Mercury Falls

[I'm falling…]

[Me?]

[That's not possible…..]

<An original story by>

Chinerakorame

Skymission

The events of this novel are not related to any fictional or real events and characters.

<Chapter 1>

Mercury Falls

Urghh… I opened my eyes to see a blinding ceiling glow shining down on poor, light-sensitive me.

"She's awake!!" Someone cried out.

Will you shut up, man? I just want to sleep.. Wait.. I CAN'T MOVE. Why is it that my body will not answer to the call from its very controller?! Someone please flip me onto my side. My whole body aches right now. It would feel good, I'd appreciate it.

"Oh, never mind. She fell back asleep." The bed-side person commentated.

"But wasn't she awake just a few seconds go?!" Another voice came from further away.

"I don't know, she had her eyes open, and all of a sudden, they're closed again!"

"Is she dead? Check for breathing."

Someone's salty fingers waved under my nostrils. I snorted, holding my breath for dear life.

Go away. Please just let me sleep.

"SHE STOPPED BREATHING."

"HOW?!"

"I checked like you asked me to, felt a breath, then IT STOPPED. What do we do now? They will yell at me again if I don't bring her back alive…"

"Oh, shut it. She's fine. After all, four years have passed since she fell. We just have to wait."

I opened my eyes again, greeted by the shrill screeches of the two women who had turned to face me just as I 'awoke' for the second time. Turning, a girl with green, graduating to blue hair, with eyes that reflected every color, as well as a girl with a golden scythe-shaped strange hairstyle and purple eyes stared at me.

"W… Who…"

"She doesn't know how to talk anymore, Saturn, what will we do?!" The green-girl gasped.

"I DON'T KNOW, Earth, do something! Give her some water!" Strange-hairstyle roared.

"'Where's the water?!"

"DOESN'T YOUR PLANET HAVE 75% OF THAT?!!!?"

"Oh, sorry. Forget I asked."

With that, Green-Girl stood up and left the room. Alone with Strange-Hairstyle, I watched as she started to talk.

"So…-"

'I… Am not in the mood to talk.' Is what I wish to say. But as Green-hair mentioned earlier, I had no control over my body's functions. Therefore, the only action I could repeat became moving my mouth up and down while staring at Strange-Hair like a fish on its last dying breath.

"How do you feel?" Strange-hairstyle continued.

Fine then. Since you can't see my disastrous state right now, I'll just talk until I die trying. That'll teach you to try to speak to sick patients again.

"F.. Fi ne. Ca n Y ou Go A way—"

I coughed. The dryness tasted like blood in my mouth. Strange-hairstyle ran over to my side, yelling at the green one to hurry and bring me water. At last, it came. A fresh wave of paradise over dry, hardened ground. The spring breeze on a frigid winter day. Bells ringing to signify the end of a long school day. Water truly is amazing!

I cough some more, feeling the sweet freedom of tranquility once again.

"Thank you, Gree—Earth. I appreciate your efforts."

Earth beamed to scythe-girl in delight. Goldilocks then spoke up.

"Do you remember who we are?"

I, in fact, did know who they were. Did I show it? Of course not—

"Look how calm and happy she looks! She must remember you from before she fell!"

"Ok Earth, but let's ask her just in case. Who knows what long-term amnesic-disease she has?"

I'm not quite sure why they think I have amnesia, and instead recalled all of the information about them.

Earth

Shy, down-to-Earth personality

Eyes change colors with the angle from which someone sees her at

Rules over that one big blue thing with evil creatures residing on it

Born on December 21st

Likes to garden

Saturn

Dark, creepy personality that I can't quite explain

Rules over that planet with those rings

Born on February 15th

Is the "Creep of Class One"

Oh yeah. That's them. The creep and the weirdo. Oh no. Why them though? Where's Venus? I don't even know Earth that well. Saturn is one of my close friends, I guess..

"You look worried. Don't worry, Venus is out with her boyfriend Mars right now." Saturn mused as if she read my mind, donning a taunting face towards the sky.

With that, I tried to stand out of bed, but fell again—

Four years.

Four years have passed.

What happened during that time?

And with that thought, I woke up. Again. Maybe fading in and out of consciousness are signs that I will die soon..? After all, I've slept for this long, so another eternity wouldn't matter much, right? Perhaps rigor mortis has already taken place. Who knows?

Come to think of it, a few years ago I learned about the angle at which the Sun rotated in school with my friends. What went wrong? I don't remember anything. Should I ask them? I ponder, slowly turning towards the two idiots.

They looked at me.

And I looked at them.

"H… hey, you good?" Green-Girl stuttered. I stared at her with an intense gaze.

Saturn broke the silence. "Mercury, what happened to you? No matter what you thought, it was still wrong of you to—"

A letter fell from above. Opening it, Saturn almost fell out of her chair in pure excitement and horror.

"It's a letter from the sun!"

Dear Mercury,

Greetings. I see you have awoken from your adequate slumber.

I hope you have received this letter well. I understand your current confusion, but must inform you of your wrongdoing. You have taken your jokes too far. I cannot believe… He… Would die in a fire caused by your mischief. You may choose to live out your current, unfazed life on the planet Enirity, who's generosity allowed you to stay, or you can also choose to repent for your sins.

Mercury Hydrargyrum. Do you accept fighting for the throne once more? If so… Collect fifty souls for me. Required are pure souls untouched. If completed, you may stand with us once more. However, you can never escape your guilt for as long as we remain.

May the light bless you,

27th generation Sun,

Cleo

'What does this mean?! I haven't done anything wrong.. Why must I kill to return to the Planets…'

A few hours passed after Mercury received the letter from the 27th ruler of the Sun. Earth, Saturn, and Mercury all stared at that tiny piece of paper for a very long time.

"What should we do?" Saturn asked.

Earth sat across from the two, hands folded in front of her face, carrying a serious expression.

"This is bad."

'Of course it is, don't state the obvious.' Mercury stared at Earth, thinking that she had less than a brain cell left in her mind.

'50 pure souls, huh... What type? Cleo—I mean, the Sun, didn't specify. I might have to collect 50 souls of pure babies if this misunderstanding continues. And animals.. Do they even have souls?! Earth once told me most animals, especially cats, didn't carry them.'

Earth interrupted Mercury's train of thought.

"So.. How many chidlers do we have to mur--" Saturn slapped Earth across the cheek.

"I think you mean—How many kittens--" Cue the me who then pulls on her skirt, making Saturn yelp.

"Apparently we are all on the same page, so I'll chip in my thoughts as well." Earth and Saturn perked up. "What if... Cle—the Sun—meant for us to slay pure souls, not just as in purely 'good,' but purely 'evil?'"

The two turned towards each other. 'When did she get so smart?!' 'I don't know!' I heard them whisper..

Hey!

I am not that stupid!!

Take that back!!!

Thinking back… Long before, four years ago, everyone knew me as a clumsy, mischievous person who took after my older brother. Hermes, the winged messenger. I acted as I did just to make him notice me, but four years is a very long time.. I wonder if I still exist to him.. Why should I force myself to act as a different person for someone who doesn't remember me? From now on, I'll live as I wish.

50 purely evil souls, huh?

And from high above, the Sun looked down with a haunted expression on his face, thinking back at the word he forgot to write just a few hours ago.

"If it's Mercury, she'll definitely figure it out... right?!"