THE THREE DANGEROUS TRIALS

Once they entered inside the chamber, they faced 5 identical doorways. Since Zircon created the traps she must know how to escape it.

"Which way do you think they went?" Sapphire asked Zircon about The Ruthless Rogues destination.

Zircon has an incredible sense of smell, from her animal powers, she can definitely smell their trail. "No worries. My nose always knows" she sniffed and she got their scent, and it smells terrible, like pollution, but fortunately for them the hunters went the wrong way. "Ugh, found their scent and it wreaks of pollution, but lucky for us their dimwits, they went the wrong way" she pointed at the fourth door. "That doorway takes them to the Maze of Puzzles."

"Maze of Puzzles?" They questioned her.

"Like a labyrinth, in order to escape you have to find 100 pieces of puzzles that are scattered all over the place" Zircon explained it to them. "And they'll never find them, it'll take forever to look for them and match them together."

"And which way do we go?" asked Paloma. "This would require calm scientific analysis."

"Hello? Did you forget? We've got the living legend on our side" said Azalea, not worried. "She'll call off the traps and get us to the gem in no time."

"Yeah, I said I'd help avoid the traps and guide us to safety, not help you cheat."

"What do you mean?" asked Paloma.

"You see, in order for us to get to the Malawild we need to pass three dangerous trials" explained Zircon.

"Three? Why three? Why can't it be two trials?" Red complained.

"Because that's the rule of the jungle" Zircon replied. "But don't worry I'll help you guys all the way."

"Can't you just turn off the traps?" Azalea asked.

"No."

"Come on guys, let's just do this" said Sapphire. "We don't have time to spare. Which way to our first trial Zirc?"

Zircon pointed at the center door. "That way is our first trial."

And so they entered their first dangerous trial.

Once inside it seemed like a dead end, cause the door closed behind them.

"Okay Zircon, what's our first trial?" asked Sapphire, prepared.

The room was filled with colorful hieroglyphics. Pictures with symbols and meanings.

"Our first trial is to solve a riddle" replied Zircon. "With what do you solve your problems under pressure, if you wish to earn your treasure?"

"Okay, so what does it mean?" asked Paloma.

"Yeah, you made up the riddle, can't you just tell us what to do?" said Azalea.

"No! I told you I can't help you cheat!" Zircon replied, strictly. "That's the rule. This is your expedition so you have to solve it yourselves. And fast."

"Why?" Terra asked, scared to know. She knows that part 'and fast' means something bad is about to happen. And she was right.

The ceiling above them began to slowly close in on them, to crush them.

"That's why."

"Oh, under pressure, I get it now!" Red panicked. "We're gonna be crushed!"

"Not if we buy you guys more time" Zircon transformed into the strongest animal, a gorilla like creature with tough tentacles. "Azi help me with the ceiling!"

"On it!" With her plant powers Azalea grew the strongest toughest roots known to nature. She used it to help Zircon hold up the ceiling long enough for them to solve the riddle. But they can't do this for long. "You guys better hurry!"

"We can't keep this ceiling up much longer!"

Sapphire and Paloma worked together to solve Zircon's riddle, since they're the smartest in the group.

Sapphire looked at the hieroglyphics and saw symbolic meaning in them. "What to use under pressure?" she thought out loud. After careful calm scientific analysis, like Lo said, she figured it out. "PATIENCE!" And she found the picture that symbolizes patience. She touched it, she tried to press it hard, and in the nick of time they were saved!

The ceiling raised back up, then a secret passage opened.

"Well done" Paloma congratulated her on her quick thinking. "You may be smarter than me."

"Let's get out of here!" said Azalea, who was tired of holding up the ceiling. She's not the only one, Zircon's tired too you know.

They rushed out of the first chamber and into the second chamber of dangerous trial.

"So what's our second dangerous trial?" asked Azalea.

"Do not run from it, run at it" Zircon said.

"Do not run from what?" asked Red.

Then they felt a quake. They turned to Terra, thinking she must've caused it, but she shook her head saying. "It wasn't me" she assured them.

They turned around to see a huge boulder with spikes is rolling down after them. They ran for their lives.

"Guys! Why are we running!?" said Zircon.

"Is that a serious question!?" said Sapphire. "A giant boulder with sharp spikes is rolling after us!"

