PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || The Prince of Pluto || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO
Title: The Prince of Pluto – A Journey to the Stars
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Warnings: m/m, scifi AU, aliens, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, hurt/comfort, fluff, pining, explicit intercourse, oral, anal, knotting, f/f, m/f, polyamory (m/m/f)
Main Pairing: Nico/Percy
Side Pairings: Reyna/Annabeth, Nyssa/Piper, Octavian/Luke, Ethan/Alabaster, Jake/Will, Frank/Hazel/Leo, Jason/Calypso, Grover/Juniper, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Malcolm/Katie, Bryce/Drew, Paul/Sally, Tristan/Beryl, Maria/Marie, Hades/Persephone, Poseidon/Amphitrite, Thanatos/Triton
Percy Jackson Characters: (by planet/asteroid of origin)
Sun: Will Solace, Octavian Simmons, Austin Lake, Kayla Knowles
Mercury: Luke Castellan, Chris Rodriguez, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Cecil Markowitz
Venus: Piper McLean, Silena Beauregard, Michael Kahale, Drew Tanaka, Mitchell, Lacy
Earth: Perseus Jackson, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Ella, Ethan Nakamura, Tyson, Sally Jackson, Paul Blofis, Tristan McLean, Beryl Grace, Maria di Angelo, Marie Levesque
Moon: Calypso Nightshade, Zoe Nightshade, Phoebe
Mars: Clarisse la Rue, Frank Zhang
Vesta: Charles Beckendorf, Leo Valdez, Jake Mason, Nyssa Barrera
Pallas: Annabeth Chase, Malcolm Pace
Bellona: Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Hylla Ramírez-Arellano
Ceres: Katie Gardner, Miranda Gardner, Juniper
Jupiter: Jason Grace, Thalia Grace
Saturn: Kronos (King)
Chiron: Chiron, Grover Underwood, Gleeson Hedge
Uranus: Gaia (Queen), the Giants
Neptune: Poseidon (King), Amphitrite (Queen), Triton, Proteus, Kymopoleia, Benthesikyme, Rhode
Orcus: Bryce Lawrence
Pluto: Nico di Angelo, Bianca di Angelo, Hazel Levesque, Mrs. O'Leary, Small Bob, Hades (King), Persephone (Queen), Thanatos, Olethros, Makaria, Melinoe
Eris: Alabaster C. Torrington, Lou Ellen Blackstone
Summary: The moon-landing had changed the course of history when human made first contact. It opened Earth up to space-travel, exploring the solar system and their now allied planets. Chiron Academy is the leading high school training future space explorers.
Percy Jackson grew up dreaming of one day traveling the stars. When he gets into the academy, he makes a lot of new friends, among them his new crush the half-Plutonian Nico.
Things change when Nico confides in his friends that he is actually the prince of Pluto – and that Pluto is in the middle of a horrible war. Together, the group of their close friends, they decide to ditch school, steal a space-ship and go out into space alone and unsupervised to help.
The Prince of Pluto
A Journey to the Stars
Chapter 2: The Foundation of Friendship is Food
When Percy woke up, it immediately put a smile on his lips. This wasn't his room at home. This was his new dorm-room, at Chiron Academy. Because he was now officially a student at Chiron Academy, after all these years of dreaming about this. He couldn't believe it.
"Morning, Grover!", called Percy out as he sat up.
"Hng... sleep... sh...", groaned his roommate.
They had talked until late last night, about their family and what had brought them here – Grover had grown up with his uncle, Coach Hedge who taught at this school. He had been born on Earth, had never actually seen the home-planet of his family. Space-travel as a civilian was expensive, not many could afford it. Joining the space-program was for many the only chance to ever get to explore their family's roots. Grover was from the asteroid Chiron, just like Chiron Brunner. Aliens from the asteroid had lived on Earth for millennia, known as fabled creatures, though those terms were mostly considered slurs nowadays, wielded by those freaked out by the alien physiology. Percy thought Grover looked pretty cool, especially the horns – though due to his young age, they were still rather small (Grover insisted, they would grow with time). The part that Percy found so fascinating about it was that both Grover and Chiron were from that planet, but were rather distinctively different in physiology and there were other races from that planet that looked different in their lower body-half, looking like other species Earth's hoofed animals, such as antelopes and donkeys. It reminded him how old science fiction used to always present alien planets as one distinct culture, one alien race, one color of for humans unnatural skin-color. Which was pretty stupid, considering that even Earth had so many different cultures and skin-colors. Why shouldn't other planets have as many various cultures and physical appearances?
