Chapter 1: The Miracle of Flight
Chapter Text
Pit's footsteps echoed in the hallways of Palutena's temple as he ran through, brimming with excitement. "Pittoo!"
That had to be the tenth time he'd called Dark Pit already. Pit let out an exasperated sigh. Of course his twin had to choose the one day Pit had something to show him to be more difficult than usual. He tried again. "Pittoo! What are you even doing?"
That finally got a response from Dark Pit. "Being useful, unlike you." Pit could practically see the smirk on his twin's face, but for once he didn't mind. That came from the kitchen, right? Pittoo must be there!
"I bet you're just trying to finish your chores before Lady Palutena realizes you've been slacking off!" Pit teased, dashing through the hallways.
"As if you weren't asleep for the whole day."
"Hey, I only took a nap for an hour! I was training for the rest of the time!" He burst in through the doors of the kitchen. "And you've got to check–"
Pit was greeted by a wet dishcloth to the face, which he pulled off to see his twin's smug smile from across the room as he grabbed a different cloth and continued to wipe some of the dishes from lunch. "Seriously, Pittoo? Would it kill you to be nice for once?"
"What can I say? I'm just way better at sniping than you are. And everything else, for that matter."
Usually, they could keep going back and forth until Palutena told them to stop, but Pit chose to ignore him this time. "Just look at this!" His wings fluttered impatiently as Dark Pit slowly and deliberately dried the rest of the dishes, clearly just to make him wait. When he finally finished, he faced Pit, arms crossed. Pit took a deep breath. Alright, here I go.
His wings were still sore after enduring weeks of Dark Pit's hellish training, but he jumped up as high as he could and forced himself to flap them… before falling back to the ground. Undeterred, he tried again. And again. Dark Pit scowled and moved to put the dishes away. "Really? I see this all the time. What's so special about today?"
"But I was just able to do it! Let me try one more time…" Dark Pit sighed, but continued to watch. And three tries later, for just the second time in his life, Pit jumped, beat his wings meticulously, and managed to keep himself in the air. There, I got it!
It took him a couple of seconds to steady himself, and he was sure he looked stupid as he flailed his arms around, but that didn't matter. Not when he was finally able to fly by himself. "Look, your training worked! I can fly!" he cheered.
Pit relished his twin's expression of pure wonder, which only lasted for a moment before his resolve not to be surpassed set in. Pit felt a sudden pang of worry. Wait a second, he'll be able to fly too, right?
It turned out that he didn't need to worry. Dark Pit only took two tries to get himself in the air, and within seconds, the two angels were flying side-by-side, zooming through the air in a way that they never could before. Pit laughed brightly, and even Dark Pit had a genuinely happy smile on his face. As much as Pit appreciated Palutena and her Power of Flight, flying on his own felt completely different. Feeling the wind under his wings, getting to control exactly where and how fast he flew… he felt free.
Or at least he would have, if they weren't indoors. Pit realized what was about to happen right as he missed a turn and flew straight into a wall, falling alongside a couple of jars of spices from the spice rack. He heard Dark Pit yell out in surprise, followed by a thud and the sound of plates breaking. And as a cloud of colour rose around him, he heard Palutena's frantic voice from down the hall. "Pit? Pittoo? What happened?"
Oh no. We're finished for sure.
At this point, Palutena was used to surprises. After all, she'd been the Goddess of Light for years, and she'd raised Pit since he was a toddler. Sure, he was sweet, but he was often a handful– and clearly that had never changed. And while she loved Pit and his dark counterpart like little brothers, it didn't help that the two of them were always partners in crime.
Palutena had been planning to relax in the library of her temple before she heard ceramic shattering in the kitchen. She could only hope that her angels hadn't done anything stupid. "Pit! Pittoo! Are you alright?"
As soon as she rushed into the kitchen, she was taken aback by the sight of Dark Pit laying on the floor, surrounded by broken pieces of the dishes they'd used for lunch. "Pittoo! You're not hurt, are you?" Palutena asked, helping the angel to his feet.
All she got in response was a nonchalant "I'm fine," and it looked like there were only a couple of scratches on his body. I suppose he's fine, then. Pittoo isn't very talkative anyways. Unlike…
"Lady Palutena!" Palutena whirled around to see Pit, covered head to toe in colour. It took her a second to realize that it was spices that were in his hair and covering the normally white feathers on his wings, and as much as she tried to stifle her laughter, she failed miserably and burst out laughing. She was joined by Dark Pit soon after, and they watched as Pit's confident expression quickly faded. "... Lady Palutena?"
Palutena felt a jab in her side as Dark Pit elbowed her. "Up for barbecued angel wings tonight? They're already marinated," he said with a smirk that made her laugh even harder.
Pit gave both of them an irritated look, wiping the powder off of his face and arms. "Stop it, Pittoo! Lady Palutena, we have to show you something!"
"How about after you take a bath and wash your chiton?" Palutena suggested with an amused smile.
"No, it's really important!" Pit insisted, and Palutena knew from experience that 'important' could mean just about anything , so she nodded her approval and followed the two angels outside.
No matter how much Palutena was used to surprises, she couldn't have expected the impossible. Once they were in an open area, Pit leapt into the air and flapped his wings carefully, not erratically like he usually did. He took a second to steady himself, and with a grin, flew off like he did when he was using the Power of Flight or the Pegasus Wings. Except he wasn't. "See, Pittoo? First try!" he called, swooping above them, a trail of coloured powder following him with every flap.
Clearly determined not to be outdone, Dark Pit matched Pit's movements, and all of a sudden they were both soaring together, arguing about who was better at it. Palutena just gazed at them in amazement. So it finally happened, huh?
She barely gave them a chance to land before pulling them into a hug, which Pit gladly returned, while Dark Pit was more reluctant. For the first time in a while, Palutena found herself at a loss for words. "I… I didn't think that could actually happen, but I'm so glad it did!"
Maybe hugging Pit before he got to wash the powder off himself wasn't a great idea, because Palutena had to pull away from the angels before sneezing violently. Dark Pit stared at her. "I'm surprised you haven't sneezed your lungs out yet."
"Nope, I'm fine!" she assured him, cheerfully. "A strong sneeze is the sign of a strong spirit. Now you should go get yourself clean, Pit, and then we can take care of the mess you two made in the kitchen."
After the kitchen was cleaned, Palutena finished carefully tying a bandage around the gash on Dark Pit's arm. It wasn't a bad injury, but she didn't want to leave it untreated. "There we go. Is that any better?"
"I guess," Dark Pit muttered. "I still don't get why I need it. I'm not a weakling crybaby like Pit-stain."
Almost as if on cue, Pit trudged into the room, newly clean after his bath. "Lady Palutenaaa… My wings are so sore! Pittoo's training is the worst," he whined. Dark Pit arched an eyebrow at her, and she could practically hear him saying 'See? Told you so.'
"Aw, you poor guy." She sat down and motioned for him to sit in front of her. "Come here, I'll massage them for you." Pit accepted readily, making himself comfortable as she contentedly combed her fingers between his feathers. Dark Pit's deadpan expression told her that she didn't even need to ask if he wanted to join them. She smiled mischievously. "I didn't know that you were training for this. Pittoo being considerate? That's new."
Dark Pit glared at her, but Pit responded, rather drowsily. "You couldn't see it with your all-seeing eye or all-knowing brain ? Pittoo taught me how he used Pandora's powers to fly, and we practiced. For hours. Every day. It worked, but it was–"
"We get it, stop whining. And both of you can shut up now," Dark Pit snapped, grabbing a comb for his wings. They sat in silence for a while, Palutena gently rubbing Pit's wings, and Dark Pit combing his feathers, until he spoke up again. "Palutena?" She looked over at him and hummed her acknowledgement, and he continued. "Why do you think we can fly all of a sudden?"
"Well…" she mused. Questions from Dark Pit were rare, so she wanted to answer this one well. "I had a theory about that. I'm sure we've already told you that Pit was raised in a human town until I could take care of him. Those first few years are the most important for an angel's developing wings, and I guess his wings just never developed properly because he missed out on that practice. And I suppose it didn't help that I could never give him any tips, since I can't fly on my own either."
Dark Pit froze mid-stroke. "You what?"
"Oh, sorry for assuming you knew!" Palutena gasped. "I forgot that you don't have all of Pit's memories. But no, I can't fly on my own; that's why I have the Power of Flight in the first place. I only summon my wings when I need them for attack or defense."
"A flightless angel for a flightless goddess, huh? But that doesn't explain why we can fly now."
She tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "I think it has to do with the Rewind Spring. After all, his wings were completely destroyed and regenerated, so perhaps they got another chance to develop normally? And as for you, it technically hasn't been long since you were born, so maybe your wings are developing just as they should."
Dark Pit nodded, but Palutena noticed that his chattier twin hadn't said a word during their conversation. She shook him gently. "Pit?" In response, he just slumped a bit further onto her lap. "Don't tell me you've fallen asleep again!" she laughed, seeing that that was exactly what happened. I'll take him to his room. After all, today was a big day for him. For both of them.
Pit balanced on the railings of one of the temple's balconies overlooking the islands of Skyworld, feeling slightly on edge knowing that it could be a long fall onto the Overworld if he messed up. "Pittoo, you're sure you'll catch me if I fall, right?"
Dark Pit was indifferent. "Maybe if you stopped calling me Pittoo."
"But it's your nickname!"
He ignored the imminent argument. "Relax, we've been practicing for weeks now. I'm sure our wings can handle it, but I'll be there if yours can't."
I guess that's the closest I can get to reassurance from him. Pit took a deep breath, spread his wings, and jumped into the sky, feeling the wind beneath his wings almost instantly. Dark Pit joined him after a moment. It had been a couple of weeks since they flew for the first time, and their wings had now grown long enough that they almost touched the floor when folded against their backs. Flying had also become more natural to them, but Palutena always enforced a strict time limit on their practices, just so that they didn't 'overdo it'. Not this time, though! We can handle ourselves, I know we can!
As they flew through the midday sky, Pit reminisced about how much he'd longed to do just that. He'd even composed a little victory song about flying, way back when he was on his mission to defeat Hades. How did it go, again? Oh, right! "Again today I will go soaring through the sky! My enemies, I'll dish 'em up in a stir-fry! Gracious goddess of light watches from up above! At dinnertime I always show the cook some love!" he sang, making loops in the air.
Dark Pit groaned at the familiar song. "See? Annoyingly cheerful."
"It's just so awesome to finally be able to fly by ourselves! You know, back when Hades tricked us with the Wish Seed, I was totally ready to wish to fly by myself, but it looks like I won't have to anymore!"
They spent the next few minutes flying in near-silence, taking in some of the breathtaking sights for the first time. After a while, Dark Pit mused, "Hey, Pit-stain? What if the Wish Seed was real, and you could make a wish now?" Pit gave him a curious look. Where did that come from? Dark Pit realized in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment how out-of-place his question sounded. "I- I just wanted to see if there's anything else in your thick skull other than 'I really want to fly.'"
"Hmm, maybe… oh, I know! Unlimited floor ice cream!"
"What?"
"Being able to read!"
That earned him a midair shove. "Are my lessons not good enough for you or something? 'Cause I'd gladly stop teaching."
"No no, I'm eternally grateful for your lessons, but– oh! More hot springs! A personal Cherubot! Grind rails everywhere! Actually, I'd wish for, like, a gazillion wishes, and then wish for all those things. Isn't that a genius plan?"
"I shouldn't have even asked," Dark Pit groaned.
Pit calmed down a bit and pondered. "But if you really want to know what I'd wish for right now… it would probably be to spend more time with you. And Lady Palutena, of course. And Viridi, Arlon, and Phosphora; they're nicer than I thought when you're not fighting them. And Magnus and Gaol, and Aurelia, you know, the little girl who saved me when I was a ring? We should visit them now that we can fly!" That was when he noticed that Dark Pit wasn't paying attention. "Pittoo? Hello-o?"
That broke Dark Pit out of his thoughts, and he hesitated for a second before asking bluntly, "Why am I at the top of that list?"
The answer seemed so obvious to Pit. "Because you're my favourite person to spend time with!"
"But– Pit!" Pit hardly felt his wings give out before he fell, crying out in surprise. Dark Pit made a move to catch him before he fell too. "Spread your wings, you idiot!" he shouted. "You'll fall slower!"
So this is why Lady Palutena said we needed a time limit. Pit squeezed his eyes shut as he fell, only to suddenly stop. He opened his eyes hesitantly, and his first sight was the gently-beating white wings covered in a familiar pale blue light. Then Palutena's concerned expression as she held him in her arms. "Are you alright?"
"I– Yeah, but what about Pittoo?"
Palutena gestured near them to where Dark Pit was suspended in the air by his wings, which were glowing a pale green. Pit looked beneath them, realizing how dangerously close they were to the ground, and noticed Viridi wielding her staff at Dark Pit to channel her Power of Flight. "Don't worry, I've got this!"
Pit looked back up at Palutena. "Thanks for saving us, Lady Palutena! If it wasn't for you two, we'd be finished."
In return, Palutena whacked him lightly on the head. "You will be finished if I catch you being reckless again."
"Ow! Okay, I'm sorry." His attention was drawn back to her wings. "So… you've started using the Power of Flight on yourself again, huh?"
She gave him a playful smile. "Well, I thought I'd use it now that you don't need it anymore. And I probably would have given it to you just now, but I thought it would take me too long to transfer the power… and I guess part of me wanted to feel what it was like to fly again."
Their conversation was interrupted by a yell from Dark Pit, as he plummeted the short distance to the ground. Viridi was shouting as well. "Wait a second, how was I supposed to control this again?" Pit genuinely couldn't tell whether or not she was messing with him.
Palutena laughed. "Let's go join them, shall we?"
They landed beside Dark Pit, who was lying on the ground, understandably annoyed, and Viridi, who was crouched down beside him. "I'm sure you're fine!" she declared, standing up to see them. Her expression brightened as she quickly raised one of Palutena's most prized possessions: her camera. And before anyone could react, she snapped a picture. "Look at you two, as helpless as ever!" she laughed mockingly. That's when Pit realized that Palutena was still holding him, and he jumped back to his feet right as Dark Pit did, to the goddesses' amusement.
"You'd better delete that!" Dark Pit yelled. "Get rid of it!"
"Too late!" Viridi sang. "It's a work of art."
Palutena took a look. "I was planning to take a picture of them in the air, but I suppose this is just as good. Thanks, Viridi!"
"That's why you just so happened to be there at the right time to save us?" Pit asked in disbelief and betrayal.
"Of course! Come on, let's head back to the temple. I have to find a good spot for this picture," Palutena remarked as she and Viridi started back, giggling about the photo.
Dark Pit rolled his eyes, and waited for Pit to join him before the two followed them back to the temple. Pit smiled cheerfully as they walked. "You know what, Pittoo? Even if someone gave me a Wish Seed right now, I don't think I'd wish for anything."
Dark Pit smirked. "Except maybe unlimited floor ice cream?"
Pit laughed in agreement. "Except maybe unlimited floor ice cream."
Chapter 2: Illiterate No Longer
Chapter Text
In one of many lively marketplaces in Skyworld, the twins were grappling with their latest mission: buying groceries. "Alright. We need tomatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes," Dark Pit read off the list that Palutena had given them, as Pit rushed around to get the food.
"Do we really need this much stuff?" Pit asked desperately, struggling to hold three bags with each hand.
"Maybe we wouldn't if you didn't go for seconds and thirds every time," Dark Pit responded pointedly. "Not that Palutena's any better. Oh, we also need blackberries." It wasn't on the list, but he felt like having a snack once they got home.
"As if you don't eat a lot too! We have the same body, remember?" Pit mentioned as he headed to get the berries. His willingness gave Dark Pit an idea. Hm. Just how far can I go with this?
"We need pomegranates and dragonfruit. And some cinnamon and clove. Don't forget quail's eggs." He didn't stop there, rambling on with the most exotic things he could think of as Pit dutifully went to look for them. Quail's eggs? Seriously? People eat that stuff? Actually, I wouldn't put it past Palutena…
It worked for a while, but maybe insisting that they needed 80% cacao chocolate was a bit too ambitious. "Okay, there's no way that's on Lady Palutena's list!"
"How would you know? You can't even read," Dark Pit shot back.
For a moment, Pit looked genuinely hurt. But that didn't last for long. "You don't have to be such a jerk, you know. How much of that did you make up?"
"Everything after blackberries," Dark Pit lied, still determined to get a snack, but he wasn't exactly focused on the groceries at that point. So he still takes the whole reading thing personally, huh? Then why doesn't he do anything about it?
He only decided to ask when they were walking back to the temple, bags in hand. "I don't see why I'm a jerk if you're the one who never even bothered trying to learn how to read."
"What was I supposed to do, teach myself?" Pit retorted defensively. "Come to think of it, how did you even learn how to read? You weren't born knowing how to."
"Remember, not everyone is as incompetent as you are. I learned by myself." That was a lie, but he wasn't going to tell anyone the truth anytime soon. "You know what? If not for yourself, do it for that goddess of yours. You know how bad it makes Palutena look if the captain of the Goddess of Light's army is illiterate? How come she never cared enough to educate you?"
"She tried. I tried, but it never worked." He clenched the bags a little harder and looked away. "I bet there's something wrong with me. I don't think all the lines were moving when she was reading."
It took Dark Pit a second to process that. Lines? Is he talking about letters? "What kind of an excuse is that? Letters don't move."
"Yeah? For me they did. So when she stopped teaching, I kind of gave up and stopped trying to learn."
This conversation was more frustrating than anything. "Did you give up, or did she give up on you?"
"Of course she didn't! Lady Palutena was way too overworked when we were younger. She never had spare time. The 'giving up' part was all me." Defending his goddess before himself. How typical. Pit grew quiet before adding, "And it's not like I've ever had anyone else."
They lapsed into silence for the rest of the walk back home, and Dark Pit thought about what Pit had said. Never had anyone else? I guess that's true. I don't have any memories of him being close to anyone but Palutena. They'd finished putting away the groceries by the time he made a decision. "Fine," Dark Pit huffed, and Pit turned to him inquisitively. "Then I'll have to teach you myself."
In an instant, Pit brightened, his wings fluttering excitedly. "Really? You're the best, Pittoo!" Dark Pit instinctively pushed back when Pit threw his arms around him.
"Get off me! I'm just making sure my competition is actually educated. But I'm going to make you regret not teaching yourself," he warned.
"... Do you really have to be that mean?"
Dark Pit knocked at the doors of Viridi's palace and only had to wait for a few seconds before they were whisked open to reveal Arlon, standing as regally as ever, despite the broom he was holding. "Ah, good day, Young Master Dark Pit. Shall I send for Mistress Viridi?"
"No need. You're the one I'm looking for." If Dark Pit had to guess, Arlon was probably busy cleaning the palace for Viridi. He still didn't understand why Arlon insisted on referring to her as 'Mistress' when she was so young, but then again, no one understood most things about Arlon.
"Then do come in, and please, have a biscuit." Dark Pit could have sworn that the tray appeared out of nowhere, but he ignored that and bit into a biscuit. Arlon's cooking always tasted delicious, and it brought back memories. After all, the tea and snacks he'd had eaten when they first met were the first full meal in his life. "Now, what was it that you wished to discuss with me?"
"You haven't told anyone else, right?" Dark Pit ventured, certain that Arlon knew what he was talking about: the fact that Arlon had taught him how to read and write during the war against Hades. It seemed pretty obvious to him; who would endanger themselves to protect the Lunar Sanctum just to fight someone? Dark Pit's main motivation had been Arlon's promise to educate him, and Arlon had delivered, despite his failure to protect the Sanctum's core.
"Of course not. I gave you my word that I would remain silent on that matter, and I intend to honour that promise. Although I have been meaning to say that your skills have improved greatly since I last taught you. I must commend your work."
Dark Pit didn't know how to respond to the unexpected compliment. "... You did a good job at teaching me, I guess. But now I'm trying to teach that idiot Pit-stain how to read. He won't shut up about how no one ever educated him."
Arlon raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? I could always convene with him, if you so desire."
What language is he even speaking? "He's my brother. I'll manage."
There was a pause, then Arlon chuckled. "Forgive me for my ignorance that you and Young Master Pit shared such a brotherly relationship."
Dark Pit was confused for a second, before realizing what he'd said. He felt a blush coming on. "I– That's not what I meant! I meant it's my responsibility that he learns! You know, since we're supposed to be rivals…" Pit was the one who always insisted on calling Dark Pit his brother. Don't tell me that's rubbing off on me…
Although Arlon's tone was formal, he looked amused. "I see. I could perhaps lend you the books I used to teach you, if that is what you seek." Determined not to embarrass himself any more, Dark Pit just nodded. As he left, Arlon handed him the books along with some more biscuits. "In any case, you have my best wishes for your task. Please convey my regards to Young Master Pit and Lady Palutena."
"Sure. Thanks, Arlon."
Dark Pit sighed and rubbed his temples. How was I supposed to know that he's beyond hopeless?
He'd told Pit to try reading the simplest-looking book in the stack that Arlon had given them. And all he got in response was a blank stare. "So you don't even know how to read basic words?" he grumbled.
"Nope!" Pit didn't look disappointed in the least.
Maybe Dark Pit's mistake was that he'd made assumptions. He decided to finally clarify something. "Then how did you use check sheets and pencils in your first adventure?"
Pit pondered for a second. "I memorized what the words looked like, I think. But that's also hard when everything keeps moving."
Dark Pit's wings perked up hopefully. "So you know about letters, at least?"
"Nope!" That meant that they were starting with the basics. Great.
He handed the first book to Pit, quickly realizing that Pit's expectant expression meant he was supposed to talk to him and explain. He took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "Letters make up words," he started, knowing that his explanation was doomed to failure. "Every word has a different set of letters, and you can use them to tell how it's pronounced. Except a lot of the letters in most words are completely useless."
Pit frowned. "Then what's the point of having them?"
"Does it look like I know?" he snapped. He had to give it to Arlon for being so patient, but that was probably why he was known as Arlon the Serene. Patience was almost alien to Dark Pit. "Just shut up so we can start."
He knew that he was terrible at teaching, and he was thankful that Palutena – or even worse, Viridi – wasn't anywhere nearby to watch him struggle. They'd never leave him alone if they were listening when he said that the letter 'c' was useless on its own because there were two other letters that sounded the same. Pit, at the very least, didn't seem to mind the explanations. The only problem was when he'd stop and stare at the simple words on the pages. "Why does this look the same as the other one?"
Dark Pit frowned. "It doesn't. 'c' is a half circle, 'o' is a full circle. The hell are you reading?"
Pit kept his gaze on the book as he answered. "The same word as you. Did you ever realize that we're not seeing the same thing?"
He didn't. Not until then, at least. He thought Pit was exaggerating whenever he complained that letters were always moving, but maybe that was just something the rest of them didn't see. Great, but how the hell am I supposed to teach him if I don't know what he's seeing? He was pulled out of his thoughts when Pit poked his arm to ask about the next letter. It was mostly trial and error, but they eventually made it through.
"Not bad for a first lesson, huh?" Dark Pit sighed, slumping back in his chair with relief.
"My brain feels bigger already!" Pit agreed cheerfully.
Their lessons continued day after day, and Dark Pit soon found himself the teacher for both of their goals: reading and flying. He made a conscious effort to be more patient, which Pit enthusiastically pointed out. His patience didn't extend far enough to deal with that, though. At least both of their endeavours were going well. Since Pit already knew about most words, it was easy enough to get him to recognize them once he understood the alphabet. He was still pretty slow and needed time to process each word, but it was better than Dark Pit expected. And on the same day that they first soared around Skyworld entirely by themselves, Dark Pit taught his twin how to read basic sentences.
He'd never admit it to anyone, but Dark Pit found himself looking forward to their secret lessons in the secluded corner of the temple library. He couldn't help but smile faintly whenever Pit pointed to a page, beaming as he declared, "I can finally get what that says!"
Writing, though, was a different story entirely. "Hey, Pittoo? Does this look right?" Pit asked, lifting his pencil from the paper.
Dark Pit squinted at the scribbling. "It doesn't look like anything."
"There are nicer ways to say that, you know!" Pit yelled, snatching the paper back.
"What were you even trying to write?"
"My name, so that I can sign things!"
"Your name is only three letters long. How're you even supposed to mess that up?"
"Wait, there are three letters in my name?" Pit asked, wide-eyed. "I didn't know that! Um, Pittoo? Why are you wielding that book like a club?"
"Maybe if I scrambled whatever brains you have, you'd actually remember what I've been telling you for weeks!"
"Ow! Sorry, I remember now! Hey, I said I was sorry! You're just hitting me for the sake of it now, aren't you?"
"So what if I am? I'll show you how to write it this time, but then you'd better get it right!" By the end of that lesson, Pit could write his name, as well as a couple of other words, flawlessly. Dark Pit nodded thoughtfully. That worked better than I thought it would.
There were a lot of things Pit never thought he'd get to experience, and reading a book by a fireplace on a rainy day was one of them. Yet there he was, leaning against Palutena, with Dark Pit peering over from beside him at the open book Pit was reading out loud. Trying to make sense of the shifting letters was one thing in his head, but reading out loud was usually the bane of his existence. Maybe that's why his twin only insisted on making him do it when all of them were together and reading for fun. Pittoo is way more thoughtful than we gave him credit for.
Back to the book he was reading. He wasn't fast, and he often needed to mark his place with his finger, but there was something gratifying about being able to read a book that he'd only ever heard read to him before. He smiled as he finished. "That was easy!" It wasn't, but it was getting easier. And that felt good.
Palutena ruffled his hair. "Great job, Pit! I can't believe you learned all of that so quickly. And Pittoo? Thanks for teaching him what I couldn't. I have to say, I'm impressed."
Dark Pit shrugged. "He's too useless to figure it out himself, so someone had to teach him. Obviously not you."
"Pittoo, didn't I tell you to stop talking about your brother like that?" Palutena scolded.
"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" he retorted.
Pit chuckled as they continued arguing. He didn't mind Dark Pit's insults too much anymore, because he knew he didn't really mean them. Sure, when he messed up his spelling, Dark Pit often whacked him with the heaviest tome he could find, but he would also gently place his hand on top of Pit's to help him write the words correctly right after. Soon enough, Dark Pit and Palutena's voices died down, and the library was silent except for the pitter-patter of raindrops on the windows.
"Hey, Pit-stain? Want me to make you hate language?" Dark Pit asked with a mischievous look. Pit nodded hesitantly, but he was curious. His twin grabbed a paper and pencil from a nearby table and wrote down a word. "Do you know what this says?"
Pit glanced at the letters. He could tell what they were with some effort, but he'd never seen that word before. He shook his head, somewhat grateful that Dark Pit didn't move to get something to hit him with. "It says 'thorough'," Palutena explained.
"If I remove an 'o', what does it say now?" Dark Pit asked, rewriting it.
Pit had no idea, and so he decided on the most logical answer. "Throw, right?" There was a beat of silence, then both Palutena and Dark Pit burst out laughing. He faltered. "... it isn't?"
It took Palutena a while to catch her breath enough to speak. "That's how you write 'through'."
Pit was appalled. "What? But it has the same letters as 'thorough'!"
"That's why I told you letters don't matter half the time," Dark Pit pointed out, writing another word on the paper. "What does it say if you remove the 'r'?"
Pit already knew that he was going to be wrong. "Thew?" he ventured, but that just made them laugh even harder.
"Nice try," Dark Pit mocked between laughs.
Once she recovered, Palutena took pity on him, but he still couldn't tell whose side she was on. "Pit, that says 'though'. The ending is pronounced just like in 'thorough'. Wow, this is hilarious. I never realized they all sound different."
When Dark Pit removed an 'h' from the word, Pit decided to try redeeming himself. "Tow." He really shouldn't have bothered. Dark Pit and Palutena were sitting on either side of him, and now they were both leaning against him for support as they died of laughter. Pit sighed irritably. "What? I know for a fact that's not how you spell 'two'... right?"
"That one spells 'tough'. I think that's the furthest you can go with this, Pittoo."
"'Tough'? How was I ever supposed to guess that?"
Dark Pit still couldn't get over his prank. "Did you really just think that 'though' was pronounced 'thew'? And 'tough' was pronounced 'tow'?" Their laughter was contagious, and Pit soon found himself laughing almost hysterically alongside them. I guess that was pretty stupid.
It took them a while to regain their composure, but after they had calmed down for a while, Pit asked softly, "Lady Palutena? Can you read us a story?"
Palutena smiled serenely, as if she hadn't just been dying. "I'm sure you could read us stories now, but if you'd like me to, I'm more than happy to. Which one do you want?"
Pit thought about it for a moment, but then he had an idea. It took him a minute to find it, but he handed Palutena a small book, slightly worn with age. She glanced at the cover. "'Rosalina's storybook'? Just how much time do you spend on video games?"
"You're the one who used to read it to me," Pit pointed out, returning to his spot. "You said it yourself, it was our favourite bedtime story."
"Fine," Palutena resigned, opening the book and reading from its pages. "'Our story begins a very, very long time ago with a young girl. One day, this girl spotted a rusted spaceship holding a small star child…'"
"'... The comet carrying the Lumas and the girl continues on its journey to this very day. With more "family members" in tow than can be counted, it's said that the comet visits the girl's home planet once every hundred years, its proud white tail glittering in the sky.'" Palutena closed the book with a nostalgic smile. She'd read it to her little angel so many times over the years, but even though her family now consisted of two angels who could both read, she was sure this wouldn't be the last time she read it to them. Speaking of those two…
Palutena turned to see the twins leaning against each other, fast asleep. Their wings were encircled around each other, and Pit's hand was softly placed on top of his brother's. Aw, that's so cute! They're probably tired after all that training… and laughing… She bit her lip to hold back more laughter so that she didn't wake them up. Palutena stood up and carefully returned the storybook to its place, and with a playful grin, got her camera from her room and snapped a picture of the sleeping angels. They'll probably kill me for this, but I think it's worth it!
Palutena decided to join the twins when they went to the market a few days later. Pit insisted on reading off the list this time. "We need carrots, peas, and potatoes!" His wings fluttered enthusiastically as he skimmed through it. "And… Lady Palutena, what does this say?"
She peered over his shoulder. "That's 'rhubarb'."
"That's an 'h', right? Where did it even come from?" he complained. Dark Pit snickered as he collected the vegetables. "Oh right, Pittoo! Don't forget to buy some cereal and ice cream!"
He didn't even look up from his task. "That's not on the list. I'm not stupid."
"It is! Right over here!"
Dark Pit snatched the list from his twin's hands. "If you're going to try changing the list, at least spell 'cereal' right." Palutena couldn't help but laugh. Those two will never change, huh? I wouldn't want it any other way.
Chapter 3: Lightning Charioteers
Chapter Text
Pit gazed up at the streaks of white clouds in the bright blue midday sky, with the floating islands of Skyworld illuminated by the sun. It felt like that spot in the temple gardens was made just for him to lie down on the grass and admire his surroundings. At least until Dark Pit appeared in his view, wings spread and arms crossed. "Tired already?"
"Aren't we done for today, Pittoo?" Pit mumbled, loosely gripping the Lancer Staff on the ground beside him. Dark Pit's daily training regimen was no joke, and he was sure they were both exhausted with all the midair combat they'd just done. "You know what we need? A bath in the hot springs."
"Maybe." Hot springs were one of the few likes that the twins had in common. "But I'm not carrying you there, if that's what you're trying to get at."
"Fine." Pit slowly got to his feet and followed Dark Pit back inside the temple. "Let's go put our weapons away, then we can relax in the hot springs together, and then…" He ran through some ideas before realizing something. "Oh! It's been a while since we've practiced our chariot-driving skills, right? Let's go for a spin in the Lighting Chariot! I'm the Chariot Master, so I can use it whenever I want!"
Dark Pit grabbed a cloth and didn't look away from his task of cleaning his staff. "Don't wanna."
"Why not?" Pit grabbed onto Dark Pit's shoulders from behind, ending up with his face in Dark Pit's teal feathers as he pushed back. "I just wanted to spend some quality time with my brother! Please, Pittoo?"
Dark Pit turned to face him, his cheeks slightly flushed with obvious excitement. "Fine, but only so you'll stop whining like a child." That was easy. I'll bet he's sort of jealous that it's technically my Lightning Chariot. Pit stared in confusion at the newly-clean Dark Pit Staff and Lancer Staff that were held out to him. "Maybe you can put away these weapons. And I call first dibs on driving the chariot."
"In what world is that fair?" Pit complained.
"You want me to come or not?"
"Alright, be like that, then." Pit begrudgingly took the staffs and went to put them away.
Dark Pit called after him, "I'm doing you a favour. I'll show you how you're supposed to drive the Lighting Chariot."
Pit turned. "I'm the one who earned it from the old Chariot Master, remember? I'm the better charioteer."
"Really? You only used it once in the war, just to break a force field. I used it twice for rescue missions. So clearly one of us is more experienced." He shrugged. "Just saying."
The angels locked eyes and grinned with equal amounts of determination. As strong as their bond was, their sibling rivalry could get pretty intense. And neither of them was about to surrender. "It's on!" Pit declared. "Let's get Phos and Lux from the Chariot Base, and we can have a race to decide who's the better charioteer, once and for all!"
Dark Pit nodded. "Get ready to lose."
"As if!"
The Chariot Base was far away from their part of Skyworld, but when you had divine powers at your disposal, most places were just a portal and a short flight away. The angels could see the tower on the horizon long before they got there, a glowing blue spire reaching into the sky.
Dark Pit had to admit it was impressive. "Personally, I'd never trust you with something like that."
Pit looked offended. "I manage it very well, thank you very much!"
"You can't even manage your own room," he pointed out. "My expectations are so low, there's no way you can disappoint me."
"I get a little help with the Chariot Base. Prepare to be amazed!"
Dark Pit was surprised when they entered the gates of the tower to hear a familiar voice. "Ah, bonjour. Long time no see!" Phosphora reclined in the air near the center of the hall. The electricity that was holding her up ran across her body in small streaks.
"Hey, Phosphora!" Pit waved. "You sure added a lot of plants here! And are those weapons over there?"
"I think the plants liven up the place, don't they?" Phosphora braided her hair absently, and it puffed back into its regular shape as soon as she let go. "The weapons are there in case I have any uninvited guests, if you know what I mean."
"She's helping you out?" Dark Pit made his disdain obvious. "I wouldn't trust either of you with this base, but I'd trust you together even less."
That clearly annoyed her. "It's been even longer since I've seen you, Pittoo. Or maybe it just feels like that since you ditched the Forces of Nature."
"I never agreed with Viridi's 'ideals' or whatever. I was just looking for somewhere to stay. It didn't hurt to fight in the meantime, and it's not like you've been doing much since she stopped trying to eradicate humanity."
"The Forces of Nature are responsible for maintaining natural order. It's my job to make sure that war doesn't break out again," she responded, matter-of-factly. "And it sounds like you think you're welcome at Palutena's temple. The vice-captain position she made for you looks so out-of-place."
Dark Pit shifted his weight to support Pit's as he leaned on him. "Pittoo's my brother. He's always welcome with me and Lady Palutena!"
"Fine," she said, indifferently. "I guess she treats you two well enough. You both look like chubby little cherubs."
"We're not fat!" Dark Pit's threatening tone clashed with Pit's indignant yell.
"Sure you're not." The most annoying thing about Phosphora was that she didn't seem to care enough to argue. "Hey, what do you think of my nails? The blue gradient turned out better than I thought."
Pit crossed his arms. "Right, 'cause I care so much." Phosphora zapped him with electricity in response. Dark Pit took that as an invitation to retaliate physically.
The glint of metal caught his eye, and he crept unnoticed to grab a long staff from the wall of weapons. With a savage grin, he threw it underneath where Phosphora was floating. As expected, the electricity she was channeling short-circuited through the metal, making her fall to the ground with a yelp. Pit offered him a high-five, which he readily accepted. "That's why you don't pick fights with us," Dark Pit explained as his twin helped Phosphora up.
"Fine, fine." She raised her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, want a tour of the renovations? The plants aren't even the best part."
"You didn't do anything too crazy, right?" Pit asked, warily.
She laughed. "Of course not, Pit! I'm sure you'll like it."
"You know, it wouldn't hurt to call me Lord Chariot Master sometimes," he suggested.
"In your dreams!" Phosphora shot back. Dark Pit snickered. There's no way he thought that would work.
It turned out that Phosphora was right about the redesign. She led them to what apparently used to be a long, spiraling stairwell to reveal a network of softly glowing grind rails. "Guess what? I finally got approval for grind rails! No more taking the stairs!"
Pit pumped his fist excitedly. "That's awesome! Have you ever tried riding a grind rail before, Pittoo? It's the best!"
Dark Pit shook his head, and was eagerly helped on by Pit and Phosphora. It took him a second to get balanced, but when he started gliding quickly and effortlessly along, he had to admit that it was even more fun than it looked. Pit and Phosphora joined him, and their laughs echoed in the hollow stairwell as they made their way up to the floor where Phos and Lux stayed.
The unicorns were waiting patiently in their stables as Pit, Dark Pit, and Phosphora arrived. They stepped out majestically when Phosphora opened their doors, and they nuzzled Pit when he gave them a fond pat on the head. "Phos, Lux! It's been a while, huh? Pittoo and I are going to have a race! We'll just use the training chariots, if you don't mind lugging those around. You don't mind, right? Of course you don't!" He laughed, touching his forehead with Phos' golden horn, and Dark Pit couldn't help but feel a bit jealous at how easily his twin got along with the unicorns.
"Race?" That piqued Phosphora's interest. "That'll be interesting. I'll be the scorekeeper."
"You don't stand a chance, Pit-stain." Dark Pit got his chariot ready, and was glad that Lux was cooperating with him. He patted the unicorn before stepping in.
"This win is in the bag!" Pit declared, grabbing the reins on Phos as they lined up at the starting line of the main racetrack.
Phosphora raised her arm. "Ready? Go!" And they were off like a bolt of lightning.
Pit wasn't sure how he was able to get Phos to jump through the hoops of the obstacle racetrack when they were zooming through it so quickly, but he wasn't the Chariot Master for nothing. He felt his heart pounding as he crossed the finish line a split-second before Dark Pit and Lux. "That makes Pit the best of three races on the obstacle course!" Phosphora announced. "Twelve wins for Pit, twelve for Pittoo, and you've each won four best-of-three challenges on the eight racetracks. I should have seen a tie like that coming."
"So we'll need a tiebreaker. Something to end it off with a bang!" Pit decided.
"How about we try our hand at a different kind of challenge?" Dark Pit suggested. "Race tracks are easy enough. What about racing out in the open?"
"You mean through Skyworld? I've never really tried it before, but it sounds fun!"
"Sounds fun to watch. I'll still be the scorekeeper," Phosphora offered. "And you can count on me to get Phos and Lux if you do anything stupid!"
"How incompetent do you think we are?" Dark Pit asked. "I bet you wouldn't be able to control a celestial chariot."
She ignored him, much to his annoyance. "So if you're starting at the temple, how long would your circuit be?"
Pit conjured a layout of Skyworld in his mind as they all entered the portal, Phos and Lux included. "Maybe past Viridi's palace and the training grounds, then back to the temple!" That sounded like a good plan, and Dark Pit and Phosphora seemed to agree. "Then let's go! The final race is on!"
The angels lined up their chariots in front of the temple, careful that the wheels were exactly in line. Phos and Lux readied themselves and stood unmoving except for their wispy, flame-like manes and tails. Pit and Dark Pit made eye contact as Phosphora started the countdown. "3… 2… 1… Go!"
Phos immediately charged forward, and Pit held onto the reins a little tighter so that he didn't get carried away and lose control. He wasn't surprised to see the blur that was Dark Pit and Lux directly beside them. Viridi's palace is next, so that means I've got to turn… now!
Pit pulled sharply, and Phos obeyed. Dark Pit was still keeping up, and gradually edging ahead. "Come on, Phos! A little faster!" Pit urged as he directed the unicorn around the training grounds. Their lead was secure again, for now at least. We've got to be careful. Pittoo is definitely going to try catching up near the end.
The wind whipped at him, and he didn't know what kind of forces were slamming him in the face, but he was having fun. Pit's slightly superior reaction time made his turns cleaner and riskier than Dark Pit's, and it was exhilarating when he barely zipped by islands so close he could touch them. Not that he would, since that would mess up their pace. But it was still tempting.
In the heat of the moment, Pit forgot to pay attention to his vehicle. So it came as a shock when he was suddenly thrown out of the training chariot with a petrified scream. A loud cracking sound shot through the air around him, and Phos neighed fearfully. Pit couldn't tell where the unicorn ran off to. He couldn't even steady himself with his wings, which flapped uselessly as he hurtled through the sky, and dread washed over him as he realized he was going so fast that any collision could kill him. Oh no. I'm finished. I'm so finished.
Pit squeezed his eyes shut, and only opened them when he felt a sudden jerk and became steady again. Dark Pit stared at him in concern, keeping a tight grip on his wrist. "You alright?"
Pit nodded shakily and grabbed onto Dark Pit's arm as he hoisted him onto the chariot. Lux slowed down a bit with the extra weight. "I-I think so." Dark Pit gave him a small smile, but Pit yelled before he could speak. "Pittoo! The chariot!"
Dark Pit whipped his head around to see the looming marble wall they were approaching quickly. Too quickly. He desperately pulled on the reins, but it was too late. "Oh shi–"
Pit shielded his twin with his body and wings as much as he could, and then the impact hit. The training chariot splintered against the marble, which cracked as well, some pieces falling dangerously close to them. Neither of them moved until everything went quiet and still, then Pit carefully pushed the rubble aside and unfurled his wings to let Dark Pit out as well. Phosphora held her hands out to them, looking more worried than Pit had ever seen her before. "Hey, is everything okay?"
"Where are Phos and Lux?" Pit pressed, looking around to see them nowhere nearby.
"I was going to go for Phos when your chariot broke off, but then you guys crashed, and now I don't know where Lux went either," she admitted.
"Pit? Pittoo?" That's Lady Palutena's voice. She must have heard when my chariot broke. Palutena rushed over, staff and shield in hand. "What happened here?"
Pit was still thinking up an apology when Dark Pit answered dryly, "We crashed a chariot, in case that's not obvious."
Palutena gently placed her hands on their shoulders. "You don't look too injured, at least. It's nothing that the hot springs can't fix. Except for maybe this." She pointed at a jagged wound on Pit's arm. "Pit, what did we say about not being reckless?" she chided.
Dark Pit responded for him. "He took a hit for me. Reckless, sure, but not in a bad way."
"Ah?" She smiled playfully. "Did that crash scramble your brains or something? I swear I just heard you compliment Pit."
"That wasn't a compliment, I was–"
"I'll take it as a compliment anyways!" Pit interrupted. There was something more important on his mind. "Lady Palutena, do you know where Phos and Lux could be?" She shook her head. "Then we've got to look for them. I'm sure they can't be hard to miss, right?"
Pit took back what he had said. Wherever the unicorns were, their group just couldn't seem to find them. He hoped they hadn't gone far in the time that Palutena insisted on bandaging his arm and calling in some Centurions to fix the wall they'd crashed into. It was part of one of the living quarters where some angels, Centurions, and other soldiers in Palutena's army stayed, but at least no one was home when the accident happened.
"Phos! Lux!" That had to be the millionth time Pit called them. He scanned the land around him. Nothing. "Any luck yet, Lady Palutena?"
"Unfortunately, no," she sighed. "I checked all around the temple. Hopefully Pittoo and Phosphora have better news."
Pit was equal parts worried and frustrated. "We'll find them soon, right? The old Chariot Master told me they were the only things he had left, and he left them to me when he died. I can't lose them!"
"Calm down, Pit." Palutena closed her eyes, and her bright blue halo glowed behind her. "I can sense them somewhere in Skyworld."
"That doesn't help! Skyworld is an entire realm." Pit looked around again, and this time spotted Phosphora and Dark Pit in the sky, coming towards them. He called out to them. "Did you find them?"
"Nope. They aren't anywhere in the sky, that's for sure," Phosphora confirmed as Dark Pit shook his head. "This isn't going anywhere with just the four of us. What do you say we ask Arlon for help?"
Locating Arlon was easy enough. All they had to do was knock on the doors of Viridi's palace, and he would practically materialize there. This time was no different. "Good afternoon. I must say, it has been a long time since I have seen all of you at the same time."
Pit got straight to the point, hoping for the best. "Hey, Arlon! Have you seen Phos and Lux anywhere?"
Arlon reacted as calmly as usual. "Why, of course. They are currently with Mistress Viridi in the courtyard. Would you perhaps like me to call them?"
Pit was as shocked as the others. "They're what?"
"Ah? I assumed that you were aware of it. Mistress Viridi and I found them loose and startled earlier, so we brought them along until you came for them. My apologies for not informing you."
"That's not a problem. Thank you, Arlon," Palutena assured him gratefully.
Phosphora gave him a look of disbelief. "Viridi's actually helping out with someone else's problem?"
"Indeed. I could show you, if you so desire," Arlon offered, with a hint of a smile. They followed him through the ornate hallways to a pair of large glass doors that let in the sunlight. He signaled to the group to keep quiet before whisking the doors open for them to peer through.
Viridi stood in the center of the courtyard, beneath a large tree, with Phos and Lux grazing contentedly beside her. "You like this grass, don't you?" she asked in an almost unrecognizable sugary voice. "Aren't you two just adorable?" She giggled, petting them as they nuzzled her. "That tickles."
Pit heard the faint click of Palutena's camera, and turned to see her taking a photo of the scene. I didn't even notice she brought that with her. Phosphora couldn't stop herself from laughing, and Viridi spun around swiftly. "Huh? What the heck are you guys doing here?" she yelled.
"Are you a goddess or an excited child?" Dark Pit mocked.
"I didn't realize you could be so… nice!" Pit marvelled.
"Viridi has always had that capability. She just happens to like plants and animals more than people," Palutena explained sagely.
Viridi blushed furiously as she realized what they'd heard. "That's it, I'm putting all three of you at the top of my 'To Kill' list! You too, Phosphora! Whose side are you even on?" Phosphora's laughter was contagious enough for even Arlon to start chuckling. "And you too, Arlon? You guys are all such traitors!"
"Relax, Viridi, it's not the end of the world!" Pit pointed out, earning him a glare. "We should bring Phos and Lux here more often. I think they like it!"
"I think they'd like to finally see who's the better charioteer," Phosphora suggested. "Or at least I would!"
Pit placed his elbow on Dark Pit's shoulder. "Pittoo's really good at midair saves! Without him, I would have been finished."
"And you have… decent reaction time, I guess." That's close enough to a compliment, coming from him! "What do you say to a ride with the actual Lightning Chariot? Both of us together."
"You mean 'all of us'," Phosphora corrected.
"If you're taking Phos and Lux, you have to at least let us join the ride!" Viridi agreed.
"Does the Lightning Chariot have enough occupancy for all of us?" Arlon mused.
"I'm sure we can make something work!" Palutena responded, cheerfully.
Pit smiled brightly. All of us together? This is going to be great! "Of course! Phos, Lux! Let's go!"
Chapter 4: An Even Younger Brother
Notes:
Hello! Sorry for the random hiatus last week, I get that I'm mostly reposting chapters but I felt like I needed a break, so you can definitely expect a new chapter every week or two until I start writing new ones. I realized I posted a draft version of chapter 2, so I've updated it, although the changes are minor and mostly there to fit with the other chapters and stories I've written. And here's chapter 4! As always, thanks for reading, and kudos and comments are always appreciated! I hope you enjoy the rest of these stories! - Persimmon
Chapter Text
Pit gripped his controller tighter and made a sharp turn to the right. I'm so close! He glanced to his side to see Dark Pit just as focused, trying to maintain his lead for one last lap. Both angels were determined to win their game of Mario Kart, especially since Palutena and Viridi decided to join in this time.
As they neared the end of the race, Pit realized there was no way he could catch up without resorting to some of his twin's tactics. It feels unfair, but I don't have much of a choice. He positioned himself behind Dark Pit and used the streamline speed boost he got to breeze into first place with a cheer. Dark Pit stared in disbelief before yelling, "That was completely undeserved!"
"I could say the same about most of your wins," Pit shot back.
"Then let's see who's better when there's no one to leech off of," Dark Pit challenged. "Time trials. Let's go."
"You three can decide who goes first," Palutena offered, seeming content with her third place result. Viridi looked more in denial than anything, and locked eyes with the twins. Deciding who went first was never easy.
Pit made a logical suggestion. "I'll start. I'm the oldest."
"How does that even make sense? We're the same age," Dark Pit pointed out.
"Physically, sure, but I was born way before you. And Viridi's definitely younger than ten."
"I'm immortal, remember? A goddess never reveals her age," Viridi said, mysteriously.
