More fun filler shit ayyyy

Song Inspiration:

Rainbow Veins - Owl City

Master of Tides - Lindsey Stirling

Tsukito patiently waits on the steps of the temple. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if someone were to come across a huge white marble building in place of the ruins. Come to think of it, it doesn't seem like anyone's even noticed at all...

He could go into the whole "this temple exists in its own pocket dimension only he can access" theory. At this point, he doesn't think he can distinguish reality anymore.

"Tsuki-Tsuki!"

Tsukito suddenly felt the air in his lungs knocked out of him as a much heavier body jumps onto him, "Hello, Apollon."

He's gotten so used to Apollon's intimate way of greeting him, he doesn't even have much of a reaction to it anymore. The sun god's body was just so pleasantly warm, so Tsukito's not really complaining.

"Hey Tsuki-Tsuki, feel like going somewhere today?"

"Define somewhere." Tsukito said.

"I thought you might want to take a day trip somewhere outside of Delphi." Apollon replied, "Anywhere you want to go is fine. Anywhere is fine."

"Anywhere I want, huh...?" Tsukito thought about it for a while. A very lengthy while. Soon, he began pacing back and forth.

"We don't have to if you don't want to, you know. We could just-"

"Ah!"

"What? What is it, Tsuki-Tsuki?" Apollon asked.

"...Rhodes. I would like to go to Rhodes."

Apollon blinked, surprised at Tsukito's answer, "Rhodes?"

"Is that not possible?" Tsukito asked.

"No, I mean that's fine, but may I ask why?"

Tsukito shrugged, "I thought the ocean might be nice."

"Alright, if that's where you want to go, then I have no objections!" Apollon said cheerfully, "Hang on tight, okay?"

"Wha-"

Suddenly, Apollon scooped up Tsukito into his arms and took off into the air. Tsukito could feel his gut twist, alarmed by suddenly finding himself flying through the air.

"...Aren't I heavy?"

Apollon shook his head, "No, quite the opposite, actually. Have you been eating well? You're so light!"

Tsukito frowned, poking the god's forehead, "That's none of your business."

He looked down as the scenery below him passed him by. He could see mountains and valleys for miles and the ocassional town they flew over. Soon he could see the bustling city of Athens through the clouds. Tsukito was absolutely breathtaken by the view. They flew over the ocean and finally, they could see the island of Rhodes.

"Wow, that was insettlingly fast."

"Well, it would've been 18 hours if you were if it any other way. Wouldn't it be much faster by flying? Wouldn't it?" Apollon lands somewhere isolated ouside of the town's entrance and set Tsukito back onto the ground, "There we go!"

Tsukito's legs wobbled slightly as they tried to adjust to being on the ground again. He sees a bright white light shining from behind him, but only for a brief moment. When Tsukito turned around, he sees Apollon had changed into his human form, "Alright, let's go!" Apollon said enthusiastically as he took Tsukito by the hand.

"Hey, you're not going to forget about me, are you?" A higher-pitched voice asked from behind them.

Apollon let out a loud sigh of exasperation as he turned around to face his sister.

Tsukito, not sensing Apollon's annoyance, greets the goddess politely, "Oh hello again, Artemis."

Artemis doesn't even acknowledge that Tsukito was even there, "Man, maintaining a human form is a lot of work, how do you even do it all the time, Apollon?"

"What are you doing here?" Apollon asks, narrowing his eyes at her.

Artemis pouts, walking over to cling onto Apollon's arm. "What's wrong with me wanting to spend the day with my adorable little brother?"

Tsukito notices that even if Artemis is more level-headed than her brother, they both seem to be childish to some degree. Maybe that comes with being twins.

"I was going to spend it with Tsuki-Tsuki, though."

"Well, I'm sure he won't mind if I join you, right?" Artemis glanced at Tsukito expectantly.

Tsukito freezes from suddenly being put in the spotlight all of a sudden. What should he say? Of course, he wouldn't mind if Artemis hung out with them, but looking at Apollon, it seems like he really doesn't want his sister around at all. After a few moments of silence, Tsukito just decided to go with his gut. "It's okay, I don't mind."

