HEYA!

Ok, so a few things happened since the last chapter…first of all…I dislocated my knee.

Yeah…

It's been extremely painful, especially when the paramedics had to pop my knee cap back into place, and I've been basically under the influence of pain pills. However I wanted to write this chapter so that you guys aren't left wondering what happens next!

"Oh Manny," Aster murmured, his green eyes wide "I've snapped…"

"Well I could have told you that," the female Pooka scoffed "but I was trying to be nice, that is until your alpha male machismo got in the way."

Bunny gave a heavy swallow, and he slowly began to back away, his ears firmly stuck to the back of his skull as he considered his options for escape "This can't be happenin'," he said in almost a whimper "this should not be happenin',"

The white rabbit merely clucked her tongue "I've seen male Pooka's who denied having feelings and whatnot, but aren't you taking this a little too far?"

"HA! That's funny," Bunny said with a maniacal cackle one eye twitching as he struggled to comprehend the creature currently having a conversation with him "especially comin' from you!"

"And why is that amusing?" the delicate head cocked to the side, causing the ears to give an endearing flop, one that Bunny remembered all too well had once driven him crazy in a time almost forgotten.

The memories stabbed him in the brain, having about the same effect as an intense migraine, and the rabbit gave a disconsolate wail, clenching his eyes shut as he waved his paws in front of him "I don't know who, or what, you are," he bellowed turning his face away so to ensure he would not see her "but for God's sake stop actin' like her!"

"What?!" the female said with an affronted gasp "Act like who? I'm just acting like myself!"

"No, no you're not!" Aster shot back still refusing to open his eyes "Yer actin' like Sabine, the woman I loved, and lost! It's bad enough tha ya look like her, but now ya just have ta make it worse by actin' like her too!"

Silence reigned in the glade for a few moments, the quiet broken only by the frantic panting of an anthropomorphic rabbit who was about to hyperventilate, until the female softly replied.

"My name is Sabine, or," she paused her teeth nervously biting her bottom lip "at least that's what the Moon told me,"

…

Pitch ran beside Toothiana, following the trail created from the rabbit's escape that was not usually detectable to the naked eye, but now all too visible. Jack and North were close on their heels, their features painted with worry, but soon they made it to the glade where the two Pooka were talking.

Or more accurately, one was talking; the other was having a meltdown.

"Hey, are you ok?!" the white rabbit's voice was slightly panicked and she hung back almost as if she were afraid coming any closer would make him worse (which it probably might).

"You stay away!" Aster cried in a strangled yip, backing away and baring his teeth while his fur fluffed in an attempt to make him look bigger "Yer not Sabine! I don't know what kinda creature ya are, but yer not her!"

"Ok, I'm not your Sabine, but that is my name!"

"NO!" came the answering bellow "Yer not allowed ta use her name!"

"More than one person can have the same name ya know!"

"NOT YOU!"

"E. ASTER BUNNYMUND!" Toothiana finally screamed at the top of her lungs, making the entire glade come to a screeching halt.

The Pooka froze, and he slowly glanced up at the fairy "Tooth," he said in an almost comical whisper "can you see her?"

Jack barely repressed the urge to snicker, before remembering that Bunny was actually very close to having a mental break, and he schooled his features back to a serious neutral "Yeah, Bunny," he spoke in what he hoped was a calming tone "we can see her,"

The rabbit's gaze immediately snapped to Jack, his green eyes quickly filling with remorse as he remembered his words not even a scant fifteen minutes ago "J-Jack," he stammered casting one more paranoid glance towards the female Pooka "I'm sorry mate, I didn't mean ta…ya know…say those things."

Jack allowed a forgiving grin to quirk one side of his mouth and he leaned on his staff, bracing his forehead against it "I understand Bunny," he shrugged "I'd probably react the same way if I were in your shoes, traumatic memories and all that."

Aster gave his younger brother a weak smile before his eyes once again slid toward the intruder "Tell me the truth Jackie," the rabbit murmured "is…is she real?"

"Yes, Bunny, she is real," North's Russian accent broke into the conversation making the trembling rabbit turn towards the man.

