The Promise Chapter 35: estrellaSMC, a Redwall + Bible Crossover fanfic

The vermin horde, meanwhile, had come to Mossflower wood. They found Redwall abbey. Karna split his forces. The majority of his horde concentrated their efforts on scouting out and surrounding the abbey while about a score of vermin scoured the woodland for the white mouse named Jesus. Karna's seer had a vision proclaiming that in order to defeat the Abbey, they must first remove Jesus, and Karna wasn't one to ignore omens.

One afternoon Karna was relaxing in the shade and drinking wine when suddenly, through the horde, ran one of the vermin who Karna had set to watch for Jesus. He was a stoat named Zeev. "My lord! My lord there is a great threat! I have seen this Jesus!" Zeev held his paws to his eyes. "With my own eyes I've seen him!" He took a deep breath.

"Tell me, Zeev," Karna ordered.

"It's a story you won't believe," Zeev said. "I found him and a small group of followers entering Mossflower Wood. Remembering your order, I followed, thinking to capture him at some point when he was alone. As he went through Mossflower the woodlanders all came out of their homes until he was followed by a large group. A regular mob, lord! I followed him down the path towards Redwall Abbey when suddenly two mice came running along it and to him. They were both weeping..."

(flashback)

Martha and Mary came running up to Jesus.

"Lord," Mary began, only to fall into his paws, weeping.

Jesus gently eased her away. "Where have you buried him?" he asked.

Martha came forwards. "Come and see," she said. Then she put a paw on Mary's shoulder and together they led Jesus, followed by the group of creatures, to a glade a ways away.

Jesus closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed before turning to two moles. "Dig up the grave," he ordered. They tugged their snouts and set to work.

"Dig it up?" Martha echoed. "But...Lord...there will be a stench! He's been buried for four days!" She turned away, biting her lip.

"Didn't I tell you, if you believe you'll see God's majesty?" Jesus asked. Within minutes, the grave was uncovered and the moles, shaking soil from themselves, returned to the group. Jesus put up the cowl of his robe and looked skyward. "Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me, but I say this because of the creatures standing here, so they'll believe that you sent me." He went over to the grave. "Lazarus!" he shouted. "Come out!" Then he leaned over the grave, paw out.

A gasp of breath. A rustling. Then a paw appeared out of the grave and grasped Jesus' paw. Jesus leaned over the grave, looking like he was about to fall in himself. Then he backed up, paws grasping the form of a creature wrapped in a white burial shroud. Martha and Mary gasped. Jesus borrowed a knife from somebeast and cut the shroud at about neck height. Then he pulled back the cloth, revealing the creature's face.

Lazarus blinked at the bright light. Then he looked at Jesus. "Master?" he asked.

Jesus smiled and threw back his hood. "Unwrap him," he said. "Let him go." Martha and Mary dashed forwards. Mary snatched the knife from Jesus and began cutting away at the shroud, revealing the Redwall habit underneath.

(end flashback)

"It was obviously a trick," Zeev said, "Some kind of dark deception, but the mob believed it. I couldn't take him captive after that. We would have had a whole mob of woodlanders attacking us to get him back."

Karna contemplated the information. "Hmmm...so this Jesus is attracting a great horde of beasts. If well trained, they could easily overpower us. But, as they say, if the head is chopped off the body will die." He nodded. "Kill this Jesus and the mob will disperse, just like the vision said."

"We'll have to take him secretly," Ghalib said.

"What's that?" somebeast asked, listening to something.

(break line)

Everybeast was cheering and applauding from the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Simon Peter and Andrew suddenly grabbed Jesus and lifted him up onto their shoulders. Everybeast lined up behind the two otters carrying the white mouse and processed out of the woods and along the path towards Redwall. One of the Jewbeasts struck up a song, others quickly taking it up.

