~Shadmé~

I was crumbling. I knew everyone in the room could feel it- my hopelessness, my guilt, my mistake. I had completely forgotten Dark knew about POD.

At first, I had thought it would be easy enough to pawn all the errors and rash judgements I'd made on POD. He was the true villain, after all. But I could practically sense Dark's feelings about the situation. It wasn't POD's fault. It was mine, for letting this all happen. If I hadn't listened to POD, I could be crushing demons and cracking jokes with Pit. If I hadn't collected those glass shards, then we wouldn't have a belligerent angel on the loose.

I had to answer Palutena. "Well...remember that message I left you the day I disappeared? That was the day after chasing Phosphora on the Lightning Chariot. For some reason, the last piece of the Mirror of Truth was in the chariot, so I took it. POD tricked me- he had told me that the glass shards could restore my memory. After a few days of travel, POD had taken me to the Labyrinth. I'd never seen it. So I went in."

"Wait, hang on." Pit was confused, I could tell. But he was masking his hurt well. Yes, hurt. I'd seen it in his eyes when Dark and I had our spat over POD. He had been excluded from the POD Club. Lucky him.

Multiple questions were biting him, but he chose one to ask first: "I thought you said you didn't know who POD was...how was he with you?"

"He doesn't have a...physical form," I elaborated. "He only ever used telepathy to speak to me. And he also granted me and Dark the Power of Flight."

Dark looked furious to be associated with POD, but he bit his tongue. "I should mention," Viridi put in, "that from what I hear, his telepathy is extremely advanced. He could reach her from anywhere, at any time. Whoever's behind it is either a master of telepathic powers or knows someone who is."

"Only gods can use the Power of Flight spell," Palutena said.

I could not get over Palutena's tone of voice, the one she'd used every time she'd spoken. It was calm, but with a colder edge. I couldn't tell if she was mad at me or Viridi. Or both. Whenever she said something, it sent chills down my spine and made me want to bow my head, an endless spiral of apology and humility. I just wanted the old Palutena back…

"That sure narrows it down," Viridi snorted.

"It does!" Pit protested, bending her sarcasm. "After all, our current enemy's a demon. Unless it's POD now. Shadmé?"

It hurt how he still trusted me. He still looked to me as we conversed, unaware of the atrocities I'd committed. At that moment, I swore that if Lightmé touched a hair on his head, then she would pay for it.

Shaking off thoughts of my light-winged doppelgänger, I blinked at Pit. "Er, yes, Orcos is still here. He also has three demons left."

"Shadmé." Palutena stared at me intently. "The 'Truth. If you would."

She'd abbreviated Mirror of Truth as truth. I felt that was intentional. Hiding a shudder, I continued with the story. "After entering the Labyrinth, I…" Deciding to leave out the part about destroying the Reapers, I tried, "Reformed the Mirror of Truth and stood before it. POD told me my memory would be restored if I waited. But it wasn't. I saw a flash of red eyes, reacted, and destroyed the mirror." I saw Palutena's knit eyebrows relax slightly, likely happier to hear the Mirror of Truth wasn't lying around, pristine. "In front of me was a doppelgänger. Lightmé."

"What was Lightmé like?" Dark questioned.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see their faces. "I moved too late. Dark, she's beyond help. She's ruthless."

"Well then she can fight me," Dark snorted. "I was feisty, too, when I was out of there. It was the mix of people chasing you who you think you should know and the absence of purpose that made me angry."

"Unfortunately, Shadmé's right," Viridi countered. I opened my eyes, casting a dull gaze at the nature goddess. Did she always have to chime in when it was least beneficial to me? "We encountered her again at the Great Library. You wouldn't even believe they were two sides of the same coin."

Pit and Dark exchanged a glance. "Wow," said Pit. "I kind of feel like hugging you again, Pittoo."

"Let's not."

I waited another moment. Palutena was wordless, green gaze staring off into the distance. I had no idea what was on her mind. I stood. "I don't know if I have business here anymore. I should get to Liberis and talk to her about-"

"About what?"

I blinked. Palutena's eyes had sharpened. She was done thinking- now she was watching me.

"Eris. The goddess of chaos."

