86. (credit to hyacinthus)

"What the fuck happened to your mask?"

Dream blinked. ". . . My mask?"

"The smile!"

"What about it?"

Sapnap's face went through a series of interesting expressions. At last he sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "It's. . . an uwu."

Dream paused, then wrinkled his nose. "Did you really say that out loud?"

"I didn't have a choice!"

"You could have just said that the smile changed!"

"I said that! You--" Sapnap paused, suspicion twisting his features. He stared at Dream for a moment, then jabbed a finger at him. "You made me say it on purpose," he accused.

Dream grinned.

"You did!" Sapnap hissed. "Fuck you. Fuck this. I'm gonna go join L'Manberg. Fuck your dictatorship. Viva la revolution all the way!"

Dream burst into laughter, doubling over. "Sorry," he wheezed between cackles. "Couldn't-- miss-- the chance-- to mess with you."

"Fuck you," Sapnap grumbled again.

~~~

"Why."

Dream blinked. "Why what?"

Punz gestured at his face. "You. Just. Why?"

"Well," Dream started slowly, "I'm not quite sure why Prime decided to let me live another day--"

"No, the mask," Punz huffed. "Why the hell is it-- different?"

There was a pause. ". . . but it's not?"

Punz leveled him with a flat stare.

"It's not!" Dream insisted.

"What's not?" George asked through a mouthful of bread. He promptly dropped said bread when he caught sight of Dream. "What happened to your mask?!"

"Nothing happened to it!" Dream cried.

"Bullshit," Punz deadpanned.

Sapnap poked his head into the room. "What's going on? I heard shouting."

"Dream's mask is, uh." George fumbled for the right words. "Different."

"It's the same as it's always been!" Dream protested. Sapnap stared at him for a long moment, then shrugged and turned to Punz and George.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," he said. And dang, his poker face was good. Dream mentally applauded his acting skills.

"You don't--" George cut himself off, lifting his goggles to rub his eyes. "You know what? I'm not even going to bother."

"We are literally about to go to war in two hours," Punz muttered.

"Yeah, so?"

Punz buried his face in his hands and let out a long, long sigh.

~~~

"Is nobody gonna talk about Dream's mask?" Fundy blurted.

"No," Punz and Wilbur said in unison. Then they simultaneously recoiled and glared at each other.

"We don't talk about Dream's mask," George added blandly. "It's just. . . best not to question it."

"What's wrong with Dream's mask?" Tommy asked. The others turned to stare at him and he shrugged. "I mean. . . it's the same as it's always been, innit?"

Sapnap pointed triumphantly at Tommy, turning to Punz and George. "Exactly! See, that's what I've been telling you!"

George let out a tired sigh as Punz turned his gaze heavenward. "Fuck," the mercenary groaned. "There's another one."

"Anyways," Wilbur coughed.

"Wait, no we can't just ignore--"

"For the sake of my sanity, we can and we will," Wilbur interrupted, glaring at Fundy. The fox hybrid shut his mouth. "Now where were we? Ah yes-- give us independence, or give us death. We'd rather die than join your SMP."

The dramatic tension lasted for all of three seconds before Tommy broke down cackling.

~~~

Dream stared at Tommy. Tommy grinned at Dream. Dream raised an eyebrow.

". . . A little warning would have been nice."

Tommy's grin widened. Dream sighed.

"Okay, I'll bite. How?"

"Snuck in while you were sleeping, hit you with a hax weakness potion so you wouldn't wake up, stole your mask, repainted it, and slapped it back on."

"Uh-huh." Dream nodded. "Y'know, one of these days, I'm going to dye your hair green."

Tommy snorted. "'S not my fault you don't look in mirrors."

"Lime green."

"Speakin' of, why don't you look in mirrors?" Tommy mused aloud. "Is it 'cause you're ugly?"

"Lime green with sparkles."

87.

"Hey Sam Nook, can you curse?"

Sam Nook tilted his head. AWESAMDUDE HAS PROGRAMMED ME TO AVOID PROFANITY.

"That's fuckin' stupid," Tommy muttered. "I curse all the time."

The android hesitated. IT ISN'T GOOD TO CURSE IN FRONT OF CHILDREN.

"Okay, first of all, I'm not a fucking child. Second of all-- you're literally two months old."

YOU HAVE A POINT, Nook acknowledged. BUT I STILL PREFER NOT TO CURSE.

". . . Hear me out," Tommy said. "Come visit the prison with me, and address everyone as 'bitch'. Except me, of course. Call me the biggest man or some shit."

WHY?

"Because it's funny."

I FAIL TO SEE HOW THIS IS AMUSING, Nook admitted. Tommy huffed.

"It's funny to me," he amended. "C'mon Nook, please? For me?"

Nook remained unmoved. Tommy switched tactics.

"We've made a ton of progress this week," he wheedled. "The hotel can wait for a day. Don't you want a break from building?"

I AM AN ANDROID, Sam Nook deadpanned. I DO NOT REQUIRE REST.

"I need a break," Tommy amended. "C'mon big man, just once?"

Nook hesitated.

"Please?"

WILL IT MAKE YOU HAPPY?

Tommy nodded vigorously. "Oh yeah. Definitely."

Nook inclined his head. VERY WELL. I WILL DO AS YOU SAY.

