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On late nights like these, The Moon shone through a window reflecting light in a room where a creature laid in its nest, which it spent hours on building letting despair seep through its soft whimpers, sniffles, and heavy, jagged breathing. Bloody tears poured from its damaged eyes, Four milky white eyes blinked slowly reflecting the moonlight in all of its glory.
A mockery, a joke the moon told himself, blinded and alone by the mistakes he’s made. He regretted terribly what he’d done to his other halves, his sun, the stars, and his earth suffered greatly because of his selfish acts and hatred for himself. The pain he felt inside his chest would affect his earth worse every day, every minute. He hated the burn, the pulse of his chest pains. Barring his sharp claws that showed brightly in the moonlight he grabbed his scarred face allowing a guttural growl to
escape from his parched throat, digging his jagged nails into his soft flesh.
He wasn't enough, He isn't enough. He would only cause more pain and agony the longer he was there, no matter how much he tried and begged. He wouldn't be strong like mind, powerful like soul or even normal like whole but even through his blind eyes he could see the flaws they all beared, he simply ignored them.
His purple blood dripped into a small puddle beside him, his claws coated in it. He cried quietly, muffling his sobs and cries of pain, opting to dig through his flesh more to feel the pain he deserved. The pain he needed to endure alone, the agony he could cause.
Swallowed by his own thoughts and the hard beating of his heart in his ears, he didn't hear the knocks or the door clicking open, the fast pats of footsteps approaching him from behind till something cold touched his shoulder making the moon jump whipping around to hiss at the intruder. The creature sniffles, blinking away a few tears, able to make a blur out faintly of the blue sun himself. It only served to create more confusion for the moon. ‘ Why would the sun be there? With him of all people? and touch his gross shoulder? Why should the sun be pitying him?’
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In the coldness of his claw he felt the warmth of his moon shift away with a soft whine. The sun frowns more, raking his electric blue eyes across the bleeding scars and milky pale eyes staring back at him hiding the moon's beauty from his gaze. He sighed quietly filled with static and yearned for his moon to come back to him. He reached over to cup his cheeks softly with cool claws. He leaned closer, setting the creature he fought with so many times against his chest carefully.
His modulator buzzed with a soft tune, he hummed stroking his fingers through his other halves greasy, purple streaks with the most comforting strokes the robot could muster. He leaned down pressing the moon's head into his chest; feeling him shake under his gentle touch,
the fabric of his clothing being grabbed and pulled, broken loud sobs and whispered apologies filled the air around them.
He sadly smiles at the moon barring its shark-like teeth, leaning down slowly to press a kiss to his moon's head before his deep mechanical voice speaks through its sorrow. “My dear moon… you're bleeding, please. Let me clean you up Artemis.” The gears in his body shift as he moves suddenly, the automaton then wraps his arms around his other half, carefully standing up with him to help the smaller creature up and minding the wings that sat on his back.
With soft steps he started to walk slowly with Juno to the hallway that seemed to twist and turn trudging to the bathroom for the medical supplies to clean his bleeding moon.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗He helped the moon carefully settle down in the tub now filled with warm water as he gently wipes down the moon's scratched up face, making him wince badly and growling at the stinging pain blooming on his skin again and again throughout his face. The sun softly taps his head gently to ground him back to earth while he cleans the purple stained blood away from his skin. The sun kept a soft tune flowing from his modulator while he worked.
It wasn't long before the blood and the open cuts were cleaned and scabbed over enough to leave them to heal, the sun applied a generous amount of ointment to the scratches making the creature sigh in relief at the cool touch to a burning in his scarred face. What surprised the moon was water sliding down the back of his head, turning his head to see mind using a cup of the warm water while he gently ran his claws through the now damp and wet hair. The mind gently and very expertly works around knots and tangles of purple in moon's hair with some difficulty. The slight pain buzzing in his scalp made him whine quietly and jolt when a soft tug of its head startled him.
Gentle apologies slipped from the taller one's mouth gently rubbing his head the excessive task of detangling was done and over with.
