When she first awoke, Shepard had thought she had been crying. Her face was wet, with tears she had assumed, but when she forced her eyes open, she realized she was laying in water.
Not in water, she realized. On it.
Slowly, she sat up, using a hand to brace herself against the water. She was in the middle of an endless ocean, lonely, desolate, ever-changing. She looked down at herself, and found herself clothed in a flowing dress that matched the color of the green-blue waters below her.
With a heart heavy with fear and sadness, she stood, slowly, testing her feet against the water. It held her up in perfect balance, supporting her. She turned, trying to find some sign of life, a clue of which way to go. All she was certain of was that she couldn't stay where she was. I have to move forward. Somewhere. Somehow.
The first step was frightening, but those that followed were less so. The farther she went, the more confident she became. She began to almost enjoy the gentle breeze around her, the scent of salt that had begun to dry into her hair, the gentle nipping on the bottom of her feet from the fish below. She had never felt so light, so free.
A light briefly flickered in front of her. When she strained to focus, she could see what looked like land. A destination, she realized.
Suddenly, the loneliness and isolation of the ocean came flooding back to her. It made her legs itch to run, but she refused to. I have been running for too long. And so, she walked.
She concentrated on the goal before her, watching more and more unfold before her. It looked like an island, she realized. There was sand kissed by the sun, tall trees gently swaying in the breeze.
It was then that Shepard saw someone waiting for her.
It was a simple outline at first, obscured by the glint of the sun, but as she grew ever closer, she recognized who was waiting for her. I will await you across the sea. Tears began to form anew in her eyes, and as a smile broke out onto her face, she finally allowed herself to run.
He caught her in his arms, a gentle chuckle escaping her as she held on to him tightly. He dried her tears with gentle kisses and ran his fingers through her damp hair with reverence. "I told you I would be waiting for you, Siha."
She smiled against his lips as he kissed her. "I never doubted you, Thane."
He returned her smile gently. "You have earned your journey across the sea. Come."
He took one of her hands in his, gently threading his fingers through it. Giving it a gentle squeeze, Shepard allowed herself to be led for once, to the rest her soul was longing for.