~Authors Note *Please read*:

Okay for a start, hope those reading before like the edit of the story, the reason as to why I've done this is because I seriously felt like I could do much better than what was written it a while back. So the's what I've gone ahead and done.

Anyway, hope you enjoy! Reviews are much aprreciated, and don't be afraid to drop in some constructive criticism. I won't bite; I just want to find as many ways to improve on my writing as I can. I'm lacking comedic ideas, and haven't quite nailed the art of dialouge.

Oh, also: I am early sorry to those who have said I would read/reveiw their stories and haven't done so yet, I've honestly had tight schedule lately. I'll get round to doing it when I can. The rest of you Ice Age fic-ers! I bet they are some really great ideas here!~

Ice Age Trilogy, a © of 20th Centery Fox and Blue Sky Studios.

I own nothing execpt for my characters.

Thank you; Abby :)

A haze of sun rose upon the smilodon as his large paws carried him across the frozen wilderness. Ah, how he'd always loved that heart-racing, and the feeling of the wind brushing agaist his golden, glistening pelt. Diego had finished his morning-hunt approximately half-an-hour ago, leaving him what he thought was plently of time. So he thought it'd be nice to kill the rest of that time by going for a run, like he did every morning. He simply loved it. Not having to wait up for any of his herd members refreshed him, made him feel free. It would be migration day soon, well infact it was that same day, and...

The migration!

Diego twisted round on his heels in a great skid and started for the herds' current staying place. Another long, hetic travel. With Sid doing his usual tedious antics, especially the singing. Ugh, the excuciatingly bad singing!

You see, Sid's attempt was to always 'lighten up the mood', but instead it annoyed the herd to no end. Not-to-mention the possum twins would be doing their usual, menacing routine. With their idiotic pranks and stunts which would keep Diego on his toes. As the stunts sometimes resulted badly.

For example, there was a memory Diego could never erase from his mind. The day when (not long after he, Sid, and Manny met the duo and Ellie) Manny had catapulted Crash from a tall sapling, the intension being for Crash to land into a small pond, in attempt to 'impress Ellie' (as Sid would say).

Anyway, Crash told Manny he had "only done it a million times" which was clearly not true when the rodent SMACKED face-first into an oaktree, so hard that the outline of his body was carved onto the tree. I guess he lives up to his name. Diego had thought at the time, fighting back his laughter by pasting a serious expression on his face. Suddeny a call from his friend threw Diego away from his state of reminiscing.

"Hey! Diego, where have you been?"

The smilodon quickly made his way through a snowy pine forrest, and found a dark brown mammoth bull, a red-brown coloured mammoth cow, and their calf. "Sorry Manny," He said to the bull. "I just got side-tracked, that's all."

"Well, come on, we gotta go!" He started to walk towards the clearing of the valley, then stopped. "...Where's Sid, Crash and Eddie?" Manny's warm brown eyes scanned the area. Then, he turned around to find that his lazy friend had been stuffing his face with berries, the possums sat on the same log. "SID!" Manny shouted.

"What?" The sloth asked in annoyance, berry-juice was oozing from his mouth. With a furry trunk Manny rubbed his head. "Oy-vey... Come on! ...Can't you eat when you get there?"

"Can't I just eat while I'm walking?" Sid answered back. Manny didn't find it hard to ignore him. The mammoth had known Sid for a number of years, and usually he endured his ways, but of course on this particular day he couldn't seem to endure anything; he was too on-edge. And the fact that this was going to be the herd's first migration with his and Ellie's daughter Peaches didn't help; he wanted everything to be perfect for her.

Manny walked to the tree where he had placed Peaches' crystal mobile, it hurt most to leave that behind. This was his favourite settlement area.

"Manny," Ellie approched and said. In a gental, loving way. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll still be here when we come back." Softly she finished, locking trunks with Manny, Peaches bouncing around them playfully as the lock proceeded. The mammoth bull froze. He had a guilt-contrating feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't repled his deseased family, had he? He threw the thought to the back of his head. Thinking about them won't bring them back. I have a new family. Another chance. I musn't take advantage of that.

