This is my first fanfiction so please go easy on it. If you like the story I'll keep chapters coming. If not keep it to yourself, please don't hate on it. If you find any errors, whether it be spelling, grammar or anything else please just let me know. I've been reading many of the fanfictions on this site but I just wanted to add my own to them.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Underland Chronicles or any of the characters, save the ones that I will be adding. Both the Underland Chronicles and the characters within belong to Suzanne Collins.

-Ssi


Gregor felt like a complete stranger as he sat down at the long table that was littered with a variety of food. He sat as close to the end as he could in hopes that he could go mostly unknown. Iris sat on Gregor's left while Mareth and York sat down to the right of him. Around the table were another dozen people that Gregor didn't recognize.

There was no Perdita, no Howard, no Aurora, no Nerissa, no Vikus and no Luxa. For the last four years Gregor had buried his dreams of returning to the Underland deep in his subconscious. He had always thought that if he could return to his friends he wouldn't feel like such an outcast. Gregor guessed it didn't actually work like that, because now that he was back he felt just as alone as he had since the day he left the Underland.

The reason he had returned was to make sure Luxa was alright after not contacting Hazard for so long, but it seemed as though she was alright. No one had told him otherwise. So Gregor wasn't sure what he should do next. He wasn't an Underlander and he really didn't feel much like and Overlander either. He wanted to stay and see all of his friends again, but on the other hand seeing them again would mean just another goodbye. Gregor didn't want to leave, but at the same time he really didn't want to stay.

"Gregor?" Mareth asked, breaking Gregor out of his train of thought.

Man, Gregor thought, I really have to stop that. "Yeah?" he said out loud.

"How is your family?" Mareth asked again.

Gregor didn't exactly know how to answer. "They're doing alright I guess. We moved out to Virginia around four years ago now, so they're all there still."

"I thought that this Verginea city was miles away? How did you find your way back?" Mareth asked, completely butchering the foreign word.

Gregor chuckled, "In the Overland we have cars to get us place from place quicker."

"Cars?" Mareth asked confused.

"Um, well they're just machines made by people that make it easier to travel far distances," Gregor could tell that his description wasn't going to help.

"Do the fliers not help humans in the Overland?" Iris asked from Gregor's right.

"Fliers in the Overland are much smaller and normally avoid humans." Gregor told her.

"I have read about hand sized cannons that are used in the Overland, what are those like?"

Gregor looked across the table to see who asked the question. The man responsible for it was the red haired human that Gregor had seen earlier. "Well yeah, they're called guns, and I haven't used one personally but they're deadly. I mean that is there only purpose."

"What happens when one uses up all of the cannon balls?" The man asked curious about the Overland weapon.

Gregor wondered how to respond to that, "Well," he started, "I guess it'd be equivalent to dropping your sword down a bottomless pit."

The man seemed annoyed by this, "How inefficient."

"Why are you so curious about Overland weapons? Not a fan of swords?" Gregor asked.

"I am indeed as you would say, a 'fan' of my sword, but should the Overland have an arsenal that could benefit my soldiers I would be open to learning of it." The man replied.

"Your soldiers?" Gregor became confused.

"Ah, yes you have yet to be introduced," Mareth said from his side. "This is Vellac; he is the General of the Fount's army." Vellac bowed his head at his introduction.

Gregor glanced over at York who was also listening to the conversation. "I thought you were General of the Fount?"

York chuckled, "I was Governor of the Fount and a ranking officer in our army, Vellac however leads the army."

"Was?" Gregor asked.

"Has he not heard?" York asked Mareth who shook his head in response. "The rebel's first attack was at the Fount… It was completely destroyed, months and months ago. If it was not for Vellac and his personal squad in the Fount's army I am afraid no one would have been able to escape to Regalia and take refuge here."

"Oh, I hadn't heard that, that's awful." Gregor reflected his thoughts, "I didn't think this rebel thing was that big."

"The Fount was their largest attack thus far easily scaling on war, however for the time being all of their skirmishes remain small," Vellac answered.

Iris interjected, "no matter how small it is now, will it not raise to become worse in our future?"

"Have I not been saying this since the Fount?" York bellowed in annoyance. "We should be fortifying the palace more, and readying our armies for the inevitable."

Vellac interrupted York, "My team crippled what was left of their army at the Fount, had they made it to Regalia they would not be so unintelligent as to attack the palace."

"Attack the palace?" Mareth yelled out in rage, "They have already threatened the royal family's lives multiple times, what makes you think they will not wage all-out war upon Regalia for power?"

