Here's another chapter! I've always had this scene outlined when I initially started the AU. I've just had to work out the kinks and voila, here you go! Helped that I went to the beach earlier today.

As promised, Gupta made a quick recovery thanks to the herbs and the care he was given. Though the scars would never go away, he considered them a symbol of the sacrifice he was willing to make for the friend he'd made in Roshan — that, and a symbol of what he gained in Gutt and Shira. He was able to move around without much pain in a day, and happily pranced outside the cave in the snow, which had slightly thawed under the morning's warmth. Gutt watched on with a smile on his face while Roshan was in his arms, cooing as some snow fell on his nose. It was little moments like these that were touching.

"Ah, I see you're already up," said Shira as she walked up to his side, briefly pressing herself to him. A smile was on her face as she looked ahead, seeing the chamitataxus prancing about in the snow. "It's a fine day, isn't it?"

"Morning, sunshine," Gutt greeted her, pressing his neck to hers as his own greeting. "Sure is a nice day. Much more light." He took a breath in, then out. "And the atmosphere's mighty fine, too."

Roshan nodded his head in agreement, before touching Shira's muzzle. Shira flinched for a second, the guilt of the fact she deprived him of his real mother burning, but she found herself easing into the touch. A small purr arose from the back of her throat as she nuzzled his tiny hand. Roshan laughed happily.

"Aww! Shira's got a sweet side after all," came a coo from Gupta. In seriousness, it was touching for him to see her ease up, given how guarded she was. He understood why — she had gone through her own hell — but still, it was nice to see her open up more. There's that side of her I always wanted to see, just as I wanted to see Gutt's nicer side, he thought to himself with a smile.

The tigress looked ahead and frowned, in a more playful manner rather than annoyed. "Don't push it," she warned him, teasingly. "I've still got dignity."

"Sure you do," Gupta teased back. He made a gesture for the two mammals to move forward. "Chalo bhee, guys. The snow's not as cold as yesterday!"

"I don't think we've got much time to play around in the snow," Gutt said, stepping forward with uncertainty. "After all, we've still got our duty."

"Oh, yes, of course." Gupta nodded, then raised a paw pad. "But perhaps we can make the trip fun?"

Gutt shrugged, walking past Gupta. "As long as it doesn't involve any sliding on ice," he said, looking back at the badger. Or going through caves that cause memories of the past to resurface, the ape added to himself. He didn't want to relive the moment he lost Marcella, the moment he lost Luce, his parents and – everything he had loved back then. He had even lost himself for a while, discarding 'Pasquale' for what he was now… Gutt. Sure, he was slowly opening up to his mammal companions, gaining a friend in Gupta and Roshan, and hell... he even was warming up to Shira. But he wasn't ready to –

"Don't worry," Gupta cut off his train of thought with his response. He waved a paw coolly. "There won't be any of that, I promise." The sliding was a nightmare, he added silently, shuddering a bit at the memory. Not as horrific as facing off wolves, but the scare he got seeing Roshan slide off...it was too much for his small heart.

"If you say so," Gutt said with a sigh. He allowed himself to smile though. Friends – he couldn't recall ever having one, at least not in this sense of brethren. In the troop, he was an extrovert, but that only drove others away. Coupled with an appearance that could be considered threatening and well, it was safe to say he was only close to his own family. But now, he had friends, from the most unlikely circumstances. A bizarre twist in the path he had taken, but he wasn't regretting anything now. "Hey, tigress, up front – you're the tracker, after all." Could this upstart become as important? he wondered. He cared for her, he knew now, but what was she to him? He still didn't know exactly. A part of him hesitated with her, to call her "friend", because the last time he had bonded with a female of her ilk was with…

"Oh, Pasquale, you may sometimes act like an uncouth bruiser, but you really are such a sweetheart."

He shook his head. No, he would learn to let this saber into his heart, he knew it. But it would take just a bit more time. He would have to see more from her, learn more of her, before he could do that. And he was willing to wait a little, to give it a chance—to give her a chance.

"Lo tiene, señor mono," said Shira with a salute, before moving in front of the group. She winked back at him, before looking ahead as she began to lead the way.

She was starting to like the nicknames he came up with for her. Every time he uttered those words or said her name, she felt nice. She felt wanted, appreciated, seen as something else than just 'merely useful' as she was with Soto. Was this what real friendship was like? If so, she didn't know how much she had yearned for it until now. Pack life was so suffocating in comparison, so harsh and cruel, with the high-ranking alphas controlling and bringing so much pain upon others… and she couldn't stand it. She only put up with it because she once believed in the delusions, told herself she could live such a life if she just buried her emotions, to the point where she committed an act that brought her onto Soto's low levels.

It was because of her that a family was torn apart. A son lost his mother, and the father lost his mate— and she was the one to blame. Worst of all, she was the only one that knew besides… Shira shuddered.

I can't live like this anymore, she thought, heart heavy with guilt. I can't let Soto take Pinkster and… but I can't tell them that I… there's nothing I can do… is there? There had to be a way to make amends, to fix things, to make it alright but she didn't know how or if it was even remotely within her control to do so. Had she fallen so far that she wasn't able to repent? The burden of guilt was crushing her like a bunch of boulders. I have to do something. I have to warn them somehow, or just protect them… or else I'll never be able to live with myself.

Shira never felt so filthy, so careless in her life. In trying to avenge her parents, she only ended up being no better than their killers— or worse, she stooped lower. What have I done? I should have never gone along with Soto's plans.

The tigress felt her breath hitch in her throat, something stinging the corners of her eyes, and each step felt heavy. But hearing Roshan's giggles and babbling, she pressed on. It wasn't right for a regular tiger to grow fond of a human, to turn back on its pack to keep it alive, but she never was going at being the perfect saber, now was she? Not at all. So she turned her head back slightly, giving the infant a small smile.

