Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Chapter 5

The Fire of One's Soul

Staring down at his notes, Charon sighed as he crossed out having ghosts move on to the afterlife. "Welp, that was a bust," He sighed. With his earlier failures, he had decided to hit the local library and see if anything would help. Glancing at the growing list of crossed out attempts on that subject only had him groaning in despair.

They tried just about everything under the sun. From electrocution (Turns out, ghosts glow when they're energized), to holy water, nothing seemed to be working. Heck, he even tried baptising them, but they were still there, just slightly wetter. It seemed that having them move on was simply not going to work.

Resting his forehead against his notes, he groaned, "Damn it, why didn't it work?" Admittedly, it was a long shot, but shouldn't something happen? He was pretty sure it was strong regret that binds them here to the mortal world unless it was something else?

"Nope, it's definitely regret," He grumbled as he lifted himself up and turned back to his notes. All the ghosts he ever had had regrets, even the cowboy who was an alcoholic through and through so why? "It's not like they can't pass on, right?" He muttered to himself.

Was it too much of a stretch to think that since ghosts are real that there should be an afterlife? Afterall, where would all the other ghosts go? Maybe he was approaching this wrong. Shaking his head, he pushed his notes aside and grabbed the massive tome that was given to him for his research.

"Fairy Tales and Local Folklores across Remnant, A Collection," It read. If there was a myth or even so much a nursery rhyme, this thing had it. It was as comprehensive as it can get. Getting said information, however, was easier said than done.

With a grimace, he stared at the various versions of the same story through different pages. Like all things borne out of folklore, there was conflicting information and more importantly, there were so many versions of them.

"Oh god, this is going to take forever," He mumbled as he cradled his aching head. Was he going to even find anything under the mountain of stories now in front of him? He wasn't even sure he could read all of this without his brain leaking out of his ears.

Feeling a wave of drowsiness hit him, he yawned. Speaking of time, how long had he been here cooped up with all these books? Turning to the clock, he blinked. "It's already 10 PM?" He was pretty sure he hadn't stayed here for that long, had he?"

As he stretched out and worked on the kinks on his back, he heard the door behind him creak open. "Someone's busy tonight," Summer greeted as she walked in, holding up a tray filled with chocolatey filled goodness, "Cookies?"

Taking one for herself and munching on them, she apologized, "They're a bit misshapen so I hope you don't mind." It wasn't the prettiest cookie, being a bit burnt on the edges and mishapen, but it smelled absolutely delicious, something which his stomach agreed on as it grumbled.

"Look's like someone's hungry," Summer chuckled as she sat down on the empty table beside his workstation.

"Yeah, I kinda am," Charon replied as light dusting of pink settled on his cheeks. It had been quite some time since he last ate. A small break wouldn't hurt, right?

Reaching out to the offered tray, he grabbed a few to nibble on. Quite hefty he noted as he brought one up to his mouth and bit down and found himself wanting. Staring down at the baked goodness in his hands, he mumbled, "Ok, these are some really good cookies."

They were a bit hard, but the way they crunched along with the bitter sweet taste of chocolate (and was that molasses?) had him stuffing one after another in his mouth. He didn't care that Summer was laughing because it was like he's back at his grandma's.

His old lady's cookies were better, but these were a close second. Doing his best not to grab another bunch so soon, he asked, "Have you considered setting up a bakeshop because I'd definitely buy from you." Business wasn't for everyone, but this was one of those things that everyone had to taste at least one.

"I did," Summer admitted as she quirked her lips and tapped the side of her cheeks, "But if I did, then who'd kill all those Grimm outside?" Kicking her legs as they dangled beneath her, she grinned, "And besides, I'm dead, remember? It's not like I could stay forever…"

Well, that was a problem. "But you could teach your kids, right?" Charon asked as he grabbed himself another cookie.

Opening her mouth to reply, the woman paused before she closed them as a fond smile settled on her lips. "Yeah…" Summer said as she cupped her cheeks, "Yeah, you're right. I could do that…"

Feeling his cheeks heat up, he coughed as he turned away. "Now if only I could figure out how to get things sorted so we could get a move on and head to patch." All the teasing she had about her daughters had him getting curious now, but just like the rest of the ghosts in this town, they were stuck and unable to leave.

It wasn't for the lack of trying, but rather the fear that they could fuck things up if they did. He wasn't looking forward to approaching Patch or heaven forbid, entering one of the few major cities in this world. As he raked his brain for answers, he heard the woman get off her seat before walking up behind him.