"You don't owe her anything," Dark spat.

"I do," I sighed. "She saved your life, and Pit's, and Lady Palutena's too. She snapped me back to my senses. She trusted me to build her legacy back. I don't want to betray anyone, not ever again."

Dark was silent. Palutena picked up for him. "What do you intend to do?"

"Liberis is writing a book." For some reason, I smiled. "I thought she was kidding. But that's the best way, I think. We know now, of course, and we can never un-know. If Eris' influence grows strong enough, she can revive and regain control over her domain."

"I don't think that's wise." I froze. Palutena was forbidding me. "Her domain is the source of the Chaos Kin. It's too much trouble. Chaos should stay away from...well, us."

"She's a fellow goddess. Do you feel nothing?" I hadn't meant for that to come out so accusatory, but it did and I couldn't take it back. "She was weakened all those years ago, and is weaker now. When she's stronger again, she can better exert control over chaos."

"Control over chaos, huh," Palutena mused. I got the feeling she was mocking that statement. "I still would prefer you to come back to the temple with Pit and me."

Dark opened his mouth as if to ask, What about me? But then, it must've occurred to him that Viridi was back- Viridi was his superior, not Palutena. He shut his mouth quickly, twitching wings the only source of his irritation.

I registered this in only a few seconds. I felt warmth spreading, encompassing my body. Palutena had invited me back to the temple! She said she preferred me there! I had been so afraid I'd be exiled, but it seemed I had little to fear. I started to smile. But Palutena did not echo it.

Wait.

I suddenly knew why I was being "welcomed" back. I was pretty sure that, despite the situation that had occurred, Palutena had no qualms against Eris. However…Palutena wanted to keep an eye on me.

She didn't trust me, after all.

Palutena watched the new display of emotions cross my face. That's okay, I tried to comfort myself. You knew this would happen. You're steeled for it. You just have to prove to her that you can earn her trust back…

"I will come back," I assured her, despite the fact it felt like my heart was dropping in my chest. "I just need to...take care of that, is all."

Palutena nodded slowly. I continued talking, just spouting things that she probably wanted to hear. "No, it shouldn't take long, not too long. You can come, if you want. Have you ever been to The Great Library? It's pretty nice. I mean, it was ravaged by the Underworld, but other than that…"

"I'll go." Dark wore a guarded look, not quite friendly to me.

"Like heck you will! I'll make you trim the shrubbery, Dark," Viridi snorted. "Are you forgetting whose angel you are?"

"Did you forget our agreement?" Dark refuted. "I'm no butler, servant or lapdog of yours." He smirked. "You saw it yourself- without me, your perfect little sanctuary would crumble to the ground."

"You're a nut!" Viridi shouted. Pit was watching the argument, head swinging from goddess to angel depending on who was talking. I got the feeling that Dark and Viridi bickered like this back when they'd been allied, but I was pretty sure it was a friendly argument. For them, anyway.

"And you're a Nutski. Glad we got that covered." Dark flapped his black-feathered wings. "Ready to go?"

Viridi sighed exasperatedly. "If Palutena's fine with it…"

"Ooh! Lady Palutena! Can I come, too?" Pit leapt to his feet. "You can fly me and Shadmé over! It'll be like the old days!"

"Except we won't be fighting anything," I put in. "Besides illiteracy."

"You're outvoted, Lady Palutena!" Pit beamed. Please? Pretty please?"

Palutena shrugged her shoulders tiredly. "I suppose. Watch Shadmé, will you, Pit? It's been a long couple of days for her, too."

Alright. I noticed how she didn't request for me to watch Pit, who'd had a tougher last couple of days than me. Maybe. Was sleeping tough for him?

"You have my word!" Palutena's Bow materialized in his hand, shimmering with light. I raised my own Asimi Bow. It seemed to set Palutena more at ease, the sight of it. Pit cast a mischievous grin at the rest of us. "Race you to the heavenly gate!"

Dark and I gave each other one glance, then took off. Laughing, the white-winged angel leapt away, leading us down the halls.

"How do you know the way?" I questioned Pit, panting.

"When I had to save Lady Palutena from the first Chaos Kin, Viridi offered me her services!" Pit reminded me. "I know where the exit is."

