Ice Age: Clash of the Titanosaurs

or

Ice Age 5

Hello, everybody! This is InkJetUnlimited42, with another long-overdue story! Many months (actually over a year) ago I discussed the possibility of adding more sequels to my two other Ice Age continuations; Ice Age: The Odd One Out, and Ice Age: Trouble in Paradise. And here it is! My only problems now are these;

1) It's VERY OVERDUE, so I'm worried I lost all my old fans' respect.

and 2) I am worried about the REVIEW COUNT! My other two stories got plenty of reviews, and I know how hard writing a successful story can be, so I am worried I will not be able to pull it off twice.

Contrary to my beginning note in Trouble in Paradise, you have every right to read this story even if you have not read my other two. This story, aside from the fact that Diego and his mate from the other stories have had kids, really will not give away spoilers. I would like for you to read my other two stories sometime if you want, but for now I am focusing on this one only!

Why? Because I LOVE feedback in reviews! It lets me know that people are interested enough in what I'm doing to let me know if I'm doing an okay job. I don't even mind criticism, because at least they care enough to comment. No reviews just tell me people don't care, and that really makes me miserable. No blackmail intended, but please!

Okay, so it's a new year and a new story, so if you are looking for some summer reading, I would put this on your list! FYI a few of these might pop up every now and then. I just want to see how this does first!

A/N: Oh, and one quick quote to start the

Prologue

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves...in finding themselves"

- Andre Gide

Even without a drop of rain or a direct glimmer of starshine, the dim periwinkle moonlight from the translucent icy sky made everything below glow. The tops of the trees stayed still, with no wind to rustle them in the cool night. Footsteps through the placid jungle were nonexistent.

It was, in a word, peaceful. Like a still moment in time. And that was what worried Buck the most.

Slipping down from his perch in a nearby tree, his electric blue eyes glanced nervously at the craggy mountain cave he was spying on. They hadn't moved yet, there was still time...

A sharp snap came from farther away, towards the fire. Buck scrambled into the shadows, feeling for a stick or a bone he could use for a weapon. He felt the edge of something pointed. Yes, he had the upper hand now, and whatever it was, it was toast.

"Freeze!" he yelled, jumping out and brandishing his new weapon. But, in usual jungle fashion, there was nothing there. Buck raised an eyebrow, then sighed. Maybe he was just being skittish. After all, fires do crackle. Hoping to have at least one good thing, he looked at the object in his hand.

A banana. Wow, a lot of good that would have done him.

"Easy, old boy," he reassured himself, smiling. "He'll be back. Hopefully he's done a better job this time." He glanced back at the cave, hoping whatever came out didn't have any blood on its hands.

Fifty more minutes passed. He ought to have been back by now. "Thrasher!" he hissed weakly, trying to carry his voice up to the cave. "Thrasher, old buddy! Have you been beaten to a pulp yet?"

He slid down again from the tree and scowled, banana smeared on his face. He wouldn't have kept Thrasher waiting this long if it was him up there...

A creaky, groaning noise came from nearby, and Buck's eyes widened. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the shadow of a snarling, clawed velociraptor reflected in the firelight, ready to attack.

Finally, some good news.

"Thrasher!" he cheered, turning his body around to fully face him. "It took you long enough! What's the report, old buddy, old pal?"

The velociraptor didn't even move out of its hiding place. Buck raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, now, this is serious. What's the report?" he asked, getting annoyed. "Thrasher!"

As the velociraptor moved forward, the shadow started to grow smaller and then dissolved altogether. A small, moving leaf was all that remained. A pair of smoky greyish-purple eyes peered out, and rolled themselves.

"Hey, I just escaped death here." The small butterfly chucked the leaf off him, and brushed off his arms. "The least I'm entitled to is a dramatic entrance."

Buck sighed. "All right. Well, at least you made it back." He leaned casually against a tree, hoping for a good story. "Any trouble up there, little feller?"

Thrasher flexed his wings, looking up at Buck with a sarcastic smile. "Don't you wish." he countered, knowing Buck was just trying to set him off. "Nah, it was a bum mission. They were all asleep."

"Then why'd it take you so long to get back?"

"One of 'em rolled over on me. Took me a while to squeeze out. Thank goodness it was one of the babies, though, or I'd never be able to walk again."

"You hardly walk now."

"Ha ha ha." Thrasher added cynically, then sat down in front of the fire, warming his hands. "Point is, nothing to report. We'll have to wait 'till morning to see some action."

Buck crossed his arms, puzzled. "Huh. And I was almost certain they hunted at night."

Thrasher sat up with a scowl. "Almost certain?" he repeated, tucking his wings in, and standing up. "Almost certain? This isn't the Wildlife hour, buddy, this is war. Flat-out war." He walked towards Buck, leaving a long shadow behind him. "We gotta know what we're up against."

"Yeah." Buck muttered, holding out his palm as Thrasher flew into it. "So, what now?"

