Archive of Our Own ^beta

Bunnicula would call himself a simple, yet lucky vampire-rabbit. A human family had taken him into a warm house as their kin. There were plenty of vegetables around the neighborhood to satisfy his needs. But most of all, he was surrounded by two interesting creatures. There was Chester, an eccentric feline who did everything he could to prove to everyone the truth. And then, there was Harold, an older dog loyal to the Monroe family and enjoyed the simple things like him. 

Late one night on a full moon, after the younglings had come home from a celebration they called "Halloween", Bunnicula continued to rest, nestled in the dirt-colored bedding of his enclosure. He did sleep all day, but there was no rush to get up at the moment. His ears twitched slowly, however, when he felt Harold walking toward him and settling down nearby. 

"Hey, Bunnicula." Harold greeted with a gruff but gentle whisper. "Sorry if I woke you up. Just thought you'd like company for the night."

The rabbit's nose wiggled tiredly, but he did not reply. Harold chuckled. 

"You're awfully cute, you know that? You might be strange too, but isn't everyone? The Monroes do strange things every day, but I love them just the same. Personally, I don't think you're a vampire, but I could be wrong. If you are a vampire, at least you don't feast on humans or animals. Something tells me you're a good rabbit and maybe a nice vampire. Dogs can just tell, you know? What I'm trying to say is that, vampire or not, you are a Monroe and you'll always be a loving member of our family. Don't let Chester or anyone get you down. Good night, Bunnicula. Don't stay up too late." With that, the dog rested his head on top of his paws and went to sleep. 

Bunnicula's eyes opened in awe, staring at the creature before him. Someone of a different species conversed with a monster like him and accepted him unconditionally no matter what? It touched his metaphorical heart. Do vampire-rabbits have hearts? Could they cry? Before he could test it out, the flapping of wings echoed from above the fireplace.

Bunnicula jumped in alarm, waking Harold up slightly. It could not be what he thought it would be. If anything, it could be any type of bat; insectivore, fruit, or even a regular vampire bat. But the bunny could not shake the sensation of a powerful presence entering the home through the chimney. The whole being invited rule did not apply on Halloween it seemed. 

Harold seemed to also have an alarm, getting up with his ears raised when a large human-shaped shadow entered the room, enshrouded with a dark cloak. Harold snarled, preparing to bark when the figure stared into his eyes, stopping the dog in his tracks and silencing him with hypnosis. 

Bunnicula shook. A human vampire had arrived here of all places! The relationship between the vampiric versions of humans and rabbits differed between pets, companions, rivals, or pests. It was more like a roll of a dice. Even though he could tell that the vampire was not in the same powerful ranks as Dracula, they could still be a formidable foe if not careful. They were going to mind-control Harold and prey on the Monroes.

Not on Bunnicula's watch! With a hissing shriek, the rabbit teleported out of his bed and bared his fangs, standing between the vampire and Harold. He will not let them hurt his family. The two vampires glared at each other, sizing each other up as the full moon illuminated the scene from a nearby window. A gamble took place; either the human vampire was stronger and could cast Bunnicula to the side or Bunnicula could win. After a while, the latter rang true as the human shifted back into a large black bat.

Harold woke up from his daze. One moment, he saw an intruder by the doorway. The next, everything got blurry and he came to find Bunnicula glaring at a bat, the two of them hissing in a language he could not understand. The universal language of vampires. 

What are you doing here uninvited?

I am hunting. Halloween is my invitation. You should know what it means to feed. 

This is my territory. I did not permit you.

But you only prey on fruits and vegetables. You have more delectable prey right here. I won't even take that much. Just a nibble. I won't turn them or anything. Give me something to work with. 

Not a chance. Leave before I decide to feast on you!

To prove that he was serious, Bunnicula lunged to bite at the bat, but the bat dodged. Startled, the bat frantically escaped back the way it came in. 

Bunnicula grunted and thumped his foot on the floor in frustration. Good riddance! Once he was sure that the invading vampire had left the premises, he turned his attention to Harold, hopping toward him with a whimper. 

Harold blinked in confusion, getting the weariness out of his eyes with a shake of his body before he glanced down at the rabbit. "Don't worry, Bunnicula, I'm okay for the most part. Was that really a...? No, it couldn't be. Whatever that was, thank you for saving me."

Although Bunnicula calmed down a bit, he still worried for his newfound friend. For all he knew, Harold could deal with future side effects. Not to mention that dealing with an intruder can be scary for anybody! He should give a present to make Harold feel better. What do normal animals do to let each other know that they care?

Getting an idea, Bunnicula bounded silently into the kitchen. Even without teleporting, the rabbit was always fast and quiet when needed. Before Harold could follow after him, Bunnicula came back, carrying two large bell peppers in his mouth. One green and the other red. He stopped in front of Harold, letting go of the peppers, and nudging the red one to Harold.

"That's thoughtful of you," Harold grinned. "and thank you. It's almost midnight, but I think we deserve a little snack. It's a good thing that the rest of the house is deep asleep, including Chester. Could you imagine him awake at this time? He'd flip seeing this!"

The two animals carried their snacks back to Bunnicula's sleeping area, but Bunnicula decided to lie down right beside Harold, not budging despite the dog's efforts. Harold took a large bite out of his pepper while Bunnicula took a small bite and sucked at the juices (Harold looked away out of courtesy and most likely to keep things a mystery). As Harold went back to sleep for the remainder of the night, Bunnicula stayed awake and on guard, snuggling against the other protectively. 

Perhaps he was not as territorial as a werewolf or any were-creature, but Bunnicula would never let his home be harmed as long as his family lived.