"Sorry I'm late!" I breathed out as I rushed in with a covered bowl of broth. "B-Blizzard...out of...control! Had to...fix...it."
"I understand." Sandy told me telepathically.
"Oh, good." I replied as I let out a heavy relieved breath.
"Good what? Sandy didn't hold up any symbols."
Both mine and Sandy's widened quite a great deal, and I found myself wondering just what he and North were talking about. "Oh..." Sandy drawled out.
"Oh what?" North questioned as he crossed his big arms.
"Um...Jack can hear my thoughts too..."
"Jack too!? How is this possible?" North wasn't angry, he was simply filled with awe and wonder. However, I could see that Sandy was starting to fidget nervously.
"It's not very easy to explain."
"Then explain it in the way you know it."
"Um...well...in my old life, there were special people that could uphold the strongest of oaths with one of my kind. The special people had to um...be unique. They had to be a bit different...and have certain requirements that they didn't consciously have to meet in order to get along with us. Kind of...a friendship at first sight kind of thing. Bunny and Jack are both those types of people to me. It's um...very strange and difficult to explain. It was a lot easier to explain a very long time ago..."
"So...Jack and Bunny are people you trust most?"
"I...how did you...?"
"Bah! Was not difficult to determine. Is fine, Sandy. It is good that you have not one, but TWO people that you trust that much. However...you still trust me, yes?"
"O-Of course!" He exclaimed with pure relief in his voice.
"Very good then. Now that Jack is here, I will go back to Pole. Goodnight to you all."
"Goodnight, North." Sandy and I chorused together, sharing equally relieved grins.
Once North left through his portal, I turned to face Sandy with excitement and I'm sure impatience decorating my facial expressions. "Can I learn about Bunny now?"
"Hold on, Jack. There's a catch to this I didn't tell you before."
"Of course there is..." I rolled my eyes as I gave him a playful smile. "...Bunny, can you open your mouth? I have some broth here for you." Once he did as I asked, I started to carefully feed him again.
"By now...Tooth has let you witness all of your memories...and by now you feel them as your own memories as if you've had them the whole time, correct?"
"Yeah! I remember everything! Wait...oh...I see..."
"You catch on quick, Jack."
"So, you tell me something I tell you something?"
"Exactly, but since Bunny is the one incapacitated at the moment, how about you start with something about you?"
"Are we going in chronological order?"
"It may help."
"Alright then...Well, I was born on January 1st, 1698 and my Father was the one who named me. My name, like I told you, was Jackson Overland Frost, and apparently I was born happy. After crying like all new born babies do, I apparently smiled a lot and rarely ever cried after that." I quickly took noticed of the gentle and amused grin on Sandy's face. "Why are you smiling, Sandy?"
"No reason. Keep going!"
"Ah, no. It's Bunny's turn." At my words, I noticed Sandy's eyes widened and he looked directly at Bunny. "Sandy? What's wrong? Are you okay?"
'Jack, I'm going to communicate with him telepathically. Give me a moment...'
Then, I noticed how he stepped back a bit and his face seemed to pale. "Sandy? What's going on? You look like you saw a ghost."
"Nothing, Jack. It was something Aster told me just now, that's all. Anyway, his full real name is Elliston Aster Bunnymund." He then focused his next words telepathically. 'He's trusting you with his real name...'
"Wow, that sounds like a strong name...wait...Aster...that's a type of flower. That flower means...it means Star or A Star." I mentioned trying to keep up the facade of me not knowing any better, but I was glad and relieved that Bunny trusted me with his name now.
"You know the meaning of flowers?" Sandy asked me with a curious expression.
"Yeah, contrary to popular belief I like to read, and I know a lot about flowers, plants, gardening, and even about how to take care of trees."
"Hmm...well, that's interesting to know."
"Yeah, well...what else about Bunny?"
"You're not going to use his name now that you know it?" He looked at me with widened and curious eyes, but I could only give him a soft smile.
