Hi guys! Sry again for the super-looooooooooong wait. School has just been, you know, hard. And busy. And yeah. Typical. LoL. Anyway, here's the 3rd chapter of The Golden Sunshine and the Silver Moonlight. Hope you enjoy it! I will also be typing up a new story called Diego and Shira Romeo and Juliet. Or something like that. :P. Be sure to check it out once I've uploaded it! Also, I've been wondering whether or not I should read the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. What do you think? Tell me along with the review for this chapter. Anyway, enough about me, now back to Diego and Shira…BTW, remember to review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Ice Age…sadly. But I guess that's just fine with me.

Shira's POV

Everything was perfect, until…Thump. Thump. Bang. Boom. Thump. Thump…

The sound became louder and louder, and my eyes also grew rounder and rounder. I hadn't realized I'd been shaking. I glimpsed at Diego, and he looked surprisingly calm. Maybe a little curious. Hmm. I just hope it isn't another continental drift (or whatever Diego and the others called it) or an earthquake or tsunami or anything tragic. We'd just landed here! I'd just met Diego! I don't want my life to end now or to be separated from him…Wait, what did I just think? Focus Shira, focus. Our lives might be in danger right now.

The sound grew even louder, and I even shrank a little, until my pelt was almost brushing Diego's. Then, I saw a shadow. A large shadow. Coming straight towards us.

I looked up. It was Peaches. Ellie and Manny's sweet daughter. She was the one making the noise. I was so stupid! It was just Peaches, not an earthquake or tsunami or anything tragic or terrifying. No wonder Diego didn't seem concerned. He probably recognized her scent. Peaches kept storming right towards us. Boy, she looked angry. No wonder her footsteps were so loud.

It was as if Peaches didn't even see us. Her face was tight and red. I wonder what made her so angry. Then I saw Louis sitting on her head.

Peaches almost banged into us until Louis yelled, "Stop!". She halted in front of us, just in time. She blinked in surprise. She seemed to be lost in her own little world not to have seen us.

"Sorry Uncle Diego and Auntie Shira! I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going, and…I'm just so, so, so sorry-" She stammered.

Diego cut her off. "That's all right, Peach. No worries."

I nodded, "No prob. But are you all right? You look a bit…stressed."

Peaches looked away, with a sort of mad look in her eyes.

Louis explained for her. "Nah. She's fine. She's just had a long day-"

It was surprising for me because Louis was usually shy and I've never heard him talk. He and Peaches must be really good friends for him to stick up for her like that.

Peaches said, "No Louis, we can tell them." She looked to me, and continued, "He's right. I've had a bad day. The other girls-you know, those other "popular" teenage mammoths-kicked me out of their "gang" and insulted me right to my face and called me a loser and all that, and the only reason they let me hang out with them before was because Louis is my friend and he's a total hero from saving us from the pirates. Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to- I mean, you're not mean, like those other pirates, and you're not a pirate anymore-"

I smiled. She is so sweet. "It's okay. And I'm sorry you had a bad day. I'm sure you'll find better friends like Louis."

Peaches smiled. Her spirit seemed to have lifted. "Thanks, Auntie Shira. And you're right. There will be better friends like Louis. He's the best friend ever!"

Louis blinked gratefully at Peaches and they walked away together.

Phew. I thought that was some kind of natural disaster with all that thumping and booming and banging.

At this point the heather-colored sky was starting to turn to purple-blue with shades of dark violet and pinky-orange. I also like it when the sky has many layers of shades and colors. I relaxed, and stared out at the horizon.

A cloud drifted past. It looked like a dragon (Note: I'm pretty sure sabers don't know what dragons are, especially in the Ice Age. But whatever. Let's just assume they know what dragons are.). Fierce and proud. Another cloud drifted past. Somehow to me it seemed like two sabers sitting together, the smaller one leaning onto the stronger and bigger one. Just gazing at it made me feel loved and protected.

After sunset we walked back to our cave. Curling up against Diego, I drifted off to sleep.

(Shira's Dream)

Shira woke up to the sound of footsteps. She shook herself, trying to keep warm. It was dark. The only visible thing was the moon. There were no stars. Shira tilted her head to one side and frowned in confusion. It was full moon and usually at full moon time the sky would be crowded with stars.

Suddenly, a bright light caught her eye. A shooting star! As rare as they are, more of them fell down from the sky. They all landed on the same place. Somewhere dark not too far away from where Shira stood.

Then another large shooting star landed in the same place as the other ones. But instead of fading away, it exploded. Small shiny glittering pieces of starlight dusted and blew away. And at the place where the shooting star exploded two sabers emerged.

