I'm not dead! I'm back! With a Halloween one-shot! YAY! :D

I don't own Ice Age

Enjoy!

"But- But I can handle it! Really, I can!"

They all laughed, their mean, cackling laughs that the saber had grown up listening too. "Yeah, right." Gupta chortled. "You vouldn't last five minutes!"

"I would so!" she stamped her foot down. "I'm almost six!"

Raz shook her head, a grin still on her side. "Sheila, ya got a long way ta go till you can handle i'."

"But mom- I can do it! Really I can!"

Raz crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. This kid never gave up. "Sheila-"

"I promise I won't get scared! I promise!"

"Sheila! I said no an Ah mean i'!" she suddenly frowned at herself. "Oh grea', now Ah sound like my mum…"

"C'mon! Just one story! I can-"

Raz's last bit of patience slipped. She snapped. "NO!" everyone flinched- if there was one lesson anyone had learned, you had better listen when she shouted like that. She was this close to completely losing it when she yelled like that; and it was not a pretty sight when Raz blew her top. There was usually blood. And tears. And at least one person had a limp for the next week. She cleared her throat and drew in a deep breath for a single moment, pressing her pointer fingers into her temples. "Ah swear, if you ask m' one. More. Time. I'mmuna keelhaul ya!"

"But moooom-"

That was it. The last straw. Moving so fast no one could see, Raz had slammed a bone sword nearly hilt-deep into the deck right between Shira's front paws. That finally got her to be quiet. Shoving an arm through the air, Raz pointed at the tunnel that lead below deck and growled out "Room. Now. Don't lemme see ya b'fore dinnah!" she didn't need to be told twice, just squeaked and scurried off.

After the white child had disappeared, Raz stormed off to her own corner of the ship to sharpen her blades and blow off some steam. Sometimes that child just didn't listen! It was like she didn't hear Raz when she spoke! She-

"You ok dudette?"

Squint appeared on her shoulder, one hand on her neck as he leaned against her casually.

"No. No Ah'm no'." she swatted at him so he went tumbling gracelessly off her shoulder. "Tha'girl don' listen fer nothin!"

Unfazed from the fall, he sat up from the place he'd tumbled unceremoniously into her lap. "I know, huh?"

"Yeh. Sheh's been spendin too m'ch time with you!"

He mimed surprise. "I find that offensive!"

She scoffed. "Good. Offense intended."

He frowned. "Yer not very nice."

"I know."

They both laughed.

…

Shira peaked around the corner, excited. She just had to listen in- what were their stories about?! Normally, her mother would let her listen in on their campfire stories if she studied hard and did well in her daily training. But for some reason, there was always that one night in the middle of fall when she just wouldn't! She'd done everything perfectly; she didn't complain about learning about all those different sea monsters she'd probably never see, she listened intently to the preaches about weapons- but still her mother wouldn't let her listen! They all acted as if it was some big secret! She'd probably get grounded for infinity for breaking this rule, but she couldn't quell her curiosity! She'd waited six years! She wasn't about to wait another! Mom could ground her life, as long as she got to listen in.

It was her mother's turn in fact; all eyes turned to her expectantly. Shira watched as she pulledout her favorite spiral shell spear and fingered the blade admiringly. "Didja know some'n was killed by this ver'eh blade?" she began mysteriously, her tone slow and whispery, low. "An no' by mah hands eitha."

Two brothers. Two. They were brothers. They shared everything. Their space, their parents, adventures, games, pain, everything. They were a happy family.

But one day their father was killed. It devastated the two. They grew apart and became distant. But one took the blow much harder than the other.

His mind twisted itself, becoming dark and angry. It became consumed by rage, and with that…

…

The younger of the pair laughed to himself, throwing back his head and cackling at the sky. There. It was done. His brother lay at his feet, a blade buried in his side. He wasn't moving. Wasn't breathing. He'd finished.

Everyone clung to every word as Raz told her story, of the two siblings, and the one that had gone made and murdered his own kin with the very blade in her hands. But that wasn't the end of it. A shudder jerked her body as she listened, eyes popping wide, to her mother's horrible tail. Bodies couldn't come back to life… could they. She listened as she told of the elder brother rising back, taking out the sword, and swinging it at his brother, taking off his head, then dropping back down. That- that couldn't be real! She'd seen her family kill plenty of animals! But… nothing like that had ever happened! It couldn't!

…C- Could it.

"Th' motha foun' the two dead in front'a their home tha next mornin. When sheh fell back, the two rose up a sec'n time, an sheh couldn' even scream as theh…"

As she paused for dramatic effect, Squitn grabbed Gupta's arm and shook it. "This is my fave'rite part!" he whispered excitedly.

The badger jerked his arm back and slugged him, hard, in the shoulder. "Shh!" they turned their attention back to their weapons expert, just in time to threaten them all with an overhead swipe, shouting her answer at the top of her lungs and making everyone jump.

"STRANGLED HER!" that was all Shira could take. She screamed shrilly and fled back to her room. What a terrible story! Usual their campfire stories were fun and made her laugh! Now she thought she was going to be sick to her stomach! She was… she was…

Well, she didn't sleep, let's put it that way. And not just because Raz made her scrub the deck spotless for disobeying before she could go to bed.

"Sheila?" she called softly well past midnight, when the cub was finally done with her physical punishment. Well… for the night, anyway. She knocked on the doorway frame. "Ya ok?"

"Mm-mm…" she muttered. Her mother entered, seeing the tears in her eyes. "M- Mommy?" Raz blinked, surprise, as she pulled her shaking daughter into her lap. She hadn't called her mommy in years; she must really be scared, Raz realized.

"Aye Sheila?"

"W- Was that story real?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Oh no… no i' wadn't." she hugged her gently as she started to shake a little. "I' was jus a story. Ah tell I' evera'where. Iss' the boys fave'rite."

She shook her head. "No' mine. That was scar-ry." She said, emphasizing the second syllable.

Raz chuckled. "Don'worry. Non'a i' was real… y'know, probab'ly."

Shira squealed as she chortled. "Not funny!"

"Was fer me. Anyway" she set her down. "Don' beh frigh'ened. Just a story."

She hugged her. "Thanks mom."

"Yer welcome." She squeezed her in her arms for a moment. "Yer still grounded fer three months though."

"Aw c'mon!"

There it is! My Halloween one-shot. You like, I hope? Anyway, please review! Sorry I haven't been the most active person everywhere; I've been rearranging my whole room and baby proofing it, getting ready for the new little one to arrive! If you've read my author's note from the last time I posted, you know what I mean! ;-) Please review