Hello my friends! I come to you with great news: the time has come! What all of you had been waiting for is coming up in this very chapter! Tell me what you think of it :) It's a chapter that I've grown to like, even though at first it wasn't my favorite of the bunch—still isn't, I have a huge preference for chapter 29, you'll see that in the future. But I still think that this one has something special, an atmosphere perhaps. Don't hesitate to give me your feedback.

Anyways, I shall leave you be! You have probably noticed yesterday that I updated all chapters. No panic! The story hasn't changed ;) It's mainly that I added some lines to the 'Disclaimer' section, and also that I corrected some of the easily noticeable mistakes on the way.

See you next time, R&R, it's always a pleasure for me!

Yours truly, Circle of J.

PS: I will also update the other chapters with warnings, like the one below, if I see fit. :)

/!\ Warning: Mild gore elements /!\

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Kid Icarus series. The deities mentioned are taken from Greek Mythology, remastered the way I imagine them. What I own, on the other hand, is the plot.

Kid Icarus: Heirs of the Light

Chapter 17: The fire in your eyes

It had been four days. Four whole days, marching towards where Pit believed Medusa's castle was located. Four days barely eating anything, barely sleeping since they kept being woken up by scary shrieks in the distance. Magnus admitted that he was worn out, he couldn't even stand on his legs. Thus they had to hide in one of the different, weirdly comforting caves that the Underworld held. Pit was not too pleased by the idea of making Dark Pit wait longer, but he had no choice, since he himself had trouble keeping it together. The lack of food was going to be the end of them if they didn't find a solution very soon. Pit seemed to have forgotten that, despite the magical necklace he was wearing, Magnus was still human. He needed to rest, he needed to eat, he couldn't constantly be on the move. Plus, the numerous fights were killing him slowly. He couldn't lift his sword anymore, he had to leave it behind, in one of the caves that they slept in one night. He could barely recall which one it was… At least he still had his Violet Palm. Pit told him that maybe he should go back to the Overworld, that it would be safer for him, but Magnus had refused to leave Dark Pit behind; he had promised the dark angel that he'd be back for him, and he intended to keep that promise.

Pit handed him the last piece of meat that he carried on him, looking off into the distance to make sure that no Underling was sneaking in their hiding hole. Magnus glanced at Pit, knowing that he hadn't eaten in two days already, and wanted to tell him to eat it instead. But he knew the angel wouldn't listen, he was so selfless that he would force the meat in the human's mouth if he dared to reject it. Wincing at the thought, Magnus grabbed the piece of meat out of the light angel's hands and munched down on it. Suddenly, Pit rose to his feet, faster than he'd have thought him to be with an empty stomach, and stormed towards the entrance of their cave. He scooped his Rose Blade while running to the entrance, and immediately slashed into a pair of Monoeyes that were about to give out their position to the crowd of Underlings constantly flooding the red sky. Fortunately, they hadn't had time to send a signal to their comrades, which reassured the angel. He sighed, exhausted, but didn't show any of it and set his Rose Blade against the wall next to the entrance. He sat there, or more so fell there, and moaned in fatigue. "I don't know how far we are from Medusa's castle," he said, raising his head and looking at Magnus. "Do you think you can make it?"

"Can you, Pit?" Magnus replied, concern plastered on his face. His eyes showed nothing but worry for his angelic friend; the last thing he'd want was for him to be killed. He munched down on his food, which was chicken, and glanced at the angel leaning against the wall to hold himself up. "I promised Pittoo that I'd be there for him, but you haven't. You can still leave me to it if you feel like you're not strong enough anymore."

Pit clicked his tongue at that and forced himself back on his feet. He brandished his Rose Blade, attaching it to his shoulder strap, and returned a look towards the human. He cocked his head to the side, then nodded towards the entrance. Magnus understood the message and rose to his own feet, following the light angel. To be fair, their path never seemed to lead anywhere, but Pit was confident that they were going the right way. They always ended up in a trap, or the road would just be cut before them—either by enemies or a gigantic cliff that Pit, being flightless, couldn't fly them over. Because of these situations, Magnus started to lose faith in ever finding Dark Pit. Oftentimes, his thoughts would drift off and he'd find himself believing that the darker version of Pit would be dead and his bones scattered in that ossuary before Pit and him arrived at the castle they longed for. However, he would shake himself out of it and listen to Pit as he guided them across the maze that was the Underworld, and thus he'd regain faith in everything and trust in his mission again.

