Secrets of Time & Ice

 Summary: When the New  Year is born, the countdown to the awakening of an ancient evil has begun and  secrets that were hidden by time the darkness of the moon is revealed. And the  secret is focused around Katherine and what happened to Jack’s sister after he  died. But how are the two connected? Jack and North are determined to find out.

 Notes: This is my  reasoning behind why Katherine, Nightlight, and Ombric were not present in the  movie AT ALL!! (They weren’t even mentioned!) I will do my best to tie together  the movie and the book series.

 *~Where things are finally Explained~*

 Nicolette  stumbled out of North’s sled with as much dignity as she could muster, but she had  to admit to herself that it was quite difficult. The Sands of Time had no  gravity, so coming to a world with gravity was difficult. While she managed the  best she could, the way North drove merely added to that difficulty. Still, she  had too much pride to start stumbling like a drunk, and so she gathered herself  and stood as tall as her short stature would let her. Luckily, she had the time  to do so for the guardians’ eyes were all on Katherine and Nightlight.  Especially North’s.

 “Katherine.” He breathed, his eyes filled with unfallen  tears. The Mermaids moved out of the way as he stumbled over and fell to his  knees at her side as he stared at her, watched her sleeping face.

 Was this real? Was this real, or this his mind playing a  cruel trick?

 Slowly, he reached out to touch her face, but just as he  neared his hand went through her like a ghost.

 The pain on his face was obvious to everyone and each person  who saw it gained a look of pity and slight confusion.

 “Why…” Tooth started. Nicolette, standing as tall as she  could, walked over to the group and with an expression of slight remorse.

 “She’s an adult now.” She explained. “An adult who grew up  in a day and age where adults can’t believe in you. I’m sorry.” Everyone went  silent as sadness crossed their eyes, except Jack who was whipping his head  back and forth to each and every person with a look of pity and confusion.

 “Wait a minute!” he exclaimed. “She saw me! She talked to  me, clung to me, I even carried her here! And who the heck are you?” He  directed the last question at Nicolette who stared at him as if she were studying  him, which she was.

 “NicoletteofTime.TheFirstintheNicksofTimeClockworks.  Andtoyourfirstiuiry,wasthisoreoraftrSirNigtlightelease?” Jack blinked at her,  not catching a word she said. She spoke so fast the worlds were over lapping,  and it was as if she was speaking another language, and he knew every language  in the world! (Or at least most.)

 “Uh, would you repeat that? A little slower this time.”  Nicolette sighed impatiently.

 “Apologies.” She said, forcing herself to speak slower,  though it made her feel silly. “I am Nicolette of Time. The First in the Nicks  of Time Clockworks. And to your first inquiry, was this before or after Sir  Nightlight’s release?” Jack blinked again. She still spoke quickly, but at  least he could understand her this time.

 “Um, before? But I was still able to carry her here.”  Nicolette took less than a second to run all the possible scenarios in her  head. But before she could gain any more information, North stood.

 “Not important right now.” He said in a low, almost broken  tone. “We’ll figure it out later.” Then he turned to Nightlight, who stared at  the tall man with much interest. “Nightlight, what happened? We thought you  were dead.”

 Nightlight looked away from those  deep blue eyes that were inquiring information in shame. He didn’t remember  exactly what had happened, but what he did remember made him feel ashamed. Everyone  watched him, wanting, eyes demanding an answer. He glanced up to the moon for  some sort of comfort from his oldest friend, but even the moon seemed to be  sad.

 Nicolette stepped forward to his rescue.

 “It is complicated, but I will answer all questions you have  for that is one of the reasons I am here.”

 *8*

 High in the sky, hidden on the dark side of  the moon a figure sat cold and calculating. She tapped her staff in an  irritated motion. She was becoming quite impatient and annoyed with everything.  But then that was her nature. A nature that was only suppressed and contained  by her brother. Her dear, sweet, loving brother.

