EARLIER
"Peach...?"
Peach got a cup from the cupboard. "Hm? Yes, Daisy?"
Daisy solemnly stared down at the table she sat at. Peach looked over her shoulder to see her cousin, surprised at the attitude she was giving. Daisy sighed. "Nothing's working."
"What do you mean?" Peach approached the table and set down the cup on a saucer. "...Ohhh, with Pittoo? It's not working out?"
Daisy shook her head. "Nope. I've tried everything I could think of. But...you're right. All I'm doing is just embarrassing him. I did what Bayonetta wanted me to do, but the only option that was really for consideration didn't work either. I've got nothing."
"What were the others?"
Daisy whispered into Peach's ear.
"Oh, my God!" she clamored, repulsed at what she just heard. "Definitely do not do that! That's disgusting!"
It was some work to get Peach to calm down, but eventually, she did. Daisy went on about Bayonetta's other options, much of it including very sexual acts and harassment, invasion of personal space and what-not. The only one she truly took action on was inviting herself to Dark Pit's room.
Peach plopped a sugar cube into her tea and began stirring as she thought. Daisy picked up the teapot and poured herself some. Milk tea was their favorite. She sipped quickly, ignoring the flames on her tongue.
"Perhaps he'd rather be left alone from now on," said Peach.
"But...I'd feel like a loser. If I lost, then...I can't redeem myself," Daisy said.
"Oh, I'm sure you can."
"No!" She banged the table with her fists. "I can't! I need to make him smile! Please, Peach, you've gotta help me here, please!"
"Wh-What can I do?"
"I dunno! Set something up, maybe?"
"Absolutely not. Daisy, I can't help you here, this was your own decision." Peach set down her cup and folded her hands nicely. "I've given you all the advice about leaving him be, and yet, you ignore it. When you're not around him, the others mock him for hanging around you."
Daisy sat back in her chair. "Relax, guys rip on each other all the time."
"That doesn't matter, he's not used to it, remember? He'd always be by himself all the time, he's sensitive to it. To him, they're making fun of him."
That actually made sense. Daisy has no clue what Pitto—uh, Dark Pit's relationship with everyone else is. According to Lucina, echo fighters are mostly looked down upon. Did he even enjoy being here? One would think someone would be smiling constantly if they got invited to a legendary event like this.
"Oh."
...
...
The pink princess thought of something. She gave an audible gasp.
"What?" Daisy asked.
"I think I just thought of something that could help...!"
The flower princess eagerly stood up and leaned across the table. "What? What? Tell me, hurry!"
"...If you want him to smile...the best way to encourage it is for him to win this whole competition..."
...
"You mean, have him win the championship...?"
"Yes," Peach said. She nodded. "Yes, that's always something to smile about!l" She stood up and started pacing around the room. "You stand there on battlefield, the whole crowd is cheering your name, your friends come out and embrace you...! It's such a wonderful feeling of joy! That'd surely work!"
Daisy thought about it some more. Dark Pit needs to win the competition just for a measly little grin? Now that's straight up her alley!
"You're awfully excited all of a sudden, but Peach, you're a genius!"
"I am?"
"Yes!"
And so, Daisy rushed off to find her victim.
After the battles...
"Where are we going?" Dark Pit said. He moved underneath a branch, trying to keep up with Daisy as she pulled him along. Nearly tripping over a rock, he looked behind him to see just how deep in the woods they are.
Daisy didn't reply and just continued on. She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and her grip on Dark Pit's hand was tighter than usual. It was a little surprising, seeing how he wasn't really bothered by their hands held together like this.
After a few minutes of adventuring, she leaped down into a little ditch near a stream. Dark Pit fell on his face but quickly stood back up. "Okay, we're here," she said, putting the bag down and releasing Dark Pit's hand.
"Where is here? What're we doing?" Dark Pit said. His head twisted in all directions, trying to figure out where he was. It's pretty quiet down around here...
"We, are going to practice!"
...
"Huh?"
