Hello guys/gals and welcome back, and merry Christmas, albeit a little late. So, I must address an important matter. What all did you guys get for Christmas? Out of the things I got, I would have to say my favorite thing is Far Cry 4, closely followed by Little Bits (just look them up if you don't know).

Ok, now onto more writing oriented matters. I am aware of my mistake last chapter where I used Alex, instead of Gage. Sorry, I don't know what happened there, but it's been fixed now, and I will try to refrain from doing it again.

So, I will answer a few questions I have been getting. How much Gluxa will there be? A lot. Are you a girl? Why would you need to know that? No, I'm a guy. How much does Luxa miss Gregor? I will not answer that as of now. Will there be cookies? Yes, and cake to. I think we might also have some candy around here. . . Ah! Here it is! So, I guess I'll see you guys after the chapter!

Bis bald!

-Tytonic

Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create.

Gregor and the War of Severance

Chapter 4: Into the Depths

He smiled lightly when, out of the corner of his eye, he say Lillie rest her head on Gages shoulder. And this time, both of the were fully awake.

-O-

For a seven hour drive, it seemed to go by fairly quick. Of course, that may have been due to the fact that Gregor fell asleep for most of the ride. However, he got to see some pretty interesting things while he was awake.

He could watch as the landscape changed, and the entire world morphed before his very eyes. Of course, he was occasionally distracted. The entire time, Gage and Lillie were basically cuddling. Any closer, and Lillie would be sitting in Gage's lap.

This made Gregor smile. It was nice to know that they were making some progress. However, it was always amusing when somebody on the bus pointed it out, and they both scooted away, blushing madly. It only took minutes for them to return to their previous position.

Of all the distractions, that was the best case. It was slightly more distraction when some girls in front of Gregor began to flirt with him. While it became very clear very quickly what they wanted, Gregor was not happy. Just because he beat up a kid who was basically asking for it, he was suddenly popular among the girls? He had already had several girls approach him. Needless to say, he declined them all.

However, Dylan was the most distracting.

Flashback

"Yo, Gregs, whats up?" Dylan called from a few seats up.

Gregor knew that he would be judged by whatever he said. He entire bus even went silent so they could hear. Marvelous.

Gregor wasn't very good at comebacks, but he could manage. All of the kids in his school were unbelievably dim-witted, so it was not difficult to please them. Even the worst of comebacks should work just fine.

"Nothing that would concern you."

"C'mon dude, let me see."

Why is he doing this? It'll only make him look stupid. More so than he already is.

"See what? My ass? Sorry, but I'm saving that for somebody worth my time."

Even with that crude, immature comeback, Gregor could still see how effective it was. Every head snapped to Dylan to see what his response would be.

"Like who? That freak Girlfriend of yours?"

Word had spread fairly quickly as to what Gregor's picture was of. As a result, everybody knew what Dylan meant.

Just for insulting Luxa, Gregor wanted to beat the crap out of Dylan again. He couldn't though, not on the bus. Dylan understood this.

"My freak girlfriend? Take a look in the mirror, man. You ain't looking so hot yourself."

"At least I can get decent girls though."

That's seriously the best he can come up with?

"True, I'll give you that." Gregor said. "But at least I don't hold them at gun point first."

The entire bus went dead silent. Even the teachers at the front seemed to be waiting for Dylan's response. And Gregor was not surprised one bit by what Dylan said next.

"But dude, Girls love my gun. It's so big, and hits real hard. I've got chicks flocking to it."

"Seriously? That's the best you can do? When you get backed into a corner, you make a dick joke? God, it's easier to talk to my six year old sister. Even she seems to have more of a brain than you."

"Is it now? Dude, even she would want my big gu-"

"Do you want me to kill you? It sure seems like it."

The venom in Gregor's voice was enough to shut Dylan up, and his eyes were just like last time. Gregor was not joking around.

