Human Ch. 13

Disclaimer: Me don't own anything.

The great Samus Aran,the woman who was known as a fearsome punisher of evil, the bounty hunter who was seldom to miss a shot and whose targets never lived to see her miss twice. If she had to, she was the destroyer of space stations and planets alike in order to bring peace to the universe.

Ask anyone back home who Samus Aran was and they'd be quick to rattle off some fact or feat that had earned her such notoriety.

They probably wouldn't have ever guessed that she had once had dined on a cloud with an angel.

It was another beautiful day in Angel Land. The sun warmly shone down on every winged man, woman and child who walked the clouds that day. The clouds themselves coasted over the Overworld calmly and lazily.

Samus smiled to herself, happy that she took up Pit offer for a picnic, even though the idea came off too cliche to her at first. Her mind changed once she spent some time in the peaceful cloudscape.

"When you said you needed time to get ready I thought you were going to dress up or something." Pit thought a loud, his arm hooked around a traditional straw basket.

"This isn't good enough for you?" Samus asked playfully, it was her usual casual outfit, jeans and a tee shirt.

"Well I thought with a picnic and all you might wear a sun dress or something." Pit suggested, avoid the gaze she responded with.

"In your dreams, angel."

When the couple eventually came to the edge of the clouds a bewildered Samus looked to her date for an answer. She watched silently as he jumped and glided to a smaller cloud that slowly drifted by. He then set the straw basket down and turned to his date.

"Ya coming?" He motioned her to come closer.

Samus inhaled deeply and gave herself room to build up a little speed. She was confident she could make the simple, 10 foot jump. She just didn't want to think of the grim results if she did misstep.

Without much effort Samus closed the distance between the two clouds. The part the bounty hunter didn't think of was the unpredictable pits and hills the clouds sometimes hid in their airy wisps.

Her honed reflexes kicked in as her loss of balance threatened to cast her from the cloud, only to be stopped short as a Pit's arm swiftly snaked around her and held her stable. Samus froze and her frantic beating heart felt like it might bruise the inside of her ribcage.

Pit smiled satisfied with his date's safety and turned back to the basket and rummaged through it. Spinning on his heel he offered a bright red apple to her.

"Thanks." Samus took the fruit as she wondered if the hot blush that she now donned outshone the apple.

Pit took a small bite and dropped to his seat, reclining back on his elbows. "You really like it here huh?"

Samus rolled the apple in her hand for a bit. Was she that easy to read to him? "It's a nice change of pace from my home."

"You should tell me more about your home, seeing as I can't visit it." Samus' demeanor visually changed

She honestly hated talking about her homes and what happened to her them. But if anyone deserved an explanation it was the man who put so much trust in her with his own.

Samus paused for a moment before she chewed her mouthful of fruit and swallowed. "Which one? The one the pirates destroyed or the one I helped destroyed?" Her voice was quiet and held a subtle, bitter tone.

The further change in emotion caused Pit to remain silent. As she stared back, waiting for a response, she could see the gears turn in his mind as he looked for the right words for such a situation. Her embittered mood didn't fill him with doubt, however. He always seemed to find them for her.

"I just wanted to know more about you." He explained carefully. "We don't have to talk about this if it upsets you." Pit said softly, attempting to steer their date in a better direction.

Great, now she felt guilty. She took a deep breath, if she could trust him with her life, giving him a little more background information wouldn't hurt.

"Pirates destroyed the mining planet I was born on. I was only three at the time and now I can barely remember anything about it other than seeing everything in ruins. I was eventually adopted by the Chozo who brought me to live on Zebes with them. Before I even came to terms with everything that was happening around me I was being tutored and trained to become the protector of the universe." Samus sounded more like she was reading from a text book rather then describing precious memories her home world.

Pit silently watched in empathy as the woman in front of him rush through a painful, sad history.

"After those awkward teenage years and more training, courtesy of the Galactic federation, I get to visit Zebes two more times. The second time the planet itself was the price of peace. Ever since I've pretty much lived out of my gunship." Samus finished her story, took another bite and seemed more then happy to stay silent.

Both stayed quiet as the soft sound of apple chewing filled the air. Pit watched her out of the corner of his eyes.

"You want to know the worse part of the destruction of Zebes was?" Samus baited him with another question.

Pit opened his mouth, unsure if she really wanted to share more . He didn't want her to hurt anymore just for his curiosity.

"It made me more popular than ever! I was praised for taking out every single pirate on the planet. Other hunters joked about how 'if Samus Aran needs to, she'll destroy an entire planet' or 'Better not mess with her. I'd hate to see her on a rough day!' Barely anyone took into consideration that I had lost another home. That, once again, all physical traces on my home had been erased from existence. "

Watching the woman lay her pain in front of him had Pit frantically looking for something, anything to relieve some of this burden off of her.

"Loss is never easy to deal with." Pit cursed himself for not having anything more useful to say. He promised her that he'd back her up in anyway he could and here she was, putting up a strong front but in need of some help either way.

"If you ever need a real home again maybe you should consider Angel Land." Pit smiled, trying to lighten her mood.

"What?"Samus reacted as if he said something incredibly stupid.

"I can't do anything for you in your world. But I can give everything I got to protect Angel Land. I can promise you that come even Medusa herself, your home would be safe if it was in Angel Land."

Samus became flustered as his words sunk in. Eager to pass let the moment pass she turned a way with a small smile on her lips. "You're crazy." Samus took another bite of the hand fruit as she calmed herself. The sound of children playing in the distant caught her attention.

"So they'll grow up right? I mean they won't be children forever." Samus motioned to the kids in question, letting her natural curiosity take her mind set.

"Right, Palutena wanted those to serve her to do whatever made them the happiest, within reason of course. So she created us with the ability to reproduce sexually. Their bodies will grow to be about 25 before they stop aging." Pit rattled off the facts.

