Dream followed Pogtopia's army over the cobblestone path towards Manburg. Towards the final battle. Towards victory or defeat, the end of JSchlatt's reign or the beginning of an age of true tyranny.
When they arrived, Nightmare was standing with Purpled and Karl atop a tower. Schlatt himself was nowhere to be seen, but the members of Pogtopia were too absorbed with the arrows whizzing towards them to notice, or care.
Quickly realizing that they held a massive disadvantage, just like the first war for L'Manburg's freedom, Wilbur and Tommy urged them towards the tower, aiming to drive Manburg's army off before they could get too much damage in. And of course, by the time they gave the order, Technoblade was already halfway to the base.
Scrambling to catch up with him, the members of Pogtopia raced to the tower, taking cover in the very shadow of their enemy's position. When they arrived, they were able to easily push Nightmare, Karl, and Purpled off of the tower.
As they rained arrows down, Technoblade laughed.
And Dream grinned. Perhaps it would not be as bad as he had thought.
Sure enough, as Pogtopia's army moved down to engage in melee combat, Karl was killed soon by Techno, and Purpled had to surrender.
But then Nightmare addressed Wilbur, claiming that he had something to say.
As the members of Pogtopia approached Nightmare and stood before him, he spoke.
"Well, this is a nice little treatise," Nightmare said, no trace of malice in his voice. Dream narrowed his eyes. Something was going on.
"So, it seems I'm on the losing side," he continued. "Problem is, I don't know whose side I'm on. The man I was supposed to be fighting for didn't even decide to show up, after all the effort he put in for this. So, I guess that means that Manburg surrenders. Officially. Oh, and there was no traitor, that was just something I invented to distract you."
Dream was sure he was grinning under his mask.
"So it's over?" Tommy asked, surprised. Dream shared the sentiment. Just like that? He hadn't even needed to make much of an effort to remain hidden. He had only used the one invisibility potion, and had used terrain and constructions to hide his presence for the rest of the time.
"It's over," Wilbur confirmed.
When they approached the camarvan on a hunch, there he was. JSchlatt, armorless, army-less. Powerless. Breathing heavily, gasping. But before anyone could kill him, he died on his own. Tommy called it a heart attack, but Dream wasn't so sure.
Then they were walking, as if in a daze, towards the podium. The very stage where Schlatt had been elected, the very stage where Tubbo had been killed.
The stage Wilbur had built with his own hands.
Now it was theirs again. Wilbur smiled. For the first time in a long time.
But he didn't go up. Instead, he turned to Tommy, and then announced that he, TommyInnit, would be the first president of New L'Manburg. Tommy was shocked. But he wasn't eager, as one might expect.
Instead, after everyone had agreed and Tommy got up to the microphone, he spoke simply and shortly.
"I cannot be your president," Tommy said heavily, his eyes slightly downcast. "I still have some unfinished business."
Then he raised his eyes up. They darted to Dream, not hidden well enough, clearly, then they focused on Nightmare. Dream didn't know who caught it, but he was sure Nightmare noticed the surprise in Tommy's eyes at seeing them both at once. Tommy hadn't believed Dream when he said that he wasn't the Dream they knew.
"As long as you have my discs, I can't do this. I need to finish... I need to resolve my unfinished business before I can do something like this," he continued, his eyes now fixed solely on Nightmare. "Come on up here, Wilbur. You belong here more than I do."