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"Lady Palutena…?”
Pit was tugging on the sleeve of Palutena's nightgown. She shuffled in bed. “Pit, it's past midnight…” she groaned, before turning and burying her face back into her pillows.
She'd usually be more polite, but it had been a long day. The temple had bugs in it recently, and she spent most of the day holding back her reactions to them. Maybe if she seemed asleep she wouldn't have to deal with any more of it until tomorrow.
Pit fidgeted with his hands, looking back into the opened door and dark hallway, then at Palutena again. He took a deep breath. “It's… it's important. Please,” Pit said, in a small voice.
Palutena turned to him, still squinting and tired. Pit wasn't tired much at all compared to her. In fact, his eyes were wide open, and his wings twitched. Palutena rose more, growing concerned. “Yes?”
Pit kept looking back into the halls, then back towards Palutena, but with his eyes on the floor. He took a deep breath and whispered, hastily, “The Aurum are controlling him again.”
Palutena sat up in bed, wide-eyed. Pit now looked her in the eyes, though still while wringing his hands together and folding and unfolding his wings repeatedly. This was real.
Palutena got up to grab her staff and quick-changed out of her nightgown with a small flourish of light, and after a moment of grim consideration, she summoned Pit's bow for him. He hesitantly took it, then they nodded dutifully at each other.
“You lead the way,” said Palutena. “Be ready to fight.”
It had been about a month since Pyrrhon had crash-landed on Earth. Before then, Pit and Palutena had both tried to ignore the topic of his fate, and everyone else they knew had taken the same approach. Sometimes they'd say that whatever was happening to him now was out of their hands, his own fault. Even that sentiment, though, still had to acknowledge that it was likely something terrible was still happening to him up there. Silence was probably the best way to deal with an issue like him.
Pyrrhon being at the center of the crater Pit was sent to investigate forced them to break that silence.
In a rare moment, Pit had taken action first, pulling the confused former vessel off of the ground, and Palutena followed his lead in recalling them both out of the forest he had landed in and to her temple. Others (mainly nervous Centurions) wondered why Pit took the disgraced and possibly dangerous god-adjacent traitor in, but Pit didn't have much of an explanation to offer. It was just what his gut told him was right.
Up until now, Pyrrhon seemed to be doing well. The two would check in on him, he would smile and salute and thank them for repairing the body of justice, and so on. He didn't seem to be getting much sleep, but he didn't complain about it. If there was one thing they could say about him, he didn't complain. Though his physical state had withered, he'd still make dramatic motions even when surrounded by sensitive and very toppleable medical equipment. He's lucky Pit feels bad for him, Palutena would think, as she'd put it all back together.
Generally, though, he kept the issues caused by his presence at a minimum, and had a smile ready whenever checked in on. Everything seemed to be going normal, or at least as normal as you could call the standard Pyrrhon fare.
Then… tonight.
“Did he attack anyone?” Palutena whispered to Pit. She followed him quietly down the hall, both of their weapons at the ready.
“I-I don't know. I didn't get close…” Pit said. Palutena looked at him, curious. Pit looked away from her. She had a suspicion about him and fire, but digging into it might have just made it worse. She would know.
Pit suddenly stretched a wing out in front of Palutena. She took the signal and stopped. Pit was leaning forward, looking out to where the hallway opened up to the outside. The doors were half open, and the carpet leading up to it had shifted. Some hanging decor and unlit lamps had even fallen to the floor.
Palutena peered out the distant door. A small aura of fire peeked out from the side.
Outside in the night, his whispers echoed.
“Zero, zero, one, one, one. Everywhere. No. No. It's. Everywhere. Zero, zero, one…”
He was monotone.
The shape made by the flames lowered, as if he were ducking down. His voice grew urgent, but the detached tone didn't leave.
“Out. Out. Cannot run. Get. Out. Get. Out. We. Are…”
Pyrrhon, however much of him was in there, continuously muttered like a machine humming. Pit instinctively tucked his wings closer to himself, imaginary fire singing the tips of his feathers.
