I woke up to see Woundwart in anguish pain that he swiped me away. I gasped from his traumatic demise of his family. My fall was caught by Bigwig, before he stood me back on my feet. Woundwart and I were gasping and panting, as if he was also there in my dream.

"Are you alright, brother?" Bigwig asked.

"Woundwart... his family slayed during a raid... and his warren... shrieking and wailing in terror... a fox slaying his home." I panted, before I looked back up to General Woundwart, as he became enraged. My heart felt sadden for him, as I know what was like to lose a family at a young age. I started to make my approach to him, as Bigwig hesitated, while rabbits from both sides question, as they continued to whimper in fear.

"General... I know your pain and suffering. I know what's like to lose a family. Just let go from the past. Your parents would wanted the best for you and I can help you." I tried to counsel him.

"It's too late... I'm not Woundwart anymore. I'm General Woundwart!" he began to growl. He than shouted with fury, as he's about to strike down on me. Bigwig came just in time to shield me. In flash of my eyes, something swooped from the sky and knocked Woundwart to the ground.

Everyone couldn't believe their eyes as it was sudden and quick. We couldn't tell who it was. Everyone muttered what was happening. I than saw a seagull coming down to see it was Kehaar coming to our rescue with a squawk he pitched, as if he was a raging American Bald Eagle.

Kehaar shouted in a war cry and swooped down again on General Woundwart in a flash.

"IT'S KEHAAR! HE'S BACK!" I proclaimed in joy.

"Oh-ho! The scoundrel came back!" Bigwig cheered.

"Kehaar!" Hazel joyful shouted with relief.

Kehaar continued to dive down at the Efrafan Owsla rabbits, one by one. Picking them off as he goes, like a World War Two Fighter taking down a enemy air squadron single-handedly. The band started to cheer for his aid, as he came in just in time.

"Quick, everyone! Follow me!" Hazel took command. We started to turn back where we came in, until we were blocked by an Efrafan buck.

"Go, go, go!" Kehaar told everyone, as he knocked down more Efrafan bucks in our paths.

"Come on you guys, now it's our chance! Let's go!" I gathered everyone back together and told them to move out. The band started to take lead, as well aiding the prisoners away from the Efrafans. I turned back to see Thethuthinnang being pounced by an Efrafan buck. I hurried back to her and knocked him down with a single tackle and knocked him to the ground. Afterwards, I picked her up and got her back on her feet.

"Come let's go!" I told her and the both of us hurried away together from the Efrafans, and rejoined with the band and the prisoners.

She than managed to catch up to her sisters, as I reached towards Hazel. "We need to lose them before we head for home. Otherwise, they'll follow us back to the down."

"So what do we do?" Blackberry asked.

"We could head towards near the village." I suggested. "I could assure you they won't follow us there."

"'The human warren'?" Hawkbit questioned.

"Yes, Hawkbit. The village!" I reconfirmed with him.

"But, that place is a death trap!"

"Kehaar won't hold them off forever!" Hazel exclaimed. "Head for the bridge!"

"We did!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, we did Kevin." Hazel nodded.

I let out a howl to the thunder and lightening. "ARH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The rabbits became startled, as if a wolf was nearby while we're running. "This isn't a time to attract wolves, Kevin!" Blackberry told me.

"I'm not... I'm just overjoyed from what we accomplished as a team. ARH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" By the time I let out another wolf howl, my necklace glowed again.

"Kevin! Your necklace!" Hazel noticed my necklace glowing. I looked at my gem and noticed the El-Ahrairah figure now has the front legs, leaving the last body piece remaining... the ears.

"Three down... one to go!" I exclaimed, until the brightest flash of lightening blinded me, with a loud boom. I froze completely.

Holly! No...no! NO! Hyzenthlay's voice was in my head. I fainted. I woke up to see I was back at Watership Down surrounded by General Woundwart and his bucks invading the warren, as they're digging up the warren. I was lying on the ground near one of the tunnels. I saw Hyzenthlay being pulled away by Blackavar. She continued to shout in plead for what it might be Captain Holly. I got up to see a buck on the ground, as I disbelieved it was him. I slowly approached to the lifeless buck slowly.

I than saw the scratches and even the buck's left hind leg was starting to bleed. I recognized the buck... it was him.

"Captain Holly!" I fell down to him, as I tried to wake him up. "Dad, what happened?! Tell me!" He was cold and stiffed. "Please don't die, Dad!" I was starting to think if it was my final task. "This can't be true! Trade my life for his! Please, he... he has so much to live for!"

There is not a day or night but a doe offers her life for her kittens, or some honest captain of Owsla his life for his Chief Rabbit's. Sometimes it is taken, sometimes it is not. But there is no bargain, for here, what is, is what must be. I than saw The Black Rabbit of Inle' slowly approaching towards him to claim his soul.

