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Tiffany was shocked when Sean came to work on Monday as a girl. Although she didn't know him well, she never would have guessed that he wanted to be a girl, or that he could ever pass as one! What shocked her more, though, was the way everyone accepted her. She didn't mind that Sarah was transgendered, that wasn't the issue. What was the issue was that she had changed too much, including losing several inches in height!

Tiffany kept her doubts to herself, but she started doing some research after work that day. As she suspected, that kind of change was impossible, especially in such a short time. Other than her height and a few other minor factors, all of it could be explained with surgery and hormones, but only after months of recovery from the surgery, and at least a year on the hormones. The rest couldn't be explained at all!

She went to work the next day intent on questioning Sarah about her miraculous transformation. But when she got there she discovered that Sarah had been attacked the day before by Kyle! Now they were short four people and she was far too busy to worry about Sarah. The next day was just as bad. Thursday Sarah returned and helped her go over the records when she could, but she had no time to question her. It was looking more and more like Kyle had been stealing from the store and it was causing her all kinds of headaches.

Tiffany tried to find Sarah after her shift was over, but she had already gone. Friday she had to train the new girl, Tina, and Sarah filled in for her. Once again she had no time to question Sarah, and her friend Mike showed up to pick her up again. Saturday arrived and Tiffany had still not had a chance to question Sarah. Tiffany decided to go find her and got out her phone book. She looked up Sarah at first, and then remembered that her name was Sean when the book was published and looked that up. Finding her address and phone number she jotted them down.

She drove over to the apartment building where Sarah lived and went looking for her apartment. It was a ground floor apartment and Tiffany walked up and knocked on the door. There was no answer, so Tiffany tried again. After several more attempts she gave up and started to leave. That's when she noticed that Sarah's car was still there. Thinking that Sarah was home she looked for a window. There was one, but it was behind an overgrown hedge. There was just enough room for Tiffany to squeeze herself in. She looked in the window, the lights were on but she couldn't see any sign of Sarah or her friends..

Maybe she's out with Mike. she thought. She'd thought that he was her boyfriend at first, but Sarah had mentioned Mike's girlfriend Jill. She wasn't sure why she was hiding there behind that hedge trying to get a glimpse of Sarah, but she had to know what was going on! She waited for half an hour but saw nothing. Sighing in defeat, Tiffany crawled out from behind the hedge. She vowed to come back Sunday and find out what was going on once and for all! Just as she turned away from the window a portal opened and Sarah and her friends stepped through.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 25 »

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Tiffany returned home disappointed. She'd really wanted to confront Sarah, but she could at least try again Sunday. In the meantime, she had a lot of chores to do at home. She worked all day and slept well that night.

In the morning she went back to Sarah's apartment to try again. Her car was there, so she knocked. Once again there was no answer, even after knocking several times. She was beginning to worry that she'd attract attention from the neighbors if she kept knocking, so she crawled back behind the hedge to see what there was to see. The lights were on, but there was no sign of Sarah or anyone else. Then she noticed Sarah's keys sitting on a table by the door. Where is she? she wondered.

Tiffany sat there looking in and trying to figure out where Sarah might be when something attracted her attention inside Sarah's apartment. She looked closely, but it looked like she was seeing inside a cafeteria or something through a window that wasn't there! Then Sarah stepped through from nowhere! What's going on?! she thought. A moment later Mike and another woman walked through and the glimpse of cafeteria shrunk in on itself and disappeared.

When Tiffany turned her attention back to Sarah she saw that she was lying on the floor, weeping! What happened to her? Tiffany thought. The woman and Mike embraced her and tried to calm her. Once they had they helped her up to the couch. Tiffany was getting frustrated, not being able to hear what they were saying. At one point Sarah seemed really agitated and looked like she was going to run from them, but then she seemed to calm down. They talked for a while longer, and then Sarah grabbed a book and showed it to the others.

They talked for another moment or two and then another…hole…appeared in the air. Sarah put the book down and they all walked into the hole. The hole shrunk in on itself like before and they were gone! What in the world is going on here? What does this have to do with Sarah looking so different than she did as Sean? Tiffany wondered in shock. She hardly knew what she was doing as she crawled back out of the hedge and wandered back to her car. She got in and sat there for several minutes, just trying to get a grip on what she'd just seen. Finally, she pushed it aside and drove home.

One thing's for sure, she thought as she let herself back into her apartment, I'm going to have a lot of questions for Sarah tomorrow!

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 30 »

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Tiffany's shock slowly faded over the course of the day. She wasn't sure she wanted answers anymore, but she couldn't ignore what she'd seen, either. In the end, she decided to try and get Sarah alone to question her on Monday.

As was becoming an irritating habit, she was sidetracked at work Monday by another new hire. She was glad they were replacing the guys Mr. Holsteader fired the previous week, but training the new girls was taking up too much of her time. Especially since she was supposed to be going over the records to find out how much Kyle had stolen.

The new girl, Kris, was turning out to be a little slower than Tina. Between training Kris and Sarah being busy with Tina, Tiffany had no chance to question Sarah alone. The woman she saw in Sarah's apartment came to pick her up. Sarah greeted her as Jill. Guess that’s Mike's girlfriend, then. she thought as she watched them leave.

Tiffany went to Sarah's apartment again after work, but Sarah's car wasn't there. She decided to knock anyway, just in case. Unsurprisingly, there was no answer. Tiffany debated hiding behind the hedge again, but decided she could be seen too easily from outside the apartment. A grumbling stomach decided the issue and she went home to eat dinner. Maybe I can catch her at work tomorrow. she thought with little hope.

Tuesday found Tiffany back at work, finally free of new hires to train. Unfortunately, Sarah was working with Kris so there was still no chance to talk to her. Tiffany decided that talking to her at work probably wasn't the best choice anyway. In fact, she wasn't sure that she didn't want to find out a little more about whatever was going on before talking to her.

With no trainees, Tiffany was able to make some progress on the records. It looked like Kyle had been stealing for months. She suspected John knew all about it. I wonder if Kyle was paying John with some of the proceeds from the stuff he stole. Assuming he was selling it, anyway. Tiffany thought.

After work she returned to Sarah's apartment. Sarah's car was there, so Tiffany decided to go straight to the window and see what she could see. As before the lights were on but no one was in sight. She waited, and was rewarded with another hole opening in the air and Sarah and Jill coming out. Sarah had a bow and arrows, while Jill had a large knife in a sheath attached to her jeans and was carrying a large, heavy looking bag. But what really caught Tiffany's attention was Mike. He was carrying a bloody sword and his lower body was that of a very large snake!

He's not even human! she thought fearfully. She was sure now that talking to Sarah alone was the only way to go. She didn't want to go anywhere near Mike! Shortly after they'd all come through the hole Mike changed back to normal. I'm glad I didn't approach them directly now! Are any of them human? she thought. Tiffany decided she'd watch these three carefully, but she wasn't going to confront any of them just yet. Just then Jill said something and pointed at the window. Tiffany ducked down and flattened herself against the wall under the window. Did they see me? she wondered. She waited, but no one opened the door. Slowly and carefully, Tiffany crawled out from behind the hedge and away from the window. Once she was sure she wouldn't be seen from the window she stood up and ran back to her car.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 33 »

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Tiffany did her best to act like nothing was wrong, and made no attempt to talk to Sarah beyond normal work conversation the next day. She was beginning to think Sarah and her friends were some kind of aliens or something, but she didn't want them to know until she knew more about what was going on. If ever!

She watched them again after work from her now familiar perch at the window. They were doing something in the kitchen when she first arrived and it was some time later that they opened another portal and went through. On some impulse she didn't understand herself, Tiffany quietly opened the door and dashed through the portal just before it closed.

She ignored her surroundings at first, other than to find a good hiding place so they wouldn't see her. Once she had she realized she was in a very different place! When she saw the sign on the gate they walked up to her blood ran cold, 'Jurassic Park'! How could we be on a movie set for a movie that was made years ago and would have been dismantled by now? she thought, not for a moment considering that this might be the real thing.

She saw another portal opening up, so she dashed over to slip through before it closed. She barely managed to hide herself again without being seen. She thought Sarah had spotted her at first, but she was distracted by something and didn't look again.

Tiffany was as amazed by the sights of Jurassic Park as the others, and soon realized this was no movie set. How can this all be real? It's like we stepped into the movie! she thought with amazement.

She was even more amazed, and terrified, when Mike transformed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex! She was glad when he changed back, only to be shocked again when he became a dragon. How is this even possible? He's gaining and losing huge amounts of mass with these transformations. Are they illusions? she wondered as she gratefully watched him change back to human form.

