A/N: I guess I should talk about this now (kinda wish I didn't have to haha, but it seems to be a big thing on here). About pairings... They are by no means the focus of this story. I will give an occasional tease (no yaoi), but nothing is official. Heck, I haven't even mentioned who Lucina's mother is. I'd like to leave most of that up to the imagination of you viewers. :)
Outside that, it looks like I can't keep up with my planned schedule, but that's only because I want to put in as much time and effort to make these chapters enjoyable. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, and I'm glad so many people are enjoying it :D Thank you for all your comments and support!
You can always check my profile for updates on this story's progress-I try to update at least once a week. Thank you for your patience, and enjoy! :D
"Wh-wha…?" Pit jumped back, nearly knocking his chair over. "B-but Lady Palutena… You always know everything!"
The goddess looked ashamed as she admitted, "I know only what lies within my realm of power, Pit. Even I can't know all there is to know about the wider universes."
"If you knew how many worlds there are out there," Palkia put in, "you wouldn't be surprised. Every star you see in the night sky represents one world—and there's thousands, each with their own rules and history."
Lucina let her gaze wander to the nearest window. Even though it was still daylight, she envisioned the night sky, shimmering with countless stars. It had never struck her that each one might represent a different world, where people went about their daily lives in complete ignorance of what was going on outside. The wider universe was much vaster that she had realized, and full of more life than she could ever hope to comprehend.
"But the Keyblade is somewhere out there," she spoke her thoughts aloud, half to herself and half to the others.
"I guess… If there even is a wielder still alive. They went crazy a few ages ago and nearly wiped out their kind, if I remember right."
Her next thought sounded ludicrous, even to her own mind. However, she had learned from her father's tactician that even the craziest of ideas had potential. And so, taking in a breath, she proposed, "…Then we should try to find one."
Palkia and Palutena stared, neither saying anything for the longest time. Pit, however, jumped right on her idea with complete enthusiasm.
"Hey, yeah!" he said. "We could travel to other worlds and look for the Keyblade. Palkia, you're the space deity—you can help us get to them."
The dragon continued to look at the two as if they had just suggested inviting Kyogre and Groudon to a tea party. "Weren't you listening to what I was just saying? I just got done telling you how many worlds there are out there! Searchin' through 'em for that stupid sword is gonna be like finding a freakin' needle in a haystack!"
"What other options do we have?" Lucina continued arguing her point. "From what you're saying, the Keyblade is the only way to stop the Heartless. Unless you are suggesting we stand by and allow them to continue laying waste to worlds?"
Palkia slumped back, her lips curling. "No, that's not what I'm saying."
"Then what are we waiting for?" said Pit.
"You kids don't understand. This ain't going to be easy."
"No, it won't be." Heads turned to Lady Palutena, who was slowly rising from her chair with staff in hand. The goddess glanced between all of them before continuing. "But… we have to try."
Palkia cocked a brow—or rather, she would have if she had one. "Palutena? Ah, come on. You agree with them?"
"As Lucina said, we don't have any other options. The worlds are defenseless right now; many have no way to fight back the darkness. With or without the Keyblade, we may be able to help them—even if we just delay the inevitable. Pit, do you remember what happened when you took out that Minotaur Heartless?"
The angel took a moment to remember. After the Minotaur went up in smoke… "The Heartless all retreated."
"Yes. The Heartless are a little like the Aurum forces we fought all those years ago; they have a hive mind. If you take out their leader, it should disorganize them for a time."
Pit brightened considerably, which was quite a feat for the already vibrant brunette. "So we can protect the worlds by going around and taking out Bosses while we're looking for the Keyblade."
The dragon stared at them incredulously. "You're all insane," she finally concluded.
Palutena smiled apologetically. "Comes with the territory, I suppose." Dropping the grin, the goddess sobered again. "But Palkia…? We can't do this without you. We could really use your help."
Palkia shifted her gaze over the gathered trio, starting with the goddess and finishing with the princess. Her shoulders sagged, and she sighed in defeat. Grumbling miserably, she said, "Fine. As much as I'd hate to admit it… I could use your help, too. My realm's complete chaos right now, and a dragon can only do so much. If you really think these punks can do anything to fix things…"
"They are up to the job," Palutena assured. "I know they are."
The pink and white Pokémon eyed the two warriors. "For the sake of all the worlds, I hope they are. Aight. I can't stay away from the In-between any longer. I gotta go back soon or things will really be Muk'd up. You two better get geared up, because you're in for one heck of a ride. Here, I got this for ya."
