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The moon watches off to the side as his planet hums some random tune. "You seem happy today." They say. Although, Earth seems happy everyday. Not that Moon is complaining! After that freak accident which caused almost all his life to die in the Permian and then another mass extinction with the Triassic, they were close to believing the planet would never be happy again. But it seems these creatures, the dinosaurs, have a charm to them that Earth just cannot get enough of.
Speaking of which, "How can I not? My ammonites are in the mating season so many of my coasts are glowing! Look!" Earth says, and somehow even with way of pointing or gesturing Moon knows where to look at. Finding a beautiful sight of coasts along each landmass to be giving a dazzling blue glow. It takes their breath away every time it happens. Millions of years and still these lifeforms manage to impress the two of them. The others don't really care, but still smile and nod at Earth every time he goes on an passionate rave about them any time he can. Well, except for Venus, but he doesn't count!
So content to watch the glowing ammonites, Moon considers staying and watching instead of keeping an eye out on any potential dangers. In most timelines, they stay. And then chicxulub manages to get past him and strikes Earth where the modern day humans call the Yucatán Peninsula.
But this is not those timelines.
So with a smile to his planet, Moon turns around to keep focus on space. Off in the distance he spots Mars chatting with Jupiter with the asteroid belt between them. The twinkling stars and distant colors of nebulas or the arm of the milky way that is their home are the only other signs of others in the vastness of empty space. And then, something disrupts it all. A fast moving object it appears, with how it's shadowy form quickly blocks out the twinkling stars. The Moon stares, mind trying to comprehend what he's watching. But the thought finally clicks into place, either a comet or an asteroid, and it's heading their way. No, not Moon's way, to Earth.
Earth, with trillions of lifeforms going about their lives. The same lifeforms his planet has gotten insanely attached to for surviving two horrible mass extinctions and living for close to two hundred million years. If the dinosaurs die, what will happen to his planet?
They don't even consider any other plan, with swiftness only seen when a game of asteroid dodgeball almost goes wrong Moon rushes right in front of the rogue asteroid. He can hear his planet's startled questioning behind them but still he floats there, and braces.
The impact sends a searing hot pain that reaches down to their core. Even with his eyes screwed shut he can see the glowing embers of the debris thrown out in space. Is the debris from the asteroid or from him? The Moon can't tell.
Distinctly he can hear Earth's panicked shouts for them and for help, Mars's voice comes in as well. But those voices sound so far away, and so quiet over the ringing that has enveloped his entire self. He stares off in space, those twinkling lights going blurry... and then dark. Everything slowly fades away as he collapses in his orbit.
-
"Luna? Luna. Luna!" Earth's voice is the first thing he hears as he slowly wakes up. Realizing that they accidentally fell asleep, he jumps in his orbit as a blush takes over his face. Turning to his planet, they're met with the sight of a smiling face. "Had a good dream?" The teasing just gets a grumble in return. Earth chuckles, but thankfully doesn't push it. Because in truth it wasn't a good dream. That incident sixty-six million years ago has permanently left a scar on Luna, right where his left eye is. Worst yet was they were out for months after the impact.
But, there was some good that came of it. Once they woke up from the coma the first thing he was met with was a teary eyed Earth frantically checking over them. In a reunion full of tears and celestial hugging, that was when Luna finally got to reveal his name. One Earth was readily able to accept, maybe it had to do with the whole sacrifice and then coma thing that his planet was all too accepting of the change.
That wasn't the only good to come out of the asteroid incident though. "Sorry for waking you up, just thought you'd like to watch your favorite sight as it begins." Earth has that knowing smile on his face. But they're willing to overlook it with what he knows he's talking about. The ammonite mating ritual.
With a squeak, Luna rushes over to see if they could find any spots already glowing. None yet, but with this closeness he can spot some dinosaurs roaming around. These ones are vastly different from the ones he remembered in his dream. Sixty-six million years ago had Earth in a warm period, almost his entire surface was tropical with almost no ice in the polar regions. But now that his planet is in a cold period, the lifeforms had to adapt to the climate change. Now the dinosaurs are almost entirely covered in feathers and fuzz, and smaller too. The change in size was the most startling, but as Earth explained the formation of grasslands, fruits, and flowers his earthlings had an easier time digesting things but also now had to learn to run fast with less coverage for hiding.
The dinosaurs Luna is watching are doing just that. Galloping through a grassland with it's herd. If he remembers right, this herd are descendants of the ancient dinosaur Triceratops. And then, right off the coast where the galloping herd is at, a soft glow shows up. With a gasp and a sparkle in their eyes, Luna watches enamored as the bioluminescent glow of the ammonites arrives. The two, a planet and a moon, watch with glee as the surface erupts in the glow of millions upon millions of lifeforms floating about in water, the soft blue able to be seen even from space.
Meanwhile, Mars watches the two off in the distance with a smile on his face. "You would be so proud of them, Proto." He whispers to himself.
"Who's Proto?" An unfamiliar voice says from the asteroid belt. Whipping around, Mars stands on guard. There's only one celestial being he knows that resides in the belt, and Ceres will not get him!
"Don't attack me now, Ceres!" He very bravely yells out. But the celestial object to peek out behind a small clutter of asteroids is not Ceres. Instead, his eyes land on a small green and orange spherical planet. No wait, not a planet, this is, "Titan?"