A/N: Hey guys! I'm (finally)back! I know I'm late again, but I have really too much work! Also, it is from this chapter that the real plot is put, so I had a whole lot of doubts about how I wanted it to be, until today (even if...). It was really hard to write and I hope you don't feel it too much in this chapter. This chapter is during the ball on Olympus and it's really long. I couldn't put it all in one chapter, it would have been too long, but I didn't want either to put it in two distinct chapters, so this chapter will be in two parts. I really hope you will enjoy it!

Chapter Four, part 1 : The Ball on Olympus

Finally, the day of The Big Ball On Olympus arrived. The whole camp was bubbling over with excitement. We were going to go on Olympus! The campers who had already been there were telling the ones who hadn't how it was. I learned with surprise that it was Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Percy Jackson's girlfriend, that had been the architect of its reconstruction post-war. Against myself, all the excitement reached me and my heart was pounding so fast in my chest by the end of the morning. All day had been a preparation for the Ball, and we could see Chiron was overwhelmed. Mr D. had left to prepare the ball – he was the one who provided the drinks, alcohol included. Not that we could drink it, because alcohol is BAD! This was a warning from the Health Ministry – so the only "adult" in charge was him. Imagine, he had to deal with all the kids running around, the mess created by the campers too excited to stay in place – ADHD remember –, the girls screaming about how they couldn't find this, and that was so pretty, and that was so ugly, and that... If I were him, I would have already ran away to get ready in peace. After having killed all those dumb girls. Raah! I hoped they weren't my sisters!

Because Chiron had to get ready too. Have you ever seen a centaur with hair-curlers in his tail? Hair-curlers! I hope not for you, because what has been seen cannot been unseen. The simple thought of it makes me shiver. How can I ever look at him seriously again? How can I ever see hair-curlers without thinking of that ever again?

When a girl asked me later if I wanted to curl my hair, I ran away...

Then Connor, who was with me, said something about a centaur in a dress... If I wasn't broken before, it was sure I was now.

All that to say everyone was getting ready for the Ball.

Some girls, including Piper, who told me that she would listen if I wanted to talk about something – dammit Connor! –, helped me do my makeup and hair, and maybe ten minutes before leaving I took out the dress again.

It was truly beautiful. It fit me perfectly, as if it had been custom made for me, the black silk reaching under my feet. It only covered one of my shoulders and had some silver details around the neck. A silver belt went with it, as well as high heels. Very high heels. Too high heels.

After learning how to walk with them without killing myself or looking ridiculous – even though I'm not sure about that – I went out of the cabin.

It was the moment to leave for Olympus, and my heart was at the edge of exploding. Next to Camp were many cars, each of them with a sign on it to tell for which cabin it was here, and even a black car with a zombie driver in which entered the boy who I fought against at Capture The Flag.

A Zombie Driver?

A ZOMBIE DRIVER?

I was about to follow my cabin inside the car when Chiron called me. It startled me: why did he want to talk to me? As I got closer, he smiled at me, probably seeing me being a bit worried.

"Don't worry, my child, I just want to talk to you." He started. He looked around him, and said. "Maybe we should go a bit farther." Uh, okay? I followed him and he started.

"As you have noticed, you haven't been claimed yet. And it hasn't gone unnoticed by other people either. I don't think it's too much of a problem, but it still is one and it should be resolved as quickly as possible. As you have perhaps already been told, since the war against... my father, all gods have swore to claimed their child before their thirteenth birthday, and in your case, since you can't remember, you should have been claimed again. My guess is that your godly parent hasn't noticed your state, but since it's been over a week, he or she should have. That's why I want to ask you this question: do you agree that I speak about you to the Olympians during the council?"

He then looked at me, waiting for my answer. I wished I could just do like adults when they didn't know what to answer: "Good question, very good question." Unfortunately, I think Chiron wouldn't have accepted this answer. So I went with:

"I- I don't know. Whatever you think is better..."

He smiled and said, "I think it's better to talk to them." Seeing I still wasn't sure, he continued, "Don't be scared of the gods. They aren't that bad. When they're not angry." He laughed, and told me to go to the car, my friends were waiting for me.

The trip wasn't very long. But strangely, I had the feeling Connor wasn't acting the same way as when we had talked the first morning I had spent at Camp. He had seemed so sweet and nice that day, and I couldn't picture him being like that when I saw him today. And when I thought of it, all the other days too. Why had he been like that that morning?

