Hold On To Your Butts

Mystery sat at a table in the observatory car with her brother sitting across from her. He was four inches taller than her own six feet four inches, so he was in even more danger of hitting his head than she was. He was frowning as he stared out at the flat farmland flowing past them. His dark eyes were troubled following her recounting of events at the NSA and her subsequent escape from their "safehouse." 

She had also told him about the request from Rhapsody to become a world tree and the fact that she would be immortal. She had remained clinical in her recounting of her time in the rings, but he had zeroed in on her fear of being trapped in an immortal body forever. 

"I'm not saying anything you don't already know," Michael began conversationally. "But you are a pretty miserable person most of the time. I can tell you're worried about being miserable forever. However, did you ever wonder if the person that healed your leg might just be able to heal the mind as well?" 

Mystery blinked, turning her head away from the view to stare at him in surprise. "No, I guess I hadn't thought of that. Do you remember the other woman I told you about—Harmony?" 

"Yeah, your favorite author," Michael answered with a wry smile, his eyes sparkling playfully. "The one you wanted to meet someday." 

"How did you know that was Harmony?" Mystery asked in shock, her eyes wide as she stared at her brother. 

"It's been all over the internet for a few days now," Michael answered with a short laugh. "Someone was videoing Rhapsody when the four of them were at a Walmart, and her niece picked up one of the books on a kiosk and showed it to Harmony, asking her why it had someone else's name on it." 

"Oh," Mystery frowned in disappointment. She had hoped to be one of the only people to know her author's real identity. Now she would probably have hordes of people competing for her attention—people that weren't an emotional wreck most of the time. 

"Why did you bring up Harmony?" Michael asked curiously. "I assume you were going somewhere with that line of thought." 

Mystery shook her head, trying to focus her scattered thoughts. "Rhapsody showed me some memories from Harmony when she was about three years old that I'm going to have nightmares about for a long time. I don't know how someone can keep going after living through that kind of hell. She seemed so normal and sane when I talked with her. I just don't understand how she can be such a happy person while I'm such a train wreck." 

"Was that pun intended?" Michael asked dryly. 

Mystery's eyes came back into focus, glancing around the train. She snorted a laugh, shaking her head. "No, it was not intended." 

"I should point out that you've only seen Harmony after she had been with Rhapsody for a while," Michael pointed out meaningfully. "Who knows what she was like before that. She could have been just as miserable and moody as you are. I suggest learning more about Harmony, as well as what kind of help Rhapsody can offer you to deal with your own trauma." 

Spend some time with Harmony? The author she venerated like a goddess? That sounded like a pretty good idea. 

"There's that smile I love," Michael grinned approvingly. 

Mystery blinked in surprise when she realized she was smiling. Come to think of it, she was feeling more positive than she had felt in a long time. Just thinking about Rhapsody and Harmony seemed to buoy her spirits. Would being a world tree really be so bad, if she had Rhapsody and Harmony as companions? 

She remembered the two of them had seemed closer than just friends. What if she could find a relationship with someone like that? 

Of course, therein lay the problem. Finding a person that would complement her personality and not be an opportunistic jerk. The thought of Tod, her ex-boyfriend, came to mind... 

She had thought there was something there when they first met. He had showered her with attention, gifts, and affection. It had been the first time she had been in a relationship, and it felt wonderful for the first few months. It wasn't until four months in that the real Tod started peeking through the façade. 

He had started questioning her about everything she did. If she wanted to go sit in her sound studio and play the guitar, he wanted to know why she thought it was more important than him. When she had an emotionally taxing day, he wanted to understand why she couldn't just make herself happy by thinking herself happy. If she wept, he would leave the room, saying the sound of crying made him anxious. 

Long before their one-year anniversary, she had begun to dread coming home, knowing she was going to be questioned like it was the Inquisition. Why was she so late? Why was work more important than him? Why did she need so much space? The questions just went on and on until she had to leave the house to escape the nonstop harassment. 

It was shortly after their one-year anniversary when she came home early after an air tour was canceled and found him in bed with another woman. It had been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. She wasn't a screamer. Her rage was always cold and unyielding. She had immediately started packing all of Tod's belongings and putting them out next to his car in the driveway, ignoring his attempts to justify his infidelity. 

