Chioniphobia

Hope vs. Optimism

Jack liked spending time inside the North Pole- it was definitely a nice change of pace from getting kicked out repeatedly- but once in a while he needed to step outside from the workshop, get away from all the noise and activity inside. It was great being surrounded by people who could see him, but it did become overwhelming after a while.

Jack was used to standing alone in the ice and snow. That meant he was very aware whenever he wasn't alone anymore.

He didn't see or hear the tunnel open up, but somehow Jack knew it was there. He flew towards it, this disturbance in his solitude, and saw Bunny emerge from the snow with the Reaper in his arms.

Grim was always pale, but now she looked sickly. Her thin white skin was papery, and her breathing was as fast as it was shallow. Jack glimpsed her back, caught a sight of where her scars had been. The scars were gone, replaced by bones jutting out at odd angles from raw flesh, threads of wet black tangled over her spine, broken feathers clinging to the mess with weird hooked shafts half-hanging out.

"Bunny, what-"

The Guardian of Hope cut him off. "No time. Get her to Tasha now. Now!"

Jack snatched up Grim, the back of his mind startled at how heavy she was despite her frail frame, and darting off, the wind half-carrying him until he reached the door of the workshop.

The next events were a blur- the activity in the Pole ground to a halt, then started up again, voices shouting, people running- a yeti took Grim from Jack's arms, saying something he couldn't understand- Natasha was on the stairs, beckoning, as North cleared a path- Grim was being taken up the stairs-

Jack collapsed onto a nearby bench as Grim disappeared into Natasha's room, too distracted to immediately be aware of a winded Bunny sitting next to him. When the information eventually made its way to his brain, Jack looked over at the stressed rabbit with questioning eyes.

"What happened?" he asked.

Bunny held up a paw. A yeti came over to them, offering blankets and cups of amber liquid. Jack opened his arms to receive the supplies, draping one blanket over Bunny's shoulders and taking a sip from a cup (the contents making his stomach burn) before passing the other to his fellow Guardian. Bunny lifted it to his lips and gulped until it was empty.

Wiping his mouth, Bunny huddled into himself, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders. "I made a mistake," he muttered, his eyes fixed to the ground.

Jack put the other blanket on Bunny's lap, careful not to touch him. "Are you hurt?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I just...I thought..."

Bunny drew in a shaky breath. "Things went wrong. Don't know what happened to Grim. I don't...I didn't think..."

He trailed off, his paws clenching tight. Jack cautiously placed a comforting hand on his back.

"It's okay," he said automatically.

Bunny finally met his gaze, his green eyes like shattered glass.

"No. No, it's not."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tasha sat down next to the bed, placing her hands on Grim's shoulders. "It's going to be fine, Smerts," she reassured her as her hands began to glow, a soft golden light illuminating the Reaper's white back. "You'll be alright."

Grim's only answer was a shuddering sigh and a twitch.

Biting her lip, Tasha turned to the elves watching her.

"Jingle," she said, her voice soft but firm.

One of the elves pointed to himself, his vacant stare turning more attentive.

"Go to North. Tell him to call for the others," she commanded.

The elf trotted off obediently. She looked to the others, her tone turning crisp. "The rest of you, make yourselves useful. Don't crowd the room."

The other elves toddled out. As the last of them closed the door behind himself, Tasha slumped in her chair and let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Oh, Riri," she whispered, her throat tight.

Grim stirred, her breathing slowly evening.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tooth flew down through the open space in the Pole's roof, glancing back up at the sky as she did so. "What is it, North? What happened?"

"It is Grim," North explained. "Bunny's gift-"

Tooth's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh. Oh no. Oh no, no, no..."

Her voice thinned to an anxious mumble as Sandy sailed into the workshop on a cloud of dreamsand.

North frowned, stroking his beard restlessly. "Sandy, Grim-"

Sandy's expression went from mildly curious to startled to stern. He flew up to North, signing furiously.

(Where is my sister?)

"She is not well. She-"

(Where. Is. She.) the Sandman repeated, his eyes hardening.

North pointed up to Natasha's room, and Sandy was through the door in a blink.

Jack took another small sip of what he was guessing was brandy. "Didn't know Sandster could move that fast," he joked weakly.

Bunny smiled dully. "Didn't know I could mess up this badly. Thought you were the cause of all the trouble around here."

Jack punched him in the arm lightly, trying for a lighthearted grin. "You calling me a troublemaker, Cottontail?"

Bunny's smile vanished, and he bowed his head. "North looks worried."

Jack glanced down at his toes and realized he was beginning to freeze over the floorboards, picking his bare feet up off of the ground to prevent turning the workshop into an ice rink. "It can't be that bad, can it? I mean, it's not like she's gonna die."

Bunny clutched the blanket so tightly that Jack could see the hem beginning to rip. "No, she won't die. She can't. Her pain could get worse and worse, and she'd be able to feel every second of it. Or she could just fall into a coma, suffer until she wakes up, if she wakes up."

Jack raised his hands pleadingly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Aren't you the Guardian of Hope? Let's have some optimism, here."

Bunny's laugh sounded painful. "Hope and optimism ain't the same thing, mate. Optimism is seeing the best- hope is wanting the best despite the fact the best probably isn't happening."

Jack rolled his staff in his fingers, watching Sandy float out from Natasha's room dejectedly.

"We can still hope though, right?"

Bunny looked up, eyes watery, and nodded. "Yeah, Frostbite. We can always hope."