"I may know it, but I wasn't given permission to say it. I know how important names are. I only said earlier, not thinking of him, but the flower."
"I'm impressed...and proud of you."
"Yeah, well, I do know one spirits true name and she lets me call her it. Sometimes if I slip up when talking to her, she insists that I call her by her true name."
"Who would that be?" Sandy questioned me curiously.
"Mother Nature."
"WHO!?"
"I take it you know her."
"Uh...yeah...you could say that." He let out a dry and unamused chuckle, and I couldn't help but smile at his reaction. 'You know I know her, Jack! We've spent time in the castle, but she trusted you with her name!?' He quickly shook his head and gave me a pointed look. "I've known her since she was young, and when she came to Earth she didn't recognize me, but she found out who I was later...and she was a grown woman when she came to Earth, but yeah...I know her. She hasn't allowed ANY spirit to call her by her true name aside from me and Aster."
"I thought you said his name was Elliston." I mentioned with a risen brow.
"Yes, but he likes to go by Aster by me or Mother Nature. That's not the point...how did you come to be able to call her by her true name?"
Starting to feel uneasy, I shifted my weight on my staff and tried to change the subject a bit. "Awe, but I wanted to know more about Bunny..."
"You tell me about how you gained the ability to know and say her true name, and I'll tell you something no one knows about the Easter Bunny. Not just Aster in general, but about the Easter Bunny."
"You really want to know, huh?" I gasped in shock, but on the inside I was grinning wider than I ever have before. 'Oh if you only knew, Sandy.'
"Yes, I really do."
"Alright...um..."
Suddenly, leaves were blowing everywhere, and I instantly knew who it was. As the leaves disappeared from my wife's emergency portal, Sandy's eyes widened slightly, but they quickly relaxed as he gave her a soft smile. "Mother Nature, to what do we owe the honor?"
"And since when do you refer to me as Mother Nature in front of Aster?"
"Since Jack gave us the startling revelation that he's trusted with your true name." He shot back, and I winced slightly as I heard her gasp in shock.
"What all did he tell you?" She questioned as she looked at me with an uneasy gaze.
"I didn't tell them anything other than me knowing your true name." I admitted and that seemed to relax her at least a little bit.
"Ah...good..." She breathed out as she placed a hand on her chest. Her eyes then darted over to Sandy and Bunny. "Sandy, Aster, there's really no need..."
"Oh, don't tell me you can read minds too!"
"You know for a fact that I can, Jack."
'I know that you know that too, Jack. Why did you say...?' I heard Sandy start telepathically, but he trailed off once he noticed the smug smile and deep blush on Emily's face.
"I thought that was only with me though."
"No, I can do it for everyone. You know that. However, Aster and Sandy have a special connection. If Sandy and Aster want to speak privately all they have to do is focus on each other, and then no one, not even me, can hear their thoughts."
"Hmm..." Sandy started. "...still though, there's the matter of him knowing your name. Not even your own spirit children are allowed to call you anything more than 'Mother.' So, do you mind telling us?"
"Why should I tell you anything?" She nearly snapped, causing both Sandy and I to look at each other with widened eyes.
"Do I really need to bring up how I personally know you?"
"You wouldn't!"
"Child...I would!" He laughed out defiantly and mischievously. "And considering that Jack had just been entrusted with Aster's name, I'd say I can. Oh, and by the way, Jack...I trust you with my name too. My name is..."
"You...don't have to tell him your full name...do you?" I couldn't help the amused smirk that appeared on my face, and I leaned against my staff as I watched Emily become nervous. I hadn't seen her like this in a long time.
"You know I do if I'm going to trust my name to him...and with your reaction, he knows your last name too."
"Yeah...I know she's Pitch's daughter, and that Pitch wasn't always Pitch..." I trailed off as I noticed Sandy's amused expression.
"Is that so? Well...Jackson Overland Frost, I trust you with my full name. My name is Sanderson Mansnoozie Pitchiner."
