Xion the Author: Chapter 2 Revision. At this stage of editing, I've decided to actually change a lot in the story. I've also decided to add a few very vital scenes to explain closer Nia and Ryan's story, and also to remove confusions and add depth to the story.

I've also decided, to actually change the plot itself. I'll keep in the notes any of the original concepts as note for those who read this story before. I have decided to remove a lot of things to keep flexibility with the upcoming Ice Age 4. A lot of what I have planned will be revealed further into the latter chapters.

Chapter II. The Wolf That Forgot

Scrat was falling through a dark abyss, latched onto the rock he used to make the hole in the first place. From excessive happiness, he continued to laugh fervently – almost insanely. But soon, color wrapped around him, revealing the pre-prehistoric world around him. From the large waterfalls and gigantic biological travesties, to the large distance between him and the ground; the squirrel ceased his celebration of hilarity and immediately replacing it with screams of despair.

He keeps on falling…

Falling and screaming…

Screaming and falling…

He passed by a flock of unsuspecting pterodactyls flying in the air. They look down to see him continue plummeting further down the under-earth.

And he continues falling…

Screaming and falling…

Falling and screaming…

Until finally, he crashes down into the ground. The smoke dust clears out to reveal a hollow shape of his body in the ground with his arms and legs spread out. He reaches his shaking arm up, anchoring it on level ground to pull himself out of the hole that he made. Scrat moans in pain as he rubs his aching head.

He quickly recovers, however, after seeing the enlightened situation he's in. He shakes his head to regain composure and pulls himself out from the whole and unto the dirt. His nose quickly goes into action, sniffing around in search of familiar scents. One in particular would be Scratte's, the saber-toothed female flying squirrel, who stole his acorn away from him. Although to be honest he did lose it due to carelessness, the acorn would most definitely be in her possession – something he would never stand for.

He crawls over lumps of dirt and rocks, making way through tall grass and fungi, and avoiding traffic of passing giant stepping dinosaurs without even noticing them, Scrat was intensely focuses in his search.

"Peaches! Crash! Eddie! Sid! Where are you?" Ellie, who had just recently found out about their absence, calls out.

Ellie goes outside to look for tracks. "Maybe they could have gone playing somewhere. If that were the case, they couldn't have gone far – especially with Sid around."

The mammoth decides to go and look around. She asks around and looks through every corner. But every one she asks tells her that they haven't seen her and are having their own problems as well.

"Lori!" she calls out as she spots her friend from afar.

"Oh! Ellie, I'm glad your safe." a tall red-feathered Gastornis. "Where's your family?"

"Manny and Diego are at the other side, but Peaches was just with me until she disappeared with Sid and my brothers. Have you seen them?" she asked.

"Well, with my own kids bustling about and disappearing on their after the earthquake, I haven't really kept my eye out, but I think I might have seen them if they passed by."

Ellie sighed. "So you really haven't seen them?" Ellie asked. Lori shakes her head and runs off to look for her other children. Everyone on this side of the wall is also dealing with their own problems.

"Grampa, come on! The earthquake is gone, there won't be any lava coming out from here."

"You'll get a cold out there!" said a group of young hedgehogs in their burrow.

"I am not going back into that hellhole! If I lived in that hole, I'm definitely gonna die in that hole!" The hedgehog children keep trying to persuade him to no avail.

Other animals in the village are having their own family to worry about. Ellie, being the caring soul she is, wants to reach out and help. But seeing as she also her own needs to tend to, she could not spare a moment.

After searching around and daylight thinning, Ellie decided to head back to where she started "Maybe they went back to the cave…"

But when she arrived, no one was there to be found. Ellie, seeing that the sun was setting, began to worry frantically. But being a strong woman, she did not find the time to shed a tear and panic.

Even if she was alone.

"Stay calm, Ellie. You'll find them," she reassured herself.

