Brush your teeth before you cross the road

I can't write fight scenes but I tried

Dream stared wide-eyed, watching as Nightmare became completely engulfed in the black liquid. 

"Brother.." Dream whispered, falling to his knees and shaking violently. Golden-yellow tears streamed out from his empty eye-sockets like waterfalls and stained his face. He couldn't look away. Nightmare was gone- this wasn't his brother. It couldn't be. 

But he knew it was.

Dream wheezed, closing his eyes and lifting a gloved hand up to cover his mouth in a desperate attempt to muffle his heart-aching sobs. This was his fault. He should've been able to fix this- to help his brother through the pain he was going through and be there for him at all times. He couldn't even do that right. Not only had he failed to protect his beloved brother, he had failed Error too. They'd sworn they were going to help Nightmare through this and yet Dream had ruined any chances they had. If only Error had been here with him then maybe this wouldn't have happened-!

Dream clenched his quivering hand into a fist and slammed it onto the branch in distress, baring his teeth and releasing a strangled cry filled with agony. Nightmare, who had been staring down at his oozing hands with morbid fascination, glanced down at Dream and narrowed his eyes.

"You." He gurgled, lifting a hand and pointing down accusingly at Dream. "This is all your fault."

Dream whimpered, reopening his aching eyes and peering back up at his corrupted brother. Nightmare was right. This was his fault. He hadn't been there for his brother when he'd needed it the most. Now look where that's landed them.

"I'm so sorry." Dream whispered, flinching when a second jagged tentacle erupted from Nightmare's back and arched down threateningly above his skull. Dream held his breath, watching as the other tentacle from before joined the second one and pointed down at him like a sharp blade.

"How can you apologise and think that I could forgive you just like that?" Nightmare snarled, crouching down so that he was now eye-level with the other guardian.

"I don't want forgiveness." Dream sobbed, burying his face into his gloved hands. "I just want my brother back."

Nightmare glared at Dream with disgust before his snarl changed into a large, twisted grin and he began to laugh as if that was the funniest joke he's ever heard. Nightmare threw his head back with manic laughter, clutching his non-existent stomach and wiping a fake tear from his now cyan eye.

"Oh, Dream." He giggled maniacally, heaving himself up and towering over the cowering guardian of positivity. "That's the funniest thing you've ever said."

Dream met Nightmare's piercing gaze with a hollowed look. Nightmare sneered at the expression and without warning reached down and snatched Dream by his shirt's collar, lifting him up and slamming him against the tree trunk. A sickening crack and a sharp cry of pain erupted from the poor guardian.

"Nightmare-!" Dream wailed, feeling a searing pain shoot up his left leg. 

Nightmare cackled hysterically and Dream stared at him with fear. His brother's cyan eye was impossible wide and viscous, cyan tears formed and mixed in with the tar-like substance that coated his brother. After his laughing fit died down, Nightmare smiled wickedly at Dream before using one of his tentacles to swipe at the branch and snap it while the other latched onto a separate branch so that he wouldn't fall with his brother. Dream gasped in shock as he felt himself lose balance and tumble down with the branch. The fall was so sudden that he completely blanked- the thought of teleporting away never crossed his mind. The guardian cried out with intense pain as he made impact with the ground. He supposed he was lucky that it was damp grass rather than rocks or gravel.

Nightmare chuckled and for a split second Dream forgot about reality and remembered his brother when he was happy. He sniffled and clenched his teeth, bringing his arm over to cover his watery eye-sockets. Nightmare observed him from where he hung in the tree like a monkey before dropping down easily and treading over to loom above his pathetic brother.

"You're in my way."

"Walk around me then." Dream grumbled.

Nightmare's eye twitched.

"No, that's not what I-" He started before face-palming. "You're only going to try and stop me from destroying this world, aren't you? That's no good, I'll have to get rid of you."

Dream's breathing hitched.

"Do you want to kill me?" Dream asked, voice barely above a whisper.

There was a long moment of silence. Dream uncovered his eyes and stared up at his brother with a sad smile.

"Yes." Nightmare eventually replied, voice quieter than before. "Yes, I do want to kill you."

