I chose to begin this chapter with a quotation. Sometimes, my own words just aren't enough to explain things. Also, it's sort of hard to recover from an angsty chapter.

A Run-in

"Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself."

-Walter Anderson

He had found out about his own death.

What could he do?

Ares really hadn't expected it to have been that gruesome. Any other way, any way at all-except, perhaps, a broken wing while falling-would have been better. But to die at the hands, the teeth, of the Bane…

No.

He knew he had to accept it. He had light now, so it shouldn't have mattered. But the Bane? He should have seen it coming, should have seen that the turn was too close.

But he didn't. And he'd died for it. Maybe now, as an Overlander, he'd get a chance to redeem himself for that mistake. It hadn't just killed him-it had caused Luxa, Aurora, Gregor, all the people he cared about, immeasurable grief. That, and he'd always been a perfectionist.

Maybe this time around, he could do everything perfectly.

It had been a week since Ares' first dream. And now they were happening every night. He seemed less shaken each day; in fact, Ripred observed that Ares was almost as good as new. But there was still something he was missing.

Initially, he'd thought Gregor had outright told his bond what had happened. But even Gregor wasn't that stupid. No, that boy (as stubborn as he could sometimes be) was aware of the effects of his actions on others. Ripred had learned in his life that people came out of war one of two ways: more aware or completely hardened. Or dead. Three ways, then.

Gregor was the first type of post-war person. He knew when to hold his tongue, when it would hurt and when it would help. Ripred was the second type.

So he'd found out that it was a dream, not Gregor, that had tipped Ares off. That didn't have any semblance of sense. Ripred's dreams had grown more vivid since becoming a human, but they weren't prophetic. They didn't show him events he couldn't have possibly remembered, things he shouldn't see.

So what had happened with Ares?

He was going to find out.

"Ripred, I have no need of your concern," said Ares. He sat in a straight-backed wooden chair, Ripred leaning toward him over the kitchen table.

"I assure you, I am very far from concerned. About you, that is," said Ripred.

"Then please, explain yourself," said Ares. Ripred had confronted him out of the blue about ten minutes ago, and he still had no idea what this was about. "I see no reason why you should take any interest in my dreams."

"You shouldn't be having them," said Ripred. "Dreams about your death? You didn't even remember it a few weeks ago."

"The human mind is unpredictable," said Ares. "There is much that could have happened in my head naturally and healthily."

"But that can't explain your dreams suddenly becoming…" Ripred threw his hands up in frustration. "...however they are. No, there has to be a connection, a sort of trigger for this, and it's something I'm missing."

Ares' eyebrows furrowed. "I see. Ripred, I think it would benefit me to go for a walk. I wish to talk things over with Gregor. Perhaps he has an idea as to this 'trigger.'"

Ripred spoke while nodding slowly. "Maybe he will. Take a walk, see what the Overlander can come up with." He drawing a blank in the ideas department anyway. Without another word, Ares stood and walked to the door. He snatched his black jacket from the coat rack and exited the apartment, leaving the door open behind him.

"I guess I'll go get Gregor, then," said Ripred.

It was hot. It was really, really hot. Taking a walk outside was the last thing that Gregor wanted to do, especially on the sidewalk of sunny Central Park. Well, okay, it wasn't that sunny, and this was Ares. Gregor knew he should jump at any chance he could get to spend time with his (formerly dead) bond. He had agreed to take a walk with him when Ripred barged into his room and demanded that he do so.

But it was still hot.

And now, as the two of them walked on the path next to some trees, Gregor wished he hadn't come. Ares was just grilling him with questions about the human brain, and dreams, and all sorts of stuff he didn't know. He had no idea what might have "triggered" Ares' dreams, but he still took his best guesses.

"Man, I don't know, did you see something on TV?" said Gregor. "Or maybe you read something. Didn't you buy a magazine from the grocery store last month? What was that about?"

"No, it was not any of that," said Ares. His hands were jammed in his pockets, a sure sign that he was thinking (which Gregor had noticed more often in the past few weeks).

Gregor rolled his eyes. "How do you know that's not what it was? You asked me for what I thought! Lay off!"

"I did not mean to upset you," said Ares. "And regardless, I do not understand what you are upset about."

"I just-this is-argh!" Gregor said. "Why does everything have to go wrong?"

"Gregor, that is a gross overstatement-"

"No it isn't! It seems like, like whenever I'm happy, the universe just has to mess everything up! Like meeting Twitchtip and losing her, and having to leave Luxa, and the Underland, and just...everything!" Gregor continued to breathe heavily for several seconds after his rant.

"I am sorry. I did not know that this conversation would affect you this way," Ares said. Gregor noticed that he looked stricken and...slightly guilty.

"It didn't. I just freaked out," said Gregor. "That wasn't fair to you. I'm-" He walked right into someone. Both Gregor and Ares looked up-they had to, to see the man's face-and promptly stepped back a few feet.

"Sorry," said Gregor, half finishing his sentence and half saying it to the man.

To Under.

"It's quite all right," he said, and he laughed. Gregor hated it when he laughed, and hated it even more when Under bent down to talk to them. "What are you two doing out on a day like this?"

"What do you mean, 'a day like this?' It's beautiful, said Gregor. He wanted to inch away, but kept looking firmly into the man's cold eyes.

"Exactly," said Under, straightening back up. "Although, I suppose a better question is 'what am I doing out on a day like this?' Today is no day for someone who enjoys the company of the dark." He laughed at what he thought had been a joke.

Gregor looked over at Ares. He was much worse than Gregor thought he would be in the man's presence. It appeared that his bond was trying to look at Under, as Gregor was, but his eyes kept sliding off of the man's features. It was like he couldn't bring himself to see him.

Ares, if he'd been told Gregor's observation, would have agreed wholeheartedly. He couldn't find the strength to look at this person. It was the same way when they had first met him. Looking at him tugged at Ares' stomach in a way that only one other thing had: guilt. Guilt for letting people die, for letting someone he refused to think about fall to his death and-.

"Let's go home, Ares," said Gregor, grabbing his arm. He steered him around and walked briskly down the sidewalk in the other direction.

"Going so soon?" said Under.

"Sorry," Gregor called back. "Things to do."

"Well, if you wouldn't mind," said Under, quickly catching up to them, "Would you take my hat with you on your errands?"

"Your hat," said Gregor.

"My hat. It needs cleaned rather badly, and I don't think I'll get a chance to do it today," he said.

"Your hat needs cleaned," said Gregor, still confused. "I-"

"Splendid. Here." Under laughed and plunked the hat down onto Ares' head. Then he pivoted on one foot and walked away.

When Gregor turned around, he was gone.

"I was going to say no," he said.