Yay you all loved last chapter! The wave of positive comments makes me soooo happy so thank you all! I hope hope hope that this chapter turns out the way I want it to (I'm writing this one as I go, fingers crossed!) Shout outs now!
RizReviewer-Well I'm glad you liked it ;) and stupid question (cause my knowledge of fanfic lingo is sorely lacking) UST? Uhhh not sure I know what that means…I have a guess but I don't wanna say it out loud in case I'm wrong lol.
Stardust Imaginings-Well aren't you an exciting one! Haha thank you very much, that makes me so happy!
And thanks to JoyousCrosser, DJpaigeDJ (cool name btw), winx lover (love that show), and Bunnymund's Girlfriend (nice!) for your comments, they mean so much to me.
And as always, ROTG is nowhere near being mine (but if someone was offering…..) Also! Two things, 1. I highly suggest looking up the song empty chairs and empty tables (preferably the Nick Jonas version…no I am not a Jonas fan), it may make the chapter cooler….or not. And 2. This chapter will be a bit gruesome…you've been warned.
Chapter 21: Anguish
Nat woke up in her room and went to the mirror, brushing out her golden blonde hair one more time.
"Alright," she said to her reflection, "Bring on the fall." Before her eyes Nat saw her appearance change yet again, a large smile on her face.
The waved blonde turned into a brilliant red-orange of tight curls, stopping at her shoulder blades and shining vibrantly. Nat now wore a warm orange high-low skirt, the back almost touching the floor and the front ending right on her knees. Along with that she wore a pair of brown boots that reached mid-calf with a ring of fake fur around the top.
Her shirt was a matching brown that had a low scoop neck, revealing some collarbone and a bit of cleavage. The sleeves were loose and puffy, comfortably fitting around her elbow crease. What caught her attention the most was the way her tattoos flowed in color, changing from gold to red. Now against her lighter skin the sun rays flowed into oak leaves with swirled lines that looked like wind blowing until they replaced the gold completely. At the center of her forehead was a similar yet uniquely beautiful swirling wind pattern that matched the rest of the design perfectly.
Nat admired her new image for a few moments more before going out the window, spreading her new season. She spent the entire morning marveling the colors change where she went, the brisk chill that followed wherever she moved, it was like she was coursing with energy as she put nature to sleep.
Nat brought the season in record time, returning to the Warren hours later. She surprised Bunnymund who was hunched over tending to some flowers.
"Blimey Nat! Thanks for the heart attack! You-crikey…" His gaze moved up and down her body, lingering briefly at the low scoop of her top.
She smirked at his reaction, "You like the new look? Quite fall don't you think?"
Bunny shook his head, returning her smirk with one of his own, "Yea it's alright," he crossed his arms, "But ta be honest, I like you at spring more."
Nat rolled her eyes, "Gee I wonder why?" They laughed for a while before the pooka spoke again.
"So, what do ya say we head in for a late lunch early dinner?" But she shook her head.
"Can't, Cupid invited me to tea and tonight I'm collecting teeth with Tooth remember?" She brushed a hand along his fluffy cheek, "But I thought I'd come back and say bye."
Bunny's ears went down the slightest in disappointment but if Nat noticed she didn't say, "Right. Well that's nice of ya I guess, make sure you have fun got it? And be careful with Cupid, he can be a bit…direct."
Nat laughed again, "I will, and don't worry, this isn't the first time I've met up with Cupid." She was lifted into the air and headed toward the tunnel.
Bunny nodded, "Right right, wait- What do ya mean it ain't the first time!?"
His only reply was a chiming laugh followed with a "Bye Aster!"
When she was gone he looked around. For some reason the Warren seemed more…empty. He was used to it but this time it seemed to hurt more, more than it had for some time. Taking a breath to somewhat soothe the fresh ache, Bunny made his way to the river.
After taking a bath he went to the clay hut, inspecting Nat's new piece. He was impressed to see it wasn't a bowl or a vase, but a figurine. It was one of her as a mortal and only half painted, but the details were better than the few she had made in the past. He smiled at her progress and looked around at her other works, stopping when he saw her iPod.
The device was still plugged in the speakers and out of curiosity he pushed buttons until it came to life. By the looks of it the thing appeared to be paused mid-song and, curiosity getting the better of him again and also hoping to fill the Warren with some sound so it would be less lonely, Bunny hit play. Instantly the song continued.
Oh my friends, my friends forgive me That I live and you are gone.
There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.
Bunnymund's blood turned to ice, he stumbled back a few steps before tripping and landing to the ground. His fearful gaze never left the contraption.
Phantom faces at the window.
Phantom shadows on the floor.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will meet no more.
