Chapter 20: One Herd, One Family
The hours pass by as the late-night befalls the herd as they had no choice but to get some rest as they each took one sad glance at their unconscious injured herd member before calling it a night.
Balthazar assured them that he will keep watch which made Carrie and Manny a bit uneasy at first as they intend to watch out privately too in case Balthazar betrays them by revealing them to Victor but both of them soon grew weary from their fight with the alpha wolf as they fall asleep too.
Midnight soon passed as all was still and peaceful which made the situation eerier for Balthazar who kept an eye out for Victor, Carlotta or even Leo but most of his concern, as well as the herd, is on Sid as it was unclear if he's ever going to recover or wake up from his terrible injuries that the wicked wolf inflicted on the poor mammal.
Eventually, fortune smiles on the yellow sloth as Sid begins to slowly open his eyes and leans up a bit to see that he was back at the old cave with the herd. The sloth couldn't believe what he had woken up to, he was back; back with the ones who thought never cared much for him, back with those he and the other sloths argued with before they broke apart and above all, he was back with his old friends who he was convinced by Leo that they only pretended to like him while they were disgusted being friends with him
"They came back for me? After all this time, after all the mistakes and mishaps that I have done to them, …they came back for me?" Sid quietly mutters in disbelief.
He looks down at his body being tended with leaf bandages as he notices Buck slowly opening his eye, suddenly noticing that Sid is awake as he happily gasped out loud and nudges the possums next to him as they awoke and saw Sid much to their utter delight.
"Guys…?" Sid softly muttered. "A-Am I...?"
"Sid!" The trio each happily cried out as they lunged at the surprised sloth, pinning him down on his bed, hugging him closely.
The yellow sloth stares on as Buck and the twins were happily rejoiced to see Sid alive as he can and hear them variously speaking to him while looking at the awoken sloth with joy.
"You're awake! You're alive!" Crash gleefully cried out.
"We thought we'd never see you again" Eddie happily spoke out.
"You did it! You made it, that's my best pal!" Buck loudly cheered.
The herd all eventually woke up to the outcries of joy before the yellow sloth eventually sees the rest of the herd coming to Sid and happily expressing their joy and relief that Sid is alive and back with them
Diego gently pulls Sid into a bro hug and nuzzles him, which is something Diego never did to anyone before nor didn't want to do in the past like Sid has done to him in the past.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, you tough knucklehead" Diego sighed out in relief.
Soon Sid sees Manny, Ellie, and Peaches near him as Ellie cuddles him gently and Peaches did the same thing while Manny pets Sid on the head.
"Sid…you saved our daughter from Victor. You brave, brave darling, thank you" Ellie happily cried.
"Thanks for saving me, Uncle Sid! You're my hero" Peaches sweetly phrased as she kisses Sid on the cheek with her trunk.
"I'm so proud of you, Sid. You have no idea what you've done for Peaches means to me, to all of us. You're truly the bravest sloth I've ever met" Manny proudly and warmly spoke to the sloth.
This was one of the rare times; Manny had ever been warm and proud of Sid to his surprise as he couldn't believe what he was seeing before him. They were so happy to be back with him, they were so worried about his welfare. Something that Sid thought would never happen with the herd to him like his original family on how they poorly treated Sid in the past.
As the mammoths let go of the yellow sloth, Dodger and Niamh approached Sid and hugged him.
"I knew you would survive this, bro! You have no idea how much misery we'd be if you were gone" Dodger gleefully spoke.
"I-It'd be like how I lost my parents a-all over again…W-W-Well, you know what I m-meant" Niamh nervously giggled through her stuttering.
Suddenly Sid felt Carrie's warm embrace as she holds Sid close and can hear her voice cracking as she said:
"I thought I almost lost you and…and if you died…then…then…I would've never forgiven myself!"
"Carrie…" Sid started.
"But you're back with us now; you're back with the herd safe and sound! And I promise you; no one will ever harm you again as long as I live" Carrie vowed as she nuzzles Sid's chest.
"Y-You all came back for me?" Sid quizzed in disbelief.
"Of course we came back" Diego nodded.
"Why?" Sid asked.
"Why?! Because you're our best friend" Dodger responded.
"You're part of our herd!" Buck added.
"We were so worried about you and when we saw how you were tortured by Victor. We thought you were going to die" Manny sadly spoke out.
"I…" Sid started until Carrie gently hushes him. "It's alright Sid, we're all together now. Everything is going to be OK"
Sid looks around at the gleeful herd around him before fear comes to mind that eventually Sid will end up being a screw-up again and thus the herd and his friends especially the one he loves who didn't respond to his confession will eventually just abandoned him as his family did despite what Leo said to Sid about the sloth trio was just toxic lies to trick Sid and the others.
The injured sloth begins to break down in tears which causes an alarm to the others for this wasn't just how Sid cries which was usual vigorously but this time, Sid's crying was rather soft with tears slowly coming down from his face.
