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

Chapter 25

right so this chapter almost got read by this guy at my school today idk why i write when i'm there bc someone always asks but seriously what else am i supposed to do 

The shadows spun around you rapidly, whipping your hair into the air and making your dress buffet against the wind. With Bunny gone, you felt a piece of you was missing. Something had just been ripped from you, and it made you feel a surge of emotions that you couldn't place. 

"Give me the boomerangs," you demanded. 

He put them behind his back and shook his head, a smile dancing on his lips. But beneath the smile there was a tremble, beneath the devilish glint a nervous grimace. 

"Give them to me." 

Again, he refused. 

"Dammit, Phaedrus," you snapped. 

You lifted your hand and wrapped thick tendrils of shadows around his body. You lifted him from the ground and drew him closer to you. He cringed and struggled, but he couldn't escape this time. Something about the shadows kept him, a fellow villain, bound inside. 

"I can kill you," you said through gritted teeth. 

The words radiated through you. You could kill him, and it would be nothing. Just squeeze the shadows a bit tighter around him, and...

"Fine, fine!" 

You found yourself in a state of slight disappointment, but you weren't sure why. You didn't want to kill this man... Did you? 

"I was planning on giving them to you anyway, dear." 

He dropped the boomerangs. You tossed him aside, then picked the boomerangs from the ground. I should give these back to Bunny, you thought, but it was routine - as your fingers touched the wood, you knew that you wouldn't be returning the magical items any time soon. There was no way you would part with something that had caused so much grief. And maybe, just maybe, it felt good to have power superior to his. 

"Run along to your castle now," he purred, straightening his clothes. 

You opened a pillar and dove into it, then found yourself spinning back into your castle. It was dark, quiet, and empty. You couldn't help but notice that the castle paralleled what you felt inside. And if felt good. 

You opened your hand and spawned a big flower, then placed the boomerangs inside. When you waved your hand again, the flower disappeared, and the boomerangs with it. But you felt the presence of the treasure, like it was hovering about you. 

"Aiden!" you called, straightening your dress. "Aiden?" 

"(Y/N)?" He appeared at a slow pace, his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a long coat that you hadn't seen before. "What... What happened to you?" 

You looked down and realized your entire body - dress and skin - was grey. A light reflection on one of the glass walls revealed that your hair was the same - dark grey with a limited amount of brown streaks left. All that remained of your green dress was a slight tint left over. Even then, it was dull and dark. 

"Phaedrus," you said quickly. "I had to protect Bunny." 

He just stared at you, like he didn't understand why you had sacrificed anything for the Pooka. You waited for his smile - at least for his eyes to change from dull and disappointed to lively and excited. But nothing came. 

"Where'd you get that coat?" you asked. 

"It was mine." 

"I haven't seen it before." 

He wrapped it around himself and looked away from you. Lying. Daggers shot through your veins, and you crossed your arms. 

"Never mind it," you said bitterly. "Are you okay?" 

"Fine, why?" 

"Phaedrus told me that he was going to hurt you." 

"There's a protection spell around the castle. He can't get inside with deadly intentions." 

"Oh" was all you said. You didn't know that. A prickling sensation wound its way through your stomach, making you shake. Suddenly you felt out-of-place. What were you supposed to do within this castle of yours? Everything was too big, too useless. Children didn't believe in you, so no one visited. The Guardians were afraid of you, so they didn't want to be around you. And now even Aiden seemed closed off, lying and hesitant to start a conversation. 

"I'm going... Out," you said, trying to fight off the flames that lapped at your heart. 

"Out?" 

"I dunno." 

"Don't." 

"I'll do what I want." 

"(Y/N)." 

"It's... It's Mother Nature," you said, turning away from him. 

"W-Wait..." Aiden started quietly. 

"Whatever, Aiden. Just... Just stay here." 

"Phaedrus was here," he confessed. 

"Yeah, figured. The coat's from him?" 

"Y-Yes." 

"Okay." 

"Well - "

"See ya." 

"He's going after Bunny," Aiden blurted. 

You looked over your shoulder, but not at him. You couldn't. You felt that something was physically keeping you from looking at the boy, your brother. But it was only your own imagination, and the beginning of something far worse. 

"North will protect him," you assured him.

"North can only do so much," Aiden argued. 

"He will be able to help Bunny, at least." 

"Are you sure?" 

"I... P-Pretty sure..." You didn't want to give him the satisfaction of your doubt. "Yes, I'm sure." 

"(Y/N) - Mother Nature, I wouldn't want something to happen to him - " 

"Bunny will be fine!" you yelled, spinning around. When you did, beams of shadows shot from your fingertips. They twisted around Aiden, then dissipated into the air. His eyes were wide, and he was biting his lip. Though he tried to hide it, you noticed him take a step back. You clasped your hands in front of you and looked away from him. "Bunny... Will be fine."