Pit felt as though he were walking in a dream, or in an old memory. Things he hadn't thought about in years were resurfacing, suddenly on his mind. He felt stronger, as though his power had been doubled. And something dark, brooding, and thoughtful was pressed into his mind. As he looked at Eris, he could see a dim glow around her. In a moment, he knew: Kuro could see auras in a way that Pit had never been able to, but now that they were connected, suddenly Pit could experience that power too. Fascinating.

But he didn't have time to think about this. He had a battle to fight.

I couldn't beat her on my own before. Kuro's thoughts drifted into Pit's. It was the strangest feeling, like he was thinking things himself, but they weren't what he was expecting. It was like having a new revelation every moment. He and Kuro hadn't been bonded back since they split, and Pit wasn't overly fond of the situation. But if it gave Kaitlyn more time, that was good enough for him.

What about with us combined? We're stronger this way, Pit thought.

Yeah, but it's not like everything about us is doubled.

But we do have separate consciousness. Well…you know, kind of.

We can relay information faster this way, Kuro pointed out. And we don't have to say anything out loud.

Also good.

This conversation only took a split second, being done completely through thought alone. But the speed of the conversation was what made Pit sure that they might actually be able to beat Eris. Their thoughts were instantaneous. Their plans were just as quick. With the two of their minds connected, this fight might actually be possible.

With a yell, Pit-Kuro threw himself at Eris. He had never felt faster, stronger, or more powerful. Whereas Eris seemed fast before, she seemed almost slow now, simply in comparison to his newfound speed.

Eris snarled as she threw up a crackling purple shield, the energy erupting from her fist. Pit-Kuro's blade bounced off of it, but he continued to slam his blades against it, forcing Eris back. The hard scowl on her face as she practically panted from exertion was a far cry from her sickly-sweet smirks that she had once tossed towards Pit in the middle of a field in Illinois. "What the hell did you do?"

Pit-Kuro felt a smirking smile of his own come over his face. It was a Kuro smile, definitely. "What I had to."

Eris' shield was starting to dissolve, and Pit could see her angry face on the other side. Suddenly, she smiled. It was slow, as though she were having a dawning revelation. "Kuro Kuro Kuro. You never think before you act."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kuro snapped through Pit-Kuro's mouth.

At that moment, the shield broke in a spray of purple lightning. Pit flew forward, his blades screeching against Eris' needle-like rapiers. Pit-Kuro pushed, the blades screeching against one another in a shower of sparks.

"Tell me what you mean!" Kuro screamed.

Eris' eyes glinted mischievously. Pit had grown to hate that look. It told him that Eris' role as the Goddess of Chaos was going to reveal itself once again. "What if you're stuck together forever? I know you, Kuro, you're a creature of independence, just like me. What if you never get your body back?"

Pit felt Kuro's interior crack slightly. Pit was surprised on more levels than one. He had never seen break his tough exterior before, and being inside his mind was even more uncomfortable. Was Eris right? Had Kuro actually stuck them back together?

Stop thinking so much! Kuro snapped.

What do you mean?

I can't concentrate! We need to plan this out!

But what if she's right? What if we're stuck together again? The Mirror of Truth is destroyed! We'll never get back to normal!

Will you be quiet? I—

In their split-second of distraction, Eris took control. She whipped her blades out from Pit-Kuro's and swiped them fiercely at his head. She nearly caught their ear, but managed to just shave the side of his scalp, a large clump of brown and black hair floating to the ground.

"We just have to hold on," Pit grunted aloud. He was tired of the mental conversation. It was draining mentally in a way he couldn't have quite described, but he was starting to get a dull headache throbbing in the back of his head. "We have to wait for Kaitlyn—."

"Kaitlyn? She's never coming back," Eris interrupted, preparing for another attack. "I had Mnemosyne bound to the book, chained here there myself. Only a god can break those chains, and every god has forgotten what their name is, much less how to spell it. You're out of luck!"

"What was that you said about luck?"

Pit-Kuro and Eris, almost without thinking, stopped and whirled around at the appearance of a new voice, unfamiliar to Pit or Kuro. The Codex shuddered and glowed, but Kaitlyn didn't step out of the Codex first. This person was shorter, as thin as a twig, the epitome of grace, and yet practically radiating power. Dainty and yet exuding strength, she was quite the sight to behold. Pit-Kuro wasn't quite sure what they had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't this fairy of a girl.

