Land Before Time: With or Without Me

I Won't Leave You

The struthiomimus brothers raced along the path still screaming in terror as the tyrannosaurus couple pursued them, driving them out of the valley. They managed to find a way up a cliff to a higher path and immediately started jumping. The sharpteeth chasing them, however, could jump too. Though they couldn't reach, they were coming uncomfortably close. On top of that, it was only a matter of time before the safety of this higher altitude was lost to a more level playing field again. If they hadn't gotten away from the enraged parents by that time, they wouldn't be getting away at all. "I knew from the start this was a bad idea! Ozzie, slow down!" Strut exclaimed.

"Keep moving or I'll leave you for dead!" Ozzie snapped back at his slower sibling. They rounded a corner and gasped. There was no more path left, and they were low enough for the sharp teeth to be able to almost snap them off the narrow ledge! Ozzie scowled, looking around. "There!" he said, pointing to a fallen tree. Strut screamed in panic, darting ahead as the T-rex pair almost snapped him off the cliff. Ozzie blinked, scowled, then followed. Strut made a leap for the log only to have his sibling snatch him back. "What have I already said? I'm always first!" He threw his sibling back and leapt on the log.

Strut gasped in fear, looking in horror at the nearing tyrannosaurus parents. Fortunately, the path through the ravine they'd darted into was narrowing excessively, so they enraged sharpteeth were forced to move slower and in single file. The tyrannosaurus male lunged, tackling the cliff and making the it shake, rocks falling loose and ground destabilizing. Strut cried out in fear, almost toppling down but managing to get back to solid rock. He ran to try for the log again. His brother was in the middle of it already. The cliff was struck again. The ground loosened a second time and rocks began raining. Suddenly there was a loud cracking sound. Strut slid to a stop, gasping. The log his sibling was on was collapsing with the stone ledge holding it! Suddenly it snapped, and with a cry of terror and fear Ozzie fell into the ravine, log and stones tumbling with him. "Ozzie!" Strut cried out in fear, racing ahead and looking down with a gasp of horror. His eyes widened. His brother had hit the ground hard and now was pinned beneath rocks and the trunk. Strut wasn't sure he liked how his sibling was bent or how the log had fallen on his spine.

LBT

Ozzie's eyes flickered open. What had just…? His eyes widened. The fall! He gasped, looking back in fear. The tyrannosaurus were coming! He shook his head in denial. He was carnivore food! This wasn't supposed to happen. "Ozzie!" he heard his brother cry out. He looked sharply up and gasped. Strut was leaping down the rocks to try and reach him!

"What are you doing?!" Ozzie freaked at his sibling. Strut landed next to him and raced over, trying to move the rocks off of his brother.

"Come on, Oz, we're almost there! They won't be able to get through this narrow pass!" Strut said. There was an enraged roar. The father could go no farther, he was too big, but the mother was still able to come, and she was heading right for them! Strut sped up the process of unburying his brother. Or trying to. So far he wasn't having much luck.

"Run already, you imbecile!" Ozzie commanded. "What are you waiting for?"

"Come on, Oz!" Strut frantically pled, tugging at his brother's arms as mama-saurous rex drew near, roaring vengefully.

"Strut, run!" Ozzie ordered, a hint of desperation in his voice. "You're not helping by trying to help! I can do it myself!"

Strut ignored his big brother—a rare thing indeed—and looked up at the T-rex in terror. He wasn't leaving his brother! No matter what. She was almost on top of them anyway by now. It wasn't as though he'd have much of a chance. He whimpered, crouching down next to his sibling and looking up at the mama-saurous with wide eyes. Ozzie gasped, covering his own head and closing his eyes as her head shot through the gap, mouth open wide to catch them, and then... Stopped? Ozzie and Strut looked up and almost cheered. She couldn't get her nose through! Oh this had to be the luckiest day of their lives, Strut figured. She tried ramming the walls, but they were too narrow and she couldn't manage to widen the space any further than she had.