 She felt sorry for  him. Sorry that even he would not be able to stop the darkness that was coming.  As sad as it was however, the girl could not stop the curl of her lips at the  thought of the fun to come.

 “Let it begin.” She  whispered, almost pleadingly.        

      

 *8*

 Sandy  led them to the tower of the isle leaving Katherine in the mermaid’s care, and  Baby Tooth’s as well. Once there, everyone watched Nicolette expectantly,  except for Nightlight, whom was trying to sink in the corner of the wall.

 “Well, Sheila?” Bunnymund demanded. “Explain.” Nicolette  frowned. Her name was not Sheila, it was Nicolette! He should know this as he  helped build her! Was it perhaps an expression? She shook her head. She would  inquire later.

 “Everyone here is aware of the final battle with Pitch and  the Snow Queen, correct?” Jack interrupted, raising his hand as he leaned on  his staff.

 “Uh, no. Not all.” Nicolette glanced at him.

 “Very well. I shall simplify this as much as I can. Do you  at least know who the Snow Queen is?” Jack thought for a moment.

 “I’ve heard bits and pieces.” He admitted. “She was like me,  as far as ice powers go. I heard she had a kingdom and then there’s something  about a mirror.” Nicolette blinked at him, as if genuinely surprised.

 “That’s it?” Jack  shifted slightly under her piercing golden gaze.

 “Yeah…” Was he  supposed to know more? Nicolette thought for a moment, and then looked away.

 “That is for another time, I suppose.” She said. For some  reason Jack could not gather, she started to pace back and forth as she spoke,  continuing her story.

 

“Due to a series of…. ‘Events,’” Nightlight shifted  uncomfortably in guilt. “Pitch and the Queen joined forces to take the  guardians down. In their partnership, they had created a dangerous spell that  would ensnare each every child in their own nightmares, trapped until they were  changed into Fearlings. Naturally, this could not be allowed, so the guardians  came up with a plan to stop them. However, Nightlight and I had also come up  with a separate plan.” Toothiana frowned.

 “And what plan was that?” she asked, eyes narrowing.  Nicolette met them as she stopped, much to the relief of Jack and Sandy, both  of which were becoming sleepy and dizzy with her metronome movements.

 “Pitch was getting too strong in Nightlight’s opinion, and  this spell was the last straw. So we devised the best way to stop him at the  time; to seal him again, this time in Nightlight’s  body.”

 The guardians turned their gazes to the boy who didn’t even  look at them. He knew their eyes would be filled with betrayal and he couldn’t  face it. He just couldn’t. Sensing this, Nicolette sternly added,

 “At my urging.”  The looks turned to her now, but she didn’t mind. After all, why should it? She  was a clockwork. She was not made to be liked, just to do her job.

Bunnymund was deathly still, his  nose twitching only once in a while as his eyes narrowed. If the situation were  different, he would have been impressed that Nicolette was trying to get them to  pass all their blame onto her, as this was a trait he could not program in her,  meaning she had learned it. On the other hand, she could be telling the truth  as he wasn’t sure she understood blame.

 It was finally Tooth who spoke,  breaking the silence.

 “Why?” she  whispered. Despite their piercing gaze, Nicolette stood firm, a trait  Nightlight wished he could have at the moment.

 “Because Nightlight’s light neutralizes Pitch’s darkness.”  She explained. “I was told that if we sealed Pitch inside Nightlight, we would  finally be able to stop him.”

 

*8*

 

                Nicolette was unsure why  Nightlight had asked her to follow him that night all those years ago, but did  not question. It was very rare Nicolette ever questioned an order given to her.  In fact, back then she never did for honestly she never thought to.

 Nightlight had led her  to a dark room inside one of the Lunar Monk’s temples. Once there he closed the  curtains to keep the moonlight out. This time Nightlight did not want his  oldest friend to know what he was planning. In fact he didn’t want anyone to  know what he was planning.

