Constraint

Hours later, utterly exhausted, Palutena led him back to the cove where they'd opened the portal-door. The rest of the day was a whirl— triple-checking the Centurions' patrol schedules, a quick dip in the Hot Springs, and finally dinner with his goddess. That, in his opinion, was the highlight of his day.

Dinner with Palutena had been nice.

Her kissing him on the cheek by way of saying goodnight was also nice.

Being woken up by three frantic Centurions in the middle of the night, however, was not nice.

He felt something sharp poking him in his side. Peeking through his comforters, his eyes were met with the faces of his soldiers— knights, who patrolled the temple's interior. The one on his right was floating just behind the center one, shivering slightly. The one on his left held a small trident, aimed at the faint outline of his body. Pit threw the covers off of him, causing the Centurions to jump. The right one dove behind his companions while the other two hovered there, shaking.

The one with the pitchfork retreated.

"C-Captain, sir!"

Groggily sitting up, Pit's eyes narrowed. "You'd better have an excellent reason for waking me up."

"It's Lady Palutena, sir," the one behind the others stated. He peered between their shoulders.

Instantly Pit stiffened. He looked up to them, worry flashing in his eyes. "What about her?"

Exchanging looks, the three Centurions shrank back. Fists tightening around his blankets, Pit snarled, "Out with it, soldiers!"

"She… She had another nightmare, sir," the one with the trident said. "It… It was pretty bad."

A thick silence fell over the room. Shaking his head, Pit closed his eyes. "Did she say anything?"

"No, sir. She was calling for you, though—"

He could say nothing more before Pit's blanket flew across the room, landing on top of them and covering them completely. When they looked up once more, their Captain had gone, footsteps echoing in the direction of Palutena's personal chambers.

"Er, she's in the throne room, sir!"

Five seconds later, Pit passed the doorway, running in the opposite direction. "Thank you!"

The Centurion sighed.

The temple's walls were little more than a blur as he passed, moving as fast as his feet would carry him. His wings twitched as the air moved through them, and once again he cursed his inability to use them. His room was placed near the center of the temple, right above the throne room and right below Palutena's own chambers. He nearly tripped going down the marble steps to the ground floor, but it was worth it— he stumbled right to the side entrance of Palutena's throne room. It wasn't used much, as Palutena wasn't a formal ruler— it was meant usually for ceremonial purposes and to receive ambassadors. However, there was one other thing she kept alongside her throne: her reflecting pool, which she used to watch over him on missions and check up on the humans. If she was using it, though, that meant that her nightmare was emergent… He wondered if it had something to do with that bad feeling he'd described to her earlier. She'd said she was going to check on what had been bothering them…

He couldn't worry about that now. He pushed the thought out of his mind just as he pushed open the gilded door. Right in front of him, the dimly-lit platform that the throne was situated on shone in the murkiness. Stepping forward and standing next to it, Pit saw the same view he saw every time he and Palutena were up this high— the sweeping atrium of the room, the luminescent marble that sparkled no matter how the light hit it. However, that wasn't what caught his eyes this time.

On the opposite side of the platform, around the throne, Palutena was peering into the fountain-shaped reflecting pool. Her eyes were heavy as she bit her lip, nervousness evident on her face. Approaching her as gently as he could, Pit took his place beside her, and she flinched slightly.

He'd startled her. That didn't happen.

Looking up at her, he rested his hands on the reflecting pool's edges. "Are you okay?"

She sighed deeply, eyes closing. He could hardly tell if she was frustrated or sad, or worse… He tried to reach out to her through their empathy link, tried to see what she was thinking— but as usual, her thoughts were closed off to him. Instead, she shook her head, once again peering into the basin. "Yeah, Pit. I'm fine."

"Anything I can do?"

"Just... Be here."

