Chapter 18: Breakdown
Manny angrily kept banging on the caved entrance, trying to get out to which Ellie tries her best to stop Manny from hurting himself.
"Manny, stop! This is not helping!" Ellie exclaimed.
"I have to get out! I have to stop that beast from killing our daughter!" Manny yelled as he desperately bashes the block entrance again and again with no avail.
"Just stop it, Manny! You're only going to get brain damage at this rate" Carrie grunted as she was fuming at the fact her so-called friend was a traitor all along.
"Oh don't you start! If you hadn't brought those wolves to our herd, none of this would've ever happened and my daughter would've been safe with me now" Manny angrily vented at Carrie.
"How dare you! Do you think I ask for this to happen or are you that idiotic as you are overweight?!" Carrie snapped at the bull mammoth.
"Guys, stop it! This is not helping anyone!" Dodger angrily scolded the two mammals.
"Back off, golly green giant!" Manny spatted at the green sloth.
"Right, you know what-!" Dodger firmly started before eventually the whole herd got into an argument with each other about everything that is happening that is only making the whole situation worse.
Niamh looks around at the arguing herd to her best friend and her crush fighting as she tries to block out the screaming and yelling from the crowd as she never liked seeing anyone arguing and yelling at each other. Her anxiety levels were raising off the chart as she begins to hyperventilated and begins to suffer a panic attack.
The poor blue sloth begins whimpering: "Stop, p-please stop, p-p-please! P-Please! S-S-S-Stop!"
She shook like a tremor, her heart was pounding faster with her rapidly breathing heavily from her panic attack. Niamh continues whimpering and sobbing, her panic attack grows worse and worse from all the intense shout-fest that was going on when suddenly and unexpectedly, the blue sloth screams at the top of her lungs:
"SHUUUUUUUUUT-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"
Everyone abruptly ceased all noise and movement at that high-pitched scream; they all slowly turn their heads to see Niamh, panting heavily, fuming with exploded anger as she angrily shrieks out:
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT THE HECK UP!"
"N-Niamh?" Carrie softly stuttered.
"No! Just shut up! Why can't you all stop fighting?! I am sick of everyone screaming and fighting over everything!" Niamh shrieked out again.
"Niamh, calm down" Carrie tried to calm her best friend.
The pink sloth was suddenly met with a sharp slap to her face by Niamh who growled: "Don't you tell me to calm down, you grouchy snarky moron!"
Carrie stared at her best friend with the herd in utter bewilderment, this was not how Niamh normally acts as it somehow scares the group a tad bit. It wasn't until Niamh looks at Manny and starts her rant at him:
"First of all, you are the most stubborn mammoth I've ever met! Why is it when things go wrong, you always yell at us and act like it's either Sid's or our fault!"
"Look, Niamh-" Manny started.
"Awwww I am so fat; Awww, that stupid sloth can't do anything right; Awww, my poor baby got hurt so now I'm a big meanie jerk to those I hate! Boo, hoo, hoo!" Niamh mocked the bull mammoth.
"Hey!" Ellie angrily snapped at the blue sloth, stepping forward to her. "That was WAY uncalled for, Niamh!"
"Screw off, Ellie, I don't care if it's uncalled for!" Niamh snapped back at Ellie before going back at Manny: "Listen here, mister! I get that you want to protect your family from anything bad and all that; I get it, but just because you're stubborn and things like this happened does not give you the right to act like a complete jerk to everyone you don't like! You'd like it if I did that to you, Huh?! HUH?!"
"I...um...well...I...um...Well-!" Manny stuttered as he was lost of words.
"Well, what?!" Niamh snapped. "Is my temper scaring you as your temper scares me?!"
"Sorry, It's just you were always just shy yet nice to me; I didn't take you to be this angry and loud, that's all" Manny gulped.
"I'M NICE TO EVERYONE!" Niamh angrily and loudly exclaimed.
Buck turns to Dodger who was dumbfounded by this as the weasel asked: "Has she ever act like this before?"
"Nope, never" Dodger shook his head, completely buffered by Niamh's freak-out.
"Niamh, just take a breather" Diego tried to calm the blue sloth down.
