Author's Note: Good gravy, two chapters in one day compared to my usual sporadic uploading schedule?
Well, anyway, getting past the last chapter was a big step for me, and I'm pretty much good to go for the rest of this story. This chapter is about a thousand words longer than usual, what with pulling from mythology and all that.
And big stuff is coming next chapter. I've been looking forward to it for quite some time. Anyway, enjoy!

Several weeks had passed until Pit and Lucina had rejoined Chrom and his Shepherds at Port Ferox and set sail for Valm. They had managed to track down the rest of the future travelers and put them to work defending Ylisse while the Exalt was away, and now the two from Skyworld stood on one of the ships with a course charted through the northern waters seldom sailed through. Stories made their way through the sailors that ships that travelled through those waters never returned, but Chrom had decided to take the route anyway- he was never one for superstition and most other ships that took a straight shot between Valm and Ylisse apparently ended up under attack by monsters. Pit frowned as they entered a rather foggy area in the northern ocean, and his masked companion stood next to him.

"So… How exactly have you managed to stay looking so young?" he heard Ricken ask, and turned around with an amused smile to find the Sage addressing Henry.

"Eh, I take care of myself," the jovial entity of Light and Darkness replied with a shrug. "What, did fatherhood suddenly set your aging into high gear?"

"I wouldn't say that," Ricken said flatly. "I'm pretty proud of Brady. Though I do wish Maribelle would just admit defeat in teaching him proper language and all that." Pit shook his head and glanced around a few of the other Shepherds staring at what they still believed to be a Plegian Dark Mage that had just sort of disappeared after Grima was defeated. None of them seemed to have any explanation for where he had been or why he hadn't aged a day, and Pit could tell it thoroughly entertained him.

"Quiet down, all of you!" Chrom ordered from the helm with Rufure at his side. "I don't know whether those stories are true or not, but I'd rather not take any chances."

"Er, I think they're true," a voice spoke up, and several gazes turned on a young Inigo standing near his father, Gregor. Chrom had hired them as additional support and it seemed it was the boy's first big mission, and Pit almost snorted with amusement at how much more shy this era's Inigo was. His swordsmanship was nothing to sneeze at, but he seemed nothing short of socially awkward. Pit shook his thoughts away from him and instead focused on where he was pointing- the shape of the wreckage of a ship barely visible through the fog.

"The fog around here certainly makes navigation difficult," Rufure remarked. "We'll have to proceed with caution if we don't want to end up hitting the rocks." The Shepherds fell silent as an eerie feeling fell over them, many fidgeting uneasily as they glanced around at other signs of shipwrecks.

"Brady," Maribelle prompted, and the young priest looked up at his mother curiously. "Why don't you try playing something? Perhaps it will help calm everyone down."
"But Ma, I ain't all that good yet," Brady argued, though he quickly caught on to the fact that his mother was in no mood for disagreement.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," she told him. "Just try!"

"Fine," Brady sighed and disappeared below decks for several moments before returning with a violin. After a moment to make sure his instrument was in tune, he began to play a moderate melody with his face tensed with concentration. The Shepherds turned their attention to him and Chrom nodded with a small smile as the tension in the air relaxed slightly. Pit closed his eyes as he listened, though he frowned as he did so.

"What is it?" his companion asked him in a low voice, but he didn't reply as he turned to the side of their ship and the waters and rocks around them.

"…Voices," he said softly. "Singing…?" At once, he grinned as he deduced the stories of the shipwrecks in the area, and he turned around again as Brady finished his song. "Hey, Brady, can I borrow that?" he asked, and Brady stared at him like he had two heads. "I'll be careful," he insisted. "Just… trust me." After a moment of hesitation, the priest sighed.

"Okay, but you better be!" he snapped, and Pit nodded as he took the violin and its bow, then turned to the stem of the ship and climbed as far to the front of the mast as he could.

"Pit!" Chrom called. "What in Naga's name are you doing?! Get down from there!"

"Just trust me on this!" Pit replied with a grin, then turned back to the waves as he braced the instrument on his shoulder and opened up his mind.

"Will you grant us safe passage?" he called out.

"Who are you to ask this of us?" came several voices in reply, and he sighed as he shook his head.

"I am the god of Light. My name is Pit," he told them. "I must see these mortals to safety and bring an end to the Underworld invasion."

"What shall you offer us in return?" the voices inquired.

"I know how much you like music," he said silently with a smile. "I'll play for you." He waited a moment longer and took a deep breath before readying the bow, then slowly began to play, masterfully weaving together the notes of his melody as silence fell around him. As he began to pick up his tempo, he heard something join him- singing voices clear as glass and beautiful as a sunrise.

"What the heck is that?!" someone demanded, but Pit ignored them as he fell into rhythm with the voices around him, leading them with his music as he smiled and shut his eyes, losing himself to the beauty of the melody. His fingers ran across the strings over the neck of the instrument quickly and as gracefully as he could possibly muster as the voices grew louder, surrounding the ship and the Shepherds with their stunning beauty.

