Chapter Text
April 6, 2012
Katherine stumbled through the dark hallway of the temple, hand pressed against the wall to find her way. There was a heavy chill in the air that cut through the thick material of her dress leaving a creeping chill that settled in her bones. No light shone in the caverns, leaving her to grope her way across the stone.
She didn’t know what she was supposed to find in here, or how it was supposed to help her. All she had was Jack’s guarantee that she would succeed and even that was vague at best. A rock, hidden by the darkness, tripped her. The darkness swallowed Katherine’s yell as she tumbled to her knees.
The knot Jack had made her dropped from her pocket to the floor. A gasp of delight left her at the sight of it. A soft blue light was emitted from the knot, bringing color and life back to the darkness. Trembling pale hands reached out to cradle the knot as Katherine stumbled back onto her feet. With the blue light in her hands, the shadows seemed less threatening.
The light caught something in the corner of her eye. Afraid it may be a Fearling, Katherine turned to face it only to come face to face with a massive painting. It seemed to show a young boy fighting against a giant serpent for some type of jewel. But it was hard to see it through all the beautiful details and colors that spread out from the jewel to make this picture. Frowning in confusion, Katherine moved forward to see it better. Maybe it had a clue on what she was supposed to do…
Of course that was when the darkness struck. Thick tendril of blackness wrapped around Katherine’s waist before yanking hard. She screamed in fear as the shadows pulled her through the painting and tossed her into a void of darkness that seemed to continue forever downwards.
But eventually she came to halt in the void. Floating in the darkness, Katherine trembled in fear as she waited to see what would happen. The only light there was the glow of the knot in her hands, the blue light spreading to form a comforting glow around her. She couldn’t keep herself from curling around it in desperation, terrified of the creeping darkness around her.
Something rustled in the darkness. Katherine turned nervously in the hopes of seeing whatever was coming at her but only inky darkness met her. However, it seemed like there was something moving in the darkness out there. Something massive, far larger than any creature Katherine had ever encountered before.
A giant snake appeared out of the gloom. It was glowing in the darkness, a sickly yellow light that spread like illness across the blackness. The comforting light of the knot was even more welcomed pressing against Katherine’s breath in the face of the shadowy monster that lunged for her.
Katherine’s shriek echoed in the nothingness even as she threw herself back. The snake missed her by mere inches even as she went floating through the darkness like a swimmer under water. But the most important thi became noticeable from the knot. It left a glowing blue line in the air, the felt solid when Katherine touched it. Well. That changed everything.
She pushed up off the ground, using the knot to leave a protective barrier between her the snake. It soon turned into a twisting dance. The snake would lunge, and Katherine would struggle to block it before it could sink fangs the size of her arms into her. The wild dance continued to weave through the darkness, leaving lines of shining blue behind her.
But the snake was intelligent and managed to dodge around the line once. Katherine screamed, attempting to jump over it but only managed to get a little ways up before the massive head slammed into her stomach. All the air left her lungs and she clung desperately to the massive skull even as it tried to shake her off.
Tiny hand more used to writing than fighting clung to something jagged and cold on its head. She clung tightly to whatever it was, eyes locked on the knot as it went floating through the darkness. She could see the trail of blue that she would need to follow if she wanted any hope of saving herself from the monstrous snake.
A horrific cracking sound echoed through the darkness before Katherine was launched from the snake’s skull. Whatever she had been holding was still lodged in her hand, and it seemed that she was unable to uncurl her fingers from it. So now all Katherine could do was direct herself towards the knot in the hopes of saving herself.
It was sheer luck that let her wrap her fingers around the knot before the snake reached her. Determination shone in Katherine’s eyes as she lunged forward ready to fight for her life. The streak of blue glowed even brighter than before, small ferns of frost curling out from it like another barrier between her and certain death. A massive cage of blue light appeared, the frost spreading across it to keep the serpent trapped inside. For a brief moment Katherine feared her cage would not hold the monster inside.
But it seemed no matter how hard it struggled, it couldn’t escape. A smug smile crossed her face, joy lighting up her veins like lightning. Jack’s knot seemed to recognize this and began to flow even bright. Soon, the blue drowned out the darkness and Katherine was surrounded by the blue light that comforted her after the dangerous dance with death. She was so focused on the knot that she didn’t notice the glowing gem in her other palm.
~*~
January 22, 1672
“Where are we this time?” Jack asked as Pitch led him from the shadows. Cat followed after them, glowing yellow eyes watching the empty streets around them with an uneasy air. The once-Fearling had become possessive of Jack recently much to Pitch’s vague annoyance. Jack simply found the whole thing to be adorable and had allowed Cat to accompany them tonight.
“The city of Prague,” Pitch murmured as he guided Jack through the old town. Above on the hill, the castle lights glittered down on them and sparkled against the river’s water like stars trapped on earth. The sound of people were damped by the heavy snow that covered the city like a blanket. “A city built on myth and magic. Beautiful, is it not?”
Jack couldn't help but smile as he took in the quaint buildings. Something heavenly was cooking from a restaurant or inn nearby, and it caused Jack’s mouth to water at the savory scent. “It is beautiful,” Jack breathed out, leaning heavily on Pitch’s arm. “But didn’t you say we would be visiting Madrid?”
“Seville,” Pitch corrected absentmindedly as he tugged Jack through the winding streets. “However I was contacted by one of the Fearlings. It informed me that there is an issue here that I need to deal with. Then we will travel to Sevilla.”
“Oh. I am assuming that you don’t want me to come with you to deal with it?”
“I fear it would be rather dangerous for you,” Pitch admitted softly, tugging Jack towards a building with towering spires that touched the sky. “I would rather you wait here while I deal with this rather than draw you into danger.”
“That’s fine. I can wait a little while,” Jack darted up to press a quick kiss to the corner of Pitch’s mouth with a coy smile. “Just promise not to leave me all alone here...wherever here is.”
“It’s a church Jack,” Pitch couldn’t keep from smiling back at the young man, “Now behave until I come back for you.”
Jack huffed as Pitch disappeared back into the shadows. “Looks like we’re on our own,” Jack mumbled, leaning down to sweep Cat up into his arms before darting into the church. A small smile crossed Jack’s face as the comforting warmth of the church washed over him.
It felt good to glide down the pews. The glitter of gold under the watchful eyes of saints and angels pressed onto Jack’s shoulders like the comforting hold of a dear friend. Jack settled down into one of the pews, breathing out in relief as he relaxed. The drone of the priest in Latin was the same here as it had been in the secret churches in Ireland. It felt good to realize that something’s remained the same no matter where you were in the world.
“Ah, excuse me young man, is anyone sitting here?”
Jack blinked in surprise to hear English coming from someone other than Pitch. Turning slowly, Jack came face to face with a smiling stranger. The man was older, his face lined with age. He wore a heavy coat that was several decades out of style but was still wonderfully well kept just like his hat which sat jauntily on salt and pepper hair. All in all, a simple and unassuming man.
“Ah, no. No one is sitting here,” Jack stumbled over the words, holding Cat even closer. There was something unnerving about this man. Something that made Jack want to run as far away as possible from this stranger but that would be rather rude to do in the middle of mass.
The stranger’s smile grew as he settled in. “Irish eh? Been a long time since I visited there. Tell me what brings a stranger from the Emerald Isle to Prague?”
“Pilgrimage. I am hoping to visit as many churches as possible.” It was an easy lie that Jack had practiced often enough when meeting the few people who spoke English when they traveled.
“And what better church to visit than Church of Mother of God before Týn? One of the most beautiful jewels of Prague,” the man reached out to pat Jack’s hand. “I am always honored to meet the faithful you see. They have an aura around them, a connection to the supernatural that have them last longer. This body is rotting from the inside out you see. A sinner’s body of course.”
Jack flinched and tried to shift away from the man. But before he could get far a powerful hand clamped onto Jack’s forearm and drew him back in. “But you, you are young and full of faith which connects you to the supernatural,” the man’s smile turned cruel, “Be sure to say hello to your God for me. Say Faust sent you.”