The girl he had brought over had been livid with rage that he was already in a relationship. She had screamed the house down before getting a Lyft and leaving. She had apologized profusely to Mystery on her way out. Mystery hadn't noticed—she was already spiraling into one of her dark moods. She had driven out to the airfield and taken to the air. She had done a quick preflight check but wouldn't have noticed if anything had been wrong. 

When her plane had stalled in the air, she had felt a moment of peace, knowing the end was finally near. When she discovered a lake beneath her, she had been half-convinced she had already passed into some kind of afterlife, since there shouldn't have been any lakes in that area. 

She smiled as she remembered the shock of seeing several mermaids waiting for her when she exited the plane. That had been the beginning of the strangest night of her life. She remembered feeling a kind of electric shock surge through her system when she made eye contact with Harmony, as if she had stumbled across a sibling who had disappeared as a child. 

"What if they can't do anything to help me?" Mystery asked anxiously, unconsciously wringing her hands. "What if I'm stuck like this forever?" 

"Don't commit to anything yet," Michael told her with a shrug, a smile tugging one side of his face. "Just go be with them for now. If it seems hopeless, decline the request." 

"If I decline, everyone is going to die," Mystery reminded him helplessly. "That would include you. I don't really have a choice, and I think that's what is driving me so crazy." 

"There is always a choice," Michael said firmly. "You said she told you that your soul was old. That tells me that even if everyone on the planet dies, they're just going to end up reborn somewhere else or moving on, like you said. Don't get hung up on the idea that the world needs you to survive. Everyone alive right now is going to eventually die anyway. It's that simple." 

Mystery stopped wringing her hands as she pondered his logic. It was hard to argue against, but it was also hard to accept that logic when she could so clearly remember the fear on the face of the young mother in the train station. 

"I don't want to die," Michael told her gently. "But that's not going to stop it from happening. We're hard-wired to fear death. I know that look. You're worrying about someone else dying and thinking that you could save them. Stop thinking like that and start thinking like an eternal being who is on an expedition with other eternal beings, and this is just a short connector flight on a much longer journey." 

Mystery smiled fondly as she gazed at her brother. "You sound like a sage." 

"I'm the Great Sage," Michael declared magnanimously, spreading his arms wide. He accidentally smacked a woman walking past as he spread his arms. She spun around in shock, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him. 

"I am so sorry, ma'am," Michael apologized, his face turning bright red as he stared back at the woman with mortification in his eyes. "I didn't see you walking there and I have these gorilla arms." 

She stared at him with a hard gaze for a moment longer before continuing on down the aisle. 

Mystery was biting her lips so hard that she nearly drew blood as she tried to restrain a laugh. Her shoulders shook as she watched her brother flounder. He was usually pretty smooth with the ladies, so it was entertaining to see him so off-balance. 

"Not. One. Word," he warned with a fierce glare. 

"Nope, I have a lot more than one," Mystery told him in a voice that was tight with the effort of not laughing. "I never took you for the type of guy that slapped random women on the ass. Is this a new trend or are you trying it out while I'm with you in case you need protection?" 

"It's these cramped quarters," Michael declared with a plaintive whine in his voice. "I'm going to start a new colony on an island somewhere, and everything is going to be sized for tall people. I feel like I'm trying to move around in the Shire everywhere I go." 

"I hear that," Mystery agreed with a laugh, eyeing him fondly. One of her biggest reservations to becoming an immortal entity was that she would have to watch her brother grow old and die. She suddenly remembered something that might change that. 

"So... Michael," she said slowly, watching him speculatively. "If I decided to become a world tree and offered you the ability to stop aging, would you take it?" 

Michael smiled wryly as he returned her speculative look with one of his own. "Why? Do they have a potion for immortality hiding around somewhere?" 

"As a matter of fact, yes," Mystery nodded, staring closely at his eyes. "And I can tell by the size of your irises that you've already tasted it." 

"You mean the Yuccas Fitter?" he asked in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up. "Am I immortal now?" 

"You have to keep drinking it," Mystery elaborated, leaning forward hopefully. "It takes one week off your age every time you drink it. So? Would you stay with me?" 

"Of course I would," he replied with a derisive snort. "Who's going to turn down immortality? Besides you, that is." 

