Chapter Text
Dream looked over Tubbo’s shoulder through Ranboo's eyes, Sam hadn’t dropped the lava. Dream and Ranboo watched quietly from beside the smaller boy. Together they watched the wall of lava descend. He felt the tension in Ranboo’s body, the way his hand twitched at his side as if wanting to grab hold of Tubbo’s shoulder.
As the lava dropped almost completely Dream saw himself for the first time in months. His mask was dusted with soot, his dirty blonde hair was darker than before as if time out of the sun was sapping the color from it. The skin that was visible was a sickly pale colour, only made worse by its contrast to his lime green hoodie. Dream was glad that his mask covered his face, concealing his vacant eyes. His body stood dead still in the center of the room like some sort of living statute.
Dream closed his eyes, a feeling of a bucket of water being poured over him followed and when he opened his eyes again and raised his head, he met Tubbo’s exhausted brown ones. Ranboo had his head tilted slightly to the right as if he knew what Dream had seen, as if he knew exactly where Dream’s mind had been. That strange connection.
His last link to the outside world. His lifeline of escape. His salvation and destruction.
The sound of pistons split the air, drowning out the quiet pops of the bubbling lava, Dream had to suppress a flinch. After so long in the quiet room any loud noises hurt his ears and made him want to cower in his hoodie.
Tubbo stepped off the platform. The boy had come alone. Ranboo stood right at the edge of lava pool at the other side, Sam’s large hand gripping his shoulder firmly. But Dream also saw the tension in Sam’s posture, his ruby red eyes fixed on every movement Dream took as the speedrunner pulled himself carefully to his feet. Sam’s eyes that reminded him so much of Techno’s; the same quiet anger and protective care. But where Sam’s were redstone red, Techno’s were blood red.
Tubbo stepped forward as the netherite blocks dropped down. Dream backed away to the wall, watching the boy. He didn't miss the shaking hands, red eyes, blood stained hands and clothes. Dream knew the look of a wild animal, wild animals were dangerous, unpredictable. Like himself.
Tubbo stepped into the cell. "Tommy is dead."
Dream assessed Tubbo carefully, "I know." He whispered quietly, his voice was torn from his screams. Surprise flashed in those brown eyes. "I’m going to let you free, Dream," He opened his mouth to protest, but Tubbo continued.
"Your freedom for Tommy’s life."
Dream hesitated, regarding Tubbo with cool neutrality, the look he hid behind when his heart was racing. Everything in him was at odds with each other. His head yelling at him to take the offer, to escape, to feel fresh air on his skin again. But his heart made him hesitate. That part of him that had been crushed by the egg, the part of him that embodied the man he had been when Tommy first joined. The part of him that had rebelled against the grip of the egg that wanted to be punished for his actions. That maybe just maybe the pain of imprisonment and loneliness could fill the guilty void in his chest for everything that he had done during exile and after.
"You can bring him back, with the book Schlatt gave you." Tubbo begged, "Please. I can't lose Tommy. Anyone but Tommy." Dream looked at Tubbo’s outstretched bloody hand, Ranboo’s own bloody hands flashed before his eyes.
"Your freedom for Tommy’s life."
Tubbo dropped to his knees, tears spilling out of his already red eyes. He crawled towards Dream, hands grabbing onto his forearms. Dream flinched at the contact but stayed where he was.
"PLEASE! DREAM, I CAN’T LOSE HIM!" Tubbo screamed, "You took everything from me. Please don’t take him too!" His voice trailed off into a horrible hoarse whisper. Ranboo appeared next to them, his red and green eyes flashing as he looked at the two of them, but he didn't approach. The boy had teleported across the pool. Dream heard Sam’s intake of breath but the warden made no move to intervene. The fear in his eyes was clear to Dream. The fear of not being in control.
"You would burn the world in a blazing inferno for George. I can’t burn things. But I’m willing to walk through the shadows to get to him. To get my best friend back." Tubbo’s voice was low, cracked. Dream looked at his knuckles that were caked with dried blood as if the young boy had taken out his anger on a tree or two.
