Star Catching Hands and Shooting Stars

by NonExistent19

Summary:

Two different universes: one with an abundance of children and treats them like mortals, and one without any yet would treat them as divine. A call that bridges the universes together, to give the children a choice.

Abandon the life that haunts them at every step at the hands of neglectful gods? Or step up once more to save their home? Maybe the gods will learn to treasure what is within their grasp if it's taken away from them.

Or which I take the concept of Broken Pantheon, timeline of The Sea is Wine Red, and the main conflict of Peripeteia then smash them together before seasoning it with my headcanons

Notes:

• Inspired by Misaligned Stars by FictionalDragonMother
• Inspired by Peripeteia by the_mighty_macguffin
• Inspired by The Sea is Wine Red by gotham_girl

Look, I'm like halfway through chapter 2 of "The Bones in an Owl's Crypt" I needed to write something else. But anyway! Don't expect me to finish this, there's a very good reason why I mainly stick to oneshots and stories with a completed plan. I cannot, for the life of me, stick to a run on/really long fic. I did plan chapter 2, 3, and 4 so you'll at least be getting them at some point.

Chapter 1: Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth, Little Architect Can You Hear Me?

Countless never ending scrolls sprawl across the floors of a library, myths etched into every inch of parchment. On a closer inspection, the myths don't resemble any in this universe. Quills made of owl feathers flit back and forth across the scrolls, all of them surrounding one figure in the middle. Armor fits on them as if it was a second skin, the sliver glinting in the light.

The scrolls nearest to them depict the same image over and over again, a child held in the arms of their mother. Envy drips from —who could only be called divine— the goddess's eyes as they trace the family. The quill in their hand is rapidly scribbling out a list of names.

But for the past 5 iterations, the same name is repeated: Annabeth. Over and over again, until the goddess could practically hear it spill it from her mouth. So Athena —the maiden goddess of wisdom, war, and weaving— curls the letters in her mouth, "Annabeth. Annabeth, my daughter who's forever a shade lost in my mind." A type of haunting empty wanting follows the declaration. The only kind remaining from certain type of cruelty of a goddess with a cursed bloodline to never bear a child without cost.

---

A restless night grasps at Annabeth, intertwining her within familiar memories. But there was no comfort here, not for her. The feeling of spider webs feeds into the panic building in her chest. A statue of a goddess with cold eyes. Scorching hot air searing her nostrils and liquid fire sliding down her throat. A flash of a cursed blade. A brother: bleeding, dying, and scorned.

She wants to leave. She can't handle this, not again. Isn't living through it once enough? Why must they haunt her? Her mouth is sealed shut yet she pleads, begging for a reprieve she knows will not come. An owl calls in the distance. Annabeth's downwards spiral halts abruptly as the symbol registers. It's low, mournful even, a tone she would never associate her mother with.

Annabeth. She turns to face the voice but there's no one there. Annabeth. Her voice cracks as she speaks, "Mother? Where are you?"

My daughter…lost in… mind. A gray sparkling string appears out of nowhere, dangling enticingly among her nightmares. She seizes it with a near hysterical desperation. Anything to escape the horrors her mind conjured. But it wasn't a goddess's whim to release her daughter from the nightmare plaguing her own mind. No, it was something else entirely. it started looping around her arms and tightening with a single minded goal.

Relief faltered instantly, leaving her with nothing but a need for freedom. She tries to yank her arms out, but the threads just dug in more. Swirling and circling her even as she fights against it. Oh gods, why did she think her mother would ever help her. The sound of a thread going taut rings out as she's cocooned entirely.

Suddenly, she's being stretched. Vertically, horizontally, and gods she doesn't know anymore. Hysterically, she's reminded of Crusty's water beds from her first quest. A whisper flits by, so quick she nearly misses it, "Precious one, don't worry they will treasure you when these other gods have not."

She notes how they think of her as precious, perhaps an opportunity for manipulation, "Stop! Please it hurts, I don't- I don't want this. You're hurting me!" The tightening of the strings immediately lets up, only clinging on loosely around her. It's so abrupt that she doesn't have time to kick them off before something else scoops her up.

"Almost there, just need to make you younger."

A shiver runs down her spine, there's only one Greek being with time as their domain. But how did Kronos gain enough power for this? More importantly, why is he doing this and where is she being taken to? She's about to ask before the feeling of being on the run washes over her. Not just from any time she ran away, but the dim warmth she gets when she thinks back to when her family was only Luke and Thalia.

