Ganderly was built like a maze with no rhyme or reason, but Jack trusted Baby Tooth's sense of direction. As they traveled through the endless corridors and vaulted staircases, he barely noticed the simplistic splendor of the building.
He did notice, however, how the almost organic form seemed to lead them deep into recesses, similar to Katherine's mind. There was an ancient feel to it that was balanced by the sense of revived youth. Even with its current dilapidated state, the palace hosted immense treasures of knowledge, books, scrolls, artifacts, and antiques from times and eras even Jack didn't know existed.
It was like that single drop of the ocean had finally gained clarity for them to see.
Katherine stirred in Jack's arms, too tired to even make a sound of pain or discomfort. Her fingers clenched against the winter spirit's blue hoodie. Her hand slowly faded, momentarily losing substance and passing through the worn cloth.
Jack set his jaw upon seeing her arm dangle helplessly towards the floor and held her closer, "Just hang in there. We'll fix you up in no time..." he whispered, gazing down at her tenderly, "I promise."
The trio hurried up the final spiral staircase, the soft footfalls of Jack's feet echoing through the silent towers. Baby Tooth chirped at him, stopping at an elaborately decorated door with hand-carved ebony.
The carving, enhanced with gold leaf, depicted a goose standing amid the ruins of a burning civilization. The bird's head was pointed toward the sky, its wings spread in a sign of defiance. At his feet, the figure of a fallen maiden lay, clearly having succumbed to the ravages of the surrounding flames. Rays of light shone upon the pair from the full moon standing in the smoke-blackened sky.
Jack felt uneasiness churn in his stomach at the image, "What is this place?"
Baby Tooth gave Jack a solemn look, gingerly pressing her hand against the wooden surface. For a moment, nothing happened as the tiny fairy seemed to concentrate. A moment later, the golden embossing of the door glowed, registering the remnant power of a Guardian present in the little tooth fairy.
The doors swung open quietly as if they never needed hinges.
The revealed room was much older looking than the rest, made of stonelike materials Jack could not identify, the pale ivory surfaces built in an ancient architecture that one imagined the earliest civilizations would use. Letters, runes, symbols, and scripts of every era, type, and culture were carved into every crevice and corner.
The only form of furniture in the room was the circular altar made of translucent moonstone. Its glass-like form reflected the adularescent rays of moonlight seeping in from the opening in the chamber ceiling.
Baby Tooth flew to the altar, chirping at Jack, and motioned for him to place Katherine upon it. He reluctantly did so, unsure of how this would help. Interlacing his fingers with her frail ones, he knelt by her side, waiting expectantly for something to happen.
Please... Jack couldn't help but silently pray. Please... somebody help her...
Ironic now, after all these years, how it became clear to him that spirits, no how powerful or how they could even be regarded as omnipotent by mortals, were so frail and helpless.
As if an answer to his prayer, the silver light overheads brightened. Illuminating Katherine's weakened figure and Jack's humbled one.
My children.
No words were actually spoken, but the intent was clear as the altar glowed.
Things will be made right.
Sacrifices will not be in vain.
The story has not yet ended.
To rewrite the ending, one must know the past.
Unknown Era... Beyond Recorded History...
Jack groaned as his eyes fluttered open, wondering when he'd fallen asleep.
"What happened?" he winced at the intense sunlight that assaulted his eyes. The sound of laughter and children playing caused him to sit up, blinking at the strange atmosphere he was subjected to.
He seemed to be in a... Village? Town? City? Jack couldn't quite decide a large stone monument was nearby, built like an ancient ziggurat pyramid. That alone was strange since it didn't seem to be thousands of years old. Then, there were houses of simplistic architecture dotting the landscape in no precise order but in a number that made it hard to decide the community's population at a glance.
Another shriek of laughter drew Jack's attention to a group of children playing a game (Jack assumed it was a variety of tag). They were all dressed in homespun, dyed in a myriad of colors without patterns. This only confused Jack more because nothing about what he saw could actually hint at where he was in the world.
A flash of white among the rainbow of clothing caught his eye, and his breath hitched.
A young girl, barely a teenager, was weaving among the children, laughing as she joined in their game. Jack recognized her immediately. The unmistakable auburn hair, the cloudy grey eyes full of life and insatiable curiosity, and the melodic voice that could tell stories for hours, it could only be one person.
"Katherine?"
No response. Not unusual in his case, but Jack didn't think about it as he rushed forward, trying to grab Katherine's wrist.
But passed through.
A chill passed through Jack's body as he failed to make contact with his soulmate. For a moment, his world shattered as he stared at his hand, unable to fathom what had happened.
Wait, why is Katherine so small?
The thought made him step back, observing the group carefully.
This whole situation seemed strange... almost unreal... something from the subconscious... like...
Jack gasped, realizing, "A memory."
He tested his theory by touching a nearby tree. His hand passed through. It was suddenly clear that somehow he was inside a memory with no way of interacting with it. Was this some test from the Man in the Moon? Maybe some lesson or deep purpose Jack couldn't fathom?
He didn't know.
"Kāthrīṉ! Tell us a story!"
The sudden request caused the other children to cheer and add their own demands. It gave Jack a strange feeling to see Katherine, or Kāthrīṉ as she was being called, brighten up and sit under the tree.
"Which one should it be?"
There was a clamor of demands, but it seemed there was a popular favorite.
Katherine placed her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle.
A loud honk was heard before a snow-white flew in and landed in the girl's lap. Jack gaped at it, instinctively knowing who this must be.
Kāthrīṉ silenced the children's shouts with an authoritative tone as she began her narrative, "Today I shall tell the story of how Kailash, the mighty sacred beast, defeated his enemy," she gave the group a serious look, "The terrible cat monster from up the hill!"
Jack sank down on his heels despite scoffing a little at the uncreative title. For the next hour, both he and the children listened with rapt attention as Kāthrīṉ wove stories and tales of rhymes and poetry of the everyday feats of the goose in her lap. It was simple but mesmerizing, the skills of a true storyteller with vivid memory and imagination.
It was Katherine, unfettered by care and untainted by the dark shadows of her future, bursting with life at a time when all the stories were yet unwritten. She held them all, she made them all, she shared them all. It was enough to make Jack cry seeing her joyful expression.
It all ended too soon when the sun began to set, and the children's parents arrived to bring them all home.
Jack watched as Kāthrīṉ remained the last to leave, holding Kailash in her arms as she said goodbye. It didn't escape him that the villagers showed great deference to the pair.
Finally, Kāthrīṉ walked toward the distant ziggurat.
Alone.
"Kāthrīṉ, is that you?" an old man dressed in white robes spoke up as Kāthrīṉ entered the living space.
Kāthrīṉ placed a hand on her chest and bowed, "Yes, High Priest."
The high priest placed some herbs on the stone brazier and frowned, "The sibyl is tasked with guarding the sacred knowledge of our people and as the protector of our sacred beast, Kāthrīṉ," it wasn't quite a rebuke, but a reminder that was both gentle and firm, "You are a blessed child, but you must remember to be careful with your stories."
Kāthrīṉ bowed her head, blushing slightly in embarrassment, "I'm sorry. I may have exaggerated a bit about my stories of Kailash."
This earned her a chuckle from the high priest, "Kailash is an exceptional bird, but even if the moon chose him to help us foresee danger, I'm not sure if even he could touch the stars."
Jack chuckled at that, unheard by the two.
However, the goose in Kāthrīṉ's arms turned its head and stared straight at him.
Jack stared into the bird's intelligent eyes before realizing it could see him.
"Wait, what?"
Katherine's original name was based on the Tamil word கேத்தரின் or Kāthrīṉ