Picturesque was the only word for The Warren. Much like the workshop, magic kept it concealed from outsiders, but only barely. A number of weeping cherry trees dotted the rolling hills, their pink blossoms draping over enormous garden balls like protective blankets. Branches rested in the crevesses of the oblong orbs, highlighting the geometric and ornate patterns. Other similar rock sculptures sported only moss and totem-like faces. A rainbow of hyacinth doused the landscape in their fragrance, calling to mind fresh-cut grass and jelly beans. The richness of chocolate was barely detectable underneath the floral scent, but it made the mouth water nonetheless. A bubbling stream cut through the landscape for miles, miniature waterfalls trickling into ponds of every color imaginable. It started somewhere in the surrounding mountains and fell into the highest point of the meadow where a garden of white tulips waved in the gentle breeze.
It was here that a dark hole suddenly opened in the rocks and spit out North and Jamie. Bunny hopped out nimbly behind them, and the hole disappeared.
"Oi, rise and shine boys," he called over the waves of grass. "It's go time! Easter's in 8 hours! It's gonna be hard yakka, but the kids need us! Move it!"
Jamie's eyes sparkled as she watched the stones with faces rise from the ground and start towards her.
"What are they?" she asked in reverence.
"Sentinels. Oi, wake up," Bunnymund said as he bounced to the flowers. "We need eggies here!"
The tulips shook and tilted downward. Their petals closed and spat out eggs at an impressive rate. The eggs rolled down the hill and into the river. Jamie giggled and chased after them, watching them fall into the different ponds and walk out dyed a myriad of colors.
"That's so cool!" she squealed.
"What do you need us to do?" asked North.
"Sandy's getting the kids excited through their dreams, and Vanish is taking care of tooth duty. So I need you and Jamie to help direct. Make sure the flowers don't fall asleep, yeah?" Bunnymund ordered. "Jamie can help with the chocolate."
"What? I love chocolate!"
"I know!"
North cursed in Russian as the pooka bounded along the river and scooped Jamie up. He pointed at a still tulip.
"No sleeping."
An egg dropped from it.
"I never thought I'd say it, but I hope Jack gets here soon," Bunnymund admitted. "Don't touch!"
Jamie's fingers stopped just shy of a chocolate swamp. Her eyes pleaded with him to let her sample it. He ladeled it into a bowl and shook his head.
"Get over here, you goose."
Jamie obeyed, asking, "Why does everyone call me a goose?"
"Because you're a goose," chuckled Bunnymund, pouring the chocolate over a stone slab. He lifted two metal squares and raked them through the chocolate.
"What are you doing?"
"Tempering. All good chocolate is tempered. Makes it really shine. Can I tell you a secret?" he asked, and Jamie nodded. "This is actually my favorite part. Soft chocolate folding over and over, no shape yet, still waiting to be molded. I love it. Who knows what it'll be?"
"What happens next?"
"Patience, little goose. Good things take time."
"We don't have time."
Bunnymund laughed nervously. "Don't remind me. After this, it goes into the molds and cools. That's why I need Jack's help."
Jamie hummed. "Does he know where we are?"
"Tooth's taking care of it. Okay, magic time. Clive!"
One of the less mossy egg sentinels lumbered over, a massive tray in its hands. Bunnymund scraped the tempered chocolate onto the tray, where it gathered in shaped indentations.
"Thank you, Clive," said Bunnymund.
Clive left with the tray. Bunnymund turned around to see Jamie reaching for the scrapers. With a smirk, he booped her nose, leaving a thick chocolate smear on it. Jamie squeaked and tried to lick her nose. Eventually, she wiped her face and licked chocolate from her fingers as Bunnymund set to work tempering more sweets. As she praised the taste, though, Clive lumbered back towards them. Bunnymund didn't look up from his work.
"No time, Clive. Need more molds," he said breathlessly.
The sentinel pointed back, but Bunnymund shook his head.
"Jamie, go see what he's on about. I need to get these done."
Jamie giggled and wrapped herself around one of the stone golem's legs. She whooped as it trudged away with her. Slowly, so slowly, it crested the hill, and Jamie gasped.
"Jack's here!"
To be fair, he was nowhere to be seen, but the frosted grass gave him away. Frozen flowers poked out from soft piles of fresh snow. Giant ice shelves circled a stray tree like an ancient monument. Jamie dropped from the sentinel and hurried down the hill towards the chilled oasis, tripping over her shoelaces as she ran and crashing into the tree.
She was not surprised when a hooked staff reached down and pulled her into the branches so she was face-to-face with Jack.
