CHAPTER 10
IS THIS THE END?
That same night, Scrat and Scratte were still making their way to Scratlantis when they came across the home for the sirens. The one thing they could see was an image of an acorn. Once they saw it, they fell in love. The nut was like their child and they were going after it. However, when they got there, it turned into a siren. That's when a bunch of them came up, ready to make the two saber-toothed squirrels into dinner. They ran off, the sirens chasing after them throughout the night.
The next morning, the herd was awake. The sabers were keeping an eye out for home as well as the mammoths. Sid and Brooke were having a private conversation, not letting anyone else come over to them. Cheril was sharpening her spear as she was keeping an eye out on Pappy and Granny.
The old male sloth was throwing fruit into the ocean. "Here, boy. Here, Pudgy."
"He thinks he's finally found his pet," Shira said.
"Good boy." Pappy continued throwing out fruit into the water.
Even Granny began doing so. "Here you go. Hope you don't mind Precious joining you."
"Who's Precious?" Brooke asked.
"Granny's pet whale," Sid told her, "Even I've seen her."
"Pappy, can't you throw imaginary food to your imaginary pet?" Manny asked. Pappy didn't listen and threw a mango down into the water. "Enough already. We need to keep a lookout for home."
Ignore them, Pudgy," Pappy said, looking down into the water, "I do."
"Hope you're a nice pet, Pudgy," Granny said, "Hopefully, you'll get to meet Precious one day."
The fruit in the water started making it's way underwater. Pappy and Granny smiled as they both wandered off.
Manny sighed. "You can't take your eyes off him for one minute."
"Nope, it's like having a child," Diego said. They looked to see Pappy throwing the rest of the fruit off the ship. "Only without any of the joy."
"Hey, brain trust," Granny said, pointing behind them, "Brace for impact."
Everyone looked to see a piece of land coming towards them. They moved out of the way just in time before they looked to see that they were almost back to where they lived.
"Guys, look," Diego said.
"We're almost home!" Manny exclaimed.
"I never doubted you guys," Shira said.
"Me either," Brooke said, "Except for the six or seven times I thought we were going to die."
"Had that same thought," Sid said, "At least here I'll be able to start a new life."
While the herd was trying to make it back, the rest of the village was still trying to make it to the land bridge. Snow Belle was pretty much lost in thought. She had no idea what happened last night. She was enjoying her time with Trevor at first, but the truth about him was that he was nothing but a jerk. She understood that Laurence meant what he said last night, but instead of telling Trevor how he should treat a lady, he was merely showing what he would do for a girl. Mainly, he was talking about what he would do for Snow Belle.
Peaches knew something was bothering her friend. She walked over to her. "What's wrong, Snow Belle?"
You ever think about someone you think you know everything about them and they don't expect to be the way you thought of them to be?" Snow Belle asked.
Is this about Laurence? What happened last night?"
"He knew that I was going out with Trevor and I supposed he knew Trevor wouldn't understand me for who I was. I am such an idiot. I messed up so bad on choosing the right guy for myself, Peaches."
"It's okay. It happens. Cute boys can whiplash your brain. No doubt about that."
"But Trevor was the wrong guy. He said some stuff about Laurence that even I wouldn't make fun of him about. I don't care if Laurence is brave or not. He's perfect the way he is."
"And you figured it out. You'll know what to say to Laurence. In my opinion, he's a way better guy than Trevor would ever be. He's nothing but a ladies man. Take it from me. I made that mistake once. With Ethan."
"Can't forget that. That's when you found out Louis had a crush on you. Did you ever feel the same way about him?"
Peaches sighed. "I like Louis, but I don't like him, like him. Truth is I...think of him as more of a brother. Don't get me wrong. I care about Louis. He's my friend."
"In your opinion, I guess that's all he'll ever be."
"There's a reason why I don't like him that way. Another molehog girl likes him."
"Really? What's her name?"
Shouts could be heard from up in the front. Stripes walked over to the girls with Junior following him. "What's going on?"
Crash and Eddie climbed on their niece's back as they made their way up to the bridge. They were scared and shocked to see that the land bridge was destroyed. All crumbled into pieces. Looks like the wall made it before they did.
"The land bridge," Junior said, "It's gone."
Louis gasped. "We're trapped!"
"But we were supposed to meet our parents here," Snow Belle said, "What are we going to do?"
"The wall!" Laurence shouted.
"Peaches, what do we do?" Crash asked.
"Why are you asking me?" Peaches asked.
"Your dad put you in charge," Junior said, "You're supposed to be our leader."
"Lead us, Peaches!" Stripes shouted.
Peaches started freaking out. She had no idea what to do. The pressure of having to figure out a way to save everyone was getting out of hand. She sighed. "I don't know. I really don't."