Searing pain spread up from Jack's side. He couldn’t help but gasp in shock, dropping Cat from the mind numbing pain spreading through him. Terror filled brown eyes dropped down to fund a knife buried in his side, even as Jack began to slump sideways. Distantly he could hear Cat screaming over the sound of blood pulsing in his ears as he collapsed to the ground in a heap.
Inside the church, people began to scream in terror as the young boy hit the ground with a sickening thud. Blood began to pool around his body, staining the marble red as sightless brown eyes stared towards the heavens and the saints painted on the ceiling.
No one noticed the red eyed black cat run to the shadows and disappear. They were all too focused on the corpse that was rapidly cooling before their very eyes. Just like no one, not even the cat, noticed the flickering shade captured and held secure within the moonlight streaming through the stained glass windows.
~*~
April 9, 2012
The sound of birds singing caught her attention. A soft groan left Katherine as she returned to consciousness, blinking into awareness as the sun warmed her. It streamed through a crack in the walls to return her to the world of the living.
A flicker of green caught her attention. Katherine turned her head to see it, and gasped in awe at what she saw. A beautiful Crystal Kay next to her hand, caught in the sunlight. From the rock a design of blue and green was reflected onto the wall from the heart of the crystal, creating a beautiful design that surpassed anything Katherine had ever seen before.
There was a magic within it. A magic she had only felt when Jack created the knot for her and when a rigid had first appeared. This is what Pitch had sent her to find. It would defeat Faust.
But how?
Jack had been the one who knew what to do. He had been the guiding force as Katherine stumbled blindly along her path. Getting slowly to her feet, Katherine cradled the beautiful jewel to her chest. She followed the twisting corridor to the outside, scared and more alone than ever. What was she supposed to do next. Where was she supposed to go now?
Walking into the light, Katherine stared up at the trees with wide eyes. She was aware of the menacing darkness of the cave behind her. And she was aware that Jack was not there besides her.
“Please,” Katherine whispered, voice echoing through the darkness, “I’m lost.”
But this time, no one answered. Jack was gone.
Afraid and crying, Katherine stumbled through the forest path. She held the crystal to her breast, face swollen by broken sobs. The ferns clung to the hem of her dress, the rocks tore the hem to shreds. She was weary, she was weak. Katherine just wanted to forget everything and have it all go back to the way it was supposed to years before. Back when the world made sense and the worst thing out there was Pitch Black.
Eventually Katherine managed to reach Jack’s cottage. She walked past the wilting flowers and dying hers. The inside of the house was shadowed, the walls sagging and the roof caving in. Even this was fading away on her, leaving Katherine alone in this cruel world to fight the darkness. Trembling, she set the crystal down on the table and stared at it.
“Tragic, isn’t it? Losing Jack like that,” Brigid’s voice came calling out from the entrance of the cottage. Katherine flinched at the sound of each thump of the saint’s boots against the ground and the scrape of the chair across the floor. The thump as Brigid collapsed into the chair across from her with a heavy sigh. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.”
Katherine raised her head, meeting Brigid’s red rimmed eyes. She offered Katherine a wry smile, reaching towards her feet to put something in the table. “So, what are you going to do now girlie?”
“I don’t know,” Katherine whimpered, eyes dropping back to the table top, “I don’t even know why I came here in the first place.”
“That’s the way of the world. Everyone wakes up each day and tries to struggle through, you know what that’s called? Life,” Brigid unwrapped the brown bag and revealed a bottle filled with a dark Amber liquid. “So, what are you going to do now?”
Katherine fingered the crystal. “Jack sacrificed his life for me to get this,” Katherine whispered, “Pitch said there was a magic book that could banish the darkness. So I have to assume that this can do that, but I don’t know how.”
“Well, lucky for you I do. See, when you look through this crystal your intent matters. The first person who used it wanted to bring light and hope to a war torn land. And he did,” Brigid said softly, taking a swig of the drink, “So, what do you want to do?”
“I want to save my friends. I want to save...to save Nightlight,” Katherine admitted softly.
A wry smile cross Brigid’s face. “Funny,” she said gently, “That’s just what Pitch wanted when he brought Jack to me all those years ago. But it all started when a boy went ice skating...”
~*~
January 22, 1672
Pitch looked up as Cat came streaking out of the shadows. He had just managed to get the golem back into its cage and imparted the warning to the rabbis who watched over it to keep a tighter leash on the creature. He had been planning on returning to Jack in a matter of seconds when Cat came hurtling toward his side.
Then something amazing happened. Cat twisted and changed, going from an animal to a grey skinned girl child with wild eyes full of terror. But that was impossible. Fearlings could not turn into people, it was simply unheard of. But Pitch did not have any time to marvel over Cat’s incredible change.
“Nightmare King,” Cat hissed out, voice rough and grating, “Something has happened to Jack.”
Terror spread through him, making Pitch freeze for a precious second. “Take me to him,” he ordered before following Cat into the shadows. They raced through back alleys and streets, jumped across buildings and darted around people to a church filled with people. The fear and terror from inside of the church was a physical thing, rolling off of the steeples like a thick cloud.
But Pitch cared nothing for that. He only cared for finding his Jack, and he searched the mass of people for those warm brown eyes and kind smile. Eventually Pitch found Jack. His heart hammered to a stop fros brief second as Pitch stared brokenly at the still figure, unable to belIeve it. Because Jack was lying there in a pool of his own blood. Dead.
“No,” Pitch whispered, stumbling forward, “No, nononono. Not my Jack...not him.” Distantly he could hear Cat crying out, broken sobs coming from the Fearling as it crumpled to the ground. Pitch swept through the humans, uncaring of the pain it caused himself so he could kneel next to Jack’s corpse. Jack. His wonderful, beautiful Jack was dead. And Pitch would never get him back.
The caress of a moonbeam pulled Pitch’s attention away from Jack’s body. With a furious snarl, Pitch faced the moon and froze once more. Because fluttering, delicate in the moonbeam, was a spirit. A fragile little thing that was flickering in the moonbeam, it's life hanging in the balance. But Pitch knew that spirit anywhere. He could always recognize his Jack. Even when Jack was a floating orb of blue light.
“Jack,” Pitch whispered, rising and approaching the moonbeam. Gently, the spirit was lowered into his hands and Pitch cradled it close to his chest, “Oh Jack, what happened?” Pitch had only been gone for a few minutes, half an hour at most. And now his beautiful Jack was a flickering orb of light resting against his heart that Pitch needed to protect. But how? How could he protect Jack like this? It would be far too easy for Jack’s spirit to gutter out and fade away.
Pitch refused to let that happen. He would save Jack from death and nothing would stop him. But there were few other spirits who would help him. Most would turn away from Pitch because he was made of darkness and they of light. Others may harm Jack in an attempt to get back at Pitch and he would not allow that to happen either. There was one spirit who came to mind who could help, but even that was a stretch. For she was not a fan of Pitch, but he had faith that she would save Jack.
So Pitch fled back to the shadows with Cat on his heels. The shadows pressed down on the little flicker of Jack’s soul, making the tiny flame flutter for a second as it struggled to stay alight. But soon enough Pitch threw himself from the shadows and emerged into a familiar clearing where he had first met Jack years before.
“Please,” Pitch called to the still Irish air, “I need your assistance.”
The wind picked up around them, growing into a wild howl. Pitch curled himself around Jack, shielding him from the wind as it grew into a massive storm. Clouds covered the moon and stars, heavy and fat with rain. The night birds stopped singing and the animals went running in fear as a massive war horse came stomping through the underbrush.
Brigid say upon the horse, the lightning turning her blue war paint into something terrifying. The thud of her boots against the ground resounded in the valley sending a murder of crows into the sky. “Pitch Black,” Brigid murmured, her voice ringing with ancient power, “Why did you call for me?”
“Jack is dying,” Pitch hissed, letting the barest hint of Jack’s spirit shine through the gaps of his fingers, “This was all I could save.”
Brigid gasped. Her hands hovered around the flame before she pulled back. “What would you have me do for him?”
