Summary: After positivity and negativity are caught in a stalemate, Nightmare decides to use some new tactics to best his brother.
Nightmare growled as he fruitlessly clashed with his brother. Tendrils struck out, thrashing furiously, only to be expertly blocked by a well-maneuvered staff, then said staff whirled around to strike him while his appendages retreated. Sidestepping, he evaded the weapon before it could make contact.
Soon their awkward little dance repeated. Step-by-step.
The dark guardian glanced over to his followers to see if they fared any better, and more than a little disappointment washed over him at the sight. Blue and Horror repeatedly locked weapons - war hammer vs. axe - in an odd contest to defeat the other through brute force. Both seemed trapped in their own world as they violently smashed the poor instruments of death together, not causing each other to budge in the slightest. Ink held off Killer and Cross on the opposite side of the battlefield. His absurdly large paintbrush matched the duo's combined power.
The forces of good and evil were at a stalemate; Neither gaining ground nor any upper hand.
Nightmare grit his teeth, dodging another swipe from his brother's predictable attack pattern. At the current rate, their skirmish may last for a millennia before either side grew weary or yielded- because winning seemed to be off the table given their predicament. They had been warring for eons. Dream understood Nightmare's attack formations, strategies, and tactics almost as well as the dark skeleton knew the guardian's own. That in mind, no side had a clear path to victory. Not with their current methods.
Drastic times call for drastic measures.
Leaping back, he drew his tendrils away from the golden-clad protector, which added an element of surprise to the battlefield.
Something his opponent did not - and would not - expect in the slightest, considering the way his brows crinkled and a tiny frown formed along his jaws. "Brother, what are you-"
Nightmare looked the Guardian of Positivity straight in the eye sockets, stating in a higher pitch than usual mixed with a mocking tone, "Oh look, I'm Dream, and I like making everyone happy!" He proceeded to stick his tongue out before running around the other while chanting, "Golden goose! Golden goose! Golden goose!"
Confusion flashed across Dream's face for a second; then, a childish pout quickly overtook it.
"Nightmare, stop!" The youngest twin cried. A bright yellow flush slowly began creeping up his skull. His shout proved useless against the Guardian of Negativity and only served to gain a fraction of his fellow protectors' attention.
"Stop it!" He whined, stamping a foot on the ground when Nightmare failed to comply with his demand.
Ink and Blue's eyelights fully snapped in his direction. Twin looks of bafflement sat on their faces at the sight of the dark lord's immature antics. Antics that included more than a few mocking remarks, derogatory/obnoxious chants, taunting dances- pretty much anything that would get on Dream's nerves. The pair were so immersed by the display they completely disregard their opponents in favor of watching the show.
Cross used the distraction to his advantage and swiftly swept Ink's legs out from under him, causing the artist to fall into the snow whilst dropping his weapon. Killer followed up by delivering a hash kick to his stomach area. A pained groan sounded as Ink curled in on himself, inadvertently admitting defeat. Meanwhile, Horror swung the blunt end of his axe into Blue's side and sent him sprawling in the snow alongside the AUs' protector.
Nightmare halted his new tactic and smirked as Dream glanced around, slowly realizing his teammates got taken out. "It would seem that you have lost this round, brother."
"Th- that's only because you cheated!" The yellow-flushed skeleton sputtered. "It wasn't even a fair fight!"
A menacing chuckle echoed across their battlefield when the Guardian of Negativity sprung a black portal into existence, gesturing for his followers to pass through. "Til next time." Before stepping in the portal himself, he paused. "Golden goose."
"I am not a goose!"