I burst into Light's house, quickly saying hello to Mr. and Mrs. Yagami.
"Tsukiko, honey, what's the matter? You're all tired out." Mrs. Yagami asked.
"There's really no time to explain," I panted, "My mom was still alive, but she might be dead."
"Do you need a ride to the hospital?" Mr. Yagami asked, jingling his keys.
"No, I just need to talk to Light."
I ran up the stairs and pounded on Light's door. I heard curse under his breath and stumble around the room. He finally opened the door and I threw myself in. Misa was laying on his bed, not too happy to see Light's seemingly-crazy ex-girlfriend burst through his door.
"Tsukiko, what the hell? We're kind of in the middle of something."
"Sex can wait Light. Mom's dead."
"We weren't having--" Light said, then stopped.
"I don't know what happened. I went to wake her up, but she was cold as ice. I'm scared and I want you to come with me to the hospital."
"Well if Light goes then I do too." Misa chimed, leaping off the bed and throwing her arm around Light's.
"Fine, we just need to get there."
"I'll drive then." Light said, running downstairs.
I followed him along with Malak and Misa, and together we drove towards the hospital. I clutched onto my death note wildly, and I suppose Misa must have noticed.
"You have a death note too?" She chimed.
I immediately threw it under the seat.
"Death note? What are you talking--"
"Oh, there's no need to be shy! I have one too. Can we see each other's shinigami?"
"I suppose." I replied and retrieved my death note, tearing out a small piece.
Misa tore a small piece of hers too and we exchanged papers. I noticed next to me a female shinigami that was white and had very long arms like Malak's, and had white hair with purple tips. She had yellow eyes, one of which was covered by her hair, and purple lips.
"Hello." I greeted.
"Hello." She replied.
"Aw, Tsukiko your shinigami is so handsome!" Misa squealed.
"His name is Malak." I replied and leaned into him.
"My shinigami's name is Rem."
"Cool." I replied as we pulled into the hospital.
I got out of the car but Light tugged on my collar. He pushed me into the car and had his arm next to my head, preventing any kind of escape.
"Misa, you go ahead and check in. I have to talk to Tsukiko for a minute."
"But Light--"
"Now."
Misa sighed and walked ahead with Rem trailing behind her, giving us glances every now and then. When Misa disappeared into the building, Light sighed and straightened up.
"Are you going to be alright? You know your attacker is in there."
"I'll be fine. As long as I have you or Malak, or any kind of crowd, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Thanks for caring."
He smiled slightly, and it tugged at my heart. I was in love with Light since we were little kids, but ever since he became 'Kira', it broke my heart. The good was still inside him, locked away. It made me want to get closer and unlock that goodness, but with Ryuzaki and Misa in the way, that would be impossible. We headed inside, and a nurse called us in. We walked down a long hallway and into ICU, which frightened me. In a big room was many tubes and wires and beeping sounds, similar to when I was in ICU, but much worse. In a bed laid the small frame of my mother.
"Mrs. Namida, your daughter is here to see you." A nurse whispered gently in her ear.
Her dull red eyes opened and it could have broken my heart, seeing her so helpless. Light offered me a chair and I pulled close to my mother.
"Mommy, I'm so glad to see you." I whispered, choking back tears.
"Tsukiko, baby." She cooed.
I held her hand for a while as the EKG seemed to get slower. I looked at the lines around her mouth and chuckled.
"Remember when I begged you to quit smoking?"
She nodded slightly.
"I would always tell you that you'd get lines around your mouth. Then you told me you could always get Botox and lit up another cigarette."
"Then you snuck off into your room with one of my cigarettes." My mother chuckled dryly.
I nodded slightly and couldn't help the tears slide down my cheeks. She lifted a feeble, old hand and wiped them away. Her hands were so cold.
"Don't cry Tsukiko. Only little girls cry."
"I am a little girl mommy. I haven't grown up yet."
She again, chuckled dryly.
"Then you have to grow up baby. I can't shelter you all your life. It's a cruel world filled with cruel people. You can't stay a baby or a little girl for long."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Light glance at his watch which infuriated me.
He only glanced at his watch when he was killing someone.
I gave my mother one last kiss on her forehead and whispered, "I love you mom."
She never answered me because the EKG line went flat.
--
I stood up and sighed with the hymnal in my hands. I flipped it to some odd page and straightened my dress. It was odd seeing my mother's coffin so black and covered with flowers. The hymnal started, and even though I wasn't religious, it would make my mother happy if I sang.
"I was there to hear your borning cry
I'll be there when you are old
I rejoiced the day you were baptized
To see your life unfold."
I put my head down and shuffled my feet. Ryuzaki gripped my hand and the tears streamed down my face again. I always hated this song played at funerals, but it was my mother's favorite, so I had to put up with it for now. I smiled to myself as I remembered Mr. Yagami making the preparations and when he wrote down the song 'I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry', he wrote down so fast and the pen skipped, so it looked like 'I Was There to Hear You Burn and Cry.' I was now at the point of quiet giggling and Light smiled, remembering what I was laughing about. The hymn ended and we sat down. The pastor went up to give a sermon.
"Tsukiko, your mother was one hell of a woman." She started with a bright smile.
She was a few years younger than my mother, but was no where near as boring. She always told the best jokes and funny stories, so I was somewhat looking forward to the sermon. I noticed a few police officers in the back, glancing at Mr. Yagami. It was sweet of them to offer their condolences, but it's really a pain in the ass when everybody shakes your hand hugs you and cries with you. I suppose I had to get used to it when my father would die.
Speaking of father…
He strolled in the door, obviously late, followed by an armed escort. I moved over and he sat next to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered.
"It's alright dad." I replied as more tears slid down my face.
The funeral ended and my father and I went to the front of the church and prepare for bombardments of hugs and kisses and handshakes. Ryuzaki was the first with a quiet peck on the cheek and a hug. Then it was Light with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Then Misa with another kiss on both cheeks and a tight hug. Damn, three people down and I was already annoyed with this. Mr. Yagami gave me a fatherly hug and a kiss on the top of my head, then it was the two people that kept glancing at him.
"My name is Aizowa, and this is Matsuda. We heard about your mother's loss and wanted to say how sorry we are." One man said with an afro.
The other one was kind of cute with messy black hair. He shuffled his feet nervously.
"Hi Matsuda. I'm Tsukiko and it's a pleasure to meet you." I held out my hand and he shook it nervously.
"Hi Tsukiko. I'm really sorry about your mom and all."
He was like a little kid which made me smile.
"Thank you."
The funeral eventually OFFCIALLY ended and I walked outside into the brilliant sunshine and got into Mr. Yagami's car and up the graveyard where my mother would be buried.
--
"Thanks be to God."
With that, they lowered her into the earth as my father had his arm around my shoulder.
"No contact." His armed escort said brusquely.
"Fuck you, it's my mother's funeral." I whispered.
"I said, no contact." He said again, this time a little more ominous.
My father let go of my shoulder and placed it in his pocket. We were dismissed and I gave me father a tight hug and a kiss.
"Make sure Mr. Yagami takes damn good care of you."
"I will dadd--dad."
I almost said 'daddy', but I had to remember what my mother said about growing up.
"I'll come see you once a week dad." I said and hugged him again.
"Sounds good to me." He replied and got into a police car.
I got into Mr. Yagami's car and was unable to think for the rest of the day.