OK I LIED! I am discovering that it is going to be really hard to close out Pooka Jack, so I am going to work on an epic, super long chapter that will tie up and finish that arc. So while I'm working on it, I thought that I would post a preview to the next arc, being this chapter right here. . .
So if you guys want me to make this the new arc after Pooka Jack, you have to REVIEW and tell me your opinion…
As always, I do not own ROTG
Bunny sat by the lake at Burgess, his wooden easel with canvas set up with paint spread all around him, it was well into spring, and Jack had already left for the North Pole due to his sensitivity to heat. Bunny was checking on his favorite believer, Sophie, and decided to stop by Jack's lake to ensure all was well there. With deft strokes, the rabbit painted the scene before him, of the lake and the beautiful flowers decorating its shores. A small smile quirked one side of the Pooka's mouth as he softly added more detail to the lilacs growing near the large oak that stood on the rock outcropping hanging over the water, and on a whim Aster painted in the scene the sleeping figure of the winter spirit. Sitting back, he admired his work, his keen gaze taking in every detail. He knew that such a thing would be impossible for the sprite, but for some reason, any type of painting of this particular lake would feel wrong without Jack in it.
Stretching his long arms up above his head, Bunny let out a large yawn as his back popped, and then settled back against the chair he had brought with him. If he let it sit like this in the cool spring breeze with the warm sun shining on it, the pain would dry in no time, and Aster felt sure that it would be a great addition to his collection of nature scenes in the gallery back at the Warren. Leaning his head back until it hung almost upside down over the back of the chair; Bunny felt an ear twitch when he noticed something strange resting under one of the nearby trees. It was an Easter egg, and what was strange, was that it was not one that he had made. It was light blue with delicate green vines painted around it, and white roses spotting it, as well as moon gazer lilies accenting the background.
Pursing his lips in an impressed silence, the rabbit gently picked up the egg, and peered at it with emerald eyes. But then his heart plummeted, and his stomach burned with supreme irritation, the egg was plastic, and had merely been painted on. Aster gave a small harrumph of displeasure, before cracking the paint and opening the egg, curious to see what lay inside this faux googie. With a pop, the plastic oval opened, and strange glittering purple powder was expelled in a large cloud surrounding the rabbit. Bunny accidentally inhaled it, giving a hard sneeze, and then after shaking his head to clear away the dust peeked inside the egg. Inside, covered by the strange dust was simply a written message on a small piece of paper.
"Happy Easter"
Bunny felt one eyebrow raise, and he looked at the paper, and at the egg before suddenly a hard jolt of vertigo slapped him across the face. The Pooka leaned against a tree, one paw dragging down his face as he fought the persistent waves of dizziness afflicting his senses, but it seemed that his problems were only beginning. Suddenly his body felt like it had burst on fire, and every bone and muscle in his form shrieked in agony as the anthropomorphic rabbit fell to the ground with a scream of tortured pain. Paws wrapping around his body, the bunny kicked and bucked as his bones felt like they were turning into hot wax, and began to bend and reshape themselves at odd angles. He felt his frame begin to shrink, and his ears withered away. Aster gasped as pain wracked every nerve ending, causing him to sob and cry out, tears streaming down his face from the waves of horrible torment wracking his body.
"N-north…" the Pooka gasped as his vision began to grow dark "Tooth…Sandy…Jack…someone…help!"
Far away at the North Pole, Jack lounged on a window seat in the large library owned by Santa, his feet propped up by a mountain of books he had yet to read. A happy smile decorated his face as he devoured what was probably his tenth book, and he wiggled his feet in expectation of the ending, something he was only just a few pages away from discovering. North sat not too far away, pencil in hand, and another pencil behind one ear, sketching out some blueprints for his next invention. Elves played around on the floor, and Yetis quietly restocked books, glancing over at the boy and their boss every few minutes reassuring themselves that the two were amply taken care of. Jack sighed, turning to the next page, and North looked up at the winter child a fond smile lighting his features at the boy's content nature.
