Chapter Text
"You think you're so powerful don't you Clown Pierce?!" A snarl flashed across Vitalasy's face as he jabbed a sword at Clown's heart. "It's a pity really," he drawled, "Such nice armor ruined."
~ Branzy ~
Conflict. When harmony evolves into nothing more than a mere idea. You may think that peace is an option right? Wrong. Law and order can never exist in a world filled with evil, something will always go wrong. Branzy Craft learnt that the hard way. No certitude, no definite, no factuality, only his hopes and dreams: he could only wish for the best, he could only have optimism that no one would get hurt.
Branzy didn't know what to do. He was stood to the side watching his friend get attacked but he couldn't do anything to help.
How did he get here? Good question, he wish he knew himself.
It all had to do with the opening of new spawn. After it had been blown up so many times, a few of Lifesteal's members had banded together to transform spawn, to terraform the now crater-ridden land into the picturesque hills and plains it had previously been. Naturally, the whole server was invited to help but as anyone would expect, the plan to do something to benefit all of Lifesteal had gone downhill pretty fast.
This innocent seeming act of kindness was a not so surprising scheme by Vitalasy and Subz. Who was the target? Why, none other than his best friend Clown Pierce, one of the strongest members on the server. How ironic, that Branzy was one of the weakest. Well he guessed they did say opposites attract.
Right now Vitalasy and Clown were clashing swords. The sound of metal on metal hummed through the air. A warning - stay back or doom yourself.
Observing the battle from afar, the rest of the server watched as the two of Lifesteal members were at each other's throats. No one was foolish enough to interfere with their crossfire because they knew that if they got to close, they may not so accidently lose a few limbs.
Branzy desperately wanted to help Clown, to be there for his friend, but he knew better than that. If he was being completely honest, he knew he would do more harm than good. Knowing him, he would somehow manage to start a forest fire or something. Besides, everyone knew who would come out of this fight victorious.
Right?
~ Clown ~
Spawn. Where everyone who joins the SMP first starts at. He remembered when he was first here.
"Clown. Pierce." Vitalasy's cold voice hit him like a punch to the gut.
"So nice of you to join me," sneering, he took a heavy step towards Clown.
"Thanks for inviting me Vitalasy," a smirk danced across his lips, "Did you mistake the battlefield for a nursery? Adorable, but futile."
The purple clad man seemed mildly annoyed by his snide remark but either didn't care enough, or didn't know how to reply for he retorted nothing back. Instead, he simply loaded an arrow onto his bow and aimed it at Clown. "Goodbye Clown," he looked almost deranged as he released the tension in his bow, letting the arrow fly, letting it slice through the air.
Clown dived out of the way, rolling forcefully onto the ground. Almost instantaneously, he returned the favour to Vitalasy and charged at him, dodging all of the projectiles being sent his way.
Drawing his sword out from behind his back, Clown slashed vigorously at his opposition's neck, only for it to easily be combated by a shield.
He tried again.
This time he aimed for his heart. If he could just breech his armour...
CLASH!
Vitalasy parried his attack.
"Nice try-"
He was cut short. Clown had aimed a kick at the inside of his knee, causing his legs to give way. The purple clad man was sent toppling into the dirt.
Vitalasy pearled away and ate a golden apple.
Clown chased him.
He had no remorse.
Vitalasy barely had any time to breathe for as soon as he landed, the jester was already hot on his trail swinging the same sword already laced in his blood.
"Did you really think I would let you get away that easily?"
Vitalasy resorted to his bow in some sort of desperate attempt at gaining distance.
"I wasn't even planning to fight today, yet here I am."
Vitalasy gritted his teeth and ducked as Clown attempted to swing a sword at his head.
"Clown, I thought you of all people would know..." He pulled out an axe and narrowly missed his enemy's arm. "Peace is never an option."
Vitalasy swung his axe back around and this time managed to slash it across Clown's chestplate. Vitalasy's axe had pierced his skin. Now it was Clown's turn to run. He sprinted in the opposite direction, his armour feeling abnormally heavier than usual.
He healed as fast as he could.
Vitalasy switched back to his sword.
"Look at you Vitalasy."
They exchanged blows again.
"Look at you attempting greatness."
Their battle was an endless quarrel between two foes.
"Pity it's only an attempt."
Clown pushed his blade forward cutting a jagged line down Vitalasy's cheek.
"You think you're so powerful don't you Clown Pierce?!" A snarl flashed across Vitalasy's face as he jabbed a sword at Clown's heart. "It's a pity really," he drawled, "Such nice armor ruined."
A crowd had started to form by now, the onlookers watching the battle in morbid interest. They were really no better than the two of them fighting. If anything, they were worse; too scared to do the act themselves and yet they still wanted to know what would happen.
