Sora Milkyway

They were by the portal to go home. Of course Dream had stopped them. But Technoblade had stepped in, so Tommy had thought they would be able to go home. After all, Technoblade had to be one of the most powerful people on the server, the only one Dream really respected.

And Dream had backed off, so it would be fine.

Then Technoblade continued speaking.

“Unless you’d like to call in that favor.”

And Tommy’s heart dropped.

“What favor? Technoblade, what favor?” Tommy’s voice was full of panic.

Technoblade owed Dream a favor? And he’d hand him over?

The only person who stood between him and Dream, literally at the moment, owed Dream a favor?

And why had Technoblade never mentioned it before?

Techno hardly acknowledged him except to tell him to keep quiet when he started to talk.

“Hmm... maybe. Maybe. But I think... I’ll keep the favor for now.” Dream said and disappeared on the spot, to who knows where.

Tommy and Technoblade went home in silence, and when they got home Tommy tried to bring up what Technoblade had meant but Technoblade refused to talk about it.

He refused to talk about it for the next week, and Tommy didn’t really... want to piss Technoblade off when he could just hand him over to Dream.

Then Dream showed up out of the blue, just walking in the house, and Tommy panicked while Technoblade just rolled his eyes and seemed annoyed at people just walking into his house.

“The favor, Technoblade. I want you to hand Tommy over.” Dream sounded all to happy with himself, and sounded like Tommy was just... a toy. Which maybe to Dream he was.

Tommy panicked. Dream was by the door and once again, Technoblade was the only thing between him and Dream.

Technoblade seemed tense, all of a sudden, although it only showed for a few seconds. “Are you sure?” His voice was as monotone as always.

“Yes, I’m sure. That’s what I want with the favor: you give me TommyInnit and make sure he leaves with me.” Dream was sure, and he knew Technoblade had to accept.

“No. Now get out of my house.” Technoblade said, standing more in front of Tommy with his axe and shield at the ready.

“It’s the favor Technoblade, you have to.” Maybe Dream was... starting to get worried.

“I don’t have to do anything for you. Since when have rules stopped me?” Technoblade said, swinging his axe at Dream who leapt out of the way.

“I’ll be back. And next time I won’t be asking.” Dream wasn’t dumb. He wouldn’t be able to beat the blood god on his own territory while Dream himself was unprepared.

He once again disappeared.

But he would be back.

Tommy’s heart was racing, his eyes were wide, and he looked both terrified and shocked.

“You... you... protected me.” Tommy was almost trying to convince himself.

He’d never agreed to help Technoblade with much, and he knew he was an annoyance, so... why hadn’t Technoblade handed him over to Dream?

Tommy thought he was doing the right thing, siding with Tubbo. Because Tubbo was his best friend.

But then Techno had sided with Dream and Tommy was horrified. Because he had at least thought Technoblade wouldn’t side with his abuser... but no. And Tommy was convinced Technoblade knew what Dream had done.

After L’Manburg was blown up Dream disappeared for a few days, and both Technoblade and Philza had stayed far away for the most part, and Ranboo had been away a lot.

Then Dream came back. No one but Tommy knew, and Tommy couldn’t tell anyone because Dream had promised he’d kill Tubbo if anyone else found out.

Maybe it wasn’t surprising that it didn’t take a ton for Tommy to fall back into the trap, and think Dream was his friend again.

Until one day... Tommy had been pushed too far. He had realized suddenly, again, what Dream was actually doing. He tried to jump again, only this time in the nether so he couldn’t fail.

Dream caught him right on the edge, and told him it wasn’t his time to die.

Tommy couldn’t do it, he just couldn’t.

So he grabbed Dream’s sleeve and jumped, pulling them both into the deep lava lake below.

Tommy expected to never wake up. Well, maybe wake up was the wrong word.

He expected to die and stay that way.

But here he was, in the nether, near the main portal.

He remembered dying, and he remembered Dream. He remembered Techno saying he wasn’t worthy but he couldn’t remember after that. He remembered L’Manburg blowing up and it being his fault. He remembered exile, or at least being exiled. He remembered no one but Dream ever visiting him, and Dream only visiting to hurt him.

He went through the portal and... it was weird. He kept trying to walk but he was just floating.

He ended up floating for awhile, looking for something he couldn’t quite remember.

Everything was gone. Yes, he knew it had been blown up but... the event was mostly fuzzy.

He hadn’t known exactly how bad this was... and it had all been his fault. He knew it had to be.

Tommy saw a blue sheep, and a memory came to mind before disappearing before he could realize more than the fact the sheep was familiar.

