Meeting Early
Ok so I hope you like the first chapter of Meeting Early!
I'd like to thank my daughter Zoey for giving me the title.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE UNDERLAND CHRONICALS
I'm only saying that once
ON WITH THE STORY!
Chapter 1- Meeting the Princess
Young Gregor didn't think he would ever leave his small apartment building, that is, before the accident.
Gregor, age 7
"Gregor sweetie?" the 7 year olds mother called.
Said 7 year old poked his head out from around the corner. "Yes mommy?"
"I need you to do something for me since daddy is still at work, can you handle it?"
The little boy came out from behind the corner and walked up to his mother. He puffed out his chest and said "I'm a big boy, I can handle it!"
His mother laughed, "Well in that case, can you put the wet laundry in a dryer for me?" She held out four quarters needed to start the machine.
"Yeah!" Gregor said as he eagerly grabbed the coins from his mother and ran out the door.
Grace shook her head and laughed at her son.
Gregor raced to the elevator and waited, not very patiently, for it to descend to the correct level of the apartment complex.
When it finally got there, Gregor ran to the laundry room. As he was loading the dryer, he dropped one of the quarters. He chased after it as it rolled to the end of the line of dryers.
Gregor reached for the coin, but was stopped by an unusually strong gust of air from the vent in front of him.
Curious, he unhinged the vent and looked down, expecting to see a generator, but was met with darkness. Curiosity over took him again and he leaned forward, a bit too far forward. The next thing he knew, Gregor was falling through the darkness he was previously looking at.
Gregor never particularly liked heights, especially after his father brought him to the Empire State Building and he looked down through the clear glass floors, and he certainly did not like falling. Gregor quickly lost track of time and it felt like hours before he was suddenly on the ground.
"Ooff!" Gregor said when he landed on his butt. He stood up and looked around, mouth a gasp. "Whoa," he said, he stopped turning in circles and closed him mouth, "This place is dark."
"Thank you Captain Obvious," a voice said from off to the left, scaring Gregor and making him jump. "Or should I say junior Captain Obvious. How old are you pup?" the voice said, suddenly on the right.
Gregor spun to the voice, "I'm seven, who are you?" Gregor suddenly smelt something repulsive, "What are you?"
"I am Ripred, and I am…" the voice was right in front of him now. Suddenly there was light and Gregor had to look down as his eyes adjusted.
When they finally had, he looked up and jumped back at the sight in front of him. Right in front of his face was a huge rat, mouth turned up in a sneer, showing large sharp yellow teeth and a scary scared face.
"…a rat. Now should I bring you to the other humans," Gregor's hope rose with the possibility of getting away from the scary rat. "Or eat you?"
Gregor's heart sank; he realized this giant rat Ripred could easily eat him without thinking twice about it.
"Not much meat…" Ripred noted "And the humans would offer anything for an Overlander...maybe even shrimp and cream sauce…..to the human's land! Let's go pup."
Ripred started down the tunnel, torch in hand, with Gregor right on his heels. After only an hour of walking, Gregor tired and they had to stop.
The rat sighed "I cannot believe I'm about to do this…" he mumbled to himself. He looked at Gregor again and made the decision, "For the shrimp. Hop on pup."
Ripred got down on all fours and Gregor got on eagerly, thankful to be relived of walking any farther.
They made it to a large door not half an hour later and Ripred let him down.
"This is the door to the human's kingdom, well…their sports area anyway." The large rat said eyeing the door.
Gregor perked up at the word sport, "What kind of sports do they play?" he asked.
"Oh all kinds, you'll learn them eventually since you're not going home," Ripred opened the doors and walked in like he owned the place. "Hold it, hold it, and HOLD IT! I have a little something for the lot of you."
Two people landed in front of the rat, followed shortly by a smaller form Gregor couldn't make out. One was a man, the other a woman and they were the strangest people Gregor had ever seen. They were so pale, he could see almost all of their veins and their hair was grey. Though the two only looked in their 30's.
'No…not gray' Gregor decided, 'Silver'.
"What do you mean by this Ripred?" The man asked.
"Yes Ripred, what could you bring that would be of use to us?" The woman asked.
"Well, you'll see when you see him." Ripred turned and motioned Gregor forward, "Come here pup."
Gregor slowly walked through the doorway. Gregor paused when he stepped onto the field; he jumped and smiled at its sponginess.
