Rise of the Guardians 1. Eyes That Gleam Like Starlight

Jack Frost was bored after giving the world a snow day.

He was bored because all the children were exhausted after scampering in the snow all day and have all gone to bed and he had no one to play with.

He was bored because he had already made two rounds around the world and covered every inch with snow.

He was bored because he simply had no one to go to for company. Sandy and Tooth were busy day and night, North probably didn't have time for him, especially when Christmas is fast approaching, he'll just be doing North extra trouble if he would head to the pole to mess with the yetis

He chose to fly down to the Warren to annoy the hell out of his favorite rabbit as he always does if he had free time, and believe me he has a heck lot of it.

Bunny clearly had nothing to do today, in the middle of December, when Easter is still far away, but Bunny wasn't the type to just admit something right away, in fact he claimed he had a lot of tasks to do all year round.

_Yeah right. _If the Easter Bunny's job was to cover the whole world with flowers then _yes, _he would be very busy.

Jack has seen it before. Bunny would plant flowers in random places in the forest and simply sits there for seven days and watches it grow. Just what kind of task was that?

So Jack found the perfect solution to his boredom and flew off to Australia where Bunny's permanent rabbit holes were located.

* * *

><p>It was snowing up at the surface, but Bunny was enjoying his evening. The warren was still as bright as day, where flowers bloom daily and spring was eternal. The temperature was relatively warm, warm enough to keep the Pooka from feeling the winter's chill.<p>

A new batch of eggs have newly hatched, giving Bunny more to paint, just for a hobby. For someone who had literally nothing to do all year round, Bunny sure knew how to keep himself busy. For the passed week he's planted species of trees which were still unknown to humans in a couple of forests, which is why there were always new things for scientists to discover. He has re-shaped the land structure of some countries by digging to prevent them from sinking when time comes. He's weaved a thousand baskets to hold his eggs to keep them from wandering around and having the egg golems accidentally step on them. Things will be perfect by the time Easter comes.

Right now he has stuck to what he does best: painting eggs. Unlike North, who had plenty full of time to make his toys, he only has a maximum of three days to prepare for Easter. Eggs were perishable and children wouldn't want a rotten egg would they? His production of eggs officially begins at the start of spring, when the first flower blossoms, but there was an exception. Whenever he was bored, or as Bunny likes to call 'free time' he would make a fresh batch of eggs to paint just for fun but he certainly doesn't use those for Easter, once the paint dries, the little egglet's stay in the Warren forever so Bunny would have company in his, which he hated to admit too, _lonely _and _silent _Warren.

Bunny loved the silence, it was a sign of peace and tranquility, but sometimes the silence could drive him crazy. Sometimes he found it a little _too _quiet for his liking and he would always find himself in the North Pole engaging in a friendly conversation with North, or even an argument over Christmas and Easter again.

But Bunny didn't like it when it gets too rackety in his Warren either, he particularly hated it when a certain winter spirit come and disturbs his peace. It's already enough for him to deal with the trouble-maker during their monthly meetings; it would be hell for him if he was to deal with him in his own home too. Speaking of the devil

Bunny was just about to start drawing the patterns on his egg when the familiar voice echoed his tunnels, "Hey Kangaroo!"

Jack Frost dove in from the tunnels, stumbling onto the grass, bringing the chill of the winter breeze in along with him.

_Great just great, _Bunny gritted his teeth and tried to ignore him, returning to what he was doing before.

But Jack just really needed attention. He stood up wearing that usual smirk and dusted the dirt off himself and used his staff to regain his balance. The frost on his hoodie had already melted away from the warm temperature. "So" he waved his staff and the wind picked him up again, lashing a pile of fallen leaves around. The wayward landed on a tree branch that loomed over Bunnymund. "What's going on, did you miss me?"

His grip around the brush tightened and his ears dropped. Why does Jack have to ruin _everything?_

"No, in fact I was enjoyin' my day until you came" Bunny said grumpily. "No do me a favor and get out, I'm busy."

"Make me" Jack said his smirk widening as he crossed his arms. "Oh wait, rabbits can't fly."

