Shigure sat alone, humming to himself. The world was softly-colored, expressionless strangers walking past him while he paid little mind.
A bird sat on his right shoulder, chirping gently, joining him in song.
You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek
Life beyond the shore just out of reach
Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time
The path is yours to climb.
He looked around the placid town. He could not determine the people's faces, save for a few who he recognized and acknowledged as friends.
Shigure stood up slowly, as to not disturb the resting bird. Instead of leaving, it continued singing the same song he wandered around the small market, drawn by music on the other side. No one could be making that music, could they? It played a bittersweet melody, continuing on…
Embrace the dark you call a home,
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise.
The words were carried along with the music, echoing through his mind as opposed to reaching his ears. It was odd, which drove Shigure closer, and closer, until the people around him literally faded away, leaving only a lantern-lit lake. He noticed something that couldn't leave his attention: the woman singing in the middle of the lake, easily defined by her blue hair and white outfit.
"Sing with me a song of conquest and fate," she sang sweetly. "The black pillar cracks beneath its weight."
Shigure stopped at the edge of the lake, only partially noting that the bird on his shoulder had left. He was able to continue the song, catching Azura's attention, "Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone, lost in thoughts all alone."
Azura looked at him, and smiled warmly.
Shigure, still not entirely expecting to see his mother, took a few moments before he returned the gesture. "I've been wondering…where you went, after the war," he said quietly. "No one could find you, but everyone searched. It had been assumed that you were dead."
"That may be true," Azura said. "I am not truly here. I cannot reach you anymore; we cannot sing together as we used to, as we promised."
"Here," Shigure said hastily, carefully walking further into the lake. "Let me join you—we can sing and catch up."
"No!" It was sudden, loud, and it created a small crack in the sky. The outburst made Shigure take a few steps back. Azura's threatened expression turned softer. "I'm sorry. But if you follow me, you may drown. I don't want that for you, Son. Besides…" she gestured to the surface of the lake, and Shigure realized she was standing above the water. That…wasn't possible, was it?
A bittersweet realization overcame Shigure, making him view the world around him in a new light. "Ah…I'm dreaming."
Azura nodded sadly. "I'm truly sorry. But, if it means anything, we can still sing…it just won't be the same."
"I'm fine with a normal conversation," Shigure admitted. "A song that's sung in a dream in nothing but a fading memory, after all." He paused, watching the water ripple as the sky began to turn dark and rain. He looked back at his mother, so close yet so distant. "You…wouldn't be able to tell me where you are, so I could find you in the waking world? Some people doubt you ever lived…I would like to be able to remove those doubts."
"I cannot," Azura replied, shaking her head. "I am not even sure where I rest…in both body and spirit. I would like nothing more than to join you again, but I can't go back. It would be hard to find a place to return to."
"You can live in Hoshido, with me," Shigure said. "Or live in Nohr. There are options, Mother. We would be able to find a place for you to stay. That is…if you want to come back. I can understand if you don't; a lot has changed in your absence."
"That path can never be taken, unfortunately," Azura replied softly, closing her eyes and frowning. "This may be the only way for us to talk, and I'm not sure if this was my doing or yours."
"I have been thinking of you lately," Shigure said. He sat down on the grass, close to the lake but not touching it. "It wouldn't be too odd, considering, that I imagined you here. I can also believe this being your spirit…although I don't like to think of you as deceased. And even if you are just what I remember of my mother, I appreciate the chance to talk to some variation of her."
"I enjoy the chance to talk with you as well," Azura said. She started smiling again. "If it doesn't seem too prying, might I ask why you were thinking of me?"
Shigure laughed faintly. "You could never pry, Mother; I am your child, after all," he said. "And I've just been…wondering, mostly. Singing. I've memorized all of the songs you used to sing. I go out to the forest to sing them all. It sounds a bit childish saying it out loud."
"No, no; it's not childish," Azura assured him. "I did the same, daily if not weekly."
"…it's nice to talk to you again, Mother," Shigure said gently. "I wasn't quite sure what to do when you disappeared. I made a place for myself in Hoshido; I'm very close to Hinoka and Sakura, now. I was never given much of a chance to get to know them before."
He walked a bit closer to the edge of the water. Azura was so close…he could almost reach her.
"Don't get too close," Azura warned him.
"I won't," Shigure promised. "Can you come closer? I just want to touch you."
"You won't feel anything."
"I don't care. Just…a seconds' touch. I know I'm dreaming, but it's been so long…"
Shigure stepped about ten paces into the lake before losing his balance. He stumbled, falling beneath the water. Azura called out for him—he couldn't hear what exactly she said, being submerged under the water. It wasn't that deep, still close to the edge, so why was he finding it hard to get his head above the water?
When he was able to open his eyes, he found himself dry, lying down in his bed.
"Mother…" he said quietly, looking over to the small painting he had started of her. He was so close to what he had lost…although he did suppose he was being selfish. He wasn't the only one who missed her, after all. After a few moments of quiet consideration, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep again.