Bunny bided his time. Scowling at Dusk silently but unlike Jack the Guardians knew Jamie wasn't coming. Once Dusk left the room, Bunny wasted no time in tinkering with his cage and escaping. Then he quietly worked to free Sandy, then Jack, North, and Tooth. He didn't say a word to Jack the whole time. Making sure his work was soundless though it took a little while as he made sure not to set off any wards or any such precaution that Dusk would have in place. Jack panted, slipping in and out of consciousness as he was weakened... deathly weak, on verge of passing out. As he fell into Bunny's arms Dusk snickered.

"You didn't think I'd let it be this easy did you Guardians?" The Jack in Bunny's arms disappeared and Jack was revealed along with what looked like Jamie in a cage in Jack's arms. Jack was shaking from the loss of energy.

"You're a sick bastard. Ain't no way you got Jamie. He didn't come with us!" Bunny protests with a growl.

"Well of course not, it was only to humor Jack; make him feel hopeful, but as you can see..." The Jamie look alike turned into a Nightmare, sucking out the anger out of Jack along with his essence, weakening him before laughing like a hyena and leaving. Dusk laughed.

"Sorry to say, but you're of no use to me." Soon they were surrounded by the creatures.

"Kill them." Dusk said before hiding the cage that Jack was now unconscious in. Sandy had the easiest time in what was a very short scuffle. He purified all the sand with his own and then sent the dream creatures to ram at others. Once there were no more the Guardians threw everything they had into busting Jack out; between Bunny and North's magic, they managed to break any wards and drive off any more of the sand while Sandy kept Dusk busy with his new sand creations that had turned into stags and ran at the other spirit without fear; the silent Guardian scowling at his opponent as he rode one, one hand on his ride and the other holding a whip as he drove Dusk from the others who worked frantically to free Jack. Dusk wasn't at all pleased and sent dark sand at Sandy, attacking him and his stags from all sides; the man would sometimes disappear and reappear and the room would shift everyone about, especially away from Jack who groaned as he woke up during the battle.

"He is my little trinket to feed on Guardians!" He laughed evilly, some darkness latched onto each distressed and angered Guardian and fed off their anger, making the dark sand stronger than even Sandy's but not strong enough... Dusk laughed as he was chased about and Jack groaned.

"Jamie..."

Jamie sat in the pole, waiting patiently. Unaware of the battle and simply trying to focus on painting the train that a yeti named Nil was watching him do. It was his first one after all so he didn't blame the yeti for wanting to make sure he did it right and didn't ice over the toy accidentally or anything. Once it was dry, the yeti inspected it and nodded in approval; warbling happily and settling down to his own pile while Jamie picked up another and began painting it, doing his best to block out any distractions... which meant blocking the bond too... but he'd done that when he'd made the decision to not go with the Guardians. He wondered only briefly if he should have gone with them only to shake the thought away. There was nothing he could do. He wasn't a Guardian, he was just a winter spirit... a spirit who didn't know what his purpose was other than helping Jack bring snow. Was this impatience he felt what it had been like many years ago when women had waited at home when only men were allowed to go to war? Jamie shook the notion away, trying to redirect his thoughts... there needed to be red here... on the inside of the larger wheel... He picked up the brush for the red paint and dipped it in gently; making sure it wasn't too over coated in paint before beginning the delicate work.

Tooth sliced through a Nightmare that was hot on Sandy's tail, saving the little Guardian from one of the Nightmares.

"Help Sandy!" North yelled as he managed to smash the last of the magical wards on the cage and Bunny nodded, leaping to help Tooth and Sandy deal with the Nightmares. Sandy blasted Dusk with a large burst of his sleep sand in attempt to temporarily stun the spirit if not end up knocking him out for a while when the dark spirit rearranged the room a third time... Dusk yipped, the sand hurting him.

"Oww! You'll pay for that!" Jack whined, a little oblivious, but not of the problems around him.

"I'm sorry." It's all Jack said. Dusk growled and attacked Tooth from behind; wrapping her in sand and transporting her into a cage.

"You'll be lovely." He said before attacking Bunny from behind, Jack's strength was half empty now. Bunny evaded Dusk's attempt to capture him, slamming the other spirit into a wall with a powerful kick while North managed to bust Jack's cage open finally and then ran over to work on freeing Tooth again while Bunny kept Dusk busy. Sandy wrapped his sand around Jack and sent the sand soaring out of the place and back to the pole. He blasted Dusk with his sand again to keep the other distracted and sent several sand stags to keep Jack safe from any chasing Nightmares while the Guardians continued their fight. This time to free Tooth. Dusk was furious, Nightmares surrounded the stags, trying to get Jack back. Dusk snarled and sent everyone in the room spinning into another illusionistic trick.

