Well then. This is currently the final chapter of this story i have planned. Atleast for now. I had a begining and end planned, but as i said at the start, i didn't see this lasting longer than a couple of chapters. I'm still open to revisiting and adding other chapters if the inspiration strikes me. Maybe make it a separate story. But for now, this is the last part i had planned for this one. I think this is the first time i've written a story that wasn't a one shot.
ah well. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Taking a deep breath, Bun-Bun stood up and gently took the little girl's hand.
"Don't worry, we'll find your mommy. What's your name?" She asked.
"D-Darcy..." the girl sniffled, clinging tightly to Bun-Bun's arm. As they walked, Darcy's sobs gradually quieted, and she began looking curiously at Bun-Bun's ears.
"Your ears are so fluffy!" Darcy exclaimed, reaching up to touch one of them. "They remind me of my stuffed giraffe, Rafo. He helps me feel better when I'm scared."
Bun-Bun smiled warmly.
"I know exactly what you mean. I used to help Lincoln feel better when he was scared too." She smiled.
"Oh! Lisa's brother! You know him? How did you help him?" Darcy's eyes widened with interest.
"Well, sometimes he'd hug me really tight when he was nervous or afraid." Bun-Bun explained, moments of Lincoln clutching her close during thunderstorms or after bad dreams flashed in her mind.
"That's just like me and Rafo! Mommy says it's okay to need comfort sometimes." Darcy beamed.
"DARCY!" A worried female voice called out. They turned to see a woman rushing towards them.
"MOMMY!" Darcy released Bun-Bun's hand and ran into her mother's arms.
"Oh, sweetie, I was so worried!" The woman hugged Darcy tightly before looking up at Bun-Bun with grateful eyes.
"Thank you so much for helping my daughter." She smiled.
"It was no problem." Bun-Bun replied, her ears twitching happily. The mother eyed the savior with curiousity. Must be one of those cosplayers. As Darcy and her mother walked away, Bun-Bun felt a warm glow of satisfaction. She brought comfort to someone, just like she always helped Lincoln!
Speaking of Lincoln...
Her ears drooped as she looked around the unfamiliar corridor. In her rush to help Darcy, she'd wandered quite far from where she started. Which way had they come from? Where was the bathroom Lincoln had gone into?
"Oh no..." she muttered, her nose twitching anxiously. "Linky's going to be so worried!
"Bun-Bun!" Lincoln's voice echoed through the mall corridors. "Bun-Bun, where are you?!" His heart raced as he scanned the crowds, looking for any sign of those familiar bunny ears.
"Hey kid, did you lose your pet or something?" A middle-aged man asked, looking confused by Lincoln's frantic calls. Lincoln rolled his eyes, not bothering to explain. He didn't have time for this. Every second felt like an eternity as he pushed through groups of shoppers, his eyes darting frantically from face to face.
"Bun-Bun!" He called out again, his voice cracking slightly with panic. This couldn't be happening. He was about to lose his plushie, His constant source of comfort as a kid through every nightmare, every moment of doubt or fear. The one who had been there for him since before he could remember. Lincoln paused for a moment, leaning against a pillar as his thoughts raced. Sure, things had been... different since she became human. The constant hugging, the way she clung to him, never wanting to let go - it was a lot to adjust to. But as he thought about it now, hadn't he been the same way with her? How many times had he refused to let anyone else touch her? How many times had he clutched her close, refusing to let go? Hell, he spend days unable to sleep because Lily kept her.
"Huh..." Lincoln muttered, a realization dawning on him. Maybe her clinginess wasn't so strange after all. Maybe she was just doing what he had always done - holding onto something precious, something she never wanted to lose. The thought spurred him back into action. He couldn't lose her. Not now atleast. He wasn't sure he was gonna be able to keep her forever. but...
Lincoln pushed off from the pillar, She had to be here somewhere. She just had to be.
"BUN-BUN!" His voice rang out through the mall once more.
Bun-Bun stood before the mall map, her ears twitching anxiously as she studied the "You Are Here" marker and the bathroom symbols scattered across the map. She'd found the bathrooms, but something felt... off. The surrounding stores weren't the same as she remembered. She wrung her hands nervously, shifting from foot to foot. Should she try these bathrooms anyway? What if Lincoln was looking for her at the other ones? Her nose twitched rapidly as anxiety built in her chest. Suddenly, movement caught her eye - someone walking out of the men's room. An orange shirt! White on top of their head! Her heart leaped.
"LINKY!" She cried out joyfully, running forward and throwing her arms around him in relief. Finally, she'd found-
"Hey! What's your problem?! Get off me!" An angry voice shouted, shoving her away roughly. Bun-Bun stumbled back, her ears drooping as she looked up at who she thought was Lincoln. The boy glaring at her had blonde hair partially hidden under a white beanie. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she realized her mistake.