Magnus winced when he stepped on a pointy rock along their path, though he made no fuss about it: he could barely feel his feet at all, so it didn't really matter. Pit glanced over his shoulder, briefly asked him if he was alright, and the human nodded before they kept on walking for another couple of hours. They didn't reach anything in particular, did not come across a single hot spring—which could've fixed them right up, but it seemed like all of them had been taken out by a mysterious force—but eventually found another shelter. Pit hid from the Monoeyes lingering there and dashed towards the cave they found. Magnus heard several slashes, and soon the cave was clear of any enemy and they could settle in. Pit squatted down, looked at what seemed like a pile of wooden sticks, and thought about making a fire, however Magnus told him it was no use. It was already very, very hot in the Underworld, the air was almost unbreathable with how thick it was. The angel nodded towards him and stood back up, much more energetic than the human was, before he guarded the entrance, like he always had to. Magnus lied down on the stone, feeling really uncomfortable, though he didn't have a choice. They hadn't thought about bringing mattresses—why would they have? The human felt dizzy and soon drifted off to sleep whereas Pit looked out, to make sure no enemy would creep in and attack them. He felt safe knowing that Pit would always be watching out; he knew he could trust him.

The angel glanced over his shoulder, noticed that Magnus was sleeping, and allowed himself to smile. It had been a long time… And he had missed doing it. He felt like they were getting closer, the evil presence was growing stronger. His eyes fell to his own shoulder, and he clicked his tongue; he had lost his medallion a while ago, at Dark Pit's old house, after he had to hide from the Centurions. He regretted the fact that he forgot it there… His outfit seemed incomplete without it, but what could he do about it? Somebody probably had found it and kept it for themselves, he would never find it again… And since it was a gift from Palutena, he couldn't exactly make another one… He had received it when he joined the Goddess' side, since before that he had been alone, working in his own corner to protect mankind. He smiled faintly at the memory: he was servant to no other than himself at that time. And his life was… strangely good. Of course, he would never give up his newfound life with Palutena, but he admitted that sometimes, he missed his old life. He didn't have a single care in the world, and everything was easier. Pit blinked and steered himself away from his thoughts when he heard a low mumbling not to far away. He listened carefully, trying to identify an enemy lurking in the shadows, when a Reaper came into view and rushed towards him instantly.

Pit jumped out of its trajectory, quickly grabbed his Rose Blade, and started slashing at the monster. The Reaper evaded his attacks and bit into his hip, to which the angel yelped and recoiled quickly. He didn't care for the blood gushing out of his open wound, but rather on how to take down the monster, who drew ever so closer to him. He moaned in pain, restrained in his movements because his hip hurt him too much for him to move rapidly and swiftly. Once the Reaper was close enough, Pit held out his right hand and vines erupted from the stone ground, wrapping around the arms and waist of the creature. It shrieked and tried to wiggle out of them, but the angel of light dashed to the side and slashed a long, precise cut in its neck. The skeleton head of the Reaper fell to the ground, soon followed by its body, still entangled in vines. Pit looked over to Magnus, who hadn't been woken up, and cried out at the intense throb on his side. He brought his hand to his wound and watched in horror as it was covered with blood. He needed to find a hot spring asap, or he would die from his injury. Forcing himself to stay standing, he glanced towards Magnus and hesitated to wake him up. Or should he go on his own? No, they needed to stick together, they agreed to it at the beginning of their nightmarish journey.

"Magnus, wake… up…" he whispered, wincing at the pain he felt for just speaking up. His legs were so wobbly that he knew he was about to collapse. But he also knew that, if he did, he wouldn't get back up. Pit moved closer to the wall next to him, using it for support, and eyed desperately at the human who opened his eyes on him. "Please, we… We need… to move… We've got to—"

"What happened to you?" Magnus asked, sounding absolutely terrified, then he jumped to his feet and rushed towards the wounded angel. He eyed at the open bite on his hip and gasped in horror. With how much blood the injury was spewing, Pit would soon pass out from blood loss… "What did this to you? Are you okay?"

"We have… to find a hot… spring…" Pit answered, starting to doze off, which was a very, very bad sign in Magnus' book. The angel almost fell, still pressing his left hand against his side so as to stop the blood from gushing out, but his efforts didn't seem to pay off: the lower part of his chiton was soaked red, and trails of blood streaked down his legs. Not to mention, blood was running between his fingers.

