On a Never Resting Sea
Extra: The Moment Never Lasts
Natéa Canon Setting Rahil - Red Fiya - Fell Samiha - Undyne
I recommend listening to this and this while reading. Both at the same time. I did when writing.
The tones rose high above the rooftops. The world was quiet, non-existent, outside of the crackling of their fire and his twin sister’s soft voice. As her voice rose, Rahil swept the blanket closer over them both. It was a cold night. The star sky above them twinkled as the moon showered them in light. The fire was small, only giving enough warmth for them not to shiver. Both their arms were still prickled with goosebumps. Fiya’s singing was soft, melancholic, but her voice did not waver.
By their side, Samiha put more leaves into the fire, keeping it burning for a little longer. As the flames snapped, he noticed some movement in the alley’s entrance. From how both Fiya and Samiha moved, they had too. Still, Fiya kept singing. The ancient words never stopped as she told a story about eternal love and sorrow. The melody was slow, mournful. Quiet steps came toward them, and Zalû’s light kept beaming over them. Comforting them, and everyone like them. The forgotten. The desperate.
Familiar faces of some of their street fight rivals showed up. Normally that’d mean a fight. Yet there was no hostility coming from them. Just a haunted aura, mirroring the feeling of Rahil’s sister’s song. They didn’t move. Just stood there at the entrance. After exchanging a gaze with Samiha, Rahil swept out with his hand. Pointed at the free place around their fire. He didn’t receive a reply, but they came forward. Sat down without a word.
The fire kept crackling, and Fiya kept singing. Her voice was pure and clear. Had they been born as anything else but a whore’s children she might’ve been able to make it a career. Rahil leaned into her side, and her arm came to embrace him. Soon, shuffling of more feet came. More eyes shone in the dark of the alley, as they invited them in. By the time the song changed, the alley was full of people. The orphan children living on the streets, with haunted eyes that had already seen too much. The teenagers and young adults, earning their living on alley fights – those like them. Adults, who were filthy and cold and had spent a lifetime just surviving. Normally, a fight would already have broken out.
Yet, there were no hostile energy. No fear. Just a desperate wish to forget. A hopelessness they wanted to escape, if so only for a few minutes. Everyone’s eyes were on Fiya, a despairing need shining in their eyes. And slowly, Rahil could see the look change. He could see them forget, as her tunes rose toward the skies. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Someone had broken a couple of bread loaves into pieces, sharing them. He took two, one for him and one for her, once she’d stop. Once the moment was over. Some of the people around the fire tore into the bread desperately, possibly not having eaten for days. Others saved it. And yet others slowly ate it.
There they sat. Enemies, rivals about the food and blankets and places to make a home on the streets. Sharing bread by the fireplace. Listening to Fiya sing. Gazing at the stars high above. Hoping, that maybe one day life wouldn’t be like this. That one day, life would be good to them.
Tomorrow, they’d be foes again. They’d be back to betting at fights, pickpocketing merchants, and risking their lives for a fish or blanket. Yet, just for now, perhaps they could just stay here. Stay in the moment. With Fiya’s song, with the fire crackling and with a mismatched companionship. Just for a few hours.
“Please let the moment last forever Please let our happiness endure Minutes turn to hours Hours turns to days Which later turn to years But we can’t stay here then Why can’t the moment last?”
