"Hazel, I feel like something is going to happen..." Fiver blurted during morning silflay.
"Oh Frith, so soon?" Hazel sighed. It had been a week since Woundwort had last been seen.
"I don't think it terrible... just something unexpected is all." Fiver explained.
"Well, the unexpected is never good." Hazel said, he bit into his sage quietly.
"Hazel.. You seem very tired." Fiver pointed out. "Is something wrong."
"Well, since Woundwort's gone I was hoping I could get some relaxation myself. But everyone else has other-"
"Hazel! We've run out of Parsnip. Tell Bigwig to pick some up while he's gone!" Blackberry yelled has she hopped by.
"Hazel! Bigwigs outta control... again!" Hawkbit shouted for the base of the hill.
"Hazel! I need Strawberry for Owsla traning! Would you get him?!"Bigwig called from the hill's base as well.
"Hazel! I need you to watch the kittens tonight!" Primrose said from the warren.
"Father! Snowdrop bit my ear!" Mallow whined somewhere on the down.
"No Father! Mallow bit mine!" Snowdrop argued.
"Hazel! We need more Flah-ray!" Holly said as he rearrived back at the down and entered the warren.
"Hazel! I scented a Homba near the woods, send some one to check on that!" Campion said, returning with Holly.
"Hazel! Get Strawberry!" Bigwig revoiced.
"Ideas..." Hazel finished unhappily.
Fiver was silent for a moment. "...Do you remember when we were kittens. Do you remember what you were like?"Fiver asked.
"Yes, I was a complete night-mare."Hazel chuckled.
"Do you remeber when you led us into a field of poison oak?!" Fiver asked.
"I do! We were itchi for hair many days!" Hazel laughed.
"Do you remeber how we scared the elder with that fake snake act?!" Fiver questioned.
"Yes! Oh we were stuck in our in our burrow for two days!" Hazel laughed. "What about the time we tricked Captain Willowwisp into eating that worm!"
"We were chased half way across the meadow!" Fiver smiled.
"How about when we stole those acorns and started an interforset epidemic!" Hazel snickered. "Oh, those squirrels nearly ripped the rah's ears of with their chippering."
"Ya father-" Fiver froze mid-sentence. He suddenly seemed frightened. Hazel had also stopped laughing. He just sat there. A look of rage on his face.
-Meanwhile just a few feet away...
Bigwig had grown tired of waiting so he marched off to find Strawberry himself. Just as Hannah returned from a slight visit.
"I can't believe you went back to see that cookie turtle!"Hawkbit gasped.
"Ya, his last spell could have killed you!" Dandelion stated.
"Well, I did go back and he told me about some safer spells. Watch, I'll show you!" Hannah said.
Hawkbit leaned in towards Dandelion. "I think she wants to get us back for maken fun a her before!" He whispered.
"Don't worry, I have a plan!" Dandelion murmured back.
"I, a magic caster call all apon thie!"Hannah began. Suddenly Dandelion reached out and turned her completely around without her noticing. They chuckled, till they saw she was pointed straight at Hazel and Fiver."Get your second chance! Set your youth free!"
"Nooo!" Hawkbit and Dandelion gasped together. To late.....
A rainbow light shot out of Hannah's paws, hitting Fiver and Hazel.
"I can't look." Hawkbit mumered. His paws over his eyes.
"What happened?" Bigiwg asked running over, not able to find Strawberry outside.
"Yes! What happened!" Blackberry questioned, coming over as well.
"I was just trying this spell, doesn't do much."Hannah growled"Just turns you round."
"No, I turned you around!"Dandelion said. "Whatever that spell dose, it just happened to Fiver and Hazel!"
"Oh No!" Hannah said.
"Where are they!?" Bigwig asked.
"They've disappeared.." Blackberry gasped. Yet before anyone could panic..
"Hey bucky!" Said a high pitched voice. Someone pulled on Bigwig;s fur. Looking down Bigwig saw two kittens that were the spitting image of Fiver and Hazel, only younger. "Where are we?"
"Ah-waaa..." Bigwig gurgled, everyone else could only stare.
"Never mind, if you ain't gonna tell us I guess we`ll just explore! Come-on Fiver" Tiny Hazel ordered and hopped away. Fiver followed, staring that Bigwig as he went.
