Song Inspiration:

Here We Are - Toby Fox

Thank You for Being Born (instrumental) - Dai

Tsukito let out a groan as he came to.

He opened his eyes and was greeted with pitch blackness. Where was he?

Tsukito reached into his bag, feeling for a little rabbit keychain. With a push of its belly, a tiny light emitted from the top of its head. It's not much, but it made quite a difference.

It seemed to be a cavern of some sort, dark and cold. The atmosphere felt ominous and sinister.

Wait, didn't the ground open up and he fell through it...?

Okay, in that case, he is definitely underground somewhere.

He pulled himself up to a stand, trying to figure out what to do next. Pointing the light upwards, he could see he had fallen a pretty long way. How did he even survive that fall? And he couldn't see any light from above, which meant the ground closed up again after he fell.

Now what?

"Hey kid, you getting on or not?" A voice called out to him.

Tsukito turned around to find a boat with an old man standing in it. His gaze was icy and sharp, it even made Tsukito shrink back nervously.

"Oh...I'm not..."

"I don't have all day, kid. Hurry it up." The ferryman yelled at him in a gravelly voice.

Tsukito flinched at his tone, "O-okay."

He reluctantly jumped on the boat. The trip across the murky river took quite a bit of time and the longer it took, the more Tsukito could feel a feeling of dread settle in his gut.

"Uhm...where exactly am I?" Tsukito asked.

"You're the Underworld, kid." The ferryman answered, clearly hoping Tsukito would shut up after that.

The Underworld...? Why would he be here? He's not even dead...at least, he doesn't think he is.

But never mind that. How was he going to get out of here? He's heard the residents of the Underworld don't take living trespassers very well. Tsukito might even die before he could find a way out.

Soon, the boat had arrived at the other side. As Tsukito hopped off the boat, he could see the entrance of the Underworld looming over him.

"See you later, kid."

"W-wait, don't I need to pay you?" But it wasn't like he had anything to pay him with anyway.

The ferryman just shook his head, "I'll give you a free pass. You're living, right?"

Oh good, Tsukito has at least some confirmation that he's alive. "How did you know?"

"After Hercules and Orpheus trying to sneak in, it's not all that hard to tell." The ferryman said.

"I didn't sneak in, I just fell into here by accident and I'm looking for a way out of here. Do you know of one?" Tsukito asked.

"The only exit I know of is in Hades' palace, but you have to travel deep into the middle of the Underworld to get there. I can't guarantee you'll even make it there alive."

Yes, Tsukito figured as much. Doesn't mean he still can't try. He thanked the ferryman and he went off on his way. Well, that encounter went better than expected.

The ferryman wasn't joking when he said the chances of Tsukito getting out alive were very slim. As soon as he approached the gates of the Underworld, he was met with a huge black dog. It was so big that it towered over Tsukito significantly. Its three heads growled menacingly at Tsukito. Cerberus...

Tsukito was considering on making a run for it, but he couldn't possibly outrun Cerberus. But he couldn't just turn back either...does he really have a choice?

If he was going to be stuck in the Underworld, he was at least going to die trying first.

Feeling a sudden surge of determination, Tsukito took a deep breath and started sprinting towards the gates. Cerberus stood in front of them, blocking his way. But Tsukito was able to maneuver his way under him by dropping onto his knees and sliding through between Cerberus' legs.

Before Tsukito could get anywhere near the gates, Cerberus had caught up to him and knocked him into the cave wall before he tumbled to the ground. This was it. Was this really how he was going to die? As Cerberus crept closer to him, Tsukito was starting to accept his impending death. Getting mauled to death by the guard dog of the Underworld wasn't the best way to go out, but...

Tsukito squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for what was coming...but what came wasn't what he was expecting. Opening his eyes, he sees Cerberus just...sniffing him? Tsukito just sat there dumbfounded Cerberus continued doing so, his nose trailing down his entire body before taking interest in the aquamarine anklet Tsukito wore. Takeru's anklet.

Much to Tsukito's surprise, Cerberus' mood changed drastically. Suddenly, he was wagging his tail and yapping happily, much like a excited little puppy might do.

Tsukito tentatively stretched a hand towards Cerberus and gently pet one of his heads. It made him wag his tail even more. As Tsukito continued petting him, the other two heads licked his face incessantly. He couldn't help but laugh softly, "Hey, that tickles."

