Draco: This is the last one, guys. I decided I'm not sadistic enough to wail on Palutena with my five-star melee Earthmaul Club just for the sake of a story. As a result, this will only be edited if that happens accidentally (apparently it gets really hard to not hurt her on higher Intensities) and I have a black enough heart to work with it.

Kid Icarus and all related subjects © Masahiro Sakurai and his Project Sora.

The War's End: Fallen Angel Rise

"Engaging Ultralight Mode!"

A flare of light emerged behind the Great Sacred Treasure, forming a pattern of what looked like angelic butterfly wings. Pit, with his arms, legs, and wings locked into the controls of the mech's 'cockpit', made a mental note to get this thing fixed when this battle was over; this thing constantly adapted to damage, he didn't want to put it to waste.

The tunnel-like rift was starting to condense around him, and the angel couldn't see any sign of Hades. "Where'd he go?"

"Up!" Palutena called. "He's made it to the Overworld! He's aboveground!"

Pit nodded, causing the cockpit to seal with a Dyntos light as the Great Sacred Treasure launched through the dying tunnel. A flood of sea shot by him, and as he surfaced near a town he glanced around to see Hades - or, his upper half - floating above the water.

"Quite persistent, aren't you."

The God of the Underworld braced his fist at his sides, and energy shot down from his waist area. Pit watched in complete shock as that energy formed a whole new pair of legs straight out of his waistline.

"All better!" the god taunted.

Holy Reset Bombs, he's good. Pit shook his head and braced the Ultralight Mode's blaster as Hades swept his hands back. A swarm of blasts flew from his palms, blue and purple and maybe a couple reds, and Pit grit his teeth; this was a flurry he couldn't avoid completely.

Palutena noticed. "Incoming fire; take out those blue shots!"

As he raised the blaster, he heard Viridi warn him; "Those purple shots will hurt you, so don't shoot those!"

Pit could make to with fighting through that, the Great Sacred Treasure started blasting the blue blasts, which parted as they neared him. Sweeping the mech past the purple attacks, he realized Hades wasn't as good as he'd thought; there was a very obvious weakness - a crystalline patch of energy - where the new legs had sprouted. The angel arced the Great Sacred Treasure into a spin and launched a powerful charged shot that struck the evil god straight in the join, causing him to stumble back.

Hades crossed his arms and locked his fingers together, thrusting them forward and launching a series of crimson barriers that knocked Pit's shots right back at him, but the Great Sacred Treasure only swept under them; then Pit launched a quick volley of blasts at the weakness. He moved as soon as the shots connected, arcing into a full one-eighty circle before Hades had a chance to retaliate, and quickly raised his blaster.

A fast charged shot launched from the weapon and impaled Hades right in the join, causing him to stumble back as he tried to recover.

The evil god growled weakly - some twisted cross between a Ganymede, a Reaper, and a Belunka - as he turned around, bracing his hands back. "This is ever so tiresome," he mused menacingly.

Pit lined the Great Sacred Treasure with light as he shot forward for a melee strike. "Then let's finish it!" he shouted, lashing out.

The strike passed through Hades like he wasn't there.

Which probably explained why the Lord of the Underworld quickly shot down and crushed the Great Sacred Treasure between his palms!

Pit gave a shout of horror and pain as Lord Dyntos' custom weapon was destroyed, pure orichalcum crushing against his arms and tearing through his feathers as he blacked out.

+x+x+x+

"Looks like your little toy isn't so great after all!"

Hades' taunt went unheard by Pit as the angel lost consciousness. It was, however, very clearly heard by the battle's spectator; Viridi dropped her snack to the ground, popped corn scattering across the floor of her temple. Her staff followed shortly after as she grabbed the edges of her reflecting pool, shouting at the falling angel.

"Pit! Pit, wake up! You've gotta wake up!"

Palutena's cries of horror could be heard clear across the heavens. "No, Pit! Hang in there! Hold on!"

Nutski's began to swarm towards her, trying to compose her, and a few Flages began to pick up the fallen popcorn; but Viridi quickly threw her hands towards them. "No, no no! Not now!" She closed her hands together, and emerald nature magic began to flow across her fingers as she tried to link to Pit's wings - but to no avail, for the angel's unconsciousness and his rapid velocity completely shut her out.

"Damn it!" Viridi slammed one fist against the reflecting pool as her staff flew into her hands. "Come on, Pit! Wake up! You are not dying on me now, you feathered fool! Wake up!"

