"She did not say that! No!"
I could hardly believe what Rosie had told me; the incident with Larkspur judging Chestnut's nightmares as a mark of evil and unholiness.
"She didn't say it in front of him did she?"
"Thankfully not," explained Rosie. "I wonder if it's Aunt Elvira in that body?"
"That wouldn't be a first," I explained. "Many villains I had met here counter-parted the people in our world. Darklunn was Mr. Gorwood, Chillblack was Aunt Madeline and Elliott was Gooseberry - sort of. He's egotistical but not necessarily evil. But who next? The park warden? I mean how is this happening all the time? Horrible people counter-parting others here? In the beginning I just thought it was a coincidence but now I'm none too sure."
Though only in films and stories, I had seen these type of counter-parts of villains such as Miss Gulch from The Wizard of Oz counter-parting the Wicked Witch, the witch from Hansel and Gretel counter-parted by the Wicked Stepmother and Mr. Darling from Peter Pan counter-parting Captain Hook.
"Should we tell Fiver about what happened?" suggested Rosie. "What Larkspur said to Chestnut?"
"No," I said. "He'll be furious. We can't have war in this warren - since we have you, your sister, Jason and Michael. In all honesty it's Bigwig you can count on to begin a war. Never goes without a fight."
"That way! Now turn left!"
We heard Chestnut's voice outside and the next thing we knew, Dandelion had burst into the chamber with Chestnut on his back like a human on a horse.
"Babysitttin'," explained Dandelion before we could ask what was going on.
"Daddy's not feeling too well tonight, so Uncle Dandelion is looking after me tonight. I'm spending the night with him, Uncle Hawkbit and Sinkthia,"
"Cynth-ia," corrected Rosie smiling.
"Sorry," blushed Chestnut. "It's a difficult name?"
"What's wrong with Daddy?" asked Rosie. "Is it to do with his vis-"
I softly nudged her arm with my elbow. "He told us to say nothing, remember?" I said under my breath.
"His what?" asked Chestnut.
"Nothing," said Rosie. "I jumble up with what I say sometimes."
"Okay. Let's go, Uncle Dandelion."
He yanked his ears hard.
"Yeoww!" he cried. "They're the only ears I have!"
"Oops, sorry."
And they hopped away.
"I feel your pain, Dandelion," I said. "You got to hurt yourself to make the kids laugh."
At that point, Silverweed came in, looking serious than I had ever saw him.
"How is he, Silverweed?" I asked.
"Fiver's okay," replied Silverweed. "He's just having an early night. He told Carnation to be careful and for the others to make sure Chestnut will be okay after last night."
"Oh he will," I said. "He's with Dandelion. He'll be next in line as leader before he fails to make anyone laugh."
"However I got some inspiration from Carnation," said Rosie. "He said Frith opens his heart to anyone."
"And he does," said Silverweed.
"I have a little cousin back at home who has a mild form of bipolar and -"
"Bipolar?" asked Silverweed.
"A mental illness," said Rosie. "You go angry without controlling it. Aunt Elvira said it was blasphemy he was born with it and Larkspur said the same with Chestnut who cannot control his, yet they're both sweet and gentle and deserve happiness."
"And they will find happiness," said Silverweed putting a paw on her shoulder. "Frith will look after them, no matter what."
"Thank you for your comfort, Silverweed," said Rosie kindly. "You're very sweet."
Silverweed blushed and smiled (which he did best). He hopped out of the burrow and sighed happily at the thought of Frith taking care of them all when a paw grabbed him and was face-to-face with Larkspur's cold face.
"You think what you say is right, but I'm fair to ignorance and Frith ignores certain people."
"He brings happiness in his own way," said Silverweed. Looking into her eyes seemed to make the frost of winter cover find its way his heart. He was shuddering from how it felt.
"Chestnut and Donnie," said Larkspur. "They might be children, but that is what makes them blasphemous. They are children and therefore commit many sins from antics and mistakes. Pipkin is one for Frith to ignore as I've heard his tale of taking Fiver down to the forbidden orchard and nearly getting him killed."
"The badger was friendly," defended Silverweed. "Besides you were a child once."
