Gah, I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, it is finally summer vacation and I thought I would type a lot more (which I should) but I've been so lazy. I will try my hardest to stick to the schedule I created for myself.

Now then, I don't own ROTG, so please take your time and enjoy the ride!

Stein walked through the grey palace cautiously, his board in hand.

"Stay alert Stein, and keep moving," he said to himself.

As he turned corners and crossed random bridges he began to lose hope but he quickly shook his head.

"You'll find her Stein...you'll find her."

"You really think you can find her when you're the one who lost her?"

Stein whirled around to see Pitch and quickly threw his board at him.

Pitch simple laughed as the board went right through him.

"W-What?" Stein conjured his board again.

"Pitch has some other tasks to attend to."

"But aren't you...?"

"I'm simply sand, though all you say he hears, and all I say he says."

Stein glared at the Pitch, "What other tasks? I swear if he is hurting Alice-"

"Oh calm down, he has no interest in that girl, what he really wants is something you graciously brought right to him."

Stein looks at the ground with confusion but as he realizes he stares at the Pitch, "Jack."

The Pitch chuckles and claps his hands, "Well done, well done."

Stein glares, "Bunny will save Jack, just like I'll save Alice."

The Pitch simple shrugs uninterested, "How can you find her when you can't even protect her?"

"Because I will."

The Pitch smirks to himself, "Oh, that confidence...I could use someone like you."

"Yeah well I have no interest in joining you, I'm not evil."

"Ah, but you are-"

"NO...I'm not."

"The tricks and monsters of Halloween, the cause of fear. I must thank you Stein, I really must."

"I haven't done anything for you to thank!"

"I'm this powerful because of you," the Pitch continued, "I could kidnap that girl because of you, and I can have my Jack because of you."

Stein glared at the Pitch silently, had he helped Pitch without even realizing it?

"I-I didn't-"

"Although I feel bad you for as well, she gets all the love that comes with Halloween and you get all the hate. You hurt people, even kill people because of your tricks. No one thanks you for what you do, just like no one thanks me. We are quite similar."

"I refuse to believe that I am anything like you! I refuse to let people get hurt because of my tricks!"

"You may be able to say that now but in time someone will die, it may be someone you know or may just be a stranger, but they will die on Halloween night...and all because of you."

Stein turned away from the Pitch and ran away, he furrowed his eyebrows harshly and gripped his board so his knuckles were white.

When Stein finally stopped to catch his breath he looked around and was relieved when he saw no sign of Pitch.

"You can't outrun me boy, this is my place."

Stein saw as the Pitch formed from the shadows on the ground, the Pitch smirked at him and Stein just glared and his body tensed.

"Did you get scared of the truth and run away?"

"Nothing your saying is the truth!"

"But yet your eyes say you believe me, your eyes realize you are evil. You are no Guardian-"

Stein's eyes widened as the Pitch in front of him burst and disappeared, he stood and just looked at nothing before he quickly shook his head.

"Pitch likes to play mind games Stein...he was lying."

Was he?

Stein ignored the voice in his head and continued to move, he didn't know what caused the Pitch to explode but why question it.

"Alice!" He began to call out her name as he walked, until finally he heard a voice call back.

"Alice!" He called again and he waited.

He waited until he heard a not so distant, "Stein!"

He used his board to fly to the voice, continuing to call her name as she continued to call his.

When he stopped he was faced with a door, which he carefully opened. On the other side was Alice, she was sitting on the floor with her arms chained above her. She looked tired and scared, Stein quickly ran up and embraced her.

"I'm so sorry."

Alice let her head fall on his shoulder and smiled softly, "Thank you for coming."

Stein pulled away from the embrace and looked her over, her wound wasn't completely healed yet and needed to be cleaned again. Alice looked ready to collapse but she forced herself to stay awake, at least until they were out of here.

"I'll always come to save you," Stein said softly and Alice smiled.

Stein stood and broke her chains with his board, her arms fell limp to her sides, she almost fell forward but Stein caught her and lifted her into his arms.

She laid her head against his shoulder as Stein flew through the palace, looking for the exit.

"Are you okay Stein?"

Stein looked at Alice with a confused expression, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Alice lifted on of her hands and cupped Stein's cheek, "You look...broken and lost...what happened?"

Stein looked away from her, "Nothing happened."

"Ste-"

"When did you wake up?"

Alice huffed slightly and removed her hand, "A little bit ago, when Pitch chained me up...I can't sleep here."

"Nightmares?"

Alice nodded slightly and gripped her sleeve, "Nightmares."

"Well you're safe now."

"I know, and I'll sleep once we are back at the Pole."

Stein looked down at her with concern but Alice simply shrugged it off, "I'm fine Stein."

"Why did you do it Alice?"

"I couldn't let him kill you," Alice replied quickly.

"But he almost killed you," Stein said just as quickly.

"He almost killed me Stein, almost is the key word there," Alice said with a bit of annoyance.

"You should have let me get hit."

Alice looked at Stein with wide eyes that soon turned to a glare, "Why would you even say that! I did what I did because I felt I needed to! How dare you even say those words to me!"

Stein looked at Alice sadly and her glare soon dissovled, "What did Pitch say to you?"

"What?"

"Stein, what the hell did he try to convince you?!" Alice questioned loudly as she grew angry once again.

"...Nothing."

Alice was of course unconvinced, "Can you promise me Stein? Can you swear that Pitch didn't say anything to you?"

Stein stopped near the tunnel to the surface and looked at Alice then to the floor, "I promise."

Alice sighed sadly and nodded her head.

Stein readjusted so both he and Alice fit up the tunnel, then they flew up and were momentarily blinded by the rising sun.

As they landed on the ground Alice sat on the cold snow and Stein dismissed his board.

"You had us worried."

Both turned to see Jack and Bunny walking up to them, both looked just as miserable as Stein and Alice.

"Let's snow-globe out of here," Bunny said with distaste.

Jack nodded and pulled out a globe throwing it with the Pole as the destination.

Stein helped Alice up and he held her as they were sucked in, they fell on the floor of the globe room and when Stein pulled away he noticed Alice was asleep once again.

Stein stared at her sadly and stood, lifting her up, he headed toward the infirmary and place her gently on the bed.

"Sorry Alice," he said quietly before he left the room.

When Stein entered to globe room there was an aura of gloom.

Jack was sitting on a window sill far distanced from the rest of the group and Bunny was glaring at nothing from the couch.

When Stein entered the other three Guardians looked up at him, but he just shook his head with a frown and looked at the ground.

"What exactly happened?" Tooth questioned innocently.

Jack, Bunny, and Stein all looked at her with a glare and said at the same time, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Tooth shivered with a slight fear and didn't open her mouth again.

North sighed and sat back in his seat, "This was awful idea," he said out loud and Sandy nodded from one of the couches.