Nothing else happened during their tour of the park, besides seeing extinct dinosaurs of several types! Tiffany was relieved when Sarah opened another portal and quickly slipped through it and hid behind the couch in Sarah's apartment. She heard them talk only briefly before Mike and Jill left. As soon as Sarah left the room Tiffany slipped out and ran back to her car. This is bigger than I thought! she mused as she drove home. There's still a lot of questions to answer, though.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 35 »

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Tiffany slept poorly that night, images of dinosaurs and dragons dancing through her head. She still didn't understand why she'd followed them, but had to admit it was kind of fun seeing dinosaurs like that. At the same time, it was rather mind blowing! Especially when Mike transformed into one, and then into a dragon. The more she thought about it, the less likely that any science could be responsible for it. Although she was reminded of the saying about advanced enough technology appearing to be magic.

She dragged herself out of bed in the morning and rushed through her morning chores. Even so she barely made it to work on time and didn't even notice the mood Sarah was in as she immediately became engrossed in going over the books. She was almost done. Mr. Holsteader wasn't going to like it, but at least she wouldn't have to deal with that headache anymore!

To Tiffany's relief she finished that task before leaving for the day. She might have finished sooner, but her mind kept drifting to what she'd seen the previous night. As soon as she clocked out she found herself driving over to Sarah's apartment again. She parked well away from it as usual and approached cautiously, not wanting the friends to see her. She spotted Jill going into Sarah's apartment. She didn't see anyone else around, so she crept over to her usual hiding place. She got there just in time to see Sarah slap Jill and disappear through another portal. Damn, I missed it! she thought, as it all happened much too quickly for her to react. The portal closed very quickly, as well, no doubt to keep Jill from following.

Her gaze was drawn back to Jill when she squeaked in alarm and ran into the bathroom. That's when Tiffany realized that Jill was now male! Does the weirdness ever stop? she thought.

Thinking this was the perfect opportunity to sneak in, Tiffany tried the door. To her dismay, it was locked. Shrugging, she retreated to her hiding place to wait.

Nothing happened for quite a while, and she was considering going home when she heard Mike approaching with a woman. She flattened herself against the wall and as far out of sight as possible. They're going to see me for sure, this spot isn't nearly as well hidden from the outside! she thought, beginning to panic. As Mike and the woman approached the shadows shifted, putting Tiffany further in shadow and making her far less visible. To her amazement neither of them saw her as Mike unlocked the door and they both went in. I guess I've got the movement of the sun to thank for that save! she thought gratefully.

She looked over the edge of the window cautiously, and saw that Mike and the woman had both gone into the back of the apartment, out of sight from the window. A quick decision was made and Tiffany tried the door again. This time it was unlocked and she carefully let herself in. Looking around the room she spotted a dark corner near the door where she could hide behind a cabinet. She crouched down in her hiding place and waited for something to happen.

Before long Mike came back with the masculinized Jill and the other woman. Mike and Jill explained what had happened to her and Tiffany learned that she was Erica, Sarah's girlfriend, and that she had no knowledge of her transformation! She also learned that Sarah's transformation was involuntary, which was quite a shock, to say the least. After that their attention seemed to be on convincing Erica of the truth of this and Tiffany tuned out to mull over what she'd learned. Sarah doesn't want to be a girl? I never would have guessed, as she seems so much happier now than before. But I guess getting rid of John, Bob, and Kyle could have made the difference. It certainly made our working environment soo much better! she thought.

Jill went into the kitchen to work on dinner and lovely smells started making their way to Tiffany.. Her stomach growled in protest and if she hadn't just learned something so earth-shattering, she would have regretted coming without eating first! She also worried that her stomach would give her away, but Mike was still talking to Erica, trying to convince her that Sean was really Sarah now.

Sometime later a portal opened and Sarah flew out of it right into the wall! There was a blast of heat and flame that followed her and Tiffany cringed as she could feel the heat of it even from where she hid. Sarah was knocked out when she hit the wall and a whole new conversation started as they tried to convince Erica that this woman was really Sean transformed.

Before long Sarah was groaning. Mike and Jill walked over to see how she was. She woke up and changed Jill back to herself, much to Jill's evident relief. Erica still refused to believe that this was Sean, and Tiffany was surprised when Sarah refused to transform Erica to prove to her that this was all real. How can that girl deny this is real after everything she's seen?! Tiffany thought.

In the end it was decided that a trip through a portal was required to convince Erica. Tiffany tensed up, intent on not missing it this time. Though she admitted to herself that it was probably for the best that she had!

Sarah opened a portal to the same world she'd just left and they all filed through. Tiffany darted out of hiding as soon as she could and dashed through the portal. She was amazed that they didn't see her, but thankful. She saw the dead dog-men on the road and heard Sarah's explanation of what happened. I'd better stay close.. I'd rather not reveal myself to them, but better that than to get eaten by some monster! she thought fearfully. She began to question the wisdom of following them, but couldn't deny the excitement of it, either.

They traveled down the road and turned at a fork. The smaller trail soon opened up into a small clearing surrounding a tower. The clearing was wide open and Tiffany was forced to stay in the shadows of the trees to remain unobserved. She watched and listened as they talked to the apprentice and were allowed in. Tiffany waited a few more seconds to let them get away from the door and then dashed across the clearing to it. She cautiously opened the door and peaked in. No one was in sight, so she slipped quietly inside and closed the door behind her.

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

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 38 »

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The tower seemed to darken as soon as Tiffany entered it, but only around her. At least that should make it easier to hide. she thought. She continued on into the tower and found a stair leading down. She followed it and found herself at another door. Only this door was guarded by an ugly looking humanoid with tusks. He wasn't very alert and she easily slipped by him. Realizing that opening the door would alert him to her presence, she picked up a loose stone and smashed it into the back of his head. He dropped bonelessly to the ground. Dropping the stone, Tiffany picked up a dagger the creature had in a sheath on his belt. She also found a ring of keys with three keys on it. She tried them on the door and found the right one on the second try.

She quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind her. She found herself in a small room with a desk, bed, and chest. There was also a large standing mirror. It seemed out of place and Tiffany walked over to take a closer look at it. That's when she realized that it wasn't reflecting what was in that room, but in a different, much larger one! That room had a spiral staircase in the center of it going down, and was filled with various books, bottles, and other esoteric objects. An old man was there, talking to Sarah and her friends. Tiffany watched as they began fighting and saw Sarah blast the apprentice with the fireball.

Just before the fireball hit the wizard disappeared. Tiffany gasped as he appeared right in front of her! She was so startled that she didn't react at first, and he had an opportunity to begin casting a spell. His hands glowed with flames that didn't seem to damage them. Before he could finish the spell, Tiffany buried the dagger in his heart. They exchanged horrified glances, and the wizard fell to the floor, dead.

Somehow Tiffany managed to hold her lunch in and followed Erica's example and searched the room. She left the dagger in the wizard's chest, she couldn't bring herself to touch it. The room was rather bare, except for the chest and desk. The desk had nothing of interest to her, but the chest held a couple of items of interest to her. The first was a leather pouch that held several coins that seemed to be made of gold, along with a couple of gems that looked like sapphires. The other was a beautiful golden ring inscribed with strange but elegant runes. She put the ring in her pocket and picked up the bag and left the room.

The guard was still unconscious, so Tiffany made her way back up the stairs and found the spiral staircase that led up to the room where Sarah and the others were. She got there just in time to slip through the portal after them. She couldn't get back to her hiding place, so she ducked behind the couch. She couldn't get the image of the wizard's face as he died out of her mind, so she nearly gave herself away when Jill said that they'd killed the imp's old master. She didn't know that Jill learned of his death from Vash, so she thought at first that Jill had heard her thoughts.

Tiffany tensed in her hiding place, expecting Jill to reveal her presence at any moment. She was shocked when Jill and Mike left without saying a word about her. Why wouldn't she reveal me if she knows I'm here? Tiffany thought.

Sarah and Erica stopped moving after a while and Tiffany heard one of them snoring. She started to ease her way out from behind the couch when Vash jumped onto the top of the couch and smiled a feline grin at her. I won't tell them about you, if you give me that ring. Vash thought to her.

Tiffany was shocked to hear Vash's 'voice' in her head, she'd thought that only Jill could talk to him. Numbly, she dug the ring out of her pocket and handed it to the strange pink cat-like creature. I can make anybody hear me that I want to, except for Erica. he thought to her as he nimbly plucked the ring from her hand with his strangely shaped paws. The ring disappeared somewhere about his person. So long as you don't do anything to harm my Mistress or her friends, I won't reveal your presence. Harm any of them, and I'll make sure they know everything about you, Shadowkin. he told her threateningly. That last word was shaded with meaning that Tiffany didn't understand.