Then he saw another ghost.

Wilbur? Since when was Wilbur... back?

He remembered his brother.

Saying he’d never be president, and all those times he was just annoying and worthless and- he remembered Wilbur dying.

But Wilbur had never come back... at least from what Tommy could recall.

“Tommy?” Wilbur ghost seemed different than the anger he remembered from his brother.

But Dream had seemed friendly sometimes, hadn’t he?

Tommy started to float back. Maybe he should just... leave.

Finding a nice lava pool far from L’Manburg sounded good.

Lava sounded tempting in some way.

“Hey Wilbur.” Tommy didn’t know how to act. He didn’t know... well he doubted Wilbur didn’t hate him.

Everyone hated him.

Wilbur seemed to brighten up for some reason. “I thought you were gone, after you didn’t appear for a week. Everyone did.

Come on, I’m taking Friend to Phil to look after, there’s so many places he could fall here and I don’t want him to die.”

Wilbur seemed... happy. Tommy was confused because... why wasn’t Wilbur yelling at him? And why would he miss him or anything?

But Tommy didn’t want to anger his brother, so he stayed silent and nodded.

Ghostbur seemed a bit confused, but he knew that it could be a bit startling to be a ghost at first, so he let Tommy be, occasionally asking for help as the got Friend into a boat to take Friend to Philza and Technoblade.

Other than that they floated in silence, besides Ghostbur occasionally singing on the long journey.

They got to Techno’s cabin and Tommy could remember it a little. He could remember Techno finding him in the basement, he could remember Dream showing up, but honestly he didn’t remember much about it.

Ghostbur was leading Friend to a half made house while Tommy floated around, looking at things.

There was Technoblade’s cabin with the half finished house next to it, then the bee farm, and a... he couldn’t really tell. Some kind of farm. There was a cow farm too. Then further back there was a structure with a lot of barking coming from it, a dog kennel Tommy assumed, and there was a small hut with 3 cats near it.

“Tommy!” Wilbur’s voice, but at the same time... it didn’t sound the same, called out and Tommy quickly floated to him, still scared of making Wilbur mad at him.

There was a pen in front of the house, and the blue sheep named Friend was now inside it.

Phil was outside, he didn’t really... think of the man as his father, as was Technoblade. There was also a tall boy, who looked young, that looked half enderman and half... something Tommy couldn’t really figure out.

Tommy tried to stay farther away, but still near so he wouldn’t upset Wilbur, but... he could feel eyes on him, and when he glanced up, he’d been looking at the ground, Technoblade was looking at him with... shock, Philza seemed frozen, and the enderman boy seemed startled but not as shocked as the other two.

“Tommy!” Wilbur’s voice, but at the same time... it didn’t sound the same, called out and Tommy quickly floated to him, still scared of making Wilbur mad at him.

There was a pen in front of the house, and the blue sheep named Friend was now inside it.

Phil was outside, he didn’t really... think of the man as his father, as was Technoblade. There was also a tall boy, who looked young, that looked half enderman and half... something Tommy couldn’t really figure out.

Tommy tried to stay farther away, but still near so he wouldn’t upset Wilbur, but... he could feel eyes on him, and when he glanced up, he’d been looking at the ground, Technoblade was looking at him with... shock, Philza seemed frozen, and the enderman boy seemed startled but not as shocked as the other two.

“Tommy..?” Technoblade sounded weirdly hesitant but monotone at the same time, and when Tommy met his eyes, Technoblade looked... worried and regretful.

“Hey.” Tommy was quiet, no where near the obnoxious and loud boy he’d been before, and it made all of them worry. Even Ranboo, who didn’t know Tommy that well, and Ghostbur, who had been previously convinced it was just the shock of suddenly being a ghost.

“Why don’t we go inside?” Ranboo seemed a bit awkward but he could tell no one else was going to suggest it and it was starting to snow.

He was wearing a helmet and was fine, but both the ghosts were going to start to melt.

Technoblade seemed glad for the distraction and went inside almost immediately, him being closest to the door.

The others followed him in and it was a bit cramped.

Technoblade was by the chests in the back of the room, Philza was next to the used to be fireplace, Ranboo was by the window and ‘subscribe to Technoblade’ poster, Tommy was floating over the Tommy Box, and Ghostbur was near the front door.

Technoblade was fidgeting a little, not seeming to want to start the conversation, so Phil did instead.

“What happened?” Phil seemed worried and Tommy’s neutral look turned to a slight frown. Why was Phil worried about him? But... he didn’t want anyone mad... so he started to explain.

