"What do you mean, 'you don't know?!'" Bigwig exploded. "You're the one who saw this attack coming!"
"I already told you, Bigwig," Fiver said in a tone that was more harsh than usual: "I don't know everything about what goes on in my visions. I only know that this foe is out for revenge."
Hazel looked at his brother thoughtfully. "Well, we know it's not Woundwort's spirit," he stated. "It's not like him to hide in shadows like this fellow. His voice didn't sound quite like that, either."
Bigwig nodded sagely. "I agree with you on that, my friend, though I don't know who else would want to come after us. Vervain's spirit?"
"From what I've heard from the former Efrafans, Vervain was a coward that would never do something without Woundwort."
"Maybe it's not exactly us our new enemy wants revenge on," Fiver pointed out.
Both rabbits looked at each other for a moment, exchanging glances. It was plain that they had not considered the thought Fiver just said until then. "That's a good point, Fiver," Hazel said. "But another question forms: if it's not us he's seeking revenge on, then whom?"
Fiver blinked and shrugged. "I don't know, Hazel," he confessed. "I have a feeling we'll find the answers soon, though. Either that or the answers will find us first."
Thlayli growled a little at the seer's second guess. "I hope we find them first so we're not taken by surprise," he said flatly.
The chief rabbit nodded. "I agree, though considering that we don't really know what's going on, we'll be surprised either way. All we can really do at the moment is prepare for an attack."
~!~
Jack hit the ground of The Warren with a painful gasp. Standing back up, he dusted himself off. The things I endure for the sake of my friends, he thought grimly. He held his staff over his shoulder as he walked around the area, relaxed yet alert as he looked for any signs of movement. "Bunny?" he called. "Are you there?"
A boomerang zipped through the air directly towards the winter spirit. Acting on impulse rather than logic, Jack dodged the weapon and hurled frost from his staff in the direction the boomerang came from. A figure skillfully jumped out of the frost's path and bounced off of a boulder, ruthlessly tackling Jack to the ground. Frost stared at his attacker in disbelief, fear etched into his blue eyes as the figure raised his right fist to strike him in the face. "Bunny! It's me, Jack!"
Bunnymund's muscles relaxed at the sound of his friend's voice, also noticing Jack's surprise. He stood up from the ground in embarassment. "Sorry, mite," he apologized quietly, helping the teenager stand back up. "I-I don't know what came over me."
Frost relaxed considerably, relieved his fellow Guardian was no longer behaving like a monster. "Don't mention it," he stated. "I was the one who came to your home without an invitation, remember?"
"True." Bunny became serious. "What are you doin' here?"
"I came to apologize for the trick," Jack answered. "I didn't mean to upset you at all."
E. Aster placed a paw on Jack's shoulder. "I know you didn't, mite," he said solemnly. "I'm just worked up is all. Had a rough time last night."
The winter spirit cocked his head sideways at Bunnymund. "What do you mean?" he inquired concernedly.
The Guardian of Hope was quiet once more. "I'd rather not talk about it," he said down-heartedly at last. "It's too painful and terrifying to speak of."
"You'll have to sometime," Jack pointed out. "Tell me, now."
Bunny was caught off guard by Jack's abnormal seriousness. Then again, he thought, when is his seriousness ever 'normal?' "Alright," he gave in, "but don't tell anyone else about it, understand?"
"Understand," Frost acknowledged.
"I had a nightmare last night," Bunny said with a sigh. "It had something to do with who I was in my past life. Pitch has found a way to use his nightmares to kill living beings. They were killing my people last night."
"C'mon, Bunny," Jack said with a playful smirk. "It was just a nightmare. It doesn't mean it really happened."
"No, mite," Bunnymund said gravely, "it wasn't just a nightmare: I know it was happening as I dreamt it." He sighed again, this one with more despair. "Pitch is up to something nasty. He's using the pain he inflicts on my people to get to me."
Jack was a bit confused. "Who exactly are your people?" he asked. "Why do you call them that?"
"My people are rabbits, Jack," Bunny replied solemnly. "In my past life, I was their hero, their leader, their prince.
"I was El-ahrairah."
Author's Notes:
Sorry I didn't post this sooner: I wasn't sure if I should have waited until Chapter 3 was completed or if I should have waited to complete a different story, but there's Chapter 2 and when Bunnymund reveals who he was in his past life. Strange for me to have an "Author's Notes" section just here instead of here and at the top, isn't it? Oh well, yay me for being different! Please leave a review below...