Chapter 8: A Day Off from Divinity

Pit squinted and watched Palutena intently as she worked in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready. Something feels off about her today. Maybe it was because it was glaringly obvious that she hadn't bothered to comb her hair. It could also be the haphazard way she was dressed, or her unsteadiness as she took some vegetables from the fridge and dropped them on the cutting board. It all made it look like she'd just, reluctantly, gotten out of bed. Pit knew for a fact that the Goddess of Light was a morning person, and as his twin often complained, Palutena was sometimes too cheerful so early in the day. So what's different now?

Dark Pit brought him out of his thoughts with a whack on the back of his head. "Be useful instead of daydreaming."

"I'm not daydreaming!" He grabbed his twin's chiton, making him stop and look over, plates still in hand. Pit lowered his voice. "Doesn't anything about Lady Palutena not seem right to you?"

"I think you're just upset she forgot about her morning hugs," he suggested. Palutena either couldn't hear them or wasn't paying attention, which was weird in itself. Pit wasn't in the mood to get defensive, and Dark Pit probably sensed it, quietening his voice. "I guess she's been less annoying than usual lately, but today's worse."

"I didn't think it was a big deal for the past few days, but–" He was startled by a sharp cry as the knife Palutena was using clattered onto the cutting board beside a half-diced onion. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me!" Palutena assured hastily, but she stared at her hand just long enough for Pit to notice blood seeping out of a gash that went straight through her palm.

"That's definitely not fine!" Pit panicked. "I'll get you some bandages."

"Don't worry, I'm sure it just needs a soak in the hot springs." Even she doesn't sound convinced. "I'll make myself a coffee for now. Maybe I'm just tired." Pit had hardly left the kitchen when he heard ceramic shattering and dashed back to see Palutena standing wide-eyed over a smashed cup. "Ah, sorry! Here, let me clean it up–"

"Alright, you're not 'just tired'," Dark Pit said bluntly. "You're borderline not functioning. How else can you lose balance with one step?"

"Well, I have been having a pretty bad headache this morning," she admitted, "but it's nothing I can't handle."

Pit could take a good guess at what caused it, knowing that she often spent whole days and late nights providing for Skyworld and the Overworld. "Lady Palutena, how long has it been since you had a full night's sleep?"

She stared blankly in response. This can't be good. "Not too long, I think…" One of the many advantages of having two of yourself was that the twins could give Palutena the same death stare until she gave up. "Fine, I'd say… a couple of years. But it shouldn't be a problem for a goddess, right?"

Dark Pit was the first to speak. "You have a death wish or something? I'll bet it's been even longer since you took a break from your duties or whatever."

"You're a living being too, you can't keep doing that to yourself!" Pit insisted. "You know what? As the captain of your army, I'm ordering you to take a day off for yourself!"

There was an awkward silence as Pit acknowledged he was giving orders to the highest authority in Skyworld. But that doesn't matter. "Pit, as the Goddess of Light, I can't just abandon my job entirely," Palutena sighed wistfully.

"That doesn't mean you can't ask for help! It's what the rest of us are here for," he said emphatically, brushing her arm with his wing. "We can take care of your work for today, but you might want to keep giving the world light. I don't think we can do that yet."

Palutena smiled faintly with a whispered "Thank you," but seemed a little uneasy as she grabbed onto the countertop. Dark Pit obviously understood what that meant, since he was the one who caught her when she collapsed. Oh no– What's happening?

"So she was that close to fainting, huh?" Dark Pit mused, adjusting her limp body. "We should get her to her room." Pit didn't move, trying to stop himself from panicking, and the twins' eyes met for a second. "Pit. Don't worry, she'll be fine."

He wanted to stay calm, but the words bubbled out. "I get that, it's just– I've never seen her so vulnerable since… since the Chaos Kin." So that was the anxiety he couldn't place. The memory of seeing her soul ripped out of her body right after she was freed.

Dark Pit nodded, and still supporting Palutena with one arm, held out the other invitingly. Pit never missed an opportunity for a hug from his twin, and it was a much-needed comfort. "You're getting better at this, Pittoo!" Pit remarked enthusiastically.

"Shut up. Remember, you're the one who said we could manage everything, so get working."

Pit stood up with renewed optimism. "I'm sure we can do it with some help! How hard can it be?"


Getting help was turning out to be the hard part. Pit stood in the main hall of Viridi's palace, where the Goddess of Nature was seated imposingly– or at least as imposingly as an eight-year-old could be– in front of the large windows, holding her staff on her raised knee. She was flanked by a very prim Arlon and obviously annoyed Phosphora. "You want me to manage Skyworld today?" Viridi echoed. "Almost all the gods have had a bone to pick with me at some point. I'm the last person you should ask."

