Hello everyone! I was almost running late, kind of forgot that we were the 5th... Forgive me :) I'll let you dive right into it!

Yours truly, Circle of J.

/!\ Warning: Cuteness ahead! (for once it's a nice warning… hm, am I having a change of heart?) /!\

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 18: Split

Dark Pit sighed, relieved: they made it. They were all perfectly well and out of the Underworld, after two days of intense walking and hiding from monsters. The warm rays of the sun glowing through the waterfall eased his mind as soon as he saw them. The beautiful, calming song of the water flowing down to the spring below, the chirping of the birds, the whistling of the trees all around them… He had never felt so relaxed in his entire life before. The dark angel stretched his wings, which had started to hurt ever since the Power of Flight had worn off, and inhaled the fresh air of the Overworld. It filled him with satisfaction, since it wasn't overflown with the scent of burning flesh and, well, death in general.

Dark Pit eyed at his three partners, who were waiting for the Lightning Chariot, and thought about what to do next: they had several options. Their main goal was to protect Palutena from the upcoming darkness at any cost, so that she didn't die, because that would allow the Days of Darkness to begin in this dimension as well. From experience, he knew that it would shift and corrupt the entire world and its inhabitants… He himself had been a victim of it, but he'd never admit it, even with a gun to his head.

Anyways, since the Goddess of Light was still under a coat of stone, it would be wise to head right to his dimension and ask for Hermes to save her, which he would surely be able to do in no time and, thus would save them precious time. But on the other hand, they could also take another route and focus on fighting Medusa, which seemed a lot easier to do considering that Pit had done it on his own twice already. What bothered Dark Pit with that idea was that, no matter how many times she had been defeated, she had always been back, with ever-growing powers. At first he had blamed Hades for her resurrections, but since Pit had killed Hades, it couldn't be.

Aside from those options, they also needed to go to Mount Olympus as soon as possible, before Dark Pit fully transformed into a statue. His cheek was already gray and solid, so was his right leg. His fingers started to feel a little stiffer than they should and his left eye was twitching… He didn't want to risk anything; he had already done the impossible by surviving so long with that curse running in his veins. The sooner they saw Zeus, the sooner they could focus on their main objective and save Pit's dimension, since it was the big thing that they apparently ought to accomplish together. That being said, together meant: just the two of them. So perhaps, the first step would be to drop Magnus back to his hometown, to keep him at bay from danger. Pit and Dark Pit could then settle down in Viridi's former Sanctum to figure out a plan, since it was deserted. At least, they could have a safe haven to stay at in times where things would get really, really rough.

Decided, Dark Pit looked up at Pit, who was helping Magnus to board the Lightning Chariot. "Pit, you think we could talk real quick?"

The light angel's wings fluttered when he heard his name, and he quickly spun around once he had secured Magnus. His blue eyes reflected the light of the sun, and Dark Pit felt his heart skip a beat at that sight; such beauty, he was lucky that he loved him back. Pit walked up to his dark twin and entwined their fingers, knowing that he wouldn't recoil. To be fair, he nearly had, since his body still wasn't quite into touches, but he had managed to suppress it; after all, the contact was delicious, Pit's skin felt so soft and perfect. "What's up, Pittoo?"

Dark Pit blinked, shaking himself out of his trance, and cleared his throat. "It's about what to do next, what do you say?"

"Oh, well…" was all that Pit said at first, before he briefly looked over his shoulder. He smiled when Magnus asked him if everything was alright, then faced his twin again. He seemed a little more worried than he'd been before, which caught Dark Pit's curiosity. "I was thinking that we should bring Magnus back to the Overworld before we do anything else. We never know, it could be dangerous, and I don't want him involved in the… horrors coming our way."

Dark Pit nodded lightly and looked back towards Magnus. "Right, good, because I was thinking the same thing."

"Really? That's so cool! Viridi would've blamed our 'super-secret twin connection'."

