Fire.
Everywhere he looked, there was fire.
"Aster, this is your father's friend, Kozmotis." His mother said, lifting him so her 2 year old son so he could see the man properly.
The strange man smiled kindly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, young Aster. Your father speaks of you often."
Screams echoed the land, and his breath heaved heavily as he bounded across the ashes.
"Bunny!" The Pooka was snapped out of his thoughts by a displeased Russian Santa. "Pay attention."
His ears lowered in shame, but even though he tried to listen, his thoughts drifted back again.
"Pa! Uncle Koz is here!" He called, running to answer the door.
He swung open the door and both Pooka and General yelled, "BOO!" Like normal, Aster was startled and ran off, the great General chasing after him. Both laughed happily as they narrowly dodged his father.
"If you were Pooka, one would mistake you for his brother, Kozmotis!"
"How could ya do this?!" He screamed at his fathers corrupted friend. "How could ya kill yar best friend!?"
"...the teeth?"
Bunny blinked as he realised Tooth was talking to him. "What was that, Sheila?"
Tooth huffed, not happy with how he continuously spaced out. "I was asking if you could come by some time to sort out the teeth."
"Yeah. Yeah, sure.." He answered, feeling his attention being dragged back to his old memories.
"I'm never gonna be like you and Pa, am I?" Asked Aster when he was alone with the elder. Kozmotis raised his eyebrows but listened as the young Pooka continued. "I'm not like Pa. He's amazing when he's battling. He runs so fast ya can't even see him. You fling your scythe around like nothing. I can't even hold a dagger properly. I can't be a Pooka warrior. I'm too weak."
Kozmotis gently grabbed him by the chin and turned his face so green locked with amber. "Listen, Aster. You're not weak. You are stronger than you realise. You're just young. But you will be a fantastic warrior. As for weapons, I don't think daggers and swords are your thing. Try something else."
He felt the kit burrow into his side, hugging him furiously. "Ta, Uncle Koz." He said before running at his mother's cry for dinner.
He tried to run to his fellow warriors, but was stopped at every turn by the same familiar face. "What's wrong, Aster?" He taunted. "Finally realising how weak you are?"
He shook his head, his large ears flapping behind him. "No! You told me that I'm strong!" He cried, trying to pass the evil that blocked his path.
"That wasn't me." Hissed the possessed man. "That was Kozmotis. And Kozmotis is gone!"
"Can I!? Can I, Pa!? Can I?!" He begged eagerly.
His father chuckled. "If Kozmotis doesn't mind."
"If I didn't want him to stay the night, I wouldn't have asked." Chuckled the General. Both men laughed at his whoop of excitement.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and noticed Sandy poking him.
An arrow pointing at him then a few 'zzz's. Are you tired?
"Nah. I'm alright, mate. Just thinking.."
Sandy nodded and left him, not seeing the tears in his forest green eyes.
Wake up! Wake up! Uncle Koz! Wake up!" Said warrior groaned as he felt something jump continuously on top of him. He looked to his clock, which hadn't even reached 2 am yet. He now regretted putting sugar in the kit's milk.
"Aster! Go back to sleep or I will tan your hide." There was a small whimper of fear as the young Pooka hopped off his bed. He felt bad for threatening the child the way he did. "Come here!" He slurred, half asleep. He felt something burrow under the covers next to him and soon the light snores of a sleeping kit, accompanied his own snoozes.
He managed to evade the possessed General and sped off in the direction of his smouldering home. He found his beloved mother dead, lying over the debris that used to be part of the kitchen. Blood was slowly trickling down the side of her head and part of her skull looked like it had caved in. Aster retched slightly at the sight.
He felt a presence behind him. "Look, she's dead because you weren't smart enough to get past me. You're not smart or strong. You're no Pooka, let alone a Pooka warrior."
"I wanna come with!" Aster whinged.
"I don't you'd want to when you find out who's baby sitting.." His father stated with a smirk. The 3 year old frowned and turned around when he noticed his father continuously look behind him. He squeaked in excitement.
"Uncle Koz! You're babysitting!?"
The elder nodded and mussed up the tuft of fur on top of his little head. "Yep. Like it or not, kiddo, you're stuck with me."
"Look at you've done, Aster." The shadow whispered. "Everything and everyone you claimed to hold dear is dead or destroyed. And it's all your fault."
"Yar the one who did all this! Yar the one who attacked!"
"But you didn't stop me. You didn't try to save them. You are weak. Powerless. Unworthy.."
"I tried but ya kept gettin' in ma way!" He screamed, swiping at the shadow in vain.
Kozmotis sat with Aster's father, drinking tea and discussing the latest dream pirate invasion on a planet not too far.
"Kozmotis, there's no where safe. I worry for Aster's safety."
"As do I. My wife is also pregnant. While there is little to no chance of her survival, I promised I would look after our child. But I am worried there will be no place safe to raise her."
They heard a clinking behind them and turned from their conversation. The 5 year old Aster toddled in, wearing pieces of Kozmotis, armour which was evidently too big.
"Whaddya think?" Garbled Aster, feeling excited to be wearing the armour of his hero.
"There's one thing missing." Chuckled Aster's father. Kozmotis nodded in agreement and picked up the helmet that sat beside him. He placed it on the kit's head, laughing at how it was far too big and reached over his shoulder. He then grabbed a sword and rested the flat side on Aster's left shoulder, then his right.