"So you're not gonna join me on a morning jog then?", asked Percy playfully.
In reply, Grover threw his pillow at Percy. Laughing, Percy put on jogging pants and shoes and left. He went on a jog every morning before school. It would be a great way of getting more familiar with the school's grounds now. His first lap brought him around the dorm-building, then he rounded the school-building, the mansion where the staff lived – well, most of the staff. His dad didn't, because Percy had gone to a school farther away so Paul had moved in with Sally and Percy. Maybe... now that Percy lived here, they would consider moving into the school's grounds too? They hadn't talked about it just yet, because they were so busy focusing on Percy and his school-career. Now that he had moved in, now that all was settled...
Shaking his head, he continued on to the fourth building. The cafeteria, which was honestly more like a restaurant. Percy had eaten here before, when him and Sally had visited Paul at work for lunch. The last two buildings were the hangar with the school's ships as well as the training facility – the gym and pool were in there. Everything about this campus made Percy giddy.
"Ah. Another early bird. There aren't too many of us."
Startled, he turned toward the voice. There was a tall blonde with a scar running down his face, jogging up to him. A friendly smile was on his face as he caught up to Percy.
"Always been, always will be", replied Percy. "Hey. I'm Percy, new first year."
"Luke Castellan, second year. Good to meet you."
What caught Percy's eyes were the wings at Luke's feet. So he was Mercurian. They were insanely fast runners, could even hover a bit – the ankle-wings were not strong enough for full flying though.
"Isn't running with me going to slow you down?", asked Percy curiously.
"Eh. It's not like I'm running to win, I'm running to move", shrugged Luke with an easy-going smile. "What's yours? Your secret, special advantage? Or, planet of origin, for that matter."
"Terran through and though. The only special thing about me are my baking skills."
"Doubt that, but would love to try that baking", laughed Luke. "You gotta be very special for making it into the academy. Even more so if you don't have any physical advantage."
"I'm a very determined, stubborn bastard. It got me in here", grinned Percy.
Luke laughed and the two of them continued on their jog for another two rounds around the campus. Luke talked a bit about himself, about the school, and asked about what drove Percy here. When they came to a halt in front of the dorm-building again, Luke rested a hand on Percy's shoulder, making up look up curiously. Luke had his eyes narrowed at Percy.
"You. I like you. If you need any help or advise around here, come find me."
"...Thanks", hummed Percy curiously, watching Luke walk away.
Shaking his head, Percy headed back to his room to get showered and changed for the first day of class. A nice, cold shower was exactly what he had needed, though with a look at the clock, and the roommate's bed, he realized it was still 'too early'. Not his fault his jitters made him wake up at the crack of dawn. He considered laying down again but then he'd just get sleepy and for that, it was already too late. Another thought crossed his mind and with a hopeful grin did he sneak out of his room once more, down the hall, to the room he had memorized yesterday.
"Who—o are yo—ou and do you own a clock."
Startled, Percy froze, with his hand still raised after knocking. A cranky blonde with insanely messy hair had opened the door, blue eyes staring at him tired and pissed. Had he the wrong room...?
"Percy. Hey. Excuse the roommate. He is... not an early riser."
Percy's face brightened when he saw Nico poking his head out behind the cranky blonde. "Hey. I was awake kind of early and had hoped you'd be too."
"Great, great. Another one of those. Take him with you, please. Let me go back to sleep."
The blonde pushed Nico out of the room and closed the door rather decidedly, leaving a startled Nico outside with Percy. Shaking himself, Nico straightened his wings with an offended look.
"So... you're not getting along with your roommate?", guessed Percy.
"No, no, I do. I mean, I did last night. Guess he really isn't a morning person. You?"
"Sa—ame", sighed Percy. "He threw a pillow at me when I asked him to go on a jog with me." Percy paused and laughed at the absolutely mortified look on Nico's face. "No, I didn't come to get you to go on a jog with me. I am... post-jog, I guess. Just... wanted to hang out?"
Nico's face visibly filled with relief at that. "Good. I am not a... jog-person."