 Nicolette waited as  patiently as she could, but as a clockwork, Nicolette had to work every second  of the day, or risk going crazy. So finally she asked,

 “What is it you wish  of me, Sir Nightlight?” Nightlight looked at her with one sad, glowing eye for  the other was heavily bandaged. He started to speak in moon language to her,  which Nicolette understood perfectly for Ombric and Bunnymund had programmed  her to know every language they did.

 “I am aware of the  final battle tomorrow.”

 They had only been  discussing it with the other guardians for a week now to a make a plan to stop  Pitch and the Snow Queen. So why was Sir Nightlight repeating what she already  knew? Did he not know that unlike Mortals, Nicolette had an endless memory  supply and could never forget a thing?

 “Is the plan we made,  unclear to you, Sir Nightlight?” Nightlight shook his head with a hallow smile.

 Then in the language  of the moon he explained that Pitch had caused enough pain and suffering and  would have to be stopped permanently and the only time he was stopped was when  Nightlight had sealed him with the moon dagger, so he had come up with a plan  to stop Pitch forever.

 “Nicolette,” he said in the common language. “Tomorrow,  when I give the word, you are to slow time and then seal Pitch inside me. Once  that is done you are to destroy the both of us. Is that clear?”

 Back then Nicolette  did not hear the sadness and bitterness in his voice, nor did she understand  the result of this order. All she understood was that she had been given an  order and she was to obey as her creators had told her to follow the orders of  their companions. So she replied,

 “Understood, Sir  Nightlight.”

 *8*

 North turned back to Nightlight.

 “You were going to sacrifice yourself?” he hissed. He appeared angry, but he was in fact hurt. A hurt that  Nightlight finally understood. He still didn’t look at him, but slowly nodded.  “And Man in--” Nicolette cut him off right away.

 “Man in Moon knew NOTHING.”  Jack almost stumbled back in surprise at the defense in her tone. Forget the  fact that was the first full on emotion he heard in her voice in all the time  she spoke, other than impatience and slight guilt; the way she said that last  word made Jack think she would actually rip off North’s head. It was the first  time when she spoke she did not sound like a robot, but a human. “We made a  plan. Just Nightlight and I. A plan that I take full  responsibility for, along with everything that happened afterward.” Bunnymund’s  nose twitched as he remained still. So still that it startled Jack when he  spoke.

 “And how did Katherine get involved?” he asked, voice short. Nicolette answered right away.

 “We planned to do the sealment in the final battle, when we  thought we would have the best opportunity, but then the unexpected happen.”

 *8*

                 It was the final battle and all  the old guardians plus Nicolette were fending off the fearlings as Pitch turned  his dark gaze towards Nightlight with pure hatred.

 “I have had ENOUGH of  you!” the demon growled. He raised his arm and threw a spell at Nightlight, who  floated in defiance, a look of sadness and determination on his face as he cast  a quick look at Nicolette, who caught the signal.

 She slowed time as  much as she was currently able to and began chanting the spell Nightlight had  given her. Using her two time cannons Nicolette focused one on Pitch and the  other on Nightlight creating a chain of shadow and light, pulling the two  together. Nicolette then started to bring her guns closer together, which in  turn brought the Nightmare King and the Spectral boy closer.

 The fearlings seemed  to be the only ones to see what was happening and tried to pull their master  away, in turn, pulling Nicolette from her stance. Remembering that Nightlight  had given her an order, Nicolette slammed the two keys above her head, throwing  the two towards each other and ripping Pitch out of the fearlings’ grip so they  were only holding his shadow.

 But then Nicolette saw  something that she did not see before at she was too focused on Nightlight and  Pitch.

 Katherine, whom had  been sitting by the Snow Queen’s side before Nicolette had slowed time, had  somehow stood and in the time Nicolette had been casting the spell, had stood  and ran in front of Nightlight. She didn’t see that Nicolette had cast a spell  and was now binding the two. All Katherine was seeing was Pitch’s attack flying  towards her most precious friend. She also didn’t see the Snow Queen stand in  front of both to protect them.