Then her ears pick up an odd sound, something of a howling coming from the cave. Strong gusts seem to be coming from inside the cave. Curious of what it was, she goes in to inspect it. Following her ears, she soon comes upon a large entrance hidden within the dark corner of the cave. But as she was about to step inside, a voice came out to greet her.

"Ho' there friend!"

While Ellie was searching frantically for her daughter and the others, Manny and Diego were traveling. The wall had stretched further across the plains than they thought. And they weren't the only victims of the sudden rupture. Everyone from the village was in a state of panic. They wanted to help, but they had their own problems just the same. Diego tried asking around how far the wall had gone, but no one knew the answer. They were all attending to their own problems.

Choosing to help themselves instead, they made their way up a tall rocky hill to look over the plains and survey the closest exit.

Time passed by, and the sun began to kiss the horizon in a blazing orange.

"Looks like it's getting kinda late," said Diego as he watched the sunset form red beams of light across the sky, and on the other side was the dark blue color of night. "We should probably find a good place to rest."

"…I guess we should. Let's go first thing in the morning." Manny replied. "Maybe then this guy might wake up, and we could figure out what we're gonna do with him."

Manny was still carrying the canine they just saved. He looked like he collapsed of fatigue, and the storm just made things worse for him. From inspection, they could tell he was a saber-toothed wolf roughly just the same size as Diego, although a bit leaner. He had prominent gray fur with an undertone of beige from his neck towards his belly. He had a peculiar scar across his face, and he looked like he got hit by a boulder with all the dirt on his fur.

But although they didn't know him, they couldn't leave a person in that kind of condition. They weren't the kind to abandon someone in need of help. So, they took him along with them out of pity. To Manny however, he still found him all but troublesome.

They made camp at a clear spot near the mountain. The two felt a sense of nostalgia as they approached the site. They couldn't make a fire to keep them warmer at night. Neither of them knew how. Only their friend Sid did. A flickering light would even help them see.

Night had just begun. They laid the wolf down nearby and they laid down the ground as well. The cool night brought about a need for warmth, and the two went as close as they possible could without bothering to be embarrassed. Regardless for their need to share body warmth, one could only keep as near as a meter away.

At the dark of the night however, Diego couldn't shake off a feeling of nostalgia. It's as if he's been at this exact spot before. A distant memory that furthered away from migration; the tiger found himself in an animal path he once made and yet do not remember making it.

Disturbed by the thought and familiarity, he could not help get up and look around. The snow was exactly what snow looked like every day of their lives. There was nothing special to be found in that blanket of white snow. He inspected even the rocks, the stones littered around around the camp and near the grass.

And then it finally hit him. The biggest place he didn't bother checking first: the wall of stone beside where they made their camp. The peculiar sight was all he needed to completely recollect.

"Hey Manny," Diego called out while looking at the drawing. "You still up?"

"Urrrghh… just because I can easily carry an unconscious animal for the entire day doesn't mean I don't get tired," Manny complained. "This better be important."

"How important do you think this is?" Diego points with his head the drawing on the wall.

Manny wipes his eyes with his trunk, still a bit half-asleep. After a few seconds, he sees the drawing. "Hey now, will you look at that."

It was a poor drawing of a sloth etched on the wall. It's weathered and old, making it slightly less visible. And it didn't help at the dark of the night. It was the same one Sid made back then when they had Pinky.

"This was just the place Sid first found out how to make a fire," Diego said. "Which kind makes me wish he was here to make one."

"And the same place where Pinky took his first steps," Manny added in a delighted tone. "Really brings us back, huh partner?"

"It sure does," While the two were off reminiscing, Diego then noticed the wolf rumbling in the corner. "Hey, Manny, I think he's up!"

"Uuuuughhh…." the wolf moaned. The guys moved up to him to see if he's okay. "W-wha… who…? H-huh?"

"Easy, friend. You just woke out of a blizzard, just so you'd know," Diego explained to him, although the wolf might not have understood being his head was throbbing with pain.

