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If it were up to him, Techno would’ve killed Sam before Ranboo even took off his armor. Unfortunately, the entirety of the SMP were here and no matter where he turned, someone was hitting him with their sword or firing an arrow. It didn’t help that Dream was panicked yelling and frantically running (mostly away from Sapnap).
Dream never truly ran off even though he was out of prison. He just didn’t.
Dream was obviously hurt when Techno demanded the netherite armor back. The sheep hybrid really thought Techno was generous enough to let him keep the armor just long enough until he found his own.
But the hard stare from Techno’s grief-ridden red eyes told Dream otherwise, and with a broken sounding noise, he stripped off his netherite gear and gave it back to Techno.
The green eyed man bit back whimpers when he saw the expression from Techno and Phil change. Normally, it would be very hard to get Dream to remove netherite armor. The fact that he so easily resisted should have sent off red flags. But both men were both deep in grieving at the loss of one of their members.
You could bring him back, a soft voice told Dream. But they need to ask you first, said the sharper and firmer voice.
With a sigh, Dream turned and fled from the Arctic, limping badly (his left leg was not set right after Quackity and stomped on it, and it healed like that).
Alone, unarmored and only bearing a shield and a sword, Dream travelled, vulnerable. He allowed the tears to fall freely and he collapsed to his knees, sobbing.
In all his days, his years of living, Dream has never felt so truly and utterly alone. And this only proves to him that attachments are only weaknesses. How foolish of him to get so hung up on the idea of being best friends with Technoblade, after spending three months in prison together. He should’ve known. His heart shattering into a million pieces, Dream curled up and shook on the snowy ground, wanting nothing more than just the slightest feeling of warmth.
“There you are,” came a voice all too familiar to Dream and almost hesitantly, as if not wanting to get his hopes up, the white haired dirty sheep hybrid looked up at a pair of glowing boots. Green eyes started trailing up to look at someone he thought had betrayed him, and had hated him.
“Punz…” Dream said in a quiet and shaky voice before he pushed himself up.
“Gods, I waited here for so long,” the white clad mercenary said with a tone of relief. This gave Dream the permission to run to Punz, and wrap his all-too skinny arms around him. “Holy…. You look like shit.”
The sheep hybrid said nothing, but squeezed Punz tighter and buried his face into the crook of Punz’s neck. After a good five minutes, the white haired male pulled away and looked up at the older blonde. “Punz… I need armor. Please tell me you have a spare set of netherite armor?”
“You’re in luck. The boots aren’t enchanted-“
“I don’t care. I just need something to- to keep me from dying. It’s… it’s fucking cold out here!” Dream exclaimed, and Punz nodded before pulling from his inventory a set of netherite armor, all enchanted save for the boots which remained black. “I have…. I have to get my own armor back. Nightmare-“
“Is a dangerous set of armor that’s perhaps possessed.” Punz interrupted, surprising Dream. “Tubbo had said that whilst wearing Nightmare, he felt unsafe, he felt afraid-“
“Because Nightmare is only good to me-“
“Nightmare only protects you but it also influences you.”
“If you think I’m going to go after Tommy again, when he has been just a tool to my suffering you are wrong, Punz. Once I’m strong enough, equipped even, I’m going straight to the cause of my suffering.” Dream promised. “But I need Nightmare. Only then, when I’m finished, will I retire it for good and move on.”
Punz looked at Dream before sighing and nodded, pressing a kiss to the sheep hybrid’s head. “Okay. I just…. I wanted you to heal before going on with anything.”
“I know. But as soon as I get Nightmare, then I’ll be satisfied and start healing.”
Punz had told Dream where Nightmare was located. The set of armor was in Snowchester, Tubbo’s area of living. Unfortunately, it was way too close to the prison, and Dream had to find a different way to it without getting caught. As much as Dream wanted to check up on his younger brother (and profusely apologize to him for threatening to kill him), he had a short window of safety. Any moment now, the Warden or Sir could end up intercepting him. Dream was skating on thin ice right now, as he searched through chests and chests for Nightmare in the armory of Snowchester. He had failed to hear someone sneak up on him, and was given the fright of his life.
