Chapter 3: Lightning Charioteers

Pit gazed up at the streaks of white clouds in the bright blue midday sky, with the floating islands of Skyworld illuminated by the sun. It felt like that spot in the temple gardens was made just for him to lie down on the grass and admire his surroundings. At least until Dark Pit appeared in his view, wings spread and arms crossed. "Tired already?"

"Aren't we done for today, Pittoo?" Pit mumbled, loosely gripping the Lancer Staff on the ground beside him. Dark Pit's daily training regimen was no joke, and he was sure they were both exhausted with all the midair combat they'd just done. "You know what we need? A bath in the hot springs."

"Maybe." Hot springs were one of the few likes that the twins had in common. "But I'm not carrying you there, if that's what you're trying to get at."

"Fine." Pit slowly got to his feet and followed Dark Pit back inside the temple. "Let's go put our weapons away, then we can relax in the hot springs together, and then…" He ran through some ideas before realizing something. "Oh! It's been a while since we've practiced our chariot-driving skills, right? Let's go for a spin in the Lighting Chariot! I'm the Chariot Master, so I can use it whenever I want!"

Dark Pit grabbed a cloth and didn't look away from his task of cleaning his staff. "Don't wanna."

"Why not?" Pit grabbed onto Dark Pit's shoulders from behind, ending up with his face in Dark Pit's jet-black feathers as he pushed back. "I just wanted to spend some quality time with my brother! Please, Pittoo?"

Dark Pit turned to face him, his cheeks slightly flushed with obvious excitement. "Fine, but only so you'll stop whining like a child." That was easy. I'll bet he's sort of jealous that it's technically my Lightning Chariot. Pit stared in confusion at the newly-clean Dark Pit Staff and Lancer Staff that were held out to him. "Maybe you can put away these weapons. And I call first dibs on driving the chariot."

"In what world is that fair?" Pit complained.

"You want me to come or not?"

"Alright, be like that, then." Pit begrudgingly took the staffs and went to put them away.

Dark Pit called after him, "I'm doing you a favour. I'll show you how you're supposed to drive the Lighting Chariot."

Pit turned. "I'm the one who earned it from the old Chariot Master, remember? I'm the better charioteer."

"Really? You only used it once in the war, just to break a force field. I used it twice for rescue missions. So clearly one of us is more experienced." He shrugged. "Just saying."

The angels locked eyes and grinned with equal amounts of determination. As strong as their bond was, their sibling rivalry could get pretty intense. And neither of them was about to surrender. "It's on!" Pit declared. "Let's get Phos and Lux from the Chariot Base, and we can have a race to decide who's the better charioteer, once and for all!"

Dark Pit nodded. "Get ready to lose."

"As if!"


The Chariot Base was far away from Skyworld, but when you had divine powers at your disposal, most places were just a portal and a short flight away. The angels could see the tower on the horizon long before they got there, a glowing blue spire reaching into the sky.

Dark Pit had to admit it was impressive. "Personally, I'd never trust you with something like that."

Pit looked offended. "I manage it very well, thank you very much!"

"You can't even manage your own room," he pointed out. "My expectations are so low, there's no way you can disappoint me."

"I get a little help with the Chariot Base. Prepare to be amazed!"

Dark Pit was surprised when they entered the gates of the tower to hear a familiar voice. "Ah, bonjour. Long time no see!" Phosphora reclined in the air near the center of the hall. The electricity that was holding her up ran across her body in small streaks.

"Hey, Phosphora!" Pit waved. "You sure added a lot of plants here! And are those weapons over there?"

"I think the plants liven up the place, don't they?" Phosphora braided her hair absently, and it puffed back into its regular shape as soon as she let go. "The weapons are there in case I have any uninvited guests, if you know what I mean."

"She's helping you out?" Dark Pit made his disdain obvious. "I wouldn't trust either of you with this base, but I'd trust you together even less."

That clearly annoyed her. "It's been even longer since I've seen you, Pittoo. Or maybe it just feels like that since you ditched the Forces of Nature."

"I never agreed with Viridi's 'ideals' or whatever. I was just looking for somewhere to stay. It didn't hurt to fight in the meantime, and it's not like you've been doing much since she stopped trying to eradicate humanity."

