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Author's note: I'm so sorry this took longer than a month to complete!  But I had not only writer's block but a momentary lapse of passion for the story because I've written about it for so long, I'm getting slightly bored with it!  But don't worry!  I promise I will complete this on a regular basis before writing any other stories!  Yet, thank you so much for the reviews, everyone, including David M who really wants to be the one reviewer who's posted more reviews about this story than anybody else!  He's actually getting close to Loganberry's record if he keep it up! =)

Anyway, enjoy!

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CHAPTER 25

                "C'mon, buckos!!  Keep running!!  Keep at it!!  We have no time to lose!!" panted Holly as the Watership rabbits, along with Snitter and Rowf and Justin, galloped as speedily as they could towards El-ahrairah's warren.  Ever since their encounter with Prince Rainbow, the Owsla of El-ahrairah and Watership Down lost no time in taking his warnings of the cross-bearer's safety to heart, and to their best of their physical abilities, the band of eighteen ran without haste towards their home.  The excitement and anticipation of arriving at their home was greater than ever before now, and the reality of being so close made each of the rabbit warriors realize that the danger for Justin was greater than ever, and with that in mind, everyone was doing their best to use every single fiber of their bodies, every ounce of willpower, every shred of determination, and every iota of physical endurance to run with indescribable speeds to El-ahrairah.  Though it was now night, and the entire fields of grass and clover were blanketed with faint moonlight and the obscure shades of darkness, it made their journey seem all the more eerie and perilous.  There were periods of well-deserved rest, certainly, but they were all so ridden with anxiety, jumpiness, and restlessness that it would have simply been better had Hazel and the group assigned to the cross-bearer ran non-stop in the first place.  However, such respite was necessary; Fiver and Pipkin were nearly on the verge of collapse, Silver was constantly gasping for air, and even Bigwig and Buckthorn had sign of weary eyes and drooped ears.  Plus, it was the only way Holly, Campion, and Blackberry could ensure Justin's injury would have spells of rest and recovery, being able to heal quicker without forced journey (Hazel himself insisted rest for this reason; he already knew what it was like to have a wound wear down due to travel, first-hand).  At first, Justin's broken arm was extremely disconcerting, and no amount of licking and tending by the Watership rabbits would ever mend the fractured bone.  However, Holly was able to scourge up an appropriate amount of horsetail and comfrey, and between him and Blackberry chewing the herbs into mulch, a crude poultice was lathered onto Justin's arm right after Campion set Justin's arm into alignment (Justin nearly passed out from the pain and Campion could have sworn afterwards that he lost his hearing from the teenager's high-pitched yelps and cursing).  After the ordeal, Campion and Blackberry fastened two, stout and sturdy thick sticks on opposite sides of the human's appendage and bound the arm to the splint very snugly with strands of flax and vines of ivy.  Justin still could not properly place any pressure on his forearm, yet it certainly felt better, especially with the herbs soothing down the swelling.

                Still, the group was significantly brighter when they got within sight of El-ahrairah's warren at the top of a hillock, and to realize that they had achieved three days travel into one day lifted their mood, and all in all, they journey was uneventful (if you didn't count Bigwig attempting to strangle Hawkbit constantly, Strawberry and Dandelion nearly brawling at Rowf for saying a crude remark about Justin, Pipkin and Silver chasing Bluebell and throwing threats because Bluebell ate the last strawberry in the field before they could, and Hazel and Blackberry and Fiver constantly being uptight and nervous).

                As Justin shakily kept his balance on Snitter's back, he nearly held his breath in awe.  Even in the dark night and silver glimmer of the moon, the land where El-ahrairah, the Prince of all Rabbits, had established his home for himself and his brethren was simply breathtaking.  Out of the entire meadows of Fenlo, there was a comfortable embankment of small, luscious knolls and nestled in securely in the very middle of the bank, surrounded by small hills, was a gigantic, mammoth tree, many, many times over an Ilip, its roots securely embedding and twisting themselves into the dirt and grass gently, gracefully.  The tree could have truly been another Wonder of the World back in Justin's physical realm for there was simply no other tree like it.  Its trunk was smooth, devoid of any creases, knotholes, and bumps, and the creamy, coffee-colored bark of the tree was gilded and shining, as if painted in gold.  The extraordinary thing was that the tree was not of any particular type of species, but rather a variegated, synthesized mixture of every type of tree and plant imaginable.  The human cross-bearer could see a plethora of colors swimming in the leaves of the tree, ranging from maple leaves, turning their colors of orange, yellow, and red in brisk fall, to oak leaves, strong, supple, and firm with dark edges and youthful green stems, to the low, sagging, limp leaves of the English willow.  This specimen was truly the Tree of all trees.  And, to Justin's delighted surprise, on the boughs and branches of the tree were bunches and bunches of fruits and nuts.  Apples, plums, acorns, mulberries, cherries, walnuts, and all sorts of assortments were bundled amongst the twigs and branches, their scents of spice and sweetness wafting soothingly down to the ground below.  Lodged in between the roots of the tree were multiple holes and runs leading into the warren, and there were also numerous openings at the baseline of the embankments.  It practically made the embankment seem like Swiss cheese.  There were more openings than Justin could count, and he realized that it was possible since this was to be the home of every rabbit that had ever lived and died, so in reality, it was not even a warren, but rather, a city or a country.  What made the scene even more homely was that the teenager could also spot many rabbits grazing near the warren, basking and resting under the moon on the dewy grass, and the kittens eagerly playing tag or using the slippery slopes of the hills and the gargantuan tree roots as slides, giggling and screaming happily in giddy fun.  Justin never had seen so many animals gathered around one place, and yet, the tree in which the warren was housed under still loomed over the rabbits like dwarves; the tree was taller than an Ilip, yet in the land beyond life, this home seemed to be the land of plenty, always providing home, food, and shelter to El-ahrairah's rabbits always and for many more years to come.  Justin suddenly felt awkwardly small.

                The rabbit Owsla of Watership Down, however, seemed incredibly joyful.  Acorn gave a merry sigh and declared in a relieved voice, "We're home!  We're finally home!"

                "And never has it been so beautiful to look at!" Speedwell exclaimed with shining eyes.  All the rabbits mirrored the exact same look, and even Rowf himself, though still incredibly moody and withdrawn, could not help showing some appreciation at the beauty of El-ahrairah's kingdom.

                Suddenly, there was some squealing in front of them, and the rabbits glanced down to see, to their surprise, Stonecrop and Blackavar, their two trusted and beloved friends, racing up the hill to greet their long lost comrades, and as an additional surprise, Kehaar, the gregarious black-headed gull, swooped down and landed, none too gracefully, Justin noted, next to the two foreign rabbits.  As Hazel and Bigwig and Holly were animatedly chatting with their friends, Silver whispered to Justin, "The gull is our friend, Kehaar, and the two rabbits next to them are Blackavar and Stonecrop.  Yet, I daresay you probably already knew that from the stories you've heard about Watership Down, young one."

                Justin probably would have.  Kehaar, a gull from the Atlantic who befriended Hazel and the other rabbits when they offered him refuge and shelter and food at Watership Down upon seeing that he was injured, was obviously a bird few would be foolish to reckon with.  It was Kehaar who helped Hazel and the bucks to find Efrafa and bring the does back safely to their warren, and not to mention having a hand, er, wing, in locating an ideal spot for the new warren Vleflain for the next generation of rabbits.  With a thick neck, a hard, sharp orange-red beak, powerful wings that could certainly give a good beating on any animal as well as the fierce wind currents he glided on, the bird was a valuable ally and it was little wonder that El-ahrairah wished for the gull to live with them after death.  In the land beyond life, Kehaar was almost as large as an ostrich and appeared to be able to easily carry a small child onto his back, and normally, the gull would have shown his serious, yet distracting attitude if not for the suspicious, beady-eyed glares he was throwing at Justin.  Apparently, Kehaar was not very trusting of humans, like all other animals in the land beyond life.  The human then turned his focus on Stonecrop, the tame rabbit narrated in "Tales from Watership Down".  Stonecrop was actually a floppy-eared rabbit, large and brawny, with a large nose and a tame, head-in-the-clouds demeanor, yet if any enemy came along, he would be quick to show his fighting spirit.  The buck had pale blue eyes and light gray fur, and in his excitement of seeing his friends again, Stonecrop barely noticed his front paws were painfully treading onto his ears.  In contrast, the buck Blackavar truly lived up to his name for his entire fur pelt was ebony, though quite lustrous and riddled with gray hairs.  In "Watership Down", Blackavar was actually from Nutley Copse, a peaceful warren not too far off, yet a raid from Efrafa allowed General Woundwort to take control of the warren, slaying many innocent rabbits and taking the survivors prisoner, and Blackavar was a young kitten when this all happened.  As he grew up, he did try to escape Efrafa, of course, but the Wide Patrols caught him and as a result, he was made an example out of and his ears were ripped to shreds.  Even now, Justin could see that Blackavar's ears were literally stubs of strands of lifeless skin and tissue, flopping uselessly in the air; rather, the buck's ears were so short, it gave him the appearance of a mouse rather than a rabbit.  Blackavar, despite having mutilated ears, had an uncanny aura around him and his black eyes seemed like pools of clairvoyance; what made the buck an excellent hlessi was the fact that he had a very acute sense of perception and heightened insight, almost rivaling that of Fiver.  Blackavar, though endlessly relieved to see Holly, his cherished friend, again, was giving Justin and the two Plague Dogs a very wary look.  Snitter blushed and Rowf just gave a look of poison of his own.

                "Those two used to be the two loyal dog servants of Prince Rainbow, were they not?" Blackavar asked simply.

                Holly widened his eyes before realizing nothing escaped Blackavar's quick mind and intuition.  He nodded wearily, hoping that they would waste little time on discussion and just get back to the task of bringing Justin to El-ahrairah.  Hazel was quickly trying to cut into Stonecrop's excited jabber.

                "Thank the stars, you're back!!  You're all back!!  O Frith and Inle, I cannot wait to see the look on our Lord's face when he sees -"

                "Yes, yes, Stonecrop, we have all returned to El-ahrairah's warren with the human teenager, but now is not the time for rejoicing!  We still need to heal El-ahrairah!"

                "Dat special boy??"  Now Kehaar was the one who spoke as he studied Justin conscientiously, disbelieving, his eyes now dark slits.  "Ees for 'elp El-a-rah?  'e no look powervul.  Meester 'azel, Meester Pigvig, you sure dat human need for fight?"

                "Kehaar, we have seen the young one use his powers.  He is the one who can help El-ahrairah, the one chosen to fight Elil-rah and to aid us with our plights, so for Frith's sake, stop being such a dense idiot!" Bigwig commented none too gently, already irate at the scorn in Kehaar's voice; he knew the gull was a righteous and courageous animal, but to already pass judgment on gentle Justin was insulting...to him and to El-ahrairah.  Holly placed a paw on the quivering Owsla veteran, and while Stonecrop just watched Justin with wide, transfixed eyes, Hazel took in the opportunity to give an order to Stonecrop, Blackavar, and Kehaar to carry back to the warren and to El-ahrairah's Owsla.  For now, Hazel and the others were well done in; they could no longer manage to travel much further.  Even Campion and Holly, experienced trackers and travelers, felt the aching soreness of their tired muscles in their legs and paws.  Pipkin, Acorn, and Dandelion appeared as if they were all ready to pass out.  Fortunately, with Snitter and Rowf on their side, it would be safer for them to catch a breather now before going to the warren.

