Just a simple note left for Nia, Sara and Stela, hanging tied around the thin leg of a crow. Though the note wasn't from Phil or Technoblade. It was from Punz, who had gone to Technoblade in hopes of finding Nia. He asked Phil and Technoblade whether they'd want to help, too, but they refused, because they have no bad blood with Dream. Not yet, at least. So instead, he requested for his message to be sent forward — to the Trix.

It was a regular note, a simple message inside. Come to the Dream SMP. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Trix did as was asked of them.

And now they stand by the portal to the Nether, looking around the army that Punz has accumulated. Niki talks with Sara, sporting Wilbur's coat again. Stela engages in a conversation with Ranboo, who is worried for his friends that have deliberately plunged themselves into the arms of danger, thinking they would come back whole and unharmed.

Nia chews on her bottom lip. She doesn't know how long ago Tommy and Tubbo left to face Dream. For all they know, the two boys might be dead, or on the verge of death. She wants to go and help them, but nobody knows where exactly they'd gone, and how long it would take to get to the base.

Punz is nowhere to be seen.

The princess looks around the portal, noting others that gathered to bring down Dream. The Badlands are here — Sam, Bad and Ant. She also sees Ponk, Puffy, Callahan, Sapnap and Quackity. Her eyes stop on H Bomb and Eret, standing together on the side.

Her eyes linger on the king for a while longer, she hasn't seen them longer than she realized. They turn their head in her direction, as if sensing that Nia's watching, and they smile at her, gracing her with a small elegant wave.

The princess smiles back.

The sword hanging on her hip feels heavy, and she fights the urge to shift on the balls of her feet or tap her foot on the ground. Both of those actions would induce nervosity, and she doesn't want people to know how exactly worried she is for Tommy.

That boy betrayed her.

It hurt, more than she would anticipate. But somehow, he still seems to have a strong clutch around her heart. He doesn't even know about it, but Tommy truly does have the ability to beguile almost anybody he interacts with. He makes people adore and love him, and he doesn't even mean to. He doesn't mean to, but he makes people want to sacrifice their lives for him, almost like he's the center of the world.

Dream hates Tommy for it. The boy has so much power without even realizing it — Dream wants it.

"Huh, what's going on around here?" someone new appears by the Nether portal. New, as in came late, but the person themselves are familiar to Nia. She grins brightly, watching the god with golden skin and shark armor walk toward her.

"Foolish," she mumbles under her breath, watching the god stride forward. He glances at Sam and Ponk, nodding in acknowledgment, his wave to Eret going unnoticed by the king, and then his eyes set on Nia.

His eyes widen in surprise first, gaping at the princess. A smile makes its way to his lips, the corners of his mouth lifting, until eventually an excited giggle leaves his lips, swiftly making his way toward her.

"Nia!" he exclaims, immediately opening his arms to go in for a hug. Nia laughs in sheer joy, hugging the god back. His arms around her waist, he lifts Nia up and spins her around. "You're here!"

"I didn't know you were here," says Nia into Foolish's shoulder after he sets her down, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. "I mean . . . where were you?"

"I was— I was at my summer home!" says Foolish, pulling away from Nia to stare into her brown eyes, his emerald green ones seemingly shining even more in the sun. "I asked Eret to tell you to visit me once, but then you disappeared . . . and then Eret just—"

"Forgot about you?"

"Yeah . . ."

"They don't remember me either."

"Oh, that sucks," says the god, shaking his head. "I don't know what happened. But I was staying at my summer home and then this weird thing happened and this guy in green just invited me here, and I thought 'What the hell?' and came back!"

"Foolish," says Nia with a smile, her voice filled with affection. She genuinely didn't think she'd get to see Foolish again.

"Yeah?"

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too!"

"Are you here to help?" she questions then, noticing Foolish is holding her hands. His eyes also avert to their joined hands, a grin on his lips, simply delighted to be in the presence of a friend.

"I don't know what's happening. I just saw a lot of people standing here," Foolish explains, glancing at everyone around them.

