14 comments/ 74893 views/ 31 favorites Dust to Dust Ch. 01 By: Evil Alpaca This story is a bit wordy and fairly long, so if you are looking for immediate gratification, you might want to look elsewhere. ------------- ----------------------- The following story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between actual persons, living or dead (or just confused) is entirely coincidental. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or in total, without the author's permission. This story takes place in the fictional city of Springfield, California several hundred years in the future, so don't go looking for it on a map. Over the course the series, I will borrow quite a bit from my "Dead Man's World" series, so it might help (but isn't a requirement) if you read those stories. And in my little fictional world, there are no unwanted pregnancies or STD's, except as plot driving devices. The author encourages the practice of safe-sex. This story also contains lesbian sexual activity. ------------ ------------------- "Dust to Dust" Ch. 01 ------------ ------------------- Dusty Trendenfall knew she should go back inside. She knew that making an appearance in her current state of dress would probably vex her father. Then she grinned a little grin. Wasn't that a big part of the fun? The twenty-one-year-old debutante descended down the marble staircase like an angel from heaven ... or at least that was the effect she was going for. Her father, the president and lead researcher for one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world, was throwing a gala for friends and potential investors. And when there was a party to be attended, Dusty would be there. The fact that she might be able to help woo and charm people on her father's behalf made is that much more appealing. She loved her father very much. In her life, she had never been left wanting for anything, from the pretty baubles that young women treasured so much to a first class education at the Terran High Magic Academy. Her mother had died many years ago and, with no siblings, her father had been her whole world for a time. While she loved coming home for the holidays, she did miss her life on Earth's sister world. Several hundred years earlier, a dimensional rift had opened, and two very different worlds learned of each other's existence. Earth was a world populated by humans and their highly advanced technology. Terra, an exact geographical duplicate, was populated by what were once thought to be monsters ... creatures such as vampires, trolls, lycanthropes and the like. Everything that the human race used to think only lived in closets, under beds and in nightmares turned out to be living, breathing realities. And apparently, they had just as many legends about humans as humans had about them. It turned out that it was not at all uncommon for small rips to form between different dimensions and for creatures to accidentally wander through. And even before the rift opened, some magic sifted through into the Earth realm. Some humans had the ability to manipulate magic directly, while others had more narrowly focused abilities called Talents that manifested themselves when exposed to concentrations of magical energy. Strangely, the two worlds had actually been able to coexist quite amicably for the most part. Organizations that preached racial purity and segregation had popped up from time to time, and one was even able to seal the rift with the help of a Living Jewel. But a pair of human-vampire hybrids had reopened an even more stable portal between dimensions. Trade and the exchange of ideas had resumed, as had travel. People with Talents and magical aptitude, such as Dusty herself, were sometimes allowed to train on Terra, while some Terrans moved to Earth to study the sciences. Dusty's father, at the moment, was actually conducting research to see if there was some form of biological or genetic predisposition to develop some form of magical ability. He didn't explain much of it to Dusty, but she knew he was getting close to something. That was why he had thrown this party: to bring in more investors, schmooze old ones and just generally entertain some very big names in government, business and medicine. Dusty wasn't above using a little magic to add to her charm at these events. She plucked a rose from the vase next to her bed and asserted her will, causing it to grow and spread into a wreath of red which she promptly placed upon her silky and long caramel-brown tresses. She really didn't need any help getting attention, however. She had developed early and well, with the face of an angel and a body built for temptation. Large firm breasts, a narrow waist and mouth-wateringly tapered hips were all weapons in her arsenal, and she was quite adept at their use. For the party, she had chosen a black dress that swung just low enough in front to be enticing but just conservative enough not to set off her father's parenting alarm. When she started to weave her way amongst guests, more than a few heads turned and more than a few jaws dropped and it wasn't just the men. Dusty's preference for "the fairer sex" was not unknown, but she was an equal-opportunity flirter. She made her way to the glass doors that opened to the back yard and slowly descended to the party below. Jonathan Trendenfall watched his daughter ruffle his gala like a summer breeze. He didn't approve of her flirtatious nature or style of dress, but supposed that no father probably EVER wanted to see his daughter like that. He smiled. He still remembered her wrapping him and her mother and all the servants of the house around her little finger from the moment she was born. She had always been a trooper ... even when her mother had died in that hover-car accident when she was only twelve. Everyone saw her for a vivacious and beautiful young woman ... he and others who knew her well saw past the glitzy façade to the capable lady she had become. "She's a heartbreaker," Thomas McBride said. Thomas was the chief of security for Griffon Pharmaceuticals and one of Jonathan's most trusted friends. "Don't remind me. That 'heartbreaker' is going to give me a heart attack," Jon responded. He watched his daughter chatting about the weather and flowers with Mr. and Mrs. Constantine, two of her father's biggest supporters. She grew the elderly Mrs. Constantine a rose from what appeared to be a dead stem, and Dusty found herself surrounded by other party-goers who were impressed by even such a small feat. "She's so much like her mother." Thomas nodded. He had never admitted it, but he had once had improper feelings towards Jon's wife, though he had never let on and had never acted on his feelings. She, like her daughter, had been a beauty. "Have you told her yet?" Dr. Trendenfall grimaced. "No. She isn't going to like it." Mr. McBride shrugged. "You know it has to be done. The threats have been coming more often and more serious. No one has heard talk like ... this kind of rhetoric since Hybrid Security took out the Purity." "You don't need to remind me of the threats," Jon said. "I'm one of the ones they've been sending them to." He glanced at his daughter again. "I won't see her getting hurt. I'll give it all up before I let that happen." "Which is just what these crackpots might try to exploit. They haven't pushed it to that level yet and the police doubt it's THAT serious, but I know you. You don't want to take that risk." "No ... no I don't." He sighed. "Hi Daddy!" the young woman said after breaking away from her throng of admirers. She gave her old man a kiss on the cheek. "What are you two doing over here, looking all dour and serious?" To emphasize her point, she put on her pouting face, which also doubled as her angry face. "Just talking business," Dr. Trendenfall said smoothly. "You are always talking business!" she said, then took his arm and led him towards some of the other guests, "You need to mingle. Socializing can be just as important as presenting, remember?" "Remind me again why you're not on the Board of Directors?" "You couldn't afford me, and your policy on work attire is appalling. Ms. King," she said in transition, introducing him to a very nice lady that he actually already knew. "Margo," she addressed the woman as if they were old friends despite having only met a few minutes earlier, "you know my father, correct?" Jon would have rolled his eyes, but he didn't want to appear rude. His daughter had been trying to get him to date for years, over his own objections, but she kept at it, and he humored her. After getting her father engrossed with the eligible Ms. King, a prominent attorney, Dusty sidled back over to Mr. McBride. She gave the old family friend a hug. "So what were you two talking about?" she asked. "Really. You two looked my way one too many times for it not to have been about me." Tom knew better than to lie to her. "You'll have to talk to your father. No buts," he started, cutting her off at the pass. "I know better than to play middle man between you two." Dusty put on her best sultry face. "C'mon," she cooed. McBride shook his head. "Not in a million years, young one." He kissed her on the forehead and walked away, leaving the young woman with a vexed expression. ------------ --------------- Later that night ... ------------ --------------- "You want me to what?!" Dusty shouted, her voice filling the confines of her father's office. "Just until we find out how serious these threats are," her father said, trying to be placating. He had just informed his daughter that he wanted her to leave the academy for a bit and stay within the confines of the house until this recent problem was taken care of. "Who are these people anyway?! And how do you know —" she started up. "We don't know who they are exactly. There are still a lot of elements out there that don't like Earth's association with Terra and are particularly opposed to magic. They see what I'm doing as a 'perversion of nature' and 'crime against God'. The idea of being able to unlock the secrets of magical aptitude ... well, let's just say that there are a lot of people who don't like the idea that people might be able to gen-engineer their kids to have that sort of ability. Which isn't even the point of the research, but that's what they see. The letters have been getting more and more heated. It may be nothing —" "You're right," Dusty interjected. "And you want me to give up my training and my friends and hide here in the house for who knows how long and . . . Why? Have they threatened me?" Dusty had just become very nervous. "No, but we're afraid that they might." "Wait," she said, looking from her father to Mr. McBride, "you want me to give up everything and be a prisoner when you don't know if they're a threat at all, much less to me?" "The house isn't exactly a prison," her father pointed out. His domicile had a couple dozen rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a tennis court and a built in theatre with the latest three-dimensional holographic projector. "And we'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't want to see anything happen to you." "It won't! The security at the Academy is some of the best on either planet, and anyone coming after me there wouldn't be able to bring guns or anything across." "We don't know what they're capable of." "No," Dusty said carefully. She didn't want to sound too defiant, as her father was the one paying for her tuition and her somewhat lavish lifestyle. "Dad, I'll be fine. Hire me an armored car or something to take me to the Portal, but there's no reason to think I won't be just as safe there as here, or that I'm in any danger at all." Mr. Trendenfall looked resigned. "I just worry about you so much," he said honestly. Dusty gave her father a big hug. "I know." She realized that her father had never quite forgiven himself for not being able to protect his wife, even though there was nothing he could possibly have done. "I'll be careful though. Promise." As soon as Dusty left the room, McBride sat down on the desk next to his friend. "Plan B then?" he asked. Jon nodded. "Plan B." -------------- ----------- A week later ... -------------- ----------- Jonathan Trendenfall and his security chief were sitting in his office at Griffon Pharmaceuticals, waiting for an old World Security Agency friend of Tom's to show up. "I really wish we could have gotten someone from Hybrid Security," Jon was saying. "They know Terra well, and people go out of their way not to mess with them." "But they're all tied up in the WTO meeting in France," Tom reminded him. "And you've nixed everyone else I've suggested." "I don't want a second-rate bodyguard," Jon said irritably. "Well, we need to make a decision soon. She's back at the Academy in a week. But Bob said that he had someone who might just fit the bill. Wouldn't explain more though," the chief of security said cautiously. "But he's got the low down on just about everyone who's ever held a gun ... from mall security guards to high-priced mercs. If he says he might have someone for us, it's worth a listen." The intercom buzzed gently. "Mr. Trendenfall? There's an Agent Jones here to see you. He has an appointment." "Send him in," Jon said. Agent Bob Jones was an intimidating looking man. He was dark skinned, heavily muscled and stood tall at six and a half feet. But it wasn't his brawn that made him dangerous. It was the knowledge in that head of his. He smiled warmly and shook Tom's hand. "Good to see you. Must say I was a bit surprised by the request." "Hello," Jon interrupted. "I'm — " "Mr. Jonathan Trendenfall ... I'm well aware of and impressed with your work. But you're ruffling a lot of feathers, which has led to certain groups sending you some interesting mail." Jones smiled. "I've read your reports to the authorities. I can tell you that you aren't the only who's been getting these kinds of threats. Any major players that practice or endorse the use of magic on Earth soil have been getting targeted. Nothing violent yet, but -- " "But you can understand my concern," Mr. Trendenfall said. "I'm a father myself. Damn straight I understand," Mr. Jones said. "Unfortunately, what you're asking for is hard to come by. Someone who can pass through to Terra armed ... someone who can bypass Academy security ... someone you can trust ... Really didn't leave many options. Actually, it really only left one." "You have someone?" "Yes, but ... well, let's just say that she's ... different." "Different? How?" "Well ... she's never failed a mission ... she does defense exclusively ... she seems to be able to get in anywhere, get out ... for all intents and purposes, she's a ghost." "So what's the problem? Can she do the job or not?" "She can. Whether or not she will is another story." "Money is no object." "You're right," the agent replied. "It isn't. She's not interested in your money. I made contact with her and ... and she wants to talk to you. One on one ... face to face ... no middle men." He sat in a chair and leaned forward. "When I say she's a ghost, I mean it. No one knows where she came from or how she manages to do what she does ... at least no one at my pay grade knows. But what we do know is that she's made enough that she could retire somewhere and live the rest of her life very comfortably. But she doesn't. She keeps working, but now she collects favors." "Let me guess . . . you don't know what kind of favors?" "Affirmative." Tom was a bit concerned. "I thought you knew everything about everyone. You're saying she's got no file?" "If she does, it's beyond my pay grade to see." Agent Jones looked back at Dr. Trendenfall. "Shall I tell her you're willing to talk?" "She's safe? I mean, she won't —" "She won't try to kill you or anything like that. She's not unstable. Hell, she's reported to be the coolest cat out there. I just can't tell you for the life of me what she'd ask." Dr. Jonathan Trendenfall nodded. "Make the call." ------------- -------------------- That very evening ... ------------- -------------------- Jon was headed to his study to go over the results of his company's most recent experiments one more time. He would soon find that he wasn't going to get to those results that night. He walked into his sanctum, filled with all his books and several very pricey pieces of art and sat down in his chair. He heard the door close and looked up, only to find that he was not alone. The woman standing next to the door was ... unremarkable. She was pretty enough he supposed. She had dark hair that was cut short, high stern cheekbones and brown eyes. She was dressed in a long duster made of gray denim, a fabric that had been fashionable centuries earlier. Underneath ... black trousers and blue shirt hid her body. She looked young, but there was something about the eyes ... If he had seen her on the street, he wouldn't have probably given her a second glance. But they weren't on the street ... they were in his house. "Who the hell —?" "Be calm, Mr. Trendenfall," came a slightly raspy voice. "I had an appointment." "What?!" "Agent Jones should have told you that I was coming." "You're ... you're the security policy?!" Jon said, more than a little spooked that someone had apparently bypassed his security without breaking a sweat. "You're ... not what I expected." "I never am," she said coolly, her voice still sounding like the hissing of steam. "I have read your proposal and I think I can help. But you must agree to my fee." "Okay," Mr. Trendenfall, "but Agent Jones said you don't want money?" "Correct," she said, staring at a priceless Rembrandt painting hanging above the unused fireplace. She had never had much of an eye for art ... she didn't see the point; it was aestheticism for the sake of it. "But I am greatly interested in your research. You might be able to help me with something." She walked over and sat Indian-style on his desk. "I can protect your daughter for as long as necessary for this whole problem of yours to blow over. And my terms are, in my opinion, quite reasonable." Jon was intrigued. "I'm sorry Miss ... What was your name, by the way?" "Ash," she hissed. "Alright Ash, but you haven't told me what your terms are yet." Her face seemed to be made when she told him what she expected of him. He was greatly confused already, and things only got more perplexing. Even as he agreed to her demands, he was wondering who exactly it was that he had gotten involved with. --------- ------------------- A week later ... --------- ------------------- Dusty was surprised ... she had really expected her father to put up more of a fight than he did. Of course, she had gotten a long speech about being careful and staying on campus while on Terra, and had then been given a ride to the Portal in a bullet-proof unmarked hover car. She had a regiment of local vampire constables waiting on the Terran side of the Portal that escorted her to the Academy's front gates ... it was quite a spectacle, all in all. Dusty loved it! She strode onto campus, looking for all the world like a person of great import. She found her way to her dorm room. Dorm rooms at the Academy were much more luxurious than at any other learning institution that she had ever even heard of. Each house had four separate apartments, which more resembled suites at the finest hotels. There was a common room and common kitchen though, all because the Academy's board and Overseer thought it wise that the students still have to socialize a little bit. Dusty already knew her housemates ... they had all roomed together before. She had managed to accrue a substantial collection of friends and hangers-on over the last few years. There was a time that an openly gay woman would be shunned if not banned from campus. But when the Security Director of the Northern Province's daughter, the leader of Hybrid Security, turned out to be both gay AND a war hero, things had begun to change. Admittedly, public policy still greatly frowned on such behavior, but a rebellious subculture had been born. Younger Terrans of different races began to ... experiment, and Dusty was like a leader to many of them. She was sexy, slightly rebellious and amazingly charming. Dusty LOVED going to school! Dust to Dust Ch. 01 From her hideaway, watched as the young Dusty Trendenfall unpacked her many suitcases and wandered around the suite. Ash had already completely wired the entire domicile for sound and video feeds, and had a series of alarms that were tied directly to the bodyguard's console. She had gotten most of it done while Dusty was filling out paperwork. Her equipment was actually set up in a crawl space underneath the house. She didn't need to move very much anyway, and she already had several access points into the domicile. It had been a bit of a pain to smuggle her equipment across the Portal. Terran guards were notoriously hard to bribe, so she had been forced to use alternative methods. Bypassing Academy security had been less difficult. She decided it was right for Mr. Trendenfall to hire a bodyguard. If Ash could get in, there was a slim chance someone else could. Dusty was a beauty all right. Even someone with a heart like Ash's could notice that. She had a way about her. Ash had observed the way she interacted with Academy staff, drivers, and even just other students she met along the path to her. She always made sure to give them a little smile or a wink ... just enough to capture their attention. She had a warm smile and inviting eyes, and that body didn't exactly hurt matters either. Ash watched as Dusty finished putting the last of her substantial wardrobe away and then started looking through her closet. She then spent half-an-hour putting together different outfits with a particularly shrewd eye. Ash really didn't care much for fashion. She dressed for practicality. Ash heard rustling at the door and switched her primary screen over to her door cam. It was a young Terran female ... a vampire ... accompanied by what Ash guessed were the girl's parents. This young girl was lean and quite primly and properly dressed, and her parents carried themselves with a haughty arrogance. Ash had learned to read people by the way the walked and moved a long time ago, mostly because their words inevitably could not be trusted. The threesome moved into the house. The young vampire was looking around. It was clear that there was someone already there, but she didn't know which of her roommates it would be. When the door to Dusty's room opened and that young woman entered the main area, dressed in a fairly conservative outfit she must have just thrown on, the younger vampire's eyes opened just a little while her parents' eyes narrowed. 'She's excited to see Dusty,' Ash thought, 'but her parents aren't. I'll bet they didn't know that their daughter was going to be rooming with a known lesbian. I wonder why their daughter didn't tell them?' Ash was pretty sure she knew the answer, but waiting for things to play out. [[ Katrina, ]] Dusty said politely, switching fluently to the most common vampiric language [[ It's good to see you again. Dom and Dame Repubcoulter, ]] she added, bowing her head respectfully. [[ I hope your export business is still doing well. ]] 'Hmm,' Ash thought. "She's done her homework and she's already placating them before they've even gotten their bearings.' [[ Excellently, ]] the pompous sounding father said, puffing out his chest a bit. [[ So your decision to make a go of flant cloth was wiser than your critics gave you credit for? ]] She turned her attention to Dame Repubcoulter. [[ You must be quite proud. The name of your House must have risen from its already noble stature. ]] In fact, Dusty knew them to be from a somewhat unremarkable house, but it was the nature of all vampires to try and promote their own lineage. For someone else to do so was taken as a high compliment, whether or not it was meant to be one. Dame Repubcoulter knew at some level that she was being sucked up to, but her pride wouldn't let her care too much. She and her husband had both heard about the girl's sexual perversion, but it wouldn't behoove them to be openly rude. And besides, she seemed quite polite and respectful. [[ I'm sorry, ]] Dusty said after schmoozing for a little while longer, [[ but the trip from Earth was exhausting and I'm sure that your daughter might like to unpack. It takes me a while to become re-accustomed to a night schedule, so -- ]] [[ Please, get some rest, ]] Dame Repubcoulter interjected, sounding sickeningly magnanimous. [[ We were so rude to keep you up. ]] [[ You could NEVER be rude m'lady, ]] Dusty said before returning to her room. [[ Perhaps she's not quite the ... bad influence we were led to believe, ]] the girl's father said. They chatted with their daughter and helped her unpack, then said their goodbyes. Ash watched via her video stream as they left. She saw the door to Katrina's room open, and the conservatively dressed girl stepped through. First, she looked at the front door ... then at the door to Dusty's room. The girl's gown was open a little more up top than it had been. Then Ash saw Dusty's door open. Gone was the conservative outfit she had been wearing when Katrina's parents had been there. Now, Dusty was just wearing a long silk robe that was open in front. The insides of her full breasts were visible, as was her smooth stomach and her Brazilian bikini wax. "I received word when I check in than Veltia and Vexla won't be here until tomorrow," Dusty said, her voice full of heat and promise. "So whatever am I going to do until then to entertain myself?" She stuck her leg out from inside her robe and touched her toes to the floor. "Come here," she said. Ash recognized that for what it was. It hadn't been a request ... it had been an order. And the look in the girl's eyes ... 'Her name is Katrina,' Ash reminded herself. Katrina's eyes smoldered and smoked. She softly crossed the distance between her and Dusty and quickly dropped to her knees. "You know what to do," Dusty said hungrily. Katrina knew EXACTLY what to do, allowing Dusty to lead her into the bedroom. Dusty chewed her bottom lip as Katrina kissed her knee, then her calf and finally the top of her foot. Katrina was one of those rebellious "teens," though she was in fact thirty years old, that had become slightly more prevalent in the last dozen years. Her parents were strict authoritarians who had instilled conflicting forces in the girl's psyche. On one hand, she inwardly rebelled against their traditional views but, on the other hand, she had grown comfortable living under someone's thumb. Earlier in the previous term, she had developed a crush on Dusty and, even though she still had attractions towards males, she had allowed herself to be seduced. Dusty remembered that first night fondly. Katrina was a fast learner. And when they had just casually utilized light bondage one night on a lark, Katrina's orgasms had intensified by several magnitudes. Normally, Dusty didn't go in for that whole "dominatrix" scene, but it had made Katrina so noticeably happier that Dusty had researched and adopted that role. Dusty knew she would have to find someone suitable for Katrina down the road. She loved playing matchmaker, but in the meantime she would keep the young Terran all to herself. Luckily, both of her other roommates knew about the relationship and couldn't care less. 'It's a great time to be on Terra,' Dusty thought happily as Katrina worshiped her leg. She let her robe slide off her shoulders and grabbed Katrina's head and held it inches from Dusty's waiting sex. "You want that, don't you?" Dusty growled. "In English ... tell me you want it." "I ... I want it," Katrina said haltingly. She had taken a lot of Earth languages, but she was only proficient in a few. "Please?" Dusty pulled harder on Katrina's hair. "Did you just ... ask ... me for something?" she asked, moving her pussy just a little closer before pulling it away. She noticed Katrina's tongue almost instinctively and savagely reach out, hungry for something sweet and fresh. She shoved the girl backward. "Take your clothes off, but stay on your knees." Katrina let her eyes fall to the floor. She wanted to be obedient ... properly submissive. Piece by piece, she removed her conservative and traditional vampire dress. She wasn't nearly as curvaceous as Dusty, but she would probably be able to attract her fair share of attention if more people saw her. She was quite pretty with lovely high cheekbones and lavender eyes, all surrounded by perfect, alabaster skin. Dusty loved that skin ... particularly when it was spanked pink. 'There's a thought,' Dusty thought with a grin. She reached down and grabbed her robe, pulling the belt off. "Bend over and stick your hands behind your back," she practically sneered. It was hard to play the role of mistress when she just wanted to get around to the fucking, but this was what got Katrina off. She waited for the kneeling girl to bend at the waist, placing her forehead on the floor and her arms behind her back. Dusty used the silk belt to secure the girl's wrists together. Then she straddled the girl's naked shoulders, making sure not to apply any real weight downward. "Have you been behaving over break?" Dusty asked, running her hand across Katrina's head and smoothing her hair. "You haven't been touching yourself like a naughty girl, have you?" "No," Katrina said. And it was true. She hadn't masturbated in weeks, and she was almost literally ready to burst. "But you wanted to, didn't you? Naughty thoughts?" "Yes," the submissive admitted. Dusty rubbed her pussy against Katrina's shoulder. "I'll bet. Slut. Whore." She stepped away and pulled Katrina to her feet. "Into the bedroom," she ordered, pushing Katrina towards the big comfortable bed that she had already prepared. There were straps tied to all four bedposts. She pushed Katrina onto the bed, the girl's torso face down while her legs hung off the end. She ran straps from the top of the bed between each of the girl's arms and her body, cinching them up under the armpits and then tying them off. She then secured the girl's ankles to the bottoms of the lower bedposts, leaving her spread-eagled and delightfully helpless. "I'd gag you," Dusty crooned, "but I want to hear you whimper." She raised her hand and brought her open palm swiftly down on that soft backside. Katrina gasped. Spanking was a concept that had actually been unheard of by Terrans until they made contact with Earth, either as a form of discipline or ... well, discipline. Katrina had heard of it and had been more than willing to give it a try. She had turned into a spanking addict that very night. Dusty raked her fingernails across that exposed and willing flesh. Then she smacked the other exposed cheek. "Don't you DARE grind your hips against my sheets," she growled, noticing her roommate's almost automatic hip motion. "You don't get off until I get off!" She stuck pillows under Katrina's hips, lifting them up off the bed and away from anything that might inadvertently allow her release. But Dusty wasn't doing it to be selfish ... she had every intention of making Katrina cum like a bursting dam, but Katrina loved the game. Dusty walked over to her dresser and grabbed a nice, wide hairbrush. She then smacked each of Katrina's upturned cheeks several more times. "What do we say when I spank your ass?" she asked. "Thank you," Katrina purred. "Good girl," came the reply. Dusty resisted the desire to get down on her knees and eat that delicious, mildly fuzzed pussy. She'd just have to bide her time. "Now it's YOUR turn to be nice to ME!" She got on the bed, spread her legs and then scooted downward. She lifted Katrina's head by the hair and then placed her face onto Dusty's pussy. "You know what to do," she said. "Please me and maybe I'll discipline you some more." Without the benefit of her hands, Katrina knew that she would be hard-pressed to bring her part-time mistress pleasure. She lavished Dusty's sex and gorgeously tanned skin with her tongue. Being nocturnal, tanned skin was quite exotic for her race, and just seeing Dusty's golden-brown form got her excited. She started by lapping like a dog. She widened her tongue as much as she could and then pushed it up into Dusty's slit. 'So warm,' she thought. 'So wet.' She got her tongue moving at a brisk pace. She felt her head being pushed tighter against that beautiful body, and Dusty took that as her cue to go faster. Her tongue was going so fast that she almost started a fire. She slowed momentarily to suck on those succulent inner labium, lick the outer mound and then return to the inner lips. "You're just my little cunt-lapping dog, aren't you?" Dusty said happily. "Bark! Bark like one of those nice little Earth dogs you've seen when you visit." "Ruff," Katrina replied. She panted ... she licked some more. "Ruff." "You're my pet, aren't you? My faithful . . . faithful little bitch," Dusty added while she groaned. She wanted to cum so badly, and Katrina was trying to do just that. She ground her hips against that eager face, letting Katrina get that increasingly talented tongue as deep inside as it could possibly go. Dusty didn't warn her lover that she was about to cum ... she liked the idea of surprising the girl. Dusty felt her insides beginning to clench and she pushed against the bed with her feet. Kristina had nowhere to go ... all she could do was eat pussy and lap up the wave after wave of cum that poured from her mistress's body. It was so utterly delicious! Dusty just collapsed back onto the bed. "Don't ... you dare stop," she moaned. She had been looking forward to this far too much to stop at just one orgasm, even for the moment. She lay back and let Kristina continue her work. She waited until she climaxed again, leaving her spendings on the sheets before she stopped. She pulled her glistening and panting body away from that insatiable hunger. Then she grabbed Katrina's head and shoved it against the bed. "Lick it up. Suck it out of the fabric, you ungrateful bitch. You don't make a mess of my room." Dusty completely overlooked the fact that it was she who had actually made that mess. But she loved watching the young vampire clean up the cum spot with her tongue. [[ Thank you, ]] Katrina muttered, accidentally slipping back into her native tongue. Dusty gave the girl's exposed ass several quick, hard slaps. "I told you to speak English! Being called a dog is too good for you, since dogs seem to learn tricks faster." She looked around and grabbed the hairbrush. She turned it in her hand and smacked that already pink rump with the wide smooth side. She noticed that Katrina practically purred in agony. "You are sick," she whispered in her captive's ear. "I've got the cure for what ails you." Dusty walked out into the kitchen area and got a cup of ice from one of the stasis cubes. She quickly returned to the bedroom, getting on the bed and straddling Katrina's hips. She took one ice cube and placed it between those tortured cheeks. Katrina gasped. This was new to her. She could feel a trickle of cold water slowly working its way down to her anus. The contrast between her burning skin and that chilled liquid was maddening. When the trickle reached her hot sex, she almost climaxed. Dusty had wondered whether or not this new trick would work. It was easy to tell just listening to the girl's breathing that Katrina was really into it. So Dusty placed another cube between the girl's cheeks. This time, the cube was followed by several more spankings. Then she took a third cube and ran it up the girl's slot. She could feel Katrina shudder beneath her. The girl was so close. Dusty replaced the ice cube with her fingers and starting to titillate that now chilled opening. It only took a few thrusts to make the vampire cum like thunder. The dominant woman grinned and licked her fingers. 'Mmmh, good,' she thought. Then she slapped the girl's ass again. It was so pink ... the color of good cotton candy. "I've got a treat for you," she cooed. She went to her closet and pulled a clear jelly dildo complete with handle from her suitcase. It was her favorite of the toys she had bought while vacation. It was nine inches long ... nice and thick with a veined surface, and she'd wanted to see it put to good use, and she had know that Katrina would be the perfect test subject. She touched the head lovingly with her tongue, and then sucked on the head. She placed the head between Katrina's inner labia. "Beg!" "Please," Katrina gasped. "Now ... Gralta dialect!" [[ Please fuck me, ]] Katrina gasped before biting the sheets. "You SO don't deserve this, but -- " Dusty thrust the dildo inward. She could almost see the shudder of pleasure rippling upward. The girl was so wet that it made progress easier. She put her hand on the small of Katrina's back, giving Dusty more leverage. "Hold on to your fangs, bitch, 'cause Dusty is taking you for the ride of your life." Then the pumping began. Katrina was afraid that she was going to gnaw a hole straight through the mattress. Her mistress was plunging her new toy in so hard that Katrina was scooching up and down the bed and her feet actually were leaving the floor. Dusty pulled the toy out and plunged it a few times into her own box. No reason why Katrina should have all the fun. "Mmh," she said. "Now I can get my juices into you. You want that, don't you? Mingling our cum like dogs? But only one of us is actually a mongrel, isn't that right?" "Yesssssssssss," Katrina gasped as Dusty returned the toy to inside the vampire's body. "I'm just your ... bitch." She felt Dusty's grip change slight, then felt something touching the skin of her ass. 'She's biting me!' Katrina thought excitedly. 'Teeth on skin -- ' She started to cum again. The harder that her mistress's teeth pressed against her ass flesh, the more intense her orgasm became. Dusty finally let the girl go, pulling her dildo out and dropping onto the bed next to her. Katrina's sweaty face turned to her and the girl was smiling. Their game-faces had fallen away, and they were back to being just friends and roommates. [[ You have no idea how much I needed that, ]] Katrina murmured happily. She concentrated for just a moment and her bonds slowly undid themselves. She was considerably more powerful of a sorceress than Dusty was, with a greater understanding of physics and chemistry. She wasn't a sex slave because she had to be. Oh no, it was because it was something that she badly wanted to be. "Parents a little overbearing?" [[ They actually thought it would be fun to view the revenue records ... as a family. I was forced to hang out with my father's business associates over the break. ]] "Me too," Dusty said, sitting up and heading to the bathroom. "But I didn't mind so much." [[ But your father is so much nicer than mine. And he's lenient -- ]] "Usually, but he's all freaked out right now. He actually wanted me to skip a semester because of some weird threats he's been receiving -- " [[ Threats?! ]] Katrina exclaimed, getting up and hurrying into the bathroom, just in time to join Dusty in a shower. [[ What threats? ]] Dusty grinned. She had an audience, and it was something she couldn't live without. In the crawlspace Ash manage to separate the girl's conversation from the noise of running water so that she could hear the client basically recount all of the events leading up to that moment. 