Thrasher paced, looking for an answer, then finally shrugged. "Get some sleep. All we can do-"

A roaring sound came from close by, making Buck nearly jump. "What the-" he muttered. "Thrasher, you hear that? You think it's-"

He looked back down towards his palm, finding his hands nervously making a cage around Thrasher. He was trying to fly away, bumping into the top of his hands. "Buck!" he yelled from inside. "You stupid-can't breathe-"

Buck took his other hand of, and Thrasher sat into his palm, gasping for air. "Sorry, old chum." Buck apologized shortly. "But did you hear that? It has to be them, they're waking up!" He looked off towards the cave, still not seeing any movement from within.

Thrasher, meanwhile, had pulled himself up with his hands. "You crazy...ferret!" he gasped, swatting at Buck's fingers. "You know what you almost did?" He started turning around in a circle, trying to look behind him.

This caught Buck's attention, and it was is turn to roll his eyes. "Not the wings again-" he grumbled.

"Yes, the wings again!" Thrasher yelled hoarsely. "You nearly bent them that time!" He flew down onto the ground, trying to take it easy, and ran over to the fire. Buck watched him, annoyed.

"Those darn wings mean more to you than the end of the world." he muttered, as Thrasher tried to reach behind him and brush them off. "You don't let anything touch them, you dust them off every hour on the hour-"

"Hey, if you were a butterfly with wings like these, you'd guard them with your life." Thrasher reprimanded. "No matter what, nothing happens to these wings, ever. Capishe?"

"But what's the big deal?" Buck walked over to meet him, gesturing with his arms every other word. "I mean, I got an eye slashed out by a dinosaur." He leaned against a tree, smiling. "And I still think I'm not a bad-looking guy."

"Yeah, well, ladies like eyepatches, but they're a bad source. " Thrasher shot back. "And besides, you got banana on your face, Don Juan."

Buck, in turn, wiped it off and flicked the mush at him in revenge, before walking back to the tree. He climbed back up and ducked in among the palm leaves. "They haven't left yet." he observed aloud. "But why not? They're already awake." To Thrasher, he called down "We oughta go in closer, for an attack."

"Wait a second. I just got back, remember? Everything's fine." Thrasher yelled back. "It's probably nothing. Maybe one of them woke up and just got a look at his own reflection."

"Says you. I figure-"

A piercing roar followed by an earth-shaking crash sent Buck nearly flying out of the tree. "Thrasher!" he yelled, trying to sink his claws into one of the palm leaves without it ripping. Thrasher was there in a second, flapping his wings a million times a second.

"Wait a second...they're not coming out the front!" Buck realized, as he glimpsed a swarm of black behind the crag. "They broke out, it's a sneak attack!" He tried to reach his trusty dagger with his free hand.

"But what are they attacking?" Thrasher screamed to him as the one loud roar turned into hundreds. "What are they-"

The massive formation darted around the mountain and through the trees, heading the other way. Buck tried to get his front two finger towards the dagger, and failed. Then, he tried to bite at it with his teeth.

"Don't just flap there!" Buck yelled at Thrasher. "Follow them! I'll catch up. Whatever they're doing, we can't let them out of our sight!" As he finally bit down hard on the dried tooth handle, Thrasher stared motionless up at the sky.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." he breathed out in shock. "Buck, I think we're in trouble."

"Why, they spotted us?" Buck muttered through his teeth.

"No. Look."

Buck glanced up and immediately regretted it. More than a hundred of the flying terrors were doing the unexpected; heading straight for the sky.

"They can't break through. They'll never break through." Buck muttered to himself, then added to Thrasher "Right?"

Thrasher met him with a petrified silence. "If they get out-" he shuddered. "It'll be the world's problem."

Buck pulled himself up to the top of the tree, wasting no time. "I have to follow them." he said simply. "Wait for me, you understand?"

"Whoa, whoa. You crazy?" Thrasher pulled at his arm. "You can't fight these things yourself!"

"I know." Buck glanced farther away, breathing heavily. "I'll get somebody."

"Who? Who do you know up there, huh? Besides, there isn't time!" Thrasher yelled.

"We know their plan now! Just...wait for me. I'll be back soon." Buck slung the knife over his shoulder and stood up. He tied one of the long vines loping through the tree around his dagger, and bit off the other end. He tied that around himself, and held the remaining bit tightly in his other hand. "I hope I'm still as good at the javalin toss as I was in my prime." he said to himself.

"Hurry-hurry-" Thrasher hissed, watching anxiously the swarm growing closer to their target. "They all make it up there, no one can stop 'em."

"They can't fly that high up there." Buck added. "They're not used to the temperature. I reckon...ten feet, at the most." Even in this darkest of situations, nothing could stop that mad twinkle in his eye. "My friends can take of that, no problem."

"Friends?" Thrasher crossed his arms, almost looking jealous. "What friends?"

Buck held the daggar closer to his face, and aimed in the center of the mass. "You'll see." he said with a wink.

Then, just as a sickening cracking sound was heard throughout the land, he threw.