Hey, I'm back! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I also hope you enjoy this chapter! BTW, thinking of starting a new fic (ONLY after I finish one multi-chapter though, because I honestly can't keep up with my stories right now!) about when Shira and the pirates were kids growing up on the ship. What do you think? Good idea? Bad? Just tell me your opinion! :)

Oh, and I'm glad to see so many of you don't like Mikayla! Funnily enough, neither do I! And Ice Age Watermelon (epic penname BTW), I totally agree, DIRA FOREVER! ;)

Hope you all enjoy! :D

Raz sat up and rubbed her eyes, as it was only early and she was extremely tired. She saw the Captain standing at the bough of the ship; since she'd fallen asleep the last time she was on lookout, Gutt had decided to take it upon himself to watch for any threats. She swallowed, guilt flooding her mind at what she was going to do. She just had to keep thinking that it would work out better for her sister in the long run, at least, she hoped it would. The kangaroo clambered to her feet and hopped down to the lower deck, trying to be quiet enough not to wake the shipmates or disturb the Captain.

Shira was fast asleep too, lying on her side because it just hurt her too much to lie on her stomach. She groaned quietly in her sleep, something that only made Raz feel worse about what she would have to do. Carefully, Raz untied the vines that held the ice door shut, purposely fraying them a little with a bone sword and leaving them hanging from the handles so that it looked like they had been savagely cut with claws. She then opened the ice door just enough for Shira to fit through, and backed away. The kangaroo then threw several small ice pebbles at the sleeping sabre, awakening her with a start. She growled out of habit, and Raz took that as her cue to retreat. Shira only just saw the kangaroo turn and hurry up to the upper deck, and not realising it was Raz, instinctively chased after her. Feeling guilty as anything, Raz flopped back down in her sleeping spot and pretended to be asleep, knowing that the first part of her plan had worked.

Shira ran up above deck, obviously not remembering to be quiet and waking the crew. Despite the dire situation she had found herself in, Shira couldn't help but find the reactions she got from the crew extremely funny, especially as Squint and Gupta both managed to run into the mast in their panic. Gutt, on the other hand, had a very non-comical reaction. He grabbed Shira by the throat and pinned her against the mast, squeezing her neck painfully.

"And what are you doing out of your cell, Kitty?" he hissed scarily, awaiting an answer that he didn't get "Oh, giving your Captain the silent treatment are we?"

"Uhm, Gutt?" said Raz fearfully "Ah don't think she can breathe Cap'n. Ya've got a tight 'old on 'er neck, mate, so she can't talk or anythin'."

"Fine," Gutt growled, loosening his grip ever so slightly "And now will you talk, Kitty-Cat?"

"Don't... call me... Kitty..." gasped Shira, barely able to breathe. Gutt chuckled darkly, and his crew joined in, but their laughs were fake. They knew that Gutt had full intentions of punishing their poor little sister, and they also knew they couldn't do a thing to stop him.

"Answer my question! Why were you out of your cell?" he repeated. Shira caught Raz's eye as the kangaroo mouthed "I'm sorry!" and, thinking that Raz had merely forgotten to close the ice door, winked at her sister before looking the Captain in the eye.

"Why did you think I was out?" she jeered, with as much attitude as she could while she still couldn't breathe very well "I was escaping, duh!"

"You think you're so cool, huh?" Gutt gritted his teeth and snarled at Shira, who smirked.

"Yeah actually, I thought that was a pretty good comeback."

"Well, since you want to be cool, let me give you a hand," he replied, grinning evilly. He tied a vine to her back leg, and suddenly threw the sabre overboard into the freezing ocean. He let her sink into the cruel waves for a while, before yanking the vine hard and pulling her back up to the deck. She coughed and coughed as she lay on the ice, as she'd swallowed a lot of the salty water because she hadn't held her breath in time. Raz watched with regret as Gutt laughed at her unfortunate little sister.

"This is all mah fault..." she sighed, but Silas, who was on her shoulder, shook his head.

"No it isn't Raz," he assured her "You can't be blamed for ze Captain's cruel actions. He is ze Master of ze Seas, there's nothing we can do to stop him from doing whatever he wants."

"Bu' if it wasn't for me, Shira wouldn't 'ave been out of 'er cell an' the Cap'n wouldn't be punishin' 'er!" whispered Raz quickly, her eyes quickly filling with tears. Silas shushed her frantically, knowing that if Gutt heard they'd both be in big trouble.

"Be quiet, soeur!" he whispered "If ze captain hears, he will have our skins!"

