Insincere - Sequel to "Heartfelt" (Bunnymund x Reader)

Chapter 28

The day was spent in a flower garden. You grew flowers, healed flowers, created flowers. It was calming, and exercising your power was empowering. The fact that you had just been consumed by darkness hadn't yet hit you, so now you were able to experience it in bliss. Carelessness had been a fleeting thing once; now, it was everything you had. 

You laid down in the midst of a patch of daisies. They reached above your head, and for a moment your world was filtered into the blue sky and white petals. 

"(Y/N)? Er, M-Mother Nature?" 

You sat up. Aiden stood there, his hands clasped behind him. He was wearing a dark green suit with golden accents, and looked more like a butler or servant than a fellow inhabitant in the castle. When had that happened?

"Phaedrus..." Aiden said quietly, "He attacked the Pole."

You got to your feet. The bliss melted away and was replaced with panic. North's work, Bunny's life... What end could the destruction have? "When?"

"Just now. It was supposed to be a trap, s-so Phaedrus doesn't know the results." Aiden fidgeted with the cuffs of the jacket he wore. "I-It was a furious battle. Everything was destroyed, but um... T-The Guardians are fine."

"Well, it... It doesn't affect me," you said, looking away. Still, you knew you were lying; you knew he knew you were lying. "But, um... North... H-He's okay? Was Pitch there?"

Aiden dipped his dead formally. "North and Pitch are fine, as are the others."

"A-And... Bunnymund?"

"He came out alive."

"Was he... Is he... Hurt?"

Aiden shook his head.

A pang hit you. Relief. You couldn't help covering your mouth to contain a sigh. You closed your eyes, letting something close to joy melt through you. The fear you'd felt dissipated. But you wouldn't let Aiden know it. You took a deep breath and tried to contain yourself.

"How do you know?" 

"The birds told me. L-Literally... Um, Ombric taught me their language." 

You stepped towards him, waiting for him to back away. But he didn't. With hesitation, you took his hands. "Are you okay, Aiden?" 

"I... Can't say..." 

"Please tell me. I'm going to protect you." 

"I'm just a game piece to Phaedrus. I'm a pawn and you're his king. I'm only there to make sure you're not changed or stolen." 

You pulled him against you for a hug. He took a deep breath and relaxed for a moment, and you thought he might confess more. His emotions, his fears. But he quickly stepped away. 

"I thought I should inform you before Phaedrus." 

"Thank you. But really, a-are you sure you don't want to - "

"The Guardians are more important," he said in a huff of breath. 

"Well... If I can't even understand you, why should I care about them?" you asked, forcing bitterness into your tone.

Aiden stared at you for a moment, and you thought he might take on the same reckless indifference. But he smiled lightly. "Bunny still loves you. And I think you still love him."

It was true. You were still madly in love with Bunnymund. You suddenly wanted to see him again. But you knew you shouldn't. Then a thought occurred to you.

"Aiden?"

"Y-Yes... Mother Nature?"

"Don't... Don't tell Phaedrus that his trap didn't work."

His eyebrows arched up in worry, but he nodded. "Of course not."

"He's not going to get to you, Aiden," you assured him. "Not if I have anything to do with it." 

He was doubtful, you could tell, but he nodded and even offered a smile. Once he'd had left and you were alone, you flew to the Workshop. You'd have to be silent and very alert, for the Guardians couldn't see you there. Not when you'd become like... This. It was now that you began to feel a twinge of regret. But still, not enough to make you feel more than a flicker. You were still powerful, still Mother Nature. 

You dashed to the Workshop, which still had shadowy beams flying around it, breaking windows and busting the walls. Without thinking, you drew the shadows into your hands to remove them. They twirled around your fingers for a moment, then disappeared into your skin. Then you heard voices. 

You floated to a window, and risked a glance inside. Bunny was sitting on the edge of a railing, facing away from you. Next to him was Jack, leaning against his staff. His profile was clearly outlined against the shadowy dark background. 

"I never should have fallen for another girl," Bunnymund murmured quietly. "I'm not a human, I'm a Pooka - I don't need... Feelings." He sighed. "But I still love her."

"You know it isn't (Y/N) behind all this. It's Phaedrus."

"I... I know. But after what she did with the boomerangs... We can't trust her, Jack." 

Your heart began to sink. He had to believe in you, he was the Guardian of Hope - your Guardian of Hope. The words couldn't be his, they weren't...

North marched in, stumbling slightly. "Bunny, Jack. Christmas is... Christmas is suffering. Lights have started going out." 

You pushed the window open and dashed inside, sliding along the walls and trying to blend in without any Yetis or elves seeing you. You his behind a stack of wrapped presents and peered around the corner. Tooth and Sandy were following behind North, both walking. Bunny's ears were so low that you wondered if he could possibly look any dejected. You'd never seen anyone so hopeless before, especially not him...

"Did you find anything?" Bunny asked. 

North shook his head and opened his mouth to offer consolation, but Bunny brushed it off and leaned against the wall. He pulled his arms against himself, and you took note of how out-of-character it was of him not to argue.

"We need a plan," North announced, not looking at any of the Guardians specifically. "We are need to take action."

"How?!" Bunnymund burst out. "H-How do you expect to make a plan when we have no idea what Phaedrus is doing to (Y/N), she's too elusive for us to find, and we're overpowered? We've tried all our methods, North. We have... No hope."

"Bunny," Jack whispered.

"There's no way that we're getting to her - the either of them."

"Are you suggesting we give up?" Tooth asked.

Bunny's ears fell and he looked away. "That's the only thing I could think of."

A burst of sand flew from Sandy.

"The sooner we move on," Bunny murmured, "The sooner we can forget."

You felt that your entire being could shatter right then and there. The one who had once been your only source of hope through everything was giving up on you, just like that. If only you could reach out to him, to show him...

And then Phaedrus's voice said, "You're terribly right, Bunnymund."

DON'T WORRY IT GETS BETTER FROM HERE