One Piece: Celestial Blood

Six Months

As Hakubi's second pregnancy moved on, her condition was getting worse and worse. Tomo would often sit on the hospital bed, her eyes sliding up the IV tube connecting her mother to nutrition she couldn't get other wise. Although Tomo couldn't understand, her little sister, Rira (although at this time, she didn't have a name) was very late. Tomo was about to be six.

The little child climbs up to the window, opening it up and widening her eyes in awe, appreciating the snow falling.

"Wow... it's like magic! Look outside, mother!"

Hakubi tilted her head slowly to where her child was sitting on the windowsill

"Tomo, get off of there, you'll fall."

The little one huffs, jumping and landing safely to the floor, climbing back onto the bed and tapping her mother's abdomen.

"When is she coming out of there...?"

"Not sure.. she's taking her sweet time..."

The white haired furrows her brows, she was very tired of this. Tired of having to go through the work of something she didn't sign up for. Tired of being a mother, although she had nothing against Tomo. The doctor enters the room, this time holding a clipboard.

...

"Six months."

The white haired squints.

"What do you mean six months?"

"Miss Allbright..."

"Do not call me that."

"Miss Hakubi— you have six months left to live... the only way we're getting the young one out is by a surgery, and your body really isn't up to it... the sooner we do this the better... and if we schedule the surgery to let's say... December the twenty third... that will give you six months of time left."

Two different reactions. Tomo's eyes darkened in horror, petrified at the thought of the only good thing in her life being taken away, and Hakubi, nodding, as though her short lifespan was something she had prayed for.

"I see... can you give me and Tomo a moment?"

"Yes ma'am."

The doctor leaves, leaving a sobbing and sniffing Tomo and her oddly nonchalant mother.

"It's alright love... you'll have to go with the baby to your auntie.. if she still cares about me..."

She sighs, remembering walking down the street with her hand in Tayatizawa's, looking down at her sister Sachiko, forced to bow at a morbid display of a noble facade. The look on her face was of pure disgust, a look she can remember clearly. Sachiko hated the dragons as much as the next person, but the pain she felt having her older sister taken away broke her.

Snapping back to her current state, she looks over at the blonde haired child, who is forcing herself to stop crying, a sight that broke her heart.

"You can cry if you'd like, but mommy's not sad"

"W-why not..?"

The child sniffles.

"I have a plan..."