"Well, whenever I'm feeling stuck with something, an old mentor of mine suggests I go do something else," Summer suggested, making him quirked a brow at her. Smiling back, she explained, "It's just sometimes we get stuck when we're frustrated and a change of pace helps with that."

Frowning, he sighed, "Maybe I should, but I'd still be stuck here." No matter what he did, he'd still come back to the same problem so why not just deal with it now? "And it's not like I'm far from finished." Turning a page, he added, "All I need to do is read just a few chapters. Nothing an all nighter couldn't fix." It's not like he needed to read the whole book, just parts which contained ghosts. This earned him a flick on the forehead.

As he clutched the sore spot, Summer scolded him, "And now you're just being silly." He was being perfectly reasonable here. He was trying to fix things, but it seemed that she didn't see it that way. Shaking her head, she grabbed his book and closed it shut to his protests. "You know what, once you finish your snack, why don't you freshen up and go to sleep?"

"But-!" Charon tried to argue, but he was quickly shut down by the Huntress.

"No buts, mister," Summer tutted as she wagged her finger in front of him, "You've been cooped up here for the whole day so it's time for you to rest." Tucking the book under her arm, she added, "It'll definitely be better than you trying to bash your head through all this."

Seeing the book now out of reach, he threw up his hands. He was not getting that book even if he wanted to. "Fine," He sighed in defeat as he got up and walked over to the vacuum. "Let me just store this so I someone wouldn't touch it,"

As a precaution, he took it with him so at least he could use it if anyone were to somehow escape. "You know how I'm the only one that could use this thing," He reminded her. They had tried having Summer to use it, but to no effect. It was just something unique to him he supposed.

That, however, proved to be problematic as he grabbed it by the much improved straps (so as to avoid it breaking and releasing all these ghosts) and struggled to lift it. "Man these things are heavy," He muttered to himself, "I wish I could just bottle these ghosts up so I wouldn't have to deal with an entire vacuum…"

Pausing for a moment, he frowned before his eyes lit up, "I think I got an idea!" That idea might have to wait as Summer cleared her throat. Cringing away at the woman's light glare and her foot tapping, he sighed, "...But right after I sleep." Can't he just get a few more hours of waking time? He was a teen damn it, not a kid.

Still, Summer remained firm as she flashed her a smile that sent shivers of fear down his spine. Her suggestion wasn't a request, it was an order. Knowing that defeat was absolute, he shuffled to the door, earning him a pat on the head. "Good boy."

For a moment, he considered just sneaking out to test his theory before a glance at the woman's gleaming axe quickly dissuaded him. No sir, he wasn't going to test the kind lady who could chop up people like they were minced meat.
-x-x-x-
With a new day, came a new round of experimentation. Taking Summer's advice, he decided to work on his powers. Maybe he should look at the root rather than the effects to solve his current problem. At least by the end of this all, he'd know everything he needed about this power; Hopefully.

Not everyone however, was enthused about his test. "When I suggested a change of pace, I didn't mean this," Summer mumbled as she looked at the empty town hall they had used for earlier experiments. Crossing her arms across her chest, The woman complained, "Couldn't you have picked a walk in the park or a food trip rather than experimenting on me!"

"Come on Summer, it'll be fine!" Charon laughed as he tended to a newer and shinier vacuum,"I made sure to clean the bag extra well on this one!" It was a Schnee Vacuum just like the one he found, but it was newer and flimsier. Guess enshittification doesn't only affect his world. Still, he didn't need it to be durable. He just needed it to suck.

"That's not what I meant!" Summer hissed before sighing as her shoulder sagged while he mumbled something about "date" and "too cute". As she looked back at him, she asked, "Why the hell are we doing this again anyways?"

"Since we're stuck with all those ghosts, I'm trying to figure out a better way to store them!" Why should he keep them all in this container when he could try and find something lighter? "And to do that, I need to figure out how to extract them from their container."

Yes, he got them trapped in the vacuum but then what? He wasn't even sure if he could detach the bag and not have a deluge of ghosts coming out of it.

Taking a deep breath, Summer glanced at the old vacuum whose groans filled the background before she sighed. "Ok fine, I'll do it," The Huntress grumbled as she sat down, "But I swear if I get stuck inside, I'll find a way to get out and haunt you, got it!"

"Of course," Charon chuckled as he strapped the new vacuum on his back. It was topped up with dust and ready to suck. "Ready when you are!" He shouted as he aimed, hands hovering over the on button.

