All the lives that we're not living

Sakana had always had a wandering spirit. He loved spending time outdoors, exploring the forests, fields, and streams near his home. He had seen many incredible sights in his short life, but nothing had prepared him for the wonder that he was about to witness. he had travelled north this time, finally deciding that as the winter drew to a close that maybe he could brave some of the side of the mountain. He certainly wasn't robust enough to make it all the way up to the peak yet, and besides, that wasn't a feat he would feel brave enough to try until the spring, but for right now, well at least he could see over the tops of the trees that lay to the north of his home.

It was a clear and chilly night, with stars twinkling overhead like diamonds on a black velvet sky. Sakana had heard about the northern lights before, Modesty had mentioned them, something about gods and ghosts, it all sounded a bit far fetched to him, but when she mentioned he might be able to see them in the coming nights after sniffing the air and looking at the stars, well he just knew that wasn't an experience he wanted to miss.

He rolled up a thick fur and slung it over his back, his lapwing circled overhead, calling out warning to the boy about loose patches of snow and potential crevices that he could fall into and be lost forever. It had even steered him away from a bear that had woken from hibernations just a little early. He certainly appreciated his new winged friend and made a note to go fishing for some of his favourite treats once they returned to the black sands of the obsidian beach.

Finally he felt he was high enough. He could see clearly over the tops of the trees that spread to the north, a place he was still yet to explore, but he knew he would get there one day. He found a nice flat stone to lay out his thick pelt and settled himself down to watch the show.

At first it seemed just like any other night, the stars twinkled overhead, seeming to mock the small boy. He drew in a deep breath before letting lose a sigh, dropping his head on his paws with a heavy sigh. He was just about ready to give up and call it a night, all this way for nothing? Typical. Just as he was about to give in and fall asleep, a faint glow appeared on the horizon, like a curtain of green light. The boy's heart raced as he watched the glow grow brighter and wider, spreading across the sky like a giant emerald blanket. Well that was new.

Sakana watched on with bated breath. Soon the green was joined by ribbons of light blue like the glow of Deluge's coat, and sheets of glowing green, pink and purple. The lights were unlike anything he had ever seen. They danced and flickered across the sky, twisting and turning like a living, breathing thing. His pale eyes opened wide with wonder, he had never seen anything quite like it before. It almost felt like he was watching a secret, mystical dance that few people ever had the chance to see. Sakana was filled with a sense of wonder and magic that he knew he would never forget. Maybe there was something to Modesty's talk of ghosts and gods after all? Maybe from here, he could call Pyralis back to them so his mumma wouldn't be so sad?

It couldn't hurt to squeeze his eyes tightly shut and wish with all his might could it? Nobody was here to make fun of him, and so he did just that before returning to the show.

As the northern lights continued their dance, the young pirate noticed something else happening. The air around him seemed to be charged with energy, like a buzzing electricity. He felt a tingling sensation in his whiskers and toes, and the fur of his tail bottle-brushed and stood on end. It was like the atmosphere on a field right before a lightning strike, and for a moment he was scared, he hand't even told anyone where he was going, if he was struck by lightning now... but nothing came.

Eventually, the boy relaxed and continued to watch the dancing lights as they pulsed and faded across the sky. When finally they were gone, he couldn't bite back the heavy sigh from breath he had been holding in the hope that the skies would light up again, but it seemed certain this time that the lights had retreated back into the darkness from which they had emerged, even the green glow of the skies had faded back to a steady, twinkling black. The boy watched them until they were completely gone, unable to help feeling an incredible sense of loss and wonder.