This Fic: 1164

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Sound the bugle now…

Play it just for me...

"Pit!" Lady Palutena, a beautiful green-haired goddess, wailed as she stared in disbelief, emerald eyes shining with unshed tears. Her loyal servant, her warrior... her best friend, was chained cruelly to a rough brick wall. His beautiful pure white wings were stained red with blood, bent and broken with shards of bone peeking through where the angel's feathers had been cruelly ripped out. His skin was tainted with shed blood, oozing slowly from numerous wounds.

As the seasons change,

Remember how I used to be

The Goddess had spent months sending out search party after Centurion search party, desperately seeking the young angel, but every group had returned with nothing. Not a single feather was to be found. She had been worried sick; he had saved her more times than she could count, he had saved both those who followed under her and those had didn't, and even if not for all that, the hero was her best friend. Eventually she, herself, had gone out, searching every nook and cranny of the mortal world.

She had checked every city, every village, every town for the hero; any sign, even if it was just a bit of shed down. She had delved into every cave system, every underground tavern, traversed every canyon. The Goddess had even tested every ring, her Centurions confiscating them so she could test them before returning them to their rightful owners, as she feared a repeat of the Chaos Kens' attack. It had all been in vain; the boy was never found, and eventually she was forced to give up.

Now I can't go on...

I can't even start...

I've got nothin' left,

Just an empty heart...

She remembered vividly when Pit had run into a new, monstrous enemy. It had taken every fear, every insecurity he had, and used them against him. When he'd battled his way free and returned to her castle, he'd been scarred, emotionless. It had taken the Goddess months to break through to him, as he'd put up a shell in hopes of fending off his fears. For months he had followed her like a little pup, not letting her from his sight. Even when he slept he howled and screamed, trapped in nightmares. Lady Palutena had eventually set up a cot in his room so that she could calm him down before he fell into an anxiety attack.

I'm a soldier, wounding so I must give up the fight...

There's nothing more for me...

Lead me away...

Or leave me lying here...

She knew she'd never be able to forget the outcome of the Chaos Ken's attack. The monster had attacked Dark Pit, and be all rights he should have died. But Pit had leaped to his rescue at the risk of his own life. Leaping off a chunk of rock miles above the 'ground', despite being unable to fly, it was pure insanity. But he had saved Pittoo, nearly at the cost of his own life. She had never been more scared than when she saw him, laying on the ground, bleeding and broken, his wings burned and crushed to nearly nothing. But Dark Pit had saved him, healed him to better than new. That had been the moment when she realized Pit always gave and never returned, never asked for a reward. All she gave him was moral support, and told him what to do.

Sound the bugle now – tell them I don't care

There's not a road I know, that leads to anywhere

Without a light I, fear that I will stumble in the dark...

Lay right down, decide, not to go on...

When he fought Medusa, they had both thought that that would be the end of it. The battle seemed to last for hours, and Pit could barely stand on his own. The dungeon she was in had sapped him of his strength before he'd even reached her, and he was doing all he could to survive long enough to land another attack. When he had won, they had both rejoiced. But then their glee was tamped down when Hades had risen, revealing to them what he had done. Pit had looked positively heartbroken... and hopeless. The angel had been ready to roll belly up and die, to surrender to Hades. He knew the likelihood of him surviving such a battle was practically nil. The Goddess had pulled him out, to heal and to rest, to prepare for the inevitable battle with the God of Evil.

Then from on high – somewhere in the distance

There's a voice that calls, "Remember who you are!"

If you lose yourself...

Your courage soon will follow...

Only months after beating Hades, while Pit was still healing from the near deadly hits he had taken, another enemy had risen. No one knew of him but he had said his name was Set, and that he was the true God of Evil. Pit had gone out to fight him, and his wings had burned down after he spent too long in an attempt to flee. The angel had been hopeless, trapped in the vast caverns beneath the village in which he had battled Twinbellows. He had curled up and prepared to die. Only with encouragement from both her and Viridi, and finally Pittoo, they managed to get him to the top of the hill where the lead Centurion would save him.

So be strong tonight...

Remember who you are...

Yeah you're a soldier now,

Fighting in a battle...

"Oh, Pit..." Lady Palutena couldn't help but say, carefully undoing the chains and taking the fallen angel into her arms. She turned, carefully walking up the stone stairs, trying her best not to jostle the ruinedpainedbrokendying boy in her arms, apologizingcryingblamingherselfwishingshecouldbeinhisplace every time he whimpered or cried out in pain. They both knew he was dying, but she wasn't going to let him die in the coldhellishhorribledangerousscarybloodydirtytorturechamberdungeon he had been stuck in for secondsminuteshoursdaysweeksmonthsyears. Pit loved the open sky, loved flying, even if he couldn't do it without assistance. He loved to play in the clouds, making shapes out of the fluffy things. He would swoop through them, laughing and smiling as he startled the few birds who dared come that high.

For three years, he had grownupbeentorturedstarvedbeatenhurtscaredmauleddrained in that dungeon, and she wasn't going to let that be the last thing he saw.

"My brave, brave Pit." she whispered, descending the steps outside and walking to a large patch of grass. "You've done so much, but you've never received anything in return. You've never been honored, been thanked. Half the humans don't even know of your existence. But that will end. You will receive a statue, a hero's honor."

She set him down on the grass, mindful of his destroyed wings, tears filling her eyes as he gave her a soft smile. He said no words, but she knew what he meant.'Thank you.'