Venus Cursed! - Chapter 38

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by Saless
Chapter 38

Sarah awoke with a groan. Her head felt like it was going to split open and her skin felt like it was burning! Upon opening her eyes she found she was lying on her living room floor. Looking up she saw Mike and Jill (male version) standing over her. "Uh…wha…?" she mumbled, confused.

"Are you alright?" Jill asked worriedly, kneeling down next to Sarah.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so." Sarah replied uncertainly, remembering what happened when she left.

Jill read her expression correctly. "Yes, I'm mad at you, but we can talk about that later. Right now we need to convince your girlfriend of who you are." She said with a hint of anger.

Sarah looked around and spotted Erica sitting on the couch. "Uh, hi Erica." She said worriedly. She was overjoyed to see Erica again, but at the same time wanted to run away until she'd managed to change back.

"Who are you?" Erica asked.

"I'm Sean. Sorry about this." Sarah replied with her eyes glued to the floor.

Erica's eyes widened in surprise, "Well, you certainly know something about Sean! But why would I ever believe that you're him?" she demanded.

Sarah reached out and touched Jill's knee. With a squeak of surprise Jill dropped the towel she had draped around herself and fell on her butt. "You could have warned me!" Jill complained. But she couldn't keep the grin off of her face, as she was very happy to have her own body back!

Sarah looked back at Erica and saw a stunned look on her face. "Does that help?" she asked.

"Okay, now I believe that's really Jill, but that doesn't prove anything about you." Erica replied.

"Why don't we continue this conversation over dinner?" Jill suggested. The others agreed and they all moved to the kitchen.

"Thanks for cooking dinner for me Jill." Sarah said as she checked to make sure everything was ready. It was, so she and Jill moved everything to the table.

"No problem, it gave me something to distract myself with while I waited for you to return so I could get changed back." Jill replied. There was still some anger in her voice.

"I'm sorry about that; I didn't mean to change you. I should have listened to you." Sarah said while staring at her plate.

Jill sighed, "Alright, you're forgiven. But don't ever do that again!" Sarah nodded weakly and they continued with their meal.

"Mmm, who made the chicken?" Erica asked.

"I did." Sarah replied.

Erica frowned, "So Sean taught you how?"

Sighing in frustration, Sarah replied, "No, I am Sean!"

"Right." Erica grumbled sarcastically. They ate in a strained silence after that.

Once they'd all eaten their fill Jill brought over the plate of cookies and they snacked on them.. "Why don't you tell me what's been going on, all of it." Erica said demandingly..

Jill rolled her eyes, but began telling her about Sean's dreams and their discovery of them being more than dreams. From there they explained their experiments, Sean's subsequent transformation into Sarah, and all the other experiences they'd had so far. "You've already seen what Mike and Sarah can do; I've become telepathic and empathic, though I don't have much control yet." Jill finished.

"So you can read my mind?" Erica asked with a smirk.

"No, you're harder to read than Sarah. I can sometimes get a whiff of something from her, but nothing at all from you. Mike's pretty easy, though." Jill explained.

"Well, that's convenient!" Erica replied sarcastically.

"What's it going to take to convince you?" Mike asked, annoyed at the way she was talking to Jill.

Erica thought about that for a few moments before replying, "How about you take me with you on your next trip? If this is for real that would be pretty hard to fake."

"There's something else that would be pretty hard to fake." Mike growled, gesturing at Erica.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"Sarah could turn you into a guy! Would that convince you?" Mike answered.

"No!" Sarah exclaimed before Erica could respond.

"Sarah?" Jill said questioningly.

"I'm not turning Erica into a guy!" Sarah replied vehemently.

Erica smirked, "That's because you can't! Which is why you won't take me to another world, either." She said confidently.

Jill ignored Erica and asked Sarah, "Why not?"

"Even if you were a guy at the time, would you want Mike turned into a girl?" Sarah asked in reply.

Jill was reminded of how upset she was when Sarah accidentally changed Mike the first time. "Oh." She said softly, understanding Sarah's meaning.

Mike looked a bit confused but shrugged it off. "Come on Sarah, let's pick a book and show Erica what you can do." He said, stepping over to the bookshelf.

Sarah walked over to the bookshelf and picked up the book she'd used earlier. "Let's use this one." She said, holding it up.

Mike frowned, "Sarah, that one nearly killed you!"

"Yeah, but that's because you weren't there!" Sarah replied with a smile. "A dragon would have stopped the fight real quick."

Mike looked questioningly at Jill, who shrugged back. "Okay, I guess." Mike said. Sarah opened the portal and led Erica through, with Mike and Jill following reluctantly behind. A shadowy form slipped through behind them.

On the other side of the portal they found themselves on a dirt road. There were dead doglike men scattered about. "What happened here?" Jill asked.

"This is where the battle started when I was here earlier. It moved into the forest, but I thought it would be best to keep us on the road where Mike would have room to transform if needed." Sarah replied.

"What exactly happened here, anyway?" Mike asked as they all followed Sarah up the road.

"I was traveling with a group of adventurers. They said there was a powerful wizard just off this road and I could travel with them until we came to the trail. We were attacked and the battle moved into the trees. The dog-men were all killed, I think, along with this big humanoid monstrosity. But the cat-like monster finished off the last of the adventurers and came after me. I used a wand that their wizard gave me on it and opened a portal home." Sarah explained.

"Do you still have the wand?" Mike asked.

"No, I must have lost it when the blast knocked me through the portal." Sarah replied.

"Blast?" Jill asked.

