"Shh….don't speak, you'll scare it away"Buck whispers as he stalks his prey. Behind him the whole pack drags their paws and feet groaning. They've been following Buck all night to make sure he didn't get into trouble. Buck's been hopping all around the island looking for a good hunt. Even the possums are tired. Ellie's carrying them by their tails with her trunk as they continue to snore.
"Buck, we haven't been speaking all night. We can't find the strength to speak!"Manny whines. Ellie and Peaches stopped walking and dropped lifeless from the lack of sleep. Manny soon joined them. Sid drops to the ground with Granny still on his back. She hops off Sid and whacks him with her cane. "Some lazy ride I got. Forcin' a lady to walk herself. Eh, Ratface! You seen my teeth!"Granny yells waddling to Buck. Buck groans and rolls his eye.
"Quiet mate! Your shriek could scare the bugger off"Buck said slowly walking with his knife held high.
"Mate! In yo dreams honey! I'm spoken for! Where is that fine looking Fabio?" Granny says and walks off another direction. Sid slowly opens his eyes and sees his Granny walk away. He jumps up and yelps.
"Ah! Granny!Don't go off the trail!"Sid chases after his Granny who already disappeared.
"Well there goes the floppy green thing"Buck comments. He crawls slowly. Buck jumps up with a primal yell and pounces into a bush. A female yell is heard.
"Oh no,…"Manny says sleepily annoyed. Ellie and Peaches open their eyes slowly. Buck's scream is heard.
"Yeee hawww! My you're a strange mammal! Don't you ever eat!"Buck yelled as rode a gazelle. She ran in circles, snapped her head back, slammed her back on tree trunks to get the weasel off. He stayed on.
"AHHH! GET THIS FREAK OFF ME!"yelled the gazelle. She sounded frightened. Ellie nudged Manny.
"Ughhh, alright alright I got it"Manny said annoyed. He walked over and yanked Buck by the neck from the gazelle.
"Sorry about that, he's new around here"Manny said. Buck gave a toothy grin and waved as his neck was still being held by Manny's trunk.
"Well keep him on a leash away from me!"The gazelle yelled and pranced off.
"Buck you can't go off riding some animal you don't know! Its not what's done around here!"Manny said in a serious way. Sid's screaming interrupts Manny. Sid runs through a bush screaming.
"Run for your lives! Mad rhino! Mad rhino!"Sid yells and runs passed the gang. Falling trees and huge thuds are heard. An angry rhino appears, with an old lady on top of it.
"Weeeeeeee! This puppy's faster than you Sidney! Gitty up ya!"Granny yells laughing.
Buck is still being held by Manny as the rhino passes them. He gives Manny a sarcastic smirk pointing to the passing rhino.
"She's a cranky old bat who thinks you're a rat."Manny says.
"And quite a rider for such a wrinkly old mammal."Buck says.
Buck twists his body and squirms free of Manny's grip and drops to the ground. "Say speaking of mammals, where's tiger? Out romancing his new mate?"Buck says teasingly.
"And striking out knowing him. He doesn't know how to talk to women. Besides Ellie and Peaches, he hasn't been around many girls, and Shira's one rugged saber. She'll be a tough nut to crack for Diego. That wuss can't keep his eyes off her for a second. Granny drools less when she's trying to chew on something."Manny says making fun of his friend.
"Now Manny that's enough. You ain't a Casanova either. Why do you gotta pick on Diego like that?"Ellie asks finally getting up.
"Eh he gave me a hard time when you joined the herd. I'm only returning the favor. Besides, its not like those to are getting closer to mating anytime soon. Diego's shy and Shira's stubborn, we'll be lucky if we see cubs when Peaches is all grown up."Manny comments.
"Now I wouldn't say that. Shira's seemed pretty interested in Diego and he's been waiting long enough for her. I'm worried about how many cubs we'll see cuz I don't think they'll be able to keep their paws off each other."Ellie said in a suggestive tone.
"Eww! Mom! Teen still here and I DO NOT WANT A MENTAL PICTURE OF MY UNCLE MATING!"Peaches screamed shaking her head trying to prevent an image in her head.
"Sorry, hun, but that's only natural."Ellie said.
"What's only natural?"says Diego's voice. He and Shira appear before their friends. Ellie and Peaches give them a wide grin. The sabers look at the mammoths in confusion.
"What are you guys smiling about."Shira asks.
"About what you and your loverboy were up to ALL night LONG."Buck comments now on her back.
"Eh get off me!"Shira yells. Buck hops off next to Diego. "Well, well tiger didn't know you had it in you"Buck said nudging Diego's front paw.
"What?No! Its not what you….! We didn't..! Sooo, uh what happened to the sloths?"Diego said nervously trying to change the subject. Shira couldn't help but smirk at his response. So that's what the girls were smiling about. She decided to have a little fun. Shira slowly rubbed her side next to Diego. She grazed her front paw up Diego's paw sensually. She winked at Diego.
"What's wrong baby, they're family, there's no need to hide"Shira whispered into his ear and lightly licked his cheek. Diego froze and yelped. He gulped hard as he heard Shira purr, or was that him? Diego was growing the goofy smile on his face like he did with the sirens. Then he remembers where he is and shakes his head.
"Uh hey I caught Sid's trail! Why don't I go look for him!"Diego said with an embarrassed smile and ran off.
Shira watched and chuckled as her mate ran, but she was caught by a weasel staring at his retreat for awhile with a smirk.
"Enjoying the view mate?"Buck said with a wink leaning on her shoulder. Shira gasped and rolled her eyes and scoffed trying to avoid his question and walked up to Ellie.
"No need to hide? You go girl"Ellie commented lifting her trunk giving her new feline friend a high five.
"Well enough of this fun, lets go find your friend."Buck said and walked off in the direction Diego ran.
"Yeah knowing Sid, there's no telling what he's gotten himself into. And that Granny, she's just as much of a handful."Manny complained and followed Buck.
"[YAWN] Hey where's Buck!"Said Eddie. "Oh there he is!"Crash yells. "Buck wait up!" "Yeah wait!" The possums are now wide awake and run off following Buck.
"For uncles, they sure act like kids mom"Peaches said.
"You have no idea"Ellie said.
Peaches walks ahead of her mom. Ellie stands in front Shira stopping her from walking.
"What's up?"Shira asks.
"Nothing just wanted to know what you and Diego were really up to yesterday"Ellie said.
Shira sighed. "Nothing happened. We talked all night and then fell asleep. Nothing to tell. Didn't realize we were talking that long when the sun went down"she said.
"You really like him don't you."Ellie said warmly.
"Yeah….I guess I do. A little more than I thought."Shira said with a growing smile and a giggle. She can actually see a future with Diego. The image of little cubs with orange and gray fur with stripes entered Shira's mind. She finds herself smiling, but not fully. She's not sure if she's ready to be a mom.
"But tell anyone and you're a dead mammoth"Shira said threatening. She still didn't want it out in the open. She wasn't about to go soft just because a few mammals got on her good side.
"Your secret's safe with me."Ellie said and walked off. Shira watched her leave. "Why do I get the feeling you're lying then?"She said sarcastically and followed Ellie.
