The next few days passed sleepily, everyone in Skyworld at ease. Only Palutena and I knew that her entire domain was doomed.

Though it still felt natural, I had to practice flying to get used to it. I flew all around Skyworld, traveling from the various islands I could finally reach myself. I usually practiced at night or early in the morning, trying to stay away from everyone else. I often peered down beneath the clodus, looking down at the world below, but I couldn't bring myself to leave. Knowing I was in danger didn't help; the land beneath was filled with too many unknowns.

I bumped into Pit in the hallway one day, watching as he started walking by my side. "Are you okay?" he asked. If the poison from Palutena was affecting him, he was doing a great job hiding it.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I frowned, walking toward the dining hall.

Pit shrugged. "You've been spending a lot of time in your room. You're not hiding anything, right? The poison is gone?"

"The poison is gone," I replied. I glanced at Pit, not knowing how to explain. "I've been resting, playing video games, stuff like that."

"Oh, okay," Pit said. He seemed to buy it. "Let's go get something to eat!"

I didn't particularly want to hear Pit talk for half an hour, but I decided to go with him. "Fine."

He looked happy, a smile on his face. It almost made me smile, too, but it disappeared when I realized his wouldn't last.

We walked into the dining room, a couple of angels hanging out in a corner talking. I looked at them warily, but they didn't pay me much attention. "I'll get some food," Pit said. I took a table far away from the other angels, drawing with my finger over the table as Pit grabbed everything he could find from the fridge.

He dropped food over the table and I decided not to comment on how much he ate. At least he wasn't eating ice cream off of the floor. I glanced over everything he had grabbed, opening a packet of Pop Tarts. It was always amazing how different we were.

"Maybe the poison was all a mistake," Pit said suddenly. "You know? Or maybe even Nyx did it."

"Nyx didn't do it," I said, shaking my head. That was something I was sure of. "She didn't really gain anything."

"Maybe it was meant for someone else," Pit said. "Like a different god."

"I..." I didn't know what to say. I really didn't know any more than he did. "Have you guys found anything? You were looking for clues, right?"

Pit shook his head. "We didn't really know where to look. Palutena wouldn't let us go to the Underworld, which I'm not really upset about."

"Us?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

Pit wouldn't look at me. "I took a couple of other angels with me. I really meant me and Palutena when I said us. The others were just there for backup. I wanted to take you, but..."

"But you were worried I wasn't ready," I said. "I hate to say it, but I probably wasn't."

"You're not mad?" Pit asked, surprised.

I leaned back in my chair with a laugh. "Nothing to be mad about."

"I know you've been stuck here for so long," Pit said. "You want to leave. At least for a while. I don't blame you."

I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it. He wasn't completely wrong, but I wasn't really sure what I wanted. 

"Want to do something today?" Pit asked hopefully.

"What, you don't want to go play with the other angels?" I asked.

Pit looked hurt. "I just thought that you might be lonely. You act tough, but... I don't think you like to be alone all the time."

I frowned. "You were thinking of me?"

"Of course!" he shouted. "We're friends, aren't we?"

I froze. "Friends?"

Pit nodded. "Yeah! Let's go outside after we eat. I'm sure something will come to us then."

"Yeah. Okay."

Pit spent a few minutes scarfing down the rest of his food, leading the way out of the dining hall. He kept smiling brightly the whole time, though I wasn't sure what he was so happy about. "Have you been flying?"

"A little," I said. I couldn't help but smile when I talked about flying. "It's been so long."

"You're the one who wouldn't let Palutena gift you the Power of Flight," Pit said.

"Five minutes at a time is stupid."

Pit shrugged. "Well, for me, it's-"

Pit suddenly stopped mid-sentence, staring at the space ahead. I frowned, stepping in front of him. "Hello?" I asked, waving my hand in front of his eyes. They were empty. "Anyone home?"

I grabbed my head as pain stabbed through it. The pain was so bad I almost fell over, stabbing into my skull over and over again. It slowly got better and better, but stayed dizzying. I cursed as something grabbed my arm, pulling at it.

It was Pit. His eyes were blank, like his soul had been sucked from his body. For a moment, the two of us stared into each others eyes.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, getting my senses back as the headache disappeared. Pit's grip was iron. I tried to peel his fingers away, watching his other hand move and grabbed the upper part of my forearm.

"Don't you dare," I said as threateningly as I could. I froze, shocked. A bead of sweat dropped from the side of his face, his mind struggling against the poison.

"Pit," I said, trying not to let the fear through my voice. "Fight it. Don't do this. You can-"

With the same blank expression on his face, a crack rang through the air from my body. I screamed at the pain, scrambling backward and hitting the wall. My breath was shaky as I looked at the oddly bent arm hanging at my side. I managed to get to my feet as Pit walked toward me, looking behind me. The armory was down the hall past the front door. I squinted through my blurry vision, rushing at Pit.

