Sorry for the long wait it is inexcusable, but this is the last chapter, there will be a short epilogue after this since I am leaving you guys on a pretty big cliff-hanger. Also if you have any requests for other fics I could write I can look up on it since I am kind of out of ideas. On the other hand I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and if you have any constructive criticism please tell me since it will only help me get better, thanks.
ENJOY! ^-^
Chapter 7: Separated Love
Diego's P.O.V.
"Hey Manny" I said trying to get the mammoths attention. "Yes" Manny responded turning around to look at me. "Tess and I are going to go get something to eat" I explained. "Fine, but don't take too long it's dangerous out there" I nodded in agreement as i left Frost Tip cave with Tess at my heels. We had been at Frost Tip Cave for a couple of days now, and it was great timing too, as earthquakes had been shaking the ground for the past two days nonstop. But today they had stopped and since Tess and I weren't able to go out hunting with the earthquakes, we were in need of a good meal that didn't consist of greens.
"Hey, scatterbrain!" Tess whispered pulling me from my thoughts, "Look!" I looked to where she motioned, there was a herd of gazelle not too far away, and I immediately spotted one with a little limp. Dinner will be good tonight I thought smirking. "Ok, Tess you chase them and I'll go for the kill" I explained. "Diego, that is so no fair you always make the kill whenever were hunting together!" Tess huffed, looking annoyed.
Tess's P.O.V.
"Diego, that is no fair you always make the kill whenever were hunting together!" she said annoyed. Why couldn't Diego let her take charge for once! "Let me make the kill this time!" The male looked at her skeptically, "Do you not trust that I can do this!" She asked getting even more annoyed. "No its just..."
"Just what!"
"It's just..."
Tess raised her eyebrow at Diego's response, " you have no reason why I shouldn't make the kill." The female stated finishing Diego's sentence. "Fine, you win, just wait for my signal." Diego said giving in.
Tess rolled her eyes, it's not like she just started hunting yesterday, she knew how it worked! The female slowly made her way to the other side of the gazelles making sure she wasn't spotted. When she got herself in place behind some low vegetation Diego bolted towards the herd scaring them and bringing them right to the unseen female.
Tess's muscles tensed as she got ready to run, and then she pounced running after the limping gazelle. It tried to kick her with its back legs, but missed, slowing it down. The female saw her chance, and lunged for the gazelle's open neck. As Tess bit down with her fangs the herbivore kicked her stomach sending a searing pain through her body, but she kept her grip and soon the gazelle went limp in her jaws.
The female let go with a grunt falling to the ground, that herbivore really packs a punch, I thought to myself as I took shallow breaths to try and help ease away the pain.
The next thing I knew Diego was beside me asking me question after question. "Diego, I'm fine!" I said "But..."
"No buts now are we going to eat, I did not just go through all that for nothing!" Diego huffed in defeat and went to the dead mammal and started to eat. As we ate our first real meal of the last few days I could see Diego glancing at me every once in a while. I rolled my eyes, Boy he can be such a worry wart.
Normal P.O.V.
"Diego, I told you I'm fine!" Tess said, "You asked me that for the millionth time, the answers not going to change!" "Sorry" Diego said sheepishly, "You just scared me, when I saw that gazelle kick you, I got worried because I lo-" Diego shut his mouth and looked wide eyed at Tess, who was startled at his almost confession.
"Diego, did you just say you loved me?" Tess asked cautiously. The male looked at the ground as if wondering what to say, should he tell her or not? He sighed "Yes", Diego sad shyly hoping that if he said it low enough that she wouldn't hear him. The male closed his eyes waiting for some disgusted response or maybe a punch in the jaw, but nothing happened.
Tess had heard Diego's response, but couldn't believe her ears, he loved her! Suddenly an overwhelming amount of happiness surged through her body and she pounced on Diego and kissing him, showing that she loved him as well.
When the female pulled back she almost burst out laughing at the males confused expression. "Diego I love you!"she said trying to get it through his thick skull. Finally his expression changed from confused to one of happiness.
The male then flipped them around so he was on top and started kissing Tess's soft lips. When he finally pulled away for air Tess said "we really should be getting back to the rest of the herd, there probably worried."
Diego reluctantly got off the female and they made their way back to Frost Tip Cave with smiles plastered on both of their faces.
"You two lovebirds look happy" Manny said to the two sabers looking less than happy. "Manny we weren't gone for that long!" Tess said trying to sooth the worried mammal. "There was an earthquake while you two were gone", Ellie explained, "We were worried something had happened to you!"
Manny and Ellie had been sitting outside the cave waiting for the couple to come back from their hunting trip. "We didn't feel anything", Diego said looking puzzled. "Well we should go back in, we don't want to get caught in one of those dreadful things," the female mammoth stated. They all nodded and started to make their way back to the cave when another rumble sounded but it wasn't coming from the ground, it was coming from the cave!
You see their safe haven was situated rather oddly. There were two cliffs on either side of it, and the top of the cave ran from one cliff to the other. The reason why this cave was chosen was because it has tunnels underneath it that can house many hundred mammals.
All of a sudden pieces of the cliffs started falling on the cave top causing it to cave-in on itself. Mammals suddenly started rushing out knocking the four mammals to the side. "We have to help them all get out!" Manny yelled over the commotion. The other three agreed and made their way around the frightened mammals, pushing their way through to get inside.
Tess's P.O.V.
We all went under the cave to the separate alcoves where the mammals were staying, looking for some that were hurt or trapped.