“Looking for something?” The oh-so familiar voice echoed in the stone bricked room and Dream yelped in surprise, tripping and falling on his bottom.
“Sap….” Dream said quietly before his eyes brightened at his best friend. “Sapnap! I missed you so much! Gods, I.. I didn’t think we’d be meeting again like this-“
“What are you doing out of the prison, Dream?” Sapnap asked, voice chilling and cold.
“I… I’ll have to explain that to you later, Sap. I just… I need my armor.”
“No, Dream you have to tell me what you’re doing out of the-…. Dream, did you forget the promise I made?”
Dream looked at Sapnap with fearful green eyes, shining with tears. “I… I didn’t think you’d mean it, Sap. It… please Sapnap, you don’t have to do this. I’m not mad at you, I was never mad at you! Hell, I’m not even mad at Tommy anymore! Prison will do shit to you, Sapnap-“
“You deserved everything that happened in the prison!” The Blaze-Hybrid snapped, silencing Dream from his thoughts. The white haired sheep hybrid froze in his place, looking at Sapnap with wide eyes. He started thinking He doesn’t mean it… he doesn’t actually know what happened there! But then his mind started spiraling. But Sir told you… Sir had said that everyone knew what Sir was doing and that they thought you deserved it. Everyone agreed that months of torture was good for you. Even Techno. Look how he just.. let you go. Sir was right. Biting back a sob, Dream couldn’t help but allow the tears to fall. He shook his head, and was unable to hold back his damaged state.
“H-How’s George…?” He tried to change the subject.
Sapnap, taken aback by the sudden tears, shifted before remembering who he was talking to. “A whole lot better now that you were in prison.” A lie. But Sapnap couldn’t give Dream hope. “We have a whole kingdom with Karl… Kinoko Kingdom. We’ve moved on.”
The sheep hybrid crumbled and sobbed, falling to his knees. It’s your fault. Your fault that Tommy is afraid of everything. Your fault that your brother hates you. Your fault that Ranboo died. Your fault that your best friends no longer love you.
Your fault.
Your fault.
Your FAULT!
A broken wail escaped Dream’s mouth and he curled up on himself. Sapnap was stunned silent as his former friend broke down. The loud wailing triggered the attention of Tubbo and Techno. Techno had come to tell Tubbo the unfortunate news of Ranboo’s murder and Michael’s capture, claiming Dream’s escape to be necessary. The broken ram hybrid had stormed into his armory to see Sapnap over a sobbing Dream.
“What happened- Dream?!” Tubbo exclaimed and had taken out his sword.
Techno however, set his arm in front of Tubbo. “Listen, Tubbo, I know your relationship with Dream is not the best but there’s something I should explain to both of you.” He said, addressing Sapnap as well.
“No. I don’t need to hear excuses. I’m taking the armor, and I don’t want to see his face ever again” Sapnap said sharply, turning to Tubbo. “Where’s his armor?”
The youngest looked at Sapnap and pointed to a chest before keeping his eyes trained on Dream. As Sapnap took Dream’s armor, Tubbo took a deep breath. “Can you two leave me alone with Dream?”
Both Techno and Sapnap tensed, glancing at each other before turning to Tubbo. “Are you sure?” Sapnap asked. “Tubbo, he almost killed you!”
“Sapnap!” Tubbo snapped, his red rimmed eyes glaring. “I want to speak with him, alone ” The piglin hybrid simply nodded and dragged Sapnap out of the armory, leaving Tubbo alone with Dream who still sobbed. With slow movements, Tubbo knelt to set his sword down before walking over to his older brother. “Dream?”
The white haired male looked up at Tubbo, tears running down his flushed cheeks. Tubbo began to notice the scars that littered Dream’s face and he sighed. “What happened to Ranboo?” He asked.
“P-Please Tubbo, it wasn’t m-my fault-“
“I didn’t say it was your fault. I asked what happened to him.”