An echoey giggle resounds all around her, "Not Kronos, little architect. But you were twelve on your first quest? A brutal end to your childhood, but I can give you another in this universe."

Alarm bells ring in her mind as she tries to find the books on myths in her library, but the hazy feeling muffles the terror she knows she feels. Her blinks get longer and longer, no matter how hard she tries to keep them open. Soon, she slips into unconsciousness.

---

Grass brushes against Annabeth's arms, did she fall asleep in the strawberry fields with Percy again? Gods, she should probably get them back into their cabins before Mr. D finds them. Or worse, her mother. That memory was probably the most horrible one she has if she's being honest. She swings her left arm back, patting around to find her soulmate whose always close behind.

Her brow furrows as she finds to trace of him, then her bleary eyes blink open to try and see him. Nothing. More importantly, she doesn't recognize where she is at all. Not a tree, stone, or even the clearing she's in. And oh gods she's tiny.

Years of training and being a runaway snaps her awake immediately. Her hand swinging to her side to grip her sword. The familiar feel of leather calms her nerves as she surveys the area. Empty, only the noises of nature curls in the air. The longer no new noises happens, the calmer she feels. Eventually, it was enough for her to drop her guard. Now to take stock.

While she's now twelve again, she does still have her sword and cap. Although the sword is too heavy for her to truly weld it, she could stab someone in an emergency. A new book opens in her mind and she neatly notes down 'find new weapon' on it. No ambrosia or her questing bag. Her nightmare comes back in bits and pieces. As always, she categorizes it: a powerful unknown hostile(?) who can use the time domain; something that can mimic her mother's calling so well that she fell for it; she has been taken to a secondary place; and for some reason, she's considered as something precious. Enough that they wouldn't hurt her.

Annabeth's sharp gray eyes trace over the foliage, each species making her concern raise. There's only one place where all of these plants would grow together. Why is she in ancient Greece? Sure, they have access to the time domain, but what do they get from putting her here?

They referred to the gods as other, like they're not their gods. Could it be that this time period is where they're originally from? And what do they even mean by treasuring her. She's not stupid, compared to other demigods, her relationship with her godly parent is neutral at best. At worse, Athena can barely look at her whenever she's up on Olympus.

The gray strands of hair and quiet ache in her lungs only adds more questions. She was de-aged yet her scars and wounds remain. The only thing she can do now is gather more information. A city or village would be preferable but it's not like she can be picky.

She nearly sends a prayer up to Hermes before remembering that she shouldn't catch the god's attention. Three minutes in and she almost screws up; gods, what did she do to be brought here. The tales of ancient gods stored in her mind are now a warning rather than just tales. And she knows just how badly women are treated in this time period.

The light weight on her side now feels so much more valuable as it sinks in just where she's at. Her status as a demigod can't protect her from everything— Wait, does her mother have kids yet?

Panic starts welling up again before she roughly shoves it down. Information first and panic attacks second. With that, she hurries out of the clearing.

---

Tents covers the field ahead of her, different symbols sectioning the camp. A war camp, Annabeth notes as she eyes the armor littered around. Her Yankee's cap is set firmly on her head, rendering her invisible to mortals and monsters alike. Her eyes darts between the symbols, greedily taking in information.

She's just about to check out a different section when she sees it. An embroidered owl with a bow, Odysseus's family crest. The tent was deep within the camp, if she were to check it out she has to be careful.

Her footsteps are completely silent as she makes her way over, perks of being raised by a Hermes kid. The whispered leers of the soldiers makes her antsy as they talk about the women by the river. She doesn't try to overhear any more information after that. Winds drift through the camp, allowing her to catch brief glimpses into tents. Then a wide clearing with training dummies filled with soldiers appears, most of them jeering on the ones sparring in the middle.

She's about to avoid it no matter the cost before a dagger catches her eyes. Despite looking ordinary, her blood sings when she lays eyes on it, drawing her in. If it wasn't for the fine layer of dust that covers it, she probably would've thought it was some ceremonial blade based on the intricate feathers engraved on it.

It's a small bronze dagger, tiny enough that she could wield it comfortably. And well, she did have a checklist to complete. It wasn't even a challenge to scoop it up —along with its sheathe— and strap it on her swordless thigh. Then she moves on, leaving the crime scene behind.

