Chapter 2

"Hope does not overcome, it endures" – Cate Butler

So this is a chapter based on a suggestion from Night-Fury1:

Whoa, this is pretty cool! Hey, inspiration is what u need, right?

How aabout this – jack's ridden with guilt and confusion and (since this seems to be VERY popular here) tries to hurt himself, but Bunnymund intervens and provides comfort and a brotherly bond forms? Rest for u to fill in, only a vague outline here for inspiration.

WELL HERE IT IS!

Bunnymund's nose twitched as he spied the Winter Sprite sitting rather precariously on the edge of a cliff.

"Little warm for your usual comfort isn't it mate?" asked Bunnymund, joining the boy and basking in the golden glow of the slow sunset of the great outback.

Jack gave a little shrug, "its okay."

There was silence and BUnnymund just took it as it was, a comfortable silence and he savoured the dry air and the soft light warming his fur. The climate must be uncomfortable for the boy, but he seemed to be in no hurry to leave. Bunnymund left it at that, he had happened to come across the boy while on his travels. The boy had obviously wanted to be alone. That alone bothered Bunnymund abit. Three hundred years of being alone, the boy should be sick of it. Still, the Pooka was widely believed in by children and respected by the other spirits, yet he still valued his own space.

He got up to leave. He had seen the kid and felt it would be too close for comfort on how things used to be if he had just moved past and not stopped to say hello. He eyed Jack before leaving and noticed the slight flush of his skin.

"Don't stay out too long. Get back to the cold when you're done."

Jack nodded but didn't seem to really be registering what he was saying. The Pooka gave a little sigh and knocked his head lightly. "Oi, ice-brain! Did you get that?"

Jack looked up at him, a bit of a confused look on his tired face. Then he was up, twirling staff in hand and was gone with the wind. Bunnymund stood there, unsure of what had just transpired. With a twitch of his ears and a ruffle of his tail, he hopped back to his various duties. Still, he hadn't forgotten just how listless the boy had seemed and it unsettled him, a stray thought at the back of his mind told him inaction would once again, be too close for comfort of the way things had been before.

_line_line_

Bunnymund waited till the next evening. He made his way to North first who was always pleased to see the Pooka. The Pole, despite being agonizingly cold for the Easter Bunny, was a rather enjoyable place. Bunnymund didn't bring up his niggling doubts about Jack, in a reverse position, he knew he wouldn't appreciate having his business discussed. Besides, he harassed North enough claiming "feeling it in his belly" didn't constitute as concrete evidence. After making idle chit-chat for awhile, Bunnymund made his way to the globe and eyed the sphere till his eyes found the familiar white, blue tinged light that represented their immortal child. With a brief goodbye met with a hearty cheer of "we shall chat again my furry friend!" Bunnymund tapped his large foot and disappeared into the dark hole beneath him, leaving behind a cheery poppy in the workshop. Instead of going home like North assumed, Bunnymund made his way to Burgess, specifically, the lake.

Bunnymund arrived shortly, the portal closing behind him. He took a few seconds to appreciate the cold beauty that was Jack's home. It was extremely peaceful and quiet. The sky was dark, littered with stars and long stretches of clouds, the bright moon gave everything a smooth glow. Bunnymund turned, noticing how the sky reflected off the ice on the lake and how everything was just so crispy and white. His body gave a little shudder of protest and his nose twitched, no matter how beautiful, the place was just too dam freezing cold.

In the silence he heard it. Short, gasping breaths. Bunnymund didn't hesitate as he rushed towards the noise. He was looking for Jack and that's who he found, but in a state he never thought he would see. Instead of a smile, he saw trembling lips, instead of a mischievous glint in his icy blue eyes, there was just darkness and sorrow. So out of character, his staff lay at the boy's side instead of tightly grasped in his hand. He was hunched in on himself, so small as if he wished to disappear.

Bunnymund didn't stop till he was above the boy with a breathless, "are you hurt?!"

Jack must have been so lost in his own thoughts because the sudden appearance of the Pooka had him yelp and fall backwards, something falling out of his hand and landing on the icy lake with a soft metallic tinkle. Bunnymund was only caught off-guard for half a second as he pieced together the state of the boy who looked like he had just been caught doing something very, very wrong and the dark blade lying next to him. The Pooka had been around enough to know of such things.

He reached forward and with a yelp from Jack, pulled the boy towards him by the front of his worn blue hoodie. "Let go!" the boy yelled, panicked. BUnnymund let go momentarily but just to pull up the sleeve of one arm and when finding nothing, did the same to the other. He held on firmly to the pale wrist in front of him.

"You're hurting me!" yelled Jack and Bunnymund's eyes flashed and he stared at the Winter Spirit with such intent, Jack ceased struggling. "I'm hurting you? Why, is it a problem if I do it and not yourself?!" Jack looked slightly ashamed and whispered, "its not like that."

