Falling Through Time 4
Present day
The scent of fear hit Pitch seconds before Bunny came racing into the study. If Pitch wasn't already sitting he was sure to have been knocked off his feet. He hadn't felt such fear from the Pooka since Jack used a spell to become impregnated with Bunny's kits and then couldn't carry to term without transferring the twins to Bunny who had been forced to change his internal structure to carry the kits for the rest of the pregnancy. That had been the most frightening day in Pitch's life…well almost but he wasn't given a chance to think about it as the scared and angry Pooka came to a screeching halt in front of Pitch's chair, the claws of his toes digging into the polished hardwood floor.
"What did you do?" Bunny demanded with a snarl. "Where is he?"
"Where is who?" North asked in confusion as he put aside his drink.
Bunny couldn't answer. He was panting and a thin layer of sweat dampened his fur. He shivered in a mix of anger and anxiety.
Pitch watched the Pooka. Bunny wasn't truly angry. All he felt was fear, undeniable fear that it called to the Fearlings and Pitch had to use all his power to push them back as his mind reached out to understand that fear. His mind brushed against Bunny's, pulling out that fear and wrapping around it to make it his own and give the animal Guardian a little reprieve. To his surprise Bunny allowed this and almost breathed a sigh of relief when he was able to think past his fear.
"Jack," Pitch told North in surprise. "Jack's missing." He looked to the Russian in surprise. "His room was trashed and there's a shattered snow globe at the base of his door."
"Snow globe?" North asked, equally surprised. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he put two and two together. "The crash against his door… He must have thrown it without thinking. If he didn't give a destination he could be anywhere."
"Can you track him?" Bunny questioned, finally getting his voice back.
North gave a nod. "Of course! Jack has his own light. Come, we'll go to Globe of Belief and find him."
"Good, 'cause I'm going to kick his pasty butt for being so irresponsible!" Bunny snapped, already hopping toward the elevator. "I swear he's just like you. Never stops to think before he does anything."
Pitch laughed as he and North followed the agitated Pooka. "You know he's right, you were just as bad in your youth."
The large man gave a snort. "This from the shade who has yet to defeat the Guardians, and has in fact become one."
"Who says I'm not working from the inside now?"
North only laughed and slapped Pitch on the back. "Then you are doing a piss poor job, my friend."
Pitch rolled his eyes. He hated when North was right.
. . .
Past
He would never admit to it, never ever tell anyone he had done it but it had happened nonetheless, but Jack had fainted. He had begun hyperventilating. Nothing made sense, certainly not this strange version of Bunny that stared down at him with raised brows and eyes hidden behind green tinted glasses. Jack had stared at him for the longest time, trying to see his Bunny in this Pooka and while the features were all there the eyes and accent didn't match. The way he spoke was almost like that of an English gentleman more suited for Pitch than Bunny's usual abrasiveness. To Jack that only confirmed everything that had happened was just some strange dream and decided to let mind go on a little vacation. The world went dark and when he awoke again he was still determined to believe it couldn't be real, except now there was a familiar Russian accent filling the room he was sleeping in. If it could be called a room.
He stared up at what appeared to be wooden walls and ceiling but they were twisted, as if alive. His brows bunched as he tried to make sense of it.
The Russian voice seemed to get louder, as if yelling at someone. Jack's Russian wasn't the greatest and this particular dialect was not one he was familiar with, only the rumbled baritone of it.
"North?" he called as he sat up. He placed a hand to his forehead as dizziness momentarily swarmed his mind. Did he hit his head? Was that why everything seemed so strange? "Bunny? Hey guys, did one of you whack me over the head with my staff or something?" He blinked in surprise as a young man walked into the room followed by Bunnymund and a wizard.
"Ты проснулся!" the wizard said with a bright smile. "Как вы себя чувствуете? Как тебя зовут? Можете ли вы рассказать нам, почему поле было после?"
Jack shook his head in confusion. He really couldn't understand what the man was saying.
"Кто ты?" the younger man, whom he recognized as North when he was a young man in his early twenties.
Shortness of breath hit Jack again and he felt faint as if he couldn't draw enough air into his lungs even though he truly did not need to breath. They all stared at him as if he was some fascinating bug before finally Bunnymund stepped forward and gestured for the other two to back away.
