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"Lady Palutena, are you there?!" Pit shouted at the top of his lungs, frantically avoiding enemy fire. A dash to the left, a swerve to the right. It looked like a vibrant dance for the disco, yet it was a prance to keep his health from getting low.
"Stop-" The doppelgänger dark angel, Dark Pit spoke up, before being cut off by having to dodge, "Stop fucking calling for her!!" He was able to shout to the other, using his staff to snipe any Kamatos coming their way. He panted, doing his best to continue the defensive assault, but he was getting tired. "Y-you need-" he tried to breathe deep, but couldn't catch his breath, "to be self sufficient." Dark Pit finished the sentence, before looking around them once more.
The two of them were on a small, indistinct platform. They don't remember how they got here, but they know one thing about this platform.
It's become a beacon for enemies.
"What do you mean stop calling her?!" Pit shouted back, firing Light Arrows at the Merenguy that had reeled in the attention of the angels with its enticing dance and song. Dark Pit had shot at the thing, before biting at his lip.
( "Why am I so exhausted?" )
He couldn't help but wonder before, proclaiming, "Watch out, there's a swarm of Monoeyes and Miks up ahead."
And those, there were plenty off. Both types of enemies being forces of the Underworld Army, the two boys began to draw the line that possibly, it was just Hades messing with them.
But fighting, they had to continue.
With brute will and power, Dark Pit had spun around and used his staff more like a club, getting more enemies down. Pit took the alternative method of giving himself an extra hop, and firing off a charged Light Arrow, piercing through the eye of, well, a couple of Monoeyes.
Then came more Mik. They resorted to using a unanimous plasma attack, which made Pit take the opening to shoot some, and Dark Pit melee'd the attack right back at them, also landing a couple of those attacks. The Miks remaining were faster, resorting to close attacks with their tongues like a whip. No worry, they weren't too hard to take down. With that wave down, Pit opened his mouth to speak, but could not get anything out.
Dark Pit sighed, his shoulders slumping as he had the biggest urge to just fall asleep and pass out. He denied that urge, entertaining a conversation while being on guard. "I know, you're scared." His voice was tender and honestly somewhat soothing, which caught Pit off guard. There was still silence between the two, but Pit's fidgeting and lack of eye contact made all the words clear to him.
Now Dark Pit just had to keep the other from freaking out.
"Do…" Pit started, looking around before whispering, "you think Lady Palutena left us here?" The raw uncertainty in his voice spoke volumes, as it was clear his faith in her was being tested at the moment.
"Even if she did, you probably should just worry about yourself." The fallen angel replied too soon and too impulsively, coming off as slightly brash and mean spirited.
"What if she doesn't want to help us?" Dark Pit's 'comfort' fell on deaf ears, or he didn't get the correct message across. Pit looked down at the ground, his shoulders slumped in shame as his expression of slight hope had dissipated in the breeze and wind around them. "Do you think I did something wrong? Lady Palutena never takes this long to answer…" He looked up at his brother, the soft strings of fear being apparent in his lost, brown eyes.
He genuinely looked like a small, lost child.
"You…" Dark Pit started, but couldn't bring himself to finish. Dark Pit knew how much Palutena meant to Pit, and deep down, she meant a lot to him too. Pit and Palutena had spent many, many decades together. The soft pallets of himself being hid away within Pit, it was like a force unawakened that had listened in on all the time they had interacted. The sounds of self-hatred fell silent to Palutena, as eventually over time, she changed that aspect of him herself.
He was buried within Pit, and yet neither of them seemed to pay attention to it.
"Maybe you need the time without her, for a bit." He finished, looking back at Pit to see a petrified expression, which only made Dark Pit continue to rant, "Aw come on man, you don't need her that much. You can survive without the woman somedays, today can be one of those days."
Pit started muttering Dark Pit's name and its variation, Pittoo.
"You can't just continue to plead for her. What about those times where she's just not around? Like now! You need to defend yourself rather than rely on her!"
A voice was being masked. A faint song that sounded familiar.
"Pittoo pleaSE--!" Pit shouted at the other, but that only made Dark Pit defensively puff up his feathers and wings.
The song registered as white noise to Dark Pit, him not paying any mind.
