Chapter One: Palutena's Concern
Sapphire eyes gazed up at the tall walls surrounding the young boy. Everywhere he looked—left, right, in front, behind—there seemed to be endless rows of dull grey bricks stacked on top of the other in an attempt to reach the sky. The walls were too steep to climb. Walking in one direction only led to more of the endless and confusing passages that seemed to go nowhere. Distressed, the boy turned to glance back at the way he had come, hoping to see a familiar face. But there was none. The air was quiet except for the low gusts of wind sweeping high above the tall walls that whispered to him, asking if he wished to know the way out. He looked up towards the clouds, pleading, and in its answer, the wind brought a flutter of feathers. The boy watched as a white bird flapped high above his head, visible for only a few moments before it disappeared beyond the edge of the high wall before him. His eyes grew wide and he spread his arms, smiling as he imagined soaring through the wind he could not feel within his deep prison. If only I had wings, he thought, if only I could fly…then, I'd be free.
Pit opened his eyes and found himself staring at the white marble ceiling of his chamber. What a strange dream, he thought. Why would I want something I already have? As if to prove his point, he sat up and stretched out his stiff white-feathered wings. He realized that he must have rolled over onto them during his sleep. Now they ached. The angel usually slept on his side to avoid this sort of problem, but it was a habit he couldn't break. Giving them a good flap to help boost him off his bed, Pit went off in search of his exomis. His dream still troubled him as he went through his closet, pulling out the white garment. That place seemed so familiar, but he just couldn't remember ever being there himself. Even walls that high could never have held the captain of Palutena's army in.
Once he was dressed, Pit made his way through the halls of Palutena's Palace in the Sky. First he would eat some breakfast and then report for duty. His plans were changed, however, when a centurion came soaring down the hallway, the small wings on his helmet flapping rapidly.
"Captain Pit!" he called, "Goddess Palutena has requested to see you at once!"
The angel stared at him, confused. His goddess rarely requested his presence this early. Looked like breakfast would have to wait.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"In the Fountain Chamber, sir," the centurion replied.
"I'll go right away," Pit said.
The small soldier nodded and fluttered away. Pit went off in the direction of the chamber, walking briskly. When he approached the door, it opened and allowed him to enter. The angel let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the Fountain Chamber. Tall grey columns supported the room along the edges, and the angel could barely make out the tall staircase that lay on the other side of the chamber, leading to a door that opened up to the clouds of Skyworld. Pit's sandals tapped against the stone-tiled floor as he made his way further inside. Everything within the room lay in shadows, except for the glowing pool in the center, where water was flowing out of a basin and into a small moat carved into the ground. Beside the pool, a bright figure stood, emitting rays of gold and emerald. Pit approached his goddess, and knelt down before her as she turned towards him.
"You summoned me, Great One?" he asked.
"Yes," Palutena replied. "Rise, Pit. Come to the Gazing Pool and see what I must show you."
Pit did as she ordered and stood beside the goddess, glancing into the depths of the water that trembled within its basin. The angel squinted against the bright light that came from it, but soon the images presented themselves and became clear. Pit recognized the location right away—it was Crimea, the kingdom he and Palutena had been watching over recently. Over time, he had seen the valiant warrior, Ike, rise from being the mercenary commander's son to becoming a noble with power over the soldiers of Crimea's army during the war against Daein. He had always admired how Ike never took his title seriously; as long as he could serve Princess Elincia of Crimea to the best of his ability, it didn't matter what he was called. Pit was proud of his own title and the power it gave him, but even he knew that his service and loyalty to his goddess were important above all else. Watching the blue-haired mortal reminded him of that.
There was something very troubling going on in the Gazing Pool, however. The castle where Ike was residing while he helped Princess Elincia rebuild her kingdom was not at peace. Pit gasped as he saw regiments spread among the mountains and fields around the Crimean castle. Every time the water shifted, he saw more and more soldiers lining up in their hidden assignments, readying their weapons. It seemed they had taken advantage of the kingdom's weakened state and were preparing to launch an attack.
"Daein," Pit hissed.