Unfortunately the peace was not meant to last.
Suddenly dark sand began to flow over the bookshelves causing North to jump to his feet shouting for Jack to come to his side. The winter spirit launched himself into the air, his eyes wildly going back and forth as he watched the waves of black sand writhe and gush between books and over the shelves. A black shadow was cast against one wall, and a bone chilling laugh resounded amongst the rafters, having Jack and North stand back to back with their weapons raised waiting for the inevitable attack. But it never came.
"Well, well, well" came a voice as dark as the shadows that it echoed from "if it isn't Jack Frost and good old Saint Nick. Count yourself lucky that I'm unable to maintain a solid form, otherwise you would have been cast into oblivion by now."
"Yeah," Jack retorted with a lazy grin directed to North over his shoulder "somehow I don't buy it, I mean you defeating us hasn't worked out so well in the past."
North let out a bellow of laughter, winking at the winter spirit "The boy speaks truth Pitch, it is best that you do not mess with what you cannot fight. The guardians are family, and together, we are strong."
"Interesting," Pitch sighed in boredom "because I was just about to make that point myself."
"Wait… What?" the sprite stammered.
Pitch laughed, sending shivers of fear running down Jack's spine "You see, I realized that your little team in practically unbeatable…if you're all together, but if I were to remove one of you from the equation…well then…"
Suddenly unease burst inside Jack's chest, and his stomach burned in fear "What did you do?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
Pitch let out another low laugh full of evil intent "Nothing much," he chuckled "but I realized something else while I've been thinking, and that is it is one thing to take away dreams from the world but it is nothing compared to when you take away Hope."
Jack's eyes widened and he clutched his staff closer to his chest as his heart beat wildly with terror "….Bunny…"
"Yes, Bunny" Pitch snapped maliciously "I wonder how he's doing right about now, especially after he finds my little gift that I had one of my pets leave for him at your lake."
"NO!"
Without another thought, Jack jumped out the window, flying full speed towards Burgess. He barely comprehended North yelling something about it being spring and that Jack would get heatstroke, but the winter sprite couldn't care less, one of his family was in danger and he needed to get there to save him.
Bunny lay on the grass, his chest heaving as he fought to drag air into his burning lungs, tears trickling down his face as he numbly stared out into the middle distance. He didn't know what happened, and honestly he was in too much agony to try to even check, all he knew was that a drastic change had taken place and that his body screamed for mercy from the torture. Feebly, one of his legs twitched, and Aster had to fight back the shriek of pain that wanted to rip its way from his mouth. A whimper slipped up his throat and out his mouth, causing the rabbit to swallow back a heavy sob. How long he lay there, the Pooka had no idea, but eventually the pain died away, and he was slowly able to move various limbs without the harsh repercussions. Suddenly pounding footsteps ran up on his right, and the rabbit eased his head towards the sound, his vision swaying and wobbling as he struggled to focus on the figure racing to his side.
"BUNNY!"
'Frostbite?' Aster thought through his pain induced stupor 'How did he know to come here?'
Jack was running up the Aster's prone form, sweat from the heat getting in his eyes, and the easel and canvas blocking his view from seeing the Easter Bunny. Wiping the stinging saltwater from his eyes, the boy felt his world tilt as he stumbled towards his brother, it wasn't until he came past the easel that he got his first real look at the rabbit. A teenage boy, roughly eighteen years old, lay naked on the ground clad only in Pooka armor hanging loosely from his frame. Defined muscles rippled across his form, and strange markings that looked almost like tattoos decorated his skin. The only thing that remained of the former rabbit was his grayish blue and silver hair, and bright emerald eyes.
Bunny had been turned human…
So that was the preview, I know it was short, but I hope you liked it. Remember to REVIEW and tell me your opinions on whether I should write this or not.
I also have plans on turning Jack into a toddler, anyone up for that idea, let me know what you think.
PEACE!
