Daaaaaaamn Yuu, back at it again with the fanfiction absolutely no one's gonna read
This is the second fic I write where I have a character that's a violinist. You know what that means? Lindsey Stirling all day, everyday. So...
Song inspiration:
What Child is This - Linsdey Stirling
Electric Daisy Violin - Lindsey Stirling
"Anii!"
A little blue-haired boy excitedly ran towards an older, quieter boy. His short little legs were going so fast, they tripped over each other and he went tumbling to the ground. The older boy immediately rushed to his side as he burst into tears.
"Anii, help, Anii..." Takeru desperately cried for his brother.
Tsukito let out a sigh, lifting Takeru off the ground, "How many times have I told you be careful? You could really hurt yourself like that."
Takeru sniffled, "Sorry, Anii."
"You have way too much energy for your own good."
Tsukito carried Takeru into the house and sat him on the kitchen counter. He wasn't seriously hurt, except for a few bloody scrapes on his knees. But to a seven year old, it must hurt like hell. Tsukito made quick work of patching them up, having done this so many times before. "There, no more crying."
"I-I'm not crying. Big kids don't cry!"
A small smile graced Tsukito's face, humoring his brother's blatent lie. "Go outside and wait in the backyard, okay? I know what'll make you feel better."
Takeru's face broke out into a wide grin. He knew exactly what that meant. "Okay!" He hopped off the counter and rushed out the back door. He sat on the bench under that big willow tree in their mother's garden, patiently waiting for his brother to come out. His eyes lit up when he saw him come out with a violin under his chin and bow in hand.
Takeru couldn't stop himself from clapping and squealing excitedly. Tsukito bowed towards his one man audience. He closed his eyes and began dragging the bow along the strings, producing a soft and gentle, but sad melody. Takeru's favorite. Tsukito would occasionally glance over at his little brother, who was watching his performance with wide, sparkling eyes.
As soon as Tsukito played the last note, Takeru was once again cheering and clapping for him. "That was amazing, Anii! You're gonna be a super famous magician!"
"Musician." Tsukito corrected his brother, "And I don't know about that."
"No, no. You definitely have to, Anii! Promise me, Anii." Takeru insists, holding out his pinky finger.
Tsukito hesitated before hooking his pinky finger with his brother's, "I promise."
Tsukito slowly opened his eyes. A dream? No, he doesn't dream. It was more like a memory of the past. That day was so long ago, but it felt like it was just yesterday.
It was hard to believe Takeru was gone now.
All this because his mother just wanted a ride to the grocery store and some middle-aged woman in a minivan just couldn't put her phone down and sent Takeru's car crashing into a ditch. Tsukito lost his little brother and his mother over something so petty.
Takeru was only seventeen.
Since then, Tsukito just lost the inspiration to play violin anymore. It wasn't like he quit completely. He couldn't. It was the only thing that reminded him of Takeru. He couldn't just let that die along with him. It was just he couldn't play it the same way he used to. He was gonna have to apologize to Takeru for going back on that promise he made all those years ago.
It's been almost a year since their deaths and everything seemed to be falling apart around Tsukito so quickly. His father handled it terribly and decided to drown his sorrows in copious amounts of sake and gambling. As for Tsukito's older brother, Akira, he became more cold and harsh towards Tsukito, starting fights and antagonizing him constantly for usually very little reason at all. Eventually Akira moved out, leaving Tsukito alone to deal with his alcoholic father.
That was when Tsukito decided. He didn't care anymore. He took out all of his savings and his share of his grandparent's inheritance and ran. At first, he wandered all over Japan. Then he began booking flights to all over the world, remembering Takeru's wish to travel and see the world. Tsukito could at least grant his wish for him.
So far, he's been to places like France and Italy, from South Korea and the United States, to Egypt and Sweden. Wandering the globe does get a bit lonely, but Tsukito likes to think Takeru is there traveling with him.
Upon realizing he can't just burn through his savings, Tsukito often resorts to performing in the streets, since he doesn't have many options as a nineteen year old runaway. Usually, he manages getting enough money for food and a place to stay, so it works, at least.
Tsukito's current destination: Delphi, Greece.
It was a three and a half hour flight from London to Athens. It was still dark out when he left London. No wonder he was so exhausted. Tsukito lost track of time when he dozed off and wonders how much longer he's gonna have to stare at nothing but clouds.
