Three months later Gregor was at his graduation ceremony. He had finally graduated and would be leaving to New York in a few weeks in mid summer. He felt strange among all of these high schoolers graduating. Most of them looked happy. Gregor saw the strand and secretive guy again. He was as quiet as ever. He gave Gregor a friendly nod and walked away receiving his highschool diploma. After the graduation Gregor had a pretty good meal at an expensive restaurant. His parents were not rich but this was a special occasion for Gregor and they wanted him to have a good night having fun. Gregor saw a few of the people he considered friends or at least acquaintances in the same restaurant they gave Gregor a nod. The meal was amazing. They had gone to a steakhouse and as anyone who has been to a steakhouse they have lots of meat. From bacon to steak and pork chops as well as a salad bar and lots of bread to go along with the meal. It would be one of Gregor's last meals in the overworld at least for now. In a few weeks he would be in New York and in the Underland at least that's what he hoped. Gregor didn't eat that much even though the meal was for him. He let Liz and Margaret eat most of the food. His parents were just happy to see him in such a good mood. It seemed that the once happy boy had returned from his exile. Or at least for the moment he had come back and lit something in Gregor that had made him rejoice. Gregor talked a little with his parents and his siblings during the meal but he mostly stared at other graduated students who were piling meat on their plates and scarfing it down meanwhile Gregor wasn't doing that. Gregor laughed to himself "just another way I am different from them". His parents heard this and both looked at each other but tried to hide it from Gregor. He knew that they had heard and for some reason felt guilt for saying it. After everyone had eaten and they had left the restaurant and headed back home. Gregor's mom and dad pulled him over for a talk. "we know where you are really going" dad said. "And we want to wish you the best but also we want you to spend time in the surface sometimes" Grace said. "you are the most important thing to us, Gregor and if we ever lost you we would never forgive ourselves, so please come visit us sometimes and also you will need to make an excuse for missing classes" Gregor's dad said. Gregor nodded he understood. "We can't afford much but we do have a few gifts for you" Grace said. His dad went into the kitchen and came out with a box and something wrapped in towels. He gave Gregor the box first. It contained a very cool looking flashlight. It almost looked like something a Jedi lightsaber hilt. Gregor knew that this was for the underland, "It is solar powered but also has batteries" His dad said. "and it glows it the dark so you cannot lose it" Grace said. "It also has three modes of light, a regular beam, a green light and a laser pointer built in" His dad said. "Wow that is really cool" Gregor said. For the first time in a while he was genuinely blown away by the gift. Gregor's dad unfolded the towel to reveal….
"Sandwhich's sword. It was back. Not only that but it was repaired and looked in pristine condition. "The Underlanders sent this a long time ago but we kept it until you were ready to go back. Now its yours again" Both of his parents said. At first he was a bit angry. They had kept this from him. But his anger died out because he realized that he too had kept secrets from them. He also felt a bit jealous it seemed the sword was already working it's spell on him. Making him possessive. But he quickly shook that off. "thank you" Gregor said and hugged both of his parents. Gregor wanted the hug to last forever. He felt safe, protected from the outside world by his parents. But he knew it was time to leave the nest. It was time for him to forge his own path. He had finally learned to fly. (metaphor)
"Three weeks later Gregor was loading most of the stuff he had into his car. It wasn't honestly that much stuff. It wasn't like he owned that much stuff. Gregor's parents and siblings all came out to hug him. Even his Grandma who was now very ancient came out to wish him goodbye. Her head was clear today and she knew exactly who he was. Then it all went by so quickly. Gregor waved one last time to his family and drove off. His family stood waving at his car until it had disappeared. "Come on let's go inside" Grace said putting her arm on Margaret's shoulder leading her inside. Lizzie stayed outside for a while longer. Tears dropped from he face. It was like losing a sibling. You never knew when you would see them again. "Shoot to thrill, pay to kill, to many women to many bills. Came the song that played over the radio. It was an AC/DC song. Gregor enjoyed the song while he heard it unfortunately it also reminded him of the war that he had fought in. The war he had won. Gregor remembered most of all how pretty Luxa was on the day of the peace conference. That thought distracted him from the road. It was a good thing he was driving along a farm road. No one else was out there. Gregor said something as he swerved. "Sugar plum" Gregor said. Swearing wasn't allowed in his house and he didn't really want to swear either so he used silly stuff instead because it added some lightheartedness to the situation. Gregor kept his sword in the seat next to him. He felt his addiction to it. He remembered how when he received it from Vikus he had quickly gotten possessive and jealous of it. He hadn't