"Yay! Do you hear that, Apollon? He said I could come!" Artemis exclaims excitedly, slightly bouncing in place, "It's been a long time since I've been to Rhodes. It looks like it's changed a lot in a few centuries."

Tsukito was slightly amused by Artemis' enthusiasm. Very much like her brother. When he glanced at Apollon, the god's face just has the kicked puppy look of utter betrayal. "I'm sorry." Tsukito mouthed to him. He felt sort of bad going against Apollon, but maybe he could see that hanging out with his sister might not seem so bad.

Tsukito found Rhodes to be quite a delightful place. The salty sea air and the sound of waves crashing on the shore and seagulls crying was just so calming. It was the picture perfect seaside town.

Tsukito would enjoy it if the tension wasn't so thick. The whole time they were walking around the harbor, no one has said a single word.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all...

But to be honest, Tsukito thought maybe he could be better friends with Artemis this way, but he supposes he was wrong. But he still wants to try somehow.

"You know, we could visit the old town if you want..." Tsukito suggests, trying to lighten to mood somehow, "I would like to see the castle there, if that's not too much to ask."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Apollon piped up, rushing to Tsukito's side, "Let's go!"

But before they could get anywhere, Artemis quickly shoves Tsukito to the side and squeezes in the space between him and Apollon. She glanced at Tsukito briefly with a smug little grin before playfully sticking out her tongue at him. It was supposed to be a malicious gesture, but Tsukito, being the passive person he is, didn't really think anything of it.

The tension seemed to go away almost immediately when they got to the old town. It was a well preserved medieval city with a moat and a stone wall enclosing the entire area and a huge old-fashioned castle towering over all of it. Tsukito felt like he had stepped back in time when the knights were still around. He knew Takeru would've loved this sort of thing.

Apollon watched Tsukito as they wandered the castle, noticing the faint glitter of fascination and wonder in his amber eyes as he explored every nook and cranny he could. He found it quite endearing. Honestly, who allowed this mortal to be this cute?

"Wow, I can't believe this place is still standing." Artemis pipes up, instantly shattering the mood.

"Well yes, this place was meant to last. And also people made efforts to restore it over the centuries. It certainly helped in preserving it." Tsukito said.

"Pfft, nerd."

"Yes, that's me." Tsukito responds bluntly.

Suddenly, a loud grumbling noise filled the room. The twins averted their gaze to the only person in the room who could make that noise.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, did you eat anything at all today?"

Tsukito turned away, a faint blush highlighting his face, "...N-no."

"Ah, we can't have that. We can't. You need to take better care of yourself." Apollon said in a worried tone.

Tsukito just shrugged, "I'll be fine, I don't really have much interest in food anyway."

"Not only do you not sleep, you can't skip eating on top of that too." Apollon kept insisting, "Come on, let's look for something to eat."

Tsukito let out a quiet, breathy laugh, "What are you, my mother?"

They all sat in a cafe they found nearby. Tsukito ended up eating very little in the end, but he does appreciate Apollon worrying about him.

When Tsukito glanced over at the twins who were sitting across the table from him. They seemed to be really focused for some reason...until Tsukito realized they were listening in on the conversation of two elderly women sitting at the table next to them. They were speaking Greek so Tsukito couldn't possibly keep up, let alone understand what they were talking about. Not that he was interested in other people's conversations anyway.

"Uhm...isn't it rude to eavesdrop like that?" He asked.

"Shhh, shut up." Artemis replied.

"What about their conversation is so interesting to you?"

"They're talking about...something strange that has been going on around here."

Tsukito raised an eyebrow, "Define something strange?"

"Fishing boats mysteriously being sunk. People just throwing themselves into the sea for no reason, I think. Apparently this has been going on in Rhodes for months." Apollon explained, his facial expression grim.

