TWs: Panic attack, getting attacked/asteroid bombardment. Stay safe :)

Uranus opened his diary, scanning the pages as he desperately searched for an answer he would never find.

'Ugh, of course- I've only had this thing for a few centuries.' He huffed, snapping it close, 'Nothing's going to be there except my depressing self-esteem and weird pining over the Earth.'

He let out a soft sigh, lightly pulling at the stardust around him as he transformed back to his normal planetary form.

'It's been a long day... I should sleep it off.' Uranus had gotten comfortable with sleeping on his side. He'd been doing it for as long as he could remember.

The Ice Giant paused as the thought passed by him.

When did he start sleeping on his side? He had just assumed it was because of his tilt.

His tilt? Uranus felt his core rumble from within him. When did he start tilting like this?

He couldn't recall.

'My axis, my tilt, my rings...' Uranus thought, 'Where did it all come from?'

He closed his eyes, trying to recall the events, trying desperately to remember everything from before.

His head pounded. His eyes hurt. The ringing became louder.

"...sin? Can... hear me?" A faint voice echoed in his ears as he felt someone else's gravity pull him in, "-anus? Hey...!"

Uranus forced his eyes open, wincing as the tears burned him, "N-Neptune...? I-Is that you, mate?"

"Uranus! I've been calling your name for minutes now- what happened to you?" Neptune frowned, his eyes scanning the other over.

"It's nothing. I'm just," Uranus paused, his eyes drifting, "going through a rough patch."

"Oh, well- if you need anyone to talk to... I'm here for you!" Neptune drew closer, encasing the other in a gravitational hug.

"Thanks, mate..." Uranus smiled.

"No problemo, cousin!" Neptune grinned, "Hey, you wanna go and meet my new friend?"

"Mmh, no thanks. I'm feeling a bit tired right now."

"Well, alright! Later then!" Neptune flew off into the Kuiper belt.

'I sure hope he knows what he's doing...' Uranus thought, 'Saturn and Jupiter sounded pretty serious about keeping away from X.'

« × »

'This is so boring...' Astrodude huffed as he looked out the window of his ship, "When they mentioned my mission was changed, I didn't think it was going to be this uneventful. Terraforming Mars was more fun! Now I have to watch a bunch of space debris."

"This space debris is unlike any other in the solar system." His computer spoke, "This debris has been tampered with recently."

"You mean an asteroid has been through here?" Astrodude raised an eyebrow.

"Not an asteroid- it was something much bigger, probably as big as one of the Gas or Ice Giants."

"A planet? Way out here?" Astrodude looked around, peering into the darkness, "Are you sure, computer? It could've been more than a few asteroids."

"I know what I'm talking about." The AI spoke.

"O-Okay... well, it's not like I can just go out there and scan them." Astrodude shrugged.

"On the contrary."

...

"Ugh, why am I doing this again?" Astrodude sighed as he tied the rope around his waist.

"Your boss sent you on a mission for alien lifeforms. This is just one of your many objectives."

"Right..." Astrodude pressed a button, the screen sliding down to cover his face, "I can do this. Just use this... thing that looks like a checkout scanner you see at a store, and leave. There's nothing to be scared of..."

He pushed the button for the doors, yelping as the zero gravity pulled him out. He fumbled with the controls, engaging his booster as he flew towards the scene.

"Let's see..." Astrodude pulled out the scanner, pushing the trigger as he scanned over the debris. He waited for it to load before looking at the small screen, "'Recently disturbed'... well, no sh-"

"Astrodude, I am detecting something." The computer spoke through the intercom.

"What is it this time?" He peered over his shoulder, "If it's SAR again-"

"No, this something is much bigger. You should get out of there."

Astrodude perked up. If the computer told him to retreat, then whatever the something was must be dangerous.

"Alright." The astronaut returned to the ship, closing the doors, and getting ready to take off. Before he did, he squinted and looked out the window.

"What are you waiting for?" The computer asked him.

"I want to see what it is."

"That's a terrible idea. Only a human like you would come up with it."

"Hey-!"

He nearly missed it, but out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a shadow zoom past.

"What was that?" He asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Before he knew it, he saw eyes as white as a ghost, and then-

"Warning; incoming asteroids!" The computer spoke as the ship's light flashed red.

Astrodude gasped as he maneuvered the ship around the flying rocks, then pulled the wheel up and twisted the ship around, going in the opposite direction. He kept his eyes on the monitors as he dodged the asteroids.

"Can't this ship go any faster!?" Astrodude yelled, tugging at the lever for the boosters.

"This is the same speed that a bullet travels." The AI spoke, "Incoming asteroid, go left."

Astrodude huffed, "What is this thing anyway!?"

"Identity is unknown to me; it appears to be a planet."

"What? Why would a planet attack us? Don't they know by now that I'm on their side!?" Astrodude frowned.

"This is not a planet that we've met."

"Ah, so maybe this is just a big misunderstanding and they're out of the loop on everything?"

The computer said nothing as the flashing lights stopped. Astrodude looked at the monitors.

"Is it gone...?" He muttered.

"It would appear so."

Astrodude let out a sigh of relief as he leaned back in his chair, "Thank goodness..."

"Hey, Astrodude!" A voice boomed over his ship, spooking him out of his chair.

"Wha- oh, uh... hey, you planets." He waved slightly as he saw Mars, Earth, and his moon.

"So, what you up to?" Mars asked.

"And please don't say terraforming planets," Earth spoke.

"Uh, nope, none of that- I have a new mission now." Astrodude smiled.

The trio waited for the human to say it. Mars drifted forward, "And...? What is it?"

"Well, it's a long story- I basically found lifeform on Titan, one of Saturn's moons, and it followed me on my ship, so I kept it in a jar, and then my computer crashed, and then I crashlanded on the Earth deep within the ocean- I thought I was on some alien planet since none of the creatures looked familiar, and so on, so on, I have a new mission now, bringing us to right now, or before this conversation, where I just had a run-in with a planet who threw asteroids at me." Astrodude rambled while Mars, Earth, and Luna looked on in shock and awe.

"Huh."

"Cool."

"What planet was it?" Luna asked.

"Oh, I don't actually know, not even the computer knows." Astrodude shrugged.

"Well, it wasn't one of us." Earth spoke, "Mars and I were playing cards."

"My computer said it was as big as a Gas or Ice Giant."

"Well, I saw Jupiter reading..." Luna mentioned, averting his gaze, "You can ask the others where they were."

"Maybe... later." Astrodude scratched his neck. He still wasn't used to the talking moons or planets. He wasn't too sure about talking to the Giants yet.

"We better go before the Sun sees us out of our orbits." Mars spoke, "Again..."

"Awh, well, it was nice seeing you, Astrodude!" Earth smiled, "Even if you tried to colonize my friend!"

"I keep telling you- I was ordered to do it!"

"Excuses, excuses...!" Earth shook his sphere, flying away.

"Earth, at least wait for me-!" Luna exclaimed, following him.

Mars sighed, muttering something under his breath. He peered at Astrodude, "I'll see ya around then."

The earthling watched him leave, his face holding mixed emotions, "Space is so freaking weird..."

« NOTE »

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