Seeing Roshan smile back, Shira knew then and there she would do anything to make sure none of her remaining pack members, including her vile leader, would lay a claw on him. Not unless they wished to answer to her.

Look around,
There's no one but you and me.
Right here and now,
The way it was meant to be.

"Once upon a time, there lived a great bird named Bharunda, on the banks of a lake."

Gupta was telling a story to make the hours seem like they weren't going on and on, amusing his companions, especially Roshan. The young human was so engrossed in the story, having never heard anything like it before, not even from his papa or mama. Papa always spoke of catching food and hunting, and Mama always spoke of the beauty of nature, how all creatures had something special to them. Mama's stories stood out more though, because he found himself more faithful in that idea, with it being proven to him right now. But the story Gupta was telling sounded very unique, so much different that Roshan couldn't help but lean over on Gutt's back, trying to hear in more.

Gutt grunted slightly, though an amused smile remained on his face. "A great bird? Of what species?" he asked. He recalled hearing his own fair share of old folktales back when he was young, and of how he was enthralled by them. So fantastic, like a wild dream becoming real, but of course it was all just kid's tales in the end. Nothing true to it. Still, it was always nice to recall the wild stories his parents told him.

"Tell me what happened next, pop!"

"So then, the ape spoke to the lion—"

"Nerio, the ape didn't speak to the lion. He simply guided him using movement as a way to convey his message."

"Nora, I'm trying to make the story easier for the boy!"

"But that's not how it went!"

"How did it go then, ma?"

"The ape showed the lion two paths. One was a path of light, and the other a path of darkness…"

"A yellow crane," said Gupta. The badger paused for a moment, trying to recall the details. "At least, I recall that my mother told me it was a crane." He shrugged. "It's an old folktale. The story was passed on for so long, certain details got fuzzy."

"Sounds like the average type of kid's tale," Gutt snorted. He gestured for the chamitataxus to go on. "But do continue, please."

"It was strange because he had two necks with two heads, but shared the common body," Gupta continued. "One day, as the bird was wandering, it found a delicious looking red-golden fruit."

"Wait, two heads and two necks?" Shira's muzzle scrunched up. "Sounds like he's got twice the headache and neck cramps."

Gupta snickered at this. "No, not really – well, maybe, but that's not the point! As I was saying: it found a delicious fruit. The bird was very happy. The first mouth took a bite of the fruit, elated by its nectarine taste. 'Wow, this fruit tastes like nectar! I've eaten many fruits 'till now, but really, nothing has tasted good as this fruit,' said the first mouth."

"How would they know what nectar tastes like?" Shira asked, skeptical. She didn't know what nectar tasted like herself, being a carnivore, but she would imagine it wasn't different from most fruit... right?

"The juices of a simple fruit like pineapples or peaches are different than nectar," Gutt explained to the tigress, placing one of his hands on her shoulder. "Nectar is found in other fruits, and it's much sweeter and special." He pinched his fingers together with his hand. "It's a taste you can never forget." He grinned at her. "I'm sure you understand that feeling, right?"

The saber simply stood there for a few moments, her body completely locked in place and utterly still even as her mind tried to comprehend. Even had she wanted to, she didn't think she would be able to tear her gaze away from those spellbinding eyes in front of her or that strange, charismatic smile.

Finally, and just a bit nervously, Shira returned the other mammal's smile with one of her own. "Actually, Gutt? I think I do know."

Gutt gave a nod, as though something important had just been decided between the both of them. "I just knew you'd be able to understand it, despite being a carnivore."

They continued walking while Gupta went on with the story, grinning as he hopped in front. "The second mouth said, 'Then let me have a taste as well. After all, I share labor and hardship with you, so it is only fair we share this fruit just as we've shared our other foods.' But the first mouth objected, 'You can eat other fruits.'"

Roshan frowned. He didn't like how selfish the first head of the bird sounded, and the child pouted while voicing his disdain through a displeased sound.

"Yes, it is selfish and rude of him to not share," Gupta agreed, recognizing what the infant was trying to say. "However, the first head kept making up excuses, even as his fellow head tried to reason. 'I never tasted nectar. Why am I not allowed to try it?' asked the second head. The first one's answer was, 'I told you what it tastes like. Why are you making fuss of such a small thing? I admit that, we both are different, but our stomach is common. That's why whatever we eat, that goes in our stomach. So don't worry, and focus on your own food.' By saying this, the first head offered the first food to his lover, instead of giving it to the second head, and his lover began to eat the fruit in front of the second head." The badger shook his head after that, starting to realize in hindsight this story seemed more like a lesson to always share with family. Perhaps that's why mother and father told us this countless times when we were young?

"What a load of…" Gutt trailed off, before stopping himself in realizing a child was present on his back. "The first guy sounds like a piece of work. I understand wanting to impress his mate, but that's his twin technically – he should have just given him a bite."

Shira was amused by the ape's rather emotional reaction. "Since when did you get so invested in kids' tales?" she asked him.

"My parents would tell me a lot of 'em," Gutt replied, shrugging his shoulders. And they were good at it, he thought, nostalgic and bittersweetly.

"Ah."

"Perhaps then you could tell the next story, my friend?" Gupta suggested, intrigued.

Gutt thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."

Roshan clapped in excitement. "Oo-ooh, oo-ooh!"

Gupta laughed while Gutt rolled his eyes in amusement of the child's attempt to mimic an ape. "I don't sound like that," the gigantopithecus said, a bit defensive. Though he did recall how he acted towards that one family at the start of the migration, and he winced. Had he really been that bad? "Not entirely."

There's a smile on my face,

Knowing that together, everything that's in our way,

We're better than alright.