Odysseus's banner waves tauntingly in the wind, a beacon signaling where the tent is. Not like she's gonna complain about the security issue when it benefits her. More importantly, the entrance is drawn wide open, as if inviting her in. The only caveat is that the owner and another soldier is inside. Based on the lavish bronze chest plate with numerous dolphin —Thetis's symbol, her mind supplies— engravings, this was probably Achilles.

A war camp, a young Odysseus, and an alive Achilles. There's only one myth with all three of these: the Trojan war. If Annabeth could afford to speak right now, she would spill every single sailor curse Percy taught her in alphabetical order. But no, she has to be extra careful since her mother oversees this camp. At least her death would be quick if she's caught, this Sea would drown her slowly.

They're talking loud enough that she can overhear without entering the tent, but it seems as if it's nothing too important. Although, even with being able to understand ancient Greek, none of the conversation makes sense to her.

"Your patron gifted you another blessing? I thought the Styx's curse was the only one you'd get."

"With the glory I'm bringing her through the war, she saw it fit to bless me with the lungs of the sea. Poseidon may not like me but I cannot drown. With this, I may be able to push through the river and secure a bridge."

"An invulnerable soldier who can breathe underwater? I can already think of several plans that may lead us to victory."

The conversation devolves into war planning from there, but Annabeth's mind was already reeling. None of that made sense, in fact, it made so little sense that she's practically begging for this to be a weird dream. Why use patron instead of mother? Unless there's another goddess involved, but Poseidon is siding with the Trojans; which water god would dare go against him for a hero they have no relation to?

And 'blessing' implies that he had not gotten it from his blood, not from the diluted ichor in his veins. Nothing is going according to the myth emblazoned in her mind, stripping her of the one advantage she holds. She needs more information, something is very wrong here.

Just as she takes one step back, she hears the shouting of drunken soldiers. Most of them are goading on someone else to tell myths, something about being the best story teller in camp. If she wants answers, that's where she'll find them. She dips between tents again before finding a crate on the edge of the crowd.

The wood doesn't even creak as she perches on it, giving her the height needed to peer over the grown adults. Not for the first time, she curses her younger body. But she doesn't have time to dwell on that, not when the myths from the story teller's lips were none she knows.

A curse, a child bearing curse on the most promiscuous beings in the universe. Is she even in the same universe, oh gods she just gonna ignore that for now. Does Olympus even have the second generation? Does her mother even— wait no she does. Annabeth huffs, annoyed that her life is in fact, not easier. But even with the confirmation of all the main gods, it doesn't stop the fact that nearly every minor god doesn't exist. She half wishes to leave right now and have a mental breakdown under the cover of the forest, but she needs to know about demigods.

And oh gods does she learn. A cycle of repeated life and death, of ichor becoming poison in veins and damning babies into monsters. The near insanity of cursed monsters, forever banished to roam the lands for golden blood. Of the only demigod to ever live by becoming a god. How in replacement of demigod heroes, there are now champions. Blessed mortal children made to take on the mantle of monster slaying for their patron, for they cannot bear to end their own children's suffering. Of goddesses taking vows to have neither children nor champions to save themselves.

Her mother is a maiden goddess; moreover, she's a goddess of a linage that cannot have demigod children. Oh, Annabeth is so screwed, she completely prefers the predictable disdain of her original mother over the unknown variable this causes. She vaguely notes down the tale of Thetis claiming Achilles as her champion, blessing him with a dip into the Styx to kill the hydra born from her daughter.

Gods, she needs to leave, like right now. Even in her disoriented state, she just barely manages to squeak out the camp undetected. But she still nearly hurls the meager food in her stomach. She doesn't, not when she intimately knows the suffering of starvation, but it is a close thing.

She has nothing. No supplies, none of her war veteran fighting skills, no information, not a single advantage she can play into, and most importantly, no Percy. In a complete different universe, where she's not even supposed to exist. And a time period where women literally don't have rights.

No help will come because who would even think of an unproven multiverse theory. Even then, how would they even get her out of here? The gods didn't help when the world was about to be destroyed, so why would they help out a single demigod? Tears start welling up inside her eyes as she thinks of the nonexistent chance of going home.