"You should probably stay out of trees," he said flatly.
"Naaaah. Too fun."
She grabbed one of the branches and pulled herself up to sit on it. Jack, likewise, settled back into his resting spot among the pink flowers. Jamie pouted.
"Your jacket's different," she said.
Jack started. "Yeah, it does that sometimes. No big deal."
He brushed the sleeves of a now baby blue hoodie, dusting snowflakes to the ground in a miniature storm.
"It'll go back in a bit," he assured her. "And you? You're not hurt?"
"Nope!" Jamie bragged. "Not a bit. I was scared for a minute, though."
"Of me?"
"Of him." Jamie sighed and asked, "Why did he pick me out?"
"Hey, at least he didn't ignore you."
"He didn't. He used you. He used us," said Jamie.
The tree shook.
"Oi! I don't climb," Bunnymund shouted. "You two get down here."
Jack scoffed. "Excuse me, we're having a moment here."
"You got two seconds before I kick this thing over."
"Fine! Fine. I'm leaving."
Bunnymund sputtered, "I didn't say that! Look, will you please come down here? I want to apologize."
Jack raised a brow. He swung his legs over the branch to hang upside-down from his knees. Stark white locks hung from his head like icicles as he stared at Bunnymund.
"I'm listening."
Bunny raised a finger at him. "I don't apologize. Ever. So know that I mean it when I say I'm sorry. I didn't understand. But Tooth talked to me, and she always knows what she's saying. It was wrong of me to expect your style to fit mine. We're not the same."
"Not remotely."
"But that's good. If you were just me again, we wouldn't need you."
Jack hooked Twinetender around the branch and lowered himself to the ground. Then he cupped a hand to his ear.
"Sorry, don't think I caught that," he said. "You wouldn't what?"
Bunnymund crossed his arms. "Don't make me say it again."
"Oh, okay, I'll just put this ice back and-."
"No! No, no, no. I need those! I need your help," Bunny admitted again. "We all need your help. Please."
Jack smirked. "I was going to do this as a favor to Tooth, but… It's nice to be needed."
Bunnymund all but tackled Jack into a tight embrace, catching the teen off guard.
"If I didn't hate you, I'd kiss ya," he said.
Jack half-laughed. "Yeah, please don't."
"Wait, where's Jamie?"
In response, a pile of snow exploded from a child-sized cannonball. Jack laughed hysterically, his jacket blossoming back to its usual cerulean as Bunnymund swatted powder out of his face.
"Look, I'd love to stay and play with you," he scowled, "but I have millions of chocolates to make."
Jack fought to stop laughing, snickering as he said, "Yeah, yeah, no problem. I'll keep these chilled for you and, uh, I think five is a good tax? Jamie?"
"Huh?"
"Two for you, three for me?" he asked. "Chocolates?"
Bunnymund yelped at this. "I need these for kids! You can't-!"
"I'm kids!" said Jamie.
"I- But-!"
Jack leaned on his staff and pouted. "Yeah, and I just found out I can eat. I haven't had a bite of food iiiiiin… my entire memory."
"Pleeeease?" Jamie begged.
Bunnymund looked between the wide-eyed pair in confused shock. Then he chuckled.
"Better get back to work then," he said. "Don't make yourselves sick, yeah? Jamie, help wrap those when they come out of the shells."
She gave a thumbs-up, and he pounced back towards the swamp.
"Wait," she said, turning to Jack, "why do you get three, but I only get two? That's not fair."
Jack smiled mischievously over Twinetender. "Have you eaten in the last three-hundred years?"
"You're three-hundred?" she asked in awe.
"Eh, give or take. So, if we're thinking what's fair, I should get 300-ish, and you should get, uh… none."
"What?"
"One for every year you didn't eat."
"No way! That's not fair at all!"
"So is it okay if I have three and you get two, then?"
Jamie crossed her arms and huffed. "I guess."
Jack slung his staff over his shoulders and wandered around the tree. For a while, Jamie sat in the snow and watched eggs march across the horizon. Then something hard and cold hit her square in the back of the head. She whipped around and gaped at Jack as he poked his head out from behind the tree. He smiled widely and retreated. She turned back to watch the eggs again, gathering tiny handfuls of snow as she watched.
Another snowball smacked into her shoulder, and she whipped around and slung one back. Jack didn't even try to dodge it. He didn't need to. It sailed past his head as he watched.
"You have the worst ai-."
A second snowball hit the side of his head. He laughed and wiped his face.
"Oh, it is on!"