Centuries old panic and pain flooded inside and he tore from the hut as fast as he could, flinging dirt up in the process, long suppressed memories on the verge of resurfacing. But as fast as he was, it could not stop his trained ears from hearing the blasted melody, it followed him like a haunting spirit of his heart-wrenching past. Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me
What your sacrifice was for
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will meet no more
The song ended as he crashed into his room. Bunny's breathing came in ragged gasps as he tried to fight the dizziness that came with a flashback. He didn't want to see it! Not again, not after so many times before!
In a wild panic he dashed toward his bedside, desperate to prevent the pain, and grabbed the remaining bag of gold dreamsand Sandy had given to him in the spring. With shaky and frantic motions he dumped the entire bag on his head and fell to his bed, taking temporary escape in the land of pleasant dreams…
~~~~Bunny's Dream~Late Fourth Century~The Australian Outback~~~~
Bunnymund is walking through his village, a content smile on his face, when behind him he hears a young voice.
"Big brother! Big brother!" The word is drawled out and Aster turns to see a young pooka with black and white fur bounding towards him.
He looks down to the child, "Yes Teo what is it?" His favorite sibling has a look of distress on his face.
"Mum took my boomerang! And my bolo!" Bunny laughs at the pout on his brother's face.
"And why did she take them?"
Teo shifted his gaze to the dirt, "I-I threw 'em at Lilith…"
The older buck's eyes widened, "Well why the bloody-" he caught himself, "What did ya expect Mum ta do ya gumby, give you a treat for whackin' one of ya new little sisters? She's still a kit!" Lilith was a quadruplet in his mother's third and most recent little, Teo being a twin in the second, and Aster the only/oldest in the first.
Deep gray eyes filled with sadness, "Please help mum not be mad at me! I was practicing!"
Aster sighed before smiling, "Agh I can't stay mad at you ankle-biter. Come on," he picked him up and placed Teo on his shoulder, "Maybe I can get mum ta give you yer bolo back."
"No my boomerang!" he said fiercely, "I'd rather 'ave the boomerang, I like it more."
Aster secretly filled with happiness, he had made that boomerang special for his brother and he loved hearing how much it meant to the kid.
"Alrigh' let's go get your boomerang, and maybe I can teach ya how to use it right." Teo nuzzled Bunny's head in appreciation as the two made their way to their chaotic home. But he stopped when a familiar and beautiful voice spoke ahead.
"I hope you don't show favorites like that with our kits." Bunnymund saw the most breathtaking pooka, she had cream fur marked with light brown tattoos and dark brown eyes, smiling sweetly at him.
"Kya! Kya!" Teo hopped down from his brother's shoulder and raced to the female, touching noses with her once she scooped him up.
Bunny smiled warmly as he walked over, "Teo, why don' you find Alani and I'll meet you at home?" Giving one last affectionate lick to Kya and rubbing his head under Bunny's chin Teo jumped down and went off to find his twin sister.
Bunny then embraced the doe lovingly, "Already thinkin bout kits hmm?"
She laughed and pulled away to look at him, "Well it may have come to mind….You're so good with them I can't help it."
"Nah, I'm nothing special."
Kya took his cheek with her paw, "But you are, you're going to be a wonderful father Aster." She then touched noses with him, "Can you believe our mating is in a week?"
He chuckled at her excitement, "I know, jus' a few more days, and you'll be all mine." His smile grew just thinking about it, the traditional pooka ceremony would announce to the tribe that Aster and Kya were officially mates, bound for life.
From behind him a voice spoke, "Aster, a moment please?" The couple turned and saw a tall pooka, fur similar to Bunny's only darker, and a few inches taller.
"Of course Dad," Aster gave his betrothed a lick on the head before leaving, "I'll see you later love."
"You better," she winked before walking away, giving a nod to his father who returned it with a kind smile.
He came over to Bunny, "You know how lucky you are don' you Aster?" his father's voice was a touch deeper than his own and he always had a smile on his face.
"Yes I know Dad," the older buck led his son to the edge of the forest to speak with him privately.
"Eamon Aster Bunnymund, you are my first son and you bear my name." Using his whole name threw Bunny off, in the tribe everyone was called by their middle names, and the first was the middle name of their father, or at least for the first borns, it was a tradition that passes down from father to son.
"And in a week's time you will be mated, and you will become leader of our tribe. You will be responsible to lead them well, to care for them, for they are your family, and will always be."
His serious face turned to a smile, "And because of the happy occasion, I 'ave something for ya." From behind his back Eamon revealed a folded green square and handed it to Bunny.
