「Author's Note: This Chapter Two is the choice of (Go through Sky City) If you chose to (Find another way), then read the next part. 」

"Let's go through Sky City," decided Jesse.
[-{ Your story is changing.]
Though he was a bit worried, he couldn't think of another way. Lukas turned to him.

"We should get Petra," he said. Jesse thought for a moment and nodded. He looked over to Olivia and Axel.

"You guys get Petra," he told Axel and Olivia, "Me and Lukas will grab our gear. Meet us at the Old Builder's temple." Jesse and Lukas ran to the armours and weapons, while Axel and Olivia ran back to Petra's house on the mountain.

***

The Order of the Stone met back up at the Old Builder's temple.
"Glad to see us back in armour," said Petra, pointing at Jesse's armour, "it was kinda getting boring."
"Feels just like old times," said Lukas, gazing into the temple, "this is where our second adventure started..."
"And now, our third adventure." said Jesse, placing his hand on Lukas' shoulder. "Let's go inside, guys."
The gang walked into the temple carefully, but couldn't hide the smiles on their faces for that that they were having a new adventure.
"Careful, there's larva everywhere..." said Jesse, as he cautiously walked, and occasionally, skipped over the small patches of larva around the floor and the walls. "Where was the portal, again?"
"Over here!" said Lukas, as he pointed at the hole to the second floor, and eyeing the vines to it. "I think this is the way, if I remember correctly."
And sure enough, the portal to Sky City was there, glimmering electric blue as always.

"Well, I'm actually surprised," smiled Petra, placing her hand on her hips, "well waddaya know, it really is still on. By now, I thought it would've turned off by some, I don't know, rain, or animal, or something."
"Well one thing's for certain," said Jesse, "I'm glad it isn't off."
They walked closer to the portal now, and gazed at it for what seemed like hours.
"Well?" said Lukas, looking at the rest of the Order. "Should we go through?"
"Oh — yeah, let's do that," said Petra, slightly shook from the sudden break of silence. "On three, Jesse?"
"Together," Jesse declared, "on three."
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three...!"
The Order of the Stone marched hastily into the engulfing blue portal. Jesse had felt a slight dizziness as he entered from one world, to another. When he opened his eyes, he saw what had been left of a beautiful city, was now a matter of mass destruction. To everyone's relief, the sun was about to rise, which meant that a third of the monsters will either burn, or be neutral. Aside this, there were still big monsters to be aware of, the biggest few were the Ghasts, Blazes, Creepers, and Endermen.
The gang snuck past the monsters quietly, ducking several times while in front of Endermen, and dodging from Creeper blasts. Then they would watch out for thing above their heads, like the Ghasts, who were rapidly spitting out the fire balls, and the Blazes, who would regularly zoom through the air and try to ambush them.
The Order then finally had reached the waterfall, that Jesse, Petra, Lukas (and Ivor who wasn't on this trip) knew that led to surface on the ground.
"Guys!" Jesse shouted to Axel and Olivia, over the screeching and shrieks of the monsters. "We're going to slide down the waterfall!"
"What?!" yelled Axel, not believing him. "Are you crazy, Jesse? We'll fall right into the Void!"
"Trust me," said Jesse, but Olivia spoke up.
"Do you know what you're doing?!" she replied, almost inaudible from all the noise.
"Guys," said Lukas, interrupting, "remember the stories we told you guys about our adventure?"
Olivia and Axel nodded.
"Well, the story about the magic chicken had contained this, do you remember?"
They both nodded again.
"This waterfall —"
But before Lukas could finish his sentence, Petra walked in front of him, facing Axel and Olivia.
"Look, we don't have time for this!" she yelled as she pushed both of them down the waterfall. Jesse could hear the faint sounds of their frightened yelps.
"Let's go." said Jesse as the rest of the gang went down behind him. Slightly more experienced than the rest, Jesse slid down the long waterfall, as he was used to it, having it done twice before. After what had seemed like forever, the almost-endless waterfall had finally reached its end. The pond down the surface was still there, even the larva crossing over with stone and obsidian that Ivor had made last time.
What Jesse had noticed that had changed, was the new town around them. The ex-citizens of Sky City had settled down around the pond, after Jesse and his friends had left previously. There were fences around the pond they were just about to splash into, many houses could bee seen around them, and Jesse had thought he saw a familiar-looking red gate in the distance...
"Down there!" Jesse yelled out to his group. "We need to land there!"
"On it!" the gang called back. They headed straight for the middle spot in the pond. At great speed, Jesse and his friends splashed into the water, getting the townspeople's attention. They crowded around them and the crowd got bigger. They mumbled and whispered as the Order climbed out of the pond, wet and cold.
"Brrr..." shivered Lukas, "reminds me of the ice lakes..." Jesse shook off the water from him and stepped forward with his friends.
"Oh, er — hi!" waved Jesse. He smiled slightly, while his lips trembled.
"We're looking for a portal?" explained Petra. "It's white and gold, and kinda looks like an egg... (one of the townspeople shrugged) ...okay then." Petra turned to Jesse. "What now, leader?"

