Light & Dark: Opposites
This fanfic has been a long time coming. I really hope you like it, readers. I utterly adored Uprising when it first released (after about three years of waiting) in spite of its counter-intuitive controls (I'm left-handed), and before that, I absolutely LOVED Pit in Brawl… but then, who didn't? He was one of my mains along with Toon Link and Lucario, and he was - and still is - absolutely flipping GORGEOUS, and I say that as a straight guy. I would probably flip if a new Kid Icarus game were released on the Switch. I mean, it may not be a perfect series, but I'd still prefer it to certain other franchises. Let's not get into that.
Anyway, before we begin, I'd just just like to say one thing for the sake of nostalgia:
"Hy-Yah-Yee-YAAAAH!"
Admit it. That made you grin a mile wide. (:
The doors to Palutena's Temple opened and with a gentle whoosh, Pit soared in, a couple of feathers falling from his wings onto the floor as the result of the evening breeze. The double doors then swung closed, a pair of small Centurions fluttering over with an enormous block of wood to place across the entrance, locking up for the night.
"Evening, Master Pit," the female of the duo squeaked in her chipmunk-like voice as she strained under the weight of the wooden plank, the enchanted wings of her helmet beating furiously to keep her aloft. With a final grunt each, she and her male accomplice managed to fit the block into place. They both then let their feet touch the polished floor, exhausted.
"How was… the patrol?" the male Centurion asked breathlessly, his voice boasting a somewhat small pitch and was a little raspy. The little warrior was doubled over from the effort of hauling the block of wood across the temple's entry hall. "I gotta eat more eggplants," he muttered, aware that his physical endurance was a little sub-par for a soldier.
"It was actually pretty quiet," Pit summarised earnestly, reaching up to straighten the red jewel that kept his toga pinned in place. He stretched his arms and flapped his pure white wings, straining in contentment as he loosened up. "But then, things have been quiet ever since Hades was taken out of the picture. Well, mostly quiet," he corrected himself. "Anyway, tonight was a breeze. Literally, there was a real nice breeze blowing down near the mountains. I wanted to stop and do a few mid-air loop-de-loops, but Lady Palutena thought it best to get me away from there before night fell and the sub-zero temperatures settled in over that area, which is fair enough, I guess. Better to be a warm angel than a frigid popsicle. Where is Lady Palutena, anyway?"
"I'm right here, Pit," the unmistakable voice of the Goddess of Light responded, the regal woman walking slowly down the steps that bordered the dining hall, ornate staff in hand. Her green hair seemed to shimmer in the moonlight that filtered in through the temple's windows. She smiled welcomingly at the youthful angel. "Sorry I gave you the silent treatment for the last few miles of your flight, but I wanted to make sure everything was set for dinner."
"Oh, yeah! It's the three month anniversary of the peace we attained!" Pit said brightly, looking really excited. He then closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Oh, man! I can smell the desserts! The roasts! The baked potatoes! The sweet chilli on rye bread!" he cried, looking almost beside himself with eager anticipation. He opened his eyes, an open-mouthed hopeful smile appearing on his face. "Can we start eating right now? Pleeeeeease, Lady Palutena?" he begged, giving her the most heart-melting puppy dog eyed look he could muster.
Palutena giggled. "How could I say no to such an adorable angel?" she said, moving aside so she wouldn't get trampled in the dinner rush, which occurred immediately as Pit let out a joyful cry, racing up the steps and bursting into the dining hall, his blue eyes surveying the long tables lined with platters of all manner of food. Licking his lips childishly, the hero of Skyworld raced to the nearest table, sat down, grabbed a knife and fork and was about to dig into everything he could possibly reach from where he was seated, but at the very last moment, he hesitated, his grasped utensils barely two inches away from a huge hunk of honey glazed roast meat. He then composed himself, set the utensils down in front of him, clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.
"I give thanks to the Goddess of Light and divinity itself for the bounty I'm about to receive. May the light shine for always, both for me and all who look to it for guidance," he said very fast, quoting the grace he had been raised to eat by in polite company. It was more or less the only respectful thing he did in polite company where food was involved, for no sooner had the last syllable left his mouth, his eyes were open, the utensils were in his hands once again and within three seconds, his mouth was filled to the brim with food, gravy dribbling down his chin as he chewed ravenously.
"Easy now, Pit," Palutena said as she walked gracefully into the room. "Gluttony is unbecoming, especially for an angel."
Pit swallowed his mouthful of food. "Heh. Sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "This is just soooooo good!" he squealed.
"So good that you're completely disregarding the fact that your elbows are on the table," the Goddess said knowingly, raising an eyebrow at the leader of her army.