"WHAT!?" I shrieked while I toppled back in my chair, hitting the floor with a loud thud. More memories started flooding back about Sandy being related to Pitch, and I couldn't believe that I hadn't remembered it earlier, but just like some other smaller memories, it came back by mentioning it. I just wish this particular one had come back earlier. However, I couldn't explain that to them yet, so I had to try and act confused still. "Can someone please explain this to me!?"
"Oh...well..." Emily started while scratching the back of her head.
"Jack, I'm Pitch's little brother." Sandy told me with a small confident smile. "We're about twelve years apart, but yes...I'm related to Pitch by blood and therefore..." He motioned to Emily and she covered her eyes with her hand in childish embarrassment, which made my eyes widen, but it was more so due to the increasing flood of memories involving Sandy being related to Pitch than anything.
"You're Emily's Uncle..." I stated as calmly as I could, and I couldn't help but try and figure out how he would react to me not only being married to his niece, but having a child with her.
"And in manner of a promise and swear I made with Aster long ago, so is Aster. Now, will one of you be so kind to explain..."
'Yeah, because that doesn't make anything weird or awkward. That's my ACTUAL brother you're talking about, and now that I officially remember you being related to Pitch, I still have to act like I don't know.' I tried my best to ignore her amused smirk that she flashed my way as I looked at Sandy and shook my head. "Wait...but...Sandy...this may sound like a weird and offensive question...but did you always...um..." I tried to change it a bit, because, I knew that Sandy didn't know that Bunny is my brother, and it would've made the situation even stranger than it already was, but I had to change it somehow.
"Did I always look like this?"
"Yeah..." I scratched the back of my head in nervousness.
"No, I didn't. I could show you if you like." He told me, but he rose an eyebrow as he mentally told me, 'You already knew I used to look like this.'
"You can WHAT!?" Emily shouted in disbelief.
"Oh, it took a very long time to get adjusted to Earth..." He started matter of factly. "...but I found I was able to do it. The only reason I didn't stay in that form is because I didn't want Pitch knowing I was alive. For right now, he thinks I'm dead, and I'm just a spirit that shares a portion of his brother's name and the same nickname. The only names he knows me by is Sandman, Sandy, and Sanderson. He doesn't know anything else. If he did, he would've tried to get me to join a very long time ago."
"I...Yeah, sure."
"Alright, now when I do this...this goes along with the promise you made with me and Aster."
"You...He...He made a Star Captain promise?" Emily questioned as she blinked at me in surprise while I sent her a shy smile.
"Yes, and as you can see, he will keep his word."
"I will, and I understand." I told him with a more confident smile.
"Alright then." I watched in complete astonishment and disbelief as Sandy started to glow and transform. Once he was done glowing, the Sandy from when I spoke with him in my dreams was standing there right before my eyes, and both Emily and I dropped our jaws. "Now, Emily...would you please tell me why Jack is trusted with your name?"
"I well...um..."
"And perhaps...why he fell back in his chair when he realized I'm your uncle?" A look of realization appeared over his face as he looked back and forth at us, and I felt a small chill rush up my spin. Sandy's eyes widened as a wide amused smile crossed his features. "Oh...the two of you are together...romantically."
"I...we um..."Emily started with beautifully flushed cheeks, but I couldn't bring myself to admire it at the moment.
"And judging from how you're reacting..." He hummed in amusement, but there was a tone of shock there as well. "...it's not a recent development either."
"It um..." As she grew more and more flustered, my cheeks began blushing brilliantly as well as I continued to think about how he may react, but not only his reaction, but Bunny's as well.
Sandy's eyes widened briefly, but then he quickly crossed his arms as he looked at Emily and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe I'm asking this..." He muttered. "How far have the two of you gone?"
"You're not gonna try and give us the talk are you?" I asked as I picked my chair back up, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Nice to see you lightening up, but no. Both of you are far past the age for that. It's just something that I feel I need to know."
"Ah well..." Emily started nervously.
