Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

AN: Last chapter! Thanks for the reviews, and hope everyone enjoyed reading this! :)

Chapter 20:

The Tournament was huge. Diego wasn't joking when he said so. Shira and Ellie found themselves a seat, before waiting to watch the matches that led up to the final one. As Diego had said, the matches started with 51 teams, including Valley.

All of the schools were participating, with the Sophomores all gathered around. All cheered for their team's wins, and all sighed in disappointment when their team lost.

Valley, with Eddie and Crash's quick thinking, tricks and movements, easily scored many goals. Manny worked well as the goalkeeper, while Sid, who was a sub, told them of any weaknesses that he spotted amongst the other teams.

Half-Peak, considering that they had lost Zeke and Diego, worked pretty well, though it mostly ended with ties that needed to be resettled. The days dragged by, until Half-Peak managed to scrape themselves up to the fourth day. It was obvious that the new players were unaccumsted to the playing of the original team.

Underworld, clearly, cheated, though they didn't do anything that could be condemned as illegal or get disqualified. They, of course, managed to make it up to the top three, along with Valley and Half-Peak.

Valley lost on the fifth day.

On the sixth day, a miracle happened. Diego came back.

Apparently, after some persuading, Diego had managed to encourage the Principal to allow him to reenter the Tournament, even if it was for a while.

The player that had been dragging the team behind got happily kicked out, with Diego replacing him. Underworld had complained, but there was nothing the referee could do, much to everyone's glee. No one wanted to lose, but more than that, no one wanted Underworld to win.

With Diego back, the team sharpened evidently, with Half-Peak winning despite Underworld cheating, 8-5. Everyone rejoiced that day, but Diego managed to sneak away unseen to everyone for the celebrating part.

Shira merely sighed as they all prepared to go back, chattering excitedly.

Invisibility spell.

She pulled out her phone. Really? Invisibility Spell? Real mature.

The answer she got back had her laughing. Please. Course not. Changeling spell.

Nothing eventful happened at Half-Peak, except for the preparation to enter their Junior Year.

As soon as the Valley students got prepared to leave, Diego returned, and the 'herd' talked with him about him being a Witch. After several heated arguments, Diego had agreed to keep his activities to a minimum.

They had then said farewell, exchanging contacts, becoming surprisingly good friends over the course of the year.

During the holidays, Diego frequently went over to visit Shira, vice versa, so they saw each other often. Shira often worried about the strain of having a long-distance relationship, but that disappeared from her mind every time she say Diego.

"Can't believe that it's Junior Year already." Eddie groaned as he slammed his locker. Shira rolled her eyes as Ellie replied.

"C'mon, Eddie. Enjoy it while it lasts."

"How can I enjoy more work?"

Ellie shrugged, and turned to her locker, taking out her remaining books. Shira sighed as she opened her locker, already missing Diego, before she stiffened, feeling arms envelop her waist.

"Morning, Shir."

Only one person called her that.

Or dared to.

She turned around, eyes wide as Diego let go, grinning. "Diego!"

The 'herd' turned around, also astonished at the appearance of the Half-Peak student, with his books stuffed in his bag. "What're you doing here?" Shira asked, amazed and surprised, though she wasn't complaining. "Half-Peak started a week ago, didn't it?"

Diego smirked wistfully, if that was even possible. "My 'guardian'" He used air quotes, "Wasn't very happy with what happened with Zeke's death, the Doppleganger and my resulted suspension. So, she listened to my dad, and both agreed to send me here to Valley. After all, he did study here, so." He shrugged. "Here I am."

Shira looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or shoot back with a witty comment. So, she surprised herself by hugging him, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "You are an idiot."

"I know, I know." Diego smirked.

Shira let go of him, and started pulling him to homeroom, with the 'herd' following shortly after, shaking off their shock. "Hey! Wait up!" Sid called out.

Both Shira and Diego laughed, only increasing their pace.

Shira smiled. Maybe Junior Year wouldn't be that bad.