THE RACE IS ON!

"We just had to take the bait Sapphire!" said Paloma, angry.

"We all knew it was a trap" Sapphire replied calmly, for she understood Paloma's upset.

"A trap you let us all get into!"

"Quit complaining Lo" said Zircon, while folding her arms.

"Why!? They trapped us and took our supplies. My whole survival kit was in that bag."

Sapphire explained her strategy escape plan to Paloma. "You forget Lo, this is Zircon's planet filled with her animal allies, I always planned for this. The bad guys traps us, they leave, we escape with the help of Zirc's animal friends. Then go after them."

But Paloma wasn't convinced, there was still one problem. "How? The lock comes with a password code of complex numbers, I bet Pollux changed the password into something I wouldn't know, and we can't brake ourselves free because the cage is unbreakable."

Okay. Maybe Sapphire didn't plan this through. Guess she was still rusty, she hadn't planned a crime in a while.

"Well fortunately for you girls, you've got a handyman by your side" Red proclaimed. "I'll hack crack that lock open in no time." Red took out his pocket tool, which is similar to Earth's pocket knives only with more advanced complex tools.

"You carry that everywhere you go?" asked Sapphire.

"Handyman's code sis, you always gotta be prepared" answered Red. He started with an electric welding torch and screwdriver. It took a while, but after a few dismantling and electric shocks, Red did it, he was successful. The cage broke open, they were free!

Once they were out the cage transformed back into a small cube then it broke into tiny pieces.

"We're free!" exclaimed Zircon. "Red you genius."

"You really are a smart male" Azalea complimented him on his skill.

"Impressive and useful" said Paloma.

"You did it Red, you saved us" said Terra.

"That's my little brother."

Red was flattered. "Yeah well, what can I say. I'm the man. The handyman."

"Don't celebrate yet guys, we still have an expedition to finish and a race to win" Sapphire reminded them.

"They have a head start but if we hurry we can still beat them to the Pyramid" Paloma calculated. "We can't hoof it, we won't make it in time, and I'm not a runner."

"Zircon you think you can turn into an animal fast enough to beat them?" asked Sapphire.

"After that generous meal he gave us, I feel like I can run a thousand miles" Zircon answered expressively.

"Well save your strength for the final fight, you've done enough" Sapphire insisted.

"Zircon why don't you get your animal friends to help us?" Azalea suggested. "They could stall them and give us a ride."

Zircon refused. "That's the last thing to do in my world! There is no way I'm putting my animals in danger for this expedition, this is our fight not theirs."

Sapphire didn't wanna add Terra into this, especially not like this, but... "Then I guess that leaves us one option left."

They all looked at Terra.

Terra was confused. "What?" But soon she understood right away. "Oh no. no, no, no, I can't do it" she rambled. "I can't take us there, I don't even know where I'm going in this world and I'm not steady ready, you saw my training in the desert, what if I mess up, what if I cause another earthquake and destroy Zircon's planet, what if-"

"Hey, hey now, just take a breath, it's gonna be okay" Sapphire comforted her. "Even though your powers are a little clumsy you still managed to do it."

"Like how you saved us from the waterfall from Savage Stream" said Red.

"And how you managed to levitate three huge boulders and clashed them together to make fireworks" added Zircon.

"See? Your powers doesn't have to be perfect. We just need you to take us close enough to get to the Pyramid, you can use your powers to create a floating surface stone to get us there in time."

"I can help" assisted Azalea. "We can help each other."

"All of us will help" said Paloma.

"We're with you every step of the way" supported Red.

Terra felt calm and encouraged. "All right. I'll try." She closed her eyes and concentrated, she channeled her nerves into her aura. It felt like carrying a burden, but then she remembered her friends support and it really helped. She felt like a heavy weight was lifted from her shoulders, she felt light and strong, she lifted the surface, along with her friends, into the air, like she was sleepwalking. She flew them over the trees, the hills, and across the horizon to get to the biggest mountain in the Jungle Planet.

