Avie and Sky's Problem

"Sit there until I die? Come on Umbra, you and I both know I'm an eternal entity. I'll be there when Sky's grandkids die," Avie said. She closed her eyes and pointed her head away from Umbra.

"I'm very well aware that you are eternal, but Quake could come at any day. If we're not prepared, and this feud lasts until then, you and Sky will both die, and your new Master may use you for bad things, instead of good things," Umbra said to Avie, but she wasn't paying attention again.

This girl!

"Avie! Pay attention to Umbra for crying out loud!" I screamed out in her head, but she didn't even listen.

"Hey, Umbra, do you wanna race?" Avie asked. She was so childlike... is this even the same person that fought off all of Quake on her own?

"I'll race you, and if I win, you need to start paying attention, deal?" Umbra asked.

Huh...? How could she win if Avie was the fastest person on Earth? Why would she take that deal?

She must have a secret trick...

"From this part of the field to that house over there. You have to stop before the house, and whoever makes it there first and does one pushup wins. Deal?" Umbra asked again, and Avie nodded, jumping up and down.

"When this blade drops to the ground, we'll go. Are you ready?" She asked Avie again. Avie nodded and the two primed themselves.

Except, Umbra turned her back toward the goal.

Umbra threw the sword up in the air by six feet, and as soon as it hit the ground, the world around my perception warped into a bright blue color and quickly returned to replicate the other side of the field they were racing on.

When Avie looked at Umbra, she was mid-pushup at the finish line, stretching out her arm when we both warped over to the end.

"...what?" Avie muttered.

"Are you surprised?" Umbra asked.

Was it bad if I was surprised?

"I've discovered your problem, it was a lucky guess, but it still proves my main theory... you two are completely out of sync!" Umbra shouted out at us again.

"Uh, yeah, we knew that," Avie said in a smart-ass tone, but Umbra shook her head again and dove deeper into her explanation.

"Sky, you were thinking that was impossible, right?" She asked, looking at my body. I was startled but affirmed the statement, and Avie relayed the information.

"I figured... because you didn't move. Avie only broke light-speed and then ended it when she thought she reached the goal. Sky didn't think you could do it, and your body didn't move. Your dual consciousness is conflicting with itself so much, that you can't even use Avie's ability to move fast," She clarified.

"EH?! You didn't think I could do it?! I was the one who beat Cole! Don't forget that!" Avie shouted out at me.

"I know you were! But I didn't think Umbra would challenge you if she couldn't beat you, so I was worried you couldn't do it!" I admitted, but Avie only took a major offense to that.

"I didn't think you could beat Orion, but I still had faith in you! Why don't you believe in me?!" Avie shouted out to me again.

She was right... through all of my challenges, Avie was the one that understood me the most. She understood what I was capable of and believed in me through everything I've ever been through.

"I'm sorry... you're right. You've been there for me. I don't doubt your abilities anymore... but I really can't have you sucking all of my stamina out when you're in control of my body," I told her, but she ignored me.

"Umbra, I want to race you again," Avie said with a straight face.

This time, I was ready. I was completely ready for Avie to crush Umbra and leave her in the dust.

Umbra started the race once more, throwing the sword up in the air after picking it up, and my vision was warped once more to that bright blue color. However, this time, I was ready to crush Umbra.

Avie reached the real finish line this time before I even blinked, and did her pushup again, staring back at Umbra, who was running toward us from across the field.

It was a quick development, but I was able to understand Avie on a level that related closely to me.

When Avie first awakened, I was desperate. I wanted help and would accept it no matter what. I was worried I couldn't beat Cole in my own body, so it's like I almost gave that body up just so I would be saved.

I've been helpless, and Avie was able to take over my body completely.

Now that Avie and I exist at the same time without giving complete control to the other, it's hard for our abilities to shoot off with the same efficacy as before. It's simple.

If water goes through two different pipes, the pressure will divide by two. If it goes through one, the pressure will be just as powerful. I think I was starting to understand now...

To let Avie use her power, I had to turn off the valve that allowed me to take control if need be. I had to let Avie use my body... no...

Avie had to use her body and her stamina, and when it was my turn, I would use my stamina and body to defeat whatever enemy came up on us.

Sure, I could understand that... but could Avie?

Ah, what am I saying? That's just what I was talking about.

"Avie, I had a new idea for the two of us. It seems that we shouldn't act like this is our body... we should act like it is our own body, separate from the other, and maybe we would be more powerful than usual," I offered the idea to her, but she shrugged.

"Maybe," She said. I felt her smile through her waving hair in the wind, and finally felt like some common ground had been closed.