Note: So I have received three amazing fan arts for the cover of this story! Thank you winterwiccan and the two fan arts from XxChu-chanxX! I will post the link to your fanart on my profile when I have the time. To Lovepuppy316 I do not mind if it's black and white, I know it'll still be awesome! :D
Settings: The Warren, Tooth Palace, and camping forest somewhere in New Hampshire.
Rating: T (for future injuries and hurt and angst)
Genre: Friendship/Family, Hurt/Comfort, Angst
Chapter III
Blizzard of '68
Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.
-John Wayne
North had been expecting a lot as he entered the Warren with Jack's favorite yeti. He had expected that his old friend, E. Aster Bunnymund, would be there waiting for him casually, automatically knowing what he was doing there. Heck, he had been expecting Bunny there waiting- not only for him, but also for Tooth and Sandy! Seeing as he had revealed the secrets of their own centers to Jack without their consent!
What he did not expect however was to be greeted by a silent Warren, no six-foot-one rabbit in sight.
It was strange. Bunny was known for having sharp ears and a sharp nose. It would only take him a few seconds to realize that an intruder was in the midst of his precious Warren, the same way he knew when Sophie had accidentally entered it once, during preparations for Easter, and for him to come and greet the uninvited.
"Bunny?" North called out as he stepped forward, leaves crunching from under his heavy footfalls as Phil looked around.
Something was not right. The sentinels were silent, and the Warren, which was usually bursting with life, seemed to be on a standstill. Santa frowned as he pushed back his earlier thoughts of demanding answers from the Pooka, and instead he walked forward with a new goal to find the guardian of Hope and check if he was alright.
"Afugawa ribogu…" Phil whispered in yetish and the guardian of Wonder nodded automatically.
"Da, it is too quiet. Maybe Bunny goes to take nap? Or is hiding from us?" The former was more possible than the latter but North refused to accept that their old Pooka friend went to nap after hurting Jack's feelings.
But then again, there was a possibility that Bunnymund was attacked and-
No, North won't entertain that thought either.
"Phil, go search for Bunny down by his gardens, I will check out sparkly river!" North stated loudly and with that, the yeti named Phil and the guardian of wonder went their separate ways.
Only a few minutes had gone by from their search, when suddenly North heard the urgent call of his companion. Swords were immediately at the ready as the old guardian ran to check on what Phil could've possibly found that set him off like that.
"Phil! What ha-?" But North was cut off and his blue eyes widened when he saw the dark furred yeti kneeling beside an unconscious Bunnymund. "Bunny!" He gasped in shock, almost dropping his swords.
However North shook his head trying to get rid of the worry forming in his belly. He had to focus, he will check on Aster right away, but the others had to be called too. They would want to know if something happened to the Pooka.
Immediately thinking the worst, the old Santa took a snow globe from his pocket and tossed it towards Phil who caught it easily. Blue eyes were narrowed in seriousness as he said in a gruff tone, "Call for the others. Now."
Phil didn't argue as he muttered in yeti language and threw the snow globe to the ground. He stepped into the portal, leaving North to look over his fallen comrade.
Easter of 1968.
It was a warm day, a beautiful spring day, a day filled with hope and new beginnings! The eggs were already hidden in various places and the old Pooka was only making last minute preparations in the Warren before he went out and watched little ankle-biters running around looking for eggs.
The eggs he placed in his basket were all beautiful. They would be taken and dropped off at children's hospitals for the little kids that couldn't go out and find eggs like the normal kids. They were handmade and the chocolate in them were mixed with special herbs that would somehow make the kids feel better.
In one of the beautiful Easter basket, sitting upon wonderfully and skillfully decorated eggs was a very simple one with a white coat and flecks of blue paint. Compared to the others, the egg seemed a bit plain against the varying degrees of colors. But do not let appearances fool you, the egg maybe simple but it is the most important of all.
It shone and glittered in its own way. Those who will hold it can feel the warmth in their hearts and the swell of hope in their minds.
