The sun light shining through her room was the first thing that woke little Merida up. She stretched and tossed the blankets over her head..."Just a little bit more", she thought to herself. What really woke Merida up was when her friends entered into her room. Jumping up and down on her bed the laughed and screamed.
"Merida! Get up!" Said Ari.
"Today is the day Merida!" Telmer screamed. Merida's eyes shot wide open. Today. Today was Easter!
She pushed the covers off of her and looked out her window. The morning sun was shining down on the gathering of people getting ready to begin the Aster Celebration.
"Are there any eggs?" Merida asked.
"What you think? The Elders said they saw hundreds out in the field." Elena exclaimed.
"We need to get down there! Hurry and get dressed!" With Raven's words, Merida was out of bed in no time and into the dress her mother so happily had made for her.
Flags and crafts were being handed out to the people. Conversations were exchanged. Merida heard a "Good Morning" here and a "Happy Easter" there. What she loved the most was the music. The flutes were playing and drums were drumming...the folk began singing there songs and dancing around fire. Even though it was morning, that fire burned as bright as the sun. The kids danced in a circle holding hands. The women shook their tambourines and laughed as the danced with their husbands. Merida never saw the clan so happy. She looked to her father as he was telling the younglings the story on how he lost his leg to Mor'du. She turned to her mother and saw her singing along with some of the other women. Merida joined her friends in a dance. She twirled and twirled, her dress flowing and spinning along with her body. She closed her eyes as she let the laughter and voices of the people and songs sink in her heart...she began to dream.
As she twirled and twirled she felt something grab her hand...the touch was warm and smooth. She stopped and opened her eyes; turned and looked up...she couldn't believe it. She was standing in the presence of him...the Bunny of Easter. E. Aster Bunnymund.
"No...It can't...you...you're here...but...I...Oh my where are my manners!" Merida curtsied to the human-like bunny. He smiled and bowed to her. He was wearing a dark-blue jacket that looked rather dashing on him, she couldn't help but notice. He held out his hand...he was offering to dance with her. She smiled and couldn't help but blush, he was rather handsome for a bunny. She took his hand and joined him in the dance with the folk. She spun and spun with Bunnymund laughing and laughing.
"I knew I would see you! I knew you were real! I knew you were watching out for me" She told him. She laughed and smiled, she couldn't stop. This was the happiest moment in her life...then…
"Merida...Merida...Merida!" She stopped twirling and turned to face where the voice was coming from. She turned to see Raven calling for her to come.
"Raven! Look I'm dancing with..." She turned to look at Bunnymund ...but he wasn't there. She spun around to see where he could have gone. "I was just...but he was just….he was….he wasn't really...here" Her heart felt heavy.
"Merida! Come!" Raven called again.
"I'll be...coming..." Merida said softly. She waited a couple more moments to see if Bunnymund would return...but he didn't. But how could he, when he was never there. Merida ran over to where Raven was.
When she reached her friends, she noticed they were holding toys and little flags...the flag her mother gave her awhile back.
"Pick one, they're handing them out to all the children." Telmer said.
"Which will it be my dear?" Asked the toy maker. He opened his box. In it were various toys of bunnies. Her eyes darted around the box to see what individual toy would catch her eye...then she saw it.
"Can I have that one?" She asked the toy maker.
"Why certainly...now this one I made myself. I am honored that it caught your eye young princess." He gave her the toy. It was the toy of a small bunny, with a little jacket...the precise jacket she imagined Bunnymund in.
"It's lovely. Thank you so much." She held the toy close and went off with her friends to enjoy the rest of the feast.
Games were played amongst the adults and children. Families played against families, friends against friends. Merida laughed as she watched the smile on faces of her people. Just then she heard bagpipes playing. The beat of drums followed soon after. She along with the others turned to see the Elders around the fire...it was time for the story. She giggled and ran to the fire. She had seen the costumes being made, but she never saw how it was done or what was done. She ran to join her parents who were seated on the royal chairs. Children gathered in small groups or with their parents, women joined their husbands, men joined their wives. Merida saw Elder Mara stand amongst the elders. She waited till the elder lady glanced her way before smiling and waving. Mara tilted her head with a smile. She stood a little ahead of the Elders welcoming and greeting as the people joined together. Merida looked around as the clans began to join in. When it seemed that everyone was there, she saw Mara stand up on a small stage set up especially for the Elders. Merida took her seat next to her mother in the small chair especially for her. Elder Mara began to speak:
"Hope. This is why we stand here today. Hope. Hope for the new beginnings to come. Where summer ends, fall begins. Where fall ends, then comes winter. When winter leaves, then we welcome spring..." As Mara said that, young women dressed as flowers began to circle around the fire. "After the flowers and trees endure winter's frost, they blossom in the spring. They begin new. After the animals sleep the winter's night away, they awaken again in spring. Nature awakens and faces the world..." More people dressed in costumes began to circle the fire. Each move flowing and mesmerizing. Music began to play. It was soft and slow, Merida swayed along with the flutes. "But what signified the beginning of spring...was the laughter of children. As the cold of winter drifted away, awaiting its return for the following year, the children came out to greet nature as an old time friend..." Little children joined the dancing flowers and animals around the fire. "They felt the coolness and the grass on their feet, they smelled the scents of the trees, heard the trees blow through the breeze, the animals