Daughter of Aphrodite(a demigod story)

A Third Companion

Just as I suspected, Chimera came in the direction of Mount Rushmore. What humans saw as a great landmark was a death house for demigods. We were in a far distance from the mountain and the Mist was thickening every step taken. My muscles tensed every time someone would pass by, wondering if they were a monster or not. Heartbreaker was back as lipstick in my right pocket and Stewart was quietly walking beside me.

It was getting dark so Stewart and I rented a room in a nearby La Quinta hotel. I plopped onto the first bed and obsessed over the weight of life's problems. Stewart threw off his shoes and lay down on the other bed, sighing loudly.

"Are you alright?" he asked, seeing that I hadn't said a word since we entered the hotel.

I rolled over and faced him, "to tell the truth, I'm not."

He also rolled over to face me, "what's up?"

"Nothing you need to know," I buried my face into the clean sheets.

"Of course, girl business is private business," Stewart adjusted his pillow.

What was going through my mind I was not sure of, but I was happy to at least have Stewart check on me.

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This demigod nightmare was worse than the rest. I stood on the road I was walking; then it split into two separate roads, both with future actions at the ends. In both, the goddess of discord stood, laughing with a cup of blood in her hands. One area had my mother at her side and the other had no one other than me, standing by her side. My eyes had no color to them and I wore black, tattered clothes with my nails blackened but that wasn't my concern; I stared in horror at Stewart's figure, chained to the wall, blood pouring from deep wounds and in his eyes, a look of utter betrayal.

This brought tears to my eyes. When I turned to the second, Aphrodite stood with shackles around her joints; her face was pale and what was once a pink aura was now a black hue. They looked down from a balcony, where a horrible war was taking place, one similar to the one down the other path, except Stewart and I were trapped in a cave, water rising higher and higher. As we held each other, his voice sang and blocked out the chaotic war from the little cave.

Before I could observe the light coming from both sides, the goddess of discord herself formed in front of me, her smile of pleasure showing pointed teeth. The words of the Oracle echoed from behind me where I had left Camp Half-Blood, "Two choices, with both wrong and right."

The hissing of a snake came from behind me and a sharp pain stabbed my shoulder. I sat up with my chest heaving, tears streaming and screaming. Stewart was sitting next to me, a claw mark on

his cheek; I shakily looked down at my nails and saw blood. I threw my arms around him and sobbed all out. He held me, stroking my hair, not speaking for he didn't have to; just being here was making me feel better.

After what seemed like hours of tears, I backed away slowly and dried my eyes. Stewart had his blank expression on his face but then I reacted to the claw mark.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I scrambled for the nectar and I took a cloth, wet it with the liquid and dabbed at his cheek and flesh immediately started to close in.

"You don't need to worry about me Alyssa," Stewart brushed some of my hair from my flushed face, "but, you can tell me everything now or in the morning."

I told him the dream and I almost broke into crying again but his warm hand wove its fingers into mine and I thought I felt my heart skip a beat. This was an interesting side of Stewart, or maybe a new side I never knew. He understood and showed more, well I guess the word is 'affection' then he had ever; but I guess he never needed to till my whiny baby emotions.

Falling asleep was a greater challenge than regionals in soccer tournaments. Stewart closed his eyes and was out two minutes after the lamp was switched out. I hugged one of the pillows and slowly, my eyes drooped and I couldn't resist sleep.

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In the morning, Stewart had showered and was ready to go while I walked half awake, my hair still damp from a shower. Mount Rushmore was still a distance away and I thought of which decision I would choose: save Mom or save myself. Both choices had the same outcome but if I could change it,

which would be great.

Saving Mom would be the unselfish thing to do, and saving myself would be selfish, except if I do save Mom, I would turn into Eris' little puppet. But if I don't save Mom, she will become Eris' toy, so it doesn't really matter which choice I make, I'd just need to find out how to change the outcome. Wow, thinking can be very prosperous in ideas, maybe I should consider that when Sunny boy is always quiet.

"Mulan, you've been strangely quiet," Stewart said, breaking through my thought bubble.

"Just thinking," I replied, rather distractedly. My focus was set on young man that looked much like the assistant coaches at the soccer tryouts. An alarm rung in my head, cyclops, cyclops, cyclops!

"You look as if you've seen a cyclops," Stewart chuckled.

"Sunny boy, that's exactly what I see," I uncapped Heartbreaker and twisted. Stewart unzipped the backpack he was carrying, revealing a hidden quiver and bow. As we slowly advanced upon the monster, I saw that he happened to be on the small side and looked more like a heavy-built teenager. His clothes weren't rugged and the big brown calf-eye in the middle of his forehead was calm and almost friendly looking compared to the other cyclops at the tryouts.

There was a map in his hands and he seemed confused. He turned his head and looked directly at us, and instead of a ferocious roar and a club appearing at his side, he excitedly giggled and ran up to us with open arms. We lowered our weapons and he swept us up into a crushing bear-hug.

"Big brother Percy told me you'd be here," he said, with equal excitement.

I took a moment to catch my breath and process what he just said; Percy, big brother?

"Exactly who are you?" Stewart finally asked after a few minutes staring at him.

"I'm Tyson, Percy's little brother."

"You're not kidding?" I said.

"Nope," Tyson answered, "Percy said to me that you are on a quest without ponyman's permission so he sent me to go with you."

"Percy pretty much sent us a third," I finished.

"You're pretty, what your names?"

I blushed at what he called me, "I'm Alyssa daughter of Aphrodite and Sunny boy over here is Stewart, son of Apollo."

I know what you're thinking, how can I not be happy that Percy and Annabeth sent us a very nice cyclops, which gives us fire protection and strength, what really didn't impress me was the fact that they sent him in the first place. Stewart and I were perfectly fine and did not need a third companion.

His stories though of the cyclops forges and Poseidon's castle and Percy's recent adventures were entertaining. Also, what he called Chiron, 'ponyman' was priceless and good for a laugh. Every once and awhile I'd hear him giggling to himself and mumbling, "I got new friends."