Bunny rolled his eyes, "Ain't a good idea ta race a rabbit mate, I would really drag yer butt out if I really had to, don't you have somewhere else ta be? Its winter"

"Nope, I finished early, and the children are all asleep, I have nothing to do and I thought you didn't have anything to do either" Jack stated as a matter-of-factly as he hovered above Bunny's head.

"I have a lot of things ta do and I have no time fer yer tricks frost, now scram" Bunny tried not to raise his voice or else he'll have to go through an hour of Tooth's lectures.

The others have all grown to love Jack, Sandy gave him too much dreams, Tooth gave him too much care and North gave him too much attention, they would all fuss over as much as a scrape on the knee, for all he knew the winter child had quickly became the center of their world. Bunny would the same if Jack wasn't so bloody annoying, besides he is not the type to do so, and he knew Jack wasn't comfortable with all the attention either. It's not like he hated the winter spirit, the grudge he held from the blizzard of 68 had long vanished, he just wanted nothing to do with him.

"Oh come on, your bored too, don't you usually make eggs when spring begins?" Jack pointed out. "See you have nothing to do"

"And that doesn't mean I have time ta listen ta yer ranting" Bunny muttered. "Waddaya want?"

"I was just bored, but now that you asked, I wanted you freeze your ears together…"

"_Great, just great" _Bunny muttered to himself again and tried his best to continue painting. It was winter up at the surface and the only way for him to keep himself warm is to stay inside his Warren, but it was hard when you have a winter spirit freezing everything he sees for his own amusement.

Bunny felt his own patience wearing thin, Jack was really starting to get on his nerves. He tried his best to contain his anger and ignore him, but it was fairly impossible.

Until Jack showed a little interest in the flowers around the warren, although he didn't know what their names are, instead he calls them 'The little blue one' or "the one with lots of petals on it' and maybe even 'the yellow one that looks like a bell'

Bunny approached Jack who was staring curiously at a red flower at the other side of the field. "That one's called a tulip mate"

"Oh, I didn't know. Back then I thought flowers were all the same kind"

"Ey, nothin' is the same kind Frostbite, even us, we're all spirits but we each are different."

Bunny spent the next hour teaching Jack about the different names of the flowers, which country they originate from and how much water they needed daily. Normally Jack wouldn't care about that kind of stuff and would just fly away in the middle of explanation. It is why Bunny was surprised when Jack was interested in learning these things.

Bunny considered it somewhat of a bonding time. Jack is the guardian of fun, and it was true, he did bring joy to everyone. He wouldn't mind having Jack over more often.

The two guardians ended up sitting on a high hill watching the small egglets roam.

Honestly (Although he refused to admit that to Jack) he was having a nice evening.

"What was that you said about everyone being different?" Jack suddenly asked, giving Bunny a curious look.

"Oh that" Bunny snorted. "It was just somethin' that came up, I give a little words of wisdom once it a while" he expected to Jack to laugh and tease him about it, but to his surprise, he didn't, instead he shifted into an Indian sit, his gaze suddenly directed on the grass below them. "Back then when I first came out of that lake, I always thought people were all the same, I thought they acted the same, I thought they did the same things, they just look different, just like the flowers."

"Don't be a gumby, everyone is different, that's what makes them special, even if they look alike, they have their own abilities that make them different from each other. People have different thoughts, feelings and emotions; everyone stands out in some way. Same goes for us, we have different jobs, different traits, different centers, like how you wield winter and I control spring growth, we both represent something different." Bunny gestured at Jack's staff, "Just like the snowflakes you're makin'. They all have different patterns right?"

"Hm…I never thought it worked that way…" Jack murmured, still avoiding eye contact. It made Bunny wonder why he suddenly asked a question like that. It made Bunny ask, "Why, what's wrong?" He knew Jack long enough to know something was wrong whenever the hellion was acting strange, there is bound to be something troubling him.

"Nothing" Jack pulled his staff closer. "I was just curious" his saddened look lit up all of a sudden "aw you do care"

Bunny didn't protest, instead he ruffled his hair playfully.

Jack wasn't that bad, it was only what happened last Easter that ruined their friendship. He regretted saying those words, he regretted sending him away, he was just so blinded by range. Jack acted differently around him because of that. Now Bunny just wanted to show him how much he was trusted. "Ey, I'm headin' up in the mountains in Africa to check plant growth, ya mind watching those egglets for me?"

