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ALTERNATE *SOLARBALLS (2022)* UNIVERSE 5118SOLARSYSTEM8115
SUNDAY, 1 JUNE 2008AZ:
Today marked the first anniversary of the Sun pulling almost everyone towards the Goldilocks Zone. Only the dwarf planets and their moons were free to roam around the Solar System, often visiting their siblings whenever they could. Yet this particular arrangement weakened the ice giants’ immune systems, causing heat-related illnesses.
On the flipside, Earth no longer relied on the Sun or Moon’s thermal and gravitational effects due to receiving artificial rotating sunlight and moonlight mystically powered by his core, creating proper heat transfers plus regular seasonal and day-night cycles. Not that he expected this to happen in the first place, but it gave him a colossal advantage.
Sol unfortunately knew this but still confined Earth to his orbit, also applying to the other planets and their satellites. Overall, the star didn’t care if his siblings were miserable. This is what they deserved, as he consistently reminded them. Helios figured their punishment would last a billion years regardless of potential collisions. It was the only way they’d learn their lesson.
Mercury’s surface hardened significantly due to cooler temperatures, Venus’ atmosphere thinned immensely as rain finally began to touch the ground, Earth remained unchanged (aside from his powers), Mars’ polar ice caps gradually melted, and the giant planets’ rings majorly dissolved. The second-largest planet was especially distraught by this phenomenon.
[SATURN]: (sniffling) M-My rings…they’re gone!
[HYPERION]: (exaggerated sigh) Oh lord, here we go…
[DIONE]: (hissing) Would it kill you to be more sensitive?!
[HYPERION]: (huffing) Like you actually care.
[TITAN]: Guys —
[HYPERION]: Rings are the least of our problems, mate. We have more important matters on our hands. We’ve suffered an entire year of this shit!
[TITAN]: (defeatedly) Look, I hate to say it—but the Sun already made up his mind. There’s no point in arguing with him.
[HYPERION]: (frustrated) So that’s it? We just give up? Well I don’t accept that!
[DIONE]: Then what’s your plan, genius?
[HYPERION]: Well I don’t see you coming up with anything!
[DIONE]: Right, like you’re gonna save us. What’s your size again?
[HYPERION]: Fuck you.
[TITAN]: Will you guys cut it out?! This isn’t going anywhere.
Their host star immediately turned to them.
[SUN]: (narrowed brows) You three wanna share with the class?
Dione and Hyperion were startled out of their petty quarrel.
[TITAN]: (small pupils) S-Sun! Uh…w-we were just —
[SUN]: (lowly) I warned you many times, Titan…if anyone dares to conspire against me, there will be consequences.
[ENCELADUS]: (eye roll) Aren’t we already being punished? What more could you possibly want?
[SUN]: (gritted teeth) A little thing called respect, which all of you clearly lack!
His oldest planet chuckled humorlessly.
[SUN]: Is something funny?
[JUPITER]: Yeah, actually. It’s just…you’re one to talk.
[SUN]: (bulging eyes) What??
[JUPITER]: (curtly) Respect is a two-way street. You never showed us any to begin with, so why should we?
[SUN]: (dangerously) Choose your next words very carefully, Jupiter.
[JUPITER]: (snorting) Or else what? You’ll shoot a solar flare at me? Go ahead. I don’t care anymore.
[SUN]: Oh really? How does eternal banishment sound? Is that better?
[JUPITER]: Honestly…why not? You already did it once, so…second time’s the charm, right? If I had a choice, I would’ve left a long time ago.
[SUN]: (demanding) So why didn’t you?
[JUPITER]: (gesturing to Earth) Why d’you think? His life was our main priority, remember? And now you’re jeopardizing it again.
[SUN]: NO! You will not fault me for this! If anyone’s to blame —
[JUPITER]: Nuh-uh—it’s you, Sun. It’s always been you, and you know it.
[SUN]: (crimson eyes) YOU FUCKING TWAT! HOW DARE YOU!
[JUPITER]: (furiously) How dare me?! Ever since I witnessed the first protoplanets crashing into each other, you’ve been nothing but cruel and selfish!
[SUN]: SELFISH?!
[JUPITER]: YEAH, I SAID IT!
[SUN]: FOR WHAT?! KEEPING YOU SAFE?!
[JUPITER]: WE ARE NOT SAFE!!
[SUN]: (shouting) Of course you are!!
[JUPITER]: (exclaiming) No we’re not!! If we stay in the same orbit, there will be massive collisions left and right! Is that what you want?! More deaths?!
[SUN]: Why would I want that?! Are you insane?!
[JUPITER]: Look who’s talking!
[SUN]: SHUT UP!!
