My God... it's the fifth story in the Second Series... *sniffles* They grow up so fast!

I bet you're wondering just what I have in store for Piridi. Well, you'll see. You'll all see! *laughs maniacally*

Anyway, all the usual junk: Thanks to Konpeki Rei for beta reading this, I don't own KI, bowties are cool.

Chapter 1

Soda Pop

Seventy- five. That's the number that's running through my mind.

Seventy- five.

As in seventy- five years.

The number of years I've been dating Viridi.

… I know that seems like a lot to you humans, but remember, Viridi and I are pretty much immortal. Seventy- five years is about nine in your terms.

But being immortal doesn't mean you don't age. Oh, no. Since the last time I shared a story (in which I told Viridi I loved her, and she said she loved me- the greatest moment of my life), half a century has passed us by. A full fifty years.

I'll let you soak that in. OK, you done? Good.

Needless to say, both my girlfriend and I have changed in appearance. I can only speak for myself, but I guess the best comparison to my "age" is a 19- year- old human, maybe 20 if the dude is small. My wings are fuller, more aerodynamic, and still flightless. Hair's still shaggy, but more trimmed than it was a while ago. My nose is... kinda big. And my abs- can you say "six pack?" You can? Good job, boys and girls! Now, can you say "Pit's bringing sexy back to Skyworld?" Like that pop singer, Justin Woodpond?

Speaking of Skyworld, today I'm waiting at the top of a hill on one of the holy place's many islands. Vri is supposed to come over for a picnic. Even after so long, I'm still excited to see her again.

I hear a familiar pop behind me, and I turn to find a blond teenager- say, about 18 years old?- smiling at me. Her ponytail goes just beyond her shoulder blades, her bright green eyes sparkle in the light, her chest is... nice, to say the least, and her very existence makes me feel like I could take on a million Monoeyes.

"You like the new look?" she asks, gesturing to her body. I grab her shoulders.

"Of course I do. You're beautiful, no matter what you look like. But why you'd do this?"

She strokes my wings. "Well, aside from the fact you grew some more-"

"Palutena says I'm not going to be getting any bigger!" I interject.

"- you do know what today is, right?" Viridi finishes.

I pull her in even closer. "Happy anniversary, Vri. I love you."

"I love you too, Pitty," she whispers, then presses her lips against mine.

I kiss her back with every emotion I've been wanting to convey to her for so long. I place my hands on her lower back, and she hops up into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. Unfortunately, I'm still a bit of a klutz, so the sudden change in my center of gravity causes me to fall down onto the grass.

Then physics kick in and we roll to the bottom of the hill.

Viridi, however, isn't angry. Instead she's laughing and screaming in glee. The chuckle is infectious, and I join in. We keep guffawing even after we stop, with her lying on top of me. I kiss her and we smooch for what feels like forever. And then I realize something.

I want to spend the rest of my life with this goddess.

Now, that's not much of a problem. I could easily move into Viridi's temple and continue to date her for all of eternity. But I want something more. Something more permanent. Something definitive.

I recalled an event that happened about twenty years ago...

. . .

Certain souls that are particularly close to the gods are granted the right to, instead of going to the Underworld, be escorted to a more heavenly afterlife.

One of these souls was an old friend. And his reaction to seeing me was in par with his character.

"Angel face? Well, I guess I am kicking the bucket. Not surprised you showed up."

I coughed. "Ahem. Magnus, due to your services in fighting the Underworld, Palutena, the Goddess of Light, wishes to make you-"

He sighed. "I'm not becoming an angel. Not if it means becoming like you. I do, however, want a favor."

I was shaken for a second, as no human before has ever turned down the chance to be an angel. I motion for him to continue. "What do you desire?" I asked, keeping with the formal script. I hated it.

"Drop the act, kid. I want you to watch my wife," he ordered.

"Um... wife?"

"Gaol. I married her," he explained.

"'Married?'" I was still really confused.

I later asked Lady Palutena what being married meant. Apparently it's a human custom where a man and a woman that love each other exchange words and rings and commit their lives to each other. I filed this information in the back of my mind, never thinking I would need to use it.

. . .

But now, kissing my girlfriend of so many years...

My gods.

I want to marry Viridi.

Quick, Pit, how do you ask her? There's this method for it... a proposal! OK, gotta be subtle, but classy. Be smooth.

I peel myself off of her lips. She's disappointed, but she senses that I want to talk, so she doesn't object. "So... how about this weather we're having?" I chuckle. I mentally facepalm myself.

Oh yeah. That's smooth as heck.

Viridi eyeballs me carefully. "You want something, don't you." It's a statement, not a question.

I swallow. "How did you know?"

She nuzzles her nose against mine. "You pick up on a lot of things when you date a guy for so long," she whispers, drawing circles with her finger on my chest.

"About that..." I start, then facepalm internally again. Me and my big mouth. Why did you have to keep growing while I did?

Her brow furrows. "If you are even contemplating the notion of breaking up with me on our anniversary, then you will be returning to Palutena in a body bag."

I raise my hands defensively. "Th- that's not what I meant at all!I don't wanna break up with you anytime soon! Just the opposite, in fact!" I retaliate.

The goddess closes her eyes, breaths in deep, then opens them again. "And what does that mean, exactly? You have two minutes. Make 'em count," she warns.

"Um, well, there's this human custom-"

"Why do you think I would want to do something human?" she interrupts with disgust.

"-where two people that like each other-"

"I know the facts of life, genius."

"-perform this ritual called a 'wedding-'"

"One minu... what?"

"-and spend the rest of their lives together and that's what I want to do with you!" I finish in one breath.

Viridi stares at me, eyes boring holes in my skull. She's blushing and mouthing out what I just said. I pant, suddenly exhausted from my speech. And the fact she's still straddling me and beginning to crush my lungs.

