The sky had just begun to turn a light pink and purple as the herd traveled down west. The three mammoths led the way, with Sid talking merrily on Manny's back and the possum brothers on Ellie's; little Mina walked in the middle, listening to the others talk. Diego and Nelida walked behind them, joining them in joyful conversation. Sid whooped a happy laugh.

"Finally! No wolfs!"

"I know that's right!" Mina said just as happily.

Nelida chuckled, "They weren't that bad."

"They treated you like a goddess. It's no wonder you were alright with them." Manny said, looking back toward her.

The saber shrugged, and then sighed, "I'm gonna miss my babies."

"Let them go, Nell." Ellie joked, "They're not really going anywhere."

"Can yall believe it? A wolf pack and a saber pack put together!" Crash said.

"Yeah. What was she thinking?" Eddie finished.

Mina looked up at the two, "I liked the idea." She said. "I mean two different packs in peace with one another and changing the way others look at fortunetelling. It's really cool."

"It's really weird, that's what it is." Manny grunted.

"Oh what? This herd here isn't weird enough for you to consider it that way?" Ellie joked, punching Manny gently with her trunk.

Manny rolled his eyes, "That's different."

"What do you call a saber and a wolf put together?" Sid said suddenly.

Diego gave him a look, "Please Sid. No jokes from you."

"It's not a joke!" Sid complained, "I was actually asking a question."

There was a still silence for a moment. Nelida gathered a strained look.

"Err. A wober?" she asked.

"Don't encourage him!" Manny said.

"No no. A solf!" Ellie said.

Manny sighed, "Oh boy."

Mina giggled, "A wafer!"

"A sabolf?" Diego suggested.

"Not you too!" Manny groaned.

"A swaolfber!" Crash and Eddie said.

Sid hummed in thought, "Alright. But what would you call a baby saber/wolf?"

Another still silence. Mina giggled.

"A cuppy." She laughed.

Ellie chuckled, "A pub?"

"A cup maybe?" Nelida laughed.

"How about cubby?" Diego added.

Manny shook his head in annoyance. "Come on now. Why are we even talking about this?"

"A pcubpy!" Eddie said, his brother nodding in approval.

"Really! Why are we talking about this?" Manny said again.

Everyone looked at Sid, who was shrugging, "Just wondering."

Everyone chuckled, and then everything went quiet for a moment. Sid yawned.

"Glad it's all over." He muttered.

Mina nodded, "No more wolfs."

"No more 'kill the fortuneteller plans'." Ellie sighed.

"No more 'save the fortuneteller plans'." Manny said.

"No more fighting." Nelida said, smiling toward Diego.

"No more pup-sitting." Crash and Eddie said in unison.

"And finally, no more cubs!" Diego finished.

Nelida laughed nervously, "Uhhh. Yeah, sure. No more cubs… for now…"

Diego's eyes widened, "Please tell me you're joking."

The herd stopped and looked at Nelida anxiously. She smiled guiltily.

"Well… remember when I told you about the vision I had before the cubs were born?" she started.

"The one about Maria?" Diego asked.

Nelida nodded, "One of the visions didn't come true… the one where Maria was telling me that she thought she could see the future. I thought about it… and I realized that the mark on her shoulder wasn't on her right shoulder, it was on her left."

"Nell. What are you trying to say?" He asked, almost angrily.

"I… well. I figured there were only two ways that could happen: One, Maria's cub could have the same gift, or I could have another cub like Maria… and I realized that… I'm… kinda…. Pregnant."

There was a pause, and suddenly Eddie cheered.

"Ha! I told you she would get pregnant again before spring was over!" he exclaimed, "Now, my brotha, you owe me every strawberry you find this year! And Sid, you owe me three weeks of being my slave!"

They both groaned in defeat, as did Diego.

"Not again!" he cried lightheartedly, receiving a nip from Nelida.

Mina jumped for joy, "Yay! More baby tigers!"

Manny turned back toward the path they were following, laughing silently. Ellie also turned with Mina in tow. Sid laughed and turned on Manny's back to look at Diego.

"Stop being naughty and maybe she wouldn't get pregnant!" he said teasingly to him.

Diego let loose a playful growl, "Can't help it."

Nelida gave him a suggestive look, "Neither can I."

Sid gagged and turned back around to the front. "You're both perverts!"

"So are Mommy and Daddy!" Mina exclaimed, "It's like totally gross! Seriously, gag me with a spoon!"

Manny and Ellie chuckled. Crash and Eddie jumped from Ellie's back to Mina's.

"You got that right girl friend!" Crash said putting a hand on his hip and snapping his fingers in a sassy motion.

"Ya. Like totally grossy to the max." Eddie added imitating Mina's teen slang.

Manny groaned, "This is never gonna end is it?"

Ellie giggled, "No it's not."

"Why did I fall in love with a fortuneteller?!?" Diego cried to the sky.

"Why did I fall in love with an outcast?!?" Nelida replied, mocking Diego.

She screamed as Diego tried to pounce on her but missed by a few inches. Nelida ran ahead, Diego hot on her tail.

"You'll never catch me!" She yelled behind her, her voice fading as they ran farther ahead from the herd.

"We'll see about that, fortuneteller!" Diego yelled back, laughing lightly.

"Outcast!" she retorted halfheartedly.

The possum brothers ran after them, jumping over one another, wrestling each other to the ground and slapping themselves with their tails. Sid and the mammoths laughed as Diego finally caught up with Nelida, pinning her to the ground. The possums got to the two, jumping on Diego's back and trying to get him off of Nelida.

Mina smiled as Diego ignored them and nuzzled Nelida lovingly. She sighed, "It's like an endless circle… they'll have cubs, their cubs will have cubs… it'll never end."

Manny and Ellie exchanged confused looks. Mina paid no mind and ran ahead to catch up with the others.

"Where did she get her smarts from?" Manny asked.

Ellie shrugged, "I kinda thought it was from you."

"No, she got her stubbornness from me. I have no idea where she got so smart."

"Well I don't know!" Ellie said.

Manny thought for a moment, "Maybe from your parents?"

Ellie looked thoughtfully at Manny. "Maybe."

They walked in silence for a moment before Sid yawned again.

"She's still a weird kid." He muttered.

The mammoths chuckled, following the sabers who were still chasing each other like cubs, the possums who raced to catch up with them, and their daughter who was laughing merrily and ushering them to follow faster.

For now, the future was unknown, but even if you didn't know exactly what was to happen you could tell that the future was bright.

dont panic yet! do u see anything dat says, "The End" or "Complete?" it's not over yet! dont cry! u can cry next weekend wen i finish da story w/ its last chapter! Muahahaha!

R&R Please!