Tommy stared, shell-shocked, as Dream scooped up armfuls of iron armor and diamond tools out of the chests lining the walls, tossing them carelessly into an expanding pile in the middle of the roughly carved out room. Dream had found it just minutes earlier while digging a hole in Tommy's front yard.
"Dream, please, I'm-" Tommy started, attempting to plead with Dream. He didn't stop, didn't even acknowledge that Tommy had spoken, instead continuing to pile up items. Tommy watched as ender pearls and golden apples were tossed into the mountainous stack.
"I'm so, so sorry Dream, please don't do this." Tommy begged. This time, Dream paused, and looked over at the distraught boy, who had sunk to the ground, arms wrapped tightly around his knees in a desperate attempt to hold himself together.
"You hid this from me Tommy," Dream said calmly. His words were even and measured, and the circular white mask covering the top half of his face, leaving only his mouth exposed, betrayed no further emotions.
"I know I did, I'm sorry, it's all my fault," Tommy said, his voice breaking on the last word. "Please, I won't do it again." he pleaded.
Dream turned away from the pile of items, and began climbing out of the once hidden room. He made his way towards Tommy, footsteps silent on the green grass, his movements predatory. Dream dropped to a crouch besides Tommy and slung his arm around the quivering boy's shoulder, pulling Tommy securely against his side. It was as if he was claiming ownership over Tommy. You are mine, the gesture seemed to say. Dream turned his head to face Tommy, and began to speak.
"Do you remember why you were exiled Tommy?" Dream asked. Tommy said nothing.
"It's because you were a danger to the country. To everyone in the country. You were so obsessed with getting those discs back you nearly destroyed L'Manburg. Tubbo exiled you because you were acting selfishly and without thinking of how your actions might affect those around you. I have been so nice to you, Tommy." Dream's tone started to change. He sounded like he was actually hurt.
"I let you keep your armor for the past few days. I let you throw a beach party. I even let you go back to L'Manburg for an hour. But you haven't changed a bit. You're still a scheming, selfish, stubborn brat. And until you start to change, there is no chance of you ever returning to L'Manburg. Look at me, Tommy." Tommy lifted his gaze from the ground, and looked into the blank eyes on Dream's mask. Tears threatened to spill down Tommy's cheeks.
"Repeat after me," Dream said, holding Tommy's gaze. "I am selfish."
"I am selfish," Tommy murmured.
"Louder."
"I am selfish." Tommy said again.
"I am a danger to my friends."
"I am a danger to my friends." A tear rolled down Tommy's cheek.
"I am ungrateful for what I have been given."
"I am ungrateful for what I have been given." Another tear followed.
"I hurt those around me."
"I hurt those around me." Tears were now streaming down Tommy's face, dampening his shirt.
"I am nothing to anybody."
"I am nothing to anybody." A sob escaped from Tommy's lips.
"Very good Tommy," Dream said, rising off the ground. He motioned for Tommy to stand up with him. Dream pulled a matchbox out of the pocket of his hoodie, and drew a thin match out of it. Dream passed both the box and the match to Tommy.
"Light it," Dream commanded. Tommy stood still, tears sliding down his cheeks. Dream put his firm hands over Tommy's small ones and struck the match against the coarse side of the box. A flame flickered to life, waving slightly. Tommy didn't move.
"Now throw it." Dream said, motioning to the pile of Tommy's items. The match had been half consumed by the flame, and Tommy could now feel the heat licking his fingertips. He glanced at Dream, then the match, the mound of his items, and then Dream once more. Dream nodded.
Tommy swallowed hard and tossed the match. It landed almost perfectly in the pile of items. For a moment, it seemed that it might not catch, and Tommy's things would be spared. But the flame caught after a few breathless seconds, and started to spread, at first slowly, but gaining speed as it was allowed to grow in size.
Tommy stood there, watching as the fire destroyed his items, and then gasped in horror as it began climbing the walls of his secret room and caught on the house above.
Tommy started forwards, but a strong hand gripped his shoulder and forced him to turn around. Dream guided Tommy out of the now burning Logstedshire, humming a cheerful tune as flames consumed the campsite. As they walked, Tommy kept turning his head, trying to catch a final glimpse of Lodstedshire. He was in shock. It had all happened so quickly.
Dream made his way towards Tommy's tent, with Tommy at his side. Smoke rose in columns from the now ruined campsite, and even the air smelled burnt. Dream pushed aside the cloth entrance of the tent, and disappeared inside. Tommy glanced back one more time before following him.
Inside the tent, Tommy sat on his bed, resting his chin on his knees. Dream leaned casually against the side of the tent, contemplating Tommy quietly.