"Uh…sure" Jack seemed happy, and a little shocked, since when did Bunny leave him alone in the Warren? Just a few hours ago, he was trying to make him leave.

"_**Just don't make it snow in here" **_was his last reminder. The Pooka gave him a warm smile and proceeded to his tunnels, telling himself nothing will go wrong, because he trusts that 'bloody winter spirit'

* * *

><p>Turns out Bunny made a <em>big <em>mistake, a _terrible _mistake.

It was snowing in the Warren…

The usual warm and toasty temperature had subdued into arctic zero. Heaps of snow scattered in every corner. Frost pelted the leaves on the colorful mangrove trees; snowflakes were drifting around in the air. The lake of paint was frozen in a thick layer of ice. His few egglets were practically shivering from the sudden change of environment, some were cracking themselves by trying to dive in the frozen lake, the others were sinking in the piles of snow that now coated the grass.

Bunny wasn't mad, he was just frustrated, but his frustration eventually blighted into seething range when he saw a trail of shattered eggshells. His flowers were wilting from the unforgiving cold and the leaves on the trees were starting to shed.

This wasn't the birthplace of spring he was seeing…

It was a cold wasteland…

He_**trusted **_him and he gets this in return?

Bunny's eyes narrow as he spotted Jack flying his direction. The winter spirit stumbled in front of him without his usual grace. The wind blew too hard, sending the arctic chill beating violently around them. "Bunny I-" Jack tried to explain but he was cut off.

"You're not wanted here"

Jack flinched as Bunny spoke those familiar words.

_**He's heard those hurtful words…**_

_**He's heard those words lots and lots of times before….**_

But Bunny continued, ignoring how frightened Jack looked. "You have done enough, I have had enough of you tricks." He didn't yell, but his tine was filled with disappointment.

"But-"

"You can't even take anything seriously, it's only been a few hours and you've already transformed my warren into a wasteland. How do ya think I can clear this out in time? Do ya think the flowers will grow n time for next Easter?"

"I didn't mean to-"

"And that's what ya always say, sometimes I wonder why man in the moon chose someone like _**you **_to be a guardian. Ya make a make _**mess **_wherever ya go, ya can't do anything _**right**_"

Jack swallowed hard, the familiar feeling of déjà vu sinking in. He didn't even try to explain anymore. _**He was right, why the likes of him? **_

"I told you ta keep an eye on the eggs, not crack them and turn this whole place into a frozen wasteland!"

Jack shut his eyes. All he wanted was for the guardians to accept him, now it seems he made things worst. _**He wasn't one of them…**_

_**They will never accept him, especially Bunny…**_

_**He makes a mess wherever he goes…**_

_**He can't do anything right…**_

_All he wanted was someplace he belongs…was that too much to ask?_

"This is _**your **_fault," Bunny hissed "Easter would be _**ruined **_again just like before, because of _**you. **_Ya don't even deserve ta be _**believed, **_yer completely _**useless. **_Sometimes I just wish yer _**invisible **_to us like ya are ta humans, then I'll never have ta deal with ya." The Pooka absently unsheathed one of his boomerangs and aimed at Jack.

Jack knew Bunny wouldn't purposely hurt him, even if he was furious, but he just reacted….

….the way he reacted when the _**other **_spirits hurt him.

300 years is an awfully long time. A lot of things have happened to Jack

….things that made him raise his defenses….

The very cause of those violent snow storms during bitter nights

But he didn't fling his staff

He didn't summon the wind

He broke down, his voice wavering in fear. "I'm sorry!" he yelled and the temperature dropped even more. The wind whipped around violently, forming somewhat of a protective barrier around the frost child.

A tear slipped from the corner of his eyes, freezing midway down his cheek. "I'm sorry!" he repeated over and over again then flew off all of a sudden, into a small cave behind the lake of paint.

Bunny totally wasn't expecting that, his green eyes were wide with shock as he bound after the winter sprite, regretting his decisions more than ever. He didn't mean to say those words; he just got so frustrated _again. _

Bunny slowly pushed away the vines that tangled on the rocky edges of the small cave-like space. "Ey Jack" he called softly, crouching down to his level. Jack sat curled up against the corner of the rocky walls, his legs drawn up to his chest mumbling 'I'm sorry' again and again. His face was buried in his arms, although Bunny could see the tears present in his wide frightened eyes.

