Harmony the Visitor

**Ojuice5001** · 13-01-08, 02:32 PM

Chapter Two:

The next evening, Mabel looked out the window, waiting for her guest.

"Okay, it's getting dark. Harmony should be getting here pretty soon. Let's go over the plan," said Mabel.

"First, we introduce ourselves. Using assumed names, of course. Have you picked yours out yet?"

"Well, I've always liked the name Melody," mused Margo.

"Melody working with Harmony, I like that," said Mabel. "We could have a whole music theme to our names; what do you say, Mitzy?"

"Well, I've always liked the name Christina," said Mitzy.

"Christina?" scowled Mabel. "I say a music theme, and you come up with...never mind, okay, your assumed name will be Christina.

"Now, the story we tell the Charmed Ones will be that you two and Harmony are sister witches, trying to learn how to form your own Power of Three. We'll cast an identity-changing spell that will keep them from recognizing who we are, of course, and it will also make seem that Harmony is your sister, instead of me."

"I wish that was actually true," Margo whispered in Mitzy's ear. Mitzy cracked up laughing.

"Oh, real funny," said Mabel. "I didn't actually hear what you said, but I can guess. Now quit laughing and pay attention. The spell will give me the identity of a particular Higher Being. One who has enough authority that the Charmed Ones will do what she says...And who also happens to be Harmony's personal friend. This Higher Being's name is Cordelia Chase."

"Okay, back up a second," said Margo. "Can we really make Harmony think she's our sister? That sounds like a pretty big stretch."

"Well, no," said Mabel. "She won't actually think that she's our sister, but she'll become very confused whenever she tries to think or talk about it. And once you meet Harmony, you'll see that making her confused isn't much of a stretch."

"Okay, so we make the Charmed Ones think that we're going to be their students," said Mitzy. "Then what? And won't the Charmed Ones figure out that Harmony is a vampire?"

"Yes, and I'm counting on it," said Mabel. "You see, Harmony occupies the bracket of evil known as 'sub-borderline.' This means that although she's evil, she still has enough good in her that the Charmed Ones will get in trouble when they vanquish her--is that the word, by the way?"

"With vampires it's called 'slay,'" said Margo.

"But they will slay her anyway, because hello, vampire," Mitzy was grinning as she absorbed the substance of this evil plan.

"That's right," said Mabel. "At that point, their mistake will weaken their hold on their witch powers. And we'll be in a position to steal them easily. Now then. It shouldn't be long before she gets here.

**Ojuice5001** · 13-01-08, 02:48 PM

Chapter Three:

"Hello," came the voice from the door. "I left home as soon as it got dark, and here I am now."

The Stillmans opened the door, and the young woman at the door didn't look much like a vampire at all. She was a cute blonde who actually looked a lot like the Stillman sisters themselves. Which was the reason Mabel had formed the plan she did, of course.

"Hi, Harmony. Glad you could make it," said Mabel.

After a few seconds of silence, Harmony said, "So...remember to invite me in, okay?"

"So, you think you're worthy of being invited in here," began Margo.

Mabel scowled at Margo. There was no reason for Margo to be annoying Harmony that way. She was apparently under the illusion that that kind of behavior was funny.

"Come in, Harmony. This is Christina; that's Melody; and you've already met me. I'm Mabel."

Harmony came in. "Hi, Christina and Melody. Hey, have you got any lamb's blood? I never touch the human stuff. Morals, you know?" She went for the fridge.

Mabel had prepared some blood for Harmony. She'd known that Harmony had a streak of morality in her; that was the point of the plan. But she hadn't realized that she was quite serious enough to abstain from human blood. So this drink of blood had simply consisted of some blood from a mortal who Mabel had gotten in a fight with.

"Oh, that in the fridge is human blood. But it's okay. It's my blood!" Mabel lied. "That makes it okay, right? Since you have my permission?"

"Definitely! This is such a treat." Harmony began drinking. "But I've drunk from a witch or two, and their blood has a different flavor. Are you sure you're a witch?"

"Yes," said Mabel indignantly. "I am a very powerful witch."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend," said Harmony. "It's just that I expected a stronger flavor. I mean, it's as if you didn't even have magic at all."

Mabel seethed with fury at this unintended insult. In front of her sisters! But she had to stay cool. "Okay, let's just get down to business. Christina, will you explain what we want to do to Harmony...uh, for Harmony?"