"He doesn't speak Russian," the Pooka said curtly. "He speaks a strange for of English. The accent is rather brutal to the ears."
Jack breathing calmed and he wasn't sure if he was insulted or not. He struggled to sit up and sent Bunny a glare. "No worse than yours kangaroo."
Bunnymund didn't seem insulted like he normally would be but rather tilted his head to one side in confusion.
North – this young version at least – looked even more confused. "Kangaroo? What form a alien beast is that?" he asked in English.
"A marsupial, Nicholas," the wizard explained to the young man. "They come from Australia."
"Yes," Bunny confirmed. "Are you from Australia?"
Jack looked back and forth between the three older males before bursting out laughing and startling them. "Okay, this is great and all but I think it's time I wake up, Sandy. Yo! Sandy, wakey, wakey time. Pitch? This is really getting weird!"
"You know Pitch?" Nicholas demanded, his English even worse than usual. He reached for his sword but the wizard, Ombric it would seem, stopped him.
"Young man, what is your name. Where do you come from?" Ombric asked.
Fine, if this was a dream then Jack might as well play along until he woke up. "Jack," he said with a silly little smile.
The wizard smiled warmly. "My name is Ombric, this is Nicholas and of course you've already met Bunnymund."
This felt rather familiar and Jack gave a little giggle. Oh yeah, this was how North introduced him to the Guardians. He grinned at Bunnymund, fully expecting an annoyed and bored expression on his face while he inspected his claws. What he got instead was a truly intrigued look, as if the Pooka was expecting him to do or say something of greatest importance. It made Jack fumble for words. If only his Bunny looked at him like that more often, as if he was the greatest thing in the world.
"Jack?"
His head snapped up to focus on Ombric. "I'm sorry. I…I don't feel so well. I just need some water."
"Yes, of course. Nicholas?"
The young Russian looked appalled to be the one sent to fetch water. He rolled his eyes at the older man and stomped off to get the water, obviously wanting answers not playing host to this mysterious youth. He was nothing like the North Jack knew and treasured like a father. It only increased the queasiness he felt. Laying back done he tried calm his racing heart. When Nicholas returned with the water he drank it down as quickly as he could, hoping it would relieve his confusion.
"Where am I?" he finally asked, feeling as if he needed to get some information. Dream or not he needed to somehow ground himself.
Ombric smile warmly. "You are in the village of Santoff Claussen," he said proudly. "This is my home, Big Root."
"Big Root?" Jack asked perplex. He had heard of Big Root but the old tree was supposed to have toppled over after Ombric had retired to the Moon several centuries ago and North had rebuilt the village in the North Pole. He looked around. "This can't be…how…wait…" Was he in the past? Was he really in Big Root in the center of the original Santoff Claussen?
"Are you alright?" Ombric asked with the same patience North, Jack's North, normally held while Nicholas seemed to be becoming bored and was pacing the length of the room as if wanting to demand answers but knew better than to interrupt the wizard.
Jack shook his head and looked from Ombric to Nicholas to Bunnymund where his gaze settled before he closed his eyes. "No. I'm very confused and a little lost. I'm not quite sure if I'm dreaming or if I'm finally losing my mind." He pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them tightly. "Maybe this is my punishment for being such a brat lately." He pressed his face into his knees, feeling alone and lost even though his family was technically right there with him. He didn't flinch when he felt Bunnymund's paw brush through his disheveled hair, it was natural to him after all the years he and Bunny had been mates but it still felt wrong. It wasn't his Bunny comforting him and he really wanted his Bunny right now.
. . .
Present Day
Bunny was growing frantic as he searched one side of the Globe of Belief as North searched another and Pitch searched the top. Both Sandy and Tooth had stopped their duties to help while the yetis and elves helped any way they could. They had been at it for hours, each searching a quadrant and then switching off with someone to double check and ensure that every single inch of the globe was inspected and well searched. Despite that no one found Jack's light. It was as if he no longer existed or was off planet but even MiM and the Moon Guardians had no clue where Jack could be.
It wasn't often Bunny begged for anything but as his fear grew he pleaded with MiM to send help and in a matter of hours the full team of Guardians gathered at the North Pole in a long awaited reunion before spreading out and scouring the planet in search of Jack. The frost spirit had to be out there somewhere and one way or another they would find their youngest member.
