A/N: GYAH! I'm very proud of this chapter. I thought you all should know that.
Also, this is more about the Guardians than Phil, but it has Phil in it and is very important to his story.
What happened while I was gone?
A moments silence which was interrupted by the soft fall of padded feet leaving the room.
Sandy looked at the Guardians... waiting.
The only answer came in the form heavy pounding against the floor's of the pole, quickly getting softer as the source got farther away, and the constant flutterings in the room sped up as the owner of the wings tensed.
Sandy threw his hands up in the air in frustration and didn't bother to keep in his sand as it scattered into the air. He needed a release and his sand did a good job of expressing his emotions... at least, sometimes.
It had been months since that day, yet still nothing...
He had shared what he knew, what he had felt during that time. They had all been curious to know. It was hard for Sandy to relive those moments, but he had. Why? His friends wanted to know what happened to him, so he shared it
Why couldn't they do him the same courtesy?
Normally, he wouldn't mind it that much. He would leave it be, thinking that they just need to handle it themselves. Not this time, though. What ever it was, it was affecting how they connected with Jack, and with him being the newest Guardian, and being alone for those 300 years... after everything that boy has gone through, the least they could do it bring him into their circle...
That was why Sandy needed to know what happened. It was important... yet they brushed it aside.
Didn't they realize they were just making it worse?
He looked towards the other Guardians, trying to meet their eyes. They avoided them... They knew what he wanted to know, yet they couldn't answer him.
North had his back to him and was walking away. He completely ignored the question, and left the Sandman on his own. Toothiana was little better. She gave Sandy a sad apologetic look, fluttering around, trying to keep up with her work... or using it as an excuse to get out of the question.
Bunny wasn't even here. He had left in a hurry when Sandy first asked the question to North.
He tapped his foot impatiently as he tried to decided what to do next.
When nothing came, he sighed and let the room. Now, he'd have to wait a while for the others to forget he mentioned Easter... then they would go back to avoiding the subject entirely.
He wandered the halls of the North Pole, his sand feeling heavy around him. He felt shadows draw closer, and he shot up, bringing out his sand to fight. He searched around, wondering where this feeling was coming from. It was... strange. He couldn't describe it, but he felt he should find it's source.
Doors and windows passed by in blurs and Sandy sped towards the source of shadows. It felt as though Pitch was here, in the Pole. That would be impossible! So soon after his defeat? No... besides.. there was something else...
He turned a corner to quickly and found himself ramming against a wall of fur
He blinked a few times, and rubbed his nose as it became sore. He looked up, expecting a yeti.
It was Bunnymund.
The Dream-giver tilted his head in confusion. He had thought the other Guardian had left for home. Had he, too, been wandering the halls, clearing his head?
A sudden thought came to Sandy.
What if Bunny had decided to tell him!
He excitedly looked up at the Pooka, but found himself being 'shushed'.
Of course, it wasn't Bunny literally telling him to be quiet. He almost never spoke, instead, just used his silent sand. Sandy knew, though, that Bunny didn't want him to make noises on the ground, or have his sand irritate the Pooka so he would make noise.
Sandy looked questioningly at his companion, and formed a question mark above his head.
Bunny's eyes gestured towards the door he was standing by. It was slightly open, and Sandy could hear sounds coming from it. He was also surprised to find that that room is where he felt the strange dark feeling coming from.
He gently floated towards it and reached to open the door a bit more, so he could see.
Bunny tried to reach for him, to stop his hand, but too late.
A creak sounded through the halls, and both of the Guardians winched at how loud it seemed compared to the almost silent halls.
The two paused for a moment... just listening. When nothing else happened, they both released their breath.
They turned back towards the door, and, thanks to Sandy, could see inside of it more.
What the Guardian of Dreams saw inside almost made his heart stop.
It was Pitch's lair... inside the North Pole?
He looked towards Bunnymund, expecting the same bewilderment, but it was almost completely opposite. He was focused entirely on what was happening in that room, though he had a frown that only seemed to deepen the more he watched.
Sandy decided to try and figure this out on his own. To say he was surprised when he saw two Jacks would be quite an understatement, but it made him realized exactly what this was.
