"Hey...hey! Wake up!" There were whispers around the Ice Valley, which made Ashley wake up.
"Wh-what?" She opened her eyes and looked at the gentle muskox she'd been leaning on the past days. She then let her eyes wander around and saw many animals looking at each other and themselves confused.
"What happened?"
"Why are we here?"
"Did it work?"
"Where's my watermelon?!"
"..."
The skies are no longer dark, instead it is bathed in the beautiful sunshine and snowflakes as the glorious dawn revealed itself along the horizon. The animals took a while to admire the beauty and then scattered around, heading out different directions as they chatted and walked back to where they're supposed to be.
Ashley soon then realised something, she looked at her muskox friend and asked, her eyes were filled to the brim with hope and light.
"Did somebody make it? W-we...are safe now? Did 'they'...did what I think 'they' do?"
The muskox just looked at the hopeful beaver and laughed off, as she picked Ashley up, she say:
"The name's Valerie. Nice to meet you, Ash."
Ashley looked at her new friend, being quite shy to give out a response.
"Right...hi...Val. ehh-I-uh-I...H-how did you know my name?" She asked as she felt quite curious."
"Heh, I never reveal that secret to anyone so far, bud." claimed the ox as they continued to journey back home, knowing that they had survived another day to live life and enjoy things that the current world can offer.
-•-
Footsteps can be heard outside, as the pack of Diatrymas, consisted of a mother and 3 babies standing as far as possible away from the blocked entrance of a small cave they decided to snug in and hide out as a shelter.
All of a sudden, footsteps can be heard storming louder and louder, as then it was soon accompanied with the sound of clanking on the stones outside. This made the babies freaked out as they stick closer and tighter with their mother like superglue.
"M-mom…" one baby whispered. "...what if the thing broke through?" There was a clear hint of fear in every word of the little Diatryma.
"SHHH…Don't say a word…" the mother quickly used her wing to cover her baby's beak and whispered, She doesn't really want anything to hear them, as the cave is covered in darkness and silence.
The giant boulder that was blocking the entrance of the cave suddenly moved as there was something pushing in. The Diatrymas stared at the little gap that light managed to go through as they saw a dark, big figure trying to burst in. The featherly mother used her nest to cover all of her babies at a corner, as she decided to stand against what is going through this entrance. The babies looked at her emotionally, as one started to shed tears.
A mammoth then busted in as it looked around. Due to panic responses. The Diatryma just jumped in and pecked the mammoth in its face, as she's willing to protect her younglings at all costs.
She kept attacking until she heard a familiar voice that came out from the mammoth.
"Wa-Wait, Matria! Stop, it's ME! Stop"
The mother bird, Matria, then stopped to look at who she was attacking.
"P-Peaches?" Matria still remembered the one mammoth that went on a journey to find her egg back, who has an adventurous and bold daughter. "I thought you're-"
"It's alright, we got her back. It's all over." Before the bird could reply, Manny, who was trying to catch up on Peaches, told her to worry no more.
The little birds hiding from the nest then started to peak their heads out after hearing the voice of Manny. They looked at each other happily as they knew that the danger was finally over.
"What happened to your daughter?" The birds got curious as they asked the reason that led to such a disastrous event.
Manny looked at them nervously and just gave a giggle and said: "Um...Long story, We'll talk about that some day if we have free time. Now go outside." He then quickly dragged Peaches as they rushed over to the shelters of others.
The birds then looked at each other confused, wondering what just happened. Manny then at a random moment peaked his head back in and exclaimed: "Actually, It's best that you shouldn't know about it."
As the Sun rose to the top, more and more animals went out as they were greeted with the gentle beezy atmosphere and the warming sunshine at the same time. It was really over, as the Herd once again had become victorious in another harsh journey like no other.
"Is your daughter going to kill us?" Some of the baby aardvarks got scared a bit as they asked the mammoth with bandages on her ankle and head, Ellie. She looked at them and giggled.
