Wow. Dang. That was good. And very sad at the same time for obvious reasons. I think you did a great job putting this all together. :-)

Happy writing to you!

Why would you do this to meeeeeee

I'm not an emotional guy... But boi this was sad. It made me cry... Dayum.

Absolutely beautiful.
You made me want to reread Loamhedge. Not my favorite out of the books, but it had good aspects, like the young vermin.

SaaaaaaaaAaaaaaaaaaaad :''""'""""""""((((((((

This was an excellent tribute to Brian Jacques, and all of his various characters across the series. You gave us a glimpse into the minds of several creatures in pivotal moments. And some of these moments were brand new, others a reminder of what already happened, and others of what is to come.

Not only have you done Brian Jacques himself justice, but all of his creations as well.

Thank you so much for this one-shot.

Well this is practically a gift from the heavens for people like me who love character sketches!

At the same time, it's extremely hard to critique as it follows an unconventional format. Of course, this isn't to say that it's ineffective in what it does. It's quite effective in setting up a variety of different reactions, and fascinating ones at that. I can't think of much to say other than that I really really enjoyed the contrasts, particularly how you could have two characters in a very similar situation, but they're handling it so very differently. Contrasting Keyla and Tullgrew versus Kroova, for example. They fit well and they all felt in-character concerning their backgrounds and stories.

Naturally I have to say that I always like it when Veil pops up, even in a relatively short section. It just has a lot of oomph to me and brings up the seldom-wondered question of "What did Veil see in his future?". Whatever it was, it probably wasn't what happened for sure.

I also rather like that you remembered Groddil, who's an oft-forgotten vermin and who might actually be the only example of a reformed fox. Certainly he's one of the more sympathetic vermin. The scene with Blaggut was rather sweet, and it's good to see someone do even a short follow-up of what happened with him.

The scene with Flinky and Crinktail is another interesting one, because in the books we seldom see vermin being actually, genuinely affectionate towards each other, even the mated pairs. Yet if they're a mated pair, surely they had some degree of affection for each other. It was very welcome to actually get to see that shown. Lugg's seeking of revenge against Zwilt would fit into that as well, though in a more vermin-y context. For whatever reason, based on what we've seen of vermin in the books, revenge is a far more verminous quality than romance.

Anyhow, I think I've managed to say an awful lot of nothing, so I'll end this with saying it was nice to be able to read something else from you, and that I enjoyed these little snippets!

To be, or not to be-that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune;
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep -
No more - and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep-
To sleep-perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprise of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.

It is the fear of death that drives us to pursue a full life, and to leave our mark on the world after our passing. They say a man dies twice: once when his soul leaves his body, and again when his name is spoken for the last time. Brian made his impression on the world, and it is our responsibility to ensure that his name lasts until there are none left to speak of it.