And I'm NOT dead! Sorry for the long wait... This chapter was already finished on friday...no, before that...
But guess what? My laptop's back! Yaaaay! Mom kept her promise!
Weeell... Bad news again. Here they are: MY SISTER KNOW ABOUT THE FANFICTION! Um, it's not that bad...I think. Anyway, a friend knows too, and she reads it! That so-called-'friend's name is H- ( friend smacks me) *sigh* Well, "H" wants to be anonymous...
Um, so this chapter is just a dream, of longer and shorter flashbacks... And thanks to all who rewiewed!
Here's chapter 5!
The dream
A mother and father were looking at three newborn cubs. It was two boys and one girl.
"What should we call them?" the mother, Kacee, asked softly.
"We could call the little one… Benito", Adriano, the father smiled.
"I like Diana for the girl", she said lovingly.
"And the boy?"
The mother thought for a while.
Then their oldest son, Soto, walked closer and looked at his little brother. The little cub stared up at his brother with green, curious eyes. He let out a small sound, sounding like a hello.
"Hi, little brother", he whispered and smiled. Then he looked at his parents. "What's his name?"
"Well…we're not sure yet", his father said. "We've thought about Alano, or Dario-"
"Dario?" Soto wrinkled his nose. "It…doesn't suit him", he was silent for a while. "What about…Diego?"
"Diego?" his mother sounded surprised.
"Yeah. After grandpa."
Adriano smiled. "Then Diego it is", he said. And that was the cubs name.
A few cubs were playing. The sun shined, and it was an unusual warm day. Not far from the cubs lived a pack of sabers.
One of the smaller cubs was Diego. Right now, little Diego was rolling around in the snow with another cub; his sister, Diana. It was an friendly 'play-fight', but that didn't mean they hadn't scratches over their small bodies.
Laughter filled the air. If the cubs weren't fighting, they played tag, hide and seek, or what they wanted to.
"Diego, Diana, let's go fishing!" a light golden coloured cub exclaimed. Her name was Krista.
"Can I come to?" asked the small, dark cub named Benito.
"Sure, everyone can come!" the cubs cheered, with a happiness only children can have.
If another animal, a herbivore, would have walked by, they would've been surprised. Because sabel-tooth tigers are some of the most dangerous predators, other animals thought they were cold, unfeeling, well, even evil creatures that only lived for killing. Which meant they also thought their cubs didn't play like 'normal' children do.
Oh, how wrong they were. Saber cubs were at least as playful, happy and caring as other kids.
The cubs threw themselves with screams and laughter. They were not professional fishers, not at all. However, some of the cubs actually caught small fishes.
"Hey, I got one!" Diego exclaimed after several tries. He struggled to pull it up on land, but the fish was all to large for him. Krista and her brother Dereck ran over to help him.
"That's a biiiig fish", a slightly grayish cub said.
"Sure it is, Zeke", Diana grinned.
"So…are we going to eat it now, or take it to the pack?" Diego asked.
"Or…you give it to us", a voice said. Two older cubs walked up to them, both smirking.
"Oh, knock it off, Victor", Krista spat.
"Yeah, Diego caught the fish", Diana snarled.
"Now, now, calm down", Victors brother Oscar said. "We don't want a fight, right?" They walked closer to the cubs.
"No", Diego interrupted. "The fish is ours."
Victor snarled. "Now listen here, you little brat, you give the fish to us, if you don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Victor, just leave it-" Oscar begun, frowning.
"Shut up", Victor growled, and tried to grab the fish. The fish, however, had other plans. It wasn't fully dead, and it made a big jump, and landed a bit from the edge of a cliff.
"The fish!" little Benito exclaimed and jumped after it.
Diegos eyes widened. "Benito, no!" the smaller cub was dangerous close to the river. Not the water they fished in, but a fast, deep river. If the cub fell in, he would not make it.
Diego rushed over and pulled Benito from the deadly edge. The fish fell down.
Suddenly, Victor let out a mad scream. His eyes were dazed, and the tongue hanged out. Still screaming he threw himself at the much smaller Diego. Diego yelped and fell backwards.
All the cubs screamed terrified as Diego and Victor fell.
Diego came up to the surface and gasped for air. He tried to swim to the shore, but the water was all to strong. It kept pulling him down, up, from side to side, before slamming him in a rock. The world turned black.
"Diego!" his sister screamed.
"It's my fault", Benito sobbed.
"Is he dead?" the cubs panicked and interrupted each other all the time.
"No! He's alive!"
"Where is he?"
"Is he okay?"
"Why did Victor do-"
A sudden roar cut them off. An older saber, not fully grown up, flew past them, and leapt in the water. The saber was stronger than Diego, and manged to swim towards the unconscious cub.
"It's Soto!" Krista shouted.
"Big bro?" Diana asked hopefully. The cubs begun to cheer as Soto pulled his little brother to the shore.
"Diego?" Soto panted and tried to wake him. He didn't get any answer.
An other saber jumped in the water to save Victor. It was Adriano. Soto kept calling Diegos name, over and over again.
