Deep in the recesses of Skyworld's temple, the Palace in the Sky, was a chamber serving as the home of the realm's ruler. The moonlight from the skylight above, making up a large part of the ceiling, shone down onto a sleeping figure, resting on his side with the covers drawn up over him and under his arm, his wings spread gently as his tousled brown hair fell into his face. He wore a dark navy undershirt and shorts with a white cloth held in place around his right lower leg, the rest of his clothes folded in a pile on a table to one side of the room.

Without warning, he gasped quickly and heavily, his bright blue eyes flying open and he sat up quickly, panting as he clutched at his hammering heart. He scanned wildly around the chamber before calming down, letting his head hang as he brushed his hair back and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Dang it, Medusa…" he mumbled. "You don't even have to exist to torment me." Ever since he'd become the new god of Light at the request of Palutena's fading soul roughly a year previous after defeating the new lord of the Underworld, the Oracle of Darkness named Nemo, he'd been having strange dreams and nightmares had plagued him almost every night. He took a deep breath and looked around again, more slowly this time. Something still felt off, but he couldn't place what it was. He groaned and got to his feet, pulling on his sandals. He walked over to the rest of his clothes and pulled on the two white robes he usually wore. One was trimmed by a swirling gold design similar to the one he sported back when he first fought off Hades, and the other, placed over the first, was clasped over his right shoulder by a red gem set in a gold base and a brown line ran parallel to the hem that reached down to his knees, and the symbol of the goddess- or, in his case, god- of Light was tucked in close to the corner. He tied his belt around his waist and rubbed his eyes as he went out into the halls of the temple.

Strangely enough, there were no Centurions to be seen. He frowned and shook his head, making a mental note to inquire about their whereabouts in the morning. He personally didn't think he needed so many of them attempting to defend him- he could take care of himself. But that didn't change that they had disobeyed orders. He sighed and made his way to the chamber holding Skyworld's Gate, the door that he could use to travel to the various recesses of the world- to some extent. On the other side of the room was a raised platform with a small fountain of water. He spread his wings and flew up to it.

"Hey!" He blinked and immediately set himself into a defensive stance as he found a being standing on the other side of the fountain. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The being turned around, and he gasped inwardly, shocked into silence by her beauty.

She was a pale woman with long, golden blond hair that fell down to her ankles, and her eyes glowed with a blue color. Around her head were several golden chains that met a red gem in the center of her forehead. She wore a pale, white-rosy dress that reached the floor with a blue drape of sorts over it and a sleeveless black turtleneck underneath. Strangely enough, she did not seem to have arms. Instead, she had sparkling white wings. A soft blue glow around her faded into yellow before disappearing. Her eyes were warm and inviting, and a soft smile found its place on her lips.

"Hello, Pit," she dipped her head, and her voice echoed softly. "Pit, young child who would become Lady Palutena's champion, the angel of Skyworld. And yet now, you are not an angel, are you?"

"W-what?" he stammered in an attempt to find his voice. "I'm an angel! Always have been. I mean, I… I know I…"

"You have become the god of Light," she finished for him. "You still bear the appearance of an angel, yes, but you can no longer be considered one. If you looked within yourself, you would find a god, not an angel." Pit blinked, unsure of what the big difference was.

"Who are you?" he asked again with a less accusatory tone. She remained silent for several moments.

"I've never had need of a name…" she began. "But if you must refer to me as some sort of identification, then… I am a Keeper of Destiny, in terms that you can understand. I work with Master Aeon and… to explain in a way you will comprehend, young master, I am charged with reaching out to a soul and setting its owner on the path of becoming an angel." Pit blinked.

"Master Aeon?" he dug into what seemed to be the database of information he'd gained access to when Palutena passed her power onto him. "The… god of Time?"

"He likes to refer to himself as more of an Overseer than a god," the Keeper replied.

"And… wait. You choose angels?" She nodded. "So, you're the reason I exist?"

"No," she disagreed. "I am the reason you were an angel for roughly thirty-four years. But I did not choose for you to become the god of Light, nor did I spark your existence."

"But… if I wasn't an angel, what would I be?"