"Oh dear.."Blackberry gasped.
"Hannah!" Bigwig shouted.
"Don't worry, it wears off at Frith set! Till then,...... I hope you know how to babysit..." Hannah said. "Besides, I wasn't aming for them, I was amin for Dandelion and Hawkbit."
"Why!?" Bigwig growned.
"Cause they made fun a me!" Hannah growled.
"Knew it!" Hawkbit spat.
"I never thought it was possible, but we need to make new rules....ABOUT MAGIC!" Bigwig moaned.
"Whats going on here?" Holly asked as he came over.
"Hannah has just turned Hazel and Fiver into kittens." Blackberry explained.
Holly let out a chuckle. "No really whats going o-" Holly was interrupted by an attack from behind. "Gah!" He fell down, revealing Hazel on his back. Fiver was behind them.
"Hazal! Vhat are you do-en?!" Fiver asked, his from teeth were causing him to slur his words.
"I beat an adult! I beat an Adult!" Hazel chanted. Something else got his attention. "Hey! Look at that! That butterfly has eyes on its wings!" Then he was off. "Come-on Fiver!"
"Vait Hazal!" Fiver called after him. Holly just lay on the ground stupefied.
"Oh no..." Holly gasped finally "Were all doomed! Frith have mercy apon us!"
"Whats all the hubub about?" Bigwig asked.
"You weren't an adult when they were this age Bigwig! You were a traning Owsla cadet! Oh we needed a small army to keep an eye on them!" Holly cried.
"With all do respect Holly. Their kittens." Bigwig said.
"Oh but they not!" Holly said "Their elil! I swear they caused more trouble then a weasel army!! Do you remeber when those squirrels attacked?"
"Ya." Bigiwg said.
"I do to." Blackberry smiled.
"That was all them! Thought it be funny if they stole their hirbratantion acorn supply!" Holly whimpered "They caused the snake scare, they caused the poison oak outbreak, they got captain Willowisp sick, and they filled the rah's burrow with rotten flah-rah!" Holly shivered "There some things we never could prove, even though we knew they had done it!"
"Now Holly, are you sure that your not... over exaggerating abit? Hannah asked this time.
"No! They are horrible, at least till they grew up!" Holly stated.
"Oh please.." Bigwig sighed.
"I grew up with Hazel. Our mothers always set up play dates. He never misbehaved then." Blackberry spoke.
"Ahhhh" Caption Broom shouted bounding out from behind the tree with Clover.
"Its the Black rabbit!" Clover screamed. Suddenly a tiny Black bunny hopped after them. He jumped out of the tree's shadow to reveal he was only a rabbit covered in berry mush.
"Oh that was to easy!" The rabbit chuckled. Fiver suddenly bounded up to him. He licked a bit of the mush off the bunny's shoulder, showing brown fur.
"Your umie Hazal!" Fiver said cutely.
"I don't think he was over exaggerating.." Hawkbit gasped.
"Alright, Hawkbit, Dandelion and Hannah! You keep an eye on them!" Bigwig snapped.
"Why us?" Dandelion whined.
Bigwig stepped forward angrily "Cause you were the ones who turned Hannah around!"
"Fine, fine" Hawkbit sighed. They hopped over to where Hazel and Fiver were tarerizing an ant hill.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Hannah shouted grabbing on the Dandelion's tail and crawling on his back.
Hazel suddenly became bored of the ants and looked to Fiver. "I wonder if theres a farm round 'ere." Hazel said "Lover to get some flay-rah."
"But Hazal, farm-ths are dangero-th!" Fiver sqeaked.
"Mut Mazel, Marms mre Mangerous!" Hazel mocked, making a funny face. "Don't be such a wet moss Fiver, you want flah-rah right?"
"Ya! Ya! Ya!" Fiver smiled bouncing up and down.
"And you know nobodies gonna get it for us."
"Ya........." Fiver moaned sadly. "Not for me at le-th-t."
"Then we gotta get it ourselves-" Hazel noticed Hawkbit and Dandelion come up with Hannah. "After we lose them."
"Vhy?" Fiver asked.
"Cause they won't let us...but they might be usefull." Hazel smiled.
"Hi!"Fiver smiled as they came close."Who are you?"
