Gregor and the Underland Alliance

Chapter 3

The next morning, Gregor, Lizzie, and Boots showered and got changed. While they were sneaking through the living room, their mom came out and said,

"Are you guys going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"No mom," replied Gregor, " we're just going to go get flashlights at the store."

"I already took care of that." She said, handing him a backpack full of flashlights, batteries, water bottles and what appeared to be an industrial laser pointer.

"Thanks mom," smiled Gregor.

"Listen, I know that you might not want to come back, and I cannot stop you, but please promise me that you'll send Boots and Lizzie back after you guys finish this war against the ants."

"Only if you promise me you'll visit if I do decide to stay." Answered Gregor.

They all hugged for what seemed to be hours, until his dad came out and said,

"Well, breakfast isn't going to make itself!"

They all had a huge breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon, chocolate chip pancakes, and waffles. After breakfast, Gregor and his family walked down into their old laundry room. But there was a problem.

"Who put a lock on the laundry room? We just used it a couple of days ago." Said his mom.

"Don't worry, I've got it!" Answered his dad, taking out a small key. "Until you guys return, we'll keep this locked to keep anyone else from going in there and noticing that the vent has been opened."

He opened the door and the family walked in, closing the door behind them. As Gregor looked on, his father handed him a machete and a chef's knife.

"Not exactly a sword and dagger, but it'll serve good in an emergency." He told Gregor.

"Good luck." His mom said, "I'll see you soon, and remember the promise you made me, young man."

She had tears coming down her eyes, but was smiling, caressing his thick hair.

They all said their goodbyes, and one by one, Gregor, Boots, and Lizzie jumped in the vent, while their dad closed it behind them. The current began carrying them down, mile by mile. Boots had a surprised expression on her little face.

"Are you okay Boots?" Yelled Gregor.

"Yeah, I feel like I've done this before!" She replied.

After about 15 minutes, Gregor began to see the floor, and joy overflowed him. "This is it," he thought, "this is it."

As Boots and Lizzie reached the bottom, Boots let out a scream that echoed off the walls and made his ears rattle.

"Boots!" He yelled, "what happened? Are you okay? Lizzie?"

As he reached the bottom, his rager reflexes kicked in. He saw an enormous figure in front of his sisters. As he grabbed the machete and knife, he lunged at the creature. But before he could make contact, something wrapped around his leg and slammed him on the ground.

"Damn it boy, how many times do you have to get slammed to learn you'll never beat me?" Said a sarcastic voice that Gregor immediately recognized.

"Ripred," he managed to get out. But as he tried to lift himself up, the giant rat came up to him and embraced him in his arms.

"I missed beating my little rager up," said Ripred, laughing and tearing up at the same time.

"Ripred, are you... Crying?" Asked Gregor.

"No! I'm not! You just reek of the Overland." Replied Ripred, placing him down.

Boots and Lizzie came out of the shadows, laughing.

As Gregor turned on his flashlight, he saw Ripred for the first time after so many years. He still had the interesting scars over his eye, and was still a massive creature, but had lost some color in his fur and was beginning to grow light-gray hairs all over his body.

"You look... Wiser." Said Gregor, as he examined his fur.

"Yeah, I know, I'm old. But I can still beat the living daylights outta you." Replied Ripred. "Temp! Get out here!"

As he finished saying that sentence, the cockroach came out of the shadows and stared at Boots, who stared right back.

"Has returned, the Princess, has returned?" He asked in astonishment.

"Yes Temp, we've come back to help you fight the Cutters." Said Lizzie.

"Needs a ride, the princess, needs a ride?" Asked Temp, completely ignoring Lizzie.

"Sure, I'm about to ride a giant cockroach through dark tunnels under New York City. Boy, can't wait to write about that in my journal for school next year." Laughed Boots.

So Boots rode on Temp, Lizzie rode on Ripred, and Gregor walked.

For the next half hour walk, Gregor talked to Ripred about what had happened with him in the Overland for the past couple of years. And Ripred told him the input of what had been happening in the Underland in that time. How the Cutters had invaded many territories, including that of the Hissers, which are Lizards, the Slimers, which are Snails, the spinners, which are spiders, and the moths. And that the Cutters are on their way to destroy Regalia.

After that story was over, Ripred spoke up.

"Well, here we are." He said.

As he said that, Gregor looked forward and, for the first time in those seven years, he finally saw the grand city of Regalia.