"Now let's go, or we'll miss it!" Manny called, now interupting his own queries. The seven of them made their way out of the area of trees, and waited at the foot of the clearing, Manny looking with total anxiety. "What's Manny all wound up about?" Sid thought out load, to receive a glare from both of the possum twins.

"Dude, do you even know what day it is?" Eddie was the first to ask him.

Sid stared at him blankly, still stuffing and chewing. "...Um... Friday?"

Eddie muttered a few things under his breath, before snapping at Sid. "Migration day, you idio- AAAAGHH!" Out from above him a huge hoof came smashing down.

Fortunately enough (or in Diego's case, unfortunately), he was taught the trunk of Ellie at an almost impeccable time. Eddie scurried onto his adopted sister's back, and it wasn't long for Crash to follow either. The hoof had belonged to a massive Wooly Rhino. And without warning- the unorthodox herd were soon surronded by a crowd of random creatures that where making they're way around them before they knew it. All in a flash. And boy, there were so many of them, more than any of them had imagined. There were Chalicotheriums, Elks, Aurochs, Palaeotheriums, Platybelodons, Ardvarks, Glyptodonts... the list could go on.

The possums, having only migrated a few times, looked with awe. While growing up, being small rodents, they hibernated. And if you ask them, sleeping for three months and becoming fat wasn't their idea of 'fun'. Anyone who knew Crash and Eddie, would know that they lived for the action. And though having an unsual way of showing their appreciation for it; them joining Sid, Manny and Diego probably had the most beneficial affect on the two. And most of all- on Ellie.

Finding out that and being finally convinced she was actually a mammoth (and not a nine-ton-possum) gave her the huge confidence boost she needed, and it gave her Manny. She could never image her life without him. He may have had a cold outline and such, but Ellie could always see straight through that. She knew how much of a warm-hearted, honest and sensitive center beyond all that. Ellie found these certian things adorable about him. However, she didn't know why he was so... uptight. Example: whenever she asked about Manny's life before he met Sid and Diego, he got touchy. And whenever Ellie wanted a few minutes alone, he would not allow her and would follow her every movement.

It was funny, because she always wondered, but could never suck up the corage to ask. In the end she came up with only one conclusion:

Maybe that's the way mammoth males are.

Bringing herself back to reality, she grabbed her calf in a protective manner and held her tight, before turning to rest of the crew, with a nod as to say 'let's go'. So on the group went. Smiling, they made their way amoung the other animals. It wasn't hard, even as some would stop to gawp at them, but no, our herd was not bothered to say the least.

"You know," Sid said, checking out some female sloths. "I'm thinking about mingling this year, you know: hopefully get lucky and settle down."

Oh, how this'll be amusing... Diego thought, who felt an urge to laugh at his exspense but held it back, unlike the possum twins; he didn't want to hurt his friends' feelings.. "Good luck with that." He finally said, a slight tone of sarcasm within his voice, Sid could sense it. "Oh, you wait and see my fe-line fri-end!" he chirped. That left Diego to shake his head, now skeptical as ever. Sid, soon ablivious of Diego's skepticism, changed the subject with a sudden brust of exictment. "Hey Manny, Manny, can I-" The mammoth- now supprisingly much more relaxed, didn't need genious to tell him what he was about to ask; he yanked the sloth from the ground and onto his back with his trunk. "Sweet! ...Okay, now mush!" Sid exclaimed. Manny gave his rider an offended look, "I-I'm sorry uhh... go, please?" Diego shook his head once more and rolled his eyes. He hasn't changed one bit.

"Alright, you know how this goes: trade the goods, and sell out the story sharp and quick. They don't call you Fast Tony for nothing, now do they?"

The con-man armadillo quietly told his reflection in the water, stood on his hind legs. He revealed a sly grin, before letting out a content-sounding sigh. "Ah, Stu, I have a feeling that today we'll be successful. Wouldn't you say?" He spoke louder this time, and smirked at an empty Glyptodon shell, sitting on the bank of the lake: the remians of his so called 'trusty assistant'. Who he'd replaced with a cranky shrew who he had been disburbed form hybernation.

"Whatcha' doin' talkin' that ol' thang?" The shrew asked.