Growing quiet, Pit looked down at the image in the reflecting pool. He didn't notice it at first, but as he examined it, he noticed that Palutena had summoned a window into the ocean. But that wasn't all— seconds later, the image shifted, this time showing a familiar golden dome in the night sky. And then again, only to show an empty graveyard. With each image, Palutena's face grew more desperate. Pit felt his stomach turn.

"What is all this?" he asked.

"Remember how you said that you felt like we were forgetting something, even after we came back from the Underworld?" she asked, pulling up another picture, this time of a lingering sunset. "Well, I figured out what that was."

"Okay…?"

"It's the others… the other gods, Pit. I tried contacting them earlier, but when no one answered, I figured they were all just busy. We're still cleaning up our domains, after all. But then, I had this feeling— just like the one you were talking about, only worse this time. It was darkness… an omen."

He titled his head. "The Centurions said that you had another nightmare."

"I did." Her hands tightened around the basin's rim, and her anxious look only grew deeper. "Three guesses on who it was about."

Pit's fists clenched. Shaking her head, the goddess sighed. "I got a distress call, Pit. It was Poseidon. I can't find him."

However, a faint rumbling pulled his attention from his goddess. He recognized it, though he'd never heard it within the boundaries of his own home before. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced at Palutena, who looked just as confused as he was.

"Is that… thunder?"

The two moved to the side of the room, each peering through the cut-out windows. Sure enough, the atmosphere of the clouds had changed drastically in their distraction. A sharp electricity charged the air now, sending chills rippling through their veins. The air was thick and still, save for a strong gust of wind that ripped past them. Pit held his hand out, surprised at the tiny droplets that stung his fingers. "Huh… I thought you made it so it couldn't rain here."

"I did."

Deciding to forsake the windows, the two rushed back over to the reflecting pool. Immediately Palutena looked over the images she'd gathered. However, Pit noticed that something wasn't right. Something dark had settled in the water… covering the colors like an ink blotch.

Palutena's eyes widened. "What—"

Yo, Palutena!

Pit jumped slightly at the new voice that had entered his thoughts, though he instantly recognized its sharpness. It was high-pitched and slightly grating, but welcomed nonetheless. Despite the voice's urgency, Palutena looked relieved to hear it. Eyes looking knowingly at Pit, she broke into a smile. "Viridi!"

Are you getting all this?

She nodded, looking back down at her reflecting pool. The darkness had amassed now, covering the realm in anyplace she looked. It seemed as if they were pooling together… forming a wall of venomous storm clouds. Pit didn't like it, but Palutena seemed even more confused than he felt. Eyes narrowing in frustration, she once again leaned on the basin. "Viridi… what's happening?"

Well, it looks like a little spring shower, doesn't it?

"Okay, minus the sarcasm this time."

You're telling me! Pit could imagine the irate look on her face, as she stomped on the ground like a small child. I tried contacting Poseidon… God of Storms, and all that. But he didn't answer! No one did! This is the Old Gods' Land, Palutena. We don't get storms like this. Weird thing though? You're not getting the worst of it. Oh, sure, it'll pour torrents over the rest of Angel Land, but gods forbid they enter Skyworld—

"Nobody would dare send a storm here unless I allowed it," she asserted.

Pssh—yeah, okay. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Groaning in frustration, Palutena ran a hand through her hair. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what was wrong. However, the one thing she could tell was that this storm was nothing Poseidon conjured in his spare time— it was a darkness thicker than the god was capable of. And it was powerful.

"I just don't get it," Palutena said, biting her thumb nail. "How could this have happened without me knowing about it?"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Pit said. "You've had a lot on your mind lately."

"I appreciate the damage control, Pit, but this is on a scale beyond that."

Another cackle sounded in his mind. Oh, your chicken's awake! I've got it— why don't you send him out there to deal with it?

"Um…" Palutena tapped her chin, aura flickering. "Well, I think this is a tad bit above his pay grade."

Palutena. He killed the god of the Underworld. You can't afford him anyway.

Laughing, Palutena turned back to Pit, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Pit. But I'm going to have to send you out there— I don't really have a choice."