"You know," she giggled. "Training for battle! You haven't practiced at all yet, I assume, so we're going to fix that!"
"Why?"
...
"B-Because, uhh..."
...
Dark Pit blinked. Is this really what he was brought out here for? And why so deep in the woods? Couldn't they just use the improved training room back at the building? Is there even a way that leads back there?
"Anyway...we both sorta need to practice. It was a miracle that I won, actually, I thought I was a gonner."
"Oh, yeah, congratulations on that."
"Thanks. Alright, um, you see that tree over there?"
Dark Pit looked at a large tree that was somewhat solitary. "Yeah...?"
"By the end of today, I wanna see nothing but a stump there."
"Wh—What? You want me to destroy it?"
Daisy chuckled. "Well, yeah. Go on. Give it a nice hard smack."
He stared at her for a few more seconds, then walked up to the tree. He punched it. Suddenly Daisy clapped non-stop. He turned to her for a moment. She nodded. He punched the tree again.
"Is this all we're gonna do?"
"Heh heh, I didn't really have enough time to think of some techniques, I didn't have any time."
"Then why aren't you doing this with me?"
...
It was a little hard to explain. She doesn't want to necessarily train because of the possibility of battling against him and winning, which would totally ruin her plan. But, hopefully, this'll work.
She explained a few other things and asked to see his moveset. He went ahead and began doing all kinds of fancy moves on that one particular tree. Forward smashes just scratched it, but his microshock uppercut gave it a nice burn mark on the side.
"Okay, I see what I'm working with."
"Why're we doing this?"
"Shh."
...
She sat there on a rock, thinking.
...
...
"Maybe try two triple-kicks, neutral attack, then an up-smash."
He did as he was told and performed it in the order it was given. It did some nice damage, but not exactly enough.
He stepped back to see his work. "Uh...shouldn't we be using something that moves, like that sandbag, or...?"
"Sigh, I don't know..." Daisy said. She buried her face in her hands. "I don't know what we're gonna do...you might battle tomorrow, and you're not prepared...jeez..."
Dark Pit walked over to her. "Why do you want me to win so badly?"
"Don't you?" she asked, looking through her fingers.
"...I...I guess...?"
Daisy sighed. Dark Pit sat on the ground next to her. He did appreciate this, however, no one ever really cared how well he performed in battle, so it was a nice little change in direction. However, he didn't really care, either. To him it was just a game. Either you win or lose, it doesn't matter in the end.
They both sat there for some time. It was nice and quiet outside in the woods like this. Nothing but the birds and the occasional crickets and other weird organisms. Dark Pit looked around. The air was nice and fresh. The sun was peeking through the leaves. Was nature always this relaxing? He never really went outside, so, he forgot.
Then he looked back at Daisy. She didn't look so good. In fact...she's been acting different lately. Compared to the first day they've met, the one thing she's been lacking now is her admirable jubilance. She was more quiet than usual. Is she just enjoying the outdoors, too?
...
She looked down at him. Their eyes met, and they both stared at each other like this.
...
"Hey, Dark Pit..."
"Hm?"
"...Do you ever smile?"
...
...
He shrugged. "Yeah."
"When?"
"Uhhh...sometimes."
She tilted her head. "I've never seen you smile once before. This whole time, not once."
"Huh."
...
...
"Are you unhappy?"
He looked back at her with a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I just wonder that sometimes. If you really are happy, why don't you smile?"
"What's there to smile about?"
Oh, jeez...
Daisy sat back. So that's what's been going through his mind. He doesn't see much joy in anything. Not even this beautiful weather?
...
...
She looked back down at him to see him already staring up at her. She grinned. "Why're you looking at me like that?"
"No reason."
Her shoulders relaxed, and she folded her hands in her lap.
"You just look..."
...
...
She blinked. "I look what...?"
Dark Pit flushed and quickly looked away. "N-Nothing."
...
...
The birds chirped in the distance.
...
...
...
"Hey, Daisy...?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you like me?"