"That is quite strange...do you think it has something to do with-"

Artemis cuts him off, "What do you know? Even if you could figure out what's going on here, there's nothing you could do about it."

"I...I was just thinking..." Tsukito let out a sigh. He's had enough. He doesn't like starting unnecessary drama, but there's only so much his resolve could take.

But it appeared Apollon had the same idea. Before Tsukito could call her out, Apollon got up from his seat and grab Artemis by the shoulders, "Hey, Sis, can I talk to you for a minute, can I?"

They've been gone for a while...Tsukito hopes that something hadn't happened to them.

It wasn't hard for Tsukito to find them. He figured they'd be at the Acropolis. It's dedicated to them, after all. As Tsukito climbed up the hill, he could hear them getting into a heated argument. He just hopes this doesn't lead to something more drastic. Like them going into god mode and proceeding to tear up the island...or something like that.

"Artemis, why are you being so mean to Tsuki-Tsuki?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Artemis replied in a coy sing-song tone.

"I am not in the mood for this, Artemis."

Artemis sighed, "Well, I'm sorry for trying to look out for you, okay?"

"Why? I'm not in any danger last time I checked."

"Well if you keep hanging out with that human, you will be." Artemis said, her voice dripping with venom when she said the word 'human', "What's going to happen when he hurts you again like all those others? He's just going to reject you, right?"

"He already did."

"What? And you didn't throw a hissy fit this time? Wow..I'm genuinely amazed."

"Come on, Sis, give Tsuki-Tsuki the benefit of the doubt. He's very nice, really." Apollon said, "He said he still wanted to be my friend and I'm fine with that. I'm fine with it. He's different, Artemis."

"You said that about the last girl, Apollon." Tsukito could hear Artemis' tone turned solemn all of a sudden. "But for how long, though? Is he still going to want to be your friend when he finds out what you did?"

There was a long moment of hesitation before Apollon answered, "He won't...he won't find out. I won't tell him."

Deciding he's heard enough, Tsukito started climbing down the hill to wait for them to come down. He supposes after hearing that, he couldn't really stay angry at Artemis anymore. She was just trying to look out for her brother. Tsukito can respect that.

Just before he reached the bottom, Tsukito suddenly heard singing coming from somewhere. He knows it's not Apollon. This sounded way too different. While it was just as haunting and beautiful, it sounded much more sinister.

As the sickeningly sweet melody echoed throughout the area, he could practically feel a burning hot ache flood his entire body. His head spins as the singing continued. No matter how hard he tried to hold on to his conscious he could just feel it slipping away from him. Tsukito's body began to move on its own, not following his will. He walked back up towards the cliffs again. The voice was beckoning him to.

"Okay, you know what? Fine, This is your own problem and I'll let you be for now, but don't come crying to me when he inevitably breaks your heart." Artemis said, hoping to end this argument for good.

Apollon pouts, crossing his arms, "Good, because I don't need your help." He turned on his heel to to go back down to meet up with Tsukito, but instead he sees him already there climbing up towards him. "Oh hey, Tsuki-Tsuki sorry to make you wait..." Apollon's sentence trailed off as Tsukito walks right past him, "Tsuki-Tsuki, where are you going?"

As Apollon followed him, he noticed Tsukito's eyes were completely blank, like he was totally out of it, "Hey, come on Tsuki-Tsuki, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

Tsukito just shoved Apollon aside and continued walking towards the edge of the cliff. He dropped his violin case on the ground before he stood on top of the wall that blocked off the cliff. "What are you-" Apollon was cut off by a gasp he let out as Tsukito just let himself fall off the edge. "TSUKI-TSUKI!"

Without hesitation, Apollon jumped after him. As he was desperately tried to reach for Tsukito, he forces himself to change into his god form. As he watched Tsukito continue plunging towards the ocean, Apollon felt himself panic more and more. 'Please, just a little more...'

As if by some miracle, Apollon had managed to reach Tsukito's hand. He grasped it firmly and pulled Tsukito towards him, just as he was a few feet above the ocean.