A grin spreading across his face, Pit straightened and saluted. "At your service, Lady Palutena!"

"Excellent." Waving her hand, Palutena summoned a bright blue light above them. As it faded, he saw the faint outline of his weapon, floating softly toward him. He reached out and took it, his smile widening as two bracelets made of pure light slid onto his wrist. Hands tightening around the grip, Pit once again looked up to his goddess. "All right. I'll open the doors on the edge of Skyworld. Be careful— no one knows what's out there."

"Aye, aye, Lady Palutena!"

I'll send some of my own troops to meet you, Viridi said. I'm sure you could use the help.

Pit nodded. "Appreciate it, Viridi!"

Running past Palutena and from the throne room, Pit set a course straight for the back entrance to the temple, where Palutena's magical portal-doors were located. The lights were dark, making the luminescent staircase even more brilliant than usual. Stopping short at the intricately carved wood, he searched for The Goddess of Light's presence.

"All right, Lady Palutena, I'm here," he said.

Opening the door now.

He felt a warm air pelt his face as the doors flew open, blowing his hair back and rustling his feathers. Looking down, Pit saw a cobblestone outcropping, signifying that he was on the edge of Palutena's domain. Hoping down, he couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

"Aw, no flight this time?"

To get you to the edge of Skyworld? No way! We'll save it just in case you actually need it.

The doors closed behind him, fading out of existence. The darkness was heavier here, moreso than it had been close to Palutena's Temple. His lip curling in distaste, he pulled an arrow through the rings he held, using their light to guide his way.

"Any idea what I'm supposed to be out here looking for?" he asked, disliking the silence.

I don't know. I do see some of the Forces of Nature up ahead, though. See if you can't find out anything from their mistress. Hm… that's interesting.

"What is?" Pit asked, hearing the amused note in his goddess's voice.

You'll see.

Shaking it off, he continued forward. He couldn't see much in the blackness, but the faint outline of a few Nutskis calmed his nerves. Curiously enough, another, larger silhouette stood next to them. It was his size, with two large projections coming from its back. Its stance gave off a vague hint of impatience. Pit wasn't sure about much, but he knew that was no Nutski.

"Pittoo?" he called, picking up speed. At the sound of his voice, the other angel perked up, turning his gaze to see him approach. As Pit got closer, his features became clearer, and Pit was both confused and thrilled that he hadn't been mistaken. "It is you! What are you doing here?"

A look of supreme annoyance crossed his face. "First—"

"Don't call you that, yeah, yeah." Pit waved him off.

"…Right. Second, this stupid storm messed me up pretty bad. Here I was, getting the most peaceful rest I've gotten in weeks, and— bam, thunder. I like storms. But this was just aggravating— because the thunder wouldn't end. I didn't like the eerie aura. So I got in touch with Viridi, and she filled me in. A hop, skip, and a step later, and I'm here."

"So Viridi teleported you here?"

"No," he said dryly, "I flew. Which, you know, would be practical but given our current situation—"

"Stupid question," Pit mumbled. "Point taken."

All right, lovebirds, are you done talking up there or would you like to wait on the mission briefing?

Stop it, Viridi. You're making them blush.

Look at Pittoo! His ears are red!

"All right!" Dark Pit said, throwing his fist up. "Are you gonna tell us what to do or not? Because I don't have to be here, you know."

You're right, Palutena chuckled. Sorry. Okay, okay— I can't see much. Something's blocking me. Just… wait a second.

Dark Pit raised his eyebrow. "What do you want us to do, fight Mother Nature?"

I resent that!

Wait… What's it doing?

Eyes furrowing in confusion, Pit stepped toward the edge of the island. The clouds before them seemed to be… shifting. As Pit watched, the dark mass swirled into a dome-like shape, barely visible in the night's dimness. However, Pit could make out faint shapes just behind the surface… as if something was stirring inside.

