"Farewell, ma rusati. Please look after Lucy for me." Then, giving his friends one last look, he let go of the rope, sending both Woundwort and himself plummeting straight into the inferno below.
Alan felt himself fall, Woundwort still clinging to his legs. He shut his eyes and covered his face with his arms, bracing himself for the agony of the flames awaiting him below. He felt the hot smoky air brush against him as he fell, the screams of Woundwort and his friends alike ringing in his ears, before he hit the water. White-hot pain struck every inch of his body as the burning kerosene in the water engulfed him, causing him to cry out, before his screams were muffled by the water.
He opened his eyes and saw he was submerged underwater, with the inferno floating on the surface right above his head. Using his legs and good arm (the broken one was pinned to his chest with his belt), he struggled to swim clear and surface around it. But the current was too strong and he instantly found himself carried along downstream, drowning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Woundwort, also struggling against the water, as the river swallowed them both up in its death grip.
They were washed over the edge of the weir and into the rapids. Suddenly, Alan saw a large rock loom into view ahead of him; there wasn't a second for him, even to brace himself, before the water slammed him into it head-on. His head felt a sharp blow and the last thing he saw before everything dissolved to nothingness around him, was a cloud of his own blood escaping from an open wound.
A curious sensation spread through his body. He felt almost as if he no longer had any physical body at all; no more pain, no need to breathe, no nothing… He had suddenly become something of a phantom floating through an endless whiteness of bright light that had engulfed him. A most wonderful feeling of freedom and peace overcame him and he neither knew nor cared any more about where he was or what was happening to him…
Fiver and Silverweed, nervous and scared, made their way downriver in the dark of night, passed the smoking ruins of Efrafa, and heading on towards the unexplored regions of the river. The continued on further down, finding no sign of life, until they finally came back to the dam formed by the drifting debris.
As Derek had expected, the water level had indeed risen in the past few hours, putting too much pressure on the dam of fallen trees, which was just about to give way. Only a fool would dare venture beyond it. But Fiver always chose to follow his visions, rather than his common sense. The two rabbits scampered over the slippery logs and soon found themselves in a partially drained section of the riverbed on the other side.
There was something lying amidst the mossy stones of the drained riverbed – something Derek's search party would not have missed had they ventured just a little farther down. It was a figure dressed in a khaki uniform, easily distinguishable from its slimy surroundings.
Breaking into a run, Fiver, slipping and stumbling, made his way across the drained riverbed. Ignoring the nerve-wracking creaking sounds of the slowly collapsing dam, which was threatening to give way at any second, he made his way towards the unmoving figure, followed by Silverweed. Sure enough, just like he had glimpsed in his latest vision, lying in the mud before them, looking horribly battered, bruised, bloodied, burned and unmoving, was Alan.
Fiver drew in his breath as he stared at his friend's broken body. The man's clothes were all shredded, scorched and covered in burn holes; underneath, the two rabbits could see multiple ghastly injuries, his skin cold and milk white. A small trickle of blood formed a trail away from the body. It seemed that after he had fallen from the balloon, he had drifted downstream until the dam had formed behind him, causing the waterline to drop, exposing his body for them to find. But if he had been submerged all that time, then that meant he had to be…
"Alan, please wake up. Alan, it's me, Fiver! Please, answer me!" the young buck pleaded, nuzzling Alan in the neck. But the man's head rolled helplessly from side to side, not displaying the faintest sign of life. As the face rolled in Fiver's direction, the buck cringed in horror; Alan's face and hair were soaked in blood coming from a gaping wound just above his forehead, from where he'd hit the rock. The man's eyes were still open, but staring vacantly at nothing. Fiver's heart sank.
"Alan, please don't be dead," the runt rabbit sobbed, still nudging his human friend, begging him to awake. Suddenly, as his ear fell across Alan's face, Fiver felt something that made his heart soar: a faint, shallow, but definitely real breath coming from Alan's mouth. He wasn't dead! Sure enough, as Fiver continued to listen, he could also hear the faint rhythm of Alan's heart still pounding inside his chest. So why was he unresponsive like a corpse? In an instant, his mind flashed back to Samir; Bigwig had told him how the brute, who had tried to render Hazel and Hawkbit to a permanent catatonic state, had instead brought that grim fate upon himself after being struck on the head...
Staring back at the ghastly wound on Alan's head, Fiver felt his blood curdle in realisation. Alan wasn't dead; instead, he had suffered a fate even worse than death with his mind, memory and sense of self destroyed forever. Instead of a decent death, he was doomed to live on as an unknowing and unthinking vegetable, a burden to his friends and family, until he died of old age.
Heartbroken, Fiver lay down beside Alan's unresponsive body, feeling completely lost. What should he do now? Alan was beyond help; should they just leave him and go? At least that way, the elil or the river would soon put him out of his misery and spare everyone the anguish of seeing him in this state. But Silverweed, who had been standing aside, watching with a thoughtful expression, gently nudged Fiver on the shoulder, "What did you see?" Fiver took a second to wipe some tears away before answering, "What do you mean?"
"What did you see in your vision?" repeated Silverweed in a calm tone of voice, like someone working patiently to solve a puzzle. Fiver felt exasperated; half of him wanted to yell at Silverweed for being so carefree when his friend lay in a vegetable state before him, while the other half knew the mystic was only trying to help. Taking a few deep breaths, he managed to clear his head and replayed the vision in his mind.
"I…I was flying over the river like a bird, following, what I think was, Alan's ghost, who was riding on the back on the Black Rabbit of Inle. He was calling to me to help him as I followed them down here, where his body lay, and then they just vanished, before a mighty wall of water appeared and swept us both away." Silverweed shook his head.
