Chapter 14: Chapter 14 - Etheric Beauty

“Would you like to come with me?” Rhapsody asked Harmony softly. “Into her dream? It might be easier for her if you are there too.”

Harmony felt a spike of fear impale her stomach, rough and jagged, as she thought of revisiting her father’s lab of horrors. She was pretty sure that Melody had gone through more hell than Harmony had. She had been there longer than Harmony and had been older as well.

It took all of her will power to make herself nod as fear nearly drowned out every other emotion.

“Never mind, Harmony,” Rhapsody reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder as she felt the terror radiating through the bond. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked this of you.”

Mystery hurried over to them, concern filling her face as she approached. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just an idiot,” Rhapsody sighed in irritation. “I’m sorry Harmony. Even without the emotional attachment, this was too much to ask.”

“No, I can come with,” Harmony made herself say, unable to keep a tremor out of her voice. “She needs me to be there.”

“No, Harmony,” Rapsody said firmly, her face resolute. “Melody wouldn’t want you to see this again anyway. I just wasn’t thinking far enough ahead when I asked you.”

Harnketi had joined them at some point. She knelt in front of Melody and glanced up at Rhapsody. “I’ll go.”

Rhapsody nodded quickly and a moment later the two of them vanished.

Harmony felt relief flood her body in waves, accompanied by a deep sense of shame that she wasn’t strong enough to be there for her sister.

“Hey, there is nothing wrong with fearing pain,” Mystery told her firmly, kneeling and placing her arm around Harmony’s shoulders. “You let Rhapsody handle this.”

“Is everything okay?” a familiar voice asked in concern.

Harmony looked up to see Eileen standing in front of her. Eileen’s eyes were full of compassion as she stared down at the three of them.

“Rhapsody is taking my sister into the dream world to remove her emotional connection to her traumatic memories,” Harmony answered quietly as a tear slid down her cheek. “She asked me to go with, but I was too scared.”

“That’s not true at all,” Mystery disagreed firmly. “You were willing to go; she just wouldn’t let you when she realized how much you are still affected by the memory of that place.”

Eileen squatted down in front of Harmony and Melody, her face filled with understanding. “Rhapsody was right not to let you go, Harmony. That is a chapter of your life that needs to remain closed. If your sister is working through the kind of trauma that you were, having you there will only make her feel worse. The best thing you can do is be there for her when she wakes up.”

Harmony knew they were right, but she couldn’t stop the crippling guilt that she wasn’t there for her sister when she needed her most. She remembered the times her sister had suffered from crippling depression as a result of the trauma, while simultaneously dealing with an abusive husband. Now that Harmony knew she had been held hostage by her synesthesia, she felt a renewed sense of guilt that she hadn’t been more dogged in an attempt to understand the cause of her sister’s emotional turmoil. Maybe if she had tried to talk with her more, she would have discovered what David was doing and found a way to save her sister.

She felt the concern and worry from Mystery as she fell into a downward spiral of guilt and regret. The world faded away as the scope of her failure to help her sister replaced all other sensations. She could feel Mystery holding her and attempting to talk to her, but she couldn’t break free of the abyss of self-recriminations swallowing her in a cloak of darkness.

She gasped as love suffused her soul, pushing any trace of negativity away in a tsunami of positivity. She blinked and looked around in confusion. The clearing was lit up with an ethereal light that banished all the shadows. She felt arms wrapped around her and looked over her shoulder. The angel she had met several days ago, Emily, was holding her in tender arms with a look of unadulterated love on her face. Harmony stared into swirling violet galaxies that were filled with more love than she could comprehend.

Everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at the divine being in awe. Her presence flooded the area around her with an aura of power and authority that would make gods bow in deference.

“You are more amazing than you can possibly understand right now,” Emily told her in a voice that sent rippling tingles down her spine. “Don’t let the negative emotions drag you down. You are indominable, Harmony. Remember that.”