These were Jack's memories.
Sandy touched Bunny, trying to get the Pooka to look at him, and answer a question or two.
When dark green eyes met his own, he formed and Easter Egg above his head, asking if this was what happened during Easter.
Bunny hesitated, and looked back into the room. Sandy almost thought that he wasn't going to answer, but suddenly, he saw Bunny close his eyes as though in shame.
He nodded and looked at Sandy.
I think so... His eyes seemed to say.
Both looked back to watch the events that played.
Jack walked down the dark tunnel, but he paused in his steps as he heard something... it wasn't the voice, it was something else.
It was like the fluttering of thousands of wings... mini wings.
A growl was heard from inside the room, and Sandy realized that he had overlooked something. There was some one else in the room with Jack.
He moved slightly, trying to get a wider view of the room. Bunny, noticing what he was doing, backed up so Sandy could stand in front of him, giving him a perfect view of the whole scene. It seemed the Pooka had already known there was someone else in there.
When he got a good look inside, his eyes widened.
Phil?
Sandy smiled at the sight of the yeti. The two of them had been trying to get the others to talk about this day for months, and he did it.
The Dream-giver looked over at Jack, the... uh, present Jack, and lost his smile. Just as Sandy had not liked going over his moments consumed by the shadows and nightmares... Jack obviously didn't want to relive this time. The boy didn't seem to know how Phil was going to react after seeing these.
Sandy knew, though. He knew that this would be good for Jack. He wouldn't regret letting this out.
"Sandy! Oh, there you are."
A light voice called from behind the two of them. They both quickly turned to find Toothiana and North coming down the hall.
North came up beside Sandy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, my friend. I was-"
"Shush!" Bunny held up a hand in front of the Russian, while also giving a look in Tooth's direction, signaling that she do the same.
She fluttered closer to Bunnymund and whispered. "What?"
And that's when she heard it... Her fairies... her babies... they were crying!
She glared daggers at the door where she heard it coming from. There was a moment's hesitation as she wondered what they could be doing here... and crying out in fear and pain, but she brushed it aside, and got ready to charge in there and help them. It was only a moment, but that was all that was needed for Bunny to grab her and pull her away from the room before she could do anything.
"Bunny?! What are you doing?!" She frantically kicked at him, trying to escape his hold.
"No, Sheila, Ya got'a let me- Oof!" He let out a gasp as Tooth elbowed his stomach. "Let me explain..." He grunted as he dragged her farther away.
He didn't want Jack or the yeti to hear the commotion outside. He had a feeling that the winter spirit wouldn't be as willing to share his memories with the Guardians as he was with Phil.
Tooth broke free of his grasp, and glared at Bunny. They were like knives, and he took an unconscious step back. He shook himself free of her deadly gaze, though, and grabbed her hand again.
"Tooth, you can't go in there. Jack is there and he-"
Her feathers suddenly ruffled in surprise and anger. "Jack is in there? Doing what!?"
Bunny swore under his breath. Maybe not the best way to try and explain the situation.
"What could he possibly be doing to my fairies to make them sound like that? Bunny, what ever it is, they don't like it. They need me! Let me go!"
She yelled that last part, and Bunny winched, hoping that they were far enough away from the room.
He looked at Toothiana, and decided that she wouldn't him get a word in right now... he'd just have to show her.
Tooth was about to pull out of his grasp again, ready to had back to the room, but she found Bunny pulling her towards that way. She still struggled to get free, but when Bunny turned to glare at her, she stopped.
He pulled her in front of him and held her close to the door. From where she was standing, she could see inside the room. She let out a small gasp at what she saw.
Jack flew up beside them, whispering words of comfort to them, yet also trying to silence them in case Pitch was near. "Shh, keep it down. "I'm going to get you out of there as soon as I-"
"Jack!"
"...can." He finished as he brought his gaze away from the mini-fairies. A golden shine caught his eyes, and he sped down to the ground.
Jack landed in the pile of memory canisters, and his hands brushed against them as he searched for his own. It called towards him and he couldn't see it anywhere. He grabbed as many as he could, checking the picture on the bottom.
