Two Years(DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 2: Starting Over

The ground was burning beneath Tommy's feet. Blisters were bound to happen, it was surprising he didn't have any yet. That was going to change. He made Dream upset.

Why did he have to mess up?

He knew better. Didn't he?

"Tommy," Dream's voice should have snapped him out of his thoughts but it wasn't. And that meant he needed something more tangible, solid. A sharp punch to remind him who was in charge. "Stop lagging behind. I can't protect you if you get left behind or somehow get lost here."

"Sorry," the apologies never stopped.

Tommy hated how easily they slipped from his mouth. Always for Dream. Why Dream of all people? Tommy had a lot to apologize for, but shouldn't he say it to those who actually deserved it. Dream deserved apologies. He was always around. Putting up with Tommy's antics. It's the least he could do. Right?

Apologize for his under performance.

"We'll keep moving, don't slow down," he heard the order.

Tommy had no clue where they were anymore. He had been blindly following after Dream, like a lost puppy. And it was sick knowing that without the man he'd easily succumb to any one of the dangers lurking about. He may have wanted to die, but that didn't mean he wanted to suffer. All Tommy wanted was to stop the pain. Ease the tiredness that wouldn't leave his soul.

Pain flared through his feet. And glancing down it was easy to realize why. Bloody footprints trail behind him, and a quick look at his feet was enough to have him hurl. But Dream didn't stop them, he simply grabbed Tommy by the arm and continued to drag him along. Not caring if the boy was entirely lucid or not. In fact, he was starting to think Tommy might find his way back if he didn't do something about it.

"Tommy."

"Yes?"

"Drink this," Dream held out a pitch black potion bottle.

"That's fucking poison," Tommy winced at his own retaliation. "I-I'm sorry. Its, I, that wasn't. I didn't mean..."

"If you're really sorry do what I say," Dream shot back all but shoving the vile bottle to his lips. "Drink."

Hesitating, Tommy downed the potion. Gulping it all down, ignoring the flat empty taste as he waited for it to take effect. Barely a moment passed before his vision was nothing but a dark void. No shapes, no color, no shadows. Nothing. He couldn't even see his own two hands in front of him.

"Dream!?"

"Don't worry, I'm still here," the man cackled.

Watching Tommy spinning to find the source of every little sound. Seeing Tommy reaching out with a trembling hand whilst the other hover down just below his knees.

"Come on, we have to keep moving," Dream huffed.

Belatedly, he realized Tommy wouldn't be able to follow him without something to guide him. Luckily, Dream had a spare lead with him.

"Actually, you'll probably need this for a few days," Dream happily tied the rope around Tommy's neck. He gave it a firm tug at the base, jolting Tommy. "Now you won't get lost. And if I need you to stay back I can give you some slack. But be careful. I won't be slowing down, so you better keep up."

"Right," Tommy nodded.

His pale fingers reached up and clung to the leash like a lifeline. Which in a twisted sense, it was. Tommy wouldn't have his sight back for at least three days. Unless Dream decided to give him some milk. But even if he wanted to there were no cows in the Nether. So he was stuck guiding his blind pet to a new location. If he could find anything decent enough that is.

It didn't matter much. It's not like anyone would be able to track them down this far into the Nether. And honestly, trying to move through the Overworld would be tedious and leave possible clues others might track. So, yeah, Dream was alright with his plan.

Only a few days of handling a stubborn beaten boy. Simple enough. He couldn't fight back. Dream was in complete control here. They could travel for days in the Nether and be thousands of chunks away from their last spot. Plus he had many more Blindness Potions he could use once they moved back into the Overworld. If he needed them.

Apparently that would be nearly an entire week out. Not needing sleep proved useful as Dream forced Tommy to follow. The boy wasn't lucid anymore. He desperately needed sleep. Yet Dream barely let them stop for even five minutes.

And as Tommy's vision finally blurred into focus, he watched as Dream built a portal. Already digging out a hole and setting a compass as he rebaried the lodestone.

The hooded man didn't even glance back as he yanked on his leash. Pulling them both through the portal. The night breeze was glacial compared to the broiling humidity of the Nether.

Not a moment's peace was to be had either. Phantoms swooped down from above. Their numbers vass and horrifying to a boy without any defences. He had no armor, no weapons. Just a lead tied to his neck like an animal. His cries of pain meant nothing to the mobs that attacked. Skeletons shot from the darkness around them. Zombies groaned, and spiders chirped.

And finally there was light. Blinding in the night, but very much appreciated. Now Tommy could vaguely make out the countless shapes scattered across this sparsely wooded biome.

Dream set into action, for the first time since attaching the thing, he dropped the lead. And Tommy stayed fixed to the ground, curled in the fetal position as he shook at every shriek and pop. The sizzling hisses cut off long before the explosions would come. He didn't dare to move.

Even if the night seemed to crawl on by. Morning would come eventually. It did. It finally came!

"Alright, get up," Dream barely leaned over to look at him. "We don't have all day."

Without a word Tommy peeked out of his arms, vigorously wiping away the tears as he stood on numb feet. He scaled a mountain with Dream's looming presence demanding he move. Of course he would. After all this he wasn't going to stop. Because if he did, Tommy knew he wouldn't be able to keep going. So he kept pressing forward. Pulling himself over the ledge only for Dream to drag him the rest of the way. Strangling him even after Tommy was up there.

It was cruel. But Tommy was too weak to fight back. His throat was raw from a week in the Nether. His feet were practically dead weight, if not for the occasional tender ache that reminded him they were still there. And god his eyes. They burned so much in the light of day. The dim torch light in the night was nothing compared to the stinging he couldn't relieve.

At least Dream seemed to be stopping. He wasn't making orders or dragging Tommy along. They weren't going anywhere for the second time in far too long. Tommy wished he could close his eyes and wake up from this fucking nightmare. He should have slept when they'd gotten through the portal. Dream had been slaying mobs all night, it would have been the perfect opportunity to rest for once. Maybe recover his barings.

Tommy wasn't complete out of it, but he wasn't all there either. That much was obvious as he readily heeded Dream's every word. He stopped being confrontational and became quiet. It wasn't so bad, Tommy reminded himself. Trying to recall Dream's words from the Nether. But it was all so foggy.

Maybe he could close his eyes just for a minute.

Yeah just a minute.