Ok, well this is out a bit sooner than I expected, but still, sorry for the wait.

Yes! Now this is more like my usual chapters in terms of length! XD...lol...hope it's not too long for anyone, I considered splitting it, but really didn't want to, and somehow it didn't feel right.

Thanks for all the support everyone, I'm really getting into writing this fanfic :)

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters, only this fan fiction.

CHAPTER 5: Clash

The air was warm and sleep inducing.

His nose twitched and his ears flickered occasionally, registering and then dismissing the usual sounds and smells of the warren.

Bunnymund was lightly curled up inside one of the smaller dens around his home; a short tunnel beneath a cliff face.

It had taken a long time…and multiple den switches…to get himself to relax, but now he was so heavily dozy that it took a while to notice something moving by him.

He blinked open his eyes, and saw bits of dirt trickling down the side of the tunnel. A moment later, he registered the squirming at his side.

Half a dozen of his little eggs were trying to hide against him, he could feel them shaking.

Instinct forced him out of the sleepy state, and he turned to the entrance. He could now hear pounding footsteps; not heavy enough for the egg totems, but still much too heavy for the little eggs, or even himself.

He supressed a defensive growl, inching forward as he reached for a boomerang, only to silently curse himself as he remembered leaving them outside the den…

…the tunnel was just cosy enough to get uncomfortable when wearing his weapons.

The footsteps stop outside; he heard a sound that he knew meant his weapons had been picked up.

Ready to leap out at the intruder, he never expected them to be bold enough…or foolish enough… to reach right into the tunnel. However, the hand that grabbed him by the ear didn't do so hesitantly; this person knew what they were doing.

A cry tore free of the Pookas throat as he was dragged out of hiding. The pain was excruciating, even for him, and before he could react, he heard something smash behind him.

"You?"

He tried to face the culprit, but wasn't given a chance, as he was suddenly thrown forward, and felt himself sucked through the air, everything around him turning into a nauseating vortex of colour.

Thankfully it only lasted a few seconds, before he crashed hard into a solid wooden floor. He took his time to look up, already knowing where he was.

Someone landed heavily behind him, but when the strong hand returned and pulled him to his feet roughly, he reacted fast. His fist clenched, and swung around, slamming straight into his kidnappers face.

"I warned you!" He growled sharply as the bulking figure of North stumbled, "I'd have thought you'd learnt from the last time you pulled my ears!"

Norths cheek was red from the blow, but as he stood, his fierce eyes suggested he'd barely felt it.

If Bunny wasn't just as furious, he might've felt intimidated.

"WHY DID YOU RUN!?" North suddenly bellowed.

There was no curiosity in his tone; it was an accusation, not a question.

"Is it just you?" Bunny straightened, purposely dodging it.

"The others are waiting down stairs."

"Waitin' on what?" Bunny scoffed as he crossed his arms.

Naturally, North didn't approve of his attitude.

"For you to tell us what you know!"

"Might wanna be a bit more specific mate," Bunny continued, purposely poking the others temper.

Not necessarily the smartest move, as the pooka would've known if he wasn't so irritated.

Bunny and North were never afraid to butt heads, but both had rather lethal tempers. Norths didn't rise as easily as Bunnys, but when it did…

Aster found the strong hand back, this time at the scruff of his neck. He was strong, but against the sheer brawn of Nicholas St. North, he stood little to no chance.

Protesting loudly, he was dragged through the workshop and down the stairs, until they reached the main area. There, North shoved the Pooka forward, but kept hold of him.

"Show us!"

Aster became aware that they were standing before the globe.

"If you will not go, then fine! But you show us where Jack is!"

"What makes you think I know?"

A quiet chime alerted him to Sandy's presence, a scowl adoring his face that would've made a person laugh if they didn't know better than to underestimate the Sandman's temper.

"It's why you ran away, isn't it?" Tooth spoke as she fluttered into view.

She wasn't as volatile as North, but she still looked pretty darn unhappy.

Bunny didn't answer that one, and when he stopped struggling, North finally set him flat on his feet and released him. He stayed close by though, watching like an eagle.

"We all hurt when Jack disappeared. What you told us maybe true, but even you do not know why it is so. That is why we MUST find Jack, and hear what he has to say." The guardian of wonder tried to steady his temper.

