by Saless
Chapter 55
"Sarah!" Erica screamed, running towards her. Her scream startled Mike and Jill into motion and they were soon with Erica at Sarah's side.
"Vash says she's just exhausted from all the magic she's been using." Jill said with relief.
"Is he sure?" Erica asked anxiously. In answer Vash flew over and landed on Sarah's chest. He started licking her face and she began to groan and move around. When her eyes opened Erica asked, "Are you alright Sarah?"
Sarah reached up and wiped Erica's tears away. "I'm fine." she said weakly. She smiled when Erica did and drifted off to sleep.
"Mike, why don't you put her in the back seat of the car, it's got to be more comfortable than the ground." Jill suggested. Mike nodded and picked Sarah up. Erica followed him and put Sarah's head on her lap once she was lying down.
"Should we continue practicing, or go back to Sarah's?" Mike asked when he got back to Jill.
Jill didn't react at first and her eyes were closed. Mike was about to ask her if she was alright when Jill's eyes opened and she said, "We'd better get out of here, someone heard that."
"That's not surprising." Mike said dryly, looking at the remains of the hill Sarah used for practicing her spells. He and Jill looked around to make sure they weren't forgetting anything and hurried back to the car.
"What's wrong?" Erica asked when Mike and Jill got in and started the engine. Vash was riding on Jill's shoulder but hopped into the back to rest on Sarah's stomach.
"Sarah got someone's attention with that last blast. We're getting out of here before someone sees us and connects us with it." Jill replied while Mike drove.
They were quiet on the drive back. When they got to Sarah's apartment Erica insisted on carrying Sarah inside. Jill grinned at Mike as they watched her struggling with the taller girl. Erica gently laid Sarah down on the couch and sat on the floor beside it. "Did anyone see us?" she asked softly once she was settled.
"I don't think so, but it's hard to say." Jill replied.
"What about Vash, he's better at this telepathy stuff, right?" Erica asked.
"He is, but his range is limited. We don't know what my range is yet, but I was able to reach Dora." Jill said.
"You're friend from art school?" Mike asked. "You talked to her?"
"Of course not! I just touched her mind enough to know it was her. It was really weird reaching out like that. She only lives a couple of miles or so from where we were and that was pushing it for me. Vash says my reach will probably improve with practice." Jill replied.
"How far away was this person who saw the blast?" Mike asked.
"I'm not sure, but they were definitely closer than Dora." Jill said.
"Did they see anything else, like flying dragons?" Erica asked.
"I'm not sure, I just caught a glimpse. I'm still not that good at this." Jill replied.
"Come on, lets talk in the kitchen so we don't wake Sarah up." Mike suggested.
"You two go, I'll stay here." Erica said, brushing a strand of hair from Sarah's face.
"She's liable to sleep for a while." Jill said. Erica nodded, but didn't move. Jill and Mike shrugged and went to the kitchen and sat at the table.
"She's really gotten over her discomfort with Sarah's new body, hasn't she?" Mike said.
"Yeah. Before we left Erica said she felt physically attracted to Sarah this morning. I think they're going to be okay." Jill said, smiling widely.
"Good! The last thing Sarah needs is for Erica to cause problems, though I really am surprised. I didn't think Erica was bisexual." Mike said.
"I'm not sure if she is, she may just be looking past the package to the person underneath. Not that it matters either way, so long as they're happy." Jill replied.
"The question is whether either of them will continue to push to get Sarah changed back to Sean, or if they'll just leave things as they are." Mike said thoughtfully.
Jill nodded, "Yeah, I'm not sure which way they'll go with that. From what the Magician said, I think it would be best to forget all about that. If she's going to get the ability to change back, that's when it's most likely to happen. How would you feel, though, if Sarah decides to stay female?"
Mike started to reply and then stopped and gave the question some thought. "You know, I was going to say that of course Sarah would want to change back, but I'm starting to wonder. I mean, it's not like it would be easy to explain her suddenly regaining several inches of height, among other things." he said.
"I don't think that's the only reason she'd stay female, but it is a point. I know I said she could just say it wasn't for her, before, but I think many people wouldn't buy it, especially since Sarah has opened up a bit since she changed." Jill said.
"You've got a point. She does seem happier and more open than I can remember her ever being, when she's not worrying about trying to change back or how Erica would react to her." Mike agreed reluctantly.
"I just can't shake the feeling that there's something else she's hiding from us. Vash is sure he's figured out all her secrets, but I'm not so sure." Jill said.
"Secrets? What secrets?" Mike asked curiously.
Jill slapped herself in the forehead when she realized she'd said that out loud. "I can't tell you. They're Sarah's secrets, not mine. She'd kill me if I told you. Heck, she might kill me just for knowing about them!" Jill replied.
"Oh come on," Mike scoffed, "Sarah wouldn't hurt you."
Jill sighed, "No, but she might hurt herself. She's certainly thought about it enough times."