Bunnymund released him and quickly picked up Jack's staff and the blade that lay there. He felt slight revulsion at what the blade had been intended for. Its not the act, its why people chose to hurt themselves that horrified him so much. As a warrior, who had seen so many things, he knew of grown men, great men who had succumbed to the darkness that resided in everyone. While he would never turn to such a path himself, as he was the sort of person to rather throw himself fully into other activities, he recalled times he had trained till he threw up, till he could barely support himself on his own shaky limbs and wasn't ignorant to see the parallels. He held some respect that the individual would rather take their anger, hate or sorrow on themselves than others, but he still felt that anyone who felt that desperate for release, needed an outlet and if they didn't have an outlet, then they needed someone else to provide the release. So many people didn't have a person to turn to and Jack obviously included himself in that figure.

Bunnymund went for intimidation for the first part of this intervention. He needed to know how many times Jack had done this, thought about this and he needed him to be honest.

"Take off you're hoodie." He ordered.

Jack stared at him for a moment and then he glared at him. "Wha- no! W-why?"

Bunnymund inspected the blade he had picked up and gave it an experimental sniff. It didn't look like there was any blood on it and he couldn't pick up a scent of blood on it. "To see how often you've done this."

Jack shook his head again, "its not like that, I haven't ever done, done that." Bunnymund noticed how Jack couldn't seem to put what he had wanted to do in words, the kid probably didn't understand it himself.

"You didn't tell anyone what you were thinking of doing so until we get this sorted out, I'm not ready to take what you say at face value mate. Now take the hoodie off, cause if I have to give you a 'helping hand' to get it off, its not going to work out so well for you."

Jack stared at him and then looked down at his feet, unshed tears shone in his eyes as he slowly slipped off his hood and stood there in a thin white shirt, a plain tank top. He lifted his eyes to Bunnymund and the Guardian of Hope jerked his head, indicated the top was to come off as well. It soon followed his hoodie, lying on the ice next to him. He didn't move as Bunnymund came up to him and slowly circled him, eyeing his small frame and lifting his arms to check for any tell-tale scars or marks. He gave a small sigh of relief and then stood in front of Jack, once again towering over him, arms crossed. "Don't suppose I should ask you to take off your pants as well, eh?"

Jack's reaction was slightly comical as he raised his thin arms, eyes wide. "No! no! I haven't done anything, really!"

Bunnymund stared at Jack and gave a small nod, "I believe you. Put yer tops back on."

Jack did so, once again silence surrounded them. Jack looked at Bunnymund again and asked in a shaky voice, "can I have my staff back?" Bunny looked at him and Jack added, "please?". Bunnymund shook his head, "nah mate, we're not done here yet." He led the nervous kid to a large oak tree next to the iced lake. "Where did this come from?" he asked, twirling the blade in his hand.

Jack looked very guilty as his eyes shifted and he said quietly. "North's workshop. Where he works on the toys, his office." Bunnymund spun and threw the knife into a nearby tree and Jack flinched as the 'thunk' filled the silent forest.

"Do you have any idea how North would have felt if he knew what you were about to do with it?" Bunnymund could only imagine how the Russian would react to a tool of his he used to bring joy and wonder to the children of the world was being used to cause harm, by a child, on himself. Jack looked up, shocked. "No, you cant tell him I stole it! Please!"

Bunnymund flicked his ears in annoyance, the kid seemed more worried about being discovered as a thief than what he had planned to do to himself. Didn't the kid realize? Obviously the time for intimidation was over and Bunnymund dropped to his haunches, now becoming eye-level. He reached out slowly to bring the boy to him but Jack moved back a few inches.

"I know what you were going to do Frostbite. You may have said you haven't done it before and I believe you, but you haven't denied what you were going to do."

Jack muttered a small, "I'm sorry."

Bunnymund hopped forward and gently grasped the boy by the back of the neck, holding him in place and leaned in, "Sorry for what? For being caught? For being a bother? Cause I don't think you're sorry for what you were going to do to yourself."

Jack was breathing heavily now, on the verge of crying but still holding back. Bunnymund gave him a little shake and brought him closer to his chest. The boy put up his hands, refusing the comfort and trying to push the Pooka away.

Bunnymund relaxed his hold but didn't release him and began to speak quietly and patiently, "As a guardian, you're going to see a lot of things. Being around as long as you have, you probably have already. You're going to see a lot of things we try to even out with joy, good memories, dreams, wonder and hope. No-one was meant to be alone. We come into this world alone and we leave it alone but life is given to us to fill it with experiences, people, friends and opportunities. Life is about living and yes, there is real darkness in the world, that's why its so important, vital to have the right people in your life."

Jack was still fighting the embrace the guardian was trying to give him. Bunnymund could feel the words were impacting him and focusing on the boy's face, he made eye-contact and holding his gaze, said:

"No one saw you for a very long time, invisible or not. I'm telling you now Frostbite, we see you mow. I see you, ALL of you. I'm the Guardian of Hope and while I bring and share it with the world and the people who need it, it won't make the darkness go away, but it gives you the strength to endure it. Have Hope Jack, have Hope till the darkness pasts, no matter what you think or how you feel, you don't deserve or need to do what you wanted to do to yourself."

Jack was shaking now, "I-I don't know, I c-cant-"

"Relax Snowball. Just let go, I'll hold on while you let go."