Had they not been on the bus, this conversation would have landed Dylan in the hospital for a good half a year. Minimum. Gregor was still unable to control his rager. He was getting much better at holding it back when he got mad, but when it broke lose, he couldn't hold back. When he first fought Dylan, he had hardly held himself back. A moment more and Dylan would be dead.

Slowly, the bus returned to normal, and kids continued their conversations where they had left off. However, the events that had just occurred never really left anybodies mind.

Flashback End

Gregor flopped onto his Hotel room bed, exhausted from the trip. Funny how that worked. He was sitting for seven hours, and he was exhausted from it. Several feet to the right, Gage proceeded to do the same.

Before they had arrived at the hotel, they had worked out rooms on the bus. You could choose who you would share a room with, as long as they were in your homeroom. Girls were not allowed to share rooms with guys, much to Gage's disappointment.

Despite being exhausted, Gregor, Gage, and Lillie were going to walk around the city. Having never been to New York, Gage and Lillie really wanted to see some of the sights it had to offer.

They had arrived in New York around four o'clock. Because of this, they would not have time to go to the museum and drive back home. So, the kids would have the rest of the day to themselves, and they would go to the museum the next day, then drive back.

However, they also wanted to see Gregor's old apartment. Because it was closer than any of the other places they wanted to visit, they were going to go there first. While Gregor was not looking forward to showing his friends his old apartment, he did want to see Mrs. Cormaci again. After all, she was one of the few people he knew who knew about the underland. On top of that, he wouldn't be alive if it were not for her.

Begrudgingly, Gregor dragged himself off of the bed. He would have plenty of time to sleep later. Stretching slightly, he began to dig through his bag. Shortly after, he pulled out a pocket sized flashlight. It was very powerful for it's size. While Gregor, knowing echolocation, did not need it, he would not be caught without a light in New York. Better to be safe than sorry.

He made his way over to the door of his room and walked out into the hallway. He found Lillie already waiting for them. Behind him, Gage came out of the room.

"Ready?" Gregor inquired.

"Yes!" Lillie exclaimed. "I can't wait to see your old apartment!"

"You already know that my family used to be very poor. It's nothing to get exited about."

"I want to see it too, Gregor." Gage added. "C'mon, let's go."

The walk was not very fun, but it was nice. It soothed Gregor. The crowded, noisy streets were one of the things he had always incorporated with home.

Soon enough, they arrived at his old apartment building. It hadn't changed too much, aside from the paint. More had chipped off over the years. While he had not been able to see it while living there, the place looked very run down. It almost looked like it was abandon.

He could see the surprise on his friends faces. While they knew he had been very poor, they hadn't thought that he had been this poor. It was kind of embarrassing for him.

Walking through the front doors, Gregor was hit with a musky smell. He knew it had always been there; he had just been too used to it to notice. Hit friends visibly cringed.

He couldn't help sparing a glance at the stairs that went down to the laundry room as they went up. So many memories, both good and bad. All too soon, they reached his old apartment. Much to Gregor's relief, the door was locked. It seemed that somebody else had moved in. Otherwise, the door would not have been locked.

"Ohh, come on. I wanted to look inside." Lillie groaned. "Oh well. We still have to meet your old neighbor, right?"

Gregor responded with a small nod, and turned around. Walking a few steps, he stopped in front of another door. Knocking softly, he heard footsteps inside. Within moments, the door opened, and he was met with a familiar face. He didn't have time to respond though, before he was caught in a bear hug.

"Ahh, Gregor! It's so nice to see you again! Ohh, you've grown so much!"

"Hey, it's nice to see you too, Mrs. Cormaci." Gregor responded.

Pulling away, Mrs. Cormaci saw Gage and Lillie. "Oh, hello! You must be Gregor's friends! Such good friends you have Gregor. A nice strong young man, and and pretty young lady."

While Gage blushed, Lillie extended her hand and smiled. "My name is Lillie. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cormaci." She paused for a second, then continued. "And this is Gage. He's just to shy to introduce himself."