The herd variously asked Sid what was wrong in concern before the sloth sadly whimpers: "I-I'm so sorry…"
"What are you talking about, buddy?" Diego softly asked.
"I'm sorry that I'm such a screw-up to all of you" Sid sobbed.
Everyone at that point starts protesting as Sid then cried out: "You don't have to lie to me; I know I screw up every time I try to do something for you guys or myself and I know I'm a hopeless idiot"
"You're not a screw-up" Dodger protested.
"I know you three don't even care that we're friends. You only befriended me so you don't look bad in front of everyone. I know you guys never wanted to be friends with me in the first place when we met; I don't blame you for seeing me as the ugliest thing you've ever seen to befriend with" Sid whimpered.
"W-W-What? Y-You're not u-u-ugly!" Niamh stuttered in confusion.
"Who said we weren't your friends at all?!" Carrie loudly questioned.
"Leo…he told me the truth…He said you guys were disgusted by me and regretted being friends as kids" Sid miserably answered.
"He told you that?!" Carrie sharply gasped.
"Why that horrible back-stabbing snake!" Dodger growled to himself, deeply furious at what Leo said to Sid about their friendship.
"L-Leo's wrong! We are your b-best friends" Niamh whimpered.
"Leo used you, Sid. He used all of us! He was in league with Victor and Carlotta to have us killed" Manny explained.
"What? He was?" Sid sniffed through his tears.
"Yes, He was working with the wolves all along to ensure that he had the leadership of our tribal village but when the disaster happened, he swore revenge on us and worked with Victor and Carlotta to destroy us" Carrie replied.
"But…it was I that Victor wanted in the end..." Sid sadly pointed out.
"Yes but we saved you, buddy, Just as you saved Peaches. Balthazar told us everything, he said you told Peaches to run to safety instead of letting her save you" said Manny.
Sid looks at the big wolf watching them and eventually kept his watch outside before Sid nodded:
"I didn't want Victor to hurt Peaches...because she has you guys still to love and care for her... I don't have anyone that cared anymore…I saw no point in fighting or pleading to him for mercy…"
"But we do care about you, Sid. I know we've haven't been the best of a herd at times but we were so worried about you" Diego pointed out, looking at his injured friend with a concerned look.
Sid looks down in depression and coldly said: "You say that now…but we all know I will mess up again and get you guys into trouble or in harm's way…I don't blame you guys for hating me because I know I'm a problem to everyone I met…"
"Sid" Carrie started.
"You should've let Victor destroy me…" Sid tearfully hissed.
The herd sharply gasped at that cold remark as Manny angrily responded with: "How could you say that, Sid?! We would never let Victor kill you! What good would come of that if we let Victor did that to you?!"
"Because then you wouldn't have to deal with a good for nothing insignificant moron like myself ever again and Victor would've left you alone! I know you guys don't like me and I don't blame you because I know I have problems, I know I cause trouble! I tried to be better and be useful for you all but I mess up every time! Why bother rescuing me now?! Everyone hates me as my parents did!" Sid tearfully yelled out.
The herd looks on in shock but was quiet from Sid's outburst. Did Sid think that he is not loved or accepted into the herd? Granted, he wasn't the best at doing things at the time but he was still kind and loyal to everyone in the herd even if Manny and Diego can be a bit of unsupported and not giving Sid a bit of respect and trust in the past.
"What are you saying, mate?" Buck worryingly questioned the sloth.
"Before I met you guys, the only friends I had were Dodger, Niamh, and Carrie…No one wanted to play with me or wanted to do anything involving me. My parents hated me because I was the kid they never asked for…I was an accident in their eyes" Sid woefully started.
"You poor thing" Ellie sadly gasped.
"And when my family was banished from the village, my family blamed me for being banished out of our home, and from that point on, I was nothing but insignificant to them and everyone I meet. They always avoid me and run away from me when they try to and I found them most of the time growing up…" Sid continued.
The herd watches sadly as Sid weeps out his miserable tale before the yellow sloth continued:
"I tried so hard to do the right thing and do everything I could to make them see that I was useful and I can be a great family member but it was never enough and nothing…nothing ever will be. I tried to pretend that I was OK and I will have something better in life but it never does…It just hurts that I was left and hated by my family and no one cared"
"Uncle Sid…" Peaches begin to cry for her uncle.
"I thought the herd would be a great new start of my life but like in the past, I screwed it up and ruined everything…You don't have to pretend that you're happy for me because in the end after all of this, you'll grow sick and tired of me and abandoned me all alone so you can live happily ever after while I'll be all alone till the day I die because…I'm nothing….Nothing….just…nothing but a weak, dumb, useless, insignificant, good for nothing creature" Sid finished as he starts crying into his paws, feeling hopeless and deeply depressed.
The herd watches on, feeling so sorry and miserable for the depressed injured sloth; the girls and even Crash and Eddie were also in tears, sadden by Sid's confession of his life while the guys sadly look on for Sid.
