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The whole camp was in distress. There were many injured, too many dead to count, and at least three betrayed them. They’d suffered yet another terrible defeat against the artist.
Everybody knew it was going to be harder than they thought. But they didn’t know that it would be this hard. And right now, they were only able to place the trust in the one kid that they all considered a monster. Many rumored he would betray them.
Though, he wouldn’t. He never would. He would fight until the end or until his apparent doom. Three of Diamonds, the general, the leader of the rebellion group. Which turned into a full out war.
Diamond was terrified. He couldn’t show it, because then everyone else would go into more disarray, but he was. He wanted to get their spirits back up, restore hope in them.
His right hand, turquoise, was injured. But not as badly as the others— he was glad for that. Turquoise was his best friend. His ONLY friend in this torturous fantasy realm.
Then he remembered something that always had brought him peace when he was stressed. When he was dealing with his family’s situation, their deaths, how they were. What stopped him from wandering into the Forest of No Return and joining them. Music.
He’d learned guitar, drums, and other instruments long ago. He knew he could come up with something — something to make them smile again. To give them the hope they needed to get through this.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he picked up the dusty guitar from the corner of the tent he was standing in, hovering over papers he was still trying to make sense of.
But that didn’t matter right now, he strummed each string once or twice, tuning it so that it would sound random and off-tune. He played a couple notes as a warm up.. before he stood up, walking out of the tent..
He caught everyone’s attention eventually by walking up in front of everybody.
“Hey! Everyone! I know we lost a lot today. I know we lost many fighters.. and innocents, but, we still have to continue on. So. Why don’t we lift the spirits a little? Something uplifting…”
People looked at him and the others, shrugging. . As he strummed the guitar, starting a soft, but uplifting rhythm on the guitar. He started singing, something about peace and winning..
“On the other side of the war.. there’s peace, quiet.
It seems hopeless… I won’t deny it..” he slightly laughed,
“But we will win, we will!
Just let your mind fill..
With A sweet melody,
A sweet melody..
In the depths of the meadows,
Through the mountains and the shadows,
Hope finds its way,
Though we may not find peace today..
It will come.. it will come..
So breathe, settle down, feel your heart thrum,
Hear the strumming of the strings,
Let your mind clear of all things.
There's Peace on the other side of the war..
I would tell you stories, outside where the birds soar,
Where there’s safety…”
He was breathless for a moment. He knew the song was cheesy and stupid, rushed and not well thought through, however what would you expect? He’s 14. but at least it got the message across. Some people were smiling. He continued.
“Where there’s peace…
where every turn won’t leave us deceased…
Where we are free...”
It ended with one last strum of the guitar, as he smiled.. realizing some of the others started singing along as well. He dipped his head to the other fighters and retreated back to his tent, almost ecstatic. It made him forget the issues at hand for even a couple seconds.
When he looked down at the papers.. he remembered. He was expected to write plans — to plan their next battle. How could he plan a battle with the amount of soldiers willing to fight now? Too many Injured…
He knew he could sing them as many songs to bring them the peace they need, but he still has his own issues. Diamond probably suffered almost the most out of the group of rebels.. and he knew nothing would change their view on him.
He groaned and sat down, going over the papers.. but the words seemed to mix up. The letters seemed to change. It started looking like words weren’t even words, just mindless babbling put down on paper.
The tent was poorly made, the papers felt old and faded.. stuff sat in corners collecting dust. A mirror sat on his desk in front of him, despite his very obvious hatred for mirrors. The mirror was one of the only things that seemed to not dust over.
When he looked up at his own appearance, it made him almost want to break down right there and then. He was a mess. Staring back at him was not who he should be. He was 14. He wasn’t any leader, let alone of a war.
His hair was a total mess— his teeth were still yellow. His eyebags got darker every night he stayed up trying to force himself to finish plans. Nights spent trying to shove down the guilt of leading his friends, his people, into certain death.
He brought a hand up to his face, tracing over his scars. One was still scarring over — others, like the burn scars, were caused by previous accidents. But they made him feel weird. He hated it. He wished for a way to get rid of them all together.. even if it was impossible. His wings shuffled in a sign of annoyance.. tears starting to form in his eyes.
“General, sir?” A familiar voice said outside of the tent, surprising Diamond —
“Oh! Turquoise..? Come on in.” When Diamond spoke, his voice was wobbly.. he frantically tried to steady it. To not show weakness, after all, he promised he wouldn’t.
Turquoise limped in, holding onto the wall for support. He looked.. concerned. But that was expected of turquoise, they were the only one in this godforsaken mess that gave a shit about him.
“..ya good, Diamond?” His voice turned to one of sympathy…or.. was it empathy? He spoke as softly as a mother trying to get her baby to stop crying.
“I’m..okay. Aren’t you injured.? You should be resting.” Diamond refused to face him, knowing he was starting to tear up. He quickly fixed his wobbly voice, looking back down at the papers.
“Well, I’m worried about you too, bud. I’ve seen how much you’ve been working, you need rest. You’re still…” turquoise trailed off, remembering how much diamond being referred to as a…
“I’m still a child? I’m not a fucking child.” He huffed, standing up. “I grew up faster than the other..children, I can handle myself.” He turned to face turquoise, anger.. and tears in his eyes.
“Oh- oh, Diamond, you know I didn’t mean it like that—“ turquoise started.
“No! No! And stop talking like that! You’re making me feel like a little kid just doing that. When will you realize I don’t have to be BABIED? Im the leader, for fucks sake!” Diamond snapped, his voice losing the original steadiness of his voice. He threw his arms up in the air, to express what he said.
“No, Diamond — I didn’t mean it like that. I'm just.. worried about you. I know how the others are to you. And I know what you’ve gone through. You.. not offensively, shouldn’t be in this position when you’re this young.” Turquoise said, taking a slight step towards Diamond.
Diamond just went silent. Taking a step back.. He shut down.. it’s what he does when he’s too stressed. Too overwhelmed. When it’s too much. This is why keeping up arguments was always.. an issue to him.
Turquoise sighed. “I guess in short what I’m saying..You don’t deserve this..”
“..wha..?” Diamond's voice was quiet, confused. He just stood there, looking down at the ground.
… a sniffle sound came from him, as some tears started dripping down onto the floor of the tent. As if what turquoise had previously been saying just caught up with him.
Turquoise sympathetically sighed, walking over, he kneeled down to Diamonds height. He raised one of his hands, “may I…?”
Diamond gave a slight nod. Turquoise put an arm around him and pulled him into a hug. Starting to say reassuring things to him.
“…it’s okay, kiddo, let it all out. I’ve got you. Nobodies going to hurt you as long as I’m here, and I will be here, forever. I swear that to you.” Turquoise reassured.. wrapped his other arm around Diamond, letting him sob into his shoulder. He buried his head into Turquoise's shoulder, uncontrollably shaking and sobbing.
Turquoise felt.. horrible. Their creator usually atleast spared them a little bit of time in their childhood, Diamond — Diamond had not gotten that, he had not got a second of peace. That was too much for someone so young. Somebody who should’ve been in school living a normal life, not leaning on the edge of insanity, not leading a war at 14, after losing, what, everything?
He frowned.. holding the kid close. Letting him sob until he couldn’t find the energy too, until he had no more tears to sob.. until inevitably, he drifted off into sleep.
Turquoise stood up, picking the young dragon up. He laid him on the bed in the tent… wrapping him up comfortably in the blanket. Diamond instinctively grabbed onto the fluffy blanket in his sleep and pulled it closer.
Turquoise smiled softly.. “G’night, kid.” He turned away and left, silently heading back to his own tent to catch some rest aswell.