"You're doing great Terra!" encouraged Sapphire. "Just keep focusing and don't lose control."

She wont. She's really getting the hang of it, she can feel it now.

"We're almost there!" said Zircon, excited.

"Really!" Hearing that Terra was excited too, maybe a little too excited, that it made her lose focus.

Soon they stopped floating.

"Uh-oh" They all said.

Then they fell down so fast they were gonna crash. Terra tried to keep them afloat, but it was difficult to concentrate with panic. That's when Azalea came in, she threw seeds on the ground then used her plant powers to grow them into the biggest softest flowerbed, for them to land on safely. They held hands together and aimed directly at the flowerbed. And then phew, they made it. The flowerbeds were the most softest, comfortable flowers they ever felt, not to mention it smells good too.

"Nice save Azi" Paloma congratulated her.

Azalea thanked her. "Thanks. Terra did good too."

"Where are we right now?" asked Red.

Zircon got up and scanned the area. Soon she realized where they were now. "Guys it's not that far, we're almost there! we just have to get across this hill."

They were ecstatic to hear that. Once they got across they finally saw it, Sky Mountain Pyramid.

"Zircon, why is it called Sky Mountain Pyramid?" Terra asked, while gazing at its peak.

"Because it's a mountain shaped like a pyramid, hovering in the sky" answered Zircon. And she was right, the mountain does shape like a pyramid, it didn't hover that high, just enough to get there.

"So how do we get up there?" asked Paloma.

"With the hovering stepping stones" Zircon pointed.

"Don't tell me we have to climb all the way up there!"

"Oh, for crying out loud! I'll carry you to the top" Azalea insisted. She picked up Paloma and began the climb.

They all began the climb. They hopped on one stone to the next. Once they've made it up, they ran the mountain's pathway, except for Lo because Azi is still carrying her knowing she'll slow them down, Zircon leaded the way. "We're almost to the Tree Shrine, that's our entrance inside this pyramid, I'm sure the Ferociraps stopped those poachers by now."

Once they made it to the Tree Shrine, they hid behind some trees to see what's goin on.

"Azalea we made it, can you please put me down now" Paloma demanded in a loud whisper.

Azalea did what she said. "Right, sorry." And she put her down gently.

"Be quiet you two, I'm trying to analyze the situation" Zircon whispered to them in a hard tone. She used her animal sight powers to analyze carefully, and what she saw shocked her. "Oh no."

"What? What is it?" asked Sapphire.

"Those heartless hunters caged the Ferociraps and went inside the Tree Shrine!"

"So they managed" Paloma mumbled to herself.

Zircon raced to the Ferociraps to free them, but the cage was unbreakable just like Paloma said it was. "Red I need your help here!"

"On it" Red got out his pocket tool and started braking the code lock. Once he freed them Zircon gave him a thank you hug, then went to make sure the Ferociraps aren't hurt. "Did they hurt you?" She asked them. They shook their heads no in response.

"Don't worry, looks like their trapping was about brains" Sapphire assured her.

"So now what are we gonna do?" said Terra, scared. "We're too late, they're gonna steal the gem."

"Not if the traps don't stop them first" said Zircon.

Hearing that they were stunned, all eyes were on Zircon. Zircon felt awkward, so awkward she was turning red and this time they can see it. "Did I forget to mention the Pyramid is filled with traps I installed, with the help of my animals, to protect the Malawild?"

"Uh, No you seemed to have forgotten to tell us that important information" Sapphire replied calmly, but underneath it she was angry at Zircon for not telling them.

Zircon can tell they were mad at her. "Sorry, it must've slipped my mind" she apologized. "But don't worry, I created the traps I can help avoid them, I can guide us to safety, just follow my lead."

"We always follow your lead" said Azalea.

"Because it's your planet, and you know everything about it" added Paloma.

"Shall we now?"

They all entered the Tree Shrine, which is the entrance inside Sky Mountain Pyramid.