Manny looks at the herd than to Sid before he knew what he had to do as he cannot afford to lose another family member as he did in the past; He sits down behind Sid before gently wrapping his trunk around the sloth and hugs him warmly and close, gently hushing the crying sloth.
"Sid…I want you to look and listen to me, OK?" Manny started before looking at the tearful sloth with his calm brown eyes. "You are and always will be part of this herd"
"M-Manny?" Sid sobbed.
"I am so sorry for what your family put you through but it's not your fault, Sid" Manny started.
Sid was about to reply but Manny stopped him and continued with: "I know we got on the wrong foot with us at the beginning and even with Diego but in time we adapted as a herd because we became great friends"
"I mean, look at me. I wanted to eat you two before we became friends and look on far we've come now" Diego added.
"I will be honest that we did things in the past that we shouldn't have done but we can learn from our mistakes and adapt to be better as a herd for all of us. We're not perfect but no one is, I'm not perfect, Diego's not perfect even Carrie's not perfect" Manny continued before looking at Carrie and added: "No offense"
"But…you guys always get along with everyone except me because I'm such a thorn in everyone's sight and I'm useless" Sid sobbed.
"You're not useless and you're not a thorn in everyone's sight! You've always been our best friend, Sid" Dodger said.
"Y-You were always fun to play with" Niamh adds.
"And you were always there for us when we feel down at days" Carrie agreed with the two sloths.
"If it wasn't for you, Sid, I'd be trapped underground and never experience what true life and adventure is out there with a family" Buck happily said.
"If it wasn't for you, Sid, we'd be dead underwater when the flood happened" Crash pointed out.
"But Manny was the one who offered you guys to join us" Sid sniffed.
"Sid, Manny told us it was all your idea so we should be thanking you" Eddie chuckled and patting Sid gently on the arm.
"If it not for you and Manny. I'd still be the runt of the litter in my old pack and Pinkie would've perished years ago" said Diego as he warmly smiles at the sloth.
"And if not for you and Diego, I'd never open my heart to another family, another love and we'd never have Peaches in the first place" Manny added, nuzzling Ellie who nuzzled back.
"And if not for you, Uncle Sid, I'd be killed by that ugly monster" Peaches happily sobbed and cuddles her sloth uncle.
"And if not for you, Sid, then none of us three would find a new family with you and we'd be aimlessly running away forever," said Carrie.
"But Manny offered you all to stay" Sid pointed out.
"True but if you hadn't found them and brought them here then they wouldn't be here now with us. I let them stay for you, Sid, because it's what you wanted to do, right?" Manny replied.
"T-True" Sid slowly nodded.
"Sid, look around you…You made this herd, we're all together mostly because of you!" Manny happily said.
Sid sees all the happy and loving herd around him, showing him that he is not alone and he is loved, accepted, and part of the family.
"You say you'll never have a family but you're wrong! I am your family, Sid; we are all your family here just as you are family to all of us, do you understand?" Manny continued, feeling tears warming up to his eyes.
Sid starts quietly sobbing again and cracked: "I…I don't wanna make another mistake…I don't want to screw up again"
"Sid, no matter how many mistakes we all make even with you, it will never change the fact that you are part of this herd no matter what" Manny reassured the sloth before he joins the hug with Peaches and sincerely adds:
"You're like a little brother to me, Sid; I don't want to lose you … I love you, buddy"
"I never thought I would say this but I, too, consider you as a little brother to me, Sid" Diego added, joining in the hug.
"We all love you, Sid, so very much" Ellie happily sobbed and joins in too.
Eventually, Sid was surrounded by the herd, gently being in the middle of a group hug; Peaches gently on his lap hugging his waist, Crash, Eddie, and Buck on top of Peaches, hugging his chest.
Diego, against his left shoulder with Dodger and Niamh on the right, Carrie was behind Sid, hugging him from the back, and finally, Manny and Ellie connect their trunks and hugged the rest of the group with Sid.
The yellow sloth was touched with everyone by his side showing how much love and happiness they all have for him being part of their lives and family. For the first time in a long time, Sid felt something he never thought would come true for him; he felt so loved and accepted to the herd as he is to them.
This is his home, his herd, his one true family; A family that Sid now sees that loves him cares for him and would never abandon him whatsoever. The yellow sloth begins to cry again; a bit loudly this time to the others look on at Sid in concern.
"Are you OK, buddy?" Manny asked in concern.
"It's just…" Sid sobbed but looks at the herd with a tearful smile. "For the first time…I feel like I'm…I'm home"
Sid continues sobbing happily while sighing out in relief as the herd never let go of their group embrace before they all drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Balthazar watches on happily and relieved to see that everyone was on happier terms than before as he continues to keep watch for Victor and his gang but this moment, the herd can rest easy, knowing that they are back together and have opened up more than they have in a long time.
In the end, they are indeed one herd, one family.
What happens next?
Stay tuned to find out!