"Tsk! You really think we can trust anything he says?" Bunny snorted.

"Jack is mischievous, not dishonest," North countered.

"Yeah, I once thought so to," Bunny growled, "OW!"

He grabbed his arm and looked to it. Baby Tooth had jabbed him with her pinpoint nose, and was fluttering around him in annoyance, her shrill voice sharp to his sensitive ears.

"He may've had a good reason for leaving," Tooth translated.

"He flew off with Pitch Black! Just what good reason would there be for that?"

"That is what we intend to find out," North concluded, "Manny showed us that place because he trusted us to be able to find it, but right now, you are only one who knows where we can find our friend…"

North paused as Bunny flinched with a hiss. The pooka hadn't realised he'd been gripping his arm so hard, that the word 'friend' pushed it just far enough for his claws to pierce his skin.

Seeing his friends waiting for him to speak, he breathed out heavily.

"I can't help ya…"

Wrong answer.

"YOU HELPED TO CREATE THIS PLANET!" North bellowed.

Well THAT patience streak lasted long…

Aster stumbled from shock, but quickly stood firm.

"Ya thing that means I memorised every last inch of it? We were shown one mere chasm without any distinguishing marks around. You know how many of those there are?"

North swore loudly in Russian, making a couple of yetis look around, one dropping a tray from shock.

"E. Aster Bunnymund! Stop avoiding situation! Yours was not the only heart shattered!"

The Pooka went rigid, his expression like a stunned animal.

Sandy, Tooth and Baby Tooth looked surprised by Norths words, whilst the large man himself just looked straight back at Bunny, confirming silently that he was indeed talking about what the guardian thought he was.

He wasn't fooled; He knew exactly what the Pooka had been supressing the entire time, despite whatever shields Bunny thought he'd had in place.

A loud explosion snapped the transfixed rabbit out of his stunned state, and made them all look around. Across the room, a yeti coughed and tried waving away a small cloud of smoke, whilst a bunch of now grey fairies flew out of the cloud and straight back to Tooth.

"WHAT HAPPENED NOW!?" North boomed, automatically returning to his commander mode.

He was furious because he could see one of his ice sculptures for a toy design had been destroyed, but it was quickly forgotten when he realised his mistake.

He heard the quiet thump, and turned to grab his target, but all he caught was a glimpse of grey ears disappearing down a tunnel, before it closed up.

A bit of grumbling and storming around later, he calmed down enough to settle and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"North…" Tooth spoke after a moment, "I can spare a couple of fairies to go search the more barren areas?"

"Too dangerous…" North shook his head, "Fairies are tough, but if Jack really did chose to go off with Pitch as Bunny says, then we do not know what else may be out there…"

Sandy hesitantly made an image of a nightmare, quickly removing it once his friends had seen it.

"Even if that's true, we have to do something. We finally have a clue, and if Bunny won't help us, then we'll have to go without him," Tooth persisted.

Her determination made North smile. She could so easily be underestimated by her smaller form and quirky nature. But she was just as powerful as the rest of them, and honestly? a lot braver than even North sometimes felt.

"Very well, but scouting only. They must not try anything without us."

"They won't," Tooth promised, "Will they…?" She looked firmly to her fairies, particularly Baby Tooth.

The little fairy shrunk a bit under her leaders gaze, but still managed a whine as she nodded.

Tooth looked pleased and began handing out orders to the rest of the fairies. North on the other hand, walked away to give himself a moment to think.

That probably hadn't been the best thing to say to Bunnymund, but regardless, the Pooka had to face the truth sooner or later. He knew Aster wasn't stupid, but he could be fairly foolish when he let his ego get in the way.

If only they hadn't been distracted; Even if it was via surprise, he'd managed to knock down his friends shields and expose the vulnerable emotions beneath. With careful steps, he could've gotten the truth from Bunny…

…Now the Pooka would just be even more vigilant and guarded with his feelings.

Well, the point had been made now. Tempted as his own stubbornness was to pursue the Pooka, he had to admit that now, it really was up to Bunnymund himself. That rabbit was too good at holding his tongue if he wanted to. More pressure would only make him more determined to keep silent.

"It is only matter of time…" He assured himself, "…but do we have that time to spare?"

His gaze drifted back to the globe, as if hopeful for some sign of their lost friend.