Magnus frowned and picked up the young angel, running out of their hiding hole. He kept running forward, hoping they would quickly come across a hot spring, however he had no luck whatsoever, they really appeared to have vanished. But the human refused to give up, not with a dying angel in his arms. Pit struggled to keep his eyes open, although it was visible that he was fighting to do it. Magnus desperately ran, moving forward, praying the Gods that he find a hot spring before it was too late. He couldn't afford to lose Pit, he wouldn't allow it. While he ran, he saw a cave in the corner of his eye, that seemed to be glowing in gold. He rushed towards it, not thinking twice, and avoided enemy fire as he did so. Pit had clung to one of his hands and his head started to lean backwards, even though he gritted his teeth and kept fighting off the urge to close his eyes. Magnus entered the cave, his eyes looking everywhere, and found the hot spring he had been looking for so thoroughly. He let out a relieved sigh and ran up to it, kneeling down next to it and dipping his hand in the sacred water… Except that there was none; it was an illusion, a projection. The human cursed and hurried back on his feet, holding Pit really tight and squeezing his hand. "Stay with me, angel," he almost begged him, and he kept on running forward.

Pit looked up at him with dangerously dazed blue eyes and let out a sigh of pain. In reality, he felt completely numb, but he wanted to reassure Magnus, so he faked still feeling pain in his body. His eyes started to close again, but he refused it, collecting his remaining strength and forcing them to open up again. In midst of Magnus' footsteps on the stone beneath his feet, Pit picked up a strange, brushing sound… As though something had moved through the air, like a bird. His heart was filled with happiness when he recognized the dark figure hovering over them, and he tried to held out a hand towards him. "Pi-t-too, it's… y-ou…" he managed to articulate.

Magnus immediately stopped in his tracks and looked above him, only to be greeted by a warm, loving smile. The dark angel allowed himself to land in front of them, smirking like his usual smugly self, then stepped closer to them and examined Pit's open wound. He winced at the sight, and turned to rummage through his pockets. He took out a bottle of golden water, opening the lid and throwing it to the ground with no care in the world. Dark Pit leaned forward, looming over the injury, and poured half of the golden water contained in the bottle on it. Pit's skin seemed to regain its color, and his eyes felt all the more alive. The wound soon disappeared, leaving there nothing but clean, brand new skin and flesh. Pit glanced at his twin and wrapped his arms around his neck, gesture to which Dark Pit couldn't help but smile. The dark angel looked up at Magnus and handed him the bottle of hot spring water. "You might need this, Magnus."

The human grinned widely and sprayed some of the holy water on his body, feeling it regain its original strength. That necklace was perhaps the best thing that had ever happened to him; he was growing quite fond of the wonderful feeling that flooded his body every time he was in contact with hot spring water. He gave the bottle, which still contained a bit of water, to Dark Pit and nodded. "Thank you. I didn't think I'd see you again, dark angel."

"Talk about bad luck!"

They both laughed along, until Dark Pit's eyes met the blues of his twin. He suddenly stopped laughing, diving right into those wide oceans and feeling himself drown in them—all on his own will. He blinked several times, shaking himself out of his trance, but felt Pit's hand grasping his own and entwining their fingers. Magnus could perceive heavy tears in the back of the dark angel's eyes as that happened, and soon Dark Pit couldn't refrain his smile. Pit jumped out of Magnus' hold, setting foot on the ground again, and immediately hugged his twin tightly, bringing him close to his pounding heart. The dark angel couldn't believe what was happening, him who had believed that he would die in this land. He silently looked over the cliff and nodded towards the Goddess of Love, who watched them with a large grin plastered on her lips. She waved at him, inviting him to keep following her, and Dark Pit darted a look towards Pit, that he had decided to hug back despite his hatred for physical contact.

Magnus frowned, confused, and turned around, only to realize that a woman wearing all pink was standing in the distance, at the top of a cliff. If he had to guess from the pinkish glow of Dark Pit's wings, she had been the one granting him the ability to fly up to them. But who exactly was she?

Pit let go of his twin and dived right into his red eyes. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I know, I secretly still hope you hadn't, Pit-stain," Dark Pit smirked, folding his arms. Although he played it off as though he didn't want to see Pit, it was only his words that conveyed that impression, for his ruby orbs were shining brighter than the sun itself. Then his eyes shifted towards Aphrodite, who had finally decided to join them and stood right next to Magnus. When the human realized that, he jumped back and Pit startled. He was so nervous that he took out his Viridi Palm instinctively, aiming it towards the Goddess of Love, whom he thought would be an enemy creeping up behind their back.

Pit immediately lowered his hand and bit his lower lip, his heart racing in his chest from the fear. He quickly knelt down to express his respect and, at the same time, his deepest apologies. "Damsel Aphrodite!"

Dark Pit snickered at the sight. "Aw, Pit! Were you scared at the sight of a Goddess?"