Pit looked to Palutena, who placed a finger on her cheek thoughtfully. "Pit has to be the oldest. If I remember correctly, Viridi, you've only been the Goddess of Nature for about twenty years, so you can't be much older than that. And you know as well as I do that no being is immortal."
Viridi glared at her. "H-hey! Why don't you tell us how old you are, Palutena?"
"That's a secret." Palutena stood up rather quickly. "I'll go get us some cookies, if you'd give me a moment."
"How convenient," Dark Pit called after her as she left.
"Talk about avoidance," Viridi muttered. "Now I'm even more curious. She must've told you, right?"
Pit shook his head. "Lady Palutena's always been a little insecure about her age. I stopped asking a while ago."
"Then what do you say we try to extract the truth?" Viridi suggested, already determined to find out. "I could make a potion." Pit had to admit he was curious, and although Dark Pit just shrugged, he clearly wanted to know as well.
As it turned out, Viridi was an efficient worker when she wanted something done. She presented a small vial full of a pale green liquid to Pit the next day. "This potion is supposed to reveal someone's true age."
He looked at it warily. "You're sure it's safe, right?"
Viridi laughed. "Of course! Its main effect is drowsiness, or at least that's what the spellbook said. I kind of wonder how it'll work."
The plan was simple enough: sneak some into Palutena's tea and see what would happen. Viridi begrudgingly agreed to let her know first, just in case. Palutena was taking a bath, and they couldn't find her cup, so Pit made the tea in the first glass he could find and decided to add the milk and sugar later.
Viridi sipped her own tea and Pit grabbed a cookie for himself as they waited. Everything was going smoothly until Pit looked over at the counter again to see the tea missing. Wait a second, that could only be… "Pittoo? What did you do to Lady Palutena's tea?"
"That was for Palutena?" Dark Pit walked into the kitchen, glass in hand. "What kind of idiot puts it in this? I thought it was left over. Didn't taste too bad, at least."
Viridi stared at him. "That had a potion mixed in, you dolt!"
He froze. "Wait, what does it do?"
She spoke carefully. "It's the one I made to test on Palutena. Don't worry, it's not supposed to do much. You might feel a bit sleepy."
Dark Pit shrugged indifferently. "Then I guess it'll cancel out with the caffeine."
Pit still felt uneasy. "You know, you're really calm for someone who just drank one of Viridi's potions."
Viridi frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a pained shout from Dark Pit. Pit caught him as he fell, and Viridi jumped to her feet. "Last time I checked, feeling sleepy doesn't mean you feel like you're about to explode!" he gritted. "Seriously, what was that potion supposed to do?"
"What do you even–" Pit was cut off by a flash of light, and jumped back instinctively. He looked back at his twin in concern as soon as it faded, but stopped and stared in shock. Where Dark Pit was just a second ago, a baby sat loosely covered by his now hopelessly oversized chiton, red eyes blinking up at Pit and Viridi in complete confusion.
There was a beat of silence. Then total chaos. "Pittoo?"
"What the heck just happened?" Viridi's agitated yells overlapped with Pit's.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't know how to reverse this!"
"You can't understand us, right?"
"Is that really your biggest concern right now, Pit?"
Maybe they should have quieted down when they saw him flinch at the loud noise. But they didn't, and he immediately started to cry, which didn't help at all. Oh no. What are we even supposed to do?
"Pit? Viridi?" Palutena called, rushing into the kitchen. Pit stepped back with his hands held in surrender. Yeah, we're kind of finished. "What in Skyworld is going on here?" Her green eyes scanned the chaotic scene, and Pit was equally surprised and grateful that she didn't question anything.
As soon as she saw the now-infant Dark Pit, Palutena switched to a completely different tone than her usual, teasing-older-sister one. Pit and Viridi didn't interfere as she crouched down in front of him and spoke softly. "Hello, there! What are you crying about, hm?" She gently picked him up, wrapping his clothes around him as he flinched at her touch. "I'm sorry, I know my hands are probably cold… Pit, Viridi, how about you get him something to wear? And when you're back, I expect an explanation. Can I ask that of you?" She turned her attention back to soothing the crying baby in her arms. "It's okay, it's all okay."
"O-Of course, Lady Palutena!" I guess it's hard to switch back and forth from Mom mode. It was working, though, and Dark Pit gradually calmed down, resting his head on Palutena's chest. Pit had a sinking feeling that this situation was going to take some getting used to.
"There we go!" Palutena said brightly, adjusting the back of Dark Pit's tunic so that his tiny wings were able to move freely. The downy feathers tickled her fingers, and he babbled something in response. Palutena smiled contentedly as she lifted him up. At least he's properly clothed and much more sociable now.
Viridi had an obvious soft spot for everything cute, and clearly Dark Pit was no exception. She reached up to touch his arm. "Feeling better now? Sorry about all this, 'kay?" She giggled as he leaned over to grab her finger. "Adorable!"
"I know, right?" Pit ruffled his fluffy black hair, making him look around curiously. "He totally takes after me! Don't you, Pittoo?"
"Uwah!" Palutena had no idea how Dark Pit learned to respond to his nickname so soon, especially since he'd never been physically younger than thirteen before, but his excitement was contagious.
Palutena laughed. "As much as I love this, I think I'd like to know how it happened."
Pit rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Well… it was a potion. We didn't warn him, and he drank it by accident."
"Ah. Would you mind showing me which one?" As Viridi went to get the book, Palutena adjusted the baby in her arms. "Stop squirming, Pittoo. Do you want to run around, or something?" She placed him on the ground, but he seemed more interested in her hair and the ornaments on her dress than exploring.
Pit laughed. "Maybe not."
Palutena sat down and pulled Dark Pit into her lap, and Pit and Viridi sat on either side of her. Viridi opened the book. "I tried making this potion here." She seemed flustered. "We were going to test it on you, but I swear I didn't know this could happen!"
"Why would you want to test it on me in the first place?"
"It was supposed to reveal your true age. We were just curious after yesterday," she admitted.
Palutena skimmed through the page. "I see. This is a variation of a youth potion, Viridi. It only affects those whose chronological age is less than their physical age, so it wouldn't have done anything to the rest of us."
"But hasn't it been more than three years since Pittoo was born?" Pit pointed out.
"I suppose so, but he wasn't exactly alive during the years when the Chaos Kin took over," Palutena explained. "If I had to guess, he's about a year and a half old right now."
"It's reversible, right?" he ventured.
"No spell or potion is permanent, Pit. It'll wear off eventually, but it's always good to have an antidote ready just in case. Shall we, Viridi?" She nodded, and Palutena took a deep breath as she stood up, Dark Pit in her arms. "If this happened because I kept secrets, I'll be more straightforward from now on. I've ruled over Skyworld for just over five centuries, starting maybe two hundred years after I was born. Considering that gods can maintain their youth and most of their power for about a thousand years, I'm far past my prime." She was quick to add, "But physically I'm twenty. Twenty-five. Ish."
Pit placed a hand on her arm. "Who said your prime is when you're young? I can guarantee that when you were half this age, you wouldn't have been able to maintain Skyworld and the Overworld so well."
They were too young to understand the dread she felt every time she found herself losing a skill she used to have, but there was still something reassuring in his words. "That's because I have all of you by my side. Thanks, Pit." She pulled him into a hug, and Dark Pit snuggled into her in a way his teenage self would never dare. Pit even managed to drag Viridi in, and she surprisingly didn't protest. That's what I was so reluctant to say? I don't know what I'd do without them.
"Let's go create that antidote," Palutena finally suggested. She tried placing Dark Pit on the ground again, but he clung to her dress. "You know we can't bring you with us, right? Pit, do you want to try holding him?"
"Me?" He looked surprised. "I don't know. I really don't want to hurt him."
"You'll both be fine. You know, I said the same thing the first time I got to hold you. And you never got hurt, right?"
Viridi spoke up with a smirk. "I don't know about back then, but he definitely did get hurt a couple of times later on thanks to your flying skills. I almost felt sorry for both of you with the way you had to literally throw him into battle sometimes."
"I was doing my best!" she defended. "Besides, was your Power of Flight really any better?"
They both turned to Pit, who decided immediately with a mischievous smile. "Sorry, but I'm with Viridi on this one."
"Thanks for your support, Pit," she said sarcastically. "Then I guess you can do a better job with Pittoo than I can. Here you go." She held Dark Pit out to his brother, who took him hesitantly. Blue eyes met red, and the angels gradually became more comfortable with each other, relaxing their posture and sharing a smile. They looked up, startled, at the sound of a camera clicking, and Viridi grinned as she took another picture. Palutena gasped. "That reminds me, we have to take so many pictures today! Thanks, Viridi."
Viridi handed the camera to her. "He's going to kill us when he's back to normal, but this is worth it."
Pit had realized a while ago that just because Dark Pit was born from his dark side, it didn't mean that their personalities were anything alike. And he could clearly see parts of the personality he'd come to love in his brother's infant self.
Viridi and Palutena had left to make an antidote, so in the meantime Pit folded his twin's clothes to put back in his closet. Dark Pit himself watched silently, not moving except for his fluttering wings. Pit glanced down at him. "We're going to get this to your room. You can go ahead and explore, you know. Have fun!"
The deadpan stare he received in response was so much like the teenage Dark Pit that he couldn't help but laugh. "Fine, fine. If you want to be useful, here you go!" He held the stack of clothes in front of the baby. "You can take the crown, Pittoo." Dark Pit watched him, eyebrows furrowed, and Pit pointed to the laurel crown, which he eagerly picked up.
Pit smiled fondly when Dark Pit ran beside him in the hallway, gripping the crown tightly. "What do you think of the temple, Pittoo? It took me forever to figure it out, even though I've lived here for as long as I can remember!" Dark Pit responded excitedly, not that Pit could understand much, but he enjoyed it anyways. He only talks if someone else starts the conversation, huh? That's just like him. "We should talk like this more often. I'm always here to listen." Pit stopped walking once they reached the door to the small hallway connecting the angels' rooms, and Dark Pit held onto his chiton with his free hand as they stepped in.
Pit watched, amused, as Dark Pit took in the stone-grey walls, the consoles on his desk, and the guitar, which he'd probably been practicing before all this, on his bed. "What do you think, Pittoo?"
"Gya!" he replied enthusiastically. He started pointing at some objects and looking at Pit expectantly. Does he want me to tell him what those are?
"That's a guitar. That's your 3DS, and that over there is a plant Viridi gave you." Dark Pit could name a couple of items himself, and made adorable attempts at repeating the new ones. Pit let him explore while he placed the clothes in the closet.
He turned when he heard a small voice. "Pit!" Dark Pit held up the crown, and his wings fluttered excitedly at his brother's reaction.
"Wait, did you just say my name?"
"Pit!" He seemed a little more impatient this time. That's definitely my name!
"Thank you!" Pit took the crown from him and picked him up for a hug. "I'm not treating you any differently just because you're cute. Okay, maybe a bit. But you'll always be my little brother, got it? I don't want to hear any more 'we're not even related' when you're back to normal."
The angels observed each other's expressions intently, and Dark Pit babbled something as he placed his hand on Pit's feathered wing. "That's good enough! How about we go outside for a bit? I have something to show you!"
Once they were at the training grounds, Pit headed for the weapons storeroom, keeping the infant outside where he couldn't hurt himself. "Just stay here for a second, okay?" He walked past the rows of items until he finally found what he was looking for: the orbitars. Pittoo has always liked orbitars for some reason. I kind of want to see what he'll think now.
Pit grabbed two pairs of orbitars and headed back, but he stopped halfway in surprise. Dark Pit was hovering about his own height in the air, his barely-developed wings beating furiously to keep him afloat. "Pit!" he called, flailing but seeming impressed with himself. At least until his wings gave out and he fell face-first.
"Look at you, you can already sort of fly!" Pit cheered as Dark Pit got his face out of the ground. Lady Palutena was right, his wings finally got to develop properly! In his enthusiasm, Pit only noticed the tears welling up in the baby's eyes a second before he started to cry. Oh, no. "Don't cry, Pittoo. You're fine," he assured him as he scooped him up. "Guess what? I brought some orbitars. Want to take a look?" He deftly placed a pair of orbitars around them and held out his free hand to activate them.
He was surprised at how quickly Dark Pit's crying stopped once he was distracted. He squirmed to reach for the orbitars, which just moved further away. "Hey, you don't want to hurt yourself! Let me show you how it's done."
Pit moved one pair of orbitars around himself, and placed the other around Dark Pit. He activated his own with a flourish of his hands, and they smiled brightly at each other as Dark Pit copied him.
Pit wouldn't have noticed Palutena's presence if he didn't hear her giggle. "Lady Palutena? How much of that did you see?" He corrected himself. "Scratch that. How much of that did you take pictures of?"
"All of it," she said, unapologetically, stepping out from behind a pillar with Viridi at her side. Great, we're never going to hear the end of this. "You two are always so cute!"
"And we've got an antidote!" Viridi declared, holding up a small bottle. "We'll get you back to normal in no time, Pittoo!"
Palutena was already holding Dark Pit again, lifting him into the air and doing a spin. Both of them laughed before she did it again. It's kind of funny to think that the last time she did this was probably with me. Pit took a picture for her with a smile. "Let's hope that antidote works, for his sake. I don't think he can handle any more embarrassment."
Making something for a baby to eat was a trial and error process, but Palutena eventually succeeded with some mashed fruit. Getting him changed was no simple task either, but she managed, mostly because neither Pit nor Viridi were willing to help. She wasn't disappointed that she'd lost touch with those skills. That could be entirely blamed on not having to take care of a baby since Pit. And she wasn't even going to try counting how many years ago that was.
Naturally, she was also in charge of the equally difficult task of trying to get Dark Pit to drink some of the antidote. He was sort of fussy when she tried feeding him the thick, tasteless liquid.
"Seriously, how hard is it to feed a guy who doesn't check what's in his drinks?" Viridi sighed. "He doesn't even drink tea, and yet he managed to drink some potion along with it. And he's cloned from the guy who eats stuff off the floor!"
"Floor ice cream gives you health!" Pit retorted defensively.
Palutena tried again with a spoonful of the antidote. Dark Pit looked at it and then back at her. "Come on, Pittoo, just a bit more." He finally swallowed it, and she exhaled in relief. "There we go! It's slow-acting, so maybe he'll be back to normal after a nap."
"I'll watch over him," Pit offered, taking the sleepy infant in his arms. "Come on, let's go back to your room."
As Palutena put away the dishes from lunch, she realized that she'd miss him being so small and cute. But our home felt empty without Pittoo. I honestly don't know how our life felt normal before we took him in.
Viridi's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Palutena? I put away the antidote. Wanna check what they're up to?" Palutena nodded her agreement.
Dark Pit's room was silent, so Palutena opened the door carefully and peeked inside. The angels were fast asleep on the bed, Pit's arm around his brother protectively as Dark Pit gripped his finger. That's adorable! She eagerly took a couple of pictures before she and Viridi quietly sat beside them. Viridi gave up and fell asleep immediately, and while Palutena tried to stay awake, she only lasted for a minute before drifting off.
She woke up to the sound of a sharp slap and an irritated yell. "Hey, Pit-stain! Mind telling me what the hell is going on?"
"Ow! Oh, Pittoo! You're back!" Palutena opened her eyes and sat up to see Dark Pit, back to normal and dressed in his usual outfit, glaring at his twin. Viridi blinked her eyes open as well and stretched drowsily.
"Back from where?" He glanced over at the rest of them. "Why were my clothes back in my closet? And what are all of you doing here? This definitely has something to do with–" His eyes widened slightly, and his face flushed red. He definitely remembers everything that just happened. "That stupid potion. Viridi, I will kill you."
She seemed unconcerned. "I said I was sorry, but that was totally worth it."
"You're deleting every picture you took today, Palutena," he seethed, only making eye contact for a moment before blushing a little harder.
"Aw, you're just like Pit when you're embarrassed!" she teased.
Before he could respond, Pit pulled him into a hug. "I missed you so much! And since you remember everything, that deal we made still stays, okay?"
"Huh? F-fine." Dark Pit hesitantly placed his arms around Pit in return, and after a bit, cautiously spread his wings to touch Palutena and Viridi as well. "Kind of weird that that was my first experience of childhood. Thanks, I guess." He gave them a wry smile. "But it better not happen again, or I'm throwing whoever's responsible into the Rewind Spring. Watch me."
Chapter 5: Piece of Cake
Chapter Text
Pit fell onto his bed with a contented sigh. The plush blankets felt even nicer than usual after all the training he'd just done with his twin, and the hot springs had worked wonders on his sore muscles. But a gnawing ache in his stomach reminded him that he couldn't just fall asleep. He wriggled his wings out of the holes in his tank top and glanced over at Dark Pit, who was still toweling off his hair, before curling into himself to ignore the hunger pangs. "Why don't you ask, Pittoo?" he tried. He already knew he was fighting a losing battle. Negotiations were getting nowhere so far.
Dark Pit tossed the towel at his face. "Because you'd be more convincing, you Mama's boy."
Pit pulled it off and balled it up with a frown. He could get irritable when he was hungry. "Hey, you know Lady Palutena's not our mom! Just ask already! I know you're starving as much as I am."
He shrugged. "Yeah, but unlike you, I can handle it. I'd cook something myself, but we're not about to go all the way to the markets to get stuff."
"Last time I asked for ice cream for dinner, she almost put me on a diet!" Pit reminded him. "I'm lucky she forgot about that."
"That was back when you didn't work out at all. You were kind of asking for it," Dark Pit pointed out. "And you're lucky I faked a stomachache so she'd forget about you. Eating nothing but soup for two days straight wasn't fun."
"What do you mean? Lady Palutena makes good soup."
"It was good until I had to skip dessert. You know, I didn't have to bother helping you anyways." Okay, maybe that's true. "It's not like you're even making a stupid request this time. We just want something to eat."
"Okay, fine," Pit resigned. "But you have to save me if dieting comes up again, alright?"
Dark Pit rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
Pit knew exactly where he could find Palutena. Dark Pit followed him until the doors to the main hall of the temple, where he gestured for Pit to go ahead. "Thanks a lot," Pit whispered sarcastically as he opened the door a crack and stepped in. Palutena floated slightly above the ground, eyes closed and glowing staff in hand, with her halo illuminating the area around her. Pit could tell by the smile on her face that she was probably watching over Skyworld or the Earth. He didn't interfere, but glanced back at the door to see Dark Pit irritably motioning for him to approach her. Pit glared back and hissed, "You're not helping!"
"Pit?" He was startled to hear Palutena's voice, and turned around to meet her concerned gaze. "Is everything alright?"
"Lady Palutena! I didn't bother you, did I?" he asked, frantically.
She smiled softly and patted his head. "Of course not, I was just finishing up. What did you want me for?"
Pit leaned against her comfortably. "I was just wondering… when's dinner ready?"
"Pit, it's barely been two hours since we had lunch."
"Really? I don't think I'm going to survive until dinner…"
Palutena laughed. He knew she'd dealt with this situation hundreds of times before. "That's not good. I don't think we have any leftovers, so how about I make you a smoothie or something for now? Oh, and maybe we could bake something! I'm sure that would fix you right up."
"That'd be awesome!" Pit cheered, giving her a hug. "You're the best."
"Now, where's your partner in crime?" she asked, amused. "Pittoo, I know you're there."
Dark Pit peeked into the hall with a smirk. "What did I tell you? Such a Mama's boy." Pit could feel his face reddening as Palutena giggled, but his twin completely ignored him. "You know I'm right. Did you hear yourself? 'You're the best, Lady Palutena!'"
Palutena saved him by changing the subject. "If you two are still so hungry after going for seconds at lunch, I wouldn't be surprised if you were on a growth spurt."
"You think so?" Dark Pit clearly tried– and failed– to hide his enthusiasm, but Pit couldn't care less about masking his emotions.
"Aw, you're both so cute when you're excited!" she gushed. "But yes, a growth spurt coupled with all of your training is the most likely explanation. You've both grown two centimeters since Pittoo moved in, if I remember correctly."
"Just out of curiosity, who's taller?" Pit asked mischievously.
Dark Pit jabbed him. "Are you trying to start something? It's probably a tie. There's no way in hell I'm letting you go on a growth spurt without me."
"Come on, Pittoo! Your wings are sort of longer, and you can fly faster! At least let me win in the height department!"
"You wish!"
As soon as the back-and-forth argument started, Palutena simply turned to leave. "Looks like you two have enough energy to argue. I'm sure you can last until dinner."
That put an end to it right away. Lady Palutena knows us too well. "No no, sorry about that! We'll be helpful, we promise!" Pit called as he and Dark Pit followed her.
"Sure you will," she laughed. "Come on, there's a lot to do!"
Dark Pit eyed his exotic-looking smoothie warily. Palutena's cooking was pretty hit-or-miss, especially when she went out of her way to try something different, but she could be trusted to make a good meal most of the time. Not that any of them were picky eaters anyways. He took a sip of the creamy liquid and was pleasantly surprised. "Pretty good, if you can get past the weird colour."
Pit downed his in one go. "Thanks, Lady Palutena!"
"I'm glad you liked it! I had to find some way to use up all those extra vegetables." She milled around the kitchen, tying an apron over her dress. "Now, what do you want to bake?"
"If we're making sweets, I know how to make churros," Dark Pit offered. Pit stared at him blankly, and he didn't hesitate to continue. This was exactly what he was going for. "Or conchas, or leche frita."
"Why is everything about you so Spanish?" Pit demanded. "Everything you cook, the instruments you play– even your theme."
He didn't suppress his smirk. "No veo el problema con eso."
"Huh?" Pit seemed sort of jealous. Dark Pit knew full well that his Spanish got on his twin's nerves. "Where did you even learn that from, anyways?"
Dark Pit was determined to keep that a mystery. "No soy idiota como tú."
"Come on, I don't have to know any Spanish to get what that means!"
"I could translate, if you'd like," Palutena quipped, flipping through different recipes in their tablet-like recipe book. "But you two are taking too long to make a decision. You know what? We're baking a marble cake."
"Huh?" Pit blinked at her in confusion. "Whatever that is, it sounds tasty!"
"It's part chocolate and part vanilla," she explained, rummaging through the pantry for flour. "The last thing I need is to hear you two argue about the flavour for hours. For people who'd eat just about anything, you sure can be particular sometimes." Maybe Pit was right. She knows us too well.
Dark Pit skimmed through the process in the recipe book which was propped up on the table. "You can take the dry ingredients. Remember what happened last time we sifted… what was that, anyways? Icing sugar?"
Palutena nodded. "I thought there was a blizzard in here," she admitted. "How did you even manage to do that?"
"And it got all over my wings, so I couldn't even eat any!" Pit complained.
Dark Pit crossed his arms smugly. "Well, you could always…" Both of them looked at him expectantly as his voice trailed off. Crap. What was the word? This was why he didn't like switching between languages. His mind was still stuck in Spanish mode, and he could feel a blush coming on in the awkward silence. You know, the thing birds do! There's a word for that! "Forget it," he muttered, directing his irritation at a tile on the kitchen floor. Damn it, that was embarrassing. And I still can't remember that stupid word.
Pit was more than willing to be passive-aggressive. "No no, continue. You'll figure it out eventually. Think I can beat the eggs in the meantime?"
"Shut up," he seethed.
"One point for Pit," Palutena declared. "I hope that evens out the score. Work together, you guys, this is a team effort!"
Dark Pit was about to argue with her when he felt feathers brushing against his arm, and turned to Pit, who was staring intently at a measuring cup as he poured sugar into it. "Here's a tip. If you do get sugar on yourself, don't use the hot springs to clean off. My feathers became all sticky last time."
Palutena burst out laughing, and he couldn't stop himself from joining in. "Didn't you realize that boiling sugar in water makes, I don't know, syrup?"
Pit laughed along with them. "Nope!"
The kitchen felt brighter all of a sudden as they bustled around. Dark Pit had to admit that his twin was pretty good at changing the mood. Not that I'm jealous. He grabbed a pair of eggs and handed them to Pit, who took them hesitantly. "Be useful and crack these. I'll mix later."
A glance at the recipe book told him what to do next. So now we need oil and melted butter, huh? Measuring the oil only took a couple of seconds, but butter was a different story. He could hear Palutena finish sifting together the dry ingredients before he was satisfied with the amount of butter he'd put in a bowl. "We need to melt this," he announced, but frowned at the sight of Pit still carefully tapping the first egg against the side of the bowl. "What the hell are you doing?"
Pit didn't look away from his task. The gentle little clinking sounds were infuriating. "Trying to make sure this doesn't explode like last time! Eggs are really fragile, right?"
"I hope you realize it's never going to work like that," he said dryly, snatching the egg from his twin. "Give it to me."
Pit looked genuinely amazed when Dark Pit cracked both of them cleanly into the bowl, one after another. "How did you do that?" he marvelled, blue eyes shining.
Dark Pit rolled his eyes. He's like an excited toddler. "Don't tell me the captain of the Goddess of Light's army was defeated by an egg."
"Hey, don't say it like that!"
"Fine, I won't tell anyone," he assured, tapping him lightly on the head. "This stays between the three of us. You can count on me. Unlike someone here." Both of them looked at Palutena accusingly.
She stopped, still holding a cup full of buttermilk, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Hm? Did I do something wrong?"
"Only showing your photography to the rest of the heavens," Dark Pit jabbed, starting the eggbeater and waiting until Pit was paying attention before exploding the yolks. He knew they both found the splash of colour satisfying. "It's mostly stupid pictures of us."
"We're warrior angels. It doesn't help our image," Pit added.
"Your image is perfectly fine, with you two being the only fighting angels in Skyworld," she promised. "Besides, I only show my photos to a select few people. Some of the gods think it's 'admirable' that you have time to train and enjoy yourselves. Their words, not mine."
That was new information. "Really?" Pit asked eagerly. "That's all because of Pittoo. Being the only angel in any army anywhere was kind of lonely."
"Aw, do I make you work too much?" Palutena laughed.
Pit's emphatic "No!" clashed with Dark Pit's quick "Yes." When Pit looked at him in exasperation and Palutena regarded both of them in amusement, he clarified, "Fine, maybe not now. But you really used to overwork him before."
Palutena raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, I accept that, but I hope I'm a changed goddess now. I'll help you directly if we ever have to go to war again." She smiled fondly. "Although honestly, I like it more when we're just spending time together."
Dark Pit wasn't sure what he felt about that, but Pit tried putting it in words. "I kind of like fighting, but I think I like this more. You know, I think I'm fine either way as long as I have you two by my side."
"You guys are such saps," Dark Pit sighed, offering Pit a turn with the eggbeater, which he eagerly accepted. The egg and sugar mixture splattered a bit at first, but he got the hang of it pretty quickly.
Palutena studied the recipe again. "So now all we need is oil, butter, vanilla, and chocolate. I suppose–"
"Preen," Dark Pit said suddenly. He snapped back into reality when he noticed Pit and Palutena staring at him in confusion, without a sound except for the whirring of the eggbeater. He faltered. "That's the stupid word I was looking for. Back when we were talking about icing sugar."
That was a bad idea. Both of them immediately died laughing, and Dark Pit snatched the eggbeater in a huff to make sure Pit didn't spill all of the batter. "That was the singular most random thing I've ever heard you say," Palutena said as soon as she caught her breath.
"I told you you'd get it eventually!" Pit laughed, leaning against him. "We even had time to beat the eggs."
"Glad to hear you find my bilingualism amusing," he said sarcastically. To his own surprise, he didn't mind their laughter as much as he thought he would. Maybe I do like this more than fighting sometimes.
Palutena looked into the small bowl of butter she cupped in her hands, and then back at the angels. "You want me to heat this up for you?" she queried. They nodded almost in sync. "It's not that hard to put it in the microwave, you know."
"But that would take too long! Everything else is ready, so we need this melted quick," Pit explained. "I thought you could just use your powers, or something."
"I suppose I could…"
"And I don't think Pittoo knows how to use the micro–"
Dark Pit shoved his twin to the side. "We're done talking about that. Can you heat it up or not?"
"I'll try," she decided. "Witness my power of melting!"
Pit watched attentively, but Dark Pit gave her a deadpan stare. "That's not a thing."
"Fine, it's just the power to channel heat, but that doesn't have the same ring to it." She started slowly by gradually directing heat through her hands and into the bowl, and all three of them stared at the butter intently. Nothing was happening. I think I'll have to turn up the heat.
Thanks to her so-called power of cooling, her hands only felt pleasantly warm, but something wasn't right. "It's still not melting," Pit pointed out. "Is it warm enough?"
Palutena nodded. "This should be hot enough to boil water in a couple of seconds. I wonder why–"
She barely had time to register the small layer of violently bubbling liquid around the rim before the whole thing exploded. It sounded like a bunch of popcorn kernels bursting, except louder, and much more dangerous. She frantically slid the bowl onto the counter with an alarmed cry, and instinctively activated her power of cooling on the twins as well. That was a good call. When she opened her eyes, she was met with the sight of clumps of butter, unmelted yet sizzling, all over the kitchen– and also on her own skin.
Dark Pit was the first to speak, wiping butter off his cheek. "What the hell?"
"I think it was heated up too fast, so– ah!" Palutena shielded them as the explosions started up again like little firecrackers, thankfully less extreme than before. "Where was I? Oh, right. Maybe it just didn't warm up evenly. You aren't hurt, right?"
"We're fine, but I didn't think butter could explode too!" Pit complained, trying to get it out of his hair and wings. At least they hadn't been using much. Otherwise, it would have been disastrous.
"Anything can be an explosive if you try hard enough," Dark Pit advised, matter-of-factly.
"I would recommend not trying that. How about we just use the microwave instead?" Palutena suggested. "I'll clean up in the meantime."
It took a while to clean up all of the splattered butter, but after a slight mishap where it almost exploded in the microwave as well, they were finally ready to put it all together. Palutena combined the ingredients and split them into two batters, one chocolate and one vanilla, handing one to each angel. "Alternate the batters, and I'll swirl it together at the end," she explained, starting to clean the dishes already in the sink.
As always, it became a competition. "There! Now you're surrounded, Pittoo," she heard Pit declare.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Dark Pit responded. She made a mental note to take some pictures once the dishes were done. For how serious they're being, you wouldn't think they're literally layering cake batter.
"You can't just put chocolate on top of chocolate!"
"Says who? I'm being strategic, unlike you. We don't want the flavours to get mixed up."
"But the whole point of a marble cake is to mix up the flavours!"
Palutena decided to intervene at that point. "Anything is fine. Just finish up your batters, and leave the rest to me."
It turned out that she didn't have to worry about them making the cake uneven. They both watched eagerly as she swirled a knife through the mixture, creating ripples of colour. Once that was done, she placed it in the oven and smiled at the twins. "There we go. Piece of cake. While we let that bake, what do you say to making some icing to go with it?" The answer was obvious: an undisputed yes.
Pit skimmed the bowl of chocolate icing with his finger, grinning mischievously. They'd had to wait until after dinner for the cake to cool, so he deserved to get some fun out of it. "Pittoo!" Dark Pit turned away from helping Palutena coat the cake, and before he could react, Pit smudged some icing on his nose. Perfect.
As expected, he was quick to get annoyed, and Pit dashed to the other side of the counter. "Get back here, you idiot!" Within a couple of seconds, Pit had a streak of icing on his forehead, and they both ganged up on an unsuspecting Palutena.
"Huh? What are you two doing?" she laughed, making a futile attempt at blocking them from getting icing on her cheek.
"If we're going down, you're coming with us," Dark Pit explained.
"Fair enough. Now how about we get the icing where it's supposed to be?"
None of them had enough patience to make it look good, so they were content with slathering it on until the cake was covered. Pit didn't even try stopping Palutena from taking pictures this time. "It looks great!" he said excitedly.
"Then let's see how it tastes." Dark Pit wielded a knife like one of his blades. Pit would never understand how his twin could cut pretty much anything perfectly, but his job was just to make sure that Dark Pit wasn't taking an extra commission for himself. I wouldn't put that past him. He's tried it a couple of times.
He dug in as soon as Palutena handed him a plate with a slice of cake. He didn't think it could taste even better than it looked, but he was quickly proven wrong. "This is delicious," Pit said dreamily, taking another bite of the swirled dessert. Palutena nodded in agreement, eating another spoonful, and Dark Pit offered a high five, which was pretty unusual of him, so of course Pit and Palutena readily accepted it. Pit relished the cake as much as the whole experience.
Once he was finished, he looked over at his twin. "Hey, Pittoo? Can I steal some of yours?" Dark Pit leaned away from him with a flat "Hell no."
Palutena walked back to the counter with a smile. "We have more than enough cake here for all of us. Who else is up for seconds?" She laughed when both of them held out their plates. "Of course. What did I expect?"
Chapter Text
Dark Pit deftly pulled back on the Silver Bow's ethereal string, forming an inky black arrow and aiming at the erratically moving dot in the bullseye. Here I go. He released, firing the arrow which soared to its target, striking it dead center. Pit eagerly went to check it out. "That was perfect, Pittoo!"
"Aw, yeah!" It'd taken a couple of tries for Dark Pit to land it. "Now you try. Just shoot right where you think it's going to be."
Their session was interrupted by Palutena, who stepped onto the training ground from the temple's platform. "Pittoo, how are the upgrades I made to the Silver Bow?"
He absently shot an arrow at the ground in front of him. "Pretty good. It's way more reliable for riskier attacks, and it's finally better at long range. Kind of suits my fighting style." She nodded pleasantly, but it felt like there was something he left unsaid. "Thank you."
"So all I needed to do to earn Pittoo's admiration was upgrade weapons?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Sorry it took so long. I never expected anyone to use a prototype so well, but I'll upgrade its blades form later." She turned to Pit. "And you wanted more power in your arrows?"
"That would be great!" he said, enthusiastically. "The Palutena Bow is already so awesome, I can't think of any other archery improvements!"
"'Palutena Bow'?" Dark Pit scoffed. "Still can't believe you named a weapon after yourself."
That made her defensive. "I'd never name my creations after myself! That was the army's doing. I originally called it the Luminary Bow."
Pit's eyebrows furrowed. "What's a luminary?"
"Like a star, in both senses. Something that shines, or someone inspiring." She didn't give them a chance to respond before continuing. "I'll get to those upgrades soon, but right now, I need your help." Both angels perked up. Her tone was too serious to be talking about chores. "There's a war brewing in the Overworld, and it looks like some Underworld enemies are looking to join the fray."
"Huh? I thought we defeated them a million times already!" Pit pointed out.
Palutena nodded. "Most of them are peaceful unless bothered, but some are going rogue. The Forces of Nature are taking care of that. In the meantime, I've been helping a mercenary group led by Magnus and Gaol to take out rebels in hopes of stopping the war before it starts."
"So you want us to go help?" Pit asked brightly. "We're on it! Those guys don't stand a chance against us!"
"No, you're not being asked to fight," Palutena clarified. "Magnus will be busy, and since Gaol will be with him, he needs someone to watch over things back home. That's your job."
Pit froze. "What?"
"No way," Dark Pit protested. "We're warriors. We're not about to sit around at a time like this."
"Someone has to do it," Palutena said with a shrug. "He can't leave Aurelia alone. I would have offered to look after her, but I want to focus entirely on guiding the mercenaries."
Dark Pit glanced at his twin, but he could tell that he wouldn't be of any help. "We'll get to see Aurelia again? Then I don't mind! You don't mind either, right, Pittoo?"
He did mind. He kind of liked visiting the Overworld, but he hated how much time they wasted trying to get there, not to mention that travel was boring. "Don't wanna."
"We're doing them a favour," Palutena explained. "It shouldn't take long."
"I'm sure it'll be fun!" Pit added. "Please?"
There was nothing he could do at that point. It was two against one. "Fine," he grumbled.
"Alright!" Pit cheered. "Lady Palutena, are you going to get us there? Or do we get to fly?"
"You can't go unnoticed looking like this," she pointed out. "Figure out your clothes, and I'll give you the power to conceal your wings."
"Disguises are such a hassle," Pit sighed, following Palutena inside. Dark Pit put his bow away and joined them. Still don't want to go.
"At least you don't have to change your hair colour," Palutena mentioned, running a hand through her long emerald green hair.
Dark Pit watched as they continued chatting about how long it'd been since they last visited Magnus, Gaol, and Aurelia. Pit and Palutena were always more than happy to help their human friends, and took every opportunity they could to spend time with them. You can't even tell how guilty those two feel about what happened in the war. They're way too carefree.
He perked up at the sound of his name. "Um, Pittoo?" Pit slowed down to walk beside him. "Do you remember the shortcut we took to get to Magnus' house last time? We kind of forgot."
"Why would I remember something useless like that?"
"I guess that means you're taking the long way again!" Palutena quipped.
"Oh, great. That's going to take forever," he muttered, stepping into his room. Let's get this over with already.
Pit glanced at Palutena as she placed her hand between his wings. "You're sure I'll be able to get my wings back, right?"
"Of course," she laughed, gesturing at the glow on her back as her own wings materialized. "I use it all the time, and you have experience with divine powers too. You just have to deactivate it for your wings to come back like before."
He nodded, and stood up when he lost feeling in his wings, taking a second to catch his balance. Dark Pit was next, and he seemed different dressed in a simple tunic, without any accessories or his laurel crown. Different, but not in a bad way. Pit grinned. "You look pretty good as a human, Pittoo!"
His glare was no different, though. "Shut up, and stop calling me that."
Oh, so he's still grumpy about the trip. At this point, Dark Pit only objected to his nickname when he was annoyed. "I'll try to remember the shortcut, okay? It won't take long," Pit promised. His twin responded with an irritated tsk.
It turned out that Pit was wrong. Palutena tried getting them as close to the town as possible, but she had to teleport them someplace where they wouldn't attract any unwanted attention. He couldn't find the shortcut, and Dark Pit wouldn't stop complaining about it. "This is such a waste of time."
After an hour of dealing with him, Pit was equally annoyed. "We're almost there. You don't have to be such a baby."
Their bickering continued until they noticed Magnus' house nearby. The twins rushed over with newfound excitement and Pit knocked at the door. They waited for a couple of seconds before Magnus pulled it open, his face settling into a smirk as he welcomed them inside. "Sure took you long enough, Angel Face."
Pit grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, we forgot about the shortcut."
"Start at the trail to the left of the plaza, remember? It hasn't even been two months since I showed you. You have the memory of a goldfish, or something?"
"I know what I'm doing!" he said defensively. "But a map might be helpful. Maybe I should just make a map for everywhere I've been!"
"We'll see how far that gets you, Angel Face," Magnus chuckled, turning his attention to Dark Pit. "Somebody's being moody. I still don't get how copying someone like him can create someone like you, Tip."
Dark Pit scowled. "I swear, if you call me that one more time–"
"See? He prefers Pittoo," Pit laughed. Magnus looked amused as well. They had this conversation almost every time they met, and it only served to irritate Dark Pit.
"Pit!" He looked towards the hallway with a smile, and steadied himself as Aurelia dashed over and collided with him, hugging him around the waist. "And Pittoo! You're finally here!"
"Hey, Aurelia! Sorry to keep you waiting!" He lifted her up and remarked, "You've gotten taller since last time, huh?"
Magnus adjusted the hair ties holding her pigtails in place. "Maybe, but she's grown a lot since we first met."
She smiled. "That's 'cause I came here when I was five. Now I'm almost seven."
Pit loved seeing them happy together. It had taken a lot of convincing for Magnus to consider taking care of Aurelia in the aftermath of the war, but they'd gradually become family for each other. It was the least Pit and Palutena could do for them. After all, Palutena was convinced she didn't do enough to save Magnus' child when he was fighting the Underworld Army, and Pit had to live with knowing that Aurelia's parents were only two of the hundreds of people his body killed before she saved him from the Chaos Ring.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by a sharp knock at the door. Magnus ignored it until they heard Gaol yell, "Hurry up, Magnus! Done with your makeup yet?" Pit and Aurelia stifled laughter.
Dark Pit pulled the door open. "He's getting dressed for the occasion," he explained smugly as Magnus pulled on his gloves.
Gaol wasn't wearing her so-called cursed armor, so they could see her surprised expression. "Oh? I didn't expect to see you two angel cakes here. It takes me a second when you don't have your wings."
"Or all your jewellery," Magnus added. "Do you see how much gold you and your goddess wear? Let me know if there's anything you don't need, and I'll gladly pawn it."
Pit was appalled. "Those are divine ornaments, you can't just sell them!"
Gaol was almost as tall as Magnus and had no problem whacking him on the back of the head. "Hurry up! You know I have to get my armor, right?"
"We're never going to get to our mission at this rate, are we?" he sighed.
"It would be stupid not to go in as the Dark Lord. What that armor lacks in stealth, it makes up for in raw power. And style, right, Aurelia?"
She nodded eagerly. "Your Dark Lord armor looks so cool!"
Magnus patted her on the head. "All I ask of you three is not to burn the house down. Got it?"
"We'll be super extra careful!" Pit promised. They seemed satisfied enough with that, and left quickly to make up for lost time.
"Let's play something!" Aurelia suggested, tugging at his tunic. "Like tag, or hide-and-seek!"
"Tag," Dark Pit decided. "You're going down, Pit-stain."
Challenge accepted. "We're on land, remember? Your flight speed doesn't change anything."
"Then let's go!" Aurelia cheered as they stepped outside onto the sunlit streets.
Pit handed Aurelia another wildflower, and watched in silent admiration as she weaved it into the crown she was making. He'd won the first game of tag, but Dark Pit declared so many rematches that all three of them wanted to take a break. Now they were a mercenary group, and Aurelia was making them some flower crowns.
"So, we're the Lu… what's the word?" Aurelia asked, tying the flowers' stems to close the ring.
"Luminary," Pit responded. "Luminaries of Light."
"Said with the confidence of someone who didn't learn that word this morning," Dark Pit remarked snarkily. "But don't you think it's repetitive? Luminary already means something that glows."
"You have any better ideas?" Pit asked, and Dark Pit shrugged. Point proven.
"And… done!" Aurelia held up the last crown triumphantly. Pit crouched down as she placed it on his head. Dark Pit was less willing, but eventually accepted his floral circlet. Pit crowned her with the last one.
She nodded contentedly at her own craftsmanship, and Dark Pit admitted, "It looks better than I thought."
Aurelia bounced cheerily. "Thank you! But if we're mercenaries, we need weapons, right? Come on, let's find something!" She grabbed each of the brothers' hands, and Pit adjusted his flower crown to make sure it didn't slip as they dashed through the meadow to the town.
He liked going to the marketplace as a human. It was so full of life, and he enjoyed the little things people did for each other, from giving directions to offering a smile. That's what we call humanity. He kept an eye on his twin, though. Dark Pit didn't usually go out of his way to pick fights with strangers, but he was known to be bad at ignoring people who bothered him.
He didn't have to worry this time. Dark Pit was focused on Aurelia, and she knew exactly where to find what they were looking for. By the time they went back to the field, their imaginary mercenary group had a whole arsenal of discarded materials. "Now we're ready!" she declared.
Pit placed a hand on her shoulder. "For your first lesson as a warrior, you have to know that entrances are the most important part of a battle. Okay?"
Her eyes sparkled. "Okay!" Dark Pit didn't object. A strong entrance was something they could agree on.
It took a lot of practice, disagreements, and mistakes to end up with an opening they liked. In yet another attempt, Aurelia went first, holding up a sharp plank of wood they'd fashioned into a sword, with a pot lid shield on her arm. "I'm Aurelia, Symbol of Hope!"
Pit placed an arrow on the string of his old training bow, which they'd gifted to Aurelia during their last visit. "I'm Pit, Guardian of Justice!"
So far, so good. They both watched Dark Pit eagerly. He turned his head slightly to face them mysteriously, wielding a splintered pole from one of the market stalls like a staff. "And I'm Dark Pit, Harbinger of Chaos."
That was one of the many reasons he loved his twin. It's way easier than you'd think to get him to act so extra. Aurelia tensed up as they neared the end of their flawless attempt. "Prepare to meet the light!"
Pit barely started to congratulate them when he was startled by an eerie shriek. Oh, no. There's no way… "That's… that's a Reaper."
"From the Underworld?" Aurelia panicked. "That came from the market!"
Pit completely missed the tunic tossed at him, and watched Dark Pit work his wings through the holes in his tank top and soar into the air for a better vantage point. "Not just one Reaper. There's hordes of them. See ya." Before Pit could respond, his twin flew straight for the battlefield, weapon in hand.
"Pittoo! You're going to fight them with a stick?" he yelled. Aurelia didn't giggle this time. Her worry was obvious, so Pit patted her head. "It'll be okay. We can finish them no problem, but I have to go help him."
He closed his eyes and tried summoning his wings. Nothing, so he tried again. And again. No no no, this isn't happening. Aurelia held his hand, but his confident smile faltered. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and if his wings weren't working, hopefully telepathy would. "Lady Palutena? I can't get my wings back!" No response. "Lady Palutena! This is important, don't leave me on hold! Please?"
Before he could try again, he was thrown onto the ground by a shockwave, and he sat up to come face to face with a single eye inside a writhing mound of flesh. Gruesome arms extended around them, ready to strike. Clubberskull. Questions could wait. "Run! I'll handle this!" Pit ordered, and Aurelia sprinted, only looking back once.
The Clubberskull made a move to follow her, which gave him valuable time to get up and grab his bow. If only I had a melee weapon– He shot an arrow right at its grotesque head– or was that its body?– and the Clubberskull flinched before moving to attack him instead. A cold feeling washed over him as his fingers didn't find any arrows left in the quiver. I'm finished.
In his panic, he rushed through his options and suddenly realized the bow he was wielding used to belong to him. Sure, it was built for a six-year-old, but it was a divine bow handcrafted by Palutena herself. It could handle his arrows of light. Hopefully. Pit felt a rush of relief as the glowing blue arrow formed at his fingertips, and he fired at the Clubberskull in a frenzy, but it was faster and closing in on him quickly.
Just as the Clubberskull's arm came close enough for him to see its contorting veins, Pit was whisked off the ground and into the air with a yelp. "Stop staring! Kill it, idiot!" Dark Pit yelled, steadying them in midair.
Pit didn't have to be told twice. The Clubberskull didn't stand a chance once they were in the air. "Thanks, Pittoo! I was so close to being hit… Wait a second, why'd you come for me?"
Dark Pit shrugged. "Looked like you could use some help. Your wings don't work, or something?" Pit shook his head. "Great, so I'm the only one who can fly. And you're the only one with a weapon. Turns out you can't use a stick like a halberd against a Reaper."
"I never would've guessed," Pit said sarcastically.
"It was worth a shot. Now let's go finish them. Together."
"It's kind of hard if I'm fighting while you're holding me," Pit pointed out. "Can't move as freely."
"Want me to drop you, then?" Dark Pit snapped, flying over buildings towards the din of the marketplace. "You know what? Give me the bow." Pit was skeptical at first, but handed it to his twin, who adjusted his grip on Pit's waist. Pit held onto his arm with his free hand, just in case. "Now you fire the arrows."
He stared in disbelief. "What? What kind of a plan is that? You fire the arrows!"
"And do what with you? Besides, I don't think this bow can handle anything other than your light arrows!"
"But how're we going to choose our target?"
"Just go with it!" he shouted. Pit didn't have a chance to retort when the Reapers came into view. Their first shot was a total miss, with Dark Pit pointing the bow in a completely different direction, and they kept aiming at different Reapers. They were spotted easily, and the Reapers started summoning their underlings. This is why this is a dumb idea!
But after a couple of tense seconds of Dark Pit dodging the Reapettes swarming them, they finally got a shot right on target. And another. The first Reaper was taken out in a matter of moments. Pit grinned in satisfaction as he fired arrow after arrow, and knew for sure that Dark Pit had the exact same look on his face. "Enemies of life before us, get ready for a display of raw angel power!" Pit declared.
"Let's go!" Dark Pit agreed, swooping down and aiming the bow at the Reapers. Pit scanned the area. Looks like everyone already escaped, so we can go all out! His twin probably had the same idea, judging by his unpredictable aiming. They were in sync for the whole fight, and the twins struck the Reapers and their reinforcements down one by one.
Pit drew back the string and fired one more ethereal arrow to kill a Reaper. "I think that's the last of them," Dark Pit confirmed, flying around the town to check. There were a few other enemies, but they were working solo and were easier to finish. "Not bad!"
"I always knew having another one of myself could come in handy! That was so– Waah!" Pit yelled in fear as he fell, but instinctively steadied himself by hovering in midair. "Oh, my wings are back!"
"Great timing," Dark Pit muttered sarcastically. "After we had to fight like that."
There was silence for a moment before both of them started laughing. "We must've looked so stupid." He stopped, suddenly remembering what happened before the fight. "Wait. I told Aurelia to run when that Clubberskull came for us. Pittoo, we have to look for her!" Dark Pit nodded.
