There they all stood. On a big frozen lake. Normally, Manny had no objection to standing on a small surface, because he already had some control over the ice. Not least because he often played ice hockey with Peaches in the father-daughter-time. As a kid, she was fooling around with her daddy, but now she was grown and married. Sometimes he felt that the only thing he had in common with her was this game. He was still a little oppressed by the fact that his little girl wanted to leave, but he had to deal with that alone. After all, he couldn't hold on to her forever, and his still-odd son-in-law had proven he could protect her.
The whole thing didn't have much to do with the current situation. Except maybe that they were all on the ice to go down on a a little 'friendly game'. But it was anything but that, because the ladies were angry. Why did he sometimes have to gave out such stupid stuff? His wife stated a bit snarky the fact that men had this probably in the blood. He also blamed it for letting Sid's talk mislead him. First they all had some fun on the larger ice rink and a moment later, split into two teams, each consisting of four animals. Men against women.
Manfred found this anything but fair, because of course his team consisted of Diego, Julian, Sid and him. No matter how many times they do such things, his three teammates slip on the ice like beginners. Well, the sloth made it reasonably, because this lately always danced with his girlfriend over the frozen water. He was lucky that Ellie had not noticed that, otherwise he would have to do such things too, because he was sure his wife would find that romantic.
The other two were just lousy and that would come as a compliment, if he had to say that. Unfortunately, Peaches still did not succeed in improving the arts of his son-in-law, and the saber tooth actually avoided running around in slippery spots. He knew it was still about this water-shy-thing. Maybe Diego could now swim when it was really necessary, but that did not mean he could jump into the cool water with pleasure at any time.
Manny believed that so everything was divided fairly. But he had not really expected Sid's grandmother to replace Brooke, who moved much more agile in his younger form. No one had invited this sloth and its rabbit, but the two dive up and down as they please. His buddy's girlfriend was also no talent on the ice and therefore liked to stand by the side to cheer on her lover. Teddy liked to join in, because he was a sporty guy, but thought he didn't like that kind of movement. Probably the rabbit got a little scared stiff, like the molehog. This was the only one who could have strengthened his team, but Peaches kept him from persuading the smaller ones to take a part here. It would also be dangerous to romp around between larger animals. As if the Wiener couldn't dig into the ice if it gets too much for him. Unfortunately he couldn't force anyone.
The opossums preferred to play the referees, because the two were also no use on the ice. Even if they did better back and forth than the rest of the troupe, they would just make more stupid stuff.
Besides, in the moment of the big talk, he also forgot where they brought Shira. The tigress spent quite a while of her life on the ice. That there were once smooth and slippery specimens, should have been clear to him before. Thus, this opponent turned out to be particularly difficult. And that Peaches and Ellie were able to keep themselves very well on this underground, was really no secret.
The oldest mammoth here took another breath when they finally all went into position after everyone got a bat in the paw or the trunk. Except, of course, the saber tooth tigers, because they were allowed to use existing limbs. He managed to persuade the ladies that the big cats could use all four legs, just so that Diego got a real chance that he could somehow hit the puck. That meant, should it be for his friend to get close enough once.
After the defeat here, he was sure it would happen. Then he urgently needed to practice with his buddies. Whether they liked the game or not. They couldn't let that sit on their own.
"Ready?" Inquired Ellie, who was facing him with the turtle puck.
"No matter how this ends, I want you to know that I love you." He answered in the best tone, hoping his opponent would not overdo it on the ice.
"Flattery will not get you anywhere now, sweetheart." He knew it and looked around one last time for his teammates. Julian was of course in the gate with them, because this was at least useful with his size. Sid was on the right side of the ice and Diego on the left. The group of women reflected their lineup. Probably because they thought it was fair. So Peaches stood in the gate, his wife in the middle in front of his nose. Sid's grandma on the right and the silver-gray tigress on the left.
"Everybody ready?" Inquired the male mammoth, even though it knew they were not.
