I was originally planning on this being the second to last chapter, but I put too much in (it was all necessary, I promise you!) and so you'll have to wait another couple chapters for the end. I'm sorry about that! I'm really sorry!

Anyhow, THANK YOU REVIEWERS! You guys make my huge writing streaks and new chapters possible, and you guys really are amazing! Thank you for reading my work. I'm already brainstorming for my next story, which I hope will make you as happy as this one. Thank you guys so much for your commitment and dedication to this story. It really means a lot to me!

And Dragonguy54321? I forgot to mention your name in the last Author Note...SO HERE'S A HUGE THANK YOU FROM YOUR WRITER! You are fantastic, and super patient, and you're always ready for an email. Thank you so much for your time and criticism, it means so much to me.

"It's…gone."

From the moment Pit, Kuro, and Kaitlyn had set out from Jenny's house to the sky, Pit had been expecting something bad, but not nearly as rough as what he now saw.

Pit stared across the cobblestone roads to the valleys below. It was as though someone had taken a blowtorch to the Skyworld. The once thick green grass was now brown and thin, trees that should have been just changing from greens to reds in the early fall were bare, any leaves left crackled and brown. Storm clouds swirled above their heads dangerously, thundering every once in a while, yet with no sign of rain.

Pit blinked, forcing tears from his eyes. His home, the world he had grown up in, gone. The only recognizable thing still standing were the houses, but even the white marble had lost its shine. Soot caked the walls, dulling the beautiful stone.

"What—," Pit's voice caught in his throat. He bit his lower lip. "What happened?"

Kuro stepped past him, gazing with hard eyes into the desolate landscape. He turned back, face set. "Medusa happened. Come on. We have to reach Medusa's Temple without being seen."

"M-Medusa's Temple?"

Kuro's eyes were chips of blood-red diamonds. "Palutena's temple wasn't covered in red paint, last I checked. There have been a lot of changes around here Pit, and more than meets the eye."

He turned and walked down one of the cobblestone roads, not looking back to the others.

Pit blinked, swallowing hard as he gazed around the world that he had once loved so dearly. All that stood before him now was destruction. Everything was dead. Where there had once been light, now there was darkness. Where there had been growth was death. Even the breeze was drifted past Pit had no joy in it. At one point, Pit might have described the wind as playful, even whistling in tune with his thoughts. But now, it held the scent of rotting life, and it caused Pit to shiver as it streaked through his hair, the cold chill feeling as though invisible spirits were running their long, bony fingers through his brown locks.

Kaitlyn stepped up next to him, her beautiful green eyes wide. "I…I never imagined it looking like this."

Pit flinched, his mouth twitching slightly. "Yeah…neither did I…"

Kaitlyn rested a hand gently on his shoulder. "I'm really sorry…"

Pit shrugged, forcing his heart to remain hard. "It's not your fault at all, Kaitlyn. It's all Medusa. That freak…"

Kaitlyn hitched her gun higher into her arms, a dangerous glow entering her eyes. "Remind me to shoot that gal later on, 'K?"

Pit felt his mouth twitch into a half-smile. It felt very out of place in the midst of his ruined world, but he really couldn't help himself. It was as though his heart were longing for any form of humor.

"Where is everyone?" Pit finally asked when he and Kaitlyn had caught up to the dark angel.

Kuro shrugged. "Angels haven't been outside of their houses for a long time. I'm actually surprised they're still surviving. Anyone not in their houses right now is probably in the dungeons."

Pit raised an eyebrow. "There are no dungeons in the Skyworld."

Kuro stopped in his tracks, eyes cold yet sad as he turned back to Pit. "You'd be surprised, Pit."

For the next few feet, they walked in silence.

Pit finally spoke back up, gazing around. "Where are the Underworld Monsters? Shouldn't they be protecting Angel Land from intruders?"

"There haven't been Underworld Monsters in the Skyworld since the Shadow Angels were created," Kuro answered dully, "The Shadow Angels proved to be more of a threat to enemies, so the Monsters were sent back to the Underworld until further notice."

"Who's in charge of the Underworld while Medusa's up here?"

"She's still in charge. She relays her orders to the head Monster down there and makes sure he fulfils her orders." Kuro's hands clenched. "Actually, she promised me the Underworld at one point, if I was loyal to her." He let out a half, almost choked laugh. "I guess that deal's off." Kuro looked warily around himself. "That still doesn't answer the question of why there are no Shadow Angels here guarding Angel Land, though."

Pit nearly stopped in his tracks. "Hold on…Kuro?"

