).Siren Shorts #3: Wayfaring Siren · 8:46pm Aug 24th, 2015
I know I said the next thing I was gonna work on was a chapter of Siren of the Everfree.
Welp, I lied, 
This happened instead:
“Here you go,” Sunset said as she handed a steaming mug to Sonata, “might want to let it cool for a sec first.”
“Thanks, Sunny,” Sonata smiled back from her usual spot on the sirens’ couch. “Ooh, it’s even got the little marshmallows!” She brought the cup under her nose and savoring the rich scent of warm cocoa. “Mmm…” She took a tentative sip and jerked back, making a scrunchy face. “Augh! Too hot!”
“I told you,” Sunset chuckled and turned back towards the kitchen as Sonata took to fanning her tongue with one hand. “Just give it a minute or two and it should be fine.”
“Aww, but it smells soooo gooood…”
“Here,” Sunset walked back into the living room carrying a second steaming mug, “I made some for Aria too; why don’t you take it to her and by the time you get back I bet yours will be ready to drink.”
“Okaaaay,” Sonata whined as she wrapped the thick blanket she had been sitting with around her shoulders, “but I’m taking this with me!” She levered herself off the couch, and Sunset winced a little when she saw how difficult the simple action turned out to be for the ailing siren. Sonata took the mug from her and slowly padded off down the hallway towards Aria’s room, swaying a little with each step and with the blanket trailing behind her like some sort of snuggly cape. Sunset started to crack a tiny smile at the sight, but her eyes were drawn to the motion of Sonata’s increasingly grey and wispy ponytail as it swung gently back and forth. She felt a tightness rising from her chest into her throat.
It may not be much longer now…
Sunset shook her head briefly and clapped herself on both cheeks before her thoughts could stray too far down that painfully familiar path. It was almost time for dinner, so she’d better get started.
There would be more than enough time for tears in the days to come.
Sonata approached Aria’s room as she always did: quietly and with great trepidation. She’d lost track of the number of times she’d been beaned in the face by pillows, slippers, balled-up socks, or whatever random knick-knacks Aria happened to have close at hand to defend her personal space from what she termed as ‘close encounters of the worst kind’.
Something was different this time though. Aria’s door, normally shut tight and locked, was open just a crack, and from within Sonata’s ears picked up a sound she hadn’t heard for almost half a century.
The delicate thrum of an acoustic guitar wafted through the crack, and a cautious peek revealed that Aria was indeed sitting on her bed with her old but lovingly-maintained instrument in her arms. Her back was to the door, but even so Sonata could picture how her sister’s slender fingers were gliding over the strings. Her mind drifted back through the centuries of her long life, remembering all the evenings they had shared listening to Aria play. It was a skill Sonata herself had never really picked up, and while Adagio had initially been jealous of Aria’s talent with the instrument, even she had eventually admitted to loving the sound of it all the same.
Sonata switched the mug of cocoa to her other hand and raised her free one to knock, when another sound issued forth, one that froze her in place instantly.
I’m just a poor, wayfaring stranger,
travelling through this world of woe.
There’s no sickness, no pain, no sorrow,
in that sweet land to which I go.Aria’s gentle voice hummed along with the guitar. It was still scratchy and a little off-key, but Sonata knew that Aria had been trying harder than any of them to re-learn how to use her voice after the loss of their amulets, and it absolutely showed. She gently pushed the door open a little further, being extra careful not to make any noise that might be disruptive.
I’m goin’ there to see my sister,
I’m goin’ there no more to roam.
I’m just goin’ over Jordan,
I’m just goin’... over home…The final notes trailed off in a delicate strum, and Sonata found herself smiling weakly and sniffling. The sound alerted Aria to her presence, who then leaped to her feet and spun around with eyes and cheeks burning.
“Jesus, Sonata! Don’t you ever knock?!”
“Well I was gonna, but then… I forgot,” Sonata murmured, gripping the mug in both hands as she shuffled from foot to foot. “I was listening to your song, it… reminded me of some stuff.”
Aria stared at her for a moment, her expression softening. She tilted her chin at the mug. “What’s that?”
“Hot cocoa!” Sonata beamed, holding it out. “Sunny made some for us. She said dinner would be ready soon. You’re still welcome to eat with us if you want. Sunny always makes extra.”
Aria scoffed and sat back down on the bed. “No thanks.”
“Please, Aria?” Sonata pouted, inviting herself further into the room so she could face her sister again. “Why are you so mean to Sunny? She’s really, really sorry for what she did and she just wants to be our friend now.”
“She’ll never take Adagio’s place,” Aria muttered as she tuned and tested a string. Sonata actually laughed.
“Ha, really? If she’s trying to be Dagi she’s not doing a very good job. I mean when was the last time Dagi made us hot chocolate?”
“She’s not one of us!” Aria snapped, a harsh twang issuing forth from her guitar to emphasize her point. Sonata frowned and simply watched her sister continue to tune her guitar. After a moment Sonata set the mug down on the nearby dresser and shuffled over to join Aria on the bed, pulling her blanket-cape a little tighter. The purple siren grunted half-heartedly at her proximity, but did nothing to shoo her away.
“You changed up the lyrics, huh?”
Aria rolled her eyes. “The stupid humans never got them right in the first place, but their version kinda seems more appropriate at this point.”
“I dunno,” Sonata said coyly as she began idly kicking her feet, “I seem to remember you telling Johnny that you really liked his version.”
“S-shut up,” Aria blushed. “I was drunk and he was hot.” She shook her head. “I doubt anybody but me even remembers the original words now anyway.”
Sonata stopped kicking. “I do.”
“Bullshit,” Aria laughed and scoffed, “You don’t even remember what you had for breakfast.”
“Ya-huh! Blueberry pancakes with one-hundred percent pure maple syrup, low-salt butter, a piece of toast--also with low-salt butter--and two glasses of orange juice.” She finished by sticking out her tongue.
“I’m surprised it wasn’t tacos.”
“Nope! That was lunch!”
“Whatever,” Aria kept on fiddling with the tuning pegs, “your voice probably sounds like crap anyway.”
“C’mon, just play the song already!” She pleaded, bouncing just enough to disturb Aria’s focus.
“Knock it off.”
“Pleeeeeeeease?”
“Alright, alright! Jeeze!” Aria relented, and Sonata beamed at her as she stopped bouncing and snuggled a little closer, much to Aria’s apparent disgruntlement. “You remember the second verse?”
Sonata nodded, and Aria’s skilled fingers once again began to play as their voices rose as one.
We know dark songs will keep and hold us;
We know our way is steep and rough.
Beautiful seas lie just before us,
this world we’re in s’just not enough.We’re goin’ back to see our homeland,
we’ll not rest until we’re free.
Our return will be oh-so grand,
we’ll fine’ly be happy; we sisters three.Aria played out the final notes of the melody as Sonata felt a single tear trace down her cheek. She leaned over and rested her head on her sister’s shoulder.
“Get off, you dork,” Aria's voice trembled.
Sonata merely smiled.
“I love you too, Ari.”
Wayfaring Stranger is an old folk song from who-knows-when that's been covered by many notable artists like Johnny Cash.
Wow... sooo... this is happening. *Reads again* Wait, is Adagio dead?!
3344338
Ya gotta read the story tagged on the top-right; this is sort of a spin-off of it along with the other two Siren Shorts I posted a while back.
Well... you don't have to read it; y-you can if, y'know, you want to...
That was really sweet... or bittersweet I suppose would be more accurate. Once the end grows closer, those things you never thought much about suddenly have so much more meaning, and time becomes precious.
...this was beautiful.
3344540 I'll... try...
*heavy breathing*...