I own not Bunnymund, who is of Dreamworks, but rather Cupid. Now I can knock off this disclaimer most insipid.


A familiar 6 foot rabbit trotted through his home territory, the springtime this domain was well known for abound all around him. Bird-sung melodies enchanting and sweet, flowers blooming into various shades of primary and secondary colors, waters sparkling like diamond—yes, today seemed like a lovely day in Bunnymund's warren. Perfect, even...

So why, pray tell, was Bunnymund not having a good day? Well, for starters, the answer wore a tiny green sweater, red corduroys, and black, red, and green colored Converses and had dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail, even though fashion sense was not the real issue here. Unfortunately, none of the living things Bunnymund had seen so far even remotely matched that description.

"Where the bloody hell could that brat be?" Okay, granted, Bunny never said such harsh comments about children, especially not out loud, but this particular child he'd been tasked with training had been a real pain in the ass from the get-go and...Well, needless to say, the Guardian of Hope was just about on his last thread of patience thanks to that girl's rebellious attitude.

Even Jack was easier to handle than her—well, okay, maybe not a lot easier, but still easier. At least Bunnymund could get the punk to back off (even if only temporarily) with a good stare-down. This girl, on the other hand, could probably have a stare-down with the Devil and still be unmovable. Sometimes, that kid just had too much obstinacy for her own good.

After a while of fruitless searching, the Pooka finally found his elusive quarry. From where he stood in the bushes, two dangling feet could be seen hanging from a nearby tree, the upper body of the limbs' owner obstructed from view thanks to the thick, green foliage. Without even the slightest hesitation, Bunnymund sauntered up to the tree's trunk and leaned against it nonchalantly, arms crossed, waiting for a snarky comment to be shot down at him.

None came.

'Odd—the little brat's usually rarin' to take a shot at me.' Bunny gazed up at the branch that hung just above his head and that served as the seat of a tiny angel girl. Her legs were up to her chest and were wrapped up by her arms. She could have easily have seen him at this angle—so why the silence? What had happened to this girl's spitfire attitude? Now the Guardian of Hope was really worried. Aside from furrowed eyebrows, Bunnymund remained neutral in expression.

So many words could have passed between him and the lone brunette to assuage the ongoing tension.

"Anklebiters like you shouldn' be out here by their lonesome." Nice choice of words...

The angel girl scowled and tightened her grip on her legs, refusing to look Bunny's way. "I can handle myself, fuzzball," she lowly retorted with a squeaky voice full of defensive defiance. Before she could react, Bunnymund hopped onto the branch and sat down next to her, the branch creaking a bit at the added weight but otherwise still proving sturdy. The two beings remained in silence for a while, only the crickets and other creatures native to the land contributing their sounds to the conversation.

"Great job so far, pipsqueak." That statement is what Cupid expected to hear; Bunny always said it whenever he heard her complaints. Ever since she'd been discovered to be a reincarnated Guardian, Cupid, an orphan who had long since forgotten her true name, had had to put up with the Pooka's unrelenting training exercise, his sarcastic means of talking to her, and his continued impassive coldness.

Cupid shook her head violently, trying her hardest to stem the tears threatening to escape her. Where had those rivulets of saltwater even come from? And why did they have to appear in front of fuzzball, of all magical beings? 'Why should he care anyway? I'm just an extra problem to him, just like how I was to the grown-ups at the orphanage.' Unlike her former name, the jeers and taunts from other children and insults from contemptuous adults, sadly, still remained fresh in her young, impressionable mind. 'I'm better off being by myself anyway. Can't anyone get something as simple as that right?'

A sudden pressure on her head halted her thoughts, freezing her breath and bringing the focus of startled navy blue irises to the elder rabbit gazing down at her through bright emerald eyes. The frown on Bunnymund's muzzle held neither bite nor insult but rather something...warmer.