The light angel glanced at him and frantically shook his head, despite the fact that yes, he definitely was scared in this place. He stood back up, not daring to look at Aphrodite since he was very uneasy. Instead, he focused on his darker twin. "No, I wasn't scared! She… just surprised me, that's all!" he assured, though his hands started shaking again as he took a peek around. "I have to be cautious at all times!"

"Mhm~, sure~!"

Pit blushed when he heard the seductive tone that his twin had used, and quickly turned away to hide his flushed face. Though, it wasn't the most effective method, since everyone could still see the red on his face. "S-Stop that! Not in front of Damsel Aphrodite, Pittoo!"

Magnus, along with Aphrodite, couldn't hold back their laughter. However, the Goddess of Love clasped her hands together, thus drawing the attention of the two angels, and cleared her throat. The light glimmer around Dark Pit's wings was starting to fade, and she knew she couldn't hold it back for much longer, or else his magnificent dark wings would burn up. The dark angel nodded, understanding the message, before he faced Pit and dared to take his hands in his own; although he felt definitely uncomfortable, he couldn't hide his feelings anymore. His lighter twin blushed at the gesture, delighted by the sudden affection, and moved closer to Dark Pit, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. Dark Pit recoiled, as though the touch of his lips had burnt him, and quickly turned his back to him, walking alongside the Goddess of Love. Pit looked down, disappointed by the outcome, though he wasted no time and joined Magnus.

They headed towards the portal that they had went through to get there, guided by Aphrodite who seemed to know several shortcuts that would come in handy in due time. They didn't care for enemies, since Aphrodite could take them out in a snap, and instead talked about what Dark Pit had been through during his forced journey in the Underworld. He refused to mention the visions, but told them about being imprisoned in Medusa's castle and losing all hope of ever being found when his 'mother', the Goddess of Love, had appeared and led him outside. He explained that he felt like Pit needed his help and that it helped him fight through the endless streams of enemies that came at him, and that warmed the light angel's heart. When Magnus asked him how they had managed to find them, since the Underworld was gigantic and messy, Aphrodite answered that they just had to follow the lost feathers that Pit had left behind him.

The angel of light had scratched the back of his head at that, apologizing for giving away their position, since he assumed that it was what helped enemies to trace them. Magnus told him not to worry about it, that it was thanks to this shedding that they had been found and reunited with Dark Pit, and that seemed to be enough to ease his mind. Dark Pit never once looked directly into his lighter version's eyes, for he was scared of drowning in them. He had missed them so dearly that he knew how defenseless he would be if he met them. Somehow, he wondered if Pit remembered their encounters when he was… in his mind, but probably not. Perhaps he had really just been a trick of his brain.

Soon, the group had to stop, since Magnus was beyond exhausted by the endless walk. Dark Pit had snapped at him, told him to keep moving no matter what, but Aphrodite had agreed that they had spent a long time walking and that everyone needed to rest. Pit didn't say anything but helped Magnus on their way to one of the caves, to make sure that he would not fall down in exhaustion. The human told him that he shouldn't worry, to which Pit replied that he always worried for those he cared about. Thus being silenced, Magnus had nodded and walked, using Pit as a support since he didn't want to end up face first against the spiky stones on their path. The Goddess of Love led them to one of the caves, and Magnus' eyes widened: it was the one that he had forgotten his sword in. He asked Pit to sit him on the ground next to it, whereas Dark Pit snorted and mocked him for abandoning his weapon unattended.

The human smirked and reminded him of his lost Silver Bow; at least, it made him shut up. Aphrodite had taken Pit outside of the cave to talk to him and sum up the situation they were in, and the light angel appeared to be rather puzzled when he walked back in their hiding hole in her company.

Dark Pit sat on the ground, far away from everyone, and held onto his staff with anger; there he was again, witnessing Pit's growing interest for Magnus. He wished he could draw his attention somehow, however he had no idea how to do that. Pit was so focused on the conversation he was sharing with the human, his eyes twinkled brighter than the stars themselves. Although he couldn't hear what they were talking about, he presumed that it was absolutely amazing and thrilling. He never shared such conversations with Pit… Every time his lighter twin would talk to him, it'd be either uninteresting and boring, or Dark Pit would just look off to the side and tell him to go away.

The dark angel clicked his tongue, glaring at Magnus from his position; he had to say that they were happy together. Maybe he was good for Pit, maybe… maybe he was the person he wanted to be with. But then, what about his confession? Oh, right… It was his illusions that told him that Pit loved him, not the real Pit. Should he talk about it?

