Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Thirteen: Lucky Thirteen

The warren was silent as Bunny stirred, having fallen asleep late while talking with Faustine. He looked around to see the children all over the place, playing in their simple ways. He'd started training the six, which did include Faustine, and his boys had picked up on his traditional weapons, the boomerang though they only managed with one at the moment.

His girls were using the agility born to them from both parents and were swifter and faster than the boys. They had spunk and power in their strikes, highly focused energy made of the combination of luck and rabbit. What's more was that they all could instill hope in each other, encouraging each other that helped them all do better.

But while they were playing at the time, Bunny was feeling a little bit worried as he didn't see Faustine around.

"Hey, Princessa," He was greeted by arms around his leg as he left the bed.

"Hi, Daddy! I love you!" Princessa beamed at him, her grip tightening.

"Where's your mother?"

"She said something about thirteen," Princessa offered.

"Thirteen?"

He took a step and found himself doing the split. His shriek made all of his children whip their heads around to look at him with fright.

"I'm.. fine.." Bunny managed. "Oh, god, that hurt," He added very softly as Princessa bounded off.

He staggered a few feet before his foot stubbed on a rock. "Augh, for the freaking…" He stopped himself, fully aware of the attention of the children, yet again. "What is happening here?!"

"I'm so sorry.." She looked up from her hiding hole, her eyes the only thing he could see. They were sorrowful and big and she was obviously trying to hide.

"You're not pregnant again, are you?" He counted on his fingers. "Thirteen kids?"

"What? No! I'd kill you first.. But that's not what I want!" She shrieked herself and hid herself, trying to be unobtrusive.

"What's going on?" Bunny walked around and a tree branch whacked him on the face. "What's with all this bad luck!?"

It suddenly dawned on him. "Wait… Friday the thirteenth… a day of bad luck.. Is this your doing, Kit?"

"Not willingly! It's sort of trying to even out the good luck by bringing the bad. It's all we can do on this day. I try to keep it simple, trips, dropping things, maybe some breakage but I can't always control what happens. It's not something I've dealt in much."

He hunched down to look in on her. "I'm sure everything will be all right."

She sighed. "It's not that easy, E. I'd let me be if I were you."

"Come on out, it's not going to be so bad!" He dragged her out of the hiding hole, gritting his teeth as the same tree branch whacked him in the eyes. "It'll be fine!" He managed through the pain.

"I don't know how it could get any worse!" She was livid. "Oh, and it's just beginning too! Oh, just let me hide!"

"Daddy! Mommy!" Came the collective cries of their children. Both of them stumbled and fell into a roll to land in the middle of the frantic group.

"There's strangers! Stranger danger! Stranger danger!" Hop cried.

Axel was on all fours, hissing and spitting. "Come closer, I dare you! I'll claw you to pieces!"

"No, you can't! You don't have claws!" Thump shouted at him.

"I can too!"

"No, you can't!"

"I CAN TOO!"

"AND I SAID!"

"Momma? Daddy?" Faustine stood up quickly and shooed her children behind her instinctively.

"Hi, honey," Her father beamed at her as her mother stood behind him, looking away pointedly. "I thought you might have a rough time today so I thought I'd bring you some good luck I've collected."

"Really?"

Hitch moved swiftly as Bunny then Faustine tried to grab him. He ignored his grandfather and went straight to his grandmother.

"Hi." He sat down, looking as polite as possible. "I'm Hitch!"

He beamed at her as she eyed him. "You're Gramma, right?"

"Who cares if it is?" Axel growled, standing in front of his bunny sisters. "She doesn't like bunnies, remember?"

Hop's voice was small. "She doesn't like me?"

"Or me?!" Thump was aghast. "But.. There's nothing wrong with us!"

"Of course there's nothing wrong with you!" Bunny, Faustine, and Erik spoke at the same time. The parents let Erik continue. "It's just that she's very traditional. But I thought meeting you would help her open her eyes to how wonderful you all are."

Hitch perked up and then proceeded to rub against Anabella's leg. "My sisters are great! Thump likes to fight like a cat and wins all the time."

"She does not!" Axel protested. "I do!"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes! I DO!"

"No! You don't!"

Bunny leaned over slowly with a whisper to Faustine. "Is this bad luck?" "No, it's just arguing."

Bunny let out his breath. "Everyone, come on, let's be on your best behavior.. Axel! Stop hissing! Thump, stop snorting!"

The two of them were shoulder to shoulder, in their fierce, defensive pose in a perfect mirror, standing in front of Hop and Princessa.

Erik bent down slowly as Thump eyed his gold fur. He was mostly gold with a calico pattern and it was something Thump felt was familiar.

"Mama! I get my fur from Grandpa?" She asked Faustine.

"It looks like it, huh?"

Thump sniffed the hand offered by Erik. "You smell nice." She raised her arms. "Up, please!"

"No, me first!" Axel offered his arms, pushing forward as the two began to fight.

Erik chuckled as he plucked up the two at the same time. "I'm not too old to hold both of you."

Axel batted at Erik's beard as Thump sniffed on the arm holding him. "He smells a little like Mama too."

Hop and Princessa were stretching themselves up on Erik. "We want attention too!" Princessa called out, her navy curls bouncing as she purred loudly. Hop head butted against a leg.