Choose:
(...)
(We'll just have to look for the portal.) + (We should meet Isa first.)
(Let's ask some people.)
([[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]])

IF: ...

"..."
"Huh," said Lukas briskly, "how about if we —"

IF: We'll just have to look for the portal.

"I guess we'll just have to look for it ourselves," said Jesse, looking at his gang, "I mean, what else can we do?"
"Yeah..." Petra said. "I guess you're ri —"

IF: We should meet Isa first.

"How about if we meet Isa first?" Jesse suggested. "That way, we can ask her about the portal. Since she is the leader and she was there last time when we saw it. Also, I want to see how she and Benedict are."
"Oh, oh right," Petra realised, "I forgo —"

IF: Let's ask some people.

"Okay, let's just ask some people here," said Jesse, "I mean there's a lot of people here and —"
"Well, we just asked this group," Petra pointed out, "and by the looks of it, this is almost the whole town —"

ㅇㅇㅇ

"Excuse me!" came a voice that interrupted them. "Hello! Excuse me! I need to get through!" Jesse got a glimpse of the voice's owner. He was wearing a red hat and his blonde hair and moustache could be recognised a mile away.
"Could that be...?" blurted out Lukas. Jesse leaned sideways to see.
"It is!" Petra yelled as she smiled.
"Milo!" shouted Jesse as he ran to him.
Milo, still having one of his suspenders down, pushed through the crowds to get to Jesse and his friends.
"Oh, Jesse!" said Milo, hugging him. "It is so good to see you!"
"Good to see you too!" Jesse said. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"It sure has!" said Milo, breaking off from the embrace and smiling. "And I see you've brought new friends?"
"Oh, yes. Guys? This is Milo. Milo? This is Axel and Olivia."
Axel and Olivia smiled and waved.
"Hi," greeted Olivia, "we've heard lots of things about you!"
"And it's nice to meet you too," said Milo, shaking their hands warmly. "Now, seeing as you've come back, I assume you're on another adventure?"
"Oh, yeah, yes. Can we talk inside? I'd like to see your new — uh — is it a new village?"
"Ah! I see you have noticed the buildings! Yes, we've settled down, started a little way from here, but as our numbers grew, we've civilised up to here! This is the very edge of our new city, our main centre is a little way from here. Oh, and here comes our horses!" Milo pointed to a hill to Jesse's left. There was a man and a woman, leading a group of horses on leashes behind them. "These are our new ways of transport, since, er, Sky City wasn't really the biggest place in the world." said Milo, patting Jesse on the back.
So Jesse and the Order got on each of their horses, and followed Milo and his horse to the centre hall of the new city.
"So," said Jesse, "is Isa and Benedict back from their vacation?" Milo turned his head from the front to Jesse.
"Isa?" he said confusedly. "Oh, you mean the old founder, yes. Yes, I remember now. I remember her leaving with the Eversource on the night we found this new land. Yes, she did come back. Would you like to meet her?"

(...)
(Yes, right now.) + (No, maybe later.)
(Really?)
([[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]])

IF: ...

"..."
"I'll take that as a yes," said Milo simply, "Come along, Jesse, we have a harsh Ice spikes biome to pass through." Then they all rode their horses, following Milo. He pointed to a little wooden cottage over an ice spikes biome and behind a hill.
"That's her house." told Milo. "She lives there with Benedict. We see her sometimes down in the village."
"Let's go, then." said Petra briskly.

IF: Yes, right now.

"Yeah, what are we waiting for?" said Jesse excitedly. "We haven't seen her in ages. Let's go!" Milo smiled slightly and nodded and pointed to a little wooden cottage over an ice spikes biome and behind a hill.
"That's her house." told Milo. "She lives there with Benedict. We see her sometimes down in the village."
"Let's go, then." said Petra briskly.

IF: Really?

"Really? We can meet her right now?"
"Of course!" answered Milo. "She'd be delighted to have visitors, she is very bored now that she's retired from being the Founder and she usually spends her time with the Evers — I mean, Benedict." Milo smiled slightly and nodded and pointed to a little wooden cottage over an ice spikes biome and behind a hill.
"That's her house." told Milo. "She lives there with Benedict. We see her sometimes down in the village."
"Let's go, then." said Petra briskly.