"The thing that was trying to kill us is gone now. We are safe, nothing's gonna hurt you anymore, alright?" Ellie told them that everything will be alright.
"Is he going to kill us?!" one of the aardvark used it's trunk to point in a direction.
This made Ellie turn her head in the direction where the aardvark was pointing, only to see Roshan standing near them.
"Um...no. He's our little guy that helped us in the journey, and an old friend, I guess. Do not be afraid, heheh." Ellie tried to calm the aardvarks down as they got fazed upon seeing a human. Roshan looked at the aardvarks and didn't hesitate to come closer. As they tried backing away, he put his hand on one of them as he pet the aardvark gently.
"I am not your enemy, little guy" He gave them a gentle smile which completely stunned the aardvark, but it left the animal amazed.
Brooke came to hold Sid's hands as Sid asked her.
"Geotopia had collapsed but you are still young. Is this a miracle?!"
Brooke laughed that off as she said.
"Not anymore my dear. Thanks to the last crystal's power we still get to remain our youth as long as we have this bracelet or necklace on." as she showed Sid her bracelet with a glowing pink crystal on it.
"Aww. Do we have to rebuild Geotopia again?" a voice of a unicorn called out.
"BUBBLES! You're ALIVE!" as Misty came to check out on her, she nudged on the unicorn with love and care. "I thought I would never get to see you again."
"It's alright Misty, It's all fine." Bubbles exclaimed, as she wanted her sister to get off her.
"WE DID IT ANIMALS! WE SURVIVED THE DISASTER!" Fast Tony shouted as he saw the amount of animals coming out from their hideouts increased more and more. They cheered up and celebrated. Fuzzy then came up to the Herd, as they stood in the middle of the crowd of animals. He then did a dance with some of the Hyraxes, then after that a swift squeak, as the crowd chanted their names.
Manny looked around confused, as Sid poked him.
"What, Sid?"
"We are now the Valley's guardians. Manny."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"G-U-A-R-D-I-A-N-S, guardians. Isn't that honorable, Manny?"
"Well, I guess. Isn't that too much of a title?"
OW. Diego came and gently punched Manny by his shoulder
"Go with the flow, Manny. Go with the flow."
-•-
6 months later, Roshan and Manny were sitting near a cliff in the Valley, as the majestic view of sunset and the low, quiet sea hit their eyes. It was very calm and relaxing, as the sound of waves crashing into the rocks and birds flying upon their heads. They sat down to have a chatter.
"You know, sometimes I prefer to go sightseeing like this, take a view of the the world or things like that, you know…" Manny told how he feels about some of his hobbies.
"Ye, sometimes I do enjoy things like this when I'm in the mood." Roshan replied simply.
"So anyways...you want to come with us?" Manny asked Roshan with the capacity of a friend. Roshan looked at him, then stared back out at the horizon.
"I'm sorry, Manny, I wish I could, but I have places to go and things to do. Sure I can be one of your members, but I think that I still have people...and well, animals who need me. I'm sorry poofy, but if you ever need me, I'll hear your call." He replied with all of his honesty, he knew that Manny can still go well with the Herd without his help, and that he should use his help on others who are in need of it.
"Well, you're leaving tomorrow morning?"
"Yep."
Manny then looked at his Neanderthal friend, as he used his trunk and reached for something in his thick fur, something that he wanted to give Roshan as a gift of memories.
"I-I-think you would need this back. It's been a ton of years since."
"Manny, I don't think you owe me anything my big ma-" He suddenly got cut off as he saw the object Manny's holding on his trunk.
It was the necklace that Runar, Roshan's father once gave Manny back in the Ice age to thank the benevolent mammoth for returning back his dear baby.
Roshan wouldn't let his eyes off the necklace, he let out a smile as he reached out to grab the necklace with both hands. He looked at it as if it's a life form, drops of tears had already started to land on the wooden charms of the necklace.
"D-d..Dad." He started to mumble, as Manny came and put his trunk on Roshan's shoulder.