Earnestly, Clown searched the sea of people to see if he could spot his best friend. Branzy - he needed to know if he was safe.
This wasn't just a terrible move from Clown, especially in the midst of a battle, this was something that almost cost him the whole fight. He spotted a sliver of silver hair amongst all of the people only to be met with Vitalasy's sword colliding with his porcelain mask.
His head flung backwards. His neck felt like it would snap.
The blow left a shaky crack running up the surface and chipped away at the material, revealing one of his hard, judging eyes through a gap in his mask Vitalasy had just created.
He was lucky Vitalasy hadn't swung harder.
No mercy, no remorse, no leniency, Vitalasy persisted his constant pursuit of Clown Pierce, not wanting to lose the potential chance of gaining a life.
They were back to brawling, their conflict an everlasting charade.
Clown almost didn't dodge it. A single arrow laced in deadly poison aimed straight at his heart. Almost undetectable by the naked eye.
It narrowly missed him.
Where did it come from? It couldn't have been Vitalasy - at least that was what he thought... maybe it was Subz shooting at him. Yes, that was probably it.
Defending himself from both a mysterious sniper and Vitalasy, Clown now had to be extra cautious to avoid getting impaled.
The firey spirit that had previously been fueling Vitalasy's assaults, seemed to now be extinguishing for his movements had started to dwindle and get sloppy.
In a last ditch effort, he scaled a hill near spawn. Clown of course chased after him, after all how could be say no to a free heart?
The last thing he saw before the explosion was the green trees turn suddenly into nothing more than rubble and dust. Vitalasy had uncessfully tried to trap him , or you could say it wasn't a total failure because he had managed to escape.
~ Branzy ~
Branzy watched the fight in front of him unfold, praying Clown would exit this battle victorious or at the very least unscathed.
Under a canopy of clouds that choked the atmosphere, two figures stood face to face on a barren plain. The fading light cast long shadows that danced around them, as if the very air itself was filled with anticipation.
Who would win?
They both moved with a sense of eerie elegance, their blades sliced through the air like whispers in the dark. Each strike was a murmer of chilling malevolence.
The fight was a deadly game of survival, each move carefully calculated to inflict the greatest amount of pain and suffering possible. It was a mesmerising display of skill and strategy as they dodged and parried. With each clash of their blades, the sounds of steel ringing through the air mingled with the sound of the ever growing crowd.
Through the haze violence seemed to have masked around the battle, Branzy locked eyes with Clown.
That was a mistake.
The next thing he knew, Vitalasy had swung his sword at Clown and had broken his mask.
Simultaneously, an arrow was flung past Clown and pierced the soil right next to his feet. He couldn't help the gasp that escaped his mouth and although he caught a few weird glances, from other people, he couldn't care less.
Who was shooting at Clown?
Branzy mentally prepared himself as he faced in the general direction the arrow came from. He had to be brave. For Clown.
His palms had already started to sweat as he shoved through the crowd. He noted Spoke's glare as he pushed past him, a look of mild exasperation was set on his lips.
Sprinting as fast as he could, he ran through oak trees, he ran over shrubs, he ran around logs to where whoever was trying to third party Vitalasy's and Clown's duel was. He reached a thicket. Not only was there nobody there, it looked like this place hadn't been disturbed in a long while.
He could see the battle so clearly, it had to have been here.
Searching in earnest for anything, even if it was just the smallest scrap of fabric left by the shooter, he sighed in exasperation.
He turned to watch the battle - Clown and Vitalasy were still fighting, although Vitalasy seemed to now be becoming increasingly more and more tired. He glanced to the floor in desperation.
Like usual he couldn't even help.
He almost walked away when he noticed it. A small crumpled up piece of paper hiding amongst the jagged blades of grass. He extended a shaky hand to grab it off of the floor.
Branzy held the piece of paper up to the sunlight; mud and grime clung to the torn edges almost as if their life depended on it. Before he could unfold it however, a flash lit up the ashen sky contrasting the sombre mood already set in nature.
BOOM!
The sound of an explosion rang through his ears.
Branzy snapped his head upwards so fast that his head might have broken off. Was Clown alright? The only thing he could see was fire licking the edges of a crater.
Putting the piece of paper in his pocket, Branzy watched over the scene in earnest, the smell of sulfur dioxide wafting towards him.
Shocked. He stood rigidly in silence.
What had just happened?
Though rolling clouds of ash and soot, Clown Pierce came limping out, spluttering and coughing as he moved.
"Branzy, where are you?" The sound of his strangled words drifted through the air.
The amethyst eyed man exhaled, letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding in.
Clown was safe.