Nia chuckles, nodding. "Well, we're—"

"Hello, everyone," speaks up a voice that Nia recognizes as Punz's, silencing her. He appears in front of the Nether portal in a puff of purple particles, having ender pearled here. "I think you all know why you're here," he says, "the note said it all."

Everyone nods, humming in agreement. Except for Foolish. Sara, Stela and Niki make their way toward Nia and Foolish. Sara and Stela, unfamiliar with Foolish, raise their eyebrows at Nia. She shakes her head because there is no time to explain the reunion.

"Tommy paid me to help him today," he starts directly, explaining why he gathered everyone who was, at any point, possibly wronged by Dream. It seems as though he wants to make sure people know that he isn't helping out of the pureness of his heart. It makes Nia wary of the blonde.

"I don't think he thought I'm definitely going to help him," Punz admits. "But here I am, standing before you. I— I will be honest with you. I'm currently the closest person to Dream . . . or I was," he says, glancing at Sapnap and Nia.

"And because of that — I know exactly where Dream's base is. I know how to get there through the Nether, making the journey much faster than what it would've been in the Overworld. Which means we can help Tommy. And I'm sure most of you are thinking this; we can finally get rid of Dream and his tyrannical reign."

"That speech sounds rehearsed," comments Stela under her breath.

"You think he's still on Dream's side?" wonders Nia.

"But he fought against us even in L'Manberg. He's a mercenary. I think he's just going for money, if anything," says Sara, shaking her head.

"Maybe." Stela shrugs.

"You guys in?" asks Punz with a sense of finality in his words. "Want to make sure Dream doesn't hurt anybody else?"

"What even is that fucking question, man? Of course, we do. What the fuck?" Quackity speaks up, his eyes narrowed at the mercenary.

"Let's just go, because an argument could currently mean letting Tommy and Tubbo die," says Puffy, her voice motherly and commanding.

"I'll go first, you guys follow."

Punz led the group to the portal in the Nether, going first as proof that it's safe — he wouldn't go first if it was dangerous.

Nia, Sara, Stela and Sapnap are the first in row to follow after Punz.

"I'm sorry, Dream, but you should've paid me more," says Punz, standing in front of the portal, his gaze set on the blonde man clad in netherite armor. He holds his axe dangerously close to Tubbo's head, ready to swing.

They arrived just in time.

"Step away from them, Dream," says Sapnap, registering the situation and falling into action. He and Punz both step forward with their swords, it's both a hint and a chance. They will not hesitate to attack unless he does what he's told.

As everyone else appears, Nia watches Tommy grab Tubbo's hand in an instant, dragging him away from Dream and hiding behind the army. Dream swings the axe but it finds no target, only thin air.

When the blonde boy passes Nia, he gapes at her for a moment, and she realizes that Tommy probably didn't know she was alive. He must've thought Nia is dead this entire time. She smiles thinly, nodding at him to move along and into safety.

Nia could use Foolish's presence as emotional support right about now. She didn't know that seeing Tommy again would flood her body with ache and regret for the relationship lost. She wishes Techno was here with her.

Instead, she has to face both Tommy and Dream alone. The Trix might be by her side, but neither Sara or Stela fully understand the pain of what happened and what must happen that she feels.

It's her Death-given duty to protect the knowledge of the Revival Book, and it is her duty to make sure that Dream doesn't use — or abuse in the worst scenario — the power that the book offers.

Dream must die.

What other option do they have?

"What— what is this?" asks Dream, staring at the army before him, his face hidden by his mask. Only his quivering voice exposes his nervousness, a manic laugh escaping his lips.

Stela glances at Nia, her eyebrows furrowed, wondering. Dream sounds genuinely surprised and worried. But is he truly?

He planned something. Though it surely wasn't his death. So, what exactly was it?

"It's over, Dream. You no longer have power over this land. Over anything, really," says Sapnap, moving closer. Sword in one hand, a ball of fire in another.

Sara watches the boy closely, still not comfortable with the fact that Sapnap shares her ability.

Tommy steps out of the crowd. His stubbornness takes the best of him, putting him on the front lines despite being one of the weakest links of the otherwise fully geared group. He glances at everyone when they try to protest.