 Both of which  Nicolette had missed because she was so focused on her task that she forgot to  pay attention to anything else and before she knew it, Pitch had slammed into  the Snow Queen and Nightlight into Katherine. Literally IN to them.

                 The moment this had been done,  Nicolette froze time completely, her eyes as wide as the moon as a strange  feeling tickled through her. She believed it was dread. This was not a part of  the plan. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

 She looked around at  her companions. All their faces were twisted with grief, despair, shock, and  fear. Even Bunnymund, who she had rarely seen emotion on, seemed filled with  it. Nicolette didn’t understand those feelings, but she knew didn’t like to see  them on their faces. And she didn’t like the fact that she was the one who put  those feelings there.

 She turned her gaze  back to Katherine and the Snow Queen, both of whom were unconscious in a  troubled sleep.

 “Just for the record,  this is what it means to ‘screwed up,’” Her Counterpart said from behind her,  his copper gear eyes piercing. “And you really did it royally this time,  Nicolette.”

 And he was right.

 *8*

 In the present Nicolette had  started pacing again.

 “It was unexpected to say the least. I did not think that  with their history, the Snow Queen would protect Katherine, but then I should  have known that even frozen hearts can change as Katherine had explained the  concept to me when I asked why she always spared Pitch.” She stated. “Getting  back on track; after the sealment, I froze time and assessed the situation as  best I could; Pitch was sealed inside the Snow Queen, and Nightlight was sealed  inside Katherine with the key.”

 “Wait, wait!” Jack interrupted, his head pounding as it spun  with confusion at all the new information. “What you mean Pitch was sealed? News flash, Pitch is still here. I know. I fought him just a  few hours ago.” Sandy tugged his sweatshirt and shook his head. Then images of  Pitch spitting appeared to make two. “What? That was a clone?”

 “A shadow.” Bunnymund explained. “A shadow of what was. Not  as dangerous as the original, but still pretty dangerous as you know well  enough. We thought he was something that was left after we defeated the original  Pitch, but I guess we were wrong. On a lot of things.” Nicolette paced faster.  “Oi! Stop ticking. You’re wearing a hole in the floor.” Indeed she was, for in  the spot she paced was a foot deep trench.

 “My apologies.” She said to Sandy, who waved it off. She  hopped out of the hole, fighting the urge that made her want to tick as she  continued.

 

“The shadow was pulled out by the fearlings when I sealed  him. They wanted to use him to find the key and free the real Pitch. However,  the Shadow… got his own plan.”

 “His own plan?”

 “Right. He gave up on finding the key and tried to take  Pitch’s role, however the Fearlings refused to listen as they could not control  him.”

 “Wait, what?” Jack  interrupted.

 “They could not control him so they refused to follow him.”  Nicolette stated as if it was obvious. Seeing that Jack did not understand  still, she tried to simplify it. “The fearlings follow Pitch because they can  manipulate him into turning people into fearlings like them. Feed them you  could say. The shadow didn’t do that so they stopped following him, until now  that is and that’s only because they finally have the opportunity to get their true  master back.” Jack did a mock nod of understanding.

 “Uh-huh. Alright and Fearlings are…” Seeing that Nicolette was getting ready to rip off his head, Toothiana  answered.

 “Fearling are monsters. They bring chaos, madness; they  destroy hopes, and dreams. Mainly of children.” She explained.

 “Uh-huh. So they’re nightmares?”

 “No.” Nicolette interrupted. “They’re fear. Nightmares are merely a single form of them. Fearlings are  the very essence of fear and hate. Nightmares are made to teach lessons,  Fearlings seek one thing; to corrupt everything and devour. They see into the  very depths of your soul and use your weakness to bring you down. To turn you  into one of them. They have no love, hope, wonder; all they have is anger and  madness. Even reason seems to be beyond them.”

 “I… Okay, so those things I saw earlier. The ones with the horrible voices, they were  Fearlings?”

