The Herd's Growing Family (Ice Age)

Ellie's Past

As evening fell, Manny pushes some trees out of the way with his trunk. Sid pulls a twig from a trunk and fell over. As Manny picks up another log, he saw Ellie playing with Crash and Eddie.

"She's not half bad". Says Diego. As Manny swings the log, Diego and Redwood duck but Sid gets hit. "Crazy and confused but sweet".

"So?" Manny swings the log again, Diego and Redwood duck again but it hits Sid again.

"So what's holding you back?" Diego asks.

Manny puts the log down and looks down sadly as he answers. "My family".

He goes to pick up another tree when Sid pops out. "You can have that again you know".

"No, Sid. I can't!" Manny swings the log with Sid still clinging on.

"Okay, okay! But-but, think about it. I mean if you let this chance go, you're letting your whole species go and that's just... that's just... selfish!"

Manny glares and swings the tree away with Sid still on it. The log lands with Sid inside a hole in it with his legs in the air. "I think I'm starting to get through to him", he says.

"Yep, keep telling yourself that", Avery says as she walks by.

"Let's just give Manny some time to think about it". Redwood suggests. "I may not know how love works, but I do know that it might need to take some time".

Meanwhile, Ellie is chasing Crash and Eddie but then gets stuck between two trees. She tries to get out but can't.

Manny walks towards her. "Need help?"

"No, no!" Ellie denies. "Just catching my breath".

"You're stuck".

"I am not".

"Alright. Then let's go". He starts to walk away.

"I can't". Ellie tells Manny, making him stop with a smirk on his face. "I'm stuck".

Manny helps her out by picking up one of the trees with his trunk. "Don't you think that picking them up like this would be easier?"

The tree falls through some leafy branches. Ellie narrows her eyes and starts walking towards it.

"Ellie?" Manny starts to follow her.

Sid, Diego, Avery, and Redwood look back to see Manny and Ellie walking away into the woods. Smiling, they move on.

Ellie and Manny continue walking until they come to a clearing. Ellie looks around, as it seems familiar to her. "I know this place".

She looks up at a willow branch and remembers seeing it all icy and covered in snow. Then Ellie sees a tree nearby. She remembers the tree covered in snow for a vivid moment before staring at it harder.

*Flashback*

The snow-covered tree memory happens again and this time, a younger Ellie as a calf is seen walking alone next to it and trumpeting as if to call to someone but gets no reply.

She looks around and spots the willow tree. She goes over to it and takes shelter beneath its snow-covered branches before curling up and falling asleep.

As Ellie sleeps, a female possum drops down from the snow-covered branches and smiles at Ellie. Ellie looks up at her and smiles back. Crash and Eddie as babies peek out from behind the female possum's back and look at Ellie who stands up, smiling at them.

*End of Flashback*

The flashback ends to reveal Ellie with her eyes closed under the same tree. She opens her eyes and looks at Manny who standing near the tree and smiling at her. He looks down at her footprints. Ellie puts her foot in one of the footprints and saw that Manny is right about her being a mammoth all along as they look happily at each other.