He was taken off guard, and I threw my fist across his face, letting him stumble back. I spun my foot under him, making him fall onto his back. I slammed my foot into his stomach, then turned and flew down the hall to the armory. I pulled at the door with my one arm, Pit running toward me in the corner of my vision. The door seemed heavier than ever, and for a moment, I didn't think I would be able to get it open. With a click, the door opened. I slipped inside, pushing it closed.

I looked around the room wildly, looking for something to keep the door shut. It was unlike any of the rooms in Palutena's temple. It was dark and built from bricks and concrete. I scanned the racks of weapons and settled on the first stall I saw, throwing it in between the handles of the door. I leaned against the closest wall, sliding down it.

I looked at my arm, the skin around it turning purple. Now that the adrenaline from the fight was wearing down, the pain was getting intense. It dimmed my vision and made me queasy, but I couldn't stop for long. I could hear Pit's soft footsteps as he walked up to the door.

I waited for him to say something, jumping as the door moved. I watched as he slammed against the door, the staff slowly moving from its place. I stood up, cradling my arm. The weapon held in the door, but I wasn't sure it would stay for long. I looked up at the window letting in the little bit of light. It was barely large enough for me to fit through. I grabbed a bow, activating the Power of Flight and flying to the window. I smashed through it with the weapon, trying to get the jagged shards out of the way.

The door broke open just as I got through the window, and I darted away without another glance. Something made me pause, though. I was forgetting something. One of the angels wouldn't be affected by the poison.

"Katrina!" I screamed, moving back toward the palace. I went in through the front door, looking down the different sides of the hall.

I started down the hall toward my room, throwing doors open, glancing inside for Katrina. I saw another angel in the hall, looking like he was struggling with his mind. I didn't take any chances; I threw his head into my knee, knocking him out.

I ran down the rows of beds in the infirmary, sighing with relief when I got to the end. Katrina was sitting in the farthest corner, a Dark Pit Staff. It would have been funny in different circumstances. Now, though, Katrina was shaking, clearly terrified.

"We have to go," I whispered, getting behind the curtain.

She looked up at me, her eyes wide. "I don't understand what's going on..." she said quietly.

"Right now, we have to get out of here," I said. "Can you fly?"

She nodded, and I pulled her to her feet. I froze as I saw Pit halfway into the room, walking toward us. He had bloody cuts all over his body from haphazardly getting through the window. It was scary to see him like this, the blankness in his eyes showing that he wouldn't be able to show any mercy.

I took a step back, standing next to Katrina. "Get out of here. Find Viridi. I'll be right behind you."

I knew that I was signing my death, but for some reason I couldn't just let her die. I could hold off Pit long enough for her to get away. Maybe Viridi would be able to find someone else that could restore Skyworld.

Katrina waited, taking a step back as she saw Pit. After a moment, she activated the Power of Flight, flying against the ceiling and escaping. Pit hardly spared a second glance for her. He was focused on me, Skyworld's threat.

I split the bow in two, which was difficult with just one hand. I kicked away one of the halves and spun the other with my fingers, ready to attack. "Too bad this isn't a fair fight," I chuckled. The useless arm at my side made me nervous. "I would love to fight Dark Pit Number Two."

I stepped to the side as Pit rushed at me, deflecting his claws with my sword. I kicked out with my foot, but I missed. I jumped onto the bed I was next to, running toward the exit. He met me at the doorway, ramming his body into mine. We fell out of the room, sprawling across the floor. I saw something familiar against the wall, disheartened to see that Katrina hadn't actually followed my instructions.

"Katrina, he will kill you!" I shouted. I stood up, sliding across the floor as Pit slashed at me. "You have to leave! Now!"

She took a step back, but didn't look like she was going to leave. I turned back toward Pit, cutting toward him and missing. I hadn't managed to get a single hit in on him, and fighting with only one hand was difficult. The pain in my arm was distracting, to say the least.

I took steps toward the front door, letting Pit push me that way. Katrina shuffled far behind me, watching the fight with the staff tightly gripped in her hands. I spun and tried to cut near Pit's arms and hands, but his claws were longer than my short sword. I looked back toward the front door constantly, but it still seemed impossibly far away. Pit didn't even glance at the angel I had knocked out as we passed him.

"Open the door, Katrina!" I yelled. She ran back, throwing the doors wide open. I could feel the breeze coming inside. The sounds of battle echoed in the temple. We were so close. "Okay, I'm-"

In one quick movement, Pit disarmed me. I felt sudden pressure in my stomach, barely hearing Katrina scream in the background. I looked down, seeing the claws embedded in my stomach. I felt blood bubble up my throat, feeling it trickle down my chin. Pit pulled the weapon out, watching as I fell to my knees and then my face. There wasn't any particular emotion in his face, but reality felt like it was slipping away. Blood covered the floor, any movement making my stomach hurt. I was barely aware of my broken arm.