"That's not good enough. Here, let me take a look. Look at me straight in the eyes."
Fiver felt Silverweed's far sight penetrate his mind; he felt as if he was falling through an endless void, random memories flashing before his eyes. Then the vision resurfaced: he was following a phantom-like black rabbit with gleaming red eyes, as it glided, rather than run, along. Ridding atop it was a ghostly outline of Alan, who was reaching out behind him as if begging Fiver to grab hold and pull him back. Alan's voice, distant and ghostly-like could be heard calling, "Fiver…help me…" The chase continued down the river until they came to the dam. The Black Rabbit momentarily hovered above Alan's body, before soaring skywards into the moon with Alan's soul. Fiver found himself standing alone and bewildered beside the body, when suddenly the dam imploded; an enormous wall of blood, rather than water, burst through, coming straight at him. The torrent of blood morphed into the shape of the Black Rabbit's head, before it opened its void of a mouth wide and swooped down on him…
Then the vision ended. Fiver fell to the ground, panting and moaning from having relived the horrible vision a second time. Silverweed, also shaken by what he had seen, yet now grasping its meaning, helped Fiver up, "Your vision seems to imply that you are the only one that can bring him back, Fiver." Fiver felt perplexed.
"How in Frith's name am I supposed to do that? No rabbit that has stopped running has ever returned from the Land Beyond Life. And I'm pretty sure no human has either…"
"Indeed, once your soul has crossed over and completely parted company with your physical body, you've stopped running forever. However," Silverweed explained patiently, "Alan's physical body isn't completely dead…yet. As long as his physical body survives, even in this state, there's still a link with his soul, which keeps him bound to the land of the living. To have to journey to the Land Beyond Life, to bring Alan's soul back to his body before it dies completely."
Fiver had never felt so afraid in his life; this task was something even El-ahrairah himself would yield to. "So that means I must surrender myself to the Black Rabbit of Inle? My life for Alan's?" Although he was willing to die to save his friend, the thought of losing Hazel, his beloved Vilthuril, and all his friends was nothing short of torture. But Silverweed reassured him, "No, you won't be trading your life for Alan's; your friend's soul still has a link to the world of the living through his physical body but can't awake because his mind is broken; your job is to tap into his broken mind, which will allow him to enter the Land Beyond Life through him, and bring his soul back to his body – bring both of you back."
Suddenly, a horrible creaking noise caught both rabbits off guard; the dam was beginning to disintegrate. Soon, the water would burst through, drowning Alan's comatose body and destroying the last link that kept him anchored to life, maybe drown them too. Silverweed turned to Fiver, "There isn't much time, Fiver; if we're going to do this, then we have to get started at once." But Fiver didn't fail to notice a grim expression on the mystic's face, which spelled out that the task wouldn't be as simple as it sounded. As if reading his mind, Silverweed explained.
"I'm afraid there will be a price to pay; when I use my powers to send your soul into the Land Beyond Life through Alan's broken mind, I will be exposing my own soul and mind to limbo; the realm between life and death. Whether or not I'll be able to return from it, I can't foresee; I just hope I can hold on long enough for you to make it back." Fiver felt deep sympathy as he realised Silverweed meant to sacrifice himself.
"Why risk your life for a complete stranger?" he asked, "I know you realise how much Alan means to me and my friends, but why are you so willing to do this for him?" His face wearing an expression of deep shame, Silverweed explained.
"Because I've used my powers to do some awful things in life, such as serving that evil rabbit Cowslip, in exchange for my own selfish welfare. I would really want to confess all the things I've done, Fiver, to relieve my guilt, but there isn't time. What matters is this might be my only chance to redeem myself; at least this way I'll know I have repented and can hope to find some peace when Frith judges me on the day I stop running." Fiver nodded in silent understanding and the two seers turned back to their task.
"Lie down beside Alan," said Silverweed. Fiver obeyed, resting his head against Alan's shoulder, "Now look into my eyes, without blinking, and just let your mind go blank." Then Silverweed locked his supernatural gaze with Alan's unknowing one and Fiver's utterly terrified one. But before he could perform the ritual, Fiver stopped him.
"If I don't make it back but you do, go back to the warren and tell Hazel I did this on my own free will; I owe Alan more than one life dept and I intend to repay them now." Silverweed nodded and resumed his magic. Reciting some strange and highly disturbing Lapine poetry under his breath ('Frith Lies in the Evening Sky'), the mystic's eyes started glowing with a supernatural light. Fiver felt a slight pull in his naval, before he was 'sucked' into those penetrating eyes and a heavenly bright light engulfed him as his very soul was literally transferred deep into Alan's broken mind, reaching out to wherever its owner had gone…
Alan felt completely relaxed and comfortable as he woke up from what felt like the best sleep he's ever had in his life. He could feel a soft surface beneath him, like he was lying on a bed. As he tried to open his eyes, his corneas met a bright golden light. Instinctively, he threw his hands in front of his eyes to shield them, moving his 'broken' arm in the process. But, to his amazement, there was no pain – not on his arm, nor anywhere else on his body. Feeling himself, he realised all the wounds he had sustained in the battle were gone, completely healed. Even his clothes, which had been shredded and drenched in dirt and blood, were intact and spotless clean, practically brand new.
