Grounded

This is my first fanfic, so cut me some slack, okay? I totally love Kid Icarus, but I have to give some of the credit to me little sister, who bugs me all the time to write more. And she also is the one who got me into Kid Icarus. So, kudos to you, sis! Oh, and please review!

Pit slowly opened his eyes. He closed them quickly again as bright sunlight filtered into the room. He blinked, squinting, as he tried to adjust his eyes to the sudden light. With a sigh, he sat up, stretching his arms out with a small moan.

He looked around the white marble room from his perch above the ground. His bed was up in an alcove in the corner of the large room. Much of the furniture around the area were made of marble, colorful toss pillows were strewn around the room, making it look slightly more comfortable. A large sundial stood next to the window. Pit looked over to it, his young face suddenly very anxious.

"Crap, I'm late!" He yelped. He jumped out of bed, rushing to the long mirror and grabbing a toga off a hanger. He hurriedly flipped it on over his navy blue sleeveless tee and tight navy blue shorts that he had slept in and flicked his white scarf around his neck. He pulled on his thick armbands and sandal-boots. Grabbing his belt, he tightened it around him and slid his two golden and blue blades against it. As he rushed out the door, he just managed to remember to grab his laurel wreath and slide it on before taking off.

He bolted down the streets, the golden edging on the bottom of his toga glinting in the bright sunlight. He almost tripped every few steps on the cobblestone streets, littered with tiny stones that were easy to misstep on. Pit spread out his wings, hopping with every step higher and flapping his wings ever so slightly so they caught the wind. He floated gently but quickly to each next step. But it took more energy. By the time he had reached his destination, his breaths were coming in gasps.

He stopped in front of one of the marble homes. All the homes on all of the floating islands looked almost exactly the same so Pit only knew exactly which one he was looking for due to extreme memorization and experience.

Pit didn't even get a chance to knock. Before he could tap the wooden door, it opened, a tall angel floating out. His skin was dark and his hair the color of ebony. His eyes gleamed a sharp gold down at Pit. He wore a white toga, the edges done with tiny silver and gold threads and a beautiful silver laurel wreath was on his head. His huge wings glinted a blue black as he hovered off the ground.

The dark angel crossed his arms, a frown on his well formed face. "Do you know just how late you are?"

Pit winced. "Sorry, Nighthawk! I overslept."

"Again? Really? You're the head of Queen Palutena's bodyguards! You've been late too many times!"

"So…why are we talking? Let's go!"

The two took off down the streets towards the next island, Pit running and Nighthawk flying close to the ground next to him. Nighthawk gave a loud sigh as he looked Pit up and down. "Did you even try to comb your hair?" He scolded.

"Why comb it when it'll just get messed up again?"

Nighthawk sighed again. "We're going to meet the Queen. At least try to make yourself acceptable!"

Pit grinned. "I meet with the Queen every day! Isn't it enough that I'm even showing up at all?" He leaped over a narrow crevice between two islands with ease. One misstep would send the jumper plunging down to wherever the mortal world started.

"Can't you just fly with me?" Nighthawk asked, "We would go a whole lot faster."

Pit sighed. "You ask me this every week. Remember?"

Nighthawk grinned smugly. "Oh yeah, now I remember. Your wings are too small and you're too weak to fly long distances."

"That's not true!" Pit snapped, leaping over another crevice while Nighthawk glided smoothly over it, "When I found the Three Sacred Treasures, I had the Wings of Pegasus, and I could fly just fine! Queen Palutena just took them away until my training ended. She could only give me five minutes of flying time with my own wings, at least until they fully grow out."

"I still think you're just weak!" Nighthawk smiled.

"You wish!" Pit grinned back, "then you'd have to take over my—whoa!" Pit cried out as his feet slipped over the edge of the last island to the open sky. For one horrible second, Pit could feel himself falling without a way back up. He was just going to keep on dropping.

He suddenly felt a strong hand grip the back of his tunic and drag him back onto the island. "Idiot!" Nighthawk snapped, "You should be more careful! Your wings aren't big enough to catch the wind and fly out of a falling position like the rest of us!"

Pit shook himself off to keep the fright that had turned into intense shivers from showing. "You think I planned that?"

Nighthawk let out and exasperated sigh. "Come on. We have to fly to the next island." He watched as angels randomly threw themselves off the Home Islands, eager to head to the Sky Temple. "Hey, Swift!" He called out to one of the male angels just taking off, "How's the wind today?"

The tall teenager floated gently on the wind, his shoulder-length brown hair flitting after him. "Perfect for floating! See you later!"

Pit didn't wait for Nighthawk to readdress him. He flapped his wings hard, feeling the powerful wind ruffle his flight feathers. And then, with a burst of courage, he jumped into the air. The wind immediately swept him up into its smooth arms and pushed him across the crevice. He flapped his wings hard, soaring to the other side. On a day with wind like this, he didn't have to worry about using up the time limit for his flight power; the wind took his speedily across the dangerous open space.

Nighthawk floated next to him, his large black wings stretched out at maximum wingspan, catching the wind. He looked so calm, his hair floating back behind him. He gave a loud sigh on content. "Now this is the life! Floating everywhere in complete freedom, no one to rely on, no one to ground you to reality…up here, it's all the same. Don't you agree, Pit?"

Pit flapped harder. "Maybe for you, but until my wings grow out fully, I'm more worried about falling than enjoying the view. For me, it's just another issue."

Nighthawk gave him a small smile. "You're missing out, Pit."