"A perfect child," confessed Larkspur. "It's only my luck I was. The Valley of Fire is miles from me now. Youngsters are to be done away before they are older as it is when they grow, they are damned."
"I don't believe you," said the normally gullible Silverweed. "Frith loves all children good or bad - even if theu're special."
"Hm," scoffed Larkspur. "Brave buck. Takes a lot of courage to confess self-ignorance of systems that must be expected and done in the ways of serving Frith."
Hopping away, she continued. "One way or another you will learn that my words are right. Trust me, it is your own sorrow when justice is served towards your type - and your adoptive brother and his son."
…..
I felt so much queasiness inside me with what we had just heard that rabbit say. I ran down to Blackberry's chamber like a child crying to his mother that he had a thorn in his paw. I rushed to the destination, accompanied by Rosie and Silverweed.
"Aunt Blackberry," I said worriedly. "Aunt Blackberry."
"What's the matter, dear," asked Blackberry as she put a paw over mine as I sat on my front.
"I'm sorry to run to you like this."
"Don't be," said Blackberry, "That's what I'm for. You can come running to me for any reason."
And I told her what I heard Larkspur say to Silverweed.
"Rubbish," said Blackberry. "Children are the most innocent creatures to grace this world."
And she looked at Leo II who was sleeping peacefully by her flank.
"M-my thoughts e-e-exactly," stammered Silverweed. He was ver brave to face a creepy rabbit like Larkspur but he had to let his inner-fear out in the end.
"I know it was silly of me to tell you all this, but when I need someone's reassurement I -"
"I understand. Larkspur talks toad warts. I don't know what she sees in her belief but I think it's horrific. I got into a trouble a few times on account of someone as a child but -"
"Aunt Blackberry!" I gasped. I looked under her chin to find three black gashes and I was thinking then of when she said she got into trouble a few times on account of someone.
"Where'd you get those gashes?" I demanded rage bubbling inside me. Who would hurt my gentle, beautiful rabbit aunt?
"Something between me and a relative a long time ago," explained Blackberry. She looked very uncomfortable and her eyes narrowed.
"We don't need to to talk about it," I said sensing her fear blurting out at any moment, but that didn't alter the fact of how angry I was at whoever had done that.
"Thank you," she said in a very relieving tone.
"Only saying this, but if anyone has hurt you, let me deal with them."
"You're a good nephew," she smiled. "Hello, Rosie."
"Hello, Blackberry," said Rosie. "I must say you're very beautiful."
"Why thank you," said Blackberry. "But think you process the rarest beauty our of anyone in the warren."
"She speaks the truth, Bagheera," I said.
"Bagheera?" asked Blackberry.
"The nickname I made for her."
"Is that a flower?"
"No," I said. I regret calling Rosie by her nickname because I then had to go through deep explanation subsequent to questions from Blackberry: Bagheera is a panther from a story called The Jungle Book, a panther is a jungle cat, a book is something stories are kept in and many other things.
"They don't know stuff we do," I explained to Rosie when she wondered Blackberry knew none of it, and I explained to her I had the same trouble when I first met Hazel; mentioning telephones and everything.
"Sorry to bring the subject back, but do you believe the same thing Larkspur believes?"
"Not me, not anyone," said Blackberry. "Frith made children to make this world even more beautiful."
"What a moving thing to say," gasped Rosie putting both paws over her heart.
"I speak the truth," said Blackberry winking at me, to which I laughed. "Even Ela-Rah had pity on the naughtiest child. Chestnut came to see me saying Dandelion's looking after him tonight. Why don't you both go and see him? he tells many stories which entrances all the kittens. You could ask him to tell it to you."
"We'll do that," I said. "Thanks, Aunt Blackberry. You always know what to say."
Leo II started to stir. We watched him with love when he suddenly opened his eyes. He had Campion's fierce brown eyes.
"Droops," said the baby.
"His first word," Rosie gasped.
"Droops," said Leo II again.
I remembered in my free time that I said to Leo II that I would call Jason 'Droops'.
"Jason's gonna murder me," I smiled.
After saying goodnight to Blackberry and the baby, me and Rosie hopped into Dandelion and Hawkbit's burrow. Chestnut was tickling Dandelion all over while Hawkbit lay in one corner, his ears blocked out of earshot.