It seemed forever, but it was only a few minutes, before she finally gave up, roaring in outrage. A threat, probably, and the way she and papa-saurous looked at them before finally turning to leave and find their son, was enough to drive home their point. That if they ever saw either of them again, they wouldn't get away a second time. All this for a stupid egg. This was all Ozzie's fault with his obsession over them, Strut decided! Couldn't he have just let one egg go? They were safe now, he told himself; that was all that mattered. Now he just had to dig his brother out and they could leave this valley forever.

LBT

"Th-they're gone," Strut said, eyes popping. He laughed. "Ozzie, they're gone, we did it! We got away!" he exclaimed, quickly turning to his brother with a wide smile. His grin fell to a curious and puzzled frown, though, on noticing that his sibling wasn't moving. "Ozzie?" he questioned. No response. "Ozzie," he insisted, kicking his brother's shoulder.

Ozzie winced and opened his eyes, lifting his head slightly and giving Strut an annoyed look. Annoyance, though, soon fell to something else. Something Strut hadn't seen on his brother ever in all their lives. Resignation. He didn't get why Ozzie was looking at him like that. There should be relief! His brother should be cheering with him. "This is why I always go first," Ozzie said, laying his head back on the ground and closing his eyes.

"Ozzie?" Strut asked, confused. Ozzie opened his eyes again, looking up at where he'd tried to cross the log. Strut caught on and his mouth parted slightly. A... a protection? Now that he thought about it, though, the same thing had happened when Ozzie had made him stay back while he crossed the log first during the whole volcano fiasco. Strut had thought it had become an 'every dino for himself' thing, but then the fire had caught the log and it had broken and his brother had fallen with it. Was it really all a protecting thing? His brother had just tried to make sure the tree was safe to cross or that there was time to get over it? Or had his sibling known there was no time to cross and taken the fall—no pun intended—for him instead? And when they were jumping to get away from those kids who they thought were really big flattooths, Ozzie had made him go first even when it was apparent the jump over the gorge was probably easily makeable for them. Was that to protect him too? To make sure he got away? It didn't seem those were answers Ozzie was going to give, though.

Ozzie harrumphed, laying his head down again. Strut heard him whimper in pain and snapped back to himself. "We've got to get you out of here!" he exclaimed, trying again to move the things off of his brother. He grunted and pushed, but they were too heavy and he couldn't move them! He gasped. That wasn't good. Surely there was some way! Maybe he needed a branch or something. Leverage to help with the rocks. He began scouting around.

"Don't trouble yourself. I'll get out when I get out," Ozzie said to him testily, scowling at his sibling with a growl. "Go on and find some place for us to stay. I'll catch up with you when I have the energy."

Strut paused, looking back. Something was… wrong… Off… Ozzie always found shelter. Ozzie didn't trust him to find good shelters or safe ones. Ozzie didn't trust him with much, come to think about it. "You… want me to go on ahead and find a shelter?" Strut incredulously asked. "Are you feeling alright, Oz?"

"Peachy," Ozzie bit back. "It's about time you learned to do things on your own, now go!"

"But-but I can't leave you here! We're out of the valley now and all sorts of predators are lurking around. You're trapped. You won't be able to defend yourself! We have to free you first. The shelter can wait," Strut stated, going back to scouting the ground. He grabbed a branch and went back to his sibling, trying to use it to help lift rocks. One or two more came off, but no more than that, and it still wasn't enough to free Ozzie. His brother looked like he was in intense pain. More than he was letting on. He noticed, suddenly, that Ozzie was suddenly quiet and still again, eyes shut. "Ozzie! Stay awake!" Strut insisted, terror growing with every minute that passed. Every sound had him jumpy and thinking predators were closing in. Surely they smelled the... His train of thought stopped abruptly. Smelled the blood, he realized in horror. He smelled blood. Sharply he looked at his sibling, eyes wide. "Ozzie?" he timidly questioned, wandering around his brother. "Ozzie?!" he demanded insistently. Ozzie's eyes opened again. Tired this time. Weak. He couldn't keep up the charade anymore. Strut felt a chill shoot through him. His brother was hurt worse than he'd suspected...

"Remember what I told you about eggs?" Ozzie asked.

"Thrice a day at least," Strut answered. How could he forget? The lecture had been colorful.