She raised a thin hand and pointed at Eris. A long powder-blue ponytail curled down her back, and she began to float off the ground, an unseen wind brushing her hair and clothes back. "You have wronged me, Daughter of Chaos. And you will pay for this wrongdoing with your freedom." Her voice was steady and serious and low, and Pit-Kuro found himself backing up, blades lowering, not wanting to be anywhere near this confrontation.

For the first time, Pit-Kuro could see the actual fear on Eris' face. It was a determined kind of fear, but it was still definite fear. Eris visibly swallowed, her knuckles blanching as she gripped her knives. "Mnemosyne," she whispered, her face going white. "And…sister."

Pit-Kuro looked back at the Codex, and in front of it stood Harmonia, and Kaitlyn, looking determined but very tired. Harmonia was hardly the broken goddess they had found in the woods. She stood tall and erect and her eyes glowed dangerously, but there was a hint of melancholy in her gaze. "Eris," Harmonia said quietly, her voice gentle, "give up your rights to the humans and the gods, and they might spare you a shortened sentence."

Eris' jaw set, and her gaze turned from fear to utter hatred. "No," she spat. "Do you know what it's like to spend thousands of years below ground, with no taste of nature or life or company? I will never go back!" Without warning, she gave a wild scream and flew at Mnemosyne, swirling around for an attack.

Pit-Kuro had thought that they were strong, but they were nothing compared to Mnemosyne. It was like Eris couldn't even touch Mnemosyne. Inches away from her head, the rapiers stopped in mid-air and Eris was thrown back with a cry and a thunderous crack, as though a storm had been unleashed. Mnemosyne didn't flinch. Her gaze was steady, almost peaceful. She held out a hand, and Harmonia handed something small and round to her.

It was the Apple of Discord, but it was no longer golden, but a bright, shining silver. Mnemosyne took the apple in her hands, murmuring something under her breath that Pit-Kuro didn't catch. She walked on delicate feet over to the fallen goddess. As she approached, Eris attempted to rise, but one fierce look from Mnemosyne physically forced her back onto her knees.

"My dearest child," Mnemosyne said quietly as she stood by her. Her eyes were almost sad, as though she were dreading this, and Pit-Kuro at that moment could see beyond the childlike guise Mnemosyne had adopted. Her eyes gave away the hundreds of thousands of years she had been alive, watching humans rise and fall from life to death, collecting and dispersing their memories and pasts. "I have been around longer than any other god still roaming these realms. The humans were a gift for me, and I was given the task of watching over them, and you attempted to destroy them. You tried to take the humans, and the gods, and even the angels." She shook her head slowly, as though she were a disappointed parent catching their child disobeying. "You have made a fool of me and my life, and I do not take that lightly."

She raised a hand and pulled Eris' head back. The fear had returned to Eris' face, with wide, terrified eyes. Mnemosyne shook her head. "And therefore," she whispered, "I have no choice but to send you back and further your time under this world, alone and abandoned, unable to be among those who still care for you." She shared a glance with Harmonia, who was looking on stonily, as though she had expected nothing less. "May you learn of your wicked ways and one day realize you have been mistaken in trying to destroy the creation the gods have made. For now, I strip you of all your abilities: of your power, of your talents, and of your strength." She held the hand with the apple above Eris' mouth — it hung open, Eris seemingly unable to close it — crushed it with some incredible strength, and watched as the juice dripped into Eris' mouth.

Pit-Kuro could feel it as her power was drained. It was like a mass of pressure leaving the cavern. Her aura visibly dimmed and as Mnemosyne released her from her invisible grip, Eris' body sagged, panting and staring with dull eyes at the ground. Her rapiers lay forgotten by her side, and she made no attempt to grab at them, not with a smoldering-eyed ancient goddess standing in front of her, or maybe it was because she had lost everything and no longer had the will to fight.