'She has no off-switch,' she thought idly. But Ash wasn't condemning the girl ... just making an observation. Ash didn't make emotional judgments. Not any more. Ash settled in for a long night. ------------ -------------------- Several weeks later ... ------------ -------------------- Jon Trendenfall was sitting in his office, looking over the last week's test results. He was frustrated, but not by a lack of progress. His scientists were rapidly narrowing in on a piece of genetic code that might be associated with magical aptitude, but he wasn't any closer to doing what Ash had asked of him, and that bothered him ... Both her request and his inability to respond bothered him. Dust to Dust Ch. 01 His secretary popped her head in the door. "Uhm, Agent Jones is here to see you again." Jon's eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't sure why Mr. Jones was there, but he had a feeling he'd get to the bottom of things soon enough. "Mr. Jones," he said, standing and greeting the agent. Bob Jones was rarely in such a state of unease, but that's how he found himself. He had been called into the office of a government official early that morning. It was one of those officials who had no name that was spoken in the outside world ... one of those officials who most of the world would never hear about ... one of those officials who had a clearance level that, on paper, didn't even exist. And even THAT man had looked a little nervous. He handed two sealed envelopes to Agent Jones and told that they were to be delivered to Dr. Trendenfall personally. No one was to open the envelopes except Dr. Trendenfall. No failures would be tolerated. Jones knew that warning for what it was ... something not to be questioned or disobeyed. "Hello sir," he responded. "I can tell you're as confused by this as I am. I was told to bring these to you." "What are they?" Jon replied, curious beyond all reason. "I don't know. But they must be serious, seeing as certain individuals in the World Council told me to tell you that only you can open them. You are to look over the contents now, put them in the official return envelopes contained within, and give them back to me to return." Trendenfall was stunned. He was a powerful and wealthy man, but this was beyond even his usual sphere of operation. He placed the envelopes on his desk, leaned back in his chair and just stared at the envelopes, almost afraid that they might rise up and bite him somehow. Jones wandered over, picking a book off the doctor's desk. "Facts and Fiction of Lycanthropy?" he asked. "Doesn't seem like your type of reading." "I figured that if I need to understand the source of magic, I should study all things magical." "But I thought that lycanthropes couldn't wield magic?" Trendenfall nodded. "They can't. Lycanthropes are closer to humans than any other race. Only the virus that causes them to morph separates us. But there is something about were-beings that prevents them from using magic. I figured that if we can compare DNA from humans and lycanthropes, it might help us narrow down our search." "What do you mean?" "DNA isn't quite set in stone. Most of our genetic sequence is dead and consists of viruses and diseases that we've long since found a way to survive. Since whatever the lycanthropic virus does suppresses the ability to manipulate magic, I decided to follow the spread of the virus and see where it took me. It's really helped direct our research." "Fascinating. I'm sure your opponents won't like you mucking around with human genetics." "The threats have been getting worse." Trendenfall shook his head. "I know. They've been slowly merging into a more cohesive unit. They've even officially picked up the old 'The Purity' moniker. I so very much wanted that to be behind us." "Bigotry is eternal," Trendenfall muttered bitterly. Mr. McBride walked in. "Hey Bob. What are you doing here?" Suddenly, Jones and Dr. Trendenfall were brought back to reality. Reality was the two enveloped on the desk. "Mr. Jones brought me some ... material. Please close the door," Jon said. McBride did as he was told. This had to be serious. Dr. Trendenfall opened the first letter and read carefully. "Am I not to discuss these at all?" "Officially? No." "Unofficially?" Jones shrugged. "I'm kind of curious to know what this is about." McBride nodded his assent. "It's from Ash. She called in some favors to get me some information that might help me ... help me with her situation." "What IS her situation?" Jones asked. Trendenfall closed his eyes. "She wants to get rid of her Talent, for starters." McBride and Jones were both baffled. "Why would anyone want to get rid of their Talent?" Jon shook his head. "I don't know. Said things would be made clear soon enough." Jon was concentrating very hard not to let other information slip. Ash had made another request ... one he knew she wouldn't approve of him sharing. "Maybe this is what she meant." He opened the other envelope and removed its contents. Agent Jones and Tom McBride could both see the doctor's face go white as a sheet as soon as that first page came into view. He actually touched the paper with a trembling hand at first. He glanced through several more pages. "What is it?" Tom asked at last. "It's ... medical records ... experiment reports." "So what's the big deal?" the security chief asked. Jon looked his old friend in the face. "They're from the Chimera Project." Jones's eyes shot open and McBride felt flushed. "Holy ... I thought all those records had been destroyed," Agent Jones said. "So had we all," Jon replied. Just the mention of the Chimera Project sent chills down many people's.spines. Dr. Trendenfall and his company hadn't been the first to try and figure out how magic worked. Many groups had, and still did, pursue the secret of magic. Some were more ethical than others. Then there was Chimera. Chimera Research had been a powerful company once upon a time: one of the most powerful and influential companies of its day. So when the scandal broke about their experiments, it shook the known world. It turned out that many of the head officers and board members of Chimera had been mystics or cultists of some variety. They were obsessed with power, and not just material power. So they had opened a high-tech and highly secretive lab. They had basically abducted people off the streets or lured them with all sorts of promises. What they had done when they got them had been the stuff of horror stories. Since magical Talents tended to be a manifestation of the wielder's life and strongest experiences, they figured they could imbue people who wouldn't normally have a Talent with just such a magical gift. And they did this by first exposing their victims to high levels of magic and then traumatizing them. There were reports of torture, both physical and psychological, to all of the test subjects. The scientists thought they might be able to grant the Talent of flight by exposing someone and then hurling them off a tall building. They thought that they could grant the Talent of invulnerability by exposing the victim to magic and then methodically bludgeoning them. People had compared what had gone on within Chimera's labs with what the Nazis had done hundreds of years earlier. Many people had gone to jail and then conveniently disappeared after that. The chief scientist had been found dead on the floor of the lab when authorities stormed the complex. No one had ever found out who had done it. "Why would Ash want you to see these?" Jones asked. "I don't know," Jon whispered by way of reply. He had continued to leaf through the pages, trying to make sense of things in his head. "Why are these things sealed?" Tom asked. "Maybe they didn't want people to pick up bad habits?" Jones replied. "But the tests failed!" McBride said. "Why would anyone -- " "Good God," Trendenfall muttered. "What?" "There WERE survivors! I'd always heard ... but they were just rumors." He had found hundreds of profiles of the victims of the Chimera Project. Most had big red X's over the pictures, but the cause of death was clearly listed for each. As a medical practitioner, it made Jon sick to his stomach to read them. But then he had gotten to a few profiles where there were no X's ... and no causes of death. "There were survivors," he reiterated. "No wonder the World Council hid the records. If people thought that this process worked ... there might be another group of sickos that might try and pull it off." Then he stopped reading. The picture on the last profile stared up at her, hauntingly familiar. "Sweet Jesus," he said. McBride and Jones both ignored protocol and went around the desk to look. Jones knew that face too. "Ash was a Chimera victim?!" "For the love of -- " Tom McBride said. "What ... It doesn't say what they did to her?" "She was the last test subject." Trendenfall glanced over her sheet. "This was an entry for right before the final raid that shut them down. Said that things had gone better than anticipated. But that's it." He sat back and looked increasingly concerned. "What's on your mind?" McBride asked. "This complicates things," he said. "No one knows what massive magical exposure does to biology. What they did ... they broke all the rules, so I don't know if any of my research will even vaguely address her Talent. But it does explain why she might want to be rid of it." "Wait." Agent Jones was obviously confused. "I still don't understand why she'd want to give up a power like that." "Because it was a gift born of torment and pain. Would you really want to keep it?" Jon asked. "And it means that I may need to talk to someone with more understanding of pure magic than I have." Agent Jones nodded. "I think I know someone who might be able to help." ---------- ---------------------- Later that afternoon ... ---------- ---------------------- Trendenfall, Jones and McBride were all on their way to the company limo. Trendenfall's head was still abuzz with ideas. 'That poor girl,' he thought. 'What did they do to you?' "She hasn't aged a day in forty years," Jon mumbled, mostly to Agent Jones. "Is that her Talent?" "Sir," said Bob Jones, envelope firmly under his arm, "I would like to discourage you from talking about this again until we get to a secure location." "Absolutely," the doctor replied. "I'm sorry. It's just so -- " The time to dwell on the past quickly came to a screeching halt. Fifty yards ahead of them, the limo exploded, sending fire and bits of metal hurtling through the parking garage. The lot's emergency fields caught most of the explosion before it ever got to the trio, but the sound of the explosion was deafening. Sirens began to wail and the sprinkler system turned on. Dr. Jon Trendenfall was at a loss for what to say or do, but Bob Jones had been in many situations like this in his long career. The methods of terrorism might change, but the feel of it is unmistakable. He quickly got on his communicator and called in the right personnel to make sure this was handled quickly. The escalation had begun. ------------ -------------------- To be continued . . . Dust to Dust Ch. 02 This story is a bit wordy and fairly long, so if you are looking for immediate gratification, you might want to look elsewhere. ------------- ----------------------- The following story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between actual persons, living or dead (or just confused) is entirely coincidental. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or in total, without the author's permission. This story takes place in the fictional city of Springfield, California several hundred years in the future, so don't go looking for it on a map. Over the course the series, I will borrow quite a bit from my "Dead Man's World" series, so it might help (but isn't a requirement) if you read those stories. And in my little fictional world, there are no unwanted pregnancies or STD's, except as plot driving devices. The author encourages the practice of safe-sex. This story also contains lesbian sexual activity. ------------ ------------------- "Dust to Dust" Ch. 02 ------------ ------------------- "They hit five targets. Two companies in the United States, including yours, as well as one in Spain, one in Russia and one in South Africa. Simultaneous hits, and all 'warning shots.' A half-dozen fatalities, mostly personnel, and the secretary of one company president. Then, there was a blitz on every infostream and all were heavily encrypted. Looks like we've got a new punch calling themselves The Purity." Agent Jones shook his head. The three of them were sitting in Dr. Trendenfall's study at his house. They had talked to the authorities and then Jon had been whisked home. He had called his security company, and he now had roving security guards outside, and he had sent out secure data feeds to all his employees. Security at the lab would be tripled, but he wasn't going to blame anyone if they wanted to take some time away. "Are these the same guys as before?" McBride asked. "Nope." Jones had a headache. He knew this was going to get messy before it got better. "Hybrid Security pretty much wiped those guys out. These guys are just picking up the moniker for name recognition. They sent out a communication claiming that anyone seeking to 'toy with the fabric of creation' or 'play God' are the enemies of Heaven itself. These guys aren't going to try to challenge us up front like the last Purity movement did. They're going to fight us guerilla style, and that's a lot trickier to deal with. And unfortunately, they've got cult support on Terra . . . there were some attacks there within the last few hours. Apparently, there are some magic snobs who don't thing that magic is something that SHOULD be explained." "I should bring Dusty home," Jon murmured, looking towards the communication orb. "She's not safe -- " "She's probably just as safe where she is. Let her know what's going on, but don't draw attention to her," Jones said. "But all she's got is ONE bodyguard!" McBride chimed in. "Who has never failed in a mission," Jones reminded him. "And we can all agree that there's probably more to that woman than we could guess." Dr. Trendenfall shook his head. "Can you imagine what would happen if the 'Purity" found out about her? A surviving child of the Chimera Project? Magical ability imbued into a non-magical being? She'd be as much of a target as anyone." "You've at least alerted her, haven't you?" Jon nodded. "As soon as I could. She has some kind of messaging system set up where she can get info streams even on Terra. She's got the hook up with some serious technology." He started running his hands over his desk nervously. "I'm worried," he said. "I hope Ash can protect my girl until I can figure out what to do." ---------------------- --------- A few weeks later . . . ---------------------- --------- Dusty had been a nervous wreck since she got the communication from her father. She had immediately wanted to come home, but he had forbid it, telling her she was safer where she was. She knew he was just trying to protect her. "I'm not a baby anymore," she muttered absently. [[ Good to hear, ]] came a feminine voice from the front of the room, [[ but the question was, 'How can the arrangement of air particles be altered to create a non-lethal substance?' I'm afraid your denial of chronological regression doesn't quite fit the bill, ]] Dr. Martha VanHouten was grinning. Dusty blushed. She had been caught absent-minded in the middle of her Quasi-Chemistry and Transformation course, and now her classmates were getting a good chuckle. Dusty looked down the row at the comely professor. Ms. VanHouten was one of the most popular teachers in school, but not all of it was her knowledge of chemistry. Her classes were often swamped with young men who wanted to get a semester's glimpses of her slim body, elvish face, silky black hair and that long, luscious neck. Dusty didn't blame them. it was the primary reason that she was here as well. [[ I'm sorry, ]] she muttered. [[ I'm out of it today.]] Dr. VanHouten was aware of the happening back on Earth, so she cut the girl some slack. She was human herself, so she had some definite interests in recent happenings. She and her parents had moved to Terra as soon as her considerable magical aptitude had surfaced, and she had been the first human sorceress to teach at a Terran academy. [[ It's alright, Ms. Trendenfall. But if you could stay after class, I'd like to have a word with you. ]] A few of the other students snickered . . . some things were consistent across dimensions. When you were caught daydreaming by the teacher, it was cause to be mocked. [[ Yes ma'am. ]] Dusty was blushing even more. She tried to get her head back in the game and pay attention. She didn't want to disappoint Dr. VanHouten again. ------------- --------------------- In the teacher's office . . . ------------- --------------------- Dusty was bent over Martha's desk, her legs spread wide and her bra-clad, golden tanned bosom was pressed against a stack of papers. They had barely gotten back to the professor's office when she had put up the distracter illusion (to anyone outside the office, there were two women sitting in the office looking over papers) before the two had started removing clothing and had started making out hot and heavy. Martha hadn't been able to wait very long, and had spun Dusty around, bent over the girl's half naked body, lifted the girl's skirt and ripped off her panties before burying her tongue in that gorgeous pussy from behind. The previous semester, Dusty had taken another of Dr. VanHouten's classes. The girl had almost sensed Martha's sexuality and had gone out of her way to tease her professor. The first time she had called the girl to her office, both had known exactly what was going to happen . . . over and over again. She knew the girl had a multitude of lovers, and she didn't regret being "just another" one of them. Dusty was chewing on one of Martha's office pens as she was given the tongue-lashing of a lifetime. This was a woman she could learn things from, quasi-chemistry be damned! "Unh," she grunted through her chew-toy. While she enjoyed her time with Katrina, it was nice to sometimes let someone else run the show for a bit. And Martha's tongue was burrowing into her like an angry worm with places to go and things to do. Martha was gripping the golden globes that were Dusty's ass cheeks, keeping them spread as she parted that sexy little divide with her tongue. And she couldn't resist taking a few flicks at that pink little asshole that was so delightfully exposed in the current situation. Even the sexually adventurous Dusty had never had that done to her before she had met the good professor. Dusty was getting even more heated. Martha had an almost unnatural obsession with her ass. At first, it had been upsetting since Dusty liked to emphasize her chest, but soon she had come to accept her academic partner's little quirk. Particularly since it felt SO good. Then Dusty felt the tongue disappear, but it was rapidly replaced by two fingers plunging into her ass while that tongue started flicking against her clit. "Oh you silver tongued devil," she cooed. "Who seduced who?" Martha reminded her. "I seem to recall it was you spreading these very legs (slurp) in the front row of my lecture. You've upgraded though . . . it's nice to see you can afford underwear," the professor chuckled. She picked up the shredded panties and put them in a desk drawer. She had a bit of a collection now. Then she went back to licking. "You're complaining?" Dusty replied, on the verge of orgasm. Martha was fingering that tight little asshole when she responded with, "Only that I don't have enough office hours to fuck you more often." She felt the girl's cunt tighten just a little bit and new she was going to get rewarded for her efforts. Soon, the cum began to flow, and the professor feasted upon it. The professor wiped the girl's cum off on her own bunched up skirt. "You really needed to unwind, didn't you?" At the mention of that, Dusty's heart seized a little bit. She was having fun . . . fucking a professor in her office, and her dad was in danger. "Let's not talk about that," she whispered. Just let me take care of you," she cooed, slipping back into a mode she was more comfortable with. She got on her knees and prepared to crawl under the desk, but Martha stopped her. "Tisk, tisk! You can't go there without your present!" She grabbed a long, slim, smooth-sided rod of what appeared to be black stone off her desk. She had been using it as a paperweight, but now it was going to be a toy. She placed one rounded end in her mouth and sucked on it, letting Dusty watch her giving her toy head. In fact, it was just a piece of stone, but she had been practicing doing something with it. She pulled it from her lips and knelt behind Dusty. "Now open wide," she murmured, pushing the rounded head into the girl's pussy. Dusty was used to her toys having a little more give, but there was something about the hardness of it that was a bit of a turn-on . . . as if she needed the help. Half of it was buried in her warm sex and she wanted more. But Martha shooed her under the desk. Even though no one could see them, she knew how much the doctor loved being eaten out while sitting at her desk and staring at the front door, wondering what would happen if someone just walked in. In her crowded little space, Dusty pushed the professor's thighs apart and pressed her face forward. She was clenching her vaginal walls, keeping her hard toy in place while she flicked her tongue across the soft outer flesh of her lover's body. Martha kept a nicely trimmed tuft of pubic hair in a triangle right above her femininity. It pointed the way to paradise, and Dusty followed the trail. Professor VanHouten leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, dreaming happily. The girl was going to be a great lover some day. She already had skill and determination. She just needed a little more direction. Then, Martha started to concentrate . . . she thought of the stone dildo buried in her Dusty's cute little slot. She started breaking down the density of the stone, turning it into a flexible, rubber-like compound. And then she made it squirm. Dusty felt two things simultaneously. First, she felt the professor grabbing her by the head and holding her against that sweet crotch. Secondly, in her own nether regions, she felt something wiggling like a snake. "What the --" she started to mumble. "S'okay baby," Martha chuckled. "It's just magic." It was most certainly magic. That animated stone-rubber sex-worm was running rampant through her most intimate places. All Dusty could do was just a straight-forward oral assault, licking the slot, as well as sucking on labia and clit with tremendous fervor. Anything more complicated was out of the question, as the squirming sensation in her vaginal cavity was growing increasingly intense. Her g-spot was getting prodded like a novelty by a curious child. "How does it feel?" Martha asked innocently. Dusty just growled and latched her lips onto her lover's clit, sucking on it with tremendous fervor. She shoved a single finger into that wet slot, curling it upward and pistoning it rapidly. She was going to show this woman just what she was made of. Dr. VanHouten placed her feet up on the edge of her desk and let Dusty ravish her. She concentrated some more on the toy in the girl's pussy. The end of it was sticking out into the air, so she willed it to curl around and ever so slowly push its way into Dusty's asshole as well. "Oh fucking -- " Dusty gasped as the slippery device probed her rectum. She barely had enough presence of mind to lap up Martha's cum when it began trickling out. "You're (lap) cheating!" "Of course I am," Martha purred. The dildo became thinner at the end that was violating the girl's rosebud, allowing for easier entry. Then the two ends began to pulse, expanding slightly and then retracted. Dusty had never felt anything like this. She was getting double-fucked by a piece of rock, and it was maddeningly wonderful. She was sucking on the skin of Martha's inner thighs while the magic-enhanced stone continued to press all her buttons, making her cum two more times in rapid succession. Dusty was soon exhausted and curled up on the floor at Martha's feet, her face stuck in an ecstatic grin. Finally, Martha willed the toy to work its way out of both of Dusty's orifices before returning to its usual, unremarkable state. "I was hoping you'd like that." "You do the most incredible things," Dusty sighed, get up off the floor and straightening out her clothes. "You could too . . . if you just paid more attention in class," Martha replied, giving the girl's ass a quick grab and smiling. Dusty grinned back. "If I paid more attention in class, there wouldn't be any reason for you to keep calling me to your office." Her smile faded. Reality began to set in, and Martha saw the girl's face fall. "I'm sure your father will be alright. He's got the best security," she whispered, standing up and giving her young protégé a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. They never kissed on the lips. They were lovers, but not IN love. "I just wish . . . I don't know why he won't let me come home. He needs me . . ." "He needs you safe. Nothing will happen to you on this campus." Martha looked the younger girl in the eyes. "And anytime you need to vent or talk to someone --" She smiled, then, " . . . or to fuck, you know how to find me." "Thanks Dr. VanHouten." Dusty sat in the appropriate spot, waiting for the professor to do the same so that the distracter illusion could be taken down. Outside the building, Ash had been listening to the entire incident on her headpiece. She'd double check the video feed when she got back to her equipment, but she was pretty sure she had a clear picture of what had happened. Ash had bugged just about every place that Dusty had or was likely to go, just to make sure she had all her bases covered. 'The girl is quite sexually enthusiastic,' she thought. 'Might make things tricky as far as keeping her away from dangerous elements.' As she thought this, Ash was sitting on the unconscious form of a human male she had seen tailing Dusty between classes. It hadn't taken long to subdue him and drag him into one of the many hedge mazes that Terrans liked so much as part of the landscape. She had 'encouraged' him to talk before rendering him unconscious. He was part of the new Purity, all right. He hadn't planned on doing anything do Dusty directly, but rath had just wanted to get some photographs to send to her father, getting Dr. Trendenfall's attention. Besides that, he had been a low-level thug, and Ash had found little further use for him. She knew that logically she should just kill him. But she knew somehow that to do so would be wrong. She didn't want to be wrong. Her mind drifted back to something that she had heard Dr. VanHouten say. "It's just magic." 'Nothing is "just magic." Nothing,' she thought and, for a moment, she sensed bitterness in her own mind. ------------ ----------------- Back on Earth . . . ------------ ----------------- Dr. Trendenfall was freaking out. He had just gotten a disturbing communication from Ash on Terra: someone had been following his daughter. "What am I supposed to do Tom?" he asked of his security chief. "She's not safe here, but she's not safe there!" "She's safer there now than here. They didn't have someone coming after her with a gun. Just a camera. They probably don't have the capabilities do make a full scale assault on the Academy." McBride rubbed his chin. "But we might want to alert to the Academy Directorate. If there's any chance ANY students might be in danger . . ." "You're right," Jon said. "But we don't have to tell them about Ash do we? I'd rather keep that weapon a secret." "Will do. I have no idea how they're going to react to this though. They'll probably be hyper vigilant. They have even more of a problem with magic-phobes than WE do. Might make it hard for her to maneuver." Jon shook his head. "For some reason, I don't think it'll be a problem for her. She's dangerous, just like Agent Jones said. She's a ghost." ----------------- -------------------- Two days later on Terra . . . ----------------- -------------------- Dusty had been wracking her brain for the last few nights. Her blunder in Ms. VanHouten's class had proved something to her: that her brain wasn't in her studies. And one thing that she knew for sure, magic being wielded by an unreliable mind was dangerous. Her mind was back with her father, so she had decided that SHE needed to be there as well. So she had packed up a small bag of clothes and was in the process of writing a note explaining her absence to her roommates and her teachers. She was going to miss them . . . both physically and mentally. She loved her life on Terra, but her family had to come first. Her father was all she had left. [[ What are you doing? ]] came a voice from the doorway. Dusty jumped about three feet in the air, spinning around and staring wide eyed. It was Katrina. "What the hell --" She stopped. [[ What the hell are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be asleep? It's the middle of -- ]] [[ I . . . I couldn't sleep, ]] Katrina muttered, staring at the packed luggage. [[ I was hoping that . . . you know -- ]] [[ You are insatiable! ]] Dusty would have laughed, but she remembered she had places to be. [[ Not today though. I've -- ]] [[ Where are you going? ]] the vampire asked. [[ I thought you weren't supposed to leave . . .]] Katrina caught on. She was a fairly smart girl. [[ You're going home, aren't you?! You're going to defy your father and the campus council?! ]] Being someone who thrived on obedience, Katrina was awestruck by her roommates gumption. [[ What are you two babbling about?]] came a new voice. [[ Afternoon Vexla, ]] Dusty said with a sigh. Her "quiet escape" was gathering an audience. Vexla was a female gargoyle, which were a stocky race of stone-skinned flying creatures that somewhat resembled lowland gorillas in basic shape. They flew on heavy wings that were intrinsically magical and were fairly tough to kill with traditional weapons. And they hated being woken up during daylight even more than most other Terrans. [[ Why are you two being so loud? And where the flying hells are you going? ]] [[ I'm just -- ]] [[ She's defying the council and going back to Earth! ]] Katrina interrupted. This smelled of intrigue, and it was getting her excited. [[ She's going where now? ]] came a fourth voice. Dusty sat on the bed and put her head in her hands. Her fourth suite-mate, another young vampire woman named Veltia, had also been woken by the ruckus. Dust to Dust Ch. 02 Katrina promptly explained the whole flight attempt to all the other girls, with a bit of elaboration about Dusty's "noble flight." [[ Listen, I'll be okay, ]] Dusty said as her friends grew more and more concerned. [[ I just think that my father needs me and -- ]] [[ Too dangerous, ]] Vexla muttered. The gargoyle had a very keen, analytical mind which was already hard at work. [[ If the enemy is watching you -- ]] [[ You should stay here, ]] Veltia added. [[ A proper young lady -- ]] [[ But the adventure! ]] Katrina interjected. [[ . . . but if we went with you -- ]] Vexla continued, off on her own train of thought. [[ Could we?! ]] Katrina replied. [[ That could be dangerous! ]] Just the thought of being naughty had her blood all a-boil. [[ Yes, it could be! I'm doing this because I should be with my father. So all of you go back to bed. None of you are going with me and that's final! ]] ------------ ----------------- A few hours later . . . ------------ ----------------- 'This is ridiculous,' Dusty grumbled mentally. She was peeking around a corner, making sure that they had gotten past the rest of campus security. 'Why would they be paying attention anyway? Who breaks OUT of a UNIVERSITY in the middle of the day? They'd probably just think we're sneaking off for a drink anyway.' [[ What next? ]] came an overly loud whisper from behind her. Katrina pressed up against her back and looked over Dusty's shoulder. Vexla peer around the side, while Vetlia sulked in the back. Vetlia was one of those girls who wanted to be part of the group and be openly miserable about it the entire time. [[ You go home! ]] Dusty growled. [[ No, we already discussed that, remember? ]] Vexla chipped in. [[ You aren't as potent a sorceress as Katrina, you're not as tough as I am, you're not as rational as Vetlia. You couldn't possibly sneak back across the barrier on your own and survive. ]] [[ Your confidence in me is underwhelming. ]] Dusty shook her head. Maybe she should just cut the cloak-and-dagger shit. She stood up, almost knocking heads with a very clingy Katrina. 'I need to get her a full-time boyfriend or girlfriend or something . . . she's creeping me out,' Dusty thought. Dusty walked quickly down the street that led to the Academy gates. She met no one along the way . . . most Terrans were sound asleep around noon. She's sure there were security guards at the front gate, and she was already planning her excuse. And if the old "I just need to run out to an all-day café for a pick-me-up" didn't work, she was prepared to use cleavage. Her primary concern was that if her father had talked to the school administration at all, they might not let her go. Soon, the front gate was in view. There were security booths on both sides of the heavy iron gate, which was in fact closed. "Shit!" Dusty whispered to herself. She had never heard of them closing the gate before. Perking up her breasts a bit, she strode forward towards one of the security stations, and a weary looking vampire came out to meet her. [[ Sorry ladies, ]] he said, noticing the gang of young women who had made their way up. [[ Due to the increasing threats by the Purity on Earth, we've had to cease daytime passes by students into the city unless properly escorted. ]] [[ Oh c'mon, ]] Dusty whined, adopting her pouting girl act just a bit. [[ We're not going far . . . we just need something hot to drink, ]] she said, now almost purring while biting her bottom lip. She was going to throw every charm, seductive or otherwise, in her arsenal at this guy. Vetlia was paying rapt attention as she saw the master at work. After a minute of hair twirling, lip pursing and eyelash fluttering, she had the guard eating out of the palm of her hand. Of course, the small talk and the cleavage were helping her cause. The vampire silently and irrationally cursed her diminutive breasts. [[ She's actually going to pull this off, ]] Vexla murmured. She had not anticipated what the power of sheer personality could do. When she saw Dusty running her finger over the guard's bicep, she and the other girls could see from the expression on his face that they were going to be able to walk through the front gates. And sure enough, Dusty started to walk through. But when Vexla and the other two approached . . . [[ Stop, ]] the guard said. [[ What? Why? ]] Katrina said. [[ You let her . . . ]] [[ She had . . . special permission, ]] the man stammered. [[ But she told me who all your fathers are and that they wouldn't approve . . . ]] [[ She what?! ]] Vexla growled. [[ That bi— ]] ----------- ------------------ Outside the gates . . . ----------- ------------------ Dusty hurried along the mostly abandoned streets, headed towards the portal. She felt bad, sticking it to her suitemates like that, but there really was no reason to put them in danger. 'Danger?' she asked herself. She got a chill. 'I've put ME in danger!' Suddenly her plan seemed less wise. 'Keep your head,' she thought. 'You're almost out.' "Hello Ms. Trendenfall," came a voice from off to her side. A man in a Terran local police uniform appeared. "The Academy alerted us that you were in the city and were to be returned immediately." "Us?" Dusty asked. She glanced around . . . there were three other officers approaching her from different angles. "Wait. You're not Terran! You're speaking English!" The first man smiled. No fangs. "But you'll still be coming with us." Then his head exploded. Dusty screamed. She would later look back on that moment with a profound lack of pride, but she indeed shrieked like a little girl, waving her hands up and down as the man's body slumped to the ground. She was surprised at the lack of blood, and there was smoke rising from the man's neck. The other three fake guards started looking around, pulling out an assortment of firearms. Dusty felt herself yanked off her feet, a hand over her mouth. 'I'm being kidnapped and I'm going to be killed and this is all my -- ' She stopped. She was being deposited softly in a nearby alley. She looked up and saw a woman . . . a very pale woman who was raising a finger to her lips. Dusty clammed up, and the woman nodded before exiting the alley. For a moment there was silence . . . then there were two muffled shots similar to what she had heard when the first man had been killed. Dusty poked her head out the window. She saw two more bodies on the empty street while the final assailant raised his weapon. The woman in the street just stared at him and then . . . she evaporated. It wasn't that she was shot. She just seemed to explode into a cloud of smoke, and then that smoke raced towards the man with the gun and enveloped him. Dusty watched as the man grasped at his throat. He was dying as Dusty watched on in horror and disbelief. The cloud of . . . whatever it was . . . followed him to the ground, swirling around his head. Finally, the man lay still. The cloud began to swirl next to his body and slowly reformed into the woman Dusty had seen earlier. The mystery woman walked towards Dusty, pulling the body of the man behind her. "Ms. Trendenfall, I think it would be best if you returned to the Academy . . . now," the woman finished in a hiss. -------------- ------------------- Back at the Academy . . . -------------- ------------------- "Dad, what the hell is going on?" Dusty shouted at the communication orb in her room. She looked at her father's face going sheepish in the reflective surface of the magical device. "Honey, you wouldn't listen to me, and I HAD to protect you!" her father replied defensively. "So you know what happened?" "Yes, Ash messaged me as soon as the even was over." "That's her name? Ash? Dad, she killed four people!" Dusty's roommates were all peeking through the door, watching their suitemate scream at her father. They had wanted to be mad at her for abandoning them, but the intrigue was just too much to stand! "I know, and I'm sorry you had to see it. But she seems sure they were connected with the Purity somehow . . . something about the weapons they were carrying. But she's good, baby. She's never failed to protect someone she was assigned to." Dusty pouted. She wanted to be mad, but couldn't deny that the mystery woman had saved her bacon that day. "Why didn't you tell me?!" "Because you would've objected. I was hoping I would never need her services this many times." "This many?! How many times have people come after me?" "Uhm, maybe I shouldn't have -- " "Dad, how many times?!" "Just twice," came a hissing voice from the living area. Vexla, Veltia and Katrina almost jumped out of their skins and ran to hide behind Dusty, who was looking a bit shaken herself. She saw Ash standing in the middle of the room, looking exactly as she had earlier. "How did you get in here?!" "That would be somewhat difficult to explain," Ash replied. Dusty was a bit shaken. But she couldn't help but notice that Ash wasn't. The woman's face was like stone. You could never have told just by looking at her that she had recently assassinated four goons. Ash approached the sphere. "It seems irrational to hide my presence any longer," she said to Mr. Trendenfall. "I suppose you're right. Did you get my last communication?" "Yes. Would you like me to inform your daughter?" "Please." "Inform me of what?" Dusty said. She was getting more and more confused by the minute. Ash raised her hand to silence the young woman. "And her companions?" "Try to keep them out of this." Dr. Trendenfall looked at his daughter. "This is getting too dangerous." "Then bring me home!" Dusty shouted. "That would keep them out of this!" "Dusty, they blew up the limo. I just . . . Give me a few days to think this over. You'll be safe until then." "Dad?!" But her father had ceased the connection. Dusty turned to Ash. "What is he -- " "Your father will be here on Terra in a few days. He has an appointment with someone , but he did not tell me who." "Why is he coming here?" Dusty asked. She had to turn and glare at her suitemates, who were just staring at the intruder. They were making her more nervous. "Business," Ash replied. Dusty noticed that the girl's face never seemed to change. It was disconcerting. "He never does business on Terra though." "This has to do with his and mine arrangement. I need to attend this meeting and since I cannot let you out of might sight, you will attend as well." "And if I refuse to go with you?" Again, Ash just stared at her as stern as stone. "You will attend." She looked at the other girls in the room. "You all might wish to find alternate accommodations. While relatively safe on campus, I am only actually responsible for Ms. Trendenfall's safety, not yours." Then, Ash fell apart. Literally. Dusty hadn't gotten a good look at this earlier, as she had been panicking at the time, but Ash's body broke into smaller and smaller pieces of dust . . . 'No, not dust. Ash.' A quick whiff with her nose confirmed it. Dusty was convinced that Ash was turning into her namesake. The particles of ash swirled around like a living thing, then seemed to seep through cracks in the floor and vanish from sight. Dusty looked at her friends. They were now standing on her bed, staring at the floor with open mouths. This was just too creepy, and since they were from a land of magic, that was saying something. [[ She's right, ]] Dusty said, slipping back into a Terran tongue. [[ I'm sorry for putting you all in danger. I didn't know . . . Anyway, I'm sure you will all be able to find alternate housing . . . ]] ---------- ------------------ Two days later . . . ---------- ------------------ Dr. Jon Trendenfall felt a bit awkward. He was sitting in a Terran coach on his way to his meeting. His daughter was sitting next to him, not talking to him. She was obviously very mad at his decision to assign her a bodyguard without telling her. But that wasn't the only think making this trip awkward. The three girls sitting on the other side of the coach, his daughter's suitemates, were staring at him anxiously, waiting for the next chapter of this saga to unfold. They had steadfastly refused to abandon their friend in this time of need, and had threatened to go to the Academy hierarchy if they weren't allowed to come along. Thomas McBride was actually trying not to smirk. If things hadn't been so dangerous, this whole scenario would've been quite amusing. "So," he said, "how are classes going?" Katrina was the only one of the three who spoke English, so she whispered the question to her comrades and they talked anxiously amongst themselves. "Fine," Katrina replied, then the three girls looked at him intently, as if they were playing some game of verbal chess and waiting for him to make his next move. "This is going to be a long ride, isn't it?" Dr. Trendenfall muttered. Luckily, it wasn't a particularly long trip and the coach quickly arrived at a palatial looking building. [[ Wait, ]] Katrina said, wide-eyed and aghast. [[ These . . . these are the capital offices of Chancellor Valar of Narebican! ]] She immediately started to smooth out her dress, wishing she had worn something more formal. [[ Dad? ]] She flipped a mental switch and went back to English. "Dad, why are you visiting a Chancellor?" Her father looked around, wondering where Ash was. "He's one of the most powerful and learned sorcerers on Terra. He may have the answers to a question that my science isn't providing." The coach came to a stop outside the front door just as a squad of guards arrived. Thomas McBride opened the door to find that Ash was standing right outside. He actually felt his skin jump a bit. "Where the hell did you come from?" he asked, looking around. There was nowhere nearby to hide, so how . . . "That does not matter," Ash uttered. The travelers all disembarked, the young women staring at Ash suspiciously. "Are we safe here?" Dr. Trendenfall asked of Ash. "Yes," she replied. "Even I would have extreme difficulty penetrating the Chancellor's defenses." "Good to know." The seven of them were escorted passed several screens spells designed to ascertain the general intent (hostile or otherwise) of visitors. The spell monitors seemed to become quite confused when Ash walked through. They couldn't seem to pick up anything at all from her. [[ She's dead inside, ]] Vetlia whispered. [[ You're being melodramatic, ]] Dusty whispered back, but couldn't help but think that her friend might actually be right. [[ It's all right, ]] boomed a voice from the attached chamber. [[ Let them in. ]] Chancellor Valar was, by his nature, an imposing figure. While he had always been highly regarded in the upper echelons of Terran political life, his participation in the first war against the Purity had raised his stock with the common folk as well. He was a tall man, well built and with a deeply thoughtful stare. "Come in," the Chancellor said, switching to flawless English. "I must say this is a bit of surprise, Dr. Trendenfall. I was not expecting an entourage." "Neither was I," Jon replied. "This is Thomas McBride, my chief of security," he started by way of introductions. "And this young lady is my daughter Dusty. These are her suitemates." He realized he didn't know any of their names. "This is Vexla, Veltia and Katrina," Dusty interjected smoothly, turning on her "socialite" mode. She also noticed that Katrina had donned the aura of submissiveness that she used around her parents (as opposed to the one she used around Dusty). [[ It is an honor to meet you sir, ]] Katrina said demurely. [[ We will see if you still feel that way after hearing me speak, ]] he joked. He had much more of a sense of humor than he used to, and found it served him much better than his arrogance once had. "Anyway, what can I do Dr. Trendenfall? Some very influential people told me I should talk to you." "They did?" He looked at Ash. "Your doing?" "Yes," she hissed. "One of these days, you're going to have to explain how you accrued all of thes . . . 