"No! You're going to fucking listen to me. You need to not rely on her so damn much because then-"
Silence.
Dark Pit's back was hit with a consecutive wave of hot air, and then cold. Shivering, he turned to face what caused the deed, seeing at the corner of his eye that Pit had moved far away, bow in hand.
It was an Orne.
"H-huh-?" Frozen, he could not move away. His legs physically would not allow it.
Where is he?
Why was he here?
What was going on?
How did he get here?
When did he start feeling so tired?
Why did he want to cry?
Was he a bad guy?
Who's this person with wings staring at him?
"Pittoo, please a-answer me!" The other boy was crying.
Did he do that?
Is he the reason the other is crying?
That's not… great.
Does he just do this?
Hurt people?
Why does he do that?
Why did his stomach hurt?
Dark Pit began to cough, slowly falling to the ground, looking for comfort. His body began to ache like papers to a hydraulic press. His body quaked, his spine feeling compressed and oppressed like an accordion at a summer festival.
The sweet smell of cotton made him smile, as the other boy had moved towards him. Holding him up, nearly bowing himself down to cry on the other more closely.
He was treating him so… well.
He didn't deserve this.
He had hurt the other, hadn't he?
That's why he was crying.
"P-Pittoo-" The other boy choked out, shaking like a lead and holding him like a plush toy, "P-please d-do-don't leave me, too."
This felt nice.
His own thoughts swam and echoed within his head, yet, in immense pain, he struggled to remember his name.
Was that it?
Was his name Pittoo?
"It's so… cold, ha ha." A panted laugh was all he could give, as he could not feel his arms anymore. "Pittoo" wishes he wasn't so lost, yet the comfort and aura of the other felt so nice.
He cares.
Right?
The other boy couldn't help but become more frantic with his sobs. If it were a cleanse, he'd be doing it right. "I-I know. I k-know." He hiccuped, his body shaking like a thin tree in a snowstorm. His face flustered as he was so emotionally driven, he couldn't collect himself to do anything other than cry.
He had let the Orne touch him.
The other boy stared on in horror as he saw the other yawn, the pleads for him not to rest becoming louder and louder. The other boy begged, repeatedly calling Pittoo, telling him that he couldn't just go without him. He wouldn't know what to do with himself.
He didn't want to watch his brother fade away forever.
"C-can I sleep?" "Pittoo" had asked with a soft tone, a lazy, comfortable smile spread across his face. His body felt cold, and maybe if he slept, he'd become warm again.
Being warm was nice.
A soft sniffle, the other boy not looking at the amnesiac person he held in his arms.
"Can… we meet later?" The boy asked softly, trying his best to hold back his stammers.
"Where... are we... meeting?" Was the response, which only made the other's heart tremble.
"The City of Souls. Y-you'll know it when you get there." Was the soft, solemn answer. He spoke slowly, yet was unaware of the other's world fading into darkness.
"Pittoo" laughed softly, being unable to remember already. "Alright, goodnight."
The world faded to black, as a red glove masked itself over his face.
Like fallen glass from a mirror, he had effectively been shattered.
Like that he was-
---
--
-
Dark Pit woke up sweating, jerking up in bed and frantically looking around his room.
The walls, the curtain, the scent of his sheets.
He was back.
"W-what the f-fuck…" He took a sharp breath, shaking violently as he tried to piece together the mess of a nightmare he had just had.
He still had a headache, just like in the dream.
It wasn't long until he let out a soft squeak, as he held back the strong urge to sob. He was strong, he'd solve his problem a different way.
…
He couldn't ignore this, could he?
Cold, in the dead of the night, Dark Pit rationalized the fact that he wanted something.
Comfort.
And well, to feel safe.
He hadn't felt either in such a long time.
It was emptying, this lonely feeling he had.
The dark angel turned on his communicator, scrolling idly through the main chat to distract himself. It wasn't working too well, but he didn't want to do something physical.
The communicator buzzed.
One new private message from: Ren.
Ren: What are you doing awake at this time?
A soft smile spread across his face, staring at the screen in thought, before fumbling to realize he should probably answer.
Dark Pit: I could ask you the same thing, y'know.