The only one not clamoring at their grandmother was Hitch, who was resting against his grandmother while watching them. "Can I come up?" He offered up his arms hopefully. "I like to be held!"

Anabella rolled her eyes and turned to Erik. "Erik, just give Faustine your gift and let's go."

Hitch's disappointment was palpable as his arms dropped slowly. He sniffled, rubbing at his eyes.

Axel's eyes turned into slits. "You made him cry!"

The four friendly children turned into fierce defenders of their littlest. Axel and Princessa hunched down, hissing at Anabella as Thump and Hop struck the ground angrily.

"It's all right, everyone. Get behind me. Hitch, come here," Faustine bent down and held out her arms.

Hitch wrapped himself around Anabella's leg suddenly. "Please like me."

"Hitch," Bunny also bent down. "You can't force someone to like you!"

"I know you do, you can't help! I feel it… in my heart.." Hitch's voice was wavery, looking up with bright, shining eyes.

Erik was the first one to say somethign. "He's a Seer."'

Faustine's arms dropped. "No, he's.."

"No, honey. I can tell." Erik knelt down. "You can see the colors of emotions, can't you?"

"Uh huh." Hitch's nub wiggled.

"He's a Seer. A sensitive soul, so to speak. I bet you're a vegetarian."

"I thought it was because I was," Bunny was disappointed.

"No, that's still true. To make a Seer takes a combination of gifts. The power of Hope and Luck made all of you but you," He plucked Hitch up. "Will be one of our Greater. You need to be taught what to do with your gift. Great Uncle Ai can teach you."

"Great Uncle Ai is nuts."

Erik rolled his eyes at Faustine. "He's eccentric."

"He's strange!"

"Does he remind you of Hitch?"

"That's not the point!"

Erik turned his attention to Hitch. "You can see auras and emotions. This is a superb gift, especially when dispensing Luck to others. You know who needs it and you'll instinctively know how to give it. It's a very good power. Not even Friday the Thirteen will do anything to you."

"And I knew someone liked the children," Erik said pointedly to Anabella. "Stop acting prissy and apologize to your daughter."

Anabella crossed her arms. "Not in front of the bunny."

"You should apologize to him as well."

"Erik!"

"Anabella!"

"Fine. I am truly sorry for my behaviors and I will try to be more accepting of you.. Mr. Bunny," She forced out with difficulty. "It won't be easy and it'll take time but I'm sure there will be a time when we can get along."

Faustine was tapping a foot.

"I'm sorry, honey," Anabella looked sad. "I was rude, hateful, and angry, all for no good reasons. I'm sorry that I missed your birthing and the growth of your children."

"I think you should do a better apology to E." Faustine turned her nose up.

Bunny put his hand on her head, pushing it down. "It's fine."

"But…"

"I think the children should get to know their grandparents. Family is very important."

"Well, fine, but only for you."

She shifted and slipped backwards onto her back. "Ow! Stupid bad luck!"

Erik and Anabella stayed around for the rest of the day, spending time with the family. Bunny even sat with them for a while before he noticed that Hitch was missing.

He excused himself and tried not to panic when he at first didn't find his youngest son.

"Hi, Daddy!' Hitch was up in a high branch.

"How'd you get up there?"

"I jumped."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm thinking."

"All right. Want to talk?"

"Do you want to talk?"

Bunny scratched his ear, sniffing. "Yea. Of course. I asked you…"

"No, about why you're so upset."

Bunny held out his arms. "Come down and explain."

He caught him easily as Hitch nuzzled affectionately. "You're sad sometimes. You're afraid too. I was trying to think but I don't think it's us that's doing it. Why are you hurting?" Hitch looked up with big eyes. "It's because you won't let us out."

"You're not old enough…"

"But.. We are, aren't we? Didn't your other family be allowed to leave?"

"How did you.."

"I had a dream about it," Hitch head butted against his father's chin, talking softly. "It was sad and painful, so many colors, so lonely and empty. Everyone left and you were all alone. You're afraid of it happening. And of something else but I don't know what that is because you don't know it yet."

"You are one smart cookie," Bunny sat down with Hitch in his lap. "I am afraid, yes. Of losing all of you. I don't think I could be if I lost all of you. You're my world now and I need to keep you with me."

"But you won't. Know why?" Hitch leaned up with an excited look and a twinkle in his gaze.

"All right, I'll bite. Why?"

"Cause we got luck!" Hitch jumped, wrapping arms around his father's neck with a giggling fit. "We're lucky cause we got luck and Daddy's foot!"

Bunny snickered as he found Hitch rolling and moving around his head before tearing off. He was hopping on all four limbs, sideways in his playful mode. "Come on! Come on! Can't catch me!" He tore off on all four as Bunny followed suit.

"Wait! Not so fast! Hitch, don't use your luck, that's cheating!"

Erik was tapping his bell as he hummed. "I have more gifts for the children, Faustine."

"Yea?" "Yes! It's time for them to get their bells."

Thump and Hop looked up. "Us too?"

"Absolutely! You two are extra lucky!"

"Cause we have a lucky rabbit's foot?" Thump grinned and hit the ground with a leg.

"Yes!" Erik nosed her. "You are all so cute!"