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Dream enjoyed being part of the DreamSMP roleplay, and especially loved having a say in the script. He shouldn’t be upset about this at all; after all, he was the one who suggested it in the first place.
His leg bounced nervously as he waited for Minecraft to boot up. As soon as it loaded, Dream clicked on the server titled “Dream”, slid on the special Minecraft VR headset, and sat back to wait.
For a few moments, all he could see was darkness. Then the black slowly faded into a dark, earthy color, and Dream couldn’t suppress a smile as the familiar world loaded before his very eyes.
In no time at all, he was standing near the entrance to Church Prime. Dream stretched his arms out, testing his control and movement as he always did when diving into VR. The technology never failed to amaze him, especially since it was only a recent addition to his favorite game.
Letting his arms drop to his sides again, Dream gazed around the world. It was a nice day, with beautiful clouds swirling across an azure sky, and the sun shining warmly upon him. He turned appreciatively to the Church standing before him, recalling with pride how he had built it so long ago.
A small ping distracted Dream from his thoughts, and he saw a small blinking light in the corner of his eyes. Letting out an almost imperceptible sigh, he pulled up his invisible screen and tapped on the light.
“Hello?” A familiar voice called through the intercom, and he winced slightly at the volume. “Oops, sorry. My mic is a bit loud.”
“Hi Ranboo!” Dream greeted, trying to sound excited rather than uneasy. “Are you ready to destroy some history with me?” He joked.
His words drew a laugh from the teen. “Sure! I’m on my way from my house in L’manburg.”
Ranboo’s clear—and genuine—excitement brought a smile to Dream’s face, and he turned to stare at the distance with slightly more bravado. “I’m near the Community House already.” He tapped on his screen again, pulling up his inventory and quickly scanning it. “I’ve got the TNT…do you have the buckets?”
“Yup!” Ranboo said happily, the faint whirling sound of a trident in the background of his audio. “Almost here!”
Dream hummed to show he had heard, and began making his way down the Prime Path. He wished George or Sapnap were here with him too, especially since he was on the way to destroy the first real thing they had built together. But both just happened to be busy, though they jokingly wished him well in his work.
Ranboo hadn’t really been his first choice to help him blow up the Community House, but his company was appreciated all the same. And as the teen himself had said, having him help in the behind-the-scenes destruction would be quite ironic, seeing as Ranboo’s character would soon be going through a crisis over the whole ordeal.
Yeah, Dream was well aware that it was all for lore purposes. But that didn’t mean it would hurt any less. He couldn’t help but feel slightly ashamed of his own attachment to the Community House, especially seeing as the other two builders of the house didn’t seem to share the same connection with it.
Dream slowed to a stop as the Prime Path melded into a sturdy wooden bridge, stretching across lakewater. He looked up at the Community House, tracing its familiar brick shape with his eyes, smiling slightly as he recalled remodeling the entire building.
“I’m here!” Ranboo’s voice, crackling through the intercom abruptly, startled Dream out of his reminiscence. He turned just in time to see Ranboo plop down onto the path in front of him, grinning widely and still with his gleaming trident outstretched.
“Hi!” The teen greeted breathlessly, lowering the trident and letting out a small, sheepish laugh. “Sorry about taking so long. I don’t think I’ll never get sick of flying.”
Dream smiled at the bright, starry look in Ranboo’s eyes. “Agreed.” He turned to the Community House again, his gaze darkening slightly as he contemplated the task in store. “I guess we should get started.”
“Yeah.” Ranboo’s excited voice seemed slightly more subdued than before. Dream wondered if the teen had noticed his own reluctance, or if he was just being paranoid. “Let’s start with the TNT then, shall we?”
Dream just nodded, moving a stack of TNT from his inventory to his hotbar. Selecting the slot, a floating block of TNT materialized in Dream’s hand, and he moved resolutely forward.
Dream hesitated for only a moment before placing the block right in front of the front doorway. Another block automatically replaced it in his hand, and he got straight to work, scattering the blocks all around the building.
On the other hand, Ranboo stepped off the bridge, plunging straight into the water. He surfaced quickly, shaking droplets of water from his bicolored hair, and aimed his trident at the sky.