Pit's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "I'll… try to work on my table manners," he mumbled awkwardly, sitting up straight and eating at a more steady pace and in less elaborate quantities, chewing slowly and thoroughly, now savouring every bite.
"There we go. Not so hard, is it?" Palutena asked, smirking as she took a seat opposite him, helping herself to bread and cheese. "The Centurions should be joining us shortly. Until then… let's pocket all the toffees," she whispered mischievously.
Pit, who had just taken a big gulp of milk from his flagon, ended up snorting most of it out of his nostrils from laughter. "Oh, Lady Palutena, you're truly in a class of your own!" he declared, grinning.
The deity grinned back, but then she let out a small gasp.
"What's wrong? Are you choking?!" Pit asked, leaping to his feet in alarm.
"No, no, nothing like that," Palutena assured him quickly. "I just… felt something, as though a voice suddenly cried out in pain."
"Think maybe there's something bad happening on the world below?"
"I'll go check my viewing basin," the Goddess of Light said, getting up and hastily striding out of the room, Pit soon following after her with a concerned look on his face… but only after grabbing a turkey leg in each hand and sprinkling salt on both.
Palutena's viewing basin was a pool of sacred water that allowed her to view the world below. For the best part of two decades, she had allowed Pit to occasionally use it to watch the annual Smash Bros. Tournaments, the angel typically cheering Mario on as the acclaimed plumber fought Kirby in a trial of hand-to-hand combat. When the Subspace Army had invaded, Pit had been sent by Palutena to assist Mario and those aligned with him, ultimately contributing to the saving of all worlds. Even now, the viewing basin was often Skyworld's first source of information regarding the world below and the state it was in at any given time. Palutena wasted no time in stepping up to the basin and gently swishing her fingers through the water, the distilled liquid soon showing an image of a rocky plain, a figure sprawled out on the ground. As Pit hurried over to see what the basin showed, Palutena waved her hand to enhance the image, zooming in on it and causing a scene to play.
The figure was clad in attire not unlike that of Pit's, albeit a deep black instead of pure white. The angel and Goddess could see the great discomfort in the figure's crimson eyes as he shuddered violently, struggling to draw breath. Blood was oozing at an alarming rate from the left side of the figure's waist, his face marred by scratches and burns. He was lying on his back, a pair of wings that bore feathers of deepest black producing from behind him.
"Pittoo!" Pit and Palutena cried in unison.
"B-But this doesn't make any sense!" Pit spluttered, running a hand through his brunette locks. "If he's hurt, why didn't I feel anything?"
"The true nature of the connection you two share is still not fully understood," Palutena mused. "But there's no time for this, Pit! You need to-!"
The Goddess looked up to see Pit already hurrying out the door, a First Blade in hand.
"Pit, wait! You know you can't fly without me!"
"The catch me when I jump!" the angel responded sharply without looking over his shoulder. Palutena was a little shocked at that. It wasn't often that Pit spoke so bluntly, especially to her, but she couldn't afford to call him out on it right now.
Or more to the point, Dark Pit couldn't afford her to do it…
"Ungh… What…?"
"…have to… him. I'll use… divine…"
"…Me do it! …has to… me!"
Dark Pit couldn't make any sense of what was going on, what he was hearing. All he knew was that he was in so much agony that he could barely move. He tried to open his eyes, only managing to do so partway. He made out a vague, blurry image of at least two figures crouched over him. He thought he could hear a voice calling out to him, calling his name. Calling him something that sounded familiar, anyway. Succumbing to his injuries, Dark Pit blacked out once again, sound and sight leaving him behind in favour of darkness.
Sometime later, the black winged angel found himself stirring once again, still somewhat dazed, but considerably less so than before. He opened his eyes, his initially blurred vision rapidly focusing. He immediately sat up, finding himself on a four-poster bed, the bedspread a cerulean blue, the ends of the fabric adorned with frilly strands of gold. Sitting up caused him to wince in pain and he hissed, agonised. He then realised that his wrists were garbed with sports tape, a translucent opaque gel smeared on the back of each hand, covering some scratches and burns. He dared to raise his left hand to his face and sniff the substance. It smelt somewhat sweet, but he highly doubted it was edible - not that he had any intention of tasting it.
"What is this…?" he mumbled, taking in his surroundings. At the sound of his voice, a rhythmic scratching sound that had been occurring nonstop since he awoke suddenly ceased, and then-
"Pittoo!"
