Now There Are Five... Wait... Six?

Chapter 10

The roll of distant thunder in the distance accompanied the word.

But too late...

Pitch had fired a black arrow through Sandy's heart, bringing the dream spirit low.

"No!" Jack screamed, an intense gale suddenly carrying him toward his new friend.

Katherine's glowing eyes widened, hesitating for a split second as she saw Sandy struggle against the darkness. She felt helpless, unable to act in the moment, knowing that if she attacked now, any attack on Pitch would hurt Sandy too. 

"There's no need to struggle," Pitch cooed at the Sandman, looking down at him with a triumphant expression, "I'd say sweet dreams, but there are none left."

Sandy watched his own body turn into black sand, an almost serene expression on his face. He faced Pitch one last time, silently telling him that this was only the beginning. With one last flicker, the golden dream sand in the sky was swallowed up by Pitch's nightmare sand.

Jack watched Sandy's fate with horror before his face twisted with unbridled rage, "NO!"

Pitch smirked down at him and the approaching Guardians. He was so fixated on them that he didn't seem to notice the clouds swirling overhead or the crack of nearby thunder. He only saw what he now considered weak prey.

With a wide gesture, Pitch summoned his nightmares into a massive wave of black sand, bringing it down upon them like a sentient shadow.

Jack froze, unable to resist the oncoming attack, and was swept back.

This triggered a response from Katherine as her hands pulled towards her body, pushing outward like controlling an extension of her soul.

With a dull roar, a massive silhouette of a goose, comparative in size to Pitch's wave, appeared behind her, spreading its wings across the sky. It opened its mouth, raising its head to meet the wave.

Pitch smirked, whispering under his breath, "That won't work. Since these nightmares are only stolen dreams from the Sandman, you can't seal my power from them. I made sure to learn from our last battle... Mother Goose," he gave a malicious smile toward the source of his hatred, "And you know the consequences of using that power on a spirit who committed no offense."

Katherine realized something was wrong, her instincts screaming for her to stop. With monstrous effort, she reeled in her power, causing the silhouette of the goose to falter.

"Goose!" North called out in warning as the sand was about to clash, sealing her fate.

A burst of cold light exploded out of nowhere as a storm of frigid air swept across the horizon.

Jack screamed, putting all his defiance, determination, and, most importantly, his will to protect them all from the attack, resulting in a burst of power he'd never harnessed before. 

The surge of frozen ice engulfed the nightmare wave, spreading across it and causing the dark sand to implode, knocking Pitch from the sky. 

The massive form of the goose vanished.

Katherine staggered back, barely saved from falling when Aster caught her. Her appearance suddenly became withered and worn, overwriting her true appearance with the age of her existing spirit. Her book slipped from her hands and fell to the floor of the sleigh.

"Katherine!"

Below them, Jack's eye fluttered shut as he began to fall from the sky, unable to call up the wind after such an attack. Tooth snatched his body from the air, carrying him to the sleigh.

"Jack!"

The remaining three Guardians stood over the pair, looking over them with heavy concern.

"Jack, how did you do that?" Tooth whispered.

Jack groaned, barely conscious, "I-I didn't know I even could," he suddenly saw Katherine's weakened state and frantically tried to drag himself toward her, screaming in panic, "Katherine!" avoiding restraining hands, he lay by her side, tremblingly caressing her sunken cheek, "Nonononono! Stay awake! Katherine, don't do this to me! Not you!"

North placed a heavy hand on Jack's shoulder, snapping him out of his spiral, "Jack! Be calm. We'll take her to the Pole to heal."

Jack stared at his hands, his eyes shaking in self-loathing, "Did... did I?"

He flinched as he felt a touch on his cheek, "Jack..."

Jack didn't try to hide the sobs coming from deep in his chest as he held onto Katherine's hand with fervent desperation, "Katherine..." 

Even when reduced to this state, Katherine's smile still looked radiant in Jack's eyes, even when she barely had the energy to blink, "This is only temporary. This wasn't you. Okay?" she saw him try to avoid her eyes and pulled his face to look at her again, "Okay?"

Aster knelt down, causing Jack to look at his face to face, "Easy there, mate. She's telling the truth."

Toothiana used a gentle hand to smooth Katherine's graying hair, "We'll all take care of her."

Jack nodded silently, lifting Katherine's hand and pressing it to his forehead, breathing out almost silent words.

"Katherine... My Katherine..."

Far below, within the darkest reaches of the forest, Pitch staggered to his feet, welcoming his approaching nightmares.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, a hungry look in his eyes, "Someone who knows how to have a little fun!"

(A/N) Kailash was the name of Katherine's goose in the Guardians of Childhood series.