"I know how it feels to be damaged." Bunny leaned down so that he and his young ward could look each other in the eye. "But it ain't a question of whether you can stay whole; it's a question of whether ya willing to pick the pieces back up." With a tender smile on his white-furred muzzle, Bunny reached a hand to Cupid's cheek and, to the angel's total shock, wiped a tear that managed to escape her notice.

Words failed Cupid at this point for she remained speechless, shell-shocked by the compassion this Guardian had proven to her through both word and action. For that reason, she showed no resistance when the hulking warrior scooped her up in his lean but strong arms and cradled her gently and protectively against his soft, furry chest, her head coming to rest just below his chin. "Now listen, I don't know what sorta bull those people back at the orphanage told ya...and I couldn't care less 'bout it. And I want you ta do the same. Now look at me. Look at me."

The unsure angel, for once, did as she was told, still asking herself whether this whole reality was a psychotic dream. The smile her eyes showed her when she tilted her head upward was all the proof she needed.

But Bunny wasn't done yet. "Repeat what I'm gonna say. You ah kind. You ah smart. You ah important." (1)

"Y-you are kind. You...are smart. You are important." In all honesty, Cupid felt rather stupid doing this repetition, yet she went through it anyway for Bunny's sake of mind; he had been a good comfort to her so she figured she might as well return the favor.

"You are kind. You are smart. You are important," the two chanted together, eyes boring into those of the other like drills into the earth. "You are kind. You are smart. You are important."

'Kind...smart...important...' More and more, Cupid felt a sort of deep-seated weight in her heart lift as she continued chanting this strange, little mantra. She felt...lighter now, almost like her wings could fly her forever and never tire. Weird as it sounded, that little chant had actually done the trick for her.

And she finally smiled—for only a second or two, much to the Pooka's notice and responding worry. Believe it or not, a question tumbled its way into Cupid's mind and she could no longer stave off the urge to hold it in. "Bunny...?"

"Yeah, kid...?"

The white-winged child fidgeted with the edge of her shirt before looking back up at Bunny in uneasy anticipation. "Do you really think I'm all that special?"

A confidently grinning Bunny scoffed lightheartedly as if that sentence had been the stupidest question he'd ever heard. "Guardian or no Guardian, would I have taken ya in if I had ever thought you weren't? Just looking a' you is all the proof I need ta believe that you're worth the trouble of training! Oh...and about the way I've been these last few weeks," his expression waned but did not vanish, "I'm not sorry for acting the way I did, but I am sorry for what it made ya think."

Bunny held Cupid closer, nuzzling her forehead with his nose to elicit a small giggle from her—and succeed beautifully. "I do care about ya, kiddo. That's why I'm so tough on ya. Being a Guardian ain't uh cakewalk; all sorts of things can happen. I just wanna make certain you'll be ready to face 'em when the time's right."

The ends of Cupid's lips upturned, but one more inquiry lingered on her tongue and wished to be fulfilled before a smile could truly spring up. "Bunny...will I have to go back to practice soon? I feel like doing something else now."

To Cupid's sudden nervousness, a frown became dominant on the older Guardian's face. For the space of that moment, she feared that he'd indeed say "no."

Instead and to her immense relief, the frown proved to be a result of Bunny thinking for before long, with a buck-toothed smile back on his face, he suddenly inquired, both eyebrows raised, "Wanna visit Tooth?"

The springtime warrior's smile grew even wider along with that of his darling, disbelieving sprite. "R-R-Really...?"

Bunnymund nodded. "Course...! Haven't been to see her in a while meself, in fact. I think we could both use a change of scenery anyway."

A fierce hug instantly enveloped the rabbit's thick neck as his angel buried her face into his cloud-soft fur, her head sinking an indentation into the pelt like a sleepy noggin into a pillow. The paternal lapine gladly returned the heart-warming gesture, his grip on her tight but snug.

'You'll neva' be alone, my little doe. I promise.'


(1) From "The Help"—I heavily recommend it!