October

Phil looked into the dark sky, his furry brow furrowed in thought. Maybe Jack had been right; maybe something had been wrong about the Moon, and now that Phil thought about it, the sky was darker than usual... The yeti thought of getting North and inquiring about the strange sky. That, and Jack hadn't returned. He was usually very quick about these types of things, running off to go send a snow day to the children of the world and then returning to cause mischief among the elves, enjoying nothing more than terrorizing the cookie-toting creatures. He should've been back at the Workshop by now, definitely... Phil finally shrugged, waving it off to go and busy himself with preparing for the Christmas deadline. But still, as he proceeded to pick up his paintbrush to begin carefully painting a set of wooden building blocks, the thought of the young winter spirit he had come to love thrashed in the back of his mind, as if something were amiss...

Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia

If there was ever a spirit of luck (there is; you probably know him as the Leprechaun), then Jack would need to be sure to thank him.

A grey-blue blur had been racing under the ground, rocketing through his tunnels, ears bent back in the speed that he carried, green eyes alert, when he felt a sickening tremor hit the cold ground above him as he passed under. He skidded to a halt, wondering what the noise was. "Some poor bloke must've fallen." He mumbled to himself. "Tripped runnin' after some Hallows Eve candy." Pressing a paw to the ground above him in the tunnel, he felt for the small spot of warmth that humans usually gave off, but there was none. Confused, he tapped his foot and poked head out of the tunnel, tall ears first, then his piercing green eyes. Surveying the land, his trained eyes picked out a figure in the darkness, almost a foot away from him, lying face down on the ground, covered in dead brush.

The woodsy, damp smell that he knew so well, and associated with one person in particular, hit him in the nose like bricks. Panic making his fur stand on end, Bunnymund jumped out the hole and crossed in two hurried steps to the figure, kneeling down and brushing away the leaves. "Oh...oh no." He pulled the cold body into his arms, trying to find a pulse, but abandoning the notion when he remembered that Jack didn't have a heartbeat anymore. "Oh no, no, no, no...Jack? Jack! Frostbite, can you hear me?" Supporting his head in one paw, he felt something wet and slick coating his fur. The smell, salty and fearful, rose to Bunnymund's nostrils, and almost made him convulse out of panic.

Blood.

Bunny wasted no time in opening a hole in the forest ground and scampering through into the tunnels, making a mad dash for the Workshop at the North Pole.

Phil was just as shocked as North to find Bunny rushing into the workshop, eyes wide and horrified, and even more so when they discovered Jack's broken figure in Bunny's arms, blood all over the pooka's arms. What happened to him? Phil bellowed, unable to keep a quiet voice in the midst of his panic. "I dunno." Bunny said, his voice high. "I found him on the ground in Russia. He was unconscious, and he's bleeding from the head..." Bunny tried to keep a cool, level head as best as he could, but he was failing miserably, almost forgetting that North and Phil were there to help as he nearly fought them handing Jack over. "Is alright, Bunny. Phil will take good care of Jack. Do not worry." North said, doing a better job of keeping calm than the rabbit. Phil cradled the young winter spirit in his arms as he barked orders at some other yetis, which stood close waiting for instructions. As he tromped through the halls, following his cohorts to an unoccupied room where they could set up a makeshift infirmary for Jack, Phil cursed himself silently, chastising himself for not following his instincts and sending North out with the boy.

Jack's head was cut wide and deep in the back, staining his white hair a sickening red. It wasn't lacerated, but it was in desperate need of stitches. His back was a massive black bruise, stark contrast against the white of his skin (more than likely from hitting the tree with such impact). One ankle was knocked out of commission, and had to be reconnected into his socket. The damage to the young winter spirit was bad, but repairable, and Bunny was there for most of it, his face melancholy and brooding. He helped North move Jack onto his side and into a suitable position to treat the head wound. While North carefully stitched Jack's cut, Bunny gently nosed the boy's forehead, his warmth breathing quietly tossing his bangs.

Bunny tapered the ankle, and bandaged Jack around his chest and back to accommodate the bruise. While North took the blue hoodie that Jack always wore, Bunny refused to leave his side. North glanced at the pooka and said, "Tooth'll be over soon. You should make way; you know she will be like a blizzard trying to get in to see Jack." Bunny didn't answer. North frowned.

Outside the room, Phil had been waiting for North, who said, "Phil! Vat are you doing? Christmas vill be here soon! No time to stand around!"

I should've stopped him. Phil rumbled. "Vat are you talking about?" North inquired, raising a questioning eyebrow. He ran off and I didn't stop him. I don't know what happened, but he would've been safer if I had gone with him. I should've... North stopped the yeti, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Jack vill be fine. Do not vorry." Phil looked pleadingly at North. He went to the clouds.

Sorry this was so short. But don't worry; I promsie the others will be longer. I'm just busy all the time, so I can't be expected to crank out the chapters rapid-fire; I do have homework to attend to. :)

-Thanks, AC