Sorry about the really long wait. I lost inspiration :( But despite getting this chapter finished (and God I'll never get that image of Buck in this outa my head its so funny) I'm afraid the next chapter will be the conclusion- and I have a good idea for it planned. Let's just say it centers on a major theme through my series between two particular characters (and a little on a third)- Not Clementine and Squint, though. They're story is complete.

Enjoy the semi-final, folks, and please review!


To Buck or not to Buck

"So...how do you guys know about Buck?"

The question was asked innocently and curiously enough, but the change Diego's inquired brought upon Cocoum and his possum pal was very...odd.

It was the afternoon, and the two boys had been playing around with some rocks (via throwing them into the lake to see how far each of them could get them to go) When the saber had overheard them talking about a certain sanity-challenged weasel from a dinosaur land. Come to think of it, this island- especially this afternoon almost felt as humid and bright as that place...

Anyway, getting off track.

The two almost cringed as they looked at each other, exchanging grimaces as Diego rose a brow reproachfully. "O-kay." He drawled, "I take it you've ran inta him?"

"Uh, no. Just the two guys who did," Cocoum corrected with a slight grin. Klue sighed a little, looking far away from grinning himself.

"Weeell...it was a weird encounter I must say."

"I don't think you'd believe it." Cocoum stated bluntly, with an air of odd smugness about him as he leaned against a nearby tree. Diego rose a brow again.

"Try Me."

"Weeell...It sorta went like this..."

There was once a weasel. And a sloth. And a Mammoth with grumpiness that could rival even Argeth's-

"I...wouldn't go that far, Cocoum."

...That would seem to most that it could rival a certain armadillo's sarcastic behavior. The odd trio were wandering (and in the sloth's case, almost sauntering lazily) along the dusty trail of the valley. The sky was clear and the other residents of the surrounding land were at ease. Nothing could have hinted at an odd occurrence that was just about to well, occur.

The long-haired sloth boy was chewing on a piece of fruit slowly and barely, the small weasel kit beside him walking thoughtfully with his head slightly bent, grey eyes distant with his paws held behind his back rather than holding an apple like his friend. The light pelted mammoth, elder than both and certainly more moody, was walking beside them with a frown evident on his wooly face.

They passed another odd group of animals youths- but someone the trio seemed more odd. Maybe it was the mismatched body languages. They looked as weird as-

"Cocoum..."

"Ahem. Anyway..."

Cocoum noticed that the mammoth looked about to snap in fury, or at least, the kind that came with low voiced scolding. The sloth looked like he couldn't care less.

"Okay." The mammoth stated bluntly in a slightly too deep voice for his age, "Remind me again what just happened back there with that crazy weasel."

The sloth beside him graced him with a lazy look and took a final bite out of his apple before throwing it over his shoulder, almost hitting the small weasel who'd fallen behind a little.

"Wha?"

"I said," The mammoth repeated heatedly as he came to halt, the other two following suit, "What the heck did we just witness?"

"Ah think," The brown weasel boy beside his large foot offered, "Tha' we say buck ridin' a dinosaur over a really thin log,"

"Over a really rocky valley full of rocks that're more boring than you," The sloth added with a faint smirk on his lethargic face. The Mammoth glared at both of them.

"Remind me again what I'm doing with you two?"

"Cauuuse ya have no life."

"Hey!"

All three turned to meet the curious looks of an ape and a possum, who'd left their little group of move closer. The possum looked beyond bewildered, a brow raised, while the ape boy looked more interested than anything else.

"Did you say something about a dinosaur?"

"Yeah. This guy Buck, he rides 'em," The sloth stated with a shrug. Klue gave him a surprised look in return.

"Wait, what?"

"A crazy nutball weasel known as Buck-" Cocoum, cut in, pointing at the small weasel beside them, who frowned.

"No me!" The small weasel spoke in an accented voice, "Buck!"

"Oh."

"A crazy nutball known as buck who is not him rode a dinosaur over a long that was over a pit of sharp rocks." The mammoth spelled out like they were toddlers. Cocoum bust out laughing. Klue shook his head.

"C'mon man, you can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't," The young mammoth muttered in return.

Cocoum finally recovered from his laughing fit. "You guys musta be seeing some really weird hallucinations or something, cause-"

"YYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABUBLBLBLB LUUR!"

Suddenly, the ground beside them cracked open. The soil had been dry before, and with all the resent earthquakes it wasn't uncommon. What was uncommon, however, was that the moment the crack opened a orange-brown blue riding upon another brown blur shot out of the hole like a geyser, swooping into the air to reveal the undeniable figure of a patch-wearing, hollering weasel with a crazed joy on his face, riding what could only be described as a reptilian bird.

The group watched blankly (and the two newcomers with dropped jaws) as the weasel swooped upside down in the air and dived back into the crack, yelling all the way. Cocoum and Klue stared dumbly at the crack, jaws hanging ajar. The Mammoth rose a brow, a smug look about him as he spoke.

"Who's hallucinating now?"

"And that;s how we found out about Buck."

Cocoum sat down, looking quite pleased with himself. Klue shrugged at Diego uncertainly.

"Did you guys actually meet him?" The possum boy asked as Cocoum lounged beside him against the tree. Diego gave a nervous laugh at that, recalling a few events. Mostly the more crazy ones rather than the adventurous ones he liked- which tended to happen if you focus on Buck's insane side.

"Yeah. And by the looks of it, those kids ya saw did too. Take it from me, be glad ya never fell down there. Dino worlds are cool and all...but those plants..."

Klue watched uneasily as he could have sworn he'd seen the saber- the saber-tooth tiger- shudder.

"What plants?"

"Uuuhh...Nevermind."


Please review. All viewers are advised to stay away from yummy looking fruit when touring the Dino World.