"Remember it," Ozzie said…

Flashback

They were starving. Ozzie knew it well. If they didn't eat soon, they were dead. Why did Strut have to insist on bringing their plight up constantly and whining and whining? He had given his brother a good tail lashing not long ago, and that had kept him quiet for a good while so far. Somehow he doubted Strut knew just how bad off they were. Ozzie had always pulled them through before, after all. Why should now be different? No matter how hungry they got, they wouldn't starve because big brother had it all under control.

But now was different… Now he wasn't sure if he could pull them through much longer. They crept along the hills of the valley and peered over a boulder. "Now is the time for all good little eggs to be safely tucked into their nests," Ozzie said, scanning the valley with an appraising eye. Finally. Food. His brother was hardly crawling, last he'd looked back at him. Weak, starving, exhausted... He was weak and exhausted too, he just couldn't show Strut that. Strut crawled up with a big yawn and laid down on the ground.

"I wouldn't mind being tucked in. I'm 'eggs'-hausted," his brother punned, giving a humorous little laugh before resting his head on his forearms. Ozzie immediately kicked back, beaning his sibling in the head.

Don't fall asleep you fool. Not when we're in this state. If you sleep you may not have the strength or energy to ever wake up again.

They had to eat something soon, or this valley would be their last resting place. "Would you stop complaining?" Ozzie demanded. The argument would keep his brother awake, he knew, and honestly, he needed to let out some of this pent-up anger. His subadult brother was the perfect scapegoat.

"But Ozzie, I'm tired. And I'm hungry," Strut whined, rubbing his sore head. He stood up. Ozzie couldn't deny the sense of relief going through him that his brother still could. He hadn't been sure for some time, now. Strut had been crawling for a good long while. "Couldn't I have just an itty, bitty little green bedtime snack?" he begged, licking his lips and salivating.

"No!" Ozzie replied, anger with a pang of desperation in his tone. "Can't you see I'm trying to wean you away from that stuff?" It wasn't as though it would do them much good at this stage anyway. It was part of their diet sure enough, that much he was loathe to admit, but it wasn't enough to keep them alive. Not now. Not at this stage. Their bodies needed more. More nutrition, more protein, more sustenance, something more substantial than vegetation. Would vegetation stave off the hunger pangs? Yes, and perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let Strut eat some, but Ozzie was in a foul, stubborn, and cruel mood right now. He was in full survival mode and there was no way he was letting his sibling stuff himself on greens, go to sleep, and then never wake up again because it wasn't enough to keep the younger one going. His sibling's body could no longer be sustained on vegetation alone like it could be when they were children. Strut had to learn that now and learn it fast. "From now on you've got to think, feel, and breathe only one food group. Eggs. When I wake up first thing I do, eggs, is to look around for something to chew, eggsactly. Feeding myself is very, very tricky, because you see I'm ridiculously picky! Eggs," he began to sing, moving around his brother and touching him often, trying to keep the other on his toes and alert. Strut could not sleep now. Not when they were so close.

"Uh excuse me Ozzie, I uh…" Strut began.

He hardly let his brother get a word in edgewise, keeping himself moving and Strut alert. "This struthiomimus won't settle for the dregs. I'll borrow, I'll beg, I'd even kiss you…"

"Kiss me?!" Strut exclaimed in surprise.

"For my dear beloved dose, of eggs," Ozzie continued over top of his brother. When he sung that he would borrow, beg, and even kiss his sibling for eggs, he hadn't been joking. They needed them. Bad. He glared after his brother, who was walking off to examine a plant.

"Hey Ozzie I'm so hungry, I can't wait another minute! Here's a juicy little leaf with a beautiful stick in it. Can't I have a taste? If I promise just to lick it?" Strut asked with a nervous giggle.

"Strut!" Ozzie freaked.

"What?!" Strut questioned in alarm.

"You imbecilic eater! Great green globs couldn't possibly be sweeter!" Ozzie said, continuing on his semi-musical lecture once more, shoving the leaves in his sibling's face. "Than a pile of eggs!" Emphasize the qualities, make them desirable. "You've got to smell them feel them, oh crack them open. For a great big nest full I am hoping…" Bring out how delicious they would taste, imply that soon they would hopefully raid a whole nest, keep his brother hopeful. Again, interruption from Strut.