And just like that, it was over. Eris knelt there, staring to the walls, eyes wide and bulbous, as though having seen something terrifying and could not tear her gaze away. She was of no greater power than anyone in this room. Pit-Kuro didn't know what that meant for the outside world, ravished by Eris' curses and misfortune. For now though, he could only stare at the limp form.

And he breathed, for what felt like the first time since Pit had discovered that the memories were disappearing. For now, it was over. So he breathed.

Pit-Kuro stared at Mnemosyne as she walked past Pit-Kuro and straight to Harmonia, discussing something under her breath. How did such power come from someone so small? He knew he shouldn't judge. Viridi was very powerful, and she was about the same size as Mnemosyne, and Kaitlyn…

Kaitlyn stood in the back, hanging by the Codex, behind Harmonia, and walked over to Pit-Kuro, looking up and smiling weakly. "So, how does this work? Do you guys switch personalities off and on?"

Pit-Kuro rubbed his neck awkwardly. "We…don't really know."

"I'm assuming when you say 'we', you mean both of you?"

"It's the royal we," Pit-Kuro said, but those words were definitely the sarcastic tones of Kuro.

"Well," Kaitlyn looked him up and down, "while I like the new look, I kind of want Pit back…no offense, Kuro, but there's a reason I'm not dating you."

Pit-Kuro munched on the inside of his cheek. "Kate…I mean Kaitlyn…see…we don't know how to, well, undo it."

Kaitlyn stopped, staring. A look passed over her face, confused and worried. "What?"

"Kuro fused our memories together when Pit's weren't finished being connected," Pit-Kuro tried to explain, his stomach clenching in anxiety. "We don't know how to unfuse them."

Pit-Kuro felt a hand brush his shoulder from behind. Mnemosyne, in all her fairy-like glory, stood there, pale and bright and gleaming. She smiled a knowing smile at him. "Your memories are all tangled up," she said, her voice soft once again. It wasn't the deep voice that had chastised and condemned Eris. It was light and jingling. "Let me fix that."

She didn't move, but it was as though she had stuck her hands into his mind. She reached in, unravelling the tangled chains in their memories like they had to all of those people before. Pit-Kuro suddenly felt a great pressure in his head, right against his forehead, then a splitting ache down the middle, so powerful that his mouth opened in a gape, eyes snapping shut.

When they opened their eyes again, they were no longer one, but two.

Pit gasped again, sucking in the air that he suddenly didn't have to share with another entity. "Ohhhhhh gods…" he moaned. He clutched at his head, where everything still felt a little…well…wrong. "Thanks, Mnemosyne."

Mnemosyne smiled a little. "You may have some dysphoria for a little while, but you'll be back to normal soon. It's all perfectly natural."

"Yeah," Kuro grunted. He stood right next to Pit, looking ruffled and squinting as though there were too much light. "If it isn't, I'm going to write you a letter about it.

Mnemosyne smiled again at Kuro. She stood delicately, her feet placed like a dancer's, as though she were still floating above the ground. Something about her radiated the fact that she was not of this world. "I'll know, but I'm happy to receive your complaints in my communications box."

"Which you probably read through every millennium."

"You know us gods so well."

Kuro actually cracked a grin. Pit was still feeling his skull, as though he could rearrange the pieces of his mind with his own hands, but to no avail. There was still a lingering piece of something there, something that didn't inherently feel like him. He hadn't been connected to Kuro like that in a long time. It was like rediscovering a piece of him that he hadn't felt in a long time.

And the unusual part was that it wasn't as unpleasant as he remembered. Kuro had been born from Pit's darker side, the side of him that wasn't happy-go-lucky and wasn't satisfied with his life in Angel Land; the part of him that feared that he would never grow his wings out, that he would forever be stuck on the ground; all of the insecurities and fears and all of the anger. And yet, while he had been connected to Kuro, he hadn't felt that way at all. There was still something dark there, but it wasn't the terrifying, paralyzing fear, or the bubbling anger. It was simply more serious, more attentive to the bad things in the world, and ready to stamp them out, no matter how difficult it was. It seemed Pit wasn't the only one who had grown up.

He noticed Kuro looking at him. "I think part of you is still in here," Pit said, rubbing his head a little more.

"Dysphoria," Kuro said with a shrug. "Like Mnemosyne said. But if there's a part of you in my mind and I start acting all happy and cheerful and painfully naïve, then I'm going to put my foot down."

