After everything I've done... And they still talk about me like that..

..."Manny.. What if we don't find him? What if-"

"Listen! There is no 'what if' Diego! We either find him or we don't.." Manny's words cut through his friend like knives to a peach. Diego could tell that this whole thing had struck Manny right through the heart, it's the only reason he was so on edge.

Then again... Could he blame him?

"I'm sorry bud. I just... Don't want you to get your hopes up too high. That fall could kill anyone." Diego said in a soft-spoken tone as he trudged beside him through the forest. They were looking for Sid.. Or whatever was left of him.

It was Manny's idea, really. Probably spawned out of a need to know.. And Diego prayed he was ready for the worst. When they found each other, Diego could see the amount of pain Manny was in at the time the news was passed to him. It was awful, just painful to see him that way. So they both agreed to go look for him, though Diego had initially wanted to leave it a mystery out of the inability to cope. How could you do that? See your best friend.. Broken..

Mangled...

Diego shook his head, clearing all negative thoughts was a must, especially around the now sensitive mammoth. They would look for Sid, find an answer and deal with it, though it was quite obviously easier said than done.

Diego looked up at Manny, and attempted to lift his spirits by nudging him, "Whatever we face... We face together."

Manny didn't respond. This made Diego smile a bit.

"Because..." Still no response.

Diego's determination picked up, "BECAUSE..."

Manny rolled his eyes, wanting to just keep silent. Why Diego continued to pester him was a question he didn't even want to answer.

"Come on Manny.. Say it.."

Manny sighed, and gave in. "That's what-"

"-You do in a herd."

"You do in a herd." Diego said with him. The saber watched Manny's facial expression, and thought he caught the tiniest flicker of a smile encroaching upon the saddened mammoths face. After a few moments, he was satisfied to find out he was right.

Manny sneered, "You're starting to act like Sid you know. It's a bad habit, might want to take care of that."

"Well, he did teach me how to swim.. And with how annoying he was? I'm sure it rubbed off some. He's good like that."

"Mhm." Manny quickly stopped dead in his tracks after the comment. Ahead of them was the site..

The bottom of the waterfall.

Diego slowly padded his way towards it and smelled the air. He was looking for Sid's scent. Surprisingly, Buck had made quite the observation about his smell.. And he was right, it really smelled like a Buzzards but fell off and got sprayed on by a bunch of skunks.

He didn't manage to catch Sid's scent... But he did catch Terra's. And with that he followed it through the forest, Manny quickly following.

It led them straight into the forest. Diego was hot on the trail, and with that trail came a line of horrifying thoughts.. What if he was eaten? What if Terra had dragged him off?

As he got closer to the source, the smell of blood began to fill his nose. It hyped him up, fear beginning to well up in his chest. Unable to take pressure he quickened his pace into a jog.

"Diego! Wait up!" Manny exclaimed as he tried to catch up. In his mind he had a good idea about why his friend was so hasty, and began to patronize himself with the same fear provoking thoughts... What they were to find was already known to be a bad indication of Sid's fate was his assumption at this point, and Diego's panicking pace only reinforced the inference.

Before long, Diego slowed down to an eventual halt. What he saw forced an unspeakable lump to form in his throat, along with his hair standing on edge:

Terra's body, mangled and half eaten lay crumpled atop a congealed pool of blood. Her lifeless stare broke through his soul.

"Manny..."

The Pachyderm was at a loss of words. He swallowed, and took a moment to gather his thoughts which raged and ran unorganized throughout his head.

"Manny.. If this sabers body is in this state, then-"

"Don't..."

"Manny.."

"Shut up Diego." The words were a warning. Diego sat in silence, his ears flattened apologetically. The mammoth was dispirited, this he knew.. And now he himself began to feel the effects.

"He just had to do it..."

Sid watched as Diego and Manny ran through the forest. He knew what they were doing, and to be honest? It felt good to know they were searching for him. He quickly began to waddle his way towards them, though with his newly sprained ankle and toes he found it difficult to apply much pressure to the wounds. Instead of following them, why not just get them on the way back?

Genius..he thought to himself. So he began to slowly make his way, falling behind them as he attempted to reunite with his best friends and family.

After waking up from the fall, Sid had to take aa moment to remember what happened. The impact must've made him suffer a minor concussion, and he accidentally walked off the path... Though he couldn't recall where. But now there was hope, and he was bound and determined to webs this dreadful nightmare. To be home again was all he wanted.

After several attempts to walk on his injured foot, Sid had quickly given up and decided to staybehind. He could still see them of course, but with the thick foliage, he doubted he would be able to make it through the prickers... Oh and he was just too lazy to move at the moment.

New plan.. Sid watched silently as they conversed inaudibly over Terra's body. Things seemed to get heated rather quickly. Diego got up and started pacing, muttering to Manny intensely. He seemed to be... Angry...

He was about to shout out to them when...