The egg itself is nothing special, made with the best chocolate Aster had around- no it was not the physical shape that mattered. It was the thing inside of the egg that was truly important.
Aster's center.
Aster's Hope.
Every year, the old Pooka would choose a simple egg upon his pile and imbued in it the magic of Hope. He would then lay it against the other eggs and it would skitter around, giving a little bit of power with every egg it came in contact with. And when it was done 'literally' spreading Hope, the egg would come back to Aster and he would place it temporarily in a very special basket for children who would need Hope the most.
Yes, the process would be tiring, changing the vessel of his center constantly could be aggravating but it helped in his work to spread joy and Hope amongst little children. Of course, when it wasn't Easter the center of Aster's Hope would go back to its original container.
It was a simple thin chained necklace with a small rock that could only be found in Aster's old home. The stone was a mysterious thing that changed color at the wearer's mood and it was given to him by his Ma. The stone was smooth and slightly jagged but beautiful to look at. It was Aster's greatest possession along with his center entrusted to him by the last of his race: Hope.
"I think it's time to check how the little ankle biters are doing." Aster spoke up and looked down at his googies. "Don't make it too hard for them to find ya, okay?"
The little googies nodded as Aster hopped towards the tunnels that would lead him to the surface.
He was not expecting this.
The sudden assault of the cold as he finally emerged from his tunnel made his fur stand up as he gazed slack jawed at the sight of the most unpredicted blizzard in Burgess.
"-looks like Easter would be cancelled-" A store selling flat screened televisions showed a woman giving information about the latest storm that has hit the small town and other stated up North, Northeast, and East.
"Cancelled?" Bunny choked. "Easter can't be cancelled! And what's with this strange weather pattern! The kids can't go out on a weather like this!"
"-seven people were taken to a hospital-" Bunny's ears perked as he listened closely to the news. "Several cars are stranded because of the seventeen inches of snow that have gathered-"
"Injured people, seventeen inches of snow… Crikey this is a disaster!" Bunny said as he hopped about staring at the thick blankets of snow and the non-stop snowfall. He felt himself get angry when he saw an old woman slip as she tried to stand her ground against the harsh winds, blowing at her flushed and tired face.
"This isn't normal! Even the bloody groundhog predicted an early Spring! Mother Nature backed him up! That could only mean-" Bunny turned towards the sky and noticed a particular thick accumulation of clouds over by the lake. The old Pooka growled menacingly, clutching the basket of eggs closer to himself.
"A bloody winter sprite."
What is this? Bunny thought blearily as he gazed at his own form bounding across blankets of snow heading towards a familiar lake in Burgess- dubbed by a certain winter spirit as home. That's the lake in Burgess…
He saw the Bunny in front of him stop, ears twitching and nose sniffing around as he pulled his lips back in a feral growl. He saw the thing the other Bunny was looking for the other him found it. A sprite standing delicately in the middle of a frozen lake, hood up, staff in hand, toes barely touching the ice beneath him as white bangs covered the blue eyes.
Jack.
A snarl suddenly startled Bunny out of his realization as he turned and saw that his other self had finally spotted the winter sprite. Green eyes widened in understanding when he saw himself bounding towards the other immortal. The scene was familiar.
This is a memory.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YA DOING?" And Bunny flinched at the loudness of his past self's voice. Green eyes were slits in their fury and the past's Bunny's shackles were raised as he growled in fury at the sprite who was too slow in looking up.
"A giant rabbit." And Bunny almost smiled at the first comment of the winter sprite but it was quickly wiped away when he realized how uncharacteristically soft the other's voice was. His other self did not notice, too blinded in his fury and he flinched as his other self bounded into the ice and tackled the young sprite who barely let out a surprised grunt at the impact.
"Yer burying this town in snow! Seven people are injured and were sent to the hospital!" Bunny continued to yell unable to tone down his fury.
Jack didn't answer and Bunny's eyebrows crinkled at the lack of response but his past self wasn't able to notice this as he continued to berate the other.