Everyone stood there waiting for impending doom. There was no way to stop the wall. There was no escape.
The adult herd members were still floating on the ship, looking to where the kids and the possum twins, along with the village, might be.
"Peaches!" Manny called out.
"Peaches!" Ellie shouted.
"Snow Belle!" Shira shouted.
"Junior! Stripes!" Diego called out.
"Hey, where are you guys?" Cheril yelled. She looked out in the distance and gasped. "Oh, no. Guys, you're not gonna believe this." When they saw what Cheril was pointing to, everyone gasped. They saw the land bridge was gone.
"The land bridge," Shira said.
"But if it's gone, how are we going to-" Brooke said.
Cheril stopped the female sloth from talking. "Brooke!"
"No, they have to be on the other side," Manny said.
"Manny, there is no other side," Cheril said.
"They have to be here," Ellie said, "Peaches! Mama's here!"
"Kids!" Diego shouted.
"Where are you all?" Shira called.
"Please...they've got to be here," Manny said.
Everyone bowed their heads, looking sad. Even Pappy was sad. So was Granny.
Sid sighed. "I'm sorry, you guys. This is all my fault. I should've stopped Gutt when I had the chance."
"Well, if all else fails, always blame it on you, Sidney," Granny said.
"This wasn't your fault, Sid," Brooke said, "Nobody expected this to happen. Like I always say. Expect the unexpected."
Diego sighed before he heard a voice. "Mom! Dad!"
"Wait, did you hear that?" Diego asked.
"Diego," Cheril said.
"No, I heard something."
Shira listened as she heard it again and gasped. "I heard it!"
"Is that?" Manny asked.
"Snow Belle?" Shira asked.
"There she is!" Diego exclaimed.
"Mom! Dad!" Snow Belle shouted, walking up to a cliff's edge.
"We're coming, sweetie," Shira said.
"Don't move!" Diego said.
"Mama! Daddy!" Snow Belle shouted.
"Snow Belle!" Diego and Shira exclaimed.
Laughter could be heard from behind them. "Welcome home, Mama and Daddy." From behind Snow Belle emerges Gutt with a tooth knife to the teenage sabress' throat.
Snow Belle struggled to free herself from Gutt's grasp. "Let go of me."
"What are the odds?" Gutt asked, "We were just talking about you. You like the new ship? I call her Sweet Revenge." Gutt gave his evil smile, showing his disgusting yellow teeth.
"And look here," said the seagull named Silas, "We've got the catch du jours." They looked to see Junior and Stripes tied up to a wooden pole while Peaches was tied up to the side of a wall of ice.
Shira gasped. "Boys!"
"Peaches!" Manny said.
"My baby!" Ellie said.
"We're all right," Peaches said. Two of the pirates pulled on the vines tighter, making it harder for Peaches to escape. "Let my daughter go."
"It's okay," Manny said, "He wants us."
"And he's going to get us," Diego said.
"Sacrificing yourself for your children," Gutt said How touching. How predictable. Now come and get them." A plank was set to have Manny and Diego cross. Being the overprotective mothers that they were, Shira and Ellie followed.
"Good day, mate," Raz said.
"You remember us?" Flynn said, "We're the bad guys."
Once they All got there, Manny looked Gutt straight in the eyes and said, "All right, let them go."
Gutt chuckled. "I don't think so. You destroyed everything I had. I'm just returning the favor." Gutt thought about it For a moment. "I'll make a deal with you. If you give me Sid, I'll give you back your children and kill the traitor on the spot. He should know better than to join up with the enemy." Brooke gasped. Gutt chuckled again. "If you don't hand him over, you will all be killed with my signature weapon."
"What's your signature weapon?" Shira asked.
Gutt smiled. "Ricardo! Come on out!"
Coming out of the shadows was Ricardo. Shira gasped, knowing exactly who he was. "Ricardo."
Ricardo gasped. "Shira."
"You know him?" Ellie asked.
Shira sighed. "He's my older brother."
"Gutt, don't make me do this," Ricardo said.
"Refuse and you get killed," Gutt said. He looked at the herd. "So what's it gonna be? Will you save your furry live or will you die?"
Ellie looked at Brooke. She knew that they couldn't let Sid get killed. He did the right thing by stepping away from Gutt. She wasn't gonna let Brooke's chances of being with the man of her dreams get ruined. Ellie walked over to her husband. "Manny, we can't let Sid get killed. This may be Brooke's chance to finally fall in love. She cares about him and he cares about her. If Sid gets killed, think of how heart broken Brooke would be."
Manny knew his wife was right. Brooke would be devastated if Sid was killed. His decision was made. "You've harmed Sid for the last time, Gutt. If you want him, you'll have to go through us."
