Anuenue was excited to help him make some kind of raffle, which Black Mist was glad about. The curse once again forgotten, the two set about making a fair and random system to choose which children will go. In the end, they went the simple route and decided to pull their names out of a box.

"But that means we'll have to write nine hundred names down, doesn't it?" Anuenue groaned. "That's a lot."

"I could have my Shadow Creatures write the names," Mist offered. "I definitely have over nine hundred, and this would be an easy task for them."

"Well, if that's no problem for them, then let's do that. It'll make things go by quicker."

Black Mist nodded and clicked twice. Triclops slipped out of the shadows on his command. "Yes, Master?" he hissed in his own Shadow Tongue.

Mist replied in kind. "Gather nine hundred literate Shadow Creatures and bring them to me. I have an assignment for them."

"Very well. Where shall I bring them?"

"Keep them in the shadows. I'll be with them shortly."

"Yes, Master." Triclops bowed slightly and slipped back into the shadows.

Black Mist turned back to Anuenue only to see her looking at him with a mix of confusion and awe. "What was that?" she asked when she finally had Mist's attention.

"The Shadow Tongue, of course," he replied with a shrug.

"I got that, but how did you learn it? I thought it was hard to even begin to learn."

"I got it from the Shadow Creatures. Apparently if they like you enough, you have access to their language. I've never heard of a Creature not loving their Master, though." He walked to the door. "Who knows, maybe my Creatures will take a liking to you and grant you their language too." He stayed long enough to see a flicker of a smile come across her face before leaving to find the orphanage's records.

The records were located in the basement, where he remembered he had to be restrained at least once as a teenager. While the memory was miserable at the time, he now recognized it was a vital step to keep him from being a danger to himself and the children. That was beside the point, though; now was not the time to reminisce. He moved past the empty dark space he used to be tied up in and found the metal filing cabinets that housed the orphanage's financial documents, loan histories and payments, and records of the children, tracking when they were brought in and when they were adopted.

Mist knew where the children's records were; he'd come here often during the time Hope went missing to learn the names of the children. He pulled out the bottom cabinet and pulled up the first file; it housed a list of all nine hundred names of the children. With the piece of paper in hand, he slipped into the Shadow Realm, appearing in front of a patiently waiting army of Shadow Creatures. He whispered the orders to Triclops and left him the copy of the records so he could watch over the operation and slipped back out to rejoin Anuenue.

He found her in the nursery of all places, a surprising place to find her in since she wasn't known to come here often. Perhaps it was because she didn't know a nursery existed, but whatever the reason, she seemed happy to be there. She was playing with a particular infant, only a year old with bright purple eyes, light skin, a little tuft of golden hair, and a dark blue gem on her forehead. Black Mist didn't want to interrupt Anuenue's session of cooing and tickling, but he wanted her to know the preparations were underway, so he cleared his throat.

Anuenue jumped a bit and looked behind her. "Are you always this silent?" she asked sheepishly.

"Most of the time," Mist admitted. "Is it your first time here?"

"Yeah. You never mentioned you had an infirmary."

"It was Papa's idea, really. He ends up finding abandoned babies sometimes, and they need a place on their own."

Anuenue looked at the various cribs with a slightly critical eye. "But wouldn't they be badly taken care of? There are so many here, and you're just one person."

Black Mist chuckled and shook his head. "Don't underestimate the will of the kids here. You would say that some of them have jobs here, and it would be confirmed since Hope gives the kids allowances depending on the work they do here. It's mostly the older kids working here, though. There are enough to keep the infants happy and well cared for."

"But does that mean that the babies' names will go on the raffle?"

"Duh. They're part of this place, too. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to bring them."

Anuenue nodded. She turned her attention back to the baby. "Do they have names?"

Black Mist was caught off guard by this sudden question. "What?"

"Do the babies have names too?"

"Well, of course. How else would we talk to them?"

"Then what's this one's name?"

Mist walked over to the crib and looked down at the little baby girl. "Dixie, I think. I don't spend much time here, but I'm sure that's her name." He checked the crib's label to make sure he was right; he was. "Why do you ask? Are you interested in her?"

But she didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Mist and asked, "So, are your Shadow Creatures getting to work on the raffle?"

Black Mist nodded, but her avoidance of the question was curious. Why wouldn't she answer this question? Was she embarrassed that a baby girl took her interest? Was she reluctant to adopt? Did she even want to adopt?

He pushed these questions aside. They wouldn't do him much good.

"The labeling should be done in no time. We should make posters to post on the walls so the kids know."

Anuenue nodded. "Let's go then!"

Mist turned to leave the room to get the supplies. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Anuenue lingering to stroke the baby's round cheek before following him out.