The setting sun began to dip below the horizon and the deep crimson sky took on a violet hue. Adderpaw stood on the river shore, alone. The river reflected the sunset, a ribbon of crimson-violet cutting through the land.

Adderpaw bent forward and looked down at her reflection. Her tufted bangs and well-rounded face reminded her of Pikekit. I just wish I knew if you were alive, Pikekit. I wish I knew.

Suddenly, ripples went across the water, obscuring her reflection. As they faded away, Adderpaw was shocked to see that the reflection in the water was no longer hers.

In place of her reflection was the face of a tom the same age as her, if not a year younger. He had a rounded face, like her, though his eyes were farther apart, and dark blue in color. His hair was a rich shade of brown and lay in thick tufts. He had a determined look in his eyes and sprouting from his back were a pair of feathered wings.

He looks a lot like Pikekit, Adderpaw thought as she gazed down at the image. A gentle breeze picked up as a voice whispered in her ears.

"Take heed of what you have seen, Adderpaw."

Adderpaw looked around, but saw no one. As the voice drifted away, ripples went across the water, and the image was once again her reflection.

Keto stood crouched down, slowly creeping up on Pit from behind, who stood outside, looking up at the night sky. He'd spoke of a desire to learn some of the techniques Pit had used on him a few days ago, and Pit hadn't hesitated to teach him.

Keto was one of Palutena's angel followers, who Pit had recently been introduced to. After finding out his main connections to his family were gone, she had decided to introduce him to her other angel followers. Pit's introduction to them had initially been rather awkward, due to Pit not being properly socialized early on, but thankfully, Keto stepped in and helped to smooth things out. It was also somewhat intimidating to Pit, as the others were all significantly older than him. Even Keto, who was the youngest of them, was two years ahead of Pit. But nonetheless, the others were quick to warm up to him, and he was able to find a close friend in many of them.

Using his wings to help him, he jumped, but Pit knew he was there. He swiftly turned around, and pounced, much to Keto's surprise. Pit knocked him back and easily pinned him down. Keto grabbed Pit by his shoulders and threw him sideways. He then sprang up, and towered over Pit. Pit gathered his legs and launched the young angel back. He jumped to land on him, but Keto reached up and hit Pit's underbelly, causing him to go tumbling forward.

Keto turned over onto his belly when he heard a loud cry for help. Alarmed, he got up and looked down, to see Pit falling from the sky, having been knocked off the island he and Keto were play-fighting on.

"Pit, use your wings, and try to fly!" Keto called down to him.

Upon hearing the young angel telling him to fly, Pit was completely lost on what to do. He'd never been taught how to fly, and therefore it only further complicated things when Keto told him to make an attempt to. Completely clueless, all he could do was beat his wings helplessly as he fell, with absolutely no knowledge of how to properly use them.

Keto was about to jump down and try to rescue Pit, when he saw a centurion swoop down and hover underneath the falling angel. Pit landed in the winged warrior's arms. Firmly holding onto him, the centurion flew back up to the island where Keto was, and set the young angel down on the ground, before flying off.

Pit just stood there for a moment, his eyes distant and staring at nothing. He unsteadily took a step back, stumbled, and fell sideways. Keto went up to him.

"Pit, are you okay?"

Pit just turned his head and looked up at the angel. Upon meeting Pit's gaze, Keto realized that there had been no need to ask that question.

Pit looked half-terrified. His breathing was shaky, and loud enough for Keto to hear. His widened eyes held a look of pure shock, and he was trembling with fear.

Keto reached forward and gingerly brushed the tips of Pit's wings.

"How come you didn't use your wings?"

Pit looked back at his wings. He spread them out and lightly flapped them.

"I-I did."

Keto tilted his head, confused.

"Then how come-"

"Pit..." Palutena came up behind them, having been aroused by Pit's cries for help. "It's time I explained something to you. Something personal."

Pit stood up and went up to the young goddess. Keto took off into the night, his silvery wings appearing to glow in the bright moonlight.

For a moment, Palutena was silent. She knew the decision she'd made about not teaching him how to fly would end up leading to a situation like this, but she hadn't entirely prepared for it.

"I know that this is going to be a hard thing for you to learn, and to be honest, I'm not sure how you'll react to it, but...you may have wings Pit, but you can't fly with them."

Pit just stared at her, in disbelief. He looked back at his wings, then at Palutena.

"Then why do I have them? What's the point if I can't fly with them?"

Palutena was slightly taken aback by Pit's sudden anger spark, but she remained calm.

"You'll find a purpose in them, Pit. They'll be of use when the time comes."

Pit stared at her, then took off running.
He went and curled up in his nest, where he gazed at his wings as he thought about what he'd just been told.

What's the point of me having wings if I can't fly with them? What other purpose would they serve? And why can Keto and all the others fly, and I can't?

Infuriated, Pit reached behind him and started ripping handfuls of feathers out of his wings. It hurt slightly, but he didn't care.

Suddenly, as he pulled out a bunch of feathers from his left wing, his wing started to sting terribly, and blood started dripping down his wing. His right wing was bleeding, too. Pit recoiled his wings, and shuddered as excruciating pain shot up his spine.
Bracing himself, he then lay down, tucking his head between his arms. Tears were running out of his eyes. He wasn't crying, but the sheer pain was making his eyes water.

Suddenly, Palutena's voice came to his ears.

"Pit..."

Pit looked up to see the young goddess standing there.

Palutena reached forward and picked him up. She gazed at his torn-up wings. She then gently stroked them, running her fingers along the strip of feathers on both of his wings that were stained red with blood.

Pit felt a ripple of warmth go through him, and his wings flashed with a brilliant white light. As the light died away, Pit was surprised to see that his wings were healed. They were once again radiantly white, like the centurions', and longer than his arms.

Palutena put him down, in his nest. Pit curled up, neatly folding his wings across his back. He then looked up at the young goddess.

She then knelt down and put one hand on Pit's shoulder.

"Pit...you may think your wings are useless, but in truth, they're more than just wings. They're your wings. They're a part of you, and have just as much use as any other part of your body. You have use, and a need for your wings, Pit. In time, they will prove their worth to you."

Pit looked at her and didn't respond. Palutena was half expecting him to go through another spark of anger again, but he didn't. Instead, he just nodded and rested his head down between his arms, his eyes closed. Palutena watched as he loosened his wings, letting them droop down and cover his sides and his shoulders. He nestled his head down further between his arms, and his breathing slowed down as he dozed off.