"S-Soto?" the cub whispered.
"Yes", Soto said with faked calm. "Just rest, we're going home soon.
Adriano quickly checked his son, before telling Soto to take him home. Because Adriano was the pack leader, he had to deal with Victor first.
Soto carried Diego back to the packs cave, with the cubs silently following.
His mother lay close to Diego and tried to make him warm.
"M-Mom?" Diego asked shakily.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Why did he do that? Victor, I mean?"
His mother was silent before answering. "Victor…was very ill, okay?"
The illness had made Victor Crazy, before it finally took his life. It killed three other sabers before it stopped.
"Where's mom and dad?" Benito asked.
"They're hunting. They'll soon back", Diego answered.
Dereck raised an eyebrow. "In this weather?" he said, pointing to the storm outside.
"Duh, everyone except us is hunting", Krista rolled her eyes to her brother.
Diana frowned concerned. "What if something has happened?"
"Nothing will happen them", Soto said, immediately calming them.
"And what do you say then?" Kacee scolded her son.
"Sorry, Leo", Diego muttered to the cub.
His eyes narrowed. "Yeah, sure", he hissed.
Diego rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'm sorry that I fooled you, telling you a ghost lived in the cave, scaring you, and throwing fruits on you. Can I go now?" he added hopefully to his mother.
She sighed. "Sometimes, you remind me all too much of Soto."
Diego grinned. "Exactly! He's the one who taught me!"
"Kacee! Take the kids and leave!" Adriano shouted.
"I won't leave you!" she screamed.
"Go!" Kacee blinked back her tears.
"Soto", she said hoarsly. "I know you're not an adult. But you have to be strong for your siblings, okay? And if something happens… Don't look back."
The humans attacked. It wasn't just a few humans; it was more than any pack ever seen before. The sabres were ready to fight: while they fought, they buyed time to the others to escape. And they needed time.
Kacee and a few others took care of the cubs. They ran as fast as they could, but the humans was strong. The sabres were forced back.
"Mom, what's happening?" Benito whispered. "Where's dad?"
"Bennie, everything's going to be alright, just keep running", the mother quickly answered. She pushed the cubs in the right direction.
"Mum?.." Diego and Diana asked.
"Just go", she was just about to run when she saw Adriano. They fought closer now. Time seemed to slow down as she saw a spear coming towards her mate.
"Adi!" she yelled.
Without even thinking she threw herself between her beloved and the spear. It hit her right in the stomach.
Adriano let out a wordless scream as his wife fell. He nuzzled her, and begged her to wake up.
She managed to choke out three words: "I-I…love..you."
Adriano roared and leapt at the humans. He attacked an killed, only one thing on his mind: revenge.
"MOM!" Diana screamed and ran to Kacee without hesitating. She was immediately followed by Diego and Benito. Even Soto followed.
"Mommy", Benito whimpered.
"Come on, mom", Diego whispered. "We have to go, please…"
"No, sweetie", she breathed. "Mommy's…mommy's going to a better place. I'm…no going t-to...make it."
"Are you leaving us?" Benito cried, tears flowing down his cheeks.
"Please stay", Diana whispered.
"I'm never going to leave you…I'll always be with you…in your hearts", her voice was barely audible. "Go…now, before it's too late…S-Soto…you have to take care of them…"
"Yes, mom", he choked out. Not even Soto could hold back his tears.
"I'm not leaving you", Diego whispered.
"S-sweetheart…you have to be a b-big boy for me…" she coughed up blood. "A-and always remember…that I..l-love…you", with that she closed her eyes, and never opened them again.
Benito let out a heartbreaking scream. They all sobbed uncontrolled.
"We have to go", Soto finally said, wiping away any tears that were left. "That's what she would've wanted.
"We can't just leave her", Diego protested. His brother remained silent. "Soto!" he screamed.
"Remember moms last words", he said quietly. Then he picked up the crying Benito in his mouth and begun to walk away.
"Hurry!" a saber named Tito yelled.
Diana licked Diegos cheek. "Come", she said softly. Diego took one last look at his mother, then he walked away.
He didn't look back.
"Dad…get up", Diego silently told his motionless father. It was one week since the humans attacked. One week since her dead.
Adriano was like a living dead. Now, he got up and walked past his son without a word.
Diego lowered his ears.
Why didn't his father speak to him any more?
"Look out!" Tito screamed. Rocks tumbled from the mountain. The sabres ran, trying to protect themselves.
But Diego was too far away. He wouldn't make it. But instead of being crushed, he felt his father grab him.
"I'm sorry", Adriano whispered, before throwing his son into safety. Only later Diego realized he apologized for being cold and silent.
"…D-dad?" Diego whispered as the rocks finally stopped falling.
The cub felt terrible as he realized the harsh truth: Adriano had offered his chance to survival to save his son.
They didn't find his body.
Diego felt numb. He had lost both his parents in just a few weeks. He didn't know what the worst was. Kacee had a last talk with them, which made them cry out their small hearts.
But his fathers dead…was just so sudden. No last goodbye, hug, nothing. He couldn't even cry.
