Faithers: *takes a deep breath and lets out a fangirl squee* I WANT THE BUCK PLUSHIE!

Amethyst: SO DO I!!! But I have no moneh. D=

Faithers: I have moneh but I doubt my parents would let me get it. -.-'

Amethyst: Maybe when my grampa gives me thirty dollars in a few days I'll get each of us one Buck plushie. xD

Faithers: And for you readers who might not know what we're talking about, the Ice Age 3 website has MERCHANDISE. And BUCK IS A PLUSHIE.

Amethyst: I wonder what his reaction to that would be...XD

Buck: *appears* O.O But I was jus'... I was jus' a' Lava Falls!

Faithers: BUCK! *hugs* You are now a plushie.

Amethyst: BUCK!!! Wow, Faithers, you're good.

Faithers: Again, Author's authority. You can learn it too.

Buck: -.-

Amethyst: So Buck will now be joining us at the top of the chapters?

Faithers: As long as we can keep him here.

Buck: *Trying to escape*

Amethyst: *grabs Buck and holds him* He is a very big Weasel. =D

Buck: Lemme go! *squirms*

Faithers: *tickles him under the chin* Aww, won't you stay for a while?

Buck: -.- *his leg twitches uncontrollably as he is tickled*

Amethyst: I have beef. And rice. Want some? =D

Buck: O.O Food?

Faithers: Food and protection.

Buck: ... *uncertain face* Ya won' torture me?

Amethyst: Nope! =D

Faithers: Not at all! We'll just... play Crash and Eddie when around you.

Amethyst: And since you don't seem to mind THEM...

Faithers: To ensure this little conversation doesn't take up too much space, we'll be chatting behind the scenes. Now here's the chapter!

Buck led the two possums and the mammoth teen through the Jungle of Misery, pointing different things out as he went along. Caves in the rock wall to their left that would have been impossible to see, the different plant eating dinosaurs they passed by, and three or four of the giant butterflies.

"This is so amazing!" Peaches said in awe, looking excitedly around her. She could hardly believe what was right in front of her. This was everything she had always dreamed of seeing, and now she was actually here!

Crash and Eddie were looking around excitedly as well, both trying to outdo each other on exclamations.

"We didn't go through this part of the Jungle of Misery before!" Crash said excitedly, looking around.

"Yeah, it's completely different from the path we took last time!" Eddie agreed.

"'S right," Buck said, staring ahead with a grin, "we weren't goin' this way las' time. See 'im?" He pointed his knife over to a Brachiosaur, whom was calmly eating to its heart's content, "Tha' there's th' guy you slid down. Rememba?"

"Oh yeah!" the twins said in unison, watching the Brachiosaur.

Peaches was watching the dinosaur as well, wondering how it had gotten to be so big. "I feel so...puny." She said, staring up at the large creature with wide green eyes.

"Yeah." Crash muttered, chuckling, "How do you think we feel, Princess?"

"We feel puny around you!" Eddie rolled his eyes.

"You're just short." She replied, rolling her eyes. "So, why exactly is it called the 'Jungle of Misery'? Is it just a random name you came up with to make it sound cool?"

"Well..." Buck thought a moment as he walked ahead of them, "Th' plants tend ta make i' qui' mis'r'ble here..." He tossed a grin over his shoulder.

"Oh...I think they're pretty."

"They may be pretty, Fruity, but some 'a 'em are dangerous."

"Yeah!" Crash agreed. "Manny and Diego almost got eaten by one."

"But Buck saved them." Eddie said, nodding.

"A plant?" Peaches raised an eyebrow, "They almost got eaten by a plant?"

"Well o' course! 'f 't'weren't for me, they'd 'ave been bones!" Buck responded with a laugh.

They proceeded through the jungle, Buck occasionally pointing out more interesting things that he had happened upon during his time there. The twins "ooo"'d and "ahhh"'d at almost everything he pointed at while Peaches admired in silence. There were so many plants and trees and tons of other things that she had never seen before. No snow, no cold, no dead trees; nothing that was familiar to her.

And she loved it.

Eventually the more dense jungle areas fell away and they were walking over rock toward a rock wall, Buck still pointing things out but this time with more amusement as Crash and Eddie started shooting questions at him.

"What IS that?"

"Where'd it come from?"

"Hey, hey, Buck, what's that thing?"

"Ooo, look at that!"

"Still enjoying this?" Peaches asked, rolling her eyes once more at her uncles' enthusiasm.

"Amusin'ly, yeh." Buck laughed, "No' offen 'm look'd up at. Bein' short, 'n' all."

She went back to listening to her uncles shoot random questions faster than Buck could answer, not catching the double meaning in his words.

As they neared the rock wall, she noticed the long, winding line of cracks that went up from a cave, as if the rock were weak there.

"Welc'm ta the Cave a' No Return!" Buck intoned, "Stick close, now."

"Why's it called the 'Cave of No Return'?" Peaches inquired, walking a little closer to their guide as they entered the dark cave. She wanted to know if she had anything to really worry about, or if Buck just named it that to make it sound intimidating.

"Cos the last few who came thru' here, di'nt return." Buck said in a matter of fact tone of voice, "O'ly been thru' here once. Way back when. Before you two came here." he nodded toward Crash and Eddie, "Guess wot'evah lives here moved in afta that li'l visit."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Peaches asked, beginning to get nervous.

