Watership Down: The CrossBearer

by RogueFanKC

Justin is a scorned and outcast human teenager, but when he is chosen as the Crossbearer, he must fullfill the prophesy of saving Elahrairah with the help of the Watership rabbits in the land beyond life, a journey of courage and love between friends.

28. Elahrairah at Last!

/*

Author's note: Merry Christmas (or should I say Merry Frithmas! ^_^ )!  Happy Holidays and hark, the herald angels sing of the birth of Jesus!! =)  Anyway, here's my Christmas present to all who love this story and to all fans of Watership Down!  enjoy this chapter!

Oh, and on a side note: WHOOPIE!  I reached over the 100 review mark!!  It's an accomplishment!  I can't believe it!  CELEBRATE!  Bring out the flayrah and champagne!! =)

Hazel: (rolls eyes) He'll use any excuse to have a party.

Bigwig: We have a lunatic as an author! =/

Hawkbit: You just realized this?!  I swear, the chap's sadistic!  He loves to torture me in every chapter!!

*/

CHAPTER 27

                Silence.

                It was unbearable, hanging thick in the air of the tightly packed burrow, blanketing the area around them with such hush, it made the blood in their ears roar.  It was torturous, agonizing, horrendous, simply because it reminded them too much of death and worry.

                And that was the major theme running through the minds of the rabbits of Watership Down.

                That was all that could be made certain as the rabbits of Watership Down gathered around Justin in the warm, dry burrow, away from prying eyes.  Rabscuttle, Blackavar, and Groundsel all decided that it would be best if Justin was away from the presences of the other rabbits who lived at El-ahrairah's warren; the sight of a human could cause even more of a frenzy, if not increase the thick, tense fear that gloomed over everyone in what was now the ruined meadows of Fenlo.  There was no telling how the rabbits would react once they saw Justin and got a whiff of his scent.

                So, without much hesitation, the rabbits numbly placed Justin in one of the few runs of El-ahrairah's warren that was still intact, dry, and relatively untouched from the siege.  Speedwell, Acorn, Holly, and Strawberry managed to gather some dry moss as soft bedding for Justin, and throughout the day, the Watership rabbits watched over him, wordlessly and with fatigue and sorrow etched over every tuft of hair on their faces.  Justin was truly off in a bad way.  His broken arm was now mangled, obvious to anyone and apparently, the boy, if he ever recovered, would be crippled in that appendage for the rest of his life.  The teenager's clothes were ripped, caked with dust and blood, both his and Woundwort's, and provided little warmth for the ailing adolescent.  All throughout the boy's body were ghastly wounds, ripped, and bleeding through blackened crusts with watery blood and pus.  It was clear that Justin's wounds got infected from the long journey and the incident with Woundwort made it much, much worse.  The open hole in Justin's throat was very disturbing.  Though Justin could still breathe, it was ragged and his airway made faint whistling, whiny noises and the teenager tried to get enough air in his lungs while he was still comatose.  Though Justin was fortunate enough to not be seriously killed, the Watership Owsla couldn't say Justin present suffering was a better alternative.  Yet what was most alarming was that Justin was now severely ill.  During the long hours, Hazel and Fiver and Holly found, to their horrors, that Justin was shivering and losing body temperature drastically.  The loss of blood from the battle was too much, and Justin could not keep warm enough to survive.  Even unconscious, the cross-bearer was shuddering, almost in horrifying spasms.  Silver and Bigwig then decided to lie near Justin, their heavy bodies gently touching against their fallen friend, and slowly, their body heat did comfort the teenager, improving his situation.  Yet, Justin was still in critical condition.  Never before had the rabbits felt so helpless and useless.  Blackberry wearily then stated, to everyone's disappointment, that all they could do now...was wait.

                And so they waited.  Wordlessly, they gathered around Justin, not caring if they were tired and injured from the battle with General Woundwort and Elil-rah.  They all moped around the burrow, saying very little, and even Hawkbit and Bluebell did not have the energy or the hope to utter a remark.

                Though Rabscuttle and Blackavar and Stonecrop were not exactly enthusiastic about Woundwort being brought with the Watership Owsla (in fact, Blackavar and the other Efrafan does who escaped in order to join with Hazel and the others at Watership Down had to be restrained from pummeling Woundwort right then and there), after much argument and tears and rage and protests, Woundwort was placed in a separate burrow at the other end of the warren, as far from Justin as possible.  Blackavar himself requested, along with several of the Efrafan does that were liberated in the physical realm, Flyairth, Sneezewort, Lousewort, Snitter and Rowf guard over Woundwort's unconscious form, not even daring to take their eyes off him for a single moment.  The fact that he caused so much pain, frustration, torment, and was the right paw of evil of Elil-rah was enough to fuel their wraths for a long while.  However, Hazel, Holly, Campion and Bigwig all patiently explained to Rabscuttle, Groundsel, and the guards of what happened at the Skies of Hellfire and how Elil-rah was willing to sacrifice Woundwort to ensure killing the cross-bearer and how the human child took pity on him, even after the attempted murder.  Besides, it was plainly obvious that Woundwort was now abandoned by Elil-rah, cast aside as if he was some useless, lifeless pawn not even worth a second thought.  The General was no longer a threat to El-ahrairah.  However, that didn't appear to ease any of the homicidal tension that coursed through the fortification Owsla, and thus, Blackavar gave the order that the instant Woundwort tried anything false, they make him suffer...as slowly and painfully as possible.

                Bigwig and Holly did not object to that, and though Campion and Hazel still wished that could have been handled a bit more delicately, Justin's well being was still top priority.

                It had been over several hours now, and the rabbits still had not moved from their vigil over the human cross-bearer.  Sneezewort, Lousewort, and Snitter came by once or twice to visit and offer sincere condolences and emotion, but other than that, the Watership warriors were alone for most of the time.

                It was pretty unbearable, however.  Silver and Bigwig just snuggled against Justin's limp form, hoping that more heat would benefit the ailments, but their faces were pure misery that no amount of warmth could ever erase.  Blackberry and Buckthorn were stony, but both were extremely worried about the possibility of not being able to heal El-ahrairah if Justin died; with them failing after being so close to saving their Prince, that would certainly be horrendous.  Campion, Bluebell and Holly looked worn and fatigued, and despite the endless flowing vitality of the afterlife, their spirits were exhausted, cold, and hopeless, leaving them with the appearance of old war veterans whom have lost the will to live.  Pipkin, Fiver, Speedwell, Acorn, Hawkbit, Dandelion, and Strawberry just looked on with disconcerted worry and sorrowful eyes so deep, it could send pity and sadness into any rabbit that looked into their pained expressions.  Hazel, despite his apprehension and concern, managed to place his paw on Justin's head after so many hours of squatting and motionless waiting.  The adolescent's skin felt warm to the touch of Hazel's padded paw as Hazel, at a loss, brotherly ruffled Justin's hair affectionately.

                At the cool relief, Justin stirred, and instantly, the rabbits perked up, gasping and wide-eyed.  Weakly, Justin opened his eyes, groaning softly, "Where...where....huh?"

                Hazel brought his nose, touching Justin's and soothingly calming the confused teenager, "Hush, young one.  It is I, Hazel-rah, of Watership Down, cross-bearer."

                "Ha...zel?" Justin moaned hoarsely, "I...I can't see.  It's so dark."

                "We're in a burrow, back at El-ahrairah's warren, chap," Silver said softly, "How do you feel, young cross-bearer?"

                "I feel like I'm gonna vomit," confessed Justin, now feeling helplessly sick and in agony from every injury that was inflicted onto his body, and to top it all off, he was about as blind as a bat in the darkness of the run sheltering him.

                "Then he's all right!" cheered Bluebell, exuberant that Justin was, for now, still conscious and alive.

                "Bluebell, if I wasn't too weak to crawl someplace to die and if I could see you, I'd punch you for that remark," Justin quipped dryly, a bit irritated.

                "Not to worry Justin.  We'll do it!" Speedwell and Hawkbit's voices rang simultaneously out in the darkness.

                A second later, Bluebell yelped in the obscurity, "Yeowch!  That one actually hurt!"

                Hazel and Silver and Bigwig sniffed and licked Justin's face attentively, ignoring the whispered jabbers of conversation around them.  Justin was clammy, weak, but he was conscious, and now was the time he must fulfill his part of the mission to heal the Prince of a Thousand.  Lord Frith only knew how long Justin would remain alive and aware enough to summon his powers to heal their Prince.  Hazel asked Justin, "Can you walk, young one?"

                "I...I think...AUGH!" Justin screamed in pain.  What the teenager did not realize until too late was that when he tried to raise himself off his back, he unknowingly tried to support himself up with his broken arm, sending new waterfalls of pain and fresh trickles of blood to pour down his wrist and hand.  Whimpering, Justin held the searing bone close to his body, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes tightly.

                Holly came over and examined the injury.  After sniffing, he declared forlornly, "It is far too injured for any of us to try and mend, young one.  No amount of comfrey and horsetail can ever heal and soothe this injury.  I am truly sorry, Justin."

                Bigwig and Silver helped Justin onto Holly's back so that at least the boy would not have to exert so much strength traveling in closed, narrow, winding burrows.  Dizzy and his mind reeling, Justin still managed to keep his hold on Holly's back as the Watership fellowship filed out of the burrow and into the winding heart of the warren.  Justin could hear the whispered awe and suspicion echoing in the chambers as they passed by on looking rabbits that dared to remain close to observe the human key to El-ahrairah's survival.

                "Where...where are we going?" Justin asked hoarsely, his throat parched from hours of lacking water.

                "Justin, listen to me well for what I am about to say: we are going to the burrow of El-ahrairah himself.  With you awake and with Elil-rah hunting you down, it is of the utmost importance that you heal him with your powers immediately.  We cannot dawdle and linger any longer.  So that is where we are going: to bring you to meet with our Lord and Prince himself, El-ahrairah."

                Justin felt even more sick, and unconsciously, his good arm gently grasped the faintly glowing crystal cross around his neck.  This was it.  That was going to be his crowning moment to the rabbits.  So why did he feel so disgusted, unsure, and nervous?  Then he remembered the King of Tomorrow and how the stag gave him and Fiver an addendum to the prophecy, stating that the cross-bearer can bring peace or death to those who dare get close to him.  The stag's strong words of accusation echoed in Justin's mind:

                "Justin, this may be hard for you to accept, but...I too know of the legends of the cross-bearer and the battle of destiny you and Elil-rah are to fight in the ultimate battle of good versus evil.  You may have heard the prophecy and the story from your rabbit protectors, but, there is another incantation, another excerpt of the story that has been lost due to the eons and eons of obscurity before time began.  It said specifically, and I quote, 'Though meant for good, there are two sides of the one who bears the cross, just like night and day, air and land, spring and winter, and thus, peace and chaos.  At the time of revelation, the one who was to heal shall also be the one to die, where there is life, there will be death, for the cross brings grave danger of unspeakable horrors to the Prince of a Thousand Enemies'."

