A/N: sorry this took me so long to upload! computer troubles + hectic summer nothing gets done. well here it is! the next one will be up quicker, i promise :D enjoy
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"Safira!" hissed a voice in her ear. "Safira, wake up!"
The sabre tooth rolled over. Her blue eyes opened to look into the small, bright ones of the possums, Crash and Eddie. "Oh," she said, yawning. "What's up?"
"Will you play with us?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah," said Crash. "Mel's parents won't let him play with us today."
"Something about us being too dangerous…"
Safira stretched and got up. "Alright, let's go."
"It's okay, Safira," Diego said. "You don't have to play with them and set our species back a thousand years."
"And I don't need you running my life," she said. "I thought we covered this." Safira looked to the possums. "What's with Mr. Stuck-Up?"
"I don't know," Crash said. "He never has any fun. It must be pretty boring being a tiger."
"It's not boring," defended Diego. "We have claws, get to hunt, are at the top of the food chain, and eat little animals like you!"
"You wouldn't dare!" Eddie threatened.
"Okay, let's not put that to the test," said Safira. "Chase, Eddie – I'll race you to that big tree over there!"
"Yeah!"
Diego watched Safira run off, Chase and Eddie close behind her. "Love her," Sid whispered in his ear.
Diego growled at the sloth, who grinned broadly.
"You're gonna have to run a lot faster than that!" Safira called. "You can't catch me!"
The two possums exchanged looks and leaped onto the frosty trees on either side of the sabre-toothed tiger. Suddenly, they jumped down and landed on Safira's back. She screamed and stumbled, collapsing in the snow. Moments later, Diego and Sid came running.
"What is it?" he demanded. "What happened?"
"I fell," Safira said, while Chase and Eddie snickered to themselves.
"Just…stop playing around, alright?" Diego said sharply. "Someone could get hurt…" The tiger and the sloth left and Safira rolled her eyes. "…or see you guys."
"Okay, you two," came a female's voice. It was a mammoth and Safira assumed she was Manny's mate, Ellie. She reached her trunk over to pull Chase and Eddie off Safira. "Can you guys leave me and Safira alone for a bit?" They nodded and bounded back to the others.
"They're very adventurous," Safira commented, smiling.
"They can be a handful," the mammoth agreed. "But I heard that you can be, too."
Safira shot a look at her. "Who said that?"
"Diego."
"That one thinks he knows everything about me?"
Ellie smiled understandingly. "He can be a bit judgmental."
"And rude and arrogant and obnoxious!"
"He's only trying to protect you, Safira."
"Well, I don't need protecting. I can take care of myself. I don't want some stupid tiger watching my every move!"
"But it's his duty t – "
"His duty?" I shouldn't be his duty! I don't need to be looked after. I'm not a little cub anymore!"
"Maybe you should tell him that."
Safira sighed. He just doesn't understand, she thought.
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Safira remembered Ellie's words but was careful to avoid Diego for the rest of the day. As the sky began to darken, Safira announced that she would be trying to sleep. She found a spot and curled up, away from the light of the fire. She could still hear bits of conversation being exchanged, but tried not to think about it. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.
"This feels weird," Sid said suddenly.
"Please tell me you didn't eat something that's going to make a reappearance," Manny said.
"No, I mean look: it's just the three of us here. Ellie, Mel, Chase, Eddie, and Safira are all asleep. It's the old gang again. We should tell stories like the old days."
"There's nothing to tell," Diego said.
"That's the problem! Everyone's so closed around here. Let's open up a little. I'll go first. Um, today I stepped on a pinecone and I'm still trying to get the splinters out of my foot."
"Well, there's my bedtime story," Manny said. "Goodnight."
"No, Manny, it's your turn!" Diego said. He cleared his throat a little. "Well, it could be fun…"
"Yeah, Diego has the right idea," said Sid.
"Oh, alright," Manny said finally. "Today, Mel said his first word."
"Aww, how cute," Sid cooed. "What was it?"
"I don't wanna say."
"Come on Manny, old pal. You can tell us. Well, maybe not Diego… I bet it was 'Dadda'!"
"Or 'Mamma'," volunteered Diego.
"Or big, hairy, loveable caregiver."
"On second thought, I change my guess to that."
"What did he say, Manny?"
"It was…Sid," Manny said quietly.
"What?" Diego exclaimed.
"I'm his first word?" Sid said in disbelief. "I'm his first word! Ha! In your face, Diego!"
The sabre tooth growled again and stared down Sid.
"Okay, out of my face, out of my face!" It was quiet again and Sid sighed. "Oh, to be young again. Not a care in the world…"
"Honestly, Sid, is there much to care about in the life of a sloth?" Manny asked. "You said so yourself – you see a twig, you eat a leaf. The simple life."
'Hey, there's more to me than eating!"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot you wrote poetry," Diego commented. He and Manny grinned to each other.
"Ha ha," Sid said. "Why are you so cold-hearted, D? I mean, you're always being a b – "
"Hold on," interrupted Diego. 'Did you just call me 'D'?"
"What's your earliest memory, D? What do you remember about being in your old herd?"
"Uh, n-nothing. I-it doesn't matter."
"We told you our stories," Manny said.
"Those weren't even stories.
"Let's go, Diego."
"Quit stalling."
"It's a simple story."
"Please!"
"Fine!" Diego growled. "It was many years ago…Soto was not leading the pride. It was my father, Dario."
"This is going to be good," Sid whispered to Manny.
"He gave me the task of watching over a young cub. Her name was Safira."
"Wait a second," thought Sid aloud. "That's Safira's name!"
"Do you want me to finish the story or not?" Diego said. "Anyway, one day, I wasn't paying attention…and she was taken from me. I should've kept an eye on her. And I hate myself every day when I think back to it. I was such an idiot. If I had just watched her like I was supposed to, she wouldn't have been taken to another pride. And she would have…" Diego became aware of the fact that all attention was on him.
"But she's safe now," Sid said.
"She's not safe now," warned Diego. "She's safe for now. Safira…well, she doesn't have the best of luck. She'll stumble into trouble sooner or later and I fear that…I won't be able to save her."