"The Forces of Nature are responsible for maintaining natural order. It's my job to make sure that war doesn't break out again," she responded, matter-of-factly. "And it sounds like you think you're welcome at Palutena's temple. The vice-captain position she made for you looks so out-of-place."

Dark Pit shifted his weight to support Pit's as he leaned on him. "Pittoo's my brother. He's always welcome with me and Lady Palutena!"

"Fine," she said, indifferently. "I guess she treats you two well enough. You both look like chubby little cherubs."

"We're not fat!" Dark Pit's threatening tone clashed with Pit's indignant yell.

"Sure you're not." The most annoying thing about Phosphora was that she didn't seem to care enough to argue. "Hey, what do you think of my nails? The blue gradient turned out better than I thought."

Pit crossed his arms. "Right, 'cause I care so much." Phosphora zapped him with electricity in response. Dark Pit took that as an invitation to retaliate physically.

The glint of metal caught his eye, and he crept unnoticed to grab a long staff from the wall of weapons. With a savage grin, he threw it underneath where Phosphora was floating. As expected, the electricity she was channeling short-circuited through the metal, making her fall to the ground with a yelp. Pit offered him a high-five, which he readily accepted. "That's why you don't pick fights with us," Dark Pit explained as his twin helped Phosphora up.

"Fine, fine." She raised her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, want a tour of the renovations? The plants aren't even the best part."

"You didn't do anything too crazy, right?" Pit asked, warily.

She laughed. "Of course not, Pit! I'm sure you'll like it."

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to call me Lord Chariot Master sometimes," he suggested.

"In your dreams!" Phosphora shot back. Dark Pit snickered. There's no way he thought that would work.

It turned out that Phosphora was right about the redesign. She led them to what apparently used to be a long, spiraling stairwell to reveal a network of softly glowing grind rails. "Guess what? I finally got approval for grind rails! No more taking the stairs!"

Pit pumped his fist excitedly. "That's awesome! Have you ever tried riding a grind rail before, Pittoo? It's the best!"

Dark Pit shook his head, and was eagerly helped on by Pit and Phosphora. It took him a second to get balanced, but when he started gliding quickly and effortlessly along, he had to admit that it was even more fun than it looked. Pit and Phosphora joined him, and their laughs echoed in the hollow stairwell as they made their way up to the floor where Phos and Lux stayed.

The unicorns were waiting patiently in their stables as Pit, Dark Pit, and Phosphora arrived. They stepped out majestically when Phosphora opened their doors, and they nuzzled Pit when he gave them a fond pat on the head. "Phos, Lux! It's been a while, huh? Pittoo and I are going to have a race! We'll just use the training chariots, if you don't mind lugging those around. You don't mind, right? Of course you don't!" He laughed, touching his forehead with Phos' golden horn, and Dark Pit couldn't help but feel a bit jealous at how easily his twin got along with the unicorns.

"Race?" That piqued Phosphora's interest. "That'll be interesting. I'll be the scorekeeper."

"You don't stand a chance, Pit-stain." Dark Pit got his chariot ready, and was glad that Lux was cooperating with him. He patted the unicorn before stepping in.

"This win is in the bag!" Pit declared, grabbing the reins on Phos as they lined up at the starting line of the main racetrack.

Phosphora raised her arm. "Ready? Go!" And they were off like a bolt of lightning.


Pit wasn't sure how he was able to get Phos to jump through the hoops of the obstacle racetrack when they were zooming through it so quickly, but he wasn't the Chariot Master for nothing. He felt his heart pounding as he crossed the finish line a split-second before Dark Pit and Lux. "That makes Pit the best of three races on the obstacle course!" Phosphora announced. "Twelve wins for Pit, twelve for Pittoo, and you've each won four best-of-three challenges on the eight racetracks. I should have seen a tie like that coming."

"So we'll need a tiebreaker. Something to end it off with a bang!" Pit decided.

"How about we try our hand at a different kind of challenge?" Dark Pit suggested. "Race tracks are easy enough. What about racing out in the open?"

"You mean through Skyworld? I've never really tried it before, but it sounds fun!"

"Sounds fun to watch. I'll still be the scorekeeper," Phosphora offered. "And you can count on me to get Phos and Lux if you do anything stupid!"

"How incompetent do you think we are?" Dark Pit asked. "I bet you wouldn't be able to control a celestial chariot."

