Author's Note: *Light flickers on* *Steps into spotlight* *Spreads arms out wide* BEHOLD, FOR I HAVE RETURNED! =D

Hello everyone and happy 2023! ^u^ My Moon, did 2022 fly so quickly...Right when I adjust to writing 2022 as the date, now I have to start writing 2023 on everything (I've already written 2022 on accident on several of my assignments ahaha-).

Anyway...it feels so good to be back! =D A quick summary of my hiatus: I finished the How to Train Your Dragon books (I absolutely devoured these books and I loved them. XD No spoilers, but I highly recommend them if you guys haven't read them already!), I'm all caught up on my writing, I joined the National Junior Honors Society at my school and I'm president (although I was the only one who actually signed up for the president role...so there wasn't really anyone else to nominate QwQ), I caught up on a bunch of writing, and I'm planning my first original book series! =D I'm hoping to write the first novel for Camp NaNoWriMo this summer if all goes according to plan. I'm also thinking about joining FictionPress (the alternative to FanFiction where you can post original works), so I can post it for ya'll there if you're interested in reading it. ^u^ I'm even thinking about perhaps maybe even publishing it as an actual book...but I'm not going to get too far ahead of myself, haha. XD

To start off the new year, I decided to provide you guys with a little hurt/comfort, brotherly one-shot between Jack and Bunny. =) This is my first T-rated one-shot, but it's a mild T due to blood and injury as mentioned in the summary. I don't know why, but the beginning of this one-shot took me at least four attempts...but I think I nailed it the fourth time. X)

I hope you guys enjoy this one-shot! =D

Breathe

He was going to die.

Short, barely audible gasps came from the winter spirit as he lay on the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut, a whimper crawling up his throat. Sweat beaded his brow and dripped from his bangs to the muddy, damp ground beneath him. His chest ached. Burned. It felt as if North's entire army of yetis was sitting upon it. His blue hoodie—the one that he cherished like gold—was slashed across the sleeves and various areas on his chest. Three perceptible bumps poked against his chest. Ah, that explained why his chest ached. Three of his ribs were broken, two on the left and one on the right.

His pants at the knees were torn and blood seeped through the open wounds, rolling down his legs and dripping against the ground like oil. Burns littered his body; they swelled like boils. They were on his chest, his arms, his face, his everything, stinging like electricity. On his face were scratches and bruises that littered his cheeks and the rest of his face. Jack licked his lower lip; his tastebuds winced at the metallic taste of blood. And, to top it all off, he had a black eye, as bloated and purple as a grape.

The Summer Sprites really went all out on me this time…huh? Jack thought sarcastically, but his thoughts were once again taken over by the pain that plagued him terribly. Jack wrapped an arm around himself, breathing heavily as he tried to hold himself together, for he indeed felt like he was going to fall apart.

His lungs pushed against his broken bones, desperate for more oxygen than what little they were getting. Jack's ribs screamed in agony, and tears sprung from his eyes, sparkling like glass. Oh, how it hurt. How everything hurt. His mind buzzed and blurred from the torturous sensations.

None of this made sense to him. Not at all. Jack hadn't done anything wrong, and he was only passing through. He knew that the other Spirits of Nature weren't fond of him, but he didn't understand that either. Whatever rumors spiraled around about him were false, and Jack thought that his new status as a Guardian would somewhat protect him from their violent attacks…

Perhaps he had been a little too hopeful.

Shoot…the Guardians are going to freak when they see me like this…

He had been on his way to the North Pole from Antarctica. The title of Spirit of Winter was a heavy one to hold, but Jack got used to it with practice. Redirecting blizzards, guiding winds, and blessing cities with snow showers were all part of his duty. While Jack was the embodiment of the winter season itself, there were still wild, uncontrolled snowstorms that appeared on their own accord. Not he or Mother Nature had a hand in them, so it was usually Jack who went to steer them away so that mortals weren't in danger of them.

It was an interesting job, as Jack got to communicate with the Winds that raged within these storms. They were untamed, ancient gales that had been fidgeting within the stronger, more dominant Wind that Jack flew on. Once they broke off from their mother, they craved chaos and destruction. Thus, they unleashed this in the form of huge, monstrous blizzards that could very much wipe out an entire city if Jack didn't do his job properly.

Jack would move these blizzards away from society, only leaving behind the bits that weren't as fatal. This is why we still receive the occasional blizzard or two during the winter season. As destructive as they are, we need them to retain balance in nature. Jack would take these wild storms to Antarctica, where they raged, oblivious to the fact that they had been moved. Once all their energy was used, they'd disappear, transforming into a pleasant shower of snowflakes, much to the contrast of the murderous storm they had once been.