Ding.
"This is your pilot speaking, we are now just approaching the International Airport of Athens. Please buckle up your seatbelts and remain seated as we prepare to land."
Thankfully, not long.
Tsukito arrived in Athens, only carrying a small suitcase and a white violin case strapped on his back. He thought a three hour flight to Athens was bad enough, but didn't realize he now had to sit through a two hour bus ride to Delphi.
It was dawn by the time he arrived in Delphi. He could see people just beginning to open their shops and children heading to school. Tsukito had managed to get himself a room at a hotel run by a kindly old lady who was quite patient with him despite the fact he barely had a grasp of the Greek language. He should expect to stay here for a month at least.
She even gave him directions to all the sights Delphi had to offer, specifically the Temple of Apollo.
Well, since he's going to stay here for a while, he might as well go check it out. It might be fun.
Tsukito stared in awe at what used to be the Temple of Apollo.
It was hard to imagine people thousands of years ago would come here to ask for answers from the oracle and pray to the sun god, Apollo. It was mostly in shambles now. It must of been a magnificent structure a long time ago, but even the way it is now, it seemed to hold a certain charm. It's got a great view. From here, Tsukito could see valleys for miles.
And it's quiet too.
Tsukito closed his eyes and deeply inhaled the fresh air, "Isn't it amazing, Takeru?"
He reached into his bag and pulled out a Polaroid instant camera, taking multiple pictures of the surrounding scenery. The camera used to belong to Takeru, but now Tsukito used it to document all his adventures. The adventures Takeru should've been on.
Tsukito shook his head clear of his thoughts as he put away the new photos and the camera. Oh no, here he was getting all sad about his brother again. With a deep sigh, he set his violin case on the ground and popped the latches open. He hopes Apollo doesn't mind if he puts on a little show here.
He tunes his instrument for a moment before tucking it under his chin. He rested the bow on the strings for a moment, trying to figure out what to play. Then he just decides whatever, he'll figure it out as he went. As soon as he played the first note, it all came flowing together naturally. A gentle and sad song, but all too familiar. Tsukito came to realize he was subconsciously playing Takeru's song.
Losing himself in the feeling of nostalgia, he began pacing around the ruins in time with the music without even thinking about it. As he finished the song, he began to notice the sunlight shining down on him and the temple around him like a giant spotlight. Wasn't it cloudy just a while ago?
"It would seem I have appeased you, Apollo." Tsukito murmured as he looked up at the now clear blue sky. Now that he thinks about it, music is one of Apollo's elements, isn't it?
He goes to put away his violin, but finds something else in the case instead. It was a small bouquet of laurel branches, tied together with a thin piece of twine. There was no one else here but him. Who could've left it?
Apollon's golden eyes were transfixed on the human who wandered in the ruins of his temple. The sound of music had caught his attention and he looked down from Mt. Olympus to investigate. As soon as he laid eyes on the human, he was immediately charmed by his beauty. The lilac hair that framed his delicate face swayed gently in the breeze as he strided along to the rhythm of the music he was playing. He moved with such fluidity, it almost seemed like he was dancing.
"What are you swooning over this time?"
Apollon tears his gaze away from the human for a moment to see his sister, Artemis and his half-brother, Dionysus. "Sis, Dee-Dee, look! I found him! The one from my visions!"
"Oh no, not again." Artemis hides her face in her hand, shaking her head, "Apollon, you, of all people, should know you have the worst track record when it comes to relationships. Especially when there's a human in the equation."
Of course he knows that. He knows that too well. He's been in love so many times, but he has been hurt more times than he could count. But his optimism along with the temptation gets the better of him every time.
"No, I've seen him in my visions so many times. It has to mean something this time, it has to!" Apollon insists, "I'm going to go down there."
"Are you seri- Dio, please talk some sense into him."
Dionysus just shrugged, "Sorry Artemis, there's nothing I can do. Besides it's too late now, he's going to jump."
"What?"
"...And he jumped."