"Oh, no," was all Dark Pit could say, putting a hand to his forehead, feeling a stress headache starting to form as Pit hurried to his side, having been sitting hunched over at a desk in the corner, scribbling away on a piece of parchment with a shiny gold quill. Dark Pit then realised that he had slapped the back of his hand to his forehead, leaving a cool, sticky feeling there from the gel. He lowered his hand and glowered at his fellow angel, who was staring at him with concerned eyes.
"You're awake!" Pit cried, smiling in relief.
The black winged angel folded his arms. "What gave it away?" he asked patronisingly, causing Pit's expression to fall flat.
"I'm… just glad you're okay," the brunette said quietly. "What's wrong with that?"
Dark Pit smirked coldly at him. "How much time do you have?"
Pit pouted slightly at that. "And I really thought you'd changed. Guess I was wrong. Same old Pittoo."
"Must you call me that?" Dark Pit asked, sliding off the bed and standing up, causing him to wince again. "Please tell me this isn't your bedroom?"
"What's wrong with my bedroom?"
"You mean aside from the fact that it's yours?"
That did it. Pit turned away, folding his arms. "You were injured, you know," he stated curtly.
"Obviously."
"I found you. Well, technically Lady Palutena found you, but I'm the one who… Well, actually, Lady Palutena brought you here too, but it was I who volunteered to dress your wounds! To keep and eye on you! To… To worry about you, and what thanks do I get? A bunch of snide comments, but then, what did I expect?"
"Will you please stop talking to me like we're an old married couple?" Dark Pit exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Viridi's less whiny than you, and that's saying a lot."
"I can hear you, you know!" the voice of the somewhat troublesome Goddess of Nature declared via telepathy, her statement echoing through the bedroom. "Don't forget that I'm the one who allows you to fly, Pittoo!"
Dark Pit sighed heavily. "Fine, I take it back," he said loudly before shaking his head. "Does everyone call me by that stupid nickname now?"
"Oh, please. Don't pretend you don't like it!"
"She always buts in on whatever I'm doing," he muttered softly to Pit. "Makes me really glad we angels don't have to use the bathroom."
"Oh, I could make you wet yourself anytime, smart guy! Don't be fooled, Pit - bigmouth here may talk tough, but even he's scared of me. Go on, Pittoo, address me properly, the way we rehearsed. Do it. DO IT!" Viridi barked, her voice booming so loud that Pit jumped a foot in the air.
Dark Pit let out another heavy sigh. "Divine Goddess of Nature, Lady Viridi, I…" Dark Pit hesitated, cringing, as though saying the next words pained him more than his current injuries.
"Finish it," Viridi said warningly.
"I… beseech thee, the World's Beauty Incarnate, to grant me thy mercy."
Pit stood there motionless for a second, and then he absolutely cracked up laughing.
"Beauty incarnate! Oh, that's priceless!" he howled, sinking to the floor and banging his fists on the carpet, tears of mirth streaming down his cheeks.
"You laughing at him, or at me?"
"Both!" the hero of Skyworld declared, still beside himself with laughter. He stopped laughing when a maple leaf suddenly appeared over his mouth, stuck to his lips. He scrambled to his feet and tried to pull it off, but to no avail.
"Tug at it all you want - you'll never get it off unless I will it. Still feel like laughing, Pit?"
"I think you've made your point, Viridi," Palutena's voice said, joining in on the conversation.
"Whatevs. I'm gone," Viridi said casually, the maple leaf vanishing along with the sound of her voice.
"Everything okay, Pit?" Palutena enquired.
"Uh, yeah. More or less," Pit told her, feeling around his mouth to make sure the Goddess of Nature hadn't left any other surprises for him.
"Speak for yourself," Dark Pit declared. "With all due respect, Goddess, the next time you decide to send your messenger boy to gel me up and wrap sports tape around me until I look like a rejected Sonic Boom character, do me a favour and… don't."
"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, Pittoo. You were mortally wounded when I located you. Can you tell me for certain that if you had perished, Viridi would've resurrected you as I would Pit?"
Dark Pit said nothing, a troubled expression appearing on his face.
"Forget I said anything," he muttered at last.
"Is that your way of saying thank you?"
"…Perhaps."
"You're welcome."
Pit chuckled knowingly as he eyed his dark double. "Behind every angel, there's a Goddess who knows best."
"They know something, I'll say that much."
Both angels laughed awkwardly.
"Well, I'm outta here," Dark Pit declared more calmly, taking a step forward only to gasp in agony.
"You're still hurt!" Pit cried, hurrying forward.
"Don't touch me!" the black winged angel snapped, his crimson eyes cold again as Pit made to gently take his arm and support his weight lest he collapse. "Your help was… not completely unwanted, but I don't need anything else from you!"
"Why do you do that? Why push everyone away?"
"I'm pushing you away because you're so annoying!"