"Ey Jack" Bunny called again, hoping to get the winter spirit's attention. "Shh, hey it's alright, I'm sorry I didn't mean any of it."

"STOP IT!" Jack spat angrily as he clutched his ears and shook his head, his quivering voice echoed the dome walls, tears continued to flow from the corners of his tightly shut eyes The cold wind howled violently around them and it suddenly grew colder.

"Jack" Bunny tried to reach out but the winter spirit scooted away even further.

"I thought you were different" the young immortal said in a soft but pained voice. "I was wrong, you're the same as _**them **_you're all the same!"

Bunny had no idea what he was talking about. He knew Jack was acting strange from the very beginning but he never expected to see him like this. He's never even seen Jack cry before, especially in front of him. The winter sprite had a gift for hiding his emotions; he was impressed how he managed to keep himself together after so much years of solitude, but now he broke down, he couldn't hold his emotions anymore because of _**him**_.

What sort kind of family was he t him when he just kept on hurting him?

It may be better to let all the emotions out instead of keeping them to yourself, but it just pained Bunny to see Jack curled up alone in that cave silently crying to himself.

He figured the elemental has cried before, a lot of times before, maybe he has been alone, with no one there for him, no one to go to and no one to comfort him.

A pang struck his chest.

Jack was crying because it was all his fault and he had no idea how to comfort him.

"Jack" he tried again.

The hellion used his sleeve to wipe away the tears. He picked up his staff that was propped against the wall beside him and gathered the strongest force of wind. He shot passed Bunny, wordlessly flying out of the warren.

But before he left completely, the Pooka was able to hear Jack's faint voice say, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna come back"

Bunny was confused as ever, _what just happened?_

* * *

><p>Blizzards don't happen because he <em><strong>wanted <strong>_them to.

Sure he _**is **__irresponsible_

Sure he _**could **_get carried away with his tricks at times.

But he will _**never kill, **_he isn't that kind of person and he never will be, even if was angry, saddened or deeply _**hurt. **_The other spirits thought otherwise.

They say winter is the season that kills, when morning air was no longer comfortingly warm but biting arctic and nights were so bitterly cold.

People would die suffering the in the gelid snow, plants would shrivel, the grass would wither, the beauty of nature would be lost.

The worst of all was the spirits were blaming _**him **_for destroying a year of hard work.

They would always tell him "summer brings them comforting warmth, spring brings them blossoming flowers, Autumn brings them harvest, you're _**useless **_you're not _**wanted **_here."

Jack would always blame himself for being the bringer of winter; he would always blame the Moon for putting him in such a cruel world, for leaving him alone without guidance of support.

His sadness turns to anger and he eventually releases the range through blizzards and violent snow storms.

It happened the first time he encountered Summer.

It happened the first time he encountered Autumn.

It happened the first time he encountered Spring, the time he first met Bunnymund, the time he caused the blizzard of 68' on Easter Sunday.

He swore it will never happen again, over and over that it had already become more of a promise that he's always broken.

On a cold gray morning when the air was deathly arctic, Jack would stand upon the havoc the harsh winter night has caused, only tears drifting from his eyes, freezing midway down his cheeks and falling into the hardened ground. Snowflakes swept across the land of brutal cold before disappearing into the cracks of the pavement.

Blizzards happen when he was feeling lost and alone, tired of roaming villages on cold starless nights, peering into windows to watch families, feeling the warmth that was never there.

It's funny how someone who could easily be harmed by heat craved for the feeling of warmth. All these years he's felt so cold, he never knew the feeling of being held by someone or the feeing of safeness of having a family. All he knew was wandering in the bitter cold, confused and in addle, his questions never answered. Every step he took, loneliness stalked close behind. He's been alone all he could remember, he longed for attention.

It was Easter that day and all Jack could do was watch the children's belief spread, wondering when they will believe in _**him.**_

He couldn't bare holding in the pain any longer, he didn't want to be invisible, he wanted to be believed in, he wanted the other spirit's attention, because it's the only proof to convince himself that he's not a ghost.

He created a blizzard

But Bunny hurt him in return

Bunny hurt him over and over and he just pretended to take it as a joke, but deep inside he clung to every word he said.

