"There is no place on Earth where the light is as bright and clear as in the Himalayan Mountains!" Ombric said cheerfully as they landed on the tallest tower of the Lamadary before they were escorted towards the courtyard. "No other place is as close to the Moon. why, we're on the highest spot in the world!"
Katherine and North could not help but gawk and marvel at the Lapis Lazuli and Opal mosaics that managed to retain the cool and serene feeling of moonlight, even in the morning sun. To Katherine, it was as if she had just walked into a castle straight out of a fairy tale, what with the pristine condition of everything around them.
Pitch had gone off with Sandy the moment they had landed, escorted somewhere else by the moonbeam that accompanied him. The little girl wondered where they went. Where the boy of light had gone off to. With a small frown she pulled out the dagger that had protected her- the dagger he had created for her - its crystal gleaming and shimmering under the light of the sanctuary.
Bells and gongs began to ring from all around the temple that sat at the centre of the Lamadary. Large ornate doors opened to reveal a courtyard with a giant gong, up in the roofline were thousands of silver bells that chimed with the slightest wisps of wind. She could swear she heard laughter in a passing breeze that sent another chorus of bells ringing. She couldn't stop staring at the roofline because of it, and in truth, she was in too much awe to even notice where they were heading until she had accidentally bumped right into North.
North let out a soft chuckle, making sure Katherine was alright. Rubbing at her nose, Katherine nodded a confirmation to the ex-cossack's quiet inquiry as she stood in between the two wizards. "What do you suppose we'll be given?" she asked.
"I hope it's food." North joked, huffing in amusement. "Ombric has already eaten everything in sight. Am afraid he will start chewing on coat." Katherine giggled at this, making Ombric harumph slightly in a playful manner before shushing the both of them as they entered.
There, by the large gong, stood the entire brotherhood of the Lamas, all stood at attention, as was an honour guard of the giant hairy warriors- Ombric had told her they were abominable snowmen called yeti. The yeti were all fascinated by Katherine, as were many of the other denizens of the Lamadary, specifically the large silver wing tipped geese they had rode on. The Great Himalayan Snow Geese, one of the Lamas had told her.
The trio were then ushered towards the centre of the courtyard where the giant gong stood tall. The reindeers grazed by the side next to the geese, raising their antlers in salute as they walked, Katherine could barely keep her eyes off of the beautiful gong though. Her eyes scanned every inch of the gong for the boy who had saved them all that night.
Her eyes finally found an image of the spectral boy, standing proud in between two people and in his arms a bundle with a baby. She smiled, being reminded of a happy family upon seeing the proud and happy smiles each of their faces held. For a brief moment she wondered where they were- the astral boy, Pitch, and Sandy. But the ceremony began without them around.
Or so they thought as Pitch practically materialised within the shadows of the gong and Sandy floated down in a drowsy state. The Grand High Lama, who looked exactly like all the other Lamas except for the gilded sceptre he carried, stepped forward and struck the great gong. It made the most melodious sound they had ever heard in their entire life as a serene sense filled them all.
As it rang, the gong began to turn from solid metal to a clear, glasslike substance, and through its milky translucence, they could see the moon. Excited murmurs filled the air as the gong's reverberations quieted and the moon seemed to swell in size.
In an instant, the Lunar Lamas were all on their knees, kneeling down in reverence. Sandy smiled wider, planting his feet on the ground and puffing out his chest in pride while Pitch attempted to hide but did not disappear or leave. Soon, a face formed from the craters before clearing to see the view of some kind of astronomy room.
There were quiet murmurs that could be heard every now and again. A mouse appeared in the communication device, squeaking something to someone in urgency. Then they heard a voice, calm and velvety- almost musical.
"Oh, dearie me!" it spoke up, there was a shuffling as something moved to face the screen. "Greetings, my valiant friends." they were now faced with the kindest, gentlest face imaginable. A man in a white and golden suit with a red bowtie and one singular pale golden strand of curling hair above his head. "Forgive me, I was tending to the moonbeams who had returned home from the battle and lost track of time." he chuckled softly, a flush growing on his cheeks.
"Tsar Lunar…" Ombric had gasped, his eyes wide as he caught Katherine's elbow. The girl, too, was surprised and so was North, but he refused to show it on his face.