"Part a tha spell.." Hannah whispered.
"Oh, well.."Hawkbit started "Im Hawkbit, this is Dandelion, and this is Hannah."
"Oh well Im Hazel, and this is Hair-roo." Hazel said. "But I call him Fiver."
"Doz you knowz vhere we are?" Fiver asked.
"Why your at Watership Down." Hannah said.
"Vater-th-hip Down?" Fiver said"That-th a th-tupid name!"
"That doesn't matter." Hazel sighed. "I just wish we knew more bout this place. Like where the best clover is."
"Oh well.."Dandelion started."Its all over the place, the best is at the base of the down.
"But Hazal, ve vant to know vhere the f-"
Fiver was stopped by Hazel's paw stuffing itself on his mouth. "Oh now they've caught us. We really wanted to know where that Festuca is..." Hazel smiled at his own quick thinking.
"Really, I thought only adults liked it. So bland and stringy." Hawkbit mumbled.
"Then you thought wrong." Hazel said.
"Well, its all at Efrafa's old stand." Hawkbit grumbled, "No one's been there for awhile."
"Oh, any other places around here?" Hazel asked.
"Well theres the river to the north, Efrafa to the east, The orchard to the south, a farm before the river."
"Say, how about a game." Hazel said suddenly.
"A game?" Hawkbit asked."What kind of-"
"No way! Your gonna run off!" Hannah said.
"Well of course not." Hazel said.
"No?" Hannah asked.
"No?" Fiver echoed.
"No, we just want to play." Hazel smiled.
"No way. You can't be trusted." Hawkbit frowned.
"Im warning you, you'd better play with us." Hazel said.
"Or what?" Dandelion snorted. Hazel looked at Fiver and nodded, Fiver sucked in his breath.
"You sure about that." Hazel smiled.
"Yes." Hawkbit nodded.
"Your ear's." Hazel said. "Fiver.." Hazel gestured toward the three.
"PLAY! PLAY! PLAY! PLAY! PLAY NOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!" Fiver shrieked. Everyone on the down grimaced in pain, all except for Hazel.
"I TOLD YOU!" Holly shouted over Fiver's incredible voice.
"WHAT!" Bigwig shouted back. "EYE BOLD BLUE?!?!"
"WHAT!?" Holly screamed "TIE HOLD MOO?!?!"
Back with Hawkbit, things were not much better. Fiver would not silence himself. Inle, elil could probly find them easily, not that they'd want to...
Hazel sat there, looking clam and relaxed. He stared at the three expectedly. Hawkbit finally caved.
"FINE, YOU WIN! JUST SHUT HIM UP!" He growned. Hazel smiled and tapped Fiver with his foot. Fiver silenced at once. Everyone lay there holding their aching ear drums.
"What do you want to play?" Dandelion asked.
"Hide and seek." Hazel said simply, as if nothing happened.
"WHAT! You could easily run off during that-" Hawkbit stopped in horror as Fiver began sucking his breath in again. "Wait! We didn't say we wouldn't.." Hawkbit whimpered.
Hazel smiled at Fiver, who released his breath. "Lets set some ground rules then, to put your mind at ease.."
"Yes, first no running off!" Dandelion said.
"Second, keep an eye out for hawks, see one hawk and games off." Hawkbit said.
"Finally , no stupid pranks!" Dandelion said.
"Ok! We'll hide together. You count two count to four, four and four times!" Hazel smiled.
(Rabbits can't count past four, so he's really saying count to 32)
"Ok, Come on Dandelion, Hannah." Hawkbit said. Both Dandelion and Hawkbit hoped forward then paused."Hannah?"
"Oie, look!" Dandelion gasped. On the ground was a knocked out Hannah.
"I guess that voice did some good after all." Hawkbit snickered. "Put her in the warren. I'll start counting.
.....
Fiver and Hazel had made it to the bottom and a slunk into the field. They couldn't be seen form the down.
"Hazal, are ve runnen off?" Fiver asked
"No, I promised we wouldn't." Hazel shrugged.
"But ve're getten offal far from da down." Fiver stated.
"Were not." Hazel smiled. "We are playing hide and seek."
"But Hazal, vere still real far away." Fiver said.