Kuro and Kaitlyn tuned back to look at the angel whose face was twisted in horror. "What?"

"You're a Shadow Angel, right?"

Kuro shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

"And I'm the one you were created from, right?"

Kuro blinked. "I'm pretty sure that's right…where are you going with this?"

Pit swallowed hard. "Well…we figured out earlier that if I die, you die—."

Kuro held up a hand. "Not necessarily, Pit. I could just be put in an extreme form of suspended animation for a while, until my spirit recovers, if ever."

Pit blinked. "I'm going to pretend I understood that." He shook his head. "What I'm saying is, if we kill the Shadow Angels, will their original host or light side die as well?"

Kuro blinked and shook his head in denial of the comment. "No, at least, I'm pretty sure not. They were created by their evil or dark spirits being stripped from them. I'm a manifestation of your dark spirit, coming to life with the Mirror of Truth. They were split in two. If one dies, the other one absorbs the energy of the other side. We're part of the same piece, they've had their piece split down the middle. Get it?"

Pit blinked a few times in confusion before shaking his head slowly.

Kuro heaved a huge sigh. "Okay…fine. Try this: You and I are two sides of the same coin. Our coin is the same. With them, they're copies of one another, basically two coins that look exactly the same…but one is rustier than the other. Starting to understand?"

Pit shrugged. "Kind of…"

"Good," Kuro re-shouldered his bow, which had slid down his arm slightly, "Then let's get moving. The more sunlight we have, the better."

Even Kuro had to admit, things in the Skyworld were worse than he had left them. He thought back to his small, secluded island, the one that he had spent his spare moments on. His fingers suddenly longed for the soft green grass and the fresh breeze.

You're starting to sound like Pit.

Kuro brushed away the thought as well as the image of the island. He was getting soft, he knew it. He hardened his mind, forcing any sensitive thoughts from his mind. It was time for war. There was no room in him for sympathy now. Especially if everything went according to plan…

Kuro stopped as they approached the Temple. He turned to the two behind him. He never thought he would ever be leading Pit into a battle, or a human girl for that matter. It wasn't much of a team, that was for sure: an angel who had been MIA for over two months and a human female (a blonde, to boot) with absolutely no field experience. Kuro nearly rolled his eyes. Oh, this would be interesting.

Kuro heaved a breath. "Alright…planning time."

Pit and Kaitlyn stopped. Pit's eyes widened as he looked past Kuro. His mouth gaped open. "Is that…?"

Kuro turned back, gazing at the building. "Yup, the Temple."

Pit dipped his head slightly. "How long has it been red?"

Kuro snorted slightly. "Since Kestrel became a rebel. I'll tell you about it later," he added, seeing the question already arising in Pit, "We have a battle to plan right now. We just have a slight problem."

Kaitlyn blinked. "How so?"

"Well," he said, pointing to her, "you've never been here, so you can't go anywhere without another angel. Pit hasn't been here in a while, but he'll probably know where I'm talking about. I have the most experience in Neo-Angel Land, so I'm leader. Then we have the Medusa problem…"

Pit blinked. "So what's your plan, Commander."

Kuro scowled. "Easy. Release Palutena, start the uprising, and kill Medusa."

Pit rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You make it sound easy."

"Yeah, which it's everything but," Kuro snapped, "So we have to decide. Who'll find Palutena and who'll go for Medusa."

"What about the rebellion?" Kaitlyn jumped in, her eyes bright.

"The dungeon is filled with angels right now, including some of the big rebels, like Kestrel," Kuro answered, "If we release Palutena, she can get everyone else out, and they'll lead the angels to battle." Kuro turned to the brunette angel, "Pit, remember where the oak was?"

"Which one?" Pit asked.

"The ancient one, the one in Palutena's garden, in the center."

Pit smiled. "Sure!"

Kuro straightened. "Good. That's where the entrance to the dungeon is. You take Kaitlyn there. You two get Palutena out. I've got some unfinished business with Medusa." Kuro nearly growled, feeling a knot begin to form in his chest from anger. Oh, that woman was going to pay for what she had done.

"One problem."

Kuro turned back to Pit, who had his hand raised as though he were back in class.

Pit lowered his arm. "Well, from what it sounds like, the dungeons are high priority when it comes to security. Only you can kill Shadow Angels. How are we supposed to get down to Palutena if there are guards down there and we can't kill them?"

Kuro gave a half grin. "I'll send someone down there with you as soon as I get to the Temple."

"Who?"