Aphrodite walked up to him, sitting down next to the dark angel, and looked up towards Pit and Magnus. She had noticed that something was wrong with Dark Pit, and had thought that it'd be a good idea to talk it out. She wasn't oblivious to the love glowing in those red rubies, far from it: that was one of the main reasons why he had been brought to this dimension. They, the Gods, knew that he would be the perfect candidate for their common mission. Now, she wasn't aware of what had happened in his life, he only had mentioned little of his past, but it was enough for her to understand that he clung to Pit as though he was his life preserver. The Goddess of Love put a hand on Dark Pit's shoulder, and he looked down at his feet. "Why do you let it happen if you hate it?" she asked him innocently.

Dark Pit groaned under his breath and shook his head. He could feel heavy, burning tears threatening to roll down his cheeks, and tried to hold them in. Even if Aphrodite was the incarnation of his mother, he couldn't show that he had a weakness. The dark angel clenched his fists and whispered: "Because they are perfect, look at them. I'm no match against Magnus, can't you see the love in Pit's eyes? For you, of all people, it should be more than obvious."

"Oh, it is!" Aphrodite smiled widely, and he wanted to punch her in the face after she had said that. He had no idea how he managed to contain the urge to break her nose, but whatever it was, it was a success. The Goddess of Love eyed at Pit and Magnus, who were still chatting. "You know, I think you should walk up to them, discreetly, and listen to what they're saying. You could be interested."

"Why'd I do that?"

The Goddess shrugged and ran her fingers through a strand of her curly blond hair. "It's just a suggestion."

Dark Pit gritted his teeth, just about to snap at her, but suppressed his anger in order to follow her advice. He had nothing to lose, either way. Listening to those two having the time of their lives would wreck his heart, but at this point, he didn't care for it any longer. After all, he had always known that Pit would never be in his arms; first he thought that Palutena would have him, but it seemed like this human, Magnus, had even greater chances with him. Dark Pit's eyes filled with tears and one unfortunately managed to slip out of them. He could hear Pit's voice when he told him, in those dreams that he had, that he loved him. He could hear him call him 'my Pittoo'.

Watching the two being so close made Dark Pit eat his heart out. Ignoring the pain in his chest, Dark Pit stood up and slowly walked behind the pair, who were now laughing while Pit was explaining something. He always livened up his speech with wide hand gestures, and his glistening blue eyes were so vibrant, since he was passionate about whatever he talked about. Dark Pit remained hidden in the shadows, listening to the conversation and picking up a few words. Annoyed since he couldn't make any sense of them, he stepped even closer, watching the two friends to see if they had noticed, and sat down a few meters away from them.

Pit raised his head towards Magnus, still fidgeting with a rock that he held between his fingers. He was cross-legged, his eyes focusing on the stone in his hands, and spoke with such enthusiasm that it lifted Dark Pit's spirits immediately. "He always beats me, can you believe that? I've beaten Hades, Medusa, Pandora, Thanatos—many people! And yet, every single time we spar, he destroys me literally."

Magnus nodded and crossed his arms. "Well, maybe you have a thing or two to learn from him," he said, laughing with his angelic friend. Pit furrowed his brows, not so convinced, and that only made them laugh more. Then the human noticed movement behind him, a smile spreading on his lips. He took care not to mention it to Pit, nor to turn around in order not to scare off Dark Pit, and decided to come back on a subject that, he thought, would shed a light on the way the light angel felt. He raised an eyebrow when Pit looked right into his eyes, and asked aloud, thus ensuring that the dark, sneaky angel would hear him: "So, what about what we've talked about before you left? I understood that you didn't tell your twin."

Pit's cheeks flushed red, since he remembered exactly what this was all about, and nodded nervously. "Yeah, he… wasn't exactly in the mood for that."

"How about telling him now?" Magnus suggested, and he noticed that Pit's face had turned significantly redder. He chuckled at the sight and put his hands on the angel's shoulders, trying to motivate him. "Come on angel, don't be shy. You know you want to tell him."

"I don't… really know, maybe it's a bit early—"

"No no, none of that!" Magnus countered, putting his hand over Pit's mouth, then he let go and stared right into his big, hesitant sapphire eyes. He seemed so overwhelmed, as though he feared losing everything he had. It really couldn't be that bad, could it? Quite the opposite, it would help them move forward and look into the future together, while being perfectly honest with themselves. What did they have to lose? Magnus ruffled through Pit's hair, causing him to giggle, and smiled a little wider than before. "Now, say it."

