Dream a Nightmare

Tubbo, Wilbur, and Dream stared at Philza for a while, but eventually they were drawn back into the story.

"I was deposited onto an island," Technoblade was saying. "The island was part of a ring of nearly identical islands. Each island had one person on it. It was a giant deathmatch. When you lose, you get kicked out. But I never lost. I just kept winning.

"After a while, the spirits didn't come out while I was fighting. I realized that it was a prison. I was on top of the world. And it felt terrible. I began hoping to lose. I didn't want the spirits to come back, though, so I couldn't kill myself. I tried.

"Eventually, I was just fed up. One thousand, three hundred, thirty-seven wins in a row. And then I dived off of the edge. The spirits tried to stop me, but they couldn't do anything. My emotions were too powerful.

"But after that, I went at it again, this time with friends. We got to eighteen hundred eighteen before we stopped.

"And then I farmed."

This abrupt change of topic caught everyone off guard, except for the first other Dream, who seemed to know the story already.

"I farmed potatoes," Technoblade continued. "For months in a row. Day after day after day. Month after month, it stretched on. There was no end in sight. So I made an agreement with my opponent. Whoever reaches fifty million first would win the war.

"And I did. It took up so much of my life, and yet, I've never regretted it.

"Three months later, the being told me that there was a government that I needed to end. And, as you know, that was Jschlatt and Manburg.

"But then you all tried to set up another one immediately after we ended one. I felt betrayed. You all knew what I wanted, but you ignored it. You said no withers. You said no destruction. You wanted to keep your perfect little town. But Wilbur made the right choice. And no matter what you say, it was his choice to make."

Technoblade gave Wilbur a nod. Wilbur smiled back uncertainly. He didn't seem sure of how exactly he should feel.

"I thought that it would be fine after that. I didn't think that you all would be so inconsiderate as to trample on the memory of you beloved leader. But you not only trampled his memory, you spit in the face of his last words.

"You remade L'Manburg. When I heard that, I was..."

Technoblade took a steadying breath.

"I was... furious," Technoblade said through gritted teeth. He hesitated a bit before the last word, and it came out almost as a hiss.

"But then I heard that Tommy had been kicked out. And I saw that as an opportunity. I brought Tommy in. I told him the story of a famous hero, who was not respected after doing everything for his city, and his people, and I said..."

"Welcome home, Theseus," Tommy announced, interrupting Technoblade with a huge smile on his face.

"And I showed him my vault. And he agreed with me. The two of us were going to destroy L'Manburg with Dream."

"Wait!" Tubbo cried out. "You knew that Dream was going to try to destroy L'Manburg?"

"Of course," Technoblade said. "It was pretty obvious from his actions. If him building the obsidian wall didn't tip you off, I don't know what would have. Really, by the point we both agreed to attack L'Manburg together, it was just a formality."

Dream nodded. Technoblade had been kind of a loose cannon, but he had been a loose cannon that pointed towards L'Manburg. And this cannon packed a punch.

"I skipped a part, though," Technoblade said. "The being approached me after you all rebuilt L'Manburg, and he offered again to take away the spirits. And I refused again. I wanted them to pay."

Technoblade looked up at Tommy, and Tubbo.

"I wanted you to pay," he said.