Hey, I'm back! (finally!) Sorry if this chapter sucks, there's gonna be more action in the next one, I promise! :) BTW, this is gonna be a very DiegoxShira chapter, but there is some other stuff, it's just this whole chapter is Shira's POV (or most of it at least!) so I sort of couldn't help it! Just wanted to update this because I haven't in ages and anyway I did promise you guys that I'd update when I got back. XD
Probably going to be pretty rubbish, but I guess it's better than nothing. Sorry, there's no big rescue scene (in this chapter, anyway), couldn't think of anything so had to abandon that idea. Sorry again if anyone was looking forward to that, but there is one coming up in the future, but they're rescuing a different character. :)
Oh, and xXJuuLXx, I didn't actually read your review until after I'd written this chapter, but I promise your idea will be used because there's another part later in the story that it'll work in even better than this :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age or the characters except for, ah, you know the drill by now.
Shira's POV
"Shira. Shira! Wake up!"
Diego nudged me with his nose, trying to get me to open my eyes. I murmured "Go away!" but I don't think he heard me, because he carried on trying to get me awake.
"Shira!"
"Ugh! Five more minutes!" I groaned, batting at his face with one paw. He repeated my name over and over, determined to wake me up. At this point I was seriously beyond politeness or subtly, so I sat up in anger and snapped,
"WHAT?!"
As if oblivious to my bad mood, Diego licked the top of my head, his eyes meeting mine.
"Good morning to you too!"
"Did you wake me up for a reason, or just to be annoying?" I asked, snuggling into his chest all the same. He chuckled.
"Technically, being annoying is a reason. But that's not why I woke you up. I know better than to wake you without a seriously good purpose!"
"True. So, what is your seriously good purpose?"
In answer, he stepped to the side and tilted my head with his paw so I could see for myself. I gasped, completely dumbfounded. Manny stood beside Ellie, trunks locked, with Sid on his back. I could've sworn Manny and Sid weren't here last night..., I thought. Elliot and Mary stood side by side (well Mary was lying down but she was still next to Elliot), but that wasn't what surprised me. What surprised me was the dark grey cub with pale stripes hiding behind my brother's leg, and the sandy-coloured cub that was nursing from my BFF.
"Uhm... did I sleep for like a year or something? Or am I just denser than Sid?" I asked uncertainly, leaning back into Diego for protection from the weirdness. He chuckled again, and licked my cheek.
"Don't worry, they're not a couple. They both have mates and kids of their own," he explained, accompanied with nods from the apparantly-not-a-couple-but-look-seriously-like-one sabres. I raised an eyebrow skeptically and he chuckled annoyingly for the third time. Mary scooped the sandy-coloured cub into her forelimbs and nuzzled her lovingly.
"Shira, this is my daughter Emily. Emily, this is your Auntie Shira."
Emily's eyes lit up, and she padded over to me eagerly. I gently took her in my own paws, and smiled down at her. She gazed up at me with a look of admiration and anticipation.
"Uhm, hey there. So, you're Emily are you?"
She smirked up at me, taking a deep breath before answering.
"Me don't know, me don't tell, me annoy you to H-E-L-L!" she blurted out, before collapsing into giggles. My eyes widened in surprise, and I peered over the cub's head accusingly at Mary, who simply smiled.
"You told her about that?!"
"Guilty as charged," she answered with a shrug. I sighed and smiled at Emily again, trying to decide whether I had a problem with that or not. Diego licked the back of my neck worriedly, probably wondering what was up. Mary looked worried too.
"Sorry Shira, I didn't think you'd mind..."
"No, no, I don't. It just, took me by surprise, you know." Upon seeing the obvious confusion of the herd, I added "That was like my catchphrase when I was younger."
Diego rolled his eyes at me and nipped my ear playfully.
"Of course it was." he sighed. I didn't feel like working out riddles so I let his comment wash over me without making an impact. My own two cubs suddenly started nursing, shocking me out of my dazed trance. I winced in pain and Mary grinned.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" she laughed cheekily. I pulled a face at her, making her laugh even harder.
"So, this is Emily, so who's that little guy over there?" I asked, gesturing to the cub behind my brother.
"Oh, this is my son Max," said Elliot, nudging the cub forward with his nose "Max, this is your Auntie Shira."
I waved at the frightened male, mentally wondering how this timid little cub could be my fierce brother's offspring. Emily slid out of my paws and walked confidently over to Max. She whispered something in his ear, which caused them both to start laughing. I decided that if Emily was anything like her mother we didn't want to know what she'd said. I giggled as the two cubs rolled in the dirt.
"So I take it this is why you woke me up then?" I said to Diego, who shook his head.
"Actually no, I woke you up so you could help us."
I waited for a further explaination but, as I didn't get one, assumed that was all I was gonna get.
"YEE-HAW!" yelled a voice, and something landed on my head hard.
"What the-"
Everybody started laughing at me as I tried to bat away whatever had just landed on me. Diego smiled at plucked whatever it was off my head. I looked up at him gratefully.
"Thanks."
