Autumn had arrived, and all of its changes on the world and the heavens began to take shape: leaves changed to their traditional reds, golds, yellows, and browns associated with the time of year before falling swiftly from the trees; only to be carried by the ever cooling air and winds and scattered across the ground. All the while gray skies and rain became the normal weather for the last few weeks.
Pit loved all these changes in the new season. His childlike wonder and spirit aided in him taking in the new style of each season with great ease.
Every morning Pit would dress accordingly with a longer tunic and actual pants rather than shorts and shoes rather than sandals. He also changed his scarf to a red, gold, purple, green, and brown patterned scarf he got from a young man sitting outside of a blue shed; it was a little long but the angel made his new scarf work. Pit would then head out to complete any duties assigned to him or simply fly around as long as he could before heading into town to greet everyone.
Dark Pit would usually try to distance himself from Palutenas Temple and the numerous annoying orders the green haired woman felt so keen to give him (AKA normal day to day life for the dark angel). He would usually go to the forests, full of the falling leaves and strong winds. Maybe it was the creepy atmosphere, but it made Dark Pit feel good.
Palutena was still as busy as ever in her Goddess of Light role, trying her best to keep humanity (and her fellow Gods) from starting another war, rounding up Underworld troops and camps wherever she found them, and of course giving miscellaneous orders to Pit and Pitoo on an hourly basis. A Goddess' work is never done.
But all work would stop for one day in the current month of October; or at least one night; All Hallows Eve.
Halloween was one of Palutenas favorite holidays for numerous reasons (costumes, decorations, scaring the wings of any angels she could find, CANDY!) and held a yearly costume party and freight fest at her temple. Many gods and angels were invited, and one the rarest occasions, a human or two.
This year, she wanted it to be the biggest party yet; which meant work for Pit and Pitoo.
"Ok. Pit: I want you to hang lights, clean the ballroom floor, set out the assorted plates and silverware at the tables, and start up the fog machines out in the south courtyard." Palutena instructed her angel captain on the morning of October 31st, the day of the party.
"Yes ma'm!" Pit said, saluting his boss before fwooshing his a side of his long scarf across his neck and over his shoulder before letting The Goddes of Light send a piece of her power to his flightless wings, sparking the common blue aura on them before sending the angel off out the nearest window.
"And Pitoo, you handle the other decorations across the manner and bring up the foods and drinks."
"Kay." The dark angel rolled his eyes before he began to walk off.
"Oh, and Pitoo. Please don't go overboard this time; I don't need to be responsible for another heart attack from the jump-scares you come up with."
Dark Pit snickered as he reached the doorway. "Come on, it's halloween, you're supposed to get scared by others."
Palutena smiled and shook her head; chuckling. "At least this is the time of year everyone around here is happier." The Goddess thought before warping off to start preparing her costume.
—*—
"A…Arlon! I..I…ACHOO! I need more of that tonic now!" came the nasally voice of Viridi, Goddess of Nature.
The tall, purple man shook his head at the yelling coming to him telepathically. "Mistress, we went over the rules of taking this remedy; we aren't even one-hunded percent sure if it works yet."
Viridi tried to scoff, but only coughs escaped her. "I don't *cough, cough* care. The doctor said they'd work so I'm taking them. Now bring me some!"
Arlon stood still, arms crossed, in the middle of the kitchen. Viridi's sickness had gotten much worse as the cold weather became more common. He hated seeing her in such a weak, sickly state; but this odd new medicine prescribed to her didn't seem like the answer to the commander at all. Bed rest and soup were always the remedies that worked best in his youth. But these thoughts were pushed away as he simply waited for a certain phrase to be said by his boss.
"…please." Viridi murmured weakly and almost ashamedly before starting to cough again.
Arlon sighed and went to grab the large green vial of medicine sitting on the counter by the oven and a cup to take some with.
"Yes, my mistress."
As Arlon walk by one of the temple lounges, he took note of Phosphora laying on a couch, tapping away at her sky phone.
"Miss Phosphora, if you could please make yourself useful to both Mistress Viridi and to me; please get the mail." The commander sternly said to the freeloading, er…resting nymph.
Phosphora rolled her eyes. "Yes, dad." She said sarcastically, tossing a lightning bolt between her hands in boredom as she walked to the door.
"Thank you." Arlon said, returning to a voice and stature fit for a butler before continuing on to Viridi's bedroom.
—*—
As Arlon got closer to the young goddess room, the coughs got louder and in greater repetition. The colder months of the year hit Viridi so hard it almost made him feel
sick as well. While Viridi certainly had her moments, she had and usually met the capacity to be a nice, caring young lady; and to see her in such a state was heartbreaking.
He knocked the door lightly and waited for the current coughing fit Viridi was going through to end.
"Come on." She almost whispered.
Arlon entered and held back a frown, Viridi looked as bad as she sounded. Her hair was shaggy and bed headed; sprawled across her head, her skin looked twice as pale and sickly, and there was the slightest tint of dark rings under her eyes, and her overall look and demeanor showed a weakened spirit in her.
"Give me the stuff now, I want to try and sleep." Viridi suddenly spoke up with a little more power to her voice. "I'm tiered."
"Well, at least you understand you need your rest, Mistress. I'm happy to hear that." Arlon commented as he placed the tray he carried on her bedside table, pushing aside some of the sketches that sat there. "But I must openly criticize your sudden dependence on this new medicine, I don't think it connects well with your body."
Viridi sighed deeply and sniffled. "You think it's making my condition worse?"
"I don't know for sure. All I do know is that you haven't gotten much better in the last few weeks."
"Arlon, winter kills plants; so it effects me greatly. You can't expect this illness to be gone by November. Trust me, I want *cough, cough* this gone more than you do; at least so I can finally see Pit again."
Oh yes," Arlon spoke up as he poured the medicine into a cup. "I've been meaning to ask, why exactly do you not want the young master seeing you?"
"I don't want Pit seeing me like this, all weak, frail, and sickly; he'd probably be embarrassed by me. I want to get as healthy as possible before he sees me again."
Arlon was slightly taken aback by his Mistress' answer. "Really now, we both know Master Pit is hardly that shallow at all; he'd rather help you get better than avoid you out of embarrassment." Arlon gave Viridi the medicine and watched her gulp it down, she shivered slightly at the foul taste. "He cares for you, Mistress; and he'd like to help your health improve. I know it."
Viridi sighed again and got under her covers deeper. "Maybe. But I still want to wait and see if I can't get any better."
A knock on the door interrupted the sick Goddess, Phosphora walked in. "Hey, V? There's an invitation here addressed to you, to a Halloween Party at Palutenas? And a separate card from Pit?"
A/N: Oh my god! I actually got a part of this out before Halloween ended. Hopefully the next part can be finished before Thanksgiving. Seriously though, the next parts of this story should be done in the next week or so. Yay for late holiday specials!