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Anonymous user: Pitch secretly loves all things pink ;)

Demi Clayton: Thank you, I'm working on more chapters :)

Little sad one shot here, right after Jack talks to the moon (at the start of the film)

Chapter 10: Realisations

"You put me here. The least you could do is tell me... tell me why." Jack stared longingly up at the moon, not expecting a response. He never got a response. All the anger from his previous outburst drained from his body, replaced by utter desperation. Jack could deny it no longer: his existence was worthless. True, he had always known, but when not even his creator thought he was worthy of being spoken back to, he was starting to think what the point - of anything - was anymore.

Bunny watched from the sidelines as the usually joyful, mischievous Winter Spirit's facade crumbled. Who knew? All along, even more so since the Easter of '68 - he still hadn't forgiven Frost for that - Bunny had thought the kid to be an arrogant, self-centred little twerp. Now though, he was seeing a completely different side to him. He was no longer care-free, no longer had that annoying little smirk on his face. All he saw now was the face of someone who was broken. Completely, utterly broken, inside and out.

Was this a cry for help? Bunny didn't think so, after all; he didn't know that anyone was with him. Or rather, that anyone was silently watching him and had been for the last five minutes. Kinda creepy if you thought about it, but that's wasn't where Bunny's head was at at the moment. The Guardian of Hope didn't know what to think - how could he let someone, a child nonetheless, fall this far down into a pit of sorrow. He had seen it first hand and he knew how hard it was to climb back out of when you fell too deep.

And if anything, he'd had a hand in it. It was ironic, if you thought about it: the keeper of Hope taking it away from someone. Who was he to decide that the boy didn't deserve such a gift? Pain in the ass or not, it was a basic right to life - after all, what was life without hope?

Bunnymund could only think about how many times the boy must have been in this position- secretly pleading, begging to be seen, to know what his purpose was. And the more he thought about it, the more sick it became. How could he remain so happy, so nonchalant? Fake emotions or not, they were pretty convincing. Too convincing, so much so that the most powerful spirits on Earth hadn't noticed. And most likely, wouldn't notice. After all, who pays attention to a trouble making spirit, if only to lecture him on how he should behave.

Then it clicked. All the little tell tale signs. Remaining even after the seasons had changed (when he knew full well he should leave as soon as Winter ended). Shadowing other spirits. All the one-sided conversations, the pranks, the purposeful messes. Flying around in the god-damn middle of summer. It was all for one thing: to be noticed. And that broke Bunny's heart, knowing he could have stopped it, if only he had paid more attention.

How had he not noticed? How had any of the Guardians not noticed? Were the rumours really true, were they too absorbed in their jobs of keeping the human children safe that they abandoned their own kind? He would never admit it to Frost, but he was wrong. If only he realised it sooner.

Minutes passed as Bunnymund wallowed in his thoughts - completely forgetting the task at hand - before a loud bang echoed to his right, immediately catching Jack's attention (who had not moved from his spot).

That was the signal.

Promptly pushing back his dark line of thoughts, the Guardian of Hope looked up at the boy one last time. In an instant, his features had once again hardened into a mask, a playful smile once more covering his face, portraying none of his previous emotion. His eyes squinted, attempting to find the source of the noise. But despite the false pretence, Bunny could still see remnants of the broken boys from moments ago. And as he rushed off, checking that Jack was still following him, he could only think one thing.

He knew that Jack would never hear him say it, but deep down, he was sorry.

A few days later, Bunny's realisation deepened. It was the worst Easter of his time, of all time, and a child had just walked through him. Like he wasn't there, like he simply didn't exist. Pain struck him like a brick, immediately weighing him down. He didn't think he'd be able to get back up. Yet, under all the anger, the sadness, and the overwhelming emotions, he only had one thought.

So this is what it feels like.

And again, he was sorry.