The angels flew over the town as its people started to cautiously emerge from their homes, and came to a landing in the middle of the field. Please be okay. "Aurelia? We're here!"
He stopped at the unexpected sight he was met with. Maybe it was because of living the first few years of her life in a warzone, but that girl had no fear. She was fighting a rogue Monoeye, slashing at it clumsily but determinedly with her makeshift sword. Pit created an arrow and took aim, but before he could shoot, Aurelia landed the final hit. She turned to the angels with an accomplished smile. "Destructified!"
Pit hugged her in relief. "I'm just glad you're alright! That was so cool!"
"Not bad, Symbol of Hope," Dark Pit added.
All three of them perked up at the sound of a voice. "Pit? Pittoo? Can you hear me?"
That was Palutena trying to reach them with telepathy. "You chose a pretty convenient time to not be busy, Lady Palutena."
"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I was so preoccupied with the mercenaries, I only just realized the situation there. But it looks like you've gotten that taken care of!"
"Told you we weren't about to sit around," Dark Pit jabbed.
"Alright, I get it, Pittoo," she conceded. "What do you three say to coming back to Skyworld until the mission is over?"
"Skyworld?" Aurelia echoed. She'd only visited a few times before. "You promise?"
"Of course I promise!" Palutena laughed warmly. "It would probably be safer here. I think those Underworld enemies came for a soul harvest, but they might have been attracted to your divinity as angels, Pit and Pittoo. They were probably after Aurelia as well; I guess being able to host an angel's soul grants you some divinity yourself. I'll bring you over."
"Alright, we're ready!" Pit confirmed as the familiar light enveloped them to take them home.
Notes:
I hope you're enjoying these stories so far! I just wanted to let you know that the next few weeks are going to be busy for me, so while I'll try to post every week, there's no guarantee. It also means that my ongoing stories on FanFiction.net are on hiatus for the time being, but I'll continue them eventually, and I'll post them here too once I'm done! As always, thanks for reading! - Persimmon
Chapter 7: The Sanctuary of Nature
Chapter Text
Palutena stood at the edge of a floating island, unbothered by the vast expanse of sky beneath her, and gazed at the island of Skyworld's Sanctuary of Nature as the morning sun glinted off its waterfall. Skyworld was known for its ornate classical architecture and majestic gardens, but the landscape could get repetitive without the natural features that made the Earth so much more beautiful. That's why she was grateful that Skyworld's nature deities had created and protected the Sanctuary for generations to bring a little earthly beauty to the heavens.
It looked like the current nature goddess was no less devoted to the cause. "Alright, everyone! Let's get to work!" Viridi called out cheerfully. She adjusted the simple dress she wore for gardening, and held a shovel like a staff.
"Couldn't you just use your powers?" Phosphora suggested, gesturing at the island. "I don't want to do all of that."
Viridi shook her head adamantly. "No can do. Some things need to be done the hard way."
"Sounds like an excuse to me," Dark Pit muttered, arms crossed.
"We won't be tending to the whole Sanctuary," Palutena clarified. "Divine powers can't be used along the trail, so that's where we have to work manually."
"Talk about bad design," Pit murmured. "Why would they even do that?"
They all turned when Arlon spoke up. "The Sanctuary was built as a haven of sorts," he explained. "A place for divinity to cast aside their obligations in favour of respite. Abilities stem from obligations, hence the restrictions." He brings up a good point, but I wonder if the others understood anything…
"Eloquently put, as always," Viridi approved as the twins and Phosphora collectively stared at Arlon in confusion. "I'm doing most of the work on the island with my powers anyways, so stop being lazy and get working!"
Palutena readied her powers before any of them could protest. "You wanted me to take us to the beginning of the trail, right?" Viridi nodded. Then here I go.
As the light enveloped them, Palutena relished the feeling of weightlessness and complete freedom. She opened her eyes to see wisteria vines hanging like lanterns from a canopy of leaves shrouding the trail, and couldn't help but admire them in awe. Viridi wasted no time, and pointed at some overgrown bushes blocking the path. "That's the first order of business. Pit, Pittoo, Phosphora– you can go figure it out. I kept some tools on the side."
Phosphora narrowed her eyes. "You're really asking us to waste our time trimming bushes?"
"Why yes, yes I am." None of them made a move, so Viridi added, "Here's a deal: we can enjoy the Sanctuary once we're done with the first bit of the trail."
That proved to be enough motivation for Pit, who left to grab a tool. "Alright, let's go! I bet I could finish this myself in no time."
"Says the guy who can't even trim hedges," Dark Pit taunted, following him. "I'll show you how it's done." Phosphora watched in exasperation as she was left behind, and begrudgingly joined them.
Palutena stifled laughter. "Well, that's one way to motivate them. I should try it next time we garden together."
Viridi shook her head disapprovingly. "Please. They're so childish, I could bribe them with candy." Palutena had a vague feeling she was speaking from experience, but she didn't say anything. "Anyways! Arlon, there are some rotting branches on a few of these trees." He didn't need any further instructions, and with a sharp nod, left to get a tool. For such a skilled warrior to be so willing to serve her… Arlon really is an enigma. Viridi grinned snarkily. "And as for you… You think I should call your dear captain or soldiers? Perhaps the Goddess of Light ought not to sully her hands."
She was just teasing her, but there was no fun in staying indifferent. "Try me," Palutena dared.
"Bold, I see," Viridi remarked. "We're going to weed out the trail. Pull out everything growing on the path. Oh, and don't touch anything that looks poisonous." That's… not the most specific advice, now is it? Viridi looked at her expectantly, so she nodded anyway. I'll figure it out.
The goddesses chose different parts of the path and got to work. Palutena was more than willing to sit on the ground and tug weeds loose from the moist soil, given how many disasters the dress she was wearing had seen. She was making progress, although it was tough to pull some of the firmly-rooted ones out. The strangely pleasant smell of earth surrounded her, and she winced as the leaves of one of the plants snapped off, leaving its root intact. Oops.
A glance towards the other side of the trail revealed that Viridi was working quickly and expertly, probably a result of years of experience. Arlon reached over her to trim a few dying leaves off of a tree, and Palutena resolutely got back to her task. Maybe if I pry it out like this…
Only a few minutes later, their focused silence was interrupted by a yell of "En garde!" Oh, no.
"You're on, Pit-stain!" Dark Pit yelled in response. Palutena dusted off her hands and rushed to check what was happening.
"So immature– Hey! Get back here!" Phosphora shouted.
She made it to the now-cleared section of overgrowth, Arlon and Viridi behind her, to see Pit and Dark Pit deftly swinging cut branches at each other like swords as Phosphora tried to dodge them and strike back with a branch of her own. Palutena raised her voice slightly. "Pit. Pittoo."
The angels froze and turned to look at her. Like clockwork, Dark Pit grabbed his twin's makeshift weapon and tossed the sticks into a pile of debris on the side, and Pit gave her an innocent look as if she hadn't just caught them fighting. "Oh, Lady Palutena! How's your work going?" he laughed nervously. Phosphora rolled her eyes.
"Save the sparring for later, you two," Palutena ordered. "Focus on gardening. Now isn't the time for this."
"I expected more from you at least, Commander Phosphora," Viridi added pointedly.
She shrugged. "They started it. Just saying."
"Right, we're sorry," Pit apologized. Dark Pit mumbled a "Sorry" as well. I don't know if I should be proud or concerned that they make good partners in crime.
"You did a good job at clearing this place out, at least," she admitted, although she could tell by the torn fabric of their tunics that their clothes had been sacrificed to do it. She was glad she'd forced them to change earlier.
Viridi was less impressed. "In what world is that 'cleared out'? Get those old branches and leaves away, and then I'll give everyone something new to do. Seriously, you guys are all putting me behind schedule!" They stared at her unenthusiastically. Maybe she's a bit too ambitious.
After a lot of struggling, Pit was finally almost there. He angled his head to admire the glossy metal railing he'd just uncovered, and felt a surge of hope when he noticed how little there was left. So close! He gripped the blunt blade in his left hand to give his sore right hand a break and continued to scrape away the fine layer of fuzzy moss, leaning towards the bubbling stream under the bridge to get all angles. It's kind of sad how excited I am about this.
Probably as punishment for their sparring, Viridi had given the angels what Pit was sure was the worst job in the Sanctuary: scraping moss off the bridges along the trail. At least moss was easy to clear, so they didn't need to use much effort, unlike Phosphora, who was tasked with scraping old paint off the signs. Maybe that's the second worst job in the Sanctuary.
He slid the blade off the railing with a flourish, and stepped back to take a look. I think that's a job well done. His first thought was to check how his brother was doing, and stepping off the bridge with a nod, he turned and dashed back towards the sign they agreed to meet up at. Pit couldn't help himself when he felt the breeze under his wings, and lifted himself into the air, gliding for a few seconds before landing with a laugh. "Hey, Pittoo! Check this out!" No response, obviously.
Pit slowed down as he reached the signpost, alone amongst the branches and leaves scattered on the ground. Weird, I thought Phosphora said she'd clean that up. He walked over them apprehensively, leaning to look past the trees. "Pittoo! Phosphora! Hurry up, I'm already–" He was interrupted by a sharp crack, and before he could react, the branches under him gave out in a shower of splinters. "Waah!" he cried out in genuine fear as he found himself falling through the ground. It was a longer drop than he expected, and his feet only hit solid ground when he was chest-deep in the dirt.
The hole itself didn't give him much room to move around, and it took a second for his heart and breathing to slow down. He struggled to get a foothold on the loose earth around him, but turned at the sound of crunching leaves. Dark Pit approached him with a mischievous look that told him exactly what just happened. Pit frowned, unimpressed. "Are you serious, Pittoo?"
Dark Pit loomed over him, hands on his hips with a smirk. "Stuck in a pitfall? What a pity, Pitty."
Pit glared up at his twin. "Did you really do this just so you could say that?"
Dark Pit kneeled down so they were closer to eye-level. "So what if I did?" he asked, almost playfully. Okay, so he's just trying to have fun, but still.
"It was so worth it," Phosphora agreed from behind him. "But I guess the show's over. I'll fill that up now, or Viridi's going to kill us."
Dark Pit nodded. "Let's get you out of there." He wrapped his arms around Pit securely and hoisted him up, placing him gently on the ground beside him. "You know I had to try that eventually."
"Just don't complain when I get back at you," Pit said with a grin.
"As if I'd let you," he retorted, grabbing a bundle of sticks. Pit collected an armful to help.
"You guys have time to get back at each other?" Phosphora groaned, grinding a blade against the sign and leaving a flurry of paint chips in its wake. "There's got to be a million signs here. Weren't there only, like, three bridges? Lucky."
"We each did one, so there's one left," Pit pointed out.
"Wanna do it together?" Dark Pit offered. "Not that you'd be able to keep up. I'll probably spend most of the time waiting for you."
Pit laughed, grabbing a blade for himself and handing one to his twin. "As if!"
Pit studied Viridi's expression as she examined their work on the first part of the trail. Personally, he thought it looked nicer than when they first came, and Palutena agreed. Viridi hadn't said a word yet, and the prim look she had as they walked over the bridges they'd worked on made it obvious that she was just trying to annoy them. He felt feathers brush his arm, and turned to his twin, who whispered, "Just how dramatic can you make a nature walk?"
"Someone cue the strings," Pit snickered. Palutena motioned for them to be quiet, but seemed relieved when Viridi didn't notice. Viridi was known to jump into any conversation that remotely interested her, and with the angels involved, it often descended into an argument.
She came to a stop at the end of the segment they'd agreed to do and turned around to face them. "Passable," she decided with a lukewarm nod. "Better than I expected from softies like you."
"Softies?" Dark Pit echoed. "You're the only person here who's never fought before, so–"
"Anyways," Viridi waved him off, to his chagrin. "What do you say to a swim in the lake?"
"If you told me earlier, I would've dressed for the occasion," Phosphora mentioned. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to be soaking wet afterwards."
"If my memory serves me correctly, divine powers should be usable anywhere outside the vicinity of the trail," Arlon pointed out. "You may use them at the lake."
"I hear no objections, so let's get going!" Viridi called pleasantly, walking with a spring in her step. "It's not far, maybe fifteen minutes!"
"Fifteen minutes?" Pit repeated in dismay. He shouldn't have expected anything else from Viridi's idea of relaxation.
Viridi climbed over the rocks along the stream with ease. "Suck it up, buttercup! What happened to being insufferably upbeat? Have the stresses of life been getting to you?"
"Don't worry about him," Palutena spoke up, steadying herself as they followed Viridi. "He just has an aversion to anything tedious. Actually, both of them do."
"Whose side are you on?" Pit asked in betrayal. Dark Pit just glared at her.
"The view will be worth it," Viridi assured. "Just wait and see."
He wasn't so sure if it would be worth what she was putting them through. Viridi couldn't care less about climbing over precariously balancing rocks or along steep inclines, and no one wanted to be the first to complain. Somewhere along the way, Pit made the mistake of asking, "Are we there yet?"
Viridi stopped abruptly. "We are not there yet!"
She was right about the view, though. After following the stream into the heart of the Sanctuary, Pit could feel the air getting warmer and more humid, and it wasn't much longer before Viridi pushed aside some fern fronds to show them a small lake with a few waterfalls trickling into it from above. "Behold! This little lake gets water from the bigger one, but I wasn't going to take you there. The last thing I need is someone dying on me at the main waterfall."
"This looks better for swimming in, anyways," Palutena added as Dark Pit clambered onto the rocks forming a platform above the water. That gave Pit a spark of inspiration. He waited until his brother was distracted to climb up behind him and push him right off the edge of the rocks into the lake below.
Dark Pit yelled in alarm for the short fall to the water, but was cut off when he fell in with a splash. "Now we're even!" Pit announced. Phosphora and Viridi simultaneously burst out laughing.
He emerged at the surface, folding his wings to let the water flow off in large droplets, although his hair still stuck to his face. He rolled his eyes, and could clearly read what Pit was about to do, moving to the side as Pit dove in with a splash.
The water was pleasantly warm, and shallow enough to stand in near the edges. "There are even some fish in here!" Viridi said, giggling as they swam by her. Palutena admired some lotus blossoms, and Arlon took a seat on one of the rocks beside the waterfalls with his legs in the water.
The angels were used to swimming thanks to all the time they spent in hot springs together, and drifted around aimlessly, using their wings to help glide through the water. All of them were quiet, taking in the moment, with the ambient sounds of the lake filling the air. At least until they heard a sneeze. Pit barely had time to register the flashes of electricity in the corner of his eye before he felt a sharp sting. Viridi's voice rang out over their mix of shouts as they all turned to Phosphora, who climbed out of the lake, eyes wide. "Who thought it made sense to let the stun gun into the water?"
"Sorry!" she apologized. "I forgot my powers were still active. There, it should be fine now."
"I'd hope so," Dark Pit muttered as Phosphora warily stepped back in. They all gradually relaxed when nothing happened.
"Pit, Pittoo, take a look over here!" Palutena called, waving them over. She pointed at one of the lilypads once they got closer, and it took Pit a second to notice a small frog perched on it, watching them closely. "This one sure seems to be enjoying it here," she remarked.
"That's so cool!" He lowered himself into the water to get a closer look, and his twin wordlessly joined him. Palutena gently pulled a lotus closer, and the frog seemed content with its new shade. It probably looked strange for a pair of angels and a goddess to be looking at a frog with childlike wonder, but to them, it didn't even matter.
Dark Pit fluttered his wings to get the small droplets of water out of them, thankful that feathers were waterproof. He couldn't say the same about hair and clothes, which Palutena insisted on using her powers to dry so that no one got sick. After their time at the lake, they were ready to go to wherever else Viridi was planning to drag them to. Or maybe Dark Pit would have been, if it didn't mean more walking. One look at his twin told him he felt the same.
"Hurry up, Phosphora!" Viridi urged, perched on a tightly-coiled vine hanging down from a tall tree, looping sort of like a swing. An organic swing? That's about as green as you can get.
Phosphora was still drying herself off, with sparks of electricity streaking across her skin. "I'm almost done. You can wait."
Pit had Palutena's camera, and once they finished looking through the pictures she took earlier, he tried taking some more. Viridi swung slightly on the vine, and with a soft smile, Palutena came over to push her. "I can do this myself," Viridi snapped.
"But isn't it fun to have someone else push you?" Palutena asked.
"Maybe." Viridi's annoyance faded into a relaxed smile, and the rest of them enjoyed the break they finally got. At least until the swing gave Dark Pit an idea. He only had to make eye contact with Pit for him to break into a mischievous grin, and when Pit whispered their plan to Phosphora, she nodded eagerly.
"We need a picture of this, though," she mentioned, pointing at the camera Pit held. "Give it to Arlon."
Pit was hesitant, so Dark Pit snatched it from him and handed it to Arlon, who seemed confused for a second. "We're going to push her," he murmured. "Think you can take a picture?" Arlon took the camera with a chuckle, and Dark Pit turned to his accomplices. Let's go.
Viridi didn't even notice when they approached. Palutena's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she eased into a smile when she realized and stepped aside. All three of them were ready by the time Viridi swung back, and Dark Pit watched his twin hold up his hand to count them down. 3… 2… 1.
"What the heck?" Viridi screamed as she swung higher than they expected, her long hair trailing behind her like a comet. At least she was holding on tightly. Otherwise she would have fallen for sure. After one or two swings, she settled into it a bit more, swinging her legs back and forth, although she didn't loosen her grip on the vine until she gradually came to a complete stop and glowered at them. "I'm going to smite you guys one of these days."
"But it was fun, right?" Pit tried. "Kind of like flying!"
"Yeah, no, absolutely not," she said flatly. "You couldn't, I don't know, tell me earlier?"
"What's the fun in that?" Dark Pit remarked.
"I don't know, but you sure seemed happy when you were going with it," Phosphora mentioned.
Before she could reply, Arlon walked over, camera in hand. "Is this picture adequate?"
Palutena spoke for all of them. "You took it at the perfect time!" Viridi's windswept hair and dress, along with the three of them still standing arms pushed out, captured the chaos pretty well.
"You too, Arlon?" Viridi asked in betrayal. "Whatever. I'm still going to smite all of you, but first there was something else I wanted to show you, and we're going to miss it if we don't hurry."
That meant more walking, but at least it wasn't far this time. Viridi led them to a clearing on a cliff overlooking the forest. A basket sat at the base of a large tree, and she motioned for them to get settled. "Arlon and I made some food. You're welcome."
"Really? You're the best!" Pit said, handing a sandwich to Dark Pit and taking one for himself as they sat down side by side below the tree. Palutena and Viridi joined them, and Phosphora chose to sit on the tree's lowest branch, while Arlon stood leaning against its trunk.
Dark Pit stared out into the sky, and watched in wonder as blue gave way to pale pink, which transformed into a vibrant red with streaks of orange framing the setting sun, bathing the Sanctuary in a golden glow. Pit said nothing, but Dark Pit could feel his hand on his own, and held it softly. Viridi turned to them with a smile, leaning on Palutena's shoulder. "This is one of my favourite ways to witness the beauty of nature, so… thanks for sharing it with me. But I'm expecting more energy from you when we do the rest of the trail!"
"Can't you just let us be for once?" Phosphora complained.
"The Sanctuary isn't going to maintain itself," Viridi said firmly. "I'm not going easy on you guys next time!"
"Whatever. That's a later problem," Pit decided. "All I need right now is another sandwich." Dark Pit smirked. Of course he does.
Chapter Text
Pit squinted and watched Palutena intently as she worked in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready. Something feels off about her today. Maybe it was because it was glaringly obvious that she hadn't bothered to comb her hair. It could also be the haphazard way she was dressed, or her unsteadiness as she took some vegetables from the fridge and dropped them on the cutting board. It all made it look like she'd just, reluctantly, gotten out of bed. Pit knew for a fact that the Goddess of Light was a morning person, and as his twin often complained, Palutena was sometimes too cheerful so early in the day. So what's different now?
Dark Pit brought him out of his thoughts with a whack on the back of his head. "Be useful instead of daydreaming."
"I'm not daydreaming!" He grabbed his twin's chiton, making him stop and look over, plates still in hand. Pit lowered his voice. "Doesn't anything about Lady Palutena not seem right to you?"
"I think you're just upset she forgot about her morning hugs," he suggested. Palutena either couldn't hear them or wasn't paying attention, which was weird in itself. Pit wasn't in the mood to get defensive, and Dark Pit probably sensed it, quietening his voice. "I guess she's been less annoying than usual lately, but today's worse."
"I didn't think it was a big deal for the past few days, but–" He was startled by a sharp cry as the knife Palutena was using clattered onto the cutting board beside a half-diced onion. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about me!" Palutena assured hastily, but she stared at her hand just long enough for Pit to notice blood seeping out of a gash that went straight through her palm.
"That's definitely not fine!" Pit panicked. "I'll get you some bandages."
"Don't worry, I'm sure it just needs a soak in the hot springs." Even she doesn't sound convinced. "I'll make myself a coffee for now. Maybe I'm just tired." Pit had hardly left the kitchen when he heard ceramic shattering and dashed back to see Palutena standing wide-eyed over a smashed cup. "Ah, sorry! Here, let me clean it up–"
"Alright, you're not 'just tired'," Dark Pit said bluntly. "You're borderline not functioning. How else can you lose balance with one step?"
"Well, I have been having a pretty bad headache this morning," she admitted, "but it's nothing I can't handle."
Pit could take a good guess at what caused it, knowing that she often spent whole days and late nights providing for Skyworld and the Overworld. "Lady Palutena, how long has it been since you've had more than an hour of sleep?"
She stared blankly in response. This can't be good. "Not too long, I think…" One of the many advantages of having two of yourself was that the twins could give Palutena identical death stares until she gave up. "Fine, I'd say… a couple of years. But it shouldn't be a problem for a goddess, right?"
Dark Pit was the first to speak. "You have a death wish or something? I'll bet it's been even longer since you took a break from your duties or whatever."
"You're a living being too, you can't keep doing that to yourself!" Pit insisted. "You know what? As the captain of your army, I'm ordering you to take a day off for yourself!"
There was an awkward silence as Pit acknowledged he was giving orders to the highest authority in Skyworld. But that doesn't matter. "Pit, as the Goddess of Light, I can't just abandon my job entirely," Palutena sighed wistfully.
"That doesn't mean you can't ask for help! It's what the rest of us are here for," he said emphatically, brushing her arm with his wing. "We can take care of your work for today, but you might want to keep giving the world light. I don't think we can do that yet."
Palutena smiled faintly with a whispered "Thank you," but seemed uneasy as she grabbed onto the countertop. Dark Pit obviously understood what that meant, since he was the one who caught her when she collapsed. Oh no– What's happening?
"So she was that close to fainting, huh?" Dark Pit mused, adjusting her limp body. "We should get her to her room." Pit didn't move, trying to stop himself from panicking, and the twins' eyes met for a second. "Pit. Don't worry, she'll be fine."
He wanted to stay calm, but the words bubbled out. "I get that, it's just– I've never seen her so vulnerable since… since the Chaos Kin." So that was the anxiety he couldn't place. The memory of seeing her soul ripped out of her body right after she was freed.
Dark Pit nodded, and still supporting Palutena with one arm, held out the other invitingly. Pit never missed an opportunity for a hug from his twin, and it was a much-needed comfort. "You're getting better at this, Pittoo!" Pit remarked enthusiastically.
"Shut up. Remember, you're the one who said we could manage everything, so get working."
Pit stood up with renewed optimism. "I'm sure we can do it with some help! How hard can it be?"
Getting help was turning out to be the hard part. Pit stood in the main hall of Viridi's palace, where the Goddess of Nature was seated imposingly– or at least as imposingly as an eight-year-old could be– in front of the large windows, holding her staff on her raised knee. She was flanked by a very prim Arlon and obviously annoyed Phosphora. "You want me to manage Skyworld today?" Viridi echoed. "All the gods have had a bone to pick with me at some point. I'm the last person you should ask."
"You're the only person I can ask!" Pit complained. "Pittoo and I can take care of things at the temple, but not all of Skyworld!"
Viridi wasn't convinced. "What's Palutena doing? Slacking?"
"She would never! Lady Palutena overworked herself so much that she fainted this morning," he explained. "She hasn't slept in years, and I don't even want to guess how long she's been working without a break."
"Oh." Viridi suddenly seemed more receptive. "You could've started with that. Our powers can only delay burnout, so maybe it finally caught up to her. Of course I'll help."
That was one less thing to worry about. "Thanks, Viridi!"
"But don't get the wrong idea," she added with a frown. "I'm not ruling Skyworld for a day. I'll just take on the work Palutena does for the Overworld."
"What? Then what was the point of saying all that?" Pit retorted.
Arlon stepped in and prevented a full-blown argument. "Mistress Viridi, you may entrust the task to us if you so wish."
"Huh?" Phosphora scowled. "First you guys dragged me out of the Chariot Base, and now I have to help you?"
Viridi ignored her. "You know what? I like that idea. I don't think anything will come up anyways. You guys can stay here, but I'm going over to Palutena's temple." Arlon nodded in acknowledgement, and Phosphora wordlessly rolled her eyes.
"See? You can be really nice when you try!" Pit quipped as she followed him outside.
"I'm not doing this for any of you," she shot back, but it was obvious that she didn't mean it.
"Come on, don't be like that!" Pit moved closer to her and folded one of his wings around her shoulder, knowing full well that it would annoy her. "There's nothing wrong with doing something good for someone else!" Viridi simply folded her arms and shook her head in exasperation, and their conversation faded into an unnatural silence.
No matter how much he tried to think of something to talk about, Pit's thoughts kept wandering back to the morning. I should've noticed Lady Palutena was struggling. I spend so much time with her, but I couldn't even do that much… He hardly noticed as they reached the entrance to the temple, but was suddenly brought back to reality when Viridi squeezed his hand and let go just as quickly. "Relax. It's alright."
He didn't have a chance to react before Dark Pit stepped out to greet them. "Looks like the great Goddess of Nature herself has arrived to bless us with her presence," he said sarcastically.
"A thank you would suffice," Viridi snapped, striding past him. "Seriously, why did I bother helping you two?"
Pit settled into his normal grin at the familiar scene. "Because you're nice and you care about us!" Annoying Viridi had come to be a hobby for them, and they were getting better at it.
She ignored them for the most part, but they'd have to be blind to miss her blush, and Pit couldn't decide whether that meant she was angry or embarrassed. Maybe a bit of both. "Whatever. What did you dolts come crying to me for, anyways?"
"Managing the Overworld?" Pit offered. "I thought that was obvious enough."
She looked unimpressed. "I don't have to spend all my time on that, dummy. Life is resilient. The gods exist to make things more convenient, but life would still go on without us. I thought you'd know by now, after we came out of a war with no one watching over anything."
Pit hadn't thought of it like that before, but his brother didn't seem as amazed. "All I got from that was that you can help with breakfast. Should be easy for someone who created sentient chestnuts to serve in her army."
"What do I look like to you? A maid?" Viridi scowled. "Besides, creating Nutskis is way more useful than making breakfast for the likes of you two!"
Pit interrupted the brewing argument. "Lady Palutena started making an omelet this morning. Why don't we try to finish it?"
They really shouldn't have bothered. It looked like Viridi was better at blessing food than cooking it, and while Pit was busy helping her cut some bell peppers, he completely forgot about the eggs he was frying. At least Dark Pit was able to get it off the stove right before it started a fire, but that meant the bread he was toasting in the oven got burnt to a crisp. Pit and Viridi silently stared as Dark Pit scraped an unappetizing charred mess onto a plate, and the look the three of them shared made it clear that no one was going to try eating that. Dark Pit sighed. "That's it. I should've known you two were hopeless. I'm making empanadas, take it or leave it."
"I'll take it!" Pit offered eagerly, only to be slapped on the arm by his twin. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Sorry, my hand slipped," he replied, absently. "Idiot." Viridi bit her lip but gave up and burst into laughter, and neither of the twins could keep a straight face for long. Talk about a lame attempt at an excuse.
"Fine," Pit conceded between laughs. "Let's just hope we do better next time. I don't think we can get much worse than this, right?"
Dark Pit was well aware that his twin was always able to jinx things, so when Pit assured them that they'd be fine, he made sure to stay on high alert. Viridi left to the main hall of the temple, saying something about it being easier to channel her powers from there. Pit helped him dry the dishes for a bit, but his wings perked up in realization soon after. "Oh! We had to station some Centurions around Skyworld, right? I'll tell the guards around the temple, and you can join me to talk to everyone else! How about that?"
"Whatever. Go ahead." Pit barely waited for the okay before dashing out of the kitchen.
Dark Pit wasn't too surprised when he heard a yell echo through the halls right after. "Pittoo! Where's all this water coming from?"
"Water? The hell do you mean?" He tossed the dishcloth on the counter and went to see for himself, but froze as he and Viridi, who ran over wielding her staff, reached where Pit stood. He wasn't kidding. A steady stream of water flowed along the floor, trickling off into smaller branches everywhere. "Don't just stand there! Check where it's coming from, idiot!" he hissed, following the stream back to its source: underneath the door to one of the hot springs.
"Oh, right. Lady Palutena usually fills the hot springs in the morning," Pit said nervously. "I kind of don't want to check."
"Are you really telling me you're scared of some water?" Viridi snapped, pulling the doors open. The hot spring in the center of the room was overflowing, and water bubbled over the edge in all directions, thankfully just on the floor. "Now how do we turn it off?"
Pit pointed at the back corner of the chamber. "The controls are there, but I forgot which one is which."
Dark Pit figured it out after a little trial and error. "Am I really the only competent one here?" he tsked, draining the water until the hot spring was around half full.
"I'll show you some competence," Viridi declared, raising her staff into the air. The angels couldn't help but be amazed when the excess water flowed upwards in small streams, collecting into a large ball, which Viridi maneuvered over the hot spring. The problem arose when she let go, and it fell in with a splash that completely soaked them. "Ack!"
"I was looking forward to some actual skill," Pit said pointedly, squeezing the water out of his chiton. Dark Pit glared at Viridi as she hastily swept the splattered water into the hot spring.
"I'd like to see you try!" she retorted. "At least that's done with. There's more I have to do for the Overworld than I thought. Turns out that Palutena can control the intensity of sunlight, and that psycho's been working all day every day to make it ideal for growing seasons all over the world. No wonder humans everywhere have been having crazily plentiful harvests lately!"
"So what'll they do now that it isn't ideal?" Pit asked in concern. "We can't let people starve!"
Viridi shrugged. "I'll just make it rain in the places where the sun is too strong, but that's the most I can do. Humanity can deal with it for now. Sorry not sorry."
"That's better than nothing," Dark Pit decided. "Hurry up, Pit-stain. The Centurions aren't going to wait around forever." Pit nodded and led the way to the army's training grounds, where soldiers who weren't stationed waited for orders.
They slowed to a stop at the same time when they heard Arlon trying to reach them through telepathy. "Young Master Pit? Young Master Dark Pit?"
"Is everything alright, Arlon?" Pit questioned.
"I simply wanted to inform you that there appears to be an infestation of Monoeyes in some regions of Skyworld."
"Monoeyes? From where?"
Dark Pit answered in Arlon's place. "From the Underworld, stupid. Leave it to me."
"Many thanks." Arlon continued to explain the situation. "I called upon you two because Miss Phosphora is warding off invasions into the Overworld. There appears to be an influx of Underworld enemies into the other realms today, and perhaps it is because they are currently able to enter unchecked."
"So you're saying Lady Palutena was keeping them out too?" Pit asked in disbelief. "Then how could she think she wasn't going to get burned out someday?"
Dark Pit shrugged. "Viridi was right, she's a well-intentioned psycho. Come on, we don't have time to waste. I bet I can finish those Monoeyes before you can even get the Centurions organized."
He turned to leave and grab his bow, but was pulled back and turned to look Pit in the eyes. "Take some Centurions with you, Pittoo. And be careful for me, okay?"
This isn't the time to be difficult on him. He smiled faintly. "If you insist, but I bet I'll be doing most of the work. The Centurions aren't nearly as tough as we are." That made Pit smile as well, and the twins parted ways with a shared "Let's do this!"
Palutena woke up to a throbbing headache, but buried her head in her arm and refused to get up until it quietened to a mild pain. She took in her surroundings in the hazy moments after she blinked her eyes open, and was taken aback by the golden sunlight flooding her room. It can't be earlier than six in the evening. I couldn't have slept in for that long, so what could have… oh.
She completely forgot about what happened earlier, but as soon as her mind cleared up, the memories rushed back. She was surprised she was able to get through so much of the morning with that debilitating pain, and then she'd cut herself and fainted. Palutena cringed at the thought. Pit and Pittoo looked so concerned. I should have let them know sooner. Being a goddess meant that reaching her limits was an unfamiliar concept, but she knew she'd overdone it this time.
Palutena forced herself to sit up and noticed the bandage wrapped securely around most of her left hand, stained with splotches of dull red blood. Maybe I'll let it heal on its own until I replenish my powers. Either way, there was no point in sitting around when she was already awake. Of course she had to let her angels know that she was okay, but first she had to look somewhat presentable. Maybe that would help her feel better.
She stumbled to her bathroom and got ready without a problem, at least until it was time to comb her hair. Her mostly immobilized left hand wasn't much of a help for holding the brush or her hair, and it frustrated her pretty quickly. Come on, Palu… how can a goddess become so helpless that she can't brush her own hair?
In her focus, she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings, and was startled by a voice. "Need some help?" She turned to see Dark Pit standing by the doorframe, fluffing his wings out behind him.
"Oh, hello." She waved at him. "I'm fine, Pittoo. Thanks for asking."
He completely ignored her and snatched the hairbrush. "It's easier with two hands. Now sit down somewhere." She tilted her head in confusion, so he explained. "I can't reach."
"Oh. Sometimes I forget you two are so tiny," she teased, patting his head.
"I'm reminding you that you said that when we end up taller than you," he responded as Palutena sat down cross-legged on the pleasantly cool tiles.
"I'm looking forward to seeing it." She winced as he started to tease out some of the stubborn tangles. "Pittoo, my hair is really long. Are you sure you–"
"Just 'cause Pit-stain doesn't know how to brush your hair doesn't mean I don't either," he interrupted. He continued to detangle her hair surprisingly gently, and it felt rather soothing. Having her hair done by Dark Pit was one of many things Palutena never thought she'd experience, but then again, her life was full of surprises lately. They remained silent until he spoke again. "You stressed the hell out of Pit this morning, you know. He was about to lose it."
"Sorry… that was entirely my fault," she apologized. "When you have so many responsibilities, it's easy to forget that there's only so much you can do, even with divine powers. And honestly, I hate that feeling."
"I'm not giving you a pep talk," Dark Pit started. "That's Pit-stain's job. But think about it: humanity and Skyworld are thriving thanks to you. You deserve some help too."
Palutena turned to face him with a smile as he softly combed through the ends of her tresses. "That was pretty good, as far as pep talks go! Thanks, Pittoo." He didn't react, but his wings fluttered in a shimmer of teal as the sunlight hit them. It made her laugh fondly as she turned around again. "So, what is Pit up to?"
"Leading the army," he responded, meticulously braiding a lock of hair around her head like a crown. "Viridi's been watching over the Overworld for you, and she left Arlon to manage Skyworld and Phosphora."
Viridi? I'm sure Pit must have convinced her. "You mean she left Arlon and Phosphora to manage Skyworld?" Palutena asked, amused.
"I know what I said." Palutena closed her eyes as Dark Pit carefully placed her circlet and crown on her head. "There we go. Not too bad."
Looking in the mirror, it was better than she'd expected. Maybe I should put a bit more faith in him. She didn't have time to thank him before they heard Pit yell from down the hallway. "Viridi! Behind you!"
"What the heck?" Viridi cried. "Quick, get some water to douse it!" Water? What's on fire?
Dark Pit dashed off to check. The smell of smoke was noticeable as soon as Palutena stepped out of the bathroom, so she took her staff from where it stood propped up against a wall of her bedroom as she left.
Palutena ignored the soreness in her body and focused on following the tendrils of smoke wafting through the hallways until she reached the wide-open doors to the main hall. Dark Pit was already there, watching as Viridi threw a bucket of water onto the flames flickering along one of the curtains, and Pit stood by with another bucket ready. Hoping for the best, Palutena channeled whatever powers she could muster through her staff and swiftly extinguished the fire with a wave of her arm. She sighed in relief as the three of them looked her way.
Palutena smiled when Pit's sapphire blue eyes lit up at seeing her. "Lady Palutena, you're back!" She gladly returned the hug he gave her. "I missed you! How are you feeling now?"
"Much better than before," she admitted, ruffling his hair. "Although it might take me a few days to get back to normal."
"Take your time. The rest of us aren't going anywhere," Viridi assured her.
She felt a mischievous grin coming on. "I left you guys alone for a day, and you almost burnt up the temple. May I ask how that happened?"
"Well…" Pit started hesitantly. "One of the lamps fell over, and the curtain caught fire." Why was there even a lamp in here?
"There was some flooding too," Dark Pit added. "Don't ask questions."
"Then I'll just have to figure it out myself," she laughed. "But it sounds like you did a lot. You know, once everything's back to normal, maybe all of us deserve a day off."
Notes:
Hello! Since A Day Off from Divinity mostly centers on burnout and I'm sure we're all feeling the pressure in some way, I just wanted to remind you to take some time for yourself because you deserve it! Dealing with burnout and helping someone get through it are both not easy, so don't push yourself too much; you're doing great. :)
- Persimmon
Chapter 9: Rage (Undiluted)
Notes:
Happy New Year! Here's to spending time with the people we love and doing the things we love. :)
Sorry for the break last week, but here's chapter 9! Since there are only two more chapters left to repost, I'll try to post one each week unless anything comes up. After that, it'll probably be a longer wait because I have to start writing from scratch, but I'm planning to repost my other stories from FanFiction.net during that time! Again, kudos and comments are always appreciated, and thank you for reading my work! :)
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
There was no question about it: the plant was dying. Dark Pit watched in exasperation as Pit and Palutena stared at it intently, as if that was going to do anything. "I thought there was a limit to stupidity," he sighed. "At this point, even Viridi will have trouble reviving it. Looking at it won't help."
"But it was fine a week ago!" Pit complained, tapping one of the wilted stems. A few dried leaves and flowers fell onto the soil in the pot.
"Viridi's not going to be happy," Palutena pondered. "This is the third time this month we've called her over to revive a houseplant. We're probably going to get an earful."
Dark Pit raised his hand, a grin tugging at his lips. "I say we sacrifice Pit. This was his fault, and we had nothing to do with it."
"No way," Pit said vehemently. "You know that's not true! So no sacrificing, right, Lady Palutena?" She hummed pensively, placing a finger on her cheek. "Don't tell me you're actually considering it!"
"Well, she does have a sweet spot for you." She paused for a second, and her eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, here's an idea! Let's try to revive the plant ourselves. I'm sure a couple of drops of rejuvenation potion would work wonders on it."
"Rejuvenation potion?" Pit echoed in disbelief. "You remember what happened last time you tried that, right?"
"Don't worry, I've altered it so it can only make plants healthier, not sentient," Palutena assured hastily, clearly flustered. Her failure to defeat some malicious vegetables was one of the few things that embarrassed her, and it was a much-needed source of blackmail.
Dark Pit shrugged nonchalantly. "Worth a shot. If anything goes wrong, we get Viridi to fix it."
Palutena nodded. "That's reasonable. Pit, the rejuvenation potion is on one of the higher shelves, but I think I kept it near the front, so you shouldn't have trouble finding it."
He frowned, wings folding in a bit. "Huh? Why do I have to get it?"
"Well, you are the sacrifice if it dies, after all," Palutena mentioned. Her slight smile betrayed that she'd thought this through. "I don't have a preference, but I'd say it's in your best interest to get it."
"Not fair!" he protested. "How do you set it up like this every time?"
"How manipulative of you, O Goddess of Light," Dark Pit added.
"I'm not manipulative," she justified benevolently. "I just want to make sure no one is sacrificed."
Pit must have had enough experience to know he couldn't win. "Fine, I'll get it this time. But you're going next time, deal?"
"Of course," Palutena responded readily.
"Just a reminder that this is exactly what she said last time," Dark Pit pointed out.
"Then we're holding you to it this time!" He flashed them a smile before running off.
Palutena laughed warmly, and Dark Pit glanced over at her. "You should be grateful that one of us is so submissive. Imagine if both of us were like me."
"You say that as if you aren't just as pure!" She wrapped her arms around him from behind and didn't let go when he pushed back with his wings. Sometimes Palutena got on his nerves, but he could tell she cared.
She abruptly drew in a quick breath, releasing him from the hug. "Oh no, I left a bunch of potions I was going to get rid of balancing on the shelves. Pittoo, could you…" He glared at her until she stopped talking. "Never mind. I'll be back in a second." Quickly checking, as she often did, that her staff was nearby, she anxiously hurried down the hallway. "Pit? Be careful!"
And that's why you do things yourself. Dark Pit absently reached up and tapped the orb on top of Palutena's staff. Seeing how many times they could touch it without her noticing was one of the twins' personal challenges, and it was stupidly fun. A faint ethereal sound echoed from it as soon as his fingers made contact, and almost instantly, he jolted at the crash of glass shattering in the distance. Crap–
He instinctively stepped back before realizing the obvious. Those had to be the potions Palutena was talking about! And potions could do pretty much anything. He'd rather forget about the accident with Viridi's youth potion if only they'd just stop talking about it and showing him pictures, but he had to check on them just in case something like that happened. Not that he'd have the patience to deal with it. Dark Pit grabbed Palutena's staff and dashed off. Maybe I mocked her too soon. Talk about karma.
He was ready for anything when he pushed open the door, but was relieved to see them standing in the middle of the room, unharmed except for the liquid soaking their clothes. So maybe those potions didn't do anything. Whatever it was, Palutena was definitely not happy. "Did you really think flying indoors was a good idea? I asked for one potion– you can't even do that much by yourself?"
Dark Pit solemnly swore not to get involved, but he did a double take when Pit talked back just as bitterly. "Easy for you to say. Go be useful for once and get your stuff yourself!"
Okay, maybe he didn't have a choice. "Huh. Never thought I'd hear that tone from you, goody two-shoes," he admitted once the shock wore off. Arguments were a fact of life when you lived with someone else, but this kind of personal attack was pretty much unheard of from those two.
They ignored him. "Be useful?" Palutena seethed. "You wouldn't even be able to fathom my work!"
"Some gracious goddess you are," Dark Pit muttered. What's with them?
That finally got a reaction from Palutena in the form of a molten glare. "This doesn't concern you." It was frustrating how long it took him to realize. Something's wrong.
Dark Pit was practically withering under her stare, but Pit didn't leave her alone. From the way he stood with his arms crossed and wings flared, Dark Pit could clearly see the dark side the Mirror of Truth used to create him. "Really? With how much you rely on me, I know just how weak you are. For a mortal."
He couldn't believe that he was the one diffusing an argument. "Relax, it's just some potions. I'll clean it up. Apologize and stop being so petty."
That backfired entirely when Pit acknowledged him with a gaze that made him shudder, although he tried his best to hide it. The Captain's Glare was somewhat of a legend in Palutena's army, and being unfortunate enough to see it meant you screwed something up horribly. Dark Pit blamed himself for his naivety. Of course those potions did something. "Stay out of this, you second-rate clone!" Pit shouted.
"What did you just call me?" Dark Pit retorted instinctively. Bad idea. This is escalating too fast.
"Oh, I forgot you hated nicknames, Dark Pit." The way Pit said his name was enough for him to make a decision. You know what? Pittoo is perfectly fine.
Palutena took advantage of his distraction to forcefully snatch her staff, and he tried in vain to get it back. "Pandora was right. What a nice little servant you are. Now leave us alone!" He barely registered her words before his wings tingled with the Power of Flight, and she moved her staff to throw him against the wall. Ow. The other vials of potions shook, but thankfully nothing fell. Not that she cared. "Now onto you."
"Useless without your staff, huh? Wait until I get my hands on something." Dark Pit forced himself up to see Pit dodge Palutena and sprint out of the room.
"As if I'd let you, mere angel," she challenged, using her powers to glide in the air after him.
"Get back here, you idiots! Don't you see something's off?" Dark Pit yelled through the door. Clearly they didn't, because they didn't even look back. He sighed and trudged back to where the bottles had broken, careful to avoid the shimmering liquids and shards of glass. I need to know what I'm up against before I go after them. It looked like three or four bottles had broken, but only one exploded enough to splash onto them. He scanned the shards for its label and squinted at the delicate handwriting scrawled across it.
Rage (undiluted): Triggers a state of indiscriminate and irrational aggression and violence.
Dark Pit stared at it in disbelief. So now I'm the least destructive one here? He turned towards the direction of another crash. There was no time to waste, and now he had to stop those psychos from killing each other. The cruel irony.
Dark Pit ran through his options. Pit had killed gods before, so he was currently the more dangerous one. But if Palutena went all out, she could easily unleash mass destruction on Skyworld. Pit won the last time they fought so aggressively, but that was after Palutena had been weakened by the Chaos Kin for three years. Right now, she was as healthy as ever, and if their joint training was any proof, she was pretty powerful. But I don't want Pit to win either. If either of them gets the upper hand, they'll go in for the kill. Dammit, why do I have to deal with this?
Finding them was easy: he just had to follow the noise and destruction. The duel was pretty one-sided for now. Palutena stayed in the air and kept her distance with a barrage of light-based attacks, and Pit was left dodging them. She had no concern for collateral damage, so maybe it was good that they'd moved outside, even if it meant Dark Pit would be easier to spot.
Right now, all he needed was something to defend himself with. He scanned the weapon storerooms, almost forgetting which one was which in his panic, and went straight for the Guardian Orbitars before getting back outside. Pit opted for his bow, the weapon he was best at using, and there was nothing Dark Pit could do to stop him yet. He quashed any hopes that their irrationality or whatever would make this any easier for him.
He took a deep breath and got ready to interfere again, his heart pumping fast. "What the hell is wrong with you two? You have no reason for any of this!"
In response, Palutena fired a few bursts of light at him. Dark Pit placed the orbitars around him and tried activating them, but watched in horror as they fell uselessly and let him get hit. "Oh, you poor little thing," Palutena sighed, abruptly switching to a more vindictive tone. "Forgot that all of your weapons run on my power? That goes for you too." Sure enough, Pit's bow couldn't fire anything either. "You're both entirely useless without me, so give up already. I'll make it quick."
That was concerning, to say the least. Pit didn't seem to care, and threw his bow into the ground below, taking a more traditional one with a bowstring instead. "Forgot that I create my own arrows? Don't confuse me with the other guy. I don't need you for anything."
"Okay, now that's definitely ripping off my style!" Dark Pit yelled. Was I really that obnoxious before? That was something he could ponder later. For now, he needed his staff. He could rely on it even without any of Palutena's enhancements.
Dark Pit was distracted by a flash of light as Pit fired an arrow, colliding it with one of the fireballs Palutena summoned. The explosion was massive and dangerously close, but that just encouraged them. He desperately got into the storeroom where his staff was and waited inside for a bit after he found it, wincing at the explosions until they somewhat died down. Screw this. Run.
All three of them were unrecognizable by now. Pit and Palutena yelled with every well-aimed shot they took, and Dark Pit ran away from them, genuinely fearing for his life. Getting hit by some stray shots made him realize that the ground wasn't safe, and he took off into the air, grateful for his faster flight speed.
He couldn't tell whether he was escaping them or they were following him, but soon enough they approached the front of the temple. Dread washed over him when he saw Viridi there. She doesn't know about any of this! For her part, she seemed concerned, probably because of the explosions. "Pittoo, is everything–"
"Out of the way!" he shouted, swooping down to scoop her right off the ground.
"What the heck? Are you crazy?" she shrieked, thrashing for a second. Then Pit and Palutena came into view, the whole entrance becoming awash with flames as they fought. "Actually, scratch that. Thank you. What the heck? Are they crazy?"
"Some stupid potion!" was the best explanation he could give, adjusting his grip on her to snipe them with his staff. It stunned them for a bit, but also drew their attention. "Causes indiscriminate aggression, or something?"
"How did it happen?"
Leave it to Viridi to bother him with stupid questions at a time like this. "Does it look like I know?"
"Did they drink it?" she pressed.
"Obviously not!" Dark Pit dodged the shots targetting them. He wanted to fight back, but he couldn't afford to hurt them. Then what do I do?
Viridi sighed in relief. "That makes our job a bit easier. If they didn't drink it, we just need to wash it off their skin. But in the meantime, we can't let them out of the temple grounds. They'll destroy everything."
"Tell me something I don't know!"
"Just calm down and put me down!" Viridi ordered, surprisingly level-headed. "I'll try summoning rain."