"Oh look I'm starving, I'm weak, there is nothing in my tummy! And the mold on that tree..." Strut began. He licked his lips. "Is starting to look yummy," he finished.

Strut was despairing and desperate. Ozzie saw it in his sibling's eyes and in his desperation to revert to plants. Strut, he realized, was starting to lose faith that they were getting out of this starvation predicament anytime soon, and so was wanting to gorge on vegetation which had never let them down before and was easier to get. Only, as already established, vegetation wasn't enough anymore. Not for them. All he could do was keep up with the singing, constantly emphasizing the qualities, the tastes, repeating to himself and his sibling that they would get eggs. "The colors and shapes and assorted sizes, gobble them all for appetizers, eggstacy," Ozzie lectured. He had no 'maybe' about it, only certainty. They were going to eat, they were going to feast in fact, and it would be delicious. That subliminal message, perhaps, would be enough to keep his brother's hope and desire up and keep him from giving in. At the same time, though, it could also just make him hungrier. But if he kept promising a feast, then when they finally got it, Strut would appreciate it all the more.

"Ozzie what's the matter with a little vegetation?" Strut whined.

"I've had it up to here with this aggravation!" Ozzie snapped, losing his temper.

"Well can't I just have this piece of a tree?" Strut pled.

Ozzie dragged him roughly—rougher than necessary—back. Why must Strut insist on being so stubborn? Wasn't he getting it? No, of course he wasn't. He hadn't exactly been the best teacher in these matters, Ozzie realized. He'd enabled, never taught. Now he was regretting it. It was time for damage control. "Why can't you be more like me?!" he demanded, losing his temper. "You leaf-loving..."

"Hey!" Strut protested. Ozzie ignored.

"Bush-burping, stem-smelling..." he continued

"Now wait a minute!" Strut tried to say.

"Garden-gorging, plant-popping, tree-tasting, dirt-devouring beast!" Ozzie freaked.

"Ozzie!" Strut pled, obviously hurt.

"You've got to have eggs! Thrice a day at least!" Ozzie finished, refusing to hear him. And thrice a day was actually a comfortable average ground for survival, but he could play it like it was minimal so that Strut would try harder and not be so argumentative with him. Strut gave up hopelessly, looking over the boulder sadly. "Tonight, we feast," Ozzie promised. Strut managed a small smile at the promise, feeling a bit better.

End Flashback

Remember it...

"Why would I have to remember it?" Strut asked, voice wavering slightly. Why did he get the horrible feeling he knew the answer?

"Because I can't always be there to fend for you, you imbecile," Ozzie bit sharply. "It's about time you learned these things!" He should have taught them long ago. Then the crunch wouldn't be on now. He wouldn't be frantically scrambling to drive something home to his brother before… before it was too late and he couldn't… He hadn't thought he would ever leave his sibling. That was why he hadn't taught him as well as he should have. He'd always believed he would be there for Strut, to fend for and care for him as he always had… He hadn't expected things would happen like this and that maybe… maybe one day he couldn't… But he wouldn't let Strut know that. It was none of his business. He would learn soon enough. He didn't want to comfort a grieving sibling on top of everything else. Considering Strut would bother grieving him, that was.

Tears threatened Strut's eyes. He knew, you see, why there was this sudden change in his sibling. Why suddenly Ozzie was giving him more responsibility than ever before. He shook his head. "Don't give up, Ozzie, we're going to get you out," Strut confidently replied, shoving rocks again. Ozzie cried out in pain suddenly. Strut stopped, looking sharply over at him with wide eyes.

What was the use hiding it anymore? Strut knew, Ozzie realized. The younger one tried to play it naïve, but he sensed his brother knew. "Strut, will you just listen to me without being stubborn for once?! You have to go on. If I can catch up, I will."

"I'm not leaving you alone here! Who knows what's lurking about?" Strut demanded.