                Justin shivered in the darkness, relying only on his sense of the touch of Holly's coarse fur through his fingers tightly clutching the white and silver tunic of the elderly buck.  Oh God, what if it was true?  What if he was going to kill off El-ahrairah?  What if he really was meant to destroy this world and not save it?  Big surprise, the teen thought to himself wryly, I've always been an useless disappointment to others.  Being a dangerous threat isn't that far off the mark.

                His thoughts were interrupted as they suddenly came to the end of the tunnel, which was now flowing with golden sunlight.  Justin winced and shielded his eyes with his good hand as he and the Watership warriors stumbled past the breach and into the dazzling illumination.  Justin was confused at first, thinking that they were already out of the warren and back on the surface of the meadows of Fenlo.

                "Hey, I thought we were going to El-ahrairah!  Why are we back on the surface?" Justin gasped, still shutting his eyes against the vivid radiance.

                Strawberry lightly smiled to himself as he spoke gently, "Cross-bearer...we are in El-ahrairah's chambers.  El-ahrairah is directly in front of you."  Justin felt his heart stop with anxiety as his eyes welcomed in the golden light, overwhelming his corneas to practically a whole new level of transcendence.  When it all cleared, the teenager could finally see clearly in the luminous cavern.  The grotto was enormous, tall, roomy, and proverbially, fit for a king.  The walls were dry with hard-packed, dark dirt with glittering quartz embedded into the soil, giving the whole room an appearance of being sprinkled with golden dust as the quartz gleamed under the fair light.  Throughout the walls snaked the roots of the mighty tree that once housed and sheltered the very warren of El-ahrairah; apparently, the roots still lingered even after Lord Brock's aftermath of the siege.  The roots were strong, pliable, and supple with olive-green and brown bark with contrasted against the dirt of the ceiling and walls it supported, making intricate patterns in the loam.  Yet, the roots made the warren warm and snug, and surprisingly, many white shoots were protruding from the roots and had blossomed into pink, violet, and white flowers, giving the warren a very reassuring fragrance.  The ground of the chamber was lush with green, sweet-smelling peat and moss, carpeting the entire area like a thick rug.  Not too far off was a spring of cold water, bubbling softly and filling a small, shallow pool, perfect for drinking.  This entire room must be the very heart of the warren.  Justin then realized there were two other rabbits in the room with them, strangers.

                One of them was Rabscuttle, the second-in-command to El-ahrairah, the Prince of all Rabbits himself.  He was a tall, burly rabbit, muscular and well proportioned, with green eyes like Hawkbit but a russet, almost beige, pelt and with black ears and a black spot on his back.  Despite him being a rabbit, Justin could see almost something human within the animal's soul.  Rabscuttle gave the troops and cavalry a tired smile; he was frazzled from so many continuous hours of care and watch, and the worry, the sadness, the exhaustion, the horrors of the siege and the illness of his Prince, was starting to take a toll on him.  The buck was drained and appeared ready to fall off his paws.  Then Justin noticed next to the rabbit was a larger rabbit, lying on his side on a bed of ivy and dock leaves, twitching and flinching under a swirl of faint, yet treacherous, lethal dark mist and fog, feeding off the buck's body.

                Justin then saw, for the first time, in both the history of rabbit and man alike, the Prince of all Rabbits, El-ahrairah.

                Justin, despite his injuries, could not feel any pain the instant he laid eyes on the rabbit before him.  El-ahrairah was truly the leading figure and patriarch of every single rabbit that was ever born, bred, and died in the physical world.  There was no other way to put it.  He was...beautiful.  He was large, about as large as King Darzin, the lion king, himself, and every bit of the creature was stunning, regal, and breathtaking.  The buck of all ages had the perfect physique, strong, taut muscles and flexible, erect joints warmed by a nice, adequate layer of fur and fat; he was neither portly nor malnourished, but rather, he was robust, and one could easily tell that, even with the dark mist inflicting pain, he had the aspect of true vitality and bountiful strength.  It would not be so hard to believe that El-ahrairah was a fierce fighter, and that the Prince could even have plenty of vigor left in him after battling Woundwort and every single rabbit spirit in the land beyond life.  However, the instant Justin gazed into El-ahrairah's pained, troubled face, he could see that the Prince of all Rabbits was not "all brawn and no brain".  Wisdom, gentleness, shrewd cunning, and sincere empathy were just some of the many emotions ranging and drawn on the rabbit's face.  The fur of El-ahrairah was golden and with a quiet, yet splendid luster of soft sunlight, and there was not a gray tuft or a hair out of place on the pelt.  The cross-bearer then realized that it was the fur of El-ahrairah that was illuminating the entire chamber, like an endless sea of light bulbs.  The rabbit had a firm, square-like jaw, symbolizing just, fair, yet steady authority, and his ears were covered with sparkling, silver dust of the stars, exactly like it was described in the story "El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle".  The silver blessing of light made a shimmering, subtle halo around El-ahrairah's head, giving him a tranquil, peaceful, holy manifestation.  The Prince of all Rabbits also had clear blue eyes, like pools of the crystal waters of the purest streams, more so than Buckthorn's eyes.  El-ahrairah's eyes, on the other hand, were like endless pools of water, so deep they could seep into you and read your mind like a book, making you, your thoughts, and your soul transparent.  Powerful, he was, but Justin could also see true courage, love, and compassion in those blue orbs, softening his demeanor and making his eyes twinkle with humor and jest.

                Hazel then spoke softly, breaking Justin's thoughts, "El-ahrairah, my Lord and Prince, we have returned at last."

                El-ahrairah gave a sad, pained smile, too much in agony from the black mist to even respond.  Justin felt his heart go out to the Prince of all rabbits, and then he felt paws gently push him forward.

                "Go on, young one," Holly ordered kindly, "Now is the moment we all have been waiting for."

                Justin felt his mouth and throat go dry but he managed to stutter, "But...but I'm scared..."

                Pipkin was incredulous as he asked, "You're scared?!  Justin...but why should you be?!"

                "Justin, this is no time to hesitate!  Will you stop being so damned indecisive and just heal our Prince?!  We have gone too far and endured so much to not have you do what you were destined to do so ever since you came to the land beyond life!  Now quit dawdling and use your powers!" barked Bigwig impatiently, angry at Justin's lack of bravado.

                Fiver was silent until he remembered why Justin had reason to be afraid.

                "You are afraid of what the King of Tomorrow has foretold; you're fearful that it shall come to pass if you attempt to heal El-ahrairah."  Justin nodded weakly, eyes downward as the rabbits stared at both Fiver and Justin, unsure.

                Buckthorn, however, understood what his human friend was feeling.  "Justin, do not be ashamed.  You, young cross-bearer, are the first human to ever lay sight on the benevolent Prince of a Thousand, the ruler of rabbits and master of tricks and cunning ever since time began at Frith's blessings, and to think that no creature would ever be scared of meeting such a revered figure would either be foolish or just incredibly ignorant."

                "Besides," quipped Speedwell, hoping humor would help Justin forget the anxiety of potential dooms, "that stuffy, old king was obviously all fur and no brains to ever make such a preposterous notion!"

                "It takes one to know one," muttered Hawkbit under his breath, rolling his eyes.  Speedwell ignored the loudmouth.

                Bluebell then put in gently and reasonably, "Justin, think about it: Frith had chosen you and El-ahrairah had sent for you, and those two know more about the prophecy about the cross and the battle with Elil-rah than any other creature in the land beyond life.  They are not the types to send for a human who would destroy them and the world of animals.  Think about it, bucko: would they send for you if they knew you were to destroy them?  Would they entrust so much power to a boy if he was to use it against us?"  Justin was silent; the jester had a good point.

                Blackberry then stated, his voice slightly edgy, "Cross-bearer, you must not dawdle!  Every moment that passes by is a moment that may bring El-ahrairah closer to oblivion!"

                Rabscuttle, with pained yet loving eyes, then said a lengthy, incomprehensible bit of Lapine, but Justin, unable to understand, just looked at El-ahrairah's Owsla captain blankly.

                "Huh?"

                Dandelion then translated for Rabscuttle, "Rabscuttle says, 'Cross-bearer, heal him.  Heal El-ahrairah...please.  No matter what the risks, the largest and most regretful choice would be if you just stood there, afraid, allowing the Prince of a Thousand to die, rather than trying everything within your reach to help him.  Please, Justin...for us, for El-ahrairah, and for all rabbits...heal our Prince and do not be afraid.  We are with you no matter what happens.' "  Dandelion then softly told Rabscuttle in Lapine that the human could only understand them, the Watership rabbits, and no other because the cross-bearer only knew a few choice words in their language.  Rabscuttle nodded.

                Justin, with the many eyes boring onto his person, swallowed nervously before, with a faint, pounding heart, turned and walked slowly, cautiously to El-ahrairah.  Each step felt like a death sentence, each heartbeat felt like it would rip out of his chest, and the nervousness caught hold of his airway, threatening to choke him.  Justin just walked until he was only a foot or so away from the black mist surrounding El-ahrairah.  El-ahrairah was in so much pain, so tortured, so in need of respite and relief, but Justin was still fearful.

                Do not be scared, Justin, a voice echoed in his head, warm, righteous, and heartening, like the purest, uplifting emotions of kindness and encouragement.  Justin yelped and nearly hit the roof in fright, startling the rabbits that were observing.  Justin looked around him wildly, but then he noticed El-ahrairah was smiling with a twinkle in his eyes.

                "You...you...El-ahrairah?!  You're...you're telepathic??!!"

                No, I am empathic.  I can speak to a tortured soul, speak to the creature's heart, if they are in pain and suffering, and my empathy allows me to whisper reassurance and reach out to those who are in pain and doubt...as you are now, Justin.  Please, do not be afraid and do not doubt my word...or yours.

                El-ahrairah then winced as the mist invaded his nostrils, his senses, his lungs and bloodstream, sending new sensations of excruciating and agonizing flames to course through his very flesh.  The mist, now sensing Justin and his cross being near, was now howling like the fiercest storm as it, under Elil-rah's magic, launched a relentless, ruthless, unyielding assault on El-ahrairah.  The mist started to thicken, becoming darker, forcefully generating fierce winds to rage and blow like a miniature hurricane.  The light of the room was slowly, but surely fading, as now, El-ahrairah was being engulfed, almost consumed, by the shadows of the dark beast.  The intensity of the winds and darkness had brought Justin weakly to his knees, too fearful and mesmerized to move.