Kuro waved away the question. "It doesn't matter. Right now, we need to worry about the battle. As soon as you release Palutena, all Hades is going to break loose. Everything is going to be chaotic. All the Shadow Angels will appear, and there are a lot of them. Hopefully, when you release Palutena, the Shadows will lose some of their power and you'll be able to kill them."

Kaitlyn looked impressed as she gazed up at him, eyebrow raised. "You're quite the tactician."

Kuro shrugged.

"Are we ready?"

Kaitlyn and Pit nodded, eyes wide and determined. Kuro nodded as well, giving a half-smile.

"Good luck."

There was no teary goodbye, no hugs, and no sign of teamwork or anything of the sort. Like leaves in the wind, they scattered, each to their destination, not looking back. There was no time to worry, no time to plan out an even cleaner strategy. For them, it was now or never.

Kuro ignored the tightness of his throat, forced out every emotion that told him to call out to the two teenagers behind him. He had to be hard and ruthless. There was no other way he was going to win this war, especially this battle. In this, he was alone.

And that was how he worked best.

Kuro spread out his oil-black wings, feeling the bone-dry breeze slam harshly into his feathers. But he wasn't going to use them, not yet. He had to preserve his energy. He was in for the fight of his life.

The dark angel sped across the stone road, wincing with every slap of his sandals on the ground. He needed to be silent.

Kuro slid neatly against the building, feeling the grainy marble under his sensitive fingertips. Every one of his senses was on hyperactive mode. He felt as though he could feel every gain of stone underneath his finger, hear every slight whistle to the wind, even taste the salty air. He felt his breaths quicken. This was it, his one chance to redeem himself for all of his faults, his one chance to repay Palutena. Kuro swallowed, pulling his bow from his back and allowing the metal to slip into his grasp. He eased himself into a more relaxed position, breathing out slowly.

Now!

Kuro threw himself into the Temple, skidding slightly on the polished floor. Every nerve in his body was on red alert. Even the slightest breath of the wind caused goose-bumps to rise along his arms. Kuro whipped around, teeth bared as a wolf protecting his territory might. This was his territory, or it soon would be.

And it was empty.

Kuro blinked in confusion, letting down his guard ever so slightly. The throne of cracked and flowing lava was unattended. A single candle burned nearby, the faint glow lighting the walls and darkening corners. Kuro took a sharp breath, whirling around again. There was nothing…

"Bravo, my Prince."

Kuro felt his heart race as he turned to one of the corners closest to the entryway of the temple. It was as though the shadows were peeling themselves away from the walls. Like a dark whirlwind, they formed, hardening into features. Kuro felt his eyes widen and breath grow short.

"Well now," Medusa said, snake hair unusually docile, "Are you here to kill me?"

Kaitlyn had never been outside of Chicago before, so she had never really had any variation of landscape outside of the tall skyscrapers and large buildings of a busy city. But if she had been asked to describe a place where angels lived, she probably wouldn't have described it as the world that now lay before her.

Bleak, desolate…even dead; those were the words that immediately entered Kaitlyn's mind when she looked around her. If it had been Chicago, Kaitlyn would have half expected to see a lone plastic bag blowing in the wind, an urban tumbleweed of sorts. But here…it was as though the world had been abandoned. The world itself seemed to be dying. Trees hung bare of leaves, the grass below either a sickly green or already brown and crumbling.

Pit lead the way down grey cobblestone roads, Kaitlyn following close behind him. The silence was unnerving to Kaitlyn, who had lived in the bustling city her whole life. From a streetwise point of view, she knew that if the street was silent with no one around, she was probably in more danger than if she were surrounded by people. The more people there were, the more chance that any attackers would overlook her. So with the absence of people, Kaitlyn felt even more paranoid than usual. She raised her rifle to her check, loading a bullet in the barrel. She felt herself calm down ever so slightly.

"Where exactly are we going?" Kaitlyn finally asked.

Pit gave a frown as he turned back to her, his eyes sad and quiet. "To Lady Palutena's garden."

Kaitlyn pinched her lips. "Are you scared to go in there?"

Pit swallowed and turned back. "No…I'm more afraid of what I'm going to see."

The two continued through the pathways. Kaitlyn couldn't drink in enough of her surroundings. The barrenness of the streets was so different from the crowded parks and roads of Chicago. She was sure that before the Medusa woman took over the Skyworld, that the world was probably lively and filled with angels. But now, the only sign that there were beings living in Angel Land were the large marble houses set in neat rows down each of the streets.

