Chapter 24: True Love
Sid continued to walk away from Carrie. Despite being lied to, hurt and tricked by her, she regretted everything she did and truly loved Sid but the yellow sloth was too damaged to accept Carrie's love, coming to the sad conclusion that they were never meant to be.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! WHOA!"
Sid looked up to see Buck in front of him, blocking his sloth friend's way as he asked, "What do ya think you're doing, mate?"
"I just want to be alone," Sid sadly replied.
"Sid, you can't just leave Carrie all alone like that," Buck said, looking on in concern.
"Why shouldn't I? She left me all alone and used me," Sid sadly responded.
"Did ya not hear what she had said to ya?! She loved ya and she regretted the things she did to ya, and she'd do anything to make up for what she's done!" Buck exclaimed.
"And you believe in her words?!" Sid exclaimed back.
"Of course I do! If that apology wasn't good enough for you, then I don't know what will convince you!" Buck replied.
"Go easy on him, Buck. Sid's going through a bit of a rough moment," Diego said as the two saw Manny and Diego approaching them.
"Now Sid, I will admit that what Carrie did was selfish and cruel, but I believe that she had changed for the better," Manny said.
"How do you know that?" Sid asked.
"Because of you, she changed for the better," Manny responded.
Sid looked down, remembering how much Carrie changed and acted toward him throughout the entire journey they went through together recently to the point where the two of them were slowly developing mutual feelings for one another.
"Now our question, Sid, is do you still love Carrie?" Diego questioned his bonded brother.
"I...I..." Sid started before he revealed out loudly, "I do! I still do love her! But how could I forget the harm she had caused on me if I want to be with her?"
"We don't know, Sid. Only you and Carrie can figure that out together but in my opinion, you both need to let go of the past so you two can have a future," Manny replied, using similar words that Sid once said to the mammoth.
"Do you think she'll still want me, though?" Sid asked in concern.
"Only one way to find out," Buck chuckled
Together, the trio started leading Sid back to Carrie.
Meanwhile in the sea cavern, Carrie was sadly alone at the Tree of Wonders as she sobbed out, "I love you, Sid! I really do, but I don't wanna cause you anymore pain and suffering! I want to be with you, but now it's too late! I'm so sorry, Sid! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, Sid! I love you, too!"
Soon, Tawk and the rest of the weasels approached Carrie as she sniffed, "What are you doing here?"
"You're still our friend Carrie, and we're not just going to leave you behind like this," Diana replied as she soon came up to the pink sloth and said, "Now we will be honest that we're rather disappointed in you for what you did to Sid, and it was really selfish and cruel of you."
"I know. I was naive and very stupid," Carrie sadly agreed with a nod.
"But the fact that you feel guilty and want to make proper amends with Sid makes us forgive you," Diana pointed out with a comforting smile.
The others nodded, smiling and having forgiveness for Carrie before Diana then added, "But if you truly love Sid and want to make up for all of this, then you have to go after him. Don't abandon him again."
"Sid doesn't want me anymore. It's better that he'd have someone who is perfect rather than me, not someone who was a liar and who'd selfishly hurt him," Carrie sniffed.
"Carrie, listen to me. We're not perfect. No one is. Just because you had a flaw with Sid doesn't mean you should give up on each other. You work together to make things right. That is the beauty of a relationship. You work together to create a loving and happy relationship, like how Tawk and I do and Buck and Flora do too," Diana explained.
"I...I never thought of it that way," Carrie said, having a new realization going through her head.
"If you truly love Sid, then you have to go after him and work together to make things right for you two, not matter what happens," the albino weasel encouraged the pink sloth.
"I would but...it'd be too late now. Sid already hates me," Carrie sadly concluded.
"I'd never hate you, Carrie."
The group suddenly turned to see Sid with the rest of the males. Carrie looked on in surprise before Sid approached her while the others watched on with hope and suspense.
"Sid...I..." Carrie started.
"Carrie, I will be honest that you really did hurt me back there," Sid started.