As his eyes slowly adjusted, he became aware of more changes: aside from his clothes and shoes, the rest of his belongings had all disappeared; his equipment, his watch, anything he had in his pockets, a couple of tooth fillings and even his glasses were all gone. His eyes, which had always been dependant on glasses (Alan was short-sighted), had a crystal-clear vision and the holes for his fillings were replaced with new, healthy teeth. Even a couple of old tattoos on his shoulder and forearm, and a Teflon disk in his left elbow (a souvenir from an old war wound) had disappeared, the latter apparently no longer needed due to this inexplicable renewed physical health. Soon, he became aware of his unfamiliar surroundings.
He was lying on a bed of ivy and dock leaves, similar to those used by his rabbit friends, in some sort of large burrow. The grotto was large, held up by neatly positioned roots with many shoots of different coloured flowers projecting from them. Tiny chunks of sparkling quartz lay embedded in the soil, sparkling like diamonds in the light. The place felt cosy and well ventilated and, although it was definitely underground, it was filled with golden sunlight that seemed to radiate from the chamber itself, with no apparent light source visible. The floor was covered in fresh, sweet-smelling moss and peat carpeting, giving the place a most hospitable atmosphere.
Although amazed by the stunning beauty of this strange place, Alan was beginning to worry, having no idea where he was or how he'd got there in the first place. Although he felt sure he knew this place from somewhere before, perhaps read about it long ago…
Sitting up, he made for a small spring in the centre of the chamber to squash his thirst, having just realised just how thirsty he was. He was about to make for the exit run, hoping to find somebody, when a firm yet kind voice caught him by surprise, "Welcome to the Land Beyond Life, Time Traveller." Turning round, he saw a large silvery-furred rabbit sitting beside the bed of dock leaves he had been laying on, apparently having been waiting for him to awake.
"Silver?" Alan gasped, hurrying forward, "Bloody hell, old chap, I thought Woundwort had beaten you to a pulp! How did you make it? Where are we? Where are the others?" To his surprise, 'Silver' shook his head, "I'm afraid you're a bit confused, Time Traveller. My nephew and I shared quite a resemblance. Thank Frith, he hasn't stopped running yet and hopefully won't for a long time to come…" Alan felt more perplexed than ever. Who was this rabbit who looked so much like Silver? Suddenly, his host's own words put the explanation together like a jigsaw puzzle. Alan couldn't believe his eyes, recognising a rabbit he'd seen die not so long ago.
"Threarah? Is that you? But you're dead!" Suddenly, his own words brought upon him another realisation, "So I am dead too, right? Oh God, now I'll never see Lucy or my friends again…"
"That I am," replied the Threarah grimly, whose body, like Alan's, had been completely renewed, nursed back to health and eternal youth upon his passing, no longer the senile, crumbling old ruin Alan had met at Sandleford. Now he could see that the former Chief Rabbit of Sandleford had been a very powerful rabbit in his youth; he was the size of Bigwig and just as strong and, although he shared his nephew's overweight, he looked like an extremely proud and dignified rabbit, rather than the arrogant, pompous old cretin Alan remembered. "But whether or not you are to remain here is still to be seen," the Threarah continued.
"But…I was killed!" Alan blurted out, remembering what had happened, "I threw myself from the balloon to kill Woundwort… Where is Woundwort? Is he here too?" But the Threarah interrupted him.
"Time Traveller, I understand you're confused and wish to have answers, but I'm afraid you must be patient; everything will be explained to you shortly. For now, I suggest you find comfort in the fact that thanks to your courage, the evil General Woundwort will never be harming another living soul ever again. You have fulfilled the task I assigned to you and in return, earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people. Come, there are others expecting you."
He followed the Threarah out of the chamber, through El-ahrairah's legendary and stunningly beautiful warren. In comparison to Sandleford, Cowslip's warren, the Honeycomb, and Efrafa, this place was a heavenly home, unlike anything ever found anywhere in the world of the living, whether it was a warren or a human habitation. Alan remembered reading about this place in The Cross Bearer, a famous fanfic based off Adams' works and now realised it mirrored the description in that story. Guess a person's writings can even influence the world of the afterlife...
Fiver opened his eyes, looking around him dazed and confused. Where was he? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was Silverweed 'sending' him into Alan's broken mind, to find him and bring him back. Had he made it? Was he in the Land Beyond Life? Or, he thought with a twinge of fear, had he ended up in the Shadowlands instead?
As his eyes adjusted to the bright heavenly light that filled the place, he realised he was in a magnificent burrow of some unknown warren. He was lying on a bed of soft goose down, like a kitten when opening its eyes in its mother's nest. As he pulled himself out of the comfortable bedding, he realised he wasn't alone; standing beside him was a slender, middle-aged buck with identical creamy brown fur to Hazel's and his own. Fiver's jaw dropped in amazement as he recognised his own dead father.
"Parli?"
"Yes, Hrair-roo, my son, it's me," replied his father Walnut. Fiver was lost for words; his father, a proud and stern rabbit, had never been very affectionate towards him because of his sixth sense, which was seen by many rabbits, like Hawkbit, as bad luck, giving his family a bad name and making Fiver a family outcast. Even his siblings Peanut, Almond and Rosebud, had always retained a rather scornful and non-affectionate attitude towards him and Hazel, who always stood up for him.
When his father and two older brothers had died, followed by their mother and sister, Fiver had quickly put his memories of them behind him, intent on moving on with Hazel. However, never having had a real father to look up to had left a deep void in his heart, which he had never been able to suppress…until now. Coming into this realm, he had expected to see his departed friends and comrades expecting him. But finding his father, who had always disliked and neglected him, waiting to greet him instead was totally unbelievable.
"I…What are you doing here?"
