O quam sancta, quam serena,
Quam benigma, quam amoena esse Virgo creditor.
O quam sancta, quam serena,
Quam benigma, quam amoena,
O castitatis lilium.
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
This is how the humans leave him: beaten and harmed, but not broken. They will never break him, for you cannot break what is already shattered.
This is what they have done to the angel of darkness that appeared in the realm of humans. With him came a foreboding prophecy: on the thirty-first day of this month, the world shall die and be brought anew. People feared him since the day those fateful words were spoken; how dare he, that beast, speak so boldly about the Kingdom of the Goddess and the world that has been created in Her vision?
The dark angel has appeared to shed light upon the immoral sins.
The dark angel has appeared to kill them all.
Faint footsteps echoed in his ears, followed by the unlocking of a door and the light temporarily blinding him. A holy brightness that burned him, that seared his soul. A firm voice commanded him to sit up, to face who had approached, band the dark angel smirked. He has been waiting for his appearance, his grand entrance.
He had been waiting for the appearance of the Holy Angel Pit, the Seraph of Lady Palutena.
"So you are the angel of darkness who foretold a dark prophecy upon this world?" Pit promptly asked, no greetings, no signs of pleasantries. "Did you expect to fool the humans, angels, and the Goddess by making yourself look like me?"
Laughter filled the room. The angel with blood red eyes could clearly remember the fear within the humans' eyes, the shock, the confusion. "He looks like Pit…" "That couldn't be!" "How did that fiend take on the appearance of the Holy Angel?!"
Yes, in appearance, they were the same: the only differences were black hair to brown hair, eyes of crimson to eyes of ocean, and shadowy teal wings contrasting against the purity of white wings.
Alike and body but not spirit.
"We look so much alike, but you look cuter…I could kiss you, taste you, envelope you. Or, will you Goddess kill me right here and now for my supposedly revolting feelings for you?"
"The Goddess does not care about such things. And you hold no feelings, no emotions whatsoever. I'm not sure which god or goddess sent you here, but if it is an act of hostility, we shall respond likewise."
The dark angel laughed. "So harsh, twin. I've emotions that you have not seen. And yes, I'm your precious Goddess may not seem to care, but her people surely do. Underneath the glory of their supposed holiness lies demons active and thriving."
Pit stiffened. This angel, this thing talks too much. His words are useless, pointless, unneeded and will remain unheeded. Pit already knows of the humans' true nature; he does not need to be reminded of it by someone like him.
However, he shall not grant the dark angel the satisfaction of being right.
"Humans are easily misguided. That is all they are."
"And whose fault is that?"
Blue eyes narrowed. "What is your purpose for coming to this world, demon of hell?" he demanded, changing the subject with a fierce voice. Drops of water from a leaky pipe dripped onto the floor, forming a muddy puddle upon the cold concrete floor and providing an ominous backdrop.
A glint sparkled within the blood red orbs.
"Demon of hell? Pit, I am not a demon: I am you, the twisted you. I am the angel Pit, your twisted and dark memories and thoughts merged into a physical form. I am simply Dark Pit."
"Stop talking," Pit commanded.
"Why? Do you not like the name I have given myself. Do you not wish to acknowledge our connection?"
"I said stop."
"I am you, and you are me. How many times must I say this? I am you as a fallen angel, your darkness, your vices."
"Silence!"
"We shall experience some serene sanctuary together, once your Lady decides to bring the world anew. Waves of crimson will flood the land, and with it will come a birth of truth!" The dark angel's voice was filled with sheer, sick excitement. "The idealization of a true reality will be brought into existence, dear twin! Washed away will be the sins of mortal souls!"
"What does that mean?" Pit growled. "What are you going on about?"
A low chuckle was the response. "You'll see. You'll soon understand the true desire that lies deep within everyone's hearts."
Pit sneered. This thing was what he was delegated to decipher, this being whom he must watch over. He could not even determine what was truth and what was nothing more than mere lies.
"You are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, and envy wrapped into one."
The dark angel smirked.
"And my pride is the cause of it all."
"Ah, you are the dark angel I was told to speak with? My my, you look exactly like Pit."
"Heh, and you must be Father Shulk Caldwell. I was told you'd be here today. First person not to seem genuinely surprised by my similar appearance to your precious angel."
The blonde smiled gently. Shulk Caldwell was a highly respected man of the cloth, a human seen as divine as the Holy Angel himself. Myths about him are whispered and hushed, mere tales that the father has never confirmed nor unconfirmed. His heavenly blue eyes stared at Dark Pit with neither malice nor disgust and fear, but a genuine curiosity that the shadow-feathered boy noted was not a glaring weakness.
