A.N/ God, I hate finals week. It completely delayed this chapter getting finished. Oh and I blame writers block too. Hopefully I'll have better luck for the next chapter...

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate scene transitions?

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians in any shape or form. But I suppose I owe the Tribe in a way.

Bunnymund awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, and well rested. Tugging himself out of his nest with a grunt, he stretched out his aching joints. He gave a relieved breath feeling the tension leaving his body. A sharp grin escaped his lips.

Today was the day.

Body giddy with Hope and the unmistakable Joy inside him, Bunny headed toward his kitchen where he began the search for something to bring to the tribe. He had to bring at least something to them. What proper guest would he be if he didn't bring anything?

Obviously he would be quite a terrible one.

There was only one problem he has come to realize as he headed to his stock of extra vegetables and plants. He didn't know what the tribe liked to eat. "Tch, come on now. If they like the same thing you do, then get all sorts…" Bunny grumbled to himself leaning on his heels as he looked around in a curious manner. "Crikey, I'm thinking too much about this."

Then again, it could be his nerves are finally starting to show. He, E. Aster Bunnymund, nervous? There was a laugh.

Shaking his head, Bunny dragged his paws across his face smudging against the fur before giving his cheek a smack to clear his head. Head cleared; Bunny moved forward picking out an assortment of vegetables of all types and sizes placing them into the basket by his feet. "Hm. Hopefully this will be enough for a starting point for the time being." Satisfied, he stood to his feet, taking the basket under his arm and headed out of the burrow taking a carrot as he went, taking a few bites.

Bunny glanced upwards at the ceiling and the light coming from above. His ears gave a twitch as he judged the time in the back of his head. He had at least two hours before he met Jack, but part of him couldn't stay still right now. He didn't think he had the patience in order to start gardening for those two hours. Not to mention, he didn't want to get filthy and have to clean off before meeting the tribe. Better be earlier and make a more welcome first appearance.

Resolved decided, he finished the carrot and placed the basket on the floor in order to grab his forearm bracers, both boomerangs, and his satchel with his sketchpad. Perhaps he could get some art done while he waited for Jack to show up. Who knows. Maybe I can get a decent sketch of the lake, and give it to Frostbite at one point. He thought after a moment, giving a soft chuckle.

God he was acting like he was head over heels for the kid.

Which he wasn't.

No way did he actually like like the kid.

…Alright maybe a little.

Ugh, come on Aster. Stop telling yourself this. Perhaps you do like the kid, even if it is a little bit. He paused at the thought, looking at himself as he felt his soul and heart sigh in reply at the thought of the Winter Pooka. Shut up instincts. I know how handsome he looks.

Bunny shook it off for a moment before he walked back toward the basket, grabbing it as he headed toward the tunnel that led to North America. Tugging the basket close, and under his arm, he went into a jog, nodding to the stone guards as he left trusting them to protect the Warren.

Thankfully it didn't take him that long in order to get to where he was meeting Jack, taking in a deep breath at the spring air. And oh, that was such a wonderful feeling. It really did make him feel so alive. He gave an grin, taking in a few more gulps of air before he went toward the lake, glancing around as he approached.

His ears twitched at the noises in the woods, making sure he was completely alone as he rested the basket on the floor. He paused a moment, head twisting as his ears swerved in the air, trying to pinpoint a sudden sound he heard. "What the—"

"Cottontail!"

Bunny twisted his body managing to brace himself for the tackle of a familiar body, grunting at the contact to his chest landing on his ass in the progress. He blinked a few times, staring at the culprit. "Jack, was that necessary?" He remarked, giving a snort, but he did have a soft smile on his lips.

"Completely. You're early buddy. I didn't expect you in another hour about!" Jack grinned at the other Pooka, looking up from him at the hug. With a grin, he wiggled free getting to his feet helping Bunny to his own, glamor in place for the time being. (Not a surprise of course).

"Yeah well, had nothing better to do. I was going to start sketching while I waited for you but apparently that's not needed at the moment." A distant part of him was annoyed about it. He was looking forward to the chance to sketch out the lake and give it to the other as an gift.

Bunny received a laugh in reply, followed by a bright grin. "You can sketch if you want. There's no rush in heading down to the tribe. We're still earlier anyway."

"Are you sure? I mean, isn't this weather too much for you mate?"

"Nah, it's nothing. Summer heat is much worse. I can deal with this. It's absolutely nothing. "

Bunny thought about those words carefully before he finally gave a nod. Finding a spot in the shade, he found a good angle of the lake. Immediately, he didn't waste time in order to take out the pad and a pencil, beginning to sketch out the lake.

Jack, for his part, managed to keep quiet to let Bunny concentrate. But even he couldn't stay quiet for long. He titled his head toward the basket on the ground looking at what was inside. "Bunny, are these from your garden?" He questioned curious.

"Yeah, it's not all of it but it's as much as I can currently carry."

Jack gave an hm in reply, crouching low as he looked at the vegetables in curious thought. "Mhm, it's a pretty decent load. I can say that the tribe will be thankful for the thought. It's nice getting food instead of having to brag Phil." He admitted with a chuckle.