"Yeah, the wand shot out an exploding fireball. The last blast was stronger than I expected, though." Sarah explained.

Throughout this conversation Erica had been following along in awed silence. There was no way this could be faked, but here it was! She started off the trail to feel the trees for herself. "Erica, don't leave the road! There are lots of monsters around here!" Sarah called out worriedly. Reluctantly, Erica rejoined the group.

Before long they reached a fork in the road. "This must be it!" Sarah exclaimed excitedly, pointing down the smaller fork that obviously didn't see nearly as much use. They followed Sarah down the smaller path, which soon opened out into a clearing dominated by a lone tower.

Jill shivered as they approached the tower. "I don't have a good feeling about this place." She said worriedly.

Sarah ignored her concern and knocked on the door. "Don't worry Jill, we'll be fine." She called over her shoulder.

A young man answered the door a few minutes later. He was little more than a teenager and was wearing a long brown robe. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Uh, I'm here to see the wizard who lives here." Sarah answered uncertainly.

"And why do you think my master would want to see you?" he asked arrogantly.

"I was cursed…by a goddess. I was hoping he might help me to remove it." Sarah replied.

He frowned, "Which goddess would that be?"

"Venus, the goddess of love and beauty." Sarah said.

His frown deepened, "I've never heard of a goddess named Venus."

"Well, she might not exist here, we encountered her in another world." Sarah replied.

"Really? You are planeswalkers? Please, come in!" he said, his expression suddenly welcoming. Sarah looked uncertainly at the others, but followed him into the tower.

The young man led them up a spiral staircase into a large room that was used as a laboratory. There were bookcases along one wall and shelves of bottles on another filled with various powders and liquids. A white haired man in a blood red robe was working at a table mixing various ingredients into a large bowl. "Apprentice! Who are these people? I told you I was not to be disturbed!" he yelled angrily at the young man leading them.

"They are planeswalkers, master!" the youth replied cautiously.

The old man's demeanor changed instantly. "Well, come in, come in! How can I help you?" he asked pleasantly.


 
To Be Continued…
 
Thanks to Puddin for posting these for me! ^_^
 


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Comments

Said the spider

To four helpless little flies ;)

Erica is certainly not of the see-believe lot, is she? And if we think about it carefully...
Sean/Sarah is a dreamer, and she got a power to open portals to hir dreams. Hir naturally ambiguous gender/sex disposition landed hir with Seanshift, too.
Jill/Jack is very insightful, isn't she? Well, she now has a power to contribute.
Mike/(?Milly) is a natural protector, he is an overall good guy who cares about his friends, and he's a shapeshifter, as dangers come in different flavors.
Erica, thus, would logically be gifted with a Null power - power to neutralize any and every thing that is not naturally occuring. As a possible extention, she may be given True Sight, to learn what is, and not what seems to be. Any discrepancies she may be able to undo.

If I am correct, our spider has bitten off more than he can chew.

The course of action will possibly be the following:
1)The group is sent to recover an Ancient Artifact (Of Doom, but they don't know it yet) with a promise of tit for tat treatment. Then the wizard will make an attempt to get rid of them (temporarily - I need time to prepare for spell reversal - or permanently - I don't need you anymore, die!).
2)The wizard is unable to planeswalk but needs this ability, and he will lull the group in a false sense of security then spring a trap to immobilize them. He will then proceed to try and rip Sarah's soul to permanently bind it to a material focus, that will become a portal opener.
3)Insert your own SWAG, we need WMG well underway when Saless returns to respond!
__________
I have a continuation of my SWAGging in SS 5, please don't hesitate to check!

Faraway

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

I think I get the general idea...

but what does SWAG and WMG stand for?

Saless
 


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

SWAG

Scientific Wild Ass Guess

Thanks Ray!

Thanks Ray!

Saless
 


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

WMG

Wild Mass Guessing - when many people start SWAGging

Faraway

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Thanks Faraway! I've

Thanks Faraway! I've learned more acronyms from you... ;)

Saless
 


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

HTCT!

Learning is good for everyone!

Faraway

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

I Get The Idea That

This 'wizard' steals power from others.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

He does seem awfully

He does seem awfully interested in Sarah's power, doesn't he? ;)

Saless
 


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Erica sees things as black or white

NoraAdrienne's picture

She has no shades of gray. This makes for a very interesting type of lawyer. On the other hand it also shows a closed mind. I would imagine she's one tough cookie who Sara maybe should not want to continue with.

And yeah Stan Ruh Roh... Time for a scoobie snak and move on along... That Wizard is gonna make for a shitload of trouble.

Probably make a good

Probably make a good prosecutor?

Saless
 


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Oh Goody!

They have found a nice wizard who's going to make everything all better!

-- And if you believe that, I have a nice bridge just south of Saint Ignace that I would like to sell you.

So suspicious!

So suspicious! ;)

Saless
 


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Hopefully...

...we won't end up with an Erica Covenant the Unbeliever scenario. >.<

Sarah Planeswalker, huh? ^^; That's not too promising re her future stability. It fits, even down to her acquisition of an entourage, but...

-Liz

-Liz

Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"

What are the references

What are the references you're using? I don't recognize them, although Sarah Planeswalker makes me think of Planescape Torment, which would indeed be rather discouraging... ;)

Saless
 


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

I'm Guessing...

...that the Sarah Planeswalker/entourage reference was to Luke Skywalker, though I certainly could be wrong.

The Unbeliever reference is of course to Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, protagonist of Stephen Donaldson's double trilogy.

Eric