"Jogger. There is literally a word for that and it's jogger", laughed Percy.
Nico wiggled his nose at that. "No, no. A jogger is someone who jogs. A jog-person is someone with any capacity of jogging or understanding of people who would willingly jog. I am decidedly anti-jogging. At all. It is cruel and unnecessary and why would you do that."
"Okay, okay, okay. No jogging for you", chuckled Percy amused. "How about breakfast?"
"Now you're speaking my language", grinned Nico. "I'm starving."
"So if you don't jog, why are you awake this early?", asked Percy as they left the building.
"I guess I was too nervous about the first day to really sleep", shrugged Nico thoughtfully.
"Same", laughed Percy softly. "This... is everything I dreamed about for the past ten years of my life. And now it's happening and I am just... I am so excited."
The two entered the cafeteria and were left in awe. It was such a large space and so beautiful – and the buffet! Percy's mouth watered as he walked along the length of it with Nico. There was so much food and... and so much alien food, literally. Things that were rare to come by, some things Percy had been dying to try but it was so rare that it was so incredibly expensive on Earth. Delicacies from other planets. But it figured that this school, for people from all planetary backgrounds, would provide food that is digestible and edible for each of them.
"The buffet thing makes sense", mused Percy. "I mean, dietary restrictions? Things many can't eat – out of physical or religious reasons. This way, everyone can just get what they can eat."
"You look ridiculously giddy", grinned Nico as he watched Percy.
"Over half this stuff, I've never eaten. Some I've never even seen before! Of course I'm giddy. Especially food from the outer planets is so hard to come by on Earth and we... didn't have the money to just indulge in all those things? And now I just... get to eat it? For free?"
Nico was smiling at him, watching with near fondness how Percy kept piling food on his plate.
""Hey there, you know... you can take seconds, right?"
Turning a little, Percy looked at the girl who had spoken. Oh. Nico's sister, with another girl with dark hair and blue highlights that matched her electric-blue eyes. Both were eyeing Percy's plate.
"Yes, no. I know that. I just... uh...", shrugged Percy a bit awkwardly.
"C'mon, you can sit with us", prompted Bianca. "This is Thalia Grace, your roommate's sister."
"Sorry you're stuck with Jason", chimed Thalia. "Don't let him eat any staplers."
"...What does that even mean?", asked Nico confused, looking from Thalia over to Percy.
Percy shrugged with a grin and sat down with them at the table. There were two other girls sitting there, all with matching silver markings on their skin, just like Thalia. They caught the light and reflected it beautifully. The symbols of Selene, birthmarkings of Selenians. They looked way cooler in real life than in the Disney cartoon though.
"Phoebe and Zoe. We're members of the school's archery team."
"I'm the captain of the archery team", corrected Zoe pointedly.
"Right, gotta join some kind of sports-team or club", nodded Nico with furrowed eyebrows.
"What? You haven't picked one yet?", asked Percy with a grin, bouncing a little.
"What, you have? Oh. Track? Is that why you went jogging?", asked Nico.
"Nah. I like jogging to get my head straight but... what I'm really good at is swimming, so I'm gonna join the swim team", declared Percy, the bounce increasing just a bit.
"Someone is excited", noted Bianca a little amused.
"Ye—es. I wanted to come here for so many years. And now I'm here and it's... so much bigger and amazing than I ever pictured? I can't wait for classes to start!"
"Nerd", muttered Nico beneath his breath, though he was smiling.
"That is adorable. That child-like glee and wonder", sighed Thalia dryly. "Oh, Bia, do you remember even being that sparkly-eyed and enthusiastic? Youth's gifts."
The other girls were laughing at that and started talking among themselves about upcoming try-outs and training schedules. Percy took that as his cue to focus on his food. There were azure-blue tentacles long and thin like spaghetti. They were, supposedly, a delicacy of Neptune.
"You're staring at those tentacles like you want to propose to them", noted Nico. "How can you even put sea-food on your plate for breakfast. I'm turning green just considering it..."
"This is going to sound silly, but I've always wanted to try those. Growing up, my... my mom and I had that thing, like an inside joke. Blue food. And we... I've seen them, in the market before. But when a hundred gram of tentacles cost as much as our entire weekly groceries... I never even asked my mom to buy it, because she would and... that's just not... worth it. But look at that vibrant blue color, I always wanted to know what they taste like", replied Percy softly.
