Chapter 1

Her jet-black feathers burned rapidly as he held her with flaming hands, smiling as she screamed in agony and tried desperately to free herself from his grasp. The flames were coming dangerously close to her flesh, and she could already feel the heat starting to singe her back. Looking back at the god that held her, she couldn't help but shed a single tear, knowing he'd betrayed her.

"Why, Pyrrhon?" she sobbed, her anger boiling up inside. "I thought we had a contract."

"Oh, we do," Pyrrhon replied, leaning into the ear of his former apprentice. "But of all people, Alexis, you should know; I never keep contracts."

By this time, Alexis's jet-black wings had completely burned off, and Pyrrhon released his grip on her, and she fell toward the surface. The fire that had seared her wings was now spreading to her tunic. The ground was speeding rapidly into view, and Alexis knew that without her wings to prevent her fall, she was as good as dead. Since Diana was gone, there was no possible way that she could get help.

~At least I never have to see Featherbrains again, ~ Alexis thought, images of Pit flashing into her mind. ~Good riddance. Like I wanted to anyway! ~

Something grabbed her, and she snapped her eyes open, expecting to see Pit. Unfortunately, it was, and Alexis immediately started thrashing wildly to free herself from his grasp.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alexis screeched, trying desperately to loosen his fingers. "Let me go you bastard!"

"Are you sure this is the right person, Lady Palutena?" Pit asked, ignoring her completely, evidently talking to the goddess of light.

Yeah, she fits the description," she heard Lady Palutena reply.

"And just why are you suddenly so interested in saving me, Palutena?" Alexis snapped, her impatience on the verge of taking over.

Pit looked at her as though she'd just threatened to pull a knife on him. How could she hear their conversation? She was just an ordinary person!

"I'll explain alter, Pit," Alexis growled. "Anyway, I need an answer, Palutena. I don't have all day!"

"Actually, you do have all day," Lady Palutena replied, a hint of smugness in her voice. She was about to continue when Alexis interrupted, and her tone suggested she was really pissed off.

"I am not coming back to your temple," Alexis screeched, leaning up and biting Pit's hand with such force he had to let go.

She plummeted to the surface, and Pit was about to go after her when a flash of black flew past him. He didn't even need to think about who it was; he knew.

"Pittoo?" Pit queried, his anxiety and curiosity taking over. "How-?"

"Don't ask any questions," Viridi interrupted, taking Pit by complete surprise.

Dark Pit came flying back up with Alexis, who was frowning menacingly. Pit could tell that she was really pissed off now. Although, the way she crossed her arms made her seem like a 5 year-old who'd been given a time out. He had to mentally slap himself to keep from laughing hysterically.

"I'm not staying Palutena," Alexis growled, looking up at Dark Pit. "So just leave me alone."

"I'm only saving you because Diana told me to," Lady Palutena replied cheerfully, although Pit could tell that she was becoming annoyed with her.

At those words, Alexis perked up, her eyes wide with joy. She seemed like a different person altogether.

"Diana's alive?" Alexis chirped, but a moment later, she stopped and frowned again. "You're not messing with me, are you?"

"What do you think?" Viridi countered, silencing her for a few minutes.

"That you should shut up," Alexis snapped furiously, earning her a kick in the back from Dark Pit. "OW! Watch where you're aiming; I have third degree burns here!"

Pit gasped as he saw the blood on Dark Pit's sandal, and nearly passed out when he saw more of it staining Alexis's tunic. Wait, she had a tunic? He looked her over a few times and noticed a golden laurel crown on her head which, strangely enough, he hadn't seen earlier. That's when he realized she was an angel, or most likely a servant of the gods. But there was something missing; her wings. Where were they?

"She needs to have her burns tended to," Lady Palutena ordered as Dark Pit and Alexis were teleported back to Palutena's Temple.

Before he knew it, he was back in the familiar surroundings of Skyworld, and he could finally relax. He walked through Palutena's Temple to the infirmary, and when he got to the doorway, he saw something he never expected. Two centurion strong-arms were trying their best to restrain Alexis and get a good enough hold on her. She was thrashing wildly, and although she had lost a lot of blood and she had extensive injuries, she was still quite ferocious. It sent a chill down his spine to think of how strong she was in full health.

"Let go of me you bastards," Alexis screeched, wrenching her arm from one centurion, only to have it grabbed again by a third.

Footsteps sounded from behind Pit, and he watched in confusion as Diana came rushing in, shouting at the centurions.

"If you want to make the right decision, I'd suggest you both let her go," Diana ordered, and the centurions reluctantly released her.

Alexis looked wearily from one centurion to the other, and when her eyes rested on Diana, they widened joyfully.

"DIANA!"

She pulled Diana into a bone-crushing hug, and Pit was still confused as to why she was happy to see her.

"I thought you were dead," Alexis sobbed as Diana returned the hug.

"A centurion found me on one of the surrounding islands," Diana said happily.

While Diana and Alexis chatted on as if they were sisters, Lady Palutena and Viridi walked in. As soon as Viridi saw Alexis, she glared at her so furiously, it was impossible to imagine that she didn't want to kill her right then and there. Alexis looked to the doorway, and her eyes narrowed even more menacingly than Pit had seen them so far.

"You again," Alexis growled. "I thought we'd settled this earlier."

"My troops carried me here," Viridi countered, raising one of her hands to her waist where many bandages were wrapped around her waist. "It turns out the 'fatal injury' you gave me, was nothing more than a mere scratch."

Alexis walked slowly towards her, all the while, keeping her gaze fixed on the goddess of nature. When she was within arm's reach, she stopped, and before anyone could question her actions, she began to raise her right arm, her fist clenched. As she lifted it, flames burst from her palm and surrounded her entire right hand. Pit realized her intentions and raced toward her to intercept her attack as fast as he could before it was too late.

He launched himself in between Alexis and Viridi, just before her flaming fist came down on him. If it hadn't been for him, Viridi would probably have suffered a wave of agonizing pain. Instead, that pain was now upon him, and it took all he had just to refrain from screaming to his heart's content. The flames were searing through his tunic, and he knew it was the end. This was it, this was the end of him, he was going to… Wait, the flames weren't burning at all, they were just there, doing nothing, almost as if they were a mere figment of his imagination.

"Pit, are you alright?" Lady Palutena demanded, not daring to touch him, thinking that the flames were real.

Her eyes were wide in terror as she watched her angel lie motionless on the floor. The flames went out just as rapidly as they had been set upon him, and Lady Palutena heaved a sigh of relief as she saw that her angel was unharmed.

Lady Palutena glanced over to Alexis, and she was aghast when she saw the look of horror on her face. It was almost as if she hadn't intended to harm Pit. Although this was a very shocking matter, there were other factors to consider. Alexis had originally intended to harm Viridi, the goddess of nature, and that was unforgivable. Without even realizing it, Lady Palutena called in four centurion strong-arms and ordered them to take Alexis to a secluded confinement room in the lower level of the temple. As the centurions forcefully dragged Alexis away, she fought viciously, and just before she was pulled out of sight, Lady Palutena saw her mouth the words, 'I'm sorry.'

She knew what Alexis meant when she said this, though it had happened 13 years ago. Secretly, she would never forgive her, but Lady Palutena knew that she was truly sorry for her actions, and at some point, she would eventually have to forgive her.

~No, I can't, ~ Lady Palutena thought, shaking her head as if to rid herself of the idea. ~I mustn't forgive her, not after she tried to kill him. ~