Annabeth wants to go home, she wants go back to sketching out more cabins, bicker with Jason over the designs, go to that girls' night out that Piper promised her. She wants to see Grover and learn about more wood types, even that means suffering through a hundred nymphs coming to bother them. She wants to be rubbing in the Athena's cabin latest capture the flag win into everyone's faces. She wants to make sure that she hasn't cursed another mother into baking cookies for a child who will never come home.

But most of all, she wants to see Percy again. To wake back up with the one constant in her life. Gods, she wishes he was here, but she can't damn him to another universe just for her.

Still, it doesn't stop her from saying it out loud, "I wish Percy was here." A flash of light has her freezing in place. A dazed familiar 12-year old boy sprawls out in front of her, his sea green eyes hazy. Even as dread and guilt slides down her spine, she can't keep the hope out of her voice, "Percy?"

His eyes snap to her, widening as they take her in, "Annabeth?"

Chapter 2: The Seas Calls You Home Perseus

Summary:

Annabeth infodumps about the universe, Percy infodumps about camp, and then they prance off into the woods. (I'll come up with a better summary later I swear)

Notes:

I don't know how I wrote this in three hours. Uhhh don't expect chapter 3 or 4 to be out this fast, I genuinely don't know what came over me. Next time I'll post will be after I've updated my other fic so there's the next time frame.

Annabeth is here. She's in front of Percy, he hasn't failed to protect her. A second barely ticks by before he slams into her with a single minded intensity to hold her as close as physically possible.

A squawk of shock rings out by his ear, and it's the most beautiful thing he has heard. He pulls back a little, just to wipe away the tears and hold her face in his palms. Baby fat clings onto her cheeks, making her the picture of innocence. But he hasn't seen this version of her since he was twelve. And as the relief of seeing her dies down, he starts to look around.

This was certainly not camp Half-Blood. He's definitely shorter, even shorter than Annabeth. He's twelve again isn't he? Of course his luck wouldn't let him keep his muscles, gods he worked so hard for them. But the starburst shaped scar on her forehead brings him up short. She didn't have that at 12. No, it was the year after when Polyphemus dropped her head first.

He tries taking an experimental breath, feeling the familiar strain of scarring on his lungs. So not only are they de-aged, but they still have all of their scars. Great. The one good thing about being young again and neither of them even get that. Arms closing in around his waist snaps him out of his thoughts. Her head lays on his shoulder as her hand draws little shapes on his back. He can feel his breathing becoming more steady as time goes on. Yes, everything is fine, they're together now, and that means they can face whatever the Hades is going on.

Okay, what did Chiron say when meeting back up with an ally? Assess, debrief, and goals. They're both safe for now so he should start the debrief. Now, he swears that he opened his mouth to ask where they were but what comes out is, "Who took you?"

Her hair tickles his chin as she shrugs, "I have no idea. I was having a nightmare when I hear my mother calling out to me. But it wasn't her, or at least not our version of her."

Annabeth always chooses her words carefully, for her to use 'version' means there's something else he's not getting. "Minerva? Or does it have something to do with this new location?"

He hears her suck in a breath, practically thinking out loud about how to break whatever news she has to him. Then she smushes her head into his shoulder before whispering so quietly that he nearly misses it, "We're in a different universe."

Well, the situation can't be that bad if she's making a joke. A startled laugh bursts from him, "Come on Wise Girl, you can just give me the big bad that I need to stab."

She sighs like she was expecting this, "No really, I know this seems absurd but this isn't our universe. For gods' sake, it isn't even our time. There, that plant is Silphium. It's native to Greece, and more importantly, it went extinct during the Romans' rule. Half mile east, there's a war camp. Not made of demigods or monsters, but mortals. Yet the gods' symbols mark several of the banners and they only have bronze weaponry and armor. As for the different universe theory- I'm not even sure how in the first place. But please believe me, I don't- I don't know what do if you don't."

She wouldn't lie to him, not about this. And Percy can see the desperation in her eyes, for him to believe her no matter how unrealistic this seems. So Percy does, because she has never led him astray and she won't do it now. But he needs her to stop spiraling, luckily he knows exactly how to pull her back from her mind.

The quiet pleading stops abruptly as he kisses her: short, sweet, and a reassurance. A pretty pink dances across her cheeks as big owl-like eyes stare at him in bewilderment. So he kisses her again and again until her laughter drowns out her terrified begging in his mind.

"Percy! I- haha! Stop, wait I'm trying to be serious here!"