"No, I won't allow it! I only have one final task!" I disagreed to her statement.

"That only depends on you." she spoke. "For someone would be filled with vendetta. He would seek out for revenge. Just as a rabbit would avenge for his fallen brother."

"Who? Who would do it?! TELL ME!" I demanded.

"Very well." she than approved to see the person responsible. She transformed herself to a Captain from Efrafa... Captain Campion.

"I know you... you were present when I was being marked." I remembered him.

"I don't mean for this happen. I ordered them not to use lethal force." he spoke.

"No... you're lying!"

"I'm afraid he isn't lying." I turned around to see it was Captain Orchis. "Now you'll feel the same way to lose someone you loved. Just I have lost my brother."

"If you have anything to do with Captain Holly, I swear... I'll kill you!" My rage fused as I marched towards him. I tried to punch him, but my punch went through him, as he's nothing but a specter. "Where are you?!"

I than saw Captain Holly on his feet, as he made his hauntingly warm smile. Sometimes it is taken, sometimes it is not. But there is no bargain, for here, what is, is what must be.

I was starting to hear the phrase "what is, is what it must be" over and over that it started to torment me. "Please stop this! It can't happen!"

For someone would be filled with vendetta. He would seek out for revenge. The Black Rabbit's voice echoed to replace Captain Holly's.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Captain Holly! Where are you?!" I woke up in a panic, as I called for Captain Holly. I was than being held gently down by Hazel, Bigwig, and Blackberry. I continued to struggle

"Kevin, Kevin snap out of it!" Bigwig exclaimed, than felt paw slap, as he strike me to wake up.

I gasped and panted heavily, as I was in sweat came down on my head. "Where are we?!"

"It's alright, brother. You were having a nightmare." Hazel calmed me down.

"A terrible one to think of it." Blackberry added.

"And we're near the 'human warren'. You collapsed and loss consciousness. You shivered terribly, like Fiver and his visions." Bigwig answered and added. I rubbed at the spot where Bigwig struck me. "Oh, and... I'm sorry I had to do that."

"No, that's fine. But Captain Holly, where is he?" I started to panic again.

"He's fine. He stayed back at the warren to watch out for Clover and Strawberry. Remember?" Hazel answered.

I than finally remembered the last conversation I had with my newest father, before heading out with Hazel and the band to free the prisoners of Efrafa. "I need a splash of water. I feel like it's coming back."

Hazel nodded with worry. I got up and headed downhill to everyone else was resting. I got to the river and I splashed the cold water onto my face to wake myself up. I splashed another handful of water onto my face, until I felt more awake and aware of my surroundings.

"Are you better?" Bigwig asked.

I took some deep breaths in and out. In and out. In and out, with slow pace until I was calm and able to breath. "I'm okay... for now. Plus, I needed that slap to snap out of the dream I had, too."

Bigwig chuckles.

"How did you managed to get everyone out?" I asked.

"I pretended to be a story teller, exactly Hazel suggested. I was than started to train myself undercover for their Owsla, while spreading word to Hyzenthlay and the others, especially getting Blackavar out of there. The poor beast." Bigwig answered.

"He's the one that kept getting beaten by the Owsla, from making numerous attempts to escape." I tried to remember, who Blackavar was.

"Yes. He even told me that he was once a Captain of Owsla before he was captured by Efrafa. So much of him giving one of the Efrafan bucks who was guarding the does, a good thrashing."

I was amazed to know that Blackavar was a former captain and still maintained his fighting skills, despite of being beaten down.

"Well, let's go see what Hazel-rah will say." Bigwig said, as I than followed him up hill while seeing Kehaar making an landing on top of a hill where Hazel is.

"I'm off now, Hazel. Like I said, birds need to find mothers, too." Kehaar spoke to Hazel. "You'll find your way back to the downs fine. Aye?"

"Yes, we'll be able to make it back home just fine now. Thanks to you." Hazel spoke.

"Maybe the next time I see you, I'll see little Hazels, too?"

"Yeah it might be possible. I'm sure you'll be visiting us more often than you think." I nodded my head at Hazel, as I was speaking to Kehaar.

"Thank you, Kehaar. Without you, we would've stopped running a long time ago." Hazel thanked Kehaar for his great help and service to us.

"I'll be back, like Kevin said. Around when the cold winds return." Kehaar kept his word that he'll see us again.

"Abandoning us again, are you?" Bigwig questioned.

"You're going to have find a way to exist without me for a while... plump rabbit." Kehaar made his final joke of the hour that I couldn't help, but laugh.

"Don't encourage him!" Bigwig demanded me to stop.

