Jack curled his fingers around his staff, the worn wood a comforting weight in his hands. He sat on Jamie's roof, having told the boy goodnight just an hour or so ago. After his mother had tucked him in, he had sat right back up in bed to talk to Jack, bouncing from the excitement.
"Easter is in just two days!" He had whispered. He kept quiet, but his eyes shone in that special way only a happy child's could. "I'm going to an Easter egg hunt, and grandma's, and tomorrow we're going to dye eggs, and...and... Candy!" He threw up his hands, unable to contain himself. He glanced at the door sheepishly when he realized how loud his last word had been. "it's gonna be so fun!" He concluded with a grin.
"Is Easter your favorite holiday?" Jack asked. He had known Jamie for nearly a year now, though didn't remember him getting this excited over a holiday before. Christmas had been the big one he remembered, counting down the days and whatnot, but Jamie had been talking about Easter for at least a month. As the event grew closer, he only grew more anticipant.
"Well, I dunno if its my favorite..." Said Jamie thoughtfully. "On the candy level, I like Easter, Halloween and Valentines day. It's hard not to say Christmas because of all the presents and snow, though. I really love all the holidays, I guess. But this Easter is special!"
"Why's that?"
"Why don't you come visit on Easter and I'll show you?"
"I'll see what I can do." Jack smiled. "You're not going to be busy all day with friends and family and stuff?"
"Nah. I always have time for you. Besides, except for everyone who helped us fight Pitch last year, a lot of my friends are boring now. They think Easter last year proves that none of you guys exist." His eyes dropped to his blanket enveloped legs. "If it weren't for you, I might be one of them. That's a really scary thought, huh?"
"Yeah." Jack was finding it slightly hard to answer. There were children who didn't believe anymore because of last Easter. Because of him. He knew that none of the guardians held it against him anymore, not even Bunny. But he couldn't help but feel that his mess up last year hadn't been quite atoned for yet. He just wished there was something he could do.
Jack was so thoroughly wrapped in his thoughts that when Jamie had continued to talk to him about Easter, school the next day, and his favorite chocolate. But Jack had been distant, not quite as responsive as usual. Eventually he had bid the younger boy good night, seeing his frequent yawns. He then relocated to the roof.
Now, far deeper into the night, a smooth breeze gently ruffled his hair. He sat above Jamie's window, completely absorbed in his thoughts. he wasn't exactly sure how Tooth did it, but he knew that after the incident with Pitch she had sent the children their memories of times that the guardians had come through for them. Most of the children began to believe again because of this, but Jack knew that Pitch's effect had not been completely erased.
A pale hand dragged through soft hair, disheveling it slightly. Jack had given Pitch the opportunity to create such damage.
Now, Jack wasn't usually one to crucify himself for past mistakes. He found it took too much energy to remain gloomy for long period of time. Normally by now he would have decided not to worry about something he couldn't change. If only there wasn't a reminder in Bunny.
Bunny did not mention that Easter. Not once after it had happened. But Jack could see the toll it had taken on him. All of the guardians had regained a substantial amount of their energy and power after the children in burgess had started to believe again. Even more so as Tooth helped the children remember precious times when they had believed. However, there was one guardian who hadn't ever fully recovered.
Bunnymund could still throw a boomerang with deadly accuracy. He was tall, intimidating and could move at fantastic speeds. But no matter how hard Bunny insisted he was fine, or tried to hide his exhaustion, everyone could tell.
He got tired much more quickly than usual. His tunnels occasionally popped out in the wrong places, and it was obvious that most of the time he was distracted. Bunnymund was not usually an unfocused person. Every time Jack noticed one of these new handicaps in his friend, he felt a twinge of responsibility. It was obvious that many children began to believe again, but enough had not that it was affecting his teammate.
Jack let out a huff, his breath visible in the chilly night air. He stood, then stretched, not unlike a cat. He leaned on his staff for a moment. He hated feeling guilty. It wasn't fun at all. So, standing on Jamie's roof right then and there, he decided to do something to make it up to Bunny. Then he could feel better.
