Curiosity Killed the Cat
Chapter 12
Bunny hopped along the corridor, ignoring the various tooth fairies who tried to block his way. He had been left out of the loop for two weeks now, and he didn't like it!
Suddenly Bunny almost ran into Tooth, who luckily stopped in time. While she was wickedly fast and strong, she wasn't very heavy, and Bunny would have simply knocked her over. When Tooth spotted Bunny, she almost squeaked in surprise-a very unusual move for Tooth. "Bunny!" She almost screamed. "What are you doing here?"
Bunny blinked in surprise. "I came to see Jack of course. How's he doing?"
Tooth seemed to dither for a moment, before visibly deflating and leading Bunny down a corridor. "He's this way. You're lucky I even installed ground paths, most of the palace doesn't have them-"
"Tooth!" Bunny interrupted her, worry hidden on his furry face. "You're rambling. How's Jack?" She grinned briefly. "Oh he's doing just fine, he's healing nicely, still confined to bed though, which is driving him crazy, but Lyra is helping to distract him. Here we are!"
She pointed to a door, which, while small for Bunny, was at least human sized, so Tooth could visit if she needed to.
"I've got to go." Tooth flew about anxiously, looking very distressed, despite her cheerful words a few minutes ago. "Floss needs to rest, and that means I'll have to give out addresses again. See you later Bunny!" She called, practically fleeing down the corridor.
Bunny stared after her, confusion plain on his face. It was as if she was scared of him... Or of something. Shrugging, he pushed open the door and stooping, walked inside.
He saw a very adorable scene. Jack and Lyra were kissing. He almost laughed when he heard Jack's voice-his human voice, not his fairy voice-echo in his head. Oh, I wish I had a camera right now! Bunny wondered when Jack had said that, but it didn't matter. It was still appropriate.
Suddenly Lyra noticed Bunny standing in the doorway and, breaking off the kiss abruptly, squeaked slightly. Jack looked up, and his entire body tensed, all three inches of it. He looked as if he wanted to run, but Lyra pushed him back onto the bed and sent him a glare, which he countered. They had a silent argument before Jack nodded, conceding defeat, and turned to Bunny, who had been watching the interaction with no small astonishment.
"Hey Bunny," Jack smiled, though it looked forced. "You gonna come in and sit down, or just stand in the doorway all day?"
"Not likely, mate." Bunny muttered, coming in and finding a chair he could sit on without it breaking under his weight. He sat down, turned the chair, and sat so he was facing Jack. He sat and stared at him until Jack started to fidget. "So." Bunny stated. "Mind telling me why you've been avoiding me, Frostbite?"
Jack looked caught out. "Erm... Well... " He stuttered, looking at Lyra for help, but she just shrugged at him. He turned back and muttered in such a low voice that, if Bunny had not had such huge ears, he was certain that he would not have missed it, "I was scared of you."
"E-excuse me?" Bunny could not believe his ears. Jack was scared of him? Bunny sat back for a second and thought. True, he had had quite a few interactions with the winter spirit, probably more than any other before the Pitch incident, and certainly more than a few of them negative, but he had never acted differently before now. So why was he behaving like this? Then Bunny remembered. The Easter Incident. Yelling at Jack. Raising a paw as if to strike the teen, before lowering it and moving away. With a feeling of horror, Bunny remembered something else about that day. Something he had not registered at the time, because he had been so hurt and scared. Jack's face. He had been terrified of Bunny. Perhaps, Bunny realized, Jack did not know that he would not have hit him.
Bunny sighed and ran a paw over his face before leaning forwards, ignoring Jack's slight flinch. "Jack." He said carefully. "I have never, and would never ever, hit a child. Even you."
Jack twitched slightly, letting Bunny know his hunch was correct. He let a ragged laugh go, and slumped back onto the bed. "How did you know...?" He asked breathlessly.
Lyra spoke up for the first time. "It doesn't really matter, does it Jack? All that matters is that you two are ok again, right?"
Jack and Bunny nodded, and smiled awkwardly at each other. Lyra huffed. "Boys!"
Bunny was about to say something, when he suddenly stiffened. "Someone's in my home who shouldn't be. I've got to go!"
Jack scowled, and his wings fluttered slightly, but he stayed on the bed. It was clear that he wanted to leave, but couldn't. Lyra kissed his cheek lightly and told him, "don't worry, Bunny will be back soon, right?"
Bunny nodded, but he was already out the door, so he doubted the fairies had seen it. Still, he didn't stop. He raced down the corridor, deftly avoiding tooth fairies and cursing he fact that both Tooth and North had forbidden him to make tunnels in their homes. The second he was outside he skidded to a stop and to a stop and tapped the ground furiously, desperate to get to the heart of his Warren. He could still feel the itch under his skin, the tingle that appeared whenever someone who wasn't specifically invited in, entered the Warren. The last time he had felt it was when Sophie had sneaked into the Warren last Easter.