Palkia held her arms horizontally before her chest, palms facing each other. A fleeting flash of pinkish light ignited between her claws, and a baseball-sized orb materialized out of thin air.
Pit frowned. "What's up with you and pearls, Palkia? You're kinda obsessed with them."
"What girl isn't?" Palkia smirked toothily. "Seriously, though—this ain't no ordinary pearl. Think of it like a communication link, mixed with a tracker. As long as you hold on to it, I'll always know where you're at."
"How's that supposed to be comforting?"
Palkia narrowed her eyes. Reaching over, she bopped the angel on the head none-too-gently. "Because it could save your sorry hide someday, feather-brain. I won't be going with you into the worlds—I gotta stay and maintain the order in my domain. So since I won't be there in person, I'll need some way to pin-point your location so I can extract ya from the world's you'll be visiting."
"Okay, okay! I get it: magic pink orb equals escape key," The brunette rubbed at his head, muttering under his breath.
"Good. So you better not lose it! Also, if you give the surface a good rub, you can talk with me if I ain't busy. But keep in mind that only the person holding the pearl will be able to hear and talk to me."
"Sounds kinda like a magic lamp," Pit observed, speaking up in spite of the dull throb in his head. "Except instead of a wish-granting genie, you get a cranky pink dragon…"
His witticism was rewarded with another bop on the head.
"For that, I'll be giving it to Lucina instead," Palkia snorted before passing the pearl to the young woman. "Take good care of it, princess."
Lucina solemnly accepted it, inclining her head respectfully. "I shall guard it with my life."
"Arceus, you are a grim one. Don't go that far. If it comes to a choice between you and the pearl, I would hope you would save yourself. It's not like I can't make more. I'd just rather not have to come chase ya down in some random world. Your lives are more important than some pearl, got it?"
With that, the dragon stepped away from the table. "Alright. I think we got all our bases covered. Whenever you're ready, give that pearl a good rub and we'll get this suicide mission started. And don't worry, Palutena. I'll check up on that thing you asked. Adios, muchachos. Peace!"
The air around Palkia suddenly became distorted, twisting into a vortex of pink and purple. Smirking, Palkia gave one last wave before stepping backwards into the portal. Once it swallowed her whole, the vortex winked out of existence faster than Lucina could blink, leaving little evidence that the space deity had ever been there.
The room seemed a lot smaller without the boisterous dragon, and certainly quieter. Palutena, in no rush at all, picked up her mirror shield and faced her two warriors. "Well, I suppose that's it, then. We have a lot of preparations to make, so we'd better get started."
Lucina continued staring at the spot where Palkia had stood, eyes wide with wonder. "How did…?"
"That will have to be a conversation for another day, I'm afraid," said Palutena. "Let's head down to the armory."
The armory had been built to be practical—not to be pretty. Practicality was, after all, preferred when one had to scramble into battle. No matter how perfectly placed a flawless bust might have been placed, it would have only gotten in the way when the soldiers were dispatched, and in the end it would do little to improve one's life expectancy. Thus in comparison to the rest of the temple, the armory was a little drab.
To Lucina, it was still grander than any mortal construction she had seen. The ceiling arched impossibly high above them, most likely to leave room for Palutena's strange soldiers to fly through in hordes. The width of the room was generous as well, to accommodate some of Skyworld's larger soldiers and equipment. Yet for all the space in the armory, there was little life to be seen. The only people the trio passed by a crew working on one of the stone-faced artillery units Pit called Juggernauts. Tiny Centurions had been crawling all over it like gremlins, while a lazy knight had been "overseeing" their labor. A sharp word from Pit got the armored soldier up on his feet and assisting the frazzled munchkins.
Eventually, Palutena brought them to the end of the armory, where the hall split in three different directions. The door on the left was simple compared to the rest, with a pair of rings for handles. The one on the right was more richly adorned with multiple patterns etched into its surface. The one in the middle… It stood from floor to ceiling, but wherever the floor actually was puzzled Lucina. The glass-like plane below her feet dropped into a darkened pit, leaving empty space between them and the door. Yet the door could apparently still be accessed via a flight of floating translucent steps that looked as if they were made of light. Another feat of the goddess's?
"This way, please," Palutena asked pleasantly, taking the door on the far right. Lucina reluctantly followed, taking one last glance at the otherworldly staircase. She had countless questions, but she doubted she would get any straight answers presently.