Surprisingly, it was true. While Gage was very friendly, he was shy around new people. Once he gets to know them, however, that changes.

They exchanged a few more words before Mrs. Cormaci invited them in. As they settled down into the couch, Mrs. Cormaci handed Gregor something from the table. Gregor's heart leapt into his throat when he saw what it was.

It was a scroll, and on the outside it was labeled "Gregor". Without a word, he quickly broke the seal on it, and unraveled the paper. He found that it was a letter.

Dear Gregor,

I have been informed that you will be returning to New York temporarily. Before I proceed, allow me to apologize. If you have moved on from everything, and do not wish to remember, do not read on. Again, I am sorry of what I may ask.

We need your help once more. Regalia is facing a threat like no other, and may not survive without help. I would like to go into greater detail, but cannot through letter. If you wish to learn more, we must speak face to face.

I have asked Ripred to deliver this message. If, by any chance, you have received this, then please help. I, no, Regalia, begs for your help.

There will be several fliers stationed at the central park gateway for the next few days. Ripred will be there as well.

Fly you high,

-Luxa

P.S. I miss you greatly, and look forward to seeing you once more. (heart goes here (fanfiction won't let me put it in))

A million thoughts flew threw Gregor's head in an instant.

They need me? I need to go back to the Underland? I can see Luxa again! Does she still love me? She did include a heart. . . Maybe she hasn't let go? I hope she hasn't. If she has, I don't know what I'll do."

Out of all the thoughts that went through Gregor's head, the strongest was "I'm going back".

He looked back up at Mrs. Cormaci with a questioning gaze. She smiled back.

"I have kept in contact with them all these years, just in case." She explained. "But this letter was given to me directly. Ripred came and delivered it. He told me to give it to you the second I saw you. I haven't read it, but he said it was of the utmost importance."

Gregor nodded, and slipped the scroll into his pocket.

"Who's Ripred?" Lillie asked. "And what does the scroll say? Actually, why a scroll?"

"Ripred is. . . Well, you can't really put it into words. . . and don't ask me why it's a scroll. Probably so they don't have to fold the paper."

"Who?" Gage asked.

"Not important." Gregor responded. "Now, we have to go, Mrs. Cormaci. We have a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it. See you."

As they left the room, Mrs. Cormaci waved farewell to them. They waved back.

Gregor's friends continued to bombard him with questions related to the letter, but he managed to dodge their questions. They didn't need to know about the underland.
And so, the rest of the day went rather quickly for Gregor. They went to many places, and saw many things. While none of it was new to him, Gage and Lillie were amazed by everything they saw.

By the time the sun went down, they decided to call it a day. Instead of walking back to their hotel, they grabbed a taxi. This was nice, considering their legs, which were sore from all of the walking they had done.

When Gregor and Gage got to their room, they both fell into bed without changing. They were both exhausted from the days events, and wanted nothing more than to sleep. It took only minutes for them both to fall into a deep sleep.

Several hours later. . .

Gage stirred slightly in bed as he was awoken by a shuffling noise. Opening his eyes, he turned, only to see that Gregor was missing. Turning again, he looked at the clock. 2:17. Where on Earth would Gregor be at this time? His shoes where gone too, so he wasn't just in the bathroom.

Sliding out of bed, Gage put on his shoes. He hadn't changed before getting into bed, so he already had his clothing on.

He walked out of his room, only to see Gregor disappear around the far corner. It only took a moment for him to decided to follow.

A floor and a half later, he came to Lillie's room. He decided to bring her along. Knocking softly, he was surprised when the door opened several seconds later.

"That was fast." Gage said.

Lillie grinned at him. "I couldn't sleep."

"Ahh. So, I'm following Gregor. I have no idea where he's going. Care to join me?" He asked.

Lillie nodded, and appeared at her door shortly after. Apparently she hadn't changed either, and only needed to slip a pair of flip-flops on. They only had to walk a little faster than before to catch up to Gregor, but when they did, it was at the entrance to the building.

