Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: I do not know for sure where the term 'Emerald Pair' first originated, but the first time I ran into it was in whisper132's absolutely wonderful Honorable Society.

Also, I do not find it likely Konami will make Fuji play Kirihara again, or the Golden Pair against Niou&Yagyuu, but they do now for the sake of the fic. (Well, that and somebody had to lose. My original line-up for the fic had Fuji in Singles Three, but he looked at me with a smile and told he wasn't about to lose, thank you very much.)

Emerald Pair

"Singles Three will be Echizen," Ryuzaki-sensei told the assembled regulars. "I trust you will bring us victory this time, Echizen."

"...Yes, sensei." The first-year nodded, tugging his cap down as though to hide his disappointment, and waited for the coach to continue announcing the game order.

And, naturally, she did. "Doubles Two… Kikumaru and Oishi," she said seriously. "Let us see the power of the Golden Pair once again. And as for Singles Two –"

"Wait, baa-san," Momo interrupted her. "Shouldn't Eiji-senpai and Oishi-senpai be Doubles one? Or are you going to pull some weird combination for that again?"

"No weird combinations," their coach replied calmly. "Doubles One will be played by the ones most capable of winning it – Inui and Kaidoh."

"Huh?" All the regulars seemed startled by her decision – Inui and Kaidoh most of all. Only Tezuka's expression stayed unchanged as ever.

"I think this is for the best," Ryuzaki-sensei said. "If we look at the results of recent matches, it only makes sense."

"She's right," Fuji said, nodding slowly. "Aside from their very first match, Kaidoh and Inui have won all of their matches. On the other hand, Oishi and Eiji –"

"Haven't managed to get a single win after the Tokyo Prefecturals," Oishi finished for him. "You are right, Ryuzaki-sensei. It would be arrogant of us to demand the Doubles One spot."

"But – but – but!" Eiji protested. "It was because Oishi's wrist was injured! And we even reached the Synchro! If your wrist is all better, everything should be all right, Oishi! We won't lose again!"

"Eiji." Oishi set a calming hand on his doubles partner's arm. "Calm down, Eiji. It'll be better this way."

"But Oishi, you promised!" the red-head continued. "How can we be Japan's number one doubles team if we are playing Doubles Two? Don't you want to keep our promise or what?"

"Eiji," Oishi sighed, "this is not about what I want or don't want. This is about making our team as capable of winning the tournament as possible."

"Eiji-senpai, I –" Kaidoh started, sounding uneasy, only to be interrupted by Inui.

"Eiji," the data player said seriously, "the chances of you winning against Rikkai's Doubles Two team are 87. However, if my calculations are correct, there is only a 5 chance you might actually beat them in Doubles One. Therefore, it would be sensible to follow this order."

"Whaaat?" Eiji said. "You're saying that you and Kaidoh would do any better? You've only ever played four matches together!"

"Our chances of winning in Doubles One are 64." Inui's glasses glinted. "It is true we have only played in four official matches – and only won three of them – but, as I might remind you, our only defeat was in our first match on the first round of the Kantou Tournament. In the Kantou quarterfinals and our two matches in the National Tournament, we have achieved victory. However, as for you, Oishi has got little experience in official matches lately, and what little experience he has had has been solely defeat."

"Nya, Inui is mean," Eiji complained, pouting. "Fine, we'll play Doubles Two. But I'll laugh when you lose, nya-nya-nyaaa!"

"I wouldn't expect anything else." Inui's expression quite plainly told that he did not, in fact, expect anything else.

"Tezuka-buchou?" Echizen asked as the team had begun to disassemble. Only a few remained, Fuji waiting for Tezuka and Momo waiting for him. "Are Kaidoh-senpai and Inui-senpai really that much better than the Golden Pair?"

Surprisingly, the first response was a shake of the captain's head. "There is no use comparing those two teams," Tezuka said seriously – not that he was ever anything else but serious. "Their doubles style is completely different. The Golden Pair's play is based entirely on natural compatibility and experience of playing together. Oishi controls every aspect of the game, while Kikumaru cheers Oishi on. If it wasn't for Oishi guarding the back, Eiji couldn't steal the spot light like he does. They trust each other completely every single second the match lasts."

"And Kaidoh-senpai and Inui-senpai?" Echizen asked. "What's their style?"

"Outlasting everybody, as I'm sure you have noticed," the captain replied. "Kaidoh tires the opponents, waiting for them to make a mistake, while Inui keeps an eye on the situation as a whole and ensures their victory. As we have seen, Kaidoh has enough endurance to play alone against two in a national level match, but if it wasn't for Inui, he couldn't keep running around like that."

"I understand," Momoshiro said. "So they can't be really compared, because they belong in different categories, eh? They're kind of the same but still totally different, like gold and gems."