"Silly Pit." I watched a smirk form across Dark's face. "Your information is years old. We moved the gate."

"Wh-what?" Pit stumbled as his head swiveled to and fro, looking for the new gate.

"Just messing with you." Dark took advantage of Pit's moment of uncertainty, surging ahead of him.

"Hey! Cheater!" Pit protested, racing after his doppelgänger.

I watched the two of them shove each other around, trying to reach the destination first. I made no attempt to beat them there, my mind drifting elsewhere. Eris' preservation was one of my priorities, of course. But her last bit of knowledge had not left my head. That there was a mirror capable of reminding me of things long forgotten. I had to know if it existed. Liberis would know, or she'd have information on if it was extant.

There was no way I was telling anyone about that. Dark was mad enough about my rebuilding the Mirror of Truth. The last thing he needed to hear was that I had plans to find another mythical mirror that wasn't common knowledge. I was trying to prove that I was trustworthy. It was for the better.

It was for the better. Who was I kidding? If things went wrong this time around, there'd be no second chances! Was my definition of trustworthy so twisted up and backwards that I was trying to hide things to appear as such? Again?

I slowed as my breath began to hitch from exhaustion. I mentally cursed my fatigue. Pit and Dark were far ahead of me, laughing and joking around by Viridi's exit gate for the angels. Perhaps the competition had been lost. The two just seemed happy to be in each other's company.

I was envious. They'd been unconscious for three years, and despite that, they had seemed to pick up easily, from wherever they'd last left off. And here I was, watching them from the rear, a pathetic figure filled to the brim with fears and worries. They'd gotten fuller- I'd grown shallow. Angels may be immortal, and they may say that the passing years might not matter to an immortal, but gods. I'd never wanted to disagree more with that sentiment.

"There you are, Shadres!" Pit greeted. Dark's expression hardened as I approached. I hadn't heard that nickname in years, but it seemed normal; a second name. Shadmé the third angel. Dark seemed peeved that Pit had used the nickname he'd given to me. Of course he would be possessive over a name…

"Yep!" I replied quickly. I resolved to tell everyone about the Mirror of Memory after we got to the library, just so Palutena couldn't change her mind. "Ready to go?"

"Don't know why I wouldn't be!" he grinned.

"Gee, I dunno...you've been in a coma for three years?" I ventured. "What if your wings cramp?"

"Then at least my last few moments would be in the sky!" Viridi's gate was flung open, and Pit stood in front, the wind dramatically whipping the feathers on his wings. "Let's go!"

Pit jumped out first, Palutena catching him with the Power of Flight. Dark moved after, his wings green. I followed, and was caught by conflicting powers- my wings felt like they were jerking in two directions.

"Waaaait wait wait wait. Ohhhh, sorry, Shadmé!" I felt the tension ease in my wings, and flapped tentatively. "What was that, Viridi?!"

"I didn't realize Palutena was catching you! I was still used to flying you everywhere." Pit and Dark had flown backwards, watching, but as soon as they saw I was fine, they turned back around. "Who has the crampy wings?" Pit joked.

"Why wouldn't I control her flight path?" Palutena reminded Viridi.

"Your wings were flashing blue and green," Dark observed. "It was like a fireworks show."

"Glad my pain is amusing to you," I quipped. He made no further comment, and I was unsure if he realized I was joking.

Pit soared happily, bantering with Palutena. If anyone could lighten her up, he could. Even though I felt quite horrible myself, I somehow found the capacity to feel bad for her as well. A goddess with that amount of responsibility did not deserve to have all that weight and heartache placed on her upon waking up from a three-year coma.

I noticed that Dark and I were doing the same things- glancing around the area here and there to scan for enemies. We made awkward eye contact eventually, which I broke quickly for fear that he'd glare at me if we stared any longer.

I wasn't sure how I'd planned for their awakening to go. I knew there'd be mistrust, but some small part of my mind had hoped for things to go back to normal. For Palutena to guide us with her humor, for Pit to tackle things with unbridled enthusiasm, for Dark and me to regain our friendly competitive streak. But having this happen here, in front of my eyes...it superseded any prediction I could make.