Tooth looked towards the other three as she noticed another Jack, holding a memory canister. It seems Sandy had told North what was going on while Bunny had tried to calm her down.
She turned her gaze back into the room, seeing her fairies locked up like that. The only time they could have been like that was when Pitch had them and the only time Jack could have found them... was during Easter...
She looked towards Sandy, hoping for an answer. "Is this..." She barely whispered.
Sandy only nodded, and formed an Easter Egg. He added a shrug at the end, telling her that that was their guess.
"Looking for something?" Pitch's voice called from behind him.
Jack flew into the air, following the silhouette of Pitch as his laugh filled the cavern. His feet pounded against the floors, the walls... the whole place was a giant maze of winding staircases, and confusing passages.
"Don't be afraid, Jack." Pitch's calm voice sounded, and Jack was able to pinpoint it's origins. He jumped into the air, and landed on the platform where Pitch stood. He slid into the wall, finding his footing as he brought up his staff to face the Nightmare King.
"Afraid? I'm not afraid of you." The winter spirit said, taking a few steps closer to Pitch.
"Maybe not..." The older spirit replied, "But you are afraid of something." He added.
Bunny stiffened. He didn't like where this was headed... Deep down, he has guess of what the Nightmare King could be referring to, but Bunny doesn't want it to be true. He didn't want to be right this time...
Jack continued to walk towards him, watching his every moment. "You think so, huh?" He was going to be ready... ready for anything that guy could throw at him.
"Oh, I know so." Pitch turned to face Jack, "It's the one thing I always know... peoples greatest fears." He paused a moment, then looked at Jack, smirking. "Yours is that no one will ever believe in you."
Bunnymund had to take a step back as the words penetrated memory Jack. He wanted to look away from that trouble-making kid that always seemed to cause him grief. That brat that always seemed too happy, always ready to annoy him and never let any work get done...
Yet...
As he surrounded by shadows... no smirk playing on his face, no cocky remarks leaving his mouth... he was just a child. Scared... alone.
"And worst of all... is that you'll never know why."
Jack tried to ignore it, but he found himself blocked by a wall. When he turned, Pitch's shadow circled him.
"Why were you chosen to be like this..."
Jack's eyes moved quickly, trying to find out where Pitch would come from. He let out a gasp when the man appeared in front of him.
"But fear not, for the answer to that..." He brought out Jack's memories, offering them to the winter spirit.
"...is right here."
Jack stared in shock as all his questions... all the answers were presented to him.
North wass halt tempted to look away. The only reason Jack was with the guardians was because they had offered his memories in return.
"If you help us, Jack... We will give you your memories."
His own voice echoed in his head. At the time, with the teeth needing to be collected... with Tooth needing help with her believers... He didn't think twice about saying that. Yet, now as he thought about it.. Whether Jack had helped them or not, he should have been offered his memories. That was why they were collected after all... to be given back to the people who needed them when they needed them. Not just when the Guardians thought they deserved it.
North shook his head, upset with himself and the others for doing that to Jack... for forcing him to help them.
"Do you want them, Jack... Your memories?" He held them out tauntingly and Jack started to reach out, he almost smiled as he thought of seeing them... but he hesitated. He couldn't do it.
Bunny wanted to be surprised at the hesitation... he wanted to think that his original view of Jack, that selfish kid who only cared for his own fun, and not the work of others, was all he knew of Jack... but somehow, he already knew. Bunny could tell that no matter how much he wanted them... Jack would never betray the kids he loved, even though none ever saw him.
Pitch suddenly disappeared along with the golden canister. His laugh echoed through the lair, and Jack jumped into the air, trying to follow him. He couldn't let them get away... not after searching for his answers for so long. Jack couldn't let them go.
"Everything you wanted to know... in this little box."
Pitch's shadow danced across the wall near Jack, and the boy brought up his staff to strike. The shadow vanished, and Jack ran after it once again.
"Why did you end up like this... unseen, unable to reach out to anyone?"
The sound seemed to echo through Jack's mind as all the questions he's had through his lonely 300 years were thrown back at him.
"You want the answers so badly... you want to grab them and fly off with them."
Jack looked around, trying to find something he could fight against., He couldn't stand this. They were just words, yet he couldn't stop himself from hearing them!
