by Darren Lewis
“But!” Rox shouted, silencing them all.” I require your power, each one of you, to use as a guide to travel to this place.” The cavern erupted in noise. Shouts and cries swept around Rox and Ellie. It reminded Ellie of the leaves and the wind that had blown around her when she had been changed. Rabbits were on their hind legs, shouting and waving their paws, at Rox and each other as they argued. Rox finished her sentence in a whisper only Ellie could hear, but was meant for all the rabbits.
“Or all is lost.”
*
Plume had a lot on his mind as he wandered down the tunnels to the cavern. He would be the first to admit that he wasn't the brightest of rabbits but as his main job was protecting Rox he didn't really have to do much thinking as she was quite clever. But now Rox had chosen this human, who had insulted him, to become one of their own kind! Humans were enough trouble as humans, but for one to be a rabbit! Unthinkable!
Plume shook his head confused. Rox had then told him that Ellie had saved Rox's and Cast's lives, which was his job and from a fox of all things! Now that was impressive.
As he reached the cavern he sighed and heard Rox speaking. He sat down at the entrance and listened.
*
The noise in the cavern reminded Ellie of one particular day at the beach. It had been very busy as the sun was very hot but they had managed to find somewhere to sit. But as there had been so many people they were sat quite close to the sea. It had been very noisy, with the shouts and screams of people having fun and the crash of waves onto the beach.
The difference, Ellie thought, was the cavern made the noise echo around. It had nowhere to escape to. She noticed the crystals swinging more than before as the waves of sound beat against them, like those waves on the beach.
Ellie looked at Rox. Rox sat calmly in the centre of the circle of white light, the focus of three hundred shouting rabbits. Ellie looked around and as her eyes passed by the entrance she saw a single rabbit walking towards them.
*
Plume strode purposefully into the cavern towards Rox. He was angry that his fellow rabbits would behave in such a way towards their leader. He may sometimes get angry and cross with Rox but he would never speak like that to her in front of others.
He paused and thought, well maybe sometimes I do. But I don't mean to.
Plume knew about the problems their clan was facing. He also knew how worried Rox and Cast really were and that the meeting today was very important. It seemed though that his brothers and sisters thought it better to shout rather than help. Though nowhere near as important as Rox he had to speak, for his leader, for all rabbits. But he had to be calm, just this once he had to be calm.
*
Ellie watched Plume approach. It looked as though he was talking to himself, occasionally nodding his head and then shaking it, as if arguing with himself.
As he reached the centre he started waving his stick at the rabbits to get them to be quiet. It took a few minutes but eventually it was quiet enough for Plume to talk.
“Our leader, do I have permission to address our family?” he asked Rox formally while bowing his head in respect. She nodded calmly. If she was surprised at having Plume appear beside her she didn't show it.
“My family, I am Plume. I am not an important rabbit, but I know the days grow longer and we do not have the power to make the world turn as it once did. I believe if we ignore this problem we have doomed this world. If however we use that power that Rox has asked for and we succeed we ensure the survival of this world.”
There was a slight pause as the rabbits thought about what Plume had said. Then there was an angry shout from behind Plume.
“And what if she fails? Then we are left without any power at all! The world will stop!”
Lots of rabbits added their voices in agreement. Rather than let the noise start again, Plume waved his stick angrily. He was about to start shouting back when from the corner of his eye he saw Rox shake her head slightly. He took a deep breath. Rox had reminded him he must be calm. When the rabbits had quietened down enough for him to be heard again, he responded, but quieter this time so the rabbits had to strain to hear him.
“We shall certainly fail anyway if we don't try. The world will either stop today or next season or the season after that, but it will stop. I believe in our leader and I believe that what she is asking of us is the only thing that can help us now.” He turned to smile at Rox. Ellie thought Plume had a very beautiful smile, but thought it best she didn't tell him. Plume spoke confidently and loudly. “So I choose to try.”
Rox stood even straighter. Her head rose proudly and her eyes were moist with unshed tears as she faced the assembled rabbits.
The rabbits were quiet, the silence just as overwhelming as all of them shouting. Then there was a cry from the back. It came from the rabbit who had been arguing with Plume.
“I choose to try!” There was a pause and then another shout, “I choose to try!” and another and another. Shortly, all the rabbits had raised their voices as one to create a wave of sound that circled the cavern. It was even noisier than before Ellie thought, but much nicer to listen. She smiled at Plume who actually smiled back at her, in between shouting “I choose to try!”
Chapter 5
Ellie sighed with boredom and then couldn't believe she was actually bored, considering the day she'd had so far. But she had watched about three hundred rabbits, all queued up, come to speak to Rox and she had been sat waiting. The excitement after Plume's speech had kept Ellie smiling for the first twenty rabbits. For the next twenty, she had lain down. For the rest she had experimented with twitching her ears one at a time and making her fluffy tail wag.
It had taken so long as each rabbit had laid its paws on Rox's head, said a few words and then hopped off. Plume had been first. Rox had thanked him for his words and Plume had answered with.
“Well, I'm your protector. You have enough to worry about without all that lot shouting at you.” Plume had then laid his paws gently on Rox's head and spoke again.
