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"You can defend him all you want ["I'm not!"] I'm going to do something about it."
"You have to be careful, Triton."
"I will be."
"Wait! What does that mean? What are you doing to do?"
"I'm going to earn my freedom, with the truth."
Triton is pissed.
It may not seem like much to most other celestials. Europa has said a number of times that he and Callisto share a “resting bitch face,” and Triton is constantly having his patience tested by everyone around him.
But still, it isn’t often Triton gets actually mad.
The last time was probably when–
When–
“That’s not true, Neptune! I know that’s not true! Even you can’t have forgotten what you did to me!”
Triton is often watching over the other Neptunian moons, meaning that he has developed some level of patience (in order to deal with all the arguments and questions and pleas to play.) Triton’s planet is known for having regular memory issues, which only further cements the fact that while Triton may look and act constantly irritated, he does have a pretty good threshold for stuff.
But the thing is, with the kids and Neptune it isn’t their fault. Any irritation he has for them is then overcome by guilt that he feels that way (which then leads to more irritation because why is he the one who has to deal with this? He knows why.)
But this. This is just–
There is no need to be doing this.
Triton gets it, the planets screwed up or whatever. There has undoubtedly been more drama in the Solar System in the past several Earth-years (which is basically nothing) compared to in the past (well… unless you consider the far past. Because there appears to have been a bunch of drama there too.)
But still. This orbit thing.
Didn’t they literally just go through a whole ordeal about how Jupiter’s slight movement across the asteroid belt in the past led to the deaths of several rocky planets? Now the Sun wants to smush all of the planets. And consequently all the moons, in the same area?
Triton knew this was a bad idea.
He knew from the moment he heard Neptune whisper to his farthest orbiting moons (Psamathe, Neso, and S/2021 N1) to stay much closer than their usual orbits, because the distance they orbit from Neptune could result in them basically being in Venus’ old orbit when closest to the Sun (and for celestials made of ice and rock…) as well as possibly colliding or getting scooped up by the gravity of another celestial.
He knew from the moment he could feel his nitrogen ice begin to dissolve.
He knew from the moment the kids started talking about feeling weird, the ice on their small surfaces slowly growing warmer (and the kids are already so small, what happens when their ice begins to melt?)
(Cough. Cough.)
And he knows now. Now that Neptune is having regular coughing fits like he’s competing in a contest to imitate Io.
And Neptune said he was fine. Said it was his methane ice clouds evaporating. Said he may stop being an ice giant.
And none of that is “fine.”
Triton is pissed. Because this plan is stupid and Neptune is getting hurt but Neptune won’t even say anything because he doesn’t want to risk the Sun’s ire turning on anyone.
(Turning on his moons or any of the other planets probably, because Triton is beginning to doubt Neptune cares that much for himself.)
And yeah, sure, Triton had his problems with Neptune. The abandonment. The way Triton was left sometimes to take care of the kids when they aren’t his. The way he felt trapped.
But the Sun…
Neptune has never made any of his moons feel scared of him.
Triton never felt like he couldn’t talk to Neptune because Neptune might hurt him. The worst Neptune could do was not understand or not listen or simply forget. And that used to piss Triton off but seeing the Sun in action–
It’s clear Neptune gave his moons a level of freedom he was never allowed the chance to have. Stars, Neptune literally went insane because he was forced to remain in his isolated orbit, away from everyone. (And away from his moons too, because Neptune took an opportunity early on to give them a place to settle in the Kuiper Belt, so they could all stick together. And Triton has been so mad that Neptune left him in charge of all these kids without a word, but he knows Neptune was only trying to protect them from their own isolating orbits.)
Neptune had his faults. And Triton sometimes wished the planet would be stricter when it came to the kids (even if that’s hypocritical for Triton to say since Triton also wished he didn’t have to abide by any rules.) But the Sun…
Shit.
Watching his planet, who is getting paler by the day. Who is hurting but trying so hard to pretend like everything is fine (like he always does. Like he did for billions of years through the loneliness and deaths of his first moons (and Triton knows Neptune says it’s not his fault but–)) Watching his planet, Triton can see exactly why Neptune is the way he is.
Stars above, this Solar System is just built on generational trauma.
And Triton is pissed. Pissed because of the Sun but also pissed at the fact that he cares.
He cares that this is hurting Neptune.
He cares about the discomfort of the kids.
He cares. And for so long he has been trying not to. Because he doesn’t belong. He’s not really Neptune’s moon. He’s–
“But… you’re going around Neptune with us!”
“Well, you’re kind of a moon.” “The definition of a moon is essentially objects that spin around another object, that isn't a star, while being a dwarf planet, that requires orbiting the Sun.”
Okay, well, maybe he’s technically a Neptunian moon. But…
But Neptune cared for him.
But Neptune took him in as one of his own after losing his first generation of moons.
But Neptune only ever treated him with kindness.
But Neptune knew of Triton’s desire to be able to speed around, and let him leave his orbit, even when Neptune could have just as easily kept him there.
But Neptune lied. Lied to Triton to protect him from the truth. Lied to the Sun about Triton’s origins to protect him from any backlash. Because he was scared of what the Sun would do to Triton if he knew the destruction he had caused.
Neptune protected a celestial that had just decimated his babies. Because even if their deaths ripped Neptune apart on the inside, he refused to have Triton ripped apart as well.
Neptunian moon.
For so long he resented the label, and part of him wants to keep doing so. And yet…
And yet, Triton knows that if Neptune felt any of his moons were in danger he would act. He knew if Neptune learned of the evaporation on Triton’s surface or started observing concerning effects in the little ones it would be different. He would send them away. Hide them. Come up with some plan to move them away from the Sun while not making them the subject of the Sun’s ire (even if it puts Neptune himself at risk.)
But when Neptune is the one being hurt, the planet keeps quiet. He always keeps quiet. (He kept quiet about the first moons and he kept quiet about the pain of his orbit and he kept quiet when he took his orbit back from Jupiter to help the others.)
Neptune keeps quiet.
But Triton needs to speak.
He needs to speak because no one else will. Because he’s seen the issues with the moons and the issues with the planets and the way the dwarf planets are just ignored and sees the cycle of abuse. The falling apart power structure. The way none of this is sustainable.
He needs to speak because everyone else is scared. Because the Sun is massive but that shouldn’t mean he’s the one with all the power.
He needs to speak because he’s in a unique position to. Because the Sun thinks he has the upperhand, thinks he knows everything, thinks he holds all the cards, but Triton is pretty confident there is one secret he doesn’t yet know.
He needs to speak because things are already shitty. And the worst thing that could happen now is the Sun destroying him, and Triton is willing to call that bluff.
And if the Sun is not bluffing then…
Then Triton knows how much Neptune cares about his moons.
And if Neptune’s pain isn’t enough to incite the ice giant to act, maybe Triton’s death would.