'favors.' Chancellor -- " "Please, call me Valar," the vampire replied. "I've discovered that 'Chancellor' is much more tiring than it used to be." Jon Trendenfall was actually looking around at the assorted throng, then turned back to Ash. "This is your game now," he said. "Do you really want all these people here? I mean, some of this information is classified." "I no longer feel that it matters, thought the World Council might beg to differ." Katrina was whispering with her friends, then she whispered to Dusty. "They'd like to help," Dusty said. "I really have no idea what is going on," Valar said, "but I have learned NOT to discount the ideas and resolve of young women." Dr. Trendenfall sighed. "All right, I need everyone to promise not to speak of this to anyone, and I mean ANYONE." He waited until everyone consented. "All right," he continued. "This is complicated. As you are probably well aware, the Purity has resurfaced and I am on their hit list." "I am QUITE aware of this," Valar growled. "Savages. I take it that it is your research that endears you to them so? Yes, I'm familiar with your work. I can't say I approve though. I prefer to let the world of magic stay magical." "I'm becoming more inclined to agree with you." He looked at his daughter. "Well, I found myself in a bit of a bind as to how to protect my daughter. Keep her close or send her to the academy. At the time, she wanted to go, so I hired a bodyguard for her." He nodded at Ash. "Well, it turns out that Ash . . . is not a normal person. Her price for protecting Dusty was . . . well, different. Firstly, she wants her talent removed." Valar looked interested. "Why?" This was directed towards the bodyguard herself. "Because it is dangerous," Ash replied. "And I may soon lose all control of it." "What do you mean?" Dusty asked. This woman was supposed to protect her, and she was saying that she was unstable? Ash looked her dead in the eyes. "It means exactly that." Dr. Trendenfall looked uncomfortable. "How many of you have heard of the Chimera Project?" If mentioning the Purity had made Valar annoyed, then mentioning the Chimera Project made him outright furious. "Blasphemy," he practically spat. "I . . . I thought that was just a legend," Katrina said. "No, it was very real. The World Council hushed up what they could about it and let rumor take care of the rest. For those of you don't know, they did . . . unspeakable things to people, trying to force non-magical people to manifest magical talents. I thought . . . most of us thought they had failed." He looked at Ash. "Apparently I was wrong." Valar looked at Ash, studying her intently. "Your aura . . . you aren't human are you?" "Not anymore," she replied. "Wait. What did they do to you?" Once upon a time, Ash wouldn't have spoken of that time. She would have looked upon it with fear and disgust and psychological torment. Those days were gone. Now, it was simply an event in history . . . part of the puzzle that needed to be put into place. "They incinerated me," she said neutrally. There was silence. "What do you mean . . . 'incinerated'?" "They injected me with a heavy muscle relaxant, put me into a reinforced room with a magical node, and lit my body on fire." The non-English speaking young ladies waiting for someone to translate, but translation wasn't on anyone's mind. Katrina was trying not to throw up, and the rest . . . they just stood there dumbfounded. This woman had just admitted to being burned alive with the same casualness that most people recited their grocery list. Dust to Dust Ch. 02 "My sentience was preserved, but my body was reduced to ash." "You're a golem," Valar muttered in disbelief. "An intelligent, self-preserving golem." "What's a golem?" Dusty asked. Katrina answered that one, having composed herself a bit. "Golems are humanoid creatures created by magic. They are normally automatons, which means that they feel no pain or emotions or anything. They just destroy whatever they are told to, then dissolve when their mission is over." She translated some of this to her friends quickly, and Vexla looked horrified. Katrina explained why. "Golems were initially created by the gargoyles in an ancient war with the succubae. Being made of stone, they had an affinity for making inanimate matter animated." "Several golems were used by the Swords of Cleansing in the latter half of the first Purity conflict," Valar added. "They can be as dangerous as the mind that creates them." "So why do you want your talent gone?" Dusty said, still confused and looking at Ash. It seems that you're invulnerable and . . ." "You didn't hear all of that, did you?" Valar interrupted. Now he looked at Ash. "You don't have emotions, do you?" Ash shook her head. "No. I remember them though. It is the only thing that has kept me going all these years. Memories." "But -- " Dusty started. Vetlia whispered something to Katrina, who translated. "Emotions are important," she reminded Dusty. "Without them -- " "I have a great deal of power," Ash explained. "Untempered by emotion, I could become a monster, or I could simply dissolve into a pile of dust. I do not know for sure. I only know that I . . . that the person I once was, would never have wanted this. I have kept myself on the path with my memory of what 'good' and 'evil' are, but I have noticed my memory fading. I do not know how much time I have before the memories are too weak to guide me. I just know that I would not have wanted to go out like this." She looked at Dr. Trendenfall. "So I asked your father to cure me . . . or kill me." "Kill you?!" Dusty shouted. "I cannot be allowed to become what I am becoming." Valar leaned back. And he thought that this would be a casual meeting. "So what did you want of me?" Dr. Trendenfall shook his head. "I've done everything I can," he said. "But the rules of science . . . they just don't apply here, or at least not in a way I can comprehend. She is a creation of magic, so I think magic is the key to her salvation or to her death." "You can't . . . Dad, you're seriously going to try and kill her?!" Dusty was mortified. "As a last resort," he replied, feeling her anguish. What Ash had asked of him flew in the face of everything he believed. "It is at my request." Ash reminded her. She wondered why the girl was so offended. Ash wasn't. "I honestly don't know if I can help. I will try," Valar assured them. This was a mystery, and Valar was drawn to mysteries. "Though you will need to make yourself available to me," he told Ash. "I was wondering, since I'm trying to cure the woman of the abilities that keep my daughter safe --" Jon started. Tom McBride picked up the cue. "Would it be possible to arrange for extra security around the Academy to look after Dusty and her friends without LOOKING like there is extra security? That way Ash and Dusty can remain here were it is still probably safer than being on Earth -- " "And it gives me time to think of something," Valar said. "I believe that will work. I am friends with the Security Director for this province. I will arrange for something to happen. I may have to share some information, if you allow it, but he understands the need for secrets." "You're friends with Evlidone Msabdteelfinclor?" Katrina murmured. "Of course! You aided his daughter Eliza during the war!" She translated to her suite-mates, and they looked at him with further awe. Like many young Terrans, they all had a kind of hero-worship for Eliza Msabdteelfinclor, the sorceress solider of the Purity war. "Why do you youngsters always get like that?" he mumbled. He didn't blame them though. The leader of Hybrid Security tended to make an impact on everyone she encountered. Dr. Trendenfall looked at his daughter. "Dusty, are you okay with this? I'm sorry about all of this." "It's . . . it's okay Dad. It's just a lot to take in. But shouldn't I come back with you?" Valar interrupted. "I know what you're both going through," he said compassionately. "Do you keep the ones you care about with you in time of strife or send them away? You cannot keep them completely safe," he told Dr. Trendenfall. "I've seen it tried. Ambassador Kelik was killed in a Purity raid on a fully fortified base far from the front lines of the Purity war. We do the best we can." "And if we fail?" Jon replied, drawing his frightened daughter to him. "We fight back," Valar said. "And then we feel very, very sick for a very long time." ------------ --------------------------- Back at the Academy . . . ------------ --------------------------- [[ I wonder if professor VanHouten could help? ]] Dusty muttered, staring at Ash who was near the window, glancing out periodically. Since her cover was blown, it was thought wise that she move inside the primary domicile so she could be closer to her charge. [[ Why? ]] Katrina asked. [[ She understands how things are made up and how to change them. ]] [[ She IS the most potent alchemist at the Academy, ]] Vetlia agreed. It annoyed her having to acknowledge that a human could perform any type of magic better than a Terran, but that was mostly her pride talking. "Can this lover of yours be trusted?" Ash asked from the window. Katrina stared at Dusty, who just blushed. While everyone knew that Dusty was not monogamous, none of them knew that she had been sleeping with professor VanHouten. Katrina quickly translated what Ash had said, which led to a barrage of questions for the young woman. Katrina, another of Dusty's sexual partners, was hardly offended. She was actually a bit aroused. "Thanks a lot," Dusty said. "You did not seem ashamed of being with her. I apologize if I mentioned something inappropriate," the woman hissed. Dusty shook her head. She answered a bunch of questions, confirmed her relationships with Martha, made all her roommates swear to silence (again) and sent them off to bed. All of them looked out of the corners of their eyes at the newcomer, but were afraid to look at her dead on. When they were alone, Dusty sat down next to the woman. "Please move away from the window," Ash said. "It makes you vulnerable." Dusty moved a little further away. "Better?" "Yes." "Ash . . . what was it like?" Dusty asked nervously. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know the answer, but was fascinated by the question. "What was 'what' like?" "Dying." Ash looked at her. It almost terrified Dusty how blank the woman's expression was. "As I recall, it was exceedingly painful. It took several minutes -- " She stopped. Dusty's face had gone pale. She had to remember that these sorts of details were not exactly dinner conversation for normal people. "How did you escape?" "Well, when the experiment 'succeeded,' they were overjoyed. I managed to reform the first time out of fear, or at least the strong recollection of fear. I returned to a state I understood and was comfortable with. Then I remembered anger . . . hatred even. I lashed out at the scientists and the guards. The problem with creating something new is that you do not know how to deal with it. They had no defenses against me. So I killed those in my immediate path and -- " She paused when a particular powerful memory entered her thoughts. "What?" "The lead scientist . . . he sat in the next room looking through a window. I remember him discussing something with a colleague when I was dying. They were laughing about something. When I got to him . . . I still remembered the pain and the hate quite well. So I crawled in his throat and choked him to death." Dusty was caught between terror and disgust. "You killed him from the inside." "I would later find that to be a very effective tactic," Ash said neutrally. "But that first time . . . it was very personal." "Did your parents ever find out?" "My parents abandoned me when I was fourteen. My mother was a prostitute and my father one of her regular clients. I was the perfect candidate for Chimera. They picked up people that no one would miss and then promised them the moon. Quite an effective modus operandi really." "So why did you become a bodyguard?" "I determined it would be an effective way to accrue the credits and favors needed to pursue my end." Dusty gulped. "Aren't you afraid . . . you know . . . to die?" "No," Ash replied matter-of-factly, staring out the window. Dusty stood up. She was physically and psychologically exhausted but, before heading to bed, she stopped next to her protector. "I'm sorry," she said. She touched Ash's shoulder. Then she walked away, feeling the soot on her fingertips. Ash found the whole thing odd, but quickly dismissed such thoughts. After all, the girl was only human. ------------ -------------------- To be continued . . . Dust to Dust Ch. 03 This story is a bit wordy and fairly long, so if you are looking for immediate gratification, you might want to look elsewhere. ------------- ----------------------- The following story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between actual persons, living or dead (or just confused) is entirely coincidental. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or in total, without the author's permission. This story takes place in the fictional city of Springfield, California several hundred years in the future, so don't go looking for it on a map. Over the course the series, I will borrow quite a bit from my "Dead Man's World" series, so it might help (but isn't a requirement) if you read those stories. And in my little fictional world, there are no unwanted pregnancies or STD's, except as plot driving devices. The author encourages the practice of safe-sex. This story also contains lesbian sexual activity. ------------ ------------------- "Dust to Dust" Ch. 03 ------------ ------------------- Dusty groaned as she closed her textbook. Midterms were over, but the next round of tests weren't far off. Things had been surprisingly quiet around campus. There had been two attempts by Purity spies to get close to her, but Ash had dispensed with them quickly, and it seemed that the terrorist organization had finally decided that scaring Mr. Trendenfall was not worth the losses that they were taking trying to get to his daughter. At Dusty's request, professor VanHouten had been brought in to help Chancellor Valar in working on Ash's condition. The professor had been overwhelmed by it all, but was drawn by the same curiosity that tugged at the chancellor. But even with their combined knowledge, they had been unable to unravel the mystery that was Ash. Dusty's bodyguard sat unmoving at her standard place near the window. The other girls in the suite had become accustomed to the strange presence. The only one it bothered was Katrina, and that was only because her lover and mistress had become disinterested in physical activity since Ash moved in. It was actually time for one of their regularly scheduled visits to the Chancellor's office. "Okay, we're off," Dusty said, throwing on her "outside" clothes, which were nondescript at Ash's request. "May I come with you?" Katrina asked. She very much wanted to see Valar again. "Of course," Dusty chuckled. She could tell that her friend had an enormous crush on one of the most powerful men on Terra. She looked at Ash. "And we're escorting professor VanHouten there, correct?" "Correct. We should go now." Vexla and Vetlia decided to stay behind, so the other three headed out to the coach. They arrived at the professor's town-home shortly. But when Ash stepped off the coach and started looking around, Dusty knew that something was wrong. Martha VanHouten opened the door so she could head out to the coach, but Ash jumped forward and shoved her to the ground. At that exact moment, everyone heard a wizzing sound and several bullet holes appeared in the door where the professor had just been standing. Ash thought things had been too simple. Now she just guessed that they had been observing the groups patterns, trying to find a new way to strike. She looked at the coach. The driver had been shot dead, but Katrina and Dusty were safe inside. But they would not remain safe. "Inside!" she shouted, then exploded into a cloud of soot, obscuring any would-be snipers from being able to target the young women as they rushed inside. Once her charges were more secure . . . "Stay down until I come for you," she said. Then, as the women watched on, she produced two hand-held rail weapons with scopes from out of nowhere and started pointing at rooftops. As the professor slammed the door shut, Dusty saw two bodies toppling to the street. "You have an overly exciting life," the professor panted. She was more than a bit terrified, but there was something exhilarating about being caught up in all the cloak and dagger. Though she would really have preferred not to have her door shot up. ----------- ---------------- Outside . . . ----------- ---------------- Sean O'Reilly was nervous. He had been tapped to lead the Purity hit squad onto Terra with the simple goal of killing one human girl and anyone with her. He had been told she would be protected . . . he had been told it would be difficult . . . but still, there was only the one guard. But he watched as the woman . . . the ghost . . . move with uncanny speed and determination. He had started with eight snipers, but four had been killed almost instantly. He looked around with his scope. He saw Bill Hannity over on another rooftop . . . the man was looking around frantically. "Hannity," he whispered into his coms unit. "Get a hold of yourself. I'm going to have Hume move down and . . . " *Where IS Hume? (click)* came the radio reply. O'Reilly looked at the rooftop where Humes was supposed to be hiding and he gritted his teeth. Hume was propped up against a chimney, the top of his head missing from a shot just under the jawline. 'Who IS this bitch?!' he thought. He scanned back to look at Hume, but the man was missing. "Hannity!" he shouted into communicator, "get back to your position and . . ." O'Reilly stopped shouting. He had found Hannity . . . the man had been thrown onto the street and was impaled on a wrought-iron fence. "Impossible," he told to himself. "No one moves that fast!" Something caught his attention. The last member of his team, Tilton, had made his way to ground level and was fleeing down the street. The man's nerve had cracked. O'Reilly stood up and screamed down the street in a blind panic, "Tilton, you get back here or I'll . . ." Tilton stopped. There were two things that frightened O'Reilly at that moment. One was the large red splotch that slowly appeared in Tilton's back as the young man collapsed to the ground. The second thing was the little "thwump" of a rail-gun being discharged that he had heard when the man was gunned down. This was frightening to him because the sound had emanated from . . . right . . . behind . . . him. In the dusk of his life, Sean O'Reilly knew true fear. Fear wore the face of a pale-ish eighteen year old girl with the most stagnant eyes he had eve seen. She held highly illegal rail pistols in both hands, one of which was still pointed at the man she had just killed from an impossibly long distance. He tried to pull his side-arm, but the woman stepped forward, kneeing him in the groin, stepping on his foot and bringing the butt of her other gun down on the back of his head. He collapsed nicely. And while the world was spinning and his ears were ringing, he was still able to hear the woman speak in something that sounded like venting steam . . . "You have information that I want. You will give it to me. The only question is how long you want this to take." Something in the back of Ash's mind reminded her that what she was about to do stood on "questionable" moral ground, but the logical part of her brain overruled it. If this man had information that might help her, it made sense that she should take it. "Now," she continued, pointing one of her pistols at his knee-cap, "start talking." --------- ---------------------- A little while later . . . --------- ---------------------- Dusty, professor VanHouten and Katrina were all huddled up in the professor's house. Martha had alerted the authorities, but Dusty found herself worrying about Ash. She needn't have bothered, as the woman appeared in the doorway with no warning or noise. And Dusty couldn't help but notice that there were rust-colored splotches all over Ash's form. 'Blood,' Dusty thought with a shudder. "The threat has been neutralized," Ash said evenly. Just then, there was a banging on the front door. It was the local militia. "Ash, get out of here," Dusty said, worried about her protector. "If she leaves, how the hell do we explain what happened to our attackers?" VanHouten replied. Ash thought it over. "The professor is correct. My job is to protect you . . . seeing you incarcerated would actually be in violation of my contract with your father." She calmly opened the door, letting the militia charge in. Katrina, Martha and Dusty were taken into protective custody. Ash was placed under arrest. ---------- ---------------- That evening . . . ---------- ---------------- Chancellor Valar had gone through a great deal of trouble to get Ash released and the entire incident "hushed." Being a personal friend of the Security Director had its advantages. Unfortunately, he realized that the rules of the game had changed. The four women were in his office . . . three looked shaken, while the fourth looked perfectly at ease. His eyes looked over each of them, and he noticed that the young woman . . . Katrina . . . seemed to be staring back at him. When there eyes met, her eyes lowered demurely. 'She certainly is a fetching young woman,' he thought idly. He sighed. "Dusty, I'm afraid we have a problem. While I was able to cover up some of the details of what happened today, the Council is on high alert. This Purity action cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, this means two things. One, travel between the two worlds is about to become much more complicated. Two . . . I'm afraid you will have to temporarily forgo attending the Academy. I'm sorry, but the powers that be cannot allow your presence to put other students in danger." "Bullshit!" professor VanHouten said. "This isn't her fault." "Is this truly necessary Chancellor?" Katrina asked. "It's okay," Dusty said. "He's right. Anyone around me is in danger these days . . . I might as well go be with my father. He's already in danger." "That is currently the plan. Your father has been taken into protective custody, and the same group that is providing his security will be coming and escorting you back to Earth tomorrow afternoon." He looked at Ash. "Unfortunately, you will not be allowed to stay either, though I promise to continue working on your problem and will stay in contact." Ash nodded. She had suspected as much. ---------- ------------------- Later that night . . . ---------- ------------------- Dusty, Katrina, Martha and Ash were back in Dusty's suite. She had already finished packing. Ash vanished shortly after arriving . . . Dusty assumed she was collecting her gear and would stay in hiding until it was time to leave. Vexla and Vetlia had been moved into another suite, but had left notes saying goodbye and making Dusty promise to stay in touch. Dusty sighed. She was going to miss this place. "Thanks, but you two don't have to stick around. I'm sure that I'm safe enough with Ash . . . somewhere." "Please," Martha said with a grin. "You're my favorite student, and you certainly make life more interesting." Katrina was in genuine mope-mode though. "I can not believe they are making you go." Dusty grinned. She knew the real reason that Katrina was unhappy. With Dusty gone, who would fulfill the young woman's "special" needs? Then an idea popped into her head. Her grin got bigger as she looked between Katrina and Martha. "You know," she said, her voice lowering to a purr, "there are a lot better ways for us to spend my last night on Terra than moping around." Katrina's eyes perked up . . . she recognized THAT particular tone. And professor VanHouten was smiling too. 'What is it about this girl that gets me so damn horny at the drop of an innuendo?' she thought. Dusty picked up the communicator she had been given. "Ash?" *Yes? (click)* "Would you mind giving us some alone time for a bit?" *As you wish. (click)* Dusty walked around behind Katrina. "Unfortunately," she cooed, directing her eyes towards Martha, "it will be up to you and I to decide on the entertainment." She grabbed Katrina's wrists and held them behind her. Katrina gasped while Dusty continued. "This one doesn't have much imagination . . . she needs to be told . . . exactly . . ." she said, reaching around and grabbing one of Katrina's small breasts in her hand through the fabric of her dress, " . . . what to do." Professor Martha VanHouten was an educated woman . . . she knew EXACTLY what Dusty meant. She sauntered forward until the helpless Katrina was pressed between them. "Ah . . . one of THOSE types," she whispered, taking Katrina's earlobe between her teeth and biting gently. She reached around and copped a feel of Dusty's ass while her teeth teased the vampire's ear . . . this would be a memorable night. Katrina was as close to heaven as she wished to get before she died. She would be naughty . . . she would be used . . . she would be satisfied. The only thing that would make it better was if Chancellor Valar . . . "Unh!" she grunted. Dusty had slid a hand down between Martha's and Katrina's bodies and was pressing against Katrina's mound. "Hush," Martha said, placing a finger against the vampire's lips, then kissing her around it. But still . . . not directly on the lips. Dusty withdrew her hand and started pulled Katrina's gown off of her shoulders and down past her waist. This made Martha happy, as she was able to gain direct access to Katrina's breasts, leading to some SERIOUS nipple tweakage. And nipple tweakage made KATRINA happy. "Slutty isn't she?" Martha said. "You can tell from the breathing . . . like an animal. Hot and heavy . . ." She placed one hand on Katrina's pussy while tugging relentlessly on that little pink nibble with the other. One finger . . . then two . . . slid inside the young creature's body. "Whore," she whispered into the girl's ear. "Say it," Dusty added from behind, gripping Katrina's ass tightly with both hands. "Tell us both what you are." "I . . . am . . . a whore," Katrina gasped. Her head was spinning in delight. She felt so completely wicked, and she knew it would mortify her parents. "A common whore." "Oh you're a whore all right," Dusty said, "but you're not common. You're an extra dirty whore." She grabbed the girl's wrists and held them behind her back. She pulled the scarf from around her neck and tied Katrina's hands securely with it. Katrina's knees very badly wanted to buckle. Professor VanHouten's fingers were so incredibly nimble and long and were making her body feel quite tingly. Then they were gone, leaving the vampire nothing to do but whimper. "We decide when you get to be pleasure," Martha cooed. "On your knees," Dusty said, pushing the girl down. "Now stay . . ." She grabbed Martha's hand and led in through the open double doors to the bedroom, then looked back at Katrina. "You stay there until you're summoned like a good pet." Katrina almost bit her bottom lip with her fangs. THIS was torture . . . watching those two women undress each other on the bed while she could do nothing but watch. But deep inside, she knew Dusty . . . knew that her friend and sexual mentor was only leaving her hanging to make her reward that much sweeter when it arrived. "I was wondering if I was going to see these again," Martha whispered, wrapping her lips around the nipple of Dusty's warm, wonderful breast. "Oh please," Dusty crooned. "I know you're just working your way down to my ass," she joked. Sort of. "I'm just saving the best for last." "You know, I think my tits would disagree as to which is 'best'." "And YOU know that I'm an ass woman." Then those talented fingers slid into Dusty's now naked form, spreading those inner labia with delightful ease. "Oh God she's good," Dusty said. "But you knew that, didn't you? She's got your pussy juice on the same finger that's inside me now. Almost like she's fucking me with you." Dusty clenched her thighs down on Martha's hand and rode it. She could see the hunger growing in Katrina's eyes . . . the girl wanted to be involved. "You," she said to Katrina. "Come here . . . on your knees." Katrina slowly put one knee in front of the other, half-crawling across the floor. Dusty pushed Martha away and spun her around to face the vampire. She did a reach around, prodding the professor to spread her legs. Then to Katrina, "Now eat her like a good pet." She grabbed Katrina's hair and shoved the girl's face into Martha's crotch. Katrina needed no such encouragement . . . but she liked getting it anyway. "Cunt-licking slut," Dusty said to her friend. She kept grinding Katrina's head into the professor's pussy. She even moved around behind Katrina and forcefully grabbed that head so she could push harder. Then she pulled Katrina away. The girl's face was already slick, and that familiar desire was in her eyes. "You like that, don't you?" she asked, thrusting Katrina's head forward. "She must like it," professor VanHouten said. "She's damn good at it." She raised a leg and placed it on the bed, giving the helpless Katrina more room to maneuver her tongue. Dusty looked around for the box labeled "personal items." She tore it open and grabbed her "bag of toys." She opened the bag and poured it onto the bed. "Oh! Christmas!" Martha exclaimed. Dusty grabbed a small dildo with a handle, then grabbed the back of Katrina's head again and pulled it away. "Sloppy whore. You've got her pussy juice all over your face." She took the dildo and drove it several times into Martha's body, withdrew it and shoved the plastic cock into Katrina's mouth. "There, now you'll get it in your throat where it belongs." Not wanting to be left out, Martha reached over and started fingering Dusty again. Dusty smiled at her, pulling the dildo out of Katrina's ravenous mouth, plunging it into the professor and then back down Katrina's throat. "It's like feeding a baby bird," Dusty said. She pushed Martha onto the bed with her legs dangling over the edge. "Well, I've felt your fingers . . . now let's see what your mouth can do! But first . . ." She grabbed Katrina's hair and leaned her in between the professor's open thighs. With her hands bound, all she could do was land face-first on Martha's pussy. "If I EVEN need to tell you what to do . . ." "No mistress," Katrina murmured before parting Martha's cleft with her tongue. Dusty climbed on the bed, straddling the professor's face while still keeping an eye on Katrina. No sooner than she had one knee on either side of Martha's face than the professor's tongue went to work. She stroked Martha's breasts as the teacher gave her a lesson on oral delights. Martha reached her hands around so she could grab Dusty's ass cheeks while she ate her out. And she couldn't resist tantalizing the young woman's asshole with her tongue from time to time. Each time elicited a shudder of pleasure, giving the professor a sense of satisfaction. She released one butt cheek to reach out to the pile of sex toys lying on the bed. She fumbled around until she got a hold of a slim glass dildo. 'Perfect,' she thought. Katrina was trying so hard to please her mistress's other lover . . . her tongue was moving like lighting and she was penetrating it as deep as she could. Her arms were sore, her neck was sore and she was panting up a storm. But she would not relent . . . she was sure that she would be rewarded. And the professor tasted SO good! The professor shoved the little glass dildo into Dusty's warm sex and wiggled it around. As she had done before, she concentrated and cause the glass to warp, warm and shift. Soon, there was a living glass snake burrowing into Dusty's honeypot, making her squirm. That gave her a few moments to play uninterrupted with that sweet little asshole until . . . "Unh!" she grunted as Katrina's mouth brought her to orgasm. And it was a beauty of a climax, racking her body up and then wringing it dry. Dusty watched her mentor's body shudder with delight. Katrina had a talented tongue, that's for sure. Dust to Dust Ch. 03 "You made her cum! And that made her lose track of what she's doing! Bad girl!" she panted, trying to force words past the pleasure that wanted to escape her lips. "Back up," she ordered the vampire. Katrina managed to struggle and get back upright on her knees just in time to watch Dusty collapse into a sixty-nine with the professor. "You just watch while . . . I . . . I figure out what to do with you," Dusty groaned. Martha was performing miracles at the other end, so Dusty just started to lick pussy and mound, and take labia into her mouth none-to-gently. Then she felt Martha's fingers penetrating her asshole, so she turned it up a notch. Katrina started to whimper. She noticed that when she did that, Dusty would often do "something" to shut her up. "She's making noise again," Dusty sighed. She knew Katrina was doing it on purpose, but that was part of their game. She reluctantly got off of Martha's face, then drug the vampire onto the bed. Dusty then sat on THAT young woman's face, giving her mouth something to do besides "complain." "Much better," she muttered and that enthusiastic tongue penetrated Dusty's sex. "Now what does that leave ME to do?" Martha said. She grabbed the dildo that Dusty had been using earlier and dipped it in her own box a few times. When Dusty's eyes were closed, the professor slowly maneuvered the toy into position and then pushed it into the girl's ass. "Oh you bitch!" Dusty said, feeling her sphincter spread for the device. It slid in slowly, and Dusty felt every miniscule vein on the toy until the t-handle bottomed out in the crack of her ass. The added pressure made what Katrina was doing at her front door that much more pleasurable. "Oh, you mega-bitch," she said again, her pleasurable tone in direct contrast to her words. Martha grinned and then stood on the bed, thrusting her pussy into Dusty's face. Dusty quickly went to work, licking pussy and enjoying every moment of it. Dusty soon felt her body preparing for the ultimate pleasure, and she quickly came all over Katrina's face. The girl had skills, and she had used them on her mistress. When Dusty moved away, the vampire's face was glistening with Dusty's leavings and a sense of pride. But Dusty had her own goal. She stopped eating Martha for just a moment to pull Katrina up to her knees. Once again, she pushed the girl's face into Martha's pussy, letting Dusty move to the other side to return some of the anal play that she had been subjected to. She pulled the dildo out of her own ass and pushed it into the professor's. Martha VanHouten didn't know which way the world was spinning anymore. There was a pumping sensation in her asshole and a snake-like tongue in her pussy. She had her hands on Katrina's head using her for support as much as anything else. It didn't take long before her two lovers had her coming again, with Katrina bearing the brunt of her orgasm. The three of them collapsed onto the bed. All of them were covered in perspiration, but all of them were feeling much more relaxed than they had earlier. This was Dusty's favorite way to unwind and forget her troubles . . . mind-numbingly good sex. But there was still one thing left to do. She reached over and grabbed one of Katrina's nipples, tugging on it hard. With her hands still bound, Katrina was helpless to stop it . . . a fact for which she was quite grateful. It had been too many minutes since her nipples had been tormented. "I think that the pet here has been a VERY good girl just now," Dusty said, releasing that nipple so she could suck on it for a moment. "I think it's time she got what was coming to her." She got up off the bed, flipped Katrina over and pulled on her until the vampire's legs were hanging over the side of the bed and her butt was pointed towards the ceiling. "What kind of reward would work for a slut like this?" Martha asked, grabbing Katrina's ass cheeks and digging her fingers into that pale flesh. Dusty whispered something into Martha's ear. Katrina probably could have heard what it was if she had concentrated, but she wanted to be surprised. Martha grabbed hers and Dusty's discarded underwear off the floor. She walked to the other side of the bed and made quite a production of rubbing the flimsy undergarments against her pussy right in front of Katrina's face. "This is so you don't scream too loudly," she purred, shoving the wad of underwear into the vampire's mouth. The cloth in her mouth was pungent with the aroma of sex, and it was enough to make Katrina drunk with lust if she hadn't been already. Then Martha disappeared from her view. Finally, after waiting for it all night, she then felt a stinging slap against one of her ass cheeks. Dusty and Martha watched their captive shiver with delight. "She really DOES like that, doesn't she?" Martha asked, taking a swing of her own and hitting the other cheek. "Are you kidding?" Dusty said, spanking Katrina again. "She can take this for HOURS!" The two of them spanked the vampire for several minutes. Then they took turns kneeling and eating the girl's pussy between each blow. Needless to say, it didn't take long for the girl to cum. "That looked like it felt good," Dusty said. "Did it feel good you little whore?" "Yessssssssssssssss," Katrina hissed. She had really needed that. "Good . . . because we aren't done with you yet." Dusty grabbed the glass dildo off the bed and placed it in Katrina's pussy. Then Martha grabbed it and concentrated, using her will to animate the toy and make it squirm inside the vampire's body. "Oh . . . oh . . . oh . . ." Katrina let out in a series of grunts through her panty gag. This was new to her, but she definitely liked it. The glass felt alive inside her, prodding her g-spot with delightful abandon. Then she felt Martha's tongue on her asshole . . . something Dusty didn't do. And the professor was still able to raise one hand and keep the spanking going. For Katrina, THIS was most definitely paradise. 'But where is Dusty . . .' she started to think. All of a sudden, she felt a weight on top of her, sitting on the small of her back and pinning her bound wrists in place. Then, Katrina felt Dusty's large, heavy breasts pressing against her back. 'What is she . . .' That was when Katrina felt lips attaching themselves to her neck. Dusty knew what this would do to the young woman. A vampire's neck was an erogenous zone, and for female vampires was just as, if not moreso, stimulating of a location that her clitoris was. And that was just when being touched. When Dusty tongued that area, she felt a shudder. But when she ever-so-lightly bit that neck with her teeth . . . Katrina promptly experienced an orgasm of monumental proportions, which was surprising since it usually took her a little longer to get primed again after her first climax. But what Dusty was doing . . . The vampire groaned loudly into her gag. And to make matters worse . . . or in this case, better . . . Martha increased her activities as well. The glass dildo was bombarding Katrina's sensitive place, the professor's hand was lighting up the vampire's back side and that tongue was giving her a wonderful example of anal stimulation. As a result, Katrina was kept in the throes of orgasm for what seemed like eternity. She experienced multi-orgasms in rapid succession! And to her lovers, she must have looked like she was being electrocuted, as every muscle in her lean body was stretching and flexing, causing her to flop around under Dusty's weight. Finally, she was allowed to rest. Katrina had never felt as tired in her life. "She's a horny little thing, isn't she?" Martha asked. Dusty rolled a VERY abused and completely satisfied Katrina over, after untying her hands, and then kissed the girl on the forehead. "You have NO idea . . ." She looked at Martha. "You WILL keep an eye on her while I'm gone, won't you? She NEEDS discipline." Katrina blushed, then looked expectantly at the professor. "I think I can free up some time in my daily schedule," she said, pinching Katrina's mound. "I would like that," Katrina added. "Very much." ------------- ----------- The next day . . . ------------- ----------- Dusty and Ash were sitting alone in the suite, waiting for their escort back to Earth. Katrina had been moved out earlier, leaving Dusty feeling very . . . isolated. Ash was NOT much of a conversationalist. But Dusty couldn't STAND silence. "So," she started, trying to think of something to ask or say. Then it occurred to her. "What were you like?" she asked. Then she realized that more explanation might be necessary. "I mean, before . . . what happened to you?" Ash looked at her. "I do not understand." "Before Chimera did what they did . . . what were you like? I mean, if you don't really feel things now, do you remember what you used to feel or want . . . you know, back in the day?" Ash looked deep into her memory. She didn't know why the girl was curious, but there was no harm in sharing such information. "It is getting harder to remember," she reminded her companion. I remember being very cold a lot . . . I was living under a bridge somewhere near a river when Chimera found me. I had a dog . . . I do not know what happened to it." Ash had a bit of a flashback . . . thinking of her mangy dog . . . and it brought with it a sense of something . . . warm. "I think I liked animals. At the time, I found their company more trustworthy than that of people. I had dreams . . . yes, dreams . . . of escaping street-life and becoming a veterinarian." She shrugged. It didn't seem like a particularly logical concept anymore. "So how did you go from wanting to be a vet to being a bodyguard? I mean, I know what Chimera did and all . . ." For a brief moment, some primal part of Ash's thoughts screamed out, 'YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY DID!' But as quickly as that thought arrived, it vanished and was quickly dismissed. "When the forces of the government finally caught up with me, they saw a way to utilized my particular talent. Since the memories of who I was were much stronger then, I realized that I did not . . . want . . . to be an assassin, which was the first option presented to me. Instead, I chose to become a guardian. Again, it has helped me accumulate many favors over the years. Ideally, this tact will soon bear fruition." "You mean . . . you'll be cured or . . . dead?" Dusty found the idea disheartening . . . that someone would spend so much time seeking death. "Correct," Ash hissed. Dusty shook her head and struggled to fight back tears. What had happened to this woman was unfair, and it was even more unfair that one potential "reward" was death. All the woman's memories seem to make her out as a very decent human being . . . Ash didn't want to see her die. "Are you injured?" Ash asked, noticing the girl's torn expression. At some level, this bothered her. She didn't understand why the girl might be suffering. "No," Dusty replied. "Just . . . let's not talk about anyone else dying, okay? Tell me more about you." Ash nodded. She talked neutrally about her life as she remembered it from the time her parents abandoned her through her life on the streets to her being "rescued" by Chimera to her life as a bodyguard. With every story, Dusty became more and more convinced that this was a woman who deserved to be saved. At some point, they heard a knock on the door. Ash stood up and checked the spyhole. "State your name and purpose," Ash said loudly, pulling her from a secret place. The individual at the other end was a succubus . . . a winged humanoid native to Terra. This particular succubus was an attractive young female who was packing some impressive armament. "My name is Terillia," the woman said firmly. "I represent Hybrid Security, and my companions and I are here to escort Ash and Dusty Trendenfall back to Earth." "Present your ID and credentials to the door," Ash said. It only took a moment to see that the woman's identification was in order and were in fact official documents. She opened the door. She took a look around. Dusty showed up and looked around as well. She didn't see anyone but the succubus. "What companions?" Ash pointed towards a nearby hedge. "There are three armed humans over there, and there is a troll next to the gate." Terillia looked impressed. "You saw them easily?" Ash looked at her. "They are relying on traditional camouflage. I am colorblind, negating a great deal of the benefit of such patterning." Three men appeared from the hedge, and the troll appeared. Dusty gulped. While the humans were all very military looking, it was the troll that tended to get peoples attention. Trolls were huge creatures, often weighing half a ton. They had massive arms and legs, stood over six feet tall and had large tusks emanating from their lower jaws. They had incredible regenerative properties and had the ability to camouflage themselves much like a chameleon. Trolls had traditionally been solitary creatures with low birth-rates, which was probably why they hadn't taken over Terra a long time ago. But when the first Purity war had rolled around, trolls started working in units, making people remember exactly how dangerous the creatures could be. But what people most often underestimated was their intelligence . . . trolls were just as intelligent as any other Terran humanoid, and they were remarkably patient. "These three are Bear, Snake and Boomer," Terillia said. "And this is Tiny," she added glancing towards the monstrous troll. The troll muttered something which neither Ash nor Dusty understood. One problem that Trolls had was that their vocal system was relatively primitive, and they couldn't generally speak other languages though they could understand them just fine. "Tiny says 'hello'," Terillia explained. "We have a transport waiting nearby . . . do you require assistance with your . . . bags," she muttered, noticing the large pile of suitcases behind Dusty. When Ash turned around and picked up far more of the cases than a normal woman should be able to, the succubus realized that this woman was more than she seemed. Hybrid Security had been informed that Ms. Trendenfall had a bodyguard, but only Eliza and Veronica, the co-leaders of Hybrid Security, knew the details surrounding the woman. What Ash didn't pick up, Tiny did and soon they were off. ------------ ---------------- Back on Earth . . . ------------ ---------------- "Dad!" Dusty shouted as soon as her feet hit the soil of Hybrid Security's compound near Springfield, California. "Thank God you're safe," her father said, lifting the young woman off her feet in a protective hug. "They said that the Purity tried to kill you!" He looked at Ash. "And you saved her . . ." He wasn't sure what else to say to her . . . Ash wouldn't even understand sentiment at this point. "Indeed," Ash hissed. "As contracted. Did you get the information I sent you?" "Yes," he said. "I forwarded it through the proper channels. How did you find out . . ." "What information?" Dusty asked, looking at her protector. "Let's see," came a new voice. "Who the new Purity's leader is . . . where to find him . . . some very detailed information about their operation. I'm curious as to how you found that out as well." The speaker was well known to . . . well, most of the known world. Her name was Eliza Msabdteelfinclor. She was a lean, hard-bodied white-haired sorceress, and she was the leader of Hybrid Security. She and her partner and lover had been transformed into hybrids . . . creatures with all the advantages of humans and vampires. Eliza, formerly a vampire, had gone to rescue one Veronica Adams from a Purity camp. Veronica and Eliza had been long connected by a mystical link normally only shared by Terrans of opposite genders. When the Purity had captured Veronica, both she and Eliza had felt the pain of being tortured. In order to save them, the now-deceased Ambassador Kelik had used one of the powerful living gems . . . once called the Alchemist's Dream . . . to combine their strengths and make them into a brand new race of creatures. Eliza had gone on to lead several successful large scale military conflicts against the Purity, which was surprising since she was in fact not in the military. She and her team had become legendary on two worlds, and tended to be brought in to handle situations that no one else could. Right now, her blue and yellow eyes were trained on Dusty's bodyguard. "I extracted the information from a would-be assassin," Ash replied calmly. "By extracted, you mean . . ." Dusty interrupted. "I found the individual's pain threshold and kept him just inside of that. The average sentient creature will tell you what you want to know with surprising accuracy." Dusty was horrified. The woman was talking about torturing someone, and it didn't even phase her! "The information you sent was forwarded to Colonel Corwin. He's checking into it. If your information is correct," Eliza said evenly, "you may have averted a long conflict." "This organization is set up so that it will survive even a strike to the head. It would certainly minimize their effectiveness however." Eliza nodded. She was as cool as Dr. Trendenfall has said she would be. Eliza looked at Tiny. "Take their belongings to guest residence B . . ." she started to say. "Ahem," came a voice from the doorway. Everyone looked up, seeing a beautiful blonde woman with eyes that matched Eliza's. 