CHAPTER 20

The ecstatic air electrified every particle in Pit's being. Fear and the risk of losing everything kept his drained legs fairly mobile.

"Hold still, will you?!" complained Mesperyian. She persisted to throw violet spheres of energy at Pit, beginning to feel annoyed. Pit's legs tirelessly ran in circles, avoiding her fire. He shot his arrows of light repeatedly, buying as much time as he could. His cobalt eyes widened with excitement as sweat beaded on his forehead. "I think I can do this! I actually think we can pull this off!" Pit thought. Catching his mind elsewhere she advanced upon him quickly and shoved her silver claws into Pit's abdomen. Crimson blood stained his silky white garments while Pit smirked darkly. The searing pain he had felt didn't seem to bother him.

"There's too much at stake to be finished here," He gripped her claws, the blades slicing his skin, and forced them out while he kicked her body away. Mesperyian's mask knocked off, her face was charcoal black burned as well as her eyes permanently shut. This whole time she was completely blind, relying on her 'Goddess sight'. Gasping in horror she quickly approached the unconscious Palutena, holding her by her choppy green hair. Pit spun around and froze immediately. Palutena's sweet head was mere inches away from the Rewind Spring. "Y-you wouldn't.."

"Oh I think I would, I only need her body, not her brains. Step into the Rewind Spring or I swear I will kill her." Shakily, Pit trudged toward his utter doom. To be erased from existence is far worse than death. Pit thought of all the times he had shared with Palutena. To think that all those times will have never happened was something truly traumatizing. Stopping with nearly one foot in the water Pit gave another sly grin.

"You will fail if I enter that water."

"I do not understand, explain yourself."

"If I disappear from existence then Medusa will have succeeded in killing Palutena and taking over Skyworld all that time ago. You won't have the necessary bodies to complete your revival," crossing his arms he cockily chuckled. A maniacal laugh sounded from Mesperyian as she countered,

"You foolish angel! Are you really that stupid? I won't need her body because you would have never killed Hades!" Pit dropped to his knees hard, utterly distraught. Mesperyian had finally won her little game. Closing his eyes, Pit arose to his feet, and began to start to close the distance between him and the Rewind Spring. "I don't understand why I didn't see it before!" Mesperyian cackled, her blades clutching her crispy face. "You were the one who started all of this! I shouldn't have gone after the Gods but rather a lonely little angel, a mere messenger of the Gods." Gritting his teeth in frustration his hot tears slipped down his soft cheeks.

"Hey angel face! Don't throw away that life I saved for you!" The chilling presence of Magnus provoked Pit to cease his lonely tears. The perception of his meaty hand rested upon Pit's shoulder. "Never give up! Don't ever go down without a fight!"

Flying past Mesperyian a large shot from what seemed to be a cannon blast appeared from a large distance away. Her eyes pierced in the direction in which the blast formed from.

"Who dares shoot at me?!" The repaired Great Sacred Treasure drifted toward Mesperyian, the three Gods and Pit.

"Pitto!" Pit cried cheerfully.

"I told you not to call me that! I give my regards to Magnus for guiding me here so damn quickly." Dark Pit exclaimed from inside the huge machine.

"What can I say? I didn't live a fulfilling life so now I reside in limbo," Magnus explained.

Zeus and Poseidon stirred within their slumber as Palutena flashed her eyes open. Mesperyian's cold, boney hand remained clutched around Palutena's short green hair.

"Pit! Don't let her revive Hades!" Palutena shrilly screamed, half-awake. The piercing tone of her shout had awoken Zeus and Poseidon from their deep slumber. The two Gods stared at one another, dumbfounded.

"No!" Screeching in irritation, Mesperyian angrily threw Palutena's entire body into the Rewind Spring. Zeus and Poseidon started after her only to be encased in their own weaknesses at the wave of her single hand; earth and ice. Their fierce eyes not encased, the Gods watched helplessly as they called out for Palutena.

"PALUTENA!" Pit bellowed, outstretching his hand.

"Honestly, I didn't want to have to use magic in order to hold you two down but if you would have stayed asleep then this wouldn't have happened."

Her wicked grin spread across her masked face while the roar of the Underworld Army enclosed on them all. The panicked angel dived head-first into the pool of the Rewind Spring, not caring about the consequences to come. Dark Pit carefully aimed for Mesperyian but held his fire because Pit and the others were in the blast radius of Daybreak. An ever-still silence filled the cold air before Pit emerged from the spring, breathless and decreasing in age. The height that he had grown was lost, therefore his armor slid off leaving only his toga and spandex to stay. The mature Goddess also decreased in size and age, her armor failing as well. Pit simply looked as he did during Hades' Uprising. The pair of them plopped upon the ground, speechless and drained. The Goddess of Nature finally awakened quickly rising and absorbing the situation.

Horribly aimed shots were then fired by the above Underworld army. Hearing chants of hope, Viridi looked up to find Palutena's army fighting for their Goddess.

"Come on men! This is for all of Skyworld, for the Goddess of Light!" one Centurion projected. All of the men had positioned themselves, shoulder to shoulder, creating a barrier around the Gods, deflecting the shots of the Underworld Army. The raucous sound of enemy fire claiming the lives of the Centurions struck panic into the hearts of the Gods.

"P-Pit?" Her voice was higher than previously, replicating the tone of teenage girl. His arm remaining over her, Pit finally lifted his gaze to Palutena. She indeed looked much younger than before, now nearly the same age as Pit. Their bodies were incredibly weak from the amount of change they had just endured.

Swiftly encasing Viridi in her weakness, clouds, the burned Goddess began to chant.

"Let me out of here!" Viridi muffled.

The roaring sound of Daybreak overtook their ears along with blinding light that followed. The brilliant light died down to reveal Mesperyian unharmed. The powerful laser had missed. Continuing to chant, the spring began to glow in response and a purple mist hovered overhead. Hades; she was reviving his soul.

"O Hades, God of Death, hear my chant: I offer you these sacrifices!" The Gods' bodies began to glow, leaving them paralyzed.

"Dark Pit! Fire now!" Pit wailed out, straining to recover his stance.

"I have to wait for it to recharge!" He roared back. "Recharging 50%" The machine droned. The shimmering moonlight shone through the gaps within the barrier, Centurions falling dead. Exerting most of his energy, Pit accented to his feet, groaning in torment.

"M-Mesperyian.." Pit croaked. Mesperyian ignored his strained voice and continued to chant:

"Father hear me now! Take these bodies and make them your own! Come back to the Underworld, back to me!" Dark Pit bit his bottom lip, sweating bullets as he waited for Daybreak to recharge. "Recharging, 90%" The Great Sacred Treasure voiced.

"Come on!" screamed Dark Pit. "Charge damn it!" The Gods ascended into the pale sky each of them screaming for their souls. Their delicately old souls were being forcibly ripped from their bodies.

"Palutena!" Pit blared, reaching for the sky. His muscles screaming in protest, Pit absconded for Mesperyian, grasping her tightly in his arms. "Recharge complete, remember to be careful while firing-" The radiant light overtook the howling landscape once more ensuring complete silence afterwards.

There's only one more chapter! I will also include an alternative ending afterwards. (Or the bad ending if you will.) In addition to epilogue!