One was smaller than the other, a female with a white coat, black stripes and gray streaks, tipped silver by the moonlight. The stronger and larger saber has a golden-orange pelt with white underbelly and a light brown mane at the sides of his face and along his back.

They were walking close together, their fur was brushing, and their tails were twined. They walked farther and farther away from Shira, the small pieces of glittering stars from when the shooting star exploded landed were their paws were. When the two sabers were faraway, only two flaring golden and shining silver shapes in the dark night, a trail of starlight has been left every pawstep of their way.

Shira couldn't see the faces of the two sabers, but she felt that the silver saber was herself, and the golden one was Diego. She doesn't even think it, she knows it.

End of dream

Shira woke with a start. She was panting. The shapes of the sabers close together-whether it was her and Diego or not-were exactly the same as the cloud she'd seen the night before. She wondered if the cloud and the dream were a metaphor for her future-that Diego would be by her side every step of the way, and they were destined in the stars to be together. That's why the stars were glittering around them the whole time in her dream. Whether it was actually a metaphor or not, she hoped that that's what would happen to Diego and herself-inseparable.

The dawn light was just peeking in, and suddenly Diego woke up, panting. Wonder why that seemed familiar, waking up suddenly and panting. Did he have the same dream? Shira wondered to herself. That's not possible! There's no way two people could share the same dream!

Then Shira found her arguing with herself. Unless they were destined by the stars…

No! That's not possible! Diego's probably just woke up because he remembered he has to go running. He said he has to do that everyday.

Shira glanced over at Diego, and saw that his face was slightly paler, and his eyes blazed with- what, rage? He didn't seem like he even noticed her at all.

Diego's POV

I woke up, panting. It was still dawn. Oh well, since you're awake, you might as well go on a run. I thought to myself. But I can't seem to focus on anything. The dream I had is just stuck in my mind. I can't get it out of my head.

Flashback (Diego's Dream)

In my dream, I woke up and found it was completely dark outside. Well, except for the full moon. But it was confusing, since there were always stars on the night of the full moon, for as long as I could remember. Anyway, I heard the sound of footsteps, so immediately I turned around. It's just a saber's instincts.

There was no one. Nothing. Just endless darkness. Suddenly I sensed movement behind a bush. A saber leaped out. A white sabress with black stripes and silver-gray patches. I took my defensive position in case she tried to attack. I then relaxed when I realized it was Shira. She walked over to me and sat down next to me. Everything felt calm and right until we heard the sound of a snapping twig.

Shira and I both turned around at the same time. There was a muscular strong brown-colored saber with a dark gray patch along his spine. His eyes were cold and blazing with anger, as if the words revenge were written across his forehead.

He turned to Shira and growled darkly, "So you have a mate now? What kind of creature would love a freak like you? And I'm guessing you're just another bad omen to him and his pack?"

Shira was outraged. She turned on the male saber and snarled, "You were the one who destroyed my childhood life, Father. I'm shameful to even call you Father. You always believed I was a bad omen. Well, if that's what you believe, then so be it. I've moved on from my disastrous childhood, and you have no control over me, Father." She spat the last word out like it was poison on her tongue.

"Oh really Shira? Think again. I kicked you out of the pack. You were a bad omen all along. And it's time to destroy this bad omen!" he lunged at Shira at the exact moment as he spoke the last word.

Shira dodged just in time but got a scratch on the side of her body. While she recovered he lunged again and pinned her by the throat and began clawing her face. Shira didn't stand a chance. I couldn't take it anymore. It was like I could feel Shira's pain in my own body.

I pounced on Shira's father and dragged him off on Shira. He tried to claw at me but I dodged lower and he missed me. I kicked with my hind leg at his stomach and he winced in pain. Shira had stood up but her pelt was bleeding badly. I pinned one of my front paws on the back of his throat and dug my claws into his throat. I balanced on my hind legs and used my other paw to crash a hard blow down the side of his body, claws outstretched. I was about to strike again when Shira's father flipped over and lightly pinned me down.

He growled softly, "Leave. I won't hurt you. But this is Shira's fight. This is between a father and a daughter."

I didn't care. I didn't even bother to reply. I flipped him back over and was about to claw his face when Shira pushed me away. "He's right. This is my fight." I hesitated. I stared right into Shira's sapphire eyes. There was only determination in her eyes. She nodded and I back away, but close enough to fight again if I have to.

Shira's father took advantage of the moment and pinned her down. Shira struggled and kicked out with her back legs and flipped him over. She stood over her father and put her claws at his throat. They were both bleeding badly. Shira's father struggle under her grip and managed to claw Shira's back, again and again, until Shira loosened her grip.