"Oh, thank Gaia. I thought I lost you, Tsuki-Tsuki." Apollon choked back a sob as he held Tsukito tightly, "Don't ever do that again."

"I have to go..." Tsukito murmured quietly.

"Where? Where do you have to go?"

Tsukito slowly raised his hand and pointed towards the ocean, "I have to go to her...she's calling me..."

"Tsuki-Tsuki, what are you saying? Snap out of it, please!" Apollon gently shook Tsukito.

"Uhhh, Apollon we have a bigger problem here." Artemis' voice called out from the top of the cliff.

Apollon flew back up there with Tsukito in tow. "What's going on? What's happening?"

Artemis pointed to where the hill began to slope down. There were several other people walking towards the top, all of them had the same blank stare in their eyes, "Do you hear that weird singing?"

"Uhm...yes. But where is it coming from?" Apollon asked.

"Sirens."

"What?"

"Sirens. Did you not hear me the first time?" Artemis repeats again, mildly irritated.

"But I thought they didn't exist anymore."

"They didn't go extinct, idiot. They just remained dormant for a couple centuries and now decided to come out of hiding to have fun and wreak havoc again." Artemis said, "That explains all these fishing boats being capsized and all those mysterious suicides around here."

"So what do we do? What should we do?" Apollon looked down at Tsukito, who was weakly trying to escape his grasp.

"I say we do nothing. It's not our problem, anyway."

"But what about those people?" Apollon asked, gesturing towards the people which are now trudging closer to the edge of the cliff.

"What about them?"

Apollon grew mildly distressed at Artemis' apathy for the humans' lives, "We can't just let them die! We have to save them!"

"And how to you propose you do that? Even if you were to find the sirens, it would be too late to save those people."

"I don't know, but I have to do something!" Apollon suddenly felt Tsukito move in his arms, "Tsuki-Tsuki? Tsuki-Tsuki!"

At the sound of his name, Tsukito rapidly blinked a few times, "What...? What was I doing?" He asked, still mildly disoriented.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, are you here? Are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?" Apollon was panicking, his sentences came out as a rapid, jumbled mess.

"Slow down, I feel fine, and three." Tsukito said, "What happened?"

"Sirens." Apollon answered.

Tsukito raised an eyebrow, "Sirens?"

"Yes, they've been terrorizing this island for a while. They almost got you too." Apollon replied, "We... I'm trying to find them but those people are in danger too and I don't know what to do."

Tsukito glances at what Apollon was referring to. They're all lined up at the edge of the cliff, as it waiting their turn to jump. He could still hear the sirens' song ringing in his ears and it made his head hurt. If only he could block it out somehow...

He gasps, "...I have an idea." Tsukito rushes over to where he dropped his violin case and took out his violin, "I'll buy you some time. You go find the sirens."

Apollon smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Tsuki-Tsuki."

"Now go!" Tsukito urged Apollon as he began to play.

"You know, I welcome you to come with me, if you know, you care enough." Apollon said to Artemis.

The goddess just rolled her eyes, sighing in exhasperation, "Fine. Only because you won't stop bothering me about for days if I didn't." She changed into her god form and took off into the distance with Apollon.

Tsukito, meanwhile, tried to focus all his attention to his music. He managed to drown out the sirens' song and lose himself in his own music, but he wasn't sure if it was the same for the others. He can try, though. He doesn't want to just sit there and let the gods handle everything. Tsukito would say he's doing a decent job somewhat. No one jumped off the edge so far. Instead they just sort of stood there, like they were waiting for an order to jump.

Feeling a sudden surge of determination, he tried to put more energy into his playing as the song became more intense. His fingers frantically danced along the strings.

Tsukito could hear the sirens try to overpower him, but he knew they're going to tire themselves out eventually. He'll just need to hold out until then.

"Well, it wasn't too hard to find them. You would think they would bother covering up their tracks after all these years, but hmm guess not." Artemis taunts the sirens cowering in their presence. She summons her bow and arrow. "Let's just get this over with."