"YOU CAN'T WIN I AM IN CONTROL HERE YOU HEAR ME!" He yelled angrily but feeling no anger to feed off of he was weakening, the Pooka from one of the cages whispered to Bunny.

"Psst, fellow pooka here." The Nightmares were defeated by each stag though, thanks to North and Bunny's quick, wordless enchantments that had gone with them to keep Dusk from reclaiming Jack, but that didn't help them fight Dusk off. Bunny grunted as he landed next to the speaker.

"How do I know ye ain't just an illusion?" He grumbled as he shot a spell at a Nightmare nearby, blasting the sand. North managed to free Tooth just in time to allow her to slice up a Nightmare before the room spins again, rearranging once more but not before Sandy got another shot off at Dusk with his dream sand. Dusk, enraged, shot at them with chains and slashed at Tooth with hot iron. The Pooka sighed.

"Where a bunny hops nobody knows." It was a old saying the Pookas made up, a code of honor; she lay back, her feet and legs were chained as well with magical barriers.

"I know how to destroy him but first can ya get me out of here?" She asked, eyes a light green, a shade lighter than Bunny's, her fur was a grey with swirling markings that were a beautiful white. Bunny grunted, distracted by a Nightmare he had to blast.

"That'll do." He replied and set to freeing the other, for all he knew it could be a trickster... he'd seen plenty of them... changelings some of them. Any of them could have learned the saying but it was good enough to at least let him know she wasn't an illusion. No way this nut job would study THAT much about his kind, which he was the last of anyway. The other three keep Dusk and the Nightmares busy while Bunny works on the magical wards first before busting open the cage. Any help was better than none... This one smelled like a Pooka... but that didn't mean anything. He shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind as he worked to break down the magical chains next. They could use the help. Tooth barely ducked being slashed with the iron while Sandy knocked away Dusk's chains with his whips. Dusk laughed darkly the pooka quickly left the cage.

"Flank left, he has a special weak spot on his neck; it's just by his ear, he also loses concentration with happy thoughts love and such." She said, her ears twitching for any Nightmares ready to jump them. She hopped a little behind Dusk who snickered and slammed Sandy in two, it would take him a while to reconstruct. Tooth gasped and attacked with new fire, North with more rage; it fed Dusk enough energy to dodge both attacks.

"Right... easier said than done mate..." Bunny replied and hopped over to Tooth, passing the information along quickly to her and she does her best to calm her rage; focusing instead her love for Jack as a fellow Guardian and the determination to defeat their opponent because of it. Bunny does the same as he kicks Dusk into a wall a second time and quietly passes on what he'd told Tooth, to North. Dusk squealed in agonizing pain.

"NO! LOVE TOXIC! AHHH!" He started smoking like he was on fire, the Pooka thought of her family that sent her on a spacecraft to Earth during the great war and destruction of their species, making Dusk yell in more pain.

"NOOO!" As Sandy reformed again Bunny quickly told him what was going on and Sandy thought back to the times of the Golden Age... of his friends then and the friends he had now. The children he loved to give dreams to and protected with everything he was just as the other Guardians do. That was the last straw and Dusk exploded into sparkling rainbow dust, the Pooka from before smiled.

"Please, can you help me free all that he has trapped so they may return home?" She had tears in her eyes.

Jack was finally dropped off in his room the bond was being tapped repeatedly, meaning Jack was safe now. Jamie ignored the tapping, but he felt at least some measure of relief as he continued working on the train he'd begun. He calmly worked on the last of the train, painting the body of it blue.

"Of course. Would be pleasure." The Guardians help the other Pooka, the three of them wondering if Bunny has noticed... Bunny certainly has, but he kept his questions to himself for now. He had a feeling he and this other Pooka would have a lot to talk about... but later. It hadn't escaped his notice that this Pooka was also a sheila...

He shoved away any thoughts on that matter as he broke magic on a cage before bursting it open to let free a young nymph. Who let out a happy cry when she realized she was finally free. The other lagomorph took a couple looks at Bunny but looked away when he looked her direction, freeing little elves, wood elves.

"There ya go now it's alright 'lil 'roos." Her accent was definitely from outback. After freeing the last of the captives, Bunny was watching his fellow Pooka out of the corner of his eye... oh she was a beaut if she were really a Pooka... wasn't he last of his kind though? Shaking away that, Bunny hopped over to her.