                "El-ahrairah!!!" bellowed the Watership rabbits in fear and shock.

                "What...what is happening?!" Strawberry squealed.

                "It must be Elil-rah!!" realized Campion, "The dark beast's magic senses that the cross-bearer is close, so it must be trying to finish off El-ahrairah before Justin has the chance to heal him!!"

                "Justin, please, do it now!!  HURRY!!" squealed Fiver.

                Justin, El-ahrairah's voice squealed inside his mind urgently, I...I cannot last much longer!

                Justin heard El-ahrairah and Fiver's words and knew it was now or never.  He had to act.  Casting what little sense and fear he had left in his soul, the cross-bearer reached out and touched the black mists with his hands, the shadows now engulfing him as well.  Instantly, Justin felt his skin reeling, blistering under the unseen, intense heat of evil, his fingertips felt like they were shedding, exposing up multiple cuts and bleeding, and the evil entity send pain of a thousand deaths coursing through his body, scorching his spinal cord and bones.  Justin whimpered, though he had to restrain every bit of his self-will from screaming.  Dear Lord, if this is what the mist felt for a minute, he hated to imagine what it had been like for El-ahrairah this past month.

                In the background, the teenager could hear the cries of the rabbits of Watership Down as they shouted at their cross-bearer over the dim of the roaring storm.

                "Justin, do not stop, chap!  For all that Frith has ever blessed, do not stop!!" Dandelion squealed.

                "Justin, don't be scared!!  Keep it up!!!  You're stronger than that embleer magic!!!" hollered Hawkbit.

                "Justin, we're with you!!  BE STRONG!!  We're with you no matter what!!!" Hazel roared.

                "Don't give up!!!" screamed Pipkin.

                "I...I...can't," whimpered Justin, now sobbing in pain, the agony and brutality of the ongoing torture and anguish was enough to make Justin give up, and the mists actually felt it.  Encouraged by the sense of the adolescent's fear and diminishing will, it continued the onslaught.  In the final moment of despair, Justin then heard El-ahrairah's voice echo in his head.

                Justin, pray with me.

                "What?" the human child managed to snivel out.

                Justin, pray with me.  Pray with your cross, with your heart, with your soul.  God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...

                Justin felt his memory invoke; the Prince of a Thousand was reciting, to his surprise, the Serenity Prayer.

                "The courage to change the things I can...and the wisdom to know the difference..." Justin whispered, flinching at the torment of the evil barrier.

                Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time...

                The mist was starting to howl even stronger, but so was the cross.  Slowly, but steadily and no fear, the cross around Justin's neck began to glow stronger and stronger, more and more life pouring into the jewel.

                "Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace, taking, as He did, this sinful world, as it is, not as I would have it..."

                To the rabbits' amazement and horror, the mist was actually disappearing into Justin.  On his knees, his eyes shut tight, his face wet with tears of woe, his gritted teeth hissing out the prayer, Justin still held his hands out to the black mist, and now, the teenager's hands were encased with golden light.  At the touch, wafts of smoke and steam sizzled into the chamber as the black mists, with no choice but surrender, were drawn in and sucked into the light covering Justin's hands.  Little by little, Rabscuttle and the Watership Owsla could see the figure of El-ahrairah again through the black haze.

                "Oh Frith and Inle, it's working!!  The chap is breaking Elil-rah's spell!!" gasped Hawkbit, his eyes shining with joy.

                Rabscuttle said in Lapine, sobbing with elated ecstasy, "Thank Frith and Inle!  Thank Frith and Inle!"

                "Justin..." murmured Buckthorn with thankful, appreciated devotion and caring.

                The mists were still struggling to leave their mark on the two victims as they struggled to escape their inevitable doom.  El-ahrairah and Justin, with one mind and heart, finished it...together.

                Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will...

                "That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next..."

                Justin could practically see, in his mind's eye, Elil-rah's eyes bugling with horror, surprise, and angry dread at the loss of his hostage, El-ahrairah.  But, without further ado, Justin and El-ahrairah ended the prayer simultaneously.

                "Amen."

                With a final scream, the darkness faded, and now the cavern was devoid of any black, evil, magic and sorcery.  But it wasn't done yet, to the complete surprise of everyone in the room.

                El-ahrairah now screamed in his normal voice, talking directly to Justin with a panicked urgency, his noble voice now magnified, "Cross-bearer, do not stop!  Touch me!  Heal me now!!"

                Justin, confused, asked weakly, "Wha-?"

                "Cross-bearer, touch me with your hands!  Hurry!!  Do it now before the evil returns!!!"

                Justin, with the last of his brave stamina, lunged and grabbed El-ahrairah's head roughly with both of his sweaty palms, one gripping each side of his face, and held fast.  Almost instantly, the cross flashed, stronger than any blaze the Watership rabbits have ever witnessed before on their travels with the cross-bearer.  With a giant, raw, powerful inferno, the cross illuminated the entire warren, indeed, the entire meadows of Fenlo, permeating every run, every burrow, and every field, grass, flower, and rabbit with the colors of yellow, gold, and orange, all mixed beautifully in a harmonious angel song.  However, El-ahrairah and Justin were anywhere but sheer bliss.  Instead of the normal warmth and gentle contentment Justin normally felt when he healed someone, this time, it was completely different.  His flesh and mind were screaming, searing and on fire, and though both El-ahrairah and Justin were bathed in the holy light, it was completely and utterly unbearable.  El-ahrairah was whimpering, his face now with beads of sweat, while Justin's body was nearly convulsing, foam and spit starting to dribble out of his mouth as a small stream of blood began to run from one of his nostrils.

                "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" they both screamed loudly enough for every rabbit and creature in the warren of Fenlo to hear, arching their backs and yelling till their voices nearly cracked.  The rabbits twittered in fear; something was clearly not right.

                "Frith and Inle, what is happening to them?!" demanded Acorn with wide-eyed fear, fighting the urge to stamp and run.

                "We have to help them!" Pipkin squealed, "They could be dying!!"

                "But how is that even possible?!" Blackberry yelled over the dim, "The cross should be healing them, not hurting them!"

                "It does not matter now!!  Silver, Buckthorn, Campion, help me pry the both of them apart!!" Bigwig bellowed as he moved forward.  The others followed suit.

                Fiver then said in an ethereal voice, forceful and commanding as the bravest, strictest captain of a militia, "NO!  DO NOT ATTEMPT IT THLAYLI!!  THEY ARE NOT DYING BUT COMING BACK TO LIFE!!!"

                Every rabbit then faced Fiver.  The small seer's eyes were glazed, glassy, and his fur was trembling.  It was Fiver's second sight again as the buck said even more softly his last premonition needed for the fellowship, "Every life needs death, every death brings life...to heal back to health will always bring pain, anything coming back to life shall hurt...but there will be harsh trials for the Prince of a Thousand...for one cannot accept what has not been given, one cannot live where one is not welcome...acceptance is a hard aspect of life...so be wary, rabbits of El-ahrairah...for this is a battle fought not by paw but by heart...for no rabbit nor man can kill Elil-rah...but the riddle....the riddle is the key...the riddle is the key."

                "Fiver?!" gasped Hazel, stunned and taken back, but the seer shuddered before shaking his head softly to clear his cobwebs in his brain, before turning back, puzzled, to realize that all the Watership Owsla, including Rabscuttle, were staring at him curiously.

                Meanwhile, Justin wasn't so sure he could hold on any longer to El-ahrairah without crumpling to the ground, but thankfully, the pain began to subside and the light of the cross began to fade to a simple glow.  The illumination decreased until the warren and the chamber was back to normal.  El-ahrairah was gasping, heaving actually, his voice rasping out as the buck's eyes started to flutter, losing strength and vigor.  El-ahrairah managed to shoot Justin a grateful smile full of benevolence as he whispered to the cross-bearer, "Thank...thank you...cross-bearer."

                Gasping, Justin was able to let go and fell to his knees once again, gripping his elbows so hard, his knuckles became white, as his ragged breathing came out in a mixture of sobs and gasps.

                "Oh God, it hurts," the adolescent managed to moan quietly.

                "Everything comes at a price, and I thank you for paying that price, young one," El-ahrairah managed to heave as the observers and audience in the background came galloping at full speed to meet them, "And...your...your heart..."

                Justin was confused.  "Yeah?  What're you saying?"

                "You...still...have...it...inside you..."  With that, El-ahrairah passed out and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

                "EL-AHRAIRAH!!!" all the rabbits bawled with concern as they gathered around him, their fallen Prince.  Justin, despite his pain, noticed, with some hurt, that not one of the Watership rabbits was focused on him as well.  Yet then again, it was pretty selfish of him to expect that the rabbits would care more about a human than their Prince of a Thousand.  A pair of paws then tenderly helped Justin back to his feet, and turning, Justin realized it was Rabscuttle, and though he couldn't understand him, the look of eternal gratefulness on the buck's face was explanatory enough.  Meanwhile, Holly, Fiver and Blackberry were sniffing and examining El-ahrairah before turning back to the breathless, waiting group.

                "He'll be all right," Blackberry stated, almost with a sigh, "The cross-bearer healed him.  I cannot sense Elil-rah's magic in the warren anymore.  The chap has done his work; he's healed El-ahrairah."

                "Thank the stars," murmured Speedwell.

                "But then why is our Prince still asleep?" queried Hawkbit.

                "It was Elil-rah's magic," Fiver explained wearily, "The black mists of infliction and pain have hindered El-ahrairah's body for so long, it made our Prince weak.  With Justin being able to abolish the evil entity, El-ahrairah can recover and rest before he can regain his full health.  Our Prince will awaken...but it will take some time.  Right now, all he needs is rest."

                "But time is not something we cannot afford to have, Fiver!" protested Silver, "Elil-rah will be approaching our warren in pursuit, and if I recall the prophecy clearly enough, both El-ahrairah and Justin will be needed at the battle!"

                "Then I think the best thing we can do at this point in time is to let both El-ahrairah and Justin rest.  The whole thing has taken a lot out of him, the poor chap," Holly commented, throwing a concerned look at the adolescent's direction.

                Hazel came up to Justin and gently ruffled the boy's hair, saying compassionately, "Justin, young cross-bearer, before you go anywhere, know this: you have healed our Prince and Savior, and as such, we are forever grateful for your help and patience and aid in this quest.  This is a debt we cannot possibly repay back, but...we will never forget what you have done on this day.  Your part is not over yet, for you still need to defeat Elil-rah, and I know it's too much to take in right now, so just rest now young one, all right?  We can discuss this matter later."  Justin wearily nodded, his mind too blurry and fuzzy to take anything of what Hazel said seriously close to his heart.