I sighed quietly. I couldn't wallow in self-pity forever. I had to put my footsteps on the path to true redemption and acceptance. I'd have to work hard, harder than when I'd originally arrived. Then, Palutena had trusted me, and I had nothing to prove. Back then, I'd never imagined something as drastic as this would affect our lives…

"Yo, Dark! Man, it feels so weird saying that without the Pit part," Viridi started.

"It doesn't to me," the dark angel responded. I recalled that the name change had significant value to Dark. Did Viridi understand? Perhaps it would come with time.

"Anyway," she continued, "Don't get all buddy-buddy here. After this, I'm bringing you to the Sanctuary and we're getting you back to work. We have three years' worth to resume!"

Dark rolled his eyes irritatedly, but didn't argue. I drifted alongside him, mind wandering. I had a thought. Should I propose to join Viridi's team? She accepted me, and had even been ready to catch me as soon as I jumped out of the gate. Like she said, there was a lot of work she needed to catch up on, and I could help…

Dark surged ahead, leaving me in his wake. No. I couldn't make that move. I myself understood Palutena was dealing with raw emotion. I couldn't impose more on her on a whim like this. And I'd wanted to prove myself- if I defected to Viridi's Forces of Nature, I'd never get that chance.

~.~.~

Palutena knew change usually happened very slowly. And for a goddess like her, a few years could feel like mere days.

But now, she was still reeling from the change three years had wrought upon the world. Three small years. It was practically a heartbeat. In three years, the demons had risen. In three years, Viridi had dwelled in fear. In three years…

She had been betrayed.

The confident, perky Shadmé she'd trusted had shed that skin to reveal the hollow, anxiety-ridden creature within. It still filled Palutena with shock, to witness this transformation that had gripped the young angel so quickly.

It shouldn't have been a thing that upset Palutena. Shadmé had merely been following her heart, and the way she held herself now made things quite obvious that she seemed to regret every independent thought she'd made. Palutena figured someone would need to work with Shadmé again- Pit would be happy to do the job- to restore the angel's spirit.

But for some reason, it did bother her. Shadmé had acted of her own free will, with no chaos creature to blame. She had made a decision to follow a mere inkling of a clue, one she should have had the sense to understand was false. And this decision was driven by selfishness and desire with no good to come of it. Shadmé had saved them, in the end, but considering the damage that had been wrought in the meantime...that was irreversible.

Palutena's distress was caused by the concern she felt towards all in her care. She knew she could never be truly mad at any of the parties at fault. But she felt sorrow for the humans tortured by the demons, sorrow for Shadmé's new nature, and even sorrow for the chaos goddess, Eris, who did not want to be forgotten. And the fact that all of this had happened over a mere three-year period...it was enough to dampen anyone's hopes. The allied divinities would have to strike hard, and strike fast, in order to make it up.

"Great Library incoming!" Viridi announced. "Liberis, you still around?"

"Here I am, Viridi!" Palutena recognized the voice of the cheery librarian goddess. "More company, eh?"

"Yes, though they're certainly the more...cultured type. Save Pit. He's a barbarian if I've ever seen one."

"Hey!" the aforementioned angel protested.

"She's kidding, Pit," Palutena chuckled.

Liberis gasped dramatically. "The famed Palutena has come to visit me at last?"

"We've met before," Palutena said pointedly.

"I know, I just thought it sounded good when accentuated with a gasp."

"There's the Liberis I remember," Palutena responded in turn. "Anyhow, these are my angels, Pit and Shadmé." Pit waved an arm in greeting, while Shadmé flinched at the words my angels.

"Who's the shady-looking one?" Liberis asked.

"That would be Dark," Viridi introduced him.

"Okay, fine! The dark-looking one. Happy now?"

"No, I mean his name is Dark!" Viridi amended.

"I can introduce myself, thank you very much," Dark snorted. "It's just Dark."

"Adjectives as names are a bit tricky," Liberis commented. "Have you tried renaming yourself after a noun? Shadow, maybe?" Before he could protest, Liberis rambled on. "Ah, who am I kidding. It's not your fault! It's not like you named yourself."

Palutena noticed Shadmé suppress a smile. Well, what do you know about that. Perhaps Liberis is good for something… she thought.