“Give him strength. Let him live,” Pitch begged barely aware of the fact that he sunk to his knees before the shining saint. “I will give you anything you wish...just please...save Jack.”
“I will do what I can,” Brigid whispered placing her hands on the flame. A burst of magic, invisible but with the full weight of the Blessed Isle behind it, thundered through the clearing and focused in on the spark. Before they eyes, the flame grew. The delicate blue fire grew into a figure that slowly gained shape.
Jack, made of glittering soul fire, gasped as he collapsed into Pitch’s arms. The Nightmare King wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close, pressing adoring kisses to his mouth and whispering promises of safety with each caress. Jack clung back, crying silently as he hid himself in Pitch’s arms. Neither noticed Brigid disappearing as they came together under the stormy sky.
~*~
April 9, 2012
“...and what happened after that?” Katherine asked softly, unable to look away from Brigid's burning eyes, “How did Jack end up trapped here?”
“Faust stole the body and put his own soul within it. We found out when Pitch and I tried to reclaim the body to reunite Jack’s soul with it. Instead, we found Faust’s previous victim,” Brigid said softly, her eyes pained as she took a long drink from the bottle, “After that we did what we did to give Jack more time while we tried to fix it and tied him to this valley. Over time he became part of it...and we never did find a way to reunite him with his body.”
“And now he’s gone,” Katherine whispered.
“Yes, but he gave you this chance,” Brigid shrugged, “Jack sacrificed himself for you, so you could defeat Faust where we failed. He got you the crystal where no one else would have.”
Katherine nodded and picked up the crystal to look through it. Jack had given her the path through the woods. As long as she followed it, she would never be lost.
Katherine thought about Jack and how kind he was. And Pitch, who loved Jack so much that he would give anything to let Jack live on. The Fearling, who was once Cat and now no doubt was Labraid, who had found itself by spending the years by Jack’s side. She thought about what it meant to be a Guardian, not of Hope or Dreams, but of a lost boy and a dark spirit. They created a magic between them, a whole world in this little green valley where they lived together under the roof of the cottage.
The ink flowed from the quill in spiraling curls, creating a beautiful spread across the page in blues and greens and whites. There was magic in each sweep, a deep seated magic that sunk deep into the page itself. Katherine lost herself in that, lost herself in the flow and power of the written word. Text appeared next to the image, growing and spreading with loss and loss and pain and everything that made it worth living.
The light dimmed and reappeared. The world turned around her but Katherine didn’t care. She was lost in this magic, and just like Jack had guided her to the cave, the crystal guided her on where she needed to go. The swirls of leaves appeared overhead, bracketing a thick trunked tree that seemed to glow off the page. A frail white haired boy appeared on the page, surrounded by a deep blackness. But this wasn’t the dangerous darkness of the Crom Cruach, or even Pitch’s dark nightmares. This was a darkness that hid sacred things from sight so they would be protected and safe.
Hours were spent pouring over the text until the perfect picture appeared. Katherine gasped when the spell was finally broken, slumping forward and dropping the quill to the floor where it rolled out of sight.
A chair scraped across the floor as Brigid rose. Her face was impassive as she studied the picture, her glowing eyes dimmed as she thought. Then a small smile spread across her face, bringing with it light to the small cabin. “This will work,” Brigid breathed out in delight, “It will allow us to defeat Faust.”
Katherine couldn’t help herself. Delighted laughter bubbled up inside of her even as she clutched the beautiful drawing close to her. All of Jack’s pain, all of Pitch’s suffering, all the problems her friends had faced could be fixed with this one little picture. Everything was going to be alright now.
But there was one single problem.
“How do we find Faust?” Katherine asked quietly.
“We ask an old friend of mine,” Brigid stepped further into the cottage, “Labraid. I would speak with you.”
For a long while, nothing happened. The darkness of the cabin just laid there. Mourning the loss of Jack who had tended to it for so long. But Brigid did not falter and eventually the shadows reacted. Katherine watched as the Fearling came slinking out of the shadows in the shape of a cat.
Sad mournful red eyes were locked on the floor as the Fearling dragged itself over. After all this time, Katherine had not expected Jack’s Labraid to be the Fearling itself. With a twist of shadow the cat twisted up and into a more human like figure. The popping of bones echoed through, the snap of a spine reassembling itself. Black fur receded in clumps leaving raw grey skin to the world all the while those heavy red eyes continued to cry.
Brigid’s cold expression softened into something much softer at the sight of the sobbing Fearling. “Oh Labraid,” she whispered, “What has happened to you sweet?”
“He’s gone,” the Fearling hissed out, its voice still as disturbing as ever to Katherine’s ears, “My Jack-boy is gone!” A mournful whine cut through the cabin as it collapsed in on itself, “I guarded him since he was a child, before he came to this country,” the Fearling gasped out in a mournful wail, “I guided him through the woods to the town that saved him, protected him and his friends from the British soldiers who would have killed them! He gave me a life, a Name, and a purpose!”
The Fearling’s eyes landed on Katherine and the sadness seemed to fly away. Instead, a deep rage appeared as it hissed and changed again. Katherine stumbled back in fear as the Fearling took on its true shape for the first time in years (centuries, but she didn’t know that then). A deep snarl tore through the Fearling as it stalked forward. “You!” It’s roar rattled the windows even as the claws on its hands and feet cut into the wood, “You killed him! He would have been fine if you never came! The Nightmare King had a plan! We were going to save him from this hell!” It’s face twisted and for the first time in all of history, a Fearling in its true form began to cry. “We were going to save him...I was going to save him…”
The Fearling faded back into the washed out little girl Katherine had met. It just stared mournfully at the ground, stick thin arms holding itself close. If someone had told her even the day before that Fearling’s could feel, Katherine would have laughed in their face. But here she could see it, truly see how much Jack’s death had hurt it. It had hurt it far more than Jack’s death had hurt her.
Brigid stepped forward, her inner light growing even brighter. It shine brighter than even Nightlight as she held out a hand for the Fearling to take. “Jack wouldn’t want us to give up,” Brigid’s voice boomed through the cottage, “He would want us to keep going.”
The Fearling scowled in annoyance, “Well, what if I don’t want to keep going?”
“Even if it means destroying Faust?” Brigid’s voice was colder than the iciest wind. A distinctly bloodthirsty expression crossed her beautiful face, “Because I am quite happy with the idea of ripping Faust into tiny shreds.”
The Fearling’s expression turned disturbingly blank. Slowly a wicked smile crossed the young face revealing rows of needle sharp teeth. “What do you want me to do?” It hissed.
“Find Faust and discover his plan. There must be a reason why he started targeting the Guardians,” Brigid said coldly, hands clasped behind her back. The kind expression that she usually wore around Katherine had disappeared to be replaced by the cold glare of a battle hardened soldier. “We’ll meet up with Black in Burgess so you will be ample to find us here.”
The Fearling nodded once more before dissolving into the shadows. The last thing to go were the haunting glowing eyes that swirled into the darkness and left them alone. Katherine shivered in the chill night air, eyes locked on the book held securely in her hands. She wasn’t sure how to act around this new Brigid who seemed so different from the kind saint who had given her tea. She was almost a throwback to a more savage time, far removed from the comfortable world Katherine had grown used to.
Brigid turned away from where the Fearling had been standing, her face still a harsh mask. What had once been soft was now hard, what had been hard was even harder than before. “We will be leaving soon,” Brigid informed Katherine, “Put on more suitable clothes for a fight.”
“What’s wrong with what I am wearing?”
“No one can fight in a floor length gown,” Brigid said coolly, “Jack keeps...kept spare clothes in that trunk. Put on trousers and be ready to go in five minutes.” And all Katherine could do was watch as Brigid swept out of the cottage and into the forest.
She set down the pages that could change everything and walked to the chest. Nervously, she knelt down to test the lock that kept it close. It opened easily in her hands, well oiled and used throughout the years. Just as Brigid had said, there were clothes upon layers of clothes waiting there. They were just like the clothes Jack had been wearing throughout her stay. All made of wool, no doubt home spun, and dyed in pale shades.