Dream sobbed and shook his head. “I promise I-I won’t g-go after you or T-Tommy-“
“What happened to Ranboo?” Tubbo said, his voice rising and firm.
“I-I’ll leave you guys alone j-just please don’t send me back there!”
Tubbo, tired of this sob fest, grabbed Dream by the biceps and shook him. “WHAT HAPPENED TO RANBOO?!”
The older man cried out in pain before shaking his head. “The Warden killed him!” He sobbed. “He threatened to kill Ranboo if I don’t go back to the prison!”
“You should’ve never left prison!”
“ I KNOW! I deserved it! I have been hearing it for 9 months! I deserved the pain! I deserved the beatings and tortures and starving! I deserved it all!” Dream screamed and crumbled again. Tubbo released the older and began pacing around the armory. “I just didn’t want to be in pain anymore….” Dream whispered, shaking as he curled up on the floor. “I didn’t know Ranboo was there…. I d-didn’t think the Warden would d-do that….”
Tubbo shut his eyes right and breathed in, clenching his fists tightly. He exhaled and looked at Dream again. “What happened there?” He asked.
The sheep hybrid shook his head. “So much… so much that I deserved,” he sobbed and shivered. “Dad was right…”
Tubbo tensed at heading Dream say this. Their father, long dead now, had always been way too hard on Dream:
A sheep hybrid amongst rams. A runt. That was what Dream was, what he was told. Schlatt couldn’t stand to see his oldest son so small and so weak. He had to train the kid to be stronger than all.
“Everything I do is for your own good.” Schlatt would say as he slammed Dream’s head into the hardwood floor of their house. “I do this because I love you and you deserve it.” As Schlatt continued beating the young Dream, an even younger Tubbo watched in fear.
This memory, these words all made sense to Tubbo now. It’s not that Dream hated the server. He loved the server, judging by his actions. Dream had always taken Schlatt’s words to heart and it was apparent that he thought this was how you showed love to a server.
And now everyone has abandoned Dream, someone who grew up with violence being equal to love. Tubbo swallowed a lump in his throat and gently placed his hand on his brother’s white hair. “Hey…. Don’t do that please…” he said softly, catching Dream’s attention. “You don’t deserve torture and being starved and beatings. As someone who has witnessed you getting beaten by someone we’re supposed to see as a father, this is not the right answer for anyone. You deserve prison, yes. Pay for crimes that you have committed but to be fair, you have already paid them and then some, given what you told me.” A pause. Dream looked at his younger brother with hope in his eyes, just a glimmer of it. He shifted and sat up. “I just… look, I would like to have Ranboo back. And I would like for you to tell me who did this to you.”
“No… no I can’t tell you. And I…. He will find me if I bring back Ranboo. He will think that I’m trying to use him!” Dream panicked.
“Ranboo will go insane in limbo! Wilbur’s insane. So will Ranboo if he’s there for too long!”
“No! No! He will find me, he will bring me back to the prison and it will start all over again!”
“Who?! Who is he ?! You’re being a baby, Dream!”
“He said that I will only ever be good for the book!”
“Then give me the book so that I can revive Ranboo myself!”
“Then there will be nothing keeping me alive!” Dream screamed and suddenly, he felt a stinging pain across his face. The brothers just stayed there in their silence, looking at each other. Tubbo had….
Tubbo had hit him. Tubbo slapped him.
“Shit.. Dream, I’m sorry! I didn’t-“ Tubbo couldn’t finish, because in a quick motion, Dream scrambled up and ran out of the armory, pushing past Techno who watched in confusion.
The piglin saw Tubbo come out of the armory afterwards. “What happened?” Techno asked.
“I fucked up….” Tubbo said and explained everything to Techno.
Dream had followed the coordinates that Punz sent him, wanting to just lie down and cry himself to sleep.
Sir was right. Schlatt was right. They were all right.
Dream is only good for his abilities. He didn’t deserve affection or gentle touch.