I won't do anything to hurt them, I promise! Tiffany thought fearfully. The furry imp was cute and slightly silly looking, but he frightened her nonetheless. As he watched she ran quietly to the door and let herself out.

Tiffany ran the entire way back to her car and drove home faster than she normally would. Only once she was safely back in her own apartment did she relax. That was a very strange experience! she thought. Despite the horror over killing the wizard, and the fear of Vash, Tiffany found that she had actually enjoyed her night! She opened the bag and admired the stones and coins within. The contents of this bag are probably worth a lot of money… she thought happily. She wasn't sure how she'd sell it yet, but she was sure that following Sarah and her friends would net her many more useful trinkets and treasures. Not to mention plenty of excitement!

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

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 40 »

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Tiffany admired the gems and coins for a long time before going to bed that night. In the morning she drove to her parents house for Christmas. She was distracted the entire day, thinking about everything she'd learned and the bag of coins and gems hidden in her apartment. She was only free to really think about it as she contemplated her gifts after dinner. She didn't notice the light dimming around her, but her mother did.

"It's getting dark in here, did the bulb burn out?" she said. Tiffany looked up and realized that the darkness was all around her, but the rest of the room seemed well lit. As she realized this the darkness dissipated and the lighting returned to normal. "Oh, I guess it was just a power fluctuation." she said dismissively, as that happened often. Tiffany began to suspect that there was more going on than that. She carefully kept her thoughts away from all of that for the rest of the night, until she'd returned to her apartment a few hours later.

I've been through the portals a couple of times now, and the others all seemed to gain powers from that. Is that what's happening to me? she thought. Then she remembered how no one ever seemed to see her, despite her amateurish attempts at stealth. What did Vash say again? Oh, right, he called me Shadowkin! Maybe that has something to do with it. she mused.

Yawning, she dismissed that thought for the moment and went to bed.

Saturday dawned and Tiffany was itching to go on another adventure. She didn't really understand why, although the lure of treasures like those she took home with her the last trip might have had something to do with it. After a quick breakfast she dressed and headed over to Sarah's apartment again.

She parked well away from Sarah's apartment as usual, and then settled down in her familiar hiding place. Almost instantly the space behind the hedge grew darker around her, until she could hardly see her own hand in front of her face. But her view into the apartment was unrestricted. I guess that's what that Shadowkin stuff was about. Should come in handy! she thought.

When she turned her attention back to the window she saw that Sarah and Erica were making out on the sofa, rather enthusiastically. I guess Erica's getting used to Sarah now! she thought with amusement.

Moments later she heard Jill and Mike approaching. Jill seemed to gravitate to Mike as they approached the apartment, until she was practically attacking him! Mike seemed to be enjoying himself, but then he pushed her back. She struggled for a while and then stopped and looked embarrassed. I wonder what that's about? Tiffany thought as she watched them go to the door and open it. Mike turned away and Jill closed it. Sarah saw it just as it closed and ran from the room, clutching her robe to her. Erica straightened her clothes and let her friends in.

They began talking, but Tiffany couldn't hear much from outside the window. Sarah rejoined them and shortly thereafter they all left, Vash returning to invisibility on Jill's shoulder. So Vash can be invisible? How many tricks does that imp have? At least he's leaving me alone; I guess that ring must have been important. she thought as she hurried to follow them. From their conversation she was able to figure out where they were going, so she hurried over to her own car and drove to the mall.

She didn't know where they were going to go, and didn't want to try and follow them throughout the mall, so she decided to take a chance and wait for them in the store where she and Sarah worked. In those familiar surroundings, with the advantage of her developing powers, she was easily able to remain unseen while she watched for Sarah and her friends. She had a long wait.

Tiffany was debating leaving when Sarah and the others finally arrived. She was caught off guard and Sarah nearly saw her, but she managed to duck back and a shroud of shadows hid her from view. I really need to figure out how to do that on purpose! she thought as she watched Sarah turn away and catch up with her friends.

When she realized they were going to leave, Tiffany hurried out to her car and returned to Sarah's apartment. She tried the door on the off chance it was unlocked, but it wasn't. She thought about trying to pick the lock, but she had neither the tools or skill to pull it off, so she settled down to wait and tried to consciously increase the darkness around her, and then reverse it. She had some limited success before Sarah and the others returned and she had to hide again.

Once they were all inside they went to the kitchen to eat, so Tiffany tried the door again. Aha, unlocked! I've really got to see about getting a key somehow… she thought as she let herself in. She spied Sarah's keys sitting on a table by the door and, before she could talk herself out of it, grabbed them and hurried back out to her car. She sped over to Home Depot and had a copy made, then hurried back. To her relief, they were grouped around the computer when she returned and she was able to return Sarah's keys without anyone seeing her.

Now I can come in anytime, that should make this easier! she thought smugly. She half expected Vash to say or do something, but he seemed to be asleep on the couch.

Tiffany watched and waited, and was rewarded with the interesting news that Erica was immune to magic! Maybe that's why Vash can't talk to her like he did me… she thought.

Some time later Erica printed out a story for a world she wanted to visit and they prepared to go through. Vash woke up, but showed no signs of noticing Tiffany there. She followed them through as she had been and found herself on a space ship! She watched and listened carefully, and discovered that Erica had picked this story, in part, to acquire weapons and some kind of explosive ammunition! Hmm, maybe I should take advantage of the situation. she thought.

Tiffany enjoyed the tour with the others, but hung back after they were given the guns and bullets and gathered up some for herself. I lost that knife, but now I've got something to defend myself with if I need it! she thought. She had managed only one pistol and magazine, and a smaller box of bullets, but she figured it would be plenty since she'd stay hidden most of the time. She hurried to catch up with the others and dashed through the portal before the others went through so she could get a good hiding place.

She watched as they came back through the portal. She noticed that Erica seemed to know how to handle guns, and made sure to pay attention, as she had no experience herself. Thanks to that she was able to load the weapon herself, and also found the safety. Just as well I figured that out, she thought as she listened to their conversation. Sounds like we've got another adventure to go on now… She stashed the box of ammunition somewhere they were unlikely to find it and stuffed the gun into the waistband of her jeans while she waited for the next portal.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 47 »

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Tiffany didn't have to wait long before Sarah opened the portal. She slipped through almost on the heels of Sarah and hid in her shadow (deepened by her own abilities) on the other side. To her surprise she realized that even the sound of her own footsteps was muffled so that she had to strain to hear them. I guess this Shadowkin stuff affects more than visibility. she thought as she followed the others.

As they walked down the torch lit corridors Tiffany felt the shadows all around her and felt exhilarated. I guess I'm in my own element, now. she thought. She didn't even have to try and be quiet or stay hidden anymore; the shadows did all the work for her! She was distracted from this discovery by the discovery of bodies. Zombies! she thought in shock when she heard Erica's explanation. Why did it have to be zombies?!

Jill mentioned that one of the corpses had a sword and Tiffany looked more closely at it after they'd moved on. If I have to fight zombies and they get too close these explosives bullets will be useless. she mused and picked up the sword. She managed to shove the sheath through a belt loop and slid the sword home before running after the others.

At the first intersection Tiffany followed them down the side passage only to find an empty room, except for the corpses. She managed to sneak in and search the bodies, but didn't find anything useful. She ignored the undead bodies, they smelled horrible!

The next two rooms were much the same and they continued down the main passageway. At the next intersection there was what could only be the remains of a major battle. Several fresh corpses were surrounded by dozens of undead ones. The others seemed concerned about being attacked from behind, so Tiffany decided to stay there while they investigated the side passage. She passed the time by searching the bodies. She nearly gagged at the bloody mess some of the men were reduced to, but managed to find an interesting dagger and some gold coins. The dagger found a home in another belt loop and the coins in her pockets.

A loud gong-like sound echoed through the halls and Tiffany correctly guessed it to be some kind of alarm triggered by the others. Guess I'll be getting some target practice. she thought as she heard shuffling steps approaching from the other two passages. More zombies were approaching from the main corridor and Tiffany drew her gun and aimed at them. Realizing she wasn't likely to hit what she aimed at, she simply shot into the thickest knot of them and fired.

The resulting explosion temporarily blinded her. When her eyes adjusted she found that the center zombie was blown to bits, and the ones around it weren't much better off. She stayed back from the intersection to avoid getting shot by Erica, and was glad she did when the first fireball blasted some zombies! Too bad she didn't know how to use those when Kyle attacked her… she thought. Scorched zombies suddenly appeared from the other side passage and walked past Tiffany. They seemed to ignore her, but she put her gun away and drew her new sword anyway. It was good that she did, as one of the zombies she'd blasted came at her a moment later. Swinging the sword with both hands she managed to hack the thing to pieces. Glad I picked up that sword! she thought as she stopped to catch her breath.

