Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Five: Lucky Insight

The humanoid Japanese Bobtail bounded hard, past the growing plains and the soon to blossom spring flowers. She hit the ground hard, fleeing as her nose picked up the telltale signs of a troll.

Or from the reek of it, maybe more. She had just left Bergess and was stunned to see how close that the trolls were at to the townspeople. She had heard whispers of pain and anguish as beloved pets were going missing. Faustine was furious, both at the trolls and herself.

"What good am I if my luck can't protect them?" She berated. She paced angrily close to Jack's pond. "Stupid, stupid! I need to gather more luck. I need to do something spectacular, wondrous, joyful!"

She sat on her haunches, glowering. "But my home is still growing.. Augh! No, the people and animals come first! It'll be fine for now. Not like I have any reason to expand it."

She looked around suddenly. "Where's Jack?"

Jack was preoccupied at the North Pole, as he arrived there with more information about the trolls that were trespassing in Bergess.

"So what gives, Jack?" North demanded, crossing his burly arms.

"They're Hunting Trolls."

"Augh!" North stamped his foot. "They're to stay in their habitat. Out of way, safe for them. Why do they dare trespass?"

"I don't know, low food source?" Jack offered with a shrug.

"No, no, no! Not that! They have plenty but trolls are difficult, idiotic, and shouldn't be smart enough to leave!" North thought hard. "But they aren't good at all. They are bad, very bad for the environment. They destroy everything, eat anything."

"That's just it!" Jack waved his staff. "They've been eating pets from the children and adults. Even managing to capture feral animals as well."

"Once they start feeding, they cannot stop. They must be banished back to their world."

"How?" Jack looked perplexed. "They're freaking giants, man! I've tried to ice them and it barely took effect!"

"We must find someone who can make portals big enough.. Powerful enough to send them in."

"Bunny?" Jack said after a pause.

"Bunny might work… but he might not. Need more than power, need to have strength. Bunny will wear out if he has to fight them out. They stupid but unbelievable strong."

"I know just the person to help.." Jack said with a slow grin. "And hey, it'll be a bonding experience for them." He rubbed his hands together gleefully.

The two headed off the Bunny's Warren. The sleigh came to a halt at one of his more broader entrances as North easily maneuvered the reindeer to land perfectly. "Hey, Bunny!" The two shouted.

"Crikey, can't a mate get a wink of sleep?" Bunny popped out from behind the rock he'd been resting on. "What's the deal?"

"We have a solution for the trolls." North clapped his hands. "You fight, Kitten makes portals!"

"Kitt.. You mean, Faustine? She's a bit young for the job, don't you think? Plus, she needs to use good luck."

"She has you! You have lucky rabbit's foot!"

"Lucky rabbit's… I'm not cutting it off, mate!"

"He didn't mean that!" Jack snorted. "It'll work out. I'm sure of it. We just have to get them sooner rather than later or else they might get brazen and take out actual people."

Bunny looked stunned. "Seriously?"

Jack jumped up onto a low rock nearby. "They've been eating pets and stray animals, even getting feral animals."

Bunny's ears went back. "Oh, geez, that's horrible!"

There came a familiar bounding sound as Faustine came in, carrying a Tupperware. "I made you lunch!"

She lowered herself and turned red at the sight of North and Jack. "Whoops. You have company."

"Aw, she bring you lunch." North went to Bunny's side and elbowed him playfully.

"It's just a salad!" Faustine protested. "Umm.. Here."

She offered it, looking down at their feet. He took it and opened it, the sweet and sharp smell of carrots, onions, croutons, and red lettuce hit his nose.

"Thanks."

"Good thing you're here, Kitten," North wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We need your help!"

"My help? Really?! What do you need me for?"

She looked up at North with bright eyes.

"She's a pretty kitty," North said with a grin to Bunny. "Big eyes! Full of wonder!"

"North, keep to the damn subject!"

"Oh, right! We need your portals!"

"My portals?"

Jack leaned on his staff. "North, how about talking about the whole picture?" Jack turned to Faustine. "Remember those trolls?"

"I do! I just got away from one."