Raz knew he was right; she was just scared that the Captain would have Shira's.

Diego groaned as someone shook him awake. He also wasn't best pleased to find out it was Mikayla.

"Oh, you're awake," she commented.

"I am now!" grumbled Diego groggily, sitting up.

"I just came here to tell you," Mikayla paused, apparently for effect "That you have no idea how to treat a lady!"

"And I'd just like to tell you," Diego also paused, blatantly mocking her "That you can't take a hint! I don't like you! Not in 'that' way, not in any way! You're annoying, stubborn and downright insensitive! I lost the love of my life yesterday, and all you did was try and replace her!"

"I'd like to point out that you would've lost your whole life yesterday, if it wasn't for me!"

"She was my whole life Mikayla!" snapped Diego "And now she's gone, probably forever and you don't seem to care!"

"Well, why should I? All she's ever done for me is steal the heart of the most handsome male sabre on the island and drown it in the ocean!"

"I'm the only male sabre on the island, you idiot! And she didn't steal my heart; I gave it to her because I love her!"

"I still don't like her."

"Well I still don't like you!"

"I'll bet she didn't like you either, Diego! I bet she only became your mate because like you said you are the only male on the island of our species!"

"How dare you!" hissed Diego darkly "Shira was – and still is – everything to me, and I am to her! And you know what else? I don't think you should even be on this island, then everything would be just fine! I wouldn't have to put with you for the rest of my life, and Shira, if we ever find her, wouldn't constantly have competition! Not that you are any competition to her, I'd rather have a Kitty than a Cow anyway!"

"I'm unhappy!" declared Mikayla snobbishly, as if expecting Diego to care.

"Well what do you want me to do about it?! And you'll never find happiness if you stay here! You have to leave!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" snapped Mikayla, before leaving the cave. Peaches, now awake, dropped from her tree branch and tilted her head to one side as she watched Mikayla flee.

"You know, you were kinda mean to her," she told her uncle.

"Yep," he answered.

"She deserved it."

"Yep."

"But she's gonna keep coming back, right?"

"Yep."

They sighed simultaneously, neither thrilled at the idea of Mikayla's return.

Raz sighed as she watched Gutt come back up to the top deck. She knew that if her plan worked, she would have to find a way to reduce the obvious pain Shira would be in. Cautiously, she hopped up to the Captain, who was wiping blood off his hands. She groaned inwardly, knowing that she would have to make that up to her sister at some point in the near future.

"Gutt?" she asked hesitantly "Ya know how Sheila got out of the cell?"

"Yes, Raz?" hissed Gutt, expecting her to confess.

"Well, Ah was thinkin' i' might be a good idea ta have a guard permantly watchin 'er ta stop 'er escapin' again."

"Alright," agreed Gutt "Would you be willing to do that?"

"Ah guess so," sighed Raz, pretending it was the biggest chore in the world "If i' helps the ship then sure, Ah'll do i'."

"Now that's a good crew member," Gutt praised her, pushing her in the direction of the lower deck. Raz nodded and hopped down to her sister's cell. Part two of her plan had worked perfectly, now for part 3: Get her little sister to forgive her.

Shira lay on her side, her back to the ice door on purpose. Raz sighed. She didn't exactly regret telling Shira about her little plan and what she'd done, but she felt so bad about it she thought it might've been better if she hadn't told her. Raz knew she could've thought her plan through more, she'd just been desperate to stay with her sister. Finally, she snapped.

"C'mon Sheila, Ah know tha' ya mad at me. But talk ta me all ready!" she begged. Shira completely ignored her, but it wasn't only because she was mad. She'd felt sick the entire time the pirates had held her prisoner, and Gutt's violent pattern of kicking her, cutting her and slamming her against various surfaces definitely didn't help. Feeling her stomach lurch, Shira quickly turned to the small hole in the ice floor that was specifically designed in case she was sick. She emptied the contents of her stomach down the small hole, and gagged at the awful taste in her mouth.

Raz silently slipped open the panel that the crew were supposed to use to give Shira food and water, and slid a turtle-shell filled with clear water into the cell.

"Thanks," whispered Shira weakly, sipping at the water. Once she had filled her mouth, she spat the water into the hole, to get rid of the taste, before drinking.

"Wha' was tha' 'bout?" asked Raz curiously, her golden eyes filled with worry.

"Dunno. Guess it was just seasickness or something," lied Shira, shrugging it off. But she knew why she was feeling sick, and why she was always hungry; she just didn't want to tell the pirates…yet.

