Question: Favorite thing about winter?

I'm saying this because we just got a snow day at my school.

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And... no one.

Aside from our army, not a soul occupied the great hall of Zeus.

My horse tittered nervously, as did Kronos' and Saffron's.

"There is no one here," Kronos noted.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I can see that."

I tended suddenly. A volley of flaming arrows shot from the many balconies that lined the tall majestic walls draped in tapestries.

Several harpies, sirens, and centaurs were struck dead on the spot, their remains crumbling.

"Take cover!" I screamed.

The army ran for protection, but no more arrows were shot.

Then there was a mighty roar from outside.

The Olympian army charged in from the back, led by the twelve Olympians themselves. The monsters fought, but the Immortals remained strong as their mortal army was cut down beside them.

"Not cool!" I yelled in the general direction of Zeus.

Ares was back on his feet, laughing maniacally as his glowing sword got stained over and over again with blood and monster dust.

Artemis and her hunters stood at the balconies, shooting silver and flaming arrows into my ranks.

As I watched, a few huntresses redirected their shots to their friends. They fell with arrows in their heads and chests. A few silver shafts managed to find their way towards Artemis, but she knocked them aside and sadly shot her traitors.

Athena flew above the carnage, shouting orders to her army.

Soon, the mortals and monsters were gone. All that remained were Kronos, Saffron, myself, and the twelve other Olympians, along with Hestia.

Athena landed. Her eyes widened at the sight of Saffron.

"Saff- what?"

I made Saffron speak. "I am now a servant of Lady Styx. She reigns supreme."

Hermes gasped, and tried to rush to his beloved, but Kronos thrust out his hand.

Hermes froze on the spot and toppled over, his body hitting the ground with a cold clank.

Zeus strode forward. He had seemingly no fear, which was admirable, considering he was facing both his daughter and his father.

"Hello, Father." he said.

Kronos sneered. "My son. You will abdicate your throne."

Hades stepped forward. "Ha! Fat chance, Father."

They all said the word like it was the worst of insults.

Kronos cast Hades a peculiar look. "And, my eldest, how do you come to support your egotistical little baby brother?"

Hades shrugged. "I admit, we've had our differences, but we agree on one thing."

All six children of Kronos stepped forward and spoke in unison.

"You were a terrible father."

Then they charged towards us, swords at the ready. I raised my daggers and kicked my horse, but I knew it was the end. Artemis leaped gracefully from her balcony and landed unhurt, into the mix of gods.

I tried to raise myself into the air, as I had done earlier, but fear overcame me and I could not.

I jumped off the horse and prepared to go down fighting. Styx would resurrect me anyway.

Kronos abandoned his horse as well and summoned golden power into his hands.

Just as Hades' black sword of death was about to cut into my stomach, a voice shouted.

"STOP!"

I prepared to be killed by being sliced in half, but nothing came. Hades had frozen, his lethal blade just a few inches from my chest.

Hades turned around to who had shouted.

It was Daniel, standing at the entrance to Zeus' hall, along with Jamila, Keira, and Rachel from Saffron's palace.

Dionysus' voice boomed.

"Child, get away from here. You all will die if you stay."

Daniel said, "But if I leave, the girl I love will die. Hades, the one you are fighting now."

I slowly backed away. "No. You don't know who I am. I deserve to be killed."

Daniel looked at me in shock, as did all that occupied the room. I must have let go of Saffron's mind, because she blinked in confusion.

After a while, Daniel spoke. "No. I know who you are, Soph."

Kronos snarled at him. "She is my master. She is the princess of a new world. You will not be a part of that, insolent boy."

Daniel ran to where I sat on the floor. "It's not true, is it?"

I nodded. "It is."

I shoved him off me, my heart cracking and my eyes watering with tears, but I raised my daggers to fight again.

The fighting was about to resume, but another familiar voice cut in.

Aphrodite stepped forward.

"The boy speaks well, Zeus. The girl does not deserve to die. None of us need to fight. Love finds a way."

Zeus scoffed. "You, Goddess. You caused the Trojan War. You only care about love. It is not the only thing in the world."

I spoke. "It is important, though."

Everyone stared at me again.

Aphrodite squealed.

Kronos stepped forward.

"Are you surrendering, then?"

I shook my head.

"I'm rejoining my real family. Styx will never rule."

Kronos cried out in rage and raised his sword. The blade flicked across my face, drawing some blood.

I stumbled away and cupped my hand to my cheek, my daggers now sheathed.

I pulled my hand away. It was covered in red blood.

And golden blood.

Ichor.

Hera screamed. "Saffron! Now!"

Saffron leaped off her horse and raised her hands. Kronos levitated off the air and started to glow.

He cast on last smirk down.

"I forgive you again, my queen."

And he was promptly ripped apart.

The titan's blood splattered the great hall.

Hermes instantly unfroze and shot to his feet.

Ares drew himself to his full height.

"Well, now that bad old grandpa is done with, let me have the honor of murdering this young one."

"No!" Aphrodite yelled.

"Don't you dare!" Hera agreed.

"I swear, if you do," Apollo threatened.

"Don't," Zeus ordered.

Ares reluctantly backed down, but there was still hate in his eyes.

I choked. "Why didn't you kill me?"

"Well, for one," Athena said, striding forwards and cupping my face.

"Look at her blood."

Saffron gasped. "Like mine! She's like me, when I was mortal!"

Athena nodded. "She is my daughter."

Zeus frowned. "You are a virgin goddess, though, daughter."

Athena nodded, a slight blush coming to her face.

"A mortal man I met, almost two decades ago, persuaded me to break my vow. And I ended up with a child I named Sophie."

"So what happened to her father?" Artemis asked.

"He was killed when she was one year old. I left her in his protection in order to keep her a secret, but he died soon after. And little baby Sophie disappeared."

"To Styx's palace," I said in awe.

Athena nodded. "I looked for you for several years, but never did I venture into the underworld."

"I knew nothing of her either," Hades said.

The mention of Styx startled me, but before I could say anything, Styx herself burst into the hall, Calypso at her side.