A/N: I am SOOO sorry about the wait!! School's started, the teachers are piling on homework... It's just been an overall bad week. Weeks. Plus, I have a large series of projects coming up. Ugh... Anyways, thanks to reviwers!!! You rock!!

Emerald

3

"I sure will!" Emma chirped.

Behind her, Jira looked troubled. "Emma..."

"Yeah?" Emma happily swirled around.

"Emma, maybe we should hurry to your house..."

"Where're you young people going?" Mr. Briney asked, with a wide smile.

"My house! I've offered them a ride to Lavaridge Town. You see, the cave's out. And they were trapped."

"I see." His face smiled, the crinkles on it being emphasized. "Perhaps you'd like a ride from me? I could take you by ship to Slateport City, then you could walk to Lavaridge Town from there. It'd be long, but you'd be able to see sights."

"I would love to do sightseeing!" Emma chirped.

Deo, behind her, rolled his eyes, not looking at his sister's troubled face.

"...But first, let me call my mother!"

Mr. Briney's face shifted for a moment. "...There's a slight problem with that, young lass." He paused, which made Jira's suspicious look darken. "...I don't have a telephone, you see."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll just go to the next city over and ask for a phone!"

Mr. Briney turned around, and hacked into a Kleenex, his face looking like he was a trapped animal. Finally, he turned back around. "Lass, perhaps... What if your parents don't approve of your new friends?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Emma was confused, and the siblings behind her looked worried at this turn of events.

"After all, you just met them, and now you're offering them a ride. With one of your grandparent's pokemon. What if they don't give it back?"

Emma opened her mouth, as if to protest. Jira's hand wrapped itself into Deo's and squeezed, hard. His eyes narrowed as Jira let go. And then, he just...

Disappeared.

A loud squawking came from inside the house. Peeko.

Mr. Briney jumped, and Emma's mouth spoke.

"What's that?"

"Peeko, of course." He squeezed his hands together, his face contemplating. With a look at Jira, and a look at Deo, who was now back, he said, "Wait here," and went inside the house.

Jira sprang forward. "Oh, Emma, we can't take a long time... Our parents will be... worried..."

"Ohhhh..." Emma smiled. "'Kay. I'll say goodbye to Mr. Briney."

Jira gave a start. "Er, no, um... Why don't we go telephone your parents like you suggested? Except just to tell them you're coming home." Her look was now begging.

"But he's-"

Deo began to walk. "...We don't have time, got it?"

Emma ran after him, probably shocked that he had spoken at all.

Jira walked more slowly, glancing back uneasily at the house. "Then she is the Dragon Keeper... Deo, what are we going to do?"

Her voice was nothing but a whisper, but it echoed and echoed, finally fading into the fog rolling in from the woods.

Emma's unending talk filled the uncomfortable silence between the two others, Jira's blond hair limp and her blue eyes looking somewhat lost. Deo's expression, as sure as the sun rising, was unreadable.

"And THEN he used Surf to cross the little pond. He ran into a Sharpedo along the way, which he beat with an Earthquake from his-"

"Emma?"

"Yes?" Emma swirled around, her short black hair bobbing up and down.

"May I see the necklace he presented you?" She then winced, as if expecting to be struck. Emma, however, simply grinned.

"I don't see why not!"

Deo pushed a hand through his hair, a sign that Emma did not recognize as worry. The wind began to blow as Emma handed the necklace over. The emerald dazzled in the shifting light of the sun, the shadows of the trees dancing.

Emma felt something cold make its way down her spine, icy and chilling. The look on Jira's face seemed to say she felt the same thing. She shoved it back into Emma's fingers with a trembling hand.

"Jira?" She managed to whisper. The leaves blew through the trees in response.

"You should never, ever give the necklace away," Jira said, slowly. Her blue eyes were unfocused, looking at something that Emma could never see.

"Jira." Deo's voice cracked, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe we should find a place to rest for a while."

Emma nodded, her cheerful mood carried away on the wind.

It was later, and even the nighttime didn't help the feeling of the earlier event.

Jira was already asleep, while Emma sat, in silence.

Emma never, ever, sat in silence. It wasn't in her nature.

Emma was an optimist. Even if the day seemed gray, she was confident that it would clear to reveal a rainbow.

But not now. Now, the icy chills sweeping down her back remained, every once in a while drifting away, only to come back when she least expected it.

Her teeth began to chatter despite the warmth of the day. The woods seemed cold.

Footsteps sounded beside her, and she suspiciously looked at them. Deo stood behind her, one hand ruffling his red hair, the other stuck deep inside the pocket on his loose blue pants. He sighed deeply.

Emma tried to cheer herself up, and managed a smile that looked convincing. Deo froze, unknowing, it seemed, how to respond to such a thing as a smile meant only for one person. He finally dropped himself down beside her.

"Jira's sleeping soundly." He paused. "I don't know what happened today..." If she looked deep inside the expressionless look on his face, she'd discover that he knew. He knew a lot more than he said. Than he would ever say. "...But-"

"I really don't want to talk about it." Emma shifted into a more comfortable position, inside wondering what had caused her to be so rude. After all, it was the first time he'd ever talked directly to her.

Silence from him.

Emma stood, and turned. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Hey." It was barely audible.

"Yes?"

Deo crossed his arms and shook his head. Emma sighed, and went to her sleeping bag.

He stood soundlessly, stared off into the trees, and let a frown flicker on his face.

So much for trying to make her happy again.

One of Jira's eyes flicked open as it scanned the area around her. Soft breathing from her brother and Emma meant that they were sleeping fine.

She sat up, and glanced out into the trees, the defiance in her eyes fading as her soft sigh confirmed that he was not coming. Not tonight.

Something was holding him at bay.

Something was keeping him from Deo.

Jira twisted a strand of her blonde hair around one finger nervously, finally resting back in her sleeping bag. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, swallowing.

How much longer could they hide this... Hide EVERYTHING... From Emma? How could they, when she was involved?

A/N: Augghhh!! Again, I'm SOOOOO sorry!!! Well, I guess it's time to talk!

Hinata-rocks- Thank you so much for your continued support throughout this story so far!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Well, the necklace was a bit hard to describe. And about the pairing... Okay! I'll try it. I hinted at it a little here, though not much. You've gotta start someplace for people like Deo. Thank you so much, and I hope you liked this!!