Yin and Yang: "Life"

Characters:

Yangchuanosaurus (Yang)

Length: 36 feet

Weight: 5 tons

Yangchuanosaurus (Yin)

Length: 34 feet

Weight: 4.5 tons

Daspletosaurus (Dash)

Length: 34 feet

Weight: 5 tons

Tarbosaurus (Turbo)

Length: 40 feet

Weight: 5.5 tons

Tyrannosaurus (Thunder)

Length: 40 feet

Weight: 8 tons

BEGIN!

Crash! A mighty roar filled the air. BADOOM!!! An even louder reply shook the forest.

                Two tyrannosaurs faced off in a clearing, a Daspletosaurus and a Tarbosaurus, each trying to roaar louder than the other. A dying Corythosaurus lay between the two circling predators, desperately calling for help from his herd. Twin roars drowned out the voices of Dash and Turbo as they turned to see the owners of the territory they had strayed into. Yin and Yang bellowed even louder upon realizing they were tyrannosaurs. Dash growled and backed up to put space between him and his rivals. Tarbo, slightly larger than the others, began circling the allosaurid pair. Yang gave a low growl, to which Yin replied with a high-pitched whine. Yang suddenly rushed to headbutt the Tarbosaurus, but pulled back abruptly before contact to give Yin the chance to run back to their nest. Tarbo snarled angrily, realizing Yin was gone. Out of nowhere, Das rammed the tarbosaurus and kicked the yangchuanosaurus in the shin. Yang staggered back and bit the Tarbosaurus' back, tearing out a good-size lump but had to spit it out when the Daspletosaurus barged into Yang's chest. Yang responded with a downward lunge, ripping into the back of Dash's neck. Dash roared and bit down on Yang's arm, causing the yangchuanosaurus to strike Dash's eye with his other forelimb. Before Yang could bite Dash again, Tarbo slammed into Yang, who still held Das by the back of the neck so all three hunters crashed to the ground. However, Yang adjusted himself to land on top of Tarbo. The Daspletosaurus was up first, his head stuck at an odd angle. Yang leapt up and grabbed the dizzy Daspletosaurus to slam him into a tree, but he tripped over the nearly flattened Tarbosaurus and careened himself into a pine. The Das capitalized and charged toward Yang, who swung around and met him head-on. The Das appeared to be winning… until he tripped over the unconscious Tarbo, effectively flattening his skull. The yangchuanosaurus then proceeded to visciously grab the Das's neck and twist. A sickening snap echoed throughout the clearing. The Daspletosaurus was dead.

The smell of fresh meat didn't take long to waft into the gigantic quivering nostrils of a male tyrannosaurus. Slavering, the 8-ton, 40-foot monster followed the aroma of its dead kin straight into a clearing. Two inferior allosaurids crouched on the other side, completely oblivious.

It wasn't hard to tell someone was coming. The sound of crushed foliage and thundering footsteps did little to hide the intruder's arrogance, though from the putrid stink Yang could tell it was a tyrannosaurus- the most disgusting, filthy, overconfident creature/tyrant in the Dinosaurian kingdom. There wasn't much a T. rex feared- so Yang vowed to give this one something to be afraid of.

Thunder laughed inwardly. This would be his easiest meal ever. There were only three things he feared in the Prehistoric world, and yangchuanosauruses were not one of them. Muscles quivering with anticipation, he stalked over to the huddled pair…

and struck.

Yang was not surprised when jaws crashed down on where he crouched a moment ago. He and his mate sprang up and surrounded the intruder. They would spank this imbecile, and when they did, maybe, just maybe tyrannosaurs would learn to leave allosaurs alone.

Thunder cursed himself. How had they seen his attack coming? Now he would have to meet them head-on. Then he grinned, realizing that had been what he wanted all along. Yin and Yang both knew they could not win the battle traditionally. The beast was too strong, too stinky and just too beastly. They started with feigning attacks left and right and nipping in occasionally, but the battle would go on forever like that and eventually one would be caught. Then the other would try to save him/her and there would be two dead dinosaurs in addition to the Corythosaurus they were eating. Yang rushed in for a headbutt but crashed stright into the tyrannosaur`s jaws. He quickly retreated out of snapping range to try a new tactic. He roared to Yin and Yin roared back disapprovingly. He knew it was dangerous but if they kept going like this they would be overwhelmed. Besides, the fight had to be moved or ended before the eggs got crushed. Yang took a deep breath, braced himself, and shot past Thunder into the forest. CRUNCH! Thunder snagged him by the tail. Yin gave Yang a look that said, "I told you so," but her look turned to sympathy and horror as she saw the pain he was in. She turned and rammed Thunder in the ribcage, setting Yang free, who ran off into the trees. But Thunder didn't chase him as planned. INstead, he turned and went for Yin.

