Chapters By all accounts, Atmospheric lived what most would consider an ideal life. From the beginning, she was filled with curiosity. Born in the northeastern region of the continent, her formative years were spent between school and home. Her personality was unique in that it was impossible for the average Joe to decipher. When she spoke, her voice was gentle and kind, lacking even the smallest inkling of negativity. The other traits contained within her personality followed suit. As time went on, she grew into a mellow, self-contained child, finding contentment in solitude. This quality would be reinforced at the tender age of five.
The first time Atmospheric recalled sensing the figure she would later refer to by name, she was on the swing behind her house. It was sometime during the late autumn of 2005. The leaves had long since changed colors, and were falling to the ground in spades. It was the first time she'd actually stopped to pay attention to the shifting seasons. She was overcome by an unusual feeling, like...She was being watched.
"Hello?" she called out.
Of course, there was no response, or at least, so she thought. A heavy breeze blew another assortment of leaves from their branches.
"Hello?" she said again.
An unsettling silence loomed over the trees.
"Are you a ghost?"
A cold breath materialized before her.
"I'm not scared."
Another breeze blew past. The ground rustled beneath her. She locked on to the sound.
"Don't be."
The filly couldn't believe her eyes. Someone was talking to her.
"Are you a nice ghost?"
"You could say that. I try, at least."
"What's your name?"
"...Harmonic."
"What does it mean?"
"It's a musical name. It means unison."
"Onion-son?"
"Think about when two instruments play at the same time."
"Ohhh!"
"Wanna know a secret?"
"Uh-huh!"
"I know your name already."
"Really?"
"Yep. We know each other even though you haven't seen me yet."
"How?"
"It's hard to explain. You'll have to see when you're older."
"Why?"
"That's when we meet."
"Can I see you now?"
"Not yet. I'm really far away right now."
"How are we talking?"
"The law of transcendence. All I have to do is think about you and we can talk any time we want."
"Wow!"
"If you're ever lonely, remember my name. I'll be around whenever you need me."
"Do you have to go?"
"For now."
"Okay."
"...I love you..."
Atmospheric giggled.
Later that night, the filly asked her parents about the conversation.
"Daddy, what's trakendance?"
Her father shrugged,
"No idea, hon. That one's new to me."
"I think she means transcendence." her mother corrected.
"Oh. Well, in that case, it means to go above or beyond something. Oftentimes, it's something we can't see."
"Is that why I can't see him now?"
Both of her parents gave her inquisitive looks.
"Who, sweetie?" her mother asked.
"He was talking to me earlier, but I didn't see him. He was in the leaves."
"What did you talk about?"
"He said I knew him, but I can't see him until I'm grown up."
"It sounds like you're saying he came from the future." her father ascertained.
"Yes."
"Can we talk to him too?"
"I don't know."
"What else did he say?" the older mare questioned.
"He said he loved me."
"He did?"
Atmospheric nodded.
The child's father gave his spouse a look of concern. They communicated their intentions without a single word.
After tucking their daughter in for the evening, Atmospheric's parents began their investigation. Her father used a special scanner able to detect the presence of magic.
"Anything?"
He shook his head.
"I don't understand it," he replied, "She went into too much detail. We can't just brush it off as some imaginary friend."
"We've already exhausted the only other rational possibility."
"I'm trying to figure out what all that talk about transcendence was. I get the feeling once we figure that out, everything else will fall into place."
"We should head back inside. No point in thinking about it if we freeze to death out here."
"Yeah."
Had it not been for their heightened senses, they would have missed the message inscribed on the frosted window of the door.
"Hey..."
"Who's there!? Show yourself!" the stallion demanded.
His wife grabbed the foreleg of his coat, directing his attention back to the glass.
"I can't now."
"Who are you!? Why are you talking to my daughter!?"
"I'll explain everything."
Harmonic told his story from the beginning.
"I'm your son-in-law."
"Oh, you have got to be kidding..." the mare before him uttered.
"Sorry for scaring you. I was a bit overeager to see her earlier."
"Why should we trust you," Atmospheric's father grilled, "You show up acting like a ghost and expect us to take your word at face value. I don't buy it."
"I met your daughter in September of 2023."
"What!?"
"I can tell you the names of your grandchildren. You have three."