IF: No, maybe later.

"Uh... maybe later?" said Jesse. "We're kinda in a hurry here. Trying to look for someone. Which reminds me. D'you still have that portal on?"
"Huh?"
"Ya know, the gold and white one, with all the blue sparks coming out of it?" asked Axel.
Milo's eyes turned round. "Oh!" he said. "Oh! Yes! Yes, It's here..." Jesse followed Milo away from the large crowd. He walked over the familiar hill, and saw the Sky City portal, emitting blue dust as always, just like the one back at his home world.
"Well that was quick," said Petra, "I thought it would take a lot longer."
They stepped down into the pit Jesse and Isa had made last time to collect as much blocks of dirt to reach Sky City again. They moved closer to the portal.
"Should we go —?" Jesse said but he was interrupted by a calling voice.
"Jesse!" came the voice. It was very familiar; a female voice. Hoping it would be the person he thought it was, Jesse turned around. "Jesse, is that you?" The crowd parted an isle so that the person could pass through. Jesse could see her. It was Isa. She ran across the fields, with Benedict the chicken beside her.
"Isa!" said Jesse, walking over to her.
"I hope you weren't going to leave before seeing me," panted Isa as she gasped for breath.

ㅇㅇㅇ

"Oh, Jesse! I missed you very much! And I see you have brought new friends? But I can't help but notice that old man with the beard is missing; did he stay back? It's so lovely to see you!" she ended after her long greet and hug.
"Thanks, yeah, me too." Jesse replied.
"So —" she took a moment to catch her breath from all the talking, "what are you here for? I see you've armoured up and I daresay that you wear your armour every day."
"Oh, that, yes. I, uh — came here to use the portal — (Jesse thought her face hardened a little) — because someone I know is lost, and we need to find him."
"Oh, okay. You, go and find him. It was nice seeing you again, in those flashy armour; come back and see me soon." she added as she waved goodbye to him.
"Will do," said Jesse, "thanks Isa. See ya!"
"Bye!"

***

Jesse stepped into the portal first; and for a moment, he thought he saw someone run into another portal, yelling something. Shaking his head for thinking it could've been Ivor, he walked forward so the others wouldn't bump into him as they came out from the portal. "Ah, the Portal Hallway," said Jesse, looking around him, "feels like it was only yesterday when we were portal hopping through different worlds." As Jesse had finished, Petra, and the rest of the Order tumbled out of the air.
"I'd never thought I'd ever come back here," said Petra, smiling. "I hated this place so much." She glanced at Jesse. He smiled back at her.
"Over here, guys!" called Lukas. He was in front of the opened gate to the Old Builder's games.

"Ah, the stairs," reminisced Jesse, "feels like the old days,"
"By old days, you mean few months ago, right?" asked Axel.
"Well, yeah," admitted Jesse, "anyway, let's go!"

"These stairs," complained Axel, "they remind me of Soren's stairs at the End,"
"Unfortunately," agreed Olivia. Lukas chuckled.
"Oh that's right, you guys didn't take the stairs last time," he realised.
"Well, going down the stairs was easy—" said Olivia.
"—but not so much going up," finished Axel.
"Aww, you guys finished each other's sentences!" said Petra. "Like a real couple — oops!" She yelled out as she realised what she had said.
"Wha-what are you guys talking about?" stammered Axel.
"Uh, yeah, guys?" said Lukas as he stepped up out of the group. "We...kinda...overheard you at Petra's house this morning?"
"Woah, wait, what?" jumped Olivia. "Why?"
"Um, well," said Jesse, "we were just curious."
"So that was what that 'room service' was about," said Axel, "I knew there was something strange about that,"
"No, you didn't, Axel," said Lukas confidently.
"Yeah, you're right," said Axel.
"Anyways..." said Petra, "do you guys forgive us?"
"Well, we were waiting to tell you guys," began Olivia, "but since you guys found out..."
"It's cool," finished Axel.
"Ah, what did I tell you guys!" squealed Petra. "I knew they'd forgive us! By the way, congratulations guys!" She said as she hugged them.
"Heh, thanks, Petra," said Axel.
"Alright, come on, guys," said Lukas. Everyone resumed to walk up the almost-infinite staircase. Jesse lead on forward.

"I gotta admit, I'm really missing Ivor," said Lukas, "what about you, Jesse?" He asked. Jesse turned and looked at him.

(...)
(I miss him too.) + (I don't know...)
(He'll be fine.)
([[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]])

IF: ...

