Memories and Nightmares 13
Bunny twisted under Jack, hoping to soften the blow of impact but when a second explosion of magic sent up debris the size of boulders larger than an average size house the most he could hope for was neither of them were crushed. They landed hard the snow only briefly cushioning their fall before the rocks came crashing down above them. Jack rolled onto his back, his hands and staff coming up without a second thought as his magic flared and a shield of ice erected above them. It knocked away the larger boulders which rolled to either side of the shield but their impact cracked the fragile substance and the next batch of rocks broke through. Jack had only enough time to curl into himself and protect his head. Bunny couldn't even reach him as they were buried alive.
When the fall out ended Bunny's ears twitched and he gave a sneeze as dust and soot tickled his nose. He ran a paw over it, hoping to clean some of it away as he blinked open his eyes. Wonderment met him. Of all the debris to come flying at him and Jack very little had actually hit them, just small things and the odd tree trunk. It was quite amazing there wasn't more considering the chuck of land that had been ripped up by the Unseelies. But it was still enough to pin both him and Jack to the ground.
Bunny thumped his head against the ground. He was flat on his back with his lower half was pinned. He couldn't move his legs but he knew just by the feel of them nothing was broken. His left knee would be aching, maybe sprained but nothing serious. Nonetheless he couldn't lift the log pinning them on his own. Hell, North couldn't lift the blasted thing no matter how strong he boasted he was. Maybe Jack's ice could lift one end enough for him to wiggle out.
"Jack," he called, looking to his left where the youth was still curled on his side. Rocks and thick branches covered most of him, as well as the same tree truck that had Bunny pinned. Great, just bloody perfect! The kid was pretty much in the same situation with one added problem – Jack was out cold. A small gash ran across the boy's temple. Bunny gave a sigh. "Looks like we got ourselves in a wee bit of a pickle, kiddo," he murmured to the boy.
His ears swiveled at the sound of North cursing in the distance and the buzz of Tooth's wings. The others were still fighting and by the sounds of things they were losing ground. They needed his and Jack's help. And the kid was in no condition to help anyone and if Bunny didn't get out from under this log then neither was he. Letting out the breath he was holding he reached into his bandolier and fished out a palm size chocolate egg. It was a special chocolate blend that he hadn't carried around with him in decades but since the battle with Pitch last Easter that had nearly destroyed his holiday and stole just about all his power Bunny had decided it was time to be better armed. This spell was one he saved as a last resort for a large number of reasons. It altered him more than he liked.
He gave a small laugh. "Time to release the inner Pooka, I suppose," said before ripping off the colorful foil and popping the confection in his mouth. He closed his eyes as the chocolate melted and magic began to take effect.
Jack winced as he raised a hand to his temple. "Ow," he moaned. He looked around and almost yipped for joy at seeing Bunny was not far from him and relatively okay. At least he thought Bunny was okay. The Easter Spirit's face suddenly twisted in pain and Jack suddenly feared something was seriously wrong. "Bunny?" he asked, twisting onto his belly. His staff lay at his side and Jack carefully pulled it free of the rubble and in front of him as he tried to pull himself free as well. "Hey 'roo, just give me a minute and I'll get you out. Bunny?"
A snarl unlike anything Jack had heard before filled the air. The boy faltered, falling face first into the snow as his right ankle snagged on a root. Pain shot through it as the log tree trunk pinning it was suddenly lifted off and thrown aside as if it weighed nothing at all. Jack wiped the snow off his face and looked up. He blinked, then blinked again and when the sight that behold him didn't make sense after that he gave a small cry and scrambled away from it, holding his staff protectively in front of him.
"You okay, mate?" asked a Bunny-like being almost twice the usual Bunny was but with four extra arms, two on either side. Jack just stared at him in a mix of horror and confusion. "Jack! Are you alright?"
The boy nodded, wincing as his ankle said something else. "Yeah, fine. Is that you, Bunny?"
The sixed armed rabbit-man snorted. "Yeah, it's me, you blighter." The now giant Easter Bunny got down on all his limps and sniffed at Jack's hair, face and then the rest of him. He stopped at Jack's injured ankle and shot him a glare for lying. "Stay put," he ordered before leaping over Jack and bounding off to help the others.
Jack would have argued, had a retort right on his tongue but the sight of Bunny now mutated into this…this thing had sent a shot of fear through Jack so powerful he was certain he was dreaming. Yeah, that was it. This was just some twisted dream. Sandy had knocked him out in the sleigh and Pitch had showed up to twist it and make Bunny into this thing and when he wakes up he'll be in Santoff Claussen and be reprimanded by North for stowing away in the sleigh when he was supposed to be resting. Geez, being a Guardian was not what he expected at all. Damn, Pitch could really twist dreams if he could make Bunny look like that.
"Sadly, I have nothing to do with Bunny's more charming form," a dark silky voice whispered.
Darkness filled Jack's vision for a moment and while he knew exactly who it was and usually had no fear of the Boogeyman, he found himself scrambling back further, clinging to his staff tighter and unsure whether to run, fight or bow down before the dark spirit. Bow down? Fat chance! He shook that thought away. Where did that come from?
"Did I frighten you, Jack? Or did Bunny already do that for me?" Pitch asked with a teasing smile.
The retort that was formed so easily on Jack's lips fell away as he fought the darkness that seemed to cloud his vision. "I…what did you do to him?"
"The rabbit? Nothing, it's one of his concoctions. You do know he's a wizard, don't you? Can place spells in chocolate. It makes me worry for the children. Can you imagine if one of them accidently got a hold of his six arm chocolate? Why their poor parents would simply faint." Pitch gave a small chuckle. He knelt before the young sprite. "Jack, you look positively dreadful. What have you done to yourself?"