“Dream came back... a few days after L’Manburg was blown up... he started using me again and I fell for it after awhile. I couldn’t tell anyone because he would’ve killed Tubbo...” Tommy sighed.

“Eventually it was too much and... I realized what was happening again. I didn’t have anyone but Dream I could go to, and he wasn’t really... an option, so I tried to jump again but in the nether. Dream tried to stop me but I pulled him down with me and we both died, but I lost my final life.” Tommy was definitely nervous.

“Then Wilbur found me after I came back... and here we are...” Tommy wanted to leave. Everyone was staring at him.

Technoblade felt sick. He had known that Dream hadn’t exactly... been nice in exile, but he hadn’t known that it was bad enough for Tommy to commit suicide. And apparently have attempted it, probably even before he found his brother raccooning under his house.

What had he done? Teaming up with Dream?

What had he been thinking? And what had Phil been doing? Not knowing his *16 year old* son was suicidal? And that it was the green teletubbies fault.

Technoblade didn’t want to blame his friend, but Tommy was practically his brother. He was 5 years older, and Phil had taken him in late enough that Techno saw him as more of a friend than a father, but Tommy was still basically his brother.

And he’d missed this...

Maybe everyone was right, thinking of him as only a weapon. Only The Blade.

Philza knew he hadn’t been the best parent. Wilbur and Techno had been 16 when he started to raise them, although Techno was really more mature and felt older, but Tommy had been 10 and... he’d failed. He knew he had.

He didn’t really do well with older kids, but at least they were able to take care of themselves for the most part.

But... he’d failed Tommy.

He just hadn’t realized how much until now.

Until Tommy said he had no one to go to so he had committed suicide, that the only one he could go to was his abuser...

He blamed himself, he really did. It was his fault, his failing, and it had hurt Tommy so much...

Ranboo didn’t really know the family dynamics of these people, but he could tell that Technoblade, Philza, and Ghostbur all seemed... depressed, which was off for all three of them.

Ghostbur was normally energetic and happy, Phil was normally... either happy or determined, or worried but that wasn’t too often, and Technoblade... Technoblade was normally exhausted, focused, or socially awkward. Or having fun stabbing people, blowing up countries, or revealing master plans.

None of the three, to Ranboo at least, ever seemed depressed... but now all three of them were.

“I’m sorry, Tommy, I... I really am. I should’ve been there for you, and I should’ve noticed what Dream was doing,” Phil was the first to speak. He looked like he regretted... a lot of things, and he did.

Phil could barely believe how bad it had got, or that he let it get that way and hadn’t even noticed.

He wished he could fix it but he knew there was no going back. And he honestly didn’t expect Tommy to forgive him.

Techno knew Phil meant what he was saying but it didn’t help.

Tommy was reminding him of himself, or at least his childhood, too much.

He was raised in the nether, until he was 15. It was a harsh environment, and you were expected to fend for yourself most of the time.

The voices had appeared, or started getting louder, around when he was 14. And he’d left the nether a year later, and wondered around until he was 16 and Phil had taken him in.

He always saw Phil as a friend, rather than a father.

The voices started getting more and more violent when he was in hypixel, especially during the bedwars streak, and had stayed the same throughout SMP Earth and the Dream SMP.

He’d tried to ignore them, he really had, but it never worked. Sometimes the voices, chat, were helpful but other times... they were practically bullies. They were never quiet and he’d almost been driven insane before.

He’d never really noticed when Phil didn’t really give Tommy attention, wasn’t a parent to him, because... well he didn’t know why. But he could remember specific moments all too well now.

Technoblade blinked a couple times, realizing he’d zoned out. Tommy was starting to float towards the door slowly, starting to leave, and Techno started to speak.

After all, Tommy was practically his brother. It wasn’t only Phil who had neglected Tommy.

“Tommy,” Techno sighed slightly. “I’m sorry too. I should’ve noticed. You were... terrified of Dream whenever he’d come here. I should’ve known something had happened.” He should’ve known something was up.

“And I’m... I’m sorry about teaming up with him. With Dream. I just... I felt betrayed, and I know that’s not an excuse, and he was giving me a way to do what I had wanted even before... so I took the opportunity.” Techno tried to explain, shifting slightly as everyone looked at him.

“But,” he glanced at Phil, “I didn’t really... show him everything.” He still had 2 stacks of wither skulls, and he was pissed.

Phil seemed to get it and nodded.

They seemed to mutually agree that they’d talk. Alone, as soon as possible.

After a conversation, Ghostbur and Ghostinnit ended up staying in the half finished house, and working on finishing it, and Ranboo went back to his little hut to be with his pets.

