With a harrowed sigh, Sivanna gazed distantly at a crinkled telegram lying on her desk. It had been two hours already. Two hours since she had returned to work. Files had piled up on her desk and irritated voicemails on her electronic answering service from her week of absence— ones that would likely take her over a week to respond to. And yet for two hours, all she could do was look fixedly at the missive before her, as if willing the written message to change. It was thick with elegant Elvish script— handwritten, and not hastily at that. An enormous amount of consideration went into this message" and even more came out of it.

Swallowing a dry, hard lump in her throat, the cleric finally opened her desk drawer and slid the mysterious page in beside a telegram she had received not a few weeks ago that brusquely announced the "tragic passing" of her father back on Krynn. It didn't bother her terribly much when she heard, of course. Sivanna had never truly felt like a daughter, so it wasn't a stretch to say she didn't exactly feel like an orphan. But then again, that was always how she learned to deal with death. It was a cold, inescapable fact of life. The sooner it was dismissed, the sooner life could continue.

Closing her desk drawer, Sivanna buried her face in her hands and allowed herself a selfish moment of weakness. Five minutes passed before she rose, smoothed out her starched, white blouse, and circled around to the other side of her desk. Hooking a hand through a basket that laid there, the cleric then proceeded out of her office and shut the door behind her gently. Her personal concerns had to wait. She couldn't afford to think about that now. Not with Misty in the condition she was. Swift steps carried her down the hall toward the recovery wing of the hospital.

In her experience, disaster had always come in threes. Takhisis's arrival, Takhisis's attack, Ammy's death. Neo's arrest, Anya's arrest, Anya's shooting. Duci's kidnapping, Darcy's kidnapping, and Neo's nearly fatal wounding. Psly terribly recently landed himself in the Intensive Care Unit, and here Sivanna was now, walking a basket of exotic fruits, candies, bottled fruit juices, and even a tiny square of dark chocolate to Misty in the recovery unit. That made two. When would the next blow come"

For the first time, Sivanna prayed to as many gods of Krynn she could that she was wrong.

Very quietly, the elfess nudged her way into the Kirn's room and delicately deposited the basket bedside. A wave of guilt and grief washed over her as she observed her friend's spiritless expression. Holding her breath to avoid exerting any traitor emotion, the elfess dipped her head to leave a chaste kiss on Misty's forehead. She touched her shoulder briefly and paid her a compassionate look.

"Ai taesor o," she told the Kirn softly. "Ai shor vae thys o."

I cherish you. I will pray for you.

Somehow, Sivanna imagined that Misty would somehow understand her. Or at least she hoped so.

The Chief of Staff quietly stepped into the private room where her sister resided. She felt that metaphoric heart break start again in the center of her jade green scrubs covered chest while she took note of how unnaturally still, tiny, fragile looking, and unresponsive the usually hyperactive Misty was. Paradise received a nod in silent greeting before she tugged one of the room's spare chairs over to the other side of the hospital bed.

Maranya leaned over the bed. "I bring you love from Alper, 'Tonio, Rosalie, and from me." With each named person, she pressed a gentle kiss first to her sister's pale furred left cheek, followed by the right cheek, then the forehead and, finally, Misty's lips.

Then she seated herself, reached out to clasp the Kirn's other furry hand between her own gemstone ringed ones, and bowed her dark blond haired head over them for a moment. Shadowed hazel eyes closed against a sudden rush of tears, holding them in for the time being.

Words soon tumbled out in a disjointed rush, "You mean the world to me, Misty. You've been a spark of light in my life ever since I met you." Shaky breaths were taken in a futile attempt to steady her voice. "You make me laugh, and play, and feel good inside. I don't know what I'd do without my dorogaya sestra in my life."

Those pent up tears escaped from beneath her eyelids, and lightly rained on the hand she held tenderly between her own. "Please, come back to us, Misty. Come back to me. I need my light back," she whispered hoarsely.

Maranya remained with her head silently bowed over the joined hands for what seemed subjectively to her like days, but in fact was only a few hours on the clock.

Rising from the chair, she pressed a soft kiss to the back of Misty's hand, and gently settled it back in place at the Kirn's side. "Ya tebya lyublyu, dorogaya sestra moya," she murmured softly. Then she mentally repeated the words spoken in her native tongue in Common to reinforce the sentiment: I love you, dear sister mine.

After a nod to Paradise, the Chief of Staff stepped out of the room, quietly closed the door behind her, and reluctantly returned to her duties.

The late hour brought silence to the world, that suited Aja just fine. With busy days filled with noise, the silence was welcomed.

Entering the clinic, she looked both ways. No one about, monitors beeped away, their noise from the different rooms they resided in, almost in synch with each other creating an eerie symphony of sound in the dimmed hallways.

Only one room was sought out tonight. The one holding Misty. A few turns and she was outside the room, looking in as she slowly pushed the handle and opened the door, making it give the barest hint of a hiss as it opened.

Misty in her normal energetic state seemed a little larger than life. It was hard to see her still and looking so very small.

The salient details of how Misty wound up here weren't being thought about for now. Just the simple thought that this was not the Misty they had come to know.

Aja knew injuries would heal, weight could be gained back and one day Misty would be back to her bouncy self. For now...she was resting.

A soft kiss was placed on Misty's head.

"See you soon, Sassy girl."

Aja didn't stay long, she paused long enough to tuck the two white roses into a vase of other flowers. One from herself, the other from Rico. She took another look at Misty before heading back out before the nurse returned on her rounds.

Occurs after Paradise took Misty to the Isle.

Paradise leaned heavily against Vincent as the door to the elevator closed on them. She closed her stormy eyes, taking a deep breath. She started to apologize, but he cut her off.

"You are tired. Anything you say before you get at least a few hours sleep, I'm going to take with a grain of salt. Just so you know." Vinny gave her an easy grin, helping her into the penthouse.

He led her over to the couch, where she flopped down wearily. She just looked at him at moment, and shook her head. There was no need to argue, especially when he was right. He left her sitting, only to find a fresh T-shirt for her to change into.

Paradise's eyes were red rimmed from crying. Though she seemed to be calming down, lightning still struck occasionally within the white of her eyes. Vinny sat down next to her as she started to remove her clothes, taking them from her and laying them across the back of the couch.

She let out a soft sigh as she pulled the clean shirt over her tired shoulders, laying back against the pillows. She managed a brief smile, her eyes starting to close.

The suggestion of sleep he had magically induced in her was swift, and Vinny gave his own sigh of relief. Paradise looked rough, haggard. It was not a state he was used to seeing such a strong woman in. He slipped off of the couch, tiptoeing around to find blankets to tuck in around her.

For several hours, she didn't move. Vinny stayed close by, using the entertainment center at low volume while he listened to her breathe. Eventually, he began to doze himself.

When he awoke, Paradise was gone, a blanket tucked in around him. He pushed it aside, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and listened. He heard the sound of jets in water, the clinking of glass against glass, and the slow swirling noise of water in the hot tub.

Paradise was soaking in the hot tub, eyes closed as she sipped from a glass of whiskey. The bottle sat nearby, and a bucket of ice. Tears streamed down her face, but when her eyes turned to him, they were completely calm.

"Have you eaten?"

She shook her head, taking another drink.

"You look like you are ready to talk without frying something." He walked around the hot tub, crouching down to sit next to her on the edge."So, let's talk."

She took a deep breath, and another steadying sip of the drink in her hand. She set the glass aside, wrapping her arms around her knees.

She said only one thing, before bursting into quiet sobs.

"I failed her."