Gregor gasped. Standing in front of a washer was Luxa, and Ripred. Ripred was shielding his eyes with his tail from the light while gnawing on a piece of wood. How did they get down here? Why was Luxa up here? How did they get to his apartment without being spotted?
"H-How did you guys get up here?" Gregor stammered as he held Boots' hand.

"Long story...we got shipped in a box that was stamped to China, who the hell knows why. Then we took a plane back to New York City and hopped on a girl scout wagon back to your..." Ripred started.

"We came from the Waterway entry. The smaller gnawers told us where you lived and where you clean. Do not listen to Ripred, we all know he is full of nonsense," Luxa cut Ripred off while she glared at the rat.

Gregor looked Luxa up and down. It had been many years since he had last seen her. The last time he was down there she was merely a child. Her silvery blonde hair hung over her shoulder's, resting on her head was the gold band she normally wore. She had grown a good six inches and had really grown in the brea-

"Okay, no time for looks and blushes. We found another prophecy and you're in it. We didn't come here to check each other out," Ripred cut Gregor's thoughts off.

Gregor shook off his thoughts. "Another prophecy? I thought you found them all?" Gregor choked, still dazzled by Luxa's beauty.

"We sighted this one out in a corner of the prophecy room. It was hard to read. Hard to decipher it may be," Luxa added as she handed Gregor a scroll.

Gregor looked the worn scroll over. The words were hard to read, whoever wrote it didn't have a steady hand.

'The Prophecy of Flier's Light'
'If the Warrior himself was killed,
If the black bat's blood was spilled.
Reunite them back together,
Every minute, tear, be tethered.

Reunite my sword as one,
And death, shall be undone.

I warn you all, right now.
My friends, we killers,
May just meet, our ends.

The Underland will be in strife.
If big black bat,
Does not redeem his life.

Fliers, Gnawers, Nibblers,
All shall be saved from other,
Prophecies.

Or none shall be saved at all.
Either path black bat chooses,
Four must sacrifice,
Their own light.
For the Warriors, Bond.

The forgotten Spirit Lands,
Is where he lies.
Covered in long forgotten snow.

Bring my sword,
Bring his claw,
Bring your hope,
Bring none at all.

Sacrifice your own light,
For the ones light you seek.'

Normal prophecies were hard to decipher, but this one was as clear as water. No words were slurred or hard and written in Underland style. Gregor knew what it meant, he could bring back Ares' life, and many others who had died in other prophecies.

"It may seem easy to understand. Yet many may come with Ares, but some will have to die. That may be Ares, who redeems his light, but could lose it. Who comes back is up to destiny, that could be the Bane, or my parents," Luxa articulated. "Yet it says to bring his claw and Sandwiches sword. You must stab yourself in the heart to for Ares to redeem his life.

Gregor was shocked. He wanted to go, to save others' lives and to save Ares' life, but he couldn't.
"I can't go. I can't kill another creature, and I can't put my parents through so much pain."

"You must! The Underland is at stake! All who love you, and you love, their lives are at stake!" Luxa argued.

"She is right boy. If you do not redeem Ares' life, all Underland creatures will die," Ripred chipped in.

Gregor couldn't believe them. Were they really trying to drag him back down there again? Gregor grunted, "Fine, I will go. I have to leave my parents a note."

"We came from the Waterway passage. Ripred came by boat, which was pulled by Aurora. She is awaiting our arrival at this moment," Luxa dictated.

Gregor nodded as he searched for a pencil and a piece of paper. He pulled an old pen and a napkin from the garbage; he wrote his parent's a note which he clipped onto the fridge before they left. The note said this:

'Dear Mom and Dad,
I have gone back down to the Underland with Boots. They need me. I will write you guys every day. If you need something please tell me and I will send you a bat. Please don't come for me, I will be hunting down another prophecy.

Love, Gregor.'

Gregor closed the front door of his apartment and followed Luxa and Ripred down to the stairs. Boots was still holding tightly to his hand, she had been awfully quiet, she must not remember these guys.

It was dark when they began to pry the grate open. No one was on the streets; all of the lights were on. Ripred pried the grate open and he, Luxa, and Gregor and Boots climbed down and slid the grate back in place. They started down the stairs which lead to where Aurora was waiting.

"You pups are quite quiet today. Rat got your tongue or did I ruin the party?" Ripred laughed as he scraped his teeth on the wood.

"Do you remember them?" Gregor asked Boots.

"Kinda. They look strange," Boots murmured.

"Well we are...old friends. It's not every day you see giant rats and purple eyed people," Ripred muttered.

"The palace of New Yock is extremely beautiful. There are many large palaces. Which is the main?" Luxa questioned.

New 'Yock'. She must not be able to pronounce the 'R' or maybe the Overlands names were hard to her just like the Underlands names were hard for Gregor.

"We don't have a specific palace. The Empire State Building I guess is kind of our main one," Gregor replied.

They walked in silence for the next five minutes until they met up with Aurora who was perched on a rock slab that overlooked the Waterway. A boat was tied to her abdomen, the boat bobbed in the water.