"Colton, please, have a heart..." Tony said.

"Ha, rich coming from him." A vulture mumbled to another one as they swooped onto a birch tree nearby.

"...he was a very old friend of mine!" Tony finished in fake dispair.

The vultures' remark was very much true; before Stu had gone missing (or in other words, devoured by vicious cretaceous-like creatures), Tony hadn't cared for him at all. Of course he wouldn't. Anyone who had a brain would know that. Like when somebody once mentioned that he would sell his own mother for a grape. "Are you making an offer?" Was Tony's answer. And no, he was not joking.

Tony gathered the merchandise: a batch of certain fruits, fire wood, grass reeds, etcetera and placed them on a bolder then climbed upon it after. That way the taller animals would see him. He grabbed Colten's tiny front paw and yanked him to his side.

I should have gotten a larger assistant. Tony thought, daunted when he caught the glimpse of a massive heap of animals making their way up the valley. "Alright Colton, stand on this!" He grabbed a pebble and placed it at Colton's feet. "WHY cha' wan' me to do that?" Tony gave him an impatient glare "Just do what I say!"

Colton rolled his eyes. "Oh quit ya'll jabber!" He yelled, stepping on the pebble. "Are all y'all folks this bossy?"

Tony simply ignored him. "Okay remember- nice straight posture, clear loud voice, all that jazz..." He told himself, as the migratees were approching closer and closer with each word. "THE END IS NEAR!" He shouted when they passed.

Today he was admitting the rumour of a massive earthquake that might occur soon, just as he'd overheard Gunslinger and his crew during a descreate meeting the night before. They spoke of recent rumbles and shakes from the ground that had happened in different areas. Now, sneaking his way into the vultures' lair was not easy job, but it was 'worth it'; to get his name out there and look like a prophet.

Oh yes, Tony was making a living by pretending he was a prophet. That's just how pathetic he was. Then again, what did you expect from Fast Tony? The vultures were no better than him, infact, they were worse: trying to keep the news a secret until after it happened and when they could go back to see what unfortunate creatures they could feast on.

He continued shouting, pulling Colton's arms up. "You do it as well!" Colton rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. Shouting out things like 'THE WORLD IS GONN' END! RUN FOR ALL YA'LL LIL' LIVES! ...Why are we doin' this?" he asked. No reply. So in the end he was left to continue.

Within the crowd, Ellie asked, "What was that they were shoutin' 'bout?" the herd were only a few feet away from them, but they couldn't hear clearly due to the all the chatter around.

"I dunno, some crazies freaking out I assume, because all I heard was 'protect all of your gracious chives'!" Manny shugged.

"Hm." Ellie also shugged and continued.

Diego would have appreciated it more if there weren't so many around, so could get to the water. His paw pads were crackled and dry, and he was famished. He wasn't the only one though, Manny and Ellie looked exhusted from walking, as they held their pants back. What everyone craved was visable. Lucky for Peaches though, she had Ellie's milk to suckle on.

Impatience grew, only more in some. "That's it! I'm sick of this! Eddie, let's go!" Crash slid off Ellie's trunk, and hopped between the other animals feet, dodging their steps. Ellie gave an expression that had worry written all over it. "Where's he going? What if he get's trampled on?"

Manny frowned. "Serves him right." Ellie knew he didn't mean that, but shot a glare. Diego sighed, it always came down to him. "I'll get him." He squeezing past the crowd, constantly appologizing because each step sent him into someone. He recieved many un-appreciative glares.

"Watch where you're walking!" A boar beared his tusks at Diego. 'Well I'm sorry you were RIGHT IN the way!' The sabretooth cat would have said, if he was in a more moody state of mind. But no, today he didn't want any trouble. He just wanted to get Crash and out of there, and quick. The claustrophobia was getting too much for him. This wasn't going to get any better, when he accidently backed up into an elk doe.

Big mistake.

Slowly she began to turn. "OW! Will you look where you are goi-" Then came a screech anyone would dread. "AAAAGGHHHH! SABERTOOTH TIGER!" The elk did not hesitate to rear up in front of the big-cat. She was sent into mild panic, and let out numerous shrieks for help. Diego just stood there, trying to concince her he meant no harm. Though she was taking in none of it.

