A/N: First of all, hello toeveryone! I'm new here! I've been fascinated by the many wonderful fanfics in the growing Ice Age fandom, and here I am adding to the ranks. Hopefully, I'll do a good job. This is my first time showcasing fanfiction since I'm really not the type to write things out. I appreciate comments, as well as those who'd offer a helping hand in mistakes I make.

Secondly, this fanfic takes place right after the Meltdown. This story is based off two RPG's I've been playing with a couple of friends, and I hope I can complete this fic for them. There will be OC's or Fan-characters. Call them what you will! I shall warn you right now it's going to contain Diego/OC, and Sid/OC! I've got sloths, tigers, AND wolves! Oh my! XD Yes, I'm going all out, but don't worry its not gonna happen all at once! I hope those who read will enjoy!

On a final note, special thanks to my two buddies, Daniel and Shannon, for taking the time to read and check my work.

Disclaimer: You know the drill! All cannon characters belong to Blue Sky Studios. All fan-characters belong to me, Daniel, and Shannon

2011 Edit: I'm going through each chapter and editing small mistakes, and placing horizontal rulers to discern when a scene changes. During the site's changes the "stoppers" I had placed for this fanfic had vanished. It kinda bugs me now ;)


CHAPTER ONE: "The New Herd"

The flood was over, and all the animals scattered back to their homes or headed off to new lands. One such herd was that consisting of two mammoths, two opossums, a sloth and a tiger. As weird as it was to others, no one seemed to question this oddball bunch, no one asked "Why" or "How". They simply were. And they were fine with that.

For a moment, the group split apart temporarily. Sid and Diego had feared it would be permanent, but knew it was for the best interest of their larger friend, Manfred. Though in the end, Manny came back to his friends, and with three new additions who shared Manny's feelings about staying with the herd. He was no longer the last mammoth, but he took greater happiness that he and Ellie were now together. The moody mammoth was not so moody now (unless Sid came into play). The herd expanded a little, and they were traveling to the other side of the valley which was previously blocked by the glacier wall. Things were back to normal.

Well, not entirely normal.

"Can we PLEASE take a pit stop?" Eddie whined, sitting atop Diego. "I need to use the little opossums room. Unless Diego doesn't mind me going right now."

The tiger halted and both opossums jerked forward. "H'okay, we're taking a break. Now."

Eddie and Crash both hopped off the tiger's back and ran for the bushes. Sighs of relief could be heard and once the two brothers were done they ran back out, engaged in a slap-fight. Diego rolled his eyes and ignored their antics. He looked back and saw the two mammoths walk up to the three. Ellie chuckled, watching her brothers while Sid slid off Manny's back rather ungracefully.

"What do you think those fat, lumbering mammoths, -no offense Manny-, were doing on this side?" Crash asked to no one in particular.

"I think they were having a party." Sid chimed in. Manny frowned and looked at his friend.

"A party? What are you, an idio-", he stopped himself and sighed. "I forgot who I'm talking to."

"Maybe they were simply blocked off by the wall. They form all the time in winter!"

Manny, Diego and Sid stared at Ellie, who made the obvious assumption. Diego shrugged and sat on his haunches.

"I'll go with it," he said.

"Hey Ellie!" Eddie hopped onto his sister's tusk then to her head. "TAG!" He then took a dive and landed on the ground, scurrying off with Crash in tow. Ellie waited for a moment to give her brother's a head start before charging after the two.

"I'm gonna getcha!"

"Oh no you're not!"

"Slow poke, slow poke!"

Manny kept his gaze on Ellie, smiling as he did so. Even though his trunk hid the fact, his two friends knew. Sid walked up beside his giant friend and patted him on his leg.

"It's really great she could join us, huh, Manny?"

"Yeah." was all Manfred said. Diego let Manny have his moment, but Sid couldn't keep quiet if he tried and continued again.

"I was thinking..."

"That can't be good..." Diego said.

"What do opossums eat?" The sloth finished.

"What you're really asking is what did Ellie eat, right?" Diego said, and Sid nodded. Both of them looked at Manny to see if he had any theories. The mammoth was still watching Ellie who was playing with her brothers. When he realized all had gone silent he blinked and looked down at his two friends.

"What?" he asked stupidly. Diego smirked, and Sid repeated his question.

"What do you think Ellie ate, Manny?"

"How should I know?" the annoyance was back in his voice, more so because of his embarrassment.

"For a mammoth, she's a lot slimmer than you. Maybe a opossum's diet is better than a mammoth diet!"

"Get real, Sid." the tiger rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious! Manny could try it and get rid of his 'fat' hair-OW!" Sid rubbed his head as Manny pulled his trunk away.

"Look who's talking, you squishy little blob."

"Hey!"

"He has a point." Diego smirked.

