When I suddenly found myself back in the Last Sin Inn, Everyone was still waiting there for me, though they didn't seem particularly worried that I had vanished in the first place. I found Trixie and Geirmund again so I could say my final goodbyes.

"Listen, guys, I've gotta head back topside and... well, I can't bring you with me."

"Ah heck, we already know." Trixie replied. "Besides, it's not all that bad down here." She motioned to the everlasting party taking place. "Sure, I guess I'll miss being alive but it's all right. We're taken care of real good here."

"Griffin, ven you return to ze land of ze living, pleaze, tell my wife und daughter zat I love zem, und dat I vill vait for zem here." Geirmund added.

"Will do. I'll miss you guys."

"Bah, enough mushy talk, go!" He scolded, and I walked out the door where Persephone waited.

"Well, have you done what you came to do?"

"Yes. I have. I'm ready to go back."

We returned to the castle where Hades waited. Persephone seemed none the wiser as to our little chat earlier, and the pair showed me to the tallest tower, where the castle connected to the living world. Hades withdrew a key ring, each key a bone carved to a different shape, as we approached a gigantic steel door with enormous gears on it, and about two dozen keyholes. With a wave of his hand, each key jumped off the ring and flew into a slot, all turning at once. My ears were filled with the grinding of gears as they turned, massive steel deadbolts sliding back as the door opened to a dank, dark cavern.

"This is the way back. Once you pass through this door, you'll be out of my realm and on your own." A reminder to our previous conversation that he could no longer protect me. I nodded and passed through the gate, which creaked and closed behind me, leaving me in pitch blackness. I could see nothing, not even my own talons in front of my face.

"Lumen." Rummaging around my makeshift pack for the gem I had previously pulled out of my stomach, I cast a light spell to illuminate my surroundings. Nothing happened.

"What? But I'm out of the underworld... the magic suppression effect should be gone." Perhaps it was because I was still too close to it? No, I could feel the presence of magic slowly seeping into my bones, but I didn't seem to be able to use it. Still, nothing to do but start walking, CAREFULLY, and hope to find another light source.

I began walking into the darkness, no idea where I was going other than that I was on a slight incline. At least I was going up. How long I wondered in the pitch black, I don't know, but it gave me some time to reflect as well. Here I was, crawling my way out of the underworld, just as Fancypants said I would, but my experience brought me to think on my actions.

Up until Ancientwell, I may have fought and killed, but it was always enemies. Soldiers, fighters, people who wanted to harm the innocent. I was seen as a hero by many, though I was hated by just as many. Every soldier has family. A mother, father, sister, brother, daughter or son. Every life I took, regardless of justification in doing so, left behind those who would mourn, and hate me for taking their loved ones away. I thought I had come to terms with this, accepted it as just a part of trying to change the world, and that sacrifices had to be made.

And then Ancientwell happened. To get at me, they took my family. It wasn't even an act of hate or revenge, but a strategy, something I'll admit that if I was in their shoes, I would have done the same thing. A means to an end. If they succeeded, and I had died right there, would it have meant an end to the infighting? Would they have let my family go? Thinking back on it, I could have probably ended things with proper negotiation, but that was never my strong suit. It's just that with the deaths of all the cats except Nadene, and then Geirmund and Trixie's deaths which I suppose weren't exactly intentional, but the result of using explosives to clear the tunnel, it just hit too close to home. And then? I'm ashamed to admit it to myself, but my morals went straight out the window.

I knew that causing that flood would likely kill more than just soldiers, it would take civilians, honest, hard working folk who were innocent of any crime except for those of their leader, whom they had no power over, but in that moment I just couldn't bring myself to care. It's easy to just sit back and look at it from afar, to think 'well, these people died', but what about those who remain? What will I do if an orphaned child comes to me, his eyes burning with hate, or if I'm confronted by mourning parents who cause a flood of their own with their tears? I can't apologize to them. After the things I've done, saying 'sorry for your loss' would be the worst possible insult. I put aside my guilt at the time so I could act in desperation, in order to survive, but now as I crawled through the bowels of the world, in absolute darkness after having suffered in hell, it still hadn't began to affect me. I was more worried about what would happen if I came face to face with people I'd wronged. Would I feel something then? Would I be just as cold as I was in that frozen mountain, or would I break down at seeing their pain first hand? I just didn't know. Why didn't I feel the guilt I know I should? That begs another question.

What of the afterlife? When I eventually die will I get what I deserve? Up until Ancientwell, I'm certain I'd have a place in paradise but after what I did there I'd be more likely to find myself back at the wasp nest. Or would I be exempt from punishment because of my lineage to Hades? Had I already 'served my time' having been in the river of anguish and suffering with the bees? Even if I had, that still wouldn't bring relief to the living. Had news of my 'death' spread? Were they keeping it quiet? Does Gilda know? I knew the answers about as well as I knew what was in front of me, walking through the dark.