It was simple enough to dig through and find an overly large sweater and pair of pants. Further exploration revealed a plain leather belt that she could use to hold the sweater on. Taking a step back, Katherine turned so that she could study her new look in the mirror.
She didn’t recognize herself in the shattered glass. Too pale to be fully healthy with eyes red from crying. Matted and tangled hair fell over the pale green sweater, so different than the usual bun that Katherine had worn for the last several centuries. There was a stranger in that reflection. No hint of the polished Guardian of Imagination stood there. This new Katherine was something else. Something beyond a Guardian. “What am I becoming?” Katherine whispered, reaching out to run her fingers across the glass.
No answer came from her reflection, not that she was expecting it to. She would have to find that answer some other day, but for now Katherine had to focus on dealing with Faust.
Taking a deep breath to steady her thrumming nerves, she turned and walked slowly from the cottage. Outdoors the sun was beginning to set, just beginning to light the sky in deep purples and golds. Against this backdrop Brigid stood as a stark reminder of the past.
She was wearing leather armor, a broadsword strapped to her back. Swirls of vibrant green paint stood out against her golden skin as she watched the trees sway in the wind. Katherine moved hesitantly to her side, clutching the pages that would save them to her chest. “It’s beautiful here,” Katherine admitted softly, “Jack must have felt lucky to live here.”
“He grew to hate it. To save him, I had to tie Jack to the land here,” Brigid’s smile turned cold. “He couldn’t leave this valley for over three hundred years. It was hell on him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jack always wanted to see the world. It’s why he went with Pitch the first time.” Brigid sighed, but turned away from the sky to face Katherine. “Enough talking. It’s time for us to head west.”
Which of course raised the question of how. Katherine was used to traveling through the tunnels or on the sleigh, and sometimes even by snow globe. But Brigid was not like the other Guardians, and Katherine wasn't sure how she would manage to get them across the ocean in time to stop Faust. However, Brigid seemed to have some sort of plan as she went stalking through the forest with Katherine tight on her heels.
She led them all the way to a lake at the edge of the forest. Katherine paused at the tree line as Brigid walked proudly towards the center of the lake with purpose. A heavy boom sounded through the skies as dark clouds came to cover everything. The wind picked up, bringing the hint of rain on the breeze as it swirled through the mountain pass with a gleeful shriek. Brigid did not seem afraid of the storm, instead she seemed to embrace it.
The sky came spiraling down to the surface of the lake in a great crash. Katherine covered her eyes to protect them from the debris kicked up by the great windstorm, only feeling safe to lower her hand when the wind had stopped. A stunned gasp left Katherine as she took in the figure standing before her on the center of the lake.
A massive war horse stood firmly on the water. It’s eyes shone with lightning, main and take made of wind. The body of black clouds heaved as it trotted towards them thunder booming from each hoof fall before it came to a stop before Brigid and Katherine. The horse bowed before them presenting the great back for them to ride upon. Brigid didn’t even hesitate, she swung herself onto the back of the horse in one easy motion and held out a hand for Katherine. “Get on,” she hissed anticipation shining on her face.
Katherine nervously slid onto the horse and clung tight to Brigid. “How are we supposed to make it to Burgess in time?”
Brigid through her head back and began to laugh. It was a bright and mad thing, wild and free as the wilds. “We’re riding the Wind, dear child,” Brigid cackled, “You’re riding with a saint, tonight's a night for miracles. Making it to Burgess in time is just part of the experience!”
With that she kicked the horse into a mad gallop. Katherine screamed in terror as the horse began to run faster than even North’s sleigh. It sped over the forests and lakes of Ireland, through the fields and around the sheep. Finally though the reached the edge of the country where the great sea stretched onwards to the Americas. Katherine let out a shriek as the horse threw itself off of the edge of the cliff towards the rocks at the bottom.
But then the horse hit the water and began to run again. Onwards they raced over the waves. They moved through the twilight and back into the darkness of night. They lost time, going back to the day of Easter that Katherine had missed in the darkness fighting Crom Cruach.
They raced back onto Easter Sunday, and more importantly they headed to a point in time when a young boy would be able to change everything.
~*~
Labraid, once named Fearling, once named Cat, snuck through the shadows and into the lair of the Nightmare King. The other Fearlings ignored her as she moved past, too busy focusing on their own petty problems instead of the fact that their world was being threatened. All they cared about was where they would find their next source of fear to feed off of.
Some days Labraid missed being like the other Fearlings. It had been far more simple back then to just get by as part of the collective. One in a multitude of countless thousands, Labraid had been nameless and genderless. Only the Nightmare King held a title, only he was referred to as a he instead of as an it. That had been back before Labraid felt true emotion, before she had felt her heart break into a million pieces when Jack had died the first time.
Jack’s more permanent death now hurt even more than Labraid had ever imagined it could.
Having a heart hurt. Having an identity that tied into someone else hurt even more. There were days when Labraid wondered if it was worth becoming her own person. But then she remembered her life with Jack. The long days they had spent working together in the caravan with the other tinkers. Nights filled with laughter and song with Jack’s extended family before rushing off to join Pitch on a mad adventure. Early mornings in Jack’s cabin as they guided the lost out of the forest or helped them find a path to navigate their own lives. Happy. Labraid had been happy living with Jack, and that was worth the pain of having a heart.
She stepped out of the shadows in front of the globe. It was strange seeing it so large. Labraid was used to seeing the globe being much larger than her when she would wander around in her cat form. But the good part about being larger than usual was that Labraid would be able to find Pitch faster.
Small grey feet darted over the cold floor as Labraid scurried out of the globe room and into the maze of the lair. Each room revealed a lack of Pitch Black and the longer she went the more annoyed Labraid became. Where could that blasted man have gotten to?
“Well, well. What do we have here?” Labraid stiffened as a cold voice sounded behind her. That wasn’t the Nightmare King, that was someone else. A stranger to this lair.
Turning on her heel, Labraid froze at the sight before her. Jack was standing in the middle of the hallway. But that was impossible, Jack had died helping the stupid Katherine girl find her way. It could possibly be her Jack.
Now that the shock was wearing off, Labraid could see the difference. His hair was brown not white like it had been since his death. The pale skin was now a healthy pink that screamed life and vitality which was something her Jack lacked. And his eyes were the color of blood as he leered at Labraid from down the hallway, her Jack would never look so coldly on anyone before.
A hiss rose up in Labraid’s throat as she glared hatefully at Faust. How dare he stand before her wearing her Jack’s body? “Where’s Pitch,” Labraid spat out.
“Off ruining Easter, just like I ordered,” Faust purred as he advanced on her. Labraid backed up trying to keep plenty of distance between the two of them. The other Fearlings began to hiss, advancing on Faust as they tugged protectively on the hem of Labraid’s dress.
“Why destroy Easter,” Labraid hissed, “Why start all of this? We existed on the same level as the Nightmare King for centuries without dealing with the Guardians, why ruin all of it?”
“Why, for my master of course,” Faust chuckled, “The Prince of Darkness came to me and whispered in my ear that it was time for the Light to fall. And what better way to do so than take out the ones who guard the next generation? Their lack of wonder and hope will twist them into something malicious that will bring glory to my master’s plans. And Pitch fell so sweetly into this trap. His love for the mortal boy was ultimately his downfall, for as long as he kept Jack’s spirit alive I was able to steal some of his power to bolster my own! Pitch gave me the ultimate power source!”
“No he didn’t!” Labraid screamed, tears welling up in her eyes, “Pitch saved Jack because he loves him! That’s not evil!”
“But the Devil is in the details my dear Fearling,” Faust purred reaching out to grab Labraid, “And the details say Pitch is going to destroy the Gaurdians for me…”
No, no this couldn’t happen. Jack would never want this to happen. He would want to find a way to save Pitch, to bring him back from the darkness and back into the light. But Jack wasn’t here to save the day, so Labraid would have to do it herself.
She threw herself into the shadows as the Fearlings surged forward to attack Faust. The screams of the mad necromancer echoed in the darkness even as her Fearling siblings pulled her deeper and deeper into the dark of the lair.