Suddenly, a blue and green flash appeared, and I knew that at that moment, we would have a lot more explaining to do. "Oh! Aster! We've never met! My name is Eira, but everyone knows me as the Snow Queen." She then turned to face us with a soft smile. "Mother, you left in such a hurry saying that you sensed Father was getting anxious and that you were getting worried. I started to get worried too. Oh, and Father, I fixed a blizzard in New York for you. Oh! I forgot!" She whispered out in a higher tone. "I'm not supposed to call you Father outside of the Domain...I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, Eira." I told her as I rushed towards her and I wrapped mu arms around her. "You did well, and I think we were going to have to tell them anyway with how the conversation was going." I pulled out of the hug and looked to Emily with a guilty expression, and she seemed to have the same idea. "Emily...I think we should probably tell them..."
"Y-Yes, I think you should." Sandy whispered out in shock after seemingly swallowing a lump in his throat.
"Right...Eira..." Emily started as she cleared her throat. "...this man right here...you may have seen him every now and then, but he's the Sandman. He's also known as Sandy. By blood he's your uncle, and by oath...Aster is also your uncle...that reminds me...Sandy...you may need to alter the oath Jack took."
"Oh...of course." Sandy turned to me and he held out his hand to me. "Jack, give me your hand, please." I did as he asked and Sandy nodded his head. "Jackson Overland Frost, do you swear to stay by our side as a best friend? Do you swear that even if we SHOULD separate that you'll always think of us fondly? Do you swear to be trustworthy to us, no matter your emotion of us at the time? Do you swear to remain a true and faithful friend forever and always? Do you swear to take care of us in our time of need just as we will take care of you in your's? Do you swear that you'll protect our magic, our secrets, our words, our thoughts, and our friendship?"
"I will!" I exclaimed, but then I remembered what Bunny told me about when he made the promise with Sandy all those years ago. I quickly grabbed his arm in the same way Bunny said he did, and Sandy's eyes widened. He then instinctively grabbed my arm. "Will you do the same for me?"
"I will!" Sandy gasped, and then we were both thrown across the room.
'Oh...' I groaned in my head. '...that hurt.'
'Okay...that's twice that's happened...' Sandy mentioned in agitation.
'Um...guys?' I heard Bunny question cautiously, but I quickly realized he didn't voice it, but he thought it.
Both Sandy and I looked at him in pure astonishment and then we looked at each other. "What the...?" I started.
"It seems that the THREE of you now share that strange connection." Emily mentioned in her own shock as she protected our daughter from the blast.
Sandy nodded his head as he lifted himself off of the floor. "Right...we'll get to that later...you were telling us about your daughter...which makes Aster and I Great Uncles." I then heard Sandy focus his thought onto me, practically screaming, 'This is the one you told me about in your dream a long time ago!? Emily!? My niece!? You...all that time ago!? And all of those visits I made...wait...when you introduced me to Eira...1833...you said she...JACK!?'
"Right." I huffed out, trying to ignore Sandy's frantic questioning for the time being. "Eira, can you leave Mother and Father alone to talk with your...your uncles?"
"I have uncles!" She shouted in delight as she twirled into the air.
"Yes, and you can't tell anyone. You have to promise me." I told her in a demanding yet soft tone. "You know that your Mother will know if you're lying."
"I promise, I won't tell anyone. You have my word, Father."
"Not even the other Guardians."
"I promise."
"Hmm..." I hummed out playfully. "...is she telling the truth, Emily?"
"She is. I sense it. Now, Eira...you must understand...there's a reason we ask this of you..."
"It's because if I tell other spirits they will start to hurt our family and may go after Father again like they often did a long time ago. I know, Mother, I'm not a child anymore, and I haven't been for a long time...I understand."
"Good. Now, go spread winter."
"Alright!" She shouted gleefully and another flash of green and blue shined briefly before leaving along with her.
"Now..." I breathed out as I sat back in my chair. "...in order for you to know how Emily and I met, both of you will have to know how I became a spirit and..." I then looked at Bunny and noticed his eyes were open. "...and how long have your eyes been open?"
