I can't sleep. I've never been faced with this dilemma before. Now I understood the trauma of having insomnia. I've tried everything; count sheep, count the stars, spot the constellation, read Greek history that would usually make me snore in minutes. Nothing worked.

The quietness was driving me up the walls. It just made the thoughts going round my head louder against the eerie silence of the night. I've always been a heavy sleeper; nothing (with the notable exception of the daybreak conch horn) can wake me once I go under and into the realm of Night and Hypnos.

In less than six hours, I'll be out against the other side of a gate that had always remained closed to me. In the darkness of the night, where Chaos dominates, it's easy for doubt to weasel its way into my mind. What if they don't like me? What if I can't fit in? What do thirteen year old half-bloods do for recreational fun anyways? Can they even have recreational fun?

I growled in frustration, turning around and shoving my pillow on my head in a vain attempt to get my brain to just stop thinking. I'll need all the energy I can get to pick up with the ADHD kids tomorrow. Now I'll be the lousiest pretend demigod they'll ever see in Greek history. Maybe they'll be convinced that I'm a daughter of Hypnos when they see my eye bags and witness my yawns. What a nice impression you'll make, Sia.

I've packed everything that a person could possibly need in any situations. I got a wedding dress – don't ask me where I got it from –, a celestial bronze throwing knife, a batter mixer, and some seeds. These, along with many, many other things don't weigh down on my bag like it should if it was anywhere else other than Olympus. Magic items like these were abundant here; nobody would ever notice one going missing. I, although being mortal, had the 'blessing' of being raised in a magic filled world so the existence of it doesn't create any alarming or shocking revelation, which I would be subjected to if I was raised in a normal family. Fairytales serve as nice, comedic, bedtime stories; which I far prefer from incest and wars in Greek mythology as a kid.

Since I've given up on any sleep tonight, I got out of bed and crept out of my bedroom in my night gown and into the courtyard. See, even though I'm experiencing night and sleep, outside my designated area on Olympus, it's like the streets of New York City – it never sleeps. Everybody else was up partying or discussing war strategies, but I'm here wasting my time away sleeping. I know that physically, I need it, it's essential to run my body. But Hera made the situation worse by asking Hecate to separate my hall off of the main structure so that I'd be able to sleep, because all that noise and ruckus would've made it impossible to. Alright, I'll admit she was being nice and considerate, but damn, I had thought I was like them once upon a time, no need to rub the salt into the wound so roughly, would you?

The courtyard had always been my preferred spot in my 'domain' – heh, at least I have one. There was a fountain there that brings up salt water from the sea beneath – courtesy of Poseidon – which I was especially drawn to. It wasn't just the fountain alone that caught my attention; there was an inscription in Greek –

Πρέπει να φοβάται, γι 'αυτό είναι αυτό που σε κρατά πραγματική

– carved into the sea green marble at the base of the water spring.

It says, "Be fearful, for that is what keeps you real."

I thought, hey, that's unusual. Because Greek heroes were always fearless and near invincible in the myths, but this is different, and true. I've pondered about the meaning behind this quote ever since I've perfected my Greek and came across this water spring. When I'm not feeling so good, I'd come and just sit and read that inscription, over and over. It became my motto, because I've learnt very early on that not everything is as it seems and although the truth may hurt, but it's better than lies. It's a bit hypocritical for me to say that, what with hiding my identity and having a free stay at the Palace of gods. But staying true to myself and who I am had then become my first priority and goal in life; however much that I get to live that's mine.

And as I look into these comforting and encouraging words carved with care into the limestone marble, I drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

"I'll bet fifty drachmas that it's a boy," Annabeth nodded to herself, confident in her predictions.

Percy laughed lightly, shaking his head at Annabeth's firm insistent that their shopping colors should be blue. He knows that their baby is a girl. No point in arguing with the hormonal girlfriend though.

"We'll see," Percy said in response.

They were soon called into the ultrasound room, where Annabeth changed into a green hospital gown and laid down on the stiff hospital bed while Percy chatted up with the Dr. Stevens about how the pregnancy had been going.

"Here we go," the son of Apollo said as he moved the wand over the cold jelly spreaded across Annabeth's growing tummy. A grainy black and white image of roughly resembling the anatomy of a baby appeared on the screen as a steady, loud thumping of a beating heart sounded from the speakers connected to the delicate medical instrument.

Annabeth's eyes watered at the sight of their child, Percy's face lit up with pride and joy.

"The baby seems to be developing fine, all ten little fingers and toes," Dr. Stevens said as he maneuvered the wand to show the joyous parents their baby. "Would you like to know the baby's gender?"

Annabeth's eyes gleamed at the prospect of learning their unborn child's gender. "Will we be able to know already?"

