It's the part everyone's been waiting for: Chapter TWO!

I got so far, I'm so proud of myself. Hope you like!

PS: Everyone knows I don't own the Underland Chronicles. *sob*


Gregor sat bolt upright in bed. That had never happened before. He clicked again, illuminating his entire room, but could find nothing o ut of the ordinary. Had he imagined it? No, there it was again! Something was clicking back to him.

He clicked on more time, and the answering click came from...behind him? He twisted around and "saw" what looked like an abnormally large insect sitting on his billow. It wasn't huge like the Underland bugs, but bigger than any he had seen in the apartment before, and that was saying something.

The bug let out two more rapid clicks before it began scurrying across his pillow, down the bedframe, and onto the floor. Gregor followed it as it crawled through the apartment, trying to be as silent as possible. There was a tense moment when a floorboard creaked right outside his parent's room, but judging by the silence that issued from the other side of the door, they had not woken. Gregor let out a long gush of air and continued on.

He was led by the insect to the door of the apartment. Gregor paused, not sure if he should follow, since he had a pretty good idea of where he was going. But as the bug squeezed under the door and vanished, he knew it would be his only chance. Slipping quietly into the hallway, he shut the door carefully behind him. In the dimly lit corridor, he could see now that the bug was a cockroach. Of course it was a cockroach. It had obviously been sent to fetch him. But why? Gregor suddenly wished he had taken time to learn Crawler from Temp in all the time he had spent with his friend.

The roach led him to the stairwell, and now Gregor had no doubts about where he was being led. He pushed open the door to find the bug had vanished, and sitting on the landing instead, looking calmly up at him, motionless except for its quivering nose, was a large brown rat. Gregor had no idea how the rat had gotten into the building, but he knew it could be no accident. He could see now, however, that the rat was obviously supposed to be the one getting Gregor, and the roach had only been employed because the rat couldn't have gotten into the apartment without causing a scene.

"Did Ripred send you?" he asked the rat softly.

It didn't answer. Of course it didn't. This was an Overland rat. They didn't talk. It couldn't even understand him. But the rat gave a deep, distinctive sniff and, as if in answer to Gregor's question, squeaked loudly. Then it turned and began scurrying down the stairs. When Gregor didn't immediately follow, the rat crawled back up, circled around his ankle like a cat, flicked Gregor gently with its long, bald tail, and went back to the stairs. Gregor followed this time. He had to hustle to keep up with it' the rat could really move.

He was led down to the place he was sure he had been going: the laundry room. There, the rat promptly vanished into the shadows. But Gregor didn't need a guide now. He could see exactly why he had been brought down to the basement in the dead of night. Because standing at the end of the long room, in front of the last dryer, were Mareth and Hazard.

A broad grin split all three faces as Gregor ran to his friends and hugged them both.

"Hey guys! Oh, man, I've missed you so much. It's so great to see you again! You wouldn't believe how hard it's been living up here again. Oh, it's awesome to see you!"

"And you," said Mareth, returning his hug. "It was difficult to become used to the palace again without all of the Overlanders. We are fortunate to find you tonight. Luxa told us that your family might have traveled to a distant place." He broke away and looked around the room with fascination. "What is this amazing place? And what are these?" he asked, gesturing to the rows of washers and dryers. "What do they do? How is it possible to get them to appear so alike?"

Although his question wasn't intended to be funny, and it really wasn't, Gregor laughed loudly. Seeing two of the people he missed most had given him a very sudden good mood. "It's just the laundry room, in the basement. We use these to wash our clothes. They use electricity."

Both the Underlander's and the Halflander's eyes widened.

"My mother spoke of electricity," said Hazard. "She said it was like lighting running through wires, and that it made things move and work without anyone touching them. What are lighting and wires?"

Although there was truly nothing amusing about the situation, Gregor was in an inanely good mood. Trying very hard not to crack up, he did his best to explain. But the expressions of mixed bewilderment and amazement on his friends' faces drove him over the edge. He doubled over, laughing.

"The Overland is truly a wondrous place," said Mareth in awe. "I feel very privileged to be able to visit, and wish only I had more time to spend here. We are fortunate, are we not, Hazard, to be able to see the Overland?"

Hazard agreed. "I only wish I could see a bit more of it," he added. "But we have no time."

It took Gregor a second to process what they were saying, but once he understood, he sobered up immediately.

"Why?" he asked quickly, feeling nervousness twist his stomach. "Why are you guys here? Is something wrong? Is everyone okay?"

"Well, Hazard is only here as translator. He could speak to the tiny crawler and gnawer and instruct them to find you. I am sent to bring you back down to the Underland. Luxa would have come herself, but at this time, she cannot leave Regalia."

Even as his heart leaped for joy at being able to go back to where he wanted to be, Gregor knew something had to be wrong. Luxa would send people, especially Hazard, into a world she knew nothing about unless it was really an emergency.

"Why?" he asked again. "What's wrong? Is anyone hurt?"

"No, no one has been injured. But it is most urgent that you come with us to Regalia today."

"But why?" asked Gregor for a third time.

The answer was one he definitely should have seen coming.

"It concerns a prophecy."

Of course. The Underlanders and their prophecies.

"I cannot say more. Will you come, Gregor? Will you help us one last time?" asked Mareth. His voice was inlaid with an anxious edge Gregor couldn't remember ever hearing there before. And Gregor forgot about his duties to his family completely. He forgot that his family needed him. He forgot that they might fall apart without him. He forgot that his parents would immediately know where he was and find some way to get him back right away. But what he did not forget, what he knew with absolute certainty, was that he had to go back to the Underland. Go back or go insane. So he nodded.

"Thank you, my friend," said Mareth earnestly. "Someday, we shall repay you for all your service to us."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Sure. Can we get going, please?"

Mareth stuck his head carefully back into the dryer and called, "Andromeda?"

A few minutes later, Gregor was seated on an enormous flying bat between Hazard and Mareth as they sped their way to Regalia.


Next chapter coming soon. Hope you liked it. Please review!!!!!!!

And ps, blue cheese waffles are good for every occasion. Peace! :{)