Ice Age: Collision Course

As the herd continued through the forest, the sky gradually grew darker and darker and an odd purple haze settled over the woods. Lightening flashed in the sky and Sassy held in a whimper, cowering slightly but not enough for anyone to notice. At least, she didn't think anyone did. Denali picked up on her skittish behavior very quickly. He didn't know Sassy hardly at all, but she was acting very odd. The air began to take on a thick feeling, and electricity crackled among the trees.
"The air feels...strange." Diego observed. Shira started to nod and then looked down at her foreleg.
"Uhh...Diego?" She asked, holding her paw out. Static electricity was running through her fur, causing the fur to puff up and crackle. Diego held up his own leg to see the same thing happening. Sid tapped him on the shoulder and snickered, pointing upward at Manny's head. Both the sloth and saber tooth burst out laughing at the puffball growing on Manny's head fur due to the static electricity. Within seconds, all of Manny's fur puffed out with electricity. Diego kept laughing until a spark shocked his fur and he puffed out just like Manny. Sid fell on his back, dying of laughter until both Manny and Diego shocked him, making the sloth join them. The opossum brothers were cackling at the sight until the kept shocking each other but didn't puff up.
"Finally! We have superpowers!" Crash yelled excitedly. He and Eddie kept on shocking each other.
"La'ies and gentlemen, we have run into an electrical storm. Ah...I suggest we al' stay away from th' trees." Buck announced.
"Sure no problem. It's not like we're in a forest." Diego remarked sarcastically. Denali looked at Sassy. In the little time he'd known her, she seemed to have a sarcastic remark and an eye roll for every occasion. Now, she was stepping very cautiously and staying low to the ground. Every time lightning flashed she flinched and Denali could hear slight whimpers coming from her throat. He hurried to her side.
"Sassy?" The former female alpha visibly jumped and skittered away from him. When she looked behind her at him, Denali saw genuine fear in her amber eyes. "Are you afraid of lightning?" He asked her flat out, in a gentle voice. There was no sense in beating around the bush. It wasn't Denali's style. Sassy's maw opened as if to contradict him but Buck spoke up again.
"Everyone, try not to create any sor' of friction!" He warned, pointing at the electricity tail that was now teasing him from the ground, where two rocks had collided.
"No friction. Got it."
"Yup cool beans. Friction is what now?" The twins asked from on top of Jullian's fur. Their feet were scurrying though the hair and when they laid back they reached for each other to shock the other again, purple electricity running though them to their finger tips. Sassy's eyes grew wide and so did Diego's.
"Oh no...!" Diego said, backing up. The brothers touched fingers and a bolt of lightning shot up into the sky, booming and causing the static to erupt around them. Sassy let out a terrified whine and Denali stayed by her side, helping her to avoid the electricity in her terror.
"Com' on! Let's get outta 'ere!" Buck called.
"Hurry Granny!" A still puffy Sid said as he tried to waddle out of the maze of electricity.
"Don't you hurry me! I've been struck by lightning more times-,"
"Granny!"
"-than you've had hot breakfasts!" Another bolt of lightning struck right in front of Sassy and Denali and the former screamed. She started to run but Denali blocked her path and growled at the female.
"Snap out of it Sassy! Look! Your friends are in trouble!" He gestured with his large head towards Manny and Ellie now trapped under a static electricity field. She turned her head and seemed to regain some of her sense back. Denali shouldered her in that direction and she ran with no more encouragement. Sassy ran up to Shira and watched as Diego got Manny and Ellie free by using Crash and Eddie to attract the electricity. Once the mammoths were free, everybody ran out of the woods and dove into a clearing. Shira stumbled slightly, about to go down when Sassy shouldered her up and they continued to run. Finally in the clearing, away from the electricity field, the herd looked around at each other.
"Did everyone make it?" Diego asked.
"Shira, Manny, Crash, Eddie, Ellie, Granny...ah shoot I'm out of fingers!" Sid panicked.
"Buck! Where's Buck?" Diego asked and looked behind him. Buck was standing at the edge of the woods, looking back at the electricity field that was threatening to explode with energy at any moment.
"Do you hear that? A baby! There's a baby in there!" Buck yelled and dove right back into the forest.
"Buck wait it's too dangerous!" Eddie called. Sassy's instincts kicked in and she started to run back for the forest but was tackled by Denali, who held her pinned to the ground.
