The Light of My Eyes

A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon

It had been difficult to sleep last night after a long day of pain, fear, triumph, and joy. Thanks to the teachings of KFC the Combusken and the support of my dear partner and friends, I’d reached a critical milestone in my quest to learn how to fly. In the dungeon of Twilight Overstory, I’d balanced my Aura and channeled it for the first time, unlocking the ability to control the air itself. The excitement hardly faded as night fell and Sneasel and I returned to our dorm, but I eventually managed to drift off to sleep.

Now my eyes fluttered open as warm golden sunlight beamed through the window above my bed. Sneasel had woken up first, and she stood near our dresser, one paw holding a polished bronze hand mirror and the other brushing her fur. She didn’t care too much about appearances, so she was always scruffy, but she’d started brushing her coat more often to appease the guildmaster. As our guild rose in prominence, Lliam wanted his employees to look more presentable, and I couldn’t blame him.

I rose from my bowl packed with cozy soft cotton balls and let out a little yawn. Sneasel’s ear twitched, and she turned to me with a smile.

“Morning, Booker,” she said.

“Good morning, Sneasel,” I replied.

She placed the hand mirror back on its wooden stand on our desk near my bed. It was displayed vertically, and at my size, it was a perfect full-body mirror. While my partner went to our dresser to get her bandanna, badge, and belt, I stood before the mirror and tried brushing out some of the overnight messiness of my fluffy setae.

It took me a bit to realize something was amiss. I tilted my head and stepped closer to the bronze plate, gazing into my compound eyes. I’d been fascinated by them ever since acquiring this new body. Unlike human eyes, these were made of countless miniature units, each containing a complex microstructure that disrupted light and caused an iridescent beige reflection to appear on the surface. An additional white mark always accompanied it due to light glinting off the black surface of the eye.

One white square, one beige. That’s what I’d grown accustomed to seeing over the last three months. But now my reflection was different: the beige spot had changed to a soft mint green.

I stared in surprise. I knew this hue. I’d grown intimately familiar with it during all my training.

I was startled by a little chuckle from Sneasel. She had her bandanna and belt on now, and she was looming behind me, looking down with crossed arms and a smirk.

“Can’t get enough of your own reflection, huh?” she asked. “Been staring at yourself for, like, a whole minute.”

“N-not just my reflection,” I said. “My eyes. Can you take a closer look, please?”

Sneasel placed an upturned hand on the table beside me, and I climbed onto her palm. She lifted me close to her face and peered at me.

“Oh, right,” she said. “I was gonna mention that when you woke up, but it kinda slipped my mind. Your eyes’ve been different since you got home yesterday.”

I gasped. “Really?”

“Yep. Noticed it in the dojo when you were showing off your new move. I woulda brought it up then, but... didn’t wanna change the subject and ruin the moment, y’know?”

She set me back down. “D’you know what’s up with that?” she asked. “It’s cool, but also kinda weird.”

I shook my head as I checked my reflection again. “Hmm... I’m not certain, but I have one idea. I just awakened my Aura yesterday. My eyes were normal when I left for the dungeon, but they ch-changed by the time I returned to the guildhall, according to you. Also, this mint color... It’s the exact same shade as my Aura. Th-there must be a connection. Unlocking this power must have caused my eyes to... change somehow, as if they were i-infused with my Aura.”

“Uh-huh. I dunno how Aura works exactly, but I guess that could explain the change. So, how do you feel about it?”

I considered it in silence for a bit. “Um... It’s unexpected, but it’s a perfect reminder of what I’ve accomplished. A-assuming it doesn’t fade away, every time I see my eyes, I’ll think about my Aura and my progress. So... I like this change.”

I glanced back up at Sneasel. She was grinning at me. “Sweet,” she said. “Mint ain’t my favorite color—or flavor, for that matter—but you got a point. You’ve come a long way since I met you. And it’s only been, like, a few months. Just imagine how much farther you’re gonna go if you keep up with your training!”

I nodded, concentrating on the beat of my life force. I held out a hand and breathed deeply. Warmth flowed from my core and into my arm, and the air around my hand glittered with pink energy as it gently swirled around. Fairy Wind. I’d never get tired of it.

“W-well, I couldn’t have done all this without your faith and encouragement,” I said. “So, um... Thank you, Sneasel.”

“Aw, cut it out, ya big softie,” Sneasel said, playfully rubbing the top of my head with a knuckle. My antennae flicked, and I flinched. I playfully shoved at her claws, and she giggled and acquiesced, moving her paw away before placing it palm-up in front of me. She curled a claw, beckoning me as she asked, “Ready to head out? Can’t wait to see you use your new powers in a dungeon today!”

I nodded, but before climbing on, I paused and took one more look at the mirror. I met the gaze of the mint-eyed human-turned-Ribombee. We smiled at each other. I really had come so far in a short while... and I couldn’t wait to see where I’d go next.


My homepage: https://rentry.org/RibombeeHomepage Clover Guild homepage: https://cloverguild.com

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Pub: 19 Apr 2026 00:09 UTC

Edit: 19 Apr 2026 04:35 UTC

Views: 77