"You brag Phil for food?"

Jack glanced over at the other, watching as the other Pooka's hands moved as he sketched. God he's so graceful with his hands. Where the heck did that come from? Stupid brain. He shrugged it off quickly. "Well not brag to say. Phil knew I was a Pooka before everyone else did, probably because of how often I tried to break into the shop and got thrown out. Of course, he learned it on his own. Bastard managed to catch me when I was going through the Pole with my fur. I'm still not sure how he managed to sneak that one on me." He muttered something about ninja yeti's kicking at a pebble.

"Jack, you're getting distracted."

"Oh right. I didn't answer the question did I?" He grinned giving a laugh as Bunny gave him an look that plainly read 'no really?' "Right right, so after Phil found out I was a Pooka I told him the reason I always came by which was to see if they had any extra food we can take. Luckily, North has tons, so Phil always gave us a good load to last us for a few months. And snowglobes work wonders for traveling with crates." He added with a grin.

"And North knows none of this?"

"Nope. I'm quite surprise he hasn't noticed actually. Then again, he does eat only cookies from what I can tell." He remarked with a snort, as Bunny agreed with a laugh.

"I swear, has he ever ate an vegetable?"

"From as long as I known him, once. But it was because of a dare, and Tooth forced him."

The two shared another laugh at the words. Both of them could see Tooth forcing North to eat vegetables instead of cookies, and anything else sweet. Dear lord, Jack was afraid to know how often she forced North to brush his teeth.

"Anyway, whatcha sketching Cottontail?" Jack questioned standing to his full height as he walked over toward the other hands inside his hoodie pockets as he stood next to him. His head was titled sideways in a curious manner.

"A surprise for you Frostbite. You can't see though." Bunny shielded the drawing with his arms getting a pout in protest. "You can pout all you want but I'm not letting you see until it's done."

"Come on, please? Pretty please cottontail! Pleaseeee?"

"Not going to happen Jack. You have to wait." He remarked with a chuckle, placing a divider between the page and the pencil sketch before shutting the sketchbook. Shoving it into his bag, he dragged himself to his feet.

"Fineeee. But it better be good." Jack reasoned giving Bunny a look as he poked him in the chest with a finger in response. He gave a smirk at the eye roll in return before he stepped back. "Shall we head off Cottontail?"

"Yeah, might as well. Lead on Frostbite."

The two Pooka's shared a laugh and a smirk before Jack headed toward a tree, tapping the ground with the end of his staff. He glanced over at Bunny in reply as the hole opened up. "You can get in with you're usual tapping of your feet. You just need to match the same code and you're set to go." He replied with a grin, guestoring for him to follow. "Stay close once we get to the bottom. Not sure how the guards will react." He called before he jumped down with an excited hoot.

Bunny merely rolled his eyes in response, grabbing the basket, and jumped in after him inspecting the said tunnel as they traveled along, sliding and running. Bunny couldn't help but feel impressed by the craftsmanship that went into holding the tunnel together. And that was indeed saying something for someone who created an network of them.

"How many tunnels did you say there were Jack?" He questioned, once they reached a flat level looking at his fellow Guardian in front of him. His ear twitched as he watched the glamor release again, just as easily as it came on in the first place. Crikey, we have underestimated him. Kid has a strong magical core that's for sure. He thought after a moment, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"There's one on each continent, give or take. North and South poles have one, North and South America, Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada, and England. Others you have to figure out your own way of getting there. We don't want many for we are still technically hidden from the world." He replied rolling his shoulders as placed his staff on the strap against his back looking over at Bunny.

"So you have set tunnels…"

"While you have ones you command at will and a whole network after centuries of being here, yeah. But each country does have its own network of them but they only bring you to certain places. For a example, the North America tunnel network only brings you four places. The East coast, the Central, and then the West coast before returns you back to the warren."

"Smart move." Bunny remarked, coming to walk behind the Winter Pooka in front of him, eying each detail as they went. He could tell the closer they got to the end of the tunnel, he could see the security measures that the tribe took into account. There were only one exit and one entrance into the tunnel system from what he could tell, which made less changes of their intruders escaping.

He took notice to the guard that was standing watch, who immediately became alert in his presence. Fast, have to give him credit on that. Reminds me of myself. He thought with a chuckle, his ears dropping back.

"That him, runt?" The question was a curious one at most, a set of eyes looking over at Bunnymund in question, ears alert. His body was relaxed but it was obvious he was ready to move in the next split second. There was an odd tense in his muscles in the way he leaned on the balls of his feet, one that Bunnymund knew from experience. Most Pookan guards knew how to "fake" an relaxed posture so the enemy thought they had a upper hand in the battle. In reality, they were like an mouse trap that was ready to spring if you so much looked at them wrong.

"Yes it's him. Who else would it be? Tch, I don't know any other people who is as big of an ass as he is." He remarked, an laugh in his voice.

Bunny was pretty sure Jack rolled his eyes when he said this. He could just hear it in the others voice. "Shut up Frostbite."

"You love me," Jack teased looking back at him giving a slight smirk.