The door they took lead into what must have been a private section of the armory. Weapons Lucina was unfamiliar with—different from the Centurions' as well—hung from racks on the wall or sat displayed on tables. Some looked similar to the light-producing bow-blades Pit had used before, although they had unusual shapes and colors that made them look… unwieldy. Lucina wondered how the angel managed to use them at all.
Ignoring all the weapons, Palutena marched up to a pair of mannequins outfitted with armor—one white, one black. Pit frowned as he spotted them.
"What are these doing here, Lady Palutena?" he asked. "Aren't those from the Light vs Dark matches?"
"Yes, but I thought I'd get some made for you and Pittoo. You know, to make you less fragile. Plus they look dashing!"
"Well, I guess… Wait, who are you calling fragile?!" the angel puffed out his chest indignantly.
"At any rate, I thought these would serve you better on this particular journey. You'll want to wear them when travelling through the Lanes Between with Palkia. No doubt darkness has grown strong there with the invasion of the Heartless—it will certainly pose a threat to you if you're not careful."
Intrigued, Pit picked up the helmet to the black set of armor. He looked at his reflection in the visor and sighed wistfully. "Shame Pittoo didn't get to see these. I bet he would have liked them."
Lucina was tired of being out of the loop. The past few hours had been one fit of confusion after another. Still, she couldn't help her curiosity. Chancing one more question, she asked, "Who is Pittoo?"
"He's… um…" For a supposedly all-knowing goddess, Palutena seemed hesitant in her answer. "He's kind of like Pit's brother. Sort of. It's complicated. But he's not with us right now, so you can have his suit."
Pit passed the helmet to Lucina, who took a turn to stare at her reflection in the visor. The brand of the exalt stared back at her.
"I'm trying to devise of a way you could quickly get the suits on and off," Lucina heard Palutena continue. "I got a few ideas, but since we're pressed for time I think I'll just condense them into a ring."
Lucina noticed Pit wincing out of the corner of her eye.
The goddess, ignorant of his reaction, went on, "Whenever you slip the ring on, the armor will appear as simple as that."
"…Does it have to be a ring?" Pit hesitantly asked, his expression glum.
"Certainly. I mean, why not?"
The angel didn't reply.
Tearing her gaze away from the helmet, the princess examined the rest of the suit and tried to picture herself wearing it. She could appreciate how light it was; the plates of metal were situated only on the shins, forearms, torso, and one shoulder. Yet the style was so bizarre. Would it be all that effective during battle?
"What are you waiting for?" Palutena broke the duo from their thoughts. "Why don't you try them on?"
Without waiting for a reply, the goddess tapped the floor with the butt end of her staff. Not even a half a second later, Lucina found herself blinking through the visor of the helmet, fully outfitted.
"Hey, nice!" Pit had similarly been instantaneously equipped, although he didn't seem as startled as the cobalt-haired princess was. He examined his new effects from all angles, but stopped short when he couldn't spot his wings. "Wait, where's…"
"Those won't do you much good in Palkia's realm, I'm afraid. It'd be better to keep them protected as well. Which reminds me—there's a few things I need to warn you about, Pit."
Lucina had seen the goddess's expression flicker from mirthful to serious quite a few times in the past hour, and it was happening once again as she turned to her angel.
"As I mentioned before, my powers only extend to this realm. Once you step outside of this world… I won't be able to help you."
It was difficult to see the angel's reaction beneath the white armor's visor, but it was evident in the way he took a step back. "Like… at all? You mean—"
"No flying, no talking, no guidance, and…," she spelled it out for him. "Well, I can't save you if you get Finished…"
"Oh…" He looked as if the wind had been taken out of his sails.
Palutena smiled sympathetically, like a mother to a son. Clasping him by his shoulder, she said, "But I have faith in you. Just be a little more careful than usual, okay?"
It took some time, but that boyish grin found its way back. "You bet, Lady Palutena. If I have your faith, then there's nothing I can't do."
The goddess crinkled her nose and grabbed one of the wings on his helmet, shaking it from side to side. "That was cheesy."
He laughed back and tried to squirm free, returning, "But I wasn't joking."