"Maybe we should hear him out, hon..."
"...Why are you here? How?"
"The law of transcendence. I can send a small portion of my energy to any point in time."
"Are you the only one?"
"Everyone can, but not a lot people know about it. I only recently discovered it myself."
"What about the consequences? You do realize you're tampering with space and time."
"Reality will likely fall apart one day when more people become aware of this ability. That's something I've had to come to terms with. I can't control anyone else's actions...Only my own..."
"It's good you know your limits, I suppose."
"I wanted to see Atmospheric's childhood because I don't really know much about her personal history. She never really opened up about it."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"I was already knocking on death's door when we met."
"What do you mean?"
"I was living in an existential nightmare. A lot of stuff I went through growing up left me questioning whether life was really worth the trouble."
"I see..."
"I met her at a local event held in your town. I was sick and emaciated at the time, but I did what I could to maintain my composure. I wanted to see what the world had to offer before I let myself waste away..."
"She saved your life..."
"I tried to make an excuse, but she saw right through me. It was my first bite of food in days."
"Now it all makes sense. You wanted to see for yourself what made her the person she was."
"She made me stronger than I ever was on my own."
"What happened after?" her mother inquired.
"I wrote my first book while I was in recovery. It was popular enough to put food in my stomach and pay rent for a cheap apartment. I messaged her to thank her for her kindness and asked if she wanted to talk more."
"And you hit it off from there."
"Straight up home run. I did have another reason for coming to this time, though. I wanted to know what might have changed had she grown up with my influence around."
"How come?"
"Based on what little she did tell me, she didn't really have any friends, and being an only child was rough on her mentally. I thought maybe I could help her break out of her shell a bit. I can't offer her much in the way of an interesting life, but maybe other people can."
"You understand you could lose her in the process, don't you?" her father reminded.
"She brought me back once. I believe she can do it again."
"If what you say is true, we'll be counting on you to keep her on the straight and narrow. Screw this up, there'll be hell to pay."
"I've lived through it already. Trust me. I won't let her down."
"Out of curiosity, why are you so willing to change her future?" her mother wished to know.
"Because she's always changing me. Maybe I can do the same..."
"A loving husband and father to the bitter end...It reminds me of someone..."
Author's Note
"All I hope to see are the clouds burned by sunshine."
-Krakatoa, Eclipse
One Step
From the day Harmonic made his presence known in the past, he regularly checked up on Atmospheric and her family. From what he could tell, his premature arrival hadn't triggered any unexpected changes. He knew things would be a little different with him around, but he had no idea to what extent. He would have never guessed he was in for the shock of his life.
Atmospheric drew in the sketchpad her father had bought for her some time prior. By this time, she was seven years of age, just barely beginning her second grade year. She sat out of view against the wall of the P.E. building while the other children played during recess.
"You shouldn't be here all alone. Why don't you play with the others?"
"I don't like them. They're too loud."
"I spent most of my life where it was quiet. Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Solitude is only good for so long."
"Why?"
"When the world is too quiet, it feels empty, like there's no reason to do anything. It's a very sad place to be. I don't want you to be sad."
"I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe some other time, huh?"
"Maybe."
The two sat in silence for a moment.
"Harmonic?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are you here?"
"To watch over you. Duh."
"Are you an angel, like the ones mom and dad told me about?"
"No. You are."
"I am?"
"I wasn't sure if I should tell you this, but you saved my life. I was dying when we met the first time."
"Dying?"
"I was sad and angry. I wanted to disappear. You were the one who changed my mind."
"I did?"
"Yeah. You probably won't fully understand until you're older, but maybe I can give you a hint."
Harmonic pecked his future bride on the cheek. To his surprise, she reacted. She felt it the same way she felt flesh and blood.
"That tickles!"
Harmonic quickly scrawled another message in the dirt.
"You felt it!?"
Atmospheric nodded.
"Can you see me!?"
"Duh, silly!"
Harmonic mouthed two simple words.
"Holy crap..."
"Are you okay?"
Snapping back to reality, Harmonic resumed writing. In his ethereal form, he doubted his vocal chords would function properly.
"Yeah. I just didn't know you could."
"You look scary, but I'm not scared."
The stallion pushed his mane back, revealing his deep blue eyes.
