The Solar System (Infinitesimal Prologue)
"The Solar System consists of eight planets, an asteroid belt, one dwarf planet, and the sun.
The Sun is the center of the solar system, and all other bodies orbit it. While the sun doesn't have its own name, all of the planets orbiting it do, including the very one we live on. While the name of each planet is predetermined, it can be changed should it be colonized by newcomers who want to change the name, or if scientists discover that the planet was already inhabited in the first place.
Hermes is the planet closest to the sun. It's small, red, and extremely hot. Nothing is able to live on it, so it's not that important.
Aphrodite is the next planet in the system, and has gaseous clouds that shield the surface away from prying eyes. While at first scientists assumed that this would make the planet way too hot to live on, it was discovered that these clouds actually form a protective barrier from the sun, allowing civilization to bloom on the planet. It's covered in lush rainforests and vast deserts, and inhabited by large bug-like creatures that are as smart as us. They call the planet Lushjav.
Gaia, or as we know it, Earth, is our home planet. It's covered with water, and like, a bajillion plants. I don't need to say much about it.
Ares once had no life on it, but with advancements in technology, many people like us decided to colonize it. They call it Dorizus. While Ares was once almost completely red with some small icecaps, now thanks to scientists it is covered in large pine forests and snow, though there are still some places where the planet is still red. The weather there still kinda sucks though, so I wouldn't move there.
After Ares, there's an asteroid belt. This separates the rocky planets from the gas giants.
Zeus is the biggest planet in the solar system, and is made of gas. Nothing lives on it because there's nothing to walk on. However, it does have a ton of moons, some of which are able to have life on them.
Cronus is the planet known for its rings. But other than that, it's just like Zeus-- nothing lives on it. I think it's pretty, though.
Ouranos is also mostly made of gas, but it also has other stuff in it, so it's known as an ice giant. We know for sure that nothing lives on it.
Poseidon is the last true planet in the solar system, and is basically a giant ocean made of water, ammonia, and methane. It's also known as an ice giant. Scientists believe that there is life in its waters, but no camera or person has survived going into it, so we can't say for sure.
Finally, there's Hades, the dwarf planet that is no longer a true planet because it's so small. It's just a floating rock. Nobody cares about it."
"BOOOOOOOORRRRRRINGGGGG!"
Yuki was jolted out of their presentation by a familiar voice, once which immediately brought a scowl to their face. They set their jaw and narrowed their eyes, glaring daggers at the offending speaker. Nearby, the teacher stood up as if to say something, but if the speaker had seen her, he sure didn't seem to care.
"That's so BORING!" Lowry continued, the spotted dog slumping over in his seat. "Why do you gotta talk about all the BORING stuff about space? Like, the solar system is the least interesting part about it!"
"Now now, Lowry, there's no need to be rude," the teacher chided, her long rabbit ears draped behind her head. "Yuki was assigned the solar system, and so far they've done a very wonderful presentation."
Yuki felt their face heat up under their fur. It felt like a stab to their pride, having the teacher stick up for them like this.
"Yeah Lowwwwry, my presentation is perfect, unlike yours which wasn't even a minute long."
The teacher glared at Yuki, but it seemed that there was no stopping the students now. Lowry rolled his eyes in response.
"That's because you're a total nerd. You talked about all the boring stuff, like a nerd. What about the space pirates?"
"Or the planet that only has robots on it!" another student chimed in.
"And aliens! You coulda talked about aliens!"
"No they couldn't have, dumbass; Alini is an alien so we're not allowed to talk about them."
"Language!"
The teacher was up in front of the class now, waving her arms franticly in a desperate attempt to get the students to settle. Each raised their voice to be heard, clamoring to be the one to get in the final word.
"My mom says that Hades isn't empty, because every year, they fill up a rocket ship with all the bad kids, and send them off so they can't come back."
"Actually," Yuki practically yelled, "It's called Hell, and that's where Lowry will be going if he's not careful. Hell is where all the assholes go!"
"YUKI!"
The teacher's shocked cry was only surpassed in volume as the students began to howl in laughter, Lowry's spotted face heating up as he crossed his arms. Luckily, Yuki didn't need to endure any scolding on the teacher's part, as just then the schoolbell rang. Not about to wait to be dismissed and give Lowry enough time to catch up to them, Yuki grabbed their backpack from the side of the wall and rushed out of the room. The teacher's yells were quickly drowned out as the hallway flooded with students, the pink and white creature easily disappearing amongst the crowd.
In no time at all, Yuki found themselves outside, exiting the front doors of the school along with the many other students who didn't need to wait for permission to leave. Yuki internally scoffed at their teacher's old fashioned ways-- she was alright most of the time, but Yuki didn't like how strict she could be when it came to leaving the classroom. Sure, it made sense for the kids who took the bus home, or had their parents pick them up, but Yuki didn't have that kind of luxury. Letting them out all at once, after the majority of kids had exited and gone their separate ways, only gave Lowry more time to...