"You're the only person I can ask!" Pit complained. "Pittoo and I can take care of things at the temple, but not all of Skyworld!"

Viridi wasn't convinced. "What's Palutena doing? Slacking?"

"She would never! Lady Palutena overworked herself so much that she fainted this morning," he explained. "She hasn't slept well in years, and I don't even want to guess how long she's been working without a break."

"Oh." Viridi suddenly seemed more receptive. "You could've started with that. Our powers can only delay burnout, so maybe it finally caught up to her. Of course I'll help."

That was one less thing to worry about. "Thanks, Viridi!"

"But don't get the wrong idea," she added with a frown. "I'm not ruling Skyworld for a day. I'll just take on the work Palutena does for the Overworld."

"What? Then what was the point of saying all that?" Pit retorted.

Arlon stepped in and prevented a full-blown argument. "Mistress Viridi, you may entrust the task to us if you so wish."

"Huh?" Phosphora scowled. "First you guys dragged me out of the Chariot Base, and now I have to help you?"

Viridi ignored her. "You know what? I like that idea. I don't think anything will come up anyways. You guys can stay here, but I'm going over to Palutena's temple." Arlon nodded in acknowledgement, and Phosphora wordlessly rolled her eyes.

"See? You can be really nice when you try!" Pit quipped as she followed him outside.

"I'm not doing this for any of you," she shot back, but it was obvious that she didn't mean it.

"Come on, don't be like that!" Pit moved closer to her and folded one of his wings around her shoulder, knowing full well that it would annoy her. "There's nothing wrong with doing something good for someone else!" Viridi simply folded her arms and shook her head in exasperation, and their conversation faded into an unnatural silence.

No matter how much he tried to think of something to talk about, Pit's thoughts kept wandering back to the morning. I should've noticed Lady Palutena was struggling. I spend so much time with her, but I couldn't even do that much… He hardly noticed as they reached the entrance to the temple, but was suddenly brought back to reality when Viridi squeezed his hand and let go just as quickly. "Relax. It's alright."

He didn't have a chance to react before Dark Pit stepped out to greet them. "Looks like the great Goddess of Nature herself has come to bless us with her presence," he said sarcastically.

"A thank you would suffice," Viridi snapped, striding past him. "Seriously, why did I bother helping you two?"

Pit settled into his normal grin at the familiar scene. "Because you're nice and you care about us!" Annoying Viridi had come to be a hobby for them, and they were getting better at it.

She ignored them for the most part, but they'd have to be blind to miss her blush, and Pit couldn't decide whether that meant she was angry or embarrassed. Maybe a bit of both. "Whatever. What did you dolts come crying to me for, anyways?"

"Managing the Overworld?" Pit offered. "I thought that was obvious enough."

She looked unimpressed. "I don't have to spend all my time on that, dummy. Life is resilient. The gods exist to make things more convenient, but life would still go on without us. I thought you'd know by now, after we came out of a war with no one watching over anything."

Pit hadn't thought of it like that before, but his brother didn't seem as amazed. "All I got from that was that you can help with breakfast. Should be easy for someone who created sentient chestnuts to serve in her army."

"What do I look like to you? A maid?" Viridi scowled. "Besides, creating Nutskis is way more useful than making breakfast for the likes of you two!"

Pit interrupted the brewing argument. "Lady Palutena started making an omelet this morning. Why don't we try to finish it?"

They really shouldn't have bothered. It looked like Viridi was better at blessing food than cooking it, and while Pit was busy helping her cut some bell peppers, he completely forgot about the eggs he was frying. At least Dark Pit was able to get it off the stove right before it started a fire, but that meant the bread he was toasting in the oven got burnt to a crisp. Pit and Viridi silently stared as Dark Pit scraped an unappetizing charred mess onto a plate, and the look the three of them shared made it clear that no one was going to try eating that. Dark Pit sighed. "That's it. I should've known you two were hopeless. I'm making empanadas, take it or leave it."

"I'll take it!" Pit offered eagerly, only to be slapped on the arm by his twin. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Sorry, my hand slipped," he replied, absently. "Idiot." Viridi bit her lip but gave up and burst into laughter, and neither of the twins could keep a straight face for long. Talk about a lame attempt at an excuse.

"Fine," Pit conceded between laughs. "Let's just hope we do better next time. I don't think we can get much worse than this, right?"


