The Stronghold of Madness
CH. 1
On an island named Switchback Cove, there sat in a tree a female rabbit, eating a bright red apple found on the tree. As she eats, she notices a mammoth and two humans walk into a nearby clearing with a large tree in the exact center of it. The mammoth touches his trunk to the trunk of the tree. All of a sudden, a batch of thick fog rolls in and she loses sight of the mammoth and humans. A few seconds later, the fog disappears. The mammoth and humans are gone as well.
"Wh-what just happened?" says the frightened rabbit.
"What did just happen?" replies a male rabbit, now appearing next to her on the branch, with a blade aimed directly at her. "Too bad you won't be livin' to find out."
"Come on, Louis, it can't be that bad," says Peaches. "It's supposed to be for fun, after all."
"You have a lot shorter distance to the ground than I do, you know," replies Louis. They were both on their way to try out a new drop ride the other mammoths had created at the waterfall.
"It can't be nearly as scary as that time you faced Gutt."
"Still..."
"Come on, try it."
"I don't know..."
"Pretty please? For me?"
Louis thought for a moment before replying, "Alright. For you, I will ride it."
"Yes!" exclaimed Peaches. This was one of the few times Louis would actually participate in the fun. "I promise, you won't regret it."
"I sure hope you keep that promise."
A few minutes later, Peaches and Louis arrived at the waterfall.
"Peaches, Louis, you're finally here! Great!" Ethan exclaimed. "Ready to try the new ride?"
"Yeah!" exclaimed Peaches.
"I guess..." Louis nervously said.
"Come on, Louis. I rode it earlier, and I'm as fine as can be." Ethan pointed his trunk to two other mammoths currently riding it. It was a chunk of ice that slid down the waterfall. Peaches watched in joy, Louis in fear as the mammoths screamed before hitting the water. They both came out perfectly unharmed.
"See? Fun, no harm," said Ethan. "Now, it's your turn."
Peaches and Louis got on the chunk of ice that magically got back to the top of the waterfall.
"Just remember not to lean forward if you can't swim; that makes it hit the water so hard, you sink."
"Oh no... Oh no..." Louis muttered in peril as the ice started to go over the side.
"Hold on tight!" Ethan yelled as they went over the side.
"WHEEEEEEEEEEE!" screamed Peaches.
"NEVER AGAIN!" squealed Louis.
Suddenly, as they reach the bottom, a gust of wind blows the ice onto land and it starts sliding off into the woods.
"That's not good," mutters Ethan before chasing after them.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" yelled Louis.
"WE'VE GONE OFF THE FALLS!" yelled Peaches, now in as much fear as Louis.
"I DON"T WANT TO DIE!" exclaimed Louis as the ice started to approach a tree.
"LOUIS, HOLD ON!" screamed Peaches as she jumped off the ice just before it hit a tree and broke in half.
Peaches and Louis, now panting for their lives, were happy to be off the ice and safe on the ground.
"As I said on the ice," Louis said between pants, "never again."
Out of the blue, a human walks up to them, and as they stand up, they notice him, and back away.
"Who are you?" asked Louis.
"What do you want?" demanded Peaches. "Wait... humans don't talk, so how can he tell us?"
"Come with me." The human said. "Now."
"Or maybe they do," Peaches replied, flabbergasted. "How do you talk?"
"Come with me as I get the rest of your herd. I will explain when you are all together."
Without any other choice, Peaches and Louis follow the human.
"What's your name?" Louis questioned.
"Tyson," the human answered, "but you can call me Ty. I rather prefer it, actually."
"Peaches!" Ethan yelled loudly. "Louis! Are you okay?" He stumbles upon the chunk of ice, but unfortunately not his friends. "Where could they be..."
Peaches, Louis, and Tyson find Diego and Shira in the woods, finishing up a gazelle they had just caught and eaten. They walk up to them, and Diego says, "Hey Peaches, Louis, and human I've never met in my life..."
"Who is he?" Shira asks Peaches and Louis.
"I am Ty, short for Tyson, and I can speak for myself, thank you very much," Tyson replies.
"You speak?" Diego questions. "How?"
"That is for later." Tyson answers. "For now, we must gather the rest of the herd."
Diego and Shira look at Peaches and Louis with questioning gazes. They both reply with shrugs.
"Alright, lets go."
Tyson, Peaches, Louis, Diego, and Shira find the rest of the herd back at the cave they live in. Manny and Ellie are eating some fruit, while Crash and Eddie are having a slapfight on the branch above Ellie before falling onto her tusks. Sid is busy following his Granny while she searches for Precious.
"Hey, everyone, over here," Peaches exclaims.
"Whoa, whoa, who's the human," Manny asks, aiming a death glare at Tyson.
"I am Tyson, but I prefer Ty. Before you ask how I talk, I will explain in a minute," Tyson replies. "But first, you must know where I come from."
"Where do you come from?" Crash asks excitedly.
"Is it somewhere cooler than here?" Eddie questions. "I bet it is!"
"To you, yes," replies Tyson, "for I come from ten years in the future."
"Get as far away from this herd as possible and never, ever come back!" Manny exclaims.
"Dad!" Peaches groans.
"I don't want my daughter around a talking lunatic human that for some unknown reason thinks he came back from ten years in the future." Manny says. "On another note, how do you know who we are?"
"How did I know that would be your reaction when I told you I'm from the future?" Tyson replies.
"The only way you could have known is if you knew him well..." says Ellie. "Let me guess. In the future, you're the first human to join our herd."
"Kind of," answers Tyson. "Me and my twin brother are the first humans to join your herd. Now, you're all dying to know many things about me, such as why I joined the herd, how I can talk, and why I came back in time ten years."
