The icy winds eventually faded, as the blizzard slowly died down. A gentle snowfall took over the land in this silent hour. Finally, the Equestrians and the herd managed to find a way out of Half Peak as they approached the formation of Glacier Pass. One would imagine that the end of this little excursion through the Ice Age would be cause for celebration. However, at the moment, not a soul was in the mood for celebration or any joy for that matter.
Following the recent defeat of the sabretooth pack and the vanishing of a strange monstrous beast, the group had no choice but to leave their dying friend Diego behind if they had any hope of returning Roshan to his tribe. They still couldn’t fathom the whirlwind of events that took place. In such a short time, Diego admitted to leading them to Half Peak for his pack to eat them and suddenly sacrificed himself for them when it truly mattered most.
All of this weighed heavily on everyone and every pony’s minds, but they still kept walking to Glacier Pass… no matter how much it hurt to take a step.
“I can’t believe Diego’s gone,” Twilight sighed sadly. “No pony deserves to go out like that.”
“He went out of his way to protect us all,” Spike spoke up. “It sucked he lied to us the whole trip, but he still chose friendship over his pack. He saved our lives today, and I can’t think of a braver way to go out.”
“He shouldn’t have gone out at all,” Gilda grumbled sadly. “He should be walking with us.”
“I know it hurts, Gilda,” Gabby told her friend. “It’s terrible not having him here anymore. But he wouldn’t want us moping around; he’d want us to finish this mission and get Roshan back to his family.”
At the head of the group, Manny stared toward the valley between the pass and the settlement. He could just make out the outlines of the Neanderthal tribe, slowly trudging their way through the snow.
“Well, looks like we’re about to,” Manny informed the others.
The remainder of the group quickly approached the mammoth’s side. Indeed, they could see the tribe moving forward unaware of their presence. Sid grew incredibly nervous, especially since every human in that herd were carrying spears.
“Eh heh, so um…” Sid chuckled nervously. “What’s the plan, fellas?”
“It’s not like we can just walk up and talk to them,” Rarity pointed out.
“No kiddin’!” Applejack nodded. “That’d be like a long-tailed cat in a room full ah rockin’ chairs. Won’t be long till somethin’ goes wrong.”
“As long as we make sure to give Roshan back, nothing bad will happen to us,” Fluttershy interjected. “… Right?”
Manny turned back toward the human tribe, who were quickly disappearing over the horizon. It wouldn’t be long before they made it through the pass. A determined glint worked its way into Manny’s eye, as he turned back toward the group.
“Alright, here’s what’s gonna happen,” Manny told them. “You all stay behind me, and we’ll head down there to return the kid.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Twilight questioned skeptically.
“I don’t know,” Manny shook his head. “But it’s the best one we’ve got.”
The huge mammoth grabbed little Roshan in his trunk, positioning him upon his back before heading towards the tribe. The remainder of the group looked toward each other for a moment, but they knew what had to be done. One by one, they proceeded to follow Manny through the valley with a slim bit of hope that all would go accordingly.
<>
The Neanderthals and their wolves ventured their path to their settlement. All they needed to do was pass under Glacier Pass, and the lengthy journey would be over. It was the final leg of their journey, and Runar had been traveling at the back of his party. The whole time he kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Just as the tribe passed under the pass, their leader paused in his tracks and turned back toward the frozen land they’d soon be leaving behind.
Runar stared across this land for a few moments, letting the memories of his wife and son waft back into his mind. For some time, even after they ceased looking, he secretly hoped that they’d come back to him. He even hoped that motley little crew would arrive with his family intact, having last seen them after the sabretooth attack. But they never returned and just as well he figured they were dead too. And now that he and his tribe were returning to their settlement, it was a good time to bury any trace of the past for good.
Taking a few steps forward, the man knelt by a snow covered rock and laid the necklace he carried throughout his journey onto it. It pained him deeply, having to leave his wife and son behind. But sadly, he was not a father but a chief and it had to be done. After one last look upon the necklace, he stood to his full height and turned to rejoin his tribe.