But he didn't do what I would've done - thrown whatever it was off into the forest. Instead he held it right in front of my face for me to see.
"Shira," he said, his voice soft all of a sudden, as if not to startle me "This is my old friend Buck. Buck, this is Shira."
The weasel - now introduced to me as 'Buck' - waved frantically at me, with a knowing smile on his face.
"Ya got yourself quite a catch their, mate!" he whispered loudly to me, but everybody heard "Must've taken ya years to get all the way round to this part of the world, but I'm sure it was worth it to meet up - and mate with - old Diego here!"
I now understand why Diego held onto Buck, because I instantly lunged for the floppy weasel. Diego swiftly lifted the weasel away from me, and hugged me lovingly.
"Don't worry Shira sweetie, Buck's always like that," he murmured into my fur, as he snuggled into me, his lips against my neck "It's worth putting up with it to be his friend, honest."
"Fine," I sighed, resting my head on his "So, what do I need to help with?"
"We need your help with a rescue plan," Manny said, speaking up finally.
"A rescue plan? Who are we rescuing? Hey, where's-" I suddenly realised that Peaches was missing "Oh, right."
"Yeah..." sighed Diego, giving me a lick behind the ears "So, any ideas?"
"Why're you asking me?" I wondered aloud, snuggling him kindly.
"Because, uhm... we figured that you might, er... be good at, that sort of, stuff..." Diego tried to explain. Manny sighed.
"We thought you would probably be good at plans because you were a pirate," he told me, being completely honest. Diego tensed beside me, and everyone else seemed awkward all of a sudden.
"Oh, okay," I shrugged carelessly "Good theory. I think I might know a way we can rescue her."
"That's it?" Diego tilted his head to one side "Good theory? You're not gonna freak out?"
"No, why woud I?" I asked, shaking my head.
"Oh well I just thought… nothing."
I actually really wanted to laugh then, not at the fact they thought I'd freak, but at how Diego can almost never say the right thing at the right time to the right person. Elliot's like that, maybe it's a male sabre thing or something like that. Louis burrowed up to us, somehow managing to crash into several rocks in the space of a minute.
"Hey Weiner!" Crash and Eddie greeted him, but if he even heard them he didn't show it.
"Louis? What's wrong?" I asked, trying my best to use the same tone Peaches always uses when she speaks to him.
"Have any of you seen - LEANNE!" he exclaimed suddenly, rushing towards Mary.
"What?" I wondered aloud. Diego tilted my head so that I could see the little molehog on Mary's head. Okay, how did I forget about her?! Louis wrapped his arms around the little child, hugging her close.
"Lee-Lee, where were you?! I've been worried sick! Everyone has!" Louis was actually crying as he held little Leanne.
"I was with my new friends, Elliot and Marisol - oh sorry, Mary," explained Leanne "Wait a second, you were worried? Was Loretta?"
"Of course she was, she's your sister!" sobbed Louis "Oh Lee, we've missed you so, so much!"
"Did Mom and Dad?"
"Definitely! Like I said, everyone has!"
"Wow," breathed Leanne. Mary smirked.
"See? We told you that you weren't useless!" she commented smugly. Leanne boldly stuck her tongue out at Mary, which made me laugh for some reason.
"Alright, alright," interrupted Manny "Lovely little reunion, but we need to focus!"
"Manny's right," agreed Ellie "We're still missing Peaches and we need to help her!"
"Where is Peaches?" asked Louis, who hadn't been around to find out.
"Dibs not telling him!" shouted Carmen, raising one paw in the air. Aztec, Max and Emily copied her, and Manny and Ellie were obviously in too much of an emotional state to explain.
"Don't ask us!" exclaimed Crash and Eddie, shaking their heads. Buck nodded his agreement. Rowan, Ravi and Zuri all looked away in random directions, making it clear they weren't explaining.
"I can't explain stuff!" said Sid, shrugging his shoulders.
"PRECIOUS!" yelled Granny, oblivious to the situation. Mary and Elliot obviously weren't explaining, they made that pretty clear just using their faces. That basically left me and Diego. He glanced down at me hopefully, but I shook my head.
"Don't look at me!" I stated, getting comfortable for his fail of an explaination.
"Uhm, well... er, Manny? Buck? Someone?"
See, I told you it was a fail. I rolled my eyes at him and rubbed my head against his neck. He grew that big, goofy smile on his face and forgot all about the explaination, as did everyone else for several seconds. They were all too busy going "Aww!" and making us blush. Just then, there was a crashing sound, followed by human attack cries.
"Oh no," said Zuri, hiding behind Rowan.
"Dad's coming!" cried Ravi, hugging his sister tight.
"Okay, no-one panic!" declared Rowan pointlessly. Obviously everyone started panicking! Hunters were coming towards us, and most likely they had Peaches tied up somewhere and were hurting her!
"Help!" shouted a very familiar voice, and it sounded like she was quite close. Well, I did say 'most likely', not definitely!
Normal POV
Peaches hurtled into the clearing, screaming.
"PEACHES!" cheered everyone excitedly, glad she was okay.