He gazed out the window, receiving an answer not much later.
Ren: I feel like ****, what do you expect?
Ren: It's been a long day, I wanna throw myself in a dumbsterr
Ren: *dumpster
He laughed softly, lazily thinking of a response.
Dark Pit: No one's stopping you.
Ren: ****, you right
Ren: brb boutta fling myself out the window
He bit his cheek, before thinking on how to word what he wanted to ask.
Ren: jk, I'm not gonna
Ren: but seriously, why are you awake?
Dark Pit: Hey, do you mind coming over? I don't really want to be alone right now. You don't have to if you don't want to.
Immediate response.
Ren: On it.
Dark Pit put his communicator down, still staring out the window, covered by his own sheets. He looked at the trees in the distance, and the path to Smashville. It was too quiet.
There was a knock at the door.
That was about to change.
The door opened carefully, as Ren, with some comfortable looking pajamas, stood behind it. There was still that awkward pause, Dark Pit looking at the ground trying to think if this was a good decision or not.
"H-hey."
( "and you've already made a fool of yourself, congrats." )
Dark Pit seemed to mentally swear off his stammer to Ren, but he was still allowed inside the room.
"Hey there," Ren stepped in sitting down on the cushioned stool by the window, and only speaking when Dark Pit had closed the door softly. "How are you?"
Ren was good at leaving the air open for others to answer, and patiently he waited for the other to answer.
"Not… alright." Dark Pit answered honestly, seeming to debate where to sit before, with some hesitance involved, sitting in front of Ren. He had to adjust himself accordingly, as he was still wrapped in sheets for possible warmth. "Sorry, I'm just not feeling well." He wasn't sure how to describe in a way that didn't make him look, or sound pathetic.
He felt he had already failed in that department, anyway.
Ren looked at the other, as more of a silent beckon to allow him to speak on it. When that didn't work, however, he did step in. "It's alright to feel that, Dark. However, I'm unsure as to why you called me down here," He paused, as continuing the setup, "I thought you preferred to be alone, hm?" He teased, much to the embarrassment of the other.
Dark Pit nervously chuckled, before lowering his tone to respond with, "Yeah, I do." He sighed softly, listening to the soft noises of the outside night.
Particularly, because it had begun to rain.
"But, n-not tonight," Dark Pit continued, involuntarily stammering out on admission. "I'm sorry, I should've had more of a plan for this."
Ren leaned against the wall next to them, not taking his eyes off the other. Firmly, he asked, "Would you like to talk about it, Blapi?" Ren smiled softly, using Dark Pit's Japanese nickname always made him giddy inside, but he wouldn't admit that to the dude.
Dark Pit didn't entirely hate it.
"W-we could," he began, but refused to continue.
"But?"
"B-but I'm not sure, i-it's-" Something hit the ground below, which did make Dark Pit flinch on the sound of its impact.
He looked out the window for a moment, his breathing pattern picking up and becoming a little too haphazard for Ren's taste. After Dark Pit looked back at the other, he stared at the other's hands. There was a beat, then carefully for comfort, Ren lifted his openhand up in between them, allowing Dark Pit to take it if he pleased.
A huff, before Dark had taken Ren's hand, absentmindedly intertwining them.
( "This is a first." )
Ren couldn't help but look away with the faintest tint of pink on his cheeks, a soft chuckle escaping the lower depths of his self that made his shoulders bounce with every laugh.
Dark Pit found the action adorable, yet with this vulnerability, came his comfort zone.
"Can I… tell you now?" Dark Pit quietly spoke up, which made Ren calmly nod.
The pitter-patter of rain surrounded them both, the sounds of the outside being the metronome of the tempo of Dark's storytelling. His retelling of events was slightly warped, but raw enough to give you salmonella. He retold it the best he could, his delivery being blunt and apathetic in tone, yet his body gave all the opposite signs.
"Like you ever just feel that weird buzzing? Like your leg falling asleep? I couldn't feel that, at all." He explained, "Its like I was shot with a bullet, or falling into-"
Fire.
He didn't complete that sentence.
He felt himself drifting, not physically, but emotionally.
Well, his body still hurt. For the small while he was sleeping, he slept in an improper position.