"You are now General Aster Bunnymund, the greatest general to roam the tsardom."
"Only greatest after you and Pa." The young Pooka whooped and ran off to play, the armour clinking loudly as he ran. The sounds of laughing men followed in his wake.
"Bunny? You alright? You've been spacing out a lot lately."
"I'm fine, Frostbite."
His lip twitched when Jack spluttered. "My name is Jack!"
"And my name is Bunny, yet ya still call me Kangaroo."
"But seriously, is anything wrong?"
"Nah. Just think I might turn in early taday."
"Alright, bye." And he was left alone with his memories, once more.
"You will never live up to your father's legacy! You will forever be known as E. Aster Bunnymund, the one who couldn't save a single Pooka."
"SHUT UP! YA DON'T KNOW WHAT YAR SAYING! UNCLE KOZ, YA HAVE TA FIGHT THEIR INFLUENCE!"
"He's gone." Whispers attacked him as he tried to capture the possessed body of his friend. "You can join him, if you wish. He'd be ever so lonely. You could let us borrow your body as well. No more worries, or stress. You will be completely free."
It was so tempting, but he wouldn't succumb. "LIES!"
"Kozmotis is gone. Dead. They're all dead. And it's all your fault..."
"Why!?"
Everyone in the room flinched at Aster's outburst. The 10 year old Pooka glared at the Tsar, ignoring Seraphina, who was trying to pull him away to play.
"Aster!" Snapped his father. "Behave yourself! That is the Tsar you are talking to."
Tsar Lunar chuckled and shook his head. "It is quite alright. I would've done the same in his position."
"Why does he have to go? Can't someone else guard the Fearlings?"
Kozmotis kneeled down next to the two distressed children. His daughter hugged him, accepting the truth but not liking it one bit. Aster stared definitely at his old playmate. However, if one was to look deep into his eyes, they would see him screaming silently inside. "Aster. As much as I wish to stay here to play with you and Sera, no one else wants to guard them. Someone has to do it, might as well be me."
"Then I'll come with you." They both knew that wasn't possible, but none decided to voice it. "You promise to be back in 10 years?" He asked quietly, holding up a furry pinky.
Kozmotis linked it. "On my soul. Just promise to look after Seraphina for me."
Aster looked to the 5 year old girl in Kozmotis' arms. He had come to see her as a sister, just as he began to think of Kozmotis as a secondary father. "On my soul." Repeated the kit.
"Ma! Pa! Isn't Uncle Koz coming back today?!" The 20 year old questioned eagerly, a 15 year old Seraphina in tow.
"Son. We have some bad news.." The smile dropped off his face at that. "Kozmotis was attacked by the Fearlings. He's been possessed."
"But we can get them out!" Sera exclaimed. She looked to the upset Pookas who had taken her in for the past ten years. "Can't we?" She added quietly.
"I'm sorry, my dear." Aster's mother said, embracing the girl.
Realisation smacked Aster so hard, he staggered backwards. "He's...he's dead.."
"All your fault. You could have tried harder to persuade him to stay, but you just accepted it. You could have fought for him. But you failed. You didn't save Kozmotis. Nor your family.."
He flung his boomerangs, trying to stop the taunting. But the possessed General continued to melt away and reform in other shadows, whispering doubts into Aster's long ears. Whispering things that slowly broke the Pooka on the inside.
"You failed."
Aster spun around, screaming in denial, but that sentence echoed above his yells.
"You failed."
"NO!" He roared, snapping into a sitting position. Sweat adorned his furry forehead. After a few heavy breaths, he realised it was night, and he was in bed. He got up and lumbered to the kitchen. He filled a glass of water and brought it to his lips, but as he did, images of his past flashed in front of him. "Argh!" His paws went to grasp his head, watching the glass fall. Just before it hit the ground, however, a shadowy hand caught it and put it back on the counter.
"You need to be careful." Said a silky voice that Bunny would recognise anywhere.
"What are ya doin' here, Pitch?" He asked tiredly. "I'm not in the mood."
Pitch stepped out of his hiding place. "Tough. I'm not leaving until I work out something."
"And what would that be?" Aster asked, rolling his eyes.
"Why the Easter Bunny is feeling true fear for the first time in eons." That made Aster freeze. "Care to share?" Pitch asked, sitting himself on the table.
"Not really. Get outta here." Snapped Aster, heading for his room.
"You've been remembering as well, haven't you?" Pitch saw Aster's muscles tense and his breathing become slightly heavy. He hit the jackpot.
"I said, get OUT!" Thundered Bunny, charging at Pitch. "I don't want to think about it but whenever I start to forget, you show up again!" Pitch melted into the shadows and watched as Bunny failed to brake in time. The Pooka went flying into the wall, full force. But the pain didn't deter him. Not one bit. He just wanted to get rid of the Nightmare King that dared enter his home and remind him of the very thing he wanted to forget. "You broke your promise! You swore on your soul! And then you come back to remind me the man I looked up to, the man I thought of like a father, betrayed me!"
Pitch was about to meld into the shadows to avoid any other hits Bunny might try to take, but he was frozen at the last claim. "You thought of Kozmotis like your father?" He asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"What's it ta ya?" Hissed Aster. "I distinctly remember telling ya ta leave."
Pitch left, and Aster went back to bed, but both were distracted by the screams of their pasts.