Howdy everyone! It's been a long summer for all of us and some of us are back in school again. So I hope you're all ready because we're about to reach the end of "Guardians of the Hyrax Island." So please sit back, relax, and enjoy this concluding chapter!
Have you ever thought that maybe sometimes you just have to die a little inside to be reborn again as a stronger and wiser version of yourself? Well…I thought my life was over…but I came back anyhow nine months later. Guess I had one hell of nap. I gotta tell you, it was one of the best sleeps I ever had. The way I feel now is like a new era has behun, especially now that man and animal are together in peace. Looks like I'm going to have a lot of free time on my hands now.
Into the forest, Roshan and saber cub Nadia went, to lose their minds and find their souls. Nadia sat comfortably on her human companions' shoulder and drifted off to sleep. Roshan scratched under the her tiny chin making her purr in sweet delight as they continued on to their quest to the falls to hopefully find their friends and family there and be reunited.
As they walked, some of the mammals, who lived in the valley, recognized Roshan as the boy noticed they were all suddenly applauding for him.
Roshan didn't mind this at all. After all he did save not only his people's home…and the mammals homes too.
Roshan waved a little making the applause grow louder. It was like becoming a celebrity when you're now suddenly famous.
(APPLAUSING)
(WHISTLING)
(ROARING)
(SQUAWKING)
(CHEERING)
"We love you, humie!" a beaver girl called out
"Thank-you, boy, thank-you" cheered an eagle
"You're the man, you're the man, you're the man, you're the man, you're the MAN!" A bear chanted
Roshan expressed an awkward smile although was very uncomfortable by all the good things animals were saying got him quickly running ahead and into the deeper parts of the wilderness so that he wouldn't had to listen to them anymore.
"Geez, since when am I famous?" Roshan asked, to Nadia
(NADIA MEWING)
Nadia shrugged her little shoulders up in confusion as in, (*I don't know*)
An hour has past and by that time Roshan entered the beach were he saw the sun starting to go down as night was almost near. The boy smelled in the fresh air of the ocean breeze and exhaled. Nadia did the same too, although, started coughing by the fishy smell of sea water.
"Where is everybody?" said Roshan, in his thoughts
Roshan looked around to where the falls might be but then was suddenly distracted by a very delicious smell roaming in the air.
"Someone's definitely cooking something good" said Roshan
(NADIA MEWING)
Roshan turned around and gasped when he saw his buddies: Manny, Sid, and Diego. The threesome appeared to be having a barbecue for their Herd tonight. Roshan and Nadia exchanged glances as the boy winked, placing a finger to his lips for silence to which the saber cub agreed to. The twosome then quietly began making their way over.
As Roshan crept his way over, the threesome were in conversation.
Sid smells the steaming meat. "Smells good"
"Yeah, no doubt about it. Who knew cooking meat would taste so much better" said Diego, agreeing with his friend
"Guess we can learn more from humans, eh fellas" said Manny, flipping he meat over. "But it'd be better if Roshan were with us"
"The poor kid" said Diego, looking sad. "I thought he'd be awake by now"
"All we gotta do is pray for the best, right Sid?" Manny asked, his sloth friend
"Manny's right! Afterall it's only been 9 months and we still haven't got any explanations to why poor Roshan isn't waking up yet" Sid said, with his happiness suddenly turning into deep sadness
(SID SOBBING)
Manny and Diego had the same feeling but was thrown behind them when much to their surprise, saw Roshan walking up towards them, only with Sid not knowing it. The twosome were speechless but relieved and excited to see their human friend was awake and okay. The two spoke whisperingly to themselves to keep their mouths shut until their dumb friend notices.
"Sid? Sid are you crying? What's the matter?" Roshan asked, standing next to the sloth
"Because…(SNIFFLING)…you're in a coma, Roshan" Sid replied
"No, no, I'm not" Roshan assured
"Yes, yes, you are" Sid replied
"Sid, I'm standing right next to you just take a look…" said Roshan
Sid yelled and cried, "GREAT! Not only is he in a coma but now I'm hearing his voice in my head! Ohh why must it hurt so much!"
(SID'S SOBBING CONTINUES)
Roshan looked at Manny and Diego in confusion before the twosome began counting backwards from three to one.
"3"
"2"
"1" said both Manny and Diego
(SOBBING STOPS)
Sid quickly turns around, in sudden realization. "Roshan? YOU'RE OKAY!"
