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

Chapter 17

You looked up from your hands and saw your friends finally breaking apart from their arguing. You waited for bitterness to rise inside of you, but nothing came. Your gaze was steady on them as they looked about with wide eyes, as if they had no idea what had just happened. 

"(Y/N)?" 

You looked back at Pitch. Before you knew it, your voice exploded: "What the hell was that?!" 

"What..." He blinked, once in shock and once in confusion. "What do you mean?" 

You were indignant. How could he not know what you were talking about? "You're standing in the spot Phaedrus disappeared from! What am I supposed to make of that?" 

"I-I don't... I don't know. (Y/N)..." He reached towards you. 

You jerked your arm away, then stumbled away from him. He looked lost, like he'd just woken up in the middle of the forest. But how could he not have had something to do with that?

"(Y/N)!" Bunnymund dashed over. "Little mate, are you all right?" 

"I'm fine," you said, bitterness taking over your tone. "No thanks to you." 

"What're ya talkin' about?" He looked you over, and seemed to notice the darkness that had consumed your body. "Look, maybe we should get back to - " 

"To what? That room? The Warren?" You shook your head. "No, I'm definitely not going to go with you. With any of you." 

North staggered up with Ombric next to him. "(Y/N), what are you talking about?" 

"Don't act like that!" you yelled. "Stop pretending!" 

Ombric cocked his head. "Pretending... What?" 

You formed a pillar to transport yourself with. But now it was made of shadow. The rest of them gasped and all stepped back. That was when you felt something. The fear they felt seemed to absorb into you - into your skin, into your heart. And you couldn't tell if it was sickening... Or strengthening. 

The truth was that the Guardians had no clue what had happened between Mother Nature and Phaedrus. As they stood in a circle, staring at where their beloved (Y/N) had stood just moments before, none of them seemed to be able to recall anything before they ordered the meeting between themselves and (Y/N). They had planned on telling her about the cure they had found - the way to reverse the darkness. But something had gone amiss. What had happened to them as a team, as a whole? These ancient, powerful Guardians had gotten stuck in some way. But where, when, how? 

Jack, Tooth, and Sandy had no idea what to feel. The three of them hardly had any part in what had been happening recently; they hardly even knew why (Y/N) had left with such a sweeping hatred. What they did know, however, was that they were not themselves, and their friends were not themselves, either. Was it possible that rifts had formed between them? But why, how? Perhaps it was an outside force... And they had no clue that Phaedrus even existed. 

Manny let out a sigh of weariness. He knew this would happen. He knew Mother Nature was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Now, with the beautiful girl on the side of darkness, or perhaps a side all her own, there was no telling what may ensue. She knew things. She was smart and powerful - a dangerous combination. 

Ombric rested his forehead on his staff and took a deep breath. Failure - that's what it was. He had never felt such an emotion before. It snaked through his veins like poison, making his jaw clench and his stomach churn. Why, oh, why had this happened? And how? Maybe he would consult with his friends in Santoff Claussen, they always seemed to have answers. Without a word, he transported himself there. 

North stumbled to lean against the wall. His heart was racing at the speed of a hundred horses, and sounded it. His vibrant blue eyes were suddenly drained of color, his usual rosiness in his cheeks absent. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall, feeling the very prominent dread of the future so very, very deeply.

Bunnymund groaned and gripped his own fur between his paws, pulling and inflicting pain upon himself in order to get his mind off of (Y/N). But it wasn't working. Once, he had made a pact with himself that he would never fall for a human again. Now, here he was, regretting his vow - both breaking it and making it. He felt he could stomp and scream and punch and kick, but all he could bring himself to do was pull his own fur. 

But Pitch was perhaps the most distraught of all. He dropped to his knees at the place you had disappeared. His fingers traced where the shadows had stained. Guilt swallowed him, and he hung his head with such a shame one might think it was for the whole world. And with nothing else to do, Pitch Black cried.