Besides, Bunny wasn't so out of sorts that he couldn't have fun. Just the other day he had held Jack upside down by an ankle until he had unfrozen the colored pond. When he complied, the elves that had been ice skating there promptly fell in. Jack had escaped while Bunny laughed at them.
Present day Jack let out a small chuckle of his own. Yes, he would do something to appease his guilt. But by the Man in the Moon, there was no way he was letting Easter pass without giving Bunny something to laugh at. Even if it might take the pooka a few days to see the humor.
Jack lifted off the roof and into the night as he flipped through ideas for both plans of action. He would come up with something for sure.
oOo
Jack flew as quickly as he could. Easter is in just two days Jamie had said. That meant in the next time zone, Easter morning was already dawning, albeit still in the small hours of the day. He had decided that he'd had time to put together the guardian's Easter presents before he left, so he was pressed for time now. He fingered the foil wrapped objects in his hoodie pocket. By the time he reached that end of the earth, the sun would be coming up.
Jack had decided that the best way to apologize for something was to simply make it right again. So, as the children woke up and went about their Easter activities, Jack would boost the surety of any doubting child he saw.
He realized that this plan was flawed. He couldn't possibly fix every child who had stopped believing by visiting them individually. it just wasn't realistic. But Jack was sure that he could at least make some worthwhile improvements on a trip like this. Plus, he hadn't had a lot of time to think. If he was going to do anything truly helpful, Easter was the best time to do it.
A few hours later, he descended on the first town. He thought about the best way to accomplish as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. He landed on it. He waved his staff, conjuring some previously nonexistent dark spots in the clouds above. He repeated the gesture. They grew heavier. Finally, a light powder of snow fell on the morning town.
He made it snow a good two or three inches, then settled in to wait. Just as he expected, as soon as the children woke up to see the snow, they scrambled to get out and play with it.
They came two or three at a time, some toting new Easter Presents to play with. When Jack decided there were enough children, he straightened up. He touched his staff to the ground. A small lump formed. He nudged with the crook. At the attention, it shivered,shaking the snow off of itself. A small, powdery bunny sat there twitching it's nose. Jack smiled. He ran on, creating dozens more. They varied in size, some were as small as a baseball others as large as a small horse. He smiled at them, then lifted off. In the streets below him, they ran to follow.
After a short time, the children noticed the parade of snow animals. They watched in awe, yelling excitedly to one another. Jack stopped at the first park he came to. The children had followed, so Jack sent one snow rabbit right up to a blond little girl in the front. It sat up on its hind legs to offer her an icy carrot. She reached down to take it, barely having time to read the inscription on its side before both rabbit and carrot puffed into snowfall. The Easter Bunny, it had said.
"It's the Easter Bunny!" She squealed, turning to a girl next to her. "Emily, I told you! I told you, I told you, I told you! He is so real!"
"Yeah." Breathed the shorter girl. Her green eyes sparkled as she took in the display in front of her. "Maybe you were right." Jack smiled as he watched the scene. In his mind, he could almost see the new light flickering into existence on North's globe.
Jack left the town, knowing he hadn't done much, but that he needed to move on if he wanted to do more. He continued this game, putting together fantastic displays, smiling on delight as he saw them inspire the children. But as he persevered, he failed to notice some vital things. Such as the sun, climbing ever higher in the sky. Also, what part of the world he was in. He spent his energy largely on flying and creating snowstorms. He was tired, but there was no way he was stopping now.
It was nearly high noon. Jack wiped a drop of sweat off of his brow. He frowned at the moisture on his fingers. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd sweat. He shrugged as he flicked it off his hand. It was probably good for him to sweat every once in a while. It meant he was working hard. He rose into the air, ready to move on to the next place. Unexpectedly, though, the world dipped and swooped, disorienting him. A head rush threw off his flight, and he crashed back down the unforgiving ground.
Jack sat up, trying to hold his head on his shoulders. It felt like it would roll away of he didn't. He tried to think, to reason out why this was happening to him. He was so confused.