                "Quickly, tell El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle that the cross-bearer has safely arrived! Increase the patrols to guard the warren along with Whitehorn and Blackavar! Raise the alarm at any sight of Elil-rah's Owsla and let no creature come close to the burrows without our consent!"

                Sensing the urgency in Hazel's voice and seeing as how fatigued and helpless the warriors of Watership Down were, Blackavar nodded readily, and on cue, Kehaar, with a single, vibrant "Yark!", shot up into the sky and immediately flew back to El-ahrairah's warren where he would pass the message to Whitehorn and the other animals who had chosen to side with the Prince of all Rabbits.  Stonecrop wordlessly agreed that the Watership fellowship should stay and rest while they would lead more and more rabbits to accompany them.  Stonecrop then asked, "Should we send more rabbits to help escort and guard the cross-bearer alongside you?"

                Holly nodded eagerly; that would certainly be a tremendous help.

                "Yes Stonecrop, and hurry! We haven't much time!"  With those last words, the two rabbits took off like a shot, silently treading upon the wet grass and moist earth, as secretive as the gentle breeze, while they made their way back to their headquarters.  During their conversation, however, Justin, was unable to recognize the dialect Hazel, Holly, Stonecrop, and Blackavar were conversing between themselves with.  The unfamiliar words of the Lapine language just washed over his head like roaring surf of the sea.  To the human adolescent, it rather sounded like this:

                "Hraray, meth il El-ahrairah a Rabscuttle, u 'cross-bearer' laynt dayn vao!  Voir u hrahayil na hay u hlien, asith Whitehorn a Blackavar!  Paf os thli lay hayalt ol u Owsla Elil-rah, a nahl lay drao dayn kyt u flowil nahl asith u meth mon!"

                "On lay drao skayn voir nayltil na val rah a hay u 'cross-bearer' asith mes?"

                "Vahl Stonecrop, a layth hraray!  On lay nahl koi hrair hithril!"

                As the teenager watched the rabbits leave, puzzled, he asked Bigwig, "Why aren't we going with them?  If we're so close to your home, why not go for it?  I mean, I can see it within the distance!  It's probably just another mile or so!"

                "Another mile?!" whimpered Bluebell, "I can't even go another step, young bucko!"

                Hawkbit grumbled with bad-mannered temperament, "Easy for YOU to say, you duffer!  Let us watch you carry a heavy human on your back on all fours and go running like there is no tomorrow and then let us see how you like it!"

                Acorn panted, "Justin, we have to rest now!  All of us are exhausted!  Any more traveling and we will all likely collapse!"

                Justin blushed, realizing he didn't take his companions' well being in consideration.  "Sorry, you guys.  I didn't realize."

                Rowf just snickered maliciously, "Such pathetic weaklings.  And to think that no soldier of Elil-rah's Owsla was even able to defeat you weak, inadequate louts.  Without the cross-bearer's powers to constantly keep things in control, you lot would have all easily perished a long time ago.  I find it hard to even believe your duties are to protect the boy for he surely could find better aid from the horrid dung you rabbits leave behind."  Snitter tried to shush his friend, but the tired rabbits already heard the insult and were not taking it quite well.

                "That does it!" snarled Hawkbit.

                "Let me at him!  I'll kill him!" Bluebell snapped.

                "I don't care if you were sent by Prince Rainbow to help us!  You, embleer dog, are going to get brutally beaten!" threatened Bigwig.  Rowf then narrowed his eyes as he lowered his head like a charging bull, bared his teeth, and tightened the muscles on his legs.

                "Just try it, rabbits!  Come at me, then, you weaklings!  I daresay this would hardly be a challenging fight!"  It took the efforts of Snitter, Silver, Buckthorn, Speedwell, Pipkin and Justin to break them up before blows would be exchanged.  As Justin, for no reason, replayed the discussion Hazel and the others had with Stonecrop and Blackavar in his head, a sudden thought then struck him.

                "Hazel?"

                "Yes, Justin?"

                "Come to think of it, why...why am I called, 'cross-bearer'?" Justin asked hesitantly.  The rabbits, and Rowf and Snitter, just blankly looked at the adolescent, confused at the randomness of the query.

                Speedwell answered for his leader, "Because...because that was what El-ahrairah and the legends of the past and the prophecy called you, young one."

                Justin fought to keep the irritation out of his voice as he asked, "But I remember Campion telling me when I first met you guys that men can't understand the language of Lapine, the language that you rabbits communicate in.  That's why you guys were transformed in humanoid bodies, because you'd be able to protect me better and be able to talk to me."

                Campion seemed unsure as he hesitantly said, "Yes, and your point being, Justin??"

                Every one of the rabbits, including Hazel and Blackberry, had looks of puzzlement and slow comprehension behind their whiskers, unable to grasp what Justin was getting at, so Justin tried again.

                "Well, think about it: 'Owsla', 'elil', 'flayrah', and 'hraka'; every one of those words I said are all Lapine words, right?  They're all words of the rabbit language, right?"

                Buckthorn supported, "Yes.  Go on."

                "And before, could you rabbits ever understand what humans say?  Could you guys ever recall understanding and speaking to men at all?  I mean, did any rabbit ever speak in the language of humans?  Ever??"

                Strawberry then shook his head, speaking for the rest of the group, "No, cross-bearer, there has never been such an attempt or an act.  It would be considered an impossible feat that no animal of Frith could ever achieve, at least not without divine guidance and magic."

                Dandelion then asked, "Justin, why all the questions?  Whatever is so odd about all this?"

                Justin then spoke what was on his troubled mind, a tidbit of information so overlooked, and yet upon realization, it was certainly disconcerting, to say the least.

                "If all rabbits can only speak Lapine...then why is the word 'cross-bearer' in English??"

                Buckthorn's jaw dropped.  "What...what in Frith's name did you say?"

                "I was...I was wondering because it just came to me: when Holly and Hazel were talking in Lapine, Stonecrop and Blackavar said the word, 'cross-bearer', in English, and well...since it doesn't seem that there is a Lapine version of the word, and that the rabbits seem to know how to at least say that word in Enlgish, I was just wondering how it was even possible."

                Speedwell was stunned.  "Are...are you quite sure, young one??  Could you not have imagined it?"

                Justin then asked, "Well say it Lapine then.  I mean, how do you say 'cross-bearer' in Lapine??"

                Bluebell answered, "Cross-bearer."  Yet the instant the rabbit jester said that, everyone, at that moment, realized that Justin was speaking the truth, that the word 'cross-bearer' was equivalent for both Lapine and English.  Astoundingly, the language of rabbits and the language of men had a common link.

                This stunned the rabbits of Watership Down, a single bolt of dawning recognition and insight that struck each one of the rabbits straight into their brains, only to open new doors and paths of possibilities and theories of questioning wonderment.

                "O Frith and Inle," Blackberry gasped to himself as his eyes went wide.

                "Oh!" Dandelion exclaimed in surprise, realizing.

                Pipkin, who was having trouble seeing the connection, asked Justin in a high voice, "So...so that is what is troubling you, Justin?  Because we know how to say 'the cross-bearer' in your language, the language of man?"

                Justin explained thoroughly, "Pipkin, that's the thing.  Strawberry just said no rabbit can ever speak the language humans use and rabbits can't understand their words and phrases unless someone tells them.  Don't you see, Pipkin?  Stonecrop and Blackavar don't have special powers, they weren't blessed by El-ahrairah's magic like you were, and they can only speak Lapine...and yet they were able to say the word, 'cross-bearer', a word that is in English, a human language.  The only way...the only way El-ahrairah and the rest of the rabbits could have been able to call me 'cross-bearer', a word in my language, would be -"

                "...would be only possible if someone, whether a human or another gifted being whom understood the language of man, named you the cross-bearer in the first place," Hazel whispered in awe, the mystery now clicking into place.

                "Another human?"  Justin felt Campion's paws tighten their hold protectively on the teenager's shoulders as the rabbits spoke in disbelief.

                Dandelion shook his head in dizzying wonderment, rebutting, "Hazel-rah, that cannot be!  That just cannot be possible!  Never before has a human, a man, ever entered in the land beyond life!  It would not correspond to the legend of the cross-bearer and the prophecy itself!  Justin is the first boy to ever come within these sacred lands!"

                Buckthorn then asked, "Wait, Dandelion, what about a 'promised friend'?  Could it be possible that a promised friend could be a human or some creature that understands the language of men?"

                Justin was confused.  "A promised friend??  What's that??"

                Speedwell then explained, "Young one, it is part of a legend about El-ahrairah.  You see, El-ahrairah one day requested a favor from Frith that he and his children may find some respite from the Thousand, the animals that are elil and that hunt and kill all rabbits.  Frith agreed, and then he made it so that out of countless generations, one elil, out of many, shall be born and be a friend to all rabbits, for Frith will bless them so that they will be born as a friend, that they will not seek to hunt and slay our kind, and that their young will also be allies with us, but at great cost to them for the elil will be deemed unnatural by their peers and families, and they may be even persecuted or killed for their loyal behavior.  Yet, such a friend will come as Frith promised El-ahrairah, and thus, that was where the term, 'promised friend', comes from."

                "So...so this means that...there was a human before me?!  Maybe...someone else was the cross-bearer before I came along!"

                Silver shook his head, clarifying, "No, chap, it is not that simple.  You see, Frith specifically promised that a promised friend would be an eli, an animal of the Thousand, a creature of Frith itself, and remember, Frith did not create humans nor are humans considered part of the Thousand.  Though they may be enemies, they are considered a special case, for they are the elil of elil, the universal enemy of all animals who cruelty and ruthlessness is unmatched by any creature."

                "Thanks," mumbled the teenager sarcastically, giving Strawberry an annoyed look.

                "I was just replying the truth, young one.  There is no need to be sardonic," Silver said, amused.

                "Besides," continued Bluebell for Strawberry, "The only promised friends we have known are Lane, Mara, Mark, Carol, and Gina."

                "WHAT?!" cried Justin, shocked at the information, "Bluebell, those...those are human names!"

                Speedwell then added slyly, "Yes, but they are foxes, to tell the truth.  Hate to disappoint you, young chap, but the only promised friends we have known about are those hrair hombil, and I would highly doubt that they would be the ones who named you the cross-bearer."

                "But...but then who named the 'cross-bearer'?  It would have to be someone who knows English," Justin chipped in worriedly.

                Blackberry sighed in confusion.  "Unfortunately, that alone eliminates all animals that have ever existed and that have arrived to the land beyond life.  No creature blessed by Frith can ever speak to a human; it was a tremendous taboo, and not to mention that humans were different animals altogether, not created by Frith, but by God, so as a result, it would be perfectly logical if men and animals cannot speak to each other as if they were kindred families."