You'll get killed, they say. Tommy merely shakes his head with an almost amused laugh. Though he's clearly terrified. Standing at the front despite his fear shows how brave and stupid he truly is.

"Dream won't kill me," says Tommy, lacking certainty. When he steps forward and Dream doesn't move, he smiles to himself, slowly collecting confidence. "He won't kill me," he repeats, this time with his head raised.

A smirk makes its way to Tommy's lips when Dream still doesn't move, despite being an arm-length away from the boy. One swing with the axe would end Tommy's life. But Dream only grips it tighter and refuses to act.

"He won't kill me, because I'm both an obstacle and the tool that will get him power," says Tommy, a laugh escaping his lips. He stands before Dream tauntingly. Pushing him away, Tommy makes his way into a corridor of the dark base, coming back out with an axe.

"You know what this is, Nia?" Tommy looks at the princess, holding the axe up. Her eyes widen in recognition.

"The Axe of Peace," she mumbles. Techno gave the axe to Tommy and the boy never gave it back.

Tommy nods. "Dream took it from me after Doomsday," he explains. "Apparently as leverage against Techno if he ever needs it."

Nia's attention turns to Dream. The mask sits on his face, the perpetual smile taunting the army. Is Dream worried, or is this exactly what he wanted?

"But you know what? It doesn't even fuckin' matter anymore. You know why? 'Cause it's over, Dream. Your days are numbered. And you're never coming back from this." Tommy holds up the axe, striding toward Dream with gumption. "Take off your armour and give up your weapons right now, Dream. You lost."

The weapon is pointed at Dream, and the man in a green hoodie does as he's told. Slowly, he strips off every piece of his armor, putting his sword, bow and knives on a pile next to him.

"What do you want to do with him, Tommy?" asks Sapnap, stepping forward.

The boy shrugs in response. "He needs to pay for what he's done. Everything that he's done," says Tommy, determination in his eyes. "He has to die."

Nia glances at Sara and Stela, the two women nodding in response. Perhaps it won't have to be them, who ensure the safety of the Revival Book's contents. Dream's reputation will do it for them.

The people who came to see Dream's fall all nod in agreement to Tommy's proposal. Both as a judge and executioner. The Axe of Peace slashes through the air, striking Dream's mask off his face, leaving a red, bloodied mark across his face.

For the first time ever, Nia can see a genuinely terrified expression on Dream's face. Whatever he was planning; it wasn't death. He never planned to die.

"One way or another, Dream, you've hurt everyone in this room," Tommy states as a final condemnation. A justification of this execution. "And I hope you will rot in the pits of hell for everything you've done. For the pain you'd caused. To my friends, to everything I cared about, and to me. You could tell them about exile, you know. What you did to me, Dream. What I had to go through— what you made me endure."

The attention is brought back to Dream. He stands in place, his face bleeding. He's terrified, but he stares Tommy in the eyes with determination. He says nothing.

"Fine," Tommy scoffs. "Then it's time."

Another swing of the Axe of Peace makes Dream cower, dodging the hit. Though he made the mistake of covering his head with his arms. one of his arms bleeds, staining the lime green hoodie with red.

Tommy prepares for another lunge, but Dream stops him.

"Wait! Tommy! Wait!" he shouts, scrambling to his feet, trying to get away from the boy holding the axe. The hopeless last cry for redemption — a way to survive. "Tommy, I can bring people back to life! If you kill me— if you do it, then death is permanent!"

"Aye? You— what?" Tommy stops mid-step toward Dream. His arm slumps with the axe as he gapes at Dream with his lips parted. "You're lying— Dream, you do that— you lie!"

"I can bring people back to life," says Dream definitively, trying to stop some of his bleeding by clutching his arm.

"He's lying, Tommy," says Nia firmly, stepping out of the crowd toward Tommy and Dream. "He can't bring people back to life. It's impossible."

Dream and Tommy look at her. Both of them bemused. Tommy is mulling over the idea of resurrection being real, while Dream ponders why Nia's lying. It occurs to him shortly after.

The Trix. Protectors of the Revival Book.

She's protecting the book.

