Pymos found themselves clad in a new long-sleeved tunic of soft, silky white, their worn belt replaced with braided leather.

Pymos was avoiding Vesta's gaze as much as possible - maybe they were friends, but Pymos still had trouble believing someone would be so kind to them. And worse, they had absolutely no idea how to thank her.

It's not like Pymos exactly had anything to hand out.

Vesta seemed to read their thoughts a little too well. "You don't owe me, Pymos." She said. "You never owe me. You are my friend."

"I believe that," Pymos said quietly as they tugged on the sandals Vesta had given them. "Something just feels wrong. Like I am… missing something."

"You are missing something," Vesta reminded. "Your entire memory. Somehow your mind has been hollowed out."

"But not entirely." Pymos mused. "I recognized your and Jupiter's names when I heard them. I do not understand, Vesta. It feels like I'm not just missing something, but someone."

"One of your followers, perhaps?" Vesta said. "I never had much interaction with any of them, but you talked of them like they were family."

"Perhaps." Pymos agreed, nodding. "Yes… that must be it."

"Vesta? Pymos? We're back!" Joel's voice floated through the temple.

"Are you ready?" Vesta asked.

Pymos shrugged. "I cannot be sure, but I hope so."

Vesta nodded. "Good enough. Come, I will introduce you to Pegasus."

Pymos followed the goddess through the temple to the main room.

Emily, Paelen and Joel were standing there, and with them was what must have been one of the most magnificent creatures in the worlds.

The body of a horse stood a good three meters tall at the shoulder, shimmering white coat reflecting the sunlight that filtered in the door, massive white feathered wings jutting from the shoulders…

"Hello." The beautiful creature greeted stiffly.

"H-hello." Pymos said. "You are… magnificent."

The creature blinked, ears twitching in surprise. "I…"

"Pymos, this is Pegasus." Vesta said. "Pegasus, Pymos. How much have you explained, Emily?"

"As much as I understood myself." Emily said.

"Which isn't much." Joel added.

Paelen drifted over to Pymos's side to speak quietly in their ear. "Pegasus won't say much about you, but although he does not have a good opinion, I do not believe you have any personal problems with him. He will help us, just give him a little time to get used to you."

Pymos shot him what they hoped was a smile. "I will." They said.

As Paelen drifted back, Pegasus slowly approached. "I have not heard much of you," The large brown eyes searched Pymos suspiciously. "But the times Jupiter has mentioned you have not been in pleasure."

"I do not know what I did to anger him." Pymos said. "All I know is he is not eager to forgive me, and even that I have only just learnt from Vesta." They swallowed, planning their words carefully. "I maybe have done some things, but I cannot defend myself. I do not know what I did or what my motives were. I just know that now my memory has fled me and I am here, alive, when Vesta says neither of which is possible."

"Pymos was on Olympus when the Solar Stream was destroyed." Vesta added. "They should have died when Olympus did, and not only are they alive, they somehow made it to Xanadu with no Solar Stream."

Pegasus nodded thoughtfully, though he still eyed Pymos as if they might be about to attack him. "That is impossible." He agreed. "Something, as you say, is wrong."

"Yes." Vesta said, putting a firm hand on Pymos's shoulder.

The touch was distantly familiar. Pymos wondered how many times they had stood like this - Vesta speaking in that determined tone as she stood at Pymos's side, defending her friend from so much as a dirty look.

The thought comforted Pymos, but also made them feel guilty. Vesta didn't deserve to have to defend them all the time. Vesta was better than them, so much better.

Vesta was a goddess, an Olympian! A proper Olympian.

With her soft but firm voice, her appearance so harmless but the knife in her sleeve ready to strike at any moment… wait, knife?

Pymos spun and grabbed Vesta's wrist, slipping their fingers into the sleeve and pulling out the weapon before Vesta could even stutter in surprise.

"How…?" Pymos studied the blade, and grew more and more certain that they had held it before - not just held it, but fought with it…

Pymos watched in horror as their dearest friend dropped to her knees with an arrow in her gut.

Their enemy was raising their sword for the final blow.

"NO!" Pymos shrieked, lunging forward.

It shouldn't have worked. They were more than twenty meters away, with a maze of corpses and smouldering ruins between them and Pymos, but in the next breath metal clashed metal.

Pymos stood over their friend, metal screeching as their and their enemy's swords slid closer to the hilts…

"Pymos…" Vesta's ever colour-changing eyes pleaded. "Pymos, get out of here!"

"No!" Pymos cried. "Not without you!"

"Pymos!" Vesta choked. "For once, please, listen!"

"Not happening." Pymos summoned all their strength and gave their enemy a brutal shove. The enemy toppled back, arms waving. Pymos took advantage of their exposed chest and drove theri sword through the breastplate.

The enemy howled and collapsed.

Pymos dropped to their knees beside Vesta.

"No!" Vesta insisted. "Leave me! More are coming!"

"More are coming." Pymos agreed, scooping Vesta into their arms.

"Pymos!" Vesta said. "I refuse to be the death of you!"

"And I refuse to be the death of you." Pymos said. "Don't fight me, Vesta. You will survive this whether you want to or not. Give me your knife."

"Why?"

"My sword is in somebody's chest." Pymos said. "I need something to fight with."

"You cannot fight whilst carrying me!" Vesta cried.

"Want to bet?"

"Pymos?" Vesta was standing in front of them, hand hovering as if wanting to take the knife back. "Pymos, can you hear me?"

"Vesta." Pymos breathed. "You were…" Their eyes drifted down to Vesta's stomach area, which was completely free of both blood and arrows. "But… you were shot…"

"Excuse me?"

"An arrow." Pymos said. "Right… there." They reached out a hand to lightly poke the place on Vesta's abdomen where the wound had been.

Vesta's eyes widened. "You… you remember?"

Pymos tilted their head. "Not much." Their eyes drifted back to the blade in their hands. "I took your knife and then…"

"Pymos, that was a long time ago." Vesta said. "Not that that's bad but… anything more recent?"

"Wait a second." Emily interrupted. "Vesta, when were you shot with an arrow? I think I would remember that."

"As I said," Vesta said. "It was a long time ago. A long, long time ago."

"I do not remember it either." Pegasus whinnied.

"It was before you." Vesta lowered her head. "Before your father, even. Pymos, is there nothing else?"

Pymos frowned. "Who were they, Vesta?"

"Whom?"

"The ones who shot you, the ones we fought." Pymos bit their lip. "They had skin like oil and armor like stone. No blade should have been able to cut through, but ours did somehow…"

"It does not matter." Vesta said quickly. "They are all dead now."

"Did we kill them?" Pymos asked.

"Not alone," Vesta said. "But yes, we killed them."

Silence.

"This is… good, right?" Paelen was the first brave enough to speak. "Pymos is remembering things. Perhaps they will remember more in time."

"I am remembering." Pymos said. "But apparently in the wrong order."

"Not much came before my father that you were present for." Pegasus said. "Exactly how long have you known Pymos?"

"Long enough to trust them." Vesta said. "With my life."

"Even just seeing that one battle," Pymos said. "I can see why."