'For a while, mate. I wanted to know why Mother Nature was blushin', and now I know. Go on...story time!'
"Wait! I want to make something clear, Jack. The new promise I had you make...it's for friendship. Basically the three of us are now best friends...even though since...well...I don't exactly know the full extent of your relationship with her but..."
"Well, if it's not too strange, you always kind of seemed like the fun uncle to me."
"That's a relief...and what about Aster?"
"Bunny...he's always been like an older brother. Even...anyway, getting off topic. Yes, I will consider Bunny my brother." I gave him a brief smile before letting out a heavy sigh. "I didn't become a spirit like the rest of you..."
'What do you mean?' Bunny asked with a saddened curiosity.
"What I mean is...Okay, so...it was my birthday. I had just turned fourteen, and for my birthday, my mother and father gifted both me and my sister skates so we could skate together for my birthday...Sarah was overjoyed and immediately started putting her skates on and went out to the ice before I could check it. I hadn't gotten my skates on yet, but I had my staff...and I heard her scream slightly, and then I saw the ice cracking underneath her." I let out another difficult and heavy sigh before continuing. "I rushed out towards her with my staff, but then I had ice crack beneath me too, and I lost my staff...it slid about five to six feet away from me...maybe ten...I'm not sure, but it slid away. I put my skates on the ground and I told her everything was going to be alright and that I knew she was scared. I told her that she was going to be okay. I convinced her to play a game with me in order to keep her mind off the ice. I played hopscotch to get to my staff...then I had her do the same. Once I realized that her third step wasn't going to make it, I yanked her with the crook of my staff...knowingly switching places with her. Once I landed where she once was, and I looked to see her on stronger ice, I got up and laughed...I was overjoyed...but then the ice cracked and broke beneath me and I fell into the pond. I drowned...I died...and then the moon shined on me, changing my hair and eye color. My hair and eye color used to be maple brown."
'YOU DIED!?' Bunny shouted in a hurt and guilt ridden tone.
"Yeah, I died, but it's okay now. Really. The Man in the Moon brought me back to life. He told me my name and nothing else for three hundred years...but anyway...when he put me back on the pond I realized I had some kind of winter magic and I could feel it."
'Jacky...'
I scoffed at him with a smile, slightly enjoying the nickname. "Yeah, Cottontail?"
'What did it feel like?'
"What did it feel like? I could ask you the same thing. What does it feel like when you use your nature magic?" I questioned back to him as I quickly remembered having the exact same conversation with him many years ago.
'Yeah, what does it feel like to use your Ice and Snow Magic?'
"Hmm...tell ya what. You answer my question and I'll answer yours."
'But I asked first.'
"Yeah, and I'm the youngest one in the room, and we introduced you to our daughter."
"I understand...and I apologize...but could ya just tell me...then I'll answer ya."
"Alright, alright..." I chuckled out. "It feels..." I slightly nodded my head as I decided to give him the same answer from long ago. "...you know...you wouldn't think it, but it feels warm. It feels warm and cold all at the same time. It feels like a river rushing through me all over, and it makes me joyous. It's like it brings out all of the happy emotions in me when I use it. Even when I'm angry, it still feels like a calm happiness that...almost controlling the anger. It feels like joy in my veins." After I was finished explaining, I quickly noticed Bunny's tears rushing down his cheeks. "B-Bunny? Why are you crying?"
'I...don't worry about it, Jack...just...tell me more of how you and Mother Nature met. Please.'
"A-Alright...well...shortly after, I went to the nearby village...and at this point...I have no memory of who I was. I thought I was born out of the pond...anyway, went to the village and got walked through a bunch of times. I walked back to the pond..."
