I just experienced so much stress submitting a paper online, like more stress than actually writing the paper.

This is a bittersweet chapter although it focuses on sweet treats.

Year One: Pop-Tart Day

Milan, Italy - 10:35 AM

Emily puts on her sunglasses as she exits a small corner shop. She walks down the streets, passing by people who are on their way to start their day. Emily walks with her shoulders higher than usual to make it easier to sidestep people with her purse. She was going one way and everyone else the other. Emily would always mutter apologies in Italian which was one of the first phrases she's picked up. She's learned many other conversational phrases with the rich friends who accompanied her. Emily is proud to call herself proficient in talking about the weather, asking for help and if they speak English, ordering food, and saying I love you to her special someone.

Once she's at a free corner, she stands to the side. Emily opens her bag and readjusts the box of Pop-Tarts she bought. It surprised her that they exist here and she isn't sure why. On any other day, she would never eat these. There are only two occasions where she would choose to eat a Pop-Tart: in absolute desperation and Apollo's birthday.

Lucky for her, it's the latter. Since she and her friends knew that Apollo would be in Asgard for his birthday, they took it upon themselves to do something small to commemorate the occasion. Wherever they were and whatever time it was, they would eat a Pop-Tart for him.

And Emily found a coffee-flavoured box. She didn't think those existed either. Look at Italy bringing more surprises. Emily wonders if Apollo's tried these before but he likely has. He's tried everything.

Emily tears open the box and pulls out an individual package. She gets a whiff of fake sugar and coffee flavouring and is disturbed by how it makes her mouth water. No wonder Apollo loves these stupid pastries. Could they even be called pastries or is that insulting to other pastries? But when Emily bites into one, she has a new understanding of Apollo's love. She knows she shouldn't be eating sugar, especially processed sugar, this early in the morning but it's his birthday and her morning coffee.

She's about to continue walking when she sees a homeless man sitting on the curb. Emily stops in her tracks, looking in her bag once before facing the man. She quickly pulls out some bills from her wallet and shoves them in the Pop-Tart box. When she crouches in front of the man, she smiles and hands him the box. Not only does he beam at the food but at the cash.

"Bless you," he says in broken English.

"Bless my friend, it's his birthday," Emily responds.

-o-

Wakanda's Palace - 11:10 AM

Imanu sits on a barstool in the kitchen as he watches Iqadi rummage through the cupboards. All the staff has been dismissed until further notice. Imanu offered that they could help but Iqadi assured him that she could find it. She said that ten minutes ago but Imanu never told her how much time passed. It would only stress her more and she already feels like sending a tornado through the kitchen. He'd even offer to help but she told him not to move. So he sat there waiting and watching her look through the same storage units many times.

Finally, she spots the blue box the third time checking that cabinet.

"I thought I didn't have it anymore," Iqadi says, walking up to Imanu.

"Have what?" Imanu asks as he closes all the drawers and doors she left open. "What is that?"

"Pop-Tarts." Iqadi smiles when she sees Imanu's confused face. "They're a Western snack of sorts. Apollo loves them so much that it's an obsession. He's in Asgard so the rest of us made a pact to eat one for him on his birthday."

Imanu nods, becoming more confused when Iqadi hands him the box. "I'm a part of this?"

"Of course, you are. You always will be."

Imanu smiles as Iqadi hands him their Pop-Tarts. As Iqadi puts the box down, Imanu looks at the snack. It's thin with a hardened glaze that's questionable for many reasons. It looks like it's been in that cupboard for months but the snack looked fine. Iqadi was certain in eating it so he should be too.

"You've never tried these?" Iqadi asks with a small smile on the corner of her lips.

"I've never heard of them," Imanu responds.

Iqadi gasps. "If only Apollo was here to witness this. It'd be groundbreaking for him."

-o-

Central Jersey, United States - 13:28 PM

They had to find a time they were all free to do this together. With their class schedules and training sessions with exam season around the corner, they had to put all that aside for Apollo's birthday. In their group chat, they dropped their schedules and, with intense planning mostly done by Daniel who made a spreadsheet, they found a thirty-minute slot where none of them had anything. That moment being on Apollo's birthday was a sign that this had to be done.