Jack built a dam around his heart after the blizzard of 68, thinking there's no one he could trust. He believed the other spirits would never hesitate to hurt him and there was no one here to care for him. But at times that dam would constantly breakaway, his heart slowly opening up again, masking away the fear and frustration from the years of solitude.

Whenever his hope is built up, in the end it was always shattered to bits.

What he learned from, first time he was chosen as a guardian, what happened last Easter and most recently the events that happened in the Warren.

He should never have opened up to them….

They're all the same…

* * *

><p><strong>This is only gonna last up to 2-3 chapters. Originally it was a one-shot but it seemed to be getting TOO long.<strong>

**Anyway, Hi I hope you guys still remember me :D I haven't published anything in a while, and I am doing an absolutely horrible job at updating my current in progress stories. It feels good to publish something new again XD The next chapter will be up soon (I hope) it depends on how much school is gonna throw at me next week.**

**Thank you for taking time to read this, reviews are very much welcomed and I hope you have a good day :D **

**I own nothing and I never will :( but that's okay, after all I own my imagination. **


	2. Heart As Cold As Winter

At this point, Bunny started to panic, he knew his mistake, once again he's let pride get in his way. The thoughts buzzed around his head, guilt began to eat away his heart. He zipped across the snowfields relentlessly, ignoring the fact that the bone chilling snow dug into his paws.

He cursed as he made a mad dash around the North Pole, trying his best not to step on the annoying skittering elves or run into any yetis that hustle and bustle.

He hated asking for help, especially from North, but it's not like he had any other choice, the former Cossack was the closest thing to a father figure to Jack, he's bound to know the reason behind his odd behavior.

He sprinted around on all fours, looking around for North yet trying not to disturb the flow of the toy production.

He dodged another rushing yeti and spun around just as his acute hearing picked up the muffled yet booming sound of North's voice barking commands inside the room nearby.

"Ey North" he called and strode down the hallways, angrily kicking away an elf crossing paths with him.

"Ey" he ripped open the door and nearly crashed into North who was standing so close to the doorway.

"Bunny, what a surprise!" The Russian greeted, clapping Bunny in the back a little too hard it tipped his balance.

The Pooka stumbled forward with a grunt but quickly regained his balance. He straightened and confronted North with a somber tone. "Hey, have ya noticed anythin' strange about Frostbite lately?"

"Yes...I've noticed why what iz wrong?"

Bunny's ears dropped as he stares at the ground with guilt, his paws clenching and unclenching around his boomerangs as somewhat a form of comfort. "I…said some pretty bad things and the bloke ran off again"

"Ay" North had the exasperation on a parent as he pinched the bridge of his nose, having to deal with Bunny and Jack's arguments is quite a tiring job, even though he himself enjoyed arguing with Bunny at times. "What happened _**this **_time?"

"He _froze _the warren when I specifically told him not to"

"And are you aware the boy is loosing control of his powers?"

Bunny's ears twitched "What?"

"Did you let him explain?"

The Pooka's heart sank in guilt as he evoked how he kept cutting Jack off the moment he was trying to explain himself. "No, I…I didn't" he wanted to say something further but he trailed off, his gaze dropping guiltily onto the floor boards. _How could he have jumped to conclusions again?_

North waved a dismissive hand and gives his last commands to the yetis before leading Bunnymund out of the room into some place quieter.

"What happened" asked the former Cossack as they both strode down the busy hallways.

Bunny had to jog to keep up with North's surprisingly fast gait, easily able to avoid the bustling yetis carrying crates of toys. "The bloke dropped by the Warren this morning" he answered, a little out of breath. "He was actin' a little strange ta day, he was suddenly interested in all the flowers in my Warren. We had a little talk, and I left him there to check on the flowers I planted in Africa. I only left the warren for about an hour and I came back to find it a frosted wasteland."

"_**Wasteland?**_" North repeated "You called it a wasteland? You know Jack is insecure about being a winter spirit, he thinks he destroys everything."

Another pang struck Bunny with realization, he could no longer find any words to say.