"It looks like a storm isn't the only thing we have to worry about," he said. "Hang on, I'm gonna get a closer look."

Dark Pit grunted. "Don't get yourself killed."

"I'll try."

A few Nutskis trailing him, Pit moved so that he could see around the clouds blocking his view. He could make out the silhouettes, now, but he didn't believe what he saw. His twin must've had the same thought, because as he drew closer, his eyes narrowed. Pit lowered his bow in amazement.

"Is that… no way."

"Can't be, they haven't been out of their realm since the end of the war."

Well, my eyes certainly aren't playing tricks on me.

Pit!

Palutena's cries fell on deaf ears. Before the goddess could protest, the angel had already bounded forward, his feet leaving the edge of the platform. For a split second, he was suspended in the air, nothing but blackness surrounding him— and then, he began to fall.

He was undeterred. His face scowling in determination, Pit extended his wings. It was then that a blue light surrounded them, pulling him up and towards the dome. On the other side of his link, he could hear Palutena's deep sigh.

You've really got to learn to listen.

"Oops. Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Battle instinct, y'know?"

Mm-hm.

A bit of humor in his smirk, Pit made his way closer to the dome. As he approached, he noted that the clouds reached away from it, but stopped short of reaching Skyworld's borders— Palutena's magic in her own domain was too strong for it. Still, they curved around the angel himself— as if they were a hand reaching for him. Pit hated it, but he had to get closer to the shapes behind the clouds. He had to be sure if what he'd seen was true.

Fluttering nearer, the angel stopped mere feet away from the clouds' edges. Sure enough, humanoid shapes floated past in a cyclone-like fashion. He knew what they were, but they were different from any he'd seen before— these were human-like, with skulls showing through their translucent skin. Pale, tattered cloaks trailed behind each of them, blurring together as if they were nothing more than ghosts. Though they lacked their trademark weapons, Pit was still sure of what they were. He just couldn't believe it.

"They're… Reapers," Pit said. "But they look different. Can you see what I see?"

Yes… And I don't like it at all. Get out of there, Pit. Please.

A dark feeling tugging at his chest, Pit backed away. "W-Way ahead of you."

However, another shadowy mass was moving on the edge of his vision. Gasping, Pit whirled around only to find that Skyworld was no longer within his sights— dark clouds had swirled back around him, blocking his path. Gritting his teeth, Pit moved closer. He reached out to the black clouds, only to have a sharp jolt travel through his body. Lightning… not of the friendly variety.

Realizing what he'd done, Pit's eyes widened. "Uh-oh…"

A low rumble of thunder echoed around him. He raised his bow. "Lady Palutena…"

I—No! Argh, I can't retrieve you!

Growing more apprehensive by the second, Pit tried to mount an arrow into his bow. However, he found that his bracelets wouldn't summon so much as a charged shot. Even the bow itself seemed to have lost its luster… He doubted the blades would do anything good against the electricity.

"My bow's not working!"

It's blocking all of my powers… Oh, Pit…

"Gods… I'm such an idiot! It was a trap!"

As if to answer his question, a heavy wind pelted him from the side, sending him tumbling deeper into the clouds. As a darkness deeper than night enveloped him, raindrops as icy and sharp as his own arrows came hurling at him. He could see nothing past his own two hands. He felt Palutena try to steer him away, but try as she might, their connection was too weak. She could do nothing but watch as her angel was tossed by the storm.

Pit, you have to get out of there!

"What do you think I'm doing?" he cried in response. He threw his arms out, desperate to find his footing. Faintly, he wondered how much time left he had on the Power of Flight… it was the only thing Palutena had left on him besides telepathy. If he ran out in here…

But that was the least of his worries; he'd grown disoriented in the storm. If he was blown in the wrong direction—

But, of course, he was fate's favorite plaything— How could something not go horribly wrong?

He'd wandered too close to the dome.

Look out!

