"Well, are you going or not?" what seemed to be a girl wondered rather sarcastically. Her long, pale-blonde hair was pulled into a side ponytail by a root- and twig-like decorative band, and a circlet similar to it rested around her head. Part of her hair fell to the side of her face, and she wore a dark drape of sorts fastened by a light purple flower over a red dress, belted by a root.
"Why should I?" the angel she was addressing replied. He leaned his shoulder against the wall of the temple they stood in, his crimson gaze watching her as his dark wings rested behind him. His arms were crossed over his black tunic, decorated in gold lining and fastened by a pale purple gem set in a gold base. Under this, he wore a skintight, sleeveless black shirt and matching shorts, and each of his wrists were encased in a black brace with gold cuffs on each end. Nestled among his spiky black locks of hair was a golden crown of laurels.
"Because if you don't," she responded with sarcastic confidence, "then you don't fly." He sighed heavily, still regretting how he'd lost his ability to fly several weeks previous. In his heart, however, he couldn't deny that it was the price of a cause well worth it, and he knew he may not have been alive without that cost.
"Fine," he surrendered. "So, what do you want me to do?" The girl smiled.
"That's better. So, come here." He tilted his head and shoved off the wall, trudging over to her. She pointed to a reflective surface nestled among the vines climbing up the walls. After a moment, an image of a human town came into view on it. The dark-winged angel stared at it, his expressing shifting from surprise, to horror, then back to his stoic sarcasm with an underlying tone of anger.
"What the heck are they doing there?" he demanded as he watched several strange creatures, creatures he recognized too well, assault the town and its inhabitants.
"I wish I knew," the girl replied. "I thought we'd dealt with this. Even if we didn't get rid of all of them, they definitely shouldn't be mounting an attack this quickly again." She paused. "They're too unorganized by themselves. Who's leading them?" The angel frowned.
"That's where I come in, huh?" he turned his gaze toward her.
"Exactly," she smiled.
"Fine, fine," he held up his hands. "Whatever you say, Viridi."
"Hey!" she glared at him. "You call me 'goddess,' understand?" she demanded.
"Right, Goddess of Nature, I know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I get it."
"So wise up, or else," Viridi threatened.
"Or what?" he challenged, leaning down a bit so their eyes were on the same level. She smirked.
"Or I'll start calling you 'Pittoo' again." He blinked.
"Okay, okay," he growled. "I couldn't care less about what you call me: Dark Pit, whatever, but ANYTHING but that," he stressed. "Fine, Goddess Viridi. You win. I'll head out." She smiled and nodded.
"That's a good little angel." He rolled his eyes and looked back to the town.
"Wait..." he mumbled and stepped closer to it. "Are those... those are Reapers!" he realized. Indeed, the collectors of souls had flocked to the town in great numbers. "Why would they- There's so many of them..."
"That... can't be good," Viridi admitted. "Look, I couldn't care less about the humans, but there are others creatures living there. Go check on them. Leave those good-for-nothing humans to Palutena." She paused and glanced to the mirror. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised she hasn't sent her loyal little tool to investigate." Dark Pit rolled his shoulders and smirked.
"Well, whatever," he replied as he headed toward the gate leading out to the Overworld. "They only need one Pit." He grabbed his weapon resting next to the gate, a Silver Bow that sported a blue hue lined by a sharp silver edge that split into two short swords.
"We'll see," Viridi replied. "Just try not to get too destroyed out there."
"What, me?" he scoffed. "Those Underworld freaks have no chance." He turned as the gate opened, letting in a blinding light, and he leaped out into the air as a light emitted from his wings. The wind whipped around him as he sped through the skies, bow gripped tight and his eyes trained forward.
"So, remember, you're just going to check things out," Viridi reminded him from her temple. "See what's happening, find out how the living beings around there are."
"I know, I know," he replied. "And you don't care about the humans. I get it. I'll do it. So stop worrying your leaves off."
"Excuse me?" she demanded again. "Just what do you mean by that?"
"Forget it," he sighed as the town came into his line of sight. "I'm approaching my destination."
"Wow, with plenty of time to spare," she realized. "Did you run into any trouble at all?"
"Just a nasty updraft," he answered. "So, what, prepare for land battle?"
"Do I really need to say that?" He rolled his eyes again as he descended into the town. As his feet touched down, he pulled his weapon up to the ready, scanning his surroundings. He could hear screaming among the strange calls of the Underworld monsters. The Reapers continued their harvest overhead, darting up into the sky and then back down among the structures of the town. He clenched his teeth and took off at a jog toward the center of town.