"Alright," Gutt said, "Trap them."
"No!" Manny shouted before placing him and Diego in vine wrappings.
"I warned you."
"Stop!" A shout could be heard from the crowd. Crash and Eddie were walking by nervously trying to escape. Gutt saw them and thought they shouted to him. They pointed at the one person they knew that said it. It was Laurence with a look and of anger and determination on his face. Even a little courage. "Let the sabers mammoths go!"
"Scaredy cat?" Junior said.
Gutt started laughing. "Who brought the muscle to the party?"
"Laurence, don't!" Snow Belle said.
"What's he doing?" Trevor asked, "He's going to get himself killed."
"It's okay, I can handle him," Laurence said.
"How cute, a hero," Gutt said, "Let's see what bravery gets you. Gupta, give the lad your weapon."
Gupta took out his knife. "Nice knowing you, kid." He threw it in front of Laurence.
Laurence grabbed hold of the knife and pulled it out of the ice. He looked Gutt in the eyes. "You ready to mambo?"
"Let's dance, hero," Gutt said, pulling out his weapon.
Laurence did the impossible and threw the knife in the air. Instead of throwing it directly at anyone, it swung around in the air like a boomerang. It came right back to Laurence. "You like my sweet moves?"
"What was the point of doing that?" Gutt asked.
"Nothing at all. Just warming up for the real battle."
Gutt chuckled, but something was burrowing underground around him. Out came Louis with a block of ice and smashed it on Gutt's foot. "OOOWWW!"
"He bought it, Laurence!" Louis said.
"Let's really start this fight," Laurence said.
"Don't stand there like barnacles," "Get them!"
At that moment, Manny and Diego were able to get free and help to fight. Snow Belle ran off from Gutt and made her way over to her brothers, freeing them as well. She was starting to make her way over to Peaches until she got pounced on by Ricardo.
"Let me go!" Snow Belle shouted.
"I'm sorry," Ricardo said, "I don't have a choice."
"Snow Belle!" Laurence shouted. He knocked Ricardo off the teenage saber. " Go! Get out of here!" While Snow Belle ran off, Laurence had anger in his eyes. "If you wanna fight someone, you're gonna fight me."
"Don't make me do this," Ricardo said, "I want to help you guys."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you limb from limb?"
"What if I told you I was a long lost uncle of Snow Belle's?"
Laurence's eyes widened. He couldn't argue with that. He sighed. "Okay. I'm not gonna fully trust you yet, but come with me." Ricardo nodded and followed the male teenage saber.
Sid and Brooke were trying to escape from Gupta and Silas, but it was a bit of a slow process with having to protect Granny and Pappy. The sloths were trapped at a cliff that went way down into the ocean. Gupta chuckled. "Any last words?"
Pappy turned his head Howard's the ocean and shouted, "Pudgy!"
"Will you stop with the Pudgy?" Brooke asked, "Now is not the time to be calling out for something that doesn't exist."
Suddenly, something big came up from behind them. Brooke was the only one that didn't notice it. It caused the pirates to run away in fear.
Sid turned around and gasped. "Whoa, Mama!"
"Well, I guess we showed them, huh?" Brooke asked.
"Pudgy!" Pappy exclaimed.
"That's your pet?"
"That's bigger than Precious!" Granny said.
Right in front of them was a huge blue whale that was bigger than the entire landmark combined.
"That is one huge whale!" Sid shouted.
"Maybe that crazy old man isn't that crazy after all," Brooke said. They looked to see Pappy get stuck to Pudgy's tongue as the old sloth made his way inside. "Nope, he's nuts."
"Y'all waiting for some formal invitation s, fancy pants sloths?" Pappy shouted, "Get in."
"I'm going to regret this."
"I already did five years ago," Sid said as he climbed inside the huge whale with Brooke and Granny and closed it's mouth like a trap door.
"Bombs away!" Gutt shouted, trying to shoot snowballs at Diego and Shira, "Don't be scaredy cats."
Back over with the sloths, Granny, Sid and Brooke were sliding down inside the, well, insides of a whale. When they got to the bottom, they were all covered in slime and inside smells.
"This place smells horrible," Brooke said.
"It smells worse than Sidney," Granny said.
"Well, that's actually one of the first compliments you've given to me in a while," Sid said.
"Pudgy, set your flippers," Pappy said, "Pappy's done running."
Over at the boat, Peaches was still tied up. She looked to see that Ricardo was running towards her. "Back off."
"It's okay, I'm on your side," Ricardo said, trying to untangle the vines.
A knife came up to Ricardo. It was Squint giving him the look of failure. "I knew you were a traitor."
Laurence saw somebody he knew walking up and made a distraction. "Hey, Peaches, look at this little guy's bunny nose."