"Pretty!"
"Yours are milk chocolate. You showed me the second time we talked."
Atmospheric's response left him at a loss for words.
"I like you."
"!"
"You're funny,"
"You think so?"
"You're really nice."
"I feel the same way about you."
Atmospheric rose to her hooves.
"I'm gonna go play."
"Can you do something for me?"
"What?"
"Tell your mom and dad what I look like. They'll probably feel better if they have a description to recognize me by when they see me."
"Okay."
"Have fun for me."
Over dinner that night, Atmospheric told her parents about Harmonic. He was a tall, black stallion with a blonde mane. He wore dark clothing with a white shirt under his jacket, and he had a goatee and mustache. She even told them about the cross with her name etched in. When she was out of earshot, they discussed the matter further.
"This guy sounds stranger and stranger the more I hear about him..." her father stated.
"I'm more inclined to believe him, though," her mother replied, "There wasn't anyone matching his description in the hospital the day she was born. There's no way he could've known who we were unless he'd met us before."
"If he's telling the truth, what do we do?"
"Maybe nothing."
Atmospheric's father raised a brow.
"Don't give me that look. Think about it. He's been around for two years already without a single issue. Would he really be so inclined to reveal his identity if he was planning to cause trouble? He knows we're not stupid."
"I guess..."
"Look at her. She's as happy as she's ever been. If she trusts him, we should, too. He could save her life one day, the same way she saved his."
"I know, I know. It's just most folks don't have to worry about this stuff until their kids are older."
"The knowledge of his existence will give us better foresight. We're being offered a glimpse into the future. I want to know what road he'll lead her down."
"Fine. I see your point."
"He's doing what his heart's telling him is right. The least we can do is let him try."
Atmospheric's father grumbled, but refrained from saying anything more. Her mother chuckled.
Another eight years passed by. Within that time, Atmospheric adopted a number of Harmonic's mannerisms and hobbies, as well as a few of her own. She regularly studied survival techniques and kept a close eye on her health. In addition, she taught herself sign language and lip reading: skills which allowed her to more effectively communicate with Harmonic's apparition.
While the few friends she made at school attended parties and dances, Atmospheric was content spending her time at home where she could refine her developing abilities. Of course, bonding with the man she was destined to wed was another contributing factor.
"You should hang out with everybody soon. They're probably getting worried about you."
"I will, but we need to have a serious conversation."
"Huh...?"
Atmospheric closed the door to her room. The air grew tense, almost frightening.
"I know who you are."
"How did you-"
"It took me a while, but when I started piecing everything together, it all made sense in some weird way. Everything you've done told me what I wanted to know. The kisses, the way you articulated your words: it was no coincidence."
"When did you figure it out?"
"It started three years ago. I noticed over the years that my mind began to slow down in a certain sense. I could critically examine the world around me in a way I wasn't able to before. My perception began to increase at an accelerating rate. When I was little, I accepted your appearance as something beyond my understanding. It's not every day someone gets to talk to a time traveler."
"That's true."
"I suspected you were my boyfriend at first, but something about that theory didn't hold up. Your behavior suggested a deeper understanding of reality. Your level of focus exceeded everyone around me: even mom and dad. The ease with which you told me everything about myself...Only the person I was closest to would be able to pull that off."
"Your closest friend..."
"You're my husband, aren't you?"
Harmonic smiled.
"Guilty as charged."
"The stories about our meetings filled in the blanks. The way we stumbled across each other seemed typical on the surface, but only we know the truth."
"There's something I still don't understand. How can you see me?"
"Because I was the reason you came back to this time."
"I guess that makes sense, but I feel like that's not the only reason."
"Maybe there's something to the concept of second sight."
"Seeing beyond the physical plane..."
"It's worth looking into."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah."
"Are you angry with me for interfering?"
"Why would I be?"
"The changes I made were minor, but they were still changes."
"You were trying to help me, weren't you?"
"Something about you felt incomplete, like you were missing a piece of your vitality. You never told me much about yourself beyond the standard line."
"Why would I hide the truth from you?"
"You didn't. That's the weird part. Everything is as you told me."
"I remember what you told me when I was little, about how silence becomes empty and hollow over time. Is that why you came here?"
