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It was quiet.
Well, to be fair, it was always quiet whenever Dark was in control. He only got to pilot their body while Luna rested, the Solar System doing the same as it took a small break from the constant chaos and drama (which, frankly, Dark found incredibly exhausting from even just watching through Luna's eyes), recovering from whatever stunt they last pulled, and bracing for the next one.
But Dark was used to the silence. In Luna's mind, while the other moon had control, Dark usually slept because he had nothing better to do. The sounds of the outside world trickled through their shared connection, a steady stream of emotions rolling through their mind and giving Dark some sort of input to latch onto. But normally he blocked it out, cherishing the brief amounts of tranquility he was given.
It was all for him. Something Dark could own and keep all for himself. He barely had anything to his name–a few moments of consciousness, threatening Titan that one time (who probably forgot about it after everything that went down. Dark wouldn't be surprised. That's one thing he's good at: being forgettable), weird, strange dreams where he's seeing the world through someone else's eyes, younger versions of the planets crossing through his vision–but this, the time where Luna slept and Dark fronted, gave him something that made him special.
He treasured the few, precious moments he got.
It was almost ironic that while Dark lavished in his peace and quiet, utter, constant chaos ran rampant throughout the Solar System.
But, eh whatever, he literally could not care less about what was happening in the outside world (unless Luna let him take control…which was almost never. Not anymore), as long as Luna didn't die he could do whatever he wanted. Occasionally, Dark cared enough to spare some of his attention on watching the Solar System like one of the soap operas Earth dragged Luna (and subsequently Dark) to watch, but most of the time he couldn't be bothered to care.
Dark sighed, a heavy, exhausted groan rumbling from his throat, shifting slightly as Earth's gravity tugged on them. Ew. Ugh, stars above how did Luna deal with this all the time?! The connection between Earth and Luna (and Dark)–the connection that all planets and moons had–wrapped around Dark's core like a rope, squeezing it like a trap confining him here.
He was always trapped. Always and forever because of the stupid universe deciding to make them two moons in one. Two for the price of one–so fun!
Not.
Dark was a moon, which meant he was tied to Earth (a planet he could barely stand on a good day), stuck orbiting around the planet with Life. Sure, maybe he could move, if he knew how. But he didn't. Because Luna decided to selfishly hoard all the time in control of their body, so Dark never learnt how to move around using his gravity.
If he did, then he would've ran away a long time ago.
But Luna's greed stole that away from Dark, giving him yet another way he was trapped here. A prisoner shackled to his own mind. Amazing, Dark thought bitterly, gritting his teeth together as his permanent scowl deepened, just amazing. Why would he get an easy life? Why would he ever get to have something good for once?
Not like he cared. Because he didn't. It's just very annoying to not be able to choose anything for yourself. No matter how much he tries, he can't move, can't escape, can't be set free from this eternal prison.
This was his life.
Anger rolled through his mind like thunder, tainted by frustration and the eternal grudge he held against Luna. He could've had a life outside these walls of his mind! He could've been able to move around and do what he pleases, breaking the shackles keeping him grounded here in the first place.
He wanted to be free.
If only Luna thought the same.
"They won't understand!" Luna cried, pacing back and forth so fast it made Dark dizzy, his quick steps echoing throughout their shared mindscape. A frown deepened the scowl already plastered across his face, Dark's expression falling as he crossed his arms over his chest, watching Luna wildly gesture around, "Do you know anyone else who has this? Who's like us?"
Ugh…
With a frustrated huff, Dark shook his head.
"Exactly." Luna stopped pacing, pivoting around on his heels to face Dark, wringing his hands together while his grey eyes pinched with an anxious glint, "We have no idea how they will react. I just got us on good terms with the planets–we're playing Solarcards together! And I…I don't want to ruin that." Luna ran a hand through his tousled hair, gaze roaming around the darkness of their minds and pointedly ignoring Dark's souring expression, "We'll just wait a little longer, I'm sure a time will come where it'll be perfect to bring it up, but…"
"Not now," Dark finished, the tiny, blooming flower of hope in his core dying as an icy darkness took hold of his mind. Of course. Of course Luna would say that! It's always, "just wait a little bit" or, "there's too much going on right now" or, "it's not the right time," excuse after excuse after excuse delaying Dark's introduction.