"You don't get it, do you? You think I'd drop everything to patch up an injured Centurion every five minutes?"
"You don't have to. Those guys are a gold coin a dozen, and they come back to life anyway."
"I care about you!"
"You only care that our connection doesn't cause me to take you with me when I perish!"
"That's a lie, you… you snivelling coward!"
"Oh, so now we're tossing the insults around, huh? Took you long enough. I was worried I'd have to get the ball rolling," Dark Pit jeered snidely.
Pit grabbed Dark Pit by the collar. "What is WRONG with you?!" he demanded. "You avoid compassion like the plague, both when you're obliged to show it and when you receive it, the latter especially!"
"So what? Why does it matter to you? Why does it matter to ANYONE?!"
"BECAUSE THAT'S A HORRIBLE WAY TO LIVE OUT YOUR EXISTENCE, THAT'S WHY!" Pit shouted, angry tears now forming in his eyes.
"Well, maybe I can't afford the luxury of compassion, especially when the only one to give it to me is… you!" Dark Pit said, turning away. "Did… Did you ever think of that?" he went on quietly, his voice cracking.
Pit's outrage faltered. He stared at the back of his dark double's head, noticing how the laurel crown that rested on either side of the boy's deep black hair was lopsided, each feather-like decoration hanging loosely as Dark Pit stood there, subtly jerking and shaking. There was no doubt in the brunette's mind that his twin was crying softly.
"Well, did you ever think that maybe more people care than you know?" Pit asked gently, reaching up to carefully straighten Dark Pit's laurel crown so that it looked neat and tidy, each half symmetrical to the other. "And besides, having just one person care can make all the difference in the world."
Dark Pit sniffed. "Don't," he pleaded. "I don't want to be…"
"Don't want to be what?"
"I don't want to be… weak!" he cried, proclaiming the last word with a dry sob.
Pit looked a little bewildered, but then he smiled and rested his hands on Dark Pit's shoulders. "You're not weak," he assured him. "If anything, opening up to others can be a way of showing strength. Sit down on the bed."
And for once, Dark Pit cooperated, letting Pit guide him to the edge of the bed without argument, the black winged angel reaching up to wipe his eyes as he sat down.
"No. Don't bottle it up. Let it out, okay?" Pit told him, gently rubbing his shoulders, and after a moment's hesitation, Dark Pit let his tears fall freely, his sobs becoming great, shuddering hiccoughs. After a few moments, Pit draped one arm around the boy and pulled him into a hug, something that must've come as a great shock to Dark Pit, for he gasped and immediately tried to break free. "No, it's okay! Just relax. You're in safe hands," Pit said soothingly, shushing him gently.
And that was how the pair remained for several long minutes, the hero of Skyworld gently running his hand up and down his shady counterpart's back, doing everything he could to comfort him while the dark angel cried onto his shoulder. After a little while, Dark Pit started to shift away, but without haste. His sobs had quietened and he had stopped shaking.
"I think I need a drink of water or something," he croaked as he wiped his eyes. Pit obliged with a Drink of the Gods, the mysterious tonic that rejuvenated him in dire situations, the angel keeping a spare bottle under his bed. He reached down and fetched it for his companion, holding the ornate red bottle up to him. Dark Pit drank deeply, the rich flavour of the substance making him visibly perk up a bit.
"Better?" Pit asked.
"Much," Dark Pit gasped, wiping his mouth. "I think I could get used to drinking this stuff, actually."
"Just don't drink too many of them back to back, or you'll end up totally drunk. There's a reason Lady Palutena only supplies five of them in the Boss Gauntlet, and even those are meant to be spaced apart."
"You think it'll help me sleep?"
Pit was a bit surprised by that question. Had Dark Pit really eased up enough to willingly spend the night rather than be stubborn about it? "Uh, like a log," he said after a moment. "Never kept me up."
Dark Pit let out another sigh, but now it was a more at ease, relaxed sigh. "I feel better now, I think. At least in one sense. My injures are still…" he trailed off.
Pit nodded in understanding. "Where does it hurt most?"
"My back. All along my back. Stings. Burns. Aches. That Immortal Phoenix really did a number on me."
Pit wanted to ask why Dark Pit had been contending with the Phoenix, but knew that such could wait for now. He got up and walked over to his desk, picking up a large round container. "I could rub some gel on your back if you want. It'll help soothe your wounds and it doesn't sting."