"Anyhow, Shadmé has a little book report project she figured you could help her with," Viridi stated.

"Y-yeah," Shadmé agreed. "We must discuss chaos."

"Sweet!" Even through telepathy, Palutena could hear Liberis clap her hands happily. "Y'know, I was really concerned for you when we lost connection. I'm glad you're alright." She paused a moment, then her next words spilled out more rapidly. "Aw man, that makes me sound so shallow! I didn't want you alive just for informational purposes, don't think that! I care about your wellbeing too. I swear it!"

"I trust you," Shadmé laughed quietly.

"Your library looks pretty good since the last time we saw it," Viridi said next, in order to dispel any awkwardness from the exchange. The angels had gotten closer as they'd chatted, and Liberis' pristine home had come into view. "You must have some pretty powerful magic."

"Er, yeah…the magic of dedication," Liberis mumbled. "A lot of the reorganization I did by hand."

"...Whoops," Viridi and Shadmé said together.

"Hey, it's no biggie! As far as I can tell, nothing was lost, and anything that was destroyed I could restore with my aforementioned magic."

"You mean the dedication thing or actual magic?" Pit wondered.

"Actual magic. Pfft. But come on in!" The three angels banked for the entrance to the library, the Power of Flight fading from their wings. Now that Palutena didn't need to focus on Pit and Shadmé's flight paths, she could pay greater attention to the mission at hand and the topics discussed. She watched closely as Pit, Dark and Shadmé entered the library, the former two looking around in wonder at the looming bookshelves containing troves upon troves of information.

"Welcome!" They were met by Liberis, hastily adjusting the glasses upon her nose. "Come this way, Shadmé. I'll show you what I have so far, and you can fill in the blanks." She escorted the shy angel away, leaving Pit and Dark.

"Let's go, Dark," Viridi spoke up to her angel. "We can be actually useful and do some research on our own."

"Research on what?" Dark asked skeptically.

"Demons, mysterious voices, amnesia, whatever. There are a lot of questions we have that need answers."

"Sounds boring," replied Dark with a yawn.

"Too bad. That's what I told you to do, so deal with it. Get a move on already!" Viridi exclaimed. Dark muttered something under his breath, but complied anyway.

"Guess it's you and me, Pit," Palutena said.

"And this table," Pit said, patting the piece of furniture. "Never forget the table."

"Very funny," Palutena chuckled. They sat there in silence for a few moments. Palutena knew Pit couldn't read- attempting to assist in researching would likely be a wasted effort. She regretted being too busy to teach the angel, but she was pretty sure she'd made the right choice. Pit's combat skills were unparalleled, and there would be no way he would've achieved all the miracles he had thus far if his attention had been divided.

"Lady Palutena," Pit spoke up suddenly, turning his head to the sky in an attempt to find her. "I have a question. Do you remember that time when Shadres and Pittoo went off to fight Reapers?"

"I do," she answered. The event had resulted in tension between the two dark angels, and had been one of the first conflicts between all the angels. Yet, with the events of today, it seemed but a mere hiccup in the natural order of how things had been.

"Yeah, well…" Pit sheepishly took a seat at the table, as if he intended to stay a while. "Do you remember our talk about angels back then?"

Palutena blinked. She'd nearly forgotten! But as soon as Pit mentioned it, she recalled it in clarity, and especially how upset Pit had been afterwards. Palutena frowned, wondering where Pit was going with this. "I do. Are…are you okay, Pit?"

"I'm fine, Lady Palutena." Pit drummed his fingers on the table. "Just, well...I figured that since we were here, and everyone else is going and doing their own thing...maybe you could finish the story?"

Palutena's heart stirred with sadness. Did the angel want to feel useful? "If you'd like, I definitely can. But only if you really want to hear about it. I don't want…" She wanted to say, "I don't want to hurt you again," but Pit was already nodding. "I'll be okay, I swear."

"Very well." Palutena began pacing the control room, something she rarely caught herself doing, but now, it seemed to put her at ease at this moment. "I'll start at the beginning. A long time ago, there was a war between humans and gods."

"Really?" Pit gasped. "How did that happen? I thought the humans worshipped the gods!"