With a smooth turn, Pit turned to a smaller path, leaving the large roads. Kaitlyn followed, looking back to the sad, empty stone-way before gazing down the path.

Her breath caught in her throat. The path was made of the same grey stones as the road, spanning around five feet wide, ending with short stone walls on either sides. The retaining walls held off a large amount of dirt, like a large planter. It was simple, yet elegant, but this was not the cause of her shock. No, it was the thousands of dead, rotting plants that were splayed so despairingly over the dirt.

Kaitlyn stared as she walked by. Sickly, dead petals were soggy against the cold ground. Where there might have once been color, even vibrant color, was now all the same shade of brown and pale green. And with the dark sky above, dark grey stone, and dead plants, Kaitlyn almost felt sick with depression.

"What…" Kaitlyn paused, swallowing hard, "what is this place?"

Pit this time did not turn back. He continued walking steadily onwards, speaking without looking to Kaitlyn. "This is the path to the garden."

Kaitlyn glanced to either side. "But…what happened here?"

"Lady Palutena's light and life force kept them alive and healthy. But now that Medusa's taken over, they can't stay alive." Pit stopped in his tracks, hunching his trembling shoulders and keeping his clenched fists by his sides. His head hung low, figure rigid. "When I get my hands on that…that freak, I'll flay her skin." Pit's voice was low and shook with rage. "Come on, we have to get to the circle."

Kaitlyn looked on sadly as they walked through the path of dead plants. Kaitlyn couldn't help by look from side to side, gazing back and forth, though she knew the sight would make her miserable.

But what was coming would make her even unhappier.

Kuro gave a grunt as he threw his blades across his chest, the silver deflecting the blast of dark energy. His breathing was hard, his knees nearly collapsing out from under him. He wiped a stream of sweat from his forehead before it could reach his eyes.

"Already tired, dear?" Medusa crooned, eyes gleaming. Her hair hissed almost teasingly, causing Kuro to scowl. If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was being laughed at. He tensed, awaiting another hit.

Instead, Medusa lowered her large staff and began to pace around the temple. But years of training in the Underworld, Overworld, and Skyworld had taught him to never let off his guard, especially if the enemy let down theirs. So he kept his blades at chest level, crossed in front of him in a defensive position. He stepped in a circle as Medusa did, making sure his back was never to her.

"How…?" He panted, "did you know I was coming?"

Medusa gave an unearthly laugh, her snake hair hissing along with her. "You really think I'm that stupid Prince Kuro, to not know the sun is in the sky? I knew from the moment you left the Skyworld and disappeared that you betrayed me." She tilted her head slightly. "What I don't understand is why you, instead of Pit, came to fight me. I would think you would leave the privilege to him."

Kuro snarled. "Sorry, but I'm not exactly courteous when it comes to battle. I have a score to settle with you, witch." He spat out the last word, rage engulfing him as another blast of energy slammed into his crossed blades. He felt his feet slide against the smooth marble ground from the force of the blast. Kuro gritted his teeth, forcing the energy back as well as he could.

Medusa hissed at him as she let up on the blow, Kuro jerking back to position, forcing his breath to come slowly and steadily. "If anyone should be up here telling me this, it should be Pit. What have I ever done to wrong you? All I ever did was take you in, make you like a son."

"I'd rather be assassinated, buried, and rot than be your son," Kuro screeched, "You never cared about me! I was another pawn on your Chessboard of Domination. You made me your Prince so you could control me."

"Are you sure about that?"

Kuro felt his breath catch as Medusa gave her poisoned smile. In her thin hands, hovering just above her palm, laid a thin circlet, the band blown from dark glass. In the center of the front, gleaming as though made of blood, was inset a large ruby. Kuro stared at it. His crown, the one Medusa had given him. He thought he had gotten rid of it. He had thrown it into a fire, hoping to melt the glass down. But here it was, safe and perfect, and with Medusa.

"You wanted this," Medusa whispered, "remember? You asked for power. You chose this path. And now there's no escape from it. The Shadow Angels? They were created for you. They were your fault."

Kuro snarled at her. "No," he spat, "that was all you. You promised me a difference in my life. You told me I would be my own person, that I would be free of Pit and his influences. And you were wrong."

"Was I?" Medusa drew closer, her slim body swaying as she walked. Kuro swallowed, forcing his eyes to stay on her face. Of all of Medusa's physical beauty, her face ruined the image and made it easy for Kuro to ignore her seductive behaviors. "Did I really do nothing for you? I made a prince, a leader of the darkness. I made you royalty, and yet you turned away for the nobler path, for a path of good. Do you really think that a single act of kindness will make you good? You have too much red on you now. No one will take you in."

