The Forgotten Daughter

Little Revelations

Percy and Annabeth sat in Aliana's treehouse staring at the prophecy stretched out before them. They had been studying it for hours, but hadn't gotten anywhere.

Finally, Percy groaned in frustration and flopped back onto the floor. "Why couldn't the Oracle cut us a break? Did she really have to be this vague?"

"Most prophecies are pretty vague." Annabeth noted. "Not that I know from experience or anything." She grumbled. She sighed and scanned the paper again. She narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "I can't stop thinking about the line Chiron said was about us."

Percy lifted his head off the floor to look at her. "Why's that?"

She pointed to the words. "It says 'with ebbing tide and fading knowledge.'" She met his gaze as if it were obvious, but Percy seemed lost. She rolled her eyes. "Those are words to describe something going away."

"And..." Percy didn't quite get it.

Annabeth sighed in exasperation. "I think it means we're going to get hurt. That's why Aliana didn't want us to get involved. I'll bet she knew what this line meant; and she was trying to avoid it, to protect us."

Percy sat up slowly. "And we forced her to let us help."

Annabeth returned her gaze to the prophecy. "Well, we couldn't exactly stop it from happening. It's in a prophecy. There's nothing we can do now to change this." She ran her fingers along the first line of the third verse of the prophecy.

Percy followed her fingers with his eyes. "So, what now?"

Annabeth straightened. "We finish this quest," she met his gaze. "no matter what happens."
* * *
She stumbled backwards, tripping over a log and falling to the ground. Her hands stung as the shadow moved towards her.

"You thought you had escaped me." The deep familiar voice echoed through her mind.

She wanted to snap back at him, to say something, but she couldn't. She was paralyzed by fear.

Behind the dark figure, Camp Half-blood was on fire. Screams echoed through the night as the campers tried to flee. Monsters cut off any escape, boxing in the terrified half-bloods. And somehow she knew, this was all her fault.

"I told you, you would help me." The familiar voice spoke triumphantly.

"No." She finally managed the small word.

"No!" Aliana jolted awake, sitting bolt upright, her whole body shaking violently. She panted, holding back sobs. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Mason rushed into the room. "What's wrong?"

She looked away. "Nothing. Just a nightmare."

He moved to the bed and sat down beside her. "Do you want to talk about?"

"No." She wouldn't look at him.

"Sometimes it helps." He pressed.

She turned on him annoyedly. "I said no."

He traced the trail of her tears with his eyes, but he stood up and started towards the door. He paused as he grabbed the door knob. "Let me know if you change your mind." He walked out, closing the door behind him.
* * *
Percy watch Annabeth as she paced around the treehouse. She'd been doing it for so long, Percy was surprised she hadn't worn a hole in the floor.

"You know," he finally spoke up. "I don't think that's helping."

"I know." Annabeth dropped onto a pillow that was lying on the floor, frustrated. "I just don't know what else to do."

Percy sighed. "I know the feeling."

Annabeth scooted closer to the prophecy again and tilted her head as she examined the lines for the hundredth time.  She ran her hands down her face. "All I'm finding is more questions."

Percy stared at the prophecy. He had it memorized by now, but he thought that maybe seeing it written out would help him notice something new. His eyes settled on the second line of the fourth verse. The Fates are singing the end of days. He furrowed his brow. "What does this mean?"

Annabeth stopped rubbing her temples and looked at the words. "That's pretty obvious isn't it?"

"Well, yeah." Percy agreed. "But originally we thought it was referring to the stone and Half-bloods. Now we know that's not the case, so... the end of whose days?"

Annabeth touched her finger to her lips in thought, looking at nothing in particular. "That's a good question." She met his gaze a serious look in her eyes.

Percy understood immediately. It could easily be one of them. They were already doomed to injury, why couldn't it be fatal for one of them. Of course, it could also mean whoever had done this. They had messed with the wrong Half-bloods. His fate was set in stone, whoever he was.

Annabeth let out a soft gasp.

"What?" Percy dragged his mind out of his fantasies.

"What if..." she closed her eyes as if she were holding back tears. "What if it's Aliana?"

He clenched his fists. "No. I won't let that happen."

She nodded resolutely. "Right." Her voice betrayed her doubts.

"Hey." He nudged her. "Aliana can take care of herself, powers or no. She's still the daughter of a goddess."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "That doesn't make her invulnerable."

Percy shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised."

Annabeth shoved him backwards, off of his pillow. "Come on. We need a break."

"Okay." He agreed. "On one condition."

She turned to look at him from the doorway.

He grinned. "No hunting."
                                 *   *   *
Aliana closed the door to the bedroom softly behind her and walked out into the living room.

Mason was putzing around in the kitchen.

She bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry about earlier." She twisted the end of her shirt. "I'm not great at talking to people."

He turned, holding a bowl of dry cereal. "I get it. I'm not either." He chuckled and walked over to the couch. "I shouldn't have tried to rush you." He sat down. "It's just.. been a while since I've had a friend."

Aliana shrugged and sat next to him. "Me too."

He met her gaze and smiled.

She returned the gesture. She couldn't explain it, but she felt that she could trust him. Something about him made her want to open up to him. He felt safe, almost familiar.