In reflex he dodged the thud of her front hooves slaming on the ground. And thank goodness he did. That surely would have killed him in an instant. Before any serious harm could be done, Manny stepped in. "Hey! HEY! Relax! The tiger's with us, he wont hurt anyone." She gave out a look of disgust. "Don't be a fool! How are you sure his not going to slit any of our throat's as we sleep? I tell ya, they are sick, mindless killers!" Her eyes round, black holes. Ouch. Diego took that like a spear in the gut. Mindless killer? Is that how I'm seen?

A gentle-souled Ellie also came to encounter the scene. "Miss, this sabre's different. He's an old friend who has traveled with us for years." The elk scoffed. "Who cares? It has no right to be here either way. It can crawl back to the FILTHY place it came from." In her ignorance, the creature trotted off. The whole migratee crowd turned to him with cold, dark stares. Diego had never felt so insecure in his whole life. Before it hadn't bothered him that much, but now it hit him. Hard. Soon he felt a lump of guilt grow in his throat. The guilt of being the creature he was. He was disgusted. Manny attempted to reassure him. "Ah, don't listen to her Diego. She has no idea what she's talking about."

She does though, Diego thought, helpless.

"Now ladies... I repesent to you... FIRE!"

At the entrance of the cave, Sid scraped the two peices of slate agaist each other, and sparks leaped up on landed directly on the wood-pile. "Ohhh!" The sloth-esses' coed. "Oh my, Sydney! How do you that?" A purple one asked. Sid smiled at her. "Please, Clarissa, call me Fire-King." His lispy voice said, in almost a whisper, attempting to sound mysterious. Carissa and other rest of them giggled, although they were clueless as to why he labled himself that. "Okay, Fire-King... How is it done?" Sid started to explain, "Well you see you..."

Watching from a distance, Diego rolled his eyes. And I thought Sid was dumb... did she even watch AT ALL? He mumbled in his head, sat down near the fire. His green-hazel eyes drifted onto the embers, his mind cluttered with many nagative thoughts. He was still in a state of embarrasment because of the event earlier, and hadn't said anything that entire day. Or eaten anything.

Now it was nightfall and the rest of the herd where in a cave, asleep. Crash and Eddie hang on Ellie's tusk by their tails, Manny cradled Peaches in his trunk, resting is head agaist Ellie's. Other migratees were spread out. Some in good reach of predators. Wise idea... He sarcastically thought, then remembering what that scruffy, mink-furred Elk said. His ears flattened back. She's right. She's right and I know it. I don't fit in. I've been so niave this entire time not to see it. After all these years.

Again thoughts were interupted. "G'night LADIES!" Sid called flirtfully, soon at Diego's side. Once they were gone, there was a complete, awkward silence. Which of course Sid, being himself, had to break. "...Hey, bud, you okay?"

"Actually, to be honest, no I'm not." Came the cynical reply.

"Aw, come on! Are you still upset about what that old... moose said?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Diego snapped.

"Look, Diego, why care about what others think? What do they know about us?"

The sabre growled. "I said I don't want to talk about it!"

Sid took that hint that time. Change of subject.

He cleared his throat, with the decision to strike up a conversation. "...Man, I wasn't expecting to get so much female attention this year. I mean, they are all over me!" He brought is eyebrows up in a raise once or twice. "Oh and until I tell them the tale of the mini-sloths and how they worshiped me."

Diego felt the urge to storm off. Sids talk of females wasn't helping him. And if truth be told, Diego was envious about the fact that Sid had access to his own species. Diego had craved meeting another sabre for a long time. A few days back whilst on one of his walks back from a hunt, he caught the faint scent of another smilodon a few miles away. If he hadn't known better, he would have went to investigate. But doing something like that would've meant taking the massive risk of being attacked, and so forth. Before the other sabre-toothed cat could be able to smell him out, he made a swift retreat back to the herd. Still, apart of him felt hugely driven by curiosity. What if he could meet friendly sabres, like himself? Manny had been fortunate, so why shouldn't he?

The difference was that mammoths were herbivores, not natural blood-thirsty killers.