He continued on for a short time, commanding his tune as the voices around him followed his lead until he picked up his tempo into an intricate finale before playing one final note, and he stood with a bright and proud smile on his face for a moment longer before removing the violin from his shoulder.

"Beautifully played, Lord Pit," the voices praised. "You shall pass safely."

"Thank you," he told them as he caught a glimpse of a shape on one of the rocks- part human, part bird. He turned around to find the Shepherds staring at him, Henry grinning, and the one they knew as Marth smiling softly.

"Care to explain what that was all about?" Chrom inquired as he came forward.

"Sirens," Pit replied. "They have this nasty habit of singing and sending sailors crashing into the rocks around where they make their home. You can thank me later for appeasing them and getting them to grant us safe passage."

"Sirens," Chrom repeated and sighed. "How many myths are we going to encounter before this is over?" He shook his head. "Regardless, as long as we're safe, then I suppose I can't complain. Thank you, Pit."

"Not a problem," Pit replied with a warm smile and started to make his way back to the deck.

"Pit!" a deep voice called out, stopping him. "Beware! There's a-" Before the voice could finish, the ship rocked and shook violently from the impact of something below, and Pit lost his balance.

"PIT!" his masked companion cried out as he plummeted into the water below.

"Gods, what WAS that?!" Chrom demanded. "Frederick, Vaike! Get below decks and check for damage." He looked out over the water, frowning. "Did we hit the rocks?"

"No," Henry replied, catching the Exalt's attention. "Something a lot worse." There was an unsettling stillness in the air as several of the Shepherds scanned the water for any sign of Pit. Then, out of nowhere, a serpentine head came shooting up from under the surface, letting out an earsplitting screech. Chrom and Rufure both stared at it in shock and disbelief.

"Okay, I can't say I was expecting that," the tactician remarked, then turned to the Shepherds. "Fliers and Mages! Keep that beast away from the ship! Everyone else, try to keep your footing and prepare for battle!"

"You heard her!" Chrom commanded. "Get moving!" His gaze fell on Marth as the masked swordsman scanned the waters desperately, and he made his way down to the deck. "Hey, we have bigger things to worry about. He'll turn up." He felt a deeply concerned gaze watching him from behind the mask.

"You're right…" Marth took a deep breath and unsheathed Falchion. "Let's take care of that monster." Chrom nodded and pulled forth his own blade as the Pegasus Knights took to the air with their lances ready. Cordelia sped forth on the wind and slashed her lance along the neck of the beast attacking them, and Miriel struck with a powerful blast of wind magic that cut through the creature.

"What even IS that thing?" Rufure demanded as she struck with her own magic. Chrom didn't have an answer for her, though movement caught his attention as he found Marth sprinting forth, leaping up onto the railing, and letting out a rageful battle cry as the blade in the masked swordsman's hands slashed through their enemy's neck. Marth sprung from the creature and landed back on the deck, panting slightly, and Sumia flew around to the opposite side of the creature and slashed her lance through, effectively severing its head from its body and sending it splashing into the water below. The Exalt stayed in his battle stance a moment longer before standing up, relaxing.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked as Frederick and Vaike returned from below decks. "How's the ship?"

"She'll make it to Valm," Frederick reported. "A few cracks, but we sealed them and there doesn't seem to be any major damage."

"Good," Chrom nodded. "Then everyone, make sure to-" A loud screech cut him off as the ship again shook with an impact, and two serpentine heads emerged from the water with fangs ready to strike. Once he got to his feet, the Exalt groaned loudly. "You've got to be kidding me. It had friends?"

"Nope!" Henry said as he hurried over to the Shepherds' commander. "It's a Hydra. Cut off one head and two will take its place."

"You could have mentioned that before," Chrom said sharply as the Pegasus Knights went about trying to lure the Hydra away from the ship.

"I didn't realize it," Henry admitted.

"So how do we beat this thing?" Rufure inquired as she made her way back to her husband's side. "We're already at a disadvantage being stuck on the ship, let alone dealing with this monster!"

"I don't know," Chrom admitted. "Just keep at it! Maybe we can at least shoo it away if we can't kill it."

"I'll see what damage I can do," Henry nodded, and before anyone could question him, he shot up into the air with a wind of darkness and shot forth an attack at one of the Hydra's heads. "Hey! Looking for me? Did Dad send you? No, wait- Hades. Dad would never do this!" The ship again shook as it was hit, sending the Shepherds sprawling.

"We're in trouble if we can't get rid of that thing," Rufure pointed out.

"I'm open to suggestions," Chrom replied through grit teeth. "What the hell is even going on? Sirens, Hydras, and now Henry can fly?"

"As long as he's on our side," Rufure said. "He seems to know at least a little about this. I'll take any help we can get."

Meanwhile, below the surface, Pit's lungs were screaming for air as he tried to find a way to surface without alerting the Hydra of his presence. Getting eaten once was more than enough for him and he had no desire to repeat the experience. Then, out of nowhere, a bubble of air formed around his head and he gasped sharply.

"I guess the water isn't exactly your forte," a voice said, and a moment later, Unda swam into his line of sight. "Long time, no see, Lord Pit."