They continued to follow him for several minutes. As they did, they became increasingly interested in where Gregor was going. This interest peaked when they came to central park, and Gregor stopped by a rock. Looking down at it, Gregor made a licking noise. They froze when he quickly looked towards them.

~Gregor~

As Gregor reached the entrance to the underland, he paused. With echolocation, he had noticed two people following him. However, he paid them no mind. New York, even at night, was a busy place. They probably weren't following him. When he reached the rock, however, he noticed them stop behind a bush. It couldn't just be a coincidence.

And so, he clicked his tongue. Normally, he used echolocation with his breathing, and other sounds. While this worked just fine, it wasn't too effective. It couldn't reach farther than twenty feet, on a good day. When he clicked, however, he could "see" everything within a fifty foot radius. Up to seventy, on a good day.

And so, he found that Gage and Lillie had been following him.

God, how could I have been so stupid? I can't take them back, they would refuse. If I leave them, they will follow me down and get themselves lost in the darkness. I could try throwing them off, but it's too late. They already know that I see them, and where I was going. If I leave now, they will know I'm trying to throw them off. They aren't so stupid as to be fooled by such a simple tactic. Is my only choice really to bring them with me? I can't go back to the hotel and come later. They would ask too many questions, and I wouldn't get the chance to come back.

My only choice is to bring them with me. I can try to persuade them not to come, but they won't listen. This is bad. . .

Gregor motioned for them to come over to him. As they both came out of hiding, they hung their heads. He could see that they expected to get in trouble with him.

"You guys have no idea what you have gotten involved in by following me. . ."

Gage tried to talk, but Gregor cut him off. "I would tell you to leave right now, but you wouldn't listen. So you have to come with me. If you don't stay with me, you'll get lost, and that would be very bad."

Both of them stood still trying to make sense of what Gregor had said. Before they could, however, Gregor reached down and slid the rock away, revealing a staircase. They quickly came back to their senses, and followed Gregor as he went down. He slid the rock back into place behind them.

Gage and Lillie couldn't see a thing, but jumped slightly when Gregor turned on a very bright light, and handed it to Gage. Gage took the light, and looked around the cave. It seemed to be an old sewer which was no longer used.

He quickly made to follow Gregor when he began to walk away. He had no clue how Gregor could navigate in the darkness, but he didn't question it. They walked for a few minutes, before Gage and Lillie noticed that the tunnel had turned into an actual cave.

They continued walking until Gregor stopped completely. Gage was about to question it when Gregor began to speak.

"Long time no see, Ripred." He said.

"I see you haven't forgotten your echolocation, boy." A voice responded. It seemed scratchy, almost inhuman.

Gage flashed the light around rapidly, attempting to find the source of the voice. In the end, he found nothing.

"Come, boy. We have no time to waste, you are needed." The voice said.

"Then let's hurry. Just, what about my friends?" Gregor asked.

"Bring them. Nerissa predicted this, and we have prepared several fliers." The voice responded.

"Of course she predicted this." Gregor responded, rolling his eyes.

They began to walk once more. However, this time Gage and Lillie felt like they were being watched. Gregor laughed on the inside, as Ripred pocked them with his tail, trying to freak them out. They still hadn't seen him, but Gregor though that was a good thing. They would probably freak out if they did.

Gregor came to a stop just before the turn which would reveal the hole, along with the fliers.

"Gage, Lillie. What you are about to see may freak you out. Actually, I'm not going to lie, it will probably scare the shit out of you. But don't worry. Nobody will hurt you, and you will be just fine. You may find that you like them, actually."

Gage and Lillie were both to freaked out to respond. This entire situation was messed up. Something weird was going on. However, they trusted Gregor. If he said it was okay, then it was okay.