"Boy!" Ripred growled. Gregor immediately stopped.
"Oh Ripred, let the boy have his fun!" the man laughed, "Come here son." Gregor walked up to the man, as he got closer he noticed his eyes were purple and he was wearing a crown.
The man keeled down so he was looking Gregor in the eye, "What is your name?"
"Gregor."
"Gregor," the man repeated, "How old are you Gregor?"
The boy smiled at the man, he held up 7 fingers proudly, "I'm seven, see seven."
The man laughed, "I do see, you know Luxa just turned seven."
"Luxa?" Gregor asked.
"My daughter. Luxa come here." The man held out his hand and, from behind the woman's legs, came a little girl that looked very much like the woman. Gregor guessed that meant she was her mom.
"Hi." Gregor said, he loved meeting new people. Especially purple eyed, extremely pale, crown wearing people.
"Hello." She said stiffly.
"Oh Luxa, no need to be so formal, Gregor is our friend." The woman smiled at him, and Gregor smiled back.
Luxa left her father's arms and circled around him, examining him closely. After a few circles she stopped in front of him again.
"Your skin is quiet dark," Luxa grabbed his arm and looked at his tanned skin, "It must take much light."
"Your skin is really pale," Gregor grasped Luxa's forearm like she was holding his, "It must take no light."
Luxa laughed at his imitation of her. (A: N/ I know a few might be thinking, Luxa doesn't laugh that easily, well she still has her parents, so she does now. Just clearing that up.)
"I have never seen brown eyes before." She continued
"I've never seen purple eyes before, they're pretty." Gregor smiled.
Luxa blushed and released his arm which she just noticed she was still holding.
"See, I brought your daughter her prince," Luxa blushed harder when Ripred said that, "You can thank me now."
"Quiet yourself Ripred." The woman scolded.
"Do you like sword fighting?" Luxa said trying to hide her blush.
It seemed like a strange question to Gregor, but he loved playing with his plastic sword when he played Pirate with his dad. "Yeah!"
Luxa smiled, "Then we will be good friends."
Gregor beamed. "I've never met a girl that liked fighting." He told Luxa.
"I have never met an Overlander." She countered. Gregor didn't know what an 'Overlander' was but he decided to ignore it.
"You talk funny." He said.
"So do you." She returned.
They both smiled. The man and woman laughed.
"It looks like you two will get along well. Now let us go to the palace so Gregor can bathe and eat. Are you hungry Gregor?" The woman asked. Gregor nodded. "Perfect, let us go then."
She waved her hand in the air and three bats landed. Three. Giant. Bats. Gregor yelped and hid behind Luxa.
"They will not hurt you," Luxa said over her shoulder, "They are my parents' bonds."
"Bonds?" Gregor asked.
"A bond is where a human and a bat swear to protect each other to the death." The man explained. "This is my bond, Zeus, and my wife's bond, Hera." He gestured to the two larger bats, "And the little fluff of gold over there is Aurora, Luxa's bond-to-be and these twos' daughter."
"You're not bonded yet?" Gregor asked.
Luxa shook her head, sending her hair in all directions, including in Gregor's face. "We are two young, but when I am older, we will."
"Aurora, will you get…Ares to bring Gregor?" the man asked.
"Yes my king." Aurora purred and flew off. A few minutes later she returned with an all black bat, slightly larger then herself.
"The Overlander wishes to ride me?" The bat, who Gregor had assumed was Ares, asked at awe.
"Sure! Let's go to the….palace right?" Gregor recalled. The woman nodded. "Alright, but first…"
Gregor turned to Luxa and smiled deviously. Luxa tilted her head to the side cutely.
"Yes Overlander?" she asked curiously.
Gregor's smile widened. He reached forward and poked her in the shoulder and said "Tag! You're it!"
He ran to Ares and jumped on his back. Ares, getting Gregor's motive, took off and sped toward the palace.
Gregor heard the man and woman laughing before a "Overlander!" and an "Aurora!" He collapsed on Ares' back laughing his head off.
"The princess will have your head for that." The bat laughed. His laugh sounded more like a 'huh-huh-huh' then a 'ha-ha-ha'.
"Her parents wouldn't let her would they?" Gregor asked.
Ares didn't answer.
So what did ya think? Hate it? Love it? Should I continue? Tell me! Review!