A Brother’s Search

Outside, it was -3 degrees Celsius; snow covered everything. Inside, smoke was escaping from a coffee mug and forming various forms in the air before disappearing. David, a senior scientist at NASA headquarters, was busy sending out emails to his team. Scientists were busy doing their daily tasks. All of them were completely unaware that something big was about to happen today… something that would forever alter the books…

Jupiter was anxious about his younger brother because he had not seen him in a long time — a cosmic event known as the Great Shift had recently occurred, which disrupted Pluto’s orbit. Pluto distanced himself from the rest of his family following that incident. The other planets tried to persuade Jupiter that Pluto was all right. He informed Neptune before departing on his journey to explore the freezing zones of the solar system. As the eldest, Jupiter loved the youngest the most, and no amount of solace could help him relax.

Jupiter decided to go after Pluto in search of him. He asked his siblings if they wanted to participate in the search, but everyone had reasons for not coming with Jupiter. Mercury was busily orbiting the sun. Venus was enamored with her mirror-like clouds and was busy adoring them. Earth was busy caring for her inhabitants. Mars was too self-centered to acknowledge that he missed Pluto. Saturn was the sluggish one, unwilling to leave her cozy rings. Uranus was too rebellious to listen to Jupiter’s plan. Neptune was too dreamy and absorbed in his own world.

Jupiter felt hurt by the lack of support from his siblings. That day, he realized that his siblings did not adore Pluto as he did. He boarded the only family spaceship and set off in the hopes of reuniting with his youngest brother. He looked for Pluto everywhere, from the asteroid belt to the Kuiper Belt, but failed to find him. He inquired of each comet and meteor that crossed his path, but none of them had seen Pluto. He started to lose hope and assumed he would never see Pluto again.

He returned heartbroken and frightened. After a few days, he observed something faint too far away. He was full of hope and took it as a sign from Pluto. He got on the family spaceship and followed the light. As he got closer, he realized it was simply a freshly formed comet consisting of the debris of distant objects. Jupiter found the comet too gorgeous, as it left stardust behind. He unintentionally started following the stardust.

As he approached the comet and attempted to communicate with it, he received a severe jolt. Jupiter’s rotation became uncontrolled after the comet crashed into him. He tried to restore equilibrium, but it was too late. He had been knocked off his route and was heading towards the sun.

Jupiter began crying for rescue, with the hope that his siblings could hear him. But they were too far away, and there were no more spaceships left to come. He did not want to become a feast for the sun. He wished he had not left his family, searched for Pluto alone, or chased the comet. But still, he wanted to meet Pluto one last time and tell him how much he loved him.

He closed his eyes and waited for his end. Suddenly, he felt the support that helped him stabilize. He opened his eyes and saw Pluto standing in front of him, smiling. He looked the same as always: little, round, and adorable.

“Pluto? Is that you? “Where have you gone?”

Jupiter was stunned and did not believe his eyes. He held Pluto and felt his chilly but soothing touch.

“Pluto, I missed you so much! I thought I had lost you forever!” Jupiter exclaimed.

Pluto returned the hug warmly.

“Jupiter, I missed you, too! I am sorry; I left the house without informing you. I wanted to discover the other empires in the Solar System. I was curious to know what they were like. But I always thought of you and the entire family. I have always wanted to come back.”

“Little! “How did you save me?” Jupiter inquired.

Pluto smiled and pointed to the comet. The comet was actually a spaceship built by Pluto through the scraps of other celestial bodies.

“This is my spaceship, and I use it to travel across the solar system. And I rescued you with the help of this.”

Jupiter was astonished. He gazed at the comet; indeed, it was a spaceship that resembled a comet. There were motors, wings, windows, and doors. There was a large light on the rooftop. Jupiter noticed the stardust that was exhausted by it.

“That is amazing, Pluto! You are fantastic. I am extremely proud of your creativity.”

Pluto blushed and continued, “I am a planet that has a lovely brother like you. A planet who wants to return home.”

Jupiter smiled, nodded, and replied, “I agree, Pluto. Let’s go home.”

When they were about to board their spaceships, another similar-looking spaceship came. Both the spaceships were so identical that even Pluto did not know which was the spaceship that he created. When Jupiter asked about the other one, Pluto got confused and wrapped the situation by saying, as we are nine siblings, I created two similar spaceships so our other siblings can travel the cosmos and go for adventure.”

They each entered separate spaceships and began flying away from the nun. Pluto said, “Let’s start a race.”

Jupiter agreed. Pluto and Jupiter alternately took the lead. Both of them were having fun. A dust storm unexpectedly appeared. Jupiter looked back after passing it, but Pluto was no longer present. Jupiter felt uncomfortable, but the house was not far away, so he was not too worried.

As he approached his home, he asked about Pluto, who had failed to arrive yet. Everyone, including Jupiter, became concerned and began to wait, unaware that they would have to wait forever. Because the other spaceship was manufactured by aliens who came to kidnap Pluto forever.

Young 12th graders just won a football match and were going to celebrate in a neighboring restaurant. A student was watching the trending news on his phone:

Pluto has exited the solar system. It is no longer a planet in the solar system.

While crossing the road, a car hit that student so hard. He fell; there was blood everywhere, and his eyes were closing. Before he died, all he heard was his friends yelling his name, “Pluto! Pluto!”

Disclaimer: The story has already been published on other platforms.