A/N: Hey guys, little change of plans. I have the sketch dump nearly finished, but... Defying Code isn't going to make it to chapter 200 (I do a sketchdump every 50 chapters) sooo... Since this story is likely going to end around chapter 165, I figured I'd hold out to upload a massive sketchdump once the story is over. So, if you still have a sketchdump idea you want added, please review and let me know!

I'm super sad Defying Code is coming to an end, very shortly, here... I always knew it wouldn't be as long as Wrecking Limits, once I had the plot all laid out, but I sort of think it's charming, and comes with the territory of 'Defying Code' - sort of goes against everything I've ever really known xD BUT Rectifying Origin will likely be massive.

I considered meshing the beginninig of Rectifying Origin into the end of Defying Code, just to make it a solid 200 chapters, but I've thought long and hard about this decision, and it seems best to start out a fresh new start, in these character's lives, on a new book. I really hope you guys understand. But, in all actuality, Defying Code is nearly as large as Wrecking Limits, word count wise xD

Song Listened To: Something Better (Ft. Lady Antebellum) by Audien

*Chapter 161*

As Lickity's agile, massive wing span whipped the calm, warm, morning air, Zed felt his heart race faster and faster. Lickity softly banked into the clearing of the infamous entrance, which lead back to their real world. With a gentle thud and a few steps to gain balance, Lickity landed and patiently waited for the two to dismount. As Tessa slid off of Lickity's soft body first, she eagerly turned back and waited for Zed to follow suit, though he didn't. She frowned and, with a long, ogling glance back at The Flip Side's exit, she gave Zed a nervous frown. She knew this would be the struggle; so close, yet so far.

"Everything okay?" Tessa eased as Lickity looked over her shoulder and peered to Zed out of the corner of her eye. Zed sighed and softly began to fluff the feathers and tufts of fur along Lickity's strong spine.

"I'm okay," Zed eased, though he finally began to situate himself to dismount Lickity. She kindly helped him with the dew claw on her wing, and with a small swing, she set Zed down on the soft grass below.

"I'm sure this is hard for you," Lickity's voice was gentle, she ducked her head, flattened her ears, and gave Zed the least intimidating look she could muster. She honed her eyes to his, and as Zed's gentle hand stroked the top of her larger head, he breathed a long sigh and let his gaze get lost amidst the gorgeous array of brown feathers, scales and fur.

"I just hope they're excited to see me," Zed stated nervously, though Tessa gawked.

"Excited?" She wondered through squinted eyes and a kind smile, "They're to the moon, they're beyond ecstatic."

"She's right," Lickity added, her ears popped up lightly, as did her tucked wings, to show growing happiness, "They dropped everything they were doing to, not only kidnap you, but bring you here, in the hopes of getting you back."

Zed smiled, shook his head, and let an annoyed chuckle leave his tired figure. He continued to pet the top of Lickity's head; she kindly remained still, she knew he was trying to busy his rushing mind somehow. He furrowed his eyebrows and peered back to Tessa. His eyes glossed over her aura and he was floored to find she was positively glowing. She peered back to him in growing wonder, excitement, nervousness. He knew the two had been through a great ordeal of things, though nothing as huge as bringing new life to the Arcade. He knew it'd be a challenge, though he wondered just when these hurdles would cease.

"Do... Do they know you're pregnant?" Zed asked quietly, his innocent and nervous gaze glued to Tessa's as she nodded.

"Yes, and they're all really excited," Tessa smiled, "They... They were sort of cold to me at first, but... The second they found out they ALL were going to be uncles, they eased up."

"Not that they have a choice," Lickity quietly spat with a smile, "I'd roast every single last one of them if I had to."

"No doubt," Zed scoffed through a nervous smile, he looked down to the grass and sagged his shaking hands into his pockets.