Emily vanished, leaving a stunned silence in her absence. Harmony took a long, shuddering breath as she looked around at all the eyes now watching her. Agent Black and Agent Monroe had fallen to their knees from the sheer power of Emily’s presence. Their eyes were wide and filled with wonder as they stared at Harmony.

Harmony felt like her brain was right on the verge of a major breakthrough. Emily seemed so familiar, like a recurring dream that she could only remember when the dream started again. Tantalizing memories of winged angels flickered through her mind, too fast to pin down and see clearly. Behind it all lay a gulf of time so vast that she shuddered to contemplate the enormity of it. She was an angel. That was the only thing she knew for sure. Somehow, she was one of those angelic beings, just like Rhapsody and Harmony. Just like Serenity and Aurora and her mother. Why were they here? There had been something important they had to do, but the memory darted away as soon as she grasped it.

She looked up at Mystery, feeling like a supernova of love was burning inside of her chest as she stared at the other woman. Mystery stared at her in surprise as she felt the explosion of feeling hit her soul bond. Her lips parted as she stared back at Harmony with a question in her eyes.

“Are we having a party or what?” Taxti shouted loudly, raising her arms into the air. “I want to see some dancing! Where’s our music?”

The crowd of spectators slowly returned to the festivities, though they looked back at her frequently. Agent Black and Monroe hesitantly approached, their expressions full of uncertainty.

“You’re not going to ask if that was an angel, right?” Harmony spoke up before either of the two women could speak. “Because some things are just too obvious to ask.”

Agent Black flushed under Harmony’s amused gaze. A small smile appeared on her face after a moment.

“Okay, you got me,” Agent Black admitted with a chuckle. “So, are angels from heaven?”

Harmony looked up at the sky pointedly. “I don’t see any up there.”

“You know what I mean,” Agent Black said levelly.

“They’re not from this universe,” Harmony said with a shrug. “They’re from somewhere far beyond this universe.”

“Do they serve this Creator that Rhapsody was going to introduce us to?” Agent Monroe asked intently.

“No, definitely not,” Harmony answered with a frown. She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but she knew it was true.

Mystery was watching her peculiarly. Harmony could feel her struggling with the same kind of recall that was teasing Harmony. They were on the edge of understanding something so much greater than the small reality they called home. As she stared into Mystery’s eyes, her mind kept trying to superimpose swirling purple galaxies in place of the tall woman’s eyes. She heard someone talking to her, but her concentration was absolute as she stared at Mystery, imagining her with those vortex eyes.

“Calypso,” Harmony murmured softly.

Mystery gasped as she heard the name, her hand flying to her mouth. She stared back at Harmony with wide eyes as the bond filled with recognition. She could feel the strength of their connection growing as whatever history they shared came closer to the surface.

“Aria?” Mystery whispered, her brows knit with concentration.

Harmony nodded slowly, remembering when Rhapsody had called her Aria. The bond flooded with warmth as the knowledge of their history became apparent, even if the actual memories remained hidden. Mystery’s lips turned up into a radiant smile as she stared into Harmony’s eyes.

“You two are in so much trouble,” Rhapsody declared in exasperation as she suddenly appeared in front of them. “No digging around in soul memory. This is important.”

Harmony shared a sheepish look with Mystery before turning back to Rhapsody.

“That’s like telling us not to think of a pink elephant,” Harmony complained in a plaintive whine.

“I know,” Rhapsody sighed tiredly. “We just don’t have the kinds of souls that can stay locked up in mortality for long. This is the longest we’ve ever made it so far, but let’s try for a little longer. They need us here. Just a few more years, okay? Please?”

Harmony shared a look with Mystery and nodded. For Rhapsody, she would try.

“How’s Melody doing?” Harmony asked anxiously. “Did it work?”

“Yes, it was much easier than it was for you,” Rhapsody replied, her eyes briefly showing sadness as she looked at Harmony. “Those memories won’t trigger emotional reactions anymore. She’s going to be a lot different now.”

“Thank you, Rhapsody,” Harmony smiled gratefully at her angel.

