Eyes That Change

Uninvited Proposal

For the first time in a very long time, Yuna could truthfully say she felt good. She had never slept so well before, the futon that she had been given to sleep on was much better than her makeshift one at her home. She was finally getting real rest and would wake up feeling refreshed.

Every morning she would wake up to help Shiori and Shuichi in the garden, something she had grown to adore doing. A sense of calm would overcome her as she took care of the plants and a bright smile would light up on her face as she worked. It was a calm that didn't go unnoticed by her first friend, who would watch her from the corner of his eye. He would watch just to make sure she was fine.

It had been two weeks since the incident involving her abilities awakening, and every day after school and cram the two of them would slowly work on getting them under control. Shiori had tried desperately to convince her not to go back to school after the supposed burglary, but the girl was too terrified to go against her father. Shuichi himself thought it was a bad idea too, considering the physical changes she underwent with her abilities. Considering they were not the most subtle changes.

Yuna managed to handle it better than he assumed she would, smartly using her absent mother (regrettably) as a scapegoat. Explaining to their teachers that when her mother found out what happened she insisted they go for an outrageous makeover. He honestly didn't expect her excuse to work, but it did.

The two of them were currently sitting at home, finishing up their schoolwork in silence. Shiori was out grocery shopping for a new curry recipe she was thinking of making tonight. There was a tense air hanging about the kitchen, neither teen wanted his mother out by herself. Both were too worried about her health, something which Yuna found out earlier the week previously when she accidentally went into her friend's mind while he was training her.

The minutes passed like hours until a pain like no other slammed into Yuna's head. A sharp, pained yelp escaped her as she fell out of the chair. It felt like a freight train had rammed itself into her brain from how bad the pain was.

OBEY. SUBMIT.

"N-No! Get out of my head!!"

She curled up into a ball and clutched tightly at her head, tears fell from her eyes as she felt more pressure come down on her. She could barely register Shuichi cradling her to his chest, blocking herself from someone. Black spots slowly appeared over her sight as the pain grew, like she was being swallowed by darkness.

Then there was nothing, no pain, no Shuichi, and no kitchen. It was just her in complete darkness.

———————

It wasn't like that for long, however, when what felt like a glass cube appeared around her and trapped her within its confines. Anxiety began to fill her as it started to shrink, closing in on her. It wasn't until the glass had touched her skin that the panic finally set in. The glass continued to compress her body, squeezing the life out of her.

It felt like she was suffocating as the cube grew smaller and smaller. She needed to get out, but her mind kept drawing a blank from how scared she was.

It's hopeless... I'm nothing without anyone to help me or tell me what to do.

Tears pricked her eyes as her head filled with these negative thoughts. Her tears and sadness had taken over the panic, while every other emotion she was feeling rolled off her in waves.

I'm useless. Even with these weird pow—

She stopped, the answer was right there in front of her. She should be able to get out of this if she used her powers.

Forcing down her feeling she slowly prepped herself, focusing her mind on the cube surrounding herself. It felt like there was a rubber band in Yuna's mind being held taut, all she needed to do was let go of it. She closed her eyes and breathed out, letting the tension snap. She expected to hear the glass shatter, not for light to fill her eyes.

———————

"Unfortunate, it looks like our conversation won't be just the two of us it seems. Tell me, does she know?"

Yuna sat up with a gasp, her eyes falling on a boy that looked to be her age with red eyes and black hair glaring down at her in contempt. His gaze lifted to her friend and gave him a disgusted grunt.

"It's disgusting to see the great thief himself associate with weakling humans. Though it is thanks to this one that I was able to even find you." He sneered at her with a mocking tone. She quickly turned her eyes towards Shuichi, who had tried to himself in between her and the unknown boy.

"I'm planning a heist in the spirit world and who better to get on my little team than the legendary Kurama himself?" His tone was filled with arrogance as he looked at her redheaded classmate.

Shuichi reached his arm behind him, offering it to her to help her up, which she gratefully took. The pressure in her head was gone from earlier, though there was still a residual soreness left behind. It was disorientating, to say the least. When she was sure she didn't need his arm to help her stand she let go and stared frightfully at the obviously uninvited guest.

"Even if I was still in the thieving business, I wouldn't join a heist without first knowing my potential partners and the items we would be acquiring." Her friend's words were smooth, she could tell they were guarded like he was trying to ferret out just what this odd troublemaker wanted.

"I'm looking to take the Artifacts of Darkness."

At the mention of the items, Yuna noticed her friend tense before straightening himself. The image of an ominous-looking mirror filled her head.

The Forlorn Hope. It would undoubtedly save Mother.

Shuichi's voice rang through her head quickly. Looking over to her friend, hope filled her, if it could save Shiori, she didn't see why they couldn't help and use the item. However, its name was rather unsettling, and foreboding to her. Her eyes flickered between the two boys and quickly she spoke up, a burst of courage filled her.

"Give us a little time to think about your offer."

That scarlet glare was back on her threefold, a deadly glint shiny brightly within their orbs as he snarled slightly at her. Her courage dispersing quickly at his dangerous aura.

"I want only the fox's expertise, not some useless, third-rate weakling psychic. Even if you can get out of one of my illusions."

She quickly turned her gold eyes to the ground and hid behind Shuichi, the latter still in thought on what to do. It wasn't a long wait however, his green eyes snapping up to look at dangerous red ones.

"Yes, give us some time to think this over. We may very well need Yuna's expertise if we are inclined to agree."

Shuichi's voice left no room to argue, as he looked at the other with a charming smile.

"Hn. Whatever."

In the blink of an eye, he was gone, yet the tense atmosphere he had created remained. Shuichi took a moment to let out an almost exasperated sounding sigh before turning around towards Yuna. He gently placed a hand on her shaking shoulder, unbeknownst to herself she had been shaking the entire time he had been there.

"Yuna, are you alright?"

Said woman nodded and swallowed hard before looking over at him. The words that came tumbling out of her mouth was probably the most random thing she had ever said.

"If you're a fox does that mean you like eel?"