The Dream Shifter

Chapter 150

A narrowed expression appeared on Yuki not pleased by the almost sarcastic tone that came to him. "That's not what I mean! If your mom sees you talking to me you'll get in trouble! She hasn't forgotten you know!" There was a bit of a distant extension to his words as he finished as he reminded himself of the past.

"Like I care about that. She's been hovering around everything I do lately anyway. So this won't be any different."

Yuki gave her a disbelieving stare that was not accepting how casually that she was act about her mother. He was not going to be cause of increased tensions with her family. He moved to walk around Saki trying to leave, but she grabbed him at the upper arm tightly to keep him from moving further. There were no words spoken between them, but a fast power struggle ran its course. Yuki tried to break free and quickly learned that Saki's grip was far stronger than he could break. It had shifted sharply into a staring contest of intention with Yuki implying silently that he was determined enough to use his power to break free if necessary. While Saki countered him with an even more determined stare saying that she would break through whatever he did and knock him out flat if he tried anything. After only a few seconds Yuki had given up flight seeing that he was not going to win against Saki, a point of irony that he remarked to himself. 'I remember protecting her years ago and now I can't even beat her…'

Since they had settled their debate Yuki gave a reluctant shrug to her fitting into his place. "So where you want to go to talk?"

"Since you're so concerned over my mom finding us we can move a little out of sight." She escorted him several meters down the street until the neighboring homes made it impossible to actually see that they were outside. Once Yuki had fallen into a place leaning against the property wall of the house they were out in front of Saki took the initiative. "Fight with Momoko?"

"That obvious?"

"Well I could say a line like 'You always come to me after a fight with your sister' or something like that, but I know that's not true." She could see the slight smirk on Yuki's lips from her joke. "So what is it that you're unable to talk to Ayumi about?"

"Huh?" said Yuki feeling genuinely confused by Saki suddenly bringing up Ayumi.

"I'm neither blind nor jealous. But it's been pretty easy to see that you've been going to Ayumi more recently for your problems. It makes sense with her having the same powers. It doesn't really matter to me who your girlfriend is."

There was a quick blush of red in Yuki's face before he protested Saki's accusation. "She's not my girlfriend! I don't have one!"

Saki grinned a little to herself. "That's a pretty fast denial. I've seen the way you two look at each other this week while at school. She understands what you're going through better than anyone, it makes sense."

"Stop saying that!"

She was the one shrugging now for him. "Whatever, the question still remains though. I've seen you looking pretty distant the last few days as though you've been thinking heavily about something. Considering the number of things that have been happening to you lately I don't know which of them is the problem. But seeing how much you've been distracted by it I'm guessing that it was also the reason you fought with Momoko. And it's important enough that you can't talk to Ayumi either, but you can to me. So what is it?"

There was a long pause from Yuki as he took in what she had said. The intention had been the same as Momoko, but everything about the way that she spoke to him seemed so different from his sister. He could not understand it. Perhaps he was already done venting over the matter and the willingness to talk about it was no longer a point of needing to hide it. It could have been that it was his sister and he wanted to protect her. Whatever the case, he found himself ready. "Since when did you become so observant and convincing?"

"It's part of becoming a woman," she teased.

"Right…well I'm considering Ayumi's offer that she made to me the first day that she showed up at school."

"You mean when she talked to you alone? What did she tell you?"

"She wants me to go back to her homeland and become their King."

Saki had widened her eyes a little with this new revelation to what had happened that day. They had told her about a lot of what was going on, but she had always felt that they had left out some details. The weight of what it would mean started to push down on her shoulders. "So you're going to leave everyone behind?"

Yuki hesitated in his response to her as his mind swirled with thoughts that he had been tossing around for so long. The words that Ayumi had told him whispered to him as though trying to convince him that he was doing what was needed. Yuki looked up at Saki carrying deep sorrow filled eyes of regret. "…they aren't my real family…"

Yuki hesitated in his response to her as his mind swirled with thoughts that he had been tossing around for so long. The words that Ayumi had told him whispered to him as though trying to convince him that he was doing what was needed. Yuki looked up at Saki carrying deep sorrow filled eyes of regret. "…they aren't my real family…"

Saki could not believe what she was hearing from Yuki at that moment. She stood up in front of him and slapped him hard across the cheek without hesitation. There was so much disappointment and anger built up in her that she could not say anything to him. All she could do was to stare at him.