"Brother…" Ozzie suddenly said. Strut froze. Ozzie never called him that. Or rarely. And certainly never in that tone. When he did, it was serious. Gravely serious. He swallowed and looked timidly over at his sibling. "I can't come with you this time… Even if we manage to free me, I don't… I don't think I can move."

"Can't… can't move…?" Strut tensely questioned. His eyes went to the log on his brother's back. Dread filled his expression. Ozzie must believe that maybe the log had broken his back… Strut looked sharply at his brother again, eyes wide. He couldn't move the log for Ozzie to check either! It was too heavy. Strut heard a hiss and gasped, turning quickly. A raptor! It was a solitary one, and obviously hungry. It was pacing ahead of them, eying Ozzie. Ozzie whose eyes were shut again and who was laying still. "Ozzie?" Strut asked. "Ozzie what do I do?" No response. Strut gasped, looking down at his injured sibling. "Ozzie!" he exclaimed, shaking his brother lightly but urgently.

Ozzie's eyes flickered open. "Remember what I showed you. What I taught you. What you watched me do and how you watched me scavenge and steal and hunt. Remember it in your heart and soul always and don't let it go. It means life and death for you now, because I cannot. Not anymore. I can't be your barrier between them any longer. I'll distract it. Run, baby brother… Run and never look back," he said.

LBT

Strut gave a pained cry, realizing with a jolt how serious this was. Realizing with a jolt that this might really be it. This might really be the last time he saw his brother again. Realizing all that the other had tried to do for him since childhood and had tried to teach. He regretted not listening now. He regretted how much he whined and complained and didn't pay attention. He regretted everything. "Ozzie, don't give up! I'll be a better student, I promise! I'll listen to you more often and everything! Just don't go."

The raptor roared threateningly, making Strut gasp, and moved quickly towards them before stopping again and pacing, trying to intimidate the other dinosaur into getting out of the way of its prey. Intimidate it into leaving or kill it as well. In fact, it would probably kill the uninjured one too simply because it could. Strut gulped, eying the predator fearfully and starting to pace in front of his injured brother. Ozzie dryly chuckled. "I was never much of a brother, was I…?" he realized to himself. My but he'd been awful, looking back now. "For that I'm sorry…" he added to Strut.

"No. No, don't say that! You were the best big brother ever!" Strut insisted, stopping and looking frantically back at him. It was said more to make Ozzie feel better, though. He couldn't deny that his brother… hadn't exactly been the nicest to be around.

"No, Strut, I wasn't, so don't lie to me now, and certainly don't lie to yourself. I was cruel, I was abusive, I was harsh, and I was selfish," Ozzie said. "And I don't regret or apologize for any of it… Though looking back I suppose if I had a chance to change it now, I would; but only because…" Because I'm on my deathbed, he inwardly finished. He didn't voice the thought out loud. It didn't need to be said. They both knew it was so. Or at least he did, if Strut didn't. "Only because," he finished.

Because it would have been something of a mercy and luxury for you to have at least one or two good memories.

LBT

Strut was silent, numb, mouth agape. He couldn't be hearing this. This blood on the ground couldn't be his sibling's, he wasn't going to be alone, his brother wasn't dying! He could save him, he could! He just needed a little time! The raptor roared furiously once more. That would be its last threat. Strut jumped, gasping and shivering in fear, bending down. "Run, Strut," Ozzie commanded. "Run now, while you still have a chance!"

Tears falling freely now, Strut shot an anguished look at Ozzie, to the predator, back to Ozzie, then back to the predator once more. Suddenly Strut scowled. No. No, he wasn't going to leave! He wasn't going to let the meat eaters have his brother, he wouldn't, he couldn't, no, no, never! He gave a loud and threatening screeching roar at the raptor, getting into a defensive stance and pacing more determinedly. "I'm not leaving," he said to his brother.

"Strut? What are you doing? It's going to kill you. Strut!" Ozzie freaked. The raptor charged. "No!" Ozzie cried out, trying to free himself again. Of course it failed, he hardly knew if he was even moving, but he couldn't watch this, no!

Strut charged right back, dodging the teeth and checking the predator violently into the cliff. He began ripping at it with his claws, lashing with his tail, stomping with his feet, and using rocks if he could. Of course, he would stand no chance against it. Or wouldn't have, rather, if: A. He hadn't taken it off guard; B. It hadn't been half his size if not less, one of the smaller raptors no doubt; C. If it hadn't been young, very young, likely a junior; D. If he hadn't landed a solid kick to its head right off the bat, stunning it. The raptor, while determined, was no fool, and it roared angrily at the omnivorous opponent. Strut gave the screeching roar right back. The raptor blinked. It should be able to kill him, it knew. It should be able to so easily. But it was impressed with the bravery, it had to admit. Plus this prey was almost fully grown, not quite but almost, and the raptor was only recently starting its growth spurt. It roared at the struthiomimus viciously. It would find others and they would return for the injured one eventually. Or maybe they'd find better prey. Tastier prey. They would see, it supposed. It ran off, Strut glaring dangerously after it.

The minute it was out of sight, Strut gasped in relief and grinned back at his brother. "Ozzie, did you see that? I drove it off! Ozzie!" he said. He stopped, grin falling to alarm. His brother was still again. "Ozzie?" he timidly asked, approaching and nuzzling his brother. No movement. He nudged him again. "Ozzie!" he cried out desperately. Still no movement. For a moment Strut feared he was dead. He heard a groan of pain, though, and realized the other was still alive. He didn't know what to do… Maybe if Ozzie recovered he could get out, but that would require making sure Ozzie survived long enough to recover, and he didn't know if he could… But he would try. He had to! It was too late to find food now, but first thing tomorrow he would. He would take care of his sibling, as Ozzie had taken care of him for all this time. Strut whimpered helplessly and huddled down next to his brother, stretching himself over what parts of Ozzie were visible to keep him warm and safe. He groomed the other, trying to wake him up. Ozzie didn't stir and Strut gave it up and lay his head down miserably. He silently wept that night and slept only fitfully.

LBT

Days had passed, so far. It had been nothing but hardship for Strut. He wasn't used to being the protector and provider. He went out to find food, he brought back vegetation or eggs. Usually from abandoned nests or eggs that hadn't hatched because they were dead. He begged, like his brother sometimes used to, for nesting dinosaurs who didn't look like they would leave the nest unattended anytime soon, to tell him if they knew of any abandoned nests or recently orphaned eggs. After, of course, he managed to convince them not to kill him and that he wasn't after their own eggs unless said eggs were dead or wouldn't ever hatch. So far the results had been surprisingly good, but he didn't know if that would last. Life in the Mysterious Beyond was hard. He would have to resort to snatching, soon. He didn't like doing that. It was dangerous and he'd never actually tried it himself before. It was always Ozzie doing the actual dangerous part of stealing the eggs. He didn't.

Strut brought back the recent egg and put it in front of his brother. Ozzie opened his eyes, looking at it, but then closed them again. He just didn't have the energy or strength for it now. He never ate. Strut sometimes had to force him to. It hurt him to do that to his own brother, but he had to keep Ozzie alive. He nuzzled his brother encouragingly. Ozzie didn't open his eyes or even acknowledge him more than turning to look away. He also found himself having to force his brother to drink too sometimes. It hurt. Badly. He didn't know what to do anymore. Ozzie wasn't getting better and predators were menacing the area around them and he just... He didn't know... He'd had to play injured and lead meat eaters away from where his sibling was so many times that he'd lost count. He feared that one day, when he was gone, they would find Ozzie and he would come back to a corpse. Or nothing, if they really worked him over well. That thought made him physically sick. His brother hadn't spoken to him. He didn't think he ever would again. He feared that more than anything. Ozzie seemed to be all but screaming 'leave me to die', and Strut wasn't going to. Not now, not ever.

"Ozzie, I'm going to take care of you," Strut said. "Whether you like it or not I will. And if I die protecting you so be it. At least we'll die together. I can't… I won't let you die alone…" he continued, voice breaking. "Don't hate me, please."

Ozzie sighed. "I don't hate you," he answered softly. He wanted to beat his brother senseless for putting himself in mortal peril for someone who couldn't be saved—didn't his brother know he was only stalling the inevitable and dragging out his death longer than it needed to be?—but he didn't hate him.