Jack had finished moving the last of these blizzards when he saw the Northern Lights weaving like colored silk in the sky. A feeling—not an ominous one, but better described as a calling—warmed Jack's chest. It was time for the Guardians to gather once again. Even if they couldn't see the lights, a feeling like a feather brushing one's skin would befall them whenever it was time to meet.

With a hearty twirl of his staff, Jack soared on the Wind and sailed in the direction of Santoff Claussen, North's Palace of Wonder. A smile graced his pale features as he thought of encountering the Guardians again. It had been quite some time since they had last seen each other, and Jack was looking forward to meeting with them. He knew it would take time before he reached full acceptance, but Jack was slowly beginning to trust the peculiar bunch…And slowly beginning to see them as his family. That was something that Jack had longed for since he had risen from the cold depths of his lake, but he knew that it was best to take things slow, even though the Guardians silently viewed him the same way.

The Guardian of Fun was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the strange figures approaching him through the clouds. He did, however, feel the temperature increase. It wasn't uncomfortable, but Jack still preferred the cold. He was about to ask the Wind if she could cool the area down a bit when he was suddenly shoved out of the sky by an unseen force.

Plummeting to earth like a stone, Jack frantically scrambled for his staff, which had slipped out of his fingers upon impact. The winter spirit grabbed it and called for the help of his friend. The Wind responded instantaneously, and she slowed Jack's fall. The winter spirit landed rather unceremoniously in the muck, but thankfully, he wasn't injured.

From his 300 years alone, Jack had developed uncanny senses that helped him to survive. He was almost always alert. This was something he wished had an on-and-off switch, especially when the Guardians surprised him with a party or woke him up from his slumber. The slightest sound would jolt Jack into defense, and he'd blast or freeze whatever he had heard or come near him unannounced, whether it was a friend or foe.

These moments were incredibly embarrassing for Jack, and he'd apologize when these episodes would occur. When you've lived alone for so long, the only person you can trust is you and yourself. No one else is there to help you, so you have to learn and grow on your own. Defend yourself on your own. Though his heightened senses were helpful during his period of solitude, Jack found them to be quite aggravating now that he didn't have any unseen dangers to worry about with the Guardians nearby.

On rare occasions—occasions like these—they did come to be potent. Jack was on his feet in an instant, his staff pointed out in front of him as he peered into the thick brush of the jungle. He had landed in a clearing, and he appeared to be alone other than the Wind surrounding him. But his instincts told him that there was something—someone—lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.

It wasn't Pitch. The Boogeyman had a dark aura that sent chills down Jack's spine, despite him being immune to the cold. Sweat trickled down the winter spirit's neck as the temperature continued to rise. The Nightmare King couldn't alter the elements either, so Jack knew that there was only one other person—a group, rather—that would bend the heat to the point that made him feel as if he were melting.

"Elianna," growled Jack, his icy eyes narrowing. The Summer Sprite stepped out of the bushes at the sound of her name. Heat waves rolled off of her like a cape unfolding, making Jack feel increasingly uncomfortable. Her eyes were sharp, similar to Jack's, though hers were the color of a bright summer's day than a cold winter's night. The seasonal's fiery blond hair was tied in a ponytail, an unusually bright blue streak stuck out against the gold. Elianna was outfitted in her usual attire; a skirt and collar designed to look like rays of the sun, and metal and gold bands hugging her arms and wrists. They jangled like eerie windchimes, and her sneer was just as dirty as the mud surrounding her.

"Frost," Elianna spat. Jack's scowl deepened. Elianna always addressed him by his last name, and she always said it as if it were venom. Four more Summer Sprites landed behind her, equally irritated looks on their faces. Jack shifted on his feet, hiding his discomfort. The heat radiating off of all of them was reaching the point where he couldn't bear it. However, Jack didn't allow this to show, and he stared at Elianna with an equally petrifying gaze.

"I don't know what you want, but I know I didn't do anything wrong," said Jack. "So just leave me alone, and we can forget this encounter ever happened."

Elianna scoffed. "I don't take orders. Especially not from you. You think just because you're a Guardian you can demand us around like we're your servants?"

Jack's scowl deepened. "My Guardianship doesn't have anything to do with this," he snapped. "I'm just sick and tired of you guys picking on me for no reason."

"No reason?" repeated Elianna slowly. Her fingers twitched dangerously, and Jack knew he had crossed a line. "If I remember, you were the one who killed our flowers with frost for the fun of it. You were the one hijacking our storms, causing them to hail instead of rain. The work that we dedicate ourselves to doing has been more than once messed up by you and your selfish antics."