"What are you doing here?" he wondered as he nodded.

"Lord Poseidon summoned me," she replied. "Figured the Oracle of Water would be a decent ally against this monster. Are you okay?"

"Fine," Pit replied. "I gotta get back up there- the humans won't last long against that thing. Can you maybe give me a boost?"

"Sure," she nodded. "Once you're up there, I'll try to keep it away from the ship."

"Thank you." He focused his power and both returned to his true state of being and summoned his bow in one fell swoop, then nodded to the Oracle. She smiled and thrust her hands up, and he felt the water around him heave upward and all but throw him into the air. He spread his wings and took to the skies, firing a strong shot from his bow that hit one of the Hydra's heads. It screeched again as it looked up at him, the other head falling into the water as another two took its place.

"Chrom!" he called, gaining the Exalt's attention and earning an agape stare. "Baffle over me later. But cutting off its heads isn't going to get us anywhere!"

"Yeah, I figured that out!" Chrom yelled back. "Any suggestions?" Pit frowned in thought.

"Burn it," he replied. "Magic! Fire and Thunder magic should do the trick!" Chrom nodded and said something to his wife as Henry grinned and joined Pit in the sky.

"Good to see you're not fish food," he greeted, and Pit nodded.

"Thanks. What say we find a way to finish this thing?" He focused his power into a bright light that he then passed on to Henry, who nodded his thanks and turned back to attack the Hydra once more. Rufure gave the order to have the Shepherds pull their weapons back and the mages set to work, casting spell after spell to deter the Hydra. Pit, meanwhile, cast a strong blast of light at it, disorienting it as the waves churned around it, pushing it away from the ship.

The magic plan seemed to be working, though it was easy to see that the mages in the Shepherds were quickly growing exhausted- Rufure included. Pit bit his lip as he peered through the waters to get an idea of just how big a creature they were dealing with, scanning over it until he found his target. The heads were weakening from strike after strike of Fire and Thunder magics, and he figured one good blow might be enough to send the Hydra slithering- as long as the blow hit the right mark. He pulled his bow apart and gained a bit more altitude, aiming carefully, then folded in his wings and shot down straight as an arrow with the blades pointed out in front of him. He took a deep breath and held it, squinting his eyes shut as he broke through the Hydra's skin and stabbed his way through it, ripping through its heart before emerging in cloudy water below, dazed, disoriented, and fighting to stay conscious.

He was vaguely aware of the Hydra crashing into the water, sinking into the dark depths below, and someone calling his name. Then, from nowhere, the water moved around him and again threw him and the swords of his bow back up and onto the deck of the Shepherds' ship, leaving him sputtering as Unda joined him and soaked him again to wash him of whatever he'd managed to pick up from the Hydra during his strike. He coughed and shook both his head and his wings, bowing forward as he collected his thoughts, then looked up to find the Shepherds staring at him.

"Uh…" he scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly before summoning his staff and bracing himself against it as he got to his feet. "I should probably explain. I didn't lie about my name. But… I'm the god of Light." There was an awkward silence in the air before Chrom smiled and chuckled, shaking his head.

"A benevolent god that would take human form to aid us," he recalled. "Can't believe I didn't figure it out myself." He bowed his head, and his followers followed suit. "Thank you for your help, Lord Pit."

"Eh," Pit grinned. "My pleasure. Though I really hope I never have to do anything that disgusting again." He paused and turned to the Oracle smirking at him. "By the way, this is Unda. She's the Oracle of Water, meaning she basically has full control over it. Are you staying with us?"

"For now," she nodded. "Hades needs to be stopped before he throws everything off balance. And you know it's our duty to protect it."

"Of course." He turned back to the Shepherds and half walked, half limped over to his masked companion.

"So… Who exactly are you, then?" Chrom wondered.

"Marth is one of my most trusted allies in the heavens," Pit explained. It wasn't a total lie. "I brought him with me since he knows quite a bit more about you humans than I do." Marth only nodded and touched Pit's arm before stepping back. The god could see confusion and curiosity in Chrom's eyes, but neither spoke of the matter further. "We should be clear to get to Valm now," Pit went on. "And in the meantime, I'm exhausted."

"Then get some rest," Chrom said. "We'll make sure nothing else bothers you until we reach land." He paused. "And again, Lord Pit, you have my deepest thanks. I feel a lot better about our chances now that you're here."

"Well, my secret's out," Pit smiled. "So I don't have to hold back anymore. You can trust that I'll be doing everything I can to protect you."

"I'll make sure they get there safely," Unda promised. "I'm sure Lord Poseidon will be willing to give us a bit of help to clear the way."

"That would be much appreciated." With that, Pit dipped his head and made his way below decks with his masked ally following, and as soon as they were out of the Shepherds' sight, he let out a tired breath and nearly collapsed with exhaustion as he gripped his staff. Lucina pulled him into her arms, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," she pleaded. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her with a smile. "But right now, seriously. I'm tired. Mind keeping watch while I nap?" She smiled softly and nodded, holding him a moment longer before following him to the Shepherds' quarters where he promptly fell face first onto a bunk and was asleep almost immediately.