                Hazel then turned to Blackberry, "Blackberry, can you watch over the cross-bearer and bring him up to the meadows?  The boy could use some fresh air and rest."  Blackberry's face fell in disappointment, but he agreed effortlessly enough.  Justin, however, shook his head.

                "No, Hazel, I need to do something else first."

                The rabbits just gaped at the boy in confused questioning.

                                                                                ***

                "I can't believe the chap is doing this!" muttered Holly in disbelief.

                Campion exhaled therapeutically through his nostrils, trying to erase the tension headache pounding in his head, "It was to be expected, Holly.  Justin risked his life and safety to save his, and even though he was an enemy, Elil-rah abandoned him so he has nowhere else to go."

                Blackavar growled, "He would have deserved it, the bloody, treacherous wretch!  If I did not have such a damned inclination to listen to you, Holly, I would have tossed the rotter out in the cold and away from Fenlo without even a second thought!"

                Sneezewort the weasel placed a metal paw on Blackavar's shoulder, saying calmly, "Easy, mate.  There's no sense in making things worse for yourself or for Woundwort.  You cannot change what travesties has happened to ya' in the past."

                "What do you know?!" snapped Blackavar as he heartlessly turned his shoulder away from the weasel's paw.  Sneezewort looked hurt.

                Justin was now in the burrow with Buckthorn, Campion, Bigwig, Holly, Hazel and Fiver gathered around him.  Directly in front of them was a conscious, yet horrifically injured Woundwort, still bleeding with ghastly wounds and burns, showing patches of charred, blackened flesh and oozing blisters.  The Efrafan General was so beaten and damaged, he could not even stand, and with Buckthorn successfully blinding his at the Skies of Hellfire, the General could no longer see and was now trapped in the personal, small hell of everlasting darkness.  Justin was certainly apprehensive of seeing Woundwort again, especially since the rabbit had nearly succeeded in killing him, (and at this reminder, the adolescent kept fingering and feeling the horrible neck wound that Woundwort has drilled into his windpipe, nearly killing him) but he knew, though he wasn't sure of the reasons why, it would be far better is Woundwort did not suffer, even he deserved it.  Justin stepped closer, being only a few feet from the rabbit when Woundwort sneered at him, looking directly at his person.

                "Come back to gloat, embleer cross-bearer, or have you arrived to finish me off and watch me suffer, you despicable coward?!"

                Justin looked a little taken aback that the buck could guess it was him, but it wasn't that hard.  Justin's human scent was powerful enough for a rabbit to smell and detect a good distance off.  Woundwort rumbled as he angrily scuffed his claws into the dirt floor.

                "This isn't over, you stupid, pitiful excuse of a boy!!  I'm not helpless, you know!!  Come any closer and I will kill you, and my dark Lord will reward me for my efforts!!  You will never win against Elil-rah!!"

                "Just you try it!" growled Bigwig.

                Fiver then spoke softly, "Woundwort, if Elil-rah is to reward you, then why was he willing to destroy you?  Do you not remember, Woundwort?  Elil-rah attacked you for your failure, and as such, you are no longer in his services.  He has abandoned you, just like how he has abandoned the other minions of his dark Owsla, because he never gave a damn about them as long as he remains untouched and unscathed."

                Woundwort stopped, remembering.  The look of dismayed loneliness and self-willing punishment on his face was familiar to Justin.  He'd seen it on his own face, on the face of most of the Watership rabbits, whenever they remembered their pain, their unfair torments, the memories of fates taking advantage of them, robbing them of what little good graces they had.  Justin then realized that Woundwort had nothing, no family, no friends, nothing else left to live for.  He would never be welcomed back to Elil-rah or to El-ahrairah's warren; he was truly stuck with nowhere to go.

                Woundwort was now trembling, no longer looking like a rabbit demon to be feared and ruled over by, but a helpless, vulnerable kitten, alone and cold.  Blackavar scoffed, clearly enjoying the sight.

                "How pathetic," the mutilated rabbit drawled, "This is the right paw of Elil-rah?  This is the rabbit who had caused so much despair, misery, and death in both the physical world and in our world?"

                "That's enough, Blackavar," said Hazel gently, "Woundwort has gone through enough."

                "That is easy for you to say, Hazel!" snapped Blackavar, his eyes flashing red, "What gives you the right to defend him?!  After everything I have suffered?!  After everything the Efrafan does and Hyzenthlay have endured in Efrafa?!  We have endured enough pain and scars to make kitten scream and give them nightmares for hrair days!!  All because of him!!  He thinks we should take pity because he's going through what he has cold-bloodedly done to us?!  I will never forgive him for that!  I will never forgive him for what he has done to us!!  He deserves every bit of it, and you're a fool, Hazel, if you think I should be expected to show him mercy!!"  Blackavar was shaking in rage after the confession, and Thethuthinnang and Vilthuril placed paws on their friend to ease his troubled mind.  They too, could understand what he felt, but they were gracious enough to control their emotions from spewing out.  Woundwort was silent at Blackavar's remarks, as if, for once, he finally realized what he had done in his past, of how it was not as noble and protective as he once believed to be.

                Justin then said to Woundwort softly, "Woundwort...I know you don't trust me, and if you want, I will leave you alone.  But...I don't want to see you like this.  I don't want you to suffer."

                "Then kill me," Woundwort snarled.

                Justin shook his head.  "I can't do that.  I...I won't do it."

                "Than I will make you!!!" roared Woundwort as he lunged for him, but Bigwig, Buckthorn, Silver and Campion were quicker.  In an instant, they had pinned him down, shifting all their weight to prevent Woundwort from rising, though it took great effort.  Woundwort was not an easy foe to subdue, and the act of pinning him down made his wounds ache even more, which led to him screaming curses and howling as he writhed and struggled furiously.

                "Get off of me!!  Damn you!!!  I'll kill you!!!  I'll kill all of you!!!  You robbed me of my life, my dignity, my chance of peace, and now I have nothing left!!!  This is all your fault, cross-bearer!!!  Kill me, or so help you, I will never rest until you die by my claws!!!  You owe me death!!!  It's the only thing I have left for a merciful end!!!  I cannot find respite anywhere...all because of your and your damned cross!!!  You embleer, damned, rotten human!!!"

                "Silence," whispered Justin, and with a gleam of orange, the cross bathed Woundwort, rendering his voice immobile.  Now, the Efrafan General was mute, his voice frozen by the child's command, and at the unexpected surprise, the General ceased to fight temporarily, but rather, the large buck went limp, as if he was giving up and surrendering, and Campion could notice the tears of hurt leaking out of Woundwort's bleeding eyes.

                Justin said sincerely but strongly, "Woundwort...I can't kill you because I can't kill anyone.  I don't want to.  You want to know why I wanted to save you?  Did you want to know why we brought you back here, to El-ahrairah's warren?  It's because I know how you feel.  I know what it's like to be alone, to think that no one cares for you.  I've felt that, Hazel has felt that, and so have every other rabbit that has come to the land beyond life.  But...I don't think that just because you've made some mistakes means that you can't be forgiven and given a second chance.  I'm sure that El-ahrairah would approve of that, even if you don't want it.  But...I can't heal you unless if you really want to be healed.  If you still don't trust me and refuse, I will understand, but I'm telling you one thing now that you need to listen.  You think that there's nothing left?  You think you can't start over, that you can't start a new life?  You think you can't stand the shame, the guilt, the thought of everyone scorning and scoffing at your because of your past?  Well then...get over it and move on."

                Woundwort, indeed everyone, was startled by the coldness of Justin's remark.  Justin continued.

                "If you think I'm ready to trust you, after the hell you've put me through, you're wrong.  I'm not naive and I'm not stupid, but I still want to do this because you're no different from the Watership rabbits, from the Efrafan refugees, from Sneezewort, Lousewort, Snitter, Rowf and Shardik.  Because you're exactly like us, whether you realize it or not.  You're not the only one who's been hurt and betrayed before, but feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to get you anywhere.  You think you don't deserve mercy?  Well, that's why mercy was made: for those who don't deserve it.  You think you're evil and not perfect?  Well, so is everyone else; nobody's completely holy and perfect.  Even El-ahrairah was vain and conceited before Frith gave his blessings to the animals.  Regardless how small or how different they are, mistakes are mistakes, and every creature has been misguided and made them without a thought to how it could hurt others.  You're not a special case."

                Woundwort was silent, brooding.

                Justin sighed.  That was tougher for him to speak out than he thought.

                "So...do you want me to heal you?"

                After a long silence...Woundwort ever so slightly...nodded his head.

                Justin clasped the cross with both hands, and with a small voice, he whispered, "Heal him, please.  If anyone needs it, he does."

                With a bright flash, it was all over.  Woundwort, to the spectators' amazements, was now whole again.  There were no traces of blood and gore left on his fur, but instead, now his flesh and body were renewed, nursed back to health.  As an additional surprise, Woundwort realized his dead eye, the one he lost as a young rabbit, was now fully functional, now no longer unresponsive but a healthy white with dark-brown pupil.  His right eye was still as red as Elil-rah's bloody vision, but it no longer had that foreboding sense and eminence of power radiating from it.  Now, though he still seemed foreboding and threatening, he appeared to be no more than a fierce rabbit and nothing less or more evil.  That was the thing about the cross: it could not change one's past or completely conjure a whole, new identity, but...it could offer solace and ease guilt and sorrow.  Woundwort, finding he now had his voice back again, snarled with building menace, "Get off of me, you cretins!!!"

                "Gladly!" snarled Bigwig as he and the others let go hurriedly, as if they were holding on a piece of filth they could stand handling no longer for another moment.  Woundwort shook them off and brushed his fur, muttering darkly as he gave every rabbit observing them the evil eye.  Then, Woundwort turned to Justin and rumbled, though Hazel and Fiver were quick to notice he had a sullen, unenthusiastic look when he spoke, "I still blame you for everything that has happened to me.  I do not regret wounding you and giving you and your friends grief and suffering during your journey.  I still hate humans and desire some aspects of power and authority in my old life under Elil-rah, you know."

                "I know," Justin replied.

                Woundwort then had a sneaky smile on his face as he leered, "And what is to stop me from taking over El-ahrairah's warren and claiming his power as my own?  What is to stop me from being the next Prince of all Rabbits?  What makes you think I'm no longer loyal to Elil-rah?"