"Listen, I do not take advice from scary predators" Niamh growled at Diego.
"I may be a saber but I'm not made of stone, I'm not going to hurt you" Diego tried to reason with Niamh.
"Well forgive me for not believing you but you're a saber-tooth tiger! You eat mammals like me for breakfast! Every time I see you, it reminds me of the night my parents was slaughtered right in front of me because of predators such as you! So forgive me if I'm not being too comfortable around you" Niamh scoffed.
"Hey! I am not that monstrous as you think I am" Diego firmly snapped as he got in front of Niamh.
"Oh yeah because you're such a soft kitty cat, who's a cute kitty cat? Who's a cutie little..." Niamh mocked as she pats Diego hard on the head, causing him to get fully irritated and roars straight at Niamh.
The blue sloth surprisingly kept her ground and furiously yelled: "Oh OK! So now you wanna be a scary saber? OK! I can be a scary monster too!"
The nerve-wreaking sloth screams right at Diego's face who cringes from the loud screaming which went on for a short while before Niamh stopped, shivering a bit and hissing: "Did that scare you, kitty cat?!"
Diego looks at Niamh, a bit terrified on how crazy she's becoming within her breakdown before Carrie steps in, grabs her arm, and snapped: "Niamh, that's enough!"
"What? You're going to be bossy again as usual?" Niamh scoffed as she shoves Carrie away from her.
"What are you talking about?" Carrie scoffed back.
"You know what exactly I'm talking about, Carrie! Ever since we lost everything, you've being pushy, rude, and completely ignorant of how Dodger and I feel because everything has to be about you and what you want!" Niamh snapped at her best friend.
"I'm only trying to protect you two" Carrie argued.
"Protect us?! You haven't even spoken to us that night, you never acknowledge how we feel and all that like we do to you but you just rudely rebuff us off when we try to help you!" Niamh argued back.
"You don't know what's it like to be the reason our people are dead and why Victor is after us" Carrie angrily started to vent.
"Maybe not but let me tell you something; you think you're the only one who lost everything?! Dodger, your brother, lost his parents that night but have you ever consider how he feels?! No; In all honesty, I feel sorry for Dodger!" Niamh scoffed.
"Niamh?" Dodger spoke out.
"He has been so strong through all of this, looking out for both of us and being there for you as a brother should be to his sister but you selfishly deny his help and refuse to see how much suffering he's being through too. He may not act like it but I can see the pain and sadness in his eyes at times" Niamh angrily explained to Carrie.
Carrie looks at Dodger before the blue sloth then snaps again: "And in case, you've forgotten; I lost my parents too, long before you guys did! I watched them die before my eyes as Victor and his wolves ate them apart before your parents saved me!"
"Both you and Dodger should be so very lucky for the fact that at least your parents didn't get torn apart to death by those wolves right in front of you while being completely helpless to do anything to stop them! So don't you dare say that you're the only one who is suffering because Dodger and I, too, have suffered more than you have and the difference is between you and me, I don't act like a complete jerk like you and Manny here; you two are exactly alike! Stubborn, sarcastic, impatient, and all hot air!"
"Niamh..." Carrie started, unsure of what to say.
"What happened that night was never your fault! You did what you had to do like we did, so stop hiding away from us and trust us when we say that we only want to help you because we love you, you blithering idiot!" Niamh angrily exclaimed.
Carrie stood there in bewilderment before the blue sloth stomps her way to Dodger and with a stiff thrust of her paw, she points at Dodger and snapped: "And you!"
"M-Me?" Dodger gulped.
"Oh, ho, ho, ho! Just you wait on what I have to say to you, you dead gorgeous muscular hunk, you!" Niamh deviously laughed.
But as soon as she was about to speak, she felt so dizzy from all the hyperventilating, screaming and yelling that it has worn her out as she groans out and faints before the herd.
"Is...she OK?" Diego asked in confusion, afraid to even touch Niamh at this point
"I think she just fainted" Dodger replied and picks Niamh up in his arms.
"That was...very unexpected" Carrie gasped out. "I mean, she completely lost it"
"...And she was a bit of meanie too" Manny added.