However, back to our story. Rather than doing the better thing and taking himself away from this... awkward conversation, he spat: "Well, looks like the females are less intelligent this year; usually they'd know to stay miles away from you." Seeing that was the way his friend going to be, Sid got got up and started waddling to the cave.

All within seconds he was gone; sucked in by the darkness of that cave.

Great going Diego, really, just great. Just take it out on your friend. He sighed after a few seconds. Who am I kidding? This lifestyle doesn't suit me. Maybe this was a sign that it was time to leave his beloved herd?

He shook the thought off furiously. No! I can't do that, not again. How could I do that? After all we've been though? After what me, Manny and Sid started all those years ago? His mind paused. It infact not what they had started, but what... what he started: the human infant. If it weren't for him, they would have never met, and the 'herd' would never had been formed. How thankful he felt to that child. After a few moments he gave himself a mental slap in the head. Now quit over-analyzing. Just go to sleep and start a fresh tomorrow.

He jammed his eyes shut, in hope that the next day would come quickly. I wonder how that little squirt is doing... was his final thought.

That 'little squirt' was by that point five winters old, travelling with his clan. On his way to Glacier Pass to go through a rite of passage to become an offical hunter. Glacier Pass a sacred place for many clans. This was a place where many maraculous things happened.

A wolf on a leash trotted along the boys' side. With a typically grey pelt -and very faint caramel coloured smudges on it every here and there, mainly on the flanks and ears though- and its eyes bright blue-grey, and, being a Dire Wolf, had fangs. The boy had moderately long hair which was dark brown, and wore a cream coloured jerkin, with cave patterns printed on it. He also had boots and leggings to match. The other clan members wore very similar things.

"Father, how far is it now?" He asked a tall, middle aged man walking along-side him, who had another wolf by his side. Not too different to the other wolf, execpt for having a slightly more masculine build and a pure grey coat. "Not too far, Roshan." A gentle reply came with a smile.

There was another man next to the tall one, slightly shorter by an inch, who looked with worry. "Runar, are you sure of this? How can you tell he's ready?" He whispered.

"I'm possitive." Said Runar. The other man just breathed, with a feeling of desparation. "If you say so... but if-"

"No, nothing will happen." Runar said, as if he could read his anxious friend's mind.

Suddenly a bitter gust of wind blew with abrupt force and brought with it flakes of icy snow. A blizzard was on it's way. "We'd better find our settlement shelter." said Runar. The overwhelming dissapointment hit Roshan hard. "You told me-" He was cut off from his father's chuckling. "Suppose the wheather has different ideas." Typical of him, trying to see the best in everything. Bigger amounts of flakes came, and the force grew. This made the man alongside him frowned. "This feels like more than just a blizzard."

"Oh quiet Ranan, you've been worried about every single thing that has happened during this travel. Calm down!"

"I would if it was possible, living with this clan." Ranan mumbled.

"OVER THERE!" Runar then shouted over the blizzard, his arm facing an over-hang entrance in the distance. He saw it clear, despite the snow quickly coating the area. The hang above of the cave looked big enough to fit at least twenty people underneath, which was perfect. In a short amount of time they arrived at the entrance, and were now all sat around a fire. Most of them niavely not prepeared for what was lying ahead.

The she-wolf flattened her ears back when her brother broke the news to her. "Tell me Slate, how do you know of this... lethal earthquake?" She asked, a tone of skepism in her voice. For a moment the male looked deep into her eyes, before answering. "Gunslinger warned me." At the mention of that name, the female scrunched up her muzzle. "And you took advice from a mangy vulture?"

"Dakota, vulture's don't mess around. Despite their scavenger ways they are very honest. Plus, I can smell it coming." Born with a poor sense of smell, she'd always depended on her siblings or parents to smell and detect everything for her. Now only having one remaining relative around, she was more dependant than ever. So instead of dissagreeing more, she backed up slightly. Her ears flickered back and forward in both panic and shock. "What shall we do?"

"Nothing. We just sleep and see in the morning and how it effects us and the clan."

"Oh and you think that's an intelligent thing to do?" She raised a brow. "We probably won't be alive to see the results."

