The Easter Bunny glanced up when he approached but there was nothing to show he was unwanted so he sat down.
"Not bad."
"Not bad yourself."
Jack basked in the easy company, with no tension or grudged clouding the air between them. He'd never thought he'd ever be able to get along with others like this but somewhere along the way, the Guardians became people he didn't mind spending time with. It felt amazing and he couldn't help but hope that maybe, from now on, he wouldn't be so alone anymore.
"And, look, I'm sorry about the whole. You know, the kangaroo thing."
"It's the accent, isn't it?" Bunny asked with a smile that let Jack know they were good. For once, Jack didn't feel completely at odds with everyone.
They both laughed and Jack's eyes were bright.
"You know, I'm just gonna be blunt with you," Bunny started and Jack listened in curiosity. "We all thought we'd find someone else with you when we found you. I mean, I wasn't surprised that we didn't. But we thought that maybe… well. I guess it doesn't matter. We must have just been seeing things."
Jack gave him a sideways look. "Actually, that's funny because Tooth tried to ask me something similar. What's going on?"
Bunny absently stroked the sleepy girl's hair, expression sobering. "It's nothing you really need to know but I guess if North's so set on you joining us, it's not like you can't know. When the Moon chose you, we thought we could see someone with you. Helping you. An old friend of ours, I guess you could say."
Bunnymund paused, seemingly lost in thought.
"Who was it?" Jack prompted.
The Easter Bunny blinked back into focus. "Aeolus. A force of nature. The unofficial fifth Guardian. She never did agree to join us officially. Then she left over some, er, personal differences."
Jack frowned. "What kind of differences?"
"Pitch took her. Corrupted her mind with his fear. Turned her, I guess you could say."
Jack felt the wind around him pick up a little, buffering them both.
"Like Sandy?"
"Nah, mate. Sandy wasn't given a choice," Bunny said darkly. "Aeolus. Aeolus had a choice. But she's long gone, now. I don't know what happened to her but I guess she ran, like she always did. Hiding away somewhere. We think she got in a fight with Pitch over something."
"If she knows Pitch, do you think she could help us?"
Bunny snorted. "Even if we could find her, I doubt she'd be much inclined to help anyone, let alone us. There's nothing that can convince her to do anything she doesn't want to do, there's nothing that ties her down. She couldn't be a Guardian. She couldn't stay as Pitch's lackey. 'No matter how you know her, you cannot predict her breeze.' That about sums her up."
Jack felt a pang, like there was something he was forgetting. Something important that itched at the edge of his consciousness. It was the same kind of itch he felt when he looked at the pond in Burgess he couldn't seem to leave. He was quiet as he thought. "I guess we'll just have to do this without her then."
They both quietened as the rest of the Guardians joined them.
It was odd to see Bunnymund and Jack of them together, talking, but Wind had always thought that if they could ever get past each other's defensive attitude, they would get along well. They had the same sense of humour. Most of the time.
Wind had only managed to catch the tail end of their conversation, but it was enough to revive her anger and remind her of her disgust for their know-it-all attitude. Of course that's what they thought happened. Either that or Bunnymund was too embarrassed to admit to Jack the true story. She wasn't sure which was worse.
Everyone looked down to find Sophie fast asleep in Bunny's arms.
"Poor little ankle biter," Bunny said softly. "Look at her, all tuckered out."
"I love her," Tooth sighed adoringly as she brushed a strand of blonde hair out of Sophie's face. Baby Tooth squealed affirmatively by her side and Wind blinked, having forgotten about the little fairy. "I think it's time to get her home."
Tooth took the little girl from the Easter Bunny.
"How about I take her home?" Jack offered.
"Jack, no. Pitch is out there-"
"But no match for this," Jack insisted, holding out his staff.
"Which is why we need you here, with us," Bunnymund said seriously and Wind knew that that would mean a lot to Jack, to feel needed.
Even so, Jack smiled reassuringly at them. "Trust me. I'll be quick as a bunny."
Bunnymund shook his head at the phrase but shrugged defeatedly. The rest of them eventually relented too, making Jack promise he'd be back quickly and Baby Tooth eagerly volunteered to keep him company.
Wind wasn't too sure how she felt about one of Tooth's mini soldiers following them around but the baby fairy didn't seem to think badly of Jack and seemed happy to tag along. It would be nice for Jack to finally have someone he could see follow him around even if it made Wind feel a little… replaced. Even if that was ridiculous considering he didn't even know she was there in the first place.
