The last few days of summer are a bittersweet time. Sure, there aren't any major responsibilities, and the weather is as nice as ever, but the return to school remains a cloud looming over youth.
But it's any other day when you're an angel who has basically the same daily schedule regardless of the season.
On this particular late summer day, two young teenagers both woke up, yawned and stretched, hopped out of bed, and went to breakfast at the same time, in nearly the same way.
Thing is, these two lived in very different worlds and had very different goals in life. One was a high-energy angel, Captain of the Guard, and the other was a fresh-faced swimmer on her way to becoming the city's Junior Champion.
"Let's go, fellas!" Pit called to the Centurions, who charged at their practice targets. They all ganged up with each other to take them down, even if it took them quite a bit per target.
"Let's go, mermaids!" The swim coach called to the swimmers, who plunged in down the lines. Morgan took the charge, blasting forward like a torpedo through the water.
The thing about people you've never met is that you never know who could be out there who's so much like you, you're surprised you didn't meet each other sooner. But of course, you have to meet eventually, even if it's via a third party.
"I'm here, Lady Palutena!" Pit came bursting into the temple, eager to meet the needs of his goddess.
"That was fast," quipped Palutena. "Nonetheless, I have a challenge for you."
"Of course!"
"The Centurions…they don't really take training seriously." Palutena turned to a vision pool behind her. "I was thinking, if we were to take on a human as part of the army, she could be trained to match your strength."
"A human?"
Palutena gestured to the vision. In it, there was Morgan, receiving a certificate declaring her the City Junior Swim Champion of 20XX.
"Where did you get this pool?" Pit asked as he hovered over the top.
"We've had it since Brawl, remember?"
"Oh, right, now I remember."
Palutena chuckled. "You really are a little chicken." She sighed. "Nonetheless, you're a formidable fighting force. Anyone would be grateful to train with you."
"I'm really proud of you, Meg." Patrick praised his daughter as they arrived home from the pool.
"I worked super hard for it," chirped Morgan. "It really paid off!"
Now that swim meets were over until next summer, Morgan flumped down on the couch and heaved a hearty, lazy sigh. She was happy to finally relax.
Until a light came shining in the yard.
Morgan and Patrick looked up, curious and confused. Patrick slid the back door open, and the two of them approached the light. It was a beam of sorts, with two short, sort of gremlin-looking fellas standing in front of it.
Morgan cautiously approached the two guardians. "Who are you?"
The two did not speak, only pointing up to her. Morgan turned around to Patrick. "I think they're here for me."
Patrick, while normally a gentle soul, gave the guardians a stern look. "If you want my daughter, you'll have to take me as well."
The two looked at each other, and shrugged; it wasn't their job to argue. They shooed the Pooles into the light, and zip! Up they went.
When they arrived, Morgan and Patrick found themselves cloaked in white togas and brown sandals, standing in a temple in the sky. Another light caught their attention, and they looked ahead of themselves to see a tall woman with cascading green hair and a long white dress. "I've been waiting for you."
Morgan stared in awe at this woman. "Who are you?"
Patrick put a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "What do you want with my daughter?"
"I am Palutena, goddess of light." The woman set her staff down next to her. "I see a lot of potential in your young daughter. We wish to train her as one of our own; a force in the fight for protection of the light."
Palutena could tell that Patrick was very weary about trusting her. "There's no cause for alarm. We aren't taking your daughter away from you. Think of this as an extracurricular, like an after-school club."
"Why me?" Morgan stepped forward to ask. "What makes me so special that you insist I join your forces?"
"Simple. You're ambitious, confident, and have a good heart; a perfect match for your trainer." Palutena directed Morgan's attention to the side, and standing there was a boy around Morgan's age, with a fluffy mess of chocolate-brown hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and soft, feathery wings.
The two looked at each other. As if their brains had synced up, they both spoke at the same time; "Uh, hi. Sorry, I don't know your name."
"Well, lucky for you, I know both of your names," said Palutena. She gestured for them to pay attention. "This is Pit. He's our Captain of the Guard. From here on out, everything you need to know, you'll learn from him."
She turned. "And this is Morgan. She will be your apprentice for the foreseeable future…as well as your tutor."
"Wait, wait, tutor?" Morgan was caught by the word choice.
"Well, school will be starting soon for you, won't it?" Palutena asked. "I was thinking you two could go together."
"Well, yeah," said Morgan, "but what about me being a tutor?"
"You like to read, don't you? Pit never learned how. You could be a good mentor to him."
Morgan was simply flabbergasted. "You can't read?"
Pit looked sheepish, and a big anime sweatdrop hung from his head. "Like she said, never learned how."
"Okay, yeah, we need to fix that immediately," said Morgan.
"The two of you are equal," said Palutena. "You both have something to teach and learn from each other. Now, we'll begin training tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, the school's registry is tonight. Any further questions?"
The two teens shared a glance, and both shrugged. "I guess not."
"Very well." Palutena waved her staff over both of them. "Off you go to the registry then."