"Indeed." Tezuka nodded in agreement. "I believe that, were they to play against each other, nobody could predict the outcome. Their strengths are too different."

"Gold and gems, hm?" Fuji smiled. "That is indeed a good way to put it, Momo. Though I wonder… if Oishi and Eiji are the Golden Pair, what kind of a gem would Inui and Kaidoh be?"

"What's the most idiotic one there is?" Momo asked with a grin, only to receive a warning gaze from Tezuka. His grin turning embarrassed, he took a few steps back to escape the captain's wrathful gaze.

"Emerald Pair." The others turned to look at Ryoma. "It was after the quarterfinals when I heard that. Shiba-san failed to get a proper picture of Kaidoh-senpai and Inui-senpai after their win against Hyoutei. In the picture you couldn't see their faces at all; Kaidoh-senpai was turned away so that you could only see the back of his head and Inui-senpai had his notebook in front of his face. Because Kaidoh-senpai's bandanna and the notebook were both green, Inoue-san said they are obviously the Emerald Pair just waiting to claim the Golden Pair's throne. Of course, he didn't put this in the magazine, but…"

"Emerald Pair? That sure sounds nice," Fuji mused. "I wonder how we could get it into public use."

"Just mention it to Inoue-san tomorrow," Echizen said. He didn't sound too excited at the thought, however. "I'm sure he'll have it drilled into everybody's mind by the next issue."

"Oh, I'm sure I will." Fuji's smile was, to the three other regulars, something they knew not to take lightly. This was not the usual everything's-all-right smile; this was Fuji's Scheming Smile.

They could only be glad it wasn't directed at them.

The Nationals finals didn't start well for Seigaku. Instead of the interesting match and eventual victory they had expected from Echizen's match against Marui Bunta, they instead received a bitter defeat. Landing badly from catching a high ball, Echizen sprained his ankle badly enough to be unable to play anymore before a single game had been finished.

"I'm sorry, senpai-tachi," Echizen muttered barely audibly as he was helped to a bench. He certainly looked sorry, too. To suffer a defeat after his record of victories – and in such a manner, too – had been hard on him. His cap shielding his expression, though, he refused to show his expression, letting them only judge his mood by his body language.

"Don't worry about it, Ochibi," Eiji said with a grin and his usual victory sign. "Let us take that one win back for you!" Oishi nodded, in perfect agreement with his partner.

"This is bad," Momo muttered a second later. "Really bad! Those are the guys senpai-tachi lost to in the Kantou finals!" He pointed as Niouh and Yagyuu entered the courts.

"I wonder who Rikkai is going to use for Doubles One," Fuji muttered. "These two would not usually be playing Doubles Two." He turned to look at Inui. "Worried yet, Inui?"

"Not at all," Inui replied. "I am 86 sure my prediction of the line-up is correct. All the odds are in our favour." He smiled confidently. "There is no way Kaidoh and I will lose."

Eiji and Oishi did, in fact, win their match, much to the displeasure of the Rikkai team. Not letting themselves be tricked again, the Golden Pair showed their superior skill as well as Oishi's now complete recovery by winning the game 6-4. After this, Fuji easily defeated Kirihara Akaya in Singles Two. With two wins and one loss, Seigaku was feeling vaguely confident before the Doubles One match.

Then, however, they saw exactly who entered the courts.

"Sanada Genichiroh and Yanagi Renji," Inui stated calmly. "My data was absolutely correct."

"No way," Horio gasped as he, like everybody else, stared at the Rikkai pair. "Two of the three demons of Rikkai… only a miracle can bring us victory in this match!"

"Fortunately," Echizen said dryly, "senpai-tachi seem to specialize in miracles."

"We will do our best to be deserving of your trust, Echizen," Inui said with a slight smile. "Ready to win, Kaidoh?"

The only answer he got was a hiss from his partner. However, nobody needed to be told that this meant a positive answer.

"Oh, and Kaidoh?" Inui asked casually as they started walking towards the court. "You're not wearing weights again, are you?"

"Of course not, senpai." Kaidoh's eyes glinted even more dangerously than usually. "I'm not going to let anything get in the way of our victory."

"It's doubles again, Sadaharu," Yanagi said calmly. "Only this time, we are on different sides of the net."

"If we had stuck together, we could have taken over the world," Inui replied with equal calmness. "However, now I'm going to do that with Kaidoh – and you are standing in our way."

"Taking over the world?" Sanada echoed. "Aren't you setting your goal a bit too high?"

"If Inui-senpai says so," Kaidoh replied, "we will do that." There wasn't any hint of hesitation in his voice.

"They've been going at it for over an hour already," Eiji whined. "They're still at two games each. How long do they plan to take?"