"I-I'm sorry!" She stammered, backing away. "I thought you were someone else..."
"Ugh?! Again?! Why do people keep mistaking me like that?!" The bratty boy said. Bun-Bun pouted as she looked at the boy. Atleast her Linky wasn't that mean. The boy muttered something under his breath, shooting her one last irritated look before storming off. Bun-Bun wrapped her arms around herself, somehow feeling smaller than she ever had, even when she was just a stuffed bunny.
"Linky...Where are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She continued looking, but she didn't feel like she was any closer to finding him. She needed to check the map again, did she miss anything?
"Excuse me, have you seen a girl with bunny ears?" Lincoln asked, approaching yet another stranger. They simply shook their head and walked past. His frustration grew with each no, until he spotted a familiar face. a blonde poofy-haired teen with a purple dress.
"Whitney!" He called out, running up to the teenager. She turned around and smiled. Waving at the boy.
"Hey, Lincoln. Are you here with Lori?" She asked.
"Have you seen a girl with bunny ears here? I've been looking around everywhere." He asked with worry. Whitney raised an eyebrow. Girl with Bunny Ears?
Bunny Ears...Bunny Ears...OH!
"Oh yeah! I just saw her at Reininger's!" Whitney's face lit up when it hit her. Lincoln let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"Thanks, Whitney. I'll see you around!" He shouted over his shoulder, already sprinting toward the store.
"No problem! Tell Lori i said hi!" She said with a smile. Lincoln kept running until he arrived at the store he was earlier. He burst through the store entrance, scanning frantically for a familiar face. Hopefully Fiona wasn't bothered that he was back. He saw something twitching behind a nearby rack. He gasped and ran towards it, sliding up to the ailse. His face broke into a relieved smile, but it quickly fell as the figure stood up.
It was just Dana, The two strands of her hair twitching as she eyed a dress. She jumped slightly at Lincoln's sudden appearance, then blushed, offering a shy wave.
"H-Hey, Lincoln.." She said nervously.
Lincoln's shoulders slumped as he halfheartedly returned the wave, turning away with disappointment written across his face. Behind him, Dana's expression fell, her strands of hair drooping along with her spirits.
"Oh...i guess he didn't feel like seeing me today..." she murmured to herself, turning back to her shopping spree with considerably less enthusiasm than before.
Bun-Bun continued through the mall's labyrinth, her heart pounding with each passing minute. She darted from store to store, retracing her steps on ocassion now that she checked the map again. The comic shop, the arcade where the lights now seemed less magical without Lincoln beside her, the pet store where the rabbits watched her with curious eyes. Her voice grew hoarse from calling out "Linky!" over and over. The once-bustling mall had thinned out, the afternoon crowd dispersing as closing time approached.
"Ma'am? We're about to close for the day." A tired-looking employee touched her shoulder gently. Bun-Bun's ears drooped as she nodded, shuffling out of yet another store. Her feet carried her to the central fountain, where she collapsed onto its edge.
"I don't like this..." she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't like being alone."
Tears began welling in her eyes as she began getting visions again. countless nights spent in Lincoln's embrace, always together, never apart. Whenever he left her in his room to spend the day, she would always be there alone. Waiting for him to come back. But that was when she was in the comfort of his room.
A glint caught her eye - a penny resting by her foot. She overheard people talking about wishing at fountains. With trembling fingers, she picked up the coin. Hopefully this worked.
"Please..." she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "Please let me find Linky again." She tossed the penny into the fountain. She sat back down and leaned her head against the edge of the fountain. She looked at the mall. There was no one in sight anymore.
"Ohhh, looks like MY wish came true!"
Bun-Bun's eyes flew open at the unfamiliar voice. A slouchy redheaded boy with freckles stood nearby, grinning at her.
"Name's Rusty." he said, sliding closer. "And I couldn't help but notice a cute bunny all alone out here. The bunny ears wasn't part of the wish, but i'm not complaining"
"Oh... um..." Bun-Bun shifted uncomfortably, her ears twitching nervously.
"Actually, I'm looking for someone. Can you maybe help me? I really don't know where else to go." Bun-Bun asks. Tears begin forming in her eyes again. Rusty pursed his lips. So his wish DIDN'T come true. But maybe if he helped this girl...
"Tell you what - I'll help you find him. But first, can you do something for me?