~~~

"SAM! I'M HERE TO VISIT DREAM!"

Tommy waited impatiently as the portal hummed to life. The warden stepped out, geared up in full netherite and wielding a trident. "Tommy," he greeted. ". . . Sam Nook."

HELLO, BITCH.

Sam froze. Blinked. Processed the words, then processed them again. He slowly pressed a hand to his face. ". . . What did you do to Nook?"

I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO ADDRESS ALL INDIVIDUALS OTHER THAN THE BIGGEST MAN AS 'BITCH'.

The warden appeared to be in physical pain. "Yeah, okay," he said. "Okay. And, uh. You said you were here to visit?"

"Yup," Tommy chirped. He gestured at Nook. "Got my emotional support android. He can punt Dream if he tries anything funny."

"Okay," Sam repeated. "I, uh, I guess letting both of you into the cell will be fine?"

DO NOT WORRY, BITCH, Nook said seriously. WE WILL BE VERY RESPONSIBLE. IF THE OTHER BITCH TRIES ANYTHING, I WILL PROTECT THE BIGGEST MAN.

Sam looked torn between laughing and crying. In the end, he just stepped aside and wordlessly gestured towards the portal. Tommy made a mental note to test if confusing Sam was an effective way to break into the prison.

~~~

"Tommy," Dream said. "I see you've brought a friend."

Sam Nook inclined his head. HELLO, BITCH.

Dream made an absolutely flabbergasted expression. Tommy collapsed against Sam Nook, cackling his heart out. The android reached out to steady him, and despite his inability to emote, his exasperation was obvious.

PLEASE CALM YOURSELF BEFORE YOU SUFFOCATE.

Tommy just laughed harder. Dream stared at the two of them in bewilderment. "Er. . . hello, Sam Nook."

The android tilted his head. YOU KNOW ME?

"Vaguely," Dream hedged. "Why are you here?"

Nook glanced at Tommy, who had downgraded from full-body laughter to constant giggling. I AM HERE TO PUNT YOU IF YOU TRY ANYTHING.

Tommy catapulted straight back into wheezing. Dream dragged a hand down his face.

"I regret all my life choices," he informed the two visitors.

The remaining air in Tommy's lungs whooshed out of him with a squeak. He melted into the floor, practically draping himself over Sam Nook's netherite boots. The android let out a staticky sigh and hauled him up by the back of his shirt.

BREATHE, he ordered. Tommy took in a stuttering inhale, only to collapse right back into giggling. Dream sighed.

It was going to be a long day.

88. (credit to Smallest and Gabbygirl317)

"You're cornered!" Dream yelled at the rebels, sword drawn and pointed straight at Wilbur's heart. "Surrender or face the consequences!"

"Prime, do you ever shut up?" Tommy stomped forward, ignoring his comrades' shouts and Tubbo's desperate attempt to stop him. "We're not surrendering to you!"

Dream smirked. "You can't defeat me."

Tommy's face went deadly serious. "Trust me, I can."

Someone behind Dream snickered. Dream didn't look back, instead lowering his sword in a show of arrogance. "Go ahead, then. Defeat me."

Wilbur reached out to pull Tommy back. "Tommy--"

"You underestimate me," Tommy cackled, shaking Wilbur off. He reached into his inventory and pulled out an ink-black potion. "This isn't even my final form!"

Dream's eyes widened and he lunged forward. "STOP HIM!" he shouted. His allies took a moment to react, but by then it was already too late. Tommy downed the potion in two gulps and dropped the empty bottle into the grass, where it promptly shattered to pieces.

Dream skidded to a stop and threw out a hand, stopping the others in their tracks. They watched warily as Tommy hunched over, his breathing erratic.

"Tommy?" Tubbo hesitated, torn between reaching for his friend and backing away. "What. . . what did you do?"

Slowly, the teenager looked up. A sharp grin spread across his face and when he blinked, his irises flared purple. Before their eyes, he appeared to grow, skin melting into midnight-black scales. The nonloopers gaped up at him, his allies and enemies alike frozen with fear.

With a mighty roar, the creature that had been TommyInnit raised his head. His wings spread wide in challenge, blocking out the sun.

"Dream?" Sapnap tightened his grip on his sword. His voice shook. "What-- what was that potion? What the hell do we do?"

"Ender dragon transformation," Dream said shortly. ". . . don't worry, I have a plan."

Without warning he pulled another potion from his inventory, this one the murky brown color of mud. Sapnap let out yelp as he downed it, backpedaling for fear of getting squashed.

There was no need to. Because contrary to expectations, Dream did not turn into a giant dragon. Instead his skin melted away into velvety fur, patched brown and beige.

"What," Wilbur said, summarizing the entire situation.

