An Ice Age fic, inspired by a scene from DreamWorks legendary movie Rise of the Guardians and featuring Diego and Peaches in an AU where Diego is the adopted sabre son of Manny and Ellie and older brother to Peaches AND WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF. Also, MAJOR SPOILERS for Rise of the Guardians so be warned when you read this – and go see Rise of the Guardians, it's amazing!

Also, to my faithful readers of my prequel story Cruel Intentions: Lacrimosa, don't lose faith! The chapter is 3k already (but it will be very very very long since I have a LOT of ground to cover in it and you're all used to my long chapters) and I have not forgotten the story! Now that NaNo has come by and passed, I know I can write around 4k words per day so I should have the chapter ready for you all soon. :)

This scene is strongly influenced by a flashback of one of the characters in Rise of the Guardians, which I won't name because it's spoileriffic, and go support DreamWorks and see the movie! :D

Diego races on ahead of the trio of mammoths trailing along behind him. It is the day that the bunny that brings eggs comes to the valley and he's so excited to show off to his little sister, Peaches, his ability when it comes to sniffing out the small ovals that the bunny's hidden.

Peaches' footsteps stamp into the ground as she hurries after him as Ellie and Manny bring up the rear. His adopted mother holds a basket that their friend Sid has fashioned for her out of leaves for the special occasion. Easter is almost as special as Christmas to Diego and his family, but what makes him the happiest is the look of pure happiness on Peaches' round fuzzy face as she grins at him.

"Diego, can we play hopscotch later?" she asks as he draws to a stop.

He nuzzles her gently.

"Sure we can," he replies. "Bet you can't find any eggs before me!"

"You're on!" Peaches squeals as they go their separate ways to paw around the trunks of the conifers in search of places where the bunny has concealed the eggs.

...

Now that all the eggs were found, Diego leads Peaches down by the playground his adopted father had created for the children. Although Diego is obviously much too old to play on it, he often enjoys taking Peaches down to it so that the two of them can play their favourite game: hopscotch.

Diego traces out the cross outline in the dirt and then he makes several spaces in between them with his claws.

Peaches holds up the rock they use to skip with in her trunk, smiling at her adopted brother. He removes it from her grasp and flicks it onto the ground. It lands on the fourth square.

"One, two, three!" Diego counts as he steps in between the squares. He then thrusts himself forward off of them and then tosses the rock at Peaches. She catches it in her trunk and then exhales. The pebble flies through the air and lands, like Diego's did, on the fourth square.

She smiles at him as she skips onto them, chanting the same numbers he'd recited aloud.

"Good job, Peaches," he congratulates her upon her finish. She grins at him before racing over to his side. Her head nuzzles against the scars he's received from taking the blow for Manny some time back against his own half-brother, Soto, in a fight. After he'd recovered and pulled himself through the snow to see the baby that he'd been helping Manny and the mammoth's irritating sloth friend return to his tribe Manny had taken the young, packless tiger under his wing. Diego couldn't have been happier, and his happiness was enlarged when Manny met Ellie and the two later had Peaches. He loves his little adopted sister more than words can express.

"Diego, when it gets cold can we go out onto the pond and have fun on the ice?" Peaches whispers as she buries her head into his chest as he purrs against the topknot at the top of her broad head as he nestles against her to provide her some warmth against the chill present even in the warm months in the valley; a fact that always occurs immediately after Easter.

"Of course," Diego promises. "We'll go onto the ice and do what Manny's friend Sid calls 'skating' if you want to so much."

"Yes yes yes!" Peaches exclaims as Diego lays a paw over her shoulders before giving her a gentle lick on the cheek as she squirms under his touch. "You're the best big brother ever," she continues with a sigh as she leans against his side. Her words give Diego pause; he didn't know that Peaches thought of him so highly. He puts his arm around her, drawing her close to him.

"And you're the best little sister ever," he replies.

...

The winds of winter in the valley arrive far too soon, but Diego and Peaches rejoice in the brisk nippy feel that is cloaking the air. Snowflakes begin to fall in quantities, blanketing the world in a carpet of white glass.

Diego knows that any day now Peaches is going to ask for him to take her skating, and he's honestly excited to go with her. Within only a few short weeks, the pond freezes over, leaving a mirror of ice over the water of the lake.

Peaches quickly sees it and he sees the ideas etched on her face. Within a matter of moments, she's tugging at him eagerly out of the door of the cave.

"Be careful," Ellie calls after them, maternal concern in her voice.

Diego chuckles in response, feeling Peaches tug on him even more strongly,

"We will!"

...

The image of Peaches fills the inside of Diego's pupil as he stares at her from where she is standing precariously on top of fragile ice. He can hear it tremble underneath her paws. His body reacts by tightening with fear, but he knows that he mustn't lose control if he's going to be able to rescue her.

"It's okay, it's okay," he says, extending his paw to her to try and calm her down even as his body quivers with anxiety for his sister. "Don't look down. Just look at me."

"Diego… I'm scared." Peaches' voice is high-pitched with fear. The ice crackles again beneath her feet. It sounds like a boom to his ears.

"I know, I know," Diego replies, keeping his voice steady. He steps forward, the ice forming ripples underneath his front foot. "You're gonna be all right," he continues. "You're not gonna fall in."

Diego manages the widest smile he can for her as he amends,
"We're gonna have a little fun, instead."

"No, we're not!" Peaches wails from where she stands on the ice, some distance away from him. To his eyes, the length seems interminable, which only increases his worry.

"Would I trick you?" Diego asks, focussing his gaze on his little sister.

"Yes! You always play tricks!" Peaches retorts, her voice breathy from her fear.

Diego gingerly steps closer to her, his arm extended placatingly at her. So close and yet so far away…

"All right," he concedes, his breath catching in chest. He hates to see his little sister in such a vulnerable position, but he'll do anything to get her away from there and onto safe ground. "But not this time… not this time. I promise." he pauses, and then adds, "I promise, I promise, you're gonna be fine."

Peaches raises her face to meet his eyes and he sees a glint of hope appear, granting him some relief.

"You have to believe in me," Diego continues.

Peaches takes in a deep breath but remains still.

"You wanna play a game?" Diego inquires, hoping to make her laugh or something to take her mind off of her predicament. "We're gonna play hopscotch. Like we play every day."

At his words, Peaches' mouth curves in a slight smile at the mention of their favourite game.

"It's as easy as one…" he begins, putting his foot down into the unstable ice, which cracks underneath his paw. "Whoa!" he exclaims, tottering in mid-air and supported on two of his four legs as Peaches laughs. "Two… three!" Diego continues, sliding on his paws over to a long stick that lies nearby Peaches.

He grips it under his paw and then looks up at his sister.

"All right," he murmurs, maneuvering himself into a crouching position. "Now it's your turn."

"One," he counts. Peaches gasps as she angles her right foot out into the dangerous ice as Diego prepares himself to snag her with his pole, hoping that this action will get her to safety. "That's it," he encourages her. "Two…" Her foot edges out the tiniest bit more as the ice crackles underneath her. "Three!" Diego exclaims, using the curved stick to snag Peaches' right leg as he pushes her away from the unsteady ice.

Peaches lands some distance away from him, the ice firm beneath her body. Diego pulls himself upright, gazing at her as she looks up at him, a smile of happiness on her face.

He finds himself grinning back at her, relief filling him. It's too late for him to move when he hears the ice collapse underneath his feet.

"Diego!" Peaches' cry echoes.

The cold arms of the water reach up to him as he thrashes against it, trying to swim back up to her.

Darkness covers his eyes in a sweet embrace.

Fin