The half-conscious wolf tried standing up, but when he did could not keep his legs straight and immediately tumbled out of balance. Manny quickly reached out his trunk to help him.

"Woah, like we said. Just take it slow." The mammoth helped him keep his balance straight until he could finally stand on all four feet.

"Whe-where is this place?"

"This is… home? I take it you're not from around here?" Diego asked.

The wolf muttered, as if not understanding the question. "I-I… uh…"

"My name is Manfred and this here is Diego," he introduced. "We found you in the middle of a blizzard, so we went off to save you. But then, suddenly, this came out."

Manfred pointed at the wall of lava that was over three times taller than him. "For some reason, this popped out of the earth. Right after we found you, we were separated from the rest of our herd. Right now, we're trying to look for another way around it. We could've just leave you, so we sort of took you along with us"

"Th-thank you for all your help…" said the mysterious canine as he started to walk away.

"Wha- hey! Where you going!" Manny shouted.

Diego chased right after him, seeing as he was trudging painfully. "Just stay down and get some rest first-"

As soon as Diego placed his paw on his shoulder, the wolf immediately snapped and swiped it away. "Don't get in my way!" he shouted surprisingly. Diego drew his paw back in surprise. The stranger was painted with a cold face, obviously stricken with surprise as well.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean- it just suddenly came out," he said.

"Just where exactly were you headed?" Manny came and asked.

"I-I don't know I just…" the wolf couldn't think straight. "I just… feel like I need to be somewhere. Right now."

"Look pal, until you got a clear idea of where to go and how to get there, you're staying here." Diego lectured in a serious manner, not wanting to endanger their new acquaintance. "With the sudden squalls coming about, you might not last a day on your own. So you're better off just lying down and keeping still for a while."

Obediently, the wolf nodded and they went back closer to the campsite.

"Care to tell us what your name is?" the mammoth inquired.

"I'm… I uh… the wolf said. "I… don't… I don't know…"

"Great, he doesn't even know who he is," Manny complained.

"Your name, can you remember your name?" the sabertooth insisted. "Come on, you have to give us something to call you."

He sits, contemplating deeply. "R… Ryan… It's Ryan…" he finally answers.

"Good. For a second there I thought we might end up giving him a new name for a pet," said Manny.

"Anything else you can remember?" Diego continued to ask.

"I… It's all… foggy…" Ryan answered.

"Hope we don't have to babysit him for everything he doesn't remember," Manfred grumbled.

"Go easy on him Manny. His last memory would probably be years ago, but to him he could take that it happened maybe minutes ago or as if it was just last night." Diego said before turning towards Ryan. "You should get some rest for now.

"We should probably get some rest too," Manny told Diego.

"Yeah…" Diego said in approval. They went back to lie down on their original spots and try going back to sleep.

Not a few minutes too soon, the mammoth was snoring soundly. But the tiger could not keep qualms – more than Manny would actually feel from being away from his family. He could not keep his eyes off the peculiar wolf. He was young, brash, and potentially short-tempered.

But he could not shake off the feeling that there's something else about him that has him so intrigued.

Sniffing through the ground, Scrat could feel scent close enough he could taste it (although he really wouldn't do any of the sort). After hours of searching without rest, Scrat brightens up to see his acorn. However, he soon realizes it is off in the distance, and the way to it was perilous. Before him was large chasm that seemed to echo a laugh from the dark abyss. Next, he would have to cross a small river of lava. Small as it may be, lava could burn through fur and skin. After being through, he would then need to traverse a field of geysers blowing out hot steaming water. He even watched a bird trying to pass by while idle until it suddenly blew out, serving it cooked and ready for nearby predators.

Scrat gulped, thinking if he should just change his mind. He turned around, but he quickly turned to see the acorn sitting idly by, shining in the light as if it was waiting for him. And as usual he can't resist it, and will risk getting killed just to have it. So he decides to try and get it.