"Yes, I am," Sabine cut in white paws hitting her hips as they cocked to the side in obvious frustration "and I would appreciate it if you would stop talking about me as if I weren't here! What is wrong with you people anyway?!"

"I apologize," North said with a grand bow "I know it must be difficult for you, but we have been sent by Man in Moon to greet you."

"You speak to the moon?" two white ears immediately perked up as a lavender gaze cut to the Russian.

"Yes, well…some of us at least," Pitch put in with a wry smirk.

Tooth squeezed his arm tenderly, giving him silent support before turning to the white Pooka "We do, and he informed us that he had…well, he…"

Toothiana floundered for a moment, searching for the right words before stammering "I guess you could say he…brought you here."

"What do you mean brought me?" Sabine asked slowly.

"Wait,"

The soft mutter caused the group to turn to the now seemingly composed Easter bunny as he pinned two flashing eyes full of emerald lightening back to his team "MiM, he did ta Sabine what he done wit' Jackie, didn't he?! Didn't HE?!"

The group exchanged sullen looks of grieved concern before Jack, giving a heavy gulp, answered his brother's question "Yeah cottontail, he did."

The furry grey head ducked as green eyes clenched shut, trying in some small way to force the tears not to come, but come they did as Bunny raised his head to cast a sorrow filled gaze onto his family "Why…" he murmured before giving one last tortured scream that echoed among the treetops "WHY?!"

With a stifled sob, the Pooka slammed his foot onto the ground creating a hole, before jumping down into it leaving the group stunned and silent in his wake. Sabine stepped towards the area where the hole closed up, her paw gently reaching down to pluck the flower that had grown there, stroking it gently as she sniffed its fragrance.

"Beautiful," she whispered before lifting her eyes to the group "did you know the flowers that grow when a Pooka creates a hole are known to reflect the emotion of that Pooka?"

"Really?!" Jack gaped before a grin broke out on his face "Cool! But…how would a flower reflect their emotions?"

"They do it based on each flower's meaning," Tooth supplied "it's known as the language of the flowers."

"Oh," the frost child nodded softly "So, what does that one mean?"

Sabine smiled sadly at the flower in her hand, heaving a soft sigh before answering "This flower is the Asphodel, its literal meaning is 'My regrets follow you to the grave'."

Pitch jerked back as if he had been physically slapped, and North let out a low moan of agony for his friend. Tooth immediately grasped the Boogeyman's hand, hugging his arm and burying her face into his shoulder. Jack sunk down to rest on the balls of his feet, arms hugging his knees to his chest as he allowed a grieved sigh to slip past his lips.

"Yeah," the frost child murmured "I'm not surprised,"

"Which leaves me with a question," Sabine continued "who is this Pooka that he was raving about, and why is it such a horrible thing that I look like her, plus…what happened to her that made him so…upset?"

"That's not easy question to answer," North sighed "but we will do our best, come with us and we will tell you story."

…

Bunny thundered down his tunnels practically on autopilot, his eyes tightly shut as hot liquid dripped off his face leaving a trail of tears, and his teeth were grit to the point that many would worry about them cracking. After what seemed like an eternity of running, the Pooka arrived at the Warren skidding to a stop at the entrance of his home. Barging through the door and stomping into the kitchen, the rabbit rested his paws on the countertop, shoulder trembling violently as he drew deep shuddering breaths.

"Why, you jerk," Aster bit out through a bitter snarl "WHY DO YOU INSIST ON TORTURING ME?!"

"Why?!"

Bunny lunged forward grasping a stack of dishes and throwing them to the floor, the tears coming faster and hotter than before.

"Why do this?!"

Porcelain eggs, beautifully painted and impeccably designed, joined the plates but the Pooka threw each one in various directions all the while sobbing his grief.

"How DARE you?! How dare you even consider that this is acceptable?!"

A flurry of pots and pans clattered to the floor, while paints and pictures were knocked off the walls, until suddenly the rabbit paused in the rampant destruction of his home, his shaking paws holding a picture he had painted of his lost love surrounded by a field of flowers. A strangled sob wrenched itself from the depths of his soul and the Pooka sunk to his knees, clutching the picture to his chest as an ancient wound reopened on his heart, bleeding into his soul, casting a dark shadow across his center.