Using his staff, Jack struggled to his feet. "It's nothing, just a cold. It happens every few decades. I can still fight you if I have to." He blinked away the darkness, smiling to himself when he could finally see past it, even if the first thing he saw was Pitch Black. He ran a hand through his hair. It was still damp even in the cold. That wasn't good. It should be frosted over by now. He still felt flush and unwell. Maybe he should have listened to North and stayed in bed. "What do you want, Pitch?" he asked, using his staff like a crutch. He didn't want to show weakness in front of Pitch but the shade could read him like a book.
"I come for payment," Pitch said almost gleefully.
"Now?" Jack looked toward the direction Bunny had taken off to and the battle raging beyond.
Pitch followed his gaze and grinned widely. "They're almost done. Oh don't look so frightened. I think Bunny gave them just the right scare to make them retreat."
Jack's shoulders relaxed in relief and he leaned against his staff. "You're sure they're fine?"
Giving a snort Pitch nodded. "Unfortunately."
Shaking his head, Jack leaned against his staff and began hobbling toward the battle. "We'll I'm not doing anything until I know for sure."
"We have a pact."
Jack ignored him and kept moving at a slow but steady pace toward the battle field.
"Do not ignore me, boy," Pitch snapped, storming after him.
"I thought you'd be used to it by now," Jack shot back, wincing as his ankle throbbed in pain. "Now-"
"Don't you dare!" Pitch all but yelled.
Jack stopped, realizing what he had been about to say. He didn't apologize but he did turn around.
"Say it and I'll make sure you're alone for the rest of your pitiful life," Pitch snarled, getting in Jack's face. "And this time when I break the staff I'll take it with me and burn it to ashes, understand me?"
Blue eyes met golden-silver and for a moment Jack searched Pitch's eyes for any hint of the general he had seen in the shade's memories. "Yeah, I understand," Jack agreed. "But if you're sticking around you can at least be useful." He reached out and grabbed Pitch's arm and leaned against him as he hopped on one foot and turned around again. "This better be a sprain or I'm seriously kicking some fey ass once it's healed. Wish bones and muscles healed as fast as cuts and bruises."
Surprised, Pitch held the boy up. He fought back the urge to shove Jack away. No one ever willing touched him and while it felt strange at first he let himself relax. Perhaps he could still persuade Jack to his side. Perhaps he did have a chance to regain the family he had lost so long ago. He wrapped an arm more securely around the child's waist and pulled him closer, taking all of Jack's miniscule weight. Jack glanced up with momentary fear but relaxed when he noticed the Nightmare King was only helping him and not causing trouble. Pitch stared down at the top of the boy's snowy white hair., surprising himself by how right it felt having Jack so close, like holding his own child. He was never more thankful for a cloudy night sky as he was that moment.
As they neared the battle site Jack felt a rush of relief when he saw the Big Four were fine and North was lecturing a small band of Unseelie fey at sword point. A small smile tugged his lips. He should have known they'd be fine without him. It wasn't as if the fey had attacked the children or any humans thankfully. The fey readily agreed to whatever North had said and retreated to their domain and Jack gave a laugh. North could be more frightening than the Boogeyman when he wanted to be.
"I take it we won?" Jack called to him with a bright smile as he pulled away to Pitch to hobble to his friend on his own. He gave a yelp when he was yanked back in place. "Hey, I just want to make sure everyone's fine. I'm not breaking our pact," he snapped at Pitch.
The shade simply glared down at him and tucked him firmly under his arm.
Jack was actually happy for that when a wave of dizziness suddenly consumed him and his body suddenly spasm with enough pain to make his eyes bug out. He bit back a cry and tried to focus as the world around him spun.
"Jack?" Tooth cried, zooming to him in a flare of colorful feathers and wings. She gave a hiss as she came up to Pitch who growled back.
"Jack?" North asked in concern as he too hurried to the youth.
"Get your dirty paws off him, Pitch!" snarled Bunny, still in his six arm form and looking positively dangerous and nothing like his usual self.
Jack balled a hand in the fabric of Pitch's cloak as he tried to push past the pain consuming him. "I'm okay," he murmured as darkness once again consumed his vision. "I just…I think I need to sit down."
Pitch caught the boy as he collapsed. The sudden fear that exploded from the Guardians was exquisite but he had to admit he was worried as well now. He placed a hand on Jack's forehead, surprised by the fever and flush cheeks. This was not a good sign for a winter spirit. Brushing back the fringe of hair he studied Jack's face and nearly did a double take when he saw the usually pale blue blood vessel across the child's right temple was now black and spreading to others, giving his already pale complexion a grey tinge.
The Nightmare King's brow creased in confusion. How did this happen?
"No…" Bunny breathed, reaching them before the others. He stared in horror as his emerald eyes fixed on Jack's face and that little black vein marring his pale skin. His gaze shot up to Pitch's and before the shade could say anything he snatched Jack away and held him protectively in all six arms as he backed away. "Not him. I won't let you destroy him like you did all the others. I won't watch you kill everything good in him."
Pitch straightened and glared back at him but he could say nothing. He didn't know what to say. It wasn't meant to happen. It shouldn't have. He wasn't strong enough to cast such a spell.
"Bunny, what has happened?" North asked, hurrying to his side.
Tooth fluttered to his other side, inspecting Jack as well, her bright eyes full of motherly concern. Sandy flew up as well. His eyes widened in surprise and he turned back to Pitch but there were no anger only silent questions that he couldn't even form images for.
Bunny's eyes narrowed as he glared at the shade. "Jack's becoming a Fearling."