They wouldn't stop... Pitch kept talking, kept voicing Jack's very thoughts!
"But you're afraid... afraid of what the Guardians would think. You're afraid of disappointing them."
The three of them looked up in shock at that. Did he really value their opinions of him? It seemed that he didn't care what they thought... yet here was Pitch, warping the boys fears and thoughts, trying to play with his mind, and he still tried to do what they wanted him to do.
Tooth looked and North, tears almost in her eyes. Both she and North, after seeing Jack with his memories... they had just assumed he had let them down, and abandoned them for Pitch and his own personal gains.
No... he had tried, and tried hard to make them proud... and all he got in return was accusations of betrayal and disappointment thrown at him.
More shadows came, surrounding Jack. Pitch... he was nowhere, yet everywhere at the same time. Jack couldn't focus!
"Well, let me ease your mind about one thing."
Jack didn't want to hear it. He had thought it, but also thought... maybe it wouldn't be true. Maybe it could happen?
"They'll never accept you. Not really."
That made Bunny flinch. Hadn't he said almost that same thing to Jack when they first brought him to the pole? He had told the kid flat out, plenty of times... he didn't think he would ever be a good guardian? That he didn't want Jack to be a guardian?
Jack shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought of the Guardians leaving him. They wouldn't do that... It was all just Pitch... He was just saying things, trying to get in Jack's head. He wanted it to stop. He needed it to stop. He groaned and grabbed his head, trying to make this all go away.
"Stop it... STOP IT!" Jack yelled out. He didn't want to hear it.
Sandy felt his sand stir in anger. This was only a small portion of what he missed after Pitch defeated him, yet... the pain, the desperation in Jack's voice... It hurt.
Did Jack really feel like he would let the Guardians down? Sandy knew it would be different having Jack around, but he always thought it would be for the best. The winter spirit was so child-like. Who better to help protect the children then on of their own?
The others had been a bit hesitant... but hadn't that change with the tooth collecting? Hadn't that changed after the battle with Pitch? Sandy knew that the moment he was watching happened before then, but even now... when he talked with Jack, Sandy felt there was a distance between them. He definitely felt distance between Jack and the others... Did he still have these doubts?
Pitch continued on, his words never ceasing.
"After all..." He said as he slowly appeared in front of Jack. "You're not one of them.
Jack brought his staff up, ready to fight. Here was something he could defend himself against. A real foe, that his frost and wind could beat. "You don't know what I am." He said defiantly. He wouldn't let Pitch's words get to him...
Pitch looked amused at Jack's actions. "Of course I do. You're Jack Frost... You make a mess where ever you go. Why you're doing it right now." He tossed the winter spirit something, and the boy caught it instinctively.
When Jack's eyes saw that it was the golden case holding his memories, he was surprised... then realized what Pitch had been doing the whole time.
"What did you do?" He asked.
"More to the point, Jack..." He started stepping back into the shadows, beginning to disappear. "What did you do?" He let out an eerie laugh as he vanished.
Bunny couldn't believe this... he felt like he'd just been slapped in the face. Pitch's words... only his words were causing Jack so much pain. Yet, didn't they sound familiar?
"I think we just dodged a bullet here. I mean, what does this clown know about bringin' joy ta children?" He scoffed.
"Uh... have you ever heard of a 'snow day'? I know it's no 'hard boiled egg', but kids like what I do." Jack remarked, smirking like he always seemed to be doing.
"But none of 'em believe in you, do they? Y'see, yer invisible, mate. It's like you don't even exist."
…
"I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny... People Believe In Me."
Bunny leaned against the wall, his heart pounding and seeming to echo through his ears. His words... Pitch's words... what did it matter who said them? They were the same thing.
He felt sick, his legs weak... Suddenly his cheek throbbed and he remembered when that yeti, Phil, had punched him... Before, he had no idea why, yet... After this? It was obvious that the yeti had been mad at him for doing that to Jack.
If he had understood... if he had known more, he would have punched himself too.
Jack ran forwards to try and stop him, to strike him with his powers, but the Nightmare King was gone. Shadows closed around Jack and he tried to find his way back, back to the guardians... back to the warren... back to Baby Tooth...
