"What were you thinking letting him talk you into coming in here? And I know it was his idea! The moment that monkey tried to stop you, you were supposed to stop!" Pitch yells angrily. And I have to admit, I'm a little freaked out. He's never been mad at me before. I had been hoping to keep it that way but my curiosity is bigger than my sense of good and bad things to do as you explore an underground palace. Still, holy hell. Not that the monkey is helping. He's just glowering at me from Pitch's shoulders, all put out because I ignored him.

"I...I'm sorry. I couldn't help it, I wanted to know." He frowns, not pleased with my answer. I flinch slightly, more towards Jack, who's protectively at my side. "It won't happen again Pitch." I add when his mood only darkens.

"There is nothing else I wished to keep from you in my home but this! Go wherever you want Katie, everything is yours! But this was the one place you should have stayed out of and you blatantly ignored my warning and sought it out." He actually sounds hurt for a moment, like I've betrayed him.

"Hey, you can play the victim but I'm more curious as to why we were supposed to stay away. And why the fuck do you have this here anyways?" Jack demands, breaking into the conversation. Pitch is not pleased with Jack even being here, so I'm not surprised when the worst glare I've ever seen gets aimed at the winter spirit. I step between the two of them just before Pitch can start yelling and give him a look I hope conveys seriousness.

"What is this Pitch?" I ask pleadingly. He looks desperate for the topic to go away, but he seems to know I'm not going to drop it. And I have Jack on my side to keep the conversation from dying. They say curiosity kills cats, but I don't see any cats and I want fucking answers before I can be brushed off. "I swear if you don't tell me I'll go back to that house." He flinches and reaches out like to stop me from going, but then his hands fall back limp to his side. He glances at the bright orb still floating in the middle of the room and a long regretful sigh leaves his lips.

"It's a star." He admits in the most defeated voice I've ever heard. I glance at Jack, but his face is giving nothing away. He just keeps staring intently and fiercely at Pitch. I gesture for the Nightmare King to continue. Another one of those heart wrenching sighs fills the room before he summons a throne to sit on, like he's in story telling mode. "Stars are not just bright dots in the sky Katie. They have some of the most important functions, they hold the souls of immortals. Every immortal who ever has lived, is living, or will live has a star. It's what keeps them alive. The star I managed to capture after nearly a year of trying holds the soul of some long forgotten immortal who I believed influenced the taste of gravel for the nymphs." He makes a lazy gesture towards the sphere like he's not interested in what exactly the immortal did. Though I think that's probably the most important part.

"Okay so you captured a star of some nymph chef. What does that have to do with me?" I ask when Pitch looks like he's stalled.

"Well...stars...they eventually fade. Twinkle out. This one is only an impudent fraction of the brightness of some new stars. The, as you said it, nymph chef, has lived long long years. And will soon disappear. And a new star will be born in it's place. And..." He fades off but by now Jack seems to have picked up on the direction of the conversation.

"You're trying to guarantee it will be her!" He sounds shocked, but also slightly impressed. I give him a 'what the hell are you talking about' face and he collects himself. "Usually the Man in the Moon chooses who becomes immortal. But sometimes forces greater than him take control and decide who it'll be. By bringing this dying star here, surrounding it by other immortals and one mortal, he's basically ensuring that when the star goes out, it's energy will be attracted to you and make you immortal." My head hurts.

"Precisely. It was the only way I could think of, besides the other three that I refused to even acknowledge, that would keep her with...keep her alive. Forever." Pitch now sounds excited that Jack understands. I'm still rubbing my head.

"It's still a long shot though. I mean more than likely MiM will interfere. He does that." Jack points out. Pitch frowns.

"It will work. It has to." Jack borrows my confused look for a moment, then glances at me. He looks back at Pitch and motions to the door.

