Good evening everyone—or afternoon for others! How are you all doing? Here is the 27th chapter of the fiction, and I still haven't gotten further with the next ones… I need to get back on track.
I'll let you read this one, tell me what you think of it in the comments if you'd like to!
Yours truly, Circle of J.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, although I took some liberties with both Tip and Blapi. 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 27: Drives and urges
"Why the fuck did I ever accept to do this?!"
"Pittoo, watch your mouth!"
"Yes Mom~!" Dark Pit scorned Pit, beyond pissed off because he frankly annoyed him.
The dark angel snarled but kept on slamming his fist against that rock that blocked their way out, though he admittedly was growing tired of it as well. It had been three days. The Goddesses didn't answer his calls, no matter how desperate they were. He had tried everything: shooting the damn thing with his staff: nothing; asking Pit to help him push it out of the way: nothing; calling out the two stupid Goddesses who had caused them to be stuck there in the first place: nothing! Even Medusa refused to let them out, even though he was certain that she knew of their presence in her realm. Dark Pit gritted his teeth and kept banging against the rock, until his hand hurt again and he had to stop.
Pit told him to settle down and wait for Palutena to come—like she would—but he wouldn't listen, he was too stubborn to accept being imprisoned. If he had managed to flee Medusa's hold, he could also run away from a natural prison! But that rock falling had nothing natural, he had to remember that: an Underworld enemy had pushed it, thinking that it'd squish them on the ground. Pit had been reactive enough to push them out of the way, but the idiot hadn't realized that he had thrown them into a trap. Dark Pit had spent two days yelling at his face, telling him that he was beyond what the words 'stupid' and 'moron' could convey. Pit had said that he should be grateful that they weren't dead, to which the dark angel couldn't help but laugh.
And there they were, still in this cave, with no way of getting out while their air supply was running thin. How long would they survive? Probably a week, even though it seemed a little too optimistic. But perhaps, if it really wasn't bearable anymore, he could kill the idiot who got them stuck to begin with. That way, he wouldn't be needing air any longer, and all that would be left would be his'. Dark Pit shook his head at thought: no, he was going insane. Normally, he would never think about killing Pit—well… depends. But not in those desperate situations, at least. After all, Pit was just as stuck as he was, and he probably was scared also. Even though he kept saying that Palutena would come and that he had faith in her, Dark Pit wasn't blind to the dying sparkle of hope in his blue eyes. It was only a matter of time before it disappeared completely, never to be found again.
Pit, who was sitting in the far back of the cave, looked up from his book. He had been practicing his letters for the last few days, since he was convinced that his precious Palutena would eventually show up without him having to do anything about it. He knew all of his letters by heart, and would sometimes sing the alphabet song—which greatly pissed off his darker half, who was trying to concentrate to get them out of that stupid cave. Pit closed his book, absent-minded, and glanced at his darker twin when he cried out in pain. He stood up and ran to his side, to check on Dark Pit's hand with frowned brows. Maybe he had really broken it this time. "Are you serious? Look at it!"
"What about it?"
"You broke it, are you serious right now?!" Pit snapped at him—his darker twin wouldn't say that it was exactly a first, but it was one of them, so it still took him by surprise.
The dark angel pouted and recoiled his hand, trying to move his fingers but wincing at the throbbing pain. "Fuck, you're right."
"Stop swearing!"
"SWEARING IS THE LEAST OF MY CONCERNS!" Dark Pit retorted, then he went back to staring at the stone wall in front of him with rage. He was going insane, he had to admit it. Staying enclosed in the darkness, surrounded by nothing but occasional mumbling from the Reapers who tried to make their way in from the other side, was driving him nuts. He was going to lose it if he didn't find a way to get out of there. Plus, he could feel the consequences of being plunged in constant somberness: his soul was surrendering to Medusa's powers, which, despite what he dared say, were more powerful than he had imagined. They have been flowing in his veins for years…
However, with the increasing threat and the context, it was growing stronger than ever. Dark Pit didn't like it: only a few more days and he would really kill Pit, but not because he would lack air. His soul was on the verge of giving in and succumbing, it was his mindset that kept it from doing it. "Pit, I'm sorry I yelled at you…" he said, which caught the attention of his lighter half, who had returned to his usual spot and had started working on the letter 'R' again.
When he felt a pair of eyes locked on his back, Dark Pit continued: "I should've listened to you the first time. There's really nothing we can do until Palutena arrives, is there?"
"Like I said, no, there isn't. But I'm sure that she will come; Lady Palutena always saves me, that's a rule."
Dark Pit sighed sadly and looked down in defeat. "And what if she doesn't come? What happens then?"