He then pinned Shira down and scratched her pelt repeatedly until she stopped twitching. She was still. My heart twisted in pain and regret. Is she dead? Then I realized she was only half unconscious. I couldn't take it any longer so I balanced myself on my hind legs and leaped high into the air, landing right on his back. I sat on him and held my claws next to his throat. I used my hind paws to scratch his back. He turned his broad head to the sides and snapped his sharp teeth at my face.

I had no choice but to leap down from him but as I spun around I tripped his legs from under him and he stumbled forward with a loud thump. I clawed the sides of his pelt. He was the one who caused Shira all the pain! I repeatedly scratched him until he fell, also unconscious.

I was so worried about Shira; I don't know anything about healing (Author's Note: Okay, in this story, Diego does know stuff about medicine and healing because his mother and sister taught him, but in his dream he doesn't. Just keep that in mind!). I wish Mother were here! I thought to myself. She was the doctor saber in our pack and she's the one who treats the battle wounds and other sicknesses, along with my sister.

Just as I was trying to remember what Mother normally does to treat wounds, there was another rustle in the bushes behind me. I spun around, and stared in disbelief. It was Ivy, my littermate. She didn't say anything, just nodded to me and brushed past me to Shira's body.

She then told me to get a turtle shell with some fresh cool water in it. As I got the water she gathered some herbs and started to treat Shira.

When she was done, she turned around, and looked me right into my eyes.

She said, "Shira will be fine. Brother, there are dangerous times ahead. You must protect Shira, your herd, and yourself. Take care. Beware of dark enemies ahead. But remember, I will always stand by your side." Ivy then nodded again and walked away.

End of flashback and dream

I shuddered, Shira's blood-stained limp body still fresh in my mind. Her father's dark shadow and Ivy's light brown tabby-and-white coat also stayed in my head.

What struck me the most is that the dream felt so real, it's like I could still taste the blood in my mouth and hear the growling and see the snapping jaws and smell the familiar scent of my sister. It also struck me that the shapes of Shira fighting her father was the exact same shape of a cloud I saw yesterday, after Peaches had left.

Yesterday I'd thought the cloud looked like two sabers fight furiously, one smaller one and one stronger and larger one. And now the shape of the cloud matched the shapes of Shira fighting her father.

That was when I realized that Shira was already awake. She asked me, "Are you alright?" I nodded. I would tell her my nightmare later, but not now.

So instead I said, "I'm going on a run. Wanna come?" Her eyes brightened and she nodded. We ran through the forest, along the beach, and back again. We also caught a deer on our way back. We shared it and I said, "Hey, I think we should collect some moss and feathers to line our nests, to make it more comfortable."

She agreed with me, but replied with, "Sure. Do you mind collecting them while I clean up the cave a bit better? Then it would be easier to line our nests."

I frowned. I really don't want to leave her alone somewhere since there will be dark enemies ahead. I asked, "Are you sure? This place is still a bit new to us. I-"

She cut me off. "Of course I'll be fine! I'm not a little newborn cub! I can take care of myself!" She rolled her eyes but her tone was light.

I nodded. She's not a cub! She can take care of herself! Besides, you're not her mate or anything, so you don't always have to stick together or control where she goes! I reminded myself. "See ya later, then."

I raced back toward the beach. I found some nice soft feathers and picked them up in my jaw. I then went back into the forest and collected some moss at the tree roots. I also found some bracken and picked them up as well.

I'd collected quite a lot of them and I headed back to the cave. I was thinking we could put the moss and feathers and brackens on the large rock and sleep there. It's big enough to fit both of us.

As I walked in and dropped the stuff near the entrance, I noticed Shira wasn't anywhere. My first thought was that something tragic happen or her father took her away. My heart twisted.

Then I found her behind the large rock. I was so relieved. But then I realized her face was pale as if she'd just seen a ghost.

She saw me and looked more relieved, and she stammered, "D-Diego, there are tunnels behind here."

Oooooooh! Tunnels! Where do they lead to? How did Shira discover them? I thought it would be pretty funny that the noise was actually only made by Peaches. Ahaha. And FYI, the cloud Shira saw that she thought represented two sabers together is the same one as the one Diego saw and thought it was two sabers fighting. Anyway, review review review! Tell me where you think these tunnels lead to, and if you've read the Maximum Ride series tell me if I should read them! Sry not many Dira/Shiego scenes in this chapter but hope you enjoyed it! More adventure, old friends and enemies coming soon! Oh even though I said no flames, feel free to give me some suggestions, comments and ideas! Review! C ya!

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