"We can't lose more than that." Diego added annoyed, who could now hold on a bit without slipping. He found the situation a bit embarrassing because no matter how long he was with Shira, he did not like to fail in front of her.
"What about the ladies?" Sid then wanted to know, because he didn't like the look from his grandma. He only wondered now if this game could cause serious damage.
"Ladys think about who they're going to, when they want to complain afterwards, so do not jump around too hard with them." Ellie said a little belligerent.
"Come on!" Roared Crash and Eddie almost simultaneously through a large leaf, because they couldn't agree again, who was allowed to do it now. Their voice amplifier was rolled up to look like a cone. There was an opening on one end so you could speak into it.
"That's where the game starts." Crash tore that thing out of his brother's paws to call out a better announcements.
"And then the old mammoth was too slow and we're only just getting started." Eddie picked up the rolled leaf and pushed his brother away.
"It looks like Ellie is doing the first point. But what is that? Sid actually managed to seize power, even if he keeps the bat wrong!" The other possum threw itself at the speaker.
"It will not work out like that." Louis intervened, tearing the leaf construction to itself.
"Then do it. We're better cheerleaders anyway." The prickly one couldn't do that very well and so he looked for help to Brooke and Teddy.
"Give it over to me, my little one." So much bigger was the rabbit not really now, but Louis knew he didn't mean it like in a bad way, so he said nothing more.
"Continue to the game. Sid briefly took the lead but of course he has no chance against my Gladys. Such a wonderful and flexible sloth. You don't know..." A cough interrupted his swarming. The animals next to him now gave Teddy a certain look that probably meant he needed to focus on the essentials.
"And then the first goal was scored. A point for the ladies." The molehog noted this on the stone tablet Brooke had given him earlier.
"Are you ok, my love?" Meanwhile, the female sloth on the side was more worried about Sid, because his grandma was not exactly sensitive to him.
"I'm doing fine over here." Answered the addressed one and threw to his girlfriend another air kiss before he went right back into position.
"It would be helpful if the goalkeeper would just stand in the goal." Manny then said loudly, but did not let the opponents out of his sight.
"It goes on fast here. So do not blink, or you'll miss something else." Teddy continued the announcements, while this time Ellie handed over the empty turtle shell, also called a puck, to Shira. First, because she wanted to see what the silver-gray tigress had in her. Second, because she believed that this game will be over sooner than she thought.
"Now the saber-toothed tiger is causing trouble in the middle, but a colossal mammoth is trying to cut her off. But what is that?! This woman takes out, slaps the pawn out of reach of her opponent and then jumps over it. What a game! You really must have seen it to believe it." Shira couldn't aim well with her paws, but when she landed on her feet again, she carried the puck, which ricocheted off a wall just beyond the gate.
"Don't worry, my Bro's, this time there's no point for the ladies!" Julian announced, bringing out his bat. When Manny had recovered quickly from the tiger's move, he was already annoyed again, because he saw that the others were scoring again. But it didn't happen because his son-in-law could really prevent it. Although he didn't hit the thing with the bat, because this was just broken, as he was scratched so hard on the ice. But as the younger mammoth turned like a gyroscope through the momentum, the turtle shell was again catapulted more into the middle of the ice field.
"Just let me do it. I'll take care of that!" Shouted Sid pleased, who arrived faster at the slipping thing than his teammates. This time he even hit before the older sloth did anything to hurt him. Delighted Manfred took the puck and thought that maybe they had a chance. Sid's grandma was still on her side and the tigress was no problem either. Only his family was already there. He only had one shot to shoot the small item under both mammoths. At first he pretended to advance further into the open space on which the female saber tooth was to take care. Ellie wanted to prevent that as anticipated and came closer to him. Even Sid's grandmother caught up quickly, so he took advantage of the moment and pulled out. Although he managed to overcome his wife, for Peaches the puck was too slow.