"Well then, dig in. Seareals taste best while they're still warm", offered Phoebe.
"And by 'best', she means 'barely edible'", tagged Zoe on, wiggling her nose.
Percy decided to do as he would with spaghetti and twirled them on his fork before taking a bite. Apparently, the sound he made was not really appropriate, because even the people sitting on the tables around them looked at Percy. Blushing brightly, Percy sucked in the rest of the tentacle.
"Sorry", mumbled Percy around his mouthful.
"I take it, you like it?", laughed Thalia.
"It tastes like bacon", hissed Percy excitedly. "It's delicious and like with a fizzle?"
"It does not taste like bacon", muttered Zoe and made a face.
"Different physiology, different taste-receptors. Did you not way any attention in biology?", snorted Bianca. "What tastes like burned charcoal to you and me tastes delicious to Vestians. Guess Percy got lucky on being able to actually get that stuff down."
Yes, the buffet really did make the most sense, if taste didn't just vary but was truly that different. Percy emptied his place in record time and rushed off to get seconds, trying to make his way through as much as possible. The table had gotten insanely silent though.
"...Your first serving was already twice as much as mine, how are you even eating all of that?"
Percy looked up at Zoe and swallowed his mouthful of Seareals. "I've uh always had a higher metabolism but it's been getting kinda crazier in recent years...?"
Shrugging, Percy continued eating, as more people came to their table. He perked up a little when he recognized Luke among them. Luke arrived with four others, one of them with dark, red skin like a ruby, the other with constantly shifting eyes like a kaleidoscope.
"Perce! That's the kid I was telling you guys about. The one I decided to keep. Perce, that's Beckendorf, Silena, Clarisse and my very own Octavian", introduced Luke.
"Damn those omega-instincts", muttered Octavian displeased. "Stop always adopting strays."
Omega. Percy perked up a little more, tilting his head. Most alien-races had that – a far more complex definition of sexes. They had alphas and omegas. Those who were like Percy, who didn't have such a variety, were referred to as betas. Though, for many it was even more complex, having more Greek letters in their systems. The alpha/beta/omega system was what helped humans understand it. They had such a hard time breaking their binary thinking that back in the sixties, being confronted with races where "male and female" was not enough to classify people was just way beyond them. Percy knew that they could smell it in the scent, alphas and omegas. But, well, being a human, not being able to smell that distinction was one of the things lost on them. And just flat-out asking "hey, what are you?" was kind of rude. As in, it was insanely rude.
"Luke likes adopting strays", offered Silena with a giggle. "He's always done that. Makes him a little bit of a den-mom around here, you know."
"Oh, that reminds me. Another one of my 'strays' is a new first year. You're gonna be in class together. Let me introduce her, maybe you'll hit it off. Annie! Annabeth, come sit with us!"
Luke waved a girl with long, blonde curls over to sit with them. Percy bit his lips as he watched them nudge their heads together in a gentle greeting. Thalia reached out to ruffle the girl's hair a little, making her huff. Seemed like this Annabeth already had a home-advantage of having people here she knew. Just like Nico, who had his big sister. Percy had never considered how... scary it'd be to tackle all of this on his own. He threw a sideways glance at Nico. Thankfully, he wasn't going to have to do this alone after all. Seemed he was doing relatively good at meeting people.
"This one is 'excited for classes to start'. Sounds like your kind of people, Annabeth", noted Thalia.
Annabeth did turn toward him in interest. "Most around here are most excited about the first flight class. Even though we won't get to actually do any flying until we're at least six months in."
"Oh no, I want all of it. Like, literally all of it", replied Percy, gesturing a little. "Biology classes that do more than just this scrap of 'here are super superficial stereotypes and racial profiles of each planet's most prominent race' and the most basic explanation of alpha/omega dynamics. Food! Culinary classes that teach what is edible and what's not so we'll be able to fend for ourselves on other planets. The physical training, being assigned our own teams-"
"I agree so much", groaned Annabeth. "Public education on Earth sucks."
"Uhm, is it... rude to ask, but... you're human, like me?", asked Percy tentatively.
He didn't spot any markings, nothing about the gray-eyed blonde girl stood out as non-human. "Part human. My father is human. My mother is from Pallas."
