"Lucy, we're going to be leaving for the airport in an hou and we need you to look after your sister really well. Is that clear?"
"Yes, mom. I'll take good care of Catherine during your trip." Lucy replied for the fifth time as she watched her parents prepare for their upcoming trip to Sendai and Kyle had been tasked with going to the city with them since he knew his way around. "You be good for your big sister, okay? Don't cause her too much trouble." Kyle warned her and ruffled her hair playfully, making the little girl giggle as she gazed at her older brother.
"When will you be back?"
"In a few days. Don't worry, squirt. We'll be back in no time."
"If you say so!"
"Come on, Catherine. Say bye to mom and dad." Lucy said as she walked to the doorway with her younger sister trailing behind her. "Bye mama! Bye papa!" she exclaimed as they watched their silver car pull out of the driveway and disappear down the road until they were a mere dot in the distance. Shifting her gaze out the window, Catherine found herself staring at the vast blue waters of the ocean and began tugging on her sister's skirt to get her attention.
"Big sister?"
"Yes, Catherine?"
"Can we go to the beach today? It's nice and sunny out!"
"I suppose there's no issue in that." Lucy murmured and watched her sister dart back to her room in search for her swimsuit. Then, she realized that Catherine acted just like she did when her older sister declared that they would be going to the ocean. Now's not the time to think of the past... she reminded herself as she tied her hair into a ponytail after changing into a swimsuit.
"I'm ready to go!" Catherine announced and grabbed her sister's wrist the moment she saw her. Closing the door behind them, the two sisters walked down the steps and greeted neighbors along the way as they made their way to the beach. Holding onto her sister's hand, the little girl would point out objects that caught her eye and tried to get Lucy's attention by tapping her side. "Hey, sis. Do you think I'll ever be as good as you in swimming?" Catherine asked and looked up at her older sister with admiration gleaming in her eyes.
"Well. If you practice really hard and keep swimming, I would be more than proud to see you swim like me." Lucy replied nonchalantly and showed her sister a gentle smile, her blue eyes matching the same shade as the ocean. "That's not what the kids at school are saying..." the little girl murmured and shifted her gaze to the ground, sadness clouding over her as they approached the beach. "Catherine? Are they saying mean things about you?" the older girl asked and bent down to reach her eye level, worry etching unfamiliar lines onto her face and making Catherine feel guilty about worrying her sister.
"I-It's nothing that bad. Please don't worry about it, big sister."
"Catherine. What are they saying?"
There was no point in hiding it. Catherine knew that Lucy could practically see through her lies and she slumped her shoulders in defeat. "They're saying stuff like 'You're never gonna be as good as your sister' or 'You'll never win as much medals as her'." she explained and wiped her tears away with her arm. Taking both her wrists, Lucy gazed at her sister with softened eyes and shook her head in disapproval. "That's where we'll prove them wrong. I'm gonna teach you how to swim like me and then you can prove to them that you can swim just like your big sister." Lucy whispered and wrapped her sibling in a tight embrace.
"Let's do it!"
"That's my girl." the older girl exclaimed and quickly threw off her clothes before grabbing the kickboard she had grabbed before they left.
Stepping into the ocean, the warm water splashed against her legs and she let out a content sigh. Noticing that her sister hadn't jumped in, she saw the familiar frown that appeared on her face when she was nervous or afraid and quickly made her way to the little girl. "Catherine? Are you okay?" she asked in a gentle voice and saw her younger sibling shake her head frantically. "I'm scared." she replied, eyes wide with fear as she stared at the waves that crashed onto the shore.
"Hmm. Close your eyes and put your hands in mine." Lucy explained and Catherine did what she was told, placing her small hands in the woman's bigger ones. Slowly walking back, Lucy watched her sister's reaction as they slowly entered the ocean, the waves splashing against their legs as they continued a bit further. "Open your eyes now, sis." the older sibling murmured and Catherine's eyes fluttered open, taking in the scenery.
"Wow! The ocean really isn't that scary!" Catherine remarked and slowly withdrew her hands. The water had just reached her hips while it only came up to Lucy's knees and she fought back the urge to cling onto her sister's legs. "We're gonna start now, okay?" Lucy replied and watched as Catherine placed her hands hesitantly on the edge of the board. Though it seemed as if Lucy didn't care about her older sister, she cared deeply for Catherine and wanted to make sure their relationship wasn't tainted with her hatred towards Annalise.
"Catherine? Are you nervous? We don't have to do this today if you're not up to it."
"N-No. I do wanna swim like you it's just..."
"What is it?"
Biting her lip, Catherine clenched the board tighter and whispered the same words Lucy had said to her older sister.
