Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Two: Lucky Visit

She was quietly sneaking out of her bedroom window, claws out to grasp the just so far out of her reach tree limb as she stuck out her tongue in heavy concentration. She almost had it when her father shouted below her.

"Faustine! If you're heading out to make your home, how about some breakfast first?!"

She shrieked and tumbled down the tree trunk, claws leaving deep gouges as she landed hard on her back feet.

"You know what they say, a cat always lands on their feet," Her father said cheerfully. She glowered at the tree as she rudely mimicked her father before stomping back into the backroom that lead to the kitchen.

"Dad, I just want to go, if I stay here, Mom will…"

"I spent all night but I have made up a list!" Anabella said dramatically. She let go of the roll of paper and it rolled right on by Faustine and right out the backdoor.

"I hope it's all good things," Faustine said carefully.

Her father lifted a sliver of paper. "Actually, that's right here."

Faustine groaned and ignored her mother who began to read loudly from the list.

"Dad, please.."

"Number Four: you don't have anyone to defend you should you ever be injured…"

"Please, stop her!"

"I can't, honey. I couldn't even get her to go to bed. She's been up all night writing that sucker."

"Number twelve: there are a lot of stray, vicious dogs out there…"

Faustine gritted her teeth and said to her father darkly. "I'm going to get dinner on the go."

'On the go' actually meant that she was going to go hunting. Her parents started the saying and Faustine liked to use it. It was much more cleaner and much less obvious. You never knew if what you hunted really was that intelligent.

"All right. You'll send us a message once you've settled right?"

The two of them looked to the mother who was still pointedly reading from her list.

"Number fifty six: you're too young to leave. I didn't leave until I was twice your age.."

"How'd she get to number fifty six?" Faustine whispered.

"Number eighty-two.." Her voice continued loudly, breaking in between.

"I never said your mother could count…" Erik smiled weakly. "Have a good trip."

"Bye, Dad! Bye, Mom!" She kissed each cheek and flew out the door.

"But.. Wait! My list!"

Faustine was gone in seconds, bounding out as she laughed with glee. "Freedom! Yes! Time to find my niche in the world!"

She popped back out of the Cat's Haven into reality as she landed on what felt like freezing water.

Then she realized it was snow. "No! No, no, no!" She shrieked, bounding around. She absolutely hated getting wet. "My poor feet!" Her teeth began to chatter.

One of her ears flicked as it caught sound of voices talking softly. One of which was familiar.

"It was a blast, watching Jamie and the others play around you. Must be nice to be suddenly so popular."

"Ah, mate, I've always been popular."

Jack was resting up in a tree, talking to the Easter Bunny who had stopped by for a short visit before he returned to his warren. Bunny was resting on a large rock, having cleared off the snow and settled on his haunches.

"Oh, wow.." She breathed, peeking over the bush. She then winced as a hand grasped thorns. She pulled her paw away, shaking it as she glowered at the bush.

She blinked then, feeling it as she turned and ran off, bounding off the old, worn path of the forest to enter the town. She ran around the bustling people as the sun was already high in the skies.

She saw it then, an arcade as a kid was looking hard at the prizes inside. She tiptoed and watched behind the big boy as he thought hard on the G.I. Joe toy he was coveting. She waited as he put a quarter into the machine, followed by three more.

As he was just about to start, she very lightly touched his shoulder. He worked the machine as it fell toward the play figure.

It pulled it up as the boy's face lit up and it was happily delivered.

"There you go! A sign of good luck! Look at how happy you are!" Faustine clasped her hands together. "Huh, who else?"

She ran about, mostly dealing with children as they were the easiest. The few adults she did were often to not slip in ice while they carried groceries, or split their pants from doing an unintended split.

"Wow, you work fast."

Faustine perked up, her bell dingling. "You think?" She grinned at Jack Frost.

"Is.. This, like, your territory?" He asked then, carefully.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this your town?"

"Well, yea, but I don't mind visitors.." He studied her thoughtfully. "I've seen a few statues of you in stores. The. Uh…"

"Maneki-Neko! Or better as the Welcoming Cat! I bring good luck and happiness as well as fortune!"

"Money?" "Well, not that. I don't have that much good luck but I help people go through the day so that when they go to bed, they feel better that their day went so well, you know?" She offered a paw. "My bad. My name is Faustine Bobtail, pleased to meet you!"

"Jack.." He winced as she squeezed his hand tightly. "Frost."

"WOW! The Jack Frost?! You became a Guardian like a year ago, right?"

"Actually, two." Jack shook his injured hand. "I gotta go see Bunny and tell him bye so.."

"Can I come!?" She did the perfect kitten gaze, imploring sad eyes that begged for love and attention. Her paws clasped to her chest as her lower lip trembled.

"Umm… sure."

"Yes!" She tore off as Jack burst out laughing and ran with her, trying to catch up with her.

Bunny, who had been momentarily resting, caught the familiar scent a mile off and grumbled to himself. "Ah, crikey…"

"Hii! We meet again! Oh, I'm finally having some luck! Remember me, right?"

"How could I forgot. You yelled at me and called me a meanie."

She gasped. "That's right!" She then promptly turned away from him, back stiff as she beamed at Jack. "Hi, Jack!" She was now pointedly ignoring Bunny as he rolled his eyes.

