Hi Everybody! Guess what? I'm alive! Isn't that great? I have a short message, then a longer message, and then a story for you guys!
My previous fans (if I have any left): I know I haven't updated in forever, but trust me when I say I have good reasons. I will update my other stories soon, probably Illuminate first, because I lost my notebook with my The Fix-its stuff in it. However, I do plan to keep both of those stories going.
Ok, sorry for that side note. This is a collections of one-shots for ROTG, the origins of each Guardian as I saw it. These were written before I knew about the books, so I apologize for them not being canon. The first story will be about Bunnymund, the second about Pitch (I know he's not a Guardian, but I got inspired), the third about North, and the fourth about Toothiana. Yes, I know that Sandy is not on that list, but I just couldn't think of an origin for him for the life of me. If this little thing gets popular, I might create my own Guardian and post their origin on here. If not, have fun with this. Oh, and every chapter will have a different sort of trivia question that I will answer in the next chapter. For this chapter, it's 'What kind of snake is it?' Make sure to post your guesses in the review box!
Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
E. Aster Bunnymund
It was a hot day, even for mid-December. Peter and Susan had taken their pet rabbit, Edmund, out into the yard to play. The children had Lucy, their little sister, with them also. The three children chased fluffy little "Eddie" around on the grass, laughing and tripping over their own feet. The girls' perfectly styled curls soon became mussed, and the boy's waistcoat sported a splash of fresh mud, but they were happy. After a while, they all lay down on the soft vibrant turf, with Edmund curled up in between Susan and Lucy, the white of his fur perfectly matching the shade of their dresses. It was an idyllic scene, with three innocent children sleeping with the fluffy, green-eyed, gray and white rabbit. He was small enough to fit into a lady's hand mit. Everything was perfect on that hot day in Queensland, until Edmund heard an unnatural rustling in the grass.
A snake was slithering towards the group. It was dark tan, with a strange pattern of arrows along its back. Its head was darker than its body. Every instinct told the rabbit to run, even though its rounded head should have been reassuring. The pet knew instantly that this serpent was deadly, and he tensed, ready to run. But it did not seem to have noticed him. Although this kind of snake usually hunted for small mammals like himself, the silent killer was headed for Peter's soft bare foot.
Edmund had a second to act. He could flee, as every nerve muscle, and sinew in his body were telling him to, or he could stay and fight the snake. His life was nearly over anyway; he was an old rabbit, nearing ten years. He had been a gift at Peter's birth, and had witnessed both Susan and Lucy's entries to the world. They were young, so full of life and hope. He couldn't just run away and watch them die. They were his children, and he would give his life for them. He bravely hopped forward, scolding himself when he noticed that his back legs were quivering. The monster noticed him at once, and tasted the air, tongue flickering back and forth to catch the scent. It decided that it preferred rabbit over young human, so it changed direction in its never-ending path. Edmund took a deep breath, leaned back on his haunches, and swiped the snake across the face with his claws.
The reptile lost its sense of hypnotic charming danger and immediately struck at his prey, missing by a hair. Edmund had leapt forward, and landed on the serpent's neck. He bit and clawed as the snake thrashed beneath him. Eventually he found that he was biting into the creature's throat, underneath, where the skin was softer. It reared its head, and for one moment, Edmund knew true, paralyzing fear as two venomous fangs sunk into his flesh. As the death-serum coursed through his veins, he found a new strength that he had never felt before. He fought with everything he had, knowing that he was about to lost it all. With one last cry of victory, he dug his front teeth deep into the vile creature's neck, completely cutting through the snake.
As it twisted and convulsed in its death throes, Edmund at last felt the burning pain. He squealed and flipped down onto the ground, feeling death knocking at the door. His cry of pain must have awoken the children, for he heard them, stirring, almost as if they were far away. When the little girls saw him, heaving and covered in blood next to as snake carcass, they screamed and ran inside. Peter, however, stayed out. He gently picked up his dying pet, and gently stroked his head, speaking softly and gently.
"Eddie, you saved us. You fought the snake, and won. Brave Eddie, not running away from something that could kill you." A tear, shining and sparkling in the sun, fell onto the rabbit's cheek, almost as if he himself had shed it.
"I love you, Eddie," the little boy sobbed out, his blue eyes full of pain. "You've been my friend forever, and I'll never forget you." Forget you... The words echoed in Edmund's mind, and the last thing he saw was Peter's loving face.