Broken Together (MCYT au)

Chapter 67: The First Sunrise

Dream gripped his axe tightly, feeling his hands already starting to go numb in the process. His breathing was paced, no source of panic could be sensed within him as chills ran through his spine, voices shouting in his head. He hated how the voices sounded ever so familiar, knowing they were the voices of fallen soldiers who had given all away just to supply a land where he could stand today.

He could recognize his sister's words of encouragement in the back of his mind while Puffy spoke tactics and possibly strategies. No matter how hard he tried, those were the only voices he could hear clearly enough to decipher, the rest muffled throughout his brain.

"You never bothered to wonder why I was a ghost in the first place," Herobrine sighed, Dream noticing there was no intensity, no flame in his voice. "Though I know XD is there laughing at what he's done."

There were two options in what Herobrine was doing: he was stalling in order to prepare for something much more sinister in mind. Both Dream and XD knowing Herobrine well enough that it was a decent yet questionable strategy. "I personally don't approve of what he did, but I despise you for what you did in response," Dream took one step forward, axe held out in front of him.

Herobrine sighed and got up, his stance haphazard and flawed. "Spent a century waiting, endless torture and I've never done much wrong," he extended his left hand, Dream growing horrified as he saw small amounts of blue flames spawn from his palm, the embers leaving a small trail as Herobrine neared closer to him. "No matter how much I begged the Gods to let me know what I did, they never listened, and I was kept in chains. You know what that's like, Dream."

Dream stepped back with each step Herobrine took forward, keeping the distance between them. "Of course," Dream responded plainly, holding up his axe, his most trustworthy weapon of choice. "You were the one who put me in those chains."

"Every second you spend chatting with me is a life lost in battle. I've already secured a few of your friends," Herobrine smirked, Dream feeling the rage rise throughout his body, already starting to mobilize into a fighting stance. "Would be a shame if I hurt one of your brothers-"

'You wouldn't dare,' the words ached to escape his body but instead, he felt his legs kick off the ground, jumping towards Herobrine with his axe in hand (surely XD now taking control). "You already hurt George; don't you dare go for anyone else!" Dream shouted; his voice distorted with the effects of possession. He swung his axe, watching as Herobrine slid out of the way in the nick of time, the axe digging into the ground, causing the floor beneath him to shake with force.

Herobrine shook his head, glistening white eyes filling with rage as he took out a netherite sword, getting into a stance of his own. In his off-hand, Dream could eye the growing blue flames, practically burning Herobrine's palm. "It's... hurting you-" for a split second, he felt a bit of compassion.

Dream's vision flickered ever so slightly; a young man stood before him as tears streamed down their face.

Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his leg as it buckled, seeing a clean cut where his legs weren't protected by the armor completely. Nothing too bad but surely a pain to deal with. With the chance of close contact, Dream tried to dig his axe into Herobrine's torso, though missing and hitting the shoulder instead. No deep wounds, surely bruises forming on both bodies as the weapons banged the heavy armor in.

"You've improved, Dream!" Herobrine smirked, Dream looking at the other with increasing frustration. The grip against his weapon became sharper as the motivation racking his mind became rougher. Herobrine's smile grew even larger, eyes low and sickening. "I'd have to thank Nadia for all she did for me."

"How dare you!" Dream shouted, rushing towards him and swinging his axe against the uncovered arms, seeing it create a huge gash into Herobrine's offhand and the blue flames going out in an instance. "Don't you ever speak of her again!" he shouted; both of their movements mirrored. The fight has truly and finally begun.