"I can't help it!" I laughed. "I held it when he called you that for the first time, now that he's leaving. I have to laugh..." I burst out with laughter a lot louder than before.

"For the last time, my name is Bigwig!" he than turned towards Kehaar and attempt to make a charge at him.

"I know it's Bigwig!" Kehaar flapped his wings and missed him. "But what's life if can't tease your pal a little, eh?"

He than took off his wings and flew away towards the hills, until we no longer seen him. "You know Bigwig, you have to let your guard down just a inch, if someone wanted to make a good joke."

"Well..." he burst out, until he let took a deep breath and sighed from Kehaar's annoying joke. "... well, I guess so."

"In little time, you'll miss him and you two would be like buddies again." I chuckled.

Fiver than came up to Hazel. "Well, the does have seen that the bird, who saved us, is gone. They're exhausted and scared-"

"But they have to move on. They'll die if they stay here." Hazel spoke.

"That's when a leader steps in and welcoming them to our home." I added. He than looked at everyone, as they're now waiting for him to speak.

Hazel sighed. "I can't do this. You have a greater speaking wit."

"Yeah, but that's when I have to step in when everyone is down or lose faith." I told him. "You'll lose faith, if you can't guide them to the right direction. Just speak to them utterly truthfully, and nothing but the truth. More simply, just speak from your heart. I'm sure Clover would wanted to say that to you, Hazel-rah."

He breathed in and out, before he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Go on man, you got this." I encouraged him. "As if your King George VI, who overcome his fright from stammering."

Hazel nodded his head with the encouragement that I gave him. "My name is Hazel. And I am Chief Rabbit of your new home. I know that it will take time for me to earn your trust... and hopefully your friendship."

I nodded my head slowly, as he got it down good.

"...But it is a privilege for me to do so... and to serve each and every one of you, both old... and new. You have fought so hard to earn your freedom. But now you must fight to keep it. Because the battle of liberty is one which has no end... and if we fall fighting, stop running... then at least we know what it was like to run..."

His speech continued to fill my head even long after he finishes as we're heading back to Watership Down.

I stand here not asking you to follow me... but to follow each other. Let's help raise each other to our strongest selves. Let's go home. In the end of the speech while heading for home, I could even hear the applause of cheer and clapping, as he finished a well solid speech to his people. As if he gave an Inaugural Address, speaking after the Coronation, or simply just given the role of any leadership that he would be well suited for.

From our two days journey from the human village, we made it back home. We climbed to the tallest hill that is our home. Bigwig managed to reach to the top first. "Behold!" He introduced everyone to our warren Watership Down.

"Guys! We're home!" I shouted to four rabbits outside of the warren and the three of them I recognized: Captain Holly, Clover, and Strawberry.

"Oh by Frith, he made it!" Clover praised, as she hurried over to Hazel and the two reached to each other first. They shared a heartwarming reunion nuzzle.

Everyone was starting to embrace one and another, as others would simply welcoming them and greeting each other for the first time. I than got to Captain Holly.

"Kevin!" he was in rejoice to see me in one piece.

"Dad..." I spoke, as he warmly smiled. "I guess by now I'm in such deep s-"

He gave me a hug warmly that I decided to stop talking, but accept the hug and give it back to him. "I even have someone waiting for you too."

He spotted one of the does coming towards him... it was Hyzenthlay. He was amazed to see her alive. "Hyzenthlay, thank you for saving me."

"I should thank you as well, especially after saving us from Captain Vervain." I thanked her as well.

"I owe you my life." Captain Holly spoke to her again.

"Your warren has given me back my life, and if the roles were reversed, you'd have done the same." she spoke to him.

"A thousand times." Captain Holly remarked, just before the two shared a nuzzle to each other. My heart is now warm that the two are together. "And Kevin... I think someone else is waiting for you too."

I than looked over to see Thethuthinnang made her approach towards me. My heart started to pound a bit, as she made her first approach towards me in a better circumstance.

"You're Kevin right?" she asked me.

"Yes. And you're Thethuthinnang?" I answered and asked her name also.

"Yes. I wanted to say thank you for saving me back at the Iron Road." she thanked me.

"Your welcome... and I..." I started to stutter. She began to chuckle from my stutter. "I have to thank you from your voice. I think it was you, who sang."

She giggled. "How could you be so sure?"

"I'm pretty sure Hyzenthlay told me that you're a singer. I'll found out soon enough though in a good time." I was determined. She giggled before she joined up with everyone gathering around for Hazel to introduce to the new rabbits of their home.

"Welcome to you all. Welcome Home." He greeted everyone to their new home. I liked to call it a good happy ending like that. However, there would be more to it than just simply ending a good story.

But no... this is not the end, it's only the beginning.