"And that's where he met me." She smiled at Bunny with a proud smile, and there was pure love in her eyes when her gaze returned to me. "Manny told me there was a very important spirit that he just brought to life, and he wanted me to look after him. I didn't even know he could bring someone back to life. Then, Jack came walking towards the pond and I was actually speechless for a moment. He was so handsome, thin, pale, and I could tell he was mischievous and wild. What the wind told me about him was that he was a joyous spirit and that he had a kind heart. I thought I was incredibly foolish for finding a spirit that was physically fourteen...attractive, but I did. Then he interrupted my thoughts by walking towards me with a gentlemanly smile."
"I greeted her, and I introduced myself, scared that she was looking at someone else, but she was looking at me, and I was overjoyed that someone saw me. She did the same and then some. She offered me to stay at her home, and I asked her where it was."
"I told him that the pond was actually one of the doors to my domain. I gave him permission to call it home, and I enchanted his staff to be able to come into my domain anytime he wished."
"And as the years went by...the more she trained me, and the more we spent time with each other...we fell in love. It wasn't until 1832 that I confessed to her after knowing I was in love with her for a full one hundred years. Most of my body didn't age, but my mental and emotional sides did. As I aged...so did my 'childish' side. I look like a kid, but inside, I'm all grown up. To put it bluntly...I'm physically fourteen, mentally twenty, and spiritually...well...including my human age...I'm three hundred and eighteen. It's just I have a childish side that I enjoy...a lot, and that I tend to cling to even when I don't mean to. I knew I was in love with her when we danced together for the first time in 1732. It was just on a whim, and it was because music was playing nearby, but my heart nearly stopped and I couldn't breathe. She was so beautiful. She's kind, gracious, gorgeous, intelligent, strong, fierce, wonderful, headstrong, and wild." I laughed the last word out as I sent a small sideways glance towards Emily who smiled back. "However, after I confessed, I was convinced there was no way someone like her would have any romantic feelings towards me...mainly because I look like a teenager, and well...I wasn't exactly known for my manners or tact. Then, she told me she felt the same...and I fainted. I woke up an hour later, and immediately asked her for how long, and she said it was the same for her. When we first danced." I looked up and noticed the looks I was getting from Sandy and Bunny. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
'That's...' Bunny started, dumbfounded.
"Jack, have you ever heard of True Love's First Kiss?" Sandy questioned with widened eyes.
"Of course." I answered with a furrowed brow.
"Well...for a..." Emily held up her hand to stop Sandy and cleared her throat.
"Jack..." Emily started. "...for a Pitchiner, it's different."
"How do you mean?"
"It's not True Love's First Kiss. It's True Loves First Dance."
"O-Oh..." I stuttered out with widened eyes as it finally occurred to me what they were saying. "...So...when we danced...we both realized we were in love."
"Yes. We did." She smiled at me, and I gave her a wide toothy grin.
"So...about your daughter?" Sandy questioned with a smug grin that said, 'Are the two of you done being mushy? I have questions.'
"Oh! Yes...she's well...she's physically eighteen, mentally she's like Jack and is twenty, and spiritually she's...well...one hundred and eighty-three years old. However, she always recognizes Jack as being mentally and emotionally older than her no matter what he tries to tell her. It's almost like she can't help it, but he's her father so..."
'Wait a minute...so...she was born a year after the two of ya confessed to each other?' Bunny asked carefully.
"Yes, and she grew like a normal child up until she turned eighteen." I answered.
Sandy's eyes widened and I immediately recognized the worried look. "How did no one know that you were pregnant? Wait...was it okay? I mean...was she okay? Were you okay?"
"The pregnancy...was difficult..." She sighed out, and earned a guilty and anxious expression from Sandy.
'Let her finish, Sandy.' I heard Bunny tell him at the same time as me.
He nodded his head, and I knew it was at both of us, but Emily took it as a 'go ahead'. "Jack was there for every part of it, and my spirits made an oath to me that they would never tell anyone. Not even so much as the animals or plants outside my domain. They swore to me, and even willingly offered to give up their powers as proof of their oath. They vowed to protect my child and love them as their own. I was extremely shocked by their excitement and the level of their devotion, and I accepted their oath. I was later extremely grateful that my water and fire spirit were both mid-wife's at one point. I got extremely sick a couple of times, but Jack helped me through it. He never left my side, and sent his sprites to spread winter without him."
