A/N I wrote this on my Tumblr account and got the suggestion maybe I should post it here. It was only when I realised I haven't touched my account here in a million years. My bad. Apologies.

At any rate, this is a small piece I come up with after watching a certain Laika movie recently and made the connection of a certain musical instrument. The writing is very roughly beta, so forgive me if it is a little odd in places.

[Disclaimer] Agata the Operator/Tenno is my own creation. All else belonged to Warframe. Warframe belonged to Digital Extreme

".. Suda…" As soon as the door slid open with a hiss, Agata stepped in, with a long parcel in her arms. Her blue eyes immediately fell to the flickering Cephalon at the centre of the room. Simaris had been most displeased when he realised the Operator had stumbled upon this chamber, constantly warning her how useless the occupant of this room were and they should have…..what was the word he used? Seized her service? Decommission? Whatever word, he wanted her gone.

Yet she liked Suda. No, she did not work with her Syndicate. But she like the Cephalon as an individual. She enjoyed their rich knowledge of various tune, ancient instruments and lore. She enjoyed coming here whenever she found some piece of music somewhere during her missions. she knew Suda's vaste knowledge would always provide an answer. Sometimes, very rarely, she would find an instrument. Like Mandachord. The former Orokin would be excited. Emotional, even. Which made her almost like her former human self. She liked those moments. It was almost like some kind of storytime.

Hence making her visit today very exciting.

"Do you find anything interesting, Tenno?" The glowing cube floating in the air, shimmering.

"I found it! Suda. I found the artifact I saw in my Warframe's memory!" Agata removed the fabric wrapped around the long parcel: "It's the Shawzin! Or at least that's what I heard. Look!"She tossed away the wrapping and revealed the instrument.

Just like she had envisioned, the Cephalon sounded beyond surprised: "Shawzin?! It had been many, many centuries since I saw one! And so well preserved! Where did you get it? From your Warframe's memory?!"

"No, we…we found it in one of the Orokin based on Earth. Umbra…the Warframe…he became very emotional when he saw it," And for a good reason: "…He picked it up and.."

"And then what?"

And it was the saddest note she had ever heard. The sound those three little strings made. It was as if the former Dax soldier's entire life was compressed into that music. She remembered after hearing it, she had the strongest urge to weep. How in the stars could Orokin make something this beautiful? Did they invent it? Many questions bubbled up inside her head.

"Here is the part I came to ask you," Agata tilted her head, clearing her throat: "He played a song. A song I did not recognized."

"And you recognise many songs, Tenno?" Suda sounded amused.

"...No, but enough to know this is something I have never heard before."

"...s this the Warframe you mentioned, Tenno? One that has…memory?"

"Yes." The Tenno replied.

"And he didn't play that in his memory?"

"No," Agata made a face: "He was playing Komi. And no, I do not have Komi."

"Shame." Another shimmer ran through the floating cube. It was almost as if she was chuckling. Quietly: "What song did he play?"

"Oooh! Wait...wait!"

Agata beamed. She walked out for a moment and walked in again. This time her Excalibur Umbra followed her in. From his stance, he looked rather awkward.

"Can I ask him to play it?" Asked the Tenno, handing Shawzin over to the Warframe.

"Go ahead."

Agata turned her head to look at the Warframe. And Excalibur Umbra held the musical instrument as if he was holding a rifle. He began to play. Once again the sad note filled the room. Some even spilled out and reached the hall outside. The door opened and closed a few times. And each time there were more curious faces gathered around. When he finished, both of them looked toward the Cephalon, who appeared to be silent. But from the intense light, she was emotional. Actually, very emotional.

"I know this music. I know this song," She said at length, her voice trembling: "I even remembered the lyrics."

"You do?!" Agata did not expect that. Usually Suda only remembered the tune.

"…I think someone used to play it and sing it to me," She turned to Umbra: "Can you play it again? I will see how many words I remember.."

The former soldier was only too happy to oblige. After all, he had no voice left and even if he remembered the words, there was no way he was able to sing. So he struck the cord and played the tune again. And then to Agata, and everyone's astonishment, Suda began to sing.

It was the first time she had ever hear the Cephalon sing. A soft, velvety voice. Sound that soothed a tormented soul. Accompanied the sad tone the Shawzin made, it was beautiful.

When the music, as well as the song finished, Agata was totally speechless. There were tears shimmering in her blue eyes as she opened her mouth to speak: "It was….beautiful, Suda!I didn't know you have such a lovely voice!"

The cube glowed again. If she was in her human form, she would be blushing: "Thank you, Tenno."

"Can you teach me!?"

"To sing? I thought you are fully capable of that.."

"No," Agata rephrased her words: "I want to learn Shawzin! I want both of you to teach me!"

"….Tenno, learning Shawzin is not easy."

"I promise I won't cheat by using Transference. I will learn it the hard way! Please?!" It was something she asked that had nothing to do with their great cause. She wanted it just for herself. Her personal interest. She was touched by the sadness coming out of Shawzin and she was determine to learn it.

"Very well," Eventually Suda sighed: "Come every week when you have time. With your Warframe and Shawzin. "

Agata cheered and hopped up and down: "YES! THANK YOU!"

"And like you said, no cheat." The Cephalon stated sternly.

"I won't!"

Umbra looked at the pair converse, as if he was intrigued by their bound. Then he shrugged and began to play the tune once more. His mind wandered back to the time when everything was much simplier. When he still had his family, and he often played Shawzin to them after dinner…