Hesitantly he tapped his left foot twice. Holding his breath.
Much to his relief it opened a welcoming hole. Feet first he dived in; he took a second to check his paws -hands-, far too soft, useless. Jogging it was then; slow and tedious.
Clambering out of the mirroring hole, which without the hind legs was a shambled effort. He strode into the wide red-dressed toymakers lobby which was busy with imagination, spirit-filled wonder and 8 foot tall Yetis.
"Hey Ivan! Pete!" he awkwardly chuckled as two gruff Yetis shuffled closer. Unseeingly aware that this visit was a friendly one; reflexively he put his two new hands up. Their stiffness was a shadow of the Yeti's he used to visit sometimes, even drink with on occasion. With surprisingly swift moves for the pounds, they had him by the crook of the elbow. Their huge hands effortlessly carrying his weight leaving his feet paddling the air.
"Oi! What do you think you're doin'?!" he struggled against their strength; his own was only half of what he remembered, if that "Paws off!"
The yetis stared at him wide eyed and things went silent in the once bustling work floor. The elves whispered to each other, pushing and shoving as he was carried off into North's office, "Seriously, you pair of pikers, leg- go!"
Without warning they did as they were commanded once they reached the inside of North's office. Sneering, Bunnymund brushed himself down as the pair turned to leave. The older man behind the desk stared at him but not without a touch of confusion himself. His wary expression was a heavy contrast to the one on the battlefield, the perfect illusion; he was a husk of a man, the vessel embodiment of childlike wonder, magic, and the very joy of Christmas itself.
Sitting back on a large red velvet chair he oversaw his latest toy creation, which by the looks of it was the combination of a jet ski, rollercoaster and a tank. His tools cowered in his overly large hands as he set them aside to focus on the other being that had abruptly bee dumped in the room.
"And who be you?" stroking the thick beard, he examined the tall creature; seemingly human, except for two large blue-grey ears, "And why are you naked?"
"North! It's me mate, Bunnymund!" the other man cried dubiously watching North's expression struggle to mask his disbelief.
"Bunny? No! Bunny is big and blue, not unlike ears of yours" he pointed as he shuffled out of the chair and away from his creation. "and a- a Bunny!"
"Yes it's me! The guardian of hope, new beginnings, and Easter!" North nodded as he came forth to study the man before him, the scrutiny caused Bunny's ears to flatten.
"Fine, this we know, but the real bunny would know this:" he poked the man on the nose with his sausage of an index finger, "What does Bunnymund care for the most?" Bunnymund followed the bounce of the finger before completely hearing the question.
"Aye? You can't be serious!"
"Ha! If he thinks this is secret he is the joking!"he bellowed in laughter, "But only he knows"
"The kids of course! What kinda nutter are ya?"he knocked the hand aside, only to have it return and poke his protruding nose.
"No, that is the job. This is different; I ask one more time, what does Bunny care for most?" Bunnymund rolled his shoulders and scowled at the floor.
"Frostbite"
"Sorry?"North pulled a hand to curve his ear.
"Jack-bloody-Frost alrite? I said it, ya dingbat"
"Good to admit it Bunny" he slapped the man's back twice before returning back to his chair.
"You-You knew who I was?"he replied incredulously,
"But of course! Even though you don't look like you, I could feel it was you, in my belly." He chuckled to himself, slapping his two hands hard against his middle, causing a ripple. He relaxed as he stroked the snow-white moustache in thought, "but naked is still naked" North whispered as he turned to a chest that sat comfortably behind the workshop table. He resurfaced with a pair of long green pants in hand.
"I'm always naked!"
"But this time," he offered the pair of green khaki pants to his friend, "is complicated, yes?" Bunnymund growled as he snatched the item out of North's hands, grumbling about neve having to wear clothes before.
"Ah Sandy!" retiring from the office, Aster's cry of relief was met with the short familiar dream-sand spirit. Sat atop his golden hair swam waves of various images.
"I don't know I hoped you could tell me" the smaller golden being stared at him in shock before silently blowing a sigh in incredulity. North watched as his old friends shoulders slouched at the response, clearly one he wasn't anticipating. If anyone had seen it all, it would be the Sandman, the eldest of the Guardians.
"Well why not start from the last thing you remember?"
"Right well, I was vegen' out, having a drink of me usual Orange Dream, and I dunno, I was mucking about and I woke up like this!" North and Sandy shared a glance, before Sandy finally creating a question mark above his head.
"Ya know, I was..." he embarrassment cringed his face as he tossed a thumb towards the ceiling, "Yelling at 'im"
"What did you say?" North hissed.