He does stop, but he also pulls her close to touch their foreheads together, "I believe you. Now, what makes this universe different from ours?" The question gives her a base to start on, something to anchor her thousand and one thoughts.

"I listened in to a myth telling, it was completely different from Kronos's defeat and beyond. The Kronides didn't kill him immediately, letting him have his final words. With it, he cursed them to never have children without it tearing at their soul. The main gods still exist, like the Olympians and their spouses, but a lot of the minor gods are dead."

He blinks in astonishment, this was definitely not their universe. If the myths changed then these have to be completely different gods. No matter if they share the same names, the bases of them have been rewritten. More than that, the myths branching off of them would have to twist. While the main gods still exist, minor gods had still held a good chuck of myths.

This time it was Annabeth's turn to drag him out of his thoughts with a kiss, a smile on her face as she does so, "Still with me Seaweed Brain?"

"Always."

"It's not just divine children, they also can't have demigod children. Every single one, except for Mr. D, was a stillborn or had the ichor in their veins turn them into a monster. In replacement of demigod heroes, champions were made. As far as I've seen, all demigods from the myths have been turned into champions. They get their powers from blessing from their sponsor god instead of their blood. Currently, Achilles is the only champion nearby for now."

"So what, this version of Athe—" A hand quickly covers his mouth, stopping his sentence. Out of childish spite, he licks it to watch her face cringe.

"Percy, I know how much you hate the names have power rule, but we should probably follow it for now," an unamused expression rests on her face as she wipes her hand on the grass.

"Fineee," but even with his agreement, he sticks his tongue out at her, "so this version of Wisdom took you away?"

"Not intentionally I don't think, or I would've been found out awhile ago. No, I think she made a call somehow and something answered her by dropping me here. I was having a nightmare when I heard the call. Then a string appeared, so I grabbed it to get away from my memories. It took me, bundled me up, and brought me to some cosmic being I have no idea about. I'm pretty sure that they're the one who de-aged us but apart from that I have nothing."

He rolls over the information in his mind. Even saves a little mental note to beat up a cosmic divine being after this. This is like an 8 out of 10 issue, he still has Annabeth and his memories so it's still better than Hera's quest. His hand comes up to absentmindedly play with her curls. She leans in before speaking up again, "So, what's happening in camp?"

Percy cringes, the moments after finding out Annabeth was missing weren't fun. But he can see in her eyes that she needs to know that everyone else is fine. With that, his resolve crumbles instantly before he starts from the beginning. The memories playing out like a movie to him.

---

Sunlight blinds him as his cabin door bursts open. Malcolm comes rushing in, face dropping as his eyes dart across the room. What really alarms Percy, however, is the blue Yankees cap crushed in his hand. He kicks off his blanket before running towards the other, "What happened to Annabeth?"

("What? But I have them right here?"

"I don't know Wise Girl, but one of them must be a replica.")

A glint of fear shines through his gray eyes, but he couldn't soften his tone, not when something happened to her. Looking outside didn't bring him relief, not with the rest of the head counselors staring at him. Clarisse held a very familiar Drakon bone sword, and his heart dropped. He swears there's a low hissing noise from somewhere, but he dismisses it just as quickly as he hears it, "Connor. Travis. This isn't funny. Where. Is. She."

(He can see Annabeth pause as he says their names, her eyes darting around as if they'll appear suddenly. But nothing happens and a inkling of suspicion curls in her expression)

Clarisse snaps at him before either of the twins answer, "Look Prissy, they didn't do anything. We don't know where she is, we thought she was with you but then we found her cap. And if she isn't here then…" She trails off as she catches sight of his expression. He doesn't blame her, not when he can feel himself snarling.

None of the Seven are here, most of them were either back home or at Camp Jupiter. Thalia was somewhere in Los Vegas with the Hunt, and gods know where Nico is. So there's no other cabin she would be in, not without her equipment. He can feel the earth shifting underneath him, feel the stilling of the waves as he tries to reel himself in.

The cap and sword are quickly shoved into his hands, something to stop him from digging his nails into his palms. The familiar feel of leather and fabric is enough for him to reorientate his rage. Cracking noises sound out as he marches past the small crowd, all of them moving out of his way. He should care about how he's scaring them right now, but the anger seeping under his skin turns his sight red. It barely takes a minute before he's slamming open the doors to the big house, screaming for Mr. D to get down here.