Dream paused in his work to watch as the teen was propelled high into the air, before plummeting down toward the roof of the Community House. His hand drifted to his hotbar instinctively, hovering over the slot holding a water bucket, but he shook off the protective feeling. Ranboo was more than capable of taking care of himself. Dream found himself nodding approvingly when the teen expertly splashed a bucket of water beneath him right as his feet touched the ceiling, negating all fall damage.
“Can you toss me some TNT?” Ranboo called down to Dream, grinning. Dream obliged, pushing a few buttons around his screen before then throwing half the stack up. Ranboo stretched out a hand and caught the blocks easily. “Thanks!”
Dream’s stomach churned, wondering if Ranboo was smiling so brightly at the prospect of blowing the entire building sky-high. “No problem.” He forced out, turning quickly away and shoving the thought out of his mind. Dream missed the way Ranboo’s smile slipped slightly, and his happy expression morphed into one of concern.
It took no time at all to finish placing the remainder of the stack around the first and second floors. Each block Dream placed was another lurch in his stomach, and he regretted not taking a better look at the Community House before it was covered in explosives.
Dream placed the last block carefully, dread now bubbling over inside him. He didn’t want to blow it all up. It was silly and borderline stupid, he knew, to be so attached to a simple building. But destroying the Community House meant destroying the first real piece of history on the server that had come so far. Destroying history meant destroying memories, and Dream had never been good at letting go.
“Dream, I’m done!” Ranboo’s voice called from somewhere above him. Resigned, still filled with churning anxiety, Dream headed for the stairs in the middle of the room.
Avoiding the TNT arranged all around, he trudged up the flight of stairs and emerged into the setting sun. Dream blinked, surprised. The task had taken longer than he expected, he realized, as he stared around the gold and red-washed land.
“Oh! Did you finish too?” Dream turned to see Ranboo sitting near him, perched on a block of TNT.
“Yup!” Dream tried to inject false cheer into his voice, forcing a smile onto his face.
It didn’t seem to work, as Ranboo’s own smile faltered slightly. “Hey! Um…are you okay?” The teen asked cautiously, worriedly wringing his hands in front of him. “You’ve been a bit quiet today…”
“Oh, I’m just tired.” Dream lied easily, waving a dismissive hand.
Ranboo looked slightly skeptical, but he seemed to buy the excuse. “Well, let’s get on with it then.” He sprang to his feet, looking inquisitively at Dream. “Do you want to do it, or should I?”
“I’ll do it.” Dream decided quickly. If the Community House had to go, then at least it would be by his hands. He pulled up his inventory again, and moved a flint and steel into the empty slot that once held a full stack of TNT.
Ranboo nodded, moving to the edge of the roof. “Don’t forget to jump into the water when it goes off.” He warned jokingly, giving Dream a small smile.
Dream didn’t hear him. His eyes were fixed on the small object in his hands, which were starting to shake slightly. It was stupid, really. Being so sentimental over an old, run-down building.
Taking in a deep breath, Dream kneeled down in front of the TNT block closest to the edge of the roof. He held the flint and steel in front of him, hovering inches above the bright red block.
“…Dream?” Ranboo’s voice sounded as though it came from far, far away. Dream continued to stare, not at the object in his hands, but down at the Prime Path below and what he could see of the Community House.
It really was beautiful, despite being one of the oldest builds on the server.
It was the foundation of the entire DreamSMP, the place where everything had started. It was the beginning of so many memories, so many friendships.
Dream couldn’t just throw it all away, could he?
A tear splashed onto his trembling hand as his vision began to blur.
“Dream.” Ranboo’s voice was much closer than it had been before, and Dream felt a warm hand settle on his shoulder. “Hey…”
“I—” Dream let out a shaky laugh, the flint and steel vanishing as he raised his hands to rub at his eyes. “I can’t do it.”
Ranboo was silent for a moment, moving to sit next to Dream in front of the TNT. “I get what you mean.” He said finally, his voice quiet. “Even though I’m not one for attachments.” The teen paused for a moment, as if considering his words, before continuing. “It really is beautiful, isn’t it? So many beautiful memories too.”
Dream laughed again, more watery and yet more genuine than before. “I still don’t get how you’re so perceptive.”
