APOLLO/ PARIS

  In the dark of the night, when I had already washed my hands of the blood I spilled, I was trying to sleep. Screams were my music to accompany me in this slumber. Screams of the girl that I just slaughtered again. Cries of people that I once knew. Were they my family? My sister? The brother who betrayed me? Friends? Did I even have friends? Where were they then? Where was my family? What was happening outside the world that I once called home?

  Who am I?

  But one day, when the blood came heavy, in my sleep, a girl at the age of ten appeared in front of me. Her golden brown face was marked with a long scar around her mouth, from the end of her ears. Her long dark hair was falling right to her ankles, and her dark eyes were facing me without any emotion. She was simply sitting next to me, watching from afar. Who was that girl? Did I know her? Or she was simply trapped with me, waiting for someone to save her.

  ‘’None is coming’’I rasped at her.

  The girl, still unfaced with the truth, shook her head. And a soft voice came out.

  ‘’They will. We will simply have to wait together.’’

  ***

  She was so beautiful under the sun's rays. She was here. Not any poor copy of her. Her violence and charms belonged to her. Her raven curls got a beautiful dark red with the kisses of the sun. And her smile was so pure. As if it was the first time I met her in that meadow, and I was a small snake. Her curiosity and pride were saving me.

  We were both walking in silence now as she was guiding me slowly outside my prison. I had to say something. I couldn’t be silent with her, but what could I possibly say? Then, a beaming light appeared from her belongings. Curious as she was, she took it out, only for it to be Caduceus, showing the way to her exit.

  ‘’Did.. ’’My voice stuttered. WHY was I stuttering? Why was I so pathetic on her side?

  ‘’Hermes…gave it to you.’’

  She looked at it strangely, and she nodded. ‘’I think it was before I entered your prison.’’

  Oh. So, he was there with her. Why was he there? Why did he punish her like that? Giving her immortality, having her for his own entertainment.

  ‘’He misses you.’’She explained and took a better look at me from behind. ‘’He was the one, telling me how to find you.’’

  ‘’Oh’’I let out a sigh of relief. ‘’He wanted me out…’’

  ‘’I did not want to trust him at first, but later on, he seemed to truly want to help you.’’

  ‘’I see’’I mumbled. Why was I mumbling?

  ‘’So, you and he are now…’’I made a long pause, and she replied with a wide smile.

  ‘’Are you jealous?’’

  My face flustered. ‘’Of course not,’’ I said with a small pout, and she moved closer to me. Her mouth was so tempting. I wanted to kiss her smiling bow, her rose color, to taste her again, to feel her. But no, I couldn’t do it, not now. She was real, wasn’t she? She was the woman that I was drawing for, the girl that I was facing in front of me for all those centuries. It was her. Just her. I could not doubt myself anymore. Tartarus wouldn’t be so cruel; I have faced his punishments so many times over those years.

  ‘’We have all the time in the world to speak’’She explained, trying to give me and her time to think in silence with the darkness now approaching. We were walking for a few minutes, until we were in front of an open door, and found my brother sitting down, talking to a familiar golden dog, as his eyes were, as always, covered. I was now sure it was real, and not a beautiful dream.

  ‘’She is really taking her time with-’’

  Now, without even knowing, I rushed out of the door and jumped right upon Hermes, pushing his jaw and falling. Rage found me once again, as I was thinking of doing this for a million years, and with my hands wrapping around his throat.

  ‘’You bastard’’I barked.

  Hermes tried to pretend to choke and laughed. ‘’Takes one to know one.’’

  The anger was slowly fading, as I could listen to Lyssandra giggling right behind me. Right, I was out. I was out, I was out, I was out. And my brother, whom I was furious with before, was still alive.

  I stood up, shocked, and he replied by facing me, speechless.

  ‘’Brother, listen to me, I am sor-’’

  He tried to speak, but I already embraced him close to my body. He was alive. Everyone was alright. He came to help me.

  ‘’I missed you too’’Hermes tried to hold his tears, and we both now faced Oracle, who began petting the dog.

  Taking a better look at it, I remembered that time when I cursed an annoying priest to turn into a puppy and his mind to follow only her. I wondered if I could tell her now the truth of it, would it make any difference, as the mutt seemed to actually care for her.

  ‘’Who is this?’’ I asked, walking closer to her.

  ‘’Pup’’She said, smiling, and with one look of Pup’s blue eyes, he tried to run away.

  ‘’It’s alright, he is a friend’’She said to the dog and kept looking at me strangely.

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  Maybe he was still there.

  Hermes now clapped his hands and moved towards Oracle.’’My dear’’

  He smirked, and I could feel a burning pain around my chest. My dear. Why was he calling her like that?

  Oracle nodded and offered him the staff back.

  ‘’Great, now it seems that the others already found out about your return, so it’s better to get going back.’’

  Back? Could I finally go back? To see my sister? My mother? Father… everyone?

  I took a look back at where Oracle was still standing and smiling in relief. What could I say to her? What should I do?

  ‘’You are a guest too,’’ Hermes shouted to her and moved her head up, looking terrified.

  ‘’I am what?’’