"Let's talk outside for a second." It's not a request. Pitch mutters something, then points the monkey towards me. It's earlier temper tantrum is forgotten as it eagerly jumps to my shoulder, nuzzling up to me. I want to demand to know what they're gonna talk about, but before I can open my mouth they're gone, out the door leaving only a sand throne and a cold breeze. I mutter under my breath before sitting in the chair. The monkey looks at me with concern before settling on my lap. I ponder as I stare at the orb. Most of what was said went right over my head. But the stuff I did catch sounded pretty intense. Stuff about immortals and a Man in the Moon and souls. But as I sit thinking, stuff starts clicking.

This star is old and dying. Pitch said once stars die, new ones take it's place. And Jack was saying something about making sure I'm the new star. Forget all the techie talk, all they needed to say was that Pitch has a plan to make me immortal. But...I'm not really sure how I feel about that. Sure I see the appeal in living forever. But I also see faults. Like watching all my mortal family die and watching empires crumble and death cover the globe over and over. But then there's the perks, like watching new lives and times being born from the ruins of the old. Being able to watch the future become the past. And spending it with cool people like Pitch and Jack.

I stand up again as the door opens. Jack floats in on the breeze, gliding right up next to me. Pitch follows a little slower, but looking more relaxed than when he left. I want to ask what the hell they were talking about, but I still feel like my mind is still bogged down from the whole immortal idea and I shouldn't think of anything else.

"Were you even going to ask me? If I wanted to be immortal?" I can't believe it's the first thing I can think to ask, but it seems like a decent enough question now that it's out. Pitch looks surprised and stutters a little.

"I...I... I guess I was only concerned about myself. I've been alone for so long Katie. Possessed only with wanting to be believed in, or revenge. Never loving anything, or anyone. It was on a single minded hunt for your sister that I found you. And it was only after I decided to use you against her that I realized how truly special you are. More so than her. And I wanted to use you as a pawn. I've never apologized for that. Nor the way I manipulated your dreams the way I did." He sounds so humble, so absolutely truthfully apologetic that I can't say anything. Jack clears his throat, shattering the little moment.

"Why don't you go back to your room. Take it in, think it over. Whatever you choose, we'll support it. And I'll make sure the Guardians do as well." He suggests. I swallow the lump in my throat.

"Actually I don't want to think it over. I want to be an immortal. And I never want to leave my new home. Ever again."

OOOOO

Carter felt odd. She was experiencing things she'd never felt before. Was it guilt? Probably. She'd heard that guilt was a bitch. But she was also concerned. She believed that was the word for it. She hadn't stopped thinking about Katie. And Jack had left nearly a day ago now to try and find her. They hadn't heard anything. Maybe Pitch killed Jack! And while it wouldn't cause Carter to loose sleep at night, it would make it more obvious that Pitch intended to keep her sister.

And on that subject, she was sure she was feeling fury as well. That was a familiar feeling though. Especially when dealing with her brother. She still couldn't wrap her head around the situation. Pitch had never been one for kidnapping. But she'd never been one for family, and here she was. Pregnant. But something Pitch said was bugging her.

When I kill you again this time, I'll have someone to celebrate your demise with.

He wouldn't be giving Katie back to their parents after Carter was dead. Hell, she'd be surprised if Katie ever set eyes on the people who raised them both. But, she realized with a sharp pain to her chest, Katie might not want to ever see them again. After everything that had happened to her. Throughout her entire life. Always being told she's second best to her sister. Her parents never standing up for her. Not forming emotional attachments because she'd never experienced them before. Not even in her family. Before she knew it, Carter was sobbing.

"Carter?" Tooth flittered around the sobbing girl, concern in her violet eyes. She may not entirely like Carter, but she absolutely hated seeing people cry. Unless they were Pitch Black. But Carter was kind of the opposite of Pitch. Therefore, Tooth didn't want her to cry. She fluttered around before settling next to Carter and putting a motherly arm around her. She waited until Carter was calmed down to ask. "What's wrong? You just suddenly started crying."

"It's all my fault Tooth. Katie would have never been so vulnerable to Pitch if I had...if I had just been her sister." Tooth was at a loss. She'd never known Carter to be so emotional. Or caring. Or feeling in any way, shape, or form.