Pit returned the smile. "Maybe. We'll see when I grow."

The two landed smoothly and took off at the same pace they had started. They bolted through the streets, dust and stones flying behind them. "We're going to make it!" Pit gasped. "We're going to make it!"

"And…we didn't."

By the time the two arrived, the Queen had already taken roll call. She stood in front of a row of heavily armored soldiers, all looking straight ahead as though she were not standing there talking to them at all, as was protocol. She turned around at the sound of pounding heels against stone. Her long pine green hair swished behind her as she turned to look at the two. "Ah, General and Centurion. It is good of you to show up." Her smile was amused and calm, but then again, Pit had been late before.

Pit saluted her and immediately marched to his place in the line of soldiers. He pulled his two knives from his belt and fused them together, the two forming a long, curved, double ended sword, or, in Pit's case, a bow. He quickly strung it and swung his weapon over his shoulder.

The Queen had started talking about her protection. "Bodyguards will not need to be fully posted today. I will only need one for myself. The others will fan out around the city. There have been sightings of Medusa lately and I want us to be prepared if she visits, as she normally does." Palutena turned, "Pit, as General, you will be my protector over the next week." She turned back to the other soldiers. "Centurions, move out!"

The angels saluted and spread their large wings, taking off into the sky to the Home Islands and the larger Sky World Islands. The Queen turned sharply and walked away, the hem of her dress fluttering in the wind. Pit hurried after her, holding his bow on his shoulder so it would not slip off.

He followed her to the gardens. Palutena gently touched the flowers around her, a small smile forming on her lips with every petal. Each growing thing seemed to liven at her touch, opening their buds ever so slightly, colors brightening in the warm sunlight. Her calm expression was like water to the living plants, the green life drinking up her smooth strokes. When one flower was finished, she moved onto the next, giving it the equal amount of care she had given the one before.

"I do this everyday, you know."

Pit was startled from his flower watch. "What?"

Palutena turned and smiled at him. It was such a warm, tender smile, Pit felt his knees suddenly turn to gelatin. His chest constricted, making it hard to breathe. Concern filled his mind for himself. What was wrong with him? Was he suddenly sick?

"The flowers," she replied, "They like to see me, so I come almost every day, when time allows. They sometimes wish they were angels so they could see my face better."

Pit shook his head, trying to snap out of his strange symptoms that made him feel like flying. "What? They talk?"

Palutena's warm smile returned. "Come here."

Pit obediently walked over. Palutena took his hand, drawing him closer. She bent over him, brushing his hand against the petals of a golden rose, the plant responding to his touch by opening ever so slightly. But Pit could barely pay attention. He was too distracted by the feeling of Palutena's knee length hair falling in waves around him. Scents wreathed around him, his brain suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of jasmine and orchids.

"Can you hear it?" Palutena's young, melodious voice whispered.

Pit blinked out from his trance, turning his attention to the flower. He could gently feel vibrations running up his hands. "I can more feel it," he whispered back.

She drew away and Pit's heartbeat returned to its normal pace as she did so. "Good," she slowly walked to the edge of the garden, leaning against the long low-rising wall. Her smooth figure cut an elegant shape in the rising sun, "So, tell me what's bothering you."

"Huh? What?" Pit shook his head yet again to keep from staring. Palutena looked absolutely stunning in her slimming white dress and golden jewelry. Pit could feel his heart racing again. What was going on? He had never felt like this before. Did he have some illness that made his body work harder and made him feel warm all over?

Palutena's warm smile returned, her gaze of green warming Pit's chest, his stomach making butterflies. "Pit, you've been late for roll call for almost two straight weeks. As general, you should at least try to be on time on a regular basis. What's been keeping you up at night?"

Pit sighed, walking up next to her as she motioned. Your highness—."

Palutena raised a thin hand. "Pit, we've been over this. Palutena, no highness required."

Pit's cheeks flushed red. "Right, sorry."

"Perfectly acceptable, please continue. I'm sorry for interrupting you."

"T-t-t-that's fine," He bit his tongue hastily. When had he ever been this flustered? "Well…um…do you ever think about what's out there other than us?"

Palutena blinked. "How do you mean?"

Pit looked out from the wall to the sky around him. The blue seemed to go on forever. Below Angel Land was a thick layer of clouds which shone golden at all times of day. But the beauty cut off the angles from knowing what was underneath. Above were only sky and the sun, at night the stars and the moon. "You know…what's below the Cloud Barrier? Or if we fly high enough, if there is anything higher?"

A small smile crossed Palutena's face. "Is this what keeps you up at night?"

Pit flushed a bright red. "Yeah. I stay up late looking at the stars. I can't help it. I really want to know."

Palutena bent down so they were at eye level with one another. "Pit," she said warmly, "I think you have some good ideas, but I also want to warn you against going to far. Right now, until your wings grow out, your duty is here. Once," she stared out over the wall, to the clouds, and her eyes hardened, "once, an angel went past the Cloud Barrier and he never returned. I can't let you down there, especially with wings like yours."

Pit drew himself up so he at least seemed taller. "What's wrong with them!?"

Palutena smiled, her face lighting. "Nothing. But until they fully grow, you shouldn't try anything crazy or stupid. Understood?"

Pit nodded quickly. Palutena's words made all the sense in the world…but…his mind still wondered…

I just love Palutena's connection with nature! That's the whole reason I made her wake up the flower. And, I have to admit, it just made me feel good writing it! Please comment on what you think of this! Thanks!