More zombies approached and she fell back from the intersection, thinking to use the gun once she'd opened up some space between them. Unfortunately, a few of the zombies followed her. The others seemed to ignore her, so she stood her ground and fought them. She tired quickly swinging the heavy sword, but soon found her energy replenished from the shadows all around her. Cool, the shadows recharge me! At this rate I could keep this up forever! she thought as she gleefully hacked through the zombies facing her. Soon her part of the corridor was clear and she drew her gun again and fired into the mob at the intersection.

This time she closed her eyes against the brightness of the explosion. When she opened them there wasn't a zombie left standing. She cautiously looked down the passageways to either direction and it seemed clear. I hope the others did as well as I did. she thought as she settled down to wait for them. She didn't have long to wait until they returned. Mike had several gashes along one side of his face, but otherwise they seemed unhurt.

They began down the other side passage and Tiffany took the opportunity to go search the other room. She found a few more coins, but nothing else. As she was returning she saw another group of zombies turning down the side passage the others had entered. Tiffany drew and fired into the group and they were reduced to a pile of smoking pieces. A moment later the others came running out of the room to see what was going on and saw the result of Tiffany's shot. She was safely hidden in the shadows and went unnoticed.

They continued down the main passage and Tiffany followed close behind. After a long straight corridor the passage opened up into a large vaulted room. Another sarcophagus, larger and more ornate than the others, dominated the center of the room and was surrounded by skeletal undead in armor. They were all armed and some carried shields. A man was reading from a book on the other side of the sarcophagus. Erica seemed eager to use her guns on the skeletons, but Sarah stopped her and drew her bow. She nocked an arrow and took aim at him and whispered something. Tiffany was amazed to see flaming sparks run from her fingertips up the bow and onto the arrowhead.

Sarah released the arrow and it struck the mage in the chest. The resultant explosion blasted him into the wall. All the skeletons turned towards them and started forward. Erica quickly drew her guns and started firing. In a moment all the skeletons were nothing but shards of bone on the floor. I've got to remember not to piss that girl off. Tiffany thought.

While the others looked around for threats Tiffany went to the mage, as she assumed him to be, and searched him. Jackpot! she thought as she found a pouch full of gems, two ornate wands, another dagger, and what she thought might be another magical ring. I need to bring a bag with me on these trips… she thought, and then found a small leather bag full of mushrooms, moss, and other odd things. Tiffany dumped all of that out and put her newest finds in it. Much better!

By this time the others had all gathered around the sarcophagus and were debating opening it. Tiffany hurriedly threw the strap of the bag over her shoulder and stood near the sarcophagus to see what happened. Things are never dull around these guys! she thought happily as she patted the bag. Then the stone lid of the sarcophagus hit the ground with a resounding crash.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 50 »

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Tiffany was as surprised as the rest when the sarcophagus held stairs instead of monsters. She followed carefully behind them as they descended, and nearly gasped aloud at the sight that greeted her. Everything's made of gold! she thought in wonder as she looked around the treasure room. She wanted to take a closer look, but the gold reflected the light of the torches and left her no shadows to hide in.

They were worried about traps, so Sarah used her portals to move everything to the room above. Tiffany wasted no time going back up the stairs and looking through the first pile that appeared. Almost immediately another stack appeared, and then another. Tiffany quickly learned that some items seemed to call to her in some strange way. She sought these items out first. She was so focused on this task that she nearly walked right into Sarah as she walked out of the treasure room. Tiffany hurried over to the last item and hid them away in a darkened corner, further darkened by her own abilities.

Looking over her little pile of objects she wondered why they were important. There was a wicked looking sword with a slight curve to its blade that, despite being encrusted with gold and gems, turned a uniform, flat black when she touched it. There was also what looked like a large diamond on a gold chain that also turned black when she touched it, and glowed with black light. It caused the darkness around her to deepen further. She went ahead and put it on, as she could use all the help she could get in staying hidden.

She'd also found a ring that seemed to be made of perfectly smoothed and rounded obsidian with runes of gold inlaid in it. She pocketed it and looked at the other items she'd collected. There were four throwing knives, bracers, and a black velvet cloak embroidered with gold she'd found inside a small gold box. She managed to stuff all of this into her bag and watched and listened to what Sarah and the others were doing.

She began to worry when she realized some of the items were cursed, and could only hope her instincts hadn't led her astray. After they'd picked over the non-magical loot Tiffany took her turn at it, stuffing her bag with all the gold and gem encrusted treasure that she could, as well as her pockets.

She watched as Mike and Erica carted all the magical items they'd found through the portal and slipped through when everyone's attention was elsewhere. She considered grabbing her box of ammunition and leaving, but decided to settle down in her hiding place and wait. Before long all the treasure the four friends had decided to take was back in the apartment and the portal closed.

They split up the regular stuff and Vash began pawing through the magical pile. After Jill was given the crossbow and she and Sarah went over its use and ordered some bolts and a quiver for it, they decided to get pizza. Only then did Tiffany realize how late it was, and how hungry she was. Maybe I should have packed a lunch. she thought with a silent laugh.

After the others had left Tiffany picked up her box of ammunition and started for the door, only to find Vash standing in front of it. Tiffany, I'd like to talk to you before you go. he said, looking around vaguely. His mental voice was kind of distant, like his voice was coming from much farther away.

Maybe he can't see me, or 'hear' me anymore. she thought. She considered ignoring him, but she guessed that he'd block the door until she'd answered him. What did you want? she thought at him as best she could, hoping he wasn't going to tell the others about her.

I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about you as long as you didn't try to harm them. You helped them in the tomb, so I'm hardly angry at you. Vash said with some amusement. However, I believe you took something from that wizard that could be useful to Sarah. Did he have any wands? he asked.

Yes, two. Tiffany reluctantly answered.

I doubt you could get any use out of them, unless they were designed for Shadowkin. Which is doubtful. Sarah, on the other hand, should be able to get a great deal of use out of them. Will you give them to me? he asked.

Tiffany debated it, but finally had to admit she had no idea what she'd do with them. Alright, here they are. she thought as she dug them out of her bag and laid them down at Vash's feet.

Vash nosed each one in turn and grinned at her. Yes, these will be very helpful! Thank you Tiffany. You might want to consider revealing yourself to them. They'll undoubtedly be upset with you at first, but you could do much more for them if you didn't have to hide from them. Vash said.

What makes you think I'd want to do more for them? she asked.

Because you helped them in the tomb. You could have looted the entire place without anyone ever knowing you were there without their help. But you watched their backs the entire time, if I'm not mistaken. Vash replied.

Yeah, I guess I did. Tiffany replied. But why aren't you mad at me for following them around like this?

Because you never have had any ill will towards any of them. You are simply following your nature as a Shadowkin. And you have been of help to them on more than one occasion. So long as you continue as you have, I will have no reason to reveal your presence. Even if I do think that you would be better off revealing yourself. he said.

She'd hate me! Tiffany said. I'll just stay in the shadows.

As you wish Vash replied regretfully.

With that Vash picked up the two wands in his mouth and moved aside. Tiffany opened the door and hurried out before he could change his mind.

She hurried back to her car and drove home. There she unloaded all the things she had collected. Following those guys is very lucrative, but I'll stay in the shadows where I belong. she thought with a pang of regret that she quickly dismissed.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 51 »

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Tiffany crashed shortly after returning home that night. In the morning she was shocked to see that the roots of her hair had turned black! What's going on, my hair has always been blonde! she thought. She also noticed the tan she'd gotten over the summer was almost gone. She didn't see any other changes, much to her relief.

Tiffany couldn't help but go back to Sarah's apartment again after breakfast. This time she packed a lunch. She also brought all the equipment she'd found that had 'called' to her. She also refilled the clip of her pistol and shoved it into the waistband of her jeans. With only a little hesitation, knowing there was a possibility it was cursed, she went ahead and put on the obsidian ring, along with the wizard's ring. She was still wearing the amulet. She wrapped up the bracers, sword, and knives in the cloak and carried them out to her car.

On the drive over she remembered what Vash had suggested. It would be nice to be able to go with them openly, but they'd never allow it after the way I've been following them around. Besides, she barely knows me, how could she trust me? she thought, and reluctantly stuck to her earlier decision to stay hidden.

When she arrived at Sarah's apartment they were already loading up the car. She hurried back to her car and followed them out of town to a rocky area surrounded by low hills on all sides. In order to keep them from noticing her she had to drive past it a fair ways and run back on foot. Fortunately it was early enough there were still plenty of shadows to draw on to keep her strength up and she was back only shortly after they began practicing their powers.