"AGAIN?!" Bunny's voice could be heard in the background as Faustine smiled weakly and lowered herself to the ground.

"Well, they're not supposed to be here. We have to get them to go back and that's where Bunny comes in. He, and us, will fight and push them back while you open the portal to their world."

"Sounds reasonable."

"It does sound easy but it's not," North butted on. "Is hard work, Faustine. Takes a great deal of power. You need a lot of luck. Though, you are in luck for you have a rabbit's lucky foot!"

"I'm not cutting it off!"

"That's not the point!" North snorted. "There's luck in Bunny. So there you start."

Faustine blinked. "Oh…. Sure.. Yea.." She rubbed her head. "I'm still learning about luck. That's why I only do small things. I can't do anything big and that sounds like what you need."

"Do what you can, there's still time. We'll keep an eye on the hunting trolls and hope for the best. We can do this!" North offered a hand for a high-five and was stood there as Bunny and Jack looked at each other.

"Don't leave me hanging!" North grinned as Faustine jumped nimbly and swatted her hand against his. "That's good!"

North and Jack eventually left as Faustine followed Bunny.

"Look, can you go somewhere else? I'm a little tired of babysitting," Bunny said, setting aside the lunch she made. "I'm tired, I want some peace and quiet so how about you go on home."

"Oh… what about your lunch?"

"Thank you but I'm not hungry right now." He walked off, leaving the lunch. She faltered and once more lowered herself, feeling small and insignificant. She went to great lengths to be sure everything was super fresh. She based everything on scent alone and as it was something she was not familiar with, she suddenly thought maybe she had done something to insult him.

Her paws reached out for the lunch. "I'm sorry, Bunny. I won't bother you." She tried to call out but fumbled at the end. She then opened a portal and returned home, rejected.

Bunny had heard her, of course, and every emotion in that voice and was silently cursing himself that he may have come across harsher than intended. He then asked himself if that's what he wanted.

He found he couldn't really answer that.

She put the lunch in the garbage in the kitchen and then headed to climb to the second floor, right into her bedroom. It didn't matter that the sun was bright and warm, making the room feel welcoming and homey.

She curled into the bed with a low sigh. "I wonder where I went wrong. I have been busy at his place. I suppose I should just focus on my job."

Her eyes slowly closed, tears gathering at the corner. "But what's good luck now when I have none?"

She stayed there for who knows how long. Her parents eventually came to visit because Faustine had stopped communicating.

"Honey?" Her mother peeked into the bedroom. "Oh, honey, what's wrong?"

"I don't feel so well," Her face was hidden in the comforting blanket.

"Your bell.. it's gray! Honey! Where's your luck?" Her mother demanded. "Erik! Erik!"

"What?" Her father barged in with worry and then went to comfort his daughter. He licked her head and then frowned. "She's feverish."

"Her bell!" Her mother pointed wildly.

"It's gray!" His eyes grew huge. "Honey! What's wrong? Tell us so we can get you your luck!"

"I don't have any." Her voice was dull. "It hurts too much."

Her father touched his bell and his fingers turned gold as he carefully touched her bell. The transfer of luck was worthless as the gold fell off like dust.

"She's depressed," Anabella hissed. "We need to find out what's…"

Anabella's ears went back suddenly. "It's that rabbit! That damn rabbit! How dare he!"

She tore out, already with flexed claws as Erik followed with a shout.

"Honey! He's three times your size!" He shouted as they dived into the portal Anabella made.

She landed hard in the land of spring. Her hiss filled the air. "RABBIT! RABBIT!"

Bunny was in the distance and heard the howl of rage. His ears went back as he stood suddenly, turning away from Sandy. They'd been playing cards as well Bunny pouring out his heart to the one person who was bound to not say anything to anyone else.

"What the Hell?" He poised himself into a fierce pose, trying to look dominating.

"You stupid rabbit! How dare you break her!? Break her heart! Her spirit! You stupid, idiotic RABBIT!" Anabella shouted. She glared daggers. "She's turned gray! Do you KNOW how dangerous that is? That she can die if she doesn't change back!"