"Look, if I could change the wheather I would. But I can't." Dakota whimpered at this. Fear took over her whole body in shivers. It's a lot to take in when you told that you are soon doomed going to die. She was not only scared for herself and Slate though, but for the humans. She took a look at them sleeping around the fire. They won't even know what had hit them. That thought was what tore her insides up the most.

She sighed, head hung low. "Okay..." She said, almost as a whisper. "If it is so, I want thank you, and our siblings..." She didn't mention their names, as it was forbidden and considered a disrespect to the Death Souls. "for everything." She gave her borther a nuzzle under the neck. "May we soon decend to the other side and join those we love who are no longer with us here."

"Indeed. Having you as a sibling has been an honour, so I must thank you also." Slate wrapped a forepaw around Dakota in a hug. Dakota replied with a sad smile. "Meet you there." Meaning the Other Side. With this, they parted. Dakota went to lay beside Roshan, and Slate to Runar.

Roshan awoke, and could sense Dakota's dismay as she decided to plonk her muzzle on his lap. "What's wrong?" he asked. Dakota lifted her head and looked up at Roshan, eyes wide and glassy with helplessness. Tail tucked in. If only I could tell you... If only.

Early the next morning, all migratees were no longer asleep. The blizard had closed in, and had been a huge threat to the lives to most of these animals. Some of them however, including our herd, made the effort to stay in the shelter of the cave. Whereas the not so fortunate still stumbled about in the wind-filled plain, opening themselves to freezing deaths: pneumonia or frostbite. Curses as some called them.

Tony and Colton were rested inside Stu's empty shell.

"How I am lucky to have this baby!" Tony boasted, patting the wall of the shell before brushing off his body. Coated with snow flakes and icicles hanging form his nostrils, Colton glared. He didn't trust this guy. "I-I mean, how lucky are we!" Still Colton glared, and Tony struck a look back. "...Aw, come on! You're lucky I even let you in here! As this is, after all, my property..." He got distrated.

"Oh won't you look at that," he said "the blizzards' come to a complete stop. And dawn is on it's way!"

Yes, the blizzard may have stopped, and it may have been brighter, but the worse was yet to come. There was a sudden crackling sound, the exact sound that would you hear before an...

"EARTHQUAKE!"

Manny glanced over his shoulder, just in time to catch the sight of the overhang of the cave as it began to slam down. He latched onto Ellie's left tusk and yanked her out of the cave, hoping for the rest to follow. "COME ON!" He screamed out. His head span in circles, and his heart tightened up in his chest as his breath became rapid. He'd lost one family, and was determind not to loose this one. A great amount of panic spreaded through out the land as the ground roared and shook with enormous power. Rocks smashed down on the ground, and huge chucks of ice fell off glaciers, increasing distress.

They needn't dare to look back; there was no time. They bound out of the area, ran as far as they could, never stopping, and found themsleves onto the vast clearing of a frozen river. There was another cracking sound, this time it brought with it an odd feeling, forcefully from the ground. Diego took a quick step forward, and agaist his paw pad felt water. As a reflex action he brought his paw straight back. "What the?" All it look was lifting his head up for realization to sink in.

His friends were drifting away on huge indevidual plates of ice and land that had split apart from each-other. Manny, Ellie and Peaches had their chunk. Crash had his one, but Eddie was not in sight. Diego gasped and he took a look around him. He was not on his either. Then came a voice from the right. "CRASH!"

He was with Sid, who's leg he had in a huddle with one forearm, and the other stuck out desparately. Diego had to take action quick. Maybe if it was possible he could get Manny to extend his trunk, and grab-

Too late. Already they were too farther away, his friends became smaller with distance, and the space between them all had spread.

He was separated from his family. Everything he knew. Gone.

Please tell me what you thought. :)

This took ages to write as I kept changing and re-organizing things. It's probably not the best opening chanpter, but I did what I could. Thanks so much for reading if you did!

In case you were wandering about the wolves, they are actually were very briefly in the first film, the sniffer dogs for "Pinky's" clan. Some of you may not remember them. Because I know most of you don't watch it religiously. (Yeah, I need t get out more LOL)

Stay tuned! ^^