Sid rushes over to Roshan, tackling him, giving him a friendly noogie on the head, and then a rough punch in the shoulder.
(SMACK)
"AGH!" Roshan yelled, in pain
"I could kiss ya!" Sid said, grabbing the boy by the face and began kissing him
(KISS)
(KISS)
(KISS)
(SPATS)
(SPITS)
"YUK, EW!" Sid exclaimed, as he wiped his mouth and tongue
"It's great to see you too, Sid" said Roshan, whipping the sloth's hair off his coat and pants
Diego lend out a paw out and Roshan happily accepted. "Welcome back, squirt"
"I don't get it? Why didn't Shaylyn or Iorek called us?" Sid questioned
"I just woke up. Nine months, right?" Roshan said and questioned
"Yeah that was quite the nap you took, baby-face, and you still look twelve" said Manny, lending out his trunk
Roshan looks down and up from Manny and instead of shaking his trunk, the boy hugged him instead. Manny, a little shocked, but gratefully accepted. It felt like it was so long since he had hugged Roshan since he was just an infant and now almost becoming a man. Sid and Diego joined in on the heartwarming moment.
"Good times, good times" said Sid, as he wiped a tear away
"16 years and now look at us" said Manny. "Family, friends, and allies joined together all as one. What more can you want?"
"You guys must've had a lot of great adventures without me. If it wasn't for any of you I wouldn't be here. Thank-you" said Roshan
"Thank-you" said Manny, to the boy
"Thank me? Why are you thanking me?" Roshan asked
"Kid, you're the whole reason we became a 'Herd' in the first place" Diego explained. "You're a gifted human"
"He's right, Roshan. You've come a long way since we've met and I'll take full credit for that. Just saying" said Sid, conforming his human friend
"Sid!" Diego said
Sid raised his hands up, "What? I'm just trying to be persuasive"
Manny rested his trunk on Roshans' shoulder and explained to him, "Look the point is, Roshan, if you hadn't come along…well we all wouldn't have found each other. You've given us hope and love ever since the day we returned you back to your father that faithful day. You not only made us a herd…you made us a family"
"One happy family" said Diego
"One BIG happy family, for your information" said Sid
Diego rolled his eyes, "Whatever"
"We thank-you" said the three together
Roshan was overwhelmed with his friends speech and he just didn't know what to say by this. Suddenly tears streamed down his eyes like he was crying for the first time in his life after 16 years.
(SNIFFING)
(SIGHS)
"Are you crying?" Manny asked
Roshan scoffs, "No…"
"Yeah you are" Diego replied. "We can see it on your face"
"Am not" said Roshan
"Are too" Sid teased
"Am not" Roshan repeated
"Are too" Sid repeated, teasingly
"Am not!" Roshan repeated, in annoyance
"Are too!" Sid repeated, teasingly
"AM NOT!" Roshan exclaimed, repatingly
"ARE TOO!" Sid exclaimed, repeatingly
Roshan poked at Sid; Sid poked back; then Roshan did again. Suddenly it became an all-our poke war with these two poking each other in a frenzy.
"ALRIGHT WE GET IT, SHUT UP!" Manny exclaimed. "Can we cut this out and prepare the big feast, please? We got a Herd to feed"
Sid squeezed his arm around his human friend holding him close. "Your human buddies are already here with us for the feast, Roshan. I hope you're starving because..."
(MUFFLED MEWING)
The sloth released his arm around Roshan when Nadia popped her head out from the back of the boys' hoodie having slept in their the whole time. Her eyes swirled in directions as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes came to a stop on the first sight she saw...and that was Sid.
(NADIA HISSING AT SID, GROWLING)
Sid gasped. "That's a coincidence how did you get under there?"
(NADIA ANGRY MEWING)
Nadia pounced at Sid making him fall to the floor as the saber cub began scratching and biting on the clumsy excuse of sloth she calls an 'uncle.'
(SID SCREAMING)
(SCRATCHING)
(CLAWING)
(BITING)
(ANGRY MEWING)
"Mommy!" Sid cried out, running away with Nadia chasing after him in circles
"That's my girl!" said Diego, watching the entertainment
"Hey fellas if this is too much of a question but…am I part of your BIG happy family now?" Roshan asked
The three looked at each other as smiles brightened up and they looked at their human friend and nodded.
"Welcome to our Herd" the three replied, together
Well there you have it! I know it looks a little short but what can I say? Chapter 30 will contain the entire cast who've played the Ice Age characters, PLUS, a post-credit scene in the end.