"Anyway," Gupta went on with the story, "seeing the sight, the second head felt enraged. He decided to take revenge on the first head and without saying anything to the first head, he turned his face away from him. They didn't speak a word to each other for the rest of the day, with the second head waiting for the right opportunity to have his vengeance.

"One day, his chance came in the form of a poisonous fruit. He showed the first mouth the poisonous fruit. 'Now I will eat this fruit,' he proclaimed. 'We have one stomach.'"

Roshan whimpered and buried his face in Gutt's fur. He didn't like where this was going, and he felt scared.

"Don't worry, pinky," Gutt tried to calm him down. "It's just a story. It's not real." Still, he too was startled by the turn of events it had taken. Poison? In a kid's tale? Now this was quite a whiplash.

Shira was silent. Revenge – that was why she was here and yet, she couldn't imagine stooping to that low now. And strangely enough, for a second, she could see traces of herself and Soto in – no, it was just a folktale. But then why did it feel familiar? She shuddered.

"Hearing this, the first mouth was scared. He didn't expect this to ever happen. He said, 'Hey wait, wait! Please don't eat this fruit! We'll both die if you do, because - because we have one stomach!' The second mouth just shrugged him off. 'Nothing will happen to you,' he replied coolly. 'Because you have already tasted nectar, so you have become immortal.' The first mouth tried to persuade the second mouth, but the second mouth wouldn't listen, and so he ate the poisonous fruit."

"What kind of stories do they tell kids back where you came from?" asked Gutt displeased, while Roshan tried to hide his face behind the ape's hair tuft. "I don't think you should be telling this to Pinky."

"There's always a moral at the end of these, I promise," Gupta insisted, holding a paw up in defense. "Just... keep listening?"

"Is the moral to not be a jerk to your brethren?" asked Shira, raising a brow.

"You'll see." Gupta waved a claw at her, then went on to finish the story: "Poison went to the stomach. Both the heads were in agony, the body stumbling around until finally, it collapsed to the ground and both heads died. In this way, the two-headed bird forgot the meaning of morality. He died because of disdain. So the moral is that we should never let ego and selfishness come between familial relationships."

"That, and share your fruit," Gutt added, snorting. "Such a weird way to end a folktale, don't you think?"

"Not all folktales have happy endings," Gupta told him simply. "Sometimes, life is cruel."

Shira nodded silently, many thoughts going through her mind. Died because of disdain. Will that happen to me? she feared. She didn't want to go down that path anymore, but was there a way out? She wanted to know. She needed to know.

Roshan peeked his head out and tapped the ape's shoulder, whining. He wanted to hear a different story.

Gutt sighed. "Alright, kid, I'll tell you a story." He thought for a moment, trying to think of which one to tell him. Then it came to him. "This story," he cleared his throat, "is about a young ape named Biancabella and a snake."

Both Gupta and Roshan were intrigued. "Ooohhhh!" they said in awe, with the baby gently gripping onto the back of Gutt's neck while Gupta moved to walk closer.

Shira chuckled. "A snake and an ape… an odd pair, don't you think?" she asked him in amusement. Yet in contrast to her words, she moved even closer to him, their forelegs brushing. The feeling made her face feel warm, and she tried to fight the warmth she felt in her chest and stomach. He's an herbivore, and a monkey... you're a tigress and a huntress. Don't think about it, stupid girl.

"It's not a romance. Just listen to the story," Gutt replied, a smirk on his face. He took a breath in and began to tell the tale. "A leader of a troop of gigantopithecus had no children. One day, his wife slept beneath a tree, and a grass snake slithered into her womb. Soon afterwards, she became pregnant and gave birth to a girl with a snake wrapped about her neck. The healers were frightened, but the snake slithered off into the grass without harming anyone."

"The snake did what?!" Gupta shrieked, his eyes wide. He gagged and retched, paws scraping at his sides in disgust. "That's gross, Gutt! And you judged the folktale I was telling, when at least there were no birds crawling up wombs!"

"It's not graphic," Gutt replied, rolling his eyes. He looked to Roshan, the child simply blinking at him. "And Pinky doesn't seem to care much."

"He's a baby, genius," Shira said with a roll of her eyes. "He can't understand what… that stuff is about… and besides, it's so weird." She shivered at the imagery. Snake in the womb? At least I don't believe in this stuff, but still…

Gutt scoffed. "Not weirder than what you sabers could come up with. Once this story is over, I want you to tell me a story," he challenged her. "Then we'll see which one is the weirdest." He shouldn't be getting so defensive, but he couldn't help it – his mother told him this story when he was in his teenage years. He had an attachment to this folktale, nostalgic and painful as it was. And ridiculous, in a lot of aspects. But he wouldn't let this tiger ridicule it, even if he was taking a liking to her.

"Fine, I'll tell you a story!" Shira accepted his challenge. "We sabers are masters at crafting tales." She appeared confident but inside, she trembled, knowing that she was living a tall tale herself. You've been lying, spinning a story of being torn from your pack. How can you live with yourself? she berated herself.

Gutt stared at the saber, before going on. "The girl was named Biancabella. When she turned ten, the snake spoke to her in the treetops, telling her that she was her sister, Samaritana, and that if Biancabella obeyed her, she would be happy but miserable if she did not."

"So it's an odd family then," Shira remarked. "A snake and a monkey are sisters... somehow, the two-headed bird was more believable."

"Keep going, keep going!" Gupta urged, finding himself interested in this tale.

Roshan nodded and gurgled in agreement with the badger. Gutt smirked, looking at his saber companion. "So the snake then ordered her to bring her two shells, one filled with milk and one filled with rosewater."

Walking between the raindrops,

Riding the aftershock beside you.

Off into the sunset,

Living like there's nothing left to lose.

