Hello! Here's my first full-length story based on Kid Icarus, because with characters with such different personalities, I thought I could explore a body-swap scenario better this way than as a oneshot in Skyworld Slice of Life (which I'll still continue to update whenever I have new ideas). As usual, I'll update both stories as regularly as my schedule permits, and please feel free to let me know what you think about this one! I hope you enjoy it! - Persimmon

Chapter 1

Dark Pit spread his wings, allowing the wind flowing past his feathers to keep him aloft, and with another flap, he soared higher into the sunlit sky. His grip on the Silver Bow tightened as he deftly drew its ethereal string, forming an inky black arrow at his fingertips and scanning the horizon warily. Nothing but airy clouds as far as he could see. "Remind me again, why the hell am I doing this?"

Palutena's telepathic response was almost immediate. "Because you're nice and we needed to put someone who can make quick decisions in charge of espionage." She was speaking with surprising ease, and the only indication that she was in the midst of a battle was the sound of rapid-fire shots of light from her staff.

He mindlessly fired the arrow and formed another one just in case. "Let me rephrase that. How come he gets to fight and I'm stuck looking for an abandoned palace?"

"Pittoo, we've been over this. Now's not the time to be petty." She sounded so done with him. This kind of bickering was common ever since he'd started living with her and Pit in the temple, and as much as the three of them liked being together, it didn't make it any easier. The clanging of hits deflecting off her shield echoed in their telepathic link before she continued. "Pit already has experience with enemies from the Overworld, and I'm sure you'd do a better job at recon than he could. Chances are you'll get to fight anyways if there's an ambush. Happy?"

Pit's enthusiastic cheer interrupted their conversation. "You've got this, Pittoo! You're going in to finish off the root of the problem, right? I think that's way more important than beating up a bunch of enemies!"

"Whatever." He didn't like that it felt like they were comforting him, as if he was a young child. Sure, he was the youngest by a long shot, but still. "How's it going for both of you?"

"Still fighting, but those enemies don't stand a chance against me!" Pit declared. He was quick to add, "And the rest of the army, of course. Maybe it's the training regimens we've been doing with them, but they're way more useful than I remember."

"There's probably the added benefit that the army isn't solely made of Centurions anymore," Palutena remarked. "Although I have to admit, you two are great leaders."

Dark Pit could practically see his twin's bright smile, but he himself was worse at taking compliments. As usual, instead of reacting, he changed the topic. "How does it feel to fight again? Rusty from years of getting your puppet to do everything for you?"

Pit's yell eclipsed Palutena's response. "Huh? I thought we were over the whole puppet thing, Pittoo!"

"Relax, I was joking," he assured, dropping down a bit as he approached the location Palutena had given him. He did understand Pit and Palutena's dynamic better now, and they seemed more like siblings than a master and servant. Somehow they'd made some room for Dark Pit in their family as well.

"It isn't as bad as I thought," Palutena admitted, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I was a little worried, but it looks like I still know what I'm doing. Most of the time. Nothing seems to have advanced into Skyworld yet. Are you almost at your destination?"

"Getting there." Now that he was low enough, he could make out the ruins of a once-majestic palace amidst overgrown gardens. "I didn't even know there was a place like this in Skyworld. What am I doing here, again?"

"I've detected some abnormal energy there. You're going to investigate without attracting any attention."

"That tells me nothing."

"It tells you enough. Trust me, this should work out just fine."

There was the 'trust me' thing again. It was Palutena's way of shrouding her strategies in mystery, and he still didn't get why she wouldn't just reveal them. It wasn't like she was ever going in blind. At least Pit agreed with him. "Lady Palutena, that was the vaguest explanation ever."

"I'm not your servant, remember?" Dark Pit mentioned. "Not that it matters. A servant deserves to know more too. Ever realize that since our goals are aligned, it might be better if all three of us have a say in our plans?" She hesitated, so he continued. "Kind of late for that now, so what do I expect?"

She paused before saying, "There might be some enemies we've encountered from the Overworld, but don't worry about it. I'll guide you."

He bristled. "There's no point in keeping secrets. What are you not telling me?"

"It's most likely that nothing will happen. Don't worry, I'll be right here. And I'll come over as soon as this wave of enemies is dealt with, just in case you need backup."

"Don't bother. I do what I want." Dark Pit abruptly cut off the telepathic link, knowing that it would annoy her. That was for the cryptic answer she gave him. She should know by now that I can handle myself.

He touched down in front of the palace and gazed at the imposing ruins. Whose palace was this, anyways? It didn't matter. He shot an arrow as soon as he crawled in through the broken wall beside the door, and not actually expecting to hit anything, he was startled when he heard a hiss. Shemums? He fired quickly at the slightest movements, careful not to get hit himself, and he relished the rush of satisfaction he got when almost all of his shots were right on target.