"I am not so certain," his goddess said, startling him. "Daein has already lost this war and their king. They are more concerned with restoring their own broken kingdom than attempting another attack on the one that has already bested them. This seems to be another army intent on conquering Crimea before it has the chance to become strong again. If this happens, the continent will erupt into chaos, and the forming beorc and laguz ties will be broken. What troubles me most is that I do not know where these soldiers have come from. They have appeared as if by magic. This bodes very ill indeed."
Pit watched the Pool worriedly. The water brought the scene back to Crimea Castle. He saw Ike standing on the balcony of one of the towers, gazing out across the land. The man's face was pensive. Pit wondered if he was thinking about the possibility of another war at all; perhaps he was just imagining the kingdom being rebuilt back to what it once was. Suddenly, a large brown hawk swooped down towards the mercenary. The laguz landed on the balcony, transforming into its more human shape.
"General Ike," he panted. "There are soldiers hiding just behind the ridge! I fear they mean to attack!"
Ike's blue eyes widened in alarm.
"Daein again? Haven't they had enough?"
The hawk laguz shook his head.
"I don't think they're from Daein, sir. They have…a very strange feeling to them. They are unlike any beorc I have ever seen before."
"How so?" Ike asked.
"I sense a presence within the armor they wear, but it feels like one great entity, not a collection of separate beings. It's hard to explain."
Ike was silent for a moment before he nodded.
"We'll prepare for battle right away. Round up the other laguz and have the leaders of each squadron meet with me in the Great Hall. I need to go find Soren and Princess Elincia."
"Understood!" the hawk laguz replied, and returning to his other form, flew off the balcony and headed towards his comrades.
Pit glanced worriedly at Palutena as the water shifted again. They watched Ike seek out his tactician, Soren, and go to the throne room to speak with Elincia. Once everyone was informed of the situation, they assembled in the Great Hall for a meeting.
"Is Crimea strong enough to fight this strange enemy?" Pit asked his goddess, wings twitching with unease.
"Under Ike's guidance, the Crimean army has succeeded against impossible odds before," Palutena reminded him. "That said, I am still concerned about the nature of this enemy. In the past, Ike has at least had the advantage of knowing what he was facing. Now he must battle against an enemy that he may not even be able to wound. These soldiers…they are not human."
Then what are they? Pit wondered. The hawk laguz had described them as one entity. How could Ike battle against something like that?
The goddess and angel watched as the Crimeans finished their briefing and went to prepare to face the attack. Pit could almost feel the tension Ike wore on his face as the blue-haired man went outside the castle with his squadron. Despite this, Ike still looked strong and confident as he led the way. He's putting on a brave face for his soldiers, Pit realized.
By now, the enemy soldiers had made their way to the castle gates. The sun had set and the moonlight was the only source of illumination as it bathed the soon-to-be battlefield. Black armor clanged as the units lined up in their battle formation. The gates were strong, but they would not hold out against such a powerful invasion. Without even an order shouted, the dark soldiers began to swarm the gates. Pit stared in disbelief as the entire army seemed to share one mind in its attack. The gates were rammed; those soldiers that could not reach the gates because of their numbers began tearing at the stone walls with impossible strength. No catapults or overly destructive weapons were needed. The soldiers required no further proof to show that they were not human as they began ripping at the stone with their bare hands.
Palutena gave the Pool a hard stare. Pit watched her from the corner of his eye, wondering what his goddess was thinking. The great glowing figure reached forward and placed her hand slowly into the Pool, allowing the water to wet only the tips of her fingers. She frowned slightly as she felt the auras of battle within her. Her eyes locked with the image of a black-armored soldier in the Pool, and suddenly she let out a gasp. She retracted her hand immediately and took a startled step back.
"G-Goddess?" Pit stammered. He had never seen her look so shocked since Medusa took over Angel Land. Could this really be as serious?
The goddess shook her head.
"That army is overrun with darkness. No—it is the essence of darkness itself. I felt a premonition that such might happen. I fear I may know too well what this is."
Pit gaped for a moment before turning his eyes back to the Pool. The Crimean army was being completely blown aside. What kind of power could this be? The angel gritted his teeth as he waited for his goddess to continue.
"I have heard of other worlds being invaded by an evil power. It seeps in unnoticed and starts chaos. Its purpose is to find the strongest warrior of that world. When it does, it takes him away to some unknown place."