She stopped in awe as Sarah blasted the hillside with fireballs. The first ones were smaller, but they got progressively bigger and hotter as she went. Then she was distracted as Mike turned into a dragon! Wow, they've gotten really powerful! If we'd been out in the open in the tomb they wouldn't have needed any help from me! she thought.

She'd thrown the cloak on rather than carry it, it was cold out anyway, and found that her footsteps were completely silent with it on. Between it and the extra help the amulet gave her in remaining hidden by the shadows she was able to move about fairly freely without anyone knowing she was there. She practiced controlling the shadows around her as she watched the others. She was getting control of it and felt that there was more she could do, but was distracted when the wizard's ring started glowing! She slapped her hand over it and looked around, but the others hadn't seen it. Sarah was recoiling from the bright glow emanating from the car, which the others didn't seem to see.

Tiffany slipped off the ring and put it in her pocket. Oddly, the other items she'd retrieved weren't glowing. She knew they were magical, but they didn't react to the spell Sarah had apparently cast. Once the glow in the car went away Tiffany pulled the ring back out of her pocket and it had stopped glowing. She decided to put it back in her pocket anyway, just in case.

Sarah went back to blasting the hillside, but now she was alternating between fireballs and blue energy blasts. Maybe that's something she learned from one of those wands I gave Vash. she thought.

Mike had run across a rattle snake and shifted into that form. Tiffany made sure to keep well away from them. He found a few other animals to copy, but Tiffany couldn't figure out why he'd want to. They won't help him in a fight, they're a lot weaker than his other forms. she thought.

Tiffany turned back just in time to see the large blue energy blast hit the hill and throw huge amounts of rock and dirt flying straight at her! Instinctively she wrapped the cloak around herself and crouched down. She was pelted with small rocks and dirt, and then a larger piece hit her in the head and everything went black.

When she came to she heard sirens approaching. Oh no, someone must have seen or heard that last blast! I've got to get out of here! she thought frantically. She was totally covered in dirt and rock, but not deeply. In a few minutes she had dug herself free and was able to look around her. Several fire trucks had pulled up and firemen were looking in confusion at the melted hillside. Police were also arriving and Tiffany thought she saw a news van stopped out on the road. This is getting out of hand really fast! she thought.

There were people all around her and there were far fewer shadows now as she'd been unconscious for a while. She was forced to sit and wait. More vehicles drove up, these unmarked. Some people got out and started putting on what looked like hazmat suits! Great, they think the place is radioactive or something? she thought, as the people in the hazmat suits told everyone else to leave the area and started looking around. Maybe this is a good thing, there are a lot less of them than there were of the firefighters and police!

Tiffany was able to follow the police and firefighters out and make her way back to her car. To her relief, she was out of sight where she was and she quickly drove away. She ended up getting a little lost because she didn't dare drive past all those people and be seen.

Tiffany finally made it home and slumped gratefully into her couch after divesting herself of her sword, cloak, and gun. She turned on the TV and saw that she'd been right; there were TV crews there! They were being kept back from the site, but they showed enough for Tiffany to be quite certain that it was the same place. What's going to happen now? she thought fearfully.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 55 »

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Tiffany didn't know what to do. She wondered if anyone had seen her, or her car. She decided to hide everything she'd gotten under her bed. It wasn't a very good hiding place, but it was the best she could do. The cloak was a big help in hiding everything else.

After that she spent the rest of the day hiding in her apartment and watching the TV for any more news. They repeated the same thing a couple of times, and then nothing. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? I wonder how the others are handling this. They've got to be as nervous as I am. But at least they're not alone. she thought. Maybe I should tell them? But they wouldn't trust me, so it wouldn't get me anywhere. Maybe if I make friends first…

Tiffany had a hard time getting to sleep that night, and dreamed of police breaking down her door and carrying her off to jail. She didn't feel nearly as cheerful or energetic in the morning as she usually did, but made an effort to get into a better mood so Sarah wouldn't notice. By the time she got to work she'd largely succeeded.

She waited for Sarah by the door and saw her girlfriend kiss her goodbye before driving off. They were so obviously in love and Tiffany felt a pang of envy. I'm tired of being alone. But maybe I can do something about that. she thought. She greeted Sarah and offered to be friends. Sarah seemed a little hesitant at first, but soon came around. Tiffany had a hard time keeping track of what she could say and what she couldn't without revealing her own secrets. Even so she had a good time talking with Sarah and began to think she wasn't going to be alone anymore.

Sarah said something at one point, about her parents and their poor relationship, which struck Tiffany as familiar. She was sure she'd heard something very similar before, but she couldn't place where. Wherever she'd heard it, she was sure that it had hidden a great deal and wondered if that was true with Sarah, too.

After work she met Erica, but she seemed a bit distant. Tiffany was glad Jill wasn't there.

After Sarah left she returned to her own apartment and just surfed the net, looking for anything on what happened in the hills. She figured the others would be staying home today, rather than risk being connected with that. She found a few references, but not much. Mostly just about the news coverage.

Tiffany was feeling a little more relaxed by the time she went to bed and slept dreamlessly.

She met Sarah at the door again the next morning, but something seemed off. She finally asked her at lunch and learned that John had broken into her apartment and trashed it! Tiffany felt horrible, because she had stayed home instead of going to Sarah's apartment as she so often did. She had to remind herself that it had happened while she was at work, so there was nothing she could have done. Despite her best efforts, she still felt like she'd let Sarah down and vowed to watch her like a hawk.

After work she went straight to Sarah's apartment. They were very active inside, moving furniture and apparently dropping the old stuff through portals in the floor when she got there. Tiffany didn't dare go inside as the door opening and closing would surely be noticed. She resigned herself to waiting outside, but got her opportunity to get in when they stopped for dinner.

Tiffany looked around in wonder once she was inside, as not only had they completely cleaned up the mess John had left, but they'd replaced all the furniture with much nicer stuff! How could they afford all this, or get it so quickly? she thought. They didn't say, and soon left for Jill and Mike's apartment. Tiffany wasn't able to get in, there, so she just watched as they replaced all of their furniture, too!

To her dismay, Sarah and Erica returned to her apartment through a portal, which Tiffany didn't have any chance of going through since she was stuck outside. She walked back to Sarah's apartment and looked in, but they were nowhere in sight. She tried the door, but it was locked, so she used her key and let herself in. She made sure to lock the door behind her and took up a position where she could see but not be seen in case John came calling again. She'd meant to only stay for a couple of hours, but she fell asleep.

When she woke it was just starting to get light out. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and groaned, realizing she'd have to speed back to her apartment to get dressed and hurry back over to work. Just then she heard a commotion coming from Sarah's room and rushed in. She found Erica on the bed, looking down worriedly at Sarah, who was lying on the floor in a fetal position, obviously trying to keep as much space between them as she could. Before she even knew what she was doing she had one of her throwing knives in her hand and was about to throw it when she realized that Erica wasn't attacking. In fact, she was just sitting there. What's going on?! Is she hurting Sarah, or helping her, or what? she thought, torn between a desire to protect Sarah and attack Erica, or wait and see what was happening as she knew that hurting Erica would hurt Sarah. In frustration she settled back to watch, longing to comfort Sarah but not daring to reveal herself to them.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 59 »

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Erica was looking more and more frantic, trying to calm the hysterical Sarah, and Tiffany wasn't feeling much better. But then Jill and Mike came charging in and tried to help. Sarah shied away from them, too, but Vash was able to get close enough to comfort her. Once she was finally calmed she fell asleep cuddling Vash and Mike put her on her bed. Tiffany curiously followed the others into the living room and was horrified to learn that Sarah's mother had tried to strangle her!

That's it! Now I remember why what Sarah said yesterday was familiar! That's the same way someone at the orphanage talked about their family, and I found out later that they'd been abused by their parents! Tiffany thought. I wonder what else her mother did, and if her father was involved or not? I wish I could talk to her right now, but even if she were awake she wouldn't be happy to see me.

Tiffany was horrified at the change in both Sarah and Erica. She didn't know a lot about Erica, but the way she was acting was totally out of character. Not that she blamed her, she felt like crying, too, knowing what Sarah had been carrying around with her all these years. I guess all the stress with the portals, her change, and everything else must have broken it loose. she thought.

Tiffany remembered the time and was torn between a desire to stay and somehow help Sarah, or go to work. Reluctantly, she decided there wasn't anything she could do at this point, and went to work after a hurried trip home to change. Wait a minute, I didn't bring my throwing knives with me to work yesterday! How did I have one at hand this morning?! Tiffany thought on her way to work. Soon she was too busy to worry about it, though she still thought of Sarah often.

