Chapter 4. I hope you like it!
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six," Eddie was in a hand-made sling shot that he and Crash spent all day making. After a bunch of rough slap-fights, the decision was made that Eddie was going to get the first test shoot.
"Five, four, three, two, one.." Eddie continued counting down as Crash was pulling back the slingshot until he commanded "FIRE!".
Crash let the sling shot rip, sending Eddie flying into the air with the leaf hang glider the hyraxes used.
"YEAH!" cheered Eddie soaring. "This. Is. Awesome!"
Crash counted down the seconds Eddie spent soaring in the air. Nine seconds until he came plummeting down.
An adult Peaches and Louis were taking a stroll around the island discussing things. As teenagers, Louis confessed his feelings to Peaches and the two of them became boyfriend and girlfriend for a while. Sadly, they felt that it wasn't exactly working out between the two of them by the time they reached adulthood, but that doesn't mean that they didn't remain best friends.
"Can you believe the years passed by so quick?" asked Louis unbelievably.
"I know." agreed Peaches. "All the events just came and went. It seemed like only yesterday when we arrived at the island as teenagers with everyone else, when Cash, Bobby, and Flora were born, and all those other things."
"Yep, next thing you'll know, we'll be-OOF!" Louis got cut off as something landed on him.
"Louis, are you alright?" asked Peaches concerned.
"WHOO! That was awesome!" that praise proved that "something" to be Eddie, one of Peaches' two possum uncles who still are as childish and stupid.
"I'm fine Peaches, don't worry." Louis assured his friend.
"Alright bro, you were amazing!" cheered Crash. "My turn now!"
"Yeah!" Eddie high-fived his brother and they ran off.
Peaches and Louis sighed. Why Crash and Eddie, species who are clearly WAY older than them still act so stupid and childlike they'll never know.
Crash and Eddie whooped and laughed as they scurried to where their slingshot was, passing Flora.
"Hi Flora." the possums said in unison running off.
Flora slightly waved her paw to them.
"Hey there Flora." greeted Peaches warmly.
"Hi Peaches." smiled Flora.
"Having fun with your dad?"
"Yeah. We went hunting and for a walk. It was fun, but then we came home and I thought he might want some alone time with my mom so I just decided to go solo for now."
"I see."
"Are you sure you don't want to hang out with your brothers?" asked Louis.
"Nah, I'm good. They might want some time with their friends. I'll wait for them to come back."
"Okay." nodded Peaches. She understood Flora's "lone wolf" personality.
Knowing that Peaches had such a strong bond with her cousin, Louis thought it would be best to give them some privacy.
"I'll leave you ladies alone." said the molehog digging his way out.
"So how was your day?" asked Flora as she and Peaches started walking.
"It was great thanks. I just went on a walk with Louis and we talked about things." replied Peaches.
"What kind of things?"
"Just how time passed by so quickly. I remember coming here with the entire herd when I was your age. Everything was so new to us especially with your mother joining the herd."
"I imagine." Flora recalled how her parents have told her and her brothers stories from their pasts from how the herd first formed, to the meltdown, all the way to the continental drift. "All of that must have been crazy. And scary."
"Yeah. But if our herd can make it through all those things, we can make it through anything." chuckled Peaches.
"Peaches, can I ask you something?" Flora seeked advice from her cousin.
"Sure anything." smiled Peaches. She probably knew what it was.
"I know you said you were different from the other kids back when you were my age, but how did you handle it?"
"I thought you might ask that someday. At first, I tried to make friends with the Brat Pack no matter how much they were mean to me. I was a freak to them just because I'm part possum. It was mainly a cute boy named Ethan. He was sort of nice to me, but he pressured me into saying that Louis isn't my friend. Unfortunately, Louis heard it all and I completely hurt him." the mammoth could never forget her friend's big, wide, tearful eyes looking at her before tunneling back. "But when I gone to hang out with Ethan and his gang, I found out that they don't have any common sense or brains and I furiously stalked out."
Peaches finished the story off with how Gutt and the pirates have captured her and the others and how Louis came to her rescue. After the battle, the Brat Pack was so impressed by Louis' bravery and it finally earned him and Peaches some respect.
"Louis must be a real true friend." pointed out Flora. Why else would Peaches still be friends with him after all these years?
"He sure is." sighed Peaches. "I know why you asked Flora."
Flora looked up at Peaches.
"I know because we're alike." the mammoth continued. Flora knew well what Peaches meant. They were alike. Except Peaches didn't isolate herself. "I know that you feel like an outsider, but don't worry about that. You have to be proud of who you are and embrace it. You should never try to hide from it."
Flora smiled. "Thanks Peaches. You know just what to say."
"I guess we're pretty close cousins." grinned Peaches.
"Cousins? More like sisters."
DONE! Peaches and Flora have a strong bond don't they? Please do review! :D
