Nostalgiaaaaaaaaaaaa...
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Chapter 18: Like Back in Glacier Pass.
"Who's the cutest? you are!"
Peaches cooed adoring at Shorty, tickling him under the chin as Louis carried him along. He squealed with laughter, waving his arms about only to wrap them around the molehog happily, snuggling against him as they wandered up the tunnel. It had taken a while to clear it, but now they were on the trail again. Shorty's Dad was watching them with a small smile from her own Dad's back. She wondered if Sid had been like this with him...
Louis patted Shorty on the head gently, a lot more at ease with him than before. "It's hard to think you might try to hit me with a spear one day..." Shorty babbled unintelligibly in response, smile still in place.
"Aga boo!"
Louis laughed. "Then again, Pinky didn't..."
Peaches laughed, giving Louis a playful rub on the head. "Aw, don't worry. He'll always remember us, won't you, Shorty?"
Shorty was yawning now, but still babbled in response. Peaches took that as a good enough answer and returned him gently to Pinky's arms, where Shorty fell asleep instantly.
Peaches watched him with a kind smile. He's so cute...
Roshan held his son tight as he slept, while they both rode along on the mammoth's back. After the tunnel had finally been cleared, (and the fires those very odd possums lit was out) they'd resumed their journey through the tunnel that slope upwards.
He looked up at the light escaping from the cracks, and a light, feathery hope fluttered in his chest. He was going home; Him and his son, were Nida was waiting...
Nida. Roshan sighed quietly to himself. She'd be so worried...she probably thought she'd lost them both now. He decided that he'd get back quickly, and make sure something like this never happened again.
Manny noticed the tunnel becoming lighter with ever few steps. "We must be getting close now..." He muttered to himself. Diego frowned, nodding in agreement.
Louis and Peaches were a little bit ahead of them despite Manny's warning not to wander too far. Peaches looked over at Louis, repeating what she'd said before.
"I'll miss him, you know." She remarked. Louis bobbed his head, agreeing.
"Yeah..." His read rose, and abruptly he gasped, jumping in the air and pointing.
"Oh gosh, oh gosh...I...I can feel wind!" Peaches' eyes shot wide at this and she stood still; Slightly, ever so slightly, she could feel a cool breeze on her feet.
"Oh...my..gosh, Louis! You're right!"
Ellie appeared to have heard their voices raise, as she hurried up beside them a moment later. "What is it?"
"Wind! we're almost out!" her daughter exclaimed. Sid whooped in joy behind them, Pinky raising his head at their tones and quickened behaviour. Sid decided to try to elaborate.
"We're almost outa here, buddy! you're almost home!"
Diego rolled his eyes as he hurried past to join Manny "Sid, we've been through the whole humans don't talk thing already. Save whatever you call energy and hurry up!"
Shira rolled her eyes and followed, laughing a little at Sid's hilarious try at an indignant pose.
They hurried along the tunnel, hearts rising in their chest as they spotted something they thought they'd never see again; an exit to the caves.
The wind was clear and refreshing after being trapped in the caves for so long, and for a moment they allowed themselves to take deep, relaxed breaths.
It was small and the dirt was bare, but it was an exit all the same. The sun was just setting, and as the mammals herded out from the shadows, the saber, sloth and mammoth noted that the soft pink sky was the same shade it had been many years ago, the morning before they met.
Manny and Diego shared knowing looks as Sid wiped a tear away from his eyes, spreading his arms wide up to the sky.
"Fresh air! freedom! We're gonna live!"
Granny promptly shoved him back with a prod in the stomach, courtesy of her cane and her irrigated mood.
"Ya won't be living long if ya keep annoying me, Sidney. Now, we're Precious?"
Ellie embraced Manny happily, feeling more relieved than she'd been in a month (the last time had been after the continental drift involving some deranged pirates)
"Well there's another adventure we can add to the family tales." She remarked with a smile. Manny sighed, looking exhausted.
"Please, let's make it our last..."
"Precioooous!"
Roshan sighed heavily, allowing a relaxed smile to spread across his lips. His son had awakened now, and was looking around the familiar place, gurgling in recognition. Rohsan knew luck had defiantly been on their side during this day, as they'd come out of the caves right where'd he started and right were his son had wondered in from.
He looked up into the sky and noticed smoke rising from up the hill. The mammoth's daughter seemed to catch his gaze, eyeing it as well. She then gestured at it with her trunk.
"Look, that must be their herd!" Peaches told the others. Manny followed her gaze and spotted the smoke as well.
Maybe not all of them should approach... especially the tigers. "Okay...I'll take Pinky and Shorty back up. You guys stay here...it could be dangerous."
Sid's mouth dropped open in wide-eyed dismay. "Hey...I wanna say goodbye, too!"
Manny sighed. "Okay, you say goodbye." He reached up and gently lifted Pinky from his back, his own baby held in his arms. He seemed to understand that the time to say goodbye was nearing, for he allowed Peaches to reach out and take Shorty, eyes teary.
"Aw, Shorty..."
As Pinky turned around to face Manny and Diego, Sid darted forward, about to hug him in his wierd motherly fashion when a chorus of shouts erupted from behind him.
the herd turned and saw that a group of men were rushing towards them, spears high and brandished, blades glinting in the early morning sun.
Manny quickly shouted to Ellie, with Crash and Eddie clinging to her tusks, "Get Peaches to safety! go!"
Shira looked about to pounce, but Diego quickly stopped her. "Not now, C'mon!"
He moved away into the trees surrounding the outside of the cave. If the humans saw sabers hanging around they definitely wouldn't be too civil. Shira was still angrily confused at this retreat (she'd never been the one to back off from a fight) but followed anyway.
Peaches stood her ground near Manny and Sid, Louis trembling at her side, Shorty clutched in her trunk. Pinky's eyes had widened in horror the whole time, and he seemed to be wondering what to do when Manny noticed his daughter was still in sight.
"Peaches, you have yo get out of here!" He exclaimed. But too was too late.
The humans were only a few feet away. Then, in a mirror of what had happened years ago, when the ice had covered the ground, when the cold morning before had awakened a saber, a baby, a sloth and a mammoth on an unlikely quest, when all hope seemed lost only to have been regained in the last second...
Pinky ran out, disregarding his leg, strong, wide arms out. The humans came to a halt, their warrior cries fading away in disbelief as their leader turned around and smiled up at the Mammoth behind him.
Just like in Glacier Pass, just as his father had looked up at him.
Almost done, folks. Maybe two more chapters.
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