When we last saw our hero, Viridi had challenged him to a FIGHT TO THE DEATH. *dun dun dun* Well, not death, but it was still dramatic.

Will Pit come out victorious? Or will a new discovery about the Goddess of Nature shatter the angel's world?

Find out in the final installment of... SECOND STRIKE! *fanfare*

Still don't own Kid Icarus. I don't even have my own copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Chapter Two

...With Feeling

"Fight... who?''

"Me, you numbskull," Viridi huffs.

"But I can't fight a girl!" I protest.

"You fought Pandora, Phosphora, Gaol, Medusa," she trails on.

"Yeah, but... they know how to fight!"

"Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe the only goddess that knows nothing about military and fighting is your precious Palutena?" Viridi folds her arms.

Now that she brings it up, I guess it is true. I mean, Viridi may have commanders in her Forces of Nature, but she still runs the show. I do all the military work for Lady Palutena. I'm teaching her some defense moves in my spare time, as a matter of fact.

"OK, you have a point. I'll fight you," I sigh. "But you have to let me use some of the godly powers Palutena's given me. Since, you know, you're a goddess and you have to use them."

"Fine. Ready, Pit?"

"Do you even have to ask?" I taunt.

"Oh it's on!" she yells, then rushes towards me.

I dodge her flying kick by a hair. Man, she DOES know how to fight, I think.

Drawing my bow, I aim a shot at her head. It whizzes past her ear as she dashes away. And then she's right beside me. She's fast, too. Great.

Viridi throws a solid right hook aimed squarely for my forearm. I don't have enough time to block it and it connects.

Suddenly, I feel this jolt run through me. The feeling starts right where she punched me. I shudder. It's like an enemy hit me with Paralysis- but for some reason, it feels... nice. What the... I wonder.

Viridi's stalled up, too. I take this chance to do a sweet melee combo and then run as fast and far as I can from her. I'm a good 30 feet away when she snaps back into action.

"Oh, so the little angel wants to play hardball, eh? Fair enough!" Viridi shouts as she slams her staff on the temple floor.

Out of nowhere a rose bush sprouts around me. A rose bush with a LOT of thorns.

"Ow ow ouch ack!" I sputter as the thorns prick me in every place they can. I slice myself a way out and run through, mentally scrolling through my powers all the while.

"No using Health Recovery- if you're hurt, you're hurt and you have to suck it up," the Goddess of Nature calls to me.

"Doesn't matter- I didn't bring it. But why would I bring Double Item?" I say. "It's not like I was gonna get anything new..."

I do a quick dash- around and get behind Viridi. Sneaking up to her back, I grab her by the sides in a tight hold. She starts kicking.

"Let me go!"

"No!" I answer, and I do the only thing that makes sense to me.

I tickle her.

"Ha ha- let me- ha ha- go now- ha- you brat!" she laughs. Yet her chuckle sounds happy, as if she's enjoying herself. Her giggle, I decide, is pretty cute. Just like the rest of her.

Wait, what am I saying? Did I just call Viridi... cute?

I must have stopped tickling her because Viridi is now several yards away. She has a bemused expression on her face.

"Try escaping this, Pit!" she bellows as she pounds her staff again. This time, vines come up from the ground and wrap themselves around my arms and legs. I struggle to break free, but I'm too deep in the tangle.

She laughs. "This is the most fun I've had since you were staying with me!" Then she blushes. "Wait, forget that..." Huh. Strange. She composes herself and smirks.

Viridi walks up like she's out on a midday stroll through the park- very casual and aloof. At least until she starts punching me with a force that I would have never had thought could come from such a tiny girl. And each hit gives me that same shock as earlier. I can see Viridi flinch every time she touches my skin, as well. Maybe she's getting shocked, too.

"Hoo, I need a snack. Maybe some trail mix. But what's trail mix without..." she grins evilly. Her foot is pulled back. "...Some nuts?"

And then she makes the kick.

"Oooo," I groan. The vines disappear and I'm left lying on the ground, curled up in the fetal position. "That's not fair," I gasp.

"All's fair in love and war!" Viridi chants, giggling at my pain.

All's fair in love and war... well, the war is over, isn't it? So that must mean this is...