Suddenly, he heard the crunching of fresh fallen snow behind. Slowly, the man turned around and at first, he saw nothing. But then, a strange sight came into his view: A giant mammoth, along with a sloth, and a herd of most unusual creatures slowly trudged down the path. Yet what was strangest to him, apart from certain creatures he hadn’t seen, was the mammoth himself. Mammoths were never in the company of these creatures and even more so… mammoths never traveled alone. Runar had hunted his fair share of mammoth before, for food and tools for his people.
But something about this mammoth it felt… familiar. Had he encountered this mammoth before?
<>
Manny, along with Sid and the Equestrians slowly made their way up the path. Eventually, they stood a few steps away from who they presumed to be the tribe leader. There was a measurable amount of distance between themselves and the man, as both parties stared at one another for what felt like an eternity.
“I really hope this works,” Twilight whispered to Rarity.
“As do I,” Rarity whispered back.
After a moment, Manny raised his trunk high in an attempt to grab Roshan. But Runar, however, saw it as a threat and lifted his spear in defense. Sid immediately flinched, worried that something terrible was bound to happen.
“Annnnd… it’s not going well,” Sid whispered.
“We can see that Sherlock,” Gilda replied.
The last thing the mammoth wanted was another violent encounter with man, but Manny could tell this wouldn’t be easy. Deeming a different approach necessary, Manny reached out his trunk and grabbed the end of the spear. Runar attempted to pull it back, but the mammoth thrust it away and hurled it behind them. Unfortunately, this act would attract a measure of unwanted attention.
Amongst the tribe, the wolves had picked up the commotion through their heightened hearing. Immediately, they spotted what appeared to be their master in danger with a mammoth. They barked and ran back to save the tribal chief. The remainder of the tribe followed suit, catching the scene, and charged with their spears raised, yelling their battle cries.
“Manny… now would be a good time to speed this up!” Fluttershy spoke frantically.
Running out of time, Manny quickly raised his trunk again as the tribal chief looked up. Before the man’s very eyes, when the mammoth slowly put his trunk down, something or someone was within his grasp… Roshan. The sight of his little boy, alive and well, made Runar immediately smile. Hearing the wolves and his tribe quickly approach, the leader quickly turned and raised his hands up with a grunt, signaling everyone to stop. The shock of this series of events was so intense that Sid fell backward and passed out.
“Crazy sloth down!” Pinkie gasped, running to check on him.
Gently, Manny placed Roshan upon the ground before his father. Runar held his arms out for the little baby. Before his very eyes, Roshan slowly walked toward his father, wobbly yet still he was walking. Then finally, when they were inches from one another, Runar scooped up his little boy and hugged him tightly. As the entirety of Runar’s hunting party gathered before the reunited family, Pinkie Pie had finally brought Sid back to his senses. Soon as they saw the touching scene, the pair smiled happily over the reunion.
“It’s so beautiful,” Pinkie cried tearfully.
“A real kodak moment,” Sid nodded.
Runar continued to hug his son for the longest time, happy that a remainder of his family had come home. Soon, the whole tribe had crowded around their leader and his son, offering their own joy over the return of the little baby. However, it wasn’t very long after that they all turned away to continue their venture into the settlement. This left the herd and the Equestrians standing there, watching them disappear through the passage.
After a moment or two, the heroes decided to turn away to make their own journey back into the valley. However, a voice called out to them stopping them in their tracks. Their attention drawn, they turned back and saw Roshan reaching out for them.
“What’s he doing?” Gilda asked.
“I think he wants to say goodbye,” Fluttershy smiled.
Runar, sensing his son’s need, placed Roshan down and the boy slowly approached the group. Pinkie Pie was the first to scoop up the boy, holding him closely as she cried.
“Oh, Roshan!” Pinkie sobbed. “I’ll miss you so much!”
After placing him down, the boy approached Gabby, who also hugged him closely. Spike walked beside his girlfriend, patting the little baby gently on the head.
“We’ll always remember our time together,” Gabby smiled at Roshan.
“Take care, little buddy,” Spike said.
As soon as Gabby set him down, the baby approached Fluttershy, who wrapped her wings around him.