Dark Pit was well aware that his twin was always able to jinx things, so when Pit assured them that they'd be fine, he made sure to stay on high alert. Viridi left to the main hall of the temple, saying something about it being easier to channel her powers from there. Pit helped him dry the dishes for a bit, but his wings perked up in realization soon after. "Oh! We had to station some Centurions around Skyworld, right? I'll tell the guards around the temple, and you can join me to talk to everyone else! How about that?"

"Whatever. Go ahead." Pit barely waited for the okay before dashing out of the kitchen.

Dark Pit wasn't too surprised when he heard a yell echo through the halls right after. "Pittoo! Where's all this water coming from?"

"Water? What the hell do you mean?" He tossed the dishcloth on the counter and went to see for himself, but froze as he and Viridi, who ran over wielding her staff, reached where Pit stood. He wasn't kidding. A steady stream of water flowed along the floor, trickling off into smaller branches everywhere. "Don't just stand there! Check where it's coming from, idiot!" he hissed, following the stream back to its source: underneath the door to one of the hot springs.

"Oh, right. Lady Palutena usually fills the hot springs in the morning," Pit said nervously. "I kind of don't want to check."

"Are you really telling me you're scared of some water?" Viridi snapped, pulling the doors open. The hot spring in the center of the room was overflowing, and water bubbled over the edge in all directions, thankfully just on the floor. "Now how do we turn it off?"

Pit pointed at the back corner of the chamber. "The controls are there, but I forgot which one is which."

Dark Pit figured it out after a little trial and error. "Am I really the only competent one here?" he tsked, draining the water until the hot spring was around half full.

"I'll show you some competence," Viridi declared, raising her staff into the air. The angels couldn't help but be amazed when the excess water flowed upwards in small streams, collecting into a large ball, which Viridi maneuvered over the hot spring. The problem was when she let go, and it fell in with a splash that completely soaked them. "Ack!"

"I was looking forward to some actual skill," Pit said pointedly, squeezing the water out of his chiton. Dark Pit glared at Viridi as she hastily swept the splattered water into the hot spring.

"I'd like to see you try!" she retorted. "At least that's done with. There's more I have to do for the Overworld than I thought. Turns out that Palutena can control the intensity of sunlight, and that psycho's been working all day every day to make it ideal for growing seasons all over the world. No wonder humans have been having crazily plentiful harvests everywhere lately!"

"So what'll they do now that it isn't ideal?" Pit asked in concern. "We can't let people starve!"

Viridi shrugged. "I'll just make it rain in the places where the sun is too strong, but that's the most I can do. Humanity can deal with it for now. Sorry not sorry."

"That's better than nothing," Dark Pit decided. "Hurry up, Pit-stain. The Centurions aren't going to wait around forever." Pit nodded and led the way to the army's training grounds, where soldiers who weren't stationed waited for orders.

They slowed to a stop at the same time when they heard Arlon trying to reach them through telepathy. "Young Master Pit? Young Master Dark Pit?"

"Is everything alright, Arlon?" Pit questioned.

"I simply wanted to inform you that there appears to be an infestation of Monoeyes in some regions of Skyworld."

"Monoeyes? From where?"

Dark Pit answered in Arlon's place. "From the Underworld, stupid. Leave it to me."

"Many thanks." Arlon continued to explain the situation. "I called upon you two because Miss Phosphora is warding off invasions into the Overworld. There appears to be an influx of Underworld enemies into the other realms today, and perhaps it is because they are currently able to enter unchecked."

"So you're saying Lady Palutena was keeping them out too?" Pit asked in disbelief. "Then how could she think she wasn't going to get burned out someday?"

Dark Pit shrugged. "Viridi was right, she's a well-intentioned psycho. Come on, we don't have time to waste. I bet I can finish those Monoeyes before you can even get the Centurions organized."

He turned to leave and grab his bow, but was pulled back and turned to look Pit in the eyes. "Take some Centurions with you, Pittoo. And be careful for me, okay?"

This isn't the time to be difficult on him. He smiled faintly. "If you insist, but I bet I'll be doing most of the work. The Centurions aren't nearly as tough as we are." That made Pit smile as well, and the twins parted ways with a shared "Let's do this!"


Palutena woke up to a throbbing headache, but buried her head in her arm and refused to get up until it quietened to a mild pain. She took in her surroundings in the hazy moments after she blinked her eyes open, and was taken aback by the golden sunlight flooding her room. It can't be earlier than six. I couldn't have slept in for that long, so what could have… oh.

She completely forgot about what happened earlier, but as soon as her mind cleared up, the memories rushed back. She was surprised she was able to get through so much of the morning with that debilitating pain, and then she'd cut herself and fainted. Palutena cringed at the thought. Pit and Pittoo looked so concerned. I should have let them know sooner. Being a goddess meant that reaching her limits was an unfamiliar concept, but she knew she'd overdone it this time.