Bracing herself, Summer shouted, "Hit it!"

With a push of a button, the machine came to life. A vacuum this size shouldn't be able to suck dirt as he held it up to his chest, much less a full grown woman, but whatever his powers did to it had the huntress locked in its pull along with the few stray objects not bolted down.

"How the hell is it this strong!" Summer shouted as dug her heels to stop herself from being pulled in, but the pull would prove too much. With her legs slipping, she was lifted off the ground and shot straight towards the nozzle.

Screaming, the woman's form stretched and glowed as she spiralled inside the nozzle until not a bit of her was left outside. Only when her axe was pulled in was Charon finally satisfied as he turned it off. Setting the vacuum down, he tapped at the bag.

"Summer?" He called out as he pressed his ears against the cool plastic surface of the casing, "Are you ok?"

For a moment, he thought he fucked up and Summer was hurt before he heard the woman spoke up. "You know, this is surprisingly comfy," Nami claimed as the Vacuum rattled a bit, "A bit cramped, but not as bad as I thought it'd be."

"For a ghost who just got sucked in a vacuum, you're surprisingly chipper," Charon noted as he pulled away and took notes. The only difference between fucking around and a proper experiment was taking notes after all.

"Oh believe me, I'm not happy at all," Summer replied, her tone a bit disgruntled as she let out a grunt, "But someone has to do this."

She was clearly not liking being trapped inside if all the rattling and bucking inside the vacuum was any indication. "Ok, letting you out now," said Charon as he grabbed the bag and opened it. "Well, now this is interesting," He mumbled as he raised his brow.

"So, how bad does it look?" Summer asked as she gazed up at him from inside the bag, "And why are you so huge all the sudden?"

"It's not that I'm huge…" Answered Charon as he scratched his head, struggling to find the words to explain this properly without making her freak out, "It's that you're small." At her questioning look, he reached for his pocket. "I should probably just show you."

Offering the mirror, Summer would not find her squished form, but rather a small blob with a tiny wisp flickering above it. She looked almost like a candle fire, really.

Shuffling out of the container, she bounced up to the mirror as he sat it down on the ground and just stared for a good long while. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she let out a squeal, "Oh my god, I look adorable!~" As he snorted and glanced away, she scoffed, "Oh come on, you know I am."

"Yup, you definitely are," He chuckled as he crouched down beside her. This wasn't what he expected, but it was a slightly better outcome. At least he didn't have to see her body contorted in all manners of grotesque ways as he initially feared.

Hopping away, Charon eyes trailed after Summer's much reduced form before they paused. "So are you going to just sit there or we are going to do this?" She asked before gesturing at the bottles off in one of the tables that was now out of her reach, "We haven't had all day and as adorable as I look right now, I really miss my arms and legs. It's hard bouncing around you know!"

"Oh, right," Hastily getting back on his feet, Charon reached down to help the woman. Carefully, he picked her up, grabbing her by her tail(?) end before cradling her in his palm. "Huh, you're really… squishy?" He noted, jiggling her around before giving a slight squeeze.

It's almost like he was holding a warm bag of water than something that was clearly burning with something; Soul Fire? She was also surprisingly light, like he wasn't holding anything at all. "This is so weird," He chuckled as he poked at her cheeks(?). They looked like her cheeks given the faint features like eyes on them.

This however, would prove to be annoying to the huntress. "I'm not a squishy toy!" She protested, pushing away at fingers with surprising force.

"Sorry," He chuckled, "I couldn't resist." It wasn't everyday that he got to hold a ghost. Still, they had things they needed to do and they were burning daylight. Turning to the various objects he had arrayed for this experiment, not just bottles, he grinned. "Now let's see what we can do with this."

-x-x-x-

Over the course of several hours, they experimented whether or not Ghost could be contained. The answer was a resounding yes. Just about everything could contain a ghost and strangely enough, that also meant they stayed a bit longer around even well outside his range.

It was strange hearing it over the radio, but he trusted the volunteer help who carried Summer just outside his range. Now while he wanted to investigate that, he was no far more interested in things and he had found some rather novel ways to stuff ghosts into things. This also meant that he would find some rather unorthodox items which he could trap ghosts.

"Don't worry Summer!" Charon shouted as he grabbed himself a hammer and smashed away at a polished river stone, "I'll get you out of there!" He struck frantically, trying to break it but it was harder than expected. Something about Summer's presence made it harder, but that doesn't mean it was indestructible.

