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Dream had been in the prison for over a month before Sapnap and Tommy had made their move.
Despite not much time having passed however, the man was already showing signs of malnutrition. He'd lost weight visibly in his face and arms, his muscles already having shrank and cheekbones protruding.
Whatever they were feeding him- if anything at all- was clearly not enough.
The second most notable thing about Dream's appearance was the dirty gauze wrapping his arms and legs. Stained with old dry blood and soot from the flames that would pop off the lava and lick at the floor leaving stains in their wake.
He had many more scars as well.
A large one that traced across his cheek in a large 'X' stood out the most.
"Cut the crap Sapnap, why are you here?" Dream had asked. Piercing emerald eyes landed on his friend and Sapnap swallowed hard. He was starting to feel more and more as though he should not have come here.
This was a bad idea.
"Wait for me to talk," Sapnap said. Dream wasn't exactly sure why he was being told to wait but he furrowed a brow and obliged the man. Sapnap was of course actually addressing Tommy who was in the room, made completely invisible by the works of some potions Philza had helped them in creating for this ordeal.
The lava between Sam and the three of them was still slowly lowering and once it had entirely. Sapnap's eyes landed on Dream again.
"Dream... Tell me... Tell me what you did to Tommy," Sapnap wasn't even sure how he was going to word that. How much he wanted to know or how Dream would respond. But if he could get Dream to be honest for once...
Honest with Sapnap, honest with himself. Honest with Tommy...
If he could get Dream to speak about what he did and why. Maybe Tommy would finally see the truth as well.
What better way to make a man be honest than to make him feel like he had nothing left to lose.
Dream laughed suddenly at that. A sound that made Sapnap flinch and take a step back.
Dream lifted himself up from the floor and pulled a bit at the metal collar that hung from his neck. The chains clicked as he walked to his sink and splashed the stale warm water over his face.
"What, you want to know about how I used to beat him?" Dream asked without even looking at the man. "How I used to destroy everything he had and make him work to get it all over again just for it to be destroyed? How I made him think none of his friends liked him?"
Dream did look at Sapnap for the next thing he said.
"Or you want to know about how I tied him to a tree overnight and watched from afar while he struggled to survive the monsters that the night had to offer," Dream shook some droplets of water from his hands and walked over to Sapnap whose face had fallen.
"How is he anyway? I miss him, little brat," Dream chuckled, using the term 'brat' endearingly. "He turned out to be such a great soldier, you know. I get why Wilbur used him in the wars, he's a loyal pup- loyal to a fault."
"He's... Not doing great," Sapnap answered honestly. "Why did you do all those things, Dream?"
"Why? Well... It was fun at first. Revenge kind of, kid had been such a thorn in my side for so long," Dream admitted. "Then I guess, after his friends never showed up and it was just me- it became easy. So, so easy to break him and make him mine. I'm the only one who ever visits you, Tommy."
Dream mimicked his own words from back then and laughed. Sapnap felt a shiver run down his spine at that and he glared at Dream.
"And they just made it all that much easier."
"Dream... That's so... That's so fucked up. What is wrong with you?" Sapnap's expression grew angrier and Dream just laughed more at that.
"What's wrong with me?!" Dream extended both arms shouting in amused disbelief. "I wanted peace, Sapnap. That's all I ever wanted. Then Wilbur and Tommy, and Tubbo, and all their stupid little friends had to go and ruin that."
"I mean... I agreed... when things were different. Now though, it's just-" Sapnap could feel himself getting off track. He still needed for Dream to continue his confessions. He knew this had to be hurting Tommy, but he also knew the boy needed to hear it.
"Don't get me wrong though. I do feel bad for some of the things I did to Tommy... Now anyway. It was all necessary of course. But he's not like the others, Sapnap, he's not as much of a pawn as he is-" Dream paused to think for a moment and to what he said next it made Sapnap want to punch him in the face. "-a toy. My favourite toy."