'That must be Veronica,' Dusty thought appreciatively. Where Eliza was a lean, mean warrior sorceress, her partner was known to be much more curvaceous. She didn't have quite the curves that Dusty herself did, but she was much more toned, making her a VERY delectable package. "What?" Eliza said, a smile creeping to her face. Veronica Adams kissed her lover on the forehead, then looked winningly at Dusty. "Look at that girl! You really want to put her THAT close to my sister and Terillia?" Terillia fluffed her wings. "What?! I am QUITE capable of controlling myself!" Veronica looked over her friend. "The first time I met you, you were sticking that extra-long tongue of yours down MY girlfriend's throat!" Terillia blushed blue and her wings ruffled. "I apologized for that! It was a heat of the moment . . . thing." "Yes, well what good would it be if I couldn't throw it back in your face from time to time." "HELLO?!" Dr. Trendenfall said. "Father speaking here . . . no one is doing that with my daughter! Ever!" Dusty put her finger to the lips and looked at Ash. Ash simply shrugged. "Darn it, daddy!" she said with her baby-girl voice, "What about the all-girl orgy that I was planning?" Her father blushed. Veronica chuckled. Eliza grinned, then looked back at Veronica. "You're right . . . she shouldn't be anywhere near your sister. Bad influence that one. We'll put her in the main house next Dennis and Allyson. Just . . . just make sure that Wyrm doesn't put a webcam in her shower." "What kind of business are you people running?!" Dr. Trendenfall asked. "Believe it or not," Eliza said, suddenly serious, "we know exactly when it is time to get serious. We just found that it helps our sanity to try and AVOID being serious whenever possible." "It's okay," Thomas McBride said, appearing in the door. "Calm down." Jon Trendenfall took a deep breath. He knew he was going to have to acknowledge someday that his daughter was a grown-up. He had just planned on waiting until she was forty. ---------- ------------------- Later that evening . . . ---------- ------------------- While Dr. Trendenfall may have had reservations about staying at the Hybrid Security compound, Dusty did not. She absolutely LOVED it! This was one of the most interesting groups of people she had ever met. Dust to Dust Ch. 03 Besides Eliza and Veronica, there were ten full time residents and employees at the compound. Initially, that didn't seem like much to Dusty, but she then remembered how many contacts and allies the group had around two different worlds. There were two trolls, which was damn intimidating. Tiny she had already met, and then there was Thug. Thug was Eliza's long-time friend who had also recently had a trolling. Trolls, often referred to as "he" for the sake of simplicity, actually had morphing gametes, allowing them to act as both male and female. There was a pit out back where the young trolling was being raised. Trolls were born with all the immunities and abilities of adults but none of the extraordinary patience. Pits were not only humane, but required to keep them from destroying large swaths of the local landscape. Luckily, Thug's trolling was reaching the end of its wild phase, being prone only to short bouts of mindless destruction. Thug hadn't been the only team-member to reproduce. Dennis and Allyson Murgo were a married couple who had been with Eliza since she began the company. After the first Purity war, they had decided to start a family. But Dusty was told not let domestic guise they now wore fool her . . . both husband and wife were former military special operations troopers. That was also how they had met Snake, Boomer and Bear, and it was this prior experience that helped bring them to work at Hybrid Security. Then there was Wyrm, who was quite possibly one of the most outrageous people she had ever met. He had lost an arm in the first Purity war, but his hi-tech prosthetic didn't get in the way of his computer hacking. The devilishly handsome young man was one of the best tech-guys around, and he was Eliza's eyes, ears and weapon on the world info streams. And apparently he was intimately involved with the Terran ambassador to Earth, one Kalinicia Vonahme of Gralta. She was the granddaughter of the former ambassador who had died in the first Purity war. He had died in the same fight where Wyrm had been injured. She had come to him to find out what had happened in her grandfather's last moments and had found herself attracted to the brash young man who had stood beside him. She didn't live at the compound for political reasons, but she visited often. Dusty quickly discovered that Veronica Adams had a twin sister by the name of Vicky. Vicky, while still human, could easily disguise herself as her older (by ten minutes) sister. But while Veronica was quite a business-like woman in most cases, Vicky was as free-spirited as they came. She and the succubus Terillia were non-exclusive lovers who engaged in some wildly hedonistic activity when not on the clock. "Coast is clear," Wyrm said. "And the gate sensors are programmed to let us know when the Colonel gets here in the morning. Colonel . . . still gettin' used to calling him that. Remember when he was just 'Captain' Corbin?" Eliza smiled. "He earned it." "Didn't say otherwise babe," Wyrm said, getting himself slapped in the back of the head. Dr. Trendenfall sat on one of the overly comfortable couches that lined the central meeting room for Hybrid Security. "So, does he think that Ash's information is valid?" "He didn't say," Veronica replied, putting on her business face. "But since he's coming by for a 'visit,' that would probably mean yes. If they found something, they're not going to broadcast it no matter how secure the connection." She looked around. "Where is Ash?" Dusty shrugged. "If it would work, I'd put a bell on her. She just kind of vanishes from time to time." Eliza sat down. "So tell me," she started, locking her eyes on Dusty, "Is she as dangerous as she sounds." Dusty wanted to defend the woman who had saved her life, but she didn't want to lie. She had a feeling that would be a bad idea. "Yeah," Dusty nodded. "She is." Eliza closed her eyes, obviously thinking. "I reviewed the information Dr. Trendenfall gave us. I wish I could help, but the heavy research isn't my specialty." She opened her eyes and glanced at the doctor. "She really wants to die?" "As a second resort," he replied. "She still seems to have some concept of the survival instinct, but she also understands what power like hers could do if unchecked by emotion." Tom McBride was shaking his head. "I . . . just don't think it's fair. She never even had a chance to really live." "As I said, her dying is only going to happen if everything else fails. I just wish I understood magic better. I spend all this time studying it, but I still don't get it." "Magic is about will," Veronica said wryly. "I've been learning that the hard way." She grinned, then stared at a remote control in the middle of the coffee table. Slowly it floated upward. Dusty smiled, but noticed that there was a strained look on the woman's face. "Cool!" she said. Eliza took Veronica's hand. "You're getting better at that." "After all the damn books on physics I've been reading, I'd better be." "So levitation . . . is that like your Talent?" "Talent?" Veronica looked confused. "No, it isn't a Talent. When Eliza and I were combined, I was sort of granted magical aptitude. I've been trying to learn how to control it . . . with limited success." She looked a bit glum at that. "Hey," her lover said softly, "I trained for forty years solid. You've had two, and the first year was spent just trying to keep your head from exploding, remember? Don't be hard on yourself." Dusty watched the two hybrids . . . they were quite a couple. Even when they were being business-like, they had a . . . softness . . . for each other. And when Veronica looked back at her companion, Dusty saw it . . . love. Those two were maddeningly in love with each other. 'I wonder if I'll ever feel that way?' she thought idly. Strange . . . she normally wasn't too concerned with the idea of falling in love. "Wait," Dr. Trendenfall said, muttering. Dusty recognized that look . . .it was her father's "A-ha!" look. "You two were combined with . . ." "The Alchemist's Dream . . . one of the Living Gems," Eliza said. "Why?" "Well, you," he started, looking at Veronica, "were an ordinary human. By ordinary, I mean you had no magical ability." "Correct," she said. "So the Living Gem did what Chimera was trying to do . . . give magic to those without it." Eliza was paying rapt attention now, as was everyone else in the room. "Go on." "So it can be done . . . safely." "But Veronica and I were linked before the transformation. She took aspects of me . . . I took aspects of her." "Maybe that's part of it . . . there is an exchange. In Ash's case, the exchange was of emotions for power . . ." "I don't think that's it," Eliza said. "The two things are mutually exclusive. Emotions are, to some extent, an emergent property of the mind. Magic . . . Talent . . . it comes from somewhere else. You shouldn't be able to convert one to the other." "I'm not saying that," Dr. Trendenfall replied. "But SOMETHING granted her that power and TOOK her emotions. It wasn't a conversion, like in your case. It was a straight swap." "How is that possible?" Veronica asked. "I don't know," Jon replied, putting his head in his hands. He was so close . . . he knew it. "I know someone who might," Eliza said. "Valar?" Dusty asked. Eliza shot her an annoyed look. Then she sighed and chuckled. "Sorry," she said. "I'm still not used to not despising the man. I was thinking my father," she continued, "but Valar would probably know too. And I really don't want to get Dad involved." She concentrated on the communications orb and sent a signal to the chancellor's offices. She seemed to be having a mental conversation with someone, parts of which she vocalized. "I don't CARE what time it is, you pointless little bureaucrat! Wake him up and tell him that Eliza Msabdteelfinclor wants to talk to . . . Yes, THAT Eliza . . . thank you," she said, then rolled her eyes. Her friends got a chuckle out of that. Normally, Eliza HATED being famous, but it was something she had to use from time to time. After a few minutes, a very groggy hologram of Chancellor Valar appeared floating in the middle of the room. "Lady Msabdteelfinclor, this had better be VERY good," he grumbled. Like Eliza, he wasn't really always sure how to handle dealing with his former adversary. "We wanted to get your opinion on something while it was still fresh in our minds sir," Veronica said. She was MUCH more tactful than her girlfriend. Formerly she had been a diplomatic envoy, so dealing with people was second nature to her. "Such as?" Valar asked. Eliza nodded at Dr. Trendenfall, who recounted the conversation they had earlier. Valar was obviously deep in thought. "There is something to this, but trying to figure out on interrupted sleep," he said irritably, "may not work. I'll have Professor VanHouten come by tomorrow . . . she has a better understand of physical and energy conversion than I do anyway." He was still annoyed at having been woken up. Then he thought of a way to get back at Eliza. "But while we're both up," he said smoothly, "I was trying to plan out my schedule for the next several months . . . have you and Lady Veronica set a date for your wedding ceremony? I'd hate to . . ." "You son of a . . ." Eliza started to say, then Valar terminated the communication. Everyone went quiet, but it wasn't an unpleasant quiet. Most of them were amused . . . except Veronica. "Yes," she said acidly, "when IS the wedding ceremony?" "Hey, YOU canceled it last time!" "That was because the Purity showed up! You canceled because you took that job in Honolulu!" "You WANTED me to take the job in Honolulu!" "I wanted to HONEYMOON in Honolulu!" And the argument continued like this for several minutes before the normally composed Veronica stormed out in a huff. Eliza rolled her eyes, cursed the day she met Valar and then headed after her lover. "Wait . . . they're engaged?" Mr. McBride asked. "Yeah," Wyrm said, being the first of the crew to openly chuckle. Soon, everyone on the team was laughing. Wyrm continued, "Eliza proposed at the end of the first Purity war." "Did she get cold feet?" Dusty asked? This was gossip that no one else at the academy would know . . . it gave her a thrill thinking about it. "Nah," Allyson said, cuddling her baby. Eliza had proposed on the same night that she and her husband had decided to start a family. "They're just both perfectionists. They want everything right, but they're both so damn busy . . . They're not kidding. Both of them have delayed it a bunch of times." "So they're not breaking up?" Dusty asked. That made the members of Hybrid Security laugh so hard they almost burst. Vicky was wiping her eyes. "Those two will be together long after the sun supernovas. I've seen some great relationships but . . . well, see for yourself." She led Dusty over to a window and slightly separated the blinds. Eliza and Veronica were at the edge of the porch-light. They were standing very close together, with Eliza playing the role of consoler. It wasn't long before Veronica was smiling again, and blushing like a school girl. "I wonder what they're saying," Dusty said. "They may not be saying anything. They're linked telepathically all the time." "That's not what I . . ." "Wait for it," Vicky hushed her. The young woman watched as whatever Eliza was saying or thinking completely dissolved her fiancé's defenses. All space between the two of them faded away as they touched each other's faces gently and the pressed their lips together. "And . . . fight over," Vicky said. "They can't even PRETEND to be mad at each other for very long. Though they'd better hurry up and get married," she grumbled. "I'm the maid of honor on Veronica's side, and the dress I want will be out of style soon." "And isn't that what it's REALLY all about?" Dusty asked jokingly. Vicky grinned back. "You should SEE the budget they've put aside for that even. And Veronica's dress . . . when Eliza sees it, she will DIE!" Again, Dusty had a brief bout of bout of envy . . . she wanted to feel the way THOSE two felt for each other. "So," she started, trying to shake the feeling, "what is the proper way for two hybrids to get married?" Vicky clapped her on the shoulder. "Let's just say they're setting the bar pretty high." Dusty looked out again. Then a thought occurred to her. She concentrated, and the flowers around the couple began to bloom ever so slowly. In the fall, Eliza and Veronica found themselves surrounded by red and white roses. Eliza looked back to the house and smiled, then picked one of the roses for her lover. "Not bad," Vicky said. 'Damn, if her father weren't here, I would definitely make a play for this one. I know that Terillia's been eyeing her already.' "Not bad at all," she repeated. They weren't the only ones to watch the happenings. In the shadows and undetected by all was Ash. She had no memories of love . . . nothing she could relate to what she was watching. For her, it was a mere passing curiosity . . . quickly forgotten. ---------- ------------------- The next evening . . . ---------- ------------------- Colonel Corbin had arrived early, and he and Eliza were discussing strategy out on the back patio while Dusty sat idly in the main room. "It's okay," Vicky told her. "The only person who normally gets to sit in with them is my sister. The rest of us just have to wait to hear what the decision is. Something about clearance . . ." "But Eliza isn't even officially military, is she? Or government?" "Nope," Allyson said, sitting down next to her while holding baby Alex in her arms. "Neither she nor Veronica officially have clearance . . . but unofficially," she added with a huge wink. "I see," Dusty said. Tom McBride nodded. "It happens from time to time. When I was talking with Bob and Jon initially about trying to get you guys," he said, looking at the members of Hybrid Security, "I found out that Eliza has more ears in D.C. and around the world than most politicians or even military personnel. She's got a lot of stock." Dusty was making googly faces at the baby, who was gurgling happily back at her. "So if what Ash said was correct . . . are you guys going to be in on the fight?" Wyrm shrugged. "Some of us. She'd probably take the triplets, the trolls, Terillia . . . that's a lot of 't' words isn't it?" He was amused by his own alliteration. "And me," Veronica said, making an appearance. "We know perfectly damn well, she won't go anywhere without her sweetie pie!" Wyrm said. "Wyrm, I will kill you. You know that, right?" But the hybrid was grinning. No one could really hate the hacker. "You guys fight together . . . I mean together against people . . . a lot?" Dr. Trendenfall asks. "She feels pain, I feel pain and vice versa. Not much reason not to be there," Veronica replied. "Besides, I haven't gotten to use the new S&W Slider pistol she gave me for our anniversary yet. I've been aching to squeeze off a few rounds." Dusty was shocked. "She gave you a gun? For an ANNIVERSARY gift?" "What?! I like guns." The security team members were all getting a laugh. Veronica was definitely the more "girly" of the couple . . . preferring evening gowns and plays and champagne to other things. But one very non-girly thing about her was that she was a gun collector of some repute. Her first personal conversation with her now-fiancée was about her highly-illegal rail pistol. The communication orb floating in the center of the room started to hum and pulse with a purple light. "Activate," Veronica said, everyone else quieting down. A three dimensional image soon appeared . . . it was Valar, Martha VanHouten and the vampire girl Katrina. "Hey Katrina!" Dusty said enthusiastically. "Hello Dusty," the girl replied excitedly. "We . . . I mean, professor VanHouten and Chancellor Valar have come up with a theory about Ash." "Do not sell yourself short," Valar told the girl. "You contributed to the conversation." "Hold on just a moment," Veronica said. She looked at her sister. "Could you get Eliza in here and find Ash . . ." "I am already present," Ash said, making several people jump. No one had seen her come in. Vicky got up and retrieved Eliza from the porch. "I really need my SECRETARY to deconflict these appointments," Eliza muttered as she walked in. Vicky grinned. "You could always fire me . . . get a temp?" Eliza rolled her eyes. "If I fired you, your sister would never sleep with me again." "Don't be so sure of that," Veronica said, getting her sister in a headlock. "Okay Valar. What's the scoop?" Eliza asked. "Have you found a cure?" Ash asked. "No, but we have a good idea of what happened." Valar folded his hands on his desk in front of him and directed his gaze right at Ash. "Do you remember what happened that night? The night you were . . . changed? I hate to bring it up but . . ." Ash spoke coldly and forwardly. "Not much. I remember the room, and not being able to move. I remember smelling the flammable gas that was introduced into the chamber. I heard a click, something ignited the gas. Then there was pain . . ." Dusty felt her heart seizing in her chest again. 'How can she be so . . . calm about this?' Ash had paused. She seemed to be concentrating hard on something. "What is it?" Dr. VanHouten asked. "Light," Ash said. "When I was dying, I thought . . . I thought I saw light. I didn't know what it meant." The woman's voice had . . . for a moment . . . softened. "I later attributed to hallucinations caused by a temporary psychosis but . . . maybe it wasn't. It seemed to be coming from the node." Valar was nodding. "Did you see anything leaving? From . . . well, from you?" "No. Why?" "It's this idea you proposed about something being exchanged. What if that isn't the case?" Valar looked proudly at Katrina, who just stared demurely downward. "Lady Katrina here actually made an interesting point that maybe your emotions," he said to Ash, "aren't really gone." "That does not follow." Professor VanHouten spoke up. "If this was a simple matter of 'transference,' then something of you must have left. In the case of the hybrids, there was characteristic transfer from one to the other. But we were thinking, 'Where would emotions go?' They aren't like matter or energy, so how could they be transferred or destroyed? That's when Katrina mentioned that they might not be really gone . . . they might simply be buried." Katrina, despite earlier attempts to give all the credit to Valar, looked excited. "I just thought that maybe Ash's emotional being . . . her soul if you will . . . is tied to her body. But when her body changed, they may have been sealed up, or are just . . . waiting somewhere." "Can . . . they be re-combined?" Eliza asked. "Maybe . . . " She paused and took a breath. "Can the Alchemist's Dream be used to put them back together? I mean, you KNOW how much I hate the idea of bringing any of the Living Gems out of hiding . . ." "I'm sorry, but what to the Gems do?" Dr. Trendenfall asked. "There was no official report ever given on them." Colonel Corbin had been silent, but now felt that he had to pipe in. "We didn't want anyone getting any strange ideas about using them. Our best researchers haven't learned much, and only Valar ever used one." Eliza's eyes dropped and she felt a painful memory slink into her mind. "Not the only one . . . Kelik . . ." "Of course," the Captain said softly. "I meant no disrespect." The former ambassador had been a father-figure to Eliza when her she and her own father had been at odds all those years. His death at the hands and bullets of the previous rendition of the Purity had almost caused a full-scale race war, with Eliza at its head. Dust to Dust Ch. 03 Valar sighed. He had respected the ambassador greatly. "The Alchemist's Dream is used for combining different objects that have some kind of connection. Then, of course, is the Heaven's Eye . . ." "I think we're ALL familiar with that one," Dr. Trendenfall said. The Heaven's Eye had been used to seal the portal between dimensions when it was just a rift. "True," Eliza said. "Then there's the Dragon's Breath, which builds bridges between distant places." It was Valar's turn again. "The Ocean's Heart cleanses impurities. That's the one I used on Kertosis Ithslerorvana . . . I saw his psychoses as a sickness." "That's because they were," Eliza said, spitting on the ground. Both Earth and Terra benefited from the former sorcerer being turned into a mindless, drooling servant of the people. "The Serpent's Kiss," Wyrm said grimly, "can be used to fool the senses. Like sneaking an army past surveillance and into a military installation." Dennis Murgo clapped his comrade on the shoulder. That was the fight where Wyrm had lost his arm and Kelik had lost his life. Dusty didn't know all of these back-stories, but she could tell the room grew more and more somber with each telling. "Were all the Gems . . . evil?" "Pretty much," Veronica muttered. Again, there was uncomfortable silence. Eliza actually looked pained as she took her girlfriend's trembling hands. "The Spear of God," she said softly. "It . . . brings down fire and lighting on the enemy of whoever wields it." Dusty looked alarmed and confused. That Gem seemed to really scare Veronica. Then Dusty heard a telepathic voice in her head . . . Since Valar could see her, he could communicate directly with her mind. {{ There is a lot you don't know Lady Trendenfall, }} he thought to her. {{ These people . . . to them, the Gems are not just trinkets or toys. Veronica was tortured for many days with the Spear . . . it was why she and Eliza had to be combined in order to survive. Even the strongest amongst us are haunted my memories. }} {{ And some are defined by them, }} she replied, looking at Ash. Ash had other things on her mind. "Can any of these be used to cure my condition?" "That's a bit tricky," Valar said. "The Gems tend to amplify a particular type of manipulation and aren't exactly set in stone as to their effects, but it isn't a matter of framing a particular semantic debate. You cannot fool them into doing something you want which is not in their nature." "That's why it is so important for us to find out EXACTLY what happened to you," professor VanHouten said. "I may never have worked with the Gems, but they, or any other kind of magic, are dangerous when used improperly." "So you do not know if they can cure me? How about destroying me?" Ash looked like she was thinking about something. "There were seven Gems," she said. "You only mentioned six. What about the last one? The Dead Man's World?" "Absolutely not," Colonel Corbin said with an unwavering air of finality. "But . . ." "Sorry," Eliza said, interrupting Ash. "Only a handful of people on either world even know where that Gem is housed. The people who are assigned to guard it have a lifetime position to prevent them from leaking it when they quit. Only a few people are ever allowed near it, and NO ONE is allowed to activate it." "How can you learn about it then?" Dr. Trendenfall said. "I don't understand how you can stand of the edge of discovery and not leap." "Because on the other side of that 'leap'," Valar said, "is a very dark chasm." "Is it REALLY that bad?" Eliza nodded. "The Arcanum came up with a number of writings by the sorcerer who first dreamt of the World. It's all about doomsday magic . . . the kind you don't get to direct and control and wipe out one person or even one country." "How . . . bad?" Dusty asked. "It could destroy reality as we know it," Valar said. "Hence, the precautions." "So . . . how would the World do that?" Tom McBride said. It was disconcerting that you might very well have the ultimate weapon in your own backyard somewhere. "We don't know," Valar said. "We've got a guess . . . well, Kalinicia does." "Who's Kalinicia?" "Oh, Ambassador Kalinicia . . . Wyrm's girlfriend." Wyrm grinned. It was the first time anyone had smiled in a while. "She HATES being called that, by the way." "She's not HERE is she?" Eliza shot back. "Anyway, she could explain it better than I could, but she's been doing a history of magic on Earth . . . looking back at the days when the only transportation between the miscellaneous worlds was when beings slipped through the cracks." She looked at Wyrm. "You've read her notes, right?" He nodded. "One thing she REALLY wants to know is how the Gems got here. She's coming by tomorrow . . . maybe she could explain things better." "Excellent!" Veronica said. She and the Ambassador got along famously. "And if we need to leave early . . ." Colonel Corbin said, looking meaningfully at Eliza. "We'll be ready," she responded in a business-like fashion. Valar got Ash's attention. "We'll think about what you told us and get back to you soon. I have an idea, but I'd like to flush it out." When she nodded, he terminated the communication. "Ash," Eliza said, "could the Colonel and I speak to you outside for a moment?" Ash followed them outside. "We'd like for you to go with us for a little mission," Eliza said when they were safely away from the house. "Your abilities are an advantage that our enemy doesn't understand and could greatly reduce any potential casualties on our part." "And on their part?" "Doesn't much concern me," Eliza said, actually matching Ash's coldness. She was NOT going to be drawn into another long war. She was tired of it and . . . and dammit, she wanted to get married! "My contract is to defend Ms. Trendenfall. Unless otherwise stated by Dr. Trendenfall, she doesn't leave my sight." "I talked with Dusty's father," Eliza replied. "If taking out this base will help stop the Purity or at least seriously cripple them, he feels she will be safer. And keeping her safe was your deal. You can verify this with him." "But still, you are asking me for a favor," Ash hissed. "Which means you must agree to do a favor for me." She looked at each of them. "At some point in the future." Eliza nodded. "Doesn't surprise me. And I take it that money isn't the issue?" "Money I have," Ash replied. "Mostly I am concerned with the reservations the doctor and his daughter are having about my potential termination if no cure is found. I do not blame them. Humanity has many weaknesses, including irrational sympathy." "I don't necessarily see that as a 'weakness,' but I think I understand. If they aren't willing to go through with it . . ." "Then you must ensure my destruction," Ash finished. She turned and walked inside to confirm her new assignment with Dr. Trendenfall. "Eliza," the Colonel said, "that woman scares me." "I think she scares me too, and that's with her still in control of her faculties. If she loses them . . . " She shook her head. "If she loses them, I take her out." ------------ -------------------- To be continued . . . Dust to Dust Ch. 04 This story is a bit wordy and fairly long, so if you are looking for immediate gratification, you might want to look elsewhere. ------------- ----------------------- The following story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between actual persons, living or dead (or just confused) is entirely coincidental. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or in total, without the author's permission. This story takes place in the fictional city of Springfield, California several hundred years in the future, so don't go looking for it on a map. Over the course the series, I will borrow quite a bit from my "Dead Man's World" series, so it might help (but isn't a requirement) if you read those stories. And in my little fictional world, there are no unwanted pregnancies or STD's, except as plot driving devices. The author encourages the practice of safe-sex. This story also contains lesbian sexual activity. ------------ ------------------- "Dust to Dust" Ch. 04 ------------ ------------------- Dusty was just sitting there, trying not to stare. As soon as evening had fallen, most of the fighting members of Hybrid Security had started to gear up. The normal joviality seemed greatly diminished, but even the seriousness of preparing for a military engagement couldn't detract from Ambassador Kalinicia's presence. Kalinicia was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. She had porcelain skin, long pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes that almost absorbed you when she looked at you. She carried herself with a certain amount of grace. She had arrived with a large envoy of mixed vampire and lycanthrope Terran guards, all of whom were now stationed around the perimeter of the compound. When they stepped on Hybrid soil, the ambassador had put them under Eliza's command. And when all of them were off doing something else, she finally "let her hair down," plopping unceremoniously down in Wyrm's lap and resting her head on his shoulder. She was still young by the standards of vampire magic-wielders, and being a Terran ambassador on Earth was taxing those days. "Tired?" Wyrm asked amusedly. Initially, she just snuggled against him a bit more. "I just addressed ANOTHER group of religious leaders and assured them that we STILL are not making any deals with devils to wield our magic," she muttered. "Yesterday, it was a group of scientists. Before that . . . schoolchildren." "Ouch," Wyrm said. "Kids?" "Yes. Why do children terrify me?" She looked over at Allyson. "Except your child, of course." "It's okay," Allyson said. "Not everyone has to like kids. Though mine is cuter than any of them." "Of course." Veronica walked over, dressed up in her full battle regalia of body-armor and numerous small arms, giving the ambassador a quick kiss on each cheek. "Sorry we can't stick around," she said. "We think the enemy might be getting nervous and may realize we've been watching them. We need to move before they break camp and run." Kalinicia almost pouted. "I was hoping we might have tea on the veranda, but I suppose that will have to wait." She glared at her "boyfriend." "Some people won't participate in such . . . 'silly' . . . matters? I believe that was the phrase used." "Yes, but I meant it in a good way," Wyrm replied. "I would LOVE tea," Dusty said, switching back into socialite mode. "And my father and I would like to hear about your writings regarding the Gems." "Did I just get volunteered for a tea party?" Dr. Trendenfall whispered to his security chief. Tom McBride chuckled. "I believe so." Eliza walked into the room. The white-haired warrior was suited up so that she matched Veronica exactly. But while Veronica was carrying a variety of small-arms, Eliza was carrying a particle blade, a number of throwing knives and a high-powered rifle. She liked to pick people off at range until it was time to melee, which was when she and her magic truly shone. "She's going to hurt somebody," Tom whispered back to his employer. "Okay," Eliza said, the room quieting. "Just got the word from Colonel Corbin, and we're lifting off from the airfield in thirty minutes, so let's get the truck packed up. Thug," she said to the troll, "you're staying here on this one. Even with the ambassadorial guard detail, I want more firepower here to guard Dr. Trendenfall and his daughter. Doctor," she added, turning to Jon, "are you own security forces going to be able to assist?" Tom answered on his friend's behalf. "Absolutely. They're not soldiers like the rest of your guys, but they're all on stake-out in the surrounding area. If anyone comes at the compound, it'll give us at least a ten minute window to prepare." "Excellent," Eliza said. She liked Mr. McBride: he knew his business and didn't have an ego. "Dennis, you're on-board in Thug's place. Gather your gear. Sorry Allyson – " "I know, I know," she grumbled. "Have ONE baby and suddenly they don't trust you to shoot people anymore." "I REFUSE to leave my godson as an orphan," she replied. Being a godmother was a novel experience for a Terran, but it was one she had grown to take seriously. "Ash, you ready?" Two very large hand-guns appeared in her grip. "Of course." She turned her gaze at last to Veronica, who was giving the ambassador and then her sister goodbye hugs. The blonde woman instinctively knew that her lover was watching. She stood up and faced Eliza. {{ After all these years, you still worry about me going into battle? }} she sent telepathically. {{ There's no one I want at my side more than you. It's just that I wish that my side weren't in danger so damn much. }} Veronica smiled, walked over and kissed her lover. {{ I know you worry about me. You worry about everyone. But there isn't a single person here who doesn't love what we do, risks or no. So let's go do what we do best. }} Dusty watched as the member of Hybrid Security said their goodbyes and noticed something interesting. While the couples and friends who would be splitting up said goodbye, there seemed to be an air of tension when Eliza faced off with Wyrm and Kalinicia. The hugs there were quicker and it seemed like Eliza had to force herself to turn away. And the looks on her friends' faces were sad but understanding. Dusty filed that away for later when she might have an opportunity to find out what was going on. ------------ ------------- An hour later . . . ------------ ------------- Dusty was almost amazed at how relaxed she felt. Some very good people she had just been getting to know were on their way to a major firefight . . . some might not survive. But she, her father, Mr. McBride, Allyson Murgo, Wyrm and Thug were sitting out on the veranda with Kalinicia feeling somewhat relaxed. Dusty realized that it was because it actually made her feel normal. Kalinicia put her cup down. "Tea . . . one of Earth's two greatest contributions to inter-dimensional cuisine." "What's the other?" Dr. Trendenfall asked. The ambassador blushed. "Cheeseburgers." Her friends laughed. Wyrm had practically twisted her arm to get her to try something as "common" as a piece of dead cow surrounded by mustard, bread, bacon and cheese, but once she had gotten her that first taste, she had become an addict. Allyson grinned. "I could fire up the grill if you'd like." "Yes! I mean, certainly," the ambassador replied, trying to maintain some dignity as befitting her office. "Could someone hold Alex while I – " Vicky and Dusty almost trampled each other to get to the child, with Vicky winning out by a small margin. "We'll take turns," she assured the younger girl as she held young Alex. Allyson went to fire up the coals as everyone sat down. "Ambassador Vonahme," Dr. Trendenfall, "while we're waiting – " "Yes, I was told you were interested in the Gems," she said. "We did not understand them that well, so I took it upon myself to find out what I could. One thing I do know is that they are very, very old." Dusty looked away from the baby. "So why are they just now coming to the surface, so to speak?" "Actually, they HAVE been found before. They have been looked on as sacred totems by primitive villages or even revered. The Heaven's Eye itself was actually apparently found and even used right here in Springfield several hundred years ago." "Really?" Mr. McBride said. "Why didn't that go down in the record books?" "For the same reason that other acts of magic and occurrences of 'monsters' were not recorded . . . people were unable or unwilling to believe. But there was a group called the Strays that were basically vigilante guardians that protected those who couldn't protect themselves back then. By all records that I've uncovered, they actually sought out the Heaven's Eye to defeat a great evil." "How could a mending spell be used to defeat anything?" Dr. Trendenfall asked. "The writings left behind by a sorcerer named Lothar said that it was . . . well . . . an Elder God." "A what?" Dusty asked. Kalinicia looked very serious. "The universe as we know it is ancient, but there were things that existed before. Much of this is looking on skeptically by even the Terran people, but I ask that you take the idea seriously. In every culture, there are legends of a great war . . . your 'Christianity' or 'Catholicism' would call it the War in Heaven. There are writings and signs left behind by ancient civilizations that imply that perhaps this 'war' was no myth. According to my research, there was a time before time where 'reality' was nothing more than chaos. There were no rules . . . only powerful and massive beings called the Elder Gods that were in a constant state of war with one another. For some reason, out of chaos was born a new creature . . . order. This new entity supposedly defeated the Elder Gods and their minions, known as Shoggoths, and sealed them away somewhere." Kalinicia took a deep breath. "I believe that whatever this victorious force was used the Heaven's Eye to seal up its enemies. Yes, I believe the Gems are that old. They are creations of a power beyond our comprehension to be used as weapons against the darkest forces we could ever imagine." "That's a pretty extreme speculation," Dr. Trendenfall said. "I know. But it is what I believe. By all accounts, one of these Shoggoths actually managed to materialize inside this plane of existence, probably slipping through the cracks like other entities. It sought to feed on the sanity of the local population in hopes of – " "Hopes of what?" Vicky asked. Kalinicia actually looked a bit pale. "In hopes of bringing it's Master through a weakened spot in the dimensional fabric. Luckily, the Shoggoth was destroyed by a young human woman with a magical talent . . . she had living hair." "Living hair?" Dusty almost laughed. "Don't be so quick to judge," Kalinicia chided her. "Talents, like other magic, can be driven by emotion. They simply manifest themselves as some kind of extension of the wielder." Dusty gulped. That was what had happened to Ash. "She was apparently a very emotionally powerful, albeit a bit unstable, woman. But with the help of a lycanthrope who had befriended her, they killed the Shoggoth and used the Heaven's Eye to seal the weakened part of the dimensional wall before the Elder God could come over. They left tales of what it was like to face that creature, and they were the stories that nightmares are made of." Kalinicia looked excited about something. "Keep in mind that the other Gems were not exactly dormant during the course of history. The area around the Dead Man's World was a dark and barren land . . . an ancient tomb, I believe. Well, during the time that the Elder God was attempting to escape into THIS world, the Dead Man's World seemed to go dormant. Life and vegetation and so forth began to return to the region. When the Elder God was defeated, the curse on the land around the World seemed to return." "So you think they're linked?" Dr. Trendenfall asked. "Indeed. I believe that when the Elder God was applying pressure to the dimensional wall, it was diverting energies from elsewhere." Kalinicia took another deep breath. "I do not believe that the Dead Man's World is a magical conduit like the other Gems. Rather, I believe it is a prison. It is a physical microcosm of the dimension containing the last Elder God to be defeated by the forces of Order." There was quiet around the veranda for a moment. "So," Vicky asked, "if someone were to use it?" "They might very well unleash an ancient creature that is more powerful than anyone on either of our worlds could possibly comprehend into this dimension, where it would probably rather rip creation to shreds than be imprisoned again. It would be very angry and completely devoid of sanity as we know it." "But Order . . . or God . . ." "Might very well make war against it," Kalinicia said, "but THAT kind of war . . . let us just say that the collateral damage would be extensive, and none of us would live to see who won." ------------ ------------------- Later, down south . . . ------------ ------------------- Eliza ducked as shrapnel flew over her head. Boomer was having fun detonating the bombs they had placed around the Purity's defenses . . . she really need to remember to give him less of a budget for explosives. She turned on her communicator. "Colonel!" she shouted. "What the hell are the locals doing?!" *They're hunting down the squirters who tried to bug out . . . they're not gonna be much help on the rabbit hunt. (click)* "Damn it," she said to no one in particular. Then she heard a series of small-arms fire over her head as Veronica dispatched some of the exterior sentries who had come looking for the sniper. "Thanks babe," she said, glancing through her sight and putting a bullet through the temple of a Purity soldier who stuck it too far out of the compound window. She swiveled her gun around and spotted Ash . . . standing in the middle of a clearing. There were bullet impacts in the girl's body, with puffs of dust flickering off. But then Ash would just turn, level her weapons and then end some poor sap's existence. "Tiny," she shouted into her communicator. "Can you see the entrance to the motor pool?" *|| You mean the smoking crater I just made?