"Okay," Jesse said, after Jace had stopped trying to chase Lukas and stopped trying to play fetch with Blaze Rods, and after Lukas had stopped trying to catch the light, and after Cassie had calmed down from wanting to immediately murder someone (and by someone I mean the Old Builders), and after Jesse had recovered from her laughing fit- when, in short, everything had calmed down a bit, the six of them reconvened at the podium, sitting on the steps.

Lukas shivered, tail twitching a bit. Jace glanced at it but didn't say anything. "It's pretty bad in there, Jesse. They don't even do anything to keep the pigmen away so they just... stare at you while you mine."

Jesse huffed a bit, rubbing her head. "Well, Petra and I just have to compete in the games- if we win, we're home free..."

"And let me guess, if we lose we have to go back to the mines?" Lukas asked, raising his eyebrow.

Jesse shrugged sheepishly. "Kinda...?" she said, tentatively, before, trying to stay positive, "But! At least we know that while they may be... uh, difficult, they're not impossible- this guy Tim did it."

Lukas perked up a bit. "That's true. He's all they talk about in the mines. Guess he won the games a long time ago and got all of his team home. They say that he was 'seven feet tall' and that he 'carried his whole team across the finish line'..."

"Tim seems cool," Petra said mildly, flicking sparks into the snow aimlessly and watching them melt. "Though it is kinda fishy..."

Jesse perked up even more, clapping all of her hands together cheerfully. "Well, you're out of the mines now- according to Harper, until our entire team is eliminated, you're allowed to stay here in the village."

"That's right-"

All six of them jumped- Ivor suddenly found himself with an ocelot and spider hybrid balancing precariously on his shoulders, Lukas's fur standing up on end, Petra was holding a handful of fire and in a very defensive position, Jace's tail was ramrod straight and he was hiding behind Cassie, and Cassie's axe was out defensively, Winslow hissing with his fur on end.

"Ahaha, sorry," Harper said sheepishly. "Didn't mean to startle you there."

Lukas and Jesse fell off of Ivor's shoulders, Petra shook out her fire, Jace relaxed, and Cassie slowly put her axe away, although it seemed to take her a pretty big effort.

"Your friends weren't supposed to go to the mines yet," Otto finished, also looking rather sheepish, "I am sincerely sorry about that."

The hybrids, Ivor, and Cassie all gave him a wary look.

Harper gestured at him, calmly. "Jesse, this is Otto. My old friend. Like I said, he may be able to help."

Jesse glanced at him warily, all of her arms crossing. "So... you're the one who's supposed to help us?" she asked, slowly, trying to keep any disbelief out of her voice- for politeness' sake.

"Well, I'll enforce the rules, at any rate. If that helps you then..." Otto shrugged a bit, "can't be games without rules. Harper's been filling me in about you. From the stories she's told... I'm impressed. You might actually make it to the top."

Jesse blinked at that. "Oh... really? Thank you," she said, still rather warily.

"In fact," Otto continued, smiling, "you're the most exciting thing to come to this place in a LONG time. A real wild card!"

"That a good thing or a bad thing?" Lukas asked warily, tail flicking in agitation, half behind Jesse in case Otto suddenly went and shoved him back through the portal.

Otto shrugged. "Yeah, I think you might be a real Tim in the making. Yep, a real Tim."

"Great," Jesse said, rocking onto the balls of her feet, then back down, "as long as I get to go home."

"That is the point," Otto agreed, before adding, in a more serious vein, "But you have to win, first. And my job is make sure everybody- even Hadrian- plays by the rules. I'm rootin' for ya, kid- just don't disappoint me."

"Can we trust him, Harper?" Petra asked the former Old Builder, who shrugged. "Who knows? Otto's been doing this forever. At least he seemed interested."

"That is not very comforting," Lukas said, making a slight face.

Jesse suddenly blinked. "Oh! Right, I actually forgot. Go me. Lukas, Ivor, this is Jace... my twin brother."

Lukas let out a slight whine. "Aw, the dog hybrid's your twin?" he said, shrinking behind Jesse as if Jace was going to jump him again.

"Hey! I am not a dog. I am a wolf," Jace said, acting playfully offended.

Ivor looked between the two of them, dark blue eyes softening. "Yes, I can see it... your eyes are very similar. Almost the same, really. Except, well, Jesse has the one red eye... but I digress."

Jace edged around so he was standing next to Lukas, holding out his hand, bouncing slightly in place. "Nice ta meetcha! Are you Jesse's boyfriend?"

Lukas choked, and he hacked for a moment before a small ball of yellow fur shot out of his throat and landed on the ground, making Jesse wince and pat Lukas on the back. "Um, no, Jace. We're not dating."

"Oh." Then- "Is he Petra's boyfriend, then?"

Petra spit. Literally, a ball of fire blasted out from her mouth and hit the snow, melting a little circle around it.

Jesse was trying hard not to giggle. "Uhh... no. None of us have any romantic relationship between ourselves whatsoever."

"Well, except Ivor, he has a crush on-"

Ivor's hand slapped over Cassie's mouth as he laughed nervously. "Haha, yes, shut up!"

Everyone smothered giggles as Cassie pushed his hand off, a faintly annoyed look on her face, though she was mostly just smirking at the older male, who had a heavy red blush on his face. "Very subtle, Dad," Jesse joked, in stitches.

Ivor rolled his eyes at her, although he looked faintly pleased. "Oh... shut up."

"Anyway," Harper said, her lips twitching as everyone else dissolved into titters and Ivor shook his head with an amused smile at his adopted 'daughter', "the dorms are over there... you've got a pretty big day tomorrow, Jesse."

"Jesse, can you pet me?" Lukas asked, cracking his neck and wincing a bit as he did so, "Notch knows I need it."

"Hey, wait, no, Jesse said she'd pet me if I got Petra- and I did!"

Lukas scowled playfully at Jace. "Well too bad; she's been petting me longer."

"But I'm her brother!"

"Both of you calm down... I'll just pet you both," Jesse intervened, tapping them both on the nose- they'd gotten so close to one another that if Petra had pushed them, they would've kissed.

"... fine," the two boys huffed somewhat playfully, and then they all started walking towards the dorms.

"In the morning, we're winning, and getting us all out of here," Jesse said, crossing her heart and putting a hand over her eye as they kept walking.

"I wonder what the next event is," Petra mused.

"Hopefully nothing too deadly," Ivor said, before he was cut off by a snort. Lukas hastily covered his mouth, eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'm sorry, I just can't take you seriously looking like that."

The teenagers all dissolved into another giggling fit as Ivor said, sounding affronted, "It breathes... WONDERFULLY!"

And so it was with a roll of her eyes Harper led them all into the dormitories.

A/N: Okay, I lied; NEXT chapter is the filler chapter xD I just had to include all this xD

Thanks to the Cube Queen (on tumblr), Jazzprowl2, and Choco223 for drawing me the fanarts!

DemonCatLady: Heehee

Toni42: Thanks! I'm all hyped x3

NoItsBecky: Lol xD

Guest: Maaaybe.

ChoyofBonk: (shrugs) Who knows? And yes... good luck.

GuestPerson13: YES (evil grin)

rebekahtpe: Fantasy :)

Guest: Thank you! :)

ThunderstarGames: Hehe, glad to hear that!

LittleAngelbun: Lol xD

A person: I'm glad I made you laugh xD

NinjaCat: Did I really? Huh.

x.X. A.L. X.x