Tessa giggled at his hidden giddiness and, as lovingly as she could, she gripped his wrists and pulled his trembling hands out of his pockets. She squeezed his skin, and as if to goad a child into a treacherous task, she began to back step towards the entrance to The Flip Side. Lickity finally lifted her head, giggled and began to follow after the two and their slow pace. Zed exhaled a chuff of a nervous breath, as if to want to begin to protest, though he gave Tessa a scared look of floored happiness. He stammered on a few words before finally coming up with something coherent.

"H-Hurry and tell me what they're like," Zed urged in a rush of nervousness, his eyes glued to Tessa's as if she was his saving grace.

"You remember," Tessa chimed kindly, she grew twenty feet from the beckoning, beveled entrance. It glowed with all the warmth of the day they had left behind, "Y'got Finn... He's wise and understanding."

"Duke seems a lot like Oliver," Lickity garbled, "Moody and quiet."

"I don't even have to remind you of Orph's annoying self," Tessa cocked an eyebrow, Zed blurt a genuine, knowing chuckle.

"Jax was getting pretty protective of you, back there," Lickity uttered to Tessa, she easily agreed in a nod.

"Loyal and brave," Tessa encouraged, Zed nodded nervously as she carried on, "And, Tej could afford to open up a bit more. I hardly even know what his voice sounds like."

"He only really talks to me," Zed eased, his heart jolted with a pang of remembrance. He caught his breath as Tessa finally back stepped onto the thin air that their way out provided. His eyes jolted to Tessa's in growing fear, as if this was really happening and he only just now realized it.

"Relax," Tessa giggled, "They're only a few steps away... And I know they can't wait to see you."

As the three made their way into the whole that was The Flip Side's enchanting exit, the air whipped about them in a growing caress of care, as if to wonder if the game had taken good care of them on their miniature getaway. Tessa squeezed Zed's hands in confidence and love, and as Lickity pushed herself close to the two, she tucked her tail into the whole of the circle and nervously looked about. With wings hovered about the two, the gorgeous displays of stars above, and brilliant clouds undertow, began to slowly tilt to cooperate, to switch places, to make time finally step forward once and for all. As their hair licked about, Tessa eagerly watched Zed's every raw expression, every nervous breath he took, she could swear he had never looked more humbled and anxious. She heaved a small, knowing giggle in his direction and was almost excited to get a front row seat to this show.

As hot air finally graced their bodies, and sunshine largely flood the area, Tessa flinched and finally looked past Zed's shoulder, and the hands of Lickity's wings, which still safely held about the two. She noticed the field, of which they had previously been in, was illuminated with hot sunshine. Her heart jumped as she finally peered to her left and spot the image she had desperately burned into her brain, like a photo she took to remind her just what was waiting for them on the other side. All five of Zed's younger brothers patiently stationed in the same positions she had left them in; she felt spooked with the fact that literally no time had passed, since they had left. Lickity finally eased her wings, and in that raw moment, the world fell silent. Tessa and Lickity took a step or two away from Zed, to give him room to do just what he needed to do.

Zed naively pierced his gaze to Tessa, which was in the opposite direction of the five boys that so desperately wanted his attention. Through a loving smile, Tessa gently motioned her head, to show Zed in which direction he really should be looking in. With a quick sweep, he twisted on his feet and whirled around. With one simple freeze, Tessa and Lickity eagerly glued their attention to the raw situation that unfolded. All six boys remained solid, in total loss for words, nervousness, excitement; each emotion was beyond palpable. Just as Zed took his first step closer to his brothers, Tessa and Lickity followed suit. As the three so slowly approached the beckoning grass, outside of The Flip Side's entrance, Zed's five brothers took a few apprehensive steps away, so to give the new arrivals breathing room.

As Zed's bare feet caught with the velvet grass under foot, his chest nervously rose and fell with the draw of adrenaline and pricked curiosity everyone was drowning in. With each boy frozen, and at a continued loss for words, Tessa and Lickity eyed each boy in growing anticipation as they slunk in behind Zed's now frozen posture. Zed choked a small noise of disbelief, and as if he suddenly had a billion things to say, his eyes darted about each of his younger brother's before him. Tessa bit her lip and knew somehow this would be a very rocky introduction back into the family. She knew he had wronged them, and they were upset, though she still kept her eagle eye on the bared group before her and Lickity.