A blast knocked Pit away, and I felt Katrina at my side. I shouted as she flipped me onto my back, looking at my stomach. "We have to get you to Viridi, now," she said, alarm in her voice. I tried to reply, but blood just flowed through my mouth.

To my surprise, Katrina picked me up, running out of the temple. Outside, it was absolute chaos. The angels and centurions were fighting, though it wasn't clear why. Maybe they were just confused, the poison working slowly.

"Hang in there, Pittoo," Katrina said. She activated the Power of Flight, looking below at Pit racing toward us. "Viridi!" Katrina screamed, panicked.

Nothing happened, Pit gaining on us. Katrina flew further away from Skyworld, and I could only watch as Pit came closer and closer, his hand pulled back and ready to strike.

"Viridi!" Katrina shouted. "Please!"

I felt the warmth of extraction, and Katrina and I were suddenly rolling along a cold floor. "What in the world is going on?" Viridi said, exasperated.

I tried to get up, but the loss of blood and the injury was taking its toll. I slid back to the floor, my body refusing to move.

"Viridi!" Katrina yelled, rushing to my side. "Help him!"

I closed my eyes, voices whirling around. It felt like my head was underwater, the voices muted and hard to understand. Katrina hooked her arms under mine, dragging me somewhere. I frowned when my hand touched something rough, but it felt like my eyes were glued shut, my body nailed to the floor.

I felt my stomach knit itself together, and it wasn't a bad feeling. It felt strangely warm, my arm's bone mending as well. It was still several minutes before I could open my eyes, the vision slowly getting less and less blurry. Katrina sighed with relief, pulling my hand away.

I looked to the side at Viridi, who was sitting on a throne that seemed to be made entirely of gold. As I looked around, I noticed that there was a large amount of gold - or gold colored substance. The floors were big tiles of it, and the ceiling had intricate designs of flowers and landscapes carved into the gold. In the middle of the room, next to me and Katrina, was a giant tree, taller than Hades had been. Its leaves branched out far, but not too far that it was impossible to see the carvings around the room. The tree's bark was thick and healthy. It looked like it was going to outlive every living being, even deities. 

"That was way too close," Katrina said.

"The poison?" Viridi asked.

I nodded, slowly getting my strength back. I tried to speak, but blood still flowed through my mouth.

"Give it a minute," Viridi said. "It's still healing you. You should be eternally grateful. I could have let you die."

I managed a noise as I slowly got up, pushing Katrina's hand away when I stumbled. "I'm... fine."

I spit blood onto the floor. Viridi looked shocked, the look on her face almost making me laugh. "Did you... Did you just spit on my floor?"

"Sorry," I said, wiping my mouth. I wasn't all that sorry.

Viridi still looked disgusted. "I can't believe an angel just bled all over my floor and then spit on it."

"I..." I turned away and folded my arms, my face feeling warm. "Thanks for saving me."

"You must be shaken by Pit's attack," Viridi said, an amused smile on her face. "I've never heard you thank someone."

I glanced at Katrina. "Hopefully it won't happen again. Let's go back. I can take them all down."

Katrina and Viridi looked at me like I had two heads. "Viridi just brought you back from the brink of death," Katrina said. "You're in no shape to-"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do," I said. I got my first good look at her since seeing her in the infirmary. She looked hurt, afraid, and confused. I frowned at the pain in my chest.

"Okay, then I will," Viridi said sternly. "I'm not letting you near Skyworld as it is. It would be stupid. Even you realize that."

I scoffed. "Then I'll go myself."

"No, you won't," Viridi said. "Why do you want to go back there so badly? You want to die?"

I formed my hands into tight fists and thought about Nyx's promise. I looked toward the ground, sighing. "I promised Nyx I would live in her domain when Skyworld fell."

"You made a deal with Nyx?" Viridi screamed. "Are you absolutely insane?"

"The only other option was to die!" I shouted. "I figured that it would be wise to stay alive if she saw the end of Skyworld."

Viridi stared at me for a moment, then barked with laughter, her face softening. "You're right, but you're so screwed."

"Now do you see the problem?" I asked.

"Sure," Viridi said. "But your problem doesn't have a solution. There's no going back to Skyworld right now. Especially with who we've learned is in charge of the poison. She's been causing chaos everywhere. It's-"

"Wait," I said, shaking my head and wondering if I had heard her correctly. "She? You know what's going on? Who is it?"

Viridi looked from me to Katrina warily. "She didn't show herself on Skyworld?"

I scratched my head. "If 'she' did, it was when I was teetering on the edge of life and death. Just tell us."

"This is too good," Viridi said.

"Please," Katrina said. "Who is it?"

Viridi looked beyond amused. "Are you aware," she said, a wide smile on her face, "that Hades had a wife?"