So they drove off campus to the nearest grocery store. Angela and Xavier were in their training uniforms, Daniel was in a lab coat, James was in both his training uniform and a lab coat, and Merida was in her pyjamas. The five of them run into the cereal aisle and stand in front of the Pop-Tart section. It's unfamiliar to be in front of all those blue boxes in their Academy outfits, even Merida's pyjamas.

They feel grown-up, even the pyjamas.

"It feels weird to be here without him," Angela says.

"Which one do we pick?" Daniel asks, stepping back to get a better look at the top shelves.

All their heads look back and forth, up and down in different directions. An obvious option would be to pick Apollo's favourite but he likes them all. They start suggesting flavours.

"I think they all taste the same," Xavier states.

Everyone stops and stares at him. Xavier, unfazed, continues browsing. Apollo would kill him for those words. He would say that every flavour has a spot in his heart.

"I say we buy a bunch and mash them all together," Merida suggests.

James gags. "I got diabetes just by hearing that."

"Best birthday ever."

"We're so stupid," Angela states.

Nobody argues with her but they look to see her explain. Angela jumps and grabs a box from the top shelf. Everyone reads the flavour and suddenly feel like an idiot. Apollo would be so ashamed in them on his beloved Pop-Tart Day. What surprises them the most is that nobody noticed that flavour on the shelf.

"Birthday cake is fitting," Daniel states.

"Who's paying for that box?" Merida asks. "I didn't bring my wallet since I rolled out of bed."

Xavier puts a hand on her shoulder. "Apollo would be proud."

-o-

A Week Ago - Asgard's Palace

A week from today will be Apollo's birthday. Weeks prior to today, he learned news that will change his life for the worse. He thought he knew all he had to about his fate but there was more to the story he didn't want to hear. Ever since learning the truth, he was plagued with nightmares. Even while awake, he felt the monster eating at his brain.

Apollo isn't sure what happened to him or Sigyn, who he believes is amid betraying him, but he doesn't want to spare another thought on Midgard. Every pleasant memory he has with his friends and growing up was being incinerated by the monster's venom. Faces of people he loved were being burned. His screams kept him up at night so he never wants to think of them again. It's for their sake, he tells himself. Everything about Midgard will never be the same again.

Everywhere within the palace walls became sombre. It's almost like a disease spread through the walls like a shadow. No castle staff or warriors in training were allowed to utter the words to avoid Apollo's rage. He couldn't handle hearing them because they trigger flashes of memories that plague the ones he keeps hidden at the very back of his mind. It never helped that Sigyn would hiss those words like the monster in his nightmares. Who had she become?

If nobody reminded him about his birthday, he would've forgotten about it. Sleepless nights blurred the division of day and night for him.

"Why don't you do something?" Jane suggests.

She and Thor sit across from Apollo on couches in one of the lounge rooms. Apollo's hands run across his beard as he slouches back in the cushions. He can see the destruction on his parents' faces. At least they had nothing to do with his horrors. They hate being in a position where they can only watch him suffer. All they want to do is help but he knows they can't. If they could make all this disappear, they would've already done it before he ever found out.

"It might be good for you," Thor adds.

"Not if it's my last," Apollo grumbles.

"Apollo…" Jane mutters. Her voice cracks and Apollo almost feels bad for saying it. He'd feel completely guilty if it wasn't true.

"It won't be your last," Thor reassures. The false hope that Apollo's heard too many times.

"Maybe we should plan a funeral instead," Apollo spits before getting up in a rush and leaving.

On his way out, he sees Sigyn standing at the doorway. Her face is expressionless as he passes her. Her face has been like that ever since she learned the news as well but there was always an ulterior motive behind those green eyes. Was she standing there the whole time? He kept eye contact with her as has passed her.

"Happy birthday to you…" Sigyn sings to him softly.

He heard that and assumed she wore a scowl or menacing and conniving grin that he saw in his nightmares. But little did he know that a tear rolled down her cheek and onto her trembling lips.

This was going to be the original first appearance of Emily and Sigyn (the latter was in a flashback but same thing) but now we have Apollo. The flashback would technically take place during the Asgard arc in PNG which I'll mention below. (That goddamn Asgard arc gave me an existential crisis in December 2018.)

PNG Counterparts - Chapters 113-129: What Happened in Asgard Parts One-Finale