"It's Easter Sunday ya galah! Children were looking forward to finding their eggs and-and ya go and mess that up? Ya lose control and create a blizzard? What the hell are ya thinking?" The pooka said, shaking in anger as he grabbed Jack by the front of his hoodie. His eyes were too filled with rage to look down properly at the other's face.
Jack! Oi Jack! Why aren't you answering me? Bunny called out to the past Jack who just let the past Bunny have his way with him. The old pooka stepped forward but then froze when he felt something emanating from the other.
"This is why I hate ya winter sprites! All ya do is cause trouble and freeze water parts! Yer irresponsible and selfish-!" Bunny let out a frustrated cry as he let go of the other and stood up throwing his hands about. "Forget it! Just forget it! Yer just wasting my time."
Oi wait! Bunny called to his leaving past self. Something's wrong with Jack! Oi! Where are you going? But his past self had already crouched in fours and bounded away from the sprite, determined to salvage his holiday and help people as much as he could.
Bunny sighed at his reckless self before he turned to Jack warily. The sprite was still lying on the layer of ice, eyes covered by bangs, form strangely stiff and his staff was thrown a few feet away from him because of Bunny's tackle.
Look, I know you can't hear me. Bunny said as he slowly walked towards the other and the strong sense of something from Jack strengthened. The guardian of Hope wanted to curl at himself at the nauseating feeling but he stood strong and looked down uncertainly at the Winter sprite, unable to pinpoint what it was he felt from Jack. Look I didn't mean what I said to ya. That was a long time ago and it was Easter and I was stressed and-
But Bunny stopped talking when the Winter sprite continued to lie down like that. The warrior's eyebrows furrowed as he kneeled next to the other. Jack?
He reached out a worried paw, opting to brush away the bangs that hid the blue eyes from his sight when-
A strong wind blew and Bunny cursed lightly as the sudden abundance of snowflakes blinded him for a moment. However before he could snap at Jack about controlling the wind, he heard something that made him feel like a ten ton stone dropped on his stomach.
The sounds of someone- of Jack- sobbing.
Jack? Bunny called urgently and he looked down and froze. The white bangs were finally parted because of the wind and blank blue eyes looked up as frozen trails of tears ran down from Jack's face. The winter sprite was shivering and shaking as he let out choked noises.
Bunny felt the breath knocked out of him as the nauseating feeling enveloped him completely and horrifying thoughts echoed within Bunny's mind, making him grab his at his chest as his breath left him like someone jabbed him in the stomach. Hopelessness.
I don't want this anymore.
No one can see me, no one can hear me.
All I do is hurt people and cause trouble…
I make a mess wherever I go, no one wants me, no one needs me…
-And I just don't want to live knowing that anymore.
And Bunny panted at the tight squeeze in his chest and his eyes burned as the image of Jack lying alone in the middle of the frozen pond began to waver. Jack… He let out breathlessly and the haunting look of a three hundred year-old teen turned to him just as it began to fade. Jack!
The image vanished and black took over Bunny's sight as he continued to reach out in desperation at the small teen who was nothing but an empty vessel of hopelessness.
JACK!
"Oh Sandy, I'm so worried!" Tooth stated as she fluttered around her amethyst eyes wide with concern as the guardian of Dreams pacified her. "Jack seemed so confused and so hurt!" She said in a high pitched tone. "I was going to tell him! I swear I was eventually going to tell him about Memories! But- but Bunny told him before me and-!"
Sandy nodded in understanding as he showed Tooth his sand and pointed at himself.
"You too Sandy?" Tooth said finally stopping to hover over her friend. The oldest guardian nodded rapidly, forming his sands quickly in frustration at the fact that Jack hadn't even let him speak before he left. The guardian of Memories nodded, used to the other's fast motions. "So North is next? It's late, Jack might've left already and knowing North, he'd have gone and confronted Bunny."
Sandy nodded and they fell into silence before he slowly made a figure of a bunny with his sand and a question mark.