Their interactions were sweet, but filled Lucina with a pang of longing. The two were really were like mother and son. Watching them reminded Lucina of her own mother and the painful situation she had been in. In reality, it was almost like she had had two: the one from her time, who had been taken from her; and the one from the past, who had taken her in regardless of her origin. She had told Lucina that she didn't have to leave; that she could have been a part of their family, always. But Lucina knew it wouldn't have worked.
She wondered how they were all doing now…
Hating to dwell in tender memories, Lucina cleared her throat. Palutena glanced up, remembering that the mortal was still with them.
"Let's see," the goddess looked over the young woman with a critical eye. "Something's not quite right…"
She snapped her fingers, and a bright light nearly blinded Lucina. Once the spots cleared from her vision, she saw Palutena looking at her with more approval.
"That's better. What do you think?" She slid off her mirror shield and held it before the cobalt-haired princess.
Somehow, the goddess had changed the armor. Not only did she give it a more feminine flair, but kept some of the style of her old armor, making it blue as well as dark gray. Her helmet's crest had been modified to resemble the butterfly mask she had come in, with the Brand of Naga replacing the red jewel at the forehead. Lucina approved of the changes, and felt more comfortable in the armor now.
"I believe it shall serve me well, Lady Palutena," the princess replied. "Thank you."
"Hopefully, it will," said Palutena, taking the mirror back. After examining Pit's uniform, she tapped her staff against the floor once more. The suits seemed to turn into pure white light, breaking off into shards before collecting into a single glowing mass. Palutena held out her hand, and the lights descended, falling into her palm as two rings—one black, one white. Lucina glanced down, surprised to find herself wearing the same green robes she had been borrowing. But perhaps they had been beneath the armor the whole time?
"Don't lose these," Palutena passed the rings on to the warriors, giving Pit his with extra emphasis.
"Why does everyone think I'm going to lose things?" he complained, but accepted his ring nonetheless.
Ignoring his grumblings, Palutena continued, "I'm going to start development on new weapons, but I hope you don't mind carrying around the Kingdom Bow a little longer, do you?"
"Not a problem! I don't think I've seen enough of what this puppy can do."
"Good." The goddess turned to Lucina. "My servants are cleaning and mending the clothes you came in as we speak. They should be done by morning."
Lucina was surprised by the gesture, but ultimately grateful she wouldn't have to travel the worlds in foreign clothing. So much was changing; it would be nice to have a little piece of home to take with her besides Falchion. "You are too kind, milady."
"Oh, it's nothing," she dismissed with a wave of her hand, though she seemed privately pleased. "Anything I can do to help. All right, Pit. We got some Centurions to whip in to shape."
Night fell over Skyworld, painting Palutena's temple in new light. The floating islands had been impressive enough during the day, but as Lucina stood gazing on her balcony, she was completely swept away by the sky's splendor. The stars felt closer than she had ever seen them, and they glowed with such vitality that the moon's absence was hardly noticeable. A river of fine dust wound its way through the radiant points, adding a final delicate touch to the nocturnal display.
Despite its familiar beauty, this sky was alien to her. The Ylissean princess could not find any of the constellations she was familiar with. The shapes were all wrong, clusters gathering where they shouldn't be. It was a fresh experience, but disorienting at the same time. On top of that, she struggled with her newest revelation: that each star represented a new world. And she could see thousands of stars…
She had never felt so small.
Sighing, Lucina dropped her gaze. Below her, Skyworld was entering its nightly slumber. The white marble buildings were illuminated with warm torchlight, although it revealed little signs of life. Occasionally she would catch a glimpse of a patrolling pack of Centurions, but the rest of the army seemed to have retired.
The peace gave Lucina some much-needed time to reflect over the events of the day. Stepping through the Outrealm Gate had certainly given her more than she had bargained for. Fighting strange monsters, meeting gods and angels, learning about new worlds… All happened within the course of a few hours. And now, she was embarking on a bold new quest. She wondered if she was truly ready for it.
Soft rapping from somewhere behind shook her from her thoughts. Lucina whirled around, expecting trouble, but to her surprise the green-haired goddess of light was standing at the door.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Palutena offered an apologetic smile.
The Ylissean princess relaxed, slightly embarrassed by her overreaction. "No, that was… My mistake. May I help you with something?"
The goddess shook her head and walked out onto the balcony. "I was wondering if I could join you out here. Do you mind?"
Lucina didn't know what to say. Why should she—a goddess—ask a mere mortal like her if she cared for her presence? Although Lucina no longer doubted her credibility, Palutena certainly didn't act anything like she expected from a goddess. Numbly, the young woman shook her head and made room along the balcony's railing. Soon, she was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with deity.