"What—"

Before he realized what had happened, his arms were pinned to his sides. Gasping, Pit felt his instincts of self-preservation fill in. He kicked out, but he'd been tackled from behind— he couldn't reach his assailant. However, as he looked down at the ghostly arms clamped around his upper body, he got a good idea of what it was.

No!

"I can't— I can't move!" he shouted.

Pit…

He thrashed as hard as he could, using his best maneuvers to try and weasel out of the Reaper's hold. Unfortunately, he wasn't as small as he used to be, and the Reaper's claws were as tight as a vice grip. He wasn't going anywhere.

The strange thing, though, was that the Reaper wasn't attacking. No… it seemed to be moving him.

"Lady Palutena! D-Do something!"

I… I can't… He could almost feel the fear in her voice. I can't do anything…

Muscles tensing, Pit felt a panic rising within him as he was dragged farther back, the clouds growing more ominous with each passing second. He could feel his empathy link with her growing weaker. "Lady Palutena…"

"Giving up already?"

The angel's eyes flew open, wondering if he was dreaming. But no, he wasn't. A pale green light flashed a few yards ahead of him, trailing his movements, and growing brighter by the second.

"Pittoo!" Pit cried, relieved.

The dark angel threw his arm up, blocking the rain as it beat down on them. "Hang… on…"

His opposite, to his joy, was approaching quickly, one arm extended toward him. However, unlike Palutena, he didn't seem worried. Instead, he looked downright aggravated— so things couldn't have been too bad.

"Did I… not… say to keep yourself from getting killed?"

Struggling against his captor, Pit straightened his leg so that it would be within his twin's grasp. "Sorry. I just can't help myself sometimes."

"You're an idiot," he snapped.

"Believe me," Pit grinned. "I know."

With one final, powerful flap of his wings, Dark Pit managed to get ahold of Pit's sandals. Making sure they wouldn't slip off, the angel's eyes narrowed, sights set on the Reapers holding his twin prisoner.

"Viridi!" Dark Pit cried. His wings brightened, sending him barreling in the opposite direction. The force was enough to break Pit out of the Reaper's grasp, but the monster wasn't giving up that easily—it reached out again, this time catching the light angel by the arm. Pit cried out as he was yanked back, pulled in two opposite directions. He tried to wrench himself away, only to have the Reaper dig its claws into his skin.

Pit felt the telltale burn. The Reaper had cut— deep.

Still though, his twin kept pulling, seemingly unaware of Pit's condition. His face was contorted in concentration. Pit did his best to hold his tongue, but this pain was unlike any he'd felt before.

Finally, after what seemed like another era had passed, Dark Pit gave one final heave in his direction, breaking the Reaper's hold completely. However, it had come at a price— the Reaper's claws were still latched tightly onto the white-winged angel.

As he was jerked away, its claws were dragged down, slicing the angel's arm to ribbons.

Pit screamed.

From there, his world was turned into a haze of movement. All he could think about was the searing, fiery pain the Reaper had left him in. He clutched his arm with his good hand, but that didn't do much— his hand was soaked in fresh blood within moments. On top of it all, he felt as if he'd been winded, growing dizzy even as Skyworld came into view. Palutena would have quite a time cleaning his wounds tonight… provided he made it that long.

Dark Pit was dragging him through the sky by his upper body, Palutena and Viridi using the final moments of flight to help guide him. Finally, he descended, landing hard on Skyworld's dilapidated edge. He was faintly aware of being dragged across pavement, then being lowered onto a stray tuft of cloud. His wings ached at the angle, but even that didn't compare to the burning on his arm.

When he woke, he was staring at the concerned faces of Dark Pit, Viridi, and Palutena. After that, his world faded once again, and all he knew was nothing.

*l~

"Pit? Pit, can you hear me?"

"Mrgh…"

"Pit! Please, you have to wake up!"

"Lady… Palutena…"

A whir of senses overcoming him, every nerve in Pit's body seized. He felt a rush of dizziness hit him square in the chest, but that was nothing compared to what he felt an instant later.