Cracks grew until finally, it gave way, bursting with a light shower of fragments as Summer's small soul form shivering on the ground. "Oh god, I can finally breathe again!" Said the woman as she let out a slightly unhinged chuckle of relief.

"Reminder to self," Charon said to himself as his shoulders sagged in relief as well, "Do not put ghosts inside something you can't smash or open." Fortunately, he didn't push her inside the crystal gem that she had insisted on earlier.

"It felt like I was inside a rock," said Summer, her voice still a bit shaky, "Well, I was, but still!"

"At least we know we can trap ghosts in objects if it really comes down to it," He nodded. Not really an outcome he wanted, but something that might prove to be necessary in the future.

"That's a bit cruel, yeah," Summer muttered as she hopped to his lap, "But I can't blame you." Glancing towards the old vacuum which had quieted down, she noted, "Some of those guys are just really angry"

"Yeah," He nodded, "But let's reserve that for the worst offenders, yeah?" That was a faith he wasn't sure he wanted on anyone other than the worse of the worse especially with what they found with tests.

"The fact that ghost trapped inside bottles could last in that form outside my range really trips me up," he noted. "At least we know how to trap them I guess?" Not the best answer to get from all this, but that solved how he was going to leave this town without having to lug around all these ghosts.

"Agreed," Summer nodded before looking up to him. "So… since we're done," She mumbled, "Mind changing me back?" He was about to nod before he paused and frowned. Summer immediately picked up on the uncertainty and worry on his features.

"God damn it," Summer groaned out, "You don't know how, do you!?"

"I didn't think this through ok?!" Charon replied as he started pacing around. He was so preoccupied about the testing that he hadn't considered how he was going to fix things after everything was said and done. "Ahh crap."

"Now now, let's not panic just yet," Summer chuckled nervously, "So any suggestions kid?"

"True love's kiss?" He blurted out.

"Oh haha, very funny mister," Summer replied as she rolled her eyes.

"You asked for suggestions, not good ones," Charon fired back as he grabbed his hair and tugged at them. He fucked up alright. "Just let me think here for a bit." How the hell was he going to fix this now?

"Still… might be worth a shot?" Summer mused out loud.

"Electricity perhaps?" Charon suggested. Ghosts did seem to react to energy and Summer seemed reduced in some way? Maybe ghosts are like balloons that need energy? "What do you think, Summer?"

"Maybe, but I was talking more about the kiss part," Summer clarified, making Charon pause mid pace as he looked at Summer like she had grown another head.

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he asked, "You can't be serious?" Some banter was nice and all, but this was a bit serious.

"Hey, it beats getting electrocuted," Summer pointed out, "And besides, I have nothing to lose." Eyes lighting up in amusement, she chuckled, "Heck, I see this as a win-win for me. I get a kiss from a cute boy, while you get embarrassed!"

"I don't think that's how win-win works," Charon replied with a wry smile. At least she was in good spirits, no pun intended.

"Now chop chop! Pucker up those lips and give momma a kiss!" Summer cheered as she hopped up to him and bumped against his legs, "And pick me up will you? Can't really kiss a lady when she's down on the ground unless we're doing that."

"Fine." Rolling his eyes, he knelt down before the spirit and picked her up. "Are you sure about this?" He asked just to make sure.

"If a lady tells you what she wants, you better believe she wants it," Summer replied with an amused tone.

Seeing no way out of this, he sighed. Closing his eyes, he slowly leaned forward. For a moment, he felt the gentle blood of her fire, her soul's fire, blooming against his lips before their lips touched and he felt everything.

He felt not just her soul and the gentle moonlight it glowed with, but that of his soul and all around them. It was as if he was blind all this time and he saw everything for the first time. Colors and feelings rushed in him as an indescribable energy poured into his very core. He never felt so alive.

Just as it began, so did it end as he stumbled back and so did Summer now back to her human form. "Wow," Charon whispered as he stared at Summer while she touched her lips with a light dusting of pink in her lips, "You're glowing…" As he stared at her with wide eyed amazement, he didn't just see her for what she was, but who she was. He saw the color of her soul burning and he saw her for what she was; A pure soul.

Blushing an intense shade of red, Summer chuckled, "Oh haha, very funny. Buttering up this old batty, huh?~" As he turned away and felt heat rush up to his own cheeks, Summer spoke up, "But not to scare you or anything. You might be on fire?"

"What?" Charon blinked before looking down and finding himself engulfed with a fire that burned white. "Oh crap!" Patting away at his clothes, he stumbled back before dropping down on the floor as he tried to smother the flames, "Put it out!"