"Oh fuck," Tommy boomed. He jerked, surprised at the volume of his own voice, then scowled. "You really turned into a cow?"

The cow blinked innocently up at him. Tommy jabbed a claw at him. "Don't give me that look, I know what you're doing, you bastard--"

Dream sat down and proceeded to look sad. Tommy stared at him.

"Tommy," Wilbur called. "I-- what are you doing?"

"I can't hurt cows," Tommy grumbled, still glaring at Dream like he was an insult to his existence. "And this fucker knows that."

"I mean. . ." Tubbo glanced between Tommy and the Dream SMP fighters. "The others aren't cows, are they?"

Tommy's gaze shifted to the human fighters. A grin spread over his face, revealing rows of sharp teeth. "Tubbo, big T, my favorite man. You make an excellent point."

Dream made a noise of protest. Tommy rolled his eyes, picked him up, and deposited him on the roof of the Camarvan. Dream shrieked and scrambled to the edge, only to pause when he realized how far the drop was. He still wasn't very used to being in cow form - if he tried to jump down, he'd break his legs. He sent Tommy a baleful glare.

"Don't gimme that look," the dragon deadpanned. "You brought this on yourself."

The glare intensified. Tommy snorted and turned away, violet particles streaming between his fangs.

"Right, where were we?" He squinted at the three remaining Dream SMP fighters, then snapped his wings open. "Oh right! Run."

89.

"It's a battle of wills. It's a battle of fire. It's a battle of strength and your heart's desire."

"So you got Wilbur back into songwriting, huh?"

"Mhm." Tommy swung his feet over the ledge, head tilted. Wilbur's voice echoed off the walls of Pogtopia, accompanied with some. . . slightly aggressive guitar strumming. "I kept leaving the guitar in random places for him to find. He eventually cracked and picked it up again. Hasn't put it down since."

"Get ready for the fight. Pick up your sword. This is ours, this is ours!"

Dream hummed. "Any reason why his songs are more. . . motivational than usual?"

"He's hyped up for the Manberg war," Tommy deadpanned. "I guess he's just channeling his bloodthirst into music."

"Ready, aim, fire! Take the shot! Make one last jab - kick it up, kick it up a notch!"

"I. . . see."

Tommy shrugged. "He hasn't gone as insane this time 'round, so I think getting him back into songwriting was a pretty good idea. Has he approached you about the TNT?"

"No. Not yet, at least."

"This is our fight. This is our war. Our chance to reclaim what's ours. This is our L'Manberg!"

" Our L'Manberg?" Dream repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What happened to my L'Manberg?"

"My working theory is that the songwriting kept him centered, which means no paranoia and 'my unfinished symphony' bullshit. He's a bit less cynical now, so I guess he finally realizes that he's got allies."

"This is our L'Manberg!"

"Or he's considering Communism."

"I--" Tommy paused. ". . . Oh shit. With the whole election fiasco, you might be right."

Dream let out a wheezing laugh. There was a crash and unharmonious clash of guitar strings as Wilbur broke off mid-verse, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Both loopers froze, exchanging glances.

"Aaand that's my cue to leave," Dream muttered. "Nice talking to you. I'll try to get Tubbo out of Manberg tonight, so be on the lookout for that."

"Got it. Now fuck off before Wilbur catches you."

90.

His ears were ringing. He could smell smoke. Sticks and stones dug into his back.

"Tommy," Dream said.

Tommy kept his eyes closed. Maybe if he played dead, Dream would leave him alone.

No such luck. "Tommy," Dream repeated, sounding slightly impatient. "Stop avoiding me."

Tommy opened his eyes to glare up at him. "Fuck you." He promptly rolled over and shut his eyes.

There was a low sigh. "We have to work together if we want a way out," Dream said.

"Fuck you," Tommy repeated.

"You can't ignore me forever."

"I've done it pretty well for the last ten loops."

Another sigh. Dream sure sighed a lot. Tommy hoped he exhaled his lungs. "Tommy. . ."

Tommy opened his eyes again to glare at the landscape. From where he was laying he could see the edge of the ocean, where the waves lapped at the sand. "I'm not working with you."

"I know we've had our differences," Dream said. Tommy rolled his eyes. "But if we want to get out of this, we have to set them aside."

"Prime, could you get any more cliche?" Tommy pushed himself into a sitting position. "You really think I'm just gonna forget everything you did?"

"No, I don't," Dream snapped. "But you're the only other person in this loop. If we work together, we can get out of this quicker. I'm willing to ignore our past conflicts--"