"I see, you're nearly a century old, do you have-" Samus stopped herself, muttering "of course not."

Pit raised an eyebrow, already knowing she what she was going to ask. "Why'd you stop? Is it too weird to think that I may have a kid? Or maybe you can't picture me with a woman when I'm always going to look this young?"

"Well, have you?" The bounty hunter's curiosity got the better of her.

"I was not only on the front, but pretty much thrown into the role of leader when we fought to take Angel Land back. With the stress of the possibly of dying everyday on top of that. You tell me if I enjoyed myself when I could." Pit raised an eyebrow.

"But no children?"

"Ana never became pregnant, I'm not sure why. I suppose it was for the best, I'd hate to raise a child in such violent times."

"I wouldn't want to either."

"What about you?" Pit asked rather sheepishly.

Samus shot him a dirty look, almost appalled.

"Hey,you asked me first." Pit shrugged in defense. "I figured fair is fair."

"Ladies aren't supposed to kiss and tell. Just because I carry a gun doesn't mean I don't have my own lady like code of honor"

"Alright, alright how about we just eat then?" Pit began to retrieve goods from the basket when a familiar red head in the distance caught his attention. "Oh no" he muttered under his breath as she drew near. Samus turned around when she noticed Pit's attention being drawn elsewhere.

Samus recognized the young, redheaded woman who glided toward them. She was one of the guards who saved her from falling from Angel Land when she first arrived weeks ago. The redheads arms were overloaded with heavy armaments and her feet were barely a few inches over the clouds.

"Hey Val, you look like you have good news." Pit greeted the woman whose face was hidden behind a crimson curtain of loose hair.

"Really?" The guard ask in wonder.

"No. But I'll listen to what ever you've got anyways."

"Well captai-"

"Wait, wait, lets get that hair out of your face first." Pit interrupted when he noticed her blue hair ribbon draped across her shoulder. The shorter Angel rose from his seat and slipped the ribbon from his subordinate, shifting behind her to tie her hair back. Samus let out a huff of breath as a twinge of jealousy ran through her.

As Pit finished he returned to standing in his previous spot.

"Thank you Captain," Valora sported a small blush. "We've been asked to investigate an abandoned house on the Overworld that has had signs of substantial dark magic coming from it."

"I see. Wasn't today your day off?"

"They needed someone, so I volunteered." Val shrugged.

"Why do they want Pit specifically?" Samus asked, trying not to sound as annoyed as she was.

"I can use the sacred treasures, I have the best chance of survival if this turns out to be a trap." Pit answered before Valora could. "I'm sorry Samus, but it looks like we're going to have to postpone our picnic."

Samus crossed her arms in thought, "Maybe I could come with..." Picnic or not she much rather stay with Pit than go back to her lonely old gunship.

"Sir, I don't think that would be the best idea." The female Angel interjected before anyone else could say anything.

"I don't see what could go wrong, Samus is strong, quick and is more than capable of holding her own. Plus another person wouldn't hurt just in case this is a trap. I'm alright with it If you really don't mind coming with Samus. It's a bit unfair to ask you to waste some of your time off on Angel Land's problems."

"I don't mind at all. Someone's got to keep an eye on you after all." Samus shot him a confident smile.

"It's settled, then." Pit relived his fellow guard of his shield and bow she was carrying, and quickly tossed them to his date. His hand disappeared into his pocket as his wings began to glow an familiar, enchanting blue.

"Wait sir, don't you want to grab some more protection before we head out?" Valora asked as he finished his preparation.

Pit shook his head. "It going to be a rough flight carrying Samus down as it is. I'm not going to be able to do it if were both wearing armor. So I'll go as is and we can get Samus some armor if she wants it."

"I'll be fine, I'm more worried about you." Samus face fell with concern when he made his reckless suggestion.

"Lets agree to disagree and just get going, then. We should be alright as long as we stick together." Pit shot a glance to the other angel. "You ready, Val?"

"Whenever you are, sir." Valora hovered, ready to move out.

Pit walked over to Samus and swept her up across his arms, her free arm wrapped around his neck in a panic. A few strong beats of his newly strengthened wings had them hovering.

"Warn me before you do that next time." She was too surprised and embarrassed to sound angry.

Pit only grinned at her. "Lead the way, then." He commanded as he trotted to the cloud's edge.

It wasn't often Samus flew without the aid of her ship, or the protective covering of her suit. It was both exhilarating and a bit frightening for her. She watched the distant scenery wiz by until the whipping wind became too much for her unprotected eyes and forced her to retreat into the folds of Pit's toga. The sound of his wing-beats was oddly soothing, she couldn't help but to recall hiding in old bird's robes when first exploring the wondrous nature of Zebes.

Before long the three came about their destination. Samus looked in disbelief at the three story dwelling that was so casually described as a 'house'. If this mansion was only a house, she should start classifying her gunship as a really useful scooter. She looked to her companions as they became lost in their own stern study of the site.

"You're feeling this too, right?" Valora's eyes didn't wander from their focus.

"Yeah, there's something going on in there all right." Pit's arms shot for the sky as he stretched his worn arms and wings from the labored flight. "Well lets get going."

Samus fell behind the winged guardians as she wondered what they were sensing, Her muscles tightened and her she readjusted her grip on the bow and shield.

Whatever was in there was going to be sorry it interrupted her date.

A/N: Hey all, once again sorry for the wait, school and such. This chapter was originally going to be twice as long and wrap up the mansion's investigation. I've decided to split it up into two parts to see if I can capture a different feel in the next chapter. It shouldn't take too long to write but I will be working on a few other stories as well so I won't make any promises as to when it will be up. Thanks to everyone for your support!