Walnut looked a bit hurt at his son's not-so-enthusiastic greeting, yet didn't chastise him, given that Fiver had a good reason not to miss him, "I'm here to take you to your missing friend…and for a chance to talk to you." Fiver stared back at his father; back in the physical world, such a 'talk' usually meant a sound scolding. Only this time, it wasn't to be the case.
"Hrair-roo, I understand I'm probably saying this a bit late, but I want you to know that I'm truly sorry for what I used to say about you being a burden and a curse on our family. Your mother was right; my pride and arrogance made me blind and discriminate towards my own son…" Those words brought back some painful memories in Fiver's mind, from his childhood:
Walnut was smoothly conversing with several of his friends during an early spring silflay. Fiver, still a younger out of the warren for the first time, was hiding in the foliage not too far off, so his father couldn't see or smell him, which allowed him to say, much to Fiver's hurt, "Thank Frith I have been blessed with a litter of fine healthy rabbits...except for that little runt, Hrairoo."
"Why? Whatever is the matter with that rabbit?" asked another buck curiously, yet Walnut didn't miss his friends exchanging a few hushed whispers to each other so he couldn't hear what they were saying, aggravating him. He answered coldly to his friend.
"That buck will never amount to anything. He's too small and weak to ever join the Owsla, always bullied around by the stronger bucks. Not that I blame them really…What makes it worse is that curse he possesses; you should hear the others in the Owsla talking behind my back, 'His son is a curse upon this warren! How do we know the rest of the family aren't too?' My decent, worthy sons and I are forced to bear such a humiliating discrimination, all because of that cursed little runt! And now I hear, my third oldest son, Kothen has been influenced by that little pipsqueak's whims and sided with that weakling! Oh, how I wish I had killed Fiver when he was still a tiny kit!" That night was one of the many nights when Fiver had cried non-stop.
Fiver looked back at his father who went on speaking, "Ever since the Black Rabbit of Inle brought me here, I have seen and learned so much from our Prince; the humans of the forgotten past, their role in our creation and the traitorous scheme of Hemlock and his descendants, everything. We've all been watching you and Hazel on your adventures. You've accomplished what no other rabbit that ever existed has ever done before; you and your friends helped resurrect the suppressed legacy of our Prince. For what it's worth, Hrair-roo, you've made me proud; much more than even your Owsla brothers ever did." Fiver felt lost for words.
"Father, I…I don't know what to say! I…" Fiver mumbled, a great blossom of happiness suddenly blooming inside him; his father, even in death, had finally seen past his pride and accepted him for what he was. Sure enough, Walnut gently nuzzled his youngest son on the head whispering, "Just say you forgive me for taking so long to realise that size and strength aren't a measure of courage. In spite of my neglect, you've grown into an outstanding young buck, wise and courageous, just like your brother. I'm proud to be your father, Hrair-roo and, by Frith, I mean it!" Fiver looked up at his father, as the older buck held him close.
"Where is marli? And Almond, Peanut and Rosebud? Are they here too?"
"Your time to stop running hasn't come yet, Hrair-roo; your mother was always there for you when she was alive, but I wasn't. She insisted I come to greet you alone rather than the whole family, so that we may share a moment of happiness together, as she always wanted. Now come, we don't have much time."
The Threarah led Alan above ground, outside the warren. The stunning beauty of the Land Beyond Life, just as it was described in The Cross Bearer, was absolutely breathtaking. The landscape, which seemed to stretch out into infinity, was a majestic garden of rich and bountiful vegetation that could be seen everywhere. Trees of all kinds, bearing the most delicious-looking fruit imaginable, formed every inch of woodland in sight, while the meadows were covered with carpets of the most beautiful flowers imaginable. The aroma of all those natural treasures filled the air. No biology PhD in the world could help explain this remarkable natural selection.
In the clear blue sky above, the sun, which seemed to have a greater luminosity than in the physical world, showered this paradise with its eternal light and warmth. In comparison to the bio-engineered paradise of the 28th century, this place was tenfold its beauty and splendour; here, all the hardships and struggles for survival always encountered in the physical world, including winter, warfare, disease and starvation, were entirely absent. Just like it was described in the Bible, the Garden of Eden provided everything for its eternal tenants, since passed on from the physical realm and now living under Frith's watchful eye.
As they passed through a glade outside El-ahrairah's warren, Alan saw several rabbits, possibly ancestors of the Watership Down rabbits, playing and running about. Among them, Alan could vaguely recognise some of the slaves that had died during the battle of Efrafa, having finally found happiness. But that wasn't what surprised him; the group of playmates didn't consist just of rabbits, but of humans too! Men, women and children of different ages and nationalities were interacting with the lagomorphs, almost as if they all part of this large and loving family. A glance at the military-style attire of one young man playing Bobstones with one of the bucks confirmed they were all former HAB settlers, who had died during Hemlock's reign of terror.
Alan felt more perplexed than ever, as a quote from the Cross Bearer flashed in his mind, "Do you remember saying, that despite the potential of love and altruism a human soul carries, it can be overpowered by the vice and ruthlessness of the dark, evil sins that can only appeal to the hearts of men? If you remain here, you could never maintain your heart and soul to be free of evil, and over time, your being in the land beyond life will eventually corrupt it, for this realm is a paradise only for the beasts of Frith." But if the text of The Cross Bearer was right, then why weren't these people barred from this holy safe haven of animals? Why was he here?
By this time, others had become aware of Alan's arrival and were staring at him wide-eyed as he walked by. He could hear excited muttering all around, "It's the Time Traveller; the Gift of Prince Rainbow has come to pass. El-ahrairah's legacy has been resurrected!" They kept on walking through the orchards, until they came to some sort of cave in the side of a hill. The Threarah gestured at Alan to enter.