|| (click)* "You blew it up already?" *|| Sorry . . . I got anxious.|| (click)* "Bullshit," she muttered. "He just wanted to use the big gun." "Jealous?" Veronica asked. "Yeah! I can't even lift that thing." She spoke into her communicator again. "Okay, let's chase these fuckers to ground. Ash, meet Tiny over by the motor pool . . . Veronica and I will meet you there. Snake and Bear, you're with us. Boomer, keep an eye out on the roads. Detonate the AVMs if you see anything that ain't ours." *I thought that I was the one running the show (click)* the Colonel said amusedly. "Okay, what do you want to – " *Just kidding. We'll keep up with a slow advance. (click)* "Terillia," she shouted, looking skyward for her succubus, "help the Colonel! I don't want a single one of these mother-fuckers getting away. If you see one on the move and no one else can get to 'em, take them out!" *Roger. (click)* the winged woman sent back. Terillia was a highly mobile and efficient scout. While her wings kept her from being useful in close-combat, she could pick off someone with her sniper rifle and strafe grenades from a high altitude. The two hybrids moved with frightening velocity to meet up with their comrades, all of whom were geared for a fight. Tunnel-fighting was messy business, but her crew was good at it. "Standard procedure is in effect. Tiny – " || I know. The troll goes first and sucks up all the bullets, then you all kill a lot of people. I feel so used. || "Would you stop whining? Anyway, Ash if you wouldn't mind taking Tiny's flank . . . you being pseudo-invulnerable should help." "Accepted," the woman hissed. "Bear, check the crevices as we go through . . . make sure we clean out ALL the cobwebs. Snake, you're the tail. Veronica and I will be right behind Tiny, and we'll jump anything that moves." "Kinky," Bear said with a grin as he leveled his belt-chassis mounted Vulcan. "Men!" Veronica said, rolling her eyes and reloading. They approached the smoking whole in the side of the building, but the Purity was waiting for them, and they had learned from their predecessors mistakes. Flame-throwers spat out a dragon's ransom worth of fire, forcing Tiny to seek cover. "Damn it, I HATE it when they do something right!" Eliza shouted. She looked over and saw Ash . . . staring. The woman almost had an expression on her face, which was strange for the stoic golem. It was . . . fear . . . at first. But the second expression was unmistakable. It was hatred like nothing Eliza had ever seen before. 'Those memories aren't so far gone after all, are they?' she thought to herself. "Ash, take those things out!" Ash wasn't even waiting for permission. She strode forward directly into the flame, letting the fire wash over her. As she walked towards the incredulous soldiers, she was remembering the screams she had let out in that small room so long ago . . . she was remembering the fire. She made it past the cones of flame and encountered a close-support guard. She grabbed the man's head and promptly ripped it off his body, taking a large portion of his spine with it. She dropped her grizzly trophy, materialized her guns from inside her body and promptly laid waste to everyone in sight. The Purity had been as prepared as could be to face Hybrid Security and their allies. They had even been ready for the troll . . . nothing could have prepared them for Ash. She moved through the guardians' ranks like a scythe, sweeping them all from the world of living. When the flames died out, Eliza hurried forward. The defenders of the installation had been massacred. And there was Ash, standing amongst the corpses with her familiar stone-face looking back. "Shall we go?" came that cold voice. ------------ ------------------- Back in Springfield . . . ------------ ------------------- Vicky was staring hungrily at young Dusty. She knew that Terillia would be envious if she moved forward on seducing the young lady without her, but she could at least lay the groundwork. It was obvious that the girl played for their team and wasn't as prudish as some, but she seemed distracted. And having the girl's father right there wasn't helping. She sauntered over and sat down next to the young lady after her father went in to go to the bathroom. "Hello," she purred. "How are you holding up?" Dusty knew that look: it was one she gave to Professor VanHouten and Katrina and any number of other women in her sexually active life. Even though her heart wasn't really in the idea of getting some, even with a woman who looked as good as Vicky, she couldn't help but play the game a little. "I'm getting by," she said, stretching her arms above her as if she were tired, but really just putting her warm and generous breasts on display. "Yourself?" Vicky grinned. "Doing okay right about now." Dusty smiled. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" "Shoot." "What's going on with Eliza and Kalinicia," she said, looking over at the ambassador who was distracted by some amusing story of Wyrm's. "They seemed to like each other until – " "It's an old wound. Kalinicia actually doesn't have a problem. It's just that during the first Purity war, Eliza went down looking for the Dragon's Breath, but left Wyrm and Ambassador Kelik . . . Kalinicia's grandfather . . . at Fort Crass. They weren't warrior's, so she didn't want them getting hurt." "But Fort Crass was attacked – " "And you know what happened to Wyrm and Kelik. When Kalinicia is around and Eliza is leaving . . . Eliza still blames herself for what happened. She always will. She looks at Kalinicia and blames herself for Kelik's death." Dust to Dust Ch. 04 Dusty felt sorry for the girl. "But Kalinicia – " "As I said, she doesn't blame anyone. It took her a while to come to grips with what happened, but she knew that Kelik was a target anyway. There wasn't anywhere where he would've been any safer. But it doesn't stop Eliza from worrying." Dusty sat back, looking a bit glum. "Do you worry? About Terillia?" Vicky smiled back, but a bit whimsically. The girl wasn't going to be playful tonight. She couldn't blame Dusty. "Yeah. Between her and my sister, I really freak out sometimes. I used to think that I was the bad-ass back in high-school and college, but I don't hold a candle to my sister anymore. It's weird getting left behind. I mean, I love 'em all but – " "Family is family." Dusty looked around. "I guess that's why my dad worries so much. I wish he wasn't having to go through this. He's a good man. He just wants to help everyone understand both our worlds. He's not even planning on DOING anything with the knowledge. Not like . . . like what they did to Ash." "You're really worried about her, aren't you?" "Yeah, and it's dumb. I mean, she frigging invulnerable. I know everyone thinks she's cold and all, but when I talk to her . . . when she talks about who she used to be . . . I think she's still a good person in there somewhere." Dusty gripped her hands. "And it sucks that her 'reward' for helping us might be death." "It's the last resort," her father said, returning to the outside area. "I don't want it to happen. But I've got a feeling that even if I were to refuse to help, she's already got Eliza to agree. I figure we don't have much time – " It looked like something occurred to him. "I wonder – " He looked over at Kalinicia. "Valar said that when he used the Gem . . . the Ocean's Heart . . . on that madman, he saw it as purging an 'impurity,' correct?" Kalinicia nodded. "Yes. The Ocean's Heart is about cleansing." "When we were thinking of what happened to Ash as an 'exchange,' this might not have been the right train of thought, but now . . . Ash's talent was thrust upon her, not exchanged for something else like I first thought. Wouldn't that make the talent itself an infection, almost by definition?" Kalinicia didn't need much time to think about it. "Yes. Actually, that makes a great deal of sense. Her new physical makeup would be considered a symptom of the disease." "So what would happen to her if she was 'cleansed'?" Kalinicia shook her head. "I am not sure. My understanding of the elements is insufficient." "Can we get a hold of Martha VanHouten?" Dusty asked. "She teaches this sort of stuff." The group hurried inside and activated the communication orb. This time, they tried to get a hold of VanHouten directly, but she was already over at Valar's offices. So after one more communication was placed – " "Yes?" Valar said when he appeared. The now familiar faces of Katrina and Martha VanHouten also came into view. "Hello Chancellor Valar," Kalinicia said. "Ambassador," came the reply. "It is an honor and a pleasure to see you again." Dr. Trendenfall spoke up. "I think we may have an idea for helping Ash, but it requires some input from the professor." He explained everything that had come up in the conversation he had had earlier. "We had actually been thinking of something along the same lines," Martha replied. "I believe that we could use the Ocean's Heart to cleanse Ash's talent, but – " The woman paused, looking uncomfortable. "What?" Dusty asked. "If it worked, it would restore Ash to . . . to the way she was when she was changed." "Isn't that what we want?" Dusty asked, looking around. She saw her father blanching. "When she was changed," he said sadly, "she was in the process of being burned alive. Depending on how far gone she was – " Valar nodded. "She might already be too far gone. We could bring her back just to watch her die." "And what's frustrating is that either way would be just fine with her," Dusty said, tears in her eyes. "We could maximize her chances of survival," Valar said, "by using the Heaven's Eye to mend her after she's been restored. If we had a shaman wielding it . . . someone with a medical background – " "How about Lady Msabdteelfinclor?" Allyson asked. "Eliza's mother?" Vicky chiped in. "She is a potent shaman, but not the most powerful sorceress," Valar said. "And do YOU want to ask Eliza to bring her mother into this?" Dr. Trendenfall. "I realize that everyone seems to hang on Eliza's every word, but this isn't about her. If this woman would be willing or able to help – " He stopped and shrugged his shoulders. Valar nodded. "I'll ask her," he promised. He liked the fact that someone else was willing to defy Eliza's potential wrath. "It may not happen anyway. Trying to get permission to access two Gems and bring them together to be used by sorceresses who have never experienced their power – " "What do you mean 'sorceresses'?" Vicky asked. "If Alyidana . . . Eliza's mother . . . were to use one, I figured you would use the other." "No," Valar replied, looking at professor VanHouten. "Professor VanHouten here understands the rules at play here more so than I. It is she who would wield the Ocean's Heart." Martha gulped. "Me?" While a highly competent sorceress, messing with the Living Gems was an unknown for her, and unknowns in magic were risky. "I trust you," Dusty said. "No one could do better." "And we need to hurry," Dr. Trendenfall said reluctantly. "Every day, it seems her memories are becoming less sufficient to sustain her." "I'll get to work immediately," Valar said. "I can probably secure us permission to use the Ocean's Heart, since it is being kept on Terra." "And I'll get in touch with some friends in high places," Tom McBride said. "See if we can work on getting permission to the Heaven's Eye. Make things easier for Eliza." Katrina raised her hand, waiting for permission to speak. "Yes?" Valar said. He admired the girl's politeness. "If Ash is cleansed, what happens to the energy she took?" Everyone stopped in their tracks. No one had thought of that. "I mean," she continued, "while emotions are non-transferable, that energy she took CAME from somewhere. Will it not need a place to go?" Valar put his hand on the girl's shoulder, causing her to blush. "Very insightful," he said before looking back at his colleagues on Earth. "So what do you all think?" Dr. Trendenfall was deep in thought. "Laws of symmetry," he mumbled. "The magic came from a node, so – " "It should be able to return to the node," professor VanHouten said. "But that node – " Dr. Trendenfall shuddered. "I think Ash may be in for a homecoming." The communication orb de-powered and everyone wandered outside again, enjoying the cool California night. Suddenly, lights on poles (that Dusty hadn't even noticed) turned on and started twirling. Just then, a member of Kalinicia's security force hurried up. "Ambassador," the man said seriously, "suspicious and possibly hostile vehicles have been seen approaching the compound. Mr. Trendenfall's security forces just sent us notice." "Not again!" Wyrm complained. "Every friggin' time Eliza leaves . . . This MUST be their reply to what she's doing in Mexico!" He was quite nervous. Last time, he had just lost an arm. And if anything were to happen to Kalinicia . . . "Everyone inside!" Allyson shouted, covering her child with her own body and rushing into the main building. Everyone else was close on their heels. "Kalinicia," Wyrm shouted as he headed to his terminal, "get in your transport and – ." "No time," she replied. Secretly, she hoped it was the Purity. While not exactly a warrior sorceress, she had been aching to take out some vengeance on someone for the death of her grandfather. "My security and I will defend this compound." Wyrm shook his head, but he knew that he should have expected this. She was too much like her grandfather . . . stubborn and proud. He looked at her security chief. "What's your guy's locator squawk code?" "Why?" "Just want to make sure our defense grid doesn't put them in the targeting matrix." Wyrm grinned as the man quickly stammered the code. Anyone like Hybrid Security, with their money and resources, was likely to have some very unpleasant security measures. Allyson handed her child to Vicky with a distraught face. "Get to the bomb-shelter," she ordered the young woman before looking around. "All non-combatants, go with her. Kalinicia . . ." "No!" the girl shouted. "Yes! You are the Terran Ambassador and I will NOT allow you to be harmed on my watch!" "No!" Kalinicia restated, crossing her arms. Allyson gritted her teeth, then talked into her communicator. "Thug?" *|| Yes? || (click)* the troll responded. He was still out by the pit where his trolling was kept. And like Allyson herself, she knew that Thug would not let anyone harm his young. "Stay hidden until I call you. They probably think you went with Eliza." *|| Understood, || (click)* She looked at Kalinicia. "Please, go downstairs! You're the most potent magic-user we have, and I may need you to keep anyone from getting in there. Do whatever you have to do!" Kalinicia nodded. It still felt like running away to her, but she would do as asked . . . as long as she was actually be allowed to help. Allyson went to a cabinet and pulled out a heavy repeater gauss rifle. She saw that Dr. Trendenfall has been whisked downstairs along with Vicky by Mr. McBride, with Wyrm in hot pursuit. He had a master control station down there as well, so he could monitor the automated defenses without missing a beat. Then Allyson noticed Dusty . . . she was standing in the middle of the room with her feet frozen to the floor. This wasn't her world . . . fighting wasn't something she knew or understood. The trained soldier rushed over, grabbed the girl by her shoulders and shook her. "Downstairs . . . now!" she shouted. Dusty nodded and ran, ashamed at her apparent inability to do anything under pressure. As soon as she got downstairs, the door locked behind her. She went over to where Wyrm was monitoring things. "About twenty heavily armed men," he said, glancing from one video feed to the next. "No . . . thirty. There's one group just keeping Kalinicia's men pinned. The rest look like they're trying to find a way in." He checked another monitor. "Damn! They used THAT trick back in the old days." "What trick?" "They started a bunch of car and building fires . . . it'll tie up the local authorities for a while. We can't anticipate much help for at least ten minutes." "Why . . ." "This is the way it works. We hit them, they try to hit back." He grinned. "And a couple of them just located Thug . . . or were located BY Thug!" Dusty stared at the projection. The troll had smashed one attacker against a tree, then tossed the other in his grasp into the pit. "Wait, isn't his . . . trolling . . . down there?" "Yep!" Wyrm chuckled. "Don't worry . . . trollings are born with regenerative ability. And waking one up from its nap . . . I actually feel sorry for that guy." They watched as dust came billowing up from below camera level . . . then an arm came flying up . . . then part of the torso. And all the while, Thug looked on proudly. || Muncher, || they heard him say. || That's a good name for you! || ---------- ----------------- On the surface . . . ---------- ----------------- Allyson Murgo, much to her own embarrassment, was excited. While she loved being a mother, she realized that it put a cramp in another thing she loved to do: blowing things up. She had taken up a position on the roof, scanning the grounds with her rifle scope. She was also keeping track of when the motion and IR sensing perimeter defense guns went off. It gave her a good deal of situational awareness. "Okay Wyrm," she whispered into her communicator. "Gimme some eyes here." *They've already lost five. (click)* There was a pause. *I think the majority of the others are navigating the west wall . . . and two more have gone around back to keep an eye on Thug (click)* "That'll slow 'em down," Allyson said. "The back is really rough terrain." She saw something that made her smile. Someone bad was poking his head over the wall, trying to find the defenders. She leveled and squeezed, putting a nice sized hole through the man's temple. Then she ducked and crawled to another area of the roof. She always tried to avoid shooting from the same spot twice. Shots rang out and puffs of dust and brick spouted up from the ledge around the building. These guys weren't going to let her pick her shots. She hated it when they were smart. "I could use some help here!" she shouted into her comms unit. A rapid burst of fire came up from where Kalinicia's guards were hiding. That gave her just enough time to kneel and hurl a smoke grenade over the wall. 'That'll muck with them. All we gotta do is hold on for a few more minutes.' But in the middle of a fire-fight, minutes seemed to last much longer than normal. ----------- ----------------- Down below . . . ----------- ----------------- Wyrm noticed movement after Allyson tossed her grenade. The police were actually on there way, and he was willing to bet that between the smoke and the time-crunch, these guys would make a move soon. Sure enough, they jumped the wall and started to haul ass for the main building. "Crap!" he said. "Allyson – " *I see 'em, (click),* came the reply. *I don't have all my grenades, dammit! I need something to slow 'em down! (click)* Dusty stared at the screen. 'All Valar needed was to be able to see me to use his telepathy . . . You don't need actual proximity to have effect,' she thought. Suddenly, all those drab lessons she had taken began to make sense. She looked at the info feed that was showing the field the enemy was running though. She concentrated really hard and . . . "Oh my goodness!" Kalinicia said, looking over the girl's shoulder. She and the others watched as the grass under the enemy's feet began to sway and then grow. Dusty was already sweating like a boxer in round ten, as this was harder than anything she had ever tried before. Grass to most people was just pretty, but running through really tall grass was nearly friggin' impossible. When the ambassador noticed how hard Dusty was concentrating and the toll it was taking, she placed her hands on the girl's temples and allowed the young woman access to Kalinicia's own magical energy. "Woe!" Dusty said. It was like the mother of all head-rushes: she'd never had access to that kind of mojo before. And Kalinicia wasn't even supposed to be that powerful, she wondered what it would be like to tap into someone like Valar or Eliza?! ----------- -------- Outside . . . ----------- -------- Allyson Murgo was now sitting on the edge of the building. All the fun had gone out of the fight, and she found herself wishing she had a fruit smoothie and a small popcorn to watch the happenings with. She wasn't sure how it happened, but the well manicured lawn of Hybrid Security had gotten agitated and then ate the attackers. "Well, I guess they're still twitching," she mumbled, looking at the balls of vegetation on the ground. When the police arrived, they actually had difficulty extracting the attackers in order to arrest them. ------------------- ---------- Down in Mexico . . . ------------------- ---------- Colonel Corbin was watching as the last members of the Purity were loaded onto a prison transport. His own losses had been minimal while the Purity . . . The seasoned veteran actually shuddered. He had seen sociopaths . . . killers . . . warlords . . . Rarely had he witnessed anything as brutal as what Ash had done. The woman, or whatever it is she was, had waded through the ranks of the enemy like the Reaper's scythe, cutting them down wherever she found them. From the moment she had first faced those flames, she had turned incredibly cold. Running . . . begging . . . crying . . . nothing had worked. She had just kept killing until Eliza had gotten in front of her and had ordered her to stop. Then Ash had simply put her guns away and stared at the carnage she had wrought as if she were looking a mediocre painting in a musty museum. Eliza was standing aside, talking things over with Veronica. They had just gotten word about the attack on the compound. "Vicky says everything is okay though," Veronica was explaining. "Okay?" Ash asked as she walked up. Eliza glared at the woman. "The compound was attacked while we were gone." "Is Miss Trendenfall unharmed?" Veronica was feeling edgy. Eliza had assured the bodyguard that her charge would be in good hands, and she wasn't sure how Ash would react if that weren't the case. And Eliza would never back down so . . . "Yes, she's fine," the blond hybrid said. "Apparently, she even played a major role in the defense." Ash cocked her head. "Not surprising. She is actually quite capable . . . just unfocused." Veronica picked up on something odd. It was made more odd by the contrast with her recent "bloodthirsty" actions: it was fondness. "And I think we may have a treatment for you. They seem to have devised a plan but – " "But what?" Veronica looked pensive. "I'm not sure you're going to like it. It involves going back to Chimera Pharmaceuticals." Ash looked unchanged. "When do we leave?" ----------- ------------- A week later . . . ----------- ------------- It had taken a lot to get all the permissions and clearances to access the old Chimera facility. Ash had almost expended all her favors, so Eliza had to call in a few, as had Dr. Trendenfall. Dusty had insisted on coming along, and she was feeling awkward. It was nice to see professor VanHouten, but the teacher was on edge. She had been given access to the Ocean's Heart several days earlier so she could synch up with it. And she had gotten to meet Alyidana Msabdteelfinclor, Eliza's mother. It was a strange contrast . . . Alyidana was more like Veronica than Eliza. She was diplomatic, charming . . . and yet her daughter was well reknown for her straight-forward mannerisms and tendencies to pick fights. She had been working with the Heaven's Eye, and occasionally chiding her daughter about not visiting more and making her mother wait on the wedding. Dusty hadn't seen Eliza actually look as bashful as when she was being prodded by her mother. Dusty realized she missed that kind of banter. She wondered if the hybrid realized how lucky she was to still have a mother. Valar was there . . . Katrina was there, and was dreadfully excited as this was her first trip to Earth . . . Eliza and Veronica were both there of course, while Tiny was guarding the door. There was also a full brigade of Colonel Corbin's men on the perimeter of the complex. There was something stale and horribly wicked about the air in those corridors. Dusty didn't like it. None of them did. They walked through the lobby and through the dusty and decrepit halls. The World Council had sealed this place off decades ago with force walls and razor wire. Bad things had happened there . . . things that no one wanted to remember. Dusty knew when they were getting close, as Ash's steps became more purposeful. Then when she reached a set of double-doors, she stopped. Ash's memories were on overload. She knew every nook and cranny of this place, even after forty years of absence. She pushed her way through the doors into the lab she had escaped into and she stared at the spot where the lead scientist's body had been found. "He was the first person I ever killed," she said softly. But the others heard it. Ash looked to the end of the room. There was a window of some sort down there, covered with dust and cobwebs. Everyone watched as Ash strode towards it. As she wiped the dust away, a glow emanated from the room beyond. "Here," she said. "I died here." She wasn't sure why she had phrased it that way. Dust to Dust Ch. 04 Dusty walked up and put a hand on the woman's arm. "Are you sure you want to do this?" "Why would I not?" Ash was confused. She had never felt that she was unclear as to her objectives. "You could die!" Dusty said. "Yes. That is an option." She understood that Dusty was upset. She was the kind of girl who didn't like thinking about death, despite it being a natural part of the order of things. "I see the way they look at me," she told Dusty. "I know that my behavior is becoming less acceptable. They are . . . good . . . people. If my actions are unacceptable to them, then I believe that would be unacceptable to the one I used to be. It has to stop, and it stops today." Dusty swallowed her fear. She hated this. The group made its way into the room with the node: a room just labeled "Test Room B." And even the most skeptical amongst them could hear the echo of souls who had been tormented here. How many like Ash had there been? Eliza finished cleaning the window. She was worried . . . not so much about Ash, who was going to get what she wanted one way or another. Her mother – [[ It's alright precious, ]] a sagely voice came from behind her. Eliza turned to find her mother smiling. [[ What's alright? ]] she returned in the vampire's tongue. [[ What . . . am I being that obvious? ]] [[ Even when you didn't want to admit that anyone could understand you . . . I could. ]] Eliza looked sullen. [[ They shouldn't have involved you. The Gems are dangerous and . . . and you really haven't been practicing – ]] [[ I can handle this, ]] her mother said. [[ After putting up with you and your father squabbling all those years, putting this girl back together should be a piece of cake. ]] She placed her hand on her daughter's face when she looked like she might object again. [[ I'm in no danger. The Gems won't see each other, and between you and Valar shielding us . . . Stop worrying! Besides, I need to develop a life outside of your father anyway. ]] [[ Wait! Does he even know you're here? ]] Alyidana looked sheepish. [[ He thinks I'm visiting friends. ]] Eliza looked irritated. [[ He's going to blame me. You know that, right? ]] "What's that for?" Dusty's question reverberated through the room. A couple of Colonel Corbin's men had arrived, carrying a large black board, each end of which fit into a stand. It was placed one end against the mirror facing Test Room B, effectively dividing that part of the room in half. "That is to prevent the two Gems from seeing each other," Valar explained. "We discovered quite by accident and with no small amount of headaches that the Living Gems really . . . well, they don't get along." "They start yelling at each other, in a manner of speaking," Veronica said. "It's really creepy." Ash was ignoring them all at this point. She didn't care about any of this anymore, if "care" was really an appropriate word. She walked through the door into the observation room. She was almost surprised at how strong the memories were. She could almost remember the sensation . . . the smell of the gas. She certainly remembered "click" noise. Then there had been screaming. Dr. Trendenfall looked through the window. "I can't imagine what it was like," he muttered. "Pray you never do," Veronica whispered. She understood more than any of them. She had been a few breaths away from breathing no more. Now, just like what had been done with her, she wondered if these ancient magical objects would be able to save another tortured soul. "Are we ready?" hissed that voice from the room beyond. Ash wanted . . . yes wanted . . . for this to be over. She dropped her weapons and waited for someone to make the next move. "Very well," Valar said. He looked at the Alyidana and Martha VanHouten. "Are you both comfortable with the Gems and what you have to do?" Both women nodded. Alyidana looked surprisingly calm, but she had lived a life surrounded by powerful people. Professor VanHouten was new to this, but Valar had the utmost confidence in her. Dr. Trendenfall pressed a button on the hover platform, and the force field around the Ocean's Heart fizzled and disappeared. That side of the room was seeped in a fluid blue glow. Dusty had felt a rush when she had let Kalinicia lend her energy. That was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. She felt small next to the power of the Living Gem. And when Mr. McBride deactivated the shield for the Heaven's Eye, things got weirder. While the two gems were not in "sight" of each other, wherever their lights touched around the edges of the separator, there seemed to be a crackle like lightning. The Ocean's Heart's blue versus the white emanations of the Heaven's Eye: Dusty wasn't sure if it took her breath away or was simply crushing down on her. Professor Martha VanHouten, who's only link to this initially had been her sexual involvement with Dusty, found herself touching something much bigger than she had ever envisioned. Even with Valar and Katrina feeding her energy, she knew she was nothing more than a spec of dust on a comet. "Sweet heavens above," she whispered. The power was arcing up through her arms, through her shoulders and back out through the other hand, creating a circle of energy. She looked forward and saw Ash standing in the room alone. The woman didn't seem to be staring at anything in particular. She was just staring and waiting. Martha looked at the girl and started breaking down the girl's form . . . the composition of ash versus the composition of flesh. And then there was that glow. She could see it as clear as the sun rising over the ocean . . . that magical node pulsing on the far side of the room. And then there was a smaller pulse, drifting inside of Ash's mind. It was sparking: it seemed to recognize the node, and it wanted to go home. The magic inside of Ash didn't need to be extinguished, but the thin dark mystical tendrils that were holding it in place did. She extended the power of the Heart and let it flow. Ash felt something . . . cold . . . inside her. She dropped to her knees. She hadn't felt "cold" in a long time. Bits of ash and dust started to fleck from her skin. Alyidana took her cue. Ash was beginning to dissolve. She experienced similar feelings to Martha's when she touched the Heaven's Eye. It was her turn to look at Ash, or maybe into Ash. The girl was falling apart . . . dissolving. Alyidana looked deeper: there was still some bone there, reforming as the bits of magical energy slipped out of Ash and went flying back into the node they had come from. There was flesh too. [[ By the powers! ]] she gasped, concentrating hard and fast on her healing arts, using energy from her daughter and from her future daughter to power the Eye. A white beam shot from the Living Gem and struck Ash, who had fallen to her hands and knees. Alyidana was searching desperately for something . . . some spark of life . . . something to work with. When Ash had been changed, had it been too late? Had her soul and life force already fled the mortal realm? 'No,' she thought. She saw it, hugging the area where Ash's heart had once been. It had been separated from the girl's mind for so long that as the pieces began to reform it almost lashed out, looking for the other half of life's equation. And when it found it, the screaming began again in Test Room B . . . screaming that the room had not heard in forty years. Dusty pressed her hands to her face as she watched and listened in horror. She had no idea what was going on, but she understood what pain sounded like, and that was too much pain for one person to bear. She saw that Veronica was visibly shaking as she aided her girlfriend's mother. 'Was that what she felt when the Spear of God touched her?' Dusty thought. Alyidana was mending for all she was worth, trying to undo the ravages of intense flame on a young woman's body. Normally, this kind of healing would take her months, but with the Heaven's Eye, it would be done within minutes. She knew that there would be another problem . . . one that none of them had anticipated. But that would come later. For now, she needed to finish the healing and hopefully, in time, stop the banshee cries of agony. While the entire process only took a few minutes, for those involved it seemed like eternity. Those glowing lights, the crackling of power and magic, and the screaming. Then the moment came . . . quiet. It was the kind of quiet that was usually associated with lowering a long pine box into the ground and covering it with worm-filled earth. Dusty pressed her face against the glass. Lying on the floor of Test Room B was a naked, bald young woman. And she wasn't screaming anymore. In fact, she wasn't moving. "You killed her!" Dusty shouted, rushing into the room despite protestations from her father and the others. But she was wrong. When she turned Ash's body over, she could see that the young girl was breathing. Her lithe young body was still hyper-taut and her face was frozen in a most unflattering grimace. And there were remnants of tears on the girl's face, which Dusty promptly wiped away. She didn't know what else she could do. For a moment, Ash opened her eyes. Almost instantly, those eyes started to tear up, and Ash began to sob. Then Alyidana was at her side, placing a hand on Ash's forehead and willed her to sleep. "What – " Dusty started. "Mom what's going on?" Eliza said, appearing in the room. The Gems had been secured, and soon everyone was in the room. "I saw her soul . . . her emotional being trying to reattach to her logical mind. That's when it struck me: what was going to happen when those two things reattached?" "I don't get it," Dusty sniffed. "Wasn't that the point?" "Young lady, the relationship between memory and emotion is a powerful one. Her memories kept her mostly on the straight and narrow for many years. But those NEW memories had NO emotional context." Alyidana sighed. "When she comes to, her soul is going to have to deal with everything that she's done for the last forty years, and it's going to happen all at once. And . . . and it's going to start with what she felt the moment she was changed." "You mean – " This time it was Eliza speaking up. She couldn't finish the statement, but she didn't have to. Veronica read it in her mind. The blonde hybrid whispered, "We saved her just so she could experience what it was like to be burned alive one more time?" Alyidana looked pained. "Yes. Her body will survive. Her mind is in for the fight of its life." ----- -------------------- Weeks later . . . ----- -------------------- Dr. Trendenfall had finished packing up his belongings, but the idea of heading back home right away just didn't seem right. True, the Purity had been almost completely broken in the attack, but there was a big difference between "almost" and "completely." He was confident that with Tom's help, he would be safe. But what he was worried about was Dusty. Ash had been moved to the Hybrid Security compound for safe-keeping. Alyidana had temporarily moved in to overlook the girl's recovery. It had been generally agreed that no one outside that group could know about Ash. Not about her being a Chimera baby and not about her being "cured." If their enemies thought for a moment that magic could be cured, then they would redouble their efforts and have a campaign platform all set for them. Valar, Katrina and Professor VanHouten had all returned to Terra, while Hybrid Security was monitoring the world info streams. And Dusty had refused to leave Ash's side since they got back. Jon had never seen his daughter behave this way, and hoped she hadn't developed an attachment to the girl. No one knew exactly what kind of person they had managed to bring back. Ash lay unconscious in a large bed in one of the guest houses at the compound. There was a light dusting of hair that adorned her formerly bald skull . . . it turned out that Ash was a blonde. Her body . . . her face . . . she looked so young! She was a slim girl, lean from her life before being changed . . . before Chimera. And she was very pretty. Dr. Trendenfall wondered if that had been a blessing or a burden when she lived on the streets? "She looks good," Dusty said, not even raising her eyes to look at her father. "Eliza's mom did a good job." Jon walked in and sat on the sofa next to Alyidana. "Any change?" "She wakes up sometimes . . . starts crying or laughing or just staring," Alyidana replied. "We try and let her stay awake for a while, but sleep is when people resolve their emotional issues." She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what to expect. This isn't something that has ever happened before . . . mind and soul existing independently for so long." "Shh," Dusty whispered heatedly. "She's waking up again." Ash opened her eyes, which were traced with red. There was only so much that sleep could do with something that had been crying that much. She let out a puff of air, gurgling almost as if she had been drowning. Then she let loose with a maniacal laugh that petered out into a hoarse gasp. Dr. Trendenfall looked on with some concern. 