Hello there! Once again, a disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins, and therefore I do not own any part of the Underland Chronicles.
Lizzie
On Saturday morning, Lizzie was up and about before anyone else. Yesterday morning her father had sent a note down to the Underland and they'd gotten a reply late in the evening; the Underlanders were ecstatic to hear from their Overland friends, and since her father had told them of their time crunch (the end of spring break was two days away), they were prepared to throw a massive party for Lizzie the very next day.
Outside it was cool and cloudy. Lizzie opened all of the windows in the house, hoping that the noise of the streets below and the fresh air would help her keep calm. She had managed to go without a panic attack for the last three days, and with their return to Regalia so close she was becoming more worried. She busied herself with packing, thinking through every possible item she might need. The last time she'd fallen through the grate she had nothing with her and it had been incredibly traumatizing. This time, she would be prepared.
By the time the rest of her family was awake, Boots was settled at the breakfast table with a piece of toast and jelly, and Gregor was nearly through packing as well.
"You've got a paper bag, Liz?" he asked casually. Lizzie knew that he didn't want the question itself to prompt an attack. She took a deep breath and nodded at him.
"What about you? Plenty of flashlights? Batteries? Shirts? Shoes?" She smiled so that he knew she was teasing. After the months he'd spent in the Underland before, he ought to know what to bring.
Mrs. Cormaci bustled in the front door just minutes after her mom and dad were awoken by Boots screaming for more toast, and complaining that the jelly was "reeeeeeeeeeed!" instead of "puuuuuuple!" like it normally was.
"Hi, Mrs. Cormaci," her brother greeted the older woman. "Are you coming with us?"
"Heavens, no," Mrs. Cormaci replied, placing a large bag on the kitchen table. "I've said before, you couldn't get me down there no matter what you prodded me with. All these stories of bats, and rats, and giant cockroaches… it all sounds fascinating, my dear, but I think it would be a bit too much for me!"
"What's in the bag?" Lizzie inquired. "We should be home for dinner tonight…" If Mrs. Cormaci was bringing them more food, she would need to find a place in the refrigerator. As had become the norm, their fridge was actually stuffed full of food.
"Oh, no, dear," the woman replied. "This is for that rat of yours. I've had these shrimp in my freezer for ages and I know he'll love them." Lizzie beamed and took the large ziploc bag of shrimp from Mrs. Cormaci, stuffing it down in the small backpack she was bringing. Ripred certainly would be happy with this. "This too," Mrs. Cormaci added, and Lizzie turned around to grab another bag, this one full of what looked like chocolate fudge cookies. "Those are to share at the party, though. You tell him he only gets ONE."
"The Underlanders may drag you down to Regalia sometime," Gregor's dad warned Mrs. Cormaci as he walked into the room holding Boots, her face still covered in 'reeeeeeeeeed' jelly and bread crumbs. "They have some talented cooks, but you'd better stop tempting their appetite for Overlander food!"
Mrs. Cormaci waved him off with a flick of her hand and bustled out of the kitchen to help Lizzie's mother in the bedroom.
As the family trudged down to the laundry room with their bags, Lizzie couldn't help thinking about how serious a trip this had already become. They were only meant to be there for part of the day, but both of her parents had packed full backpacks, and her and Gregor had small packs as well. Five months ago the family had primarily used the park entrance to the Underland, but it was broad daylight and there was no way they could get in and out with any hope of staying out of sight. Lizzie's mother locked the door to the laundry room behind them and put Mrs. Cormaci on guard duty (the woman had offered to play the "couldn't get the door open" card if anyone came down while the family was still there).
"The note said that they would be here to pick us up at eleven o'clock," Lizzie's dad said, glancing at his watch. "It's eleven-oh-four. The bats will probably be circling."
"I am not jumping down in there without knowing I'll be caught," protested her mom, her voice rising.
"It's all right, mom," Gregor assured her. He looked through the grate, and Lizzie followed his eyes to the face of a large white-and-black striped bat.
"Princess!" Boots yelled, struggling away from her mom's arms. "Greetings, Princess!" She ran to the grate and touched the top of the bat's head.