His own heart beat drummed in his ears, his breath refused to steady, and his mind was going so fast he couldn't see right. He was completely dependent on his instincts to guide him…

…and they said that no matter how badly he wanted to race to his warren, it would be too obvious of a choice, in case someone came looking. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, but it was far from the pole at least.

'The big oaf! What does he know? How dare he…!'

Aster almost tripped over himself as he skidded to a stop.

'Don't lie to yourself.'

His whole body flinched; hide his feelings from others he might, but never from himself.

True at first he'd denied it, but only because he'd thought himself mad or mistaken. Once he'd realised it wasn't false, or even a passing heart flutter, he'd allowed the truth to come forward…at least for himself anyway.

He'd been unsure, maybe even a bit scared at first. But with time, those nerves had settled.

His nose twitched at the memory that was stirred, even as he tried to push it down; the memory of when he'd come to understand…

Jack Frost had been goofing off, teasing the Pooka as he always loved to do. At one point, he'd hovered upside down over the Pooka, stared him straight in the eyes, and blown a cold breeze over his nose.

It had tickled so much that Aster had ended up in a sneezing fit, and by the time it finished, he was left panting and red in the face, even under all that fur.

Before the irritation could make him retaliate though, Jacks reaction had stumped him. He'd expected the joker to be cracking his sides in laughter, but what had the boy given instead…? A worried expression, and an earnest apology.

He didn't know if it had been their proximity, or the shy, guilty look on Jacks face that had made awareness click in his head, but Aster knew the only thing about that moment that upset him, was when Jack had backed off.

A furious growl erupted from his ego, dragging him free of the depressed status. He found himself racing around a few more bends, before forcing his way through the surface.

It was getting dark, wherever he was. He shook at a slight chill in the breeze, but after a quick check of his surroundings, it was just because it was late evening.

Only a small glow over the mountains remained of the sun, revealing a small village in the valley below. He was certain he recognised the place…he just couldn't give it a name off the top of his head.

No matter; small and quiet, it would definitely serve as a good place for him to calm down.

His only concern was the presence of the evening sun; he must've gotten to the other hemisphere at least…

…the sandman would probably turn up soon.

The Pookas ears lowered as he crossed his arms and sat back against a tree. Sandy had still been at the pole when he'd left, so hopefully he'd at least have enough time to chill out…

'Chill out?'

"Crikey…" He groaned, holding his head in his paws.

He focused on his breathing, slow and steady, until the anger began to die down.

He glanced absently to the side. A mere stick caught his attention, and after a moment he picked it up. He allowed his body to move on its own, as the end of the stick was directed into the soft earth, and dragged down.

He watched the creation come to life, each stroke causing his heart to ache more and more, but he didn't stop until a snow flake sat proudly in the dirt.

Even then, his paw only paused for a moment to admire the first creation, before it began again. One by one, snowflakes began to litter the ground, each one a different style. He drew every type of snow flake he knew, plus some he wasn't sure were real designs, before he was rudely stopped by the stick snapping under the pressure.

He hadn't realised he was holding it THAT hard, or just how rapid his breathing had become.

"Make up your bloody mind!" He growled to himself, holding his head.

His emotions were flipping around so fast, it was giving him a headache.

He tossed the stick aside and furiously rubbed out all but the first creation, as sadness rose just in time to protect it from his anger. Growling again, he closed his eyes, and rested against the tree once more.

He just needed to stay calm…stay calm…

…damn he was tired of staying calm!

When Bunnymund next opened his eyes, darkness had fully settled in. The temperature had dropped rapidly, bringing a nasty bite that seeped through his fur. He shivered fiercely, the cold so bad that he was forced to his feet, knowing he needed to get somewhere warmer.

The wind was fierce, and as he shifted his foot to open a tunnel, he was nearly thrown off balance as a howling gale blew past.

For a reason he couldn't tell, he felt his gaze drawn to the side.

Someone was watching him from the shadows, face half hidden by a hood.

"It can't be…"

The boys head shifted slightly, and though his mouth didn't move, a quiet, familiar laugh drifted in the wind around him.

"Frostbite…" Bunny breathed, his breath causing a small puff of steam, "…Jack."

His feet were shifting forward without his command, but he wasn't so sure he cared; his attention was all for the being before him.