He supposes Cerberus wasn't so bad after all. He was just a giant three-headed puppy.

"May I go through the gates now?" Tsukito asked.

Cerberus immediately goes to sit in his spot beside the gates, his tail still wagging. Tsukito swears Cerberus might lose his tail at this rate. He gave the dog one last pet before going through the gates of the Underworld, "Thank you."

He didn't know why Cerberus decided to let him in all of a sudden. Maybe he just got lucky.

As Tsukito began wandering through the Underworld, he could feel chills going up his spine. He didn't know what he was expecting from it. It wasn't exactly easy either. Several times, the souls of the dead would try to grab Tsukito as he walked past, hoping for a free ride out.

"Turn back." A hushed voice whispered to him.

He couldn't. He didn't know how long he had been walking, but he was sure he's probably far, far away from the entrance now. The path ahead seemed to be getting darker and darker, so much so that his little keychain flashlight couldn't do much for him. He could feel his determination begin to waver, slowly starting to turn into fear.

"Turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back."

Tsukito tried to ignore the voices and continued ahead. But the more he pressed on, the more vicious the voices became.

"Die die die die die die die die die die."

"I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you"

"Shut up!" Tsukito's voice echoed throughout the Underworld.

Just like that, the voices disappeared. At that point, Tsukito couldn't help but wonder: were they just part of his imagination?

The voices were gone, at least. Now he could keep going. Tsukito had a feeling he was getting close. He can't stop now.

It wasn't long before he heard foosteps. Tsukito didn't think anything of it...until suddenly felt something sharp press against his back lightly, "Halt."

Tsukito immediately put his hands up in a defensive stance. Just when he was getting close, he just had to get himself caught, now did he?

"We were made aware that a living was wandering here."

"Yes...and?" Tsukito said, trying to keep his calm. Maybe he could find a way out of this somehow.

"We're sorry, but we cannot allow you to walk around here as you please. We will bring you before Lord Hades. If you resist, we will have no choice but to take drastic measures."

Tsukito tried to struggle when his hands were cuffed behind his back. But the handcuffs were heavy and they were so tight, they bit into his wrists, most likely leaving bruises. With a sudden blow to the back of his head, Tsukito felt his consciousness slip away from him.

Tsukito woke up to the feeling of a cold marble floor pressing against his face.

"Have you awoken?" A deep voice asked.

Tsukito struggled to pull himself up, but having his hands cuffed behind his back made it difficult. He scanned his surroundings. He seemed to be in a throne room of some sort. The room was dimly lit up by torches that had a eerie blue flame. Tsukito then found himself face to face with the god of the Underworld himself. He was dressed in black robes and his dark green hair fell in long waves, his gaze was stern and cold, sending shivers down Tsukito's spine. Beside his throne stood a shorter guard dressed in matching robes, his face obscured by a large hood.

The short guard turned to the others, "Now, can we please get the cuffs off the 128-pound guy? It's not like he's going to run anywhere."

Tsukito sighed in relief as his hands were released from the heavy metal cuffs. Just as he thought, very dark purple lines marred his wrists where the cuffs were and they ached from being bound for so long.

"What is your name, mortal?" Hades asked.

"Tsukito...my name is Tsukito."

"Why have you come down here?"

"I didn't come here willingly. I just fell into here." Tsukito answered, "I was told that the exit was in your palace, so I came looking for it."

"So you ended up where you wanted to in the end?" Hades sighed, "Very well, I will allow you to cross the barrier, but if you find yourself here again, I might not be so kind the second time."

Tsukito couldn't stop a smile from forming on his face, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Hades turned to the guards that restrained Tsukito, "Escort him to the barrier." He ordered.

The guards pulled Tsukito up off the floor and led him towards the door of the throne room. Tsukito had expected he had to fight his way out, but that was a little anti-climatic. But he was more than happy to be able to leave. Alive.

"Hades, wait!" The shorter guard begged Hades, suddenly grabbing onto his arm.

Hades gazed softened as he turned to him, "What is it?"

"Can...can he stay for a little longer?"

Tsukito was confused. Why did this person want him to stay in this kind of place? He kept walking before they could manage to convince Hades to find a way to keep him here.

"You know the rules. The Underworld is no place for the living." Hades said.

"I'm not asking for much, just a few hours. Please?"

Hades raised an eyebrow, "May I ask why?"