Rhapsody smiled back at her, those expressive lips turning up slightly on one side. “She’s about to wake up now.”

Agent Black and Monroe had been watching their exchange with interest, their eyes alight with curiosity. They looked like they were dying to ask Rhapsody more questions, but all eyes turned to Melody as she shifted in Harmony’s arms and slowly lifted her head up. She glanced around at the people watching her and waved with a faint smile on her face.

“I feel so popular,” Melody declared, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Where’s Harnketi?”

Harmony blinked, realizing the other woman hadn’t reappeared with Rhapsody.

“She’s on a brief hunting expedition,” Rhapsody replied blandly. “She’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“What’s she hunting?” Eileen asked curiously. “Deer?”

Rhapsody’s expression became evasive as she avoided looking at any of them. “Something like that.”

Harmony’s eyes widened as she thought about what Harnketi witnessed while in Melody’s dream world. “She’s hunting our dad, isn’t she?”

Rhapsody’s eye twitched as she looked back at Harmony innocently. “Hard to say.”

“It’s actually really easy to say,” Harmony disagreed dryly. “Where is the bastard anyway?”

“He’s working for a pharmaceutical company in India,” Rhapsody replied, glancing at Melody’s hard expression as they spoke of her father. “Along with most of his team who were released from prison after a few months when some backroom deals were made with the CIA.”

“Is she going to kill him?” Melody asked hopefully.

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“I seriously doubt it,” Rhapsody answered with a grim smile. “I’m pretty sure that she has something far worse planned for him and his colleagues.”

“Good,” Eileen growled fiercely.

Harmony could only agree with Eileen’s sentiment. Death would be way too merciful for some people.

“Is Harnketi human?” Melody asked curiously, a light in her eyes that brought a smile to Harmony’s face.

“Yeah, she’s human,” Rhapsody nodded with a knowing wink at Harmony. “She’s a very skilled magic user though.”

“Will she be okay on her own?” Melody asked anxiously. She finally pulled out of Harmony’s arms and stood up, stretching as she did so.

“When it’s Harnketi you're talking about, it’s the other people you should be concerned for,” Rhapsody stated with a dangerous smile. “She’s spent the last six hundred years honing her skills.”

“She’s over six hundred years old?” Melody exclaimed in disbelief. “I thought you said she was a human?”

“She spent most of that time as a Baykok after she was murdered by the Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto. He threatened to murder the children of her tribe if she didn’t accompany him. After a few months as a captive, they killed her. I brought her back to life and offered her the option to become a Baykok until she was ready to resume her mortal life. She’s only been mortal again for a couple of days. She’s been consuming Yuccas Fitter, so she’s not aging anyway.”

Melody’s face grew stricken as Rhapsody spoke of Harnketi’s abduction and murder. “Why are there so many horrible people in this world?”

“Young souls are more selfish and less empathetic than older souls,” Rhapsody answered with a sigh. “Mortality is a rough training ground for the soul. Most souls don’t return if they can avoid it, so most people you see are young souls who are still in their selfish phase.”

“What did you mean about Yuccas Fitter making Harnketi not age?” Agent Black asked intently.

“If you drink it every week you won’t age,” Rhapsody told them with a shrug. “If you drink more often than that, you grow younger. The two of you are a week younger today.”

Harnketi suddenly appeared in their midst, a look of bleak satisfaction on her face.

“Are you okay?” Melody asked her quickly.

Harnketi smiled warmly, the bleakness vanishing as she observed Melody. “I’m good. How are you feeling?”

“Pretty amazing, actually,” Melody declared with a dazzling smile. “I haven’t felt so unburdened since I was a child. Thank you for being there with me, Harnketi.”

“That’s wonderful,” Harnketi smiled at Melody, her eyes full of unspoken words.

Melody stared into Harnketi’s eyes for several seconds before a light blush appeared on her cheeks. Harmony shared a triumphant look with Rhapsody and Mystery. It was a start.