We finally arrived there. I don't know why I had imagined the entry to Olympus would be grandiose, when I really was basic. We took the regular elevator and inserted a card to go to the 600th floor, where was Olympus. Nothing special actually. Ah, expectations!

Then the elevator door opened and I saw it. Remember what I said? I remove all of it. It was... breathtaking. Splendid. Beautiful. Spectacular.

I remembered someone telling me it was Annabeth who had designed it. Well, that was some darn good job.

We were led to a room where we put all our stuff we had brought, such as the things we needed for the night. We waited until the beginning of the Ball, and some were even able to visit a bit with their parent before the Council began.

Maybe an hour and a half after we arrived, Chiron came to tell us the Council would start soon. He came to me and said:

"I have spoken to the Gods. They will talk about you at the end of the Council. When they will call your name, walk to the center and salute the Gods. They will ask you questions to which you'll simply answer "Yes my Lord or Lady" or No my Lord / Lady", unless they ask you more details. Don't forget to be polite. But don't worry." He gave me a reassuring smile and left. I had a very bad feeling about this.

I met with Connor and Travis to continue our conversation. They were currently saying they were disappointed not having been able to talking to their father before the Council started. Apparently, one year he had come and they had pulled pranks on the Gods. In the middle of the conversation, Connor said "I don't know if you have noticed, but last time I talked to Dad, he seemed pretty anxious." To what Travis answered: "I don't know. I wasn't there."

Wasn't there? What did he mean? I was absolutely sure Travis was there the day I had arrived, which was the last time I had seen Hermes apart from the day he had brought me the dress, but he hadn't talked to the twins personally, since he had only stayed for less than an hour, just to tell some information about the Ball and give me the dress.

I asked Connor about that. "Don't you remember?" he said, "I had gone on a small quest for my father the day after you arrived, and that's when I talked to him. But Travis wasn't there. I had left before everyone woke up and I came back late. I sad you haven't noticed my absence."he joked.

A quest the day after I arrived? The doubts of earlier came back, and this time I had a reason.

If Connor wasn't there that morning, who had I talked to? I remember very clearly talking to him, then him insisting that I had to meet Percy.

Both brothers insisted that Connor wasn't there that day. Were they pulling a prank on me? I went to ask Percy, but I couldn't find him?

It was with my head full of doubts that I entered the Council room when the Council was about to start.

The room was huge, with 12 thrones placed in a U-shape, one for each Olympian – Hades wasn't there since it was summer – with Zeus and Hera in the middle. I saw Hermes and a blond teenager, probably Apollo, smiling at us. A gorgeous woman was looking at herself in a mirror while another younger one was glaring at her. A blonde-haired and gray-eyed woman was sat calmly on her throne looking all around her. Some gods were fighting, probably Ares and Hephaestus.

The meeting itself wasn't very interesting. Or maybe was I just to stressed out to listen to anything. I dreaded the moment when they would call my name.

That moment arrived three hours and a half after the beginning of the Council.

"Aleetheia." Zeus called. Some surprised murmurs were heard, maybe from people thinking I was being claimed.

"It has come to us" he started "that you still haven't been claimed." He made a pause then continued. "We, Olympians, have made an oath to claim all of our children before they turn thirteen." I saw him glaring at the demigods, and Percy looking him straight back in the eyes.

Zeus looked at the other Gods present, and they all assured I wasn't their child. A little hope I hadn't noticed I had disappeared at that moment. If none of the Olympians were my parent, who was? There were so many gods out there. What if my parent hadn't claimed me on purpose? Maybe he was ashamed of me? Or maybe he just didn't know I existed? I didn't know which was worse.

I went back with my friends, trying to hide the sadness in my features. Zeus dismissed the assembly and the "party" started. There was music and drinks and everybody was dancing, but I couldn't get "in the mood". I tried not showing it too much and I went outside, hoping to get my ideas clear.

I was walking a bit in the gardens when I heard a voice calling me. I looked around me and saw nothing until I felt an arm pulling me to the side. I was about to scream but the person stopped me.

"No! Don't scream!" he said in a hushed voice. "Nobody has to know I'm here. Don't worry, I am not going to hurt you. You're Ally, right? Do you know who I am?" he asked.