+x+x+x+

"You are not dying on me now, you feathered fool! Wake up!"

Pit opened his eyes to find himself tumbling through the air. Which didn't make sense. Palutena was supposed to light his wings with the Power of Flight when he stepped out the door.

"Come on, Pit! Wake up! Focus!"

What was that town? It looked weird upside down in the sunset. Was it burning? No, that was just a couple tall statues catching sunset. Why did it look like it was on fire?

"Pit, please, wake UP!"

There was something in his wings. What were those? Wires? How did he get wires in his feathers? And why was there some kind of metal clamped around his arms?

And then it came back to him.

He was falling at a terminal velocity that would make Cragalanche jealous. Around him was falling enough pure orichalcum to put the Lunar Sanctum back together, and the pieces that were crushing his arms and legs probably had him so conductive it would leave Phosphora close enough to lock lips with. Just off the shore, Hades was watching him.

With a smile on his face.

A roar of pain - that much pressure on your body doesn't make it nice to move - he tried to right himself. All he did was knock himself into a tumble, but with a clenched jaw he managed to change his direction so that he was falling towards a nearby cliff. Palutena and Viridi shouting at him became white noise as his entire cognitive process focused on making his body not land headfirst.

Four seconds.

Three.

Two.

One.

There was a menacing series of cracks as Pit hit the ground, and a bloodcurdling scream tore through his lips.

Because those cracks were his wings.

Hades touched down several kilometres off the shore as Pit tried to move, horrified cries falling from his mouth as he failed, tears of pain streaming across his face as he tried to endure. The bones of his left wing were cracked into pieces; his right wing wasn't much better, if so only because his left had landed first. Crimson began to flow across his body, and the earth beneath him; staining his tunic a bloody red and smearing his wings against each other.

Pure, unbound Underworld darkness began to gather around Hades, centering at his face. "Since you've been such a great adversary, I've saved my deadliest attack just for you!" he taunted. "I do hope you enjoy it!"

+x+x+x+

"Pit! Pit, get up! Please! You've gotta get out of there! Pit! Get up!"

Palutena had reached an all-out panic. Her connection to Pit was shattered, the goddess desperately trying to reach him again before Hades launched his attack. The flames from the Chaos Vortex were nothing compared to this; Pit's life force was fading away even as she tried to reach him.

Troops from the Forces of Nature started emerging around Hades, trying to force him out of the attack; some were even trying to approach Pit and help him. The necrous force gathering around the Underworld god, however, was more than enough to drag the troops away from the angel, shatter the shots they launched at him, and destroy Viridi's troops when they came close enough.

"Wait..." Viridi's voice sounded surprised - and horrified. "Do you feel that?"

Palutena's eyes widened. "A powerful force... a godlike force," she realized. But is it friend or foe? Half a moment passed as part of her focus went out to find the force - and Palutena realized what it was doing.

"It's seeking Hades!"

The Goddess of Light let her staff hit the ground and grasped the edges of the reflecting pool. "Pit!" she cried. "Pit, get up! You've gotta get up! I need you to focus! Please! Please! Pit! Wake up! Pit! PLEASE!" Her voice was cracking as she called for him, and tears started to flow down her face. "Pit, get UP!"

"It's alright..."

Palutena's eyes widened. "Pit!"

+x+x+x+

"It's alright..."

The angel was struggling to keep his eyes opened - he knew if he closed them, his life would be forfeit. Hades tremored with impossible power; his attack was nearly complete.

"Pit!" Palutena cried. "Pit, get up! Please! I'm begging you, get up!"

Pit shook his head weakly, his breath heavy. "It's... alright... Lady Palutena..." He clenched his jaw, taking several deep breaths through his teeth. "It's... alright..."

"No. No, no, no no no no NO! Pit, you are not-!"

"This..." Pit gasped, wincing, but he managed to stay conscious. "This... isn't... the end... Lady... Palu...tena..."

He raised his gaze to Hades as the Underworld god lowered his gaze to fire - literally looking his fate in eye.

And that same smile, the look that sought adventure, the smirk of a naive warrior, the face of an angel devoted to his goddess - the smile he had worn throughout his whole journey against the Underworld. That same childish grin rose on his face - for he knew, without knowing, that this wouldn't be the end.

That he can, he will win - in this life... or the next.

The angel's wings rose - and wrapped in flames.

"I'll see you back home, Hades."

Draco: Damn it, I'm a dark little son of a bitch. I've had this one planned since before all the rest of them.