"Carter, it's not your fault." Though Tooth couldn't be sure of her own words, she had to comfort Carter. She couldn't not.

"Yes it is! Her whole life, I've done nothing but make her miserable and then treat her like shit to get my way. And...the worst part is...I thought I was justified in doing it. Just because I was "the chosen champion fighter of Nightmares" and "Pitch Black's sister" I thought I could get away with the abuse. And, I did. Our parents never said a word. Not once. So I thought I could continue to do it forever." She admitted in a whirl of confession. Tooth was taken aback. She'd never dreamed Carter would be capable of something like that, even if she was the predestined death of Pitch Black. But to a little girl who shared blood with her mortal body? It was astounding.

"Why?" Was all she could bring herself to say.

"I...I was tired of always coming in second. In every battle against Pitch I lost. Every time. And I saw Katie and her beautiful mind and beautiful little face and I got mad. I saw my brother in every bit of her free spirit and easy wit and knowledge and I couldn't take it. So I did everything I could to destroy it. Make her submissive. So much so that I almost drove her to killing herself. I walked in on her one night in a puddle of her own blood. See that drawer there?" She pointed across her sisters room to the special drawer that she'd discovered a few months ago. Tooth nodded, fluttering swiftly to the drawer. She gasped when she opened it.

"She self injures." Tooth spoke the obvious conclusion. In the drawer were three different pocket knives, two razors, a sharp rock, lighters, and box upon box of band-aids and antibiotic cream. And bloody tissues stuffed into almost every other available space.

"That drawer has a lock. So our parents would never find it. But that used to be my dresser so I knew how to get it open. I was going to confront her, but when I realized that the cutting was keeping her from...trying to kill herself, again...I just couldn't. And I wasn't ready to stop my behavior. My shameful behavior. I got everything I wanted. Things just came easy to me. So I let her. I knew my sister was hurting herself and I just let her. I caused her to do it." Tooth was mortified. She couldn't move from where she was in front of the incriminating drawer. She just couldn't believe any of this. How could Carter do this?

"Tooth? Carter?" Bunny appeared in the room, and was immediately startled by the tension and sadness in the air. What was going on? And why was Carter crying? He'd never seen her like this. Completely and totally open and raw. Tooth gestured to the hallway, and Bunny got the idea. She closed the drawer, making sure it locked, then followed Bunny, shutting the door lightly. "What's goin' on?"

"We can't bring Katie back here Bunny." Tooth whispered. Bunny gave her a look like she was absolutely off her rocker. But Tooth was well ready to defend her statement. "Carter is out of control. She drove her mortal sister to self injury and attempted suicide. All because of some superiority complex that is completely unjustified. I really hate to say this, but...maybe Pitch did the right thing. Taking Katie the way he did. He may have saved her from a much worse fate." Bunny was shocked. His mouth moved a couple of times, but nothing came out. He was trying to think of the right thing to say but he just couldn't. This was terrible!

"Tooth, we can't leave 'er with Pitch. We just can't." Tooth looked close to tears.

"I know. But maybe, with one of us." She suggested. Bunny recoiled again. "Just think about it. And as Sandy and North to think about it too. Katie is just a child."

"A teenager."

"No. She's a kid...inside. One who's lost and afraid and hurt and has never had anyone. And that kind of hurt doesn't just go away. We need to help her. And the first way we can is by removing her from this place. The place she nearly died in. The place she's suffered for so long in. Pitch though, has already done that so we move to number two."

"What's number two?" Bunny was almost afraid to ask. But, to his surprise the fairy queen looked just as scared as him.

"I don't know."

OOOOO

And...cliffhanger. I think. But anyway, I'm really very sorry about not updating this sooner. It's my senior year in high school and I have been busy like you wouldn't believe. Freaking trigonometry man. But anyways, I hope this somewhat makes up for it. And once I graduate there will be much an update at many a quicker rate. Until then, I once again apologize.