Dark Pit looked at Pit with an unreadable expression, and the brunette was sure that his dark double was going to express his utter disdain for the very idea of having anyone rub anything on any part of him for any reason, and after a long moment, Dark Pit let did out yet another sigh, but this one expressed weariness, resignation, acceptance. He unclipped the purple jewel that held his toga around him and slid the garment off his torso, exposing his bare chest, which had a few scrapes on it, but still didn't look too bad… in any sense (wink, wink, fangirls). "Get on with it," was all he said, lying down front first, his head lolling over the side of the bed.
If Dark Pit's front had shown some visible signs of physical injury, his back looked positively torn apart. Deep, dried up gashes and nasty scorch marks abounded, his wings looking fairly ruffled from behind, feathers out of place or half pulled out. He was a mess.
"Yikes," Pit said as he walked over with the gel container in hand, his blue eyes wide. "These wounds… don't look very recent, actually. Have you been bearing these for a while?"
"I'm tough."
"Pittoo, toughness doesn't make you invincible! You look almost as bad as the time my wings were burned off!"
"Key word being almost, and that's the difference between you and me - I've always looked better."
Pit grimaced. "Well, if you're able to joke about it, then I guess that's something. Still, you shouldn't have left these scars untreated for so long," he said, unscrewing the jar's lid. "I mean, what would Viridi think?"
"Viridi thinks like Viridi… whatever that is. She worries about her priorities, I worry about mine. We get stuff done and don't mince words about it, as opposed to how you and your Goddess can't seem to find the 'Off' switch for the voice chat."
Pit rolled his eyes. "You don't like to mince words? Fine, then I'll stop talking after this last thing: From the look of them, I'd say your injuries are quite sensitive, so even though the gel doesn't sting, it'll probably still hurt a fair bit when I touch them."
"If I can endure listening to you, I'm sure I'll be able to withstand your touch somehow."
"There's that attitude again," Pit said, setting the gel container down and folding his arms. "You gonna ease up, or are you just gonna lie there in pain without treatment?"
"I have so far."
"Pittoo!"
"I'm just messing with you. Sheesh! Exactly who needs to lighten up here?" Dark Pit asked knowingly, lifting his head to cockily raise and lower his eyebrows repeatedly at the brunette.
"…Touché, Pittoo," Pit mused, scooping up a huge palmful of gel and bringing it down onto his dark double's back with a wet slap, the black winged boy hissing in pain at the impact.
"Easy!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "That smarts!"
"Oops. Sorry," Pit said with mock innocence. "I guess I'm just clumsy… and annoying," he added with emphasis.
"Okay, fine, I take it back, if only so you'll drop it and…" Dark Pit hesitated.
"And what?" Pit demanded, raising an eyebrow.
Dark Pit let out a low moan of irritation. "Don't make me say it," he pleaded.
"Say what? That you need my help? That you want my help?"
"…Fine. Help me."
"Help me… what?"
"Help me, please," Dark Pit growled through clenched teeth.
"Help me, please… who?"
"OH, COME ON!" Dark Pit howled in frustrated dismay. "I'm in pain here! Are you gonna help me or not?"
"Okay, you twisted my arm," Pit said with a lax smile, starting to smear the gel all around on Dark Pit's back, gently covering every injury. He was careful to use a light touch to minimise any discomfort his shady twin might feel. A few gasps of pain escaped the dark angel's lips, but overall, he was beginning to relax.
"It's actually pleasantly warm in here," he mused, more to himself than the well-meaning boy tending to his wounds. "And the gel's not icy like I expected. It's mildly cool, and feels kinda light."
Pit said nothing, just glad that his cohort was finally beginning to unwind. And besides, he had promised before that he'd allow Dark Pit some blissful silence. After several minutes, a wide-eyed look appeared on the brunette's face as he heard the black winged boy let out a gentle snore, his head having slumped down towards the floor. Slowly and carefully, Pit moved his doppelganger, propping him up on the bed. He then went and fetched some bandages, softly humming a cheery tune as he wrapped up Dark Pit's torso, knowing that he'd be fully healed by morning.
"I'll let you have the bed," he whispered to the sleeping angel, who just exhaled deeply through his nose. "I'll sleep in the Centurion common room." Glancing around, the hero of Skyworld then leant forward and placed a ginger kiss on the dark angel's forehead - gently wiping the gel off his cranium first.
As Pit left the room, Dark Pit opened one crimson eye, allowing himself a reluctant but genuinely happy smile before closing it again.
And there it is, folks. You catch more angels with gel than with vinegar… or something like that.
I'm really happy with how this story turned out. I may consider a follow-up story in future if this gets enough positive feedback.
Speaking of feedback, quick shout out to Rockster, thanking you for calling attention to this fanfic's imperfect grammar, which I have since made an effort to correct. Cheers, mate.
Once again, this story has been a long-time coming, so… sorry to keep you waiting! (: