CHAPTER 13 "REUNITED"

The upgraded hexbot took Zircon to Hex in a dark and creepy place far away in the other side of the galaxy, it was pitch black in there so she stood in a spotlight where Hex can see her colors properly. Unfortunately for him Zircon looked black and grey, she looked depress that she didn't care what will happen to her.

Hex was furious, he turned to the bot and shouted "You fool! You brought me a colorless Galactanian, I see no use of her, take her out!" When Hex said to 'take her out' he meant to destroy her, but Zircon didn't seem to care, she just stood there and sighed. The bot prepared his laser to blast her, suddenly Sapphire, Red and Terra smash their way in through the spotlight glass where Zircon was standing.

"Now that's how you make an entrance!" said Red, when he fell on his face on the ground. Now that hurt. Hex was outraged, he was about to summon his bot army, but Terra managed to stop him with her powers. She attacked him with heavy piles of stones, like an avalanche hit him.

Red tried to get up after that fall, the upgraded bot saw him and aimed to blast him, but Red managed to dodge its lasers that made the robot distracted. That's when Sapphire made her move. While Red was distracting the bot Sapphire jumped behind it and tried to access the shut down crystal. When she found it she reached for it, but the bot was shaking her off.

"I can't reach it!" cried Sapphire.

Finally the bot shook her off of it, Sapphire fell hard. The upgraded bot turned to her and prepared its blasters, Sapphire tried to get up but the bots blasters were getting closer. Sapphire just shut her eyes and prepared for her death, when suddenly the bot was shut down (but how?) It was Red. Sapphire looked at him with surprised eyes as he said "Handy man, shiny crystal".

Zircon and Terra ran towards Sapphire and Red.

"Sapphire?" said Zircon, surprised to see that Sapphire came back for her, but she still looked black and grey.

Sapphire couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh Zirc... you really did lost your color" she said, looking ashamed.

"What happened to forgetting the bad sad stuff?" asked Zircon.

"No matter how hard you try to forget it the memory will just come back to you, unless you're afraid to face it" answered Sapphire.

Then the alarm went on. Hex was bringing the place down, he disappeared into thin air with an evil laugh. The whole place was falling apart, the ground cracked open and lava was rising.

"We gotta go!" yelled Terra.

They ran to the exit, when they were almost there the ground broke their path. They fell separately but they managed to holed on except Sapphire, she couldn't hold on much longer. Terra was the closest to her, she ran towards her to help but then her memory pill fell out of her pocket, it was about to fall in the lava. Terra gasped she looked back at Sapphire.

"Go get your memories!" shouted Sapphire, trying to hold on.

Terra was overwhelmed she had to make a choice, Sapphire or her memories?

Sapphire tried to get up but the ground was shaking so much she couldn't hold on much longer. She was about to fall, when Terra grabbed her hand and pulled her back up leaving her memories behind to melt away in the lava. Sapphire felt sorry for her, but there was no time feeling sentimental they have to escape.

The exit was blocked by lava, Red saw another way out above, Terra used her rock powers to lift them up, like an elevator. When they made it to the top they quickly ran to escape, but it was a dead end and the lava was rising up towards them. Terra couldn't brake the wall and Sapphire can't find a way out so it looks like they're doom!

"Unless" Sapphire thought of something "Zircon could transform into Escapism"

"Escap-what?" said Terra, confused.

"Escapism! A creature that can escape any trap no matter how hard the imprisonment is, it will still escape" explained Sapphire.

The lava was getting closer.

"Come on Zircon it's now or never!" said Red, panicking.

"Guys I can't transform, not with my current state" said Zircon.

Sapphire looked at Zircon and said "Zirc you can do this, what makes you think I came back"

Zircon just stood there silently.

"It's because of you, I do want our friendship to work again I was wrong to turn down your offer, all this time I've been working so hard to get to the White and for what?"

"For luxury, for piece and quiet in solitary paradise of your own making, for all your dreams to really come true" Zircon answered her question for her.

"Okay true" Sapphire continued "But this friendship is my dream come true I didn't realize it from the start and when I finally got what worked for for all my life I've suddenly changed. Zircon, Red I want this friendship back along with you Terra upfront in center, I do, on this point I'm begging you for another chance."

Hearing her speech Zircon's color slowly returned, she smiled at Sapphire and Sapphire smiled back at her.

"Uh, guys I hate to ruin the moment but the lava is closing in on us!" Red yelled in panic.

"Right, I got this" said Zircon, her color and powers were fully restored. She closed her eyes and concentrated on shapeshifting into Escapism. She did it, her transformation was a success, she turned into Escapism. The creature looked cute to Terra. It looked like a mix racoon fox with a Dim gray and light gray fur color stripes with a long flexible tail claw meant for swiping.

Zircon's creature Escapism powers dug a tunnel with her tail claw above the lava so the others can escape. Sapphire, Red and Terra jumped up in the tunnel above and climbed for their lives, the lava was still filling the place up, Zircon dug as fast as she can till finally she could see daylight. They quickly rushed towards the light till they were finally free. As for the lava Terra blocked it with a magma boulder. They were saved.

"Great job Zircon you saved us" Red thanked her gratefully.

"And just in the nick of time" said Terra.

Zircon was pleased. Sapphire and Zircon looked at each other smiling.

"Thank you for saving us Zircon" Sapphire thanked her.

"No problem" replied Zircon "Let's go home now"

They nodded in agreement.

When they returned to the Jungle Planet Terra felt sad and lost, and they know why?

"I'm sorry about your memories Terra" apologized Sapphire "that was the only memory pill the White had, I'm afraid there's no more of it"

"It's okay at least I got new memories of you guys" said Terra, trying to feel cheerful.

"So what are you gonna do now?" asked Red.

"I don't know, probably wonder the Earth to search for some flashes" answered Terra.

Terra asked Red to open a portal to Earth but Sapphire stopped her there.

"Wait no, I think I know another way to get your memories back" said Sapphire.

"You do?" said Terra.

"Yes, and I swear it's not because of my selfish needs it's because I wanna help and to hang out with my friends and brother" replied Sapphire.

Zircon and Red said together "REALLY?"

"Really" replied Sapphire.

Zircon hugged Sapphire, they were best friends again, this felt awkward to Red but he's glad those two finally made up, it made him wanna hug, they allowed him including Terra. They were all hugging together emotionally cause they were all friends again (and Terra was now part of their friend group) and it looks like they have a new adventure 'To get Terra's memories back'. They were in and they all trust each other, even Sapphire. Suddenly Sapphire started to glow, sparkling glimmer was lifting her up and floating around her, she was spinning and getting dizzy, and then wings appeared on her back. They were blue wings with three different colored spots: yellow, red and orange.

"Wow, Sapphire your wings are amazing" said Terra.

Sapphire couldn't believe it, she actually has wings, but how?

"Of course, the Lady Royal sign, trust will help you fly" said Zircon.

"That's my sister!" cheered Red.

Sapphire would like to try her wings, she was amazing when she flies them, her friends and brother watched her and they were impressed.

They threw a party to celebrate their reunion. Zircon's alien animal friends know how to party hard, they ate all the fruits and vegetables, they even have cake and they all played music and danced together.

Someday Terra will get her memories back, and she'll have to ask them about Sapphire's mysterious past sooner.