"Walk on a rainbow" is generally something people put on their list of things to do before they die when they're in third grade and their teacher forces them to write something. It is usually followed by "grow wings" or "touch the top of the bouncy house". When that person grows older they would read the list, and laugh at how imaginative they were when they were younger.
I would never laugh at that list ever again.
Walking here with Iris was like a fever dream. It's so insane that there's no way it could be real, and yet it feels so right and normal that you still believe it.
As we wandered through the clouds I wondered if anyone else could see us. Iris and I were both barefoot so there was no sound to suggest our existence. Even if there was, no one would hear it but the birds.
The gloomy forest laying beneath us slowly became farther away as we ascended up to the sky. Once it had started to become just a big dark blur I started looking up and around us instead.
The rainbow's iridescence was the only light up here. There were no stars out tonight and that was okay with me as Iris' bridge gave all the sparkle I needed.
"Pretty crazy, huh?" Iris said. When I looked up at her she was smiling, her warm eyes now a dark plum color.
I was walking on a seemingly amaranthine rainbow bridge with a winged naked woman who had snuck into my bedroom and may or may not be a Greek goddess.
"That's an understatement." I agreed.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. See we're almost there." she assured, raising her pale hand to point up towards a large cloud. "We can get to Mount Olympus through there. Then you can finally meet Aphrodite."
"Is she naked too?" I said slightly irritated, but mostly teasing. Couldn't she have toned down the weirdness at least a little bit?
"Possibly" Iris laughed, her soft bubblegum voice echoing through the night.
When we reached the edge of the rainbow and the beginning of the large cloud, Iris took my hand and we stepped into the mist.
In the blink of an eye, we were in a closet, whose open door revealed a very girly pink bedroom.
"FINALLY!" a woman's voice called, "Iris I can't believe you took so long!"
"Sorry Aphrodite!" Iris called back to her while pulling me into the bright room. A woman with fiery red hair stood looking in one of the mirrors; Aphrodite I assumed. The woman turned to look at me.
"Ooh, so this is Nadia?" Aphrodite said, eying me over.
"She's the one." Iris answered.
"Hello Nadia, I'm Aphrodite. Don't shake my hand though; it's not really my thing. We're gonna give you a makeover so you can come to Hera's ball tomorrow.", the ginger said cheerily.
"Wait, Hera's the queen right? I don't know how to act at a queen's ball." I protested.
"Oh don't worry we'll give you all the do's and don'ts. First we need to make you fabulous though." Aphrodite turned and walked into the closet Iris and I arrived in.
"C'MON C'MON C'MON GET ON THE BED!" Iris squealed, hopping with excitement. "We need you to sit down so you can do your hair!"
I obeyed and Iris sat behind me, stroking my messy hair.
"Here take off your clothes so Aphrodite can try to find your match." Iris murmured pulling my shirt off over my head.
"What do you mean?" I questioned, but I did what she told me to and pulled off my pajamas.
"You'll see." she said.
Just then Aphrodite walked in with a pink box and she skipped over to the bed.
"Brushing time!" she sang, "Shove over Iris!" Her perfect face had a wide smile and her green eyes sparkled with happiness.
"Fine," Iris grumbled, as I felt the bed adjust under me, "Give me that brush."
It was quiet in the pink room for a while as I felt the brush catch the tangles in my hair. I took a closer look at the pictures on the walls. They were drawings and paintings all over the place. Some were of pegasi and others were of people that looked strangely familiar. They were probably Greek gods that I had studied.
The only doors lead to large closets and there were no windows. It made me feel a bit more comfortable since I think I'd have a heart attack if I had to deal with ANOTHER naked stranger.
"What's this mark?" Aphrodite questioned while tracing a shape on my back.
"I got in a car accident when I was ten. The window broke and that's the mark that the glass left." I explained. I hadn't thought about that night for so long, thinking about it now made me feel odd. It felt like some part inside of me was hollow and suddenly aching to be filled.
"It looks like a heart, doesn't it, Iris?" Aphrodite said, still lining the shape.
"It does kind of." Iris replied, her hand now drawing on my back as well.
We sat in silence for a few more moments until Aphrodite got up.
"That'll do for now. Stand up, girly." she said smiling now. It seemed to cheer up the mood in the room.
"What are you going to do to be?", I laughed, standing up.
"We're going to give you a makeover!" Iris cheered.
Aphrodite stared at me thoughtfully.
"Hmm..." she murmured, "Let's see here... hair as black as ravens and eyes blue as crystal," she paused and started to walk around me, "skin light as snow and a cute little heart on your back," she kept walking around until she was in front of me and looking at my face again. She gazed at me for a while longer, thinking.
"You're very pretty. Zeus would like you but Zeus likes everyone and we wouldn't want Hera to be pissed at you don't pick him but I can think of at least five gods that would like you. I suppose we'll just wait and see which boy you choose." Aphrodite finally said.
No one had ever called me pretty before. It was strange hearing it from someone so beautiful and perfect in every way.
"Ooh someone's foxy!" Iris teased, poking my ribs. I turned and smiled at her, her blissful eyes now an orange shade.
"Why do your eyes change color?" I asked.
She shrugged, "I'm goddess of rainbows; it's sort of my thing."
"We should cut your hair." Aphrodite said suddenly.
I reached up and grabbed my precious locks. "You just said I was pretty!" I protested.
"Well I didn't say you were perfect!" she laughed, "Maybe make it shoulder-length. That would look good."
I looked up at Iris, panicked.
"That would look really good actually. Nice thinking Aphrodite." Iris agreed.
"It's settled then!" Aphrodite cheered. She turned to her pink box and pulled out a pair of scissors.
Iris held me in place while I thrashed in her arms.
"No!" I yelled.
I wasn't very strong though, and after a few moments Aphrodite had already chopped my hair. Iris let go of me and I turned to look at both of them.
"YOU LOOK AMAZING!" Iris yelled.
"Look look look!" Aphrodite said, dragging me to the mirror.
I DID look pretty good. I frowned at the reflection.
"I hate it when you're right." I snapped.
They girls giggled and I yawned.
"Oh right," Iris said softly, "mortals need sleep don't they?"
"But we haven't picked her outfit yet." Aphrodite said stubbornly.
"We can pick some things out for her while she sleeps." Iris suggested, "You can sleep here Nadia." She gestured toward the fluffy bed that she had been sitting on before.
I nodded, yawning again and crawled under the soft pink sheets. It looked as if my dream was finally coming to its end.