But Apollon was already ahead of her. He swiftly shot them all with one arrow each, disintergrating them into nothing but a pile of feathers.

"Aww, what was the point of me coming with you then?"

"They tried to hurt Tsuki-Tsuki. I guess I let my anger get the best of me again. I'll let you have the kill next time, I promise."

"You better." Artemis said, "That was probably too easy anyway, so I'm not even mad."

From a distance, they could hear violin music over the sound of ocean waves, "Wow, that kid is still playing? How long can he go for?"

Just as Artemis finished that sentence, Apollon was already flying back towards the island. "Well, I guess this is where I take my leave then."

When Apollon reached the Acropolis, he found Tsukito was still indeed playing, but he was starting to look weary. The other people were now lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious and most likely to wake up having no memory of what happened.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, you can stop now." Apollon told Tsukito.

Upon hearing Apollon's voice, Tsukito immediately stops playing, "Did we do it?"

Apollon smiled reassuringly, "Yeah, we did it. You did great. Are you okay?"

Tsukito took a moment to put his violin away before answering, "Well generally, yes, but I've been continuously playing intensely for a while so..." He showed Apollon his hands. All of his fingers were calloused and covered in tiny bleeding cuts.

"Oh no...it's okay, it's nothing I can't fix." Apollon said cheerfully. He takes both of Tsukito's hands into his own and held them tightly. Tsukito could feel that familiar warmth replace the ache in his fingers. This feeling was strangely calming to Tsukito, he didn't want it to end. When Apollon releases his hands, Tsukito's fingers were perfectly healed, as if he didn't do anything to them at all.

"Thank you."

"We should probably go before someone comes."

"Good idea." Tsukito agreed, "Feel like walking on the beach?"

Apollon nodded, "Sure!"

"But, I think you should, uh..."

Apollon looks down on himself, realizing he was still in his god form, "Oh, whoops!"

They sky was slowly darkening as Apollon and Tsukito walked along the beach. It was quite late, so they pretty much had the whole beach to themselves.

"Hey, Tsuki-Tsuki."

"Yes?"

"I...I would like to apologize for how Artemis treated you. This was supposed to be something fun for you, but I suppose that all went south."

Tsukito shook his head, "It's fine, Apollon. I still had fun, I mean, minus the whole situation with the sirens. I'm not particularly angry at Artemis either. After all, I did sort of steal her brother away from her."

"But still, that's no excuse for how she acted towards you. It's no excuse."

"She just wanted to spend time with you. That's completely normal. I will tell you this, Apollon: you should cherish the time you spend with your sibling while you still have the chance." Tsukito said, "Besides, I honestly think it's better than hanging around little old me."

"Awww, but I like little old you. I think you're really neat, Tsuki-Tsuki!"

A small smiled graced Tsukito's face, "Thank you, I'm flattered...I also think you're pretty neat. And Artemis too. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Maybe she finally got bored and went home." Apollon said nonchalantly, "So you feel like going back to Delphi now?"

"Not yet." Tsukito sat down in the sand, "Just let me have this moment for peace and quiet. You can join me if you like."

And Apollon did. He sat down beside Tsukito. Neither of them said anything to each other. They just looked up at starry sky above them as the calming sound of ocean waves filled the air.

Tsukito suddenly shivered at the cool ocean breeze, "It's rather chilly, isn't it?"

"Really? I don't feel it at all."

"Oh that's right, you produce your own body heat." Tsukito replied bluntly, "Then please don't mind me."

He scooted a little closer to Apollon until their shoulders were touching.

"Tsuki-Tsuki, if you wanted a hug, you could've just asked." Apollon snaked his arm around Tsukito's waist and pulled him a little bit closer to him. Tsukito just closed his eyes and lost himself in the relaxing sound of waves crashing on the shore and the feeling of Apollon's warmth.

In that one moment, Tsukito felt like everything was fine.

So I think I've decided this chapter will last about 9-10 chapters so this is the last chapter of useless filler shit before we kickstart the romance plot, I promise.