Jack flew out of the Warren feeling light as he carried Sophie home, Wind smiling fondly by his shoulder.
It was great that he was feeling accepted but she couldn't bring herself to match his happiness with his conversation with Bunnymund still weighing on her mind.
Taken by Pitch? Corrupted? Wind wanted to scoff.
Who the hell is he, judging us when he never bothered to properly listen to what we had been trying to say all along, Boreas said, obviously trying to make them all feel better.
At least now we know how the Guardians see us, Notus added. It's not like we expected them to understand or forgive us.
Do we even want them to forgive us? Eurie asked. It's not like we need their forgiveness either.
Zephyrus hummed. Let's just focus on Sophie and getting Jack back to the Warren safely. Pitch is still lurking, we don't know when he's going to strike next.
Wind's head fell silent and she sighed into the night as it turned stale around her, ready to break out into dawn.
By now, they knew the house well and found it easily, taking a guess as to which bedroom was Sophie's. The colourful drawings of the Easter Bunny were a big clue.
Jack struggled a little to put her down, carefully unhooking her arms from around his neck and stepping back so she would roll back on the bed, sighing happily. Just as he was turning away, Sophie rolled and slipped off the bed, making them wince only to find her sleeping soundly on the floor.
As Jack wondered what to do, sharing a look with Baby Tooth, an adult voice called out from elsewhere in the house.
"Sophie! Is that you?"
Panicking, Jack threw a blanket and a stuffed toy on her and left quickly, laughing a little at how ridiculous he had been.
"We should get back," Jack said as he peered in through the window from outside and the tiny fairy squeaked affirmatively.
As he was turning away from the building, Wind felt him jolt to a stop, eyes darting around the neighbourhood searchingly. Her arms tightened around him in confusion, wondering what he was looking for.
"That voice… I know that voice…" Jack murmured. With a tug, they were off, darting through the night on some wild chase following a voice only Jack seemed to be able to hear.
Wind was worried, and she knew that Baby Tooth was too. She had no idea what he could be talking about, what he could possibly be following. There was nothing there.
They reached a dark clearing in a nearby forest, at the centre of which was the broken frame of a bed and beneath it, a gaping hole. And it seemed like Jack wanted to go in the hole.
Okay, I may be stupid but tell me this doesn't scream Pitch, Eurie said.
I think the bed is a major clue, Boreas said dryly.
You mean the creepiness isn't?
As Jack stepped closer to the hole, Baby Tooth tugged on his hood desperately and Wind wished she could do more to help and stop Jack from doing something that seemed very dumb.
He's really just going to fly down some creepy hole with a broken bed on it, Zephyrus said. What part of that sounds like a good idea?
"Don't worry, there's still time," Jack said as he brushed off the fairy, eyes fixed on the hole.
He's not really going to do it, is he? Zephyrus asked in concern.
Nah, he'd have to be really- oh, never mind. Here we go down the creepy hole, Boreas sighed.
Jack seemed confused when they got to the bottom of the hole and reached a dark tunnel and Baby Tooth frantically flew in his face, trying to get him to turn back and away.
"I've got to find out what that is," Jack snapped as they walked down the tunnel to where it opened up into a larger cavern filled with creepy metal cages that on a closer look, were filled with the rest of Toothiana's little fairies.
The cavern was filled with the sound of a thousand fluttering wings and small, distressed squeaks as they flew between the cages.
Wind saw something sparkle out the corner of her eye and kept her eyes on the cages, not really seeing them in her effort not to give into the temptation to look down.
"Shh, I'll get you out. I'm gonna get you out just as soon as-"
Jack cut himself off, his attention suddenly turning to the floor of the cavern and Wind's gaze unconsciously followed his, stilling as she took in the mountains of slim golden boxes piled beneath them. The teeth. "-I can."
Jack was just as transfixed as Wind was, immediately forgetting his goal to jump down and started to frantically search the golden sea.
Wind hovered above his head, eyes fixed on the gold as she resisted the urge that screamed at her to look through them, that now was her chance, she could finally take it and know, know what that bloody space rock had refused to tell her all this time, no that she needed to know of course but just one look couldn't hurt but no, it didn't matter, it didn't matter-
"Looking for something?"