He was starting to think it would never happen.
Luna nodded sharply, a smile crinkling his eyes and making Dark want to punch him so badly, "Yeah. It's for the best, you understand, right?"
Ignoring the pained ache stabbing in his chest, Dark just grit his teeth and nodded.
Luna could never understand.
He had everything Dark wanted. He took the life Dark deserved, living it up playing silly little card games with the planets and going to the stupid Moon Club meetings (Dark could barely stand being around the other moons. Some of them he tolerated, but if Dark ever got control while Ganymede was near him, you bet your core a fight would break out faster than you could say, "stars above!"), all while Dark was forced to watch.
It was a sick joke the universe decided to play on him. A cruel twist of fate, leaving him to witness the life he could have every day through the eyes of another.
Resentment seethed in his mind, sharp jealousy stabbing his core like hot knives. Why was Luna allowed to control his life? Why was Luna allowed to choose that for him, stealing the rights he had to his own autonomy. Dark is here too–he's a part of the Solar System and thus entitled to a life in it!
But he'll never get it.
Not while Luna stayed terrified of what could happen if his existence got revealed, obsessing over every single worst case scenario so much it drove Dark crazy. And since the thoughts were so loud and strong and wouldn't stop, he couldn't block them out like the normal ones, the never-ending string of input crashing over him like the waves in Earth's huge oceans. And the most frustrating thing was how Luna's anxiety rubbed off on Dark, infecting him with the same, paranoid thoughts and leaving him annoyingly hesitant on taking control of his life for once and for all.
A loud, snorting breath cut through Dark's bitter trail of thoughts, annoyance thrumming in his core as Earth's rumbling snores rose into the air. Great. Just great. There goes his nice peace and quiet, the only thing he could enjoy in his accursed life. Earth just had to go and be the center of attention. Just like always.
Stupid, self-centered, annoying planets.
He's always hated them. They're always so loud and obnoxious, getting in each other's business and being surprised when that explodes in their face, unnecessary drama popping up left and right. It was one of the reasons (that was his choice this time, not something Luna decided on) why Dark never wanted to talk to any of them.
And out of all the planets, Earth was the most aggravating.
Even now, while he was supposed to be deep in a sleep cycle after neglecting it for a couple rotations, he still managed to get on Dark's nerves. Stars above, it's like some kind of superpower! No matter where Dark went, what he did, Earth would always be there to ruin his mood.
Dark huffed out a sharp breath, opening his eyes and shifting ever so slightly to glare at the planet out of the corner of his vision. He couldn't face Earth directly–stars no, if Earth woke up and saw Dark controlling Luna's body all hell would break loose, and his wonderful peace and quiet would be compromised, along with the fragile balance they've managed to create.
(It wasn't a balance. It was more like a scale permanently tipped on Luna's side.)
But fine. Whatever. Dark can deal with a little strain for a moment, he's not that weak and pathetic. He's strong. He's super strong! He can take anything the universe throws at him. Could Luna do that? No! He would just cry and whine and spiral into a panic attack (something Dark could very much feel and would rather avoid the frustrating deal all together), too weak to handle the pressure.
But Dark can handle it. Dark's been handling it his whole life. Pressure makes diamonds, or whatever the saying is.
Dark blinked, narrowing his eyes to focus back on what he was doing, keeping one eye on his surroundings (he always had to be wary of the others whenever he had control. He couldn't afford to slip up and let them see him) as he glared behind him, shooting mind-daggers at the loudly sleeping planet.
Another snore erupted from Earth's form, and Dark couldn't do anything about it except scowl. Stars this is frustrating. In his begrudged promise to Luna about keeping their identity a secret, he promised not to talk to anybody else.
To be fair, it would be immediately obvious that something was up, with how Dark's low, rough voice contrasted Luna's far too much, let alone Dark's eyes!