Before Vellac could rebuttal his point there was a commotion in the hallway outside. An old man was walking with haste towards the room. He was leaning against the wall as he hobbled along, the right side of his body still slightly limp from the stroke that he had endured years ago. A guard followed behind him not grabbing him but trying to stop him.

"I insist you must return to your room, you are unfit to stress your body anymore like this." The guard told Vikus. It looked as though Vikus was going to respond but had no additional breath to do so.

Gregor leaped from his chair and ran over to Vikus. Vikus gave him a half smile as Gregor wrapped his arm around Vikus' torso and helped him walk over to the table.

"Sounds like you should be lying down," Gregor gave the old man a smile.

After a few deep breaths Vikus squeezed Gregor's arm and spoke, "There will be plenty of time for that once my light is gone, but I can no more lay down after hearing of your return than Ripred could hold himself back while there was shrimp in cream sauce within smelling distance of him." Vikus laughed as he gargled through his words.

Gregor smiled at his comment, and then realized something, "Where is Ripred?"

Vikus was breathing deeper after laughing so Mareth answered for him. "We have no clue; no one has seen him in months now."

"What do you mean 'no one's seen him in months'?" Gregor ask bewildered, "he's not..?" Gregor started.

"Unlikely," Mareth responded to his unfinished question. "If he had I am sure we would have heard. He has spent years before you even fell into the Underland planning out peace between the humans and gnawers. I think once the rebellion had begun he stopped believing peace was an option any longer." Everyone listening quieted as he spoke. "I have no doubt he is alive and well somewhere in the Underland away from those he has long since stopped caring for." Everyone around the table was silently thinking to themselves. For over a minute no one spoke.

Ripred was considered an outcast for so long, but had always helped the humans in the war against the rats, so that there could eventually be peace. Everyone now knew that, but Gregor knew things about him that they didn't. He knew about Ripred's past. It wasn't one for the faint of heart. It made Gregor sad; thinking about his old mentor hiding away in a cave somewhere, simply ignoring all those who had ever cast him out because of what he was.

Gregor heard another commotion coming from the hallway and looked up. His heart stopped when he saw her.

She stepped into the room wearing a long, silky, dark blue gown that matched the blue veins visible through her paled skin. Silver bracelets snaked around her wrists and biceps, sparkling in the torchlight. Her hair hung half way down her back without any braids. The scar she wore upon her cheek and chin glimmered a slightly lighter shade than her skin. On top of her head sat a thin golden crown that had intricate weaves of silver and gems wrapped around it. But Gregor couldn't pay attention to any of that, because he was already lost in her eyes. They were a beautiful hue of violet that Gregor could distinguish from all the other Underlanders.

Her eyes met Gregor's. They lost none of their beauty as they turned to a violet void of emotion when she spoke six words that Gregor wasn't expecting.

"What is the Overlander doing here?" she asked without a drop of emotion in her voice.

"Gregor has returned," Mareth spoke. "He wishes to reminisce with old friends."

She spoke coldly, "he need not be here while we are on the edge of war."

York rebutted, "the warrior could be a useful ally should what you say be true, could he not?"

"Regalia has waged wars without the help of Overlanders for centuries," she returned, "we do not need his help."

"Well if you don't want my help I could always just be on my way," Gregor responded. He didn't want to get in a fight but wow, did she always have to be the stubborn? Gregor thought to himself.

"Good then we are decided," She responded, "you are welcome to leave at any time."

Yepp, Gregor thought. Luxa was the only one on, or rather in, Earth that could annoy him this much with only her stubbornness. Gregor's eyes followed Luxa as she spun around and left through the hallway that she had entered, her gown sweeping the ground lightly behind her.

"What was that about?" Mareth asked Gregor quietly.

"I don't know, your guess is as good as mine," Gregor replied.

"Worry not Gregor, she shall come around with time," Vikus answered Gregor's silent question in a hoarse voice.

Gregor waited in silence for a few moments. "I'm going to go see if I can talk with her," Gregor said.

"Good luck," Mareth, York and Vellac all responded at the same time while Vikus squeezed his arm again.

Gregor turned to Iris, "you ok here by yourself? I don't mean that offensively, I'm just asking."

Iris nodded her head, "I shall be more than fine, thank you for your concern," she replied with humor in her voice, "good luck with the Queen."

Gregor lowered his voice so no one except Iris could hear him, "better luck than you had with her last, right?"

Iris gave a huh-huh-huh bat laugh as Gregor stood up and exited the room down the hallway that Luxa had disappeared into moments ago.


There is Chapter 10. Woohoo double digit chapters! I hope everyone enjoys it! Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last few chapters, they're really helpful! Thanks! Please rate and review. Any and all feedback is welcomed.

-Ssi