The two slipped further back into the temple. Pit wasn't ready to face those mindless pools of blue again. Not without her by his side. He took Palutena's hand and looked up at her.
She had a surprised look, disturbed alongside Pit. However, gradually, that look fell away. She put a hand up to her chin. Serious, but not unsettled. Focused.
Finally she turned to Pit and murmured, “I think I know what this is. I'll talk to him myself.”
“Huh? But Lady Palutena, what if…”
She lifted his hand and took it in both of hers. “If I'm wrong, I can still handle him myself. Either way, you can go back to bed. Okay?” She took a reassuring tone and lightly ruffled Pit's hair. He didn't respond, still looking out into the hall with heavy concern.
“I won't hurt him,” she said calmly.
She read him well. Pit nodded slightly, and turned back.
Palutena lowered her staff from the combat ready stance she had taken, and walked forward.
It had been hanging in the sky every single night.
He never left it. He'd never get out.
His mind slipping back there again. It's all he knew.
He managed to lie to himself for some time, that he was back to himself, light had returned. Then, through the window on the bed where he recovered from the corruption of his body, he saw it. It was faint at first. Then it started to grow. He slept less and less.
“Zero, zero, zero, zero, one. Stay away. Stay away.”
A connection that strong could not be severed so easily, and now that he was weak, it was only natural for them to close in.
“Will fading. Cannot. Fight.”
He was still them. They were still him. Locked together. Unable to move.
“Let go. Of. Us. No, no, of me. No. No, stay away, stay away, stay-”
He went silent. Someone was walking up from behind.
He straightened himself. He could not let anyone see him in that state, or else they might realize their mistake, and send him back where he belonged.
Palutena sat down next to Pyrrhon. He stared forward, away from her gaze. His eyes glowed green, his pupils having faded.
She waited quietly. If it were her, she thought, she'd want to be the first to speak.
He stayed silent for a full minute, waiting for her to leave or attack. She didn't.
“…You need to run,” he muttered.
“I'll be fine,” said Palutena.
“Pyrrhon. Has been taken. Everyone must. Protect. Themselves.”
“I don't think that's true.”
Pyrrhon was sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs. He brought them closer to his chest.
“Could you tell me what started this?” Asked Palutena.
He didn't reply, but instead silently lifted his head to the sky. Palutena followed his gaze and squinted, seeing a pale bluish speck up among the stars. She thought in that same place not long ago was an orange-hued star. She only now realized what that meant.
Pyrrhon didn't need to squint to see it. It looked the same to his eyes, but to his mind and gut it took up the entire sky. He was still in there, even after their bond weakened and he fell from the ship into open space. Still trapped. Still nonexistent under the hivemind.
Pyrrhon was nearly motionless, staring at the Aurum lost in the distant black sky…
> RETURN.
A shiver ran through his whole body, and he suddenly covered his ears. “No, no, I don't want to, no…!” Pyrrhon muttered. His breaths grew heavier.
It was getting bad. She had to be direct. “Pyrrhon, you're not possessed. Trust me.” Palutena held her hand out to him. They must have “spoken” to him directly in some way when they had him, she thought to herself. The Chaos Kin only hovered behind, corrupting and watching. She'd just need to do her best to understand.
Pyrrhon was still covering his ears. “You must run. You need to run.”
She thought for a moment. Just telling him he wasn't possessed wouldn't work, it was real to him right now. Maybe…
She softly pointed at his chest. “If they were here, there would be a blue light, but there isn't.”
Pyrrhon had taken to wearing clothes, something he usually hated the feeling of, to cover up the geometric scars and marks he incurred from the Aurum. He looked down. He didn't see a glow emerging from under his clothes.
No. His eyes had lied to him before. Hadn't they? But this, this seemed real…
Then, Pyrrhon suddenly shivered again. Another invisible command spoken into his neck. He took in a shaking breath, and both of them knew he was now on the verge of tears. He hid his face away slightly, but he refused to fully break eye contact with the sky. Every night the star, the massive ship, fixed in the sky, there when his mind was the weakest, drilling into him and robbing him of rest, until this night when he left the temple in a fugue and let it shine its sickness down on him.
