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George walked up to the giant structure, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He could feel the cold winds blowing at his face, surprisingly chilly compared to the warmth that his body was radiating due to the nerves he was feeling.
He spotted Sam, watching him. Sam was leaning against the wall of the doorway, his sword in hand.
"I want to see him, Sam," George said stiffly, walking up to Sam.
Sam raised an eyebrow, not looking amused nor impressed. Instead, he looked peeved and annoyed, a small tinge of pity mixed in too.
"Why are you here, George? You never come here. You come back, after how long? Just to see him?" Sam replied, still not letting George in.
George looked away from Sam, towards the water surrounding the prison. It has, been a long time, since George stepped foot into the Dream SMP. He had heard tales, of what had occured since he left.
The exiles.
The broken friendships.
Destroyed countries.
Friends and families turning against each other.
Dream in prison.
Surprisingly, none of the first few examples hit as much as the last one. None of the events seemed worth George's time to return to the SMP, until he heard of Dream's imprisonment.
His old friend.
His old love, was in jail.
"Let me see him," George repeated himself, looking at Sam again. Sam didn't say anything, looking slightly wary.
"Do you still love him George? Is that why you're here? Is that why you came back?" Sam asked, sheathing his sword.
Damn it. Sam saw right through him, like he was made of glass. Of course Dream was the reason he came back, it had always been Dream. His reasons for being there.
The reason he had bothered staying. The reason why the Dream SMP, was still his home. Because Dream was there. George could travel the world and see one thousand and one new places, but wherever Dream was, that was where George's home was.
Now he was in jail.
Dream.
His Dream.
Dream and his wheezing laugh. The Dream that would protect him back when the SMP was still brand new. The Dream that always told George how much he loved him, urging him to say it back.
George never did, but he knew that Dream knew how he felt.
George, tell me you love me.
Dream would grab George's arm, pulling George towards him as George would struggle. He would pull away, just as his shoulder collides with Dream's chest, and they would laugh.
The day Dream offered him the throne, saying that he, George, could be the king. He had, of course, accepted it. But he wasn't interested in the title. He didn't want it. But he accepted it.
And then Dream took it. As soon as he gave George the title, he took it away almost as fast. Claiming it was for George's own good.
George didn't care about the title, honestly he didn't. But when Dream told him, taking away his crown, he couldn't see his best friend anymore. He saw a stranger, a villain.
A bad guy.
Someone that his Dream, wasn't.
George couldn't recognise the person he loved the most. He just looked like a stranger, when Dream took of his mask, he couldn't see anything familiar.
"Just tell me you hate me," George had said.
No response to that. Until Sapnap intervened, to protect his friend. Even as Sapnap pulled George away, Dream didn't say anything.
"I care more about the discs, than anything else on this server,"
Was that true?
Their friendship, feelings. Nothing?
So George left. He left the server, away from his home, from the place he had spent the most time with. His happiest memories with the person who meant the most to him.
The person who had meant the most to him.
Because they were just strangers now, weren't they?
George had heard of Dream antics, told himself that he didnt care what Dream said or did in the SMP, because it no longer concerned him.
But he guessed, he does care.
Because after all that's happened, George came back.
To see him.
"Let me in Sam," George's hands found themselves around the hilt of his sword, ready to use force if needed.
Sam let out a long sigh. "Okay George. 10 minutes. That's all you have. Say what you want. Follow me,"
And George followed him, into the giant building, the building that was built on Dream's own orders. Where he was being held at the very moment.
-
"There he is. Have fun. Don't try anything funny. I know your history," Sam said, leaving the visiting room.
Across the room, there he was. Dream.
He was sitting on the bed, hugging his knees, head resting on them. He didn't seem to realise that George was there.
And George, he watched.
He didn't know, should he say something? Call out to him? Would Dream even want to see him?
But seeing him, looking weaker than he ever did before, even when the server was brand new. Before they even got their first log. Because back then, Dream had George. Dream had Sapnap.
Now, he had nothing. He truly had nothing. No items, no weapons, he was like a God, that fell. No friends. No family. Nothing.
Someone with a history, chapters with stories long ended, with only empty pages left.
"Dream?" George called out, softly. He walked as close as he could to Dream, his feet stopping right on the edge of the lava pool.
The blonde haired male looked up, his eyes widening slightly. He stared at George, as though in disbelief, like he didn't believe that George was actually there.
"George?" he asked, getting up.
He walked to the edge of the lava, watching George, staring at him.
George couldn't bring himself to look back anymore. He was scared, that if he looked back at Dream, he wouldn't know what he would see.