Annabeth winked at Percy and turned partially invisible. Wow. Palladians could access more parts of their brain, leading to a higher average IQ than humans and the coolest thing was they could actually turn themselves and things they were touching invisible.
"That is so awesome", whispered Percy.
"Hng. Why is my roommate sitting with my sister. What is this."
Percy and Nico turned around to face a very sleepy and grumpy looking Jason. Yes, Nico's roommate was most definitely not a morning person. Grumbling to himself, Jason took his seat on Nico's other side and then leaned forward to steal half of Thalia's PBJ sandwich.
"Nico is Bianca's little brother. It's why we cheated on the rooming arrangements to set you two up with each other. Call it your sisters setting up a play-date for you", grinned Thalia. "I figured you'd be totally lost on your own, so... have a friend."
"...This feels insanely insulting", muttered Nico and turned toward Jason.
"Yeah, but like... you get used to it", huffed Jason, stuffing the sandwich fully into his mouth.
"Look at the next generation, mouthy like that", complained Thalia, motioning at them.
"What I see is potential", declared Luke mischievously, looking at Percy, Nico, Jason and Annabeth. "Those kids could go far, with a little bit... guidance."
That made Percy grin before he continued eating. Next was a large plate of sea-shells. They were purple and pretty. Once he had sucked them out, he pocketed the shells. It wasn't exactly like when he found them at the beach, but shells were shells, right? He watched Luke go to the buffet and when he returned, he placed something on Percy's plate. It was blue jello.
"Where did you get that, I didn't see that with the desserts?", gasped Percy, eagerly digging in.
"Not a dessert. Basically tastes like condensed salt to most, but considering the gusto with which you ate the other things, I'm guessing you may have a taste for this rare gem too", offered Luke.
"I accept being adopted by you, you provide me with good food", mumbled Percy, mouth full.
He still blinked a but surprised when Luke did the same face-nudging gesture he had done with Annabeth earlier. Huh, guess he really had just been adopted by the Mercurian? Okay, this was fine.
"The way to a man's heart truly is through his stomach", sighed Silena fondly. "Right, Charlie?"
Beckendorf grunted in agreement as he ate what looked like badly burned chicken. And Percy did mean 'Paul tried to cook but forgot it in the stove for over an hour' kind of badly burned.
"Being an early riser is going to prove to be useful around here", started Clarisse seriously, pointing her fork first at Percy and then at Jason. "Minor Grace, you could learn a thing or two from him."
"Minor Grace?!", repeated Jason offended.
"Yes. Minor Grace and Minor di Angelo. Would you prefer Mini Grace?", asked Clarisse.
"No—o... I'm fine with Minor", muttered Jason with the defeat of a little brother who had to deal with this nonsense for many years. "So, Percy. Got any older siblings making your life harder?"
"Nope. Absolute only child. Never had any siblings at all. Always wondered what it'd be like having older siblings, but seeing you lot makes me feel very grateful", chuckled Percy.
"Listen, kid. You're on thin fucking ice here", warned Thalia seriously, waving her knife at him. "Luke, Bianca, Zoe, Hylla and me have decided over half a year ago that our little siblings – Annabeth being counted honorarily – are going to become a team, the best team after us that this academy has ever seen. You're allowed in, since Luke adopted you and little Neeks seems to like you, but if you get cheeky, we will revoke that invitation."
"Who's Hylla?", was all Percy asked, ignoring the rest.
Thalia pointed toward the doorway where two girls with light-red skin and long, black hair walked in. Curiously enough, Percy watched how Annabeth's mouth formed a little o and her arms turned slightly invisible. Well, now Percy was glad that he had no special physical abilities that could give away any attraction immediately. His eyes found Nico and those mighty, mighty black wings. Yeah, he was very glad. Clearing his throat, he decided to focus on breakfast; there was not much time left before classes started and he had at least another plate to polish before then. And then the real fun was going to start.
Author's note: Slow start. But it IS a slow-burn. And I GOTTA world-build (I love world building). I do, however, apologize for this chapter being very food-heavy... I like food. And the idea of alien food and what kind of meats they'd have to offer? Urgh, I love it. Also, food is a great way of meeting people! ;D
But next chapter! First actual classes! (...classes really were supposed to start today and then I got hungry while writing and let the cafeteria hijack the whole chapter xD)