'Has she gone insane? I couldn't blame her . . . not with everything she's been through.' The girl started to look around wildly. Alyidana sighed. She reached her hand forward, but this time . . . for the first time . . . Ash reached up and stopped her. "No more," the girl whispered, then chuckled and then whimpered. "No more sleep. I've been asleep too long . . . too long . . . too many sheep jumping the fence . . . too high . . . too close to the sun." Ash stopped ranting for a moment, a quizzical look on her face. "Sun," she whispered. She looked at Dusty like she was the only person in the world who might understand her. "I want . . .want to see the sun." Dusty looked at Alyidana, who was just nodding her head in quiet amazement. This was more conversation than she had gotten out of the young girl since un-changing her. Dusty grabbed a robe and draped it over the girl's form, escorting her out of the house. She saw some of the members of Hybrid Security off on the patio to the main house, watching with interest. When Ash felt the sun on her face, she stopped. "I feel it," she said, closing her eyes and smiling. Dusty almost cried. The girl hadn't felt anything in almost half a century. And she was smiling. Slowly but surely, a grin had appeared on that face. Dusty had never seen any expression from Ash in the months that she had known her, and now one emotion or another was dancing across her face, gone as quickly as it had come. But this smile was staying. Ash stumbled forward a bit, then yelped. She had left the smooth pavement and stepped into the grass. Then she looked down in wonderment, scrunching the grass between her toes. Finally, she just lay down, feeling the grass against her face and the sun on her neck. Dusty knelt down next to the girl, smiling. "She's asleep," she said. "Can we let her stay out here?" Alyidana nodded. "Maybe that's what she needs: to reconnect to the world. Let's get something over her so she doesn't get sunburned and see what happens." The shaman went off to find some kind of sun umbrella, while Jon and his daughter stayed behind. "She looks happier out here, doesn't she?" Dusty crooned. "Dusty, you know it's almost time to go, right? You might still be able to salvage some of your semester and – " Dusty shook her head. "How can we leave her? I mean, after all she did – " "I PAID her to protect you," her father reminded her, maybe a little too callously. "She's got all of Hybrid Security to protect her now." Dust was adamant. "I'm not leaving until I know she's going to be okay." Dr. Trendenfall threw up his hands in defeat. She was a strong-willed young woman, just like her mother had been. Terillia, the succubus, was the first to come over. "They are looking for a canopy of some kind," she flittered, looking down at the young woman on the grass. She didn't look like the same creature who had waded through piles of Purity corpses less than a month earlier. This girl was sweet . . . almost innocent. Terillia extended one feather wing, providing some shade. "Breeze," Ash muttered, not quite as asleep as everyone thought. She had felt the air move over her as Terillia extended her wing. It made her smile . . . it cooled her as the sun had warmed her. They were simple sensations, but each was exquisite to her. Terillia flapped her wing lightly. She stopped, looking confused when Ash began to cry. "So many people . . . I killed them . . . buried below where the worms sleep . . . their blood on my hands." Ash started clawing at the grass that had just recently provided her such fascination. Then she stopped, looking mortally offended at what she had done. "Sorry," she whispered, trying to push the small chunks of turf back into place. "I didn't mean to . . ." No one even knew who or what she was talking to. Dusty wrapped an arm around the girl's trembling shoulders while Terillia shaded her. Alyidana looked on worriedly, as did Dr. Trendenfall. The girl's mind was like single flower, battered by the elements and trying desperately to survive a harsh winter. It was so frail that any little breeze might make it snap. Ash pulled herself into a fetal position and just started whispering, "What have I done?" over and over again. Finally Alyidana made the decision that this had gone on long enough and slowly helped the girl back to the world of sleep. "She has no grounding," Alyidana said. "She just clings to these amorphous memories, reconciling what she has done with what she thinks she ought to have done. She needs guidance . . . purpose." "But how do we reach her?" Dr. Trendenfall said. "Does she have family or anything?" Alyidana asked. "No," Dusty said. Everyone looked at her. "How do you know?" her father asked. "I talked to her," Dusty replied. "I just wanted to know her." She looked at Alyidana. "Her parents . . . let's just say that even if they were still alive, weren't exactly the types to help anyone but themselves. She was homeless from when she was fourteen until Chimera." Dusty looked deep in thought. "What?" her father asked. "If we give her something familiar . . . something to hold onto . . . that might help?" "Yes." "When she lived alone, she lived under a bridge near a river. You have a creek on the property, right? We could settle her down over there." Alyidana nodded, then sent a telepathic message to the house. Eliza and Veronica emerged, both looking confused. "You want us to build a bridge?" her daughter asked. "Or something that resembles one. I believe that Dusty may be on to something that could help Ash." Eliza and Veronica looked at each other, exchanging thoughts. "Okay." She wandered off, grumbling as Veronica looked on with amusement. Eliza wasn't used to being told what to do. "What am I going to do with a bridge?" "You could keep the trolls under it," Veronica said, slowly following after her fiancée. Another idea embedded itself into Dusty's brain. She got up and hurried after Eliza. "Could I borrow a car?" she asked. Eliza pursed her lips. "Why?" "I've got an idea." Eliza grinned. She was beginning to like this girl. "Go get Vicky . . . take Dennis and Bear with you for . . . whatever it is you're planning." ----------- ------------------- Later that night . . . ----------- ------------------- Ash hated her dreams. There was a numbing redundancy to them . . . blood and bones splattered and broken. From the most recent fight in Mexico through every job she ever had for every favor she ever accrued . . . her mind kept going down the list. It had all seemed so logical. How could butchery be logical? But her mind kept blanking at one spot . . . at the beginning . . . something she didn't know how to deal with and – Dust to Dust Ch. 04 She felt something waking her. Something was . . . licking her face? She felt it all over, and then felt something soft bump against her face. She opened her eyes. "A puppy?" she whispered, unaware of the people around her. But she heard the running of water and felt that wonderful breeze: it was like her life before Chimera found her. Outdoors . . . free . . . and she . . . she had a dog back then. A dog that had once been . . ."A puppy?!" she said, wistful but strangely content for a moment. She reached down and picked up the excited little creature that was wiggling for all it was worth. It was a tannish color: a little ball of fluff and energy. She couldn't help but smile, holding the animal in front of her face and relishing its kisses. "Where did you come from little guy?" she cooed. Alyidana and Dusty and Dr. Trendenfall and Eliza and Vicky were all on hand for this change in events. At the moment, it didn't even seem like Ash knew anyone was there. Dusty had a strange smile on her face. Ash was acting like a girl! A confused girl, but a girl nonetheless. Ash put the puppy down and watched in scamper, running to and fro before colliding with Dusty's legs. It put its paws up on Dusty's legs: it remembered the woman who had come and gotten it out of the cage. Dusty was distracted by the adorable rascal, but then she looked up. Ash was looking right at her, and she was crying. But it was the first time she had really "looked" at someone instead of through them. "Why does my head hurt so much? Too many voices – " she whimpered. Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Dusty, and Dusty didn't even think for a moment before reciprocating. "I just want it quiet . . . just for a little while." "We'll figure it out," Dusty whispered. "I promise." ------------ ---------------- A month later . . . ------------ ---------------- Dusty lay on her bed, alone in the suite. She had promised her father she would return to school once Ash was on her way to recovery, and he had held her to that. Once Ash's dementia had broken like a fever, Dusty had reluctantly been whisked back to school. That had been three weeks ago. While Dusty had undergone a number of adventures, not many people on Terra knew about them. So much of what she had seen and knew was classified, so she wasn't allowed to talk about it. But the Terran Academy's board of regents knew some details, and realized that it might not be in their best interests to put any other students in with Dusty for their own security. While the Purity was certainly almost fatally wounded, they were still twitching just a little bit. There had been a few instances of violence, so they had politely quarantined Dusty as much as they could. For some reason, Dusty wasn't able to really get back into the swing of things. All her old suitemates would drop by to say hello or have dinner, but even they noticed that something was missing. Dusty had lost some of her swagger. Katrina had tried to coax her friend into a tryst, but Dusty just had no interest. When caught daydreaming in professor VanHouten's class, she was called to the office on a couple of occasions. But instead of sex, Dusty just wanted to talk. And Martha was quite capable of just listening. She was in almost daily contact with the Hybrid Security compound, checking on Ash's progress. The pseudo-young woman was being counseled by Alyidana, who had decided to extend her visit to Earth for that purpose (as well as visit her daughter). Evlidone Msabdteelfinclor, Security Director for the Devlia province on Terra as well as being Eliza's father, had some choice words for his daughter. He was a wise enough man not to criticize his wife directly, but he and his daughter had bickered for decades before reconciling. But old habits died hard. Dusty had still been on Earth for that, and the words that had flown during that cross-dimensional communication had made everyone around blush and / or leave the room. Eventually, Alyidana had been forced to step in and play peacemaker . . . again. Once she had made it QUITE clear that it was her decision (using that tone that only a wife knows how to use with her husband), Evlidone stopped grumbling and Eliza bit her tongue. In the week before Dusty had left, Ash had slowly began to calm down. She was wracked with guilt over the things that she had done, and still gun-shy about the things she had experienced. It was going to take a while to get everything out of her. Strangely, she felt more comfortable in a sleeping bag out next to the creek now than she did in any of the guest rooms. Luckily, both trolls slept outside as well, so the girl was never in a situation where someone wasn't watching out for her. And the puppy, who had been affectionately named "Mr. Fuzzy Butt," was Ash's emotional anchor. Whenever she started to rant or mentally stray, the little creature helped ground her again. Alyidana had told Dusty repeatedly what a good idea that had been. Dusty didn't feel particularly brilliant: she had just been the only one who had actually listened to Ash. Her communications with Ash were almost mind-bending to her. Ash the bodyguard had been stoic, calm and overly rational. Ash the girl was a rambling, emotional rollercoaster. She was a teenager emotionally, but had the knowledge base of someone in their late fifties. It made for some interesting conversations. It had been odd to hear a woman talk about breaking down, cleaning and reassembling a gauss rifle with the same enthusiasm that most teenaged girls talk about figuring out what outfit to wear. That made Dusty smile. Ash was unlike anyone who had ever lived, so maybe it was good that she was under Eliza's protection. Who else could understand "uniqueness" like the co-leaders of Hybrid Security? Her communications orb began humming and blinking, so she activated with a casual thought. It was her father, and he looked distressed. "Dad? What's up?" Dr. Trendenfall looked nervous. "You might want to watch the news stream for a second. Something just came on." Dusty felt herself shudder. She switched the sphere over to the information stream connection, pulling up a joint Terran and Earth news broadcast. *Again, the following is a message sent from someone calling himself 'The Savior,' claiming that the World Council is reopening the Chimera Project.* Dusty's heart caught in her throat. 'This couldn't be a coincidence,' she thought. A slightly grungy copy of a video feed began to play on the stream. *Ladies and gentlemen of Earth,* the voice said smoothly, *I am sure that you will find what we are about to show you as deplorable as we did ourselves. Many decades ago, some of those obsessed with the dark art of magic sought to corrupt the human race by conducting disgusting experiments on unsuspecting human beings. Now our own governments and councils, in collusion with the menaces from Terra, seek to reopen the doors to Hell and once again defile the very substance of our race.* On the display, Dusty saw a grainy image of a military convoy. She knew what it was: someone had captured a video of them transporting Ash to the facility. She couldn't make out any details and couldn't see any individuals, but whomever was holding the camera pulled back the shot to make sure and capture the sign that said: "Chimera Pharmaceuticals: Keep out." *As you can see, the operation was performed in secret under the cloak of darkness. No official reason or report for the trip has been produced, nor can any rationale be given for disturbing the ghosts of that horrible place. It is obvious that the powers that be seek to make US more like THEM . . . a super race undreamt of since the days of the Nazis in World War II. Do not allow yourselves to be duped any longer. Rise up and stop the government from further tainting the human blood line. Use whatever means necessary.* Then the transmission ended and Dusty switched back to her father. "What does this mean?" she asked. "It means that things aren't as 'over' as I would like for them to be. Please be careful. I don't think that we are really targets anymore. They seem to have found a better rallying point, but it does mean that we aren't out of the woods yet." "I'll be careful . . . I promise." The communication ended. Strangely, her first thought was, 'I hope Ash is going to be okay.' ------------ ---------------- On Earth . . . ------------ ---------------- "Is Dusty going to be okay?" Ash asked quietly, sitting under her tarp in the mild California rain. She, and the others at Hybrid Security's compound, had just got finished watched the Purity's latest message. Mr. Fuzzy Butt was curled up in her lap, periodically yawning just to remind everyone how cute he was. "I should go," she whispered confusedly. "I promised . . ." Alyidana took her hand. She and many of the others had taken to spending time with Ash out in her little area. "You know that you can't do that now . . . you're not invulnerable anymore." "So?" Ash replied desperately. "A promise is a promise." Eliza looked on carefully. The girl was still very "raw" in regards to her mental state, though she had stabilized a lot. "Right now, you're not in a position to be a very good bodyguard, promises or no," Eliza said sternly. "I can still help!" Ash replied, a little hotly. She stopped, looking around. "That's anger," she muttered, then actually looked excited. "I was angry!" She looked around, enormously pleased with herself. {{ She is so odd, }} Victoria thought to her partner. {{ Tell me about it, }} Eliza sent back. "Ash, you're just now able to string complete sentences together. What do you really think you could do to help Dusty if there was trouble?" There were moments when Ash had been nothing more than a golem where she had shown flashes of being a person. For a moment, Ash the person remembered what it was like to be a golem. Without even thinking, she grabbed a couple of rocks off the ground. She skipped one off the surface of the creek and then nailed it in the air with the other. Apparently, you don't need to have muscles to have muscle memory . . . at least not in her case. Eliza smiled. The girl had some gusto. "Okay, now if you needed to use something bigger than a rock – " Eliza's smile vanished and she looked dead serious. "You've had to deal with killing a lot of people while you were changed. Do you think you could kill someone now? Even if Dusty's life depended on it?" She pulled a rail pistol and handed it to the girl. "Eliza!" her mother said. "Babe, are you sure – " Veronica started to say. All objections were cut off when Ash raised the gun, glanced in one direction and cause several pine-cones to evaporate. But she was crying the entire time. "I don't want to kill anyone," she muttered, then dropped the gun and went to chase after Mr. Fuzzy Butt, who had been scared by the loud noises. "That girl is going to be a lot of work," Alyidana said before slapping her daughter in the arm. "And you're not helping." "She needed a wake up call," Eliza replied. "I admire her dedication to Dusty, but you KNOW she'd just be a danger: to herself AND Dusty." "She NEEDS for people to stop trying to shock her into doing what they want," her mother reminded her. Eliza nodded. "I'm not an idiot Mom, but I don't want her blood on my hands." "I'm just saying there might have been a better way to handle that," Alyidana replied. She looked at Ash, who was again coddling the puppy who seemed to have forgotten the scary noises due to the thrill of simply existing and being petted. "Ash, maybe we can help Dusty. I think Eliza is right: it's far too early for you to think about trying to be her bodyguard, but maybe you can just be her friend. Maybe we should go visit her? It sounds like she could use some company." Eliza nodded. "I could send someone with you. Just to be safe." "You could come with us," Alyidana smirked. "Maybe go visit your father." Eliza tried finding something else to look at. "I really don't think we have time – " "Yeah we do," Veronica said, earning her an evil glare from her lover. "Colonel Corbin and the World Council have their eyes on the Purity and will get a hold of us if there is something we can do to help out. There's always going to be a next 'big bad' for us to deal with, so take a break while you can. You really should spend more time with your dad anyway." "Any conversations with my father do NOT constitute a 'break.' And who's going to run things while I'm gone?" Veronica looked her over. "Who am I? Chopped liver?" "I just figured you'd be going with me." "And be around you and your father bickering? Are you out of your mind?!" Veronica got up and headed back to the house, leaving Eliza to stare in wide-eyed exasperation. "And you're going to marry her," Alyidana mentioned. Eliza's only response was to sigh. ------------- ---------------------- The next day on Terra . . . ------------- ---------------------- Dusty looked up from her tired stupor when she heard a knocking on her front door. Her heart leapt a little . . . she guessed it was because she was still on high alert. She got up and went to the door and checked the spyhole. "Ash!" she shrieked, flinging open the door and giving the girl a hug. "And friends," Alyidana said from behind her. "Alyidana!" Dusty replied with a grin and almost as much enthusiasm. "Eliza?! Terillia?! What are you guys doing here?" She stopped cold. "Is Dad – " "Your father is fine," Eliza said, stepping inside before anyone spotted her. "I was worried," Ash said. "I wanted to come check on you, but . . . And since you have free weekends . . . they said that I probably shouldn't . . . shouldn't come alone – " "You just need a little more time," Eliza's mother said. "I'm just glad to see you," Dusty said, hugging her friend again. "How long were you going to stay?" "A couple of days," Ash said with a grin. She pulled up her little animal carrier, where Mr. Fuzzy Butt had begun to whine. It had been a long trip and he wanted out. "Does your dorm allow pets?" Dusty grinned and opened the door to the courtyard, and the two girls went out to watch a young puppy frolic on another world. Eliza was watching on with some amusement. "They are a pair, aren't they?" Terillia piped in with, "Ash and Dusty or Ash and Mr. Fuzzy Butt?" Eliza shook her head. "I can't believe she named the dog that." She turned to Terillia. "You okay with staying with 'em tonight? Tonight's argument with Dad – " "Why do you assume that you and your father HAVE to argue?" Alyidana complained. "Because it's ME . . . and DAD . . . You HAVE been paying attention for the last century, haven't you?" She turned back to Terillia. The succubus was obviously confused. "Questions?" [[ Uhm, ]] Terillia said, reverted to at Terran dialect, [[ No. Not really. ]] She paused. [[ Yes. Why . . . not that I don't appreciate your confidence in me, but why me? I'm not a senior member of the team. ]] [[ It's okay, ]] Eliza replied. [[ We're looking to expand the team, and I may need you to start taking on extra responsibility. No, you're not a senior team member, but you're probably the most enthusiastic one of the bunch." Terillia smiled proudly and went to check on her young charges. Alyidana looked at her daughter. [[ What's the REAL reason? Don't lie to me, young lady. ]] [[ What? ]] Eliza replied, looking as innocent as she could. [[ I think she has leadership potential. ]] In actuality, this was her way at getting back at Veronica for sticking her on this trip. Terillia was Vicky's lover . . . With Terillia gone, Vicky wouldn't be getting any. When Vicky wasn't getting any, she tended to whine. The person she tended to whine to was Veronica. If Eliza was going to have to endure an argument with her father, Veronica was going to have to put up with a whiny younger (though only by a few minutes) sister. [[ Shall we go? ]] ---------- ------------ Later on . . . ---------- ------------ "I'm sorry that they won't let you have your roommates," Ash was saying, sipping on the fruit smoothie that Dusty had made for her two guests. Terillia looked quite content, though she was still in full battle regalia. But the succubus didn't seem to mind, so Dusty didn't say anything. "So Ash," Dusty started, "have you been thinking about what you want to do next?" Ash put her drink down. "Not really. Well, Alyidana thinks I should go back to school." She bit her bottom lip. "I . . . I never graduated from high school. I dropped out when my parents abandoned me. I don't know why," Ash said, almost pouting. "I HATED school. Everyone trying to tell me how I should be. I mean, I've got enough money that I don't need to work – " "Really?" Dusty asked. "How much? I'm sorry, it's none of my – " "About twenty million, world currency," Ash replied. Dusty and Terillia both just stared. "What?" Ash said, suddenly very self-conscious. "I haven't spent anything on food or shelter for forty years. No real need for anything but guns and some neat gadgets. Being a golem was a cheap lifestyle, at least," she said glumly. Dusty went over and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. She liked being close to Ash and – "Ash," she said, suddenly curious about something. "What's your real name?" Ash just stared at her, then blushed and grinned shyly. "Ashley." Terillia snickered, and Dusty just smiled. "Really?" "Ashley Eddings," Ash replied, then looked sad again. "Some of the homeless guys I knew started calling me Ash because I would tend the trash fires while everyone was sleeping . . . put 'em out so they didn't catch – " Ash was trying very hard not to cry. She had never liked fire, even before it had changed her life forever. She forced a smile and cuddled against Dusty. Then, for a moment, she felt like she actually might be okay. "I understand . . . a little," Terillia said. "I went to Earth from Terra because I was didn't like what my nest wanted me to be. It is hard sometimes to find a place you belong. I was fortunate." "You found Hybrid?" Dusty asked. "Or more specifically, you found Vicky?" she added slyly. Terillia grinned. "Miss Vicky was brought into Hybrid Security about the same time I was. It was a most fortunate turn of events." Ash let her head rest in Dusty's lap. As her friend started to run those tanned fingers over Ash's slightly haired skull, Ash said, "I want that. It would be nice to have a 'fortunate event' for a change." Dusty was trying very hard to think of something to cheer her companion up. "What did you like to do?" she asked. "Besides play with dogs? You know . . . before?" Ash shrugged. "I dunno. Hang out. Street kids do a lot of that. Beg for money . . . we'd try and get creative with that. Find some dumb disease that no one ever gets. Dumpster diving . . ." "Dumpster diving?" Terillia asked. "Yeah . . . we'd go through trash dumpsters and see what kind of cool or sometimes just weird stuff that people threw away. What?" Dusty was snickering. "You went from dumpster diving to . . . well, now you can buy just about anything you want! You should buy something," she said excitedly. "Something you always wanted but never thought you'd have." "I . . . I wouldn't know what to get," Ash said earnestly. "The Lalia Market is open for five more hours," Dusty said excitedly. "Let's go! You don't have to get something big, just . . . just something!" Terillia looked concerned. "I am not sure that's a good idea." "C'mon," Dusty said, her voice crooning. "Listen, you'll be there to look after us, and it's just a little bit of the Terran equivalent of mall walking. I thought I wasn't a target anymore anyway, and no one knows to look for Ash . . . Ashley – " She looked at her friend. "What do you want to be called?" Dust to Dust Ch. 04 The girl responded quickly. "Ashley," she whispered. "Ash . . . I think I've had enough of that name." "Okay, Ashley it is." She looked back to Terillia. "Please?" Dusty was on the verge of using her infamous cleavage, but Terillia was already consenting. ----------- ------------------ Two hours later . . . ----------- ------------------ Dusty looked on in amusement as Ashley stared at a storefront that sold blown glass animal statues. She hadn't been kidding: Ashley had no idea what to do with her money. Before Chimera had gotten a hold of her, she couldn't afford to buy anything. Then, she had tons of money but saw no reason to buy anything that didn't have a practical application. She couldn't make up her mind on what to get. It was almost as if she didn't know what she wanted. And that wasn't the only thing that Dusty found amusing. She had communicated with her old suitemates, all of whom had come along on the trip. They had been shocked by the changes in Ashley, and they were a little intimidated by Terillia. She was a close friend and employee of Eliza Msabdteelfinclor, which was almost like being a disciple of Christ for the Terrans. Terillia was both proud and somewhat creeped out by their constant adoration. "Maybe we should just go back," Ashley whined, returning empty handed from the shop. "Mr. Fuzzy Butt shouldn't be left alone – " "Mr. Fuzzy Butt has a nice open courtyard to do his business and you left him enough food to hold over for an Alaskan winter. He's fine." "Well what would YOU get?" Ashley asked anxiously. "This isn't about me," Dusty said, hugging the other girl. Ashley's hand slipped into the pocket of the jumpsuit she had gotten from Hybrid and held the currency card she had gotten that accessed her substantial secret accounts. She felt guilty at the idea of buying something silly or pretty . . . she still had the belief that necessities came first. But she also knew that necessities would not be a problem anymore. 'Would it really hurt just to buy something nice?' she thought. 'And it would make Dusty happy.' THAT thought warmed her. She wanted to make Dusty happy. She stopped, looking at a sign on another store front. Katrina walked up. "What is it?" Dusty followed Ashley's gaze. It was a health and relaxation club . . . the Terran interpretation of a day spa. "You want a massage?" Dusty joked. Ashley grinned. "I think we ALL could do that!" It was something she could buy and share. Vetlia whispered something to Katrina, who interpreted. "That's 'The Lady of the River.' They're very high-priced and getting a reservation can take a while." --------- -------------------- Three hours later . . . --------- -------------------- Vetlia had been wrong about one thing: getting an appointment at that particular spa didn't take long to get. Especially once the lady at the front desk saw the limit (or lack thereof) on Ashley's currency card. Suddenly, they had the ability to accommodate Ashley and all her companions. The spa had quality personnel who were trained to handle all potential clients. Each one of the women was pampered out of her mind. The gargoyle's stone-like skin was cleaning and polished, while Terillia was bathed and her feathers preened. All were treated to massages, skin treatments and anything else there hearts desired. At one point, Dusty heard a yip from the stall next to her where Ashley was being attended. Apparently the girl hadn't really understood what getting "waxed" meant until it was too late. Despite being a little embarrassed and strangely excited, Ashley was happy. She had bought something that had made her feel good . . . a shared positive experience with these other girls. And she felt something else . . . something good and warm inside her. It had started when she had glimpsed Dusty lying naked on a table with a talented masseuse running her hands over that perfect flesh. The girls opened the door to Dusty's suite and walked inside. Eliza was waiting for them, and she didn't look pleased. "Terillia," the woman said coolly, "would you mind explaining where you've been?" "Oh don't take it out on her," Alyidana said, emerging from the kitchen where sweet smells were making their presence known. "Just because you had ANOTHER argument with your father – " "And he did exactly what I told you he'd do! He blamed me for YOU getting involved! Mom, let me – " "I'm sorry, Miss Eliza," Terillia said, hanging her head in shame. "It seemed like a harmless enough outing, and I was with them the entire time." Eliza leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. "No . . . no, it's okay. My mother is right. I'm just a little on edge and . . . and what are YOU looking at?" Katrina, Vexla and Vetlia were staring in complete awe. The biggest hero in modern Terran folklore was sitting not more than a few feet away from them, and they were in fact still impressionable and young. "Oh no," Eliza muttered. She knew that look. Quickly, they descended on her, asking her a billion questions at once regarding every aspect of her life. She noticed that her mother was staring on in amusement. Eliza had wanted a life of adventure: this was one of the quirks of that life. She looked up. "Ash – " "Actually it's Ashley," she replied. "My name, I mean." Eliza raised an eyebrow. "Ashley?" "Yeah." "Okay. Makes sense. Anyway, I thought we'd head back tomorrow first thing – " "I . . . I'd like to stay a bit longer. I mean, I'm not a danger . . . really." "Are you sure?" Alyidana asked. "Yes." Dusty was pleased, though she wasn't sure why Ashley wanted to stay. "Listen, things are safe right now. And she DOES need to get out there at some point." "Okay," Eliza said. "But try and keep a little lower profile. We still need to be a bit careful until we find out more about this 'Savior' character and what he's up to." "Okay," Ashley replied. Eliza rolled her eyes, turning back to the awe-struck students around her. [[ Okay, WHAT is it going to take to get you to stop staring?! ]] The answer was to apparently tell them every story of every job that she had ever taken until they finally passed out from exhaustion. --------- -------------------- The next night . . . --------- -------------------- Dusty awoke with a yawn, got dressed in a robe and walked out into the main suite. She found that Eliza, Terillia and Alyidana were already ready to go. "I'll be by tomorrow at sundown," Alyidana said. "We'll have an escort back to the gate." She glanced at her daughter. "I can't believe you talked Dad into sending a royal armed contingent. Much worse, he's coming himself!" "Your father has wanted to visit you on Earth for some time, and the Prime Minister is insisting he actually take a vacation." Eliza was just grumbling. She had already contacted Veronica about getting the compound in ship-shape and ready for a "royal-pain-in-my-ass" visitor. Her lover had laughed at her and promised to take care of it. 'Does everyone revel in my misery?' she thought. "We'll be fine," Dusty grinned, hugging Alyidana. "We'll probably just hang out and watch a movie or something. Maybe getting to act like a normal girl will help her BE a normal girl." Alyidana smiled. "She's already acting more like a normal girl. She's overslept by a few hours." "She was pacing last night," Eliza said. "I heard her." When her mother stared at her quizzically, she replied with, "What? Enhanced hybrid hearing. It's why I started sleeping with earplugs." Dusty looked towards the bedroom where Ashley was sleeping. "I should probably see if Mr. Fuzzy Butt wants to go out," she said, hearing him whimpering on the other side of the door. "Alright," Alyidana said with a smile. "See you tomorrow." After her "guests" had gone, Dusty crept over and opened up the door. At first she was alarmed . . . she didn't see Ash in the bed. Then she noticed a lump curled up in a comforter on the floor with Ashley's head peaking out. Mr. Fuzzy Butt came rushing past Dusty to the courtyard door, which thankfully for the young pup was already opened a crack. He promptly ran outside and piddled on just about everything he could find with great delight. Dusty heard Ashley mutter something and glanced inside. The girl was pawing at the ground or something similar. 'She must be dreaming,' Dusty thought. She decided it might be better not to wake her suddenly . . . she had heard that homeless people woke up violently sometimes. But for some reason, Dusty didn't want to leave. She sat down on the bed and stared at her friend. 'She's actually really beautiful,' Dusty realized. But Dusty wasn't fooled by that lovely flower . . . she knew it still had thorns. Ashley's shoulder came uncovered, and Dusty reached down to cover it back up again. Her hand lightly brushed Ashley's skin, and the girl awoke with a snap. She grabbed Dusty's wrist tightly, but quickly released when she saw who it was. "I'm SO sorry," Ashley said, but her face brightened when she saw Dusty. The light from the main room was playing off Dusty's brown hair, encasing it in a halo-like glow. "Are you okay?" She got up on her knees and held Dusty's hands quite gently . . . a serious deviation from what she had just shown herself capable. And Dusty noticed something else: Ashley's lithe young body was quite naked. Ashley remembered her condition shortly after Dusty noticed it. She blushed furiously, reaching for her comforter and pulling it up around her. "Oh God," she said. "I'm sorry." Dusty grinned. "It ain't like I haven't seen a naked girl before. Always sleep in the buff?" Ashley was beat red. "I . . . I like the way the bedding feels against my skin. I haven't felt much in a long time. I want to feel it all now." Her eyes slowly rose up and met Dusty's. Dusty took a deep breath. In her relatively short life, she had played the game of romantic pursuit. She had been the hunter and the hunted, but she had always been in control of the game. Right now, she was NOT in control. The look that this girl was giving her . . . a kind of longing that ran through you like a current and threatened to carry you away. A dam had broken somewhere, and Ashley . . . not Ash, but Ashley . . . was the force to be reckoned with now. "Dusty – " Ashley whispered. "Ashley . . . Oh this is not good," Dusty said. She knew she should leave, but her body lacked the will to get out. "Dusty, there are a lot of people who have helped me for one reason or another over the years. But it always seemed they wanted something from me . . . just like I wanted something from them." She bit her bottom lip for a second. "You were the first one in my life who actually cared. And good grief, even when I couldn't feel anything, I knew what you would have made me feel what I'm feeling now." And then, just like Ashley was prone to do, a switch seemed to flip and she edged back. "But . . . but you're repulsed by me . . . because I'm ugly or because of the things I've done and I'm trying to be pretty and trying to make you like me and there all those people waiting outside. They're probably laughing at me or – " Dusty needed to stop the girl. She was beginning to tear herself up, and just at a time when she was showing such progress. And in all honesty, none of that mattered. Dusty was going to stop her for reasons of her own. She placed hands on both sides of Ash's face and brought their foreheads together. Then, with their mouths just inches away from each other – "You are not ugly. You never were. I don't blame you for anything you've done. And everyone else is gone, so it's just you and me." "Where – " "They left while you were sleeping, and they'll be by tomorrow night to get you. Which means we have a while to figure out what all this means." "All what – " Ashley watched with sweet helplessness as Dusty's lips moved forward and touched her own. Ashley had been burned, but she'd never felt anything that hot. But the flames . . . that kiss . . . they had something in common. There was no choice but to succumb to them. "This," Dusty whispered warmly. "And this," she said, kissing Ashley's neck. 'This is SUCH A MISTAKE!' her rational mind screamed. She pulled back and looked at her friend again, prepared to give her one more chance to make sure that this is something she wanted. 'How can she know?' Dusty thought. But when she saw Ashley's face up close again, there was no doubt. Ashley bit her bottom lip as she raised trembling hands to Dusty's shoulders, pushing the girl's robe out and allowing it to slip down her back. She had seen this flawless body before . . . ripe for sin and temptation, but she had not appreciated it back then. It was amazing was a simple little emotion such as desire could do to one's perception. Blood, skin, bone and muscle became just flesh: sweet, delectable flesh. An exaggerated amount of curve became an amazing breast, and full lips became a powerful weapon. Ashley was happy exploring those lips, and all that tanned, curvaceous flesh. Dusty smiled and took Ashley's hand in her own, then moved it onto one of Dusty's sizeable breasts. She encouraged her lover-to-be to squeeze and reacted with a sigh of pleasure when those tentative fingers closed in. She reached out and fondled the nipple of one of Ashley's much smaller tits. But the girl had pointy pink nipples, and Dusty KNEW they were going to provide her hours of entertainment. She pulled on them gently, and Ashley's eyes shot open with wondrous surprise. Almost out of instinct, Ashley tugged back, and a little harder than Dusty had. "Ouch!" Dusty squealed, then started to chuckle. She didn't let Ashley pull her hand away though. "It's okay," she reassured the girl. "Just not so hard." Ashley was a fast learner, and her administrations were much more pleasing from then on. She ran her other hand down Ashley's side, tickling the ribs a little before nestling in between the girl's thighs. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" Ashley nodded. Then she felt Dusty's fingers slip inside, first one and then another. Dusty pushed her body against Ashley, pinning her to the bed and kissing her on the lips and neck. Ashley wanted to reciprocate, but Dusty's was pressed so tightly against her that Ashley couldn't even maneuver. She was at her friend's total mercy. As she felt things that had been absent from her life for forty years, she decided that "at Dusty's mercy" wasn't necessarily a bad thing. 'She's a tight little thing,' Dusty thought, feeling the girl's mounting wetness and heat in the snug opening to her sex. She moved her fingers in a scissoring motion, getting the girl quite obviously worked up. Dusty wondered how many people Ashley had been with in her short life before sexual pleasure lost meaning to her, but then she decided it didn't matter. She pressed her hand against her lover's mound and continued to finger her. She slowly rotated her palm in small circles with gentle pressure against Ashley's clitoral area. Almost instantly, she saw a look of surprise and almost confusion on the girl's young face. Dusty's fingers motion was impeded as – 'She can't be,' Dusty thought amusedly. 'Already? I barely touched her!' But sure enough, Ashley was orgasming. Her slender body trembled as she stared wide-eyed but smiling at Dusty. "I guess I'd be on a hair trigger too if it'd been forty years since . . . You HAVE done this before, haven't you?" Ashley didn't even hear what Dusty was saying. Her ears were ringing. 'It's been so long,' she thought. She placed her lips on Dusty's face, unsure of what to do with them at first. Then she wound up kissing Dusty's cheek and then lips. That seemed to get her mind back into the game. Dusty pulled her hand up and wrapped that arm around Ashley's neck, and then alternated between licking the girl's cum off her fingers and kissing Ashley on the mouth. "Why don't we move this to the bed?" she asked after a minute. She stood up, drawing Ashley up with her. She lay back on the bed, stretching out sensuously and thrusting her large chest upward. She spread her legs slightly, but left it up to Ashley as to what was going to happen next. The blond headed girl looked nervous, almost as if she were being tested. Her eyes were drawn to that slice of heaven between Dusty's thighs, and she became hungry for it. She crouched between Dusty's legs and pressed her mouth against Dusty's pussy and . . . 'Oh my,' Dusty thought happily. 'She has DEFINITELY done this before!' Ashley was eating her with the passionate enthusiasm of a novice, but was hitting to many of the right spots to be a virgin. "A little slower," she cooed. "Oh, that's it." Ashley was happy for the input. She was lapping up and down, spreading her tongue as wide as she could for maximum effect. And she was slowly pushing her face inward and deeper, wanting to find Dusty's most secret places. She was intoxicated by the sensuous scent that the girl was giving off . . . perfume or body wash combined with sweat and sex . . . Ashley had never known quite that smell before, but she missed it nonetheless. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that elusive little creature, namely Dusty's clit, and teased it from its hiding place. Ashley looked deep into her memory to the last time she had been between a woman's legs, recalling what to do next. Her experience in the sexual arts was limited, and was far less glamorous than Dusty's many adventures. Before, sex had simply been a tool to keep warm, or sometimes done for even less noble reasons. When you lived on the street, "nobility" was a commodity that few could afford. She shook those thoughts from her mind. That had been a time of spiritual and emotional fasting. Now, she was presented with a feast. Dusty was moaning hard, thrusting her breasts upward and cupping them with her hands. She wanted to cum so badly, partially for that wonderful sense of release and partially to reward Ashley for her hard work. 'It's positive reinforcement,' she thought. Ashley remembered watching Dusty in this position with Katrina and also with professor VanHouten, trying to remember what they had done that had pleased the girl. She placed a finger and thumb on opposite sides of the fleshy area around the clit and gently squeezed, massaging that sensitive area between them. Then she took a finger from her other hand and pushed it slowly into Dusty's asshole. Dusty almost yipped, which in turn caused her to chuckle. She hadn't been expecting Ashley to be quite so bold. But with so many sensitive areas being stimulated at the same time, she was able to orgasm in grand style. She released her breasts and held her lover's still licking face against her sex, letting Ashley drink in the fruits of her labor. Several magnificent tremors came and went before Dusty was able to let go of her lover's head. "You . . . you are full of surprises, aren't you?" Dusty asked. "I've had a lot of time to watch," Ashley said, her mouth and chin glistening. "C'mere," Dusty said softly. She waited for Ashley to crawl her way up Dusty's body before beginning to lick her cum off the girl's face. "Hey, I was saving that," Ashley moaned as Dusty's amazing tongue danced around her skin, slipping into her mouth from time to time. "Sharing is caring," Dusty reminded her. "Now, time for more sharing." She flipped Ashley over onto her stomach and then put a pillow under her hips. This time, she got between Ashley's legs, spreading them as far as they would go. Then she spread the girl's tight little butt cheeks and flicked that recently waxed pussy with her tongue. 'Oh, I'm going to enjoy this,' she thought. She teased Ashley's clit with a slow lick, then went deep into the girl's slot. She felt Ashley shudder. 'Oh no,' Dusty thought. 'I'm going to make this one take a while.' Dust to Dust Ch. 05 This story is a bit wordy and fairly long, so if you are looking for immediate gratification, you might want to look elsewhere. ------------- ----------------------- The following story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between actual persons, living or dead (or just confused) is entirely coincidental. Please do not copy/redistribute the story, in part or in total, without the author's permission. This story takes place in the fictional city of Springfield, California several hundred years in the future, so don't go looking for it on a map. Over the course the series, I will borrow quite a bit from my "Dead Man's World" series, so it might help (but isn't a requirement) if you read those stories. And in my little fictional world, there are no unwanted pregnancies or STD's, except as plot driving devices. The author encourages the practice of safe-sex. This story also contains lesbian sexual activity. ------------ ------------------- "Dust to dust" Ch. 05 ------------ ------------------- [[ She seems awfully calm, ]] Eliza said, sitting at the dining room table and watching Ashley flit about the house with Mr. Fuzzy Butt hot on her heels. [[ That's a good thing, isn't it? ]] her father replied. He and his daughter had actually gone an entire fifteen minutes without bickering and both were wondering how long it would last. Talking about something besides Eliza's job, Evlidone's job, politics . . . well, avoiding just about any hot topic issue seemed to be working. So far. [[ It's a wonderful sign, ]] Alyidana added. She liked it when the two most important people in her life weren't screaming at the tops of their lungs. She and her husband, along with a sizeable contingent of royal guards, had picked up the young woman. Ash had obviously been distressed about leaving her best friend in creation, but a communication she received from Dusty as soon as she got back had calmed Ashley down. She looked at the sizeable table before them, laden with a catered meal. She doubted that anyone at Hybrid Security had ever used this table before, as her daughter wasn't much for formal occasions. Veronica and Victoria, however, were thrilled to actually be hosting a real dinner party. Vicky had wanted to go Terran tribal while Veronica had wanted something more Earthly and traditional. The two had lovingly been jibing about it since they found out they would be hosting. Overall, it was a festive mood, which was something that Evlidone found interesting if a tad unusual. He looked at his daughter, realizing he had to risk "real" conversation. [[ So . . . what do you think of this most recent development in regards to the Purity. ]] It was a subject that had Eliza so preoccupied that she forgot that she was supposed to be argumentative. [[ I don't know yet. Something about this feels . . . different. They come out with this propaganda statement about the World Council reactivating Chimera and then . . . nothing. ]] [[ I am surprised that there has not been a mirror movement on Terra like there was last time. ]] [[ I've been thinking about that – ]] [[ Could you two stop thinking about saving the world for a few minutes? ]] Alyidana intervened. [[ I can't believe you asked that question, ]] Veronica said as she approached and sat next to her fiancée. [[ You know perfectly well that she can't. ]] [[ You look lovely today, ]] Eliza's mother said. Veronica couldn't NOT look lovely if she tried, but it was Alyidana's job to level compliments on her daughter-to-be. Eliza muttered something and then shot {{ Whose side are you on? }} mentally to her lover. {{Yours as always. }} Eliza looked over and noticed that Ash . . . Ashley was watching a replay of the last Purity transmission, staring and listening intently. She had a perplexed look on her young face. Eliza and her father got up to go over to the sofa, leaving Eliza's mother and Veronica to talk more "domestic" things. "What's up?" Eliza said. "This isn't right," Ashley muttered, picking up Mr. Fuzzy Butt and giving him nuzzles while her eyes remaining locked on the program. "I heard you say something was different. And I thought that you were right." She put the puppy down and activated a side-by-side holographic display, showing the last two Purity transmissions. "I don't know . . . maybe I'm crazy – " "It is all right," Evlidone said. "My daughter thrives on 'crazy' ideas." This time, he said it with a certain amount of humor, causing his daughter to grin rather than argue for a change. "What are you seeing?" Ashley was nervous. She still wasn't used to being nervous. "Everyone has been looking so hard at the content of this last package, but look at the package itself." "I don't get it," Evlidone said, feeling a bit confused. But Eliza clued into what the girl was saying. She stared at one transmission then the other, her eyes narrowing. Then she muted one transmission and listened intently to the other. She looked over her should at her hacker. "Wyrm, can you do full spectrum analyses on these video and frequency analyses on the audio for these two streams? Compare it to what we have in the archives?" "But boss, I'm almost through the boss level on Doom 42! Can't – " He stopped. He could almost HEAR Eliza glaring at him. He paused his game and started the analyses. "What are you thinking?" Veronica said, her curiosity getting the better of her. Slowly, everyone gather around the projections. Eliza was staring. "Looks like Ashley has got some good eyes. Or fresh eyes at any rate. The picture quality on this last stream seems to be better than previous ones. Sound quality too." "So maybe they just got a new camera," Boomer said. "Nah," Eliza disagreed, "these guys are all about stagnation. Hell, they couldn't even think of a new name." "They're different cameras boss," Wyrm shouted from his terminal. "They managed to mask their digital signature. I wouldn't have even thought to check it. But this stream is coming from a Pentax 450 Recorder. That's some hide end equipment. Usually the only people who have stuff like that are the major networks." "Can we track who all owns them?" "Yeah, but it'll take time unless we have a warrant to scour the purchase records of the company that produces them." Eliza looked at her lover, who in turn just nodded and went to get her communicator. Veronica still held some stroke in high circles herself. "I still don't see what this means – " Ashley took a deep breath. "It isn't like a group like this to change their methodology so abruptly. I've dealt with fanatical organizations before. A big purchase, particularly something as rare as a new recorder, is an unusual move. And it's too . . . .is glitzy a word? You make something look shiny and people don't really fear it. What if this isn't really the Purity anymore?" Eliza nodded. "That was one of the things bugging me. This last stream . . . they actually named someone. 'The Savior?' I mean, they've never named anyone before, even a handle like that. And it is kind of cheesy." "Why would someone PRETEND to be the Purity?" Vicky asked. Terillia was catching on. "Because," she murmured, "they're planning on doing something and wish for it to be attributed it to the Purity?" Eliza smiled. Her confidence in the young succubus was proving increasingly well placed. "Could be. The question is 'What'?" The new message came out right after we went to Chimera," Ashley said, still feeling a bitter taste in her mouth when she thought of the place. "What if it has something to do with that?" "Or it could be about the Living Gems," Eliza counterd thoughtfully. "This was the first time they've come out of hiding in a while." "Or it could be both," Veronica said grimly. She had gotten off the phone with a judge she had known and gotten permission to search the sales records for the company that produced the recorders and had given access codes to Wyrm. "Wyrm, put the information up on the projector. She waited for the intel to appear. "There's only one purchase in the last month," Eliza muttered. "Anyone ever hear of Ramiche Explorations? Why would an exploration company need a recorder like that? Or a recorder at all?" Ashley looked at the company's logo . . . it was the head of a roaring lion. "No . . . she muttered, then more loudly, "NO!" Alyidana was concerned. The young woman who had made so much progress was beginning to dissolve again. She grabbed the girls' trembling shoulders as Ashley tried to clamber backwards over the sofa. "What's wrong?" Eliza asked. She grabbed Ashley's face and made her meet Eliza's gaze. "I know you can be strong," she said confidently. "What are you seeing?" "The letters," Ashley said, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "Change the order of the letters and . . . the head of the lion – " she whispered. Eliza looked with chills at the company name and logo. Knowing Ashley . . . knowing what she had said . . . The leader of Hybrid Securities entered something into the projectors data feed, and the letters of the name started to shift. "Chimera," Ashley whispered. ------------ ----------------- Elsewhere . . . ------------ ----------------- Tom McBride and Jon Trendenfall were sitting Dr. Trendenfall's office, going over some of the findings that had been made over the last several months. Then they heard gunshots in the hall and then the door to his office exploded. Tom was barely able to pull his pistol out before a gauss shell punctured his shoulder and sent him spiraling to the ground. Dr. Trendenfall grabbed his communicator, but before he could hit the button – "All transmissions are currently being jammed," a voice said as a figure emerged through the smoke, flanked by a number of men in full tactical regalia. Jon couldn't see the man's face. He was dressed completely in white, including a long white leather trenchcoat and a white hood. "I've been looking forward to speaking with you, Dr. Trendenfall. I think you will be a valuable asset to us," the man said. He pulled a pistol from beneath his jacket and fired. Dr. Trendenfall felt something pierce his neck. Then the world began to spin, followed by . . . nothing. ------------ -------------- An hour later . . . ------------ -------------- Hybrid Security's compound was in a state of quiet tension. Word had just gotten back from authorities on the attack on Dr. Trendenfall's offices. Eight members of his staff had been killed, including guards and his secretary. Security chief Thomas McBride was in critical condition at a local area hospital. Eliza watched the news stream with a combination of apprehension and rage. Part of her knew that Dr. Trendenfall wasn't her client and this wasn't her fault. The rest of her didn't care. "Everyone, pay attention!" she shouted. The room turned to her, even her father. Evlidone was still not used to seeing his daughter in action, but she had an air not to be disputed. "The news and police all seem to be doing just what we would've been doing. They're blaming the Purity and chasing them to ground. They're looking for the wrong guys, or the right guys for the wrong reasons. We don't have time to clear this up. We need to find Chimera now." "They . . . they've been hiding all this time," Ashley muttered. Then her eyes shot open. "We need to protect Dusty!" Eliza cursed, then looked at her father. [[ Dad, I need your help, ]] she said. It was odd: she had never asked him for help before. [[ Whatever you need, ]] he replied. [[ Take Mom and your guards and get back to Terra. Talk to whoever you need to in order to lock down the Academy. Take Dusty Trendenfall, Professor VanHouten and Katrina into protective custody. They were all there at Chimera, so they could all be targets. Tell Valar too. ]] Evlidone nodded and pulled out his communication orb out of his robes, activating it and beginning to issue orders like a man on a mission. Alyidana would've smiled if things hadn't been so serious. Her husband and daughter were far more alike than either would admit. "Boss," Wyrm said, "I think I know where to start the search. That initial recording that they leaked . . . there's no way people would be causally out near that facility. So I ran the property records for Ramiche Explorations, and they've got a warehouse half a mile from the Chimera building. They've been keeping an eye on that place for forty friggin' years!" "Troops, get ready to mount up! I want to be prepped and ready to go within an hour. We've got to find this warehouse, scout it and make sure not to blow up the local civilian population." She looked at Thug. "It's okay, you don't have to – " || The trolling has been sedated, || Thug said. || Vicky has a tranquilizer gun in case he wakes up. I will not let you go into battle without me again, || the big creature assured her. She smiled and patted one massive arm. Picking a fight without her oldest friend there just never felt right. "It's your turn to watch the baby," Allyson told her husband, and then took off to find her gun. Dennis sighed, but accepted the ruling. They had agreed to take turns. "Wyrm, start monitoring all traffic and info streams going through that sector . . . give me some eyes there. Everyone else –" Eliza was cut off when Ashley stepped in front of her. "I need a weapon," she said, her voice cracking but still determined. "You're not ready." "He was MY responsibility!" "No, Dusty was, and your contract is over. And you aren't in a good frame of mind when it comes to these people." "But – " "No 'buts.' If you want to help, go back to Terra with my father. You can guard Dusty from there." Eliza had meant to say that in such a way as to make Ashley feel included. But Ashley saw it for what it was . . . a dismissal. She wasn't good enough or strong enough anymore. Even as she nodded, she remembered one of the things about being human that she would rather not: being helpless. {{ You were too harsh on her, }} Veronica sent, chastising her lover as they geared up. {{ I don't have time – }} Eliza started to respond as she watched Ashley walk towards her father's party. {{ She has a fighter's spirit, }} Veronica interrupted telepathically. {{ You should understand that. }} {{ I do. But she's just got her life back. I'm not going to be responsible for ending it. }} ----------- -------------------- In a hidden location . . . ----------- -------------------- Jon Trendenfall was as terrified as he could imagine someone being. He was handcuffed to a heavy chair in the center of a large room. He couldn't even see the walls, as they were shrouded in darkness. The only light was a single bulb dangling from overhead. He had been groggy when he had come around, but hadn't seen anyone. Then the voice came – "Hello," it said soothingly. "I was beginning to wonder if we'd gotten the dosage wrong. Can't have that fascinating mind of yours getting befuddled, can we?" The man . . . or A man . . . in the white trenchcoat and hood appeared out of the darkness. "You're that . . . that Savior person . . . from the Purity." Dr. Trendenfall's mouth felt dry. "You're on the right track," the man replied. "Well, at least that's what we're letting people think. Who I am really isn't important. Who YOU are is very important, as is what you know. The leading most human expert on the causes of magic, sneaking around Chimera with Hybrid Security and a bunch of army folks. Makes a man curious. I thought we might have a chat about what went on there." Dr. Trendenfall shut his mouth. "I thought you might take that approach." The man pulled a needle out from his jackets and injected it into Jon's neck. "There, we'll give that a minute to kick in. I just gave you a shot of Petelpheroyl. Jon's eyes shot open. It was a truth serum of sorts: it stopped a person from accessing the imaginative portion of his or her brain. Anything Jon said would be the truth. So he decided to – "And don't try clamming up," the "Savior" said. "You'll tell me everything that happened in that facility, and you'll do it quickly." "And if I don't?" The man's previously almost jovial nature vanished and he slapped Dr. Trendenfall so hard that his lip began to bleed. "Don't try to be brave . . . don't try to be a hero. The authorities . . . let's just say that they're looking for the wrong people. We aren't the Purity. Those dolts fear their own shadows. We are much more enlightened. We want to know the secrets of magic and to embrace them. And if you stand in our way," he said coldly, "we will find your daughter. We will rape her over and over, right in front of your eyes. Then we will cut the flesh from her bones one limb at a time, keeping her alive. And we won't kill her until YOU beg us to." Dr. Trendenfall wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to slit his own throat rather than tell them what they wanted to know. But he couldn't risk it. He had to protect his daughter. He prayed briefly for forgiveness, then began to talk. --------------- -------------- A while later . . . --------------- -------------- Dusty was in a blind panic. She had heard about her father's kidnapping just moments before the guards had arrived. The damn Purity had him. She had been taken to the offices of Chancellor Valar where she found Katrina and professor VanHouten waiting alongside Security Director Evlidone and his wife Alyidana. "Why aren't you looking for him?!" she screamed. "My daughter is doing everything she can," Alyidana said, trying to calm the frantic girl. "Fuck your daughter! What about the police and the government and – " "They're looking for the wrong people," Evlidone snapped. He didn't want to be harsh on the girl, because he knew what it was like to be separated from a loved one. But he also knew that she needed to be brought back under control and fast. "The Purity doesn't have your father. Chimera does." Dusty stopped, stunned. She listed as he explained everything that had happened. "Why would they . . . how – " "I don't know. But an organization bent on mastering the secrets of magic at any cost . . . living Gems . . . the foremost expert on biological causes of magic." Valar was sighing. "This can't be good." Alyidana nodded. "And if Ashley hadn't noticed the discrepancy in the videos – " "Ashley?" Dusty's face went blank, and then began to sneer. The girl, who had been hovering nearby, was aghast when that normally angelic face snarled, "This is your fault! We never would've gone there if it weren't for you! My dad is in danger because of you!" Ashley stepped back, tears welling up in her eyes. She tripped and fell backwards, landing on her ass as she tried to crawl away. Katrina and Alyidana were restraining young lady Trendenfall. "He's all I have left!" the girl screamed before she was ushered into a safe room. Ashley was crying as she slowly regained her feet. She didn't meet anyone's eyes: she was ashamed. Dusty had been right . . . this was all Ashley's fault. And now, Ashley was too weak and worthless to save the man who had tried to help her. Then the idea came to her. Dr. Trendenfall was in danger because of the power that she had wanted to give up. In order to help him, she needed that power back. She took a deep breath and fled the room. There was only one way – Valar saw the girl run and quickly followed after her through the halls of his offices. He had seen almost maniacal desperation in her eyes, and that rarely led to good things. Ashley found what she needed in a study. At one end was a fireplace with a low blaze emanating from under the hearth. She knelt before it, looking at her old adversary and the cause of so many of her fears. It crackled and cackled and mocked her pain with flamboyant merriment. Then, she thrust one hand into the flames. Dust to Dust Ch. 05 "Stop!" Valar said, willing the flames to die down just as Ashley started to scream and her skin blistered. "You can't – " the girl sobbed. "I have to die! I need the power back," she whimpered in obvious pain. "Ashley has to die for Ash to exist. Ash can help," the girl whispered. Valar was almost at a loss. As a guard appeared behind him, he dismissed the man to fetch the healing skills of Lady Alyidana. He knelt beside her. He had never been great with people: it was one of the drawbacks to his advancement for so many years, and one of the things he had learned when dealing with Eliza and her crew. It had taken him a long time to accept what Eliza was one who preferred her own gender. But in his time with those two, he had learned to spot a certain emotional attachment. And while he didn't approve of same-sex couplings – "You love her that much?" he asked as compassionately as he could. "You'd do this to help her father?" Ashley was crying, but she nodded. "I love her," she whispered. "And I've taken everything. She's the best thing that ever happened to me, and look what I've done." She looked Valar in the eye with a sudden and deep sense of determination. "I will die a thousand times if it means she doesn't hurt anymore." "This won't do it. If you go back to being what you were, then all the pain . . . everything . . . was for nothing." Ashley gripped her damaged hand. "I have to do something. I can't wait here. Not until I've made things right." Just then, Alyidana rushed in and saw the damage Ashley had done to herself. She quickly extended her healing magic, but looked upon her charge with confusion. Then Valar telepathically communicated what had happened, though not the real reason. While he had discerned Ashley's feelings, he did not feel appropriate to make them public. "I know you feel helpless," she said. "We all do – " "She was right you know," Ashley said, her voice firming. "This is all because of me. But I can help. I know them better than anyone." "Know . . . Chimera? You can't go after – " "I HAVE to!" Ashley said vehemently. "For . . . forty . . . years . . . they have haunted me. All the pain that I've felt or that I've caused . . . even to good people like Dusty and her father . . . it all started with them. They won't let me rest," Ashley said, standing as soon as the pain was gone. Alyidana tried to caution her. "The skin hasn't finished – " "Let it crack," Ashley said, feeling something new. Something bitter and hot and sulfurous boiling in the back of her throat and it the dark places around her eyes. She hadn't felt anything like this, even when she had been human the first time. Vengeance . . . hatred . . . diabolical anger . . . She looked at Valar and Alyidana, one after the other. "You have no authority to detain me," she whispered. "This is my fight, and maybe it's about time I started fighting it." [[ She's not ready, ]] Alyidana said to Valar, trying to regain some semblance of order. [[ It's not our call, ]] Valar replied. [[ And if your daughter taught me anything, it's that some people weren't meant to sit on the sidelines. ]] [[ Do NOT encourage her! ]] [[ Too late anyway. ]] Alyidana looked around, only to find that Ashley had vanished. [[ I'll tell my husband – ]] she started to say as she stepped towards the door. [[ Let her go, ]] Valar replied somberly. [[ She has it in her head to find a way – ]] But Alyidana didn't listen. She fled into the hall, searched one way and then the other before summoning her husband and his men. But it seemed that Ashley hadn't forgotten her training: not even a little bit. She was gone . . . she had slipped out of a heavily guarded fortress of a building without being noticed. ---------- ---------------------- In another room . . . ---------- ---------------------- Dusty was curled up next a corner of the desk, and she was crying her head off. This was more than she could handle. And too many emotions wrestled for control of her mind. Sorrow . . . anger . . . hopelessness . . . and even hope. And then she felt something licking her face. She had forgotten about Mr. Fuzzy Butt, who had accompanied Ashley over from Earth. "Ashley," she muttered. She felt guilt, on top of everything else. The girl hadn't deserved to be blamed. Dusty knew in her heart that Ashley never would have wanted any of this. But she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She picked up the creature and let it give its kisses. "Where's your momma?" she sniffed. She wasn't sure she was ready to face everyone, but knew she should apologize. She put the dog down and walked outside, only to find that Katrina was the lone occupant of Valar's office. [[ Where is everyone? ]] Dusty asked as her friend rushed forward and embraced her. [[ I . . . they went . . . uhm, there's something you should know, ]] Katrina said. Dusty's heart sunk in her chest as Katrina told her what had unfolded. ---------- --------------------------- Sometime later on Earth . . . ---------- --------------------------- The Savior was a bit disappointed. While the information Dr. Trendenfall had produced seemed reliable, but didn't bring him any closer to understanding how to aid in the magic-enhancing of the human race. But Dr. Trendenfall's ideas, particularly about identifying the lycanthrope gene, had promise. The tales of the Living Gems were interesting, but the Disciples of Chimera were not as foolish as the Purity once had been. There was no real reason to challenge the governments and militaries of two worlds to try and retrieve those items. The goal of the Disciples was to make the human race itself superior by increasing their magical aptitude. He wouldn't mind getting his hands on the Dead Man's World though. Potentially having not only the power of a God but a God bound had a definite appeal. What had most interested him was finding out that the one known as Ash . . . one of his predecessor's few successful experiments . . . was in fact alive. She would have to be sought out . . . she would be dissected and her very soul put under a microscope. What had made her different? What had made her one of the special ones? Overall, the interrogation had been fruitful as far as giving him and his colleagues direction. But now the talking was over. He stood beside the drooling and exhausted Dr. Trendenfall. "You did well," he said cheerfully. "You'll probably be pleased to know that we have no real need to go looking for your daughter now. Mostly because we no longer have any need for you. You know so little, but that is still too much. When your body is found, it will be all be attributed to the Purity. We'll leave notes and clues to support this of course." Dr. Trendenfall barely heard any of it. The drug that they had hit him with had taken a lot out of him. He was at peace in a way . . . Dusty would be okay. The lights came on and he saw a number of people around the large room, including a large number of his assailants. This group was much more organized than he imagined the Purity was, and much cleaner. And it looked like their organization was sizeable. Then he gasped . . . he had looked up and seen a symbol on the wall in green, yellow and white: the head of a goat looking in one direction and a lion facing the other way while being surround by the tale of a serpent. "Chimera," he said in a choking gasp. "Oh yes, we still exist," the Savior crooned. "Someday soon, the world shall know of us and thank us for the bounty we will bestow upon the human race, securing our superiority to the other races. And you can die knowing that you played a part in that." The savior nodded to one of the shock-troops dressed in black, then turned to walk away. The trooper leveled his rifled and promptly fired. The bullets missed. More importantly, they seemed to "slide" off to either side. There was some question as to who was more confused, the would-be executioner or Dr. Trendenfall. "Big . . . mistake," boomed a female voice throughout the chamber. The wall of the room they were in caved in under the weight of two rampaging trolls as Hybrid Security made their presence known. They had taken great pains to sneak in past security in order to make sure they could save Dr. Trendenfall, but the time for subtlety was over. But much to their credit, the Chimera troops didn't trip over themselves. They quickly sought cover and opened fire at the invaders. Luckily, Eliza's deflection spell was able to hold until the trolls were able to grab Dr. Trendenfall and drag him backward to safety. Then she and Veronica started to lash out with telepathic blasts to know away the incendiary grenades that were getting thrown at the hulking brutes. {{ These guys are good, }} Veronica thought to her lover, sweating through another magical blast. She was still comparably new to the world of magic, and it tired her a lot more and a lot faster than it did Eliza. {{ Any chance of getting some backup in the next ten minutes? }} Eliza thought back, laying down covering fire with the rifle while reaching out with her mind to help protect her trolls. There was a reason she was considered one of the greatest warrior sorceresses in recent history. {{ Nope. Colonel Corbin is trying to convince his . . . duck! }} Veronica shouted, but Eliza was way ahead of her as a round of bullets perforated the edge of the wall they were hiding behind. Eliza saw the leader of this new incarnation of Chimera . . . the Savior . . . step forward and do something she didn't expect. He raised one hand and made a gesture, and a set of electrical lines suddenly disengaged themselves from the ceiling. {{ Crap! }} Eliza thought to Veronica, then extended her telepathy to the entire crew. {{ Watch it, }} she warned. {{ Their head honcho is a spell-slinger! }} {{ Uhm, darling – }} Veronica threw in, then threw up her hands dramatically. She kept forgetting that it really wasn't necessary to gesture to use magic, but it helped her visualize. The effect was good, as she began throwing up debris and anything she could see in the way. She was responding to the visual cue of a gas canister being thrown into the center of the room. }} {{ Everyone back up! }} Eliza shouted, throwing her efforts in with Veronica's. She saw the Savior pull a handgun out from his trenchcoat and, while running backwards into cover, fired. The canister ruptured, the electrical wiring ignited the fumes and then the building exploded, sending chunks of debris flying everywhere. Everyone from Hybrid Security had managed to find cover, but things still got hot in a hurry. Eliza covered Veronica's body with her own as she waited for things to calms down. {{ That really wasn't necessary you know, }} Veronica thought, squirming under her lover's weight. {{ Normally I wouldn't mind – }} They paused when they heard the sound of rotary aircraft vanishing into the night sky. "Damn it damn it damn it damn!" Eliza started to shout, standing up and kicking a pile of rubble. "Why don't we have helicopters?!" she shouted at the smoky night sky. "You cheating sons of – " "Love, they're gone," Veronica said, brushing herself off. "But we got Dr. Trendenfall back and we know who the enemy is: not a bad days work." Eliza grumbled and went over to check on the group. "Eliza," Terillia said anxiously, "did you want me to pursue or – " "No, stay on the ground. They've got unknown firepower on that bird and an at least semi-competent sorcerer on one of them." She turned to Dr. Trendenfall who was anxiously drinking some water he had been brought. "I'm sorry," he gasped finally. "I told them everything . . . what we learned and about what happened. They threatened Dusty," he finished with a whisper. Veronica knelt next to him. "It's okay," she said. "Dusty is safe on Terra and no one would have asked you do anything else. You kept yourself alive and that's what matters." Allyson Murgo was scanning the skies with her IR scope, but couldn't see the escape craft. "They're gone boss. Not showin' up on radar either." "They've got jammers," Eliza said. "Great. Chasing them will be a bitch. These guys could be a problem, and we just lost the element of surprise." ---------- --------------------- Up in the skies . . . ---------- --------------------- The Savior was fuming. 'How could they have known?' he thought to himself, staring out into the starlit sky. All his plans had involved Chimera staying under the radar for a long time: that was off the table now. And as much as people hated the Purity, he knew what the public reaction would be. With the Purity reduced to running scared, the World Council and that blasted Hybrid Security would soon be on their asses. And as capable as he knew he was, he wasn't about to take on Eliza Msabdteelfinclor and her crew without a lot more planning. He knew they would be his biggest problem . . . he knew they would have to be the first victim as the new Chimera rose again. -------------- --------------- Some time letter . . . -------------- --------------- Ash stepped through the wreckage of the fight between Hybrid and Chimera. She was donning her denim duster and packing as much firepower as her form could reasonable carry. She wondered why the authorities hadn't arrived yet. She was angry still . . . angry at the way she had left Terra and angry at Chimera. Finally, she was angry because she had missed the fight. She had been monitoring radio chatter on her headset, so she knew basically how it had ended. She hoped that Eliza didn't mind her listening in on "secure" channels. She closed her eyes and thought, 'Chimera is on the run. Where would they go?' She whipped out her gauss pistol and leveled it at the top of a rubble heap the second she heard something cough. "Whoa there partner," Eliza said, keeping her force wall in front of her. She wasn't sure if Ashley might be a little quick on the trigger now that she had a pulse again. "Got a message from Valar. He said you might be heading this way." She lowered her shield when Ashley lowered her gun. The girl looked a lot calmer than she had recently. 'No,' Eliza thought. 'Not calmer . . . colder.' "Dr. Trendenfall?" Ashley asked. "He's fine. Sent him with the troops to a secure location, thought I don't think he's in danger anymore. Since Chimera isn't exactly a secret anymore and he told them everything else, going after him would just be a waste of resources. These guys aren't that sloppy." She looked at Ashley some more. The girl hadn't jumped when the word "Chimera" was mentioned. She looked a little relieved when she heard about Dr. Trendenfall, but that was it. Ashley was also looking around. "How many?" she asked, sounding very analytical. "Couldn't tell," Eliza replied, standing next to the girl. "So no need for you to be here anymore. Go back to Terra. I'm sure Dusty – " "Dusty made it very clear that she blames me for this," Ashley interrupted. For the first time in the encounter, Eliza heard that emotion again. Real sorrow . . . real regret. "And she is right to. This whole thing, from the deaths at Dr. Trendenfall's building to the wounding of Mr. McBride is all because of me." "Bullshit," Eliza replied. "No one could have seen this coming. No one knew that Chimera even existed, so why – " "It's all irrelevant." Ashley turned off again. For so many years, she had kept a light of humanity flickering by remembering what her emotions had been like. Now, she was trying to remember what it was like to miss them. Emotions had no place where she was going or for what she knew she had to do. "It was my quest to be normal that caused all of this. And if Dr. Trendenfall told them everything, they'll come for me. Eventually. How could they not?" Then Eliza heard a bit of very dry sarcasm when Ashley said, "I'm one of they're successes. Maybe the only one still alive." "So what? You're going after them? You don't know where they are. Hell, even we couldn't track them." "You don't know them like I do," Ashley said. "If these are the same people, then they had contacts somehow with the old. They kept hidden and brought in people like them. They were a cult more than a militia." She closed her eyes, remembering walking the halls of Chimera all those years earlier. "They had a map in the lobby that had all their locations on it. They were all closed down after the first raids. I checked up on them later. But if they were keeping an eye on their primary facility – " "You think they might be keeping an eye on all of them? Why?" "Hallowed ground. They live in their own shadows, dreaming of what they used to be. I guess we're more alike than I thought," Ashley said. "Waiting to rise from their own ashes, just like me." Eliza was becoming concerned. She didn't even know who she was talking to anymore. This woman . . . she looked like an eighteen-year-old girl, but she sounded more like . . . Ash . . . someone who had been around a long, long time. "Something happened when I came back. I started dreaming again," Ashley continued, in her own world for a moment. "And nightmares. I saw them in my sleep. I saw the man who killed me . . . the man I killed in return. I saw the fire and the only thing that let me go back to sleep was knowing they were gone. But they're not. They hurt more people . . . hurt someone Dusty loves more than anything," she added, a bit bitterly. "They turned her against me." Ashley's face went to stone and she looked at Eliza. "They have been the monsters under my bed for so long . . . now they want out? No. Never again." "This is too big of a fight for you alone," Eliza said. "I understand the need for vengeance, but – " "When Veronica was kidnapped," Ashley said, "what did you want? Did you just want to get her back? I heard the others talking: you wanted Purity blood for what they had done. The difference is, they only came close to killing you." Ashley looked towards the horizon. "With me, they finished the job. They've taken away everything from me. I'm going to return the favor this time." "Even if you find them, their head guy is a sorcerer and probably a powerful one at that. I can't let you – " Eliza was a powerful woman, and knowledgeable sorceress and a cunning warrior. But even the best can be taken by surprise. With no warning whatsoever, Ash lashed out with the butt of her pistol and knocked Eliza out cold. Ash knew how to hit someone where it would render them unconscious without hurting them too badly. But Ashley still felt some trepidation. After all, she liked Eliza . . . even envied her. So she pushed that part of her . . . she had pushed Ashley . . . down somewhere deep where the light couldn't reach her anymore, and then removed an obstacle from her path. "I'm sorry," Ash said. She leaned over and activated Eliza's communicator and hit an emergency send. The chief of Hybrid Security had been trusting, but she wasn't stupid. She'd have backup around somewhere not too far away. It would give Ash enough time to make her way out. She had an idea of how she could find them: of ending this one way or the other and soon. ------------ ---------- On Terra . . . ------------ ---------- [[ How is she doing? ]] Valar asked as Katrina emerged from the room where Dusty had been communicating for the last hour with her father. The relief displayed on the girl's face and in her voice had been immense. [[ She is calming down, ]] Katrina said, looking at the shards of pottery and bits of broken furniture that Hurricane Dusty had created when she found out that Ashley had been allowed to enter harm's way. Logic had been somewhat lost on the young woman for a while before she had finally run out of steam due to sheer exhaustion. She had been quite noticeably revitalized when she found out her father was safe. Dust to Dust Ch. 05 Finally, she poked her head out the door, looking red-eyed and wild-haired and more than a bit sheepish. "Uhm . . . listen – " "It's all right," Valar said, moving to block her path from the antique vase on the one remaining end-table in the area. "You've been under considerable stress." "That's no excuse," she replied. "I'll pay – " "Nonsense," Alyidana replied, giving Dusty a big hug. She was relieved herself. Her daughter had survived the fight. "Have we heard from Ashley?" she asked. The mood grew uncomfortable again. "No," Valar replied. "She – " He wasn't sure he should say anything, but Evlidone had no such reservations. "She is going after Chimera on her own. She sucker punched my daughter," he said with no small amount of anger, "and then ran off." "WHAT?! " Dusty said. "She can't! They'll kill her!" She looked towards the front entrance, but there were two guards there. "What would you do?" Alyidana asked gently. "This is a warrior's game now. Imagine how I feel every time my little girl goes off to battle to pick a fight or to put herself in harm's way – " "But Eliza knows how you feel. She knows you love her," Dusty sniffed. "I never got to tell Ashley – " Dusty trailed off. She felt sick to her stomach, and nothing anyone was going to be able to say would make that feeling go away. ------------- --------- On Earth . . . ------------- --------- Ash wasn't used to these conditions. Before, she had never had to worry about being cold during a stake out. She had never had to worry about falling asleep. 