“Goodbye, Roshan,” Fluttershy smiled tearfully. “Be good for your daddy, okay?”
As Fluttershy held the baby, Rarity approached and used her magic to conjure up a little scarf just for him.
“Here’s something to remember us by,” Rarity said, wrapping the scarf around his neck. “Farewell, little one.”
As Rarity planted a kiss along his forehead, Fluttershy passed the boy toward Rainbow Dash.
“Well… I guess this is it, huh?” Rainbow smiled sadly.
Roshan suddenly hugged Rainbow’s muzzle. It stunned her at first but eventually she warmed up to him, smiling as she nuzzled him. It was then Applejack approached, nudging her marefriend playfully.
“Guess ya are good with kids after all,” Applejack smirked.
The country pony leaned down, nuzzling the boy as well.
“See ya later, sugar cube,” Applejack said.
Soon they both handed him toward Twilight Sparkle, who hugged the boy closely.
“This isn’t goodbye, not forever,” Twilight Sparkle smiled. “Just… until next time.”
She soon placed him upon the ground, and now the boy made his way toward Gilda. Admittedly, the griffin had no idea how to proceed.
“Look kid, I’m not usually into sappy goodbyes, but—”
Roshan cut her off with a hug to her right front leg. Much like Rainbow Dash, this action stunned her at first. But also, just the same, Gilda smiled warmly and drew the boy closer with a deep hug.
“Take care of yourself, squirt,” Gilda chuckled.
Finally, Roshan approached Sid, who picked him up with a tight hug.
“Don’t forget about us, okay?” Sid choked up.
Manny then picked Roshan up in his trunk, bringing him up so he could smile before the tiny boy.
“We won’t forget about you,” Manny spoke honestly.
Roshan hugged Manny’s trunk before the mammoth finally handed the boy back to his father, who looked upon the creature with a smile. Looking toward his feet, Runar reached down and grabbed the necklace previously laid along the stone. He picked up the necklace and instead placed it on Manny’s tusk.
Without words, their expressions told it all: That Runar was thankful for this mammoth for saving his son, even if he would never know how he and these creatures did it. But if they were to ever return to this land, the next time Runar would lead a hunting party along these parts, that necklace will remind him of the mammoth who performed a valuable service for him and his tribe. That this mammoth will forever be indebted for his valuable act of bravery.
After sharing his gratitude, Runar turned away with his son in his grasp and the heroes watched as the human tribe made to leave to complete their own journey.
“Goodbye!” Sid called. “Goodbye! Goodbye!”
“Sid…” Manny groaned.
But it didn’t matter. No matter how many times Manny would attempt to stop Sid, either the lad was selectively deaf, or he merely wanted to enjoy every waking moment of seeing their little friend before they never see him again.
“Bye! Bye!” Sid called again.
It was then that the baby covered his eyes, before moving his hand away. A sign Sid will never forget.
“That’s right!” Sid called, repeating the gesture. “Where’s the baby?”
“Come on, Sid,” Manny said. “Let’s head south.”
Manny turned to leave but hadn’t gotten very far when what he saw next had stopped them in their tracks. A figure approached from over the horizon, and the closer it came into view he realized the figure was limping. To his surprise, it was none other than… Diego, the sabretooth they assumed had died until he appeared. The cat smiled toward the baby, who shared the gesture with him and he in turn silently responded back. As the baby passed out along his father’s shoulders, the family finally disappeared down the final mile that would take them… home.
“Bye!” Sid yelled again.
“Save your breath, Sid,” Diego chuckled. “You know humans can’t talk.”
“Yes, we know they don’t speak ‘now’,” Pinkie Pie replied absently. “But give or take a couple centuries, they’ll learn to speak beyond sharing expressions and gestures, unless they decide to start a career in mime and…”
Pinkie Pie gasped when she realized the source of the familiar voice. All eyes immediately spun around and they gasped with shock.
“Diego?” Sid cried happily, racing toward him. “You’re okay!”
“I don’t believe it!” Gabby proclaimed excitedly. “It’s a miracle!”
“Nine lives, baby!” Diego laughed.