Pit stood up and walked towards him, wrapping his arms around Dark Pit's waist from behind. He buried his nose in his feathers, which smelled almost like cotton candy, and closed his eyes. "If that's the end? Then… Well, it could've been much worse, don't you think?" he whispered. His voice had left him a few hours prior, because he had grown so thirsty that the thought of speaking up killed him from within. So, instead, he spoke only in whispers, to preserve his throat that was way too dry to even be used without risks. The Angel of the Sun pulled his darker twin closer to him, still closing his eyes, and eventually murmured again: "I love you, Pittoo…"
Dark Pit tensed up when he heard those words, since he couldn't find it in himself to say them back. He really wanted to, he wanted to express how much he loved him, how important he was to him, but he… had never been good with words. He had never been an expert when it came to voicing his feelings out, since he had been so accustomed to keeping them under lock and key. He gulped, braced himself, and tried to force them to come out—but they simply wouldn't. He had opened his mouth, pronounced the first syllable, then his voice had died out. He had no control whatsoever… It scared him to say those words, for they would be the doom of the one hearing them. As soon as he would say it back, Pit would be destined to die—it had always been this way, why would it ever change?
Dark Pit trailed his broken hand along the stone underneath it, eyes shut. "I can't say it…" he gave in, defeated by his own feelings.
Pit frowned and asked why he couldn't, but the twin didn't know what to answer, for he didn't have a reason himself. When he understood that he wouldn't get a clear explanation, Pit sighed and looked down, hiding his face within the dark teal wings that he kept so close to himself. "It's fine, I suppose… With your pride and all that, I didn't expect anything else than Tsun-Pittoo to show up."
"DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME?!" Dark Pit snapped at him, quickly turning around to face him. He was just that close from punching Pit until he lied dead on the floor. "I'm just scared of saying it, okay?! I don't need you to be a fucking asshole right now!"
Pit startled at the tone he used to talk to him and stepped back, raising his hands in the air. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, okay?!" he defended himself, though he wasn't sure what he had done wrong. He just said that his twin was acting like a tsundere—which was completely true, no doubt there. Why did Dark Pit take it so wrong when it was simply the cold hard truth? Pit bit his lower lip and moved back to his usual spot, at the bottom of the cave. Maybe it'd have been better to keep quiet on that one… Now it was too late anyways, but he'd know for the next time something like this happened. He wouldn't insist this time. The angel sat on the cold ground and crossed his legs, completely silent. Without a word for the other, he grabbed his book and read about the next letter, 'S'.
Dark Pit looked at him, desperate for his touch, wanting to go and snuggle with him, but the darkness kept him from doing that. It forced him to stay where he was, standing next to that stupid rock that blocked their path, despite his intense will to go and hug Pit. His eyes flashed pure black for a mere second, but he quickly repelled it and shook his head, as though he was dealing with a vicious headache. Pit caught sight of that and stood back up, cautious. "Pittoo?"
Dark Pit tried his hardest to smile, a silent tear running down his cheeks because of the outrageous amount of pain streaming through his body. This thing was tough, but he wanted to reassure Pit. The last thing he wanted was for him to feel threatened in his company… Although he could profoundly despise him at times, he still loved him and wished to keep him safe at all costs—even that of his own life if it ever came to that. "I'm fine, don't worry, I won't hurt you. Though, I must warn you that… I can't promise that I won't attack you in five minutes."
"The darkness is gaining ground?" Pit inquired, and from the stern look in his darker half's eyes—which, if turned into words, could be translated as: 'what else, dumbass?'—he knew that he was right and that he had asked a stupid question. He sighed, nodded, although he was rather intimidated, and walked up to Dark Pit to lay a kiss on his lips. "It's okay, I'm sure we can fight through this together."
"I can fight it for you, you mean?" Dark Pit snickered; at least he was smiling again.
Pit chuckled and shrugged one shoulder, saying that it was all a matter of perspective. Dark Pit dived right into his ocean orbs and felt himself aroused, for whatever reason he was. He pulled Pit closer to him and immediately began to leave slobbery kisses in his neck and up to his ear. The light angel wrapped his arms around him, more than happy to get the attention of his darker version. He hissed when Dark Pit bit on his skin and sucked it, rubbing the dark angel's teal feathers to encourage him. Everyone in Skyworld seemed to think that he was the 'innocent little angel'—oh no he wasn't. He could come off as someone sweet and cute on the outside, at first glance that was, but inside lived a raging fire which ignited his entire soul: a lust for blood, for fighting, an urge for flesh. His spirit was overflown with passion, with desire, but he still managed to convey a whole another image to Palutena and the other Gods—and other godly beings—that he knew.
