Time (Dream smp)

25

"Dream!?" George yelled to his friend.

Dream had collapsed when he stepped foot in the cell, hyperventilating and holding his head.

"What's going on!?" Sam yelled from across the lava.

"I don't know!" George shouted, dragging Dream back onto the bridge, "bring us back!"

Sam nodded, sending the bridge back over the lava. George barely managed to get Dream back across safely. Sam rushed over, helping George lay the masked man on the bed in the room.

"What happened!?" Sam asked, trying to restrain Dream as he clawed his mask off.

"I-I don't know!" George told him, "everything was fine and he just-! I don't know!"

"Dream!" Sam called out, "Dream stop it! You're hurting yourself!"

"Dream!" George yelled, "please!"

Minutes passed until Dream finally calmed down.

"Dream?" George asked, holding one of his hands tightly.

"I fucked up..." Dream mumbled, "I fucked up!"

"Dream what-?" Sam started.

Dream sat up suddenly, "I remember everything! All the shit I did! Oh fuck, I fucked up!"

Sam looked at George, worried about what this meant. Was Dream back to his old ways?

"I want to forget it..." Dream said quietly, holding his head.

"What?" George asked.

"I want to forget the book!" Dream yelled, looking up wildly, "the fucking book is what's causing all of this! It's evil! It corrupted Schlatt and it corrupted me! And it'll corrupt anyone who comes in contact with it! But I remember it! It's in my head and I want it out!"

"How are you going to do that?" Sam asked.

"How many cannon lives do each of you have?" Dream asked, standing up, "and I need a book!"

"I have three." George said, "why do you need a book?"

"I just do!" Dream yelled, "Sam. Lives."

"Three. I have all three." Sam said, "and here's a book, I guess?"

Dream snatched the book from Sam's hand, furiously scribbling in it before turning to George.

"George! I need your help." Dream stepped toward him.

"Um, wha- OW!" George yelled as Dream used the quill to draw some of George's blood, "what was that for!?"

Sam pulled out a sword, "Dream, you better have a good explanation for this."

"Just trust me!" Dream yelled, throwing the book in the lava.

Sam and George waited for a moment. Nothing happened.

"Um..." George started.

"Give him a second!" Dream shushed him.

"Him?" Sam asked.

"'Him' indeed."

The three turned sharply to see a man floating in the air. Well, if you could call him a man with rings of eyes surrounding his head, which was covered by a mask with the cracks that spelled out XD. He wore a simple white robe with an eye of ender clip on the shoulder to keep it in place. There seemed to be almost a green glow that shown through the mask.

The man smiled, "Hello again George. It's been quite a while."

"XD?" George said, "how- what?"

XD tilted his head, "Your friend there summoned me with the book. Who do you think brings people back to life?"

"That's not the point!" Dream stepped up, "I want my memories of the book gone."

XD turned sharply to Dream, frowning deeply, "don't interrupt me when I'm talking to George."

Dream crossed his arms, "yeah? Or what."

XD glared, raising a hand and pointing at Dream. For a moment it seemed like nothing happened, but then Dream grabbed for his throat, gasping for breath. He fell to his knees as Sam and George ran over.

"Dream!" George yelled as his friend gasped in pain, "What did you do to him XD!?"

"He made me angry." XD shrugged.

"Stop it! You're killing him!" George shouted.

"Why should I?" XD crossed his arms.

Sam took a shakey breath, "George, he's not going to last much longer."

"XD please!" George begged, "don't kill him! PLEASE!"

XD sighed, waving his hand once. Dream gasped do air, falling back as it actually reached his lungs.

"Dream!" George pulled his friend into a tight hug.

"I'm okay... I'm okay..." Dream whispered, one arm wrapping loosely around George.

XD frowned. Why was his George more interested in that Dream person? Wasn't he the better one!? He was a god!

"XD." George turned to the god, "Erase Dreams memory of the revive book."

XD hesitated, "...Will you still be my friend?"

George sighed, "yes... I'll still be your friend."

XD nodded, floating down until his bare feet hit the obsidian. The three mortals tensed as XD started walking towards them. XD crouched down next to Dream and placed two fingers on his forehead. Dreams eyes went unfocused. He slumped forward into Sam as XD pulled away.

"There." XD said quietly, "he'll have no memory of the revive book. Any time he's revived someone with it has been altered to me showing up and bringing them back, no book involved."

"Thank you." George sighed, combing Dream's hair out of his face.

XD nodded, lifting himself into the air again, "yeah. Don't mention it."

XD watched for a moment. They seemed happy. He shouldn't interfere anymore.

"I'm sorry..." XD whispered as he disappeared.

His apology went unheard as Dream woke up from his memory wipe.

"Dream?" George asked.

Dream looked up, "what happened?"

"You just got your memories back." Sam said, glancing at George.

"Oh... Oh God, why did I all do that stuff?" Dream buried his head in his arms, "I killed Tommy! I blew up L'manburg! And exile... What the hell is wrong with me!?"

"Nothing's wrong with you Dream. You were... Possessed by something." George tried to explain.

"I killed him..." Dream mumbled, "I deserve to stay in the prison..."

Sam sighed, "no... No you don't... You need to talk to Puffy."

"Puffy?" Dream lifted his head slightly.

"She runs a therapy place now. I think Tommy is going to see her too." Sam nodded.

"Oh." Dream looked back at the ground.

George sighed, standing up and grabbing the mask that was discarded a while ago, "let's get out of here Dream. And hopefully never come back."

Dream nodded, taking George hand and pulling himself to his feet, "I need to make a lot of apologies. And I think I should start with Tommy."

Sam smiled lightly, standing up as well, "come on, I'll get you guys out of here."

Dream smiled, putting on the mask George handed to him. With that, the three made their way out of the prison.