As Gregor led them around the corner, Lillie let out a scream, and buried her face in Gage's shirt. Gage stood with wide eyes, and he tried to make sense of what he saw. There were three bats, really big bats, and a giant rat. Or, at least Gage thought it was a rat.

Gregor turned to them. "Guys, this is Ripred. The worst person you will ever meet." He turned to one of the bats. "And this would be Nike." He said, patting her on the head. She purred in response. "Sorry, but I don't know your names?"

A large, black and gold bat turned to Gregor. "Hello, Gregor. I am Atlas, and it is an honor to meet you."

"Well met, Atlas." He said, then turned to a brown bat. "And you are?"

"My name is Artemis. It is a pleasure to meet you, Warrior."

Gregor nodded in response, and turned to Gage and Lillie. "So, are you guys ready to go? You will. . . well, have to ride the bat. Or rather, the flier. Don't worry, they won't bite, and they will not let you fall. Just don't choke them to death with your legs."

Gregor led Gage and Lillie over to Nike and Artemis, where he helped them both get on.

They are being strangely calm about this. I mean sure, Lillie did scream, but that's normal. Well, it will hit them later, and they will freak out. For now, it's making things easier.

Once Gage and Lillie were on their fliers, Gregor jumped onto Atlas. He chose Atlas, he realized, because Atlas was strangely similar to Ares.

Before long, the fliers dived down the hole. Gregor felt free and the air whipped past him, and the familiar underland smell hit him. He laughed as he heard Lillie screaming behind him. Gage was being quiet, but Gregor knew Gage loved roller coasters. This was like that. Just a lot more thrilling.

"So, Atlas, where are we going? Isn't Regalia in a different direction?" Gregor asked, when he realized that they were going the wrong way.

"We are going to the battlefield, Gregor. Luxa requires your assistance." Atlas responded.

Gregor wondered why Atlas was referring to Luxa by her name, rather than her title. He paid it no mind though. He did not call her Queen Luxa, after all.

They flew for a few minutes before Gregor heard something. The sounds of a battle. However, this battle sounded more fierce than a normal one. . . almost as if both sides were fighting for more than just survival. And all to soon, they burst out into a large cavern.

Gregor scanned the cavern, attempting to evaluate the battle, but was immediately shocked. Something wasn't right. Something was terribly wrong. He heard the gasps of horror from his friends behind him. They saw it too.

As they continued to fly past the battle, Atlas pulled up and began to fly in place as a bat fly up to meet them. Gregor's heart stopped when he saw Aurora stop in front of Atlas.

He locked eyes with the girl on Aurora's back. Four years. It had been four years, and she had only become more beautiful. However, that was not what Gregor was focused on. He was focused on her expression. She looked horrified, and scared. He could see a tear rolling down her cheek.

Luxa was scared. Of all people, Luxa is scared. If she is scared, then things are much worse than they seem. He looked back to the battle. And that is really saying something.

Looking back to Luxa, Gregor took a deep breath. "Luxa, I'm back."

Somehow, the words didn't come out. They died in his throat.

This was horrible, truly horrible.

Death, he though, May have become a gift.

No, not a gift. A blessing.

So, how's that for an ending? Well, he's back in the underland. But is that really a good thing right now? Who's to know? Well, you'll all find out.

So, how did you guys like it? I think it was nice, but it feels a bit too rushed. I couldn't manage to clear that out though. Well, I did the best I could with this resolve =3. So, I guess I'll see you guys next week!

Question: What's up with the battle?

Tytonic: So, thoughts?

Gregor: It's horrible. Something like that shouldn't happen.

Tytonic: Well, it's inevitable, based on Human nature.

Gregor: Yeah. . .

Luxa: *Buries face in Gregor's shirt and cries*

Gregor: *Puts arm around her and holds her* Don't worry Lux, it'll be okay. Everything will be fine.

Luxa: *Continues to cry*

Tytonic: Well, I'll see you later. . .

Gregor: Yeah. . .

Auf Wiedersehen,

-Tytonic