Shanara contacted Pixel early the next morning, using his breakfast tea as a convenient receiving pool. With Helaine and her agate around, communication had never been a problem, but in her absence Shanara needed to find another method.

"They're gone," Pixel blinked. What was Shanara doing in his teacup? "They left before I got up, I don't know where they've gone!" Her voice was panicky and eyes, though mottled by tea, were wide and frightened.

"Calm down, WHO is gone?" Pixel felt the beginnings of a headache coming on. Why did he bother asking if he already knew the answer?

"Helaine and Dorian! They're gone, and I can't find them in my scrying pool...I just don't know what-"

"Shanara, stop," Pixel cut in. "It'll be okay. Score and I will come there and straighten things out. Just...wait a few minutes." Pixel dumped his tea down the drain, effectively ending the conversation. Who was Dorian? Pixel wasn't too worried, Helaine could take care of herself, after all, she was probably running around with the centaurs, who had some sort of magical field... or something...

Score's room was always an adventure to walk into. The finicky Earth boy could never make up his mind about what he liked best. Posters of posing, scantily clothed elves would sometimes be replaced by a wallpaper of the strange pieces of paper that made up Earth money. The rug in the middle of the floor changed colors and textures. The room was never the same twice in a row.

Today, Pixel opened the door and tripped over a giant pickle. He crashed to the floor and glared at the offending vegetable. The spacious area was a mini-Zarathan, taking inspiration from Score's mind. With the master asleep, the mischievous room was creating the images that lurked in Score's subconscious. Helaine had once related a story of coming in when Score was asleep and being knocked over by a fluffy bunny bodyguard.

Pickles aside, there was work to be done. Pixel shook Score, and when that failed, created a small rainstorm above his head. "Wha-" Score jumped up, startled. The room flashed green and the pickle disappeared. A hazy soft orange blush crept up the walls, and climbing vines sprouted out of his shelves. 'Good morning!' the room was telling him.

"Wake up Score. Shanara is going crazy and she wants us to come over. I'm going to go wake up Crow." Pixel turned to stride out of the room, ignoring Score's pleads to be able to sleep just a few more minutes. It was enough to have one child in the castle, but two?

Pixel knocked loudly at Crow's room, then cracked the door open when he received no answer. It was dark. He summoned a light to bob about after him, and plunged into the darkness. She was sleeping, angelic, despite her snotty, running nose, and her probably dirty thumb in her mouth. Pixel reached to shake the Sleeping Beauty when she snapped awake by her own accord. Her little eyes ballooned and she shrank back from Pixel's outstretched hand. A tiny whimper escaped, but she was otherwise silent. Pixel took a large step back from her bed, upset. Score had hinted at Crow's former occupation, but Pixel had dismissed it as the Earth boy overreacting as usual.

"Um. We're going to visit Shan-someone today. Get dressed and come downstairs, please." Pixel exited faster than Score ate a burger, disturbed and sickened.

Score himself was, amazingly, dressed and downstairs. The fact that he was eating was of little surprise to Pixel. Score had grown a remarkable amount, finally filling out his meager street-rat form with the help of time, love, and an inordinate amount of food.

"So what exactly is going on?" Score asked, his face unshaven and mouth full of scrambled eggs. Pixel helped himself to the other half of Score's cream cheese bagel. "Hey! I wanted that!" Score yelped, snatching unsuccessfully at the purloined food. Pixel took a bite and then related his conversation with Shanara to Score. For a brief instant, worry flashed over Score's face. "Missing?"

"I doubt it's anything to worry about," Pixel interjected, before Score worked himself into a lather. "After all, we'd know if she was in trouble...you did give her the ring, right?"

Score nodded, hardly mollified. Trouble came in all sorts of forms, and the silly white monkey only picked up on Helaine's distress, not her actual danger. "Who's this Dorian fellow?" he finally asked Pixel.

"I'm not really sure. Somebody staying with Shanara, I gather. I bet he and Helaine just went out somewhere together or something." Pixel shrugged and turned to greet Crow, who had just wandered into the kitchen. Score mulled over Pixel's words, his mind suddenly filled with pictures of Helaine being kidnapped, or seduced, or brainwashed by this obviously dangerous stranger. A new sense of urgency swallowed his heart.

"Let's go. Come on, hurry up and eat." He hastily conjured a box of Munchkins from Dunkin' Donuts for Crow. He hoped she liked jelly-filled, because that was what she was getting. "Eat on the road" he commanded her, shoving the pink and yellow box into her hands. Crow stared at it from out of heavy-lidded eyes as an impatient Score, without bothering to go outside, opened a Portal.

Pixel threw an omniscient look at Score, commanding and stiff-backed. It was entirely out of character for the young man, and if it had been anyone else missing, it would have worried Pixel. However, this was Helaine they were talking about, and any less of a reaction would have worried Pixel even more. He almost smiled as he stepped through the Portal.



*****
A/N
Okay, so it's short. Sorry. But I haven't been home much lately, and when I have been home, I've been doing silly things like analyzing Virginia Woolf (stupid feminist...she obviously knows nothing about women and men).
Anyway, I love you all, keep writing... Oh, I remember... has anyone ever heard of any fanfic from Peel's book "The Secret of Dragonhome"? It's a fairly good-sized novel that definitely leaves the reader hanging...Email me with any news or whatever at bluelemonrising@yahoo.com
Aroo!

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