Chapter 3: Cave Exploring and Water Slides.
Peaches looked on in slight worry at their predicament. The plan had been simple- Find the other side of the cave, let Shorty toddle out back to his camp. Simple.
But it wasn't so simple, for the cave split into three different tunnels- and the baby had wandered in from one of them.
"Which way do we go?" Louis asked worriedly, twiddling his paws together.
"Maybe...um..."
"Agoo!" Peaches couldn't help but smile as the baby gurgled happily, reached out for her hair. Still clasped in her curled trunk, Shorty didn't seem at all bothered about where he was.
I wish I could be as carefree as you.
"Maybe we could go down one and see where it leads?" She suggested a little more confidently than she felt.
"What if it's the wrong way?"
"Then we'll come back and try again. It's not too bad, it'll just take a bit longer than we thought." The teen mammoth replied.
"Okay...which one should we try first, then?"
Peaches surveyed the three tunnels. "Hmm...Let's try...This way!" She began moving down the right tunnel. Louis followed her nervously.
As they went, Peaches saw the baby was covering his eyes.
"Aw, don't be afraid, Shorty. You'll be back home soon!" she reassured him. Poor little guy...
But suddenly the baby moved his hands away from his eyes, laughing, then covered them again.
"Hey...I used to play that game when I was little!"
"Peek-a-boo?" Peaches thought about the last time she'd played the childish game. It had been with Sid when she was small.
"Hey, let me try." Louis tapped the baby's shoulder to get his attention. When Shorty looked over, he covered his eyes. Peaches watched as Shorty squealed with delight and clapped his hands. She laughed a little.
"Aww...that is so cute!"
"Peek-a-boo!" Louis said, uncovering his eyes. Shorty burst out laughing.
"Huh, he is kinda cute. Couldn't imagine him throwing, you know, spears at us..."
"Yeah..."
"Bah!" Shorty said happily, covering his eyes and uncovering the, this time turning his head towards Peaches.
"Peek-a-boo, to you too, Shorty."
As they continued on, they found a strange rumbling noise could be heard further on.
"What's that?" Peaches asked.
"I don't know...you don't think it's the wind, do you?"
"Wind!" Peaches gasped "That could mean there's an exit!"
The trio hurried on. the noise was getting louder... and it definitely didn't sound like wind.
"We're under a mountain, right?" Louis asked suddenly.
Peaches frowned a little. "A small mountain, I guess. Why?"
"'Cause...don't waterfalls come down from the-"
"Watch out!"
Peaches had noticed it just in time. Right in front of them was a steep ledge, hanging over a large underground river where a waterfall was cascading from the side.
"Whoa!" Louis wobbled on his foot, stumbling back just in time.
They stared around the large underground cavern for a moment, before Peaches said:
"O-kay. So we know he didn't come this way." She turned around as her molehog friend nodded nervously.
"Y-yeah, unless he's great at climbing. And swimming..." He leaned over the side, watching a small stone from the side of the ledge slip off the side and fall into the water below. He gulped nervously.
"Louis, hurry up! we need to get back to the other tunnels!"
"Coming!" Louis turned on his heel. A little too quickly.
CRACK.
A crack appeared in front of him. His eyes widened. "Uh-oh!"
Peaches turned around to face him, and was about to call out again when the ledge suddenly began to crumble.
"Louis!"
"Peaches!"
Without thinking, Peaches rushed towards him, forgetting that she held Shorty in her trunk.
Before she could reach the molehog the ledge crumbled completely, taking both him and the mammoth with it as it plummeted towards the fast-moving water.
Louis had just enough time to grab onto her tusk as they hit the water.
Peaches was terrified that they'd go under- but the water wasn't too deep. Despite this thought the fast current pulled them along, and they rushed down the steep tunnel as an amazing speed.
Peaches screamed. Louis screamed. Shorty raised his hands and laughed in delight.
They were on a rollercoaster ride of water terror. They sped down, left, right, until they were launched right into the air off another, smaller waterfall. They landed at the bottom with a shout, and immediately they were speeding along the water again. Louis almost vomited, but before he could he spotted something and yelled.
"WHOOOOAAAA!"
Peaches, out of the corner of her eye, saw Louis pointed fearfully at something ahead.
"OH NO!"
A giant boulder was sitting in the middle of the river. Quickly, Peaches leaned to the right and narrow missed colliding with the harsh stone.
Whoa...this is actually kinda fun!
"Woohooo!" she yelled, repeating the action as another boulder came into view. Shorty squealed happily, waving his arms about and laughing. Now the only one not enjoying himself was Louis, who was holding onto Peaches tusk for dear life.
"Wheeeeen iiiiiis thisssss going to eeeeeend?!"