His arm…

He cried out, gasping in pain. He'd swear he was on fire— tortured, roasting, burning like he'd never, ever felt before. Left hand gripping the armrest of the chair he was sitting in, he brought his other one to try and curb the pain, but touching it only made it worse. It was like he could feel the wounds pulsating within him— throbbing with each beat of his heart.

"Pit…"

His eyes fluttered open, and he was met with the only face that could bring him relief, even in a moment like this. Through his blurry vision, Pit could see her eyes… they were filled with sadness. Still though, she was with him, and he was alive. That was more than he could say on some days.

He felt something warm and soothing press against his wounds. Peeking through his fingers he saw that Palutena held a cloth in her small hands, and was dabbing at the scratches he'd received from that Reaper-wannabe. As the warmness faded, she brought it down again, swirling it in the bucket next to her. Upon further examination, Pit could see that it was filled with a golden-tinged liquid. His lips curved into an exhausted smile as he saw steam eke from its surface.

Hot Spring Water. Good choice, Lady Palutena.

But… that was still weird. He was happy that she was tending to him, but… she was doing it the old-fashioned way.

He gave her a pout, wondering why he hadn't been healed yet (not a complaint, he thought quickly— just a curiosity). Her frown growing deeper, Palutena once again pressed the warm cloth to his skin.

"You're lucky," she said. "You're hard to kill. That's not something many were blessed with." She tied a bandage near his shoulder. Pit noticed that she was careful not to touch the wounds herself. That was strange, as she normally didn't mind getting her hands dirty, especially if it was to help him. Reading his thoughts, Palutena sank back to her knees, looking to his injuries with regret.

"Dark Magic," she explained, dipping the rag back into the Hot Spring Water. "The one thing I'm powerless against… So, we have to do it the 'old-fashioned' way." She shook her head in disgust. "You… you could have died."

"I didn't." His voice was raspy, like it hadn't been used in days. "I… don't."

"You could have. For real this time."

"Hey." He snapped with his right hand, stealing her attention. Looking her head-on, his expression never changed. "I didn't."

"No, you didn't. It's okay," she said. "It's okay. You'll be okay."

He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. Palutena hated seeing him in so much pain… He wondered if she was considering a mercy kill only to resurrect him. But, no… Dark Magic… He knew a little bit from what his goddess and others had told him. If this was truly dark magic, the poison would remain no matter what his goddess did for him. That was something he'd have to get rid of naturally. All magic got weaker with time— something he was granted much of, just not the patience to go with it.

Deciding it was probably best not to work himself into a panic attack, Pit instead slung his good arm over his eyes. One skill he prided himself on was the art of conversation— turning a dying one around. He looked up at the temple's roof, trying to figure out where in the building they were. If he listened closely, he could still hear the howling of the wind, an omen in the darkness.

"How long was I out?"

"A few hours," she responded, fingers brushing over the cuts he'd received. They still burned like fire, but Palutena's touch seemed to cool them. Her eyes softened. "You took a nasty hit. Mgh… I knew I shouldn't have sent you out there. Do… Are you sure about what did this?"

Glancing over, he saw four furious red lines running all the way from the base of his shoulder to his wrist. Ugh… they hurt to look at. Palutena once again took a strip of bandaging cloth, placing it right underneath the previous one.

He winced, shutting his eyes tight in pain. "Reaper— looked like a Reaper. Weird one though… Argh!"

Biting her lip, Palutena withdrew. "Sorry."

"S'Okay," he mumbled. Once again trying to get his mind off the pain, he glanced around the temple. They were in the grand hall— Palutena's throne room. Nodding his defeat, Pit moved on to a more pressing issue. "Where's Viridi? And Pittoo? Did he get out all right? What about the storm?"