"Die?" Bunny was confused.

"Honey, I don't think he's aware…"

"Of course not! He's got no heart to care about her feelings. She's been after you for DECADES, nearly a damn century! She's kept your stupid eggs, defended your so-called honor, and you break her heart! Well, thanks to you, she's dying!"

Bunny was stunned. Anabella was about to yell some more when his foot hit the ground and he disappeared into the hole silently and swiftly.

He popped out into the half-made yard of Faustine's Cat Haven. However, everything was turning brown and void of existence, as if slowly being erased. He entered with a hurry and used his nose to follow upstairs.

He goggled at the size of the massive bed before he spotted slight movement. He hopped up onto the cat bed and carefully pulled aside the blanket.

Faustine was shivering from the fever, her bell indeed gray as stone. Her eyes were halfway closed as tears still leaked out.

"Kit?" Bunny asked hoarsely. "Hey, Faustine!"

"…sorry…" Her voice was raspy and weak. "I'm… sorry. I'll leave."

He put his nose to hers. "Hey, hey! Kit, come on back there. Come on, Kit."

Her eyes closed tiredly as she shivered all the more harder. He pulled at the blanket, throwing it off as he carefully wrapped himself around her.

"Faustine, it's all right," He told her gently. "It's all right. I didn't mean it that I didn't want to see you again. I'm sorry, that was my fault. I just… was getting tired of all the damn teasing."

His forehead pressed on hers. "Come on, Kit. You're all right. You have your luck still."

"No.. I don't.." Her vision was blurred by both disillusion and pain. "This.. Is just.. Another dream." She broke into a sob. "That's all… I'll ever… have.."

He rubbed his nose anxiously against her. "No, no, it's real. I'm here! I'm here, Faustine!"

He didn't know what else to do and in his frantic thinking, he bit her nose.

She reared up from the sharpness of the teeth, crying out as she fell backwards, Bunny catching her as she stilled.

"That hurt."

"You can't feel pain in dreams, at least, not physical pain," Bunny corrected himself.

She looked up at him, very tired and drained. She managed to her side before closing her eyes. "Why.. Do you say… such things?"

"What things?" Bunny asked.

"You.. Always make it seem like I' m a third wheel," Her eyes were slits, glittering with unshed tears. "I just.. Wanted you to like me."

"I do like you!"

"Then why am I always in the way?" She half-gasped with a sob.

"Because you are in the way! You put yourself right in my view and I have no choice but to interact with you!"

His gaze softened. "And I need you to do that."

He moved slowly, licking at her wounded nose. "I'm sorry. I'm not as friendly or as open as you. I've got a lot to deal with and it's harder when I can't seem to decide what I really want."

"Like what?"

'Like what the Hell to do with you?! You realize you've been leaving me presents? Am I supposed to give something back?" He pretended to look indignant.

She giggled weakly.

"And your painting is atrocious. A lot of heart but you spread the paint more than use it. What's that all about?"

He sat, pulling her into his lap. Her head rested against his thigh as she relaxed. She fell asleep as he carefully maneuvered the collar to look at the collar. There was tiny pinprick of gold.

He looked around her room and spotted the eggs he had made, now surrounding a large mirror as decorations. All around the room was little bits of Bunny, his flowers, his eggs, and even the coloring of the room was based on his fur.

"You have it bad, don't you?" He rubbed her head gently. "How.. Exactly does your kind work? To be with another?"

Her voice was sleepy. "Our love.. Is eternal. There is never anyone else. That's why… Mom realized she was meant.. For Dad." She yawned widely, exposing her pink tongue and sharp teeth. "Sometimes it takes a while.. But the luck of the Maneki-Neko…will shine when we're ready."

She fell back asleep as Bunny looked around again. He then carefully fixed himself into the bed, falling to his side lightly as he pulled himself around her carefully. He touched the Lucky Bell and dimly heard it ring. He hadn't realized it but he'd been hearing that soft sound in his dreams.

He sighed lowly and then settled in for the time being. "Trolls are nothing compared to this," He told himself. "Did it have to be so complicated?"