Behind the door was a unique structure that was difficult to describe. It appeared to be a giant treehouse library with endless books all around that reached the enormous roof. It looked built amongst the branches and trunks of six vast sycamores. The thick, elegant limbs serve as paths and stairways upon which one may walk from floor to floor or simply sit and daydream amid the treetops that enfold this place like giant leafy umbrellas.
"Everyone, welcome to the Ganderly," Katherine proudly announced.
Sage sniffed the area, feeling massive feelings of magic and warmth move through the leaves and limbs.
"This place is filled with hope, love, dreams, and fun," Sage said calmly.
"Thank you, Sage. It's supposed to have and run in positive magic," Katherine smiled fortunately.
"Whoa. This place is beautiful. And I thought the Golden Goose Bookstore was huge," Lea muttered in awe. "It's like being in a palace treehouse."
"Technically, the Ganderly is neither a palace nor a castle. It's more of a treehouse estate," The Guardian of Imagination corrected, already entering inside from behind. "Kailash and I, along with some help from MiM and Father Time, built it a hundred years back."
Blitzwolfer and Alien X glanced around. "So where is Kailash?" Blitzwolfer asked.
"She should be around here somewhere. The Ganderly is nearly bigger on the inside than out," Katherine replied, already locking the door they just entered.
"Why does that sound familiar?" Macy remarked, sitting down on something white and fluffy.
Sage then noticed what Macy was sitting on and snarled, snatching her wrist in his teeth and pulling her plus Lea behind him before growling defensively.
"Ow! Sage! What was that for!?" Macy nearly yelled, feeling her slightly bit wrist.
"Yeah, it's just a piece of furniture," Lea said, only to see it lightly move and make a tiny honk sound. "Uh, Kate?! Something is up with your chair!"
Katherine turned her head to see what Lea was talking about and just smirked, trying not to laugh. "That is not a chair."
On cue, the big white 'chair' stood up to be a giant pure white goose with a yellow-orange beak, orange webbed feet, and black pupil eyes.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH! GIANT GOOSE!" Lea exclaimed, pointing at the big feathered creature.
Sage growled, giving a defensive bark. Blitzwolfer and Wildmutt joined him, growling defensively on either side of the girls.
"It's okay, everyone. You just woke Kailash up from her nap," Katherine calmly said, trying to prevent a panic.
"That's Kailash?!" Lea replied in disbelief.
"Well, I guess that's why she's called Mother Goose. She literally has one," Macy shrugged, rubbing her wrist.
Chuckling, Katherine walked over to the Giant Goose, whom lowered her head and let out a happy honk in seeing the auburn-haired girl once more.
"Kailash is very sweet yet protective around me. She is one of the last few Great Snow Geese of the Himalayas," Katherine explained, petting on the goose's feathers. "During my travels, I found her as a hatchling when her parents died in an avalanche. Once she hatched, Kailash imprinted me as her mother and I raised her ever since."
Sage growled defensively, still unsure about this latest development.
"It's okay, Kailash. They're with me," Katherine assured the Giant Goose.
Just then, Kailash saw Macy holding her slight bitten wrist and slowly moved closer. It honked in concern.
Lea, although keeping distance, noticed Kailash looking at Macy and thought back on what Katherine said.
"Macy, I think she wants you to touch her feathers," Lea replied, not leaving her eyes on the Giant White Bird.
Despite being a little unsure, Macy reluctantly reached her arm with the injured wrist towards Kailash and touched her head, resulting a duck-like purr. Macy couldn't help but laugh on the duck's reaction. While doing that, magic sparkles appeared around Kailash and then on Macy's wrist that slowly healed completely.
"Wow..." Macy muttered, taking her hand back to see her wrist better. "She healed me."
"Told you. Kailash has a special healing ability that I discovered on my past adventures," Katherine replied.
Sage huffed. "So how is your friend supposed to help us?"
"Well, for starters, Kailash will be our transportation in traveling for some of us who can't fly," Katherine reasoned, already moving to another door. "And in order to find the root of the problem, we're going to need a special tool of mine."
"I'm guessing we should follow?" Lea asked.
"That won't be necessary. It's like a maze in here that get people lost and we don't have time for a grand tour. You can all stay here with Kailash and take a look around this quarter section of the Ganderly. However, I do believe that Sage wanted some alone time with me to chat. So, you may come along, if you wish," Katherine offered, waiting for the Wolfblood.
Sage nodded, following Katherine into the hall, finding books stacked on books stacked on books.
"You be surprised on how many dimensional stories there are," Katherine spoke up, seeing the Wolfblood eyeing around the stacked books. "Some I've personally seen and others just through here or the bookstore. In fact, practically all of these adventures sound like fanfiction tales that people would write about involving their own characters."
Sage nodded. "So, you're the Guardian of Imagination," he stated.
"Yes, Sage. I am the Guardian of Imagination," Katherine assured, going up the limbs with Sage following. "It is my job to keep children's beliefs in imagination alive. I even helped Lea out in times she didn't notice."