Heart wrenching weeping echoed in the empty warren, and as its master sunk deeper into grief filled confusion, so too did the warren. The light filtering into the chasm began to dim, and flowers closed up, while a cold wind blew through. The eggs and stone golems shivered as the sudden change swept through the once warm and bright space, and hope for the moment, seemed lost in a sea of loneliness and despair.

….

Sabine dug her nails into the seats of the sleigh, before lunging to grab a hold of Jack as she gave a shriek of terror when the wooden contraption gave a lurch and began to descend from the sky "How can you ride in this thing?!" she bellowed.

Jack shrugged, mischievous amusement twinkling in his aquiline gaze "Yeah, Bunny doesn't like it either, I guess it's because you're spirits more connected to the Earth."

Sabine opened her mouth to answer, but wind turbulence caused her jaw to snap shut as she sunk down lower in her seat with a soft whine "Just tell me when we get there,"

Jack finally couldn't hold it in anymore, and he released a long laugh "Don't worry, I know it's probably scary at first, but it really isn't all that bad."

"Yeah, says the guy who can fly because he's best buddies with the wind," the Pooka muttered and she sent a soft glare at the boy who's arm she was still gripping.

"Yup, plus I know a girl who's a wind spirit," Jack chirped, blue eyes suddenly becoming dazed and dreamy as he sighed "she's great,"

Sabine raised an eyebrow "Ooooh," she hummed playfully before saying in a singsong voice "Jackie's got a girlfriend!"

Jack's eyebrows shot sky high as his pale features flushed a bright red that had nothing to do with the cold wind blowing in his face "N-No I don't!" he spluttered before pouting softly "I m-mean, she wouldn't, you know…think of me like that."

"Why not?"

Jack groaned as he planted his face between his knees "Because she's amazing, and our first date must have been a fluke, because no way a classy girl like her would go for a goofball like me."

"Well she must be interested if she even went on a first date with you," Sabine shrugged, thankful for the distraction from her current mode of transportation "have you tried asking her on a second date yet?"

The frost child sighed "No,"

"Again, why not?"

"BECAUSE!" Jack shot up, bottom lips poking out in an endearing pout as he flung his arms around in his attempt to explain his reasoning "I'm scared she'll say no!"

"But what if she says yes?"

"AAAAHH!" Jack snarled throwing his hands in the air and bringing them down to slap his thighs before scooting away from her and crossing his arms with a huff "You're as bad as Bunny,"

"That male Pooka gives you dating advice?" Sabine felt her own eyebrows shoot for the stars this time in shock that the rabbit was capable of such a thing.

"Yeah," Jack shrugged "it was because of him that I even got that one date in the first place."

"Wow,"

The Guardian of Fun turned to the female Pooka, his features dark and suspicious "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Sabine held up both paws in seeming surrender "I am just surprised that a male Pooka is in touch with his…softer side."

"HA!" Jack barked, clutching his ribs as he began to guffaw helplessly "Trust me," the teen giggled "he's in touch with his softer side; sometimes he's even downright girly!"

"I can't see that," the female said with a shake of her head.

"Probably not right now," Jack nodded before casting an impish grin on the girl "but that's because you've only seen him in spaz mode. Trust me, he can cook, he is nitpicky about keeping things clean, and he loves growing flowers, but that's just part of Bunny's character. He's also a strong martial artist, a guy that I've seen almost die in battle with injuries that would make even the strongest warrior cry for his mom, and still get up without batting an eye or a single complaint about pain and finish the fight and come out the winner. He's loyal to his family, and protective of those he loves. He never gives up fighting for what he believes in, and he considers the family in his life the most valuable treasure to be found, and when you earn that place in Bunny's heart…there's nothing else like it in the whole world."

Sabine gaped at the once flamboyant child utter words that rung with deep wisdom, respect, and love for a person that he wasn't even related to by blood. Sitting back in her seat, the female Pooka pursed her lips as she dared to allow the smallest stray thought to cross her mind that maybe, just maybe, she had judged the male too harshly.

I hope this makes up for my absence, but I am in a crazy amount of pain due to my dislocated knee. I'm stuck on crutches and in an immobilizer for the next few weeks or so, so please keep me in your thoughts.

If you enjoyed this, then please…

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