Pit blinked, confused, and bit his lower lip. "Right now, Magnus?" That was when he noticed the figure standing next to him; he had his hands on his hips and leaned forward, looking at Pit curiously. The light gleam of his red eyes caught the light angel off-guard, and frankly he was about to jump on his feet and run off. He couldn't say it… He felt those feelings, they were growing stronger with each passing day, but… expressing them right to Dark Pit's face? He was so… breathtaking, he couldn't find his words whenever he looked at him in the eyes. He, who was a strong fighter, he who had defeated several Gods almost singlehandedly, couldn't handle the sight of his darker twin. But Magnus was with him, and squeezed his hand tightly to reassure him.

Pit took a deep breath, trying to calm down since he was suddenly panting. His vision briefly shifted to black because of how stressed out he was, but eventually he stood up and faced Dark Pit. "Pittoo, I didn't… know you were listening."

"Don't stall, Pit."

"M-Magnus!" the light angel cried out, panic-stricken, but he shut his eyes and jumped at his twin's neck, hugging him close. Dark Pit blinked, confused, and hesitated to hug him back; in the end, he didn't, he pushed Pit away from him and forced him to look into his ruby eyes. Pit turned to Magnus, trembling from head to toe, but he knew he couldn't get away with it this time. He had to own up to the way he felt, he couldn't keep on running away from it. Thus determined, the angel of light fluttered his wings and spun around to plunge into Dark Pit's bored eyes. He clenched his left fist and brought it against his chest, feeling his heart nearly jumping out of his ribcage with how fast it was beating. "Okay, okay. Pittoo, there's something I need to say."

"Uh, yeah, I knew that. I spied on your conversation."

"Heh, yeah, I noticed… It's something that I've been avoiding for ages, but it can't be avoided anymore—I won't let it. This time, it's time I be true with you, just like you are true with me."

Dark Pit frowned but listened, getting pissed off since he had to wait so long. What was wrong with that angel? Couldn't he be more precise? Was he also fond of riddles, like his human friend? That wouldn't surprise him, since Pit had always sucked with words. He was way better at showing things; waiting for clear, straight-forward explanations from him was absolutely foolish. He tapped his foot on the ground and folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. His red eyes examined Pit's expression, almost completely blank of any feeling. "So, how long am I supposed to wait? You see, it sounded absolutely delightful the way you started, but then you went back to your usual thing: standing there without talking."

"Yeah. Yeah, I-I know."

"Then?"

Pit braced himself and trailed up his right hand to Dark Pit's, once again entwining their fingers. Although Dark Pit had attempted to recoil at their contact, Pit held on tightly and let a small smile spread on his lips. His eyes started sweating with tears, but he did not care for them; he was way too focused on his darker version's ruby orbs. "You know, when I left my prison in Skyworld to save you, it wasn't for no reason. It took me time to realize it, trust me, but… I don't ever want your fingers to slip away from mine. I don't ever want your eyes to look away from mine. I don't… I don't ever want you to walk away from me. I was ready to go against Lady Palutena to help you, to protect you. At first I felt awful about it, but I'd do it again if I had to, with no hesitation. Pittoo—"

"Aaaaand you ruined it, again!" Dark Pit snapped at Pit, rolling his eyes. Salty, watery streaks were flowing down his cheeks, but he paid no attention to them. He gulped down the fear that had stacked in his throat, diving right into Pit's glistening oceans. "You keep on fucking up my name with that stupid nickname you've made up."

"What's wrong with 'Pittoo'?"

"I hate it."

"Do you like 'Ptooey' better? It's a hundred times better. Right? Riiiiight~?"

"NO!"

"Well then. Get used to hearing 'Pittoo', because I'm keeping it," Pit replied, smiling proudly when he saw Dark Pit mumbling something which sounded like: 'Fuck off!'. However, he reminded himself that he shouldn't lose focus, for he had important things to reveal. "Anyways, what I meant to say was that—"

"You love me, I got it."

The light angel's face flushed when Dark Pit said these words, but somehow he was disappointed; Dark Pit didn't say anything special about it. It was such a big revelation, that changed everything in Pit's eyes, and he didn't care more than that? The dark angel observed Pit for a moment, keeping his mouth shut, and Pit felt tears in his eyes. The silence between them was killing him. Why wasn't he saying anything? Even if it was to be a 'No, thank you kindly', he'd take it! He was so frustrated. Pit looked away, shaking his head, and slid his hand out of Dark Pit's. He headed out of the cave, despite Magnus calling him out and asking him to wait.

Dark Pit just stared at him with his arms folded. His eyes were empty of any emotion, and he had a rather… blank, passive expression plastered on his face. Although he had never been the most expressive angel in existence, it was still a little surprising.

