Text in [brackets] is the character speaking in a foreign (non-English) language.
"What happened, Serena?"
That was Nico's first question, but he wasn't so sure that Serena would answer. The younger demigod had come through the stone doors, meaning that the meeting with Poseidon was over, but it didn't feel like Serena was completely there. Her eyes were wide with what Nico recognized as fear, having felt the same too often himself, and her face looked as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Serena?" Will worriedly asked when she didn't respond.
"Huh?" Serena looked at them confusedly and blinked a few times. "Oh! Um...I'm fine. It's all just...fine."
Nico frowned. He didn't have to be psychic to tell she was lying. Serena didn't lie very often from what Nico could tell, so whatever happened in the throne room was something important to her. That didn't mean he couldn't ask her about it, though. "Come on, Serena. You know that's a lie."
The daughter of Poseidon shifted uncomfortably, and her eyes darted around the hall. "Well, I...I don't want to talk about it."
"But-" Will started, but Nico cut him off with a glare. He understood how she felt right now, and understood that pestering her to talk wouldn't help. "Fine. Just know that we're here for you, okay?"
The younger demigod nodded. "Yeah, I know."
The rest of the day was pretty simple. They all went back to their rooms, ate some food, then went to sleep. Again, nothing special. When they woke up, Nico and Will met Serena outside of their rooms, bags packed and ready to go.
"So, where are we going exactly?" Nico asked, trying to figure out where this quest was leading them.
The son of Hades watched Serena turn to one of the merman guards, then relay the same question. She was given three pearls in response, as well as a few sounds Nico couldn't understand. The daughter of Poseidon nodded and turned back to her friends and handed each of them a pearl.
Will looked at the pearl in his hand curiously. "What are these for?"
"They're transport pearls," Serena said, gesturing to the one in her hand. "They take you where you're supposed to go, so to speak. Basically, for us, it will take the three of us where we need to go next. I don't know where that is specifically, but I know these will work. Just smash them underneath your foot."
With that, the daughter of Poseidon set her pearl on the ground, then smashed it. At first nothing happened, but then Serena seemed to fade into mist, eventually dissipating in the water. Nico followed suit a few moments afterward, copying his friend's actions. The stone walls of the palace faded from Nico's vision, and he was just floating in a void of darkness. Then, a forest seemed to materialize around him, and he found himself sitting on the ground next to Serena.
"So?" the younger demigod asked. "What do you think about pearl-transport?"
As he was thinking about his answer, Nico saw Will materialize next to them, looking like he was going to throw up. "Please...I'm never doing that again..." he said, his face slowly becoming less green.
Serena simply laughed. "So you didn't like it. What about you, Nico?"
Nico thought for a moment, then the answer popped into his head. "It was like shadow-travel, but I wasn't the one controlling it."
"That's what it's like to be a passenger of shadow-traveling. It's not exactly the best experience out there." Serena explained, gesturing with her hands. Nico recognized it as an Italian trait he and Bianca used to share.
"It feels strange to be on the other end of it, but I guess I'm used to the feeling by now," Nico shrugged, then took a look at their surroundings. "Um, do you know where we are, Serena?"
The younger girl looked around. "I think so. Over there," she pointed to a statue in a clearing up ahead. "You see that statue? I've seen it before, back home in Pennsylvania. It was in the park nearby my house. My little brother and I came here all the time when we were younger."
Will's brow furrowed in concentration. "Wait...you said the pearls would take us where we needed to go, right?" Serena nodded. "So why did they bring us here?"
"That's what I'm wondering." Nico looked behind them at the unfamiliar female voice, but he didn't see anything. "Three demigods show up in the middle of the park, and I would like to know why. Start talking."
Nico looked around the trees behind him, but he didn't see anyone. "Who's there?"
A silhouette appeared, jumping down from a tree above them. When the female figure stepped into the sunlight, Nico could see she had waist-length maple hair with a few gold highlights, tied in a ponytail and a blue wrap headband. The strange girl had a short and slight physique, wearing a blue tank top and black shorts that cut off just above her knee. She also was wearing a small pendant, shaped to look like a crescent moon on top of a golden sun.
Serena gasped at the girl in front of them. "Eclipse?" The daughter of Poseidon said timidly.