"Kid, relax!" Summer laughed while Charon screamed in panic, "If you were burning for real, you'd smell pork!"

Fear quickly gave way to confusion. He was on fire, but now that she mentioned it, he didn't smell anything burning. He didn't even smell singed hair. Slowly, he rolled to a stop as he stared up at the ceiling before gazing down at himself.

"Oh huh," He was still on fire yes, but it wasn't as bad as he feared. "This is so weird," He noted as he sat up. It was freaky alright, but it felt almost comforting in a way. It was a bit hot, but not something that gave him discomfort. It almost felt like a whole body hug.

"Tell me about it," Summer chuckled as she cupped her cheeks, "That was a bit intense." Hands drifting down to her side as she held herself, she added, "Never thought I'd get a kiss as exhilarating as that from someone other than Taiyang, Summer and Qrow…"

This had Charon pausing before he blurted out, "How many husbands do you have?" Maybe not the best question as he silently kicked himself for that.

Thankfully, the woman took it in stride as she scoffed, "I don't have husbands, I have wives!" As Charon gave her a look, Summer defended herself, "Ok, I have one legal wife, but the rest of my team were totally mine!"

That explains why she keeps trying to pair him up with her daughter, he thought to himself as he rolled his eyes. Looking back down on himself, he hummed. "So, got any idea on what this is?" He asked, "Is it Aura?"

Walking closer, Summer hummed, "Hmm, it doesn't feel like Aura to me." Poking and prodding at the fire, he watched as his first jumped at her touch and colored this light around her. "But it's something so close and very potent," She noted with a shiver.

Looking at the first and feeling it answer to his call, burning bright and even shaping to his will, he whispered, "I think this is my soul." It didn't feel like just something on top of him, but rather a part of him. Like it was coming from the very depths of his soul.

"It's kinda beautiful," Summer whispered as she reached out to touch him once more before pinching his cheeks. "So you're not just all fluff on the outside, huh?" She grinned as she patted him on the cheeks.

"Yeah, I kinda get why you didn't want to get squished," Charon chuckled. Fair play he supposed. Now though, he wanted to test this new thing. "Shiny…" It felt so weird watching the fire change shape, but it was mesmerizing in a way.

Shaping it into a long rod from his fist and seeing it keep its shape as he waved it around, he chuckled, "Heh." This was definitely a big upgrade to just being able to bring back the dead as Ghost and sucking them. "Hmmm… Now I wonder. Could I throw it?"

Shaping it into a ball and juggling it around, he laughed; Yes, yes he can. As he played around a bit, Summer crossed her arms and shook her head in amusement. "Easy there kid," She warned him, "If that's your soul and if it's anything close to Aura, then you better take it easy with it."

"Come on," Charon grinned as he had the ball spun up the tip of his finger, "It's not like one fire ball wouldn't hurt." Speaking of fireballs, those bottles and soda cans in the corner look mighty fine targets to him. He had already used them and they were empty so why not?

"Ok, now that's just pushing it," said Summer as she rested her hands on her hips. "I've seen more than my fair share of Aura exhaustion to know…" She started lecturing, but the call of the Wizard in him wanted to test that fireball. He needed this.

Without a second to waste, he gave into these demands. "Fireball!" Throwing it with all his might, the fire sailed through the air like a missile before exploding all over the glass and destroying the wall behind it.

"Fuck yeah!" Charon laughed. Yeah, he needed to fix that, but he was honest to god Fireball! His celebration, however, would prove short lived as suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over just as the fire of his soul started wavering. "Ohhh boy," He might have just thrown parts of his soul around…

If it wasn't for Summer catching him, he might have just face planted on the ground. "This kid, I swear," Summer groaned as she slowly laid him down. "You sure you weren't dropped on the head when you were a kid?" She asked teasingly.

"Yeah, I fucked up," Charon laughed before he let out a yawn; So tired. "Let me just lay down real quick and doze, mmk?" If Aura was anything to go by, he probably just needed a rest and he'd be as fresh as a daisy.

"I'll go get a pillow," Summer smiled as he patted him on the head before leaving him to doze off in dreamland, dreaming of a powerful wizard and a wicked witch of the west. What an interesting dream… he just hoped that dragon wasn't real…

A/N:

I'm really sorry it took this long. The long gap made starting this feel like pulling a tooth. Thankfully, speed picked up. Next fic update is definitely Empress so better look out! Hopefully in three days time, but that's very generous...