Baby Tooth?
"Baby Tooth!" He yelled out as he realized she was no longer with him. He slammed his fist into the wall that formed in front of him. He turned, deciding to find another way when his eyes widened as he saw what was before him.
Shattered... Broken... Dead...
Easter Eggs scattered across the grass. Their colors, now faded... their shells, now destroyed.
Jack looked down the tunnel in despair as the final words of the Nightmare King called out to him.
"Happy Easter, Jack."
The four stood frozen where they stood. Three of them, regret filled them... even more then it had before. Now that they knew... now that they understood what had happened. How could they do that to him?
Sandy's gaze went into the room, and watched as Phil embraced Jack. They stayed like that, just holding each other, and the dream-giver felt that they needed a moment, just to themselves.
Just as he was about to move, he noticed Phil had caught sight of him. The yeti seemed to realize that all four of them were out there. He slightly tilted his head, asking to be left alone with Jack for a bit. Sandy returned with a nod, and silently shut the door.
He looked at the other three, and caught their attention. He gestured away from the door, back towards the main room where they could sit, maybe talk about what they saw with each other.
They other three seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, and Sandy gave them each a side-glance. Watching those memories seemed to make them even more upset about what happened at Easter.
When they got to a sitting room, Bunny collapsed almost immediately against the wall. Tooth sat down, her wings unusually still. North sat by her side, and put his head in his hands.
Sandy watched them, curious, but also a bit hesitant to ask now.
Minutes went by in silence, each guardian deep in their own thoughts.
Tooth suddenly spoke up, voicing the question that was going through most of their heads.
"How could we have done that to him?" Her voice was quiet.
Before Sandy could ask what she meant, a growl sounded from the door. Four heads turned to find Phil there. He growled out the question again. What did they do?
North looked up, and met Tooth's eyes. She gave a nod, and looked towards Bunny.
He was looking at the wall, not focusing on the others in the room.
"Sandy... Phil. We should have told you this awhile ago." He looked at Sandy directly. "When you asked us the first time..." then turned towards Phil. "And when we realized you were such good friends with Jack."
Tooth took over, and started the tale.
"We had just gone up to see if any of the eggs had made it to the surface... just after you and the other yetis left, Phil..."
The guardians watched as the children walked away, hearts fallen when Easter didn't seem to come that year.
North and Tooth watched as Bunnymund waited in the bushes... waited for that rush of belief to fill him. It never came.
He quickly stood up and grabbed a basket near North's foot. He jumped out of hiding and went right in the childrens' line of sight... something that they weren't supposed to do.
Belief in the guardians was all about glances.. second guessing...figures that dart away quickly. Hoping in something you can't see. If not... it wouldn't be belief.
It didn't matter to Bunny right now. He just needed to bring these children hope, hope that Pitch's nightmares would leave and that the dreams would come back.
"There's nothing here..."
"Maybe he just hid them very well this year?"
"Oi! Kids! Yes there is, there is! I mean, these aren't my best looking googies, but they'll do in a pinch." He tried to offer them to the children
A little girl almost looked at him. "I can't believe it..."
"Yeah, I know, right?" Bunny replied, trying to ignore that sinking feeling in his, trying to ignore that fact that even now as he jumped out to talk to them, none of the kids looked at him.
"There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny..."
His false hope was shattered.
"What?" No... No not true! I'm right in front of you, mate!"
And then it happened...
E. Aster Bunnymund was walked through.
He gasped as the cold empty feeling filled him. He gripped his chest, as if making sure he was still there. It hurt... where she had walked through.
"They don't see me... they don't see me." It was barely a whisper as he fell to the ground, not wanting to believe it was happening.
He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.
For so long, he's had people believe in him... and now it was all gone. He couldn't believe how this felt, how it Hurt.
Tooth fluttered next to North as they watched more of the children leave, each of their belief, gone.
A flash of blue came, and they saw Jack Frost looking towards Bunny.
We noticed Jack had come back... and.." Tooth paused in the story then, looking at North to continue it.
"We should have given the boy time to explain... but we were hurt... and angry."
