11942. Bunker.
Nighttime.
It wasn't too long since the human, Nico Robin now named 26E, had been taken and made an Executioner, barely a few days passed since her first mission, and that night 21O dreamed.
She dreamed of a place she had never seen, a place that seemed somewhere humans would live, a small village in the green and a giant tree, in the middle of it stood a woman with long white hair and a young child in her arms, the girl had black hair instead.
Then, all of a sudden flames arose, everywhere all around her.
The air smelled like burning ashes, and the smoke made it hard to see anything, so 21O raised her arms to cover her face and eyes.
Why was she seeing this?
What was happening?
Where was she?
And who were those two people she saw?
Though one felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't quite place why yet.
The wind howled and screamed, everything felt so hot around her like she'd burn at any moment too.
And then… everything went dark and quiet.
Slowly, 21O opened her eyes, only to see that same young child, kneeling and crying before her.
Instincts kicking in, the blonde attempted reaching for said child, but no matter what, she didn't seem to be able to get any closer.
Like something invisible was between them.
A hand placed itself on her shoulder, pale and ethereal.
21O turned to be face to face with the albino woman she saw, but those eyes…
They were 26E's eyes.
Different, right one blue, left one brown, alluring and… sad…
Just like hers.
The woman's snow white hair flowed around her like they were moving from the wind, yet there was none.
They were burning at the tips, 21O noticed.
All around her there was an aura of white light that dissolved in little dots little by little.
"Protect her for me." the woman spoke.
Even the voice was the same.
The tone of someone that unwillingly left something important behind, the sound of someone that held many regrets.
Once again 21O turned to the cowering child, and this time, she could walk to her.
She crouched next to her, and gently held her in her arms.
As she did, her image flickered, from the little thing she was, to the big and grown woman she was now.
26E stayed limp in 21O's arms, her eyes closed as if asleep.
She was entirely naked like the day she was born.
Not the soldier she was becoming, but just simply a woman.
"Promise me"
And so 21O did.
21O never got to figure out who the mysterious woman of her dream was, but she did all she could to be at 26E's side, no at Robin's side.
Aiding her the best she could, directing her where she needed to be, what she was required to do, trying to give her the least dangerous directions, though her chest always clenched with worry whenever she was involved in missions.
She didn't want to see her die over and over like 9S did.
Even with him she tried her best too.
She did what she could to be a good guide, and a good mother figure.
Only when her green eyes laid on the poster Robin brought with her, after three whole years, she could finally figure out who that white haired person was.
She didn't know how she appeared to her in a dream, but honestly she didn't care.
The will of a mother was indomitable.
She read about it, and now she knew it was true.
The woman, she now knew was named Nico Olvia had asked her to take care of the young and lonely child she had to leave behind.
And give her what she couldn't.
Protection.
And love.
Like a true mother would.
She just hoped she had done a good enough job at it.
Or if she'd been a disappointment.
Little did she know…
That her daughter was about to grant her a special wish very soon.