Chapter 22: True Love
A few weeks fly by after Balthazar's last encounter with the injured alpha wolf. He, of course, alerts the herd about Victor's survival, and each day they cautiously stick together especially with Sid. They tend to the injured sloth as much as they can, making sure that he is healed from the horrific wounds Victor caused on Sid.
Eventually, the yellow sloth was back on his feet by the third week, much to the herd's relief; The herd became much stronger and connected since that night, for the sloth trio were starting to open up to the herd more as they are with them, making them officially part of the family.
One night, Niamh eventually got the courage to approach Diego without fainting or making a quick retreat back to the others as she sits beside the watchful feline near the herd's cave.
"H-Hey Diego" Niamh meekly greeted.
Diego looks at the blue sloth, immediately impressed by the fact she just walked up to the feline alone without anyone holding her paw. "Wow, you came to me without fainting or running back from me"
"Y-Yeah" Niamh nervously giggled.
"Anyway; what can I help you with?" Diego asked the blue sloth.
"M-May I speak with you for a b-bit?" Niamh politely asked.
"Go ahead" Diego shrugged.
Niamh slowly sits beside the saber. fidgeting her paws anxiously before she said: "I just want to talk to y-you about that day at the c-c-cave; When I f-freaked out at y-you guys"
"OK" Diego nodded. "What about that day?"
"I just w-want to say that I'm s-sorry for how I acted t-toward you" Niamh apologized.
"You're sorry?" Diego tilted his head in confusion.
"Yes," Niamh nodded, took a deep breath, and continued: "I m-misjudged you since we've met like I did w-with the o-o-others but mostly to you. I thought y-y-you were just a remorseless p-predator but I c-c-can now see that y-you are a good mammal o-on the inside and I w-w-want to apologize for how I a-acted upon you"
Diego eventually smiles at the blue sloth which was something the blue sloth hadn't seen the saber do for a while before the feline replied: "I appreciate your apology and I understand why you're the way you are"
"D-Dodger told you, didn't he" Niamh nodded.
"Yeah; I'm sorry about your folks" Diego gave his condolences to Niamh.
"Thanks" Niamh sighed. "D-Do you think they w-would be happy for me now?"
"Honestly, I reckon they'd be very proud of you, Niamh" Diego assured the blue sloth. "And, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad you freaked out that night"
Niamh stares at Diego, dumbfounded before the saber continues: "Don't get me wrong, I doubt you enjoyed freaking out like that but if it wasn't for you reacting like that back there, none of us would've seen the damage we were doing together and the whole herd would fall apart"
"I...um...I d-don't know w-what to say about t-that" Niamh nervously stuttered.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to" Diego assured Niamh.
"T-Thanks Diego" Niamh sincerely smiled at the saber for the first time.
"You're welcome" Diego chuckled as Manny, Carrie, Buck, and Dodger approached them.
"I see you two are finally getting along" Dodger chuckled.
"Yeah" Diego nodded, blushing slightly.
"H-How is S-S-Sid?" Niamh asked the pink sloth.
"Doing much better now, thankfully" Carrie responded.
"I told ya all that he's a tough son of a gun, didn't I?" Buck gleefully nudges the pink sloth on the arm.
Carrie chuckles with the guys before she notices Sid watching the riverbank near the cave with Balthazar nearby for protection. Something came to her mind recently over the last few weeks after all that has happened. She still remembers the moment Sid confessed his true feelings towards her; that Sid the sloth is in love with Carrie herself.
She felt touched by the sloth's honesty and confession but she felt more and more guilty for leaving the poor sloth behind that day without a single explanation and just ran off saying it can never be, deeply hurting the poor sloth's feelings.
"Something on your mind, sis?" Dodger asked.
"Well..." Carrie started. "I'm just thinking about what happened back there that day before we saw you guys again"
"What do you mean?" Manny asked in confusion.
"Did Sid tell you anything regarding us?" Carrie asked the group.
They all shook their heads and muttered no to her before the pink sloth continued: "I see..."
"What happened, Carrie?" Dodger asked.
"Before you guys came to us about Peaches being kidnapped by Victor that day; Sid came up to me and...well..." Carrie sighed.
"Well, what? What did he do?" Diego pressed Carrie on.
"He didn't do anything wrong, he just...he told me that...he was in love with me" Carrie confessed.
"What?!" The group minus Dodger, who knew beforehand by Sid, exclaimed.
"W-Wow! I am s-so happy for you b-both!" Niamh softly replied as she cuddled the pink sloth.
"Niamh; I didn't accept his feelings," Carrie shook her head
"What?!" Niamh and Dodger gasped in bewilderment.
"What?" Manny, Diego, and Buck asked in confusion.
"I just...never gave him a proper answer," Carrie nervously explained.
"Wow…awkward," Diego mumbled to Manny.
"You can say that again," Manny mumbled back.
"I can hear you both," Carrie lowly replied.
"So, what happened? What did you do?" Dodger questioned.
"I just...I told him it just can't be and I..." Carrie started before shamefully sighed: "I just hastily walked away from Sid"
Gees, Carrie; what the heck?" Dodger unimpressively replied.
"You just left Sid like that without giving him an explanation or even much of a response? That's just harsh of ya, lass" Buck added, shaking his head at the pink sloth.