But if he was the incarnation of the God of Sensual Love and Desire, it wasn't just for the title; he had always felt pushed by his numerous, sometimes devious urges. He never mentioned any of them to Palutena, for she would surely think less of him, but Dark Pit knew better. He could perceive the flame in his blue eyes, he could see right through him. Despite popular belief, Dark Pit was the 'softy' in their relationship. Mainly because of his tragic past which made him scared of touch. Even though he had almost gotten over with it, it still lingered and sometimes he would pull away randomly and close his eyes.
Dark Pit drew Pit's attention by kissing his lips with hunger, with thirst for his taste. The light angel gladly answered to the kiss and their tongues danced together while their bodies had gotten even closer to each other. They both ended up lying down on the stone ground, and of course it was Dark Pit who was underneath. He shut his ruby eyes for a second, collecting his thoughts, and eventually opened them again to look straight into Pit's glistening ocean orbs. Through them, the dark angel could see his desire, his intense sexual drive which he couldn't keep within himself any longer, and smirked. His Pit, just as he liked him: determined to get what he wanted, right then and there, on the bare ground. And thus he nodded and their lips connected again, for a longer moment this time. Pit was careful when he took off his darker half's clothes, until he picked up the sound of… a woman singing. She was coming their way!
He eyed at Dark Pit, who seemed to hear it too, and they both jumped back on their feet. "Fuck me, seriously… I swear, I must be cursed or something. Can never enjoy a nice embrace without interruptions…" he sighed, more pissed than he seemed to be on the outside.
Pit chuckled. "Aw, we'll have time later. For now, what matters is to get out of there. That way, you'll stop breaking your hands constantly!"
"Come on, that's the first fucking time it happens!"
"That's one time too much! Now shh!"
Dark Pit furrowed his brows, taking a serious expression when he snarled: "Don't tell me what to do."
"SHH!"
"FINE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" The dark angel cursed his bad luck, putting on his clothes reluctantly, when the voice of the woman came closer. The two heirs stood next to the rock that blocked the entrance and listened carefully to the singing voice, to try and decipher what she was saying. It sounded like she was whimpering… Did something happen to her?
Worried, Pit kept quiet so that he could finally make out a few words—he didn't know if this woman was a threat, so he ought to be cautious. "Taketh me th're, mine own chthonic h'rses~!" she sang.
The light angel glanced over to his darker half, who decided that, who matter she was, it was worth asking for help. Thus, he banged against the stone, once again damaging his hands. Pit glared at him, deadly serious, but blinked when he heard footsteps stopping in front of their cave. It was surely the woman, since the singing had suddenly been interrupted. The question was: would she save them? If she worked for Hades, since she was a prisoner of the Underworld, she probably wouldn't even try. Perhaps they had lost their time more than anything else. Uncertain, Pit looked at Dark Pit, wondering what would happen now. He was about to complain when the rock before them was abruptly blown to pieces. The two angels startled and stepped back, quick enough to avoid the explosion.
A woman stood before them, with long braided hair, and round, profoundly sad gray eyes. Her hair was as golden as the sunrays, and her dress was loosely falling over her body. She ogled at them, probably uncertain as to how they were there, and took a step towards them. Pit backed off, since he didn't like the energy that came from her, but Dark Pit just stared, cautiousness sticking to his face. He had furrowed his brows and stood his ground, a slight curl at the corner of his lips. The woman stared at them in disbelief before she spoke up, with a soft, barely audible voice: "Ang'ls in mine own land of Darkn'ss?"
Dark Pit gritted his teeth and glared at her from head to toe. "Yep, what's wrong with that?"
The woman seemed put off by the way that he answered, but smiled nonetheless. "I nev'r bethought t wouldst befall."
"Well, now you're seeing it. Thanks for letting us out."
Pit tightened his grip around his Palutena Bow, ready to use it at the expense of the intruder. He didn't like her at all: Hades' energy was all over this woman, whoever she was! She was probably one of his pawns, so he ought to defeat her if she dared to come closer. The Angel of the Sun didn't say a word, whereas the two others stood in silence after their brief exchange, glancing coldly at the deity in front of his eyes. She somehow reminded him of someone he knew… but was it him who knew, or Eros within himself? He couldn't tell the difference for the time being… He wondered if she would answer his question, by any chance.
Much to his delight, she did; the woman focused on him and smiled. "Has't thee cometh to save me, Eros?" she asked.
The angel of light blinked, confused. "Uhhhh… What's that you're saying?"