"It's alright bud, It's alright, I can understand." the mammoth tried to confront the human, whose emotion had been running wild inside.
"Manny I...I-I'm- I…-..." he let out a long pause "Manny, thank you. Without you, I don't think I would remember my father." he said as he glanced over the now one-tusked woolly mammoth, his grasp on the necklace tightened.
"Well, glad to know about that, Pinky. How's your father anyway?" Manny said with a soft and cheerful tone in hopes for an answer.
Roshan went dead-silent for a while before he exclaimed the hurtful truth.
"G-go...-gone. Presumably dead."
Manny looked at him with his eyes wide open. He slightly shook his head around in disbelief and asked his devastated friend.
"Wait w-what?! Why-w-what happened?!"
"He ju-ust...disappeared with his hunting group on 1 day, a-and...never to be se-seen again. I-I...didn't...get..to say goodbye...to him on that...fa-faithful day wh-when he left…" Roshan muttered as tears had already started turning into 'rivers' flowing down from his face. Looking at him in this state, Manny just came and gave his primate friend a good, warm hug with his trunk, as he whispered: "It's okay, it's okay Pinky, it's alright."
Manny then took the necklace off Roshan's hands and then wiped out his tears. Roshan then looked up at the mammoth curiously about its actions.
"Dead or alive, I am sure that your father had always waited for this day to come. The day when his son finds the mammoth that once saved him, and get to wear this on his neck with all pride and honor." Manny said as he put the necklace onto Roshan, and he looked at the thing with all due respect.
Roshan looked at the necklace resting on his chest, then came charging at Manny with his arms spread wide.
"Come here you big dork!" Roshan came in and hugged the mammoth, as the sun started to go down more and more, and light started to slowly yet firmly fade away.
"Hey, what took you two so long?" Sid, who was on Diego's back, asked them as they were letting go of each other.
Roshan quickly wiped off the remaining tears on his face as both of them quickly replied: "NOTHING."
"Just a little friendly chatter, friends' style." Manny tried to act cool after his emotional moment with Roshan.
"Welp, I'm going back to camp first, there's a long journey for me tomorrow." said Roshan as he walked away, while giving out peace sign back at Manny.
"Goodbye, Rosh."
"Bye, Manfred."
"Well don't you look at that, guys. He's all grown up." Manny stated as he looked at Roshan walking away, then turned back to look at the horizon.
"Such a beautiful view don't you think?" Manny said as he looked at Diego and Sid, however, none of them replied.
"Guys?"
They suddenly started to hide a laugh before Manny could realise that there was something right behind him.
"SURPRISE!"
"GAAAHHH!" Manny flipped himself over as Peaches and Julian jumpscared him by their unexpected appearances.
It was then that Sid and Diego started to laugh at the upside down Manny. While Peaches and Julian giggled at it. After Manny managed to flip himself over, he told the mammoth pair.
"You two got me there, heheh...How's your adventure?"
Peaches looked at Manny as she grinned "Oh, we just found a lot of umm…. 'souvenirs' I guess, like this decorated rock that Julian found or this piece of leaf with a luminous pattern."
Manny ignored all of the things they showed to him and he just hugged both of the mammoths.
"I'm glad that you all made it back here in one piece, that's the only thing I cared about."
"It's alright to have some happy accidents along the way, dad. Heehee." Julian tried to dissuade Manny from being so worried about her when they're on adventures.
"Yea and then one day you or her will come back with a thirst for blood and murder due to something that takes over you like the incident last time." Manny wasn't joking around with what he'd just said. Peaches paused for a while as she thought about it.
"Well speaking of the incident, what if I fall for things like that again during one of my journeys? I don't wanna be the culprit to such nightmarish stuff!"
Manny looked at the slightly paranoid Peaches, as he gave her a smile.
"Well, telling you to quit and stay with us sure is easy, but that would never be your choice, and I'm in no position to demand you to do so."
"Dad, I just don't want to make mistakes like that." Peaches told her eternal desire to Manny, who then dragged Julian near Peaches, and then continued where he left off.