Pit grinned and chuckled a little. At least he wouldn't be alone in this recovery. His expression sobered after a moment when he glanced over at Eris, still kneeling on the ground, staring, the life gone from her eyes and her body. She looked frozen in a single moment of terror, her face contorted in a chilling expression. "What do we do about her?"

Mnemosyne followed his gaze, her small shoulders lowering just a little, as though she were taking on another burden. She already had the world to worry about; Pit suddenly felt bad that they were putting this on her as well. "I'll take her back to the Underworld myself," she said. "She'll return home. She doesn't have the will to leave, so she'll be safe there. She won't be able to hurt anyone down there."

Pit had some very strong memories of escaping the underworld as a fledgling, and how much damage the monsters had done to him. "You're sure no one will break her out or something?"

"I'll make sure my sister is contained." Harmonia strode over to them, towering above Mnemosyne. She didn't spare a glance at any of them, her gaze fixed on her Eris. Her expression was somber. "I will remain in the Underworld for as long as she needs me."

"That could be eons," Kuro said softly.

"I understand that."

Mnemosyne reached up to Harmonia's shoulder and patted it gently. There was a seriousness in her gaze. Pit wondered what eons were like as a god. How quickly did that amount of time pass when one was immortal? He couldn't even comprehend such a thing.

Harmonia walked past them to Eris, kneeling down beside her, brushing a hand through Eris' red hair. "We'll leave them now," Mnemosyne said to the group, and she floated away. They followed her, but Pit paused to watch Harmonia with Eris before he did. Harmonia must have really loved her sister. Eris had taken away everyone's memories, even her own sister's, and yet Harmonia was still kneeling there beside her, holding her hand, adjusting her hair and clothing. It was tender and gentle. Pit wondered if he would do that for the people he was closest to, if they suddenly went and tried to destroy the world, if he could forgive them. He wasn't sure he would ever know.

"Come." Pit turned his attention back to Mnemosyne, who had floated away and was surrounded now by Kuro and Kaitlyn. As Pit approached, she smiled broadly at him. "Shall we leave?"

"Yes please," Kaitlyn said. She rubbed her hands over her arms. "I need to get out of this dress and out of this cave. I miss the sunlight."

Mnemosyne hummed under her breath just a little. "I always liked caves," she mused. "So many memories in caves. But angels weren't meant to live underground. Hold on then."

Pit hardly had a moment to think or question what he was supposed to hold onto before he felt his vision swirl in front of him. White pervaded the dark cavern, twirling into his mind, and the cave was gone.

There was a snapping, crackling noise, and the world became white before Pit. He stared around him, gasping a little. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see this place," he heard Kuro say from somewhere to his left.

Pit twisted around, trying to get a whole 360 degree view of the world around him. Oh, how he had missed his Angel Land! They had appeared on one of the floating islands, above the Cloud Barrier. The grass was green and soft. There was a lone tree on this island, in full bloom. Despite all of their craziness, the days of flying and shadow porting all over the world, the sun was still shining, Skyworld hadn't fallen, and the world had continued on.

Pit took a deep breath in, closing his eyes, feeling the sun on his face. "It's all still here," he whispered.

"Of course it is," he heard Mnemosyne say from somewhere near him. "You saved it."

Pit opened his eyes. Mnemosyne was floating nearby Kaitlyn and Kuro. Somehow in their travel, Mnemosyne had switched their torn, ragged clubbing clothes from Russia with togas, edged in gold and printed with pale blue glyphs along the edges. They were a step up from their usual wear, definitely magical in origin. Mnemosyne gazed off in the distance. "It looks like Angel Land is still there. Lady Palutena must have retrieved her memories. That's good, that means the gods should be alright."

He followed her gaze, looking to the Angel Land skyline. It was achingly familiar. It felt like years since he had looked upon it. A breeze blew through the islands, brushing back his messy hair. He felt a hand grab his, and smiled at Kaitlyn, who leaned her head on his shoulder. "I wonder if Nighthawk lost his mind trying to deal with everything."

