The world crumbled as we know it. Giant boulders tumbled off the cliff into the ocean below. An entire menagerie of fauna had gathered safely on an ice berg a particular herd of animals gathered at the head of the ship like glacier. I'm one of those animals, a saber toothed tiger, pearl white and gray fur. This is it. I walk up to a masculine saber toothed tiger similar to me but far taller and more muscular along with a different colored pelt.

''So, still want me on your scurvy crew?'' I ask him.

''You bet, welcome to our herd.'' He answers. Well this is it, I am no longer going to live on an ice berg, no longer going to sail the seas for my entire life, no longer going to live with a bunch of misfits that for all these years has fooled me into thinking their my allies but were actually my enemies. And all it took was soft hearted ''but thinks he's all tough guy'' to convince me, guess all these years I've been cheated a lie to. But now I'm with him, his name is Diego, he's attractive, very attractive, soft golden fur, emerald green orbs admiring me along with an irresistible warm welcoming smile. I stare at him with my sapphire eyes along with my own welcoming smile. He admires me, I stare at him. We continue motionless observing each other long and slowly. It felt like dozens of minutes maybe an hour, maybe two maybe three, when it was only a thirty seconds or so, maybe twenty. We both wanted to do this forever maybe longer than forever if that's even possible. But sooner or later it had to end much to my dismay much to his. A buck toothed beady eyed goofy little sloth waddled towards us we pretended not to notice him which just gave him a much, much bigger opportunity.

''Well are you two going to kiss or what?'' The sloth asks, well that's it it's ruined.

''Sid! Could you please give us at least a minute!'' Diego complained. I giggled in amusement with his frustration.

''Okay fine Diego but I want to see ya'll kiss.''

''Ugh just leave us alone, please, please for at least a couple seconds.'' The sloth huffed and waddled off somewhere else on the ice, thank goodness he is finally gone. I simply can't believe it I was mortal enemies with this bunch just a couple of days ago. Well ''old habits die hard'' I guess and quite frankly I'm happy they did in this case. I look back at Diego who smiled.

''Sorry Sid can be a pain sometimes.'' He told me.

''Yeah I've noticed in the past couple days I've known him.'' I replied.

''Hey I hate to bring this up but you need to introduce yourself.'' He brought up. I glanced over at my new family three mammoths by the names of Manny the tall bulky male, there's the elegant female, and the little teenager, the two ground sloths, Sid the goofy one and the lump of purple fur that was his grandmother. There are also the two opossums and that brave little hedgehog that I don't recall the names of. I looked back at Diego and smiled nervously. ''They'll love you. 'He assured me. I smile at him nervously. ''Go on, I'll be here every step of the way.'' With that I took a deep breath and gingerly walked up the group that were engaging in a conversation. They soon noticed my presence and glanced at me. I looked back at Diego who smiled and gave me double thumbs up well if only he had thumbs. I glanced back at the group as they stared at me.

''Hey, I know we kind of had a bumpy start but my name is Shira what's yours?'' I greet them. The red headed mid-aged female mammoth smiled.

''My name is Ellie and this is my little one Peaches.'' Ellie pointed at a slightly smaller brunet mammoth with her trunk.

''Well it's nice to meet you two.'' I smile at them politely. Well their nicer than what I was expecting.

''Oh and this is Crash and Eddie.'' Ellie pointed at opossum twins who had their eyes completely fixed on me. One of the two glanced at the other and grinned as wide as he could manage and wolf whistled at me. Well that's it I'm officially thoroughly embarrassed. My whole face flushed a vibrant red. I glanced back at Diego who gave me another thumbs up.

''Last but not least this is Louis.'' Ellie pointed at the little hedgehog who waved his paw shyly.

''I'm pretty sure you already met Manny, Sid, Granny, and Diego.''

''Yeah we met a couple days ago.'' I replied.

''Well um it's….it's nice to meet you all.'' I finally ended the conversation and gingerly walked back over to Diego.

''Now was that all that bad?'' Diego asked.

''No it wasn't but I'm only really comfortable around you.'' I tell him. He smiles when I slowly rest my head on his shoulder.

''I wonder where we're going to live.'' I ask him.

'' We'll find a place, a beautiful place.''

