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Minato Aqua was as quiet as ever, and like usual, was seemingly out of words upon seeing her mother, Houshou Marine, who was painting something, leaving the back end of the canvas facing her daughter.
“Now now,” Marine teased, “is awkward silence the proper way to greet your mother?”
“You were so sad about me leaving,” Aqua complained, “and then you just tease me as soon as I say hi?”
“Of course; I don’t get to do it often anymore.” Marine replied with a dangerously polite smile, “Shion-tan set up the magical letter system so we can still write to each other, but that’s not the same. She might drop around later if you’re still here; I know she misses you.”
“How do you know?” Aqua asked, “She doesn’t write as much to me as you do.”
“Because I miss you.” Marine answered, “And I know she was just as close. Some part of me wishes you could’ve stayed with us longer. And I know she feels the same.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. At least, if you’ve been honest with your writing back to me, you’re in a better place now, and have been happier than ever even without me close by. The reality is one that every parent eventually faces: the realization that their children don’t need them anymore.”
“But I did need you.” Aqua replied, “I… was kind of a wreck back then, right? It’s hard to imagine that if you hadn’t found me back then, I would’ve… gone up to heaven without anyone looking for me. And I still write to you when I feel… alone, I guess.”
“And that was back then.” Marine continued as she looked at her painting, “I’ve seen you grow into a lovely young woman, one that left me both too soon and yet somehow too late at the same time. And, as your mother, I will always be here for you whenever you’re able to talk. Well, I suppose until eventually the reaper comes for me like everyone else, then I suppose I won’t be down here anymore, but that’s hopefully far enough away that I don’t have to worry about that particular issue too much. You’re still my little Aqu-tan.”
“Am I really that little?” Aqua asked, “I’d like to think I grew a bit under your care.”
“Sorry, just because you became an adult doesn’t mean you aren’t still my ‘kid’. It’s part of being a parent to always feel that your children are still children even when they aren’t anymore. And to be honest, the reality is that those letters from you are perhaps my most cherished possessions nowadays.”
“Really? Usually it’s just…” Aqua mumbled, “I don’t really know, ‘things are still peaceful around here’, I guess? Not much happens to me. I appreciate it, though. And I appreciate that you write back, and I suppose you seem… content with what happened?”
Marine nodded. “I’ve always wished for your happiness above all else. It happened that for a brief stretch of time, the easiest way to make you happy was by bringing you with me wherever I went. And I suppose that is no longer the case, but the idea of still wishing you’re happy, wherever you are out there… that hasn’t changed. That will never change, I think.”
Aqua blushed. “Mama… you’re being…”
“Sentimental again, I know.” Marine interrupted with the correct answer, “I haven’t been able to see my little angel for a little while now. And truth be told, from your writing I knew that there wouldn’t be much to talk about. Though you’ve known me long enough that you really had to know I was going to more-or-less do exactly this to you as soon as you showed up here.”
Aqua rolled her eyes. “I guess. Though I’m not an angel yet! I’m not even in heaven!”
“And if I get to heaven and I see you’re already there, I’m going to be very upset.” Marine answered, her voice serious.
“Really?” Aqua whined, “I don’t think I’d willingly go there early, so… isn’t that a bit unfair to be upset at me for that?”
“Well, I didn’t say I’d be upset at you specifically.” Marine clarified as she put down her paintbrush, “Understand that when I say that I’d trade my life for to save yours, that is entirely serious. You are, in a real sense, my pride and joy just as a human, and as such you better not become an angel until I do.”
“Mama, I can’t see you being an angel.” Aqua replied, “Don’t they have a whole thing about virtue and stuff?”
“Honestly, ask Kanata, she’s the only angel I’ve ever met.” Marine answered flatly, “I suppose I have only myself to blame for you learning how to tease me back.”
“That and Shion-tan.” Aqua clarified, “Maybe Rushia-chan too? Where is she?”
“Paying back her underworld debtors, unfortunately. I’ll admit I’m a little grateful for the fact you missed seeing that happen in person. Though last I heard it’s not going too well for them either, as you can probably imagine. As it turns out, hell really doesn’t have a fury that compares.”
Aqua cringed. “Oh, right… In that case-”
And then the door to the house suddenly slammed open.
“I can’t believe I almost missed you coming back here!” Shion shouted, “I swear I’m not late, you’re just early!”
Aqua smirked. “You’re always late to everything though. Or at least, you were back when we were together as a family.”
“Oh, shut up.” Shion replied, “Besides, you didn’t really think you could just drop in and say hi without saying hi to me at least once.”