"And you know what? I don't blame her for she reacted just now!" Dodger firmly started. "Look at us! We're fighting over everything that is tearing us apart! This is what Victor or Leo would've wanted, if it wasn't for Niamh just now, the villains would've succeeded"
"Dodger-!" Carrie started.
"Listen here, Carrie! You're not the only one who lost Mom and Dad that night! I was suffering like you and so was Niamh! Don't you even think of how I felt the night they died?! I stayed strong to both of you because I made a promise to our parents that night that I would look out for you two, no matter what!" Dodger angrily rants at Carrie.
The pink sloth just stood there, looking at her tall little brother sadly as he continues ranting: "I know you blame yourself for what happened but you did what we planned to do to stop the wolves from attacking! We didn't know how much people evacuated as Niamh and I did our very best to get them out but that stubborn cowardly leader of ours convinced them all to hide in their huts because as you kept saying our village was mostly a dumb group unlike us because of how our parents raised us and Niamh!"
"I just wish..." Carrie started.
"What?" Dodger angrily asked.
"I just wish I can turn back time and prevent all of this from happening" Carrie shuddered.
"So do I, Carrie but we can't! We survived for a reason because we had no choice but to stop them and escaped...Yes, we lost our parents but we have to stick together to be strong and live on but you refuse to let us help you and treat us like we play no significant part in your life" Dodger replied.
"I didn't want to hurt you or Niamh as I did with our parents and everyone else" Carrie cried out.
"You've already done that by leaving us in the dark and treating us like we're idiots" Dodger firmly scoffed.
Carrie knew eventually that Dodger was right, instead of just facing her fears and just hiding away from the ones she loves, she has cause more harm than she fears she would've. It wasn't long until Dodger faces Manny and the herd before he said with determination:
"Manny...Guys...I'm so sorry that we've brought this upon you; we'd never join your herd if Victor was still alive and after us but we were convinced he was gone too but sadly Carrie's fears were right"
"Dodger..." Manny started but Dodger firmly interrupts him:
"But you need to understand is that we joined this herd for Sid because from what we heard from him, you guys seemed like an awesome group to start anew from all the chaos that we've suffered lately. While some of you are alright, you, however, Manny, you have problems trying to trust people who care about you the most like Sid! Do you know why I'm still friends with Sid? Because despite his clumsy ways and he can smell bad at times, he's one of the kindest and generous friends I've ever met in my life. Even as a child, he'll stay with us when we have a bad day and when we feel alone"
"Growing up, we never had many friends because they thought we were weird but he came along and he welcomed us with open arms, he was the only friend I could ever have with Niamh and my sister; I can still remember the fun games we played as children and times we stick together...Yes he has problems but then again, we all have problems but that doesn't mean we have to be jerks about it because of the little things that annoy us"
"What did Sid say about us?" Diego curiously asked.
"He told us that you were the dearest friends he'd ever met; he loves you all just as we loved him but sometimes I figured that you just keep Sid around because you reluctantly feel obliged to" Dodger replied.
"That's not true!" Manny said before he looks down and sighed: "...Not anymore, at least"
"Manny, I know you're not a bad person but you need to start trusting your friends more; just because you don't agree or don't seem to like how we act, it does not mean we're not reliable. I mean, look at Leo! We all thought he was a genuine friend we could trust but in the end, he stabbed us in the back and got us here" Dodger points out.
Manny looks around at the herd as Carrie did the same thing before she said: "You're right...about everything"
"We're a herd...and herds stick together" Manny also agreed.
Carrie walks up to Manny and sincerely said: "Manny, I'm sorry about everything and I apologize for the way I treated you and the others"
"I'm sorry too, Carrie, for everything too" Manny deeply apologized to the pink sloth.
"Dodger's right, we can't let this torn us apart! We need to work together if we're going to stop Victor and save Peaches and Sid" said Carrie.
"I agree and before we can do anything else, I just want to say-" Manny begins to spoke.
"Look if you guys want to make up for stuff, I suggest we do it afterward because the more time we waste now, the less time Sid and Peaches might have left" Dodger pointed out.