"Wh-" Sapnap's attention shifted for just a moment when he heard a noise come from his right. It had to have been Tommy. The poor kid. He couldn't let Dream figure out he was there yet though. He needed Dream's confession to one last thing.
"Why did you make Tommy kill Tubbo, Dream?"
Dream seemed to have also heard the noise but was distracted by the question that Sapnap asked him and his attention went back to his friend.
"I didn't make him kill Tubbo, Sapnap. I simply told him to. And the answer isn't going to satisfy you, but if you really want to know, it was just out of curiosity- I wanted to know if he'd actually do it."
There was a sound of dismay.
A stutter and a cough.
The sound of Tommy catching himself on the tip of his sword as he nearly fell over.
"No... No, no, no..."
"Tommy?" Dream's face paled as he heard the boy and then slowly the potion seemed to be wearing off because Tommy was coming into view for both of them.
"Dream, you..." Tommy looked at the man with such betrayal and hurt in his eyes.
"Tommy..." Dream's brows raised and he moved to approach the boy, but before even Sapnap could move to protectively block Dream from Tommy, the boy was pointing his sword at Dream.
"Don't... Don't you fucking dare - Dream... Dream. You. Dream?" Tommy's voice was alternating between confusion and hurt, and pure unadulterated rage.
Tommy's words then dropped to a frantic whisper. "Tubbo, Tubbo... Tubbo..."
"Tommy," Dream began gently. He moved to approach Tommy again but the boy lifted his sword up again, standing alert and attentive. "Tommy, it's okay."
"NO IT'S NOT FUCKING OKAY YOU BASTARD!" Tommy all but screamed and Sapnap looked behind them instinctively toward the wall of lava. There's no way Sam didn't hear that. There goes the quick in and out plan.
"You made me kill Tubbo, Dream..." Tommy sounded so broken. His eyes welled with tears that spilled freely down his cheeks. "For no fucking reason... Why? Why would you- why... I don't-"
"It wasn't for no reason T-"
Dream's soft voice was interrupted by Tommy's angry yell.
"NO! YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, DREAM!" Tommy threatened and even Sapnap was caught off guard by that. The boy's sword was raised and the distant look in his eyes said he would do it without a second thought.
"Tommy, Tommy... It's me. I'm your friend, Tommy. Brothers, remember?" Dream's voice remained soft and calm as he attempted to soothe Tommy into relaxing.
Sapnap felt sickened by it and grimaced at Dream.
"Stop, Dream. You're not his friend... You said it yourself. Tommy was your toy," Sapnap stepped in and Tommy clutched at his shirt over his heart. The sting of the words so sharp it brought him physical pain. "You were using him. You've just been using him this whole time."
Tommy had wanted so desperately in that moment to give in to what Dream was saying. Like the sweetest lie.
He wanted his brother back.
But Dream wasn't his brother. Wilbur was his brother. Tubbo was his brother. Dream was a man that had snatched the lives of both of those that had rightfully earned those titles out of his life and coiled around him like a snake claiming their place.
They're dead, Tommy reminded himself.
Tommy closed his eyes as he allowed the memory of Tubbo and his smiling face to finally fully infiltrate his mind's eye. The sight of Wilbur and Tubbo both standing in a ray of golden light and reaching out their arms and embracing him.
It was such a beautiful thing to envision.
Something he wanted desperately.
They're dead.
Tommy opened his eyes and looked at Dream.
There had been a shout from Sam that came from the other side of the lava wall but Tommy couldn't hear him that well and didn't care.
"Tommy," Dream said, and put his arms out slowly for the boy.
"Dream," Tommy responded. Pain lacing his words.
Sapnap watched in defeat as Tommy approached the man and allowed for Dream to wrap his arms around him in a gentle hug.
"You're more than a toy to me, Tommy," Dream assured gently.
The boy's arms hung limp at his sides as he allowed Dream to embrace him for a moment longer. He wanted to live in this moment and no other. Tommy wanted time to simply stop.
Unfortunately he knew better than to wish for something like that.
"I believe you," Tommy whispered.