Strut sniffed and licked his brother's head affectionately. He used his nose to break a hole in the egg and silently pled for his sibling to take an interest. Ozzie didn't. "Ozzie…" Strut whined. Ozzie growled in his throat in the high-pitched way their kind had. Nonetheless, he raised his head weakly and lapped slash ate up a bit of the inside until he couldn't keep his head up anymore and lay it back down. Needless to say that only took a few seconds. Strut, relieved he'd at least eaten a little bit, immediately set to work trying to move the stones again. He didn't know why each time he tried he hoped they'd be lighter. They never were, they never would be. But maybe he would get stronger? Strong enough to move them at least. He didn't expect it to move. When it did, his eyes flew open. He'd moved it? He'd moved it! His determination renewed, he pushed harder, grunting and groaning. His brother wasn't screaming out. Why? He should be. This had to be so painful… The boulder rolled free! Strut cheered in victory. His brother wasn't free yet, but he was closer to being that! He turned to Ozzie excitedly, hoping to see a glimmer of hope in his sibling's eyes. Nothing. Ozzie was still and silent. Again. He couldn't stay awake long anymore. It terrified Strut. Wasn't he doing a good enough job? He was trying so hard!

He looked at the tree on his brother. That wouldn't be moved any time soon. "You need to stop, Strut," Ozzie suddenly said. "Any day the predators will be here."

"Then I'll die alongside you, Ozzie. We've always been together, always. I've always followed you everywhere! If I have to follow you to death too, I will, you can't stop me!" Strut insisted. Ozzie would have tail clubbed him, if he could.

"I never asked for your loyalty and I certainly didn't want it," he sharply replied.

"You didn't need to ask or want it. We're brothers," Strut said. "It's what we do."

"You are so pathetically naïve," Ozzie nipped. Strut sighed and laid down next to him.

"I'm not leaving," the younger stated.

"You have to," the eldest replied. "Dear brother, can't you see I'm spent?"

"You're never spent," Strut insisted. "You always make it."

"Not this time," Ozzie said exhaustedly. Though he wanted to be able to.

"Even this time," Strut said. "You won't do it alone, but I'm doing everything I can to help you and I won't give up so you shouldn't either!"

Ozzie looked at his brother. After a moment he licked him lovingly. "I do not deserve such loyalty," he said to his sibling, nuzzling him gently. Probably the most affectionate he'd ever been with his brother in their entire lives.

"Yes you do. Night Ozzie," Strut said, smiling and closing his eyes, sleeping while his brother groomed him lightly. At least it was a sign of life. Maybe Ozzie wasn't giving up yet at all...

LBT

Strut could only gape in horror and agony at the pool of blood on the ground where his brother had lain. The eggs fell from his arms numbly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was nothing there… Just so much blood… He gave a strangled cry and raced towards the area, willing his eyes to be deceiving him… But they weren't… His brother wasn't there and there were bones on the ground. What else was he supposed to take from that? He was gone… Just gone… Strut gave an anguished cry and burst into tears, huddling against the rocks and willing this not to be true. Where was his brother? Where? Where?! …He knew… He knew… "Ozzie!" Strut cried out in anguish, giving a screeching roar afterwards that was so loud that he swore it carried for miles. Good. Then they would know, for miles, that there had been someone lost whose loved one was grieving so much that it hurt to even breathe or think. For miles they knew another had fallen, one adored more than even he himself had ever known. Strut sniffed. He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye or 'I love you' or anything… Ozzie was just gone, and his world crumbled around him.

He wished the predators that had taken his brother would come back and take him too… He stayed in that spot for days hoping as much, neither eating or drinking, before finally, even in his grief, he rose and got up to find food and water. Weak, dehydrated, broken… But he had to survive… For his brother's sake he had to. Ozzie would have wanted him to… But he didn't think he was ready… He would never be ready… He just wanted his big brother back, but Ozzie wasn't coming back. Not this time… This time he was truly and completely alone, and he had never felt more lost and afraid in his life…