As I traveled, ever so slowly, I began to see shapes in the shadows, hear voices from the walls. Horrible, wretched figures and haunting noises. A pair of eyes watching from the edge of my vision, blinking out when I turned to watch them, the sound of creatures scrabbling around in the dark.

"It's just hallucinations Griffin. It's just hallucinations. It's dark and quiet, there's nothing there. When the brain lacks stimulus, it creates it's own input to avoid stagnation. It's just like covering your eyes and wearing headphones. There's nothing there. My voice and steps are echoing off the walls, creating auditory feedback. There's nothing there. Nothing... there.

I lost track of time as I slowly walked through the tunnel. Eventually, following the slightest breeze of fresh air, I spotted a glimmer in the dark. Rushing towards that faint light, I stopped being careful, tripped, and landed flat on my face. Since I didn't have magic, I didn't have a protect spell, and it really fucking hurt. The moment I stopped being absurdly careful, I had gone and hurt myself.

Rubbing my sore beak as I slowly walked into the light... because I wanted to give my eyes time to adjust to the change in luminosity and not because I was afraid of smacking my face again, I found myself climbing a set of stone stairs. My slow slight upwards incline turned into a drastically quick ascent. As I climbed further and further, I became more aware of my surroundings. The stone stairs I was on was a truly massive structure, set in the middle of what looked to be an abandoned underground city.

Rather than being built into the rock, this place seemed as though it had been built above ground but sank into an enormous cavern from above. The buildings had roofs and windows, as though they needed shelter from the sun or a way to let fresh air in, things that weren't required, and would not be part of the design of a city meant to be underground. That, and clearing away all the stone would have required a titanic effort, which was why diamond dog warrens were a series of tunnels connecting caves together, not some vast empty space with structures built into it.

At the top of the staircase I could see sunlight seeping in. Careful not to fall, I rushed up the stairs, eager to once again re-enter the world I had known.

"*Huff.... Pufff.... Hufff....* If we were meant to climb stairs.... *huff* Why did god invent elevators?" I may not be THE most physically fit, but I was certainly up there, at least before going to the underworld, and yet this staircase was kicking my firm, well toned flank. Once again I looked to my non-existent left wing and growled. Ember took the first one, Fia took the fake one. Life is infinitely easier when you can fly. I really need to find a way to either regrow or reattach limbs. I get injured far too much to not have one.

I FINALLY reached the top, excited to take a deep breath of fresh air, to fill my lungs with the gentle breeze that I had been denied in the dusty depths of the earth and underworld ever since I entered that blasted cavern in the north. I closed my eyes as I reached the top, emptied my lungs completely, and took in a great breath of air.

And then I fell over hacking, coughing, and trying to plug the nostrils in my beak with my claws. I had been working on not swearing, especially the 'not using a name in vain' thing to avoid invoking the ire of any particularly powerful beings, but dear Celestia, Luna, Discord, Cadence, Zeus, Posidon and Faust, that was HORRIBLE. I struggled to prevent myself from vomiting as I looked out at just exactly what I was breathing in.

"Swamp. It's a fucking swamp. *Hack* Ugh..." For a moment, I backed up, thankful for the dusty, non fermented air of my enclosure. Taking a strip of cloth from my bags, I made a makeshift face mask to try and block out the clearly poisonous gas that had the audacity to pretend it was oxygen and stepped back out into the light.

"Ugh..." The gas stung my eyes as well. It was definitely a swamp. Looking at where I was, I stood upon a Mayan-looking stone temple. Like the kind where they cut people's hearts out. Though, it looked a lot newer than the city below. In fact, there were many other buildings about as well, all half sunken into the muck.

'It's just like Venice. Slowly sinking, they keep building more on top of it until that sinks down too. But who are the builders? The place looks abandoned. Maybe they all left eons ago when they realized it was pointless?'

It was hot, smelly, dirty, and unsuitable for any form of civilized life. I didn't see any douche bags, so it couldn't have been New Jersey, but it wasn't far off. I was already tired from my trek up here, so I decided to take a rest inside where the air was breathable. I had a feeling I'd need to be in top shape if I wanted to make it out of the swamp, which meant sleep, something that had been eluding me for quite some time, other than the forced unconsciousness I had become unpleasantly accustomed to.

Author's Notes:

I ended a chapter without a cliffhanger? What is this madness! Also, Griffin is topside, so Gaben better hurry the hell up with episode 3. Or maybe my fan base is just impatient.