First off, the small chasm. "It's not really that wide." Scrat thought. But he had to be careful. He carried a rock, limbering as he does it, and drops it into the chasm. After a few minutes, he heard a large *thud*. Scrat survived most of his falls, but this was going to kill him if he doesn't make it over. He spotted a fallen branch around him. It was long and durable, so he used it to his advantage. With it, he pole vaulted over the chasm and landed just right on the edge. He managed to clamber back on his feet.

Second part. The lava river. Scrat tried to approach it, but the ground suddenly cracked, and it was carried out by lava. Scrat thinks for a while, and then comes up with an idea. If he ran fast enough, he might be able to cross to ground before breaking. But what about the river itself. He couldn't jump it entirely, and it was bigger than the chasm. He couldn't pole vault it 'cause he might sink into the lava. After all, the ground broke easily.

He soon noticed that there were small floating chunks of earth. If he timed correctly, he might cross the river unscathed. With all he found out, he tried it. He moved backwards a bit, and the ran on four legs as fast as he could, crossing the breaking earth after running over it and jumped from chunk to chunk on the river, and finally jumped on a hard piece of earth. Scrat was now breathing hard, after all that running and jumping. But seeing his nut again, his stamina was filled with determination and vigor.

Finally, the field of geysers. Scrat's legs were shaking. One wrong step and he could end up… well… insta-cooked. Scrat approached the field, but a geyser suddenly emits steam right in front of him. His nose turned red, and he flinched backwards shrieking. He noticed the geysers would emit steam alternately, and after a while, they would stop for a second and blow out steam at the same time.

He needs to run fast, have quick reflexes, and perfect timing. Once again, if he makes one wrong step, he's a goner. After all the geysers blew out steam, Scrat ran in a zigzag pattern, avoiding the geysers with each step. He shrieks and shrieks every time a geyser blows steam right next to him. Halfway across, he runs even faster knowing that it might happen soon. After a 2-3 seconds, the geysers stopped. He knew what this meant. He sprinted faster since his life did depend on it. As he jumped off the field, he made it just in time as the geysers all blew out hot steam.

Scrat was gasping for air as if he almost drowned. He was really tired and was lying flat on the ground. But when looked to see where his nut was, it wasn't there anymore.

Scrat couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed it and rubbed it, and crawled to where it was before. After desperately looking around, he found it near a mountain wall. With a sigh of relief, Scrat started to crawl only to realize it moved behind the mountain wall. Scrat suspected something and crawled sneakily to the wall to find Scratte with his nut. "No wonder it was moving!" he thought.

"But what is she doing", he also thought. He sees her hiding behind tree looking at something, but he doesn't know what. He sneaked up to another hiding place to get a better look and finally saw what she was looking at. A macho-muscled masculine saber-tooth squirrel, fitter and more handsome than he was. And from the looks of it, Scratte got her eyes on him.

Scrat should feel jealous at the moment, but he saw an opportunity. If Scratte were to lower her guard at his nut, he could retrieve it without any difficulty.

And now the chase was on. As the macho squirrel named Scoot moved along, so did Scratte with his nut. And as she moved along, so did Scrat. Both Scoot and Scratte didn't know that they were being followed.

Following through dark corridors that have lead them underground, the twins, Sid and Peaches found themselves traversing almost blindly. Crash and Eddie moved forward ahead of Sid and Peaches, trying to stay cautious. Along the trail there were dozens of glowing mushrooms growing from the ground or hanging from the ceiling. The gang could not help but wonder in its spectacle.

Becoming more anxious by the second, Sid told the gang, "Maybe we should head back."

"No way! We've come this far, so we might as well look everywhere!" Crash said.

"There wasn't any entrance leading here until after that earthquake," Eddie explained. "Who knows, we might find a way to Manny and Diego!"