"What are ya doing, mate?" asked Buck curiously, head tilted to one side.
"Running and screaming!" answered Peaches, hiding behind Manny fearfully. Roshan, Dormen, Redser and Hanna all crashed through the trees, weapons at the ready. Out of instinct, Shira growled and pounced on Roshan, pressing her paw down on his neck.
"No! Shira, don't!" exclaimed Rowan frantically.
"Aw!" complained Shira, but after catching Rowan's gaze, added "Okay, okay. Fine!"
She stepped off of Roshan and padded back to her mate and cubs casually, as if nothing had happened. She didn't lie down though, she wasn't that relaxed. Seeing she was afraid, Diego got up off the ground and wrapped one of his front legs around her, calming her down, and also holding her back. Roshan's eyes widened with recognition as he spotted Manny, Diego and Sid. Manny gasped, realising who it was.
"...You?" he breathed, shocked.
"Manfred?" asked Roshan, to which Manny nodded "Sid? Diego?"
"Pinky?" the two asked in unison. Shira looked at Ellie for a moment, but found that she had no idea either. Aztec, ever fearless, boldly stepped up to Roshan and looked him in the eye.
"Who are you?" he demanded "And how do you know Daddy?"
"Daddy?" repeated Roshan with shock. Diego nodded, and licked Shira's head. That was when Roshan and Dormen properly realised who she was.
"Oops," sighed Roshan, remembering what Kunta had done to the white tigress. Dormen, clueless as usual, started laughing.
"Hey Roshan, it's that sabre we were trying to kill!"
"WHAT?!" exploded Diego, pulling Shira close.
"You tried to kill Mommy?" shrieked Carmen and Aztec at the same time. Shira turned to Rowan.
"Now can I kill him?"
"No-one is killing anybody!" said Rowan firmly, before glaring at her husband "No matter how much they deserve it!"
"Rowan? Oh, I've been so worried!" exclaimed Roshan, running up to her and hugging her "Oh, and little Kisi! I've missed you two!"
"And I missed you," Rowan smiled at him "So, where are the others?"
"Not sure," answered Roshan "The mammoth broke free somehow, and me and Dormen found her when we were lost in the forest thanks to those two," he pointed at Mary and Elliot, who smiled and waved "So we chased it. They're probably looking for the mammoth too."
"Dad, how do you know him?" asked Peaches, frightened. Manny didn't hear her, he was too busy glaring at Roshan.
"In my defense I didn't it was your child, Manfred!"
"Ha, Manfred," giggled Shira, who hadn't known Manny's full name. He rolled his eyes.
"Diego would you please control your wife while I talk to, uhm... what was your name again?"
"Roshan."
"Thanks. Anyway, keep her quiet, Diego! So, as I was saying, 'it' is a she, Roshan. She's called Peaches, and this is her mother, Ellie. I can see you've met Shira, and those two are her and Diego's kids - Carmen and Aztec. That's Weiner-"
"Louis!" interrupted Peaches.
"Fine, Louis and his sister Leanne. She's Granny and they're Ellie's adoptive brothers Crash and Eddie, and he's Buck. Those two are Mary and Elliot, Shira's brother and best friend, and these are Emily and Max. That's about everybody!"
"Woah, you guys have made some friends since I last saw you," commented Roshan.
"So have you," pointed out Sid, gesturing to Rowan, Dormen and the others.
"I guess you're right," Roshan paused and just stared at his three oldest friends "I always did wonder how you three turned out. Now I can see it all worked out perfectly."
"Same to you," replied Manny, patting Kisi on the head with his trunk. Roshan nodded, but he seemed distracted. He stared at Shira's healing wound, immense guilt flooding his system. Shira knew he was staring at her, and it made her uncomfortable.
"Why are you staring at me?!" she demanded, losing her temper. Diego nuzzled her gently, trying to relax her. It definitely worked, as she rested her head against his shoulder and purred softly.
"I was just thinking... I am really sorry about the whole spear thing," apologised Roshan.
"Did you throw it?" asked Diego, squeezing Shira tight.
"Well, no but-"
"Then it's not your fault. End of."
"Thank-you Diego. But Kunta-"
"Our Dad!" interrupted Zuri, to which Roshan rolled his eyes.
"Their dad will be coming soon! He's looking for Peaches, and if he sees Shira he will kill her there and then."
"Why?" asked Elliot, fearing his sister's safety.
"Because he almost killed her with the spear, so now he'll see it as an unfinished job."
"Well, we have to stop him!" declared Manny.
"Duh!" said Peaches and Shira at the same time. Manny sighed.
"Diego-"
"I know, I know! Control my wife!"
"Right then! Let's make a plan!" Ellie smiled at the group, hoping to lift their spirits a little. No such luck.
And that's the end of my incredibly over-due update! Sorry it's so short, I've had massive writer's block for this and I'm still getting over it at the moment. This story will get better in a chapter or two though, because I've got it all worked out from there :) Will update as soon as poss but do have a couple of other multi-chaps to work on, but promise to try! :)
Please read and review! XD