“YOU’RE OKAY! YOU’RE OKAY!” Sid cheered.
The sloth tackled Sid along the snow and hit his shoulder, which caused the cat to hiss. But the clumsy critter was just so happy seeing Diego alive he couldn’t stop himself.
“I could kiss ya!” Sid declared.
And kiss Diego he did, right along the head. Everyone witnessing this act couldn’t help but laugh, even a few pretended to puke.
“Welcome back, partner,” Manny gestured. “Wanna lift?”
“No thanks,” Diego replied. “I gotta save whatever dignity I’ve got left.”
“You’re hanging out with us, buddy,” Sid chuckled. “Dignity’s got nothing to do with it. But I’ll take that lift.”
“Yeah, climb aboard,” Manny relented.
“Pick me up, buddy. Mush!”
Manny glared at Sid in response, while the sloth cringed out of embarrassment.
“Or not mush. Either way,” Sid corrected sheepishly.
All eyes rolled and the group shook their heads, but they determined it best to keep walking. The Equestrians may not have had a single clue as to how Diego survived that attack, one that would normally kill a creature like him. But given all the crazy events they had seen throughout their adventures, they determined it best not to think about it… at least for now. Now with Roshan back with his family, their new friends can make that long awaited trip to take part in the migration and yes, that did include Manny.
“This is gonna be the best migration ever,” Sid rambled. “I’ll show you my favorite watering holes. I turn brown when the fungus in my fur dries.”
“Attractive,” Gilda mumbled.
“This whole Ice Age thing is getting old,” Sid continued. “You know what I could go for? Global warming!”
“Keep dreamin’,” Manny chuckled.
“No, really…”
Sid was about to defend his argument when, all of a sudden, a strong wind began to pick up. The entire group stopped in their tracks and eventually their eyes turned toward a bright light about six feet away. In seconds, the portal back to Equestria opened once more and Twilight Sparkle knew exactly what that meant.
“It’s time to go,” Twilight spoke up.
Before the Equestrians took that big step back home, they turned their attention back to the herd. They smiled toward their new friends, whom they had grown close to for an uncertain amount of time.
“Can’t you guys just stay a little longer?” Sid told them. “I’ve really come to like you guys.”
“Don’t worry, Sid,” Pinkie giggled. “We’ve still got four more stories of zany adventures to come. Yes, the fourth and fifth ones weren’t the best in terms of critical reviews… but we’ll still have a blast. That’s just what we do.”
“… Say what now?” Sid asked quizzically.
Pinkie quickly slapped a hoof over her mouth as Twilight Sparkle stepped up.
“What my friend means to say is… this won’t be the last time we see each other,” Twilight Sparkle assured.
Gilda flew in front of Diego and the pair shared a friendly fist bump.
“You stay cool, kit-cat,” Gilda smirked.
“Back at you, feather head,” Diego replied.
Manny looked down toward the necklace hanging off his tusk and reached to grab it with his trunk. To the surprise of the group, Manny held it before them.
“Take it,” Manny told them. “So, you’ll always remember our little adventure.”
Although she felt the necklace rightfully belonged to Manny, Twilight Sparkle smiled over the gesture. Conjuring her magic, she took the necklace with her aura.
“We will treasure it, always,” Twilight Sparkle responded.
Soon, all those among the gathering exchanged one final goodbye hug. After a brief moment, the herd looked on as the Equestrians stepped through the portal back home one by one. But much like the herd, so long as there remains an adventure or two to discover nothing will ever truly be over. A fact made certain by the watchful eye of a certain stallion, who had witnessed everything within that short period before deciding to rejoin his own allies back home.
“Heh… they really are incredible,” The stallion told himself, before vanishing through the other portal.
<>
It hadn’t taken very long before Twilight Sparkle and all her friends stepped together through the other side of the portal. Within seconds, they found themselves back in Discord’s theater, surrounded by every attendee who had assembled into this theater. Despite how exhausted one particular member was, Spike approached Gabby and stopped her from walking farther.
“You’re all back!” Applebloom said excitedly.
“You guys were awesome out there.” Scootaloo praised.