It was hard to see; darkness tightened in around him as he drew closer. The wind grew so strong that it was a mission just to stay on his feet!

"JACK!" He yelled over the gale, daring to reach out a paw.

The boy responded, raising an arm slowly…almost robotically.

As Bunny stretched as far as he could, he felt the cool finger tips meet his own.

"AH!" He yanked his arm back.

Jacks touch was colder than normal; it was like the bite of artic water!

"What's up cotton tail?"

He looked back up. Now the boy was smiling, and slowly moving forward.

Uncertain, Bunny tried to step back, but soon found his efforts in vain thanks to his feet being pinned to the ground by frost.

"Bunny…"

A cold touch to his face made his gasp.

'So cold…so cold…'

It felt like icy water was seeping into his skin from where Jack touched him. It flowed through his body, and as it did, his limbs began to stiffen; frost was growing over his arms and legs, closing in on his chest.

"W-why are you d-d-doing this?" He stuttered, the cold stealing his breath.

The boy wasn't laughing now, but a dark, menacing chuckle slipped out of the shadows, which were creeping around Jacks arms and shoulders. They began to solidify, until a pair of longer arms kept a firm grip around the winter spirit.

"Why?" A face formed out of the shadows, "Because he's with me of course."

The nightmare king himself came into existence behind Jack.

"PIT…!" Bunny growled, unable to get the full name out.

His face contorted in fury as he tried to strike out, but his arms were frozen solid.

Pitch Black just grinned wickedly, keeping his hands on Jacks shoulders as the boy moved forward.

"He's mine now Pookan."

Bunnymund was almost completely frozen now; only his face remained uncovered.

As Jack closed the short distance between their bodies, he finally raised his gaze.

Emotionless, yellow eyes stared blankly at the spirit of hope, as Jack took a silent breath, and blew out an icy gust of snow over the Pooka's face, sealing him away.

Bunny's eyes snapped open, a gasp breaking the silence of early night.

He looked around urgently; there was no sign of Jack or Pitch. Darkness had fallen, but he could still see fine. As for the wind, it was only a little chilly, and its strength did little more than mess up his fur.

Just a bad dream; how long ago had he fallen asleep?

"Ugh… He groaned as he hunched over.

It may've already been fading, but remembering what he'd seen made his stomach churn.

Jack Frost…he had every right to hate Pitch Black, and they'd all been convinced that he did.

So why had he flown off with him without a second glance to his friend?

'Leave him, he couldn't do a damn thing if he wanted to.'

Those words had been cold to the point of almost being emotionless. Why had Jack spoken them? Surely there had to be a good explanation…

…so he'd told himself two years ago, but he was passed making excuses for the boy.

It was one thing for him to have abandoned the guardians, but the frostbite hadn't even bothered to visit Jamie…his first believer.

"If the brat's out there somewhere, then what the hell is he thinking?"

Kids were only kids for a short period of their lives, and Pitch had proven just how fragile their belief was.

Two years had gone; Jamie was still young, but he wouldn't be for many more years. He still firmly believed, but the absence of his big brother role model clearly hurt the boy.

THAT sparked an angry flare in the Pooka's chest, as it would any guardian, but he was saved from another furious outburst by a light catching his attention.

The sky was filling with swirls of dream sand, arriving to earth for its nightly duty.

'Well I guess I didn't sleep that long…'

It had been far too long since Aster had properly watched the arrival of dream sand. He'd forgotten just how calming it was.

He didn't bother hiding himself amongst the trees as he watched; even if Sandy saw him, he'd be too busy right now to worry about a stubborn Pooka.

Bunnymund watched as the sand travelled to almost every house, and felt a tempting urge to go peek at what dreams the children had been sent tonight.

A surprised chuckle let him; well if THAT wasn't nostalgic! It had been a very long time since he'd done that!

It was a harmless act of fun, not necessarily one he approved of if done too often…

…but heck, why not?

After quickly spotting a safe path down the cliff, Aster dashed into the village, expertly avoiding windows in case of children naughty enough to still be awake.

As a stream of sand headed into a window, he carefully moved closer, and peered in. The sand separated to be shared between two children, a boy and a girl.

Twins? No, on closer look, definitely not, but only a year or two apart.

The girl, who looked to be the eldest, was dreaming of a ballerina…must've been a little dancer.