“There you are!” Serenity came running up to them with a brilliant smile on her face. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Someone said an angel showed up a little while ago. Did you see it? Was it the same one we saw before?”

Rhapsody looked back at Harmony with a raised eyebrow. “Is that what I was feeling earlier? I should have known. She’s feeling too overprotective now. No wonder you two were digging into your soul memory.”

Harmony’s mother and Aurora weren’t too far behind Serenity, their eyes full of questions as well. Harmony decided to change the subject.

“Rhapsody took Melody into the same dream world she took me and shut down the emotional attachment to her memories,” Harmony informed her mother with a sunny smile. “She’ll finally be able to move on.”

Her mother looked at Melody questioningly. Melody smiled back at her mother warmly, her eyes clear of the mental weight she had been carrying most of her life.

“I can’t believe how much better I feel, Mom,” Melody informed her with a brilliant smile. “I feel like a knife has been removed from my soul. The world looks so much more vibrant now.”

Harmony’s mother stepped forward and embraced Melody, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at Rhapsody. “Thank you, Rhapsody. You have done so much for my family. I hope to return the favor someday.”

“Nonsense,” Rhapsody waved her comment away with her hand. “You’re already family, you just don’t remember. Did you four find what you were looking for?”

As she spoke, Michael began walking through the magical creatures toward them. He towered over everyone except the dragons. He raised a curious eyebrow at Mystery as he joined them.

“Yep,” Serenity chirped excitedly. “It was so cool. It feels like you are walking on the water for the first part.”

“Yeah, it was pretty awesome,” Michael chimed in with a look of wonder. “I would say it was magical, but that would be kind of obvious.”

“What are we talking about here?” Mystery asked curiously.

“Don’t tell them,” Rhapsody said quickly, a mysterious smile appearing on her face. “I don’t want them to know what to expect before they see it.”

“Where have you been?” Harmony asked her nieces curiously. “I thought you were dancing?”

Serenity’s cheeks colored slightly. “I was, but then Grandma and Aurora came and told me they had something they wanted to show me. Michael came too. Can we call him Uncle Mike from now on?”

Michael blinked at the request, then grinned as he stared back at Serenity. “Now you’re making me feel old.”

“You are old,” Serenity pointed out, looking him up and down. “What are you, thirty?”

“Ouch,” Mystery winced in commiseration as she stared at her brother in amusement.

“I’m her younger brother,” Michael told Serenity huffily. “Just how old do you think she is?”

“She’s Aunt Harmony’s age, isn’t she?” Serenity asked innocently. “Twenty-three, right?”

“Taller doesn’t mean older,” he objected defensively. “Is that why you think I look thirty?”

“No, that’s not it,” Serenity responded vaguely. “I don’t know, you just look thirty.”

“No, you can’t call me uncle,” Michael declared stiffly. “Not until you get my age right. Here’s a hint: I’m the same age as you’re Aunt Harmony.”

“You should definitely start drinking more Yuccas Fitter then, Uncle Mike, because you look way older than Aunt Harmony.”

“You stop that right now,” Michael told Mystery threateningly as she held her hand to her mouth in an attempt to hide her laughter.

“Okay, Uncle Mike,” Mystery agreed, followed by another round of giggles.

“Alright, who’s ready to go see something awesome,” Rhapsody asked them expectantly.

Harmony stood up next to Mystery and glanced around. The dance was still going strong, with a mixture of leprechauns, fauns, elves, and dragons in human form. Taxti joined them as they began following Rhapsody over to a trail next to the clearing. Agent Black and Monroe hesitantly followed them, seemingly unsure about whether they were invited too. Harmony smiled welcomingly at them, hoping to make them feel more comfortable. They smiled back, looking a little less awkward as they followed along the wide path.

“I wonder what she’s going to show us,” Harmony murmured curiously.

“It’s Rhapsody, so something amazing, no doubt,” Mystery noted with a small smile.

Harmony glanced down at Mystery’s hand, only inches from her own. She spent the next few steps psyching herself up before taking the plunge and reaching out to take Mystery’s hand.