"Good move, but unfortunately not good enough." Announced his daughter.
"You did a great job, babe. I would never have held it." The other goalkeeper called enthusiastically from the opposite side of the field. This also got a replacement for his racket, because of course something like that was thought of before.
"Oh, the guys were close, but not close enough." The bunny was getting on with it and Brooke brought him something to drink, lest the throat get so dry. The possums were meanwhile fully immersed in the cheerleading role.
"Yes, the girls are really greatly. They make the opponents wetly." Incidentally, Crash wagged his pon-pons leaves around to underline his statement.
"Why wet?" Eddie inquired in astonishment, because it didn't make sense to him at all.
"Great saying with the sweat of fear." Julian roared over to the brothers.
"You see, he got it." Now thought Crash superior, because he could think of something so clever. In reality, he just babbled on without thinking. As always.
But the game went on rapidly and the male teammates also made a point, but only because Manfred used the saber-toothed tiger as a thug.
"Does that count now?" Inquired the molehog. He had often watched Peaches and her father play, but that never happened before.
"Of course." Explained the oldest mammoth and was glad to have scored at least one goal.
"Are you sure?" Ellie didn't find the event sporty.
"We have a point, but that was a bit below the belt." Added Sid, but was glad he was not used as a bat.
"What are you talking about for a nonsense again?" Complained the female sloth that was on the field.
"That's what a nice armadillo told me the other day. If something happens to them under..." Sid showed on his body which area was below the belt and that someone shouldn't touch it.
"Hey, he certainly did not touch me there with his trunk!" Diego added a little insulted, because the mammoth could at least have warned him before.
"Oh, Mum, let's go through it. They will lose anyway." Peaches mingled in confidently.
"If nobody got hurt, we can go on." Shira had to let out a certain undertone in the sentence to tease her mate. This gave her a certain look that they will discuss this later. After that he arranged with his buddy that this was only a one-time thing, otherwise he would cut his trunk. Friendship or no, Diego just didn't like being thrown suddenly in the air.
"Could the gentlemen back up or give up?" Of course, all this took Sid's grandma too long and so she just started the next round. If she had not said anything before, Manny would not have been that fast. But now he took advantage of this and pushed the sloth grandson, swiftly in her direction.
"Do you see how gracefully he moves across the ice?" Now Brooke was probably swarming here and then cheered on her lover loudly. She had turned a little bit into a cheerleader like the possums.
"S is for smart." She announced loudly, waving leaves as well.
"I is for idiotic." Eddie intervened and then laughed with his brother. The female sloth was not irritated by the two rodents.
"I is of course for interesting and D is for droll. Yes, S, I and D. My Sid!" The honored one got there, of course, high-altitude flights on the ice.
"I'm a droll sloth." He repeated and Manny rolled his eyes annoyed, but he managed to keep neither Shira nor Sid's grandmother from getting too close to her goal. Of course, Julian noticed that he was now in a bit of a fix. The item always moved between the sloth and the saber tooth and both came closer very quickly. So the question was who would want to get the puck into the goal.
"Oh, that will be exciting. Who's going to make the decisive shot?" Teddy walked more to the other side of the edge to hear and see everything. But neither of the two women expected Julian to panic in front of them. Due to his racket attitude, it tore Sid's grandma off his feet and she should probably carry the turtle shell into the gate. This slide now outside of the field until snow brought the thing to a halt.
"He's a better goalkeeper than I thought." Manfred spoke to himself more than he wanted the others to hear.
"Don't always be like that! He makes progress. In addition, a certain someone could spend time with him on the ice more often. Maybe then he would come up to the standards of that somebody already a bit." Ellie added and threw a warning look to her husband.
"Maybe this certain somebody could also end the game by apologizing." Because the male saber tooth was starting to lose his temper and he didn't care about the pride of his mammoth buddy. Manny looked annoyed, of course, because why did he always have to step back? On the other hoof, his wife was always right. That was probably what went against his head.
