"G'bye Jesse!" called one of the yellow contestants, waving to Jesse furiously, "goodbye! Thank you!"
And she strolled into her portal.
Harper looked at Otto, one hand on her hip while the others congregated by the staircase. "That all of them?"
"Everyone that WANTS to go home, anyhow. Except you folks, that is." And he turned to look at their group with a smile.
Reuben was holding one of Jesse's lower hands and beaming as he watched Olivia bleep around the hallway, sending pink and purple sparks flying everywhere with each change of place. Axel was sorting through his (very unorganized) inventory while Petra teased Lukas with a light on the floor, to Jace's amusement (he was trying to keep a straight face but was betrayed by his furiously wagging tail). Soren and Isa were having a very animated chat, which Milo kept interjecting in, to Isa's faint annoyance (but not that much anyway, because she had the tiniest smile on her face). Reginald was doing his best to keep Benedict from running away, and also to keep Winslow at bay. Cassie would've had that job, except for the fact she was talking to Aiden animatedly, the two of them resolutely ignoring the giggles and teasing looks that were shot their way. Maya and Gill kind of lurked at the edges of the gathering, watching with faintly amused looks as Magnus and Ellegaard were having a heated debate about some stupid thing. Gabriel was trying very hard not to outright laugh at them, and Ivor was sorting through his potions and glancing up every couple of seconds to sneak a glance at Harper. Em was fidgeting quietly and watching the whole group with a both amused and torn look on her face.
"Can't believe how many competitors actually want to stay and keep playing the games," Otto continued, as Lukas tried to pounce on yet another light.
He turned and smiled at Jesse. "Thanks to you, my intrepid new friend, I can actually work on making them FUN again," and he let out a little chuckle at this.
Jesse gave a dry smile back, one hand on her hip. "Promise they'll stay fun this time?" she asked, faintly sardonically.
"Oh yes," Otto said immediately with a nod, making a worried knot in Jesse's stomach dissolve, "I don't intend to let the games get corrupted like they did before."
"And I'm gonna help too," Slab said from where he was lurking in the doorway, walking over to Jesse and giving her a pat on the back. At least he didn't knock her into the floor, right? "You taught me a lot about fairness, Jesse, and I'd like to use that new knowledge for something good."
And then his eyes lit up, and he reached into his pocket. "Oh yeah- speaking of fairness," and he turned around to Lukas, who looked up from where he was racing around on the floor, momentarily diverted from his task, "I think this is yours." And he held out the journal Lukas had been writing in.
Lukas's blue-green eyes lit up like lanterns, and he got back to his feet, accepting the small brown book from the gladiator. "Oh man!" he said, a grin threatening to split his face open as Petra made the light on the floor vanish neatly with a click of her fingers.
"There was some really good stuff in there," Slab said, patting Lukas on the back and making the blonde ocelot hybrid's knees buckle a bit. "I was really moved."
Lukas grinned up at Slab once he'd regained his balance. "Fantastic!" he said, flipping through the journal and starting to scribble.
Aiden rubbed the back of his sheepishly. "I'd kinda like to read it myself."
"Oh yeah," Maya said suddenly, making everyone look at the brunette, "Aiden's writing a book of his own. You know, we- we have a lot of free time... in jail..."
Axel made a snorting sound that he quickly disguised as a cough.
"It's really good... well I think at least," Gill said, raising his hand.
"No, no, I like it too," Reginald said vaguely, still keeping ahold of Benedict so she didn't flap off.
Aiden's face went pink, and he looked down at the floor. Cassie patted him gently on the shoulder, a small smile coming across her lips. "Well... I wouldn't mind giving it a read, too."
His face went even pinker, and he looked at the floor as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen, trying his best to mute the giggles at his now rather pink face.
"Well, Em?" Jesse asked the burly girl, who looked vaguely uncomfortable, "you said you wanted to go home, right?"
"Yes... I just can't decide if that's what I want. You get to leave, go on more adventures..." Em sighed and crossed her arms. "... do I really wanna go back to farming?"
Jesse rolled her eyes and gently punched Em on the shoulder. "Well, if I ever need you, I'll just use the Atlas. Besides, I'm sure you're just getting cold feet now that you actually can go home. You said it's all you wanted in life, remember?"
Em brightened up, spreading her arms. "Yeah... yeah! You're right. I'll be able to see my old friends again... maybe we can have our own, y'know, Order of the Stone..."
"Yeah! And you can have your own adventures!" Jesse said, cheerfully, Reuben letting out a cheerful squeak to punctuate the older girl's point.
"Thanks, Jesse," Em said, a small smile coming over her face, "I needed that." And she strolled off toward the portal.
Soren, Isa, and Otto were deep in discussion about how when they could get time, they were going to reconvene in the hallway with signs, paint, the Atlas ("Of course, I'm sure Jesse will want to tag along for this," Soren mused), but Jesse spotted Ivor standing nearby, looking off into the hallway.
Trotting over, she said, picking Reuben up and holding him like a sack of potatoes under her lowest arm, making the little pig hybrid squeal cheerfully, "Hey Dad!"
"Oh, hello!" Ivor said, dark blue eyes snapping over so he could look at Jesse as Cassie and Jace came over, Aiden having a very awkward conversation with Reginald. "Whatcha doing, Ivor?" Jace asked, tail wagging rhythmically.
"I was just observing Harper all by herself over there," Ivor said, a bit evasively. Jesse clapped her adoptive father on the back, making him blink at her and her slightly teasing smile. "C'mon, dad, let's go say good bye for now."
