"WHAT?!"
Jesse just absentmindedly rubbed her ears as everyone shouted simultaneously at her. When every other day someone or other is blowing something up in your house, people shouting really doesn't seem like that big of a deal.
"You're- you're taking her with you?!" Dan exclaimed, goggling at Jesse in disbelief.
Jesse shrugged. "It's more of a punishment than anything- Petra and Ivor aren't exactly stoked about the idea."
"No. No, we really aren't," Petra said, her gold eyes glowing with anger (Ivor scooted away from her slightly).
Jesse shrugged again. "Well, taking her with us at least means we can keep an eye on her, right? Who knows, maybe she'll turn out to be okay."
"Just okay?" Ivor said, drily.
"I'm just settin' the bar low so we don't get our expectations up too high," Jesse responded drily, making some laughter come out through the room.
Jesse looked at the light steadily coming into the room. "Hey, look, it's morning."
They watched as several zombies lurched around outside, exploding into dust as they meandered around, continually on fire.
"That- that's it, then," Stampy said, in some astonishment.
"Yeah, we're free!" Stacy cheered.
Cassie came into the room, trailing behind Lukas a bit, as Ivor said, sounding rather relieved, "and we're alive. Let's not waste it standing around- there could be traps everywhere!"
And with that, everyone turned around- shooting Cassie Rose death glares on the way out- and walked out of the room, towards the front doors. Jesse followed mildly, hands in her pockets as Winslow perched on his owner's shoulder, conversing fluently with Lukas the whole way.
"Ahh," Ivor sighed happily, "I've never been so happy to smell rotting flesh!"
Lukas made a slight face. Jesse silently pulled out her handkerchief and handed it over to him, which he snatched and pressed to his face. "Speak for yourself..." he said, sounding rather nasal.
Winslow made a sound that really could've been interpreted as a snigger, if cats could truly snigger.
"Uh, yeah, that's... yikes, that's pretty gross," Jesse said, pinching her own nose a little bit.
"I feel bad that Sparklez isn't here to smell it," Lizzie said, rather sadly. "... and TorqueDawg, I guess."
Cassie rubbed her arm self-consciously.
"I'm sorry we couldn't save everyone. We tried our hardest..." Jesse said, frowning slightly.
"Oh, we all know that, Jesse-" Stampy said hastily, "it's not your fault."
Dan nodded, putting his hands on his hips. "Lucky for us, that portal brought you here."
"Speaking of which... I don't think any of us have any idea how to begin finding our exit portal," Ivor said, with a rather flat expression.
Cassie coughed a bit, making everyone look at the redhead. "I- um- I know where it is," she said, in a small voice. "But we either have to go back in the house to use it, or-"
"Yeahh, no, we're not going back inside," Stacy said, a little brusquely.
"Okay, then," Cassie said, rather meekly. "Well, then the way to get to it is over there," and she pointed at a gold portal shape nearby.
Jesse blinked. "Why did you build a second portal?"
"Long story."
"Ah."
"So... I guess this is goodbye, huh?" Stacy asked, looking at Jesse and the hybrids appraisingly.
Lukas rubbed his head, as all of them turned to face the four others, Cassie pretty much hiding in the back. "Yeah. Just let us know if you ever accidentally find yourselves in OUR world, haha."
"I mean, that's a nice offer and all," Dan said, giving Lizzie a look. The pink-haired girl picked up, "but I don't think we'll be portal hopping without a portal KEY."
Jesse gave Stampy a look, as he began to anxiously tap at his lip. "I think Stampy's gotcha covered there."
"What do you mean?"
Stampy fidgeted a moment longer, before he pulled out the glowing green flint and steel.
Dan and Lizzie looked as though they'd become creeper hybrids that were about to blow up, they looked so angry. "You had it the whole time?!" Dan exclaimed, eyes widening as Lizzie spluttered angrily.
"It was just meant to be a prank, a harmless prank, and I am so sorry, so very very sorry!" Stampy apologized.
"Yeah, c'mon, it's Stampy! You know he wouldn't actually ever try to hurt anyone," Stacy contributed.
"Aw, c'mon, lay off Stampy, like he said it was just a prank," Jesse said, mildly.
"A prank that went pretty badly, if you ask me," Lizzie said, giving Stampy a rather annoyed look.
Lizzie let out a little sigh, putting one hand on her hip. "After all this drama, I might be done with flints and steels and portals anyway..."
"Well, like we said," Petra said, lightly, "if you ever change your mind, you'll be plenty welcome in our world."
"You can share it!" Jesse offered, "make like, your own Order of the Stone!"
Dan nodded, a small smile coming over his still rather annoyed face. "Noted."
"Yeah, that's a wonderful idea!" Stampy agreed, rather eagerly.
Stacy cleared her throat, making all of them look at her. "Welll, I'm not great at goodbyes, so I'm actually just gonna start walking home. Thanks for everything!" And she turned with a wave.
"Me too," Lizzie said, giving the group a nod, "Bye, you guys."
"Yeah, me too," Dan said, starting to walk after Lizzie, "travel safe, you guys!"
Stampy put the flint and steel in his pocket, waved at them, said a cheery, "Byeeeeeee!" and went running after his friends.
"What a strange, strange bunch of individuals," Ivor said, sounding rather fond, before glancing at Cassie. "You were talking about being trapped here, from another world... were you related to the Old Builders?"
Cassie made a face. "Ah, my aunt hated it when they called her friends that."
"You have an aunt?" Petra asked, blinking.
"She passed away, Cassie's uncomfortable with it, let's not discuss it," Jesse said, rather flatly. Petra rubbed her head and sent Cassie a look that none of them could decipher. "Ah. I see. Sorry, Cassie," she added, after a second.
"'S fine," Cassie mumbled, looking away sheepishly.
They stopped in front of the other portal that Cassie had pointed out earlier. "You have to use the flint and steel here... and then you should probably brace yourself."
Jesse raised an eyebrow. "... okay?" Leaning down, she struck the flint and steel near the ground, making a pillar of hot blue fire shoot into the air as she put the portal key away.
Nothing happened.
Cassie frowned a bit as the fire died down. "That's... weird... it should've-"
The ground beneath them gave out suddenly, all of them letting out yells of alarm (Cassie wincing as Winslow sank his claws into her arm) as they plummeted downwards into darkness.
A/N: Okay, less action-y than I expected. But next chapter's mostly a humor chapter. And then two filler chapters.
Yes, you heard me, two. Dos. Deux. I don't know other words in different languages for two. xD
Huh. No new comments.
x.X. A.L. X.x.