“What can I say?” Ranboo shrugged, his tone light and teasing. “I’m just awesome like that.”
Dream shifted so that he was also sitting instead of kneeling, drawing his knees up to his chest. He rested his chin on his knees, now staring in the direction of the setting sun. “I’m okay. Really, I am.” He reassured the teen, whose shoulders untensed at the words. “I just…it’s dumb.”
“It’s not dumb.” Ranboo replied immediately, frowning slightly. “It just seems silly because…you know…Minecraft.” He finished rather lamely. “But it’s as real as you and me!” Ranboo continued, turning to Dream with a bright smile and putting a hand on his shoulder. “So don’t be ashamed of it.”
“…yeah.” Dream whispered, placing his own hand on Ranboo’s arm, returning the gesture. “There…there’s just so many memories.”
“I know.” Ranboo echoed, his voice warm. Dream could tell that he was reminiscing too. “Remember when we first met in the DreamSMP?”
“Yeah!” Dream perked up slightly, chuckling at the memory. “I’m still proud that I gave you your first two server deaths.
Ranboo just rolled his eyes. “I had no items, no armor, no anything.” He deadpanned, then smiled as he earned himself another laugh from Dream.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. After a while, Ranboo raised his hands, smiling slightly as Dream looked at him curiously. Swiping across his invisible inventory screen, the teen materialized a small cake into his hands.
“Here!” Ranboo took a pre-cut slice and offered it to Dream, his smile bright and genuine.
Dream couldn’t help but smile back at the teen as he took the slice gratefully and took a bite. Savoring the sweet and familiar taste of the cake, he continued gazing out at the land of the DreamSMP. If he squinted, he could catch a glimpse of Eret’s Museum in the distance, as well as Punz’s house.
Finishing off the slice of cake, Dream ran his hand gently over the brick ceiling of the Community House. He remembered smelting clay to create these very blocks, laughing with George and Sapnap about the name coincidence
They were good memories.
But they wouldn’t disappear just like that. Blowing up the Community House wouldn’t really do anything, would it? It wouldn’t erase what was already burned into his memory.
Dream smiled fondly as he glanced sideways at Ranboo, who was eagerly finishing off his own slice of cake. He could always make more memories anyways. His friends weren’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
Dream took a deep breath, accepting the truth, steeling himself. “I’m ready.” He turned to Ranboo face, who was popping his last bite of cake into his mouth. “I want to do it.”
“Hm?” The teen hummed, looking slightly surprised as he swallowed the cake. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Dream offered Ranboo a reassuring smile. “I want to be the one to do it.”
Ranboo grinned back at him, getting to his feet and sticking out a hand to him. Dream accepted it, and was pulled up by the other teen. Together, they looked down at the TNT block in front of them.
“You sure?” Ranboo repeated, glancing sideways at Dream, not bothering to mask his concern.
But Dream knew he was past mourning for the Community House. In the end, it was just a building, albeit one full of memories and happiness.
“Definitely.” Dream replied firmly, smiling as he summoned the flint and steel back into his hand. “I mean, it’ll be good practice for when I have to play the villain.”
Ranboo laughed, the sound bright and ringing in the evening air. “You got this, Dream.” He patted Dream on the back, encouraging and supportive.
“Thank you.” Dream found himself saying. “Honestly, thank you.”
He was met with a surprised look from the teen. “I didn’t do anything though?” Ranboo said in confusion.
“Nah, you did plenty.” He knelt down in front of the TNT, readying the flint and steel. “Thanks for helping me see straight.”
“Um…you're welcome!” Ranboo replied uncertainly, but happily all the same.
Dream stared down at the bright red TNT, and the flint and steel raised right above it. A smile crept across his face, and he glanced up at the setting sun. He would do this looking forward, into the horizon rather than back at the Community House.
After all, the DreamSMP was all about moving on. Moving through the plotline, creating and destroying countries, letting go of possessions. But the one thing that never vanished was the memories.
He grinned slightly. “I guess what really matters is the friends we made along the way, huh?”
Ranboo snorted from where he still stood above him. “That’s the only time I’ve heard that phrase used unironically.” The teen crossed his arms, staring at the sunset too with a smile on his face.
“But it’s true, isn’t it? And it always will be.”