He loved his pitch black orbs of sight, it gave him a threatening and intimidating aura when compared to the boring white eyes of all the other celestials (it's also another thing that made Dark special), but it was just so unfair! His eyes gave him away–his eyes made him different.
And being different, according to Luna, was something bad.
Luna said he has to comply with the Earth. Luna says they have to stay in their orbit. Luna says whatever Earth says, the pathetic moon's backbone practically non-existent. Stars above, it infuriated Dark how Luna copied anything and everything Earth did, barely batting an eye at the problematic things because, "Earth's our planet! He's just…a little misguided. These things happen, it'll be fine, it's not that big of a deal."
It was, in fact, a big deal.
But Luna didn't listen to Dark and just pushed him back to that corner of his mind, trapping Dark there like–like he was in time out!
But it's fine now. It's fine. He has control (and freedom too…even if it is limited. The "freedom" he had while being in control of their body was more or less just the chains loosening up, letting him jump and fly a little bit higher, only to be yanked back down to the ground when the chain went taunt, ripping away the delight he so deeply yearned for), and he should be enjoying it while he has it.
It will end soon–the time to himself, the brief moments of thrilling independence, everything that made the eternal, bubbling anger boiling beneath his surface momentarily settle down. He can feel it, a presence slowly stirring in the back of his mind, tugging on his core like the Earth's pull, only stronger. No, Dark grit his teeth, sending the thought as strong as possible to the other side of their mind, go away Luna. Stay asleep. The sleep cycle's not done yet and your lazy core needs all the rest it can get.
Ugh, he doesn't even know why he wants more time in control, like, it's not like he's doing anything! That's the entire point: Dark gets control, but can't do anything but sit there and wait for it to be over. It's annoying! And frustrating! And so, so, so unfair.
But every time he brings it up to Luna, he gets shot down. Again and again and again, over and over, every time coming to the same conclusion and nothing changes.
Dark could very easily just go against Luna's wishes and just rip the–
"Luna?" A loud, sleepy yawn snapped Dark out of his thoughts, his core skipping a beat as he froze, "You awake yet?"
…
Shoot!
No. Nope. Nuh uh. No, no, no, no, no. Stars-dammnit!
Please no. Anything but this. He's not equipped for this kind of a situation. Normally Luna would be the one to wake up first, snapping awake and rubbing his eyes, stealing back the control of their body with a big, yawning stretch. He would be the one to greet Earth as he woke up, dealing with the planet and everything as Dark retreated into the depths of his mind.
Not this. Never this.
"Luna!" Dark called out in his mind, clenching his eyes shut and forcing his body–that annoyingly wanted to twitch and move with the anxious energy buzzing in his ears–to stay still like he was still asleep. Hopefully it looked believable enough. "Luna, you lazy bum, wake up. Earth's awake and it's your turn to be in control now."
Nothing.
The pressure in the back of his mind barely rippled, ignoring Dark's frantic calls (he''s not begging. Dark doesn't beg. Ew. No, he's demanding in an aggressive manner. And if Luna doesn't show his sorry core soon–) and leaving him all alone to deal with it himself.
Wow. Thanks a lot Luna.
Frustration bubbled just beneath his surface, tinged with a panicked edge to it, his thoughts racing far too fast to keep track of all of them. Stars above, what does he do?! Luna won't wake up, but he's normally the one to deal with this. His only instruction for Dark when they were in control was, "Don't abuse our body, don't reveal yourself to anyone, and don't interact with anyone else unless I'm present," and their stupid planet was making that a lot harder to follow.
What does he do? What can he do?
Hmm…should he just fake being asleep and hope Earth takes the hint and leaves them alone? Ugh, no. The planet would never do something like that. He's far too annoying and far too stubbornly insistent on doing everything in his power to piss off Dark.
It was working, by the way. Dark could feel the tension in his body grow, teeth grinding together as his shoulders hiked up. His entire body felt like it was a spring tensing up, just waiting for the right moment to release and explode outwards. No. No, come on. You have to do this. Fake being asleep–you can lie! Lying is easy! You can't let them see. You can't let them know.