"There is a reason why you hold similarities to the Holy Angel," Shulk explained. "I cannot question, disagree, nor agree with whatever reasoning you hold. Why you are here may either be subjective or objective."
"You cannot tell unless I give you the necessary information, can you?"
Shulk shook his head, yellow locks slightly moving back and forth. "You are exactly right."
Dark Pit smiled. "I like you, Father Shulk."
"Thank you. I did not expect such politeness from someone of your caliber."
"What did you expect?"
"I am not exactly sure," he admitted. "You have not proven any of my hypotheses yet."
Before Dark Pit could retort, a young man came bursting into the room. Dirty blonde hair was covered by a slightly worn-out green hat. He nearly tripped over his robes as he frantically entered the room, causing Shulk to stop him before he hurt himself. Dark Pit blinked, analyzing the situation. He recognized this bumbling buffoon as the young Hylian priest, Link. He snickered, earning a quick glare from the elf-eared boy.
"Father Shulk, Father Shulk! Come quickly, come quickly! Lucina is hurt!" he announced, voice wavering slightly as his gaze was still slightly focused upon the chained angel.
Shulk's eyes widened, visible concern marring his features. "What?"
"The villagers, they've attacked her due to her words about Lady Palutena! I've told that girl time and time again to silence her tongue, to not use the Goddess's name in vain! She insisted that no one truly understood what Lady Palutena stood for, and that we would all be banished for our vices. Vices! We, the proud followers of our Goddess, doing the exact opposite of what She wants! That crazy little bluenette – "
"Speak no more, Link. Take me to her." Shulk raised a hand and placed it on Link's shoulder. "I must see what type of condition she is in."
"But why?" he asked, finally making eye contact with the elder friar. She is not worthy of salvation – "
"You do not determine who is worthy of saving. Only the Goddess can determine such divine graces. Besides, she is my young pupil. I demand that you take me to her."
Link cringed at the sharp-edged voice, though he willingly complied with Shulk's demand. He gave a scowl when his eyes fell upon Dark Pit again.
"…V-very well, Father Shulk."
Shulk gathered his belongings, skillfully avoiding eye contact with the demon angel. So this is what everyone has devolved to: senseless violence to the statement of opinions. Even Link couldn't see past the blurred dividing line. What shame.
Before the priest left, he delivered one last remark, one that caused the dark angel to raise an eyebrow in intrigue.
"There are no exact interpretations of the Goddess's actions and, as such, what she has done does not mean it is morally correct."
Fourteen days and fourteen nights. That is how long Pit has been in the constant presence of the fallen angel, Dark Pit. Conservations between them fluctuated. One moment they spoke straightforward, honestly (or as honest as Pit believed Dark Pit to be). Other times was full of cryptic musings and introspective discussions. The humans have been curious of the times the light angel has been spending with the dark angel, curious and mistrustful and fearful.
The mere mortals believed he will be tainted, lured away from the glory and protection from his Goddess.
(Perhaps he had already was.)
Eyes closed, Pit listened to the ramblings of the angel chained before him. They were mysterious, the explanation of the "comedic effects of salvation" coming out in weak voices and slurred words.
"Humans secretly wish to be gods and goddesses," Dark Pit said suddenly, chains clacking as he slid to the floor. "They wish to have the power of the divine, but they can't realize that they just can't fucking handle it – ha! Whoops, should I not be using that language in the presence of the Holy Angel?"
Pit shrugged, nodding in acknowledgment. "Your language doesn't matter to me. I have heard worse curses leave the tongues of more wicked beings."
"Good. Fucking fantastic. Those damn humans exhibit all types of sins; as soon as they receive the power of a god, they'll go crazy with it. Even the purest person will soon begin to think damning thoughts. Mortals, I tell ya – they'll send this world, their own homeland, to shit."
Pit nodded again. Silence fell upon them. Labored, shallowed breathing left the dark angel's lips, the faint sounds of pain ever-so evident. Dark Pit insisted he was alright, but even someone like him will begin to feel the effects of constant torture. Only a loud rumbling caused Pit's eyes to shoot open, a look of concern landing on a smiling, sprawled mess on the floor.
A look of concern. A small chuckle threatened to leave his lips. When did he begin to feel worry for Dark Pit? When did he even begin to feel anything for the raven-haired boy?
A low rumble interrupted his thoughts. Pit raised an eyebrow, his stare asking the obvious question for him.
"I'm hungry," Dark Pit stated plainly.
"Ah." Standing up, Pit dusted off his clothes and looked down upon Dark Pit. "One second."
