The Tale From the Goddess: Remember Her Angel

Tale of Tass: Her Bittersweet Demise

WARNING! SLIGHTLY GORY!

The cherub born unto Tass and Maxwell was a perfect mix of angel and human: he had his mother's periwinkle eyes, his father's chocolate hair, and would most likely grow up with both their attitudes. Tass decided on naming her child "Pid," after the fabled god of love. After all, hewasa product of their pure love. (However, Palutena constantly joked about how that name sounded like "Pit.")

 * * *

For two and a half years, Pid was raised in Overworld for his safety. Both Tass and Palutena were concerned about him learning how to fly, and decided it would be better if he did so with easy access to ground.

But you see, our story does not end here.

The Centurions that patrolled the Overworld were going berserk due to feeling an eerie presence, and not even the other angels knew what it was.

Lady Palutena feared this day would come. The day the Queen of Darkness that once co-ruled Angel Land alongside her, thought to have been banished into the Underworld and forgotten about, would try and reign again. 

* * *

 "MEDUSA!" Palutena shrieked, "surrender now if you know what's good for you!"

"Crashing my monster party as usual?" Medusa's dried lips curled upwards.

"I banished you to the Underworld for a reason. I made you into that hideous form for a reason. And you better damn well know you'll die for a reason! My army will put an end to your so-called life!"

"Trómaxa Brostá Mou!" With those words, Palutena fell to her knees and vomited.

"Face the facts, hun," Medusa lifted Palutena's chin upwards so her large, scarlet eye met with Palutena's tearful green ones, "there can't be light without darkness, and there can't be darkness without light."~

"Un...hand me...you witch..." Palutena clenched her aching stomach.  The gorgon before her flashed her eye, but the goddess looked away in time.

"WHY CAN'T YOU ACCEPT YOUR FATE?!" Palutena barked, "WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET YOU TO LEAVE THE HUMANS ALONE?! WHY WON'T YOU DIE AND ROT IN THE UNDERWORLD?!"

Medusa stopped everything when a vision came to her: a female-not Palutena, this one was smaller and had wings-readying a sacred blade and slicing her across the eye.

"I'll be back," the gorgon hissed, "Min páte pouthená."

A demon was summoned to clasp Palutena's wrists. With that done, Medusa cloaked herself and disappeared.

"Please...be safe, my angels..." Palutena whispered.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Overworld, Pid was timidly following his mother as she slew any monsters crossing their path. Whenever they stopped, Pid would cling onto her leg.

"We'll find Poppa," Tass reassured her son, "I promise."

"...scared, Momma!" Was all Pid could say.

 "I know, baby. As long as Momma's here, you don't have be."

She proceeded to slay a row of Miks without even turning around. While the otherworldly blood stained her tunic once more, she gave a reassuring smile to her son.

"See? Nothing to worry about!"

"Are you really sure about that?" A voice sent a chill down Tass's spine.

"Who's there?!" Tass obscured Pid's path with her blade, "Show yourself!"

The voice came from right behind her; a humanoid figure, about as tall as Palutena, disguising itself with a hooded cloak, which was immediately lowered the minute Tass turned around.

"Medusa..." Tass's volume went low as she shielded her face with her wings, "I thought Lady Palutena sentenced you to death!"

"Oh, I'm not dead just yet," Medusa laughed. 

Tass motioned for her son to hide in a nearby rabbit hole. He just worriedly grunted in response.

"Go! Hide!" Tass's tone went from fear to assertion, "It's not safe for you while she's around!"

Pid nodded, then tucked away in said hole.

"My my, what beautiful wings you have!" The gorgon's clawed, scaly hands ran across Tass's wing before pulling out a long feather, "reminds me of me, before your precious goddess did this to me!"

 Tass readied her blade through slight tears, "If Lady Palutena didn't kill you...then I WILL-!"

A slicing sound was heard, but the angel was the victim. Medusa had left a huge gash in Tass's arm that rendered it useless. She tried reaching for her weapon with her good arm, but the clawed hand slammed on it.

"Can you imagine the look on Palutena's face once she sees what I've done with her pet?!" Medusa cackled, practically spitting venom on that last word.

"I...am no...damn bird," Tass was losing blood fast, "Release me...witch..."

Tass's legs were practically useless at this point. She had no choice but to fly to safety. The moment her wings spread out, the clawed hands met with them again.

"Don't even try it, bird,"  Medusa spat, "You're dead to me now."

"Please....let go..." Tass was getting weaker by the minute.

"Oh, I'll do more than that," a heel was driven in the angel's side, making her choke on her own blood.

"I'LL STRIP YOU OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL WINGS AND SEVER YOU FROM LIVING!"

With one fell swoop upwards, Medusa successfully ripped off Tass's wings. A duet of pained screaming and malevolent laughing rattled throughout the area as blood erurpted from the angel's shoulder blades.

"Lady...Palutena...help me..." were Tass's final words.

...

Pid made the mistake of popping his head out of the rabbit hole. He was greeted with his mother lying face-first in a crimson puddle, which he slowly approached.

"...Momma?"

"Aw, was that your mommy?" Medusa purred, causing the cherub to cocoon himself in his wings.

Another vision flashed before the gorgon. An older version of the timid cherub, exacting his revenge.

"You're lucky you're so damn cute," she spat, "otherwise I wouldn't have spared your life."

Pid peeped from his cocoon.

"Meínete sto édafos!"

Pid's wings were pryed open and ached tremendously.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some...other preparations to make." The gorgom simply turned around and left.

Pid crawled under his mother's limp arm, and slowly started to cry.