"I'm just scared of letting go..."
Then, Lucy realized that this was the exact same spot Annalise and her had swam in when she was younger. A memory flashed through her mind and she shook her head, dismissing another painful memory trying to resurface.
"Catherine. I will never let you go and I promise to stay right where you can see me." Lucy declared and smiled gently at the blonde girl. "You promise?" Catherine replied in an insisting tone and looked at her sister's reflection on the water, her haunting blue eyes staring directly into her violet ones.
"Promise."
"Wanna go for lunch then come back and swim again, Catherine?" Lucy asked as she shook the water out of her hair, the tiny droplets splashing onto Catherine's face and causing her to giggle cutely. "Okay!" Catherine replied and held onto her sister's hand as they made their way up the stairs and onto the sidewalk. As they continued to walk to a nearby restaurant, Lucy's mind wandered and she found herself remembering the memory that had tried to resurface earlier.
The day was warm and the sun shone down on the beach as the waves rolled to the shore lazily, splashing against their feet and causing the younger girl to squeal in delight. "You ready for your super awesome swimming lesson, Lucy?" Annalise asked her younger sister as they stepped into the water slowly. Annalise stopped in her tracks when Lucy clenched her hand and took a step back, causing the older sibling to turn around and look at her sister with worry on her face.
"N-No..." Lucy murmured quietly and took another step back, fear gripping her heart as she continued to stare at the waves that crashed onto the shore. Ever since she first laid eyes on the ocean, Lucy had a deep fear of being swept away by the ocean's currents and preferred the tame waters of the family pool. "You okay, sport?" the older girl asked and brought herself down to her eye level.
"I'm just scared of the ocean sweeping me away like the dust that mama sweeps away." she replied and let out a gasp when the water splashed against her legs, fuelling her fear even further. Annalise felt a tug at her heartstrings when her sister's words echoed in her ears repeatedly. The fringe that covered the right side of her face blew with the wind and allowed the younger sibling to stare at her older sibling's turquoise eyes in awe. Cupping her face with one hand, Annalise smiled at her sister and looked at her with a softened gaze.
"I would never let the ocean sweep away the greatest little sister the world has ever seen."
"Do you promise?"
"Sisters never turn their backs on each other." the brunette replied and linked their pinkies together, creating a promise both would fulfill no matter what.
"Nee-san!"
Without warning, Catherine had wandered onto the road in curiosity without Lucy's knowledge. "Catherine!" Lucy exclaimed and spotted an oncoming truck approaching her sister, unaware of the little girl who stood in the middle of the lane with fear freezing her in place. Without a single thought, the older sibling ran and pushed the little girl onto the sidewalk and out of harm's way, scraping Lucy's arms and shoulders on the concrete in the process. The truck sped past them and continued down the road, unfazed by Catherine's near death experience.
Onlookers watched in awe and began murmuring amongst themselves as they watched the two sisters stare at one another, but they couldn't see Lucy's eyes burn holes into Catherine's head. "Nee-san..." Catherine whispered and reached out to touch her sister's shoulder, but the firm grip on her hand caused the little girl to freeze once more. Lifting her bright blue eyes, the blonde could see anger burning in them and prepared to take on her sister's wrath.
"Catherine Rosaline Hinukajin...do you know how dangerous it is to wander onto the street like that?!" Lucy exclaimed and saw her sibling flinch at the sudden harshness of her voice. "I'm sorry, nee-sama..." Catherine sobbed and felt her sister wrap her in a tight embrace. "Don't you dare do it again. Don't you ever. Do you realize what could've happened if I didn't see you?!" she warned and pulled away to stare at her sister with a tear streaked face.
Seeing her sister's shaking body, she stood up and decided it was time to head home. "Let's head home, Catherine. That's enough swimming for today." the woman concluded and helped Catherine to her feet. The two sisters made they way home and left behind the murmuring crowds that had filled the streets after witnessing the older sibling's brave actions.
But, Lucy hand't noticed Haru standing in the midst of the crowd with a mix of shock and awe on his face. However, out of the dozens of people who had gathered to see what the commotion was, only he saw past the woman's anger and saw fear casting its spell on her.
News spread throughout Iwatobi like wildfire and almost everybody in town knew the story. Haru was on his way home from practice, thinking about the accident Lucy had prevented, when he noticed a figure sitting on the beach. Making his way down to the beach, he saw Lucy gazing out into the ocean with an unreadable expression on her face. The other thing he noticed was the numerous scrapes on her shoulders, drops of dried blood speckling her fair skin while dark scabs dotted the surface.