Love. Viridi just said that this is love.

All my energy comes back to me in a flash. In less than 5 seconds I've made my way back to her, all while landing arrow after arrow directly at her stomach. She's doubled over in pain when I grab her shoulders and slam her against the temple wall.

"Game over," I say softly. "I win." The electricity between us is a constant stream now.

"No. NO!" Viridi squeals. "I refuse to be defeated, especially by the sweetest angel in the world!"

"Wait... what did you just say?" I ask. I feel my face get red hot.

"Meep."

"Did you just call me 'the sweetest angel in the world?'"

"Um... no?" Viridi stammers.

We're only a foot apart. I can see every detail on her face. Her hazel eyes, her silky blonde hair, her little button nose, her adorable way of biting her lip...

Her blushing cheeks...

And suddenly, it clicks. Why Viridi got so angry when Phosphora flirted with me. Why she told me she wasn't helping me when I fought the Aurum, even though she very clearly did. Why she saved my life when Pyrrhon knocked me down. Why she let me stay with her when Lady Palutena was being controlled by the Chaos Kin. Why she called me here in the first place. Why she cut off Palutena. Why she's been blushing all this time. Why I've been getting a strange feeling every time I feel her skin. Why I think she's cute. Why she called me sweet.

"You've had a crush on me this whole time," I whisper. "And I've had a crush on you back."

Viridi's face is as red as her dress. She nods, but barely. "Yeah."

I notice something. Her arm is moving- I must have loosened my grip. She reaches out a shaking hand and places her palm on my wing. I breath in. The buzz I'm getting is like being Eggplanted. Except enjoyable. I give an involuntary shudder.

I let go of her other shoulder- the one that isn't rubbing my left wing- and stroke her hair. It feels like cornsilk. Heck, it could be cornsilk for all I know. She is the Goddess of Nature, after all. She trembles at my touch- she feels the same shock I've been getting.

Viridi is moving her face in towards mine. Only about 3 or 4 inches separate us at this point. Her lips are puckered like she's eating a sour grape. I'm supposed to do something here, I know I am. I just can't remember what. It's almost like she wants me to ki-

Oh, duh.

And so I do what she wants me to do. It's short- no more than 5 seconds at most- a peck, really. But the electricity surges through my body like a lightning strike.

We pull apart. I'm staring into her eyes, analyzing that shy smile.

"...Took you long enough."

"What the-" I say. I spin around. "Pittoo!"

"Ack! When did you get here? How did you get here?" Viridi shouts.

"Well, it's nice to see the only people not aware of your shipping have finally figured it out. Let the fanfics begin," Dark Pit snorts, his eyes rolling. But there's the same sound in his voice that I heard before I came here in Palutena- a sense of knowing and excitement.

How could they know I had a crush on her before I did?

"You little perv! I'm gonna destroy you!" Viridi yells, cracking her knuckles.

"Yeah right. I'm outta here. Later, lovebirds. Try not to kill each other." And with those words, he runs out of the arena and flies in the direction of Skyworld.

"Wait- how are you flying? Is Lady Palutena giving you the Power of Flight?" I call after him. When he smirks in response, I sink to the floor. "Now how am I gonna get home?"

"Um... Pit? I could loan you my Power of Flight," Viridi says, coming to my side. She helps me up. We keep holding hands after I'm back on my feet. She stares at our intertwined fingers as she continues. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you won't fall. I mean, you can trust me now, right?"

I turn her chin up towards my face. "Viridi, I think we both know at this point that I've always trusted you," I tell her.

Her smile is so bright that for a second I forget if it's Palutena or her that's the Goddess of Light.

Viridi makes the same puckering face as earlier and I immediately respond. Then she slaps my back and I feel her power run through my veins. I prep myself for takeoff when I look at her one last time.

"Viridi?"

"Yeah, Pit?"

I run and take to the skies. "I'm sorry that I had to keep you waiting."

The End

Aaaaawwww. So kawaii. ^^

Anyway, due to popular demand, I am writing a companion story to this from Dark Pit's POV. But then I'm taking a break from Kid Icarus fanfics. But don't fret- I will return with more Pit x Viridi goodness.