A/N: Here is chapter four! This chapter is focused mainly on Artemis and Apollo, almost like a one-shot. I HAVE to share how and why I love this pair so much. This is what I feel they would do when it's just Artemis and Apollo alone.
It was a cold night and all the campers had went to bed.
Artemis strolled along the empty beach at Camp Half-Blood, letting the waves washed around her bare feet as her toes dug softly into the wet sand. It was a comfortable feeling and it helped to clear her mind off the issues at camp.
Transferring to this new environment and training male heroes made her feel out-of-place. She was glad for the peace that the beach at night could bring. She held her hands towards the full moon in the sky and willed it to shine brighter. She felt so at ease in the nights, and it was rare she could trot on her uncle's domain, since she had always been roaming the forests.
Artemis sat on dry sand and hugged her legs, staring out into the sea, deep in thoughts. The bushes behind her rustled slightly but that did not surprise the goddess of the hunt.
She sighed. 'I know you are in there, brother. Quit stalking.'
Apollo chuckled and stepped out of the bushes. 'What are you doing here so late in the night, sis?'
'Don't call me sis,' Artemis gritted her teeth.
'How about Arty?'
'No.'
'Baby sister?'
'No,' Artemis glared at her twin brother, 'For the sake of Zeus, Apollo! No!'
Apollo grinned and held his hands up in surrender. 'Okay Artemis, no need to get all worked up. Anyway, I wrote you a haiku. Do you want to hear it?'
Artemis flopped down to the ground and waved her arms in exasperation. 'Just leave me alone for some peace and quiet, Apollo. I came here so I could hear myself think properly after such a long day and you have to come and ruin it for me!'
Apollo did not reply. They stared out at the beach, watching wave after wave crash in rhythm until she heard him shuffling nearer. Artemis turned to see him sitting right next to her.
Apollo put his arm around her gently. 'I won't leave you alone, sister. I don't want you to be lonely ...' his voice was soft and he spoke from the bottom of his heart. Artemis could feel it when he said things like that. She felt a pang of guilt for pushing Apollo away when he was just trying to be here for her.
The constellations in the sky flickered momentarily.
'I am never alone,' Artemis whispered. 'I know you are always here. Every time I feel alone, I just look into my heart and you will be there. With you, I will never feel alone.'
Apollo's face brightened. 'Really?'
'Yes brother. I could never chase you away,' Artemis rolled her eyes. She forgot she could not feed Apollo too much facts on how much she loved him too or else his ego would get so huge, he would hog her for the rest of the week. Oh wait. He was already doing that, courtesy of their shared punishment.
Apollo laughed and planted a kiss on her forehead. 'I love you too, sis. Anyway, it's Saturday tomorrow.'
Artemis' eyes lit up. The day she had been waiting for the entire week is finally here. When the daylight broke out, she could be in the company of her sisters-in-arm once again, hunting down real monsters instead of those in camp. These days whenever she had felt nostalgic for hunting, she would go down to the camp's forest to hunt. However, the monsters did not pose much of a challenge and she quickly grew tired of it. She missed hunting with her huntresses.
As she pondered over what she could do in such a short time span of hunting with her huntresses, she noticed that Apollo was unusually silent.
Artemis tried to read his mind but he was thinking of a million things at once and it gave her a godly headache so she gave up and asked him instead. 'What is the matter, brother?'
His voice broke. 'Did you ever … Missed the times we shared before this western civilisation begins?'
He looked into her eyes. Artemis noticed his tears threatening to fall and her heart ached for him somehow. She reached out and held his hands in hers.
'Because, I miss it all the time …' he continued. 'I miss everything we used to have. All those days we had spent hunting together. Just you and me.'
Artemis' voice quavered as she recalled the old times. Just her and her brother, chasing after monsters and shooting them down as a team. 'I … I do, brother. I really do.'
'Then why do you always run off with your huntresses? Am I not good enough company for you now? Why do you always push me away? I don't mean to annoy you every time we meet, Artemis. It's just … I love you, sister. I really do. I could write you an entire book of haikus just for you if you want. I could break the rules time and again, only for you. I –'
Artemis laid a finger on Apollo's lips. 'Hush, dear brother. It is alright.' She put her arms around him, holding Apollo tight. He hugged back, squeezing Artemis even tighter into his chest. 'I missed you so much …'
The goddess struggled and protested that her bones would break if he constricted her any further. Apollo loosened his grip but did not let go. He looked at Artemis, his eyes reading deep into her soul. When can we have those times again? He spoke in her mind, almost pleading.
After this punishment, Artemis promised. Then it would be you and me again, hunting as one.
'We don't have to wait till then,' Apollo winked as he released his twin sister. 'Race you to the forest?'
'Those are chicken-feet.'
'Never mind, as long as we could hunt together again.'
'Bet I'll reach there first.'
With that, the letoides* disappeared in a flash, leaving just a cloud of sandy trail into the camp's forest.
*Letoides is the name used for Apollo and Artemis as children of Leto.
A/N: Apollo is strong, so is Artemis. However, they are the only exception to each other. They can make each other weak and vulnerable. They are each other's weakness, they will risk their lives for each other. Artemis knows she will risk her life for him any time and so will he for her. This kind of love they shared is just too cute, I have to write it. :'3