"So, you really have no idea why these freaks are attacking?" he inquired as he peaked around the corner toward the fountain serving as the town's centerpiece.
"Unfortunately," Viridi confirmed. "And... it seems like they're actually after the souls of the humans. But why?" She paused. "I mean... Hades killed Medusa and Pit defeated him... anyone else that could lead them was toast during the war."
"But what do they need all these souls for?" Dark Pit crept out from his hiding place and quickly caught the attention of a group of Underworld monsters. He readied an arrow and let it fly, taking one down and repeated until he took them down.
However, his maneuvers ended up drawing another enemy he would have rather avoided. Several Reapers turned away from the fallen humans directly toward him, and he swallowed. After he got over his immediate shock, he took off running down an alley with the Reapers hot on his heels.
"Why the heck are they after me?" he demanded, turning quickly and ducking down into a crumbling building.
"I... I'm not sure," Viridi admitted. "They shouldn't be- not like this. They're after you for a reason beyond just for the sake of your soul."
"Yeah, thanks," he grumbled. "So, what do I do?"
"Uh... fight back! Don't let them hurt you!"
"I could have figured that out myself," he sighed and separated his bow. He felt his heart pounding as the Reapers approached and looked over his shoulder. As soon as they came into his view, he lunged out and slashed clean through their leader. It flew back and stared at him, a glare that he returned with hostility. It retreated, leaving another two after him. He hopped back and readied his swords as they approached him, and pushed off his back foot toward one. He knocked it back with relative ease, and turned toward the third. But, before either could attack, a large hunk of metal blew through it and caused it to dissipate. Perhaps realizing the situation, the other two returned to the sky and left toward other targets.
The angel known as Dark Pit stared at the owner of the hunk of metal: a large, muscular man with messy dark hair falling behind his shoulders and trace amounts of facial hair. His dress, a dark shirt over a red undershirt and black pants, showed that he was a warrior. He had several tattoos marking his body, and his arms were wrapped in bandages in several places. His deep yellow gaze glanced over the dark angel curiously, and he could tell this man was surprised to see him.
"Huh," the man raised one of his eyebrows. "You're not... you can't be Pit, can you?"
"Nope," the dark angel smiled a bit. "But good guess. I'm his... dark side, you could say. But," he tilted his head with a mocking tone. "Which of us is the real one?"
"A Dark Pit, huh?" the man replied, obviously unfazed by the angel's comments.
"That's what I tend to be called," Dark Pit agreed.
"But you're not allied with these Underworld creeps," the man realized. "Otherwise, those Reapers wouldn't have come after you." Dark Pit nodded. "You fighting them?"
"I dunno, am I?" the angel wondered, addressing the Goddess of Nature.
"Uh..." Viridi paused, obviously caught off guard. "Well, you're gonna fight whether I tell you to or not, so fine. Go ahead." Dark Pit smirked a bit.
"Then yeah, I am fighting them." The man stared at him.
"You talking with some goddess?" he inquired. The dark angel nodded again.
"Yep. But don't get the wrong idea- THIS Pit isn't a servant. I've got something of a deal with the Goddess of Nature, and she's not too happy with you humans." The man shrugged.
"Goddess of Nature, eh? Not surprised. I've seen people do some pretty nasty stuff to the earth. Guess we should have expected a retaliation after a while. So, did she send these freaks?"
"I most certainly did not!" Viridi yelled.
"Nah," Dark Pit answered. "She's got nothing to do with it. I was coming to check things out, but it seems like you could use a little help. Now, hold on a sec'." He put his bow back together and shot a Mik coming up behind the man. "Okay."
"Hrm." The man nodded. "Alright, how 'bout we work together, then? Get rid of these monsters, figure out what's going on." Dark Pit nodded once more.
"Sounds good," he agreed.
"Alright. I'm Magnus," the man introduced himself. "After the Underworld Army showed up, I came out to help fight 'em off. Unfortunately, the Reapers made things a lot more difficult."
"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm here," Dark Pit smiled a bit. "So, let's show these creeps who's boss." Magnus nodded. "Anyway, you probably know this town better than I do, so lead on."
"Fine." The muscular man swung his massive sword up and rested it over his shoulders as he hurried down the alley opposite the fountain with the dark angel following closely. Dark Pit frowned and glanced up at the sky.
These humans are in serious trouble. Where are you? he wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought as Magnus called out for help in dealing with a sudden onslaught of Underworld monsters, the Reapers hovering a short distance away as they watched the duo with greedy hunger.
