(A/N) Sorry for the delay!
Jack locked eyes with the snow goose, an apprehensive look on his face, "You can see me?"
Kailash blinked at him, then turned his head away, ignoring him.
A vein of anger appeared on Jack's forehead at the bird's dismissive nature, "Oh, so you're going to play dumb, huh?"
Kāthrīṉ, unaware of the interaction, took Kailash into her arms, "I will take Kailash to his chamber."
The high priest blew out the lamp, "Sleep well, Kāthrīṉ. We will continue your sibyl training tomorrow."
Jack was left alone in the darkened room with the late-night silence and the burning embers of the room's brazier.
So, if these are Katherine's memories before she was a Guardian, why am I here? Jack frowned in the direction Kāthrīṉ had exited with Kailash. And what's with the goose? I thought Pitch said he could only absorb malice. Did the priest say foresight?
He groaned and roughed up his hair in frustration, "Agh! What's going on?"
A faint silvery light poured in from the window. This drew his attention, and he frowned.
"Still playing around with me?" he spoke half-jokingly at the moon, "But I guess you always did have a point to whatever you do, huh."
As usual, he received no answer.
Jack chuckled, waving a hand to try and harness his winter powers.
None...
"You never let it be easy, big man, but I'll bite," he clenched his fist, his eyes hardened in resolution, "I'll get her back. No matter what it takes."
"You can't keep ignoring me, you know!"
Kailash seemed to think otherwise.
"Why are you so grumpy, Kailash?" the sound of Kāthrīṉ cooing at the goose had Jack pouting out of jealousy.
The goose honked and nuzzled his caretaker fondly.
Unseen to her, Jack was leaning closer, his childish pout still present but apparent yearning as he watched every expression and action she made.
This earned him a snort of amusement from Kailash.
Jack shot a playful glare back at him, "What are you looking at?"
No response.
"Why, you little..."
Kailash snapped his head up in alarm.
Jack was instantly on guard. Even as a powerless spirit in this memory... time travel... whatever this was, he was not planning to just idly sit by.
Kāthrīṉ picked up on Kailash's behaviors and shot to her feet, searching around for any obvious threats, "What is it?"
Kailash raised his head to the sky, letting out a dismal warning cry.
Jack felt the familiar sensation of goosebumps rising along his arms as the surrounding area fell eerily silent. No birds or beasts made a sound. The air was still. Even the blood-red sunset on the horizon made more noise than the quiet Earth around them.
Then, the rumbling began.
Soft at first, then building to a roar as the ground trembled under their feet.
Kāthrīṉ shrieked as she was thrown off her feet.
Jack instinctively tried to catch her, but she passed through his arms. He let out a pained gasp at the sensation and fell to his knees, watching helplessly as Kāthrīṉ hid her head in her arms and lay in a fetal position on the ground.
Kailash spread his wings over her to protect her and remained solid by her side until the earthquake ended.
Kāthrīṉ coughed, sitting up to survey the damage, "What's going on?"
Jack checked his surroundings, and to his relief, there wasn't any significant damage. There were a few uprooted trees and broken rocks here and there, but nothing to worry about. He let out a sigh.
That could have been...
He stopped that thought before he could even finish thinking about it. He'd been jinxed by the leprechaun enough times to learn some caution. Wait, if this scenario he was in predated the leprechaun, does jinxing even exist?
Kāthrīṉ shakily rose to her feet, "I must... The village... Is everyone okay? High Priest!" she took off in a run.
Kailash honked in alarm, racing after her.
Jack's eyes widened...
"No... KATHERINE! STOP!"
She couldn't hear him; even if she did, she probably wouldn't have listened. She ran through the damaged village, her feet carrying her straight towards the temple.
Kāthrīṉ raced up the steps of the ziggurat, deaf to the alarmed cries of Kailash warning her and everyone else of the continuing danger, "High Priest!" she entered the shrine at the top, "High Priest!"
The old man lay on the floor, groaning in bruised pain, "Kāthrīṉ! What are you doing here?"
Kāthrīṉ knelt by her mentor's side, "Are you hurt?"
The priest grabbed her arm, "Kāthrīṉ! What have I told you? Listen to Kailash's warnings!"
A thunderous roar filled the air as the main force of the earthquake hit.
Jack stood in shock amid the devastation. Torn earth, destroyed and burning homes, uprooted trees, and death lay all around him. He couldn't see any survivors.
Even the ziggurat that once stood solid and tall was leveled in the face of nature's cruel whims.
He wanted to scream and curse. He tried to blame someone but couldn't even if he tried. This was sheer chance. Not even Mother Nature could change it. She wasn't even chosen yet.
Katherine was the first.
Jack gasped on remembering Pitch's words, "Katherine!"
A low honk answered him, and he ran over to a heavily injured Kailash. Kāthrīṉ's limp body lay next to him.
Jack slid up to them, trembling hands hovering over Kāthrīṉ's body, "No!" tears formed in his eyes, "Katherine!"
He picked her up in his arms and held her to his chest, screaming at the night sky in anguish. The pain and loss he felt in that moment overwhelmed him.
She coughed weakly, "Ka-Kail-" her breathing came out in a painful hiss as her eyes cracked open, "Wh-who-?"
Jack didn't know what sick game was being played: why he could only touch her now, why she could see him, why he had to see this living hell, but he wasn't going to waste his chance.
"Katherine... Kāthrīṉ it's me! Jack!"
Kāthrīṉ frowned in confusion, "J-Jek?"
Jack grabbed her hand, holding it to his cheek as tears poured down his face, "Stay with me! Stay with me, okay?" he fumbled for methods to keep her from falling asleep forever, "You like stories?"
Kāthrīṉ's eyes lit up, "I-ye-" she coughed.
Jack whipped his head around, spotting Kāthrīṉ's picture tablet. He snatched it up and pressed it into her hands.
"Ever heard of Mother Goose?" in hurried desperation, he chose the first thing that came to mind, "Once upon a time... there was a... girl... She was beautiful and strong. The kindest person you'd ever meet..."
Kāthrīṉ smiled, letting her tired eyes rest as she listened to the hodge-podge of adventures Jack was telling her. It seemed to open a whole new world she'd never known before. It warmed her spirit and chased away the fear in her heart. One day, she hoped she could share this story with the children.
She knew they'd love it. Maybe change the name. Mother Goose sounded silly to her.
Her eyes flickered shut, but her lips held a contented smile.
Jack knew Kāthrīṉ had long passed, but he kept telling the story. Even when the moon rose, he kept talking. The bitterness that had been present had faded as he felt gratitude for his ability to share this precious moment with the girl he loved.
Kailash looked on in silence, his intelligent eyes soft as his own life slowly slipped away. His inability to safeguard his ward was bitter, but he held no regrets.
Jack finally ended his story, unable to continue but unable to end it. There wasn't any ending he'd accept yet.
"Does she have to suffer like this?" he asked no one in particular.
Kailash groaned, laying his head on Kāthrīṉ's stomach.
"If she knew about the pain she'd have to deal with, would she want to be chosen?" Jack stared up at the moon, pondering his questions in his heart, "Would she choose to meet me?"
Kailash gently pecked Jack's hand, staggering to his feet and glaring at the winter spirit.
Jack chuckled dryly, flicking the goose's beak playfully, "I'm leaving it all to you, old man. Watch over her for me."
Kailash snorted at him, raising his head towards the moon and spreading his wings.
It was the last cry he'd make in this life, but he knew there was still a future to fight for.