*peeks out*
Hey-O! Been a long time, hasn't it? Well, a lot of things have changed. Me moving from job to job. Getting ready to move in with my boyfriend, but I finally kicked myself in the butt to continue writing again. Hopefully I won't be too busy and disappear for another 3 years.
All was quiet. The herd remained in the cave all night. None were able to sleep, all fearing for their safety.
"Is it over, mama?" Amber asked as she looked up at Frida.
Frida looked at Diego who shrugged uncertain. Everyone was huddled together, all scared of what could happen next.
"Think it's safe?" Shira asked.
"Only one way to find out", Manny answered.
He and Ellie used their trunks to push the fallen trees aside. The used their weight to push the boulders away. Everyone blinked as they were met with the morning sunlight. At first, fog covered the lands, making it hard to see. Once the fog cleared, the herd was greeted with the sight of a decimated land. Trees were knocked over and burned. Mountains had holes where the meteors hit. The large rocks from space laid scattered everywhere.
"Our home…" Shira gasped looking over the destruction.
"What's going to happen to us, mama?" Sasha asked.
The cubs looked at everyone scared. None of the adults had any answers for what would happen. Out of the silence, a loud roar echoed behind everyone. The herd turned around and backed away seeing smoke and a large shadow coming out of a crevice in the ground. Roars continued to echo as the shadow grew bigger and bigger until a hand with a knife came out of the hole, making everyone freeze. An old familiar face came out from the smoke.
"Hello, mammals!"
"Buck!" they gasped with smiles.
Everyone watched Buck struggling to the surface, carrying something in tow. Manny helped him up, bringing a large stone totem with him.
"Buck, it's so great to see you!" Frida smiled as she walked to him. "So much has changed since we last saw you."
"What are you doing here, buddy?" Diego asked with a smile.
Everyone was surprised to see their weasel friend, especially after he said he didn't belong in their world and chose to stay in the world down below with the dinosaurs.
"Mama, who's that?" Taran asked.
Buck looked at all six tiger cubs and looked at Frida and Diego. It was clear that after long last and hearing all that talk between the two adult tigers last time, they were finally parents.
"Hello, kids!" Buck said with a smile and looked at Diego. "So, you finally knocked her up, eh?"
Frida quickly covered the cubs' ears as best as she could. As young as they were, they didn't need to hear that kind of talk. Shira looked at the small weasel in confusion.
"Wait, this half a snack is the dinosaur whisperer you told us about?" she asked.
"And expert salsa dancer", Buck smirked, taking Shira's paw.
The little weasel started showing off some moves, trying to impress the female saber. Shira seemed more scared than excited before Buck jumped onto Julian's back, catching up with the rest of the herd.
"And this must be Nectarine", he smiled, haven't seen Peaches since she was born.
"Peaches", the mammoth corrected him.
"Sweet eyepatch, bro!" her fiancé commented. "Very gangsta!"
"Thank you! I like this kid!"
Buck smiled, giving Peaches a thumbs up. Only five seconds of knowing Julian, but already, he approved. With all the greetings out of the way, Manny sighed as he approached their friend.
"Buck, what are you doing here?"
"Well…" he began, stopping as he looked at a tree stump. "What? I'm trying, but how do you tell someone they're doomed?"
Frida raised her eyebrow at the weasel. So much time had passed, and it looked like Buck's mind had gone even further away from sanity. The kids seemed to find him funny, laughing as they watched him talk to the stump.
"We're not doomed, Buck", Manny said trying to damper the mood. "It was just a meteor shower and the show's over."
"Oh, quite the contrary, old chap", Buck interrupted. "It's just beginning. In fact, I found… a prophecy…"
He pointed to the stone totem he brought from the dinosaur world below.