I've come to realize that updating older chapters is (in a way) even more fun that writing new ones. It's kind of like being the fairy godmother(if you get my drift.)

I'm being stupid, aren't I?

As you will see, Chapter Six has also undergone a big transformation. And in case any of you were wondering, Alice can see through the mist but she is not a demigod. She's just like Percy's mother.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Chapter 6: Revelations

"Oh. My. Gods."

I didn't know where I was, but I was very comfortable - like I was in a very warm and snug cocoon. My ears picked up the sound of mild whispering in the background but I was too sleepy to pay any real attention.

"Nico, get the camera. We have got to get a picture of this. It's blackmail for life!"

Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated the room and I jerked awake immediately, looking up to see my best friends standing at the foot of the bed, wicked smiles on their faces.

"Got it!" Thalia crowed, hugging the camera to her like a prized possession. "My picture," she patted the object protectively. "All mine."

I looked around, remembering the events of the previous day. Turning to my side, my eyes widened as I saw Percy. One of his arms was wrapped around me, the other above my waist, up the back of my T-shirt. Even my own arms had deceived me in sleep, one at his neck tangled in his hair, and the other resting on his cheek.

I was pressed against his chest and our foreheads were just a millimetre apart. To put it simply, the whole scene looked extremely suggestive.

Heat flooded my cheeks. "Well, well, well," Thalia smirked. "Now I get why Percy insisted on staying with you."

My cheeks were slowly turning the colour of a ripe tomato. "No!" I protested. "It isn't like that at all!"

Nico stepped forward and yanked the covers off us, and I cursed the Fates when I realized that our legs were intertwined. "Sure it isn't," Thalia responded, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, it doesn't matter even if you move. I have this moment recorded in history forever."

"Thalia, you didn't."

My best friend stepped backwards, eyes sparkling mischievously. "Oh, I did."

"THALIA MARIE GRACE! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Percy jolted upright, blinking his eyes in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Thalia just took a picture of us! In this position!"

Percy looked down and his eyes widened as his eyes took in the scene. He instantly jumped off the bed, running a hand through his dark hair. Nico's eyes flickered from me to Percy, both of us turning the colour of a cherry. "Holy Zeus! You guys really…did it?"

"Don't be stupid Nico!" I snapped, trying to preserve some shred of my dignity. "I'm injured! And I'd like to know who the Hades would be able to get it on in this small bed!"

There was a pin-drop silence and I clapped my hand to my mouth, realizing just what I had said.

Thalia burst into laughter, and Percy, Jasmine and Nico joined in. "Why, go ahead," I spat sarcastically. "Have a good laugh at my expense."

"Sorry Annabeth," Percy grinned, coming to sit beside me. "We just never expected to hear those words-"

"-from your mouth," Thalia finished.

"Exactly."

I rolled my eyes and flopped back on the bed. "Well, I hope you're feeling better," Jasmine commented, sitting down beside the bed. I stretched my arms and did a quick inventory of my body. "I'm fine," I replied. "Just slightly tired."

I looked curiously at Jasmine. I had a faint memory of her explaining something to the others, but I hadn't been awake to hear it. She noticed the expression on my face and smiled.

"I'll tell you later," the brunette promised as Apollo walked in. He beamed when he saw me sitting up. "Ah! You're awake! That's good. How are you feeling, Annabeth?"

"Fine," I repeated. "Just tired."

"Yes, that would be normal considering what you went through. I'll keep you here just one more day to be safe and then you can be off."

"Oh, thank you," I sighed in relief. I would be happy to go home and sleep in my own bed.

"There's just one small problem…" Apollo looked at Nico and Thalia as he said this, shooting them a meaningful look.

Percy didn't miss it either. "What's happening?" he demanded.

"Well, you see, Annabeth has a…visitor." My eyes widened. "Who? I didn't know anyone from camp knew about the incident."

Thalia and Nico were avoiding my eyes. "She…she isn't from camp," Thalia muttered finally. "But she was very worried about you, and she kept bugging Nico to find out where you were…"

"Who is she?"

Nico looked up to meet my eyes. "Alice."

I stared up at the ceiling.

Alice. The girl I had grown to depend on for the past year. I had just never told her about the other part of my life, and I had hoped never to. Alice helped me to feel just like any other normal teenage girl who hung out with her friends.

And now, even that illusion had to be shattered.

My friends had left. Percy had wanted to stay but I had persuaded him to go. He would have to explain to Thomas too. They were due to arrive any minute.