"I don't remember!" Bunnymund cried, "I don't! It's fuzzy after that!"
"-There you are Sandy, where's the dream sand? My little baby teeth need to get to work. So many bicuspids and molars! Oh! It makes my wings shiver-"the flittering sound of pink wings carried the voice of the tooth fairy, half hummingbird, half human. "Whose this?"
"Oh, Bloody hell" an exacerbated palm rubbed Aster's face.
"What is it Sandy?"North cried, as they all turned to see the orange Spirit conjure a large telescope. It collapsed to dust as the Lobby was bathed in white light, forming a pool at their feet. It swam and rippled like water, carving images that flowed in waves.
"That's-"
"-That damn Frostbites fault!" Aster muttered bitterly, staring out over his warren, the plants illuminated in moon light. He followed his glare up to the proud white circle hanging amongst the shy stars and the shimmering sand aglow with children's dreams.
"And you!" he hissed, barely putting the sentence together. The alcohol slurred with his anger to form a dark pit of bitterness. He let it fill and stew in his stomach into a snicker on his face, driving himself to come to face the invisible foe.
"I can't do anything; I'm stuck here, because of ya!" He tossed the clay cup in the moons direction, using all the strength he could muster. "I am a Pooka, a' proud long-standin' breed! The last of my kind. On my own and you made it that way! You knew I'd be alone and that I'd fall for the idiot, you knew because you know everything!" not caring less who heard him he howled his pain.
Silence. No argument to offer, he continued with his rant at the Man in the Moon, whether he was listening or not.
"Was it the plan? I get the kids wanting a soft, fluffy bunny to deliver their eggs. They're cute, cuddly and much more inviting than a 6 foot monsta' pillock-rabbit in their bushes." He thrusted a furry finger at the white orb before searching for something else to throw.
He put a paw to his face, chucking at himself, what was he doing? Screaming about things long rotting in his conscience, he thought he had laid these feelings to rest centuries ago but they still carried sting, "You took me self, I'm not a rabbit - not completely - nor am I human. What am I exactly? What am I to ya, or North or Sandy or even tooth? What about Ice block? I'm not cute or cuddly; I'm also male for Pete's sake. I can't tell if I'm in love or if it's only animal attraction" he was laughing astringent chuckles dripping with desperation. After a few moments he turned silent.
"Fix this," he finally whispered, "Please. Fix me. I can't take it anymore..." he examined his paw over in sorrowful disgust, "I just-" he stopped to gaze at the being watching over them, the air were silent. He could feel the soul crushing disappointment radiate throughout his chest as he returned inside the hut.
"What's the point?"
The pool faded, as the group watched the moon slither away from the open air windows of the lobby. The entire workshop listless in silence.
"Oh dear" Tooth whispered stiff with shock.
"Oh rack off, don't you even start!"Aster hissed, how could he have been so stupid?
"Why would you wish for such a thing Bunny? What would this fix?" honing into him, he could catch his reflection in her eyes, full of panic.
"I dunno, I was off-me-face drunk can we just leave it at that?"
"No, this has never happened before," North bellowed sternly, "We can't just leave it at that"
Catching glimpse of sandman's thoughts, they watched as he created a small hovering heart out of his wisps of hair before snapping it in half.
"Oh, Bunny-"
"Let's look at the facts shall we? Do we know why? No, do we have a cure? No. So for now I am stuck like this" he stood straight, he was putting down his paw- foot on this. "We're assuming its permanent. I could be back tomorrow!"
"You're assuming its not-" Asters ears flattened as North hissed, "We have to assume every possibility"
"What will the children think?" Tooth cried clasping her hands to her chest. Aster tossed a glance at the globe before them. Adorned in thousands of dotted lights; each representing a child who believed in a Bunny.
"Believing isn't seeing, isn't that how it goes?" unwavering from the lights from his sight."Wasn't much ov'a bunny anyway"
"What are you talking about? You were more of a bunny than you are now" if he still had fur, it would be on end; she had a point. Oceans, of people, kids. On Easter morning with no Easter bunny. What on Earth was he thinking, making a wish like this? His eyes widened watched each flickering light consume him, and his selfishness. North's warm hand on his shoulder quickly pulled him back to reality.
"Manny has done this for a reason; it is wise not to waste it" his husk voice whispered,
"Now if you lot have finished yammering, I got eggs to paint" Aster cringed, brushing the hand off. A momentary look at their concerned faces would dig the hole of his guilt deeper, so without word he tapped his foot.