DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fan fiction using characters from The Underland Chronicles world, which is trademarked by Suzanne Collins. I do not claim any ownership over the characters from The Underland Chronicles or the world of The Underland Chronicles. This story I tell here is my own invention, and is not purported or believed to be part of Suzanne Collins story canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official storyline. I am not profiting financially from the creation or publication of this story.

I am grateful to Ms. Collins for her wonderful stories about the Underland, for without her books, my story would not exist.

Luxa was trapped. She was in a cage. A gilded cage, but a cage nonetheless.

Howard didn't seem to understand her. They never understood her. "Why?" They would remark. "If we had need of our warrior, it would have been foretold in the great Bartholomew Sandwich's prophecies. So, I ask, once again, why?"

Always "Why?" and never "When?". Always "Our Warrior," and not "The Warrior," or better yet, "Gregor,". They viewed him as an instrument. A well oiled, precise, treasured instrument. You could not doubt their love for him. But, at the same time, it was not for him. They did not love Gregor, Overlander, brother, son. They loved the Warrior, slayer, destroyer, tool of Regalia. They may have loved him, but Luxa loved him.

Maybe that didn't make sense. But that's a beautiful thing. It doesn't have to. She can love him all she wants, and no one can take that away from her. No one can steal that light, burning bright in her heart. It felt... Blissful. Impenetrable. Invulnerable. Luxa knew the second she detected it, that it could weather any storm. It would protect her from the one wishing to do her heart harm. It would smirk in the face of a piercing blow, a horrid comment intending emotional harm, and absorb it. It would allow it to swirl around, to gain velocity, then, just when Luxa feels as though it's finally let her down, it'll hurl that scathing criticism back with a new ferociousness. It was her protector. And she was glad to open her heart unto it and welcome it in with a charming smile; notwithstanding unrivaled thanks.

That was the thing no one would have guessed. Luxa had changed. She had changed a lot. A year ago she would have cast this foreign presence a mere glance before spitting unceremoniously at its feet and pointing it in the other direction. But she had changed. Oh, how she'd changed.

Her heart had been broken already. Henry, her cousin, her best friend, had betrayed her. Still, she dreamed of his hesitation, as he attempted to persuade her into joining him in his treachery. "You must, Luxa, You have no choice. You must join with us or die," Had been his words. But laced steadfast under those words had been a tremor. Remorse. No matter how much she craved to loath him, he had been but a boy, just as she'd been but a girl. They very well could have been completely relaxed, playing a friendly game, in a different world. But she was not in a different world. She was in this world. And in this world, everyone had many sides. Perhaps that was why she still dreamed of a time in which they'd been even younger—when they would play ball in the arena, and laugh and snicker. And even as happy as those made her yet, they were still more like nightmares, because the second she awoke, she would pull her knees to her chest and cry, and wish, and long for those times. Those happy and oblivious times.

She finally accepted, even through her struggles, that her cousin's destiny had been set as such. It had taken a year of blaming herself, and self-pity, and self-hate, and plenty of other self-beginning words coursing through her system before the one thing that could truly put her at rest arrived. Acceptance. Acceptance of what had happened, and determined avoidance of the 'could-have-been and could-have-done' thoughts. That was only one way she had changed.

During Gregor's second—visit—to the Underland, Luxa had finally decided that her own opinion was significant enough to make life-changing decisions. She had wanted to go on the quest. To aid her friend in battle, and help achieve victory. She'd been told no. Through that Luxa had discovered that her aversion to being told no went to a whole new level than she'd thought.

On and on she could go about how much she'd changed. Getting stranded in the jungle. Meeting the Nibblers. Going home. And over time... Falling in love.

This was why no one understood her when she said she wished to travel to the Overland. No one knew that she had changed so much. Whether it was Vikus or Howard, no one understood. Of course, Hazard knew the feelings she harbored for Gregor, but he was young. She neglected to acknowledge that she, also, was young. Hazard was younger. Younger than her, and that was enough. The only one who truly seemed to understand was her bond, Aurora. Her bond understood how much change she had gone through, and was going through. She was making decisions; decisions that changed not only her life but other's as well.

This gilded cage she resided in was all too confusing. She hated it, but at the same time, it gave her an eerie comfort. The idea that she didn't have the authority or the power to make these decisions was tempting. It took away the stress that came along with knowing the worst fact of all—If terrible things happened on account of her decision, it would be her fault. Her fault, and only her's.

She wished to be free of the gilded cage, the chains, glistening with false assurance, holding her down. "Why must I be stuck in this state?" Luxa had whispered to herself one night, when the pressure of duty and honor, and valor, had become too much. "Why must I depend on wishes and illusions to withstand the tremulous waters of my city?" She knew that she could just run. Desert Regalia and flee to the Overland. Be with Gregor. She knew that he would accept her with open arms, and happily ignore all of the strife that came with her. But no. She wouldn't do that. She was not the Queen of Regalia for nothing. She did not form the first Gnawer / Killer bond, in plain defiance of the already accepted animosity toward the race throughout the Underland. She did not defy the logic, the rationale telling her that she, a Royal Regalian of the Underland, couldn't fall in love with Gregor, a Warrior, but most assuredly, a kind heart, from the Overland. Luxa would not run, she'd honor those who gave their lives and push forward.

Luxa, Queen of Regalia, would escape these glistening chains, these smirking bindings, these snarling restrains. She would smile at that ever-bright light in her heart, the one that would look at her with dazzling chocolate-brown eyes, oh-so-much like Gregor's, And she would hold it's hand. Together, leaving all of that doubt, inhibition, anger, deceit, to rot for eternity in her very own prison, they would not flee the Underland. No, clenching their hands as one, they would flee her gilded cage.

I know this probably isn't what you expected, if you expected anything. All I can say is— I'm unpredictable. Now, I'm not trying to make myself seem cool, but I'm saying that I'm unpredictable even to myself. So, for instance, if I plan to write a super long and thought out Underland Chronicles fic and then tell everyone that I'm going to do that... I may. I may also not. And, honestly (Unless anyone got their hopes up for one, and if so, I'm very sorry) I'm not sorry for that. Something that I've learned during my journey as a writer, is that writing is like a ship. You may steer it, and veer into the courses you want to go, but sometimes that passion for writing wants to go somewhere completely different. So, for now, I can't promise anything. I may end up finishing that super well thought out fic. I may finish the Customized Chronicles. I may just continue doing one-shots like this. SO, in case you were waiting for something specific, that's what I'll tell you. Again, if you really got your hopes up for that fic... maybe I'll write it, but I've broken enough promises that I don't want to make any more. That being said, I would very much like to hear your opinion on what you would like to see next. My super well thought out fic, more Customized Chronicles, more one-shots like these? I know this sounds like I'm just fishing for reviews, but I'm really not. I'm a guy who's very much influenced by what other people say. If there's maybe an idea for a fic you've always wanted someone to do, and you think I should take a shot at it, please let me know! And thank you very much if you do!

Also, Thank you so much to everyone who has added me to your favorite/followed authors lists! Thank you also to everyone who has added any of my fics to your favorite/followed fics lists!

Fancied it? = Review

Despised it? = Review

Desire to assassinate me for being such a blatant idiot? = Review!

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

—Lao Tzu