“No kidding.” Sweetie Belle smiled.
The group all received a number of hugs and congratulations from just about everyone else in Ponyville before they started to make their way out of the theatre. As they stepped out the front door and the gleaming sun shined down upon them all, Spike glanced over at his girlfriend who in turn glanced up at him as well. Spike quickly realized that there would probably be no better time than now for what he had in store.
“Gabby!” Spike gasped for breath. “Before anything else happens…”
Soon Spike got down on one knee and revealed a single box. Slowly, he opened the lid and before Gabby’s eye was the very ring the dragon had carried the entire adventure.
“Gabby… will you marry me?”
Needless to say, Gabby was beyond happy. Tears flooded from her eyes and the griffon suddenly tackled Spike with a bone crunching hug, which he didn’t mind at all.
“Oh, Spike!” Gabby smiled happily. “Of course, I’ll marry you!”
All of Equestria gathered around applauded happily now that Spike and Gabby’s engagement had become official.
“Alright, Spike!” Rianbow Dash smiled proudly.
“Yay!” Fluttershy cheered quietly.
“Way to go, Spike!” Phantom-Dragon raised a hoof.
“WA-HOO!!!” Button Mash leapt.
“EEYUP!” Big Mac smiled.
“GET READY EVERY PONY!!!” Pinkie Pie announced merrily. “SPIKE AND GABBY’S WEDDING PARTY IS UNDERWAY!!!”
“Well done, Spike!” Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly.
Every creature in Ponyville rejoiced happily over Spike and Gabby’s engagement. They were too busy celebrating they hadn’t noticed a group of figures observing everything from the corner of one building. Having just returned from their own adventure, the two stallions, the changeling princess, and the former Nights Watch warrior witnessed the scene in complete secrecy. Having done so since one of the stallions eventually joined the others.
“You know, I’m actually really happy for those two,” Quill smiled. “A long time coming, I say.”
“Although plenty of other shippers around the world will disagree with this,” Curtain pointed out.
“This is the direction they are going in,” Quill replied. “They’ll just have to get used to it.”
“I swear there will never come a day I’ll ever understand you two,” Atalanta rolled her eyes.
“Nor will I,” Jon agreed.
“By the way Curtain, what were you doing back there anyway?” Quill asked quizzically.
“Let’s just say there was some unfinished business,” Curtain replied. “There is still a story left to tell.”
Rather than pressing on the matter, another thought came to Quill’s mind.
“We should get Cotton and head back to headquarters as soon as possible,” Quill informed his companions. “No doubt the Doctor’s waiting for us; he’s likely not happy.”
With that in mind, the two stallions, along with the princess, Snow, and Ghost made their way through town toward Amethyst’s house. It wasn’t long until they finally arrived, and Quill gave a small knock at the door. The door quickly flung open and a small bundle barreled straight into Quill, knocking the wind right out of him as Amethyst emerged.
“You’re back!” Cotton said excitedly. “I missed you so much. I saw everything in the theater.”
“Did you now?” Quill chuckled, ruffling his daughter’s mane.
“I was so worried when you fought that monster,” Cotton continued. “But you beat him good, and it was cool! Mommy and daddy are the coolest ponies ever!”
“And what about your Uncle Curtain?” Curtain asked, slightly offended.
“You’re the coolest uncle ever!” Cotton giggled.
“Well… I have my moments,” Curtain said smugly.
Quill and Atalanta chuckled as they hugged their little girl. Eventually, Ata used her magic to place the little filly upon her back.
“I’m glad you had a good time with Phantom,” Atalanta smiled.
“Only the bestest time ever!” Cotton replied. “Can I go on the next trip with you guys? I’m old enough to help!”
“We’ll have to see little one,” Quill responded.
The whole time, Amethyst stood by the door to her own home. But upon looking toward her, they could clearly see the concern on her face.
“What’s wrong, Am?” Curtain Call asked.
“Well, uh—you see—” Amethyst stammered.
The two stallions looked between each other, knowing exactly what was coming.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” Curtain asked.