"What happened after that" North urged "Why did he run off"

"I said some…things and he kept apologizing and crying"

North frowned "What was he saying"

"I don't know" Bunny flinched as he tried to recall what Jack said. "I couldn't understand im', he was slurring, but he said _**you are all the same **_before he left. What do you think he meant?"

North stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I don't know, perhaps we should alert the others, maybe Jack will respond to the lights" he pushed open the doors to the globe room and proceeded inside.

"Jack is losing control of his powers" North called back. "He is gaining a lot of believers and he is getting stronger, maybe is why he froze Warren."

Bunny's ears were now plastered onto his skull; he clutched his boomerang even harder, a way of releasing his anger towards himself. He lagged behind, slowly slipping into a trance, Jack's faint words echoing.

"_**I was wrong, you're all the same" **_

_What could this possibly mean? Has Jack been hiding something from them?_

It has been _years _since Jack became a guardian, yet he is still reluctant to open up to them.

And he is probably the reason why…

* * *

><p>"Where could he be?" Tooth asked worriedly as she continued to fret, too concerned about Jack to stay mad at Bunnymund. Her amethyst eyes were glazed with deep concern, yet her piercing stare was sullenly cold. She peered out the window constantly, hopeful for any sign of the approaching winter spirit but every time she checked, there wasn't even a silhouette, only the Northern lights that North left etched across the sky, hoping Jack would respond to their "supposed emergency"<p>

"Oh no, where could he be" Tooth mused, more to herself than to the others, her wings beating faster every passing minute "What if he's hurt? Maybe that's why he's not coming, or what if he's trapped somewhere and no one can hear him!? What if…if…"

Sandy made a silent gesture that told her to calm down and pointed an arrow at North, who has already sent most of the yetis out on a search party.

"Your right…But what if he doesn't want to come back?" she wondered, looking crestfallen. "What if he doesn't want anything to do with us?"

Sandy shook his head and told her '_don't be like that'_

The fairy queen sighed, her wings returning to their normal beat "Your right" she glanced over at Bunny who was nervously pacing back and forth by the hearth. Her expression softened as she fluttered over to the Pooka and quietly settled beside him, her wings folding neatly behind her back.

_Strange. _Jack never took any of Bunny's his jests seriously either, it made her question what really happened. She opened her mouth to ask, but Sandy beat her to it.

Sandy tapped the rabbit in the shoulder and conjured a picture of a snowflake, an egg and the lake of paint, silently inquiring what happened.

"I don't know" Bunny said, the frustration clear in his tone. "He's nevah acted this way before, he would normally just laugh about it"

"He has been acting a little strange these days, do you think something has happened" she speculated and started to fuss again "oh what if he's not feeling well? What if he is sick?"

"He's hiding' something" Bunny said flatly, stopping dead on his tracks, his tall ears dropping once again as he stared blankly at the crackling fire.

"It's been many years Bunny, the boy is bound to be hiding a lot more things" North implied, sauntering over to them from the other side. "It'll take time"

Sandy hovered above them and nodded his head in assent.

"That's right Bunny, it'll take a long time for Jack to tell us everything" Tooth admitted sadly.

"No" Bunny shook his head stubbornly "This is serious, ya should've seen I'm, he was _terrified_. Somethin' must've happened before"

"But what caused him to act like that?" asked North suspiciously.

"I…I nearly hit 'im…" he grimaced as the bitter words left his mouth. The guardians all stared back at him with mirrored expressions of shock.

"Almost, but I didn't" he clarified.

"Bunny!" Tooth reprimands, her irises contacting threateningly.

"I was passed the breakin' point alright? It was a tiring day and I guess I was just outtta control." He begins his nervous pacing again, muttering his musings as he did. "I thought he'll take it as a joke again, like he always does ya know, but there was something about him…he was terrified of _something_….ya don't think someone could've hurt him before?' he tilted his head questioningly at his fellow guardians.

"It could be a possibility" answered North thoughtfully.

The Pooka halts suddenly, his ears rose and stood tall again and his dull green eyes brightened up with an idea. "Ey Sheila" he turned to Tooth. "Don't you have the memories of us immortals stored in yer palace?"

"Yeah but…" she pursed her lips loathly. "Shouldn't we wait for him to tell us?"

"I have a feeling he ain't nevah gonna tell us." He chunters gravely, running a hand through his ears. "Not after what happened ta day." He added darkly.