Go and end to this sister, they hissed in her ears. A multitude of hands pulled her forward while more pushed as well. Some lifted her feet as she could run while together brushed through her wild hair. Save the day, just as our boy would have. Be safe Labraid.
And then she was falling out of the shadows and onto a hard wooden floor. The crack of her knees hitting the wood echoed in the small room and for the first time in her life, Labraid felt pain. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat there, staring stupidly at the ground even as she attempted to curl up into a ball.
Sobs wracked her too thin frame. Everything was ruined. Her knee hurt, and she was cold, and she wanted to go home! Labraid wanted to go racing into the cottage and find Jack sitting at the table with a cup of tea in his hand. Or even racing down to the lakeside because Pitch had decided to visit them. And then there were the days when Brigid, or Patrick, or Columba would come by to visit and the good china would come out for a little while so they could enjoy themselves. Labraid wanted home, and to be a cat again! She didn't want any of this!
Her loud wail echoed through the bedroom she had camped out in. Curling into a small ball of misery and hopelessness, Labraid didn’t notice the small boy getting out of his bed and approaching her.
Jamie Bennett had been about to give up on the whole idea of magical creatures. Sure, the Toothfairy had been in his room last night with Santa and the Easter Bunny, but there had been no egg hunt today. And of course all his friends didn’t believe anymore and Jamie didn’t want to admit it but he was beginning to doubt that magic was actually real and not even Sophie’s stuffed bunny could give him an answer.
That had been when the stranger girl had come falling out of the shadows onto his floor. Jamie could only gape as she curled up into a little ball. She had just jumped out of the shadows! That was so cool! Magic had to be real!
But...she was crying… He wasn’t supposed to leave someone who was crying, Mom had told him that. You were supposed to make their day better. So even though she had to be magic and weird, Jamie needed to help her. So he got off his bed and walked quietly to kneel down in front of her. And then she looked up and saw him and they both screamed in shock.
She did look weird! Her skin was grey, and her gold eyes were glowing! Not to mention the pointed teeth or too thin limbs sticking out of a thin black dress. A scowl crossed her young face as she stared at Jamie. “Who are you?” She hissed. Her voice was kind of weird too, he’d never heard of an accent like hers before.
Jamie glared right back at her. “I should be asking that! This is my room! Why are you here!”
The scowl disappeared only to be replaced by a mournful expression on her face. “Jack’s gone, and I’m all alone,” she wailed, burying her face back in her knees before sobbing again.
Jamie knelt down in front of her. He was afraid to reach out to the weird girl, what if she bit him? “Is Jack your brother or something?”
“No, he’s just Jack. We’ve been together for as long as I’ve known,” the girl muttered mournfully still refusing to look up.
“Why did he go away?” Jamie asked. She looked really sad and he didn’t want that. So he stopped worrying about her biting him and reached out to pull her into a hug.
Stunned yellow eyes peered out of long black hair before falling back to the floor. “Crom Cruach took Jack away. He was helping stupid Katherine get something so she would beat Faust for good.”
“Whose Faust?” Jamie asked quietly, “Is he like the Boogeyman? Because all my friend’s have been saying the Boogeyman got rid of the Sandman to give us bad dreams.”
“Faust is making the Nightmare King work for him. He was using Jack as a hostage,” the girl explained mournfully, “Pitch loves Jack more than anything in the whole wide world! So Faust stole Jack’s body and made him a ghost. Now he’s threatening to hurt Jack’s body if Pitch doesn’t do what he wants!”
“So the Boogeyman is doing it cause he’s in love with Jack. Makes sense,” Jamie muttered. He gasped as he suddenly realized something, “Wait, you said Jack. Do you mean Jack Frost? He’s real?”
The girl glared. “Of course Jack Frost is real! We’ve been living in our cottage for three hundred years!” she uncurled enough to reach forward and poke Jamie’s shoulder, “Only something real could be as bad at doing laundry as Jack.”
They both shared a quick smile before sobering once more. The weight of the problems they were facing were pressing down on them. How were they supposed to beat Faust?
“What now?” Jamie whispered.
The girl’s nose scrunched up. “Brigid and stupid Katherine have a plan,” she told Jamie seriously, “But I need to find Pitch and tell him about it so he can help.”
“Then I’ll help you,” Jamie announced seriously holding a hand out for her to shake. “I’m Jamie.”
The girl hesitated but eventually took his hand to shake in return. “I call myself Labraid,” she smiled shyly back at Jamie, “I’ve never had anyone but Jack ask about my name before.”
“I’m glad to be on your list now,” Jamie said cheerfully even as he took her hand. “Come on, let’s go find the Boogeyman!” And with that the two went racing from the room together. They tumbled down the stairs together. Labraid waited patiently as Jamie slipped on his boots before retaking his hand and leading him out onto the snowy front porch.
The sound of sleigh bells had the pair looking up. Jamie gasped in delight as he noticed the bright red sleigh coming down for a landing unaware of Labraid’s reaction. She paled, a truly impressive action seeing how pale she already was. Pitch had warned her of the Guardians when she’d first gained her own independence. She still remembered the warning that they would destroy her if they ever saw her, and how she should run if they appeared. But Labraid couldn't run away because she needed to do Jack’s job now.
“This is so cool!” Jamie cried as the sleigh landed. His eyes practically sparkled with joy as the Guardians came stumbling out of the sleigh. Labraid leaned around Jamie’s shoulder and scowled. She stayed rooted to her spot even as Jamie went rushing over to greet the Guardian’s with only the simple happiness a child could hold. The Guardian’s looked terrible, so apparently Pitch was doing well against them. Apparently Jack was wrong, Pitch could function without Jack there to guide him.
“Labraid!” She startled when Jamie called out to her. Big yellow eyes turned towards the boy, ignoring how the others were staring at her. Especially the glowing boy. Instead Labraid focused on Jamie’s bright smile as he faced her. “They said they’ll help us find Pitch!” Jamie chatters happily.
Labraid smiled nervously, taking a hesitant step forward. “That’s good I guess,” she whispered nervously, “But where’s the Easter Bunny?”
St. North coughed awkwardly, trading hesitant looks with the Tooth Fairy. Nightlight was still watching her, holding his spear in a white knuckled grip. “Bunny...was affected by failed Easter,” St. North said slowly.
Labraid opened her mouth to demand to know more when the fluffy ball of grey fur came scampering off the edge of the sleigh. The Easter Bunny was now a small fluffy ball that could fit easily in Labraid’s arms which was quite different than the six foot tall rabbit she had once spied delivering eggs to the Irish children. “What happened to him,” Labraid demanded resisting the urge to scoop up the rabbit and cuddle him close. Suddenly she could understand why Jack liked carrying her around so much.
“Like you wouldn’t know,” the rabbit sneered hopping forward to kick Labraid’s shin, “You did this with Pitch! Don’t play dumb, we all saw you helping to destroy Easter!”
“I didn’t destroy Easter,” Labraid muttered as she looked into the shades trying to find a Pitch, “I was in Ireland when Easter was happening.”
“What, crushing those eggs Fearling?”
“Helping Brigid of course, what else would I be doing,” Labraid grumbled while sneaking forward to lean against Jamie for comfort. She didn’t like being around so many people who were so much bigger than her, “And my name's not Fearling. It’s Labraid.”
That seemed to disturb them at the very least. Never before had a Fearling presented themselves with a name which was a sign of a more human creature and Fearlings were certainly not considered to be human. Sure, a small part of Labraid was happy to see them struggling to recognize that she was a thinking feeling creature but there were bigger issues that needed to be addressed. Like finding Pitch and getting his help. But the Guardian’s didn’t care about dealing with that type of issue, they only cared about protecting children.
That meant Jamie would be safer with the Guardian’s than if he went with her. And Labraid wanted him to be safe, he was her first friend and that was very special. She couldn’t place Jamie in danger, no matter how nice it would be to have someone to go with her.
Labraid reached out to take Jamie’s hand in hers. “I need to go,” she said softly ignoring the hostile look Nightlight was giving her, “I have to find Pitch.”