"But they didn't set a limit to how far we can go, and were going to hide in the farms garden!" Hazel laughed.
"Oh, your th-mart Hazal!" Fiver said.
.....
"Not here." Hawkbit murmured, looking in the burrows, he was growing worried. He had looked outside, and inside the down. He and Dandelion were in hot water already. He was so worried he had asked the joiner Owsla for help. Only to be turned down.
"HAWKBIT! DANDELION! GET UP HERE NOW!" Bigwig shouted into the warren. They both cringed.
"Uh oh..."Dandelion whimpered as they hopped above ground. The sun was close to setting, the two had been gone all morning. When they exited the warren, Holly, Blackberry, and Bigwig all sat there, glaring at them. Behind them was the joiner owsla.
"You little..." Hawkbit snorted.
"Whats this I hear about you losing Fiver and Hazel?" Bigwig asked.
"Well, ya see.." Hawkbit began. "We haven't lost them..."
"O really?" Bigwig asked, clearly unconvinced.
"Where are they then." Blackberry asked.
"Well, we don't know..." Hawkbit mumbled.
"Sounds like you lost them." Bigwig snarled.
"No-no, we're just um...." Hawkbit paused, trying to think of a good excuse.
"playing hide and seek." Dandelion said. Hawkbit face-pawed.
"What!" Holly gasped.
"We made Hazel promise not to run off!" Hawkbit whimpered.
"What good will that do!?" Bigwig spat.
"A lot actually, you see little Hazel always kept his promises." Holly said. "But he could easily find loop holes." Holly looked at the two "Did you set a distance?"
"What?" They all asked.
"There the problem. Hazel picked up that you didn't set a distance. So he thought he could go anywhere at one time and it didn't count as run off." Holly explained.
"That makes no sense at all." Bigwig spoke.
"It dose to him." Holly sighed.
"Then where are they?" Hawkbit asked.
"I saw the tail nippers head north." Spotina said.
"What could they want over there?" Blackberry asked.
"Flah-rah?" Holly growned.
...........
"Di-th i-th good Hazal!" Fiver smiled happily. He munched on a carrot. The dog was sleeping in the man burrow, while the cat was stuck up a tree. She glared over at them.
"Enjoying your self up there fish breath?" Hazel yelled over at her.
"Do-th-e kitty vant ma carrot Hazal?" Fiver asked sadly.
"No, she wants to eat us, but she cant. Shes to scared to come down!" Hazel hopped over and ate some turnip.
"Th-cardy kitty!" Fiver giggled with his mouth full. He spotted a new object just added to the yard that day. "Lookit Hazal!"
Hazel looked at the object boredly. "Ya, what is it?"He asked.
"Help me up on it!" Fiver pleaded, hopping over to it.
"Ok, get on." Hazel said, sitting front of it. Fiver hopped on Hazel back, then onto the object. He jumped the rubbery, black surface and rose higher then he had before.
"Lookit Hazal! I can jump high!" Fiver cheered.
"Good Frith! Ive gotta try that!" Hazel gasped, he jumped onto the edge and pulled himself up. They both bounced happily on the black rubbery circle.
"High! High! High!" Fiver chanted repeatedly, yet Hazel wasn't annoyed in the slightest. This is because of something Hazel had picked up from his brother...
"High! High! High!" Hazel chanted in sinc.
Being annoying was fun.
Suddenly Fiver looked slightly green, he ran to the edge of the rubber circle and threw up. "Ewwww!" Hazel choked, he hopped over beside his brother "Do it again!"
"I can't Hazal, Im empty." Fiver frowned. He looked down at his mess. " I no member eaten a wormie today..."
"I wonder how high I can jump on this thing.." Hazel asked himself, his attention span wearing out at last. He began jumping again.
"Hazal, it-th getten dark. Can ve go back home?" Fiver asked, looking at the setting sun.
"This isn't Sandleford Fiver. I guess we could just go back to that hill." Hazel said.
"Dat place i-th pretty." Fiver commented, his stomach grumbled. "Hazal, Im hungie again."
"Then go back to the garden." Hazel shrugged. Fiver inched to the other side of the black circle (away from his worm looking mess) and cringed.
"It-th to high Hazal!" Fiver whimpered. Hazel hopped up behind him.