                Holly then stated, "Not to mention, young Justin, that the chap who named you would also have had to been alive or existing during the times of Frith and God, during the battle with the dark beast and the creation of man and of Frith's blessings of all the animals."

                Hawkbit pondered for a bit before asking, "Wait, why couldn't it have simply been El-ahrairah or Frith himself?  Frith and El-ahrairah surely would have been able to have the power to communicate in the language of man.  Or...or perhaps God, the one Justin believes in, was the bally chap who named our friend and created the prophecy."

                Holly sighed, defeated and unable to provide an answer, "That is the problem, though, Hawkbit.  They are excellent possibilities, yet there is simply no being in the land beyond life that knows more about the legend and the prophecy more than we do, and as such, I would highly doubt that no one could provide an answer to this riddle!"

                Fiver then exclaimed, "No, wait!  There is a bit of information that we had not realized before!  Do you not remember, Justin, what the King of Tomorrow during our trial told us about you and your role with El-ahrairah?!  He said there was another excerpt that said that the cross-bearer would lead to the death and destruction of the Prince of a Thousand!  Do you not remember?!  And yet, what was odd about it was that it was a piece of the prophecy that El-ahrairah did not know nor did he bother to inform us!"

                Snitter was confused.  "Let me get this straight, Fiver: your Prince, El-ahrairah, is requesting the help of Justin, a human boy, the chosen cross-bearer, to help him fight and defend your warren, when there is a possibility that he may just simply destroy it??  Is he mad??"

                Rowf scoffed, enjoying that Justin was appearing to be malignant to the land beyond life, "I can hardly say I am surprised."

                "That's enough, Rowf!!" growled Silver and Campion thickly.

                Justin felt clammy and his mouth was dry as he spoke, "So...so you think it's true?  That...that I will bring danger to El-ahrairah and the land beyond life??  That I'm evil??"

                Campion was beside himself as he gripped Justin angrily by the shoulders and lectured, "Justin, for the sake of Frith and El-ahrairah, do NOT think of such things!!  Fur, paw, and tail of all rabbits of Frith, you cannot think that embleer king knows everything about the prophecy!  So, embleer Frith, stop it NOW!"

                Justin weakly nodded, but Bigwig's head then perked.  The fur-cropped rabbit was extremely thoguhtful.

                "Now that I think about it, there is something quite odd about this entire 'cross-bearer' prophecy," muttered Bigwig aloud, "In fact, several things."  Justin felt his blood cool slightly, but he could honestly say he could not tell if it was because of fear or curiosity.

                "How so, chap?" Blackberry asked, furrowing his brow in deep scrutiny.

                "Well, you hardly have to think about it, but...do you all remember what Prince Rainbow said the day before?  When he had us imprisoned in that tharn prison and threatened to send all of us to limbo?  One thing did stick in my mind: it was when he said that cryptic message on the real truth of why Elil-rah wished his power and evil solely on El-ahrairah, on why we, the rabbits and children of the Prince of a Thousand, are the targets of Woundwort and Elil-rah's Owsla, and how Justin was closer to Elil-rah than he thought?"

                Pipkin shivered as he recalled the horrific torture, but he gulped easily, "Perhaps...perhaps Hawkbit was right; Prince Rainbow was simply lying, saying a ruse, hoping he could force Justin to weaken or be off guard?"

                Speedwell cast Pipkin a wry, dubious glance.  "Since when has Hawkbit ever been right?"

                "Excuse me, you white-furred, smart-mouthed, has-a-pitiful-sense-of-humor duffer, but I'm right here you know!" hissed Hawkbit, annoyed, as he crossed his paws and glared at Speedwell who was actually standing right next to him.  Speedwell ignored him as Pipkin asked Snitter and Rowf hesitantly.

                "Snitter, Rowf, what do you think?  Could you possibly have any idea about what in Frith's name was Prince Rainbow talking about?  You know, about the real reason Justin is being targeted by Elil-rah?"

                Rowf just glared at Pipkin before deliberately turning his head in the other direction, harrumphing, making it plain and evident that he was not going to answer the question.  Snitter, on the other hand, tentatively, but wearily, sighed, "I wish I could, Pipkin, yet...we do not know anything nor could we offer any possible insight except..."

                Snitter paused.

                "Except what?" Dandelion asked, his ears perked upwards.

                The terrier then swallowed uneasily as he forced himself to continue, "Well, when Rowf and I were by Prince Rainbow's side, we had regular meetings with Elil-rah and General Woundwort on certain strategies, and well...we overheard Elil-rah and Prince Rainbow arguing.  Prince Rainbow asked why could it simply not be that Elil-rah kill the cross-bearer himself, that he simply wipe him and El-ahrairah out all at once.  And then we heard Elil-rah laugh as he told us that Justin and El-ahrairah had a bigger role in his plan to spread his rule over the land beyond life than just their deaths."  The rabbits just gaped at him, disbelieving.  Snitter then added hastily, "That is all we know, I swear!  I'm sorry if that is not of much help, Hazel."

                "Wait a minute," broke in Justin, another realization coming to him, "How is it that this whole thing was true to begin with?!"

                "Meaning what, cross-bearer?" Campion queried.

                "I just thought about it.  This is the thing, Shardik, Rowf and Snitter, and the tale of how Hazel and the rest of you guys came to establish Watership Down and your warren, you guys were all part of a story!  A fairy tale, a piece of fiction!  Don't you see?!  How is it that...that if it was a simple story, something make-believe, then how come everything I've seen since I've arrived here in the land beyond life, the Efrafans, the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, Woundwort, Prince Rainbow, El-ahrairah, everything was true?!  How could those stories be true?!  Especially since they all came from the same author, a man named Richard Adams, a human, just like me?!  How...how is it that all of this is true, that all these stories would be real, that...that I would be protected by characters from my favorite novel ever?!  I can't decide if this is a dream or a nightmare!"

                "Justin, that's not exactly a bad thing to ponder over," replied Acorn blithely, "Every story is true, whether they be tales of El-ahrairah and his adventures or simple recollections of past journeys of other rabbits and their ancestors.  I don't see why it should be such a shock to you as well."

                Justin fought to keep the irritated fear and anxiety out of his voice, "But it's not common in my world.  This is all supposed to be a fairy tale, a story that's simply not true, that was made up from imagination and fantasy!  Well, if that was the case, then why is this all true?!  why are there so many coincidences where everything I've read came to life??!  How could a man in my world have known about your adventures, your journeys, and write them in a story for all men to understand?!"

                No rabbit could answer this, so resigned, Holly said convincingly and kindly, "I'm sure we shall find out the truth about this once we reach El-ahrairah, all right young one?  Now is certainly not the time to drive yourself mad with such thoughts, all right Justin?"

                Justin sighed, knowing Holly was probably right.

                Pipkin then chimed in optimistically, "At least we are now back home, and without a sniff of Elil-rah's Owsla, El-ahrairah will be able to recover with Justin's cross and we were able to succeed in our mission without Justin falling victim to attacks!"  We were able to keep the cross-bearer safe!"

                "You rabbits would have to do better than that, you sad, pitiful fools!" roared a triumphant voice as a portal of darkness, swirling in colors of harsh gray, black and white, materialized several yards away and out jumped was none other than the most feared rabbit of his time back in the physical world, the mortal nemesis of Hazel of Watership Down, and the right paw of the evil Elil-rah himself, was Woundwort.  He had come at last.

                "Woundwort?!" shrieked Pipkin as Rowf, Buckthorn, Campion, Holly and Bigwig protectively got in front of the group, automatically forming a line of offense to shield Justin and the madly, jabbering rabbits.  Justin managed to get a good glance at the legendary enemy rabbit.  He was certainly fearsome if not lethal.  Woundwort was about the same size as Bigwig, perhaps even a bit taller, with a well-built, large, chest, long, sharp claws of the deepest dusk, powerful legs and paws that seemed formidable enough to smash square, human-like jaw, grim, set, and full of stern authority and demand.  Woundwort then crowed as he raised a paw, pointing towards El-ahrairah's warren.

                "You fools think you could actually succeed in hiding the boy from us?!  Look around you, you wretches!!  Your home and your friends are now all under attack!  Your home, your warren, is now to be wiped out by Elil-rah!!  ELIL-RAH CONQUERS ALL!!!"

                To the animals and the cross-bearer's horrors, what Woundwort said was true.  Immediately, from out of the nowhere, the meadows of Fenlo were now completely ridden and riddled with absolute chaos.  As clouds of the murkiest gray and black completely blocked out the last, yearning traces of the moon, within fleeting moments of time, enemies, loyal, ravaging soldiers of Elil-rah's Owsla, turned up in droves, with roars and shrieks of mad delight and sick war adrenaline.  The rabbits and the other animals who were friends of El-ahrairah and his family, were startled, but immediately did their best to drive them off and hold them back, yet it was soon apparent that it was overwhelming.  To Hazel and the others' shocked observation, they could see that every single soldier that they had encountered while trying to bring Justin back to El-ahrairah safely was now at the war down below.  The calf, Whitehorn, though several times taller than any of the rabbits, was having much difficulty in battling the Ilips as she and Kehaar did their best to dodge the enraged animals' cuffs and to attack their paws with her horned head thrusts and Kehaar's aerial dives.  Veil Guplea was laughing maniacally not too far off, enjoying the sight of the rabbits cowering from the dark illusions of their deepest fears the rat, himself, had summoned with his magic while King Darzin watched and ordered his loyal cats to sing their harsh, cacophonous music, having their notes of death resonating across the entire fields of Fenlo.  With their combined powers, many of El-ahrairah's Owsla were too confounded, confused, and disoriented to even fight as they vainly cuffed thin air and even brawled with each other.  Sneezewort, Lousewort, Pimpernel, Toadflax, Blackavar, and the rest of the hlessi loyal to El-ahrairah, were now doing their best to drive off Volgnamass and his armored-weasel horde.  Forming a line of defense, the rabbits, Sneezewort and Lousewort prevented the massive army from entering the burrows where the helpless does and kittens lay, though just barely.  Holly was able to notice that out of all of them, Sneezewort and Lousewort were battling the most fiercely; if it were not for them, the others would have certainly been overpowered much too quickly.

                "Get off of him!!" Sneezewort bellowed as he rammed one of Volgnamass' soldiers off Blackavar so hard, the poor animal went flying into the air by at least thirty feet.

                "Sneezewort, 'ol mate, there's far too many!!  We can't keep this up!!" panted Lousewort as he picked up the unconscious body of a weasel soldier and started swinging the creature like a club, swatting enemies in a wide arc and allowing Toadflax and Pimpernel to back out of the weasels' metal claws.

                "We have to, old chum!  We have to keep it up!!"

                "How dare you betray us, you cowardly sleaze?!!" squealed Volgnamass in outrage, spitting and frothing like a hell beast as he watched, to his shocked anger, his best soldiers be stalled by two incompetent, useless fools, "After everything I had done for the both of you, you ungrateful traitors!!"

                "HA!!  That's a laugh!!" snarled Lousewort through gritted teeth.

                "Come over here, and I'll be glad ta' show you our gratitude!!" snapped Sneezewort sarcastically as he gave a brutal, slashing swipe across a weasel's chest, tearing the poor soldier's chain-mail armor into shreds.

