WARNING: MELTDOWN AND PANIC ATTACK!
"There aren't any eggs."
A deceptively simple phrase, but one, when spoken worldwide by not one but all children, became a statement that tore straight into Aster's soul.
"Maybe he just hid them really well this year," one child, a little girl, suggested hopefully.
Her companion shook his head in disappointment, "I've checked everywhere. There's nothing."
"Wait! Wait!" Aster called out to them, revealing his presence, carrying a basket of the few spared eggs, "These aren't my best goodies, but they'll do in a pinch!"
The girl didn't look any more encouraged, "I can't believe it..."
Aster let out an awkward chuckle, slightly embarrassed at his desperation, "I-I know..."
"There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny."
Those crushing words shattered Aster's heart as the child walked through him, her eyes glazed over with sadness. Aster clutched at his chest, watching the children disappear through the trees.
"They don't see me!" he murmured, falling to his knees, "They don't see me..."
Once bursting with new leaves, the surrounding trees began to look withered. None of the laughter, life, and hope was meant to appear as expected. With that expectation dashed, the feeling of disappointment was even worse.
This was the scene that Jack returned to... That and instant reproach.
"Jack! Where were you?" North demanded, his usual joy absent from his face, "The nightmares attacked the tunnels. They smashed every egg and crushed every basket. Nothing made it to the surface."
Tooth flew up, looking worse for wear as she continuously molted her colorful feathers, "Jack!" she suddenly gasped, seeing the tooth capsule in his hand, "Where did you get that?"
"I found Pitch," Jack gave them a haunted look as if he'd stared death in the face, "Didn't Baby Tooth..." he gasped, noting the tiny fairy's absence, "Wait, where is Baby Tooth?"
North narrowed his eyes, "Jack, what happened? Why were you with Pitch?"
Jack took a step back, panic overwriting his sense of reason, "She got away! I saw her! She was coming to find you!" he looked at the pair and slowly saw their expressions shift to betrayal.
Even if his intentions were pure, he'd not kept his promise to them. A broken promise that cost them dearly.
Tooth's eye teared up as she covered her mouth in grief, "Oh, Jack... What happened?"
"I-I heard a voice, and I found Pitch and..." he pressed a wrist to his forehead, unable to look them in the eye, "I tried to get back, but..."
"That's why you were not here when we needed you?" North asked, "What were you thinking?"
Jack only said what he could say at this moment, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"Jack!" they all looked up at Katherine to see her in a terrifying state of weakness.
Her rosy, youthful features were now pale and haggard. Thin black veins had appeared on her face, turning her grey eyes into colorless pools of exhaustion. She could barely stand, depending on a nearby tree to lean upon.
"Katherine, I..."
"I see you didn't need our help after all..." she said; her sadness was made all the worse because she tried to hide it, "I guess Pitch outsmarted all of us."
Jack hung his head, unable to look her in the eye.
"He has to go," Aster spoke up.
Jack's head snapped up as he gaped at the buck, "What?"
Aster raised a fist, itching to throw a punch, "We should never have trusted you!" he yelled, "This wasn't just about eggs, Jack! Those eggs were manifestations of hope meant to bring life and protection to all those kids who need us!" the pooka stepped back, despair and hopelessness overtaking his demeanor, "Easter is new beginnings... New life... Easter is about hope," he shot a glare at Jack, rage burning deep in his eyes, "And now it's gone."
"Aster..." Katherine pushed herself between them, "Enough."
Jack wanted to tell her to stop. For her to rest and cease trying to defend him. He wanted to but couldn't find the words.
Aster had no such loss of tongue, "No, Goose! You can't keep sticking up for him! Was the Dark Ages not a lesson enough for you? You want to make excuses for him until he sets off an Ice Age?"
They could almost hear the snap of Katherine's self-restraint. Face livid, she raised a hand, her fingers twitching with the urge to slap Aster's furry cheek as she looked him coldly in the eye.