"The strongest warrior?" Pit repeated.
The water before him flashed back to Ike. The young mercenary was battling with everything he had, despite the fact that his army was being terribly crushed. His gold-bladed sword, Ragnell, seemed to be the only weapon that was able to harm the enemy soldiers. Where other swords failed to leave a scratch, Ragnell sliced through the dark armor of the invaders and left them collapsed in a heap on the ground. Pit saw the blue-haired man's face stare in disbelief as the soldiers he felled disappeared, leaving their armor behind as nothing more than empty shells. Even his goddess-blessed sword might not be enough to win this battle.
Amid the clangs of weapons on armor and dying screams of the Crimean soldiers, a hollow whirling sound came into the battle, not far from where Ike was fighting. The mercenary felt the light of the moon blocked by an enormous shadow, and turning around, he staggered back in horror to face a giant portal growing even larger right before him. Trying to recover from his shock, Ike held his sword out in front of him, ready to defend. A booming laughter echoed through the battlefield as the clanging of armor hit the floor with each enemy soldier that disappeared within. Soon, there were no more invaders, only piles of dark metal and this great circling mass of purple and black. Slowly, the source of the laughter emerged, white cylindrical objects connected together by something broad and wide. Ike realized that this laughing being had no mouth at all. In fact, it was nothing but-
"A hand?" Ike and Pit gasped at the same time.
It was unlike any hand the angel had ever seen before. It was large enough to squeeze any human in its grasp. There was no flesh visible; only a stretch of white fabric. Pit wondered if it was even a hand at all and not just a glove. The hand proved to have substance, though. It extended its fingers and reached down towards Ike. The mercenary charged and stabbed at the finger that came closest to him. The hand flinched, but came at him again. This time, it moved swiftly and knocked Ike off his feet with one solid blow. The blue-haired man hit the floor, grunting, but he kept his grip on Ragnell and prepared himself for another attack. The hand didn't give him the chance to get close, however. Instead, it retracted its fingers and pointed the tips at Ike. Without warning, bright lasers shot from the gloved fingertips and sent Ike hurtling back with a scream. Not missing a beat, the hand swooped towards him and grabbed the mercenary, pinning his arms to his sides so he could not wield his sword. Ike struggled helplessly, but kept a tight grip on Ragnell, refusing to let his sacred blade go. The giant hand guffawed in triumph and drifted back into its portal, taking its prize with it. When it had gone, the portal disappeared, leaving the shocked Crimeans dumbfounded on their wasteland of a battlefield.
"Ike!" Pit shouted at the Pool, blue eyes filled with alarm. "H-he's gone!"
Palutena wore a troubled frown as she stared at the spot in the water where the general had disappeared. Pit could sense her tension, and it filled him with even more unease. The warm, comforting aura his goddess usually emitted was distorted with worry and uncertainty. It was very unsettling for the angel. He couldn't bear his goddess's distress. There had to be some way for him to set it right.
"Goddess Palutena," the captain started, but held his tongue when Palutena's emerald eyes locked with his.
"Pit," she said, "this turn of events cannot be ignored. General Ike is far too vital to Crimea's future to allow him to be captured by this unknown force. Without him, the kingdom is vulnerable to further attack and the entire continent is in danger of erupting in war once again. Princess Elincia has the support of her people, but this chaos has taken a grave toll on her armed forces. The trust of her people that was so painstakingly won can be easily lost if the citizens feel do not feel secure. The only way to remedy this situation is to bring General Ike back."
"How can we do that?" the angel asked softly, eyes drifting back down towards the Pool.
"I can still sense the aura of that portal where the giant hand disappeared," the goddess answered. Using my power, I may be able to open it again. I fear I do not know where it may lead. Most likely it is a place of great danger, but Pit…only you are fit for this task. Can I rely on your aid once again?"
The angel straightened up immediately, wings folded stiffly behind his back.
"Of course, Goddess Palutena!" he said with a deep bow. "I'll do whatever I can."
The goddess smiled and reached out her hand. Pit trembled slightly at her touch as the hand rested on his shoulder. The familiar comfort and strength flowed into him as Palutena's bright light warmed him head to toe.