"Remind to never be a parent," he grumbled. "No rest for the wicked."
"No rest for the grumpy more like," whispered Rosie. "He's as grumpy as Snow White's dwarf."
Hawkbit was a grey and scruffy rabbit with the grumpiest temper of anyone I had ever encountered.
Dandelion on the other hand, was a golden rabbit who was nearly as tall as Hazel and unlike Hawkbit, laughed at everything, though it didn't save him from being so ridiculously clumsy and accident-prone.
Sitting on Dandelion's chest, Chestnut wiggled his tongue at him.
"I beat you, Uncle Dandelion!" laughed Chestnut.
"When don't you beat me?" said Dandelion. "It's not fair that you always win."
"He's a child that's why," I said.
"Greetings, both," said Dandelion, Chestnut still holding him down. "What brings you here?"
"We were told you're gonna tell a story about forgiveness to children?" I said.
"That I am," said Dandelion. "Just waiting for Cinny."
"You mean Cynthia?" corrected Rosie.
"Her name is too long and hard to pronounce," said Chestnut finally hopping off Dandelion. "So we decided to call her 'Cinny' to avoid stress remembering it."
Rosie found it quite a fair reason as to why so many names are shortened. After all, her full name was 'Rosalind', Donnie's full name was 'Dominic' and my full name was 'Leonardo'. I agree that it's fine to have names shortened as I feel the whole name said could sometime prove unnecessary. Besides, Chestnut was only a toddler so a full complicated name for him to learn would be quite harsh at a young age. Imagine a toddler trying to pronounce 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' for the first time.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"Here I am," said Cynthia appearing suddenly, a look of contentment in her face. "Daffodil and I were having a few more moments outside watching the stars. He's told me about an owl flying him across the sky and killing Man who destroyed Sandleford Warren. Isn't he heroic? Isn't he wonderful?"
A few of us smiled and nodded weakly.
"I'm sure he is," said Rosie trying to make things look optimistic. "Dandelion, I hear you are going to tell a story. May we listen?"
"More the merrier," accepted Dandelion as he sat on his bottom and Chestnut and Cynthia who each sat on one his laps.
"More the merrier indeed," said Daffodil form behind us.
"He didn't mean it that way," muttered Hawkbit.
Cynthia instantly hopped off Dandelion's lap up towards her buck and nuzzled into his arm, making Rosie queasier and queasier by the second. Chestnut on the other hand remained on his uncle's lap and snuggled up to his side malling himself comfortable ready for the story and also nibbled gently on Dandelion's ear which felt quite nice to the tall rabbit.
"Is is to do with redemption?" I asked.
"Coincidentally," said Dandelion, "it is."
Dandelion cleared his thought in a pretty dramatic way as if he had planned it. Then he began:
A time was once told of a chronicle redeeming shenanigans of the young. Lilypad was the example of Frith's redemption to the young. Out of all Ela-Rah's people, Lilypad was the naughtiest, craftiest, deceitful rabbit. He stole flayrah, cheated his kind, deceived them, hurt them and felt no pity.
Ela-Rah, Prince Rainbow and Rabscuttle attempted effortlessly to reason with the troublemaker but to no prevail, making themselves victims to his mischief and tricks. They prayed to Firth for help to speak to the young buck and to redeem him from his possible black future.
One early evening, as Lilypad lay on a hill, his belly bloated with carrots, Frith came over the mountain and spoke:
"Lilypad, it is important you look inside your heart. For the mind is responsible for your antics yet your heart tells a different tale."
"I only have fun. What's wrong with that?"
"Fun and hurt are two different things. The bad often pay dearly for their past sins if not regretted."
Frith showed him what was to happen if he were to remain who he was; stealing, lying, murdering, setting the fox and the weasel on Ela-Rah's people killing Ela-Rah himself.
Lilypad took a time to think of what he was and who he was. A liar, a bully and everything bad. He was terrified with the visions show to him by Frith.
"Oh no! How will I change things?"
"The past sticks forever, but to carry on with the future and abandon the past as a new person, that brings you glory and happiness. A child like yourself is bound to cause this trouble because you are learning to grow up, but that is why I help you best as I can to see yourself for who you are; you are all my children and I wish to take you to my Meadow when your time comes to leave where you are."