"Recently?!" Mike exclaimed. "I thought she was doing better now!"
Jill nodded, "She is, since she became Sarah."
Mike sat back in surprise and looked at Jill in shock for several moments. "You can't be serious! You're saying becoming a girl made her feel better?!" he said.
"Not at first, but as she's gotten used to it she's felt better. Especially once Erica started getting more comfortable with her. But even now there's a part of her that longs to give up and stop fighting." Jill replied sadly.
They sat in silence after that. Jill reached up to pet Vash and realized he wasn't on her shoulder. I'm keeping Sarah company. Vash told her when he sensed she was looking for him.
How is she? she replied.
Just tired, like I said. Her energy is returning much faster than I expected, though. She may wake in as little as an hour. You may want to consider having some food ready for when she wakes up, she's likely to be very hungry. Vash said.
"Vash?" Mike asked, having gotten used to the look she got when she was talking to him.
"Yes. He says Sarah may wake up in an hour or so." Jill replied. "He also says she's going to be very hungry. It is getting close to lunchtime anyway, what do you want to eat?"
They discussed what to have for lunch and decided to just order pizza. They waited a while to order so it wouldn't be cold when Sarah woke up, then called it in. By the time it arrived Sarah was beginning to stir.
"Hey honey, how are you feeling?" Erica asked when Sarah opened her eyes.
"Erica? What happened?" Sarah asked, looking around in confusion.
"You overdid it and passed out. We took you home. You've been sleeping for a couple of hours now." Erica replied, brushing an imaginary strand of hair from her face, her fingers brushing lightly over Sarah's face.
Sarah turned her face into Erica's hand and closed her eyes. "Sorry to interrupt, but the pizzas are here." Jill called out, smiling. Erica pulled her hand back reluctantly, Sarah's face trying to follow it.
"Uh, okay." Erica called back, blushing. She helped Sarah to her feet and they joined Mike and Jill at the table. Vash took a seat on the table and ate half a pizza by himself. They had all built up an appetite with their practicing, except for Erica. She only ate a couple of slices and spent the rest of the time gazing at Sarah. When they were done Mike took care of the garbage and they retired to the living room. Sarah absently turned on the TV, as she usually did when getting back from work.
"…won't let us get close to the sight." A news reporter was saying when the TV came on. "You can see from here that the side of the hill was melted." she went on to say, and the camera panned to show the hill Mike had breathed fire on. Then the camera panned again to show the remains of the other hill. "This hill was at least twice as big yesterday, but all that mass is now scattered around the base of the hill. An eye witness who arrived before the area was cordoned off said that some of the debris was also melted."
To Be Continued…
Comments
OH NO!
Now the military will search, and find video evidence from satellites about their play time. Will they be contacted by some agency to counter Kittyhawk?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
No, this is a different
No, this is a different universe from KittyHawk. Of course, with Sarah around that's not the hindrance it might be... ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Uh oh!
Now they've attracted attention, which is probably going to cause problems, though make for a more interesting story. (If that's possible with this one. *grin*)
It's good to see that Erica is accepting Sarah as Sarah now, and that she's more than a bit protective of her one-time boyfriend and now girlfriend.
As usual, this chapter just adds more complications. I LOVE it!
Ah, thanks Maggie!
You're too kind! ^_^
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Quick hide !!
Cavrider----Just another " Grunt."---- Should we be looking for MIB agents ? I really do love this series !
Cavrider----Just another " Grunt."
Thanks Cavrider! Nah, these
Thanks Cavrider! Nah, these won't be men in black, too obvious. They'll be men in pink! ~_^
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Men in Pink?
Nah... Men in Black Dresses.
Men in Black Dresses?
LBD Mafia!
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Upping the ante.
Blasing a few hills with the fire power they have should have attracted some attention. Typical college students never thinking ahead. Oh! but what a blast at the time. Maybe it is time they consult Vash about spells or other security measures. Tiffany's stealth abilities would be helpful also. Isn't it about time Tiffany officially joins the group?
I'd like to go out and blast a few things. Get rid of some pent up anxieties. Very entertaining story, keep it up. Thanks.
Hugs,
Trish-Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Thanks Trish-Ann! I like to
Thanks Trish-Ann! I like to blast things sometimes, too. I use games for that. First person shooters are great for it. Some people try to say violent video games make people more violent, but I think they're a great stress reliever! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Thing Is...
...Vash doesn't know enough about Earth and its inhabitants to be good counsel on people-type issues -- at least not outside of his telepathic range. I'd assume, given the basic RPG model, that where he's from, there may be some sort of fealty to an acknowledged leader (the medieval model where the wise monarch doesn't ask for enough sacrifice to get toppled or at least Magna Carta'd by his strongest subjects), but essentially strength is in power, wealth and the magic that can create and maintain them -- not in tiers of elected officials and their respective law enforcement units. (L Neil Smith, the libertarian SF writer, claimed that nobody who didn't grow up with our worldview would be able to understand why we'd need or want city police, county deputies, state patrol officers and federal g-men all carving their own niches out of criminal investigation.)