Mystery let out a relieved breath as one of the biggest roadblocks in her mental highway to becoming a world tree was removed. She knew having her brother around wouldn't be enough. She needed to find a way to stop the dark mood swings from happening at all. Maybe she could go back to the rings and ask for help. Maybe Rhapsody could heal her mental illness. She couldn't even imagine what the world would look like without the constant shadow of her dark moods threatening to ruin each moment. 

Michael looked up at someone behind Mystery as they entered the observatory car. His eyes briefly widened in surprise before a wide smile appeared on his face. 

"What are you so excited about?" Mystery asked curiously. "Did your favorite chick band just enter the car?" 

Michael's expression went blank, and he shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. Nothing at all." 

Mystery raised an eyebrow at him, deciding she was going to have to turn around and see for herself. Before she could, a pair of long, toned legs in white shorts appeared next to their table. 

Mystery slowly looked up and found Harmony smiling down at her. She had a white button-up blouse that was open enough at the bottom to show her stomach, with the top revealing a generous amount of cleavage. Her long blonde hair was wrapped up in a loose bun that left several locks of hair to drop down onto her cheeks. Her eyes were much larger than the last time Mystery had seen her. The huge irises were the color of lavender, just like Rhapsody's. 

Harmony's face had already been beautiful, but now it was the kind of beauty from fairy tales. Those large eyes were staring down at her with more than just affection. They held curiosity and a hint of familiarity. Mystery felt her breath quicken as she stared up into that beautiful face. There was just something so familiar about Harmony. 

"Do you two mind if I join you?" Harmony asked in a pleasant alto voice. She hadn't even looked at Michael, her focus solely on Mystery. 

"Not at all," Michael answered when it became clear that Mystery wasn't going to respond. She felt his foot kick her under the table, breaking the spell. 

"Sorry, Harmony," Mystery apologized with a sheepish smile. She cringed inside at her fangirl behavior. She mentally shook herself as she scooted over to make room for Harmony. She couldn't stop staring at the beautiful young woman. She still couldn't believe this was her author. She had re-read all her books so many times that she felt like she knew all the characters personally. They had been so relatable while also being likeable. Sometimes she thought those books were the only thing that had kept her sane throughout the last three years. They had given her the determination to keep trying, even on her worst days. 

Harmony sat down next to her, twisting in the seat and tucking one leg under herself so that she could face Mystery, just inside her personal space. Mystery noticed she smelled like sweet flowers. The scent was intoxicating and made her heart begin pounding faster. 

"I just wanted to say how much your books meant to me," Mystery blurted out, her face earnest. She felt a driving need to explain that Harmony's characters had been so much more than just stories to her. "I felt like I knew your characters. I fell in love with them, especially Riah. They helped me through some of the most difficult days of my life. It was like an antidepressant I could run to when I just couldn't stand reality anymore. I would bury myself in their lives and adventures and forget all about the world around me. Thank you, Harmony, for making something so wonderful." 

Harmony's face was a mixture of bashfulness and pleasure. "I'm so glad they meant so much to you too. To be honest, they were all like family to me. Every time I would sit down to write, I would feel like I was peeking into their universe to see what happened next in the story. It just wrote itself, for the most part. I felt more like a historian or a documentarian, rather than an author. Everything just flowed so smoothly from one experience or conversation to another that I never had to struggle to figure out what to write. Sometimes I think my brain is just picking up a frequency from some other world and I'm just documenting their adventures." 

"I would love for that to be true," Mystery proclaimed fervently. "I would find a way to portal over to their universe and meet them in person." 

Michael sat quietly, watching the two of them with an indulgent smile. Mystery ignored him and focused her attention on her beautiful author. She absently brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. As she did so, Harmony shivered, and her cheeks reddened slightly. 

Did she really find the act of putting my hair behind one ear attractive? Or was she blushing at something else? 

"Mystery, can you tell me about yourself?" Harmony asked hopefully. "All I really know is that you are a pilot and that you were hit by an asshole in high school. I would love to get to know more about you. What kind of stuff do you do for fun? What kind of hobbies do you have? Aside from having great taste in fiction, what else do you like?" 