"When Biancabella returned to the tree her family resided in, she was distressed so her mother asked her what made her so sad," Gutt continued the tale. "Biancabella asked for the shells, which her mother gave her, and she carried them into the grassy area below. The snake then had Biancabella pour the milk and rosewater onto herself. She became even more beautiful, and when her fur was combed it shed jewels, and when her hands were washed, they shed flowers."

"Wow! That sounds…amazing," Gupta remarked in awe. He hadn't heard of a story like this, well, ever. "Did flowers really shed from her hands?"

"Yes," said Gutt with a nod.

Roshan's eyes were wide as he took it all in. It sounded grander than the stories he had been told, and even the story about the birds…and thankfully, not as scary. Though a bit bizarre. But then it made him wonder, if a snake and an ape could be family, then so could a gigantopithecus, a saber and a chamitataxus. And these three seemed like a family.

Shira seemed skeptical. "Milk and rosewater granting beauty? Please! Get real," she snorted. "So ridiculous…" Deep down though, she was getting interested. It sounded more interesting than whatever tales Soto spun around, in an attempt to impress her – to pull her in, now that she looked back on it. Stories that were too far-fetched and not in a fun sense, unlike Gutt's story – and they were so dreary, too.

"Asking for realism in a folktale? You need to get real," Gutt retorted. But he noticed the look of intrigue in the feline's eyes, the way they spoke words she wouldn't say aloud, 'Keep going.' He smiled coyly and continued, "This attracted many suitors. Finally, her father agreed to marry her to Ferrandino, the leader of a nearby troop. After they were mated, Biancabella called on Samaritana, but the snake did not come to her. Biancabella realized she must have disobeyed her and grieved for the snake, but left with her new mate.

"Ferrandino's stepmother, who wanted to pair him off to one of her ugly daughters, was enraged. Some time later, Ferrandino had to go to fight off hunters. While he was gone, his stepmother ordered her closest friends to take Biancabella away and kill her, bringing back proof of her death."

"Oh no!" cried Gupta, gasping dramatically. Roshan mimicked the badger's frantic nature, though he was definitely a bit scared. Not a lot, just a bit— or so he told himself.

"She'll be fine," Shira said, though she sounded unsure herself. And then came the strange sense of familiarity and guilt again, reminding her of the morning she had… and when the female human jumped from the…

"Turns out your assumption is somewhat accurate," Gutt told her. Then he raised a finger. "But only slightly."

"Oh? Do tell," Shira replied, nudging her foreleg on his.

Gutt chuckled, feeling his own face heat up from their forelegs making contact. Their eyes met for a brief moment, umber staring into blue. And in that moment, he started to wonder if maybe, she was more than just a little upstart that tagged along for her own gain.

Chasing after gold mines,

Crossing the fine lines we knew.

"They took her away, and while they did not kill her, they did gouge out her eyes and claw off her hands. The stepmother gave word that her own daughters had died, and that the leader's mate had miscarried and was ill; then, she put her own daughter into Biancabella's nest. Ferrandino was greatly distressed when he returned."

"I wonder why," said Shira dryly.

"That sounds horrible!" Gupta bemoaned.

"Biancabella called on Samaritana but once again, she did not come. An old ape found her and brought her to his tree. His wife rebuked him, because she had doubtlessly been punished for some crime, but he insisted. Biancabella asked one of his three daughters to comb her fur. The old woman did not want her daughter to be a servant, but the girl obeyed and jewels came out of Biancabella's fur."

Roshan tilted his head. He ran his hand through Gutt's fur, wondering if jewels would emerge. It didn't happen and he let out a whine.

Gutt laughed. "I'm afraid it's just a story, Pinky."

"So what happened next?" Gupta asked, leaning close. "Tell me!" He was desperate to know how the story finished, so engrossed in it that each detail thrilled him.

"Yeah, what did happen, monkey boy?" asked Shira, bumping her shoulder on his.

"Well…" Gutt smoothed out his hat-like hair, grinning as he saw how into the story his companions– and Roshan, clinging to him eagerly and babbling away– were. Such a nice audience they were. He would miss them when the time came to… no, now was not the time to think about that. "The family was greatly pleased because she had delivered them from a rough situation. After a few weeks passed, Biancabella asked the old man to bring her back to where she had been found, and there she called on Samaritana until she finally thought of killing herself. Samaritana appeared to stop her, and Biancabella appealed for forgiveness. Samaritana restored her eyes and hands, and then herself transformed into a ape."

Hold on and take a breath,

I'll be here every step,

Walking between the raindrops with you.

Gupta gasped, eyes wide. "Samaritana was an ape all along?!"

Shira blinked, trying to process what she just heard. "That's… that's… that's bizarre. That's impossible! That's— that's a lot more interesting than the stories I've heard…" she sighed, conceding with the idea of the ape being a better storyteller than any saber she had ever known, and even herself. The imagination he had, the way she envisioned the tale and how it played out— it was actually fun. The most fun she had in a while, and it was from an ape. Sabers didn't usually hunt gigantopithecus, but any herbivore was considered prey, no matter if they were primary or not. Which made her feel so conflicted.

"Glad you think so," said Gutt in a cheeky manner.

Roshan looked at Gutt in awe, touching his cheek. "Ooooh." He hadn't expected that twist coming. He was on the edge of his current resting place, aka the ape's back.

Gutt's heart almost melted. The kid was too precious, so full of curiosity and—and it reminded him of what could have been, if Marcella lived. If their Luce got the chance to—

No... there's no time in dwelling in the past. He pushed that to the back of his mind and went on: "After a time, the sisters, the old ape and his mate, and their daughters went to Naples, where Samaritana built them a large sanctuary. Ferrandino saw the females, and they told him that they had been exiled and had come there to live. He brought the apes of his troop, including his stepmother, to the place, where Samaritana told a servant to sing Biancabella's story without including the names.