"Luna~" Earth's annoying, sing-songy voice attacked Dark's ears like nails on a chalkboard, sending a strike of panic cutting through his mind. Gah, no. Nope. Stop it. Shut up. Shut up, stars-dammnit! He's not who Earth thinks he is. He's not the one Earth loves.
He's not Luna.
He can never be Luna. He can never be normal. He's not the one you think he is so–so just go away!
Please.
It would be easier for both of them if Earth just stopped now. Before they crossed a line they could never go back on.
The pressure around him increased (both metaphorically and literally), the tell-tale feeling of Earth's gravity expanding outwards–invading. Taking over. Controlling–tingling across his surface like little knives stabbing his skin. No. No! For stars' sake, can Earth not take a hint?! Is he really so dense that he can't see how his moon did not want to be around him at the moment?
Or was he just dumb. Yeah, that's probably the right answer. Dumb dumb stupid Earth, too dense to listen to anything anyone ever–
Touch.
Oh no.
Big hands brushed against his shoulders, tugging gently on him with the softness of familiarity.
All the whirling thoughts racing through his mind suddenly stalled–someone else. Close. DANGER. RUN–and despite his best efforts to conceal it, Dark's entire body froze up. His back went rigid, body clenching together as a small gasp escaped his lips. No. No! Dammnit, Dark! Dammnit Earth! Dammnit Luna, why can't you just wake up?!
His surface tingled, pinpricks of fire dancing across where Earth's hands lay on his shoulders, core hammering in his ears and pounding so hard he swore it would jump right out his chest. The loud, racing thoughts picked back up (his own thoughts, not Luna because he was still sleeping in the back of their mind), screaming shrill, terrified cries as they fought against every move Earth was making, No. No, no, no. Go away! Stop it! Earth you stars-damnned idiot, use your thick head for once! Back off!
Earth did not back off.
Because Earth was a big dummy who couldn't read minds.
The planet's vast, suffocating gravity snaked its way around Dark, trapping him under its hold and squeezing, driving the rest of his air out of his lungs. His core clenched tighter–like a rubber band was wrapped around it, the knot in his chest rising to his throat. He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't escape.
Utter chaos ran through his mind, thoughts practically screaming bloody murder as they begged and pleaded to fight back and run and just do something! He needed to fight back. He needed–he needed Earth to go away. He needed…
He needed Luna.
The pressure rose in his throat, closing off what little air supply he had left. His lungs strained for air, and between that and the sensation of touch exploding across his body (crushing gravity, arms closing in on him, trapping him), the bad energy vibrating beneath his surface swelled, pressing against his skin like it was trying to escape.
He…was he going to explode?!
Oh stars. Oh stars this is not good.
It sure felt like it. It sure felt like he was going to explode. It felt like he was being stretched at the seams, pulled apart in a giant game of tug o' war. Every new sensation–every strange, horrible sensory input–shoved its way into his mind all at once, demanding his attention and making Dark very aware of his entire body.
He could feel his skin. He could feel the greasiness of his hair. He could feel the permanent exhaustion sunk into his eyes. He could feel Earth's hands gripping his shoulders tighter, dragging Dark back into certain doom.
Doom. Doom. Doom.
He was doomed. He was going to die. They were going to find out. This was it. This was the exact thing Luna told him not to do. And he didn't even do anything! It was all Earth's fault! Everything was. Everything has been, is, and will always be Earth's fault.
Stupid planet.
"C'mere Luna…" Earth's voice echoed in his mind, bouncing off the walls and sending his mind into a frenzied panic. Nope! NOPE!!! He's not coming anywhere. He's not Luna. He's not the one Earth loves. So just let him go. Just let him go and everything will be okay and fine and nobody will get hurt.
Dark bit his lip to keep it from trembling, the metallic tang of blood only adding to the storm of sensations, hyperaware of the arms inching their way across his surface. Everywhere Earth's hands went, a wildfire raged across Dark's skin, fire leaping and dancing and burning.