 Jack shivered as he remembered the fight from earlier. He  thought there was something odd about them and a thousand times more  threatening. His grip tightened on his staff as he focused sorely of the ground,  his heart beating faster as he pressed his lips into a thin line. Just thinking  about those horrible, horrible voices, made him scared. Not that he would ever  admit it aloud.

 Seeing this, Sandy offered a hand of comfort, but before he  could “say” anything, North spoke.

“Since your plan failed, why didn’t you tell us about it?” he  asked. “We could have helped.”

“Because Nicolas of Time informed me that this, all of it,  was meant to happen. And before we are anything else, we are servants of time.  As that was the reason we were made.” North growled inwardly. He should have  known that would come back to bite him eventually. “We then agreed that this  was for the best, and since I could not kill the Snow Queen or Katherine, I  entrusted Katherine to the flow of time and left the Queen for you all to find.”  Nicolette explained. “Then I returned and unfroze time and let you all come to  your own conclusions as to what had happened.” Jack noted that while she stood  her ground against the guardians, she avoided the moon light as she spoke.

 “How?” North  asked, looking between Nightlight and Nicolette. “How could you all do that to  us? How could you have let us think that they--- you!” He turned to Nightlight. “Were dead? Do you know what that did to us? To Ombric. Ombric! Does he know?” Nicolette hesitated but nodded.

 “After… it happened, I told Man in Moon. He told me that he  disapproved and that the plan… shouldn’t have been done. That it was cruel.”  Jack was honestly surprised to see the guilt that appeared on her face and  Nightlight’s own guilt grew. “But it had been done. And I could not go back and  change it, for it was as time wanted it. So we… I convinced Man in Moon not to tell you all. If you all knew the  truth, you never would have stopped looking for Katherine and you would forget  your duties to the rest of the children.

‘Besides, I had turned her over to the flow of Time, so even  if we wanted to, we couldn’t find her and you all might rip it apart if you  tried. He did say that Ombric at the very least had to know the truth. So I  told him. After hours of conversing, we agreed to keep the secret to protect  you all and look for Katherine in the time stream on our own.” She clenched her  fists behind her back as she stood as tall as she could, unwilling to let the  heaviness inside her bring her pride down.

 “I understand what I did was… painful to you all. I won’t make excuses  as to why I did it and I won’t ask for forgiveness as I do not deserve it. But  I hope you will at least prepare for the upcoming disaster.”

 “Disaster?” Tooth frowned, wings flapping worriedly. “What  disaster?” North decided to be the one to break the news to them this time.

 “Apparently, in the coming New Year, Pitch returns.” He  said, earning a worried gasp from everyone in the room except for Jack, whose  head was still spinning from all the new information.

 “What?!”

 “That can’t be!” Tooth exclaimed.

 “We have to stop it!” Nicolette fixed Bunnymund with a stern  glare.

 “Time wishes him  to be freed. Whatever the consequences,  it is my job to serve time, nothing else.”  Bunnymund’s fists tighten. He admitted that he had more than changed over the  years, but he still knew the importance of time and how its’ will must always  be carried out, or the consequences were more than dire.

 “But if that happens…” Tooth started. Sandy made a figure of  a nuclear explosion.

“That’s why I came here. To give you a little time to  prepare for whatever comes.” Nicolette said. Then under her breath she  whispered, “Hopefully, it will be enough.”

 “Wait, wait!” Jack interrupting. Nicolette resisted the urge  to role her eyes.

 “What now?” he  ignored her rude tone.

 “Two things; if you went through so much to seal him, then why are you letting him be released? And  if you knew he was going to be released then why didn’t you come earlier?”

 “Because at the time we had to seal him. Now he has to be  freed. Why? Because nothing lasts forever and it is time for change to come to  the world. Why didn’t I go back further to give you more ‘time’ to prepare?  Because time won’t allow me to interfere any further.” She explained. “I am a ‘Nick  of Time.’ I appear at the last possible moment.”

 “Well, time is just a bitch, isn’t it?” Jack muttered, throwing  his hands into the air as he turned away.