Shaking it out he saw it was an emerald green cloak, one of the most handsome things he'd ever laid eyes on. It shined in the light and was trimmed with a darker green, light green patterns covered it.
"It's a beaut isn't it? I wore this when I was mated with yer mother," Eamon said fondly, "It's yours now. Wear it proud. You will be a great leader Aster, I know it."
All Bunny could do was blink at it for a few minutes. He then spoke past the lump now lodged in his throat, "Da I….thank you," clasping his father's arm in a warrior's shake he said, "I promise I'll make ya proud."
Eamon then pulled his son into a brief hug, "Ya already have son," he said gruffly, "Ya already have."
He then moved back and laughed, "Enough with this mush stuff eh? Why don' we leave tha' to the doe's." Aster laughed and carefully folded the magnificent cloak. He then walked with his father back to the village, where his loving betrothed waited for him. They walked to the Bunnymund home, where they were surrounded by laughter, family, and love…
~~~The Warren~~~
Night had fallen and Bunny was still in deep sleep. He didn't even stir as Pitch Black himself arose from the shadows, making his way towards the bed.
"Oh look at all the love and happiness," he said aloud, "How absolutely nauseating." He chuckled darkly as he watched Bunny sleep.
"Well I have just the thing to fix that," with a sweep of his hand the gold dream slowly began to slowly dissolve to black.
"Now this, will be fun." He then sat back and waited for the nightmare to begin.
~~~Bunny's Dream~~~
He had walked Kya to her home that evening for dinner, and once the door was shut he flew. Trees and plants blurred past him as he raced through the forest, excited adrenaline pushing him faster.
Tonight was a special night because Bunnymund knew the moonflowers had bloomed. Moonflowers were a rare breed, pale as the moon (hence the name), very beautiful, and they just happened to be Kya's favorite. They only bloomed a few weeks out of the year, so he decided to collect some the night they appeared and surprise her with them after she ate.
The clearing was a good few miles away from the village so it took some time to reach it. When he did though he was happy to see the flowers everywhere, their scent filling the area with a pleasant aroma.
He carefully made his way in, not wanting to step on any, and took his time picking the most beautiful ones he could find.
Oh she is gonna love these he thought happily, already picturing her face when he showed her. By the time he finished the moon was climbing higher into the night sky. Bunny was tucking the flowers safely in his harness when he heard something.
He cocked his head to the side, straining his ears for any sign of danger. That was when he heard it, from a distance he heard screaming. Bunnymund went cold, it was coming from the village.
"No," he whispered before taking off. He pushed himself as hard as he could, sprinting at top speed. The closer he got the more he heard, violent shouts now mixed with the screams, along with the echo of weapons clashing.
He pushed himself faster, he could now see the orange glow of fire, moved faster still when the stench of smoke hit his nose.
Fear pushed him past his normal limits, it squeezed his heart when he realized…he couldn't hear anything anymore.
The silence lasted only seconds before he had reached the tribe, weapons drawn the moment he was on two legs. But one look around him had them clatter to ground.
Fire still burned some homes, casting a faint glow to let no horror remain hidden. They were everywhere, pookas lay strewn in the dirt.
He rushed to his house, his mother, usually smiling with love, was in a crumpled heap on the doorstep. Her green eyes, matching perfectly with his own, had a look of fear and pain, and her fur was stained with blood.
Bunny didn't have to enter the house, just feet away lay Alani, she was in front of the four younger kits, all sharing a pool of blood. He turned the side and vomited violently, those kits had been only months, months old.
He passed through the rest of the village slowly, seeing faces he had known his whole life. Bunny then saw his father and brother.
Neron Eamon Bunnymund was on his back sword still in his paw, he fought every moment, a stab wound at his heart. Aster was weeping openly now, he closed his father's blue eyes before moving onto young Teo.
His favorite brother had his boomerang clutched in his paw, and his eyes were closed as Bunny cradled the child in his arms. The slice across his throat was bright with blood. He didn't know how long he held him, and he didn't care, that is, until he heard a voice.
"Aster…" It weakly called his name and he recognized it immediately. Looking around he saw Kya and after nuzzling Teo he rushed to her side.
"Kya!" He kneeled beside her, her hand feebly covered the hole in her side. "It's alright love, I'm right here."
She could barely lift her head, "Th-thank goodness…you're al-alright. I thought-" she winced in effort, "I thought you'd be…"
"Shhh love," Bunny hushed, "Save yer strength." He kept his determined eyes looking at hers, as if the contact enough could keep her awake.
Kya's eyes were warm with love, even as Aster tried to staunch the pouring wound. She then gasped, "Oh! Y-you got moonflowers!"