Dark Pit rolled eyes and walked up to the deity before his eyes, since he knew very well who she was: her name was Persephone—she was Hades' wife, in other words. He admitted that he wasn't pleased with the idea of being a translator… but he felt like he had no choice but to comply if he wanted to get out of the Underworld alive. After all, they didn't know how dangerous she was… If she was truly Hades' wife, then she had to be pretty threatening despite her cutesy looks and her blond locks. Hades wasn't the type of God to marry a weak woman who couldn't defend herself… And Dark Pit was not exactly in the mood to fight. So, instead, he was going to pull it off with comedy, and hope that Persephone would understand that the two angels represented no threat to her at the same time. It was worth a try; comedy worked with everyone, didn't it?
Dark Pit eyed at his lighter half and smirked when he said: "She asked if you wanted an autograph, what else~?"
"Oh!" Pit exclaimed, falling right in his trap—which the darker version of Pit couldn't help but laugh at internally. Then the light angel frowned, confused. "But—Pittoo, I don't even know who she is! Why would I want an autograph? You're messing with me again?"
"When did you become a genius?"
Dark Pit briefly eyed at Persephone, who stood there in silence, probably also trying to make out what they were saying. Although their English was rather close to her own, it still held a few differences, mainly in pronunciation, which made understanding difficult. But there were also some vocabulary issues; for instance, she surely didn't understand what an 'autograph' was, it was certain that she had never heard of that. Yet there they kept saying it, the dark angel trying to convince his lighter self that she wanted to give him one.
The Goddess of the Underworld furrowed her brows, puzzled, and eventually decided to interrupt them: "May I int'rrupt, I needeth thy holp to find Hades, mine own lief husband. I misseth that gent and hest that thee lead me out of the Und'rw'rld."
The dark angel's wings perked up when he heard her voice, and he turned around to face her, very serious. "Wherefore wouldst we do that?"
Pit looked confused as ever; he didn't understand a word of what they were saying. What was this language? Greek? He wasn't used to hearing it, he had to say… Even the humans had switched to English, it was way more practical anyways. But the way that she sounded… It was at the same time so… English, but the words were weird and he hated the feeling of not knowing something. Pit appeared all the more upset that Dark Pit could also exchange in this weird, distorted version of English; it wasn't fair! His darker self was so much more clever than he was, and he loathed it dearly: he ought to be the superior one! Dark Pit had surrendered and accepted to be submissive in their relationship for the time being, why did he constantly show off?!
Dark Pit turned to face Pit and smirked, a hand on his hip. He looked overly confident, too proud—he looked like a jerk, all things considered. It was as if he was telling him, through one single glance, something like: 'Who's the best?'.
Pit turned his attention to the woman, still not knowing who she was, and decided to focus on her. He had a few questions to ask her, but… he feared that she would answer them with her strange, outdated English. Nonetheless, he stopped second-guessing everything he did and went for it: "What's your name? Are you a Goddess?"
Persephone understood the questions and nodded. "I am Persephone, Hades' jointress."
"Which means?"
Dark Pit snickered. "It means 'wife', stupid. You ever checked a Shakespearean translator online?"
"Uhhh… A what again, Pittoo?"
"Well nevermind then!" the dark angel laughed, shaking his head, dismayed. Well, perhaps he should've expected it: one couldn't be good with games and books, they were quite incompatible. Maybe Pit should've cared more about literature than about his stupid video games… They wouldn't lead them anywhere during their mission, contrary to Dark Pit's numerous readings. The darker version of Pit admitted that he wasn't as much of a video game historian as Pit was; they came from a totally different world. Though, he had to say, he was not ignorant for that matter. For example, he could certify that he had played more Bomberman Land Touch! than Pit, he'd bet everything he owned on it.
Persephone eyed at the two angels, noticing the outrageous number of similarities between them, but also their striking differences. One was way more intelligent than the other, but the hazel-haired angel was cuter. The darker one seemed to have an attitude; a bit rough on the edges, whereas his doppelganger appeared to be quite the gullible one.
However, besides all those observations, what caught Persephone's attention the most was the stone dangling from the darker one's wrist; its wondrous purple color provided light to their dark surroundings, which she admitted to be glad about. Ever since Medusa had taken control of the Underworld, the Reapers were trying to get to her by all means possible… Medusa was jealous of her position and threatened to kill her if she didn't leave the Underworld, but where would Persephone go? All that she had ever known had been taken from her so long ago… She was convinced that her father wouldn't recognize her if she went back to Mount Olympus.
Plus, in spite of his unarguably wrong actions—namely, her abduction, her consequent rape and forced marriage—she loved Hades and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But she wasn't blind: Medusa would never let her approach Hades again. The Goddess of the Underworld sighed when she gave it a thought. Yes, she had to leave, no matter how she felt about it. And, maybe, those angels could help her do that? She didn't exactly know the way out, since she had been captured and forced to stay within this realm for her entire life. Persephone frowned, determined, and addressed the dark angel, asking him to lead her out of the Underworld.
Dark Pit stared at her, wondering why he'd do that, but accepted when Pit told him that, after examination, she didn't seem so bad. They couldn't forget that she was Hades' wife but, at the same time, if she had wanted to kill them, she would already have done so. Thus, the two angels chose to trust her—for the time being, at least. The three of them walked towards the portal, which was rather close to their position, and exchanged on the reasons behind Persephone's sudden departure. She explained the situation with the Goddess of Darkness and Pit had started to accommodate to her English—enough to make out what she was saying, at least, even though some words were still left to his interpretation. They talked about Medusa, what she planned to do on the surface, and Persephone assured them that her husband, the way she knew him, wouldn't participate in her upsurge. She certified that Hades didn't want the world to fall in the hands of his servant, since that would make her more powerful than him and, then, he'd be completely defenseless.
Dark Pit had decided to trust her words, even though he remained cautious and critical, while Pit had ignored her. He felt utterly uncomfortable, and kept thinking about what Palutena would say once she caught him and Dark Pit with the Goddess ruling over the Underworld. She would be pissed at him, that was for sure, but hopefully she would understand why they had chosen to believe her.
Although he was on guard, Pit somehow knew that this Persephone wouldn't put a hurt on them; she was way too desperate for that. As she had told them, all that she wished to do was to leave and find Zeus in Mount Olympus—where Hades was also a prisoner. She seemed to love her husband, despite how much of a monster he had been with her. Somehow, that was something that Pit could relate to on a deeper level: Dark Pit had tried to kill him countless times, had been the worst of the worst with him, and yet he had fallen for him in the blink of an eye. The light angel smiled when he thought about it; they had been through so much together, and it was far from being over, which brought warmth to his heart. He knew that, someday, Dark Pit would have to leave, but it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Perhaps they would have time to get married? Pit blushed wildly; he would definitely say yes, if Dark Pit ever proposed to him. Now he just had to hope that he would before leaving for his dimension... which was uncertain, to say the very least.
The dark angel retreated in the back, whereas the two others talked about their respective crushes, since he felt rather embarrassed. Whenever Pit talked about him, he made him look like the brightest star in the night sky. Oh, Dark Pit liked it to some extent, but it was so flattering that he felt himself redden every time he caught him do that. So, instead of showing his discomfort, he stayed behind them and tried his best not to listen to them. Pit smiled at Persephone, who had just been talking about Hades and the way she felt about him, and nodded when she asked if he knew what it was like. "Oh, I do, trust me. My twin over there's tried to kill me so many times that even ten hands wouldn't be enough to count them!" he said, chuckling.
Persephone giggled. "Thou hath used to be en'mies?" she inquired, quite surprised; they seemed to go along so well! Yet they had been mortal enemies? She was curious to know the details.
Pit provided them to the Goddess of the Underworld, since he loved to talk apparently. He was pretty talkative, but that was perfectly fine with her. "Yes! Pittoo and I, we were constantly fighting to see who was the best—well, until we discovered that we were connected the rough way. If I die, he dies. I'm pretty sure that if he dies, I die too."
"How romantic! Thou arst as Romeo and Juliet, in s'me way!" she beamed.
The Angel of the Sun nodded—although he didn't get the reference—and looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting those of his twin. His cheeks were as red as a bed of roses, and the twinkle in his ruby orbs conveyed just how embarrassed he was. If there was one thing that he hated, it was to talk about himself; Dark Pit was a very secretive angel, who liked to keep details for himself. He had almost forgotten that Pit loved to talk about himself and those that he held close to him. Dark Pit rolled his eyes at the thought: he should've known that there was no escape. Pit faced Persephone and saw that they were close to the portal. Hopefully Medusa wouldn't block their path… They were not yet in safety. "Pittoo and I, we're one and the same: in heart and soul!" he exclaimed, blushing a little. "He's my everything, and I hope he knows it. I don't know what I'd do without him."
"Pit, can you shut up?" Dark Pit spoke up, his cheeks even more flushed than they had been previously. He tried to play it off as though he was annoyed, when really they all knew that he was profoundly touched by those words. "I'm about to puke my guts out, plus the portal is here."
"Why are you sick, Pittoo? Is it because of what I said?"
