Hi Hi It's Sethking here, writing this story with the awesome Sistergrimm! This is just the first chapter so tell us if you like it and we'll reply to your reply. (that's kinda confuddiling...)

Welcome to the Black Parade

Chapter 1

Bad Luck Arrives

Nico di Angelo hated Los Angeles.

He should have felt right at home here. After all, the Underworld was here. It should have felt like home. It made sense, after all. He was a child of death.

Well, he wasn't at home. He was lonely. His dad wouldn't let him see Bianca unless he lived in the Underworld full time. And he'd have to be dead to do that. Sometimes he thought about it. But something held him back. Things left to do.

Like find out how to stop his evil grandfather from taking over Western civilization, for one.

So preoccupied was Nico, standing there, that he did not see the Chimera coming after him. When he did, it was too late to draw his sword. Its fangs were at his throat, and he relaxed. No life flashing before his eyes. Just a welcoming haze-

"Come and get me, dog," mocked a girl from the other side of the alley Nico had been brooding in.

The Chimera amazingly took its claws off Nico's throat and growled toward the unarmed girl.

Wait... unarmed? The son of Hades scrambled to get up and help before the girl became monster meat. But he knew he'd be too late...

But the girl, dressed in a plaid miniskirt, black leggings, wearing jack-in-the-box earrings, and a T-shirt with CHAOS blazed on it, told the monster, "Happy Friday the 13th."

And the Chimera swallowed as she met its eyes. Their eyes continued to meet, the girl's eyes turning black, and the monster exploded into dust.

"Hello, Nico di Angelo," said the girl pleasantly, sticking out a hand. In the light, Nico saw she was his age, or maybe a year older, white and pale with eerily black hair and too many ear piercings.

"Who are you?" he said shakily, taking the hand as she helped him up.

"My name is Kallisti A. Darcy. Daughter of Eris."

He blinked in surprise.

"How did you..." he gestured to the dust as they began walking to Nico's apartment- a little Mist manipulation and enough money, and you could get anything you wanted in L.A.

"It's Friday the 13th," Kallisti said as though that should make everything clear. When the son of Hades merely stared at her blankly, the demigod rolled her eyes and said, "My powers are related to bad luck. What's unluckier than Friday the 13th? Normally I have weapons, but I was in a hurry."

"Why were you in a hurry?"

"To find you, of course," this girl's manner grated on him. Like everybody was supposed to know everything she was talking about.

"Could you stop doing that?"

"What?"

"Acting like I'm supposed to know everything."

Kallisti sighed. "Sorry. Look, I'm a little short on people skills. But I was trying to find you because I'm drawn to bad luck. And chaos and despair. You... no offense, but you're carrying a lot around."

Nico nodded. "None taken. So... you want to help me, Kallisti?"

Kallisti pursed her lips. "Not sure I can. But I had a dream. The Fates spoke to me. They showed me the string of our lives. And tied them together. Your fate is my fate, son of Hades."

Nico shivered. "Let's hope my fate is better than it's looking right now, Kallisti Darcy. Because I don't want to take anyone else with me where I'm going." He ran ahead.

She was right there, waiting for him as he blinked dumbly. "Don't be stupid. You can't be rid of me that easily. You may be a child of the Underworld, but my mom's no slouch. And I'd just as soon not take anyone down my road, but the Fates don't lie. And I know what you seek. I think I can help you."

"Cryptic much?"

"You want a way to defeat Kronos? A way to help your friend Percy?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Then know this. My mother gave me this bottle." She handed him a message in a bottle with a red cork. "She said it only responds to a child of the Big Three's touch. So let's go open it somewhere secure."

They stopped at Nico's doorbell. He waved the Mist in the doorman's face. "Good evening, Mr. di Angelo," said the bellhop sleepily.

"Yes, to you as well," replied Nico and they hurried up the elevator.

The elevator was silent. Nico opened the door to his loft and gestured Kallisti in. She blinked, surprised at the invitation somehow, and they lounged on the couch uneasily, like two wary wolves not certain if they want to be friends.

"So, go on, open it," urged the other demigod after a silence.

He fiddled with it. "It won't open."

"It needs blood," she explained. "Just prick your thumb." She rummaged in her pockets to offer him a sheathed ceremonial dagger. The point was sharp, and it wasn't merely ceremonial.

Nico pricked his thumb reluctantly, and rubbed it on the bottle. He pulled the cork open and it revealed something, a piece of paper he unwrapped shakily. It read:

The Oracle of Delphi.
To Whom It May Concern.

In a war between family thought best forgotten,

A hero shall arrive, of the three lairs begotten.

Olympus may yet survive, should it change its ways,

But upon the sixteenth birthday the child shall decide

Whether it will stay,

Or crumble to dust,

Beware the seven vices, particularly lust,

For even gods can not hold them at bay,

No matter what promises they say.

Not without friends shall we fight,

But as day turns to night,

The crossroads this half-blood makes is even out of Delphi's sight.