He had all but forgotten that they were still on his harness, "What? Oh-oh right I did…I was gonna surprise you."
"They're-they're beautiful," with shaking hands she took them, breathing the scent deeply before it turned into a gurgled cough.
He ran his paw over her head. "Don' you worry, you're gonna be jus' fine. I ain't gonna let ya die tonight, I promise."
"I know, but I'm letting myself go."
"What?!" he asked frantically, "Wha' do you mean-Kya just 'ang on you're gonna be-"
His love lifted a paw and held his cheek, "You know I won-won't last….much longer. I'm j-just…glad you can be here with me."
Bunny's eyes welled up and he pleaded desperately, "Kya no, please! We- we're going to be mated rememba'? You don' wanna miss that, please love don't-"
She pulled his head down so she could touch noses with him. Her eyes were brimming with tears but none fell, "Thank….thank you for the flowers Aster."
"No you can't Kya! Please don't go!" He cradled her softly in his arms, holding her tightly, "I can't push on without you." He snuffed her temple, wetting it with his tears.
"Yes-you can…and you will. Everything-willbe…alright."
He looked back at her, "But how!? H-how can I keep going when-when I'm all alone?"
She took the paw holding her side with her own, "You must…you must have hope Aster. As-long as-you do…you will never be alone." Her grip on his paw began to weaken.
"Kya! Please-" he pressed his forehead into hers, desperately willing his to-be mate to stay alive.
He felt a soft lick on his nose as he stared into her dark brown eyes, "I….I love you Aster..." Then Kya's eyes slipped closed, and she didn't take another breath.
"Kya? Kya NO!" Aster pathetically tried to shake his love only to give up moments later, sobbing into her fur. The love of his life, keeper of his heart, lied dead in his arms.
He lifted his head to the night sky and released a howled cry, one full of anguish and agony.
Sorrow and fear consumed him, for he was now the last pooka…he was truly alone.
~~~The Warren~~~
A scream tore from Bunny's lips as he jolted awake, panting as if he'd just hopped around the world and back, and unaware of the shadow that disappeared in the corner. An uncontrollable trembling had resumed and he clumsily got out from his bed, stumbling to an old dusty chest.
Opening it he dug for a buried object and pulled out a small boomerang. Tears obscured his sight as he brought the weapon to his face, inhaling deeply. There was still the faintest scent of his brother Teo, then with the tears overflowing he put it back in the chest.
He left his house, ignoring the few wandering eggs who tried to approach him, and went to the clay hut. Somehow the moon magically lit up the underground Warren but he paid little attention to the usual comfort.
With still trembling hands Bunnymund grabbed some clay and began to sculpt. As he worked he continued to weep, drops splattering in the earth he molded. He spent hours, putting his heart and soul into the piece, along with his sadness.
Finally, after the final magic firing, he held in his paws an exact replica of a moonflower. It had to be one of his most beautifully done pieces he'd ever made. But that didn't stop the tears from falling.
All he could do was stare at it, then he ran outside and in a cry of tormented fury, threw it to the ground.
The moonflower smashed into a thousand pieces and he crumpled to his knees. His paws tore at his fur in anger, sorrow, and pain. He clutched the fragments until his paws bled, for the first time hurting himself unintentionally.
Looking to the roof of the Warren he saw one shaft reach the surface, where he could see the stars and the moon. He wept again, crying out and silently begging the Man in the Moon to stop the pain, the hurt.
All Bunnymund wanted to do was curl in a ball and wake up to find it was all a dream, a horrendous nightmare. But he knew that would never happen, his kind was dead, when they needed him most he hadn't been there, and now he was paying the ultimate price.
For centuries they have been gone, everyone he had ever loved, yet the wound still felt fresh, and the knowledge of it crushed his very being.
He was, and always would be, completely alone…
Alright this wasn't as long as I expected it to be so yay I hope the waiting to know what happened to Bunny was worth it. Few things, pronunciations of some names-Teo sounds like Tay (like Taylor) not Tee-o, the Ky in Kya is like kite or Kyle (I sort of winged the spelling), and Eamon is Ay (like day) –mon (like money). And here's the pooka name thing in case anyone's confused-the first born carries the middle name of their parent as their first name, while everyone calls them by their own middle name. So Bunny's grandfather was Something Neron Bunnymund, Bunny's dad is Neron Eamon Bunnymund, and Bunny is Eamon Aster Bunnymund. Made that up myself sorry if it's complicated to follow (fun fact-Neron means strong and Eamon means protector so Bunny's dad is strong protector. Neat huh?) ok that is it! Sorry it took a while for this chapter to get posted, next one shouldn't take as long. Peace out!