playing in the woods. What winter destroyed, spring brought back to life. How does nature do so? What brings it the hope to blossom and start fresh again? What gives nature hope to keep going, even though it knows the harsh reality it has face against the world? A story of the legend goes as such...A winter long ago; a child knelt out in the forest..." As Mara was telling the tale, it came to life as the actors and dancers went around the fire. "...This child was crying over beautiful little flowers she kept her eye on throughout the year. Once the frost nipped at the flowers, they dried and died. She was sad because she just learned that nature is alive as well. The trees and flowers along with the grass. The winter was heavy on her, for every morning, she would take water out to the dead flowers...hoping that one day they would blossom again. Her parents only looked at their daughter with sadness. So much they did for their daughter to make her happy again, but nothing could. Day by day, the winter went by. Day by day she would look outside hoping to catch the glimpse of green out in the forest. But day by day, winter finally began to pass. One day, she went outside, and looked up to the trees...and looked to find little sprouts. The second day, she saw green on the ground again. The third day, her little flowers began to blossom. The fourth day she saw birds fluttering about. But the fifth day was the day she first saw him..." Merida leaned forward, she leaned with interest. This was the part of the story she had been waiting for. "...There in the forest was a massive creature. A bunny in appearance, but human in stature. She walked to the creature and stared at him. His eyes were as green as the grass, his body covered in a coat of dark-blue and grey. The creature knelt before her and gave held to her precious little flowers she lost in the winter. She gasped and took the flowers in her little hand, just then she heard the creature speak, 'Don't be afraid, love' he said, 'Everything that dies is reborn a new. The old is gone, and the new comes in. Look at your little flowers. See how pretty they are? Look at the grass and trees. See how they dance again? Just as nature hopes to see the first day of spring, so you hope to see the days that are yet to come'..." Merida closed her eyes and imagined how he his voice would sound like, how lucky that little girl long ago was to see him. She imagined how soothing and caring he was to the girl who was crying all winter long because of her dead flowers... her hope. Hope. "This creature became known as Aster Bunnymund. A warrior, a drifter among our world. This warrior protects the children, protects their hope. By their hope, he brings back nature. He awakens it from its winter slumber. Their belief keeps him alive. In return, he paints them eggs of Easter. Each Easter egg signifies a new beginning, a new beginning in each of the child's life. A hope that will spark and open a door in the future..." The flutes and drums played harder and deeper, the women began to sing. As Mara continued her story, so the dancers still danced and the musicians played. The movement became more vivid and beautiful. And before Merida knew it...it was over.
It was the applause that snapped her out of her daydream. She looked at the dancers and musicians as they took their bow. She joined her parents in the applause. She glanced at Elder Mara. Mara was already looking at Merida and smiling. Another Elder stood up and took Mara's place.
"Let us begin our Easter egg hunt!" Said the Elder. Children began giggling and spinning in excitement. The weavers went around passing out baskets to the younger children and older ones. Merida already held hers in her hands. She stared down at it...she didn't want to collect the eggs...not quite yet. She felt as if there was something she had to do first. She glanced to make sure her parents were distracted and went away.
Away from the egg hunt, clear across, Merida went to the tables where the food was being prepared. She had to hurry. After the egg hunt, they would end with the feast of food. She hid behind a chair, looking at the cooks and maids preparing the feast. While the cooks and maids where distracted, she went and took some food. She took five carrots and two of the kingdoms most delicious mini cakes. She fixed them neatly in her basket and covered them with a cloth hanging from the table. As she heard the approach of voices, she quickly took her basket in hand and ran off towards the direction of the forest.
As the days before, Merida made her way deep within the forest where the tree stump stood. As she approached it, she noticed the forest was quiet. She realized that the birds did not chirp and the trees did not dance, silence was upon the forest. The flowers still blossomed beautifully along the stump though. She laid her basket on top and uncovered the goods. She looked around the forest and awaited a sound...a sound of anything. But nothing, just silence. She walked past the tree stump and stood staring out into the deeper region of the woods.
"Aster..." She began, "I brought you dinner. It's food from our feast. I know it's not much, but it was as much as I could bring. I brought carrots and cakes. I hope you'll like it." She stood in silence for a moment. "I know you're out there. I know you're watching me just as you are the other children. I know what you do for us...and...I want to thank you. I don't know if anyone has ever taken the time. But, we love you...I love you...all that you do..." She stared at the forest, waiting for something to appear...waiting for him to appear. Nothing. Merida knew that maybe she never would get the chance to see him, but as long as he knew she loved and appreciated him, well, that's all that mattered to her….as long as he knew. She turned and began walking back the way she came, leaving the basket of goods on the stump….
Then...suddenly...she heard the rustling of leaves. She stopped and turned to see the bushes moving. A smile spread across her face as she began walking towards the noise.
"Aster?" She said. The bush moved again and the leaves rustled. She began to stretch out her hand...until she heard a low growl. She withdrew her hand. "Aster?" She said. A growl came out of the bushes again. Just then, a large black bear appeared out of the bushes. Arrows stuck out of his back, his eyes glowing red with rage...Mor'du.