"I-I... I guess..." Zed stammered on his words, he audibly swallowed and attempted to prove to himself that his hands weren't visibly a trembling wreck. He grappled his chest lightly, as if to somehow begin to express just how sorry he truly was, "Y-You guys... Deserve uh... An apology."

Tessa's immediate cue to Zed's first, albeit stumbling sentence, was to hone in on Orph's reaction. With great inner pleasure, she was delighted she stuck with her gut. Orph largely rolled his eyes, though the way his piercing silver stare dug into Zed's, she could tell each boy was bursting with bubbling excitement, all differences aside. Zed choked a nervous noise, to potentially clear his throat, though Tessa could tell he was largely flying blind. As if never in this kind of raw, 'bottom of the totem pole' position in his life, Zed looked as if all his senses were cut off, and he was now demanded to describe said senses to a crowd of thousands.

"I really hope you guys, uh..." Zed trailed off, slumped his shoulders and looked down at the ground. He finally pierced his nervous stare into Orph's and Finn's, with deeper confidence this time, as he continued on, "Can somehow forgive a blue haired jerk..."

Tessa now was wholly uncertain with their act of stubborn, high, indestructible walls. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked to each boy in billowing, scared confusion, though just as she was about to open her mouth to defend Zed's stance, she flinched and was floored to see the shyest boy of the group largely push past Orph's and Duke's shoulders. In a confident tug of wants that could no longer be reserved, Tej firmly closed the gap between him and Zed, and as if all of Zed's prayers had been answered, Tej largely lugged himself into Zed's arms and body. At about half a foot shorter than his oldest brother, Tej largely gripped Zed around his middle and shoved his face into the front of his shoulder. Zed jolted in confusion, though it was immediately replaced with floored surprise.

Without any hesitation, Zed scoffed a noise of disbelief and fastened his strong arms tight around Tej's smaller, shorter figure. Through a growing beam of dire relief, Zed chuckled and, with a firm grip on the back of Tej's head, the two squeezed each other in a frozen hug that seemingly melted the world's problems away. Zed pat Tej's upper back, in a firm, brotherly way, though as soon as he lifted his head to get a good look at just what his other four brother's had to say about the situation unfolding, Finn was second to make his strong presence known. On cue, each boy finally pushed into action, and as if the pebble had been finally forced from the dam, they overflowed Zed with much needed attention. With firm pats, large ruffling of his hot blue hair, and knowing mutters of playful notions and antics, Tessa finally crossed her arms and beamed a satisfied smile. Their chatter grew louder, and as if no time had slipped away from Zed and his brothers, it seemingly was no effort to pick right back up where they all left off.

"Y'guys miss me?" Zed shakily wondered, his humbled, excited smile only grew as him and Tej lightly pulled apart, though Tej kept his presence close. Tessa could immediately tell just with whom mostly all of Tej's trust lay, in the group of boys.

"No," Orph barked, each boy let out a hearty laugh as Orph finally shoved on Zed's shoulder, "It was real fun sacking you and dragging your sorry ass here, though."

"So much fun," Zed muttered through a sarcastic smile as he kept his arm around Tej's shoulder.

"You don't remember any of it?" Finn wondered curiously, his smile widened as the second oldest of brother's moved closer.

"Not a second," Zed eased through an embarrassed mutter of shyness. Finn finally grappled Zed into a firm, brotherly hug.

"Of course we missed you," Finn urged quietly as the two held in a squeeze and reeled away with firm pats on the back, shoulders and arms. Finn finished it with a firm nudge of the center of Zed's chest, "Orph missed you too, believe it or not."

"Teach you to forget about us," Duke finally barked through a hearty laugh, "If you're gone for too long, Orph starts growing emotions."

"Growing," Jax repeated through a hiss of a laugh as each figure began to prod and tease Orph.

"Emotions!" Orph repeated in an incredulous gape of annoyance, "S-So I said I maybe missed you once or twice. I was probably drunk!"