He looked so small, so helpless. There were smudges of dirt all over his unwashed face; Tommy hadn't had a bath in quite a while, and it showed as well as smelled. His hair was greasy and unkempt, his clothing ripped and tattered. Cuts and scratches decorated his face, the biggest of which was located on his chin. A bandage was wrapped around his right arm, covering an injury that Dream himself had inflicted upon Tommy when he refused to drop his items.
Tommy was staring into space. Ideas were swirling in his head, tangling with each other into a giant tangled knot. He was so confused. Two trains of thought were colliding in his head; the first was that Dream was his friend, his only friend. Dream had been the only person to visit Tommy, not out of pity, but out of friendship. Dream had come to his party. Dream had been nice to him, and thus Tommy should apologize to Dream for making him angry. It was Tommy's fault after all.
The other thought was a new, darker one, and much harder for Tommy to comprehend. It was the idea that maybe Dream wasn't his friend at all. That Dream was a monster, and Tommy should be angry at him rather than apologize to him. The thought made Tommy feel nauseous. Dream spoke then, interrupting Tommy's thinking.
"I've decided on some new rules for you." he said casually. Tommy looked up, confused.
"Huh?"
"New rules." Dream repeated with a bit more enunciation this time.
"But why?" Tommy stuttered.
Dream shook his head and sighed. "Really Tommy? Don't make me explain everything again."
Tommy ducked his head, pressing his forehead into his knees. It had been a stupid question. Dream knew what he was doing.
"From now on, no more visitors."
Tommy's head snapped up, and he started to sputter out words of protest. Dream continued, increasing in volume so as to be able to talk over Tommy.
"That means no one is allowed to come see you, and you are not allowed to see or interact with anyone besides me."
Tommy jumped to his feet, outraged.
"You can't do that!" he nearly shouted, face turning bright red with anger. "You can't stop Ranboo from visiting me!" Dream took a menacing step towards Tommy, who held his ground, his anger overpowering his fear. Dream seemed taken aback by Tommy's defiance, but he quickly recovered.
"I can do whatever I want Tommy," Dream spoke quietly. "And-" Dream fingered the hilt of the netherite sword strapped to his back, "it would be in Ranboo's and everyone else's best interests to listen to me and keep far away from you."
Tommy paled, and backed away quickly, bumping into his bed and falling flat on his behind with a soft thump. Dream chuckled lightly, and lowered his hand. "You're not allowed in the nether anymore, either." Dream said, continuing to list his new rules.
Tommy looked like he wanted to say something, to protest this rule as well, but he swallowed his words and nodded meekly, not wanting to upset Dream further.
"And I'll be confiscating all the photos from L'Manburg." Tommy started to say something, but Dream interrupted him. "You can have them back in a few days if you behave." he added.
Dream started collecting the pictures Tommy had strewn around his tent. One by one, Dream haphazardly folded them and tucked them away in the pockets of his hoodie.
As each photo was confiscated, Tommy grew more and more upset. Just as Dream was pocketing the picture of the L'Manburg christmas tree, Tommy noticed a small photo, only an inch or so wide, lying on his bed, half covered by his pillow.
It was a picture of Tubbo, a happier Tubbo. Tommy knew the photo hadn't been taken recently because Tubbo hadn't smiled like that in a long time.
He wanted it so bad, and more than that he didn't want Dream to have it. His mind was split in two, one side shouting at him to grab it and keep it for himself, to hold it close when he awoke from the horrible dreams that plagued him relentlessly every night.
The other side screamed for him to leave it, or better yet to hand it to Dream. Tubbo had exiled him to this empty place. There was no reason for Tommy to keep a photo of his enemy.
Tommy's body made the decision for him, his hand reaching out before he could stop it, grasping the picture and shoving it into his pants pocket.
Dream turned around at that moment, just in time to see Tommy taking the photo. Tommy froze, photo almost all the way in his pocket, heart hammering so fast and so hard he feared it might burst out of his chest. His throat went dry.
Everything happened very fast; Dream lunged towards Tommy, mouth open in a snarl. Though Tommy couldn't see the face behind the mask, that too was contorted in rage.
Tommy moved quickly, springing to his feet and grabbing frantically for any sort of object to defend himself with; his hand alighted on the wooden handle of an old hammer, the same one that he had used to construct the tent he was currently standing in.
He swung blindly, hoping against all odds to hit Dream.
The hammer connected, just barely, and there was a cracking sound as a piece of Dream's mask broke off, exposing the left side of his forehead.
The whole interaction had taken barely two seconds. Dream stood in the middle of the tent, surprised that Tommy had fought back and even more shocked that he had actually hit him.
He raised two fingers to the injury, and they came away bloody.
Dream snapped back into focus, and it took him a moment to realize Tommy was no longer there. Dream strode out of the tent, brushing the flaps to the side, just in time to see Tommy dive into the nether portal.