"They did," Palutena answered, "for a while. But someone got the idea in his mind that the gods weren't doing enough for the humans. And so, the people temporarily lost their faith. They revolted. And many gods were forced to defend themselves."

Pit listened silently. Palutena knew that look- he was trying to put himself in the shoes of another time. She herself could practically hear the war cries around her and the metallic clash of weapons.

"Nowadays, you know most gods have created their own underlings. Hades has the Underworld Army, for example. Viridi has the Forces of Nature. I have Centurions. And Arequa has Seagons." Palutena took a breath. "Back then...the cannon fodder was angels."

Pit's mouth dropped open, wordlessly. "Angels were warriors," Palutena continued. "Many gods had armies built of angels alone. In this day and age, many gods know who you are, Pit. They know of your strength and conquest. Can you imagine, in a time long ago, having an army made of warriors with strength equal or greater to yours? That is why the gods were able to crush their enemies, and that is why the humans feared the gods."

"They...they didn't fear the angels, though?" Pit stammered.

"Many humans saw angels as saviors," Palutena said. She saw Pit visibly relax with relief. "As I told you before, humans knew that if they were good and if their souls were pure, they would become angels in their quote-unquote 'afterlife.' They had no reason to hate angels with that belief."

"Until the war..?" Pit questioned.

"Obviously, the humans were distraught. But they held on. Eventually, after many long years of war, the humans and gods stopped the war long enough to make a treaty."

"What was the treaty?"

"The humans would restore their belief in the gods on the condition that angels would no longer be created for war. They didn't want to fight the beings that they saw as formerly human, the kind that walked among them."

"That sounds fair enough," Pit replied. He looked around a moment. "So...where are the angels? Why are me and Shadres the only ones here?"

Palutena stopped pacing, and watched Pit carefully to gauge his reaction. "The gods agreed. Peace for no warring angels. However, they turned the words around in order to further punish the humans, since they believed the humans were the ones who initially caused the war. They didn't create any warring angels, true...but they also didn't allow any more angels to be made. Period."

Shock crossed Pit's blue eyes. "But...but that's not right! How could they do that? What about all the surviving angels?"

"The humans didn't want this, either, but there was no way to change the gods' minds," Palutena sighed. "The method of angel creation was sealed away and carefully hidden, so no new rising gods could figure it out. In addition, a curse was placed over creation as well, to dissuade anyone who tried to create an angel. The curse was this: trying to create an angel would drain the user's power. In addition…there was increased likelihood of an angel being born with a flaw. If angel creation brought this much risk of harm, it was unlikely anyone would try it. Doing so would break the terms of the treaty, anyhow."

"Flaws…" Palutena could practically see the wheels turning in her servant's mind. He twisted his head to view his wings, then flapped them. "That's why I'm flightless!"

"I'm sorry, Pit," Palutena whispered. "I was a naïve goddess a long time ago. You and Shadmé both...I felt too much pity to let you die."

"Well...I-I'm glad you saved us," Pit got out. He sounded choked by this new knowledge. He could now understand that it was she who didn't follow the rules, and she who had created his flaw. But then again, it was she who gave him life. A hard bargain, for sure…

"There was another thing, too," Palutena said tentatively. "Something additional that happened."

Pit blinked in response, blue eyes worried. "What else?"

"Your souls were unable to take form right away. I'm still unsure if it was due to the curse or another layer to the conditions. But when an angel- you- suddenly arrived, right in the middle of the tensions between myself and Medusa, many years after I had thought I'd created you...that was something I hadn't expected." Palutena took a deep breath. "Much hope had been lost when the aging angels perished because of Medusa. But because you couldn't fight, and because you couldn't fly, you had been hidden safely away from her wrath. That is, until she took you as an Underworld prisoner. But no matter what, it was a miracle."

"I don't even remember any angels besides me," Pit replied sorrowfully.

"Hush, Pit, it's alright. I wouldn't have expected you to." Palutena paused a moment. "If it would make you feel better, maybe I could tell you about them sometime. I was your main caretaker, but they aided me and taught you how to fight. Perhaps you'd recall something."

