Bunnymund was the first to react to such an unexpected exclamation. "Ah, no no no... Ya ain't pullin' that one on me, mate. Ya had me goin' for a second, there." He leaned over and grabbed Jack's cheeks, one in each paw. "But then I remembered who ya were. Trickster-" He gave the boy's cheeks a small tug on each syllable. "Ex-traor-di-naire. Ya can't fool this one, Frostbite."
Jack just stared up at him incredulously for a second. When he regained his senses, he swatted Bunny's paws away and started to sit up. "Look," he snapped. "I don't know how you know me, or where you think we met, but I don't know you. I think I would remember meeting a talking kangaroo."
"Kangaroo!?" Blustered Bunny. "Ya know how old that insult is? Ya've been usin' that one since even before '68! And here I thought ya were serious when ya apologized for it last year. Even if ya weren't, how is it even still funny to ya?" He narrowed his eyes expectantly. Now Jack would say, "cause your reactions never get old." Or "you have your weird nicknames for me, I have mine for you." Or maybe he'd just shrug in that nonchalant way of his and flash that slightly lopsided grin. While any of those would have ticked Bunny off on a normal day, he would welcome any one of them right now. Anything was better then the fiercely skeptical look Jack was giving him at the moment. He was about to say something more when North pushed him aside to stand directly in front of Jack.
"You do not remember?" He asked, concern coloring his tone. "You don't remember belly?" He grabbed two handfuls of said belly, letting it jiggle. "Or... Wonder?" He pushed his face closer to Jack's until their foreheads were almost touching. Jack tried to scoot back only to bump into the headboard of the bed. All he could see were two piercing blue ellipses. He pulled an arm between their faces to block the proximity.
"No, I don't. Should I?"
"Nah, not really." Said Bunny scathingly as he began to pace back and forth slowly. "You, me. Sandy, Tooth. North. We've never really interacted much, ya know. Did lunch, maybe. A round of cards. Saved each others lives multiple times. Nothin' important."
"Bunny! Ees time for quiet now. If ees true..." North backed up and leaned on the foot of the bed. "Jack," he began, "please tell me what happened on lake. What you do remember." A glimmer of recognition flitted across Jack's eyes.
"I remember a lake. That was where I woke up."
"Woke up?" Queried North.
"Yeah... And then the-" he stopped abruptly, looking uncomfortable. "Well, anyway, it was where I fell asleep last night, too. So waking up here was slightly disorienting."
"Go back." North demanded. "'And then the-' what?"
"Nothing." Jack said quickly. "You'll think I'm crazy."
"We already know ya belong on a funny farm, ice pop. Go ahead 'n let us in." That was Bunny, of course. He'd found a chair near the corner and was observing the conversation from a distance. Jack threw a glare his way, then returned his attention to North.
"Well, then... I learned my name."
"You're name?"
"Yeah. From the... From the moon."
Bunny leaned forward in the chair he'd sat himself in. " ya learned your name... Last night?"
"Yes." He replied resolutely. "Oh, but you said I'd been asleep for five days, didn't you? The last time I was awake, then. Same difference."
Jack tried to avoid the gaping stares of his two companions. When he realized that they were frozen, he continued talking. "Honestly, I'm just happy you can see me. I mean, now that I think about it, maybe it was just a nightmare. I thought that last night, I visited this village, and...well, no one could see me. They couldn't touch me either, just walked right through me. Pretty weird, huh?"
Bunny slowly closed his mouth, only to open it again. He eventually found his voice. "And all this happened to ya just last night? The last time ya were awake?"
"Like I said, maybe. I thought so."
A knock on the open door drew their attention away from the tense atmosphere in the room. Tooth forcefully squeezed herself past the yeti that had made their presence known and into the room. "Oh, sweet tooth, you have no idea how worried we were! I'm so glad you're awake." She patted both of his cheeks, then pulled him into a quick, tight hug. She flitted behind him to inspect his wounds. After a few seconds, she flew back in front of him, amethysts eyes glittering with relief, as Sandy entered the room.