"... HE'S SO STUPID!" Diego bellowed out at everything. He was pacing back and forth, frustration mixed with several other emotions pouring out of him all at once.

At first, Sid seemed a bit confused... Why would he say that? Then his mind began to wander, over thinking every little word in the sentence. A whirlwind of thoughts began to weave their own web of analysis as to the meaning of the phrase uttered by his feline friend. Why insult him? Why now?

Sid frowned. It's obvious that things didn't change.. Diego really thinks that? Still?

Sid began to retreat from the bushes, broken hearted that after what he did they still think of him as some stupid clutz. He began to waddle away, never once looking back.

"Diego get a hold of yourself! We're already outside of our territory, you'll only attract attention!" Manny hushed Diego.

"Don't you get it Manny!? He's selfish!"

"How?" Manny asked.

"It should have been me! ME! Not him, why did he have to suffer? I'm the one that doubted him, I'm the one that said all of those things to him!"

This caught Manny's attention.. "What are you talking about?"

Diego stopped. He quickly remembered that Manny wasn't there at the time.. Though now he wished he had kept his mouth shut.

Too late.

"I...I was angry." His tone quickly became hushed, almost submissive to the mammoth.

"What did you say Diego?" Manny inquired. His suspicion grew, quickly catching the submissive demeanor of the saber.

"I.. berated him.. he saved Cody by jumping off of a waterfall but.. when I looked at him I thought he was dead.. I.." He stopped for a moment.

"You.." Manny pushed him.

"I questioned his use in the herd, told him he was.. useles.."

Manny's heart sank. Rage began to burn inside of him, the thought that those were his last words to the sloth before it happened just blew his mind. He shook his head in disbelief, baffled by the effrontery of the saber. There was only one thing going through his mind..

"You're out of the herd..."

Diego's ears perked up at the comment. He turned, facing the crestfallen mammoth. "What?"

Manny pointed an accusatory trunk at him, "YOU'RE lucky you even had him as a friend.. Do you think he would have said the same to you?

"Manny I-"

"How could you? After what he went through.. How could you even say that?"

"I apologized.."

"And the scar remained. You can't take it back, even if he forgives you. Ever hear the words 'Forgive but never forget'?"

"I think about it all the time. How he must've felt...I was just angry, I couldn't control it!"

"And look at what it cost you..."

"Manny don't.. Don't do this. Not now." His voice cracked, wounded by the sharpness of Manny's words.

"I can't believe you Diego.. I expected more out of you!" He smacked the back of Diego's head. Diego huffed, letting out a sharp breath to keep from breaking down and crying in front of him.

"Look I said I was sorry! I didn't mean what I said!"

"Tell THAT to Sid.. See what he says." Manny said sarcastically. He began to walk away from Diego, who sat down, his back facing towards the fleeing mammoth.

"What would you have done if you thought your child was dead?" He said softly. Manny stopped in his tracks, pondering the question. Although he didn't want to admit it, Diego had a point. Manny remembered the times he had come close to saying some choice words to the sloth. With all of his shenanigans, added with Sid being obstreperous, Manny's fuse was almost always short. So... In a sense.. Could he admit that those words could slip? Especially if his daughter was...

He stood there in silence.

"It tears me apart everyday. I regret saying those things.. A-and I don't understand why Sid would save me..."

"It was because he loved you. Because that's what-"

"-you do in a herd.. I know." Diego said.

"Do you?" Diego asked himself the very same thing.

He turned around to face Manny, who stared into his very soul, searching for honesty in his answer.

"Yes. I'm sorry Manny. I wish it was me... But it wasn't."

That's all he needed to hear. "We'll find a rock and put it on top of the hill.. You can write his name. He would want you to do it."

Diego smiled sadly, shocked that Manny even thought about forgiving him. He padded his way to Manny's side, and together they both made their way back to the herd accompanied by a quietude which gave Diego time to lapse into a navel-gazing session on the phrase...

That's what you do in a herd..I hope you know I'm very sorry my friend..

Three months... Man... Things are bleak.

Diego awoke with a start as the sun blasted his eyes. He yawned, digging his claws into the dirt. Add he stretched out his muscles, the several pops giving him an indication of a well placed rest. He had fallen asleep next to Sid's grave, apparently having been lulled by the silence. Nonetheless, he quickly made his way back to his family.

Upon arrival, Diego was greeted by Cody, who jumped him and began to rub against his father affectionately. He smiled and put a paw on Cody's back, which only encouraged the cub to rub even more. Looking around, Diego found his mate standing next to a rock... Apparently talking to someone..

"Cody, what's your mother doing?"

Cody turned around and observed Shira for a moment before replying, "Talking."

"Shira?" He said as he slowly walked towards her. As he rounded the corner, he was paralyzed at the sight in front of him. He stumbled, dizziness quickly overtaking his ability to stand, and with a single movement he tripped and fell over, passing out.

"Good to see you too buddy.."

Well this chapter is sort of an optional extension. I know a lot of you didn't want to see Sid die sooo..