"Figures. Now this herd has practically every animal," Sid adds.
"I still don't believe you," says Manny.
"You will. Eventually," replies Tyson. "Now, what do want to know first?"
"Why did you join our herd?" Shira asks.
"Well, it all started when..."
Flashback
5 year old Tyson and his twin brother, Tyrone, are walking with their parents back to the human camp. Suddenly, a pack of sabers attacked them. They are eventually backed up against a cliff near a river when the dad sends Tyson and Tyrone out on a chunk of ice on the river for their safety. The river carries Tyson and Tyrone out to sea and they start floating adrift in the ocean.
About two and a half days later, Tyson and Tyrone arrive at an island and get off at the shore. They start to slowly walk, weakened by lack of food, when a mammoth and a molehog approach them.
"Aww, they're so cute!" exclaimed the mammoth.
"I wonder where their parents are," said the molehog.
The mammoth and molehog search the island for the rest of the day, but do not find any other humans.
"They're way too young to be living by themselves. I'll ask dad if they can stay with the herd until we find their parents." the mammoth states. Reluctantly, the mammoth's father allows the two humans to stay with the herd.
End Flashback
"And that is how me and Tyrone ended up with the herd," finishes Tyson.
Ellie aims a death glare at Manny, and states, "There were two five- year old humans without any parents or guardians around, and you were reluctant to let them stay?"
"Will be, Ellie," Manny replies, "will be."
"We grew on the herd fast," Tyson says, "so fast, in fact, that after only a couple months, Manny thoughtof us as his sons."
"So, how far in the future does this happen?" asks Diego.
"About two years, give or take." replies Tyson.
"I still don't get it though; how do you talk?" inquires Peaches.
"You really think we could live with you for eight years and not pick up your language?" answers Tyson. "How else would we communicate?"
"Good point."
"Now, I know you're all itching to know why I came back in time, but it's gotten a bit late, and time traveling can wear you out a bit," states Tyson.
The herd looks up, and notices a dark blue sky covered in shining stars.
"In the future, where do you usually sleep, Ty?" asked Ellie.
"Normally, I sleep next to Peaches," Tyson replies. "I grow on her really fast, and just get used to sleeping by her." When he sees Manny's death glare, he quickly adds, "Beneath her, under the tree, I mean. Not right next to her. Heh heh." He goes to lay down underneath where Peaches is hanging from the tree.
Manny then walks with Ellie back to their sleeping place in the tree. "I'm not sure that I trust this guy," Manny whispers. "He comes out of the blue, states we adopted him and his brother in the future, and for some unknown reason, comes back in time to see his family from ten years ago."
"Oh, come on," Ellie replies quietly, "Sure, his story's a bit fishy, but what would he gain from lying to us? Plus, how else did he learn how to talk? And know who we are?"
"I still don't trust him."
"You don't trust anybody until you've known them for a long time, and technically, you have."
"We'll see."
With that, the mammoths proceed to fall asleep.
"Hey, Ty, you awake?" Peaches whispers.
"Yeah. You can't sleep either?"
"Nope. I don't think I can until I find out why you're here," Peaches says in a hopeful tone.
"You have to wait until tomorrow like everyone else."
"Why?"
"Because, it's a reason that would be easier to tell to the entire herd. Plus, if anyone should find out first, its Manny. You'll figure out why tomorrow."
"Does it have something to do with dad?"
Tyson waits a few seconds before answering. "Yes. But... not in a good way."
At this, Peaches decides to stopping asking about it. "Goodnight, Ty."
"Goodnight, Peaches." After he sees the mammoth already asleep, he silently adds, "For it could be the last for a while."
"Peaches! Wake up!" yells Ty.
"What! I'm up! I'm up! Whoa!" exclaims Peaches as she falls out of the tree. "What was that for?"
"Everyone else is awake. I'm about to reveal why I'm here."
Peaches stands up and walks over to where everyone else is gathered.
"Apple?" Manny says as he hands her an apple with his trunk.
"Thanks," Peaches replies.
"Now, you're all wondering why I'm here," Tyson says, "and why Tyrone is not. They both belong to the same reason, so I can tell you all at once."
"Just get on with it already!" yells Crash.
"Yeah! Where's the part where we get to beat some bad guys?" asks Eddie.
"Actually, we do get to, as you say it, 'beat some bad guys'," Tyson answers.
"YEAH!" Crash and Eddie exclaim at the same time.
"Wait a second," Manny says, "we have to fight villains again?"
"Yes. That is part of the reason I came here."
"I'm not sure Peaches should be here..." Manny replies.
"Oh, yes she should," Tyson answers, "we'll need as much help as we can get."
"What exactly are these 'bad guys' we are facing?" asks Ellie.
"Ten years from now, this island becomes a very dark and evil place."
"I don't like where this is going..." says Louis.
"It is ruled by a dark force with a small army so powerful, all the island's inhabitants are victims to it, or are in hiding because of it. The worst of the dark force is the leader..."
"Let me guess. The leader is your brother, Tyrone?" Ellie asks.
"No, but he is second in command to the leader. That is why he is not here. I came back to ask your assistance in defeating this evil force and saving the island from tragedy."
"If the future us couldn't stop this evil force, how do you expect us to?" Sid questions.
"Because... The leader of this force is someone each of you know very well. Peaches, if you combine this with what I told you last night, this means...?"
Peaches thinks for a moment before answering, "No... It can't be..."
"Well, who is it?" Manny asks impatiently.
Tyson stares grimly for a few seconds before replying, "The evil leader... is you, Manny."