"Here." Hazel gave him a push straight over the edge. Fiver, who had not expected it yelped as he fell over. Landing funny on his arm.
"Ow!" Fiver cried as he made impacted.
"Fiver! You ok?!" Hazel asked hopping down after him.
"I hit ma arm!" Fiver whimpered. He stood up without setting pressure on it. "How bad i-th it!?" Fiver covered his eyes as Hazel inspected it.
"I can't see anything wrong with it Fiver." Hazel said at last. "Must be inside."
"Do ya think it-th broken?!" Fiver gasped.
"Depends, whenever you move dose it hurt like you wanna scream and cry?" Hazel asked worriedly.
Fiver moved his arm, wincing slightly. "No, just hurts."
"Then you just hurt it, That means stay off it." Hazel explained.
Tab, who had watched the scene infront of her, finally sucked up her fears. She plunged out of the tree and to the ground. Maybe she would finally catch a rabbit today. She landed gracefully and prowled toward them.
"I have ta live here?!" Fiver asked.
"No,just move carefully and slowly." Hazel said.
"That th-ounds boring!" Fiver growned.
"Really?Sounds purrr-fect to me." Tab said as she exited the grass and pounced. Hazel shoved Fiver and himself out of the way. Fiver yipped as he landed on his arm. Tabs rounded on them. Cornering them between the barn and the dog house. "Well, well. To scared to run? Scardy rabby?"
Hazel jumped between Tab and Fiver. "What do you want fish breath?!" He shouted.
"The same thing as you, silly long ears." Tab smiled."Lunch...." She was about to jump for ward again when Bigwig tackled her side.
"Mind if I but in?" He asked angrily. Tab jumped up to face him, but when Holly, Hawkbit and Dandelion joined him, she quickly turned tail.
"Now."Bigwig snorted, he turned to Hazel and Fiver. "What do you two use for brain?!"
"Walnuts." Hazel answered quickly. Hawkbit and Dandelion began to giggle. They both shut up when Holly and Bigwig cuffed them.
"No smart come backs! We need to think of a proper punishment for you two." Bigwig growned and looked behind him tiredly. When everyone saw Frith finally sink behind the hills. The was a bright light and Fiver and Hazel were back.
"I'd have to agree with you on that one Bigwig." Hazel spoke. Everyone stood around him. "Ive got alot of apologizing to do.."
"Not needed Hazel. Im sure everyone forgives you. " Holly smiled.
"Well I don't know,Im kinda-" Hawkbit was silenced by Bigwig's smack upside the head.
"You will get nothing and like it." Bigwig warned.
"Hazel, one thing is borthing me." Holly said.
"What it is?" Hazel asked, looking over Fiver's arm with abit more expertise, moving it lightly in his paws.
"How could you stand Fiver's screeching?" Holly moaned. Fiver looked slightly embarrassed.
"When I was little I had a slight hearing problem, I can't hear very, very loud sounds. Like the iron road call, all comes to me like buzzing." Hazel shrugged.
"Well back to the down I guess."Bigwig spoke.
"Can't we get some Flah-r"
"No! Move Hawkbit! Dandelion!" Bigwig ordered angrilly.
"Aliright!" Dandelion whined as they ran off toward the down. Hazel and Bigwig picked Fiver up between them.
"Its a good thing you grew out of that hearing problem." Bigwig spoke. "You did, didn't you?"
"The level was raised, but I didn't completely grow out of it." Hazel shrugged.
"Its not that bad, he can still hear well." Fiver smiled.
"Good." Bigwig nodded.
.....................................................
The next morning the Frith shone brighter then ever. Fiver relaxed outside with Hazel like yesterday, only Hazel seemed much more happy. "Um Hazel, why are you so happy?" Fiver asked.
"Well, the level of load sound I can take is low again." Hazel smiled.
"Why is that good?" Fiver asked.
"Oh, its not really important.." Hazel chuckled.
"Hazel!" Primrose called. He looked at her happily. " Buzzzzzzzzzz buzzzz, buzzzz." She disappeared again.
"Are you going to do that for her?" Fiver asked looking mildly disgusted. "Sorry your happy day had to end."
"Do what? I only heard a bee buzzing. She didn't ask me to do anything." Hazel shrugged laying back down.
Fin