Palutena held out her hand to him. His eyes darted between the hand and the sky as he still hugged his legs up to himself. She could see that he was breaking, he knew so. In desperation, he sputtered, “D-don't, please, please don't make me go back. I'll do anything, they're going to take me, they're going to take me again and make me their body, don't make me go back, don't…”
Palutena sat up, slightly surprised. “Wh… Why would we do that?”
Pyrrhon covered his face with both hands, arms trembling. He didn't know the answer. Palutena tried to think. Did she ever insinuate that they'd do that? She didn't think so… but at the same time, no one insinuated to her that she'd fall from the heavens for her wrath against humanity. Sometimes fears came from nowhere but her own shadow, the unknown things outside her vision that would make her want to press her back against the wall to cover it, and she could see him doing the same now. She had to do something.
Pyrrhon hadn't taken her hand, Palutena realized. She took it back. He was tense and seemed ready to run the moment it was necessary. He doesn't feel safe, she thought. Palutena put her hand over her heart. “We've been keeping you here because you need the care. Wherever you go afterwards is up to you. That's all it is.”
Once again, he didn't respond.
“I just want to help you. Even if they are controlling you, I won't hurt you. We'll figure something out.”
Pyrrhon still couldn't make eye contact with her. “No. You do not understand. All these stars. We must become all. All are in danger.”
“Pyrrhon, I know what's happening here. Listen to me-”
“NO!” He suddenly grew louder, yelling between heavy breaths. “Don't mock me! You don't know what they are! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID!”
Pyrrhon was fully trembling, fighting between keeping from boiling over in front of her and protecting himself from the beings that had his mind in their grip. They were all going to die. They were all going to be taken. He wasn't strong enough to stop it.
Palutena stared out into the distance with him.
…She did know what they did to Pyrrhon. She knew too well.
But he wouldn't trust her unless she showed him that she knew.
She took a deep breath, stood, turned away from him, and held her hair away from her back.
After a gap of silence, Pyrrhon peered over to her. He gasped.
Palutena had a swirling purple mark around a wound in her back.
She closed her eyes. She didn't want him to know… but he needed to.
“Chaos,” Pyrrhon whispered.
Palutena didn't expect him to know that, just for him to see the mark and know something happened. Still, it did its job. When she turned back around, Pyrrhon was no longer trying to avoid her gaze.
“This happened to me once,” she whispered. “I thought it was in the temple. I thought it was puppeting me again… I thought I would hurt Pit if he found me.”
Pyrrhon stared out into nothing again, taking in a sharp breath to avoid a sob coming out. “...What do I do…?” He whispered.
Palutena held out her hand again. “First, come inside.”
Pyrrhon hesitated, but this time he eventually took her hand. They walked inside the temple, though she noticed he wouldn't let himself look away from the false star too long.
She closed the doors to the outside as he looked out the window. She asked, “Should I close the curtains…?”
“NO!” He suddenly shouted. He shrunk away as she looked at him in surprise. “I-I can't let it… at any moment we- th-they… they could…” speaking was getting more difficult. He gripped one arm with the other.
She stood at his side, looking at the false star alongside him. “See how small it is?” She said. He shook his head. It was massive, enveloping him and her entirely, but only he could see that.
She traced a small circle around it with her finger. He could see she was touching black each time, and that the ship was within that circle. But still, it swallowed the entire sky. Pyrrhon still shook his head, trying not to cry in front of someone he backstabbed, trying not to be a coward. “It's everywhere,” he muttered. “It's only gotten closer. But I know I'm wrong. I don't get it. I don't get it…”
“How many stars are in that little bunch there?” She said, motioning to a cluster of bright white dots to the right of the Aurum ship. He whispered a count to himself.
“…Eight,” he said.
“Mm-hm. And do you know which constellation is below it?”
Pyrrhon's eyes drifted down, his former prison still well within sight. “…Ursa?”
