Ice Age: The Meltdown (Story of the Wolf continued)

Chapter Seven: A True Herd

Diego, Sid, Sassy and the opossums continued to watch the water, hoping against hope to see the mammoths. Suddenly two trunks popped up from beneath the water, gasping for air.
      "There they are!" Sid exclaimed. Manny helped Ellie to shore and Sid and Sassy ran over. Sid pulled on Ellie's tusks and Sassy let Manny wrap his trunk around her neck and she pulled him up. Crash and Eddie leaped onto Ellie, hugging her.
      "We thought we'd never see you again." Eddie said mournfully. Ellie sighed happily and looked up at Manny. The two locked eyes and deep emotion passed between them.
       "We're gonna live!!" Sid exclaimed. The water started to rise around their rock and lap at their paws. "We're gonna die!!" The sloth cried. Within minutes Sassy and Diego are having to kick at the water to stay afloat and Sid, Crash and Eddie clambered up onto Manny and Ellie to stay out of the water. Suddenly the ice wall cracked and split open. The two walls moved apart slowly and the water rushed out through the ravine. The water slowly went down and the mammals were once again safe on their rock as the water dissipated. Pretty soon dry land was visible and they all hurried over to where the boat had landed. Animals came flooding off, so relieved the flood was finally over.
      "I dunno I'm thinking of starting a swim school. Sid's squids." The sloth said and then screamed and leaped over Diego and Sassy to hide behind the predators. They looked over and Sassy was stunned to say the least. There was an entire group of mini sloths in front of them, just like Sid had said.
      "All hail Fire King!" The leader said and they bowed. Sid slowly came out and stood in front of them.
      "Uh...hi?" He asked uncertainly.
      "Hi!!!" The sloths all repeated.
      "Fire King avert flood. Join us oh great and noble flaming one." The sloth said again.
      "Hmm....," Sid hummed, thinking about it.
      "Whoa whoa hold on there a minute!" Diego interjected. "You make a quality offer...but Fire King has a prior commitment. His herd needs him. He's the gooey, sticky...stuff...that holds us together. He made this herd....and we'd be nothing without him." He said, looking at Sid.
      "You mean it!?" Sid exclaimed happily and hugged the tiger.
      "Ugh that doesn't mean...i want to touch." Diego groaned, pushing the sloth away with a paw. Sid just hugged him again anyway. They looked and saw all the mini sloths hugging each other happily. Sassy padded next to Diego.
      "This is too freakin adorable." She said, trying not to laugh. Diego glared at her.
      "If you ever repeat anything of what just transpired I will make you dig your own grave." Sassy smirked.
      "I'd like to see you try it tiger." Just then Manny and Ellie joined them. Diego sighed.
      "Don't ask." Suddenly a faint rumbling sound come from the new entrance to the valley. All eyes turned toward the hill and Sassy's jaw dropped open at the sight. Mammoths. Hundreds of them, all in one herd, calmly walking into the valley, their steps thunderous. The other animals parted to let them through and Manny and Ellie walked toward the group.
      "We're not the last ones anymore!" Ellie exclaimed and started walking with the herd until she realized Manny wasn't with her. She looked back and saw him standing there, looking after her. "You're not coming?" She asked.
      "You wanna go with them?"
      "I am a mammoth. I should probably be with a mammoth....don't you think?" She hinted.
      "Well yeah....unless....," Manny drifted off.
       "Unless?" She probed.
       "Unless I......I just wanna say.......I need to tell you.....I hope you find everything you're looking for." He said dejectedly, hanging his head. Ellie's face slowly dropped.
      "You too." She replied softly, then turned and started walking back toward the mammoth herd. Sid, Diego, Sassy, Crash and Eddie came up and watched the mammoths part. They first looked at Manny. Sassy's heart broke for him. He looked so sad, so down. They all looked at each other. The opossums peaced out and ran after their sister. The three then approached Manny.
      "Manny?" Sid said and he raised his head. "You've come a long way since we met, and I'll take full credit for that but you need to let go of the past...so you can have a future." Manny looked after Ellie and then back down at them with hope in his eyes.
      "Go after her." Diego said.
      "It's okay." Sid touched the mammoth's tusk reassuringly.
      "We'll always be here for you." Sassy said, smiling up at her large friend. Manny smiled back.
      "I'll keep in touch."
     "Yeah yeah you're...you're a good friend point made. Now go on. Scat." Diego said. Manny hurried off after Ellie and they turned to watch him.
      "Our Manny's growing up." Sid said, placing a paw on Sassy. She sighed and leaned against him.
      "Ah Sid all our hard work paid off I've never been so proud." Sid hugged her and Diego chuckled.
      "You two are impossible." Sassy smirked at Sid.
      "Well darling we got one grumpy boy out of the house and happily mated now let's see if we can't get rid of this one." She gestured with her head third the tiger, who gave her a sideways glare. Sid dramatically clutched at his chest with a paw.
       "If our Diego never finds a mate I don't know what I'll do. We will have failed as parents!" Sassy and Sid mock sobbed into each other's fur and then grinned evilly at Diego.
      "I hate you both." He said. They watched as Manny and Ellie nuzzled each other and wrapped trunks, happy they were finally together.
      "Well I guess it's just us now." Sid said and they started walking toward the entrance. "Just two bachelors...and bachelorette..." he pointed to Sassy who let out a short laugh. "Knocking about in the wild. Woohoo." He said sarcastically.
      "Fine but I'm not going to carry you. I've still got my pride you know." Diego stated.
      "That goes for me too so forget it." Sassy seconded.
      "Awe come on pals! For old times sake?" The sloth begged.
      "I'll carry him." A truck grabbed Sid around the neck. Sassy grinned and whipped her head back to look over her shoulder. Manny, Ellie and the opossums were right behind them.
      "But you're herd's leaving." Diego said.
      "We are now." Manny smiled.
     "Woo!! Shotgun!!" The brothers cried and slid down Ellie's trunk and onto Diego and Sassy's backs, Crash on the wolf and Eddie on the tiger.
      "Manny who do you like better? Me or Diego?" Sid asked as they started off.
     "Diego. Not even close."
     "Ha! Told ya." The tiger boasted.
      "Okay me or Sassy?"
      "Again Sassy. Definitely no comparison." Sassy smirked over her shoulder at the sloth.
      "Sassy or Diego?" Sid inquired. Both predators turned menacing looks on the mammoth, a silent threat going out from each of them if he didn't choose right.
      "Not gonna go there." Manny said wisely. Sassy chuckled and they kept walking.
      "Manny, you can't choose between your kids!" Ellie insisted.
      "He's not my kid. Not even my dog. If I had a dog and my dog had a kid and the kid had a pet...that would be Sid." Manny said.
"Can I have a dog Manny?" Sid asked.
"No."
"Ellie, can I have a dog?"
"Of course you can sweetie."
"Ellie we have to be consistent with him." Sassy smiled at the banter and looked over at her saber friend, who was also grinning. They were still a herd, and they were ready for more excitement.

The end

Authors note: Hey yo everybody!!! That's Ice Age: The Meltdown finished!! Again, so much fun writing this, I love writing these stories!! Anyone up for Dawn of the Dinosaurs!? (My fav Ice Age movie btw) Thanks for all the reads and support! Happy reading!!