"Then she asked what would be a fitting punishment. The stepmother, thinking to evade notice, said she should be cast into a large bonfire. Samaritana told the king the truth; Ferrandino ordered the stepmother to be thrown into a bonfire, paired off the old man's three daughters to good mates, and lived happily with Biancabella until he died, and his son succeeded him."

Gupta clapped. "Bravo! Adbhut kahaanee!" he cheered.

"Not bad," Shira said with a small smile.

Roshan let out his own cheer, having enjoyed the story himself. Gutt bowed at each of the praises, soaking it up. "Thank you, thank you, lads!" he said, winking at Shira afterward. "I believe it's your turn now, pussycat."

Shira cleared her throat. "Alright then, here it goes… just know that we sabers aren't really into these grand tales," she added the last part quickly. It wasn't a lie; it was true, sabers didn't know how to tell big stories like apes or badgers could, so it seemed. But since she took on Gutt's challenge, she might as well. At least Pinkster seems interested.

"I'm sure it will be fun!" Gupta tried to reassure his feline friend, now rushing over to her side. He grinned up at her, showing his sharp pearly whites. You can never bore me, he wanted to say. You're always so interesting. But he couldn't, not when he knew how it would sound if he said it aloud… "Tell us, Shira!"

"Yeah, go on, tigress," Gutt urged her, his voice now soft. "Tell us a story." Tell me a story.

"Tiiiggaa!" Roshan gurgled, giving the tigress big eyes. He wanted to hear one more story, especially since this walk was getting long and he didn't want to doze off just yet.

Shira looked between the three, took a breath in, and then took breath out. "Okay, so… in a valley, long ago, there were two packs of sabers. One was of white-furred sabers, and another of dark-furred sabers. Juan, a dark-furred saber, and Isabel, a white-furred saber. The two were in love as childhood playmates but when they were both at an eligible age to mate, Juan's pack had come across a rough time."

Take me now,

The world's such a crazy place.

"A love story? I never knew you were a romantic," Gupta remarked, his smile growing. He cozied up to Shira's leg, feeling a surge of joy rush through him. "Go on, I'm listening!" Miss Juliette…

"I'm not—I don't—uh…" Shira laughed nervously, glancing away from the badger, trying to focus her eyes anywhere else. Her eyes fell upon Gutt, an amused look on his face. Roshan looked on curiously from the ape's back, being the precious child he was.

I don't deserve to have you give me a chance. I don't deserve any of you guys, your hospitability, your kindness—none of it. That was her thought, but she hid it well, keeping an awkward look and chuckling, as if she wasn't hiding her own darkness beneath.

"She's telling a story, Gupta," Gutt said in a playful, scolding manner. He waved his hand in a way that made it appear as though he were trying to playfully swat at the chamitataxus. His eyes focused on the tigress again, wondering what story she had to tell. "Tell us, Shira, how does it go?"

Shira relaxed. She appreciated the way the gigantopithecus took a calmer approach. Why had she pegged him as a shrewd monkey prior to this? He was merely more level-headed, the brains of sorts. She liked that, and…she liked him. She liked him more than she wanted to. "Juan's pack had run out of caribou," she went on. "His padre, the leader, went to Isabel's father – the leader of her pack – for help. But he refused the offer of joining their packs through mating off Isabel to Juan. Juan, however, was able to make an agreement with the father in which he would leave the valley for five years to try to build his hunting skills. If Juan was able to gain wealth within those five years he would be able to be mates with his love, Isabel."

"Did he succeed?" Gupta asked, eagerly following behind the tigress as the group trekked forward on the road. Or are they destined to fail, like star-crossed lovers? Unable to love because of the division, where the pale furs are unable to become one with the dark-furred… he found himself remembering Shira's words, from the day she told him hints of her pack life. Pale furred sabers didn't mix with dark furred sabers, so if that was the case… would he be unlucky, for his fur was mostly darker than hers, and he wasn't even a tiger? The thought caused a dilemma, despair and— "Juan has to win Isabel's heart! It can't end with the barriers succeeding!"

"Calm down, Gupta!" Gutt tried to soothe the badger. "It's just a folktale. It's not real, and even then… I doubt that the barriers won." At least, he prayed they didn't. The idea that barriers could separate two beings that cared about each other, even in storytelling… it was unthinkable. It was unfair, unjust, to even suggest that there wasn't a way to break past the obstacles that hampered them even in fantasy. Not all stories ended happily, he knew that very well, but when it came to love…shouldn't there be some satisfaction?

Why do you care? You'll be part of those barriers you detest once you return the human, a voice in his mind told him. And Gutt realized that was right. He was going to split up from these two once Roshan was with his tribe, since there'd be nothing tying them…except their bonds. But gigantopithecus and chamitataxus rarely mixed, and when smilodon was thrown into the equation, that was when it became clear. The three were a group of unlikely mammals, destined to never cross once this was all over. Shira would return to her pack, and Gupta and him were stuck with an uncertain future.

This should've been obvious. Gutt should have accepted it, but he didn't. He refused to. He refused to think that he would never see Shira again, or Gupta. He refused to think that they would be forced to say goodbye. Just when he was finally gaining something, he was close to losing it again—and he couldn't bear the thought.

"Well…just keep listening," Shira sighed, knowing how the tale went. It didn't have the conclusion they wanted. It was a bit more realistic, in a saber's way of telling a story—blunt, harsh and bittersweet. "During those five years Juan was away, Isabel's father pestered her to choose a mate. She replied to him by saying that she wished to remain 'unclaimed' until she turned ten moons, saying that tigresses should learn how to manage themselves before settling down. Because her father loved her dearly and wished for her happiness he agreed, and for five years they waited for Juan's return."

