Chapter Four: An Old Friend
Jack can't hold back a huge laugh as he makes eye contact with her. Finally! He wants to cry out. It sure took you long enough! But he doesn't say this, because as she helps him to his feet, he can see that her eyes are still locked on the Guardians—or rather, one in particular: North.
"It can't be," Bunny murmurs as he stares at her, his arms going limp in disbelief. "It's impossible."
"Katherine?" North utters out, his voice shaken. Jack glances back at the young woman who is at his side, and she bristles at the name.
"I haven't been called that in a long time," she says, her brow crinkling in thought. "These days I am usually called Baba Yaga."
"Oh, Katherine," Tooth says now, fluttering forward close enough to put her hand on the girl's cheek. "Katherine, I can't believe it's you. You're all grown up now. We all thought…"
"You all thought that Pitch had done away with me, I'm sure." Katherine takes a step back, bringing Jack with her, though Jack cannot understand why. How is it that they know her? What is it that they want from her?
"Is it true?" North asks suddenly, and he too steps forward. Katherine takes another step in retreat. "What Pitch – what Pitch said when he took you. Have you become…?"
Katherine chuckles then, and the sound sends chills up Jack's spine. They're good chills, though. Jack enjoys having someone like her on his side. It's what she says next, though, that startles him.
"Yes," she says, and the smile on her face is soft and almost motherly. "I have become his Darkling Princess."
Then Katherine whistles, and through the huge doors charges an enormous goose. Jack starts, because he can't remember Pitch ever saying she had such a… companion—but the goose lowers itself in front of Katherine, and she takes Jack's hand.
"Get on," she commands, urging him forward. "I'll help you up."
Jack obliges her, though more out of a sense of helplessness than anything else. Right now, he's ever-so weak, and he can't escape the Guardians without her. It doesn't mean he trusts this godforsaken bird that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn't be allowed to exist by Mother Nature's standards. (Its size is just—how does that even work?)
Still, though, as Katherine climbs up after him, all of the Guardians rush forward, and all of their voices sound at once: "But what about—" "Wait, we just saw you after so long—" "You can't possibly be on his side—"
Katherine doesn't spare them a second glance as she leans down and whispers into the goose's ear. It stands and exits the workshop without a moment's hesitation, and even Bunnymund can't catch up when it takes to the skies.
Jack laughs again, holding tightly to the back of the goose as they soar, the wind rushing not by them but with them, and Jack grins now that his companion has arrived, too. "This is incredible," he breathes out, and Katherine does not say anything, but the way that she runs a black-gloved hand through her dirty-blond hair tells Jack that she seems a bit flustered.
"Thank you," she mutters at last, but her voice is so small that Jack can barely hear her over the roar of the wind. He shoots her a grin, but she doesn't turn around; he doesn't care.
The ride to Pitch's lair is exhilarating. Jack has only interacted with Katherine twice before: once, when he had first gone with Pitch and she had greeted him rather rudely, before vanishing on the spot; the second time, Pitch had informed Jack that she was their backup, which was followed by a minor introduction before once again she disappeared into the darkness.
Now, Jack feels much closer to her. When he gets the courage, he situates himself so that his back rests against hers. He's afraid—no, terrified that she'll rip away, or spin around and slap him, but she doesn't. She just flinches and does nothing more. So Jack relaxes as he leans against her, and the wind crows next to him.
Jack closes his eyes, the picture of relaxation—and when he opens them again it is because the goose has come to a sudden stop. He yelps, nearly falling over, but Katherine grabs him by the arm and keeps him upright.
"We've arrived," she says, though from the furrow in her brow Jack can tell something is wrong. Jack nods in response, and she helps him down, before she too steps off of the great bird.
"Good girl," Katherine coos to the goose, stroking its head as though it were a dog. "Thank you for your help, Kailash."
The goose lets out a loud squawk, before it turns and it waddles into the large area that Jack knows is especially for it. He raises a brow, before he turns back to Katherine.
"All right," he says, folding his arms across his chest and hoping she's recovered his staff—but that's not important right now. "Tell me what's wrong."
She blinks at him. "What?" she asks, seeming aghast, and for a moment Jack cringes away, for she appears to be almost offended—but she is quick to change her body language, her shoulders sagging. "How did you know?" she murmurs, pulling her black hood over her eyes.
"I may be terrible when it comes to interacting," Jack says, trying to keep his tone upbeat, "but even I can tell what look means 'worried' and what doesn't. So tell me what's wrong."
Katherine gazes at him for a second, just one, as if examining him, before she gestures around them. "Before I left, this place was filled to the brim with activity. Fearlings large and small were gathering, and Pitch was at the heart of it all."
Jack nods, but when she doesn't continue, he prompts, "Aaand…?"
Katherine huffs and crosses her arms. "And," she says, "Pitch promised me that he'd wait for me to return with you. So, the question is…"
Jack understands. His eyes widen and he finishes for her: "Where did he go?"
"Where did they go?" she adds.
And the only answer is the hollow cave echoing their sentiments.
Elsa's Note: ...I'm sorry this small update took forever. OTL I just really wanted to let you guys know that this story is alive!
Experimenting a bit with meshing the books with the movie... So, tell me what you think? Any and all comments are appreciated!