"Your little bunny nose wiggles in the cutest way when you're mad," Peaches said.
"What?" Squint said, going into slicing and dicing mode, "Your lives are over, mammals."
Coming in to save the day was Julian, who stomped Squint like he was gum on the bottom of his foot. "Silly rabbit... piracy doesn't pay."
"Julian!" Peaches exclaimed.
"Hey, that's not cool," Squint said, "Come on, now."
Everyone that was trying to save Peaches were knocked to the other side of the boat. They all started had no choice but to fight.
Brooke was trying to scrape the gunk off her fur. "Anyone have a body wipe?"
"Suck it up, buttercup," Pappy said, sticking Brooke through Pudgy's blow hole, "How's it looking?"
Brooke looked to see the battle starting to get intense. "Not good, Pappy sir."
"Gutt's not gonna stop until everyone's dead," Sid said.
"Time to act fast!" Pappy said, "Full speed ahead! Dive, dive, dive!" Pudgy started sinking his way underwater.
The battle was getting really intense now. Shira had pushed Flynn over the side of the boat, but he was placed back on there by Pudgy.
"Thank you, Mister Whale," Flynn said.
"Hi, everyone,"Brooke said.
"Brooke!" Ellie shouted.
"Help!" Peaches shouted. "Mom! Dad!"
Snow Belle was about to go help her friend, but Diego stopped her. No, Snow Belle, Uncle Manny will get your cousin. Stay here with us."
"Hurry, Daddy," Peaches said.
"I'm coming, sweetheart," Manny said, making his way toward the plank bridge to get to Gutt's ship.
"Payback time," Gutt said, taking his sharp nails over to Peaches.
Mom! Dad!" Peaches shouted in fear.
"Peaches!" Ellie shouted.
"I got this, Uncle Manny," Snow Belle said.
"Snow Belle, no!" Shira shouted, "It's too dangerous!"
Snow Belle started swinging in the trees. "Not if you're half-possum!" She swung from various branches until she made her way over to Peaches. She even flipped the front part of her fur back.
Diego was astounded. "She did it." He looked down for a moment and sighed. "My daughter's all grown up."
"That's my cousin," Peaches said as Snow Belle got her out of the vines.
Snow Belle finally finished and helped get Peaches to the other side. Manny and Diego were with them.
"We need to get out of here," Snow Belle said.
"Go, go," Manny said.
"We're right behind you," Diego said.
"No!" Gutt said, "I'm right behind you."
"Dad!" Snow Belle shouted.
"No!" Peaches said.
Diego and Manny landed on a large piece of land that was sliding through the ruins of the continent. Gutt was right on their tails.
"There's nowhere to run, Manny and Diego," Gutt said, "You know, this ocean isn't big enough for the three of us."
"Don't worry," Manny said, "You won't take up much space once I flatten you." Manny swung a branch at Gutt.
"Yeah, and right after he flattens you, I'll finish you off as the main course," Diego said.
I told you, tubby and orangie," Gutt said, "You shouldn't have messed with the Master of the Seas."
Manny had an idea. "You know, sometimes, it pays to weigh eleven tons!" Manny jumped on the land and made it unbalanced to where and slung Gutt off of it.
"No!" Gutt yelled.
"Bon voyage, monkey boy!" Diego shouted as she let go of the tree he had clung on to.
The land made its way towards a give rock, causing the two mammals to fly off it and make their way towards the whale Brooke was inside.
"Did somebody hail a whale?" Brooke said.
The two mammals landed on top Pudgy. Manny looked up to see the whale staring at him. "So, you must be Precious."
"Mission accomplished, Pappy," Brooke said, saluting her grandfather.
"Who says old men can't drive?" Pappy said.
"That's what they said about old ladies around the time I met Precious," Granny said.
Brooke walked over to Sid who was steering Pudgy. "Good steering, Sid. We work wonderfully together."
"We sure do," Sid said with a smile.
Captain Gutt was floating on an iceberg when he made his way inside a cavern full of water.
He heard a beautiful voice calling his name. "Oh, Captain Gutt!" Inside a clam was a beautiful primate woman with blond hair and wearing a red dress.
Gutt was staring lovingly at her. "That's me!"
"Let's rule the seas together," the woman said.
"Aye, aye." Before Gutt could kiss her, he found out that she wasn't a woman at all. She was a siren. Gutt had no idea until after it started attacking him and swallowing him whole with a lot more sirens swimming up to him. This end the reign of Captain Gutt.
I KNOW! THIS WAS A LONG CHAPTER. AT LEAST I'M FINISHED WITH IT. ONE MORE CHAPTER PLUS AN EPILOGUE COMING YOUR WAY.
WELL, SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK.
PLEASE REVIEW.