When the walls come down,
You'll know I'm here to stay.
There's nothing I would change,
Knowing that together, everything that's in our way…
We're better than alright.

"Did Juan return?" Gutt asked, his sides brushing with Shira's as they walked closely together, passing by a tree. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of falcons staring, chittering among themselves disapprovingly. He knew why; they were an odd trio, but he paid no mind to that. He grew fond of this setup, and he wasn't going to give it up now because of a few judgmental birds—or even mammals, in the case of that clan of badgers from the waterhole.

"He did," replied Shira, nodding. But it wasn't a happy reunion… and she further began to think of the inevitable reunion with Soto, shivers rushing down her spine. A sense of dread built up inside her. I don't want to go back. "But with a catch."

Roshan tilted his head, confused. What did that mean? What was wrong with the reunion of Isabel and Juan?

Gupta gulped. "A catch?"

"Juan was not heard from in those five years and so on the day of the five years' close, Isabel's father had her become the mate of another white saber, Pedro. Right after that, there was a commotion at the valley's edge. The watchbirds informed the pack that Juan had returned with great strength and a good kill, and with the intent of having Isabel. Juan had not counted the day in which he petitioned Isabel's father whereas his pack had."

Roshan whined. This wasn't how it was supposed to end! It wasn't fair. Why did Juan have to be too late?

"So… star-crossed is their fate?" Gupta asked, feeling disappointed. He shouldn't get his hopes up over a fable, but he couldn't help himself. This seemed right up his alley, or so he thought. Poor Juan. He must be so heartbroken.

"Not exactly," was the saber's reply.

Gutt gave a strange look. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, eyebrow raised. Could it be that there was… a chance for them—no, this tale to have a somewhat hopeful end?

Walking between the raindrops,

Riding the aftershock beside you.

Off into the sunset,

Living like there's nothing left to lose.

"That night, Juan snuck into the cave of Isabel and her mate and gently awoke her. He pleaded to her, "Bésame, que me muero"," the tigress continued the bittersweet tale. "And she refused, saying: "No quiera Dios que yo falte a mi marido. Te ruego que encuentres otro, y te olvides de mí. Si nuestro amor no pudo complacer a los de arriba, no debe complacerme a mí.""

She paused, feeling herself getting choked up as she realized… "Devotion to duty."

Gutt titled his head. "Pardon?"

"Devotion to duty – it's a saber thing." She looked at him, her expression filled with sorrow. "When tigers are loyal to a cause, and in this case, a mate… they stick to that, even tossing aside how they feel." She smiled bitterly. "Because nothing's worse than a traitor." And a dead, used saber is better than a wasteful one, she added silently, knowing her fate was sealed either way.

"Pack life sounds vile," Gutt said, frowning. "You shouldn't devote yourself to something you don't believe in. To someone you don't love." He placed his hand on her paw for a moment, causing them both to stop in their tracks, especially as their eyes met. "You should devote yourself to someone you really care for, and a cause you believe in. Your own righteousness."

"Sabers aren't righteous," Shira protested softly. "And pack life is never easy, but it's the only life we've got." She couldn't look away, finding herself trembling beneath his gaze. Her knees were weak, her paws aching for more of his touch— and she tried not to think, not to feel…

"No, it's not. You have a choice," Gutt insisted. He didn't want her to have a similar fate, tied to something—someone—she didn't believe in or care for. "You don't have to go back."

"I have to!" Shira exclaimed, pushing him away with both her forelegs, before quickly stepping around him. The white tigress tried to put distance, looking forward, away from the ape. "You don't understand. I have no choice." I haven't had one since I killed her. I didn't lay a claw on her, but her death was because of me. If I hadn't… if Roshan still had his mother… the harsh reality was there, and she had to use all her strength to keep herself from letting the truth be revealed. From trying to let her desire take over and ask if Gutt would ever let her in, if he would willingly open his arms for her, take her away from her old life.

Would he accept her, sins and claws and all? She hadn't known him for long, but she knew even then, he was much better than Soto was—and in knowing this, she came to realize how she had fooled herself about her leader because of devotion to duty.

She was trapped with no way out, all thanks to this mindless devotion…and she realized it all too late. A cruel irony, as the fable bled into reality in a sense.

"You do! You just won't try and take the chance," Gutt argued, taking steps forward. "Because you're scared." Just like I am. But that's okay, he realized. We can do this together. We can face—

"I'm not scared," Shira lied, taking another step back. Another lie to add to the list of many, many lies she had told. How proud would mama and papa be of you? You're more cunning than a fox, yet more cowardly than a coyote. "You just don't understand. You will never understand."

"I would if you just told me," Gutt said, his voice straining. "Please, Shira, I—"

"Arguing time is over." Her tone was flat now, emotions seemingly gone in an instant. Her blue eyes, once filled with a light minutes ago, were now blank and expressionless. "Back to the story."

Gupta wanted to say something, anything, to fix this but he couldn't say the words. He couldn't reach out to the saber as he did once, on that day he began to learn more about her, because she began to move ahead. Still in hearing range, but there was a distance. She was closing off. At this, his heart sank. Why though? Why was the tigress doing this?

Gutt, on the other hand, was visibly distraught. What had he done to set her off? To have her act like this? It made his heart twist in pain. He didn't want to set things back to where they had been when this journey began, when they were at each other's throats. He didn't want to go back. He wanted to go forward, to learn more of her, help her break from this horrid devotion of hers to a pack that didn't give a rodent's ass about her, from whatever was keeping her down—he wanted to help her because deep down, he cared. He cared about her in a way he hadn't cared for someone in a long time. Her and Gupta were the companions he never knew he needed, and it had taken a human for him to realize this, and to now have this chance being ripped away— "Shira, please… let me in." Trust in me.

Shira wanted to say yes, to do just that, but she couldn't. Not when she had gone too far, dug too deep. "Not now, Gutt." I'm so sorry.