Jack pursed his lips. Everything that Elianna was saying did indeed occur, but not in the way she spoke them. You see, Jack was desperate, yearning for attention during his 300 years alone. Even if it was for a fraction of a second, Jack wanted to be noticed. And the way he was acknowledged didn't matter as long as he was noticed.

The frosting of the flowers had been a simple prank. The rain-to-hail storm had only been him trying to move the storm to a safer area, but his cold winds had frozen the rain instead of moving them.

Jack was an elusive spirit. Little was known about him and most didn't take the time to get to know him, unlike the Guardians. The Summer Sprite's perspectives on him hadn't changed like most of the Elemental Council and Seasonal Assembly. Some were slowly turning over new leaves, but many were still resentful at the mention of Jack Frost. They believed that he didn't deserve to be a Guardian, which was why Jack worked so hard to prove them wrong. But it seemed that their minds stubbornly refused to change regardless of what he did. And the few that did were…few. And they weren't always around since they were busy with their nature-related duties.

Explaining this to Elianna and the group of Summer Sprites was fruitless. She would never listen to him, and she never had. So, there Jack stood. Silent as a shadow as he met the glares of each of the malevolent sprites before him.

Elianna's hands balled into fists, and waves of pure summer heat erupted from them. Jack's felt like warm pudding, and his head felt airy as the Sprite's heat consumed the cold aura he brought with him. She sprung forward, like a cat pouncing a mouse, swiftly knocking Jack off his feet.

"The Man in the Moon must've been desperate if he chose you to be a Guardian." Elianna snarled. "You're nothing but a low-life spirit, Frost."

"Well, at least I'm not a hot-headed delinquent like you," Jack retorted. For that, he earned a sharp kick in the stomach. Despite the pain, Jack got to his feet, earning him another sharp punch in the face.

"You're a criminal, Frost!" shouted Elianna, her heat becoming an inferno. Jack's head spun. "And it's about time you paid for what you've done."

Jack knew what was coming. This had happened before, and it never got old no matter how many times it occurred. He forced his vision to focus and planted his feet on the ground. He lifted his staff, blue light crackling like lightning around the aged wood. Elianna and her sprites advanced with their scabbards and knives. Jack gulped, and the Wind screamed around him. He was out of his domain and outnumbered. He wasn't going to win.

And win he didn't.

They beat him up. Punched him. Cut and slashed his flesh. There were so many cuts, so many fresh wounds that Jack grew lightheaded from the blood loss. He was in a terrible state, but the Summer Sprites (or demons in Jack's mind) persisted. He blasted them with ice. They came at him with heat. His skin was burned by their fiery attacks, and they took pleasure in every scream he released.

They ripped away his staff, and when he finally fell, they delivered their worst. Two sprites held him down as Elianna delivered five swift punches to his face and several kicks to his chest. He was a sweating, bloody mess by the time they deemed their torture done. Elianna raised the temperature again. Jack trembled on the muddy ground, feeling like a child who had been beaten down by their bully.

And, in this scenario, that was absolutely true.

Before leaving, Elianna delivered one last warning.

"And if you tell any of the Guardians who was responsible for this…" She snapped her fingers, the ground where Jack lay burning into his skin like molten lava. Jack let out a cry. "We won't be too far away."

With that, the wretched young teen and her troupe of helpers left, leading up to where Jack was now. On the ground in the middle of the hot, humid jungle, close to what he thought was his end. He needed to get to Santoff Claussen…He needed to get to the Guardians, but how? No one was here to help him. He was all alone. Raindrops began to plop onto his face as the clouds darkened.

Jack felt his eyes start to flutter as unconsciousness began to drag him down. The sounds of the rain dwindled into a soft ringing in his ears. His mind was muddled, overwhelmed by the awful aches that raged through his body. He knew he needed to stay awake, but he couldn't do so any longer. The pain was too great, and he wanted relief. The winter spirit wondered if anyone would find him. There were the Guardians, but it had been…how long had he been lying there? The boy had lost track of time, but it mattered not. There was no one around here who could help him, and it would take a miracle for—

"Jack!"

Said winter spirit's eyes flickered open. Was his delirious mind playing tricks on him, or had he heard an Australian-accented voice call his name?

"Jack, where are ya, mate?!"

Jack's chest flooded with relief. Bunny. It was Bunny! He wanted to call out, cry for him, but the loudest he could speak was a soft, cracked whisper. Luckily, the Wind, who had disappeared moments before to find help, led the tall rabbit to the clearing where Jack was. The winter spirit managed to loll his head in the Pooka's direction.