“But I thought we were going to that together,” Jamie protested.
“I’ve never been alone before. Jack or Pitch have always been there,” Labraid admitted letting go of Jamie’s hand to sink into the shadows, “So I need to be able to do this for myself.” And with that she allowed herself to fall backwards into the shadows ignoring the protests of the Guardian’s. Let them focus on Jamie for he was child, and they only cared about the children of the world. Labraid was not a child, even if she did look like one and she did not need to be coddled by them.
Still, Labraid would be able to search the town of Burgess better from the darkness surrounding it. Even the street lamps that lit the wide city streets left little shadows for her to creep through in search of Pitch. But no matter where Labraid looked, she was unable to find Pitch. It was rather frustrating at this point as she ran round and round the darkness without a clue as to where Pitch could possibly be.
When the Nightmare King entered the town, Labraid felt it. His very presence radiated down through her bones bringing Labraid to a halt for a long minute before she burst into motion again. She tore through the shadows under cars and swerved through alley ways. It was only a matter of time before she would find Pitch and tell him Brigid’s great plan. But it didn’t help that the defatted Nightmare King continued to run about the place like a chicken with its head cut off.
Finally though he stopped moving and Labraid was able to hone in on him. He...he was in the park at the edge of the city! What was the silly man doing there? Pitch wasn’t a big fan of parks for some reason so he had to be dying of course to have been standing there. So Labraid came sprinting out from behind a tree without a care in the world.
She didn’t care that the Guardian’s were standing with their weapons drawn, or even that the Sandman had miraculously reappeared to join the fight. Let the Guardian’s take their silly victory, Labraid had bigger issues to deal with. Like the Nightmare King standing defiant before the might of Childhood's Champions with a great scythe in hand. Pitch looked diminished somehow. He was greyer than normal, face almost gaunt and lacking his cloak of fear. He almost looked normal and that worried Labraid more than anything. Pitch had never looked normal in the entire time she knew him, he had always appeared so otherworldly and she had to fix this before it became worse!
“Pitch!” Labraid shrieked, darting out from behind the tree and sprinting across the snowy ground. She ducked around the Sandman with a determined scowl and under the leg of a golden unicorn that was guarding a group of pajama dressed children. Jamie’s eyes widened in shock as Labraid darted over him, his shocked cry of “Labraid!” getting everyone’s attention. The Easter Bunny, now regrown, groaned in exasperation and exclaimed, “Great, now the Fearling is joining in!” but Labraid ignored him and kept running towards Pitch.
Pitch, for his part, just stared at her in shock. His hands went slack and the scythe dipped dangerously towards the ground as Labraid skidded to a stop in front of him with a furious scowl on her face. “La...Labraid,” Pitch croaked out in shock, “How is this possible? Last I saw you, you were a cat.”
Labraid planted her hands on her hips. “Obviously I moved beyond that, but how would you know? Sulking about like this and getting into silly fights,” Labraid pulled on her best unamused voice that she’d learned from Jack when he scolded the children who got lost in his wood. “Where have you been?”
Pitch just stared at her, “Why are you here? You should be in Ireland with Jack.”
“And you should be in your lair, but you weren’t so here I came,” Labraid snapped. She reached out and grabbed one of Pitch’s hands in her tiny ones, “Now come on, we need to leave!” She tugged desperately but Pitch did not move. His golden eyes were locked on her even as Labraid attempted to move him from the middle of the street.
“Why are you not in Ireland?” Pitch demanded, his voice harsh, “Did Jack send you here?”
Labraid refused to look at Pitch. “Brigid sent me, now we need to go!” Labraid was well aware that the Guardian’s and the children were slowly working up the nerve to approach them. She wanted to be far away before that happened.
Pitch’s eyes narrowed. “Why was Brigid ordering you about?” He hissed, his hand reaching out to latch on Labraid’s wrist in a tight grip. Even though Pitch’s harsh grip ground her wrist bones together, she was not afraid of him. Pitch would never dare to harm her, he had proved that over the course of the long centuries they had spent with Jack. “Tell me, what has happened to Jack?”
Labraid stared blankly at the hand holding her wrist. How strange was it that Pitch’s skin was darker than her? Maybe it had been due to the amount of time that she had spent in the presence of saints and holy figures. Perhaps some of their goodness had rubbed off onto her skin. Which could of course explain why it felt like her heart was breaking.
“Jack...Jack’s gone,” Labraid whispered. She couldn’t understand why her eyes were filling up with tears, not right now.
“No.” Pitch’s denial was a quiet pain that hid the depth of his heartbreak, “No. He’s safe back at the cottage.”
Labraid shook her head in denial. “Not anymore,” she admitted quietly, “Faust…”
That was all Pitch needed to hear. His eyes hardened even as a fire lit behind them, glowing with a hatred born over centuries of watching his lover suffer in a sort of limbo. His lips pulled back into a wicked snarl before he lunged into the shadows to go search for Faust. There was no doubt that he would rip the dark necromancer into shreds.
Before Labraid was able to rush after him to join in the battle, she was scooped up and off the ground. A furious yowl, reminiscent of a cat, left her as she was held up far above the ground by the very annoyed St. North. She struggled in the air, legs kicking futilely seeing how there were no shadows she could touch to escape from the Guardian’s.
“Now then, little Fearling,” St. North growled, “It is time we have a little talk. Who is this Faust that you mention?”
Labraid hissed as she was turned in the air to meet the unamused blue eyes. She could see Nightlight and the Tooth Fairy standing the closets while the Easter Bunny and Sandman attempted to keep the children back and away from her. Jamie looked especially distressed to see Labraid hanging by the scruff of her slip.
“Faust is the whole reason Pitch is fighting you,” Labraid spat out, “We were happy, but Faust was holding what made Pitch happy hostage. So he had to listen to Faust and use the stupid sand horses for battle!”
“Wait, you mean the Nightmare’s aren’t Pitch’s creations?” The Tooth Fairy cut in, surprise making her head ruff rise. No one noticed the storm brewing overhead as they focused on the Fearling.
Labraid rolled her eyes. Of course they would think Pitch would come up with something like that! He wasn’t that creative when it came to monster, Pitch had always favored dark and looming over anything else. It had been Jack who had been the creativity behind Pitch’s schemes, he would have been the one to think up of a Night-Mare. But of course the Guardian’s didn’t know that because they had never really cared about Jack and her.
“Faust made the Nightmares,” Labraid sneered at them, “And Pitch is going to stop him, and I need to help before everything is over!” That was her cue to start struggling for freedom once more as the clouds darkened even more and the wind picked up.
“This can’t be serious,” the Easter Bunny complained, “No way a Fearling wouldn’t be lying to us!”
“But it does make a certain amount of sense,” the Tooth Fairy whispered, “Pitch hasn’t been active since the late 1700’s, and if Faust was threatening him it would explain that…”
“A trick,” Nightlight hissed, glaring at Labraid, “Has to be a trick.”
Labraid opened her to tell that stupid glow bug what for when the storm hit. All eyes rose to the skies as lightning split the air with a booming crack. The wind was screaming, but there was no rain with the storm which hinted at the supernatural. The lightning flash illuminated a horse galloping at full speed down the street, the wind the whinny of the warhorse as it thundered towards them.
St. North dropped Labraid as he threw himself out of the way of the horse with the fairy and glow bug on his heels. The rider did not stop the charge, the shining gold of her hair and sword lighting the darkness and revealing a savage grin and war paint. Behind her was a much younger woman, more of a girl, clutching a book to her chest as wide eyes stared fearfully ahead. Then, in another second, they had gone thundering past and went racing towards the woods with the storm announcing their presence.
“What,” the Easter Bunny gasped out, his fur ruffled and eyes wide, “Was that?”
Labraid’s smile was a savage thing. “The cavalry is here,” she hissed before dropping into the shadows to join in the fight leaving the Guardian's behind.
~*~
Katherine clutched the book tightly to her chest as Brigid steered the horse towards the woods at the edge of Burgess. The dark woods leered above them, foreboding and sinister as the tree branches reached for them like skeletal fingers. It was so different than the pleasant woods Jack had lived in, and Katherine had to wonder at what such a small difference could cause.