Roshan looked between the ape and tiger, knowing something was wrong. Horribly wrong. They weren't supposed to fight. They weren't supposed to be this upset. Why was this happening, and why was the white saber so cold now?

Chasing after gold mines,

Crossing the fine lines we knew.

Hold on and take a breath,

I'll be here every step,

Walking between the raindrops with you…

"He begged her one last time, saying that he was dying and wished for a final kiss. But still she refused. Upon hearing this Juan could not bear the separation between himself and his love, and with a sigh he died on the paws of his beloved Isabel. When she realized that he died, she shivered. She woke her mate, telling him that his snoring scared her and she wished to hear a story. And he did, and in return she told him her own story. She told him of Juan and how he lay dead beside them."

Shira's eyes were staring ahead, expression blank, almost lifeless. She imagined herself dying, being torn to shreds by Soto's claws after being made into his personal plaything, and she felt so sick. But when she tried imagining herself dead by the cause of another, she imagined herself at the mercy of Gutt's claws, pinned to a wall. His hands around her neck, his voice raised as he shouted at her, cursed her for lying and her betrayal— and a smile almost came onto her face, for it was a death she would gladly die, rather than be violated and torn to shreds by a monster.

To pay for her sins, to pay for the death she caused in the human mother, to pay for the family she tore apart… to pay for the lies she told, the hearts she would inevitably break with her deceiving nature—the nature of a tiger, which she sadly was—it was a death worth dying.

"But that's not how the story ends, is it?" asked Gutt, sounding hopeful in his tone.

Shira shook her head. "No, it's not."

"Phew!" Gupta let out a relieved breath, trying to lighten the mood. "Thank the creator! If this had a bad ending, I would have—"

""Oh, you wretched!" cried Pedro. "Why did you not kiss him?" Isabel replied, "To not deceive my husband." Pedro groaned. "Of course. You are a feline worthy of praise."

And so they agreed on secretly burying him in the spot where the childhood friends first met because the husband feared that he would be blamed for his death. The next day, during the mourning for Juan of the dark-furred saber pack, Isabel showed up with a flower in her mouth. She proceeded to place a kiss on the saber she had refused but in doing so Isabel died, falling prostrate on the body of the one she truly loved."

Once she finished the tale, Shira looked back at her companions, seeing the expressions of each.

Roshan was perplexed, shocked by how it ended. So they technically were together in the end…right? United by death, even if that was sad; a bittersweet conclusion, at most. Both were too late, so in the end, their fates were sealed together—and in the spirit world, they would be reunited, or so he liked to believe. It wasn't as dark of an end to the tale as Gupta's was, or even Gutt's as the deaths weren't gruesome. Just tragic. The baby tilted his head, lost in this thought. What an odd story, and yet Shira seemed so into it… for some reason. He couldn't tell why, though.

Gupta sniffled, wiping tears away. "Such a sad, but beautiful ending!" he wailed, blowing his nose into his right foreleg's fur. If they can't be together in life, they will be together in death—but that doesn't have to be the end to our tale, does it? He prayed not. He wanted to spend a lifetime with her, and Gutt, and he wanted their bond to last long. No going their own ways; their paths had been too entwined for him to accept the possibility of them splitting up.

Gutt looked at Shira somberly. It wasn't a bad way to end a story, but frankly, it was a bit too harsh. Because for a moment, he imagined them in that position: her stuck with duty, and him forced to plea to her. The idea of her refusal, of her dying keeping true to the duty, with her demise being her only release from the cruel role she was forced to take—it was too much. This story's ending only made him think of it more and the more he thought of it, his heart ached. Especially as their argument was so fresh.

What did she mean by her words? And why wouldn't she let him in?

"You're good at telling tales, I'll give you that," Gutt said. He walked close to her side again, lowering his voice, "But you're not so good at lies."

Shira visibly trembled. "Don't," she warned him, blue eyes narrowing.

"Tell me why you are dedicated to this pack of yours," Gutt pleaded, umber eyes welling up with tears of frustration. He wanted to understand, to know why she was closing off from him. "Why do you want to go back to them? They treated you and your family so horribly. Do the remaining members even value you?" Then another question came into mind, one he always had but never said, thinking it sounded too harsh even when he was closed off from her. But now, with his emotions taking control, the words escaped him before he could stop to think properly: "If you're really lost as you say, why doesn't your leader send anybody to look for you? That's just incompetence for him to leave you alone to find the pack by yourself!"

Shira opened her mouth to respond, to shoot him down with a rebuttal, but she stopped. He was right, but she wouldn't say why exactly. If she told him the truth, he would hate her, and she would deserve every bit of his wrath but…she had grown too fond of him to ruin things even further.

There's a smile on my face,

Knowing that together, everything that's in our way,

We're better than alright…

The tigress' head hung low. The gigantopithecus' eyes widened, realizing what he just said. He reached a hand out to cup her face, just in time as tears began to fall. "Shira, I'm sorry, I—"

"You're right," Shira croaked, her hoarse tone making the ape stop talking instantly. "He doesn't care about me. He doesn't care if I live or die, and if I live, the only purpose I'll serve is to … to become his plaything!" She shuddered, memories of Soto's threats, his attempts to claim her, and all the painful bits of the past resurfacing. Any delusions she had of him ever being a friend, ever caring or valuing her had diminished for good as the truth settled in at last — she was just his pawn, and she had fallen into the role. Now, she had no chance of escape, but she wasn't going to not at least try to explain… "But I can't leave the pack. I don't have anywhere else to go. No other pack out there, if there is any, will take a white saber. We're a scorned subspecies, and I'm an alpha female — where would I fit in a regular pack? But if I go alone, I won't be able to hunt by myself. To find proper food or shelter. I'm at a loss no matter what."