"B-Bunny…" he said hoarsely. Bunny rushed to Jack's side and gasped at the sight of the bloodied spirit in front of him.

"Moon above…Frostbite, what happened to ya?"

"Heck, that's what…" moaned Jack.

Being careful not to jostle his injuries, Bunny lifted him off the ground, his brow creasing with worry. Jack looked awful. The Pooka didn't know if Jack knew the seriousness of his condition, but he was bleeding almost everywhere. The Guardian of Fun's eyes were unfocused and glistened with pain. His cheeks were flushed due to the heat, and his breaths were short and quick. His black eye stuck out against his deathly pale skin, and running his paw over the boy's chest, Bunny could feel that he had a few broken ribs. By the looks of the slashes on his hoodie and skin, Bunny could tell that they had been executed by knives of some sort, meaning that Jack didn't have an accident, but he was attacked.

Anger boiled within Bunnymund, swearing that he'd find the culprits who did this to the winter spirit. But he couldn't dwell on thoughts of revenge for long; Jack was in pain, and he needed him.

Jack appeared dazed, so Bunny tapped his cheek. "Oi, ya still with me?"

"Y-Yeah…" Jack croaked. He closed his eyes and shivered. "W-What…What took you so long…?"

"When ya didn't show up after the first fifteen minutes, we started ta get worried," Bunny explained. "Then the Wind came burstin' in, screamin' like crazy, so we knew that somethin' happened ta ya."

"W-Where are the others?" questioned Jack.

"We split up ta cover more ground since the jungle's too dense to go through with the sleigh," answered Bunny. "But enough about us…how are ya feelin'? Can ya tell me what hurts?"

"Everything…" Jack groaned. And from the way he looked, Bunny found that answer wholly accurate.

"What happened ta ya, mate?" the Guardian of Hope asked again. Jack's eyes flicked in his direction. "This clearly wasn't an accident."

Jack averted his gaze to the ground. "I…I can't tell you," he whispered.

"Why?" asked Bunny, bemused.

"B-Because…" Jack paused and shook his head. "I-I just can't."

"Well, ya better. 'Cause I can't haul ya ta the others and give them a shoddy explanation like that."

Jack glared at the Pooka. He knew he wasn't trying to upset him, but Jack was afraid. Afraid of what the Summer Sprites would do to him if he explained what had happened. A threat from Elianna was one not to ignore. She meant what she had said, Jack knew, and he didn't want to put himself (or the Guardians) in danger of her wrath. So, the Guardian of Fun kept his mouth shut.

Bunny sighed. The rain soaked his fur, making it look darker than the clouds above. "We need ta get ya back ta the Pole," he muttered. "But this conversation isn't over. Do ya think ya can stand?"

If there was anything Jack didn't want to do at that moment, it was to attempt to stand up. He weakly shook his head.

"Then I guess I'm carryin' ya back," concluded Bunny. "I'm going ta lift on three, alright?"

Jack stiffened, but he nodded.

"One…two…three!"

Jack gasped as he was lifted off the ground. He felt as if his head was being beaten by a sledgehammer. His vision spun and swam; the winter spirit couldn't tell if it was because of the rain or tears. His chest constricted, his lungs desperately crying out for air, though his ribs wouldn't allow it. They shouted and screamed, and Jack thought for a moment he heard himself screaming as well. He shivered and shook, his entire body racked with pain. The burns littered across his skin blazed like an inferno. His open wounds screeched. He felt as if he were struck by lightning, a hundred watts of pure pain coursing through his body.

Jack felt Bunny place him back on the ground. His panicked voice was drowned by the incessant ringing that throbbed in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears rolling down his cheeks. Jack couldn't breathe; he couldn't breathe. He felt as if a rubber band was squeezing his insides every time he tried to take a breath.

"Jack? Jack! Jack, calm down mate, calm down, yer goin' into shock!"

He tried. He tried to calm down, but he couldn't. The pain was too great. It was too much. And he cried. He cried because it hurt. He cried because he couldn't handle it. He felt embarrassed and ashamed for breaking down in front of Bunny like this. The pernicious encounter he had with the Summer Sprites, the heat of the jungle, the swirling questions of why, why, why? Why did this have to happen to him? Why did they hate him so much? Why couldn't he just be accepted by everyone? Why did things have to be this way?

"Come on, Frostbite! Come on! Just…just…breathe, mate! It's okay, just breathe!"

Jack's unfocused eyes looked up at Bunny. He could barely perceive the Pooka's face. All that lay before him was a grey blob with two bright green circles that he knew had to be his eyes.

"In and out, Jackie. In and out," Bunny insisted.

"I…I can't…" Jack whined.