And ne'er shall the tide turn in the demigod's favor,

Until he gains that which he cannot savor,

For a hero's fate always ends in tragedy.

"Whoa," murmured Nico, massaging his temples. "That's a harsh one. Poor Percy." Kallisti rushed over, and read it over his shoulder three times.

"It really is him," she said, surprised for some reason.

"How can you tell?" he said, surprised.

"The tide turning. Reference to Poseidon."

"Ah. I worry for his friends. The last three lines... he has a not-girlfriend. He loves her a lot."

"It would make sense," said Kallisti, nodding. "But the Oracle's prophecies are rarely what they seem. The last line seems decisive... but maybe not."

"Thanks. This helps."

"Really? How?"

"Well, for one thing, the battle will be at twilight."

"What difference does that make?" asked Kallisti with impatience.

"The Herispedes must be convinced to turn on Atlas. They are the nymphs of sunset and twilight. They could win or lose the day for us. And if we are to count them among our friends, we have to release some family. Like Promethus. They're his favorite nieces. Only he could convince him to turn on their father."

"I thought Heracles released him?"

"Zeus put him back up there. They disagreed on what Perez Hilton was saying. Zeus is a total Lindsay Lohan fan and hates anyone who takes Perez Hilton's side."

"Whoa. Talk about harsh."

"Zeus was temporarily insane," A dark crack of lightning flashed through the sky. Kallisti rolled her eyes and Nico continued, "But now he can't be released by anyone but a hero. And the gods were too embarassed to ask."

"Okay. Anything else, Kallisti?"

She grabbed his arm. "We're not saying goodbye. Not ever. The Fates have made sure of that."

"Sheesh."

She smiled at him, a wicked lovely smile. "Don't worry. I don't snore."
"Wait... I don't have an extra bed," he said warily as they entered the bedroom.

"No problem," she said, unopening her backpack and heading into his bathroom. "I won't take up much space."

After the door slammed, Nico blinked.

"Glad to see she's made herself at home," he muttered.

He shook his head and pulled some sweatpants on and took off his shirt. His usual bedtime routine. Bianca would have insisted on PJ's... his throat swelled and he had to blink back the tears. Losing the only person in the world who cared about him or he knew for ninety years was not something you got over. Even if she was in their father's care.

Surprisingly what Kallisti said had been true. She hadn't snored once and Nico hardly knew that she was there. There had been a slight nagging suspision that she would do something in the night, like slit his throat or something equally horrific, but she lay sleeping like a log next to Nico in his bed.

When he woke up, though he couldn't quite remember falling asleep, it was Kallisti shaking him awake. "C'mon, Nico. Things to do, places to go, a son of Poseidon to shock..."

"What in the name of Zeus-," he muttered, but rolled out of bed all the same. Kallisti was already dressed in black jeans, a red T-shirt with the words Night's Favorite Granddaughter, and skull earrings.

She smiled sunnily at him. "Get yourself dressed, Dead Boy. We're going to New York."

"Says who," Nico sputtered.

"Says that prophecy in my pocket. That thing's red-hot, and we've got to get it to relative safety. Which means Percy Jackson. We can't take it to Camp Half-Blood, Chiron will notify Olympus and my mom will be in huge trouble. But hopefully-," she shrugged.

"How do we get it there fast enough?" Nico said worriedly, sense penetrating his morning fog.

"We make a wish," she replied enigmatically, waiting impatiently for him to collect himself.

And so after packing his stuff out of the spare apartment, and Kallisti collecting her duffle bag, they headed out to what Nico assumed to be the bus station. When she saw them heading into a Catholic church, he was shocked. "Kallisti- what are we doing in here? We're pagans," he said in an undertone, tugging on her arm.

"Remember when I said make a wish?" Kallisti said. "Well, Church is filled with wishes. Here, we'll hide in the back. Now all we have to do is make a prayer."

"To who?" Nico asked, feeling uneasy among all the monotheism.

"To anyone, really. A wish we wish with all our souls."

Nico had seen souls. He was the son of Death. He wished... he wished he had a family. Someone to come home to every night. He wished he hadn't repelled Bianca so much she'd become a Hunter and died. He wished his mother wasn't long dead. He wished he had a normal father, a selfish wish he hoped the Lord of the Dead never heard. He wished for someone to count on, depend on. A partner, someone to love.

You wish for something that has already been given, said a voice in his head.

Who are you? Nico said, shocked.

Call me whatever you like, hero. But fear not, you have been given what you ask for. A laugh echoed in his head, and suddenly he was flying through the angel catchers, flying so high he thought it impossible. But he felt more than simple flight as he floated above the cathederal. He felt his soul float above, and then he saw Kallisti.

Her black hair was thrown back and she was laughing in pure joy. She smiled dazzingly, staggeringly at him, and Nico smiled back, for almost the first time since he'd seen Bianca at Elysium.

The winds carried them to New York City.

As I wrote at the top, I hope that you liked this first chapter and you want us to continue with the story. Constructive Critisism welcome, flames are not!