Mystery turned her head to look at her with a radiant smile, squeezing her hand reassuringly. Harmony let out a relieved breath as they continued down a path that would have been faintly illuminated before she had started her fairy evolution. Now, she had almost forgotten what it was like for there to be a light and dark time of day.

She marveled at how something as simple as holding another person’s hand could elicit such strong emotions. She wondered if Mystery felt the same rush of euphoria from something so basic. She smiled ruefully as she remembered she could already feel what Mystery was feeling through the soul bond. She could feel elation, excitement, and anticipation pulsing throughout the corner of her soul that she thought of as Mystery.

When she realized why Mystery was feeling anticipation, it was all she could do to stop herself from sinking into a feedback loop of desire. She wondered how much longer the party was going to last and when it would be considered polite to excuse herself and Mystery, along with Rhapsody. Surely, they didn't need to stay for the whole thing, did they?

“You’re insatiable,” Mystery whispered with an amused grin.

Harmony nodded her agreement, ignoring the heat flooding her neck and cheeks. “So will you be, after tonight.”

Desire flooded the bond as the sense of anticipation grew stronger at Harmony’s words. Rhapsody paused and turned around to stare at them in a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

“Okay, different subject then,” Harmony murmured with a sigh. “What was your childhood like?”

Harmony felt an immediate sense of revulsion in the bond with Mystery. “That bad, huh?”

“Yeah, let's just say that becoming an adult and getting away from my family was one of the happiest days of my life,” Mystery said quietly. “I think Rhapsody must be on to something in regard to young souls being selfish and short on empathy.”

“I’m sorry, Mystery,” Harmony sighed sadly. “I wish I could have been there for you.”

“It’s fine,” Mystery shrugged with a sigh of her own. “What I went through pales in comparison to your own ordeal.”

“That doesn’t make it any less horrible,” Harmony told her firmly, squeezing her hand for emphasis.

“This place sure is beautiful,” Mystery commented in wonder as she stared at the glowing plants lining the trail.

Harmony looked around and gasped as she noticed all of the glowing flowers. Fairies zipped through the foliage, lighting it up as they went. There were mushrooms large enough to sit on glowing with a soft blue ambience. Tall stalks with drooping flowers that looked like blue bells emitted a glowing mist every few seconds, as if they were breathing. The overall effect was breathtaking.

“Wow, talk about enchanting,” Harmony marveled in awe. “I would say this place is like a fairy tale, but I think fairy tales are more like this place.”

The trail continued on for several thousand feet before they reached the lake. The moon was nearly full, lighting up the surface of the lake. Rhapsody didn’t stop when she reached the edge of the lake. She continued walking right onto the surface. Small ripples expanded away from her footsteps as she continued further out into the water. Serenity, Aurora, and Harmony’s mother followed without slowing down. Michael waited at the edge for them, a grin on his face.

“Oh ye faithful, believest thou that thy faith can make thee lighter than water?” Michael asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“Out of the way, Jesus,” Mystery drawled in a dry voice. “The faithful are back that way somewhere.”

Mystery marched out onto the water with Harmony’s hand held securely in her own. Harmony stared down at the surface curiously. She would have thought it was glass, since it was completely transparent, but it didn’t feel like glass. It felt like she was still walking on the soft dirt path.

As they moved further out into the lake, she noticed a dim glow coming from below them. After another minute of walking, what looked like a glowing reef appeared in the depths. The coral grew brighter as they continued walking. Harmony gasped in surprise when she realized the path was taking them lower into the lake. Crystal clear walls lined the gradually descending path as they moved further down. The coral grew brighter as they descended deeper into the water. After fifteen minutes of slowly descending, they were near the center of the lake. The glowing coral was filled with exotic fish and aquatic life.

As they neared the center, a large structure came into view at the bottom of the lake. It was like a small quartz mountain filled with caves and covered in coral. The quartz glowed in the moonlight with an ethereal glow. Harmony could see mermaids entering and exiting the tunnels of the quartz mound. Their red hair fanned out behind them in the calm waters any time they stopped moving for a moment. Harmony gazed at the magical sight with a sense of wonder that was mirrored in the bond.

