How's everybody doing? Well, the adventure has only begun! There are still many more to come, and it will get even dangerous! Have fun reading this next chapter!

Chapter 6: Rest stop...not for long

"You guys can't just walk in this heat!" Fast Tony exclaimed, trying to sell his Air Shooters. Everybody ignored him, though. They were too freaked out about the volcano to buy his leaves, even though they were awfully hot. "If you buy one of these, you can get one free, and boy will you not be hot anymore!" Fast Tony kept jumping from animal to animal trying to sell his stuff. He then sighed, realizing that nobody would buy his Air Shooters. "It's no use, none of these freaks will by my Air Shooters."

"Did you say air?!" a voice cried out.

Fast Tony turned around, and saw the two mammoths, the sloth, the tiger, and three possums.

"We're so hot!" Eddie cried out.

"Sure, if you buy one, you get one free."

"Oh come on, he'll just scan you," Manny tried to change the possum's mind.

"Oh come on, Stubborn boy," Crash complained. "We could get at least some air."

"He's right, Manny," Ellie agreed. "It's better for two people to get air then nobody."

Manny sighed. "Fine."

Fast Tony then jumped close to Ellie, and looked at the possums. "What do you got?"

Eddie reached behind his back, and handed out a fruit. "A peach." The possum gave the fruit to Fast Tony.

"Hmm..." he took a bite out of the peach to see if it was fresh. "Fine." He handed out one of his big leaves to Eddie, and was ready to leave. "Bye!"

"Hey, wait!" Crash exclaimed.

"What?"

"You said that we would get one free," Eddie helped his brother out.

"Well, I think you guys can share that one."

The possums started to whine, and Manny grabbed the armadillo by his leg. "You said that you would give one free," he said to him angrily, as he looked at him in the eye.

Fast Tony gulped with fear.

"Yeah, so give it to them," Ellie helped Manny out.

"Yeah but, they seem really close, and I think that they can..."

"Now!" Manny exclaimed.

"Alright, alright." Manny then released Tony, who went to the possums, and handed them the extra leave. "If you buy another one, you get another one free."

"Get lost," Diego finished the scene with his business.

Fast Tony walked away to try to sell his stuff to somebody else.

"Sheesh," Sid said, not liking the armadillo's ideas either.

The herd continued on their adventure, and have been walking for a little while in the heat.

Eddie then gasped, pointed a head. "Look!"

"What?" Sid asked curiously. "Is it water?"

"No, it's another tree," Crash answered, which disappointed the sloth.

"Oh good," Ellie sighed. "Let's rest here, Manny." Ellie walked ahead, leaving Manny standing, wondering if it was such a good idea to stop at that time.

"Ellie?" Everybody ran toward the tree, except for Sid, who calmly walked passed Manny, instead of running.

Manny then walked toward the tree with the others, who were starting to get settled. "Ellie? Don't you think maybe we could keep moving. Maybe they'll be water up ahead."

"Do you really think so?" Eddie asked excitedly.

"I hope so," Sid responded, not letting Manny answer.

"Can't we rest here?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Sid tried to convince Manny.

Manny looked at everyone, who were getting a little relaxed. "Alright then. But I'm going to go see if there is any water up ahead."

"Are you sure?" Ellie asked with some concern. "You need to rest, too."

"Yeah, it will be fine. Stay here while I'm gone." Manny started off, and Diego ran after him.

"Hey!" Diego called.

Manny stopped, and looked at the tiger.

"You need help?"

"Sure, I could always use the extra paw."

Diego chuckled, and went off with his mammoth friend.

"Ellie?" Sandy's voice finally came, which interrupted Ellie from staring at Manny.

"Huh?"

"I haven't had time to talk to you."

"Oh, right."

"That mammoth, Manny's his name, right? Is he your...?"

Ellie stared at her possum mother, waiting for her to finish the question. Evidently she had know idea what she was going to ask.

"Is he your male mate?"

Ellie then blinked, and understood the question. "Oh. Yeah." Ellie's face turned into a smile. "Yes he is!"

"Oh." Sandy was a little shocked, since Ellie has been raised by her all her life, and didn't think that she would find somebody so soon. But it was indeed better than dating a possum. "Well, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks!"