"..." Jesse said nothing.
"Well, I hope we do see him soon," said Lukas. Jesse nodded silently, agreeing to what he said.

IF: I miss him too.

"I miss him too," replied Jesse.
"We all do, Jesse. I hope he's okay." Said Lukas.
"So do I, Lukas," said Jesse, "so do I."

IF: I don't know...

"I don't know, Lukas," said Jesse, "I mean, he's probably fine. He's Ivor! He's probably having fun, on lots of adventures!" Lukas smiled at him.
"Yeah," chuckled Lukas, "he does get into trouble sometimes, but he's always been fine."

IF: He'll be fine.

"...he'll be fine," said Jesse, assuringly. "Right?"
"Yeah," replied Lukas "but I just hope he's okay,"
"I know what you mean," agreed Jesse, "you're just worried about him, that's all."

ㅇㅇㅇ

Jesse stopped. He looked around his surroundings. The whole area was strangely purple, with odd floating blocks, and the long stairs that they had been walking on.

"Every time I see this place—" began Jesse.
"—it stays so weird," ended Petra. They both looked at each other. They smiled. Then they turned away, slightly embarrassed. Jesse shook his head, thinking his thought that they had both finished each other's sentences like a couple was a coincidence, and he had high doubts that Petra liked him too. The Order had finally reached what had seemed like forever; the top of the stairs. He could see the pair of brown doors which was the entrance to the Old Builder's Games.

"Ah," he said, remembering what had happened the last time he was at these doors, "the two doors. Ready guys?"
"Ready," came everyone's voices from behind him. Jesse opened the doors. Bright light blinded everyone. They tried hard to open their eyes.
"On three," ordered Jesse. Everyone began to count.
"One,"
"Two,"
"THREE!" they yelled as they jumped into the light.

***

When Jesse opened his eyes, he hadn't landed on the white sheet of snow from the Spleef game from last time. Instead, to his surprise, they were falling endlessly, down a some sort of rainbow vortex.
"Lukas!" yelled Jesse over the hard wind rushing over him as he fell. "Do you have any idea what kind of game this is?!" He asked.
"Actually, yes!" answered Lukas, to Jesse's surprise. He had expected him to not know about what this 'game' was. "It's called," he paused, gasping. "'The Dropper'!"
"The what?!" yelled Petra.
"It's called 'The Dropper'!" said Lukas. "You drop down and land in the water to win and survive to the next level! But since normally you can't respawn back in our world, we used to have a big landing pool and a short jump distance!"
"Who's we?" asked Axel.
"The Ocelots!" Yelled Lukas.
"Right." came Olivia's voice. "Sorry, forgot for a moment that you used to be an Ocelot!"
"No problem!" he replied. "But we could really save this talk for later!"
"Guys!" shouted Jesse. "I'm straight headed for the water! Get behind me in one line!" He ordered. They all moved in the air, in single file, behind Jesse as they fell. 

SPLASH!
Jesse and his friends had realised that they had all survived by falling correctly into the water.
"Phew!" said Axel, relieved.
"Who the heck, would make such a thing?" groaned Petra.
"I think I know who would," said Jesse. He had seen, and experienced a dropper before. Not as hard or deep as this, but he just saw the resemblance. It was the same idea as the entrance to Harper's underground secret laboratory.

"Harper?" yelled Petra loudly. "But she went back to Crown Mesa, didn't she?"
"I thought so too," said Lukas, "right Jesse?" Jesse stopped and thought for a moment. Then he spoke.
"What if..." he began, "what if Harper came here? I mean, Crown Mesa's portal wasn't closed, it's still open." Lukas widened his eyes.
"You're right!" exclaimed Lukas. "Harper could have come back here anytime!"
"Do you think the post-PAMA construction is finished?" Petra asked Jesse.
"Could be." he replied.
"Well, this is quite a surprise," came an old, familiar voice. Jesse and the gang turned around.
"Otto!" yelled Jesse, smiling.
"Hello, Jesse," said Otto, "what brings you here to The Games?"
"We came back to take Reuben back with us." said Jesse. "We forgot him before. Is he still here?"
"I don't know," said Otto, "but I hope he is well. Follow me, to my new office, also known as Hadrian's old office.

"Hey Otto, how come we didn't land on the Spleef game again?" asked Jesse.
"Oh, that's because it wasn't on." explained Otto. "When you first came here, it was in the middle of our Spleef match, but just then, we were finishing off the Dropper."
"Speaking of the Dropper," said Petra, "Jesse here says it could have been Harper's idea?" Otto turned to her.
"Quite right, yes," said Otto, "when the post-PAMA construction had finished back in Crown Mesa, Harper visited us again, and she helped us with new game ideas."