"We haven't been to Tapper's in forever, Orph, just admit it," Finn muttered through a sly smile as he crossed his arms.

"I missed you too," Zed stated quietly, though he beamed a cheeky, sly smile and grappled at Orph's collar. Zed yanked Orph into a brotherly hug, though Orph lazily pretended to pat at Zed's shoulder as Zed did all of the work, for said hug.

"Yeah, yeah, all sunshine and rainbows, get off of me," Orph muttered as he finally began to nudge Zed away, though the second Zed began to push against Orph's hesitation with obnoxious kissy noises, Orph finally beamed a genuine smile and, for the first time in a long while, his figure shook with a positively enthused laugh, "I-I said get off me, fool!"

"Y'can't go all this time and not miss your oldest brother," Zed urged confidently as he finally peeled away from Orph, though not without ruining the perfect, silver mo-hawk atop his head. Orph grunted, though he couldn't seem to wipe the grin from his face. Zed finally heaved a hard sigh and, through the chaos of boys, his eyes largely honed straight to Tessa's. He smiled, and as each of Zed's brothers caught on to his line of sight, everyone drew their attention to their new Queen bee as Zed carried on, "Alright, guys... I've got an important proposition for you."

"Tessa, please tell me this will include sacking him in his sleep," Orph muttered enthusiastically; Tessa choked a small laugh as Zed lightly nudged Orph's shoulder and began to approach Tessa.

"I'll keep you posted," Tessa joked, though she dropped her playful act and welcomed Zed into her presence. Everyone lightly followed and kept their respectable distance around Tessa, Zed and Lickity.

"I hope you guys have let it sink in, deep, that you're going to be uncles," Zed stated kindly, he came alongside Tessa and, as if to proudly display his accomplishment, he gestured to her and immediately became bashful, "Because, well... We got two weeks to baby proof the game."

"It worked?" Orph suddenly urged, though he flinched and bashfully looked to Finn, who gave him an incredulous look. Orph cleared his throat and lazily gestured his hand, "I-I mean... Yeah, that's cool."

"You got the bar to read loading?" Jax kindly wondered as everyone, but Orph, began to push closer to Tessa and Zed.

"You wanna know how weird it is to, not only gain back one family member, but three?" Finn laughed over the chaos of the sudden chattering and bumbling movements to get a good look at Tessa's loading bar. Finn crossed his arms and beamed Zed a kind smile, "Looks like the Kalivar family got that much larger."

"Well, I just gained back five family members, and are in the process of adding two," Zed stated as he looked over his shoulder, to Lickity's whereabouts. He lovingly gestured for her to come closer, and once her ears perked and she moseyed over, he tenderly rubbed her snout, "We've got a bundle of scales on the way, too."

"We're going to need a bigger jungle," Jax argued with an excited smile, though he wobbled once Duke nudged his arm.

"I call dibs holding the baby first," Duke called, though he flinched as each sudden, angry line of sight honed in on him. Zed chuckled, covered his face in exhausted agitation and peered to Tessa with a kind smile.

"You can't do that!" Jax argued.

"How about oldest to youngest?" Finn slyly stated with a squinty-eyed smirk.

"How about kiss my ass?" Tej muttered.

"Alright, alright," Zed waved his hand about to get everyone's attention, "HOW ABOUT, we knock down Sugar Rush's door, first... Besides, you'll have a hard time prying a baby from Tessa's arms."

Tessa cocked an eyebrow and gave the group of rowdy boys a dominant smile. She crossed her arms and squinted with pride.

"And I don't think you want to contend with a natural born wrecker," Zed muttered as he side-eyed Tessa, as if to pretend to be scared of her.

"Okay so Tessa will beat us up if we get anywhere near the baby, we get it," Orph lazily waved his hand, though he finally put his hands on his hips, puffed his chest out, and gave the jungle an excited, challenging smile, "Alright... Which way to Sugar Rush?"

A/N: I drew fanart for the beginning of this chapter, titled 'Unbelievable' on my deviantART - username Vyntresser