"Greetings, Princess," Nike replied in her pleasant, purring voice. Lizzie smiled and waved at the bat, and Nike said again, "Greetings, Princess," this time directed at her. "Is your family ready to descend?" Lizzie noticed that though Nike knew Gregor better, she was talking to her. Lizzie nodded, feeling her hands start to tremor.
"Who'll go first?" her dad asked, and Gregor volunteered, taking Boots from his mom. "Lizzie, you want to go too?" Lizzie thought of something and took a deep breath.
"Nike," she asked, her voice not quite steady. "How many fliers are there with you? Should I fly alone, or should one of my parents fly with me? Wouldn't they both be heavy for one of you?" Lizzie supposed it depended on the bat; Gregor's bond Ares had been strong enough to carry three or four people at once (or Ripred by himself), whereas she knew that the younger, smaller bats could barely manage one person.
"It is myself and a flier you have not yet met named Erasmus. He is strong enough to carry both of your parents, and I shall carry yourself and your brother and sister." The bat's head had disappeared and her voice was fainter. "You may drop when you are ready, Overlanders. I will catch you."
"All right. You ready, Liz?" asked Gregor, Boots in his arms. Lizzie tried to stop her pounding heartbeat and stepped forward, kneeling next to the grate. Gregor crawled through the opening, grabbed onto her hand, and dropped, yanking her forward. Lizzie felt the sudden urge to be sick, and she closed her eyes and fought against the terror that rose in her. Within moments she landed on a more firm surface and wrapped her arms tightly around Gregor.
"Hold on a sec, Liz. Let me get your bag out, all right?" She knew Gregor had brought a paper bag for her to breathe into. Lizzie had one in her own backpack as well but she felt uneasy trying to reach around and get it. She let go of Gregor for a few moments, trying to think of how she was supposed to breathe. In… out. In… out.
Gregor leaned forward and whispered something to Nike, and then he sat back up and handed the bag to Lizzie. She cupped it around her mouth, breathing once more, slowly.
"Princess," Nike said after a few moments, her voice cheerful. "I remember that you like puzzles, do you not?"
Lizzie took another breath in the bag and then nodded, not wanting to open her mouth for fear she would be sick or begin gasping. Gregor answered the bat for her.
"I think you would like to speak to the nibblers once we arrive," the bat continued. "Since the bond with the gnawers, Regalia has been attempting to allow more creatures in and out of the city. We have a new nibbler ambassador named Apex, and he has been teaching the Regalian children much about puzzles and difficult math problems they have not been exposed to in previous lessons. Perhaps you would enjoy going to one of the classes if you have time later in the day."
Lizzie listened to the bat talk about the new math classes and the puzzles that the Regalian children were learning, and over the course of a few minutes she took the bag away from her mouth and handed it back to Gregor. She never spoke, but when the great city appeared in front of them, Lizzie was breathing almost normally.
They landed at the edge of the arena, which had been marvelously fixed up since the end of the war with the rats. It was decorated now, and full of life; crawlers, nibblers, bats, and humans rushed amongst each other, hanging decorations on bleachers or rolling blankets out on the ground for sitting once the food had been served.
Gregor hopped off of Nike's back, and it took Lizzie a moment before she did the same. From the height she tried to find Ripred's scarred face, but after a few moments she dropped down to the ground.
"Thank you," she said softly to the bat. "For talking to me on the ride."
"I will always help you, Princess," Nike said just as quietly. "We are your friends, here in the Underland." And then she held out her wings and took off once again.
"Gregor!" Lizzie heard a voice calling for her brother and turned around. An older man was coming toward them, being wheeled from behind in a device that looked very similar to a wheelchair.
"Vikus!" Her brother replied, and Lizzie remembered who the man was. She hadn't spent time with him before, but she knew Gregor respected him a lot.
"Ah, and Lizzie," Vikus turned to her, speaking slowly but clearly. "It is your birthday! I hope that your party will be satisfactory."