"What?!" Artemis turned around to see the spot where her twin used to be at was now empty, "Oh, you insufferable little-"
Apollon watched the human intently from the theater that overlooked the temple. The human's stern gaze was fixed in concentration as his long, thin fingers danced along the violin's fingerboard with skilled movements. As the bow glided over the strings, a lovely tune spilled into the air. Every single note caressed Apollon's ears like a warm whisper, but at the same time, they were filled with sorrow. Apollon was completely and utterly drawn in. It was love at first sight. He had to get closer.
He floated over to the temple, landing gracefully beside the human. Apollon had made himself invisible as to not frighten the human, so he was completely unaware that he was being watched. He was even more beautiful up close. His eyes were the most gorgeous shade, like honey or liquid amber. Apollon couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch his face, forgetting for a moment that he was invisible and his hand phased right through him. He was a bit disappointed, but he just settled for walking alongside him through the temple ruins.
Then Apollon decided he absolutely had to show his appreciation somehow. He ventures away from the temple for a bit to a laurel tree nearby and plucked off a few branches. When Apollon goes to leave his gift in the violin case, he takes note of the plastic tag attached to it.
"Tsukito Totsuka?" Apollon read the tag out loud. Was that his name? What a lovely name.
Just as the song was beginning to reach its last note, Apollon summoned his bow and arrow and shot an arrow into the sky. Almost instantaneously, the thick clouds began to dissipate and let the sunlight shine down on the temple.
Tsukito looked around the area in pure bewilderment, "It would seem I have appeased you, Apollo."
Apollon's heart began to race. This human actually acknowledged him!
Was right now a good time to show himself? Maybe he should observe for a bit longer before he does anything rash. Any mortal would be terrified if a god just showed up out of now where in front of them.
He watched as Tsukito put away the violin, smiling when he took notice of the laurel he left. Then Tsukito just sat in the silence for a bit, basking in the warm sunlight. "I don't really believe in this kind of thing, but I was sort of hoping coming here would help me somehow." He thought out loud.
Help? What does he need help with?
"I can't play the violin like I used to. I have no passion in playing anymore. Not since..." Tsukito's sentence trailed off. "I thought maybe I could find it again. But what am I thinking?" He laughs bitterly, "Asking a god that probably doesn't exist."
Tsukito may not actually believe in him, but he was still asking him for help, nonetheless. That was all Apollon needed to hear.
Tsukito went sightseeing around the rest of Delphi for the remainder of the day. Besides Apollo's sanctuary, there was one dedicated to Athena as well. The town itself was also quite nice. It was situated on a hill which required a lot a stamina to get around, but it was fun to explore despite that. And a lot of the locals here were quite friendly too.
It was evening before Tsukito noticed. The sunset in Delphi was quite lovely; it painted the whole town a warm orange color. Tsukito couldn't resist taking more photos of the town square. Another one for the scrapbook.
He went off to the side of the street so that he wasn't in anyone's way. Tsukito feels like putting on an evening performance today too. He notices a group of children watching him in interest as he takes his violin out of its case. He takes a deep breath and takes a moment to focus. He then starts playing a lively and upbeat tune. The group of children from earlier began gathering around him, eyes wide in fascination. Tsukito couldn't help but smile when they started clapping along and dancing around him, their ecstatic giggles accompanying the music.
Eventually, the small crowd grew as some of the townspeople came to watch the performance as well, but Tsukito didn't notice it until the end when he heard a booming applause erupting around him. The children tugged at his clothes, begging him for another performance until their parents came long to drag them home.
Tsukito checked the contents of his violin case. Some money, flowers, and some candy left behind by the children. He emptied the contents into his bag and replaced his violin back in its case, snapping the latches shut.
He suddenly looked up to be met with face-to-face with a small deer. Just staring at him intently.
Tsukito tilted his head to the side and the deer mimicked him. Were there even any deer in this area? And aren't they usually afraid of humans?
Seeing as the deer didn't seem to be afraid of him, Tsukito reached up to pet it, only to have his hand go right through it!
"What the?" He tried to touch it again and his hand phased through. Tsukito blinked a few times, maybe his sleep deprivation was finally getting to him. There was indeed a deer in front of him, but Tsukito noticed it was slightly transparent.
Before Tsukito's brain could process what was going on, the deer suddenly took his bag into its mouth and took off.
"Ah!" Quickly, Tsukito slung the strap of his violin case over his shoulder and ran after the deer. He chased it down the hill, through narrow alleyways, and then up the hill again. It eventually ran out of the town and Tsukito followed it, panting heavily but his determination wouldn't let him relent.
