"Arty, not like that. Like this. Watch." Apollo notched an arrow placing his hands carefully then released letting it soar through the air with a dull thunk! as it hit the post. He turned towards his twin and grinned. Artemis huffed then blew some hair out of her face. She pulled up her whittled bow and notched an arrow. Pulling back against the drawstring, she released an arrow that soared at an arch that matched Apollo's.
"Well that was unexpected…" Apollo muttered as he stared disbelievingly at his split arrow. Artemis skipped next to him then ruffled his blonde hair.
"Don't fret, Apollo. After all, I am the oldest. It's expected that I would be a better shot than you," Artemis said as she turned her back on Apollo then went to retrieve her arrow from the remains of Apollo's arrow.
"Pfft. We're twins. And besides… being the oldest doesn't always mean better." Artemis heard a swish then felt a breeze as an arrow flew past her ear. The arrow split her arrow into halves. Artemis rolled her eyes.
"Always one to show-off," she muttered as she twisted to face her brother. He had a grin from ear to ear.
"No, I am just better." Apollo eyes held a challenging light.
"First one back to the house wins?" Artemis offered.
"First one to touch the dining room table," said Apollo switching his stance to a running position.
"Deal." And, they were off sprinting through the yellow flowers. Artemis laughed as Apollo got a face full of the tree branch he forgot to duck for. He jumped up and eventually closed the distance between them as they neared their house where Leto waited.
"So, how was your afternoon?" Leto asked as she placed a pitcher of water on the table next to the yellow flower bouquet Apollo picked for her earlier that day.
"Good." The twins simultaneously responded.
"Apollo, dear, you have something in your hair," Said Leto as she reached across the table to pull a few leaves from her son's blonde locks. Artemis snickered behind her piece of bread. Apollo grimaced remembering the sharp hit he received from the tree branch. The scratches on his cheek that bled a little earlier had already healed, however, his despair over the crack he heard as his bow broke under his weight was still present.
"Something on your mind, little brother?" Artemis asked innocently from across the table. She dodged the kick Apollo sent her way as Leto relaxed back into her seat.
"That's enough, you two. Eat your dinner."
"Yes, mother," replied the twins.
Apollo loved this time of day as he watched the sun crash into the ocean on the horizon. Rays of yellow, orange, and gold melding perfectly with deep blue and shock of green coating the sky and surface of the ocean respectively. His hands worked meticulously whittling the piece of wood in his hands that would eventually become a bow. His bow. His companion. His arrows always lead him in the right direction. The stars started to make their way across the sky as darkness began to blanket the sun. Apollo was an astronomy buff. He liked to gaze into the stars searching for constellations and patterns on quiet nights like…
"What are you whittling, little brother?" Came Artemis's voice from a few paces behind him. Apollo sighed and twisted around to see his sister staring into the sky admiring the moon.
"Just a new bow, sis. Want to help me break it again next time?" Artemis cringed.
"It's not my fault you can't watch where you are going, Apollon. And, don't call me 'sis'!" Apollo sighed and started his task again as his hands froze when he heard his sister's voice. He glanced into the sand and picked up a piece of the wood that broke off from his earlier whittling. He started to carve around the piece until it resembled a miniature sun with a wavy surface.
"That's pretty," commented Artemis. Apollo glanced up into her curious face as she looked away over the ocean. They sat in silence. Completely content in each other's presence watching as the sun's last rays extinguished beneath the ocean's surface.
Soooo, this is a one-shot until further notice. I do not have much time to write at the moment, but this type of writing helps calm me down so it's possible more one-shots may appear sometime in the near future. I'm thinking of turning this one-shot into an Apollo romance as I have a fragmented story line on my mind. I'll need some time to get it sorted though. Thank you for reading and please review if you have some spare time! This is my first story I've ever published online, so I'd like to hear what all of you are thinking.