Still, it was kind of unnerving that the palace wasn't as abandoned as he thought. It was dimly lit, and the crisp white pages of the open books littering the tables looked out of place in such a long-abandoned structure. Then there was the occasional monster to defeat, but he hadn't been training with Pit for months for nothing, so those things were a piece of cake. He stepped through the hallways slowly and cautiously, trying his best not to make any sounds, and got another arrow ready as he approached the rusted double doors which probably led into a hall. Maybe I should let her know, just in case.

"Palutena?" he whispered, activating his telepathy. "This place isn't totally empty. I just saw some Shemums, and…" Is that a Ganewmede? Aren't those from the Underworld? He ignored the stinging scratch it gave him before he shot it down. "I'm going to investigate in the hall."

She didn't respond as he stepped in. Of course she didn't. She'd better not still be salty about earlier. Dark Pit deftly sent a volley of arrows at the horde of Ganewmedes that swarmed him as soon as he entered. He took a couple of hits himself, but it wasn't too bad. I'll just heal those in the hot springs back home. He advanced forward, but right before he could create another arrow, his arm froze in place. Huh? It wasn't just his arm either. His legs were stuck halfway through a step, and as much as he wanted to yell at whoever was there, he couldn't make a sound. Dread washed over him when he realized he wasn't even breathing. What the hell?

Dark Pit couldn't tell if the constricting feeling in his chest was from the paralysis, lack of air, or fear. Maybe everything. He was alone– actually, clearly not alone– in an abandoned palace and totally paralyzed. He couldn't contact Palutena or Pit. He would've even settled for Viridi, but that wasn't an option either. I'm not going out like this… right?

He readied himself for a confrontation as soon as an eerily silky voice drifted over from behind him. "Oh? This isn't what I was expecting." Just when he thought his lungs were about to implode, his head and chest were released from the paralysis, making him double over in a violent coughing fit. Or at least as far as he could go with the rest of his body still frozen. "I can't complain. A hostage is a hostage, although I was hoping Palutena would send the other one. She must've realized how expendable you are. I wouldn't blame her for wanting to protect her servant."

He only raised his head after he caught his breath, and ended up face to face with his captor. The first thing he noticed was her silvery lilac hair, which fell in waves and framed her face and the glowing pendant on her necklace. That probably has something to do with her powers. Dark Pit controlled his breathing in case she reactivated the paralysis, but she just smiled enigmatically. He glowered at her. "Let me go."

She laughed mockingly. "Of course not. Not after this much planning to make it back here. I missed this place." She leaned down to touch a fallen Ganewmede, and a wisp of light, glowing the same colour as her hair, emanated from her hand to envelop it. Within seconds, it rose back into the air, pincers twitching menacingly. Wait, she can revive those things? "It was going well, but you, my dear, are the only wrinkle in my plans so far."

He tried looking as threatening as he could in his state. "Let me go, you witch."

She stepped closer, looming over him. "I prefer sorceress. Or enchantress, if that's what pleases you."

"Hag," he spat. Her perfume was too strong, and he didn't like her hawkish gaze.

She seemed more amused than angered. "How eloquent. It's a shame that you got the worst smidgen of a soul from him." Is she… talking about Pit? "Had you been made of any other part of such a pure spirit, you would have been the perfect pawn. Useful, but worthless."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Those kinds of thoughts were bad enough in his head. He didn't need someone to broadcast them out loud.

She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "Palutena seems to realize too. As soon as you were created, she said– what was it?– right, that you're fundamentally wicked and destructive. It's one of the better observations she's made."

"And how do you know about that?" If he had to listen to this, he might as well get some information.

"Do you really not know who I am, Dark Pit?" She tilted his head slightly upwards. Nope, not at all. And let go. "Not even after I played such an important role in your creation?"

"You're not Pandora. She didn't talk this much about nothing."

"So you think that Pandora gave the Mirror of Truth the ability to create you?" she hummed. Well, yeah. "She's a brilliant illusionist, and my counterpart in physical creations. Her powers allowed the mirror to create your body, but where do you think the soul came from?"

Dark Pit tried to pull off a smirk. "From your powers? You only had one job, and clearly you screwed up badly." Pit and Palutena would have yelled at him for the self-deprecating humor, but they weren't here. Yet. How much longer can I stall?

Not long, unfortunately. "The replication was incomplete. Frankly, I'm surprised you turned out to be sentient. It'll make for some interesting studies. That's a better purpose for you than a hostage no one wants to save. Or an unwanted replacement servant."

"Servant? I'm a servant to no one but myself," he gritted. That was a principle he wasn't going to abandon.

"Really? You seem awfully like one, first taking Pandora to the Rewind Spring, then serving as an officer under Viridi's command, and now doing the dirty work Palutena doesn't want to hand over to her angel."

"I do what I want."

"You don't. Has it never occurred to you that she knew exactly what could happen to you here?" Silence. He didn't want her to see him start doubting, but she smiled maliciously as soon as she did. "And if you don't know who I am, clearly she didn't tell you what to expect. You were sent here instead of Pit, in case I tried corrupting or copying his soul. Your fragment of a soul is so easy to replicate that I wouldn't even bother. You're expendable, Dark Pit. So did your rebelliousness really do you any good in the end?" He tried retorting, only to realize that the paralysis was back. At least he could breathe this time, but it was infuriating. "That was a rhetorical question."