Kuro moaned as a throbbing pain entered his mind. Horrid images flashed through his head, every one of his nightmares replaying in front of him. His mind exploded into pain, throwing everything he saw out of proportion. Kuro shut his eyes, forcing her words from his mind. No, stop…

"No one will ever love you," Medusa said with relish, "You really think my sister cared for you? You of all angels? You're a failure, an experiment gone wrong. Everything about you was a mistake. You can't even fulfill the purpose you were created for. Everything my sister made was perfect," she spat, "and look at you: a freak of nature that should have never existed. Why would Palutena ever even like you? She dismissed you as she dismissed me."

Kuro collapsed to his knees, the pain from his head flowing throughout the rest of his body. His blades dropped to the ground. His hands clutched his head as he screamed a wordless cry of anguish. His body felt as though it were going to burst into flames.

"How can you be so calm?!"

Kuro sucked in his breath in shock, staring at the image before him. This is…this one had actually happened…

"I have disrespected you in so many ways! I have beaten and bruised you! I kept you from saving the angel whom you care so much about! I—"

Kuro blinked, focusing on the image in his mind. That was the moment…that was the first time he had spoken to Lady Palutena after her capture. That was when he had told her that he wanted to join the angel rebellion.

"You have been through a lot, haven't you."

Oh Palutena, Kuro thought, a tear streaking down his cheek, I have. I really have. "You are forgiven, Kuro."

Kuro swallowed, his breaths coming in gasps. Palutena had…

"I know the fear you have, the one that Medusa invokes so well. I don't blame you for fear."

Kuro could not stop the tears from streaming from his eyes. How could he forget so easily the words Palutena had spoken to him? Her grace and her wisdom? She was the one who had forgiven him, had brought him lovingly into her arms, despite the fact that he had hurt her so.

"How can you forgive me so easily?"

"Because. You are truly upset over what happened."

If only you knew, Palutena, Kuro thought, if only…

"I am so…sorry for what I did."

"And that is why I forgive you."

The image died from Kuro vision, his sight returning. He knelt on the marble floor, blades on either side of him. Medusa stood over him, eyes gleaming golden. Her smile was sickly, deadly.

"Return to me," she whispered, "I unlike the gods of Olympus and the Overworld have no judgment. I'll treat you for the angel you are, how my sister never saw you. I care, Kuro."

"Oh," Kuro seethed back, "you wish."

The dark angel threw himself into the air, slamming Medusa backwards, palms to her chest. Medusa screeched as she slammed backwards into the floor, hair hissing angrily. The glass crown flew from her palm, the circlet soaring threw the air. Kuro followed its arc, snatching it from the air as it passed him by.

"You know what?" he snarled, "Everything you told me from the start was a lie. You betrayed me, not the other way around. And this is what I think of your stupid plans, your stupid act," he quieted down, "and what I think of you."

Kuro threw the circlet down, the thin glass instantly shattering against the cold floor. Shards flew everywhere, sliding with tiny screeches over the marble, like dark oil on snow. Kuro felt a sense of release rise in his chest. He was…he was done.

Kuro turned his blood red eyes back on Medusa. "Your sister is one of a bravest people I know. If you were even half the goddess she is, you would have more followers. Now," he grabbed his blades from the ground and slid them neatly into a stance of balance and attack, "let's see how brave you are."

(*groans and stretches*) Another chapter down and (hopefully!) two more to go. I can't believe it's almost over! It's been almost half a year since I started on this story, and I'm already more popular than I could possible have imagined at first! You guys really are the best. You've stuck with me through my long update waits and my terrible procrastination. I seriously want your addresses or emails so I can actually meet you in person and personally thank you for your time. Your comments mean so much to me, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

This chapter was interesting. I originally planned to have the whole battle sequence in this chapter, but the set up took too much time and way more words than I planned, so the battle will have to wait for the next chapter. Hopefully, it'll be epic! (I'll watch Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as soon as I can, just to get a good image!).

So, as always, review please! I love to hear feedback, so ask away! Tell me what you thought and what you think the end is going to be like (I already know, but I really want to know what everyone else thinks!) My sister and I planned out a lot of really Soap Opera-ish endings for fun, but we will never use them! The ending I have planned actually made me cry...

Anyhow, love you all! Hopefully, I'll actually write more this week and be able to finish the story by the end of the month.

Love you all!

~pixeljam