And thirsty. Now that he thought about it, he was hot and thirsty. A thought jolted through him. He did some quick calculations. Well, as quick as his steamy mind would let him. It must be around noon. And with all he had flown in the direction he had taken, he couldn't be anywhere but Africa. He had somehow ended up on one of the hottest continents in Earth, during the hottest time of the day.
Stupid, he scolded himself harshly, what a stupid thing to do. Yes he had been focused, but that was no excuse. He dragged himself over to the nearest tree, which wasn't saying much. plus, when he finally got to it, he realized that though large, it was sparse. It offered only minimal protection from the sun he could now feel acutely, pounding on his already, surely, sunburned skin,
He would just rest here for a moment. He would have the strength to fly somewhere with a colder climate soon.
oOo
Bunnymund had finished delivering his Easter goods. Eggs were hidden, baskets were left, and he was feeling great. He pulled a furry arm behind him, stretching. As his back cracked pleasantly, he realized that though he was exhausted, he some how felt better than he had in weeks. Months even. He smiled to himself. Must be more kids wakin' up to find Easter presents and believin' in me, he thought in satisfaction.
The only places to go now were the Tooth Palace, the pole, then somehow track down Sandy and Jack. Bunny thumped a rabbit hole underneath him. Four more baskets to deliver, then home to take a well deserved kip, he told himself happily.
At the Tooth Palace, a hole appeared in the floor. Bunny hopped out of it eagerly. When he entered, Bunny went straight to Tooth's personal office. He knocked, but earned no reply. He frowned at the door. Maybe she was out in the palace somewhere. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye. It was a tiny fairy passing by, carting a large armful of teeth in its short arms. Bunny held a paw up in its line of flight. She bumped into it. The little fairy shook herself off, then glared at Bunny.
"Do ya know where Tooth is? I need ta see her." The little Fairy stopped glaring, then nodded a couple of times. she flew a few feet away, then looked to make sure Bunny was following her. She squeaked at him.
"All right, all right." He followed her into another room where a large map was hanging. There were lots of markings on it, but Bunny could clearly see she was pointing at the North Pole.
"She's at the Pole? Why?" He asked. The fairy thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah... Ya know, I think I'll head there 'n ask her myself. I need ta go ta the Pole. But thanks, mate." She nodded, squeaking what he assumed to be a you're welcome as she flew away. Bunny took one last look around, then dropped into another hole.
oOo
"How long was I out?" Asked Jack, wiping a hand over his eyes.
"Two or three hours, more or less." Answered Tooth. Jack had woken up twenty or so minutes ago, but Tooth had just come in to check on him and change his ice packs. She had greeted him excitedly, more than a little relieved that he had woken up so quickly. She had went to get him a glass of cold water upon seeing him awake, then returned with that, Sandy, and North.
"One of Tooth's Fairies found you nearly unconscious in Nigeria. She came to me, and I brought you here with transport globe. It ees lucky for you that she was quick thinker."
"Yeah." Agreed the winter sprite. "What day is it? Is Easter over?"
"Yes... It ended today. It's about nine in the evening right now." Tooth looked at him curiously. "Jack, what were you doing in Nigeria? That's a pretty warm country, even during their winter."
"Frostbite was hangin' out in Nigeria?" Came a voice from the doorway behind them. Tooth, North and Sandy turned to face the speaker. Bunny hopped into the room.
"Yup." Replied Jack, apparently unfazed by Bunny's sudden appearance.
"What were ya doin' there?" Bunny asked.
"Meh. Nothin' much. Just chilled."
"You did not." Interrupted North. "You did opposite of 'chill'." He said sternly.
"In fact, he did the opposite of chill so well that he got a severe case of heat stroke." Added Tooth. Bunny gaped for a moment. He hoped closer, then folded his arms.
"Well that was a dumb thing ta do." Bunny said dangerously. "Why were ya out there, Frostbite. And what were ya doin'? Ya don't get heat stroke from just flying over on your way somewhere."