Jesse looked around, as he realised that he was back in Hadrian's old office, which was now Otto's.
"I assume you know this place, Jesse?" said Otto, as he saw Jesse looking around.
"Yeah, and I noticed the Tim's Armour place has been replaced?" said Jesse as he pointed over to the new armour. The new armour on the armour stand seemed to be a replica of his own Ender defender.

"Hey... isn't that Jesse's armour?" Petra spoke.
"Yeah, how come it's here?" said Axel.
"Guys, guys. I'm wearing my armour. This must be a replica. Right, Otto?" Jesse asked.
"Jesse is right." Otto explained. "Since Tim had never existed, everyone said Jesse was the 'New Tim', and because Jesse did win the games, when before, no-one had. And it could even be stronger than yours, Jesse. I mean, yours is the original, but this armour is, well, 'Old Builder made'. It was made of harder material, from the original's still-hard silicon carbide, to the currently-strongest-material-known graphene — the miners in the mine had discovered these." added Otto from the confused looks of Jesse and his friends faces. "I admit; the maker of the original armour was great, I have to hand it to him (Jesse smiled as he thought of Ivor), but the materials are kind of out-dated; old-fashioned. This replica armour here, is currently stronger than any armour that exists, even our old 'Tim's Armour', which we also made.
"Also," said Otto, "I changed the diamond in the middle of the chestplate to Wurtzite Boron Nitride — which is found to be harder and stronger than diamond."
Jesse exchanged looks with his friends. They shrugged.
"Okay... thanks for telling us, Otto," said Jesse, a little overwhelmed with the slightly-more-advanced armour.
"Surely you'd want to switch with this one, Jesse?" Otto asked curiously. "I mean, it's my gift, you do deserve it from helping me change my mind about the games."
Jesse looked at Otto, smiling thankfully.
"Thanks, Otto," he said, "but I just can't take it. I have many armours back at our treasure hall at our world, and there'll be someone out there who needs, or deserves, this armour more than me."
"But — but,"
"Jesse, are you sure?" came Olivia's voice.
"Seriously? That thing is way more powerful and awesome than what you're wearing right now!" Jesse heard Axel's voice.
"Come on, have a think about it, Jesse!" said Petra.
"You could give it to someone, Jesse," Lukas said, then he coughed something that sounded awfully like "me!".
"Guys — guys!" said Jesse, raising his voice as his friends didn't realise he called them and kept trying to convince him. "I've got enough armour for a long time, I don't need it. Plus, this armour is still pretty tough, an it's not damaged or anything."
So Jesse's friends had to give up convincing him, and as Otto, shrugged and smiled himself, they walked to Otto's desk.
"So — Reuben, hmm?" said Otto, sitting down in his chair behind his desk. "Well, we could check the old cell again. Now — where did I put my diamond pickaxe?" he muttered as he spoke to himself, crouching down to look for his pickaxe in his chest. "Ah — here it is." Otto indeed pulled out a bright, diamond pickaxe from his large chest, and began mining away at the quartz wall, where Jesse knew that this was the obsidian cell where Olivia, Axel, and Reuben were imprisoned, one month ago.
The dark, obsidian cells were noticeably empty; the cells missing Axel and Olivia, and —
"Reuben!" Jesse yelled, hoping to see him around the corner. He peeked closer into the darkest cell. "Does anyone have any spare torches? I can't see a thing." Lukas came to his side.
"Here," he said as he handed Jesse some torches. "Hey, is it just me, or do the prison bars have —"
"Holes!" said Petra, pointing at the bars. And sure enough, some of the bars were missing; various rough patches of holes were in place. "I don't think he's in there, though." Jesse placed some of his torches on the walls. The prison cell was empty; and seeing how there weren't any items floating on the ground, like how it does when a person dies, Jesse guessed that Reuben had somehow managed to get through the iron bars and escaped.
"I wonder how he had gotten out of those bars," wondered Olivia, "They must have taken forever to punch through." Jesse examined the bars closer after Olivia had said this, and realised something. There were little gaps in the bars, which resembled—
"Bite marks?" said Lukas in disgust. He stepped back a little. "That means —"
"He ate through those bars?" said Olivia, cupping her mouth with her hands. "Poor guy, how hungry must have he been to eat through solid, iron bars!" Axel wrapped his arms around her shoulders to comfort her.
"Then —" Jesse began, " then, where is he?"

{END OF CHAPTER 2}
「Achievement Unlocked!
[9-2] Back to the Hallway!」