Jack was downright exhausted. It had been a long winter, especially with Jokul. Usually, the two rarely crossed last time that met ended up sinking the unsinkable ship. Besides, the two were nearly polar opposites, the only thing relating them was their season. Not to mention Jokul hated Jack, even trying to have a go at him pretty much every time they came across each other. Hence the past winter tragedies.
"Time to head home, huh Wind?" Jack spoke into the air surrounding him.
Wind responded as best she could: a comforting breeze. She was definitely as tired as he was.
"Hey, Frost." A guy landed on the ground a few paces away from Jack.
Jack suppressed a groan, already wanting to be done. "What do you want, Jokul? Shouldn't you be causing trouble elsewhere?"
The man in question shrugged. "Eh, I figured I should see my favorite winter spirit. Am I not allowed to say hi?"
Jack scoffed, leaning onto his staff. "Don't. What do you really want?"
Jokul put his hands up, both of which were suffering from a minor case of frostbite. "Alright, alright. You got me." He looked around. They were standing on the sidewalk of a town in Connecticut. There was snow from a small storm about a week ago. Jack figured the kids wouldn't mind looking for eggs in a little snow, but didn't want to ruin the holiday. Jokul continued speaking, "See, I'm not a huge fan of Easter. Or the Easter Bunny, for that matter. I figured a couple less believers ought to knock the cocky bastard down a peg."
Panic started wrapping around Jack's chest. Bunny already had his reserved about the winter spirit, probably thinks him and Jokul are the same guy. Not to mention the kids believed in the Easter Bunny. They relied on the guy, and if he didn't deliver, who knows what could happen. "Look, Jokul, you can't do that?"
"Please, who's gonna stop me?" He rolled his eyes, looking around again. Only now did Jack notice the greedy anticipation lighting up Jokul's eyes.
"I will, but could you just listen for a sec? I don't think you understand what could happen." Jack took a step towards him, nearly pleading. He had to try at least something. He didn't want another Titanic.
"And you do? Face it, neither of us are believed in, and Easter is definitely not going to change that. Hell, have the spirits I know thing we're the same guy, which is insulting, so why not shake up a few of them?"
"The kids, Jokul. They rely on him to give them Easter." Jack tried again. Hoping it would work. Oh the irony.
"Is that all you really care about, Jack? The kids? They don't believe in you!" Jokul was shouting now. His anger forcing the temperature to drop noticeably. "Not a single one, Jack! You aren't seen! Known! You're just a myth!"
"How is that their fault?" Jack knew it was no use now, but he couldn't help it. He was as angry as Jokul, just as desperate, but he knew hurting people, killing children, wasn't the answer.
"It's called picking up a book. They've all heard of us. I hear all the damn time that Jack's gonna come "nipping at your nose"," He waved his hands around mockingly. "That is the only thing keeping us going. You and I both know winter will go on without us. Do you really want to just be an expression?"
Jack didn't-couldn't respond. He most certainly didn't want that, and he didn't want to fade. But he couldn't just hurt people. It wasn't their fault he wasn't believed it. Besides, he was here for a reason, he knew that, but he just hadn't figured out what the reason was yet.
"Whatever. Try and stop me if you want. I don't really care." Jokul said before leaving, shooting un in the air, and onto the wind.
Jack sighed before going after him. It obviously wasn't going to end well, at least he could try and contain it.
Jokul was already at work. He was above the clouds, which were gathering rapidly. The were growing darker at an alarming rate. "Please, just stop this." Jack tried one last time, not even trying to cover up his plead.
Jokul only scoffed. He took a deep breath, and lifted his hands up. Jack, already knowing this would cause a catastrophic blizzard, threw himself at the other winter spirit. "No!" The word, barely audible with the howling wind, slipped past Jack's lips and fell with the snow. It was too late, the storm was in full swing, and jokul slipped past Jack. He was gone in seconds.
Jack tried his damnest to get the storm to the coast, where it can rage over the seas and hopefully not harm anyone. It wouldn't even budge. Wind was sucked right to the storm, she being just as powerless as Jack. The only thing he could do, when it started wearing out, was end it as quickly as possible.
Jack already knew he'd get more than an earful from Mother Nature, and he figured the Easter Bunny would be infuriated. He didn't, however, realize the guy would actually seek him out.
He was resting on a tree branch, slouching against the trunk. He was as beat up the land, nursing a twisted ankle and sprained wrist. His hair was tinged a slight pink, assumably from the countless blows to the head he got. Not to mention all the bruising and other minor cuts.
A hole formed not from the tree, and out came the Easter Bunny, aka E. Aster Bunnymund (or any various of the name). He was as overgrown as the kids were led to believe, although not nearly as fat. "Jack Frost!" The words, slurred with an Australian accent, made Jack cringe.
He cussed under his breath, but slipped to the ground anyway. "What's up, Cottontail?"
The bunny turned around to face him, a glower plastered to his face. With his ears flattened, he stomped over to the boy. "What's up? What's up? Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Clearly said the wrong thing." He replied, stuffing his hands into the kangaroo pouch on his sweatshirt.
"Don't you smart ass me! You ruined Easter!" He bellowed, shaking with anger.
"Well, I didn't exactly ruin it since you're still up and running. Well, yelling, more like it." He replied. He tried shifting his weight a little, but his ankle protested rather loudly.
"Will you just take this seriously! People are dead! And it's all your fault!" Bunnymund took hold of Jack's color, lifting him up, and shoving him against the tree.
Jack's eyes widened. "Dead?" The question was soft, bewildered. He did the best he could, and people were still dead? How many children? Did Jokul even care?
"Yes, you dense drongo! Dead!" He yelled. "Do you even care?!"
Anger made Jack shove Bunnymund away. He landed on his bad ankle and nearly collapsed. "Care? Of course I care! I did the best I could!" He slammed his staff on the ground, and trail of frost shooting towards the bunny.
"How could you care if you did this?" Bunnymund was back to yelling, though he did take a step back to avoid the frost.
Jack shook his head, taking a step at nearly every word. "You're so blind, so ignorant. You, none of you guardians notice. I try so hard, and for what? To get my ass chewed out by some overgrown rabbit?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bunnymunds voice was still loud, but not shouting, probably muted from the confusion.
"Ugh, I'm out of here." Just as Jack turned, Bunnymund grabbed on to his arm.
For one silly moment, Jack imagined the two of them having a decent, heartwarming conversation. Of course, that was thrown right back into his face when Aster opened his mouth. "Where the hell are you going, mate? You have to clean up this mess."
Jack rolled his eyes, yanked his arm away, and looked back at him. "It's not my mess to clean up. Besides, I've got business to take care off." Not that you care anyway, that, though, was more of an afterthought, so he didn't bother to add it in.
He didn't stick around to listen to what Aster would have to say next. Instead, it went to seek out Jokul, more than ready to tear him a new one.