Grabbing a seat beside her, Haru called her name and he saw her eyes flick towards him before returning her gaze to the ocean. "I saw you saving Catherine today." Haru mumbled and clasped his hands together, listening to the sounds of the ocean waves crashing onto the shore and seagulls cawing in the distance. "I would've guessed." Lucy replied and drew her knees closer to her chest, silence hovering over them once more. As she continued to stare, the swimmer found himself studying her profile intently.
Her bright blue eyes seemed darker in the sunset, creating a shade he never knew existed. A lock of her rose pink hair was tucked behind her ear, revealing a faint flush on her cheeks. Her full lips would part and close, a simple action that made Haru feel a bit jittery. "You okay after what happened?" he inquired and she finally looked at him after countless minutes of silence, her eyes drawing him in and never letting go.
"Yes. It just stings at times." she answered and looked up at the sky, but the various shades of blue, violet, orange, and yellow couldn't compare to her own eyes.
"Lucy, are you really okay? Your shoulders are all scraped and you seemed a bit too harsh on your sister."
"I'm fine, Haruka." Lucy answered in an insisting tone and rested her chin on her knees, moving her gaze from the ocean to the sand where Haru had began drawing spirals. It felt strange to be called Haruka instead of Haru and the harshness of her voice took him aback, almost reminding him of an ocean during a storm.
"Is Catherine okay too?"
"Yes but she's a little shaken after what happened today."
"What caused you to do such reckless actions?" Haru asked and the pink haired woman sighed, leaning back and looking at the sky with her blue eyes. Sneaking a quick glance at the young man, Lucy remembered a lesson Annalise had told her before she disappeared.
"As an older sibling, it's pretty much your job to keep your younger siblings out of harm's way. No matter how dangerous the situation is, it's your responsibility to keep your siblings safe no matter what. Even if the consequences are devastating." she explained and felt the ocean breeze caress her cheeks lightly, exhaling as she listened to the familiar sounds of her childhood.
Catherine sat in the living room with Makoto watching over her like a parent. Earlier, Lucy had asked if he could drop by and watch over Catherine since she decided to go on a run to clear her head. He agreed willingly and watched over the little girl the same way he did with Ran and Ren when they were younger.
He had tended to the child's scrapes a few minutes ago and watched as she wandered over to the sliding glass door and gazed at the pool's still waters. The moonlight illuminated the soft ripples of the pool and saw the sadness in her eyes when she turned around to face him. "Is everything alright, Catherine?" Makoto asked and slowly made his way to her, dropping on one knee to meet her eye level.
"Does nee-sama hate me?" Catherine wondered as she turned her head once more to gaze at the pool. His eyes widened at her question and he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, eyes softening when he heard her sniffle and wipe her tears away.
"No no, Catherine. Your sister would never hate you. She loves you more than anything and you know that."
"But, I made her super mad earlier..."
Letting out a small sigh, Makoto led her to the couch and sat down next to her, stroking the top of her head as she leaned against him. "You see. When something bad happens to a person someone cares about, they often get mad at themselves because they couldn't find a way to stop it from happening. Your sister may have seemed mad at you, but really she was mad at herself for not stopping you from going onto the road." he explained and Catherine looked up at him with her violet eyes.
"Then, what would make her stop being mad at herself, Makoto-san?"
"Hmm. Why don't you give her a hug when she comes home? I bet she'd love that more than anything."
"You're right, Mako-san!" she exclaimed and jumped when she heard the door open. "She's back. Time to go for a surprise hug." Makoto laughed and they made their way to the doorway. "Nee-san!" the little girl called out and wrapped her little arms around Lucy's shoulders, taking the older sibling by surprise.
"Catherine..."
"It's okay. You don't have to be mad at yourself anymore."
"I..." Lucy stammered and did nothing but return the gesture with her own hug. When they pulled away, Lucy stood up and thanked Makoto for watching over Catherine, exchanging a quick friendly hug with the young man. "I'll see you at school then." she called out as the young woman watched Makoto ascend the stairs to his home.
After closing the door and making her way to her room, she found Catherine fast asleep on her bed with the covers wrapped around her little body. Her blonde hair had been removed from the pigtails she had worn all day and the golden locks fanned out on the bed, making a little ocean of golden waves. She's already fast asleep and I don't wanna disturb her. I'll just let her stay the night here. Lucy thought and climbed into her bed without waking the younger girl.
Shutting the lights off, she lulled herself to sleep and wrapped a protective arm around Catherine. The only thing that made her happy was the fact that she had just stopped history from repeating itself all over again.
A/N: Well this story is just stepping into feels territory so I guess expect the unexpected...? Anyways, this chapter was exploring the relationship between Lucy and her younger sister Catherine. I think. Anyways, see ya next chapter.