The boy instead had an aeroplane buzzing around his head. Cute, and suitable for one with aeroplane bed sheets.

He moved onto the next house, where a boy was dreaming of being a cowboy.

Aster had to give a sad smile as he saw the boy's face; He was definitely older than the last two, and most likely wouldn't be a believer much longer.

Oh well, sad as it was, they had to be allowed to grow up when they were ready. At least for now, the child still found comfort in the sandman's work.

A few houses around the corner, a baby giggled in its sleep as stars and the moon drifted over its head.

'Wonder what the Frostbite would say if he knew I used to do this? Heh, probably wouldn't believe it, but I bet he'd love to d…'

Bunnys ears lowered, but he shook away the thought, not wanting to ruin the mood.

'Ok, just one more…'

He had to stick to his own rule after all, and not get carried away looking. It was always a bit risky to hang around kids too much when they were meant to stay hidden, and also, at least in Bunnys opinion, it was kinda like an invasion of privacy.

He set his eyes upon a house at the end of the village, to which a sand stream was just heading. He moved to head there, when his ear twitched.

His instincts halted his body just before he saw it; a figure leaping over the rooftops.

Shifting silently to the shadows, he watched warily. The person…well definitely a human shape at least…was moving in the same direction he'd been going, and just as the sand stream was passing by, the figure leapt from the rooftop, holding something in hand.

With a clean swipe, they scooped a large portion of the sand into a small pouch, almost filling it in one go.

What remained of the sand stream hesitated momentarily, before continuing its original path, as if nothing had happened.

Aster dashed to the window, reaching it just as the sand seeped through. The two little girls…this time definitely twins…received their dreams; one with butterflies, the other horses.

Relieved that they hadn't been affected, the Pooka turned his attention back to the figure, only to find they'd vanished.

He sprung quickly to the roof, every sense going on over drive, although he found his target quickly enough.

The stranger jumped with impressive grace, flipping in the air as they scooped up another load of sand. They landed lightly upon another roof, and tied up the now bulging bag.

Bunny had good eye sight, even at night. But the persons face remained hidden thanks to a hooded cloak.

Just as they tied the bag to their belt, the figure suddenly stiffened, and in the half a second before they turned in his direction, Aster knew they'd finally conned on to his presence.

'I suppose as the frostbite would say…busted.'

The two stared each other down for a while; it was the classic game of seeing who'd move first, or as Aster looked at it, predator vs. prey.

Ironic, since most saw Rabbits as the prey, but if flight was chosen over fight, there was little question who would be chasing who.

As he suspected, the stranger wasn't a fighter, or at least wasn't prepared to be right now, as they took off. He was right on their tail; there were none who could out run Bunny, but he would give they were pretty fast.

No matter, Bunny was only seconds away from catching them…

…well, at least until they left the roof, descending into a narrow alleyway.

"Na mate, it ain't that easy," He muttered, and jumped down.

He followed the cape he saw swish around a corner, avoiding a stray cat that hissed furiously at him.

They raced out into the main street, a perfect place for the speedy spirit to end this…

…and then, Bunny really wasn't sure what happened.

His front paw fumbled beneath him, as if he'd tripped on something, and he ended up rolling a few metres before he found his feet. He groaned loudly, but before he could get his bearings, a loud creak made his eyes dart up.

He barely avoided a plank of wood from one of the roofs coming down on his head.

"What the hell…?" He panted, skidding to a stop.

The village looked pretty simple, but not at all run down. On the contrary; it looked to be in excellent shape!

A light flickered at the corner of his eye, and he quickly dashed back into hiding. It was just an adult coming out to see what the noise was, Bunny paid him little attention as he checked the area.

Naturally, his target had vanished; even when he returned to the roof tops, there was no sign.

"That'd be right…" He grumbled.

He sent a glare back to the wooden beam on the ground, both annoyed that it had distracted him, and confused by how it had fallen so suddenly. He knew he'd have to let this go for now though, there was little to no chance of finding the little sand thief this time.

'Only this time…'

There was no question on the topic; E. Aster Bunnymund wasn't about to let this go. When he was ready to face his friends again, he'd warn Sandy of what had happened.

As always, sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes.

It'll be another wait for the next chapter sorry, not nearly ready with that one! XD

Thanks for reading! Reviews are loved!

Will update asap!