The Only

Her Voice

"Shiiiiiit, Mommm!"

The raging wind tossed and spun Max around through a large tunneling column. This time felt different than before; it was much more turbulent and violent, yet she was completely conscious and could feel and hear her daughter beside her. "I'm here, Des!" she bellowed, through the nearly overwhelming dizzying effects of the tumultuous trip.

Their hands were still locked tightly at each other's wrists, and the older girl fought with all of her strength to maintain the relentless grip, even though her hand was starting to go numb. She realized her eyes were finally focusing and she could see past the unforgiving wind and the shadowy void, deep into the tunnel.

"Mommm! I don't know if I can do this!"

"You got it, Des!" Max wanted to be supportive, but the swirling energy that originated from the teen seemed to be depleting.

"Help me!" Des's voice trembled with terror, and Max feared her daughter was in over her head. The previous times the eighteen-year-old traveled between universes she glitched and was never in control. From what Max understood, she could freely traverse their timeline, but going to another universe wasn't something the girl could fully handle yet. She gathered that Des must have used her power while she was with Chloe in the mindspace, so she assumed there was a good reason. She realized she probably stayed inside with her wife for too long but didn't regret it for a second.

She sensed Des's strength subsiding and rapidly draining. Their bodies weren't flying as smoothly as before, and they were being tossed and slung around carelessly. Max was worried about what might happen if the teen exhausted her power while they were between universes, so she did the only thing she could think of. She closed her eyes and located the raised sweet spot where her power was stored. She longed to pull, rather than push, so she could feel her soulmate's connection again, but she knew it wasn't the time. She needed the rewind as it existed in its original form. Just one pulse might help charge her daughter's energy enough to push through.

Pressing down on the spot, Max released a wave so robust it could be described as a tsunami. The power didn't produce its typical results as it would if bound within time. Wherever they were at the moment, time wasn't something that restrained them and the power's vigor was heightened. Through the cascades of energy, and past the spired vortex of their travels, Max noticed her daughter inhaling deeply with a breath of renewed strength.

She wanted to plug the pulse but was worried it would cause the teen to become overwhelmed again, so she allowed the flow to continue. Once she sensed Des was back in control, Max closed her eyes and, before she could locate the source to close it off, a second tunnel ripped open and split from the first out in front of them. She had no idea how far it was from their location, but she knew the pair was quickly approaching the point where the paths diverged. She watched as every bit of her power tore through the vacuum of the second tunnel and was joined by a much smaller torrent of Des's power. Most of the girl's energy was concentrated on the original path, but the smaller stream was enough to help create the second direction.

The cleft of the tunnels was upon them and, as hard as she tried, she couldn't maintain contact with her daughter. Their grip was easily peeled apart by force and speed and Des continued on her path while Max was flung in the other direction. "Noooo!" The older girl screamed as she realized she was headed somewhere different than her daughter.

She wasn't sure if it was because she couldn't breathe very well, or the temporary madness induced from rapidly passing between universes, but an odd giggle escaped her lips. Her body was face down hurling through space with one arm out in front, and she felt like a time-traveling version of Captain Marvel.

The strange laughter was abruptly replaced by a sobering concern. She noticed Des's golden current begin to form a small circle up ahead, burning away at the fabric of space. When her power joined her daughter's, a small hole was gashed in the air and Max was headed straight for it. As quickly as she noticed the opening, she passed through and blasted to the other side. She flipped and rolled, landing on a damp solid surface, sliding a little way before catching herself, then she turned and watched the opening wink out of existence to nothingness. Max sat in silence, in the dark, thankful she wasn't being tossed around anymore. Solid ground was exactly what she needed despite knowing she was separated from her teenage daughter. Breathing became much easier and all disorientation faded away.