"I don't know!" Peaches asked exitedly as they slid down a exceptionally steep slide "Whoohoo!"
"No, not whoohoo!" Louis yelled frantically, tightening his told even more.
Peaches laughed loudly at this. "C'mon, lighten up, Louis, it's fun! Don't be such-"
"Look out!" Once again Louis pointed ahead. Following his gaze, Peaches saw another drop-slide coming up.
"Oh yeah!"
"Oh no!"
"Aga!"
They braced themselves as they slid over the side. Peaches felt her heart jump as they slid down the waterslide "Whoohoooooooooooo!"
SPLASH.
They landed at a small, still pool at the bottom. The river continued at the side through an opening too small for them to get through, at a much slower pace.
Peaches and Shorty sat in the water, laughing whilst their molehog companion trembled, practically fused to Peaches trunk in terror.
"We should totally do that again!" Peaches laughed, throwing Shorty into the air and catching him in her trunk as he shrieked with an equal amount of laughter.
"No! please, no!" Louis said as she stood up, walking over to the shore. He hopped shakily onto the ground, collapsing. Peaches shook the water off her fur, still giggling from the excitement from before.
Shorty was clapping his hands quietly. Peaches smiled at him. "You agree with me, don't you, Shorty? she should do that, like, every day!"
"Count...me...out!" Louis gasped loudly from the ground.
"Were is she?"
Manny was beyond worried now. It had been two hours at least, and now even Ellie was begining to look agitated.
"Hm...maybe she lost track of time. And it's getting to lunch time now, and lunch time's family time." She said "Maybe we should go get her..."
"Oh, oh!" Crash and Eddie hopped down from a nearby tree, onto Ellie's tusk.
"We'll go look for her, won't we, Crash?"
"Sure, Eddie, we'll go get her!"
"Now wait just a moment. I can't even trust you to gather berries, nevermind find our Daughter." Manny said angrily, glancing at the still-paralysed sloth nearby.
"Ath ecthalanth pointh!"
"Be quite, Sid. Where's Diego?"
"He's off with his girl-friend!" Eddie laughed. Then, both him and his brother burst into hysterics.
"Aw, big bad tiger gone all sooooft!"
"Hahaaha!"
In their merriment the two possums failed to notice a shadow being cast over them in a threatening manner. A tiger- shaped shadow.
"He's such a big soft..."
Eddie turned around and came face-to-face with a very angry Diego "...ie..."
Seconds later the possum was flying through the air, colliding with his brother, and soon they were both were rolling down a slope towards a prickly bush.
"OW!"
"Ah, lovebirds, nice for you to joins us." Manny said in annoyance as Shira joined them at Diego's side "Where've you two been?"
"Hunting." The female saber replied with equal annoyance.
"Romantic hunting!" Crash called, entangled somewhere in the bushes.
Diego coughed to get the attention away from the matter. "Um. Yeah, what's up, Manny?"
"Peaches has been gone for almost two hours now. I'm getting worried."
"Manny, are you sure you're not a little paranoid? She can handle herself." Diego replied with a brow raised.
Shira stepped forward. "C'mon, mammoth. Lighten up a little. A girl needs to learn how to be on her own sometimes."
"I know, I know." Manny sighed, "It's just I don't know what's in those caves..."
"Caves!?" The two sabers exchanged wide-eyed glances.
"What?" panic twisted in Manny's stomach. "What's wrong with the caves?!"
"Well...While we were out, we passed the caves. I had a look and...they're covered in drawings. Like the ones We saw a long time ago." Diego said slowly, as if not wishing to bring the matter up. Shira took up his silence to continue.
"We saw a group of human entering the caves just as we saw them."
"Humans? with spears?!"
" I don't know, maybe-"
"We've got to get over there, now!" Manny began hurrying down the path. Ellie began following him.
"I'm coming, too, Manny!"
"No, Ellie, stay here! It's too dangerous!"
"Too dangerous my trunk! Peaches is my daughter, too, and I'm GOING."
Before he could stop her, Ellie was marched past him along the path. "Well come on!"
"She's right, Manny." Diego said with a smile as he followed her. Shira joined him.
"Well I guess I'll come along too. This scurvy crew's in need of a little excitement after all."
Manny groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine, you can all come. Crash, Eddie!"
The possums, who had somehow freed themselves from the bushes and were currently poking Sid's paralysed eyes with sticks, looking over.
"Keep and eye on Sid and stay here. I mean it!"
"Okie dokie, dude! laters! Take care of our sister, mister!"
"Blalarghlarghlargh..." Sid managed to babble as they left.
I had so much fun writing this chapter, dudes. Please tell me if you see any spelling/ grammar mistakes. Much appreciated if you review!