So another A Dab of Frost/ A Cup of Stars oneshot, huh? And still more on the way if I can get them the way I want to!

This one is a little...different I think. Funny, then sad maybe, then feels maybe, then funny again? WHOA. CALM DOWN ME.

NO WAY ME I GOTTA DO THIS SHIT.

Anyway, I think you'll be okay reading this if you haven't read A Dab of Frost or A Cup of Stars...some maybe spoiler things...idk. Calm yourself. go read the others if you're nervous about it I guess.

Emjoy

Oneshot: ROtG: A Dab of Frost/ A Cup of Stars

Hopelessly Lost In Hope

"Hey, it's been a while since we saw Kangaroo, hasn't it?"

Taylor turned to me in question, seemingly caught off guard by my sudden question. She cocked her head to the side and held her hand to her chin in thought as she walked over to me, my snowflake swinging aimlessly around her neck.

"Yeah, it has, huh?" She paused and lowered her hand, grinning at me. "You wanna go mess with him for a bit? I'm sure he's just longing to have his ears frozen again." She giggled and I smirked.

"Now you're speaking my language," I jumped up from the couch, tucking Taylor's star into my hoodie and grabbing my Frost Staff. "Let's go!"

I was out the window before she could even bring herself to float in the air as well, but I caught the glow of her body approaching me out of the corner of my eye.

It was great having someone with the same thought process as you.

The Warren was just as I remembered it; green, colorful, and swarming with eggs.

But where's Bunny?

"Wonder where he is…," Taylor started, floating over to my side as we both scanned the area for the Pooka. "Split up to look?" She turned to me in question and I nodded.

"Sure. Can't be too hard, right? I mean, he's the only rabbit around here." I said and she nodded, flying off and following the colored river of egg dye. I flew my own way past the trail of Easter Lilies.

Following the flowers gave me no results, as did looking for the groups of wandering eggs. Still nothing yet, maybe Taylor was having more luck than I was.

"Bunny? Bunny!" Taylor called out, having let herself drop to the grassy ground on her feet. Still no Bunny. "Come on out!"

Her body brightened a little at the sound of a familiar Australian accent not far off. A smirk found its way to her face when she finally found him, muttering to himself with a checklist of sorts in his paws.

Just one little prank on the Pooka without Jack couldn't hurt, right?

She stifled a giggle as she floated carefully and silently over to him, making sure she stayed out of sight. Just when she was directly behind him, she slowly let herself touch the ground once more, not failing to catch that familiar hint of blue zip by and watch from afar. See? Jack was okay with it; in fact, he was encouraging it.

She reached a hand out to scare Bunny, but just as she did so…

He opened a tunnel beneath his feet and hopped inside, taking Taylor by surprise.

So unprepared for such an event, she didn't get the chance to fly away from the whole, and instead fell inside with a yelp of surprise.

"Tay!" She heard Jack's voice approaching just as the tunnel had begun to close.

"Jack!" She cried, flying up to the closing hole immediately. But she was too late.

The hole had closed. She was officially stuck in the maze that was the tunnel system.

And Bunny was already gone, having not heard her at all.

"Jack!"

"Tay!" I flew over to the tunnel, though I landed just as it closed, a small flower sprouted in its place, like always.

And no Taylor.

"Tay! Can you hear me?" I shouted to the ground, pounding on it, praying to the moon that she could hear me somehow. "Hey! Answer me!"

There was a very, very distant murmur below me and I sighed in relief.

"Just hang tight, okay? I'll find you!" I shouted back, hoping she could understand me, eve through all this dirt.

How can I get inside the tunnels without Bunny though? Was it even possible?

I groaned, freezing the grass below me in frustration.

"All I can do is wait for that damn kangaroo to come back…" I muttered, but I flew off around the Warren anyway, still hanging on to the idea of there being another way into his tunnels.

Taylor could hear Jack saying something, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what.