The pendant on his captor's neck started glowing, and he was entirely vulnerable as she reached out with a hand surrounded in glimmers. In an instant, a burst of light forced her back. Dark Pit couldn't turn to see what was happening, but hope surged through him when he heard a familiar voice. "Circe, I don't have time for this. Let him go."

Obviously that hag– Circe, I guess– wasn't going to hand him over that easily. "Ah, so you're finally here, Palutena. Was there any need for the Goddess of Light herself to come rescue a pointless clone that could just as easily be replaced? We both know you have the power to replicate his body, if not the fraction of a soul he was stuck with."

"Stop talking about him like he's an object. Dark Pit is my angel." She's just trying to get you angry, Palutena. He didn't want her to fall for it and do something stupid, but it was reassuring to hear her refute everything. For a second, he was worried she wouldn't.

"Your angel? How possessive," Circe taunted. "His soul is my first sentient creation. I'm just taking back what's mine."

"Then I'm his goddess!" Palutena shouted, and a wide-ranged beam of light flooded the hall. Dark Pit didn't expect the paralysis to disappear so suddenly and fell over, barely managing to throw his hands out in front of him. "Pittoo, are you okay?" she called frantically. He nodded, still trying to find his voice. "Good. We have to take her down quickly!"

"You don't have to tell me." There we go. He grabbed his bow and started shooting at Circe and the monsters she was continuously reviving, but with Palutena helping out, it wasn't as overwhelming as she probably intended. They were doing pretty well.

Hearing Palutena's advice over the din of the fight instead of through telepathy was also new. "Be careful, her fighting style is pretty similar to Pandora, so those shards there will–"

"Reflect my shots?" he suggested. "That's an old story. I've got this." He split his bow into its blades and dashed at Circe. What he didn't expect was for her to grab him by the wrist, and he felt a wave of panic as the glow on her hands coursed through his arm and dissipated. Screw this. He tackled her onto the ground and held the sword to her throat. "What the hell did you do?"

For someone who was being threatened with her life, she seemed too happy. Almost excited to see what would happen. "It's in your best interests to keep what happens next our little secret. Not that you'll be able to." Circe's hand started to glow again and she sat up and reached back at the swarm of Ganewmedes behind her. Neither of them expected for Palutena to grab her hand instead, transferring whatever magic Circe was using into her body before it faded away, all while maintaining a fierce glare.

Circe looked genuinely surprised. Clearly this wasn't part of anyone's plan. "Oh? This… will be interesting." That was probably the last of her strength, because she didn't make an attempt at an attack, opting to stand up instead as they turned their attention to finishing off all the monsters. "You must already know what will happen, Palutena. And yet you sacrificed yourself."

Palutena shot at the last Ganewmede and turned to Circe. "Do love and care confuse you? Or perhaps morality in general?" Palutena really seemed to hate her, and Dark Pit couldn't disagree.

"You naïve things need to realize that altruism will get you nowhere. You're already doomed," Circe warned.

"You know what? It'll get us further than you'll ever go!" Dark Pit shouted as slashed at her one last time. He didn't care if it was cliché, he just wanted this over with. And just like with Pandora, Circe collapsed and used the last of her power to teleport away, leaving a shimmering cloud in her wake.

Dark Pit turned to Palutena, who held her staff close and brushed her hair out of her face. "Not bad– ah!" He cried in alarm as his vision started going black and he crumpled onto the floor, suddenly lightheaded and nauseous. And there was that tightening feeling in his chest again. This has to be that spell she used…

He barely felt Palutena take him in her arms. "Don't worry, you're going to be okay," she murmured, but even as his body was shutting down he could tell that her words were getting more slurred. Is she okay herself?

One thought lingered in his mind as the world faded away. What's happening?

Dark Pit had no idea how long it took before he stirred awake. The first sounds that got to him were a voice calling softly. "Pittoo? Can you hear me? Are you alright?" Panic seized him. Wait a second. That's my voice!

He desperately hoped that it was just Pit and he was still dazed from fainting, but he snapped his eyes open to look directly into a pair of crimson ones he'd only ever seen in the mirror before. And he knew, even before he noticed the long green hair that swished in his peripheral vision as he sat bolt upright, exactly what happened. He stared at his own body, watching him in concern, silently for a few moments before speaking. "Palutena…" Oh gods, this is her voice. "There's no way this is actually happening, right?"

"Well…" She looked startled to see herself and clutched onto her staff a little tighter, probably for comfort. It seemed out of place in Dark Pit's hands, but then again, that wasn't Dark Pit. "I was worried she'd try this as a last resort. So for now…"

He picked up where she left off. "We're stuck as each other."

"But this can't be permanent," she added. "We just have to hold out for a bit, right?" They stared at each other, equally worried. Something tells me this won't be easy.