The angel quickly left the room, ignoring the dark angel's inquiries about where he was headed. He returned with a plate of bread and rice in his hands.
"Here."
He placed the plate in front of the chained prisoner and watch as the freshly-prepared food was devoured. No words were spoken at this moment, for none were needed. Plopping the last bit of bread into his mouth, Dark Pit gave a stifled thanks, to which Pit responded with a "Don't speak with your mouth full."
Dark Pit grinned, and for a quick moment, Pit returned the smile.
~•~ Beatus bir qui suffert tentationem,
Quoniqum cum probates fuerit accipent coronam vitae. ~•~
The fallen angel will live and teach us how to drown within the illegal pleasures.
Shall we fall into his temptation –
The priest and the loyal follower share their musings.
"Father Shulk, Father Shulk, what will become of the people? Their lives? Their souls?" the follower asks. She is bruised black and blue, her scars the representation of the townspeople's judgement and ignorant beliefs. But the bluenette is not fazed. This is merely a part of her test, her final proof of all that she has learned.
The priest simply stares at the stained glass windows, at the magnificent glory of Lady Palutena. He does not understand much anymore, he cannot speak for anyone else. Has his soul been ruined? He does not know. But if damnation approaches him, then he shall go down with his free will intact.
Removing a few strands of blonde hair from his eyes, the priest stated what can be considered neither truth nor lies, but simply a belief.
"Young Lucina, they'll kill themselves. They will ruin everything they have built upon an unstable foundation."
– or shall we follow the Goddess and Her teachings?
~•~ Blessed is he who endureth temptation,
For once he hath been tested, he shall receive the crown of life. ~•~
"I can't wait to die," he told Pit, coughing up blood for the fifth time today. The crimson liquid dripped from the side of his mouth. "Will I be banished to the Underworld? Will I dissolve into nothingness? Or will I simply be stuck in-between, experiencing the agonies of hell-bound humans and demons who cannot move forward or backward? It's fun thinking about it. I can't wait to experience the bliss of death."
"You'll just come back to life eventually."
"I'm aware of that. But the thought of feeling it, of the concept finally being palpable in my hands...I can't wait to die."
Pit simply stared at Dark Pit. His black hair wasn't a raven-colored tangled mess anymore, courtesy of the light angel himself. He was as healthy as the Holy Angel himself. An angel of malevolence treated humanely. May the Goddess herself forgive him for thinking this, but Pit could not stand the sight of the dark angel, his twin of darkness, looking so battered. He does not know why he thinks this way of him, the physical embodiment of Pit's supposed darkness.
No, not supposed.
The angel cannot help but hold contempt for the humans. They have proven themselves to be incompetent at the comprehension of basic opinions. Their minds have been tainted by the corrupted, and now only hatred and vileness guide their actions. They have embodied the cardinal sins they've set out to destroy.
What irony.
"The priest and that girl…have they realize what is wrong?"
Pit nodded. "They have seen the difference between proper acknowledgement and fanaticism, yes."
"Well, aren't they smart? Good for them. They'll be saved."
"I am still awaiting this prophecy, Pittoo. It has been nearly two months."
"For those who remain unaware, time slips from the fingers quite quickly, like grains of sand. If you remain ever-so patient, I shall thank you."
Thundering noises reverberated from the room, and Pit swore he began to feel the ground shake and growl with contempt. Hie eyes quickly focused upon Dark Pit, who returned the look with a simple grin. Could this be it? Could this be the prophecy that was said to come? The dark angel has been telling the truth this entire time? Questions spiraled in the seraph's mind, and only the sounds of anger could bring him back to reality.
A mob of humans stood before him, weapons in their hands, eyes blank and soulless. Pit recognized it as the entirety of the townspeople being here, sans Father Shulk and Lucina. At the forefront stood Link, a feral glare darkening his eyes. The world grew still, the atmosphere thick with tension.
Was this a rebellion, or have they been possessed, tainted by the darkness of the prophecy?
"What are you doing?" Pit demanded. "It is dangerous here! Leave now! Go quickly! Find Father Shulk and allow him to guide you to safety!"
His pleas were ignored. What were they doing? Were their hearts so weak that they have given in to whatever temptation has allured them? They have proved it, they have validated his contempt: humans really were this pathetic morally.
The words of Link were chilling and hollow. "We are here to slay the dark angel."
Pit's eyes widened. "What? You'll do no such thing! Do as I - "
The release of an arrow coupled with a strangled scream caused the words to stop. How...did that even get past him? Turning around, eyes brightening with fear, Pit stared at the polka dots of red that patterned the wall. Scarlet dripped onto the gray floor as Dark Pit slumped to the ground, body convulsing and shaking and shivering. In his fear and surprise, Pit did not even register the smile that formed on the dark angel's face.