"Thanks for the help mate. Got the last of them. Didn't catch your name." She smiled.

"Kaiu." She became suddenly more adorable than any of Bunny's precious googies.

Jack panted heavily before waking up with a shout.

"AHH!" He panted a little, looking around; he found himself on a comfortable bed in his room.

"J-Jamie..." Jamie finished the final train of the stack he'd started, though he sensed vaguely that Jack was awake and told the yeti he should at least see if Jack wanted anything now that he was awake and headed off for the room. He stuck his hands in the pockets, forcing himself to walk. Take it slow... one step at a time... No need to rush... Jack groaned when a yeti came in, he yelled and nearly stabbed him; unsure if this was reality or just another trick from Dusk, but he was dead and Jack didn't know it.

"Easy Jack." Jamie said quietly as he came in behind the yeti. The yeti warbled at him but he only shrugs, he had no idea what had happened but he shoos the yeti out. Jack shivered.

"Are you real or just another trick from Dusk?" He said, holding a knife shakily in his hand.

"Thanks again Kaiu. It's nice ta meet ya. I'm Aster." Bunny replied, none of the others said anything, but they did smile as Bunny introduced each of them to her.

"You all are so extraordinary!" She said, hopping like any normal Pooka, but she was a young one.

"Aster, are there anymore... did the clan survive?" She didn't get to see the end of the planet she was shipped off before that.

"I must know how many of us survived." At that, Bunny's ears drooped and he glanced at the others. None of them said anything and he turned back to her.

"I... I hate to break it to ya... but... it's not good... See... I thought I was the last... after tha' war... I ain't heard from another Pooka since before it ended..." Her ears drooped, sadder than even Bunny's.

"No... you're lying... you... that can't be true. I saw my mama come with us, she has to be here!" She was a young Pooka, Bunny figured, apparently one whose mother had died in the attack as the space ships could not fit enough Pookas and some had been left behind to their demise. Tears started to fall from the poor Pookas eyes. He gently put a paw on her shoulder, his gaze gently sympathetic and understanding.

"I'm sorry sheila... I wish I were... I lost my whole clan in that war... I didn't think anyone else made it. I been around the entire planet since the end of that war... if there are any others here... I ain't seen 'em or even signs." Bunny felt bad for her, he remembered too well the first days of finding out he was the only one to survive Pitch's attack... What he thought had meant the end of the Pooka as a race entirely... that he alone would carry out the traditions of his people here on this planet, called Earth by gifting them eggs. Symbols of hope, hope that he'd struggled to have himself day in and day out that he wasn't the very last... a tiny flicker that had always been with him in hopes of someday finding another... just like him.

Centuries of waiting, with no signs... no indications... and now here in front of him was proof he wasn't the very last after all... that maybe... just maybe... there were others besides him and the young Kaiu. Kaiu hugged Bunny tightly, burying her face into his fur.

"Mama is gone but you're here so there's still h-hope." She said, her own hope flickering, but growing as it had been only thoughts 'where were my parents 'was all she thought for so many years... 'where is everybody' and then that man had captured her and even harmed her on occasions in fits of anger. Bunny didn't smell the blood before but now it was apparent this sheila was abused day in day out here. Bunny gently hugged her.

"Come on then... let's maybe have somethin' ta eat at the Warren hmm?" Bunny suggests gently while the others decide it's best to make themselves scarce by heading back to the pole to check on Jack.

"Whoa... huh? Who is Dusk?" Jamie asks, his hands up when he sees the knife pointed at him. Jack growled.

"FAKE!" His mental capacity was low, he didn't believe any of this was real and he attacked Jamie, swiping at him; not angry but fearful of him thinking he was fake.

"STOP! STOP! DUSK STOP MESSING WITH MY HEAD!" Jack screamed. Jamie winced, but didn't put up a fight.

"Jack... take it easy... You're safe. I promise." He says quietly.

"I'll prove it if I have to... just... don't do anything drastic... please..." Jack shook like a leaf.

"P-Please no more tricks... I just want Jamie." Jack said, still having the knife pointed at Jamie but not swinging anymore; more hope flickered into his heart that this was real...

"No tricks. Anything you ask I'll do to prove I'm real." Jamie said, wondering just what it was this Dusk person had done... No... he couldn't go down that road. He'd just get mad and he didn't need that... He needed to stay calm.