                Meanwhile, the fox Blood Whitetail, though no longer with the ability to control the power of the Wolfen Gale, was dashing amongst El-ahrairah's rabbits with surprising speed and agility, his sandstone knife hacking into the poor rabbits' chests as the eli flew by, causing many to be wounded and to crumble to the ground in blood and torment.  And running with him, side by side, was the dark-furred body of the rabbit, King Fur-Rocious, inflicting horrendous cuffs and blows as well, while King Fur-Rocious' army of rabbits, devoid of the stoats and weasels and rats due to Dandelion's incantation, was sparring violently with a massive group of El-ahrairah's Owsla from behind the warren.  Lane, Mara, Mark, Carol, and Gina, the foxes who allied themselves with El-ahrairah as promised friends, did their best to fight against King Fur-Rocious' army as they scampered and attacked madly.  However, the Owsla's attempts of protecting the does and kittens hidden in the burrow were futile as Blackberry and Speedwell noticed minor eruptions of dirt and sod spewing from the openings to the runs and panicked screams and wails of fright from the kittens cowering in the burrows.  Then they saw why.  The terrifying snake, Nekas, suddenly emerged from the ground nearby the warren of El-ahrairah, sending a sudden explosion of dirt and pebbles to rain down on the entire battlefield.  The serpent made its mark by burrowing into the roots of the rabbit home, destroying tunnels and runs in a blink of an eye, causing much of the infrastructure to collapse, burying many innocent rabbits alive in the suffocating dirt.  And to Blackberry's incensed outrage, Nekas also had the bodies of three crying baby rabbits dangling from its mouth, spitting them out onto the ground in a wrathful frenzy.  Though blind, Nekas was causing much devastation without his hypnotic eyes.

                "Skeleton paws!!" commanded a grating, familiar voice, and Strawberry had to grind his teeth in rage as he saw Cowslip, the rabbit he supposedly left in the Hall of Bones and was as good as dead, invoking his powers of the dead to summon skeletons, false, dark abominations created by Elil-rah and Cowslip's twisted mind, to rise from the sacred grounds of the meadows of Fenlo.  Horrified and tharn with fear, the soldiers of El-ahrairah's Owsla were unable to fight the unfeeling, cold monstrosities, allowing Cowslip to brutally attack and wound many of El-ahrairah's trusted friends and warriors.  One particular rabbit screamed in pain as a skeleton paw gorged itself gruesomely through the rabbit's stomach, and the only reason the poor animal stopped its hysterics was because its lungs filled up with blood, causing the rabbit to topple over, unable to even breathe, much less yell.  As many bucks and does were metaphorically crushed by the legion of bones, Silverweed cackled gleefully, sickeningly, as he stood behind Cowslip like a true coward and watched the battle, taking no part of the fighting.

                At another part of the battlefield stood Hufsa, the multicolored, calico splotched rabbit traitor.  Waving his paws gracefully like a conductor guiding an orchestra's symphony, Hufsa beckoned forth a plethora of snake-like vines and dark-green tendrils, and the bucks and does of El-ahrairah's army were faring none too well from the fact that many were snared, tangled, and caught in the web of evil, rendering them helpless to the excruciating torment of the razor-sharp leaves and the thorns gouging into their fur and flesh.  In addition to dodging the vines, the rabbit warriors were also vainly trying to distance themselves and counterattack the militia of Efrafans being led by none other than Mallow and Vervain.  Yet it was hopeless.  The iron spears and lances the Efrafans were armed with made the demented Owsla of Woundwort just as lethal far off as they were in close combat.  Any rabbit of El-ahrairah that managed to avoid the vicious thrusts and swipes from the weapons that the Efrafans assailed easily like fighting staffs were unable to avoid the airborne instances of the lances being thrown with deadly precision.  Soon, the field rained iron spears like deadly hail, only to pierce the heads and bodies of good, noble warriors, leaving El-ahrairah's court horrifically injured and bloodied.  It put the Owsla of El-ahrairah and Frith at a great disadvantage.  And to add the final insult, Lord Brock, the perfidious, deceitful, greedy badger of the mountains, back after his excursion with Greenweed, was now directly bludgeoning and clawing at the giant tree housing El-ahrairah's home, hacking the trunk, causing chunks of splintered wood to fall out, and weakening the very ceiling of the runs and tunnels below.  If the lendri continued, it would be most likely that the warren would collapse underground and the dirt from the walls and ceiling would cave in.

                In short, the once peaceful meadows of Fenlo was now considered to be the depths of hell and warfare.

                "O embleer Frith!!!" gasped Bluebell out loud, "It's a siege!!!  A SIEGE!!!  Woundwort is making a last attempt to stop Justin from reaching El-ahrairah!!!"

                "That's right, you pathetic fools!!" crowed Woundwort, and before the rabbits could react, the rabbit general leapt off the ledge, aiming himself for a tackle directly at Justin.  "And now, the cross-bearer shall die!!!"

                However, Justin was quicker.

                "Time freeze!  STOP!!!"  In a flash, Woundwort was now suspended in midair, cloaked with sunlight as remained stiff, unresponsive, and stationary.  Yet, before Justin could focus his attention back to the frantic discussion of the battle, the adolescent could not help noticing that even frozen, Woundwort was actually smiling disturbingly.

                Strawberry growled uncharacteristically, "Embleer Cowslip!  I should have injured him and that dratted Silverweed far more than before in the Hall of Bones!"

                "When I get my paws on that Hufsa..." rumbled Buckthorn, his eyes now twitching with hatred and lust for fighting.

                Bigwig then barked, "Hazel-rah, we must help them!  The buckos are being wiped out!!  I daresay we will never be able to heal El-ahrairah now if this continues!!"

                Hazel then nodded fiercely as he then whipped to Justin, "Young one, we need you, now, more than ever.  You must not be afraid and must trust your life in our paws, but we cannot leave you alone here while we go into the heat of war for El-ahrairah.  I have the feeling that is exactly what Elil-rah wishes: for this to distract us and the rest of El-ahrairah's Owsla from our duty of protecting you and keeping vigilance.  Justin, use your cross and bless us, all of us, with the powers we have gained since we have first met, but once we step into the array, you are NOT to leave my side.  Is that clear, young one?"

                Justin nodded.  Hawkbit, getting all the more impatient, snapped, "Will you get on with it?!!"

                Justin then obediently grabbed his golden jewel and yelled with all his might, "GIVE THEM STRENGTH!!!"

                Meanwhile, as the battle raged on, it was starting to look incredibly bleak for El-ahrairah's side.  One Ilip, with a lucky strike, managed to deliver a sharp, brutal cuff onto Kehaar's body as the gull dived by, narrowly missing the animal's eyes.  With a cry of pain, the black-headed bird crashed onto the grass, his wing now unpleasantly broken and useless.  Blethlin, a tough, gray-furred doe, was doing her best to avoid and dodge Blood Whitetail's assaults, jumping and ducking the sandstone blade as it brushed against her ears and delivering a few good kicks and scratches on her own.  Unlike most of the does, she was eagerly staying behind to fight because she was protecting the group of kittens huddling together in fright behind her; Blethlin was preventing the homba from getting close to the younglings.

                "Stand still, you troublesome, filthy pest!!" howled Blood as he missed again and wincing as Blethlin's hind foot managed to scratch out some bloody fur off the fox's left cheek.

                "Having trouble with your joints already, you old scrap-eater?!" belittled Blethlin, "Frith in a hole, and it's a bloody shame that Elil-rah was so desperate to pick an embleer, flea-infested, short-sighted homba that could not even fight his way out of a frail spider web!  You smell just as bad as that pig-faced Hawkbit!"

                "HAWKBIT?!!!" roared Blood Whitetail in enraged surprise, his angry battle aura now ten times greater at the mention of the rabbit, the cantankerous, loud-mouthed rabbit who ruined his one and only chance to be held in Elil-rah's high esteem.  Now, he became even more savage and intense as he violently flung himself in a mad, stabbing frenzy upon Blethlin who was now actually having trouble dodging the dagger.

                "Embleer Frith!" she yelped as the blade nicked her forepaw painfully, "What did I say?!  What did I say?!!"

                Flyairth, Hyzenthlay, Thethuthinnang, Violet and Vilthuril were busy attempting to deal with Nekas, and though the snake was blind, the reptile still managed to sense the four does with its precise sense of smell and movement, and its attempt to thrust its head out and bite the rabbits were so quick, they were nearly a blur.  Flyairth, in a brilliant display of cunning and bravery, pounced high into the air, avoiding Nekas' fangs, and landed roughly atop on the head of the eli.  The snake hissed dangerously as it tried to shake off the burly doe who now sunk her claws and teeth into the enemy's scalp, and now distracted, Nekas was unable to pay attention to Thethuthinnang, Hyzenthlay, Vilthuril, and Violet as they bit, clawed, and kicked Nekas' underbelly, their claws managing to rip out the scales and shed blood quite painfully.

                Stonecrop was actually sinking to the ground in pain, holding his ears very tightly, as the cats of King Darzin were singing unmercifully, vibrating painfully in the rabbit's brain and mind.  It was so unbearable, Stonecrop felt a small trickle of blood leak out of his nose, and he was gasping for air, the fluids in his veins and arteries now threatening to cease function, making his lungs and heart burn with fire.  The Threarah, managing to escape the fighting, braced himself in front of Silverweed.

                "You are finished, embleer furball!" Threarah snapped.  Silverweed just smiled maliciously before he transformed into an exact clone of Bigwig.  Threarah gasped, wide-eyed.

                "No, you are finished, you fool!" Silverweed cackled in Bigwig's gruff voice, and Threarah was momentarily stunned, tharn, which was exactly why Silverweed was able to strike down the former Chief rabbit with one, swift cuff across the face.  While this was going on, Hufsa managed to snare his most valued prey: Rabscuttle, second-in-command to El-ahrairah himself, and now, the cruel enemy held Rabscuttle squealing at his mercy whilst Hufsa forced vines to tighten around Rabscuttle's paws, legs and neck, nastily biting into the rabbit's skin and flesh and drawing blood.  No amount of kicking and squirming could free him.

                "Any final words before I tear you apart, Rabscuttle?" Hufsa sneered, and Rabscuttle managed to choke out as his vision blurred with tears and his breathing nearly stopped from strangulation.

                "El-ahrairah...I...I'm sorry," the good rabbit whispered, croaking as he was on the brink on consciousness.

                And then the tide of the battle turned.

                There was a sudden swish as Rabscuttle felt something thin, bold, and frigid fly by the vines, narrowly missing his fur as he felt the gripping vise of the plants lessen, and Rabscuttle, weak, sank to the ground, only to find himself being propped up roughly by a strong body.  Rabscuttle looked up imperceptibly to find that he fell into the paws of Buckthorn.  Buckthorn gave a small, kind spark from his blue eyes as he let down El-ahrairah's helper gently onto the grass.  Rabscuttle's eyes were now blurred with tears of relief.

                "Buckthorn, you came back.  You...have finally come back," he murmured.

