A/N: -Insert entertaining disclaimer here.-

Chapter Eight: Wisdom


Gabby shivered as her body was warmed into life. All around her was heat and she was pressed against something soft, warm, and alive. The world echoed with whimsical, musical chanting, and there was the distinct smell of something edible in the air. Gabby's eyelids peeled away from her eyes and she looked around. Her entire body was sore and her head was throbbing. She grunted, rubbing her temples.

Ratz piled around her, snuggled up against her to keep her body warm. She stared at them for a moment before looking at the rest of her surroundings.

It was a massive cave, lit by a shaft of light that filtered from the ceiling. It rested upon something massive and lumpy. Glowing green spheres illuminated the room as well, and a handful of creatures meditated here and there. She shivered again, spotting the small, dead animal. She knew it was for her. Freshly killed, it was - or at least in the past few hours. She made her way over to it and ate quickly. Her feeding caused the great lump in the center of the cavern to stir.

Gabby glanced up, watching it. The lump opened its for eyes and stared down at her sleepily. Gabby saw it, yelped, and scrambled to hide behind the Ratz. But then the Ratz simply moved away to hide in the darker shadows of the cave, leaving the Gabbit alone. She made herself as small as possible, growling and trying to avoid speaking.

"It is safe in here," droned the lump. "Please eat. The smell of death fills my cave."

Gabby crept back over to the small animal and ate it, although it did not taste pleasant. Her strength began to return and the Gabbit exhaled a sigh of relief as she ate until she could eat no more. Fortunately, the animal was mostly finished. Ratz approached her and ate of it as well, finishing what she had not. She noticed they were much smaller than she had imagined - all save for the one that had helped her.

"Th-thank you," said Gabby. She felt rather sheepish with her limited speech, but the lump did not seem to notice.

"I cannot leave this cave any longer," the lump said slowly, "So I spend my days watching the world through the eyes of those that live outside, whispering to them and influencing them to help themselves and others."

Gabby put two and two together.

"Did... you... send the ... thing?" she asked slowly.

"I told the Rat to drink from the Great River. It was I who sent the Ratz to escort you to me. I am the Raisin."

The Gabbit trembled for a moment, but she was much too full and groggy to feel any more fear. Besides, the Raisin filled her with a sense of calm.

"You look like one that came here before," he said. "He, too, made his journey to the... Big Pond."

Gabby perked up, eyes wide and heart pounding.

"Wh-where?"

"That," said the Raisin, "You must see for yourself. But feel free to rest in my cave. You have been lonely."

Gabby remembered the terrible pain of loneliness, but it was immediately doused by a half dozen Ratz that huddled close beside her. Ratz were better company than no company at all. She looked back up at the Raisin, but it had fallen silent. While she rested, she wondered vaguely if there were more forces at work than she had initially imagined. When she was younger, Zeke had been her world. Zeke was the sole provider and protector, in place of parents. As she aged, the Spawning Springs became a source of life and shelter. But as she moved out onto the Mongo River, the world had widened and she realized there would be more than she could ever know or understand. It made her wonder, and want it all the more.

When the Gabbit awakened, she felt the pressure to find the Big Pond - and the one that came before her. If he was out there, she had to find him. Whoever he was.

"Your journey," said the Raisin suddenly, "Is far from over. Do not forget, and trust yourself. You are a Gabbit, and one of the last of your kind."

Gabby frowned, staring sadly at the Ratz.

"But there are others," the Raisin continued, "And they are alive and well, rescued by the one that came before. In order to reach the Big Pond you must go back the way you have come. This time, there will be no one to escort you. Live, Gabbit."

Gabby shivered, and replied, "Y-yes. Thank you." Her voice, she noticed had changed, and while not unlike a Gabbit, it still had a feminine quality to it. Now fed, rested, and her energy returned, she was ready to go out and face the world.

Just as she had hopped onto the path that led to the Raisin, the Raisin added, "Do not let your loneliness overwhelm you. You are never alone. All around you is life."

Gabby took one last look at him before hopping away and out of the cave.

------

"Hal," Shorty whined. "I don't think we're even on its trail anymore." He was rain-drenched and, like the others, exhausted.

Hal ignored Shorty's complaints and sank his teeth into the large smoked fish. He spit out a bone moments later and it bounced off Shorty's hat.

"That Gabbit is followin' its migratory habit thing," said Hal, waving his free hand. "It's going to hit the sea, where the rest of the Gabbits are. We'll catch up to it or it'll catch up ta us. Don't worry."

Bill sighed and stared listlessly at the water. Hal glanced over at him, frowned, and shook his head.

"That rain washed up any chance we have of finding 'er trail," Bill mused sadly.

Hal huffed. "We're only a couple days away from the ocean. We'll get the Gabbit and get outta there. Now shut up."

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Gabby was hopping faster than she'd ever gone before, leaping over the grass and trying to keep her balance. Her eyes were ahead. What the Gabbit didn't know was that all the training she'd done as a gabbiwog had saved her, built up her endurance, and thus enabled her to travel on land for long periods. Her journey back to the forest still took her a day and a half, but she passed by the run-down slog hut unmolested. No rain interrupted her travels, much to her delight.

When she reached the river again, she splashed right into it almost greedily, bathing in the cool wet. She was very tired from her constant traveling, but the river was merciful and soothed her aching muscles. Very hungry, as she hadn't stopped to eat, she let the river carry her further downstream before she dove under to catch a few fish. The Gabbit was finally coming into her own.

Day became night and Gabby tried to remember what the Raisin had said. All around you is life. Sure enough, he was right. The fish were alive, the birds in the sky were alive. The plant life was alive. Down to the smallest molecule, there was life. Even the river, as it tossed her about, seemed alive. Yet, it was still no substitute for what she wanted. She wanted to meet others like herself. Gabby frowned and stopped letting the river carry her. She swam along with it, pushing herself faster and faster to the sea.

Now and again, she thought she could almost hear what the Big Pond might've looked like. Maybe it was just that - a gigantic pond. Gabby felt her loneliness begin to grow, and as the days passed she ate and moved constantly, muttering to herself in her limited language and trying to cope with it.

The river began to widen one day. It had been steadily increasing in width for some time. When she first started her journey the river was close to ten feet wide. Then it increased to twenty, then thirty, until suddenly she could no longer see one side. Instinctively she remained close to the bank and stayed underwater, watching and listening. She had no idea that the river could easily reach up to five miles in width.

The water began to change as well. In fact, it began to taste strangely salty, and it tingled on her skin and in her eyes. She quickly grew used to it, and when night fell she climbed out of the water and looked about, for once not worried about the Outlaws bothering her. She was altogether tired, a tired that comes from weeks of effort and takes nearly that much time to recover. It was very dark and there were a lot of rocks about, so she explored the tiny island she'd stumbled upon and had a small battle with a crab before breaking it open and eating it.

Exhausted, she curled up in between the rocks and dozed, listening carefully for anything hostile. The only thing that echoed in her ears was the lullaby of waves.