At lunch Tina made a comment that broke Tiffany out of her introspection. "Hey Tiffany, where did you get your hair done?! That's awesome!" she said.

Not knowing what she was talking about, Tiffany said, "A friend did it." and hurried to the bathroom to see for herself. She was shocked to find that the tips of her hair had turned white, and gradually darkened through many shades of gray until reaching the black part at the roots. It was such a perfect shading from white to black that Tiffany doubted anyone could have made her hair look like that. What's happening to me? she thought.

Now even more distracted, Tiffany went through her day in a daze and wondered if she'd made a mistake coming to work at all. As soon as she finished she hurried over to Sarah's apartment, hoping to find Sarah in better shape then when she'd left. There was no one in sight when she got there, so she let herself in. After checking the kitchen she checked Sarah's bedroom. The door was closed, but she could hear snoring on the other side. She debated what to do for a moment before quietly opening the door and slipping inside. Whew, they're both asleep! But why are they sleeping now? That doesn't sound encouraging. Tiffany thought. She settled down in the shadows to wait.

Tiffany, are you here? Vash sent.

Tiffany started in surprise and debated answering him. Then she remembered her hair and thought it might be a good idea to talk to Vash for more than one reason. Yes, I'm here. How are they? she thought back.

Not well. I assume you overheard enough to know what upset Sarah? Vash asked.

Yes. I can't believe her mother would treat her like that! It almost makes me glad I never knew mine. Tiffany replied.

You're an orphan? I didn't realize. Anyway, we tried sending the image Erica got from Sarah's mind when this started back to her and Sarah passed out. Erica's been very upset and they've both slept through most of the day. Vash said.

What is that supposed to accomplish? Tiffany asked.

Sarah repressed the memory before, and is doing it again. We're hoping to get through to her and get her to face it rather than hide from it. Jill will paint the image and hopefully seeing it will make it too real for Sarah to ignore. Vash replied.

Is there anything I can do? Tiffany asked.

I think revealing yourself now would add unnecessary stress to the situation, as much as I would like you to. The best thing you can do is keep an eye on her when she goes back to work. We're afraid she might try to hurt herself. Vash replied.

Of course! But isn't there anything else I can do? Tiffany said.

I don't think so. Vash said.

Vash? How much do you know about Shadowkin? Tiffany asked hesitantly.

I know that they show up every now and then. Nobody knows why one person is a Shadowkin and not another. It's not hereditary, that much is clear. Their powers are shadow based and mostly revolve around stealth. They tend to be curious and secretive. Why? Vash said.

My hair is changing color. There were just black roots yesterday, but now it's white at the tips and darkens to black at the roots. And I used to have a tan, but now my skin is rather pale. Is that normal? Tiffany said.

I have heard something about physical changes in Shadowkin when their abilities manifest. I don't believe the changes are very substantial, mostly superficial. I don't know exactly what form these changes take, though. What you're experiencing is probably normal. I do know that human Shadowkin are still human in appearance, so the changes shouldn't be that extensive. Vash replied.

Tiffany sighed in relief, she'd begun to fear that she was going to turn into some kind of monster! Thanks Vash. I could do without being quite so distinctive, but I guess it could be worse. Maybe I should go now, if there's nothing I can do here. she thought.

That would probably be best, Mike is calling for me to bring Sarah and Erica for dinner at his apartment. Vash said.

Okay, I'll see you later then. Tiffany said, and slipped out before Vash woke Sarah or Erica. Before long she was back in her own apartment and eating her own dinner. After catching up with some housework she'd neglected since she started following Sarah around she got ready for bed. Before slipping on her nightgown she stood in front of her mirror to see what changes there had been. Her skin was nearly porcelain white now, and of course there was her distinctive hair. At the roots it was the darkest black, blending together into a solid mass that reflected no light (or nearly none). At the tips it was snow white. The length of it was like a rainbow, only in black and white, shading gradually from snow white to darkest black. Despite the oddity of it, Tiffany found herself liking it.

She took one last look after throwing her nightgown on and noticed that her eyes had changed color! Purple?! My eyes are purple?! I hope nobody notices that, it's bound to get more attention than I want! Tiffany thought, before climbing into bed. Her mind was too full with everything that was happening, so she read a book to get her mind off of it. Eventually she was able to get to sleep.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 63 »

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In the morning Tiffany had to drag herself out of bed. Eventually she managed to get ready and get to work on time. She was shocked when she arrived to find Sarah already there, working away. "Good morning Sarah, are you feeling better today?" she asked.

Sarah smiled weakly and said, "Yeah, I'm feeling better." She went back to work without another word after that, and it wasn't until lunch time that Tiffany was able to talk to her again.

"Sarah, I've been thinking about something you said the other day." Tiffany said when they sat down to eat in the break room.

"Oh, what was that?" Sarah asked.

"Remember we were talking about our parents? And you said you never got along with yours?" Tiffany replied.

"Sure." Sarah said, frowning.

"Well, the way you said it reminded me of something I'd heard before. It wasn't until last night that I finally remembered where I'd heard something like that. It was someone I met at the orphanage before being fostered out. There was a guy who talked about his parents the same way. I learned later that he'd been abused by them. Nothing like that has happened to you, has it?" Tiffany asked hesitantly. She knew it had, of course, but she couldn't reveal that to Sarah.

Sarah looked angrily at Tiffany and said, "Who put you up to this?! Was it Jill?"

"Sarah, I've never even met Jill! What are you talking about?" Tiffany replied.

Sarah glared at her for a moment and then relaxed back into her chair. "Sorry, my friends have been acting weird lately, trying to say that my mother tried to kill me when I was a kid! Can you believe that?!"

"Uh, yeah, sounds weird. Where did they ever get an idea like that?" Tiffany said awkwardly, once again struggling with what she could and couldn't say.

Sarah shrugged, "I don't know. My parents never did anything like that to me." She said this very firmly, yet there was a trace of uncertainty to it that Tiffany doubted anyone who didn't know her would have caught.

"Well, that's good." Tiffany said. She knew she didn't sound very convincing, but Sarah seemed to accept it. They groused about work after that until their lunch break was over. It's like right on the edge of her consciousness, isn't it? Tiffany thought as she got back to work.

Yes, it is. Vash replied, startling her. Sorry, I'm here to keep an eye on Sarah. I know you're doing so as well, but it never hurts to have an extra pair of eyes.

Sure, I understand. We're all worried about her. I'm amazed she hasn't said anything about my hair, eyes, or skin. I guess she's pretty preoccupied. Tiffany said.

Yes, it's taking a great deal of effort for her to keep everything bottled up the way she is. It never ceases to amaze me how humans can work so hard to not know something they already know! Hopefully we'll be able to put a stop to that tonight. Vash said.

Tiffany caught herself nodding in reply, and looked around to make sure nobody noticed her seemingly talking to herself. She heard chuckling in her head as she continued working and knew that Vash had caught that.

Tiffany was just about to clock out with Sarah when she got called away to help with an ornery customer. She kept an eye on her while she was dealing with the customer and noticed that she hung back by the door she normally left by. Then she headed to the back of the building. What's she doing? she thought to Vash.

She's trying to avoid Erica and Jill, who are waiting with Mike outside the door. I'll go with her, please follow as soon as you can. Vash replied. Tiffany dealt with the customer as quickly as possible and hurried outside, not even bothering to clock out. She didn't see anyone at first, but when she stepped out away from the building she saw Vash lying on the ground! She ran over and feared he was dead, as his fur was matted with blood. Upon closer inspection she saw that he was still breathing. With a sigh of relief Tiffany cloaked herself in shadows and ran out to find Sarah.

She nearly passed right by her, as she was lying down behind some bushes. It was John she saw first, struggling with his belt. He finally got it undone and pulled his pants down. Sarah's clothes were torn and she was trying to get away from John, but her efforts were uncoordinated and ineffectual. Realizing what was about to happen Tiffany reacted without thinking. She reached for a throwing knife that shouldn't have been there, but was. With a precision of motion she wouldn't have expected of herself she threw the blade at John where it buried itself in his back.

John staggered and tried to reach around to pull the knife free. Again without thinking about it Tiffany pulled on a thread of shadow that seemed to be connecting the knife to her, and it reappeared in her hand. She looked dumbly down at the blade, and saw that there was no blood on it at all! Looking back at John she saw him drop to his knees and then fall face first on top of Sarah. Tiffany was afraid he was still attacking her, but she soon realized he was unconscious or dead.