From then on, Lilypad learned his lesson and fulfilled himself to do better deeds; helping, protecting, defending and living up to the expectations of Frith himself and was forever grateful for his warning persuading him to be a better rabbit than he ever was.
"What a wonderful story," commented Rosie.
"I'm so happy Lilypad got redeemed," remarked Silverweed, shedding a tear. Silverweed was a very sweet, feeling rabbit.
"Indeed," agreed Daffodil. "Did the best I could to live up to Frith's expectations and hardly made a single mistake as a buck like Lilypad did."
Soon, everyone was getting ready to sleep. Me and Rosie when to our chamber and Daffodil left Cynthia with the others, much to Rosie's relief. Hawkbit had fallen asleep in the middle of Dandelion's story. Dandelion climbed into his nest as Cynthia and Chestnut rested against his soft fur drifting them back and fore. Before Chestnut made himself comfortable, he hopped to his uncle and licked his cheek.
"Goodnight, Uncle Dandelion," he whispered.
"Get this porcupine off my rump," responded Dandelion in his sleep.
Chestnut made himself comfortable and feel asleep. Next thing Chestnut knew, he was in a dark chamber, surrounded by sickly looking kittens, so thin their skeletons were visible. Chestnut heard whispering in another chamber and went to investigate. In the chamber, was many dark looking rabbits gathered together and in the middle stood a small skinny rabbit just about Chestnut's size. And standing on-top of a platform was Great Aunt Larkspur.
"Caught sneaking in the private storage of the best flayrah and tracked down! Your blasphemy proves the mistake Frith himself has brought onto this Earth making children and not proper grown rabbits to respect the world of the expected rights. It is therefore my fairest duty to have you strangled by the Shining Wire until you are dead and may Frith be merciful enough to let you pass into his world."
Larkspur smiled importantly as the tiny anorexic kitten wailed for his mother who was in the next world waiting for him when his fate would come in a matter of minutes.
"The right sentence for him, Mistress," said a young rabbit who almost looked like Uncle Hazel except for a diagonal scar between his two eyes. "He was told specifically when taken here."
"Indeed," smiled Larkspur. "He needed to die anyway. Though just a toddler, he was bound to sin sooner or later. I ought to be thanked. It would be the Valley of Fire for him if he were to remain alive and cause more misery upon Frith himself."
Chestnut gasped and woke up, Hawkbit snoring and Dandelion occasionally murmuring in his sleep. Chestnut wasn't as disturbed by this nightmare as he was with the previous nightmare but he felt terribly sorry for the rabbit sentenced to death by Great Aunt Larkspur. He also at once felt terrible dreaming about Great Aunt Larkspur sentencing children to death by the Shining Wire. He knew his father wasn't there to comfort him tonight feeling cold from the dream but at least he had clumsy Uncle Dandelion for company. He snuggled back into his warm furry side that drifted him back and fore and tried to doze off thinking of the dream of Uncle Dandelion putting on a necklace and flying around uncontrollably and thinking of all the other funny stories he had heard such as trying to impress Aunt Bluebell but embarrassing himself.
He could see a silhouette in the dark by the entrance with cold blue eyes. He clamped his own eyes shut and buried his face deeply into Uncle Dandelion's fur forcing himself to believe that it was only a shadow. He slowly looked back to find it was gone. He might have been right thinking it was a dream or a shadow but was not fully convinced. He hooped up to Uncle Dandelion and squeezed himself under his chest. He felt much safer now and his uncle's sleep-talking kept hime entertained such as;
"Mu breath smells of roses when I belch."
"Yes my tail's an acorn."
"I've put weight on, Bigwig. Gimme time to catch up."
Still the nightmare haunted his mind, but his uncle's sleep-talking humour seemed to simmer it down. He would see his father tomorrow so he will at least have someone to hold onto for company.
RICHARD ADAMS
May 9th 1920 - December 24th 2016
My heart a joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today.
Many thanks and so much gratitude to the wonderful man who created the wonderful novel subsequent to the film, the TV series and the 2017 remake. I also wish to thank him for the inspiration he had put into me to write these FanFiction series.