She ignored him, much to his annoyance. "So if you're starting at the temple, how long would your circuit be?"

Pit conjured a layout of Skyworld in his mind as they all entered the portal, Phos and Lux included. "Maybe past Viridi's palace and the training grounds, then back to the temple!" That sounded like a good plan, and Dark Pit and Phosphora seemed to agree. "Then let's go! The final race is on!"

The angels lined up their chariots in front of the temple, careful that the wheels were exactly in line. Phos and Lux readied themselves and stood unmoving except for their wispy, flame-like manes and tails. Pit and Dark Pit made eye contact as Phosphora started the countdown. "3… 2… 1… Go!"

Phos immediately charged forward, and Pit held onto the reins a little tighter so that he didn't get carried away and lose control. He wasn't surprised to see the blur that was Dark Pit and Lux directly beside them. Viridi's palace is next, so that means I've got to turn… now!

Pit pulled sharply, and Phos obeyed. Dark Pit was still keeping up, and gradually edging ahead. "Come on, Phos! A little faster!" Pit urged as he directed the unicorn around the training grounds. Their lead was secure again, for now at least. We've got to be careful. Pittoo is definitely going to try catching up near the end.

The wind whipped at him, and he didn't know what kind of forces were slamming him in the face, but he was having fun. Pit's slightly superior reaction time made his turns cleaner and riskier than Dark Pit's, and it was exhilarating when he barely zipped by islands so close he could touch them. Not that he would, since that would mess up their pace. But it was still tempting.

In the heat of the moment, Pit forgot to pay attention to his vehicle. So it came as a shock when he was suddenly thrown out of the training chariot with a petrified scream. A loud cracking sound shot through the air around him, and Phos neighed fearfully. Pit couldn't tell where the unicorn ran off to. He couldn't even steady himself with his wings, which flapped uselessly as he hurtled through the sky, and dread washed over him as he realized he was going so fast that any collision could kill him. Oh no. I'm finished. I'm so finished.

Pit squeezed his eyes shut, and only opened them when he felt a sudden jerk and became steady again. Dark Pit stared at him in concern, keeping a tight grip on his wrist. "You alright?"

Pit nodded shakily and grabbed onto Dark Pit's arm as he hoisted him onto the chariot. Lux slowed down a bit with the extra weight. "I-I think so." Dark Pit gave him a small smile, but Pit yelled before he could speak. "Pittoo! The chariot!"

Dark Pit whipped his head around to see the looming marble wall they were approaching quickly. Too quickly. He desperately pulled on the reins, but it was too late. "Oh shi–"

Pit shielded his twin with his body and wings as much as he could, and then the impact hit. The training chariot splintered against the marble, which cracked as well, some pieces falling dangerously close to them. Neither of them moved until everything went quiet and still, then Pit carefully pushed the rubble aside and unfurled his wings to let Dark Pit out as well. Phosphora held her hands out to them, looking more worried than Pit had ever seen her before. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"Where are Phos and Lux?" Pit pressed, looking around to see them nowhere nearby.

"I was going to go for Phos when your chariot broke off, but then you guys crashed, and now I don't know where Lux went either," she admitted.

"Pit? Pittoo?" That's Lady Palutena's voice. She must have heard when my chariot broke. Palutena rushed over, staff and shield in hand. "What happened here?"

Pit was still thinking up an apology when Dark Pit answered dryly, "We crashed a chariot, in case that's not obvious."

Palutena gently placed her hands on their shoulders. "You don't look too injured, at least. It's nothing that the hot springs can't fix. Except for maybe this." She pointed at a jagged wound on Pit's arm. "Pit, what did we say about not being reckless?" she chided.

Dark Pit responded for him. "He took a hit for me. Reckless, sure, but not in a bad way."

"Ah?" She smiled playfully. "Did that crash scramble your brains or something? I swear I just heard you compliment Pit."

"That wasn't a compliment, I was–"

"I'll take it as a compliment anyways!" Pit interrupted. There was something more important on his mind. "Lady Palutena, do you know where Phos and Lux could be?" She shook her head. "Then we've got to look for them. I'm sure they can't be hard to miss, right?"


