Battlegrounds - Songfic Summer Entry

"Ain't No Crying" by Dervikat

 I have my entry for your contest

I apologize if I spelled Dervikat wrong. I'd also like to mention that I did change a few of the lyrics (in most of the songs) to fit the story better, but the lyrics are still recognizable. Mostly I just changed the pronouns.

At the moment of posting this, I don't have the prologue, which will tell you more, but all you need to know right now is that the Watchers and Vexes are fighting over the Hermitcraft server

Pearl's POV

What are you fighting for? The voice in my head says. It said the same thing every day and I hated it. Whose side are you on?

"Stop it," I growl to the voice. "You which side I'm on,"

You lost everything in the crossfire. If you don't join us, you'll witness the wreckage at dawn. Join the Watchers and we'll give you no trouble. Join us and we won't destroy your server.

"It will be destroyed either way! If I join you, you might strike a deal with the Vexes to fight for some other server, but then you'll make me destroy the server with my own hands." I sob. "That's exactly what happened in Evo."

*Flashback*

Grian, Taurus, and I were standing in front of Xultor, the Watcher that made us destroy Evo.

The images of purple fire, crashing buildings, and half-burnt corpses were still fresh in my mind. But I needed to know what Xultor wanted.

"I'm so glad you had the time to come here," he said

"You forced us here!" Taurtus growled.

"Details don't matter. I'm sure you don't like me mind conroling you-"

"No, we don't," Taurtus growled.

"Oh interupting me are you?" Xultor sneered. "Can't do with that eithe-"

"TAURTUS, PEARL, RUN!" Grian shouted, throwing watcher fire at Xultor.

"But shouldn't we-" I said. It was too late, Grian and Taurtus were already running away.

"Xdala," Xultor said to me, "go get Xelqua and Xilpad."

I raced after Grian and Taurtus until the duo came to a balcony and leaped into the air.

"Curse the damn Watchers for cutting off my wings," I muttered. "Grian, Taurtus, come back! Please."

"Why?" Grian asked. "We're not going back."

"Shouldn't we listen to him?" I tried to reason. "We're already in big trouble with him."

"No way," Taurtus said, landing on the railing of the balcony.

"You're not going anywhere," Xultor growled, making me jump. He snapped his fingers and two guards grabbed Taurtus by the arms and dragged him to Xultor's throne.

"Grian, Pearl, forget about me, just run!" Taurtus cried.

Grian grabbed my wrist, but I pulled it out of his grasp.

"Just...just leave me Grian," I said, looking away sadly and trying not to cry.

"Goodbye," Grian said after me as I walked down the hallway.

"Goodbye," I repeated quietly.

When I walked into the throne room, Xultor was holding a struggling Taurtus by the collar with a sword in one hand.

"Pearl, help me!" Taurtus cried. Xultor pushed the sword clear through Taurtus' chest before I could get to him.

"You monster!" I scream, collapsing into a crying mess on the floor.

"There's nothing you can do, he's already dead," Xultor hissed, smirking.

He placed a hand on Taurtus' chest and purple orbs appeared in the room. The orbs floated to his hand as ripples of dark purple magic replaced Taurtus, disintegrating him. A few lavender feathers floating through the air were the only things left of him.

"He's dead," I sobbed "He's dead and now there's nothing left of him. I didn't even know a Watcher could do that."

*End of flashback*

Taurtus' feather hung from a fine chain around my neck. I pulled it out of my shirt and held it in my hand. Grian had a necklace too. I made us each a necklace when I was trapped with the Watchers, but I couldn't give Grian his necklace until we met up again years later.

"I can do this, I have a fighting chance. If you say it enough, you start believing," I whisper to myself. "They can tell you that it's righteous, keep your chin up in the crisis. Say it enough and you start believing. In the glory, in the justice. They will drill it into your head."

Have you thought about my offer? Xultor asks.

"Yes, and I won't join you." I reply.

"You don't have a choice, Xdala," Xultor says, bursting through the door.

I jump through a window and run toward what was left of Grian's base. I dove into the rock and almost barreled into Grian.

"What's going on?" Grian asked, panicked.

"Xultor," I pant.

"He's here?!" Grian hisses, trying not to cry. All I could do was nod. He took a deep breath and said: "Ain't no crying 'til the war's done."

"Ain't no crying 'cause the fighting's just begun," I continue

"No crying 'til the sun comes," we say at the same time. "'Til the sun comes up, 'til the sun comes up"

I heard Xultor walk into the room and I jumped out from my hiding spot and try to throw a punch. Xultor just stands there. I feel him in my head and a moment later, my punch stops midair and my hand drops to my side.

"In the division, make your decision," Xultor says, making me follow him. "Every shoulder you've leaned on is the one you will turn on. Burn it to ashes, watch as it crashes. Nobody left to forgive or forget."

Grian's POV

You better not follow. Xultor's voice echoes in my head.

"When has a warning ever stopped me?" I ask.

If I say it enough, I'll start believing, he hisses. So I don't say it hangs in the air.

"They can tell you that it's righteous, keep you chin you in the crisis," I whisper to myself. Say it enough and you start believing, I continue in my head, In the glory, in the justice, they'll drill it into your head.

I hid behind rocks and trees and bases following Pearl and Xultor. Pearl's movements were almost robotic, burning down trees and grass.

Gem's base! I cry.

Ain't no crying til the war's done, someone sobbed in my head

"Pearl?" I asked bewildered,

Mhm, Ain't no crying 'cause the fighting's just begun. No crying 'til the sun comes, 'til the sun comes up, 'til the sun comes up.

"Ain't no crying, no crying no," we said simultaneously.

"'Til the sun comes up, til the sun comes up," I said.

What am I fighting for? What have I done? Pearl sobbed.

"Pearl, please no, you're on our side, Hermitcraft's side," I sobbed.

What am I dying for? What have we all become? I started to cry, feeling powerless. Make you live the pressure, make you live through the pain. Sacrifice you for nothing. We're still dying in vain.

The few moments went by in a blur: Purple fire, Gem falling, everything turning into purple flame, and Pearl's face just before everything went black.

I'm so sorry, Pearl said in my head.

I know it's not your fault, I said in her head.

Word count: 1048