Funny how a melody sounds like a memory

~ "Springsteen" by Eric Church

Who are you?

Keith curled up tighter in the booth he was tucked into, hidden in a far corner of the tavern. He was listening to the music being played as he thought about the vision that had been plaguing him for the past two days.

Her hands danced over the keys as she smiled down at him.

Keith groaned and buried his face into his arms.

The keys of what though? A piano or a xiaziovax? And why did she look like a Galra? Who was she?

"Hey, kid." Keith suddenly realized the music had ended without him noticing and he looked up to see the musician - What did Xan say her name was? - standing over him with a glass of something bright pink and a smirk. "You even old enough to be in here without a watcher?"

The red paladin glared up at her and opened his mouth, only to blank. "Uh, actually, I have no idea."

The female Galra burst out laughing and dropped down to sit across from him. "Well, at least you're honest. Just stay away from the bar, 'kay. I don't need Jezpor coming after my neck. Or worse, Xan."

"No problem."

"Name's Wysic by the way, runt."

"Kayiv, and I'm not a runt."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, but you've gotta be, what, thirteen?"

"Sixteen," Keith growled and his ears pressed into his head as Wysic started laughing again.

"Ujryz! You are short!"

Keith stood up and she grabbed his arm. "Don't be weak, I'm just teasing. Sit. What're you doing in here, anyways?"

Keith debated for a second before dropping down. He shrugged and said, "Xan really won't let me do anything but lay around when I'm at her place so I figured I'd come listen to the music. It, uh, reminds me of my mom. She used to play for me." The paladin blushed. Did the Galra even care about that stuff?

"Is she the one who taught you to play?"

"No, well, she taught me a few things, I think, but she died when I was really young, so…"

"Ujryz, that claws. I wouldn't let Xan here that if I was you, though. She may just keep you. She has this weird fascination with Prycosos."

"What does Prycoso mean?" Keith asked before he could help himself.

Wysic raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what it means?"

"I-I do. I've just… never heard it in that context." Keith lied.

Thankfully, she seemed to accept the explanation. "I'll bet," she snorted. "It means the same thing you're probably thinking, something small and unthreatening, Xan has just turned it into a term of endearment. I'm guessing you're used to it being a derogatory comment."

"Yeah," Keith growled. Great, Xan's been basically referring to him by the Galran equivalent of cute, widdle thing.

"Anyways, that song you played, what is it? I've never heard it before."

"Oh, uh, it's just something I learned awhile back. I can't remember the name."

"Can you teach it to me?" Keith looked up at Wysic, shocked, and she shrugged. "Don't get a lot of new music around here. And I am letting you hide out in here, runt."

"Yeah, sure, I guess. I'm not that good of a teacher though."

"That's fine. I'm a really good student," Wysic joked. She tipped back the rest of her drink and then stood up. "Well, come on!"

"Now?"

Keith idly wondered if Galra could even roll their eyes as Wysic gave him a look. She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the booth. "Come on, it's not like you're doing anything."

Once the two were sitting at the instrument, Keith put his hand on the keys and played the first few notes. "So, it starts like-"

"You know you don't have to hit the buttons so hard right? This is a delicate piece of equipment."

"Light fingers, Kayiv." Laughter.

Keith swallowed and tried to stop the shaking in his hands. "R-right. Sorry."

A shadow fell over the window of Keith's room and he looked up from his dagger. There was some sort of robot flying in front it. He stood up walked over just as a second robot crashed into the first. He looked out the window to see a pair of kids outside with a set of controls, apparently controlling the little toy fighter bots. He leaned against the wall and watched the two go at it.

"Can I get one, mama?"

Laughter. "Maybe when you're a little older."

"Xan said she's making food for us before I can steal you. What do you want?"

"Can we have boiled cragnins?" Keith blinked and looked over at the door. "Wait, what?"

Wysic snickered and waved her hand, turning away. "You sure you're not thirteen? Hey Xan, the runt wants boiled cragnins!"

Keith watched the musician go with a frown. What are cragnins?

"Wake up, Kayiv."

"Mama?"

"Sh, come on. We need to go."

…

"Liva!"

"We're here!"

"Liva, they're coming! We need to move now."

…

"Kayiv, I love you so much!"

…

"Mama? Mama!"

Keith jerked into a sitting position, panting heavily. His hand was over his mouth, a habit he'd picked up when he was six while staying with foster parents who were… Doctors? Dentists? Something along those lines.

They hadn't taken well to being woken up by Keith's nightmares.

Nightmares.

Keith closed his eyes, scrambling to remember anything about his nightmare. He could remember the woman from his visions - memories? - looking terrified about something and he knew he had heard a man's voice, but everything was fading away with every second.

The red paladin sighed and laid back. What was happening to him?