Author Note:

This is a drabble that I'd written at least a couple of months ago that I finally decided to dust off and publish. Hope you enjoy it.

This is kinda a spoiler, so feel free to skip the A/N if you don't want anything that might affect your reading experience.

(Just another warning for those who read these out of order, slight spoiler. :P Skip if preferred.) This drabble is a bit darker than most of my other stuff. I would say it earns it's "T" rating.

000000000000000

"Ugh… I'm tired." Laura Cotton set her shovel aside and sat down on a pile of dirt. The young hare's tunic was wet from sweat and caked in dust. She began to rub her eye with one paw, only to pause immediately once she realized that it was covered with mud as well. "This is taking too long. We'll never dig this stump out."

"Not with that attitude we won't." Laura's father was big for a hare, with broad shoulders and a barrel-like chest. Yet Maurice was a gentle soul, contrary to his size and rather grim features. "If you want to eat food by spring, I suggest you get off your tail. This field won't clear itself."

Laura sighed and stood back up. "Fine," she drawled out. "But I wish tree stumps didn't have so many blasted roots!"

Maurice chuckled. "If we get enough done, we'll stop when supper's ready. Should be any time now. If not, we can do a bit more before the sun goes down."

The young lass' digging speed suddenly increased at this. She attacked the earth surrounding the roots until her muscles began to ache again and her breathing became labored.

"Phew!" Maurice stepped back and leaned on the end of his pickaxe. "I'm getting too old for this nonsense," he said, rolling up his sleeves, revealing a small tattoo of a snake coiled around a pillar of flame on his upper forearm. "Here, I guess a little break wouldn't hurt."

Laura didn't even bother to reply. Simply stumbling away from the tree stump, she lay down on a patch of clover, closing her eyes. Her breathing slowed as she relaxed, letting out a sigh.

Her nose suddenly twitched.

The hare sat up warily as she suddenly felt a chill run up and down her spine. An odd coldness crept through her body, tensing her nerves and making her stiffen. A feeling like something was watching her, seeing through her flesh and soul. She shot a glance at the forest at the edge of the field, her eyes squinting as she looked for any sign of a creature watching.

There was a slight movement in the shadows of the trees, and Laura peered harder.

She yelped as the sound of the dinner bell suddenly rang out loudly, followed by her mother's calls. "Supper's ready! Come and get it!"

"Thank cabbages." Maurice sighed. "I'm starved. Come on, Laura, bring your shovel back to the shed with you."

"Um, Father, wait a minute." Laura tugged at Maurice's sleeve, pointing with her other paw at the forest. "Do you see anything over there? I thought I saw something…"

"Really?" He scanned the woods briefly. "I don't see anything. It was probably just a sparrow or something."

"Well it's just… I feel something. Something is… weird." Seeing her father's gaze, Laura realized how stupid it must sound.

"I don't think anyone would take a stroll this far away from Pike Village." Maurice smiled comfortingly. "It's probably nothing. Come on." With that, he turned toward the house.

Laura opened her mouth to object but then she closed it. Trying to ignore the chilling feeling, she picked up her shovel and followed her father.

Once the tools were put away, Laura went into the house, washed her paws and then plopped onto one of the seats by the table. Her younger brother Mark was setting out bowls and spoons.

"I was chopping firewood," the wiry leveret announced proudly, handing a bowl to Laura. "Tim Lemonfur says that only big beasts do wood chopping."

"Uh-huh." Laura gave her brother a halfhearted nod. She still felt like somebeast was watching her, even though she was inside the house. She looked at Mark and asked in a low tone, "Did, uh… Did you see anyone in the woods today while you were working?"

"…No. Why?

"No reason."

Maurice and Mark both sat down at the table. Belinda set Baby Joana in her crib, handing the infant a toy. The mother smiled as Joana inspected every inch of the object, looking at it with her big round eyes. "She certainly has your eyes, Maurice," the female hare laughed, patting her husband's shoulder as she went over to the stove. Belinda was short and slightly chubby, wearing a simply made dress and apron. Aside from the cheap necklace that she wore around her neck, the only other noteworthy trait about Belinda was that she shared her husband's tattoo on her forearm as well.

Maurice grinned, craning his neck so he could peek at his daughter. "Aye. But mine are much prettier."

Mrs. Cotton scoffed. "What rubbish." Turning around, she brought a pot of stew over to the table, telling Laura to grab the bowls and spoons.