"Sir, we're closing. I'm gonna have to ask you to head to the exit." A security guard approached Lincoln as he exited another store. Lincoln let out a dejected sigh, running his fingers through his white locks. The entire mall was going to close soon, and he still hadn't found her. His heart felt heavy in his chest. Is she still in the mall anymore? what if she wandered further away from the mall? how was he supposed to find her?
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Lincoln pulled it out to see a notification from Rusty Spokes. Opening the message, his heart nearly stopped.
"Guess who's wish at the fountain came true!"
The attached image made Lincoln's face scrunch up. There was Bun-Bun, her lips pressed against Rusty's cheek. But her eyes were wide open, filled with confusion and what looked like discomfort. Behind them, Lincoln could see the central fountain's cascading water.
"Are you guys still there?" Lincoln quickly typed back, his fingers trembling slightly. He knew exactly where that fountain was. Without waiting for a response, he sprinted toward the mall's center, his footsteps echoing through the nearly empty corridors.
"Please still be there..." he muttered under his breath. "Please, please still be there..."
He kept running. Not slowing down despite his lung's demanding him to slow down. Lincoln skidded to a halt as the fountain entered his line of sight, his heart leaping at the sight of those familiar bunny ears.
"BUN-BUN!"
Her ears perked. Her face switching from the confusion she felt just now to cautious glee as she heard the familiar voice. She slowly turned. And sure enough. It was him.
"LINKY!"
They both sprinted towards each other, and when Lincoln opened his arms, Bun-Bun launched herself at him with such force that they both tumbled to the ground. Unlike all the previous times she'd been clingy, Lincoln didn't try to push her away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her tightly as she nuzzled against his chest, her ears tickling his chin.
"I was so scared..." she whispered, her voice muffled against his shirt.
"It's fine. I'm here now..." Lincoln murmured, holding her closer. Off to the side, Rusty stood watching with his jaw hanging open. His shoulders slumped as realization dawned on him.
"Of course she was looking for Lincoln..." he muttered, kicking at nothing. "Why does he always get all the girls?"
Then something clicked in his mind. "Wait a minute... Bun-Bun? Isn't that the name of..."
*Ahem*
The three turned their heads towards the nearby guard.
"Would you guys kindly exit the mall? we're closing." He asked.
Lincoln helped Bun-Bun to her feet, keeping an arm around her shoulders.
"Thanks for helping find her, Rusty." he said with a grateful smile.
"Y-yeah... no problem..." Rusty replied weakly, watching as the pair walked away, Bun-Bun's tail swishing happily as she clung to Lincoln's side.
Rusty remained standing by the fountain, scratching his head as he tried to process what he'd just witnessed. The mall's lights began shutting off around him, but he barely noticed, still too confused by what had just transpired.
"What the hell just happened?" Rusty said while he sat down on the fountain. Before jumping back up at the Guard urging him to leave. As Lincoln and Bun-Bun walked through the dimming mall corridors, Bun-Bun nuzzled against Lincoln's shoulder, happy to be back with him. But when she glanced up, she noticed his sad expression and immediately pulled back, her ears drooping.
"Do you...Want me to stop?" she asked softly. Lincoln shook his head.
"No, I just... why did you leave? I was so worried." Bun-Bun's ears perked up slightly as she explained.
"There was this little girl -Darcy. She was crying and couldn't find her mom. I couldn't just leave her there alone and scared..." she said. Lincoln's mouth made an o shape. he then smiled and surprised her by pulling her into a tight hug.
"That was really sweet of you..Just...Maybe next time wait a little. I would've helped look with you. I don't want to lose my precious Bun-Bun again." he said softly. Bun-Bun's cheeks flushed pink at his words, and she smiled warmly, returning his embrace.
"I love you, Linky," she whispered. Lincoln felt his own face heat up, but he smiled, holding her closer.
"I love you too."
Finally they arrived at the exit. Just before they stepped outside, Bun-Bun rose on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on Lincoln's cheek, making his blush deepen while her tail wiggled happily.
As they walked down the familiar streets of Royal Woods, their hands remained intertwined. The setting sun cast long shadows ahead of them and a gentle breeze made Bun-Bun's ears and dress flutter softly. Lincoln glanced at their joined hands, thinking about how just this morning and yesterday he felt slightly awkward by her constant need for physical contact. Now, he found himself giving her hand a gentle squeeze, earning a happy wiggle of her tail in response. It was strange how natural it felt now.
Lincoln had changed into his orange pajamas, while Bun-Bun was back in just her purple polo and his borrowed boxers. He made a mental note to ask Leni about making proper sleepwear for her. He wasn't sure he'd get used to her dressing like this. At least when she's a human.
