Heyyo! So that took a while. Sorry, got writer's block. But now I think I'm back! I also got a new laptop (yay) so I may write more often. I also have a new Magnus Chase fanfic up about Hearthstone so you can go check it out. ^_^

Chapter 6

The crowd gathered together in silence, flocking towards the front steps of the palace. Thalia stood atop a marble bench with Jason and Luke at her side. The band had stopped playing and were now staring along with the crowd that gaped at the very top of the palace where the clock tower stood.

It was a countdown for midnight, a countdown for the fireworks. The two hands were almost aligned now. Tick, tick, tick.

The king and queen stood at the head of the crowd, looking up at the clocktower. It seemed as though the entire courtyard was frozen, awaiting a signal from the giant clock that stood above their heads.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, five, four, three, two…

Up flew two beams of light, the eyes of the crowd trailed their path. Then, at the highest point above the center of the courtyard, the beams burst into a wild shower of gold. The crowd cheered as more beams flew up into the sky and showered the dark canvas with green and gold and blue, joining the stars and fading away.

The children had hands over their ears to protect both from the explosions and the yells of the masses. The band started up another song with trumpets and drums, matching the joyous mood. Half a dozen uniformed men marched up the royal steps, taking their place just in front of the grand doors. As they halted in position, a taller, buffer man came to stand before them. His uniform was a darker shade of blue and his boots just a tad bit whiter. Everyone could tell he was the guards' captain.

"That's him," Luke said over all the festival noise. "That's General Zeus Jackson! They say that he, as the eldest son, was named after the king of the Greek Gods!"

Thalia laughed. She didn't know why really, there was nothing funny about what Luke had said. It was probably the excitement of the crowd getting to her, and it seemed to have gotten into the prince as well for he started to laugh along with her.

Jason bounced on his heels and started to laugh, his hands still clamped over his ears. The band's tune got merrier, their instruments louder. A light drizzle fell down upon the crowd, which only made them cheer even more. Slowly, the fireworks began to dissipate, getting less and less frequent until no more beams shot across the sky. But the mood of the festival only seemed to richen.

The people started dancing to the music and the children ran around playing various games. More food was brought out and more drinks were served. It was, yet another, successful festival finale.

For years Thalia had dreamt about meeting her father again. She had hoped and wished and prayed for the day she would finally get to see him again. She hung onto his letter and memorized every word of it. All she dreamt about was her family whole and happy again- the way it used to be.

But now that it was finally happening… she was going to meet her father, right? Yes, yes she was. Luke was helping her, or rather, dragging her forward. Yet Thalia felt… scared? Apprehensive? Cautious? Why would she need to be cautious? This is her father. She loves him, he loves her. So why was she so… nervous?

Luke slipped behind a tall hedge-fence, following where the general had went. "Sir!" The prince called. "General! General Zeus!"

They could see him now, by a banquet table picking some berries off a plate. "General!" This time, he turned. The children stopped.

His dark hair was combed neatly under his helm, eyes as blue as the sky staring at the children, his mouth frozen in the process of chewing several grapes. He looked at them up and down, then his eyes widened when he saw the raven-haired girl staring up at him with wild eyes.

"General Zeus, sir," Luke announced. "I present to you, your daughter Thalia!"

Haha cliffie. XD So... shorter than what I usually right so yeah... :/

So have any of you read Trials of Apollo lately? Like, deym, page 240… I personally love that page. So much. People who've read it: you may go back and look at what I'm talking about. People who haven't, good luck on the money-saving/begging process!

~Apollo'sAwesomeDaughter