"I will give thanks to thee
Oh Lord among the creatures
I will sing praises to thee among the nations
For thy steadfast love is great, it is great to the heavens
And thy faithfulness, thy faithfulness to the clouds!

"Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory be over all the earth!
Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory be over all the earth!

"Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory be over all the earth!
Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory
Let thy glory
Let thy glory be over all the earth!"

"Again! Again!" Andrew exclaimed.

"Let the woods echo with our praise!" Lazarus shouted, throwing his paws out dramatically.

"Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory be over all the earth!
Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory be over all the earth!

"Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory be over all the earth!
Be exalted oh God above the heavens!
Let thy glory
Let thy glory
Let thy glory be over all the earth!"

They sang it again and again until, as Lazarus said, the woodlands echoed with the sound of their song. It was an easy song to learn, and soon all the creatures, even the non-Jewbeasts, were singing it. Woodlanders followed the sound and joined in the procession. Creatures pulled branches from the nearby trees and waved them in the air.

The front gates were open when the procession reached them, Abbess Germaine standing in the doorway. She smiled, bowed, and walked into Redwall. Jesus could see the creatures of Redwall standing on the wall above the main gate, cheering, clapping, and waving at the procession.

"Duck your head, matey," Andrew said to Jesus. Jesus ducked as they went through the main gates.

Once everybeast was inside and the gates closed, Jesus looked at his two otter disciples. "Okay, let me down," he said. They did.

Abbess Germaine smiled. "You have returned to us, Jesus," she said.

"Yes, Mother Abbess," Jesus replied with a smile.

Gonff saw the procession enter Redwall and came dashing over. "Yahoo! A parade! What's the occasion, mateys?" He skidded to a halt, paws flailing, when he saw Jesus.

"Whoa!" Jesus reached out and caught the Mousethief before he knocked into him. "Slow down there, Gonff."

"Gonff!" Lazarus exclaimed with a grin.

Gonff spun around, eyes popping out of his head when he spotted his supposedly four days dead friend. "Lazarus?" he asked. "But...but...but...you're dead!"

Lazarus laughed. "Not anymore!" he exclaimed.

"I can see that," Gonff said, "But how?"

"Jesus raised me," Lazarus said.

"Oh," said Gonff. He turned to Jesus and gave him a slap on the back. "Good going, matey," he said.

The crowd dispersed. Jesus started to walk off when he heard a voice. "Jesus...a word with you, please."

Jesus turned to find Martin standing nearby. He smiled at his friend. "Of course, Martin." He said. He walked over to the other mouse.

Martin went down on one knee before Jesus. Jesus waited calmly for him to speak. Martin began haltingly. "I have...I have vowed to protect others with my life. I have met great warriors, promising to uphold the values they held. I have offered my sword in protection of Redwall and its creatures. But none of it ever changed anybeast...inside. Others may demand loyalty, but you...you alone are worthy to be king!" He held out a wreath of dried laurel. "Please, Jesus, Lord, take this. The Mother Abbess gave it to me after the Mossflower War for bravery in battle. But you! You win victories without swords or spears or arrows! Without fury or Bloodwrath you free captives and heal the wounded as they lay dying on the field! Take it!"

Jesus reached out and placed his paw on Martin's head. Warmth and peace emanated from his touch. "Martin," Jesus said gently. "I know how you fought against Tsarmina to free this land from evil so the creatures here could live in peace. I told you once that there is no greater love than for a creature to lay down his life for his friends...but my own war is not yet won." Martin looked up at Jesus in confusion. "I have another crown waiting for me out in Mossflower," Jesus added. "And I promise you this, Martin the Warrior, son of Luke the Warrior: you will be at my footpaws when I wear it...and then you will understand."

A/N: The song sung during the procession is called "Be Exalted, Oh God." I knew it as a hymn, but later found that it was a song by John Michael Talbot as well. The link is on the profile if anybody wants to hear it.

There's also a picture of Zeev on the profile if anybody wants to see it.