(A/N: I am now reaching the stage where I may not be able to update regularly, running out of ideas and such, and other stories to finish. Here's all I got on this fanfic for now.

I don't need to remind you that I don't own ROTG/GOC, do I?)

Katherine and Ombric

A young lady walked around Big Root, looking for her caretaker to ask him about one of the spells he had in his books. She also wanted him to look at some of the sketches she had made, but as busy as he was with fighting off the Fearlings and Nightmare Men coming to Earth, she wasn't so sure he should see them.

"Ombric?" Katherine asked, knocking on his door. "Ombric, are you in there?"

No answer. Just light breathing.

She turned the knob, surprised to see that it was open, and slowly moved the door so that she could see more of his room.

The first thing she saw was that it was littered with paper. Paper and parchment, all containing spells to ward off the dark monsters. She couldn't understand most of the languages they were in, but it was enough to make Katherine realize that he was working hard to keep their little haven, Santoff Claussen, safe, along with all the people that lived there.

The wizard himself was dozing off underneath the papers, the larger ones pulled on him like a blanket. He wasn't in his usual globe-perch, and so the owls hooted for Katherine to put him there, where he could sleep more comfortably.

She pushed the papers off of Ombric, and carried him, straining at first, but then realized that he was lighter and she soon put him on his perch with a little more ease than the few months ago. The panels of the globe closed, with each owl giving a hoot. Ombric was still sound asleep by the time the last panel closed.

She sighed and began to pick up the papers on the floor, clearing them away, and putting the books back on their shelves.

Didn't Ombric realize how much his age was getting to him?

This time, Katherine and Ombric knew about the threat to their planet. They knew that everything was falling apart, and that the people of Santoff Claussen would be completely helpless the moment Ombric passed away because Katherine didn't have access to enough spells, and they would be suffering long before she knew enough.

If only they had more time…

The children of Santoff Claussen needed a few stories and rhymes to light up their worlds and bring a smile to their small faces. They needed the time to stay a child when they were children.

Katherine was supposed to be a guardian, singing and talking with the children and giving them her drawings and fantastical tales and whimsical melodies.

Ombric was supposed to be a guardian, teaching children and giving them tricks to lighten their hearts and stop time for them.

Instead they were here, fighting a war.