There was a long moment of silence before the guard answered, "Because...that's my brother."

Tsukito stopped and abruptly turned around. What?

The guard pulled down his hood, smiling at Tsukito. "Hey Anii..."

Tsukito's jaw dropped as his eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe it...but there was no mistaking it. Tsukito would recognize that spiky blue hair anywhere. "Takeru...?"

His body moved on his own as he pushed the other guards aside, running towards Takeru. Takeru also immediately bounded towards Tsukito, unable to contain his emotions. They threw their arms around each other, holding each other tightly.

"Takeru, is that really you?" Tsukito asked, clutching Takeru's face in his hands.

Takeru grinned, "I'm as real as it gets, dude."

"I missed you..."

"I know. I missed you too." Takeru said, "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you cry like this."

Tsukito laughs, despite the tears falling from his eyes, "Oh shut up, you're crying too."

Takeru turned to Hades, "Please, Hades, can he stay for a little while longer?"

"Very well, I will give you twenty-four hours." Hades sighed, his voice cracking as if he was also trying not to cry.

"Thank you, Hades!" Takeru quickly ran up to Hades and kissed him on the cheek, which surprised Tsukito.

Hades just smiled at him, "Only because it's for you, Takeru. Now go. Be with your brother."

Takeru grabbed Tsukito by the hand and pulled him out of the throne room, "Come on, I know a place where we can can talk."

After a seemingly endless maze of hallways, he led Tsukito to a garden of some kind. The entire area was filled with all kinds of plants and colorful flowers, a stark contrast to the general darkness of the Underworld.

"Since Persephone is gone for the season, I'm sure she won't mind if we mess around in her garden."

"What is even...how did you...?"

"You must have a lot of questions right now, don't you, Anii?" Takeru took a seat in a patch of grass, patting the seat next to him, "We have a lot to catch up on."

Tsukito sat next to Takeru, "So are you..."

"Yep, I'm dead. Completely and one-hundred percent dead." Takeru said, "That's how I ended up here, after all."

"What about Mom? Is she here too?" Tsukito asked.

Takeru just shook his head sadly, "I...I never found her when I came here."

"Oh...then what about you...and Hades?"

"Now that's a funny story, but it's kinda long."

"We have twenty-four hours. Lay it on me." Tsukito said.

Takeru just sighed before answering, "I really don't know how to tell you this so I'm just going to say it...Hades is my husband."

Tsukito just blinked at him in surprise, "What...?"

"Hades and I are married." Takeru said, a bit slower, "I know what you're going to say, Anii, but I really do love Hades and he's very good to me and-"

"Takeru, slow down. I'm not going to judge you. I'm just surprised, that's all." Tsukito replied, "That does explain why you two look at each other like a married couple."

Takeru laughs sheepishly, "Aw shit, were we that obvious?"

"But thought Hades was married to Persephone."

"Was. It didn't work out in the end. They broke up centuries ago, but since Persephone is still bound to this place, she does come occasionally."

"Oh...then how did Persephone react to you?"

Takeru just shrugged, "She was surpisingly chill about it. She was happy for us, even. You should've seen her at our wedding, she practically drowned us in flowers."

Tsukito laughs, slightly amused by Takeru's story.

"Do you wanna hear the story of how we met?"

Tsukito nodded, "Sure...I suppose."

"So it wasn't long after I died. I was just sort of wandering the Underworld, then suddenly I just heard violin music coming from somewhere. I thought it reminded me of you, so I followed it and I found Hades playing the violin here in this garden."

"Hades plays the violin?"

"Yeah, it was a hobby he picked up centuries ago. Literally no one knows about this." Takeru said, "But anyway, he scolded me for tresspassing, but he couldn't stay mad at me for long. Imagine, one minute he's yelling at me, the next he feels terrible and offers to play more for me. He was terrifying upon first impression, but then I came to find out he's actually the biggest fucking dork who likes shitty puns."

"Then what happened?" Tsukito asked.

"I slept with him." Takeru replied nonchalantly. Tsukito's eyes widened, taken aback by the answer. Takeru burst into laughter at his reaction, "Yeah, sex on the first date. We moved pretty quickly. Pretty soon, I'm acting as his unofficial bodyguard."

Tsukito smiled, "But you seem happy down here, I'm glad. I don't know if it means anything to you, but you both have my blessing."