  ***

  Back in my old room, it seemed that Heios completely took charge of it, watching him being far too busy with everything. It didn’t look like they would remember me as the god of light, with him having every statue, every power of mine. But I did not care as Helios was now hugging me, begging me to return to my power.

  I couldn’t help but laugh and turned to the garden I once had. It was still in perfection, and he told me that Hermes was trying to visit often out of his guilt.

  I simply nodded and turned to take a bath. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I took one. My body was melting at peace, finally facing the bright ceiling. The peace ended when I looked in front of me and noticed that Hermes was taking a bath with me.

  ‘’You will keep that form?’’He asked me.

  Strange, I didn’t even notice that I still had Paris’ form. But I couldn’t bear to change back to my previous one.

  ‘’I think it suits me now.’’

  Hermes narrowed. ‘’Sure.’’

  We both stared at each other while we tried to bathe together and waited for one of us to finally speak. And then, he removed his cloth from his face.

  ‘’I think that she also prefers me like this’’He said with a grin, making me watch his eyes.

  I raised a brow, feeling that I had no power to fight anyone at that moment, with the hot water touching my skin.

  ‘’I am joking, me and her-’’

  ‘’She told me’’I interrupted him, and Hermes’ lips parted.

  ‘’Oh.’ ’He now nodded and looked away, trembling. ‘’Everything?’’

  ‘’I know that you are still alive because she let you. She might have a good reason.’’

  There was still a prideful look on his face. ‘’She might.’’

  As much as I wanted to drown him for centuries to come, I was so glad to see him once again. I was glad to see everyone, actually. I wanted to see if everyone had changed over the years, if anyone had remembered me.

  And what about the brother who was standing right in front of me? I could remember in the first few years a few voices that were trying to speak to me. My siblings and the woman who was visiting me told me to wait for her, and she was crying with me. But mostly, I could remember him. Telling me, reassuring me that she was trying to be happy. And how sorry he was that he did all of those things to me, thinking that I could not listen. But I could, when I was trying to dream, and thinking about something more than my punishment.

  After the bath, I decided to walk with one simple chiton to my garden with Hermes following slowly. We both watched the flowers and noticed that there was one room close to mine, with the window showing.

  ‘’Is that new?’’I asked, and Hermes chuckled.’’Well, a little after you vanished, the owner of it made a mess of her own part of her garden. ''And walking closer to the different parts of my house, I could see what he meant. The garden of hers was surrounded by bright white hemlock. I could only laugh, thinking of what she was doing to spend her time there.

  ‘’You know that the balance is now off with you out of correct?’’Hermes reminded me, and I simply nodded. Of course, I would be punished again for my actions. What else, a warm celebration would have been for me?

  ‘’It doesn’t matter, I just want to spend a few more seconds with her’’I admitted.

  I lived for a year with her in my prison. But I wish I could live with her longer. A life with her. Not immortality. A life. I wanted to see her smile once again, I wanted to see her cry and smile back.

  And Hermes smiled.

  ‘’Then, you shall get ready’’His hand grabbed me by my ponytail, and he flew me back to the house. He bathed me again, scrubbing each dirt from my skin and my nails, even from my locks. He then rubbed my body in oils, giving me a heavy scent of daffodils while also drying my hair and braiding it, pulling it up.

  ‘’What are you doing?’’I finally spoke out.

  ‘’You are going to a celebration, you need to look perfect for everyone.’’

  I let out a painful smile. ‘’I am fine-’’

  ‘’Sure, sure’’He replied with a laugh.

  The gods are made from harsh stones, with pride on their chests. They can show love and compassion, but not the way mortals do. Their warmth is different, their touch too. And yet, here they were, crying like infants.

  ‘’Please don’t get away ever again’’Artemis wept on my shoulder, while Ares was trying to pull her away from me, and he was also crying. My sister. My sweet, prideful twin sister, with her heart bleeding out was standing in front of me. Everyone at the room with the bright celestial dust covering us was hugging me tight with tears in their eyes. I could only reply the same, feeling everyone’s touch. I looked above, seeing the Queen, smiling and restraining her tears while Father was standing down. His gaze was once again cold, but this time more ... forceful. And he finally broke into a wide grin and tears again. Whispering inside his pain and relief, how happy he was to see me again, how sorry he was that he couldn’t do anything.

  We were all crying, weeping, and then laughing again as we were slowly moving back to the table and noticed that Aphrodite was smirking big.

  ‘’Interesting clothes’’She pointed out, and I looked at my red dress.

  I nodded and tried to find the one who was insisting on dressing me like this. But he was nowhere to be found.

  ‘’Hermes Idea’’I said, grunting as I could listen to whispers of many more gods who were getting forgotten. How much longer will it last? Were they planning something for me? Were they expecting me to save them? I barely had the power to hold my own around them.

  ‘’Relax’’The Queen whispered above her throne. ‘’For now, you can enjoy.’’

  And I looked at her, stunned. What was that different air around them?

  So, I finally took a seat and noticed that there was a pillar next to me, with a crimson apple on the top of it. What was that about?

  And suddenly, I could listen to it. Drums, Lyres and pipes. All forming a beautiful melody, music for a celebration. How long has it been without music? How long how…

  I couldn’t cry again. I couldn’t.

  The door finally opened. And everything made sense.