North went up to the boy, leaning heavily on his blades. "Jack, where were you?" He paused a moment as he recalled the battle at the warren..."The nightmares attacked the tunnels... they smashed every egg, crushed every basket... Nothing made it to the surface!"
Tooth joined them. "Jack!"
A flash of gold caught her eyes. She looked in his hands to see one of her memory canisters.. the ones that Pitch had. "Where did you get that?"
"I was... its uh" Jack looked around nervously, trying to explain what happened.
"Where's baby tooth? Oh, Jack. What have you done?"
"That is why you weren't here?! You were with Pitch?!" North accused.
Phil growled out at that point, upset that their first thought was that Jack would trade Baby Tooth for his own teeth.
"I know... I know, Phil. It's just that... it was the first explanation that came to mind, though... and we wanted someone to blame for the disaster... Jack just happened there..." North said, looking away from both Sandy and Phil as they gave the other three disapproving, and upset looks.
Tooth was about to continue in the story when Bunny finally spoke up.
"I... I didn' even give him a chance... I don' know... but right when I heard the kid had been with Pitch... I just..." He sighed and took over telling the tale.
"No, Listen, listen... I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen-" Jack tried to get a word in, to defend himself, but he was cut off.
"He has to go..."
"What?" Jack turned to face Bunny, disbelief filled his face when he heard those words.
"We should never have trusted you!" The pooka brought his hand up, looking like he was about to strike the winter child... instead, he sighed, and looked at him with pain filled eyes.
"Afta' seeing his memories of wha' really happened..." Bunny swallowed deeply, and looked at Sandy and Phil. "You saw how he looked when Pitch was sayin' those things! He kept trying to deny them, because ya' can never trust what an enemy says. Their just saying it to get to you!" He was almost yelling at this point.
"How did Jack feel when the first things that he heard from us, his 'friends' " He spat out the word. "When the first things we said were the same things that Pitch did?!
"Easter is... new beginnings, new life. Easter's about hope... and now its gone." Bunny turned and walked away, leaving Jack to face North and Tooth.
They gave his disappointed looked, and turned away as well.
None of them stopped him as he flew away...
Sandy looked at his fellow Guardians, shocked at what they did. Even without seeing Jack's memories of what really happened... How could they just let him go like that? Couldn't they see his guilt? His pain? They didn't even bother to listen to him.
He pointed out these things to them, and it only made them feel worse. Anger and doubt... fear, and disbelief... it had filled their thoughts, they hadn't been thinking straight. That had almost cost them an ally...
Phil look a step forwards and glared at the three of them. He pointed out the door, gesturing to where they had watched Jack's memories and growled out to them all, yelling that they shouldn't be saying these to him and Sandy.
They needed to be saying them to Jack! He was the one they hurt... He was the one they were still hurting. All because the three of them hadn't resolved this earlier.
Phil roared out to them that he knew Jack hadn't forgotten about it... He was holding on to each word they had said... what they had said, and what Pitch had said. Why? Because, like Bunny said... its easy to believe something when both friend and foe say the same thing. If Jack was really a Guardian, and he is accepted... they needed to tell him that, to his face.
These past months.. sure, they may have spent some time together, doing different activities, and acting like all was okay between them, but there was something that wouldn't go away until this event was brought up and talked about between everyone.
That meant that all three of them had to go to Jack. He was the victim, he was the one they had hurt... yet even in the end... he had come back and helped them...?
Phil thought about that for a moment...
When the yeti had joined in the battle... everything seemed great between Jack and the Guardians... when did he come back? And why didn't they settle this whole issue then?
Sandy was having the same thoughts, but only one of them really voiced the question.
"Why...?" Bunny said, going to stand beside the rest of them.
"We basically said he was no longer a guardian... he should have hated us at that point. Why did he come back to help us?"
The others looked at the Pooka, but no one had an answer.
:::
Tooth and North watched as the others left. They then looked at each other.
She fluttered closer so she was next to the Russian, her wings beating in an unsteady rhythm.
"Oh, North... What are we going to do?"
After all they had seen today... how could they go ask Jack? Could they really bring themselves to do it?
Like Phil and Sandy both said... they needed to make the first move.