Still, crying was better than this coldness that slowly killed him.
"Great, Diego!" Soto exclaimed proudly. Diego had grown into a young, slim sabre. He wasn't fully grown up yet, with paws too big for his size.
Soto was learning him to hunt for real. He had caught an antelope. He couldn't help but feel proud.
He had turned into a great hunter and tracker.
Diego woke up in the middle of the night. It was a blizzard, the coldest winter he ever seen. He turned to the reason why he woke up. He stared as he saw Krista snuggle closer to him.
"Wha-"
"Oh, shut up", she muttered and opened a shining blue eye. "I'm freezing to death here."
"Err…okay…Goodnight…?" Diego said in confusion. Then he lay down again, thinking she could share his warmth one night.
When the morning came they still lay close to each other.
They weren't a big pack anymore. But they had a few new members; a big and fat sabre named Lenny, for example. There was also a pretty sabre with dark golden fur named Mira.
Diego smiled. He could see that his big brother was slowly falling in love with her. He really hoped they would get together. They would be an…adorable couple.
Diego fought back the sudden urge to snigger. The thought of Soto in a relationship was just…laughable.
Diana came out from nowhere and sat down beside him.
"Soto is such a jerk!" she exclaimed for no real reason.
"Um… You're right?"
"Of course I'm right", she muttered. "I tried to talk to him, but he simply snapped that he was 'busy' and stalked off too-"
"-Mira?" Diego interrupted smirking.
A sly grin crept on her face. "And I think love is in the air", she said in sing-song voice.
"Yeeeeah", by now they had identical smirks on their faces. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Let's go and tease him", Diana snickered, and they ran off like playful cubs.
"No, I don't", Soto said firmly.
"Yes, you do like Mira", Diego grinned.
"Do not!"
"Do!"
"No."
"Yes."
"Shut up your little brat!"
"Let me think about it…Nah. Not before you admit you like her."
"Read my lips: I. Don't. Like her!"
"Knock it off, we all know you do", Diana yawned.
Soto glared at her. "I can't remember talking to you", he snarled.
She rolled her eyes. "She likes you too, you know."
This caught Sotos attention.
Benito, still the smallest saber in the pack, decided to join in.
"All you have to do is to tell her how much you love her-"
"Shut up!" Soto barked. Benito merely sniggered.
"Let me remind you: I'm the pack leader here", he growled warningly. "And I could easily-"
"Oh, please, Soto", Krista sighed. "You wouldn't do anything to him; you're all too soft.!
"I'm not soft!" Soto exclaimed.
"Of course not" Diana groaned. "But, well, this isn't what they call a normal pack."
"Of course it's not normal", Soto interrupted. "You guys are here."
"Hey!" Diego protested.
"And where are you going?" Krista asked. Soto had turned his back to them and was walking away.
"To Mira", Soto replied calmly. The others begun to cheer and giving each other high-fives, and Benito wished him good luck. Krista was the one who laughed the most.
"By the way, Krista", Soto begun, looking back. Then he smirked. "Have fun with your boyfriend", he said, tilting his head towards Diego.
"WHAT?" both Diego and Krista shouted.
Soto simply laughed.
"Diego!" Sid almost shouted in Diegos ear.
"What?" Diego sat up, blinking groggily.
"Are you going to sleep the whole evening?" Manny asked, smirking.
"Uh.." Diego looked around. Only a dream… he thought. And now: Forget it! He guessed they would have to walk the whole evening, and in the night too.
"How long will we travel today?" Ellie asked. "Or well…evening."
"I guess we're travelling to…" Manny begun frowning. Then he looked at Diego. "Any idea, uber-tracker? "
"I suggest we stop before midnight", the saber shrugged, and begun to walk.
Ellie frowned. "Did you talk to Diego?" she asked Manny, whispering.
"Yes", he sighed.
"Then why does he seem so…so…down?"
"Uh…"
"You didn't even notice, did you?" she sighed.
Mannys lack of reply was the answer.
Was she really the only one who noticed things in the herd?
Women have to fix everything…
Whew! My longest chapter so far! The story stat is so fun to look at...
Diego: Um... you made me a hyper, playful cub?
GirlFromNorth: That's right!
Diego: ...crying for my mom?
GirlFromNorth: Yup!
Diego: Teasing my pack leader?
GirlFromNorth: Which point is it you don't get?
Diego: Most of them.
Blondie: Ah, don't care about her. She's just crazy...
GirlFromNorth: Hey! What are YOU doing here?
Blondie: Uh, I don't know. You're the author, remember? And...why did you name me Blondie?
GirlFromNorth: Let me think about it... Maybe because you are blond?
Blondie: Oh!
Diego: *groan* How did I end up here anyway? (walks back to Ice Age)
GirlFromNorth: No no no! I'm the author! I can do what ever I want, and you can't leave!
Diego: *shakes head* poor creature... (keeps walking)
Blondie: You know...you don't actually own them...
GirlFromNorth: F***!
"H": *sigh* Just rewiew... GirlFromNorth was jusr bored...and crazy.
GirlFromNoth: HEY!