Whistling caused Alana to look around rapidly, but all she saw was darkness. "Clair? Are you there?"

"Clarisse is gone."

Alana gasped. "Who are you?" She yelled. "What do you mean Clarisse is gone?"

"I'm your father, Alana."

"What?!" The huntress shrieked. "Not you showing up in my dreams when I'm 15 years old after not acknowledging my existence ever!"

"I'm sorry."

"I don't think you are." Her voice reeked of venom.

Within seconds of her last sentence everything shook again. The darkness creeped towards her, inhaling her again. "Stop doing this!" She screamed as she appeared somewhere else.

"Lana..."

"Risse?"

Alana whipped her head around again, but instead of darkness it was all light and.... pink? Why was it pink?

"Hello Alana," a soft and kind voice spoke. It kinda sounded like her friends in- oh my god.

The demigod turned around to see a gorgeous woman standing in front of her, at first she looked like Clarisse, but once she blinked the woman looked different. "Aphrodite?"

"It's so good to see you again darling," the goddess smiled and walked towards Alana. "You probably don't even remember me, it's been so long."

Alana furrowed her eyebrows and took a deep breath, trying not to look confused. "You're in my dream. On purpose."

Aphrodite laughed. "Yes, I am."

"Why?"

"Well, your mom mentioned something or another and I just wanted to have a little talk..." she smirked to herself and sat down on a light pink bench. "Tell me, do you have any crushes?"

The huntress let her face show all of her confusion now. Did Aphrodite just show up in her dreams to talk to her like a middle school girl? "Um... no?"

The goddess of beauty pursed her lips and pat the bench next to her. "Are you sure? No one at all? No confusing feelings about someone in particular?"

Alana was walking to sit next to her and flushed at her last question. "I- no! Why would you think that?"

"Mhm you're blushing for no reason, Alana," Aphrodite teased. She sounded just like her daughters, or more like her daughters sounded just like her.

The brunette huffed. "I'm just confused, that's all!"

"Mhm because you're not with that person to procrastinate leaving them at all."

"Lana."

Alana looked around. Why did she keep hearing Clarisse?

"Sorry Alana, I think you have to go now," Aphrodite apologized softly. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Uh bye Mrs. Aphrodite, I'm sorry I don't remember you very well."

Alana felt strong hands gently raking their way through her hair. "Wake up Starshine." She opened her eyes to see Clarisse softly smiling at her. "It's almost time for you to go."

A yawn escaped the huntress as she stretched out of the blanket she was under. She had been lying on Clarisse's lap when she fell asleep. Alana hadn't intended on falling asleep, she just wanted to spend more time with Clarisse before she left. "I just had the weirdest dream," she mumbled.

Clarisse laughed at how sleepy Alana still looked. She was about to ask about the dream when she stopped dead and grabbed Alana's wrists. "Wait, Alana what the fuck?"

"What?" The Artemis girl looked down and her eyes widened. Fuck, she forgot about that. Her arms were almost pure darkness. More than last time. "Oh..."

"Yeah oh!" The curly haired girl screamed. "That's not normal! Do you know what that is?"

Alana shook her head no. "I have a feeling it has something to do with my dad."

"Has it happened before?" Clarisse asked. The shorter girl nodded. "Why didn't you tell me? You can't leave for a quest while turning into a shadow Lana!"

"It's fine!" Alana pressed. "It doesn't hurt or anything. I thought I was just hallucinating it at first. Of course now that you've seen it I know it's real..."

Clarisse sighed. "Have you told anyone else?"

"No."

"You have to tell Annabeth." The Ares girl demanded.

Alana furrowed her eyebrows. That was a sentence she wasn't quite expecting. "Why?"

"So someone who's going with you knows about it. She'll keep an eye on you. Kid's too attached to you to let you die on me," she explained.

As if on queue, Annabeth walked in the door. "Allie we have to leave," she spoke, looking at the girls. "Clarisse."

"Tell her," Clarisse whispered.

"Annie I... um..." she groaned and put her hands over her face, unsure of how to say anything anymore. Actually she was unsure of everything right now. Her dad randomly trying to talk to her, turning into a shadow, and Aphrodite for some reason??

"Oh my gods what happened to your arms?!" Annabeth screamed, running over there.

"I don't know!" Alana screamed back. She couldn't handle her own emotions, let alone her protective and dramatic friends. "Ok! I don't know. But it's fine because it's not a big deal!" There was already less black on her arms than there was when she woke up. "See, it's going away. Right Clar? The was up to my elbow before and now it's at my forearm. So it's fine. Every thing is fine."

The other two girls look at each other. They may not have a lot in common and they definitely didn't like each other much, but they both cared for Alana. Like, a lot. "Starshine," Clarisse spoke softly, running a hand up and down her arm affectionately. "What was your dream?" The taller girl could tell that Alana was on edge, and it wasn't just from the pestering.

The huntress sighed and looked at the ground. "My dad started talking to me. 15 years later."

Annabeth gasped as Clarisse's eyes widened. "You're joking," Annabeth said.

"No, I think he showed up in my dream the other day too, but I didn't know it was him yet. Both times he showed up this thing happens," Alana explained, showing her arms. "Last time someone else was with him too. A woman."

"Did you see him though?" The Athena girl asked.

Alana shook her head no. "It's always pitch black. Then before I wake up, or something else happens, I feel like I'm being sucked into it. Or more like it's sucking itself into me."

Clarisse was more concerned by the second. None of this was ok and now she was leaving camp.

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Annabeth and Alana said their goodbye to Luke and their other friends before going to Thalia's tree. Grover and Percy were meeting them near here, so they figured they would say goodbye to Thalia. Annabeth was severely attached to Thalia, but when the... incident... happened, she latched onto Alana. Alana was there that night then proceeded to do everything she could to make sure that little girl was ok. She was the youngest kid at camp since the huntress, so she felt a need to protect her.

They heard Percy and Grover talking to each other, not far from them. "The most powerful being in the universe's best idea to save his daughter's life... was to turn her into a tree?" Percy asked.

The girls walked over and Annabeth sent the blonde a look. "She was the bravest demigod I ever knew. She fought valiantly, and she met a hero's fate."

"She met a pinecone's fate," Percy retaliated immediately.

Alana covered her mouth with her hand, partially to not laugh, and partially out of fear for Percy's life. It was kinda funny, despite how it was also a little rude.

Athena's daughter glared at the boy. "Forbidden children are always in danger, even the strongest ones, even Thalia. And you are not Thalia. Do exactly as I say, and maybe you survive this. Are we clear?"

Alana just nudged Annabeth along to keep her from fighting. Her and Grover made eye contact. This might be a long quest for the two of them....

"Does she think she's in charge?" Percy asked Grover.

The satyr looked around him like he was stupid. "Who'd you think would be in charge?"

The son of Poseidon shrugged. "Alana, I guess."

"She lets Annabeth do whatever she wants..."

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A/N: gasp

if you guys had any cute ideas for interactions please tell me cause I would love to include them 💕