Leaning against the railing, Palutena glanced up at the stars and sighed. "I always thought that this balcony had the best view. And tonight's such a nice night."
"Do you…?" Lucina stopped.
Palutena, however, looked at her in curiosity. "Do I…?" she encouraged.
Though the wielder of Falchion was cautious of offending a goddess, Palutena was speaking casually enough that Lucina thought she could take a chance. "Forgive my boldness, but… do you often come to stargaze at the guest balcony?"
Not angered in the slightest, Palutena replied wistfully, "This wasn't always the guest quarters. My sister used to live here. When we were younger, we used to come out here to look at the stars."
"You have a sister?"
"I did." Palutena's smile vanished. "She committed a crime that could not be forgiven, and so she was banished from Skyworld."
Disquieted, Lucina returned to her stargazing. It was… off-setting to learn that her quarters had once been the abode of a banished goddess. Palutena didn't provide any details (and probably didn't want to), but Lucina had to wonder what kind of crime could cause a deity to fall from grace. What must it have been like for Palutena? Lucina couldn't imagine it, losing a sibling to exile. Her own had never committed a crime so serious that it couldn't be forgiven, although they had been separated for a time. She could at least understand the pain and worry that came from being apart.
The goddess suddenly blew through her lips. "Wow, that put a damper on things. Sorry to bring down the mood like that. So… how are you doing?"
An obvious attempt at changing the subject, but Lucina didn't mind, although she wished she wasn't the next subject of their conversation. Still, they were speaking so casually—like one girl to another. Lucina was dressed in a nightgown while Palutena had left behind her shield and staff. If it weren't for her unearthly beauty and soft glowing aura, the goddess could have passed for an ordinary mortal woman. She seemed to be by nature quite motherly, having shown nothing but kindness to the stray princess. Lucina found that she felt comfortable speaking her mind.
"If I'm being honest with myself…" she admitted. "I'm feeling overwhelmed."
As Lucina had come to expect, Palutena nodded sympathetically. "You've been through so much today. It's a lot to process all at once."
The princess turned to the sky. "I just never realized how big the universe was. I'm not so sure I know my place in it anymore…"
Palutena said nothing, her expression uncharacteristically unreadable. Several moments of silence passed by as the two observed the heavens, wandering through the constellations and back. Lucina was just getting used to the quietude when the goddess spoke up again, this time in a small voice.
"…Are you certain you want to be a part of this?"
When Lucina glanced back in confusion, the goddess continued, "We're asking a lot from you—maybe too much."
Chrom's daughter took the time to think about it, but in the end she shook her head. "It was partly my idea, wasn't it? Besides… I chose this path. I knew that there would be no going back, even before I walked through that door." She wearily closed her eyes. "I have seen enough suffering. If I can bring an end to it, then I'd commit my life to that very end."
The goddess studied her, a look of both softness and appreciation on her glowing countenance. "You truly are a brave one, Lucina. …I hope you find what you're looking for."
From the tone she used, Lucina suspected that Palutena meant more than finding the Keyblade. Before she could ask as much, the sky erupted into life. Lucina was struck speechless as shooting stars raced across her vision, their white-hot tails spraying the world with fine white dust. With their proximity, the falling meteors seemed larger than life. As awed as the princess was, Palutena viewed the sight with sadness.
"And so, it begins…" she sighed.
A/N: Hope you KH buffs remember the significance of those meteor showers. As Palutena said, now it begins...
...
Pit: Are you really going to be in the next Super Smash Bros, Lady Palutena?
Palutena: Yep. Time for this goddess to have her day in the sun. No more standing on the sidelines.
Pit: Oh, man! This is going to be so awesome! I can't wait!
Palutena: Those mortal warriors won't know what hit them! But fair warning, Pit-won't go easy on you.
Pit: Wait, you? Easy on me? Er, aren't you forgetting how our last battle went? I won, remember?
Palutena: You won against the Chaos Kin-not me. If I had been in my right mind, you wouldn't have stood a chance. And you won't stand a chance.
Pit: ...Are you saying I'm going to lose against you? In Smash?
Palutena: Every. Time.
Pit: I don't think so! I'm getting new buffs this time around! You're the one who's gonna lose!
Palutena: Only one way to find out, isn't there?
Pit: OH, IT'S SO ON!
Together: SMASH-DOWN!