Author's Note: It's Kangaroo's turn to encounter Jack!

Bunny: What did ya just call me?!

Uhh, Bunny! I totally said Bunny! *Laughs nervously*

I hope you guys enjoy this next one-shot! =D

E. Aster Bunnymund

Jack laughed as he pulled out three eggs that were hidden under a bush. He had already collected twelve so far. The Easter Bunny must have passed over all of the good hiding places because Jack was finding Easter eggs like acorns. Mary ran up to her brother and frowned when she saw him place three more eggs into his wicker basket.

"That's not fair!" Mary cried. She looked into her basket, which was topped with a light pink bow. The little girl only had three eggs. "Are you and the Easter Bunny teaming?"

Jack shrugged and slung his shepherd crook over his shoulder. "Maybe. Maybe not."

Mary crossed her arms, her lips forming into a pout. "You are gonna share all those eggs, right?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," Jack replied once again.

"Jack!"

"Okay, okay!" Jack snickered. "Don't worry, Mary. I'll share. Maybe you'll get half of an egg."

Mary tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and placed her hand on her hip. "Jackson Overland if you don't share your Easter eggs with me I will take them myself."

Jack put on a feigned surprised expression. "Ouch, Mary! You sound like Mama!"

The six-year-old grinned. "I've been practicing. Now are you gonna share your eggs or not?"

Jack chuckled lightly. "I will, I will."

Mary smiled, satisfied, and ran off to find more eggs. Jack decided that the next few eggs he found, he would give to his sister. Besides, his mother would never let him eat so much chocolate. His father probably would have let him eat a little extra, though.

Jack felt a pang of sadness. He really missed his father. One minute he was fine and then suddenly, he fell ill. Jack remembered the days he would visit him in his room to bring him a bowl of soup that he'd never eat. The days where he'd sit by his father's bedside, holding his cool hand and praying that he'd get better. But just a few days later, his father had died.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut. No. He wasn't going to think about that right now. It was easter. A time of hope, new beginnings, and new life. There wasn't any room for sadness. Jack opened his eyes and trudged through the forest, hunting for more brightly colored Easter eggs. Jack wondered how many were left when he suddenly spotted a furry figure from the corner of his eye. Jack turned around, shepherd crook in hand. Had a sheep escaped? Jack saw a bush up ahead of him rustle and Jack began to slowly make his way toward it. With the crook of his staff, he wrapped it around the figure to pull whatever was hiding in the bush out.

"Oi! Are ya tryin' ta choke me?!" an Australian accented voice blurted out. Jack stumbled backward, dropping his basket of eggs when he crashed to the ground as a six-foot-tall rabbit...man...bunny...thing stood up from the bush. He looked fierce and tough and he had two boomerangs strapped onto his back. Two brown bracers that were patterned with colorful eggs were on his furry arms and different—almost tribal looking—markings were scattered all over the grey fur of the creature. Jack's eyes widened at the peculiar rabbit man.

"Don't ya talk?" the Bunny Man asked.

Jack picked up his shepherd's crook and stood up. "Uh, yeah. I can talk."

"Okay, mate. Then why were ya tryin' ta choke me?"

"I didn't mean to!" Jack said. "It's not every day you see a kangaroo walking around here!"

The 'Kangaroo' seemed highly offended. "I ain't a kangaroo, mate!"

"Then what are you?" Jack asked curiously.

"I'm a Pooka. And the name's E. Aster Bunnymund," the Pooka responded.

"E. Aster Bunnymund? That's a mouthful," Jack said. "Do you have a nickname? And what does the 'E' stand for?"

"Ya ask too many questions," the Pookan rabbit remarked as he placed a small bundle of eggs down. "Ya can call me Bunny. Although ya may know me as the Easter Bunny."

Jack dropped his staff in surprise. "Wh-what?! You're the Easter Bunny? The Easter Bunny?"

"Uh...yeah," Bunny replied. He stood up and looked at Jack. "What's so surprisin'?"

"But...but you're nothing like the others said you are!" Jack exclaimed. He gestured at Bunny wildly. "You're huge and cool, and, surprisingly, Australian! I thought you were some kind of small rabbit in a bowtie that lived in a cutesy cottage or something."

Bunny snorted. "Cutesy cottage?" The Pooka shook his head. "People really need ta get their legends corrected."

"It's kind of funny," said Jack. He snickered. "I can't even imagine you walking around painting eggs and making chocolate."

Bunny rolled his eyes. This kid was something else. He looked Jack over and asked. "How old are ya?"

Jack rubbed his neck and a light blush crept onto his cheeks. "Um...fourteen…"

Bunny blinked. "Now it's my turn ta be surprised." Children usually stopped believing in the Guardians before they reached their teen years. Bunny and his friends had encountered teenagers and adults that could see them (which was extremely rare and strange), but Bunny and the other Guardians were still surprised whenever a teenager or adult could see them.

"Don't laugh," said Jack with a frown.

"I won't," said Bunny, but the Pooka did wonder why this slender fourteen-year-old still believed in him and the other Guardians.

As if he had read his mind, Jack said, "I don't know why I still believe in you guys. I just can't stop believing. There's just something in me that wants to keep believing no matter what. I think it's because of my dad. He made up the best stories about you guys."

Bunny noticed the slight hint of sadness in Jack's voice. Jack smiled sadly and said, "He passed away last year…"

Bunny's ears flattened against his head. "I'm sorry, mate."

Jack nodded. "It's okay. I help Mama with most of the stuff around the house now. Things are going pretty okay, but it still hurts."

"And it will fer a while," Bunny said. He placed a paw on Jack's shoulder. "But time heals. Of course, there's gonna be that empty place in yer heart, but don't worry. Ya'll feel better soon. Trust me," Bunny said, his eyes soft. "I know."

Jack wanted to ask Bunny to explain, but there was a distant look in the Pooka's eyes, so he decided not to press any further. Bunny must have lost family too.

"I'm sorry for whatever happened," Jack said.

Bunny smiled softly. "It was a long time ago. But thanks, Jack."

Jack grinned and then began to pick up the eggs he had dropped and placed them in his basket. "Hey, Bunny? Where do you live anyway? In a burrow or something?" Jack turned around and found that Bunny wasn't there anymore. Jack stood up. He must have left while he had his back turned. Jack understood. Bunny probably had more eggs to hide.

Jack looked down and sitting in front of him was a basket filled to the brim with chocolate eggs. Jack laughed and picked up the large basket and looked out to the forest. "Thanks, Bunny!"

Mary ran up behind Jack. When she saw the extra basket filled with eggs in his other hand, her eyes widened. "Where'd you get all of those eggs, Jack?"

Jack smiled. "The Easter Bunny."

Mary gasped. "You met the Easter Bunny?! What's he like?"

Jack walked Mary down the path back toward the village, telling his sister everything that Bunny had told him.

Bunny watched the two walk down the path from a bush, smiling. Then, he tapped his foot against the earth and a tunnel appeared. He looked back toward Jack one more time and then hopped through. The tunnel closed behind him, leaving a light blue flower in its place.

Author's Note: Since the entire race of Pookas was wiped out by Pitch (another reference to the Guardians of Childhood books), Bunny can relate to Jack losing his father since he lost his family when Pitch attacked. Just another connection I wanted to throw in here. =)

Until the next chapter!

-BeyondTheMoon1203