"Calm down." She shook her head, reaching down to get another bandage. "The storm's receded, for now. As for Viridi, she went back to her temple to try and organize her forces. She doesn't think that this has ended. She's right. She's the one who held off the storm clouds around you two, you know. She drove the monsters away in the end."

"And Pittoo?"

"He's disappeared again. Gone to wherever he goes when he doesn't want to be found. He saved your life… again." Her eyes filled with wonder. "I don't understand him… but I'm thankful for him."

"Me too… Me too."

He pulled his legs into the throne, resting his head upon them. He sat there, motionless, watching as Palutena continued to wrap thick bandages down his entire arm. She'd gotten quite good at it, having to take care of him and the Centurions for so long. This went on for a few minutes, until, however, the goddess sighed in exasperation.

"Enough," Palutena said. Startled, Pit looked at her. She'd paused in what she was doing, and instead was looking up at him with fierce, angry eyes. Pit sank in the chair, mouth slightly agape.

Lady Palutena, your monarch is showing!

"You do realize what happened, tonight, right?"

He felt his shoulders slump. "I don't follow."

"Follow this," she said shortly. She smacked him in the temple with the back of her hand, just enough to get his attention. He almost protested, but Palutena's annoyed glare silenced him. He didn't even realize that her other hand had tightened around his wrist, so taut that her knuckles were white. "That Reaper didn't try to kill you, Pit," she said. "It tried to take you. I don't know if it was planned, or if it was just a good opportunity, but what happened out there… it was a kidnapping attempt."

"What?" Pit said, unsure whether he'd heard her right. "Seriously?"

"Yes," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Gods, Medusa was right. You really are thick."

"But… Why? What would anyone want with me?"

"You're… you," she said, releasing her hold on his hand. Instead, she let it hang there, barely holding on for fear of hurting him. A few words ran through her thoughts, and his. Angel, trusted, Captain, god-slayer, servant, best friend, bait, easy target…

"Okay," he said, giving her an unamused glare. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm definitely not an easy target. And I'm slightly offended you'd think that."

Glancing at the marble floor, she groaned. "Pit…"

Leaning forward, Pit shrugged Palutena's hand off, taking it properly instead. He looked down at her, doing his best to communicate how… sure he was. His place was with her. How could that ever change?

He smiled weakly. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Lady Palutena. Trust me… I'm not going anywhere." That's a promise.

"Glad to hear it," she whispered, her hand lingering on his newly-bandaged arm. "Gods know what would become of me if you did."

She took in his sincere, trustworthy smile, until she realized with a start what she was doing. Comprehending that she'd brushed a sensitive subject, the goddess stood, wiping her hands on her dress. She turned away from him, straightening her posture as a goddess's should be. "I want to apologize to you. I had a moment of weakness, and you paid the price because of it. I hope… I hope you can forgive me."

"Well… Duh." He glowered. And things were going so well, too…

More than ever before, Pit wished to know what the girl in front of him was thinking. Just as always, he couldn't get anything past a flicker of gratitude. He knew she trusted him, knew she cared for him, knew that he was the only person she had left in this world… and there they were. Those fabled walls.

Pit sighed, hugging his knees closer. One day, he vowed, he'd demolish them himself.

I told you after the Chaos Kin attack that I wouldn't leave you alone ever again, he recounted, hoping some part of his goddess was still listening. I meant that.

She said nothing, but glanced to the side. Pit sat there for a moment, suspended in silence, wondering if his words had had an effect on her. Instead, she merely sighed, closing her eyes. "Go," she whispered. "Get some rest."

"I'll stay here," he said. "Just in case you need me."

"I'm not sending you out into any more fights. Not in that condition."

"That's not what I meant."

Shaking her head in defeat, she gave him a weary look. "You're impossible."

He smiled, looking straight ahead. "You taught me well."

"Fine, at least take a nap or something— you need your strength. I'll wake you up if something changes."

Nodding, Pit settled back into Palutena's throne, folding his wings close to his body. Leaning his head against the backrest, the angel fell into a fitful sleep.