Aster looked immediately regretful for what he said and not because of the threat of injury, "No, wait! I didn't mean-"
Katherine lowered her hand, slowly passing it over her eyes, "I'm sorry too. I keep on messing up... no matter what era I'm in," she let out a bitter laugh, lowering her hand to reveal her eyes devoid of light, "I'm supposed to be the oldest and most experienced, but because of my weakness, I doomed you all."
"No!" Jack grabbed her by the shoulders and whirled her around to face him, devastated that she was taking all the blame upon herself, "Katherine! It's not your fault! It's mine! I did this!"
"It's not!" Katherine shook her head, covering her ears as the dark veins spread up her arms and across her face, "It's all my fault! I messed up again! I know Pitch better than any of us, and I didn't try hard enough to stop him!"
"You can't be everywhere at once," Jack reasoned, "We shouldn't be having you do this alone!"
Katherine couldn't hear him anymore, her self-deprecating spiral causing her ears to roar while her breathing came out ragged and choked, devoiding her of air.
"Katherine!"
Aster rushed over, prying Jack's nerveless hands away as he helped the panicking Katherine to the ground, "Leave her be a moment!" he instructed, looking like he'd dealt with similar situations before, "Tooth!"
The Tooth Fairy responded with similarly practiced ease, "Katherine! Breathe with me!" she rested an arm across the other woman's back, taking slow, deliberate breaths.
North sank to one knee, placing a hand on Katherine's knee, "Goose, we are here. You are going to be fine."
Aster knelt on the other side, "Inhale when I count," he encouraged, "One... two... three... Now exhale! One... Two... Three..."
Jack looked on helplessly, feeling even more guilt and shame on seeing what his overconfidence had caused.
It was a long while before Katherine returned to a stable state of mind.
A completely repentant Aster was first to apologize, "I'm sorry I said that. I have no excuse. You never deserved that from me or anyone."
Katherine accepted his paw, squeezing it in understanding, "I know. I'm at fault for not considering how this all affected you. I wish I could have done something to stop all this."
Aster gave her a severe look, "Listen, Goose. You aren't weak. You're the meanest little minx I've ever known."
Toothiana nodded in agreement, "You've been there for us when we needed you most. You taught us what it meant to be Guardians. Without you, we wouldn't have this purpose. Without you, we probably wouldn't even exist!"
North rested on a knee, looking more solemn than he'd been in years, "You are many things, Goose, but a failure is not one of them."
Katherine nodded, dry-eyed and empty of tears, "Thanks," she realized something was missing and looked around, noticing one of them was missing, "Where's Jack?"
Jack was gone. The only trace of his being there was the fallen charm Katherine had given him. He'd dropped it before flying off, too guilty to face them.
"Oh boy, this ain't good," Aster muttered, "I messed up."
"We all messed up, Bunny," Tooth reminded him, "He made a mistake, but we're supposed to help him through them, not place the blame. All of us started out just like him."
Katherine placed a hand on the ground and tried to push herself to her feet, "Pitch will make one last attempt to crush all remaining believers," she collapsed but waved off helping hands as she managed to stand, "We have to prepare," with new strength born of the sheer resolution, she held her book to her chest, looking over the others in turn, "Go."
Tooth could barely fly, but seeing how much weaker Katherine had gotten made her more concerned, "But what about you? You've been weakened! If Pitch targets you now-"
"That's what I am hoping," Katherine replied, her thumb tracing over the worn leather in her hands, "I still have one ace left to play."
North gave her a grim look, "Goose if you use that power again under these conditions, there is no coming back."
Katherine held out a hand, causing the fallen charm to float to her, "This battle will require every advantage," with a deep breath, she crushed it using the words' power to form a circular portal, "Defend the children at all costs," she commanded entering through the gate to the unknown, a dark shadow hiding her expression, "Leave Pitch to me."