A/N: Good morning, everyone. For fans of either Charlotte's Web or Watership Down, or both, I finished the story that takes place after the events of the first Watership Down, but also way before Hazel meets the Black Rabbit in person. I hope you appreciate this new take on Watership Down in a light-hearted way once the story ends. But before I forget, the cast for this story is Debbie Reynolds as Charlotte A. Cavatica, Henry Gibson as Wilbur, John Hurt as Hazel, Richard Briers as Fiver, Michael Graham-Cox as Bigwig, Pamelyn Ferdin as Fern Arable, Paul Lynde as Templeton, Terrence Rigby as Silver, Richard O'Callaghan as Dandelion, Roy Kinnear as Pipkin, Simon Cadell as Blackberry, John Bennett as Captain Holly, Hannah Gordon as Hyzenthlay, Zero Morstel as Kehaar, John Stephenson as John Arable, Bob Holt as Homer Zuckerman, Don Messick as Jeffrey, and Agnes Moorehead as Gwen. Also, the song playing for this chapter is the song that played in the beginning of "Watership Down" from 1978, minus the narration. Also, if there are any differences, I'd be sure to explain them as it goes along. Anyhoo, enjoy.
Watership Down 2: Charlotte's Web
Chapter 1: A New Vision
It's been three weeks since General Woundwort's disappearance as the sun was gradually rising on the skyline with the roosters crowing, the cows mooing, buds swelling into bosoms, eggs hatching, young baby animals getting hatched, and everyone getting a fresh start, and at that point, it was springtime. Everyone was having a fresh, brand-new start, but that didn't mean Hazel and the others were just yet as he crept out of the main burrow as cautious as he could in fear that the Efrafa Chief Rabbit might return and get the jump on him and the others, but thankfully, the more he stepped forward outside, the more Hazel grew assured that there was nothing dangerous before turning to his younger brother, Fiver, before speaking to him.
"I think it's safe now, Fiver.", Hazel assured before he then began grooming himself naturally just as Fiver spoke up.
"Well, there's still something strange about the warren this morning.", Fiver responded before Hazel sniffed a bit before he responded with a query.
"Is it dangerous?", asked Hazel.
"It's not exactly danger. It's... Oh, I don't know. Something terrfic, radiant. Humble, even, for some pig. It seems a bit too small now, though.", Fiver responded as he, too, crept outside.
"Come on, then. Springtime is around the corner and I haven't had anything decent to eat in days.", Hazel, the new Chief Rabbit, instructed to his younger brother as they looked around the warren and found a decent spot to eat.
"Ah. Sow thistle. Finally, something good to eat. And I thought it was hard enough to get some Coltsfoot back at Sandleford.", Hazel commented before he then began eating the thistle just as Fiver took a glance at the barn he never saw before from about 30 miles away, let alone two of them as one of the barns had two birds feeding their chicks, the geese and it's babies playing in the muddy water in the barn, a chicken and its chicks passing by, and a mother pig feeding its babies, one of which was quite smaller as it tried to get fed as well, but had no such luck as Fiver spoke up to his older brother.
"Hazel? Look over here. There are two barns nearby.", Fiver spoke up.
"What of them?", puzzled Hazel.
"I never saw those before. None of us did. And look. The animals over there seem happy.", Fiver stated.
"That's because they are, Fiver.", Hazel spoke just before Fiver has a realization upon seeing the little runt of a pig.
"I know now. Something tremendous is going to happen to that piglet, soon.", Fiver realized, puzzling Hazel.
"What do you mean? What piglet?", Hazel puzzled.
"Not what. Who. His name... is Wilbur.", Fiver stated.
"Wilbur? Don't be silly.", Hazel responded as Fiver took a glimpse of what is to come at the other barn before he then saw the crowd gathering around Wilbur, who was now seen performing a back flip as the crowd, one of which was a girl with brown hair, a ponytail, and blue eyes, looked in awe with the web above him saying "Some Pig" at first, but then, "Terrific", and then "Radiant" in the barn before then getting a glimpse of the same web saying "humble" at a sort of pen at some kind of county fair.
Meanwhile, Hazel thought long and hard about it. After all, the last time Fiver had a vision in a similar, yet perilous instance, they all went on quite an adventure to find this very warren and stood up to Woundwort and the Efrafans. By that logic, what makes Fiver's latest vision any less true? That was when Hazel came to a decision.
"All right, Fiver. We both know that it must be true, eventually. So, the best thing we could do is see how it plays out for now. We'll survey the scene at one of the barns and see what happens.", Hazel assured.
"You really mean it?", Fiver asked with a hopeful smile.
"Now when wouldn't I ever mean it?", Hazel responded with a grin as Fiver looked back and saw a sort of farmer in a blue shirt with a black jacket and red boots getting the axe ready as he picked it up from the stump just before a girl wearing a blue no-sleeve jacket with an orange skort passed by, carrying a bowl of eggs into the house, in which case she evidently turned out to be the same girl from Fiver's latest vision.
"Good morning, Papa.", the girl spoke to her father.
"Morning, Fern.", the father greeted.
"Hazel, look. That girl over there. That's the one from my vision. She was there watching Wilbur as he dazzled the crowd.", Fiver spoke to him.
"Now, I can't rightly tell if you're making it all up, Fiver.", Hazel stated.
"But what about her father? Where is he going with that axe now?", Fiver asked before Hazel noticed the father getting the axe ready.
