Easter Trouble

By Tomoyo-chan

A Rise of the Guardians Fanfic

April was not pleased. After the time years ago when the Easter Bunny jumped right over her holiday, she had made a point to make sure the rabbit knew he couldn't overshadow her holiday like that. He had been good and stayed away from her holiday for almost half a century. Sometimes he would come very close, but made sure they were at least a day apart. Until this year.

This year he had stolen her show.

This year, she wasn't letting him get off with only every sheet in his den ending up hanging in the trees. But to do the best she could, she needed help. She and Jack had had an on-again off-again prank war since the 1700s. He was always good with a bit of fun. With a little luck, she could get his help setting up the best prank ever in the rabbit's Warren before he came back.

It was late February when she caught sight of him, sending a bit of cold weather down the easter seaboard. "Hey, Jack!"

"Hey April." He flicked at her nose, and the Wind obliged with a cold breeze.

He didn't stop shepherding the winds about, sending flurries of snow after young squirrels to watch them skitter about. She flipped around so she was walking backwards, and upside down, as she proposed to Jack her plan. "So I was thinking-"

"Dangerous pastime. Who's the lucky victim?"

"Like you're any better. Anyway, I was thinking the Bunny needs to be reminded why he should stay away from my holiday."

"The Easter Bunny?"

"Is there any other?" It was a genuine question as much as a tease; so many new spirits came and went in these days of faster than light communication. There was even something called a 'Glitch' that had become the spirit of bad luck within this technology.

"...what exactly?"

"Something special. Maybe dumping a used car into his front yard. Ooh, or sneaking a dog into one of his tunnels. It will be hilarious to watch him run around trying to keep away."

"It would be a bit hard to grab a dog when neither of us are all that solid."

He had a point. "We could wait until he's asleep and then shave him?" It was uninspired, but it was a classic.

"Too much. Maybe filling his refrigerator with plastic bugs?"

April pouted. She had really wanted to see how funny he looked when shaved. When he was wet he looked like a giant drowned rat. It must be even better with no fur at all.

"Why not, Jack? You love fun."

"April, you do know he's my friend now. And even if he wasn't it's not nice."

"Huh?"

"Yea, almost six years now. You didn't hear about that? It was huge news at the time." He shrugged. "I'll help you with pranks but I won't let you go overboard."

Jack had never turned down a prank before. He had soldered Pumpkin Jack's front door closed before; the pumpkin had to leave his house via window all day until he got it replaced. Jack had completely unraveled her favorite sweater. He had added siren's blood with her to people's drinks at the Summer Ball, just to watch them fall over each other trying to impress their new crushes. No prank was too much if it was in the name of fun.

"Don't be boring Jack. It's almost like you're a grownup." April whispered the final word, as though it was a dirty word.

Jack paused for a moment, hanging in midair until the Wind let him down. "Huh. Maybe I am, a little."

April's eyes widened. She and Jack had always been like Peter Pan, never growing up. They were some of the few eternally child spirits, if a little into puberty. For Jack to say he was growing up...

"And that's why I'm going to say this now. We've both gone too far in the past. But there's a difference between pranking and bullying. One day you'll have to learn the difference."

April shook her head. She knew the difference... it was not like any of her pranks were permanent, however bad they were in the moment. So what if not everyone liked them. Some people didn't like nuts; didn't mean everyone else couldn't enjoy them.

"Really, April, isn't it more fun coming up with something elaborate and new than just a mean prank?"

She wanted to say no. He had betrayed her. He was growing up. But Jack knew all the best pranks, and he rarely went for the obvious one. He was probably the closest April had to a best friend.

"Why can't we stay young forever, Jack?"

Jack smiled sadly. "Because no one else is."

She flipped so she was right way up. She didn't look at him as she moved away in a zig-zag pattern. "If you can come up with something better, I'll do that instead. Otherwise I'm heading over to the rabbit's with kitchen shears."

April didn't look back, but she could feel Jack's gaze on her back. Why do we have to change?

Authors Note: April Fools Day is always a little odd for me. I believe that pranks should be silly and more confusing for the recipient than harmful. Taping a note to your roommates door that says 'April Fools' when you didn't actually do anything and spending half an hour laughing as they try to find what you did? Good prank. Replacing their shampoo with hair remover? Bad prank. Please only pull good pranks.

This one got even heavier than the last. Sorry, I didn't meant to get preachy, it just went that way. April didn't even get to pull an on-screen prank.