"ANNABETH!"

I just had enough time to look up before I was assaulted. Alice flung her arms around my neck and squeezed until I felt I was about to choke. "Ali? You…might want t-to let…go…"

Immediately Alice drew back, wiping her eyes frantically. "Right. Sorry."

She took a seat beside my bed, and stared at me seriously. "Annabeth, promise me you won't lie to me."

Alice had gotten this far in, and I had to admit, I was tired of keeping this a secret from her. "I promise."

"What were those…things? What did they do to you?"

I sighed. "Alice, have you ever heard those myths about Greek gods? Like Zeus and Athena and Poseidon?"

"Yeah," Alice responded. "I took a mythology class in middle school."

"Well…they're real."

There was a dead silence.

"What do you mean, they're real?"

"The gods still exist today. Olympus-the palace of the gods-moves wherever the greatest power of Western Civilization is. And right now, it's America."

"So you mean they actually exist? You're a…god?"

"No, not exactly. Sometimes, these gods, they-they have children with mortals. And these children are called half-bloods, or demigods."

"You're a demigod?"

I nodded. Alice sat back, eyes wide. "Whose daughter are you?"

"I'm the daughter of Athena, the-"

"Goddess of wisdom," Alice finished. "You have got to be kidding me. So, that's how you're so smart! Do you have, like, powers or something?"

I laughed. "No, I'm pretty normal. Percy is the one with powers."

"Wait….Percy's a demigod? No way! Whose son is he?"

"Poseidon. The God of the Sea."

"You're joking."

I shook my head, trying to hide a grin. "I'm really not. Percy can control water."

"Are you freaking serious?"

"She is," said the boy in question, coming into the room with Thomas behind him. "Are you believing this Ali?" Tom asked, a wonderstruck expression on his face. "Would you like me to show you?" Percy asked, grinning.

"Yes!" the two of them chorused together.

Percy focused on the glass of water sitting on my bedside cabinet. Very slowly, the water rose and twisted itself into a wobbling sphere before it collapsed back into the glass.

"That. Was. Freaking. Cool," Alice commented, still staring at the glass as though she expected it to explode. "I can't believe you guys are the children of Greek gods!"

Tom turned his eyes on me. "But, what happened to you Annabeth?"

"Yeah, what were those things that attacked you?" Alice joined in.

"It's not always great being a demigod. Just like the gods, the ancient Greek monsters still exist. And they can smell us. Demigods always have to be ready in case of a monster attack."

"You mean…those were monsters?"

"Yes. They're called dracaena," I replied. "One of them bit me, and well, it was touch and go for a while."

That was when Athena walked in. Alice took one look at my mother and her eyes grew wide. "Are you Athena?" she blurted out, and immediately clapped her hands to her mouth. "Sorry. I mean, are you Annabeth's mother?"

Athena looked amusedly at Alice. "I am. You are Annabeth's friend, I assume?"

"Yes…" Alice looked like she might faint any minute. "So, you're, um, a goddess? You have powers and everything?"

"Yes," my mother replied, turning her attention to me. "Apollo told me you could leave in a day. Do you feel well-rested?"

"I'm fine, Mother. Why do you ask?"

My mother's grey eyes turned grim. They were usually unreadable, like the mist on a rainy day, but now they were filled with concern and anxiety. "It's Kelli."

"What did she do?" Percy asked the question for me.

"I'm sorry, but who is Kelli?" Alice interrupted, a confused expression on her face. "She's the one who did this to Annabeth," Thalia answered, coming into the room. She nodded at Alice. "I'm Thalia. Daughter of Zeus."

"Zeus is…the god of the sky?" Thomas asked slowly.

"Yes, and the king of all gods."

Alice looked like she wanted to ask another question, but Thomas gently shushed her and jerked his head toward Athena. Getting the message, Alice closed her mouth and let my mother proceed.

"Well, you know that she managed to get away," Athena told us. "But from what Jasmine has told me, it appears that she has the ability to reform quicker than monsters usually take."

"That isn't possible," Percy shook his head. "She was killed three years ago."

"But she re-formed after about a year and a half. That is not good news."

"What're we going to do?" Thalia asked, one hand on her bow as always. A small part of my brain wondered if she ever went anywhere without it, but I quickly focused on the task at hand.

Athena looked as if the next words out of her mouth cost her a great deal to say. "We do nothing. Not right now."