"Nope!" Buck said cheerily, continuing through the cave. "'S gonna get a li'l dark in here, so watch yer step."

Crash and Eddie shared a glance just before all the light disappeared.

"'A Little Dark'?" Peaches asked quietly, looking around, "I can't see anything!"

"'S why I said watch yer step. And stay close."

Peaches didn't think this was a very good idea, but followed Buck all the same. It's not like she had anywhere else to go, anyway.

Diego stopped in front of the rocky landslide, confused, "Think they might have gone in?"

"I don't doubt it." Manny said slowly.

"It's sealed," Ellie said, "are you sure?"

Diego nodded, "Has to be, the trail leads up to this point."

"I wouldn't try ta ge' in there if I were you." A voice came from behind them. It sounded oddly familiar.

"Buck?" Ellie said, turning around.

The black-furred Weasel winced slightly, but covered it with a nonchalant look. "Nope."

Diego looked over the weasel, frowning, "You sounded just like him. So if you're not Buck, who are you?"

"Who are you?" He countered, raising an eyebrow, leaning casually against a rock, arms crossed.

"Why do you want to know?" Diego frowned.

"I was here first." He replied, shrugging.

"You were here first?" Ellie said sarcastically. "We asked first."

"Well tha's not much of a reason."

"Neither is yours." Manny pointed out.

"'S a perfectly good reason." The Weasel said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"So is ours." Diego stated, "Because it's basically the same as yours."

"I'll tell ya who I am if you tell me who you are." He said, rolling his eyes.

"You act too much like Buck for me to trust that." Manny rolled his eyes. "Now either tell us your name or the reason you think we shouldn't go down there."

The Weasel frowned, then shrugged. "Name's Avery. And everyone who's evah gone down there so far hasn't come back. If whoevah you're lookin' for went tha' way, then I doubt you'll find 'em, alive or dead. If ya ask me, you should jus' walk away now and forget it."

Manny frowned, "Oddly I don't feel inclined to listen to that advice, seeing as my daughter's down there."

"Well...she's dead. So sorry. Now go back where ya came from before you all die as well." Avery said, not one trace of sympathy in his voice. The flicker of emotion in his eyes was only noticed by Ellie, who frowned. Had something happened to him?

"Hmm." Diego sounded considering, "That sounds similar to what Buck said back when we were looking for Sid...of course we got him back..." he grinned.

"I think we'll take our chances." Manny decided, moving some of the rocks as he spoke.

Avery frowned. "Wait!" They stopped, looking back at him. "You...You've been down there before?"

"Yeah, 'course." Diego said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Avery paused, thoughtful, then said, "Could I possibly...come with you?"

Manny paused, "Why?"

"Jus'...'cause. I wanna know wot's down there." Avery said, averting his gaze.

Ellie leaned in to whisper to the others, "I think we should let him come."

"How come?" Sid asked, eyeing Avery.

"It's just a feeling." Ellie said, looking at Manny in particular. "Just trust me. I think it'd be a good idea."

Manny sighed, "I got a feeling I'll come to regret this sometime or another...but fine."

Avery perked up. "So, I c'n come?"

Diego shot a look at Manny before rolling his eyes, "You can come."

Avery grinned, shooting Ellie a grateful look. "'Ey, you still haven't told me who you all are." He pointed out, watching Manny lift some more rocks out of the way.

"The names Manfred, call me Manny." Manny said as he threw a few more rocks away.

"Diego." the saber intoned, ignoring the weasel.

"I'm Ellie," The female mammoth said lightly. "And that's Sid."

"Hi." Sid said, waving.

"Manny, Diego, Ellie and Sid. Nice ta meet ya all." Avery said. He looked up at Manny. "So, who exactly are you lookin' for, anyway?"

"Our daughter." Manny gestured to himself and Ellie, "Peaches. And Ellie's brothers, Crash and Eddie."

"There are more of you mammoths?" Avery asked, both eyebrows raised. He hadn't seen one in a while, let alone five.

"Just Peaches, actually." Diego stated. Let the weasel figure that one out without having to ask.

Avery blinked, looking up at Ellie in question.

"You'll see."

Amethyst: That didn't take very long, eh?

Faithers: Nope, not long at all! See, Buck, that's all you have to put up with... that and our spazziness, and you get food!

Buck: Well... it migh' be worth i'...

Amethyst: Ya just hafta deal with Avery being in the story, that's all. ^^

Buck: ... -.- Guess I ca' take tha'.

Faithers: That and, er, we're totally going to gush over your plushie until we can get it.

Buck: -.-' Anythin' ELSE?

Amethyst:...Randomne-OOO, A GIANT BUTTERFLY!

Faithers: I WANT IT! *chases the giant butterfly with a butterfly net*

Amethyst: I WANT IT TOO!!! Just to irritate my mom, who hates Butterflies. =D

Buck: O.O

Faithers: Hey Buck, can you end the chapter? We're kind of bus-OH LOOK IT HAS FRIENDS!

Amethyst: YAY!!! *gets bigger net*

Buck: -.-' Well then... They'll be back nex' time, and unf'rt'natly, so'll I. *waves*