Meanwhile, Technoblade and Philza started to plan. They both felt extremely guilty, but also extremely pissed at Dream.

Techno had his weapons back, well except the Axe of Peace but Ranboo had given him a replica, and Phil had potions, fireworks, and his weapons.

So it was set. They were going to kill Dream twice, or die trying.

Except Technoblade wasn’t going to let himself lose all his lives and he wasn’t going to let Phil die, even if he partially blamed the man for what happened to Tommy.

It was only the matter of where Dream was, which... Phil had suggested an idea.

He still owed Dream an enchanted golden apple, and Dream had agreed to meet him at a far away location, that he would send the coordinates to Phil tomorrow.

Dream had wanted it far away for... a reason Phil wasn’t sure of, but he thought it was so traps couldn’t be set up at a close location because it would take awhile to travel to.

They just had to wait. And having to wait meant they had time to prepare and get Tommy and Ghostbur settled in.

The coordinates came after breakfast.

Tommy hadn’t wanted to eat but no one had pushed to hard since ghosts didn’t absolutely have to eat, and Ranboo showed Tommy and Ghostbur his pets.

Phil and Technoblade left, after saying that they’d be back, and they were fully geared up.

To get to the meeting place, they had to go through unexplored nether which made it take longer, but they managed.

They meet Dream at a flower field. It was empty, flat land. Which could be another reason it was chosen.

There were thick forests surrounding the field, and Dream was in the center of the field.

It was thousands of blocks out, and highly visible. So no backup, no traps, and it was easy to escape into thick woods.

Technoblade stayed beside Philza. Dream knew to expect them both, and while armor was allowed they were supposed to be unarmed.

It was a useless rule, all three of them knew the others were armed, just not with what.

They stopped several paces away from each other, the whole situation tense.

“My apple, Philza, if I may?” Dream seemed to be cautious, but he wasn’t careful enough.

Because Phil had the enchanted golden apple in his hand for a couple seconds, enough time for Dream to see it, before he switched to his enchanted netherite axe and Technoblade took the signal to take the first hit at Dream with his own axe.

Dream had his shield up just in time but it didn’t stop the axe from causing damage.

Dream was good, but both Technoblade and Phil had had a lot of practice recently, so they had the slightly upper hand.

They were mostly trading hits, except for a few they got on Dream, until Dream had Phil in close range combat and managed to get an extra couple hits on him.

Phil could’ve gotten out of it, but Technoblade wasn’t going to risk it and loose the perfect opportunity.

He swung his axe and took the rest of Dream’s health, the death message appearing in chat.

Phil healed quickly, they’d brought plenty of potions, and Techno healed the health he was missing as well before Dream walked out of the forest, seeming pissed but also weary.

This time Dream was ready, and while Phil and Technoblade were getting hits on him, Dream was also getting hits on them.

They had Dream low when he sent water to slow them down, and managed to mostly heal.

Techno was in less of the water and as soon as he got out of it he and Dream were back at it. They were mostly trading hits but Dream got an extra few and, just before Phil could jump in between them, managed to get a final hit on Technoblade.

They were closer to the forest now, and it was also starting to get dark, and Dream ran off into the forest to eat and heal as Technoblade respawned close by, both he and Phil having set their spawn incase.

Dream was down to one life and Techno was down to two.

Technoblade didn’t want to risk Philza’s only life, so he would do his best to keep Dream on him.

It wasn’t long before they were back in the middle of the field. Phil was blocking off the escape, staying back except when he could land good hits so that Technoblade could do more risky moves without risking Phil being in the crossfire.

It was when Technoblade started getting low, after a long fight where they had both been kind of low multiple times and Dream had backed off several times to heal, that Phil had jumped in and just before Dream could get a final hit on Technoblade, Phil got a final hit on Dream. He ended the fight with Dream completely dead, Phil having most of his health, and Technoblade having 2 lives and being down to half a heart.

They took some of Dream’s things, because the man was dead and wouldn’t need them and if he somehow came back... he wouldn’t have them.

Technoblade and Philza waited for both of them to heal before heading back home from the nether. It had already been almost a whole day, and it would probably be a day and half of them gone by the time they got back to the cottage. Neither of them intended to sleep until they were home and they had told Tommy, and Ghostbur and Ranboo but Tommy especially, that Dream was gone for good.

Even if death messages might’ve snitched already, they both wanted to give that information that the bastard was gone for good.

They got home around noon of the following day. Ghostbur was out front with Friend the sheep, while Ghostinnit was near the cow farm petting the cows and Ranboo was with his pets near his little hut and the dog kennel.