But he couldn't help but hear the sound of Pit's sobs. He didn't want to have the other experience that, and to wake up and still feel straight out of the experience.
He felt the guilt in the moment.
He didn't want to, but his fall made the other cry. It made him feel like shit; being out of control enough to allow that to happen, and the depth of emotion he felt because they are connected.
He was a bad teammate.
He was a bad friend.
He was a bad brother.
Was.
He doesn't want to be like that, even if it is part of his shtick.
Of course, he doesn't want to be all sentimental, but he also doesn't want to be that reckless, physically and emotionally.
"Hey, Dark?" Ren spoke up for the first time in what had to be at least fifteen minutes.
"Yeah?" Softly, Dark Pit replied, the soft silence yet enticing noise from the rain filled the room.
Ren didn't speak for a moment, glancing out of the window. This made Dark do the same, as they both watched the droplets fall onto the windowsill. The plop of the drops hitting the top of a surface looked as simple as it was, yet the repeated process was always calming, almost even hypnotic to watch.
"You see that? It's raining." Ren seemed to point out the obvious, yet it was his own subtle way of starting out what he was going for. "You've had a nightmare, you woke up, and I messaged you. Here we are, together, watching the rain fall." Ren hummed softly, continuing, "Even after your nightmare, life went on, Dark Pit. You can have a bad night, but tomorrow will come, along with the sun, and the matches. It's all a cycle. One day, in the future, you're bound to have another nightmare, another bad night. Just like it's always destined to rain again sometime. You can choose to do what you'd like, whether it be dwell on the dream, take it into context, and work on yourself. Or you can ignore it, and go back to sleep, or something along those lines. Just know that you don't have to worry about the dream. You're safe. Why do I know?"
Ren pointed out of the window, to show Dark Pit the stars in the night sky, the constellations, the clouds, and even the moon were all there. It was still raining, but it was a clear enough of a night to see it all.
"Because everything is still here. And if something bad happens tomorrow, then you won't be alone. Pit will be there doing his best to help you, even if you don't want to take his help on the outside. And if you won't, then know I'll be there too. I'll be there to help you, and to pick you up when you need it, like now." A low chuckle left Ren, as idly, he began to softly play with the other's hair. Dark Pit still looked at the other, eyes wide like the moon in the sky.
"You aren't alone. And you are loved, Dark Pit. Even if you won't admit it to yourself." Ren's hand dropped to Dark Pit's face, soothing his cheek to swipe off the idle tear rolling down it.
"I love you. Please do not forget that."
The soft sound of rain hitting the window next to them became the loudest sound, before Dark Pit swooped in and took Ren in for a tight, emotional hug.
"Gods, I love you too, y-y'goofy asshole." Dark Pit sniffed, already shaking like a cheap dollar store "interactive" toy.
Ren was once more, caught off guard. He couldn't help but softly chuckle, as he resumed playing with Dark Pit's hair. A light hum, before all he could tell the other in a whisper, "Please, take as much time as you need".
And he did. Dark Pit let it all out. All the boiled-over mishap and worry he had experienced and never spoke of left him like coffee from a kettle. He was grateful for the moment to just buckle down with someone.
And Ren was the perfect someone.
Ren sighed, content. He didn't mind this at all, happy to be that shoulder — well, in this case, torso, for someone to cry on.
Ren hummed softly, a soothing, but unfamiliar song to Dark Pit. It was still lovely, Ren's singing voice. Dark Pit would never admit it to the other, but he admired it so very much.
For the first time since childhood, Ren's hands felt warm.
Probably cause he was flustered beyond belief, whoops.
He chuckled softly to himself, before realizing the other had fallen asleep. On him.
[ "Adorable, you should probably admit to yourself." Arsenè smugly teased Ren, which only made him more embarrassed. Great gosh, he was absolutely a mess when no one was looking. ]
He shook his head, before closing his eyes himself.
The rain hit the window softly. The faint smell of salt was easy to ignore. And yet, the warm feeling between the two was more than a simple coincidence.
"Goodnight," Ren had whispered softly to no one in particular before he too, was overtaken by sleep.
And for the rest of it, a good night for them both it was.