Chapter 2
Soon after Elaine left North's workshop, leaving behind her new born baby Katherine, North decided to call the other Guardians to break the news. North set down the still sleeping Katherine by the fire as he went to go call the others. He alarmed the yeti's that guests will be coming soon and to make the refreshments while he pulled the alarm and sent out the colorful waves of aurora arboreal across the skies of the world.
It didn't take the Guardians long to assemble. They all hurried over to North's workshop as soon as they could to see what the problem was. The Guardians only assembled when the children of the world where in danger, or if Pitch was making a nuisance of himself. So they were all surprised when they came to find North holding a new born in his arms, slowly rocking it.
"What… is that?" Bunnymund cried as he spotted the baby in North's arms, a look of horror in his face.
"Shh! She's sleeping, don't rouse her. Come, and let us sit by the fire as I try my best to explain our situation at hand." North ushered them all into the sitting room.
The tiny elves served the Guardians and they all sat down to listen to what North had to say about the baby in his arms, there curiosity growing to a breaking point.
"Know, does everyone remember Katherine's granddaughter Elaine? Yes? Well, this is her daughter… Katherine Pitchiner." A look of shock came over everyone's face, even one of Toothina's fairy's fainted onto the floor.
"What? You don't mean that this is… No it can't be!" Toothina had a shocked expression.
"Whoa whoa whoa, you meant to tell us that this is Elaine and Pitch's daughter?" Bunnymund sounded outraged at the thought.
"Yes, this is their daughter." North said as he calmly laid the baby back down on the couch closest to the fire.
"Why is she here" Jack asked, leaning over to get a better look at the baby.
"Ahh, know there's the question of the night. Elaine brought her not even an hour ago, leaving her to live with us. She didn't want Katherine to grow up with Pitch, she was scared that Pitch was going to try and force Katherine to help him spread fear and even worse, blacken her soul forever." North looked down at the baby, and then back to the others to see their response.
Sandy floated over to the baby as well, a worried look on his face. He knew more than the others of the danger at hand. Pitch had lost his entire family before, and though he finally found his daughter, Emily Jane, she had disowned him from her life. Surly Pitch was not about to lose another daughter, and would most likely come after the young girl. Though the others didn't know as much as Sandy did, they did know how much danger Katherine could be in.
"Elaine said to never let Pitch get her, and I will stick to my promise. But I need your help to protect her from Pitch, and to help her grow up safe." North seemed almost to be begging the others to help him.
"As Guardians it is our duty to keep the kids of the world safe, besides, we would do anything to help out Elaine." Toothina picked up Katherine and cradled her in her arms. Everybody crowded around the baby; it had been a long time since anyone had seen a baby. At that moment a bright light filled the room, illuminating everything the light touched. It was the moon, shining in through the skylight in the roof.
"Ah! Manny! I see you have heard the news?" North and the others walked to where they were directly under the skylight so that Tislar Lunar could look down on the baby.
"Yes I have Nicholas, and it deeply troubles me just as it does all of you. Elaine was bright to bring young Katherine to live with you, for Pitch would surly harm her. That is why you must never let Pitch take Katherine away, or let Katherine go away with Pitch. It would only end badly." Tislar said through a moon beam who flashed out the message to the Guardians.
"We will do our best to keep Katherine out of Pitch's hands. We will raise Katherine like she is our own, and will teach her all we have to offer." North said valiantly as the rest shouted in agreement, but not loud enough to rouse Katherine.
"Good, I trust that you will keep our dear Katherine safe and out of harm. So I grant our young Katherine a gift to help her grow up well, and also test her when she is ready. I grant her the gift of magic so that she may learn from all of you, so that she may also one day help protect the children of the world." The moon light shifted to where it was only shining on Katherine. For the first time in a while, Katherine opened her eyes from a very long sleep. She looked a bit dazed at all the bright lights and people surrounding her, but after a moment of blinking and looking in turn at each Guardian she began to laugh. It was a joyful laugh and she reached her arms up out at the moon, trying to grab the moon beams.
Suddenly a blue dazzling dust came floating down from the sky and rained onto Katherine. But as it touched the young baby, it dissolved into her skin. It did not seem to hurt her; she simply giggled and tried to grab at the blue dust. After a moment or two the dust stopped falling and left a sparkle in Katherine's eyes.
"Guardians, take care of Katherine. I will be watching." Tislar Lunar said one last time before he left the skylight. As soon as he was gone Katherine calmed down a little, still a bit tired from her nape. She grabbed North's long white beard and snuggled up in it. North laughed at the baby snuggled up in his beard, but didn't make any effort to try to remove her.
"So I guess this means we will be able to teach her how to work our magic?" Jack asks, snickering a little at the baby snuggled up in North's beard.
"I suppose so, we will have to wait and see until she grows up enough." North replied trying not to move his beard too much so that no hairs would be ripped out.
"I suppose we should let her sleep, she must be tired after a day like this. North, we will be back soon to check in on Katherine." Toothina kissed Katherine on the forehead and flew off into the night back to her palace. Bunnymund, Sandy, and jack did the same. However Jack didn't leave, he stayed and talked with North about what to do as she grows up.
North had the yetis set up a room for Katherine and North put her to bed, kissing her on the forehead goodnight. Katherine refused to let go of Norths beard for a long while, but she soon grew tired and let go taking a few strands of hair with her. North chuckled as he walked out of the room, rubbing his sore beard. After that Jack and North started to discuss what they should do as Katherine grew up, and what they might teach her. So they decided that each Guardian would take turns each week teaching Katherine about their centers and how to use their powers. They would also take a week and have the yetis teach her the basics of her education.
However, as they discussed Katherine's future she was busy dreaming. Or at least she remembered it as a dream. Pitch had been watching the Guardians with his child, and he was livid. He wanted to storm in and take back Katherine at that very moment, but he was bound to Elaine's final words. However, he had to hold his child one more time before he left her to live with the Guardians. So while North and Jack where talking, Pitch snuck into Katherine's room. Katherine woke up as soon as Pitch emerged from the shadows, though just a baby she could sense when someone was there. Pitch strolled over to Katherine's crib and looked down on the child. He felt a sharp jab of pain go threw him as he looked at his daughter, he had already lost one daughter and he didn't want to lose another. He cursed Elaine for taking his daughter away from him, she was a fool for thinking she could ever hide their daughter from him.
Katherine stared back up at Pitch, who's yellow and silver eyes shined in the night. She remembered her face as her fathers and instantly started to smile and tried to grab at him. Pitch smiled and lifted Katherine out of her crib and cradled her close to his chest, Katherine instantly snuggled up into his robes and clung to him. Pitch was reminded of how Emily Jane used to do the same thing as a child; a pang went through him and pushed aside the memory. He didn't want to miss out on Katherine's child hood.
"I promise, even if it's the last thing I do, I will come for you. I will never leave you, Katherine" Pitch whispered into Katherine's ears as he rocked her. Katherine stared up into her father's eyes for the last time in years. Pitch kissed Katherine on the forehead and laid her back in her crib. He couldn't bear to stay any longer, he brushed Katherine's cheek and diapered back into the shadows.
Katherine always remembered seeing Pitch's face, however she only thought it was a dream. She grew up always seeing his face in her dreams, but never knew who it was.