"Sure you do, and it seems like your kid wants you to know too," Dr. Stevens commented as the image of the sex of their baby came onto the screen.

"Congratulations, you're having a baby girl!"

I tied my raven hair up into a neat pony tail and fixed my simple T-shirt and tattered jeans. Intense, stormy grey eyes stared back at me through the ornate mirror hanging above the basin in my bathroom. I had always loved the fact that they will always look scary even when I'm not trying to intimidate people, it helps to keep away nosy busybodies when I wanted to be alone.

I had woken to the conch horn, and sprang from my position on the ground in the courtyard, cracking a few kinks in my spine and neck from having fallen asleep in an awkward position on the hard ground. I rushed back in to my room and did my morning routine before standing in front of my closet, trying to choose what normal teens would wear. Not being able to base it off anything other than movies, I tried the most invisible approach, thus the simple outfit that says absolutely nothing about me, which is not my norm, I assure you.

Now, after another nervous fix of the unmanageable curly nest that is my hair, I deemed myself presentable and left for the dining hall. While I was walking on the cobblestoned pavement on my way over, Hestia, one of the few goddesses that I have somewhat of a relationship with, walked up to me and congratulated me with the 'undercover project'.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm feeling pretty fine," I replied, shrugging. How are you supposed to feel in a situation like this?

"You know, I met a hero there once, and I think he might be able to help you get used to the world down there," Hestia suggested, ever so kind.

"I doubt that anybody might understand me enough to help me, but I'll take note of it. What's his name?" I enquired; after all, knowledge is the next best weapon.

"Ask for Nico, he was one of the few who had notice me, and all the others who were usually ignored and forgotten. He resurrects the lost memories." Hestia trailed off, lost in thought.

This was what makes it hard for me to relate to the inhabitants of Olympus. They are from a different time and era, and they spoke in such a way that makes me feel like I'm reading Shakespeare – beautiful, but incomprehensible. I nodded as if I understood anyways, trying not to insult the only friendly being around here, then made my leave, before the grumble of my hungry tummy makes another embarrassing appearance.

After a filling breakfast, I met with Hera at the gates, the magical duffel bag slung over my shoulders.

"A little briefing before you leave; you will be staying in the second generation area of the compound, state that your parents asked you to go to Camp Half-Blood when you turn thirteen, and that both passed when you were one, leaving you with a distant aunt. Give them no indication that you have prior knowledge to the Greek myths and try to avoid activities relating to aquatics or anything educational. You don't need the teaching – tell them that your parents were Greek, to cover for your expertise in that language – and Fotuna told me that you'd encounter bad luck when in close proximity with water."

I tried to commit this information into my memory, which was not that hard since I've been doing that practically all my life – gods have perfect recalling skills after all, and I have to pretend I have one. But I did stop at the mention of no water and most importantly, no learning. Is she trying to ground me to boredom even when I'm not on Mount Olympus?

"Wait, if I can't go to classes or do water sports, won't it attract some attention? And won't I be bored out of my mind?"

Hera laughed lightly, making me feel like I just pooped in front of her; you never want a goddess laughing at your face I tell you. "Silly child, they have so many problems on their hands, they wouldn't even notice you! And you won't be bored, you might even be asking for some rest once you get there!"

Way to put me down there, Hera. I'm not that invisible am I? I waited until she calmed down, and said, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Ah yes, "Hera stopped her giggling and cleared her throat. "You shall go by the name of Ambrosia Rose. Do not, under any circumstances, reveal your real name, or they'll be serious consequences to be faced," she warned.

I gulped, "Okay."

"You may now step through the gates, and may luck and courage be with you, as well as strength," Hera said neutrally, as if sending off any other deity on their virgin voyage into the mortal world. Then she added, "For I sense that you will be in need of these qualities dearly. Hold on to it, and never forget what your time on Olympus had taught you," a rare sense of urgency in her voice.

I stared at her. Ancient eyes that had seen so much expressing, for the first time, a hint of fear.

"I will."

"We have a favor to ask from you."

"And why should I even listen to your troubles, let alone help you overcome them?"

"The gods owe me more than that, as you should know," Percy said calmly

Hera glared intimidatingly at the form of the hero. Such determination and power, used so unsparingly and unwisely. It proved to be ironic when his partner in crime was the daughter of wisdom herself.

"I will listen only just this once."

Percy and a heavily pregnant Annabeth, who had kicked her way all through the journey to Mount Olympus, not wanting to meet her nemesis while she was vulnerable, looked at each other apprehensively before Percy turned to face the goddess and lay out his plans.

A/N: Hey peeps! Just wanted to say thanks and that I do not, in any way, understand Greek, therefore that line of Greek was google translated. I'm sorry if there was any mistake! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!