Sandy gave him a simple thumbs up and a smile, then came closer to pat one of his ankles. Jack looked at them for a moment, though recovered far more quickly this time. It appeared he was getting somewhat used to strangers barging in and acting overly familiar. He gathered his thoughts, an exasperated expression creeping over his face.
"More of you?" He asked. " I really must have missed something. Do all of you. people-"
"Sandy, Tooth!" North cut in quickly. "Jack said earlier he was little peckish. Would you kindly fetch yeti for me?" Sandy created an arrow pointing at himself and gave the toy maker a questioning look.
"Both of us?" Wondered Tooth, flitting slightly in first Jack's direction, then Sandy's and finally North's.
"Yes. Trust me, ees necessary."
"No, really. I don't need-" Jack began, only to once more have North's large voice overlap and drown him out. He frowned. It seemed he only had a fifty-fifty chance of getting a sentence out without being interrupted.
"No arguing! I will not having starving boy under my roof." North straightened up and faced the two new come guardians, making shoo shoo motions with his hands. Sandy left first, and Tooth eventually followed, throwing confused glanced behind her the whole way. North smiled and gave little waves until they were out of the room, when he promptly shut the door.
"Why do you have such problem with letting me talk?" Demanded Jack angrily.
"I am going to tell you as bluntly as possible. Jack, you have amnesia."
"Amnesia?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for telling me, but I really already knew that."
"Of course ya did!" Bunny interjected. "'Cause your puttin' us on! It's London to a brick you're feedin' us a pork pie!" He looked from Jack to North in annoyance. When he didn't get an immediate response, he stood and headed to the door. When he got there he turned to look at Jack. "A blokes gotta know when 'e's taken somethin' too far." He commented sharply, and shut the door behind him so hard it bounced back open.
Jack met North's gaze, half shocked, half bemused. "Pork pie?" He asked quizzically.
"When Bunnymund ees excited, Australian background shines through little more, da?"
"That's his name? Bunnymund?"
"Indeed it ees."
"And you are..."
"Nicolas St. North. Maybe more recognition from other name, Santa."
"You're Santa Clause?" The dark eyebrows, so striking against his pale face, rose again.
"Yes. You truly don't remember me? Or any of us?"
"No. Sorry."
"But you said before, you know you have amnesia?"
"Of course. I just woke up and learned my own name yester- a couple days ago. Other than that, I don't remember anything."
"No, no. I mean after that. Jack, that was the day you were chosen by Man in Moon. It has been over three hundred years since that day."
"Three hundred years! You mean I got amnesia a second time?"
"I think so. If you do not remember us guardians, or Pitch... It appears so."
"Did I ever find out who I was? Who I... Am?"
"Da. I was there when you discovered your center."
"And now I've forgotten again. Perfect." Jack slapped the bed, averting his eyes from North's. What was the point of finding out, then, if he just forgot again? And it sounded like it had taken three hundred years to get where he had been, only to be hurled back to square one. He never realized he could get so frustrated over things he didn't even know had happened. He could feel angry tears pricking behind his eyes, and he shoved them away.
"I will leave you alone for while." Said North, sensing his teammates inner turmoil. "I must break news to Sandy and Tooth, anyway."
"Did I know them too?"
"Yes. They will be very sad to hear of predicament. But do not worry,my young friend. We will not give up on you! We will see if we can get your memory back!"
Jack gave him a half-hearted smile, and started to lay back down. He really was tired, though that didn't make sense considering how long he'd apparently been asleep already. The door swung shut with a soft click as North left. Jack closed his eyes. If anything, he could always hope he would dream his memories back.
That's it this time! Sorry, I know not a lot happened. Next time though, see how the guardians each come up with their own battle plan to restore Jack's memories!