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The number of Free-Floating Planets in our observable universe alone exceeds the ability of basic human comprehension.
The human brain can simply not wrap its mind around the sheer number of celestial bodies existing around it, therefore dedicating its power to study and understand the three most important interstellar objects surrounding it.
The Sun, the Earth, and the Moon.
Both the Sun and the Moon are existential for Earth’s survival. Without either of them, Earth’s promise for life would crumble in the blink of an eye.
The Earth would wilt away without the Sun. Without its light, all life inhabited on Earth would die. A frightening shadow of darkness would cover its land, day and night, for the Moon cannot reflect its light back to Earth if the Sun were to cease to shine. Without the Sun’s warmth, eternal coldness would freeze over the Earth’s surface, burying all that once was under a thick layer of things unforgiving.
The Moon is more than just a pretty face to gaze upon, too. It is responsible for washing soft waves of calming spirits upon the Earth’s shores, directing the currents and tides in tender breaths. Without the Moon in charge of the movements helping to control the Earth’s atmosphere, all hope needed to nurture its existence would simply vanish into nothing.
It is a fact that the Earth depends on both the Sun and the Moon. Without them, it could not have evolved into what it became to be—something beautiful, something special, highlighting a bond so rare it could only be dreamt of.
However, both the Sun and the Moon could exist without the Earth.
The Sun does not need the Earth to continue shining, for its existence is guaranteed without it—it does not require it to thrive, to flourish, to simply breathe out its solacing warmth.
The Sun knows what it is—the Earth certainly played a part in giving it meaning, gifting it significance in the otherwise cold universe. But it is not needed anymore for the Sun to be bright and warm, wrapping other interstellar objects in a blanket made of comfort and peace.
The Moon, too, does not depend on Earth’s existence to float in space. If the Earth were to disappear, the Moon’s trajectory would simply change—it would continue to loop around the Sun endlessly, never leaving far before coming close again. For the rest of eternity it would dedicate its life to the Sun, bound by the Earth or not, no matter whether the Moon wishes to escape the Sun’s powerful pull. Its purpose is to devote its entire existence to the Sun—revolving around it until its end becomes its reality.
Because of the Sun’s awareness about how independent it is, the Moon clings to it as best as it can. The Sun is a strong individual on its own, in need of nothing to support it.
The Sun does not need the Moon.
The Moon, however, needs the Sun.
Without the Sun, the Moon would have nothing to gravitate towards. It would lose its course in time as well as its purpose to give its life to the Sun. Lost, it would begin to wander interstellar space completely alone.
Without the Sun, the Moon would cease to shine.
The Moon’s life started the day it found the Earth and the Sun in the endless space of the universe.
In an encounter chosen by fate, the Sun and the Moon found each other swinging. Always close by, never far apart anymore. The soothing back and forth motion unveiled itself as the Earth, binding the three stellar bodies together in an oath meant to be kept forever.
Despite the Sun not depending on any other object in the universe, it fell for the Moon. It happened slow and remained unobserved in the beginning, but the soft gravitational pull it felt towards the Moon soon grew too big to ignore. The Sun was scared—as the centre of its system, it was not meant to gravitate towards anything else, especially not towards something as insignificant as the Moon. It tried to fight against the deep pull in its core, but to no avail. The Sun found itself floating closer, wanting to cover the Moon under a blanket of its warmth and peace. It needed to feel the Moon’s surface against its own, craved to cradle it in its own soft, comforting hold, and needed to see the Moon shine brighter as it reflected the Sun’s own, yellow light.
And as if a might more powerful than the Sun were present in space, it made the Sun’s wish come true.
The Moon soon found itself looking at the Sun with a new form of admiration. The glow of the Sun always seemed to be flickering with passion whenever they were close. Its warmth brought more comfort, but only ever for the Moon—and the Moon found its soul searching to be close to that of the Sun. It sent its soft currents of calm to wash over the Sun’s surface and made sure that the waves would deliver its sweet messages in a quiet whisper, only ever meant for the Sun to hear. The Moon ensured to reflect the Sun’s light back towards it, shifting the hue into that of a gentle blue—seeking to accentuate the pull it felt, needing the Sun to see that the Moon felt the emotions being sent its way.
The Sun always seemed a little brighter in the eyes of the Moon.
Both stellar objects found themselves dancing around each other not long after, twirling around one another in what felt to be familiar motion. The gravitational pull they both felt towards the other grew beyond impossible to ignore, causing the pair to reach out towards each other.
They met in a gentle embrace, careful and slow, unsure and frightened of what the rest of the universe thought about them. They reassured each other that no matter what would cross their chosen celestial path, they would stay together. A promise so sincere and heartfelt, with nothing ever able to break them apart.
The Earth became their shared responsibility. Unlike before, where they cared for it separately, they now kept it safe together. They tended to it with their hearts merged into one, making the Earth their World.
Their World shaped the Sun and the Moon forever. Carved their existences into puzzle pieces, slotting perfectly into one another—meant to be inseparable, meant to stay together until the end of time.
The Sun is not the Sun without the Moon, and the Moon is not the Moon without the Sun.
They are only truly themselves around the other—always have been.