Disclaimer: I wish I was a Guardian...or could talk with one, but no, I own nothing but this plot line and a couple characters...
Summary: Rabbits are quick, agile, hardy, and can be very temperamental. Getting them to hold still is just about impossible, tell that to Bunnymund when it comes to a matter of life or death.
SerendipityDreamer: thanks for the follow!
Chapter Ten
Not Alone
xxx www. my house rabbit tip_
She giggled, watching from the heather tuft, two paces away from the "mountain" Kapiru* has claimed as "his", it wasn't really, Kipu and Leri were both bigger than Kah*, they would put him in his place.
Kah jumped from the rock, buzzing in confusion before grinding his teeth, a faint growl coming softly before she squeaked, hopping out from her heather tuft to pounce on him.
He squeaked, rearing up and boxing at her, he was too slow, she landed a fast kick to his hip and bounced away. Kah rolled in the dirt, growling and honking indignantly. Kipu tackled him, purring in delight when Kah submitted and flopped lifelessly to his side.
Leri was squeaking and nudging her younger brother, trying to rouse him to life as Kipu hopped off him, foot thumping excitedly and trying to stir up a fight.
She laughed, paws to her stomach as she rolled on the ground amidst the heather tufts. The four of them were small, barely a pound in weight and smaller than a christmas elf, not that any of them knew what that was.
Kipu nudged her with his nose, digging to get her attention and then racing back to Kah, now the two males would gang up on the little Leri and tiny sister.
Leri screeched in play, boxing at Kah before dashing behind a log, purring loudly as Kipu went after her and began to chase her. Kah lunged for the other female, growling softly as they rolled once more, this time out of the faint shelter of the Watch Tree and into the more open grasses of the plains.
It wasn't that they weren't allowed past the Watch Tree, it just wasn't a good idea when they were still so young and small.
"Well-well...what have we here my dear Cethin?"
The four froze, tucked tight against one another in a circle, ears pinned flat to their heads in annoyance and a touch of fear that would soon multiply.
They stared up at a tall dark figure, snarling animals too large and fierce to be dingos at its side, and then another tall thing stepped forward, this one with winged snarling animals with paws like hawks.
"Pitch...do you not know...these are kits...and not just any kits...Pooka kits..."
The hiss of a familiar weapon met the four pairs of ears, and the solid thwack of pain as it smacked into one of the tall things staring down at them was rather satisfying before they scrambled to the warrior, that kind of sound meant only one thing.
Help
xxx
The boomerang sunk into Bunny's paw with an all too graceful thud, the furred toes holding it lightly before snatching the second one and tossing it as well. The Pooka was about to yell at the boogey men to distract them from the approaching Jack...
When four tiny streaks of fur raced to his back feet, huddling against his warm fur to hide. He almost stumbled before remembering the little ones wouldn't be able to move in time if he did, nor would they be able to handle him landing on them. They were just too young.
"Oi! Frostbite! Meetcha back a' the Warren!"
Jack nodded quickly before sending a chaotic blizzard across the plains, the snow surrounding and coating everything. Bunny quickly opened a tunnel, sighing when three of the four kits fell in automatically, the fourth was too far away.
The Pooka crouched onto all fours, bracing his feet as he grabbed the kit's scruff, tucking his chin to his chest a little higher and leaping into the tunnel
Both of them were coated with snow and ice, Jack was sometimes a little too fast at releasing his powers.
Bunny didn't have time to worry about his near frozen fur as he dashed to the river near his hut; quickly dunking the kit in the water to dislodge the ice and snow, he set it in a patch of thick moss, hoping it would stir from its stupor to shake some of the water off. Kits instinctively froze and went into a daze when carried by their scruffs, not to mention the sudden onslaught of cold and fear, the little things were terrified.
Racing back to where the other three had rolled, Bunny made three more rabbit sprinting trips to get each kit, dunk them and then set them on the moss.
By the time he was done, the moisture in his fur was a cold sweat, the ice melted, but fur soaked and matted from the blur of activity.
The kits were still breathing if only heavily, the second one had rolled onto its stomach while the others still remained flopped on their sides, naturally playing dead or stupid. Bunny didn't speak, he merely grabbed the scruff of the wettest kit, backing away to dry moss and tucking his legs beneath him before licking the kit clean and dry.
Jack found him like that ten minutes later, now on the second kit and using his teeth to lightly dig at a mat on the kit's back before licking the soft tawny fur down flat. The first was curled up next to one hind leg, nuzzled into the thick fur as it slept.
The winter spirit hopped down off his breeze, making sure to make noise as he approached the Pooka, Bunny's ears flicked, flattening briefly before perking up, one half locked on Jack while the other remained poised on the kits. The bunny was on the defensive, muscles coiled tight to spring and die protecting the four innocents. Jack settled to sit on a rock across the narrow river, watching as Bunny tucked the kit next to the first and stretching to grab a third and groom the fur.
This one was a darker brown that the second, tawny flecks over its back and a fawn colored underside. The first was gray and white, nearly identical to Bunny except for the tattoos. The last one was the unique one, a cream color...or actually pure white as Bunny groomed it and cleaned the dust from the fur.
"Bunny?"
Aster glanced up, nodding to the winter spirit as he tucked the four kits by his hips as he sat up a little, shaking slightly to dislodge what water he could.
"Are...I mean...what...umm...are they...?"
Bunny nodded, sighing softly as he nuzzled the first kit as it squeaked when he stepped away from the four.
"Yeah mate...they are...I don' know how...but they're Pooka kits...four tiny little Pookas, probably only a couple weeks old."
Jack shifted on his rock, watching the four little bunnies sleep. The dark brown one rolled, kicking the tawny kit and disturbing that one enough to shove the white one out of the way to free itself of the kicking.
The white kit squeaked sleepily, hopping a little to curl back against the tawny one, nuzzling into the soft fur.
Bunny motioned for Jack to follow him further into the Warren, away from the the kits to let them sleep.
"What are you going to do?"
The Pooka sighed, "Let 'em recover, then take 'em back to where we found 'em...as long as ya didn' put the place under snow."
"Nope, just stirred enough up to cause a distraction and make sure Pitch and Cethin left. It was too hot anyway, melted into rain pretty fast."
Bunny nodded, sighing again and settling to sit against a tree, staring at the spring expanse of the Warren.
"I can't believe it...there's still Pookas left...I searched for years..."
xxx
Kipu woke up first, shaking his ears rapidly before looking around. Instead of the Home plains and Watch Tree, there was a huge Warren filled with Spring. Kah stirred next, waking Leri as he stretched and finally disturbing little sister. Once all four were awake they each bobbed up to look around, noses twitching to find any and every little smell.
The first was the rich plants all around, the second was the underlying smell of sweet paints.
But the strongest was of another Buck, a mature one, much bigger than them.
And they were going to find out if the Buck was nice or not.
xxx
Hiding within a bush, they stared at the Buck and his companion, a thin human, this one a different color from the one or two they had seen at a distance. The buck seemed at ease with the human, talking softly and relaxing against a tree.
They were content to stay together and wait until the human disappeared to confront the buck...when a pure white egg strolled by.
Little sister found it funny to chase.
xxx
Bunny nearly jumped up when an unpainted egg rushed past him, a streak of white trying to give chase but stumbling over its own big feet. The Pooka picked the rolling kit up, tucking it against his chest.
"Now what are ya doin' little 'ne?"
The white kit looked up, dark brown eyes with gold flecks meeting the old green ones, Bunny knew this kit was female, the delicate eyes softened her fluffy face.
"Huh?"
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