"Oh yeah? Well I'm not the one who eats his weight in other mammals." the sloth remarked.

"This is all muscle, pal," he buffed his claws on his fur. "Besides, have you seen any other sloths lately? It looks like you ate two of them."

"Hah-hah" Sid squinted, and pointed his claw at the two of them. "Mark my words! Ellie isn't gonna want a big fat mammoth! You better start shaping up, buddy!"

"Whatever, Sid" Manny walked on, and in turn his two friends followed.

"I'll give them six months, two if he gains more weight." whispered Sid to Diego.

"Shut up, Sid." Manny replied.

Further ahead Ellie, Crash and Eddie continued their game of tag. Ellie patted the ground ahead of her with her trunk before peeking around the tree she had seen her brothers run behind. She looked up and both of them ambushed their mammoth-sister and landed in her fur.

"Banzai!" Crash shouted.

"Ah! Ahah, oh no they got me!" Ellie laughed, reaching over with her trunk trying to tag the opossum brothers.

"Do you give up?" Eddie grinned, tickling her behind the ear. The she-mammoth let out a trumpet of a laugh.

"Never!" she cried.

"Ellie!" they all stopped their game and looked ahead to see Manny call out. "Let's go!"

"Coming!" Ellie sighed in content and tried catching her breath from all the laughter. Eddie and Crash slid down her trunk and onto her tusks. One standing on each.

"You know," Eddie mused, "being out in daylight isn't so bad."

"You're so right! Now we know our sister can't be snatched up by a hawk we don't have to worry about predators! We can play all day!"

Ellie smiled and followed behind Manny and his two friends while listening to her brothers discuss more plans for games. As a opossum, she was used to staying in one spot. Only changing locations when the weather destroyed their previous home. It was far too dangerous for a opossum to migrate with so many predators wanting to make a snack out of you. Thinking it over, she realized why she wasn't preyed upon by most of the opossums natural enemies. Ellie had simply concluded they found her unappealing, which in turn made her chuckle at the thought. Being a mammoth made her unappealing to a lot of animals, predators and fellow opossum alike. Then she glanced at Manny.

At least someone finds me appealing.

Not that Eddie or Crash didn't, but they were different. They were her brothers who loved her unconditionally, opossum or mammoth. She wondered if they knew about her being a mammoth all along, and were they simply pretending to act as if she were a opossum to make her feel less self-conscious? Ellie smiled, knowing either or, it was still very sweet of them. And to her, they would always be family. Now they had a bigger family; a herd. Ellie was glad Manny came after her. As natural as it was to travel with other mammoths, deep down she did not feel right. Traveling with Manfred, Sid, and Diego felt right. Perhaps it was because they were unique like she was. They didn't care who their companions were, she and her brothers were oddballs like the rest of them, and they fit.

"Is everything alright?" Manny asked quietly. Ellie looked up and saw the other mammoth now walking beside her.

"Oh yeah, we're doing great!" she smiled.

Manny smiled in return then his gaze wandered off. He was still unsure of how to act around Ellie. Not to mention how shy he was despite the fact they were together, but he concluded taking small steps with her would be fine. Small, slow steps. With that in mind, it took Manny a while before he finally moved his trunk slowly over towards Ellie's. She blinked as his wrapped over hers, but she smiled and returned the gesture. Her eyes meeting his, showing love in them, made Manny smile again. This was good. In fact, it was great. Smooth move, Manny, he cheered himself mentally.

"Aww c'mon, get a cave you two!" Crash whined. Eddie's snickers followed, then the two danced along Ellie's back before making mock smooching noises.

"Crash! Eddie!" Ellie reflexively pulled away from Manny's trunk in embarrassment. The fact that Sid and Diego had to look back to see what the commotion was about wasn't helping their situation one bit. In turn Manny glared at her two brothers who both made faces at him. They suddenly flinched and ducked as the mammoth threatened to slap them both with his trunk.

"We were only having some fun!" Crash snickered and hopped off his sister and onto Sid's head. Eddie joined his brother, finding a spot on Sid's shoulder. His tail wrapped around the sloth's long neck to keep from falling off.

"Aw, give them a break. The meltdown is over, and spring is in the air! It's the time for Love!" Sid spoke in a sing-song voice.

"Love is for the birds." Diego commented dryly.

"You say that because you don't have a better half." the sloth pointed.

"I dunno I can't picture tiger all dumb and awkward like Manny is around Ellie." Eddie chuckled and Crash reached down to give him a high five. Suddenly they both gasped as they saw Manny's trunk coming down, balled into fist-shape. They leaped off the sloth, and Sid took the brunt of the hit.

"OW!" he rubbed his head and looked back at Manny. "What was that for?"

"Whoops. I was aiming for the opossums."

"Well, ya missed." Sid squinted at him.

"Close enough." Manny shrugged.