Chapter 14

Jack flew to Japan, where it was still nighttime, and was enjoying the view when he saw a blur of gray dash in front of him. The frost elf smiled. "Bunny!" He followed the blur into a dark alleyway. "Bunny?" There was no reply. "Hello?" Suddenly he felt his staff ripped out of his hands. "HEY!" Jack looked around trying to find Bunny, figuring that this was some sort of prank.

"Those are some strange marks on ya neck mate," Bunny said with Jack's staff in his left paw.

"They're bruises." Jack answered, pulling up his collar, just now remembering Pitch had kissed his neck several times earlier. "Now give me back my staff!"

"Where were ya just a few minutes ago?" Bunnymund asked, ignoring Jack's second statement.

"I was just freezing over streets." Bunny's expression changed to annoyed and angry. Without warning Bunnymund was gone, and jack felt a paw grab his waist and he hit something hard. The snow spirit looked up to see Bunny had thrown him over his shoulder. "PUT ME DOWN! LET ME GO!"

Bunnymund paid no attention to his command, thumped his foot on the ground, and headed through the tunnels to his warren. When they arrived he threw Jack and his staff on the ground. Jack stood up, scowling at his friend. "What's your problem, Cottontail?!"

"My problem, mate, is the fact that I saw you kissing Pitch!" The Guardian of Hope replied. Jack's eyes widened and he dropped his staff in surprise. "What the hell were you thinking? He's our enemy! He tried to destroy us; he killed Sandy! Have you forgotten all the horrible things he's done to you?! He broke your staff, he brainwashed ya, and I don't know how many times he threw you around like a rag doll! What have you got to say for yourself?!"

"Y-you weren't supposed to know," Jack whimpered.

"How long has this been goin' on?!"

"Since-since the night I was normal again." Bunnymund glared down at Jack. "I didn't want you guys to know. I-I'm sorry."

"You should be!" Bunny scolded. "What the hell are you thinking, mate?!"

"I-I don't know!" Jack sobbed, no longer able to hold back his tears. He hid his face in his hands as his shoulders trembled. "I don't-hic-know!"

Bunnymund stared down at Jack, shocked. He expected the Guardian to argue with him that it was his life, but instead the boy was bawling. Bunny had figured that Jack hadn't given his relationship with Pitch much thought or care, but instead he had been stressed non-stop; Jack was terrified and didn't know what to do. Bunnymund took a step closer to Jack, and hugged him. The frost elf quickly wrapped his arms around Bunny, and hid his face in his fur. "Hey, come on now, don't cry. You're-you're gonna be alright mate."

"N-no I'm not!" Jack's muffled voice responded. "Y-you gotta-hic-keep it a secret! They'll f-freak out if they find out!"

"You don't think I'm freaking out right now?! How the hell do you expect me to keep this a secret?! You're dating Pitch for cryin' out loud!"

"I know," Jack murmured, wiping his eyes continuously. "But if Sandy finds out I'm pretty sure he'll repeatedly smack me into a building until I don't r-remember who I am."

"He would too." Bunnymund laughed.

"T-that's not funny!"

"It kinda is mate."

Jack couldn't help himself from giggling when he pictured himself flying through the air and smacking into a building. "Okay, maybe a little bit." The frost elf wiped his eyes one last time, before they finally ceased. "But seriously, you gotta keep it a secret." Bunnymund groaned, and pushed Jack into a nearby bush. "Hey!" Jack quickly got up and brushed the leaves from his hair. "I think that was a little uncalled for."

"Jack, this isn't something you can keep a secret forever. One day they're gonna find out, and if you don't tell 'em it'll only make things worse."

"Meh!" The guardian of fun complained. "Why do you have to be Mr. Responsible?"

"I'm just telling the truth, mate."

"Bunny, please don't tell!"

Bunnymund let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, but only to keep you from crying your eyes out, ya sad-sack." Bunny smiled, while lightly punching the snow spirit in the arm.

"I was not crying my eyes out!" Jack blushed.

"Yeah, ya were mate!" The bringer of spring snickered. "You were clinging to me like a ankle-biter!"

"Shut up!" Jack shouted, throwing a snowball at Bunny's face.

"Oh so that's how it's gonna be?" Bunnymund smirked. "Catch!"

He threw an egg at the boy, who caught it with confusion. "An egg, what's so special ab-" Before Jack could finish his sentence the egg exploded causing his torso to be covered in pastel colors. The snow spirit gave Bunny a devious smile. Suddenly the warm breeze turned into a fierce wind that picked Bunnymund up and threw him into the lake of egg dye. Bunny shrieked as Jack stood at the edge. "Having fun, Cottontail?"

