|_𝘈𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴_| ×𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘊𝘛×

The Sun Sings Alone

Word Count: 1511

From "The Sun's Different Versions" Chapter 35 by Sukunomo (aka me) on AO3

Title: "The Sun Sings Alone"

Apollo sat alone in the quiet meadow just beyond the Olympian palace, his lyre resting lightly in his hands. The golden glow of the setting sun reflected off his skin, casting a halo around him as he plucked at the strings. He thought he was alone—wanted to be alone—but the gods had a habit of not respecting boundaries.

He needed this moment. The weight of his existence had been bearing down on him more than usual, the centuries of loss, betrayal, and loneliness pressing like a vice around his chest. So, he did what he always did when the words he couldn’t speak threatened to consume him—he sang.

With a deep breath, he began to play, his voice soft and full of melancholy:

---

[Verse 1]

"I was born in the shadow of shame,

A son of light with a borrowed name.

My mother’s tears carved rivers in stone,

She bore me fleeing, scared and alone.

Delos held me when no one would dare,

Her trembling sands became my first prayer.

But what is a prayer when the heavens just sneer?

A gift of the sun, yet born into fear."

---

He closed his eyes as the music carried him away, unaware of the figures gathering behind the nearby trees and bushes. Artemis, her face pale and stricken, clutched her silver bow tightly. She had come to find her brother, worried after sensing his despair, and had accidentally stumbled upon his song.

The others had followed her.

Hermes leaned against a tree, his usual smirk replaced by a somber expression as he listened. Dionysus stood rigid, his goblet untouched in his hand for once. Even Hera and Zeus lingered, silent shadows amidst the golden light, drawn by the raw vulnerability in Apollo’s voice.

---

[Chorus]

"I burn so bright, but it never lasts,

Chased by shadows of my past.

I sing of truth, but I’m drowning in lies,

A golden god with fading skies."

---

Artemis bit her lip, guilt stabbing at her heart. How had she not seen the cracks in her brother’s radiant facade? She prided herself on being his twin, his closest ally, and yet here he was, baring his soul to the empty meadow because he thought no one cared enough to listen.