So instead she sighed heavily in defeat, leaning against the wall and letting herself slide down to the ground.

"What am I gonna do…?" She muttered to herself, deciding to instead look at her surroundings. Even Bunny's tunnels looked beautiful- covered in perfectly-grown grass, small rays of sunlight somehow not coming from the outside world, and random patches of flowers growing in various places, sometimes on the ceiling.

Whatever Jack was telling her, she wasn't sure she was doing. But she couldn't just sit here and wait, right? Right.

She stood up and dusted herself off, walking down the way opposite to where she'd fallen in, taking a right turn here, a left turn there, up or down to a different level there as well.

And a dead end here.

"Of course I still get lost easily," Taylor groaned and ran a hand through her blonde hair. "Doesn't matter if I'm immortal or not."

There was the sound of something falling and she whirled around to face the culprit of said sound. Just a couple pebbles rolling off the wall to the floor. She let out a heavy sigh and started walking down the tunnel again, back to where she came to take the other direction.

"Come… On…" I gritted my teeth, trying as best as I could to pull the stone door open. It was the same door we'd come through when trying to get back all the believers.

After a few more minutes of pulling with no results, I finally flew back, away from the door, breathing heavily.

"Damn it…," I growled, clenching my fists in frustration. "There has to be a way to get I those tunnels. I can't keep waiting on Bunny to come back!" I cried, fighting the urge to pull my own hair out.

It's been hours since Taylor got stuck in his tunnels. Should I go to North's? Maybe Bunny went there… But what if he comes back while I'm gone? What if he's not at North's at all but somewhere else entirely?

"I don't know what to do…" I muttered, letting myself fall to the ground on my knees in defeat.

Maybe she can find the way back on her own?

More turns, more dead ends, and more back-tracking. And still no exit in sight.

Taylor was beginning to feel panic set in. This place was like a maze, what if she never saw Jack again? What if she just missed Bunny when he came through his tunnels again? What if he already came and her chance was gone?

"Jack…?" She started small, her pace quickening slightly. "Bunny? Jack?"

She was running now, the lighting around the tunnel darkening slightly with her showed her body had dimmed significantly. "Jack! Bunny!"

Next thing she knew, her face met dirt. She'd tripped and fell. She forced herself up on hands and knees, unable to fight the tears of fear pricking at her eyes.

"Jack…," She sobbed. "Help me, please… I can't do it…" She felt absolutely terrible for falling apart so easily, but she hated it in here. It looked beautiful at first, but now all she wanted to do was burn it with her stars, despite the scolding she'd probably get from Bunny. He'd probably never speak to her again if she did that.

But she couldn't take it anymore… What was she to do?

"I don't wanna end up alone down here…"

"Frost?"

I yelped in surprise when I felt a hand on my shoulder- or rather, a paw- and jumped away from its owner, whirling around to face them.

"Bunny?"

There he was, standing tall and looking at me with both confusion and irritation.

"What the 'ell are ya doin' here, Mate? Did ya mess with my eggs again?" He said, pointing at me suspiciously. I immediately shook my head and allowed the wind to hover me in the air to be at eye level with him.

"No, I didn't mess with them, I swear. But Tay- she fell into the hole when you left and- and she's probably freaking out like crazy! Let me go into the tunnels to find her- we-"

"Shut it already!" He suddenly shouted and I flinched back in surprise, my eyes widened as well. After a few moments though, his eyes softened and he frowned at me. "Now, what happened? Where's the Sheila?" He asked. I took a deep breath.

"Okay… Tay and I came here to… Visit you. She found you right when you went through your tunnel, and she fell in. She couldn't fly out in time and, well… I've been trying to find a way in ever since." I sighed when I was done. Bunny stared at me for a few moments.

"…You've gotta be kiddin' me," He said, but I just shook my head and he groaned. "Alright, I'll go find 'er. Wait here, Frostbite." He took a few steps away and thumped his foot on the ground, creating yet another hole.

