Demeter

The boys forced me into another argument one second, and the next thing I knew, I was in front of a temple. I could see the clouds below me. Turning around, there were forests with beautiful green leaves and mountains that pierced the wispy white clouds. After I recovered from my shock, I heard the boys nearby grunting. I ran over to ease them into getting back up.

As I pulled Hades right back onto his feet, he gave me a slight nod. Zeus insisted on trying to stand up by himself and swatted my hand away. I moved back as he staggered up.

"Hey Dem, mind giving me a hand here?" Poseidon winced in pain, sprawled out on the ground. I came to his aid, wrapping my arms around him, and helping him up. It's a shame this task isn't as effortless as it used to be when we were younger. He was a little skinny.

He complained about the possibility of broken ribs and scrunched his face as he looked around. "Where on earth are we?” he whispered. Oh, how I wish I had the slightest clue.

The next to plummet from the skies and join us were Hera and Aphrodite. Hera landed gracefully on her feet. I rolled my eyes as Aphrodite stumbled into Poseidon purposefully.

I don’t hate her, but she is quite annoying. As long as every silky strand of hair was in place, she couldn’t care less about anything else. She’s Zeus’ daughter and closest in age to Poseidon and Hades.

The next—and hopefully last — arrivals were Dionysus, Ares, and a girl Poseidon had told me about once. I’m fairly certain her name is Calypso.

Dionysus rushed over to me with wide eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Where are we?”

I raised my eyebrows. “You think I know? Welcome to the family reunion.”

Calypso stood awkwardly near Poseidon. They conversed in hushed tones as Zeus paced up and down the steps of the temple. He stopped in the middle and cleared his throat.

“We should go inside,” he announced in a loud voice. “Standing on these steps will answer none of our questions.”

Looking out at us, we nodded and headed inside the temple. I stopped in front of Zeus, who was wearing a smug smile.

“Scared of heights, much?” I whispered. He stammered as I walked past him, leaving a flustered Zeus to follow behind me.

The temple was enormous. On both sides of the room were eight thrones made of limestone or another material. Strong, wide pillars held up the inside of the temple. Zeus had already made himself comfortable on one of them, waving to his invisible subjects.

Hades stood in the corner of the room like a ghost, the shadows covering his face.

A sudden crack of thunder sounded, making Zeus leap off the throne. Above the back of the throne, which he was sitting on, was a bold yellow, levitating lightning bolt. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking somewhat proud of himself. I shifted my attention back to Hades, who was hiding in the back of the room.

In all the years I’ve known the boys, I have never seen Hades cry. I’ve comforted Zeus and Poseidon before, but never him. Hades never cried and never seemed upset. He just looked broken, never showing emotions. Although having the brothers he does means he’s not in the spotlight a lot.

In the center of the room was a flickering light. It quickly morphed into the form of a ginormous woman. The projection quickly got everyone’s attention. We all gathered in the center, even Hades.

“Hello, my dear children,” her voice boomed. I heard Zeus mutter, “We’re not children.” The woman heard him, too. A big grin grew on her face.

“In deity age, you’re all still children. Never mind that now. I’m here to warn you, darlings. I’m afraid my husband is still able to whisper into the minds of those not entrapped in Tarterous. Something big is happening and I'm afraid you’re all sorely underprepared,” she paused, searching for a reaction from us. “I’m Rhea. I realized I hadn’t properly introduced myself. Little gods, you need to harness your powers, and fast.”

Rhea’s eyes moved to the boys. She smiled sadly at them. “You three, rulers of the Underworld, the ocean, and the sky. Destined for great things or dark ones. If you remember one thing I tell you, remember this: protect your friends.”

Calypso stepped forward, hands on her hips. “You want us to believe that we’re some powerful gods?” Her voice was challenging, but Rhea maintained her friendly smile.

“It doesn’t matter if you believe. It’s in your blood. Now, I have to go, I leave you with my advice in mind. Protect yourself, your friends, and mortals.” With a wink, she added, “No pressure.” She faded away, but I could still see the worry in her eyes.