“Right again, I thought you'd know a lot about this!” She said. “How long does it take for sunlight to reach Earth?”
“Eight minutes.” Pyrrhon didn't have to think for that one. His thoughts were becoming more concrete, the frantic monologue inside slowing.
“Which phase of the Moon is that?”
His nerves spiked again. That was getting too far. It was a stretch of sky away. He had to keep his eyes on that ship, that cold star consuming all above him. He couldn't protect himself if he didn't. Even blinking was terrifying… though, that had ceased when she started doing this, he realized.
He took some sharp breaths, then looked between the two objects, trying to work it out peripherally. “It's… um…” unconsciously, his eyes locked on the moon directly. “Crescent… wait,” he said. He had to think for a moment. “…Waxing crescent?”
“Mm-hm! You're good at this,” Palutena said. “Hey, do you want to see something my staff can do?” She added, strangely chipper.
Pyrrhon was looking at the Moon now, but he wouldn't take his eyes away from the sky fully. If they appeared, if they attacked, if they descended upon them all while he looked away…
He heard the staff shimmering. Out of curiosity, he took what was meant to be a second's glance at it before turning back to the window, and…
“W-woahoah,” he said, with quiet enthusiasm. Palutena smirked as her staff projected a tiny hologram of a dragon that flew up and down with the movement of her other hand. Pyrrhon was still mostly unexpressive, but now with wide interested eyes. “That's… that's awesome… Can you, like, make it do a little-” He stopped himself, remembering the sky, and quickly turned to face it again in a panic.
He gasped, and once again had to choke back a sob. For the first time in what might have been days, he saw it for what it really was. Among the softly twinkling stars, the Aurum Brain Fortress was small, faint, distant. It had no power over him. Not anymore.
Pyrrhon stared through the window in disbelief. The glow filling his eyes soothed, and his pupils became visible again.
He breathed in, and closed his eyes. The things waiting to invade while his eyes were closed… they weren't stronger than the both of them. The invisible forces prickling at his skin were still there, but they were fading.
Pyrrhon turning his back to the night sky and sitting down told Palutena her idea worked, and she closed the curtains on the window. He was taking deep breaths as his trembles soothed.
“…Uh, thuh… thank you,” Pyrrhon said, as Palutena sat next to him.
She nodded. “You did a good job keeping them away from other astral bodies. That must have been hard. You were thinking about what was right, even then.” She smiled at him. A little ego bandaging would do him some good around now, she decided.
“You're just saying what I want to hear,” Pyrrhon said sharply. Palutena was taken aback.
He… he was right. She thought he wouldn't notice something like that.
“…I wouldn't have noticed that if it weren't for the situation. But it's still true, right?” Palutena asked, more sincerity in her voice.
Pyrrhon looked away. “Yes. It was… difficult to be conscious enough to do so. I had to use their senses, and… I would get lost within it.” Pyrrhon's voice was becoming stilted, but he wanted to say more. He scratched his head awkwardly. He had already groveled in fear of being sent back, it's not like he could un-embarrass himself now. “Did… Did you have anything like that? The shared existence as one? Pyrrhon wants to know.”
“No, not exactly,” she said. Pyrrhon waited for her to continue, then silently stared to the distance when she didn't. An odd thought struck Palutena: He looks alone. She breathed in and closed her eyes. Showing her mark was already a lot… but he needed this, and maybe she did too. She continued: “Well, I was still myself, but… ‘myself” was different. I don't think I merged with the Chaos Kin in the same way that…” she motioned to him. He nodded, and she continued. “I think I was just its prey, and who I turned into was the shadow it cast over me. I couldn't resist much against something like that, and even if I could… my soul was weak.” She looked at him directly. “You were fighting with them more, right?”
