Mad at Mouse Part 15

I didn’t notice him at first, too intent on my research.

Then I felt a trickle of power, and startled, I leapt up and promptly got tangled over my chair, falling and landing hard on the cold floor.

Twilight.

He stood over me and offered a hand.

I considered it. On one hand it was an offer made in good faith, on the other the mouse had collapsed when I took his hand.

I took the hand, and felt the sudden flow of power. It was alive. My skin went a dusty blue, a nice change from the pale grey, and I hoped futilely that the Keyblader had not noticed.

As a plus, the Keyblader didn’t collapse. Good. The fault lay with the Mouse, or maybe the Dark Heart.

He did appear slightly paler.

“What was that?” He demanded, twisting his hand out of her light grip. Oh dear, he had noticed.

She shrugged, drifting back towards the desk she had been working at.

He scowled at her. “Is that what you did to the King?” He demanded, looming over her.

She sighed and tilted her head, looking him over carefully. “You are the Twilight Keyblader.”

“Riku.” His eyes narrowed, “My name is Riku.”

“I haven’t met any Kings. I certainly haven’t attacked any.” She said carefully, and softly. She was proud of that, just slightly. He had to strain to hear her.

“Mickey. King Mickey. You arrived with him.” Riku growled.

“The mouse?” She asked, trying for innocent confusion. “The Dark Keyblader?”

Riku’s paused. His frowned deepened. “You didn’t know who he was?”

She shrugged again, “Keyblader. Carrier of the Dark Heart. Almost got me torn apart by Heartless. Saved me from those same Heartless. Collapsed after the fight.” She stated the facts as simply as possible. She glanced down at her hands, and traced the silver webbing, were they scars? They had not gained colour along with the rest of her.

“What are you?” Riku asked, and finally there was confusion and honest curiosity.

“I’m...” not a Guardian, I was no longer guarding, my mind flickered over all my past titles and jobs, most of them no longer relevant, most of them had never been important. “Nobody. No one important. Not anymore.” She settled on.

“No.” Riku slashed his hands, “How did you do that draining thing?”

He wasn’t going to let that go, was he? “I am designed to hold a great deal of power, young Keyblader. I am currently almost empty. You on the other hand are overflowing with energy. Naturally power flows from the overflowing cup into the empty cup.”

Riku frowned. Held up a hand while he thought, “That doesn’t match up with the magical theory I know. Power acts like gravity, drawn to the densest power.”

I laughed. “Would it help if I equated myself to a black hole?” Oh course basic magical theory wouldn’t cover what I was. It probably barely covered what he was.

As he considered this, I considered the pile of books on the desk. There were only a few dozen, but none of them had held the information I needed.

“Why are you here Keyblader?” She asked suddenly.

Riku’s face became serious again. “What do you want?”