I tried looking at his face but I couldn't distinguish it well. He was hidden under a hood. Was he dumb? How did he want me to know who he was if he was hidden this way?

He seemed to notice it and continued:

"Good. It's better if you don't."

What? Why? I thought. I slowly started to back away, getting ready to escape if needed.

Unaware of my thoughts, he started again:

"You have probably receive a letter yesterday... Coming with the dress you're wearing. By the way, you look gorgeous in it." he complimented me.

I faked a smile, but my thoughts were He's a pervert. Someone help me. How did I not notice it. He has all the attributes: a hood, I can't see his face, he knows things about me... The only thing missing is the minivan!

He started talking again "I'm here to warn you about a great danger." I could see he was enjoying himself. "There is a god that isn't... He doesn't really like how the world is being ruled, the Olympians and, more than anything, the gods who have accepted to be ruled by them and work for them. For example, Hemera or T... the Furies. We are strongly suspecting that he will be trying something very soon."

"And," I asked, very confused, "what does it have to do with me?"

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, trying to find what to say and what not. He was definitely hiding something from me.

"You... you know you haven't been claimed yet, right? First off, don't worry about it. Your... parent has decided it could be dangerous to claim you... right know... because of..."

"The god you're talking about yes." I cut him. "So? You're telling me he doesn't claim me because of some god who could maybe possibly perhaps want to... What? What does he want to do, uh? And that has absolutely nothing to do with me, I know it. If it's just some pathetic excuse from my parent, or maybe mother, not to claim me, then you can leave!"

I was really starting to be infuriated. What was wrong with those people?

"Ally, Aleetheia, ALLY! Listen to me! What I'm saying is true. You would have been claimed directly if there weren't all those problems and it pisses me off as much as you, and as much as your parent, okay? Don't blame me!" he said, angrily. I hadn't noticed I had gotten so angry. Maybe he was right, even though I couldn't help but blame my parent for not claiming me, and have some doubts about what he was saying.

"I'm really sorry for you but I can't do anything about it. Now, can I finish or are you going to start yelling again?

And why did you say your mother?" he asked.

"The letter I received was signed The Mother so I guessed that...". He shook his head negatively, "Ally, the person that sent this letter isn't your parent, but she's close to him."

He was about to continue but he suddenly stopped. He pointed out something and urged me not to make a noise. I followed him slowly and moved towards two people talking. We hid behind some of the bushes that were in the garden and didn't move anymore. I felt like

I couldn't distinguish their faces, but their voices arrived to us clearly. They were men. One of the voices, the lower one, seemed angry and was saying:

"...is she doing here? She's supposed to be long dead!"

Another voice answered, "We've already been over this! I don't know, okay? I. Simply. Don't. I think that it's not the same person. They just look alike. That happens. I swear."

"Look alike? With the same name, uh? And unclaimed? Do you know many people called Aleetheia?"

It was a shock for me. They were talking about me! And, apparently, I was supposed to be dead!

"You will do something about her! We can't just let her..."

"I have been spying on her Dad! I gained her trust, and i have talked to her. I can assure you she is inoffensive! Why would you want to..."

I had stopped listening from that moment. That second voice, I knew it... I knew that person.

An awful doubt was starting to grow inside me, getting so big and so strong it was taking control of me. I had to know who he was. I started to stand up a bit, still hidden by the bush. The mysterious man tried stopping me. I pushed him away. I looked who was that voice.

And the revelation broke my heart.

It was Hermes.

A/N: Aaaah! Cliffhanger!(or so I hope XD) So, what did you think? Do you have suppositions about her parent? Hermes? Connor? Tell me in the reviews! Talking about reviews...

Reviews answers:

Nicole-Witch-Poseidon'sLilGirl:Of course I replied! Thanks to you for reviewing! XD Your review literally made my day!

Thank you that's really nice. I'm glad you liked it. About the dress, I have to admit it wasn't originally planned and I wasn't sure of it was going to turn out, so I'm happy it turned out okay! This new chapter's a bit more serious...

YokoLucas: I know it may seem like it and I hope you like this one better... But thanks

Ana Holmes: Thank you!

Really thank you! Please leave a review, even if it's really short, because it shows me you enjoy what I do! I really have doubts about what I'm doing and a review shows me that my work isn't that bad. Tell me if you like you it is turning.

Lots of love,

Princess of A Sandcastle