"Yeah. Sometime," Pit agreed softly. He swallowed, then seemed to regain some of his composure. "I have one last question, though. What happened to Shadmé's soul? Why didn't we know about her until now?"

"As I said, your souls were lost for quite some time," Palutena said. "I believe hers was absent for an even greater period of time, and perhaps it took angelic form in another place. Such are the consequences of trying to create an angel under the curse. It's a good thing she found her way back. It is said that all angels share a bond with the god that created them."

"I see," Pit responded.

"Pit!" Viridi's voice rang through the library, causing said angel to jump and Liberis to call, "No shouting in the library!"

"What is it?" asked Pit, running his hands through his hair. He seemed to be trying to compose himself.

"Pittooey here won't stop getting distracted by comic books! Can you smack some sense into him?"

"I've added a new rule, too," Liberis cut in. "No fighting in the library. I figured that was a no-brainer, but oh well."

"Sure I can help!" Pit grinned after a wave in Palutena's direction. "Pittoo, show me those comic books, too!"

"Hey! I thought you would help!" Viridi groaned as Pit ran off to find the two.

Palutena chuckled. It was good that Viridi and Dark would serve as a small distraction for Pit. She didn't want him to dwell on the story of angels for too long. She knew that it would never leave his mind.

"Shadmé? What are you up to?" she contacted the dark angel next. Shadmé jumped, a map resting in her hands spilling to the floor. "Um, er, I-"

Palutena frowned. "Yes?"

"I have a confession." Liberis, standing beside Shadmé, nodded her head to encourage Shadmé to continue. "When I was fighting Eris...she told me about mirrors."

"Shadmé, the past is in the past," Palutena sighed. "Don't let the Mirror of Truth weigh you down. That's over now."

"I know. But she told me mirrors, throughout time, have been enchanted for different purposes. Is this true?" Shadmé slowly bent over to pick up the map she'd dropped, waiting for Palutena to respond.

Palutena thought a moment. "Yes," she finally answered. "Powerful beings can enchant objects. For example, the key to the Underworld is one such object. There is no physical door to the Underworld, and yet it is usually blocked to outsiders. The key's presence is enough to grant a user access."

Shadmé nodded, as if she'd anticipated Palutena's agreement all along. "Well...Eris informed me that there is a mirror that allows a user to see into the past."

Palutena froze. "Hmm."

"The Mirror of Memory. Long-forgotten, an ancient relic." Liberis took over the conversation now. "It's hidden in a secret cave in the Turbulent Canyon."

"And I'm assuming you want to go there?" Palutena rubbed her temples, letting out another sigh.

"Y-yes," Shadmé stammered. "I trust Eris and Liberis more than I trust POD. This mirror's the real deal, I'm s-sure of it."

"From what I can gather," Palutena ventured, "If I was to take you to this canyon (emphasis on if), this mirror can not restore your memory. Do you understand? It can only show you glimpses of the past." Shadmé's wings trembled. "You will not regain your past mindset. You may not even remember the events you see. Do you think you can handle that, Shadmé? Seeing things that are a part of you in such a way, parts of you that may be lost for the rest of your life?"

"I understand," Shadmé said quietly. "But what do I have to lose? I set off on a quest to learn about myself. I can't stop here. Not while we're so close."

Liberis seemed to take the resulting silence as some sort of cue. "I'm going to go find those other two," she excused herself. "Make sure they aren't bullying my comic collection and all. Boys can be so irresponsible." She left with a flourish.

"Shadmé," Palutena started after Liberis was gone. "You must understand I feel a great amount of sympathy for you."

Shadmé set the map aside, then moved to sit on the floor. She curled herself up, arms wrapped around her knees. "I understand if you're angry." Her voice was quiet. "I don't deserve mercy. Or pity. Or kindness. I just want to make it up in the best way I can."

"That's what I'd like to talk about," Palutena agreed. "Considering we're facing a major threat here, it's imperative you stay on the team. There's no denying that- you can definitely pull your weight."

"Sure," was all Shadmé said.

"However," the light goddess continued, "I'm going to have to ask you to work for your position back when Orcos is down. I mean domestics, too. Pit will be happy to have someone else to share chores with."

"Th-that's all?"