Kaiu followed Bunny, she was so little and light so she was put on his back as he headed to the Warren. Bunny hopped from the place to outside, careful to keep her balanced before tapping the ground to summon a tunnel and dropping into it. He raced through the tunnels, his heart beating faster than normal. He was honestly overjoyed. He had all but given up hope that he wasn't the last and yet here she was! He felt hope surge through him anew as he easily traversed the tunnel that led into the Warren, but for the sake of his passenger he didn't take the tunnel with all the twists and turns in it. He didn't want to disorient her or anything. Once there he gently set her on her own paws.

"Welcome to the Warren. Now, let's get ya something hmm? I'll give ya a tour afterwards if ye like."

He gently led her through the vast den to a hovel tucked away in one corner where he lived. From there he led her inside to a small kitchen and rummaged about to setting to making her some tea. Kaiu nodded happily at the tour idea looking at all the amazing colors and little eggs.

"GOOGIES!" She used the same word Bunny used for his eggs.

The knife shook in Jack's hands.

"Prove to me you're Jamie... tell me everything he would know. Everything. I mean everything the love, we shared and prove to me you're real." Jack said, tears falling fast; he needed more comfort right now and Jamie knew it too. Jamie nods slowly. He begins by telling about the first time they met, when he'd been a boy in Burgess and how Jack had kept his belief alive by creating a snow bunny on a window. That when it had exploded into snow and it had touched his nose he had become Jack's believer... he talked then about the fun they'd had as best as he could remember, all the snow days Jack had always brought him and his friends after that Easter evening. Followed by how he'd gotten sick just before he'd turned fourteen and it had been what had killed him because there was no cure... or if there had been, his mother couldn't afford it. How he'd woken up as a frost spirit and met Jack a second time at the pole, the whole trouble with Jakoul and Gale... the first kiss... their first time... the help from a mysterious human woman to seal away Jakoul and Gale... the insecurities that Jakoul had preyed on, not fully held back by the seal, and how he'd controlled the Guardians for a time... Jamie's mistake... the time with Death, that had meant Jakoul's permanent sealing - though he didn't cover every detail there - and the emergence and time with Angel... then Angel's fight against Death that had spared Jamie when Death had made him human again. The favor that Angel had granted, making Jack a normal frost spirit again except with the wings he had now... making Jamie a frost spirit again that led him to a third death and losing his memory temporarily. Then the trouble recently with the two fire spirits. Jack panted, the knife dropped instantly and gripped Jamie in a bear hug.

"Oh God Jamie!" He cried.

"I-i... he wouldn't stop Jamie, the illusions... he used you against me until I didn't even know if anything was real anymore." Jack continued to cry really hard, frosting his shirt. Jamie gently held Jack close, just listening quietly as Jack cried against him; silently offering comfort.

Kaiu thumped her foot, having had fleas and malnutrition along with a few scars around her body. She scratched herself behind the ear, like Bunny did, a few times.

"Oi... those are some nasty buggers ta have... I got somethin' that'll help with that. Just sit tight a tick." The fleas hadn't escaped his notice, nor the fact that she seemed undernourished... He didn't say anything on that last part though as he set her tea in front of her and disappeared into a different room. When he came back he had a salve that he rubbed on the back of her neck where she couldn't reach... the stuff was strong smelling, a little nasty really but no sooner had he put the cap on then the fleas that were on her began jumping ship to get away from her. Kaiu knew these herbs.

"The stink plant?" She looked at Bunny.

"Do you have anything from your ship still?" She asked thinking he was of the same clan, but she was east of his clan; she looked at him with innocent eyes.

" 'Fraid not. It was scrapped when we got here. Would never fly again. I was too young anyway at the time... Anything left of that ship has been lost ta time... when we arrived here... wasn't much ta see... not in way of intelligent life save for a handful of spirits... I was just a kit meself." Bunny fell silent. They had come to Earth to hide... a clan of those who couldn't fight due to injuries that wouldn't heal right thanks to the Fearlings... and some does... and of course their kits. He didn't want to think about that night... about how he was woken up by the sounds of horrible screams of his brethren fighting for their lives... of innocent kits dying... watching his kin, his blood be slain like lambs at a slaughter... and at the head of it all... the King of Nightmares himself... Pitch Black... He'd fought... and then he'd had to run... oh but he wished he hadn't had to... His footsteps were almost soundless as he moved through the hovel, putting away the bit of medicine and shaking himself from the unwanted memory. He had a guest to see to and a future to attend to. The past needed to stay where it was... in the past.