“Pyrrhon could only do so much. Pulled under. Drowning. Sometimes he did not exist at all. He… tries to call them ‘they’, but it is really ‘we’… Gods, they really are in his head now, aren't they?” Pyrrhon smiled and laughed without any heart behind it. His face then fell again. “Pyrrhon cannot explain what we- wh-what they were to him without sounding like a maniac. He probably already is one. He needs to say something, but…” Pyrrhon summoned a tiny flame and threaded it in his fingers while staring through the walls of the temple. “…Promise you will not have him return to the Aurum, no matter what he says.”
“I promise.”
Pyrrhon went silent for a few seconds.
Then, he whispered:
“…Pyrrhon misses them.”
He closed his eyes, tensing and bracing for a harsh response.
However, Palutena only laid a hand on his shoulder.
Gradually Pyrrhon ceased tensing up. It was off his chest. Someone else knew. He felt for the first time in a while like he could sleep again.
Still, he wondered, and asked, “Pyrrhon assumes you do not feel that way about the Chaos Kin?”
“No… but I'm not sure if I hate it either.” Palutena held her hand up to her chin. “It was incompatible with this world, dangerous and destructive, but…”
“…not evil,” Pyrrhon finished. She nodded; she had suspected that the Aurum might be a little like that too. It didn't seem like they had much free reign over themselves.
They sat next to each other in silence, Pyrrhon wondering what to say. He was thankful to her right now, and he was sorry for what he did to Pit… but he wasn't sorry for betraying the gods, and he wasn't about to lie again to act like he was. He still felt their disrespect and derision stinging in his bones, sometimes for every moment of a day. The only difference now was that he agreed with them.
But… she noticed what he did. He expected to die up there, withering away as a useless wannabe god who got everything he asked for. As long as he did one good thing, he could rest knowing the world would be okay without him from then on.
Now, his one act of great heroism had been seen. He was ashamed to admit it, but he really needed that.
His chest felt warm. It hadn't been that way in a long time. The need to hide his face away faded a little.
Maybe she was alright.
Both of them had grown sleepy. Pyrrhon stretched and rose from the ground. “Palutena!” He returned himself slightly to his typical disposition, putting his hands on his hips. “Contrary to popular belief, justice needs its sleep. However! Before that, is there anything Pyrrhon can do to repay you for what you did for him tonight?”
She got up and thought for a moment. “…Could you maybe help a little with our bug problem in the morning?”
“OF COURSE!” He shouted. Palutena shushed him and motioned down the hall, where Pit's bedroom lay. “Oh, right, sorry.” Pyrrhon whispered the rest of his words: “No exterminator will bring more swift justice to creepy crawlies than Pyrrhon will tomorrow! Good night!” Pyrrhon turned and skipped down the hallway, evidently having forgotten the injuries that brought him to this temple in the first place as he slowed to a limp and inhaled through his teeth. “Ow ow ow owowow… um…” He didn't need to ask for help directly, Palutena understood the issue and started helping him back to his room. She smiled.
Maybe he was alright.
“I can look for some kind of aid for you to use, if you'd like!” Palutena said.
Pyrrhon blushed a little. “He… he doesn't need it. He probably shouldn't have one.” The idea of others seeing him as handicapped put a pit in his stomach. He wouldn't have cared if it was anyone else, but…
“I can probably find a sun-themed cane out somewhere,” Palutena added.
“Pyrrhon will consider it,” he said, immediately with a much more enthusiastic tone. Palutena smirked at him again.
As Palutena helped Pyrrhon back to his room, her mind kept going to before this encounter, when she and Pit were watching Pyrrhon from the halls. Mainly, she thought of Pit's unusual terror at the sight.
She also needed to tell Pit some of the things she had kept inside. Then he might trust her more with his troubles. She just had to get through the fear that he wouldn't see her the same afterwards.
She got Pyrrhon to his door, where he could comfortably get back to bed by himself. They nodded at each other.
“Tell me how you rest, okay? I had more bad moments like that when I wasn't sleeping enough,” said Palutena.
Pyrrhon nodded. “Pyrrhon can't wait to get where you are with… this. ” he said. Palutena shrugged.
“I mean… I still sometimes have issues, but…” she trailed off. “…I don't think I have time to talk about that right now.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I get that… I've been there.”