"Everyone makes mistakes, Fuzzball. If Sid ever taught me anything in life, that would be it. You need to know that nobody is perfect, It's just the matter that if you're able to learn anything from it. They are not final or fatal, darling, they are lessons of life. Same goes to you, big boy." Manny ended his talk as he looked at them grinning, he then sneakily glared back at Sid, who was literally tearing out, thanking the mammoth for crediting him.
"Well, Sid." Diego lightly taps him by his arm "You may be a screw-up, but you're not useless."
"Dad, I don't think saying "thank you" is good enough anymore" Peaches said as both of them hugged him.
"How are you boys doing? And hi there darling." Ellie asked while Buck, Crash and Eddie were on her back while Shira walked with her along the way.
"Oh well, nothing much...why didn't you tell me sooner that they're coming, El?"
"I thought you remember that they come back every 3 months?" Ellie looked at him, as she raised her eyebrows and gave him that weird yet unique look of her own everytime she felt something's wrong.
"Oh...ye, right…" Manny then tried to change the subject by asking Buck some questions.
"HEY Buck! uhm...Will you stay up here now or you're gonna go down there again?"
"Oh well of course I gotta go down back there, Rudy's gonna be mad at me if I don't show up, you know what I mean." He then gave Manny a wink (under the eyepatch) as he head off.
"You're going now?"
"Of course, and sorry for not telling sooner, it's his feeding time by the way."
Manny smirked at the weasel.
"How's your relationship with it?"
Buck scratched his head and answered.
"Well, sometimes we have fun and sometimes it's just a mess, I'm still trying to improve it though."
Manny gave him a smile as he said farewell.
"Goodluck with whatever you are doing, hermit."
"Ye and you too! Oh, maybe find a replacement for that lost tusk would ya, you're losing your glamour without it! Heheh."
Manny then looked at Buck with a simper look.
"Beauty is not my passion." he then had a comeback against Buck as well "Go find a replacement for your right eye then."
Buck felt a bit irritated that he got 'demolished' in his game of mocking, so he tried to retreat from it.
"Alright, no need to 'throw hands' like that, I'm going. Be back soon!"
And then he ran back from the direction he came from.
"Well, I guess we are back to our normal lives now." Manny exclaimed to the Herd.
"Well, we got plenty of things to do though. Do we?" Ellie stared at him as she waited for an answer.
"What else do we have to do? You guys saved me from that terrorising icicle and destroyed it as well, now what?" Peaches wondered
"Oh no…" Manny realised what 'they' have to do.
"You do remember now, huh?" Ellie looked at him quite annoyed.
Everyone expected what Manny was about to say was serious or something that involved some of them.
And...they were disappointed.
"I FORGOT THAT THE MATCH BETWEEN THE EAGLES VERSUS THE FALCONS IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!"
"No! Manny, that's not what I-"
Before Ellie could correct him, he had already started running straight back to camp in order to not miss it.
"Was he always like that?" Julian wondered.
"He has always been like that when you guys left for your first adventure." Ellie claimed.
"Awell, sun's about to go off, let's head back."
"Sure thing. Mom, wanna play a game with me tomorrow?" Peaches asked Ellie mischievously.
"Um...what is it?"
Peaches slowly pulled something from behind her, as everyone suddenly looked at her intensely.
"Hockey?" she said with her grip on two hockey sticks.
Everyone gave out a phew, as Ellie looked at her with two of her own motherly eyes.
"Well, don't cry when you lose alright?"
And so, they marched back to camp as the last rays of light started to disappear, and the starry night skies began to fall.
END OF STORY
P.S: Welp, It's my 1st time writing a fanfic for a childhood movie that I loved, I learned a lot the more I progressed in it. I'll be making more Ice age stuff like this soon, I'm just quite busy a bit. And of course, Thank you all for sticking with me until the end of the story, your time reading this entire fanfic is VERY DEARLY APPRECIATED.
Don't stop writing out thoughts from your head!