[JUPITER]: NO!
[SUN]: NO?!
[JUPITER]: Face it, Sun! You care more about your fragile ego than actually keeping us safe! You don’t give a damn about order and stability! You never did! So why bother claiming it?! It’s a fucking lie!
[SUN]: Don’t talk to me about lies!
[JUPITER]: What, you thought I did it for no reason? That I was having fun?!
[SUN]: I don’t know!!
[JUPITER]: You sure about that?!
[SUN]: Fine then!! Tell me why!!
[JUPITER]: BECAUSE I WAS SCARED OF YOU, ALRIGHT?!
His younger siblings blinked rapidly at him, genuinely stunned by his admission.
[JUPITER]: (panting heavily) So yeah, I lied! ‘Cause I was so terrified of how you’d react! You could’ve murdered me for all I know! What else was I supposed to do?! Confess right away and face the possibility of dying by your hand?!
[SUN]: (warningly) Jupiter —
[JUPITER]: NO! It’s my turn now! You don’t get to talk anymore!
[SUN]: That’s not how it works —
[JUPITER]: Well it does now, so do me a favor and SHUT UP!!
This time, Sol matched his orbiters’ dumbfounded expressions as the older gas giant continued his rant, revealing his star’s hypocrisy by mentioning similar scenarios, particularly Proto and Theia’s deaths.
[SUN]: That was different! They willingly decided —
[JUPITER]: To die?! Are you kidding me?!
[SUN]: That wasn’t my doing! You have no idea how hard I worked to keep our system together!
[JUPITER]: Your hard work?! Yeah right! I did that! And so did Saturn! Not you!
[SUN]: Bullshit! Whose gravity is stronger?
[JUPITER]: That’s not what I meant!
[SUN]: Then elaborate!
[JUPITER]: Who actually welcomed them to our home instead of ignoring their existence ‘till they were ‘useful’? Who genuinely took time to know and spend time with them? Who gave them decent advice when they were confused or upset? Who comforted them from nightmares? Us insolent gas giants…or you?
[SUN]: Pfft! That’s…that’s not important! What matters is staying in your fucking orbits!
[JUPITER]: You mean following orders like mindless slaves?
[SUN]: (flustered) S-Stop twisting my words!
[JUPITER]: (irritably) Then admit you don’t care about us!
[SUN]: I…I refuse to acknowledge such a thing!
[JUPITER]: Well that’s too bad. Since Earth can handle his new mystic powers, why waste time arguing? I don’t need to stay here anymore. I’m done!
The other planets and their moons nodded instantly.
[SATURN]: Me too!
[URANUS]: Count me in.
[NEPTUNE]: I agree! Let’s go on a new adventure!
[PLANETARY MOONS]: Yeah!
[EARTH]: And hey—at least I still value Luna despite not having to physically rely on his tidal forces to stabilize my axis anymore. But I can’t say the same for you, Sun. You’re no longer useful to me, so I’m with Jupiter on this.
[LUNA]: (touched) Aw! Thanks Earth.
[EARTH]: (smiling) No prob!
[JUPITER]: (tiredly) C’mon guys—let’s go home.
[SUN]: (angrily) This is your home!
[JUPITER]: Not anymore. (facing planets and moons) Everyone ready?
[IO]: (cheerily) Aye-aye, captain!
[JUPITER]: (hoping) Earth?
[EARTH]: (nodding) Let’s do it.
[SUN]: (screeching) WHAT??!!
[MERCURY]: (disappointed) They’re right, Sun. This has gone too far. For billions of years, we’ve tried to understand you…but you didn’t do the same for us.
He inhaled and exhaled deeply.
[MERCURY]: Look—I know you feel hurt and betrayed that we constantly left our orbits, but we had good reasons to, yet you never once asked why. Instead, you refused to hear our side of the story and immediately jumped to drastic conclusions…because you never respected us to begin with.
The smallest planet squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before reopening them.
[MERCURY]: Respect goes both ways, and you failed. So we’re leaving—for good this time.
[MARS]: (frowning) The only reason we stayed was to protect Earth’s life, but we don’t need to do that anymore since he’s free now.
[VENUS]: (glaring at Sol) So goodbye and good riddance.
[MERCURY]: (sadly) Regardless of our choices—you’re still our brother and we love you. So we hope you’ll reflect on yourself and get better, but this is something you need to decide on your own. My advice? Find an interstellar therapist. I’m sure there are lots of licensed professionals nearby. You just gotta go faster than the speed of light to find them.
[JUPITER]: (scoffing) Good luck.
With that, the Sun’s orbiters (including the dwarf planets and their moons) permanently departed the Solar System, a place they once called home.