"Thanks, Anii. That actually means a lot. But enough about me. What have you been up to?" Takeru asked, "You seem different."

"Well yes, having your brother die tends to do that."

Takeru shook his head, "Not in that way, it's like...have you fucked anyone lately?"

Tsukito nearly choked on air at the unexpected question. His face suddenly flushing bright red was the answer Takeru needed.

"You did, didn't you?" Takeru says in a teasing manner, "I'm your brother, you can't hide this shit from me. And besides..." He pulled at the collar of Tsukito's shirt, revealing multiple, very prominent hickies that covered his neck and shoulders, "It's not like you really made an effort to hide these. Who did you fuck, a goddamn leech?"

"Do you want the short answer or the long answer?" Tsukito asked.

"Uh...short?"

"Apollon."

Takeru raised an eyebrow, "Apollon? You mean the sun god?"

"Yes." Tsukito confirms.

There was a long moment of silence before Takeru said, "Okay, now I kinda want the long answer."

Tsukito took a deep breath, "Oh..I don't even know where to start...after you and Mom died, Dad handled it really terribly and practically drowned himself in alcohol as a coping mechanism. Oh, and I think he gambled away all your savings."

"Shiiiit, that sounds real bad. What about Akira?" Takeru asked.

"He also handled it terribly too. Almost everyday, he just started yelling at me for no reason. Sometimes he would blame me for very minor things. But I guess he didn't want to deal with me anymore, so he eventually moved out and left me with Dad..." Tsukito explained, "Then...I left. I took out all the money I could and went to travel the world. I remembered how much you wanted to do that, so I decided to do it for you."

Takeru's eyes lit up, "You...did that for me? God, you are the best brother ever."

"I try to be. Oh, speaking of which..." Tsukito dug through his bag and pulled out the scrapbook, "I suppose you can have this back."

"Isn't this thing from when we were kids? Man, there must be some embarrassing stuff in here." Takeru flipped through the book, his eyes increasingly widening in surprise as he pressed further, "Wow...you went to all these places?"

"Yes."

"Whoa, I'm going to have a lot to catch up on." Takeru says jokingly, "So back to Apollon, how did he come into play?"

"About a month ago, I came to Delphi. I visited the Temple of Apollo and decided to play my violin there from some reason. He somehow heard me playing and he took it upon himself to help me." Tsukito explained, "He told me he fell in love with me the moment he saw me, but I told him no because I don't believe in love at first sight."

Takeru raised an eyebrow, "And he didn't annhilate your ass right then and there?"

"Surprisingly, no." Tsukito laughs at the thought, "I guess he was too nice now. But he was fine with helping me as a friend...even though I noticed a long time ago that he still had feelings for me. But then I told him about you...and the accident and I ending up having a breakdown over having to remembering it. I felt so guilty after your death and I just wanted to forget about everything for a night...so I had sex with Apollon."

"Wow...a one night stand, huh? How did you end up here?"

Tsukito sighed, "Everything happened so fast. I didn't regret sleeping with him, but I had realized we were both getting too attached to each other. I thought it was better to distance myself from him. So I left Delphi and told him to forget about me. But...ever since I left, my chest just hurts so much, I can't stand it."

"Okay...I'm not saying you might in love with him, but you might be in love with him." Takeru replied.

Tsukito shook his head, "No, I can't be...but I'm just so confused."

"Anii look, when you love someone, it's fucking torture. If you weren't in love, you wouldn't feel this shitty."

"It doesn't matter now. He's a god. I can't love him, even if I wanted to."

"Who the fuck told you that? Look at me. I'm married to a god and I'm fucking rolling." Takeru said, "Whoever told you that, I will fight them!"

"It was Artemis. She didn't tell me directly, but I overheard an argument with her and Apollon. She just seen Apollon hurt by humans so many times and I just didn't want to be added to that list." Tsukito explained, "I'm starting to think she was being mean to me so that she'd keep me away from him. Not that resent her for it."

"Artemis..?" Takeru shook his head, "Okay, hell no I ain't fucking with Artemis. I'm not about to get my ass beat."

Tsukito scoffed, "Not so above it all, are you?"

"She's terrifying as fuck, you can't blame me!"