The door had been left slightly ajar. Without warning, the door to the house slammed shut, causing Laura to jump from her seat. "What was that?!"

"Relax, Laura," Maurice said. "You seem to be in a jumpy mood today. Don't worry. It was probably just the wind. Ironic that the nice cool breezes come after we've finished working, though."

Laura mumbled something under her breath and sat back down. Whatever it was, she highly doubted it was just the wind.

Mark was in the middle of telling a tale to his parents when there was a thumping sound from outside. Laura's ears perked up. "What was that?" she asked again.

"What?"

"That sound!" Laura's voice was shrill. Her heart was beating against her chest madly. "There it is again!"

The second time had been louder, and Maurice stood up, pushing his chair back. "That's odd. I'll go check it out." However, as he began to walk toward the door, he stopped dead in his tracks, his back to the rest of the hares. He slowly reached up to his head with a paw and rubbed it, mumbling quietly under his breath. He winced and then grasped his forearm.

"Father, are you alright?" Laura rose from her seat. Her eyes widened as she realized that Mark was also holding his head in his paws, and her mother was blankly staring at the wall, muttering vaguely.

"W-what's going on?"

She jumped as something was knocked over outside, followed by the sound of pawsteps coming toward the house.

Laura ran over to the stove and grabbed one of the kitchen knives. She went over to her father and slapped him across the face. "Father!" she cried. "Father!"

Maurice didn't react to his daughter. He had stopped rubbing his head and was instead staring directly forward. Laura's heart stopped as she looked into his eyes. They were… hollow. It was like her father was simply a block of wood. His fur was spiked out and ruffled.

There was a crashing noise, and Laura turned to see her mother stumbling over her seat. As she stood up, her movements slow and numb, Laura realized that her eyes were the same as Maurice's. Mrs. Cotton's gaze bore into Laura, the broken bowl of soup lying forgotten on the floor where it had been knocked over.

Mark had slinked away from the table, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

The sound of pawsteps had finally reached the door. Then stopped.

There was a silence. And then the door began to open.

Laura whimpered and backed away as a massive fox walked into the hare family's dwelling. Its hood and cloak shrouded its features, yet the young hare could see dreadful scarred burns and marks running up and down his arms and paws. His boots echoed on the floor as he took a few steps forward. He threw back his hood with his empty paw, raking the room with his gaze. His face was covered with branded lines and figures, much like his arms. A sword was buckled at his side, and in his paw was a branding iron. His voice was deep and raspy as he drawled out, "Come. The Time of Testing is here."

Belinda and Maurice walked up to him, and Laura gasped as they both knelt down and bowed before the cloaked fox. Her parents had never knelt to anybeast! What were they doing?

Pointing the tip of her dagger at the strange creature, she bared her fangs and tried to look fierce. "What do you want?!"

The fox cackled harshly. "Ah, children. So young, so innocent. Blind to the true nature of the world." He broke off as Baby Joana began to wail. "Aww, how precious."

"You stay away from her," Mark growled, running over to the cradle and snatching up his little sister. "You're a bad creature!"

The cloaked creature simply let out a barking laugh. He let out a grunt, and his face became serious. "Bad?" The fox's tone was softer now, and his voice seemed different. His eyes, too, were changed. They seemed to flicker with a flame. "Of course I am. Why? Do you think you're better? All beasts are evil. All it takes to prove it is to push them to the edge." He nodded to the two still-transfixed hare parents kneeling before him. Without a word, they both rose and turned around to face their children as the fox continued, "So you think you are heroes? Well then, little heroes, let's see how far your innocence takes you. I'm sure your parents have taught you much. They shall teach you a final lesson. This is a world of kill or be killed."

With a start, the fox's face returned to his previous self. He began to back away, wiping slobber from his jaws.

Maurice and Belina began to walk toward their children, their ears unhearing to their pleas. Mark let out a sob, holding their screaming baby sister in his arms. "What are they doing, Laura!? Stop them!"

The female hare had frozen with terror, unable to tear her gaze away from her parents' eyes as they closed in on them.

The fox walked back outside, laughing up at the skies. The screams of the hare children echoing behind him.

Footnote:

So, yeah. I personally I'm not that big of a fan of horror related stuff, but these events may or may not be important to the rest of the series, sooooo. Honestly, I have to admit that it was kinda fun to plan this one. :D Let me know what you think in a review. :) I'd appreciate the feedback. And also, if you have any requests for a specific drabble, let me know.

Happy reading to you!