They stepped through the cavern entrance into bright light, almost as if they had just stepped into the sun itself. As Alan's eyes adjusted, he saw he was standing inside a large geode of gigantic white crystals and a dome-shaped roof towering high above his head. This entire crystal cave radiated with light, beamed around in bright rainbow colours. It was like standing inside a diamond. In the centre was a circular crater, also made of sparkling crystals, forming some sort of fountain; a small waterfall fed the fountain, which gave the impression of being some sort of sacred site. But to what purpose?
Standing around the fountain was a crowd of people and rabbits, expecting them. The sight nearly took his breath away; standing before him were all of his friends and family he had seen lost over the years: his parents Jack and Susan, Dr Drake, Inspector Santon, Major McEwen, Pimpernel, Boxwood, Haystack, Nildrohein, Acorn, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Rubscuttle, Laurel and, standing before them, was El-ahrairah, the Prince of Rabbits himself, who stepped forward to greet him.
"Welcome to Frith's Sun Cave, Time Traveller."
Before Alan could utter a single word of gratitude, someone else had torn through the crowd and next second, he found himself engulfed in a mess of flaming red hair, as the love of his life, who he had lost forever, embraced him in a bone-crushing hug, "Oh my God, Alan, I'm so sorry. I should have told you about Miles' discovery when I had the chance. It's all because of me that you and our little girl had to suffer by that…that despicable man. Oh, Alan I'm so sorry…"
"Mary…" Alan muttered as he held his wife close to embrace her, "No love, the fault is mine; I shouldn't have left you alone and unprotected. If anything, I deserved all that pain and suffering as much as Robbins and his Red Hand goons deserved their bitter fate. And now, I've failed Lucy again; I'm dead and our daughter will be growing up completely parentless." He lowered his head in sadness but his father, who was standing right behind him, placed a comforting hand on his son's shoulder, "No, Alan, you aren't dead; you are going back." Alan looked at his father in shock, who turned to El-ahrairah. The Prince With The Thousand Enemies stepped forward, smiling at Alan.
"Time Traveller, I understand your confusion at your unexpected arrival in the Land Beyond Life, but don't fret; we're about to explain everything. However, we don't have much time, so I ask for your patience and full attention. It's time you learned the truth behind your recent adventures. Cole, if you please…" Alan settled down beside his wife, as Drake started talking.
"After you left to return to the future, Santon and I dedicated all of our efforts in making secret preparations for what was to come. While I worked on Project Utopia in secret, Santon focused on preserving the secrecy of the future. Using my father's money, we formed a secret society called the League of the New World, which secretly made plans for the dawn of the new world. When doomsday came, Santon and I were able to use our connections to secure passes to the HAB for every member of the League, taking all of our work with us. While living underground, I finally completed Project Utopia just as you'd told me I would, bringing Richard Adams' book to life." Finished with his part, El-ahrairah then picked up from where Drake had left off.
"Rubscuttle, Laurel, Hemlock and I were born underground, amongst Cole and his people. While we waited for Frith to return to the world, Cole and his friends prepared us for our new life, hoping that we would be able to share the new world together. He and his family taught us Lapine, as well as all the customs and traditions described in Adams' story, which we adopted as our native culture. When Frith finally returned and the first grass started to grow, we set off to establish our first warren in the new world. That was when Drake's people began to realise that our growing numbers would be a threat to humans and forced him to create the elil."
"When that came out, although Rubscuttle and I found it within our hearts to forgive Cole, Hemlock saw this as a betrayal – the excuse he needed to brand humans as our enemies. Even Laurel, who feared to see her children hunted and killed by the elil, sided with Hemlock. However, after realised Hemlock's true plans to destroy us all and establish a kingdom of tyranny with him in total command, she tried to deserted and warn us, but was hunted down and killed before she could tell a soul. Then, Hemlock struck."
"It would have been the end for Cole and his people, just like it had happened in the original history, if it hadn't been for Santon, who knew of Hemlock's plan from the information you entrusted to him. That attack was successfully thwarted, but Hemlock escaped and started rebuilding his forces with the help of Sven Shertok, who had also been waiting to join him in his rise to power. Hemlock was eventually defeated but his dark legacy lived on, dividing our descendants into two opposing sides...until you, Alan Johnson, arrived to fulfil your destiny." Having finished with his part of the story, El-ahrairah stood aside and Rubscuttle continued.
"After my master was killed by Shertok on Hemlock's orders, in my grief, I believed, to my eternal shame, that humans were indeed meant to be our enemies and that we would be far better off without them. I banished Cole and his people, as punishment for failing to protect my master. I decided that I would preserve my master's legacy, but I wouldn't allow my people to associate with humans ever again; my people and I swore never to tell our children of their true beginnings. The truth eventually died with me when the Great Freeze fell upon our world. Humans were only remembered as the foul beasts they had degenerated into...until you came along." Next, it was the Threarah's turn.
"As my nephew told you tonight, your arrival in our world had been foretold for generations, as a legend known as the Gift of Prince Rainbow. As you might have guessed, I knew the secret from my forefathers and the danger of it falling into the paws of Hemlock's descendants. As a young rabbit, I had had the misfortune of crossing paths with General Woundwort, who happened to discover our warren when an expedition I was leading into his territory run afoul of his Wide Patrols. Although we drove him off, we had invoked his wrath and he swore he'd take revenge. It was he who unleashed the White Blindness to get us. Neighbouring Thinial was destroyed; to save my own warren, I was forced to have the Owsla drive out anyone infected, including my sister, Silver's mother, to control the disease. Fortunately, Woundwort believed us to have all been wiped out and didn't launch another invasion."