"Remember my riddle!" Zircon reminded them. "Don't run from it, run at it!"

"Do say we do run at it, what do we do next? Get splat!" said Paloma.

"That's not an ordinary boulder" Zircon informed them.

"Then what is it?!" asked Red, scared.

"Just trust me and stop running!"

They all looked at each other conflicted. They're not sure about this? But Zircon's their friend and they trust her. They all stopped in hesitation, held hands together and ready to face the spikey boulder. When it was rolling closer and closer, it suddenly stopped by its self. They were surprised, but not Zircon, for she knew what it really was. The spikes tucked inside and opened up to reveal to be a living breathing creature. It was a giant hedgehog like animal with a long spikey tail. It squeaked at them, in a loud cute scary way.

"It looks kind of like a hedgehog" said Terra.

"I don't know what a hedgehog is, but that's an adorable innocent living creature you guys are running from" said Zircon. "He's testing us if we have the compassionate courage in our hearts."

"Well did we pass?" asked Paloma.

"You passed because I helped you."

"So we didn't pass" said Terra.

"No, but the Mineral Musculus was impressed of how you stood your ground together so bravely, and how you trusted me so selflessly. And for that he will take us to the Malawild."

"You mean we don't have to do the third dangerous trial?" said Red, anxious.

"Oh no, we're still doing the final trial. He's just giving us a ride to the third chamber."

Red frowned. He really didn't wanna do these death defying tasks.

"So, how will he give us a ride?" Sapphire asked Zircon, because the creature's back doesn't look safe for riding.

"Oh no we're not riding on him, we're riding in him" Zircon answered, smiling.

"In him?"

"Like a warm hug snuggled in a blanket. Just get on his belly and hug him tight."

They did as they were told and hugged the giant adorable creature tight. The Mineral Musculus turned into a ball, protecting them inside his cushiness skin.

"You were right, this does feel like a snuggle hugging blanket" said Terra, feeling the creature's soft warm hug.

"Told you you'd like it" said Zircon, feeling right as always. "Now hang tight, this is gonna be a rocky ride."

They were ready for the ride, and it really was a rocky one. More rocky than Terra's unstable powers. The Mineral Musculus rolled and bounced all over the pyramid like a ping pong game. They were feeling really dizzy. But finally they made it to the third and final chamber. The Mineral Musculus put them down gently, they just have to shake off the dizzy ride they've experienced, their heads were still spinning.

"Ok Zirc, what's our third trial?" asked Sapphire.

Zircon looked scared for them. She wasn't sure if they were ready for the third challenge. "The third one is more tricky than the other two."

"Well whatever it is I'm just glad it's the last one" said Red, who was relieved the trials were so close to being over. "Those other two were very pressuring."

"So what's our next riddle Zircon?" asked Paloma.

"Yeah, how do we pass our final test?" asked Azalea.

"No riddle or test this time" Zircon explained. "This third trial is about skill and survival. We need to cross that rickety bridge over the magma."

"Are you kidding!" said Sapphire, surprised. "That bridge looks unstable."

"Exactly, and that's the least of our problems, look up."

They looked up to where Zircon was pointing and they saw huge unstable stalactites, falling in the magma.

"We have to avoid the weak stalactites falling from above us. Let's just hope they don't hit the bridge."

"Well that wasn't very helpful" said Terra.

"I know, I'm sorry, but it's the possible truth" said Zircon.

"You mean we went through crushing ceilings and rampaging rock creatures just to cross that death trap!?" Red rambled in fear. And he's not wrong, that bridge does look like an obvious death trap, what with it being rickety unstable and it's above lava.

"The two trials were just warm up lessons for us to be prepared for the last most dangerous and difficult one."

"How about- just to say, anyone who has the ability of flight can fly us over the magma without doing any of... this" Red suggested, looking at Zircon, Sapphire, and Terra who has that ability.

Zircon gave Red an apologetic look. "Yeah, sorry Red. I should've told you this before but flying is not allowed in this challenge, and don't bother trying cause the pyramid won't let you."

"Of course it won't, it just wants to make our expedition more challenging" Red whimpered.

Sapphire gave in to the pyramid's challenge. "All right Zircon, you go first, lead us the way."

Zircon smiled goofily. "Just stay close behind me and step where I step."