Would he see his old friend?
A villain?
A weak God, who fell from power?
The person he loved?
Or just... Dream?
Because Dream was all of those things. Dream was his best friend. And there he was. So close, so far.
What George would give to be able to run across the lava, to hug Dream. To just hug him, and hopefully, like in a fairytale, it would fix things. That they could get a happy ending.
But that wouldn't happen. Because they weren't in a fairytale. And no matter who George saw in Dream's eyes, that was not the person he knew.
He had heard of the things Dream had done. Abusing Tommy, emotional and mental abuse. Manipulation, arson, destroying a whole country. The list just went on.
"You're not who I remember," George said, still refusing to look at Dream.
"I'm not," Dream admitted. "I did what I did, to protect you,"
Protect... him?
"Lies," George said softly.
"Lies, Dream! You're lying, you never did anything for me, you never did anything for your friends! You threw me and Sapnap aside like we were nothing. Like we were just pawns in your stupid game of chess. We gave you all we could, and we weren't enough for you, were we?" George couldn't help screaming, he just felt so hurt by it all.
The fact that his best friend, had became unrecognizable. The way he, and Sapnap were tossed aside. In his conquest for everything he wanted, Dream forgot everything he already had.
"George, listen. You were enough. You didn't say goodbye before you left, that was sad. You made me sad. I did all I did, to protect you. If I let you stay, or treated you how I always did, Tommy would use you as leverage. You'd be in danger. Cause you're on my side George. You've always been on my side," Dream spoke, his words meaning almost nothing to George. His attempts at manipulation felt so futile.
They were on the same side, huh?
Then why was Dream the only one in the cell, on the other side, by himself?
"Tommy wouldn't use me as leverage. Because he's got a best friend too, someone that he cares about. He wouldn't use me. You would. You'd always use someone else, to gain what you want. You'd sell me away in a heartbeat. And that's exactly what you did, isn't it Dream?"
It just wasn't fair. The person George cared about, didnt care as much as George would've liked him to. Tommy would sacrifice everything he's worked for, for Tubbo's life.
If Tubbo was ever in danger, it would be Tommy, first to run to his aid.
How could George ever say the same?
"You never said goodbye. You just, you just left. After everything we've been through. First you left, then Sapnap betrayed me. Punz did too. You're the only one left George. It could be the two of us. Just like old times? Remember? We used to joke around, play around. My best friend?" Dream offered.
George finally looked up. He looked at Dream, whose mask was lying on the floor beside the bed, in pieces. His face scarred, bruised. His eyes.
His green eyes.
They used to give George so much comfort, they were his home.
But George looked into them, and saw someone unfamiliar. Someone in pieces, someone who had lost everything. Everything they've had, and everything they've always wanted was now out of reach.
"Are you happy now, Dream? Is this what you wanted? Power? Peace? Now you're here? Is this your plan?" George asked, looking straight at him.
"George, I've been alone for a while," laughed Dream. He was laughing. After how long, after all he's done, he was laughing. Like it was all a joke to him. "C'mon now George, don't be that way. It's me. Dream,"
"I just... I don't know who you are anymore!" George screamed, tears appearing in his eyes. "You're supposed to be my friend! It was supposed to be us! You, me, Sapnap? What happened to that? Why did you do it? What's wrong with you? What did we do? Tell me Dream. Just for once, in your fucking life. Be honest with me. Because I'm not forgiving you. I can't,"
This time, Dream was the one who looked away. He looked away from George, towards the pool of lava. Surprisingly, George could see tears.
Dream, the literal GOD of the server, was crying.
He lost everything. And yet, George couldn't feel bad. He just wasn't his friend anymore. Dream was hurting, he knew. But he knew the pain was a pinprick compared to the absolute stab that he felt.
Things were over. Dream's chapters were over. Were there possible new ones? Maybe. But George was sure, he would never forgive the man before him.
Just say you love me George.
"Dream?" George called out, knowing his time was almost up. Sam would be returning.
Dream looked up.
"Thanks for the memories Dream. But you're making your own from now on. Just like you have been, for the past few weeks since you changed," George said.
"I loved you," he finished.
You never said goodbye.
Sam returned, stepping through the portal to escort George out of the prison.
George looked back at Dream, who stared at him, dumbfounded. He looked regretful, upset, broken.
"Goodbye Dream," George said aloud for Dream to hear, as he stepped through the portal with Sam. He could hear Dream calling him, for what, George would never know.
Because that was done. His best friend was gone. Whoever stood in his place, George would never see him as the same person he had spent his early memories with.
Goodbye, Dream.