As Bunny shot through the tunnels, he felt two additional people enter the tunnels, but he knew these people. North and Sandy were clearly following the unknown who had entered his warren. He wondered what the hell was going on as he burst into the clearing (figuratively speaking as it was underground) and saw North and Sandy trying to subdue a teenage girl with red hair and black clothes. Unfortunately for the girl, Bunny knew her, and didn't like her.
"Summer Heat!" He bellowed, crossing the clearing in three strides and grabbing the teen, who closed her eyes. Suddenly she glowed, and her skin temperature began to rise, as if she was on fire. Bunny yelped and dropped her, but North knew the trick and was ready.
The second she was released from Bunny's paws, North took off his coat, heavily imbued with winter magic to fight the cold from living at the North Pole, and tossed on top of Summer. Instantly she crumpled to the ground. North walked over, followed by Bunny, who was still nursing his burnt paws, and Sandy.
"What do you think you're doing here, Summer?" Bunny growled. "You might live here but that is no reason to invade my home!"
North and Sandy stared at him. "You knew Summer lived in Australia?" Sandy asked through pictures. Bunny nodded, slightly confused. "Of course I did! We just have to stay out of each other's way when we're working, but otherwise we're just fine. Until now. Why are you chasing her anyway?"
North threw a glare at the struggling Seasonal spirit. "This...Spirit, is the reason why Jack was attacked every year since he was reborn."
"Every year!?" Bunny yelped. "Why would you do that?" He demanded of Summer, who stopped struggling and smiled nastily. "That kid deserved it! He has no idea how to run the seasonal spirits, heck, he can't even be seen by kids! And you want us to obey him?" She laughed mockingly. "Anyway, I'm much older than him." She stated as if it solved her problems.
Bunny almost slapped her, but, remembering what he had told Jack that morning, stopped himself just in time. "We," He gestured to the other Guardians and himself, "Are all much older than Jack, or you, or any other spirit. Yet you so not see us beating up other spirits, do you?"
She stuck her tongue out at Bunny, then ignored him, before turning to North. "We'll, what are you going to do to me then?" North frowned. The spirit was right, he couldn't hurt her or kill her, but he didn't want to just let her go, especially if she was going to go off and hurt Jack again. Then he had an idea.
He drew Bunny and Sandy over to a corner of the clearing, away from Summer, and outlined his plan to them. Sandy was in agreement, but Bunny was skeptical. "She won't go for it, North." North nodded. "She will if I threaten to revoke her status as Spirit of Summer." Bunny nodded. "Ok then, let's do this."
They walked back to Summer, who was smirking at them, and North stood up straight, and announced in a formal voice, "Summer Heat, for your crimes, we require you to make a Solemn Oath." Summer lost her smile immediately. A Solemn Oath, was the most binding promise a spirit could make, and they could not break it, ever. North continued, "The terms of this Oath are as follows. You will never attempt to harm Jack Frost again, you will not approach him nor speak to him unless on seasonal spirit business, and if so, you must have one other seasonal spirit there as a witness, who we will call upon if anything happens. You are also to never convince others to attack or attempt to harm Jack Frost again. These are the terms of this Oath, if you do not agree to swear, you will be stripped of your status as Spirit of Summer and your believers. What say you, Summer Heat?"
Summer was about to open her mouth and shoot off a cocky reply, like always, but then she actually stopped and thought for a second. She did not have many believers, so she was well used to the feeling of being passed through, and she absolutely detested it. So she closed her mouth, and, remembering the ritual words, spoke carefully. "I, Summer Heat, do agree to never attempt to harm Jack Frost again, I will not approach him nor speak to him unless on seasonal spirit business, and if so, I will have one other seasonal spirit there as a witness, whom you will call upon if anything happens. I am also to never convince others to attack or attempt to harm Jack Frost again. These are the agreements of the Oath, so I swear, so shall it be!"
North nodded, satisfied, and turned to go, before a complaining shout from Summer drew his attention. "Hey, aren't you gonna get this coat offa me!?" Chuckling, North reached over and grabbed the coat, before, with a wicked grin, Bunny formed a tunnel underneath the girl and she dropped, screaming into it. North smiled. "That's that, then."
Hello, readers! To clear up some possible misunderstandings with this chapter, The camera thing, I always believed that when people are asleep they are actually aware of what's around them, they just can't remember it. So, when Bunny was hit with dreamsand in the movie, he fell asleep, but he could hear Jack say it, and then it was in his subconscious. Sorry if it confused you, but I really wanted to add it in! Also, for the bad news, I have mid-year exams, so I can't post for another two or three weeks, but, I have the last chapter already written, so I just have to type it up, but that takes a while, so I won't be posting 'till my exams are done, sorry! See you soon!
Angela
Angela