They formed a conga line, only this conga wasn't cheery, Zircon was the leader, she had to lead them to safety. "Ready?" she asked them.

They nodded, unsure. Zircon will take that as a maybe. "Let's do this."

They began crossing the bridge gently, carefully, and quietly, even a noise can brake something delicate. Step by step they were avoiding the bridges fragile old wood and holes. Hoping the sharp stalactites wouldn't fall on them.

They were doing great so far, not a flaw or crack happened, they were silent and careful like a predator hunting for its meal, only they're hunting for the score. They were halfway through the bridge, they were getting close, they were so eager and excited, and so far no stalactite fell on them. But they hoped too soon. A small stalactite fell on the bridge, it was so tiny like a pebble it couldn't do much damaged, but they shouldn't underestimate the little things, cause then the bridge snapped.

They panicked. They had to make a jump for it. They held hands together and with Azalea's vine powers she lassoed to the nearest stalagmite close to a ledge. When their feet landed on the ledge they pressed their backs to the wall, trying to stay away from the edge but it was small, they could fall with just one slip. They were afraid.

"Come on guys" Zircon tried to support them. "I know this looks rough, but we can still do this, we just have to keep going only carefully."

"Easy for you to say, this is your planet" said Paloma, who was frozen in fear.

"Let's all just calm down" said Sapphire. "Because panicking in frozen fear won't get us out of this."

"She's right we all need to be brave and work together to get to the other side" added Terra. "We're so close."

"And we're close to our doom" said Paloma, looking down which she regrets right away. "I can't move."

"She's right, she can't" said Azalea. "Looks like we're stuck."

"We can't be!" said Red, now starting to panic. "I wanna get off this ledge."

Terra had an idea on how to cheer everyone up to bravery. "Guys, remember the song "Take You to Rio" we listened to?"

"Yeah, I also remember how that song distracted us to crash" said Azalea.

"Well how about we sing that song together so together we can keep on moving. Singing helps us relax."

"But what if we get distracted and it caused us to fall?" said Paloma.

"She's gotta point there Terra" said Red.

"Red, not helping" said Zircon.

"Sorry."

"Terra has a point" Sapphire supported Terra's idea. "Let's just give it a try. We'll sing together and together we will make it out of this alive."

They all agreed. Together they sang "Take You to Rio" but not so loud.

Slowly and carefully, while singing, they continued on their perilous journey. Singing the song worked, they're not afraid anymore, they just kept on singing and hiking their way to freedom. They were so close now all they had to do was jump to the other side. One by one they jumped, as for Paloma, Azalea had to carry her to jump to the other side, since she's still not an athlete. "We seriously need to get you exercising" she told her, for she did not want to keep on carrying her on their adventures.

"I'll work on it" Paloma promised.

Finally they made. They were overjoyed, especially Red, he hugged the solid ground and kissed it. "Oh trusty solid ground how I missed you" he said.

They were all relieved to have finally completed the three dangerous trials.

"We did it!" cheered Terra. "We actually did it!"

"It was all thanks to your singing idea Terra" said Paloma.

"And thanks to Zircon's guidance."

"Guys focus we're not done yet" Sapphire reminded them.

"She's right, we still have to get to the Malawild" said Zircon. "This way."

They climbed up the stairs and entered a new chamber, it was the center of the pyramid and planet. The Malawild, they have found it at last.

"We made it" said Sapphire.

"It's even more amazing than the legend described it" said Paloma, who was astounded by its beauty and power. She can finally document it in her writing.

"And it's still safe from those parasites" said Azalea.

"Well Lo, what are you waiting for?" Zircon allowed Paloma to get closer to the gem. "We've come all this way and I am a peculiar creature of my word, you may now catalog it or whatever it is you scientists do to study the miracles of nature."

Thank you Zircon" Paloma thanked her. "You have been a big help to us, I will stay true to my word and never tell anyone of this planet's whereabouts nor enter it ever again. And of course I will share it with your human friend."

"Yeah" Zircon was glad to help, but she was also sad that it's over. She suddenly grew attached to them, she wanted to tell them they could visit anytime they want but she felt too embarrassed to admit it.

When Paloma was about to touch the Malawild. She suddenly heard a familiar terrifying voice that made her spine cold.

"The Malawild." It was Pollux and The Ruthless Rogues.