“This is beyond beautiful,” Melody whispered from just behind Harmony. She was walking next to Harnketi and staring around with wide-eyed wonder.

“This is where the mermaids call home,” Rhapsody informed them, watching their wondering faces with a pleased expression. “There is an abyss in the center of their abode that drops deep into the planet and connects to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Only immortal creatures like mermaids can withstand the pressure at those depths.”

“Mermaids are immortal?” Agent Monroe asked in a voice filled with awe as she stared around at the fantastical view.

“All magical creatures are immortal,” Rhapsody replied, giving the two agents a friendly smile. “The two of you are essentially immortal until the Yuccas Fitter wears off tomorrow. You don’t need to breath and are invulnerable to any kind of harm.”

The two women exchanged wondering gazes at Rhapsody’s pronouncement. Harmony gave a low whistle at the revelation. She had known Yuccas Fitter removed the need for sleep and food, as well as regressed your age by a week, but invulnerability? People would go nuts to get their hands on such an amazing fruit.

“How does that even work?” Michael asked in perplexity. “I mean, what does it do at the cellular level that could possibly make that kind of change in how physics affect the human body?”

“You would need to understand more about how the etheric realm works to understand the answer to that question,” Rhapsody answered with a wry grin. “I had a feeling you would be the one to question the underlying physics. It all comes down to how information is translated in the physical realm. The etheric realm has precedence over the physical realm, so any action that occurs on the physical realm must verify that the etheric realm doesn’t have a different set of rules to follow for an object.”

“That sounds an awful lot like a simulation,” Michael declared suspiciously.

Harmony felt a jolt of electricity shoot down her spine at Michael’s words. She felt a similar reaction from Mystery through their soul bond. Rhapsody rolled her eyes when she felt their reaction.

“Let’s not worry about the underlying principles of reality and just enjoy the beauty it offers,” Rhapsody suggested in a tone that shut down any further questions.

Harmony shared a thoughtful look with Mystery. Rhapsody was suddenly in front of them, affecting a stern face. Harmony’s lips twitched as she watched Rhapsody try to appear stern. She just didn’t have the face for stern, and it ended up looking cute instead. Mystery seemed to have come to the same conclusion, if the humor filling the bond was any indication. Rhapsody stamped her foot in frustration as she glared at the two of them.

“You made your face too cute to handle stern expressions,” Harmony told her defensively. “It’s your own fault for being so damn cute.”

At Harmony’s words, Mystery lost what control she had and began laughing. Rhapsody threw her hands up in the air with a resigned sigh and turned her back on them. Harmony could feel the amusement from Rhapsody as the fairy tried to hide her smile.

Michael looked like he really wanted to pursue the question of simulations, but he wisely stayed quiet after seeing Rhapsody’s challenging gaze.

“Okay, the field trip is over,” Rhapsody declared with a glower at Harmony and Mystery. “Feel free to stay if you like.”

So saying, Rhapsody started walking back up the gently ascending path. Harmony and Mystery fell in step with her and Harmony tentatively reached out and took her hand with her free hand. Rhapsody glanced down at her with a slow smile that turned Harmony’s insides to jelly. It was strange seeing Rhapsody several inches taller than her. The sense of anticipation in Mystery began to grow as they moved back toward the shore, triggering Harmony’s own desire.

“I have a feeling we’re not going to make it to the rest of the party,” Rhapsody commented wryly. “You’re bursting at the seams.”

Harmony could only agree as her desire began triggering a feedback loop between the three of them.

“Oh, bugger it,” Rhapsody muttered with a glance at the two of them. A moment later, the lake vanished, and they were in Harmony’s room.

The desire in Harmony went from strong to fever pitch instantly.

“You really are insatiable,” Rhapsody declared in a seductive voice as she turned to face the two of them. “Not that I’m complaining.”