3

"Why are you yelling?" Crash asked, coming up behind them.

"Crash!?" Ellie cried, turning to them, "Eddie!? Oh, you're alright!" Ellie hugged her brothers.

"Guys?" Sid asked, "Where's Alice?"

They looked over the edge again. Well, Ellie kind of harrumphed, but everyone else did.

While I was in the air, I had heard music, and gotten lost in it.

You'll be in my heart

Yes, you'll be in my heart

Now and forevermore

Why can't they understand

the way we feel?

They just don't trust

What they can't explain

This bond between us

Can't be broken

I will be here, don't you cry...

I had transformed back into my saber form in mid air, and fallen some one hundred feet. The good thing was that I landed on something soft-or someone.

"Hey! What was that for?" A familiar male voice asked.

I got up shakily, "Sorry, I just kind of fell. Thanks for catching me." I got a good look at my savior. He was a saber, like me, and midnight blue-black. He starred at me with piercing emerald green eyes.

"No problem. I'm Derek, by the way."

"Alesandra, but I just like Alice. You know, I used to know someone named Derek."

"And I used to know someone named Alice. You wouldn't happen to be Alesandra Anastasia Kendra Dakota Clearwater, would you?"

"Derek Benjamin Mitchell? Is that you?"

"Is it really you, Alice?"

"'Course it is, Derek! How'd you get here?"

"I've no idea. But I've found a new power."

I shook my head, "Are you a shapeshifter, too?"

"Too? Because I am."

"That is great! Did you know were in the Ice Age movies?"

"No, I only just got here." Derek sighed, "Did you go and make friends with Manny, Sid, and Diego?"

"And Crash, and Eddie. Ellie's not coming along very well. I've been here for two months, though."

"Two months? But you were only reported missing in our world a few days ago. Time must pass differently here."

"Tell me about it. Well, how do we get out of this chasm?"

"We walk that way," Derek said plainly, "We'll walk for a bit, and then fly. Clearly you're in no shape to fly now."

They ended up walking all night and most of the next day. I had to rest frequently.

"My GOD!" I cried at one of these rest stops.

"What is it, Alice?"

"Don't you hear that? The dam just broke!" I yelled.

"Relax, Alice, I got us covered. Do you remember the song 'Turn Your Back' by Billy Talent?"

"Of course I do. It's my favorite."

"Well then, think of that."

"Okay"

When the storm hits your front door

With a roar you can't ignore

You run run away

But there's no place to hide

All of a sudden, my legs fell out from under me. No, they were replaced. With a tail.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The shade matched my eyes, and seemed to blend right into the rest of her body, "Derek," I looked at him. He had a tail, too, but it was emerald green, "Are we Mer people?"

"Yah. We can breathe under water, too."

"Do we just wait for the wave?"

"Yes."

The wave wasn't long in coming. Only about a minute. I tried not to think about what my friends were doing right now. This was something even I couldn't stop. I found myself kind of wishing events would turn out differently, but then I mentally slapped myself.

Riding that wave was the most fun I had ever had. I held Derek's hand, and screamed along with him.

The water cleared unexpectedly, and Derek and I changed back to human and raced towards my herd, who were exciting the valley.

"Manny, Sid, Diego! Crash, Eddie!" I cried.

Sid turned, "Guys, it's Alice!" he yelled at them.

Bounding towards them, I grabbed Manny ad Sid in the same hug, and then Crash, Eddie, and Diego. Then I turned to Ellie.

"You're going to have to work hard to gain my friendship, mammoth girl." I said cooly.

"Alice, come on, what'd she do to you?" Derek asked.

I spun to face him, "She practically threw me off a cliff. Well, indirectly. You remember that part, right? Her conversation with Manny?"

Recollection dawned on his face, "And she made you keep going in the night. When you could only see if you were a possum."

"You know, Derek, I love how you seem to complete my thoughts for me. I really missed you, you know."

"Not as much as I missed you. Do you realize how hard it is when the woman you love is reported missing?"

"Well, you found me now." I felt myself in my love's arms for the first time in two months. Oblivious to the others around me, I lifted my face and kissed Derek more passionately than I had ever done.