Chapter 12
E. Aster Bunnymund has never been accused of being the most patient of people, especially when it comes to matters concerning the Nightmare King. So when he finds Jack Frost has been hanging around Pitch Black, he brings the matter to his fellow Guardians straight away (the fact that Frost is staking out the Groundhog's home when he and Bunny may have previously been a thing is completely unrelated).
As it is the end of January, going to the North Pole to inform Nicholas St. North is the most logical decision, not only because the Christmas rush will be at its low, but the former Cossack has been appointed their de facto leader on Earth. It has been a century or so since the four of them joined forces, a drop in the bucket compared to how long Bunnymund has lived, how much longer he will live if he doesn't meet his death in battle or sickness (an age ago he would have welcomed it, but now he has friends, has the children to look after).
There are many things Nicholas St. North, the Santa Claus, is, and kind is one of them. Jolly is another, as well as wise and optimistic. However, he is also sure of himself and not a little bit prideful, which makes convincing him to do something about Pitch so very difficult.
"Pitch Black? Bah, he is reduced to skulking in the deepest shadows. He is weak, Bunny, he cannot pose a danger to us." North's bright blue eyes twinkle beneath bushy eyebrows that have retained their original brown hue while the rest of his hair is streaked with the silver of age.
Bunnymund has to reign in his temper because North has only seen Pitch Black act against human children as the Bogeyman, not the Nightmare King who slaughtered millions in his path, a soulless husk who maintains a veneer of gentility that hides darkness deeper than human imagining. He is also not fond of the shortening North has given his name.
"That's just it," the Pooka insists. "It's been so long, Pitch has probably regained some strength by now, enough to try to sway a winter spirit over to 'is side!"
"A winter spirit?" That gains North's attention. "Which one?"
"The new one that's been droppin' snow every chance 'e gets; Jack Frost."
"Hmm." North rubs at his chin, brow furrowed in thought. "Strange, I do not remember Seraphina saying anything about creating a new spirit."
"Probably to reign in all that cold weather the past couple 'undred years or so," Bunnymund surmises. He shivers slightly in remembrance. The 1600s had been wrought with flooding following winter storms laden with a ridiculous amount of snow. "Even Mother Nature's got 'er rules."
"You say this Jack Frost has been plotting with Pitch?" North asks, his tone serious.
"Well, not exactly plottin'," Bunnymund admits. "It's more rumors, people seeing 'em together, in snowstorms and such."
"You came to me on basis of rumors?" North raises an eyebrow and Bunnymund has to fight back a wince.
"Well, no. See, I was goin' to go visit the Groundhog-"
"Ahhhh."
"Shut it," Bunnymund snaps. "I was goin' ta visit him when I see Frost skulking around in a tree."
"It is almost Groundhog Day," North says. "Six more weeks of winter if he should see his shadow."
"I know, I know," Bunnymund says testily. "I went to confront Frost an' he said pretty much the same thing. Then I asked 'im about Pitch, tryin' to warn 'im but he brushed me off, saying that Pitch'd treated 'im better than most any other spirit and that he'd judge his friends based on their actions and not hearsay."
"Admirable," North says with a bit of respect in his voice.
"Maybe, but that's not the point!" Bunnymund huffs. "Pitch is tryin' to take advantage of Frost, use him to do something bad!"
"And the possibility that maybe after so long Pitch has found a friend, someone who can maybe change him?" North puts forward and Bunny's teeth grind at the way North sees good in everyone.
"Not possible," he almost growls. "Pitch has been a monster for thousands of years, he's not capable of changing because of just one person. If he was, it'd have 'appened a lot sooner." For Seraphina, goes unsaid.
North just looks at him, something close to pity in his eyes. "Go visit the Groundhog, my friend," he says.
Bunnymund does. He's still convinced that Pitch is up to something concerning Jack Frost, so he keeps his ears open. The French Revolution comes, twice, and he works harder than his best to bring those children hope, to keep their chins up in such dire times.
It is roughly twenty three years after Bunnymund brings his first concerns to North that the auroras flash calling the three of them to the North Pole.
"I wish it was under better circumstances that I called you here my friends," is what North says when they are all present.
"What's wrong?" Toothiana - the Tooth Fairy, as the children have taken to calling her - asks, her tone full of worry but her eyes set in steel.
"Is it Pitch?" Bunnymund asks, eyes narrowed.
"...I do not know," North admits after a moment. Everyone stares at him and a large question mark appears over the Sandman's fluffy head.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Toothiana looks as confused as Bunnymund feels.
"I mean that over the past week there have been strange things happening all over the world; lakes suddenly drying up, storms appearing from nowhere, whole ships disappearing without a trace." North's shoulders are tense, as though the weight of the world is on them. "I do not wish to believe it is Pitch, but he is old and has been on this planet for a long time. He may know what is going on here."
"He's not going to come that easily," Bunnymund warns.
"I know," North says with a nod. "Tooth, if you could tell your helpers to be on the look out for him-"
"I'll go out with them myself," she says. "I've barely left my home for the past fifty years, it'll be good to get out in the air again."
"Thank you. Sandy, if you could search children's dreams and where Tooth cannot? You know his presence better than any." The Sandman gives North a thumbs up and he smiles before turning to Bunnymund. "Bunny, if you could-"
"Tunnels," the Pooka says with a determined nod. "I'm on it."