"Do not worry, Tooth." North reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently in a reassuring manner.
"We will get through this... all of us."
She looked at him, eyes filled with an uncertain hope.
"We should wait, though... just a few weeks. I mean, Jack has just relieved some... horrible memories..." Tooth said.
North let out a humorless laugh. "Ha! If not for Jack's sake, then for my own... I do not think I could face him after seeing what we really did to him, Tooth."
She smiled sadly and nodded, saying that she felt the same way.
:::
Bunny left the room without a word. He traveled the halls, and went outside. With his thoughts all jumbled right now, he didn't think he'd have enough focus to create one inside... besides, the biting cold winds seemed to help bring his thoughts together... and they all circled around one thing.
Only after seeing everything he did today... only now did it really seem to hit him.
300 YEARS?!
How often had the kid been walked through?
How many times had he gone to other spirits looking for companionship?
How...How many times had he been ignored?
Bunny choked up on that thought, knowing that he played a big part in that. Even if he only saw the kid a few times, he had told others about him... told them about how he acted, and how troublesome he was... Don't waste yer time with that winter spirit...
He grabbed his chest, where the girl had walked through him.
It had hurt, and it caused panic, and it brought fear, and it seemed to not want to go away... he had only gone through it once.
Bunny fell to his knees and grabbed a handful of snow... Any other time, when he looked at it... he would think it ugly... plain... boring...
Now? It seemed the most beautiful thing. It was soft... cool... light... and fun.
He smiled at that last thought, knowing that this was probably how Jack saw his creations every day.
The kid is strong... stronger then I ever thought...
For him ta' smile like he does? It's incredible.
Bunny stood up and tapped on the ground, ready to return home. He would do it... soon. He would talk to Jack, and... apologize. Tell him he was wrong to be so hard on him during Easter... and even before then.
Now he just needed to figure out how to do it.
:::
Sandy weaved his hands back and forth, sending his sands across the globe. This day felt like it would never end... and then suddenly it came to a close all to quickly. He was glad he got the chance to learn everything he did... he just wished it didn't have to had happened.
He smiled, though. At least the other guardians will be able to learn from this. At least Jack can finally start being a part of the group.
It should have happened long before this... but trust is a hard thing to gain, even more so when you have to do it during a life-or-death battle.
The guardians had all thrown their hopes onto Jack when he was called. They had all... even Sandy... assumed that he would willingly be a guardian.
And then... when he let the others down... To have them do such things to him?
A thought came up... one that worried him.
Would he have thought the same thing? Would the pain and shock of losing Easter cause him to act without thinking, and send Jack away?
He shook his head, and tried to make those thoughts disappear. They wouldn't do any good. He just needed to be there for Jack, now. He just needed to have faith and believe in Jack... in all the Guardians.
He turned his gaze to the moon, and silently asked for help during these next few weeks. They would tough... but he knew they could get through this.
:::
Phil left the room, and returned to where he left Jack. The boy had seemed exhausted so Phil brought him somewhere where he could sleep without interruptions.
The yeti sat down by the side of the bed, and brushed Jack's hair out of his face.
The boy smiled in his sleep, and rolled over, grabbing the blanket near him, and bringing closer.
Phil brought it over him, to cover him completely, and stayed sitting by Jack's side as he rested. His thoughts going over how he would ask Jack about what happened next.
He still felt mad at the Guardians for acting so harshly against the boy during Easter... but he had seen their faces, and seen how upset they were with themselves. He wouldn't put more weight on their shoulders. He felt confident, though. They would set this all right, and then... Jack would be free of the guilt he's been holding for ruining Easter... and Guardians would be free of their guilt for hurting Jack that way.
This would help them grow closer... then they would truly be a great team.
Phil took one last look at Jack and hoped he'd be able to handle it all... the yeti hope the Guardians didn't come at him all at once. It might put too much pressure on him, and Jack should only reveal what happened when he felt ready...
Then, an only then, would the final piece to this puzzle be put to rest.
A/N: Ah! Man... this took time to write. I am really glad with how this turned out and I hope you enjoyed it as well. I hope to hear from you guys, and I'll see you next week.