"Realising that Woundwort was Hemlock's descendant, still continuing his ancestor's war of conquest, I realised the danger. All Woundwort needed to fulfil his evil ambitions was a human from your time, who could either willingly or forcibly be coaxed into using all his knowledge of mastery over nature for his personal gain – in other words, he too was waiting for the Gift of Prince Rainbow to come to pass, just like I was."
"Tell me about it," said Alan, "Robbins was the perfect instrument of destruction, even before he joined forces with Woundwort. And he damn well nearly succeeded; if we didn't have the advantage of travelling back in time to set things right, Black Inferno would have destroyed everything…"
"Which brings us back to you Alan," El-ahrairah said calmly, bringing the conversation back on track, "Ever since my legacy fell, we'd all relied on the hope that the Gift of Prince Rainbow would be the key to ending this era of conflict and hate. The two sides had reached a stalemate; on one side, my people were thriving, yet living under the shadow of Woundwort's threat, completely ignorant of their true beginnings, while on the other, there was Woundwort, lying low, whilst enlarging his forces by enslaving any hlessil or warrens he captured, waiting for the right time to start his conquest."
"Then the prophecy was correct," Alan concluded, "I was destined to change your world for the better, or for the worst. On one hand, there was me, with the knowledge of the tale of Watership Down and an appreciation for its virtues; on the other hand, there was Robbins, the deadly instrument Woundwort sought. Robbins and I were two mortal enemies from the start and we'd unknowingly brought our fight to you. The winner would determine whose legacy would triumph; Hemlock's legacy of tyranny and slavery, or El-ahrairah's legacy of peaceful coexistence, right?"
"While you're right about the second notion, I'm afraid you've slightly misunderstood your role in the prophecy," El-ahrairah explained, "You weren't meant to be a mindless pawn to be used against the enemy, as Woundwort claimed. That certainly applied from Woundwort's perspective, to whom Robbins was nothing more than a disposable asset to do his dirty work for him and then be discarded – that ultimately led to both their downfalls. You, on the other hand, who willingly chose to become the destined protector of my people without any expectations for a reward, were fighting your own battle as well as ours; fighting against the injustice Robbins had inflicted upon you."
"So my role in guiding the rabbits of Watership Down through all of this wasn't mere coincidence at all," Alan said, "My success in this mission would also determine the course of my own life. Our fates had become intertwined to fulfil a common purpose," he concluded, yet baffled at the same time. "But how was all of this meant to be? A world born out of a storybook, me happening to stumble across that world just when the foretold events of the story are about to unfold, all of this...?"
"Fate, combined with a chain of key events across history, if you want to put it that way," said the Threarah, "Richard Adams created the story of our world; Dr Drake created the science to make it a reality; the Four Brothers set the original sequences of events in motion that would, over many generations, lead up to the historic moment that you would be a major part of; and, of course, your own intervention along the way."
"My intervention?"
"When you and your friends escaped back to your own time, to change the future, you had the power to prevent mankind's downfall, yet you still let it happen," said El-ahrairah, "Why?" Alan considered for a moment; in truth, he hadn't given the world he'd once known any real thought all this time. Why hadn't he done anything more direct to stop the human race from being wiped out? His first thought was because he hadn't wanted to risk changing the future too much, but there was actually a much bigger motive than that.
"It's just that I…well, I didn't believe the world would have a real chance of starting over by simply preventing the rise of yours; every layman knew the human world of the 21st century was headed towards its own self-destruction. I guess I probably felt that the human world could only be reborn as a new world, if humanity was to have any future at all. So I just let twelve billion people be killed without warning," he said, in spite of himself. El-ahrairah's eyes twinkled.
"Precisely, Alan," he said, "And, by doing so, you performed the ultimate sacrifice that renewed humanity's long-forsaken bond with nature." Seeing Alan's blank expression, El-ahrairah explained.
"When Cole created us, he used human genes to give us the ability of human speech, intelligence and all the other qualities that allow us to interact with humans and vice-versa – and that partly-human blood that runs in our veins creates a certain bond between our two species. The tale of the Cross Bearer wasn't wrong; the Land Beyond Life, as you know, isn't meant for humans. However, since we are partly human, that rule doesn't apply to those few who share our beliefs at heart, humans like you Alan. Frith allows our past human friends who choose to continue running with us after death to join us here. I believe this was also foretold in our tale?"
"The Bridge of Prince Rainbow! Of course!" Alan exclaimed, remembering from another Watership Down story called Blackavar's Gift, "A bond established between the love of a farm girl and her hutch rabbit, right?" El-ahrairah's eyes twinkled again, "Right again, Alan; in this case, it was my and Cole's love and friendship for each other that made this possible. The only humans allowed to venture here are those who, like you, believed in the sacred virtues and well-being of our world. Their souls are marked with that noble cause which grants them passage into our safe haven so they can be with their heart-brothers forever."
"We have all been watching over you throughout your journey," said the Threarah, "You have fulfilled your destiny with regards to Woundwort, but not with regards to yourself; you still have to reclaim your own life, currently under grave threat…"
"But how can I go back, if I'm dead?" interrupted Alan, anxious to get to the bottom line. Was he here to stay or not?
"You are still physically alive Time Traveller," Rubscuttle reassured him, "Your broken body has a long road to recovery but it isn't your time to stop running yet…unless you choose to stay." At these words Alan felt somewhat tempted. His task was complete; Woundwort was defeated and he was finally reunited with his wife and parents. Perhaps he should consider his life fulfilled and embrace the everlasting peace of the afterlife?