Ombric, North, and Katherine all fumbled for a moment before giving awkward bows, unsure what to say. Thankfully they didn't have to say anything as Sandy shot up in front of the mirror, waving his hands in the air to grab the attention of the man in the moon just before symbols started flying every which way.
The Lunar Lamas were dumbfounded at the openness in which the dreamweaver displayed while speaking with the man in the moon, as if they were old friends! The Tsar blinked a couple of times before a smile broke out across his face. "Why, of course, Sanderson. I have been watching this entire time, and I know of your cooperation with Pitch." said shade stiffened at that and tried to hide more in the shadows. "In fact, I believe it is a wonderful thing that is happening. The shift was quite great but I believe it is for the best."
Sandy nodded silently for a while, before rushing off to the side for a brief moment. There was a hushed one sided argument before a grumbling Pitch was pushed towards the focal point where he would be seen. He averted his gaze entirely, his eyes holding deep regret.
"Pitch Black." the Tsar greeted, his smile growing on his face.
"Tsar Lunar…" Pitch greeted back, albeit a bit quietly.
"It is good to finally meet you," the man in the moon started, a gleam of true joy in his eyes. "It saddened me for the longest time that I could not remember you as the man you once were. My father praised you to Lumaria's sun and back within his logs, you know-" the squeaking of a mouse interrupted his excited chatter, making the man frown.
"Must I?" A squeak. "Can I not just speak with them?" another two squeaks before a disappointed sigh escaped the man in the mirror. "Oh, very well. There is a ceremony to be had, as much as I'd like nothing more than to speak with you more." Pitch and Sandy nodded, returning to their previous positions by the gong.
There was a squeak of another mouse off to the man's side to which he nodded to. "Oh, yes, yes, of course!" With a gentle clearing of his throat, the man turned his gaze back to the guests of the Lamadary, the warriors that fought off the darkness that night. "You have faced the greatest evil of any age, and yet you never wavered. Each of you was willing to sacrifice everything for this cause. Such bravery. Such skill. Such wisdom you each have shown! For that, on behalf of the entire planet, you have my deepest thanks."
His smile grew solemn in an instant. "But I am afraid this fight is far from over." this made everyone uneasy as they looked at each other. "Pitch may no longer be a threat, but the fearlings are still at large and will not stop until they have devoured everything they can. Can you- will you- continue the fight?"
The trio looked at each other for a moment, but they already knew what their answers would be. North was the first to move, stepping forward and unsheathed his blade to attention. Ombric followed, his staff by his side as he stood as tall as he could. Katherine, too, stepped forward, her new dagger raised and her gaze set in determination.
The man in the moon smiled down at them, a smile so warm that it made anyone who saw it feel as though all would be well, no matter the trials ahead. He nodded after a while, his gaze shifting over to the stout golden man. "Then you will need as much help as you can receive. Time is shifting and the future shall be in your hands."
At that, the Grand High Lama pulled from his robe an ancient weapon and held it out to them. A sword so unusual that North, who thought he'd known (and used) every weapon in creation, stepped forward to take a closer look, taking note of the golden blade with an orb that glowed and on its tip, a crescent moon.
"There are a total of four relics of the Golden Age that have fallen to earth a very long time ago during the last battle that rendered my MoonClipper a mere satellite." Tsar Lunar told them. "These items will help you along your quest. This sword is the first of the relics, my father's sword. A sword capable of many miracles and wonders with its hidden secrets. Who among you shall take it?"
Both North and Katherine thought of Ombric, but before they could say anything, the wizard had already stepped forward. He took the sword from the Grand High Lama and examined it with his usual intensity. He didn't move for a second, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. So it came as a surprise to everyone around when the old wizard threw the sword towards North in one swift movement, thankfully managing to catch it.
"You are my apprentice no more." he said with a warmth North had only heard the old man ever use with Katherine or the other children of the village. "You have learned all the lessons I can teach and have more than earned this."
North was stunned, and for the first time in his life, truly unsure. "Ombric…" he started, shaking his head in disbelief, his voice quiet. "Am not ready or deserving. You waited all your life fo-"
"Ombric's right, North." Katherine interrupted quietly. The ex-cossack looked at her. Truly looked at her and searched her young, brave face. Coming to a realisation that she had always known what was best for him and in a way was even wiser than even Ombric.