Jack smiled. Nice observation. Definitely not one someone would make if they were easily distracted. "I told you." He informed them all. "I wasn't there for any particular reason. I just didn't realize how hot it had gotten, and I lost track of time. It was stupid of me, I know. But I'm fine now, really."
"Sure ya are." Bunny continued to glare. Jack could tell he wasn't going to let it go. he tried to change the subject.
"I made it storm in a couple of places. How did that make you feel?" He asked. The easiest way to distract Bunny was to rile him up. Bunny snorted.
"If ya were tryin' ta make me mad, ya woulda had ta try harder. I didn't even notice."
"but I made it snow everywhere I went!" Exclaimed Jack.
"Even Nigeria?" the question was sarcastic, but Bunny soon realized a correlation. "That definitely woulda tired ya out." Bunny began to glare again. "Frostbite, why were ya tryin' ta make it snow in Nigeria? That sounds dumb even ta me."
Jack tried to come up with an answer. He hadn't expected Bunny to put two and two together like that.
"Does it have anything to do with the snow bunnies my fairies saw all the children making in that part of the world?" Contributed Tooth. She was catching on too. Sandy helped with a sand child sleeping, dreaming of snowflakes and Bunnies. Jack dropped his head. They weren't supposed to find out about this. Things were about to get embarrassing.
"And just today," North said, "Phil told me that lights on the globe had been going on all day." All of the Guardians looked at him, no longer fooled. Not that they really ever had been. No one had been "chilling" in Nigeria.
"You're right. What you did was stupid. What happens to a snowflake in heat? Even I know that, Ice Pop. And for what? This is 'cause of last Easter isn't it? Ya know no one blamed ya, right?" Bunny was not happy.
"Yeah, yeah. I am an idiot. A simpleton. A complete ninny. But most importantly, you feel better, right? More believed in?" Now that the cat was out of the bag, Jack candidly asked his main concern.
"I was fine! Ya didn't have ta worry about me or do anythin'!"
"But you feel better?" Blue eyes tried to hide their concern. Bunny slumped, deciding to accept the teens concern.
"Yeah. Better than I have in months, actually." he recalled his stern glare. "But next time, talk ta us ya drongo! 'ts not fair ta make us worry about ya when ya pull some drop kick stunt like this."
"Yeah. Whatever you say, Flopsy." Jack smiled. "Oh, and I just remembered. I have something for you all." Bunny decided to let it go. He was happy that Jack cared so much about him. At the moment, he would just be glad that his friend was all right.
Jack reached into his hoodie pocket, pulling out four brightly colored, foil-wrapped eggs. He handed one to each of the guardians. Bunny snapped his fingers.
"Oh yeah!" He exclaimed as he took Jacks present. "I have something for all of ya too." He thumped his foot. A rabbit hole appeared, but instead of disappearing down it, he moved to allow some googies to file into the room. They brought four small Easter baskets with them.
"Thank ya for this Jack." The pooka looked at his friend, holding up the chocolate egg. "I don't usually get something for Easter. I appreciate it."
Jack smiled as he went through the Easter basket given to him. It had a new hoodie and quite a bit of candy. "And thank you." He replied. "I love it." he popped a chocolate peanut butter egg in his mouth. "Go ahead." He added, gesturing at the egg Bunny held. "Don't be shy, tell me what you think."
Bunny opened it, smiling at the teen. Personally, he liked white chocolate more than milk chocolate, but he wasn't about to complain. The egg was pretty big, so Bunny took a bite rather than eat it whole. Jack watched him eagerly.
Bunny almost immediately started spitting it out. Jack burst out laughing. Bunny wiped his tongue furiously, looking at the egg he'd bit into. He understood now. There was a chocolate covering, but inside there was a ring of white and a ball of yellow. It was a chocolate egg. A chocolate covered, hard boiled egg. Bunny looked up at Jack, glaring.