"Absolutely," said Mitzy. "We know that you're trying to turn good. And we know of a place that can help. It's called the Magic School. It's for good witches, like us, but they can also help you fight those nasty vampire urges. That's what you'd like, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. That's be great," said Harmony. "How'd you find me? I can trust you, can't I?

"Oh, definitely," said Mabel. She had anticipated the need to claim that she was working with some kind of authority "Up There," to convince not only Harmony, but the Charmed Ones as well. "We've met with an old friend of yours. Her name's Cordelia."

**Ojuice5001** · 13-01-08, 02:58 PM

Chapter Four

Harmony walked down the street, together with Cordelia, Christina, and Melody. She had been feeling rather confused ever since she first met up with Cordelia.

For one thing, why did she feel so close with Christina and Melody? She had just met them, and yet she felt just as close to them as she had to any of her old friends, way back in high school. Christina and Melody felt like sisters, even. Of course, Harmony had always been able to bond instantly with a group of friendly girls. It still felt funny, somehow.

And then there was the matter of Cordelia herself. Cordelia was acting more aloof than Harmony had ever known her to be. She had seemed to avoid answering any questions about herself, or the higher planes, or Angel, or Buffy. She didn't seem quite like herself.

And every time she looked at Cordelia, Harmony found herself thinking of her new friends' pompous older sister, Mabel. Was this because Cordelia and Mabel resembled each other? That might be it. Though Harmony hadn't seen Cordelia and Mabel together at any point. Mabel had suddenly had to leave just a few hours before Cordelia arrived.

Oh well. Harmony just had to look ahead. She would be going to this new place, Magic School. Populated by high-school kids! It would be like old times. Harmony had always wanted for "the best years of her life," hanging with her high-school friends, to go on forever. This would be great fun!

They arrived at Halliwell Manor. Cordelia knocked on the door, and a brunette in a tight blue T-shirt opened the door. "Hi, I'm Phoebe. What can I do for you?"

"Greetings, witch," said Cordelia, in a deliberately deep and imposing voice. "I'm Cordelia Chase, and I sent a message that you are supposed to take these three young ladies into Magic School."

"Oh, right," said Phoebe. "And you also wanted me to let them sleep in our basement. Why was that important?"

"Tell them to go in and make themselves comfortable," said Cordelia. "I'll tell you out here."

"Um, okay, what she said," replied Phoebe. "What's going on?"

Harmony went into the house along with Christina and Melody. She closed the door, and had a sudden urge to listen in on Cordelia. Humans always tend to forget that vampires have a superior sense of hearing, so they say things that they might not say if they realized who was listening. What was Cordelia saying behind her back?

"Actually," Cordelia was saying, "it was because you need to keep an eye on them. You see, we have reason to believe that one of them was replaced by a demon. Obviously, we can't be letting someone like that into Magic School. So as soon as you figure out which one of them it is, vanquish that one. Don't give it a chance to lie and save itself, either. Then, you can let the two real witches into Magic School. Got it?'

Harmony heard Phoebe saying, "Sure. Are you going to come in and say goodbye to the girls?" Then the door opened. Harmony pretended she wasn't listening, and no one seemed to suspect otherwise.

"No," said Cordelia. I've got too much business to take care of. Meetings with some very important Elders. Besides, do you really think I'd hang out with someone who had that hairdo?"

Phoebe looked a little hurt as she closed the door, and Christina muttered to herself, "She really took that 'arrogant Elder' thing a little too far."

Oblivious to this unusual phrasing, Harmony whispered, "Actually, she was already like that when she was just a regular mortal."

Harmony thought about what Cordelia had said. For one thing, why had she said that "two real witches" would be left after the demon was killed? Harmony wasn't a witch, she was a vampire. It was almost as if Cordelia were trying to make it sound as if Harmony was the demon. But no! It was Cordelia, and Cordelia would never do something like that!

So who was the demon? Christina or Melody? Neither of them seemed like a demon impersonating a human. They seemed quite normal, although Christina was giving Phoebe a resentful look for some reason. As if she had some sort of personal grudge against Phoebe. Harmony remembered an old joke, which seemed appropriate here:

"They say one in every three people is crazy. So look at the two people next to you. If they both seem normal, then you must be the one."

**Ojuice5001** · 13-01-08, 03:35 PM

Chapter Five

It was midnight, about four hours after Harmony had arrived at the Halliwell Manor. She had been introduced to Phoebe's sisters: an older sister named Piper, and a younger one named Paige. And by now it was time for all of the witches to be asleep, since witches, like other humans, sleep during the night. So Harmony, Christina, and Melody were all lying in the living room, and Harmony was the only one awake.

