The Iris (a Solarballs story)

Chapter 10

"Sun! Please!"

Mercury and Venus had split up after a quite awkward journey on the way back. It was obvious that Venus was heartbroken and Mercury had a mixed feeling of sadness and shock overflowing his body. He couldn't have thought something like this to happen, especially to Mars. To Mercury, Mars was the rocky planet who he respected the most. He was the most knowledgeable out of them all (due to orbiting Jupiter since the beginning of them all) and though Venus and Earth teased him for being the smallest, he never really joined in and always apologised for their behaviour afterwards. Hell, he even managed to convince Venus and Earth to be much nicer to him and let him join their card games. After all, they were the rocky planets, he said, and they needed to stick together. But now... Mercury can't even think what would happen if all of those times with him would become memories...

Venus told him to inform the Sun about this strange creature and what it has done so far but Sun said he wasn't going to help. Mercury was absolutely disgusted and demanded an explanation but Sun kept his back turned to him and only said,

"I am sorry, Mercury.."

Mercury felt a stream of water leaking from his eyes. No matter how many times the Sun had shot a solar flare at him, screamed at them for doing something wrong and teaching them crazy lessons, he still believed, no, he thought he knew that Sun would protect them when a time like this came. This would be the time when Sun would swoop into save his planets but no... and now, Mercury trust was ripped apart like it was a piece of paper. That was trust, after all. Useful to have but easy to break.

Mercury couldn't even bear to look at him now and even stay close to him. He turned his back to the Sun and whispered, loud enough for the Sun to hear though,

"I hate you.."

With that, he flew off. The letter that Sun was holding was now sprinkled in water as he burned it. "I hope you will forgive me, one day.."

~~~

Earth hugged his brother, who was shaking and crying in his chest. He had no idea what happened but he assumed it wouldn't be good. He thought, instead of asking Venus, who was definitely not the best person to ask right now, he would ask Mercury when he came back from his visit to the Sun. Well, that was his second priority, the first was to calm his brother down.

He held his brother tighter to him, whispering in his ear that he was there for him, he would understand what he was upset about and how much he loved him.

"G-god, I-I feel s-so p-pathetic-c.. I'm s-such a b-baby.." Venus managed to stumble out.

"No Venus, you aren't. You are one of the strongest planets I know. Do you know another thing that makes a planet strong? Is that they let out their feelings and so by doing this, you aren't weak, you are even stronger."

This seemed to calm Venus down as he regained his breaths and let Earth go, warning him to not utter a word of this to anyone.

"Of course, Venus! Why would I do such a-"

"Where's mum?" Phobos demanded, holding his teary brother in his arms.

"Y-yeah! I miss mum!" Deimos backed up.

Earth and Luna looked at Venus, they too were also curious what had happened to their friend. Venus felt like he was about to collapse, how in the universe was he going to explain the state Mars was in, especially to Mars' moons. Luckily, Mercury came in and with a dull voice he said,

"Go to Jupiter.."

The four didn't even stop to question Mercury's state as they rushed towards the gas giant on the other side of the belt.

Venus looked at Mercury, concerned, and asked,

"What happened with the Sun?"

"I don't want to talk about it.."

"He said no?"

"..."

The silence gave the answer that Venus didn't wish for. He, himself, couldn't believe it. Sure, he wasn't as close to the Sun as Mercury but he knew him very well. Sun was even there when he... he didn't want to think about that memory again. It was over. He had to get rid of it. to focus on the present and what we have to do now. He looked at Mercury and gave him a tight squeeze.

Mercury was surprised at first but took the embrace. He and Venus used to get on very well, they were practically inseparable, in the past but after Venus' life got destroyed, everything changed. He would not dwell on it now.. the past is the past, right, even if it was just a couple of days before it ended. To be honest, Venus had been treating him much better, Mercury guessed he just needed someone to blame. After all, losing life is not easy.

"Come on, pipsqueak.. let's go to the others now.." Venus told Mercury as he let go of him and starting heading to the Asteroids Belt. Only once they got there, Earth started screaming at him.

"WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK IS THIS, VENUS? MARS IS- OH MY GOD!"

Mars' moons seemed to be crying uncontrollably in unconscious Mars' arms. Jupiter managed to bandage him up and he shoved Luna and Earth out of the way to see him.

"How is he?" Venus asked Jupiter.

"Don't you dare just-" Earth started but was interrupted by Luna who told him that it was obvious Venus was upset too because he couldn't even tell him that Mars was in this state. With that, Earth seemed to calm slightly down and then look up at his dad and say,

"Well dad.. answer Venus' question. How is my best friend?"

"He's alive and he will get better.." Jupiter told them, which gave all of them a sigh of relief, "But he is weak and with this violent celestial being around, he needs some planet to stay with-"

"I'll do it!" Venus volunteered.

"Well then, that's-"

"Venus?"

~~~

This didn't take me as long as the rest of the chapters surprisingly. Guess, I just had all the words printed out in my head! Anyways, thank you so much for all the reads and support you are giving me!

Also, special announcement, I kind of need a better cover for this book so if anyone likes art, could you please make one for me? I swear, I will give you credits and take the time you need.

Signing off,
Pirate Elvrinda🌙