Fear of Erebus

Fading

Of all the buildings on Olympus, my brother's palace is definitely the most hideous. It's just so damn bright—once I even saw a mortal look at it, and then they exploded!

Climbing up the endless golden staircase, I could faintly pick up the end of a muttered conversation, the opening and closing of a door, and then the increasing sound of heavy, proud footsteps.

"Father!"

"Ah, Artemis—there's my favourite little girl!" A giant grin spilled upon his face as he opened his arms wide in greeting. "I was wondering where you had gotten to—completely vanished off the map?" For a moment I was surprised that even the Great Sky Lord; Zeus, didn't know where Perseus' Island was but then I had an instinctive feeling that Zeus probably didn't have the power to locate mysterious, moving islands. I certainly couldn't imagine it would come anywhere under his list of skills on his job description. "Tell me, dear daughter," he gently lay his giant hands on my shoulder and locked his serious blue eyes upon mine. "What news do you bring?" I stared back at him for a moment. Surely he should know, but then again, the crow's feet around his eyes had deepened in blissful obliviousness.

I took a step back, hoping to avoid any outburst of uncontrollable anger. "Lord Poseidon has... faded." I muttered in a small voice, still watching his actions carefully. I didn't know what I was expecting—boiling, hot rage, possibly? Zeus, however, show far too little emotion over such heartbreaking news. He barely blinked in surprise. I mean, come on! It's not everyday a god fades! Especially the God of the Sea! His brother!

"I see." He said, as he straightened up and strolled to the window, hands behind his back. "...and what of the Trident?"

Huh? "Missing?" I guessed. Without a moments notice, Zeus turned on his heel and paced right pass me. "Hey?! Wait!"

He pause momentarily, half-way down the stairs and looked back up at me. "Artemis, please. You do realise what danger we will be in unless the Trident is found? By the Fates, let us hope it does not fall in to the wrong hands. I shall order a quest immediately." With that said, he vanished.

I considered going after him, to try to explain what happened on the island, however I was suddenly overcome by a deep depressing feeling that felt as though it was poking and prodding me from the inside. I stilled and listened. Curiosity washed over me when I realised that the strange feeling was a product of the equally sad music that had begun to flow throughout the temple.

So, I did what any sane person would do and followed the sound to its source. Namely, my brother's bedchambers, the exact one Zeus had just come from. I gently pushed the door ajar, a stream of unnatural light cascaded out and the music only got louder, louder and more despairing.

"Apollo?" At an instant, the music stopped and my brother eyes darted to the doorway where I as standing.

"Oh, hey Arty." I was about to correct him about that forbidden word, but then I watched him not-so-inconspicuously struggle to sit up from his bed.

"What happened to you?" I wondered aloud, as I stepped fully into his room. He tried to smile but it only seemed to remind me of someone else's broken one. He looked terrible. His skin didn't glow, and his hair was mattered to his face by the thin layer of sweat, his arms seemed lightly flaked and apparently itchy when he went to claw at it but stopped when he noticed me staring.

"Ah, it nothing," he tried, as he lay his hand on the strange instrument in his lap. Let's be honest, though, Apollo has always and will always be the worst liar on the planet. "Just a bit tired." 

"Gods don't get tired." I deadpanned.

"Yeah, well..." He looked really sad as he began fiddling with the instrument. Fates Above, I hope he doesn't cry... because that would be awkward. The last time Apollo cried was when... Well, it wasn't worth remembering. 

"What's that." I gestured to the misshaped object he was holding, hoping to find a better subject. Apollo sniffed, and wiped his nose along the back of his hand—a habit mother had always scolded him for.

"It's the Valdezinator. Hephaestus' kid traded it for some info back during the quest to stop Gaia. It's plays music attuned to your feelings." He paused and fiddled with a few buttons. "It was a stupid deal, really. I guess we were both a bit out of it back then."

I smiled weakly and sat down next to him on the bed, now understanding what the problem was. "Dad's giving you a hard time?" He was silent for a moment, probably contemplating the pros and cons of bitching about Father behind his back. Since Apollo first attempted to overthrow Zeus, he and dad have always been at odds with each other, and I know that Apollo is secretly scared of dad, but he can't show it because fear means weakness and that will probably get him kicked off the council and demoted to the status of minor God.

"Yeah." He eventually, and carefully, admitted.

"It's not your fault, you know that, right?"

"Don't lie to me, Arty. It was my legacy that tried to kill all the Greeks. If it weren't for me, than the Romans and Greeks probably would have united sooner and stopped Gaia. A-and no one had to die!"

"There would have been casualties no matter what had happened." Apollo gave me a sideways glance and raised an eyebrow, I shrugged in return. What did he expect? It's a well known fact that he's the optimist and I'm the pessimist.

"I'm sorry. For not backing you up at the council meeting." He muttered, looking away again. I tried to calculate a smartass response to that because we were fast approaching the unfamiliar territory of 'Sibling Bonding' and I just wasn't sure if I was ready for that.

I failed to come up with anything, so I settled with; "That's okay..." That seemed to make Apollo smile, well, smirk but that's close enough. He lay down and looked up at the ceiling, his smirk growing wider as he thought of something more Apollo-like, AKA inappropriate or immature.

"So, tell me... You were gone for quite awhile, what did ol' Percy have to say?" The second he started wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, I hit him mercilessly with a pillow.