Raised from the Depths: The Apple of Their Eyes [A Percy Jackson FanFiction]

Thirty-five: Call me Paris of Troy

I knew who the voice belonged to, despite the fact that I had never heard it before. But based solely on what she said, one could only guess it was Aphrodite. Sol turned slowly, and I followed his lead, leaning into him, partly because I was really nervous. Numerous times now, this goddess had tried to kill me. But it was also because I was physically drained; throwing dirt and rocks up from the ground had fatigued my body completely, and I hadn't recovered fully when I got up to help Sol. My wounds were still bleeding, and my head was still spinning at the fact that Mico had been an enemy all along.

As soon as I laid my eyes on the goddess of love, I felt my muscles freeze, and I couldn't look away. Her face was constantly shifting into different structures, her nose becoming a variety of shapes. Her eyes would go from mocha brown, to a pale blue, to sparkling hazel. Her skin tones changed from beige, to a rich brown, to a tan, glowing complexion. With every shift, Aphrodite only seemed to become more beautiful. Once, I could have sworn I saw my mom's face, but it shifted too quickly for me to register it fully. She wore light blue blouse that hugged her sides but stayed loose on her chest and arms, seeming to hug her in every flattering way. The shirt was matched with a simple black pencil skirt, and sparkling blue heels that she managed to walk in gracefully, even in the uneven terrain and grass.

"Greetings, Affinity. What a delight it is to meet you in person. I've been keeping my eye on you since my precious apple went missing, and I must admit, I hold a bit of admiration for you. You seem to have a knack for swallowing your fear to save your skin; and I suppose others' as well." Aphrodite spoke again, her voice dignified, gentle, and as smooth and sweet as honey. My mind was torn between wanting to hear her speak again and wanting to cover my ears from anything the deity had to say.

"So, let's make this snappy, demigod. There's only a matter of time before Queen Bee and Miss Know-it-all make a grand entrance." She continued, stopping in front of Sol and I.

"What..?" I muttered, blinking slowly as my grip tightened of the Apple of Discord.

"You heard me, child of Hades," Aphrodite seemed to hiss, her eyes hardening, despite the fact that they never stayed the same. "Give me the apple before it's too late." She instructed, holding out her hand.

"Affinity," Sol whispered, grabbing my free hand and squeezing it, "give her the apple." But my grip only tightened on the apple as I pulled it to my side.

Aphrodite's plump lips lifted in a scowl, "How dare you-" As the goddess spoke, the wind seemed to pick up and she paused, her fists clenching in anger as her hair whipped to the side. "Great job, you insolent pawn. Now, you have to make an impossible choice!" She yelled above the gail.

When the wind settled, the Hesperides eyes widened and gasped, and they fell to one knee as they dipped their heads. I turned my head to where their gaze had landed, and instantly squeezed Sol's hand in fear. Standing only a mere three feet away were two more tall figures, each with a stone expression on their breath-taking faces. The first woman had flowing black hair that was tied back in a tight ponytail, her facial features angular and sharp, her eyes a bone-chilling grey. She wore a white blouse covered by a black suit jacket, complete with dress pants. The second woman had cruel brown eyes, and flowing brown hair with thin streaks of silver freckled through out the braided updo. She was dressed in traditional Greek attire, the bottom cloth falling to her ankles, revealing golden sandals, and the top part folded over her bottom piece slightly, with only one shoulder strap, which was held together by a golden emblem.

"Greeting, young demigod." The grey-eyed woman greeted, her voice sophisticated, audibly demanding that you listen to her, without those words actually being spoken. "I see you have found the Apple of Discord."

"Yes, I watched the quest unfold. There are only a few demigods with the amount of audacity you have; for good or bad." The second woman complimented, taking a few step forward, looking down at me as I craned my neck to match her gaze. "Now, hand the apple over to it's true owner." She urged gently, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Don't listen to Hera, Affinity!" Aphrodite shouted. "Paris gave me that apple millennia ago! It is rightfully mine!"

"Don't give them the apple, Affinity," said the grey-eyed women, who could only be the goddess Athena, "they squabble like frenzied chickens. Hand me the apple, Affinity. It's entitled to me."

"No, Affinity, it's mine. I'm the queen of the gods, after all. Give the apple to me, and you'll become the most powerful mortal to ever live. I'll give you money, riches beyond your wildest dreams. People will bow to your will, make way for you where you walk. No one will ever question your intent, the tabloids won't dare talk about you in negative light, for fear of what you'll do." Hera offered. "All you have to do is hand me that apple."

"Affinity, if you give me the apple, I can give you something so much more cultured than money." Athena stepped forward. "If you give me the apple, you'll become the wisest demigod to ever live, soaring above even my most talented children. You'll be skilled in many crafts, such as weaving, wood work, sculpting, architecture, and agriculture. Men and women a like will flock to your genius and praise you." She assured, holding out her hand.

"Affinity, hand the apple to me, and I will send Eros to fetch you the most beautiful man in the world. He will instantly fall in love with you. How do you feel about Ryan Reynolds? If he's a little old for you, we could settle Dylan Sprayberry." She explained, before reaching out to the apple.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that one." Sol muttered, looking down at his feet.

My eyes fell on each goddesses, my hand holding the apple shaking with tremors every second or so. Each goddess looked expectant, each one believing that they deserve the title 'the most beautiful'.

"I choose..." I muttered, my heart pounding in my chest. If I chose wrong, there was a good chance that a second Trojan War could break out. Two goddesses would become extremely hostile and wish me dead when one name came out of my mouth.

Unless...

I let go of Sol's hand and grabbed his dagger, and without any hesitation, I buried the side of the blade into the Apple of Discord.