Pearl walked close to Crystal. Her arm was still hurt, probably broken, and she would have a harder time fighting if those things showed up. If anything happened, him and Ruby would have to help protect her. It reminded him of when him and Diamond had to protect Missy time and time again. He missed them. Maybe Missy had found Diamond by now.

He was shaken from his thoughts as Crys hit his shoulder with her good arm. "Wake up Pearl. Look! There's the doorway to the foyer."

The boy shook his head to clear it, then looked ahead. Sure enough, a dim shaft of light slanted out from an open doorway.

"Yes," Ruby shouted. The other boy quickened his pace and passed them. "Now we can meet with the others and tell them what happened. Maybe Sapphire and Emerald found them and we don't have to worry anymore."

"Ahem." Crys forced a cough and gave him a glare that made him stop in his tracks.

He shrugged his shoulders and gave a sheepish smile. "You know… then we just have to find Gold."

Her glare softened ever so slightly. She folded her arms… Well, more like she grabbed one shoulder with her good arm. "Yeah. That's what I thought you meant."

Pearl rolled his eyes. "Let's argue after we get back. Right now, we just need to meet up with the others." They nodded, and the group went back into it's awkward silence.

The three entered the foyer and made it down the steps, only to see Green staring out the dining room at them. "They're here," Green shouted, leaping out of her chair.

"Yellow and Platinum?" Red asked, poking his head around the entrance. His eyes widened when he saw Crys and the two boys instead. "Oh!" He got out of the way as the trio ran the last few steps into the dining room. "Glad you guys could make it."

"Crystal!" Emerald leaped from his seat and threw himself at the older girl. "I was so worried." Slightly surprised, she wrapped her good arm around him in a half hug.

Pearl and Ruby's eyes darted back and forth. "Hey," Ruby said. "Where's Sapphire?"

"And Missy," Diamond added.

Green looked at Red, Blue, and Emerald, begging them to help explain. Her eyes brimmed with tears. Red's eyes widened in response, but he shook his head and took a step away. Emerald pulled away from Crystal. His own eyes spilled tears. Looked like it was up to Blue to explain.

He gave a tired sigh. "Yellow and Platinum are missing." Pearl's mouth dropped open. He tensed, utterly stunned, but Blue wasn't finished. Ruby braced himself. "They were separated from Green's group while escaping some of those monsters hiding in the library." He looked at Ruby out of the corner of his eye. "The library Sapphire was lost in. Sorry, Ruby. If everything Diamond said about those monsters is true, then she's already dead."

The boy stood for a moment. His legs shook, then buckled. He fell to his knees. "Careful," Red said, rushing to his side. The older boy but his arm around Ruby's shoulder and tried to help him back to his feet. "It will be alright. We'll get out of this place, and then we'll have someone come back and find her."

Ruby wasn't listening though. Dead? She couldn't be dead. This was Sapph. She was as good at fighting and surviving as he was at contests. How could she be gone? It felt like his heart was ripping in half. He could still remember when she told him how she felt about him. And he had pretended it never even happened. Now he can never tell her how he felt about her…

While his thoughts swirled, Crystal's sad voice filled the void Blue's words had created. "Looks like we weren't the only ones attacked, then. We were cut off from Gold upstairs."

Red nodded. "I figured when he didn't show up with you guys." He finally managing to get Ruby back on his feet. "We'll go and look for him and the others ourselves."

Emerald wiped the tears out of his eyes with his large sleeve. "But this time, we have to go all together and stay together. Whoever, or whatever, is doing this can't attack us when we're all together. That's why we keep getting separated."

The others thought about this. Perhaps they were right, but how would they make sure they stayed together?

Crash!

A loud clattering came from the kitchen next door. Pearl had slipped away during the conversation when nobody was looking. Now, he stepped out of the doorway carrying a rope. One end of it was tied around his waist. His eyes shined with an amber fire. Every ounce of his willpower seemed to emanate out from him. "That's a good idea, Emerald. If we're going looking, then we're going to need this."