The four friends and the three Sounds of Thunder made their way back to Grand Meadows Estate, where Natalie was waiting for them at the gate.

"There you guys are. I was getting worried you wouldn't come back," Natalie said.

"Thank you for the concern, Natalie. We can't wait to play this game of yours, right guys?" Kimberly asked her friends.

"Right!" her friends replied, lying.

"Well, come on. Everyone else is inside the cafeteria."

Natalie started walking, and the friends and the three Sounds of Thunder followed. They walked in the cafeteria, and Natalie stood on the podium. Emma and Jonah were standing next to her, holding at least five bags in each hand.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Sorry to call you all here on such short notice, but I just came up with this amazing game, and you guys just have to play it. It's called the Alpha Riddle Run. There will be teams of four, and you will have to go around to all the other stables and back here for the final clue to win your prize. In each team, there will be an alpha, or a leader. So, get into groups of four, choose an alpha, and have them come up to me." Natalie instructed.

Everyone got into groups of four. A little bickering could be heard about who should be the alpha. For the four best friends, it was quite an easy question on who should be the alpha. Kimberly was the first to go up to the podium. Natalie smiled, and handed her a bag, filled with her team color: blue, a map, and the first clue. Kimberly and the others ran outside to get started. The three Sounds of Thunder followed them.

"Good luck, and be careful." Ezra said.

"Okay. Thanks you three." Violet said.

The four teens nodded and the Sounds of Thunder walked away. As the three Sounds of Thunder were walking, something hit the back of their heads, and they blacked out.

"Okay Kim, what's the first clue?" Zachary asked.

Kimberly opened the bag and took out the clue. She read it out loud.

"Open minded
Dark secrets in a heap,
Find the place
Where a willow weaps.
In the maze a
warning you will head,
Under the statue
To Test Your Speed."

"Uh... what?" Samuel asked.

"What does that even mean?" Zachary asked.

Violet did a face palm. Kimberly just shook her head.

"What?" the boys asked.

"The clue is so obvious. We have to go to Blackmane Manor." Violet said.

"Oh..."

Kimberly chuckled.

"Come on. Let's saddle up, and head to Blackmane Manor." Kimberly said.

They nodded in agreement. Kimberly whistled and Ace and the others came galloping over. They mounted their horses and headed out the gate. They jumped over the cliff, and continued to make their way to Blackmane Manor. When they got there, the friends quickly dismounted their horses and headed to the maze. Since they've been there before, they know which way to go. They got to the horse statue, and Kimberly flipped the switch. Like before, the ground shook and the staircase to the race track opened up again. They went down the stairs until they were walking through the torch lit tunnel. When they reached the race track, they saw a cauldron, with the next clue. Samuel ran up to the cauldron, and grabbed the next clue. He brought it back to his friends and read it to them.

"You found the next clue,
well done my friends
But this journey is far from
Over, not even close to the end.
Your next destination is
Where peace is limitless
Go through the forest where
The trees remind you of Christmas
Once you're there, there are two
Ways to go at your own pace,
Under the statue
To Test Your Grace."

"Heck of a clue. But what could it mean?" Samuel asked.

"Oh! I know! Pinewood Pastures. If we go through the Pinewood Forest, it smells like Christmas. And Dominic said that there were two ways to enter Pinewood Pastures." Violet said.

"You're absolutely right. Come on guys, off to Pinewood Pastures!" Kimberly said.

They ran out of the tunnel and back through the maze. They ran back to the courtyard and mounted their horses. Kimberly kicked Ace and she started running with the others following. They made their way to Pinewood Forest and jumped over the trees again. The friends raced to Pinewood Pastures until the walked through a silver gate. They dismounted their horses and ran to the statue. Then, they heard more horses. They looked behind them, and saw the green, pink, and orange teams.

"We have to hurry." Zachary said.

His friends nodded. Kimberly walked up to the statue and flipped the switch. The ground started to shake, and the staircase opened. They ran through the tunnel until they reached the obstacle course. On the other side of the obstacle course was a hanging basket with the clue. Violet ran over and grabbed the clue. She brought it back to her friends and read it to them.

"You're almost done,
But not just yet, this clue
Should be easy
You surely bet.
This stable is far out to the
West, across a bridge, over a ravine
Nothing like you
have ever seen.
To the East of the stables where
pulling weights are a trend
Under the statue
To Test Your Strength."

