...once you've had it all
Knock knock.
"Pittoo?"
Silence.
Knock knock knock.
"Pittoo, are you up?"
Nothing.
Knockknockknockknockknock-
"Pit! For goodness' sake!"
Pit froze, looking over his shoulder in surprise. "L-Lady Palutena!" He spun around, hiding the plastic bowl behind his back. "Don't sneak up on me, heh…!"
Palutena sighed, massaging her temples. "Pit, I can't believe Dark Pit slept through all that. Please, just leave him alone." She noticed the disappointed look in Pit's eyes, and the way his wings drooped over his shoulders. With a sigh, she added, more gently this time, "I'm sure he just needs a little bit to rest, alright?" She placed a hand on Pit's shoulder.
Pit looked away, brow furrowed, but he eventually nodded. "Yeah, you're right…" He pulled out the bowl he'd brought, filled with loose plastic bags of various snacks and junk food. "I'll just leave this out here for him." He turned to face the doorway, them groaned quietly, shaking his head. "No, somebody's gonna wander by and eat it before he can, knowing this place...!" He looked over his shoulder sheepishly, muttering, "I'm just gonna… slip in there and leave it on his nightstand!"
Palutena rolled her eyes, but smiled. Pit was certainly committed to making sure Dark Pit was alright after his little episode-Pit had, of course, come running to his goddess with his concern for Pittoo's health. While both angels could be a bit... much at times, she had to admire Pit's dedication, and she was certain Dark Pit felt the same way...
Pit, meanwhile, had jiggled Dark Pit's doorknob, muttering to himself how he was surprised that it was unlocked. He leaned into it, pushing it open with a creek. "Pittoo?" He kept his voice low, continuing, "I'm just leaving you some snacks, don't mind m-"
There was a loud clattering as the bowl hit the floor, and Palutena ran in after her angel. "Pit! What's wrong?!"
Pit was frozen, looking around the room in horror. Dark Pit wasn't in his bed; in fact, very little was, with the bedding all but torn from the mattress. The shelf where he kept his staff-something he insisted on ever since Galeem's attack-was empty, and his drawers were all open, many of them thrown to the ground.
Pit shook himself from his stunned stupor, eyes darting around the room, looking for any sign of his brother. "Pittoo!" He ran for the bed, looking under it, then for the closet. "W-where-?!"
"Pit, calm down! I-I'm sure he's still in the mansion." Palutena didn't quite believe herself, but she couldn't have Pit freaking out on her now. She checked the desk-not like Dark Pit could've left a note, he was no more literate than Pit-but she was desperate. Maybe he left a poorly-done doodle or something?
"Is everything alright?" Palutena turned, seeing Meta Knight flutter into the room. He landed on the ground next to the bed, looking around in disbelief. "What…"
"M.K.!" Pit ran up to Meta Knight, his wings twitching anxiously, not even noticing as he trampled the food he'd brought with him. "Have you seen Pittoo?! I-I went to leave him some food, b-but-"
"Easy, easy, Pajarito!" Meta Knight jumped onto the foot of the bedframe, grabbing Pit's shoulders. "Panicking will get us nowhere." He sighed, adding, "Though I do understand the appeal." He flew into the air, darting from the room. "Quickly, ask the other fighters if they've seen him."
"Got it!" Pit turned back to Dark Pit's bed, lip quivering. "Please be okay, Pittoo…"
He was no clone, it was true. He was the fallen, traitorous warrior of a doomed world, an angel who'd refused to die with his home.
And if he had to relive it to get his peace? Well, then, he was going to do it right.
Pit had been amused when he'd first seen Dark Pit's alternate costumes, assigned by Master Hand. He hadn't been quite so amused when the dark angel had frantically ripped off the scarf of his 'light' outfit, demanding he never have to wear it. How the weird omnipotent hand knew what his own uniform looked like was beyond him, and he wished he was more surprised.
But for the first time since joining the tournament-really, the first willing time since before the war in his realm had taken a turn for the worse-he'd pulled the white chiton from the drawer he'd shoved it into, followed by the bright red scarf that added a flash of color, the biggest difference between these robes and Pit's own outfit. He'd even dug out the box that held the sharp straight pins, distinct from the round ones inlaid with gemstones that fastened his 'normal' clothes. These were thin twists of gold, inlaid at the dull end with the crest of the Goddess of Light. (Dark Pit was just thankful that Pit had not seen them, not questioned, not wondered why they were different.) To top it all off, he'd thrown his Silver Bow aside, grabbing the staff his goddess had given him years ago instead, hoping that it wouldn't be restricted any more once he left the mansion grounds.
And now he stood, having just barely dodged the handful of fighters that were still wandering their way towards dinner. Gods, he was hungry. Maybe he should've stopped for dinner, left while the others slept instead, but…
But could he really face all of them, even one more time? The look of fear in Pit's eyes, the worry etched into Lucina and Link's faces-oh, gods, so many of them would look on him with uncertainty of some form or another, and Meta Knight would be politely pressing Shadow Kirby for answers, and at some point, the floodgates would open, and either Shadow Kirby would say something to spill the beans or somebody would say the wrong thing, and either way, Dark Pit would break, the whole story-the whole lie would break down in front of him, in front of damn near everyone he knew. Pity would turn to horror, and concern to disgust, the rare few friendships he'd built crumbling away as they realized it was all built on a lie, that he was never who he said he was, that he was no reformed Underworld creation, but a fallen hero that had willingly, knowingly left his home to burn and-
"Here!"
Dark Pit shook himself out of his own thoughts, breath still uneasy. He turned to the voice, forcing a smile as he saw Shadow Kirby waving at him from behind a grove of trees. You have to do this. Make up a lie about going to see some other world. Just stupid, reckless Pittoo, running off to fight creatures from another world without telling us! They'll be mad, but they'll believe it, surely!
He sighed, biting his lip, glancing over his shoulder one more time. As long as I make it back, that is.
A chill ran up his spine as he walked the courtyard, passing by dark trees with low-hanging branches, following the faint puff of pale grey into the unknown. He struggled to focus, not wanting to look around himself too much, but also not wanting to think about what could happen. He refused to think about the possibility that the Underworld was waiting for him after all this time, the possibility he'd be stuck between realms due to some cosmic screwup, the tiny but ever-looming chance that this was the last time he'd see any of the others.
Maybe he should say goodbye...
A low voice could be heard grumbling, and Dark Pit's breath caught in his throat at the sound of something whacking against the branches behind him. He turned slowly, ever so slowly, only to catch a glimpse of a large shadow moving through the trees, barely noticeable by the now-faint light of the mansion. Only then did he spin on his heel and take off at a dead run.
It's too late now.
He grabbed Shadow Kirby off of the ground, holding the puffball to his chest and hissing a question to it.
I'm committed to it-
"Freeze!" A ball of light soared over his head, and he ducked, bobbed, and weaved.
-and I can't turn back until I finish it.
Two pairs of red eyes lit up when they fell on what could only be described as a tear in reality-a gash of color in the middle of thin air. Dark Pit would've taken the time to circle it, try to work it out, but there wasn't time.
"Goodbye."