"Well, yes, it is," the dark angel admitted, then he looked down to his sandals, ashamed. "I'm not the romantic type…"
Pit nodded; oh, he knew that. Did he make him feel bad because of the way he talked about him? The angel of light couldn't help but wonder why: was it fake modesty, or was it because Dark Pit knew, within himself, that he could never talk about Pit the way that he talked about him? He couldn't pick between the two, to be honest. Perhaps it was a little of both. No matter what it was, the light angel paid it no mind; Dark Pit was right, the portal was just before their eyes, and the question was: what would they do with Persephone? The two angels were almost convinced that she couldn't fly, and the Lightning Chariot was out of commission… Since neither Pit nor his darker version could fly on their own, they wouldn't be able to drop her in Mount Olympus—it was too far away, Palutena would refuse to send Pit over there.
Deciding that it was too soon to worry about such issues, Dark Pit walked through the portal and sighed when his red eyes, which had accommodated to the darkness surrounding them, met the warm rays of the sun. The fresh scent of the trees invaded his nostrils, however he didn't pay attention to it, turning around to face his two partners. Persephone widened her eyes when she saw the natural elements all around them, and gasped when she realized that they were in cave hidden by a waterfall. She hurried to the entrance and ran her fingers through the cold water shielding them from view. Pit, on the other hand, walked up to Dark Pit, folding his arms and glancing at the Goddess. "What do we do about her then?" he asked his twin, who shrugged it off since he honestly couldn't care less.
They had agreed to lead her out of the Underworld, they were not paid enough to fly her up to Mount Olympus—well, they were not paid at all, actually. Sure, they were 'do-gooders' but that didn't mean that they should agree to everything. Time was running thin and they needed to figure out a plan to defeat Medusa. They really hadn't any second to waste to bring a petty Goddess to the realm of the God of the Gods. Pit eyed at Dark Pit, who had a serious expression. Perhaps he was already thinking about all that they would have to do, or probably he was wondering why they had been sent to the Underworld to begin with—which was a question that remained unanswered to this day. Fortunately, they had not lost the necklace, which was already a big relief. "What are you thinking about, Pittoo?" he inquired.
Dark Pit looked up at him when he spoke up, surprised. Had he been so lost in thoughts that he hadn't heard his question? The dark angel blinked, focusing on his surroundings, and glanced at Persephone, who was leaning forward and admiring the forest at the foot of the waterfall. "We really shouldn't stay here. That portal is still open, Medusa could come after us."
Pit nodded. "You're right, but I still can't figure out why Lady Palutena wanted us to be in the Underworld. If I remember our flight path, she wanted us to head for Medusa's castle, but why? She never told us, or I just can't remember it."
The dark angel smirked and placed his hands on his hips when he said: "You know how a chicken takes three steps and then forgets?"
His lighter half's blue eyes lit up with delight when he heard those words. He knew that too?! Maybe their dimensions really were similar! If chickens also forgot everything in his world, then it had to mean that their worlds were closer than they had thought! Or… perhaps Dark Pit just remembered it from the Uprising, when Pit had said it? Oh, no, he wasn't there when he had said that to Palutena. The Angel of the Sun couldn't help but grin widely, until he realized the meaning of Dark Pit's insistent glance. "Hey! I'm not a chicken, but I do forget things sometimes. Has she said it?"
"No, she hasn't," the dark angel answered, then he eyed back at Persephone, who spun around to look at them. The Goddess of the Underworld seemed absolutely thrilled to be out of her dark realm—you bet—and wanted to see more of the forest. Dark Pit raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, we can't fly, Goddess. So we can't give you a tour."
Persephone pouted but said that it was okay, before she walked up to them and asked them what they were going to do now. Pit explained that they couldn't bring her to Mount Olympus themselves, since they were flightless, and suggested that the Goddess of the Underworld follow them to Skyworld, where he was sure that Palutena would find a way to warp her. Persephone was stuck anyways, so of course she agreed and wondered how she would get to Skyworld to begin with, since she had no idea of where it was or how to reach it. Dark Pit rolled eyes; their alliance was going to be complicated if she was a complete airhead. He didn't know how long he would have to cope with her, but it'd be long enough in his opinion. Pit didn't seem so bothered—of course he wasn't, since he was a senseless cunt as well. Dark Pit knew that those two would go along pretty well, while he would be struggling in trying to knock some sense into their brains.
The angel of light looked up at the sky and called out his Goddess, hoping that she would hear him despite the fact that he had been gone for three days. A halo of light surrounded the three deities, who were immediately warped to Skyworld's gardens. When they landed in the grass, amongst the picotees and the white lilies, they were met with quite the spectacle: Tip was giving advice to the Centurions on how to do certain moves, whereas Blapi was sitting in the grass, making a wreath of flowers with what he had found in the different flower beds. Palutena herself wasn't there, which they found strange, but since the sun was high they knew that their counterparts were not in any danger. Dark Pit noticed the shy glances of Blapi and grunted; that one was acting suspiciously, he didn't like him at all—and not just because he had kicked his ass under the influence of Medusa's evil, although he was certainly bitter about that.