"Bloody show pony," Bunnymund said under his breath. He threw one of his boomerangs at Jack, and the guardian just barely dodged it.

"HA! You missed me!"

"Did I mate?" Right after Bunny finished his sentence the boomerang hit Jack in the back and knocked him into the lake. After a few seconds the frost elf rose to the surface and spit out a small amount of dye.

"You can't even understand how much I hate you right now." The two got out and after a long time they finally managed to get most of the dye off themselves. The only evidence of their war were the hints of color in Bunny's paws, and in Jack's white hair. Jack yawned; he rarely had a sleeping schedule since he traveled so much, but spending his nights with Pitch was only making it worse, not to mention the warren's warmth only magnified his tiredness.

Without his consent Jacks body laid down in the warm grass, and instantly fell asleep. When Bunnymund saw him, he rolled his eyes. "You're over three hundred years old, and yet ya still act like ankle-biter." Bunnymund sat down next to the boy, and began painting a new design on an egg.

It had been about five minutes or so, when a familiar sinister laughter was heard from the shadows in one of the tunnels. "Oh, such a sweet scene. Little Frost all tuckered out and his loyal friend protecting him." Pitch laughed once more.

Bunnymund quickly sat up and threw a boomerang at Pitch who just barely had enough time to block it with a scythe made of sand. "Get the hell outta my warren!" Jack's eyes opened with slight surprise at the sound of Bunny yelling.

Jack sat up to see the two fighting. "Uh oh." The young guardian ran towards the pair, and shouted, "You guys, wait!" No reply. "Stop it!" Still no reply. Frustrated, Jack hit his staff on the ground causing ice to spread over the grass. As the the enemies once more ran towards each other they slipped and landed on their backs. What Jack didn't foresee in his plan was that Pitch's scythe was now headed straight for him. With no time to move Jack closed his eyes, and prepared himself for the worse.

But nothing happened.

Jack opened his eyes to see the weapon hovering a few inches above him, before turning back into small grains of sand and disappearing. The boy looked over to see Pitch out of breath with his arm still held out in the air to stop the scythe from hitting him. Now seeing the frost elf was safe, with a heavy sigh Pitch let himself rest back on the ground. "What were you thinking, Jack?!" The worried Nightmare King yelled.

"I was thinking I had to stop you guys before you hurt each other." Jack replied, slightly embarrassed at the fact he almost got himself severely hurt.

Bunnymund stood up, confused and questioning what he had just seen. "Wait, did he just save you?" He asked pointing a boomerang at Pitch.

"Yes," Pitch answered standing up. "I have my good moments."

"Funny, all I seem to remember are the bad moments. Like when ya tried to destroy us!"

"Lighten up rabbit. I haven't done anything too horrible lately."

"You must've to get this gumby to be with ya!"

The boogeyman put his hands up in the air. "He came of his own freewill; you can't blame me for that one." The guardian of hope still glared at Pitch. "There's not a pinch of nightmaresand on him!" Pitch clarified. He looked at Jack and then did a double-take. "Why is your hair spotted with pastel colors?"

"He threw me in the lake." The snow spirit informed. "Mah ongue ist oo," Jack said while holding out his tongue which was now lavender and blue.

Pitch turned to Bunny. "You call me the bad guy, and yet you're throwing children into lakes?"

Bunnymund got out his boomerangs and Pitch made another scythe. "NO," Jack exclaimed, moving himself between the two. "No more fighting!"

"Get him outta here, and there won't be."

"Oh I'll leave, so long as Jack comes with." Pitch smiled, deviously.

Bunny looked like he was about to kill Pitch when Jack shouted, "I will freeze you both were you stand if either one of you moves a step closer!" Neither one of them moved. Jack began to walk backwards towards the exit. "I don't wanna piss off either one of you, so I think I'll just go torment North's yetis. Later guys!" With that Jack took off, leaving both Pitch and Bunnymund stunned.

"I swear if you hurt him in anyway, I'll-"

"I'm not going to hurt him! I'm evil, but I'm not that evil." Bunnymund gave him a doubting look. "Fine don't believe me," Pitch said walking back towards the shadows, "but the truth is I enjoy his company just as much as you all do." And with that Pitch disappeared.

Bunnymund sighed. "What has that boy gotten himself into?"

To be continued.