Come to think of it, Tsukito remembers this route before.
Isn't this the way to Apollo's sanctuary?
The ghost deer led him up the path leading to the Temple of Apollo. But what Tsukito found wasn't the shambled ruins from this morning. Instead there was a white marble building looming over him, perfectly intact. Tsukito swore this is where the Temple of Apollo was and this definitely wasn't here when he came the first time.
He saw the ghost deer had went inside. Tsukito didn't really like the idea that he might be trespassing, but he had to get his bag back. He climbed up the steps and peeked inside. The room inside was huge. Statues accented with gold decorated the interior and in the middle was a single fire pit. A fire was already lit despite it was still sunset.
And there was no one here, but he could hear music playing. Tsukito could not quite pinpoint what instrument it was because he's never heard anything like it before.
"Hello?" Tsukito called out, his voice echoing throughout the room.
The music stops. "Looking for this?" And awfully cheery voice replied, which startled Tsukito a bit.
He turned around to see a man standing before him, holding a black and white messenger bag in one hand. He had long golden blond hair and wore nothing but a white sheet around his waist, with a blue sash that seemed to be floating behind him. Light tattoos adorned his entire body and despite his kind demeanor, Tsukito could sense a hint of mischief in his bright gold eyes.
"Who are you...and where am I?"
"You're at my temple." The man says simply.
Tsukito shook his head "No, the temple was supposed to be destroyed. Nothing but a foundation and a few columns barely standing."
"It was never destroyed, I've just hidden it away."
"But...wait, did you say this was your temple?" Tsukito asked.
"Yes. Yes, it is."
Tsukito's thoughts scrambled his head for a few moments before piecing two and two together. "Apollo..." fell from his lips.
"I prefer to go by Apollon, but yes, that's me!" The man took Tsukito by the hand and kissed it gently, "Nice to meet you, Tsuki-Tsuki. I'm glad you're here."
At first, Tsukito refused to believe this man standing before him was the Greek god of the sun himself. He thought maybe this all has to be some sort of elaborate prank somehow. But the more Tsukito stood inside this temple with this man, the more real it seemed to him. The man certainly gave off an air that felt very different from a normal human. Like something not of this world. And there was also the fact that he knew his name. Well, almost knew his name.
"Alright, lets say I give you the benefit of the doubt and you really are Apollo...or Apollon, why did you..." He gestures to the space around them, "Why have you brought me here?"
"I saw you here this morning and I heard your prayers, so I've decided to take it upon myself to answer them!" Apollon replied all too cheerfully, "Besides, I can sense you're carrying a heavy burden on your shoulders. I can tell."
"I wasn't exactly praying." Tsukito said bluntly, "And if you did hear what I said, then it's not that simple."
"That's why I'm here!" Apollon leaned in closer, so that their faces were barely touching, "I heard you playing some wonderful music here earlier and I knew was drawn to you the moment I saw you."
Drawn to him? He doesn't mean...in that way? The fact that Tsukito was about to keep up his calm demeanor despite all this was quite impressive, even to him. But at this point, he was starting to get overwhelmed.
"This is...no! No!"
Without a second thought, he snatched up his bag and ran out of the temple as fast as he could.
Tsukito sat at the desk in his hotel room, the only thing lighting it up was a dim table lamp. It was probably so late at night, like two in the morning. Constantly traveling and changing time zones is exhausting. And the fact that he often has trouble sleeping and usually spends his nights gazing up at the moon certainly did not help.
He reached into his bag and pulled out the photos he took today, along with a thick blue scrapbook. The first few pages had clippings from travel magazines a ten year old Takeru had messily cut out, listing all the places he wanted to go. The rest of the book Tsukito kept a log of all the places he went, from photos and diary entries. He glued the new photos into a blank page and wrote everything about his first day in Delphi. When he writes these entries, he tends to write them as if he's addressing them to Takeru.
Tsukito pauses as he nears the part about what he did at the end of the day.
Tsukito thought maybe this all just was some fantastical dream he's just waiting to wake up from. Then he remembers he doesn't sleep, so he doesn't dream. No matter much he wants it to be a dream, he can't deny that it wasn't.
It took me four days to write this first chapter this is quite impressive.