Pit appeared completely oblivious to Dark Pit's concern regarding Blapi, and instead had gone off running towards his new best friend. "Tip! Tip, I have returned!"
"Hold your hand this way—Wait, Pit?" Tip wondered, raising his head and looking around him, and his eyes twinkled as soon as he met his counterpart's ocean orbs. His heart started pounding in his chest. "Pit! Oh Pit, it's you, you're back!"
Persephone stayed as still as a statue, intimidated by all of these angels that she had never seen before. Somehow, they all looked a lot like Eros' new incarnation… but they still held some differences, much like Pit and his darker version. Speaking of the darker version, Dark Pit had been staring at Blapi with gritted teeth and a sharp expression in his ruby orbs. She didn't know what worried him so much about that innocent little green angel, but he seemed to clearly hate him. Persephone's attention was drawn by Pit's voice, and she noticed that the angel was kneeling down in front of none other than Palutena, the Goddess of Light. She gasped and her eyes filled with heavy tears; she had changed so much… From a sweet little girl, she had become a strong, confident Goddess, with a heavy-looking staff in her right hand. The Goddess of the Underworld hesitated before stepping forward, which caught the eye of her sister. Palutena instantly turned pale and pushed Pit out of the way, walking towards her lost sister.
The Goddess of Light looked at her from head to toe, deploring the poor condition of her dress. "Persephone, how did you get out of the Underworld?" she asked—it was really the first question that occurred to her.
The Goddess of the Underworld eyed at Dark Pit, who was standing close to Blapi and still staring at him, with his arms crossed and frowned brows. "Thy angels holp me find mine own way out, we hath walked through a p'rtal"
"I couldn't reach up to them, how did you do it?" Palutena inquired, narrowing her eyes.
Persephone looked back into her sister's green eyes and smiled. "I wast singing at which hour I hath heard banging 'gainst a huge rock. I hath decided that I wouldst take a look behind, and I hath found these two. I'm fain that those gents did accept to holp me out," she explained, glancing at Pit who had made his way next to the Goddess of Light. If his bright smile and his sparkling eyes when he looked at Palutena meant anything, he was quite fascinated with her. Was he her servant? Since when was Eros the servant of another God? Maybe he had fallen in love with her? No, he had said that he loved that other angel… What about Psyche in all that? He used to be so infatuated with her… Persephone frowned but didn't let that confuse her. Instead, she went straight to the point with Palutena: "Can thee bring me to Mount Olympus? I needeth to find mine own fath'r."
The Goddess of Light, who had a hard time believing that her sister was back after all these years, only nodded in response and invited her to follow her inside the palace.
Meanwhile, Dark Pit stared at Blapi. The angel took off his green laurel crown and set it aside, in the grass, before he happily put his wreath of white and yellow flowers on his head. He was surrounded by colorful butterflies that seemed to revolve around him as though he was a magnet, which was strange but not unexpected—after all, Blapi was Viridi's angel, so his link with Nature had to be strong. The green angel appeared rather proud of himself, smiling like a child opening Christmas presents, and he chuckled when two butterflies landed on his head, tickling him. "Hi friends!" he exclaimed, and the butterflies flapped their wings in answer. For a second there, Dark Pit wondered if he could talk to them, but didn't let those thoughts distract him. The dark angel was admittedly caught off-guard by Blapi's adorable laughter and slightly blushed at the sound of it: it was so sweet, he had to give it to him. He couldn't hold back a smile from creeping on his lips as he watched the green-attired angel with his wreath of flowers.
"Wait for me!" Blapi had gotten up, playing with the butterflies, his feet buried under a pile of cut stems. He allowed a bright green creature to land in his palm. "Aw, you're so cute! Do you know where this world's Mistress Viridi is, by any chance? Are you delivering me a message from her?" he asked the winged insect, then he noticed that someone was looking at him. He startled a little and discreetly eyed at the dark angel who, he had to say, had struck his fancy. He felt himself blush wildly: Dark Pit had such strength of character, such beautiful red eyes… Seeing that he was smiling brought joy to the heart of Viridi's angel. Blapi's cheeks flushed at the sight of that smile and he sat back in the grass, caressing its soft blades with the tip of his fingers, as though he was scared of crushing them.
Dark Pit stayed where he was, leaning against a tree, in the shadows, and observed him with growing interest. There was something about this angel that he didn't like, but at the same time, he was so cute that it was difficult for him to resist. He was like a baby who needed constant nursing. Although he hated to take care of babies, he wouldn't mind spending a little bit of his free time in Blapi's company. The only thing in their way was Blapi's shyness; he would be too scared if Dark Pit approached him, and would probably run off to be on his own again. The dark angel clicked his tongue; too bad. After all, he loved Pit, so he didn't need to make friends with the others—why would he care about the two others?