"I will also have to ask you to stay with me in the temple. Just so you're safe. I don't want any more POD incidents." Palutena's tone was serious. POD had infiltrated her tight-knit force and wreaked havoc. She didn't even know who he was. It was a very ominous matter.

"I understand. I'll do whatever you ask of me."

"Thank you, Shadmé." Palutena smiled a little. "You can trust us, I promise. If anything strange happens, or if you hear something, please report it to me so we can stop it in advance."

Shadmé still looked worried, but nodded nonetheless. "You can count on me."

"We'll take a trip to the Turbulent Canyon, then," Palutena vowed. "But as you know, the Underworld is currently our primary concern. Due to the fact that we have just returned from the Chaos Colony, it's possible that Orcos is unaware of our presence. I believe this will be a good time to investigate. It may also lift a weight from your shoulders and clear your mind for the tougher fights."

Shadmé flapped her wings, stirring the pages of a few open books around her. "Pit is lucky to have you, Lady Palutena."

"What goddess of light would I be if I didn't care for those that needed it?" Palutena replied.

W O W. That was a long break. I'm so sorry for that- it appears that I forgot to announce I was doing NaNoWriMo in November! I was hoping to get a chapter out right before November explaining that, but it didn't happen.

My NaNoWriMo book went...alright. Not as well as last year. asdfghjkl life though. Ha, it's hard to believe that my last chapter was right before school started...if only I'd known how difficult this year would be! Exams are this week, but after that, hopefully I should muster up some inspiration to work on FoLaD! I've been in a really nostalgic mood lately, and it's making me more determined to work on these things, haha. Probably because FoLaD's 3-year FF-posting anniversary is on the 22nd!

Speaking of FoLaD, what do you guys think of this new development? I'm kind of worried it sounds like Shadmé's getting off easy- she's not, but considering they're currently at war with the Underworld and they need all the help they can get, there's not much Palutena can do to punish her at the moment.

That's more on the human and god war I mentioned in the Gates of Turmoil! From reading lots of KI fanfiction, I know a lot of people have fan theories as to the whereabouts of the angel species and why Pit's the only one around. I really dig the theory that Medusa's rampage killed all angels flying in the air, and that Pit survived because he was the only flightless one; I kind of worked that into there, but not exactly. It would make sense that Pit would have been taught his fighting skills by other warrior angels, but considering that he's never mentioned any others, he must've been too young to remember. Heh, I kind of had to bend my personal angel curse theory to explain not only Shadmé, but also why Pit wasn't really present for the aftermath, but I think it works. Maybe. (That's what happens when your only original driving factor for a story is "Ooh, story for my character! I'll figure out the rest later!" PSA: don't do that, lol.) Let me know if you guys find any plotholes!

Edit: I just realized I posted this chapter on Kid Icarus' 30-year anniversary! I am so happy to be a member of this community, and am proud of how far it's come. Happy anniversary, Pit ol' buddy.

Pit: I'm not that old! *resentfully blows party tooter*

ZygardeZera: And to think that only a short while later Rosuto/Raziko was created, lol. Only a ton of chapters to go until I can use her in FoLaD's sequel (RIP me)! Thank you, by the way! I hope my details and descriptions are getting better!

GameboyNinjaUltimate Icarus: Woot! I suppose we've found out, haven't we?

FuryBeam: Nuuu don't lose hope in me! I'm back, see?

Lol, I'm glad you like it! I tried to go off the Chaos Kin's design to create a world that it could have legitimately come from, and cyclopses, bugs and a lot more were the result!

WaterStar45: Thank you!

RandomButLoved: Hehe, glad you noticed. I enjoy playing with symbolism! And yup, the gang's all back- let's hope that they can build up their friendships again!

GirlPit: Hi! I noticed you reviewed The Dark Pit Show as well! I'm glad you're a fan of all my stuff! I will definitely be in need of angels for the future, yes, but unfortunately Daisy wouldn't be able to be Pit's sister. We can discuss Daisy when FoLaD gets wrapped up!

ComycatDarkAngel88: Hey, that's fine with me! I like reading long things all at once too so I don't wind up forgetting details. (Oh no, that wasn't supposed to be funny, lol! I suppose it was a bit out of Shadmé's character, though!)