Palutena forced herself to sit up and noticed the bandage wrapped securely around most of her left hand, stained with splotches of dull red blood. Maybe I'll let it heal on its own until I replenish my powers. Either way, there was no point in sitting around when she was already awake. Of course she had to let her angels know that she was okay, but first she had to look somewhat presentable. Maybe that would help her feel better.

She stumbled to her bathroom and got ready without a problem, at least until it was time to comb her hair. Her mostly immobilized left hand wasn't much of a help for holding the brush or her hair, and it frustrated her pretty quickly. Come on, Palu… how can a goddess become so helpless that she can't brush her own hair?

In her focus, she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings, and was startled by a voice. "Need some help?" She turned to see Dark Pit standing by the doorframe, fluffing his wings out behind him.

"Oh, hello." She waved at him. "I'm fine, Pittoo. Thanks for asking."

He completely ignored her and snatched the hairbrush. "It's easier with two hands. Now sit down somewhere." She tilted her head in confusion, so he explained. "I can't reach."

"Oh. Sometimes I forget you two are so tiny," she teased, patting his head.

"I'm reminding you about that when we end up taller than you," he responded as Palutena sat down cross-legged on the pleasantly cool tiles.

"I'm looking forward to seeing it." She winced as he started to tease out some of the stubborn tangles. "Pittoo, my hair is really long. Are you sure you–"

"Just 'cause Pit-stain doesn't know how to brush your hair doesn't mean I don't either," he interrupted. He continued to detangle her hair surprisingly gently, and it felt rather soothing. Having her hair done by Dark Pit was one of many things Palutena never thought she'd experience, but then again, her life was full of surprises lately. They remained silent until he spoke again. "You stressed the hell out of Pit this morning, you know. He was about to lose it."

"Sorry… that was entirely my fault," she lamented. "When you have so many responsibilities, it's easy to forget that there's only so much you can do, even with divine powers. And honestly, I hate that feeling."

"I'm not giving you a pep talk," Dark Pit started. "That's Pit-stain's job. But think about it: humanity and Skyworld are thriving thanks to you. You deserve some help too."

Palutena turned to face him with a smile as he softly combed through the ends of her tresses. "That was pretty good, as far as pep talks go! Thanks, Pittoo." He didn't react, but his wings fluttered in a shimmer of teal as the sunlight hit them. It made her laugh fondly as she turned around again. "So, what is Pit up to?"

"Leading the army," he responded, meticulously braiding a lock of hair around her head like a crown. "Viridi's been watching over the Overworld for you, and she left Arlon to manage Skyworld and Phosphora."

Viridi? I'm sure Pit must have convinced her. "You mean she left Arlon and Phosphora to manage Skyworld?" Palutena asked, amused.

"I know what I said." Palutena closed her eyes as Dark Pit carefully placed her circlet and crown on her head. "There we go. Not too bad."

Looking in the mirror, it was better than she'd expected. Maybe I should put a bit more faith in him. She didn't have time to thank him before they heard Pit yell from down the hallway. "Viridi! Behind you!"

"What the heck?" Viridi cried. "Quick, get some water to douse it!" Water? What's on fire?

Dark Pit dashed off to check. The smell of smoke was noticeable as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, so she took her staff from where it stood propped up against a wall of her bedroom as she left.

Palutena ignored the soreness in her body and focused on following the tendrils of smoke wafting through the hallways until she reached the wide-open doors to the main hall. Dark Pit was already there, watching as Viridi threw a bucket of water onto the flames flickering along one of the curtains, and Pit stood by with another bucket ready. Hoping for the best, Palutena channeled whatever powers she could muster through her staff and swiftly extinguished the fire with a wave of her arm. She sighed in relief as the three of them looked her way.

Palutena smiled when Pit's sapphire blue eyes lit up at seeing her. "Lady Palutena, you're back!" She gladly returned the hug he gave her. "I missed you! How are you feeling now?"

"Much better than before," she admitted, ruffling his hair. "Although it might take me a few days to get back to normal."

"Take your time. The rest of us aren't going anywhere," Viridi assured her.

She felt a mischievous grin coming on. "I left you guys alone for a day, and you almost burnt up the temple. May I ask how that happened?"

"Well…" Pit started hesitantly. "One of the lamps fell over, and the curtain caught fire." Why was there even a lamp in here?

"There was some flooding too," Dark Pit added. "Don't ask questions."

"Then I'll just have to figure it out myself," she laughed. "But it sounds like you did a lot. You know, once everything's back to normal, maybe all of us deserve a day off."