Author: James Moran

In the days when Earth was small the other planets eyed it hungrily and argued over how they would split it up.
Like a mother protecting her young, the Moon circled Earth, a wary eye on each of the planets. She visited the ears of Venus and Mercury until she finally convinced them to forge an alliance with Earth and with her.
Still she was apprehensive.
Out of desperation she took a bite from Earth. Instead of feeding herself with that bite, she fed the bite with herself. In her stomach it grew and gathered strength. Once satisfied, she spat upon Earth a young man who stood upon strong limbs and yielded a sword and shield.
The sword flickered. The shield rattled. The young man fell to his knees, shivering in fear.
Go, his mother commanded. Protect us from the far planets.
I want to stay with you, Mother, the young man wept.
If you do not go, then I will, the Moon warned.
I will stay here and protect you, the young man argued.
If you stay we’ll perish that much faster. You have one day to decide, the Moon said. Stay here and die with us, or go so that we might survive.
Beneath the weight of fear and disgrace the young man could not even touch his sword.
The Moon disappeared over the horizon. As soon as the young man could no longer see the Moon, the thought of her coming to harm became unbearable. His hands quaked and swelled. He leapt into space armed only with rage. The outer planets hardly had time to grow concerned over this crazed boy before he was upon them cutting their ranks and handily smashing them into one another. Never before had the outer planets fought such an opponent.
Quickly they retreated.
Eager to reunite with his mother and bask in her pride, the young man returned to the inner planets. Yet, spotting the Moon and fragile Earth in the distance, he stopped short.
He glanced back at those outer planets.
Right there, between the hungry outer planets and the defenseless inner planets, he made a new home