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

Chapter 34

You landed with a thud, but some kind of leaf covering broke your fall - at least slightly. Vines wrapped around your back and wings, creating splints that you wouldn't have thought of. Bunny was by your side in an instant, with North behind him. The castle was shaking now, and Phaedrus began moving shadows around the place. He never wanted any of them, only their power. His domain would come later... Should he succeed...

"You... Y-You can't let Phaedrus gather any more power..."

Bunny was crying. "You're dying... Great Manny, (Y/N), you're dying..."

"I need you to leave, okay?" You tried to bring yourself closer to him, but pain kept you from doing so. "I need you to defeat him... For me..."

"I won't let you die like this..." he murmured, brushing hair from your face. He leaned over you and brought his forehead to rest against yours.

"I want you to be safe," you whispered. "I want to know that you're okay..."

His ears fell. "I can't loose you, little mate."

It was then that you realized that he'd stopped believing in order to save you. It hurt him as much as it hurt you, if not more. The sacrifices he'd made were innumerable, and now there was so much left unsaid, so much left undone. Nights together, kisses stolen, magic teased... And perhaps now, never to be. But you'd done your fair share of hurt to him, and you couldn't let him in a cave of darkness. He was a Guardian, after all... The one who had saved you when you feared no one else would.

"Bunny..." you said as tears began sliding down your cheeks. "Please."

"Bunnymund," North said, putting his hand on Bunny's shoulder. "Come."

Bunny pulled his quiver from his back and rolled three eggs out of it. They jumped over your legs and onto your body. You found you had the strength to sit up as they hopped about. 

"I love you," Bunny murmured. "(Y/N), I love you so bloody much... Great Manny, I..."

"Don't cry, Bunny... You'll always be my Guardian."

"I'm s-sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't be more of one..."

"There's nothing else I'd rather you be." You put your hand on his cheek, then closed your eyes. "Please go... Just leave quickly."

You felt his presence disappear. Your eyes opened again, and you watched as they left, the ground rumbling as they did. They both stumbled under the movement. As their feet disappeared from the rapidly-breaking ground, large rocks began falling at a rapid pace.

The eggs jumped around you and pulled you up as best as they could (being eggs). You pulled yourself to your feet as best you could and forced yourself to stand strong.

Phaedrus appeared in front of you, smiling. With all the power you could summon, you sent a surge of light at him. It was everything you had, but it bound him and kept him from creating new shadows.

"This is almost over, Phaedrus..." you said.

"Perhaps for you it is, dear..." he murmured, but you heard the quake in his voice.

Fear ravaged your chest. You could die here. Phaedrus's power was enough to weaken you to the point of mortality, and there were no escape routes. Rocks were falling faster than you could blink, and, while the man before you was bound tightly, he still had power over the place that he was shameful enough to call home.

"Let me go," you demanded.

He smirked. "Never."

The rocks continued to fall. You tried to ignite your power, but you weren't strong enough. However, sparks flew around the layers of darkness that covered your hands. The rocks that were falling took down the grey-tinted chandelier, leaving no light. You closed your eyes for a moment and tried to cling to hope. That's what Bunny would do if he were here. Even if you couldn't see him, he was still a—no, he was still your—Guardian.

"Your little Guardian friends aren't coming back," Phaedrus panted. "No matter how hard you wish, now matter how much you believe—"

That was it. You began to chant Ombric's favorite spell: "I believe. I believe. I believe."

Your hands began to glow through the darkness, and sparks flew from around your hands. Larger rocks were falling faster now. The chandelier was gone, and the only light grew from your opened palms. But that light was increasing.

"I believe. I believe. I believe."

The darkness melted from your hands and freed your body, and you dashed forward. When you turned back, light was still twirling around the body of Phaedrus, who looked on in something between dread, wonder, and jealousy.

"You've done a lot of damage to a lot of people," you seethed. "Now it's your turn."

Light began to envelop you, and you closed your eyes as it got brighter and brighter. You felt wind begin to blow in the still air of the cavern. You thought of Bunny, and a hint of a smile found its way onto your lips for the first time since before you cared to remember.

You were thrust out of the darkness and found yourself surrounded by light. You felt something soft against your tattered skin as you tripped forward. Pain ate at your back as your wings flew out in an attempt to steady yourself, but to no avail. You opened your eyes as you landed with a thud, and your eyes met the shimmering green ones of Bunny.