                Fiver answered gravely, "Because you know, deep inside, what you didn't need was power and supremacy, but a family and a fellowship you could trust.  You had all the power you wished for under Elil-rah's rule, but it never made you happy.  I can sense it even right now, in your heart, Woundwort.  You never felt satisfied, at peace, always restless with anxiety, worry, and self-doubting torture.  Even if you did become the next El-ahrairah, you would still be just as miserable as before, as you always were.  Now, you realize that you have an opportunity to fix things, to start anew, like a seed ready to burst into a baby plant, without a chance of your past and misgivings coming to haunt you.  And you would never risk that chance again...not after what you have seen of Justin and Elil-rah."

                Woundwort was quiet, staring with a troubled look before he broke his gaze and turned his back, facing the opposite wall.  Justin and the Watership rabbits left, leaving the rest of the rabbits to wonder what had just taken place.

                Flyairth leaned over and whispered to Hyzenthlay, "Did you understand any of that?"

                Hyzenthlay replied, shaking her head, "No, I daresay I did not.  But whatever they had discussed seemed to have finally gotten through to Woundwort.  I think Woundwort has found something he has never known he needed so desperately."

                "And what would that be?"

                "Redemption."

                                                                                ***

                Justin was now outside the warren and sitting dejectedly on the grass and clover that somehow remained intact after the siege.  After the healing of El-ahrairah and Woundwort, Hazel and the others decided it was best if Justin had some fresh air.  It was now almost ni-Frith and the sun was out high in the clouds, warming the fields slowly, though the cool spring air was enough to give Justin a nice needed spell of relief.  Blackberry, assigned to watch over him, was at silflay not too far off.  Justin gingerly squeezed his broken arm, wincing at the bullets of pain that shot through.  Even though he still had feeling in his appendage, it was starting to have a numb, tingling sensation, meaning that it was slowly dying, cell by cell, bit by bit.  He wasn't so sure if even he and the rest of the Watership rabbits could doctor it and nurse it back to full health.  He shuddered, remembering that many animals in the wilderness have simply dealt with similar problems by gnawing off their own legs or paws and living off the rest of their lives that way.  He wasn't so sure if amputation was what he wanted at this point.  He just hoped his injuries could be ignored long enough until after the battle with Elil-rah was finished...though such a thought did bring a shudder to the child.  As Justin sat on the knoll, staring off into space and contemplating, several of the other rabbits noticed him, and unluckily enough, it included the Threarah, Flyairth, and other rabbits that feared humans to the point of maddening, obsessive vengeance.  Trouble was now starting to rear its ugly, suspicious head.

                The Threarah just narrowed his eyes at Justin, full of mistrust and bitter scorn.  "Look at that human!  Squatting there like he was our new Prince and Lord of all!  It makes my blood boil to see him in our sanctuary, our hallowed warren!  He should be banished from this place!"

                Toadflax just kept glancing at the teenager, his voice cool, "The boy probably means no harm.  I have seen him interact with the Owsla of Watership Down and the fellowship sent to guard the boy.  He appears to be easy-going enough and stays out of trouble's way, respectful and polite as well.  I have even witnessed him giving some friendly smiles to any rabbit that passed by.  However, I see no need for him to stay here."

                "Why should we let him stay?!  Why not kick the embleer human out?!" growled the Threarah, "We do not need that cursed human any longer!  He has done his part!  I have heard from Rabscuttle that El-ahrairah is still weak, but he will soon make a full recovery!  The damned boy has already healed him!  Why should he stay?!  Drive the useless outskirter out!"

                "We should also not let our guards down with the matters that concern the child," Toadflax stated, "Think about it chaps.  With so much power and ability, what is to ever prevent the human from turning against us and becoming the next Elil-rah?  Then we would be truly done for!  After all, who can defeat the being that defeats Elil-rah?  And it is certainly a scary thought for men have always hated us and never cared about our well-being.  Do you remember our stories about Sandleford?  The men killed us simply because we were in their way, and they never shed the slightest sign of regret and remorse!"

                "That is true," accused the Threarah, "It would not surprise me if the cross-bearer became traitorous!  Look at the company he keeps!  The dogs of Prince Rainbow, two weasels that defected, and even Woundwort himself!  The boy is mad to bring elil and enemies to our home!  And that useless nephew and those friends of his are too blind to see it!"

                "I know what you mean," Flyairth sighed sadly, "Blackberry and Bigwig used to be such admirable Owsla rabbits before this whole nonsense.  Yet now, after the journey, they...they have changed, and not in beneficial ways either!  It was revolting to watch them fawn and worry over the cross-bearer's health like that!  Blackberry used to be such a level-headed rabbit, but after the cross-bearer used his powers on him, he is almost like a mindless servant!  The Blackberry I remember would never have such emotion over a human!  He would have agreed with my sentiments: if this cross-bearer dies, we could have always waited for another one to be sent by Frith.  It should have been of no interest to us!  We are not part of the child's affairs!"

                "The cross-bearer is more of a threat to us than he is of help," commented Scabious, another rabbit who perished in the destruction of the Sandleford warren.

                "I agree with you," Coltsfoot confessed angrily, the memories of what he endured in the field near Nutley Copse where he witnessed the horror of the rabbit ghosts now sparking the dead fires of fear and anger, "Why should we have to risk our own safety and home for such a creature?  Even if he is the cross-bearer, he is no longer any concern of ours as of now.  Elil-rah will surely come for the boy, make no mistake about that.  With the boy in our quarters, he will bring Elil-rah's wrath upon all of us!  Yet without the cross-bearer here, Elil-rah will surely ignore our home and our Prince!  Without the boy in our presences, there will obviously be no reason for the enemies to attack us!"

                "Perhaps if we surrender the human to Elil-rah, we will be shown mercy," suggested Peerton, a rabbit who once lived at Watership Down and was one of the prime antagonists against Stonecrop when he arrived at the warren.  He was flanked by his two friends, Woodruff and Butterbur.

                "Either way, it is clear the cross-bearer cannot stay here!" growled Sandwort, a natural troublemaker, "I have spoken to hrair rabbits here after the siege.  They all blame Justin for the downfalls and tragedies that have blighted our home and the fields of Fenlo!  If it were not for this damned cross-bearer nuisance, Elil-rah would have never attacked us in the first place!"

                "Then why are we still standing here?!" barked the Threarah, "Let us banish the cross-bearer right now!"

                Toadflax warned with preemptive common sense, "Hazel-rah and the other Watership rabbits will not stand for it, you know.  They will not tolerate any force we use on the child, and you realize how close they are with the human."

                Sandwort scoffed, "They are surely deluded with those embleer powers the cross-bearer and El-ahrairah have cursed them with.  Once we have done our job, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle will surely thank us!  They place too much trust on the human anyway!  Besides, it is not as if we are going to kill him!"

                Scabious rumbled, his eyes flashing, "Do not be so hasty to say such things!  I can honestly tell you I am quite eager to exact retribution for the crimes committed against myself and my home!  I have never killed a human before, but to be quite honest, I would certainly not wish to pass this opportunity!"

                Toadflax was still troubled and unsure.  Complaining about the matters was one thing, but acting on them...it was beginning to alarm the buck.  He tried again, commenting, "It would hardly be a fair fight, Scabious!  Look at the child!  He is hurt, he will probably not use his powers on us, and he cannot understand our language so he will not be able to understand what or why we are trying to hassle him!"

                "I've had enough!" growled Coltsfoot, getting into Toadflax's face, "Listen, we are at war, Toadflax, and if the cross-bearer should be a casualty, then so be it!  It is of no concern with us!  Now, are you with us or against us?!"

                Closing his eyes and sighing, the cringing Toadflax nodded his approval.  He certainly did not wish to be left out and shunned.  With that, the mob moved in for the kill.

                Justin just idly watched Blackberry in the distance at silflay when he heard the commotion behind him.  He turned to see, to his bewilderment and confusion, the group of rabbits hopping towards him with serious looks on their faces.  Some were even angry and twitching with distaste and insult.  Justin stood as they advanced towards him.  Justin felt worried a bit; these rabbits were large, some taller than he was.

                "Uh...Blackberry?" Justin called, a little hesitant.

                Blackberry's head shot up, but Flyairth growled at him, "Blackberry, you knew this was coming.  Do not pretend you agree with Hazel-rah and those deluded Watership Owsla!  I know as well as you do that we both think that the boy cannot stay here!"

                "Drive him out!" squealed Woodruff.

                Blackberry looked torn, but then he said softly, "Flyairth, he won't be hurt, will he?"

                "No, but all the rabbits at the warren do not feel safe with the human child here!  Do not get in our way, my friend.  Please, Blackberry, you don't want to throw away everything you have ever worked for, for this human.  He is not worth it."

                Blackberry, his mouth dry and ears flushed, nodded.

                "Blackberry, what do they want?" Justin asked nervously.

                Blackberry remained silent.

                "Blackberry??"  Justin's voice got more urgent and impatient.

                Blackberry still did not answer.

                "Stop depending on other rabbits to fight your battles for you, you despicable, pathetic, sniveling human!" growled the Threarah in Justin's face, "Go fight your own battles and leave us decent rabbits in peace!!"  Unfortunately, the Threarah said it in Lapine, and this language was unintelligible gibberish to the teenage cross-bearer who heard it basically as a variegated jumble of squeaks, squeals, and growls.

                "Uh...I'm sorry but I can't understand you," Justin weakly said.

                "Are you daft or just tharn, you stupid little boy?!" yelled Scabious, "Get out of here!  We don't want you around, endangering our kittens and bringing danger to our warren and Prince!!"

                "We hate humans!" snarled Butterbur.

                "You're not wanted here!" snapped Coltsfoot.

                "Leave now!!" shouted Sandwort.

                Justin still had no idea what the rabbits were saying, and for all he knew, the rabbits probably were angry because he was sitting where they wanted to silflay or because he left his human scent in the warren.

                He pleaded, "Look, I don't want any trouble!  Please, I'll go if you want me too!  I'm not trying to fight you!"  With that, Justin sidestepped and started walking back...but towards the warren.  This act infuriated the others; they wanted the adolescent to leave the meadows of Fenlo.

                "You dumb, impudent -!!" snapped the Threarah, and before Toadflax could stop him, the Threarah cuffed Justin in the chest, causing the cross-bearer to stumble backwards.  Justin, though winded, luckily landed on his good arm and not his broken one.  He tried to back away, but then Coltsfoot stomped on his ankle, putting all of his weight onto it.  Justin screamed in pain, and he tired to pry it out, but Coltsfoot was too heavy.  With the burly buck on Justin's foot, he couldn't escape nor even rise up on his own feet.

                "Blackberry, please help me!  I don't know what I did to make them mad!!  I didn't mean to do anything!!  Blackberry, please!!" Justin whined.  Blackberry just stared at Justin, bothered and distressed...before he turned his back on the cross-bearer and continued to silflay.  The act of betrayal and the metaphorical cold-shoulder shattered Justin.  Peerton, wishing for a little fun, then leapt close to Justin's face, pinning him down with his front paws.  Justin could only quiver as Peerton smirked at him, "If you cannot understand us, cross-bearer, then I daresay a jolly good beating should give you the message!"

