Pandora's Vault / Box / Jar (A Dream SMP and Reader Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Four

--------------------

You are about to read approximately: 1150 words

--------------------

"What did you do, Pandora?"

"I betrayed almost every person that ever trusted me... Except one. That one person is Eret. Why? Because they're chill and always gave me at least one reason to not get on their bad side."

"What else did you do?"

"I killed some people."

"Uhuh."

"Drugged and poisoned a president, held people hostage, killed some of those hostages, tested drugs on those hostages, before I killed them, if that's important, stole at least a thousand blocks worth of explosives, and hundreds of blocks worth of Netherite during my entire lifetime... Oh, and I took drugs, but that's pretty well known - I mean, L'Manburg - my home - is built up, on the drug business."

"Was."

"Hm?"

"It was built up, on drugs. It changed its morals and ideals. And now not only the idea of a drug-empire but also those new ideals are dead."

(Y/N) now turned their head away from the ceiling and towards the half-enderman that thought it was necessary to ask them questions about themself at eight in the morning.

"What do you mean 'dead'?" They asked and raised an eyebrow, now slightly interested in the conversation. "Dream, Techno, and Phil blew it up beyond repair," Ranboo explained.

"I guess that's why you live here, huh? You look like someone that would aline with the morals that a nation that swore off drugs and violence would have... Yeah, you look like someone that wouldn't start a war... unless it's for a good reason," they now looked back at the ceiling.

"You don't look as shocked about the fact that it's gone as I thought you would," Ranboo admitted. "It wasn't meant to last. Eret said so... I think. But after Wilbur blew it up and got killed, the nation was a lost cause - beyond repair, as you said," They now sat up and faced the half-enderman.

Ranboo, on the other hand, grabbed the bottom of his chair and moved a small bit away from them. "Listen, tall man, L'Manburg's purpose was drugs.

Wilbur never had family or unity in mind. It was drugs, power, and boredom. And with him and his plans and ideals gone, the nation was too."

...

"My name is Ranboo," he said after he had gained the courage to correct them. "And mine is (Y/N). You call me Pandora, I call you tall man. It's as easy as that," they responded before standing up and climbing down the ladder.

"I'll go and look around!" They yelled before closing the door behind them. Now Ranboo sat there, in between an empty bed and the sleeping Philza. He had to think about this again. He had just talked to a genuine criminal that had committed war crimes.

Hold on.

Look around? Ranboo jumped off his chair and slid down the ladder before storming out of the house. He looked around and luckily spotted some footsteps that were heading towards the portal.

He wanted to follow them but thought it was wiser to first get some of his equipment. While Ranboo did so, (Y/N) had successfully made it to the greater Dream SMP. They stretched and stepped forward to a small fence.

They admired the view of the community house, part of the prime path, the way up to Eret's castle, the castle itself, and everything else that was in sight.

Then, they took a deep breath. Freedom. That's what freedom felt like. To breathe and not feel a stinging in one's lungs because the room one was in is filled with toxic gases - to look around and see the world and the sky and not see a dark room while having to face hallucinations of one's worst nightmares.

This was freedom. The ability, to for one second forget what one had done in the past. But that freedom was quickly taken away from (Y/N) by a certain person.

"(Y/N)?" That person asked from below the stairs to the Nether portal. The one on the platform of the portal cracked a smile and responded with a simple 'Hi'.

The one wearing the crown now stormed up the stairs and dropped the flowers they were holding while doing so. They picked up the former inmate and swirled around with them.

"I'm so glad to see you!" Eret said after putting (Y/N) back down and giving them a tight hug "When did Sam let you out? Why didn't I know about this? How are you doing? There is so much we need to talk about!"

(Y/N) just smiled at the monarch and explained to them that Phil and Techno had paid off the warden and signed some kind of contract.

Eret was startled by how little it had seemingly taken to convince Sam to let a criminal like (Y/N) out of their cell, but he was convinced that they were a better person by now and that it was the right thing of him to do.

He invited them to his castle to catch up and (Y/N) happily accepted that offer.

Now the two friends were sitting in the castle's garden, eating cookies and talking about what happened in the past months. "Hold on, hold on! You're saying there was a random traveler that hid treasures around the world." - "Yes, Mr.Beast."

"Yes, that guy, someone found a giant egg in their basement." - "BadBoyHalo discovered it, yes." - "And Tommy opened his own hotel and just a week ago got killed by Dream in the prison." - "Yup. I still don't get how you of all people didn't know that."

(Y/N) leaned against the stone of the fountain and looked up at the sky.

"I'm glad Sam simply let me know when Dream got put into the prison and the context of all that madness. Other than that, he didn't tell me anything from the outside world," They explained while absentmindedly playing with the water of the fountain.

Now the conversation died down, and the duo fell silent. The splashing of the fountain and the chirping of whatever birds were flying over the castle were the only sounds that you could hear.

"So," Eret began, "What do you think?" (Y/N) threw their friend and former partner in crime a questioning look.

"I like to think that you have changed - are a better person now. I have helped Pogtopia in the war as you probably remember, and lost my crown for a while for doing so.

Yes, I risked my kingship for the people that despised me because I had betrayed them, but I helped them and redeemed myself. I am better than my old self now. How about you? Do you think you have left the crimes and your villainous past behind?"

(Y/N) looked at the monarch with an unreadable expression. It was like they had to think about that question, or weren't quite sure of their answer.

"Eret!"

--------------------

1150 words

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ To be continued ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