Harmony wasn't completely unfamiliar with sleeping at night. It's what she had done while she was working at Wolfram and Hart. But it felt uncomfortable for a vampire. Just knowing that it was dark outside made it harder to sleep. And then there was the fact that she had already slept during the day. Her schedule would be way thrown off by this habit.

Harmony also didn't like sleeping in a room with a window. Even though she had made sure the window faced to the west. She had started out trying for the basement, but the Halliwell sisters were uncomfortable with this for some reason. And when Christina had suggested the attic, the Halliwells' reaction was one of outright suspicion. No, the three guests were supposed to sleep in the living room. There was clearly some kind of secret in both the basement and the attic.

But all of these distractions were nothing compared to sleeping next to two humans. Christina and Melody had both shaved their necks before bed, and they had both cut themselves shaving. It was almost as if they were trying to make themselves tempting to Harmony. Especially since they were both sleeping in bright yellow camisoles that showed plenty of skin. Didn't they know that vamps are attracted to bright colors?

This thought made the temptation worse. Suppose they really did want to be bitten? Just like Mabel had offered Harmony some of her own blood. But no, it would be wrong to take a drink, and Harmony was trying to get into Magic School.

Harmony looked in her bag for a packet of pigs' blood. But it was gone. No vampire could just forget where she kept her blood, any more than a human could lose a $100 bill just by forgetting where she left it. No, someone must have stolen it.

Harmony was now feeling an irresistible urge to fall upon Christina and start drinking. But she couldn't do that! It would be wrong! Right?

Harmony took a few steps toward Christina and then stopped. She screamed.

Now, the human voice box (or that of a vampire, which is nearly identical) is capable of making some pretty nerve-wracking screams. Most adult humans have inhibitions that keep them from ever letting loose their worst screams. But when the scream is that of a vampire-demon frustrated because it can't get the blood it wants, and the vampire's human half is also low on self-control...well, the result was that Harmony let loose a high-pitched, high-octane shriek that instantly woke up everyone in the house.

"What's going on?" said Christina, the first to wake up.

"Someone stole my--" began Harmony.

"Yes? What did someone steal? Go on, say it!" said Christina.

Harmony was now becoming embarassed. Feeling human emotions, instead of vampire instincts. "My...makeup?"

Christina looked angry. Melody was still in shock from the scream. And then all three of the Charmed Ones came in.

"What is the meaning of this?" said Piper, with the voice of an outraged, authoritative mother.

Harmony was scared, and was suddenly afraid to admit to being a vampire. "Um...I saw a demon?"

"What's that?" said Christina. A minute ago, you said you were screaming because you lost your makeup or something. That was such an overreaction. Almost the kind of overreaction you'd expect from...a demon?"

Why was Christina acting as if she wanted Harmony to confess? "Gods, I don't know," she said. "Could I have been having a nightmare?"

"Okay, I don't know what to do here," said Piper. "Paige, you stay here and watch this room, while I go get my sons to stop crying."

Harmony said, "Wait! Could I sleep in a separate place for the rest of the night?"

"No!" said Christina. "You should stay here, so that your sisters can protect...oh, forget it. Just go."

Harmony picked up her sleeping bag, and heard Melody mutter, "Speaking of nightmares. I'm gonna be having prison flashbacks for who knows how long."

Harmony had to ask. "Prison? When were you in prison?"

"Please, Harmony! Let the girl have some privacy!" said Christina. "Now go!"

**Ojuice5001** · 13-01-08, 03:59 PM

Chapter Six

Okay, so Christina had spoken truly. Harmony wasn't being respectful of others' privacy. But she didn't have to feel guilty about it, since after all she didn't have a soul. So about fifteen minutes later, Piper told Phoebe and Paige that there was a "meeting" in the attic, and Harmony immediately immediately snuck up the stairs leading to the attic. This is what she heard:

Phoebe: Okay, we all know what just happened. Harmony saw the demon who's impersonating one of her sisters.

Piper: Well, wait a minute. How do we know she's not the demon, trying to cover her tracks?

Phoebe: Look, I just don't get that vibe from her, she seems so innocent. I may not be a magical empath anymore, but I'm still pretty good at sensing this stuff naturally. To me, it looked like that Christina woman was just this predator, waiting for her to slip up and that would be her chance to pounce.