                "I'll help," rumbled Scabious.

                "And so shall I," joined in the Threarah and Sandwort.

                But before Justin could subject to their paws, a voice speaking English rang out.

                "Leave him alone!!!" roared a voice, and before Peerton realized it, he found himself forcefully shoved (more likely rammed back) and sent tumbling by a good yard or two.  He, Toadflax, the Threarah, and the rest of the crowd fell back, a stunned silence blanketing the field, as Silver, Bigwig, Campion, Buckthorn, Dandelion, Bluebell, Pipkin, and Strawberry gathered around Justin, silently announcing that they would be protecting the cross-bearer.  It was Silver who shoved Peerton off the adolescent.  Bluebell and Pipkin rushed over.

                "Justin, are you all right?" Pipkin asked.

                "Did he hurt you?" Bluebell asked darkly, his face contorted.

                "I'm all right," Justin said breathlessly, but the other Watership rabbits were not very convinced.

                "What in Frith's name were you doing?!" Bigwig roared at the crowd, who were still very defiant.

                "We're doing what you tharn idiots should have done as soon as our Prince was healed!!" snapped Woodruff violently, "The child is a threat to all of us, and we have had enough with all this foolishness with Elil-rah!!  If Elil-rah wants the boy so badly, he can have him!!  Sacrifice the boy to save ourselves!!"

                "We have a right!!  After all the cruelties the race of men have done to us, we have a right to seek retribution from Justin!!" roared Coltsfoot.

                Bluebell snarled sarcastically, "What a lovely way of showing gratitude!!  You should be ashamed!!  After what Justin has done to help protect the warren and heal El-ahrairah, you would be willing to turn your backs on him?!!  You're just as bad as a human!!"

                "I can hardly say any rabbit in the warren wishes the child to remain here!!  He's a threat, a menace!!  With so much power, the cross-bearer will destroy us all!!  He must either go or die by our paws!!" snarled Peerton, temporarily insane with outrage.

                "Ignore them!" growled Silver, and the large rabbit turned back, concerned, to the fallen teenager.  "Come Justin, I'll take you back to the burrow, away from them."

                "You dare side with the boy?!  Then you are more of a fool than I thought!  Just like you were when you left the Owsla back at Sandleford!" sneered the Threarah gratingly at Silver.  Silver just narrowed his eyes and Justin could feel Silver's paw clench tightly on Justin's injured soldier.  His uncle had hit a sore spot, and Silver knew the Threarah knew it.

                "You truly disgrace all of us decent rabbits if you prefer to defend the boy over your own flesh and blood!" the aged Chief rabbit of Sandleford continued.

                "From what I see," growled Strawberry, "you have never given your nephew a good reason to view you as his family, especially since how you have treated him like a bumbling disgrace in the past and never gave him the slightest bit of kindness!  You are bitter because he escaped death and became a hero while you were deemed as an old fool who doomed his entire warren because he believed his own naiveté over the truth!"

                "You keep out of this, you fat, ignorant furball!!  This is between me and my foolish nephew!!"

                 "If you have an argument with Silver or with Justin, then you have an argument with the rest of us!" snapped Dandelion, "Justin is one of us, whether you agree with us or not!!  After how he had shown us friendship and good will, he displayed that not all men are evil!!  We have seen that!  Justin is a good soul, a true friend, and none of us have found any reason to turn our backs on him or deem him dangerous!!"

                "Oh really?" sneered Flyairth, "Then try explaining why Blackberry failed to come to your precious Justin's defense?  He has traveled with the cross-bearer as well, but apparently he still agrees that everything from man is a threat to El-ahrairah and his legacy!  He let us come attack the cross-bearer! Ha!!   So much for your human's 'valuable' friendship and kindness!  Such lies cannot fool a reasonable, clever rabbit as Blackberry himself!"

                The Watership Owsla turned furiously to an ashamed Blackberry in the distance.

                "Is this true, Blackberry?" Campion asked grimly, glaring at the buck with black-tipped ears.  Blackberry just cast his eyes away from his comrades, speaking in volumes.  Silver turned his attention back to the Threarah, trembling with fury.

                "I will make this clear to you, Uncle," he spat, grimacing on the word "uncle" as if there was nothing more revolting to him, "Justin is not to leave, he is welcome in our home, and if you ever lay a paw on him again, I will hurt you!"

                "I am not alone, you fool!" the Threarah hinted maliciously, "Do you wish to be banished from the warren as well?!  There are many here who share the sentiment that the boy is more trouble than he is worth!  You wish to throw away your well-being, your status, your esteem, all for that stupid boy?!!"

                "The last time I checked with Rabscuttle, that was not your decision to make, Threar!  And it never will be!" snapped Pipkin angrily.

                "His name is Threarah, you impudent little beetle!" snarled Scabious behind clenched teeth.

                "From the way he is acting towards Justin, he is of no Chief to me!" retorted Pipkin stoutly, "Hazel-rah and El-ahrairah are my Chief Rabbit and Lord, not him!  A true Chief rabbit would view matters fairly and with fair compassion, not with bitterness and silly beliefs just because Threar blames humans for the stupid mistakes he made back in the physical world!"

                "You troublesome, talkative -!" Sandwort roared, but before he could advance, there was a flash of light and the buck suddenly found Buckthorn's sword pricking against his head and Buckthorn showed no sign of hesitation or timidity as he held the weapon.  Buckthorn's face was cold stone.  Justin was shocked, and he turned to Buckthorn, pleading.

                "Buckthorn, what are doing?!  Don't hurt him!  Please!"  From the look of desperation on the adolescent's face and tone of voice, Sandwort could guess what the teenager was trying to communicate.

                "How pathetic," he sneered at Buckthorn, "Needing a human to tell you what to do?  Waiting for the cross-bearer to give you orders, like those mindless dog servants of Prince Rainbow?"

                Buckthorn said softly and with great control, ignoring Sandwort's remark, "This is one of the gifts the cross-bearer had blessed us with during our journey.  I may be cautious and reluctant to resort to violence, but I will not hesitate to use this if you threaten the cross-bearer again."

                Bluebell said angrily, "Do not be so sure about the rest of us, Buckthorn!  I daresay it would be satisfying to show our blessings of power on these thick-headed, arrogant, snide idiots!"

                Now the rabbits were afraid.  This was more than they bargained for.

                Toadflax wheedled, "Come, chaps!  This has gotten far out of control!  Please, let us leave now!  Let us not fight!"

                "We have a right to be here as much as that sickening human does!" yelled Scabious, unwilling to let it go, "How could you side with the human, Thlayli?!  Men destroyed our home, hunted us down, destroyed our lives as if they were nothing!!  And yet you still chose to simper over a human child?!  You have truly become a revolting excuse of an Owsla captain!!"

                With a flash of light, Scabious suddenly found himself talking to a giant black Labrador dog with flaming brown eyes and a telltale puff of hair atop its head.  The dog barked in Bigwig's voice, "Leave now, Scabious!!  Unless you wish to feel the sharpness of my teeth!!"

                Scabious yelped and ran, faster than Bigwig had ever seen him run.  The other rabbits, starting to get nervous, backed away even further, but none so less angry.

                "This isn't over!" snarled the Threarah, irately pointing a paw at Justin, "We'll get more rabbits to support us!!  You can't watch that damned human forever!!"

                "Threarah, please, just let it go!" Toadflax begged, worried at what El-ahrairah would say if he found out about this.

                "This is not the end!!  You shall hear from us soon enough!!"  With that, the rabbits left.  Bigwig sighed as he transformed back to his rabbit form.  Campion, Buckthorn, Pipkin, and Strawberry watched the retreat with disgust and loathing.  Bluebell and Silver were glaring daggers at Blackberry who was trying very hard to ignore them.  Justin, grateful he got out, tried to stand up.

                "Ow!" winced Justin, as he realized that the weight of Coltsfoot standing on his foot sprained his ankle, possibly twisting it.  Justin shakily managed to sit on his rear, biting his lip painfully; apparently, it was another injury that would prevent Justin from walking normally.  Campion and Bigwig rushed over while everyone watched.  Campion sniffed his ankle before nudging Justin's ankle with his nose.

                "Does it hurt even more so when I touch it?"

                Justin shook his head.

                Campion sighed, relieved, but there was still angry annoyance in his eyes.  "Then it is not broken.  I can smell and feel the heat of your flesh, being inflamed with injury, but the bone is not splintered.  If Coltsfoot did fracture it, I would have sensed your foot growing cold from the lack of flowing blood that usually comes from such a serious ailment.  I daresay you will be able to walk again, Justin, after a little rest."  Despite himself, Justin was slightly impressed by the rabbit's knowledge and intuition.

                "Damn Coltsfoot," growled Dandelion as he glared hatefully at the retreating forms.

                "Fighting them won't heal Justin any faster, Dandelion," Strawberry warned, a bit menacingly, as if he knew Dandelion would attempt it.

                "But it would be more satisfactory than just squatting here and waiting for them to harass Justin next time!" snapped Dandelion as he roared into the red rabbit's face, still angry at the injustice of it all.

                "Enough," Buckthorn said intently as he held a paw between the two contorted faces, and that, with final clarity, settled it.  Bigwig then leaned down and scooped up the human in his paws, cradling him close to his chest, startling the teen.

                "Wha-?  Bigwig??" Justin croaked.

                Bigwig looked impatient at Justin's confusion as he gruffly retorted, "Well, what young one?!  Please tell me you cannot be that daft as to not realize you can't walk on that paw!"

                "Uh..." Justin blushed.

                "Then Frith and thunder, I'm carrying you back to the burrow where you can recover and I can keep a better eye on you!"

                Silver tried to interject, saying, "Bigwig, let me carry Jus-"

                "I said I would do it," Bigwig growled intently, punctuating each word.  Silver fell back.  As Bigwig carried Justin while the rest of the rabbits followed, the cross-bearer asked hesitantly, "Bigwig, what did they want?  I couldn't understand them.  I didn't know what I did to make them mad, but I didn't mean any harm!  I'm sorry if I offended them."

                "It was not by any fault of you, Justin," Strawberry stated, deciding it would be easier to tell Justin the truth, "They were angry because they did not wish you to stay here any longer.  They said you were a threat and wanted you to leave the warren and the meadows in Fenlo, even though you did heal El-ahrairah.  It was simple bigotry; their hatred of humans still lingered, and as a tragic result, you were caught in their wrath."

