Watership Down The First Sight

_Dear Shel-_  
_You've been very good this year! So, just for you, I've written a special little treat featuring 'Watership Down'! At first I wanted to write you something Secret Garden, as I know you'd like it- but it was hard narrowing down the options, and I do hope you enjoy this one just as much. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, now enjoy!_  
_-Santa_  
-

Fiver's visions weren't always malicious.

The fawn haired rabbit remembered, and his brother did, too, when the first sight had occurred.

Sandleford in the spring was a sight to behold- the grassy fields waved back and forth like switchblades bidding their greetings to some unseen being, and the sun played tricks of gold and white across each tree and crevice. The burrow, specifically, was something Fiver found quite indulgent- because sometimes there would be petite explosions of flowers; all in pinks and blues and yellows, and they would burst down the sides of the hills and crowd along tree trunks.

Yet the world was still chilled from a cold and arduous winter, and the whole warren had been sheltering for a week longer than they expected.

The runt sought further warmth with his nose, finding a brumal chill from outside brush along his ridged spine. Fiver nuzzled his way right into Hazel's side, and the other rabbit gave a light grunt.

"Fiver, is that you? What are you doing?" He asked evenly, voice kept at a hush so to not rudely disturb the warren.

"Y-yes, it's me, Hazel. It's just far too cold in here, and I-"

"You're quite alright. Here." Hazel switched his weight slightly, hearing a soft breath of disruption from one of his littermates, but gave it no mind as the smaller of the two found his way into the new opening.

Silence greeted the two, and occasionally a chill would ruffle Fiver's bronze coat, yet the runt tried his best to once again fall asleep. It almost seemed as if Hazel already had, and the larger male gave an involuntary twitch of his paw as he slipped into rest after a bit.

Fiver stayed awake, though.

The intuitive little rabbit blamed it on those weird feelings he had. How was supposed to nap if it felt as if something was going to happen? The warren was sleeping and Hazel was sleeping but Fiver knew that they shouldn't be.

"This isn't good at all. We're just all in a big lump, we're all just waiting to-"

"Fiver? Why, is that you again?" Hazel's ears perked slightly, they were much bigger than his brother's, and he was used to listening for the other male anyway.

The seer gave a small whisper of breath from behind his teeth, resorting to silence, and hoped that Hazel would forget about his fretting and they could both get some rest. Though, that was highly improbable.

Especially when the vision started

It erupted all in a moment, in the blink of an eye, and was completely unexpected. He had always felt strange shivers pass through his body before something happened- but not like this.

Fiver's vision narrowed to a pinpoint, the burrow he huddled in wiping to a fade of ebony darkness. All he could see was the chocolate-colored hairs of his brother's fur, and a dainty spark of white, before everything blossomed again.

All around him was newly ivory, like freshly fallen snow, so blinding and pristine that Fiver found himself blinking and further found himself completely still- unable to move as the world whirled around him.

A flutter of color flirted along the edge of Fiver's eyesight.

It was a flash of bright vermillion- there and gone in a second- but it was so daringly sudden that the rabbit spared a tentative glance to the side, and with heavy breath, witnessed everything become illuminated by pigment

Butterflies crowded the burrow, their wings spread and colors melding into one another as they flew in erratic patterns everywhere. Fiver felt his eyes widen as the colors seemed to illuminate the formerly blank space, yet it wasn't in panic, and everything felt strangely calm.

A particularly small bug, with heart-shaped wings that boasted a light and buttery yellow, landed straight on the rabbit's nose.

Then Fiver felt a _plip!_ of frigid water onto his muzzle.

Florets of ice frosted the underside of the butterfly's wings, each little flake sparkling like morning dew, and the same phenomenon occurred on the other bugs in the burrow! White curls and flicks and shards of ice marked the wings of every butterfly- and Fiver noticed a particularly pretty lavender bug whose pattern resembled that of a perfect snowflake.

But each bit of wintery ice was melting rapidly, and fell to the wetted ground like a shower of twinkling diamonds. It reached such an intensity that Fiver found himself seizing up again, he would drown if the rainstorm of melted snow continued!

"Hazel!" the tawny rabbit cried, whipping his head to the side in search of his brother. He wanted to run away from the encroaching water level as soon as possible, but to Fiver's surprise, there was no more.

"Fiver? Again? What is it this time?" Although disgruntled, Hazel's voice was as calm as he could manage, his eyes shining with dull worry as the runt squirmed about.

"I-oh, well, I just saw something terribly frightening and-" the little male stopped mid-speaking, as a pleasant jolt ran through him. Any fear the vision had previously accumulated seemed to have melted away, replaced by a warm sensation. Peace, Fiver guessed he could call it. Something about the butterflies and their dripping wings was awful at the time, but as Hazel patiently waited for an answer, Fiver calmed.

It still didn't null the urge to go outside the burrow, though.

"-and now, well now, I do think that we should go out. Out of the burrow." he quipped, voice pitching slightly upwards.

Hazel's eyes widened in disbelief, "But weren't you just commenting on the weather? It's far too cold to-"

"No, no- I'm sure of it now. I think we should go."

His brother paused for a moment, ear-tips swiveling back and forth, as if radioing for some thought that could help him formulate words. Hazel let out a small exhale of breath, and glance around, "Well- everyone is asleep. If we're quite, and we will be, we can go. I do trust you."

Fiver gave a small nod of his head, and stretched his neck as to glance around the burrow. They'd have to find a non-disruptive way to reach the mouth of the dirt-packed hole, which was slightly upwards and farther away then he liked.

But Hazel thought quicker, and had already risen to his paws, and gave a flick of his tail to Fiver as a signal to follow. The smaller obliged, and both brothers carefully made their way through the slumbering warren.

Fiver skirted ahead of his brother, biting against the way the wind howled through his fur, and reached the opening to the outside before Hazel did.

Fields, the color of ground topaz, painted the fields of Sandleford. As far as Fiver could see everything was alive- and the wheatgrass striked contrast against the pale blue sky. The only thing that hinted at any remnant of winter was the bitter taint of a cold breeze, yet otherwise everything was boasting spring.

"It must've been- oh! The butterflies! Those butterflies, Hazel, they told me this would happen! I- oh dear." Fiver felt happiness kick up in his stomach again, and he spared a purely ecstatic glance at Hazel- whom looked oddly awestricken. The seer cocked his head to the side lightly.

"Fiver! This is a marvelous talent you- you knew about this?" Hazel breathed, and turned to the tawny runt.

"I- yes. I saw it and I just felt it." Fiver grunted in response, not quite certain of how to respond. He had, indeed, just saw something. A vision, really. A vision that gave him real emotions and led him to discover that it actually was spring! That the warren could come out of hiding!

The older brother gave a gentle laugh, "Well then- I suppose we shall go tell everyone!"

"We shall! Then, perhaps, Hazel- we could go look for some of those flowers. The ones that grow near the trees!"

"Of course."

-  
_Well, hope you enjoyed! Merry Christmas Shel! :)_


End file.

Watership Down