"Nothing?" Alice burst angrily. "That thing nearly killed her and we're doing nothing?"

"But-but what does she want?" I asked, tripping over my words. "Percy?"

My mother hesitated, a careful expression on her face. "I do not think it is Percy she wants."

"Then who?" Thomas demanded.

"I think," Athena looked pale and worried, "that she wants Annabeth."

"Annabeth?" four voices repeated together, coloured with shock and disbelief. I couldn't find anything to say.

"But why?" Alice asked, blue eyes anxious.

"It is my belief that she knows to get Annabeth would be what would hurt Percy the most." My mother's grey eyes had reverted to their unreadable state, and I wondered if mine looked like that all the time too. "She will do whatever it takes to get revenge on him."

"Because he destroyed Kronos?"

"WHAT?" Alice and Thomas asked together, turning as one to face us.

"Long story, I'll tell you later," I said quickly. "What do we do, Mom?"

"I don't think there is anything you can do right now," Athena said gently. "We cannot hunt Kelli down and search for her. You know as well as I do that dracaena can hide for years. You might walk past one on the street and you would not know it. The best thing to do now would be to move on."

"All the same," Athena continued, "I suggest you do not dwell too much upon this. Thoughts can be privy to influence." She shot me a meaningful look, and left the room. I knew what she meant. A demigod's thoughts and dreams could be manipulated, used to plant doubts and fears in their dreams. Dreams could be sent to a demigod, to help or harm them. We weren't safe, not even in sleep.

My friends' worried faces looked back at me as I leaned against the pillow, suddenly feeling a wave of tiredness wash over me. "She needs sleep," Alice said softly, in a lower voice than I had ever heard her. "We should go."

"I'm staying here," Percy said instantly. "You heard what Athena said: Kelli's after her, and I'm not going to leave her alone here."

"Percy, don't be idiotic," Thalia retorted. "Kelli is not going to attack Annabeth in Apollo's Hospital. And even if she did, what would you do?"

"Rip her sorry hide to pieces like I should've done before," Percy snarled, eyes locked on Thalia. "I'm never going to let her get that close again. Never."

"Percy, I do not need your protection," my voice came out sharper than I intended. "Yes, Kelli attacked me but that doesn't mean that she's going to do so every few days. She's gone. She isn't going to come back for quite a while, and I don't think she's going to be idiotic enough to attack without planning again."

Percy looked from me to Thalia, eyes narrowed and jaw rigid. "She's right Percy," Alice offered. "Annabeth needs rest, and I don't think she'll be able to get that if you're around."

I shot a look at the little pixie. "I saw the photo," Alice explained cheerfully. "It was cute by the way."

I groaned and covered my face with the pillow. "Thalia, I hate you."

"Hate you too," my best friend quipped brightly. "But we're going to leave you to get some rest now, kay?"

"Thanks, I muttered unwillingly, although I felt tired all of a sudden.

Percy leaned over and gently brushed his lips over my forehead. "I'll be back soon."

I laughed weakly. "Go home and get some rest Seaweed Brain."

"Only after you're well," he promised, and left the room along with the others.

I sighed and leaned back on the comfortably plumped pillows, staring at the ceiling. I didn't feel as shocked as I had a few minutes ago; maybe because the news had finally sunk in.

I had fought monsters for more than ten years. I knew nearly every kind of monster out there, had learnt the old Greek legends. But I had never heard of a monster having a personal grudge against a demigod. Titans or gods, yes. But not monsters.

My mind spun in a different direction, fitting the pieces together. The details of my first quest came back to me; finding Zeus's lightning bolt. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades had been set at each other's throats by Ares. But he hadn't been acting of his own accord. He had been acting on the orders of…

Kronos.

Titans couldn't die any more than gods could. Kronos's mortal body might be gone but his sprit still existed; cut into a thousand pieces but the essence intact.

I pushed the thought away. It couldn't possibly be Kronos. Titans could reform but they would take centuries to do it; Kronos would probably take millenniums after Luke had destroyed him so completely.

That would be a problem for another generation of demigods.

Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to sink into the blissful oblivion of sleep.

No, Kronos is not re-forming, but Annabeth may or may not have the right idea about Kelli….you'll just have to see.

I know this is a new and completely unexpected twist in this story, which is why I am probably not updating a new chapter till I finish the ones up to Chapter Eighteen or so. Sorry for disappointing you, especially after this story reached 300 reviews!

As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review, it would mean so much.

Till next time!