Oh God, I am so bad! I haven't updated in three weeks! :0 Okay excuse time, over those past three weeks I was either doing Christmas related stuff (Getting and decorating a tree(or dressing it as the Polish term translates), same with our yard, etc. And I wrote a 12 Days of Christmas/Hunger Games parody but I'm still stuck on what to post it as my Christmas one-shot or just leave it be and write something else.), brainstorming for various other fanfics(I really tend to get ahead of myself), or just coming down with plain old writers block. Anyways, I give you chapter 2. And if any of you have OC's that you want to lend me, don't hesitate to ask! :)
It was a peaceful day as it always was. The blue sky was completely cloud-free, the ocean's waves rolled so smoothly onto the beach, all the flowers and trees were in bloom. In short, it was a setting of serenity and mellowness.
"We're flying! We're finally flying!" two voices that belonged to non other than Crash and Eddie cried out with glee. The two daredevils were sailing in the sky with a makeshift hang-glider, constructed all by themselves with twigs and leaves glued together with tree sap. 30 seconds in the air and it was falling apart already.
"Boys you come down here right now!" a concerned Ellie cried out to them, pointing to the ground with her trunk for emphasis.
"Ellie, I wouldn't worry if I were you." Manny placed his trunk on his mate's shoulder to calm her down. "They've done way more risky stunts and never broke a bone in their body."
"That's not what I'm worried about, those too are practically indestructible. My real worry is that beaver that they keep bothering."
"Actually he likes to be called a woodchuck." Sid corrected Ellie. "Nothing offends animals more than someone mistaking them for an incorrect species."
It was true. Just recently a woodchuck came to live in the same neighborhood as the herd, the latter had mixed thoughts about the newcomer. It's not that they hated him. He's been so distant around them they never even learned his name, let alone his life and personality. If anyone knew something about him the most it was Crash and Eddie. Those two have been frequently annoying their poor neighbor with their stunts and pranks at least twice a day and everyone heard him yelling at the possums to keep themselves and their disasters of hobbies away from him.
"Three, two, one." the two mammoths and the sloth counted down.
"GET IT THROUGH YOUR PEA BRAINS AND LEAVE ME ALONE YOU MORONS!" a cranky voice hollered, sending the possums scurrying into the trees.
"I see our neighbor's at it again." a sly voice commented. Sid, Manny and Ellie turned around to see Diego and Shira behind them.
"I know my brothers aren't the sharpest thorns on the rose but they should know well enough to respect their elders." sighed Ellie.
"Frankly I'm getting kind of worried about the poor guy." admitted Shira. "Considering how old that poor guy is, those two should just leave him be. Who knows what one more yell at them would do to his condition?"
"You've got a point there Shira." agreed Ellie. With that she went to fetch her brothers out of their hiding spot to lecture them.
"SIDNEY!" another cranky voice bellowed, this one being female. "YOU FORGETTING ABOUT YOUR GRANNY AGAIN?! I NEED MY MASSAGE!"
"Speaking of elders, I gotta go pick the fungus out between Granny's toes." Sid walked towards his grandmother's cave to do his duty, leaving Manny with his two friends.
"Manny, how long has it been since we came here?" asked Diego for obvious reasons.
"Phew, beats me." sighed an exasperated Manny as he tried counting on his trunk only to be stopped by Shira.
"No math please, it's enough that we know she's been alive for a very long time."
"Hi Mom, hi Dad." Diego and Shira were greeted by their young daughter.
"Hi baby, how's it going?" asked Shira noting the twinkling look in her eyes. "Are you going out with Sam today?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Mothers."
Flora chuckled at her mother's response. Every time she would ask how she knew something, that one word is what she received.
"Okay, let me look at you." Shira browsed her daughter head to toe, amazed at how she was becoming a spitting image of her. Same with Cash looking just like Diego and Bobby being a perfect combination of both of them.
"Do I look okay?" asked Flora.
"You look beautiful." sighed Shira in awe.
"A real female." added in Diego. He remembered when Flora met Sam he had a huge fear of her forgetting their daddy daughter times in favor of her now long-time boyfriend, but he had to admit it, those two made a great couple. "Have fun." Diego smiled at his daughter as she returned the gesture.
"No funny business!" Diego reminded Flora. Even though he totally accepted the fact that his daughter was dating, he still could not help but be that slightly over-protective dad.
"'No funny business!'" Flora playfully mocked her father's words loud enough for him to hear.
"Are you sassing your old man?" asked Diego teasingly.
"Why father, what makes you think I would sass you?" inquired Flora in an innocent tone before bursting out laughing. "I'll be back by curfew, aren't I always?"
"Flora, fair warning!" prompted Manny. "I'd stay away from that beaver if I were you, Crash and Eddie ticked him off enough already!"
"Woodchuck." corrected Diego.
"What's the difference?"
Flora acknowledged her uncle's warning with a nod before setting off to her destination.
"You know, now that I think about it, he doesn't seem too bothered by any of the teenagers." recalled Shira. "I wonder why?"
"Maybe because you two raised your kids well and they're not stupid enough to mess with a psychopath?" implied Manny, receiving disapproving frowns from Diego and Shira.
"That's a little harsh." Diego raised an eyebrow at his friend. "We don't know anything about the guy and you're judging him by how he yells at the possums."
"Even if I am, what if it's true? The last person I ever met who had such a short fuse was Gutt."
"How do you even know he's a psychopath?" asked Shira. "Name one animal on this entire island who the possums never annoy to the brink of insanity."
"Okay point taken." said Manny.
"What confuses me most of all is the fact that he's just a few feet away from us and shows no fear or resent to a mixed herd and a bunch of sabers." Diego wondered out loud. The newcomer was obviously a loner, an easy target for a predator. One would think he would be terrified. Perhaps he had a similar experience as all the members did?
"I don't know about you guys but I think we should get to know him sooner or later?" Shira voiced her opinion.
"Why not?" shrugged Diego.
"I'm not so sure about it." Manny made his reluctance clear.
"You're still sticking to that psychopath story you made up?" scoffed Shira. "Have a heart tubby."
"Are you all still sticking to that after all these years?" groaned Manny as the couple started to walk away. "It's poofy!"
"Poor guy." chuckled Shira. "Still in denial of it."
Diego snickered at his mate's sarcastic remark considering it the perfect comeuppance for Manny and his taunting of the new neighbor.
Author's Note: So who is this beav-erm-woodchuck that the herd keeps talking about. Well I revealed his name(stupid me) But what is he who must for now not be named's past? Why is he so distant? And why does he have a tolerance for teens but not Crash and Eddie? Find out next chapter! :D
And just to let you know, I'm going to Vegas for pretty much the entire break to visit some family members. I'll try to update there but I can't make any promises.
Anyways, Merry Christmas Eve and I'll see you guys soon. ;)