"I'm coming with you." I flew in front of him before he could jump in. He only glared at me.

"No way, Mate. All you'll do is get lost like Taylor prob'ly did too." He said.

"I never said we'd split up, Cottontail. You know the way, I just want to find her, alright? Come on Bunny." I pleaded. He seemed to be fighting it for a while, but he finally gave in.

"Alright, fine. C'mon, Frosty." And with that he jumped in the hole, me following soon after. The hole closed behind us as we rushed through the maze.

"How long has the Sheila been stuck in 'ere?" Bunny asked as he hopped. I paused for a moment in thought.

"Couple hours." Left turn. Right turn. Maybe he could smell Taylor? Did he not when she had tried to scare him somehow?

"Oh boy," He groaned. Up a level. Right turn. "She's prob'ly goin' out of her bloody mind by now then, eh?" He looked at me somewhat jokingly, though my troubled expression seemed to make him decide against it.

"Let's just find her soon."

The tunnels were dark. It must be nighttime.

Bunny had started to low down a while back, and of course, since he was leading the way, I had to stay behind as well.

"I gotta take a break, Mate," He finally sighed, hopping to a stop and leaning against the grassy wall. "Who'd a thought Taylor could get this lost so fast, eh?" He said somewhat jokingly and I frowned.

"I know, I know- but she can't be that much farther away by now, could she?" I started desperately. All I wanted was to find Taylor and get out of here, back home. She wasn't exactly making this easy on us.

"I can't tell anymore, Frostbite. Could be close, could be far. I got nothin'," He frowned before plopping down on all fours and curling up tight against the wall now. "For now let's jus' rest. She'll be alright waitin' a bit longer, I bet." He breathed and I sighed heavily, leaning against the wall but refusing to let my feet touch the ground.

"I guess, but…," I clutched my staff close to my body and lowered my head. Bunny just nudged me from down below and I sighed. "Alright, fine. We'll wait."

But as soon as Bunny's asleep…

Taylor could feel her heart beating faster and faster with every turn, every level going up or down, and every dead end she reached.

She wanted so badly just to burst through the walls and fight her way through back to Jack- but she also knew that physically impossible for someone of her strength… Or lack thereof.

Everything had become a blur in the current haze that was her mind. Her panic had all but blinded her thoughts and actions, now only doing so as to keep the sensation that she kept moving forward. The more time she wasted sitting around feeling sorry for herself, the more time she left Jack to fret and worry and maybe even come in here himself somehow.

She was tired- a part of her wished Sandy would send a dream her way and just let her sleep- and she just realized how thirsty she was and that she hadn't even eaten this morning. Her stomach growled at the thought and she felt like screaming, she just wanted out of this place. These damn tunnels…

She stumbled to a stop- as stumble-like as flying can be, anyway- and leaned against the grassy wall, taking deep breaths as she did. She hoped it would help to calm herself down, at least a little bit… Didn't really help much, though.

She thought about something that could help, but her mind just went back to Jack, still waiting for her above ground. She sighed, already having to wipe away fresh tears with her sleeves.

She couldn't believe how much she was losing her mind in here- it's just tunnels! And really pretty ones, no less! But it was the fact that these were literally tunnels that ran around the entire world- tunnels that had no exit unless Bunny was the one using them. If she didn't find him… She was doomed.

"Jack…" She muttered, her vision blurring with even more tears. She didn't want to stop them this time, though. She pulled her knees to her chest and lowered her eyes, staring at her boots that were dyed a light green at the tips from the grass.

She wanted out. To go home. To find Bunny. To get back to Jack. But…

She couldn't do anything now.

She sniffed and buried her face in her knees, closing herself away even tighter. Her body was so dim it was actually darker than the night light of the tunnels.

Her hand suddenly glowed with a star, waiting to be fired wherever she willed it to be.

"I'm scared…"

"Sorry Bunny."