"Well I don't know" Tooth shook her head and slowly lowered herself to the ground. "Isn't it private? What if he gets mad at us?"

They both turned to North, seeking their leader's advice.

"Perhaps…it might be for the best" North gave a coy answer.

Sandy agreed silently, nodding his head.

"Alright…" she had no other choice. The guardian of memories fluttered her wings and prepared to dart out the window but she skidded to a sudden halt and turned back to face them, her violet eyes glassy with worry. "Are you sure guys? What if we anger him even more?"

"That really doesn't matter now"

* * *

><p>The immortals' memories weren't stored in teeth; instead they were like records of what happened in their lives stored in orbs of light (no bigger than North's snow globes) that Tooth kept in a little room in her palace.<p>

She is the guardian of memories after all, she had everyone's memories around, mortal or not. The others saw no point in keeping them there, but she knew someday the immortals might need them remember a time in their lives, a time that brings them joy, a time that reminds them of who they are— or in they're case, a time that Jack kept away from them.

Jack's memories were easy to distinguish. It was a little blue light in the shape of a snowflake incased in a crystalline sphere.

Tooth was back in a flash, Jack's memories safely tucked in her hands.

"Are you sure we should be doing this? You know there's a reason why he's never told us yet."

The Tooth fairy asked still uncertain as she handed the little ball to Bunnymund.

She had those memories around for centuries yet she's never even took a peep inside, not even the children's. She knew each memory was private,_ her_ own memories were private too and it certainly wouldn't be okay for somebody to poke around them, but as much as she hated to admit Bunny is right. Jack was never going to tell them anyway, not after_ literally_ everything that has happened.

They just want to be there for him, Jack would understand right?

Bunny shrugged. "At least it'll close the space between us all…and ya'll nevah know, maybe he'll end u fully trustin' us?"

"Bunny is right, nothing will go wrong." North assured "I feel it…in my belly"

Everyone laughed at North's racy jest, lightening the tension around them, except Bunny, who just rolled his eyes as usual albeit a smile growing across his face.

Bunny gave the orb a light shake. "So how does this thing work?"

"You just touch it like this" she emphasized, laying her hand on the glassy surface, urging her comrades to do the same. "And then we wait."

Bunny didn't know how long they waited but the next thing he knew; flashes of bright diamonds blinded his vision. When he opened his eyes again, the flashes of diamonds slowly disappeared from the corners of his vision and he found himself standing in the middle of a clearing in a forest.

Golden sun rays danced around the autumn sky. Shriveled foliage skittered across the hardened soil along with the stir of wind that carried them away in a streak. The waters of the lake swayed freely, its gentle currents lightly bashing against the stepping stones.

"Is this Jack's lake?" Tooth asked, her voice shrill and quivering, still feeling like they were depriving Jack of his privacy, but she couldn't help but rotate in a slow circle as she mimicked Bunny in scanning her surroundings.

"No, it's somewhere else." Bunny answered her question without turning around to face them. His ears stood high and erect, wary of whatever may come from the shrouded shadows of the trees.

"Strange" Tooth commented, her gaze dropping on the sods of wilting grass that littered around them in patches. "The memories of immortals are sentimental. I really thought we would end up in the lake of Burgess." even though the winter spirit had told none of them about the lake, it didn't take full wits for them to guess the lake meant something to him.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" she brought up the question again in the moment of tranquil silence.

North lets out a sigh and moved over to place a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder when he suddenly halted, catching Bunny's ears quirk abruptly from the corner of his eye. "What is it?" he then directed his attention to the Pooka, who by now was squinting to get a better view behind the tightly packed trees. "Someone's comin'"

The other guardians' gazes fell onto where Bunny's was directed. None of them matched the rabbit's acute hearing ability, but the voice eventually grew louder, enough for them all to hear. Gradually, they sounded more and more like approaching footsteps.

It sounded awfully familiar and it took a moment for them to finally discern the graceful padding footsteps to belong to Jack.

The bushes nearby rustled softly in a tuneless hymn. Dried leaves crunched loudly under the deep silence, followed by a crack of a twig. Jack Frost's figure finally emerged out of the obscured cluster. The sight of him made Bunny's heart twist in agony.