Jack told Jamie every single little detail of why he was angry, it wasn't anger towards him but what the bastard had told him. Dusk had wanted Jack angry and fed off of him, he cried even more.

"Jamie, I'm sorry... I'm soo soo soo sorry." He said heaving with frustration pain and fear. Jack sniffled and jumped when a yeti came in.

"WHO ARE YOU STATE YOUR BUSINESS!" He had the knife at the poor yeti's throat glaring and growling.

"Jack, no!" Jamie pulled Jack back away from the yeti. Jack growled.

"HE DIDN'T ANSWER! HE CAN'T BE A REAL YETI!" Jack screeched, swiping at the poor thing with his knife.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! ENOUGH OF THESE TRICKS!" Jamie pulled Jack back while the yeti scurried back, warbling in fear.

"Jack! Stop!"

Aster winced, he hadn't even realized he'd spoken aloud.

"Yeah... it was... a long time ago. Not too long after I made friends with the Man in the Moon and eventually he made me and the others Guardians. Been one ever since... Then one Easter, the unthinkable happened. Pitch returned and, well... we gained a new member. You saw him yourself. Jack Frost. Jack's... had it hard too. I won't claim I was as welcoming as I shoulda been... but... well... I kinda had a thing against him when he ruined Easter once. He's one of my best mates though. Nothin' I wouldn't do ta help him... if he let me." Bunny shook away the thoughts that were memories of what Tooth had retrieved for him of when Jakoul had controlled him and North... that had been nasty. Kaiu sighed.

"Jack, I'm afraid, did not completely come out of this unscarred Bunny." She paused a moment.

"He's going to be mentally messed up for a real long time. I was lucky the bastard only tortured me when he felt like it; wasn't very often." She held Bunny's paw as she yawned tiredly and fell asleep, leaning into the larger lagomorph. Bunny sighed at that, picking up his guess he settled her into his nest for comfort before moving out to his garden to do some thinking and some necessary weeding. His radishes would be coming in soon. Bunny sighed a little as he tended to the garden. What exactly was he to do with his visitor? Did she have a home of her own? He realized he hadn't had enough time to really ask those sort of questions... well, he'd prepare the evening meal for them and see about getting some of those questions answered.

Jack yelled and screamed, not seeing anything but my fear.

"NO! NO IT'S ALL A TRICK! I'M NOT HERE! I KNEW IT! YOU LIED TO ME!" Jack yelled upset and freaking out terribly. Jamie pulls Jack from the other and manages some how to pin him to the bed and look him square in the eyes. His gaze intense as he speaks quietly.

"When... have I ever lied before?" His tone is quiet. He had omitted things before or perhaps just outright not ever said something... like when he'd been cutting, but he had never outright lied to Jack. Ever. The poor yeti left the room and spread the word quickly that it wasn't a good idea to go into Jack's room for their own safety... Jack struggled.

"NO! IT'S ALL AN ILLUSION!" Then he outright screamed and nearly slit Jamie's neck, freeing himself somehow and creating a ice dagger; he squirmed and kicked Jamie in the crotch. Jamie curled up, pain flaring through him and a little over the bond as he winced.

"Ow..." He squeaked. Jack felt Jamie's pain and then realized what he'd done.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Jamie." I'm an idiot... He thought, why did he do that flip out like that? His head hurt and everything... he ran, hiding in the closet; it's only thing he could think to do, and cried.

Kaiu snuggled and spoke in her sleep.

"Mama, when are we coming home?" She said, it's all she said. Bunny's ears twitched, barely picking up the words as he cooked the evening meal; he sighed a little. He imagined he'd said similar things in that nest when he'd first created it after burying his brethren. The Warren had once been much larger... now only a single tunnel remained aside from others and it led to where he had buried his kin. He had buried the remainder of what had been a thriving burrow in the earth after taking what few things he'd truly needed from it. The food, seeds to garden and a few trinkets as reminders of his family... He didn't know where those trinkets were exactly anymore though as they were tucked away in his closet with so many other artifacts that he'd picked up along the way that he'd found over the many years he'd been on this planet. Some were "holy" items others had various properties and varied uses. Kaiu awoke to smell a wonderful smell like steamed carrots and flour powder, just like her mother used to make.

"Hey." Bunny says as he pads over to the room. His nose twitched a little, she looked cute curled up in his nest... whoa, hold on... where did that come from? He shook the thought away as he waited to see if she'd respond or if he'd have to wake his guest for the evening meal.