Harmony had finished her question with a wink that set the butterflies loose in her stomach. She licked her lips, eliciting an even more violent shiver from Harmony, followed by a deep blush. So, she finds it attractive when I tuck my hair behind an ear and lick my lips? Is something else going on here? 

"Well, I love music with a passion," Mystery said with a contented smile. "I've been playing the guitar and piano since I lost my leg. I was going nuts being stuck in a bed after several surgeries, so I decided to learn to play some musical instruments. I've been obsessed ever since." 

Harmony's eyes had come alight at her revelation and an excited smile flashed across her exquisite features. "Rhapsody must have a knack for finding musical people," Harmony commented with a delighted laugh that scattered the butterflies in Mystery's stomach. "I have a hobby of trying to learn new musical instruments. After I feel like I've reached a passable proficiency level with one instrument, I'll find another one to start learning. I have a studio at home where I love to record multiple tracks with all the instruments I've learned. Of course, Rhapsody showed up and made what I play sound like a toddler banging on pans." 

"Seriously?" Mystery asked with a jubilant smile. "Oh my god, I would love to hear what you make!" 

"Well, I don't have anything of mine with me, but let me show you something Rhapsody made in my studio while I was at the women's shelter," Harmony grinned eagerly as she pulled out her phone and began swiping through screens. 

Mystery stared at Harmony wonderingly as she waited. She volunteers at a women's shelter in addition to everything else she's done? I feel like I'm sitting with a saint. Where does she get all the motivation to help everyone else constantly? 

"Here it is," Harmony announced triumphantly, tapping her screen one last time. 

Mystery sat frozen as she listened to the beautiful voices harmonizing with each other. She had never heard anything so beautiful in her life. She felt tears sting her cheeks as the song came to an end. She wouldn't have believed anything could be so beautiful. It struck a chord in her soul that left her breathless with wonder. 

"Wow, that was incredible!" Mystery exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration and wonder. "I would love to see you two play sometime." 

"It sounds like we should all three be playing together," Harmony noted with a disarming smile. "I've never actually played with other people, so it will be a new experience. I have a feeling it will be a very good experience." 

Mystery felt warmth suffuse her heart at Harmony's prediction. She was so personable and nice that Mystery felt comfortable with her in a way she never had with anyone else. She suddenly remembered the signs of attraction between Harmony and Rhapsody she had observed in the rings. The thought was like having a metaphorical bucket of cold water thrown on her growing desire. She couldn't hope to compete with Rhapsody for Harmony's affection. She reined in her heart and settled for having her author as a friend. She had never had any real friends before, so this would be a new experience. 

"I haven't ever played with other people either," she confessed with an eager grin. "I think you're right—it will be fun." 

"So, what happened with that guy that you found cheating on you?" Harmony asked tentatively. "Is he still exiled?" 

Mystery scowled before she knew what her face was doing. She tried to school her features, but they were as rebellious as she had been. She began wringing her hands unconsciously as she remembered just how miserable her life had been with Tod. 

"He's definitely still exiled," Mystery answered darkly, her positivity level suddenly plummeting. "I'm not sure why it took him cheating on me to end it. It was a miserable relationship for the majority of the time we were together. I had never been in a relationship before, so I thought I was doing something wrong. I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with." 

Harmony placed her hand on Mystery's, gently stopping her from wringing her hands. She blushed at the contact and looked up to Harmony's compassionate gaze. 

"I've only known you for a day, and I can say with some confidence that you weren't doing anything wrong," Harmony said in a reassuring tone. "You are a wonderful person, Mystery, and I'm so sorry that you had to deal with an asshat like Tod. I'm glad he's history now." 

Mystery felt like her hands were going to combust where Harmony's hands were resting on them. She felt conflicting emotions inside as she looked up at Harmony with a hesitantly warm smile. She could feel the natural chemistry between the two of them, strong and nuanced. But what about Rhapsody? She was almost positive that the two of them were more than friends. 

"Are you and Rhapsody an... item?" Mystery heard herself ask before she could stop herself. She felt blood rush to her face as she stared at Harmony awkwardly. 

"I've been told by Rhapsody that the three of us have been an item for more years than we can imagine," Harmony answered softly. "I think she must be right, to a degree. The thought of sharing her with anyone else fills me with intense jealousy. But when I think of sharing her with you, there is nothing but a warm glow." 