The breeze that followed shortly after him filled the plains with cold winter air, stripping off the remnants of foliage from the near bare trees. Nothing about him seemed different; he was still wearing the same blue hoodie and the ragged leggings.

He swung his staff over his shoulder as he looked around. The guardians instinctively ducked a little when the boy's eyes swept passed them.

They watched silently as the white haired hellion began to spread winter in the autumn hollows. Tapping his staff gently onto the heaps of foliage, he powdered the ground with a fresh cover of snow fall, burying the hardened soil with a blanket of cottony white.

Frost patterns blossomed underneath his every step as he glided around the wide field, not knowing where to continue. Idly, he brushed the shepherd's crook around the boughs with a delicate smile, watching proudly as flowering frost images began to race across the bark, filling the gaps and pores with erupting blue sparks.

Speckles of snowflakes replaced the shriveled leaves in the lines of the wind, slowly drifting down in frail sways until they faded into the snow covered ground.

Winter was probably the most beautiful thing they ever seen, even Bunny could easily admit that….just not in front of Jack though….

Frost continued to spread out into fractals, sprouting out into wide trails from where he stood until the entire land was coated in a flurry of snow. Though it was just a memory and everything that came in contact with them would only dissipate into white dust, the chill of the cold air felt real.

Bunny's fur bristles slightly, but his face wasn't showing any sign of annoyance. His foot digs itself out of the foot of snow as he slowly began to wade forward towards Jack.

"Stop" Tooth flittered over and planted a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from going any further. "You'll disrupt the memory if you go any further." She said warningly.

Jack's steps merely brushed over the surface, leaving no trail as he treaded on top of the foot of snow. He made his way over to the lake, gliding onto the stepping stones with unintended grace. His staff was lowered above the beating waters and as the crook buried its tip down into the stream, its eddying currents eventually calmed until it sounded nothing more than a whispering sea against the rocks. Ice began to creep on top of it until there was a bound of solid ground beneath his feet.

The bounds of ice stretched out until it met the land. It filled the entire water with sheen of ocean blue ice, mimicking the grayish hues from the sky above it. The alluvium of the lake sounded nothing more than the wind singing through the rocky walls of the caves.

Jack gazed skyward, taking a deep breath of newly welcomed air, his blue eyes glimmered like the winter sky as he averted his gaze to examine his work. The angular sunlight had slashed through the mould of cloud. Angular rays escaped from the gapes, embellishing the ice-bound with a flaming glow, as if it was stippled with ruby gems.

For a moment the guardians stood stationary, as if they were beholding a scene that was painted on the canvas. So was the memory of Jack, who was perched on the edge of the stepping stone with perfect balance. His eyes were closed as he felt the cold chills of frost linger on his cheeks along with the songs of the wind.

None of them seemed to notice that the water beneath the winter spirit has begun to trash again. The gentle currents leapt and lashed against the solid ice-bound, the calmed waves began to welter, forming ripples that rode the water like a rolling hill. Startled, Jack drew back sharply from the edge, alerting the guardians as well. They all looked up from the snow to see the winter spirit peering over the rocks, his eyes sharp as he scanned the movement below the foggy glass.

Unmistakable, a voice rang out, echoing loudly through the canopy. "_**You are not needed here"**_

Bunnymund flinched at the familiarity of those words, his ears drooping limply to hang over his head. _Clearly this had happened before. _

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><p><strong>Okay, when I said I'll have the next chapter up <strong>_**soon**_**, by soon I mean two months after….yeah. *Cries* yes, I'm so horrible at updating this crap….maybe I should have tried to fit everything in one chapter so I wouldn't have to be worrying about this everyday….**

**Sorry for the late update, its been the busiest months of school I ever had, plus writer's block just chooses the most horrible times to strike -_- but anyway, I bring you this chapter. There was supposed to be more to it but I cut it off since it was already taking forever for me to finish this, how long more if I added further scenes? *sighs* I'll just have those further details in the next chapter, which HOPEFULLY will be up SOON as in it wouldn't take two months again.**

**Wow guys, thank you so much for all the reviews/follows/favorites :O Okay….all of you come here and give me a BIG HUG! I'm having another emotional spazz out….excuse me *sobs* okay now I feel so guilty for keeping you waiting!**


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