"Then maybe we should turn around and get Ellie," said Sid.

"She can take care of herself. Besides! I bet she's on her way here right now." Eddie said confidently

"I hope your right…"

The group soon find themselves in a fork in the road, the tunnels dividing into three different ways. "So… ummmm…" Crash muttered. "Which way to go now?"

"Uhhhh…" Eddie wondered as well. "This way… – or maybe that way!" His fingers were pointing from left to right. "Oh, no wait I think it's–" before he points to the left entrance again, he gets interrupted by Peaches.

"It's that way," She says confidently, pointing her trunk to the middle.

"What makes you say that?" Crash asked from her sudden statement.

Peaches lifted her trunk to feel a brushing over her fur. "There's wind coming from that direction," she answered. "That means there is an exit over there."

"Wow!" Sid said in awe. "How did you know that?"

"Uncle Diego taught me," Peaches said with a smile.

The twins trotted onward. "Well then, let's go."

"I wish Diego would teach me those kinds of things," the sloth commented.

Crash rolled his eyes. "I bet you wouldn't even listen. I wish he taught us!"

As they go further inside the tunnel, they could audibly hear the winds howl around the walls. Almost eerily. As the trail of mushrooms start to disappear, so does their vision of their path. Sid eventually trips from the lack of light.

In a few short minutes, however, they finally see light at the end of the tunnel. In a joyous remark, they all march forward with bursting morale.

"There's the exit!" Eddie shouted.

"Wow!" said Crash "You were right, princess! Way to go!"

"Of course I'm right. If its Unca' Diego who taught, then it's definitely right," the small mammoth beamed.

"Now we can go find Manny and Diego," Sid said excitingly.

As they walk onwards, the light starts to illuminate their path, making it easier for Sid not to trip. But after feeling the ground a few times, Sid could not help getting a suspicious feeling.

"You know, we've been walking downwards for a while now," said the sloth. "If that really is the exit, don't you think we should be walking upwards?"

"Relaaaax, it's not like we're gonna get killed over this!" Crash snorted.

The gang walked into the slip of light and took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the light. "There! Now we can-"

However, they did not find the snowy land they were hoping for. To their amazement, they saw Dinoland within their very eyes. The numerous tall alien-like fauna that decorated the large tropical atmosphere, the humongous dinosaurs reaching out from small trees to leaves perched on cliffs; none of them could still not believe what they were witnessing

"Woah…." They all said in unison.

"It's Dinoland!" Crash yelled excitedly. "Peaches, Peaches! This is the place we told you stories about!"

"Wow, it's amazing!" Peaches exclaimed. "I dreamed of this place since I was a kid!"

"It's been a long time since we've been here!" said Sid. "Hey! I wonder where Buck is! We haven't seen him since!"

"Hey, that gives me an idea!" Crash bellowed. "We should go look for Buck!"

"Great idea!" Eddie replied energetically."We could go on another wild adventure! If Diego won't teach us any cool stuff, then I bet Buck would!"

"Yeah!"

"You guys…" said Peaches. "Mom is probably worried sick by now. We've really been gone for a while"

"B-but Peaches…!" the twins cried in unison. "Dinosaurs!"

"Can't you see its night time?" Sid added. "Peaches needs to get some shut-eye."

Crash and Eddie let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I guess we should head back..."

But right as they turned around they saw a large scaly dinosaur right in front of them.

And it was angry. One spine-chilling roar and they were all running for their lives.

Xion the Author: Looking back, it's kind of funny how this is what started it all. I somewhat wrote a story that included diverging and collaborating scenes that ended up writing with a lot of perspectives and characters. It actually went without the need to exhaust a single scene with fifteen or more characters, and instead I was actually somewhat able to give every character a part in the story by having three to five in many different scenes.

Also, it brings me great joy to put this in from the original:

I DO NOT OWN ICE AGE OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTER. I JUST LOVE THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE.