A New Heaven

Chapter 35


"Life-mates?" Ike repeated, looking down into Pit's eyes.  "I thought we were love-mates."

"In the world of angels," Palutena said, "When love-mates that have an eternally deep love for each other, decide that they want to spend the rest of days together, they become life-mates.  On Earth, it would be called 'being married'."

Ike was still holding Pit's hands as he gazed into his deep blue eyes.  He noticed his feathers lightly shaking, how his hands were so small and delicate compared to his, how his head came up to just his chin.  Those eyes summed up everything Ike wanted for the rest of his life.  

"Please" Pit mouthed as a tear slowly ran down his cheek.  

Still gazing into Pit's eyes, Ike slowly lowered himself to his knees.  "Pit," he started, "I…I would love to be your life-mate."

Pit's eyes immediately grew as a broad grin sprang to his face.  Wordlessly he threw himself into Ike's arms and buried his face into Ike's shoulder.  "I love you Ike" he sobbed, "love you, I love you!"

Palutena smiled warmly as she watched the two, angel and human, embracing each other in a very special hug.  "I witness this agreement with joy." she eventually said as Pit slowly broke off the hug.  

Pit looked at her and wiped his eyes.  "Thank you so much Palutena.  Will you join us together in a bonding?"

Palutena's smile faded slightly.  "Before I agree to bond you together I must talk with you each independently.  As this is an unprecedented union, some difficult decisions must me made."

Ike slowly rose to his feet.  "What decisions are you talking about?"

"I must speak with you alone Ike." she replied.  Turning to Pit she nodded slightly, "Pit, please leave us for a short while.  I shall call you when you are to return."

Pit got a slightly nervous look on his face as he looked at Palutena.  He then looked at Ike and smiled lightly.  "Thank you so much…I love you." he whispered before turning to walk off.  

Ike watched Pit walk down the aisle and then out the grand door.  He then turned to Palutena.  "I don't know what to say but…thank you."

Palutena smiled warmly at him.  "Ike, I do not doubt your love for Pit, I have felt it for quite some time.   I know what he means to you and what you mean to him."

Ike stood there, finally finding himself able to relax around the goddess.  "Pit is my world now." he simply said.

"With your permission, I would like to get to better know you." she quietly said as she moved closer to Ike.

"Of course," Ike replied.  "What would you like to know?  I have no secrets from you or Pit."

Palutena reached out with both arms and lightly touched the sides of Ike's head.  In an instant, Ike saw flashes…memories zooming by so fast they were almost a blur.  He saw his childhood friends, him offering some food to a starving and abandoned Soren, the death of his father…he saw a few young maidens in various states of dress, him killing Zelgius, the lustful expression on Pit's face as they made love.  What was worse than seeing all these images, were the feelings welling up within him.  It was as if all the emotions he had felt during these experiences were surfacing at the same time.  He eventually fell to a knees as Palutena took her hands away from his head.  

"Why…why did you do that?" Ike croaked, sobbing loudly.  He was shaking and couldn't see straight.  The emotions were so great that he eventually fell to the ground and curled up, sobbing like a child.

"Ike, remember two nights ago." Palutena said, "Remember the savior of your tortured soul."

Breathing hard, Ike was trying to sort everything out.  He couldn't get the image of his dying father out of his mind.  The countless dead that had been at his hands.  With eyes tightly clenched and body trembling, he heard a voice, "Ike…" It seemed distant at first but got clearer the more he concentrated on it.  The images were fading slightly as the voice got closer and clearer, "I love you Ike!"  He knew who it was and it seemed the more that he concentrated on the voice, the more the images and emotions faded.  Taking a deep breath he tried as hard as he could to think of his angel.  He pictured Pit, standing in the morning mist, "Oh, good morning!" Pit said with a radiant smile as he walked up and hugged him.  The memory came back to him like a flood, washing away the pain and troubles that were haunting him.  His eyes slowly opened, he felt relieved and totally at peace now, the image of Pit still in his mind.

"Very well done Ike," Palutena started, "You have accepted Pit not only into your heart, but into your soul."  

Ike felt a pair of hands slide into his and help him to his feet.  Looking up he saw that it was Palutena herself that had helped him stand.  "I…now know why that had to happen," Ike softly said as a smile crept across his face, "Pit is the savior of my soul."

-----

Still overwhelmed with emotion, Pit flew toward his sister's house.  His heart was beating fast and his eyes wouldn't stop tearing up.  He had said yes...YES!  He and Ike would be bonded together forever!  

He landed before Xera's house and ran in.  There he found Blayze sitting on the couch sharpening an arrowhead on a stone and Xera lying on her stomach on the floor.  Her feet were kicked up and she was busily drawing something on a piece of parchment.  "Ike said yes!" he yelled with joy as they both looked up.

Xera had already jumped to her feet and grabbed him tightly in a hug.  "I knew he would!" she exclaimed.  "You two are such a wonderful couple."