"I don't know about that," Fuji said. "However, I do know they are absolutely amazing." He smiled a bit. "You've noticed it too, haven't you, Echizen?"

"Yes." Echizen smirked slightly. "Despite over an hour of lengthy rallies at such a high skill level, Kaidoh-senpai..."

"Indeed." Fuji nodded. "Kaidoh isn't even out of breath yet."

"Chance of a cross, 87." Inui expertly returned the ball Yanagi had shot a moment earlier.

"A slice," the other data player commented, hitting the ball back."You are too predictable, Sadaharu."

"Chance of Renji predicting me to hit a slice, 97." Another shot returned.

"'Two steps to the right, Kaidoh' is what you were going to say, right?"

"Wrong." Inui smirked. "He has already taken the steps."

Kaidoh returned the ball.

"It's been two hours, and they're only now using their special moves?" Momo asked. "I thought Mamushi'd already proved he can win a game without his stupid shots. This isn't normal, not normal at all."

"Four games to four," Oishi mused. "This may go on for a while yet."

"What is Sadaharu to you, Kaidoh?" asked Yanagi, hitting the ball with perfect precision. "What does he mean to you?"

Kaidoh's gaze was simple and honest, revealing nothing but a strong will to win. "He is my senpai," he replied neutrally, "and my doubles partner." Returning the ball with apparently no effort of any kind, he added, "And the one with whom I'm going to defeat you."

"You wish." Sanada returned the shot with little difficulty.

"Three hours, and we're finally at a tie break," Echizen commented. "Senpai-tachi indeed do miracles."

"That's right, nyaa!" Eiji exclaimed. "Inui's data is better, and so are Kaidoh's skills!"

"Kaidoh does have a lot of potential," Fuji noted. "If he continues training with Inui, I have no doubt he will defeat you one day, Tezuka." He smiled brilliantly. "Given that Inui gave it a very good try, that day might not be that far."

"It's not today, however," Tezuka commented dryly. "And what you see now is not their true strength. Instead, it is their strength as a doubles pair."

"What's your evaluation, Eiji-senpai?" Echizen asked. "Do they pass the inspection?"

"Barely," Eiji replied with a grin. "I think they have what it takes, though. Look at them for a while." He pointed at the court. "It's hard to notice since Inui keeps barking orders and Kaidoh always does whatever he tells him to, but if you know what to look for, you can't miss it."

"Indeed." Oishi nodded in agreement. "Kaidoh and Inui... After the first three or four games, I haven't seen them using signs even once."

"What does that prove?" Momoshiro asked. "Mamushi and I don't use signs, either."

"Indeed you don't. That is why you are only a moderate doubles team." Ignoring Momo's protests, Fuji continued, "Eiji and Oishi only rarely employ signs, knowing each other well enough to be able to move together without communicating. That Inui and Kaidoh have reached such a level in this relatively short time is simply amazing."

Echizen tugged his cap down to cover his face. "As I said," he stated. "Senpai-tachi are doing their specialty again."

"Kaidoh," Inui said, and nothing else.

"Yes," Kaidoh replied, moving exactly to where his partner wanted him to go.

The shot was returned perfectly once again.

"How long is this tiebreak going to last?" Eiji whined. "They've already far exceeded Atobe and Tezuka's record!"

"Indeed. To see such a game is a rare treat indeed." Fuji smiled. Then, however, he frowned slightly. "Inui seems a bit tired, don't you think?"

"So do they all," Momoshiro replied. "Playing this long can't be good to any of them. It can't be good at all."

"Only Kaidoh doesn't seem to be affected," Oishi observed. "I guess his stamina indeed is limitless."

As though to prove him wrong, however, Kaidoh stumbled at that exact moment. He only barely managed to return the ball, after which Yanagi sealed an easy point for Rikkai, bringing them to a draw for the umpteenth time that evening.

"This is bad," muttered Taka-san, his eyes wide. "For Kaidoh to be tired..."

"I fear what this might cause," Fuji mused. "I'm certain the Rikkai players have often enough practised playing at their very limit. For Kaidoh, who lately has appeared to have no limit at all, that's impossible. He's not used to playing at such a level on the brink of exhaustion."

"Don't say that, Fuji-senpai." Echizen's face was still hidden by his cap. "You're being a bad example to first years, teaching them to doubt their senpai's skills." He adjusted his cap to reveal his face again. "Kaidoh-senpai will pull through; I'm sure about that."

"How can you be so sure?" Momoshiro asked. "I don't even remember when I've last seen Mamushi stumble out of exhaustion! It's not like him, not like him at all!"

"That's simple." Echizen's eyes stayed fixed on the game. "Inui-senpai said they would win this match, and Kaidoh-senpai would never make him a liar." Before anybody could say anything, he abruptly turned around. "I'll go warm up."

