Nightmare

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The pooka sat in a corner of the room watching every shadow with suspicion. He'd been this way for a while, sternly keeping watch while the winter spirit slept. It had taken a while but Jack had finally manage to fall into a fitful sleep, for which Aster was very grateful.

He could hear North pacing in the next room over, which didn't help with Aster's frayed nerves. There was a soft knock on the door, and Aster perking up at the sound. He was across the room in a matter of seconds, flinging the door open.

Katherine was standing on the other side, sorrowful yet determined. "I'm ready."

Aster cast a glance over his shoulder at the sleeping frost spirit. He was worried about leaving him alone, but if they could find a way to help him…

He knew he should wake Jack up, but he didn't want to. Restless or not, Jack was still resting. And Aster was loath to interrupt him.

He turned back to Katherine and nodded following her silently out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind him.

They collected North and Tooth as they walked, finally coming to a stop in Katherine's personal office.

It was a quaint room, with a large wooden desk pushed flush against the generous window where Aster could see Mim just sinking out of view in the cool morning light.

Aster made his way across the room to lean against the wall by the fireplace. He kept his eyes focused on the window and allowed North to explain what was happening.

"I've never heard of such a thing." Katherine admitted softly, concern shining brightly in her warm eyes.

"Do you think there's anything about it in one of your books?" Tooth asked anxiously.

"It's possible." Kathrine admitted hesitantly, "But if there is I've never come across it before."

"Ve have to try." North boomed, and Aster was, for once, in complete agreement.

"Yes, yes. Of course." Katherine agreed, shaking her head and running a hand through her long hair. ""Come along. If it's anywhere it'll be in the Locked Rooms."

Aster remembered very clearly creating the locks for those particular rooms. They were especially complicated and attuned so that only Katherine could open them.

The woman had gathered together every book and scroll, every scrap of knowledge that the Guardians and Mim deemed too dangerous and squirreled it all away in those impenetrable rooms.

Nervous excitement clenched around his heart as the locking mechanisms whirred to life and they were allowed inside.

If there was an explanation for what Pitch was planning, or even just a way to stop him and help the youngest Guardian, it would be in these rooms.

The air here was musty from disuse, and a dark film seemed to hang in the air. It was enough to get Aster's hackles to rise.

. North had placed a spell over the rooms when they were first created so that if the door were to close it could not be opened from the inside. It was a safeguard they put in place should someone with ill intent happened to weasel their way passed the locks.

They very deliberately left the door so it remained open as they walked among the bookshelves

They split up to search through the hidden tomes and it was about an hour before anyone spoke.

"I think I've found something." Tooth called from the front of the room. She was searching through the books a couple of feet in from the door.

The rest of the group wandered back over and Tooth handed a black tome with silver lettering scripted across the thick leather binding over to their book keeper.

Katherine held the book tentatively a strange look on her face, "I've never seen one before." She told them glancing up, confusion crinkling the skin between her brows. "This book was not here before."

Aster's heart sank as she opened the book. A heavy sort of anticipation hanging over the Guardians as they awaited news.

Katherine didn't need to read like everyone else. The books' spoke to her, whispering their tales directly into her mind. In a matter of seconds all color in her face drained away leaving her as pale as Jack.

Her eyes flickered over them, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Aster's instincts were screaming at him to 'Protect!' He quashed it down as he listened to her start her explanation.

"Pitch-he-I…" The girl took a deep breath to collect her thoughts and tried again. "Nightlight is indeed gone." She said at last, her face tipped down and her chestnut bangs hiding her eyes, but not the tears that dripped off he chin onto the pages of the book. "Pitch has found a way to corrupt a Guardian. He has stolen Nightlight's diamond dagger. He's twisted it to such an extent that when he uses it-when he kills-" She broke off again, the truth so horrifying she couldn't bear to speak it aloud.

Aster didn't want her to finish, didn't want to know, but she gathered herself again and finished her telling, "By using it on Jack's first Believers he is tearing Jack's soul apart."

That explained why the kid was loosing control of his magic. Jack's magic was tied directly into his soul, by ripping into Jack's very being this way Pitch could very effectively wrest control from Jack's hands.

"What's going to happen to Jack?" Tooth asked, fear leaking into her voice. "And can Pitch do this to all of us?"

"This is very limited magic, it can only be done if the Guardian has a smaller pool of Believers. You four are safe simply because there are just too many children who believe in you, but Jack…" Katherine looked away when she gave them their answer, "It will either destroy him, tearing him apart from the inside out as his magic turns on him. Or…" She took a shuddering breath, "Or it will drive him insane and Pitch will…Pitch will put him back together in the form of his Nightmare Prince."

"No!"

Aster jerked around at the screech, wide green eyes landing on the pale boy standing in the doorway. Katherine shrieked, dropping the horrible book to the floor as she too spun around.

How long had the larkin been standin' there? How had no one noticed he was behind them? Aster glanced quickly at North, who locked eyes with him for a split second sharing his bafflement and alarm.

Katherine stared at Jack in horror for a long moment before looking away, guilt and shame clear on her face.

Before anyone could say anything, Jack was gone, fleeing deeper into the library leaving a starburst of ice blocking their escape.

AN: Okay, so a quick little note for anyone interested in reading it. I'm terribly sorry for the late update. The story is finished and all typed up. So it will be posted, but I do want to explain why it takes me so long sometimes.

I have PTSD and a Severe panic disorder. It's gotten so bad that I can't actually hold a job. Panic attacks make writing very difficult, so I'm really sorry for the long wait that are sometimes found in my stories. I'll try to do better and post the next chapter next week.

Please review and let me know what you think. I always love hearing all your theory's.

Foxy