Paige: Well, I've been doing research, and something is funny here. First of all, I've gotten a new power I call "Detect Evil." Ad don't give me that look, I'm aware that all I did was name it after the spell from Dungeons and Dragons. The point is, though, that I get a low reading off of all of them. They belong to the bracket known as "sub-borderline."

Phoebe: Sub-borderline?

Paige: Yes. It means they qualify as evil, but they're really very conflicted and weak. We could actually get in trouble if we vanquished them. They're not supposed to be worth vanquishing.

Phoebe: Hey! Just like the Stillman sisters! Uh...sorry, I've just been having thoughts of them lately.

Paige: But you're right, Phoebe. Those three are sort of a good example. Actually, Mabel is in a lower bracket than the other two. But the point is that I can't quite see why that Higher Being, Cordelia, talked as if there was a need to vanquish some truly evil demon--

Harmony broke into tears at this point, and the Charmed Ones heard her and opened the attic door. "I'm sorry, I know you're looking for me," she sobbed. "I'm a vampire. But I really did think that they could make me better if I went to Magic School. You know, like a reform school."

Piper lifted her hands, as if she were about to blast Harmony. But Phoebe looked more doubtful, and said, "Wait. I don't think we should do anything yet. Remember what Paige said about getting in trouble for vanquishing this girl? Better be careful here.

"What? I say we blast her," said Piper."

"Listen," said Paige. "I'm going to cast the deciding vote, and I say we wait. We need more evidence! Harmony, let us do the rest of our planning without you listening. And don't tell your sisters anything you heard, okay?"

"Why does everyone keep calling them my...Uh, I mean, never mind, I'll go," said Harmony.

Harmony intended to refrain from further eavesdropping. But with her vampire hearing, it took a while before the Halliwells were out of earshot. Paige was saying, "She actually sounds like this vampire I read about in the book of Shadows, Harmony Kendall. Now, her entry is the transcript of a letter of recommendation she got at some office where she once worked. And the boss who wrote the recommendation said she was very bad at keeping secrets..."

**Ojuice5001** · 13-01-08, 04:06 PM

Chapter Seven

Margo was hanging out with Harmony in the basement, while Harmony went on and on about some story that had happened while she was in high school. She wasn't listening, of course. She was going over the plan in her head.

The plan had been for one of them to get bitten by Harmony in the middle of the night, and for Margo and Mabel to fight her off, and expose her as a vampire. Then the Charmed Ones would destroy Harmony, and would get in trouble with the Elders. At which point their powers wold be just ripe fruit waiting to be plucked off by someone like Margo and her sisters.

But as it turned out, Harmony had just screamed and separated herself from Margo and Mitzy. They hadn't anticipated that a vampire could possibly resist a drink of blood. Who knew what Harmony had said to the Charmed Ones during the night.

Margo would have to meet with Mitzy and make a new plan. But Mitzy was busy getting some kind of spellcasting lessons from Paige. What were they going to do?

"You know, you're being such a great listener," said Harmony. I just know it's Christina who's the demon, and not you.

"Wait, a minute, what?" said Margo, suddenly paying attention. What do you mean, demon?"

"Uh-huh," said Harmony. "See, one of us has been replaced by a demon, and the Charmed Ones are supposed to figure out who it is and get rid of it. And I just know it's got to be you that's the regular person. The demon must be that pushy Christina. But I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about all this until...oops."

"Listen, I've got to go," said Margo. "I'm getting, um...a premonition? Bye!"

Margo hurried out of the basement with no further ado. If Harmony knew that much, it would be necessary to call the whole plan off. She had to talk to Mitzy, immediately.

**Ojuice5001** · 13-01-08, 04:18 PM

Author's note: The logical ending is for Margo and Mitzy to hightail it out of there as soon as they realize that their plan is on the verge of being discovered. And that's also the ending I have in mind. Nevertheless, this may seem anticlimactic, so I will simply tell you what happened.

Margo and Mitzy, as I said, did make themselves scarce, so that they could live to scheme another day. Harmony went on to Magic School, and tried studying with Mythical Creatures as her major (it's all about the unicorns, baby!). But after a year, she got tired of the academic lifestyle and dropped out. And the Halliwell sisters tried to figure out who had been messing with them, but then they forgot all about it because they were distracted by the next monster of the week they had to deal with--a demon with flying razor-sharp teeth. The End.

Harmony the Visitor

Harmony the Visitor

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