The two of them asked around for a blaze rod and an ender pearl, eventually receiving one of each from Punz at the price of... One single apple.
Strange thing to want, but Dream supposed while not difficult to get, it could certainly be time-consuming.
As TommyInnit was getting the apple, the other Dream arrived.
Naturally, the other Dream knew that it would be much more difficult, perhaps impossible, to get the discs back if they were sealed away, ostensibly forever, inside TommyInnit's ender chest. Of course, there were still ways. But it would be harder, certainly.
So, he chased.
The first arrow came just after TommyInnit had the blaze rod and ender pearl in hand.
And it was a chase, again.
They had one of nine pieces. And how were they to get obsidian? Obsidian was one of the most difficult resources to get in the Overworld, not counting the other two dimensions' resources, which are generally harder.
If only they already had a large deposit of obsidian on the surface that they knew the location of, and could travel to relatively quickly.
Dream smiled beneath his mask as TommyInnit set off for the community Nether portal. It was perfect. Tubbo broke off and distracted the other Dream, following him and keeping TommyInnit updated on his position.
TommyInnit was able to get three pieces of obsidian before the arrow came. An inch away from hitting him, it buried itself in the ground at TommyInnit's feet, causing him to leap back, disrupting him before he broke the fourth piece of obsidian. He was on one heart,
Quickly, Tubbo arrived, and dropped off some food for TommyInnit. He also fired a few shots as the other Dream approached, but he wasn't able to stall long.
Silently, Dream willed TommyInnit to mine faster. He knew it probably wouldn't do anything, but he hoped he could. Even silent encouragement was at least something to do.
Two more pieces, and then the other Dream was there.
TommyInnit had to run.
Together, him and Tubbo sprinted away. Dream read desperation in TommyInnit's movements, but confidence in Tubbo's aura. It was a light, steely grey. Not dark or depressed, perhaps a bit grim, but confident. Meanwhile, TommyInnit's was now a darker grey with hints of red. Desperation, tinged with the Nightmare. Guided by the Nightmare.
But they kept going. Inside the community house, TommyInnit boarded up the doors with cobblestone, and quickly dashed up the steps, while Tubbo stayed on the bottom floor.
Dream knew what was happening.
He followed TommyInnit up the steps, and winced as Tubbo's death message appeared. He hadn't lasted long, but it was long enough.
TommyInnit jumped off the roof, down into the water beneath, and climbed up onto the path, sprinting back towards the Nether portal.
The sixth block. The seventh.
So close. Just one more. And the block was almost there.
But so was the other Dream. Another arrow thudded into the stone beneath TommyInnit's feet, making him jump.
They had been so close!
TommyInnit was running again. For his life.
He couldn't stop to think. Couldn't go back. He couldn't even keep running for too long, because he would lose his sprint, and the other Dream would catch up.
He couldn't do anything. He was stuck.
But...
But he didn't have to. Dream focused, and brought himself to Tubbo. Indeed, he was excited.
There, there it was. Tubbo had had a piece of obsidian in his house the whole time.
This could be the end, the true end. At least, until the other Dream managed to get them to give up the discs again, which Dream was almost certain would happen eventually.
Tubbo ran, and Dream followed behind, floating high in the air. He saw TommyInnit loop around to meet Tubbo. He saw the piece of obsidian trade hands. along with some carrots, dropped in TommyInnit's path so he could pick them up.
He saw the crafting table hit the ground.
And then there was blackness.
A massive wave of black energy, converging on TommyInnit as he held up the ender chest.
When he set it down, a wave of white pulsed from the bottom where it touched the ground, pushing the blackness back somewhat.
But then it was opened.
And the true light came.
It was just like the not-light that had come when TommyInnit had thrown those ender pearls, but this was hundreds of times stronger.
Dream wasn't sure what was happening, but TommyInnit dropped the discs in the ender chest, not seeming to see whatever it was.
Dream pushed it to the back of his mind as the vision faded, and there was only three things there.
TommyInnit and Tubbo.
An ender chest that contained the most powerful items on the server.
And a lonely green man.
Who had failed.