"I would have followed him anywhere. But he’s somewhere I can’t follow. I didn’t get to him in time." Tubbo’s hands dug into Dream’s pale skin.
"Say something!" He begged, "I'm giving up on him’"
Dream’s hands came to rest on Tubbo’s shoulders, watching him carefully.
"I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you Tommy."
Dream lowered himself into a kneeling position to be on a similar eye level to Tubbo. “Tubbo,” Dream spoke quietly, “I cannot give you what you want. No matter how much I may want to.” Tubbo looked up at him again, anger now sparking in his eyes.
“Yes you can! You’re selfish. You are the reason he died!”
“Everything requires a balance, Tubbo. When Death has claimed a life, she will not release them easily. A balance must be struck. Schlatt’s revive book is crude dark magic...”
“Then kill me!” Tubbo said, his voice surprisingly steady, he ignored Ranboo’s shout of protest. “People need him. I need him. You need him.” Dream sighed sadly.
“My freedom for Tommy’s life.” He repeated, the boy’s words. Tubbo nodded frantically, gone was the careful, mindful boy that Dream knew all those months ago, In its place was a child soldier driven to despair and recklessness.
“You are not going to kill Tubbo.” Ranboo said firmly. Dream looked up at him, shaking his head.
“No.”
Dream reached into Tubbo’s pocket pulling out a small dagger, one that had remained hidden for months. Ranboo instantly reacted, pulling Tubbo away and behind him. But Dream looked at the dagger with morbid interest. He withdrew two books from his pocket, throwing them on the ground at Ranboo’s feet.
“Give these to George and Sapnap. Please.” He almost begged. He raised the dagger as Sam shouted in shock, the sound of piston’s following at the creeper hybrid desperately tried to reach Dream in time. Ranboo was too busy entangled in Tubbo’s grip to stop Dream, as the speedrunner drove the dagger into his own chest.
Taking his own last life.
What is the saying about revenge? An eye for an eye? Death is similar...a life for a life.
Ranboo yelled out his strange connection with Dream, allowing him to feel the blade as it sliced into Dream’s skin and muscle. Sam reached Dream, flinging himself next to where Dream had fallen, blood pooling around him as Dream withdrew the dagger, allowing himself to bleed out.
“Fool Dream! You stupid fool!” Sam muttered desperately pressing at Dream’s chest but there was no one to help them.
“I’m sorry.” Dream choked out as the air started leaving his lungs, breath rattling loudly as he fought to suck air back in again. Sam reached up, ripping off the mask and Dream felt the Egg’s last grip on him fade, he saw in the reflection of Sam’s golden mask his eyes that had been a bright vivid red fade to emerald green again. He saw the exact moment when Sam understood what had happened with Dream and the Egg. Saw how anger and confusion melted into grief and guilt.
“My freedom for Tommy’s life.” Dream breathed as he felt a trickle of blood run down from his lips to his neck and shoulder. Tubbo and Ranboo huddled on the other side of Dream. “I’m sorry.” The speedrunner whispered to them.
“No. No. No. No!” Sam muttered, typing in his communicator, begging for help but no one would come in time, they had no healing potions in the prison. Dream looked up at the three tear stained faces, Ranboo was flickering in and out of existence as the water from his tears made his enderman side want to teleport while the rest of him fought to remain present.
Dream saw a dark island in his mind’s eye, huge blackstone walls and a tower castle, rain pouring onto the stone pathways, white flowers the only colour beside black and red. “The otherside.” He mumbled to himself as he watched a boy in a purple hoodie stand waiting for him at the entrance to the castle, framed by the soft flames from within.
“My one big family.” Dream whispered as the voices of Sam, Tubbo and Ranboo melded into one another. “One big family once again. Without me. Why, sad? Happy...”
Dream was killed by Dream.
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Tommyinnit joined the game.
Tommyinnit achieved the achievement [Revival]