They stood like that, for a minute. Bunnymund standing there, unmoving, one arm not letting Jack move away and simultaneously drawing him closer. An anchor, neither coming or going, Jack kept his arms up, a barrier. In the silence of the night, in the light of the moon, in the space the two had created only for them, for this moment, Jack whispered, "Bunny, I-I died."

Like that, Jack's arms relaxed and as his arms came down, so did his defences. Bunnymund drew him closer to his chest and Jack buried his head in the warm, grey fur. "I died!" he cried, really sobbing now.

"I made my sister cry, I had a mother. The last time I saw my sister, she looked so scared. She reached out and I was g-gone. Then I was scared. Then alone, for so long."

Jack cried, his whole body shaking and just like Bunnymund promised, he held on. Even as ice-cold drops of tears dampened his fur, he held the crying spirit and as Jack held on just as tightly, he could feel the steady, reassuring heartbeat of the Pooka against him.

Somehow they ended up both on the ground and Jack looked up, eyes red, "I was so happy to know why I was a Guardian, that I saved my sister. I really was but now," he slammed a fist into the snow, "I wish I didn't know! I'm angry! Now I know what I was missing and it hurts, it aches."

Bunnymund nodded in understanding. Jack wasn't arrogant or ignorant enough to think he was the only one who had suffered loss and felt the Pooka knew how he was feeling, probably from his own experience.

"I grew up learning about Heaven and Hell. I died, but I'm here." He looked down, "I was taught that you live a good life and you will reunite with those who pass on. Yet here I am." Jack gave a short bark of laughter, "in my religion, technically I'm abnormal, I'm a demon, a hellion of sorts. Ironic huh?"

Jack fell into silence and Bunnymund felt now was the time to speak. "I know you don't believe you're a demon. You're mischievous but not a malicious bone in your body."

Jack looked out onto the lake and stared into the dark. Bunnymund continued with what he wanted to say. "You died and you are immortal now but that doesn't mean you wont die. Just like a thirsty man needs water, a dying man needs to die. When your time comes, you will go. You will be mourned, missed and loved but you will continue onto your next adventure in the unknown and this time, your sister may be there and the rest of your family."

Jack turned to him, a small, hopeful expression on his face and Bunnymund pointed to some snow, "You're a Guardian now and you've been the Spirit of Winter for a long time. That's because the Man in the Moon saw something in you, like he saw in all of us, that he felt needed to be preserved in the world. There will only ever be one of you but when someone like you comes along again, in a few centuries or however long and you're ready, a new chapter will begin."

Jack nodded, "you think so?"

Bunnymund nodded. "I hope so."

Bunnymund got up and fetched Jack's staff and handed it back to its owner. "I have to be straight with yeh kid." Jack accepted his staff and waited for what Bunnymund had to say. Bunnymund placed a large paw on his small shoulder and said gravely, "Hardships are part and parcel of life, extended life or otherwise. One day, Jamie will no longer see you. Once day, you may lose North, Tooth, Sandy or I. Things happen that we have no control over. Before that happens, you're going to have to work on better coping skills than … this." He motioned to the blade still embedded in the tree. "Understand?"

"How?" asked Jack.

"Time heals all things mate. For now, trust me on that. When you feel lonely, when bad memories get you down, let enough time pass and you will feel stronger and find you have the strength to move on from it. Till then, whenever you feel an urge or unsettled, don't let it build up, go somewhere, even if you don't want to talk about what's bothering you, just make sure you're not alone. I'm giving you an unlimited offer, my Warren is always open to you, as long as you don't ice anything." The last part of the statement was given with a chuckle and Jack matched his grin.

"What if its like the day before Easter and you're really busy?" he asked.

"You still ask and even if I have to tie you to a tree to stop you doing anything stupid while I'm busy, I wont ever turn you away."

Silence, then a small "Thankyou" followed by a hard hug. Bunnymund returned the hug. "Ahh you Gumby."

After the moment was over, Bunnymund went to fetch the blade from the tree and slipped it into his backpack. "Alright kid, pack you're toothbrush. You're not staying on your own tonight."

"Where am I going?" asked Jack, hoping Bunny was joking about the toothbrush since he didn't have one.

"Your choice. Tooth Palace might be a bit busy for you to relax, my place may be too warm to be comfortable. My advice is go to North's. Look at what he's working on, spend some time with the yeti's, freeze a couple of elves and have some hot cocoa and listen to a story from North. He's a …. dramatic story-teller."

"Thanks." Said Jack, the idea sounded good and he could already feel his spirit lifting at the thought.

"Cheers mate," said Bunnymund, preparing to disappear, "stay strong."

"Hope so." Said Jack with a wide smile, glint back in his eyes and with a wave of his staff, he was soaring with the wind. Bunnymund saw him off and vanished into his own tunnel.

The moon shone brightly, driving back the darkness to shadows and shedding light on the world. We could all take a lesson from the dear Man in the Moon.

End.

This was intense to write and really, I love how Bunnymund's little speeches came out. The quote at the beginning was made up by yours truly. Please read and review and let me know what you think. This was a fairly important chapter to me and I thank Nigh-Fury1 for suggesting the prompt. Please review and feel free to share your stories of hope!