Tooth shook her head. "I don't know what he was thinking when he told Jack." Tooth looked out the windows her fairies flew in and out of and unto the sky. "I think it might've something to do with Hope. It was given to him by his family and then he lost it… Maybe- maybe, seeing Jack with all of our centers… it might've brought out some feelings he-" But the tooth fairy was suddenly cut off with a gasp and Sandy turned just as she pointed at the sky with her finger.
The wide array of colors of the Aurora Borealis spread across the sky and the Sandman immediately made an airplane from sand as he looked at Tooth whose face was pale from assuming the worst, thinking that Jack might've run into trouble the moment he left.
She nodded at Sandy as she took off first with the guardian of Dreams following closely behind her.
Oh Jack please be alright.
The guardian of Fun was sitting atop a tree in a popular camping forest somewhere in New Hampshire. He had been flying mindlessly for several minutes and before he knew it he had been attracted by the Joy emanating from the happy families gathered about as they sang and laughed and played.
Jack's expression softened when he saw the kids running around as their parents stared at them with affection and love, the young guardian feeling just a tiny squeeze in his chest at the sight.
The young guardian leaned his head against the tree feeling the sense of melancholy hum inside of him. Blue eyes going soft as he thought about his circle of friends, of family, probably worrying about his very abrupt departure.
What he would do now, he wasn't sure. He didn't feel like seeing Bunny for at least a long time. And he didn't want to be hounded by Tooth and convinced by North that he was worthy to accept their centers and that they knew no one better than him to keep it safe.
And only Manny knows what Sandy would do if they ever crossed paths.
He felt horrible and guilty, incredibly so. He had somehow managed to dupe these people, the kind guardians into thinking that somehow he was to be trusted by something very important that were tied to their lives. He didn't know what made them say otherwise, or if it was the guilt driving them to give Jack such important memento, but the young boy wasn't ready- could never be ready to shoulder the heavy responsibility of shouldering three important lives.
He was touched by the gesture, sure. After all, giving him their centers was nothing short of being told 'I love you' by his family.
However, Jack's slightly harrowing thoughts were interrupted when suddenly, a familiar array of lights lit up the sky and Jack fell to the ground in shock, managing to catch himself at the last minute. It was his first official summoning as a guardian! Behind him, he heard the kids coo at the beautiful sight. Thankfully they were a few feet away with their back on Jack.
Jack was about to fly off at top speed, wondering why North would've summoned him, but then he paused briefly. Wait a minute, he thought suspiciously. How convenient was it that just as Jack left, North began to call forth all of the guardians for a meeting?
Looking at the aurora suspiciously, the young guardian frowned. Maybe there was no trouble. Maybe- maybe North wanted to gather the guardians to confront him and Bunny. Maybe he heard from Sandy and Tooth about his solid refusal and wanted to change his mind again- maybe-
However before Jack could delve in deeper to these worries, a portal suddenly opened beside him and the guardian yelped when a yeti came out of the portal and picked him by his hoodie.
Jack paled considerably as he struggled. "Oh no… No, no, no, no…! Not a-!" Jack was cut off when he was stuffed into a familiar red sack and thrown into the portal with the yeti garbling nonsense following after the sack quickly.
The portal closed quickly, leaving behind no indication that a yeti kidnapping had recently occurred.
Again.
Note: And exams are finally over, I can now spend the whole of today typing and updating away! Two updates due for Ice Cubes man I'm excited ;D Thank you for the wonderful support we are nearly at the one hundred review mark! You guys rock!
Also, I hope no one killed themselves while waiting for this, yes, I'm talking to you majestic beauty sealed in ice. XD
TheMysticWolf36 yes I already have an idea for a fourth one which I'm sure everyone will like so much!
So to everyone, thank you for the enthusiastic reviews! I don't deserve them at all for making you wait so long D: (It's just that Ice Cubes and the other fics DX)
So thanks again! And please review! If it's not a bother! :D
Edit: I placed the 'again' for JadeFlicker:D