If Vash had known the consequences, I'm sure he'd have told the adventurers that they could find plenty of uninhabited and even uninhabitable worlds in the multiverse that they could practice on, instead of suggesting they find open land locally. (I think, from his questions and urgings, Vash must have known in advance that the damage Sarah and company could produce would be tangible enough to attract attention at least after they left the scene.) But knowing how people -- especially those in authority -- would react isn't his department right now. It's hard to give tips on security when you don't know what you're up against.
My take, anyway. (Or, at least, what I came up with as an answer back when I thought about posting a similar question myself last chapter.) Unless Vash does have his own agenda, which I'm inclined to doubt at this point, if only because he doesn't know enough yet about everyone's capabilities -- allies and potential adversaries -- to plot effectively.
Saless, What About The
M.en I.n Black Dresses by Tina Michelle Smith? They are a government agency devoted to protecting the T.G. in business, and government.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
They'd have to import them,
They'd have to import them, unfortunately. Could be helpful, otherwise... ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Though Sarah could fix that color problem for the MIBs
One good shove from her and they would be women in pink or WIPs.
Hum, with her increasing powers maybe she only need *Think* of shoving someone and they would change sexs.
Erica seems to be in love and maybe even lust with Sarah. Just her *seeing* the Sean in Sarah and loving the person and not the packaging or is it something else? Is Erica bi or is this some weird effect of Sarah being powerful with magic and Erica being a nul that this is pulling them together, a sort of magical opposites attract?
You now have the complication of their magic practice becoming partially public -- the TV reports --and you hinted that Sean was possibly suicidal but Sarah is clearly not, particularly now that Erica proved she still loves Sean/Sara/both. Why was Sean near suicidal? He wasn't TG as far as we know so why? Why the estrangement from his family?
And I still wonder where are this came from, how it started, IE the portal power and Sean's being mistaken as a woman by so many.
Mars needs background!~. Make the "The readers need backdround!"
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Background?
It's coming, but Sarah keeps her secrets clutched tightly to her, so you can't expect her to give them all up right away! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Estrangement
From what we read earlier, it would appear to be a simple case of Sean never measuring up to the expectations of his parents. That tends to do serious (an generally irreparable) damage do someone's sense of self worth and self esteem. Remember how Sarah wondered why Erica stuck with her -- as if she couldn't believe herself to be lovable? There were other hints, too.
A lot of what has been happening seems almost consciously designed to boost Sarah's self esteem. Mike has a special link with her, and his shifting power is tied to her protection (not Jill's.) Her power is the key to their adventures. Everyone else's powers came through her (more accurately, from using her portals.) She has three people (and one alien kitty life form) who care about her deeply -- though she really needs to allow herself to believe the evidence in front of her eyes. Her girlfriend accepts her new self, which indicates that it's the person inside that she loves.
It's almost as if Venus (or some other god-like life form) plotted all this out.
The healing ointment is being slathered on generously. It'll just take some time for it to soak in properly.
Meanwhile, everyone is having fun.
Well i suppose
if you go around blowing up hills... Then its a pretty sure thing you'll get noticed!!! At least they do have the advantage of looking normal most of the time...That is of course as long as Mike does'nt get stuck as a dragon!!!!
Kirri
That's the trouble with
That's the trouble with newly emergent magical powers, you just don't know what you're capable of until you cut loose and then it's too late to clean up the mess! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Healing
Since Sarah seems to be able to mimic (and amplify) the action of any magic item she uses, she ought to be the next one to pour the healing water onto someone. That way, she might learn how to heal people without the water.
Enquiring minds...
Mysteriously melted hill in California linked to dragons
[really blurry but photoshop-enhanced picture of dragon shooting flames]
Police and military officials are still mystified by the explosions that decimated a hill in rural California. At least, they claim to know nothing. We have learned from an unnamed source that the damage was caused by dragons.
Arnold Verner (not his real name) saw the whole thing while hiking in some nearby hills.
Enquiror: "In your own words, tell us what you saw."
Arnold: "I saw this huge bronze-colored dragon flying around, so I ducked behind some bushes in case he is hungry, you know. He just flew around, but then I heard something that sounded a lot like fire. Then, I seen this sorta dirt colored dragon that made the bronze one seem small. He breathed some fire, then went down below the hills where I couldn't see him."
Enquiror: "Did you actually see the dragons blow up the hill?"
Arnold: "Not really. I couldn't see the hill because there was another hill in the way. I saw the big one flaming, and heard lots of explosions and stuff. Then, I seen this big geyser of lava shooting up in the air, ya know. I pulled out my cell phone camera and took pictures of the dragons and the lava geyser, but nobody believes me because the pictures ain't clear enough."