Chapter 7

"Thank you all for coming." North began. "But as you know we have a bit of a problem. As Katherine grows older, and discovers more and more about Pitch she will soon find out whom she really is. Weather on her on, or if Pitch takes a stand and reveals who he is to her."

"Is there no way to stop it?" Toothina asked. She feared the day when Katherine would find out who she truly was. She loved Katherine as a daughter, and in fact treated her like her own. It would break her heart if Katherine left.

"I'm afraid not. For Pitch will not allow us to keep his daughter from him forever." North spoke gravely.

"That's why we called you here today. We need a plan to steer her in the right direction, so that when she does find out she will choose to stay with us and not go into harms way." Jack interrupted.

"Scare her straight." Bunnymund suggested.

"Tell her why her mother left her with us?" Toothina added.

"Or we-" Bunnymund began, but before he could finish a loud ringing came from behind them. It was Sandy trying to get their attention by shaking an elf.

"Oh, sorry mate. Go on." Bunnymund apologized.

Sandy shook his head in frustration, the only bad thing about being the Sandman was the inability to speak. Sandy then pointed his head where he created an image of the moon with his dream sand.

"Ask Manny?" North asked. Sandy furiously nodded his head and turned to the sky roof where the moon was patiently waiting. "Well, Manny. What should we do?"

Suddenly a blinding light filled the room, casting dancing shadows everywhere. But then the light died down and an image of Katherine appeared on the floor in front of them. It showed her growing older, but not by much. Then the crystal that showed when Tsar had chosen a new Guardian arose, and gave the image of the older Katherine.

"Make Katherine a Guardian!" Toothina exclaimed in disbelief. "But why?"

"Will she be ready for that kind of responsibility?" Jack added.

"I think I understand what Manny is trying to tell us. If we make Katherine into a Guardian she would really not have a choice but to be with us. Besides, Pitch despises Guardians and would there for leave her alone." North acknowledged. The moon beam flashed in response as if saying "Yes!"

Sandy gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to the idea, and Bunnymund slowly nodded in agreement. Though he was still not completely sure it would be a good idea.

"But wouldn't that be taking away her free will?" Jack asked. He didn't like the idea too much of forcing Katherine to be someone who she might not want to be.

"It would. But it would probably be for the best." Bunnymund admitted. He didn't like taking away a young girls free will, but something had to be done to keep her from being tainted like Pitch.

"Then it's settled. We will try our best to steer Katherine away from Pitch, and when the time is right we shall make her Guardian!" North beamed. He considered himself like a father to Katherine. It was so exciting to him to see Katherine grow up to be a Guardian, he was so proud already.

Everyone nodded in agreement and instantly departed. They would have liked to stay longer, but they did have work to do. Like Toothina had said once, "We don't all work one night a year you know."

While the Guardians were having there meeting Katherine was engrossed in the book that North had lent her. She was just finishing up the last of the first book where North had officially joined the fight against Pitch Black. Katherine was very surprised at how skinny and furious North used to be. He had a short, hot temper. But the imagination of a thousand children combined.

Katherine was thrilled to finally find out who Ombric was and his story, even though she had read almost every last book about him and his works. She loved that he had taken in the young girl named Katherine the same as her. Katherine was especially fond of the Katherine in the book. She was just like her, abandoned by her parents, and left as an orphan. Though she never had the chance to play with kids the same age as her as often as the other Katherine did.

Katherine was even more enthralled when she got to read about Pitch, and how he had been trapped by Nightlight. She couldn't decide weather or not she liked Pitch or not. He nearly killed Ombric and North, and tried to turn Katherine into his darkling daughter. He even turned turned people into dolls and gave them the most tormenting nightmares. The fearlings scared her a little to know that they were real, but at the same time interesting.

Katherine couldn't wait to see what happened next. It was the best page turner she had ever read in her life! As soon as she finished the first book she instantly picked up the next one. But before she could begin Jack flew into the room, snatching the book up and laying it down on the table.

"You do know there is more to this world than just reading." Jack grinned.

"Yea, yea. I know." Katherine groaned.

"Toothina asked me to fetch you and bring you to her palace. It is her week you know." Jack pointed out as he held out a hand for Katherine.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Katherine exclaimed as she excepted Jacks hand and rushed on out, grabbing her staff as she went. She would need it if she wished to fly on her own.

"Ready?" Jack asked, a playful smile spreading across his face.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Katherine smirked as she took off, leaving Jack in the dust.

"Hey!" Jack laughed as he took off after her. "That's not fair!"

Katherine laughed as she watched Jack catch up with her. She knew the way to Toothina's palace by now, so it didn't matter who was leading the way. Though they always made traveling into a race. Usually jack would win due to his many years of experience, but sometimes Katherine would win by the skin of her teeth.