"You met already?"

"Yes, and he's a meanie."

"Well, you got him there."

"She does not!"

"What'd he do?"

"He insulted me."

"She can't do anything with carrots! She can't cook them, can't eat them.."

"I can too! You just need to give me a chance! I like the things you like!"

Bunny flushed as they glowered at each other.

"Wow, she's actually a lot like you."

"No, she's not! She's a cat!"

"I'm a Japanese Bobtail," She turned her buttocks toward him, pointing hard to her bushy, bobtail. "Bobtail! You remember that!"

Jack was laughing hard. "You have the same tails!"

"My tail is much more longer and fluffier! Look at it!" Bunny turned his hip and showed off his tail.

Jack fell to the ground, screaming in laughter as Bunny realized he was actually showing off his buttocks more than his tail. He sat down hard, glaring at her as she blinked.

And carefully leaned to gaze at his tail.

"It is cute."

There was a heavy pause as Bunny lowered his head and Faustine slapped her face with her palm. "I can't believe I said that out loud."

Jack's laughter rose in the air to become the icy wind. He was holding his side, gasping for air and unable to stop laughing.

"Why would you say that?" Bunny hissed.

"I.. um…ahem.." She patted at her curls. "Because, well… umm… It was the truth. I couldn't help it!"

"Oh.. God.. Make. It stop…."

Bunny glared at Jack. "I'm going."

He struck the ground with a paw and disappeared. He rolled into his warren only to feel the warmth of a smaller, furry body on him.

"You're following me?!" He pulled her up by the scruff. "What the Hell do you want with me?!"

She blinked at him, trying to look innocent as she tried vainly to think of an answer.

"You have really pretty eyes, too." She blurted out.

His gaze moved upward as he seemed to wonder what exactly he should be doing He gingerly let her down and then crossed his arms.

"Look, as much… as it's flattering to be liked.. By well.. A cat, I have to nip this in the bud. You're just not my type."

She turned flustered. "How do you know that? Why not? I'm a lot like you, you know.. I don't bring hope but I bring good things too! If you just gave me a chance!"

"I'm sorry but no." He started off toward his own personal warren.

She huddled to the ground, pain in her chest again. She had spent years watching him from the sidelines, longing to talk to him, to at least make friends with him. And he wasn't even willing for that, she thought angrily.

She rubbed at her cheeks, stained by silent tears. She took out her coin shakily, sniffling.

"Will I ever be loved?" She asked it hoarsely. She threw it up as she reflexively closed her eyes tightly. She heard it land but couldn't bear to open her eyes.

She rubbed angrily at her face. "All I ever wanted… was this one simple thing. That one thing that I never had any luck in! Why can't I have this? I never asked for anything else!"

She couldn't bear to touch her coin as she bounded out of the warren. She landed back in Bergess as the sun was setting. The snow began to fall as she bounded out of the forest but couldn't enter the town. She just didn't have it in her to do anything.

The moon began to fall upward as the snow didn't quite let up but it turned to silver as the moonlight danced on the lightly falling snow.

She sighed tiredly. She couldn't believe that Easter was just yesterday and she had finally met her most treasured person. Who didn't want anything to do with her.

She was shivering, huddling into a tighter ball. She was dimly aware of the need to find safety. Humans may not see her but dogs still could.

She sneezed and then coughed hard. She was shivering harder as her teeth began to chatter.

It opened below her and without preamble, she tumbled down to land on the soft grass as the warm air swum around her.

She rubbed her arms hard as she slowed her chattering. Her nose flicked and she began to sneeze frequently.

"Here, have a…" Bunny tried to offer a tissue but each time she reached for it, she sneezed before she finally managed to grab onto it. She was exhausted from all the sneezing as she wiped her face.

She watched him hold out the coin as she took it. Without saying anything, she found a tree with a hollow base and entered it, settling in in a perfect curl as she tucked the coin back into her bell. She closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep instantly.

She didn't know how long her cat nap lasted. She woke up to the smell of something sweet and orangey. She looked at the bowl of carrot soup as she slowly approached it. She bent down and took a quick lick.

"Hmmm.. It really it sweet… and tangy too.. " She took a piece of carrot. "A little chewy but I've had chewier."

She finished off the soup in moments. It wasn't the best thing she had but she didn't mind it. After all, she knew that Bunny himself made it and that made it ten times better.

She settled back in the tree trunk, trying to settle. However, she was starting to feel a little strange to be sleeping in a tree. She tossed and turned, put herself on her back, legs bent against her. She flipped and tried to rest on her front.

She was softly growling in frustration. "Augh… why can't I get comfortable? I'm supposed to be able to sleep on anything!"

Her nose then picked up the heavy scent of grass. She poked her head out and walked out cautiously until she spied the massive pile of grass. She bounded into it, rolled around a bit, and then made herself a nest. Her nose twitched as the slight pull of Bunny's scent on the grass before she fell asleep. It took very little for her to stretch out all of her limbs, stretching her spine as far as it could as she snoozed, completely unabashed to reveal everything.

Bunny couldn't stop himself from looking down. "Wow… she really is full grown."

He turned red as he threw a blanket over her sleeping form. "Just like a cat to sleep like there's no problems. Sheesh.."