Was it possible for your heart to do a double somersault just at hearing those words and seeing that smirk? Apparently so. "Tch, yeah right. Rack off." Jesus, I really am falling in love with the kid. Smooth going Aster. You really are falling in love with his cockiness, and smiles aren't you? Stupid. Bunny grunted dragging a paw across his muzzle as the guard gave a snort in response.

"Just checking. Get going runt."

"Yeah yeah, god you're all nasty to me I swear." Jack grabbed onto Bunny's arm tugging him the rest of the way past the smirking guard.

"If we treat you nicely, then we're screwed in the long run. You wouldn't be a good enough successor if we treat you nicely. Best to have someone who will always buttheads with us instead of someone who is too nice, right?"

"Yeah yeah…"

Bunny blinked at the words that began to sink in. Did he just say successor? He did. He tugged his arm free once they got past the guard, following Jack past the entrance way and into the grass fields. "Successor? You?"

"Don't worry about it."

Don't worry about it my ass. If my instincts want to court you, I need to know what the hell I'm getting myself into. "Cruel Jack. I was just curious."

Jack stopped as they came to a clearing, turning to speak to him before he was broken off, his ears giving a startled twitch back and forth. He stopped a moment, listening before he moved his hand tugging his staff off his back handing it to Bunny. "Hold this." He replied before he twisted his body in order to meet the barreling tackle-hug by four Pooka kits.

Bunny stared holding the staff in one of his paws carefully looking mildly amused. A deep part of him relaxed in seeing Pooka kits, actual alive and breathing kits. It gave him an new found Hope that they had an fighting chance in coming from the edge of extinction.

The two smallest kits were on top of Jack's chest, while the two bigger ones were on either side of him. All four stared down at him with bright grins, grabbing onto any part of his body they could reach. It amused Bunny greatly at how Jack seemed so at ease with four muscle bodies of fur on top of him (Not that was a problem for the Winter Pooka of course).

"Jack!"

"Ja-ck is ba-ack!"

"Jack, you promised us a story! Can we have one? Pretty please?"

"And you promised you give the oldest ones a magic lesson but you ran off!"

Jack grunted, shifting the two weights on his chest in order to lean on his arms sitting half up to stare at the four, then gave a sigh. "I know I know, but I had to bring our guest."

At those words, eight eyes looked over at Bunny in response, all looking at him interested. Bunny blinked before he gave Jack an pointed look before looking down at the kits. He gave a soft smile in response crouching down to their level. "Hey kiddos. I'm Aster." He replied softly, looking at them as they stared at awe. Might as well use my regular name...Be safer anyway.

The smallest of them crawled off Jack's chest and waddled over toward him. She stopped at his face, head titled curious before moving her hand touching his maw and nose. She giggled in reply, a bright smile on her lips. "You're tallll. Much taller than Ja-ack!"

"I am aren't I? What can I say, Jack is just a runt."

"Oh come on now, not you too!" Jack protested, having managed to stand up by then, though had the other youngest clinging to his leg and hip, while the two older ones stood next to him. "I'm not a runt."

"You are mate. You're small." Bunny teased as he stood again, watching as the youngest stayed near interested for a moment before she ran back to Jack, all but demanding him pick her up.

"Ugh, I know but don't call me a runt of all things." Jack argued further before looking down at the youngest one hands resting on his hips. "But you're so big now. I can't possibly carry you." He jokingly argued. "Well I guess I can tryyy." He added, reaching down tugging her into his arms getting a squeal. "Well, what you know. I can still pick you up. But you're getting heavy. Must be the muscle." He teased nuzzling the kits chest getting another giggle.

"Jack, can you please show us magic now? We've been waiting for ages!"

Bunny could tell right then that the kits were close to the Winter Pooka, and could see how close he was to them. And now, he could see why he was so good with Sophie and the other children. He was a natural. Shit I'm an asshole. Of course he's a natural. Great going Aster. He thought guilt resting in his gut.

"I can't right now. I have to show our guest around first. But after I do that, then I'll come and do a magic lesson for you guys. And then a story. Deal?" Jack questioned resting the youngest in the one of the older ones arms. Gaining four nods, he grinned. "Good. Now off you go. Go play with the others. I'll come and get you later when I'm ready okay?"

Once they gave their confirms with plenty of "you better hurry" and excited squeals, the four kits were off, bounding down the hills and plains heading toward their other friends no doubt leaving the two Guardians to themselves.

"Jack, you're a complete natural with them. Sorry I never believed you that you are so good with kids." Bunny rubbed the back of his neck as he handed the staff back over toward the other who merely put it back in its holder against his back again.

"It's fine. Everyone says that because of me being an winter bringer. Most people only believe that those with winter powers only bring along death and destruction and don't know the concept of love." An mere shrug escaped the others shoulders. "Something you said once, I believe."

"Yeah…sorry about that."

Jack waved it off in reply coming closer to the other patting his cheek. "Don't worry about it Cottontail. You weren't in the right mindset. But thanks for the apologies. I know they're difficult for you. " He grinned in response, getting a grunt in response. "Come on. Let's show you around and you can meet the other adults okay?"

"Yeah…sounds like a plan."

"Awesome. Follow me Cottontail."