"Get off me!" Sassy snarled, trying to push him off her but he was too strong, even for Sassy. Suddenly there was an explosion in the forest as the electricity built up and finally reached its limit. All went silent for a moment and Buck's tooth knife landed right in front of the opossum brothers. The herd let out a collective gasp.
"He's gone?" Ellie asked sadly.
"He's really gone!" Sid yelled in a panicked voice.
"I don't know how we'll go on without you Buck! Alright let's go." Granny said. Sassy growled and used all her strength to shove Denali up and pin him on his back.
"Why didn't you let me go in!?"
"Sassy it was too late you know it!!" Sassy snarled but was interrupted by a screaming log that was hurtling straight for them through the air, still crackling with electricity.
"It's Buck!" Ellie said happily. The log crashed to the ground and Diego immediately ran over and sliced the top off with his claws. Sassy got off Denali and everyone gathered around to see Buck huddled in the log, clutching something.
"I gotcha. Don' worry I gotcha. Shhh." He stood up, still holding the thing wrapped in a leaf. "Say hi everyone!" He held out the object and the herd blinked. "Isn't she gorgeous!" Buck said proudly, holding out a small, plump, orange pumpkin.
"How can he tell it's a she?" Sid whispered to Diego. The stem of the pumpkin snapped off. "Oh...," Buck cooed to the pumpkin and started kissing it.
"just to be clear that's a pumpkin, right?" Both Shira and Denali asked at the same time, one to Diego and one to Sassy.
"Oh she's got a lil' jaundice, but I think she'll be alrigh'. Yes you will!! I think I'll call you...Braunwin!" Buck cooed in a baby voice.
"Uh little buddy? We need you back on planet earth while it's still here." Manny said to Buck as the herd started on their way again.
"Right you are mammal! Who wants to save the world from the fiery asteroid?" Buck cooed again. The herd walked for a few more hours and Sassy and Denali remained silent, refusing to talk to each other. Sassy was still mad at Denali for holding her down...but she was more mad at herself. She did know that it would've been to late. She would've just killed herself. She was also mad that he had only known her for a day and yet he knew her fear that she had kept hidden from her herd for years. It irritated her. Was she that transparent? Or was he just that good? They stopped for a moment and Buck looked at the sky, measuring the asteroid with his thumb.
"Ok mammals! Let's stop here for tonight!
"Stop? What about the whole end of the world collision thing?" Manny asked.
"Oh the asteroid's still a day off! And like my grandfather used to say..."Red sky at night, sailors delight! Purple sky at night-who moved my foot cream!? I need my foot cream!" Buck hunched over and imitated his old grandfather. "Grampy was a confused an' angry weasel." Sassy had heard enough. She was exhausted. She trudged off and found a small overhang in a cliff. She curled under it and rested her head down. She wasn't surprised when Denali came and laid down beside her.
"What are you doing?" She asked, almost accusingly.
"Can't I lay here?" He asked. She didn't answer. "Look Sassy I know you don't like me, for reasons I do not know, but I like you. I want to know you better. You intrigue me. And I know you're afraid of lightning." Sassy stiffened but then sighed in defeat.
"Look I'm sorry. It's not that I don't like you. I actually....I'm actually intrigued by you too. I just don't have a good history with males wolves and...well I'm wary. But you're a good guy. You deserve a chance."
"Thank you." He said.
"No, thank you." She countered. She offered him a genuine smile, which he returned. Sassy looked over at the mammoths and saw the parents conversing...or scheming...and Peaches and Jullian near the fire.
"So light em up up up, light em up up up, light em up up up I'm on fire!!!!" Jullian sang in a rock voice. They watched Manny offer to take Jullian hockey playing and Ellie stayed behind with Peaches. Yup, scheming. Diego went to join Manny and Jullian and Sassy saw Shira walking off alone. She knew she needed to talk with the sabress.
"Excuse me Denali I need to speak to Shira." She said and ran after her. She caught up to Shira on a rocky cliff that over looked the valley. They were alone but could see everything happening below them with the herd. "Hey." Sassy said in greeting.
"Hey." Shira smiled and sat down gingerly. She gave a little grunt and Sassy cocked her head.
"You ok?"
"Yeah. My back's been a little sore lately. Probably from all the walking." Sassy held back a grin and sat down next to Shira.
"Shira, you weren't having problems with anything a week ago. Now suddenly within a few days you're throwing up multiple times, you're back is hurting and your walk is unsteady. Surely you can see that." Shira sighed.
