Emerald walked from room to room, aimlessly. Her face was almost twisted
from the pained and discontent look. Ann gazed after her while putting her
child's clothes away.
"It's obvious she's still hurt," she thought, walking over
and picking her up. "I am too." Emerald raised her downcast look into Ann's eyes
and said nothing.
"It's been a few years," Ann replied softly. Emerald lowered
her gaze again.
"Everything still smells like them," she whispered. Ann
sighed and hugged Emerald. She didn't know what more to say, having consoled
Emerald in the past years the best she could. Emerald squirmed free of her
trainers' grip and started to walk back into her room.
"I'm going to try again," she called back over her shoulder.
Ann nodded. Ever since Flash had died, Emerald had been concentrating on trying
to 'speak' with them. She wasn't sure if she could do it, but both could vaguely
remember seeing Passion, Emerald's grandmother and the one to pass on her gifts,
communicating to Kindle in her thoughts after Kindle had passed away. Emerald
hadn't been successful, however.
"Good luck," Ann said softly, walking off again.
Emerald closed her eyes, clearing her mind, and focusing her strength. She would
be mimicking an outer-dimensional psy, but unlike normally, she didn't know
where it was going, making this a much harder task.
~Mom? Dad?~
The psy was already draining her, but Emerald kept her senses up still strong to
try to receive a message. When she could wait no more she sighed and dropped her
defenses, rubbing her sore head.
"Someday," she muttered, grinding her teeth in frustration.
"Either I'll contact you, find the secret entrance to the realm, or die trying."
She slumped against a wall, and gazed at the various pictures she'd had placed
on the wall. They were beautiful scenes that Snowflake had helped her draw.
Snowflake had become a great healer, like LT was; only her specialty was dreams.
A white Squirtle, greatly resembling LT, poked his head into her Emerald's room.
Emerald eyed him over suspiciously.
"Hey cousin, are you alright?" Cloud asked curiously. Emerald
nodded, still holding her head. Cloud bit his lip and walked into the room. "You
don't look so hot. Did you get hurt? Should I go get Luna or Mom?" Emerald shook
her head, crawling into her bed.
"I'm fine, Cloud, thank you," she murmured, lying. Cloud
smiled gently at her, walking to her bedside and kissing her forehead. Although
cousins, Cloud was very protective of all his family. Emerald purred in
gratitude and kissed his cheek. Cloud, still quite conscious that she wasn't
alright, left her in peace, walking back out to the family room. Luna was trying
to weave a pure light dream catcher, but paused to give her twin an inquiring
look. Cloud shook his head, indicating there was nothing to talk about, and Luna
went back to her weaving.
"Where are mother and father?" Cloud asked idly, looking for
his gear. Luna shrugged, adding color to her creation.
"Who knows anymore," she muttered, mind fast on
concentration. "Mother has a habit of leaving often, and Father has lately taken
to going with her." Cloud sighed impatiently as he lifted his favorite arrow out
of a quiver and twirled it about his paws. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know," Cloud mused. "Just call it an inkling that I
think their help will be needed soon." This prompted Luna to put her creation on
hold again.
"Whatever for?" she asked. "There hasn't been any trouble
here for quite some time, and if there was, you and I could probably handle it,
with the help of the rest of the family." Cloud fidgeted.
"That's just it," he explained. "It's not something we can
handle. I don't know how else to put it, especially since I don't even know what
it is. Let's just cross our fingers and hope I'm wrong, okay?" Luna nodded,
smiling as she took the pure light dream catcher in her paws.
"Hoping is what we do best," she laughed. "Here's to the
future!"