Lizzie looked around. There was a large table at the far end of the arena with an array of foods and a large cake. Bins of balls, hoops, and other trinkets were just a few yards away, and there were roaches, mice, and bats standing close by, watching her with gentle expressions. She felt overwhelmed suddenly.
"It'll be amazing," she assured him. "How are you?"
"I am fine," Vikus answered. "My speech has improved tenfold, Howard tells me. My muscle movement, on the other hand…" he trailed off and lifted his hand weakly. "Howard is convinced that I will make a full recovery, which is rare and very difficult. I am very glad to be able to speak to you, at least. I will continue the therapy."
"That's great, Vikus," Gregor said, and started to walk off in another direction with Boots and Vikus. Lizzie felt a hand on her shoulder.
"This is awfully nice," her mom said. "They went all-out."
Lizzie smiled and looked around once again. Across the arena, a small boy was playing with a bunch of nibblers.
"Hazard!" Lizzie cried, and ran toward him. He heard her and ran to greet her, taking her hand immediately.
"You have returned!" He cried. "It has been a long time since I've seen you. Have you met many of the guests yet?" Lizzie shook her head. "I will introduce you!"
He lead her first to a group of mice playing in the middle of the arena with a few of their pups. The largest mouse there was black with a white patch over his shoulders, and as she looked more closely the pattern appeared pointed near the top of his shoulder. She wondered if this was Apex, the new nibbler ambassador Nike had mentioned.
"This is Apex," Hazard told her, coming up behind the mouse, and Lizzie felt a rush of pride knowing that she had been able to deduce his identity. The mouse hopped over to her. "Apex, this is Lizzie," Hazard continued. "She's an Overlander. She likes puzzles."
"Wonderful!" said the mouse, his voice lower than she expected. "Regalian children, for the most part, do not share my enthusiasm for my teachings. Would you like to do a few math problems with me?"
"I would like to," Lizzie said happily. "But, maybe later? After the party?"
The older mouse nodded, satisfied, and led her to where the circle of mice were still playing. He introduced her to his partner, a lovely cinammon-colored mouse named Kite, and the three pups they were playing with - orphans, all three from different litters. Lizzie was about to sit down in the circle to play with them when Hazard spotted Luxa and grasped Lizzie's hand firmly, pulling her toward his cousin.
"Lizzie," Luxa greeted her with a smile, embracing her warmly. "You have returned. I hope your party will be satisfactory."
"It looks really nice," Lizzie assured her. She looked at the ground for a moment and then spoke in a softer tone. "Luxa… is Ripred here?"
"I'm sorry, Lizzie. He left Regalia a couple of days ago and I do not know when he is expected to return." The older girl regarded her with a bit of sadness. "The moment he arrives within the city you will be the first to know." Lizzie nodded, trying not to look disappointed.
"Have you seen Gregor yet?" she asked, moving the conversation. "I know he was desperate to see you."
"Was he?" Luxa replied with a grin. "I have not yet seen him. Have you any idea where he might be?"
Lizzie turned and looked across the arena. Closeby, she saw that her father had introduced himself to Apex and Kite and was speaking enthusiastically to both of them, and her mother had found her way to Howard. Gregor and Boots, however, were nowhere to be found.
"No, I'm sorry," Lizzie said. "I think he'll find you during the party though." The older girl nodded and began to turn away, but Lizzie stopped her. "And, Luxa? Thank you so much for this. It's amazing. I feel right at home." This brought on a laugh from Luxa that Lizzie didn't quite understand.
"All right!" came a yell suddenly from a few yards away. Lizzie saw that Howard had separated himself from her mother and stood with his hands in the air. "Food is served! Please take as much as you would like, and be sure to congratulate our very celebrated guest, Lizzie the Overlander - for this is a party in honor of her birthday!" He winked at her as a flock of Underland humans and creatures came toward her.
Hey, y'all! Hopefully this chapter was interesting enough!
It's been a long time since I read the books in their entirety, so please, if there are continuity issues or other characters I seem to be forgetting, tell me!
I'm still looking for a name for this fanfiction (I'm not fond of the one it has currently, so if you have any suggestions I am absolutely willing to hear them.
If you have a few moments, please take the time to review! :)