Jack was completely silent as he shook with laughter. After a few minutes, he took a deep breath only to continue laughing again. The other guardians tried to hold in their chuckles, but Bunny noticed them looking skeptically at their own eggs. He shook his head. How typical.
"What ees in mine?" Asked North, wiping an amused tear from his eye.
"Why don't you take a bite and find out?" Challenged Jack.
"Maybe." He answered. "Might not be safe, though, da?"
"Almost definitely not."
"Well, Jack, you certainly do keep things exciting. This Easter has been... Special." Said Tooth with a smile. Jack's face fell, the color dropping from it.
But this Easter is special! Jamie's voice resounded in his mind.
"Snap!" Cursed Jack as he swung his legs out of bed. "I'm going to Jamie's." he informed them. He grabbed his staff off the wall. A large hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up, meeting North's gaze.
"You are not going anywhere. What you need to do ees rest."
"I feel fine! Besides, I promised him I'd go!"
"Why? Ya gonna give 'im one a these things?" Bunny shook his bitten egg at Jack. "Poor kid."
"No! Look, I promised, okay? He's expecting me! It's so late, he probably thinks I've forgotten." Pleading eyes looked up at North. The big man felt his resolve shaking. But he couldn't let Jack fly there. The teen didn't have enough strength for that yet, no matter what he said.
"I'll take you in sleigh." He conceded. "But you cannot stay long. You need rest. And keeping Jamie up very late ees not good." Sandy nodded emphatically.
"That's fine!" Agreed Jack quickly.
"I'll come." Said Bunny. He was still a little tired, but he wouldn't mind seeing Jamie again. The small boy held a special place in his heart. "Mind ya, I'm takin' my tunnels."
"If all three of you are going, can I come?" Asked Tooth.
"Yeah." Said Jack excitedly. "Lets go!" Sandy raised his hands, and it was obvious he planned to come too. North led them to the sleigh.
oOo
Jamie lay in bed, trying not to let his disappointment keep him up. He had spent all day looking around, expecting Jack to fly up at any moment. As the day wore on, his expectations had slowly dwindled. Maybe Jack had decided to spend Easter with the Guardians. Or maybe he had just forgotten. It had been two days since Jamie had asked him to come. It was east to forget things in that amount of time.
He fingered the objects he'd layed on his nightstand. He had so been looking forward to seeing Jack's reaction to the presents he had gotten him and the rest of the guardians. Jamie wasn't exactly sure how to contact any of the other guardians, so he had planned on giving them all to Jack and letting him distribute them. He had been unbearably excited for Easter ever since he had realized that the holiday would commemorate exactly one year since he had met the guardians. Exactly one year since he had gained his best friend.
He sighed, closing his eyes. It didnt matter anyway. He could always give the gifts to Jack on another day. He would just have to look forward to whenever that would be. Jamie reached to turn off his lamp, but stopped when he heard a tap on the window. He froze, his heart climbing into his throat. When he turned around, there was Jack, smiling and pointing at the latch on his window. Jamie scrambled so fast to get out of bed that the blanket got tangled in his legs and he fell over onto the floor.
"Jack!" he cried as he picked himself up. "You came!" he promptly threw the window open, allowing the winter sprite entrance.
"Yup. I wouldn't forget about you. I just got... held up." Jack touched down lightly on the floor of his room. "You don't mind that I brought a few tag-a-longs, do you?" he asked with a mischievous grin. Jack already knew that the younger boy would be too excited for words.
"Tag-a-longs?" he asked in confusion. Then North shoved his way through the window. Sandy followed him in, then Tooth.
"Surprise! We came." said Tooth. Jamie smiled at her reference. She had said the same thing to him exactly one year and one day ago when he had seen all of them for the first time. He thought about how strange it was that not five minutes ago, he had felt like crying, and now he was so happy he could hardly contain himself.
"You're all here." he stated in absolute awe. "All of you, except the Easter Bunny."
"Nope. I'm here too, mate." Jamie whirled around, laughing in delighted shock when he saw Bunny leaning against a wall in the corner of his room. A large hole was closing up near his feet, and the rabbit smiled at him warmly.