“What is mine is now yours.” He then moved off, looking a bit embarrassed. Ellie grinned at him and she was sure if rabbits could blush, then Plume would be bright red right now.
So this continued. Some rabbits adding words of encouragement, others apologising for their behaviour. Rox was gracious enough and showed a part of why she was a good leader as she didn't make an issue of it. Eventually the last rabbit hopped over to Rox. It was Cast. He repeated the words others had said before him. Rox raised her head and whispered.
“Thank you, Cast.” He nodded and came over to Ellie.
“I haven't had a chance to thank you. I am in your debt, not only did you save my life but that of my daughter.” Ellie looked puzzled as Rox hopped over.
“Cast is my father.” And she burst into laughter as Cast grabbed Rox in a big hug.
“I'm so very proud of you, my darling.” Then he snorted. ”I should thank Plume as well, I suppose.” He chuckled, released Rox and placed his paws on Ellie's shoulders.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
*
Rox raced back up the tunnel, with Ellie close behind. Rabbits that had been making their way out flattened themselves against the dirt walls to save from being knocked down.
“Where are we going? What's happening?” Ellie asked breathlessly. Rox didn't answer. She kept on running up and up until they burst from the mouth of the warren, startling quite a number of birds and a fair few rabbits that were standing around chatting. Rox grinned tightly and headed towards a nearby hill. Ellie ran on, having given up on getting Rox to answer. They dashed through long grass, around trees, under fences and dodged some cows, and in some places what cows leave behind in fields on their flight to the top of the hill.
On reaching it Rox slowed and sat down. Ellie stopped next to her, breathing heavily.
“Sorry about that.” Rox said, panting.” But we don't have much time. Did you understand what happened back there?” she asked.
Ellie nodded, but then pulled a face and shook her head. Rox explained.
“All of my family have given me their power. That means I have enough power now to travel to the secret place.”
“Oh,” Ellie said. “Well, that seems simple enough.”
Rox shook her head this time.
“Not quite. When they gave up their power they lost the ability to jump and make the world turn.” Rox paused and looked deep into Ellie's eyes. “It's up to us now. We have to find what I've only heard about in stories. If we fail, the world will stop today when night falls.” Rox hopped away to stand alone and look at the sun. “And I'll never see you again.” She said to the sun.
Ellie moved to stand next to Rox.
“Let me help.” Ellie said.
Rox's nose quivered and a tear rolled down her beautiful black fur. She said to Ellie.
“Those words again. As leader, I've come to learn that they may be the most important words in the world.” Rox brushed her tear away and continued. “Are you sure? If not, I understand. It could be dangerous.”
Ellie simply nodded. Rox stroked Ellie's cheek tenderly and whispered.
“You may want to close your eyes.”
Ellie did, and heard Rox speaking strange words. Like before when she had been changed. Again these words felt heavy in the air and her ears and Ellie knew Rox was about to perform some kind of magic.
Rox's voice became louder, stronger. It was like she was commanding something to happen. Ellie suddenly felt like she was spinning, but she could feel her paws on the ground and they hadn't moved. She opened one eye slightly, and what she saw made her open the other very quickly.
The sun was speeding across the sky so fast it looked as though the sky was blinking. Then Ellie noticed something even stranger. The sun was racing across the sky backwards! In the dizzying light, Ellie could see the ground around the hill was changing while the hill remained as it was. Trees were getting shorter, bushes were shrinking. Snow would appear and disappear in a flash. Streams and rivers would form around the hill and into the land beyond and vanish an instant later. The sun moved faster and faster, blurring everything around her. Ellie could no longer watch and closed her eyes, comforted by the feel of Rox's paws on her head. On and on it went, faster and faster like a fairground ride that was out of control. Ellie screamed and lay down. It was too much. Ellie felt herself drifting away and she passed out.
Chapter 6
“Ellie, Ellie. Wake up.” Rox whispered.
Ellie slowly woke up. She wondered what her mummy was making for breakfast. Maybe bacon, as she could smell burning. Then she remembered what had happened and came awake instantly.
The sky was dark and the ground was orange and black. Towering volcanoes spewed lava into the dust choked sky. Rivers of lava dominated the landscape. The hill was surrounded and the grass near the base of the hill was burning where it came into contact with that hot orange liquid. Wild eyed, Ellie turned to Rox.
“Where are we?” she asked in a shaky voice.
Rox's eyes were a little wild also, but she was looking around with an expression of awe on her face.
“This must be the birth of our world. A long, long time ago.”
Ellie wrinkled her nose and said.
“In school they said the planet is four billion years old.”
Rox started in surprise.
“Years? Are they like our seasons?” Rox asked.
Ellie swallowed, trying to come to terms with what she was seeing.
“I think so, Rox.”
“Incredible.” Rox whispered. Both rabbits turned and looked at this new world before them. Although it was dark, with grey clouds racing across the sky and lava eating at the black land around them it had a wondrous beauty of its own.
“So why are we here?” Ellie asked eventually.