"Though, I blame common sense on that one," Dark Pit laughed along with Pit at the memory of the little Goddess of Nature. They missed her, wished that she could've stayed alive longer… Dark Pit owed her everything: she had granted him with protection at a time where he craved for it. He had never thanked her for everything she had done for him, he had taken everything as though it was his due. He only realized his mistake when he fell in that lake, because then he had understood that she was gone and that he would never see her again.

Pit stared into his eyes and called his name for the fourth time in a row, before Dark Pit came back to reality. He slightly pushed Pit out of his way but was quickly grabbed from behind and spun around. Pit's lips crashed against his own, and Dark Pit widened his eyes in disbelief. He had no idea if he had liked that, to be true: he was supposed to be the dominant one in their relationship! Though, Pit was charming and incredibly sexy when he took matters in his own hands. The dark angel couldn't deny that it made him all the more excited to have a 'rival', even within their newly established romantic relationship; that only made things spicier. Pit pushed him off, licking his lips, and a huge grin spread on them after that.

Dark Pit blinked, slightly disappointed that the kiss had ended so soon, and stood there while the light angel was off jumping in the Lightning Chariot. The little sunshine that he was hopped in, beaming like his usual self and speaking loudly to his unicorns. The darker version, still at the same spot, shook his head, amused, and wiped his lips. The lingering taste of Pit's mouth on his' wasn't so terrible, but staying hidden from view also helped him hide his flushed cheeks from Magnus and Aphrodite. Once the burning sensation on his cheeks had dissipated, he turned towards the Lightning Chariot, only to realize that he wouldn't fit aboard with Magnus and Pit already inside. He clicked his tongue, then an idea occurred to him.

Dark Pit jumped over Magnus and sat down on Pit's lap. Although the contact frightened him, since it reminded him of his past, he admitted to enjoying the flash of red on Pit's cheeks. That alone pushed him to stay, even if his body wanted to get away more than anything. Sweet revenge…

Aphrodite looked at them and told Dark Pit that she would be waiting for them at Viridi's Sanctum, before she disappeared in a halo of pink light. The light angel sitting underneath Dark Pit grabbed the halter of Phos and Lux and gently whipped them, telling them to head for Magnus' city. That didn't seem to surprise the human, so the dark version of Pit assumed that Pit had told him where they were going beforehand.

The Lightning Chariot sped, probably at full speed, towards the forest where Pit and Dark Pit had argued before the angel of light's departure, and Pit pulled the vehicle to a stop. Since he couldn't see what he was doing with Dark Pit's wings in the way, he nearly crashed into a tree before strongly pulling onto the halter to force the unicorns to slow down. The hooves of Phos and Lux dug into the grass to stop as fast as they could, and that ended up in an abrupt stop that sent every passenger overboard.

Pit landed face first in the grass, groaning, whereas Dark Pit had been thrown over and hung from a tree branch. Of course, a branch that wasn't strong enough to bare his weight. It broke off and the dark angel crashed to the ground. He cursed, sprung on his feet, and realized that they were rather close to the river. What a delight, maybe he'd stay there for a while.

Magnus rose to his feet as well, just next to the Lightning Chariot, and offered Pit a hand. The light angel nodded and clung to it, standing up despite his dizziness—perhaps he had a concussion with his brutal landing. The human then turned towards Dark Pit and detached the necklace from his neck, handing it to him. Dark Pit stared at it, puzzled, until he remembered what it was and took it. He wrapped it around his wrist and fastened the chain, much to Pit's confusion. "Why don't you wear it like a necklace should be worn, Pittoo?"

"Because I don't like rules, nor blinkered minds like yours."

"Hey!" Pit protested, his wings fluttering to express his slight anger. He pouted and turned his back to Dark Pit, who couldn't help but snicker at his childish behavior. Then, the light angel eyed at Magnus, who was handing him a round object with a hole in the middle of it. Pit furrowed his brows, having no idea what it was meant to be, but took it nonetheless; one does not refuse a gift. Dark Pit peeked at it and snatched it from Pit's hands, putting it in his own pocket. The light angel didn't say anything, tormented by the fact that they had to leave Magnus behind. He faced the human and hugged him tight, tears in his blue eyes when he squeezed him. "I'll miss you, Magnus. Take care of yourself, and keep protecting the humans."

Magnus chuckled at that and gave a kiss on top of his angelic friend's head. "I promise you. Now, angel, you be careful. I don't want Pittoo to knock at my door to tell me that you're dead once again."

Pit nodded and stepped away from Magnus, tears streaming down his face despite the smile that was plastered on his lips. Separations were always difficult for the angel, since he loved to keep his close friends next to him. That way, he could always ensure that they would be safe. This time, he knew that… leaving Magnus behind was the best thing to do, considering the upcoming threat, but that didn't make goodbyes any less painful. Pit turned away, his heart aching, and walked towards the river behind them.

Meanwhile, Dark Pit stared at Magnus with a smirk across the lips, folding his arms. He was leaning against the tree that he fell from, looking just like his usual self: insolent and overly confident. However, the human knew better now, he had time to talk to him and reach for who he really was during their short journey together. Magnus walked up to Dark Pit and opened his arms. The dark angel's eyes glistened and he embraced the human, for he admitted that he had grown quite fond of him. He looked forward to seeing him again, if he ever did before heading back to his own dimension. They had spent amazing times together, even though their strong personalities sometimes had a brush with one another.

Nonetheless, Dark Pit would cherish the memories of their journey to the Underworld; Magnus had been there to hold out a hand when he most needed one. He'd remember him always, even when he'd be back to his old life, away from this world and its people. Dark Pit sighed and pushed off Magnus after a minute or two into their hug. "Thought you'd never let go."

"You'd wish," Magnus smirked. Dark Pit rolled eyes and folded his arms again, wearing that bored expression in his red eyes. The human put a hand on the dark angel's shoulder—which he almost slapped off of him—and spun around, facing his city. "Thank you for everything you did for me. I really enjoyed your company, even though you can be a bit… unnerving at times."

Dark Pit snorted. "Whatever."

Magnus smiled at that answer, knowing that he'd get nothing more, and walked back towards his city, leaving the two angels behind. The darker version of Pit raised an eyebrow and watched him from afar, a sincere smile creeping on his lips. He couldn't take his eyes off of that human who shared his worries for Pit, who had been by his side when he thought that everything was lost, who had given him a hand in desperate battles that he never would've won on his own. "Thank you, Magnus," he whispered, still staring at the human's figure, which was almost out of sight already with all the trees in the way. "You made me realize that, in the end, I have many, many things to lose."

With that said, Dark Pit turned around and his ruby orbs met Pit's silhouette, leaning above the water of the river. He walked up to him, observing him without moving too close; he still feared to touch him, even though he longed to be sitting by his side. Pit was running his fingers in the cold water, laughing to himself, and looked at something that was making its way to the shore. Dark Pit stepped closer, curious, and saw that it was a fish swimming towards Pit's hand. The light angel's wings fluttered when the fish touched his hand, excited, and his darker twin could see his shining eyes from his position, next to the tree that he'd fallen from. He used it for support and rested his shoulder against it, crossing his legs.

Dark Pit narrowed his red eyes when he saw Pit looking over to his side and felt his own cheeks turn red. He decided to fight his fear of contact and sit next to Pit, however he couldn't resolve to being very close to him. So he still made sure there was a 'safe distance' between both of them, much to Pit's bewilderment. Though, he said nothing about it, slightly smiling because his twin had tried to move closer. He knew how much he was scared of making a move towards people, so it still warmed his heart that he would try to fight it for him.

Pit caressed the fish's head before it swam off, following the stream of water. The angel chuckled and watched it swim away with wide, amazed blue eyes. Dark Pit couldn't hold back a smile at the sight, and eventually spoke up: "That fishy seemed to like you. He's really the only one to."

"Oh, he is?" the angel of light retorted, eyeing at his twin.

Pit crawled closer to Dark Pit, who didn't dare to move away, although he had really wanted to. He made eye contact with the darker angel, distracting him with his gorgeous, gleaming ocean orbs, and reached out for his hand. When his fingers brushed against the delicate skin of Dark Pit's hand, he nearly jerked back but shut his eyes to mask his uneasiness. Pit trailed his fingers along his hand, whispering in his ear that he had no reason to be concerned, and Dark Pit opened his eyes to look at him. The dark angel slightly moved his hand to part his fingers, so that Pit's own could fill in the gaps between them. They both sat there, on the shore, their feet in the cold water, under the warm glow of the sun. The silence surrounding them made it all better, since Dark Pit was already overwhelmed by the touch of Pit's hand.

The light angel looked at the river, his gaze following its current, and he shut his eyes to take in the sweet scent of the trees. Dark Pit admired him, mesmerized by his beauty, and lost track of all his thoughts. The only thing he could think about was this angel, whom belonged to him fully, whom he would never forget, even when he'd be back in his dimension. He was saddened at the perspective of returning to his home world: he would hate to be away from the one he considered to be the love of his life. But he knew that he had to; his dimension also participated in balancing the universe. He couldn't be gone from his world, it wasn't an option. Maybe for a short amount of time, like the Gods had wanted, but no more than that. Once his mission would be accomplished, he would have to leave, whether he liked it that way or not.

Dark Pit looked off, admiring the scenery around him despite those crippling thoughts. The forest around him helped him move on from those, since he desperately needed to. The high trees, the vivid shades of those orange, yellow and red leaves, the music of the water going down the valley… All of this was enough to fill him with true, sincere bliss. Dark Pit eyed at Pit, who still had his eyes closed and inhaled the fresh air brushing through his hazel bangs. He gazed at him once again, falling in a weird adoration, and eventually gasped. "There's something I forgot to show you. I found what you call a 'nice story' to read. Trust me, it took me time to find one…"

This caught the attention of Pit, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The dark angel rummaged through his pocket and took out a pocket-sized book. Pit's wings fluttered when his eyes fell on it, excited. "Oh! I can't believe you remembered about it!"

"Of course I did, Pit-stain, my brain is functional."

"That's mean!"

"But true," Dark Pit chuckled, then he opened the book at the first page. Pit moved closer to his twin, resting his head on his shoulder, and the dark angel ran his eyes along the lines, reading them out loud. He had been looking everywhere until he had found one: a happy story with a good ending, like Pit had always wanted him to read. Strangely enough, he had found it in the Underworld's library, which he thought was ironic. Maybe Hades liked stories with heroes that saved princesses from evil? That'd be hilarious.

Pit leaned all against Dark Pit, listening to his every word and smiling to himself, his cheeks completely red. It had been such a long time since they had read a story together, he felt as though he was in the Heavens. He couldn't believe that it was happening; he had dreamt of it so many times… Hearing Dark Pit's voice in midst of the song of Nature was… truly breathtaking, and the word wasn't strong enough to fully grasp it. The angel looked at the pages, taken by its story, and felt so light himself: as if he was on a cloud.

Dark Pit briefly eyed at him before pursuing his reading. He had a small smile on the lips, which revealed just how much he was appreciating the moment with Pit. "The prince launched towards the dragon, screamed to the Heavens: 'The light of my holy sword will pierce through the heart made of darkness of the Queen!', then his magical sword started glowing brighter than the sun. The prince grasped its hilt and threw the sword towards the dragon, thus piercing its heart and killing it instantly. With the power of his love and his courage, he had taken down the biggest threat of the Kingdom. The fairies flew towards him, praising him for his brave actions, and led him towards the castle where the princess was sound asleep."

Dark Pit paused, looking at Pit, who smiled at him widely. The dark angel nodded, since he wanted to make sure that his other half wasn't sleeping himself, and went back to his reading: "He noticed that the entire city was asleep as well, even the guards who were supposed to protect the castle! That made things easier for him though, since he didn't have to explain why he was there. The prince followed the fairies up the stairs until he reached the top of the highest tower of the castle. There, he found the princess laying in her bed, a rose in her hands, and approached her slowly. He gazed at her beauty with gleaming eyes, instantly appealed, blah blah blah, and he raped her. The end."

"What?!" Pit exclaimed, shocked, and he noticed Dark Pit's mischievous smirk. He pouted and folded his arms. "That's not how it really ends!"