Using the cup, Apollo drenched his hair again grabbing a bottle of scented shampoo, vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. The automaton smiled slowly with the familiar scent burned into his memory. He pours some down the moon's flat hair, beginning the scrubbing and scratching carefully at his scalp to cleanse the mess of hair of grime and dirt to the best of his ability. Scooping up water in his hands and down the hair, lightly scrunching up the curls back into the creature's hair. He smiled, His gorgeous locks looked healthier and more clean already.
He leaned over grabbing the same scented conditioner, pouring a small amount directly onto his palm then moved to scrunching up the hair with the conditioner to make his curls form better. The conditioner worked its magic; he moved softly, pulling the wings open on his back to pull the bloodied, old feathers away from the back of his wings. The moon blinked slowly with slight winces feeling his wings being preened made soft coos and purrs erupt from his throat. His feathers spreading wider, relaxed and flat to help the sun preen better, his claws tapped his drenched knee with a happy stim loving the feeling of cold claws run down his aching wings soothing the pain and stings of the pulled pin feathers.
With a final feather plucked Apollo moved to rinse Artemis's hair of the conditioner squeezing gently to keep his bouncy curls intact while he leaned over to look at the moon who yawned softly, a soft whine escaping him while he shakily stood up letting his back realign itself and release its uncomfortable position with loud pops. Tucking his wings behind his back more comfortably now, he twisted blinking his four eyes slowly, reaching out carefully to cup the mind's metallic cheeks making the automaton pause.
They were still and quiet staring at each other before Artemis leaned over the edge of the tub nuzzling his face into the crook of Apollo's neck with soft purrs he cooed softly "..Thank you Apollo. I’m..I'm so sorry. For everything... the fights, the pain, your wings, your body. I’m so sorry…i'm so-“ The sun reached up and delicately pressed a finger to the moon's soft lips, he let his static voice rise "..Hush. my moon. I forgive you, you are soaked, let me get you some new attire.." he said quietly, his chest rumbling softly against the head of the moon.
The soaked heart waited for mind to return with his sleeping clothes as he picked at his nails in a nervous fidget. Trying his hardest to not think, to block the nagging voices booming in his glass head. It was exhausting to the creature.
Soon the robot moved back through the cracked old door frame holding his hoodie and fluffy fleece pants taking the liberty to change his own shirt to a different loose gray shirt. He moved, handing the creature its new attire before leaving to give him privacy.
It didn't take long before heart stumbled out of the door searching for the light switch but mind beat him to it, flicking it off while he grabbed heart's hand in his cold one leading him down the long winding hall once again to a room. However, not much to his confusion, instead he was led to a room far colder than his and less messy with more room to walk in without tripping or risk of falling down.˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗It smelled like him, like his Apollo. The gentle hint of cedar wood with a strong vanilla and marshmallow. A gentle yet firm scent to match that of the sun himself. Hand in hand the mind led the resident heart to a soft squishy mattress letting the other feel his way around the neatly tucked sheet and soft thick blanket. It made the creature smile softly as he plopped down, turning into the last direction he remembered where mind was.
The robot smiled at his other half witnessing his silly antics he used to view as annoying. He laid down in the soft bed pulling the blanket up and over their two bodies gazing into the dark eyes of his moon.
The moon shifted over the sheet reaching his claws out to touch the upper arm of the sun, moving over to the automaton slowly lifting his wing to curl it around him. With a low trill he buried his head into Apollos cold chest nuzzling his head side to side as a cat would.
The sun blinked slowly before smiling softly, he reached over to click his modulator off from the back of his neck, setting it to his nightstand. Wrapping his cold arms around the small creature pressing a soft kiss to the other halves forehead. He softly whispers with the little voice he had left to the other.
"...goodnight my sweet moon.."
"..goodnight my shining sun.."
Together in harmony, The agony ended long ago. The sun and moon embraced one another warmth yet coldness. Together in soft whispers and tears. Metal to feather they laid to rest for the time they had together, all the while a tall creature with 3 eyes peeks his larger head through the small cracked open door with a soft, genuine smile showing his sharp teeth. Seeing his sun and moon relaxed and asleep.
"Rest well my Apollo and Artemis.."
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