Baby dinosaurs really are very cute.

In the middle of the second week one of the birds sees something on the southern horizon, and comes racing for Kib.

Aydanci's still asleep and Kib's out to let himself into an unattended tea shop, they're running low - and, shit, everybody's gone, what does he do -

The Trees go out. 

It's not, in fact, just dark - though it's pitch black, no stars in the sky here. It's also humid, the air is sticky, and the air pressure goes up, way way up, and the static electricity on skin effect is in full force, everywhere, so moving feels like crawling through a thick choking field of sparks.

Kib pulls the shades from his eyes and it doesn't help and he doesn't have any shines on hand -

He tries to catch his breath - determines it's futile - tries to trace his steps back to his house -

People can be heard, screaming.

Aydanci can be heard, screaming.

Kib has trained himself not to break into a run, and this habit has been eroding around the edges but in the dark it makes sense for other reasons.

He runs anyway. Caromes into the corner of a building - feels out the carvings on it, knows where he is, re-orients, races for home. "AYDANCI!"

When he reaches the house he runs into rubble.

"Aydanci? Honey? Honey where are you can you hear me -"

They don't have any shines - no, there's some on a clock. Kib cannibalizes the clock for light, seizes the shines off and pilots them around, looking, they're too small but they're all he's got.

There he is.

Kib collapses to his knees beside his husband, pans the shines over him - "Aydanci can you hear me -"

Wheezing. The shines are colored but Kib thinks that's blood.

"HELP," Kib hollers into the darkness, and osanwë for good measure, HELP, MY HUSBAND IS DYING, I NEED A SINGER OR A MAIA, ANYONE, SOMEONE -

The Maiar are all at the festival. 

There are a few dozen people left in the city and this darkness makes the world look heatless, too, they are not any faster than Kib at navigating the streets of Tirion.

Somebody osanwë me a healing song I can try to sing it myself - "Honey - honey stay with me. Breathe."

"Trying," gasps Aydanci.

"Good. Good, breathe, okay -"

Someone sends him a healing song. 

Kib tries to sing it.

"Not working," Aydanci gasps out, after a minute. "Sorry."

Kib sings on, in case he's wrong, going into shock or something and not fully aware of what's happening, he should know better he's a professional come on -

"Not working," Aydanci repeats. "Promise me you'll - happy -"

"Oh don't you dare," hisses Kib, "don't you dare assume it won't make a difference to me if you die in my arms, were you happy -"

"Please -"

"If you want me happy you'll have to come back and check on me," Kib sobs. "If you can't stay you have to come back, okay, come back to me, I'll wait, come back -"

"How -"

"I don't even know do it anyway -" Gasping, getting fainter. Kib tries to kiss air into him, he remembered CPR the other week, come on, come on - he comes up with a mouthful of blood, spits it away, "Honey."

Silence.

"Aydanci. Aydanci love please hang on somebody'll find us somebody who can really sing please."

He's not even gasping anymore.

"Come back come back I love you. Come back and find me."

They don't find him for another hour. By then the absolute darkness is lifting, you can see the stars. 

Kib hasn't moved.

Neither, of course, has Aydanci.

For - for an Elf we'd start singing, do you want that?

Yes please.

So they sing. It is a wretchingly sad song. Other people, when they hear it, take it up. There are not many people left in the city but soon all of them are singing. Someone has been lost; remember him.

Can you see well enough to take me to the portals? I need - I need storks.

Yes. Things look their normal temperatures now.

I need storks. He gently lets Aydanci's body settle to the ground, gets to his feet.

You mentioned. Come on. We'll walk you there.

Kib follows them, walking woodenly but with long steps.

There's always a few storks around the portals, waiting to take batches of money to the creches as it comes in.

He can override that.

He can tell the storks to find Aydanci.

They flap off. The Elves wait at the portal with him.

Someone should go to Taniquetil - tell the Valar - tell the King -

Courier'll be faster than a rider. Should've had shine code set up...