                Meanwhile, the Ilips were having a difficult time now that Pipkin, Lane, Mara, Mark, Carol, Gina, and Speedwell joined with Whitehorn in her standoff.  With his newfound wings of flight, Pipkin persistently buzzed around the large animals, distracting and annoying them endlessly, sometimes even getting a good cuff every now and then as he dashed by their faces.  With the shaggy creatures distracted, it allowed Whitehorn to charge her horned head directly into Zhuron's leg right at the joint.  With a strong crack, the Ilip's leg was dislocated, tearing its ligament and muscle quite painfully, and Zhuron, losing his balance, stumbled and crashed into Trycaw on his left, sending both Ilips to fall and crash into the ground.  On cue, the five promised friends leapt on top of the bodies, with Lane and Mara gnawing ferociously at Zhuron's face and Whitehorn, Mark, Gina, and Carol brawling and wrestling with Trycaw.  As Pipkin did his best to fight with the remaining Ilip, Speedwell then had a brilliant thought strike him.  He commanded to the injured Kehaar who was weakly lying beside him, "Kehaar, I need you to cover me and protect me from all attacks!  Do not let any elil or soldier get close to my body!  Drive them off as best as you can!  Don't worry, chap!  I won't be gone long!"

                Kehaar was genuinely baffled.  "Vat??!  VAT you do??!!!"

                Speedwell didn't answer, and then, to the gull's amazement, he saw Speedwell astral-project himself out of his body, leaving a golden, phosphorescent specter of an exact likeness to emerge out of Speedwell's chest and to glide on thin air directly at the Ilip.  The Ilip was too busy fending himself from Pipkin to realize what Speedwell was doing until it was too late and the last fleeting moment he saw was the white rabbit's astral form merging into the Ilip's body.  The Ilip, feeling now incredibly strange and cold, started twitching as he could actually hear and feel Speedwell's presence in him.  It was as if a hot piece of heated iron was immersed into his blood, sending his body with throes of torment.

                "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU WRETCH!!!" screamed the Ilip was he placed his paws on his clammy head, trying to ease his sudden headache.

                Speedwell's voice echoed in the Ilip's brain, cheerful and almost amused, "Hmph, not much of a brain to begin with, isn't it, you over-sized, foot-sniffing duffer?  Well, then fur and paw, perhaps I can do a bit to improve that rotten disposition of yours!"

                The Ilip suddenly felt heavy, weak, tired, drained.  His vision was starting to cloud over, and the animal could feel his muscles, his cells, his entire flesh and blood conforming to cold, lifeless, ice.  Even his heart was pounding excruciatingly.

                "What...in...the name...of...the...dark beast...are...you...doing...to me??!!" the Ilip managed to gasp.

                Speedwell's voice reverberated softly, "It is quite the odd thing, isn't it bucko?  In your body, I can see everything...your mind, your brain, and even your heart.  But, instead of beating so strongly, it's getting slower and slower, and my astral form can actually...well, I cannot explain it chap, but...I can control everything in your body.  And your heart is beating slower and slower...Frith forgive me what I must do to you, poor beast.  But...I am stopping your heart.  Just rest now."

                That was the last thing the Ilip heard before it toppled over, unconscious.  His job done, Pipkin and Kehaar just stared, gaping and wide-eyed as the golden spirit of Speedwell extracted himself out of the sleeping animal and returned back into Speedwell's still body.  Speedwell then opened his eyes, never knowing if he could ever get used to the out of body experience.

                Pipkin then gasped as he flew down, "Speedwell, how in Frith's name did you ever do that?!  Frith above, I never thought you could use your power such as that!"

                Speedwell grinned.  "Neither did I, bucko.  I just acted on the impulse."

                In another part, Stonecrop was miraculously saved as Snitter led a full-on assault against the cats of King Darzin, and once again, at the presence of a dog, the cats fled at the mere presence of a dog, and while Snitter helped Stonecrop regain his senses, Rowf and King Darzin were duking it out ferociously.

                "You are mine, Darzin!"

                "Die, you traitor!!" roared the lion as he pounced onto Rowf.  Within seconds, both carnivores were in a ferocious battle, wrestling with each other on the ground in a flurry of snarls, barks, biting, and clawing.  Blood and dirt flew and splattered around the field madly as Rowf and King Darzin did their best to outdo each other in the fight.  Snitter, understanding that his longtime friend would do best without his aid, after helping Stonecrop recover somewhat from his ordeal, both the rabbit and the Plague Dog, in an uncharacteristic alliance, ran to the battle where Bigwig was helping Lousewort, Sneezewort, Blackavar, Pimpernel, and Toadflax deal with the weasel horde of Volgnamass.  Bigwig was especially effective due to the fact that he towered over the weasels many times over, and with simple flicks of his paw, was able to crush the enemies in an instant.  Taking advantage of the respite, Toadflax, Stonecrop, Pimpernel, Snitter and Blackavar took care of the remaining elil while Lousewort and Sneezewort finally satisfied their revenge.  Volgnamass, the general of the weasel soldiers, went down, screaming, as Sneezewort and Lousewort started to disembowel him, tearing his body to bits with their claws and teeth, and thought Volgnamass was twice as large, the weasel allies clearly had the advantage.

                The homba, Blood Whitetail, had finally managed to knock Blethlin senseless and now jumped on the doe's back, grabbing her sadistically by her ears as he brought the sandstone knife to her throat, ready to slit it.  Whimpering, the doe bucked and thrashed, but the homba was heavy, stolid, and just pulled on Blethlin's ears even further.  Suddenly, a familiar, annoying, yet sound voice rang out.

                "KNIFE!"  Within a flash, the sandstone knife vanished from the homba's paws in a beautiful glory of sunshine and gold.  Blethlin was spared.  The homba then looked up to see, to his scandal and outrage, Hawkbit, clad in his green and gold uniform, standing on his hind feet and giving a very smug look of satisfaction as the sandstone weapon magically appeared into Hawkbit's paw.  Blessed with Justin's light, Hawkbit simply summoned Blood Whitetail's blade into his own possession.  For the briefest instant, Blood was stunned; that instant was all it took.  With an expert fling, Hawkbit threw the knife, straight and true, leaving Blood Whitetail to fall off the doe he held prisoner and onto his back on the grassy field, the sandstone knife now embedded deep in the fox's throat, leaving the animal horribly injured, weak, and gurgling for air as his mouth dribbled with blood, as red as the eli's fur coat.  Blethlin, as she got up, for a fleeting moment, had an extreme look of happiness and joy on her face before she scowled at the blackish loudmouth.

                "What kept you?!!  Do you have any idea how long we had to put up with your tardiness and incompetence??!!" she screamed.  Hawkbit's eyes narrowed, now eager for a welcome argument.

                "Whatever happened to 'thank you', you mule-headed, disgraceful, embleer, crazy female?!!"

                "Thank you??!!  Frith in a hole, whatever for??!!  For nearly letting me get my bloody throat torn apart by that homba??!!!"

                "You are such an ingrate!!  I saved you!!"

                "Barely!!" snapped Blethlin.

                "Fur and paw, I did a far better task than you ever could, you whiny, clover-stealing, bad-tempered, silly leech!!"

                "Argh!  Why do I ever put up with you, you flea-infested, foul-mouthed hraka?!!  Why did you ever have to come back with Hazel-rah and the others?!!  The warren just managed to rid itself of your embleer odor!!!"

                "Frith in a barn and garden, I should have just let the homba hurt you!!  Lord Frith and Inle knows how much we could have used the peace and quiet with you not being able to talk!!"

                "I didn't need YOUR help, duffer!!  I could have handled that weakling on my own!!!"

                "Oh?" Hawkbit spat sarcastically, "Whatever was your plan?  Besides unconditional surrender and begging for your life, of course?"

                "Why you...!!!" and that was all Blethlin was able to utter before she tackled Hawkbit and they both were sent flying and tussling with each other in the grass, with Blethlin actually having the upper hand and delivering several good cuffs on Hawkbit's head.

                Acorn, now with many, many replicas of his person, with the strategic order of Hazel-rah, Bigwig, and Holly, managed to keep the vast, massive army of King Fur-Rocious at bay, preventing them from advancing even further towards the tree and entering the blessed home of El-ahrairah.  Though the multiples of Acorns were many times greater than King Fur-Rocious' warriors, these dark rabbits were no weaklings for they were thick, heavy, solid, and knew everything there was to learn about close combat.  While Blackberry was helping the injured bucks and does return back to the warren underground where they would be safe and shielded from King Fur-Rocious' soldiers, Dandelion was going one-to-one against King Fur-Rocious himself.  Now even more wrathful and irate at the previous battle he lost against the storyteller of Watership Down, King Fur-Rocious was mad with anger, will for battle, and vengeance, and Dandelion was barely able to avoid the quick and agile speed attacks and claws of the gargantuan rabbit.  If not for the teleportation powers given to him, Dandelion would have certainly fallen victim to his mortal nemesis.  As a result, the duel became increasingly aggravating for the servant of Elil-rah, for every time he managed to attempt to tackle or eviscerate the rabbit bard, Dandelion would always flicker and vanish in a blaze of yellow sparks, leaving the enemy rabbit to hit only thin air, allowing Dandelion within a split second later to teleport from another proximity and deliver a swift, powerful blow from behind.  And with so much open space, King Fur-Rocious was unable to calculate or guess when the Watership warrior would appear next.

                Acorn, the real, original one, called out while he struck down a rabbit, "Blackberry, we could really use your help now, chap!  Hurry!  Do you have any brilliant schemes?!!"

                Blackberry, as he helped Scabious down the run, nodded fiercely.  He then hollered with all his might, "Dandelion, Acorn!!!  Both of you buckos, CLEAR OUT!!!"

                Acorn nodded, allowing his multiples to continue fighting and attacking the army of enemy rabbits, and Dandelion then managed to come up with a cunning plan to buy Blackberry and himself some time.  With a quick flash, Dandelion teleported onto King Fur-Rocious' back and sank his claws into the soldier, attaching himself and maintaining a good hold.  King Fur-Rocious bellowed with rage and shock as he tried to reach behind and pry the bard off him, but then Dandelion teleported again with King Fur-Rocious.  Acorn and Blackberry looked up to see another midst of golden sparkling dust appear in the sky, about half a mile above, only to show Dandelion and King Fur-Rocious appear in thin air.  With a pleased smile, Dandelion released his hold on the enemy, stating snidely and drawling, "Enjoy your flight, King of all embleer hraka!"

                As Dandelion teleported safely back to the ground, King Fur-Rocious was helpless to do anything but scream as gravity took into effect and the commanding rabbit plummeted down to the grass below.

                "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA -!!!"

                WHUMP!  King Fur-Rocious' yelling was cut abruptly short as the ground met with the rabbit.

                Acorn winced.  "The bloody wretch is certainly going to feel THAT for a while!"

                Dandelion snickered, "Shameful, really, though.  I would have certainly been delighted to try that stunt once again, just to treasure that look upon the duffer's face!  Blackberry, now is the time to act!!"