Sarah was even more hysterical now, but before Tiffany could do anything a large wolf came bounding around the corner. Tiffany was afraid it would attack at first, but then realized it was Mike. Relived that someone was there to take care of Sarah, she ran.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 64 »

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Tiffany ran back to her car and sped home. She was home in record time. Once inside she pulled the throwing knife out and took a close look at it. She still couldn't find any trace of blood on it. She thought back to how easily she had thrown the knife and hit John so easily. Thoughtfully she looked around her apartment until she remembered the package of boxes she'd never used when she moved in. She set it up against the wall and drew a bulls eye on it. She walked across to the other side of the room, aimed, and threw the knife. It hit dead center.

How is this possible? she thought. I've never tried to throw a knife before, but even I know it takes a lot of skill to do it right. After all, I could just as easily hit the target with the handle as the blade. She started across the room to retrieve the knife and felt that same connection between her and it. She pulled on the thread of shadow connecting them and it was suddenly back in her hand. She didn't see it fly across the room, it just reappeared in her hand. Tiffany set it down on the table and went to the kitchen. There she pulled on that shadowy connection again, and it was back in her hand as before.

I wonder, is it the blade, or me? Tiffany wondered. She opened a drawer and pulled a sharp knife from it and returned to the living room. There she threw the magical knife again, and it embedded itself in the bulls eye again. She returned it to her hand and tried with the other knife. It flew a lot more erratically and hit flat, the entire length of the knife hitting the boxes at the same time. It fell to the floor with a soft thud. Tiffany couldn't see any connection from it to her, but she tried to bring it back to her hand as she had the other. Nothing happened.

I guess that answers that question. Now I know what the magic of this knife is. I wonder if the other knives are the same? she thought. She retrieved the other knives from under her bed and repeated her tests. All four hit the center or near it every time, and returned to her hand the same way. I guess that means I'll never really be unarmed again. I wonder if there's a limit to their range? Probably can't get to me when I go through a portal, so I'll still have to carry them for that. But I guess I could call on them before going through the portal, so I still don't have to carry them most of the time. With that she put all four knives back under her bed, covering them with the cloak.

All of this activity had allowed her to forget what had happened, but while she was eating her dinner it all came back. I killed him, didn't I? she thought. It's not like he didn't deserve it, I guess… But what about Sarah? How badly was she hurt? I should have gone over to the hospital! No, if she saw me she'd wonder why I was there. She continued to debate the issue while she ate and then washed her dishes.

I don't work tomorrow. I'll go over to the hospital first thing in the morning. I can say I heard about it from someone at work if I'm spotted. she finally decided. She whiled away the rest of the evening by going online to eBay to see how it worked. She was considering selling some of the things she'd found there, but wasn't sure if they would stand out or not. After seeing some of the prices for jewelry sold at the site she decided they would fit in okay, but she'd have to do more research to figure out what to ask for it. I won't try to get too much, just enough to pay off some bills. Somebody else will probably make a fortune reselling it, but that's okay. she thought.

She went to bed thinking about what she'd need to do to sell them, but it was worries of Sarah that dogged her dreams.

Tiffany's alarm clock woke her early in the morning and she got ready for the day. She left all her magical gear, and her gun, behind except for the bracers, ring, and amulet. She wore them, just in case. The only way I'm going to figure out how these work is to use them, and they shouldn't attract too much attention. Especially since the bracers are covered by my clothes. she thought as she grabbed her purse and headed out.

At the hospital she let the shadows cloak her and went looking for Sarah. By the time she found her the others had already arrived. She managed to find a hiding place where she could overhear their conversation. She was surprised to learn the others thought John would live. Just as she was getting her hopes up about that, though, she learned he'd died, after all. Poisoned? My knives are poisoned? I'd better be careful with them. she thought.

Once they were getting ready to leave Tiffany made her way back to her car. She drove to Sarah's apartment and settled in to wait. She was in her now usual position just inside the door when she heard a noise in Sarah's bedroom. That's strange, I wonder if they left Vash behind? she thought. A few minutes later Mike came in. As soon as the door was closed Vash became visible on his shoulder, so that eliminated that possibility. Tiffany followed them curiously and was horrified to see Sarah lying in a pool of blood on her bathroom floor!

Mike very nearly ran into Tiffany as he was rushing out of the room but Tiffany reacted just in time and dodged to the side. Why is he leaving? she wondered, but was answered when he returned with a sports bottle and fed some of the water inside to Sarah and then sprayed some onto her slashed wrists. To her shock the wounds closed right up. Mike then carried Sarah into the living room and laid her down on the couch. Tiffany looked on worriedly. A few minutes later Erica and Jill arrived.

Tiffany nearly gasped in surprise when she saw the painting Jill was carrying, as it depicted what looked like Sean as a child being strangled while wearing a dress! What's that about? she wondered. She found out soon after when Sarah woke up and Jill said that it was a memory that Sarah had suppressed. Does that mean Sarah really did want to be a girl? she wondered.

That possibility was forgotten as she listened to the revelations about Sarah's childhood. It's no wonder John had such an easy time pushing her around! Maybe it's for the best that jerk is dead… she thought angrily.

When they decided to go for pizza Tiffany decided to go home. It's going to be difficult to talk to Sarah on Monday without revealing what I know. she mused as she drove home. After dinner she was heading to her bedroom to go to bed when she noticed the pack of boxes she'd used for target practice. Or, what should have been a pack of boxes. Suddenly what the policeman had said about poison took on a whole new dimension when she saw that what had been a pack of boxes was just a pile of black ash.

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 68 »

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What happened?! Did this happen to John, too?! Surely that police officer would have mentioned something like this… Tiffany thought as she stared at the pile of ashes in shock. Then she shook herself as she realized that the police either didn't know, or weren't going to say anything about it. There was a delayed reaction, so they might not have gotten the word yet. In fact, it might not have happened yet at the time they were talking to Sarah. But they wouldn't say anything about it if they did know, they'd sound crazy!

Cautiously, Tiffany knelt down next to the ash and looked more closely at it. There didn't seem to be any remnants of the boxes at all, it had all turned to ash. Nothing else seemed affected, though. She rubbed a bit of it between her fingers, but it left no marks on her skin like ash normally would. And it was coal black, not the grey she'd expect from the ashes from a fire. In fact, that's what it looked like, coal dust. Only it didn't mark her hands. When she brushed some of it aside the carpet underneath was equally unmarked. What is this stuff? she thought.

Mystified, she shrugged and vacuumed it up. The carpet underneath was clean. She put the vacuum away and tried to get to sleep, but it was a long time coming.
 
 
Tiffany slept poorly and awoke early. Giving up on getting any more sleep, she got up and poured herself some cereal. What to do now? I'm a killer; they'll be looking for me, won't they? And Sarah and her friends will be wondering who attacked him. Should I reveal myself to them now, or not? Maybe I'll wait and see if the police come knocking on my door, I don't want to bring them to the police's attention if I can help it. she thought as she ate.

After rinsing out her bowl she got dressed and decided to go over to Sarah's place despite the early hour. When she got there the lights were out, so she let herself in. She couldn't hear anything through Sarah's door, so she assumed they were asleep. She found a good hiding place in view of Sarah's door and the kitchen and living room and settled down to wait.

When they did get up they took a long shower accompanied by sounds that made Tiffany blush. Once they were dressed they went into the kitchen and Sarah made breakfast. They didn't get far into it before Erica asked Sarah why she used to cross dress. That led to even more revelations about Sarah's childhood, and the fact that Sarah had always wanted to be a girl. She also learned how Sarah and Mike had met, and how that had ended the physical abuse from Sarah's father.

Erica still seemed a little worried about Sarah liking guys, but Sarah shot that down right away. After Sarah finished her story Erica comforted her, and then proposed! Tiffany was shocked, and then shocked again when she saw the beautiful rings Erica had found in the tomb.

After that Mike and Jill arrived and they had to tell them what Sarah had told Erica. Apparently they were going to start learning martial arts, because they decided to postpone it because Sarah was feeling worn out. Not that worn out, though, as she and Erica went at it again after Mike and Jill left. Tiffany decided to leave and come back later, as she felt like she was intruding too much.

She let herself out, making sure to relock the door, and was making her way back to her car when she noticed someone walking towards her. He looked to be middle aged and was wearing a dark suit and sunglasses. He looked like the classic MIB, and Tiffany began to worry that he was there for her, for killing John. She hurried her steps, but he figured out where she was going and moved to intercept her. He got to her car seconds before she would have. She tensed up and felt one of her knives appearing in her hand, but quickly stuffed it in a pocket before the man could see it.

"Hello, miss." he said in greeting. He sounded amicable enough, but Tiffany was sure he was trouble. "I was wondering if we could talk?"

Tiffany stopped and stared fearfully at him. "Why would I want to talk to you?!" she said, trying to sound unconcerned and failing miserably.