Wind felt the instant rage as Jack's attention snapped to the direction the voice had come from and reflexively shot a burst of frost. The last encounter Jack had with Pitch was still fresh in Wind's mind and she realised how dangerous it was for them to face each other like this. Last time, Jack had used all his energy and collapsed. She didn't want to think what would happen to Jack if they kept fighting like that.
But Jack obviously didn't have any such concerns as he dragged them through the increasingly complex underground lair, chasing Pitch's laughter through the shadows.
"Don't be afraid, Jack. I'm not going to hurt you."
Pitch was standing on a ledge, his arms behind his back as he patiently watched them hurtle towards him.
"Afraid? I'm not afraid of you."
Pitch strode away and Jack landed behind him, following with his staff pointed defensively at Pitch's back.
"Maybe not. But you are afraid of something."
"You think so, huh?"
"I know so," Pitch said, turning to face Jack. It's the one thing I always know. People's greatest fears. Yours is that no one will ever believe in you. There's another fear here, too. I can taste it."
"Another fear…?"
"Yes." Pitch looked right at Wind, making her freeze. "An old one."
Jack glanced around in confusion and Pitch's gaze zeroed in on it, his eyebrows flying up. Wind knew he'd put it together fast. He was smart, he always caught on quickly. Unfortunately, this was the one thing she didn't want him to know. But it was too late.
Pitch looked like he'd been given an early present. "Oh, you mean you don't know? Oh, this is delightful, absolutely perfect. Quite the responsibility. Jack, you didn't tell me you were quite so special."
"What do you mean?" Jack demanded.
"To have such protection, you are quite lucky indeed."
"What are you talking about? How am I lucky?"
Pitch tilted his head thoughtfully. "Lucky? You're right, perhaps not. But I digress. Rather than old secrets, I'm much more interested in your fear, Jack. Lost. Unbelieved in."
Jack backed away warily, sinking down into the shadows Pitch had waiting for him, sending him falling. Wind caught him and he landed gently, looking around frantically for Pitch, lost in the dark.
"And worst of all, you're afraid you will never know why. Why you? why were you chosen to be like this?"
"Stop it!" Wind growled, shaking the stony abyss as she hovered protectively around Jack. Pitch stepped into sight, a tall shadow before them amongst others.
"Well, fear not. For the answer to that is right here."
Wind stared at the teeth case Pitch held out to them, the picture of a familiar brown-eyed boy on the side.
"Do you want them Jack? Your memories?"
Wind wanted to punch Pitch for the pain that flickered across Jack's face as his hand hesitantly moved towards the case. Pitch only chuckled and sank back in the shadows, prompting Jack to give chase once more through the labyrinth of winding stairs and shadowing halls.
"Everything you wanted to know in this little box." Pitch's shadow taunted him, making Jack run faster. "Why did you end up like this? Unseen, unable to reach out to anyone. You want the answers so badly. Worst of all, they've been standing right next to you this entire time and you didn't even know it. But it's the box you want to grab and fly off with, only you're afraid of what the Guardians will think, you're afraid of disappointing them."
The words made Wind ache, not needing a reminder that Jack didn't know she was there. Pitch seemed to delight in the sore point now that he knew. He had no right cutting into Jack like that, using his fears against him. But Pitch always remained just out of reach, dancing out of sight and toying with them as he led them around.
"Well let me ease your mind about one thing. They'll never accept you, not really."
"Stop it, stop it!" Jack cried out, clutching his head.
"Pitch, leave him alone!" Wind yelled but Pitch ignored her.
"After all, you're not one of them." Pitch stepped out into the light once more with a knowing look.
Aeolus, don't do anything. We don't know what he has planned yet.
"You don't know what I am," Jack shot back as he was backed into a corner.
"Of course I do. You're Jack Frost. You can't see the truth when it stares you right in the face. You make a mess wherever you go. Why, you're doing it right now."
Pitch threw the teeth at Jack and he caught them, staring at the Nightmare King as he tried to figure out what he was trying to do. Wind had a bad feeling. She couldn't remember how long they'd been down here, either, how long they'd spent chasing the same shadow. "What did you do?"
"More to the point, Jack, what did you do?"
Jack and Wind threw themselves snarling at Pitch only to fall through shadows and find themselves stumbling into a mossy tunnel, something crunching under Jac's bare feet.
"Baby Tooth," Jack said when he realised with a panic that she wasn't with him anymore only to look down and find broken eggshells littering the ground.
"Happy Easter."