Magnus stood on his feet, looking at Dark Pit and hesitating to snap his fingers in front of his face to wake him up. Instead, he decided to give him some space, so that he could think. He went after Pit, who had been cornered by Monoeyes but had dealt with them on his own, despite his lack of weapon. The human cleared his throat, announcing his arrival, and the light angel looked up. He had been staring into the horizon, his blue eyes lost in the red sky above their heads. Magnus walked up to him and rubbed his back to warm him up. "Are you alright, angel?"

"I don't know what I expected," Pit answered, before he shrugged one shoulder and gazed at the empty sky. He didn't seem particularly heartbroken, only heavily disconcerted. "Pittoo always acts this way when he's disturbed: he doesn't say a word and… stares."

Magnus rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, though I don't think he's negatively disturbed, if that makes any sense. He just wasn't expecting to hear those words, I suppose."

"You think it was too elaborate?"

"Well, it… is true that you could've been simpler," the human admitted, still uncomfortable, but he eventually soothed down. "What you said was very, very romantic, and we both know that he's not into that stuff…"

Pit spun around to look at him. He looked very serious, which Magnus didn't really like, with his brows furrowed. He curled his lip, thinking about what he could've said, how he could've put his feelings out in the open. He had wanted to express what he truly felt within, that was why he had been so 'romantic', as Magnus called it. He had wanted to be himself, to… say things the way he would usually say them. Now of course, it seemed to have been a mistake. Since Dark Pit wasn't coming out of the cave to check on him and talk to him, he assumed that he was still shaken. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to tell him about his feelings, maybe it wasn't meant to be.

The light angel sighed, puzzled, and decided to walk back in the cave. Magnus followed him, not willing to be left on his own to deal with Underworld enemies, and also wanting to make sure that nothing bad happened when they walked back in. Aphrodite looked up at them, smiling a little, almost in a sorry way, whereas Dark Pit stood in a corner of the cave, on his own, fidgeting with his staff. Pit eyed at him, stepped up to him, only to be threatened with the weapon on his temple. The dark angel glowered at him, tears running along his cheeks, and Pit raised his hands in the air. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"What you've said hurt enough."

"Is this about the 'Pittoo' thing? I was joking, I didn't mean to hurt your fee—"

"It has nothing to do with that!" Dark Pit snarled, tightening his grip on his staff. "I don't want to talk about it. Scram."

The light angel folded his arms and stood right where he was, not minding the nose of the weapon still pressed against his head. He stared right into Dark Pit's red eyes, and found absolutely no rage in them; it was all a mask to hide his true feelings. It appeared that he was… scared. But scared of what? Scared of what Pit had told him and what it meant, or scared of his own feelings towards it? Pit had no way to tell if his darker version refused to talk things out, but that didn't mean he was about to give up. He'd die trying, if it came to it. "You know I'm not moving, and you know I'm not scared of you. So tell me what's wrong, and maybe I'll go sooner if you do."

Dark Pit growled, like a hunted animal. "Everything is wrong! The way you feel about me, it's… disgusting."

"Is it?"

The dark angel's eyes filled with more tears, and he gulped loudly. He looked off, frightened by the look in his lighter half's eyes; he was so determined, so certain, so convinced… when he himself was torn apart. Those words, that he never thought he'd ever hear, had been said, and he couldn't believe his ears. His heart had been exploding in his chest since he had heard his revelation—he truly hated him for making him feel so weak. Thus, he started to charge his staff, threatening to kill Pit if he didn't leave him alone. "It is. Now scram, I said."

"You're not thinking a word you're saying."

"How would you know that?!" Dark Pit snapped at him, gritting his teeth. "I can't believe you'd look at me like that. I thought we were brothers."

"Yet you've longed to hear those words, haven't you?"

"SHUT UP! STEP BACK!"

Pit looked at him, unimpressed, and lost his patience. He grabbed the weapon, easily snatching it from his twin's trembling hands, and threw it on the ground, pissed off. He had had enough. "I'm staying right here. Why do you lie to yourself? What's in it for you?"

"I'm not—" Dark Pit started, until he saw it and his voice died in his throat. There it was, the fiery passion that Dark Pit had seen in his eyes before, when he left Skyworld; it was back, and it paralyzed him. So much confidence, so much strength was contained in those usually soft, gentle blue orbs. Dark Pit took a step back, his wings brushing against the rocky wall behind him, and lowered his head. He was supposed to be the fearless, dominant angel, but he was absolutely helpless when Pit acted this way. The light angel kicked Dark Pit's staff away, not caring where it had slid, and focused his glistening eyes on his darker version. With a soft smile, he lifted his face, a finger under his chin, so that he could look at him in the eyes. Dark Pit gulped; there they were, the butterflies, followed by the strong urge to kiss those lips away. He didn't want to succumb to his desires… Every person that he had ever loved ended up hurt, he didn't want Pit hurt. He slapped his lighter half's hand off of his chin. "What is it that you don't understand in 'scram'?" he growled.