Dream laughed dejectedly. He knew he couldn't let that happen. He needed to protect the villagers, his friends and the other alternate universes. He couldn't die here, even if he wanted to. But if he is to die, then he wants it to be by his brother's hand. To Nightmare's surprise, Dream managed to summon enough strength to lift himself up off the ground and stand. His leg may be broken but that's not enough to keep him down.

"Well I can't let you do that." Dream spoke defiantly, even as his voice wavered and pain coursed through his injured leg. 

Nightmare studied the other guardian's expression and glowered. How dare he? How dare he think he can stop him now! He's too far gone- he won't let anything get in his way.

Even if that means having to kill Dream himself.

Dream seethed in pain and glanced around for anything he could use as a weapon or defence. His eyes scanned over the Tree of Feelings and locked onto the last remaining golden apple. He needed to get that apple before Nightmare realised it was still there. Dream averted his gaze away from the fruit so that his brother wouldn't become suspicious and quickly tried to form a plan on how to obtain it.

Nightmare eyed him for a moment until he grew impatient and snarled, using one of his tentacles as a lasso and wrapping it around the other guardian. Dream yelped and began to shift and wriggle around, trying to break free from it's grasp. He didn't have time for this- he needed to get that apple as soon as possible. He ceased struggling and closed his eyes, focusing on the apple.

Oh that's right-!

Dream's eyes snapped open and he mentally face-palmed at his slow thought-process. He has teleportation and telekinesis- how could he forget? Nodding to himself, Dream lifted up the same branch that Nightmare had snapped with his telekinesis and hurriedly brought it over to him, focusing a small amount of light energy into the edge and stabbing it into the tentacle that wrapped around him. Nightmare released a cry of pain and the tentacle's grasp loosened. Dream wasted no time in breaking free and teleporting into the tree. He landed on a sturdy branch before the apple and reached out to grasp it. 

Yet before he could grab it, a tentacle shot out in front of him and blocked his path. Dream growled, lifting the branch up again and passing it to himself to use as a makeshift sword. He let out a battlecry as he pierced the branch straight through the tentacle. Nightmare screeched and retracted the tentacle, writhing in pain and shouting obscenities. Dream payed him no mind and rushed forwards, grabbing the apple and absorbing it. The guardian felt a sudden rush of positivity and stumbled slightly, dazed.

"No, no, no!" Nightmare screamed, whacking the branch out of Dream's hand and grabbing him tightly in one of his tentacles so that he could bring him down. He lowered the guardian out of the tree and threw him at the tree's trunk forcefully. Dream coughed and spat out a few droplets of blood. 

"You idiot- how am I supposed to get the apple now?"

"That's the whole idea." Dream coughed out, wincing in pain.

Agitated, Nightmare began to pace around. He needed that apple to become fully invincible- he wasn't powerful enough! He needed more! 

"I need that apple." Nightmare seethed, stomping back to stand in front of his weakened brother.

Dream warily glanced up at the other and spat a mix of blood and saliva at him. Nightmare hissed, grabbing Dream's left leg and beginning to apply pressure to it. Dream let out a tormented shriek as tears began to fall once again and the pain from before grew more intense and overwhelming.

"Stop it- stop!" Dream sobbed, using his other leg to kick the other. 

The attack didn't hurt Nightmare however he stopped anyway. 

"I can't kill you now- that could destroy the apple." 

"You don't want to kill me." Dream murmured, closing his eyes and slumping against the tree trunk. 

Nightmare ignored him, trying to think of how to get the apple back. Dream's breathing was slow and uneven and he could feel himself slowly slipping away into sleep. 

"Goodnight." He mumbled, gaining Nightmare's attention. "I love you." he added.

"I can't understand you." Nightmare mumbled in response, watching as his brother smiled slightly before drifting away completely.

Nightmare stared at him with a confused yet irritated expression. He couldn't understand how Dream could still say that. It didn't matter though- nothing mattered anymore. He may not be completely invincible but he's still powerful enough to get his way. He will make those villagers pay- he will make everyone pay.

"You're a monster." Error hissed.

"I know." Ink replied stoically.

--End--

Ok I'm not turning Dream into stone I don't wanna 

This really is going to be completely different to the original Dreamtale plot oops