"Nah i' wasn't," replied Raz, definitely doubtful "Ah've been at sea with ya all mah life near enough, an' ya 'aven't gotten seasick once! Well, unless the Cap'n made ya eat eel, but tha' is the only time!"

"You know me too well, Raz!" sighed Shira wistfully, gazing at her own reflection in the ice floor. Raz was at a loss for words. She just sat there and watched her younger sister fall asleep again.

Diego lay on his belly in the clearing, basking in the sun. The other members of his herd were off doing various things, but he didn't really care what. Despite the bright sunny day and activeness of his family, Diego couldn't find that happy feeling. Louis burrowed past the sabre and into the mammoth cave, obviously looking for Peaches. Diego counted down the seconds on his claws. 3, 2, 1…

"Peaches?!" called Louis, burrowing back into the clearing.

"Gyro-Drop," Diego told the molehog. He watched as Louis shouted "Thanks!" and shot off in the direction of the dangerous contraption.

"Granny? GRANNY?!" hollered Sid, running backwards into the clearing.

"Apple trees."

"Thanks Diego!" called Sid as he ran off to find his granny. Ellie stumbled into the clearing next, searching for her brothers.

"Crash? Eddie" she shouted as she searched.

"Launching themselves from trees again."

"Thank-you Diego!"

Diego sighed and rested his head on his paws. He stared into the distance, watching the horizon, trying to spot Gutt's huge ship, even though he knew it was long gone. He couldn't stop himself from thinking how much Shira would tease him and call him soft if he ever saw her again. But he was okay with it. In fact, he wanted it. He wanted her to make fun of him, to make him feel soft and vulnerable; he wanted her to make him her prey. He wanted her back. Everyone else has someone, he thought, I'm all alone. I hate being alone…

He remembered Shira cuddling up against him every night, remembered holding her when she cried after having a nightmare, remembered her licking his face when he was sad or annoyed, remembered every second he had ever spent with her. He sighed again, and averted his eyes. He couldn't bear to scan for the ship; he wanted to go out and find it himself, rescue his Kitty and watch Gutt die with his own two eyes. But he was certain that would never happen.

Down at the Gyro-Drop, Peaches walked – well, swung on the branches – towards Ethan and the Brat Pack. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"Ethan."

The mammoth whipped around, startled.

"Peaches?" he suddenly remembered something "Wait a second, Shira's not with you, is she?"

"Shira's gone, Ethan," Peaches took a deep breath to steady herself "She's gone."

"She's gone?" he asked curiously "What happened?"

"Captain Gutt came back and took her," answered Peaches bluntly.

"Oh Peaches," sighed Meghan "I'm so sorry!"

"I'm not!" declared one of the other girls, who seemed to be filling in for Steffie while she wasn't around "I'm glad that sabre's gone!"

There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group, which made Peaches eyes water. Meghan saw this, and decided that Peaches needed support, and that she would have to give it to her. She stepped forward and wrapped her trunk around Peaches' comfortingly.

"It's okay Peach, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Meg."

"Meghan, what are you doing?" Ethan looked very confused.

"Being a friend," she replied firmly, before leading Peaches away from the group "C'mon Peach, let's go back."

"To where?"

"Not sure, anywhere but here."

Peaches smiled at her friend, glad that someone other than Louis was standing up for her for a change. As if on cue, Louis popped out of the ground.

"Hey Peach, what's up?"

"A lot," sighed Peaches dejectedly, while Meghan squeezed her trunk.

"Well just remember Peach, you'll never face things alone," promised Louis, and Meghan nodded.

"I love you guys," said Peaches firmly. My friends are the best people in the world, she thought.

There you go! The end of Chapter 4! If you're wondering why I chose Meghan to stay as Peaches' friend, 1) she was the only one who didn't get hurt on the Gyro-Drop (not an accident), 2) one of my own best friends is called Megan, and 3) she had the smallest part out of Peaches' friends, so I wanted to build up a character for her.

Hope you all enjoyed this, and sorry if you didn't. I wrote this when I was on holiday, so I didn't have an awful lot of time in general, and I've been working on all my other stories and a new one-shot, so I've been very busy.

Again, any ideas sent in will be appreciated, and most likely included, unless I can't include them for whatever reason. If I can't include them in this fanfic, then I will try and use them in another one, as I seem to run out of ideas for everything except this. And if any of you have any ideas for 1) how Rudy died and 2) how/where Buck found out, then they'd be welcomed. Otherwise I'm gonna have to beg my BFF for ideas and have her get annoyed again. That's what I did for Roshan's Return (finally updated, BOOYA!) and The Girls In The Ice Age.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! XD