                Blackberry nodded as his power given to him by Justin, the manipulation of the weather, suddenly took into his effect, and with some concentration, all above King Fur-Rocious and his army (who were still fighting helplessly with Acorn's multiples), dark, black clouds of rainstorms slowly, but steadily gathered, positioning themselves only right above the enemy rabbits.  Exactly like how Justin used his powers before to flood the canyon and valley when Nekas tried to attack.  Dazed and with multiple fractures, King Fur-Rocious lifted his head, noticing how his section of the battlefield went dark, blocked from the light of the crescent moon, and seconds later, he felt the cold rush of water as a sudden downpour drenched him, his rabbits, and the entire battlefield.  Already, the grass and dirt around them was starting to flood, like a swamp or a wetland.  King Fur-Rocious, while shakily rising to his paws, gave a harsh laugh as he scoffed at Blackberry's attempt.

                "HA!!  You cursed Watership rabbits have not won yet!!" King Fur-Rocious crowed, blood and froth foaming at his mouth, "Do you pathetic, weak fools actually think that a little rain would stop me, a rabbit far stronger than El-ahrairah?!!"

                Blackberry narrowed his eyes as he growled fervently, "Then how about a little lightning?"

                King Fur-Rocious' eyes widened as he heard the telltale clap of thunder booming above him, and even worse, he realized he and his rabbits were up to their haunches with moist grass and water...which was an excellent conductor for electricity.  That was why Blackberry flooded the battlefield in the first place.

                "O Frith and Inle," King Fur-Rocious whimpered, blanching, as a gigantic blitz of white, hot lightning energy came crashing down upon them and the wet battlefield, with Blackberry, Acorn, and Dandelion standing safely away from the brutal, wet edge.

                "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" screamed King Fur-Rocious and his rabbit as one as the white energy crackled, snaked, and traveled throughout their bodies and senses.  The attack had no effect on the Acorn multiples, though, for they vanished in the air like smoke the instant the lightning struck.

                Dandelion raised an eyebrow.  "Quite entertaining, is it not?"

                "I take back everything I have ever said about how Elil-rah's Owsla are not very bright," Acorn quipped.  Blackberry guffawed at that joke.

                In the meantime, Fiver was actually in physical combat with the dark master of illusions, the rat, Veil Guplea, and so far, it was a tense standoff.  Veil was actually chortling with surprised wickedness as he invoked his illusions all around Fiver, subjecting the small rabbit soldier to his deepest fears and endless sadness.  Beads of sweat were actually appearing on Fiver's forehead and clumping his short fur as he winced and struggled to not wince from the pain and soreness in his pounding head as the field was ablaze with fire, surrounding the poor, confused Owsla warrior, and in the illusions, Fiver was being attacked by humanoid creatures with huge, yellow metal claws, similar to those of the tractors, the machines that destroyed his home at Sandleford, and their vile eyes were glowing with the demon-like embers of fiery ashes, dripping with blood.  Fiver bit back the urge to whimper and run as he backed away slowly from the mirages as the creatures walked through the border of flames and advanced on him.  The king of all rats laughed at the ease of destroying Fiver.

                "You persistent, delusional, disbelieving fool!" Veil bragged, swaggering and drunk with victory, "Did you actually think that you could ever resist and fight against me?!  Face the truth, you weak runt!!  Without any special powers blessed to you by the cross-bearer, you don't stand a ch -!!"  Yet the accusation and jeers died in the rat's throat and his red eyes bulged as Fiver barreled out of the flames, running with graceful yet powerful leaps as he charged and delivered a head-butt directly into Veil Guplea's face, cracking the rat's skull from the tremendous impact.  Dazed and with his entire face bloody, the rat managed to gasp and croak between swallows of his own blood and cerebral fluid leaking into his throat, "H...h...ow?"

                Fiver's eyes burned with passion and power, none of which Veil had ever seen before in any creature, and the small rabbit was deceptively calm and composed as his voice rang in uncommon coldness.

                "A word of advice, Veil: never try to deceive and fool a seer...and an empath."  With that, Fiver leapt onto the rat, kicking, scratching, and clawing ferociously while Veil, now no longer dependent on his power of illusions, writhed and screamed as he scrapped madly and desperately.

                Buckthorn and Strawberry were faring a lot worse than Fiver.  Even with Strawberry's seismokinesis, Cowslip was able to avoid the tremors and ground-shattering earthquakes with quick agility, and no matter how many waves of earth that Strawberry tried to summon to engulf and crush Cowslip, the fat, wily oaf managed to elude Strawberry's best efforts with minimal concentration.  In fact, the former leader of the Warren of Shining Wires was throwing heckles and insults in a harsh manner as he kept invoking skeleton atrocities to multiply and try to overwhelm Strawberry, who was doing his best to destroy them with his powerful seismic attacks.  The difficulty was that for every one carcass of the dead that Strawberry vanquished, several more took its place.  It wouldn't be long before there would too many for Strawberry to defend himself from and the Watership warrior would be completely swallowed by the dead minions.  Buckthorn was also in jeopardy.  Even with his sword, his main concern was trying to shield Rabscuttle, who was now unconscious from his battle, from the flock of vines that threatened to ensnare Buckthorn relentlessly.  Already, the entire ground was littered with hacked pieces of plants, leaves, and thorns, and yet still, the whips came at him.  Some were truly horrendous, ranging from tentacles filled completely with dry, thin brambles, sharp and poisonous, to thick, green roots that had at the very tip, pink flower bulbs that opened up to reveal circular, red mouths lined with sharp teeth, ready to tear Buckthorn's flesh and suck his body dry of blood.  Obviously, Hufsa became very creative with his flora creations, like a demented artist.  The quandary was that both Cowslip and Hufsa have seen exactly what Justin's blessings on Strawberry and Buckthorn were capable of, so they knew their attacks and were quite wary of them.  Then Strawberry and Buckthorn, in unison, arrived to the same conclusion.

                "Buckthorn, switch adversaries!" Strawberry squealed.  Buckthorn automatically used Strawberry's broad back as a stepping stone, and with the fluidity of a gymnast, jumped high into the air and flipped with the golden blade braced for an attack, calling over his shoulder gruffly, "Protect Rabscuttle, bucko!"

                Strawberry, with a fierce stomp, created such a powerful tremor, it ripped the field apart, severing the ground around them in two with a tremendous, crooked chasm spreading from Strawberry's hind foot as he hit the ground.  The vibration ran right through the creepers and tendrils, ripping them by their roots from the ground and leaving them writhing and dying on the grass in a flurry of flopping and agonized screeches.  And Hufsa was so stunned from the unexpectedness of the strike, he was unable to run away as the ground crumbled beneath his paws, leaving him to nose-dive into the dark abyss screaming with wide-eyed fear, and Strawberry cut the rabbit off as he sealed the chasm back as one, covering the earth as if there was no damage to begin with, burying the enemy underground.

                Buckthorn was now dashing so fast, the skeletons were unable to grab the Watership rabbit as he flew by, jumping, scurrying on his hind legs while slashing occasionally with the sword if a bony monster got too close for comfort.  His feet touched the ground as light as a feather, his body was as nimble and evasive as the wind, and even Cowslip was getting dizzy from trying to keep his eyes trained on him while summoning his powers.  He was so distracted, Buckthorn knew then that the time was right.  With a great leap, Buckthorn sailed straight up into the sky before diving down directly at Cowslip from above like a hawk.  Cowslip saw the threat immediately.

                "Skeleton paws!  Crush that rabbit!" he screamed and at once, a pair of bone claws, edged with amber talons, emerged from the ground beside the slothful rabbit, ready to shield Cowslip from the aerial attack and ready to grab hold of Buckthorn.  With a flick of his muscular forearms, Buckthorn brought down the golden sword of the cross.

                SLASH!

                Cowslip was outraged to find that Buckthorn, flaunting his success, somersaulted arrogantly and landed on his hind feet gracefully, but that anger gave way to tormenting anguish as with a cry, Cowslip, with burning tears of torturing grief, realized that Buckthorn, not only having destroyed the skeleton paws but also hacked off Cowslip's paws with one swipe.  On the grass, in two small puddles of blood, lay his severed paws, now amputated and departed from Cowslip's body, and all that was left of Cowslip's former appendages were two stumps, cut cleanly and now spilling a downpour of crimson fluid.  Cowslip sank to the floor, sniveling and crying piteously, whimpering and screaming with mournful ire, "Damn you!!  What have you done to me?!!  Damn you, what have you done to me?!!  DAMN YOU!!  DAMN YOU ALL!!!"

                Strawberry, awkwardly holding up Rabscuttle, gave a poisonous glare at Cowslip, growling without compassion and sympathy, "You're the only one who has been damned, Cowslip."

                The Threarah squealed in distress as Silverweed, still disguised as Bigwig, pummeled him into the ground until Silverweed's paws were now smeared with the Threarah's blood as Silverweed prepared for the final blow, raising his paw high above his head.  Threarah, too weak and battered to even move, just laid there, helpless.  Suddenly, there was a heavy thud as something heavy and large walloped into Silverweed, momentarily saving the Threarah from the finishing move.  The gray, frizzled rabbit weakly got on his own four paws as he looked at the large, fat, silver rabbit who was pinning Silverweed to the ground with much difficulty as he burrowed his teeth into Silverweed's throat.  Silverweed let out a garbled scream, choked horrendously as blood started to spatter on both rabbits, and soon, the coughs were weak and raspy before they died in Silverweed's throat, and the shapeshifter twitched for the final time before being still.  Silver released his hold on Silverweed's neck, blood running down his muzzle and giving the gentle giant a very gruesome appearance.

                "That was for Justin...and Strawberry, you embleer rah," Silver spat, disgusted at the unconscious form of Silverweed as the former rabbit of the Shining Wires now reverted back to his original form of a gaunt, thin, malnourished weakling.  Silver, wiping the blood from his mouth with his paws, did not even bother to turn around to face his uncle as the Threarah said coldly, "Why did you come back??  Why couldn't you have failed and let me have my peace of seeing you fall short once again, like you always have before?"

                Silver muttered simply, "Be quiet.  My life no longer centers on your approval; go help anyone you can.  I must help the cross-bearer and Hazel-rah."  With that, the large silver warrior galloped away, leaving the Threarah watching his retreating form, still cursing the day Silver was born.

                Bluebell, Campion, and Holly were all trying to overcome Lord Brock and preventing the lendri from destroying the warren by tearing the oversized tree by its roots.  Unfortunately, that was the case.  With a mighty roar, Lord Brock, using every bit of strength he could muster, lifted the gigantic tree by the trunk clear off the ground, its dusty roots, brown from age and dirt, now dangling uselessly while hundreds of tunnels in El-ahrairah's warren, now no longer supported by the strong, supple roots of the tree of all trees, crumbled and collapsed, resulting in multiple cave-ins and many does and kittens were buried alive in the suffocating dirt and soil, and those that were able to escape such a fate were madly digging, trying to locate their friends and family.  Bluebell gasped, crying silently as he roared angrily to the badger of the mountains, "You heartless wretch!!  How could you?!!  HOW COULD YOU EVER DO SUCH A THING IN THE NAME OF FRITH?!!  Justin took mercy on you, and so did Holly, and this is how you repay our kindness??!!"