They shook their head, breaking off from the crowd and heading towards the small forest that separated the school from the residential area. If you went straight through, you'd make it to the other side in no time at all, but deviating from that path was an easy way to disappear. For Yuki, who knew the forest like the back of their hand, it made it easy to lose Lowry before he had a chance to find them.
"Yuki! Wait up!"
Yuki jumped at the sudden sound of their name, but quickly settled once they recognized the voice. They turned their head, not slowing down as they observed Alini rushing to catch up to them, her oversized backpack weighing her down as she nearly tripped over her own feet to catch up to her friend. By the time the black cat had caught up with Yuki, she was panting heavily, gripping both straps of her backpack tightly. He had caught up just in time-- Yuki was only a few steps from crossing the threshold on the forest. Once they passed the treeline, there would've been no spotting them.
"You could've waited for me, asshole," she snarled, giving Yuki a light jab in the arm. The pink and white creature rolled their eyes in return, leaves and sticks crunching under their feet as they entered the forest with Alini now in tow.
"Couldn't risk it-- Lowry would've had my head if he caught me."
"I guess that's true. Still, what you said today was super cool. Lowry deserves to be told to fuck off every once in a while."
Yuki tried to fight the smile that threatened to grow across their face, but it was a losing battle. They looked away so Alini wouldn't see their face.
"Yeah, it was a pretty badass thing for me to say," they chuckled. "Sorry you got got pulled into that though. If it helps, you're ay cooler than anyone born here will ever be."
Alini puffed out in pride. "Don't worry, I'm used to it!" he beamed. "Plus, them knowing I'm an alien means they don't mess with me. All I gotta do is tell them that my ear is strong enough to bite their fingers off, and they'll keep away. Lowry and his pals like to talk big, but they're all a buncha cowards on the inside."
As if on cue, Alini's right ear lifted its head, having previously been curled in on itself. It blinked its small, button-like eyes and grinned its toothless grin. It looked at Yuki expectantly. The pink and white creature rolled their eyes, but obliged to the ear's wishes, pulling out a small baggie of carrot sticks from their pocket. It stuck one in the ear's open mouth, and it snapped the snack right up. Alini giggled.
"I wonder why it likes the carrot sticks," Yuki mused aloud.
Alini gave a shrug. "I dunno, maybe it just likes the crunch. It's not like it can actually taste them, or swallow them for that matter, so it just spits them out after a bit. Sometimes I feed it my veggies when momma isn't looking, and have it spit them out in the bathroom."
The two continued their idle conversation, making their way through the woods on an invisible path Yuki had traveled many times before. In what seemed like no time at all, they had reached their destination. A treehouse, standing tall and proud, looking just as new as the day it had been built.
No one knew how long it had stood there, certainly not Yuki or Alini. But despite the many years it remained, never seeming to age. Vines and creepers avoided clinging to its walls. No form of spider nor insect ever made the corners its home. Even dust seemed to avoid the place like the plague. The place seemed to belong to Yuki and Alini-- namely the former, as it had been their discovery-- alone. To them, it was more than a home. To then, it was akin to a sacred place.
The two climbed the rope ladder, making their way up to the house with small grunts and wheezes. They scaled the rope ladder quickly, as if on instinct. Finally, at long last, both sat in the treehouse, satisfied smiles on each of their faces.
Despite having visited the place many times before, it never seemed to lose its wonder.
Various books and board games lay strewn about the floor, a few small shelves lining one of the walls holding the rest. The floor was colored by a shaggy wool rug, bearing the resemblance of a few faded cartoon characters. In one corner lay a pile of pillows and sleeping bags, having been cleaned and washed and ready to be used again. A cooler sat in the adjacent corner, filled to the brim with lukewarm sodas and water bottles. Someone had left it open, allowing the residual summer heat to permeate the drinks that it contained. Yuki and Alini didn't mind much though-- soda was soda, no matter how warm.
(Yuki also knew that Alini preferred their soda warm. They'd never tell anybody, but Alini liked to microwave her soda to get rid of the carbonation. They liked to tease him about it sometimes.)
Cracking open twin cans of soda, the two plopped themselves in technicolor beanbag chairs. They sagged and didn't have much beads left in them, but they were the part of the treehouse that Yuki and Alini were the most proud of, other than the rug and the treehouse itself. The two leaned back in their seats, casting their backpacks aside as they unwinded from the days stresses. Releasing the burden of their schoolwork as they relaxed in their home away from home.
"Are you busy Friday?" Alini asked, taking a sip of her soda. Yuki pretended to ponder over the question, letting out an exaggerated "hmmm" as they scratched their head. The alien cat laughed.
"Yeah, only never," Yuki laughed in return. "What did you have in mind?"