Trusting in his friends, North nodded, holding up the sword. He didn't feel a rush of emotions one would associate with such a great honour, but instead was met with a strange calmness that swept over him, a certainty of purpose, and a sense of belonging that he had never known before. It was as if his whole life was laid before him and he knew it would play out just like Katherine's dream.
With determination, North looked up at the Man in the Moon's image who was waiting for his answer with a patient smile. "You have my pledge to use it wisely and well. Now and always." North said.
Streaking down from the highest tower, FrostLight descended behind the group, causing many of the Lunar Lamas to gasp and murmur among themselves as the spectral boy took slow and steady steps through the parting crowd towards the communication device.
All eyes landed on the child of light, especially the Tsar's eyes which had gone as wide as dinner plates as they glossed over with unshed tears. His movements were deliberately slow, taking his time to approach the man in the reflection before stopping only a few feet away, a gentle yet hesitant smile on his face.
Nothing was said for a moment, then the man in the moon started to shed tears and sniffle lightly, fighting hard so as not to completely fall apart in front of so many who viewed him so highly. A gentle hand came up to rest upon the glass that separated them. "Hello, Little Lunanoff." FrostLight said, his own eyes glossing over at the sight of his charge's tears. "It has been a very long time…" the entire courtyard fell silent to watch the following events.
"...too long…" Tsar Lunar nodded, allowing a few more tears to fall.
"Little Lunanoff, please don't cry. You know I…" he trailed off, running a hand over where a tear was flowing in a vain attempt to wipe it away before allowing a shuddering breath to wrack his shoulders. "You know I hate seeing you cry…" he attempted to smile.
"I'm sorry…"
"You have nothing to be sorry about for right now, Little Lunanoff… now wipe those tears before I start to cry, and put on a great big smile!" he said, leaning lightly on his spear, he smiled widely using his fingers to stretch the corners of his lips as high as he could, the Man in the Moon did as he was told with a soft watery chuckle.
"It is wonderful to see you well, my old friend." Tsar Lunar said, gladly accepting the offer of a handkerchief from one of the mice to wipe away any lingering tears.
"And you as well." FrostLight nodded before his smile disappeared. "But I'm afraid our reunion could not have come at a worse time…" his words caused unease to blossom in the hearts of everyone in the courtyard, but yet they still stayed silent and still, wanting to learn more.
"I am afraid that our actions today- during this entire thing- has caused some concerning outcomes for us..." he explained, standing straight and in attention now, determination in his eyes. "I don't know if we'll be able to keep everyone safe... despite our efforts, we can't protect the entire world at once... but if we can get the children of the world to deprive the fearlings of their source of strength with other aspects as they grow older, the more likely they will forget about the darkness brought on by the fearlings!"
Pitch chimed in at that, having caught onto the devious plan the child of light was offering. "Treat them as spirits, and spirits they become... which means..."
"if we manage to take away belief in fearlings, they will no longer be much of a threat!" Said Ombric, catching on as his eyes lit up with hope and wonder.
"Then it is decided. While the journey ahead will be a tedious one, let us strive to decrease the ambient unnatural fear caused by the fearlings by bringing wonder, hopes, and dreams to the people of earth. Let us be the guiding light that banishes fear from the hearts of the people. Let us be the guardians who will protect everyone- just as you have done for me, my dearest Nightlight." Tsar Lunar smiled, as Sandy took his place beside the trio. Katherine's heart was pounding in her chest with excitement at the prospect of helping protect everyone, Ombric's eyes were gleaming with an intense intrigue, and North marvelled at the mere thought of being able to take the very first step of fulfilling his and Katherine's dream so soon.
"My dearest friend, my brother, my Guardian." Tsar Lunar spoke, his voice clear and steady. "You shall have a new duty from now on. So kneel and take this new oath." in an instant, the astral boy knelt, his head held high with his spear straight in front of him to signify his readiness.
"Will you, Nightlight, vow to watch over the children of the world?
To guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams.
For they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."
"I will."
And so, started the order of the Guardians. Sandy was the second to take the oath, followed by North, then Ombric, then Katherine. Truly, it was a day to celebrate.