Earth turned and flew away from his friends, turning away from everyone.

Luna didn't hesitate to follow him.

Venus, having recovered from the shock, said in a surprisingly calm and even tone:

"Mars, Mercury, calm Astrodude down. The poor guy is probably still in terror. I need to talk to the Earth." 

"Venus are you sure...? I don't think he wants to listen to anyone right now..." Mercury asked quietly.

"He will have to. Because it can't last much longer." Venus only answered, starting to go towards the Earth and Luna.

Mars and Mercury looked at each other and quickly flew up to Astrodude who didn't say a word.

"Sorry Astrodude for this...situation. The Earth is now...in a bad psychological state. I'm sure he didn't mean anything all of it.." The red planet tried to calm the earthling, who had come to his senses.

"He needs... to rest a little.." Mercury added.

"I...I understand. Thank you both. But I need to digest everything, excuse me." Astrodude waved back, climbing into his ship and feeling an unpleasant sense of strange guilt.

---

Luna, who was rushing after his brother, found him with his head buried in his knees and his back turned away from the Sun.

"Earth?" The satellite flew up to him, lightly touching his shoulder.

"..."

"Earth please.." He tried again.

"Leave me alone Luna...please..." His big brother wheezed.

Well no.

Never again.

"Earth please...we need to talk..." Luna circled the planet, desperately trying to hold his brother's face in his hands.

"We have nothing to talk about Luna..." Earth sniffled, "I messed up again. I can't do anything right...I...I just..."

"Earth?" Another male voice spoke.

The habitable planet shrank even more from it.

"Go away Venus..." He almost pleaded.

"If you think that I will just abandon you after making my way to you, then you are deeply mistaken." Venus answered.

"...You should." Earth finally said.

"What?! Earth you're not serious right?!" The hottest planet screamed.

"Oh, I'm absolutely serious Venus!" Earth shouted back, turning to Venus.

Just now that the second planet from the Sun and Luna noticed that the face of the Earth was red and wet with tears.

"You were there and you saw it all Venus! I have once again become that rude planet that started the Moon Revolution, but on top of that I have also become a burden to everyone in this system! I can't do anything right and I will probably never will, nor can I get by without anyone's help...I just...I don't understand how you can still care about me?" Earth went from a scream to a practical whisper in which notes of pain were heard.

Venus and Luna were silent for a while, not knowing what to say,

Well, they were practically silent, because the grey moon seemed about to burst into tears.

Even after all this time, the Earth still feels disgusted with himself?...

Meanwhile, Venus's gaze seemed to darken before he moved toward the blinded planet.

Luna was momentarily afraid that the aggressive planet would start yelling at Earth again as he often does, but instead he just... hugged him tightly, holding him closer with one hand and tangling the other in Earth's soft hair.

The planet with life seemed not to even understand what had happened until Venus found his voice.

"You may be rude sometimes again, you may be an idiot often with your stupid ideas but... you will never be a burden to us, not in this life or any other. You are still Earth, our close friend and my twin, and I will tell you this until it gets stuck in your head." Venus said, his voice rumbly, but also strangely soft.

"And we will never stop caring about you, we are with you until the end." Luna joined in the hug, stroking his planet's back.

Earth didn't respond, giving his share of tears again.

And Venus and Luna simply listened silently and gave him the comfort their brother needed.

---

It took about an hour and a half until Earth calmed down and fell into a light slumber from fatigue, which was also joined by Luna.

Venus was awake, silently holding his brothers (Earth loved Luna as a younger brother, so the gray moon was technically his brother too), sometimes drawing patterns on their backs as if in a sight of consolation.

Although not physically exhausted, emotionally he felt tired.

Listening to your sibling feel pain in all its forms and not being able to do anything was a terrible feeling..

Venus blew one red-orange strand from his face when he felt how it became lighter and hotter around them.

"If you want to start yelling now that we are not in our orbits, then please Sun do it later." Venus said without turning to their star.

"Hm...I would do it as usual but I see that... you are busy now." Sun answered in a quieter tone, apparently so as not to wake up the Earth and Luna.

"I am." Venus glanced out of the corner of his eye at the main one in the Solar System.

"Well, then just... don't stay long. And good luck!" The star said with optimism and left.

Venus only rolled his eyes at the Sun's attempt at optimism when the Earth began to move a little in his hands.

The habitable planet planet soon left the kingdom of Morpheus before it tried to get up, with which Venus helped him.

"Hey, I thought you thought you'd sleep for a week." Venus smirked softly.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Earth gave a fake laugh, "But seriously, how long did I sleep?" He asked, carefully holding still sleeping Luna.

"Only an hour and a half." Venus shrugged.

"I see.." His sibling answered, hanging his head.

"So... do you feel better?" The hottest planet asked.

"Yes, a little, although now I feel a huge guilt for yelling at Astrodude." Earth sighed, shaking his head in shame.

"You have experienced great pain and stress and your earthling, although unpredictably, has brought it out again. Not everyone can endure all this. If I were you, I would have sent him back to my surface." Venus said with a small laugh, but Earth, obviously not understanding the humor, raised his head in panic towards Venus, to which he only soothingly put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, he isn't there. He's probably on his ship now."

"Thank the stars." Earth sighed with relief, "But still... can you take me to him? He still deserves an apology from me."

"If that's what you want." Venus responded, taking his sibling by the arm and starting to lead him to where their astronaut friend was.

---

As Venus predicted, Astrodude was indeed on his ship.