"Ya ain't dyin' on me now, mate…!" Bunny snapped. "Just keep breathin'!"

Jack laughed through his tears. "Silly Kangaroo…I can't die."

Yes, the heat was definitely making him go delirious.

"Doesn't matter! Just breathe!"

Jack closed his eyes and focused on his breaths. Bunny kept encouraging him as the winter spirit fought to balance his breathing. Soon, his breaths returned to normal. Well, as normal as one could label in the condition Jack was in. His vision cleared, and the ringing in his ears dissipated. Bunny's face became clear, like a reflection in a mirror. Jack hadn't realized he was leaning against the Pooka's fur, clutching it as if it were his lifeline. Bunnymund didn't seem to mind, and Jack was too exhausted to feel embarrassed.

"There ya go," Bunny soothed. "Now, I'm going ta try liftin' ya again. This time I'll be more gentle. Do ya think ya can manage…?"

Jack braced himself and nodded against Bunny's chest.

"Here we go…One, two…three!"

Bunny lifted the winter spirit off the muddy ground, and the Easter Bunny felt Jack go limp in his arms. He didn't panic too much, knowing that Jack was in a lot of pain and his body was relieving him from the shock. Though, he couldn't help but feel worried for the boy. The winter spirit had gotten himself into precarious situations before, but this was something that Jack didn't walk into. Something had happened here. Something that Jack didn't initiate. Scanning the area, Bunny noticed the scorch and burn marks on the surrounding trees and ground. These burns were in various shapes that represented the sun. And there was only one group that had the compatibility of producing burns in such a pattern.

Summer Seasonals, Bunny thought with a growl. He didn't know what group was responsible (seasons and elementals come in all different sizes. Elementals are older and are the base of all seasons. They are divided into magical groups like fairies, sprites, creatures, and spirits, and more, making it difficult to track down culprits), and hopefully Jack was willing to tell him and he others once he awoke. Jack always handled predicaments like these on his own. And he had a long way to go before realizing he no longer needed to keep things to himself.

And no matter how long that took, Bunny promised he'd be there for Jack on that long journey. He and the other Guardians of Childhood, who were probably returning to the sleigh at that very moment.

Bunny spotted Jack's staff lying a few ways away from him. Being careful not to disturb Jack, he bent down and picked it up. Gently, he placed it in Jack's hands, and the winter spirit's fingers immediately curled around it. A gentle smile graced his pale features at the feeling of his beloved conduit. He looked like a child who had reunited with their favorite stuffed animal. Bunny couldn't help but smile at the display.

As he began to make his way back to the sleigh, Bunny felt Jack shift in his arms. The winter spirit blearily opened his eyes and looked at Bunny.

"Bunny…" he whispered.

"Yeah, mate?"

Jack's eyes were two drops of moonlight.

"Thank you."

Bunny paused and felt his chest warm. A small smile crawled onto his face.

"Yer welcome, mate."

And Jack sunk into unconscious once more.

Author's Note: I don't know if you guys can tell, but I really love Jack and Bunny's relationship, haha. XD I had a lot of fun writing this one-shot. ='3 I'm also trying out a bit of a new writing style...the changes aren't easily noticeable, but if this one-shot sounds a little different compared to my other works, that's why. ^u^

Also, this one-shot introduces an OC of mine...I mentioned her in a previous one-shot (the drabble "Troublemaker, I believe). Elianna is still in a bit of development, but I wanted to give her a bit of an introduction. (I promise she's not as bad as she seems...she's got quite the backstory QwQ).

She will feature in a future story of mine called "The Last Element" along with some other elemental/seasonal OCs that I've created. You can probably tell what the fanfiction will be about by the title, but I have yet to determine when it'll come out. XD I'm hoping sometime later this year if all goes well. ^u^

One of the things I love about Rise of the Guardians is how open and diverse the world is. There's so much story left unrevealed, and I feel like it's our job as fanfiction writers to answer those unanswered questions left in the movie or the books (like Bunny's backstory and Sandy's) and build upon the world that we were given through the film. =D There's so much potential in Rise of the Guardians, and while I wish there was a sequel and that some of the book characters featured in the movie (*coughcoughcough* Katherine, Ombric, Emily Jane, Twiner *coughcoughCOUGH*), I think pretty much all of my ROTG fanfictions are a continuation of the movie (well, except for "The Winter Child..." since that's an AU...haha X)).

And those of you who write ROTG fanfictions too are also expanding this amazing story. =) So, keep on doing what you're doing! =3 I live for this stuff, hehe. QwQ

Anyway, thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you in whatever I write next! =D

Until the next story!

~BeyondTheMoon1203