The Gathering Storm
Part 4
As the solar system slumbered, two distant planets, Uranus and Neptune, stirred from their icy slumber, sensing that something was amiss. They had been a little further out in the solar system, and the news of baby Mercury's wails and the Earth's soothing lullaby had not reached them yet. The two ice giants exchanged a concerned glance, their faint light flickering with curiosity. "What's been happening lately?" Uranus asked, its voice like a gentle whisper in the darkness. "We've been feeling a strange energy emanating from the inner solar system, but we can't quite put our finger on it." Neptune's blue-gray atmosphere seemed to ripple with unease. "I've been sensing it too. It's as if something is stirring, something that doesn't feel right." The two planets decided to investigate, and they began to move closer to the inner solar system. As they approached, they noticed that Saturn and Jupiter were awake, their usual calm demeanor replaced by a sense of urgency. "What's going on?" Uranus asked, its voice barely above a whisper. Saturn's rings quivered with concern. "We've detected a dark force looming on the horizon. It's unlike anything we've seen before, and we're not sure what it is or what it wants." Jupiter's massive form seemed to darken, as if the very mention of the dark force had sullied its bright atmosphere. "We think it's connected to Mercury. He's... changed. Turned into a baby." Uranus and Neptune exchanged a shocked glance. "A baby?" Uranus repeated. "How is that possible?" The four planets stood in silence for a moment, digesting the news. Then, Jupiter spoke up. "We need to find a way to change him back. He's a planet, not a child." Saturn nodded, its rings fluttering with determination. "We'll work together to find a solution. But first, we need to understand this dark force and what it's capable of." The four planets began to discuss their plan of action, their voices hushed but urgent. As they talked, the darkness seemed to grow thicker, as if it was listening to their conversation. The solar system was on the brink of a great challenge, and it would take all the planets working together to overcome it. Meanwhile, baby Mercury slept peacefully, unaware of the storm gathering around him. But as the planets discussed their plan, a faint whisper seemed to echo through the solar system, a whisper that sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest planets. "The baby planet is just the beginning," the whisper seemed to say. "The real challenge is yet to come."