Climbing into bed, Lincoln moved to one side and patted the empty space beside him, giving her a warm smile. Bun-Bun's eyes widened and With a delighted squeal, she jumped onto the bed and into his waiting arms. Lincoln felt his face heat up at the feeling of her warm body pressed against his, but he pushed the awkward thoughts aside.
As they lay there together, sleep began to claim them both. Bun-Bun watched through half-lidded eyes as Lincoln's breathing grew steady and peaceful. She nuzzled closer, her ears drooping contentedly.
"I love you, Linky..." she whispered softly, her own eyes growing heavy. "I'll always be here when you need me."
Her tail gave one final happy twitch as she drifted off to sleep, safely wrapped in the arms of the boy she sleep next to for years. Only now, she could finally actually hold him back.
Lincoln stirred awake, yawning as he finally drifted out of his dreams. The first thing he noticed was how much lighter the bed felt. His arms were still holding something, but it wasn't the warm body he'd fallen asleep with. Opening his eyes, he found himself clutching his familiar stuffed bunny.
"Bun-Bun?" Lincoln sat up, examining the plush carefully. She was back to being just a stuffed rabbit, her purple polo and - he noticed with a slight blush - his Victory Undies now hanging loosely around her stuffed form.
"Was it... was it all just a dream?" he wondered aloud. But no, it couldn't be. The evidence was right there - his underwear still wrapped around the plush, now oversized for her smaller stuffed form.
"I see the transformation has reversed itself." A voice said. Lincoln let out a yelp. Fully awake from the scare. He turned to see Lisa in his doorway.
"Y-Yeah. I guess." Lincoln said as he inspected the stuffed plushie. Carefully removing the underwear from it. He wasn't sure why he felt awkward about it now. There was nothing to see there anymore.
"Lisa, are you sure you didn't have anything to do with this?" Lincoln asked, holding Bun-Bun closer.
"I assure you, dear brother. Though I must admit, the phenomenon is quite fascinating from a scientific standpoint. I had no involvement in either her humanoid transformation or subsequent reversion." Lisa stated matter-of-factly. Lincoln sighed.
"So what happened?" Lincoln looked down at the stuffed bunny in his arms, feeling a strange mix of emotions. "I mean... it was kind of nice, having her as a real person. Someone I could actually talk to and hang out with, instead of just..."
He trailed off, hugging the plush closer. It felt different now, holding her like this.
"I don't know. If you want, i'd be willing to run a scan. just to be sure. I would've checked the camera's if the demand to uninstall them wasn't to high." Lisa said with a deadpan expression. Lincoln deadpanned back.
"Just do a scan." Lincoln said as he handed her a plushie. Lisa shrugged and exited the room. Lincoln sat on the edge of his bed and looked at the window.
How did this happen anyway?
Deep in the basement's dim light, Lucy held up a jar containing a softly glowing orb wrapped in ghostly flames. Her fellow Morticians Club members gathered around.
"I found this one in Lincoln's room. It's stronger than the others. I guess my suspisions were correct." Lucy explained. Haiku gestured to the collection of smaller jars, each containing similar but fainter spirits.
"Are we certain we've contained them all? We found these in Lola's stuffed toys. I believe there was one in that creepy puppet of Luan's too. It's slightly bigger than the others but..." Dante asked.
"Sigh. Let's just hope that's all of them." Lucy crossed her arms. Morpheus ran a hand through his hair, adjusting his glasses as he checked his spell book one more time.
"The spell was meant to bring Edwin to life. Where in the underworld did i go wrong here?" He asked.
"Perhaps these spirits sought vessels more... accommodating than stone. Something softer... Persephone said.
"Yeah, but this one turned into a mortal. With memories and all. " Boris pointed out. Glancing at the sketches Lucy had made of the phenomenon the past few days. The group fell silent as they watched the orb in Lucy's jar bump repeatedly against the glass, its glow pulsing stronger with each impact. It seemed desperate to return upstairs - to return to Lincoln's room.
"Should we tell your brother about this?" Haiku asked quietly.
"He already freaked out when his stuffed bunny came to life. And i've gotten scorn from the rest of my family for summoning spirits in the house before. If he knew we accidentally summoned spirits that brough inanimate objects to life..." She trailed off, imagining Lincoln's reaction to learning his sister's séance gone wrong was responsible.
The spirit knocked against the glass more insistently, its light flaring brighter.
"Should we...?" Dante gestured at the jar.
"Not yet, We need to study the grimoire more carefully first. Understand exactly what went wrong with the spell." Lucy said. She placed the jar carefully among the others.
"Until then, i suggest we send these back..." She said as she took a step back. The orb's light dimmed slightly, as if disappointed, but continued its gentle tapping against the glass - like a heartbeat, waiting to return to the stuffed bunny it had briefly called home.
The end.