Jack groaned, his entire body throbbing as he surfaced conciousness. He stared blankly at North's iced over infirmary a moment before he dared move. His mind was scrambled, memories swiming in a fog. He raised a hand to rub his temples and froze. Instead of flesh, what met his sight was a soft white paw. He immediately searched for his necklace, mind reeling as he began to hyperventilate.
WHERE IS IT?!
They knew. Sweet MiM they KNEW! Jack began to pace, worring his lip with the snow piled around him. Would they throw him out? Would they hate him? Would they be disgusted?
Wait, not disgusted. I mean, they hang out with Bunny... Jack's eyes widened as the memory began to surface, Pitch trying to Kill Bunny. All other thoughts gone, he kicked open the infirmary door, ignoring the screaming protest of his limbs. He had to tell North. Bunny could be in danger, and whether his feelings were returned or not, Bunny was his friend and-
Is that Aster talking? Silent as a ghost the white Pooka slipped to the door to the globe room until he could hear the discussion on the other side.
"-and ask him why." said Tooth, the humming of little fairies i the background. He could hear Sandy shift and make symbols, Tooth snorting indignantly as North chuckled.
"Yes, but not the why you think!" he boomed.
"Oi, give me some credit here Toothie!" huffed Aster. "I'm the bloody Guardian of hope! I think i can tel when it's false hope or not, and I'm telling ya, it's gotta be true!"
"And NOBODY mention it to Jack; Poor boy is probably freaked out enough as it is right now!" More shifting sand.
"What do ya mean we should come clean?! We'll terrify him!" exclaimed Aster. More sand shifting.
"Oi, I'd be a right dick NEVER to bring it up, but now ain't the time. Let him get used to being a Pooka twenty four seven before we drop another bomb on him!" Jack tilted his head slightly, wondering what they were withholding from him.
"He's had three hundred years to come to terms wit being a giant rabbit!" yelled Tooth.
"Well I don't think anyone in their right mind is ready for this one!" countered Aster. "Besides, what the Hell am I supposed to say? Oi Frostbite! Turns out MiM is a fucking bastard with a sick sense of humor and brought back my dead mate as YOU but ya got no memory of it! Wanna give courting a go or just skip to the mating ceremony? I'd sound like a right loon, and he'd turn me into an ice scupture!"
Jack was frozen, ears drooping down in shock. His chest burned, like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and savagely torn to bits.
He just saw his mate...as if he actually cares about you... Jack squished the dark thoughts, too focused on his inner turmoil to notice a parade of elves opening the door.
"He deserves too-Jack!" All eyes turned to the snow white Pooka. At least they all had the decency to look shocked. There was a long silence in the room, heavy with words unsaid yet to everyone it was perfectly clear. Finally, Aster cleared his throat.
"...Frostbite-" that seemed to break Jack from his trance. Jack's ears perked, focused entirely on Aster before going back in rage.
"..." Even with his supersonic hearing, Aster couldn't catch what came from Jack's mouth.
"What did ya-" Aster took a step forward, Jack taking bigger one back.
"How DARE YOU!" Even North flinched at the tone Jack was using, the shuters rattling as the wind picked up, desperate to wrap around her snow child.
"Now Jack-" Aster attempted to get close, only to be knocked back by a bruising blow with his staff.
"Don't 'now Jack' me you stupid peice of roadkill!" yelled Jack, grinding his teeth as tears began budding in the corners of his eyes. "I should have known! Kepping your mouth shut, inviting me to the Warren, being NICE to me...Just so you could hang around the DEAD! I should have figured out you were using me! You HATE me; why the Hell would being a fucking Kangaroo change that?! You think I'm just going to play along with your sick little game? FUCK YOU! NEVER come near me again! If I see your fluffy ass tail ANYWHERE near me, my lake, or my Ice Caverns, I WILL TURN YOU INTO MICROWAVE DINNERS EASTER FLAVOR!" With that he sped down the Hall, evading the shocked yetis and elves, outrunning the Guardians. By the time they freed Aster and got to the doors, they were in time only to see a portal vanish as it closed, swallowing Jack whole. Aster turned to Tooth, expression flat.
"NOW you get why I didn't want him knowing?!" North sighed, patting the Pooka on the back.
"Boy is confused." he said. "Give him time, give him space. He will hear you when he is ready. But for now, peices of heart clog bunny ears." It took Aster e moment before all North's words registered.
"Wait, what do ya mean peices of his heart a clogging up the ears?!"
ROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTGROTG
Jack arrived in the secluded glade on the tails of his adrenaline, his eyes watering as he set foot on the plush grass.
"Jack...it's been a while since you have visited me, my seasonal." A beautiful woman with long red hair bearing spring blossoms and forrest green eyes turned to greet him, her green dress made of leaves flowing seamlessly from pale new leaves to falls fiery colors at the hem. It only took one look at Jack's shaking form-she hadn't expected to see the Pookan one this time-for her to glide over the grass to him, pulling him into a gentle motherly embrace.
If she noticed tears leak through her foliage or the broken sobs disturb her birds she didn't comment, instead letting the broken spirit of winter cry his shattered heart out on her shoulder. Instead, her thoughts roamed to revenge on te one responsible for her charge's pain; E. Aster Bunnymund.