'This is so much more complicated than it used to be,' she thought bitterly to herself, sucking down a caffeine pill and a cup of coffee. That at least was a pleasant new experience . . . coffee. She glanced up from her hiding spot. There were several unmarked vehicles outside the facility she was staking out. She had thought back to the map she had once seen in Chimera's lobby. It had a listing of all their facilities. She remembered some that weren't high profile: more warehouses really. Chimera knew they had been discovered, so probably wouldn't rally at their major locations. Ash had bee-lined for one of these locations, stealing aboard a high-speed train and then stealing a hover-car. She had rigged the security system's homing beacon to activate in another hour. The owner would get their car back without a scratch and with a note of apology. She probably could have just rented a car, but she didn't want to waste time or allow her movements to be traced if she could avoid it. She studied the vehicles that personnel and equipment were being loaded into. She saw one that would work. It had a crawl space that she could get into between the primary lifters, a trick she had used before. Then she would attach a tracking beacon underneath it. If she failed in her mission, it would draw authorities to the location. Chimera couldn't be allowed to get away, but Ash couldn't let it go. She wanted them all to herself. She crept with cool patience to the edge of the road. Another vehicle drove by and she quickly secured herself to the back of it. Once inside the perimeter gates, she dropped and rolled under the vehicle that she had eyeballed earlier. 'Soon,' she thought. 'I find out where everyone is going and then . . . then I end this.' ----------- ------------------- Several hours later . . . ----------- ------------------- Ash was glad she had thought to bring magnetic cables with her. She had been able to secure herself to the carriage and alleviate the stress on her arms. It was something else she had never had to worry about before. The caravan had traveled for a while, but not as long as Ash had expected. They had entered a tunnel and were pulling into what appeared to be a large room inside of a mountain. 'Great,' she thought. 'I wonder if my beacon will even work here.' She set it anyway, attaching it to a drainage gate that was near the vehicle. It would go off in two hours. That was how long she had to quench the fire that Chimera had started in her soul all those years ago. She crawled under several vehicles and behind a row of crates. Sure enough, it was a large room with guards everywhere. People were running helter skelter, like an ant hill that had been stirred up. 'Now where's your queen?' she thought. It took a long time before the man that Eliza had referenced made an appearance. The Savior climbed up onto a platform and the lights in the room blinked three times. A hush fell over the room. "Ladies and gentlemen," the powerful voice boomed. "As many of you now know, the gig is up. Chimera's continued existence is no longer a secret. Those troublesome folk at Hybrid Security somehow discerned our existence and are on our trail. But instead of seeing this as a setback, we should see it as an opportunity. For forty years, Chimera has lived in the shadows of this world while learning the secrets of the other. Our experiments have been in vain, but armed with the knowledge that we gleaned from Dr. Trendenfall, I am confident that we will soon be able to throw off the genetic shackles that keep the dark arts from us. Soon, the human race shall be masters of both technology AND magic, and we shall assume our rightful place as the supreme species on both worlds." While the applause rang out, Ash could feel the coldness coming back, sliding through her veins like liquid nitrogen. It was more than what he said . . . there was something about his voice. And then she saw him remove his mask. It was younger for sure and the face was a little broader . . . the eyes a different color, but it looked a lot like him for sure. Maybe a relative, connected by blood to the man she had killed all those years ago by crawling into his throat and listening to the last breath escape his body. And a sickening thought went through her head. 'Good. I didn't kill you slowly enough the first time.' She shook her head. No room for that. She needed to be cold. "We must prepare," the Savior continued. "Hybrid will be coming for us, so we must be prepared to destroy them. I shall personally send the head of Eliza Msabdteelfinclor back to her homeworld as a sign of Chimera's power. Others have made the mistake of taking on the world rather than face them directly. The Purity's pathetic attempt was made out of desperation. We will wipe the enemy from the face of the Earth and – " The Savior was expecting an ovation when his speech was over. He was expecting to begin his scheming to destroy Hybrid. He was NOT expecting half the motor-pool to explode. "What the – " he started. 'Hybrid,' he thought. 'It has to be!' "Everyone scatter! Lay down suppressive fire on the primary corridor!" He had more instructions to dish out, but it was hard to do when the lighting truss over your head was crashing down and you had to use considerable magical force to keep it aloft. The inside of complex had turned to chaos. There was no way they could have been found so easily! He knew for a fact that Hybrid hadn't been able to track them. But it felt like there was a war going on in his lair. "Sir," one of his subordinates said, "we need to get you out of here. You can still use your magic from the observation deck!" The man's suggestion made sense. The Savior needed to remember to promote him. He and a couple of guards hurried across the open ground and up a staircase leading to a fortified room that overlooked the whole area. He would be able to spot the intruders and crush them. The Savior cruised the door of the overlook and headed straight to windows, staring down to try and determine the enemy locations. He was looking out over the flaming wreckage that was his hideout when he heard two "thuds" and the sound of bodies falling to the ground. He spun around and immediately felt something very cold brushing up against his nose. There was a gauss pistol pressed against his face, wielded by an all-too-familiar young woman. "Ash," he said, gulping a breath of air more out of surprise than anything. He was a tough nut to crack. "I have to say I'm surprised to see you," he murmured as he started to pool his will. But the hum of the gun's drivers building power broke his concentration. "I can shoot," she hissed at him, "faster than you can think. I feel so much as a shift in the air flow in this room and I terminate you." She had wanted to say something more menacing, but she had never really bothered to threaten anyone before. She had never understood the point of threats. "I'm under the impression that you're going to kill me anyway," he replied, biding his time. "Why else would you follow me?" He paused. "How DID you follow us?" Ash didn't smile and she didn't gloat. She also didn't explain. "That's irrelevant." "You won't win, you know," he replied smoothly. "You're potent, I'll give you that. But you're in a contained area, and the element of surprise is over. Let me go and – " The gun began to hum again. "There seems to be a very faulty premise that you're operating under," Ash shot back. "You think that I'm planning on living through this." "Then why are you doing this?' he said, looking around. "Why confront me?" She cocked her head. "You look like him . . . the man who killed me. I just wanted to see you up close." The Savior smiled, and it unnerved Ash. "My father," he said. "This," the Savior said while glancing at the room around him, "is a family tradition. I was destined to take over. My father created me that way." He noticed that Ash looked surprised, so he pressed his advantage. "What? You thought you were the ONLY success story? Oh no, my father's experiments gave me access to untold powers. These powers were easily worth the price." Ash remembered what it meant to be a "success" in the eyes of Chimera. Had the man who had killed her actually subjected his own son to his sick whims? The Savior realized that Ash's mind was distracted. And that was all the time he needed. With a quick thought, Ash was hurled across the room and crashed into a table at the far end. "You never appreciated what was given to you," he said, waving his arms and clearing the path between them. Ash was propping herself up on one elbow, obviously injured. "You spent all those years trying to get rid of such tremendous power. What a waste," he chuckled, telekinetically hauling her halfway up the wall, choking her while hurling a chair at her body. The chair crashed into her with a satisfying noise. He let her drop to the ground, and then glanced out over the room below. "I want you to know that I bear you no ill will for killing my father. Your reaction was quite sensible given the circumstances. But it upsets me that you let the gift that he died to give you go so easily." "Easily?" Ash said, coughing up blood. "So many times, I was tempted just to give in. But what does it mean . . . if you can't feel any of it? The power . . . the passion . . . life. It's all meaningless if you can't feel it." "Very dramatic," he replied arrogantly. "You were a creature of pure logic. You could have accomplished great things as part of Chimera. We would have taken you in and given you purpose." He stopped. Ash was laughing. "You couldn't have given me anything! You don't get it! Everything you could have offered . . . it was all just a joke. But now – " Ash stopped and thought back to that day she spent in Dusty's bed. "I have something you never could have given me. You would have used me for your own ends," she whispered. Dusty wouldn't have used her. Dusty cared for her. Ash would like to think that someday Dusty might have even been able to love her. She began to speak again, but it made no sense to the Savior. "Because of you, I might never have felt it . . . felt like that. And I won't let you keep anyone from that chance . . . that experience – " "And how exactly are you going to – " The Savior stopped in mid-brag to dive behind a table as a volley of low-range explosive rounds erupted from the secondary sidearm that Ash had hidden under her coat and had been aiming while she had been blathering. Ash struggled to reload as she looked around the room. She had taken out the lights, but several pieces of furniture had caught on fire, illuminating the room in a hellish glow. "Okay," the Savior's voice crept from the far end of the room, "that was good. C'mon Ash, it's not too late. You're in pain," he said soothingly, "and I can take that all away." "I'll keep my pain," Ash said tiredly. "It reminds me that I'm still human." "Not for long," he said, manipulating the fire so that it crept slowly towards his opponent. "This should seem familiar," he cackled. A bullet whizzed over his hiding place, shattering the remaining glass from the window. "You're aim needs work," he added. Ash knew she had lost. The smoke was beginning to get to her, and the flames were getting closer. She hoped her beacon would bring the others in time, and that her selfish desire for personal vindication hadn't cost the world a chance to get rid of these vermin. She propped herself up on the wall and switched clips. She had one last trick before she died for the final time. She thought back to when the fight had first started, and then to the moment when he had unleashed his magic. Her mind started to work a mile a minute, locating where everything in the room had been displaced to. 'Where was he standing?' she thought. 'And where would he hide?' She looked across the devastated landscape of the overlook and smiled. The Savior was looking towards the door, thinking of making a run for it when the shots rang out and his kneecap evaporated into red mist and chunks of bone. He screamed. Then another armor-piercing shot barreled its way through his cover and took a chunk of flesh out of his arm. Ash heard the screams with almost guilty satisfaction. 'At least I'll take him with me,' she thought. But the Savior wasn't quite done yet. He crawled out to where he could see her and, in a pain-filled rage, he sent a heavy lamp crashing into her, knocking the gun from her hand. "Okay bitch," he snarled, "no more Mr. Nice – " The Savior wasn't fated to finish many soliloquies that day. Ash watched through the smoke as the door caved in. She saw forms rushing into the room. Ash thought she saw someone motion towards the Savior and send him flying through the open window to the distant floor below. Ash wished she could see him land. But other people were rushing towards her. They looked like soldiers, but not Chimera soldiers. They looked more military. One of them picked her up and carried her towards the door, and she was far too weakened to struggle. But as she cleared the door, she saw – "Impossible," Ash muttered. It was Eliza! "How – " "You're not the only sneaky one," the hybrid said with a smile. She and the guards carried Ash down into the main room. Ash looked around and saw that the Chimera guards had all been rounded up! They were standing in the center of the room, surrounded by soldiers of the United States armed forces and by members of Hybrid Security. "That her?" one of the soldiers (a Colonel based on his insignia) said as he walked up. "Yep," Eliza replied. "This is the girl who led us here." "I what?" Ash said, grimacing through a lot of pain. Eliza winked. "I figured that you would run off alone to find these guys and would probably do a better job than we could. I also figured that you'd do it whether I told you to or not. So," she said, reaching down and removing a little metal object from the hem of Ash's coat, "I fixed this to you before you spotted me back at the other Chimera site. Magic can be kind of useful that way. Then we just tracked your movements. Of course, we meant to come in before things got too out of hand," she added, looking at the flaming wreckage that surrounded them. "But you're a pretty efficient attack force." Veronica was standing nearby, and she took Ash's hand. "You're a brave girl," the blond woman said. "Though you and I are going to have to have words about sucker punching my fiancée!" Ash would've blushed except that her head wasn't working quite right. The army medics had dosed her with something that was making her feel very numb. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I shouldn't have – " "No worries," Eliza interrupted. "I've had worse, and I should've been paying more attention. I was only down for a minute anyway. Cool hybrid recovery. Anyway, you rest now. We'll talk once you've been patched up," she added, watching as her two trolls rather gently loaded Ash into the medical vehicle. "Eliza – " Ash whispered, "is he – " "He's dead," Eliza said. "He won't hurt anyone now. Now go," she added, smiling again. "We received a communication from Dusty informing us exactly what she was going to do to us if we didn't bring you back in one piece." "Dusty," Ash . . . Ashley said, finding some warmth in thoughts of the chocolate-tresses and the beauty of their wearer amongst all the chaos in her brain. Then she wasn't thinking of much of anything, but rather succumbed to a numb bliss. ------------ ------------------ Several days later . . . ------------ ------------------ Ashley hurt like hell, but she found it oddly comforting. She was still alive. And as ready as she had been to die again, being alive wasn't so bad. The rage she had experienced had dissipated over the course of her hospitalization. She would be a long time in recovering, but she refused Eliza's offer to bring her mother back to Earth to help in the healing. Ashley had this weird idea in her head that no one else should be "inconvenienced" by her. She had gotten herself into this situation, and she'd see it through her own way. She had heard that Mr. McBride was going to pull through as well. She was glad. Not a lot of people were that dedicated to their jobs or their friends, and he hadn't deserved what happened to him. She had wanted to call, but didn't think he'd want to hear from her. She turned her head towards the window. She had convinced them to open it a crack. It let her feel a slight breeze and hear the birds outside. She liked the sound of birds. She closed her eyes and listened to the squawks and the shrill tweets and the rapid panting – "Birds don't pant," she muttered as she opened her eyes. She heard the clacking of something hard one the tile next to the bed and felt the bedding getting tugged at. Something jumped into the chair next to her and then put its paws up on the side of the bed with a little black nose poking up over the edge. "Mr. Fuzzy Butt?" she muttered, leaning over despite the pain in her ribs. There was that adorable face again, genuinely happy about getting to see his person again. She leaned over so he could lavish smelly dog kisses all over her face, and it made her smile so wide she thought her face might break. "I wish you'd look that happy when you had a human visitor," came a sultry but somewhat sorrowful voice from the door. Ashley tried pulling the covers up when Dusty slipped into the room. She didn't want the young woman to see her like that: bruised and broken from a fight she had caused and then had to be rescued from. "Don't . . . please," Dusty said, pulling the covers back down. She didn't even see the busted lip, bruised cheeks, bandaged shoulder or broken arm. She just saw the slender blonde hell cat that had been willing to go to war for her and her father. "I'm . . . uhm . . . it's just . . . are you sure he should be in here?" she asked, trying to avoid the guilt she still felt. Mr. Fuzzy Butt had clambered up onto the bed and was spinning around next to her, planning on taking up residence. "I persuaded the nice lady at the desk to make an exception. I said he was a therapy dog." Dusty scratched behind the dog's ears, making him wiggle a bit before yawning. "And . . . and I needed some help getting up the nerve to talk to you. I heard you weren't really accepting visitors and there's an awful lot of security around you – " Dust to Dust Ch. 05 "Yeah," Ashley said solemnly. "Until they know more . . . until they're sure Chimera is gone, I'm going to be kept under lock and key. I'm not safe. Nobody around me is safe. But I guess you already knew that." Dusty shook her head. "I am SO sorry I said those things. I was upset, but that's no excuse. Me . . . my dad . . . we were in danger before we ever met you, and you saved our asses, mine especially, time and time again." "But Chimera – " "Chimera are . . . were . . . an evil bunch of fuckers and you are NOT responsible for what they did." Dusty held Ashley's hand. "You scared the crap out of me, ya know? Running off like that before I could talk to you." "I couldn't stand that I'd hurt you," Ashley replied, wanting to both pull away and grip Dusty tighter at the same time. "That I'd betrayed you." "You didn't betray me. And you weren't the one that hurt me. And I wish you'd let us help you so you can get better and get out of here and come back to me." Dusty kissed Ashley's hand. Now came the REALLY hard part for her. "Because I love you and not having you with me is the one thing that DOES hurt." Ashley's mouth was moving up and down in a vain attempt to produce sound, but not all the parts required to manufacture speech were willing to cooperate. Dusty almost laughed. Ashley had just been blind-sided in a big way, but Dusty knew longing when she saw it. So she didn't say anything else. She just moved her face slowly towards Ashley's and gave that bruised face as gentle but intense of a kiss as she had ever managed. And for the first time in a while, Ashley was feeling no pain. ------------- ------------- A week later . . . ------------- ------------- Ashley was amazed at how fast you could heal when you combined Earth technology and medicine and Terran magic. She had finally given in and let Alyidana come to help with the healing process after Dusty had pointed out that the faster Ashley got better, the sooner they could spend some "quality" time together. Ashley found herself in an interesting predicament. With Chimera not as dead as people thought and the Purity still out there somewhere, she was apparently one of the most potentially dangerous secrets in the world. Eliza thought that Ashley should stay with them, while other forces thought that choice too obvious for those few individuals who knew of Ashley's existence and might mean to do her harm. Ashley wanted to stay close to Dusty, who had dropped out of school for a bit while she got her life back in order. They were staying together at Hybrid Compound at least until the final decision was made. Dusty DID make frequent trips to visit her father though. Near the end of one of Dusty's trips, Ashley was sitting next to the window of the guest room she was occupying. She had the window open so she could feel that crisp night air against her face and ruffling her short blond hair. She saw Eliza and Veronica wandering around outside, and their eyes met hers. Eliza kissed her fiancée after which Veronica headed back to the main building and Eliza came over to sit in Ashley's window. "How you doing?" Eliza asked. Ashley smiled. She was still a little beat up, but all the visible bruising was gone. "I'm getting by I guess. I keep thinking that something's gonna happen though. You know? That someone is going to attack the base or the sky is going to fall." Eliza laughed. Ashley had figured out that the leader of Hybrid was really a nice person to be around when she wasn't picking fights. And she wasn't holding Ashley's cheap shot against her, for which Ashley was quite grateful. "Welcome to my world," Eliza said. "I'm worried about a war breaking out on a daily basis, and this just started out as a security operation guarding pretty baubles and important people." "Now you're one of the most well-known people on two worlds," Ashley said. Then she sighed. "I don't know how you do it. I wouldn't want that for anything." "The responsibility sucks," Eliza agreed, "but it's rewarding too. I never want to be one of those people who just hear about what happens. It's tiring, but nice to actually have a say in how things turn out." "Do you ever miss being . . . normal? I don't mean – " "I know what you mean." Eliza furrowed her brow. "I miss having quiet moments. I never thought I would, but that was before I had someone I liked spending time with. But even then, Veronica is just as much of an action hound as I am. So I guess it works out." She looked at her young friend. "I take it then that you're not looking for an 'adventurous' life?" Ashley smiled. "I think that I'd be happy if I never picked up a gun again. This whole getting beat up thing is painful." Ashley hadn't even realized how odd that sounded until Eliza started to snicker. "But you gave better than you got. Well, maybe worse than you got. Depends on how you look at it." She leaned against the window frame. "You could always come work for me," she added. Ashley blushed. "I appreciate the offer, and if you ever actually need my help – " She paused. "I just want some peace and quiet for a while. Maybe go on a cruise – " Another pause. "Take Dusty with you?" Eliza grinned and was met with a grin in return. "Yeah. Whatever I do, I want to still have her in my life. As long as she's willing, anyway." "I think it'll take some doing to get rid of her," Eliza replied. "That woman's got a determined look in her eye when she looks your way." "You'd know what that looks like," Ashley replied, glancing towards the main building. "Can I ask you a question?" "Sure." "Why don't you and Veronica just . . . get married?" Eliza's eyebrows shot up. "Where did THAT come from?" "I was just thinking that in our . . . I mean your line of work, don't you think you should just do it?" Ashley shrugged. "I almost lost the chance to be with Dusty. I'm glad we're getting a second chance 'cause I don't know how many of those I've got left." "Are you causing trouble?" came a sweet voice from the door. "Hey! You're back!" Ashley was cut off as Dusty sauntered forward, hugging and kissing her girlfriend. "Dad was getting overly protective again, so I decided to take a sabbatical." Dusty was fibbing a bit. In fact, she had just really missed Ashley. Dusty looked at Eliza, who was standing up to leave. "You don't have to go," Dusty said, scratching Mr. Fuzzy Butt's head as he rushed forward to meet his other person. "I think I do," Eliza said, apparently deep in thought. She stood up and walked down to the main building, leaving the two young women alone. She walked into the main room where several members of her team were hanging out. Veronica was sitting on a sofa, twirling one of those blonde curls with her finger. 'She's still so beautiful,' Eliza thought, and immediately Veronica looked up with a smile. Even when Eliza wasn't trying, Veronica could still hear her thoughts. Eliza looked over at Veronica's twin sister. "Vicky?" "Yeah?" the woman replied, engrossed in a local news program on the holo-projector. "What's the schedule look like next week? Anyone on assignment?" Vicky pursed her eyebrows. "Nope," she replied. "Remember, we decided to take a break after saving the world again?" Vicky looked back to her program. "Why do you ask?" "I was thinking we could have a wedding." Silence. Veronica was stunned, but not so stunned that she couldn't grin like a wolf, scream like a banshee, jump to her feet and run into the waiting arms of her fiancée and kiss her repeatedly. ------------- ----------- A week later . . . ------------- ----------- Vicky had proven to be the social planner of the Gods. In one week's time, she had managed to put together a wedding that should have taken months. But she had so many contingencies that had been laying in wait that she had managed to pull off a miracle. The marriage of the Eliza and Veronica was no small affair. Not only was the entire team involved, there were two sets of parents and relatives, a large number of heads of state and other people in the political "know," prominent business-folk (including Dr. Trendenfall and a recently released Mr. McBride) and several celebrities. Colonel Corbin had shown up with an entire army brigade to make sure that everything went off without a hitch. Well, that and the Colonel was one of Veronica's groomsmen. Humans had their own marriage customs . . . vampires had their own customs. No one had any idea what to expect from a brand new species getting married. Both Eliza and Veronica had taken a number of both bridesmaid and groomsmen, and had taken to calling them their Entrusted. At Veronica's side would be Vicky, Terillia, Colonel Corbin, Ambassador Kalinicia and Dennis Murgo, and one of her nieces would be her ring bearer. Eliza's first choice (to no one's surprise) had been Thug, as the troll had been her friend and companion longer than anyone else. She had also chosen Allyson Murgo, Wyrm, Pamela Ryder (a former lover and still friend), and, more surprisingly, Chancellor Valar. Even though he disapproved of her sexual orientation, the respect that they had developed for each other had become undeniable. And almost amusingly, he had shown up with Dusty's former roommate Katrina as his traveling companion. And it was Pamela's young daughter who bore Eliza's ring. The wedding was held in the hills over the Hybrid compound near a lake on their property. Eliza's parents actually met Veronica's folks for the very first time, and Dusty noticed amusingly how similar they acted. Both mothers were openly switching between giddy and weepy while both fathers were trying to play it cool while realizing that they were finally giving their "little girls" away. Both had gone with more traditional Terran wedding garments, with Eliza dressed in black and red while Veronica had gone with white and blue. There was no one in the crowd who had ever seen a more radiant couple. Even Eliza, who really didn't care much for ceremonies, couldn't wipe the smile from her face. Ashley, who was wearing a dress for the first time in her life (and finding the garment not at all practical) was at Dusty's side the entire time, watching how her companion worked every crowd that she joined, introducing Ashley without making her feel uncomfortable. The official story was that the blonde girl was a student from the East coast who was scouting possible schools and had met Dusty while applying for an internship at her father's company. Ashley didn't really care. She was swept up in the moment. The ceremony was held at dawn, to symbolize the beginning of a new period in both Eliza's and Veronica's lives. The ceremony itself was relatively short and the vows were exchanged. And the entire crowd was waiting on baited breath for that first married kiss. {{ I think I'm getting performance anxiety, }} Eliza sent her wife-to-be as she placed her hands on the sides of Veronica's face. {{ Silly woman, }} Veronica replied, her own anticipation growing. {{ Haven't you realized that you CAN'T do anything wrong? }} {{ With you as my inspiration, I think I actually believe that, }} was Eliza's final reply before their lips met. The crowd erupted behind them, but the entire army could have started firing cannons into the air and the two lovers never would have noticed. Ashley looked over and almost giggled when she saw how emotional Dusty had become. The buxom young lass was fanning herself with her program and was trying not to cry outright. 'I guess I still have a FEW things left to learn about being a girl,' she thought, gripping Dusty's hand tightly. --------------- -------------------- Several hours later . . . --------------- -------------------- Ashley was exhausted. The energy level of the guests had been amazing, and the after-ceremony revel had gone on and on. Finally, Veronica and Eliza had been whisked off by private transport to one of the Hawaiian islands where they had basically reserved an entire resort and large section of the beach for themselves. After that, the gathering slowly broke up and the guests returned to wherever it was that they were staying. Ashley waited as Dusty went to talk to her father, who looked slightly miffed but accepting that Dusty had EVERY plan on staying with Ashley that night. "Ready?" Dusty asked when she approached, a smoldering look in her eyes. Ashley gulped. "More than you can imagine." The two quickly traversed the valley and back into the building where Ashley was staying. Ashley was the first in, but she turned when she heard the door close. Immediately, she was swept up into Dusty's arms and was kissed by a woman possessed. "Do weddings always do this to you?" Ashley asked when she was finally able to catch her breath? Dusty didn't respond verbally. Rather she started kissing Ashley on the neck while reached around to unzip the girl's dress. 'We need to go to more weddings,' Ashley thought as she began to moan a little. "I need to lock Mr. Fuzzy Butt . . . up," she moaned, then broke away. For some reason, she didn't want the dog watching. She scooted him into the bathroom, then turned around to find that Dusty was dressed only in the skimpiest of French cut panties and a sultry smile. "Oh boy," Ashley said, mostly to herself. "Are you saying I look like a boy?" Dusty said with a fake pout, crossing her arms under her full breasts and lifting them upward. "Nuh . . . not exactly," Ashley stammered. She was so nervous. After she had left Dusty on Terra, she had been convinced she would never be in that situation again . . . waiting to feel that beautiful woman against her body. "Good," Dusty cooed, grabbing the front of Ashley's bra and pulling the girl in. "Otherwise, this might be a little awkward." She grabbed Ashley's tight behind and pulled her in close, grinding their bodies together as she teased the blonde's tonsils with her tongue. Ashley's hands quickly found the heaving mounds of Dusty's chest, squeezing them playfully as the tonsil hockey continued. She finally needed to feel those nipples between her lips and broke the kiss, wrapping her mouth around the hard nubs and sucking for all she was worth. Dusty was running one hand over Ashley's head and holding the girl's in place. "Oh baby," she hummed, "you have skills I hadn't even imagined." She pressed her breasts against Ashley's face, and then pushed the girl back onto the bed. "But so do I." Dusty reached into her purse and pulled out a small vibe, no more than four inches long. She saw that Ashley looked borderline alarmed, but was reassured by Dusty's expression. "It's okay babe . . . Momma knows what she's doing." She sat on the bed beside Ashley and opened her legs, then pulled her lover up against her but facing away. She wrapped her arms around the girl's body and turned the knob of the toy, causing it to hum with delightful promise. "Do you trust me?" Dusty asked, kissing Ashley's neck. "Unh hunh," Ashley groaned as Dusty started tracing the tip of the vibe up and down her slot on the outside of her panties. "Good," Dusty whispered, nibbling on her lover's ear. "Because I want to do things to you that you'll remember for the rest of your life." She slid the vibe under Ashley's panties and continued to tease the girls' moist sex. She liked the way it looked with the knuckles of her hand pressing against the wet cotton fabric of Ashley's undergarments as she pleasured her friend. "Ah . . . ah . . ." Ashley gasped as she ran her hands up and down Dusty's smooth legs. The vibrations were making her head spin so badly she thought she'd need an exorcism. She pressed her back hard against Dusty's chest, feeling those fascinating breasts hot against her back. "C'mon baby," Dusty said, pushing the vibe gently into Ashley's opening while rubbing the girl's clit with her palm. "Cum for me," she added, increasing her tempo. "Make me proud." Ashley came like a dam, pushing back so hard that Dusty wound up being flat on her back with Ashley arching her body on top of her. It was a nice, wet orgasm that smelled of lust and promise. The blonde former bodyguard slowly turned over, pressing her wet, panty-clad crotch against Dusty, making the girl shiver. She kissed Dusty's lips, then her neck, and then her breasts again. She couldn't explain her fascination with that particular part of her girlfriend's anatomy, but she didn't much care to. She didn't stay as long there as she normally might, as she had another destination in mind. Dusty bit her lower lip, waiting anxiously as Ashley's lips found the silk of her panties. Like Dusty had done, the blonde started her work without removing that protective covering. Rather, she kissed Dusty's clit right through the fabric, the suckled on it before running her tongue down the cleft, pushing the fabric into Dusty's opening. She continued downward a bit, almost reaching that pink little sphincter and making Dusty jump a little. Ashley smiled. She knew from observing Dusty that she wasn't exactly adverse to a little anal play. Ashley grabbed the knots on either side of Dusty's hips and untied the underwear swiftly, tossing them to the side. Then she grabbed the vibe from her lover's hand and teased the girl's waiting pussy. Anywhere that the vibe wasn't, Ashley's tongue was. Dusty spread her legs as wide as they would go and raised her hips to meet Ashley's face. While Ashley wasn't the most adept or experienced lover that she had ever had, she made Dusty feel hotter than anyone ever had before. 'Is it the innocence?' she thought, then chuckled. 'How you call someone innocent when she's got her tongue halfway up your pussy and is sticking you own vibe in your . . . Whoa' she thought. The vibrating tip of the toy had slowly made its way into her asshole and was wreaking havoc on her central nervous system. "You little . . . oh yeah!" Dusty said as her ass continued to be penetrated. And Ashley's other administrations had become even gentler and slower by contrast, and it was driving Dusty insane. She wondered if Ashley had any idea what she was doing. 'If not,' she thought, 'then that is SOME beginner's luck!' In fact, Ashley was just piecing together things that she had seen Katrina or Professor VanHouten do that had made Dusty happy. She wanted to learn it all, and Dusty would be the one to show her. The last time had been very gentle. This time was more amorous. And it all felt wonderful! She started licking frantically, plunging the slim toy into Dusty's ass rapidly. Dusty was grasping her own breasts, obviously pleased with her young protégé's work. "That's it," Dusty said after several minutes. "That's the . . . perfect . . . spot!" While not as wet of an orgasm, it was just as exhausting as the one she had given her lover earlier. And to make it better, Ashley kept her tongue moving, albeit more slowly, keeping Dusty in a hazy shade of bliss for several minutes even after the climax itself had subsided. She soon found herself face to face with Ashley who was looking quite pleased with herself. "So you're saying that was good?" Ashley asked with mock innocence. "Were you taking a correspondence course behind my back?" Dusty joked, kissing the girl's mouth and tasting her own juices on those lovely lips. "I can't imagine being with anyone but you," Ashley said, and then blushed. That had sounded cornier than she had meant it. But Dusty's reaction was worth it. The girl blushed herself, then kissed Ashley while rolling her over, Dusty now on top. "And if I have anything to say about it, you won't have to." She lifted her body up a bit, grabbed Ashley's hand and placed it between Dusty's thighs. It didn't take much for Ashley to get the hint, nor to start groaning when Dusty returned the favor and lowered her body, trapping their hands between them. She turned over a bit so that both women could lie on their sides. Dust to Dust Ch. 05 What Ashley didn't realize is that this was new to Dusty. This was a kind of intimacy that went well beyond her usual "fuck sessions." For the first time, she was content just to stare into a lover's eyes as they pleasured each other. She marveled at the small expressions of delight that constantly danced across Ashley's face. Each expression was like a Christmas snowflake, different than the one before but glorious in its own right. She used her free hand to fasten a tight grip on her lover's thigh and buttock, and she used her mouth to capture Ashley's breath. And the orgasms . . . so many orgasms. They lay in one carnal embrace or another for an hour, pleasuring each other with fingers, tongues, mouths or even the toy that Dusty had brought. "Sixty nine" became Ashley's favorite number, particularly after Dusty "made" her practice it until they were both exhausted, sweaty, and more than a little bit sticky. "I think we need a shower," Dusty decided. She led Ashley into the bathroom before the girl realized that she was being lured into another trap. Once the water was warm and running, Dusty grabbed the showerhead and directed the water stream against Ashley's ravaged sex. And as tired as she was, it took Ashley a deliciously long time to climax again. Then Dusty was finally done . . . for that night anyway. She took great care after that as she and Ashley rinsed each other off and took great delight in towel drying one another. And when they finally crawled under the pile of soft warm sheets and blankets, they fell asleep with Ashley's head on Dusty's chest, each as content as they had ever been. ---------- -------------------- A month later . . . ---------- -------------------- "You know you're always welcome to change your mind," Eliza said, watching Ashley put a few belongings into a backpack and then zipping it shut. "You're a good person to have around." Ashley grinned. "Who knows," she acknowledge with a shrug. "Maybe someday I'll be ready. But for now, there's just so much out there that I don't get and that I've seen but never felt. I really need this." Ashley, with some encouragement from Dusty, had decided to go on walkabout. While even a moment's separation made her a bit morose, Dusty had realized that Ashley needed to finish becoming a whole person with her own experiences. And since Dusty was beginning to start the next semester back at the academy, they agreed that this would be the best time. That and Ashley promised to visit very, very often. "I know," Eliza said, sitting on the sofa in Ashley's soon-to-be-former room with her wife's head in her lap Both women were enormously happy with the recent turn of events in their relationship, and both realized they owed it in some small part to Ashley. "Just so that you know the offer is open." No one was worried about Ashley's health. Chimera was in full retreat, the Purity was pretty much done and Ashley had shown she could take care of herself. She had easily passed her high school competency exam, making her an official graduate of the public schools. Well, Ashley Romero (Ashley's new name) had become a graduate anyway. She had MORE than enough money to go anywhere and do anything she had her heart set to do. And with her trusty dog at her side, she was ready to go see some of what she had barely noticed for more than forty years. Dusty was sitting on the bed, her heart a little heavy but her thoughts light. She would see Ashley in a few weeks . . . the blonde had promised to come by shortly after student orientation. Dusty's suitemates had specifically requested to be with her so they could hear all about her latest adventures, and they all wanted to meet the "new and improved Ash." "Are you sure you've got enough food for Mr. Fuzzy Butt?" she asked. Ashley grinned. Dusty had been in the early stages of withdrawal all day. "He has more food than I do." "Do you need more food?" Dusty replied worriedly. "I could – " Ashley placed her head against her girlfriend's, stared at her and then kissed her long and deep. "I will see you soon," she promised with all her heart. "This was your idea, remember? I'll communicate every day. I promise." As much as Ashley wanted to get out and see both worlds, she had accepted that if it started to hurt her relationship with Dusty, she would come back in a heartbeat. Dusty smiled. Ashley was coming into her own again. "You'd better," she replied. "Now get your cute butt out of here before I make a scene." While she knew she would miss her lover with every step, Ashley threw her back over her shoulder and took Mr. Fuzzy Butt's leash and made her way out of the compound. Every member of Hybrid Security stopped to say goodbye, and she noticed that Dusty was standing next to the gate, still smiling. 'It's an amazing thing,' Ashley though regarding her situation as she headed towards the train station. Not long ago, she had been more than willing to die. Now, she was off to find the life that she had lost and the life she had fought so hard to win. She didn't know where she was going, but knew exactly where she'd wind up. And as the coastal breeze teased her lengthening hair, thoughts of a tanned and buxom beauty who she knew would be waiting for her entertained Ashley's fancy as she made her way down the road. ------------ ---------------- The End . . .