The light angel only smiled at that. "Apparently, I don't want to."

Dark Pit blinked, surprised by the answer, and soon couldn't resist his urges any longer. The only way to refrain them would be through a bloodbath. "Then you fucking asked for it, this will end in a fight."

Pit shook his head and tried to scoop his darker twin close to him, but the dark angel pushed him off and attacked him straight on with his staff. The light angel jumped out of range, to make sure that he wouldn't be wounded, and used his Viridi Palm for defensive measures. He refused to answer to his darker version's lust for violence, and instead tried to make his way up to him to seal their lips in a kiss. He knew that Dark Pit desired him just as much as he craved for him.

Pit narrowly evaded a precise shot from Dark Pit's staff and jumped forward while the other was recharging his weapon. He managed to get close to the dark angel, who immediately slammed his staff to the side of his face. Pit lost his balance and fell on the cold ground, his eyes filling with heavy tears. His temple was pulsating, though it probably wasn't cut, and he panted to try and suppress the sore feeling in his entire body. His vision became blurry, and all he could see was Dark Pit kneeling down in front of him. He briefly felt fingers brushing against his left cheek before they drew back, and he could depict an additional tinge of red. Pit moaned in pain and squeezed his eyes closed, slowly overcoming the sensation.

Dark Pit sniffed and looked at his hand, which was covered in blood, regretting his actions. He had been so… surprised that he had turned it into anger—even though he had been craving to hear those words for months on end. His stomach heaving because of the open wound on Pit's face, the dark angel teared up and looked askance. He offered a hand to his twin after he had set his staff on the ground. "Here, let me help you up."

"I'm good, I—"

"Don't insist," Dark Pit growled. He forcefully tugged Pit's hand and pulled him to his feet. The dark angel quickly made sure that his lighter half wasn't wounded anywhere else, and sighed in relief when he realized that little harm had been done during his outburst of rage. After he was done checking, Dark Pit dived right into Pit's gleaming sapphire eyes and leaned in abruptly, kissing him with passion. Pit gasped in the kiss, at a loss for words, and didn't even manage to push him off. He wanted that kiss, he had to be honest with himself. Even though they had been fighting just then, Pit would've given anything to get such a sweet attention from Dark Pit. The dark angel pulled Pit closer by grasping his white scarf, and slammed him against the wall. His twin was panting from their battle but still answered eagerly to their kiss, granting him access to his mouth by parting his lips.

When she caught a sight of them, since she had been talking with Magnus and focusing her attention on him, Aphrodite smiled. Destiny didn't have it any other way: they had been made, crafted for one another before the beginning of Time. Chronos and Chaos had been working hand and hand in order to make the perfect angels, the ideal alliance to erase the upcoming rise of Darkness. As she always said, Love is stronger than anything, even Evil—and she would know, since she had been one of the only Gods to resist to Medusa's powers up to this point. Aphrodite turned to Magnus again, smiling, when she realized too late what was about to happen: the staff had fully charged up, firing a deadly arrow at Magnus. "Watch out!"

The human turned around and jumped out of the way, crashing to the ground.

The two angels quickly turned to them, alarmed by the loud shot, and Pit nearly choked when he saw Magnus lying on the floor. "Magnus!" He gently pushed Dark Pit off of him and rushed to the side of his friend. Even though his vision wasn't very clear, he could still make out rather precisely where his human friend was. Once he was by his sides, he knelt down, panicked, and tried to shake him awake. "No no, please no!" Pit begged, though he noticed that there wasn't any blood on the ground, and that Magnus' chest was still moving. He frowned and turned him so that he lied on his back, reassured to see that he had not been touched by the arrow. The angel pushed Magnus' hair off of his face, still concerned, and sighed when he saw him looking back with an amused expression on his face. Was this supposed to be funny? "Are you kidding me, Magnus?"

"Hey, it's nothing, don't be like that. Though, that thing's dangerous."

"What did you expect?" Dark Pit's voice arose. The dark angel was leaning against the wall, smirking, his hands on his hips. Pit was delighted to see that he was back to his attitude, despite all the changes that had taken place in so little time and their recent battle for dominance. Dark Pit pushed himself off of the wall and walked up to them, standing right next to Magnus. "All of my weapons are dangerous—just like the angel who uses them."

The human rolled eyes and sat up. "Silly me, I forgot that it belonged to Mr. Badass over there."

To be continued…

Updated: 02/11/2019