                Justin slowly understood the reasons why and became glum.  He said solemnly, "I guess no matter where I am, I always get people angry with me.  I shouldn't have thought this would be different.  I didn't mean to cause trouble."

                "We know you didn't, Justin," Silver said compassionately, "Just forget about it and rest now."  Unfortunately, Silver knew this was not the end of it; the Threarah was always good on his word.

                                                                                ***

                As he watched the group leave with Justin with brotherly love, Blackberry could honestly say he could not sum up the wave of emotions he was feeling right now, but self-disgust, shame, and regret were some of the multitude of feelings that soaked him.  He was not sure he could ever forget the sight of Justin's wide eyes as they stared back at him, pleading and full of shocked betrayal.  As he turned to go silflay where could be alone again, he suddenly came face to face with Speedwell, Hawkbit, and Acorn, all of them scowling at Blackberry with suppressed fury and with their paws crossed over their chests.  They had apparently overheard and witnessed Justin being harassed by the rabbits and Blackberry's hurtful failure to defend the cross-bearer.

                "Such a dutiful Owsla warrior, aren't you?" Acorn said coldly, "I can certainly see that Justin's life would do well in your paws."

                Blackberry, trying to save face, just glared back, mumbling, "Look, chaps, I just want to be left alone.  I hardly need the likes of you three to tell me what I should and should not do."

                "Maybe some rabbit should, Blackberry!" snapped Speedwell, forgetting about making a scene to the rabbits around the four, "How could you do such a thing?!  To Justin?!  After the battle we had with Nekas and Greenweed, I would have thought that you would have realized the truth by now!  Embleer Frith and Inle, you abandoned Justin!  After all we promised him, you still chose to ignore him without a second thought!"

                "Justin knows I did not mean any harm by it, and he would understand that I would seriously endanger my standing and good graces amongst Flyairth and my comrades if I embarrassed myself for standing up for a human!" Blackberry muttered heatedly, but he could not put complete confidence in that statement.

                "By the tail of the Black Rabbit of Inle, Blackberry, do you even regret what you have done?!" Acorn gasped in outrage, "You were willing to let Justin be subjected to those taunts, those insults, and he could have been harmed, which would have been even more serious due to the injuries!  All because you wanted to save face and appearance with other rabbits of the warren?!  Frith in a hole!  Is the public opinion of yourself THAT bloody important to you?!"

                "Yes!" hissed Blackberry furiously, and that aggravated the three Watership rabbits even further.

                Blackberry continued before they could shout at him, "Look, chaps, see this in a rational perspective, won't you?!  Stop being so bloody daft!  Justin has already healed El-ahrairah, so his mission is finished!  There is no need for us to protect him any further; he has already completed the task we needed him for!  Yes, he has done well and admirably, but there is no further need for him to stay at El-ahrairah's warren and for us to watch out for him!  The cross-bearer will fight Elil-rah and then he will go back home!  This will be his battle, not ours!  There is no need for us to be around any longer!"

                Hawkbit than spat, his breath artic, "Whatever helps you live with yourself, you rotter."

                Blackberry lost his patience as he exploded, "Listen you three!  Who are you to judge me?!  If you had any ounce of brains and reason in your tharn heads, you would realize that El-ahrairah had sent us to protect Justin for the journey back to El-ahrairah, and that was all he requested us to do!  El-ahrairah never said we had to give up our standings and good graces with our friends and families back in Fenlo for Justin!  If we side with the human, the rabbits in El-ahrairah's warren would look down on us until the end of time, and I am not willing to forsake that for Justin!  He may be the cross-bearer, yes, but if you remembered the laws of Nature, you should have realized by now that Justin is a human, and plain and simple, all humans cannot and should never associate with decent animals!!  Any level-headed rabbit should see that!"

                "'Level-headed' or 'stubbornly biased'?" growled Speedwell.

                "Caring and having a friendship with a human is not something to be ashamed about, Blackberry!  Especially since Justin has saved your ungrateful hide hrair times!" seethed Hawkbit.
                Blackberry grew more stubborn.  "To you three dunces, I don't expect you to understand what it means to be a disgrace to rabbits."

                Acorn spoke softly with pity, "Blackberry, if you honestly cannot see past Justin's humanity and can easily ignore Justin's eagerness and friendship within this past Inle, I would rather be a happy dunce and disgrace that is devoted to the cross-bearer than a wise, rational fellow such as yourself."  With that, the three turned about-face and hopped away.

                Blackberry suddenly lost his appetite for the grass around him.

                                                                                ***

                Bigwig was squatting next to Justin, keeping him company, when Speedwell and Hawkbit came to the burrow.  Justin noticed their troubled fear painted on their faces.

                "Bigwig, could we speak with you for a moment?  Hazel-rah and the others need to talk with you," Speedwell tried to say with his normal, joking tone, but instead, it sounded forced, high-pitched, and strangled.  Justin knew something was wrong, and Bigwig noticed it as well.  Still, he did not wish to leave Justin's side, so he said brusquely, "You can tell me in front of Justin, buckos."  He saw the nervous hesitation between the two rabbits.  He barked sharply, "Well?!"

                Speedwell managed to whimper, "It's Elil-rah.  He's coming!  We saw him, in the distance of the horizon!  He's coming!"

                Bigwig went pale under his fur as he turned to Justin, swearing, "Oh embleer Frith!"

                Justin was scared as well.  This was certainly not good.  El-ahrairah, he had heard from Bigwig, was still unconscious and the prophecy said both Justin and El-ahrairah would be needed for battle.  Unfortunately, the Watership Owsla did not have enough time to strategize a battle plan.  Dandelion, Strawberry, Fiver and Hazel were trying their best to decipher the riddle from the prophecy and the premonition from Fiver when Justin healed El-ahrairah.  Unfortunately, they could make neither heads nor tails out of it.  And with Justin still weak from his injuries and no being at Fenlo with the ability to heal him, they were all truly done for and Justin's powers, though strong, may not be enough to stop a formidable dark creature created by Satan.  Justin started to shudder to himself.  Bigwig leaned over and picked Justin up, not willing to abandon him.

                "You'll come with me, all right, young one?" Bigwig demanded softly, though Justin could see Bigwig's eyes were wide with concern and determination, "Hazel-rah and the others will probably need to talk to you as well, but I want you to understand: we will not leave you, but you must not give in!  This fight must not be lost!  Realize that either Elil-rah will be defeated or you and El-ahrairah will be defeated, and if that happens, you shall surely die.  Justin, do not be afraid, but do not think that we will abandon you or run.  If you fight, then we shall fight as well.  El-ahrairah and you may be fated to war, but the prophecy did not say we could not come to help.  Do not be afraid, all right, young one.  I know what it is like to be scared in the face of an impossible mission, but you must not give up.  We are counting on you, El-ahrairah is counting on you, and all animals in the land beyond life are counting on you.  Remember that, all right?"

                Justin nodded, but asked a question that had been on his mind since they left Elil-rah's warren.

                "Am I gonna die?" Bigwig ignored it; he could not answer that with certainty.  As Speedwell and Hawkbit followed them out of the burrow, Bigwig and Justin arrived to the very Great Hall of El-ahrairah's warren, a curved, mammoth cavern supported with roots and eternal with warmth and space.  Hazel and the rest of the rabbits were furiously debating and discussing matters with a panicked frenzy.

                "Dandelion, how did the riddle go again?" Acorn asked worriedly.

                Impatient and riddled with fatigue, Dandelion, with his teeth at the edge, recited what he could from memory:

"When the hearts of many prayers become one

And the light of Inle releases Frith as the sun

Only then will evil's darkness become undone

For El-ahrairah and the cross-bearer have achieved a mixed oinun."

                "That does not offer much help," sighed Silver, "and we have gone over it for hrair times with no success of solutions nor hints on Elil-rah's weaknesses!"

                Pipkin chimed in, "And I talked with Sneezewort, Lousewort, Snitter and Rowf as well!  None of them could remember anything that Elil-rah had told them that could be of any use to us to winning!  Of fur and paw, what do we do?!  What do we do?!!"

                "How close is he, Hazel-rah?" Bigwig asked, bracing himself.  Hazel wordlessly pointed to the opening of the warren, a hole that offered a wide view of the fields of the Fenlo and the mountains beyond.  Justin glanced and felt icy terror grip his heart like the bony hands of death.  There, in the distance, black, ominous clouds of smoke and death were multiplying at an alarming rate in the horizon, blanketing the skies with a shroud of death.  The thick, dark haze was slowly smothering the sun, and soon, the skies gave off a reddish haze of the blood-moon in the blackest of night, the sign of death and destruction.  Winds started to pick up again, with incredible speed, howling like the bowels of the undead, eerie, wailing, and like the coldest graves of forgotten scorn.  The winds were so cold, it burned, and already, bits of grass, clover, and soil were starting to crumble under the brutal attack.  Suddenly, throughout the crimson miasma, Elil-rah's red eyes of the glowing embers of evil power and demonic will appeared into view.  All through the warren, the Watership Owsla could hear the screams and cries of rabbits viewing the monstrosity from their runs and burrows with fear, echoing and ringing with deafening volume.  Outside, Elil-rah's voice rang with evil malice and intent.

                "GIVE ME THE BOY!  THE BOY, THE CROSS-BEARER SHALL BE MINE!  THE CROSS-BEARER SHALL DIE OR ALL OF YOU RABBITS SHALL DIE WITH HIM!!!"

                "O Frith and Inle," whimpered Buckthorn.

                "May Frith above help us as of now," whispered Holly.

                "What do we do now?!" cried Dandelion.

                "Hazel-rah," a voice spoke behind the fellowship, and they all turned to see Rabscuttle in the Great Hall, staring at them expectantly, somberly, with dread and apprehension.  Behind him were many of El-ahrairah's court: Flyairth, the Threarah, Toadflax, Blethlin, Violet, Hyzenthlay, Thethuthinnang, Vilthuril, Blackavar, Scabious, Sandwort, Coltsfoot, the Promised friends of foxes Lane, Mara, Mark, Gina, Carol, the calf Whitehorn (a beautiful creature whiter than the purest lily) from the story "El-ahrairah and the Three Cows", Kehaar, and Woundwort under the watchful eyes of Snitter, Rowf, Lousewort and Sneezewort.  Some were still glaring poisonously at Justin while other were sad, morose, and grieving.

                Rabscuttle said gingerly, "Hazel-rah, Elil-rah wants the boy and El-ahrairah is still weak, not fully healed.  There can only be one thing to do: let the boy fight Elil-rah alone.  Even though he may die, it may give El-ahrairah the time he needs to recover before he can use his powers to fight the dark beast.  Please, Hazel-rah!  Think about this!  If the boy does not fight him, we will all perish!!"