As I made my way to one of the far alcoves I heard a muffled cry for help. My ears pricked up at the sound as I stayed silent trying to find where it came from. It sounded again, it was coming from the far wall. I made my way to a pile of rubble where the cries were the loudest and tried to move one of the rocks, but it didn't budge, I was going to need help. "Manny, Ellie, Diego, anyone, I need help!" I screamed at the top of her lungs. A second later I saw Manny and Ellie come over to me, "I need you guys to help me move these rocks, there are others behind it!" The two mammoths complied and started to lift the boulders out of the way.
Finally when they were all gone Tess went in and started to usher the scared mammals out, in the process seeing Peaches, Sid, Crash and Eddie.
"Peaches!" Ellie cried when she saw her daughter, putting her on her back. We made our way back to the main tunnel where we saw Diego. "Come on we have to get out of here!" I said to the male saber, "It's going to collapse any minute!"
A fierce rumbling filled the cave as the top started to close in sending big chucks of rock heading right for the group. The tunnel was complete chaos, the female was not able to move with all the commotion, and she was able to spot Diego who was being pushed back under the falling rock.
Normal P.O.V.
Then everything went in slow motion, as the last few mammals made their way out Tess could see Diego under the rock as it fell to the ground. Before the female could process anything she started running to Diego screaming words she couldn't comprehend, as her mind went numb and she let her body take over.
Tess pushed the male out of the way, but there was no way she could make it over to the rest of the herd it was too far, so she ran back. The female heard Diego's pain filled screams, but she closed her eyes, concentrating ,she had to get out of here. Tess let a lone tear slip down her cheek before she ran out of the cave, dodging falling boulders and other debris that had made its way to the ground.
When she finally made it out the sun had started to recede behind the earth, engulfing it in darkness. Tess looked around her, she was on the edge of a cliff, with a ledge on her right and left as far as she could see. The female sighed, it could take her days to get off this ledge, with that thought the female laid down to rest and cried. For Diego, for how messed up this situation had become, she just cried her heart out until finally she fell into a fitful sleep.
Diego's P.O.V.
I tried as hard as I could to move away from the falling boulder, but there were too many mammals , and before I knew it I was left standing under the boulder that would take my life.
I heard screaming and looked over to see Tess running up to me and pushing me out of the way and retching me out of my fear bound paralysis. Everything started to go in slow motion, Tess was left under the boulder, I saw her expression go from one of shock to one of sadness.
It finally registered in my mind what she was doing, she was going back into the cave! "Tess, No!" I screamed that and other cries as I tried to force her to come back, to not leave us, to not leave me. As I started running for Tess I felt something soft and muscular wrap around me, trapping me in place. I screamed at the top of my lungs even after she was out of sight, hoping that my screams would bring her back to me. Then I was crying, and then being picked up and put on something furry and warm, but I didn't care, I had lost the one I loved, and I kept sobbing until darkness enveloped me.
Tess's P.O.V.
Just a bit longer I told myself, I was almost off the ledge. I could see the wide expanse of land about 1 or 2 metres away from me. It had been two days now, two days of traveling on this ledge, without food and scarily any water. No animals lived on the cliff side it was way too dangerous, so I was starting to feel the consequences of her lack of nutrients. Just a couple more steps, I can do this, I told herself now only a couple steps away.
Once I had made it over I ran into the forest for cover, wanting to make sure I was safe from other predators. But I didn't have the strength, my vision started to go blurry as my stomach rumbled again and I fell to the ground with a groan. I am going to die here I thought and tears started to stream down my face at the thought of never seeing Diego again.
My ears pricked up at the sound of leaves rustling, it was faint, but even in my dishevelled state my senses were working well. I closed my eyes, I couldn't protect myself against whatever was coming so I just gave up, until I heard a voice. "Are you hurt?" asked a rough masculine voice. I looked up to see a male saber looking down at me, with worried eyes. I shook my head and tried to speak but it came out as a groan. The male somehow understood and came back a few seconds later with something plump and red in his jaws and put it in front of me. It was meat, he was giving me food! I quickly devoured the big chunk of meat and instantly felt better. Standing up slowly I looked over the male, He had a gold coat with specks of brown littering it and deep chocolate brown eyes. "Thank you, I'm Tess," I said trying to be polite. "I'm Alec".
Diego's P.O.V.
It had been three days since Frost Tip Cave collapsed and the whole herd has been looking for Tess ever since, but so far no luck. I haven't been able to get her grief stricken face out my head, it's been haunting my nightmares. "Diego" Manny said and I turned around to look at the mammoth. "We've been looking for the whole day, it's time to go back to the den" "Fine" Diego mumbled going back to where the rest of the herd was, and sitting down at the entrance of the den.
"Diego, I think it's time we go back home", Ellie said sadly. I turned around anger forming in the pit of my stomach "We need to find Tess!" I said growling. "But Diego we have been searching for her for the past few days, you must think about the safety of the whole herd, there's hardly any food here, we need to migrate back!" Manny yelled annoyed at Diego's behaviour. "And if there's another earthquake-" "There hasn't been an earthquake in three days, not even an aftershock!" Diego yelled back.
It's true, there hadn't been anything since the big one at the cave, it was like the one at the cave was the last great quake, and it was all over. But his friends were right, they hadn't found Tess, and they were running out of food in the harsh winter weather, they needed to go back. I sighed in defeat "Alright, we can go back." "Anyways", Ellie piped up, "I bet Tess will find us again, she is a strong women, I know she will make it!" Diego just nodded and the herd made their way back to the warm southern weather, with Diego looking back every once in a while until the cave was out of sight.
But the male had one thought circling his mind the whole way, what if we had stayed one more day, could I have found Tess? The male tried to concentrate on their journey back, hoping that one day he could see Tess again, even for a second, just to tell her that he loved her and never gave up on her, that's all he wished for.