"You write the stories from the other dimensions," Sage specified, leaping up the limbs.
"And told them. You see, on the day of Jack's anniversary, Lea started to feel upset when she had no idea where to find Jack Frost to personally give him the handmade gift. So, to help, I secretly gave those two a little nudge on crossing paths with each other by writing a note for each of them to meet at the same location point," Katherine explained, smiling at the memory. "Once that happened, their story unfolded from there."
"So, you've seen other sad tales. Like a hero losing her uncle to an invading alien species, or a shifter being treated like a slave," Sage said, anger in his tone as his hackles rose a little.
Katherine sighed, already making a right to the next hall while knowing where Sage was going with this. "Unfortunately. Some actually way worse than yours and Macy's. But I had no control over any of them. Believe me, there were times that I wanted to rewrite history in preventing those tragic events. But Father Time reminded me that changing the past would only make things worse in the present and future. The best we could do is learn from our horrible pasts and become better than before. They're what make us who we are, and our chapters still live on into something greater."
"Make us who we are?!" Sage snarled. "Macy blamed herself for years on what happened to her uncle!"
"And who helped remind her that it wasn't her fault?" Katherine questioned gently. "If her uncle didn't do what he did, Macy would have been the one who died, instead. Jack Bishop gave up his life so Macy can do great things. So she can become a better heroine and discover love."
"Why does anyone have to die?! No one should have to die!" Sage growled in pain and sadness.
"Sage, everyone dies. Death is something that just happens and beyond anyone's control," Katherine continued reasoning. "It's why I write the stories of those who make incredible marks of importance. To inspire future children. Man in Moon chose Guardians like me, Jack Frost, North, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy in becoming immortal to make sure that the spark of belief doesn't die with fear and unhappiness. And trust me, immortality can have its ups and downs."
Sage growled. "But no one deserves to deal with that kind of pain."
"Which is why we shouldn't let it take over," Katherine made it to a door on her left and opened it to find a gorgeous structured bedroom. "Grief. Loneliness. Mournful. These are things we feel when losing someone most dear to us. Feelings that are like a dark poison to not just the mind, but also the heart. It can consume us until there is no hope left. Sometimes, it can change us into something awful. But even the darkest of times must have its own light to help us get through. All it takes is one little spark and the inky, blackness of despair forming inside us goes away. So long as we have the right people who are still around in the present; comforting us and reminding ourselves what's important."
"So how do we deal with this?" Sage asked stiffly.
"By not focusing on the bad that's already happened or probably will. And, instead, live what is good now and hope that they continue like this while they last," Katherine answered, going to a dresser desk to find something.
Sage sighed. "So, any thoughts on whose behind this?"
"All I know is that Pitch is getting help from someone, but I don't exactly know who, how, or why," Katherine answered, still looking around the desk by picking up plus putting back a hair brush, quills, ink bottle, and hand-held mirror. "After his last defeat with the Guardians and being pulled back into the darkness by his own Nightmare Horse creations, the gateway to Lea's world closed and trapped the Boogie Man in an endless dark dimension as his prison until he found a way out, sometime later. But not back to this dimension. He ended up in your world for several months. With the bridge back to his world still closed for him and a bit weakened from his last battle, Pitch decided to make do in where he was and tried to get his strength back."
"Not an easy task with the heroes in my world either...Hmmm, I wonder?" Sage said, as a thought came to mind.
"What are you think, Sage?" Katherine asked, stopping to look at him.
"Well...there is a story that I was told that Mother Nature had two sons. One of heat and one of ice...and, well, they don't exactly agree with humanity...so unless they're just a story..." Sage said, as he thought of the tale.
"...'The Year Without a Santa Claus'," Katherine said, stiffening a little on mentioning one of the characters Sage described. "That's what it was called. Along with the second book, 'A Miser Brothers Christmas'. I haven't read nor wrote about them in ages. The ice being you described is named Snow Miser while the one with heat is Heat Miser. Although those two do have access in coming to this dimension while still live in their own world, why would they work for Pitch? They don't seem to be around the antagonist list. I mean, true, they have their disagreements with each other like any incompatible brothers. But nothing that drastic to make children lose their belief in Santa nor any Guardian."
Sage shrugged his shoulders. "From what I recall, it doesn't take much to get one or the other worked up. Maybe they were tricked or something made them ticked off. I don't know, I just know that their kind of power is what we're facing now."
"You mean bitter cold climates and heating rage or sadness? Perhaps. But we can't assume things until we're completely sure," Katherine pointed out, checking the other side of the desk drawer and finally found what she was looking for. "Ah! There it is!"
Sage stepped over for a closer look. "What's that?"
Katherine smiled and picked up a beautiful golden detailed compass in her right hand. "Something to help us find the Guardians."
The compass was a round device and weighty like a clock. It only appeared to have one hand and no numbers with a single letter N on the very tip.
Sage stared at it, curiously sniffing the edge before following Katherine out of the room.