The silence seemed to be everlasting, the Guardians weren't exactly certain on how to react to this news. This left Fable in a very awkward position, which wasn't helpful in her opinion. Throwing her arms up in the air she hissed. "Do I have to repeat myself, I said Pitch has returned!"

North was the first to speak for the group "You entirely sure about this?"

Letting out an exasperated yell, Fable turned away, continuing down the passage. "You're honestly questioning me Claus?!"

Jack stepped in. "Well, you did defend Pitch when we first came here…"

She turned on a dime, in a flash she stood before the Winter Spirit, gold eyes narrowed, and glasses just barely sitting on the bridge of her nose. Despite the foot that Frost had on her, Fable's glare reduced him to a scolded child. "Are you saying that I'm in league with him? You must be joking!"

Bunny pulled Jack away from her. "Look, Sheila, we ain't saying that you're in with him…."

Angry glare focused at the rabbit, Fable snarled "Then what, eh? You think I value Pitch over the children, my books? Do you have any idea what he did the first time he started messing with the way of things?!"

She pressed her hands against the surrounding shelves, again they roared by, leaving the floors rumbling but unmoving. At last, the shelves slowed, or if you could call them shelves. The Guardians found themselves surrounded, by what looked like a barren wasteland, remnants of books and wood lay scattered in piles of blackened sand. "Oh, believe me, Pitch thought as you do now. And I didn't exceed his expectations. He wanted me to join him, and when I turned him down, he lost his temper. Took out an entire wing of the library, specifically the one with information on the on him, and on other possible allies. You're lucky I kept him away from the section that held information on you guys, he would have had a field day with that."

Looking over the destruction, Fable ran her thin fingers through her hair. "I'm still trying to pick up the pieces, Great Moon, I'm still recovering."

Tooth finally spoke. "What do you mean you're recovering?"

Fixing the fairy with a careful look, slowly, Fable turned and lifted the back of her shirt, revealing a wicked scar that ran along her back. The scabs ran black, but there were flecks of gold in the black that shone like sand in the sunlight. After the Guardians had been given enough time to examine it, the knowledge spirit let her shirt fall. "I stood against Pitch well enough, but he knew something about the connection I have to my domain. My collection gives me power, and to lay waste to it, is laying waste to me. After destroying a decent portion of my library, Pitch went after the children and adults that I had helped throughout the years. I confronted him before he could cause them harm. He could have killed me, but what kindness I showed him in the past stayed his hand."

This earned a snort of laughter from Jack. "For all we know, you could still be in league with him, if he is back. Destroyed books and a scar don't say anything about you."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Fable was back in the winter spirit's face. "You don't want to challenge me in my home Frosty the Snowman."

She didn't scare him; Jack leaned over her, signature mischievous smirk in place. "Oh, I'm shaking, what's a bookworm like you gonna do, hit me with a chemistry textbook?"

The girl sneered, her eyes flashing. "That would be a punishment to the book, it would probably be more hurt than you, what with you thick skull."

Jack snarled the cold radiating off him like a potent toxin. "Did you just call me stupid?"

There was a snicker, not like the gentle crinkle of laughter like before, instead it sounded like the ripping of paper. "Why yes, yes I did. I was worried the insult would fly over your pretty white head."

Pulling back, apparently satisfied, Fable looked up at North. "I want to help you, but you're going to have to trust me."

The Russian rubbed the back of his head. "Your relationship with Pitch, very questionable"

Rolling her eyes, the girl rolled her shoulders back, trying to add inches to her height. "As far as I'm concerned, our bond is shattered. The moment he came here with the intention to do me and the children harm, our friendship and understanding went out the window."

Fire light eyes traveled over to Bunny and Tooth, finally landed on Sandy. "I have never given you reason not to trust me, the fact that I didn't ally with him is proof enough, how much proof do you need!?"

Again, there was silence, and in it, Fable's shoulders fell. The bits of the library wing seemed to evaporate into thin air, and the Guardians found that they were back in the living room. Their tea no longer hot, but lukewarm. "Forget it. You obviously don't need my help."

Looking around, they found, instead of the wisp of girl that had accompanied them, they looked on to the face of a wizened old woman. Hair grey as ash, skin wrinkled like leather, though her eyes still flickered like the candle wick. Yet, they were downcast, practically glaring at the floor. "Chaucer will see you out."

With a simple wave of the hand the Guardians found themselves dismissed into the capable pages of a rather old looking book, which hobbled across the floor, leading them on. Bunny looked over his shoulder at the old woman Fable had become. Looking up at North, he spoke at a whisper. "Ya think he's back?"

Tooth stepped into the conversation. "She wouldn't just lie to us about that, Fable may be a bit…. Off sometimes, but she'd never lie about something so serious."

"Do you really think she's that trustworthy? She went and defended Pitch like a good buddy when we first got here!"

Bunnymund gave the winter spirit a look. "Nothing buddy, buddy about that scar on her back mate."

Sandy nodded his agreement, a picture of himself and Pitch forming, depicting the point in battle where the Nightmare King had taken him down. As the images pass over his head, the small Guardian shuddered at the memory.

Author's Note: My heart goes out to those families and friends and loved ones that have lost beloved ones in the elementary school shooting in Connecticut, as well as the stabbing at a pre-school in China. This world is indeed fucked up, but the best we can do is get on with our lives and keep going and not die ourselves. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Review and all that!