"You've seen the previews for that new movie, yeah? All Hallow's Eve?"
Yuki nearly spit out their soda. "A slasher flick? You know my parents would kill me if I saw that! They never let me see anything cool."
Yuki pouted while Alini grinned. "They don't need to know, dummy. You've met my uncle, right? He always lets me see the newest horror movies, and the best part is, he's completely fine with lying to my parents! He'll tell them that we're gonna see some baby movie and that we won't spend too much, then we'll hit up a convenience store and sneak snacks into whatever movie I want!"
Yuki tipped their head to the side. "But I thought your uncle lived, like, a million miles away? Like, literally, I thought he lived in a completely different solar system?"
"He's visiting my parents for a week or so. So now I can actually bring you along, and not have to worry about you dying a horrible death in space."
"Man, don't even joke about that-- you know that shit freaks me out."
"Says the guy who's only friends with aliens."
"Yeah, because you guys are awesome! It's not my fault you come from a land of horrors!"
"EXCUSE you, space is so freaking rad!"
"Nuh-uh, there's like-- spaceship crashes all the time. Not to mention space pirates! And evil space monsters!"
"Oh please, you're just jealous that you can't travel the stars like I can."
The two would have continued bickering, replaying the same song and dance that they had many times before, if it weren't for the sudden creak of wood straining as it was pulled down. Yuki and Alini immediately clammed up, looking at each other with a knowing look. That sound could only mean that someone was ascending the rope ladder. Yuki's widened eyes said it all-- Lowry couldn't have followed them, right? He couldn't have found their sacred hiding spot, right? Alini swiped a book that had been laying next to her, cocking back her arm and taking aim at the open doorway as the noises continued.
Luckily, neither kid had to hold their breath long. From the open space, two gray paws appeared, followed shortly by the upper half of a pale gray canine. He let out a wheeze, practically throwing his upper body onto the floor of the treehouse as he scrambled to find solid footing.
Yuki and Alini let out twin sighs in unison.
"Dammit Sly, you nearly gave me a heart attack up here!" Yuki exclaimed, waving their arms for emphasis.
"Yeah Sly, a warning would have been appreciated," Alini chided. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be in detention right now?"
The canine shot them an unimpressed glare. "For your information," he grunted, "I actually got out on time today. So no detention for me. Not like you little shits would have known, seeing as you ran off like a bat out of hell the second your paws hit the pavement."
Yuki rolled their eyes. "Don't be so soft. It's not like we can afford to wait around to see if you'll actually be getting out on time or not."
Alini nodded. "Yeah, you know how Lowry can be. If he finds us and you're not around, we're dead meat."
Sly raised his eyebrows at this. "Damn, again? I thought he chilled out for a bit. What stick is up his ass this time?"
"Yuki said that he was an asshole who's going to Hell," Alini explained. Yuki smiled, though it was tinged with discomfort.
Sly laughed. "Wow, what a way to put a target on your back, Yukster. I guess I'll have to try and stay out of trouble for the next week or so-- don't want you little shits going missing."
Yuki's smile softened, and they let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Sly-Guy. I appreciate it."
"Eh, don't mention it," Sly said, ruffling Yuki's hair roughly before plopping down on his own beanbag chair. "You little shits owe me big time, though."
"Oh! I have an idea!" Alini chirped up. "Why don't you come see All Hallow's Eve with us?"
"The new horror film? Won't Yuki's parents have their head if they find out?"
"They won't kill him if they don't find out, silly. My uncle is gonna take us, and he can keep a secret."
"Wait, you mean the uncle that lives in--"
"Yeah, the one that lives in space," Yuki butted in. "We've been over this already."
Sly raised his arms in mock-defense, rolling his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "Geez, forgive me for asking for clarification, your highness."
Yuki rolled their eyes in return, swinging their arm in an attempt to smack the older canine, which Sly easily leaned away from, causing Yuki to overextend themselves and fall off of the beanbag with an "oof". Alini giggled as Sly swung his hind legs around, resting his heels on the top of Yuki's head and further messing up their hair.
"You asshole!" Yuki cried out, getting up quickly and practically lunging at their friend. Sly yelped as Yuki collided into his midsection, knocking the air out of him and bowling him over, causing both of them to fall over onto the ground.
"You've fucked up now, Yukster!" Sly growled, grinning ear to ear as he took Yuki in a headlock and began giving him a savage noogie. Yuki squirmed, spitting insults as he waved his arms, trying to give Sly a good bop to the nose. Alini burst out in a fit of giggles, chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" as the two wrestled on the carpet.
The trio would continue to laugh and play as the day stretched on, the worries and stresses of the day forgotten as they enjoyed the time spent in each other's company. Soon the sun would sent and each would go on their separate ways, making it home just in time for dinner, but for now the afternoon was young and fresh. To three kids who'd never known anything better, time spent in the treehouse made them feel like they had all the time in the world.