They went thundering through the woods, heading deeper and deeper into the dangerous place. The wind war horse did not falter as it thundered over stone and logs, crushing them to shards under its hooves. Through all of this, the book she clung to tightly remained bound and safe in her arms protected from the wind. Which Katherine was thankful for, because this book was what would allow them to win.
It was both too soon, and not soon enough, when they cleared the tree line. A frozen lake glittered before them, and on any other night it would have been the perfect picture. But tonight, it was the host to a great battle. Pitch was already there, his face pulled back in a fierce snarl as he cut through Nightmare after Nightmare in an attempt to get to Faust who was standing on the opposite bank of the lake with a smile on his face.
Brigid took one look at Faust and let out the loudest scream Katherine had ever heard before in her life! It was all pain, and rage, far beyond the loss of just one friend. It was centuries of pain and hatred rolled into one noise that the wind joined in with before throwing herself from the war horse and charging head first at the nearest Nightmare. She was shining, bright and beautiful as she cut through the Nightmare in a blaze of green gold light like a warrior of old.
The war horse exploded out from under Katherine. She screamed as it returned to its natural state of storm, throwing itself forward to smash into the Nightmares with a scream of rage only nature could manage. Which of course meant Katherine was left all alone on the bank of the lake with nothing but a book to protect her.
A book she didn’t even know how to use!
How was she supposed to use this to defeat Faust? Yes, the pictures were beautiful. Yes, the story had made Katherine cry and it had made her think realize just what Pitch had been dealing with over the centuries on his own. It was a truly tragic story, of life thwarted by death and dark magic. But Katherine had been told by Jack that there was magic in this type of book and she had faith in him. It was all she had now.
But what use was it when Faust was so powerful? Even with rage fueling every blow, Pitch and Brigid were beginning to fail under the Nightmares. There were simply too many of them for the pair to defeat on their own and Katherine could see them flagging. And she could tell from Faust’s wide grin that he realized it too. Which of course was when another combatant entered the fight. A black shadow lunged over Katherine’s head with a snarl. A massive black panther landed on one of the Nightmares and bit into it and clawed viciously as well.
For a half second Katherine was afraid that only Labraid would come to Brigid and Pitch’s aid, but of course that was when hope arrive. A sob of relief was pulled from Katherine as the Guardian's emerged from the woods, all of them armed to the teeth and ready to fight besides the other three. Her friends had come, and everything would be alright now!
Except that Jack had said they would need the book to win. And Katherine could tell that was true when she took a second look at the battle and saw that Faust still had the numbers on his side and was slowly pushing her friends back. And all they needed to win was for Katherine to figure out how to work that book!
“I don’t know what to do,” Katherine gasped out, curling around the book. “Jack...what do I do?”
The sound of snow crunching under heavy boots caught Katherine’s attention. She raised her head and gasped at the sight before her. A small gaggle of children armed only in winter coats and pajamas were standing before her. Their wide eyes were locked on the massive battle taking place in front of them, expressions of shock were locked on their young faces as they watched these figures fighting in front of them.
“Woah,” Cupcake whispered, nudging Jamie, “That looks so cool!”
Jamie frowned at the sight before them. “But...it looks like they’re losing,” Jamie said softly, “They can’t lose, they’re the good guys! The good guys always win!”
Katherine couldn’t help herself. An amused snort left her at the thought of Pitch being a good guy. Her snort brought the children’s attention to her. “Who are you?” Pips demanded. “Why are you here?”
“I’m Katherine,” she gripped the book tighter, “And I’m here because...well. Because Jack asked me to bring the book here. It’s supposed to defeat Faust, but I don’t know how.”
Jamie knelt down next to her in the snow. His eyes were drawn to the beautiful book in Katherine’s hands with the picture of the smiling young man with laughing eyes on the cover. “Who's Jack?” Jamie asked quietly, “Labraid mentioned him, but she never explained who he was or what he did.”
“Jack was a saint. The Saint of the Lost,” Katherine whispered softly. She didn’t notice that the book had begun to glow as she told the story of St. Frost and bolstered the children’s faith in him. No one really did at all. “He took me in and gave me direction when I was lost and afraid and showed me the way again. Without him, I would never have made it this far.”
Above them a few flakes of snow began to fall.
“Jack believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” Katherine continued, filling the children’s heads with the story in the book, “He was amazing. He even taught the Nightmare King what it was to love again.”
“Wow,” Jamie whispered softly, “I wish he was here to show us what to do.”
And in that brief second, the children did not believe in St. Frost. No, instead they did something far more powerful and had the simple but pure faith that he would appear and make everything right. And who was St. Frost to deny them this?
Katherine blinked as something cold and wet landed on her nose. She looked up, the children copying her, to see the clear night sky filled with gently falling snow. “It can’t be snowing,” Claude protested, “It’s too late in the year for it to snow.”
But that didn’t seem to deter the snow any. It continued to fall in fat merry flakes, drifting gently through the breeze to cover everything in a layer of pure white. Above the lake the snow began to glow with an inner blue light. All of the fighting on the ice ceased as they noticed the light pouring from the snow fall to bathe everything in crystal colors.
Brigid reached out and caught a snowflake in her hand. It melted quickly, the light seeping to her skin bringing with it a feeling of comfort and joy that reached deep down into the core of her being. She looked up in shock, meeting Pitch’s eyes. “This can’t be,” Brigid whispered, “He’s dead.”
Pitch did not respond no after a long minute Brigid realized he wasn’t even looking at her. She turned to follow his line of sight and noticed he was staring out into the woods past where Katherine and the children huddled. He was watching a figure approach them through the snow storm.
It was the sound of feet crunching on snow that caught Katherine’s attention. She turned, worried it would be some horror that Faust had conjured and came face to face with a miracle. Serene blue eyes met her’s as a playful mouth tugged up into a grin. The snow blended into the white hair and pale skin as bare feet glided across the ground closer to the lake. Plain leather pants and cotton shirt were covered by a worn old cloak as the figure’s staff glowed with the same blue light that came from the snow.
Everything stopped, and all turned to stare in shock. For St. Jack Frost had returned to the land of the living and was stepping onto the ice of the lake. Delicate glowing ferns of frost spread out across the ice as Jack floated across it. One of the Nightmares reared up to strike him down, but Jack did not cower from it. Instead, he reached up and pressed his hand to the Nightmare’s chest. A flash of blue white light spread out from his hand and then the Nightmare collapsed into a pile of snowdrops as Jack continued to walk.
His eyes were focused on Faust at the other end of the lake. It was eeries, Katherine realized, to see Jack and Faust together. It was clear now that Faust had stolen Jack’s body from him seeing how they were both opposites staring down at each other. Jack was all pale lines, whites and blues compared to Faust who was brown and flushed with life. They could have been twins.
“No,” Faust hissed, taking a fearful step away from Jack, “No! This isn’t possible! You died! I killed you years ago!”
Jack, no St. Frost, didn’t respond. Instead he moved gracefully forward unstoppable in his peaceful march.
“I killed you!” Faust shrieked. His foot caught on the root of a tree and sent him tumbling down to the ground in a flurry of snow and cloth. “You can’t be here!”
St. Frost paused, standing over Faust’s prone form. He knelt on the ground, his face peaceful as a gentle smile crossed his face. “You’re a far way from home, Johan Faust,” Jack said gently, “You lost your way a long time ago.”
Faust shook his head in denial. He tried to scoot away from Jack, but there was no where he could go. “I am not lost!” Faust hissed, his eyes wild with terror, “I know exactly where I am and what I have been doing!”
Jack reached out a hand and rested it on Faust’s cheek. “You must be so tired after these long years,” Jack whispered, his hand began to glow where it rested, “Just relax, and I will show you the way.”
The blue glow began to grow brighter. It got to the point where Katherine had to avert her eyes from the light to keep her eyesight. Even with her eyes squeezed shut the harsh glow of the blue light began to weep through. And then, just as suddenly as the light started it faded away to nothing.