Once they were safe enough, Dark Pit did as he was told. It made it easier for him to snipe at them, and he watched hopefully as dark clouds built up in the sky above. Unfortunately for them, Palutena caught on too. As soon as the raindrops started falling, she summoned a barrier around all of them, and dispelled the clouds with a wave of her staff. "Nice try, Viridi," she mocked. "I didn't expect anything more from the Goddess of Nature."
Pit seized the moment of distraction and went straight at Palutena with one of the blades from his bow. Where the hell did he get that from? Dark Pit was too slow to interfere before he got a couple of slices on her, drawing blood. No way he's going to try– Before he could go in for the kill, a wall of thorny vines erupted and immobilized both of them. Dark Pit glanced over at Viridi, who was breathing heavily as she held out her staff. "Vines? That's the best you could do?" he remarked.
Normally, she would've argued back, but she seemed too stressed now. "It does the job! You wanted me to summon barriers like her? Too bad, I can't do that! Her barriers are made of light!"
"Don't worry. Vines are fine." I can't tell who's comforting whom anymore.
It didn't buy them enough time to try the rainstorm again, since Palutena incinerated the vines in an instant. "Dual-wielding weapons? Two can play that game." Dark Pit forgot the sheer range of her telekinesis, and it only took her a few moments to bring the other blade of the bow into her hand. She drew a gash along Pit's arm before he broke free of the vines and took another stab at her. "Oh? You're not going for them?"
"I will, as soon as I'm done with you," he seethed, resuming their battle.
Viridi looked aghast. "What happened to him? Why's he exactly like you?" That caught him off guard. Is that really all I am? He didn't know what he hated more: the fact that it somehow hurt, or that Viridi could tell. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just… this is like you before the Chaos Kin. Now look at you! You're the one protecting them from each other, right?"
He didn't expect encouragement from Viridi of all people, but he had to admit it helped. "Right. Now let's end this."
Summoning water wasn't working at all. They'd been going at it for at least an hour, which meant that it had been even longer since this craziness started. Neither Pit nor Palutena looked like they were letting up soon, and their attacks were becoming more reckless and vicious by the second. Viridi tried everything she could with the weather, from rain to mist to snow, but Palutena was always one step ahead. The problem for her was that Pit always attacked while she was recovering, and Dark Pit had harrowingly stopped him from killing her. Twice. "You're quite the nuisance, little miss cactus," she observed, eyes flickering between all three of her targets. "You know what? I think it's time for a sacrifice!"
After all that fighting, Dark Pit didn't think she'd have the energy to launch a mass attack, but of course he was wrong. A web of light surrounded them as far as he could see, and the pulsating beams that grazed him felt as sharp as the sword she was still holding. He panicked as he evaded them. This was what I was worried about. She's reaching the breaking point. "Viridi, we can't wait any longer!"
Viridi did look a little worse for wear, but he was surprised at how long she was able to hold her own for. "Then we don't have a choice. I'm summoning a tsunami."
"You're what?" He barely avoided Pit's arrows. It was getting too risky for him to fight back now.
"Not from the ocean," she clarified, summoning vines to protect herself from the onslaught of attacks. "You know that basin near the front of the temple? Get them there, close to the ground. I'll take care of the rest. This fight is almost over!" They shared an understanding nod as she ran off.
"Fight?" Palutena repeated. "This isn't a fight. It's a massacre!" Here we go again. Dark Pit hastily pulled his twin out of the way as she generated a massive beam of light in their path. His help wasn't appreciated in the slightest, and he got a cut to the arm before Pit went for Palutena. Dark Pit sniped at them, making sure not to hit Pit's wings or Palutena's staff-wielding arm. Now we get to Viridi.
As soon as he became one of their priorities, it was easy enough to guide them over to the basin Viridi was talking about. Sure enough, she was already there, manipulating the water inside it with extreme focus. All he had to do was get them on the ground, and he had a plan for that.
Pit shot at Palutena yet again, but instead of allowing her to fight back, Dark Pit fired a charged shot from his staff from as far away as he could, where it had more power. That gave Pit an opportunity to go in for another attack. Sorry for teaming up on you, but it's my only choice. She hadn't had enough time to recover from earlier, and she was quickly losing energy from fighting both of them at once, until her powers gave out entirely and she fell with an alarmed cry. Pit made a landing nearby, and approached her wielding his blade, but Dark Pit grabbed him securely around the waist and held him back. "Let go of me, you–"
"As if!" He almost got stabbed a couple of times himself with the way Pit was erratically swinging his blade, but he kept a firm hold. "Viridi, now!"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her raise her staff, and in an instant, the entire pool of water swept out in a looming wave that threatened to crash over them. This has to work.
Pit had no idea how he ended up underwater, but the biting cold all around him snapped him out of whatever daze he was in. Something was holding him back, and he struggled to break free, but the water receded just as quickly, flowing into the basin in the temple walkway like a wave called back to the ocean. What am I even doing here? The first thing he noticed was his brother laying on the ground beside him, arms wrapped tightly around his waist. "Pittoo! Are you okay?"
He blinked his eyes open and took in the scene apprehensively, before settling into a soft smile. "Yeah."
That didn't make Pit any less worried. "Look at you, you're injured! We're going straight to the hot springs, and then I'll bandage those for you, and–" He had to stop himself from getting carried away. "Do you have any idea what happened?"
Dark Pit nodded, but before he could say anything, they heard Palutena's voice. "Ugh… oh, Pit, Pittoo! Are you alright?" Pit turned to face her, and her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You're bleeding."
Now the pain was finally kicking in. "I could say the same about you," he mentioned, reaching over to wipe off some blood from a cut on her cheek.
The water around them suddenly turned into mist, which dissipated into the air as Viridi dashed over in concern. When did she get here? "Everything's fine, right?" she breathed. Dark Pit sat up and nodded, and the two of them shared a relieved high-five. Okay, that's a surprise.
"Would you mind explaining?" Palutena asked hesitantly.
"All your injuries were his fault," he explained, pointing directly at Pit. Huh? Me? What does he even mean? "But don't feel too bad, Pit-stain. She did the same to you."
Palutena looked as bewildered as he felt. "Do you really not remember anything?" Viridi asked flatly.
"Not since I tried getting that potion," Pit admitted.
"Oh." Palutena looked equal parts annoyed and embarrassed. "It was the rage thing, wasn't it?"
"It was the rage thing," Dark Pit confirmed. "I just spent two hours or something making sure you psychos didn't escape or kill each other."
"That was one of the potions I was going to get rid of," Palutena explained, sensing Pit's confusion. "It used to be a useful tactic during wars, so some of the other gods gave me a sample to study, but I thought the world would be better off without it. It's pretty much just distilled murderous intent."
"So that's why it looks like there was a war over here," Pit realized, noticing the signs of destruction all around them.
"Because there was," Dark Pit complained, slumping against him. "That was not easy. Imagine me pre-Chaos Kin, except a million times more violent and with a really scary death stare. And I won't even try comparing Palutena to Medusa. That was something else."
Pit patted his head, and Palutena laughed. "I never thought the tables would turn like that." She smiled teasingly at Viridi. "Looks like you two finally got that fight against us you wanted so much after the war."
She crossed her arms. "Give me a break. I gave up on that a while ago, but what I had in mind was a friendly duel, not a massacre."
"We should get around to repairing the temple," Pit decided. He looked right at Palutena. "And you're getting the stuff this time. No more potions, please."
Palutena smiled. "Of course. I think I've learned a lesson from this."
"And I think I need a break. Anyone else up for some relaxation in the hot springs?" Dark Pit suggested. The answer was obvious: everyone.
Chapter 10: A Starlit Sleepless Night
Chapter Text
For probably the millionth time that night, Dark Pit turned over in his bed and pulled the covers closer, although he already knew it didn't make a difference whether he kept them on or not. Screw this. He snapped his eyes open and tried to get rid of the music he'd put on loop in his head. There goes all that work trying to fall asleep. Whatever. He knew full well that he'd go insane if he heard another second of it.
Dark Pit usually slept soundly through the night, but he wasn't a stranger to sleeplessness. It wasn't easy to sleep on a sugar high, and out of the three of them, he was always the unlucky one who ended up with food poisoning after a dubious meal. Then there were the occasional nightmares. At least Pit and Palutena were always there to help him through sleepless nights, but this– random insomnia for absolutely no reason– was infuriating. He stared at the ceiling for a bit, but it didn't make him feel any less awake. What time is it, anyways? I just want to sleep.
There wasn't much he could do about that. He gently closed his eyes, only to jolt up at the sound of a piercing scream from next door. "Pit?" he called, getting out of his bed and stumbling over to his twin's room. He thrust the door open and fumbled to turn on the lights. Dammit. The sudden flood of brightness was too much for his sleep-deprived eyes, and it took a couple of painful seconds to adjust and see Pit curled into a tight ball on his bed, wings shielding him as he breathed heavily. He isn't even fully awake.
Dark Pit already had a nagging feeling not to leave him alone like that, so he sat down beside him and softly shook him awake. "Wake up, stupid." Pit slowly blinked his eyes open and stared at him groggily. Dark Pit hoped he forgot what happened, but that was dashed as soon as Pit recognized him and recoiled with an alarmed cry. "It's just me. You're okay."
Pit sat up, face flushed and stray hairs sticking to his sweat. "Pittoo… Sorry I woke you up. It was just a bad dream." Dark Pit could tell from the way he shivered that it wasn't just a bad dream.
"I couldn't sleep anyways. Need anything from me?" Whenever either of them had nightmares, that usually meant sitting beside each other for a bit, or a sleepover at the other's room, or a walk around the temple.
Pit surprised him by shaking his head. "I'm fine, just go away and try to sleep."
Normally, Dark Pit would've respected that, but Pit looked way too conflicted. "You realize we can't hide much from each other, right? We both know you don't really want me to leave."
Pit completely avoided the statement and his gaze. "Just go back to your room."
"Or what?"
In an instant, Pit's eyes widened and he lashed out to grab his twin's arm tightly– too tightly. "Don't say that!" he hissed. The mix of anger and fear in his eyes was surprising, and Dark Pit did his best not to retaliate. Pit released his grip and pulled back into himself after a few seconds, arms hugging his knees. "Sorry, that was kind of an overreaction…"
"I was in it, huh?" Dark Pit asked bluntly. His twin nodded. "You can tell me. It's weird when you're not talking."
There was an uneasy silence before he started. "It was the Chaos Kin." Dark Pit swore that if that parasite somehow came back from the dead, he'd make it wish it were never alive. It deserved it for all the trouble it kept putting them through in the form of nightmares long after the war. Especially for Pit. His speech was becoming more erratic by the second, and it was hard to miss the light glinting off the tears in his eyes. "I was too late to save you, and it took over your body and probably ate your soul, but when I finally cornered it and told it to give you back it just… it just kept repeating 'Or what?' really creepily– it took you hostage, Pittoo. But as soon as I realized I lost, it took my hand, the one holding the blade, and–" At that point, he broke down into sobs, but he didn't need to finish his sentence for Dark Pit to understand what happened. He shuddered. That's… disturbing. Being forced to kill is something else.
So that was why Pit was such a mess. He was usually the one who did all the comforting, but it wasn't like anyone could stay that positive all the time. The rational part of Dark Pit's mind knew that he was really bad with emotions, but he ignored it and tried anyway, hesitantly placing his arms around Pit and squeezing underneath his wings. He must've been doing something right with how he strangely sort of liked the unfamiliar rush of relief and… warmth he felt when his twin hugged him back.
Neither of them said a word as Pit sobbed into his brother's shoulder. They didn't need to. Dark Pit just waited until his twin's breathing became more regular and the crying slowed to a stop. "You good?" he murmured, gently patting him on the back.
"Yeah." Pit released his grip on Dark Pit's tank top and softly held his hand. His faint smile looked different on a tearstained face, but at least he seemed better than before. "Thanks, Pittoo. Sorry you had to deal with this. You can go back to sleep now."
"I wish," he muttered. "I'm putting us on a stricter training regimen starting tomorrow. If I can't sleep, it means we're not working out enough."
That got Pit back to normal. "Huh? What does that have to do with me?" he whined. "Besides, how are you even going to make our training stricter? It's already way worse than any boot camp Lady Palutena was threatening me with!"
Dark Pit couldn't hold back a mischievous grin. "I am the boot camp she was threatening you with. Why'd you think she sent you to destroy the Mirror of Truth? If you can't get another angel to serve you, just get one who'll whip the idiot you already have into shape."
"Aw, then I should've asked Pandora to up the difficulty level." Pit shrugged with a smug smile. "Fighting you was a piece of cake. Just saying."
"You–" He grabbed the hand Dark Pit was about to hit him with, and they quickly descended into wrestling, shoving each other until Dark Pit smacked him onto the bed. "Hard enough for you?"
It was hard to stay mad at Pit when he was laughing almost hysterically, and Dark Pit hated how contagious it was. The distraction was enough for Pit to pull him down by the shirt and restart their brawl. "Not even close!"
"You're on, Pit-stain!"
Palutena released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and leaned against the wall outside of Pit's room once the soft sounds of his crying subsided. Her sleep had been fragmented anyways that night, and it didn't help that she couldn't shake the feeling that she was forgetting something. Of course she'd come to check on Pit when he screamed, but she didn't want to interfere. What he needed right then was comfort from his brother, which was exactly what she saw when she peeked in. That's adorable.
It didn't make them any easier to deal with, though. It wasn't long before the twins started fighting each other and she decided to intervene, striding into the room knowing that they weren't expecting her. "It's a little late for this much noise, don't you think?"
She caught them at the perfect time. Pit was pinned down but had a hand pushing Dark Pit's face away as he held on, and both of them looked at her like they were scared for their lives. "S-sorry, Lady Palu–" Maybe that much exertion right after crying wasn't a good idea, because Pit broke into a coughing fit and had to be pulled into a sitting position by his alarmed twin. "Don't worry, I just choked on my spit. Sorry."
"I'm not mad at you, you know," she clarified, brushing his hair out of his face. "I'm sure your nose is still stuffy from all those tears. Go wash your face, it'll help you feel better." She gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Take your time, sunbeam. We're right here." He grinned at the nickname and got off the bed, flashing them a thumbs-up before he went to the bathroom.
Dark Pit wasn't impressed. "Sunbeam? How old is he, two?"
"It's cute!" she defended. "I don't even remember when or how I came up with that. Maybe it's because you can't get much shorter than 'Pit'." She paused, gazing at Dark Pit fondly as he fiddled with the haphazardly thrown bedsheets, and added spontaneously, "You know, Pittoo, I'm proud of how you've turned out." It took him a second to register her words, but the immediate blush and slight fluttering of his wings were a dead giveaway of his feelings. "Aw, you're so cute when you're embarrassed!"
That got a glare from him. "Shut up. You don't just say stuff like that!"
"There's no wrong time or place to compliment someone," she explained, ruffling his hair. He wasn't doing a good job at masking his happiness, so she saved him from more embarrassment. "Come on, let's fix his bed for him."
Palutena got up and started fixing the blankets, while Dark Pit put the pillows that were collateral damage back into place. From the way he looked at his work, she could tell exactly what he was thinking, and she felt a mischievous smile coming on. "There aren't enough pillows here for a pillow fight. If you really want to, you should get some from our rooms."
He left eagerly, and Palutena mentally apologized to Pit when his twin came back with a stack of pillows which he tossed onto the bed. She was about to remind him that he was responsible for returning them when Pit walked in, newly refreshed. "Alright, I'm back–" She winced as he was immediately hit in the face by a well-aimed throw. He pulled the pillow off with an exasperated frown. "Seriously, Pittoo?"
"I thought you were the one who said you love pillows," Dark Pit said with a shrug, grabbing another one for himself.
"Not when they're hurled at my face!" Pit readied himself and wielded the pillow, but hesitated once he noticed Palutena. "Isn't this too loud, though?"
"Go ahead. It's not like we're going to sleep anyw– Ah!" She was too slow to shield herself when Dark Pit whacked her in the side. "I didn't mean right away, Pittoo!"
"Then when? You've just gotta stay on your guard." He deflected Pit's attempt at a sneak attack, and Palutena snatched a pillow to defend herself with.
It didn't take long for it to turn into an all-out melee. Dark Pit was by far the most aggressive, but all that was doing was leaving him vulnerable for both Pit and Palutena to take advantage of. Not that she was any better. The years of combat training she'd endured before becoming the Goddess of Light were proving to be completely useless against a pair of teenagers armed with pillows. Pit was faring the best, but they were all too breathless to comment on it, and she was sure she wasn't the only one who couldn't think straight in the heat of their pillow fight. Their shouts and laughter filled the air as they fought without a care in the world.
The twins were about to attack each other again, so Palutena got ready to be pulled in as well, but Pit suddenly switched to defense once he saw his brother's weapon. "Careful with that pillow, it has our feathers in it!"
Dark Pit froze mid-swing. "What?"
This was news to Palutena as well, and she watched Pit fumble an explanation in a mixture of confusion and amusement. And some concern. "You know, the feathers we shed when we're moulting? I used them as filling for a couple of the pillows in my room… Pittoo, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because that's freaking weird!"
"It is not!" He paused for a second and admitted, "Okay, maybe it sounds kind of creepy when I say it like that. But it's not like I'm plucking your feathers or anything! We'd have to clean those up anyways!" At that point, Palutena had to laugh, and he eyed her accusingly. "Lady Palutena, you're not helping my case!"
"Sorry, it's just the fact that you made yourself angel's down pillows without us knowing…" She bit her lip to try to stop, and added, "The craftsmanship on these is better than I expected."
"Better than you expected?" Pit echoed, mildly offended. "You know what? I'll take that as a compliment. Someone here had to figure out how to fix our clothes and stuff."
That was directed at her. For a goddess who could handcraft divine weapons, it had always annoyed her that she couldn't seem to use a needle and thread. "Fine, I concede– Pittoo!" The force Dark Pit hit her with made her lose her balance and fall onto the bed, and in a matter of seconds, Pit took him down and joined them in lying there, trying to catch their breath.
Palutena turned onto her side to face them. "Anyone feeling sleepy yet?" They shook their heads in unison, bumping into each other and acknowledging it with a shared glance. "Then there's no point in trying just yet. You two can sleep in or take a nap tomorrow. For now…" She ran through some ideas before settling on one. "It's a clear night, and it isn't too cold outside. Let's go stargazing."
The marble tiles in the hallway felt pleasantly cool on Pit's feet as he led the way outside to their favourite stargazing spot. He couldn't even count the number of times Palutena had taken him there over the years just to lie down on the grass side by side and admire the Galactic Sea together. Now that I think about it… He turned around to face Dark Pit and Palutena and continued to walk backwards. "Hey, Pittoo? Have we ever brought you stargazing with us before?"
He shook his head, folding his wings around his shoulders to keep warm. "I have better things to do than looking at the sky. It's too cold for this."
Palutena stared at him in disbelief. Without her crown or ornaments, it was hard to tell she was the ruling goddess of Skyworld, but it was a nice change. "Have we really never brought you along? I refuse to believe we haven't gone together at least once."
"Nope. And I don't wanna go now either. It's cold," Dark Pit complained, although he continued to walk with them.
"It'll be worth it, I promise!" Pit assured him. "And toughen up, it's not even that cold out!"
"I'm telling you that next time it's hot outside," he muttered. Palutena took pity on him and pulled him closer. Dark Pit bristled at her touch, but settled into it as she gently rubbed his arm for warmth.
Pit waited until he unfurled his wings before getting back at him. "Who's the Mama's boy now?"
"You little–" Pit laughed and dodged his twin, dashing down the hallway to stay ahead.
They only calmed down when Palutena called, "Careful, you don't want to slip!" She jogged to catch up to the twins, and the three of them stepped out into the gardens together. The fragrance of nighttime flowers wafted around them, and the tranquil air was filled with the sounds of insects and a light breeze rustling the leaves.
"Here we are!" Pit lay down comfortably on the grass, and Palutena joined him just like usual. Dark Pit was somewhat apprehensive, but took a spot beside his twin, and they watched eagerly as he truly observed the nighttime sky for the first time. All traces of annoyance on his face were gone and replaced by pure wonder. Pit spread his wings around both of them to stay snug, and asked, "So, what do you think?"
Dark Pit's eyes flickered between the twinkling constellations before answering. "This is what the sky really looks like?"
"It is! This is the Galactic Sea as seen from Skyworld." Palutena swept her hand above her. "See all those colourful clouds? Those are nebulas, where new stars are born. And of course I'll introduce you to the constellations. Oh, did you know there are also pirates up there?"
He didn't look as amazed at that last part. "You realize you're talking to the wrong Pit, right? I'm not that gullible."
"She's being serious for once," Pit confirmed. "Did that fiasco happen after you were born?"
"Probably. I was just trying to survive back then. There was no time for stargazing." Dark Pit sure seemed to be making up for lost time, hardly looking away from the sky as he spoke.
"Then you wouldn't remember any of it. Before the fight against Medusa, Lady Palutena sent me to fight some space-pirates to return the constellations and the Three Sacred Treasures!"
His twin turned to face him. "None of what you said right there made any sense."
Palutena didn't give any explanations. "And the captain was all like, 'Avast, ye lily-livered scallywag!' Or at least that was a rough translation of what he was yelling."
They completely lost it with her pirate accent. Pit could hardly add between laughs, "So while she was saying stuff like that directly into my head , I had to fight off some kind of weird space kraken thing!"
"You're sure that wasn't just a dream?"
"The Three Sacred Treasures were real enough! So was the bruise I got when someone crash-landed me into the ship," he added pointedly.
"Sorry, I promise that was an accident!" Palutena apologized earnestly. "But the cookies I baked afterwards were enough of an apology, right?"
"Sounds like bribery to me," Dark Pit pointed out.
"It was not!" she defended. "You know I always try to make something special after your missions."
"The key word here is 'try'."
Being positioned between them, Pit found himself looking back and forth until their pointless argument died down. He smiled. "The view from the Galactic Sea was really pretty. Maybe I should've looked for a shooting star to make a wish on and given myself really overpowered stats."
Palutena perked up and looked at them excitedly. "That's what I was forgetting! There's supposed to be a meteor shower around now…" She scanned the mosaic of stars and pointed at a shimmering cluster. "Somewhere there!"
They watched intently, but of course, 'around now' wasn't the most precise timeframe. "Am I missing something?" Dark Pit asked dryly after a few long minutes.
"Be patient!" Pit hissed.
Palutena decided to pass the time by telling them, mostly Dark Pit, about each of the constellations they could see from their vantage point. It felt comforting to know that they were always in the same pattern, no matter what. Even when I'm fighting space pirates or having a hard time falling asleep.
He caught a glimmer of light in the corner of his eye, and he barely registered as Palutena said, "Look over there!" The meteor shower started slowly, but soon turned into an almost magical display of lights streaking across the sky. Dark Pit watched in amazement, and Palutena smiled at the familiar sight. Pit took in the whole scene contentedly. They're both awake tonight because of me, huh? Sometimes you need a sleepless night to remember how much some people care about you.
Pit spontaneously held both of their hands and pulled them a little closer with his wings. "You're the best," he breathed as the meteors continued to illuminate the night sky.
Chapter 11: Sports Day
Notes:
Hello! As mentioned earlier, this is my last prewritten chapter, so future updates will be more irregular, but I'll be posting other stories in the meantime as well! Thank you so much for reading so far, I hope you've enjoyed it! :)
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
Pit tightened his grip on the reins securing his training chariot to Lux as they approached the next jump in their course. “Alright, this shouldn’t be too hard,” he encouraged. “You’ve got this– hey, what’s wrong, Lux?” He frowned as the unicorn slowed to a stop in front of the ramp with a neigh of denial. It looked like their counterparts were having the same problem, since it wasn’t long before Phos trotted over to them, away from the ramp Dark Pit was impatiently trying to get him to clear. “Both of you? Is everything okay?”
“Maybe they’re just tired,” Phosphora suggested. Her wispy scarf fluttered in her wake as she walked over from the sidelines. “You’ve been at this for the whole morning.”
“But we usually train for longer than this,” Dark Pit pointed out, trying in vain to get Phos to move. With a resigned shrug, he dismounted the chariot and started to undo the harnesses.
Phosphora didn’t look away from her task of freeing Lux as she quipped, “Or maybe you two got harder to pull. Looks like you’re putting on some weight with that soft lifestyle of yours.”
“Soft? Who’re you calling soft?” Dark Pit challenged. “It’s not like we laze around at the chariot base all day like a certain someone.”
Oh, great. Here we go again. “Do you really think I have nothing better to do than watch over your stuff? I get a lot done every day, and that’s more than you can say for yourself.”
Pit had bigger concerns than their squabbling. Phos and Lux seemed completely drained, but running usually made them more energized. So what’s different now? He thought back to what they did earlier that morning, and it was only a few seconds before the realization hit him. “Wait a second, we haven’t brought you anything to eat since last night! You’re just hungry, right?” He held his hand out to the unicorns and smiled when they nuzzled it. “I don’t blame you. I don’t think I could train on an empty stomach either.”
“You can’t even last a few minutes on an empty stomach,” Dark Pit mentioned, his argument with Phosphora forgotten, much to her annoyance.
“Thanks for your undying support, Pittoo,” Pit sighed sarcastically. “Wanna get the food we brought them?”
As it turned out, his guess was correct. Phos seemed much happier in his stable eating the ripe apples Pit held out to him. “There we go!” He reached into the bucket they’d brought from the marketplace for another glistening red fruit, and couldn’t resist taking a bite himself before giving it to Phos. “Not bad, huh?”
Beside them, Dark Pit hesitantly, almost timidly, offered Lux a carrot. Pit couldn’t help but laugh fondly at the small hopeful smile on his twin’s face when the unicorn accepted it. His reaction made Dark Pit suddenly self conscious. “What?”
“Nothing, I just like how happy you look whenever you realize they like you,” Pit assured him, feeding Phos the last apple in the bucket.
“I don’t care if they like me as long as they follow my orders.” It was painfully obvious that he was trying to be brasher, and even Lux sensed it, recoiling from the carrot shoved in his face until Dark Pit offered it gently like before.
“Are you sure? Doesn’t look like it to me,” Pit teased. His brother glared and swatted at his face with his wings. “Affection doesn’t make you weak, you know? Stop trying to be all edgy, you’re cool enough as you are!”
“I’m not looking for anyone’s admiration. Least of all yours.” His crossed arms matched his dismissive tone, but the way his feathers softly brushed against Pit’s arm told him that the compliment was well-received.
“Such saps. This is more painful than the soap opera I was watching the other day,” Phosphora complained, taking the empty buckets from them.
“You have nothing better to do than watching soap operas?” Dark Pit mocked.
Pit wasn’t going to deal with more arguing. “Come on, let’s give Phos and Lux a break.” He pet the unicorns again and promised they’d be back soon before the three of them left for the temple.
They’d barely stepped out of the portal when Phosphora announced, “You know what? I’m bored.”
“You know what? I don’t remember asking,” Dark Pit shot back.
She ignored him this time. “That stupid pantheon thing is going to drag on until the evening, so I can’t get rid of you before then, huh?”
“We can handle ourselves,” Pit said matter-of-factly. “But you don’t have plans anyways, right?”
Dark Pit answered for her. “Nope. She wasn’t important enough to be invited to the Council of the Gods, remember?”
“Shut up. You’re not about to be invited to anything important either,” she retorted, zapping him. “Let’s go do something fun.”
Something fun? They’d already done chariot riding, and it hadn’t been long since they’d last sparred. “Come to think about it, didn’t we want to play tennis last time but couldn’t find the racquets? I asked Lady Palutena where they are, so we could try it out now!”
“Sports day!” Phosphora cheered, pumping her fist. “You guys don’t stand a chance!”
“I could take you on with one hand behind my back!” Pit countered.
Dark Pit brought them back to reality. “There’s three of us, stupid, and it’s not worth it to have someone sit out. You’re going to survive a two-on-one like that?”
He laughed nervously. “Maybe not.” Palutena and Viridi weren’t available, so maybe… “How about we ask Arlon?”
“No way,” Phosphora denied immediately. “You need to give Arlon two weeks’ notice if you want to do anything with him.”
“It can’t be that bad, right?” Pit asked. His twin shrugged. “Worth a shot, at least.”
Maybe they should’ve just listened to Phosphora. Arlon was there at the doors of Viridi’s palace to greet them as usual, but he responded to their request with a curt, “It would be an honour, but I am afraid I cannot join you just yet. Perhaps later in the day?”
“Told you so,” Phosphora grumbled. “Don’t worry about it, Arlon. Take your time.”
“Very well. See you shortly.” He promptly closed the door in front of them, and the twins both looked at Phosphora.
“Okay, so now what?” she asked, adjusting her scarf. “Two-on-ones?”
An idea clicked at the right time. “No need!” Pit declared. “I know exactly who to call.”
For probably the billionth time since they’d met, Magnus seemed so done with Pit. But that didn’t stop him from latching onto Magnus’ arm with one hand, while his twin took his other arm with a smirk. Pit used his free hand to hold Aurelia’s leg as she sat on his shoulders, giggling and doing her part in capturing Magnus. “Was there a reason to take me hostage, Angel Face?”
“We needed more people to play, and you weren’t as willing as Aurelia and Gaol,” Pit explained. “So we had to– Wah!” He held on tighter when Magnus raised his arms to lift both angels clean off the ground with a grin.
“Some captors you are,” he chuckled, watching Pit’s attempts at making sure that Aurelia didn’t fall, which were about as helpful as his twin’s futile kicking in the air.
“Give it a rest already,” Gaol ordered, unimpressed, bringing a bundle of racquets to their makeshift tennis court near the temple. Phosphora kept a crate of tennis balls and badminton shuttles nearby, giving the twins a glance that plainly said she wasn’t about to save them.
Magnus let them struggle for a second before gently putting them down. “Don’t mess with anyone you aren’t sure you can beat up. Learned your lesson yet?”
“Nope!” Pit said cheerfully, trying to adjust his balance while carrying Aurelia. At least she was having fun.
“Bold of you to assume we’re ever going to learn a lesson,” Dark Pit added.
“I shouldn’t have asked,” he sighed. “What’re we doing now?”
“We were thinking of starting with tennis. How does that sound?” Pit suggested.
Gaol’s eyes lit up in sharp contrast to her usual indifference. “Tennis?”
“Not for you,” Magnus huffed, snatching a racquet out of her hands. What’s with that reaction?
Pit was about to ask when Aurelia patted his head to get his attention. “No one can win against Gaol, ‘cause she’s the best tennis player ever!”
“Really? I didn’t know that!” He had a new sense of admiration for her. “So she’s a really overpowered warrior and an athlete too? That’s so cool!”
Gaol shrugged, and Aurelia eagerly added, “Yeah! She almost killed a guy once, so that’s why she can’t play anymore. It was scary!”
What? There was no way he heard that right. Dark Pit looked impressed, though. “In battle or in tennis?”
“In tennis, of course! That’s why she got banned!”
“I didn’t kill anyone, Aurelia,” Gaol defended, flustered. “I just–”
“Accidentally broke his ribs?” Magnus interrupted. “Our mercenary group has a rule against duelling for personal matters, so we used to sentence people to tennis matches against Gaol until she got those banned too.”
“Oh, says the guy with the most duelling violations!” she retorted.
“Only by five counts over you!”
Aurelia laughed contentedly as they argued, and Pit sincerely hoped he’d chosen the right people to trust this girl with. Phosphora regarded them in awe. “I guess we know whose bad sides to avoid. But seriously, Gaol, you sound scarily like Arlon.”
“We should face off sometime!” Maybe Gaol missed the avoidance in Phosphora’s tone.
“Later,” Magnus emphasized. “For now, you’re off on the sidelines with Aurelia. How are teams going to work?”
“I’m not on the same team as Pit-stain,” Dark Pit decided immediately. Betrayal. “Hey, don’t look at me like that.” Pit figured that if he was being rejected as a teammate, he might as well guilt trip his twin as much as possible.
“Ouch.” Phosphora patted his shoulder somewhat mockingly. “Having me on Pittoo’s team and Magnus with Pit would give us the teammates we have the most experience with. What d’ya say to that?”
“That works!” Pit grabbed a racquet and tennis ball and stepped onto the court alongside Magnus. “Bring it!”
His twin took the position opposite to him, flanked by Phosphora. “Game on!”
Pit got ready to serve, but Gaol, who was relegated to umpire, immediately called him out. “Where do you think you’re serving from, Angel Cake?”
“The right side of the court?” he tried hesitantly.
“Get behind the line! You too, Phosphora, and make sure you don’t move until he hits the ball.”
His second attempt was better, and got them the first point. Dark Pit made up for it right after, and the score kept going back and forth thanks to how even they were. Magnus was powerful and attempted a smash every time he got the ball, but Phosphora was very fast, even without her powers. The twins were more balanced, although Dark Pit was more willing to sacrifice points if it meant that his shots would be hard to receive.
Aurelia didn’t have any allegiances and cheered for whoever she felt like. Gaol, on the other hand, was constantly yelling at them. It made Pit feel kind of bad for her. “It’s not your turn to serve, Tip!”
“Stop calling me that,” Dark Pit grumbled. “Wasn’t it just Phosphora’s turn?”
“The same person serves for the whole game,” Gaol explained, wincing when Phosphora missed twice. “That’s a double fault. Point for the other team!”
Dark Pit was in denial. “There’s a penalty for that?” Gaol nodded, and he glowered at Pit. “Wipe that smirk off your face.”
One point wasn’t enough to tip the scales in any direction, because all of them kept messing up. “Magnus, what the hell? You can’t keep playing after sending the ball straight through the net!”
“It’s not like it went out,” he pointed out.
Gaol shook her head firmly. “That’s not how it works. Aurelia, let’s go get another net. I didn’t think it was possible to ruin this game so much.”
“You underestimate us,” Dark Pit called after her.
At one set each, they were neck in neck, and none of them was willing to back down. Pit served as powerfully as he could to open the final set, but Phosphora returned it with ease. On their side, Magnus braced himself and smashed it full force. Pit had no idea how his twin’s racquet didn’t break when the ball ricocheted off it, but when it sped back to him, he reflexively thrust out his racquet and deflected it. Straight towards the temple. Pit winced at the sound of something shattering in the distance.
He hardly had the time to look back at the others before Palutena’s voice rang out telepathically. “Pit! Pittoo! What are you doing?”
A surge of genuine fear washed over him, and a glance at his brother proved that Pit wasn’t the only one who was surprised to hear her. “Lady Palutena, you’re home already?”
“No. I was just going to tell you I felt bad for piling all those errands on you this morning, so I’ll get the groceries on the way back,” she explained, her voice betraying that she was still on edge.
“And you had to check on us now of all times?” Dark Pit complained.
Of course Viridi had to join in. “Doesn’t look like they did any work either. Some servants you’ve got,” she taunted.
“Sorry, we’ll get everything done later!” Pit promised, hoping to make Palutena less mad at them.
It didn’t really work. “No need. Maybe you should focus on cleaning up that flowerpot you broke?” she suggested pointedly. “And be more aware of your surroundings.”
Phosphora grinned impishly. “Don’t worry, this won’t happen again, Auntie.”
Pit stared in shock at her boldness. Did she really just… Dark Pit burst into laughter, and Magnus had a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing too. Aurelia tried getting an explanation from Gaol, and Phosphora gave them a nonchalant smile until Palutena responded coldly. “I’m sure there are better ways to address me, Phosphora.”
“Oh? So sorry, Ma’am.”
“Careful, Phosphora, you’re playing with fire here,” Viridi warned between laughs.
Pit was worried it might escalate, but thankfully Palutena left it at that. “Anyways! You can continue your match, just be a bit more careful, okay?” It was obvious that she was trying not to get irritated, but that was a good thing.
“Alright! See you soon!” He deactivated the telepathy and waited for a second before turning to Phosphora. “Okay, what made you think that was smart?”
She shrugged, and Dark Pit added, “She was so close to smiting you right there.”
“Just know that if I happen to die inexplicably, it’s because I offended the Goddess of Light,” she remarked, carefree. “Anyone else up for another match? We could switch teams if you want.”
“Maybe after we clean up,” Pit decided. “Just in case.”
Dark Pit waited for the precise moment to strike, hitting the ball out of Phosphora’s reach to win another point. She was annoyed that she missed it, but he couldn’t tell if Pit was sulking because of the lost point, getting yelled at by Palutena earlier, or being passed up as a teammate again. It wasn’t like Dark Pit didn’t like playing with him; for now, he just wanted to play without leeching off his admittedly more athletic twin.
The next point was Pit's serve. Almost on autopilot, Dark Pit walked back to his side of the court, before realizing with a start that the other side was empty. Wait a sec, wasn’t I just here?
“Watch out!” He was too late to register that Phosphora was yelling at him, and he couldn’t react fast enough to stop the ball from slamming into his face at full speed.
“Ow!” That hurt more than he expected. It took a second for the ringing in his ears to fade, and he cupped his face in his hands instinctively. That put the game to a halt.
“You okay?” Magnus asked, leaning down to take a look. Dark Pit’s eyes teared up reflexively, and he gave a simple nod. It better not look like I’m crying.
Pit looked in worse shape than he did. “Ack! I’m so sorry, Pittoo!”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine,” he assured everyone. They just stared at him in concerned silence, and that’s when he felt something warm and wet trickling down his face. He quickly moved a hand to cover it. “Crap.”
“You’re definitely not fine!” Pit panicked.
“Relax, it’s just a nosebleed. I’ve survived worse.”
“You’re losing a lot more blood than usual,” Phosphora pointed out. Thanks, that sure helps a lot. He would’ve said that to her face if the bleeding wasn’t making it hard to breathe.
“Do you want a bandage?” Aurelia offered, gently tugging at his chiton.
“What he needs is a tissue. How about you get him some?” Magnus suggested.
“Looks like someone just pulled a Gaol,” Phosphora jabbed. “We might have to ban tennis matches in our group too.”
Pit wasn’t in the mood for teasing. “But I didn’t mean it! I promise!”
Gaol patted him on the back. “It’s okay, we know you didn’t.”
Dark Pit rolled his eyes at him. “Sounds like she’s soothing a baby. I told you I’m fine.” Bad timing. He abruptly sneezed several times and opened his eyes to see blood splattered all over Pit’s white chiton. “Dammit. Sorry.”
“Doesn’t matter! As long as you aren’t too hurt…” Dark Pit knew how easily his twin could become anxious, so instead of trying to get his point across with words, he held his hand and gave it a small squeeze. That seemed to help.
Aurelia came back with a box of tissues, and he gratefully took one before looking at Pit wryly. “Remind me why I’m the one comforting you?”
He grinned sheepishly. “Right. Sorry.”
“You should really get cleaned up,” Magnus reminded them. “If that goddess of yours sees this, she’ll freak out more than Angel Face.”
At least the bleeding mostly stopped by the time they got to the temple. Dark Pit leaned over a sink and splashed water on his face while his twin hummed to himself as he scrubbed his chiton clean. “Huh. This comes out better than chocolate syrup.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured. “Here, wash my scarf. I’m busy resting.” Pit took the bundle of cloth held out to him with a sigh. This is actually pretty convenient. “Hey, I see a couple of chitons and tank tops over there that need to be washed.”
“And I see that they’re yours. Wash them yourself!”
Dark Pit leaned back on the counter, propping himself up with his elbows. “Woe is me. My lifeblood is seeping away.”
Pit didn’t even look up from his task. “Pfft. I dare you to say that on camera.”
“Never.”
“So I’m the only one who gets to witness this dramatic masterpiece?” He flashed him a grin as he wrung out the clothes.
“Shut up.”
“I’m honoured. But just so you know, you’re not the only one I show my amazing acting skills to.”
“That’s unfortunate. For them.” He relished the blank look on his twin’s face until the meaning clicked, and he continued talking over Pit’s indignant yells. “Consider it a brotherly privilege that I don’t mind doing stupid stuff with you.”
“Woah, did that hit mess up your brain too?” Pit asked in amazement.
His face felt hot when he realized he said all that for nothing. “Shut up! The one time I’m actively trying to be nice–”
His ranting was cut off when his twin pulled him into a tight hug. “I know, so thanks!” Dark Pit freed his wings to get a bit more space, but for once he felt like softly returning the hug instead of pushing back. Maybe the blood loss is getting to me.
He let go and took a step forward with Pit still clinging on. “Get off me. I’d walk back like this if you weren’t so heavy.”
“Let me get dressed first! And both of us need a new scarf, right?”
Dark Pit waited impatiently for him to wear a pale blue chiton over his tank top. He should’ve guessed that he’d get them matching navy scarves too. “Ta-da! Here you go!”
“Get me another one,” he ordered flatly.
“You don’t like it?” Pit whined. “I even made sure it was dark blue to match your outfit!” This doesn’t sound like something I can win. Dark Pit tsked and grabbed the scarf, tossing it around his neck on their way out. Pit hummed contentedly, doing the same with his.
They went back to the ground to see flashes of motion as Arlon and Gaol smashed a badminton shuttle across the net at dizzying speeds. They’re that good at badminton too? The cheering made it obvious that Viridi was back, and a closer look at the spectators revealed that Palutena was trying to take pictures. She waved when she noticed the twins and walked over to them, holding Aurelia’s hand. “Oh, you two are matching!”
“Pit wouldn’t shut up until I wore it,” he explained, just to make it clear.
“It’s cute,” Palutena assured them. That’s not what I’m going for.
“Now that you’re back, I brought a ball for us to play with!” Aurelia piped up, holding it up proudly. She placed it on the ground and kicked it over to Pit, who passed it to his twin, noticeably more slowly than usual. I bet he thinks he’s going to kill me by accident.
Palutena lit up, and Dark Pit could take a good guess at what she was going to say next. “Pit used to play like this all the time when he was younger! It was so adorable when he’d pass a ball around before he could even walk properly, and–”
Pit finished her sentence for her. “And that’s enough about that.” It was fun to see him getting embarrassed for a change. “Why don’t you join us?”
“Me? You already know how bad I am at this.” Her eyes narrowed. “Is that why you’re asking?”
“Maybe?” Pit shrugged. Dark Pit grabbed her arm and pulled her into the small circle they’d made. Palutena wasn’t kidding about her lack of skill. She wasn’t totally inept, but she missed the most passes out of all of them, and couldn’t seem to find a good angle to kick the ball. At least she had two supporters in Pit and Aurelia. “There you go! That’s a good pass.”
“Sorry–” she fumbled. Aurelia clapped for her when her next pass was successful as well.
“This is kind of pathetic,” Dark Pit said bluntly. “Tell me you’re better at other sports.”
Almost as if on cue, she glanced behind him and jumped to catch a stray shuttle that soared over from the badminton court. I didn’t even notice that. “I think I’m better with my hands.” A self-satisfied smile tugged at her lips.
“Okay, that worked out too well,” Dark Pit smirked as his brother and Aurelia gazed at Palutena in awe.
“And that’s a wrap!” Phosphora called from the badminton court. “I mean, how much longer can you guys keep alternating wins?”
“I must say, your skills are remarkable,” Arlon admitted, putting away his and Gaol’s racquets. “It was my pleasure playing against you.”
“Likewise,” she responded. “You should learn a thing or two, Magnus. See how we didn’t break a single racquet there?” He rolled his eyes, and Gaol shoved him playfully.
“Not fair that you guys got to play so much,” Viridi complained. “Palutena! What do you say to a game of table tennis at my place?”
“Table tennis? Of course!”
“Careful, Viridi,” Pit warned. “She’s pretty much undefeated. I’ve been trying for years.”
“You shouldn’t underestimate Viridi either,” Phosphora added. “She’s pretty good herself.”
“That’s why we’re playing on the same team,” Viridi explained smugly. “Who wants to face us?”
Dark Pit nudged his twin. “Wanna try? We didn’t match our outfits for nothing.”
“Really?” Pit asked, bright-eyed. “Sure!”
“Good luck. You’re going to need it,” Palutena remarked.
The twins shared a determined smile as they headed to Viridi’s palace. “Let’s do this!”
Chapter 12: Game Night
Notes:
Sorry to keep you waiting! :)
It really doesn't feel like 8 months since I've written a oneshot for this story, and I'm sorry for my unpredictability. That being said, I hope the next few stories are worth the wait, and I'll try to post whenever possible! Thank you for all your support, kudos, and comments!
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
The crisp tones of Dark Pit's guitar filled the air around him as he strummed it meticulously. This was bliss: sitting on his bed and playing his guitar, basking in the rays of sunset glowing through his window. It completely took his mind off the insanity of the past few days. Who would've thought a hurricane could be so powerful that the Goddesses of Nature and Light had to work together for a whole week to minimize its destruction? And it wasn't like the rest of them had it any easier. The angels, Arlon, and Phosphora were in charge of evacuating an entire island. Dark Pit was the only one who was new to that kind of thing, so he didn't want to be the first to complain, especially not when his twin seemed unfazed to tough it out without a single break until everyone was safe. He's crazy. We're all crazy.
He finished the song he was playing with a flourish. Not bad. What next? As he ran through some ideas, he pulled the sleeves of his sweater closer to his wrists. Human clothes were great. Sure, it had taken some trial and error to figure out how to accommodate his wings without cutting too much fabric off, but it was worth it for this warmth. And besides, all his chitons were currently hanging to dry after days of being soaked by pelting rain.
A smirk tugged at his lips when he decided on a song. Let's see if I remember how this starts. He'd barely strummed the opening phrase when he heard footsteps race through the hallway, and he deftly turned to shield his instrument when the door burst open and Pit jumped onto his bed beside him. "Oh my god, is that Gerudo Valley?"
"It was until you showed up," Dark Pit mentioned pointedly. "Thought you were taking a nap."
"Yeah, but it started getting too hot to wear a sweater." So that explained his t-shirt. "But be honest, Pittoo, you were totally trying to summon me with Gerudo Valley."
"Why would I want you to interrupt my peace and quiet?" he retorted, stretching his wings as he put away his guitar. Whenever his twin came around, he could be sure he wouldn't be left alone anytime soon.
"Because we deserve some fun after whatever last week was!" Pit collapsed onto the bed and looked up at him eagerly. "If you're done playing the guitar for now, wanna listen to Gerudo Valley in-game?"
Dark Pit couldn't deny that playing Ocarina of Time sounded fun, even though they'd both beaten it so many times. "Maybe if you get off my bed and fix it before you set up the console."
"Like I'm going to do all the work! You'd better help!"
He shrugged and walked out the door. "I mean, you could always play by yourself."
"Stupid blackmailer." That actually made him laugh. I'm such a bad influence.
There were mostly no hard feelings by the time they went to the living room, where they kept most of their consoles, but obviously Palutena had claimed their spot on the sofa. Her hair was floating around her and she was using her hands to gently direct warm air at each lock. Little water droplets sprayed everywhere. And she tells us to make sure our wings aren't dripping after taking a bath. Dark Pit interrupted her humming with a flat "Move over."
"Oh?" She glanced at them unapologetically. "Sorry, this spot's taken."
"And it happens to be right in front of the TV. Go dry your hair somewhere else."
"You guys wanted to play something?" She slid over to the other side of the sofa but didn't get up. What the hell.
"You could join us!" Pit offered readily. "I refuse to believe you're busy after all we've done."
"Well, I could always be productive and save myself some work tomorrow," Palutena mused.
"You're a psycho." They all turned to see Viridi walk in, tying her hair up behind her. It looked like they were all wearing casual clothes for a change. "Like, would it kill you to take a break for once?"
Pit lit up with a smile. "Wanna join us, Viridi? We could try something with four players!"
"I'm supposed to get going. I've been here for days now, and it's not like I have time to waste on video games like you dolts," she pointed out haughtily.
Dark Pit grabbed her arm and pulled her over. "Stop pretending you're better than us. Pit-stain, set something up."
"You could always spend another night here. It wouldn't be a problem for anyone," Palutena added, smoothing out her hair. Viridi shrugged, and Dark Pit was fluent enough in the language of indifference to know that was a yes.
Pit's wings fluttered excitedly as he handed out the controllers. "Four-player game night! Let's go!"
"Just don't be too sad when I win," Dark Pit remarked.
"Play nicely and don't get salty," Palutena reminded them sagely.
"Somehow, I feel like both of those rules are about to be broken," Viridi predicted. Can't say she's wrong.
The first problem of multiplayer gaming: figuring out what to play. Pit looked at each of the others in turn; his twin sitting on the floor, Viridi cross-legged on the sofa beside him, and Palutena floating effortlessly behind them. "Any suggestions?"
Dark Pit leaned back to look up at him. "Smash."
"You just want a chance to hit me. In-game and in real life. So no."
Palutena spoke up. "We could play Dance Dance–"
"No." The twins didn't even let her finish her sentence. If she wasn't the Goddess of Light, she could definitely be the goddess of rhythm games. In other words: her scores were unbeatable.
