Never lose Hope prologue

Bunnymund is the guardian of hope, children are usually full of it, but every so often a child will lose hope. Every year the Easter bunny has less than a week to paint thousands of eggs, for the rest of the year he is free.

In the years following Pitch Black's defeat all the guardians had changed a bit. The tooth fairy spent more time in the field, North spent time with children when he could, and Bunnymund did the same.

The experience with the young girl Sophie Bennett had shown Bunny that he did not know much about kids, and he aimed to change that. In the months that he was not busy he put aside time to spend with kids. They usually thought it was their imagination when they grew up, but that didn't matter.

Right now, it was Summer, kids were out of school and having fun. Bunny liked it, though not nearly as much as spring of course.

At the moment Bunny was not looking to spend time with kids, he was looking for good places to hide eggs for the next year. He wanted to hide them well enough to give kids a challenge, but not so well no one could find them. It was difficult in this city, because it was further north than most it didn't need Jack Frost's help to still have snow on Easter. Though Bunnymund did not doubt that it still had the winter spirits help.

Bunny was trying to find places that would not have too much snow when kids came looking, and was shocked when he found a girl hiding under a bush.

The young girl couldn't have been more than 5 years old, she held up her finger and said "Shh" When she saw the giant bunny, "I'm hiding, my sisters said I need to go shopping, and I don't wanna!"

Bunny raised an eye at the girl, "An' why's that, mate?"

"I'm going to school next week, they said I need new stuff, but I hate shopping." The girl replied

"Theresa! Come on, we're leaving soon" A voice called from not far away.

Theresa sighed as she stood up, "I really want to go to school, but I hate shopping!"

Bunny laughed a bit, "Well, ya gotta take the good with the bad."

The young girl frowned, "I guess, and at least new cloths will make more people want to be my friend! I want to make a lot of friends!"

"Then ya better get going" Bunny replied, smiling at the small girl

Theresa smiled and started running off, "Bye bye giant bunny!" She yelled.

Kids that age are so cute Bunnymund thought, as he hopped of to continue his search for good hiding places.

----

The young girl had been so full of hope, Bunny was sure she would never need his help in that department. In the following years he forgot about her, and she nearly did the same. Theresa had a wild imagination, and while she had remembered the day it had not made a huge impact on her.

As she grew older she thought the giant rabbit had simply been another thing she had made up. Until she met Jack Frost and North, then she began to wonder.

For Theresa's twelfth birthday only one person showed up, which was more than she expected or hoped for. Ever since kindergarten Theresa's hopes had changed. She used to have hope everyday that she would meet new people, make new friends, and get to play fun games with a lot of people. Now her everyday hopes were simply that she would get through the day without being noticed.

"Happy birthday to you" Theresa's friend and sisters sang as her mother brought out a cake for them to eat.

When she blew out her candles everyone immediately asked what she wished for, "Can't tell you!" She told them, in truth she had wished for nothing, as she did not think she would would get anything by wishing.

Later that night she was laying on her bed with her friend Joy next to her, "Have you decided what Junior high your going to?" Theresa asked.

"I'm not sure, probably whichever one is closest." Joy said, rolling over, "What about you?"

"Well we're moving to another part of the city over the summer," Theresa replied with a yawn, "so I guess whichever one is closest to there."

"Yeah, well, at least you'll meet a bunch of new people." Joy said, she was the only one that knew how much Theresa was bullied, since Theresa didn't talk about it, "But we have to stay in touch."

Theresa yawned and was about to reply when she heard her friends breathing deepen, a clear sign the girl was now asleep. "I doubt my life will get any better," Theresa said to herself "What would be the point in hoping? It would just make it worse."

----

It is not often when a child loses all hope and gives up, but when one does Bunnymund does his best to restore it. He is the guardian of hope, and he does not only work one day a year.