The unfamiliar girl's bright green eyes widened. "Serena? Is that you?"
Serena smiled and jumped to her feet, walking over to the strange girl. "Yeah, it's me! How have you been? Where have you been?"
The girl, presumably Eclipse, sighed. "I would be easier to tell you where I haven't been. How about you? Seems as though you're a demigod, huh? Who's your parent?"
Nico stepped in between them before Serena could answer. "Why are you asking so many questions? Who are you?"
Serena started to answer, but the other brown-haired girl cut her off. "Let me introduce myself, Serena. I don't need you to do it for me," she turned her attention to Nico and Will. "My name is Eclipse Solaire. I'm asking 'so many questions' because Serena is an old friend of mine. I know that you are demigods because I am one myself."
"Wait," Serena frowned, then her eyes widened. "You're a demigod?! Why didn't I know this until now?"
"Well, maybe because I found out after you left? I haven't seen you since elementary school, how was I supposed to tell you?"
"Um, well, I-" Serena closed her mouth and shook her head. "Just, nevermind."
"So, um, who are you guys?" Eclipse asked, directing her question at Nico and Will. Then she lowered her voice and spoke to Serena. "[How did you meet them? Are you sure we can trust these two?]"
Nico saw Serena's expression change to one of warning, and she shook her head, then whispered back in the same language. "[Eclipse, we're not the only ones here who speak Italian.]"
"[Yeah, what she said.]" Nico said, slightly annoyed, speaking in Italian. "[My name is Nico, and this is Will.]"
Eclipse looked slightly surprised and shocked, but she regained her calm expression and switched back to English. "Well then, I'm impressed. You're a son of Hades, I presume?"
Will still looked confused from the language change, but he seemed to be adjusting to the language barrier. "How did you...wait, nevermind. It's not too difficult to guess. Can you tell who my father is?"
The girl gave Will a quick once-over before speaking. "Well, you made it easier by telling me it's your father. Judging from your appearance, I'd be guessing you're my half-brother, or a child of Apollo. Am I correct?"
Will stared open-mouthed at Eclipse at her words. "How did you-"
"Simple. Your hair, eyes, face structure, etcetera. I've learned to distinguish some differences between demigods who have different parents. I only know some, but it comes in handy sometimes."
Nico nodded in understanding. If you knew who a demigod's parent was, you could get an idea of their abilities and fighting style.
Eclipse looked at her old friend curiously. "What about you, Serena? Feel like giving me a hint?"
Serena smirked. "Can you see my eye color?"
"Hm," the somewhat-unfamiliar girl looked more intently at Serena's eyes than she had a moment ago. Her eyes widened, but she managed to keep a somewhat calm face. "You have got to be kidding me. Poseidon? Your dad is Poseidon?"
The younger demigod beamed at Eclipse. "Yep!"
Eclipse chuckled and shook her head fondly. "It's rather obvious, now that I think about it."
"You two have been talking for nearly fifteen minutes!" Will sighed exasperatedly.
"We have?" Serena looked confused for a moment, then started rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Sorry. We haven't seen each other since...how long has it been, Eclipse?"
Eclipse shrugged. "At least two years, maybe three."
"Okay, while I know this is a nice reunion of sorts, we have more important things to take care of," Nico said, growing frustrated. "Serena, we need to find out why the pearls took us here."
"Well, maybe I can help. What are you looking for?" Eclipse asked thoughtfully. Nico hesitated, wondering if she was trustworthy. Serena trusts her, that's all I need to know right now. He thought to himself.
"We're not completely sure," the son of Hades told her. "Something...something that's abnormal. Something that's not Greek, I guess."
Her response was almost instantaneous. "Just outside of this forest is something I think you should check out. Some strange creatures chased me here up Cherry Lane, and whatever they were, I didn't recognize them, and I've read every single book on Greek and Roman mythology I could find at the library." Nico was skeptical, but he saw Serena nod, and he realized that she had probably read all the same books.
"We'll go check it out. Would you mind coming, Eclipse?" Serena asked her old friend.
At that, Eclipse smiled. "Of course not. You're gonna need all the help you can get with those things. While they were chasing me, I shot every arrow I could at them, and I didn't even leave a dent. They're as tough as steel."
"Sounds like a challenge. Let's get going, then."