It wasn’t snowing, and while it wasn’t hot it was a bit warmer than usual on the mountain.

Ghostbur was the first to notice them, and he floated over, leaving Friend near the house eating grass.

“Guys!” Ghostbur seemed, for the most part, his usual bubbly and happy self.

Ranboo looked at them but didn’t come over, seeing as he was feeding his cats, birds, and dog, but he sat them down and came over after they had eaten.

Tommy seemed to want to stay with the cows, there were a lot of them and even some babies, but after giving a few of them a few more pets he floated over as well.

“Dream is dead,” Technoblade said, seeing no reason in dragging it out.

“For good.” Phil added.

It was the first time they had seen Ghost Tommy smile, even if it wasn’t for long.

Ranboo seemed happy too, and so did Ghostbur. Although... Ghostbur had forgotten a lot, he could tell Dream being dead was a good think.

“You... you killed him?” Tommy asked. “Why?” Why would Technoblade and Phil risk their lives when Dream hadn’t done anything to them?

Technoblade had always been proud of his hair. He had been growing it out for quite awhile, but the Antarctic Empire was when he started to style it.

He liked having it long, it was normally in a ponytail, a bun, or just free. Sure, he had wanted to braid it, but he wasn’t exactly... good at braiding.

Phil wasn’t either. The man was a good friend, always had been by his side, but he didn’t exactly have a reason to style hair.

Cut forward, he’d been in the Dream SMP for awhile and eventually he found a raccoon child by the name of TommyInnit living under his base.

Technoblade had let Tommy braid his hair, once he trusted him. The kid wasn’t bad at it, after a bit of practice. And Technoblade kept the braid in (he definitely wasn’t a bit attached to it... just as he definitely didn’t care for the raccoon child living in his home and building awful cobblestone towers on his property).

They were in L’Manburg to spy, they were meant to stay hidden. That was the whole point of invisiblity potions.

But then everyone was blaming Tommy for the destroyed community house and Tommy had jumped in to defend himself.

Technoblade had gone after him because Tommy was surrounded by everyone on the server except for himself and Phil, who was back at the house.

Technoblade was ready to fight them all, to get Tommy out. He honestly would’ve. And the voices were screaming at him to escape with Tommy, and to fight everyone (Blood for the blood god).

He’d started to think something was wrong when Tommy had Tubbo give the disk to Dream. What was the child doing?

Technoblade had felt almost like a sword went through him when Tommy had said he sided with Tubbo. Tubbo was the president, the one who had exiled Tommy, turned his back on him, and Tommy was... choosing him?

He almost didn’t believe it.

But he was good at masks so... he wordplayed his way out of it, acting like Tommy was the idiot and not himself for trusting another damn person.

Then Dream had gone off on Tubbo and Technoblade tried to cover for Ranboo, because... he didn’t know why. He wouldn’t trust the half enderman, but... he didn’t think Ranboo was really on anyone’s side.

He’d ended up teaming with Dream to destroy L’Manburg the next day, then Dream had left him surrounded but he escaped unscathed, going home through the nether.

His thoughts were spiraling.

Why had Tommy betrayed him for Tubbo, the person who had exiled him, when Techno gave him a home and didn’t force the kid to leave after he stole things and holed away under his base?

The voices were all yelling over each other, some of them wanting to kill Tommy or just everyone, and some of them blaming Techno and saying he could’ve done much better.

Technoblade didn’t know which side was right.

It didn’t take long to get home. Phil was outside working on some kind of farm, and was concerned when Techno came back without Tommy.

Techno explained, acting like Tommy was an idiot and he didn’t care at all.

He cared too much. Way too much.

He went inside, not really knowing what to do. He was planning on just preparing for tomorrow.

Technoblade caught sight of himself, just barely, in one of the windows and all he could really notice was the braid his hair was in.

The braid Tommy had put his hair in.

His hands itched to tug at it, get rid of it, but he just went inside and went to the bathroom of the cottage, leaving his armor in his ender chest like he always did when it was just him and Phil. And Tommy when he had trusted the child.

Technoblade stood in front of the mirror, staring at himself. Well... really he was staring at the braid. It just brought back flashes of memory, of Tommy doing the braid, them laughing when he had to mess up and do it over. And of Tommy saying he sided with Tubbo.

Technoblade barely noticed as he reached for his sword and swung it, his other hand holding the braid.

His sword clattered to the floor when his grip lessened on it.

He didn’t really... take in what he’d done, even as most of the braid was on the bathroom floor and he could feel his hair against his neck.