Amethyst gave no response, apart from a small nod of the head. Releasing a collective groan, Quill and Curtain slowly trudged into the house with Atalanta, Cotton, Jon, and Ghost close behind. Soon as everyone was in the house, they looked toward a corner where most of the lighting had gone out. However, they could plainly see a figure standing in the dark.
“Well…” The figure spoke, displeased. “Look who finally decided to show up.”
A sigh escaped Quill Cast’s lips, knowing what was coming.
“Look boss, I know you’re upset,” Quill spoke defensively. “But as you’ve seen, we ‘had’ to go. We’ve been hunting this Wendigo for years now and…”
“We captured the spirit!” Curtain added, holding the trap. “And a good thing too. If this spirit were to find another host…”
“I don’t want to hear it!” The figure snapped. “You two already caused enough damage to the Multiverse. The balance has been falling apart since you let that television into the Dark Order’s hands.”
“That wasn’t our fault!” Curtain Call snapped back.
“I leave you two in charge of that device, reminding you of how crucial it was to maintain the universe,” The figure argued. “You let the Benefactor and the Dark One get hold of it and thanks to your carelessness, they’ve tampered with time and space. Now our only hope lies in these six heroes to clean up your mess and restore the balance.”
Quill released a groan before seating himself on one of the chairs, his eyes staring toward the shadowy figure.
“There’s only so much we can do when there’s only the two of us, sir,” Quill voiced his argument. “If we can get the entirety of the Legion back, we’d be better equipped to handle this. We’ve found Jon and Ghost, but we need everyone more than ever!”
The figure within the shadows released a sigh before emerging from the dark, into the light. He was revealed to be a rather fit man with dark hair and a few streaks of white around the sides. He wore a strange assembly of dark blue robes, brass cuffs, a brown leather belt, and a red cape around his shoulders.
“It’s clear what you must do,” The Doctor declared, his hands along the table. “I task you both to travel back through the Multiverse and gather our remaining Legion members. With their help, we have a chance to drive back the Dark Order and their forces. Above all else, reality must be restored with no exceptions. Understood?”
“Yes, Doctor Strange,” Curtain and Quill said in unison.
Doctor Strange nodded slightly before turning away, casting a glance out the window.
“You’d best work fast,” Doctor Strange spoke. “I fear a great evil will soon be upon us.”
<>
Deep within the dark confines of the Everfree Forest, the air was deathly still. Not a sound could be heard for miles. Within an instant, the silence vanished the moment a large bipedal creature leapt from tree-to-tree with ease. As it turned out, while its brother was hunting prey in the Ice Age, another Wendigo ravaged these grounds with unending hunger. For some time, it hunted anything it could find within this desolate forest and now almost nothing remained for it to scavenge.
Leaping through the trees outside the small clearing, something else slammed into it with the force of a freight train and knocked it out of the tree. The beast rolled across the clearing before catching itself with its claws, righting itself back up quick. It screeched toward the trees from whence it had been knocked out of as another figure leapt before it. If the stallions had thought dealing with one Wendigo was tough…
Now… there were two…
The two Wendigos circled one another, snapping their fangs and swiping their claws at one another. All of a sudden, a third Wendigo leapt from the trees. Then came another, and another, and soon the whole clearing was filled with these blood thirsty monsters. The beasts shrieked at one another, as though they wanted to tear each other limb-from-limb.
All of a sudden, the clopping of horseshoes on the ground pierced the super-hearing of the monsters. Their milky eyes turned to see what foolish prey dared approach them and become their dinner. But all at once, they quickly froze in their tracks and receded back like frightened hounds.
A great white horse slowly stepped through the clearing; it whinnied loudly like a death rattle. But this creature was nothing compared to its dark rider. Sliding off the white horse’s back was a very large man with bulging muscles, tattoos along his arms, long black hair, and a matching goatee. He wore dark leather clothes, and his eyes blazed like a red demon. The figure slowly stepped forward toward the center, casting his eyes amongst the Wendigo horde cowering in his presence.
“You failed me,” The demonic being spoke. “I raise your spirits from the ashes, promising you endless victims to feast upon, and you couldn’t dispose of a few wretched ponies.”
