Writer's note: I chose not to reference the third season of the show, although the show is what this is based off of, so for the sake of the fiction, you'll have to pretend the third season never existed.
Chapter One: An Old Enemy
It was just after sunrise on Watership Down.
Several seasons had past since the defeat of Woundwort's army, and nothing had been seen of the Efrafans since that day. As a result, most of the Watershippers had become rather less watchful than they should've been. Most, but not all.
From one of the burrows four rabbits emerged. They were all comparitively young, yet all were seasoned warriors.
"Come on, Hazel," said the largest rabbit, Bigwig, "Why can't we raid the farm? It's a perfect day for it, no elil have been seen about, and you just want to sit here?"
"That's just the point, Bigwig," said Hazel, "It's been too quiet lately. Something's wrong, and I want to know what before I let anyone go on a raid."
"Nonsense!" Bigwig declared. He turned to the smallest rabbit. "What do you say about all this, Fiver?"
Fiver looked thoughtful, and a bit frightened. "I don't know what's wrong, but it's something very bad, coming here!"
Hazel stared at his brother in concern. "Do you think we should leave Watership Down, Fiver?"
"Oh, please, not the whole Sandleford lark again!" Bigwig groaned. "I mean, I love fighting off hordes of other rabbits, but a chap's got his life to live, you know?"
"Fiver's never been wrong," said Blackavar. "If he says we should leave, I'd say we should listen to him.'
"But I don't think we should leave," said Fiver,"We just need to be more cautious, you know?"
"What's all this about danger?" asked Blackberry.
"Oh, Fiver's just off on one of his things again," said Bigwig.
"Any time we don't listen to Fiver, someone gets hurt," said Blackberry, "And more often than not, it's you, Bigwig."
"If anyone asks, I went to relieve Holly and Kehaar," Blackavar whispered to fiver before scurrying off.
Fiver sat next to Hazel and tried to block out the argument, hoping that someone would come to break it up soon.
Blackavar made his way along until he reached the sentry post where Holly and Kehaar stood guard.
Even before he reached them, Kehaar sensed his approach and called a greeting.
"'Ello, Blackavar!"
"Hullo, Kehaar," said Blackavar, "If I may ask, what is Holly doing?"
"Kehaar not know, but he sure been doing it for a long time, yah!"
"Blackavar, could you come here for a moment, please?" Holly interrupted.
"Yes, sir, what do you need?"
Holly chuckled. "My name isn't sir, but could you look down there and tell me what you see?"
Blackavar followed Holly's gaze, and to his utter horror, saw an army of rabbits heading straight for Watership Down.
Led by a huge black rabbit, who, even from this distance, was all too familiar.
Blackavar bolted for the warren, fear adding to his speed.
"What you do to him?" Kehaar asked Holly.
"I'm guessing I was right, and General Woundwort is back," Holly said grimly. "Come on, Kehaar, we'd best be going too."
Hazel was getting more than a little tired of listening to Bigwig and Blackberry arguing, and was about to say something not particularly nice to Bigwig, when he heard someone yelling his name.
It was Blackavar, who came tearing through so fats that he knocked Bigwig over.
"Frith and Inle, Blackavar!" Bigwig roared. "Watch where you're running!"
Blackavar paid no attention, having gone completely hysterical with fear.
"He's back!" the black rabbit screamed.
"Who's back?" Bigwig demanded. "Speak sense, lad!"
"W-w-woundwort," Blackavar stuttered, "He's coming here and he's got an army!"
"Oh, great, just great, Fiver's been foretelling doom, and here we are!" grumbled Hawkbit.
"Ke-haar!" Kehaar announced as he made a typical crash landing on top of Hawkbit and Dandelion.
"Hmm, nice landing, Kehaar," Hawkbit groaned, "But would you mind landing somewhere besides on us?"
Kehaar cocked his head. "Kehaar think you got more important things to think about, Hawkbit. Like Voundvort, and uglyface Vervain, and big, creepy-eyes rabbit, what you call him?"
Bigwig began to shake, a painful memory reawakened. "Cowslip? Here?"
"Bigwig," Fiver said, "Calm down. We all know how you feel about that rabbit, but just because he's here doesn't mean he's brought the Shining Wires with him."
"Logically, he couldn't have," said Blackberry, "So there's no reason to be afraid."
Having two different rabbits imply that he was scared stiff got Bigwig's attention. He glared at Fiver and Blackberry.
"I am not afraid of Cowslip, or Shining Wires, or anything else, and that is that."
"Good," said Hazel, "Because I'm going to need everyone, and especially you to be strong." He took a deep breath. "Hawkbit, Dandelion, Blackavar, get everyone together in the Honeycomb. It's time for a council of war!"
The honeycomb was so crowded and noisy with the entire population of Watership Down jammed in that Hazel was having trouble making himself heard.
He turned in exasperation to the smirking Bigwig.
"Don't just stand there!" Hazel pleaded, "Lend a voice, Bigwig."
The grey rabbit grinned. "With pleasure."
"Hey, you lot," he shouted, "Quiet down then!"
All activity instantly ceased.
"Thank you," said Hazel, "Now, I believe you all know why we are gathered here. General Woundwort has returned, with an army bigger than any we have ever faced. I am certain that he will stop at nothing to destroy Watership Down, and we will have no choice but to fight for the future of our home. I will need all the advice I can get. Are there any suggestions?"
"We'll need food, Hazel, if we're to survive a siege," Fiver's mate, Poppy, pointed out.
"Good point, Poppy," Hazel said, "Right then, Kehaar, Hannah, Fiver, Blackavar, Bigwig, Rowan, and myself will go raid Nuthanger. Everyone else, sit tight."
"I note that it's all bucks, as usual," someone burst out, "To hear you lot, does can't do a thing.'
"That you, Corydalis?" Bigwig demanded. "What is it this time, lass?"
Corydalis, the eldest of Fiver's kits, stared defiantly up at the Captain of Owsla.
"Rowan has gone on a miraculously large number of raids," she said, "But Violet and I have never gone, and it's simply because we're does!"
"Now just a minute!" Bigwig thundered. "Think, Corydalis, is this a good time for this? No, it is not! And that is why does are not in this Owsla! Because, as a general rule, they have little or no military sense! So kindly shut it, and save this for another time!"
Corydalis' eyes were blazing, but she stayed silent until the raiding party had gone. Then, and only then, the young doe burst into tears.
(On the way back from Nuthanger)
"I still don't think this will be enough," Bigwig grumbled.
"I still don't think you were very nice to my sister!" Fiver's son, Rowan, declared.
"I still don't care what you two are doing back there," said Hannah, "Although it sounds suspiciously like a fight to me!"
"Kehaar think fighting no good!"
"Yes, that's perfectly right, Kehaar, but sometimes we have to, like it or not."
"Rubbish! What's the matter with fighting?"
"Um, Bigwig..."
"Quiet, Blackavar! Now, as i was saying..."
"Bigwig! General Woundwort's right behind us, and Vervain's in front of us, and..."
"We're surrounded!" Fiver summarized.
"Run for it!" Blackavar yelled, as, without thinking, he attacked Vervain...
Oh, boy, my first episode is a cliffhanger! Oh, well...