Xion the Author: I completely re-wrote this chapter. The original draft involved multiple scenes that would simply 'drag' the story longer, and I felt it was best that I would try not to let it go on too far that people would find it annoying. Another reason was because the original storyline consisted of 'spending another day with Eli for the last time' yadda yadda that it would keep Buck waiting in Dinoland. Maybe I should've mentioned this at the end of the chapter… ah well!

ICE AGE: RAISING A CUB

Chapter XIX: It's Not The End

"So… I'm guessing this is where Eli says goodbye," said Crash, who along with his twin brother had finally returned to their usual hangout on top of their sister's head.

Peaches overheard them, and with saddened eyes muttered, "Yeah… but to who?"

Everyone had heard her, and they all looked towards Eli who faced them all with the entire wolf pack behind him. He could hardly speak from all the tension, but he managed to swallow the dead air in his mouth without choking. "You've all been so kind to me, and you'll always be family to me," he said. "But… this is where I belong"

"What do you mean?" asked Sid, whose question was the same with the rest of the herd who was unclear to what he was trying to say.

Eli inhaled and let the air out through his mouth. "I'm staying here"

"You're really going to stay with them?" asked Eddie.

"It appears you've finally realized it," said Matthias as he approached them from the crowd of wolves behind Eli. The striking similarity of their fur color would mistake them as father and son. Eli glanced towards him, and nodded in reply.

"Are you the pack alpha?" asked Diego.

"That I am," Matthias replied. "And you must be his adoptive father. He talks quite proudly of you"

Diego chuckled. "Take care of my son, will you?" he said as he smiled brightly, seeing that the pack alpha might not be as bad as he thought.

"That we will," replied the dark-furred wolf who had appeared beside Leah and Eli. Nathan noogied Eli's head the first chance he could. "The little guy is growing up on me anyways"

"Don't call me little!" Eli replied.

"Wait a minute- Diego, are you okay with this?" asked Ellie abruptly to him.

"I'm fine, guys," said Diego, though as hard as he tried to hide it, looked teary-eyed with a fake looking smile.

"But… Diego…" Manny said, "I know firsthand what it's like to lose someone. Are you sure your okay with this?"

Diego looked down, and knew that he wouldn't be able to stop his son from his decision either way. He walked towards his adopted son for perhaps the last time as he smiled his gentle fatherly smile at him. With each paw step he took flashed in his eyes all the memories he had created with him. He could vaguely see the small lost wolf cub he found that fateful day, and now he saw him all grown up. All he could feel right now was sadness, happiness, and pride. Eli knew that it was the last time he would also see that smile, and he jumped up and hugged his father tightly.

Diego hugged him back and said, "Whoever you'll become, wherever you will be, and whatever choice you'll make," he broke from their hug and looked at him in the eye, "you will always be my son"

Eli chuckled. "And you'll always be my dad,"

Diego felt a great sense of joy inside him, a feeling that he had almost forgotten. So long it had been, and now all he wanted to do was hug his son for the very last time.

Without another word, for everything was said and done, their goodbye was almost perfect when-

"Ummm… guys?" said Sid as he pulled hardly on the vine keeping the giant mole in place. "Tim's getting kinda restless, we'd better go before he starts making holes in places our neighbors don't want him to make" One quick hoist from the giant mole left Sid being dragged half a meter forward, knocking his 'gentles' into a flat rock on the floor. Sid cringed and whimpered in pain. "Painful. Very. Painful" he said breathlessly, squealing in the last syllable.

The herd laughed heartily with his usual comical self. Peaches approached Eli as well, and they could see that she had changed and grown just as much as he did. "You know, we can always for visits," she said.

"I'll look forward to it, but don't go through too much trouble just for that," said Eli.

Peaches looked like she was about to cry. "Things are going to be boring without you," she sniffed, wiping a tear off her face with her large trunk.

"I'll miss you too," he said. Her trunk and his right paw punched as their last goodbye together.

Crash and Eddie were also teary-eyed. "I think I'm gonna cry," said Crash.

"Me too," said Eddie, and a quick glance at each other made them crying their hearts out and hugging each other in the sadness of the moment.

"We're going to miss you Eli," said Ellie, smiling with the rest of the herd. Though as sad as they were, they were still happy for him to have found a family he really belonged to.

"Life… was never the same since you came to us," said Manny. "Peaches found a playmate. Sid became more of an uncle, and so did I. Ellie found you downright adorable. Crash and Eddie loved making pranks with you and at you, but it was Diego who you made an impact the most"

Eli was about to cry. He held his paw across his eyes to try and hold the tears for even a moment. "I'll you all so much. Especially you… dad" he said, faced towards Diego who was smiling happily for him with as much tears in his eyes as him.

And with that, the herd went off in the opposite direction of the pack. Eli looked back only once, and with all their adventure had lead him to, it was as if destiny himself had told him to embark on this fateful journey.

Gone with the sky were the tears and the memories, but the story has yet to end.

"I'm really gonna miss that ol' lug," said Peaches as she and the herd walked.

"We all will, honey," said Ellie.