"I know and I regret that!" Carrie loudly groaned.
"So...d-does this mean you don't love Sid at all?" Niamh asked her best friend.
The other female sloth looks on at the sloth in question, oblivious to the conversation as her mind was swimming endlessly with questions that she wishes for an answer? Does she truly love Sid? He may not be handsome but he's not truly vile or ugly to look at; he's not physically strong or charming but he has a heart of gold and a strong devotion to protecting the ones he cares for when push comes to shove.
Sid the sloth is way out of Carrie's league in the eyes of many mammals and yet, she finally realizes that she has fallen in love with the sloth whom she swore would never be her friend from the day they met.
"Carrie?"
The pink sloth turns to the group before she spoke out with: "I need to talk to Sid, alone"
The gang watches as Carrie heads to Sid, noticing that the sloth was star-gazing at the night sky; the yellow sloth suddenly jumps in fright when he felt Carrie's paw who rose her paws up to her torso in defense.
"It's alright, Sid; it's just me" Carrie calmed Sid down.
"S-Sorry, I was just admiring the night sky" Sid sheepishly chuckles.
"May I talk to you about something?" Carrie asked.
"Sure" Sid nodded.
Balthazar knew this was a private conversation before walking away as the two sloths sat on the log before Carrie speaks: "Sid; about that day, when you confessed your feelings to me"
"Y-Yeah" Sid gulped.
"I just want to say that I'm sorry for running off like that on you" Carrie sincerely apologized for how she acted back then that day.
"It's alright; I get it, you don't feel the same way and I understand why; I'll never be perfect for anyone to love me" Sid sighed as he slumps back on the log he was sitting on.
"Sid...did you mean what you said to me that day?" Carrie curiously asked.
"Of course I did. I love you, Carrie; I think you're the most wonderful and courageous sloth I've ever fallen for in my life" The yellow sloth confessed.
Every word Sid was saying was making the stoic sloth warmer within herself as she was feeling something that she never felt in a long while, happiness and love.
"You are such the sweetest and most loving person I've ever met in my life, Sid; I used to think you were just bad luck to me when you first met but now...I want nothing more to be with the one outside the family who never left my side or supported me as much I sadly didn't and I wish I did back then" Carrie sincerely said.
"You mean that?" Sid happily asked to which Carrie nodded with a giggle. The yellow sloth then asked: "Then why did you run off from me like that back there? Did I disgust you or something like that?"
"No Sid, it wasn't because of you, it was because I was scare of being committed to you...I lost my family, my people, and I nearly lost you because of Victor since the very beginning of this whole ordeal...I don't want to lose you, Sid. I cannot bear the thought of you dying because of me" Carrie sadly answered, resting her head on Sid's shoulder.
"Carrie; I understand how you feel but there's nothing to be scared of anymore! You have me and you have the herd to help you! Let me be there for you! Give me a chance and I promise nothing bad will tear us apart" Sid warmly assured Carrie.
Carrie looks at Sid with hopeful eyes as she said: "You promise?"
"I promise with all my heart for you" Sid replied.
Carrie gets up with Sid, holds his paws and blissfully said
"You may not be the perfect guy I wanted, growing up, but you're amazing enough for me, you're the most wonderful sloth I have ever met in my entire life! You were always there for me whenever I felt alone! I wouldn't be here if not for you, I love you so much, Sid"
"And you are the most beautiful sloth I have ever met! You changed my life for the better, even if we did start on the wrong foot and go back and forth with our misadventures! It still has and never will change the way I feel about you; I will always love you Carrie and that's a promise" Sid happily said.
"Thank you, Sid" Carrie thanked the one she loves.
Soon they looked at each other lovingly for a moment, for this is what they truly want, this is what they wish to be, they want to be together because they truly are in love with one another, no matter how different they are. The couple leaned closer to each other and at long last, they kissed for the first time.
Carrie felt lucky that Sid cleaned his teeth with some help from the guys beforehand as she wraps her arms around Sid's shoulders and neck whilst Sid's paws touch her back of her head and waist, it didn't even bother them when they heard the entire herd cheering and applauding for the loving couple.
When Sid and Carrie parted their lips from each other; they both looked at each other dreamily as Carrie playfully said: "So, how was that?"
"It's like I'm eating a whole dandelion field!" Sid lovingly giggled before he bows gracefully to Carrie who giggled out: "What are you doing?"
"Would you like to dance with me, mi amour?" Sid playfully asked.
Carrie smiles before curtsying and reply: "Lead on, my darling"
The two sloths hold each other close as they began dancing slowly together, while the herd happily watches them together as Dodger said:
"I'm proud of them, they do belong together"
"I never thought I say this but yeah; you're right" Diego agreed.
The two sloths continue their romantic waltz together as the yellow sloth looks at Carrie and said "I love you so much, Carrie"
"I love you too Sid, so very much," Carrie lovingly replied, resting her head on Sid's chest while they continued dancing slowly.
As the night goes by, the herd and the couple knew one thing's for sure, they are now together as a family and nothing will ever tear their herd apart. Not even Victor or his minions can break the chains of love and family.
For Sid and Carrie, they are both together, indeed, an example of true love.
What happens next?
Stay tuned to find out!