"That's not true," Gutt said firmly, grabbing her by the shoulders. He was horrified at what he heard, the worst of his suspicions being confirmed. The fact that the leader of the white feline's pack threatened to rape her … it made his blood boil. He wasn't going to let her go back there, not when her life was on the line — no, she was staying with him. "You have me and Gupta, and Pinky. You don't have to go back. You can —" he swallowed, finding the next words hard to say, but he managed out a, "You can stay with us. Your status doesn't matter here, not in our odd bunch. I'll even help you hunt." What's wrong with you? You must slow down, think a bit more logically- but he couldn't. He wanted her safety, and with that came this offer immediately, because he couldn't think of any other place she would fit in other than with him and Gupta.

"But Pinkster's gotta go home and once he's home, I'm of no use to you," Shira argued, shaking her head and pulling away from him. "I'm a tigress. My kind and yours? We don't mix, and there's a good reason for that. I'll bring you nothing but trouble." You and Pinkster and Gupta; you're all doomed if I stick around. "And I could never force you to help me hunt. That goes against your natural instinct."

Gutt snorted. "You think once the kid's with his tribe, I'm going to go back to the way I was at the start of this? Not a chance. You, me and Gupta? We're a trio of odd mammals brought together for a reason. Doesn't matter that our species don't usually interact in the most friendliest of ways; we're a team, and a team doesn't break apart. If you're trouble, well then fine, I like a little trouble." He flashed a grin at her. "Natural instincts can be overlooked, since we apes stray from our usual diet towards bugs and small meats, if necessary."

"But—"

"No buts!" He grabbed her paw, grasping it in his hand. "Just please, won't you consider it?"

Shira paused, trying to think about it. I want to join you, but … would you accept me, if you knew I caused the death of the kid's mother? If you knew what kind of plan I got caught up in? Why I'm really here? It was difficult to give a proper response. She felt burdened by the harsh reality of it all. "I'll think about it," she forced out.

Walking between the raindrops,

Riding the aftershock, beside you.

Off into the sunset,

Living like there's nothing left to lose.

A small grin crossed Gutt's features. His heart soared with hope. There's a chance. "Thank you, Shira," he said softly, rubbing her paw gently.

A sad smile made its way across her face. "You're welcome," she replied quietly. She pulled her paw from his grasp, quickly missing the warmth of his touch, and moved forward. She sensed him trailing behind her and her heart wrenched. Why did this have to happen?

Gupta walked up to Gutt, wondering what was going on. Why was Shira suddenly getting so upset? What had they been talking about? He didn't understand any of it, but it must have been important — it had to be, if their current states spoke of anything. "Tum donon ke beech kya chal raha hai?"

"I'll explain later," was Gutt's response.

Gupta accepted this response, despite the unsettling feeling that grew within the pit of his stomach. The feeling that there was something that the smilodon was hiding, something that the gigantopithecus had found out, and the chamitataxus wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was. All he knew was that he was thankful Roshan was too young to understand these sort of things—and for a moment, he wished he had his childhood innocence back, if only to escape the fears that his adult life was giving him. But such thinking was foolish, for he knew he had to take on responsibility, and with that came having to learn harsh truths. So he began to brace himself for whatever Gutt would tell him.

After all, it couldn't be too bad, right?

Yet Roshan knew something was wrong. Very, very wrong, and Shira seemed to know what it was, but she wouldn't tell. He understood why. Mama didn't like to talk about bad things, and neither did Papa. But the human child knew there was many things wrong in the world, and he had the misfortune to see some of those wrongs. However, he also knew that every wrong would be righted, and so he prayed the same would happen in this case.

For a being willing to change themselves, slowly but surely, in the most unlikely circumstances? They deserved a second chance, and that definitely fit in this circumstance very well.

Chasing after gold mines,
Crossing the fine lines we knew.
Hold on and take a breath,
I'll be here every step,
Walking between the raindrops with you.
Between the raindrops with you,
Between the raindrops with you,

Between the raindrops with you.

Hindi words:

Chalo bhee – "Come on"

Adbhut kahaanee! – "Wonderful story!"

Tum donon ke beech kya chal raha hai? - "What's going on between you two?"

Spanish words:

Lo tiene, señor mono – "You've got it, mister monkey."

Padre – father

"Bésame, que me muero" – "Kiss me, for I am dying"

"No quiera Dios que yo falte a mi marido" – "God would not wish me to deceive my husband" (trying to translate that into a saber context was causing me grief so I just let it be)

"Te ruego que encuentres otro, y te olvides de mí. Si nuestro amor no pudo complacer a los de arriba, no debe complacerme a mí" – "I beg you to find another, and forget about me. If our love could not please those above, it must not please me."

Song used: "In Between the Raindrops" by Natasha Bedingfield & Lifehouse.

Folktales used: "The Bird with Two Heads and One Stomach", "Biancabella and the Snake", and "Lovers of Teruel." All modified respectively to fit the context of animals. I don't own any of these stories, nor do I claim to. I just use them because cultural ties and such.

Also, regarding the characters' ages: I've decided after this chapter and if I do a roleswapped version of the Meltdown plus future installments, I will go by the human way of aging because animal ages are hard and in Ice Age, inconsistency is high. Tigers don't live long, and badgers don't either. Not as long as orangutans. So from now on, I'll just count by human years—which is weird, I know, because they're not exactly human-like but it's easier for me this way, okay?

Here's the age list to make sense of things: Gutt is 33 in human years, Shira is 28, and Gupta is 25. I made Roshan 8 months old because he seemed to lack basic skills of talking and walking until midway through the original film, at least in the latter, and most one year-olds I've seen at least knew to say one word or two. So, yeah.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, despite the… sudden shift in tone… and semi-philosophical ending.