He moved his arm and in the blink of an eye he had his sword plunged into Dream's chest.
The man's eyes were wide as he attempted to take a step back and see what had happened. But he was stuck on the blade that was still being held onto by Tommy.
Tommy who's eyes stayed on him, empty and pale.
"I believed you. Like I've believed every lie you've told me, Dream."
Tommy pulled the blade from Dream and the man fell to his knees, looking up at Tommy and the boy watched his eyes. Watching for the same look he saw in Tubbo's when the life drained out of him.
"I'm sorry," Tommy told the man. Something he wished he'd told Tubbo when he'd taken the boy's life.
Dream was choking on his blood and attempted to utter a word but couldn't around the mouthful of blood he was attempting to dislodge from his throat. He looked hurt and confused. The same way Tubbo had looked.
"Dream!" Sapnap shouted and ran to his friend's side. He laid Dream down on his back and attempted to try and tell where he could put pressure to keep him from bleeding out.
"Sapnap," Tommy finally said as he watched the two. Sapnap frantically pulled his jacket off and pressed it hard against Dream's chest. The blood was everywhere, pooling on the obsidian stone beneath them.
"Sapnap! Tommy! Dream! No one move!" The lava had split and Sam was arranging the bridge together. Antfrost and Bad were both on their way now. Sam had gone to get back up.
"Sapnap," Tommy was more present now and looked at the man below him.
"What?!" Sapnap shouted frustrated, angry, confused. A panicked mix of emotions as he tried to figure out how they were going to get out of this and if his friend was about to die right in front of him.
"Kill me," Tommy said.
Sapnap's full attention snapped up to Tommy.
"Wh-what?"
"Kill me Sapnap," Tommy told the man again. He forced his sword into Sapnap's hand that was now covered in Dream's blood and Sapnap stood quickly.
"No-no! What the fuck?! Tommy, no!"
"Kill me Sapnap! If you don't then they're going to!" Tommy shouted and gestured to the others well on their way by now. It was only a few more minutes before the lava was lowered enough for the bridge to safely be sent across.
Antfrost, Bad, and Sam were all shouting at them - but they were too busy with everything else happening to pay any mind.
"Sapnap! Please! Please kill me!" Tommy was begging now and his hand landed on Sapnap's that was tight around the sword he'd forced onto his friend. He lowered the tip to his chest. Dream's blood smeared across his sheepskin coat.
"Tommy I don't- Tommy, please-" Sapnap's voice and hands both shaking. He was getting lost in the confusion of everything happening around him. Dream was dying. Antfrost and Bad were going to probably kill both of them. Sam was shouting for them to put down their weapons.
"Sapnap. Please," Tommy looked his friend sternly in the eyes. Stern but still a plea. "I want to be with my brothers."
"Tommy..." Sapnap stalled. His eyes glanced down to Dream who had stopped making noises. His chest wasn't moving anymore- not even the short spasms it had been giving. His eyes were now unblinking. "Holy shit. Holy shit."
It felt like time froze for a moment.
Everything was slowly growing quieter and quieter for Sapnap. No bubbling lava. No shouting voices. No Tommy, pleading for his death.
Nothing.
Everything was still.
And then.
Just as everything had stopped so suddenly.
Sapnap was piercing the blade forced into his hands through Tommy's chest.
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A/N haha alright don't hate me too much :) ... this was the plan for the ending of this story all along alright
\o/ hugs for all of u
so there is a potential for an alternate ending for this story and if I decide to write it is entirely up to demand and also inspiration, I have an idea for the alternate ending and it would result in a sequel, so a healthy mix of inspiration/motivation/demand would be necessary
but yeah I HAD A TON OF FUN WRITING THIS !! thank you every one who enjoyed the story and commented and faved u all rly kept me going and this was so much fun ty ty its been a long time since I've written this much tbh, you guys got to watch me learn how to write again from chap 1 until the big finale lol - BIG LOVE to all u readers ur all amazing and I'll see you guys around