He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to lash out and run far, far away from here.
But Dark couldn't do any of that.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't stop it.
All he could do was continue being a prisoner in his own mind, trapped and utterly useless as his worst nightmare became reality.
Waves of panic struck through his core, Earth's arms wrapping around Dark and pulling him against the planet, the moon feeling far more prone and vulnerable than he was comfortable with. He's never–it's never been like this before. He's never been this close to Earth. He's never wanted this. He hated this. He hated this so, so, so much.
Earth's chest pressed against his back, the planet's giant, looming form enclosing around Dark as all he could do was sit there. Big arms surrounded his body, wrapped around his chest like prison bars keeping him trapped. No, please. Please he can't–it's too much. Stop it. Wild, feral instincts ran rampant throughout his mind, shrieking and howling against the confines Earth had him in, and Dark barely restrained back the urge to bite the closest thing he could find.
A low rumble–a growl? A threat? Was Earth going to kill him? Did he know? No, no, how did he know?!–erupted from Earth's throat, vibrating Dark's back where it touched Earth's chest. The sound rang in his ears, just adding to the chorus of chaos and panic raging in Dark's mind.
He felt far too exposed. Like his surface had been stripped down to its core and he could be shot down at any given moment. He can't handle this. He can't do this. Luna was right. Dark should've never doubted him. Dark wasn't ready for the real world.
"Luna…"Dark pleaded, biting back the pressure building behind his eyes…"Luna please. Please, I can't do this. You were right, okay?! Wake up. Take control. Just get me out of here."
A heavy arm moved, Dark's skin still burning even as the touch lifted, tiny fires licking up and down his surface, buzzing in his ears and making everything too hot. Wherever the arm went, it was lost to Dark, as he still had his eyes clenched shut. The darkness was the only thing keeping him from going crazy. He will not open his eyes. No matter what. Not now. Not when danger lurked right behind him.
The pressure in the back of his mind spiked for a split second (and it took Dark a second to realize that it wasn't just another side-effect of Earth's stupid idea making his stupid body panic), the tell-tale presence stirring. Oh stars, yes. Yes. Please. Relief sagged his tense shoulders, body practically melting as he breathed out a sigh–actually being able to breathe this time. Ugh, finally. Took you long enough.
He heard the quiet yawn echo in his mind, and saw the grey figure appear, blinking away the leftover residue of sleep. In their shared mindscape, Luna looked up to where Dark knew he could see into the outside world, his eyebrows scrunching together in concern.
"…Dark? What–what's happening?"
"Luna! For stars' sake, you sure took your time. Just take control! Now!"
"Okay! Okay! I am!"
The pressure in his mind expanded, growing larger and larger as Luna quickly took the reins. It pushed Dark back, into the darkness of his own mind, but he didn't care this time. Anything was better than being out there. Anything was better than having to deal with Earth's annoying touchiness.
Anything was better than having a body that panicked at the slightest feeling of touch.
In a blink of an eye, all semblance of control Dark had disappeared, slipping through his fingers as he retreated back into the darkness. The darkness was safe. Nobody could see him in the darkness. It was normal and he could be alone. The frenzied panic and fear that had overtaken his body was all but a memory, all the physical sensations were left with their body for Luna to deal with.
Dark sat down–ignoring the light and movement coming from the screen showing the world through Luna's eyes–wrapping his arms around his knees and buried his face in his arms.
Stars above, he should've listened to Luna. He was right. The outside world was cruel and horrible–why'd Dark ever think it was worth exploring?! It wasn't. It wasn't at all what he thought it was. Inside of their mind wasn't too bad. It was quiet and peaceful and he was alone but that was good.
For the first time in his life, Dark relished the isolation.
It was far better than being out there.
Dark shuddered, a shiver running up his spine as he just buried his face further into his arms. The memories of what just happened flashed through his mind, sending a bolt of panic striking through his consciousness with even just the reminder of what the horrifying outside world could do.
He's never going out there again.
Never, ever again.