"And even if we could make it work, when I left, I told him he didn't mean anything to me. Of course I didn't mean it, but I know I can't take it back. He'll never forgive me for it." Tsukito buried his face in his hands, trying to his the guilt growing in his facial expression. "After all those people that hurt him in the past, I probably completely shattered his trust in anybody."

"There you go with the blaming yourself bullshit again. You don't know that." Takeru sighed, "Anii, I know you're not cruel enough to say things like that and maybe he knows that. Maybe if you two would get your heads out of your asses and actually talk to each other, maybe things would be easier for the both of you." He pauses for a moment, trying to figure out what else he wanted to say...or ask, "Though, why did he want to help you in the first place? Was something wrong?"

"Ever since you died, I just kind of...lost the will to play the violin. Since Apollon was the god of music, I thought maybe he could help me find my inspiration again...I was wrong. But it wasn't his fault, he really did try his best."

"So what happened then?" Takeru asked.

"I quit the violin."

Takeru's eyes widened in disbelief, "Eh?! Why?"

"You were the only person that kept me going, but since you we gone, I just didn't see a point anymore." Tsukito said sadly.

"Holy shit, you're a fucking mess." Takeru sighed, shaking his head. "Anii...I'm not going to force you to play violin if you don't want to, but if you do, do it because you want to. Do it because you want to share your gift with the world and make other people happy with your music."

"Well, I can't so that now. I may or may not have smashed my violin..."

"Really? Aw dude, I worked hard to earn money to get you that thing."

Tsukito hung his head, feeling a little bit guilty, "I know. I'm sorry..."

"But besides the point, Anii, I think it's time for you to let me go. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that I got to be a source of inspiration for you, but you need to play for yourself from now on. Am I making any sense?" Takeru smiled softly, grasping Tsukito's hand like he used to do as a child, "Just go be happy. Live your life. That's all I want for you. And don't worry about me. You can trust Hades to take very good care of me. I know it might take while, but I know you can find some closure."

Tsukito stood at the barrier that separated the Underworld from the world of the living.

"Well, here we are. You should be able to pass through easily since you're living. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Takeru asked.

"Yes, I'm sure I'll be fine. I know what I have to do now."

"Oh hey, if you find yourself down here again, make sure you have strawberry daifuku on hand. Hades really loves that stuff." Takeru said, "Don't tell him I told you that."

Tsukito laughs, "I'll keep that in mind."

"So...this is goodbye, I guess."

Tsukito suddenly pulled Takeru into the tightest hug he could, "I love you."

"I know..." Takeru replied, gently patting Tsukito's back, "Now go."

Tsukito released Takeru from his grip, "Goodbye."

Takeru watches as his brother went through the barrier without hesitation. He kept standing there until he couldn't see him anymore.

Takeru felt a hand on his shoulder, "So he's gone, huh?"

"Yeah...I'm glad you let me see him for one last time."

"Who said it had be the last time?" Hades asked.

Takeru looked at Hades, confused, "But I thought you said..." His face slowly started to light up, "Oh my god, Hades I love you so much right now."

Hades just smiled, "I know."

Takeru threw his arms around Hades' neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Hades tangled fingers in Takeru's hair, accidentally knocking off his headband, but neither of them could be bothered to care. They were just relishing in this moment of bliss.

Then suddenly Hades pulled away, settling for resting his forehead against Takeru's, "Hey, wait until we get to the bedroom, will you?"

"Carry me there." Takeru laughs playfully.

Hades sighed, scooping up Takeru in his arms, "Fine."

Tsukito slowly opened his eyes. What happened?

He remembers he was in the Underworld, then he crossed the barrier to the world of the living, then everything went white.

He looked around, seeing that he was in an unfamiliar room of some sort.

"Oh, thank Gaia, you're awake!" A voice suddenly called out, seemingly relieved.

Tsukito's blurry vison could barely make out blond hair and green eyes, "Apollon?"

"No, the other one, genius."

"Artemis? What are you doing here? And where am I?"

"You're at an inn in Thessaloniki. Someone found you lying unconcious on the side of the road and brought you here. I told the innkeeper I was a friend of yours." Artemis explained, "There's no time, we have to go!"

Artemis suddenly pulled Tsukito out of bed, took his belongings in another hand, and dragged him outside. She seemed kind of panicked. "Artemis, what's going on?"

Artemis turned to look at him, genuine fear in her eyes, "It's Apollon. You have to get back to Delphi."

OOooooh shit's about to get real here.