So, I'm back and I am flappin' free! (not really). anyway, here's chapter six; it feels like i haven't updated in years. I'm hoping to get more reviews than this story's prequel, and so far...it's actually doing a little better.

I HOPE that I include ENOUGH action/suspense/interesting-ness to keep you guys reading...

if not...

help me.

lend a hand and tell me if it's not good please!

as usual, this is Mwang's CO-PARTNER, Secret Agent Smart (I'm the one who answers all those PM messages and writes just about everything).

don't own ice age, blah blah blah

Buck looked exhausted, and he looked a little sick. Ellie was starting to worry about his health. What on earth could have made this optimistic weasel look so...old? She thought back on the previous events, but couldn't think of anything...

"Well, here we are, at the Chasm of Death," he said, forcing brightness into his voice. "Let's try not to get stuck again, shall we?" "Again?" asked Tabitha. "Long story. Maybe I'll tell it to you sometime. Anyway...For now, just...get in. Ladies first." Ellie stepped into the "elevator" thingy, followed by a hesitant Melody and a curious Tabitha. "Remember, keep your back straight, eyes forward, and don't breathe in the toxic fumes if you'd like to live." "Toxic fumes?" asked Melody. "Yup," and pulled the vine, and they shot toward the other side unharmed.

"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!" yelled Tabitha. "Can we do it again? Huh, huh?" Buck grinned at her, but shook his head. "Not today, mate."

Manny climbed in cautiously, and held his breath. It all seemed to be going fine; he was gliding smoothly along when...Thunk! The elevator thing hit a kink. Buck muttered something under his breath. He crawled up the vine and began silently un-kinking it. Manny's face was turning a light shade of blue, and Ellie was getting worried. Running out of breath himself, Buck scampered back to the rest of the herd. "Ellie, can you hold this? Thanks." He handed her a vine. He began twisting another and looping it around a tree trunk. He took the vine from her and knotted it together.

Manny couldn't take it. He HAD to breathe, even if it meant total embarrassment and unstoppable laughter that could ultimately lead to his death. He took the teeniest breath possible, and could barely suppress a giggle.

Buck tugged lightly on the vine, testing it. It seemed sturdy enough.

A suppressed laugh came from within the cavern, along with high-pitched laughter that sounded suspiciously like Crash and Eddie. Ellie took the rope and pulled hard on it, jolting the passengers, but nothing more. Confused, Buck fiddled with it again, hoping to get them out before- -"ME, I WANT A HOOLA-HOOP!" Eddie sang in a high pitched tone. Buck sighed.

They were singing the Christmas song.

Again.

Tabitha clambered up the vine and helped her dad untie one of the vines, whispering, "What's wrong with them?" "The fumes," he answered simply. He gave Ellie a signal to tug on the vine again. Less than a minute later, two possums and a mammoth came tumbling out, all hysterical with laughter. Ellie glared at her husband, who, in response, apologetically got up and dusted himself off. Tabitha smirked; she was never going to let them live this down. Melody raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She was too bonny* to say anything. "Well, Manny, are you ready to go now?" asked Ellie, somewhat irritated. "Uh...Yeah. Come on, let's...Go," he said in that usual boring-ish voice of his. "So what are we going to do next?" asked Tabitha.

Approximately four hours later.

"I'm tired," whined Crash. "Yeah, me too," agreed Eddie for the four-thousand-nine-hundredth time. Buck couldn't take it any more. This constant, repeated whining of the same words, "I'm tired," and "Me too," and "Are we there yet? What about now?".

"If we take a break now," he said through gritted teeth, "would you be so kind as to hold your tongue longer than one minute?" Manny gave him a funny look. The weasel was usually tolerant to all the opossum's antics, but then, of course, everybody has a breaking point. The possums agreed reluctantly to seal their mouths shut if they took a ten minute break from the journey.

But then, mothers don't always agree with things

"No," said Ellie firmly, and with a hint of rising anger. "We are not stopping. Peaches might get hurt! We can't waste time resting!" Her voice rose with each word that passed through her lips. "Mate, just calm down, we'll find her," shushed Melody. "How do you know? She could be anywhere! Anywhere! And we don't even know for sure where she could be! How do you know we'll find her? She could be lost forever, and eaten! Or squished! Or she might walk off a cliff!" "Well, that last one is rather unlikely," said Buck, trying to regain control. "Says who?" ranted Ellie. "She might be getting chased by pterodactyls right now, ready to eat her soft little flesh, and you wouldn't even care!"

Buck waited for her to quiet down. Ellie eventually broke down into tears, her husband quietly comforting her.

After a little while, the weasel cleared his throat. "Well, we won't get any closer if we spend time weeping, now will we?" Ellie managed to choke out, "I'm sorry." Manny helped her to her feet, and they continued on without further complaint.

Dorothy went all around the small town they'd found themselves in, knocking on all the doors, asking if they knew of an "Old Maggie".

All said no.

Matthias sighed heavily, and Diego set the sloth down. Sid opened his yellow eyes halfway and looked at Diego pathetically. "It's okay buddy, we'll get you help," said Diego reassuringly. He picked up the sloth and followed the small female.

"Nobody's even heard of her!" cried Dorothy, exasperated. "Let's try the next town," suggested Matthias.

"Did somebody say my name?" yelled a confused voice from behind them. They turned to see an old she-beaver looking around for the person who called her. "Old Maggie!" cried Dorothy. "We need your help! It's Sid!"

The old beaver shook her head sadly, gazing mournfully at the limp sloth lying in her den. "There is only one thing that can cure the poison of the plant you described, and as far as I know, it's extinct." Diego looked at her, suddenly very worried, "You mean..." "Yes, son. Your friend might just die unless...Well, unless some one can find the plant that cures the poison, but believe me, I've searched all over for that cure, and my last patient didn't make it," she said sadly. She locked eyes with the tiger, now serious. "Did the sloth bite anyone?" Diego and Dorothy looked at each other. "Well, he did bite Buck..." "Where is he?" demanded Maggie. "Helping the herd find Peaches..." Maggie exploded. "Well, what in heaven's name is he doin' there? He should be HERE! OBVIOUSLY, he's gotten the poison second-handedly!" she pulled at the fur on her hair. She'd known the weasel for a while and had helped him in some difficult situations involving wounds and death—she didn't want that work to be for naught. Matthias grabbed her arm, "Where does the antidote grow?" She sighed. "Usually near volcanic climate…But, like I said, it may as well have died with the dinosaurs." "If we can find it, can you ensure that they'll live?" Old Maggie pondered this for a moment. "I'd say the sloth has about three days left, and your brother has 'bout four." Dorothy's face paled, and she suddenly found herself groping for a seat. Matthias shook his head as if a mosquito was buzzing around him. "I'm sorry, did you say my younger brother has four days to live?"