"That's the best reason I can come up with, aside from wanting to see what you were like."
"You didn't want me to be alone: in this time or yours..."
"You deserve better than that."
"Now I understand why I fell in love with you..."
"Do you feel the same way now?"
"I do...Maybe even more than before..."
"That's good to hear."
"I've felt a growing sense of strength in you, too. Neither of us have anything left to fear anymore."
"Because we can see through the farce of reality. We were bound to cross paths sooner or later."
"That's how it looks, isn't it?"
"What do you say we hold off on going anywhere for the night and watch a movie?"
"I'll make us something to eat."
"Sounds good."
"It'll be nice to hear your voice one of these days..."
"As long as I hear yours, I'll never need anything else."
Atmospheric's eighteenth birthday rolled around after what seemed like an eternity. She graduated that year with a 3.4 GPA. Harmonic attended the ceremony. His smile, tame as it was, radiated with pride. Later that night, they discussed their plans for the future.
"What are you gonna do now?"
"I've been thinking about that, and I want to test my knowledge."
"Oh?"
"As much as you pushed me to live a normal life, I could tell you had your doubts."
"You're not wrong. I know the harm people can cause when left unchecked, but I've tried to be more forgiving. The older I get, the less I want to waste time worrying about it."
"I know. It's that balance between wisdom and understanding driving my decision. I want to explore the world so I can see what shaped you into the man you are."
"It'll be a while before you find me again. Will you be okay on your own?"
"I'll be fine. Just don't let me forget the date."
"I won't."
"There's something I want to give you."
Atmospheric strolled over to her dresser. She pulled a journal from the middle drawer.
"I started keeping it after I discovered your identity. Maybe it'll give you something to think about. Don't read it until I'm gone, though."
"Gotcha."
"I need to ask you one more thing."
"Anything."
"What are our children like?"
"Melodic looks a lot like me. She's really optimistic and bubbly. Hard Core is more stoic and reserved. Even when he was little, he was exceptionally strong. They have a younger sister who resembles both of us."
"What's her name?"
"Shadow Walker."
"That's killer."
"I know, right?"
"...I'll miss you while you're gone."
"It'll fly by before you know it, and hey, I'll still drop in now and then to check up on you."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Harmonic embraced his wife in a tight hug.
"Try not to get mauled to death by a bear."
"Already ahead of you."
"I love you..."
"I love you, too..."
The day Atmospheric left home to test her mettle against the forces of nature, Harmonic read through the passages in her journal. The earlier entries were a lot steamier than he expected.
"Oh, boy..."
The tone shifted in her later edits. Around the time she turned seventeen, she began emphasizing the romantic aspects of their relationship, penning down many of the beliefs influenced by his presence.
"It's like reading one of my books."
The stallion let out a soundless exhale.
"She knows me too well..."
Five years later, Atmospheric emerged from her self-imposed seclusion. The muscular structure beneath her clothing displayed clear signs of athletic capability, and her mind was a razor's edge. The day of the gathering, she flew above the trees around the vicinity. The bird's eye view was all she needed.
"I made it in time."
She dove next to Harmonic's younger counterpart, swooping down with the finesse of a spirit. She whispered into his ear.
"Turn around..."
Harmonic faced the unknown entity. He was shocked to see a beautiful mare, though this realization failed to quell his terror. Atmospheric was heartbroken to see how frail he looked. Fortunately, the remedy was within her grasp.
"What I'm about to do might not make a lot of sense right now, but it will in time. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
A confused countenance crossed the stallion's features.
"Who are you?"
His voice bordered between baritone and bass. It was smooth with a hint of grain below the surface. Though lacking in confidence, Atmospheric could sense its impactfulness.
"Shhh..."
Atmospheric leaned in, planting a firm kiss on her lover's lips. His eyes jumped out of their sockets. She pulled back and smiled at him, taking his hoof in her own.
"You need to eat. We can catch up over lunch."
"You're not gonna steal my kidneys, are ya?"
"All you need to know is, I'm about to rock your world."
"I have no idea what's going on, but...SCORE!!!"
The Pegasus pulled her husband away from the crowd. They ran together through the city, the sun high over their heads. For that one moment, all was as it should've been, and the strain of existence faded away. Reality subsided, and the dream began...