Soulbreak - A MCYT 3rd/Last/Double Life FanFiction

Chapter 13 - Soul Crack

[PoV - Pearl/3rd]

Quick Poll - do ya'll like Grian, Scott or Pearl's PoV more?

"WATCH OUT!" Grian shouted a warning. Pearl glanced behind her and leaped out of the way just in time. The goat rammed into the stone wall to her left, its horn severed from its skull. Pearl hesitated a second before detouring to slip the silver horn into her pocket.

Grian got to her first, almost bowling her over.

"GRIAN!" Pearl threw herself into his arms, and Grian squeezed her back. Grian's joy filled every edge of Pearl's conscience, spreading down her bloodstream and filling her with a warm, bubbling love. Pearl's arms remained tightly around his own as she leaned back to get a better look at his face. "Oh, Grian..." Pearl cupped his cheek lightly, examining a thin scar running along his temple down to the edge of his jaw.

"It wasn't me." Grian answered her unspoken question.

"I like the green sweater," Pearl teased, her tentative laughter filling the silence.

"Haha very funny." Grian rolled his eyes. "Definitely haven't heard that one before."

"Your hair looks awful." Pearl's nose wrinkled in distaste.

"Aw, thanks." Grian's sarcasm was like medicine, and it was only then that Pearl realized that there had been a hole in her heart to fill.

"Scott?" Pearl's eyes rounded. Grian's joy vanished. A shadow hung over his face as he jerked his head in the direction of what Pearl could only assume to be their base.

"What's wrong?" Pearl questioned, suspicious. "Tell me." She demanded when Grian didn't answer immediately.

"Scott's... not exactly the guy you remember."

Fear twisted deep down in Pearl's gut. "What happened? What did his soulmate do? Is he badly hurt? Did he... lose a life?"

Grian laughed bitterly. "I wish... it's not a physical change, unfortunately. Although his soulmate did screw his legs up pretty badly. He's... you'll see." It looked like Grian was debating whether or not to continue, and he kept glancing at Pearl as though he were guilty, or she was about to burst into flames at any given second. "I - I don't know if-" Grian debated whether or not to warn her. He wasn't sure if he had any right to warn her... how she would react...

"P-Pearl," Grian struggled. "He's..." In love? That's not the right word, he's barely spent any real time with her at all! Grian's indignation was profound. He can't be in love... infatuated? Obsessed? Those might be closer to the truth... then again, possessed and crazy aren't far off the mark either.

"He's..."

"Spit it out." Pearl's eyebrows narrowed.

"Going to be very excited to see you?" Grian's shoulders slumped and he gave up. "He kinda found someone."

"He found his soulmate?" Pearl knew the stab of pain was uncalled for, the chance of her and Scott being soulbound was slim to impossible. She had known that. Get a grip, Pearl told herself, her nails digging into the cool skin of her forearm and cutting into her flesh. Ten white cresent moons tattooed her skin.

"Not in that exact context." Grian winced, unsure of how Pearl would take it. He waited for the realization to dawn on her face, but it never did. Pearl just looked confused. "He... well, see - I don't know what came over her, he didn't stand a chance, she's been really weird, of course it complicates things-"

"She?" Pearl frowned.

"Cl-Cleo." The look on Grian's face was enough to alert Pearl of the present circumstances.

"Oh." Her mind went numb, and all she could feel was vertigo. Pearl's mind swirled with incoherent thoughts, anger, grief, betrayal, unease, confusion, relief... "Oh. Hm." was all she could manage.

"You're not... you don't mind?"

"Why would I? As long as he's happy." It was so easy to lie so absolutely and totally, the numbness hadn't worn off yet.

"Is he up there right now?" Pearl pointed in the direction Grian had gestured to.

"Yes." Grian sighed, "I should also warn you-"

"Not now, Grian." Pearl held up her hand, as if to shield herself from whatever he had to say.

...He's not very happy with you... Grian trailed off, finishing his sentence in his head. Oh well, what's the worst that could happen? Scott'll forget all this madness when he sees her.

"Pearl!?" Gem called in excitement, and Pearl jogged up the hill to meet her, the two exchanging a quick hug. "I'll get a bed set up for you in the cave!" Gem smiled as she turned and raced down the hill towards what Pearl could now identify as a pen of multicolored sheep.

Pearl shielded her eyes from the sun, searching for a cave. Aha! A wooden oak door surrounded by cobblestone out to Pearl on the side of the mountain face. Grian trailed behind her wearily, anticipating Scott's reaction as Pearl swung open the door.

"...Scott?" Pearl's jaw dropped, and her brain seemed to stop functioning. It was Grian who managed to take in the scene first, as he squished around Pearl - he was too short to see over her shoulder.

The two sat on a log with their backs against the wall. Scott's arm was round around Cleo's shoulders, and her arm around his chest. The two were angled towards each other, one of Cleo's legs swung onto his lap. It didn't take a rocket scientist to tell, by the violet flush in both's cheeks, Pearl had walked in on something not very friendly.

Cleo looked mortified. Scott's eyes were rounded with shock and disbelief, his jaw had dropped too.

"Pearl." He finally spoke, his voice catching weakly. His arm dropped and he moved his legs so Cleo's leg dropped. There wasn't enough time for Cleo to hide the flash of hurt that crossed her features. Grian turned to check on Pearl just in time to see her wince. His brow furrowed, something connecting that refused to connect.

"Pearl, by any chance... were you in the Nether?"

"Why yes - I was." Pearl finally managed to snap out of whatever funk she had phased into.

"How're your legs?"

A/N: Oh my goshhhhh that gave me such bad second-hand embarrassment... T-T. No apologies. I wonder if flower husbands can be fit anywhere in here... hmmmm...