Aqua froze. “Well… hi?”
“Really?” Shion whined. “You drop in here for the first time in forever and all you have to say is ‘hi’?”
“Well you told me to say hi to you!” Aqua replied.
Marine laughed while facepalming. “And you two keep remarking about how little I’ve changed. Though, Shion, I’d like to point out that Aqua largely got her current teasing streak by watching you, so you shouldn’t be surprised.”
Shion shrugged. “Yeah, yeah. It’s just… I dunno, I missed being able to tease you face-to-face. And just… see you, too. I’d say I was worried, but… it’s not really that, either. Some part of me always hopes that you’re still the little Aqu-tan I knew when you left. And I’m glad to see that you still are, at least when I’m involved.”
“You’re starting to sound like me.” Marine mused, “Though I suppose it was different for me - it was accepting that the little girl I took in years ago who could barely speak to anyone else isn’t who left. The young woman who left us was… well, okay, I don’t think she’s still overly social, but it’s someone who doesn’t need me anymore. The final step, the hardest one for any parent, is knowing that it's time to let go. That, and as much as I’d like to turn back time… it’s a selfish wish. Those days when I took you in, it was special for both of us. But you definitely weren’t happier back then.”
Aqua smiled. “I don’t think being happy even occurred to me back then. Or… anything else, really. Besides, it’s not like it’s the only thing that’s changed, right?”
“True.” Marine answered, “Noel stepped down from being the captain of the Shirogane Knights. Her answer was simply that she wasn’t as fit for it as she used to be. Granted, she still lives in the keep, and she still seems to constantly get involved in some major issue or another, so it’s still a weak definition of ‘retirement’ that she’s using. Flare and Lamy more-or-less got the summer and winter elves unified under their combined banner, so I think it’s just been… peaceful, to say the least.”
“Good to hear.” Aqua replied, “It’s weird to imagine that someday even they won’t be around. Besides, I hear you two have been busy.”
“Well, with me it's because of a personal project.” Marine admitted, and then turned the canvas around to reveal what she had been working on: a portrait of Aqua, a joyous smile on her face.
“...Mama…?” Aqua stuttered.
“I called it ‘Greatest Treasure’ when I started,” Marine elaborated, “But I realized when you left that you weren’t my treasure, not my possession. Children aren’t just the possession of their parents, despite how it might seem at first. When I looked deeply… I really thought about what I've made… It was those memories of the times we had together. I present to you, ‘Cherished Memory’ , and a project that will mean more to me than anything else I’ll make.”
“Just for the record, you won’t be allowed to take that to the afterlife with you.” Shion said, ruining the seriousness of the moment, “I have underworld contacts, remember.”
Marine grinned. “It’s not about the painting. It’s about what it represents. I suppose, if I were to put it uncharitably, it’s that I won. No matter what happens now, these memories of mine are something that can never be taken away. The path that led us to where we are now… it’s a happy path. I have no regrets about how I raised Aqu-tan. Even if it were all to end at this moment… I’d only regret dying young because you two would be sad about it.”
“But it wouldn’t be as sad.” Aqua continued.
Marine nodded. “I had… an awkward conversation with my parents, once. The summary was that I told them I wouldn’t be traumatized if they died. It wasn’t the most tactful way of sending the message, but I think… I think the other side to that is what we’re seeing now. And as far as parents go, that’s far better than Aqu-tan’s relationship with her birth father.”
Aqua frowned. “There weren’t any memories to cherish with him. I’ll be sad when the end comes for you, but… I’m a lot more okay with it now, on the other side. But we don’t need to talk about all of this now, do we? I’ll visit again. You’ll probably still be here.”
“I suppose that’s true.” Marine commented. “And you’ve done a good job keeping in touch with me so far. That said, would it be possible for you to stay a little longer than last time?”
Aqua thought about it, and then smiled.
“Sure. Besides, it’s… nice, just having us here together.”
“Indeed, it is.” Marine replied softly.
Marine woke up, her dream coming to an end.
What an odd dream. Though I suppose I should be thankful for it being a positive one instead of one of those dreaded nightmares I’ve had while worrying about her…
Not able to fall back asleep, she tiptoed around the house, not wanting to wake up her young daughter. Eventually finding the place she was looking for, she took a quick and silent peek into the bedroom that Aqua shared with Shion.
It’s hard to imagine there will be a time when you will no longer need me, Marine thought, and yet, when it happens, I will know that I did everything right.
She smiled as she contemplated the future.
So I’ll cherish the memories we make now. Wherever your final journey takes you, I wish you forever to be happy, my little Aqu-tan.