''Well if I'm going to enjoy my new life it might as well be on dry land.'

''It will be, trust me.''

All the animals took a final glance at their old home and sighed I did as well even though I didn't actually live there. But it seemed to sadden the rest of the animals though.

Several days passed as we floated through the vast sea. Many animals were hungry and we knew we would probably have to make some sort of pit stop soon no matter if it was a suitable home or not. Diego and I would occasionally tease Sid about wanting to eat him. Sabers are remorseless killers and need to eat. But we were above eating Sid besides sloth taste absolutely dreadful anyway. Sid had trust in Diego but he kept his distance from me. But as we floated endlessly throughout the sea we soon saw something far in the distance as the fog cleared. Before long we could see the green glow of lush vegetation and hear the ocean's voice as it lapped up against the shoreline. Sid holding his grandmother's paw waddled up to the edge of the ice and took in the magnificent view. I heard little Peaches squeal as she wrapped her trunk with Ellie's. '' This is going to be our new home!'' She shouted joyously. I glanced at Diego who smiled. ''Welcome home.'' He told me. I returned the smile and nuzzled his neck. We gradually made our way under a formation of rocks that created a colossal bridge like structure and that…..oh that was when we saw the most beautiful thing each and every one of us had ever…..ever seen. Mountains and hills and vast open plains as a far as any eye could hope to see. Endless amounts of lush green foliage, big wide fields of vibrant tropical flowers, snow topped mountains completed the scenery along with a leviathan hyrax statue of liberty made entirely out of rock. The hyraxes flew down from their enormous scouting rock on their leaf made air craft to greet us as if they were awaiting our arrival. Sid quickly waddled over to them and returned the greeting.

We slowly drifted into the current that pulled us towards the beach. We felt the sudden thump of when the glacier brushed up against the shoreline. A large boulder would assist the large and clumsy animals getting down while Diego, Sid, Granny, all the hyraxes, and I simply slid down the long vines that hang at the side of the ice. I was the first to come down. As soon as I hit the ground I allowed my paws to seep into the soil as the wonderful warmth pleasurably engulfs my freezing paws. Diego slid down beside me.

''How does the sand feel?'' He asks with a smirk on his face.

''It feels absolutely wonderful.'' I answer. We heard Sid's yelp as he slid down the vine and landed directly on his behind almost rolling on Granny who was hanging on his back. ''Go faster Sidney!'' Granny beckoned to Sid while whacking him repeatedly in the head with her cane.

''I'll see you guys later.'' Sid told us sprinting off towards the trees to please his grandmother. The whole army of hyraxes slid down and quickly followed him. They worshipped the sloth for some weird reason. I looked at Diego, circling him slow and seductive like, brushing my tail under his chin. I gave my best irresistible grin before sprinting off into the forest. I heard him as he sprinted off behind me. I ran and ran and ran through the ferns and vegetation. I heard Diego behind me. ''Shira wait up!'' He called. But I kept running past trees, rocks, through all the vegetation. I finally made it to an open field and stopped to catch my long lost breath. Diego came up behind me and tackled me pinning me to the ground. ''Got ya.'' He boasted.

''Oh really?'' I ask him before flipping him over and landing on top of him pinning him down.

''You're not so tough now are you?'' I smirk at him.

''Uh…no, um can I get up now?'' He asks wiggling helplessly underneath me.

''Okay fine.'' I release my grip and slide off of him. Night falls on the island. Diego and I stay separated from the rest of the animals in the field as we stare up at the stars with my head resting on Diego's shoulder.

''So how are you liking it here with us…or um with me.'' Diego asks scratching the back of his head.

''I love it.'' I answer. I see Diego glance down at something to see what he's looking at. Two long red marks that stained my fur. His eyes soon flush with concern, utter deep concern.

''Did Gutt…''

''Yes Gutt did this to me.'' I stopped him.

''Well Gutt is a big jerk for hurting you.'' He replied with a smile. I returned the smile before leaning into the protective warmth of his chest.

''You'll always be safe here Shira. That is a promise I will always, always keep. '' He guarantees with a warm smile.

''I know.'' I reply as I snuggle up underneath him. The two of us soon fall asleep under the stars waiting what tomorrow would bring us.