even waited to see what Vikus was doing with his sword he just said "It's mine" Gregor felt shame for doing that. The thought that he would soak that way to someone who had treated him alright from the beginning. Gregor shook of those feelings. He wondered how Vikus was going. He had suffered a stroke when his wife died during the war against the bane. It had crushed him. Her death added with the fact that she had committed treason against the council and Regalia made him stressed already. It was so strange how they were married. They were opposites. One was a peaceful, resolute man and the other was a ruthless, cold, cunning and war maker woman. Gregor often found it strange but as the saying goes "opposites attract" perhaps that's what happened there. Life was mysterious and worked in strange ways. He couldn't imagine how it truly worked as Gregor's love was so long ago and he was just a child then. Now Gregor was having thoughts. Perhaps it was only in the moment and it was never true love. Perhaps it was only because they were young. Gregor knew. "I shouldn't be thinking that" Gregor said. "Or should I?" Gregor said. Gregor didn't know he was a confused boy. He felt small like a boy and not a man not knowing the answers that he wanted. But as Master Yoda said "fear is a path to the dark side" he could see that it did provoke certain thoughts. Fear, Jealousy, Anger it all corrupted people. So indeed the Dark side was a real thing. And good people can become the very monsters they hate. Obsession could also change a person. Gregor didn't want to think about it anymore. He wasn't a Jedi. He wasn't anyone. He was a Hero without a home. He didn't belong to the Underland or the Overland. It made him sad. Gregor pulled into a gas station and turned his car off. Once inside he grabbed some snacks and drinks and was about to check out when a guy walked in. Gregor could somehow tell the guy was no good. The guy walked up to the employee at the counter and started threatening him to give him all the money he had. Gregor saw him pull a knife out. The employee looked frightened and he started taking out the money and putting it on the counter. The employee was crying scared to bits. Gregor didn't know what was happening he hadn't felt the feeling for a long time. He felt himself going into Rager mode. Before he knew it the knife guy was on the floor bloody. "Call the police" Gregor said. The employee nodded. Gregor ties the guy up using some maintenance rope. The guy tried to squirm to get away but was stuck. "Make sure to show them the security footage as well" Gregor instructed the employee. The employee nodded again. The police arrived after about ten minutes and arrested the guy. They also took the security footage and asked Gregor some questions. It was all standard police procedure. Gregor was finally released from questioning. Now it was getting late and Gregor needed a room to stay in. The store manager actually paid for a room for Gregor as thanks for his heroics. It was strange being considered a hero again. The police did question Gregor on how he had beaten the guy so easily. Gregor just said he did lots of martial arts and he fought in some tournaments as well. They seemed to believe that more or less. At least no one asked about why Gregor was wearing long pants and a long sleeve shirt during summer when it was burning hot.
"Gregor took his stuff inside the hotel room. It was a nice hotel as well. Pretty clean and quiet. By how the sun was almost down. Gregor sat looking out as the sun disappeared and night slayed its mortal enemy to claim back what belonged to it. The sunset was beautiful. It was orange and red. Gregor could see lighting bugs flying around in the grass outside. They were everywhere in the trees and the fields. Gregor realized that he would miss the Overland. Even though he felt like he didn't belong in either world this was still the place he knew. The place he grew up in. And the place he would always have a connection was the place he could go and not have to deal with war, love or anything else. He already missed his home. He remembered that night the last night he spent with Luxa. He had shown her the moon. The big yellow cheese ball floating in space. It would be like that. How he would rejoice from once again seeing the moon floating up in the sky. No there was no sun now. Only darkness. His dark hotel room was empty and cold. He turned on the lights. He unpacked some of his stuff and took a shower. He put his sword by his bed. He took a long shower and after word felt miserable. Lots of people like warm showers but Gregor has stayed in to long and now he was hot and not refreshed like people usually are after a shower. That's another thing no showers in the Underland only baths at least in the regalian palace. Well hopefully the baths would be add good as they had then. Now you might be wondering what was Gregor thinking about and why was he avoiding thoughts about Luxa and love. Well he had this fiancé to deal with. It made Gregors blood boil. He didn't know what had happened in the Underland for the past few years but he wanted to know. Gregor shook the feelings off. He was again jealous. It was causing him to gain dark thoughts. Thoughts of Betrayal, revenge and mistrust. But he had to remember he wasn't there for the past few years. He hadn't been there for her. Whoever this fiancé was he hoped they had treated her well. They better have or else he would bust some chops. He had to remember that everything wasn't