Of course the whole thing was conjured up again because he was unromantic or didn't understand subtle gestures for something. He would like to have only once every now and then his peace. Was it too much to think about something alone?
But no matter where he went, he could never be alone lately. How was he supposed to find a suitable present for his wife? One that says, I'm sorry that most of the time I'm a stubborn idiot and forget about things like wedding anniversaries.
It was probably not wise of the mammoth to think about such things now, because it was enough a careless moment to be hit by the puck on the head.
"Ah, Manny, I'm sorry, that was not really on purpose, I thought..." But the hit broke off the babbling sloth.
"Okay, Sid, nobody was seriously injured."
"Are you sure?" Hooked Ellie a little worried, because from her point of view, it was a little painful.
"You know, I have a thick skull." Manfred calmed his wife slightly smiling, although it was already grumbling heavily in his head.
"Then we can continue." Did he hear Sid's granny talking impatiently, but then everything began to blur in front of his eyes until it finally got dark. Maybe he was hit harder than expected. But without him his buddies would certainly have lost the game and he did not want to leave them there alone. If only for a short time. That would be enough for the women to win the game and then make fun on the male species account.
Slowly he had the feeling that he had control over his body again. So he tried to open his eyes. At first everything looked very dull, but that was probably because of him. But when he blinked a few times, his environment did not change. Everything looked so dull and deserted.
He wondered where the others had gone as he stood up slowly. There was no nice-looking winter landscape in front of him like he had been used to lately. Everything seemed more like a dark autumn morning or more like an imminent end of the world. Only less colorful. After all, he had a clue about it, because the world would have gone down almost once.
Even the ice surface he was supposed to be on was simply gone. Now he was on a moderately overgrown stone floor.
"Guys, is the game over yet?" But when he ran behind some rocks, where he suspected his herd, there was no one. Everything looked so deserted and drab that he wondered how long he was out.
It did seem strange, but the area was almost familiar to him. His home really didn't look that way. Thoughtfully, he moved on slowly to find out what might have happened. He also found it strange that no other animals were around him. Otherwise someone always stayed nearby. Because nobody else was interested, if you wanted to be alone. Should he take this opportunity and just be glad that nobody was there?
His settled instinct, however, commanded him to look after his family. He just always needed to know where they were for safety reasons. But no matter how loud or who he called, nobody answered. Slowly it dawned on him that something had happened during his powerlessness. Something that made his family and friends disappear. Only he remained behind for inexplicable reasons. If Peaches was small, he would say they played hide and seek again without being asked. But his daughter was an adult and it would be far from clear how he got to that other place.
"Julian?! Could someone please answer me!" So far it came with him, because he called a little bit panic for his son-in-law. But even this one made no sound, let alone this mammoth let himself appear.
So he wandered around the area until his voice failed him. Luckily he at least found the way to a river. Again he sensed that he had been here before. But again he could not explain where that came from.
After drinking a little water, he set off again. Now finally some animals came to meet him. It was already a larger amount of different species. Apparently they ran away from something. Anyway, everyone was in a hurry. Although he tried to get the attention of some, but he was either told that he got in the way or he got no answer. So he tried to avoid the others and stood over to look around.
More and more memories hit him and suddenly he knew exactly where he was. This was the end. Or at least he believed he was like that when he lost his first family. He closed his eyes, because that had to be a dream. After all, over the years he had managed to sleep more peacefully. The first nights were terrible, which now came up in him again. The images, the screams and his failure to protect his family were so close again.
His head was really not fair to him, that he was playing such nasty pranks right now. Because all this still hurt, as if it had just happened. No matter how much time passed, it will always hurt, only he learned to deal with it. Even if he had a tragic past, he could call a happy future his own. He had a wonderful wife and daughter. And you couldn't wish for better friends than his. Although they were all a bit chaotic. But that was part of his herd.