"I don't know, Fiver, but I don't think I'd like the very idea at all. Perhaps we should get a closer look.", Hazel suggested in reply before they started going away from the warren and then got closer and closer just as Fern walked in the house and set a bowl of eggs on the table before speaking with his mother, not knowing that Hazel and Fiver were already close enough outside just very close to the barnyard fence to hear the conversation from inside as Hazel and Fiver were on top of the fence.
"Here are the eggs, Mama.", Fern spoke to her mother, who was making breakfast as she was making a sort of batter.
"Thank you, Fern.", the mother thanked.
"What's Papa gonna do with that axe?", asked Fern.
"Some pigs were born last night.", replied the mother.
"Why does he need an axe for?", asked Fern, starting to get a bad feeling about where it's going.
"One of the pigs was a runt, and your father has to do away with it.", the mother answered.
"Do away with it?! You-you mean kill it?!", Fern shouted in worry.
Meanwhile, Hazel and Fiver did not like the very idea either.
"He's going to kill it?", Hazel spoke in disbelief.
"No!", Fiver shouted.
"Well, yes.", the mother replied again.
"Just because it's smaller than the others?!", Fern exclaimed before she ran off to stop his father just as her mother retorted slightly.
"Don't yell, Fern. The pig'd probably die anyway.", the mother retorted just as meanwhile, Fiver had the same idea.
"Oh, embleer Frith. The fool!", Fiver shouted before he hopped off the fence and dashed off further toward the barn, much to Hazel's behest.
"Fiver? Where are you going?", Hazel asked urgently as he went after him before Fern burst through the screen door, shouting to her father.
"Papa! Papa! Papa!", Fern shouted as she ran past the cows and then right through a flock of chickens, which luckily flew away in time.
Meanwhile, Fiver arrived at the barn just in time to behold what could've been a grisly sight if Fern hadn't interfered with a gasp in awe.
"Papa, stop! Don't! Don't kill it! It's unfair!", Fern urged as her father picked up the runt and she then tugged on his right arm.
"Fern, you will have to learn to control yourself.", the father spoke just as Fiver turned to Hazel and spoke up.
"Hazel, have a look over here.", Fiver whispered.
"Now, what's going on this time?", Hazel asked.
"Look!", Fiver urged whisperingly just as Fern began to shout her heart out.
"Control myself?! This is a matter of life and death, and you talk about controlling myself!", Fern exclaimed.
"Now, Fern. I know more about raising pigs than you do. A weakling makes trouble. Now, run along.", the father rebuked calmly just as Fern was starting to shed big tears.
"But it's unfair! If I had been very small, would you have killed me?", Fern sobbed.
"Oh, certainly not. A little girl is one thing, a runty pig is another.", the father assured as Hazel grew slightly peeved in the meantime.
"Well, there's not a speck of any difference, now is there?", Hazel stated peevingly.
"I don't see any difference. This is the most terrible case of injustice I ever heard of!", Fern sobbed as the father by the name of John then seemed ready to cry himself before an idea popped into his head.
"Oh. You know, I've got a good mind to let you raise this pig. Then you'd see what trouble a pig can be.", John assured before Fern's saddened face turned into one of hope with a single tear of joy.
"Oh, Papa. Would you? Please?", Fern asked.
"All right. He's yours. Saved from an untimely death.", John assured as he handed the oinking piglet over to Fern, who kissed it gently on the forehead.
"Well, how about that? That man did have a heart.", Hazel grinned in relief.
"Oh. Look at him. He's absolutely perfect.", Fern grinned as she gently touched the piglet's left ear and brushed its chin gently as it oinked while Hazel and Fiver grew relieved.
"His name is...Wilbur.", Fern spoke before he then kissed Wilbur gently on the forehead again as Fiver grew surprised.
"Wilbur? That's the pig from that vision, Hazel!", Fiver spoke in excitement.
"To tell you the truth, I can hardly believe it either.", Hazel admitted before John spoke.
"A pig doesn't grow fat on kisses and hugs, Fern. Now, take him inside and feed him.", John spoke as he, Fern (who noticed them for a bit before turning around), and Wilbur started back to the house.
"That was close, Hazel. It could've been a disaster.", Fiver sighed.
"Well, it's a good thing it didn't end that way. Maybe some humans do understand that all living things suffer, that all living things deserve respect. I suppose we'd better go back to the warren and tell Bigwig and the others about what happened this morning, but I don't expect them to believe it just yet. They still need to wake up anyway.", Hazel suggested before he and Fiver started back up the hill back to the warren in the big tree not far from here.
Meanwhile, a red-haired boy slid down the banister and walked into the dining room and then sat down before a frog popped up for a moment before the boy forced him back inside with the man, Fern, and Wilbur walking in.
"John Arable, you've gone soft.", the mother slightly jeered.
"Isn't he precious?", asked Fern as she grinned while cradling Wilbur as if he was a baby child.
"Can I have a pig, too, Pop?", asked the boy.
"I only distribute pigs to early risers. Fern was up at daylight, trying to rid the world of injustice.", John replied as he hung up his jacket and then sat down to eat just before a frog suddenly hopped off the shirt and then hopped into the butter first before hopping off just as the boy tried to catch it but missed.
"Seems to me you've already gotten more wildlife than you can take care of, Avery.", John smiled as the frog hopped above the coffee cup and the straight into the pitcher and the into the coffee cup before then hopping on and off the pancake, which landed on top of the piglet's head just as Avery finally caught his pet frog, although that didn't seem to bother the piglet as Wilbur oinked and slurped some of the dropping syrup with joy.