"I figured you wouldn't mind too terribly if I brought them along." said Jack, thoroughly enjoying the younger boys ecstasy. "So I'm here now. I've really been wondering, and you said you would tell me if I visited you on Easter. Why is this Easter special?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Jamie, his trance broken by Jacks words. "Because of these!" He ran around his bed to the small desk beside it, grabbing the items off of it in a rush. "They're for you! All of you! One year ago today, I met you guys. That was probably the best day of my whole life. So I got you guys these, to celebrate that, and also Easter." He started with Bunny, depositing an Easter egg in his hand.
There was a crudely drawn boomerang on one side, and little carrots in a border around the top. There were smaller , typical Easter eggs on the other side. North's had brightly colored boxes and simplistic elves. Tooth's had little toothbrushes, teeth, and taking up an entire side what was obviously a vampire. Sandy's was completely gold with sand, and Jack's was blue, white snowflakes covering the entire circumference.
Jamie watched their reactions nervously. He was pleased with what he saw. Sandy smiled at him tenderly. North and Bunny were doing their best not to be choked up, trying desperately to retain their male dignity. Tooth wasn't faring so well, a happy tear rolling down her cheek. Jack moved forward and ruffled Jamie's hair.
"I love it." he said softly. Jamie couldn't imagine any other words in the entire universe making him happier. "How did you get the snowflakes on there?" he asked. "They're really cool."
"Oh! It was way cool! You draw on it with a white crayon, and the dye doesn't go on it! It was way fun."
"I think you made them too absolutely adorable." said Tooth with a sniffle. "I Don't know if I'll ever be able to eat it."
"Oh yeah! Thats the cool part!" Jamie informed her. "I was talking to my friend Caleb's dad about how it was sad that you always had to eat the eggs, no matter how hard you worked on them. Then, a couple of days later, he told me he found out how you could keep them. You prick a hole in the top," he pointed to a tiny pinprick in the top of Jack's egg, "Then you blow all of the egg out of it. So you have to be more careful when you dye it, 'cause it's not hard boiled. Than in the bottom, you put a bigger hole and fill the egg with something called expanding foam. Its stuff that goes in houses! "
"Whoa." said Jack in admiration. "That sounds complicated."
"Yeah. We ruined two boxes of eggs before we could get the whole thing just right. But then we did, and now your eggs will last forever!" He smiled up at his friend.
"Good." Said Bunny firmly. "'cause I am definitely usin' this as a reference. Couldn't have done better myself, mate. 'n thats sayin' somethin'."
"This just might be best present I have ever received." Said North. He grabbed the boy in a large bear hug. Jamie's laugh was muffled from within the Russian man's chest.
"Definitely," Jack said. "The best Easter ever." Darkness was eating at the edges of his vision, and his consciousness was ebbing away, even while standing up. He barely had time to see Sandy come at him with golden helping hands before he passed out. Maybe North had been right about him not being fully recovered yet. The golden man carried him to the sleigh on the roof, winking at North as they disappeared. When Jamie reappeared from North's hug, Jack and Sandy were gone.
"Where did they go?" he asked incredulously. "They were here just a second ago!"
"Sandy says it ees time for bed." answered North. He put the smaller boy in bed, tucked him in firmly, then left himself.
"G'night. Sleep tight." Bunny gave a small salute before disappearing down one of his holes.
"Sleep well, sweet tooth." Tooth smiled, then also left. Jamie nodded. His smile continued, even after he'd fallen asleep.
A/N: Whoa. This is without a doubt, the longest chapter I've ever written. There were so many elements that I wanted to include in this oneshot... I hope it didn't turn out messy. I hope you guys are happy with this! I certainly had fun writing it. I know I promised it on Easter... And well, it's not midnight yet! Hehehe. Happy Easter you guys!
Unrelated: I GOT RISE OF THE GUARDIANS FOR EASTER! I don't even know how to handle all of the excitement that dwells within me at this time. I hope you all had as great a day as me:)
Love, Mariah.