Dark Pit snickered and closed the book. "If I say so? I'm the one who can read, am I not?" Pit looked at him and wanted to answer, however he knew that it was true: he himself couldn't read, so how could he know the real ending? But he knew that Dark Pit was deceiving him; it couldn't be the true ending, because he said it was a nice story. Princesses didn't get raped in good stories… The light angel shook his head and sighed, trying to look pissed off, but that only made his darker twin laugh. Dark Pit put his hands on his hips and looked at Pit with an amused expression in his beautiful red eyes. "What's that, Pit-stain? You're pouting?"

"No!" Pit countered, then he shut his eyes and turned away from Dark Pit. "I want you to tell me the real ending!"

"But that was the true ending!"

"No, it wasn't and I know it, Pittoo!"

Dark Pit rolled eyes and handed the book to Pit. "Here, check if you don't believe me."

The light angel grabbed the book and opened it at the last page, but of course he had no idea what it all said. Dark Pit burst in laughter at the sight of him, his arms pressed against his stomach since it started to ache. Pit frowned at him and groaned, upset, before he set the book in the grass next to him. "I can't read it!"

"That's my point!" Dark Pit laughed at him, then he took a deep breath and picked up the book, in order to put it back in his pocket. He felt something brush against his fingers and furrowed his brows, suddenly more serious; he didn't recall having anything else in this pocket. He had made sure to put the stabilizer in its own dedicated pocket, so what could it be? Puzzled, he grabbed the roundish shape that was there and took it out, only to realize that it was Pit's missing medallion. He nodded when he saw it, and Pit raised his head, his eyes landing on his pin. He immediately sprung to his feet, happy that Dark Pit had found and retrieved it, and tried to snatch it from his hand. Dark Pit growled and pushed him off of him. "Hey! Don't touch that!"

Pit clenched his fists and attempted to take it again, only to be pushed one more time. "But that's mine!"

"No, it's mine now, since I found it!"

The light angel glared at him. He stepped up to Dark Pit and tried to grab his precious medallion, but his twin wouldn't let him take it back. Pit eventually stopped trying, after being pushed to the ground three times in a row, and pouted. His eyes filled with tears, since Dark Pit had stolen his most precious gift from his Goddess Palutena. He refused to look at his darker version when he called him out two times, then felt something hit him in the back of the head: it was heavy and round. Pit hissed at the pain and rubbed the spot where it had hit him, before turning around. He was about to yell at Dark Pit for being a douche when he noticed the purple medallion amongst the grass behind him.

Pit frowned, confused, and eyed at Dark Pit, who had put on his red medallion instead of his usual purple one. He glanced at the light angel and his cheeks turned red when he said: "Since you won't stop bothering me, I thought we could switch… I really want your medallion, and… when I think about it, you'd look good with mine on."

The angel of light blinked, surprised, but grasped the purple medallion and tied it to his scarf and chiton, in order to keep them in place. Suddenly, with a pin on his shoulder, he felt complete. It was different from his normal medallion, but to be fair, he loved it even more. It belonged to Dark Pit, so, how could he not love it? That way, he would always keep him close to his heart; he'd always be leaning over his shoulder, no matter what would happen in the future. As long as he kept his new jewel on him, at all times, then Dark Pit would never fade from his memory. Pit noticed movement next to him and raised his head towards Dark Pit, who had walked towards the Lightning Chariot. Understanding the message, the light angel got on his feet, bouncing up and down a little to motivate himself, and hopped in the vehicle next to his darker version. Dark Pit barely looked at him, his eyes focused on the halter he held in his hands, and he whipped Phos and Lux. "To Viridi's Sanctum!"

To Pit's surprise, they followed his request. Even though he shouldn't be that astonished, he still admitted that he didn't think they would obey him, now that their true master was back. The two unicorns zoomed across the skies, heading right for Viridi's decrepit Sanctum, while Pit couldn't tear his eyes away from his twin. With the halter and his ruby orbs concentrated on their path, he seemed so serious and collected. The lighter version found it rather adorable, although it wasn't such an extraordinary sight. Dark Pit had always been the most solemn of them both, probably because of his life experiences.