"He's...really nice, and he really cares about you and your brothers."

"Yeah, he does!" Ellie and her mother both looked at the others, who were playing a game. Crash and Eddie were running all over the place under the tree, and Sid tried to pounce on them.

"Are you happy?" Sandy continued.

"Huh? Oh, yes! I am really happy! We're having a good life, well, except for today. You know, with the..." Ellie then stared.

Sandy looked at her daughter, waiting for her to continue.

"The volcano." Ellie suddenly became scared of the situation. "Mom?"

"Yes, Ellie?"

"What do you think is worse; a flood or volcano about to blow."

"Hmm...I don't know. They both are really dangerous."

Ellie was hoping that the volcano couldn't get any worse then the flood. But she also hoped that she and her herd could escape it before it would blow. Ellie suddenly heard her two brothers scream with terror.

Sandy and Ellie gasped, and looked toward the others. "What is it?" Ellie asked, who came closer.

"Bear!" Sid cried out, as he pointed a head. The big fury thing was walking slowly toward the tree, but it indeed looked dangerous. It showed it's teeth and claws as it came closer.

Ellie gasped, and backed up with Sandy, Crash, Eddie, and Sid.

But the bear only came closer.

Manny and Diego were relieved when they finally found something. "Look," Manny started, "there's a small water hole."

Diego sighed. "Hopefully it's cool enough."

Manny suddenly heard Ellie's scream. "Did you here that?"

"Here what?"

Manny heard it again. "Manny!" Manny gasped, and knew that she and the others were in danger. "Come on!" Manny turned around and started running, as Diego followed.

"AHHH!" Sid cried out. "NO! Go away! Don't come any closer!"

The bear walked toward the animals, and started to stand on it's back legs.

"AHHH!" Ellie screamed, and backed up again some more.

"No!" the possums cried. "Don't eat us!" Eddie exclaimed. "We're no good for you. Go eat some berries!"

The bear just growled.

The possums started to shiver, and were tempted to fall to the grown and play dead, but it was till horrible, especially since the others couldn't do the same thing.

The bear suddenly fell down, as Diego attacked it.

The possums sighed with relieve.

Diego started to scratch at the bear, which struggled to get up. "Get out of here!" Diego put his paw up, ready to scratch again, but the bear elbowed Diego hard, which caused him to hit the tree. He didn't pass out, but he struggled to up.

"Diego!" Sid cried.

The bear got up, and started walking toward the others. The possums screamed, when the bear fell again.

"Manny!" Ellie exclaimed.

The bear got up, and was ready to attack the mammoth, but Manny just hit the bear again with his tusks. The bear flew three feet away from him.

Diego then attacked the bear, scratching it some more. The bear struggled to get up, but finally did, and just ignored the tiger, as it headed for the mammoth. Manny gave it an angry look, and hit it again with it's tusks.

The bear went flying in the air, and Manny walked toward it after it landed. He then gave a mammoth roar to it. It stared at him for a few seconds, but got really scared after that, and got up and ran away.

The possums started jumping up and down, including Sandy, and they all cheered.

"You did it Manny!" Sid exclaimed.

"You did good," Diego said to Manny with a smile.

"Are you ok?" Manny asked, and specifically looked at Ellie.

"I'm good!" Sid replied.

"Thanks," Ellie answered. "We could have gotten killed if it weren't for you."

"Are you ok?" Manny asked again, just hoping that she wasn't injured.

Ellie smiled, as Sid looked at both of them with a grin. "Yeah," Ellie answered, "I'm fine. We all are."

Crash and Eddie started to cheer again, yet this time Sandy just stood there happily.

Ellie still had a smile on her face, and looked at Manny, who was also smiling. Ellie then blinked, and ran over to her brothers, and started a safe wrestle with them.

"Hey, that was great Manny," Sid said to his mammoth friend, in a loud whisper.

"Yeah," Manny replied, "I didn't know I had it in me at the moment. You know, it's pretty hot."

"Not that," Sid was still talking softly. "You asked Ellie if she was ok. That was really sweet."

So that was chapter 6! Things are getting excited, huh! I love to have drama. But don't worry! There's way more peril and emotion to come!