'Sometimes I wish we had not met.' When he came to the spot when he actually met a certain sloth for the first time, there was nobody there. Did he have that dream because Sid annoyed him so much a few days ago? No matter how long he knew the smaller guy, unfortunately, he always managed to lose his patience with him. But this was Sid, to whom you could throw almost everything to the head. Even if it was accidentally stones. These bounced off again. And it was always said that he has the biggest and thickest skull. Maybe just the biggest one.
The mammoth settled down at the place. But when it got dark, he knew that no sloth would show up. Maybe he had missed it and so he ran quickly to the river. But again he didn't see a familiar face.
Suddenly he had a terrible thought. What if he was in reality and his chaotic herd was just a dream?
Immediately he shook it off. That just was not allowed to be true. He wondered what the sloth was doing when it thought it would dream. So he plucked a tuft of fur hair. That did not hurt as much as he thought. Maybe the hair was already loose. What else could he do? When he saw a rock, he just kicked it. That hurt even more. How could this be that he felt pain in a dream? Or did he imagine that as well as the rest here?
He sat down helplessly beside the rocks, because he didn't know what to do next. He was probably ordered by a higher power to land here because he was so grumpy lately. His character was accepted by his family and friends, but still it was not wrong to be more friendly once in a while. Maybe Ellie was right, because nobody asked too much from him. What was he thinking? Of course, his wife was right, as always and never once he showed himself spontaneously grateful. Or rather from his romantic side. At the same time, she really didn't want the world from him.
Even Diego and Sid contributed a lot to his luck and he had never really said thank you. If he had used this opportunity, he might not be alone here. But as someone said so greatly, if you no longer own it, then you realize only the value of what you had.
He had a family and friends. There was no real reason to be in a bad mood and yet he liked to behave as if it were a new hobby. Maybe it had something to do with getting old.
No matter how long he was in this place, he already missed his herd. He wanted his peace, now that he had it, he would like to have the noise around him again. He also shouted that a moment later and didn't care that other animals thought he was crazy. All that was going on in his head and what he should always have uttered, he screamed out into the world now.
"...must have hit him pretty hard." A voice whispered and he looked around, but there was no one to look at him or talk to him.
"So he doesn't have such a stubborn head." Said another one and this seemed a little familiar to him.
"Let me over there! I think here helps only mouth-to-mouth breathing." He heard now and somehow he got now bad air.
"Is that really a good idea, Sid?" This sound was more familiar to him now, because he would recognize his Ellie everywhere. Only what the sentences meant just didn't quite reached him. He opened his eyes cautiously, but at the same time wondered when he had closed them. At first he blinked, because the surroundings were a little brighter now.
"Look at that. A certain someone wakes up again. We probably took a little long nap here." His sloth buddy spoke to him in a childish way. Now he also knew why he could breathe badly because Sid wasn't just on his face. He also stood with one foot on his trunk. Immediately he grabbed this and held it upside down in front of his eyes.
"What do you think about getting on my face like that?!" He started in a harsh tone, but at the same time was glad that reality prevailed here. Because he noticed the sloth's foot on his olfactory organ clearly. He also noticed that everyone was looking at him worriedly.
"I'm sorry, Manny. But I thought..." His wife already wanted to tear his friend out of his trunk.
"Don't be angry with him. He meant it only well." But he did not let her do it.
"Well-meaning? And he did not even think about himself. Yesterday I broke off a little piece of the tusk and the dear Sid could have cut himself on it." At first Ellie could see that she had fetched air for a discussion, but then she looked at the others helplessly. They were probably just so stunned because they had never heard the oldest mammoth speak like that. This also put one on top of it and squeezed the male sloth to a hug.
"We have to take care of each other. Or not?" Added Manny, grinning.
"That thing struck him harder than expected." Diego said confused, not so fast as the mammoth pulled him close.
"Who else wants to be cuddled?" Julian jumped quickly on it, while the rest of the gang still seemed confused.