"You are my trusted captain, Pit. When Medusa captured Skyworld and imprisoned me, you were the only one who was able to stop her and set me free. I know this task is not beyond you. There may be many hardships beyond this world, but know that I go with you. My power is your own."
"Goddess," Pit replied. "I will not fail you!"
Palutena nodded and took her hand from his shoulder, pointing it down at the water of the Gazing Pool.
"Go to Crimea Castle. I will open up the void only for a short moment to allow you to pass through. To return, you'll need this-"
She touched the jewel that decorated the clasp on Pit's shoulder. It glowed a bright red beneath her fingertips and hummed for a moment. At the same time, the very similar red gem she wore at her hip grew bright.
"When your task is complete and you have General Ike in your company, you simply need to touch the jewel and will yourself back to Angel Land," Palutena told him. "I have placed my power within it so that we may be linked. I will be able to feel your presence no matter how far you go. If you are in need of my help, just call to me in your thoughts, and I will send the centurions to fight alongside you."
"Thank you, Goddess."
"Return to me safely, Pit. You are Angel Land's indispensable guardian the same way Ike is Crimea's. Take care and do not be reckless. I know you will fight bravely."
"I won't disappoint you," the angel promised, dropping to a knee respectfully.
"One more thing," the goddess added. "Take this."
She reached out her hand, and before her, a ball of golden light appeared. It stretched out before Pit and took the shape of a long bow. Pit took a hold of it and watched as two glowing rings circled around his left forearm. He could feel their power surge through him—the sacred arrows of light. Armed with his best weapon, the angel felt his confidence brimming.
"All three Sacred Treasures are with you now. As you know, the Sacred Bow will split into two swords depending on how you choose to wield it. Be aware of your enemy's fighting approach and how best to counter it. Also, the essence of your Mirror Shield will be stored within the rings. It will appear in your hand whenever you release it. The Wings of Pegasus may be weakened when used beyond this world, but you should be able to summon their power as well, if only for a short while. Go now, Pit. The general's fate is in your hands."
The angel captain rose and nodded. Bidding his goddess a final farewell, he raced for the stairs on the other side of the chamber. Climbing up, he admired his bow, excited to have the power of the Three Sacred Items back. Once he reached the top, he halted before the two large doors that opened slowly to reveal the golden clouds of Skyworld beyond. He could barely make out the blackness of night spreading from Crimea's direction. The sun was still setting here, so it seemed he had a far journey ahead of him. The angel wasted no time. With one last look at his goddess waiting by the Pool inside, he closed his eyes, spread his wings, and allowed himself to fall. It was his favorite way to depart the Palace in the Sky. He loved the feeling of the wind whipping against his feathers and hair and the way his exomis ruffled as he fell. Just before he reached the tops of the clouds, he turned in the air to right himself and spread his wings to catch the wind. He soared off towards the darkness, his mind racing and heart thumping at the thought of the adventure that was to come.
Goodbye, Angel Land. It's time for me to prove myself a hero again.
A/N:*Pit voice* Keep you waiting, didn't I?
Well, I'll admit it. I'm no closer to seeing the end of this fic than I was months ago. At least, not really. I put off posting it a long time because I didn't want to have to go back and change things if I changed my mind. But now, I'm more determined not to let it rot on my laptop, so please be patient and take it as it comes. I'll just keep playing it by ear for now.
THAT SAID- I'm actually really proud of my writing. This was a NaNoWriMo baby, so I wrote a lot of it in a short amount of time, but I loved every moment. It might be harder to get back into it now that I've been separated from the Wii by...the Pacific Ocean...but I'll do my best! I'm really counting on you guys for encouragement! Make this feel wanted. ;_; I'll do my best!
Okay, so about the fic- Yeah, I decided to put Ike and Pit in the same world. I don't know how believable it is, but why not? We're dealing with fantasy here. I really want to make Pit look like a captain, not some naive little boy that does everything Big Mama tells him. THAT said, I really like Palutena's motherly/guardian relationship with Pit! Hopefully, you'll see more of that later. One of the problems I'm still sorting out is getting the dynamics right between the characters. I'm still not completely satisfied with it.
That's enough babbling out of me. Chapter two will be up shortly, the better to get you hooked. Thanks for reading!
btw, there's a link to cover art for this fic on my profile