"That Echizen," muttered Momoshiro. "If he indeed was so trusting in the idiot's skills, he wouldn't need to warm up. If Inui-senpai and Mamushi win, he'll never have the chance to play with Captain Yukimura."

"Echizen is not untrusting, he is simply reasonable," Fuji pointed out. "However, I think he may be too early." Blue eyes glinting a bit, he added, "I have a feeling this tiebreak won't be over for a while yet."

It seemed the entire game now depended on Kaidoh, at least according to what the audience's attention was most at. To most it was a novelty to see the player with the infamous endurance suffering obvious exhaustion, everybody being entranced by his unrelenting game. Inui was taking more and more shots for his partner, covering for him while Kaidoh tried to adjust to the situation. As Fuji had noted, he wasn't used to playing while exhausted.

Nevertheless, Kaidoh wouldn't give in, and Inui seemed to find some hidden reserves of strength as well. Having by far set the record for the longest tiebreak in the tournament, night approaching already, Seigaku was leading by one point at 234-233.

Yanagi directed a well-calculated shot at the right side of Seigaku's court. Kaidoh hurried to return it, to everybody's great shock preparing himself for the Boomerang Snake. Inui almost called out for his partner, telling him not to do it, knowing it was nigh impossible in the current situation.

Even if he had indeed shouted, Kaidoh hardly would have obeyed. As it was, he hit his special shot without audible protests from his partner. The power of the shot, however, made his exhausted body fall over onto the ground.

The Boomerang Snake curved further than it had ever before done. As they watched it, everybody, even Inui, felt a flicker of momentary doubt – would the shot go in? Kaidoh was tired, and the position had been far from ideal. Also, the general circumstances, and now the path of the shot... It was obviously going to be out, it couldn't be anything else with that angle, no matter how good Kaidoh was.

Inui's eyes, like everyone else's, followed the path of the tennis ball. If it now was out, he doubted Kaidoh would have the strength needed to regain victory after the failure of his specialty. According to Inui's data, there was a 76 chance they would lose if they lost this point. They might be able to stall the defeat for a while, but they couldn't win.

Finally, the shot landed with a loud thud, too far for either of the Rikkai players to reach it. Everyone's eyes strained to see the result.

The ball was not only in – it was in the singles court. A perfect Boomerang Snake.

After a moment, the silence was finally broken. "Game, set, and match," the referee announced, "Seigaku's Inui-Kaidoh pair!"

The audience erupted. There was no other way to describe it. One moment there was complete silence; the next everybody was shouting, yelling and cheering.

Inui glanced around at the cheering audience, then down at Kaidoh, who was still lying on the ground. Offering a hand to the younger boy, he smiled. "Good job, Kaidoh."

Grasping on the offered hand, Kaidoh pulled himself up. "You too, senpai."

"I understand now what Inui said yesterday, nyaa," Eiji said, clinging to Oishi's arm in the middle of the cheering crowd. "There's no way we could have won that match, ne, Oishi?"

"You're right," Oishi said. "Ryuzaki-sensei was right to give Doubles One to Inui and Kaidoh."

"They're a true doubles team," Eiji sighed happily. "Almost as good as my Oishi and I!"

"Since when was he 'your' Oishi, Eiji?" Fuji asked with a smile. Those who knew him could tell this smile was one of genuine relief at the result of the match.

"Since we started dating, of course!" Eiji pouted. "He's mine and I won't give him to anybody else!" With this, he held even tighter onto the now blushing Oishi.

"Oh, relax, Oishi," sighed Tezuka as his vice-captain tried to produce some kind of an explanation in the middle of the others' laughter. "Everybody knew already."

"It's kind of obvious, you know," Momoshiro pointed out. "Well, I didn't believe it at first when Fuji-senpai told me, but when I saw you kissing behind the club house one day I couldn't really deny it, I just couldn't..."

"Which makes me wonder," Fuji commented calmly, "just why Inui and Kaidoh make such a superb doubles pairing..."

"Hey, Mamushi, are you and Inui-senpai dating?"

"Fshuuu." Kaidoh glared at his eternal rival, a flush on his cheeks. "Shut up, idiot."

"Now, Kaidoh, don't be so rude." Inui stood suddenly behind Kaidoh, adjusting his glasses. Directing a glinting-glass gaze at Momoshiro, he added, "I quite prefer the term, 'an established doubles team.'"

Kaidoh's blush deepened. However, he didn't protest.

"Who exactly are these boys, Ryuzaki-sensei?" Inoue-san asked. "They are far from the level expected of their age! The Golden Pair was amazing as usual, but Inui-kun and Kaidoh-kun... Who, no, what are they?"

"They are our little gem," Ryuzaki-sensei said, smiling. "The Emerald Pair of Seigaku."