"I've always known that the male mammoths lose their mind at a certain age. But that it starts so early in his life, I wouldn't have thought." Because Sid's grandma thought it was crazy, she had already done more shimmering things, but in her eyes that wasn't the case.
"Come on, Teddy, before you get infected." It was not really as if the bunny had a choice.
"You heard her. See you later at some point." The two disappeared.
"Could someone help us?" Sid cried, slowly having enough of hugging the mammoths.
"Don't be like this. Besides, you never said how cuddly the fur is." Brooke was now in this tumult too.
"Can it be that the turtle shell has broken loose?" Even though Shira found this amusing at first, things were getting weirder.
"And you think the piece could have invaded the head by an injury?" At least, Peaches thought that might explain why her father behaved so strangely. Although, when she was a child, he always behaved like that.
"Well, come on!" Then the three ladies, the molehog and the possums were asked.
"Well, it looks funny." Eddie and Crash also threw themselves into the pile. Julian saw that his wife was still skeptical and so he wanted to pull her in with his trunk.
"It's getting late and I have to.." But the mammoth girl then grabbed Louis, who was hoping he would survive this.
"Maybe we can never do that again." That's how Peaches intervened. The remaining women looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and looking for a place there too.
"I have the best herd of all and I'm glad you're all here." Manny announced loudly and didn't think it was that bad to say or hug his family and friends.
Well it didn't really have to happen every day, but every so often trying to be a the grateful mammoth, he would manage it.
"Oh no! He's going to die." Crash cried suddenly.
"Yes exactly. That's why he does that here too. When he was out, he saw death and this gave him time to say goodbye to his family." Eddie added and teared up too.
"What?" Then Manfred remembered why he rarely did this. The idiots in the herd always had to destroy such moments. So he finally got up and shook off some of the animals.
"No! You're still like... well, not young, but in your prime. So you know, life starts again and..." The male sloth wanted to be sad, but his explanation became more and more peculiar.
"Be careful, Sid. I will not die." Manfred then explained in his usual tone.
"And now you can all disappear from me!"
"And I thought it was a miracle done. But now he is the old man again and wants his peace." Ellie sighed, but inwardly was also glad that her husband was fine. After all, he was unconscious for a while. They had all been a little worried, while the thing with the small turtle shell looked painful, but not threatening for a mammoth.
"But don't you still want to end the game?" Inquired Julian, who actually had fun slowly.
"No. And you are all still here. Go on somewhere else."
"But Manny..." He partially pushed the other animals from the place.
"No but! I have planned a romantic date with my wife, and there I can't use any of you." The lady just mentioned, wanted to complain because her husband wanted to get rid of her friends so quickly. When she heard the words romantic date, she could only look at her mammoth in astonishment.
"Well then, have fun." Peaches was pleased that her father had now such a thing on his mind and pushed herself and all the others from this spot. Of course, the saber-toothed tigers didn't ask for much and said goodbye quickly. Where Shira thought to finally show her tiger, how to properly run with claws on the ice. Today, she had come to realize that Diego wasn't so good at it. Until now, this had always avoided staying on smooth ice voluntarily.
"Where does this change of heart come from?" Inquired the female mammoth smiling, as her husband slid back onto the ice and was looking for something. When he found what he wanted, Julian's broken bat, he used it to scratch something in the ice.
"Well, it really doesn't kill me when I show you how much I love you from time to time." Ellie first observed her mammoth to make sure it was doing well. But then she realized what he was doing on the frozen lake. A heart-shape was around her now.
"Oh, you stubborn mammoth. No matter how impossible you are at times, I'm glad I have you too." With that, she grabbed the broken bat to throw it aside. Then she cuddled contentedly to her husband.
"As you can imagine, I didn't really plan much. But how about a romantic walk for a start?" Manfred was a little ashamed that he couldn't think of anything better. But his wife didn't make a disappointed face and that was a good sign for him.
"Why not."