Shaking with rage, Pit turned to face the murderous humans, voice dripping with venom. These mortals have been tainted by a prophecy, showing that their hearts and souls were nothing more than pathetic lies. They claim to be devout followers of the Goddess, but how could they let such loyalties be tainted by darkness! Humans were not worthy of the divine goddess's blessings, and this is why they fall so easily to corruption.
Withdrawing his weapon, Pit aimed his bow and arrow at Link. These humans did not deserve of the Seraph of Lady Palutena's protection anymore. The Goddess may not forgive him for his actions, but the mortals did not deserve to continue enjoying life. May the Goddess have no mercy on their souls.
"Heathens! How dare you disobey my orders? Have you lost your mind?" His voice was strained with anger and a hint of sadness. This is not what he wanted. He would have never wanted Dark Pit to...to die. If he had been aware of this atrocity, he would have placed more effort into preventing this event. How could he be so foolish, so careless?
This was his punishment.
"You must die with him. The flames of Hell awaits you both."
"The only soul worthy of burning is yours!" Before he could shoot the bow, a luminous flash blinded him, and harmonious voices swirled around him, enveloped him. The chants were mellifluous and soft, reminding the confused seraph of Lady Palutena's illustrious voice. Deep voices reverberated, reminiscent of the dark angel's voice. The same phrases were repeated ominously yet beautifully, a heavenly and purifying feeling washing over the light angel.
"Kyrie, ignis divine, elesion."
"Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy."
The voices grew louder as his bow dissipated in his hands. What was this? Is this part of the prophecy, or...or was this of Lady Palutena's doing? Has he been forsaken by the Goddess herself? The divine judgment delegated for sinners has been placed upon him.
No. No, it couldn't be. "W-what..." Pit stepped back, disbelief flashing in his eyes. He was weaponless and he felt powerless. He felt as fragile as the very humans standing before him. This should not be happening, this should not be happening.
"May the Goddess have no mercy on your souls."
A sharp pain ripped through Pit's heart. Drops of crimson pitter-pattered onto the floor from the corners of his mouth. The ethereal light still glowed. Blood turned from a small drizzle to a downpour. Breath became shallow, and the quiet chuckling of Dark Pit sent shivers down his spine. The dark angel was still alive, still breathing to watch the future come to fruition.
Agonized screams echoed in his ears.
Blue eyes became peppered with blotchy spots, the blurry visions of blood spewing from and cries of humans barely registering in his mind. The followers of Lady Palutena, were they dying right before his eyes? So this was the prophecy of the Goddess. This was the so-called "waves of crimson". Pit was not sure of whether or not it was a shame that he had to die. Everything seemed to sparkle with clarity and yet remain so unclear. What kind of blasphemous contradiction was that? Was that truly blasphemy?
What was anything anymore?
A feel of warmth spread out upon his lips, and Pit slowly realized it was Dark Pit's bloodied lips pressed against his. The angel weakly returned the kiss, hands gripping onto the dark angel's cold arms. They both were dying alongside the humans, though, unlike the mortals, they'll simply return at a later date, for angels of Pit's caliber never truly die; they only experience a period of serenity before returning to normality, the period growing gradually longer with each new state of "death".
"We shall experience some serene sanctuary together, once your Lady decides to bring the world anew."
And that is when realization dawned upon Pit.
"You...you aren't r-really a fallen angel, are you…?"
The dark angel smirked weakly, the process itself proving to be a struggle. He leaned in closer to his light counterpart, his lips grazing an icy ear, slowing heartbeats in perfect synchronization. They both breathed their last breaths, and within Dark Pit's was his final words.
"Thank you for remaining ever-so patient."
Oh how holy, how serene,
How generous, how pleasant this Virgin who believeth.
Oh how holy, how serene,
How generous, how pleasant,
Oh Pure Lily.
Hey, 'tis be Mika here and I present to you Philosophical and Spiritual Confusion and Nonsensical Ramblings: The Fanfiction.
So yeah, thought about it a few weeks ago and I have been working on it ever since. It's something I have never written before – far from what I have written before. Yes, there is a certain meaning behind this, but feel free to interpret what you wish. I feel the need to say that this story isn't designed to offend anyone, despite certain allusions you may have picked up on. It's simply a story, everyone.
Interpret Pit and Pittoo's relationship however you want, too. It's not exactly what it's portrayed to be…
The phrases in Latin, bold and italicized are the lyrics to the song Lilium, which is the opening theme to the anime Elfen Lied, followed by the English translation.
I hoped you all enjoyed the story~