"Don't think you're out of trouble yet missy," said Manny. "You're grounded for a month"

"Awwww, but dad!" moaned Peaches. "I didn't even get to find other mammoths like us"

Ellie giggled. "Don't worry Peaches, you can find other mammoths when your older"

"Really?" Peaches shouted enthusiastically.

"Ellie, don't encourage her," said Manny.

"How did you guys find us anyways?" asked Eddie before spotting the large hole that looked as if it would lead downwards into an unknown world. And it would. Crash and Eddie looked at each other with excitement as they walked down through the long dark tunnel whose eerie atmosphere was familiar with fun and adventure.

"You dug a tunnel this long?" asked Peaches.

"Wait till you see, princess!" the two possums said enthusiastically.

"Remember those stories we used to tell you when you were a kid?" asked Sid, who was riding the giant mole downwards in front of all of them.

"…about where I was born in that dinosaur world?" Peaches said after a moment of thinking. "Those were all just stories, weren't they?"

"See for yourself," said Diego as they emerged into the light. Peaches was filled with the same awe as the herd was filled the very first time they had entered here. The bright orange atmosphere filled with tall waterfalls perched from tall rock towers, green leafy plants that looked alien to her, humongous dinosaurs that ate the green leafy plants, scaled flying animals that soared the sky below the ceiling of ice, and a tall brown-furred weasel with a green eyepatch in his right eye with his back turned against them. Peaches found the peculiar figure nostalgic from the toy she had when she was a baby.

"…Buck?" she asked, remembering his name from the numerous stories told to her which filled her dreams with a small escape of adventure and exhilaration.

The crazy weasel turned and grinned at them. "Ah! You must be pineapples!" he said.

"It's Peaches," she corrected before brightening up again. "Wow… you're really… real!" she said as she compared him to just how she pictured him in those little childhood dreams she had. Buck arched an eyebrow before smiling.

"I'll take tha' as a compliment!" he said with his usual loud booming helping Sid with hoisting Tim to a nearby tree.

"Where are my kids?" asked Sid, panting from the 'heavy' pulling and tying of vine where Buck probably did most of the effort.

"Your kids?" asked Peaches.

"They're over there," Buck said pointing his thumb backwards. Sid looked behind him to see the three t-rexes napping quietly in peace. "They were a bi' of a challenge in keepin 'em in laine, but I managed just as well"

"Looks like you're not half as bad as a parent too Buck," said Ellie.

"Me? A parent?" Buck asked bewildered. "Yer jokin', raight?

"No, I'd say you did pretty well," added Manny.

"Master!" shouted the two possums as they scurried towards him and bowed in respect.

"You're alive!" shouted Crash as he hugged his master's leg, Buck trying hard to shake him off.

"Of course he's alive!" cut in Eddie. "He's Buck!"

Buck looked around from the above the small wrestle the possums began once again in search of one missing companion. He then saw Diego with a bit of a frown in his face and approached him. "I'm guessin' things didn't go as well as planned, aye?" he asked the saber tooth.

"Eli… found a wolf pack and decided to stay with them," answered Diego. "It's a long story"

"Well… that's a shame. And I was hopin' to meet 'im too…" he said before going back with his usual adrenaline-caused vigor. "Well, anyhow, I'm guessin' yer all wantin' to go home now. Just follow me everyone. Without any random interference, we should be able to get back by tomorrow mornin'"

"Awww…" moaned the twins, stopping from their wrestle as they overheard him. "But what about the adventure?"

"Haven't you two gotten enough adventure already?" said Ellie.

"You can never have enough adventure!" the two shouted boldly.

"Aye aye to that!" Buck shouted along.

"We were hoping for a safe trip home?" said Sid before realizing that his children had woken up and greeted him good afternoon.

"Nothin' is ever as we expect, mate," said Buck heartily as he unhoisted the giant mole from the tree trunk.

Like a snap, it seemed as though everything had returned to normal.

Xion the Author: Whaaaaaat? More adventure? Not really, no. You'll find out in the next chapter but for now I'd like to add about the chapter (hah, you just got spoiler-ed). I thought it would be easiest chapter to write since I've been anticipating this chapter from the start, and I still can't believe that I was able to manage through all the events in the previous chapters and end up here. This turned out to be, again, another challenge as I wanted to readers to really feel the drama in the story. And I've got the last chapter idea done as well, and I think I'll post it on my birthday. But when IS my birthday you might ask? Well, you'll find out when I actually post it. Don't worry, its during this month so it won't be much of a wait.

Flik: There'd better be cake.

Xion the Author: Maaaaaybe *grin*, but the only guarantee I could give would have to be you being mentioned in the last chapter! :D Yipee for that! But anyways, more on the chapter, I really had to think about what to write, especially on the first paragraphs. I wanted Diego and Eli to have this special father and son moment, but I also wanted everyone else to be there, so tadda!

Ryan: Will I also be mentioned?

Xion the Author: You're from a different fanfic, so no. In fact, I actually wanted the pack leader to be named Ryan too, but then that would be confusing my OC of the same name, so there it was.

!R&R! This is the second to the last chapter!