Pit took back what he had said. Wherever the unicorns were, their group just couldn't seem to find them. He hoped they hadn't gone far in the time that Palutena insisted on bandaging his arm and calling in some Centurions to fix the wall they'd crashed into. It was part of one of the living quarters where some angels, Centurions, and other soldiers in Palutena's army lived, but at least no one was home when the accident happened.

"Phos! Lux!" That had to be the millionth time Pit called them. He scanned the land around him. Nothing. "Any luck yet, Lady Palutena?"

"Unfortunately, no," she sighed. "I checked all around the temple. Hopefully Pittoo and Phosphora have better news."

Pit was equal parts worried and frustrated. "We'll find them soon, right? The old Chariot Master told me they were the only things he had left, and he left them to me when he died. I can't lose them!"

"Calm down, Pit." Palutena closed her eyes, and her bright blue halo glowed behind her. "I can sense them somewhere in Skyworld."

"That doesn't help! Skyworld is an entire realm." Pit looked around again, and this time spotted Phosphora and Dark Pit in the sky, coming towards them. He called out to them. "Did you find them?"

"Nope. They aren't anywhere in the sky, that's for sure," Phosphora confirmed as Dark Pit shook his head. "This isn't going anywhere with just the four of us. What do you say we ask Arlon for help?"

Locating Arlon was easy enough. All they had to do was knock on the doors of Viridi's palace, and he would practically materialize there. This time was no different. "Good afternoon. I must say, it has been a long time since I have seen all of you at the same time."

Pit got straight to the point, hoping for the best. "Hey, Arlon! Have you seen Phos and Lux anywhere?"

Arlon reacted as calmly as usual. "Why, of course. They are currently with Mistress Viridi in the courtyard. Would you perhaps like me to call them?"

Pit was as shocked as the others. "They're what?"

"Ah? I assumed that you were aware of it. Mistress Viridi and I found them loose and startled earlier, so we brought them along until you came for them. My apologies for not informing you."

"That's not a problem. Thank you, Arlon," Palutena assured him gratefully.

Phosphora gave him a look of disbelief. "Viridi's actually helping out with someone else's problem?"

"Indeed. I could show you, if you so desire," Arlon offered, with a hint of a smile. They followed him through the ornate hallways to a pair of large glass doors that let in the sunlight. He signaled to the group to keep quiet before whisking the doors open for them to peer through.

Viridi stood in the center of the courtyard, beneath a large tree, with Phos and Lux grazing contentedly beside her. "You like this grass, don't you?" she asked in an almost unrecognizable sugary voice. "Aren't you two just adorable?" She giggled, petting them as they nuzzled her. "That tickles."

Pit heard the faint click of Palutena's camera, and turned to see her taking a photo of the scene. I didn't even notice she brought that with her. Phosphora couldn't stop herself from laughing, and Viridi spun around swiftly. "Huh? What the heck are you guys doing here?" she yelled.

"Are you a goddess or an excited child?" Dark Pit mocked.

"I didn't realize you could be so… nice!" Pit marvelled.

"Viridi has always had that capability. She just happens to like plants and animals more than people," Palutena explained sagely.

Viridi blushed furiously as she realized what they'd heard. "That's it, I'm putting all three of you at the top of my 'To Kill' list! You too, Phosphora! Whose side are you even on?" Phosphora's laughter was contagious enough for even Arlon to start chuckling. "And you too, Arlon? You guys are all such traitors!"

"Relax, Viridi, it's not the end of the world!" Pit pointed out, earning him a glare. "We should bring Phos and Lux here more often. I think they like it!"

"I think they'd like to finally see who's the better charioteer," Phosphora suggested. "Or at least I would!"

Pit placed his elbow on Dark Pit's shoulder. "Pittoo's really good at midair saves! Without him, I would have been finished."

"And you have… decent reaction time, I guess." That's close enough to a compliment, coming from him! "What do you say to a ride with the actual Lightning Chariot? Both of us together."

"You mean 'all of us'," Phosphora corrected.

"If you're taking Phos and Lux, you have to at least let us join the ride!" Viridi agreed.

"Does the Lightning Chariot have enough occupancy for all of us?" Arlon mused.

"I'm sure we can make something work!" Palutena responded, cheerfully.

Pit smiled brightly. All of us together? This is going to be great! "Of course! Phos, Lux! Let's go!"