("Screaming at a god? Really Percy?"

"What can I say? It's scientifically proven that my impertinence triples in your absence.")

Vines coil around his legs before he even steps foot within the building. The faint scent of oak barrels shifting to a much more hostile rotten grape smell. The god's form isn't his usual of a drunken slob, instead it's one that matches his madness domain much more, "Percy Jackson, what's the meaning of this?"

"Which one of you took her."

Vibrant purple eyes dart down to the times in his hands, widening at the sight of them. The pressure of the room drops as he realizes just what happened. Dionysus looks back up to whatever depth is swirling in Percy's eyes and makes a choice, "I swear on the River of Styx that I have no idea how this happened nor anyone who would."

The shaking of the ground calms as Percy takes second to breathe, he has to work with the gods, not piss off his only chance of getting answers, "Can you track her down with these items?"

The god extends one of his hands, "I can try but I can't guarantee anything. Not if they went as far as Hera did with you."

He grits his teeth, whatever, he'll take what he can get. However, as the sword and cap land in his palm, something in his demeanor shifts. Purple expands rapidly as he brings the items closer to his face. Percy is about to snap if he doesn't move them away. He almost does but the roaring call of a leopard rips through the air.

He's forced to close his eyes as a blinding light appears. The shifting of feathers and the unfurling of scrolls gives away who answered the call. His face shifts into a snarl at the neutral expression on Athena's face.

An owl's beak clicks right before she speaks, "What's the meaning of this Dionysus? I have-"

Madness just shoves the items into her talons, not even waiting for her to finish. The ichor drains from her face as she grips the items. She brings them closer, turning and checking every inch of them. A rattle shakes the air as she shrieks, "Who dares to erase my claim!?"

("She cared?"

"Of course she did, it's you, Wise Girl. Who wouldn't care?"

"…I didn't know that she would still claim me as hers.")

Annoyingly, Mr. D response with hissing and roaring rather than words he can eavesdrop on. The gods rapidly exchange inhuman noises before Percy gets frustrated, "Would either of you please explain what's going on!"

Wine purple eyes and familiar owl eyes blink as if they just remember his existence. Mr. D frowns before responding, "Go back to the others, you guys need to form a search party. Start checking everywhere, we need to report back to Olympus. Once we're back I'll explain what's going on."

With that, Percy has to close his very mortal eyes to avoid the truth of two gods. Back to square 0. The next hour is blurry as he collaborates with the other councilors to form search parties. He elects to go alone and no one stops him.

("Seaweed Brain, why did you go alone when something is kidnapping people?"

He shrugs, but answers honestly despite his apprehension, "It was safer for the others to stay away from me.")

The iris message to the others was draining, their shock only adding to his despair. But even that memory was fuzzy as he disappears into the woods. The creek lake laps at his feet, as if they were apologizing for not keeping Annabeth safe. Laughable. He's the one whose supposed to keep her safe. He's the one who failed her family over and over again. She was the original camp's collective little sister; Silena's, Beckendorf's, Luke's sister. He couldn't save them and now he failed to save Annabeth.

("Percy…"

"Not now please. Save it for when we go home, when you're safe again.")

A glimmer catches his eye, a graphite colored string dangling above the lake from some unknown place. But the shade of graphite stops him from instinctively slicing it. It was the same shade of gray as her favorite drafting pencil. The one that makes up all of her blueprints.

More damningly, a whisper has him swimming towards it like his life depends on it. I wish Percy was here. The last thing he remembers is grabbing the string with both of his hands.

---

Guilt swirls in Annabeth's eyes, enough that he's pulling her close again. He kisses her temple, "Don't look like that. I'm glad I'm with you. Even if it's another universe. I'll follow you anywhere."

His reassurance doesn't do the trick, only making her eyes scrunch up more. For a second, he thinks she's about to say something. But she closes her mouth before taking a breath. He's about to ask before she shoots him a glare and then softens, "No. Not here. When we're home."

Percy knows that she's compartmentalizing again, but he made the same request earlier. So, he rests his head on her shoulder and nods, "Then tell me what's realization you made earlier?"

"I think I know how I got here in the first place. Remember how I said I thought I heard my mother?" He nods again. "That was this universe's Wisdom. Here, having a demigod hero would probably be a miracle. So it's not that big of a stretch to assume all gods have wished for one before. But, this time was different. She somehow got my name, and it allowed her to call out to me. Like I did for you. Which brought me here."