“To see if the legend is true. My family's power has guided us here, I merely spoke the words. It must mean that something in those legends was true!” Rox said desperately.
Ellie looked up into the dark sky. Occasionally, there was a break in the cloud and dust that allowed her to see the night sky and possibly the stars beyond. But the orange glow from the lava was too bright. Ellie knew that at night, if it was too light on the ground you couldn't see many stars. That made what she was seeing very interesting. She could see two very bright stars in the sky and looked at Rox to tell her. Rox though was hopping around, looking at the ground and then at the sky. She would then tap her hind leg on the ground and place her ear in the grass, as if trying to hear something far away.
“Ellie!” Rox said in a shrill tone, hopping from one leg to another in agitation. “The world doesn't turn! I can't feel it turning!” Ellie looked sharply at the ground and then at Rox, who had resumed hitting the ground and laying her ears to it. As Ellie was about to ask how Rox knew this Ellie heard something herself. It was a loud hum, a sound that didn't fit in with the noise of crackling and burning around them. Her sensitive rabbit ears found the source of the hum, it was above her. Looking in that direction she saw the noise seemed to be coming from the stars she had seen. She also noticed something else, the stars were getting bigger.
*
The two lights had visited the forming planets in the outer parts of this new solar system and had now travelled inwards. It was the third planet out from the system's star that caught their interest. They sensed two creatures on it where no life should be at all. This planet was too new for life to have started. Curious, they decided to find out what was going on and descended towards these two strange animals.
*
The closer the two lights came to the planet, the more it tried to pull at them. They knew that all planets, but especially new ones liked to catch you as you travelled past, so you had to be quick or strong to get away. To these two lights it was a wonderful contest that they had played many times.
This time, however, they would start a process that in time would create Ellie and Rox's world.
*
The new world pulled harder and harder at the lights. It wanted them trapped in its rock. Unable to get away, to make them part of it. But the lights moved faster, circling the world to avoid capture. The new world gave up, these two lights were too fast for it. Then, slowly at first and then increasing, the world began to turn.
*
Ellie and Rox watched with fascination as the two lights moved towards them, the hum growing louder. As they approached the hill Rox seemed to stumble, even though she had been standing still. She gasped in shock.
“It's started.” She looked at Ellie, eyes wide and trembling. “They've done it, the world is turning!” Rox said breathlessly.
Even as she said this, the clouds, though still thick and dust choked, brightened for the first time from a new direction, the horizon, as the sun rose on this part of the world for the first time.
“It's them,” whispered Rox, “The White and The Grey.”
*
Although quite stunned at what had been happening, a part of Ellie's mind had reacted to what Rox had said. Ellie looked curiously at the lights and noticed that neither was particularly grey, and wondered where the name came from. The two visitors from the sky came to rest next to the rabbits. The rabbits stared at the lights and even though they had no faces, or any features at all, the rabbits felt sure they were being looked at. Rox cast a quick glance at Ellie, coughed, and moved forward slowly.
“The White and The Grey. I am Rox, leader of my clan. I have come here to ask for your help.” Rox bowed her head to the ground in a show of respect.
The two lights began flickering and pulsing. Ellie had the crazy idea that they seemed to be talking to one another. The light closest to Rox suddenly expanded and enveloped her. Ellie rushed forward with a cry of surprise to protect her friend, but she was knocked backwards when she met the edge of the light.
“Rox!” she shouted. “Rox!”
A voice answered back calmly, coming from the lig
ht.
“Yes, Ellie?”
The glow dimmed and shrank back. Rox was still sitting in the same place but she wasn't moving, and stared unseeing ahead. Ellie rushed over.
“Are you okay, Rox?” she asked anxiously. The black rabbit didn't move, but Rox answered.
“Yes I'm fine…this is very strange!” Ellie hadn't seen Rox's mouth move at all. She was worried now and though stood next to her friend. All of a sudden, she felt very alone.
“Rox, what's happening?!” Ellie asked.
“Sorry.” The light responded. “I didn't, well, we didn't mean to scare you. I'm in here.”As this was said, the light pulsed brightly. Ellie looked back and forth between the pulsing light and the rabbit, completely bewildered.
“The White and The Grey wanted to know about us. They were visiting our solar system and wondered how we got here. They can't talk to us, so they joined with me to learn. That's what they do. They travel the stars, learning about everything! We were a mystery to them so they came to investigate, and when they did the planet started turning!” The light pulsed rapidly as Rox spoke excitedly. “Don't you see, Ellie? It's because of us! The world started turning because we came here!”
Ellie shook her head. It felt like it was full of cotton wool as she tried to understand. Could it be true? Did the world start turning because she and Rox had travelled here?
“And they can show me, show us what it's like. We can travel the stars with them. Can you imagine the things we would see? Oh, Ellie. I promised you a great adventure and this will be the greatest!” As Rox finished speaking from the light the second one began expanding towards Ellie. Ellie moved back quickly to avoid it.
“Ellie.” Rox continued. “Don't be afraid, I want you to come with me. No more being chased by foxes or killed by humans.” Rox-Light laughed. “We will be stronger than planets and outrun the stars themselves!” Rox-Light cried.