As Katherine flew slight sprinkles of snow would fall from her pine colored dress. frost slowly inched it's way up the hems of her dress and her corset. Jack thought it to be rather magical, and made her outfit look more stunning than it already was. The way her raven hair danced and glinted in the sun was just captivating. Jack knew then he could never let Pitch take her away, for he loved Katherine way to much to let that happen.

"I win!" Katherine cheered as she landed softly on one of the platforms of Toothina's palace.

"Only because you got a head start." Jack protested.

"Haha, yea that's why." Katherine smirked.

"Ah, there you are Katherine!" Toothina chimed as she flew down to meet the two.

"Sorry I'm late Tooth. I got distracted by my books again." Katherine apologized, putting both her hands behind her back as if she was guilty.

"Thank you Jack for fetching her." Toothina smiled at Jack as she took Katherine by the shoulders.

"No problem, my pleasure." Jack smiled as he leaned against his staff. "Well, i'll be off. I know you have some teaching to do today."

"By Jack!" Both Toothina and Katherine exclaimed as they waved by to Jack. He smiled at them and then took off, leaving a flurry of snow behind as he did.

Katherine and Toothina flew up back to the main platform in her palace where Toothina conducted most of her work. Tiny fairies flew everywhere, getting coins and putting away teeth they had just collected. From time to time a fairy or two would come up and ask Toothina something and she would instruct them on what to do. Katherine always found it a tad overwhelming, but all the same amazing that Toothina could keep up with everything.

"So whats in store for today?" Katherine asked as she propped herself up on her staff.

"Today is something very special. You will be learning how to use the ancient relic!" Toothina revealed as one of the fairies brought the golden box that contained the ruby tooth.

Toothina opened the box and pulled out the tooth with such delicacy you thought the tooth was made of a very fragile glass. She handed it to Katherine who held it with the same delicacy and basked ion the magic she saw emanating from it.

"With this you will be able to recall any memory from any tooth you wish. I use it when anyone is on the verge of giving up on life, when they need to remember what is important in life. That there will be more happy times to come, and that life is really worth it." Toothina explained. "You would be surprised how often I actually have to use it."

Katherine didn't know how to really respond. She had known about the relic, and what it does. But she had never really grasped the thought of how many lives this relic has saved. How many people that Toothina helps, how many lives that she has helped by taking their hand and pulled them away from the point of breaking.

"In fact, there is one right now that needs help. A young girl who doesn't know what good is left in the world. She want's to give up, but she just needs to remember that there is more to life." As Toothina was explaining the situation one of toothina's fairies brought over one of the memory boxes and handed them to me.

"What do I do?" Katherine asked. She wasn't sure how the relic worked.

"Just let the magic do it's work." Toothina answered as she closed Katherine's hand around the relic.

Katherine closed her eyes and let the magic of the relic fill her. She could see the chills memories, all of them. Good and bad. Katherine choose the good ones that would help most and the memory box started to shine bright. Toothina smiled a wide smile. Katherine was actually doing it, she was showing the young girl what was important in life.

When Katherine opened her eyes Toothina gave her a huge bear hug. "You did it!" Toothina exclaimed.

"I did?" Katherine asked as she began to grin.

"Yes! You now know how to work the relic. If you ever find a child who is suffering, you now know how to help them and bring them back into the light." Toothina beamed.

Katherine felt a happy bubbling feeling inside her. A new excitement that she could actually help people who were depressed and needed help. So for the entire day she helped ever person who became sullen and needed a reminder that the world was good and that life was worth living. She had never felt so good. It was sad that soo many people were sad these days, but as long as Toothina and Katherine were there they would be there to help them no matter what and bring them out of the dark and into the light.

By the time Katherine had finished and flown back to the pole by herself she had never been so exhausted. She skipped dinner and instantly plopped down onto her bed, not even bothering to change out of her dress. She wrapped her arms around her pillow and instantly fell asleep.

North checked in on her when she didn't show up for dinner and found her passed out on her bed. He chuckled and pulled the cover over her, kissing her on the head goodnight. He turned the light off and left Katherine to sleep. North found it hard to watch Katherine grow up so fast, just like the Katherine from many years before. Even watching Elaine grow up was hard. But since Katherine was immortal she would stop growing up eventually, and save North the pain of watching her grow old.

But no one even thought for a second how painful it was for Pitch to watch Katherine grow up. He was missing out on Katherine's child hood, he could only watch from a distance as his child grew up without him. But that would all change one day, weather the Guardians wanted it to or not. He would make sure of it.