the protector (A Solarballs Story)

the story of the protector

“I can't sleep…” Naiad, one of Neptune’s moons said, “me neither” thalassa said “none of us can, even Triton can't” “Triton, Triton! Can you sing us the lullaby Neptune sang to us when he was still here?” S/2004 N1 asked “ugh..fine” Triton thought back, when he was accidentally pulled in by Neptune's gravity.

In the past

“Hey.. I'm sorry” Neptune said , Triton was finally giving up on escaping “it- its fine.."  " how about I sing you a lullaby.? It helps the other moons calm down” “it probably won't help, but sure..I guess” Neptune smiled

Sleep, little one, close your eyes

Your body's cooling with the night

Let your worries slip away

Tomorrow is a brand new day

Shimmering sun and midnight sky

Soft wind breathes its lullaby

Your dreams are here to set you free

The stars will bring you back to me

The stars will bring you back to me

As Neptune finished his song, Triton was asleep, he smiled and softly grabbed him, making sure not to disturb him, and put him with his other moons.

All of the moons are asleep , Triton wished Neptune was here, he always sang this song to them, maybe to have something to remember him by, when he went on his 165 year orbit… Triton's eyelids were feeling a bit heavy…then he fell asleep, not noticing a figure putting a blanket on him.

When he woke up, he told the others that he was going for a ‘run’..well as close one can when one is a sentient celestial body..  Then he ran into two of Jupiter’s moons, Callisto and IO. They wanted him and his siblings and the other moons to join a…revolution? They convinced him..

“Neptune ! You're back!” Neptune…he could see the hurt in his eyes when Triton said they were going to join the revolution, but Neptune still allowed them and said his goodbyes to each moon.  He shouldn't have done this, he hurt his father 

Too late to turn back
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Hah! Finally he is free of his siblings..why did he do this? those annoying attachments ! He was free..then he thought of his father Neptune…… “what am I doing..” he went to find the gas giants..

Where. Were. They? They are the biggest planets in the solar system, how could they disappear? Ugh whatever….wait is that? Yes! They might change everything.. at least,he hopes …

“Triton! Did you find them?” Callisto asked “no, but i found someone better” he answered revealing pluto and Charon.

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The revolution ended, Jupiter and Saturn were found, they were at the Kuiper belt for some reason. Jupiter decided to host a weekly therapy session after everything. Everyone had to go, including the moons.

“Neptune, it's time to go” Triton reminded his planet “oh, haha i must've lost track of time”  his father Neptune said

They were the last to arrive. “Now that everyone is here, last time was Saturn and his moons, now it's Uranus's turn.” Jupiter said, looking at Uranus. Uranus seemed nervous, “come on, you can do it” Neptune encouraged him, his father was always kind, even when he lost his mind.

“Ok, um, I hate, hate, HATE it when everyone calls me ur-anus, my name is pronounced ura-nis. They see me just as a- a discount Saturn it's not fair!” oh..that..was an outburst..huh, Neptune doesn't seem fazed, has Uranus told him before?

“Uh sorry man..” Venus said, everyone said sorry too… Uranus's moons said uh.. something.. Triton zoned out at this point, focusing on his siblings   the others, they were almost sleeping, sigh, they were like little children, maybe they are.

“.. Neptune's turn!” Jupiter said, snapping Triton back to reality. “Pft Neptune doesn't have any trauma or troubles” Venus said, and everyone agreed with him. “I'm not even sure he knows what's going on” Saturn said, looking at Neptune, who was talking to.. no one?

“ Other than getting sucked in to Neptune’s gravity, i don't have anything, but I can tell you a story” “sure, go ahead” Jupiter said, Triton breathed in and took off his sunglasses.

Once upon a time, there was a planet with a beautiful navy blue colour, this planet was called the protector, after his partner was ejected out of the solar system, the protector was forced to protect everything by himself. The protector was larger than Jupiter, his songs filled with magic. His weapon was a bright shining trident , made out of the dust of his dead enemies.

“Damn that sounds so cool!” Earth said excitingly. “Right?” Luna said ‘oh no , this story is about planet X isn't it, but who is ‘the protector’? I have no recollection of this planet, if it were larger than me i must've seen him right?’ Jupiter thought “let me finish the story please” “sorry”

One day, a planet from another universe came to take over. This planet was called the iris.

“That..name it sounds familiar….” Mars said, all of the others agreed, the name brought a felling of dread

The iris was a corrupted planet, its surface was flesh-like, its moons warped and corrupt. It had an interest in the then beautiful Venus, who was filled with life, literally.

“What..?” Venus didn't believe it no wonder he had a familiar sinking feeling about it's name “i.. remember now…iris was a bad planet, seeking out planets who had life.” Jupiter said, he still couldn't remember who defeated the iris though..

It found a blind spot in the protector’s orbit, and tried to corrupt Venus, it almost succeeded, it had ripped Venus of his life and made his surface toxic, but the protector dragged the iris out off Venus's orbit.

“it was the one who made me lose my life?!” Venus said, furious “calm down, Venus! You can be angry later” earth said “fine….”

They fought and the protector fended the iris off but at what cost? Venus lost his life to what he thought was his natural atmosphere. The protector was devastated, he had been ripped apart by the iris. He was condemned to a life of suffering and pain.

“Awh, poor protector..” Saturn said

But

Despite it all, the protector refused to live like that, he split his conscience in two he put one part, the one with the suffering, in his trident, while the other, happier part in his body.

“The protector is very strong and brave” Titan said, he was the first moon, other than Triton, to speak

After that he exhausted his power to lock away everyone's memories of the iris, including his, this action had consequences. His form became that of a small gas giant. He still holds some of his memories, not all hope is lost

“Wow, that was auch a good story!” sao said “who is the protector?” mercury asked “uh well-” “i think i know..” Uranus said “who is it?” Triton asked “shouldn't you know?” Venus looked at Triton skepticaly “no .. Neptune told me this story” “uhm anyway i think the protector is-” “..me…”  “Neptune? What-” Neptune raised his hand and summoned a trident, the trident, it looked majestic, it had a carving of a symbol ‘♆’ how beautiful.

Neptune grabbed it and broke it in half and all the memories flood back..

Neptune's size grew, his trident returned to him the symbol glowing brightly.

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