"I will be in contact with Seraphina," North says. "Return with Pitch as soon as you can so we may explain the situation."
"And if necessary bash his face in," Bunnymund adds, then disappears down a tunnel before North can correct him.
It takes hours of searching before Bunnymund finds a series of caverns that have the unmistakable darkness the Bogeyman reeks of. "Oi, Pitch!" he yells. "Get out here, ya bleedin' toothpick!" There is silence and Bunnymund's ears twitch nervously. It is so dark here, and so very cold as well. "North just wants ta talk ta ya is all!" he adds, loping towards the nearest cave entrance, his accent thicker with his nerves.
A snowball hits him in the face. He jumps a bit, because that was unexpected and in this place of all places he is a little terrified. "Wh-wh-" There is laughing and Bunnymund scowls at the sight of Jack Frost.
"Don't you know you should knock before entering someone's home?" the winter spirit giggles. "So rude, especially for a Guardian!"
Bunnymund's teeth grind together and his ears go flat. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, sleeping before you woke me up," Frost replies with a snort.
Just what is the kid wearing? Bunnymund can't quite believe what he's hearing or seeing. "Sleeping?" he says incredulously. "Here?"
"I think I just said that," the winter spirit retorts. "Shouldn't your ginormous ears give you better hearing?"
Do not drop kick him to the Moon, do not drop kick him to the Moon, Bunnymund chants internally. "Where's Pitch?" he says aloud.
"Out and about? I don't know, I'm not his keeper," Frost says, frustratingly evasive and gesturing with his staff. "He's not kicking your ass for being here uninvited though, so he's not here." Bunnymund highly doubts an ass kicking is all the Nightmare King would have in store for him. "So scoot, lemme get back to healing."
...what?
"Healing?" Bunnymund echoes, eyes narrow as he suddenly sees the blue on Frost's face that isn't terribly noticeable but is not his normal skin tone. "Did Pitch hurt you?" he demands. Dammit, he'd warned the kid, warned him!
"What?" Frost looks and sounds genuinely surprised, but Pitch has always been good at disguising his less amiable qualities, and his tongue is like quicksilver, with excuses for everything. "Uh, no. Why would he?" Bunnymund opens his mouth but Frost barrels on. "And don't say because he's evil."
That's just it though, Pitch is, he's done terrible things, will do terrible things- Bunnymund's next breath is caught in his throat as he realizes why what Frost's wearing looks familiar. They look just like Pitch's robes, a shadowy thing that absorbs all light and here the winter spirit is practically drowning in it, ice in strategic places to prevent it from falling off if he doesn't hold it closed himself.
"Where are yer clothes?" the Pooka almost snarls, his movement towards Frost cut short when the winter spirit brandishes his staff out, the tip of it glowing a light blue.
"None of your business," Frost snaps, the air around them thick with chill. "And if you're so interested in my well being then scram."
Oh stars beyond, he does not like how this is looking. "What did he do to you?"
"Nothing!" Frost insists, the stone around him icing over.
He has to do something, he can't just leave the kid here, can't let Pitch do - that to him again-! In an instant, Bunnymund makes up his mind. "Listen kid, this is for your own good," he promises, then darts forward, under Frost's staff, and and picks him up, hoisting the winter spirit up over one shoulder. A tunnel opens up beneath his feet even as Frost yells at him and they drop before landing on the ground and Bunnymund is hard pressed to run on three paws while the fourth keeps a hold of his cargo.
A small fist beats against his upper back with surprising force and then there is a sharp pain along his back. Bunnymund bites back a swear. Dammit, he'd forgotten about Frost's staff! He comes to an abrupt stop, his arm the only thing keeping Frost from tumbling to the ground at the sudden stop. He wrestles the staff away and drops the winter spirit on the ground none too gently.
"Give it back!" Frost shouts hoarsely. He flails for the staff but Bunnymund lifts it high above their heads. "You fucking - give it back!" He jumps up, hand reaching and failing to come within even a foot of his goal. The temperature around them has dropped to well below freezing and Bunnymund's teeth are beginning to chatter. He has to end this now.
He grabs Frost by the collar the next time he jumps and the fear in those ice blue eyes makes his stomach churn. "Sorry," Bunnymund says, drops the staff to the ground, and punches the winter spirit in the face. Frost goes limp and Bunnymund lowers him gently to the ground. "Shit," he mumbles. "Shit."
A/N: Sorry for the late post! I didn't get the chapter done before work, and then I had to stay an hour and a half past when i was supposed to get off since my coworker bailed in the middle of his shift ugh =4=
Bunny you are not making things easier on yourself you are digging a hole and filling it with concrete behind you bby pls (fun fact i debated having bunny break Jack's staff for like two whole minutes before i decided against it)
That being said, pls keep in mind before you cast Bunny as a villain (which so many ppl did last chapter, yeesh), that Pitch is basically his Itachi. In book canon the dude murdered his entire race, he's gonna have some issues with him no matter how long a time passes.
Anon review reply:
Guest: It's always fun to write our fav characters in distress (side eyes Schismatic evilly) :D And Pitch may very well actually storm in on a black horse or smth, drama king he is. Glad you're liking the story! Hope you like this chapter too :3
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and don't forget to review!