The figure reached behind its back and grabbed hold of a large scythe strapped behind him. Pulling it from its back, the figure glanced over the wickedly sharp curved blade at the top. It also grabbed what resembled a stake made of brimstone from the belt around its waist.
“But… you beasts may still be of use to me,” The figure smirked wickedly. “You may not have been able to overcome these simple minded fools, but you can still lead them to me. Once in my mere presence, all it takes is one stab of this stake… and soon, their souls will be mine.”
The figure pointed its mighty scythe toward the creatures, who howled and shrieked at its presence.
“Now… off with you all!” The demon ordered loudly.
The Wendigos shrieked once more before they collectively sprinted off at the speed of light through the trees. Soon, the demonic figure was left alone amongst the clearing, glaring toward the night with an evil stare upon its dark face.
“Soon, they shall pay for what they’ve done to me. Soon, this land will know the name of… the Soul Chaser.”
All of a sudden, just as everything was growing dark, the screen seemed to pry apart as a familiar party pony entered the scene and stared toward the audience…
“Uh… what’s with the sudden dark turn of what’s meant to be a comedy?” The party pony asked rhetorically. “Don’t you want to know what happened to one of our other little friends?”
<>
Epilogue
20,000 years later…
An age had come to an end, and most of the creatures who had lived during that time had completely vanished throughout the land. All… except for one. Little Scrat, having all this time been frozen in a block of ice and its last act was his pursuit of his acorn. For years, that block of ice drifted across the water until finally it made its landing on a sandy island, a place that seemed uninhabited.
The block sat on the shore for some time, waiting for the sun to fully thaw the ancient squirrel and its food. Eventually, the ice melted just enough to set the acorn loose on the sand. And to what would’ve been a shock upon many was the exposed snout of Scrat started to twitch, then his eyes moved, and his claws stretched out. By some miracle, Scrat survived all the way to the present timeline… but the only thing on his mind was getting his acorn back.
As the ice slowly thawed, Scrat desperately reached for his acorn. He was so close to his food, yet it was still out of reach and what remained of the ice kept him within reach. After a while, Scrat gave up as he scratched along the ice trying to figure out what to do to pass the time. But after nudging around, he realized the ice melted enough to wiggle his hips… and he resumed his desperate attempt to get his acorn back. He nearly got his food back as the tips of his claws scratched along the surface.
Then it happened… the tide had come in and started to carry the acorn away. Scrat could only look on helplessly as his one source of food was carried out to sea and at first, he didn’t know what to do. Then, his body started to shudder, his arms started to push against what was left of the ice… and he broke out of the ice, screaming his head off.
All those years and Scrat had finally snapped. All his attempts to bury his food for the winter were gone, and now he had nothing left. He ran frantically as he kept screaming his frustrations to the heavens. Then he ran toward one of the trees and began to bash his head against the heavy wood, either as a means to handle his migraine… or put an end to everything right now.
*THUMP!!!*
A heavy object crashed on the sand near Scrat and he nearly cowered from the close call. But then he gasped in delight. It was a coconut, roughly about his side, the biggest bit of food he had ever seen. So much in fact, in his little mind Scrat figured it would be enough food to last him forever. Now his purpose fully renewed, Scrat immediately went back to work.
Though the coconut was the heaviest nut he ever carried, Scrat strained and groaned as he lifted the coconut to a potential spot to bury his food. At last, he found himself a spot and proceeded to lodge the coconut deep in the Earth. He proceeded to stomp on the coconut for good measure until…
*CRACK!!!*
The ground beneath the coconut began to crack and Scrat was suddenly reminded of an incident thousands of years ago. Desperately, Scrat tried to seal off the crack from breaking further but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t stop it. He could only watch as the crack passed the trees, climbed up the mountain, and split off a piece at the very top…
*BOOM!!!*
But as it turned out, Scrat had inadvertently made a volcano erupt and now it exploded with lava that was hurtling toward the beach. Scrat winched, his eye twitched, realizing the mess he was in. He turned toward the screen and smiled nervously, as he thought to himself…
“Here we go again…”
The End