Blinking spots from her eyes, Katherine looked across the lake to where Jack and Faust had been standing. Only one figure was kneeling there now in front of a pile of snow drops. The white snow stood out on his brown hair and melted against his skin as he rose to stand fully on two bare feet. Katherine was afraid of what she would see in his eyes when he turned. Was it Jack, or Faust who remained?
Pitch’s scythe disappeared in a swirl of shadow. He took a hesitant step forward, shadowed by Brigid and Labraid.Pitch’s mouth opened several times but he appeared unable to form any words. “Jack?” Brigid’s voice was softer than Katherine had ever heard it, “Is that you?”
The figure turned and for a brief second Katherine was terrified that it was Faust. She had only seen Faust with brown hair and freckles, never Jack. But then he opened his eyes and revealed shining bright blue.
A silly grin grew across his face, a pure joy lighting it with an inner light. “Hey there Nightmare Man,” Jack teased gently, “Where the hell is my cat?”
Brigid snorted before dissolving into relieved laughter. The panther that had been Labraid ran forward with a relieved yowl, turning back into a little girl when her feet touched the bank. She threw herself into Jack’s arms with a delighted shriek. “I’m so happy you’re back,” Labraid said happily, “I missed you so much Jack!”
Jack’s arms wrapped around Labraid’s shoulders. “Labraid,” he said with amazement, “It’s nice to see you to. But...you were a cat.” Jack’s face screwed up in annoyance, “You were a cat. Why are you not a cat anymore? Pitch! What did you do to Labraid when I was gone!”
“I didn’t touch her!” Pitch snapped back, storming over to loom over Jack. Both pointedly ignored how Pitch placed a protective hand on Jack’s shoulder, “She just appeared like this.”
“Sure she did,” Jack grumbled before turning to face the gathered Guardian's. “Thanks for helping them,” Jack said sincerely, holding Labraid close, “Lord knows I don’t trust them on their own.”
“Says the one who got himself killed,” Pitch hissed.
“It...was no trouble,” North managed to stutter out. “We were glad to help?”
Jack would have believed him if North hadn’t sounded so questioning. But still, it was good to know that there had been help even if they had been forced into this instead of choosing to do it of their own free will. Honestly, Jack was just thankful that Faust was gone now.
The sound of a sword sliding into leather broke the heavy quiet as Brigid walked towards the trio. Her war paint was smudged, and her clothing ripper, but she looked more alive than ever in Jack’s eyes. “Well, I guess we’re done here,” Brigid announced, placing her hands on her hips, “What do you say to me taking us home?”
Pitch sneered at her, “Your method of travel is inconsistent and unreliable.”
“Says the guy called Nightmare King,” Brigid grumbled and it all felt so normal that Jack wanted to cry from sheer relief.
A tug on the hem of his shirt drew Jack’s attention back to Labraid. “We’re leaving?” She questioned mournfully, “Can I at least say goodbye to Jamie?”
“Uh...yeah sure,” Jack waited until Labraid went skittering across the ice. He turned to Pitch, “Whose Jamie?”
Pitch snorted and pointed at the amusing sight of Labraid throwing herself into a young man. “I assume he is her new friend,” Pitch said dryly, “Be careful Jack, or you could end up with another child in the cottage.”
Jack scowled and leaned over to punch Pitch’s shoulder. “That’s not funny,” he hissed, “I don't even know how to handle small children!”
Pitch stared incredulously. “You used to watch your caravans children all the time.”
“That was over three hundred years ago!”
“As exciting as your domestic is,” Brigid drawled, “Someone wants to say goodbye to to you Jack.”
And indeed, Katherine was standing before them. Jack couldn’t help but grinning at her. She looked so different than the polished girl he had first met. She appeared more like a young woman now with an added weight in her eyes that Jack was quite familiar with. But it looked right on her, as did the book in her arms.
“Hey there Katherine,” Jack nodded at his old clothes, “You look good in that. Beats a dress any day in my opinion.”
Katherine summoned up a weak smile. “I’m glad to see you're alright,” her expression crumpled, “Jack, I’m so sorry I got you killed.”
Jack stepped forward and pulled her in for a hug. He worked very hard to ignore Pitch’s not so subtle “What does she mean she killed him? I thought Faust did it!” and Brigid’s demands that he be quiet. Instead Jack gave her a quick squeeze before pulling away.
“It all worked out though,” Jack gave her a wink, “Just like I said it would. So don’t feel bad about this anymore or I’ll have to beat you up.”
Katherine let out a watery laugh. “Oh Jack, I don’t what I’m going to do without you.”
“Well. That’s the beauty of an ending like this isn't it?” Jack teased, “You can still pop round for a spot of tea whenever you feel lost and I’ll help point out the way.”
Katherine smiled, “I’d like that.”
Jack gave her one last hug and stepped back to stand next to Pitch. He reached out and took the Nightmare King’s hand in his. Labraid came scrambling across the ice and grabbed Jack’s other hand in her’s. “We need to come back soon,” she informed Jack seriously, “I promised Jamie a play date soon.”
“A play date,” Jack muttered quietly, “We’re making play dates now. How is this my life?”
“It’s better than the alternative after all,” Brigid pointed out cheerfully, taking Labraid’s other hand.
Pitch sneered at her, “How can you be so callous about death after today?”
“We’re Irish,” Jack said proudly, “We think about death all the time. Now let’s go home.”
And with that the shadows surged forward and covered the four. A second passed, and then the shadows receded showing that they were gone leaving the Guardian’s and children standing alone on the lake.
It had stopped snowing, Katherine realized with a silly smile. Jack was alive, Faust was gone, and everything was going to be alright soon.
Nightlight came forward to stand by her side. They both stared at the place where saints, Fearling, and nightmare had stood together just minutes ago. For the first time in centuries she wasn’t sure what her dear friend was thinking. It was terrifying...but at the same time exciting.
“Something happened while you were gone,” Nightlight said softly, “You’ve changed Katherine.”
She smiled and reached out to take his hand in her’s. “I saw a miracle dear Nightlight,” Katherine admitted while squeezing his hand, “Don’t worry. I’ll tell you all about it.”
For a brief second, Katherine could have sworn she saw a black cat with glowing eyes watching her. But the moment passed and she realized it was just the shadows of the tree under the moonlight. But that was alright. Because she definitely was planning on visiting Jack soon to see how he was adjusting.
~*~
May 2012
There is a place hidden deep in the mountains. Protected by the great woodland forests of Glendalough and overlooking the beauty of the twin lakes. A happy cottage sits among the trees surround by a vibrant garden filled with herbs and healing plants. Magic is very real in this cottage. It guides souls who are lost and confused back onto the paths they need to travel and shows them the way back into the light.
A young man was sitting on the front step of the cottage playing with the staff in his hands. A playful smile was present on his face as he stared into the shadows. An air of excitement was wrapped around him.
The smile grew as a tall figure emerged from the shadows. A tall, proud figure strode out of the darkness. Jack rose from the step and darted forward. He threw his arms around Pitch’s neck and pulled the Nightmare King into a quick kiss.
Pitch pulled back, making sure to hold Jack close. “I’m still getting used to you with brown hair,” Pitch admitted with a slight smile.
Jack beamed back up at him. “I miss it to,” Jack admitted with a coy smile, “Made me look mysterious.”
That brought out a shirt bark of laughter from Pitch. Jack loved when he managed to make Pitch laugh, it was his favorite pass time. “Did Labraid get there alright?” Jack asked softly.
“Last I saw her, she was happily playing with that horde of children for a sleepover,” the disdain was obvious in Pitch’s voice when he said sleepover and it was adorable. “Now then Jack, have you decided where you want to go?”
Jack hummed thoughtfully. “Brigid said the Ashikaga Flower Park was beautiful at this time of year.”
Pitch smiled slowly. “Then Japan it is.”
Three hundred years ago, a young boy had run away with the Nightmare King to see the wide wide world. Now, three hundred years after their first meeting, they’re still happily running. After all, they had all the time in the world to see everything life had to give them.