Well, now he gets why she looked so alarmed when he started naming people. But that wouldn't explain why they aren't here right now, "So what's the other requirement or requirements?"

"Intent. With a first name spoken out loud and intent, we could probably pull someone else here. Wisdom wanted a soldier with her blood and I wanted you with me. But it still doesn't explain how she got my name."

"The mysterious divine multiverse being?"

She shrugs, so not a sure answer. But she does think it had a hand in it if her words are any indication, "They might be the one to make it possible in the first place. Let's face it, Jason or you should've been the first one to go if these were truly the only requirement. Not me, whose name shouldn't even exist in this era."

Percy quietly cusses before a thought hits him, "Wait, could the opposite be true as well?"

The storm brewing behind her eyes halts as she turns the idea over, "Maybe, that's probably our best chance back. But there's no way to communicate that even with taking someone else. For now, let's focus on being able to live here."

"Ah, the goals time."

"What can I say, Chir- he's been teaching heroes for years. His advice is bound to be good. Anyway, with names being an important theme, we probably shouldn't use ours. I don't want to find out if we can be called back once we get home."

He's about to suggest their original nicknames but he thinks better of it. This would taint them, cover the last untouched part of their lives with trauma. Like they haven't had enough already. Moreover, they would have to give it to other people to use. It wouldn't a just them thing anymore. Because of that, he goes for something different, "How about Quill for you? It's a feather used as a writing utensil and an inanimate object, so they can't trace it back to your name."

"We're trying to not be outed as demigods Seaweed Brain, but if they don't think demigods exist then…" Annabeth dissolves into a pile of muttering in his arms, her mind chasing loose thoughts. He can feel an adoring smile appear on his face at her scrunched up baby face.

Her head shoots up, an idea spilling out her mouth, "For you, how about Tidal for tidal wave?"

"Wait, if my name is Tidal… Then I can call myself 'Tide Pod'!"

"Percy, wait no-"

His smile widens at the laugh he pulls from her, gray eyes turning into crescents at her delight. Her hands come to grip on his shirt, shaking with laughter. His hand grabs Riptide from his pocket, lifting its pen form in the air like a sword, "Tide Pod and his trusty weapon, Riptide. The land quivers before him!"

Annabeth pushes herself out of his embrace, stepping back even as she shakes with laughter. He finds himself immediately missing her warmth, clinging on when she offers her hand. Eventually, her laughs subsides as she pulls them through the forest, "Come on, lets find a place to camp out."

---

A figure cuts through the air, wings flapping behind them. Scrolls held aloft in their arms as they hurry through the air. They stop abruptly, hovering over a little clearing in the woods. Amber snake eyes widening as they scan the markings inside, "Well, well, well, I thought they were play fighting right now? Why did Poseidon and Athena secretly meet up?"

Hermes flits about the clearing, checking out the weak traces of divinity. The smell of sea and ink faintly lingers in the air. Small child sized foot prints are barely visible in the dirt. He would think she was chasing down a monster if it weren't for the pristine state of the plants around them.

His eyes flick up to the clouds, smiling as he mentally notes down the area. Roughly .5 miles from the Greek camp, did Poseidon already want to give in? Well, he was always soft towards the younger generations. Either way, the young god can make fun of him at the meeting of Olympus. Which is happening in an hour… or right now! He stumbles briefly, cursing his sense of time, before flying straight up towards Olympus.

Notes:

Sorry for not answer any comments, I just blacked out. Not gonna lie, I still don't have time to comment yet. I pushed off so many thing to complete this and karma is coming back to bully me. Uhhh, if you have any questions on this au that you think I'm not gonna be able to get to, ask on my tumblr (Anxiety0-0) and I'll try my best. I promise I'll answer comments tomorrow

Notes:

Uhh honestly the updates will (maybe) correspond to the amount of engagement this gets, so interact to see more? Anyway heres some random goofy snippets I wrote

Mysterious force linking the universe: "Mmm people seem to take in younger children better, especially if they're pathetic looking," looks at Annabeth, "Well you certainly got the wet cat look down, now if I could make you younger…"
(If I left Percy in the original universe)
Annabeth gets snatched -> Percy proceeds to viva la revolution -> Annabeth gets saved