"Yes I do. But what could be wrong with me? I'm having morning sickness too-wait....morning sickness?" She looked over at Sassy as understanding began to dawn. Sassy smirked.
"You're ankles are swelling up a bit too. When was the last time you and Diego....um....played?" Shira blushed under her fur and then her eyes grew wide as she began to fully understand.
"Sassy...am I....could I be....?"
"Pregnant? Yes Shira I do believe you are. You're showing every sign of pregnancy." Shira simply stared out into space for a moment, her face registering shock. "Shira, you're happy aren't you?"
"I...yes. Yes I am. But Sassy I'm scared." She looked at the wolf with tear filled eyes. Yup definitely pregnant. Shira never showed that much emotion. "What if I'm not a good mother? What if Diego isn't happy?" Sassy sighed and nuzzled Shira's neck for comfort.
"One thing you don't have to worry about is Diego. He is going to be ecstatic and you know it. And Shira you're going to make a wonderful mother. I'd be willing to bet on it."
"But kids are afraid of us!"
"Kids that are a different species than you. Remember Shira this will be your own cubs, not other kids that are completely different than you."
"Cubs?" Sassy rolled her eyes.
"Don't tell me you were only expecting one child? Shira use your brain. Sabers and wolves tend to have multiple babies in a litter. To only have one is exceedingly rare. And by the way you're holding your weight and how you've been eating lately, I'd say you're carrying at least 3." Shira blanched slightly.
"How are we going to manage 3 kids right off the bat!?" Sassy chuckled.
"It's in our DNA. Your instincts will carry you through. Plus, you have me and Ellie and the whole herd to help you." Shira smiled slightly.
"Yeah I guess you're right." They were silent for a few minutes before Shira said something that left Sassy completely thunderstruck. "So...Denali likes you a lot." Sassy nearly choked on air.
"What!? No. We've only know each other for a day."
"So? Diego and I only knew each other for 2 days when he asked me to come with him and you guys. We knew then we were meant for each other. And from what I hear Manny and Ellie were only 3 days."
"Yeah but.....," Sassy trailed off. She had no argument.
"Sassy why does the thought of a man liking you terrify you so much?" Sassy was quiet for a while before answering.
"When I was a young pup, new to the alpha position and still very naive and wet behind the ears, I met a wolf from a neighboring pack in the next territory. He was a little older than me, handsome, charming and very sweet. I fell for him instantly. His name was Lone Star." Sassy's voice crackled slightly but she kept talking.
"I was so in love with him, and I thought he felt the same about me. I was wrong. He sweet talked me and brought me gifts and went on adventures with me, but was using me the whole time. One night he decided we'd been too casual for too long and started licking me suggestively. I wanted to but I knew I had an obligation to my age and my pack first. I was too young and my pack would lose their respect for me if I slept with a wolf at such a young age. I would be setting a poor example for the pups. I was just a pup myself."
"I refused him, told him I needed to wait till I was older and he tried to take me anyway. I got scared and clawed at him and ran back to my pack. He caught me though and well...anyway the next night as I was hunting I caught him in the act. He was mating with my beta." She shuddered at the memory and shook her furry head. "I demoted my beta on a different charge but as alpha I was allowed to set the rules for my territory. I declared that if Lone Star ever set paw on my territory again I'd rip his throat out."
"Oh Sassy." Shira said sadly, her expression drooping. "I'm so sorry. He didn't know how good he had it."
"It gets worse. He got me pregnant. I was terrified of my pack finding out and so sad about what he'd done to me but at the same time I couldn't help but be excited about becoming a mother as such a young age. But I didn't have to worry about hiding it from my pack for very long. Before they took real notice I had a miscarriage." Shira's face turned horrified. "I think some of the older females knew but they seemed to understand what had happened and respected me still."
"So that's why you don't trust male wolves." Sassy nodded. "But Sassy, not every wolf is going to do what Lone Star did. I think Denali is a good wolf."
"So do i...," Sassy mumbled quietly. "None of the boys know this. And neither do Ellie or Peaches. Please let me tell them in my own time." Shira nodded and nudged Sassy's head in comfort. Sassy returned it and let one solitary tear slide down her fluffy cheek.

Off in the bushes, Denali slowly backed up, trying not to alert the girls to his presence. He'd heard every word. And it only made him want to show Sassy the kind of wolf he was even more. He could never hurt her. Not in a million years.