She was alone in battle aginst this monstroud beast with nothing to do but fight (certain death) or flee (certain death watching Thunder sniff out the eggs and devour them).

Thunder was almost gloating, but he knew better than to celebrate before the battle was over. That cowardly other Yangchuanosaurus had fled, but Thunder would find him, hunt him, chase him to the ends of the earth and torture him. Triumphantly, he grabbed the remaining allosaur in his jaws… and paused. A devilish grin spread over his face as he planned his ransom.

Yang had no idea what to feel. The intruder hadn't even bothered to chase him, instead targeting his mate. By the time Yang could hear over his pounding heart and realized he wasn't being chased, he was already halfway through the forest. Panic seeped through him, quickly washed out by adrenaline. Turning tail, he crashed through the undergrowth, hoping he was not too late.

But he was.

Thunder had Yin pinned on the ground, a foot over her midsection. Yang could see all the fight had drained out of her, though a spark of hope flashed in her eyes when she saw him.

Thunder glanced in the direction she faced. His ransom had worked perfectly. Coursing with adrenaline, flooded with fear and anxiety, Yang launched himself out of the tree line. He launched assault after assault at the cruel oppressor but they were all expertly blocked and returned with interest. Yang broke away panting, as did Thunder. When they rushed each other, Yang dodged but Thunder was expecting it. He grabbed his smaller adversary in a wrestling hold and began to push. Yang pushed back. Needless to say, Thunder was winning.

Goodbye, Thunder…thought Yang. Goodbye, Yiii…..

But however hard Thunder mauled him, Yang couldn't bring himself to bid a mental farewell to the world. Not with Yin's life on the line. A sudden crack at the other end of the clearing drew his attention away from the creature about to kill him. Thunder capitalized and shoved Yang into a pine tree. Excruciating pain radiated from the Yangchuanosaurus' back as searing pine needles tore at his wounds. Thunder grinned wolfishly and began to crush Yang's neck.

Thunder forced himself to slowly crush Yang instead of swiftly tearing out his windpipe and feasting on his flesh. He would make Yang pay (for nothing in particular, just not giving up the meal and being an allosaur), make his last moments unbearable, and he would show all this to Yin to mentally as well as physically torture her. Speaking of Yin… Thunder glanced over at the female allosaur. She was hunched over her nest, watching the fight with unbearable grief but unable to tear her eyes away. Perhaps hoping that by some random miracle her mate would make it out alive. Ha! Thought Thunder. Let her hope. All the better to torture her with.

Yang was only barely aware of a burning sensation at his neck. All his attention was fixed behind Yin, too exhausted and injured to help. Something big was happening behind her- maybe big enough to save him.

Thunder suffocated Yang with cold-blooded intensity and glee. Nothing felt real anymore, nothing but hunger and fury and anticipation. He was sure the female would die any moment now, either from fright or injuries or both. Hopefully both. Prey always tasted better when it died of fright and pain. A small prick in his foot shook him back to reality. He looked down. "WHAT THE-" was all he managed before he blacked out. Forever.

"NO NO NO-" Yang bellowed. The eggs had hatched. Just in time to see their father die.

The world was big. Very big. Much bigger than it was inside Eggshell. As the hatchlings became more used to their surroundings, they became vaguely aware of a hurting near their heads. One hatchling looked up. "DADDY!" she shrieked. She didn't know how she knew, but she just knew.

She looked at Daddy. She looked at the Big Monster that was not nice to Daddy. She looked at her sharp fingers. Then she led the charge against Big Monster.

Yang would have laughed under different circumstances. A bunch of 30-second old hatchlings versus the beast that had whupped both their parents' butts? But they were hatchlings. His hatchlings. Thunder glanced down at them. He raised a foot."NO!" Yang bellowed. With a reserve of strength he never knew he had, he shoved free of Thunder's grasp and slammed his jaw like a hatchet on top of Thunder's head. The hatchlings scattered. Thunder crashed to the ground, shaking the clearing. Yin fainted with relief.

"Daddy," gurgled a hatchling. For the first time in what felt like a million years, Yang smiled. Then he lay down next to Yin and slept.

When Yin woke up, most of her scratches felt even worse than when she had first received them. She found Yang rubbing her wounds with pine needles.

"What the fu-- futalongkosaurus are you doing?" she moaned, though she couldn't hide the affection in her gaze. "It helps," replied Yang. "Trust me. That bi-" he kicked the rotting carcass of Thunder."He shoved me into a pine tree (winces at the memory) and this morning when I woke up all the bites on my back were fine."

"Huh," grumbled Yin. "Still hurts like fu… uh… futalongkosaurus."

The hatchlings giggled.

WINNER: YIN AND YANG

It was mostly Yang who did the fighting, but Yin gets credit for saving Yang.

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