“You do not know the half of it. It’s worse than fate.”  Nicolette said with a sigh. “Look, hate me all you want. You may even take me  apart if you wish. But what will happen, will happen, no matter what you say, so I suggest you use the time gifted to you  to prepare best you can. You’re going to need it.”

 Everyone went silent at that,  letting everything that had been said sink in, which was difficult, especially  if you added the emotional impact.

 Finally North spoke;

 “Well, I don’t know about ‘taking you apart,’” he muttered.  “But I will think about installing a moral compass later.” He walked over to Nightlight who stared up at him with wide,  remorseful eyes. For a chilling few seconds, nether said anything, and then out  of nowhere, he cuffed the boy hard across the face, making him stumble back.  Then with a kinder expression he bent down and embraced him as one would their  child.

“You stupid boy.” He whispered, a few tears escaping his  eyes. Nightlight was in shock for a moment, but then returned the embrace  crying slightly as well. He caught the tears as they fell for he knew the power  they held. They were soon joined by everybody, but Jack who, while he felt a  little out of place and lonely, smiled at the scene, and Nicolette, who watched  them without saying a word.

 *8*

 After a  while they finally pulled away. They had to get down to business.

“What now?” Tooth asked. Bunnymund walked over to a window  and stared out it at the sleeping form of Katherine. It was still so hard for  him to believe that the little girl he had met so long ago was now a young  woman. Even so, she seemed so fragile.

 “….Before we do anything,” he said. “We should probably find  Katherine’s new home and leave her there for now.”

 “What?!” North stepped forward, looking as if Bunnymund had  told him to throw her off a cliff. “We spent years thinking she was dead! And  now she’s here--!”

“And she doesn’t remember us.” Bunnymund interrupted the  bitterness and sorrow clear in his tone. “She can’t even see us.”

Everyone went quiet and Jack could feel his heart break with  each face he looked to, except Nicolette whose face was like stone.

Jack hated to see his friends like this. He hated to see  them in such pain. He wanted to say something, anything to make them forget  their troubles and make them laugh, but years of living told him that this  wasn’t the time. So he shuffled back against the wall and kept quiet, entertaining  himself by watching the little seashells running around.

 “Look, I know how ya feel, North. We all do. But, we need to  be logical now.” Bunnymund continued, his personality returning to the way it  was years ago. “Pitch’s shadow has the fearlings on his side now and is going  to looking for a way to find his body. We have to prevent that. And it’s going  to be hard enough to do all that and watch over Katherine without trying to  convince her we are real.”

 “But if we just return her home, Pitch may kidnap her and  try to use her against us.” Toothiana pointed out.

 “And if we take her to one our places, she may have a mental  break down.” Bunnymund stated.

 “Or it could convince her that we are real!” North said.  “And maybe she’ll be able to see us again.”

 “Do we really want  that right now?” North frowned in  confusion, so Bunnymund continued. “If Katherine remembers us, she’ll want to fight with us. I don’t know about you,  but I don’t wanna risk that. I can’t risk  losin’ her. Not again.” North looked away, his fists tightening until they were  white. It wasn’t fair. Katherine was so close, yet she had never been further.  Bunny continued on.

 “One of us will go  with Katherine and guard her while the rest of us take care of Pitch. Once  everything is settled, we’ll work on getting Katherine to see us again.”

 “You can use her teeth!” Jack said helpfully. Then his face  fell at the sight of Tooth’s face. “…Right?” Tooth shook her head.

 “Pitch, the real Pitch, destroyed her teeth long ago.” She  explained. “After stealing the memories inside them so she could never remember  her parents.” Jack looked away. That was just horrible.

He looked away when he noticed something;

 “Hey, where did Miss Stone face go?”

 *~End of Chapter~*

 

Not a good sign if the writer is slightly confused by  everything. O.o Well, I hoped I explained what needed to be explained. Let me  know whether or not I kept everyone in character. If I didn’t, please explain  why and I’ll do my best to fix it.