                Lord Brock sneered shamelessly, "It is the rule of survival, you disgusting, pathetic fools!  Only the dark and strong can rule in the land beyond life, existing only to crush the weak and loving, and Elil-rah has decided that I may be shown merciful rewards and bounty I never dreamed of if I helped his army destroy your home!!  Face it, you feeble rabbits!  El-ahrairah is nothing but a delusional, soft-hearted, loving, old worm who needs to be crushed so that the true animals, the ones meant for greatness, can crush the little weaklings that get in their way!!!"

                Campion was shaking with rage as he yelled, "No, it is us who will crush you!!  YOU are the fool, Brock!!"

                With a mighty heave and grunt, the badger flung the heavy tree, which probably weighed more than several thousand tons, directly at Bluebell, Holly and Campion.  The giant specimen swirled wildly before dropping heavily towards the three rabbits, but Bluebell was quicker with his power to stop time, given to him willingly by Justin's cross.

                "TIME, STOP!!!"

                With a golden flash of light, the tree hung in the air, suspended and fully immersed with golden light as Bluebell's power was sufficient enough to prevent the three of them from being trampled.  The Watership soldiers of El-ahrairah's Owsla scurried away from the potential danger.  Lord Brock, undaunted, started to run off like a true coward, knowing exactly what Holly would do to him if he got the slightest chance to use his rending powers, but Campion was faster.

                "You are not going anywhere, you cowardly hraka!!" the rabbit bellowed as his anger, his rage, his mad passion against injustice, literally caused the rabbit to glow with the fierce, burning sunlight that had been used before to destroy Veil Guplea's illusions and to melt away the rat's powers.  Except that now, the strength and intensity of that golden light of the sun and cross was now more than a thousand fold as Campion, with barely a second thought, invoked the light of truth, of justice, of his fiery heart, to engulf and surround every inch of the large badger's body with the searing heat.  The eli roared and howled like the insanity of the damned, as he tried to continue his retreat, but every bit of his fur was razing, alight with small flames and embers, as his flesh and skin was immediately forming white blisters and pooping painfully from the heat, releasing bubbling blood and fluid quite excruciatingly.  By the dark beast, even the very blood in his veins felt like it was about to explode and discharge all over the field!  Lord Brock fell to his stomach, convulsing and vomiting as the heat continued to torment his body and mind.  Holly, seeing as how Campion could handle things, immediately went over to the remains of the warren where he saw all able-bodied rabbits were doing their best to rescue all the other rabbits trapped underground.  A few he recognized were Groundsel, Sandwort, and Peerton.

                Holly commanded ardently, "Grounsel, have all the rabbits stop digging and get back!!"

                Groundsel was confused as he glanced upwards from the deep hole that used to be El-ahrairah's warren.  "WHAT??!!"

                Peerton squealed, "Have you lost your mind, Holly?!  Our comrades and friends are trapped down here!!"

                Sandwort snapped at the both of them, "Be quiet and listen!  Trust Holly!  He knows what he is doing!  Listen to him, for the sake of El-ahrairah!!"  The rabbits, baffled and uncertain and doubtful, obeyed.  holly, closing his eyes and beckoning every last ounce of vigor and focus he could gather, flicked his paws at the dirt-filled tunnels and the collapsed sections of the warren.  With a huge explosion, a fast and furious discharge of dirt disappeared from the ground, nearly scaring all the rabbits to death and sending some to stumble onto their backs from the abruptness of the event.  Yet, Holly opened his eyes to see, to his joy, that his rending powers tore away all the dirt trapping El-ahrairah's brethren in the claustrophobic prisons.  Clover, Holly's mate, as she helped some wailing kittens clamber up from their ordeal, shot a look of grateful and loving admiration to Holly.  Holly gave back a nod, full of relief and kind, loyal devotion etched on his face.

                Nekas had finally managed to pull off Flyairth from its face by ingeniously using its clawed tail as an appendage to pry the annoyance off, and with some thought, the snake tossed the heavy doe into Violet, Thethuthinnang, and Vilthuril, and with a final thrust, it aimed himself directly at Hyzenthlay who was helpless to stop the giant snake from swallowing her up whole.  She screamed as she turned her head in fright, but miraculously, she felt no blow strike her, and the doe cautiously opened up her eyes to witness a stunning sight.  Nekas was writhing and spitting madly, hissing curses and its outrage, as it rammed itself like crazy against a spherical orb of sunlight that formed around the enemy, like a bubble.  The orb of gold and orange was solid and sturdy, like the hardest diamond, and no effort from the snake could ever free itself from the prison of shielding, protective sunlight.  It was now confined and incarcerated, away from the does.

                Thethuthinnang was nearly tharn as she sputtered, "O Frith and Inle, how did that ever happen?!!"

                A baritone yet kind chuckle of amusement sounded from behind them as a familiar voice said, "Thethuthinnang, I am quite surprised at your confusion.  You were never one to question Frith's miracles."

                The five female rabbits spun around to see, to their joy, and slight apprehension, Hazel-rah, standing in his red and silver tunic on his hind feet, protectively guarding a human boy next to him.  Justin had given Hazel his power to create defensive shields of the purest sunbeams, and with that gift, the leader and former Chief rabbit of Watership Down created the sphere to imprison Nekas and spare the does from its ruthlessness.

                "Hazel!" cried Hyzenthlay with happiness as she dashed into her mate's paws, burying her face against his torso and letting the strange, yet familiar humanoid, anthropomorphic rabbit embrace her body, nuzzling her gently and lovingly.  It was obviously clear that they missed each other greatly.  Flyairth, Thethuthinnang, and Violet were staring at Justin, but Vilthuril let out a squeal of excited relief, "It is the cross-bearer!  Oh thank the stars!  Hazel-rah!  You and the rest of the Watership rabbits have done it!  You have brought the cross-bearer home to us, to help El-ahrairah and save our home and future!!"

                Flyairth then gasped as a swift movement from the sky caught her attention.  She screamed, "Hazel, the boy!!"

                Hazel turned around to see, to his horror, several Efrafan lances, thrown by Mallow, Vervain, and several others of Woundwort's army, were already airborne and now were speeding towards Justin, ready to slay him in an instant.  Yet before Hazel could use his power, Silver already beat him to it.

                "Levitate!" Silver bellowed, and with the aid of Justin's gift, golden rings of light appeared around each lance, stopping them in mid-air and silently hovering them uselessly above, dangling and held in place by the power of Silver's levitation magic.  Thethuthinnang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, but Vilthuril explained, "The cross-bearer's work, Thethuthinnang.  Do not let it surprise you, for the boy has obviously given our friends gifts beyond our imaginations."

                Hazel then turned to Justin, relying on his next plan of action as the Efrafans charged towards the group, "Justin, it is starting to look bleak, and our enemies are still trying to fight!  you must freeze the entire fields of Fenlo!  Hurry Justin!"

                "Hazel?!" demanded Silver incredulously, "Justin is too weak to do it!  His injury is far too serious and -!!"  Yet before the silver rabbit could argue any further, Justin, with a deep breath, grabbed his cross and with his loudest shout, the boy yelled fervently enough to echo to the heavens.

                "TIME, STOP PLEASE!!!  PLEASE, STOP TIME SO WE CAN STOP THE BATTLE AND SAVE EL-AHRAIRAH!!!  PLEASE, USE ALL MY STRENGTH AND FREEZE THE LAND!!!  JUST THIS ONCE!!!"  With a flash of light that covered the Fenlo meadows, it was done, and to the joy and relief of all the rabbits of El-ahrairah and his allies, every soldier of Elil-rah's dark Owsla was immobilized, in temporal stasis.  Justin, his energy drained, stumbled backwards and nearly fainted as the light from his cross died.

                "Justin!" Silver cried worriedly as he caught the adolescent before he hit the ground.  Justin was so tired from exertion, he was about to lose consciousness, but he managed to croak feebly, "I...I'm all right, Silver, thanks."

                Silver's tone was reproachful.  "Young one, that was incredibly foolish! You were far too weak to do such an act!  You're now completely defenseless if you tire yourself out!"

                Vilthuril managed to console Silver, "Silver, do not be angry for the young child did what was necessary to cease the fighting for now.  El-ahrairah's health is of the utmost urgency now!"

                Hazel nodded with fatigue, "Yes, and with Elil-rah's Owsla suspended and frozen as of this moment, it will give us the chance to heal our Prince without any danger!"  Yet, by Murphy's Law, this was not the case.  With a dying gleam, the sunlight covering the fields were now destroyed by shimmers of dark mist and blackness, and to everyone's dread and shock, the Owsla of Elil-rah was now free from the time-freeze, completely healed and ready to fight and attack again, without Justin's intervention.  The cross-bearer's time freeze was eradicated.

                Flyairth gasped before screaming, "Frith in a hole, it's Woundwort!!"

                Hazel and Silver looked up to see that the doe had spoken the truth.  Directly in front of them, Woundwort was standing before their very eyes, still smiling knowingly as his good eye gleamed with triumph and enjoyment at the loss of El-ahrairah's army.

                Hazel was stunned.  "No, it cannot be!"

                Woundwort chuckled as he confessed smugly, "But it is, Hazel, you fool!  Do you honestly think our dark master, Elil-rah, would have not anticipated the cross-bearer blessing you with the powers and light of the cross to fight against us?!  He wished for the young boy to use his powers recklessly and without caution like this, eager and willing to fight and protect your worthless legacy and Prince!!  With so much use of his jewel, Justin is far too weak to fight and now, you rabbits are far too worn out to even protect him!!  The cross-bearer is ours now!!"

                "It will not be!!" Hazel roared angrily.

                Silver snarled, "You will have to get through us first, Woundwort!"

                Woundwort just smiled as he called out, "Now witness our new allies, the beast specially created by Elil-rah to capture and kidnap the young boy!  DAEMONS, SHOW YOURSELVES!!!"  Woundwort's voice was so dramatic and powerful, it echoed across the fields and actually caused all animals, elil and rabbit alike, to stop and stare aimlessly.  At first, there was silence, but then from the sky came the horrible truth.  The sky was filled with hundreds of creatures, shrieking and cawing and screaming with the demonic cries of the bloodthirsty, unholy underworld.  Hazel did not know how to describe them, but they were large and humanoid, with black skin as thick and tough as the strongest leather. Their wings were similar to bats and were attached to the underside of their arms.  These abominations had the ears of a rabbit, but it gave the daemons the appearances of horns, and their feet and hands had claws, white like the cleanest bones, and their eyes had no pupils, but were just an eerie white, devoid of any feeling or emotion except to obey their master Elil-rah.  Hurriedly, the flock of many swooped down, all of them aiming towards the group around Justin.

                "NO!!!" shouted Hazel but before he could make a shield of sunlight, Woundwort tackled Hazel, and both of them went down, tussling and fighting.  Hazel could hear Hyzenthlay screaming and trying her best to kick Woundwort off her mate as Woundwort sank his teeth into Hazel's throat.  Wincing, Hazel sank his claws into Woundwort's face and braced his hind legs underneath the heavy general, slightly pushing the enemy off him.  However, this gave the daemons the chance they needed and with a dive, one daemon lunged, knocking Silver away and carrying a near unconscious Justin with its hind claws, like a hawk or an owl that had just captured its prey.  The warriors of El-ahrairah's army saw this and immediately, there was a sorrowful uproar.