Dream looks her in the eyes, nodding subtly. It would go unnoticed if Nia wasn't truly paying attention. But it's his way of telling Nia that he understands, and that he's not blaming her for the decision. Which only makes it more difficult.

Nevertheless, Dream is not letting himself get killed.

"No, I do know how to— I do! I have a book," he argues, shaking his head violently. He makes his way toward the wall of the base, using it to help himself stand straighter. Leaning on the wall, he makes eye contact with Tommy again. "Didn't you ever wonder how Schlatt got me to fight on his side in the Manburg war?"

It captures the attention of everybody, not just Tommy now. Nia glances at Stela and Sara. Their brows are raised, though Stela shakes her head, silently telling Nia to wait and see what Dream has to say.

"What?" Tommy asks.

"It was because of the book, Tommy! The book can bring people back, and Schlatt gave it to me!" Dream exclaims. "I know how to bring people back, so if you kill me, then everyone who dies in this land will be dead forever. You'll— you'll never get Wilbur back—"

"Shut up!" Sara reacts almost immediately at the mention of her best friend, sorrow showing in her face, expression contorted by rage. Dream is partly the reason why Wilbur is dead in the first place. "You have no fucking right to say his name," she spits, pointing her sword at Dream.

"Wilbur?" Tommy murmurs, still holding onto the Axe of Peace. Except now he's clearly re-thinking Dream's execution. He's wondering whether Dream's lying or not.

"Yes, Tommy. If you kill me, you'll never get him back," says Dream, nodding. He glances at Nia, waiting whether she's going to say something, argue with him.

The Trix know that Dream doesn't need the book to revive people. They should want him dead. Preferably, they should kill him themselves. Yet they stand frozen in place, their feet firmly planted to the stone floor. They're not sure about their next actions. They're having second thoughts.

"No," Stela says, shaking her head. She steps forward with her sword. Ranboo looks at her, putting his hand over the arm in which she grips her sword, an innocent, yet disapproving look on his face. "He has to die. Pay for what he's done." But Stela is one of the people who have suffered much less at the hands of Dream. Her ulterior motives are obviously much different than to what she says.

Nobody seems to pay it any mind.

"Nobody deserves to die," Ranboo whispers to her. "He did a lot of bad things, but that doesn't mean he has to die."

"He can't die, if he actually has a book that can revive people," says Quackity, stepping forward. His expression is inquisitive as he examines Dream with his eyes narrowed. "You never know when we could use something like that."

"But we can't let him live, I mean, we can't let him leave!" says Tommy, pointing at Dream with the axe. He glares at the man that is the root of most of his problems.

"You know, there is another way," speaks up a calm voice. Sam steps out, holding his trident. He looks around at the people who gathered to take down Dream. "If he truly knows how to bring back people, then don't have to let him roam these lands freely."

"What are you talking about?" asks Quackity, turning to Sam.

"Have you guys seen the prison near the Dream SMP?" the creeper man asks.

"Oh, yeah, I saw that one. It's fucking terrifying," says Tommy, nodding.

"Well, I built that," Sam informs everyone. "It's the most impenetrable building in this entire land, and Dream knows it himself. Because Dream paid me to build it. Which also means that I have access to the prison, and I can make sure he's locked in the most secure cell there is."

"You want to imprison Dream?" questions Niki. "How is that—"

"At least until he gives us the book." Sam nods.

Nia glances at Dream. Relief seeps into his expression. It occurs to her that the prison must've been a part of his plan. He gave her enough hints to deduce that he planned to be locked up. That's why he gave the Trix the Revival Book.

He catches Nia looking at him, throwing her a nonchalant smile as if there weren't a group of people contemplating whether to kill him or imprison him.

"If he actually knows how to revive people, then I say we should just imprison him," says Tubbo. He's still hiding behind the people in armor, aware that Dream no longer poses a threat to him.

"Everyone agrees to that?" asks Sam, looking around. He receives a number of nods and hums. The only people who don't react are Nia, Sara and Stela.

"It's over, Dream."

Tommy looks at the man one last time. He watches Sam approach him and tie his hands behind his back. Nia can't help but create a parallel between this situation and Techno being led to his death by the butcher army.

Sara and Stela approach Nia.