Mystery felt an immediate spike in her heart rate as she stared back at Harmony with sudden hope in her eyes. She felt that same sense of familiarity as she gazed into Harmony's eyes, as if she were reconnecting with a long-lost loved one. She licked her suddenly dry lips and watched Harmony shiver again, followed by a slight blush. Curious, she slowly licked her lips again as she watched Harmony closely. Harmony sucked in a breath and let out a small whimper. 

"Maybe I should give you two some privacy," Michael suggested dryly. 

Mystery suddenly realized what she had been doing and how it must have looked. Her face flushed a deep crimson as she felt heat flood her head. 

She picked up a wrapper and threw it at her brother as he began laughing at her blushing face. He just laughed harder, causing the blush to flood into the roots of her hair. She covered her face with her hands and bent over the table, trying to hide her blushing head as she groaned. 

She felt a gentle hand on her back and felt tingles run down her spine. The hand began drawing designs on her back, triggering even more tingles. 

"Do you have mirror-touch synesthesia?" Michael asked curiously. 

She felt Harmony flinch next to her and raised her head to stare at her. Harmony's face was suddenly full of trepidation as she avoided their gazes. 

"What's mirror-touch synesthesia?" Mystery asked her brother with a puzzled frown. By the way Harmony was reacting, it was a virulent disease she was afraid people would flee to get away from. 

"It's an odd effect some people have that makes them feel what other people are feeling," Michael explained, watching Harmony with a puzzled expression. "My friend has it and has to avoid places like hospitals or violent contact sports. She acts the way Harmony acts, so it was kind of obvious, since I knew what to look for. It's not something to be ashamed of, though. What's with the guilty expression?" 

Harmony's eyes darted around nervously as she sat stiffly next to Mystery, her whole body radiating sudden discomfort. 

"I'm still struggling to not see it as a major handicap," Harmony finally responded with a sigh. "My nieces have dealt with enough mental instability in the family without me bringing more uncertainty. Rhapsody has been trying to convince me that it isn't a burden, but it feels like a burden on everyone around me, once they know about it." 

"So, you feel what other people feel?" Mystery asked in fascination. "When I was licking my lips, it felt like..." she broke off, unable to say that it felt like she was licking Harmony's lips. 

Harmony nodded, her face turning a light shade of pink. "It used to only happen when I could see what someone was doing, but when Serenity found out about it, she was convinced it was some kind of psychic ability. She discovered that just thinking about me watching her when she does something will trigger it, even if I'm not able to see it." 

"Seriously?" Michael asked incredulously. "That is some kind of psychic ability then." 

"Yeah, I kind of gave up on my skeptical side trying to debunk everything after seeing a unicorn and a phoenix, followed shortly after by a fairy and a world tree," Harmony commented ruefully. "You couldn't find a bigger skeptic on the planet than me before that." 

Harmony paused and stared at Michael levelly. "Do you mind?" 

"Sorry!" he said quickly, a boyish smile on his face. "I just had to test it. It's not that I didn't believe you, but I still had to try it." 

"Huh?" Mystery asked, her expression uncomprehending. 

"I decided to try and trigger her synesthesia by scratching my knee under the table while thinking of her watching it," Michael explained sheepishly. "I'll admit, I didn't expect it to work." 

Mystery couldn't stop her thoughts from going to the bedroom. What was it like for her to sleep with someone if her synesthesia mirrored what they were feeling too? Her face reddened as she saw Harmony watching her shrewdly. 

"So, how long have you had this... ability?" Mystery asked in an attempt to empty her mind of the thoughts of her and Harmony in the large bed she had been sleeping in. 

"Since I was five," Harmony answered quietly, a haunted look in her eyes. 

Mystery suddenly remembered the memories Rhapsody had shown her of Harmony's childhood. She felt a fresh wave of horror at the memories, and more so at seeing that haunted look in Harmony's eyes. 

"I'm so sorry, Harmony," Mystery blurted, placing her hand on top of Harmony's. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." 

"It's fine," Harmony assured her with a warm smile. "Rhapsody locked them away in such a way that they no longer have an emotional hold over me." 