"Human," she replied simply. "You would have grown into a human adult, gone through their life cycle, and died at some time later on. You would not have died when you reached five years of age."

Now this little piece of information was news to Pit.

"Wh-What?!" he demanded. "I… I died?!"

"Yes," she confirmed. "You were born as a human, but your soul was chosen once your life began to become that of an angel. You had to grow enough, learn the basics of life, before you could move on to Skyworld."

"Why don't I remember any of this?"

"When a soul passes from one realm to another, takes a new form, it loses the memories of its former life. There are exceptions, like your becoming the god of Light or the Oracle of Darkness taking over as the lord of the Underworld. Immediate reincarnation to the same form and being also avoids memory loss."

"Are the memories completely lost?" he wondered, and she shook her head, causing her hair to shimmer.

"No, but it need not concern you right now. The night will soon draw to a close, and there are things we must discuss." He nodded. "You are now the god of Light. Therefore, a new angel must be chosen to take your place."

"So… you have to choose a new human who will become an angel?"

"Yes. Your predecessor, Leale, was female, as will your successor be. I have already made my decision. I am merely here to explain to you what is happening and introduce you to your new follower."

"What about Kuro?" he wondered.

"The one you call Kuro… Do not forget the original name he was given."

"…Dark Pit…" he mumbled.

"Exactly. The one you call Kuro is not a true angel. He did not come into existence by natural means. He himself is not even a complete being, and, because of his existence, neither are you." Pit rested his hand on his chest for a moment.

"Because of our shared soul, right?" The Keeper nodded once again.

"Yes. We will not deny that he has preformed great feats and you may not be alive if it wasn't for him. But, when it comes to the cycle of angels, he does not apply. So, if you would, young master, turn your attention to the fountain's waters." He looked down at its surface, and she waved her wing over it. The waters reacted just as they would have if he had called upon them. "Your new angel will be named 'Elora.'"

"Elora," he repeated. "That's a nice name."

"As you may have guessed, she has not been born yet. But I will show you the humans that will beget her." The waters came into focus on a pair of humans.

Humans Pit knew all too well.

"What? No!" he protested. "You're telling me they're going to lose their daughter?"

"Yes," the Keeper agreed. "I have made my decision, Lord Pit. Trust me, we have our reasons for this matter."

"But… they already lost one! You can't do this to them, not after everything they've been through."

"Another will follow Elora," she told him. "And that will serve as the challenge we have set for you." Pit blinked.

"Challenge?"

"Yes, Lady Palutena chose you as her successor. But you were never intended to be a god, Pit. You must prove you are indeed worthy of being the god of Light. Should you meet and pass the challenge, we will acknowledge your place." Pit looked back down at the pool, his heart aching.

"Very well," he sighed. "Then I accept your challenge."

"Elora will come to you just after her fifth birthday. Now that you know who her parents are, I trust you will watch over them. Other than the Keepers and Master Aeon, you are the only one who knows her fate."

"I understand," he dipped his head.

"Very good. We will be observing your actions with great interest, Master Pit. I have no doubt you will pass with little trouble."

"Thank you."

"All right. Go and rest. Your dreams have plagued you, and you need to sleep." With that, she faded from his sight, leaving him alone in the Gate's chamber. Without a word, he trudged back to his chamber and plopped himself face down onto his bed without bothering to take off his robes or sandals. Everything the Keeper had said buzzed around his head like a nest of angry hornets. He had been human, Kuro wasn't considered an angel, and Elora's birth and death would only bring more grief to her parents. He had a hard enough time convincing her soon-to-be-father that he and Palutena were on the humans' side, but this wasn't going to help his case. He'd heard her soon-to-be-mother's prayers for weeks after Nemo had restored life to the world, pleading with the gods for an explanation as to why she had lost her unborn child, for consolation, for relief from the pain she and her husband had endured.

"What am I supposed to do?" he mumbled into his pillow. "It's not like I can just tell them. And what's this challenge?" He could find no answers. This Keeper had told him that he needed to sleep, but every word she said made it nearly impossible for him to do so. He laid there for several marks, going over everything in his head, until the first rays of the sun penetrated the darkness in his chamber.