"Very well, we'll talk later hopefully" Carrie nodded and shook Manny's trunk.
"Let's do this together" Manny agreed and shook Carrie's paw to which Ellie smiles happily.
Suddenly Niamh wakes up in Dodger's arms as she looks around the nervous herd before he anxiously giggled: "Um...Did I went too far back there?"
"No" The herd simultaneously replied, shaking their heads.
"Niamh, you were most helpful back there so thank you" Dodger thanked before he leans to Niamh's face and whispers: "So what were you gonna say about me?"
Niamh blushes red and gulps: "C-Can we talk later?"
"We have to get out of here and save Peaches," Carrie said as she tries to look for a way out.
"That won't be necessary"
Soon the herd looks up to see Peaches happily looking down at them from on top of the entrance that Leo blocked before, much to their happiness that she's alive and unharmed.
"Peaches" Manny and Ellie gleefully exclaimed.
"Peaches? How did you escape?!" Diego happily asked.
"How did you find us?" Carrie asked.
Soon Peaches moves aside as Balthazar walks in, much to the herd's shock as Dodger shouted: "Peaches, get away from him! He's one of Victor's minions"
"No! No! It's OK, he brought me here to save you guys" Peaches defused the tension for the herd.
"You brought her back to us? Why?" Manny cautiously asked.
"Because I am tired of Victor's tyrannical ways, it was because of him, I lost my pack to the flood that night" Balthazar explained.
"How can we even trust you if that's the case?" Manny demanded.
"Because he spared my life" Dodger spoke on Balthazar's behalf.
"Dodger?" Carrie said in confusion.
"When Victor first attacked you guys with Balthazar and Carlotta, I was fighting him before he just stopped and let me go" Dodger explained.
"Because I may be a wolf but I'm not a killer like Victor and Carlotta are" Balthazar replied.
"So you're not like the others?" Ellie asked.
"No, and to prove I am not what you think I am, I spend ten minutes getting the top entrance unblocked while protecting Peaches from anything harmful," Balthazar said before he looks at the other entrance below and behind the herd, before he sees the top roots from around the path of the giant hole as he walks up to the back and adds: "You guys might wanna stand back"
As soon as the herd did what the large wolf said, Balthazar rips a few vines from the top before the rocks crumbled all down to reveal a cave entrance that was blocked the rooted rocks.
"An exit; we can leave this place" Buck cheered.
Soon Balthazar and Peaches slide down the icy cliff gently before the young mammoth was embraced by Manny and Ellie.
"We're so happy that you're OK, Peaches" Ellie happily cried out.
"I'm so sorry, mommy" Peaches apologized.
"It's not your fault, sweetie" Manny assured his daughter.
"How did you get out of Victor's grasp?" Carrie asked the young mammoth.
"Uncle Sid saved me" Peaches replied.
"Sid?!" The herd exclaimed.
"Yes but...but..." Peaches sadly added before Balthazar finished for Peaches: "But unfortunately as Sid got Peaches free, he's still imprisoned by Victor and knowing how furious he was when I left to find Peaches by his orders, the poor sloth is getting tortured by that beast as we speak"
"No!" Carrie gasped in horror as she fears for the worst for Sid.
"I told you this was all my fault, I should've gone back for him instead of running away as he told me to" Peaches sobbed.
"No; you did the right thing, you did as your uncle said because he cared about you and wanted you to be safe" Manny explained to Peaches.
"What if Uncle Sid is being eaten by that monster by now?" Peaches cried.
"We may still have a chance to save Sid and defeat Victor once and for all," said Balthazar.
Manny looks at the large wolf that claims to be an ally to them, he is still unsure about everything and who to trust especially since Leo who he thought was a friend to them all backstabbed them to get them killed but at this point, what else have they got to lose? They need to save Sid and they can use the advantage they can get.
"Lead the way" Manny nodded.
Soon Balthazar starts leading the herd to Forbidden Rock with Carrie next to Balthazar as she thought to herself: "I hope we're not too late, I won't let Sid die, I won't lose him like I lost my family"
What happens next?
Stay tuned to find out!