Eventually she actually voices her thoughts. "Pitty... what did you ask me?"

I frown. "I asked you to have a wedding with me, duh." I roll my eyes. She's really starting to rub off on me.

"So you're asking me to marry you, is what you're saying," she says.

"In a Nutski shell, yes, basically," I answer. "So? What about it?"

She sits up, pushing herself off my chest. I get up as well. She looks at the grass, fingering it, not speaking. After a moment, I grab her hand off the ground and use my other arm to hold her cheek, facing her to myself. "What about it, Vri?"

Her eyes close, stay shut for a while, then snap open again. "Pit... Gods don't usually get along. We have power struggles far too often. And in the rare cases where two heavenly beings do like one another, all that happens is that the lower ranking one swears allegiance to the other. In all honesty, I'm the first deity in a long time to actually date and be in a relationship with someone. And you're not even a god," she explains.

I stroke her shoulders. "So? Does that matter to you?"

She sighs, "I suppose what custom dictates is that you become a soldier in my Forces of Nature, but you're already sworn to Palutena. I don't want to take you from her- she's like your mother, right?"

I nod. "Yeah. And, please don't take this the wrong way, Viridi, but I do love her. Not in the same way as you, of course," I add. She laughs.

"I know. But Pit... marriage... it's never been done."

I pound my fists against the earth. "Damnit, Viridi, I don't CARE if it's never been done! I just want to know that I'm not going to lose you!"

She blinks at me, once, twice, three times, confusion all over her face. "Wh- what?"

I place my forehead on top of hers. My breath causes her bangs to flutter. "Vri, I've never told anybody this before, not even Dark Pit knows this. So listen carefully, OK?" I feel her nod beneath me. "Before the Chaos Kin took control of Lady Palutena, I had alway thought that if she were to ever abandon me, I would die. But then she went crazy evil, and you protected me. And years later I realized that I survived being away from Palutena, but if you were to ever leave me... that would be what would kill me. Not having you. I need you, Viridi, and from my understanding marriage will allow me to hold onto you forever."

Something wet falls into my lap. For a minute I think it's started to rain, but when I don't feel anything on my back, I figure out it's the Goddess of Nature's tears. I wrap my wings around her, shielding her in my warm embrace.

"Do... do you really feel that way?" she asks softly. I answer the affirmative. "Pit... remember when Palutena locked us up together in that room? I asked you what your scariest moment was. Well, I never gave you my answer. And the truth is that seeing your broken body after saving Dark Pit... with your wings burnt to the bone... that's when I was the most afraid. I was so nervous you weren't going to make it. I didn't understand why I felt that way until years later, when we started dating, but even now, that's what I fear the most. That you'll be stupid and get hurt and nobody will be around to save you," she admits.

Patting her legs, I dryly comment, "Thanks for the all the confidence you put into my intelligence." She laughs, but just for a second. "But seriously, that's what you're most afraid of?"

She blushes the same shade of red as Link's Goron Tunic. "I guess you're right. I... I need you, too."

I smile. For once, she admits I'm right. File and save.

The not- so- little- anymore goddess still seems hesitant though. "Pit, just understand something. Marriage isn't something you run into blindly. I've seen humans that get married on a whim- similar to the whim you just had- and the result is usually catastrophic. It's a major commitment- not just to me, but to yourself. You have to remain loyal to me no matter what. Are you positive you can do that?" she inquires.

She knows me too well: she knew my plans to marry her just popped into my head. I seize her face in both of my palms. "Of course I am. I mean, I already do all of that anyway. Why not make it official?" I joke.

She gives me her beautiful giggle, one that still sends shivers down my spine from pure joy. It's the most wonderful sound in the world- no, the solar system- no, the galaxy- no, the universe.

"So? Are we... what's the word?"

"Engaged?" Viridi supplies. I wave my head up and down at super speed. "Um... no, not yet. It's customary for the guy to propose on one knee."

"Oh... OK," I say, pulling my wings off of her and back behind my body. I get down in a kneeling position. I gulp. "Viridi, Goddess of Nature, will you marry me?"

She breaks into the biggest grin I've ever seen in my life, even bigger than the ones I used to give over floor ice cream. "I accept your proposal, Pit, angel and Captain of Palutena's Guard," she laughs. Then she swoops down and kisses me. I kiss her back, exploring her mouth for what feels like the first time (even though it's more likely the seven hundredth), placing my hands in previously untouched areas. Nowhere personal, I promise... but I will admit that when my fingers grazed across her, ahem, bottom, she didn't object like she had the few times I (accidentally, I swear!) done so previously . Actually, she pushes my hand back down when I lift it up on instinct. And as Viridi slips her hands on my toga, I don't think twice about lifting it slightly so she can touch my bare chest, smiling at the touch of her skin on mine. It's like a door opened up, letting us through to all the things we wanted to do, but were too afraid to attempt. But now that we're engaged, almost everything goes. Almost.

Somewhere far away I hear crying. Why would anybody be crying on such an hamzing day?

And then I realize. It's not crying, it's cheering. From a bunch of gamers and writers.

Just the shippers.

End Chapter 1

Edward: So here I am, down on one automail knee...

Me: Shut it Elric! I already told your brother we've postponed your story! *whacks over the head with Sonic Screwdriver* Although I will admit that is the cutest proposal ever, Shorty...

Ed: *blood spurting from head, muffled by ground* WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORT?

Me: Wait, get it together, Noodle... OH MY GOD A WEDDING! AWWWWWWWWW! *fangirl squees, then gasps* I have to register their china pattern!

Konpeki Rei: Finally, they make it official. *to audience* I have no clue why I'm here, but please review and look at my stuff as well. Yes, it's a shameless plug, but get over it.