26th September 2013 Thursday

Day 269

Wow DargonFlyer9, sorry to hear that and I hope it wasn't hard to read. I had no idea, huh, guess I'm psychic. Holidays are so close I can almost taste them. Can't wait!

Disclaimer: I absolutely do not own the show.

The girl sat at the end of the pier, her feet swinging slowly over the edge as she contemplated the recent events.

Sure, Bream was shocked, but she wasn't upset about it. Her dad was getting older, so she was relieved that he had found someone else who could take care of him now that she had left. She was only upset because her father did not write or message her about it. It was almost like she was forgotten.

A light tapping grew louder and louder down the dock, but Bream didn't need to turn her head to realize that it was the child at home. From the corner of her eye, Bream watched as the little fish girl took a seat next to her and stare at her intently, before dropping her gaze to the ocean below them.

She wasn't any older than five or six.

The two girls sat in silence, unsure at what the first move should be. Bream took it upon herself to begin, but she was a little distracted by the object that Coral pulled out of her pocket.

Coral sighed loudly as she wound the tail of the fish, before allowing it to drop in the ocean below. They watched it move in a circle; buzzing and humming with its engine. A smirk grew on Bream's lips.

"Cool, huh?" she commented, gesturing to the robotic fish. The younger girl smiled in response; her eyes following the figure-eight circle of the toy.

"Dad said the smartest person in the village made them…for all the kids to enjoy," a smile grew brightly on Bream's lips at these words. She shook her head in amusement.

'Just something my dad would say.'

Her smile faltered a little at the thought.

'Then again,' she thought, flashing her gaze to the child. 'Who is she referring to?'

"Do you mean…your dad or mine?" Coral looked up at Bream, a slightly upset expression on her face that certainly didn't hide the sorriness that the older girl picked up. Whatever it was, Bream suddenly regretted it.

"Your dad," she said in a whisper, feeling guilty at the situation. She seemed to perk up a bit when her gaze followed the fish. "Mom said that my dad went to live with the big red fish."

Bream furrowed her brow, stretching her brain to find an image of a big, red fish. Her eyes widened at the memory of the first time she met Tung, and how the crew had saved her father from his certain death at the hands, or claws, of the…

"Imperial Water Scorpion," she whispered, intentionally meant for her inner thoughts. Coral looked over to her, resulting in the older girl to widen her eyes in fear and sympathy.

"The big red fish," Coral corrected, nodding her head as she spoke. A little giggle left Bream's lips.

"Yes, the…the big red fish."

"Are you my sister?" Bream cast her gaze down to the little child, smiling a little. "Mom said that dad's daughter is my sister. You're not around a lot."

"Uh," the frog girl stammered, trying to word the sentence in her brain. "Y-I guess we would be step-sisters," Coral smiled sweetly at her, to which she took as a good sign. "And I'm sorry I haven't been around. I have the coolest job ever; I fly around the galaxy helping giant alien insects survive, and hope that one day, all living organisms can live together in peace."

A smile grew on Bream's face as she watched Coral's eyes widening at her words.

"That sounds amazing," she mused, an almost dazed expression on her face. She bent down to reach the robot fish; Bream grasping the back of her rope belt to prevent her from falling in. When she returned, she was fiddling with the toy, as though something was on her mind but she didn't want to say it.

"I just have one question," she said, looking over to Bream with a worried look. The older girl nodded sweetly to let her know that she meant no harm. "How do you get your dad to stop snoring?"

Although she tried to stop it, a huge laugh erupted from Bream, which she tried to cover with her hand. Her arm draped over Coral's shoulder, hugging her close.

"There is so much to teach you."

The two girls walked all the way back home, hand in hand on the pier. The door to their place opened, revealing Threadfin and Marina in the kitchen, and Tung and Dex seated at the dining table. Tung's plate was empty, but it didn't stop him from sneaking the large purple flounder on Dex's plate. The leader didn't debate.

"Dex, if you don't mind, could we return to Earth tomorrow?" she asked hopefully, bringing Coral forward yet placing her hands on her sister's shoulders. Dex raised an eyebrow with a smile. Similar grins were spread on the two parents in the corner. "I'd like to get to know my family."

Just one more day, and then I'm free! R&R!