Suddenly, as if on queue, his thoughts were interrupted by a soft, distant voice, calling him, "Alan, please wake up. Alan, it's me, Fiver! Can you hear me? Alan, please don't be dead. Alan, wake up!" Alan's heart melted as he recognised Fiver's voice, undoubtedly having discovered his broken body back in the real world, and begging him to awake. Turning back to the spectators, the expressions on their faces told him the obvious, "Then I have to go back. But how?" The Prince of Rabbits smiled at Alan's selfless decision.
"Your physical body is still alive but your mind is broken from your injuries, which is why your soul has entered this realm. If you were to simply return to your body now, which is currently ill-fitted to house your soul, you would die or otherwise be trapped in an empty shell of a body, never to awake. To return to your body, you must first undertake a Life Memory Journey, to relive your life's key memories and be reminded of your purpose in life."
"What is this Life Memory Journey?" Alan asked, "And what do you mean, 'relive my life's key events'?" he asked nervously. This kind of supernatural stuff was beginning to sound a bit too dodgy for his liking.
"The Life Memory Journey allows someone to explore his life's crucial memories as a spectator, which should hopefully help you revive your currently broken mind." Alan was confused.
"I don't understand; I haven't lost my mind. I remember everything clear as day…" But El-ahrairah calmly raised a paw to silence him, "Any injuries you sustain in the physical world can't be felt in the renewed body you receive when entering the Land Beyond Life. So, to undertake the Life Memory Journey, you will need a powerful mystic, like your friend Silverweed, to initiate it from the physical world, by sending along a seer to accompany you as your guide, so your memories may reawaken through his far sight as your revisit them together – someone whom I believe has just arrived." As if true to El-ahrairah's words, Alan turned round just in time to see a familiar mousy-furred buck running towards him, almost knocking him over.
"F...Fiver?"
"Oh Alan, I've found you!" the young buck sobbed with delight as Alan felt his insides run cold, "What happened? How did you get here? You didn't…oh, no!" he gasped, thinking that Fiver was dead too. But Fiver shook his head reassuringly, "No, I'm still alive and so are you. I had another vision that led us to your comatose body, washed up far downstream. Silverweed used those strange powers of his to send me here; he said I could help you return to your body. And I…" He was suddenly struck dumb with surprise as he recognised El-ahrairah, the Prince of Rabbits himself, standing right behind Alan, as well as the other familiar spectators, all of which he knew to be dead, like his father. Not exactly a reunion one had everyday! El-ahrairah went on speaking.
"You see, Alan, your life is far from over; your friends and family on the other side need you. If you choose to stay with us, you'd be leaving a deep void in their hearts that will pain them for the rest of their lives." Alan sighed, realising that he would inevitably soon have to part company with his wife…again. Just like the character Justin from The Cross Bearer, his future was back in the world of the living and not the afterlife. He turned to El-ahrairah.
"I guess we're ready to embark on the Life Memory Journey."
"Your courage for facing the unknown never fails to amaze me," the Prince of Rabbits commented, "However, I should caution you, the Life Memory Journey carries a grave risk: As you both relive your memories, your deepest fears and regrets will also resurface with them, as well as any horrible realisations you never even knew rested on your conscience." Alan and Fiver looked at each other wearily, even more so when El-ahrairah added, "You could both end up trapped in a realm of manifestations of your own tormenting demons, from which there could be no escape, unless you can overcome them." Fiver shuddered at the thought; Alan however, despite of his own fear, calmly replied, "We'll make it back…hopefully."
"You have my blessing," said El-ahrairah, as he gestured at the fountain, "This is Frith's Fountain of Destiny; visions of the Past, Present and Future reside in its waters for eternity. This fountain is your starting point to embark on your Journey." Staring down at the water, Alan could see scenes materialising beneath its mirror-like surface; an archive of flashbacks of all the events of Time, the memories of infinite lagomorphs and humans alike who had passed on. On the rim of the fountain were some narrow marble steps leading down to the water. With their departure imminent, the spectators stepped forward to say their last goodbyes.
Drake stepped forward first and shook Alan's hand, "I owe everything to you, Alan; I would never have accomplished any of this without you. My only regret is that I won't be able to share it with you. I got to see the new world be born, but unfortunately I didn't live long enough to shape it. Now, it's for you and your friends to do so; it's my legacy to you." Alan felt a slight twinge of guilt, remembering how he had lied to Drake about Hemlock, sealing humanity's doom in the process, as well as his colleague's. But the scientist only smiled, "Don't apologise; you did the right thing by not telling me the whole story. Had you told me the truth prematurely, I would have most likely gotten cold feet and abandoned the project. Now, a new and better world has been born through you and your friends. Farewell and good luck to you both." He stepped back into the crowd to rejoin his family, as Inspector Santon stepped forward.
"Well Professor, I guess there isn't much to say, is there? I just wanted to congratulate you; what you and your rabbit friends accomplished is something that will go down in history, even better that when you defeated the Red Hand Brotherhood. My sincere congratulations to you, Sir Johnson, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a true difference in the world I swore to serve and protect." He shook Alan's hand and then stepped aside.
Major McEwen stepped forward next, "It was a privilege fighting alongside you, Dr Johnson. How I regret I won't be attending the victory celebrations with you all. Good luck, Professor, and look after my wife; she's yours now." Alan stared back at McEwen is surprise, lost for words. The Royal Air Force pilot spoke knowingly, "I realised what was going on between you two when I heard you call her 'Josie'. However, it doesn't matter anymore; I'm dead and she has to move on. She truly loves you, Alan, and don't you dare turn her away over a dead man. Remember that. Goodbye." He shook his hand and gave him a dignified military salute, which Alan returned, before stepping back into the crowd.
