"Why won't you say anything anymore?"
The boy leaned heavily against the wall and gave his opponent a long, serious look.
"I thought you didn't want me to say anything. I thought you wanted me to keep quiet and leave you alone," a calm voice replied.
"I do!" The boy replied immediately, then chewed on his lower lip and shuffled his feet.
The boy's opponent, his partner, just raised his eyebrows.
"I do, I do! When you're here, everything goes away, and you hurt--you kill people. And then you feel bad about it, but not nearly as bad as I feel about it. It's my hands that do it, but it's not me, and..." the boy rambled out the words as though he didn't quite know what he meant.
Smug. "It's because you don't."
"I don't what?" The boy looked confused.
"Know what you mean."
"Yes, yes I do. I really do. I just don't know how to say it," the boy shook his head, then started towards the other, steps short and deliberate. Not backing down this time.
"And why do we, we, of all people, need something like words?" The other felt icy, calm, simmering, raging control.
"No, you don't have any control, that's the whole point. I left because of you. I left everyone because you were getting stronger and I couldn't stop you anymore. I was going away and you were pushing me out--"
Quiet, sad little laugh. "Is that what you've been telling yourself? I suspected, but since you've kept me packed away, I wasn't positive. I wouldn't fool myself like that. You may not know why you left, but I do."
"What?"
"Never mind that right now. Yes, I may hurt people. But I also protect. I do have control. I'm more powerful than you for one reason, and one reason only."
"I don't underst--"
"It's because I'm not afraid to use what we have. I give into it, and the power flows out, and there it is. You think you have control over it, and over me, but you just have fear. I don't have control over it either, not really, and I even have fear as well. I just don't fear myself. The fear of the power, the pain of hurting others...I don't feel that as much. You feel everything. You don't let me feel, because I do the things you don't want to. I get the job done, and then you stick me back here and leave me alone, and everyone loves you. You--"
"You're lonely."
"I know."
"I--I'm sorry."
"Yeah, we are."
The mirror shattered.