"I know, and I am so very sorry for what I did! I should have never blamed you for my mistakes! I truly regret all the pain I had caused you so much because you're the most wonderful sloth I have ever met in my entire life! You were always there for me all this time! I love you so much Sid, and I would do anything to make up for what I've done to you because I was a stupid selfish sloth," Carrie sobbed as she began to cry before holding Sid close.
Sid soon wrapped his arms around Carrie, much to her surprise before he said, "And you are the most beautiful sloth I have ever met. I will admit that I am a little hurt still, but I look back now and everything that had happened before doesn't matter now. As I once said to an old friend of mine, you need to let go of the past to have a future."
"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me Sid and if you would let me, I want to try and make amends with you," Carrie sniffed.
"We can do this together, Carrie. We can forget about the past involving the two of us and live on what matters to us now," Sid said.
"I am so very sorry, Sid. I am so sorry," Carrie apologized once more.
Sid, with all of his heart and determination to let go of the hurtful past with Carrie, looked at the pink sloth before he replied with, "I forgive you, Carrie."
"You do?" Carrie sobbed.
"Of course I do. It will take time for us to go on from what happened, but I am more than willing to give us another chance if you would let me as I will let you because no matter what, I will always love you Carrie and that's a promise," Sid replied with all of his heart's desire.
"Oh Sid! Thank you!" Carrie sobbed happily as they soon looked at each other for a moment before they leaned closer to one another and at long last, they kissed for the first time.
The group watched as Flora and Diana were close to tears of joy before Forrest happily gasped, "Look! On the tree!"
As the sloths continued kissing, fireflies appeared from the tree and started glowing with wonderful lights as Sid and Carrie parted their lips from each other.
They both looked at one another dreamily as Carrie giggled, "What?"
"The way you kiss me, it's like eating a whole dandelion field!" said Sid as they both laughed before they saw the fireflies and became amazed by how they created the blue night sky wonderfully.
"Look! The fireflies! They are real!" Carrie happily gasped.
"Maybe they're happy for us," Sid chuckled.
It was like stars floating down to welcome the two lovers in this beautiful night. Sid soon bowed to Carrie as she asked, "What are you doing?"
"Care to dance, my love?" Sid asked.
Carrie smiled and curtsied before she replied with, "It would be my pleasure."
Sid and Carrie held each other close as they slowly began dancing together. They could hear gentle romantic music in their minds as the fireflies continued glowing and flying around the oak tree.
"Enjoying the moment, Carrietta?" Sid playfully teased Carrie before she giggled.
"What? Not bothering you this time," Sid smirked at her playfully.
"No! I don't mind you calling me Carrietta anymore...Sidney," Carrie teased back as the two sloths burst into laughter for a moment before Sid looked at Carrie and added, "I love you so much, Carrie."
"I love you too, Sid...so very much," said Carrie as she rested her head on Sid's chest while they continued dancing slowly.
Diana cuddled Tawk before she sang lovingly for the two sloths.
DIANA:
How does a moment last forever?
How can a story never die?
It is love we must hold onto
Never easy, but we try
Sometimes our happiness is captured
Somehow our time and place stand still
Love lives on inside our hearts and always will
Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone
But when all else has been forgotten
Still our song lives on
Maybe some moments weren't so perfect
Maybe some memories not so sweet
But we have to know some bad times
Or are lives are incomplete
Then when the shadows overtake us
Just when we feel all hope is gone
We'll hear our song and know once more
Our love lives on
How does a moment last forever?
How does our happiness endure?
Through the darkest of our troubles
Love is beauty, love is pure
Love pays no mind to desolation
It flows like a river through the soul
Protects, perceives, and perseveres
And makes us whole
Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone
But when all else has been forgotten
Still our song lives on
How does a moment last forever
When our song lives on
What happens next?
Stay tuned to find out!
ALSO PRETTY PLEASE GIVE CREDIT TO DUSK19, FOR NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIM
HOW DOES A MOMENT LIVES FOREVER IS COPYRIGHT TO CELINE DION