"She can do that?" Mystery asked, sudden hope filling her eyes. 

"There isn't very much she can't do," Harmony smiled fondly. "She says the only thing she's never figured out how to do is fix stupid." 

Mystery glanced back at her brother, feeling a sudden ray of hope for the first time since she was a child. If Rhapsody really could fix or lock away mental issues, life might just feel worth living. 

"If she can fix me, then I don't think there is anything she can't fix," Harmony told her reassuringly, her eyes full of understanding. 

Mystery felt her spirits flying higher than they ever had as she saw a path to a future free of the despair and self-loathing that had plagued her life for the last thirteen years. She was finally going to be free. 

"So..." Harmony began with a teasing smile on her face. "Has my bed been comfortable enough for you?" 

Mystery stared at Harmony in growing alarm. "Oh my god, is that your bed? Where have you been sleeping?" 

"My mom and I no longer require sleep or food," Harmony told her reassuringly. 

"Oh," Mystery blinked, then tilted her head curiously. "What's it like? Not sleeping or eating? Don't you miss it?" 

"The thing we use to replace food and sleep more than makes up for it," Harmony replied, her eyes glowing with a look of remembered ecstasy. 

"What is it?" Michael asked curiously. "Or is it a secret?" 

"I don't think it's a secret," Harmony answered with a frown. "Hey Rhapsody, is it a secret?" 

Michael and Mystery shared a startled look and began looking around the train. When there was no sign of Rhapsody, they looked back at Harmony in confusion. 

"Come on, Rhapsody, I know you're watching," Harmony declared with a playful smile. "I can feel it in my bones." 

"Well, aren't you Miss Observant," Rhapsody had suddenly appeared next to their table, a sheepish expression on her face. 

There was only one other person in the observatory car with them. It was the woman Michael had accidentally gotten too familiar with as she walked past. She was sitting at the other end of the car, staring at her phone screen. At Rhapsody's appearance, something about her presence seemed to pull her attention away from her screen. She gasped when she saw Rhapsody, wings and all. Rhapsody glanced down the aisle at her and winked before turning back to face the three of them. 

"You can tell them what we do for sustenance," Rhapsody allowed with a mischievous smile. "Or I could just share the memory. The memory is a lot more fun." 

"I'll take the memory, for 200," Michael declared, raising his hand in the air. 

Harmony laughed, eyeing him speculatively. Mystery could almost hear the matchmaker wheels spinning in her head. 

Rhapsody looked at Mystery questioningly. Mystery smiled and nodded. A moment later, she found herself back inside of Yggdrasil, near the large chasm. The beam of light shooting down the chasm suddenly intensified, and waves of frothy light flooded over the edge of the chasm. She let out an embarrassing moan of ecstasy as the liquid light saturated her body. 

As the memory ended, she found herself slumped in her seat with a comical expression of bliss on her face. Michael was no better—his mouth hung open and his eyes were unfocused. 

"Wow," Michael breathed in sync with Mystery. 

"That's how fairies eat, huh?" Michael commented with an envious shake of his head. "I wanna be a fairy." 

Rhapsody laughed—a sound of golden light and richness. Mystery found herself trying to think of things to make her laugh like that again. 

"So, what do you think?" Rhapsody asked Mystery with a raised eyebrow. "Do you want to continue on the train for the rest of the trip?" 

"I think I'm ready," Mystery responded, feeling lighter than air as she gazed at Rhapsody and Harmony with hope in her dark eyes. "Can you help me with my mental issues?" 

"Your mental issues are because of us," Rhapsody told her with an affectionate smile. "Or the lack of us. Our souls are linked, and the physical separation has interfered with the way your mind would normally heal after trauma. Now that you are with us, we'll get you all healed up." 

Mystery felt like she knew both women and had somehow just forgotten their names. They seemed so familiar. 

"Can I keep my brother?" Mystery asked tentatively. "With Yuccas Fitter?" 

"Michael will always be welcome," Rhapsody declared with an affectionate wink. "Okay, as Mystery would say, hold on to your butts." 

Mystery frowned in confusion. I've never said that phrase in my life. Why does it sound so familiar? 

 The last thing she saw before they vanished was the woman at the other end of the train car watching them in fascination. And of course, she was videoing them.