The Threarah was next, looking rather uneasy, "Tell Silver I'm proud of him, for his courage during the battle of Efrafa. Tell him I'm sorry I never was the affectionate relative I should have been towards him. My neglect towards him was just as inexcusable as my prejudice towards you." Alan calmly patted the Threarah on the shoulder in reassurance.
"There is no point in blaming yourself, pal; your heart was always set on protecting your people and I respect that. And I don't think your nephew would hold that against you, despite the neglect you've shown him. I'm sure he'll accept your apology when I tell him; if it's good enough for me, then it's good enough for him." The Threarah nodded grimly, "Thank you, Time Traveller. Frith be with you…both of you," he said, also curtly nodding at Fiver, who nodded back. Without another word, he turned and retreated into the crowd.
Speedwell and Buckthorn were next, their faces alight with laughter and happiness, despite the sadness of Alan and Fiver's imminent departure. The twins playfully nudged Alan in the sides, "You did it, old chap; you sent that slimeball Woundwort to rot in the Shadowlands where he belongs. You are one real wonder buck…except of course at Bobstones, where I am the wonder buck," Speedwell chanted in a comical, pompous-like tone.
"Excuse me, I am the Bobstones wonder buck, thick-ears!" Buckthorn retorted incredulously, playfully cuffing his twin over the head. Alan and Fiver rolled their eyes at Acorn and Pimpernel who were grinning at their friends' antics nearby, "Those two never change, huh?" But El-ahrairah's sad stare reminded them that time was running short, so he cleared his throat, interrupting the twins' playful fight, "Sorry to crash the party, guys, but I am afraid we have to cut it short. Is there anything you want us to do, any message to deliver to the others when we get back?"
"As a matter of fact, there's something I want you to do," said Speedwell, suddenly abandoning his humour, "I want you to make sure that my children will grow up knowing their new father." Alan was utterly surprised; Speedwell had been so jealous and heartbroken by losing Violet to his cousin, which had started the bitter animosity between them, and now he was giving his approval? As if reading his mind, Speedwell continued, "The fight between me and Bluebell had nothing to do with Violet or her kittens. Just before I died, she confessed to me her litter was in fact mine and not Bluebell's; she truly loves him and I feel ashamed it took me so long to realise it. I want her to have a full, not a broken family. As a last wish, I ask you to do everything within your power to ensure that Bluebell lives to fill my place. I don't want my cousin showing his ugly face here until after my nephews are of a ripe old age."
"Although, unfortunately, I can't promise you that Bluebell will recover," Alan said, remembering that Bluebell had been badly injured and unlikely to survive, "I can promise you that I'll do everything within my power to save him." Although a bit saddened at the fact that Bluebell might soon be joining him, Speedwell was satisfied, "That's good enough for me. And tell Violet I love her dearly and will always be watching over her. Also, tell Bluebell he has my blessing and that I'm terribly sorry for turning my back on him."
Alan's parents were next, the couple embracing their youngest son. Alan felt stunned as his mother hugged him; he had never experienced her touch before, given that she had died giving birth to him, so he had only known her through family photographs or stories from his father, "I love you so much Alan. Your father and I have been watching you grow up alone all these years, yet you've become an outstanding young man. We were so upset with Royce, turning his back on you because of that stupid childhood grudge."
"I still don't know how I could have been so careless and left my two boys on their own," Jack Johnson added grimly, "I should have been there for you, to watch you both grow up and help Royce get over his grudge and accept you as his brother, as he should have. I'm so sorry, son…"
"Dad, nothing will change the past. The fact that I am able to talk to you one last time and to meet Mum, just this once, is enough for me move on." Susan Johnson looked on the verge of tears as she kissed her son goodbye. Finally, Mary approached Alan.
"I don't know what to say," she murmured, tearful and lost for words, "I only wish I could…" Alan gently held her close, hugging her, "Maybe a short, quick farewell would be easiest…" Mary managed to hold back her tears as she hugged her husband, "Promise me you'll follow Derek's wise advise and move on; I want Lucy to grow up knowing her father to be full of life and happiness. And, that girl Josie, I'm sure she'll make a fine replacement for me; I don't want Lucy growing up motherless." Alan nodded and Mary kissed him; the last kiss they would ever share together, "I love you, Alan. Live well and be happy…for me." She then turned and fled back into the crowd holding back tears.
Their last farewells having been said, Alan and Fiver approached the fountain; just as they were about to descend the steps to the water, they turned to look at their departed friends one last time, who all chanted, "U vahra ma, rusati ma, ven atha ma!"
"My friend, my brother in my heart," Alan translated in reply, remembering the famous old rabbit adage, which was used in times of praising someone with utmost respect, loyalty and honour.
They stepped into the water of the Fountain of Destiny; it felt amazingly light, almost like a thick gas, rather than a liquid. Next second, the water started glowing with an intense light, as the portal opened for them. The light intensified until Alan could see nothing but whiteness, before everything dissolved around them; the Land Beyond Life, Frith's Sun Cave, the spectators, everything vanished, as he and Fiver embarked on their Life Memory Journey.
Author's note: For those of you who read a lot of WD fanfiction, the Land Beyond Life is borrowed from The Cross Bearer by RogueFanKC. Also, Prince Rainbow's Bridge is borrowed from Loganberry's Blackavar's Gift. My thanks to them for allowing me to borrow some parts of their work. Enjoy and please review!