"Yeah, Harper has to go back to Crown Mesa for now... but it's common courtesy to say goodbye," Cassie said, Winslow purring from where he was on Cassie's shoulder and Jace eyeing him, "especially to your crush~"
Ivor's face went a bit pink. "... shut up."
"Hey Harper!" Jesse called, carrying Reuben over, while Cassie and Jace and Ivor came over a little ways behind her.
Harper turned, blinking at Jesse, before smiling at them. "Oh, hey Jesse, Ivor, I was just watching folks head on home. Funny how things worked out, huh?" She hesitated, before glancing away. "Well, I guess this is goodbye..."
"You act like we're not going to see you soon," Jesse said teasingly, making Harper chuckle a little. "True. The citizens of Crown Mesa are going to need a lot of help rebuilding, but I'm sure I'll be able to make time to meet up with you."
Jace elbowed Ivor, who gave the wolf hybrid a confused look. Jace looked at Harper, then back at Ivor, then wiggled his eyebrows.
Ivor scowled at him slightly.
"Hey Harper, Ivor has a crush on you!" Cassie said suddenly and quickly, so that Ivor had no time and slapped his hand over her mouth a fraction of a second too late. Winslow sniggered as Jesse, Reuben and Jace did their best to stifle a deluge of giggles.
Harper's face reddened slightly, as did Ivor's. The two of them stood there awkwardly, before Ivor's head whipped around and he shouted down the hallway, "Hey, Aiden or whatever the heck your name is! Cassie has a crush on you!"
Now Jesse, Reuben and Jace were laughing so hard that Reuben was snorting slightly, Jesse's face was buried in her hands, and in a last-ditch sort of effort Jace was covering his face with his tail as he let out little howls and yelps of laughter, trying to stop. The sight of the three of them in stitches made some of the other teenagers snigger and the adults roll their eyes with a grin. Cassie and Aiden were not doing either, but instead trying to cover their fire-engine red faces and ignore the sniggers of their friends.
"Ivor, you are a strange, strange man," Harper said, sounding faintly amused and very embarrassed, before stepping closer to him. "But... you're okay."
And then she gave him a kiss on the cheek, making red pump through the pale man's face.
"That's the second time now," Jace said through his very acute giggles.
"Is it really?" Jesse said, now starting to hiccup from how hard she'd been laughing.
"Yeah, they did it a couple nights back."
"You saw that?" Ivor asked, his face going even redder, although this time it was from embarrassment.
"Yeah, I'm nocturnal."
Now Ivor was so red he could've been mistaken for a tomato, his hands dropping from Cassie's face and covering his own up in an attempt to hide it.
"Okay, okay, okay," Jesse managed through severe giggles, as Isa wandered over to a portal with a swirling blue substance inside it and waited for Reginald, Milo, and the Blaze Rods to catch up, "Well, we should probably head home, huh?"
"Yes, the Atlas belongs to Jesse now- deal's a deal and all that," Otto said, handing her the golden book with a grin. "Now you just say where you want to go, and the Atlas will show you the way."
Jesse looked at the glowing book in her hands, the gold glow pulsing and illuminating her face, then back up. Everyone stared at her expectantly.
"Well, I guess we'll all be seeing each other soon," and she looked back down at the book with a smile. "Okay, book... take us home."
She opened the book.
Runes, words, symbols floated off the pages, rising into the air in a glowing column, and her eyes widened as the swirling column of words rose into the air, sweeping down the hallway, made a sharp right at where Isa was standing, and flowed into a portal made of wood blocks, a terracotta color illuminating the hallway immediately in front of it.
"There it is," Jesse said, rushing over with everyone else, big grins on all of their faces.
"Home," Olivia finished the statement.
Jesse turned to look over her shoulder again at all the friends she'd made. Strange to think how long she'd been away, and how soon she'd be home.
"See you all soon, my friends!" And Soren charged through with a laugh, Gabriel following and dragging Magnus and Ellegaard along, Ivor letting out a little laugh as his potion bag bounced at his side, Olivia bleeping right in front of the portal and charging in, Axel bulldozing the way as Petra flew in, Lukas and Winslow racing in as Cassie chased after the two cats with a chuckle. Jace, Jesse, and Reuben all shared an excited grin, before turning and following their friends back home.
A/N: This is probably one of the longest chapters in this story xD Somewhat fitting, since it's the second-to-last one.
Yes, yes, I know, 'oh no' and all that. Wait, there's still one, and then I'll be explaining my plan for the next.. hmm, year or so. xD
We're skipping the treasure room (because there's not really any point); next chapter is really mostly an epilogue for THIS story. (just this story). And then I'll be explaining the plan!
Toni42: They're both, I think xD
Guest: Lol xD I think Jesse has been teased enough for now. ... for now.
Fruzsi3624: Lol xD
rebekahtpe: Oh no xD And Skittles. I like fruit.
Luna96: Lol really? xD
Guest: Oh, no problem! I'm surprised this story has fangirls to be honest xD
RapidSammi: (laughing my head off)
angelwings: Oh lol that's cool xD
Jace54: Thanks, I'm glad you like it! :)
GuestPerson13: Lol the confessions are real this chapter xD
ChoyofBonk: I know, right? I'm surprised too xD And do it, do it, do it!
DemonCatLady: Sort of? Not really, I don't know xD
x.X. A.L. X.x