"Didn't know your skills extended beyond strategy games, Palutena," Viridi snickered.
Dark Pit answered for her. "Those are the only two kinds of games she's good at." Palutena narrowed her eyes at him. "We all know I'm right."
"Okay, you guys are no help. We're playing Mario Kart," Pit decided.
Now for the second problem: choosing characters. It was easy enough for Palutena, who almost always played Rosalina, saying something about having a connection on a spiritual level. I think it's just because of the Luma. For the rest of them, it was a tossup.
Viridi ended up going with Toad because of his adorable mushroom head– her exact words. Pit knew that his twin was going to try to match with him in the wrong way when he chose Luigi. Of course Dark Pit chose King Boo.
Then there was the third problem: picking a stage. "Let's start with Luigi Circuit!" Pit suggested.
Dark Pit turned to face him. "Ghost Valley."
"What? No, that course sucks." Maybe they needed a compromise. "Mario Raceway."
"Bowser's Castle. There's three to choose from."
Viridi looked through the options. "Moonview Highway?"
They could agree to avoid that one. "The one with the cars? Are you crazy? We could do Mushroom Gorge instead," Pit offered.
"Which is impossible to beat without falling. Give it to me." Dark Pit stood up to snatch his controller, and Pit held it far back enough that he couldn't reach.
He should've remembered there was someone floating behind him. "Get ready, it's starting!" Palutena called, pressing start on Pit's controller and pulling herself into a seated position midair.
The three of them watched the screen in disbelief. Pit was sure he was speaking for all of them. "You chose Rainbow Road?"
"Of course! It's so pretty, don't you think?" With the race starting, they didn't have time to be mad at her.
3… 2… 1… Go! They'd barely gotten halfway through the first dip in the course when Viridi's Toad got jostled by the rest of them and flew off the road. Viridi's expression of denial made it even funnier. "What the heck? I'm minding my own business, Pittoo shoves me, and I get launched off?"
"I mean, you did choose a lightweight. They're easier to launch," Pit managed between laughs. "Oh, and heavyweights are usually harder to control," he added when Palutena missed the first turn with a wince.
"Thanks, Pit," she sighed, waiting for Rosalina to be fished out of the abyss and placed back on the stage. Knowing how the twins always targeted each other, he wouldn't be surprised if she ended up winning anyways.
Pit was currently in the lead, but only barely. He needed a shortcut to get further ahead, and decided on the closest one: avoiding the first bend before the launch star. His current setup wasn't the greatest, but he could manage. If I get a speed boost here and wheelie right before the edge… He watched hopefully when Luigi soared past the edge of the road, only to be sniped with a red shell halfway through the jump. Poor Luigi. There was a collective groan of disappointment from him and Viridi, and Palutena patted his head sympathetically. "Can't help but feel sorry for ya," Dark Pit tossed at him, claiming the lead.
"You jerk." Revenge had to wait until the second lap, where a well-timed blue shell was able to launch King Boo straight off the course. Pit couldn't decipher the mischievous grin on his brother's face for the whole time he had the item with him, waiting for the right moment to use it. Why is he happy about this?
It made more sense when King Boo hurtled towards the Earth. "I never learned how to read!" Dark Pit cried, nearly an octave higher than usual. You…
Pit immediately smothered him with a pillow, his face hot. "Shut up! I don't sound like that!"
It didn't help. The others were already dying. Viridi was laughing hysterically, and Palutena had paused the game and stopped floating so she could lean against the sofa for support. "That was on point, Pittoo!" Viridi commended.
Dark Pit broke into a coughing fit when he tried talking, but he gave Pit a self-satisfied smirk when he recovered. "How the hell do you do that to your voice all the time?"
"I could say the same about you," Pit muttered. "One of us has been using our vocal cords for way longer than the other. Just saying."
Palutena could probably tell how irritated he was, but that changed nothing. "I'm sorry Pit, but you should've seen your face–" she managed, spurring more laughter from the three of them.
He would've liked this if they weren't laughing at him. Right now, he really didn't want to deal with them. Pit crossed his arms and folded his wings. "I guess I'll just wait until you're ready to continue." He could tell he'd be waiting for a while.
The 16 races they played were all tight, but the results were in: Pit won, followed somewhat unexpectedly by Palutena. Viridi and Dark Pit were tied for third not far behind her. Pit jumped up triumphantly. "What's up now? Looks like I'm still undefeated!"
Viridi and Dark Pit had scored the same number of points, but their reactions were polar opposites. "Pretty good, considering I don't play nearly as much as you idiots. I wasn't even that far off second," she bragged.
He was in denial. "There's no way I did as bad as Viridi."
"Excuse me?"
"It was really close," Palutena placated, looking vaguely proud. "We can agree that we had fun though, right?"
"I guess," Dark Pit shrugged. What do you mean, you guess? You had too much fun during Rainbow Road. It had taken them a while to recover from that, and they were all so on edge that anyone– Pit included– was prone to laughing at the smallest thing for the rest of the races. It was chaotic, but in the best way.
"That's enough video games for me tonight," Palutena decided, handing her controller to Pit and placing her fingertips on her eyelids to cool them. Goddesses had limits too, and since Palutena's whole life revolved around light, it got pretty straining on her eyes towards the end of the day. It was one of those quirks you noticed after living with someone for so long.
"Then we could play some board games!" Pit suggested. "What do you guys say?"
"Alright, just make sure you get something that's not too simple and boring," Viridi ordered.
"Anyone wanna come to the library with me to choose?"
No one even acknowledged him. "You were the one who suggested it," Palutena pointed out.
"Fine," he huffed. "Not my problem if you don't like what I pick."
The best solution was to bring as many games as he could carry. That way he wouldn't have to go back for more. Viridi was already criticizing his choices. "Snakes and Ladders? Really?"
"If you don't like that, there's Monopoly." It didn't seem to matter to any of them, so Pit assumed that was what they were going to start with. "Someone else set it up."
For once, Palutena offered to do it. As she was distributing the pieces, she mentioned, "I can't guess who will win, but I can tell you it won't be me. My luck is terrible in these games."
"You're just trying to jinx it, huh? Leave that to Pit." That was an attack on his character and he felt he was fully justified in hitting Dark Pit. Good thing they rarely took these squabbles seriously.
Only a few rounds in, it looked like all their luck was going to Viridi. There was no other way she kept managing to avoid everyone else's properties while buying the expensive ones herself. "Did you rig the dice or something?" Dark Pit asked warily, handing her an insane sum.
"What kind of lowlife would rig the dice? I've gotten to where I am thanks to good financial decisions," she explained pridefully. "Hurry up, Palutena. That rent won't pay itself."
Pit was doing fairly well, and Palutena was managing despite some bad luck and mistakes, but Dark Pit was by far faring the worst out of all of them. He'd landed on someone else's property– usually Viridi's crazily expensive ones– for five turns in a row, a streak only broken when he was sent to jail for the third time. "That's harsh," Pit empathized. Dark Pit tsked irritably.
On her next turn, Viridi landed on a Community Chest square. "I've heard these ones reward the player more than Chance cards," Palutena mentioned.
"Like Viridi needs to be rewarded!" Pit complained. "Look at this whole row of green houses! She's making all of us bankrupt!"
"Relax, let's take a look at this." She looked a little smug when she picked a card and read out loud. "You have won second prize in a beauty contest. Collect 10."
Pit gracefully placed a hand on his chest. "Then I'm sure I won first prize. I'll collect my 100 now, thank you very– Ow!" He really should've remembered that he was sitting between Dark Pit and Viridi before saying that. He couldn't tell if Palutena was laughing at his joke or the punishment that followed. Probably the latter.
In the next round, Dark Pit had to sell his only property to pay rent, and when he was almost bankrupt, he finally landed on a Community Chest space. "That should help! The odds are in your favour," Pit encouraged.
"You'd better not jinx it," Dark Pit mumbled, taking a card. He stared at it blankly, so Pit leaned over to take a look. 'Go to Jail. Go directly to jail, do not pass Go, do not collect 200'. Oops. Maybe I jinxed it.
After a whole game of abysmal luck, that was the breaking point. "Screw this!" he yelled, scattering whatever money and pieces he had on the floor around him.
"Looks like someone's upset," Pit teased.
Surprisingly enough, it was Palutena who glared at him to be quiet. She probably didn't want this game night to involve a fight like usual. "Pittoo, I get that you were unlucky, but there's no reason to take it out on anything. It's just a game."
"Shut up, I get that already," Dark Pit seethed. Does it make me a bad person if I feel like laughing right now?
"Do you want to join me for the rest of the game?"
"What? I'm not a child."
"Then don't act like one. Watch and don't interfere."
Pit had no idea why Viridi grabbed his arm until he felt her shaking a little. So she was also trying not to laugh. Guess that makes both of us bad people. He discreetly folded his wings around their shoulders so it wouldn't be obvious that they were struggling to keep it in.
Their back and forth argument heated up until Dark Pit stormed out of the room. Palutena returned to her spot as if nothing had happened. "Alright! Since Pittoo already had his turn, I guess we can continue for now."
Viridi silently tilted her head towards the hallway Dark Pit left to, her eyebrows furrowed. "Don't worry about him," Pit dismissed. "Give him a second to cool off and realize how stupid that was and he'll come back to apologize."
The fact that he predicted it exactly was a testament to how well the twins knew each other. Dark Pit returned in a few minutes and calmly collected the thrown pieces, although he was a little reluctant to say sorry. Palutena seemed more relieved than anything when he finally apologized. We've been living together for months, but I guess we're all trying to figure it out as we go. Dark Pit poked him in the arm. "I still don't get how one person can get so freaking unlucky. Mind jinxing Viridi instead?"
"Yeah, I think we need it," Pit agreed. "She's definitely going to win at this rate."
"Does this count as interference?" Viridi questioned airily.
Palutena thought about it for a moment. "With Pit's history of jinxing things, maybe it should."
Pit stared at her in disbelief. "Lady Palutena, whose side are you on?"
It turned out that Viridi was immune to jinxing, at least for now. Dark Pit and Palutena had lost almost immediately, and a few minutes later Pit slumped on the board in defeat. "I'm finished."
"All hail the goddess of commerce," Palutena joked.
Viridi smugly put aside her money. "And now I can continue exploiting the environment for my profits. Climate change won't affect me 'cause I'm rich. Seriously, how stupid can people get?"
"To be fair, most of them aren't like that. It's a shame that the ones who are also happen to be making the decisions," Palutena added as an afterthought. She glanced at the twins. "Can I guess you're not sleepy yet?"
"I don't think any of us are. What should we do next?" Pit asked.
His brother noticed the deck of cards in the pile of board games. "We could play poker. Or Blackjack," he added eagerly.
Palutena squinted at him suspiciously, so Pit nervously tried to help. "You mean 21, right?"
"Where are you guys learning casino games from?" Palutena seemed equal parts stern and genuinely concerned.
Dark Pit brushed it off. "Just something you pick up from the Overworld." Neither of them added that it was Magnus and Gaol specifically. She didn't look convinced, but that was a problem for later.
Viridi pointed at another box. "You guys have Scrabble?"
"Yeah, but Lady Palutena always wins," Pit warned her.
"Oh. I thought it was off-limits here because a certain someone couldn't read," she jabbed.
"Hey! I can read just fine now, and I'm getting better at Scrabble! Try me!" he insisted.
"What you're definitely not getting better at is being level headed," Dark Pit mentioned, giving him a light shove. Maybe he's right, but still. Scrabble it is.
Pit decided to prove himself by opening with 'mango' and looked at her boastfully. "See? Told you."
"Not bad," she accepted, spelling 'mink'.
Of course Palutena had to be extra and play 'tactful'. Dark Pit was the only one who was being tactical about the bonus squares and was willing to use a simple word like 'lava' if it meant a double letter bonus. Clear patterns were emerging in the words each of them made. Cake, petal, facade, trip; kiwi, pollen, cannulae, qi…
"Is food the only thing you can think of, Pit?" Viridi queried when he spelled 'grape'.
"Those words give me points!"
"Are you sure that's the only reason?"
"Fine, maybe I'm kind of hungry."
"You should've said so sooner!" Palutena interjected, adjusting her shirt when she stood up. "I'll bring us some of those cookies we baked. If we have any left over, that is." The twins flinched. It was no secret that they'd been stealing some from time to time.
Fortunately, it looked like there were still extras. Palutena came back from the kitchen with a plate full of cookies and, by popular demand, a dictionary she'd brought telekinetically from the library. Pit took a cookie, but she swatted his hand away when he tried taking another right after. "Don't stuff your face, Pit."
"That's great coming from someone who's already on their second one," Dark Pit retorted.
She was totally shameless. "I'm compensating for the cookies you two ate without me."
"You guys are all equally bad at moderation," Viridi concluded, skimming through the dictionary. "Oh. Apparently 'qi' is a word. So you're telling me Pittoo got 31 points in the last round by doing nothing?"
"It's not nothing. Being smart is hard work," he justified, taking a look at the scoreboard. "Maybe you should try it sometime."
"You little– Whatever. If you're looking for a smart play, then here. The blank one is a 'y'." She spelled 'lynx' and tallied up her points. "Decent enough. I had to get rid of that 'x' somehow."
Palutena placed a finger on her cheek, and it was slightly worrying when her eyes lit up as she formed her word: syzygy. The whole board was disorienting, but this time Pit genuinely couldn't tell if the letters were getting jumbled up in his head. They stared at it for a solid three seconds before chaos erupted. "That's sure as hell not a word," Dark Pit argued.
"That's where all the 'y's went!" Viridi realized. "And I thought 'qi' was as crazy as you could get."
"Sy– How do you even pronounce it? Is that some kind of exotic sauce?" Pit asked incredulously.
"Syzygy is a word!" Palutena insisted, taking the dictionary. Pit tried grabbing it from her, so she floated it above them and telekinetically flipped the pages. Palutena shone light on the correct word instead of pointing at it; she tended to use her powers more when she was excited. "Look, it's right there! It's when celestial bodies align. Like in an eclipse!"
"Okay, but is it really spelled like that? Let me see–" He didn't realize how close he was to the board until his wings brushed over it, scattering the tiles everywhere. Both of them froze. "Oops."
"Dumbass," Dark Pit murmured, picking up the tiles that had flown to the other side of the room. "I don't think it's worth recreating."
"That's the game, I guess. We can say for sure that Palutena won." Viridi helped by telekinetically gathering the tiles that were out of reach under the sofa. "I'm not so sure about the rest of us."
"Yeah, but I'm better than before!" Pit emphasized.
"Sure you are." He looked at Palutena in confusion when she handed him the closed box. "We all pitched in to clean up your mess, so maybe you could put the games back where you found them? And the dictionary too."
"I'm eternally grateful for your help," he responded sarcastically, balancing everything in a precarious stack on his way out.
He returned to the exact same scene he'd left. "Anyone sleepy yet?"
Palutena glanced at the clock. "Not really, but it's getting kind of late. We could do some karaoke like usual until we feel like sleeping, if you want." Pit felt his wings flutter behind him, and his twin seemed enthusiastic too. Dark Pit wouldn't sing in public to save his life, but he didn't mind playing the guitar for them. Viridi, though, just stared at her blankly. "Tell me you've tried it before."
"Nope. I never have time. And besides, why would I want to sing for no good reason?"
"If the eternally busy Goddess of Light has time for karaoke, you do too," Dark Pit stated matter-of-factly.
Pit wrapped his arms around her from behind. He wasn't surprised to be elbowed in the stomach. "It's fun! We should try it together!"
"Only if you want to," Palutena added.
"You say that like she has a choice," Dark Pit countered.
"You idiots," Viridi sighed. "You realize we have responsibilities to get back to tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, but that's tomorrow. Let's just enjoy the moment!" Pit smiled. It wasn't like this night of laughter and games and music was going to last forever, but they were having fun together right now. And that's all that mattered.
Chapter 13: A Little Divine Intervention
Chapter Text
Pit took a step back and shot another pair of lasers from his Beam Claws. This sparring match was intense, but he took a moment to focus. We're both using weak weapons which give us good movement speed. My strength is that I have better range. He fired another beam and tried to keep his distance, but his opponent wasn't letting up so easily. Dark Pit dashed past the weak spots in Pit's defense, and Pit winced at the slash of invisible projectiles on his arm. Even if they didn't have much power, the Stealth Claws were ideal for intimidation.
He wasn't going to let that get to him. So what if his weapon is invisible? He's the one I need to target. Pit stayed as far away as he could while he observed his twin's movements. As always, there was a method to Dark Pit's madness, and Pit didn't mind sacrificing some blocks to figure out the patterns in his attacks. Okay, here goes.
When Dark Pit went for another slash to his exposed side, Pit already knew to block the follow-up strike as well. Gotcha. The fight was way easier– and more satisfying– once he could predict exactly what Dark Pit would do next. Although he was caught off guard by some random strikes, Dark Pit's moves were telling, and it wasn't too hard to counterattack. Sure enough, there was only a short struggle before Pit won, forcing his twin onto the ground out of bounds. "That was easy!" Pit declared.
"You barely hung on," Dark Pit tsked, yanking off the Stealth Claws and tossing them onto the ground beside him. Pit placed the Beam Claws there too. It was the loser's job to put them back.
"You're too predictable, Pittoo," Pit advised. He should've helped his twin up, but something in him wanted to gloat for just a little longer. "Try decoys. Don't make the obvious move every time."
"Easy for you to say," Dark Pit spat. "This is, what, my third time using Claws?"
"Maybe you'll get better with practice. It's not a big deal. The problem is that you get salty whenever you're not instantly good at something."
"And you get salty every time you lose."
"Which doesn't happen often, 'cause I vary my moves. Unlike you." Both of them knew an argument was brewing, but neither was about to give in. "Even with other weapons, you could at least try to be a bit less obvious, you know? I can read you like a book!"
Dark Pit stood up himself and glared at him. "You couldn't even read until I taught you."
Pit hated it when he brought up past arguments. Especially that specific one. "That has literally nothing to do with this. My forte is fighting, and that's my job. Oh wait, our job, right, Vice-Captain?"
"Don't make me laugh. You've always depended on people for everything, even the bare minimum you should be capable of. Flightless suck-up."
He raised his voice. "You think I wanted to be flightless? Or that I didn't try to be independent?"
"You didn't try hard enough. I had to help you learn how to fly. And blindly following orders isn't independence," Dark Pit seethed.
"I don't blindly follow anyone! Where do you think your defiance came from?"
Now it was getting physical. Dark Pit grabbed him by the scarf and yanked him closer. "It's my personality, not yours. Stop acting like I owe you something 'cause I was born with your body."
Pit shoved him back. "I don't need anything from you! Why are we even fighting about this?"
"Don't try to play nice!" he shouted. "Stoking your pride but backing off when it gets complicated. And you call the gods egotistical."
"I'm not as bad as them! I don't hold stupid grudges!"
"Such arrogance from someone who doesn't even have his own sense of purpose. Helpless puppet."
"Useless knockoff!" Pit caught himself after the words were out. They fought often, but this was becoming something else.
Anger flashed in Dark Pit's eyes. "So that's how it's going to be, huh?"
"Now it's my fault for hurting your poor feelings? You're the one who started it!"
"If you were so pure, you would've let it go by now!"
What does that even mean? He wasn't going to waste brainpower trying to decipher it. "You know how much easier my life was before you showed up?"
Silence. That thought only flared up when he was particularly frustrated, but he'd never actually voiced it before. Dark Pit shoved him viciously and stepped back, spreading his wings. "If that's what you want, I'm out."
"Be like that, then. See if I care!" Pit yelled after him, sniping at him with the discarded Beam Claws as he took off into the sky. Obviously they didn't have the range to hit him, but he needed an outlet for his anger. It didn't make him feel any better.
The twins were a puzzle Palutena could never solve. On one hand, they were natural leaders with great chemistry. On the other, as the Claws scattered on the training grounds reminded her, they were still teenagers. Arguments were a common occurrence. Then again, she wasn't above joining in herself, so they couldn't be blamed entirely.
So much for praising them for their hard work as captains. She'd been looking forward to that when observing the army earlier, but it would have to wait. For now, she reluctantly put away the weapons knowing full well they'd quarrel about whose fault it was that she had to do their work for them. Not out of any concern for her, of course.
Pit was the only one at home by the time Palutena got back to the temple to continue her work. She didn't think much of it; they usually left separately when they fought, but they'd make up soon after. It only started getting concerning when Dark Pit still wasn't back after she'd worked for a few hours. Something's wrong.
This called for a break. "Pittoo?" she tried telepathically. "Where are you? Is everything okay?" She wasn't expecting a response, but it was still worrying. "If you don't let me know, I'll have to look for you." That threat usually coaxed him into admitting he was ignoring her, but not this time. Maybe she'd overused it, and he'd realized she didn't have the time or energy to find his precise location so quickly.
A better idea was to figure out what happened. Palutena opened Pit's door telekinetically and walked into his room uninvited. He didn't even look at her from where he was lying on his back, holding up a console. "Pit. Where did Pittoo go off to?"
"No idea." Clearly he was more invested in his game than this conversation.
"I'm being serious. I can sense him somewhere in Skyworld, but it's been three hours."
"He isn't back yet? Guess he's more petty than I thought."
She leaned against the doorframe and pressed her fingertips to her forehead in exasperation. "What did you say to him?"
That finally made him put the console away and sit up. "He started it!"
"I have a feeling he didn't finish it."
"Fine, I did. But you should've heard the kind of stuff he said. As if it was my fault I couldn't fly. He was kind of asking for… oh." Yeah, that's what I thought. Her expression probably spoke for itself, because Pit quickly added, "I'm sure he knows I didn't mean it like that!"
"It doesn't change the fact that you said it, right?" Whatever 'it' was.
"I didn't ask him to literally make my life like it was before! He'd better know that!"
"What?" She didn't want to know how that came up. "Look, arguments are normal, but implying that he should leave and never come back is not. Go apologize."
He folded his wings. "I'll say sorry later. After him."
"That's not how it works. The sooner you apologize, the better."
"Maybe you should take your own advice," he suggested pointedly. "Instead of giving us the silent treatment whenever you're annoyed."
"I have room for improvement too," she admitted. "But you can make your own decisions. I won't interfere." Even if it was infuriating how he immediately went back to playing video games.
He still hadn't done anything by the time she was working with Viridi to maintain the right conditions for seeds to germinate. Viridi was, as always, engrossed in her task, and it was rewarding to see the little sprouts come to life by themselves, encouraged by the light, warmth, and humidity around them. Palutena was admittedly less focused. Between Pit's disinterest and Dark Pit's disappearance, there was a lot clouding her mind. But I said I won't interfere.
Getting updates didn't count as interference. She waited until their work was done before asking. "Viridi? Have you seen Pittoo anywhere?"
She couldn't read Viridi's expression over telepathy, but her tone was sincere. "Oh right, Arlon said he saw him earlier. Apparently he was running errands, but you usually send both your messenger boys together, right?"
Errands. Good one. At least he didn't pull stunts like this too often. "I didn't send him anywhere. They had an argument, and now they won't talk to each other."
"Relish the silence while it lasts, Palutena," Viridi advised. It was impossible to tell how serious she was. "Let them figure it out themselves."
"I would if Pittoo was home. And there's no reason to draw this out so long. It would be much easier if someone listened to my advice and went to apologize."
Viridi snickered at her vindictive tone. "Looks like Lady Palutena isn't pleased." A pause, then she started mischievously, "Do you think this calls for some divine intervention?"
"As in setting them up for an apology?" Palutena pondered.
"See, you get things so much faster than the rest of them! Sometimes it's kind of scary," Viridi mused.
Palutena couldn't avoid smiling. "It's because I can tell you love this sort of thing beneath that façade of indifference."
"I don't– I couldn't care less about them or their petty arguments. And I'm not about to waste my time babysitting them." She sounded flustered, but she composed herself fairly quickly. "So what do you say? We're goddesses, this should be easy."
"It doesn't hurt to try," Palutena agreed. So maybe she was going to interfere after all.
Dark Pit tightened his grip on the tree branch and continued to pull himself up. 6… 7… Screw you… Pit-stain. He landed back on the ground and stretched his arms. Exercise was a good distraction except for occasional thoughts like that. He wanted to believe he was over their argument, but even after the initial wave of rage subsided, his mind kept going back to it. 'Useless knockoff! You know how much easier my life was before you showed up?' He hoped it wasn't obvious how much that hurt. Especially with his constant insecurity about living a life that wasn't his, with people who didn't want him around. Why the hell am I so sensitive?
He glanced up and shielded his eyes from the midday sun. It must have been hours since he'd left. Dark Pit wasn't ready to say sorry yet, but he could accept it was partially his fault. There was no reason to blame Pit for disabilities he couldn't control, even if it was possible to fix them without the Rewind Spring. I'm not saying that sappy mush. It'll be less awkward if I just go home. After eating, 'cause I don't want them to think I can't fend for–
"Dark Pit!" He'd forgotten to keep blocking out telepathic signals. More surprising than hearing Viridi's voice was being called by his actual name.
Either way, he didn't want to deal with her. "Get out of my head."
"How about no? I have some tasks to ask of you," she returned.
"Ask Arlon and Phosphora."
"Bold of you to assume you're off the hook. Remember the contracts we made when you joined the Forces of Nature?"
Now he was getting uneasy. "What contracts?"
"Saying you'd work for me for a year, dummy. But I let you live with Pit and Palutena before that, so today I've decided I need some things from you." She sounded too benevolent for someone who was taking advantage of him.
He still couldn't remember any contract, but he begrudgingly decided to go with it just to make her leave him alone. At least he could kill some time this way. "What do you want?"
"Nothing much. I have work to do, so every so often I'll ask you for something, and I'll let you know when you're done." I hate this already. "First assignment: check on the Lightning Chariot Base."
"In case you didn't realize, the base and the chariot belong to Pit."
"Yeah, but my Commander is managing it, and we should know if any repairs are needed. Make a quick inspection and you can leave."
"Fine. Stop bothering me." Dark Pit took off into the sky and blocked his telepathy without waiting for a response.
The base was pretty far away, but the views on the way were beautiful, and the wind under his wings felt as liberating as ever. It was more silent than usual without Pit rambling about random stuff. Shut up, it's not like you're never going to see him again. When he finally landed and the doors opened, he expected to be alone in the vast tower. He wasn't.
"You're here too?" Phosphora asked, genuinely surprised. She drifted over to him. "Pit came to check on Phos and Lux, like, five minutes ago. What brings you here?"
So she hadn't gotten the memo that he was part of the Forces of Nature again for the afternoon. He wasn't about to tell her. "Nothing. Need any repairs around here?"
"That was random," she remarked, mildly zapping him on the forehead. "Sure this has nothing to do with your other half? He was asking about you."
Dark Pit tried looking unbothered. "Whatever. We'll figure it out."
"Hm." No questions were asked about what happened, and no explanations were given. "Try talking to him telepathically? I bet he isn't far."
"The hell? You know how awkward that would be?"
"Yeah, you're right," she conceded, leaning back in the air. "Just say sorry next time you see him." He was expecting the regular lecture until she continued, "It's okay if you don't actually feel sorry when you say it. You'll get there eventually, but there's no reason to stay apart in the meantime because of something pointless like pride."
"Huh. Didn't think you had that in you," he reflected. "I bet you scripted it for some show you're watching."
Phosphora brightened. "How did you guess? I've been watching a really good one but the main characters have been pining for each other for half the series– just communicate already!" she lamented. He stared at her blankly. "Oh right, ranting to you never helps. It only gives you new insult material."
"I could say the same about you."
"At least I give you tried and true advice."
"From a TV show."
"From multiple TV shows. Hurry up, I'm not staying here all day." She locked up the doors to the base on their way out, but her gaze was putting him on edge. "Okay, now you can tell me why you're asking about repairs. That can't just be a whim. Go on!"
"You've reached your daily limit of poking your nose into my business. See ya," Dark Pit called with a wave, lifting himself into the air and soaring away. She was going to be so annoyed, but that was okay. He inexplicably felt a little better than earlier.
Until Viridi reminded him of his obligations. "So?"
"No repairs needed. Happy?"
"Not yet! There's a couple of things you've got to do around Skyworld," she explained cheerfully. Dark Pit resigned himself to his fate. His apology would have to wait a while.
He quickly realized they had different definitions of 'a couple of things'. It was taking forever, and he was getting hungry. But he couldn't help but feel suspicious of where she was sending him. Most places he went, he either heard that Pit had been there recently, or he noticed telltale white feathers floating in the breeze. It was no coincidence that she was urging him to hurry up, or that she sounded more frustrated with every near-miss. She wants me to run into him. Why? So I go home? Then she wouldn't have anyone to exploit for free labour. The idea of Viridi genuinely wanting to help was too far-fetched.
"Next! I need you to get food for my troops from a market in the Overworld," she told him.
He frowned. "I could get whatever you need in Skyworld. There's no reason to go to the Overworld."
"No no, it has to be the Overworld!" Viridi insisted. "Right? Um… wait a minute…" He had a few long seconds to be confused when she disconnected their telepathic link. "As I was saying! It has to be the Overworld because some of my soldiers are really picky."
"Some of your soldiers are sentient chestnuts."
"Don't badmouth Nutskis, especially when you're lower on the hierarchy than they are!"
He ignored that insult and flew down into the clouds above the Overworld. "There's some towns nearby. Give me a list and I'll be quick."
"Huh? This place is off limits. Look, there's a thunderstorm," Viridi pointed out.
Dark Pit narrowed his eyes as the clouds around him started darkening. "Since when?"
"Since now." As if to underscore her point, a jagged flash of lightning streaked dangerously close to Dark Pit's wings. In a panic, he soared back above the clouds, shielding his eyes from the pelting rain until he reached the calm air of Skyworld– too calm. Thunderstorms usually extended between the realms. There was no way this one was natural.
Dark Pit waited until his heartbeat slowed down before addressing her. "You didn't even pretend you didn't cause that."
"Again, that area's off limits. Try somewhere else," she suggested.
Something clicked. "Wait a sec. You can control rain, not lightning. That had to be Phosphora… or Palutena." Viridi said nothing, so he had to be onto something. "Why are you two working together?"
"Does it matter? Just hurry up!" Viridi fumbled. So he was right. All of a sudden, it made sense.
"I have a better idea," Dark Pit decided, turning off his telepathy. His first priority was getting something to eat. But after that, there was a certain forest he needed to visit.
In all the years Pit had served Palutena, she always had a plan or was good at pretending she had one. This was one of the few times she very obviously didn't. "Now that you're here… you can wait, I guess," she offered hesitantly.
"I didn't come all the way to the Overworld to wait!" Pit complained. "You could've given me a break between those random chores that involved going to the other end of Skyworld!"
"Now that's exaggerating. I only sent you around central Skyworld," Palutena corrected. "Although you have a point. You were completing everything too fast."
"Too fast for what?" he countered. Of course she didn't respond. "If you're trying to be discreet, you're doing a really bad job. I could tell from your tone you've been trying to surprise me this whole afternoon."
She laughed it off. "Surprise you with what?"
"That's what I'm asking!"
Very few things were more annoying than being conveniently ignored. "Oh! Looks like I have to take care of something for a bit. Just hang tight."
"That's called avoidance!" he protested, with no response. Maybe she really did disconnect her telepathy. It wasn't the first time today. She's totally conspiring with someone. Probably Viridi. There's a 90% chance I'll get roped into something dangerous.
Whatever. He liked the Overworld, and he was determined to make the most of his free time there. Hanging out with people in the nearby town sounded like fun. After all, that was how he used to pass time when he wasn't training, working, gaming, or staying with Palutena. Until Dark Pit happened, that is. Funny how it feels like so long ago that I asked– Wait, that was also around here, right?
A little searching confirmed it: the forest where he'd run into his twin alone for the first time after the war wasn't far away. That explained the familiar feeling he couldn't place. Might as well check it out. "Lady Palutena, I'm going to the forest," Pit called, in case she was listening.
He didn't expect her to respond immediately. "That's actually not a bad idea. I'll let you know what you need to do later."
"You're still not going to tell me what you're plotting, huh?" he sighed, taking to the sky.
Even from above, the forest was nearly identical to his memory, a subtle reminder that almost a year had passed since he'd last been there. Palutena's voice startled him out of his reminiscing. "That stream over there looks nice."
"Huh? Don't scare me like that when I'm flying! I could lose my balance!" Pit yelled, landing precariously on the rocks overlooking the rushing waters.
She wasn't sorry at all. "Losing your balance is a reasonable price for this view, don't you think?"
That was true. The light shimmering in the water was mesmerizing, and Pit was sure he could watch it for hours. Maybe this is what distracted me from thinking up a good way to ask Pittoo to live with us. Whatever I said, I remember it was cringey. He'd blocked it out of his memory, but it ended along the lines of 'I already consider you family, but it would mean the world to me and Lady Palutena if we could get to know you better.' With a lot more pausing and stuttering. Yeah, not my best work.
"For the record, your stupid speech was as scattered as your brain." Pit took in a quick breath and turned to look directly into his twin's crimson irises. "At least it got the point across."
"Pittoo!" His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, from relief that he didn't actually leave to surprise that they ended up in the same place, but he ended up blurting out, "Was I using telepathy right there? That's so embarrassing! Pretend it didn't happen!"
Dark Pit crossed his arms dismissively. "You need to be speaking out loud to use telepathy, dumbass. I thought that was common know–"
Pit didn't let him finish his sentence before dashing over to give him a hug. They almost fell over. "I'm so sorry for earlier! I didn't mean what I said about you, and I wouldn't trade my current life for anything! Spending time together is my favourite thing to do most of the time. I mean, don't take that in the wrong way, but it would sound fake if I said it was always my favourite thing, right?" He stopped when he felt his brother quivering. "Um, Pittoo? Are you okay?"
Dark Pit laughed brightly, which was something to enjoy the few times it happened. "Anyone ever tell you you talk too much?"
"Your genuine laugh is so pretty! You know, when you're not making fun of me."
As always, he stopped as soon as he became conscious of it. "Shut up." Dark Pit held on a little tighter and added, "I'm sorry too. I was such a jerk. But… I've always thought you make the best of everything." Pit was stunned by the compliment for a moment, and his twin predicted his reaction effortlessly. "I'm just telling the truth. You better not tear up."
They quickly pulled apart when they heard Palutena's voice telepathically. "Aw, you guys are so sweet!"
"Only took you, like, five hours to make up," Viridi pointed out.
Dark Pit frowned. "You two. You really suck at helping. Especially Viridi."
"A 'thank you for your consideration' would suffice!" Viridi retorted. "Not my problem you couldn't keep up with him!"
Pit was unimpressed. "This was your surprise, Lady Palutena? I said I'd apologize!"
"You were taking too long. I had no choice," Palutena justified. "It was just some divine intervention."
"More like divine interference," Dark Pit countered. "We can handle ourselves, you guys made it worse. Also? I never want to hear any lies about contracts again, Viridi."
"Seems hypocritical considering Arlon heard you were running errands," Palutena responded coolly. He looked startled, and Pit had to laugh. Does he not realize that people talk to each other?
"Exactly. Fix yourself first," Viridi ordered. "At least it was fun, right?"
"Nope," Dark Pit denied, folding his wing around his twin's shoulder. "Next time we're doing anything, we're doing it together. We're a package deal."
With a smile, Pit finished his sentence. "Even if we occasionally need some alone time."
Chapter 14: Rest and Recovery
Notes:
Hello again! Funnily enough, I got sick while writing this (hence the late update), so here's a friendly reminder to take care of your health. :)
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
It didn't take a genius to tell something was wrong with Pit. He never mentioned anything, but Dark Pit noticed right away: he was talking less, he was more reluctant to visit the soldiers and work out, and he was getting way less clingy. If nothing else, it meant Dark Pit didn't need to force his twin away whenever Pit felt like a hug– but catching him mindlessly staring into the distance was unnerving. His dull eyes made it even more freaky.
Maybe he was just feeling gloomy, but Dark Pit's plan to leave him alone backfired: Pit looked even worse at the breakfast table the next morning, and Palutena was getting suspicious too, glancing at him every so often as they ate. He was hardly looking up at them, and barely touched the pancakes heaped in front of him. Apart from the clinking of cutlery, it was maddeningly silent.
Dark Pit gave up first, setting his fork down and facing his twin. He noted how Pit recoiled when he tried holding his hand. "Hey, stop pretending you're okay. You're doing a bad job at it."
"We're here to help with anything you need," Palutena added. "If you're feeling down, you should take your time."
Pit fiddled with his scarf. "I'm not sad." He only looked up, slightly guilt-laden, when they didn't respond. "Seriously, I'm not. Maybe I should've told you sooner, but I think I'm coming down with something."
That was the one thing Dark Pit wasn't ready to help with. He pushed his chair back with his feet and threw his scarf over his nose and mouth like a temporary mask. "What the hell? You couldn't have said anything when I spent all of yesterday with you? Actually, don't even talk. You're going to infect me."
At least Pit had the courtesy to keep his distance. "What happened to being here to help?"
"Only on the condition that you're healthy. Get out and lock yourself in your room."
"There are nicer ways to say that," Palutena disapproved. To Pit, she mentioned, "I mean, you can't blame Pittoo for being paranoid. He has the immune system of an actual toddler."
"Screw this stupid body," Dark Pit groaned. He'd never realized life was such a pain until he kept getting sick. Apparently he'd never gotten Pit's immunity, so he had to build his own from scratch. Like a baby. It was infuriating. "I know it sucks, but it's everyone for themselves."
Pit smiled weakly. "Protecting your fragile health is my top priority."
"Shut up. Sleep. Get some rest."
"You really should. I think you have a fever," Palutena noticed, placing a hand on his forehead. "It's hard to tell."
"You're probably right," Pit murmured, hoisting himself up and holding onto his chair for support. "I'll stay in my room for now, but if you need me…"
"We'll take care of everything. You should focus on rest and recovery," Palutena assured him, giving his hand a squeeze.
Dark Pit didn't want to ruin the moment, but he couldn't resist a chance to correct her. "Rest and recovery is for athletes."
Emerald eyes narrowed. "It applies if you're sick too."
"No it doesn't. It's an off day after targeted training."
"How are you supposed to get better without resting and recovering?" In the few seconds it took for him to think of a response, she concluded, "Exactly."
Pit glanced lazily between them while his twin countered, "Yeah, but it's an expression. Like rise and shine."
"Rise and shine is purely metaphorical, it has–" Palutena stopped abruptly when Pit grabbed her arm to steady himself, his wings twitching erratically. "Are you okay? I'm sorry! Let's get you to your room." He nodded and leaned against her as she escorted him. This is worse than I thought.
Opportunities to hog blackberry syrup– or any food, for that matter– rarely presented themselves, so Dark Pit readily drizzled some more over his pancakes. He was waiting for it to soak in when Palutena returned. "So? Think he'll live?"
"He'll be fine. This used to happen all the time when he was little." Her gaze fell on Pit's barely-touched breakfast. "Looks like he didn't eat anything."
Dark Pit could tell exactly what that implied. "Don't even think about it. That's probably contaminated. If you get sick too, I'm abandoning you and going somewhere safe."
Just to prove a point, she looked him in the eyes while eating. "It's okay, I can handle it." He was only partly listening. Her attempt at telekinetically pouring syrup was more interesting. "We can divide his responsibilities like we do when you're sick. I'll take care of the soldiers' placement and scheduling. You just have to give them orders. That way– Ah! No– go back in!"
Dark Pit smirked as she fumbled to set it down. "Ever poured anything from a glass bottle? It'll always flood if you're too slow."
"I wonder who taught you that," she muttered sarcastically, opting to control the liquid instead. "I used to have this mastered."
"Maybe your reflexes aren't what they used to be," he shrugged, "but I bet you've become immune to everything over the past couple of centuries. There's gotta be some benefit to being so old."
Palutena paused and rested her head on her hands with a friendly smile. "Don't make me smite you."
He continued unfazed, "Although you'd think someone with centuries of experience would know how to use figures of speech. Rest and recovery is for athletes."
"That's probably an alternate meaning," she suggested.
"It's the only meaning. Now you're just trying to save yourself."
"Hurry up and finish your breakfast." Changing the topic? I'll take that as a win. "We have extra work to do, and we have to check on Pit every so often."
"You mean you have to check on Pit-stain. My health is more important. Until he's better, I'm staying away." The look they exchanged clearly said they both knew it wasn't going to work like that. He didn't have it in him to ditch his twin. Not with how much Pit helped whenever the roles were reversed. Stupid feelings.
There was concrete evidence to support Dark Pit's theory: Palutena visited Pit pretty often, and yet she was still perfectly fine several days later. Physically, at least. Pit's refusal to eat or stay up for long enough to hold a conversation was worrying both of them. This was by far the worst condition he'd been in since Dark Pit moved in, and they could only hope he'd feel better soon.
They'd adapted to working efficiently, even if Dark Pit had to put in extra effort to lead the army alone and also force Palutena not to overwork herself. Not that he could brag about it. It couldn't be a coincidence that Pit was always awake when Palutena came to visit but asleep when his twin attempted to talk to him. He sure knows how to score brownie points.
It didn't hurt to try again. Dark Pit sat with his back against his brother's door, dessert in hand. "Hey. Still alive in there?"
"Sort of," was the weak reply.
He'd never admit how relieving it was to hear him. "So you finally stopped ghosting me. Your voice sounds kinda different. Less screechy."
"Shut up. I always sound great."
"Sure you do. How're you feeling?"
"What d'ya think?" From the stumbling steps he heard before a weight pressed behind him, he could tell they were now sitting back-to-back, except for the door between them. "So… how was your day?"
"Not bad. I had to order a lot more arrows. And oversee a lot of training. And completely switch some of the divisions' placements. I earned this ice cream sandwich. It tastes so good," he added, just to get a reaction out of Pit.
"Jerk."
"Says the guy who drank three bowls of miso soup in my face last time I felt nauseous."
He laughed softly. "Someone had to." For the past few days, more than twenty seconds of silence meant he was falling asleep. Not this time. "Pittoo? Are you still there?"
"Yeah. I'm not going anywhere."
He instantly regretted his words when Palutena poked her head into the hallway. "That's so nice of you!"
"What the hell? Did you appear just to make me miserable?"
She feigned betrayal, taking a seat beside him despite his attempts to push her away. "I would never! I was taking a break like you wanted, so here I am."
"Pittoo cares about you overworking yourself?" Pit marveled from behind the door.
"There goes my attempt at telling you something," he grumbled.
"See, he's so sweet!" Palutena fawned, ruffling his hair. It looked like she was immune to jabs to the stomach as well.
Whoever rang the doorbell at that moment was a lifesaver. Palutena bounced up. "I'll go check who that is."
"Me too." Dark Pit stood up and stretched his wings. It was more interesting than waiting.
"Huh? Noo, don't go," Pit pleaded. "I wanna talk to you guys."
He almost laughed at how pathetic that sounded. "Don't die until we're back. See ya."
Dark Pit stepped into the front hallway as soon as Palutena opened the door. Arlon was the first person he saw, but he wasn't alone. "Surprise!" Viridi declared. Phosphora flashed a peace sign beside her. Never mind, not lifesavers. "Everything okay over here?"
Palutena nodded. "Pit's still sick, but we're managing."
"Finally pulling your weight, Pittoo?" Phosphora jabbed. "Does it hurt?"
He returned her savage grin. "Nope. Not that you'd know."
Leave it to Arlon to diffuse the situation. "Ahem. If I may, Lady Palutena, we've come to offer some food."
"Viridi insisted. She's been saying we should do this ever since he got sick," Phosphora drawled, pointing at her until she swatted her hand.
Dark Pit wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to annoy Viridi. "Huh, that's a first. I don't remember getting any deliveries. Looks like favouritism to me."
Viridi shot him a glare. "Like I prefer one of you morons over the other!"
"Ooh, sounds like you still have a soft spot for Pit," Phosphora sang. "But even after the time Pittoo spent in the Forces of Nature? Maybe it's more than– Ow! That's just a theory!"
Viridi pulled her hand back sharply. "Another word and no one will know what happened to you."
"If she's that against it, maybe you're right," Dark Pit remarked. "Just sayi–"
Palutena hurriedly cut him off. "Anyways! Thank you so much for bringing everything! I'll put it inside." She took a tray from Arlon, and a cold glance told Dark Pit he'd be dead if he didn't do the same. "We'll let Pit know you guys came over."
"Especially the part about Viridi doing this just for him," he tossed over his shoulder.
"And you wonder why no one brings you anything, you brat?" Viridi snarled. Phosphora flashed him a thumbs-up, but Palutena and Arlon exchanged apologetic looks. "Alright. We'll leave you alone for now, but all three of you better be okay next time we come over!"
Phosphora floated behind her, resting her arms on Viridi's head. "More like she's hoping–"
"Shut up, Phosphora!" As soon as Viridi moved to hit her, Arlon nodded politely and promptly closed the door behind them. Wonder how he handles this every day.
That episode was one of many things he decided to tell Pit while Palutena went to check on him. I should record his reaction for future use. He was about to ask where her camera was when she came back, announcing, "He fell asleep at the door. I got him onto his bed, so we'll let him rest."
"We left him for five minutes," Dark Pit emphasized in disbelief.
"He needs rest to recover," Palutena stated matter-of-factly.
"But he was so desperate to talk to us," he insisted.
"We were late," she shrugged. "Some opportunities only come once. When you make a decision, try to be as sure as possible that you won't regret it."
"I didn't ask for life advice," he dismissed. "And you're being dramatic. This doesn't matter that much."
Their gazes met. "You still wished it happened, right? Then it does matter."
It was hard to believe it was that simple. Having a chat after a couple of days apart didn't seem important, but somehow it made sense. And as always, as soon as he admired Palutena for a split second, she had to mess it up. "It's like that one saying. Don't miss the forest by stopping for the roses."
"What." Staring at her didn't make her any less self-assured. "You're being serious? Pick one. Don't miss the forest for the trees, or stop and smell the roses."
She frowned pensively. "I don't think it was like that."
"This is coming from someone who thought rest and recovery was about sickness. I'm right. As usual." Now that he thought about it, their banter mattered more to him than he'd admit.
The best part about going out and interacting with people was the accomplishment of getting home and opening the door in one piece. "I'm back," Dark Pit called, trudging to the kitchen. Work was draining, especially when it involved so much talking. "Oi, Palutena. I'm making a grilled cheese with jalapeños. Want some?"
"Thanks, but I'm good." He didn't expect her voice from the living room, and he did a double take when he went to check. Palutena was leafing through a stack of papers– probably status reports from around Skyworld– while a flurry of sheets floated nearby. Knowing her, she was using her powers to read through all of them at once. But it was more surprising to see Pit curled up beside her, asleep and covered by his own wings. "Hey. What's up?" she asked, her focus unbroken.
Dark Pit lowered his voice. "Is he okay?"
"Almost." She set down the papers and carefully brushed away a few stray hairs stuck to Pit's flushed face. "He was sick for so long, he's still weak and kind of delirious." As in crazy? This'll be fun. "But don't worry, he's not contagious anymore. And before you ask: yes, I consulted the healing spirits and everything."
That was all the assurance he needed to get closer. "So you're sitting here until he feels better?"
She shook her head. "I don't have time for that, but I thought I'd help for now."
They both paused at the sound of ruffling feathers as Pit tried covering his face. "Too bright."
Convenient that the Goddess of Light was right there. She effortlessly dimmed the room with a wave of her hand and spoke softly. "There we go. Still have a headache?" He nodded but didn't say anything else.
Dark Pit crossed his arms. "It's kinda like he had one too many."
Palutena squinted at him suspiciously. "One too many what?"
"You know, Water of Life? Don't pretend that stuff isn't alcoholic."
She opened her mouth to speak, but reluctantly stopped. "Maybe. But I'd like to add that the Drink of the Gods is not. That's why it's preferred for healing."
"Too loud," Pit complained, finally opening his eyes.
"Sorry!" Palutena whispered, telekinetically gathering the floating papers. "Time for me to get back to work."
Pit limply grabbed her arm. "Palu wait, don't leave me." If he dropped all formalities like that, he really is dying.
Reasoning seemed useless, but it was worth a shot. "She'll be back soon, stupid. You need a change of scenery. Let's go to…" His room is definitely contaminated. I'm not risking my health for him. "My room."
"Want me to take him there?" Palutena offered.
"I've got it." She gave both of them a tap on the head before leaving, and Dark Pit looked down at the feathered mess sprawled across the sofa. Yeah, he's not getting up anytime soon. Strength training it is.
Pit was the heavier twin, and they constantly debated whether that extra weight was muscle or floor ice cream. Either way, Dark Pit wasn't expecting to lift him up so easily. "What the hell? You know how much weight you lost? There's no way that's healthy." No response. It was unnerving to sense his twin staring at him listlessly the whole way to his room. "Say something already, dumbass. Your eyes look dead. It's creepy."
