Pluto’s revenge | Story by Yashnashree, 9, Bangalore

In the dark, inky sky, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

 

Earth was ill. He kept looking at himself. Noticing something, all the planets gathered around him.

Jupiter remarked, “You are so…..”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Earth interrupted, “…strange.”

 

Mercury stood up and said, “We know why you are ill.” 

 

“It is because your surface is being cooled to form the crust,” said Venus. Jupiter reminded everyone how Earth was made from colliding rocks and how it used to be flaming red. 

 

Soon, Earth shrieked out in agony. 

“Why are you shouting?” asked Uranus. “Something just clawed at me,” yelled poor Earth painfully.

“Woah! Yellow substances are forming on his blue platform, and they are very tiny. Look at those things bobbling in and out of the water,” announced Neptune excitedly.

 “I think I am getting a new life within me, ” said Earth.

 

Chapter -1 :The Alien

Soon, life was created, and there was happiness on Earth. After a few days, it was announced that Pluto was a dwarf planet. Everybody started teasing him, as unlike Earth or any other planet, he didn’t have life or destruction. Pluto was their best friend, but not now.

 

An unhappy Pluto, sadly, was never seen. He went into deep meditation and never woke up. 

 

The other planets enjoyed swinging around in full force on their orbits. Suddenly, they heard a deafening commotion. Behind them, there was a bullet-shaped thing coming out of the Earth’s atmosphere. It was a rocket. 

 

The rocket was very loud. It landed on the Earth’s moon. Out came a four-legged thing with a body and a wet nose. It kept sticking its tongue out. What was that?

 

Then the creature came up to the planets and uttered, “I am Laika, the first creature to go to space. I am here to understand what is space. Can you give me a tour?” 

 

Earth smiled at Laika, “I am Earth, the planet that you live on. I am so happy that you are here.”  But Laika was not used to the new conditions and could not survive for too long. Everyone was sorrowful about her passing. 

 

 

Chapter 2 – The Comet’s Tail

One day, Earth saw a colourful comet streaking across the sky. It was Halley, the comet. It was his favourite comet, but he was not in the mood as he was dejected about Laika’s passing. Suddenly, he felt the urge to travel and held the comet’s tail. He was pulled further and further away from the solar system. He loved flying on the comet but when he was riding it, someone took him away.  It was a maroon ghost hidden behind a mask. 

 

 

Chapter 3- A Kidnapping 

 

Earth fainted, and when he woke up, he found himself in a pitch-dark prison. Suddenly, Earth understood where he was. He was in a black hole, a dangerous one. Outside the prison, he saw the Leo star, then the Pegasus star, and a Corvus star.

 

Earth understood immediately. It told him to be courageous like a lion, peaceful like a pegasus (immortal horse), and intelligent like a corvus (raven). Then came an Orion, and Earth beamed at it. It was a question. It was asking whether Earth had a weapon, but he did not. 

 

Just as he thought Orion would help him escape, Scorpius and Hydra began to battle with Orion. Earth was bursting with questions. Who was this masked planet who had kidnapped him and why? 

 

Chapter 4: The Biggest Mystery

 

The masked creature came to the black hole and said, “I am the biggest of all, and no one can defeat me.” Earth thought for a while. Earth studied his features. He was colossal, towering, there was something familiar about him. 

 

Unknown to Earth, this stranger was none other than his former best friend, Pluto. It all started when Pluto was called a dwarf planet and pushed out of their group of planets. Pluto was so upset that he was out to get revenge. 

 

In acrimony, his eyes turned red with exasperation, and his mouth tightened in a sour expression.One day, Pluto saw a shooting star.  In a fraction of a second, he swallowed it, and a moment later, in a thunderclap, he burst open and became gigantic. 

 

Then he decided to kidnap Earth as revenge for the way he was treated. 

 

Chapter 5:The Furious Duel

 

“I, Earth, hereby challenge you to a duel. If I win, you will reveal yourself.”

 

The suspicious-looking planet snickered. ‘’You? You think you pungy-looking planet can defeat me?”

 

The masked creature brought out two comets from his back. Earth was not going to give up, even though he did not have any weapons.

 

Earth rummaged through the mud on his lands and brought out a Pachycephalosaurus bone and struck it on the masked creature. The creature shook his limbs for a minute and threw both comets at the Earth. Earth ducked and jumped on the rope that he had seen inside the black hole. The masked creature began to chase him. 

 

Earth, who was drenched in sweat as he rapidly swung and swung with his last chance of breathing, took the dinosaur bone and flung it at the masked creature. Suddenly, the masked creature fell, and his mask came undone. It was an opportunity to see the culprit. Earth held his breath. It was the dwarf planet Pluto.

 

Pluto looked straight into the eyes of the Earth, terrified. The truth had been revealed. In a flash, Earth got up and left, stung by the betrayal.

 

Chapter 6: Humbly, but the Truth

 

“Stop right there.” The sun was up and doing his work. He was a traffic policeman. His sons, the planets, had built their own road, and nobody trespassed on it. The sun had a heated argument with Pluto. 

 

“Please show your ticket before you go to my son Earth’s house.” 

 

Pluto stated, “My friendship with Earth is the ticket to life. Can I please enter? I hope that you understand my agony with Earth. We are best friends who fought but I now want to make it up to him.” 

 

The sun emotionally wiped his tears and said, “You can go.” Pluto reached Earth’s house and revealed that he was jealous of Earth because he had a lot of responsibilities to do and did not care to meet him. 

 

They both said sorry to each other and became friends again.  

                                          …………

Meanings

Constellation – A group of stars.

Pegasus– Horse constellation.

Leo – Lion constellation, one of the brightest stars in the night skies.

Corvus– Crow or raven constellation.

Hydra – Hydra, the water snake, is the largest constellation in the night skies.

Scorpius– Scorpion constellation. It is a large star much bigger than the sun.

Orion- Orion, the hunter, is one of the easiest constellations to spot. It is in the shape of an H.

Pachycephalosaurus- Dinosaur