Aurora bowed to Gregor. "Greetings Gregor. It has been many days since I have last had sight of you," she purred.

Gregor nodded. "It's good to see you. How have you been?"

"Mourning, yet well. You have grown much. How old yet you be?" Aurora questioned as she let Gregor pat her golden fur.

"I am fifteen now," Gregor replied sheepishly.

Aurora nodded, and then he, Luxa, and Boots mounted her. Ripred carefully stepped into his boat and made himself comfortable, still gnawing on the wood. When he was seated, Aurora flew out over the sea, gently pulling the boat behind her.

Gregor began to remember his dream as they passed a large torch that was lit. It stood high over the water. It must only be lit when they knew people were going to be flying over the Waterway. Of course Gregor couldn't tell Luxa about his dream; she probably would never fly with him and Ares again.

"When do we go home?" Boots asked.

"I'm not sure. We will write mom every day though, so don't worry," Gregor replied.

After flying over the water for a couple of hours the light of Regalia began to shine out over the water. Gregor knew how to use his eyes even without light. He had learned how to use echolocation to see without light. If he clicked or made any noise it would come back to him with a picture of what was in front of him.

It was like Ripred could read Gregor's mind. "How has your echolocation going?" he yelled up to Gregor.

"Good! I can use it when the power goes out in the house!" Gregor yelled back.

Aurora fluttered down onto the docks and waited while Ripred made it safely onto the Dock. Luxa hopped off of Aurora's back and helped Ripred at tying the boat to the dock, noticing he was struggling without the use of thumbs.

"Thank you, young bond," Ripred chuckled quietly.

Luxa nodded as she remounted Aurora and they flew off towards the palace. Aurora fluttered into the high hall as Ripred was being pulled up on the wood elevator. Vikus met them at Aurora's side. Gregor slid off of her back, caught Boots, and hugged Vikus. Vikus was taken aback; he had planned to shake Gregor's hand, not to hug him. Gregor pulled away and smiled at him as Boots looked around curiously.

"How be you, Gregor?" Vikus asked.

"Good. It feels allot better down here, it was really hot in the Overland," Gregor replied.

"You must bathe, and then head to the feast room," Vikus nodded and he turned on his heel.

A large cockroach scurried up to Boots and bowed at her feet, "Princess, remember Temp, remember does she?"

A confused expression painted Boots' face. Then, like a light clicked inside of her, she hugged him. They stood eye to eye. Temp's antennae ran over Boots' face, making her giggle.

"Hey Temp. How are you?" Gregor asked.

"Well I am, I am well, yes," Temp replied as he half bowed to Gregor, who bowed back.

Gregor took Boots' hand and led her to the bathing rooms. Temp followed behind quietly. A tall Underland woman met him outside of the bathing rooms.

Gregor was confused, then he remembered the old nanny, Dulcet, she must be at least in her twenties now. "Hi, Dulcet."

"May I assist Boots while she bathes?" Dulcet asked as she knelt down to where she looked Boots in the eye.

Gregor approved and Dulcet lead her into her own bathing room. "Don't burn these please," Gregor said to the guards, pointing to his clothes.

The guards nodded and Gregor walked into the locker room. He checked out his surroundings then went into the bathing room. Gregor removed his clothes, peed in the toilet, then stepped into the warm, flowing, water. He sat down on the bench to where the water barely licked his earlobes.

The water soothed his scars. Something about the Underland water was much different than the water he bathed in at home. Gregor scrubbed himself with the awkward soap then toweled off.

He put the clean Underland clothes on that sat neatly folded on a chair. He slipped on the braided sandals. His old clothes must have been put in the museum for they were nowhere in sight. Gregor walked out into the hall and was wrapped in a bear hug. Gregor looked up to see Mareth smiling down at him. Mareth grinned, his bond, Andromeda, stood behind him.

"Hey Mareth, how are you?" Gregor asked.

"I am well. Still trying to figure out this," Mareth replied as he gestured to his prosthetic leg which was made of some kind of bone and dried hide.

"Yeah. That must be a pain. Anyway, when do we eat? I am starving," Gregor replied.

"We may head to the feast now," Mareth replied. He and his bat lead Gregor to the room where they held huge feasts.

"Dulcet must have taken Boots, knowing I would talk to Mareth," Gregor thought to himself.

Mareth hobbled into the big room, followed by Andromeda and Gregor. Everyone who was standing around the table sat down when Gregor sat. Many people who sat around the table, Gregor did not recognize. Some who he did were Vikus, Euripedes, Howard, Nike, Luxa, Aurora, Hazard, and Ripred.

Some Underland cooks brought in platters of food. The platters consisted of salads, broiled eggs, fried fish, and Ripred's favorite, shrimp in cream sauce. For desert was a fruit cake with weird lemon frosting.

Gregor dished himself and Boots food while Dulcet patiently stood behind them. He guess she was not high enough to sit at this glorious feast with them. Ripred took a large bowl of shrimp in cream sauce and dunked his face in it.

When Ripred came back up from the bowl, Gregor questioned, "When do we leave? How long will it take?"

"We will start after you retrain. The trip could take at least three weeks."