about him. He was only a piece in the game of the world. He was a pawn in the world. Although twitch every situation a new game would start. The game hasn't started yet and Gregor already felt himself losing. He only had three hours the next day until he arrived in New York. Gregor could feel his nerves on edge. The anticipation was too great. Gregor had a hard time falling asleep. He shifted around muttering to himself. Even when he slept he was restless. Often muttering something about Luxa or the Underland. As the night became morning and the morning became lunchtime Gregor finally woke up. He packed up his stuff relatively quickly because he had to check out. He ate a nice hotel breakfast and finally checked out. The day was gorgeous and ready for travel. Gregor climbed into his car after loading his stuff inside. He started the car and drove off. He played some music during the car ride. Gregor had a weird thought about how he might one day take Luxa on a car ride but she had a fiancé so it would never happen. Besides she was a Queen and you don't just take a Queen outside her homeland and take her for a joyride now that he had thought it he found it very silly and a ridiculous thought. Gregor just kept his eyes on the road now. With music and podcasts loaded on his phone it wasn't very hard to drive. He kind of felt sad though. With no one in the car to talk to or make jokes with. He was used to driving his siblings to school or summer camp. But now it was only him. Only him against the world. Yes Gregor was truly an adult or at least nearly but not quite. Gregors thoughts returned to Luxa and her fiancé but who was he? Gregor tried to think of someone she might have liked. Gregor couldn't think of anyone. The only males he could were Howard, Ripred, Vikus and Hazard. None of them were her fiancé obviously. Or at least Gregor hoped Ripred wasn't her fiancé. But he was her bond. Gregor shook that thought off. He wondered how Ripred was doing. How the rats were doing. But his thoughts also turned to the war that was coming. It had many many months since he had received that message. Who was the war against? The cutters, someone else? Either way Gregor knew that people might have given up on him coming back. He hadn't even bothered to write a message back. He felt awful like he had betrayed them. But they had said it was unfair to ask him to come back./p
"The real question was would they be angry or not. He imagined they would be because they were mad at him when he did not kill the bane. And that was pretty ridiculous as Nerissa had explicitly said that he had fulfilled the prophecy and yet people did not believe it. All he knew were that Regalia's were not very trustworthy and they did not seem to really trust each other either. He shook his head wondering how they even managed to get along with each other when every moments someone was plotting or doing something in secret and lying to someone else. Take Solovet for example. Gregor now turned his attention back to the highway. The drive was only about an hour now.
"Eventually Gregor came to a restaurant he found interesting. He went inside and ordered a burger. He had a decent amount of cash stored away from the jobs he worked during his high school years. And also some money from along time ago given to him by. He hoped was doing well. She wasn't that old when he knew her but she was getting into her 70's so it was likely she was still alive after all his grandmother was in her 90's now. He was glad for everything the nice woman had done for them. During the plague and the war in the Underland, she had been a replacement for his mother when his mother was bed ridden with the plague. She had also indirectly saved him from acid by giving him some old boots that her son once owned. So Mrs. Cormaci truly was a hero at least to him. He might try and visit her in New York or at least try and see if she still lived in that old apartment building. He enjoyed the meal and got back on the road. It was only half an hour now. It was about 2 in the afternoon. So 3 would be the perfect time to arrive not too late and not too early. He had to put most of his stuff in his dorm room but after he did that he would head back to the Underland. /p
"A while later Gregor finally arrived in New York City. He drove down to UNYC and found his dorm. He checked in and put all of his stuff in his dorm. It appeared that luckily enough he wasn't assigned a roommate so it was all his. No one to ask questions and no one to live with. He felt happy at being able to sneak out easier but also at the thought of being alone again. He drove down to his old apartment. He was surprised he could remember the route to the apartment. On his way to the apartment, he found his old school. It looked relatively the same as it had 6 years ago. He finally found his way to the apartment and saw that it still looked the same. The old bricks of the building had not been replaced. He opened the glass doors at the entrance. A woman sat at the desk for the people who lived in the apartment. He walked up to her and asked "Is Mrs. Cormaci still here?" the woman looked up at him and said "Yes she still lives here" "thanks" Gregor muttered and wade his way up the stairs. He found his old apartment. He didn't know who was living in it now. But he really did not want to see his old apartment. He made his way to Mrs. Cormaci's apartment and knocked. Someone put a hand on Gregor's shoulder and said "how might you be?" Gregor turned and found her.