"Because if you don't I'll have to have a talk with Miss Kinsley about her stalker." he replied calmly.

"No, don't tell her!" Tiffany blurted out before she could stop herself. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth, but the damage was done.

"There's a Starbucks around the corner, why don't we go for a little walk?" he said with a predatory grin. Tiffany's shoulders slumped as she nodded and followed him. They walked in silence and he ordered a drink. "Would you like anything?" he asked as if they were old friends. She shook her head and plopped down in the nearest chair. Once he got his drink he sat down across from her.

"What do you want?" she asked wearily.

"I want to know what is going on." he said. "Some strange things have been happening around here lately, and at least some of them seem to center around Miss Kinsley. Since you're stalking her anyway, I thought you could give me some information on her."

"I'm not stalking her!" Tiffany replied angrily. "She's my friend!" Once again her hand went to her mouth too late.

He smiled again and said, "But she doesn't know you're there when you 'visit' her, does she? In fact, I had some difficulty spotting you, myself. You have an interesting knack for finding shadows to hide in."

I wonder if he thinks it's just a good trick, or knows there's more to it. I think I'll pretend it's a trick and see what happens. Tiffany thought. "Why should I tell you about Sarah?" she said.

"Because if you don't I can arrest you for obstruction of justice. Or I can just arrest you for that mess outside of town. I'm sure you're friend is involved in that, too, and by extension you. It would be easy enough to sell that as an act of terrorism. You know what that would mean. Or I could take a more personal approach and tell Miss Kinsley about you. I'm sure that would make your 'friendship' a little awkward." He replied.

I can't tell him about Sarah! She'd end up in a lab somewhere if they knew what she can do, or at least on the run. I've got to stall until I can figure out what to do. Tiffany thought. She was very much afraid that this man would lock her up and throw away the key, but she was determined to protect Sarah and her friends from him. "What kind of information do you think I have on Sarah?!" she said.

He shrugged, "I don't know. But impossible things happen around her and I think you've seen some of that. Or if you haven't, you will soon enough. Are you trying to say that you haven't seen anything unusual?" He sounded highly doubtful of that possibility.

Thinking fast Tiffany said, "Well, I did think it strange that everyone accepted her as a girl so easily. I mean, she certainly looks the part, but she was a guy before!" I hope this distracts him. she thought hopefully.

He did look interested as he said, "Yes, I've heard about that. Some of the people I talked to seemed to think she'd always been a girl. Yet the pictures I've seen are clearly of a man. I am curious how she changed so much in such a short period of time. What do you know about that?"

"Nothing, really. One day she was Sean, a guy, and then she missed a day and when she came back she was Sarah, an obvious girl." Tiffany replied.

He nodded thoughtfully, "You said she missed a day before she changed. When was that?"

Tiffany thought back and said, "About three weeks ago. It was a Friday, so she was really gone three days since she doesn't work weekends."

"Okay. That gives me something to work with. In the meantime, I expect you to continue to shadow your 'friend' and take notes. I expect you to tell me everything she does, no matter how ordinary. Understood?" he said. Tiffany nodded weakly. "Good. I'll be watching, so don't try to contact Sarah or her friends. If you do I'll just have to arrest all five of you."

Tiffany's eyes widened in alarm and she shook her head violently. He grinned again and left her there feeling panicky and confused. How can I get out of this? I can't do what he says, but I can't talk to Sarah or her friends, either! Wait, he said five! He doesn't know about Vash! I can talk to him! Tiffany thought excitedly. She waited to make sure he was out of sight and then pulled the shadows back in around her and headed back to Sarah's apartment.

She slipped back inside Sarah's apartment. Sarah and Erica were in the shower again, so Tiffany settled down to wait. Vash, can you hear me? she thought, but she heard no reply. She could only hope that Vash would be able to hear her when she got closer to him.

When Sarah and Erica emerged from the shower they got dressed and headed over to Mike and Jill's apartment. Tiffany stayed as close as she dared, but she wasn't able to get inside. Settling down in front of their living room window she thought, Vash, can you hear me? to Vash again. There was no response. I wonder… she thought, and went to the door. Taking out her copy of Sarah's key, she went to try it. She nearly dropped the key and accidentally banged her hand against the knob when she went to catch it. Her obsidian ring hit the knob and she heard a click. She examined her ring, but it didn't appear to be damaged. Taking hold of the knob again to try the key, she found it was now unlocked!

Was it unlocked the whole time? But I was sure I heard Jill lock it after they went inside… she thought. She put her key into the lock and tried to lock the door, but it clearly didn't fit. Looking down at her ring she wondered, Is that what this ring does? Open locks? I wish I'd known that before! She went back to the window and looked inside. Mike was teaching them karate or something and Vash was watching intently. They were all looking away from the door, so she carefully swung it open just enough for her to slip through and closed it behind her.

Tiffany locked the door and slipped into the shadows of the entertainment center. No one reacted, so she was sure they hadn't seen her. They continued their training for a while, took a short break, and then went right back to it. Tiffany was beginning to think that this might be something useful to learn, but she knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

After their training Sarah went to make lunch and the others sat in the living room and talked about confronting Sarah's parents. Tiffany was getting very angry thinking about Sarah's parents and found another of her throwing knives had appeared in her hand. She shoved it into her pocket with the other one and tried to calm herself.

They finally settled on going to see them the next day, after Sarah emailed them. Tiffany vowed to herself to be there to protect her, though she knew Mike could take care of that by himself. After lunch they started looking into other ways they could train. Tiffany realized she'd obviously missed something, as it seemed they were preparing for something. I wonder what I missed? she thought.

Sarah opened a portal to go back to her apartment with Erica, so Tiffany dashed through it before it closed. Sarah and Erica started going through books and Tiffany sat back to see if they said anything about what they were doing. They didn't. In fact, they didn't say anything at all! They were looking strangely at each other, so she could only assume they were talking through their bond.

They read for hours, and then took a break to eat. Tiffany's stomach was growling at her, but she didn't dare leave. Not until she'd come to some kind of resolution. She was concerned that Vash hadn't heard her, but he had apparently been helping in their training somehow, so she was hoping to be able to contact him if she tried again. Sarah's apartment was out of his range, though.

After eating they walked back to Jill and Mike's with Tiffany following close behind. Once again she had to use the ring to get in. Following a brief conversation Sarah opened a portal back to her apartment and they all walked through it. This time Tiffany was unable to follow without being detected, so she had to make her way there the old fashioned way. When she finally got back inside Sarah's apartment she was playing a video game. Sarah had said something about this game having something in it that Erica could benefit from, so Tiffany got as close as she dared to watch.

The game went on for hours, but it was more interesting than Tiffany had thought it would be. It was a lot like an interactive story. Most of what happened was already set, but you got to move through it as though you had control over the outcome. Sarah was quite good at it, and seemed to plow through her opponents with ease. As she went bits and pieces of information were revealed which told Tiffany what a chrysalis was, and what it could do for Erica. After the game Jill and Mike went back to their apartment through a portal and Tiffany followed them.

Vash, can you hear me? she called again, thinking that this was her last chance to get through to him before she'd have to face that man again.

She felt something, so she called out again. Finally, after four tries, she got an answer.

Tiffany? You're even harder to hear than you were before. What is wrong? he sent back.

Some guy approached me earlier today and he knows I've been following you guys around. He also thinks that Sarah had something to do with all the damage where you guys trained, and also with John's death. He's some kind of policeman or something and threatened to arrest me if I didn't spy on Sarah for him! He also said not to contact Sarah or her friends or he'd arrest us all. What can I do? she thought frantically.

Calm down Tiffany! We'll figure something out. I think it would be best if I told the others about you. Is that okay? Vash replied.

Tiffany sighed and thought, I've thought of doing that anyway, so yeah, go ahead. And please tell them I'm sorry!

I will, and I'm sure they'll understand once I explain everything to them. Vash said.

Thanks! Should I stick around, or should I go? she thought.

It's quite late. It might look odd if you stayed any later. I suggest you go home and come back first thing in the morning. I'll tell Mike and Jill tonight, and we'll tell Sarah and Erica in the morning. Hopefully by the time you arrive we'll have everything settled about you and can start working on dealing with this mysterious man. Vash said.

Okay, I'll come over first thing. Should I come here or Sarah's? she replied.

Sarah's, that's who you're supposed to be watching, anyway. Vash said.

I'll see you there, then. Goodnight, and thanks! Tiffany said.

You're welcome. I'm glad you're finally doing this. Goodnight. Vash replied. Tiffany hurried back to her car, keeping the shadows close the entire way. She could only hope that she could stay away from him long enough to talk to the others!

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To Be Continued…
 

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 75 »