It took a moment for it all to sit in for Yuki. Even after that the stinging sore mark on his cheek was all he really understood for a while. He was not too sure what had happened. It had all been so foggy in his mind. He tried to shake it free from his thoughts and focus back on Saki. He comforted the sore skin wanting an answer. "What was that for Saki?"

"Why do I even need to answer?! You should know without me even telling you!" Saki snapped losing any restraint that she might have had for Yuki after that moment. Seeing the lost and confused expression on Yuki only made it worse for her. It was aggravated even more by the fact that it seemed to be genuine. "Are you telling me that your mother and father that loved you so much and that made you a wreck when they died are not your family?!"

Yuki would have stepped back if he could had he not been leaning against the wall. All he managed to do was straighten himself up at the accusations from Saki. He could not understand what she was getting at or why she was bringing up a sensitive subject for him. "Huh?! What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that!" yelled Saki taking Yuki up by his shirt completely lost in her emotions.

"Saki?! Why are you so upset?!"

"How can you!? You're—" The longer that Saki glared mercilessly at him the more her rational side started to resurface. 'Something wrong!' She could see that there was something missing from his eyes. It stirred an unbalancing feeling in her stomach that forced her anger back down. 'He honestly looks like he doesn't know what I'm talking about… What's going?!' Saki slow had to let him go becoming confused with each passing second.

Chapter 88 – Intrusion of the Uninvited

"You alright, Saki?" asked Yuki softly as he reached out to try to console her. He was not sure what had happened, but he was relieved that she had calmed down. "What's wrong?"

"Yuki?" Abruptly, her breathing turned shallow and ragged like everything that had been let go had been expending every part of her body leaving nothing behind but spent waste. '…is this another part of his problem or something else? Doesn't he remember what he said?' She looked into his eyes cautiously trying to read him for an answer. There was little to be found; it had been different than before. Pausing any more was just going to be a waste. "What did you mean when you said they weren't your real family?" It seemed like the best place to start for Saki.

Yuki shifted his weight a little suddenly feeling off balanced. He did not know why she was asking him such a question. The words, however, had still managed to dig into him stirring up the confusion that was swirling within his heart. 'Why? How can I do it?!' His hand pulled away from Saki and clung to his chest feeling the swelling pain that tortured him once more. 'It doesn't matter! I can't… but if I don't…' Each doubt and incomplete thought only fed into his mental wounds that he had inflicted upon himself. They were angry and festering out of control. Yuki felt like he head was going to explode. He stumbled back into the wall desperately need the support.

Saki became startled by the sharp change in behavior from Yuki. He seemed to have lost control collapsing from the stable ground that he had had just a moment earlier. She did not understand why it had triggered something so catastrophe within him, but it made it clear to her that deeper issues were buried. "Yuki…I'm right here. You can talk to me." The roles became reversed with Saki consoling Yuki.

Words became like whispers to Yuki and whispers like ghouls that haunted him with suggestive thoughts. They compelled him and tore at his soul as he tried to grant everything while being left with nothing. '…Saki, but should I? Can I talk to her? No, I shouldn't burden her!'

A battle was desperately being fought within Yuki's eyes. Saki could dip shallowly into him with her gaze. Even without him speaking to her she had some understanding of him. The deeply conflicted feelings that were buried behind his layers of masks worried her. Despite his painful past, she had known him to be focused in removing everything from him that threatened the peace that he was maintaining. Yet there was a struggle inside that could not be covered up or buried. It was going to break him if he was not released from the t*****e.

'I promised her a decision…' Yuki felt surrounded on all sides by voices echoing in his ears ceaselessly. It left a numb feeling all over his body. '…but how can I choose?' If they had all been real he was certain that he would have been deaf by this point. There was no end to it; all sections of consciousness spoke its voice. 'I'm needed somewhere! They'll be in trouble if I don't go!' Tides were steel walls unwilling to shift or turn to become flexible. 'But I don't know them, they aren't my people! My family is here and friends!'