"This clue is all over the place." Violet said.

"Oh! I know where we have to go. Sunset Stables. Remember? We had to cross a stone bridge, over a ravine. And the other part of the clue was talking about the wagon yard on the other side of the stables to the East. That's where the horse statue is." Zachary said.

"Yeah, you're right Zach. Come on, let's get out of here, before the other teams show up." Kimberly said.

Her friends agreed. They ran out of the tunnel and back to the courtyard. As they were running, Kimberly bumped into a girl wearing a indigo hoodie, and she was on the green team.

"Sorry." Kimberly said, as she mounted Ace.

She kicked Ace and she started running with the others following. The girl on the green team watched them go, and gave a sinister smile.

"All going according to plan." she mumbled to herself.

The friends raced to Sunset Stables to find the next clue. They crossed the bridge and picked up the pace when they were getting closer to the stables. When they arrived, they dismounted their horses and headed to the wagon yard. Kimberly walked up to the statue and flipped the switch. Like before, the ground shook and the staircase opened. They ran through the tunnel until they reached the wagon track. On the other side of the track was a wheelbarrow, with the last clue. Zachary ran over and grabbed the clue. He brought it back to his friends and started reading.

"You found the last clue
Amazing work my friends
This last clue will lead
You to the end.
It's a giant circle
So come back around
It sould be easy for something
You've already found.
In the main hall
A torch you will see
Pull it, and
Then let it be.
Down in the bowels
You will feast your eyes
And right then and there
You will claim your prize!"

"So what does that mean?" Violet asked.

"Oh! I got it! Grand Meadows Estate. All of the other stables and GME always go in one giant circle, only if you follow the right path," Kimberly said.

"Yeah, you're right, but it says that in the main hall, there was a torch, and we had to pull it." Samuel said.

"Yeah, and in the bowels? What's that all about?" Zachary asked.

"Beats me." Violet said.

"Well, come on. I don't know why, but I have a strong feeling that wherever we're about to go is going to lead us to Gladys. And maybe, God forbid, that this is one of Natalie's traps."

Her friends agreed. They ran out of the tunnel and back out the wagon yard. They ran back to the courtyard and mounted their horses. Kimberly kicked Ace and she started running with the others following. They raced back to GME, in hopes they weren't falling for one of Natalie's traps. They got back to Grand Meadows Estate and went to the main hall. They saw the torch, and Kimberly pulled it down. They waited a few seconds, and that's when the wall pushed back, and slid to the side. There was a big staircase, leading deep into the earth. There was a sign next to the staircase, reading, "Horses Needed." Weird how the friends need their horses for this part of the Riddle Run. Kimberly whistled and Ace and the others came trotting over. The friends took hold of their horse's reigns, and guided them down the stairs. Then, the wall closed behind them. They all turned around in surprise. Handing Violet Ace's reigns, Kimberly sprinted to the wall and tried to push it back open.

"It won't budge!" Kimberly said.

"So we're trapped?!" Samuel said.

"Looks like it. But that's not going to stop us."

"Guys, look at Ace's charm!" Violet said.

They all looked, and Ace's charm was glowing very bright.

"No way... does that mean..." Zachary began.

"Gladys is here, in the bowels of Grand Meadows Estate." Kimberly said.

"She's not the only one, look!" Violet said.

Shadow, Daisy, Barbell, and Ace. All of their charms were glowing.

"That can't be good." Samuel said.

"So that means Ezra, Angelica, and Kanana are down here as well? Oh... I've got a bad feeling about this." Violet said.

"All of us do. Well, let's just see if we can find them. I just hope we're not falling into one of Natalie's traps like the other three did," Kimberly said.

"Kimberly's right, we have to keep moving. We can save them, I just know we will!" Zachary said.

"Yeah, Zach's right. Come on guys. If we don't save the Sounds of Thunder, no one will. If we stick together, we can make anything possible."

Her friends smiled brightly at her and nodded in agreement. Kimberly smiled back, and continued to walk down the stairs with the others following. Then, the wall opened back up again, but the friends didn't notice. In the doorway was the girl from the green team that Kimberly bumped into at Pinewood Pastures, and behind her were three unconscious girls.

"Like flies in a spider web. My plan is working perfectly." she said.

She gave a sinister smile and followed the four teens.