Nonetheless, he stepped out of the shadows and said: "Well, isn't that just precious? Those insects look like they enjoy your company, Mr. Nature-angel."
Blapi looked up at him, surprised to see that he had decided to talk to him—thing that he had never really done before—and his cheeks turned as red as the wings of the butterfly on his head. Maybe that was the start of something between them? He didn't really know what to believe, but decided not to focus on it; instead, he engaged in a conversation with the dark angel, whose teal wings reflected the light of the sun with such elegance that Blapi couldn't take his eyes off of their feathers' greenish-blue shine.
.oOo.
Farther off into the gardens, in the training grounds, Tip extended his bow and a red arrow manifested in his fingers, shaped like a literal thunder bolt. He closed one of his eyes and aimed at the target, which had been placed on the ground a few feet away. The Centurion next to him didn't look away from his hands, watching his every move and trying to imitate them. Pit's troops required some serious training, and Zeus' assistant had provided it on his own account; he liked to help fighters get better with their weapons, since Zeus had been so kind with him and had taught him everything, even when he didn't have to.
The angel's wings perked up when he heard Pit come closer, watching his movements. "Maybe you should raise your arm a little, you're too low."
"Oh, right!" Tip reacted, before he giggled nervously and adjusted his aim. "Thanks, Pit!"
The Angel of the Sun smiled in response and observed him, examining his posture. Tip stood just like he was supposed to, but he was a little… stiff, his back was tense and that would necessarily impair his otherwise precise shots. Desperate to help him with that issue, Pit walked up behind Tip and massaged the roots of his wings, so that the angel would have to relax. He wasn't blind to Tip's crush on him, far from that, however it was the least of his concerns. If they wanted to defeat Medusa, they had to make sure that each and every angel was capable of defending themselves against any threat. "Here Tip, always be comfortable if you intend to hit the target every time. Your body is your weapon: if you don't stand properly, if you're too tense, you'll never get anywhere."
Zeus' angel nodded, though he was quite uncomfortable, but stayed where he was and followed his advice. Pit was a hero for him… He had been admiring him forever, so having his warm, strong hands caressing his wings and rubbing them felt encouraging. Once he had taken a few deep, calming breaths, the angel with the red scarf aimed at the target again and hit the center, which made him really proud. Even though he was experienced, he could be pretty serious in battle and forget his basics. First step: be comfortable in his body. That was one of the keys to winning.
Pit moved back after he had shot the target and clapped. "I knew you could do it, Tip!"
"It's because you're with me, it motivates me…" Tip mumbled under his breath, his cheeks just as red as actual tomatoes.
"Well, don't you start feeling too comfortable around him, because that angel belongs to me," erupted a dark, threatening voice that they both recognized as soon as they heard it.
Dark Pit stood next to them, arms folded and tapping his foot on the pavement. He glared at Tip and forced Pit into a hug, which was more possessive than caring. Pit protested and told him to let go, but the dark angel wouldn't listen and, instead, would keep staring in a challenging way at Tip. When he realized that Zeus' angel wouldn't answer to his provocative behavior, he shrugged and turned to face his hazel-haired counterpart. Pit was furrowing his brows, pissed off, but that only made him cuter in Dark Pit's opinion. He pulled him into a kiss, and the light angel showed no sign of resistance—quite the opposite, since he blended into the kiss and breathed against his darker version's hungry lips.
"You still owe me a little something, Pit-stain," Dark Pit said in his ear, and Pit bit his lower lip before taking his hand.
"Okay, come," he whispered back, blushing at the perspective of spending an intimate moment with his darker half. After all, he was the one to say that they would have time later, now he had to own up to his words. Not that it bothered him, of course. Pit kissed those lips again, longer this time, before he led Dark Pit to their shared quarters, making sure that Palutena didn't see them on the way. Once they had reached their destination, Dark Pit pinned him against the wall and started biting into his neck like a wild animal. Pit held a few loud moans and turned to the two Centurions who were staring, speechless, since they had forgotten to shut the doors. Their captain asked them not to let anyone in his room—he insisted: under no circumstance, not even Palutena was allowed in—and the two guards nodded in agreement.
After a minute of intense staring, since they couldn't get their eyes off of the two angels making out, they stepped out and closed the doors behind them. They gulped in sheer terror, knowing that they would have to stay next to them and thus hear everything, even though they had just been locked from inside. That was going to be quite the experience for those poor, innocent Centurions…
To be continued…