Pit would gladly ask about them, to know more about the angel that he loved, but he knew that the memories would be painful for Dark Pit. He had mentioned that his dimension had already fallen in what he called the 'Days of Darkness', so the angel of light assumed that his twin must have seen… truly horrible things. Perhaps he had even been a part of beatings, perhaps he had almost been assassinated hundreds of times! No, asking Dark Pit to tell him about his dimension was a terrible idea.

Dark Pit soon pulled onto the halter, forcing the Lightning Chariot to a stop. They had reached Viridi's old Sanctum, and Aphrodite was there, standing next to them with her hands in her back. The dark angel briefly patted the two unicorns leading the Chariot once he had jumped out of it, but winced at the increasing pain in his wings. Those too were getting stiff. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, they had to head to Mount Olympus.

Pit pulled himself out of the Lightning Chariot, feeding Phos and Lux and talking to them in his own corner, whereas Aphrodite and Dark Pit walked towards the Goddess of Nature's former office. Aphrodite had made the place her very own: she had found the room to add two beds without having to move anything, and had also brought an armchair in the corner of the room, next to the door. She had replaced Viridi's old tree lamp with another one, which was pink with a heart-shaped lightbulb in it.

The Goddess of Love told him that they would stay in this room, the three of them, until they could make it back to Palutena's palace safely—in other words, until they managed to find another body for Hades' soul. Dark Pit looked around the room and sat in the armchair, although he knew that she had put it there for her own use. Aphrodite rolled eyes and sat on the edge of her bed, which was the smallest one of the two, considering that Pit and his darker twin would have to share their own. Dark Pit gulped at the idea, hating it already, but didn't mention it. Instead, he wore his typical bored look in his eyes when looking at the Goddess of Love. He tried to extend his right leg, only to yelp at the pain that it triggered. Maybe he shouldn't have tried.

"We have to seek Father's help," Aphrodite said when she noticed his pained expression. "Your body cannot resist any longer."

"Yeah, you're telling me," Dark Pit sighed, moaning in agony when he tried to lift his leg with his hands. It was just impossible to touch it, even a swift brush on its skin would cause him to cry. He sniffed, a silent tear running down his cheek, and looked off towards the door; it had just opened on Pit. "Maybe going now would be wise."

"Going where? To Mount Olympus?" Pit asked, his eyes glued to his darker version's crippled leg.

Aphrodite nodded and eyed at the light angel. "Yes, but you need to stay here, to make sure that the Lightning Chariot will be safe in our absence."

"Or we could borrow it to fly up to Zeus' mountain," Dark Pit growled, before he looked at his leg in desperation. "That'd be easier with this. I'm not sure I can support the additional weight with my wings."

The Goddess of Love observed the dark angel with concern, and eventually turned to face Pit. Her pink, glowing eyes plunged right into his sapphires, which unsettled him a little since he was always embarrassed. She chuckled and stood on her feet, walking towards Dark Pit who couldn't pull himself up despite his best efforts to. "We should go right now. Will you be alright on your own, Pit?"

Pit seemed to be worried at the perspective of letting his darker half leave without him, but agreed that it was better if he stayed in the Sanctum. He knew that he could count on Aphrodite, since the Goddess of Love had helped the dark angel out of the Underworld and back to them. Thus, he nodded and went to sit on the bed he'd share with Dark Pit, joining his hands and resting them on his thighs. Aphrodite reassured him by saying that they wouldn't be long, and asked him to be very careful, for Medusa would probably be looking for their location. He promised that he would do everything to protect the Sanctum, which appeared to satisfy her. The Goddess of Love offered a hand to Dark Pit and he leaned on her shoulder, while they cautiously walked down the stairs leading to the Lightning Chariot. She lifted the dark angel enough so that he could sit in the vehicle, and hopped in next to him. Pit eyed at them from the office, standing at the door, and told them to be careful on the way.

Aphrodite smiled at him, told him not to worry, and soon after that they were gone at the speed of light.

To be continued…

Updated: 02/11/2019