Thoughts are in italics
Crash was having the time of his life. Not only had Bella─ who had paired up with him to find Sid─ proven herself to be an incredible runner, but she a true adventurer.
As the wind rushed past the possum and he rode atop Bella's back, he could not help but feel honored to have her as a traveling companion.
While the two searched, Bella was on the go non-stop. She used her oversized snout to find any clues to Sid's and the rest of the herd's whereabouts. As well, she jabbered endlessly about her daring experiences in the wild during her youth.
"So, after that Crach, the wooly rhino chased me to the edge of the forest. I was scooped up!" the old-timer said with a grin on her face.
"Really? By what?" Crash said with extreme excitement and fascination. He was hanging off her every word, too captivated by her story to decipher which parts were true and which were mere exaggerations.
"A caveman." she answered casually.
"Really?" Crash uttered, eyes wide. "Like the ones who took Sid?"
"Quite like the ones who took Sid. Identical in fact in form, height, and hunting technique." she explained. Crash gaped.
Bella slowed to a walk and sniffed the trail. "You know kiddo, I'm more of a story-teller than I am a thrill-seeker."
"But Bell, I thought you said-"
"Yeah. Yeah. Those were the good old days." the female aardvark scowled slightly. "I was really into mischief when I was a youngster. I've had more than a girl's fair of close encounters. However, not everything I've told you is true."
Crash gazed at her with curiosity and hints of growing disappointment.
"To be honest kiddo, my memory has faded over the years. I am healthy physically but my mind isn't what as sharp as it could be." she explained, her voice sounding more tired and raspy than usual. Bella used her prehensile snout to take Crash and set him on the ground so she could talk to him face-to-face.
"Cesh. You really need to learn to tell real life from old folk tales. I don't mean to bust your bubble kid. But most of the stuff I remember doing were just tales my parents told me as a kid."
Crash stared at her uncertainly before a hopeful grin made its way onto his face. "Oh c'mon. You are Bella! Bell the Awesome! You wouldn't forget what you did!" The possum made a fist and struck a pose to emphasize how courageous he thought she was. "You're the only aardvark I have ever heard of that fought off a rabid fox and outsmarted an angry polar bear!"
"True that I did those one of those two things." the female looked the possum in the eye with great seriousness. "But the point is, you need to get yourself grounded. Life on the run is dangerous. Lost all of my adventure pals in one swing that way. …I'm saying this because I care."
The possum looked down and sighed. Crash tried to avoid taking to heart the harsh reality he had been slapped in the face with. But to his dismay, what the elder stated to him seemed to stick.
Just when she thought Crash had gotten his hopes down far enough, Bella gave him a big smile and wink.
"Now, enough rolling in the mud. Let's go find your friend Sild and the rest of your gang!"
"Dudette! But I thought you were just giving me the 'let's stop having fun and play it safe' speech! What's with the sudden change of attitude?" he retorted, mildly irritated.
Bella scratched her chin with one of her forelegs. "Well Accident... everyone needs balance you know... Like the world we live in. Those who play risk too often risk everything."
Crash stood still for a moment, searching for the deeper meaning within her words.
But before he knew it, Bella bounded ahead. "You stalling or what Cash? We have a floppy green thing to find kid! Ready to go?"
The marsupial gave her his classic dare-devil grin. "As ready as I'll ever be!" he shouted. Crash scurried to catch up with the already running aardvark.
The possum had grown to admire the wise old female in just the day they had been traveling together. She had a certain spark to her─ something neither Ellie nor his own mother had. Crash loved her fun-loving attitude and genuine yet crafty nature. She was full of wisdom, but she also had a comical naivety brought on by failing memory.
Soon enough, the tireless aardvark began telling another whimsical adventure story. Crash couldn't help grin to himself as he scampered behind her. He had finally found a creature to look up to who shared his sense of fun. He couldn't wait to tell his brother.
Diego, Manny, and Eddie were spending the night in a thicket a safe distance from the human camp.
Eddie was hanging upside-down from a tree limb mostly out of earshot of the other two mammals. The marsupial was snoring lightly and was placed further away from other two for good reason. Tonight, he was shouting and muttering off-the-wall phrases and sentences. This was fairly unusual for him. It was typically Sid who kept the herd awake with his sleep-talking.
"Humans roast Sid... mmmhmm." Eddie murmured.
"Offgg dreaming mmmehhet... of mud pies bmmm."
"Breaking the fourth wool! Dun dunnny dun... from the ice guum... land." The possum shifted slightly.
"Man eats bats!"
However, more was on the saber and mammoth's minds than the annoying possum and people with spears.
It was past midnight but Manny was still awake, thinking about his foolish lie.
Why did I do that? I should have trusted my instincts! The possums are trouble-making hooligans and always will be.
"Mischief matchers are the besttttsss mmmhhmm." Eddie muttered in the distance. Fortunately, he was too far away and spoke too quietly to be heard.
Manny exhaled deeply and glanced at Diego. The saber appeared to be sleeping with his head on his paws and a frown on his face.
I wish I could go back and undo this... But how can I? I have come up with so many ideas that will not work! Telling him now will just make him angrier and if I try to get help from Ellie when we get back, she would be mad.
"Logic is in ta... mooth mouth of the to be a... holder!" Manny heard Eddie shout in his sleep. However he ignored it.
I have no idea how to settle this without another fight with Diego.
"...Them sky paint... green ... Aaah!"
Maybe I should ask...
"Possums wooool!" the marsupial practically shrieked in his slumber.
NO! Asking Eddie is ABSOLUTELY out of the question! He got me in this mess and he isn't going to help get me out.
The mammoth sighed, calming his nerves. Manny realized thinking about this hour after hour was futile. He was not achieving anything and was just riling himself up.
This will have to wait for the morning.
"It's a small spear spickiii livil...mmm too gooooo!" the possum randomly sang.
Manny finally lost his patience. "Would you shut up already?" he shouted at the sleeping marsupial.
The pachyderm forced his eyes shut. He tried to abstain from thinking about the situation in hopes that it would allow him to relax and eventually sleep. However, even then, he had Eddie's random outcries to worry about...
However Manny did not notice that his saber friend had been watching him. The argument with Manfred had evoked an unpleasant feeling of distrust in Diego. Furthermore, his friend's uneasiness near him, sleeplessness, and awkward glances filled him with suspicion. However, Diego didn't need anything spelled out to him to know what the mammoth was hiding.
Manny so worried about Sid he can't sleep? Not likely. Diego scoffed.
"Dart... me Vapor Vater..." the possum slurred.
The growing feeling of betrayal inside Diego filled him with anger. Yet, he knew it wasn't like he had not tested the mammoth's own trust before. He would have to be careful when getting back at the pachyderm.
However, the smilodon knew he needed to be patient. He couldn't start an argument blindly. No. His come-back would have to be at exactly the right time. As well, Diego hoped it would cause Manny to experience an equal amount of humiliation to what he had been feeling lately. Still, Diego needed to make sure what he did created no lasting damage to his friendship with Manny.
Scheming... I have barely done it in years. But Soto didn't place me as second in command for nothing. Time to get back my dignity!
"Food... ...Glorinessam. Stewww msmmm..." the possum muttered too quietly for the large carnivore to hear.
Diego stared at Manny, his eyes shining blue in the darkness. A small, sly smile crept onto his face.
"Ittty... Vultures! Vultures! Vultmmhmm ghmm." Eddie shouted.
That's right. Scream all you want. Manny will pay. ...And so will you Eddie. He winked at them both.
So what will Diego do? Is he plotting revenge or not? In the next few chapters you will find out!