The small cry of surprise when Pit was dropped onto his bed was the first sound he'd made in a while. At least he's responsive. Dark Pit sat down beside him, and they wordlessly maintained eye contact until he gave up. "This is stupid. You know what? You're going to sit here and not bother me so I can put my time to good use."
He moved to get up, but stopped and turned when he felt a tug on his hair. Pit sat up lethargically, maintaining a soft grip. "Your hair is black."
"Tell me something I don't know." He could tell this would be a nonsensical conversation that Pit wouldn't remember by tomorrow, and it was tempting to ignore it. But he couldn't help but remember feeling guilty about leaving the other day. Even if he's going to forget, this still matters, I guess. Palutena's influencing me too much. "Actually… I didn't always know it was black. I was born with your memories, so I thought we looked the same at first."
Pit frowned. "But we don't."
Called it, this is pointless. "I know that, you idiot! I realized as soon as I saw my feathers. But it was scary that the only thing I knew was a lie."
Something changed in Pit's gaze. He let go of his twin's hair to hold his hand instead. "Don't be scared."
"I'm not anymore."
"Good. You have us." A small smile blossomed on Pit's face, and all of a sudden it made sense why this mattered.
It didn't make it any less awkward to talk to someone who wasn't entirely there, though. "That's surprisingly deep. Maybe you only have good ideas when you're going crazy."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"Actually, you were crazy to begin with. You and Palutena."
Her name was enough to distract him. "Look, Palutena gave me this." He fished out a vibrant orange marker from his pocket and held it out. "Here you go."
Dark Pit wasn't going to deal with putting it back later. "Keep your stupid marker. I bet she was trying to annotate reports with it before you stole it."
He withdrew his hand, slightly hurt. "I didn't steal it. Palutena gave it to me 'cause she had other ones."
"Since when was the puppet on a first-name basis with his master?" Dark Pit was teasing him, but it was partly a genuine question. Pit and Palutena addressed each other so formally for having such a close relationship, and he'd always wondered why.
"Since always. She likes her name better. And I'm not a puppet."
It took him a moment to decipher that. "So you know she prefers not to have a fancy title, but you call her 'Lady Palutena' anyways?"
"Yeah. It's funny." That's your reason? This whole time I thought it was her order. Or your respect.
"You're a menace."
Pit closed his eyes contentedly. "You too."
"Can't say you're wrong," Dark Pit agreed. He shifted his gaze to the window, taking in the cloud-streaked sky as they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Sometimes, just being there together was enough. He only looked back when he sensed Pit shiver violently in his peripheral vision. "You good?"
"Cold." There were goosebumps on his skin, but he kicked off the blanket he pulled over himself. Dark Pit knew exactly how it felt.
"And hot at the same time?" He reached over to wipe the sweat off his twin's forehead, but hesitated to sit back. Instead, he slid beside him. "Get over here."
"Huh?" When Pit didn't comply, there was no choice but to pull him in front. "Pittoo?"
"Let me know if this is okay." It took Dark Pit some trial and error to figure out how to delicately wrap his wings around both of them. Pit didn't move a muscle the whole time. "Don't act so surprised. You do this for me all the time, so I know it helps." It hit him that his hold might be suffocatingly tight, and he hastily spread his wings. "Unless I messed it up. Screw this."
Pit laughed warmly and tugged the teal wings back to how they were folded. "You're so funny, Pittoo. Thank you," he breathed, leaning back on his twin. Dark Pit tensed up at first, gradually relaxing as it dawned on him that he was doing something right. It wasn't easy to take care of someone, but moments like this made up for it.
The sound of their soft breathing filled the air, and Dark Pit gently rested his head on his twin's shoulder. He didn't expect to be waved at. "Thought you were supposed to be resting," he mumbled.
"I can't sleep."
"Wanna talk for a bit?" he offered. Pit nodded eagerly, but the enthusiasm didn't last. Dark Pit had hardly narrated his recent visit to the Chariot Base when the dwindling hums of acknowledgement signalled him to stop. "What happened to 'can't sleep'?" he mocked, adjusting his position to confirm that Pit was completely dead to the world. Dark Pit watched him serenely for a few moments, until the marker held loosely in his hand gave him a spark of inspiration. "You know, you've left yourself wide open…"
Silence was rare in Palutena's temple outside of the unholy hours she was awake alone– unless the twins were up to something. It was an obvious giveaway: they either made too much noise or none at all with their schemes. Since she finally had some free time, their antics deserved some pictures. Palutena squinted through the crack in Dark Pit's door to see the angels sitting on his bed, enveloped by his feathers like little birds. It was cute, but sure enough there was a catch. Pit was fast asleep, and his twin was focused on drawing on his face. This is why permanent markers are off limits.
"Interesting choice of medium," she quipped, snapping a photo.
Dark Pit seized up for a second, but relaxed just as quickly. "You ruined my drawing."
Palutena sat down beside him to get a closer look. It's like a sketchbook. Good luck washing this off. "What is it?"
"A Guttler," he explained, getting back to work. "They should be his spirit animal. They eat anything. And this is a Monoeye."
She had to laugh. "On his forehead? Watch out, he'll want revenge."
"I'd like to see him try." Dark Pit leaned back to admire his work. "There. Now we just need something for this spot." When did this become 'we'?
"Pass, I've got this." He dubiously handed her the marker, and she sketched a bow and arrow on Pit's cheek. Something about it felt nostalgic. "This used to be my job."
"Drawing on his face?"
She eyed him in exasperation. "I meant sitting together surrounded by my feathers. But that too, I guess. He always liked drawing on himself and tracing over it later."
"Then he has no right to complain about this."
"I have a feeling he will." She capped the marker and put it aside. "There we go. I'm taking a selfie, get closer."
"Why?"
"Just get in the frame and stop looking so surly." He adjusted his position so she could capture all three of them, and while he didn't smile, he copied her peace sign. That's a start.
"There. Happy?" he sighed, unfurling his wings.
"You don't need to be so dramatic, Pittoo."
"About what?" Neither of them had noticed exactly when Pit woke up, but now he sat up and blinked at them with orange-lined eyes. Dark Pit and Palutena made eye contact for a split second before bursting into hysterical laughter. Pit was startled. "Huh? Are you guys…" It didn't take him long to put two and two together. "Wait. Where did that marker go? I swear, if I look in a mirror right now…"
"You should. You've got something on your face," Dark Pit managed.
Just when Palutena thought she'd calmed down, another glance at Pit made the laughter bubble up again. "I'm so sorry, but Pittoo did a pretty good job."
"The mustache is better than I expected," he smirked.
Pit stood up irritably. "One sec." They had a chance to recover when he stormed off to the bathroom. At least the ink came off quickly, and he strode back inside, drying his face on his feathers, within a few minutes. "I was going to thank you guys, but I don't really feel like it right now."
Dark Pit shrugged. "Doesn't matter. As long as you're back to normal."
"We missed you the whole time," Palutena added, pulling both twins into a hug.
Pit snuggled a little closer. "Me too."
"You're better now, right?"
"Mhm! I'm going to make up for all the food and games and hot spring baths I missed out on."
"And all the work you didn't do," Dark Pit interjected. "You were out for more than a week."
Pit beamed, carefree. "We're just going to ignore that part."
Chapter 15: Sort-of-Spring Cleaning
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Useful things are like mirages: always in your face until you actually need them. It took Dark Pit half an hour to come up with that pointless analogy while he pored through every corner of his room, unearthing stuff he didn't even know he'd lost. In hindsight, he should've left everything alone; now he was trapped in a spiral of moving things around, noticing layers of dust from who knows how long ago, and moving more things to make space to clean up. So his room was cleaner, but in the least noticeable way. And he still couldn't find that accursed tuning fork.
He only snapped out of it when everything looked spotless. More than an hour successfully wasted, and I bet I've seen a million things I won't be able to find later. At least he could be sure the tuning fork wasn't here, meaning he'd have to venture outside– starting with where it was most likely to be.
Pit's door was slightly ajar, and the creak when he flicked it open pulled his twin's attention away from the book in his hands. Sky blue eyes brightened. "Pittoo! Perfect timing! You've got to read this after that other series. I wanna talk about it."
"You always need me or Palutena to read everything you like? When are you going to grow up?" That was harsher than he intended. He liked talking about books they'd read, but he didn't have the energy to deal with this right now.
Pit was unfazed. "Fine, maybe when you're in a better mood, Mr. Grouchy. What brings you here?"
"Can't find the tuning fork." Pit tilted his head, so he clarified, "For my guitar. It's sounding flat."
"Oh, the dessert fork looking thing! What business would I have with that?"
"Your room is a magnet for my stuff." A glimpse of familiar fabric trim caught his eye, and he yanked open the closet. "Like this chiton. And these sweaters."
"Okay, I promise I meant to give those back! Eventually!" Dark Pit sensed his twin wince when he slammed the door harder than necessary, but he was followed back to his room anyways. "Maybe Lady Palutena can help if you need it so badly. Why can't you just use a digital tuner?"
"What do you think I've been doing for months?" he retorted, stuffing his reclaimed clothes away. "It just pisses me off that I can't find something I could use."
He shouldn't have bothered asking Palutena either. Aimlessly looping a lock of hair around her finger, she queried, "Are you sure you checked everywhere in your room?"
"Would I be here if I didn't?" Dark Pit snapped. "Locate it with your powers and I'll get it."
She avoided his gaze and his request. "Try checking the basement first."
"You mean the dungeon where we banish things you guys are too sentimental to throw out?"
Pit took personal offense to that. "What would you know about getting attached to something you've had for years?"
"Your feelings are making it hard to find stuff around here."
"You have a point," Palutena admitted begrudgingly. "We need to do some spring cleaning."
"Spring cleaning?" Dark Pit echoed. "We're in the middle of summer."
"That's okay! It's better late than never!" Her sudden determination was worrying. When Palutena set her mind to something, there was no stopping her. They had to bail.
Like they could pull that off. It was almost impressive how bad Pit was at coming up with excuses. "But we clean up every week!"
"Do we really?"
Just like that, his resolve faltered. "Sort of… when we feel like it. Which isn't now."
"I'm sure it's more relaxing than whatever else you wanted to do."
In what world is breaking your back to get rid of some dust relaxing? "Just use your powers. This can be a five-minute job. Work smarter, not harder."
Palutena barely opened her mouth to respond when Pit blurted out, "No need! We'll help!"
That was entirely unexpected. Palutena eyed him suspiciously as he pushed her out of the room to get the supplies, and Dark Pit dialed up the sarcasm when he turned back. "What a skilled negotiator."
"Take a hint, stupid! She's avoiding her powers! It's rare enough for her to take a break, so don't make her feel bad about it." Oh. Pit's skill at reading people would've been helpful if he didn't rub it in with a self-satisfied grin. "You're welcome, my socially-inept butterfly. If something happened because she overworked herself, it would've been your fault."
He slapped his hand over his twin's face to shut him up. "Can't hear you."
One thing led to another, and soon enough they were on the floor wrestling. Dark Pit barely heard Palutena' footsteps over the sound of their tussled feathers before she unabashedly whacked both of them with a broom. The plumes of dust made them sneeze, bringing their skirmish to a halt. "If you put half that energy into chores, we wouldn't have to do this." She totally did that for fun. "Come on. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll finish."
"I don't wanna do this," he grumbled, determined to complain til the end.
Pit grabbed a duster and gave him an overdone shrug. "Sorry not sorry. Just deal with it."
"I don't need to hear that from you of all people."
"Guys. Focus." They hadn't even started yet and Palutena already looked done with them. Maybe this is why spring cleaning only happens once a year.
Pit held his hand out, basking in the warmth of faintly coloured splashes of light bouncing off the marbled hallways. Another job well done. As if sweeping the floors and dusting the walls wasn't enough, the never-ending row of suncatchers strung across the windows almost made him give up at first sight. They'd been around for as long as he could remember, and judging by how much dust he had to wipe off, it didn't look like they'd ever been cleaned much. Not even the crystals he and Palutena helped Dark Pit hang up were spared. Where does all this dust come from, anyways?
One of the suncatchers was swaying precariously, and he lifted himself into the air to delicately hold it still. It was a miracle they were all still intact, apart from a couple of unnoticeable nicks. "Alright, time to forget about these for a couple of years," he declared, landing and stretching his arms. "I bet you guys aren't even close to my pace!"
Dark Pit's voice drifted down the hallway. "I'm so far ahead I forgot I did any cleaning."
"Oh, so you can hear me now but not when I yelled at you to come help? You were definitely doing nothing."
"Get over here, we've got to sort out the stuff I found in the basement." Conveniently ignoring me. Typical. Pit dashed over to the living room right as his twin plopped another overflowing box on the floor, his expression radiating disdain. "Look at the kind of junk that's in here. What was a rubber duck doing in the basement?"
Seeing it unlocked memories he forgot he had. "Hey– that's not trash! Gimme!"
Dark Pit held it further away. "Did I say it was?"
"Your face says it loud and clear!"
That's how Palutena walked in on them stuck in a deadlock of pushing each other away. "I thought we were decluttering?"
Pit didn't expect his twin to let go so soon. The sudden lack of pressure made him fall with a yelp onto the edge of one of the boxes, and its contents spilled out around him in a flood of disorganization. "Pittoo! You're supposed to tell me–"
"Tell you what? Stop pushing?"
"This is why you should do more balance exercises." She helped him up, brushing dust off his wings. "Your reflexes need some work."
"No amount of training was going to prevent that!"
Dark Pit ignored them and crouched over to rummage through the pile. "Hey, I found my tuning fork."
"That's nice." Palutena took a seat cross-legged on the carpet. "We don't have much of a choice now. I guess we'll look through this mess and decide what we need and what we don't." Pit freed up space for himself and joined her, rubber duck in hand.
Crimson eyes scanned over them. "With you idiots involved, this'll be pointless."
It only took a few minutes to see why. Their verdict was always 'Keep here' or 'Back to the basement', and Dark Pit was slowly getting more irritated. "We don't need this stupid mug. We have more than enough already."
"It has a smiley face! It would be sad if we threw it out," Pit insisted.
His brother mulled it over, obviously conflicted. "Fine, we'll give it away instead."
"There's four of them. We don't want them to be lonely," Palutena mentioned.
"Then we'll donate all four. Happy?" Dark Pit kept the mugs off to the side and glared at them. "Stop guilt tripping me over inanimate objects. You're so immature."
"Having empathy for inanimate objects is better than having none at all," she pointed out.
"Even more proof that you have a heart," Pit added, unable to hold back a smile. It was no secret his twin liked validation that he wasn't a malicious clone.
It was wholesome to see his teal wings perk up, but he took the compliment the wrong way. "This is emotional blackmail. Next."
Now that giving things away was an option, they were making more progress. "If it's old and kinda broken, who can we give it to without being jerks?" Pit wondered, examining a slightly chipped plate from ages ago. They made eye contact for a moment before unanimously agreeing, "Magnus."
"He can pawn off any trinket in somewhat-decent condition. Seeing value in everything is a useful skill," Palutena acknowledged.
"That's the power of calling things vintage," he shrugged, putting it aside.
It was also surprising how many ideas they had when they were focused. "This could be upcycled," she theorized, wiping dust off an old cooking pot. "A bit of paint and it could be a planter. Viridi keeps pestering me to move our houseplants to bigger containers."
But some things had no clear purpose. "I don't care what you say, we definitely don't need this," Dark Pit decided, holding some kind of plastic knob.
Pit squinted and shook his head. "No idea what that is. Recycle."
"We need to recycle this glass too. There's no way we can reuse all of it," Palutena regretted.
Dark Pit didn't miss a beat. "Clear, green, and amber need to be separated, and glass kitchen stuff goes in the garbage." He continued sorting, oblivious to their stares for a bit. "Did I stutter?"
"That's oddly specific."
"It's Viridi's fault. I was barely in the Forces of Nature for two months and I still had to memorize the waste disposal chart. With all 15 types of recycling."
"Aren't you glad you came to live with us?" Pit chirped, wrapping his arms around him.
Of course, he was shoved back. "No comment."
"Would it kill you to show affection for once?"
"Shut up and get to work."
It didn't take long to finish with everyone helping, and Dark Pit stood up to admire the rows of neatly sorted and labelled boxes. "This was so overdue. Let's put everything where it needs to be, and Pit-stain can take out the trash."
"Who put you in charge?"
"Do it while I'm asking you nicely." You weren't asking, and definitely not nicely.
Palutena peered into a box of items to repurpose. "Where should I keep these until we're ready to fix them?"
"The basement?" Pit offered.
His twin was vehemently opposed. "Then why did we even do this?"
"Okay, tell us your amazing idea, Pittoo." He let the silence linger for a second. "That's what I thought."
"As long as we remember they exist and don't procrastinate, we'll be fine," Palutena assured. Yeah, we'll figure something out. Probably.
The decorations in the temple's main hall were overrated. Pit had been polishing a large glass vase for at least 10 minutes and he still couldn't find a single redeeming feature on it. Its shimmering aquamarine glaze was cool, but nothing could hide how plain it was. There was also a bowl of ornaments whose clashing colours were an eyesore; some kind of spiky ball that had no purpose; a golden candle holder that would've been pretty if it matched anything else… the list kept going. This side of the room always made him question Palutena's taste in aesthetics.
"Still cleaning that stupid pot?" The gust of air when his brother landed behind him tousled his hair. "It's a lost cause."
"You're right. That's enough for one day," he groaned, standing up. "You finished dusting the trim?"
"Mhm. I think that's all we had to do." Finally. "Palutena better be done as well."
Pit folded his washcloth as they went to check on her. Poking his head into the living room, he was immediately bathed in the gentle blue light of her halo. It illuminated the area around her as she swept in graceful rhythmic swirls, humming softly. His twin leaned over to whisper, "At least someone's having fun."
Clearly she was, even when she reached over to dust a table. "I wish I looked that cool doing something so boring."
She was entirely oblivious to them watching for a while, but she froze mid-twirl when her gaze drifted over to their direction. The halo flickered. "Oh! You're done already?" she spluttered. It was funny how this could embarrass her, of all things. "Go ahead. I'll be there soon."
"Go where? We've already done our part," Pit reminded her loftily.
"Just…" She hesitated for a moment, fiddling with her hair. "You can mop up the main hall!"
Ha. She's so self-conscious right now. Dark Pit wasn't as amused. "No way. You mop up the main hall."
"I have to get rid of these piles first, so you can leave me alone, thank you very much."
Pit only noticed the mass of light and dark feathers in the corner right then. It was panic-inducing. All of a sudden his wings felt kind of sparse. "Am I really shedding that much? Why don't they just stay on my wings where they belong?"
His twin was unbothered. "Relax. I'm losing as many feathers as you. And before you blame us, don't get me started on how much of your hair I find in the randomest places every day," he added to Palutena.
That brought her back to normal. "I wasn't blaming anyone. Moulting and hair loss are normal. So while I take care of this, you guys should get your work over with."
There was no winning this, so Pit resigned himself to getting a pair of mops and tuning out the incessant complaining beside him. "Nice going, Pit-stain. This was completely unnecessary."
"Stop it already. It's just one room, and it'll be faster with the two of us!"
Water sloshed around when Dark Pit dropped the bucket forcefully. "Yeah, sure. It only happens to be the biggest room in the temple."
Words weren't helping, so Pit squeezed the excess water out of his mop and shot him a mischievous grin. "Race you."
"Wait, what?"
They didn't wait for any signal to take off, but soon enough they were both sprinting down the length of the hall, streaking water behind them. It was a recipe for disaster. Pit was giddy with exhilaration, gliding his mop along effortlessly and gaining a small lead– until a flash of movement in the corner of his eye made him whip his head back just in time to see his twin slip. "Pittoo?"
Trying to stop without looking ahead was obviously a bad idea. Not that anything felt obvious in the moment. Almost simultaneously, Dark Pit barely managed to catch his balance, and Pit's stomach dropped when he lost all traction under his feet. The mop clattered to the floor and he collided with something hard when he fell. "Ow! Stupid table–"
"Watch out!" Dark Pit yanked him away by the arms a second before the glass vase shattered behind him in a spray of aquamarine shards.
He didn't have a chance to thank him before he felt a vague tingling in his wings. Oh no. The Power of Flight could be just as constraining as liberating depending on how it was used. Both angels were suspended by their wings a few meters in the air by the time Palutena glided in anxiously, staff in hand.
"Don't you realize you have to move away if something breaks? You could get hurt!" she panicked. Wait, you care more about our wellbeing than this vase? He was hopeful until she looked back at the disaster in front of her. "How did you screw up this badly? What am I supposed to do now?" Never mind.
Dark Pit kicked around in the air, but quickly gave up and crossed his arms. "Stop being so dramatic. It's just an ugly pot."
"It was in perfect condition for centuries," she clipped. Yeah, she's mad. We're finished.
Pit had no idea why she cared about it, but the best policy was to fake it til you make it. "Sorry for breaking your vase, Lady Palutena. I know you liked it even though it was on the boring side–"
"Hm? I think you're misunderstanding." When she looked up at them, he realized he'd misread her tone. That wasn't anger. That was fear. "All the furniture and decorations in the main hall were gifts I received when I became the Goddess of Light."
"Oh." All of a sudden he didn't feel that bad anymore. They weren't being yelled at; the three of them were partners in crime now.
"And this painfully boring vase was from Lord Poseidon."
Dark Pit winced. "Crap."
"Yeah. I respect him and appreciate his support, but I swear he has something against me." This conversation would be much more fun if they weren't pinned in the air. Flailing aimlessly didn't make them any less stuck when Palutena wasn't even looking. "Apparently 'lies don't become a lady'. Lies shouldn't become anyone without a valid reason!"
"Uh, Lady Palutena?"
She continued, unaware, "There's no point being so uptight about every little thing–"
"Lady Palutena."
"– And he thinks I'm too immature to rule Skyworld."
His focus shifted instantly. "What? Why?"
"Because I'm having fun? I don't know, a lot of senior gods think I should take my job more seriously like my predecessors."
"Well, I'm not a senior god, but I think you're doing great!"
Palutena gave him a mellow smile. "Aw, thank you, Pit! I'm trying my best."
Dark Pit ruined their moment by interjecting, "And I think you can put us down now."
It was like she snapped out of a daydream. "You're still up there? Sorry, I forgot." You were literally having a conversation with me. Palutena had always been absent-minded at times, but he liked that quirk. She wasn't an all-powerful deity, just another imperfect person. With a wave of her staff, she carefully lowered them to the ground and released her tight hold on their wings.
"Why are you gods always so violent?" Dark Pit complained, folding his wings. "Your go-to reactions are smiting, capturing, or cursing."
"Sorry, I panicked," she admitted. "No one got hurt, right?"
Pit shook his head. "Nope, but someone will if we don't clean this mess up soon."
"What should we do with it?" she murmured, tapping a finger on her staff. "We can't just throw it out."
His twin took a pragmatic approach. "Realistically, how often does anyone visit? I've never met any gods other than Viridi. We could leave this in the basement and no one would know."
"Bold of you to assume their messengers aren't looking out for these kinds of things. Sometimes I feel like gods care more about who respects who than paying attention to the messages they're sent."
"Do they have nothing better to do than gossip and hold grudges?"
"Nope!" Pit answered cheerfully. "The gods are everything they hate about humans: selfish, greedy, egotistical…" He was well aware that most gods would kill him for even thinking that.
"They're such a pain to work with sometimes," Palutena complained, resting her forehead on the orb of her staff. "So thanks for giving me a break today. It felt suspicious when you two were suddenly ready to help, but I really needed it." From her fond smile, he could guess both of them had the same contented expression right then. "Okay. Back to this."
"These shards are actually pretty big. Not much ground glass either," Dark Pit noticed.
"It wouldn't be too hard to glue them together," Pit mused. "But it's glass, so you'd still see the cracks."
Palutena's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Actually, I have an idea. Let's do some crafting."
Gloves, check. Paint brush, check. Remnants of the vase, wiped clean of small pieces, check. Adhesive that looked like molten gold, check. "That should be everything. I think," Palutena pondered. "I've never done this before, but I've always wanted to try."
Dark Pit was treading the fine line between curious and condescending. "So you're telling me we're going to fix a pot we broke by making it as obvious as possible that we broke it?"
"We're embracing imperfection, Pittoo," she corrected sagely.
Pit examined the small jar of adhesive. "This is going to hold it together?"
"It's just glue mixed with gold powder, so it'll dry normally."
"Why gold specifically?"
She shrugged. "I wanted something to finally match that candle holder I was given."
"Wait, really?" His wings fluttered eagerly. "I wasn't the only one who thought it was out of place?"
"Please. Did you think I wanted to decorate the hall like that?" she laughed, trailing off when the twins glanced at each other knowingly. "Now I'm concerned you thought my taste in design was that hopeless."
"I will neither confirm nor deny that statement," Pit solemnly vowed. Maybe I do need to hone my mind-reading abilities and see what else they think of me.
"I found the base, but how are we supposed to put together the rest?" Dark Pit questioned, holding it for them to see.
"We'll have to treat it like a puzzle," she explained. "Solve a layer, glue it, and hope for the best."
"Then we're screwed. Last time we tried making a puzzle, this one picked it up and the whole thing crumbled," he accused, gesturing at his twin.
"I didn't have much of a choice when you were practically lying on top of it!" Pit retorted.
If her memory was anything to go by, neither of them was wrong. "It's okay, this'll be more secure. You two can hold the pieces in place and I'll paint. I don't trust either of you to have steady hands."
"Fair enough." Pit pulled on a pair of gloves and slid one of the shards into place. "Here."
Palutena swirled her paintbrush in the thick adhesive and slathered a layer on the base. Oops. Too much. It took some trial and error to spread even layers of adhesive between the pieces and neatly dab off the excess. Figuring out where each piece went couldn't be easy, but the twins were doing well– even if they were all reaching past each other like a convoluted game of Twister. She ended up with feathers in her face more than once.
"Pittoo. Stop pushing my arm or this is getting in your hair, maybe or maybe not by accident."
"I'd move if Pit wasn't poking his elbow into my stomach."
"Sorry, I'm kind of stuck! Her knee is in the way!"
"So who's supposed to move first?"
Somehow they managed to get untangled, almost spilling the adhesive in the process. That would've been a nightmare to clean up. Dark Pit carefully inserted the last gold-lined shard into the gap left for it, and Palutena smoothed out the lines. After holding it in place for a minute, she gently set the finished vase down. "There we go."
The reconstruction process was far from perfect, so the vase wasn't evenly shaped like before. But the gold veins running along it were strikingly pretty, and each of the aquamarine sections in between had a slightly different sheen. Pit summed up their reaction perfectly. "Woah. It finally has some character now."
"The only problem is it's obviously better than before," Dark Pit pointed out.
"That's kind of the point, right? We took a gift and made it our own," Palutena reflected. "How about a picture to commemorate this project?"
Dark Pit clearly wasn't expecting her to try taking a selfie. "Just take a picture of the vase. We don't need to be in it."
"But we're the ones who made it. Come on, don't be camera shy!" Pit encouraged.
He crossed his arms and looked away dismissively. "Not every photo needs to be a family photo." Did he… Pit and Palutena shared a fleeting ecstatic glance. He said 'family'! It's been months, but this is worth the wait. "What? You guys look so stupid."
"Family photos are the best photos." Palutena wrapped her arm around them and Pit flashed a peace sign. As usual, both of them were beaming, but she waited to catch a soft smile from Dark Pit before snapping the picture. That's so cute.
"Okay, we're finally done!" she announced, gingerly putting the camera aside. "Let's put this vase in the hall and the supplies back in the closet. Don't you dare drop anything, or we'll have to clean that up too." After today, she had a feeling that was enough motivation for all of them.
Notes:
For anyone who's wondering, the method they used to fix the vase is a Japanese art form called kintsugi! I think it teaches a nice lesson of embracing imperfections instead of hiding them.
I also wanted to let you know that my posting schedule will probably get even more unpredictable because of some upcoming life changes, but I'll still be writing, so feel free to make any suggestions for future oneshots or stories! Thank you so much for reading! :)
- Persimmon
Chapter 16: Gala of the Gods
Notes:
Hello! I just wanted to mention that this chapter is longer than usual; I considered splitting it up or removing some parts, but I felt like that would defeat the point of a oneshot. Future chapters will probably be the typical length! Also, a disclaimer that none of the mythology in this chapter is accurate-- Kid Icarus is very loosely based off Greek mythology, so I took a lot of liberties here. I know it's not a big deal, but I'd probably be annoyed if I read it thinking it was supposed to be accurate at all. Thanks as always for reading and supporting with kudos and comments! :)
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
There was no way they were going to mess up again after getting this far. Dark Pit squinted, watching the pixelated Mario sprite swing over chasms and breeze through a horde of enemies, waiting until the platforms materialized ahead. "Now! Jump!"
His twin hunched forward and tapped the controller surprisingly meticulously for someone shot with adrenaline. The first jump barely landed, but he slightly overshot the second, and they helplessly watched Mario fall into the abyss. "Darn it! Not again!"
It was a miracle this craziness hadn't driven them insane by now. "That was close. Remember to break your momentum on the first platform next time."
"Here, you can have a turn." Pit handed him the controller and collapsed into the sofa, rubbing his eyes. "Why are we doing a kaizo, again?"
"'Cause it's challenging. Let's try again later. My fingers are sore from that stupid fighting section."
He opened one eye playfully. "If there was somewhere to pause and give you the controls solely for platforming, we'd be unstoppable."
"Exactly."
Dark Pit reflexively seized up when something hit his head, relaxing when he registered who it was. He tilted back to look up at Palutena, causing her hand to slide closer to his forehead. "I didn't think it was possible to make progress on this without cheats," she marvelled. "How long have you been at it?"
"Three days?" Pit guessed. "Today's Thursday, right?"
"It is? That means the gala is day after tomorrow," Palutena realized. Funny name for a divine council meeting. Maybe no one shows up if it sounds boring.
Angels shouldn't care about a meeting of the gods, but Pit looked equally surprised. "It's already been a year since the last one?"
She shook her head. "You're thinking of something else. The last official gala was held before the war, around five years ago."
Sometimes, they needed to be reminded that he hadn't lived with them forever. "What are we even talking about?"
Their eyes met in a knowing glance. "The gala is a get-together for the gods," Palutena explained. "It's mostly a formality. Nothing important gets discussed there."
"And I care because…"
"It's not just open to gods. I go every time," Pit spoke up. That was a betrayal of their shared dislike of visiting random people.
"Why? Just for fun?" Dark Pit scorned.
As always, Palutena had an answer. "You two are managing defence throughout Skyworld, so the gods want to keep tabs on who they're trusting from time to time." His blank stare amused her. "Forgot you had responsibilities?"
"It's not that. I'm not going. I haven't even met other gods before."
"Oh, you're right…" You're just realizing now? "But you can't keep delaying a public appearance. You've been here for a whole year."
"I can delay it for a little longer." It took a lot of effort to sound nonchalant while trying to quash the anxiety building up in his chest, the pounding heartbeat and tense breathing that promised to spiral out of control at the worst moment. I don't want to see anyone, they don't want to see me. Please, just let me stay home.
It was inconvenient that both of them could read him well. "Pittoo, you want to tell us something?" Pit prompted, his voice tinged with concern.
"No."
"Only tell us what you're comfortable with, but if saying it to our face is the problem, you don't have to look." He gave Palutena a skeptical frown. "Seriously. Close your eyes or look away, and we'll do the same. I think it helps." She startled Pit by swatting his hand. "That means you too."
Dark Pit knew they weren't going to leave him alone, so he focused his gaze on a random tile on the floor. In the inviting silence, it didn't take long for his thoughts to bubble out. "I have no idea what you guys were thinking, letting a creation of the Underworld Army protect Skyworld. It feels like everyone I meet is trying to uncover some hidden twisted motive in me, and I'm tired of being pried apart. The gods are even worse with their egos and prejudices– it's thanks to them I'm targeted by every side of every conflict. I hate them for it." That got more intense than he expected, and he looked up hesitantly for their reaction.
As promised, they only opened their eyes when he finished, Palutena keeping her gaze downcast. "I won't deny that none of the gods have been nice to you. Including me," she started after a pause. "There's no way to justify it either. We were all too fixed on your origins to really understand you. It's unfair and not your fault, but people can only see they were wrong if they get to know you. That doesn't mean you have to make friends or give them a chance like you gave me. And we'll try our best to support you, okay?"
"Leave the introductions to me," Pit assured him. "Oh, there's also free food. We can waste time at the buffet."
Nothing would make him eager to go, but Palutena was right: continuing to live blissfully alone would only make the rumors and assumptions worse. Dark Pit clenched his fist. "Fine. But I'm only going because it'll make things easier for me. Not to make you happy."
Pit frowned. "Did we ever say we wanted to go either?"
"You don't?"
"None of us is particularly outgoing, Pittoo. We're attending because we have to. Free food is a plus," Palutena winked. It didn't solve his problems, but knowing they were in this together made it feel a little less daunting.
This was a delicate operation, but no matter how much Pit practiced, it didn't look like he was getting any better. "Stay still. It's going to smudge if you keep blinking."
"It feels like you're scratching my eyeball," Palutena complained. "I can take it from here."
"Why do you even need eyeliner under your eyes?" he groaned, capping the pencil. "If it smudges, it'll look like dark circles."
"I just wanted to try," she shrugged, leaning closer to the mirror. That's what you say every year. "The upper eyelids look good, though. Thank you."
"No problem! You can repay me with snacks."
"Just steal food from the buffet tonight," she suggested shamelessly. "Optimal utilization of resources."
"Heh. I should tell the other gods about the unhinged stuff you say at home."
"They'd think I'm too mentally unstable to rule Skyworld. You two wouldn't have a great track record either." As usual, her carefree demeanour completely contrasted her regal presence. "So how we act at home stays between the three of us. Speaking of, where's Pittoo? Still sulking in his room?"
"He's stressed. It can't be easy to meet people when you're suspicious of each other."
"It's not cruel of us to force him into this, is it?" she pondered worriedly. "He said he'd go, but we didn't give him much of a choice. I just don't want him to feel like an outcast."
"Avoiding it would make him feel like more of an outcast later. We'll be there for him; he'll be fine."
She hesitantly nodded her acceptance and shifted her focus. "So, have you decided what to wear?"
"Uh… no," he lied. She didn't need to know he'd been planning to wear his usual white chiton until now. "If you're reusing an old gown, I could wear that yellow chiton from a few years ago."
A few minutes later, he was fastening the shimmering golden folds of fabric with a matching amber pin. Unlike last time, he didn't end up with any extra cloth: definitive proof of a growth spurt, as far as he was concerned. And it looked pretty good too. Bright colours suited him. He was about to yell at his twin to hurry up when the grumbling started. "What the hell did you give me, Palutena? Yellow is not my colour."
Well, duh. We already knew that. Pit turned to take a look, freezing when he ended up face-to-face with his reflection. In more ways than one. He panned over his twin's identical sandals, bracelets, and golden-yellow chiton, up to his own irate eyes dyed crimson. Their silence was only interrupted by the click of a camera. "Lady Palutena. We're not dressing up like twins."
"But you are twins. It's cute! At least pose for a picture!"
"Shut up and delete that," Dark Pit seethed. "You couldn't have chosen a better colour?"
"I based yours off what Pit wanted to wear," she justified. "The colour choice was all him."
"So who's changing?" Pit asked flatly.
"Me, obviously! You look passable. I look like a clown." He was so assertive, it struck Pit how funny he sounded out of context. This is so stupid. It wasn't long before he and Palutena were laughing enough that it was hard to breathe, and Dark Pit scowled at them when he slammed his door.
"Correction: I'm not just passable. I'm always handsome," Pit called once he caught his breath. It was a minute or two too late for a comeback, but it needed to be said. And Palutena, swaying a little while sifting through her pictures, needed to understand the risk she'd taken. "We're getting back at you for that. Imagine how bad it would be for our reputation if we were playing dress-up at a formal event."
She was cheerful as always. "Reputation isn't as important as memories. This picture is cute, but I promise I'll get one where you guys are actually looking at the camera." That's besides the point.
"Hurry up." Dark Pit shoved his door open with his shoulder, both hands trying to fasten the clasp of a silver bracelet. "We were supposed to leave at 5."
Palutena brushed off his concern. "No one shows up on time. Do you need help with that?"
"I can do it myself," he muttered, glaring at his wrist. It was painful to watch the struggle continue for a solid minute before it finally clicked into place. "Told you."
"We don't need to look as different as possible," Pit mentioned. "I mean, violet looks good on you, but silver accessories instead of gold?"
"Why do you care? Get outside already. We're late."
"As if you weren't the last one ready!"
"We're late anyways, so we might as well take some pictures before we go!" Palutena interjected.
This was always the longest and most boring part of getting ready, except now that the twins had an advantage in numbers, it was much more bearable. They allowed her two decent pictures before refusing to cooperate, and she summed up her frustration with a sigh of "You guys."
He kind of didn't want her to go put away her camera. Ignoring Dark Pit's anxious fidgeting was impossible when it was just the two of them. What am I supposed to do? Tell him it'll be okay? That'll make it worse. He settled for an awkward, "So, think they'll have fancy food like caviar?" Never mind. This is worse.
"It would be pathetic if the gods couldn't afford caviar," he snapped.
As usual, Pit found himself rambling. "Gourmet food is bland and overrated. The best meals are the ones you make at home where someone adds a bit too much seasoning." He thought it was insightful, but Dark Pit didn't even react. Fine, let's forget I said that. "Also, I like your necklace."
That finally made him look up. "Thanks. It's from the Overworld." Pausing to fiddle with the thin chain, he added, "There, people wear things because they look cool or have emotional value. Not to show loyalty to the gods or avoid a bad fate or whatever. I like that." Maybe that did the trick, judging by Dark Pit's softened expression. As long as he kept his cool, he'd be okay.
I hate this. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this. Dark Pit maintained laser-pointed focus on the floor, placing his feet far away from the edges of the marble tiles rushing past him. It was the only way he could block out the music pounding at his skull. He knew it wasn't loud, but right now, it was overwhelming. The blur of cream feathers was still in his peripheral vision amidst the sea of strangers, slowing to a stop only when necessary. He'd already had one too many disastrous introductions. No need for repeats.
This was such a bad idea. Palutena had been whisked away after introducing them to only one god, whose judgemental stare was still giving him chills. And he couldn't tell when Pit stopped holding his hand, but he didn't know if he wanted the comfort or if touch would be too much to handle. I hate this.
"Pittoo." He glanced up into his twin's sapphire irises. "There's a few more people we have to say hi to, then we can stay in the dining hall. Okay?"
"Yeah." As if he had any other choice.
Pit was surprisingly comfortable navigating the halls of this place and smoothly greeting a group of imposing gods– or maybe they only felt imposing because their icy glares were directed solely at Dark Pit. He wanted to hide, but it was obvious they were watching his every move as Pit introduced him. Even after so much trial and error earlier, he still chose the wrong words. "This is Dark Pit. My brother. We lead the army together, and we're happy to be of service."
There it was again: the tension on everyone's face at 'brother'. This time, one of the gods ignored him entirely to ask Pit, "You are aware of the weight that word holds, correct?"
Impressively, he was completely unfazed. "Of course, Lord Aeolus. He's my brother. We trust each other."
Cold washed over when Dark Pit felt someone stroke his wings. A sweet voice drifted from behind him. "Does he speak, or is he your copy in form alone?"
Now he knew for sure: touch was overwhelming. "Don't touch me," he gritted, throwing his wings back. "In case you haven't realized already, I'm a person. I make my own decisions. Stop asking stupid questions."
Golden curls bounced when the goddess recoiled. "Oh, he's aggressive. It's so like Medusa to hinder her soldiers from having a life outside of the Underworld Army."
"I was never with them." He hated how no one was talking to him directly. "My allegiance is to Skyworld, not any god. And I'm living just fine here."
"How cute that you think so," she smiled. "Lady Palutena must be treating you well to make you believe you belong here more than the Underworld."
This was the one thing he couldn't take. "And whose fault is that?" he shouted, fully aware he was only adding to his problems. "Who are any of you to tell me where I belong? Enjoying your lives here– do you have any idea what it's like for me?"
He'd never understand why they were the ones looking offended. The god from earlier spoke up, his disdain obvious. "This… outburst only serves to prove Lady Hespera's point. The Underworld may have no need for values, but deference and loyalty are expected here."
"I–"
"I apologize," Pit interrupted, snatching his hand. Let go of me. Dark Pit jerked his hand back viciously, unable to process his surroundings over his swirling thoughts and knotted stomach. It took all his self-control to keep quiet until they were out of that room.
He only reacted when he was sure they were alone in a dim hallway. "What did you apologize for, huh?" he hissed. "I told you I don't belong here. And apparently I can't defend myself, because–" All the words died when Pit enveloped him in a tight hug. Any other touch would've repulsed him, but this was exactly what he needed. Funny how it'd taken him so long to figure out what hugs were for.
"Sorry you had to deal with those jerks," Pit murmured. "You're worth so much more than that. Don't let it get to you."
"That's not easy when it's coming from the people who are supposed to be protecting this world," he spat.
"I'm sure it isn't. Sorry I didn't help." Pit waited for a few reassuring seconds before letting go to offer him a tentative smile. "Okay. The hard part's over. Want a dessert to make up for it?"
"I'm not a child."
"You want a dessert or not?"
"Fine," he resigned.
One look at the dining hall and Dark Pit realized he'd underestimated how many options there would be. A whole table of desserts felt like overkill, but then again, the gods had no sense of moderation. Pit's advice was to "Try a bit of everything so we can decide what to take home."
"And who gave you permission to steal stuff?" he smirked.
"The highest authority in Skyworld," Pit shrugged, handing him a slice of cake.
"Yeah, that checks out."
He knew this was meant to make him feel better, so it wasn't hard to enjoy the cake and his twin's ingenious idea to dip a pastry in custard like a condiment. Scraping the last few crumbs off his plate, he hardly noticed a goddess lightly approach them and wrap her arms around Pit from behind. "Hello!"
Weirdly, he didn't look surprised at all. "Oh, hi! It's been forever!"
Rationally, Dark Pit knew she probably didn't mean any harm, but he'd only had bad experiences today. He would've left if he wasn't curious when his twin stood up, eye-to-eye with her, and started making quick-fire hand gestures. The hell? The crazy part was that she was doing it too, and it wasn't long before they were taking turns, their movements sprinkled with laughter. Is this some kind of ritual?
He didn't mean to stare, but Pit noticed pretty quickly. "Pittoo, this is the Goddess of the Sky! We're using signs, but she lip reads too." People can communicate like that? How? Why? She signed something else, and he translated, "There's no sound in space, so it's not like she needed to hear anyways." Oh. Apparently Palutena, with her glasses for whenever her work was too straining on her eyes, wasn't the only god whose body wasn't physically perfect.
But he refused to believe Pit of all people could do this. "You struggled to learn how to read, but you know all these random signs?"
"Well, yeah. Signs move anyways, so they were easier for me to figure out than moving letters. Bet you're realizing I'm not as stupid as you thought."
"You're not wrong."
"Hey– you could at least sugarcoat it!" The sky goddess giggled, and Pit settled into a smile. "I've been learning for a while, because she used to take care of me at events when Lady Palutena was busy." He turned back to her, signing and talking at the same time. It was impressive even if it was slow. "This is my brother! His name is Dark Pit and we lead the army together."
He forgot to gauge her reaction– his eyes were drawn to the crystals glittering like stars against her dark skin– but he couldn't detect any hostility. Although Pit didn't translate her signs, it was obvious what she'd said when he retorted, "I don't act like a middle child!"
"You're right. You act like the youngest," Dark Pit replied.
"He gets it!" Her voice was softer and more accented than he expected, so it took a few repeats to understand her. At least she didn't seem to mind. "Nice to meet you."
For the first time today, he felt like he could relax. "You too. I'll try learning some signs for next time."
She switched to using her hands, and Pit interpreted, "She says you're cute and she'd love to teach you." Not the image I'm going for, but whatever. A short signed conversation continued between the two of them, ending in him saying, "Oh, okay. See you around!"
Dark Pit could instantly tell why his twin's waving got less enthusiastic when the goddess left. "You forgot her name."
"And I've known her for so long!" he moaned. "That's so bad!"
"Typical. You remembered a whole language after never using it for at least a year, but not a name."
"I think his brain is wired dumber than most." Huh? Viridi? Both twins whipped their heads around to face her. She was hardly recognizable with her hair down, but that mocking grin was her trademark. "How's it going? Had enough of the wonderful gods?"
"You were right. They're the worst," Dark Pit groaned.
She patted his arm sympathetically. "They hate on the best of us. Meanwhile Phosphora's out there having the time of her life."
"Arlon and Phosphora are here too?" Pit wondered.
"Of course, featherbrain. You little angels may be protecting Skyworld, but they're in charge of defending the Overworld. Say hi if you see them."
"Will do. Later." He looked reluctant to add, "Just wondering, do you happen to remember the Goddess of the Sky's name?"
"Does it look like I remember everyone I meet?" she countered. "Consider yourselves lucky you're worth my memory."
"No wonder the other gods don't like you," Dark Pit mentioned. "Those Reset Bombs didn't help either."
"That was in the past," Viridi justified. "I'm a changed goddess now, so they're warming up to me. Besides, some dweeb destroyed my depot a while ago."
Pit was focused on solving his mystery. "Seriously, guys. I know her name starts with this sign, so it has something to do with stars. Comet? Nebula?"
"Stella?" Viridi suggested.
"Galaxy."
"Tara."
"Meteor."
"No way in hell her name is meteor," Dark Pit interjected.
"I'm just trying things out. Meteoroid? Asteroid?"
Something clicked in their eyes, and they spontaneously grabbed each other's hands. "Asteria!"
"Congrats, what an achievement," Dark Pit scoffed.
"Ugh, I couldn't have figured this out ten minutes ago?" Pit complained. "I've got to go tell her!"
"And I've got to get back to making sure Arlon hasn't pledged to solve all the world's problems. He's amazing, but he's too generous," Viridi explained. "See you!"
It was unnerving how quickly he lost sight of her upon leaving the dining hall. That should've been a warning to stay close to Pit while they searched the crowd for Asteria, but it was hard when his brain was registering everyone who passed by as a threat. What if I've seen them before? Or they heard about how I yelled at a bunch of gods? And it didn't help that every accidental brush of his feathers was a panic attack waiting to happen. I hate this. In the stifling anxiety, the idea of taking a detour was unusually appealing. There were more than enough smaller hallways in this building. I'll find Pit later. I just need some space.
Weaving past people to get out was an accomplishment in itself. The empty hallway he entered was a brief refuge, and he took a moment to catch his breath before making his next move. Okay. I just need to go the opposite way to join back to the main hall. I'll be fine.
Dark Pit's problem was that he always seemed to overestimate his abilities. Nine turns, three dead ends, and at least half an hour later, he was still surrounded by cold marble walls with no sense of where he'd been or where he'd started. And people thought Pandora's Labyrinth of Deceit was hard to navigate. Screw the stupid architect who thought it'd be fun to make all the hallways identical!
Telepathy was his last resort; if he had to be rescued during a party, Pit and Palutena would never let him live it down. But he was getting desperate. "Pit. You'd better have realized I'm not following you," he called. "You guys know how to get around this maze, right?" No response from either of them, and it was slowly sinking in that he was utterly alone. I hate this.
Social gatherings were exhausting. While meetings and discussions were a pain, Palutena was sure these festivals– where she was expected to strike up conversations with so many people and constantly pretend she had the energy for it– were by far the worst. This used to be so much easier when Pit was younger and they had an excuse to hide out or leave at any time. That stopped being an option a long time ago, but she still yearned for it.
This gala was particularly difficult now that the gods had a new topic of gossip. She couldn't help but think that bringing Dark Pit was a mistake with how many questions she was being asked about him, always yielding the same answers: No, he wasn't part of the Underworld Army; No, he isn't my servant; Yes, Viridi agreed to let him leave the Forces of Nature, he didn't desert them– Is it really that hard to leave him alone? She'd honestly thought he was exaggerating whenever he said no one trusted him, but this was a wake-up call.
At least some of the gods were accepting, but she was having a hard time defending him in front of those who weren't. And now they were reluctant to believe he was a nice person since word was getting around that he'd shouted at the Goddess of Love. I'll apologize to Lady Hespera later, but I bet she deserved it.
Her current focus: making it look like she was paying attention to a conversation she was roped into. Everyone in this group was too talkative for her comfort, and with a senior god like Poseidon present, there was no way she could leave unexcused. 'Ruling Goddess' just feels like a decorative title sometimes. Remember when Pit said it'd be easy to be a goldfish? That would be pretty nice ri–
"Lady Palutena will be there too, I presume?" Snapping out of her daydream, she was met with their eyes all trained on her. Oh no. This is why you don't tune out entirely.
"Well, I…" she fumbled. I have no idea what we're talking about. "It depends on my availability, and–"
"Lady Palutena is above having fun. She's always far too devoted to her work." That felt like a backhanded compliment, but she didn't mind it if Janus took over the talking. "I'm sure she'll also be busy keeping an eye on someone's loyalty." That was deliberate, but not worth confronting him.
Her slip-up was enough to make her pay more attention to their meandering discussion, just in case they mentioned– "Palutena!"
She physically jolted at the telepathic voice in her head. Everyone definitely noticed that. "Sure took you long enough to listen! Did you block off your telepathy past some radius?" Dark Pit stabbed.
"Pittoo, this isn't the time," she whispered, stepping aside.
"Yeah, whatever. How do I get to you?"
"Where are you? Where's Pit?"
"No freaking clue! Just use your powers!"
Of course she couldn't even get a day off at a gala. She didn't have her staff on hand, so it took a bit longer than usual to locate him. How did he possibly get that deep into the hallways alone? "Stay calm. You're pretty close to me. Just take a right, then the third hallway to your left, right again, and continue straight to the end. Got it?"
"Right, then the third left…" he began.
She hastily finished for him. "Then right then straight. Okay, bye!" Palutena felt kind of bad cutting off the connection so abruptly, but everyone else already looked suspicious. "I apologize for the interruption. There was just a navigation problem."
"I see you're still having to coddle your angel all these years later," Khione gibed.
I'll pretend we're talking about the same angel. "Only occasionally. They're both self-sufficient and help me much more than I've helped them."
"You already trust the other one enough to group them together?" Janus questioned. "That attitude only made things worse with Medusa. You should know better than anyone how easy it is to be blindsided."
This was a topic she'd rather not bring up, and she closed her eyes to keep her emotions in check. "Lord Janus, I assure you Dark Pit won't turn out like Medusa. She wouldn't have turned to war if she had support–"
"Palutena!" She spun around when Dark Pit grabbed her hand, ruby eyes scanning her searchingly. Oh. You were scared. I'm sorry I couldn't be there.
"Speak of the devil." Khione's tone was a strange mixture of placating and condescending. "It's basic etiquette that lesser beings should never be so familiar with a god. Taking her hand and using her name are unacceptable."
Lesser being. Palutena had always hated that term. When he let go, she held on tighter. "I don't mind. It would be lonely to constantly be treated so distantly." I'm never going to hear the end of that one.
Poseidon had a different focus. "You, boy. You were the one who got lost just now?"
She made eye contact with Dark Pit for a split second. He's not going to let me hear the end of this either. "Yes."
They were all taken by surprise when the usually stoic god laughed heartily. "I was the same: a real fish out of water anywhere beyond my home in the sea. The nerves were unbearable my first time here." Wait, what? Somehow, she couldn't imagine him as anything less than perfect.
Apparently, neither could Dark Pit. "You were lost too?"
"Aye, too many times. Coping with an unfamiliar place was difficult, but it gets better." He gestured to Palutena. "Go ahead, lassie. We'll give him some space."
She only truly processed what happened after they left without even formally taking leave. "That was too easy."
"This is the Lord Poseidon you complain about?" Dark Pit smirked. "Seems like a great guy to me."
"I never said he was a bad person," Palutena defended. "He's just strict. But it looks like he likes you more than most people." It was cute how happy that made him. She could only guess how bad the rest of his evening had been. "Is everything okay?"
"Mostly. Can we leave? Please?"
"After we find Pit. You have no idea where he is?"
"We were looking for Asteria in the main hallway, and I left for some space. No one told me it'd be impossible to navigate because all the hallways look the same!" he ranted.
"Pretty ironic for someone born in a labyrinth."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
"Alright. We'll stick together this time," she vowed. "Finding him should be easy enough."
Pit always forgot how big Skyworld was until he attended these sorts of functions. He'd easily spent over twenty minutes squeezing through the crowd with his twin, skimming over numerous faces, and he'd still almost missed Asteria when she was right in front of him. He almost forgot she couldn't hear him call her name, so he tapped her shoulder instead until she turned enough to see his signs. 'Lady Asteria!'
She lit up instantly. 'Pit! Everything good?'
He nodded, scouring his brain for the right words. 'I never introduced you properly to Dark Pit.' I need to make a sign for 'Pittoo'.
'It's okay!' Her eyes darted around, but her hands moved haltingly. 'Is your brother nearby? I don't see him.'
What? Last he'd checked, Dark Pit was right behind him. But as he slowly scanned over the hallway in all directions, it was looking like she was right. Asteria placed a hand on his arm. "Maybe he's slow."
Pit shrugged and faced her so she could read, "Or maybe he's lost. I should look for him."
"I'll look out too." She reached up to pat his head and made an unfamiliar gesture. "See you around." He copied her with a grin. I'm surprised I never learned that one before.
Now to find Dark Pit, or at least Palutena. He knew this building well, but that didn't change how big it was, and his search in the main hall came back empty. So that meant Dark Pit had gone into a smaller hallway or room instead. Why would any idiot go off on their own someplace they don't know? He's impulsive, but not the adventurous type. Not that it mattered now that Pit was stuck looking for him.
Most of the chambers he poked his head into were empty, but none of the people he saw were familiar enough to ask for help. He quickly stopped caring about being discreet. There was no need if no one noticed him anyways, and it was efficient until he walked right past someone he knew. Shoot. We made eye contact. I have no choice. "Hi, Lord Dyntos!" he greeted cheerily, backtracking into the room.
"Ah, long time no see, sonny!" he waved. Dyntos was a wild card, and Pit could never tell whether he should be formal or casual around him. Somehow, he always ended up choosing wrong.
"I don't think I've seen you at a gathering in a while! Don't you prefer making stuff in your workshop?"
He stroked his beard pensively. "That I do. I'd take peace and quiet over this hullabaloo any day. But sometimes people need a reminder you exist, ya know?" Okay, I haven't been yelled at yet, so maybe it's safe to ask about Pittoo and Lady Palutena.
Dyntos had other plans. He strode closer and locked eyes with Pit, watching him hawkishly. Despite his frail appearance, it was chilling. "Say, sonny. I might be old, but my memory is right as rain. I never got to have a chat with the angel who got my Great Sacred Treasure destroyed after only one use. So, humour me, would you?"
"I… uh…" I'm so finished. Run. "Sorry… I've gotta go!"
He already knew sprinting down the hallway to escape was a bad idea. "Where do you think you're going?" Dyntos yelled after him.
Lady Palutena kept talking about how powerful he is. He could easily smite me. In his panic, his only option was getting help. Even if it was from the person he was supposed to be looking for. "Dark Pit, get over here! This is not a drill!" If he doesn't respond to his actual name, he's not coming.
His pleas were answered, just not in the way he'd hoped. "Oh, there you– Wah!" He barely noticed Palutena step in before he tripped on her flowing gown and took both of them down. Now I'm really finished. "What are you doing?"
Dyntos answered for him. "Avoiding an important conversation, that's what!"
Palutena switched expressions immediately, standing up and smoothing her hair. "It's nice to see you, Lord Dyntos!"
While he watched them converse, a silver-braceleted hand reached to help him up. "You have a way of getting yourself found when you're lost, huh? Kind of like a flare, but noisier."
"With Hades, sure, but you were the one who was lost this time!" Pit retorted.
"Maybe," Dark Pit shrugged. "But you called for help."
"Perhaps I should equip both these whippersnappers with sensors," Dyntos mused, nodding at Palutena. "It'd make your life a lot easier, sunshine."
Now felt like a good time to apologize. "I'm sorry about that, Lord Dyntos. And for destroying the Great Sacred treasure. I tried my best to keep it safe, but–"
"That's not what I wanted to talk about!" Huh? "A good inventor needs to know how to improve their creations. I'm looking for customer feedback." There was no way it was that simple, but he seemed sincere.
"Maybe start by making them more durable," Dark Pit drawled. What the heck? "What's the point of a weapon with amazing firepower if it breaks the moment you're in a tricky situation?"
Dyntos looked mildly impressed. "Feisty, huh? I like your attitude!"
That was entirely unfair. "Hey, when I said the same thing, everyone called it rude!"
"The context was different," Palutena clarified. Great, the judge sides against me.
"Fine. Your turn, sonny," Dyntos offered.
He didn't think this through at all. "I don't really have any other critiques, but it was so awesome!" Pit didn't even try to stop his wings from fluttering. "The laser was epic! So was the mech armor form! And the pursuit mode was the fastest I've ever gone!"
"It has a pursuit mode?" Dark Pit echoed.
"Yeah! It's crazily fast!"
"I wanna try that."
"Two peas in a pod," Dyntos chuckled. "Looks like you're getting grey hairs dealing with 'em, Palutena."
"I am?" she panicked.
"My, my. You young ones and your obsession with youth. You're fine. But I'd be happy to have them test out a couple of prototypes at my workshop sometime."
"That would be great!" Pit cheered. Even his brother was visibly eager.
"Just not now," he warned. "I've had enough social interactions for a lifetime."
Palutena glanced at both twins with a smile. "I think that goes for all of us."
Chapter 17: Beat the Heat
Notes:
Hello again! Do I blame my lack of a posting schedule or the weather where I live for the fact that I started this chapter when it was averaging 30+ degrees every day, but now we’ve dropped into the negatives? :)
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
The glowing crescent moon peeked out behind clouds drifting by, lighting up the star-speckled sky. Palutena rested her head on her arms and leaned further onto the balcony railing to soak in the sound of chirping crickets and the scent of nighttime flowers wafting over on a gentle breeze– a perfect tranquil night except for one glaring issue. It's too hot. The temperature felt like midday, and the wind wasn't helping at all. If anything, it was just circulating the humidity even more. This is probably a heatwave, and a strong one too. I should ask Viridi if she can do anything about it… later. I've done enough work for today.
She tensed up at a loud clattering from inside the temple. That was strange for so late at night– but break-ins weren't unheard of in Skyworld. Of course she didn't have her staff on hand when she needed it, and thanks to how much energy she'd exhausted over the day, her vision was hopelessly blurry. It was a hassle, but nothing the Goddess of Light couldn't handle. A random broom they'd forgotten to put away could serve as a weapon in a pinch, and she gripped it tightly, warily approaching the noise. Whoever that is, they're having a hard time getting around.
Palutena leaned past the corner of the dark hallway. Panic seized her when she was faced by an indescribable shadow, and she deftly swung the broom, connecting with flesh a split-second before she heard a metallic clang and sloshing liquid. Wait– She hardly had time to think before she was whacked in the stomach by some kind of pole. A familiar voice rang out, "Ow! What the hell?"
"Pittoo?" She should've done this sooner, but she fumbled to use up her remaining energy to illuminate the room, blinking until the fuzzy outline of the twins came into view. Of course.
"Both of you guys came all the way here to attack me? What gives?" So Pit was the culprit behind the commotion. She squinted to see better, but it looked like he was holding a standing fan. Not a bad choice of weapon. "If you're going to hit someone, expect that they'll hit you back. Especially if it's me. I just shut both of you down in one go."
"I would've kept fighting if I didn't recognize your stupid face," Dark Pit retorted, rubbing his shin with the hand that wasn't holding his water bottle.
"You're literally the last person who can call my face stupid!"
"And also? If you're going to make so much noise in the middle of the night, expect that someone will come attack you."
Now that she’d gotten to gather her thoughts, Palutena had a number of questions. "Pit. Can I ask why you absolutely needed to get another fan this late? And is there a reason you don't have a shirt on?"
"It's too hot!" he complained. "The fan in my room isn't helping, so I woke up all sweaty a bunch of times. I just want to sleep in peace. I wasn't trying to be jumpscared and attacked with a broom and a water bottle."
"Sorry about that. We needed to make sure nothing else was going on."
"I'm not sorry," Dark Pit interjected. "You interrupted my sleep. I was cozy."
"Go flex your stupid heat tolerance to someone who cares!" Pit retaliated.
Palutena wasn't about to deal with this at one in the morning. "Shh. We don't need to wake up the rest of Skyworld." They maintained a glare of animosity, but at least they quietened down. "It's definitely too hot right now. Even outside. You know it's bad when marble can practically burn your skin at night."
Dark Pit locked eyes with her. "You were on the balcony until now, weren't you?"
"I was, but–"
In an instant, they abandoned their argument and teamed up against her instead. "Get some sleep!"
"You passed out because of burnout not too long ago!" Pit reminded her. "So you should know you can't keep working hard 24/7! I bet you can't even see clearly right now. How many fingers am I holding up?"
This was a losing battle. "Fine, fine. I'll be in my room. Good night!" Apparently they weren’t going to leave her alone. She was getting more annoyed the longer they followed her, fan and all. "I thought I said bye."
"You can't be trusted to take care of yourself," Dark Pit explained, opening her door. "Someone needs to monitor you."
"I appreciate the concern," she sighed sarcastically, sitting on her bed and starting to sloppily braid her hair. This was going to take forever to do manually, but telekinesis was a no-go.
"The temperature's actually not as bad here," Pit noticed, turning on her fan and setting up the other one nearby. "I'm taking over your bed. You have too much space for one person anyways."
"I don't mind as long as I don't get kicked and I get the side closest to my staff."
Dark Pit didn't even ask for permission before flopping backwards near the bottom of the bed, limbs splayed. "Good night."
His twin bundled up the covers and threw them on top of him. "How's the heat now?"
"I can barely feel it."
"Liar."
That's how Palutena's room was invaded by two teenagers who'd already fallen asleep while she was still stuck doing her hair. She watched them as her braid thinned into a point like a paintbrush. And you guys were supposed to make sure I got some rest? Still, it was nice of them to try, and she gave them both a soft kiss on the head before extinguishing the light in her room and drifting off to the gentle whirring of the fans. Let's hope it's not this hot out tomorrow. Or would that technically be later today? I don't know, it doesn't matter.
It was, in fact, even worse when she blinked her eyes open in the morning. At least the heat made it impossible for her to sleep in longer than she already had, and Palutena wiped the sweat off her brow while begrudgingly pulling herself up. If her vision was clear enough to show her she was more than two hours later than usual, it meant she had enough energy to get to work. She swung her legs to the side of the bed and got off. Wait. I don't have a carpet under my bed.
If she wasn't awake before, she certainly was now. The instant she realized that the soft fuzziness under her feet was dark teal feathers, she recoiled in panic. Ah! Pittoo, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you! Palutena watched him with bated breath for a few seconds, his slumbering body unmoving except for his calm breathing, and it slowly dawned on her that he didn't even realize what happened. "Both of you are really heavy sleepers, huh?" she murmured, glancing at Pit. Sure, his position was completely different from how he'd fallen asleep, but at least he was still on the bed. I guess we'll never know how Pittoo managed to fall off.
Palutena carefully scooped Dark Pit up, hoisting him onto the bed beside his brother and making sure to get his wings out of the way. She knew from experience how weird it felt when those went numb. The fact that such little exertion made sweat start beading on her forehead was a reminder that today was going to be a struggle.
It felt so refreshing to wash her face in cold water, but she'd entirely forgotten what humidity did to her hair when she pulled it out of the braid. She stared in exasperation at her reflection in the mirror, her flushed face haloed by emerald strands sticking every which way. It was nothing a bit of brushing couldn't fix– or so she thought. The frizz was only getting worse the more she messed with it. And this is where I give up. I'm just going to tie it.
At least she didn’t need to look presentable while she worked. She couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous of how comfortably the twins were sleeping while she took her staff, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Someone needed to control the intensity of sunlight in the realms.
Mugginess filled the hallways, and even the well-aerated main hall where she channeled her powers wasn’t spared. I can’t focus like this. Then again, I don’t need a physical form right now. With a deep breath, Palutena activated her powers and untethered herself from her body, relishing the surge of energy it gave her. That’s better. Time to get to work.
Mornings were always hectic as the Goddess of Light, but she’d been doing this for centuries, and today was no different. Most of the Overworld was fine after she’d made her adjustments, but there wasn’t much she could do about the heatwave encompassing all of Skyworld. If anyone could help, it’d have to be the Goddess of Nature. “Viridi?” She was caught off-guard by her own ethereal voice– a part of her divine form she didn’t hear as often with how much time she was spending in her physical body nowadays– and paused before continuing, “Are you free to help right now?”
Silence lingered for a few long moments. Then, “Good morning, Lady Palutena. Unfortunately, Mistress Viridi has been feeling a little… under the weather lately.”
“Oh. Good morning, Arlon!” she responded cheerily. “Is everything alright?”
Arlon was composed as always. “Indeed. She has always been sensitive to extreme temperatures, so I am certain this will pass with the heatwave. Miss Phosphora and I are managing her work for the time being, but that is one thing we cannot seem to remedy.”
“Didn’t I tell you we’re on a first-name basis? Stop being so formal!” Phosphora snapped. “Oh, hey, Palutena. We’re dying over here. Send help.”
It was still a mystery to her how those two worked so well together. “Um… so which is it? Send help or not?”
“Assistance would be much appreciated,” Arlon admitted. “We can take care of Mistress Viridi’s responsibilities, but as for coping with the heat, there is much to be done around the temple and with the Forces of Nature.”
“Got it. I can’t alter the temperature or anything, but we can come over and see what we can do to help,” Palutena offered.
“Thank you!” Phosphora exclaimed in relief. “Just get those lazies to hurry up. I feel like I’m melting.”
“Surely, it cannot be that bad?” There was the slightest hint of teasing in Arlon’s tone.
“I didn’t think you’d be a show-off, of all people! Who wears a three-piece suit in this?”
Palutena laughed at the scene she was picturing. “We’ll try to get there soon. Good luck not melting,” she added, disconnecting her telepathy and returning to her physical form. The feeling of weight was the first thing that hit her, followed right after by the heat. No wonder Viridi was so out of it. We could all use something refreshing. Maybe lemonade.
Dark Pit woke up to feathers smothering his face. He wouldn’t have cared if it wasn’t making it hard to breathe. Then there was also the tight grip around his ribs, and the vague soreness of someone’s knee lodged into his stomach. “Move, dumbass,” he muttered, elbowing his twin back. “You trying to kill me?”
“I’m trying to hug you. Sorry you’re so fragile,” Pit murmured, eyes still closed.
He wasn’t going to let that slide, but retaliation would take a second. He waited to gather his energy before yanking both of them upright and using his momentum to slam Pit onto the bed in front of him in one fluid motion. His wide-eyed shock was priceless. “What the–”
“Is that better?” Dark Pit smirked.
“Yeah, actually. Now I have a reason to get up.” He barely managed to evade Pit lunging over to grab his arm.
“Nice try,” he called, dashing out of the room. Palutena was definitely going to yell at them for not fixing her bed, but that was a later problem. For now, he barricaded himself inside his bathroom for the whole time it took him to get ready, plus a couple extra minutes. There was no telling how long Pit would wait to get back at him.
Maybe they needed that moment alone, because it looked like they were over it by the time they saw each other again in the hallway. "What even is this?" Pit groaned, spreading his wings to air them out. "You know when you open an oven to put a pizza in? It feels like that. But stickier."
"Is there nothing in your brain other than food?" He had to agree, though. Dark Pit liked the inviting feeling of warmth, but today was something else. He admittedly would've worn a tank top like his twin if he didn't have a point to prove.
Pit leaned in closer. "I don't think the extra sweat is helping you. I mean, did you see how bad you're breaking out? Gimme a marker and I could play connect-the-dots with the pimples on your face."
"You…" That smug look. Never mind being over their squabble. Both of them managed to get a hand on the other's face and shove them away.
"You started it," Pit reminded him. "I'm just repaying the favour."
"Screw you."
They were locked in a stalemate until they got to the kitchen. Dark Pit nearly lost balance when Pit suddenly let go, but he managed to save himself without making a mess. What the hell? He looked up to see his twin silently poke the puffy green hair Palutena had loosely tied behind her. She didn't even notice, continuing to hum to herself as she sliced a lemon. That's actually pretty funny.
It wasn't long before he joined in too, and she was somehow entirely oblivious until she turned to grab another lemon. He could pinpoint the exact moment she realized she wasn't alone. "Huh?" She scrambled to grab the fruits she'd dropped and glared up at them. "What happened to saying hi so I don't get jumpscared first thing in the morning?"
"Hi, I guess?" Pit shrugged. "Your hair must be really frizzy if you couldn't feel any of that."
"It always is on humid days," she huffed, squeezing lemon juice into a jug. "Sometimes I think I should cut it."
"Then you'd look like those algae balls you see in lakes," Dark Pit mentioned.
Palutena paused and glanced at him, vaguely disturbed. "Actually, never mind. I prefer it like this."
Pit examined a lemon and tossed it high into the air. "Any reason why we're making lemonade?"
"Apparently Viridi isn't doing too well with the heat, so we're going to help out around her palace," she explained. "I thought it wouldn't hurt to take something cool to drink. Come to think of it, a salad would be pretty nice too. Do you guys want to get that ready?"
"You'd think the Goddess of Nature would be better at handling the weather," Dark Pit scoffed, scouring the fridge for fruits and vegetables.
Palutena tucked some stray hairs behind her ear while telekinetically bringing the sugar over. "If everything in nature requires balance, I'm not surprised she does too."
"Can you not make sense for once?" Pit countered. "We need stuff to complain about."
"Sorry, you'll just have to deal with it." As usual, she didn’t sound sorry at all.
Dark Pit finished gathering the ingredients and went to get a knife. The way his twin was holding a cucumber when he came back seemed familiar. "That looks kinda like a baseball bat."
"Or a club," Pit mused, tapping it against his hand. "Way lighter, though. Those things are no joke."
"I wonder how strong it is." Dark Pit was met with a look as devious as he felt. This was going to be great.
Palutena turned to them warily. "You guys better not–"
Too late. Pit wielded it behind his head and swung with the same power and follow-through he always had when he fought. Except this was a cucumber, not an impossibly heavy club. A crisp snap resounded, and all of a sudden they were staring at the perfectly straight slice right above his hand while the other piece of cucumber rolled to a stop by the oven.
A brief shared glance. Then all three of them dissolved into laughter. Dark Pit was convinced there was something wrong with their humour, because there was no way a broken cucumber could be that funny. And yet the twins were leaning against each other for support when Palutena held up the two pieces incredulously. "How? You can't even cut this straight with a knife!"
"Pit-stain is more brawn than brain confirmed."
"More of both than you," he retorted. "You know how much brainpower it takes to figure out how to get such a clean cut?"
"Like none. Pass me the other piece and I'll show you how it's done."
Pit clearly wasn't even paying attention to that part. "Do you guys think it'd be the same if I tried it with a lemon?"
Dark Pit placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do it."
Palutena looked genuinely worried. "Absolutely not. But it is an interesting prospect…"
There was nothing stopping them from trying. Apparently you couldn't slice a lemon by swinging it, but you could squish the insides so much that it would ooze with juice when cut. They watched the pulp and liquid dribble into the jug as Palutena gently pressed the halves. "Actually, you might be onto something here."
"See? Told you it was a good idea."
"I mean, intrusive thoughts can either be really good or really bad," Pit mused.
"You never know until you try."
Palutena frowned. "How are both of you still alive?"
"Honestly, no clue."
Pit waited until Palutena was busy adjusting her sunhat to discreetly crack open the lid of one of the containers and pop another cube of melon into his mouth. The burst of cold juice felt so good, he couldn’t resist grabbing one more. I’m going to be so finished if we get there and open this and it turns out to be empty.
He snuck out one last piece and tried to look as normal as possible when Palutena turned around. “It took 10 minutes of arguing to convince Pittoo not to wear a sweater,” she sighed. “How can he even consider that?”
“He’s just built different. And he’s determined to flex his heat tolerance or die trying.”
“To be fair, I’d be more concerned if he listened without question.”
“Don’t worry, that’s never going to happen,” Dark Pit drawled, pulling his sleeves down to his wrists as he joined them in the kitchen. “Hurry up.”
“How is a shirt over a t-shirt an improvement from a sweater?”
“Here’s a better question: why do you care?”
“Fine. Just don't complain,” Palutena conceded. “We should head out soon. But first, sunscreen.”
Crimson eyes narrowed. Here we go. “Why?”
“Because it’s sunny outside?” Pit reasoned. “Use your eyes.”
“Can’t you use your divine abilities to make it less intense?” Dark Pit directed to Palutena. Now he was just getting desperate.
“Only so much. It’s still dangerous to spend too much time outside without protection. The sun is powerful,” she explained, massaging the thick lotion onto her face and handing the tube to Pit.
It was funny to watch how far Dark Pit would go to avoid things he didn’t like. Even if he was physically a teenager, he had the strong preferences of a toddler his chronological age. That had to be why he yanked open the window and leaned out to shout at the sky, “You wanna fight?”
Pit stopped rubbing sunscreen on his arms to stare at him. “Are you really trying to challenge the sun?”
“Who says I can’t?” he tossed back before looking up again. “Give me your worst!”
“I think the heat’s getting to him.” Palutena and Pit hardly had to make eye contact to decide what to do next.
Within a few moments, she was holding Dark Pit in place around the waist while Pit slathered sunscreen onto his skin. “What the hell? I can do this myself!” he snapped, swatting at both of them.
“As if. Stop being a baby and stay still,” Pit ordered. It was pretty fun to watch him squirm, and he relished plastering a bit more sunscreen than necessary on his face. At least until he noticed Palutena glaring at him to hurry up. “There. Done. That wasn’t even bad.”
“Screw both of you,” Dark Pit muttered, keeping an obvious distance from them.
“It’s for your own good,” Palutena justified benevolently. “Okay. We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go.”
Viridi's palace wasn't too far from the temple, but the walk felt so much longer with the midday sun beating down on them at all times. It took Pit some trial and error to figure out how to drape his wings over his body and shade himself as much as possible. "I don't know how I would've survived if my feathers were dark like yours, Pittoo."
Dark Pit folded his wings neatly. "You wouldn't."
"But you like hot springs," Palutena thought out loud. "So how is this different?"
That had an easy answer. "Hot springs are energizing. This is just making me tired. It's worse than that time I fought the Phoenix, 'cause at least that was temporary.” It took him a second to realize something. “Come to think of it, didn't you use the Power of Cooling on me? Why can't we use it now?"
She perked up. "Nope. That's just for extreme temperatures."
"What's more extreme than this?"
"I'm talking about stuff like lava and boiling liquids."
"But–"
"Nope. Not an option," she denied, almost too quickly.
"Just saying, I called the bluff on all these random powers a while ago," Dark Pit mentioned airily.
"There is no bluff. I just can't use that specific power right now."
"Conveniently right when we need it?"
"Exactly. That would make this too easy, don't you think?" Sometimes, there was no understanding Palutena. But it was worth a shot to interrogate her, even if it got them nowhere before their voices faded into the humid air around them.
Trudging this far in these conditions was really testing Pit's endurance, especially when carrying containers full of refreshing fruits he couldn't eat and a jug of ice-cold lemonade that sloshed with every step. "Pittoo. I don't care what you say, this counts as today's training."
"I guess." For once, there was no snarky comeback about being lazy. I bet he's feeling it too.
It was such a relief when the front gardens of the palace, where Arlon was watering the plants, finally came into view. He turned to greet them with a curt nod. “Good afternoon.” This had to be the first time they’d seen him without his fancy suit, but his shirt looked just as stuffy. "Many thanks for your help. I can take everything."
Palutena smiled exhaustedly. "It's alright, we'll just put this stuff–" The stream of water from the hose Arlon was holding was enticing, and Pit made the impulsive decision to dump his containers on top of Palutena's and stick his hand in. "Pit, what?"
"Sorry, but the water's so nice and cold! Pittoo, you've got to try!" He grabbed his twin by the wrists and pulled him over to feel the water flow over their hands. Dark Pit's annoyed expression faded quickly, and Arlon seemed vaguely confused, but he dutifully kept the hose on for them.
"You guys brought stuff? You're the best!" Phosphora cheered, practically dragging Viridi with her. She almost looked dazed, entirely the opposite of how Phosphora zipped over to hold both twins by the shoulders. "You guys. I was about to melt."
"Your heat tolerance is even worse than Pit’s. You're barely wearing anything in the first place," Dark Pit retorted.
He flinched when she zapped him lightly. "Hey, your dear brother isn't much better. We're the normal ones. You and Arlon are a different breed."
"Agreed," Palutena chipped in, munching on a piece of mango while Arlon took some of the containers from her.
That was entirely unfair. "Wait, how come you get first dibs on food?"
"Because you gave it to me?" Her ponytail swished around her as she held the container up out of his reach, and he pretended not to hear Phosphora and Dark Pit laughing at his failed attempts to get it.
“Ahem.” They froze, Palutena leaning back while Pit was trying to tug her arm, when Arlon spoke up. "Shall I pour everyone some lemonade?"
"Please." That was the first word they'd heard from Viridi yet. Even her voice sounded papery.
Pit stayed back while the others went to get things ready. "Okay, something's definitely wrong if you weren't making fun of me."
She crossed her arms haughtily. "Thanks for the diagnosis, Captain Obvious." So she wasn't dying, but still.
"I guess Lady Palutena already asked, but… you okay?"
It caught him off-guard when she leaned against him. "If that means feeling weak and headachy, yeah."
He nodded, gently folding his wing around her shoulder. "You deserve to take it easy. I bet eating something would help for now. Come on." She didn’t move when he tried to take a step forward, so the only other option was to carry her to the entrance where the others were. For once, she didn’t protest. Is it concerning that she feels like a limp noodle? “Guys, I think Viridi’s wilting.”
Phosphora waved them over to where she was sitting on the steps. “Here, you’ve got to try the lemonade!” she insisted, handing Viridi a glass. To Pit, she added, “You can go get some yourself.”
“Thanks,” he sighed, grabbing the jug and scouring for a cup. “Oh yeah, did you need help with anything?”
Arlon shook his head, taking another sip. Who drinks lemonade out of a teacup? “Everything has been taken care of. Lady Palutena and Young Master Dark Pit are finishing watering the plants.”
More like they were having fun with all the random settings on the hose. “Why do you even need a mist setting?” Dark Pit wondered.
“To do this.” Palutena held it point-blank at his face, but he took a step to the side warily. “What? It’s still on the mist setting!”
“You’re sure you didn’t change it?” he double-checked.
“Of course not! I’d never do that.”
“You’d definitely do that,” the twins chorused.
“Fine, but not this time. See?” She turned it back on, letting a gentle spray of cool water bathe both of them.
“Hey, it’s actually not bad,” Dark Pit realized.
“I know, right? That’s my favourite way to cool off,” Phosphora mentioned.
“Your methods use more water than the rest of the garden,” Arlon noted with a hint of a smile.
“Okay, now you’re just exaggerating!”
When Palutena switched back to watering the plants, it gave Pit an idea. “Lady Palutena? Pass, I wanna try something.”
They knew each other too well after all these years; with a mischievous grin, she handed him the hose set to the soak setting, and he pulled it closer to the others. “Viridi. If you’re wilting, maybe you just need more water.”
It took her a moment to process that, but he could tell from her eyes exactly when she understood. “Don’t you dare– Agh!” she shouted, her voice garbled beneath the water drenching her.
Pit definitely could’ve thought this through better. Phosphora inevitably got soaked as well, and the electric shocks coursed through the water and hose instantly. Ow. “Phosphora, stop it!” Viridi ordered.
“Blame him! This is a reflex!” she defended.
One of the shocks was a little too strong, and he accidentally dropped the hose. No one was spared when it spun out of control before getting lodged into the muddy soil. “Nice going, Pit-stain!” Dark Pit grumbled, pushing his dripping hair off his forehead.
“I’d like to see you hold on while you’re getting shocked!”
“Phosphora! I’ve got a point to prove!”
“So you summon me like a Pokemon? As if I’m helping with something stupid like that!”
“What I need is to target you specifically with a rainstorm.” Viridi glared directly at Pit while squeezing her ponytail dry.
Arlon looked up from the faucet he was turning off. “Mistress Viridi, I thought you were taking some time to recuperate?”
“Unimportant! He asked for it!”
“I was trying to make you feel better,” Pit justified. “It was the only way.”
“I mean, I think it worked,” Palutena pointed out, fanning the water out of her sunhat. “This is more like the Viridi I know.”
“Fine, I’ll let you off the hook. For now,” Viridi decided, sitting back down. “Summoning a rainstorm is too much work.”
Phosphora leaned against her shoulder. “Why not be a normal person and say something like ‘Thank you so much for taking care of me today’?”
Viridi pushed her away. “Too sappy.” Hazel eyes scanned all of them before she continued, “But thanks for being here.”
“Woah. You’re not allergic to feelings anymore?” Pit marvelled.
“Never would’ve guessed ‘thanks’ was in your vocabulary,” his twin added.
“Actually, maybe I do need to smite you guys.”
Chapter 18: Along for the Ride
Notes:
Hello! I know it's been almost 3 months since my last update, which is probably the longest wait between chapters for this story, so I wanted to say thank you for your patience and thanks again for reading! :)
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
Wings are weird. Who knew it was possible to sprain the joint connecting them to your back? Easy: anyone who's done it before. Which now includes me. Pit leaned further onto his arms and winced at the slightest movement of his right wing when his twin gently brushed it aside. "Ow. Pittoo. That hurts."
"Huh? Sorry." As much as he appreciated Dark Pit taking a look at the injury for him, it didn't make it any less painful when he hesitantly placed a hand directly on the joint. "How's this?"
Pit gritted his teeth, pressing his palms deeper into the earth around them. "Also hurts. Stop it."
"It is pretty red and swollen," his twin noted. That guilt-tinged tone was so different from his usual snarkiness. Sure, today's melee training had been Dark Pit's idea, and sparring with some of the most powerful weapons they had was a recipe for disaster. But neither of them could've expected that it'd only take one misplaced hit to cause this.
Pit turned his head and reached back to touch his brother's hand. As usual, he pulled away. "Don't blame yourself, okay? Injuries happen. It's not your fault the End-All Arm lives up to its name."
"After all the work you put in, it better not end your flying career as well," Dark Pit returned.
"That would suck."
"So I'm just making sure it's not damaged beyond repair. Everything else is your problem, not mine."
Pit couldn't hold back a mischievous smile. "Did you know you're really bad at lying about your feelings?"
"Shut up. Unless you want–"
"Ow!" he shouted, recoiling from the sudden pain. "Just use your words! Messing around with my injury is such a low move."
"I'm trying to see if everything's still in place," Dark Pit defended nonchalantly.
"Yeah, right." As the pain faded, it made room for other thoughts. Sitting here in the training grounds is boring. Pit gazed up at the slowly-moving clouds streaked across the sky and suggested, "Why don't we go back to the temple? I bet a dip in the hot springs would heal it no problem!"
"Does this look like an external injury to you? It needs to heal the regular way. Hot springs won't speed anything up." A few more checks and Dark Pit decided, "It's not dislocated or anything. I'm leaving."
Another wave of pain hit when he started to get up. "Wait, don't move! It's worse when I'm holding the wing up, and your knee is kinda doing that for me."
In the silence that followed, Pit was getting a little uneasy about what his twin was scheming. What he didn't expect was to have his scarf yanked off his neck from behind. "Agh! Are you trying to strangle me?"
"I will if you don't shut up and sit still." He glanced back to see Dark Pit tying together both of their scarves and looping the fabric beneath his wing, affixing it to his shoulder. "How's that?"
"Better, actually!"
"Don't sound so surprised. I'm always right," he bragged, unfastening his belt and unravelling his chiton into a broad length of cloth. "This is kind of sweaty, but it's the best you're getting."
"Gross. I'm changing it when we get back home," Pit grinned.
"Do whatever, just stay still. The tighter this is, the better." The sound of leaves rustling in the light breeze filled their silence; Pit didn't want to ruin the moment by making his brother self-conscious. It was nice to feel so cared for as his wing was delicately folded and secured onto his back. Even if Pittoo's not great with hugs or nice words, it's not like he's repulsed by affection. This is just how he shows it best. "There. Hurry up, we've wasted enough time already."
"Thank you!" It took Pit a second to find his balance when he bounced up, but the makeshift sling was holding up well. "I'll put the weapons away."
"It's that easy, huh? I should target you more often," Dark Pit mused.
"Don't you dare." The rest of his body was okay apart from some bruises, so it wasn't too hard to lug the arm and cannon they'd used back to the storage room. Seriously, everything about this training was a red flag. As usual, his twin waited for him outside to head back to the temple together. "So, what d'ya want to do now?"
Dark Pit crossed his arms. "You should rest, stupid. I thought you liked sleeping."
"Sleep is the best, but I feel so awake right now." He paused to think of some ideas. "Phosphora's using the Lightning Chariot this week, so that's not an option. What do you say to a race?"
Crimson eyes narrowed. "In Mario Kart? 'Cause you're sure as hell not running or using grind rails."
"No no, I meant with Exo Tanks. On the racetrack near the temple." His blank stare was concerning. "Wait, you know what an Exo Tank is, right?" Dark Pit slowly shook his head. "Seriously? Not even Cherubots or Aether Rings?"
"Heard of them, but never actually seen them," he clarified. "The racetrack was still being repaired when I got here."
"So you don't even know how to drive?"
Maybe that sounded too accusatory, since Dark Pit shifted his gaze downwards when he answered, "No. It's never been a priority compared to everything else we have to do."
"You're a priority. If you ever want or need anything, Lady Palutena and I are happy to help like you always help us," Pit reminded him. He could've sworn he caught a glimpse of a flustered expression before his twin rolled his eyes. Yeah, you're really bad at hiding your feelings. "Anyways, it's settled, I'm teaching you how to drive. Let's go ask Lady Palutena."
"Since when did we need her permission?" Dark Pit scorned.
"Divine vehicles run on powers we don't have access to," Pit explained. "Unless you want to ask Viridi instead."
"That's even worse," he groaned. "But you're telling her why your wing is injured."
"You better not ditch me."
"We'll see." In sync, they shoved each other with matching smirks. What else was I expecting?
Even if it didn't heal the sprain, a bath in the hot springs was exactly what Pit needed. The warmth melted the pain away, a welcome boost of energy after a long day of training. And his injury gave him some privileges: he'd need help wearing his top and making another sling, but for now, it was convenient to have his hair dried for him– even though Dark Pit was pretty rough with it, probably on purpose. Still, Pit couldn't help but cringe. "Pittoo. This feels wrong."
The towel was disdainfully dropped on his head, shrouding his eyes. "You do it then."
"I'm not talking about that!" he hissed. "Why are we waiting for her right outside the hot springs?"
Asking Palutena to power the vehicles would've been easy if her schedule wasn't the exact opposite of theirs. So now they were waiting for her to finish bathing. Dark Pit was unfazed, leaning further onto the door while he pulled his tank top on. "You had no problem barging in during my bath to get help with your hair and clothes."
"That's different."
"Not at all."
"I mean, I don't think she meant for us to hear her singing in there."
"How's it different from hearing her sing in karaoke sessions? If you're that whiny, we could go get another cloth for– Gah!" He had to have seen this coming, but the shock on his face was hilarious when the door abruptly opened and he stumbled backwards.
He was lucky Palutena had the reflexes to catch him, despite being startled herself. "Are you okay?" she asked, pushing her dripping hair out of the way and helping him back up.
"Yeah." It was unfair how Dark Pit could usually regain his composure pretty quickly.
Emerald eyes scanned them as she adjusted the towel draped around her body. "Is there a reason we’re waiting for me? Wait, what happened to you?" she directed at Pit. Of course she noticed. The soaking wet sling wrapped around his torso was more obvious against his skin than the tank top he had yet to wear.
"Uh… long story?" he tried. Dark Pit just glanced away. Thanks for nothing.
Palutena's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Okay, then. As soon as I get something to wear, I expect an explanation. Alright?"
She wasn't kidding. The twins had only just finished drying off Pit's injured wing when she returned, hair dried and wearing a casual dress, with a fresh cloth to bind it. “I’m fine, by the way,” Pit made sure to clarify as she carefully inspected the joint. “It’s just a sprain.”
“He’s been through worse than the End-All Arm. It’ll heal,” Dark Pit dismissed.
Palutena was unimpressed. “And what made you think that was a good idea?”
“It’s the only way we’ll improve.”
“Aren’t there any safer ways you can think of?”
“Like you've ever put us into safe situations.”
Despite their bickering, Pit could feel their hands working together seamlessly to make a new sling and help get his clothes on. I think that sums them up pretty well. “Looks like you’re grounded until this gets better,” Palutena mused, tightening the fabric over his feathers.
He stood up and shot her a grin. "Not a problem. I've got decades of experience in that department."
His joking seemed to put her a bit more at ease. "True. Except it's temporary this time. You two should take a well-deserved break."
“About that," he started. "Do you mind powering the divine vehicles for us? Apparently I never taught Pittoo how to drive.”
Of course her immediate response was a no. "Pit. You need to rest."
"As long as I’m not using my wings, it’s fine, right? I'm not fragile."
"Pit-stain's the one who needs to rest. Not me," Dark Pit added. "If you really want him to stay home, you could show me how it's done instead."
"Me?" she echoed, fiddling with a lock of hair. "Um… well…"
"Or I could figure it out myself."
"Definitely not." Palutena looked between the twins hesitantly. "You guys can manage, right? I'll power the vehicles for you, just don't bother me unless it's important."
It was surprising how quickly her stance changed. "Huh? I mean… we'll be fine!" Pit assured. "Don't worry about us."
She nodded a bit too quickly. "Good. I'd better head back to the hall now, so everything will be ready for you soon. Have fun!"
"See you!" he waved. She hardly looked back as she rushed out of the room.
"Clearly someone doesn't want anything to do with driving," Dark Pit murmured. "What's with her?"
"Lady Palutena's been like that since forever," Pit shrugged. "She's always ready to advise me about divine vehicles, but I've never seen her use them herself. Which means you'll be the first person I get to go for a ride with!"
As expected, his brother swatted him away when he tried wrapping an arm around him. "You're not doing anything until your wing is healed."
"You're right, I should be on standby to rescue you," Pit quipped loftily.
"No need. I bet I'm a natural."
"Yeah?" he challenged. "We'll see about that."
Dark Pit couldn't deny he was looking forward to this. Divine vehicles had always felt like something of a legend to him; he knew what they looked like and how they worked from listening to others, but that wasn't the same as getting to operate them himself. And with how much he enjoyed chariot riding, this was going to be great.
So he had every right to be disappointed when Pit gestured flamboyantly at a golden gyroscope. "Ta-da! Pittoo, let me introduce you to the Aether Ring!"
"I thought we'd be starting with something cooler," he remarked flatly.
Sky-blue eyes widened in betrayal. "What? That's so mean to the poor Aether Ring! Trust me, you'll like it."
"If you're hyping it up this much, it better be good," he grumbled, letting his twin drag him over and place his hand on a ruby-studded plate to activate it. It was admittedly pretty neat how the whole vehicle seemed to come to life, glowing as the concentric rings started rotating around each other mesmerizingly.
"There we go!" Pit cheered. "The Aether Ring is on the slower side, but it glides really smoothly, and it's a good way to get yourself oriented safely since you're just starting out. It also has lasers and a shield, but that doesn't matter for now…"
He used to find all this talking annoying, but lately, it was almost fun to listen to what his twin had to say about the things he liked. Until Pit's expectant look snapped him out of it. The hell am I thinking? Dark Pit brushed it off with a noncommittal "Not bad."
Apparently that was a good enough response. "Right? Let me show you how to get in, and then you can try!" Pit's years of experience were obvious in the effortless way he leaped into the center and grabbed a spherical orb, despite the limited mobility of his right side. "There’s no gravity in here, so it's pretty comfy. You just have to use this control stick to move around and spin and stuff. Like this."
It looked pretty cool, but he couldn’t hold back a smirk. “You look like a hamster in a ball.”
Pit barely offered him a deadpan stare when he swiveled around again and again inside the rings. “I look like a noble warrior graciously teaching a poor soul how to use divine vehicles.”
“Now you’re just fooling around. Get out before you hurt yourself again.”
“Fine,” he conceded, hoisting himself out. “Your turn. Ready to take this for a spin?”
A brief silence. No way he just made such a cringey pun. But his impish grin said he knew exactly what he was doing, and for that he deserved a whack on the head. “Move over and let me show you how it’s done.”
Dark Pit wasn’t about to admit that trying to get inside this thing was the first hurdle. Why won’t these stupid rings just stop moving? He only waited for them to align for a few seconds before he gave up and forced his way in instead. The sensation of weightlessness was immediate, and he took a moment to get used to it while Pit flashed him a thumbs-up from outside. “Nice! Try moving whenever you’re ready.”
“Piece of cake.” He absently reached for the orb, but he didn't expect it to slip so easily. The world lurched. “Crap.”
It would’ve been easy to reorient himself, if only he could figure out how this abomination of a control stick worked. One wrong move led to another, and within seconds the Aether Ring was spinning in all directions at dizzying speeds. What the– Who designed this monstrosity?
It was hard to make sense of the world when it felt like his brain was getting scrambled. From what he could tell, the vehicle was stuck in place, but no matter how tightly he held onto the orb, the spinning was only getting faster and more erratic. There's got to be some way to– screw it, I can't think! So that’s how he resorted to kicking aimlessly in this midair prison while yelling a volley of swears.
He couldn’t see his twin in the blur around him, but his voice sounded too unbothered. “Shh. You’re sullying the sacred air of this temple with your language.”
“Does it look like I give a– Argh, just make it stop!”
“You’re okay, Pittoo. Calm down and let go.”
Sometimes Pit was impossible to deal with. “Like hell I’m doing that! It’s out of control!”
“Just– Now I get why Lady Palutena always sounds so done when I complain. Let go and it'll settle back into place!”
Not like he had much of a choice at this point. Dark Pit braced himself as he released the orb, squeezing his eyes shut when he was jostled around the Aether Ring and carefully opening them when he came to a stop. With the blue of the sky beneath him. “And how am I supposed to get out?”
He hated the smug look on Pit’s face. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this. There’s just something I’ve got to do first.”
Of course he had to leave. “Get back here, dumbass!” Dark Pit shouted, elbowing the Aether Ring in frustration. This is why you can never rely on people. No amount of pushing was making this thing budge, and he wasn't about to touch the orb glowing in front of him tantalizingly. So he resigned himself to waiting, suspended upside down, his legs going numb while the blood pooled into his head, until Pit came back. With a freaking camera. "You little pest. Don't you dare."
"Smile, Pittoo!" he returned cheerily. "I like the swept back look. You should add 'flailing around in an Aether Ring' to your hair care routine." Screw you. If he wasn't getting out of a humiliating picture, he might as well make his feelings clear. Pit stifled laughter. "If you flip me off like that, we're going to have proof of it forever, you know." In response, he wordlessly added his other hand. "I should frame this."
"You should. You deserve a daily reminder that you suck."
"So mean," Pit sighed, grabbing the golden rings of the vehicle. "Okay, here we go." Despite his injury, it didn't take him long to shove the Aether Ring upright. The sudden change in position made Dark Pit's vision fade, and he closed his eyes to ward off the lightheadedness. "You good, Pittoo?"
"Yeah. Give me a sec."
"Take your time," Pit assured. "Then you can try again for real."
His eyes snapped open in disbelief. "Try that again? I'm not stupid."
"But you can't expect to be good at everything first try!" Pit insisted. "You're learning. Besides, this time was my fault. I just realized I locked it in place so I could get out earlier, but I didn't tell you to unlock it. You have to press this button so you can move it."
That was an infuriatingly simple explanation. "So it locks movement but not rotation? The other vehicles better not be like that."
"Don't worry, they're not."
"Weren't you supposed to teach me how to drive? You had one job," Dark Pit tsked. The temptation to try again was too strong, and he cautiously reached for the orb to move the Aether Ring a little bit forward. So far, so good.
"This was a lesson too!" Pit argued. "Things can go wrong, and you can only fix them if you stay calm."
"Only you could be so annoyingly cheerful about it," he retorted, carefully maneuvering the Aether Ring around. Hey, this is actually not bad.
Pit's devious smirk was never a good sign. "What can I say? I just like putting a positive spin on–"
"Another word and I'm figuring out how to shoot you with this thing's laser."
It turned out Pit was right about this one: it took some practice to get over that disastrous first attempt, but for someone whose only prior experience was chariot driving and Mario Kart, Dark Pit was pretty good at driving an Aether Ring. He didn't have his twin's fluid movement and intuition, but it was a start. And he'd been right about something too: it felt awesome to pick up a skill like this. Especially when it involved commanding battlebots.
"Who wants some?" he challenged, flicking the control stick of the Cherubot's arm. That's too high. For such a clunky vehicle, it was surprisingly responsive to inputs. Even though it worked almost exactly as he intended, there was still a bit more to get used to.
"Huh. Should I be concerned about how good you are at controlling destructive combat armor?" Pit wondered, keeping a safe distance from the Cherubot as Dark Pit practiced melee attacks. "Normally it takes days to get the hang of it. Even for seasoned fighters."
"Told you I'm a natural. Any invading Underworld Forces won't stand a chance when I pull up in this."
Pit patted the vehicle's gold plating wistfully. "If only it could get into small spaces. It's heartbreaking to have to leave a Cherubot behind."
"Okay, that part I've never understood." Dark Pit let go of the controls to look down at his twin. "This thing is insanely durable and has a powerful arm that's specialized in close combat. What's stopping you from breaking through walls?"
For the few seconds that idea lingered in the air, Pit's expression was a mixture of disbelief and denial. "No way it was that simple this whole time. There's got to be some reason I haven't been doing that."
"I bet you never wanted to do anything 'Lady Palutena' didn't give you express permission to do," Dark Pit scoffed.
"Hey– I do what I want! Smashing through walls with a Cherubot sounds exactly like us!"
"You're not wrong."
Pit scanned the training zone thoughtfully. "If you're so sure it'll work, why don't you try getting your Cherubot through that door?"
Dark Pit followed his twin's pointed finger to the vehicle parts storehouse. "That one? Easy."
It really did take their combined effort to come up with these stupid impulsive ideas. But as always, with both of them egging each other on, there was nothing stopping them from trying. Dark Pit maneuvered the Cherubot to face the storehouse and backed up, his brother watching carefully. And without a second thought, he sped it forwards at full throttle.
He winced at the crash and jolt of the impact, but when the dust settled, it looked like the Cherubot was unharmed. He couldn't say the same about the shelves of spare parts he'd smashed into, but what mattered was that he was successfully on the inside of the storehouse while Pit watched in amazement from beyond a gaping hole in the wall. "See? It worked."
No sooner had he said that than he noticed the bricks above the hole shift slightly. In an instant, the whole wall collapsed in a spray of dust and falling stones. Crap. Even though it was so small, the stream of bricks falling like toppled dominos was never-ending. The twins stared at the growing pile of rubble as the roof tilted, threatening to add to the mess. "Pittoo, get out!"
He was lucky the Cherubot was so durable. It was easy to push past the remains of the wall with the melee arm, and when a chunk of the roof fell onto it, a little improvisation with the controls was enough to dislodge it and move far enough away to safely open the dust-covered visor. The sheer destruction looked even worse from afar. "That… wasn't what I expected."
Pit offered his uninjured arm to help him out of the vehicle. "So I guess breaking through a wall isn't like the movies."
"Why would it ever be like the movies?" Dark Pit grumbled, equally frustrated at both of them. "And why did we test it on a shed of all places? The Cherubot I rammed into the wall was more than half its size! Of course the whole thing collapsed!"
Their eyes met for a moment before they descended into bitter laughter. "We just demolished a building. That was such a bad idea," Pit rued. "But I mean, if it couldn't handle being hit by a Cherubot inside the Cherubot training zone, maybe it needed to be rebuilt anyways."
"Sounds like a valid excuse to me."
"That's enough of Cherubots for a day. I'll write a maintenance order for this place when we get home. Wanna try an Exo Tank next?"
Dark Pit glanced at the chaos they'd caused and back to his partner in crime. "I'm in."
Palutena had yet to say anything about the destruction they were leaving in their wake, but Dark Pit was convinced there was some divine intervention going on to stop them. Otherwise, there was no reason for the Exo Tanks to not be working, no matter how much Pit tinkered with them.
"Maybe Palutena revoked our privilege to drive," Dark Pit suggested, impatiently lifting a metal pane so his twin could look inside the vehicle.
"Believe me, if she knew what we were up to, we would've been finished a while ago," he tossed back. "She's definitely too hard at work to care. But I might need to interrupt her to help with this."
"Didn't she say not to bother her?"
Pit shrugged. "We didn't bother her for hours. Should be fine. Anyways, she'd never give up an opportunity to repair something."
That part was true. Despite all her quirks, it was obvious Palutena loved anything to do with creating or fixing things. "Whatever. Have fun getting her to help."
He was met with an exasperated eye roll as Pit started using his telepathy. "Lady Palutena? You're not busy now, right? Okay, we were just having some trouble with the Exo Tanks…"
Dark Pit tuned out their conversation to study this vehicle. Its sleek form and large spikes were intimidating, and maybe it was risky to try it on a racetrack that was still undergoing repairs, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
If they could figure out how to start it, that is. It didn't look like Pit and Palutena were making any progress. "Maybe you should come over and take a look," Pit resigned before turning back to face him. "It looks like we might need the Goddess of Light's personal blessing to get this working."
It could've saved some time if she'd just warped to their location, but of course she had to make the ten-minute walk from the temple to the racetrack. Dark Pit was ready to greet her by the entrance with a disdainful glare. "Took you long enough."
"A 'hello' would suffice," Palutena remarked, tying her hair out of the way. "I really needed some fresh air after spending all day in the hall. Alright, what did we need to fix?"
Pit gestured at the Exo Tank. "We moved this onto the racetrack, but it still doesn't want to activate."
From the way Palutena climbed in without hesitation, it was hard to believe she was the same person who was so avoidant about driving this morning. "If I had to guess, it's likely an issue with the circuitry in the control panel. Pit, do you mind moving this out of the way for me?"
Dark Pit lost track of what was going on as soon as they started working together, throwing around random terms he'd never heard of. Peering over their shoulders at the exposed panels and wires didn't make it make any more sense. This looks scary. Maybe it's a good thing I have no clue what it means.
Palutena probably took pity on him standing there and watching. "Pittoo, we'll need you to keep checking whether it works. Here, there's some space for you at the controls."
"First off, I have no idea how an Exo Tank works. And it's crowded enough with both of you in there."
"Exo Tanks are more spacious than they look," Pit explained. "This one is only used for practice, so it was meant to seat at least two people anyways. I'm sure you'll like it. This thing drifts like a dream."
"This is one of the few divine vehicles with standard controls," Palutena chimed in. "But for now all you need to do is see if it turns on. You can drive after I get out."
"You better not be lying to me," he muttered, climbing in and sitting at the driver's seat.
As expected, nothing happened the first few times he tried turning the Exo Tank on, and Pit and Palutena had to keep tweaking things and putting everything back together for him to try again. He had no idea what they changed this time, but there was a surge of exhilaration when he pressed the button and the whole vehicle lit up. "Got it!"
Pit offered both of them high-fives. "That was easy! So I guess the problem was with– Wait a sec. Is it just me, or is it moving?"
In a panic, Dark Pit looked ahead at the racetrack. The Exo Tank was moving. Too slowly to notice at first, but it was gradually getting faster by the second. Even though his feet were far from the accelerator. "What the hell?"
"Did anyone tell you to start it?" Palutena snapped, tightly grabbing the edge of the vehicle as it kept speeding up at an alarming rate.
Both of the twins were caught off guard by her sudden change in mood. "I didn't touch anything!" Dark Pit defended, having to shout to be heard over the wind whipping at them. "And the brakes aren't helping!"
"Just get to one of the rest zones and it'll automatically come to a stop!"
"Those haven't been fixed yet," Pit mentioned ruefully. "The only option is the starting area!"
"All the way around the circuit? What made you think this was a good idea?" she seethed.
It was impressive that Pit was able to keep his cool. "Uh… are you okay?"
"Obviously not! Have I never told you I get really bad motion sickness? There's a reason I don't use these vehicles!"
"Oh. That explains a lot."
"It explains nothing!" Dark Pit countered, still desperately trying to get the brakes to work. "You're a goddess! And you drive chariots without a problem!"
"Chariots are different, and I'm not all-powerful!" she managed. "Stop talking to me! My head feels like it's going to explode!"
This was too much stress to handle. Especially now that there were turns coming up, and the Exo Tank showed no signs of slowing down. "Pit-stain! You drive!"
"I can't reach that far with my wing wrapped up like this! You've got this!" Dammit, why does this always have to happen to me?
The first turn was almost catastrophic– the Exo Tank did have really good drift, but that didn't help when it was zooming so fast he couldn't control it. And it really didn't help that Pit's feathers and Palutena's hair were getting in his face, or that she was hugging him from behind so tightly it was hard to breathe. Calm down– Treat it like Mario Kart! I've gone way faster than this before! "Does this have a top speed?"
"I think you've already hit it! Just hang on and get us back to the starting line!" Pit urged.
"Easier said than done!" At least it couldn't get any faster than this. The next turn was a bit better now that he knew what to expect, and for once he got to enjoy the feel of the Exo Tank's side almost touching the ground before straightening back up. This would be kinda fun if we weren't dying. It was sort of hard to breathe with all the wind, and his surroundings were a blur, but he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his body as they sped through the circuit. It was great.
"There should be a fork in the raceway coming up," Palutena murmured weakly, still maintaining her tight grip around his torso. "Take a right and brace yourself."
"Brace myself for– Ack!" He didn't expect how abruptly the wheels would get caught in the ridges of the new path, but even though the Exo Tank was still on, it did a good job at gradually grinding it to a halt right beside the entrance to the racetrack. Dark Pit took a deep breath. "You still alive back there?"
"Barely." Palutena immediately stumbled out of the Exo Tank and sat down, sounding as frazzled as she looked. "I think I know why it malfunctioned. I'll fix it soon."
"Just rest for now." He glanced back at his twin as they both stood up. "You too, stupid. That better not have made your injury worse."
"It feels fine," Pit dismissed. "I was expecting worse, but your driving was better than I thought it'd be."
"The hell do you mean by that?"
Palutena looked up to offer him a wavering smile. "He's right, though. You did a good job."
"Told you I could figure out all the divine vehicles myself," he smirked. "It's pretty fun apart from all the disasters that keep happening."
She eyed both of them suspiciously. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that part."
"I'm glad you liked it!" Pit smiled. "We should try the Exo Tanks again when my wing fully recovers–"
"After the racetrack is completely fixed," Dark Pit interrupted. No way am I dealing with this nonsense again.
"After the racetrack is fixed," he agreed, "and if you're up for it, we could try a race! Natural talent can't compete with years of experience."
"You sure about that? You're on."
Chapter 19: Seasonal Sightseeing
Notes:
Hello! Here's part two of Persimmon writing stories in the wrong season, although I guess it's correct if you're in the southern hemisphere. This chapter is quite long, since I merged a couple of shorter scenarios together so I can meet my target of finishing this collection of oneshots at 20 chapters. Hopefully that makes up for the 6-month wait since the last update!
I also wanted to say thank you so much for your support! This story has crossed 3200 hits and 118 kudos, and I'm honoured to have written something that's been enjoyed by so many people! :)
- Persimmon
Chapter Text
Evening sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees overhead, dappling the rays in fiery hues of autumn. Dark Pit treaded carefully, dried leaves crunching satisfyingly under his feet, simultaneously trying to admire the colours around him while avoiding all the fallen branches, nuts, and pinecones scattered on the ground. I refuse to get wiped out by a freaking twig. Another gust of crisp wind blew, swishing the leaves around him in a cascade of rustles. Wearing a sweater had been a good idea; with his body insulated, he could truly appreciate the sensation of cool wind weaving through his feathers. Until he felt fingers picking at them. He pushed back with his wings and turned to his twin with a scowl. "The hell are you doing?"
"Taking out the leaves from earlier," Pit justified, brushing the crumbly fragments off his hands. "You're welcome."
"It's a lost cause. I'll have to comb my hair and wings when we're home anyways."
"It does help to get some of it out beforehand," Palutena mentioned from behind them, running a hand all the way through her ponytail and tossing the dislodged leaves into the wind. "Jumping into leaf piles is messy."
"But it was fun, right?" Pit prompted brightly, clasping his twin's hand.
Dark Pit shrugged. "I guess." That nonchalance was a lie. The exhilaration of being suspended in the air just before hitting the pile, speeding directly at a mass of pure colour, was unmatched. "Only after I figured out it wasn't supposed to be like jumping into water. Different, in a good way."
Pit and Palutena eagerly offered each other a high-five. "Another item down on your bucket list!" she declared. "And leaf pressing too, once we get these back home."
"When did I ever add those things to a 'bucket list'?" he scoffed. "It's a useless waste of time. You idiots are too extra."
"It's a fun way to keep track of things we want to show you," Pit corrected. "Also, Pittoo? You don't need to pretend you don't like it. We've been able to tell ever since you started complaining but kept joining us anyways."
"Shut up. It's not like you would've left me alone either way." A flash of colour caught his eye when he turned his head, and he bent down to pick it up. The aroma of fresh leaves and pine needles filled the air. "Palutena. How's this?"
Gentle hands gingerly took the blood red, pointed leaf from him. "So pretty!" she marvelled, turning it to both sides so they could admire the green veins that ran across it. "I bet it'll press well. Nice find, Pittoo!"
Her enthusiasm made him feel unnecessarily accomplished, but maybe that was the point. These stupid bucket list activities were supposed to make him happy. So if we're all enjoying them, I guess we're doing something right.
Getting lost in his thoughts was dangerous considering who he was with. "Think fast." He barely registered Pit's warning before a flurry of papery chips was thrown directly at his face.
"What are these?" he spat, swatting them away as they gracefully fluttered down to the ground. That's actually pretty cool.
"Positivity petals!" Pit beamed. "Feeling happy yet?"
"What do you think, dumbass?"
Palutena snatched one out of the air. "In what world are these petals?"
"I know they're not. It's just fun to say," Pit defended. "These are maple seeds. They fly beautifully. Here, Pittoo, you should try throwing one. I bet you'll like it."
He was right. Dark Pit tossed it in the air and tracked its mesmerizing twirls while Palutena responded. "The seed is actually the round part inside the capsule. The wings are called samaras. Technically, they're a type of fruit."
Dark Pit glanced at her dubiously. "How do you know that? Why do you know that?"
"Sometimes you just pick up these sorts of things," she shrugged. "It's good to know."
"Smiley samaras?" Pit tried. "Doesn't have the same ring to it."
"You have a point." She smiled fondly when Dark Pit slipped another seed into his pocket. "It's easy to forget this is your first time seeing maple seeds. There are so many varieties of trees here in the Sanctuary of Nature that go to seed at different times, so you'll get to see just as many of them in the spring."
"Good to know." There was a lot more he needed to see here, apparently. Even if the rest of Skyworld didn't have much in terms of natural features, the Sanctuary made up for it.
Pit gestured at one of the signs on the path. "A bit further and we'll be at the lookout point over the valley! Viridi said she'd meet us around here."
"It's so worth it to overlook the waterfalls and all the colourful trees at this time of year," Palutena promised. She buttoned up the cardigan she'd slipped on over her dress and looked at Pit doubtfully. "Aren't you cold?"
"Nope!" he returned. It was hard to believe a t-shirt was enough for this cold, but he had yet to complain. "Pittoo is wearing enough for both of us."
"Like anyone with a brain would," Dark Pit countered, tugging his scarf a bit tighter. "It better not get any colder than this."
"Not much, lucky for you!" His gaze snapped over to a patch of ginkgo trees ahead. Viridi leaned against one, her ash blonde hair almost blending in with the bright yellow leaves above her. "Winter's just gloomy and chilly in central Skyworld. At least it doesn't last too long, or you probably would've had to hibernate."
"I think he hibernates anyways," Pit mused. "Anytime it's slightly cold out, he's bundled up in a blanket like a burrito."
Palutena brightened. "It's adorable! I have photo proof."
Of course they had to be like this. Heat radiated from his flushed face. "As if I–"
"Come to think of it," Viridi interrupted, tapping a finger on her cheek. "Pittoo was with the Forces of Nature last winter. I don't remember him going outside even once unless he was forced to."
"Who wants to go outside when it's cold and dark?" he snapped.
"Fair enough," Palutena conceded. "It's not like there's anything to look forward to here. It's not cold enough for snow like in the northern reaches."
"That stuff actually exists?" One look at their expressions, simultaneously aghast and sympathetic, and he knew his joke was a mistake. "I mean, I know it's real, but–"
"You've never seen snow before?" Pit concluded in disbelief. "We need to add that to your bucket list!"
"I don't want to see it," he gritted. "It's cold."
"It's an experience!" Palutena insisted.
"The stuff's overrated," Viridi grumbled disdainfully. See, someone agrees. "But it can be fun if it's not on the ground all day every day for six months." Her expression morphed into a serene smile when she continued, "Everyone should witness all the climates the Earth has to offer at least once. There's a lot to appreciate."
He hated how he was actually getting swayed by them, but he needed to be rational for now. "That's a later problem. I thought we were here to see autumn."
"You're right. Let's take it one season at a time." Palutena led the way along the path, stopping to pick up another ginkgo leaf despite how many she already had in her hands. It was pretty hard to resist the soft, satisfying fan shapes.
It didn't take long for Viridi to start pointing out all the flora and fauna around them: every tall tree, berry-laden bush, and chirping bird. It was impressive how quickly and effortlessly she could identify them, as if she knew every resident of the Sanctuary of Nature personally. Maybe she did. She was their goddess, after all, and taking care of nature seemed to be one of the few things that made her visibly happy. "Wait, look over there! It's a woodpecker!"
Pit crouched to her eye level and squinted at where she was pointing. "I don't see it."
"Of course you don't," Dark Pit and Viridi returned, equally deadpan.
Palutena was a bit more helpful. "Right there, on the bark of the tree? With the red feathers."
They could pinpoint the moment Pit noticed it. "Oh! That guy? I was looking at the branches. I wonder how woodpeckers can hang on like that."
"They're strong," Viridi explained. "And they have really thick skulls for all that pecking. Kind of like a couple of people I know." That was clearly an insult, but she didn't give them a chance to retaliate. "Hurry up! We're going to miss golden hour if we keep stalling."
"You're the one who keeps stopping," Dark Pit pointed out.
"Be grateful! You're getting a personal guided tour from the most qualified person in existence."
"It'd be better without the self-promotions."
"Too bad, this is the free version."
Sparkles of light glinting in from the end of the trail beckoned them. Viridi kept the rest of her explanations brief as they approached it and left the forest behind. Stepping out from under the trees, it took a few blinks to adjust to the golden sunlight bathing the cliff and the valley it overlooked, shimmering through the mist from the waterfalls below. Dark Pit approached the edge, his gaze sweeping over the array of colourful trees beneath the lookout. "Woah."
He ignored the click of Palutena's camera, most likely focused on his reaction. "It's always breathtaking, but I feel like the autumn colours really add something to it."
At least they had the courtesy to give him time and space to soak in the raw beauty of this scene. Just when he was ready to turn back, his twin threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. "Come on! Time to document another item successfully checked off the bucket list."
"Careful," he hissed, backing away from the cliff's edge. "You'd better not slip and take me down with you."
"I could say the same for you. We're in this together," Pit reminded him.
Viridi, who was still admiring the view, wasn't spared either when he tugged her over by the arm. "Can't I enjoy this in peace?"
At this point, Palutena was an expert at snapping a couple of selfies in the few moments they were all in one place. "Done! That's all we planned for today, if we want to get back before nightfall. Ready to head home?"
"Let's go," Dark Pit decided, stealing one more glance at the gold-tinged valley. "Autumn's a pretty good season." And it was looking like this bucket list was more helpful than he thought. As long as I don't get roped into something stupid.
Pit held his breath and tensed the muscles in his wings, not letting them move beyond a quiver. Any slight gust of air could ruin their current mission. His twin's elbow was poking his stomach, and it had to be just as painful for Palutena when he pressed his arm deeper into her back for support, but he didn't have much of a choice. This maple leaf was meant for the empty right edge of the glass pane they were using, and there was no other way to access it without crumbling all the other fragile pressed leaves they'd carefully arranged. It's a necessary sacrifice.
He used his fingernail to delicately nudge the other leaves into ideal placements, and Dark Pit did the same with the left side, despite his arm being squished under the weight of three bodies. They only let themselves relax– as much as possible in this weird position where all of them were somehow on top of each other– when Palutena meticulously placed another sheet of glass over the leaves and slid them into the frame they'd chosen. "There we go! Leaf collage complete. Now please get off me."
Their situation felt sinkingly familiar. How do we keep managing to end up like this? "I would, if Pittoo could stop stabbing me."
"Both of you get off my arm first! And move your wings, Pit-stain."
"But Lady Palutena's face is in the way!"
"Okay, let's figure this out one step at a time… Ow! My hair– Both of you, off!"
Palutena solved their predicament in seconds by telekinetically flinging the twins to the ground. Ouch. Pit got up and fluffed his feathers, helping his brother up while crimson eyes shot her a glare. "No way it hurt that much."
"It did," she huffed, untangling the knots with her fingers. "And we weren't about to figure ourselves out anytime soon. Sorry for the rough landing."
"It's okay, we're used to it," Pit jabbed, watching for her guilty wince in response. "Is the frame alright?"
"Mhm!" She held it up for them to see the arrangement of fiery leaves sandwiched between layers of glass. "Nice work! Now to find somewhere to put it."
"We'll have to throw out that pumpkin we carved before it starts rotting. That leaves some free space," Dark Pit suggested.
"Good idea!" He'd almost forgotten about their pumpkin-carving session amidst all the activities they'd done in the weeks they were waiting for the leaves to dry. Needless to say that slicing and gutting a pumpkin was much messier than pressing leaves. "That's all we had on the bucket list for autumn, right?"
"I think so," Palutena confirmed. "Besides, this won't be the only year we'll be doing all this. There's always something new to try out– even the same activity can be an entirely different experience each time."
"If that means more leaf pressing and apple pies, I don't mind," Dark Pit shrugged.
They were used to his detached attitude, but Pit tried reminding him again for good measure. "You realize if you want to do something, you can just tell us. We wouldn't say no."
"Apparently even the most idiotic ideas to grace the heavens," she sighed. "I should stop involving myself in your schemes."
"Too late for that," Dark Pit returned. "We're only getting started."
"The heavens haven't been graced with enough of our genius yet," Pit finished with a shared smile.
Palutena looked between them, her face etched with concern, until she brightened in realization. "Speaking of ideas! I found somewhere we can see snow."
"You did?" Even if the twins' words were the same, their tones were entirely different. Dark Pit sounded almost repulsed.
"Magnus and Gaol were scouting out a suitable location for a mercenary base in one of the northern regions of the Overworld, so they'll be staying there for a couple of days," she explained. "And they told us we could come over if we want."
"That sounds like fun!"
"Definitely not," Dark Pit muttered. "I already told you I don't need to witness ice and snow or whatever. Pictures are enough."
"At least give it a shot before deciding you hate it."
"Nope," he concluded firmly, arms crossed and eyes closed. "I'm not going. That is final."
It was impossible to hold back a snicker when Dark Pit glowered beneath a thick scarf, earmuffs, and a hat, his facial features reduced to enraged eyes surrounded by fabric. "Not a single word about this."
"Weird," Pit mused loftily, slipping a jacket over his arms and opting to leave it unzipped. "I thought I heard someone whining that they weren't going."
"Shut up." His voice was muffled beneath the scarf, and when Pit tried to tug it down for him, a slap on the arm quickly turned into a shoving match.
"Finally found my hat!" Palutena announced, pulling it over her head and adjusting the pom-pom on top as she walked over. She laid eyes on their brawl but didn't do anything to stop it. "Let me know when you're ready."
"All good!" Pit called, squeezing his twin around the stomach from behind. Only to be elbowed viciously in the chest. "Ow!"
"You were kind of asking for that one," she returned nonchalantly. "I'm leaving my staff here, but I should have enough energy to take us directly there. Not much more than that, though, so don't cause trouble."
"No promises there."
"As expected." She finished zipping up her knee-length jacket and looked them over. "I see those earmuffs are finally getting some use. Cute."
"They're practical," Dark Pit muttered. "I'm not sacrificing my ears for your antics. Hurry up, let's get this over with."
"Look alive, Pittoo! I'm sure you'll like it."
"Will you ever stop being so obnoxious?"
Palutena shook her head in response and clasped her hands together to channel her powers. Despite how often Pit had experienced her teleportation, it was always amazing to be enveloped by her light and sense features of the new environment gradually fade in as it disappeared. This time, the chill was the first thing he noticed, followed by the softness of snow beneath his boots. I wonder how Pittoo's going to react to that one. It's not exactly like standing on dirt or sand. But it's not always this… sticky, right?
Of course the universe had to conspire against their attempt to show him something cool. Pit opened his eyes to a dreary grey sky and his feet submerged in brownish slush, with twigs and gravel scattered throughout. He could make out the outline of the cabin in the distance, and it looked like the whole path towards it was like this too. So much for a good first impression of winter.
Dark Pit's expression was more disbelief than disgust. "Isn't snow white? What's this?"
"Slush," Palutena answered matter-of-factly, stepping onto the less-tainted snow to the side of the path. "The snow must've gotten mixed in with the dirt trail underneath."
"It's gross."
"It's like mud!"
"Is that supposed to make it better?"
"I mean, no one said every bucket-list experience needed to be good," Pit pointed out. "It's only fair that you get to suffer too."
"Told you I wouldn't like this," he grumbled, trudging through the sludgy mess alongside them. "This sucks."
Palutena was as optimistic as always. "But it's not as cold as you expected, right? Your wings are fine."
"Huh. You're right." Teal wings folded around Dark Pit's arms so he could study them. "Crazy how they're fine in all kinds of weather even when the rest of my body isn't."
She smiled and got closer, gesturing with gloved hands. "You have your feathers to thank for that. Notice how they're fluffier than usual right now? It's to trap air and keep you warm, instead of laying flat like they do in the heat…" I wonder how she became an expert at angel anatomy. Probably to keep me alive this long.
Clearly she was also an expert at keeping them distracted. They hardly noticed the walk all the way to the cabin until they were already there. Pit was about to knock on the wooden door when he perked up at a familiar voice from around the side of the house. "You're here!"
He didn't expect to be tackled, but he managed to maintain his balance when a puffball hugged him around the waist. Aurelia's smile was as bright as always despite a missing tooth. "Hi! Did you guys see the snow?"
Pit was more focused on how her fluffy white jacket and woollen scarf made her look like a marshmallow. I think I finally understand Lady Palutena. This is adorable. His twin answered for him, voice dripping with disdain. "What we saw was slush."
"First time? It's part of the experience, ya know." It looked like Magnus was cold-tolerant too, with how unbothered he seemed in a loosely-worn jacket. "You just have to suck it up."
"Hopefully it gets brighter out," Palutena mentioned before Dark Pit could retaliate. "Snow looks much nicer in the sunlight."
Magnus gave her an amused smirk. "Weren't you the goddess of that?"
"Well– Yes, but…" she faltered, "I wanted to limit my usage of powers for today."
"Relax, no pressure," Gaol assured, offering them a wave before tying back her golden hair. "It's only us here. Hence your lack of more human disguises, I suppose?"
"Pittoo was already being a crybaby about coming here. He would've lost it if he had to conceal his wings too," Pit explained. Aurelia giggled when he spun both of them around to avoid getting hit as retribution.
"Well, you chose a good day to visit," Gaol mentioned knowingly. "It's all packing snow around here."
Dark Pit was clueless. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
This was the moment he'd been waiting for. Pit bent down and gathered some snow into his hands, shaping it discreetly. "It means… you can do this!"
He put his whole body into the throw without any restraint. The snowball exploded as soon as it hit Dark Pit's face, and the expression of shock the fallen snow left behind was priceless. A beat of silence, apart from the click of Palutena's camera. Then a savage grin bloomed. "You're on, Pit-stain!"
Palutena was well aware it would take forever to sort through all these pictures, but it was a necessary sacrifice: photography was difficult in a warzone. She'd already had to shield her camera from stray snowballs multiple times, which didn't make it any easier to keep snapping pictures so the lens could focus on the right things. It was worth it for the moments she'd been able to capture, though. Like Pit patiently teaching Aurelia how to best throw a snowball, or the moment Dark Pit figured out he could compact the snow until it was rock-hard. Maybe we gave him too much power.
"He seems happy," Magnus pointed out while she returned the camera to its case for safekeeping. He expertly deflected a snowball without so much as a flinch. "What happened to the doom and gloom from earlier?"
"We may have forgotten to mention the crucial detail that you can throw snow," Palutena admitted.
"Explains a lot."
She nodded pleasantly. "Pittoo lives for this kind of– Ah!" There was no way she could've seen that snowball coming until it whacked the side of her head. "Pittoo! At least warn me!"
"No one is safe here!" he yelled back, taking another one from the stack in his arm and chucking it directly at his twin, who shielded too late. When did you have the time to… Never mind, I won't question it.
The next snowball was really testing her patience, but a third, aimed at her face, was the tipping point. "Okay, now you're asking for it!"
"Bring it!"
It'd been years since she'd last been in a snowball fight, but she wasn't going to let her combat skills go to waste. A couple of well-aimed throws took out most of the spare ammunition Dark Pit was holding, and when he crouched to gather more snow, it gave her the perfect opportunity to strike. Maybe going for his wings was a low move, but it was a foolproof way to get him to lose balance, eyes wide in the moment before he tumbled into the snow. "What the hell?"
She nonchalantly tossed a snowball up and caught it again. "It's called strategy. Sorry not sorry."
"Not such a gracious goddess, huh? Not bad," Magnus noted from afar.
"But not good enough!" She processed Pit's words a little too late to avoid being pelted by both him and Aurelia, who had surprisingly good throwing form for her age. Palutena should've been focusing on her surroundings when she stepped back to shield herself; the mound of snow by her feet was small enough to go unnoticed, but high enough to trip her. She only realized mid-fall with a brief cry of alarm.
"Got you!" Aurelia declared with a bright smile.
"Yeah! Good job!" Pit cheered, offering his hands to help Palutena and Dark Pit up.
He was entirely oblivious to what was going on behind him. Aurelia flashed them a mischievous grin and pressed together a snowball in her hands before throwing it at the back of his head. "Got you too!"
It was impossible not to laugh at Pit's expression of betrayal. "After all we've been through together? You traitor!"
They turned at the puff of a snowball hitting someone else. Magnus looked down in disbelief at the splattered snow on his chest while Aurelia giggled. "And you too! There, I got everyone."
This poor innocent child didn't understand the gravity of the situation she'd caused. "Here's a lesson for you, kid." Magnus bent over to gather some snow himself. "Don't play with fire."
With Magnus joining the fray, no one was safe. And apparently there were no alliances either, which made it all the more fun for Palutena to take out whoever she pleased. I'll never understand why gods smite everything with lightning when snowball fights are much more entertaining. It was hard to tell who was doing better or worse, since it was so easy to get up after being struck down. But between rapid firing, sneak attacks, and Magnus' throws that sometimes made the snowballs disintegrate before they ever reached their targets, it was certainly a battlefield.
What they were supposed to notice was that it'd been a long time since anyone had seen Gaol. Palutena paused when she realized, a feeling of dread slowly rising. "Um, guys? Was that snowbank always there?"
"Good question!" Gaol emerged from behind in a cloud of powdery snow, concerningly large snowballs in hand. "Astute observation from the Goddess of Light. Just a tad too late."
Magnus stopped in his tracks. "When did you–" He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before getting wiped out by a snowball to his face.
Gaol grabbed another one from behind the snowbank, hazel eyes scanning the rest of them in cruel amusement. "So, who's next?"
The problem was less about the size of the snowballs and more that Gaol had the strength to hurl them with incredible precision and accuracy. And it didn't help that they'd apparently given her enough time to amass a whole reserve of ammunition behind her base. If there was any reason their mercenary group was one of the most feared in the Overworld, they were getting to witness it firsthand.
Dark Pit was the only one reckless enough to attack her head-on with a drop kick to her snowbank fortress. "Hi-yah! Agh, what the–" Palutena winced when the snow collapsed over him, leaving him completely buried as the remains settled.
Gaol stared, unimpressed. "There goes my base. And we're down an angel."
Pit fluttered his wings rapidly to shake the snow off. "Rest in peace, Pittoo. You'll be remembered for your bravery. And stupidity."
"No casualties this time?" she verified, fishing Dark Pit out by the arm while Magnus sat up with a groan. "Good. Just Magnus being useless as always."
"Did anyone ask you to use that much force?" he muttered, dusting himself off. "I swear I was hit by a cannonball."
"Sorry you couldn't handle it."
It looked like Dark Pit's curiosity took priority over his aversion to the cold. "Didn't think your fortress would be that thin. Wasn't it dome-shaped? How did you make it hollow?"
"Oh! That's actually pretty easy to do," Gaol explained. "You just have to get the weight distribution right. I could show you."
"That's so cool!" Pit marvelled. "I wanna see too."
"You?" his twin smirked. "You couldn't make a snow angel if you tried."
"That's rich, coming from someone who thought snow didn't exist!"
Gaol looked over at Palutena. "You have my respect for dealing with this all the time."
"Believe me, it's as chaotic as you'd expect."
Pit listened carefully to Aurelia's story, nodding along attentively to her enthusiastic voice. Her gestures were full of energy despite the constraints of her puffy jacket. "There was a big snowstorm the day after the day we got here. But we already finished building the cabin, so it was okay. I closed the door so the snow wouldn't get in."
"That's smart. Nice job."
"But after the snow stopped, we had to get wood. So we had to go to the forest."
"Wasn't the cabin already snowproof? Why did you need wood?"
She gave him an exasperated look. "For the fire. Duh." Would've been nice to know that detail. "There are lots of pine trees in the forest. And we saw a penguin."
Dark Pit frowned. "Sure you didn't dream that part?"
"No. I wasn't sleeping," she insisted, pausing before admitting, "Maybe I imagined it. But the icicle trees were real!"
"Icicle trees?"
"Instead of leaves, they have icicles! And there was an icefall! Not a waterfall, 'cause it was made of ice." Her eyes were practically sparkling. "It's so pretty! I wanna show you."
The crunch of footsteps on snow got closer. "Show them what?" Magnus questioned, gently pulling Aurelia's hat down to shield her from the sudden gusts of snow-laden wind.
She tilted her head to look up at him, unbothered. "The icicle trees in the forest."
"That's nice of you. Wait until I'm ready and we can go together."
"You're ready now."
"No I'm not. I'm here to tell ya the hot chocolate is almost ready. And after that, you'll have to wait for me or Gaol before you go."
"Why?" she pouted. "I went in there before."
"Not by yourself," he pointed out. "And you're definitely not going with directionally-challenged Angel Face."
"Hey– I'm not that bad at navigation!" Pit defended.
Magnus didn't miss a beat. "When's the last time you've gone anywhere without your goddess' instructions?"
And his dear brother readily stole his chance to respond. "Exactly. Never."
"Big talk from you rookies. I bet I have more experience than both of you combined."
"Yet you still manage to suck."
"I'm sure Aurelia agrees with–" He did a double take when he realized there was no one beside him. "Uh… how did we miss that?"
The three of them went silent, gazes following small footprints into the forest until they were erased by the billowing wind. "Whoever said raising girls was easier?" Magnus sighed ruefully. "She doesn't take no for an answer. I'll meet her at the waterfall."
"We can trace her steps!" Pit offered. "She was pointing at the waterfall in that direction earlier, but she went the opposite way, right?"
"Not bad. You're more observant than you look."
"Told you we've got this."
Dark Pit burrowed deeper into his scarf, squinting suspiciously. "Since when was this a 'we' thing?"
Pit seized his arm and held tightly when he tried to pull free. "You can't just tell me I suck at directions and then abandon me! What if I get lost?"
"At least it'd be peaceful at home. And more hot chocolate for me."
"Don't get turned around somewhere, or I'll have to rescue all of you, and that'll be pathetic," Magnus warned as Pit dragged his twin into the woods. "And careful not to catch frostbite. It's cold out there."
"Frostbite?" The alarm in Dark Pit's voice was painfully obvious. Great. Thanks, Magnus.
Pit was mostly concentrating on tracking the indents that were once Aurelia's footprints. The wind was stronger than he'd thought, and he resigned himself to zipping up his jacket. "It's pretty chilly without the sun. But you're so bundled up, I'd be more concerned about heatstroke."
He made no indication of understanding, but there was no time to make sure. Pit watched helplessly as her footprints continued to fade into the rest of the windswept streaks of snow while they walked. There's no way she went much further than this in so little time. "Aurelia! Didn't you want to show us something?"
"I knew you guys would come!" He perked up at the sound of her voice, frantically scanning his surroundings. And there she was, poking her head out mischievously from behind a pine tree. No wonder they hadn't noticed her: the white of her clothes and brown of her hair were good camouflage in the woods.
Dark Pit snatched her arm before she had a chance to escape. "Was there a reason you ran away?"
She nodded, brimming with pride. "You and Pit always follow me, and Magnus knows we're going to the icefall, so he can meet us there. It's called strategy. Sorry not sorry." Didn't Lady Palutena say that word for word in the snowball fight? We're all such bad influences.
Clearly someone didn't think it was a bad thing. "You're a menace with the skills to back it. Good job."
She looked so happy, Pit didn't want to be the one to burst her bubble. "Not a good thing unless you can– Huh?" Another gust of swirling wind, stronger this time. He crouched to shield Aurelia with his wings and squeezed his eyes shut until the snow stopped pelting his face. "Feels like it's getting worse. We should get going. Do you know how to get to the icefall?"
"We just have to go back the way I came but turn left at the big tree." Her confidence wavered as her eyes darted around the woods. "Um… where are our footprints?"
"Covered in snow because of the wind. But we can still figure it out as long as you remember what direction you came from!"
She spun around pensively and stopped to point at a grove of evergreens. "This way!"
Dark Pit raised an eyebrow. "You’re sure?"
"Mhm! It’s gotta be this way. I think." Not the most convincing, but it was the best they were going to get.
It was helpful to be walking in the same direction as the wind, but that didn’t make their trek any shorter. Wasn’t this supposed to be close by? Pit gradually found himself stealing more worried glances at Aurelia while the trees around them became less and less familiar. Now would be the worst time to scare her, but I need to know… "Where to next?"
She flinched at his voice, gaze downcast. "Forward?"
None of them made a move, and the twins silently exchanged a worried glance. Forward looked just as plausible as any other direction. We’re definitely lost.
Panicking wouldn’t help at this point, so he knelt down to her eye level and spoke softly. "It’s okay if you’re not sure. We’ll be fine."
"What do you mean we’ll–" Pit didn’t hesitate to jab his brother in the shin immediately. This isn’t the time, stupid! "Ow!"
"Like I was saying!" he continued cheerfully over muttered curses. "It’s totally fine if we’re lost. We’re adventurers for a reason. So, where to?"
Aurelia begrudgingly traced a line on the ground with her foot and looked up hesitantly. "I… I don't know. I’m sorry."
"Don’t worry about it! As long as you think twice next time you decide to go somewhere. But we’ll figure it out for now. Okay?" She nodded slowly. "Good."
Now for the next problem. He could feel the burn of a piercing glare from beside him before any words were spoken. "Do you really think this is something we can just ‘figure out’?"
"It has to be! We’ve been through worse. I’m sure Lady Palutena can help."
An exaggerated eye roll. "Of course. Begging your goddess for help when we’re about to freeze out here."
"Like you have any better ideas than stewing in your own misery." Pit didn’t wait for his response before trying for a telepathic connection. "Lady Palutena?"
"When does she ever respond?" Dark Pit tsked.
They were both surprised to hear her voice, full of disdain. "When don’t I respond?"
"Whenever we need you."
"You need me right now, don’t you? Did you find Aurelia?"
Pit interrupted before they could start arguing. "Yeah, but now we don’t know where we are. Think you could give us directions?"
"Great," she sighed. "I thought I mentioned I wouldn’t have much energy to expend today."
"Good to know, but we kind of need help. Just don’t tell Magnus, or he’ll never let us live this down."
"You’re never living it down anyways," Palutena reminded him. "Hm… I won’t be able to locate you, but Gaol and I are almost at the waterfall. I could send a flare once we get there, and you could retrace your steps in the meantime?"
"Sounds good!" He turned back to the others. "Alright, time to head back the way we came until you see some fireworks."
"Fireworks?" Aurelia echoed excitedly. "I wanna see!"
"Keep an eye out. They could come from anywhere," he explained, starting to trudge back through the snow. "Let’s go!"
"We have to walk all the way back?" Dark Pit groaned.
"Try flying against the wind with the extra weight of your clothes." When he begrudgingly started walking, Pit couldn’t resist jabbing, "Exactly."
Stepping on their previous footprints made this a bit easier, but now that they were against the wind, the cold was extreme. It was hard to tell when their movements started getting more sluggish, or when his cheeks started tingling and the tips of his fingers gradually became number than they’d ever been after archery practice. This… is worse than I thought. How much further, again?
His twin’s voice brought him back to reality. "Why the hell is it so freaking cold?"
"Because it’s winter? And it’s cloudy?" Pit shot back.
"We’re all going to get frostbite at this rate."
"Is that bad?" Aurelia piped up, looking between them innocently.
It was hard to think or speak in the frigid air, but Dark Pit seemed to have no problem. And no conscience, either. "It means you’ll have to start choosing which fingers you can live without."
"Huh?"
"If they get so cold they lose blood supply, you'll need to cut–"
"Pittoo. Stop scaring her," he snapped. This situation was hard enough to deal with already.
"I’m being realistic."
"You’re being dramatic. We’ll be fine."
"Does this feel fine to you? I told you this was a bad idea."
"So what?" Pit grumbled in exasperation. "We’re here now, we don’t have a choice! Complaining isn’t helping!"
The crunch of footsteps slowed to a stop. "It’s better than pretending everything's alright! Let's face it, we're lost in some random forest in unbearable cold. To think it's okay is naive. Or delusional."
This pointless quarrel had already been wearing down his patience, but this was the breaking point. "Would it kill you to just shut up ?"
No response. The twins maintained an intense glare, unflinching in the wind. I'm being serious. This isn't the time for petty arguments. I need your help. As soon as there was a flicker of understanding in ruby-red eyes, they both turned to a small voice from beside them. "Pit, Pittoo…" Aurelia's hands were clasped together tightly as she shrunk back from them. "Are you… okay?"
"We're fine!" they chorused, almost too quickly. Pit added, "Sorry for scaring you. Sometimes this is the only way we get through to each other."
"We're almost back where we need to be," Dark Pit noted. "You good?"
Her expression relaxed into a relieved smile. "Kinda tired."
She didn't resist when Dark Pit picked her up, and she rested her head on his shoulder as they continued on their way. Thank you. Now we just need to hold out a bit longer.
In the monotony of trekking, they were both startled when she suddenly perked up. "Look look look! Icicle trees!"
Sunbeams finally started shining from behind the clouds, illuminating the ice coating the branches of leafless trees. The snow on the ground sparkled in the sun, and a gentle gust of wind carried glittering snowflakes in a wispy path. In only a few minutes, the woods that'd looked so dreary before were transformed into something magical. "You're right, Aurelia. They're really pretty."
Dark Pit spun around slowly, taking in the scene with wide eyes. "Woah."
"For the record, this is what Lady Palutena and I wanted you to see. But I guess you had to experience everything else first."
"Whatever. It wouldn't be like you two to plan something that goes right first try."
"Hey, what does that mean?" he complained, settling into a fond smile when Dark Pit and Aurelia laughed.
A burst of colour in his peripheral vision caught his eye. "Firework!" Aurelia gasped, pointing to their left.
"That close? We would've made it eventually," Dark Pit rued, adjusting his hold. "Dammit. Now Magnus won't shut up about us needing to be rescued."
"We didn't need to be rescued. We were just given some guidance," Pit corrected.
"Icefall, here we come!" Aurelia cheered.
Her enthusiasm was contagious, and with their renewed energy, the last part of their journey didn't take long. They hadn't even made it out of the woods before noticing Palutena waving brightly. Then again, everything about her was hard to miss. "Over here! You were faster than I expected," she smiled, pulling them into a warm hug. "Everything okay?"
"Better, now that the sun's out." Dark Pit pushed her away with his wings and set Aurelia down. "These two finally managed to show me something decent about this weather."
Emerald eyes lit up. "The snow and the trees, right? They're so beautiful!"
"She took too many pictures," Gaol stated flatly from behind her. "You're all so excited about these mundane things, I'm starting to think the heavens are overrated."
"Nothing compares to earthly beauty. Come on, you need to see the waterfall!" she urged, taking both twins by the hand and leading them to the clearing.
Aurelia had been right about this one, too. The frost-covered stones were beautiful in themselves, but the evening sunlight dancing across a sheet of sharp icicles made the frozen waterfall even more impressive. "This doesn't even look like a waterfall," Dark Pit observed as both of them got close enough to see their distorted reflections in the ice. "So cool."
Pit couldn't resist the opportunity handed to him. "I don't think you can get much cooler than ice."
He expertly dodged an elbow to the stomach, but he couldn't avoid being shoved into the snow. At least he managed to yank his twin down with him by the scarf. "Pit-stain, what the hell?"
With a bright grin, Aurelia dove in after them. "Didya like the icefall?" she asked eagerly.
"Yeah," Dark Pit answered, spreading his wings and lying on his back. "Thanks for showing us."
Magnus appeared above them with a smirk. "Already made yourselves comfy? We brought hot chocolate. Want any?"
Pit sat up instantly. "What kind of a question is that?"
"Take your time," Palutena called. She had to know they wouldn't listen. "We're staying here for a bit longer, until it's dark out. There's one more thing I want to show you."
The early nightfall in winter was useful at times like this. It wasn't long before they were looking up at a starry sky, hot chocolate in hand and their breath condensing whenever they spoke.
"Hurry up. It's getting cold again," Dark Pit murmured. Even though no words were exchanged, Pit and Palutena immediately seized the opportunity to snuggle up on either side of him without being pushed away. We should do this more often.
"Hang in there a little longer. It's starting now," Palutena noticed, raising her hand to channel her powers. "Let me help with the visibility a bit…"
"You're sure you have the energy for this, right?" Pit questioned.
"Of course! I do this so often, it's become easy. But I appreciate the concern."
They all watched the sky intently as she worked, her halo shining faintly behind her. Aurelia was the first to speak, holding Magnus and Gaol's hands tightly. "Look! The sky's glowing!"
It was glowing. A deep red at first, followed by streaks of green, blue, and violet weaving through each other. The slowly churning colours were mesmerizing no matter how many times he'd already seen this in Skyworld and the Overworld, and Palutena was as immersed in her work as always. What was special about this time was his twin's reaction. Dark Pit was completely entranced, gaze darting across the sky in wonder. There are lots of things I'd love to experience for the first time again. But experiencing them through him… that's just as nice.
"This is an aurora," Palutena explained with a smile. "One of my favourite natural phenomena."
"For good reason," Gaol breathed. "It's incredible."
"I'm glad you like it!"
Pit leaned further onto his brother's shoulder. "So, Pittoo, what do you think about winter?"
"It's cold."
Talk about anticlimactic. "That's it? Then you've got to have a favourite season, right?"
He only briefly glanced over before looking back up at the shimmering sky. "The other stuff we did today makes up for the weather. Even if your methods were questionable, you idiots did show me something special in every season. I think I like them all."
smol_fri on Chapter 3 Wed 21 Feb 2024 02:48AM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 3 Sun 25 Feb 2024 12:26PM UTC
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LukeySkywookie on Chapter 3 Thu 01 May 2025 03:48AM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 3 Mon 05 May 2025 12:29PM UTC
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LukeySkywookie on Chapter 4 Thu 01 May 2025 03:56AM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 4 Mon 05 May 2025 12:32PM UTC
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smol_fri on Chapter 6 Wed 21 Feb 2024 03:28PM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 6 Sun 25 Feb 2024 12:35PM UTC
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smol_fri on Chapter 7 Wed 21 Feb 2024 08:00PM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 7 Sun 25 Feb 2024 12:36PM UTC
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splashstar on Chapter 10 Sun 01 Sep 2024 05:30AM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 10 Tue 03 Sep 2024 08:59PM UTC
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smol_fri on Chapter 11 Thu 22 Feb 2024 11:10PM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 11 Sun 25 Feb 2024 12:39PM UTC
Last Edited Sun 25 Feb 2024 12:39PM UTC
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smol_fri on Chapter 11 Sun 25 Feb 2024 10:01PM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 11 Sun 03 Mar 2024 12:25PM UTC
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Anon (Guest) on Chapter 16 Sun 25 Aug 2024 04:00AM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 16 Mon 26 Aug 2024 11:56AM UTC
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All_B1_Myself on Chapter 16 Sat 14 Sep 2024 05:28AM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 16 Sun 15 Sep 2024 11:52AM UTC
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Obscure_Music on Chapter 17 Wed 01 Jan 2025 12:21AM UTC
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IridescentPersimmon on Chapter 17 Thu 02 Jan 2025 12:19PM UTC
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