A joyful laugh bubbled up in Pit's chest. "Oh gods, I don't know. Hopefully Cedar helped him. And all the other angels. Maybe they'll continue with the festival, now that the insanity is all over."

"A festival?" Mnemosyne said cheerfully. "I might just have to stick around. I want to see Palutena too; she's always been a good friend. I should make sure she's alright." Mnemosyne floated higher, drifting over the edge of the island, then looked over her shoulder. "Are you all coming?"

Pit paused. A week ago he would have wanted to just fly straight to Angel Land. But now…he just wanted to sit down. It had been a long trip. "We'll catch up with you."

"Suit yourself."

As Mnemosyne left the island, Pit sat down on the edge, letting his feet dangle over the dirt and stone and grass. Kaitlyn sat down as well, holding onto his arm, and Kuro sat on the other side, not quite as affectionate as Kaitlyn, but still close. For a minute or two, none of them spoke. They watched the sun as it moved towards the horizon, painting the sky in pink and orange and gold. It was vibrant and beautiful and breathtaking, and Pit was sure he had never seen a sight quite as beautiful as this one.

"So," Kaitlyn said softly after a long while of them silently enjoying the sunset, "what do we do now?"

Pit took a long, deep breath. "I don't know," he admitted. "We go back to what we were doing before this, I guess."

"Competing in the tournament?"

"Nah," Pit said. "I just want to sleep. And see Lady Palutena. And make sure Cedar and Nighthawk and Kestrel are okay."

Kaitlyn hummed in agreement, and rested her head on Pit's shoulder once again. That was seemingly a good enough answer. She looked as tired as Pit felt. Pit then looked over to Kuro, silent as always. Pit wondered when Kuro had stopped brooding and when he had become thoughtful. He seemed comfortable now, a little more responsible, not quite as angry or dark. They had been apart for a while before this. "What about you, Kuro? You coming back to Angel Land with us? I'm sure Lady Palutena would be happy to have you."

Kuro shook his head after a moment, looking out. "You know…I think I'm done for a bit. I liked living on Earth. I miss my family down there. Roger and Aubrey and all the kids, and their parents. I liked not being your dark twin. I think I'm going to go back there." He smiled a little at Pit and Kaitlyn. "I mean, if you need help saving the world again, you know my address, but give me a week at least."

Pit's body shook as he chuckled. "Fair enough."

So they sat there quietly as the sun set, none of them wanting to break the magic of the moment. Pit knew eventually they would have to go back. He and Kaitlyn would return to Angel Land, to be welcomed back by Palutena and the angels. The festival would continue on, celebrating not only the angels, but Eris' defeat. Kuro would go back to Earth to be with his new family. Pit could only hope they'd see him in the future, hopefully when the world wasn't ending. Maybe Pit would be able to go and see Jenny again, after all of that time apart. He had a family too, and he wanted to see her while peace was still abounding in the Skyworld.

There were so many things he could do. With the world at peace again, he could finally breathe in the cold air this high above the clouds and watch the birds and train Cedar like he was supposed to. He could help Nighthawk as his best friend prepared to take on more responsibility. Maybe Nighthawk would be the next God of Light. Maybe Pit could be his loyal adviser, or simply his general. Or maybe Pit could finally settle down with Kaitlyn after a few more years. There were so many maybes now.

But those things could wait. This was a moment, and he wanted to stay in it for as long as he could.

So, uh, it's been a while.

You probably don't really care what I've been up to for the past 4 years, since I dropped off the face of and never finished this story. In it's final chapter. Like the jerk that I am.

But here's where I am: I graduated from college with a degree in English Writing. I've written a handful of short stories. Still working on those novels. But I'm very happy with where I am, and I figured that I needed to finish this story. It's the one thing on that I never finished, and you all were waiting for a conclusion (if anyone really cares about that, none of you are probably still here. That's okay. I don't mind. It's been 4 years).

If you are reading this and you read this story 4 years ago and have been patiently waiting for me to finish it, then you deserve all the kudos in the world. If you're brand new, thanks for reading. Grounded and Dissonant Memories was from a very particular time in my life. I probably won't write anything for Kid Icarus again, but that's how it goes. I have other things to worry about, like getting my short stories published.

Thanks for the memories, dissonant and otherwise

~Pixie