"Oh, you're willing to ignore it?" Tommy rose to his feet, ignoring the burning in his legs. "Remind me who the wrongen is here?"

Dream sneered. "Don't act like you're innocent--"

"And don't act like you are either," Tommy shot back. "You're a fucking control freak with a god complex and literally nothing to show for it. You blew up my nation, you took all three of my canon lives, you a-abused me in exile-- you're the reason everyone on this fucking server is miserable! You think I'm just gonna forget that?!"

"You came on the server, and the first thing you did was threaten to break the rules!" Dream shouted. "I just wanted a safe world where everyone could get along! Then you and Wilbur decided-- decided to just go off and make a nation-- on my server-- without even asking me!"

"We did ask you! You chose violence!"

"You didn't ask-- you told me after you built the place! I didn't want to fight, but you forced me to! Everything was fine, and then you and Wilbur decided to fuck it up because you were bored!"

"We just wanted somewhere to be free!"

"You were free!"

"Not with your fucking rules hanging over our heads!"

Dream gritted his teeth, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands. "The rules are in place for a reason."

"What, so you can feed your superiority complex?!"

"To keep the server in one piece!" Dream thrust a hand in the direction of Logstedshire. "You decided to break them-- now look where we are!"

Tommy was shaking. "Don't act like you're the victim," he hissed. "Don't you fucking dare act like we hurt you."

"Yeah?" Dream growled. "What do you call the shit that happened in prison then?"

Tommy laughed. It sounded off to his own ears. "If I recall correctly, you weren't the one that got beaten to death."

An odd glint entered Dream's eyes. "That's not what I was talking about," he said. Like he was brushing it off. Like he just expected Tommy to brush off his own fucking death.

Static filled Tommy's ears. He felt light, far away. His ribcage tightened, lungs constricting.

"Fuck you," he breathed. His eyes were burning. "Fuck-- fuck you."

Dream tilted his head, watching him like he was an interesting specimen.

Tommy snapped.

"FUCK YOU!" he screamed, lunging forward and punching Dream straight across the face. The man staggered back, raising his arms to fend off the blows Tommy rained down upon him. "FUCK YOU, YOU BASTARD!"

"Tommy-- wait--"

Tommy did not wait. He tackled Dream and slammed him to the ground, wedging an arm under his chin. "I was HEALING! " he howled. His voice sounded more animal than human. "I WAS HEALING, AND THEN YOU-- YOU BEAT ME TO DEATH FOR YOUR OWN SICK SATISFACTION! You killed me so you could-- so you could prove a point! You took my THIRD CANON LIFE to PROVE A FUCKING POINT!"

He punched Dream again. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface of the mask, but its blank smile remained firmly in place. The teenager leaned closer until their faces were inches apart.

"You don't know what death feels like," he snarled. "You don't know what Limbo feels like. The fucking-- emptiness, the pain-- and you-- you left me in there for two fucking days. Just so you could prove a point. And then, just when I woke up in the past and-- and I thought things would get better, that maybe I had a second chance at life-- I find out I'm in a fucking TIME LOOP with YOU!"

His own words rang in his ears. Tommy glared, panting, down at Dream. The man remained silent, his expression hidden behind a layer of porcelain. Tommy imagined his face. Imagined the sick grin he had when he first revived Tommy.

His bloody knuckles collided with the mask. Dream's head jerked, but he made no attempt to fight back.

"Fuck you," Tommy spat again. He wanted to kill Dream. Murder him with his bare hands. But then he'd wake up in the next loop, and Dream would be alive again. It was pointless.

And fuck, Tommy was tired.

All at once, the inferno in his chest went out. He slumped forward, prying his fingers one by one from the death grip he had on the front of Dream's hoodie. Slowly, lethargically, he pushed himself up and stumbled a few feet away. The other man remained silent, spread out on his back in the sand.

". . . Don't follow me," Tommy bit out.

He turned and staggered off in the general direction of the Arctic, Dream's gaze burning into the back of his head.

Loop Notes
86. Wilbur's strategy: ignore it if it doesn't make sense. Fundy's strategy: question it if it doesn't make sense. Sapnap's strategy: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
87. We believe in Sam Nook supremacy.
90. Funny how everyone always wants to find one person to blame.