Pit picked Xera up, her wings flapping happily, and spun her around laughing.  Setting her down on the floor he looked at Blayze.  "Well?" he said excitedly.

Blayze managed a small grin.  "Congratulations little brother." he softly said.  

"Oh come on Blayze, don't be such a downer." Xera laughed, "Our brother is going to be bonded.  It's a wonderful day!"

Blayze looked at his excited sister and then at his brother. "I guess it just takes a while to sink in.  An angel has never been bonded with a human before." he shrugged.  Leaning down he picked up his arrowheads and placed them in a small wooden box.  "I have to go to Drake's house now, his arrowheads are all done."  He turned and quickly walked out of the room.

"I don't know what has gotten into him," Xera started, "He has been very moody lately.  But who cares about that now?  You are going to have a life-mate!" she nearly screamed.

Pit laughed and hugged his sister again.  "I know…I don't think I have ever been happier than I am right now!" Pit sang as he again picked up his sister and spun around the room.

-----

The call from Palutena came shortly after Pit and Xera had walked to her neighbor's house to tell them the good news.  

"Xera, would you mind following me to Palutena's?  Ike needs a way to get back down here." Pit asked after he said his goodbyes to the neighbors.

"Sure thing!" She exclaimed as she jumped into the air, flapping her wings.  "But you are going to have to catch me before I get there!"  She then took off in a graceful arc toward Palutena's temple.

Pit laughed as he took off after his sister.  Being slightly larger and a better flier than Xera, Pit easily caught up with her, sticking his tongue out as he zoomed past her.

They both landed giggling before the huge doors of the temple.  They became serious almost immediately as they walked through the doors.  There they saw a slightly shaken Ike standing before Palutena.  

Ike turned and, upon seeing them, quickly ran toward Pit.  He swept the lightweight angel into a tight embrace and kissed his cheek.  "Pit, I love you so much." he whispered into his ear.

Pit returned the hug, nuzzling into Ike's shoulder.  "I love you too Ike." he whispered in return.  

The two continued to hold one another until Palutena coughed lightly to get their attention.  Ike chuckled as he broke off the hug.  He quickly leaned in and gave Pit a kiss on the forehead.  "Love you…" he whispered as he let go.

Wearing a broad smile Pit turned and walked to Palutena, going to one knee before her.  

"Come on Ike," Xera chirped, "I'm gonna take you back down."  She took his hand and walked him outside.  

Ike chuckled as Xera took his hand.  Glancing back, he took another look around the glorious temple, his eyes finally resting on Pit who was down on one knee before Palutena.  They walked outside and Xera got behind him.  "Are you going to be able to fly me down there?" Ike asked with a touch of concern.

Xera giggled and hugged him from behind.  "You would be surprised how powerful our wings are."  At that she flapped a few times and they both slowly rose into the air.

Pit slowly came to his feet, still wearing a broad smile.

"My dear Pit," Palutena said as she reached out and ran her fingers through his coppery hair.  "How is it that you have fallen in love with a human?"  The question was rhetorical as she already knew the answer.  

Pit continued to smile as she smiled back, eventually chuckling.  "Your choice in life-mates is an interesting one.  To start with, he is a man, and while same-sex unions are rare, they are not unheard of."

Pit nodded slightly.  "I thought a lot about that," Pit explained, "I realize that is it rare and in some cases even shunned, but I love him.  It would do far more harm for both of us to ignore it."

"Very well spoken Pit." she smiled.  "Now, there are some rather important details I must discuss with you before I agree to bond the two of you."

Pit's smiled faded slightly and he steeled himself.

"For years you have talked fondly of starting a family," Palutena said as she sat down.  "While you didn't have eyes for anyone in particular, you always had a future with children in your plans."

Pit's eyes went to the ground.  "I know…I have always wanted a family." he wistfully said."

"Through the years you have seen many young children grow into beautiful angels and witnessed the joy it has brought their parents." she pressed, "Are you willing to give that up?  Are you willing to go through life without a family?"

Pit's head came up, tears in his eyes.  "Ike is my family." he said with a hint of defiance.  "I…am willing to give up my dream of fathering a child."  He wiped his eyes.  "I am willing to go through life without children."

Palutena nodded in agreement.  "It is then set, if you bond with Ike you will never father children, this you willingly agree to?"

Pit sniffed and nodded.  

"There is one more extremely important detail I must discuss with you," she started, "Ike is a human and therefore mortal.  You are an angel and immortal."

Pit stared at her, his feathers trembling at the impending query.

"Two may not become one if they are not equal." she said looking at him, "Would you be willing to give up your immortality to become his life-mate?"

The question hung in the air.

"I…I would grow old and die…" Pit said as he stared into space.  

"Yes Pit.  If you were to give up your immortality, you would grow old as the humans do and eventually die."

Pit looked down at the ground.  "I couldn't stand living…knowing Ike was just a mere moment of my life.  When he dies…so will I." He then looked up at Palutena.  "My goddess, I am willing to give up my immortality to become life-mates with Ike."



(end chapter 35)