                "Justin!!" squealed Pipkin.  He tried to fly after the cross-bearer, but another daemon knocked him down, and to his horror, Pipkin crashed into the ground and his wings of flight disappeared with a faint shimmer of gold.  Now, Pipkin was powerless.

                "No, you can't!!" Buckthorn bellowed as his sword vanished from his paws, leaving him weaponless.

                "Bring him back!!" barked Snitter.

                "Time freeze!  Damn it all, stop time!  Save Justin!  Oh, confound it all, why won't it work?!!" cursed Bluebell.  His power was gone as well.

                Justin, before he lost consciousness from the fatigue and the tightening of the daemon's claws around his chest, squeezing him to lifelessness, whispered softly, "Please, please...don't let them get away.  Help my friends...find me...please."  The cross, with its last command, managed to glow before dying.

                Woundwort, before he disappeared in a billow of smoke and dark mists, sneered to Hazel, "Elil-rah has made certain that his powers would prevent you wretches from using your gifts the cross-bearer has given you!  This is his plague that he has placed on you and your lands, you fools!!  Enjoy your defeat, Hazel!  You shall never see Justin alive again, and El-ahrairah shall die!!"

                With that, he vanished.  Hazel, with the help of Hyzenthlay, shakily got up but his heart was heavy.  Apparently, Woundwort and Elil-rah had planned to teleport the rest of their army from the meadows of Fenlo, and now, their green pastures and grasslands were torn asunder, wrecked and damaged beyond repair, now a victim of the ruthless chaos between good and evil.  Silver was sobbing as the rest of the Watership Owsla gathered around Hazel, shock, numb, and at a loss.  Justin was gone, captured, and now, without his powers and protection of the cross, there was no hope of saving El-ahrairah and defeating Elil-rah. Lousewort and Sneezewort were silent, blaming themselves for not doing more.  Rowf was limping, bleeding in half a dozen places, but actually giving a small satisfied smile at knowing he injured King Darzin far worse.  And everyone else was bruised, battered, and innervated.

                Suddenly, Blackberry cried out to Holly as he noticed something on the grass not far off from where he was squatting.

                "Holly, whatever in Frith's name is this?!  What do you make of it?!" Blackberry wondered breathlessly.  The whiskered rabbit then noticed what got the black-eared buck's attention.  He could see a huge, ghastly and bothersome group of grayish, slimy slugs, lazily oozing their fat, gelatinous bodies over the tender blades of grass.  Yet that was impossible.  In the meadows of Fenlo, the fields of grass and flowers were devoid of any parasites and insects for this was deemed a heavenly, perfect haven to rabbits.  So how could slugs...?

                It then hit Holly then as he glanced up to see a miniscule yet obvious trail of slugs leading westward, the direction the daemons kidnapped Justin and fled, most likely towards the warren of Elil-rah.  But how...?  And then Holly remembered, remembered how on the very first night Justin met up with the Owsla of Watership Down and El-ahrairah, Justin, in practicing the extent of his new powers as the cross-bearer, summoned a pile of slugs by singing the same ditty Yona sand in "The Story of the Trial of El-ahrairah".  Justin, despite his weakened state, managed to summon his powers one last time to help the Watership rabbits; with this obvious trail, Hazel, Bigwig, Holly and the others would have no trouble finding and locating the dark warren of Elil-rah and his dark minions where Justin was being held prisoner.

                "Good, young one.  Clear use of your head," Holly thought to himself worriedly as Blackberry managed to call Hazel and the rest of the Watership Owsla over to the apparent trail of slugs, "Please, young Justin, for Firth's sake and for El-ahrairah's, just hold on!  We will come and help you!"

                Bigwig and Campion and Silver immediately glanced at the trail of gray parasites and their faces slightly molded into relief.  Pipkin noticed Kehaar, though injured, was strong enough to ravenously devour the slimy worms with incredible appetite.

                "Kehaar, stop!  Those slugs will help us find Justin!  Stop eating them!"  Kehaar, though glaring darkly at Pipkin, obeyed.  Hazel then spoke to his band of brothers.

                "Bigwig, I will need you, Holly, Campion, Buckthorn, Blackberry, and Dandelion as a rescue party for Justin.  The rest of you, stay here and help tend to the wounded and to El-ahrairah!  Help prepare the warren for a second attack and form as much of a defense as you can with Blackavar and Whitehorn!  When we come back from Elil-rah's warren, be prepared to fight!"  Unfortunately for Hazel, the others who were not mentioned as part of the search party were incredibly outraged and immediately raised a huge affronting protest.

                "Over my dead body!!" snapped Bluebell.

                "Hazel-rah, this isn't fair!!  You have no right!!!" yelled Silver, his fatigued facade now broken with anger and distress at Justin's capture.

                "Please, Hazel-rah!!  We have to come with you!  We must come with you!!  I want to help save Justin!" wailed Pipkin, crying.

                Bigwig fiercely admonished them, barking, "Listen, you louts!  There is to be no discussion about it!  Elil-rah's Owsla is extremely dangerous, and it would be simpler for us to have a smaller party to go rescue Justin before he is to be killed!  Not to mention that all of us have much more expertise at fighting and planning for battle and war than the rest of you!!  It is safer for Justin and for the rest of you this way!!  We shall go, the rest of you shall stay here, and that is the end of this argument!!"

                "Embleer Frith, Bigwig!" growled Hawkbit, and in an uncharacteristic display of courageous, justified anger, the rabbit, noticeable shorter than the Owsla captain, got in front of Bigwig and jabbed a paw into Bigwig's chest.  Bigwig, before he could retort, could have honestly said that he was slightly surprised to see a different look of strength, of determination, of valor, burning in Hawkbit's brown pupils.  Hawkbit continued, his memories of what he had been willing to endure, what he had been willing to fight for, what Justin had done for him, fueling his wrath.

                "Now, you listen, Bigwig.  Before, we would have been willing to back down, to obey you and Hazel-rah, to be willing to take the secondary roles of caring and rebuilding the warren, but not this time.  We will not abandon Justin and leave the hrair of you to go into the thick of danger.  So, damn it all, Thlayli, if you and Hazel-rah go, we all go.  If you try to argue with us, we'll still stand by our decision and for every moment we waste arguing, Justin will be in greater danger.  If you try to run, we will follow you.  And Frith and El-ahrairah forbid, if you try to beat us senseless, I'll gladly endure it, just to make sure I can do anything I can to the best of my abilities that Justin will be safe.  In case you have forgotten, Justin and El-ahrairah trusted all of us, not just you and Hazel-rah, to protect the cross-bearer, and you have also forgotten that we all care about Justin as well.  We're not helpless, we will fight Elil-rah, and we will not back down, not when Justin needs us the most.  So we are going with you.  ALL of us."

                Hawkbit, though saying this as calmly as he could, was lucid and articulate and powerful enough to break though Bigwig's stubbornness.  To everyone's surprise, the fur-capped rabbit was speechless, his face stony.  Speedwell then broke in the silence in full support of Hawkbit.

                "Hawkbit's right, Bigwig!  Don't you remember how all of us had conquered and overcame every single obstacle and soldier Elil-rah had sent to assassinate Justin?  We all did it...together!"

                Strawberry then chimed in fervently, "Justin blessed all of us with the power of the cross, with his powers of the cross-bearer!  We've all been touched by his presence, by his grace, by his kindness!  To not have all of us go and to leave the salvation of Justin to the few of you would be a selfish insult...for Justin, for us, and for El-ahrairah!"

                Buckthorn then supplicated quietly to Bigwig, "Thlayli, you know they are right.  Justin needs us, all of us.  We are one, and as such, we must fulfill this, together."

                "I never though I would live to see the day when Hawkbit would actually be able to win an argument against Bigwig," murmured Dandelion to Blackberry in shock, "Fur and paw, his argument even made sense to me!"

                "It is the end of the world as I know it," muttered Blackberry with distasteful humor.

                Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, all the animals standing on the field, could hear El-ahrairah's voice echo in a heavenly, comforting tone of voice all around them.

                Hazel-rah, rabbits and kindred warriors of Watership Down, all is not lost yet.  You still have a chance to save our only key to our survival.

                Campion, after being silent, then asked hesitantly, "But, my Lord, how are we to do it?  we cannot possibly achieve such a task!  It would take hrair seasons to even begin searching!"

                I will give you rabbits my final gift: the gift of swiftness.  With this, you, all hrair of you, will be able to go and track down where the young human is being held prisoner for what has taken you a full Inle to travel and run will now take you only a brief instant to accomplish.

                "Then let us go as well!" demanded Lousewort angrily, "Justin is our mate too!  Let us help!!"

                No, I cannot do as you ask, for only the rabbits of Watership Down share the heart of the cross-bearer, and as such, this is their destiny, their mission ,their fate, and no other is meant to go confront Woundwort and El-ahrairah.  I am truly sorry, but this is what must be.

                "But, but what if we're too late?!" cried Acorn tearfully, "What if Justin is already dead?!  Woundwort and Elil-rah will murder the boy before we can even think!!  El-ahrairah, please tell us we are not too late!!"

                No, Justin is NOT dead.  Elil-rah will not kill him, but has a fate for him far worse than death.  He will only kill the boy if his plan does not become fruitful.  But beware, all of you: the one who fails to understand will surely fail and it takes only a touch to realize the true heart of your powers and the powers of the cross-bearer.

                "El-ahrairah??" Bigwig asked, confused, yet the Prince of all Rabbits was unable to elaborate even further.

                Go, now.  Go rescue the cross-bearer and bring him back.  For...I cannot last...much longer.  Go, and my Frith bless you...al of you.  With that, all was silent.

                Hazel took one last parting look at Hyzenthlay's pleading eyes.

                "I will be careful, Hyzenthlay.  Trust me, for I will not return until Justin is back."  Hyzenthlay, with tears in her eyes, nodded wordlessly and just touched noses with Hazel for what she hoped would not be for a final time.

                And so, with El-ahrairah's last gift, the Owsla of Watership Down, vanished as suddenly as they came, running many, many times faster than any rabbit has ever dashed before, following the trail of worms left behind leading them directly to the warren of Elil-rah, where they would finally meet their destiny...or doom.

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Next: Face to Face with Woundwort

Yep, Justin meets You-Know-Who and Elil-rah!  I'll try to put this up after 3 weeks!

Oh, on a side note, the doe Blethlin and the Promised Friends are not my property!  Blethlin is a character created by WD author Pipkin3 and the Promised Friends was from the story written by WD author, wtw, also known as Bill Welch!  If anything, read "The Promised Friend"!  I will guarantee that you will not be disappointed with the story! ^_^  Oh yeah, and thanks to Loganberry for translating that quote for me in Lapine!  I know it wasn't easy for him, so I applaud his efforts!

Fiver: You just borrow from ANYONE, don't you, you duffer?

Quiet you!  Let's see YOU write a 300 page fic!

OK, if you have anything to say (praise and criticisms are welcome), review!  Press that little button on the left!  Otherwise, I'll send Bigwig after you! =)

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