"Wait...sprites? Jack commands sprites?" Sandy questioned in dumbfounded shock.
'I thought you knew...considering I'm the General of Winter.' I told Sandy directly, getting the hang of the mind talking thing, and judging by Bunny's lack of reaction it worked.
'Well, I admit I should've known, but I didn't think that...'
Interrupting Sandy's thoughts, Emily stepped forward a bit with a curious expression. "You...none of you know what Jack is...do you?"
"Apparently not." Sandy answered, but I could see the knowing glint in his eyes as he looked back at me.
"Wow...does Manny have a lot of explaining to do. Well...he's many things, but the one you want to know right now is...yes, he commands sprites. He is the embodiment of winter. He has many names. The three I know the most are General Winter, Jack Frost, and the one I like to tease him about the most is...Old Man Winter. He IS winter. For every season there is a head of the season. Jack is the head of Winter. He just doesn't use the sprites unless he absolutely needs to...but he used them for me when I was pregnant and for most of Eira's childhood. Eira was born completely healthy, and with powers. She has equal measure of our powers. She can communicate with nature and animals, and if she so wished, she could bend the earth to her will, but she is also such a Daddy's girl...she enhanced her winter magic so she could travel with her father. However, every year, Jack would constantly ask the Man in the Moon why he was created if no one could see him but us. He wanted the mortals to see him. He wanted them to know him. He wanted to play with them...mostly the children."
"I love my family. I'd do anything for them...but it bothered me and angered me that I got nothing. No reason, no purpose, nothing. All of the other spirits knew what their purpose was and were seen by at least ten mortals...Children and adults. I was the only one with nothing from the Man in the Moon. No answers, no hints, and then I suddenly get tossed into a sack thrown into a magic portal...and told that I would be a Guardian. Frankly...it pissed me off. I didn't want to think of new ways to bribe kids. I wanted them to see me. It upset my daughter as well, but she has her Mother's patience and tact."
"J-Jack..." I heard Bunny rasp out, his throat obviously dry from not being used.
"Bunny?" I asked carefully and just barely above a whisper.
"I-I'm...ngh..." He groaned out in pain as he seemed to try and will his body to move.
"You shouldn't be getting up!" I shouted as a wave of panic rushed through me. I rushed over to him, and helped him the rest of the way up against the pillows, quickly rearranging them behind him. "You stubborn rabbit! You do realize that you could've reopened your stitches, don't you!?"
"J-Jack...I-I'm...Sorry."
"What? Sorry for what?" I questioned, growing very confused.
"Everything!" He whimpered .
"That...that doesn't tell me much...I don't...you haven't done anything wrong."
His eyes seemed to widen in disbelief. "J-Jack...I've...never...been kind...to you."
"No...but you didn't do anything that warrants you putting yourself in pain just to say sorry, and we've been friends for four years now..."
"I...when...your...image...came out...of the...crystal...tellin' us...you were...to be a...Guardian..."
"I'll take that from here, Aster..." Sandy told him with a saddened and pitied expression. "When your image appeared from the crystal that tells us who a new Guardian is...Bunny said that you didn't care about children. He said that you were irresponsible and selfish, but before he could say more, North finished saying you were a Guardian."
"Oh...well...to everyone else other than Emily, Eira, and Emily's spirits...I always seemed like that. So...I can't blame him for thinking the same."
"Jack...it wasn't...right!"
"Maybe not, but even if I tried to defend myself no one would listen, so I never tried. I...I want you to know what really happened on the blizzard of '68. If you let her...Emily could..."
"Yeah...sure..."
"It will be like a dream, okay?" Emily tried to reassure him, but he seemed more agitated than anything.
"Alright..."
"You'll be able to hear Jack's thoughts as your own..."
"Fine with...it. Just...get on...with it..."