The man himself had already calmed down after the screaming attack of his planet and he was immersed in his thoughts.

Earth's words still didn't leave him.

Of course, he knew before that Earth was tired of how humanity left behind the pollution that was on his surface and on his atmosphere.

But the very fact that because of their actions they literally blinded their planet, which caused him to have an emotional breakdown, was still spinning in his head like a hurricane.

Of course, humanity didn't know that the planets, moons, dwarf planets and even their main star in their system were alive, but still, this didn't cancel the cruel truth.

Astrodude also never liked the whole problem with pollution, but naturally he couldn't change anything globally.

However, hearing the hysteria of his planet, it was as if a heavy stone was forming on his soul.

Some thoughts started to visit him..

Could he change something?...

Could he somehow help his home planet?...

"You're strangely quiet Astrodude." The computer's mechanical voice cut through the stifling silence on the ship.

"Just thinking about what happened." The man ruffed his brown hair.

"About the hysterical screams of the Earth?" The computer asked at what the man looked at it in bewilderment, "I saw and heard through the Illuminati."

The astronaut just sighed, looking at his knees.

"Yeah, I just... I've never seen the Earth break down like that. I knew he didn't like pollution and all that. But this one..."

"Considering that he was blinded by humanity because of oil spills in his ocean, it's no wonder his patience could fail." The computer showed a sad Earth with a blindfold on its monitor, which made Astrodude feel even more heavy-hearted.

"It's terrible..." He quietly replied.

"I can't help but agree." The computer replied, trying to express at least some sympathy through its monotonous voice.

They remained in a taut silence when suddenly a familiar shadow covered them.

The Earth.

"Um...h-hi Astrodude...can you p-please come out? I know you're scared, but I-I promise I won't hurt you.." The planet said timidly.

Astrodude and Computer exchanged glances before the man went to put on his spacesuit.

Perhaps in a normal situation he really would have been afraid to go outside.

But now his strong sympathy and empathy with his planet literally forced him to fulfill Earth's request.

---

Earth tried to patiently wait for his cosmic friend, but some part of it also mentally predicted that his earthling wouldn't come out anyway.

Which makes sense considering that he scared the poor man to death and literally wished death on him and his family.

What kind of monster is he?...

But soon the sound of an opening door reached the ears of the Earth, when Astrodude came up into outer space.

"H-hello Earth.." The man greeted quietly.

"He is still afraid of me..."

"Of course after you scared him to death!"

"Hello Astrodude.." The planet with life responded also quietly, "I... I wanted to apologize for what happened. I- I lost my temper and said something I shouldn't have..."

As always..

"I was... it all built up after that oil disaster and I couldn't take it anymore. But that still doesn't excuse me. You and your family haven't done anything wrong to me, and I shouldn't have wished death on you or them. I'm really sorry, Astrodude..." Earth said, looking down in shame.

Earth bit his lip, expecting indignation or a response from the astronaut.

But he heard something completely different.

"It's... it's okay Earth." The astronaut responded with sympathy, "I won't lie that your... screams scared me, but still I understand the reason for all this. It was... very hard for you with all of us and then we, albeit unconsciously, blinded you..."

The Earth only "looked back" at his earthling with uncertainty.

"But... I've said so many cruel things to you. How can you forgive me so easily?" He asked sadly.

"Well, first of all, as trite as it may sound, you are my planet and my home. And now knowing what you deal with every day, I can't be angry with you." Astrodude answered, and then looked down, "Besides, you have been putting up with all of us for many and many years, and in the end some of us treat you so terribly that it's just disgusting. And I'm really sorry that you have to deal with our vices in return..." He sighed but then smiled a little.

"And although I can't speak on behalf of all mankind but... if it can comfort you I know quite a few people who also don't like this whole situation with pollution and they want to fix it with all their might."

"R-really?" Earth asked, touched by the words of his earthling.

"Indeed. And I remember how once when my wife and I were walking in the park in the evening, some guys just threw garbage on the grass, and then my wife wanted to give them a good kick for it, while shouting that they should not dare to pollute nature anymore!" Astrodude giggled.

Earth tried to hold back his laughter but it didn't work.

For the first time in so long he laughed sincerely.

"Oh stars, it's a pity I couldn't see it!"

"Oh it was something, I had to calm her down for a long time afterwards!" The astronaut added with a chuckle.

It took them a couple more minutes before they both calmed down and after chatting a bit more about funny moments from the cosmonaut's past, the man noticed that his oxygen level was already running low so it was time to head back to the ship and they both parted peacefully.

Earth then felt the familiar gravity and smiled to himself.

"Have you been here all this time?"

"Well, your laughter was definitely much louder than the screams of our crazy star." The voice of Mars was heard first.

"Or a squeaky voice of Pipsqueak." Venus then said, and the habitable planet even without his sight could tell that there was a grin in his voice.

"Venus!" Mercury indignantly shouted back.

"And here we go again..." Luna said, rolling his eyes.

"But I think we forgot something." Mars added.

"And what is it?" Earth asked.

"HUGS!" His little brother answered this time with a happy tone and rushed at him, from which Earth couldn't resist and fell holding Luna in his arms, and it didn't take even a minute for the other rocky planets to join them as well.

Earth smiled sincerely again, feeling a pleasant feeling of comfort and love in his core.

He didn't know if his sight would ever return.

And even though his love for earthlings has now returned, he was still hurt by their actions..

But deep down he knew for sure that with his friends, his family..

He wouldn't have to go through the pain alone.