I wasn't though, I thought as I floated away from the sleeping Pooka in silence. As soon as I was far enough, I sped up significantly, everything else becoming a blur.

"I have to find Tay, with or without your help."

I was desperate. Sure there's nothing else in here but us, but Taylor could still get hurt somehow.

If only I had something that could help me, like the other guardians do. Tooth has her fairies, North has the yetis and elves, Bunny has his eggs, hell, even Sandy can use his dream sand to find people sometimes. What do I have?

Nothing, that's what. I sighed.

"Without anyone's help, I guess." I groaned.

A right turn here, a level up there, dead ends and turns all around. Nothing yet. Nothing except…

Wait, what's that smell?

I stopped and focused on the strange, new scent. It was getting stronger now, like something was burning…

Uh oh.

"Dammit Tay," I muttered to myself. If she's doing what I think she's doing, then… "At least it helps me to find you faster."

Bunny will be furious though.

"Tay!" I called out. She has to be close by now. "Taylor! Answer me!"

Still nothing. I followed the strong smell of smoke as best I could. It was getting stronger again.

The smell was now accompanied by the physical thing it came from. The smoke blurred my vision and burned my throat. And it was getting warmer.

"Gotta find her and get out, I guess." It would be too much for me in no time, after all.

I decided to call out to her one more time. "Taylor! Are you there? It's me!" I shouted.

This time, I got what I'd been searching for.

"Jack?" Came a distant voice, seemingly hindered by the smoke as well. My heart skipped a beat.

"Tay! Come closer! I'm right here!" I made my way through the heat and darkness caused by the obvious burning of her stars. Bunny's going to be seriously pissed.

Oh well, he can deal with it.

"Jack!" There she is, running out of the smoke like a bullet in fast forward. I'm pretty sure that tightness on my face is me grinning like I'm sure I did on Christmas day when I was human, for she was glowing as bright as the lights you put on the tree.

I open my arms just as she jumps forward, her own arms squeezing me tightly. She was already crying.

"Jack! I'm so glad you came!" She laughed with relief. "I thought I was never gonna get out of these tunnels… I-I thought…" She broke off into a sob and I smiled into her hair, tightening my hold on her ever so slightly.

"You're okay. I got you, alright? You're okay, Tay…" I was sure that through all that heat and smoke, she welcomed my cold touch even more. Her own body had been so heated by the stars I thought for a moment she had a fever or something.

"How did you find me?" She asked, only pulling away enough to look at me. Her body was significantly brighter than it had been moments before, somehow.

"Well, I'm not sure if you're aware, but I have a sixth sense that tracks any sexy falling stars at any given time, and-"

"Jack."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, alright. Bunny helped me," I said and Taylor looked behind me, expecting to see said Pooka smirking at us or joking at our expense. I shrugged. "He also doesn't know I left him behind. He's asleep back there."

"Is that so?" Suddenly, all traces of past fear and sadness are gone, replaced by a familiar, mischievous expression that excites me more than her smile. I grin wide and she catches my eye. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

I take a moment smooth down her hair and step to the side, willing a huge gust of wind by to get rid of the smoke, then freeze over the burned grass. She nodded in thanks, but her expression never changed. Neither did my own.

"Pretty sure," I started, letting my silence tease her for the moment. "Payback?"

She nodded. "Payback."

I smirked and threw an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close to me, taking that moment to cup her chin and kiss her for a long few moments.

"That's what I like to hear."

So am I an asshole? Or am I a good person?

I feel like I'm taking some risks with these oneshots...I'm not sure.

So yeah, lemme know if you liked this ok? And if you liked this but haven't read A Dab of Frost or A Cup of Stars, give them a shot too if you'd like. I have plenty of other oneshots too, some will be like WHOA, SPOILERS BRO, but some should be ok. Meh. I don't really care

REVIEW BEFORE FAVING PLEASE

thank you!