                "Absolutely not!!" seethed Campion, "We will not send Justin to his death!!  He'll be killed out there, and he may not even get a chance to -"

                "I'll go!" Justin yelled loudly over Campion's voice.  He may not have been able to understand Lapine, but he could tell what Rabscuttle was trying to beg of Hazel.

                "I'll go," Justin whimpered, trembling, knowing not of what his fate held for him.  Dandelion translated what Justin said to the rest of the spectators.  Many, including the Threarah, were showing surprise.

                "Justin -" began Bigwig, protesting.

                "Bigwig, put me down...please."

                Bigwig obliged.  Justin turned to Hazel with a sad look.

                "I can't ask you guys to do this for me anymore, I can't ask you guys to ignore the others who live here!  If Elil-rah wants me, then...then I guess this is my fate and destiny.  I can't just stand by and let others fight this for me, endanger everyone else!  I'd be selfish and a real coward if I did!  And I...if I was meant to die today, then God would want me to.  If he wanted me to live and win, then that's God's will too.  I can't fight what I'm supposed to do!  I can't endanger all of you!!  You're...you're my friends...the only ones I ever had.  Hazel, please, can you do this for me?  Let me fight him.  Let me fight Elil-rah."

                "Then we'll go with you," Lousewort said, stepping forward, and immediately, Snitter, Rowf, and Sneezewort came forth as well, "We're not rabbits, and no one would gave a damn if we were ta' die alongside you, cross-bearer.  Plus, you're our mate, true n' good, and we will help you in any way if we can.  We still have a debt to repay for your kindness."

                Justin shook his head.

                Bigwig, Holly, Speedwell, Buckthorn, Silver, and Pipkin were outraged.  Bigwig roared, "Over my dead body will you be doing something so -!!"

                "Let him go," Hazel said with quiet authority.  The other rabbits were stunned.  Justin then felt Hazel lift his chin up with one paw and forced the teenager to stare in Hazel's light eyes.

                "You have Frith's blessings and God's love; never forget that Justin.  And also never forget that we will be with you.  If you go outside as of now, then we shall follow.  And there will be no argument about that, young one.  If you are destined to fight Elil-rah and his Owsla, then so are we."

                "That's more like it!" Bluebell shakily smiled, though it was not difficult to see the terrified fear beneath his demeanor.

                "I'm coming too, right?" Pipkin asked.

                Fiver placed a paw around his comrade's shoulders, smiling, "We all will go; Frith will never approve if we stayed behind."  Pipkin shot a look of gratitude at Fiver.

                Bigwig then placed a strong paw on Justin's shoulder, saying, "Then we shall leave now."

                During the conversation, Dandelion was still translating what was said and declared to the audience, and several gasped, not expecting the human to make such a decision.  Mara, Carol, and Gina started sobbing, and Kehaar looked crestfallen.  Snitter had tears streaking down his face with his head bowed down, and Rowf, though still with extreme dislike, managed to convince himself, that for once, he could tolerate feeling concern for Justin.

                "Speedwell!" wailed Violet.

                "It'll be all right, Violet.  I will come back, I promise...and Speedwell never lies to his mate!"  The white jester grinned, and Violet just bowed her head down, nodding, though scuffling fretfully.  Speedwell went out in a flash.  As Hawkbit was about to climb out, he heard Blethlin's voice call out to him.

                "Hawkbit!"

                "What now, Blethlin?"

                "Just don't be a fool and get yourself killed like a crack-brained idiot."

                Hawkbit snorted, "Since when did you care for me?!  As long as I've known you, you've always wished I was gone from El-ahrairah's warren!"

                "I...I care," Blethlin confessed, her voice softening and so did her face.  Hawkbit looked in her eyes and saw she was not lying nor joking.  Hawkbit blushed, but then confessed as well.

                "I...I cared about you as well."  Blethlin looked up in surprise.

                "I'll return again, I promise that as well," Hawkbit continued sincerely.

                "I'll be sure to give you that derisive argument and well-deserved cuffing you've been begging for since we've first met!" Blethlin crowed.

                Hawkbit shot back, "As if I could ever submit to a cranky, short-tempered, annoying fat doe as yourself!"  And with that, he left.

                As the Watership rabbits filed out one by one, Dandelion and Holly saw one Watership rabbit did not make any movement to leave for the battle.

                "Aren't you coming, Blackberry?" Dandelion growled coldly.

                Blackberry turned his back on his friend.  Holly exploded.

                "You ungrateful, pompous, self-righteous -!!" Holly screamed, ready to pummel Blackberry.

                "Holly, please, that's enough!  Leave him alone!!" Hazel said sharply, and disinclined, Holly withdrew and stormed out of the warren, muttering.

                Dandelion glared at Hazel, but Justin said softly, with understanding, "If he doesn't want to fight, he doesn't have to.  I can't force him to give up his safety and life for me.  That's too much to ask for anyone."  Dandelion gave Blackberry one last glower, sniping scathingly, "And to think he still forgives you sickens me."

                With that, Dandelion was out in a flash.  Justin the stepped to the black-eared buck

                "Blackberry?"

                The black-eared buck did not respond, but Justin knew that he was listening anyway and the audience watched attentively.

                "I...I just wanted to say that...even though we haven't been on the best of terms, I still wanted to say I'm sorry...for being an embarrassment to you."

                The rabbit twitched.

                "I...Hawkbit, Acorn, and Speedwell explained it to me, though it was really on a skewed point of view," Justin gave a half-hearted chuckle before continuing softly.  "But...I understand, and I don't hold it against you either.  To tell you the truth, I probably would have done the same thing if I was really respected by my peers as well.  I should have realized it was really selfish of me to expect you to humiliate yourself for my sake and give it all up, and...even though I don't agree with it, it doesn't stop me from saying I'm still glad I got to know you...as a friend.  I...I just wanted to say that...in case I don't come back."

                With that, Justin quietly limped back out.  If there was a mirror placed in front of Blackberry's face, he would have seen Blackberry wincing with two furious rivers of shameful tears streaking down his fur.  But before Justin could walk out of the run, Woundwort's voice stopped him.  Woundwort, despite being surly and desolate and forsaken, managed to just look up at Justin and asked him hoarsely, full of confused cynicism, "Why?"

                Justin turned back at the former Efrafan general.  Woundwort asked again, elaborating.

                "Why...cross-bearer?  Why do you fight for rabbits, creatures that could not care less about you, excluding the Watership Owsla?  Why do you still wish to go to a battle you can never win?  Why are you fighting for them?  This is not your fight."

                Justin's face then grew serious, his eyes showing a surprising display of strength that Woundwort never noticed before.

                "It is my fight...because I fight for my friends."

                Woundwort, stunned, just stared at Justin, small, meek, gentle...yet to the General's eyes...no less of a warrior.

                "I'm doing this because I don't want to lose the only people who gave a damn about me, about the only people who cared about me and protected me.  I'm fighting...because I would rather die than see my friends suffer and die.  I'm fighting...because they're my family."

                With that, Justin left, still clutching his broken arm with his good hand, wobbling a bit under the harsh winds of darkness and unforgiving, cold night, but steadily made his way towards the dark beast that would be his ultimate showdown.

                Elil-rah saw the scene unfold before him and was pleased.  The sight of the human boy, with the ranks of the Watership rabbits flanked alongside him, his own personal army, advancing towards him with mixtures of fear, confusion, courage, valor, and might.  Justin, wincing from his broken arm, did his best to walk up the highest hill to face Elil-rah.  To his right were Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Dandelion, Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Holly.  To his left were Strawberry, Acorn, Buckthorn, Silver, Bluebell, Campion and Pipkin.  There, they stood on their hind legs, defiant, strong, and like soldiers.  Unknowing that they would all lose and perish in this battle.

                "Wait!!" a familiar voice called out to them from behind.

                They turned, to their joy, to see a rabbit galloping at full speed until he came to a stop behind them.

                It was Blackberry.

                The buck was remorseful, apologetic, and despite it all...he still came.  Justin gave him a warm, welcoming smile of relief, and so did the rest of the Watership Owsla.  For an instant, they forgot about the seriousness of the battle and received their friend back with humor and jest, like a friendly game.

                "About time you showed up, chap," Holly chuckled.

                "I knew you were too smart to not pass up this opportunity," Dandelion leered.

                "I don't deserve this, buckos.  I'm sorry for being stupid and stubborn," Blackberry said shamefacedly as he took rank next to Hazel.  Hazel-rah, his leader and Chief rabbit, held Blackberry's paw in his own as they stood together.

                "Together...as friends," Hazel murmured encouragingly as they turned back to face Elil-rah, now whole again.  Justin, despite the quaking in his chest, called out bravely.

                "We're here!!!  We're here, Elil-rah!!!  And I'm not afraid to fight you!!!  Just leave them alone!!!  Leave El-ahrairah alone!!!  You won't touch him or hurt him anymore, not if I can help it!!!"

                "OH?"  Now Elil-rah sounded amused.

                "You won't win!!!  I didn't kill El-ahrairah at all!!!  Sorry to disappoint you, Elil-rah," Justin shouted gratingly, sarcastically, his heart threatening to stop with fright, "But the prophecy was wrong!!!  The cross didn't bring chaos after all, which I knew you would want!!!  The Prince of the Thousand is back, safe, and none of your dark magic can hurt him anymore!!!  I healed him, and once El-ahrairah revives, we'll defeat you together!!!  And you know I have the power to stop you along with El-ahrairah, just like the prophecy said!!!"

                At this, the evil entity laughed, coldly and with disdainful cruelty.

                "What...why is he laughing?!" gasped Acorn.

                "This cannot be a good sign!" gulped Strawberry.

                Elil-rah chuckled as he stated, "YOU FOOL.  THAT PROPHECY WAS NOT REFERRING TO EL-AHRAIRAH, BUT TO YOU, CROSS-BEARER!!!  THOUGH YOU ARE A HUMAN, YOU WERE MY MAIN TARGET ALL THIS TIME, AND MY ONE KEY IN DESTROYING EL-AHRAIRAH'S LEGACY.  IT WILL BE YOU WHO SHALL CAUSE THE DEATH OF ALL RABBITS IN THE LAND BEYOND LIFE!!!"

                Justin gasped, "What?!"

                Elil-rah then revealed loudly enough for all animals to hear, sending a surge of shock and tharn disbelief at the words.

                "JUSTIN... YOU ARE 'THE PRINCE-OF-THE-THOUSAND'."

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Next: DARK REVELATIONS

Author's note: What a cliffhanger, huh?  Next chapter will be up in three weeks!  Get ready you guys!  There are about 4 more chapters to go and then the story will end! WAH!  I can't believe it! ;_;

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